Delicious and Moist Black Chocolate Cake Recipe

 

Black Chocolate Cake

                 

        

This cake recipe is not just gluten-free but nut-free and dairy-free as well.  It is not a sweet cake so it can be paired with a sweeter icing without a problem.  I like mine with a rich dark chocolate buttercream icing....yum!

 

 

                  Ingredients

 

     2 cups Le Garden Bakery's Quick Mix All-purpose Flour (GF)

     2 cups Sugar

     2 teaspoons Baking Soda

     2 teaspoons Baking Powder

     1 cup Cocoa Powder (Dutch Processed)

     2 cups Boiling Water

     2/3 cup Palm Shortening (Spectrum brand)

     2 eggs

     2 teaspoons Vanilla

 

1. In a mixing bowl combine: Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cocoa Powder (sifted)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan boil water and add shortening and melt.
3. Add liquid to the flour mixture and stir or mix on low speed.  
4. Once it stops steaming add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined on medium/ low speed.
5. Pour into prepared cake pans or muffin tin.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
6. Top with your favorite icing and enjoy! 

 

 



Back in Business!

I am so excited to announce that we have started production again in our bakery.  The first product we have available for purchase...and just in time for holiday baking is our amazing Quick Mix.  It is a cup-for-cup flour substitute that can be used in any traditional baking recipe.  Just swap out the flour in your recipe for our Quick Mix and you instantly have a gluten-free masterpiece!!!  It doesn't get much easier than that.  Purchase a case (6 - 1 lb. bags) today.  They are ready for shipping!  To place your order just call us at 607-280-4741 or 607-229-4500.

We are gearing up for a great year!

I don't know about you, but I can not wait until Spring is finally showing it's wonderful face.  I am itching to start my garden and I'm sure many of you are too.  I will be posting some great recipes in the weeks ahead for those of you with multiple food allergies and intolerances as well as a look into what will be in our gardens here at The Inspired Kitchen!

Let us know what recipes you miss the most and we will work to come up with some alternative ingredients to your favorite recipes and post them for you to try!  Be sure to let us know what foods in the recipe you can not have.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

I had so much zucchini from my garden this year.  Instead of just shredding it or slicing it and freezing it, I thought I would make a soup stock for the winter.  It freezes much better and is a space saver as well.  I have posted how to make the soup stock as well as how to make my Creamy Zucchini Soup.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

For my Vegetable Soup Stock you will need the following:

2 zucchini (about 12-15 in. in length) peeled, seeded & chopped

2 medium onions chopped

4 stalks of celery chopped

1 Tbl. minced garlic

2 Tbl. ground basil

2 Tbl. ground oregano

1-2 tsp. salt

Combine all of your ingredients into a stock pot and fill with water so it is just covering the vegetables.  Bring to a boil, then cook on medium for 1-2 hours covered.  When it is done cooking, laddle small portions into a blender and puree.  You can store this stock in freezer containers.  I suggest using canning jars.  This stock will last 1 year in the freezer.

To make the Creamy Zucchini Soup you will need the following:

1/2 can coconut milk

ground basil to taste

ground oregano to taste

salt to taste

Laddle out 4 cups or more of your soup stock.  Add your coconut milk.  The color should be a light yellowish green.  If it is ivory you added too much coconut milk.  If you need to, add some more soup stock.  Heat on medium low and add herbs and salt to taste.

Le Garden Bakery: Gluten-free Hand Pies

Le Garden Bakery: Gluten-free Hand Pies

Giant Stuffed Squash

For my husband's birthday dinner we decided to try something new, Giant Stuffed Squash. If you are like me than you have had times when you just couldn't get out to the garden fast enough and the squash had grown into a monsterous size. This dish is perfect for oyur garden monsters. It was a great way to use up some of our garden veggies that were too scarce to freeze and too few to cook and eat. The flavor is amazing and one 12 -15 inch squash makes enough side dishes for 8 or main dishes for 4.

Ingredients:



1 egg

1 lg. clover garlic, crushed

1/2 cup Le Garden Panko Breadcrumbs

1 giant zucchini at least 12 in. long

1 Tbl. olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

1/2 sweet red or green pepper, chopped

2 small carrots, diced

1/4 lb. of any veggies you have on hand

-mushrooms, kolrabi, string beans, cucumbers

1 very ripe tomato, diced

3 Tbl. tomato paste

1 tsp. ground oregano

1 tsp. ground basil

1/4 cup Le Garden Panko Breadcrumbs

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese or cheese substitute, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat egg with garlic. Add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.

Halve zucchini lengthwise, scrape out seed cavity, and spread egg mixture over cut surfaces. Place zucchini in a 9x13 in. casserole dish with an inch of water in the pan and steam in the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat oil; saute onions, peppers, carrots and on-hand veggies until onions are limp and transparent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and basil. Drain. Fill zucchini shells with veggie mixture, top with 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and cover with cheese.

Put in oven and steam for 35 minutes then cut into thick slices and serve.

Just Like Batter Dipped but Better!

Who doesn't love fried chicken, onion rings or even batter dipped veggies?  Some of my favorite foods before going gluten-free were traditionally fried foods.  On my search to try and find the best "batter" for gluten-free fried foods on my favorites list...I found out my son was gluten intolerant as well.  This search went into overdrive as my son's favorite food is batter dipped chicken nuggets.  In trying to make a gluten-free batter, I found that it is often times gummy or didn't stick to your food once you placed it in the pan for frying.  After many trials, as a last ditch effort to come up with something that my son would eat in place of his beloved chicken nuggets I found it...the alternative to a batter for dredging your favorite frying foods.  To my amazement it was so simple I just plain overlooked it.  The mystery item...Millet Flour.  that's it, plain and simple. To make that crispy batter dipped texture and taste on your chicken, onions and veggies.

The recipe is simple, you will need:

Your favorite frying food
Millet Flour
egg, milk or water
spices of your choice
frying oil

First, put Millet Flour in a bowl with a blend of your favorite spices to season the flour.  Next, have another bowl ready with egg, milk or water.  Dredge your food in the egg, milk or water and then in the flour.  If you want a thicker coat repeat the process.  Place dredged food in a pan with enough frying oil to cover the food half way (make sure the oil is hot before placing the food in to fry).  Fry till golden brown and then flip and repeat on the other side.

I can't believe it was so simple & delicious.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my son and I do.  If you would like, you can opt to bake your food instead of frying.  It works just as well.