CLOUD BREAD: Gluten-Free & Light As A Feather!

cloud bread text

Never heard of Cloud Bread?  Neither had I until googled a bread question and happened to see this term. Intrigued by the name, I clicked the site and read about Cloud Bread. I assumed this was something the blogger made up, but then I googled “cloud bread” and found it’s a thing. Who knew?!

Cloud Bread is a gluten-free alternative to grain bread. In its basic state it’s made with just 3 ingredients: eggs, cream of tartar, and yogurt. I see no reason not to add spices or cheese to jazz it up, although I haven’t tried doing this.

It’s easy and quick to prepare, which is always a bonus. BUT, don’t expect it to be quite as sturdy as wheat bread. That being said, it held up which I made an avocado/tomato/cheese sandwich:cloud bread1

CLOUD BREAD – makes about 8, depending on how you ladle the batter

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt

NOTE: You’ll need to line a cookie sheet with parchment. The parchment should lay flat, so if your cookie sheet has a rim, cut the parchment to fit inside.

Preheat oven to 300º Fahrenheit.

Separate eggs, putting whites in the bowl of your electric stand mixer, and yolks in a small bowl.

Into the yolks, whisk in the yogurt. Set aside. cloud bread6Turn your electric mixer on medium to break up the whites. When the whites begin to foam, add in the cream of tartar. cloud bread7Increase mixer speed to high and beat whites until stiff peaks form. cloud bread8Pour the yolks/yogurt into the beaten whites and turn on mixer to very low. Beat until the yolks are blended into the whites – this won’t take long. Don’t overbeat – you don’t want to deflate the whites. cloud bread9On a parchment lined cookie sheet, ladle out the batter into whatever shape you want, making them about 1/2″ thick. Space them at least 1″ apart.cloud bread4 Bake in 300º F oven about 25 – 30 minutes (mine took 25 minutes) – until beginning to brown. cloud bread3Place the Cloud Bread still on parchment on wire rack. After about 5 minutes, remove bread from paper to wire rack to completely cool. They should really rest at least an hour before using, in order to set. Store in fridge.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP COFFEE CAKE: An Old Favorite!

coffee cake3 textMy mother used to love to buy lady’s club cookbooks. You know the ones – they’re made up of the members favorite recipes. Once I left home, she would buy them for me, too. This was years before the internet. Back then, we had to rely on cookbooks, magazines, and recipes passed on from friends and family.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake became an instant favorite of mine. Not only is it delicious, but it’s made in a bundt pan, which makes serving easy.

I feel obligated to disclose that back when I was very young and could afford the calories, I would top my serving of Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake with vanilla ice cream, followed by chocolate sauce. Amazing!!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COFFEE CAKE

  • 1/2 cup (113g) + 1 T butter at room temperature, divided
  • 1 cup (191g) (6.5 oz) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups (268g) (9.5 oz) + 1 T all-purpose flour,  divided
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (226g) (8 oz) sour cream
  • 1 cup (170g) (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle’s)
  • 1/3 cup (48g) (5.5 oz) dark or light brown sugar (I use dark)
  • 1/4 cup (24g) (3/4 oz) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup (46g) (1.5 oz) walnuts, chopped & lightly toasted
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.

Prepare the bundt pan by melting 1 T butter and stirring in 1 T flour. lemon cake11Using a pastry brush, paint flour/butter thoroughly on bundt pan – getting into all the crevices. coffee cake8In an electric mixer, cream together 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes (don’t cut this time short).chocolate chip cookies5 Beat in eggs and vanilla. coffee cake9In a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.bundt2 On low speed of mixer, beat in 1/2 of sour cream (don’t worry about being exact). coffee cake10Beat in 1/2 of flour mixture, then beat in remaining sour cream, followed by remaining flour. Stir in chocolate chips. (The picture below shows vanilla being added now – I forgot to add it earlier with the eggs.)coffee cake11In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, powdered sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon. coffee cake5Spoon half of batter on bottom of bundt pan, gently spreading it out evenly.coffee cake4Sprinkle on half of brown sugar mixture, then spoon on remaining batter, spreading it evenly. Finally, sprinkle on remaining brown sugar mixture. coffee cake6Bake at 350º F for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean (it’s okay for there to be chocolate from the chips).coffee cake7 When done, remove from oven and let cake sit in pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to completely cool. coffee cake1Sprinkle on powdered sugar, if desired.

BELIZEAN RICE AND BEANS: A One-Pot Wonder!

Belezian rice and beans textThis is probably the easiest meal you’ll ever make. Simply chop the onion, cilantro, and red pepper, then throw everything into the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

This recipe is a lovely combination of subtle flavors. Try not to leave out any of the spices – I know most are only 1/8 tsp, but they’re important for the overall effect.

NOTE: Belizean Rice & Beans is super good topped with Avocado Sauce!

BELIZEAN RICE AND BEANS – makes about 5 cups

  • 1  15-oz can pinto beans, including liquid
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 T butter
  • 1  15-oz can coconut milk (or 1/2 cup powdered coconut milk plus enough water to make 15 oz)
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp celery seed
  • 1/8 tsp coriander
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan. Belezian rice and beans3Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for a total of 30 minutes. At first, stir now and then – until it’s been cooking for about 20 minutes. At this point most of the liquid will have been absorbed into the rice. Stir more often now to prevent burning. If all the liquid has been incorporated before the 30 minutes is up, turn off the heat and let the covered pot sit on the hot burner. This is to make sure the rice is completely cooked. belezian rice and beans2Eat as is, or do something crazy (like I do) and serve as an open faced sandwich on a homemade English Muffin or arepa, topped with avocado. Yummmm!

SPICY MACARONI SALAD: Nothing Bland About This!

spicy mac & cheese textWhen asked to attend a potluck, my Spicy Macaroni Salad is often specifically requested. Unlike the usual bland pasta salads, this recipe will wake up your mouth…in a good way!

It’s super easy to make and does well with being made in advance so the flavors have time to blend.

SPICY MACARONI SALAD – makes about 6 cups

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic, pressed or minced
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp Tabasco (or other hot sauce)
  • 8 oz small elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped radishes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1/4 cup scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 T dried dill (or 3 T fresh)

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, Dijon, garlic, pepper, and Tabasco. spicy mac & cheese1Stir the carrots, radishes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, and dill into the dressing. Mix well and chill.spicy mac & cheese2Cook pasta in salted water until just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking (don’t worry, it will continue to soften when mixed with the dressing) and drain. Mix into the dressing. Chill at least an hour to allow the flavors to penetrate the pasta.spicy mac & cheese3