Sure Foods Living - gluten-free and allergen-free living

Want a simple, yet elegant spread for your gluten-free crackers or toasts? Try a Simple Salmon Spread! This would be a great appetizer for an Oscar soiree, and is part of the menu for the Gluten-Free Progressive OSCAR dinner party.

Alison’s Simple Salmon Spread on Gluten-Free Toasts

INGREDIENTS

• About 8 oz. of cooked salmon, skin removed. Bake the salmon in a 375-400 degree oven until just cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). Anyway you want to spice the salmon when you cook it is fine — the flavors will come through in the dip. For my dip, I used leftover barbecued salmon from our dinner the night before, which my husband had spiced with his top secret marinade of olive oil, brown sugar, cayenne and thyme (now I have to kill you).
• About 3 oz. of cream cheese.
• Some lemon.
• Some salt.
• Some dill would be nice (I didn’t have any).
• Sliced bread (gluten-free), toasted and cut into squares. I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain bread.

DIRECTIONS

1. Put salmon in food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth.
2. Add cream cheese and process. Add more or less depending on your preference.
3. Squeeze some lemon and add dill and a little salt, gradually until you like the taste.
4. Serve in a bowl and let guests spread on the gluten-free toasts.

This recipe is one of the stops of the Gluten Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party!
Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free dishes being “served” by other bloggers. This month’s offerings will help make your Oscar party award-winning! Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood. Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule:

Monday February 22nd:
Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup from Shirley at gluten free easily

Tuesday February 23rd:
Avatar-Inspired Millet Eggplant Croquettes and Chips from Sea at Book of Yum

Wednesday February 24th:
Kale Chips from Karen at Cook4Seasons
Gluten and Dairy-free Whipped Cream from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Southern Fried Oysters by Shirley at gluten free easily

Thursday February 25th:
Simple Salmon Spread by me

Friday February 26th:
Ellen at I am Gluten Free

Past Progressive Dinner Parties:
Light Winter Warmers
Dessert

Valentine’s Day is about love. And who doesn’t LOVE pizza? Better yet, gluten-free pizza?

Decorating cookies is fun, but decorating a heart-shaped pizza is another great activity to do with kids. Bonus: you have dinner made!

To make heart-shaped gluten-free pizzas, I make the pizza dough using the Chewy Pizza Crust recipe on the bag of  Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix. I add some salt to the dough while mixing because it cuts the sweetness a bit which I like better for a pizza crust. This pizza is also dairy-free, soy-free and egg-free!

You can do the following for any pizza dough recipe:

1. Grease baking sheets or pizza pans or heat a pizza stone.
2. Divide the dough into as many pizzas as you want. You can make the pizzas as thick or thin as you want, or as big or little.
3. Pour some olive oil on a little plate and press your palm into it.
4. Use only your palm to spread the dough. Don’t get your fingers in the dough because they will get sticky! If you get dough stuck on your hands, wipe it off and start again with a clean palm in the olive oil. Kids can try spreading the dough themselves!
5. Shape the dough into a heart and let rise as directed. After dough rises, reshape the heart if needed.
6. Partially bake as directed.
7. Put out different toppings and let the kids decorate their pizza. Sliced olives and salami (not spicy like pepperoni) are a favorite. We make some without cheese since my kids don’t eat dairy. You could go for an all red pizza — sauce, tomatoes, red peppers, pepperoni.



8. Bake as directed. The longer you bake, the crunchier it will get. Also, judge the baking time based on how thick or thin you made the dough.
9. Say “I love you” and/or “I love pizza” as you bite into your delicious  gluten-free Valentine pizza!

Homemade gluten-free pasta — can it be done? I used to help my mom roll wheat pasta dough through a hand-cranked pasta machine and then hang it out to dry on clothes drying racks! Freshly-made pasta has such a wonderful texture and taste. If you eat gluten-free, you rely on packaged dry pasta as your substitute. It’s good, but to experience fresh pasta again would be such a treat. After watching Jacqueline Mallorca make fresh gluten-free pasta, I think I may soon get together with my mom to relive our pasta-making days!

Jacqueline Mallorca is the author of the cookbook “Gluten Free Italian, Over 150 Irresistible Recipes without Wheat — from Crostini to Tiramisu.” She was also the guest speaker at our December 2009 meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin. Today she appeared on the View from the Bay to demonstrate how to make gluten-free pasta. Here is the clip from the show:

Get the recipes for the dishes made in the video in the Gluten Free Italian cookbook or on abc.com.

