Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} - Gluten Free!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} - Gluten Free!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

orunsweetened applesauce

1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

*you can play around with the cheese.Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar.

Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you'd like to add

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn't non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. These actually don't re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh. Yield: 16-24

Homemade tortillas

Yesterday the kids wanted to have a tortilla lunch... but we didn't have any more tortillas. It was a difficult week to get to the store! (I went after lunch instead.)

These were easy and according to the kids, yummier than store bought. I agree.

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

Combine all the flour, salt, vegetable oil, and water until it forms a dough.

Roll the dough into a big ball and take about an 1 to 2 inch pieces off. Pat the dough flat with your hands or take a rolling pin and roll into circles. (The kids helped, and we didn't get perfect circles, but that was kind of fun too!)

Put the dough on a flat pan on the stove and let the sides cook until there are little brown specks on both sides like you would see on other tortillas.

The kids then loaded up their tortillas with whatever toppings their heart desired. This is one of their favorite lunches/snacks. Everyone eats happily.

Slow-cooker Lasagna and Cookie Milkshake

This was a hit tonight, so much so that I have to write it down for history's sake. Evelyn had thirds! AND wanted more, but there was no more to be had.

Crockpot Pesto Lasagna

Layer the following ingredients until you run out of ingredients:

Pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup at a time) - I used my homemade chunky tomato soup and it worked great.

Uncooked lasagna noodles, and you can break them to fit your pot.

Pesto sauce (you'll use an 8 oz jar easy)

Cottage or ricotta cheese

Handful of baby spinach

Parmesan/mozarella cheese

Start again with the pasta sauce (and end with it on top too)

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6.

Delish.

The crockpot has saved me this month. Because of our new baby, I thought ahead in January and planned out all our dinners to be crockpot dinners that I could start pre-fussy evening time. It worked out great... especially with the unexpected surgery! I also chose really easy dump and leave dinners. This lasagna took me about 7 minutes to dump in the crockpot before a busy busy afternoon.

And now, dessert. This was too good. I enjoyed it too much. Yum.

Cookie Milkshake

About 1/2 a blender of ice cream.

Crush up some old valentine cookies that still have their frosting on them and add to the blender.

Add milk to desired consistency.

Blend. I served these in the tiny shot glasses I got for Christmas. Everyone had seconds. I got to scrape out the blender.

The PERFECT boiled egg!! (works every time)

OK, so maybe this post reveals more about my anal-retentiveness than I really want, but who cares. One of things that really bothers me is boiled eggs that are difficult to peel. I have spent way too much time online searching how to make the perfect boiled egg- you know, the kind that always peel perfectly. Well, every method I have heard about always seemed to give minimal results- vinegar, boiling twice, putting in ice water as soon as they are boiled, making sure they are at least 2 weeks old before boiling, etc, etc, etc. Well, today I discovered the true- and very simple- way to a perfect boiled egg- the secret is to NOT boil it at all! Simply steam the eggs. It is so easy, and works so well, I couldn't believe it!

You just need a steamer or steam basket- make sure the eggs are room temperature before steaming- just get them out and set them on the counter while I do something else. Then when they are room temperature, put enough water in the pan to come up to the steam basket without touching the eggs- then steam them for 20-25 minutes (less time for a softer yolk, more time for a harder yolk). And viola! The yummiest and easiest to peel hard boiled egg ever (I guess it is not technically a hard-boiled egg, but a hard. . . cooked egg?)!

They are so easy, you don't even have to peel them- you can just take off a little bit of shell on each end and hold the egg tightly, then blow on one end- the egg pops right out! It is very fun and cool.

-Bob/Joel

Torellini and Sausage Soup

This recipe is thanks to Jeanene. It will definitely become a regular meal because it is SO yummy and seems healthy. We even had this meal in the candlelight for a romantic date.

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped onion 2 cups tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 cup water 1 tsp. oregano

5 cups beef or chicken broth 1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 cup apple/white grape juice 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini

8 oz. fresh meat or cheese tortellini (I use cheese)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage, remove from pan and drain. Set aside. Saute onions and garlic until tender. Add water, broth, wine, carrots, tomatoes, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Skim off any fat and stir in zucchini and tortellini. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes or until tortellini and zucchini are tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Sinful White Chocolate Hot Chocolate

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups skim milk
  
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (about 4 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove mixture from the flame. Immediately pour over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, gently stir to combine.

Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until light foam forms.

WARNING: It is very rich, so if you choose to, just put in half to 3/4 of a bag of white chocolate chips.


HOLY YUMMINESS.

The Mistake that Worked

I tried to make German Cheese Blintzes this morning for breakfast, and they just wouldn't work for me. So, I did what I normally do when I don't want to waste ingredients... I added more ingredients and tried something different. This ended up being a baked oatmeal dish, and it turned out great! Jonas said, "This mistake turned out to be one of our favorite breakfasts!" Time will tell if that is really true.

1 container cottage cheese (I used fat free)

3 eggs

6 T flour (I used wheat)

1 T sugar

1 pinch salt

2 pinches baking soda

3 drops of vinegar

2 cups of oatmeal (regular, not quick)

Mix together, spray 9X13 pan, spread out, bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Yum.