A delicious snack (real fast)

I love polenta. Usually I make the instant kind, but when I'm feeling super, duper lazy, (what? me lazy?) I buy the pre-made kind in a tube. So lazy. It's not bad, especially when you bake it at high temperature and it gets all crispy. Something else I love is sesame salt, or gomasio. I buy the kind with garlic in it, like this one. It's very good over kale chips. I combined my two loves and came up with a good snack. For extra healthy-ness, I used the prepared polenta that has quinoa in it. Oh and I also used some leftover regular polenta, which is why my snack is different colors. Yours might just be one color. Yum.

Polenta snack


1 tube prepared polenta
1 t olive oil
2 T sesame salt

Preheat your oven to 400. Cube up your polenta, toss in oil, and sprinkle with sesame salt. Bake 15-25 minutes (depending on how moist your polenta is/how crispy you want it) and eat.

What I like to do with tomatoes

Even though tomato season is, unfortunately, pretty much over (how are we halfway through fall already? How is it almost Thanksgiving!), you might still be able to find a few good ones. If they're perfect, this is what you should do. Excuse the picture, I was testing out a new film camera and the shutter got stuck open. I kind of like it anyway, though.

Quick fresh bruschetta
1 big tomato or a bunch of cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced or smashed to a paste
1 T olive oil
a pinch of salt
some pepper
a few leaves of basil

Chop up your tomato, mix in everything else, and let sit a little while. Make some toast, and eat as much of the bruschetta as you can before someone else comes along and asks you to share.

Granola for a long car ride

Alex and I are going on vacation soon. Wait, let me say that again correctly. Alex and I are going on vacation soon!!!!! Soon is Monday. We're driving to Milwaukee to see my best friend, and camping along the way. We will eat Kopps burgers, go to thrift stores and flea markets, eat, take a billion photos (both film and digital! I bought another film camera) and have lots of fun.

Milwaukee is a long drive away from here. About a thousand miles long drive. In preparation for this drive, I have made granola. This granola is full of protein, good fats, fiber, omegas, energy, and delicious fruit. It's not too sweet. When I first tried it I wasn't sure I liked it, but then I kept eating and then almost couldn't stop. I packed a little bag to put in yogurt with some honey for breakfast tomorrow, but the rest is for the road.

This granola was an experiment. I tried some things I've never tried before. I added chia seeds before cooking the granola, which I was nervous about because I wasn't sure if they'd do their gel thing with the oil/honey liquid I poured over. I added protein powder so this granola will fill me up a little more, and faster. I've never baked with protein powder before, and was a little nervous. I know you could, some packages even say 'add to breads and cakes and pancakes!' but I wasn't sure. I added finely ground flaxseed at the end, with the fruits, so it wouldn't lose its omegas and the other good things flaxseeds contain besides fiber.

I added maca powder, because I love it so. Maca, if you've never heard of it, is a root that helps give you energy and balance hormones. It has a malty, distinct taste. I used coconut oil for half of the oil in the granola. Coconut oil is full of good fats. I used two kinds of nuts and three kinds of fruits. See?

Long car ride granola


4 c gluten free oats
1/2 c raw almonds, chopped
1/2 c raw pistachios, chopped
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c coconut flakes
2 T chia seeds
2 T maca powder
3 T protein powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 c coconut oil
1/4 c olive oil
3/4 c honey
2 T finely ground flaxseed
1/2 c each dried strawberries, tart cherries, and apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 300. Mix together everything except the oils, honey, flax and fruit. Warm up the coconut oil so it's liquid, then warm up the honey a little so it's runny. Mix them together, then mix in the olive oil. Pour over the oat mixture, then spread into two cookie sheets. Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice until lightly brown. Once the granola is out of the oven, sprinkle with flaxseed and stir in the fruits. Let cool fully, then eat! Yum.

Rice crispy treats NEW AND IMPROVED!!

We all know rice crispy treats. Apparently I already talked about them this year, but I'm going to talk about them again, real quick. I've been eating rice crispy treats my whole life. Butter, marshmallows, crispys.

This time something magical happened. I stirred in some peanut butter. WHAT!! It was awesome. I feel like I've been missing out my whole life. Did you guys know about this?

