Archive for January, 2010

Meyer Lemon Pudding

By On January 29, 2010 In Desserts, Gluten-Free, Pudding/Mousse With 7 Comments Permanent Link to Meyer Lemon PuddingPermalink

meyer lemon pudding

If you are craving sweet, sour and a little bit salty all at once, this pudding will deliver.  It is pretty fast and easy to make… but it does seem to take forever to set up in the fridge.  It is worth the wait though.  The taste kind of reminds me of an Orange Julius… which makes me want to make one of those really badly.

If you cannot get your hands on any Meyer lemons (I couldn’t  find any until I moved closer to a Whole Foods) try combining  the juice of one lemon and one orange along with the orange’s zest.  I’m guessing that would taste pretty awesome too.

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Almondy Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)

By On January 27, 2010 In Baked Goods, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Gluten-Free With 16 Comments Permanent Link to Almondy Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)Permalink

gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Okay folks… they may not look like regular chocolate chip cookies… but you gotta trust me on these.  They are seriously addicting  little bites of awesomeness.

Since I first started eating gluten free, I have been trying to create a replica of my all time favorite vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Well, I finally have come very very close!  But, I wanted to pause for a moment, and celebrate this little gem that I found along the way.

The cookies themselves are a little unorthodox, as they are made with buckwheat flour and almond flour… but the taste is quite remarkable.  I have made these four times in the last week… which proves how much my son and husband enjoyed them.  They loved them.

Not bad for my first attempt at using buckwheat flour– which by the way, is my new BFF. <3

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Forbidden Rice Salad

By On January 22, 2010 In Gluten-Free, Rice dishes, Salads, Side dishes With 15 Comments Permanent Link to Forbidden Rice SaladPermalink

forbidden rice salad

Forbidden rice is so wonderfully amazing.  With its chewy texture and deep purple hue, it is as striking as it is tasty.

If you have not yet experienced the taste/texture/greatness of Forbidden rice, it’s worth tracking down.  It is, without a doubt, the best rice I have ever enjoyed… and it’s practically black.  Very cool.

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Gluten Free Focaccia

By On January 20, 2010 In Baked Goods, Bread, Gluten-Free With 25 Comments Permanent Link to Gluten Free FocacciaPermalink

gluten free vegan focaccia

Last week I received a special recipe request —-from a very seasoned foodie.  I was asked if I could conjure up a GF focaccia recipe, because her mother (a celiac) missed the taste of the flavorful flat bread.  Isn’t that sweet??

So I searched through my old recipes, artisan bread books, gluten free baking books, and of course the internet, to Frankenstein together a recipe that will hopefully please dear Mom.

I must say, that I am happy to have gotten this request, otherwise I may have never known (so soon) the glory of baking gluten free bread.  It was pretty easy.  And no kneading!!  One thing I will certainly do the next time I make this is add some dimples. [ I know, how could I have forgotten to dimple  my focaccia?? ] I guess I was so immersed in slicing little tiny tomatoes, that I totally neglected the dimples.  It certainly didn’t effect the taste any though.  This stuff was really good.

This focaccia can be topped with pretty much anything … brush a little olive oil on before adding toppings to achieve a darker golden top.

If you do not eat gluten and, like me, think the GF breads in the frozen section of your grocery store are really really bad, try this… it makes an excellent sandwich bread too.

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Green Curry Butternut Squash Bisque

By On January 14, 2010 In Appetizers/Hors d'oeuvre, Gluten-Free, Side dishes, Soups With 5 Comments Permanent Link to Green Curry Butternut Squash BisquePermalink

Butternut Squash Bisque

Can the world use another Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe?

I think so.

