On Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of doing something I have never done before. Something I never would have imagined doing, even 6 months ago! Something that I will definitely be doing again!
I spent an afternoon cooking with a fellow gluten-free blogger! None other than, Natalie, your Gluten-Free Mommy! Natalie graciously invited me to her home (since we both live relatively close by in the good ol' North State!) where we shared an afternoon creating and baking Thanksgiving Dinner casseroles! It was wonderful to share the time with another gluten-free cook, it's not something you get to do often!
It is hard to describe Natalie without smiling! In a word, Natalie is quite simply: "Joy!"
If you weren't impressed with Natalie's intelligence, kindness, sweet laughter, or amazing cooking abilities... her beautiful smile would knock your socks off!
The theme of our afternoon was to re-create some of our families traditional Thanksgiving casseroles. The casseroles had to be gluten-free (of course!) and we were aiming for less sugar and fat as well.
I wish all of you had the experience of watching Natalie create a signature dish. While my recipes were all typed out, all nice and neat... and as I changed ingredients, I scribbled them down.... Natalie, on the other hand, flew by the seat of her pants, just tasting and adding things as she felt necessary! Perfecting the recipe in her mind, and adding and subtracting all along the way. I could just see the ingredient wheels spinning under that long, flowing chestnut hair of hers! I was so impressed by Natalie's approach to cooking! I loved her confidence and her creativity! I can't wait for you to see her recipe. It was absolutely amazing!
My recipe is different than Natalie's, as it has a crumbly top and doesn't use oranges. I love sweet potato casseroles because they are so very versatile!
Sweet Potato-Apple Casserole
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1-2 small apples, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup brown sugar -or- agave nectar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup corn flour -or- sorghum flour
- 1/2 pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
Directions:
Mix mashed sweet potatoes, chopped apples, brown sugar, salt, and spices together. Add beaten egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix all together until smooth. Pour into greased casserole dish.
Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until casserole is set.
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This is also my entry for a blogging event entitled: The Heart of the Matter.
This blogging event is sponsored by Michelle at The Accidental Scientist. The event focuses on taking traditional holiday recipes and making them more heart healthy! This dish originally called for 1 stick of butter, 1 full cup of brown sugar, and 2 eggs in the casserole itself. The crumb topping also called for 1 stick of additional butter. Since, I am now gluten-free, I also replaced cornflakes (that were called for in the crumb topping) with gluten-free flours. The fat has been slashed dramatically in this version, along with the sugar. Yet, with the additinoal of apples and agave syrup, the dish retains GREAT flavor! This is definitely a yummy, fantastically healthy side dish for the holiday season! You can enter your own holiday dish healthy remake in this blogging event by November 18th to: mphilli4 AT uoregon DOT edu
Happy Healthy Holiday Eating!!!
This is also my entry for a blogging event entitled: The Heart of the Matter.
This blogging event is sponsored by Michelle at The Accidental Scientist. The event focuses on taking traditional holiday recipes and making them more heart healthy! This dish originally called for 1 stick of butter, 1 full cup of brown sugar, and 2 eggs in the casserole itself. The crumb topping also called for 1 stick of additional butter. Since, I am now gluten-free, I also replaced cornflakes (that were called for in the crumb topping) with gluten-free flours. The fat has been slashed dramatically in this version, along with the sugar. Yet, with the additinoal of apples and agave syrup, the dish retains GREAT flavor! This is definitely a yummy, fantastically healthy side dish for the holiday season! You can enter your own holiday dish healthy remake in this blogging event by November 18th to: mphilli4 AT uoregon DOT edu
Happy Healthy Holiday Eating!!!