Chocolate crispys + marshmallows + butter + peanut butter = <3<3

Chocolate and peanut butter crispy treats

2 T butter

1 bag marshmallows

1/2 c peanut butter

5 c rice crispys (I used Erewhon chocolate ones)

Melt butter and marshmallows in whichever method you want. I like to use the microwave, but if you use the stove don't forget to stir constantly. This is hard work. Once your marshmallows and butter are melted, stir in the peanut butter, then the crispys. Press into a buttered pan and let cool, then try not to eat all at once.

Rice crispy treats

Rice Krispies are not gluten free. The only ingredient that makes them unsafe is 'malt flavoring', that and Kellogg's do not make any products that are gluten free. Hey Kellogg's, take a hint from General Mills!

Who cares though, because there are a few gluten free krispies alternatives. I used Nature's Path Crispy Rice, but I sometimes use the chocolate Koala Crisps. Both are delicious options. Kraft Marshmallows are gluten free.

All you need for rice crispy treats are most of a box of crispy cereal, a bag of marshmallows, and a little butter. They're pink today because I used strawberry marshmallows, which are delicious!

Rice crispy treats

a bag of marshmallows

2 T butter

5-6 cups of rice cereal*

Lightly grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. Melt butter, then add marshmallows. Stir until smooth, remove from heat, and stir in the cereal. Spread in the pan and pat down with a lightly greased spatula. Cool and eat, not all at once if you can help it.

*I like to use less cereal sometimes so everything is more marshmallow-y. That's a word, right?

What I like to do with chia seeds

Chia seeds are magic. I've been eating them in granola, sprinkling them over salads, and like this. If you put chia seeds in water, or other delicious liquids, they gelatinize. Is that a real word? Either way, there's something special about chia seeds. They're full of omegas, antioxidants, protein, iron, fiber and calcium. I've been trying to be a little bit healthier (we'll see how that turns out), and having a snack of chia 'pudding' is much better for me than my usual snacks.

This requires nothing more than a little bit of time. No cooking, just two ingredients, what could be simpler? Let the chia sit in the liquid of your choice and it turns into a really interesting jell-o type thing.

Chia snack

1/2 c juice, soymilk, water, or liquid of your choice

2 T chia seeds

optional third ingredient - honey, agave nectar, some sweetener if using milk or water

Combine ingredients. Let sit for 20 minutes or so, stirring once or twice. Eat!

Healthier granola

Sorry, again and again, that I haven't been posting much. Work is hard, and I shut my finger in the car door and fractured it, so I have to wear this silly little splint for four to five weeks. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt too badly. And it's my left hand, which isn't my dominant hand, but typing is hard!

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, go make this. This recipe is another variation of the NY Times olive oil granola recipe I posted about last year, which is so incredible. I added in some flaxseed, a bunch of chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and cut down the sugar a little. It's still pretty gooey with the honey replacing the maple syrup in the original recipe, but I like it like that.

I added flaxseed for fiber, chia for omegas/protein/essential fatty acids/more fiber, making this granola a little healthier. Plus I cut down on the sugar a little bit. That's healthy, right?

I had to literally drag myself away from the pan to take these pictures, and then to eat dinner. I'm fighting right now to stay on the couch long enough to type this post before I run back and shove the rest into my mouth.

Granola (version II)

3 c GF oats

1 c raw sunflower seeds

1 c raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 c unsweetened coconut

2 T ground flaxseed

3/4 c honey

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c olive oil

1 t sugar

1 t cinnamon

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c dried fruit (I used chopped apricots and currants)

1/4 c chia seed

Preheat the oven to 300. Stir together everything except the fruit, spread out on a cookie sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10. I've found that the 45 in the original recipe is too long and I end up with over-cooked granola, and it's terribly sad. After the granola is cooked, stir in the fruit and chia while the granola is still hot, so they gets a bit of the granola coating. Let cool further, and store in an air tight container.

peanut butter blondies and chocolate frosting

Apparently I posted about peanut butter blondies two months ago. These are different, not as gooey, and there's chocolate on top! I love things in bar form. This recipe is interesting because the batter is super thick, almost like a cookie dough. Don't taste it before they're cooked or maybe you will eat all the dough. This recipe is from Joy the Baker, who's blog I loooove. These are delicious, quick, and yummy.

Peanut butter blondies and chocolate frosting

Adapted from Joy the Baker

10 T butter

2 c dark brown sugar

1 c peanut butter (I used chunky)

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

a pinch of salt

2 c flour mix

1/2 t xanthan gum

1 1/2 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 13x9 pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave, then stir in the brown sugar. Add the peanut butter, then the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir in the salt, flour mix, xanthan gum and baking powder. Spread batter in the pan, and bake about 30-35 minutes until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting

I had some trouble with this recipe, I ended up adding a bit more milk and not all of the sugar. I used dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, and soy milk, but I don't think that mattered.

