Serves 8

This light, refreshing salsa is packed with flavor and perfect for summer entertaining.  Serve with sturdy corn tortilla dippers.  This way, you are guaranteed to get a big mouthful of deliciousness in each bite.  The salsa is great with grilled lamb, fish, and chicken, too, so you might want to make a double recipe.

3 cups finely chopped seedless watermelon, (about 3 pounds with the rind)
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of one lime
Gluten Free Corn Tortilla Dippers

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the all ingredients except the dippers.  Toss gently to coat.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to one day. Serve with lots of chips.

Makes  9-12 Large Brownie Squares

Decadent doesn’t begin to describe this luscious treat.  When you think about it, what could be bad about a treat that combines chocolate, salt, caramels and pretzels?  Perfect for a summer picnic or barbecue, you’ll be making these over and over in the next few months.  And no practice is involved, these are easy, quick, fun to make and always turn out well.  Even the kids can help.  Just keep little fingers away from the molten caramels.

I made these for the folks at Glutino/Boulder Brands recently.  I put out a giant platter and turned away for a moment.  Alas, only crumbs were left.  Make a platter for your family and watch them disappear just as quickly!

The instructions are for making a box of Gluten-Free Pantry Brownie Mix.  You could use any gluten free brownie mix that makes an 8 or 9-inch square pan of brownies. Omit the eggs and butter here and follow the instructions on the package.  I used Glutino Salted Caramel Pretzels and Kraft individually wrapped caramels.

1 box Gluten Free Pantry Double Chocolate Brownie Mix*
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/3 cups coarsely ground gluten free Salted Caramel Pretzels, divided
24 gluten free caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons cream or milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with aluminum foil.  Lightly oil the surface with vegetable oil or use no-stick aluminum foil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs for 2 minutes or until light and frothy.  Slowly add the brownie mix.  Beat to moisten.  Add the butter and mix to combine.  Fold in ½ cup of the chopped salted caramel pretzels.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.  In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and the cream.  When the brownies have baked 18 minutes, heat the caramels in the microwave for 1 minute at medium power.  Stir and heat another 30 seconds if the mixture is not melted.  (Don’t worry if you see small lumps of candy.  These will melt as you stir the mixture.)  Let cool 1 minute and spread over the top of the brownies.  Some of the mixture will swirl into the brownie batter.  That’s good!

Gently press remaining chopped pretzels into the caramel mixture with the back of a rubber spatula.  (Don’t touch the melted caramels with your fingers.  They are hot!)

Return the pan to the oven.  Bake an addition 17 to 20 minutes or until the center seems set and does not jiggle when you touch the pan.

Cool.  Lift from the pan using the edges of the foil.  Cut into squares.  Enjoy!

*Use any gluten free brownie mix that makes an 8 or 9-inch square pan of brownies and follow the instructions for preparation on that package.

Multi Grain High Fiber GF Bread
Recipe from Beth Hillson
Makes 2, 4 ½ x 8 ½ loaves

I’ve been trying to avoid carbs lately and when I do eat them, I stick to gluten free whole grain flours.  They digest more slowly and don’t cause my blood sugar to spike.  I can’t swear to it, but I think I stay fuller longer, too.  Besides, these flours are high in fiber and nutrients.  They have to be better than breads made with white flours and starches.

I started experimenting with this recipe a couple of years ago.  My goal was to use mostly buckwheat as it is known to lower blood sugar. However, the consistency, without other grains, was dry and crumbly.  So I cut back on the buckwheat and added other whole grains.  The results were delicious and the structure was nearly perfect.  Then I added flax meal and milk powder, boosting the dough with even more protein and moisture.  Perfecto! The structure of this loaf is very light, not something you would expect from a whole grain bread.  And the taste is delicate and nutty owing to the incorporation of these wonderful flours.

If you can’t have dairy, replace the milk powder with the same amount of a dairy free milk. Hemp powder works well but I really like quinoasure, powdered quinoa protein.  Sliced bread freezes nicely.

1 ¼ cup buckwheat flour
1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons millet flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
1 cup potato starch or cornstarch
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons amaranth flour
4 tablespoons ground flax meal
½ cup + 2 tablespoons milk powder
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 packets active dry yeast (about 4 ½ teaspoons)
4 large eggs
2 cups + 3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons oil
1 ½ tablespoon cider vinegar

Lightly oil two 4 ½ x 8 ½ inch loaf pans.  Set aside.

Combine first 11 ingredients (up to yeast).  Blend.  Whisk in the yeast.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, water, oil and vinegar.  Place dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the liquids and beat on medium using the paddle attachment.  When liquids are blended with dry ingredients, raise the speed to medium high.  Beat for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and shiny and strands of dough pull away from the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Divide dough between two prepared loaf pans.  Cover with oiled plastic and let rise to the top of the pan.

Bake 30 minutes.  Turn onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.