If you are interested in getting together for a specially arranged gluten-free Italian dinner in San Francisco with Jacqueline Mallorca and members of GIG of Marin, email us at glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com for details.

I wonder if she got to see Harrison Ford who was also on the show today!

I love roasted vegetables. Pretty much any vegetable tastes great when roasted in the oven, so when thinking about something to contribute to this month’s Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party, I thought I’d try turning some yummy roasted winter veggies into a soup.

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale and others, that is known for cancer-fighting properties. Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. (For more nutritional information about cauliflower, including its cancer-reducing ability, visit The World’s Healthiest Foods.)

Cauliflower is a winter vegetable, which means it is as its best during the winter months. Look for a cauliflower that is white with no spots on it and stay away from bags of pre-cut cauliflower! Cauliflower is low in fat and a great soup ingredient in place of the starchy potato.

The bottom line is… it’s good for you! And I think you’ll like the taste too…

Use the soup recipe below as is, or add in any of your own favorite spices (cumin, curry, cayenne) or garnishes (a swirl of creme fraiche, chopped fresh parsley).

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Gluten-Free Croutons

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks (green stem and leaves discarded)
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks (peeled or not — doesn’t matter!)
• 1 medium to large red onion, cut into chunks (definitely peel this one!)
• olive oil
• salt
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or more if you like a thinner soup (see which chicken broth is gluten-free)
• 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or other vinegar, or lemon juice
• gluten-free croutons, or 3 slices of any gluten-free bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Throw chunks of cauliflower, carrots and onion in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet with sides.
2. Drizzle olive oil over all of the veggies and sprinkle with a little salt. (I use a salt grinder and do a quick grind over everything. Less is better, because you can always add salt to the soup later.) Mix the veggies around a little to evenly distribute the olive oil and salt.
3. Cook veggies in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a pot on the stove and add the broth.
5. Bring pot to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Carrots should be soft when pierced with a fork — if not, simmer until they are.
6. Puree* the vegetables and broth to desired texture. Add more broth if a thinner consistency is desired.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings. Does it need more salt? Add pepper and other spices as you wish, or leave it with just salt. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice to give it a little extra flavor.
8. Garnish with croutons**, chopped herbs, a swirl of creme fraiche — whatever you like!

*To puree soup:
I prefer to use an immersion hand blender. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t even make soup if I didn’t own one of these! You stick it into the pot, push the button and it magically turns anything into soup. (I also use it to foam milk for cafe au laits in the morning!)
If you don’t have one, let the contents of the pot cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender or food processor and puree in batches. Be careful you don’t splatter yourself with hot soup! Transfer the pureed soup back into the pot.

**To make gluten-free croutons:
This is so easy, but sometimes I forget that croutons are a nice addition to a soup or salad. To make croutons, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then,

1. Cut the slices of gluten-free bread into cubes.
2. Coat with olive oil.
   You can do this many ways:

• lay bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss them around
• use a pastry brush and brush the oil on while they are in the pan
• spray the cubes with oil
• put cubes in a bowl and toss with olive oil

1. Season with salt and pepper. Other seasoning options are garlic salt, fresh or dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or thyme.
2. Bake in oven on a baking pan until crunchy, about 10-15 minutes. Toss the croutons with a spatula part way through for even browning.
3. Or you could totally cheat, like I did in the picture, and just toast the cubes in your toaster oven! As long as they’re crunchy, they qualify as croutons in my opinion!

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free “Light Winter Warmers” Progressive Dinner Party!

Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free dishes being “served” by other bloggers. This month’s offerings will warm you up during these winter months. On the lighter side, these should work with your New Year’s resolutions! Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood. Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule (I will fill in with links to the posts each day so please check back):

Monday January 18th:
Me at Sure Foods Living
“Creamy” Potato Leek Soup from Karen at Cook4Seasons

Tuesday January 19th:
Winter Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ Prosciutto topping from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Wednesday January 20th:
Mexican Seafood Soup from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Vegan Un-Chicken Roasted Vegetable Soup from SeaMaiden at Book of Yum

Thursday January 21st:
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard from Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Wassail (hot spiced punch) from Shirley at gluten free easily

