Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

 

I’ve been traveling a lot lately for work and cooking dinner is the last thing on my mind. Crunchy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect fix for busy weeknights. Seasoned black beans loaded with flavor are packed between a crunchy corn tortilla shell stuffed with cheese and my favorite taco toppings. The best part of this meal – it tastes great and comes together in less than 15 minutes!

 

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

·1 recipe for Seasoned Black Beans (I made with pre-cooked dry black beans, or you can use canned)

·3 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

·6 corn tortillas

·½ cup shredded Monterey-Jack cheese
·1 tomato, diced

Directions:

Heat ½ TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a skillet. Add corn tortilla. Spoon 1/4 cup or so of Seasoned Black Beans on one half of the tortilla shell. Sprinkle with cheese and tomatoes.

Use a spatula and fold tortilla on half, on top of the side with the beans. Gently press down. Cook for 3 minutes per side until crispy. Repeat as needed to finish making Crunchy Black Bean Tacos.

If you use a large pan, you can do more than one at a time. Serve with your favorite taco toppings (sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc.).

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Bourbon Pecan Pie is fairly simple to prepare. My favorite part about this recipe, besides the addition of bourbon, is that it is corn syrup free and still tastes delicious!

One of my husband's favorite pies is Pecan Pie. I've never been a big fan of Pecan Pie, until I wrote this Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe. I never knew I was missing out on such a great pie all of these years! My sister bought a gluten-free pie crust from whole foods we tried, so that's what is shown in the picture. It was okay, but we like my Gluten Free Super Easy Pie Crust Recipe better.

Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
·1 GF Super Easy Pie Crust Recipe 
·5 TBS butter, melted
·½ cup pecans, toasted
·½ cup pecans, chopped
·1¼ cup packed brown sugar
·3 eggs
·3 TBS bourbon
·Pinch of salt

Directions:Preheat oven to 350˚. Prepare pie crust according to the recipe. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake until just set in the middle, about 40-45 minutes.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

I love every holiday, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorites. I love being together as a family and spending quality time together. I also really enjoy Thanksgiving food - turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and dessert. As much as I love the main course, I always save room for dessert. Here's a round-up of desserts suitable for Thanksgiving that I've posted on As Good As Gluten over the past year.

Pies

Apple Pumpkin Salted Caramel Pie - this is the ultimate pie for Thanksgiving. It's a new pie recipe I created this year, and it is the pie I'm taking to all family Thanksgiving gatherings. Heavenly!

Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping - this pie is delicious, and was the winning pie at my family's Thanksgiving Pie Cook-Off last year.

Apple Cranberry GF Pie - the combination of apples and pears in this pie make it a favorite from last year.

Apple-Pear Cranberry GF Pie - the only way to improve upon the delicious Apple Cranberry Pie above is to add pears!

Pear Custard Pie - this crustless pie is rich, decadent, and easy to prepare for Thanksgiving.

Cookies
GF Snickerdoodles - this is one of my family's favorite cookie recipes and a must-have for the holidays.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles - a delicious fall twist on the classic Snickerdoodle.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies - these are one of my husband's favorite cookies; he loves the flavor combination.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pizookie (Flourless) - I could go on and on about how incredibly irresistible this pizookie is! As a bonus, it's fairly healthy.

Desserts
GF Apple Cream Cheese Crisp - my in-laws love this unique apple crisp and it is a frequent request.

Pumpkin Pie Mousse - this tastes like Pumpkin Pie heaven. It's my brother's favorites and I already have the ingredients to make it later this week.

Stuffed Apple á la Mode - a quick and easy recipe that packs all of the delicious apple pie flavors into a stuffed apple.

Caramel Apple S'mores - a unique and tasty spin on the classic s'more.

Muffins
Cranberry Relish Muffins - the perfect way to use up leftover cranberry relish/sauce.

GF Apple Pumpkin Streusel Muffins - this is among one of my first gluten-free baking experiences. They are delicious, and I'm grateful my photography skills have improved!

GF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - if you love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, you'll love these amazing muffins!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lauren

Pear Custard Pie

Pear Custard Pie is rich and decadent. A delicious cooked vanilla and pear flavor is evident in every bite of this crustless pie. This fragrant pie is fitting for fall, when pears are in season.

