BBQ Ribs and Potato Fries

BBQ Ribs and Potato Fries

This is a super easy meal that you can throw into the oven and forget about for a while on a busy day.  Okay, so they aren't barbecued on the grill, but they are still good:)

Take a package of boneless ribs.  They can either be pork or beef--whatever you like.  Space them in the center of a jelly-roll pan.  Spread your favorite barbecue sauce over the ribs.

Cut potatoes into wedges.  I like mine thinner so they cook up crispier.  Place the potato wedges around the ribs on your baking pan.  Brush potatoes with melted butter, salt, pepper, a gluten free seasoning salt too.  ( You could use whatever other seasonings sound good.)

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours or until done.  The barbecue sauce from the ribs will also cook into your fries and add another awesome flavor.  If you are worried that you might not get enough barbecue sauce on your potatoes, go ahead and spread some on before putting them into the oven.  It will only make things taste better.

If you don't have a big enough pan, you could do this in two smaller/separate pans. I would just make sure that I add the barbecue sauce to the potatoes before cooking so the potatoes get that barbecue flavor.

Chocolate Zucchini Fudge Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Fudge Cake

My son needed to make a recipe that contained zucchini for some contest they were having.  It couldn't be Zucchini Bread.  This is what we came up with.  It is soooo good!!!!  For those who might be turned off to the zucchini, you can't taste the zucchini or the gluten free.  I wanted two layers so this is how I made it for two layers.

2 Betty Crocker GF Chocolate Cake mixes
1/2 cup chocolate pudding mix
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter,  very softened
3 eggs
2 cups zucchini, grated

Mix all the ingredients (except zucchini) together in a mixing bowl for two minutes.  Add the zucchini. Combine it all well.

Divide the batter between two 8" or 9" round pans.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  (My oven was 40 minutes.  The time might need to be adjusted for various ovens.)  When a toothpick comes out clean, it is done.  Let the cake cool 5 minutes in the pan.  Then, put the cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Frosting

Martha Stewart's Hot fudge Recipe

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I usually add a little more)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup light cream or 1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in saucepan except for vanilla.

Cook over med. heat.

Stir until mixture boils.

Set timer and boil for 3 minutes, stir occasionally

(Don't boil for more than 3 minutes or it will become like fudge).

Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.

Store in refrigerator up to a week.

Can reheat in microwave for a few seconds at a time or place in pan of hot water until sauce warms and thins.

To frost this cake, I made a Martha Stewart's Hot Fudge recipe.  Probably any hot fudge recipe will do.  I let the fudge cool quite a bit so it wouldn't be quite so runny.  I needed two single layer cakes, so I just poured hot fudge on the top and spread it towards the sides so it would drizzle down the sides.

If you wanted to make it a double layered cake, I would put hot fudge in the middle, add the top layer, then pour fudge over the top spread it towards the sides and let it drizzle down the sides.

This was such a good cake.  I will definitely make it again.

Fruit Filled Breakfast Bars

Fruit Filled Breakfast bars

Gluten Free and Dairy Free

I baked these the night before so I would have a quick breakfast for my kids in the morning.  All four of my kids gave me a thumbs up on this recipe.  These were good!

Fruit Filling

3 cups chopped pitted dates

1 cup coconut milk

½  cup water

¼ cup granulated sugar

Bars

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sweet rice flour

¾ oatmeal flour

1 ½ cups GF quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed, optional

Filling:

Step 1: Pulse all the fruit filling ingredients in blender until desired fruit consistency. Cook the dates, milk, water, and sugar together in a sauce pan.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Pull of stove and set aside to cool.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13 X 9 pan and set aside

Crust:

Step 3: In a mixer bowl combine the brown sugar and butter and mix well.

Step 4: Add flours, GF oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum.  Mix well again until crumbly.

Step 5: Place half the crumble crust in bottom of pan.  Press firmly and make sure the entire bottom of pan is covered.

Step 6: Pour cooled filling over crust.

Step 7: Crumble the rest of the crust mixture over the top of the filling. 

Step 8: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Modified from Betty Crocker

Double Chocolate GF Muffins

I love Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mixes.  They taste great and are so versatile.  My kids wanted Chocolate muffins for breakfast before school.  Well I didn't have a recipe and if your mornings are like mine I never have enough time.  I came up with this recipe in a matter of minutes using Betty Crocker.  These are yummy!

Double chocolate muffins

Dairy free/gluten free

1 box Gluten Free Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix

¼ cup softened earth balance butter

¼ cup vegetable shortening, non-hydrogenated

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup dark cocoa, unsweetened (can use reg cocoa)

3 eggs

1 cup coconut milk

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips (I use enjoy life because they are milk free)

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 325 degrees

Step 2: Mix all ingredients together in mixer except chocolate chips and cream really well.

Step 3: Add chcolate chips and mix just until combined.

Step 4: Pour into greased or lined cupcake pans.

Step 5: Cook for 18 to 22 minutes

Let cool and enjoy!

To make me feel better that the kids were getting a balanced meal I served these with bananas and turkey bacon.