Friday January 22nd:
Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

You don’t have to miss out on making or eating a gingerbread house just because you are gluten-free or have food allergies. Gluten-free allergen-free gingerbread houses can be done! Here are some ideas:

• Make the one I made last year, using Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix: Allergen-free gingerbread house
• Order a gluten-free, allergen-free gingerbread house KIT from A&J Bakery! The Allergen Friendly Gingerbread House Kit is peanut, tree nut, wheat, gluten, soy, egg, dairy, and sesame free. The are all made in a dedicated nut and gluten free facility. The cost for the kit, which includes the gingerbread house pieces, candy and some non-edible decorations is $30 and can be ordered online. Or call them in Cranston, Rhode Island, at (401)228-8696.
• Order mixes from Jules Gluten-Free, who is offering a holiday special that includes a recipe for a gingerbread house.
• Follow the recipe for a gluten-free gingerbread house from Jenn Cuisine - it looks great!
• If your child has egg allergy, use a recipe for allergen-free gingerbread house frosting.

If anyone has more ideas, please comment!

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free Dessert Progressive Dinner Party!

When I think about my Grandma Anne, a smile always come to my face. I picture her sitting at her kitchen table, holding a hand of cards, playing gin rummy. She was tall, with thick white-gray hair, and if you took too long to decide what card to play, she would prod you with a snappy “Today!” She had a dry sense of humor (which I’m pretty sure is genetic), and had some memorable sayings, such as “Here’s your hat — what’s your hurry?”

I have memories of food also. I remember her making some traditional Jewish dishes like brisket and matzoh ball soup, and I remember thinking a little cup of jello with fruit chunks was the best thing ever! And then there were the Butterhorns — rolled little pastries with dollops of meringue. We knew these Butterhorns so well, but nobody has made or eaten them since Grandma Anne passed away many years ago.

I wasn’t sure if I could recreate her recipe to make it gluten-free, but I took on the challenge for the Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party (see below!). I had a wonderful time doing it and I am so pleased with the results.  It makes me happy to carry on her memory with this gluten-free adaptation of her Butterhorns! I hope you enjoy them.

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 2 cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix*
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) - you can use the packet included in Pamela’s Bread Mix
• 4-5 teaspoons sugar (if you like less sweet, use 4)
• 1 cup shortening (I use Spectrum Palm Shortening)
• 2 eggs yolks, well beaten

* I chose to use Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix rather than mix my own flours because I liked the blend of flours in the mix and thought they would work well for this recipe (why reinvent the wheel?) Pamela’s bread mix contains sweetener, salt and xanthan gum. If you want to use another gluten-free flour blend, you may want to increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, add 1 teaspoon salt, and a teaspoon of xanthan gum. I have not tried this recipe with other blends.

Filling:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• cinnamon
• chopped walnuts, other nuts, fruit or any other filling are optional (I didn’t use any nuts due to my daughter’s nut allergy, but my grandmother used walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

Dough:

1. Combine yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and set aside.
2. Combine Pamela’s Bread Mix flour with the sugar (and salt, if using own GF flour blend)
3. Cut shortening into flour, using 2 knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of peas or smaller.
4. Add beaten egg yolks to the dough and mix well.
5. Add yeast and water to the dough and mix well.
6. Divide dough into 3 equal balls.
7. Roll out each ball into a 9 inch circle, using wax or parchment paper on the bottom and top to prevent sticking while rolling. You may want to flour the bottom paper a little to prevent sticking.
8. Cut the circle into 8 equal pie-shaped wedges.

Meringue Filling:

1. Beat the eggs whites until they form soft peaks. You can do this with a whisk and a medium sized bowl — turn the bowl with one hand while vigorously (but with a loose wrist) whisking the egg whites.
2. Add the sugar to the soft peaks and whisk vigorously again until thick and spreadable.
3. Spread the egg white & sugar mixture (meringue) on the rolled out dough.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon (I used a sifter), however much you want!
5. Add chopped nuts, if desired.

Roll ‘Em Up and Bake Them

1. Roll each pie-shaped wedge from the outside in. If the dough sticks to the paper, just loosen with a spatula. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
2. Spoon a small dollop of meringue on the top of each roll.



3. Let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. If you’re not sure whether the dough doubled or not, don’t worry about it! Just move on to #4.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until meringue is light brown.
5. Remove rolls from baking pan right away and let cool.

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free Dessert Progressive Dinner Party!

Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free desserts being “served” by other bloggers.  Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood.  Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule (I will fill in with links to the posts each day so please check back):

Monday December 7th: Baked Desserts
Me at Sure Foods Living
Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Tuesday December 8th: Frozen or Chilled Desserts
Shirley at gfe gluten free easily
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang

Wednesday December 9th: Chocolate Desserts
Karen at Cook4Seasons
Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Thursday December 10th: No-Bake Desserts
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang

Friday December 11th Favorite Desserts
Melissa at Gluten Free For Good
Jean at Gluten Free Organics

You might also enjoy:
Gluten-free gingerbread house recipe (dairy, soy and egg-free too!)
Gluten-free funny Christmas video

So, I’ve been a little out of touch these past couple of weeks. I even missed Thanksgiving. No turkey, no stuffing, no pie. Don’t feel sorry for me though — my family decided to check out this year and spend the holiday in Mexico! I must say that it was really nice to not have to deal with the whole gluten-free food planning and making. And although traditional Thanksgiving meals were being offered in many Mexican restaurants, we opted for a traditional Mexican meal instead.

With the evening breezes blowing, we dined on Chicken Pozole, a Mexican stew that dates to pre-Columbian times.

Naturally gluten-free, pozole is a soup usually made with pork or chicken. The key ingredient is hominy, which is dried corn that is then soaked and its hull  removed. You can find canned hominy in grocery stores or specialty markets.

What also makes this soup special are the garnishes included. Here, I was offered cubed queso fresco (Mexican cheese), diced onions and jalapenos, dried oregano and chili peppers, and fresh lime, all served on a crisp corn tortilla which can be broken into pieces and added.

Also served on the plate are chicharrones, or fried pork rinds. You would never catch me eating fried pork rinds out of a bag, but these house-made ones somehow make it into my belly every time!

Mmmm, now that I have returned to winter, this stew sounds even more appealing. Delicioso!

Here are a couple pozole recipes that sound like the one I enjoyed above:

• Chicken Pozole from Simply Recipes
• Chicken Posole from Real Simple magazine
• Slow-Cooker Chicken Posole from Woman’s Day magazine

Just in time for the holidays, you can win a copy of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam! I met Elana at a blogger conference a few months ago and she has donated signed copies of her book to my readers.

The recipes in this cookbook are diverse — muffins, scones, crackers, chicken fingers, entrees, pie, cake and more. All use almond flour, are gluten-free and grain-free. Almond flour has a low glycemic index and is high in protein and fiber, making it ideal for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, diabetes, and anyone looking to vary their diet.

Here’s how you can win:
Just make a comment on this post telling what your favorite holiday treat is (or was!). I will choose three winners at random. You have until Friday, December 4 at 5pm PST to comment (only one comment per person please).

Thank you Elana for this wonderful cookbook!

Are you ready to navigate Thanksgiving with celiac disease, gluten intolerance or food allergies? Need some help? Here are some tips about those traditional Thanksgiving dishes to help you get through this food-centered holiday!

THE TURKEY

Turkey by itself is naturally gluten-free, of course, but turkeys that are prepared for roasting may have added gluten. Be sure to check labels for “wheat” (which must by law be declared on a label) or for “natural flavorings” (which could have hidden sources of gluten). And definitely steer clear of those gravy packets that come with some turkeys — they are sure to contain wheat flour.

THE GRAVY

Gravy is almost always thickened with wheat flour. To make a gluten-free gravy, use sweet rice flour (also known as mochiko), cornstarch, arrowroot powder/starch or tapioca flour. Be sure to mix any of these with a little water or broth before whisking into the gravy.

Gravy can also contain dairy, as many people like to add butter, milk or cream.

THE STUFFING

Stuffing is made with bread (and therefore, gluten) — no wonder everyone feels stuffed afterword! Gluten-free stuffing is just as easy to make and you won’t have to unbutton the top of your pants after you’re done!

Try this recipe for gluten-free dairy-free stuffing that I have made many times.

Or, try this easy gluten-free bread stuffing recipe from Whole Foods using their gluten-free bread.

Or, if you like cornbread stuffing, make gluten-free cornbread with Pamela’s Cornbread and Muffin Mix and then use it in any old cornbread stuffing recipe and voila! Everybody will LOVE it! There’s even a recipe for Southern Cornbread Dressing on the bag of cornbread mix, and Karina’s got a new yummy-looking gluten-free cornbread stuffing recipe too.

