Sweet and Savory Leg of Lamb

This was our first time making a leg of lamb. Thankfully a wonderful friend came over and walked my daughter and I through the whole process. It was delicious and not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. 

The ingredients included a 3 pound boneless leg of lamb, grape jelly, red wine, grape juice, oregano, thyme, rosemary, onion, garlic and salt. Not to bad now is it?

First we diced up all the onions and garlic. Some of the onion was left in chunks. Finely chopping the dried herbs brought out the fragrance.

Heat about 1/2 cups of the grape jelly up until it's smooth and runny. After chopping the herbs, add to the grape jelly.



We added about a cup of grape juice to the grape jelly, threw in the onions and garlic and added the red wine. A good dose of salt and pepper and it was ready to marinate.

A beautiful boneless leg of lamb. Notice I took the netting off the lamb put left it in the pan with it. This allows the marinade to touch all of the meat, while keeping my netting fresh so that I can put it back on before cooking.




Place the lamb into a cooking bag and pour the marinade over it.

Make sure you remove as much air as possible and give it a good knot. I kept mine in a pan in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Boy did it smell good.

Once you've marinated the lamb for 24 hours, remove it from the plastic bag with the marinade. Put the netting back onto the lamb, and place in a covered roaster at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.

A beautiful and easy dish to make and serve. Your guests will be greeted at the door with an amazing aroma that will have them excited to sit down and eat.

Gluten Free Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

 In your life you eat a lot of different types of foods, you make, bake, and cook a lot of food too, and every so often, you run across a recipe that is worth holding onto. This is that recipe. The cakes are easy to make,are mindbogglingly good. Sweet, rich, and great with a glass of milk, gluten free molten chocolate cupcakes make a great party dish, a kid-friendly afternoon snack, or a tasteful late night dessert. These cakes are gluten free, so those of us with celiac can celebrate!

 

 

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hr
Makes: 18 Cupcakes

Recipe Details

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free devil's food cake mix
• Water, butter and eggs called for on cake mix box
• Powdered sugar, if desired
• Raspberries or sliced strawberries, if desired

Preparation Instructions:

1. In small microwavable bowl, microwave whipping cream and chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Refrigerate about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thick.
2. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 18 large (2 3/4x1 1/4-inch) muffin cups. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, butter and eggs. Place 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon cold chocolate mixture on top of batter in center of each cup.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 1 minute; carefully remove from muffin cups to cooling racks. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
4. To serve, remove paper baking cup from each warm cupcake; place on individual dessert plate. Sprinkle each with powdered sugar; garnish with raspberries. To serve leftover cupcakes, rewarm by removing paper baking cups and microwaving on plate uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds. 

 To make this dish really something else, add a fruit to it, I used strawberry.  This breaks up the richness, and enhances the taste of the chocolate. The powdered sugar allows for the sweetening of the cake, it is semi-sweet so it tastes more like dark chocolate. Which is all fine and dandy, but the sugar on top adds a certain 'umph'.Anyways, enjoy eating you molten chocolate cakes, and have a fantastic summer!

Check out where we got this recipe at, http://www.glutenfreely.com/recipes/desserts/ 
There are plenty of other great recipes (that are super easy).
Give them our love!

Macaroni and Cheese

I love making this recipe for my family. Perfect for rainy days, this meal says comfort. My dad will not eat any other mac and cheese now that I cook this.

Better than boxed macaroni and cheese

12 to 16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard, like Colman’s

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

(Monterey jack or Colby is fine, too)

4 ounces cream cheese (optional)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus for serving

Sweet paprika (optional)

1. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain

and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and

Mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, whisking as you pour it in to

Smoothly incorporate it into flour mixture. Heat until mixture thickens,

Stirring frequently.

3. Add mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to white sauce. Let simmer

Over medium heat, stirring frequently. Gradually add cheddar, cream cheese, if

Using, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. The sauce is done when cheeses are well combined,

Smooth and melted.

4. add macaroni to sauce and stir until well mixed with sauce. Sprinkle with a

Little more Parmesan and a bit of paprika for color, if you are using it.

Written by Alleigh who is 13 years old and is a great cook!

Mother's Day Gift Idea....Yummy Lemon Cake

There is something about Moms and something about lemons.  Both of them most people like.  I can’t imagine what we would do without our moms.  They make life better.  They refine us, tell us what we don’t always want to hear but know is true, and they love us unconditionally. Like a lemon they add so much by doing even a little.

This Mother’s Day I have a great Mother’s Day gift idea.  Why not make your mom a special cake.  Even if you aren’t a baker I promise you can make this recipe.  It is a great Mother’s Day gift idea and is will mean a lot to your mom because it came from you.  The ingredients are simple and you may have them already in your cupboard.  It is an inexpensive recipe that is easy to follow, very pretty, and extremely delicious. 

I found this recipe on the internet one day. A gal named V. Monte received this wonderful and easy recipe years ago from her mother n law.  Speaking of Mother n laws.  Don’t forget her either.  This is another great way to bless her and a creative yet simple Mother’s Day gift idea.

