cooking ala mel

Gluten Free Waffles

May 10, 2012

Today is my last day of finals – I am [almost] officially finished my P1 year of pharmacy school. Woohoo! Because my last final is at 3:30 pm, I decided to experiment with a waffle recipe for breakfast (one can only spend so much time studying). I thought about doing a combination of almond flour/whole wheat flour (if only because I am severely low on almond flour – I need to make more!). At the last second, though, I opted to use coconut flour instead. More health!

I sort of just threw this together and hoped for the best. I knew I’d need more eggs than usual and more liquid than usual because of the coconut flour, but that’s all I really thought out, haha. Luckily, throwing things together ended up working out well enough, and it ended up being a very yummy breakfast.

These waffles are light and fluffy, with a lovely sweetness. I didn’t actually end up using any maple syrup for these (*gasp*) – I garnished it with a pat of coconut oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon. So delicious. Because I used vanilla stevia drops, the batter itself was wonderfully sweetened, so it didn’t need much extra on top!

Because I’m really excited about this, I’m going to tell you a little bit more about these vanilla stevia drops. I actually won a giveaway over at Prevention RD for one of NuNatural’s lemon or orange flavored stevia drops, and I got to pick one. I ended up picking orange (for a lovely chocolate-orange combo), and when I received my package, NuNaturals was kind enough to include a lemon and a vanilla flavored one, also! I was so excited, and I’ve been having a lot of fun using them to sweeten tea while I’ve been studying, and I can’t wait until I have more free time to try them in some more recipes!
(Disclaimer: While NuNaturals did send me the drops free of charge, I was not required to write a review at all – I don’t even think they know this blog exists – I was just excited about the product!)

Gluten Free Waffles
serves 2-3

1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 T ground flax
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/2 t vanilla
≈ 20 drops vanilla stevia (if using plain stevia drops, just add 1/2 t more vanilla)
4 T coconut oil, melted

In a small bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, flax, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, milk, vanilla, coconut oil, and stevia drops. Scoop the batter onto a greased waffle iron and cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions (I used 1/4 cup batter for each waffle with mine). Keep in a warmed oven until all are made and ready to serve. Serve with coconut oil or butter (and maple syrup if you really have a sweet tooth) and a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Sandwich

May 5, 2012

I’ve definitely gotten back on the avocado lovers train. After feeling sick one time I ate too much, as I mentioned briefly before, I thought I’d never be able to really enjoy avocados again. After the avocado chocolate mousse, though, I decided I ought to keep the fridge stocked with avocados. After seeing Maria over at Two Peas & Their Pod rave time and time again about this smashed chickpea and avocado salad sandwich, I knew it was something I had to try. I love chickpeas, I was starting to love avocados again, and it included scallions. I forgot how much I love scallions.

Scallions are something we don’t often have in the apartment (although that’s surely going to change now), but it was something I grew up eating, mostly during visits to my grandma’s house. My grandma and pap have always had green onions in the garden, and we would eat them alongside sandwiches at lunch time. When I was younger, I always thought it was neat that we were eating raw onions whole. I always did like the idea of eating things raw right from the garden, be it peppers, green beans, or even sour grass from the yard. If there were fruits, they would not be safe from me for long; the blueberry bush is still one of my favorite things about summertime at my grandma’s house.

This sandwich is perfect for a quick lunch, and it’s both healthy and filling. The flavors are wonderful, too. Seasoned lightly with salt, pepper, and some lime juice, it really helps to let the flavors of the avocado, chickpeas, and scallions shine. Alex really liked using the leftovers for a dip with tortilla chips, and I can imagine it’d be great with veggies as well. This is definitely going to go into the lunch rotation this summer a good bit!

Also, if anyone was interested in seeing more pictures of the new kitty, make sure to head over to the cooking ala mel Facebook page or follow me on Twitter – I’ve been posting lots of pictures from Instagram (you can also follow me there – cookingalamel)! The Facebook pages also includes videos, which I think are the best part, haha. We’ve been having such a fun time with our new kitty, and Tesla has definitely gotten used to her and is really enjoying it, too!

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Sandwich
adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

makes 3-4 sandwiches
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and flesh removed
2 T green onion, chopped
juice from 1/2 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
bread (choose your favorite – I used double fiber)
spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings (tomato, lettuce, etc.)