Pear Custard Pie
Ingredients:
·3 ripe pears, peeled, halved, and cored
·¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
·⅓ cup granulated sugar
·⅓ cup brown rice flour
·2 tsp pure vanilla extract
·3 eggs
·¾ cup skim milk
·Dash of salt
·Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Butter a 9-inch pie pan. Slice the pears lengthwise in ¼ inch thick pieces. Arrange the pear slices in the pie dish, overlapping slightly.

In a blender, process the melted butter, sugar, rice flour, vanilla, eggs, milk, and salt until smooth.

Pour the batter over the pears. Bake until golden and firm the touch, about 40 to 45 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.


Recipe modified from the "Everyday Food - Great Food Fast" cookbook from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

I've also shared this recipe on: The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Apple Pumpkin Salted Caramel Pie

This is the ultimate pie for the fall season! The alluring aroma as this pie bakes fills your house with scents of cinnamon, pumpkin, and baked apples. It is bite after delicious As Good As Gluten bite of fall flavors!

I wrote this delectable pie recipe after being inspired by three separate pies I wanted to make. My husband wanted apple pie, I wanted pumpkin pie, and I also wanted to try a salted caramel apple tart. My creativity kicked in and I decided to take the best parts of each pie and combine them into the ultimate Apple Pumpkin Salted Caramel Pie. The outcome is an exquisite pie that combines all of my favorite fall flavors into one scrumptious pie!

Apple Pumpkin Salted Caramel Pie
Ingredients:
·1 GF Super Easy Pie Crust Recipe (I use a homemade blend of gluten free flours or Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Blend)
Apple Layer:
·2 medium Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
·¼ cup sugar
·1 TBS GF flour mix
·½ tsp cinnamon
Pumpkin Layer:
·1 cup canned pure pumpkin
·¼ cup sugar
·1 egg, slightly beaten
·½ tsp cinnamon
·1/8 tsp allspice
·1/8 tsp ginger
·1/8 tsp cloves
·1/8 tsp nutmeg
·Dash of sea salt
Streusel:
·¼ cup packed brown sugar
·2 TBS GF flour
·2 TBS butter, softened
·½ cup pecans, chopped
Salted Caramel Sauce:
·12 individually wrapped caramels
·¾ TBS skim milk
·Dash of sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare pie crust according to recipe.

In a large bowl, combine all apple layer ingredients. Spoon mixture into prepared pie crust.

In the same bowl, mix pumpkin layer ingredients until well blended. Pour over apple mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix streusel ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Sprinkle streusel over baked pie, and then return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted into pumpkin layer comes out clean.

Over a double boiler, combine caramels and milk. Stir frequently and heat over medium-low heat until mixture becomes a sauce. Stir in a dash of sea salt and drizzle over the pie. Let pie cool completely before topping with caramel and serving.


I've also shared this recipe on: Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, This Week's Craving

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Strawberry Glaze Pie is my all-time favorite pie recipe! It only takes a few simple ingredients to prepare this delicious and fresh pie. 

Growing up, my mom made the best pie ever - Strawberry Glaze Pie. My entire family loved it, and we were always able to quickly devourer it. Mike bought 4 or 5 pounds of fresh strawberries at the store a few days ago, which presented me with the perfect opportunity to make a gluten-free version of my mom's famous pie. This Strawberry Glaze Pie tastes As Good As Gluten, and, most importantly, as good as moms! This pie stays at it's best for about 1-2 days, so you'll want to eat it quickly (which shouldn't be a problem at all!).

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Ingredients:

·6 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

·½ cup sugar

·2½-3 TBS cornstarch

·1 – 9” baked gluten-free pastry shell (I used my GF Super Easy Pie Crust recipe - prepare pie crust according to directions and bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes.)

Directions:               

For the glaze, mash 1 cup of soft strawberries in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, then strain liquid. Reserve liquid and discard mashed strawberries.

In the same saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in reserved liquid and cook until thick and bubbly. Set glaze aside to cool.

When glaze is cool, spread a scant of glaze on the bottom of the baked GF pie crust. Add sliced strawberries and then cover with remaining glaze. Chill for 2-3 hours.

