Ecolicious Life

Mint Chip Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Ice Cream Maker-Free & Semi-Raw)

2012-01-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yes— it's the middle of winter. But, if you're lucky enough to find yourself in warm weather where bananas and avocados are abundant, you may find a recipe that uses avocado to make a creamy ice cream. Then you may realize that the color resembles mint chocolate chip ice cream. And the best way to neutralize the taste of the avocados and banana is a few extracts. Alas, Mint Chip Ice Cream is born.

Mint Chip Ice Cream

3 Frozen Bananas, chopped
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted & chopped
1 cup ice
1 cup coconut milk or milk substitute of your choice
4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked or 3 Tbs. sweetener of your choice
2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract

a high cacao dairy free chocolate bar chopped into chunks (or whatever you have on hand)

1. Combine all ingredients in vita-mix except for chocolate chunks.
2. Blend— consistency will be of soft serve.
3. Mix in chocolate.
4. Optional: Put in airtight container (Ball jars work well!) freezer for 1-2 hours for harder texture

I suspect that a strong blender with a decent ice crushing feature could probably handle this recipe if you aren't so lucky to have a vita-mix, blendtec, other blender with 2 HP. . .

This will harden fairly well in about 2 hours. If you leave it in much longer, it will be as hard as a rock.

Tip: If you plan on freezing this for more than a few hours. Store it in a wide mouthed ball jar and tightly screw on the lid. Ball Jar lids create a good enough seal that you can run it under hot water to to soften it quickly.

Parsnip-Cauli "Mashed Potatoes"

2012-01-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

The retro appeal of mashed potatoes emphasized via Instagram

Cauliflower pureé is good in its own right. But it lacks a certain heft that may make it disappointing when branded as a "mashed potato" substitute. Adding a parsnip (or two) with a head of cauliflower gives it an extra heft and a light sweetness. The effect is that of a whipped, lightly sweetened mashed potato. Don't be afraid to add another parsnip or two if you want to make it an even "sturdier" substitute.

A Heartier Cauliflower "Mashed" Potatoes

1 head cauliflower
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 Tbs. butter, ghee, or oil of your choice*
1/2 C. cashew milk or Milk Substitute of your choice
1/2 tsp. sea salt

1. Chop cauliflower into florets.
2. Steam cauliflower and parsnip until soft (about 8 minutes).
3. Combine steamed cauliflower, parsnip, and remaining ingredients in blender.
or
3. Remove steamer and drain water from pot, combine all ingredients together in same pot with a hand blender or mixer.

* a high quality olive oil or a truffle oil tastes very good!

I'm pro-use what you already have that works with the allergies and ideological convictions of you and your guests. The majority of my recipes come from finding ways to use leftover produce, the contents of CSA boxes, or produce that grabbed my eye at the Farmers Market. Eating healthy is affordable when you figure out how to work with produce that is on sale (often what's in high season). In this spirit, I've made this with various milk substitutes and fats depending on what's available and the dietary needs of those I'm cooking for.

Be aware though that coconut milk will make it taste, (Surprise!) coconut-y. If you're buying a packaged milk substitute, go for unsweetened. Overly sugary milk substitutes will push this recipe from savory to overly sweet (I'm having bad flashbacks of the syrupy sweet Edensoy brown rice milk of my childhood).

Semi-Raw Cookie Dough Truffles (grain-free, vegan)

2011-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY THE KITCHEN?

Who are the 34.4%? They are the percentage of American adults that are overweight. Food that is bad for everyone has increasingly dominated the holidays and America's food landscape as corporate interests have become further entrenched in politics. The more conservative America has become, the fatter it has gotten. And, yes, it is lining the pockets of the top .0001% who profit from and encourage food policy that has Americans poisoning themselves with food.

And the House Republicans were in rare form once again, with the help of the Frozen Food Institute and other corporate food interests blocking Obama administration standards to improve school lunches, allowing tomato paste on pizza to be considered a vegetable, and ensuring that the 34.4% will likely become the 99% for future generations.

You can take a stand—without camping out in the kitchen. These quick and easy truffles are made of fresh, healthy ingredients. The high protein, fiber, and low sugar content will ensure that you are satisfied with one or two— and that you don't contribute to you or your holiday comrades joining or expanding the 34.4%.

