Welcome Back!

Hey Friends, 

I'm brushing off the old blog as I get back in the grove with writing. A friend got me these fun poetry magnets for my birthday and I promptly drafted this poem inspired by my work in progress, a novel about the confusion of language in Babylon and the lengths that one goddess and demon will go to help the human race. I’ve never written in this genre so I’m learning while I go and really enjoying the process. Looking forward to sharing more of my interests in writing, reviews, music, and more. I hope you stick around!

~Sara

Sour Cream Doughnuts

Pinterest can be deadly if it drives you to make and eat doughnuts every day. I came across this blog post from Christie’s Corner the other day and knew that, despite my gluten-free regimen, I had to try these at some point. So, I pinned them and gave them a try today, when Mr. F, my 5 year old, was begging for doughnuts. I made some changes from the original recipe and adjusted for what I had on hand given I wasn’t prepared to make doughnuts. If you don't want to change it up, the orininal is probably just as amazing! Here’s my version of Sour Cream Doughnut Recipe modified from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker by Mark and Michael Kiebeck.

Sour Cream Doughnuts

1 3/4 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Corn Starch
1/4 Cup Flax Meal
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp iodized salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Sucanat (white sugar works, too)
2 TBSP Butter – room temp
2 Large Egg Yolks
2/3 Cup Sour Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the BUTTER and SUCANAT. Add the EGG YOLKS and continue to beat until light colored. You should sift the flour and other dry ingredients (except the flax meal because it’s too course) but honestly, I didn’t. I just threw them into a bowl and let Mr. F whisk away. That worked out just fine!

In alternating batches, add some dry ingredients and some SOUR CREAM to the butter/egg mixture until everything is in the bowl. Be sure not to over mix, just get it all combined. The dough will be sticky! Turn it out into a floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Instead of rolling out the dough, I floured some wax paper and turned the dough out. Flour the top of the dough and press it out until the dough is 1/2” thickness. I used a juice glass (dipped in flour) to cut out my doughnuts and I have a mini circle cookie cutter to cut the holes. You can re-roll and cut more doughnuts until you have used up all of your dough, but be sure not to knead it too much.

Heat at least 2 inches of oil to 325°F. Get your post-frying station set up with a baking sheet, wire rack and paper towels. Add just a couple doughnuts at a time so that you don’t cool the oil too much. The frying step requires really close attention. Drop each ring into the oil, wait for it to float and flip it over. Fry for a minute (literally ONE minute) and flip again to be sure each side is golden brown and cracking. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

I glazed mine while they were HOT with 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 TBSP light corn syrup, 2 TSP vanilla, and water until it hit the right consistency (no idea how much I used.)

Seriously, if you don’t eat all of the little doughnut holes before they’ve cooled down… well, I just don’t know you at all.

Enjoy! And a big thanks to Christie’s Corner for posting this recipe and making me eat my weight in Sour Cream Doughnuts.

Thanks for reading,

~Sara

Sara’s Gorgonzola Pasta

I often make dinner by throwing together whatever I have on hand, but a few years ago I set out to make a meal out of my favorite flavors: bleu cheese, mushrooms, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper. There are quite a few directions for these flavors, tossing them on a salad or making a rice dish. But since I’m working on week 2 of gluten-free living, I thought I could share a pasta dish with you and live vicariously while you all make and enjoy this dish.

Sara’s Gorgonzola Pasta

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves 2-4 Depending on appetites

1/4 Red Onion – Minced
1 TBSP Garlic – Minced
2 C Mushrooms – Sliced
2 Small Zucchini – Sliced
4 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 lb Green Beans – Blanched
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil – Chopped
1/2 lb Cooked Pasta (I like Penne!)
1/4 lb Gorgonzola Cheese – Crumbled
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (You can use a pinch or none at all if you’re not up for the spice.)

Heat 2 TBSPs of OLIVE OIL over medium heat in a large pan and sauté ONIONS and CRUSHED RED PEPPER for 3-5 minutes. Add GARLIC and ZUCCHINI, sauté for another 2 minutes.

Push the veggies to the side of the pan, add additional 2 TBSPs of OLIVE OIL and sauté the MUSHROOMS until cooked. Add GREEN BEANS, SALT, and PEPPER, heat through.

Remove from heat, toss with PASTA, BASIL, and GORGONZOLA. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Gorgonzola and basil for garnish.

This dish is super easy, fast, and especially handy if you have left over pasta on hand. If you have to cook your pasta first, your prep time will bump up to 30 minutes, still very fast for a complete meal! I hope you enjoy this tasty pasta while I wallow away on my gluten-free regimen… Stay tuned for more about gluten-free eating. Next week, I’ll be blogging away over on An Army of Ermas and I’m sure I’ll be bringing some new recipes to my Hero Complex readers as well!

Thanks for reading,

~Sara