Strawberry Upside Down Cake , Gluten Free of course

 

This cake is hands down one of the best cakes I have eaten in a LONG time. It screams SPRING! I think it is a new favorite for me.

Strawberry Upside Down Cake, gluten free of course

Ingredients

• 3 c. fresh strawberries crushed (divided)
• 2 3 oz strawberry Jell-O (divided)
• 3 c. miniature marshmallows
• 1 gluten free yellow cake mix + ingredients to prepare cake mix
• Cool Whip

Instructions

1. Take your two cups of strawberries and crush them with a fork. Pour into a 9x13 in cake pan, sprayed well with cooking spray . Sprinkle 1 1/2 boxes strawberry Jell-O over the top of the strawberries. Then sprinkle the marshmallows over the Jell-O
2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Add 1 c. crushed strawberries and 1/2 package of Jell-O mix to cake mixture.  Pour over the marshmallows
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then run a knife around the outside of the cake. Flip onto a serving tray. Refrigerate. 
4. Serve with Cool Whip (if desired)

Pound Cake (gluten free)

Ingredients
2 cups sugar

1 cup Butter, melted

4 Eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups Gluten-Free Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

Directions

Pre-Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-cup Bundt or 10-inch angel food cake (tube) pan; sprinkle with gluten-free flour. Set aside.

Combine sugar and melted butter in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until well mixed.

Stir together gluten-free flour and baking powder in bowl. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating at low speed until well mixed.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.


Serve with strawberries & whipped cream

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

I'm a sucker for all things strawberry!! I couldn't pass up giving this a try. It is SO good. I hope you enjoy it too!

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

 

2 -8 ounce containers cool whip, thawed

2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages cheesecake flavor instant Jell-O pudding mix

1 (24 ounce) container strawberry yogurt

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, sliced

1-2 Cups mini marshmallows

 

Ina large bowl stir together cool whip, yogurt, and pudding powder. Let this set up in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Wash and slice the strawberries. Add strawberries and marshmallows stir well and serve cold.

 

 

This recipe could be cut in half as well.

Secret Ingredient Strawberry Pie

 
     Each time I opened the refrigerator door this weekend I had a box of strawberries that stares at me. They needed to either be eaten or used in a recipe. Unfortunately, they didn't have super flavor soooo they needed a recipe. I decided to make them into pie! I ran across a strawberry pie recipe that used jell-o and 7-up....I thought that was different so I had to give it a try. However, in their recipe they didn't use any actual strawberries in the cooked mixture....so I had to change that. I adapted the recipe to be gluten free and tweaked it and here it is:

Secret Ingredient Strawberry Pie

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. cornstarch
10 ounces of lemon lime soda (like 7-up or Sprite - regular or diet)
1 (3 ounce) box of strawberry gelatin
1 pound of fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1 gluten free pie crust precooked and cooled
Homemade whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping

Place the sugar, salt, and 1/2 C of the sliced berries in a small saucepan and let it sit for 5-10 min. This will draw the juices out of the berries. Then use a spoon or a whisk to mash the mixture. Add the cornstarch and 7-up and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and thoroughly whisk in the strawberry gelatin. Set aside to cool (about 10 min.)

Layer the strawberry slices in the precooked, cooled crust. Pour the gelatin mixture evenly all across the top of the strawberries. Chill until set and serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Shhh....these are your "secret" ingredients

 

While your pie crust is baking, slice your strawberries

Put about 1/2 C. of the sliced berries in a pan with the salt and sugar. Allow them to work on drawing the yummy strawberry juices out. Then mush the berries, add the other ingredients and cook until thickened.

Layer the sliced strawberries in the baked shell

Pour the cooked mixture over the sliced berries (don't overfill yours like I did..oops)

Refrigerate until the pie filling is set.

Top with a dollop of cool whip

 

     This pie is super simple to make if you use a pre-made crust. I just picked up a box of Kinnikinnick ready made crusts. I hope you enjoy this yummy strawberry pie.

 

-Jessica

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Berry Pancakes....easy peasy

     I know that this recipe is not a rocket science level of difficulty. However, it is quite yummy so I had to share. I bought a big package of blueberries and thought I would use them in some pancakes. I also had some strawberries in the fridge. SO, that's where the berry portion of this idea happened. I decided to whip up some pancake batter using Gluten Free Bisquick. However, I thought it would be amazing if the pancakes had a lemon flavor to compliment the berries....thus the lemon berry pancake was born.

Lemon Berry Pancakes

1 C. Gluten Free Bisquick Mix
1 C. Milk
1 Egg.
2 T. Oil
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 C. Fresh Blueberries
1 C. Sliced Strawberries
Syrup

Combine the ingredients together until no lumps remain. Heat a griddle/ skillet. Pour approximately 1/2 C. of the batter onto the griddle. Sprinkle blueberries onto the batter. Flip the pancake when golden brown. Cook the other side until golden. Remove from the heat and top with more blueberries, strawberries, and syrup.

I heart blueberries

Pour approximately 1/2 C of batter onto the hot griddle.

Top the batter with fresh blueberries and cook until golden.

Flip and cook the other side.

Top with berries

Add a little syrup

Enjoy! These are SO yummy.

I hope you enjoy these pancakes. I think the lemon flavoring gives them something a little different.

