Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Good Stuff: Recipe Challenge Details

Last time we reviewed Ricco Dispurto's ,Triple Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. His recipe didn't turn out like we hoped, to read our review click here. In response we issued our first challenge.

Do you think you can create your version of a flour-less cookie recipe?

Challenge Rules:

1) It must be a flour-less recipe ( meaning no rice, millet, teff, sorghum flour, etc..you get the picture)

2) This is gluten/allergy- free blog. All recipes must be allergy friendly! The recipe can't not contain nuts/tree-nuts, corn, soy,and gluten and in addition must excluded 1 other allergen.

3) When sending in your recipe, include a photo, or go for gusto and include a video

List your name, state, and country (if your not from the United States), and the allergens your recipe is free from.

Send your entries to:

thegoodstuffny@gmail.com

and the winning recipe we'll be featured on our blog.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Triple Disaster, so let's make Muffins instead !

Like my fellow New Yorker's who tune in at 3'o clock in the afternoon to watch televisions latest sensation, The Doctor Oz Show; I was blown away by Dr. Oz's presentation of a new triple chocolate cookie recipe. This recipe was created by Chief Ricco Dispurto, author of, Now Eat This! He has claimed to have created a 45 calorie cookie. His secret, No flour! What an astonishing revelation;eliminating the cumbersome task of experimenting with different flour ratios. Anyone who has baked gluten/allergy-free chocolate cookie knows that it is no easy task. One must go through trial and error to find precise flour ratios, to ensure a similar texture and taste, as their original counter parts. This recipe was a god-send, the way we bake cookies is going to change forever or so I thought.

As the old saying goes if it's too good to be true, then it probably is. Ricco's recipe crashed and burned from the start. It looked great on paper. The cannellini beans are adapted from a technique that is often used in Japanese pastries. In which uses red/white beans to accompany flour or replace it. The egg whites when stiff along with the sugar would create a meringue texture replacing the flours "stiffness". For the first-time in Good-Stuff history, I followed this recipe exactly to the letter.

In practice, it fell apart. As I poured the batter on to the cookie sheet, I expected a stiff meringue like texture, the result was watery and disgusting. Realizing that my hopes for chocolate chip cookies had been dashed; I grabbed the muffin pan, and poured the batter inside. Thanks to some quick thinking, I ending up baking beautiful muffins and they were delicious. I had saved the day, so to speak, but the quest for a good chocolate chip recipe still continues.

Ricco's recipe set many high exceptions, but when executing it, it fails to meet them. While it’s theoretical possible to bake cookies without flour, it didn't work out this time in our kitchen. We would like to see flour-less cookie recipe that’s works. The Good Stuff issues a challenge to you, the reader. Do you think you can create your version of a flour-less cookie recipe?

Then send it to us:

thegoodstuffny@gmail.com

and we'll feature it on our blog. (you must send a picture or video with your recipe, for more details click here)


The Good Stuff rates this recipe: 0/5

In addition we rate the muffins alternative as: 3.7/ 5

( 3.7- because the muffins were highly perishable)

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TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES


Ingredients:

Makes 20 cookies

1 serving: 45 calories

1.4 g fat

2 g protein

9 g carbohydrates

0mg cholesterol

2 g fiber

32 mg sodium

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup canned white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp light agave syrup

3 large egg whites

11/2 cups granulated artificial sweetner

1/4 cup dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375@F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine vanilla, cocoa, cannellini beans, and the agave syrup, and blend the mixture until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl halfway through blending.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the artificial sweetner. Continue to beat the whites until they are creamy and nearly stiff. Add 1/3 of the egg-white mixture to the cocoa bean mixture in the food processor. Blend to combine, for about 30 seconds. In 2 batches, fold the lightened cocoa mixture into the egg whites until they are almost fully combined. Add cacao nibs to the batter. Fold batter until cacao nibs are evenly dispersed and cocoa mixture is completely incorporated.

Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form cookies about 21/2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one turn halfway through baking. Using a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Find more healthy alternatives to appease your sweet tooth in Rocco's new cookbook, Now Eat This!

[Recipe courtesy of: The Dr. Oz Show- http://www.doctoroz.com]

Friday, August 20, 2010

*Extra Special* The Good Stuff Spotlight: Righteously Raw Chocolate Bars



Up until now, I thought that when it came to soy/corn/gluten/nuts-free chocolate Enjoy Life Foods had dominated the market. Today I discovered an alternative, a delightfully chocolate bar from Righteously Raw. This product live up to it's name. It blew me away, yes there's gluten-free and nut free candy on the market. It's difficult to find a chocolate bar that is soy/corn free, they're the most common ingredients, next to the chocolate respectively. Yet to find a chocolate bar that doesn't contain gluten/soy/corn and is made in a nut-free facility, and ( can't stress this enough) is also organic; that's very rare.

The Verdict: It tastes great, the filling is unbelievable. Each bar is filled with a special super-food: goji berries, acai, to name a few, and they're wonderful for your health. In this case you can have your cake and eat it too. We say keep up the good work Righteously Raw- looking forward to more products in the future.

For more information you can check out Righteously Raw:

The Good Stuff rates this product: 5/5

Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Good Stuff Spotlight: Tinkyada Rice Pasta



On this week's The Good Stuff spotlight , is Tinkyada Rice Pasta.

This pasta is wheat/gluten-free, and is also corn, soy, dairy, casein, egg, meat, nut & peanut free. In addition it is Kosher certified and organic.

The taste of this pasta is absolutely incredible. The texture is remarkable and superior to regular pasta. The company claims hold true, this pasta will not become mushy, and it texture will stay consistent. We've tried several gluten-free pastas and this is by far the best rice pasta that we have come across.

Tinkyada makes several types pasta's for all your needs. We recommend the vegetable spirals.

For more info check out their website:

http://www.tinkyada.com/

We rate this product: 5/5