6 T softened butter

3 T cocoa

a big pinch of salt

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

3-5 T milk

3/4 c chocolate chips, melted

Beat the butter and cocoa powder and salt. Add 1 T milk and 1/2 c sugar, cream, and then add 2 T milk and the remaining cup of powdered sugar. Stir in the chocolate chips, and add a little more milk if you need to. Spread over the cooled blondies.

Also, don't eat this frosting with a spoon. You might not have any for your blondies.

Granola.

Sorry. Again. Eventually I'll start posting regularly again.

Who cares though, because this granola is banging. So delicious. This recipe was all over the internet this summer, and I made it then, but ate it all so fast I didn't get any pictures. Yum yum.

Don't forget that not all oats are gluten free, I used Bob's Red Mill because I can find them sometimes.

My version of olive oil granola

From the NY Times

3 c rolled oats

1 c raw pumpkin seeds

1 c walnut pieces

1 c coconut flakes

1 c raw sunflower seeds

1 c chopped almonds

3/4 c honey

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t cardamom

1 c dried cranberries

1 c chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 300. Mix together everything except the fruit, stir well, and spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Once it's done, stir in the fruit and let cool, stirring once or twice. Eat with yogurt, or ricotta and berries, or just eat it straight like I do.

Oven baked potato pancakes with horseradish sour cream

Since I'm trying not to fry anything anymore, and when I decided to make potato pancakes today I had to rethink my regular recipe. Well, not rethink the recipe itself but more rethink the style of cooking. Wow, did my potato pancakes turn out well! The inside is soft and creamy and flavorful, while the outside is so crispy and perfect. I will make potato pancakes like this again for sure! They are best served immediately, I like to alternate bites, one with horseradish sour cream, one with applesauce. 

Oven baked potato pancakes (latkes)

1 T olive oil

3 medium-large sized potatoes

1 small onion, minced very fine

2-4 cloves garlic, smashed in a press or minced fine

a big pinch of salt

pepper

1 egg

3 T rice flour (or mix) 

1 t baking powder

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or a Silpat, and spread olive oil all over. Wash the potatoes, then grate two with the large holes of a box grater and then grate the last one with the smaller holes. Rinse potatoes, then press in a strainer (or between paper towels) to remove as much liquid as you can. Mix potatoes with onions and garlic, add salt and pepper, then moosh egg in with your hande. Sprinkle flour and baking powder over, then mix in with your hands until completely combined. Drop blobs about the size of golf balls into the baking sheet and smoosh them down with your hands. Bake 20 minutes, flip, then bake another 15 until brown and crunchy. 

Horseradish sour cream

1/2 c sour cream

2 T horseradish

salt and pepper

Mix everything together and stick in the fridge until time to eat. 

Creamy blue cheese and bacon dressing

I am trying to eat healthier. I really, really am. I've promised myself I won't be frying anything anytime soon, I'm making sure we have a lot of vegetables in every meal, and I'm trying to eat more seafood. But then we had this blue cheese. It was so lonely. And then there was some bacon, that needed to be used up. Immediately. I really don't know how it had been in the fridge for so long, I really love bacon. So much. 

I could have just added the bacon and the blue cheese to a salad. I know. I could have made a nice healthy vinaigrette, maybe with some of the Pom juice that is so rapidly disappearing from the fridge, like Kate. But nope. I couldn't do it. I needed something creamy. And fatty. All this being healthy is hard! I really like fried food! And butter! So I caved. I couldn't help it!

If I was going to do something this unhealthy, I was at least going to do it in good company. Like a spinach salad with onion, tomato, and avocado. Maybe a grated carrot, if I remember. Last time I made this it had a grated carrot, this time I forgot. Those healthy vegetables will balance out this monstrosity of a salad dressing...right?

Homemade Mayonnaise

First things first. You can't make a heart-stoppingly good blue cheese and bacon dressing without some good mayo. While good with Hellmann's, this is better with homemade mayo. 

Recipe from the Joy of Cooking.

