Product Review- Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta

I just tried Tinkyada Pasta Joy;  the Brown Rice Penne pasta (with rice bran). I am very glad I did! This is the best gluten-free pasta I have tried yet. It contains simply, brown rice, rice bran and water. It has a smoother texture than some of the corn pasta products and its color is more similar to regular pasta as well. If I did not know ahead of time, I would have assumed I was eating regular semolina wheat pasta. I found this in my regular supermarket, Demoulas Market Basket. It was $3.79 for a 1 pound package. Kinda pricey, but the other benefit is, unlike some of the corn pastas, it does not get hard when refrigerated. It maintains its texture, so I can use it to make macaroni/pasta salads. As you can see by their advertising, they have a lot of variety.

Butternut Ginger Soup

I grow butternut squash every year. I also grow another version of butternut, the Argonaut squash. It can grow easily up to 16 pounds and if an inch of stem is left on, it has a 6-8 month shelf life when stored in a cool dry place. Once I cut one of the Argonauts, I have to find a lot of uses and squash soup is a favorite because it is so versatile. Change the spice and you have a whole new soup!

Basic Recipe

1 large butternut squash (2-3 lbs)
1 sweet onion chopped
1 can chicken broth
2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbs brown sugar
salt and black pepper to taste

Put first 6 ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer till squash is soft. Mash with a ricer and add salt and pepper to taste. Great served with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Optional ideas below:

• Add a 1/2 cup of fat free half and half or light cream after pureeing for a creamier soup. 

• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of cloves make for a great fall or holiday soup. 

• You can  roast 1 tsp cumin seed, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds and 1 cinnamon stick broken in a dry frying pan on medium high heat, till aromatic then grind and add for a curried soup.

Shrimp Salad Lettuce Wraps

6 oz cooked shrimp chopped
1 dill pickle seeds removed minced
1-2 tsp Sriracha Sauce
2 Tbs mayonaise
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 stalk celery minced
ground black pepper to taste
*optional 2-3 Tbs chopped ham

10 med Bibb lettuce leaves washed-pat dry

Mix ingredients well and spoon onto lettuce leaves and roll. If using Romaine lettuce, just select medium leaves and spoon into the middle; fold length-wise.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 cup GF Mama coconut or almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbs shortening, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Preheat oven to 350. Blend flour, baking powder, white sugar and 2 tbs cocoa in a mixing bowl. Stir in milk and shortening. Mix in nuts if using. Spread in a 8X8 or 9X9 inch baking pan. Mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa well and sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour hot water over that mixture and bake 9X9 pan for 45 minutes; increase time by 5 minutes if using 8X8 pan. Cake mixture rises to the top and the chocolate sauce settles to the bottom during baking. Cool 20 minutes or until pan is cool enough to handle. You can invert the entire cake over a platter, cut and serve, or cut cake into 9 squares. Invert each square onto a dessert plate and spoon sauce over it.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz GF Pasta (I use Sam Mills 100% corn pasta (cornetti rigati-ribbed elbows))
2 Tbs Butter
1 1/2 TBS GF Mama Almond Flour
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
5 oz Velveeta, cubed                              
5 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated                                      
2 cups of milk                                                               
1 tsp Lea Perrins Worcestershire sauce                           
3-4 shakes Tabasco (this amount doesn't add heat-just good flavor)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1-2 snack size bag of potato chips crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour pasta into boiling water, cook as directed, drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in flour. Add mustard, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and cook for 1 minute, remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of the milk stirring constantly till well mixed. Add the rest of the milk, return to the burner and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Turn heat down to low and add cheese stirring constantly till melted. Place cooked pasta in a 2 quart casserole dish and stir in cheese sauce. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with a side garden salad for an easy dinner.

Honey Walnut Drop Cookies

• 1 cup soft shortening (1/2 butter) 
• 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cupd Gluten Free Mama Almond flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (can sub peanuts, pecans, chocolate...)

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs on medium speed on your mixer till thoroughly mixed. Stir in honey and vanilla. Measure flour and blend in baking soda then blend into your egg mixture on low speed till well combined. Stir in the walnuts. Cover dough and chill for at least an hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts and put on ungreased baking sheets. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies remain on the cookie sheets for approximately 1 minute before they are removed to a rack or parchment paper to cool.