Category: Recipes

  • Small Bites, Big Taste

    We decided to make a winter appetizer tonight called

    Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese originally called “Devils on Horseback. “

    This appetizer was started back in the 19th century. It is usually commonly served during winter holidays.

    The origin of the name “devils on horseback” is unclear. Some articles state that they are “Probably so called on account of being typically served very hot” and give the earliest reference to 1885, in the American agricultural magazine The Country Gentleman.[4] Another source states that there is “a surfeit of theories” but dates the idea (as a refinement of the oyster in bacon combination) to 1800.[5] One recurring suggestion fancifully suggests the name derives from “Norman raiders (who) would ride into towns wearing rashers of bacon over their armor to scare villagers.”[6] However, the earliest mention of this is from 2008,[7] while the dish itself dates from the 19th century,[5] 800 years after the Norman Conquest.

    Recipes vary, but generally, they are a variation on angels on horseback(bacon wrapped oysters), made by replacing oysters with dried fruit. There are many variations on the basic concept of a bacon-wrapped prune stuffed with cheese, almonds, or other foods. Devils on horseback are commonly served as part of a Christmas feast. We made our version with turkey bacon and stuffed it with blueberry goat cheese. We had to baste the Turkey bacon with some ghee ( clarified butter) to make it crisp up and give it a bit of fat. As a team, we loved it. This appetizer was something new, and all of us enjoyed it.
    We give this holiday appetizer 5 stars !!

    Recipe three easy ingredients !!!!

    Dates, blueberry cinnamon goat cheese, and turkey bacon.

    Try to find dates that are already pitted.

    Stuff them with the goat cheese of your choice

    Wrap with bacon of your choice

    Cook at 350 for twenty minutes.

    ( Because we used Turkey bacon, we broiled it for an extra 3 minutes with butter or ghee on top to crisp it up !!

    Cool a bit, and enjoy!

    Good Work, Team!

    Delicious!

  • “Life is too short, eat desserts first”

    For this week’s recipe we have decided to create flourless chocolate cake because it tastes great and a lot of us have stomach issues.

    We went to look up the history behind these flourless options and to our surprise it was not because of gluten allergies. This is what we found out about this kind of cake.

    Flourless chocolate cake was invented in Ferrara, Italy. Over there this particular cake is called La Torta Tenderina. The name refers to the cake’s almost creamy interior which is enclosed in a fragile thin crust .

    A flourless cake is a type of cake that does not use flour as an ingredient. Instead, the recipe includes alternatives such as ground nuts, almond meals, or puréed fruits to bind the ingredients together. Flourless cakes can be baked or unbaked depending on the recipe.

    We decided to create two different options, one flourless cake by scratch and the other a pre-made box by Godiva. Both of the cakes took a similar time to bake, both have ganache toppings.

    As investigators we researched what ganache meant and the history behind it.

    Ganache is a popular, smooth and thick chocolate paste often used as a frosting on chocolate cake or a filling in chocolate truffles. The story about how it was created says that one day a French pastry master in Paris asked his assistant to melt chocolate and heat cream. The assistant did both and without direction combined the two ingredients. The master saw what had happened and he was infuriated yelling at his assistant that the mixture was a total “ganache” which was an insult back in the days. The insult is probably from the French word “Ganacher”, which means to slog, as if walking through mud or a mess. So in general, somehow the term was a colloquial way of insulting someone. But it also makes sense since ganache is dark chocolate and thick… visually speaking, sort of like yummy edible mud in some ways.

    After the master tried the dark chocolate mistake, he decided to use it; the cakes filled with the chocolate mixture were always sold out. Every time they had to make more, the pastry master would say “hand me the ganache”. This is the legend about how this magnificent mixture was created.

    Chocolate ganache glaze is a popular coating for chocolate cake. It first showed up around 1850. Without a doubt it is hard to know the true story of where the recipe was born because both France and Switzerland claim they are the creators of the original recipe. The famous book “Larousse Gastronomique” states that the chocolate recipe was created in Paris and so this is true to the original story.