A Recipe from Beth
Serves 10 to 12 

Your Sweetheart will swoon over this sinfully delicious cake that is just about perfect – light and fluffy with notes of chocolate and coffee.  The only thing better is when you turn this cake into Tiramisu.  You’ll find the recipe on this blog, too. Or, if you prefer, serve slices of Espresso Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cake with whipped cream that’s infused with coffee flavored liqueur. Either way, Cupid says you can’t miss. 

The cake keeps for several days wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature. It can also be frozen for up to two months.  Remove wrap before thawing as ice crystals can cause the cake to become soggy. 

2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1 cup Beth’s Cake Flour (below)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ cups sugar, divided
12 large egg whites or 1½ cups, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
¾ cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped in a food processor

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift espresso coffee powder with cake flour, cornstarch and ¾ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Place egg whites in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Beat egg whites with salt and vanilla at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Beat at high speed until whites form soft peaks. With the mixer running, add remaining ¾ cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. Beat until whites are shiny and form stiff peaks (4 to 5 minutes).

Sprinkle half the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold in by reaching a spatula to the bottom of the whites and drawing it back through the mixture gently to incorporate. Don’t stir or mix the ingredients. Repeat with remaining flour.

When flour mixture is nearly incorporated, fold in chopped chocolate chips. Make sure chips are spread evenly throughout the batter. Pour into a 10-inch ungreased tube or angel food cake pan. Spread evenly.

Place in preheated oven and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Invert the cake on a rack and let cool completely upside down in the pan. To unmold the cake, run a thin knife around the side of the pan and the tube and gently push the base up if using a two-piece pan, or invert the cake onto a serving plate.

Slice with a serrated knife. Serve with whipped cream that’s infused with coffee flavored liqueur, or use as the base for the Tiramisu recipe, coming next. 

Beth’s Cake Flour Blend

1 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum

Whisk ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.

This recipe is part of a comprehensive article on how to successfully make angel food cake that will appear in the Spring Baking Guide from Gluten Free & More.  Pick up a copy on newsstands in March 2015.

Makes Two 12-inch Pizzas 

This is National Pizza Week.  But, seriously, isn’t homemade pizza worth celebrating any time of the year?  This pizza has endless possibilities. It’s called white because there are no tomatoes or sauce on this pie.  However, add some tomatoes or pizza sauce, if you prefer a more traditional pizza.  Experiment with your favorite cheeses and herbs, too.  And leave the cheese off or use dairy free cheese, if milk is not on your list.  If you have a pizza stone and a peel (wooden paddle) use those as the crust will be chewier.  Otherwise, use a heavy baking sheet or a round pizza pan and set it on the lowest rack in the oven so it browns nicely.   Cut all ingredients in half if you wish to make one pizza.   This freezes nicely (especially without pizza sauce) so you might want to make both and save one for another day.

The Toppings
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Pinch of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (part skim milk cheese is fine)
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, optional
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or other Italian meat
½-1 cup baby arugula
Italian seasoning, to taste
Pecorino Romano cheese, to taste

The Dough
Makes 2, 12-inch pizzas

2 ½ cups high protein blend, below
½ cup millet flour
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 425°F. If using a pizza stone, place it on the lowest rack and preheat the oven. Do this 30 to 60 minutes ahead so the stone is very hot. If you’re not using a stone, it’s not necessary to preheat the oven for an extended amount of time.

Make the toppings.  In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté to soften, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook onions until they turn a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.  Lay out all the other toppings you will be using.

Make the dough.  In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the high protein blend, millet flour, xanthan gum, and salt.   Blend well.  Add the yeast and blend.  Combine water, oil, honey, and vinegar.  Beat at medium high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough thickens.

Scoop half the dough onto a lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper.  Cover with a sheet of lightly oiled plastic wrap.  Use finger tips and palm to lightly press the dough into a 12-inch circle.  Use finger tips to create a rim of dough around the edge that will become a pretty crust.  Drizzle olive oil of the surface and top with a light coating of pizza sauce.

Scoop half the dough onto a lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a sheet of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Using fingertips, lightly press the dough into a 12-inch circle, creating a rim of dough around the edge to form a crust.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of remaining olive oil over the surface of 1 crust. Place small dollops of half the ricotta evenly over the olive oil, followed by half the Gorgonzola cheese. Top with half the cooked onions and slices of prosciutto. Scatter half the arugula over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Slide pizza (with parchment paper) onto a pizza paddle and then onto the stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet set on the lowest rack of preheated oven. Bake 16 to 20 minutes. When done, the bottom of the pizza will be lightly browned. (While first pizza is baking, repeat with remaining dough and ingredients.)

Remove pizza from oven and let cool briefly. Slice and serve warm.

High Protein Blend (from Gluten-Free Makeovers)

Blend well and scoop out 2 ½ cups for the pizza recipe above.  Reserve the rest for later use.

1¼ cups white or brown rice flour
1¼ cups sweet white sorghum flour
½ cup amaranth flour
¾ cup cornstarch or tapioca starch

Shortcut:  Use a commercial pizza crust mix and follow my instructions for preparing it.  I’ve had good luck with pizza mix from Glutino Gluten Free Pantry, King Arthur brand, and Bob’s Red Mill mix.