-Jessica

Strawberries and Cream Bars

     What happens when you have an abundance of strawberries in your fridge??? Well you make an amazing strawberry recipe!! That's what!
     Strawberries were on an amazing sale during Valentines week. I may have bought a container too many, so I thought rather than let them go to waste, I would whip up this yummy treat. I had run across the recipe that inspired this recipe clear back during summer. I printed it off and tucked it away to be made. However, I forgot to get that done. The original recipe was gluten-full. It used a bag of sugar cookie mix and the filling recipe was a little different. So I converted it to gluten free, tweaked a few things and here is the amazing result. I think it turned out pretty darn yummariffic!
Strawberries and Cream Bars

Sugar Cookie Base:
3 cups gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. sour cream

Creamy Filling:
1 C. White Chocolate Baking Chips
1 package (8oz) Cream Cheese

Strawberry Topping:
4 C. Sliced Fresh Strawberries
1/2 C. Sugar
2 T. Cornstarch
1/3 C. Water

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Spread the batter in the bottom of a 15x10 or a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 min. or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely, about 30 min.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the baking chips. Microwave on high for 1 min. Stir and repeat until smooth. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in melted chips until blended. Spread over cookie base. Refrigerate while preparing the strawberry topping.

In a small bowl, crush 1 cup of the strawberries. In a small saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the crushed strawberries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Cool for 10 minutes and then stir in the remaining 3 cups of strawberries. Spoon topping over the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving (to allow it to set up). Store covered in the refrigerator.

Mix Sugar and butter together, then add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition

Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Then mix in dry ingredients.

Evenly spread the cookie dough out over the bottom of a pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 min or until golden brown

I may or may not have saved a little cookie dough out to make myself a few sugar cookies...shhhhh do NOT tell ;) I promise not to tell if you do it too!

Spread the creamy filling over the entire cookie base and put into the refrigerator to chill while making the strawberry topping.

I used a potato masher to smoosh my 1 cup of strawberries. It worked great! They weren't too mangled.

Cook the topping until thickened. Cool for 10 min. and then add the other 3 cups of berries.

Spread the strawberry topping over the creamy filling and refrigerate for about 1 hour so it can all set up.

     These are SO good, I will for sure be adding them to my favorite dessert repertoire!! I'm a sucker for anything strawberry.

-Jessica

Red, White, and Blue Sweet Risotto

     I will confess that this recipe doesn't have many pictures to go with it. I had never made risotto before, except for the box stuff that comes with a seasoning packet. I had visions of Chef Gordon Ramsay screaming at me while making my risotto. If you have ever watched Hell's Kitchen, then you know that is about all he does....scream at people, taste their risotto, and yell at them some more because it is a failure. So I was a touch stressed out when thinking of making risotto from scratch. I had no time to grab the camera, I had to STIR!!! However, the end result is sooooooo yummy. I think even Chef Ramsay would approve.
     This recipe was inspired by a recipe that Whole Foods posted on their Facebook page this week. I mostly stuck to their recipe, however I used what I had at home. I used regular sugar, a blood orange, and the milk that was in the fridge. In other words, I didn't go out and buy expensive organic this and that to make this. I did have to go buy coconut milk, that wasn't anything that I had on hand. I also decided that I would use both strawberries AND blueberries in my recipe. The more fruit the better, right? Right! I hope that you like my version.......

Red, White, and Blue Sweet Risotto

6 cups Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup Arborio Rice
Zest and juice of 1 orange (I used a blood orange)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1-2 cups blueberries, washed

Over medium heat combine the milk, vanilla, and sugar. Warm until simmering and then reduce the heat to low. Keep warm. In a second pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and cook until toasted, stir often to keep from scorching.(3-5 min.). Add the orange zest and juice. Stir constantly until juice is absorbed, then begin adding the milk mixture 1 cup at a time. Let the milk absorb (stirring frequently) and then add another cup until all 6 cups have been added and rice is thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk. Let it set for about 5 min. 

In a small bowl, spoon sliced strawberries and blueberries. Top the fruit with risotto and garnish with a few more berries. Serve warm, but also good cold. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Combine milk, sugar, and vanilla. Get this mixture warm before starting the rice.

Stir Stir Stir...........YES CHEF!!!

Put the berries in the bottom of your bowl and top with warm sweet risotto.

Garnish with more berries and enjoy!

 Ommm nommm nommmmm!!

     Be sure to invite some friends over to help you eat this, it is highly addictive if you end up with leftovers. Enjoy!

-Jessica

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries....for that special Valentine

     I discovered the amazingness of chocolate dipped strawberries last Valentines Day. A store was advertising 6 dipped strawberries for $25. They looked soooo yummy. However there was absolutely no way that I would pay that much for strawberries, Valentines day or not. I decided to make my own.
     I quickly learned that they are not hard to make! If you are capable of melting chocolate in your microwave then you can handle this! My Valentines are getting them again this year, they were a huge hit last year. What's not to love about strawberries and chocolate?!?!!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips (approximate)
1 Package of fresh Strawberries, washed and dried
wax paper
Valentine theme cupcake wrappers

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe dish. Microwave on full power for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Microwave again for 30 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is melted.

Dip the strawberries into the dish of chocolate. Lay on wax paper to dry. When they are dry, place each strawberry into a cupcake wrapper. Store in a container in the refrigerator.

Be sure that you wash and dry your strawberries. The chocolate won't stick well if the berries are still wet.

Put your chips into a microwave safe dish and microwave at 30 sec. intervals until chocolate is melted. I used both white and milk chocolate to make my berries.

Stir the chocolate after each 30 seconds in the microwave. You don't want to scorch the chocolate.

Dip your strawberry into the melted chocolate. Be sure to coat all sides.

Lay the berries out on wax paper so the chocolate can dry. Decorate with sprinkles, or more chocolate!

     I hope you enjoy these chocolate dipped strawberries. Making them at home will save you some money. Maybe you can even take your Valentine out for dinner with all that leftover cash! ha

-Jessica