Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Sometimes I read back through my blog and realize it’s a cooking chronicle of my life. Little tidbits of the current days sprinkled throughout my musings of favorite foods—like Chocolate Raspberry Bars.

How, I’m wondering, do I sprinkle in the kind of week I’ve had with this pretty little dessert? What kind of week was it, you ask? The kind of week where the work days are too long, the weather is too cold, and my mom is driving me crazy. Yes, even at my age (which no, I’m not divulging but suffice it to say I have a college-aged son) your mom can still drive you crazy. Maybe more at my age than, let’s say, at my son’s age—although I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t agree.

As my mother ages I open my eyes to what faces me as much as what faces her. I had a discussion with a good friend about the stages of life and we (both being at mid-life) settled on old age for most of the conversation. We thought about how to assure we’d live that part of our lives richly—diminishing the focus on aches and pains, juggling little bottles of pills, and loss of access to the world.

It’s pretty simple really—keep healthy of mind, body, and spirit now. It’s an investment for a rich future. And, it requires a conscious daily deposit. Exercise. Eat right. Live what’s in your heart.

Apropos to Valentine’s Day. So, this weekend celebrate your loved ones—old and young—and celebrate yourself, as well. Savor these days and invest in your future days.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

At first I was a bit skeptical about the batter for these bars—it was dense and seemed a bit greasy. But, I’d mixed it together so decided there was nothing to do but go for it. Despite my original worry they popped out of the oven looking delicious—and they were! Enjoy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together in the bowl of a stand mixer:

2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour blend*
1 cup almond flour
1 cup sugar

In a separate measuring cup whisk together with a fork:

8 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or similar butter substitute)
4 ounces applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients a little at a time mixing on low speed until thoroughly combined.

Remove about one cup of the dough and set aside.

Add to the remaining dough (still in the mixing bowl):

1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix on low, scraping the sides frequently until the cocoa and chips are blended in.

Line a 8” x 8” pan with parchment. Press the chocolate dough into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool a few minutes. Spread out over the cake to about 1/4 inch from the sides:

1 cup seedless raspberry (or any favorite berry) jam

Dot the whole thing with the remaining vanilla dough, dropping in small chunks over the raspberry jam.

Pop it back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Cool thoroughly (no cheating here!). Remove from the pan and cut into bars.

*For GF flour blends that do not have xanthan gum included as an ingredient: add 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum to the dry ingredients in this recipe.

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Shredded Chicken Chili

If you follow me on Twitter you know one of the things I love about my husband is that he cooks his famous (around these here parts) chili for me. Any. Time. I. Want. It.

It’s a special treat because 1) it’s good! and 2) he’s cooking…not me!

Needless to say, it’s pretty unusual for me to make chili.

It was Kim’s (Cook It Allergy Free) Chicken Chipotle Tortilla Soup  that provided inspiration to try my hand at making chicken chili. I made a version of Kim’s soup for my guys and they loved it!! So, I decided to take it one step further and make chili.

There’s a little of this, not so much of that, and a few new ingredients that are definitely not in my husband’s chili or Kim’s soup recipe. This one definitely has my name on it.

It came out perfectly perfect. Now, I’m pretty sure the hub’s is going to ask me to make it. Any. Time. He. Wants. It.

Shredded Chicken Chili

Saute in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat until crispy:

3 slices bacon, chopped into quarters

While the bacon is cooking prepare the vegetables:

1 sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno*, seeds and stem removed, minced
1 red or green pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced

Remove the cooked bacon and most of the bacon fat from the pot. Set the bacon aside and discard the bacon fat. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook until the onions are just translucent—a few minutes. If you think a little more fat is needed while the vegetables are cooking add:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with herbs and spices:

2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons each: cumin and cocoa powder
1 teaspoon each: salt and chile powder*
½ teaspoon each: thyme, oregano and cilantro

Quickly add in and stir to combine:

2 cups chicken broth
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 jar salsa (I used Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa - glutenfree!)

Add in:

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat removed

Bring the pot to a boil and keep it at a slow boil for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set the pot to a simmer.

Stir the following ingredients into the pot and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey

Shred the chicken with a fork and add it back into the pot along with:

1 can each black beans and white great northern beans, drained and rinsed.

Simmer for about 5 minutes to heat everything through.

Serve topped with the reserved bacon (chopped into bits), crumbled gluten-free tortilla chips and a wedge of lime for the more adventurous folks.

*Note: adjust the heat to your liking by adjusting the amount of jalapeno and chile powder you use in the recipe. The amounts I used created a medium hot chili.

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