    There are many ways to use this silky chocolate paste, as well as several methods to make it depending on the application. The basic recipe is really easy to make, you just have to combine two parts of high quality chocolate and one part of cream.

    Here is our boxed mix and here is our home made mix !!
    I must say it was rich and delicious and also great with fruit on top.

  • Stay tuned for our new book

    App-solutely the finest

    Small Bites, Big Taste

    by Christine and Scott

    Appetizers appear simultaneously in England and America in the 1860s, mainly to provide a global counterpart for the French ” hors d’ oeuvre.” Also called finger foods, these little bites have popped up in one form or another in practically every civilization since ancient times. One may say it was an instinctual evolutionary throwback to our hunting and gathering days of fruits and nuts.

    As the founder of Autisticana, I asked one of my newsmakers what the difference was between the two.

    Lisette replied,”” appetizers are usually served in restaurants or before you usually have a big meal.

    She then said, ” Hors d’ oeuvre is typically served at parties as one-bite meals.

    As investigators, we then researched the difference and this is what we found.

    Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres are similar in that they are both small bites of food that are served before a meal. However, there are some key differences between the two.

    One key difference is the time at which they are served. Hors d’oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, while appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal. Another difference is that hors d’oeuvres are not considered to be part of the meal, whereas appetizers are usually chosen specifically to complement the following courses.

    In summary, Hors d’oeuvres and Appetizers are similar in that they are both small bites of food, but Hors d’oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, whereas Appetizers are usually chosen specifically to complement the following courses and are considered as a part of the meal.

    The literal meaning between the two is really about serving time. Hors d’ oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, while appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal.

    Hors d’ oeuvre isn’t considered to be part of the meal, but appetizers are usually chosen specifically to compliment the following courses

    We asked the team if they prefer to eat a whole meal, or do they enjoy eating appetizers instead.

    They said they rather eat appetizers and dessert and call it a night!

  • by Nicole Magee

    My name is Nicole and I am your creative visualization blogger for Autisticana. I love creative visualizations and storytelling because it helps me create and meditate – which promotes happiness and relaxation for me.

    Thanksgiving is a very important holiday for me because it is all about gratitude, sharing and being with others.

    I also love to be with all of my family and help prepare for our festive dinner with them. I like to be involved with the fun of cooking, baking and spending hours with my wonderful family.


    I wanted to share one of my favorite gluten free stuffing recipes with you all. It is yummy and can help prevent stomach issues, so this recipe will be delicious and healthy for the whole family.

    Holiday Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe:

    Ingredients:

    2 loaves of gluten free white bread

    1 loaf of gluten free grain bread

    1/2 cup of vegan butter

    fresh rosemary sprigs

    3 eggs

    1 cup of chicken broth

    Package of mushrooms of your choice

    2 packs of organic apple and chicken sausage

    chopped onion

    salt and pepper to taste

    a stalk of celery

    Directions:

    1. Place the loaves on a tray and brown them to dry out
    2. Cut the three little loaves into cubes
    3. Saute the mushrooms, onions, and butter in a pan
    4. Broil the sausages until brown ( you can even air fry them)
    5. Cut the sausage links into little strips
    6. Place bread in a bowl and stir the eggs in and combine the sauted celery, onions and mushrooms and chicken broth
    7. Then add cut up sausages
    8. Take a pan and wipe with vegan butter
    9. Place ingredients in a well greased pan
    10. Place tin foil over pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
    11. Take cover off top, drizzle a little butter on top add salt and pepper and let cook broil for another 10 minutes to brown
    12. Let cool for 20 minutes and enjoy
    A photo of a pot of Thanksgiving gluten free stuffing. The stuffing is comprised of various bread pieces, sausage, dried cranberries, apple chunks, chopped onion, and celery.
    Nicole’s favorite gluten free stuffing

    Nicole’s Thanksgiving Visualization:

    1. Breathe
    2. Relax
    3. Enjoy!

    Edited by avanicole23