Yield: one 9" pie

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sunday, This Week's Cravings, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Double Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

The recipe says it only takes 20 minutes to prep (and 3 hours start to finish), but it took me about 1 hour to prep. Once I had a bite the time was totally worth it - the pie is delicious!!! It's heaven for a chocolate lover! The picture isn't my best, but there is a thin Rice Chex crust layer at the bottom.

·3 cups Rice Chex, crushed
·5 TBS butter, melted

·12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
·1½ TBS unsweetened baking cocoa

·2 cups half-and-half

·⅓ cup sugar

·1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
·6 TBS whipping cream

·½ cup white vanilla baking chips

·¼ cup creamy peanut butter
·For garnish - 1 cup whipped cream and additional chocoalte shavings/chopped chocolate chips

In a small bowl, stir together cereal and melted butter. Press in bottom and up side of ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350˚. Bake crust 20 minutes, or until well set. Sprinkle with one-third of chocolate chips, chopped.

Meanwhile, in large heatproof bowl, mix cocoa and remaining chocolate chips; reserve. In a saucepan, heat half-and-half over medium-high heat until almost boiling. In medium heatproof bowl, beat sugar, egg and egg yolks with whisk until pale yellow. Slowly beat in half of the hot half-and-half, then pour egg mixture into saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Heat mixture just to boiling. Cook, beating with whisk, about 1 minute or until thickened. Pour into reserved cocoa mixture; beat with whisk until smooth. Pour into crust; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Wipe out saucepan. Add 6 TBS whipping cream. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Place vanilla baking chips and peanut butter in medium heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream on top and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes; beat with whisk until smooth. Spread evenly over chilled pie. Refrigerate until firm, about 1½ hours.

To serve, top servings of pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

This recipe is adapted from Silvana Nardone in the Feb. 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Lauren’s Apple-Pear Cranberry GF Pie

I'm home with my family for the holidays and tonight we baked an Apple-Pear Cranberry Pie tonight. I improvised a recipe I created a few weeks ago - Apple Cranberry Pie - and it turned out DELICIOUS!! We are a big family, and we are all wishing I would have made two pies!

·1 GF Super Easy Pie Crust
Pie Ingredients
·3 medium sized red apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
·2 medium sized pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
·1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
·½ cup sugar
·1 TBS GF all-purpose flour
·1 tsp ground cinnamon
·1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Topping Ingredients
·½ cup GF all-purpose flour
·½ cup packed brown sugar
·3½ TBS butter
·1 tsp flaxseed meal
·½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare GF pie crust recipe and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all pie ingredients until apples and pears are well coated. Spoon mixture into pie crust.

In a food processer, combine topping ingredients and pulse until crumb mixture forms. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture. If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

Cover pie crust edges with pie crust shield and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays

Lauren’s Apple Cranberry GF Pie

I saw a magazine picture a few weeks ago for double-crust apple cranberry pie. It looked delicious and I had to have it! So, I created my own GF recipe for it by combining bits and pieces of different recipes I found various cookbooks I own. This pie turned out really good and is definitely one of our new favorites!

·1 GF Super Easy Pie Crust (click here for recipe)
Pie Ingredients
·4-5 medium sized red apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
·1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
·½ cup sugar
·1 TBS GF all-purpose flour
·½ tsp ground cinnamon
·1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Topping Ingredients
·½ cup GF all-purpose flour
·½ cup packed brown sugar
·3 TBS butter
·1 tsp flaxseed meal
·½ tsp cinnamon, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare GF pie crust recipe and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all pie ingredients until apples are well coated. Spoon mixture into pie crust.

In a food processor, combine topping ingredients and pulse until crumb mixture forms. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture. If desired, sprinkle with additional cinnamon. 

Cover pie crust edges with pie crust shield and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

I've also shared this recipe on: Gluten Free Wednesdays

Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping

This summer my family started a fun, new tradition - cooking showdowns. So far, we've only had one, but we have more challenges planned. My mom and Mike had a Buffalo Chicken Showdown over Labor Day weekend. It was a blast and the outcome was a tie (we'll be sure to have an odd number of judges next time)! 