Yummy Lemon Cake (that’s what I call it)

Ingredients

·         1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

·         1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin

·         3/4 cup vegetable oil

·         4 eggs

·         3/4 cup water

·         1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

·         1 cup confectioners' sugar

·         4 tablespoons lemon juice

·          

Directions

1.    Combine gelatin mix and cake mix. Mix well.

2.    Add next 4 ingredients - oil, eggs, water and lemon extract. Mix lightly.

3.    Bake according to instructions on back of cake box.

4.    To Make Frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice.

5.    When cake is done, and while still hot, ice with frosting.

Along with the cake another Mother’s Day gift idea to make it perfect is to add a thank you letter from you.  Let your “Mom” in your life know you appreciate her and point out special memories you have of her.  Don’t focus on the bad but instead think of all of the good she has.  Thank her for who she has been in your life.  She will love the cake but will cherish your words!

So there you go.  A simple and fun Mother’s Day gift idea……..

Gluten Free In San Diego

As the weather warms in Southern California, we at the Delightful Gourmet are thinking about vacations with our family and friends. San Diego is one of the hottest vacation spots for locals. We packed our bags and headed to sunny San Diego looking for the best Gluten Free friendly restaurant for hungry travelers. After many stops along Mission Bay and The Gas Lamp District, our top pick was the Melting Pot located at  8980 University Center Lane, San Diego California, 92122 in the La Jolla area. They are a part of the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP). This program is run by the the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.

The food was absolutely delicious and consisted of a four course meal complete with A Queso Fundido fondue made with Fontina, Gruyere and Gran Queso cheeses, crumbled Chorizo and a hint of fresh lime. The gluten free version was made with cornstarch and Redbridge beer.  The second course was a salad with a refreshing blend of citrus shrimp, avocado and lime vinaigrette. The main course included a gluten free fresh herb fondue accompanied by lobster tail, chicken breast, fire roasted pork tenderloin and garlic shrimp. The last, and most delicious course was the Dulce chocolate Fondue with bananas and fresh strawberries.

To finish the evening, The Melting Pot gave us a gluten free specialty drink menu. We had the Yin & Yang which consisted of Godiva White chocolate liquer, Stoli Vodka and ice cream topped with chocolate shavings in the shape of the Yin & Yang symbol. What a meal to remember! If you are ever in the San Diego area and are gluten intolerant, this dining experience is a must for those wishing to unwind and relax in a beautiful setting.

Our final suggestion if you wish to visit is to Valet your car. Parking is located at the bottom of a steep hill in the Hyatt parking structure.

Stacked Tortilla Enchilada Made Gluten Free

Five Layer Enchilada with Salad and Orange Slices

I went looking for a recipe to make for Meatless Monday and stumbled upon a layered enchilada recipe I adapted for our Gluten Free Family.  It turned out beautifully and the kids loved it.

Ingredients:

• 5 Brown Rice Tortillas from Food For Life
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 can bean dip from Frito Lay (or you could use pinto beans and smash them and add garlic powder and onions)
• 1 large onion (our family loves onions)
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1/2 c. salsa plus 1/4 c. for the top after cooking
• 1 can green mild chilies

Chop the onion and saute in olive oil. Add the two cans beans, drained and rinsed. Add the cumin. cook until beans are well coated with onion and cumin.
You can now start to layer your dinner. I used a pizza pan as my goal was to make this dish look different then an ordinary enchilada.
Lay down a tortilla, spread with bean dip, a scattering of cheese and bean and onion mixture. You can add a couple of T. of salsa, also. Repeat until your fifth layer. Add the mild green chilies to the top and bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Take out and top with salsa.

We then made a quick green salad of lettuce, radishes, green onions, cucumbers and carrots. Sliced a couple of oranges and viola...Meatless Monday dinner, made gluten free.

Tillamook Yogurt expands its Flavors and Distribution

Pictures from Tillamook.com

 

 Growing up near Tillamook I have been able to tour the Tillamook Cheese Factory several times. Their cheese and other products are still amongst our family's favorites.
Tillamook Yogurt has three new flavors to brag about. Tillamook’s popular line of 6-oz.yogurts is expanding with three new flavors, all made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no artificial sweeteners and no
high fructose corn syrup, and like all of its products, Tillamook Lowfat Yogurt is made with the highest
quality milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones. Additionally, the company is launching Vanilla Bean and Naturally Plain yogurts in new 32-oz. cartons and expanding distribution of
six of its popular 6-oz. flavors in the West.

The latest additions to the lowfat yogurt line include creamy
Banana Vanilla, tart Pomegranate Blackberry and antioxidant-rich
Blueberry Acai. These flavors join other inventive Tillamook
flavors in the 6-oz. size, including Baked Apple Pie, Watermelon
and Strawberry Lemonade, which have a suggested retail price of $0.89.
For More Check Out Their Press Release