SEMI-RAW COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES

2 1/2 C. almond flour or almond meal + 1-2 Tbs coconut flour*

1/4 tsp. sea salt

4 Tbs. Coconut Oil melted + 3 Tbs Apple Sauce

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/3 C. dates, soaked and pitted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Chunks of 72% cacao chocolate bar

6 oz. 72% cacao chocolate

1. Purée vanilla, dates, applesauce, and oil in blender or food processor.

2. Mix pureé with remaining ingredients except for 6 oz. chocolate.

2. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes.

3. Roll mixture into small balls.

4. Refrigerate cookie dough balls for another 15 minutes.

5. Finely chop 6 oz chocolate.

6. Melt in small saucepan on low stirring constantly.

7. Working quickly, with a toothpick or spoon dunk cookie dough balls into chocolate.

8. Place on plate or cookie sheet lined with a Silpat Mat (preferred).

9. Refrigerate truffles until hardened.

*NOTE: you want batter to be stiff enough to easily form into small balls. Depending on the humidity you may need more or less coconut flour or none at all. Start with almond meal and add coconut flour (or even more almond meal if you don't have coconut flour) as necessary to form into a formable dough.

Other Economical Commentary:

Almond Flour: I use Trader Joe's almond flour ($3.98/lb) since it is the most cost effective. You can also grind whole almonds if you have a vita mix dry container to make almond flour. Blanched almond flour should also work and is generally more absorbant (you probably wouldn't need the coconut flour at all) but is generally much more expensive and not available at Trader Joes!

72% Cacao Chocolate: I also use the Trader Joe's 72% cacao chocolate. It does warn that it is made in a facility and with equipment that processes wheat. However, from what I have read, Trader Joe's does follow a cleansing procedure on equipment between processing ingredients with common allergens. I have never had a problem with Trader Joe's chocolate, but some Celiac's are more sensitive than others. Use your own judgement and comfort level.

Indian/ Turmeric Rice (vegan, grain-free)

2011-11-27T05:16:00.001-08:00

Turmeric Cauliflower "Rice" with peas, cashews, and raisins

Cauliflower rice is not a dead-ringer, but it's convincing. I think it tastes better than regular old rice which can be pretty bland. And for spicy rices (the best kind) it definitely takes it up a notch. This spicy cauliflower rice is hearty and warm—perfect for the winter and especially pre- or post-holiday food fests.

Also, research shows that Turmeric has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties. The anti-inflammatory benefits make it great for those of us with stomachs still recovering from years of undiagnosed Celiac or other stomach ailments (as does a grain-free diet). But, most importantly, it tastes really good and gives food a wonderful, rich yellow color.

This recipe makes a lot of rice and it stores well for about 5 days— if it lasts that long.

Turmeric Rice

1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, chopped finely
2 Tbs. saffron oil or ghee*
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 C. cooked peas**

Optional:
1/4 C. chopped cashews
1/4 C. raisins
1 Tbs. saffron oil or ghee

If adding optional chopped cashews and raisins:

1. In large frying pan pan, toast cashews in oil or ghee until they begin to brown.
2. Add raisins, mixing together while they cook until cashews are fully browned, (generally another 2-3 minutes depending upon your pan).
3. Dump contents of pan into separate bowl, reuse pan for rice below.

For Rice:

1. Use food processor and "S" blade to process cauliflower until texture of rice
NOTE: Cauliflower can also be chopped very finely with a good, large knife. The texture is slightly different, but lack of food processor is not a barrier to entry to cauliflower rice!
2. Heat oil or ghee in large frying pan over medium.
3. Add chopped onions and sauté until soft.
4. Add chopped cauliflower and sauté until cauliflower begins to soften.
5. Add in salt and turmeric and saute until cauliflower is completely soft and close to the texture of cooked rice.
6. Add in cooked peas and toasted cashews and raisins if using.

* Any kind of oil or butter will work, but ghee or saffron oil lend a more authentic and delicate taste. Obviously, use oil for vegan option.
** If you are Paleo, omit peas!

Jewish Apple Cakelets

2011-09-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have had little time to post or bake over the past year. I've been living off of raw soups (thank you vita mix!) and salads. I'm probably healthier when I'm busy! But, there are lots of Libras in my life and birthday season is here.

And, it's both a new year (Rosh Hashana) and a personal new year for many! There is a Jewish tradition of eating something sweet to symbolize a sweet new year. Apples and honey were a tradition in my and many other families. Why not combine the two in another popular Rosh Hashana and fall food? While I usually use either dates or coconut sugar in my now very occasional baking, I thought that Rosh Hashana warranted a little bit of honey. And, purchased from a local beekeeper at the farmers' market, it's much more environmentally friendly than the dates or coconut sugar I buy that generally come from out of the country.