I made this yesterday for lunch and found it so surprisingly easy and yummy that I wanted to share it.  I have honestly never made any kind of squash soup before this, but I have seen numerous beautiful photos from some of my favorite vegan bloggers and cookbook authors.  So, I just had to try my hand at making my own… without peeking at anyone else’s recipe. :)

I couldn’t believe how stupid easy this stuff is to make.  I will  definitely be making this over and over again.  It seems like it would be pretty good with some canned coconut milk subbed for some of the almond milk… maybe I’ll try that next time.  It is pleasantly mild and sweet… but filling all on its own.  After the photo I ended up gulping this stuff down like a milkshake.

I know, I have no shame. Continue Reading →

Sweet Potato Tart with Maple Icing

By On January 12, 2010 In Baked Goods, Frostings and Icings With 9 Comments Permanent Link to Sweet Potato Tart with Maple IcingPermalink

sweet potato tart

I adore sweet potatoes.  I could go for them any time of day.  Today, I had this sweet potato tart for breakfast.  It was pretty awesome, and went well with my pumpkin flavored coffee that I have been trying to use up.  Although it is easy to make, it would be a royal pain if you did not have a food processor handy.

Spice as desired with this one, the batter is great on it’s own.  For some reason I default into using three particular spices when I bake things that are orange.  Whatever you decide, it is good both ways: super flavorful without lots of sugar…. (from a bag).

Okay, the glaze is pure sugar… but I couldn’t resist.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Cookies

By On January 7, 2010 In Baked Goods, Chocolate, Cookies, Gluten-Free With 30 Comments Permanent Link to Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle CookiesPermalink

chocolate peanut butter truffle cookies

These are super rich and chocolatey, exist somewhere in between a cookie and a truffle, and are loaded with peanut butter.  Yes, they taste as awesome as they sound.  If you are feeling a little lazy (or are  just out of chocolate chips) the cookies are fantastic if you skip the dipping step.

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Lentil, Kale and Potato Soup

By On January 5, 2010 In Appetizers/Hors d'oeuvre, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Soups, Veggies With 22 Comments Permanent Link to Lentil, Kale and Potato SoupPermalink

kale, potato, lentil soup

Since the weather outside is so frightful, (and freezing!) soup is on my mind.  This lentil soup is nice and light, yet very satisfying.  It is also chock full of warm fuzzy feeling.  I created it to emulate a soup I always order at one of my favorite restaurants.  Fragranced with lemon and cilantro, and pleasantly mild, even my lentil hating husband loves this stuff.

Here’s to soup, and keeping warm!

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Shiraz Ganache Covered Brownies

By On January 4, 2010 In Baked Goods, Brownies, Desserts, Frostings and Icings, Gluten-Free With 9 Comments Permanent Link to Shiraz Ganache Covered BrowniesPermalink

vegan gluten free brownies

I did something wonderful this weekend… I made brownies, and they tasted amazing.  You see, this is a very rare occurrence in my house, so it was cause for a tiny celebration: hence the red wine ganache.

I have a great trusty ol’ brownie recipe… which I never use.  I am always looking for something better, and wishing I had just left “well enough” alone.  Usually when I attempt to make a new brownie recipe, I set off confident, armed with my flaxseed or my EnerG… ready to take on the brownie world.  But, almost always, something starts to go wrong 2 minutes after I mix the batter… and then it tumbles quickly downhill from there.

Have you ever experienced the horror that is the bubbling brownie of death, just a mere 10 minutes into the baking time????   I have… and it really burns up my oven mitts.

So, yesterday, as I was savoring one of my favorite foods: the Medjool date… I thought to myself  “Now, this is what brownie batter should be like: moist, chewy, sticky and sweet all at once.”

I began mentally combining ingredients, having the utmost confidence that those dates would act as a binder, a sweetener and a base all by their little selves.  Out of sheer excitement for my upcoming brownie success, I opened bottle of Shiraz and went to town.  A few chocolate chips later, a batch of decadent and rich brownies was born.  I was quite pleased with the results… especially with the thick and awesome chocolatey topping.  So super good.

Needless to say, this recipe’s a keeper.  Full of dates, and free of gluten, oils, and added refined sugar (well, except in the chocolate chips)… this brownie will blow your mind.

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