In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas so they’re mashed but slightly chunky (you can also mash up with a fork). Add in the avocado flesh and pulse until combined. Stir in the green onions and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture onto bread and add any sandwich toppings. Enjoy!

*The mixture is best enjoyed the same day because the avocado will brown, but it’ll still taste good up to a few days afterward if stored in an airtight container (it just won’t look as good!).

Pupcakes (Puppy Cupcakes)

May 2, 2012

This past weekend, I went home to visit for my little cousin Ambrose’s third birthday. I made cupcakes to celebrate, and it was a puppy party, so of course I made them puppy themed. I did lots of Pinterest searching, and then pulled a bunch of different ideas together to make these “pupcakes.” It was such a nice day for the party; we had a picnic outside at my grandma’s house, including puppy chow and pupcakes.. delicious.

The pupcakes are just a classic chocolate cupcake, topped with a chocolate buttercream for the face and a salted caramel buttercream for the muzzle and little patch on the eye. M&Ms for the eyes, chocolate chip for the nose, milk chocolate ears, and a Pez tongue.

I had so much fun making these. It was my first time making caramel, and I cannot believe how easy it is! So yummy, too. I’ll definitely be doing that again soon..

The two frostings were definitely very sweet, so it’s a good thing there wasn’t a huge mound of it on the cupcake. I had a good bit of frosting left over from these, but that was fine – my mom ended up loving the salted caramel buttercream so much, she licked off all my spatulas and even had some of the leftover after she ate her breakfast.. it’s that good. I really liked the chocolate buttercream. Definitely my favorite!

There are a few steps in making these, for sure, but it comes together really quickly once you start going! And they’re so adorable, they’re sure to be a hit!

Pupcakes

makes 3 1/2 dozen cupcakes

For the chocolate cupcakes:

adapted from Sweetapolita

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

1 T baking soda

1 T baking powder

1 T cornstarch

2 t salt

1 1/3 cup buttermilk (I used whey leftover from my yogurt making)

1 cup brewed coffee (still hot)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 T vanilla

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla, and mix well on medium speed. Pour in the coffee, and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Fill lined cupcake pan 2/3 full (I used a 1 1/2 T cookie scoop to ensure even cupcakes). Bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack; cool fully before frosting.

For the chocolate frosting:

adapted from Sweetapolita

2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

4 t vanilla

8 oz. dark chocolate, melted and cooled

2 T milk

1/4 t salt

In a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter. Beat in the vanilla, salt, and melted chocolate. Beat in the milk until smooth and fluffy.

For the salted caramel frosting:

1/2 cup + 2 T sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup cream

pinch sea salt

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Heat over medium heat until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Brush down the sides with a damp pastry brush to avoid sugar crystals, and stop stirring. Cook until the caramel is a dark amber color (not stirring), swirling every so often. Remove from heat, and add the cream slowly. Whisk until smooth (it may splatter a bit). Stir in the sea salt. Set aside to cool.

Once the caramel is cool, beat together the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Add in the cooled caramel, and beat until smooth.

For the chocolate ears:

2 1/2 cups chocolate, melted (pick your favorite kind)

Once the chocolate is melted, place it into a plastic bag and snip the corner off. Pipe little ear shapes (tear drop or slight oval shape) onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge to harden.

To assemble:

What you will need:

cupcakes

chocolate frosting

caramel frosting

chocolate ears

chocolate chips

M&Ms

Pez candies

offset spatula

pastry bag & tip (I used a large star tip)

Using an off set spatula, frost the cupcakes with the chocolate frosting – just enough to cover the top of the cupcakes.

Using your favorite tip, pipe the caramel frosting on the lower center of each cupcake in a tight swirl for the muzzle. Using the same tip, pipe a small dot of frosting on one side for the eye patch.

Place a chocolate chip on the point of each muzzle for the nose.

Place two M&Ms on each cupcake, one on top of the frosting eye patch, and one next to it, for the eyes.

Place a Pez candy at the bottom of each muzzle for the tongue.

Place two chocolate ears on the sides of each cupcake, level with the eyes.

Refrigerate until needed, but serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.