L'Shana Tova!

Jewish Apple Cakelets

(or Cake)

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º

6 eggs

1 can white beans, rinsed

3 Tbs. coconut oil

1/3 C. honey

1 Tbs. apple sauce

1.5 tsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. baking soda

.5 tsp. salt

1.5 tsp vanilla

1/2 orange (without seeds)

1/3 C. + 2 Tbs. coconut flour

3 small apples peeled and chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbs. honey

1. Line standard muffin tins with 12 cupcake liners.

2. Combine first 10 ingredients in vita-mix or powerful blender, blend.

3. Add in coconut flour and blend until smooth.

4. Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Spoon half of the apple mixture into the bottom of the lined muffin tins.

5. Pour batter from blender over apple mixture to fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

6. Spoon remaining apple mixture into the almost full muffin liners.

7. Optional: Sprinkle 1/2 c. chopped walnuts over the top of the cakelets.

8. Bake for 20-30 minutes (this varies widely based upon the oven turn the oven light on and peak in occasionally).

9. Enjoy a sweet new year.

This can also be made into one very thick round 8 inch cake or two thinner round 8 inch cakes. When I made it into a thin cake it took about 8 minutes longer than the cupcakes. Like the cupcakes, leave your oven light on and check it occasionally. Avoid opening the oven door during baking, this can ruin your cake(lets)! It's ready when it starts to brown around the edges.

Coconut Cauliflower "Rice"

2011-02-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Can anyone resist coconut rice? Giving up plain, boring brown and white rice isn't hard on a grain free diet, but the spicier and more interesting rices are much more missable. In the spirit of Paleo friendly cauliflower rice, I decided to make my own cauliflower rice. This one is a little bit spicier. A much more Thai-like coconut rice could be made by increasing the coconut milk and omitting the spices, raisins and cashews.

Sauteéd cauliflower takes on the flavor of oil and sweetens as it heats making it pretty believable as a pseudo rice base. Also, it looks and feels shockingly like rice, which is 2/3 of the eating experience anyway . . .

Coconut Cauliflower Rice

1/2 large head of cauliflower or 1 small cauliflower
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2/3 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. cashews, chopped
1 Tbs. coconut oil
1/4 c. coconut milk
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbs. coconut sugar (optional)

1. In large pan, sauté onions over medium heat in coconut oil until translucent.
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop cauliflower.
3. Pulse cauliflower in food processor until texture of rice
4. Add remaining ingredients except for sea salt and coconut milk.
5. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring often until cauliflower is cooked.
6. Turn heat off, stir in coconut milk and cover for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve.

Curried Butternut Squash Fries with Chutney Ketchup

2011-02-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, you watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and the occasional end zone dance. But, end zone dances are now apparently outlawed. So, with little risk of missing any out-of-bounds ballet between commercials, why not make a few trays of these?

If you are watching the game with others who are more interested in the commercials they will probably like these slightly off-beat, quirkier (not to mention ridiculously healthier ) fries too. Still, these have a definite pub fry, Super Bowl Party snack feel, so they should be loved even by those who root for a uniform on Super Bowl Sunday.

These were inspired by the Elana's Pantry version of Butternut Squash Fries.

CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES

1 medium butternut squash
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. grapeseed oil

1. Peel skin off butternut squash with vegetable peeler.
2. Chop squash into large matchsticks (scooping out seeds), they will shrink significantly.
3. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss until squash is well coated in oil and spices.
4. Lay out fries equally spaced on 1-3 cookie sheets, will depend upon size of the squash.
5. Broil until fries are just starting to turn crispy on edges (watch them, it's different in every oven).

Serve with . . .

CHUTNEY KETCHUP

Half or Full Recipe Apple Chutney

1. Put Apple Chutney in blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Apple Chutney, Sugar Free

2011-02-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

I use chutney like salsa. I put it on wild Alaskan salmon burgers, gluten-free veggie burgers and use it as a garnish for soups . . . in very large quantities. Unlike salsa, chutneys traditionally have lots of sugar in them.

Luckily, the Moosewood cookbook taught me that making chutney is simple. And I found that with all of the natural sweetness in apples and apple cider vinegar it was just as simple to adapt to make it fruit sweetened, but still sweet and spicy!