1 egg

1 t dry mustard

1 t salt

pepper

1 t garlic powder (optional but delicious)

1 t sugar

1/2 t hot paprika

1/4 c olive oil

1 c vegetable oil

3 T cider vinegar, rice vinegar, lemon juice, or the acidic thing of your choice

Combine egg, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, hot paprika, and olive oil in the blender. Blend on high until completely combined, then add 1/2 c of the vegetable oil, in a thin stream, while the blender is running. Then add in the vinegar, then the rest of the vegetable oil in the same way as before. Scrape down the sides a few times, blend again, and voila! Delicious homemade mayo. 

Creamy blue cheese and bacon dressing

From the Joy of Cooking, with some changes. This makes about 2 c of dressing. You can halve the recipe. 

1 c homemade mayonnaise, see above

1/2 c sour cream

2 T lemon juice or vinegar of your choice

3 cloves finely minced garlic

1-2 t Worcestershire sauce (say it with me - wooster sheer)

salt and pepper

1/2 t paprika

1/2-2 t hot sauce (optional)

1 t horseradish

4 oz blue cheese (I use Rosenborg - all their cheeses are gluten-free)

1/4 c crumbled cooked bacon

Combine mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and horseradish in the blender. Process until smooth, then add the blue cheese (crumble it up with your hands first) and bacon. Blend a bit, leaving some chunks. Keep in the fridge, it should keep for a week or so. 

Deviled eggs

Something in me is craving mustardy things lately. And mayonnaisey things. No, I'm not pregnant. It's just cold out and we don't have a lot of money right now (moving time, saving for a honeymoon, way way way behind on ridiculous bills from my broken leg adventures). I am not really a fan of mustard or mayo on their own but mixed into things, sign me up. I love egg salad, tuna salad, etc. Today I wanted deviled eggs. I couldn't tell you the last time I had them, and I'm not sure if Alex had ever had them before. He thought he had, but then he tasted mine, and changed his mind. 

I love how the egg on the left has slumped onto its neighbors shoulder. 

These are cheap. Eggs are one of the cheapest proteins. You don't need anything fancy to make deviled eggs. I added horseradish, because I have a jar in the fridge, but there's no need to run out and get some. Just use things you have. Maybe a little chili sauce. Or hot sauce, wasabi paste, chili powder. Use your imagination. 

Deviled eggs

4 eggs

3-4 T mayo (recipe for homemade mayo coming tomorrow)

1 t mustard (I like spicy brown)

2 t horseradish (more or less)

big pinch of salt

pepper

1/2 t spicy paprika (or chili powder, use less)

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil, keep the heat on for 30 seconds, then turn the heat off, remove the pot from the burner, and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes has passed, slowly pour out most of the hot water from the pan, and then run cold water into the pan to cool the eggs. Let the eggs sit in cold water, changing every few minutes until the eggs are not too hot to handle. Alternately, cook the eggs before you need to use them, run them under cold water then keep in the fridge until you need them. 

Tap the eggs to crack the shell, then peel off the shell and membrane attached to it for each egg. Slice eggs in half lengthwise, then carefully remove the yolks to a bowl. Arrange the whites on a serving place and set aside. Mash the yolks with a fork, then add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if you'd like. Pipe yolks back into egg whites, or just use a spoon if you won't be taking pictures. Sprinkle with paprika, or chives, and a big of black pepper. 

Pretzels

Remember when I discovered the best bread recipe ever? Me too. I've been wanting to try it out and make pretzels for a while, and finally did it today. Success! Did you know that in order to get the brown crust on the outside of pretzels, that they should be boiled (like bagels), in water that has baking soda in it? I was skeptical, but it works. These taste like pretzels. Be sure not to boil them too long (just a few seconds!) or else the resulting pretzels will be fairly flat and kind of soggy. Keep them small as well, the dough is easier to manage that way. 

Oh, and sorry for the lack of posts this week. I got the worst stomach bug in the history of the universe and was completely out of commission for 3 days, then took a train back to Philly (7 hours, yuck) and had a doctor appointment yesterday that took up most of the day. The good news is that I am recovered from my sickness, and my leg is looking good. I'm still slow, but getting better! I'll be back on my bike again soon, and much happier. 

Pretzels

Recipe originally found here, reposted here and here in different forms

2/3 c milk, warmed to 115 degrees

2 T sugar plus 1 t

1 packet yeast

2 eggs

2 T oil

1 t cider vinegar

1/2 t salt (plus more for salting the tops)

1 1/2 t xanthan gum

2 T potato starch

1/2 c rice flour

1/2 c sorghum flour

1/2 c tapioca starch

2 T teff flour

6 c water

2 T baking soda

Mix together the warm milk, 1 t sugar, and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until puffy. Beat the eggs, add the oil and vinegar, and beat to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients except the water and baking soda. Beat for a few minutes until smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper, or pipe into lines to make pretzel sticks. Set in a warm place to rise about half an hour. 

