September Ingredient Challenge Part 2

So here we are in October. Granted it is just the 2nd, but I had intended to get this all done on Friday. However, I goofed and put to much baking soda in my "biscuit" batter, and had to get more fresh basil from my mom's. Yes, I said biscuits (we are ignoring the baking soda incident). I had intended biscuits, but for some reason my batter wasn't quite there. As mini-muffins though they are fabulous, and I am making soup to go with them. Or at least opening a carton of soup to warm up. :)

Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Mini-Muffins

90 grams garbanzo bean flour

30 grams brown rice flour

60 grams potato starch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 egg

2 ounces olive oil

4 ounces non-dairy (or dairy) milk

1/8 Cup sun dried tomatoes (the kind in a bag not packed in oil)

2-3 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped finely

In a small bowl place your sun dried tomatoes. Pour boiling water over them to cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Set aside. In a medium bowl, measure out the flours, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine. Measure out milk, olive oil and egg in a

glass measuring cup and set aside. Drain and chop the sun dried tomatoes. Add milk mixture to the flour. Stir to combine. Add basil and tomatoes stirring to just combine. Then using your hand dandy small cookie scoop (small spoon works as well), place one scoop batter into each muffin "cup" in the greased tin. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool and remove. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

I had these last ingredients to work with, and had no clue what to do with them. That is until I hit upon the idea of a tart! Little mini-indulgences with a hint of lemon and topped with chocolate. Oh, yeah!

Lemon Cream Cheese Tarts

Tart Shell (fabulous recipe over at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free)

Press small ball of dough into tart pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes. They should be slightly brown on edges. Cool and fill. (Note: If you aren't gluten free, just use your favorite pie crust even it if comes in a red box from the grocery store.)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 Cup coconut cream

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Adjust lemon and/or sugar until you are pleased with the flavor. I liked this. Put in an airtight container and refrigerate while making your pastry. These were then topped with a square of dark chocolate melted with a dash of cinnamon, and then drizzled over the top.

Monkey liked them so much he asked for 2nd's!

Adzuki Bean Bread

I am going to begin this post with a caveat. I am the only one of four that tried it that liked the bread. The other person who kind of liked it, told me that plain she wouldn't have, but grilled with a bit of butter and honey it was good. Her suggestion, and my mom's as well, was to find a way to make it a bit sweeter. I will be working toward that, but for now will post this recipe since I do enjoy it!

My brain started turning when the ingredient for the month was posted for the SOS Kitchen Challenge. This bread was one of the many ideas I had. It started simply as an alternative to corn bread since the monkey can no longer have it. I played with ideas in my head for awhile, and then had to do a hunt for dry beans since nowhere local had them. In making this bread, I made the final decision to get a good food processor as our little one doesn't work so well and using the blender seemed a bit of overkill.

So while I looked for beans, I decided to find a great cornbread recipe to convert. I did some searching on the Internet, and bookmarked a few. Then I went to my friends and family on Facebook and Twitter to see what their favorite was. Unfortunately, nobody was sharing. I am still open for suggestions, because I am determined to get a recipe that everybody likes. With beans in hand, I looked around and noticed the cookbook I had checked out from the library, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Hmmm. Probably a cornbread recipe in there! So, I used her recipe as a guide in creating this one using adzuki meal instead of cornmeal.

Adzuki Bean Bread

1/2 Cup finely ground adzuki beans (measured after grinding)
1/4 Cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Cup non-dairy milk
1/2 Tablespoon flax seed meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons butter, melted (would probably work with coconut oil)
1 Tablespoon agave

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In your food processor, grind the beans to a very fine meal, and then measure. In a medium bowl, combine the meal, flour, salt and baking powder. In a liquid measuring cup, pour out milk (I used almond). Add flax seed meal and baking soda. Stir. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. Add melted butter and agave, and stir until just combined. Pour into a 8 inch round or 8x8 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Serves 8.