MOOSEWOOD INSPIRED EASY APPLE CHUTNEY

3.5 medium apples (variety of your choice)
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves or allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dates, packed and pitted
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:
1. Chop apples into chunks, leave peel on!
2. Chop dates into chunks.
3. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce head to simmer.
6. Simmer uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
7. Store in a sterile glass jar.

Vegan Date-Sweetened Chocolate Frosting

2011-01-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

Frosting is fun— it evokes the whimsy of childhood birthdays, holidays and brightly colored bakeries. The sugar hangover that follows isn't so much fun. Additionally, the oils and cornstarch that give frosting it's texture and structure also don't make me feel so good.

I have experimented with quite a few agar-based frosting recipes to get the right texture without lots of oil. This one, that I adapted from the Angelica Kitchen Cookbook is by far the best tasting and easiest to make with no sugar hangover.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1.5 Tbs. agar powder
1.5 C. water
3/4 C. cocoa powder
28 California dates (or half as many Medjool), soaked and pitted.
6 Tbs. coconut milk (light okay, or other non-dairy milk)
4.5 Tbs. arrowroot
1.5 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt

agave or coconut sugar to taste (optional)

1. Blend dates + 3/4 C. water in blender or vita-mix until smooth.
2. Over medium heat in medium saucepan whisk together 3/4 C. water and agar powder until water becomes cloudy and thickens.
3. Whisk in date mixture, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Whisk until well-dissolved and not lumpy.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. In a separate bowl dissolve arrowroot in coconut milk.
6. Reduce heat until mixture stops boiling.
7. Add milk mixture and stir until thickens (about 1 minute).
8. Cool mixture and refrigerate for at least an hour.
9. Cut hardened mixture into cubes and blend in food processor, blender or vita-mix until smooth.
10. Taste. If it isn't sweet enough, add agave, stevia or coconut sugar to taste.

I should also note that you can also easily substitute Carob powder for Cocoa powder if you prefer the taste of carob or want a caffeine free alternative.

Creamed Spinach (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

2010-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love vegetables. I think that almost everyone else would too if they knew how to prepare them deliciously . . . and easily. The recent article in the New York Times Told to Eat It's Vegetables, America Orders Fries seems to imply anecdotally that for American vegetable consumption, two major barriers to entry are knowing how to prepare vegetables and access them. Well my friends, the secret—for even the busiest amongst us—is making large batches of vegetable soups and concoctions on the weekend or whatever spare minute you can find and eating them for the rest of the week.

In this spirit, here's one of the recipes from the old blog that I never transferred. It's a way to quickly make over a pound of spinach that will last you for a few days. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby and are cost-conscious, you can buy a bag of pesticide free spinach there for about $2. If you are away for the weekend and don't have time to buy fresh produce right away, you can make this pretty quickly so long as you keep a few bags of frozen spinach on hand and like me, pretty much always have garlic and onions in your produce drawer (they last for weeks).

CREAMED SPINACH (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

1 pound frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped or smashed

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp gluten-free flour (Buckwheat and almond flour work well)

1 cup cashew milk or milk/ milk substitute of your choice

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast* (Optional- Sold in the bulk bin at Whole Foods. Red Star also sells this in a packaged version)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

dash of nutmeg (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan.

2. Add onion and garlic cooking over low heat, stirring until softened.

3. Add the gluten-free flour (I usually use buckwheat) stirring constantly until a past is formed (about 1-2 minutes).

4. Remove from heat and add the milk.

5. Stir well and then return to heat.

6. Bring to a boil and then simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

7. Mix in the nutritional yeast (if using), salt and nutmeg.

8. Stir thawed frozen spinach and heat until well-combined (about 5-10 minutes).

* I think that nutritional yeast enhances this recipe but if you don't have any and don't cook with it regularly, this recipe still tastes great without it.

Labor Day Thoughts . . .

2010-09-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have been traveling a lot and have had little time to cook. My laptop and more specifically my Adobe design software has assumed the role formerly held by my vita-mix and immersion blender as a frequent companion on planes, trains and busses. My hobby of making quotes into "word art" has been a great distraction on uncomfortable long flights and when I have down time in a foreign place. Since I haven't posted a recipe for a while, I thought that I would share one of my posters instead. I'm assuming that there may be some other readers like me who think that your living room wall is a great spot for a gentle warning about the "Military Industrial Complex."

Here, I used one of my all time favorite quotes, from President Dwight Eisenhower that is even more relevant now, over a half-century later. The font is a nod to both a bygone era and the classic eye exam charts.