After your pretzel shapes have risen, bring a pot of water to boil and preheat the oven to 375. Add the baking soda to the water (fizzy!!!). Now you have two choices. You can cut the parchment paper around your shapes, and drop them into the water with the paper attached, which I would reccomend, or you could scrape them off the parchment paper carefully and slide them into the water. Whichever way you do it, only let them be in the water for 10-15 seconds a side. Only do one at once, and when you take them out of the water, sprinkle them with salt. 

Once all the pretzel pieces have been boiled, bake them 15 minutes, then remove immediately to a cooling rack and let cool. 

Fried Scallops

I'm having a pizza party tonight so I'm not going to post about that, I might have already posted too many pizza recipes. Instead, here's some scallops! I got some little tiny scallops for Alex to put on his pizza, and wanted to fry some of them. They were a great pre-pizza snack. 

Fried Scallops

1 c tiny scallops

1/2 c cornmeal

1/4 instant potatoes (optional)

1 t salt

1/2 t paprika

1/2 c milk

1 t hot sauce

oil for frying

Combine the hot sause and milk, then dump in all the scallops. Combine the cornmeal, potatoes, salt and paprika. Heat the oil to shimmering. Working a few at a time, shake the milk off the scallops and dredge in the cornmeal mixture. Fry in oil in small batches for a few minutes until crispy and browned, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and eat immediately. 

Roasted pumpkin seeds

I love fall, and Halloween, and pumpkin carving. The most fun thing about carving pumpkins is baking and then eating the seeds. Maybe that's not true. The whole process of carving pumpkins is fun. While I was in Milwaukee, Kelly, her friend Ben, and I carved pumpkins. Mine was wearing sunglasses, Kellys had eyes stuck together, and Bens was a math pumpkin, all squares and an equilateral triangle. 

Despite the looks on their faces, we had fun. I can't wait until Alex brings home some pumpkins so we can carve them, something he doesn't totally understand because they apparently don't make Jaco-o-lanterns in Slovakia. He had fin when we did it last year! Anyhow, here's a simple recipe for roasting the seeds. You can add spices or flavorings if you want. I like lots of salt and pepper. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

seeds from your carved pumpkin(s)

olive oil

salt

pepper

Rinse your pumpkin seeds, then toss in a Tablespoon or two of olive oil. Spread on a cookie sheet in a mostly single layer (I line the cookie sheet with foil so I don't have to wash it after) and sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes until seeds start to brown, stirring once or twice. 

Snowman crackers

Kelly and I made a tomato-lentil soup (not good enough to write about, but not bad), and the original plan was for her to have a grilled cheese with hers, and I was going to have crackers. I've made Cheese-it type crackers before, but I don't remember what recipe I used. So I made a gluten-free version of these. Mine don't look as beautiful when they're done, I might have put too much cheese in them so it comes out a bit when they bake, but mmm they are delicious. Next time I make them I would shred the cheese with the smaller setting on the grater. I made snowman shapes with the first batch, then the rest were squares because it was getting late and we still had to get dressed to go out. They taste good either way. 

Snowman Crackers

1 c rice flour (or flour mix)

3/4 t salt

1/4 t xanthan gum

1/2 t paprika

1/2 t chili powder

4 T cold butter, cut into cubes

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Mix (in the food processor) flour, salt, xanthan gum, paprika, and chili powder. Add some pepper if you want. Pulse in the butter until crumbly, then add the cheese. Break in the egg and pulse until combined, then open the food processor and pinch the dough. If it holds together a little, dump into a bowl and knead with your hands until it holds together. If its too sticky, add a little flour, if too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until it feels like it won't be all sticky when you roll it out. Once the dough is all kneaded and nice, split it in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Stick in the fridge for at least half an hour. Once it's chilled, roll out between two pieces of floured wax paper. Cut into squares or snowmen, and bake 15-20 minutes until browned and slightly crispy.  

Beef Jerky

Like I've said earlier, I've got a long long adventure train ride to Chicago on Friday. My sister Dana suggested I make beef jerky to eat on the train, and she was right. It's a great great idea, for me to get some protein that I don't have to worry about eating before it gets to the wrong temperature and I get food poisoning. Jerky is simple and easy to make, and fairly hands off. Plus, its delicious. It's spicy and sweet and not terribly chewy like jerky sometimes is, making your face hurt. Ouch.