For those with egg allergies, watch out for the bread in the stuffing since it could contain eggs. Some stuffing recipes call for eggs to be added to the entire stuffing mixture.

For those with nut allergies, watch out for chestnuts, and other tree nuts, which are very commonly used in stuffing.

THE MASHED POTATOES

No worries about gluten in mashed potatoes (usually), but they often contain dairy — people add butter and sour cream to make them creamy. Want to make your own creamy mashed potatoes? Try this creamy dairy free mashed potatoes recipe or this allergy free mashed potatoes recipe.

Mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato gratin dishes also usually contain dairy due to the added butter. And if your family has served that weird sweet potato dish with marshmallows on top (mine has), watch out for pecans you have a nut allergy.

THE PIE (I’m talking pumpkin of course!)

I have never been a fan of pumpkin pie, but it is good to know that I wouldn’t have to give it up if I did like it! The “regular” ones contain wheat of course, but there are a lot of great gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie recipes out there:

Dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe from Go Dairy Free

Crustless gluten-free pumpkin pie from gfe — gluten-free easily

Gluten-free dairy-free egg-free pumpkin pie from Karina’s Kitchen

Not a baker?
Get your hands on a gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin tart from Crave Bakery or a Whole Foods Bakehouse pumpkin pie.

Well, I hope this helps a little, and remember:
The day is not just about the food, so give thanks for what you HAVE in your life, rather than dwelling on what you don’t! Happy Thanksgiving, and feel free to add more recipe ideas and tips in the comments!

My daughter is in her second week of Kindergarten and already there have been four birthdays in her class, which means four days of treats that she can’t eat! I’m realizing that elementary school is a whole different world than preschool when it comes to food. It seems to be everywhere. Part of me feels nervous. Can I trust everyone to remember not to give her the birthday treat? Can I trust her to always say no? Part of me feels sad for her that she feels left out.

“I wish I didn’t have food allergies,” she told me last night.
“I wish I didn’t have any either,” I said.

I can’t grant her wish, but I can offer her alternatives that are delicious and safe for her. I have supplied a “snack box” in her classroom — a plastic storage container with her name written on it filled with packaged allergy-free cookies and fruit bars — in case of a treat emergency. But we also have a deal: if other kids got something special in class that day that she couldn’t have, then she gets to have something special when she gets home. Homemade cookies always do the trick! And a good old chocolate chip cookie can also turn into an ice cream sandwich or a frosted delight!

Making gluten-free cookies from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult, even if you have other food allergies too, like we do. Using a pre-made GF flour blend makes it especially easy. There are many on the market, but I recently tried Namaste Foods’ Perfect Flour Blend to make gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and they were perfect! Now you can make them too, using the recipes below.

Namaste Foods is going to give away a package of Perfect Flour Blend to three lucky winners! All you have to do to enter is make a comment on this post saying what you would like to make using the Perfect Flour Blend. Three winners will be chosen at random (one comment per person please). Contest will end on Monday, September 14 at noon PST.

According to the package, “Namaste’s Perfect Flour Blend has been designed with ease, efficiency and all your favorite recipes in mind. Simply replace the wheat flour in your everyday recipe with the same amount of our flour blend then follow the directions in the recipe. Namaste’s Perfect Flour Blend will work with almost any recipe in your everyday cookbook. (Obviously, results may vary with more sophisticated recipes.)”

Ingredients: Sweet brown rice flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, sorghum flour and xanthan gum. (Namaste Foods uses xanthan gum that is not derived from corn or corn sources.)

Here is the recipe for the cookies I made using the recipe from the Perfect Flour Blend bag with some substitutions and additions:

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Earth Balance Dairy-Free Soy-Free Natural Buttery Spread, softened (you can also use oil, butter or margarine)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg (or use 1 egg if you have no egg allergies)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats (I use Cream Hill Estates Lara’s Rolled Oats)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips, or 1/2 cup of each

Directions:
1. Cream together “butter” and sugars until smooth. Add egg replacer (or egg) and vanilla and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet. If the batter seems a little crumbly, just press it together to hold its shape. It will hold together when it cooks.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack and continue cooling. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

The recipe below was sent to me by Michele, the creator of Namaste Foods.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or non-dairy butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely
browned.