The next challenge is a Pumpkin Pie Showdown between my mom and I at Thanksgiving. Sorry Mom, but you know you're going down! My pumpkin pies are DELICIOUSLY AMAZING. Since 2005, I've been making Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie with Orange Peel Whipped Topping. It's amazing, a big hit at the holidays, and much better than boring, regular Pumpkin Pie. Last year, I made Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Pie - again, a huge hit and SO delicious! This year I'm making Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping. Since it's a new recipe and my first gluten-free Thanksgiving, I knew I needed to practice both my pie and pie crust recipes! (No cheating or copying my recipe, Mom!) ;) Actually, my mom's secret ingredient in her pie crust is vodka - so, I'm adding that to my super easy pie crust recipe. So, I guess it's only fair for you to get a sneak peak at your competition, Mom!

I have to admit, I cook like my mom! I can't take a recipe and follow it exactly, I have to adapt it slightly and make it my own. (My Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie recipe is my version of a recipe I originally got from Betty Crocker. My Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Pie recipe is my version of a recipe I found in the Hy-Vee Seasons magazine last year). My Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping recipe is also my version of a recipe from this season's Hy-Vee Seasons magazine. Lastly, the GF Super Easy Pie Crust recipe is adapted from one of my favorite GF blogs - Gluten Free Easily, with my mom's (not-so-secret-anymore) ingredient! :)   

GF Super Easy Pie Crust

·1 ½ cup GF all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill GF all-purpose baking flour)

·¾ tsp xanthan gum

·1 TBS sugar

·½ tsp salt

·½ cup oil (I use Smart Balance Omegas cooking oil)

·2 TBS milk

·1 TBS vodka

Pour flour, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt in a 9-inch pie plate. Stir together with a fork to mix ingredients and remove any flour clumps. In a large glass measuring cup, add milk and vodka to oil. Then, stir vigorously with a fork until well combined and liquid ingredients are no longer separated.  Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix with a fork.

Pat crust out with hands, trying to make thickness the same throughout and extending crust as high as you would like on the sides of the pie plate. Fill pie and bake according to your recipe.

I didn't extend my crust up the edges as far as I could because I don't prefer the edges of pie crust. But, I did have enough crust if I wanted to extend up the sides any further.

Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping

·1 GF Pie Crust                                                    ·½ tsp ground ginger

Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:                    ·¼ tsp ground cloves

·8 oz. Neufchatel Cheese, softened              ·¼ tsp salt

·¼ cup sugar                                                        Streusel Topping Ingredients:

·1 egg                                                                    ·¼ cup packed brown sugar

·½ tsp nutmeg                                                     ·2 TBS GF all-purpose flour

·2 TBS spiced rum                                               ·2 TBS butter, softened

Pumpkin Pie Layer Ingredients:                   ·½ cup pecan pieces

·1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin                               Rum Whipped Topping:

·1 cup evaporated milk                                     ·1 cup light whipped topping

·2 eggs                                                                  ·2 TBS sugar

·½ cup sugar                                                         ·1 tsp spiced rum

·1 tsp cinnamon

(Note: Recipe cards read in columns - so the cheesecake layer ingredients are Neufchatel Cheese, sugar, egg, nutmeg, and rum).

Preheat oven to 350˚. Prepare pie crust and place in a pie plate; set aside. Beat cheesecake layer ingredients in kitchen stand mixer until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pie crust.

In a large bowl, beat pumpkin pie layer ingredients with electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Slowly pour pumpkin pie mixture over cream cheese layer, starting at the edge of the pie. Bake for 50 minutes.

I don't have a deep-dish pie plate, so didn't have room in the pie plate for all of the pumpkin filling. 

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in pecans.

Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over pie.

Bake 15-20 minutes more or until center is nearly set, topping is golden, and knife inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, beat rum whipped topping ingredients together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Cover and chill until serving time.

Serve Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Pie with Rum Whipped Topping. Cover pie loosely and store in refrigerator.

The final product is DELICIOUS! Definitely a winner. The crust even passed Mike's test, "I like the crust, I mean I really like the crust!" I'll definitely need a deep-dish pie pan the next time I make it to help get a better cheesecake to pumpkin pie ratio. Good luck, Mom! ;)


I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, The Gluten-Free Holiday Event: Thanksgiving Favorites