Beef Jerky

based off a recipe from chowhound

2 lbs not-too-fatty beef, I used London Broil

1/2 c brown sugar

5 T gf soy sauce

2 T fish sauce

1 T chili flakes

Freeze the meat for about an hour, then slice thinly across the grain. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Put all the meat into a ziplock bag or bowl, pour marinade over, squeeze the air out of the bag, and stick the bag in the fridge for the night. 

The next day, drain the meat for a half an hour. Line the bottom of the oven with foil, grease the racks lightly and then return to the oven so that the racks divide the oven into thirds. Lay the meat across the racks, not touching. 

My oven starts at 200, so I preheated it and then when I put the meat in, cooked it with the door open an inch or two. The recipe says to cook 3 hours at 160, but I found an hour and forty five minutes with the door open at 200 was enough. When the meat is dry and still a bit flexable, it's done! Let cool completely, then try not to eat it all at once. 

Knishes (can be vegan, kosher)

Alright, I lied about not making anything anytime soon. Turns out I can't stand the thought of only eating leftovers for a few days, so I have to make something new. And, fitting in with the whole Jewish theme of the past few days, it's knishes. I love knishes. And I haven't had one in a long time (right? Dana?) and I couldn't find a recipe for them that was gluten-free, besides Gluten-free Bays, and hers uses a Chebe mix (which I don't have). I found this great step by step, illustrated guide for making regular, gluten-y knishes, and after pouring over the knish posts, decided I had to give it a try. 

And oh my gosh, am I glad I did. The smell while they were cooking was tantalizing, and it took all my willpower not to try to eat them the second they came out of the oven. The dough is perfect and flaky and a little buttery, and the potato filling a smooth and delicious. 

I'd love to try them with some cheese, and more onion next time for sure. Also I want to try using the crust (which is sooooo easy) for things like pie crust, I'd love to be able to make a vegan pie. 

Knishes

Dough

Recipe based off of Bureka Boy's amazing knish post. 

1 c plus 1 T rice flour mix

1 t xanthan gum

a pinch of salt

1/2 c frozen margerine (I used butter, I'm not kosher, if you're vegan/DF you can use shortening)*

1/4 c cold seltzer

2 t cidar vinegar

*I only froze it for about 20 minutes

Filling

your choice, but I made the lazy, lazy version-

1 1/3 c water

2 T butter, or oil if youre kosher or vegan

big pinch of salt

1 1/3 c instant potato flakes 

ground pepper (to taste)

1/2 t or more garlic and onion powders

2 T milk, or water, to thin 

1 egg (optional)

Pulse the rice flour mix, xanthan gum, salt and butter in the food processor until crumbly. Mix together the seltzer and vinegar, and pour in 1 T at a time, while pulsing, until the mix comes together. I accidentally added too much, so I added another T of flour so the dough wasn't sticky anymore. Sprinkle flour mix (or rice flour) on a sheet of wax paper, put half your dough on it, and sprinkle with a little more flour, then form it into a ball. Press flat, wrap up in wax paper, and stick the wax paper dough disk in the freezer. Repeat with the rest of the dough. 

Let sit in the freezer for about a half an hour (I let mine go an hour and it was too frozen, just let it thaw out a bit), and prepare the filling.

Boil the water with the butter and salt. Shut off the burner, mix in the potato flakes, and then the pepper and garlic and onion powders. If it seems too thick, add milk or water or a little more oil. Taste, adjust seasonings. Add egg, beat in, and let the mixture cool fully. 

 Take out the first dough packet. Open up wax paper, put another sheet on top (so dough is sandwiched between two sheets of paper, and roll out to about the size of a piece of paper. Make a line of about half the filling along the long side of the dough, and using the wax paper as a guide, roll the dough as tightly as you can around the filling. 

Pinch to seal the ends, then with a knife mark the dough into sixths. Cut into slices, arrange on a baking sheet, and carefully pinch the tops closed. I had to take out some of the filling from a few to do this (I get overzealous filling things). Preheat the oven to 350, and take the other dough out of the freezer, and repeat. Don't worry if the sides break as you're forming it on the cookie sheet. It'll taste the same. 

Brush with an egg wash (beat an egg, rub it on top), then bake for about 45 minutes. Makes a dozen small knishes.