I found this quote particularly relevant for Labor Day as those of us in America consider how much of our labor goes towards war— both through a good percentage of our tax dollars making their way to private defense contractors which in turn employ a fair amount of Americans. Like many others, I fantasize about what we could accomplish if all of this intellect, capital and labor could be put towards public transportation, education, clean energy and a host of other societal problems/ opportunities.

Have a relaxing and restful Labor Day!

Bastille Day Champignons

2010-07-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Champignon aux "Pommes de Terre"

(garnished with mint, not a bad idea after so much garlic and onions!)

One of my favorite concepts in literature is that of "the double"— the two characters that represent different sides of the same person, the parallel universe if opposite choices had been made, if a different life had been lived. Bastille Day and America's Independence Day are democratic double of sorts. The French assisted the U.S. Revolution (if only out of spite for the British); America's revolution, in turn, fanned the revolutionary rumblings against the excessive French monarchy. America celebrates our declaration of a democratic government on July 4th, the French their more literal unseating of royalty on July 14.

So what does this have to do with gluten-free food? The Theme for the July 2010 "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free" is Bastille Day. While pastries and bread seem to capture the American imagination when discussing French cuisine, so much of what the French do well os naturally gluten-free: fresh vegetables (particularly mushrooms), herbs, potatoes and cheese. So why not blend a portion of the rich French culinary tradition with American ingenuity and confidence to make statements that the rest of the world thinks are crazy (Raw food) in honor of our shared independence month? So here is a culinary double entendre, two staples of French cuisine, champignons (mushrooms) and Pommes de terre (potatoes or actually cauliflower in this case) styled with the distinctly American flair as "Steak and Mashed Potatoes."

CHAMPIGNONS/ STEAK (RAW)

Serves 4-6

adapted from the Juliano Raw Uncook Book

4-6 Cleaned portabello mushrooms (whole or sliced)

2 Onions sliced into ringlets

1/2 C. Tamari or Gluten-Free Nama Shoya

1/4 C. Wine, cooking wine or wine vinegar*

1/4 C. Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1. Whisk together the last 4 ingredients or Blend in cup with a stick blender.

2. Pour over onions and mushrooms in a shallow dish and cover.

3. Marinate for 15 minutes to 6 hours.

Serve alone, over salad, or with other vegetables.

*This has been my favorite way to get rid of red wine that wasn't drunk in time and therefore relegated to the refrigerator for cooking.

Serve with Ani Phyo's Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. Ani Phyo had the best cauliflower mashed potato recipe of the many that I tried. Her step of blending the cauliflower with water and then straining takes away most of the cruciferous raw cauliflower taste which most other recipes tried to conceal by using large amounts of nuts.

And I can't discuss Independence Day/ Bastille day without sharing one of the other things the French begrudgingly love about America: Jazz. My favorite American Anthem:

The Beautiful American- Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington

Almost Raw Carrot Curry Soup

2010-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

For all of those bad with dogma and doctrine; who will will never buy the whole package, whether it's religion, party politics or dogmatic food philosophies—this one's for you! I bought the the Juliano Raw UnCookbook on a whim in college but was never been tempted to jump on the Raw Food Bandwagon. I've occasionally made recipes from it, but like the cuisine at many raw restaurants, the recipes tend towards lots of dried fruit, nuts and dehydrating— all of which don't agree with my stomach and make me feel pretty crappy. Plus, my urban kitchen is at max capacity for kitchen appliances with my vita-mix and stick blender. Who wants to buy and store a dehydrator?

I understand the sweet and creamy attempts to entice with nut "cheeses," cakes, pies and frostings full of coconut oil, cups of dates and bags full of nuts, particularly after my mother's description of the the juices and raw vegetables prepared with little concern for flavor or presentation at a rawist co-operative where she lived in the 70s. A slice of plain avocado was a big treat.

I've adapted some raw recipes to make them simple to prepare and primarily full of fresh vegetables using nuts, oils and dried fruits as garnishes and enhancements rather than the main attraction. And of course, I had to take it a step further and add accents sometimes using a non-raw ingredient here or there. Baked ingredient and all, if it wouldn't risk a copyright lawsuit and angering the FDA, I could call this "Accutane in a cup" or "natural Accutane." After eating 2 batches in one week, my skin looks like it did exactly one decade ago when I was a teenager and had just finished up a course of Accutane.

Adapted from a recipe at Raw Food Living Diet

ALMOST RAW CURRIED CARROT SOUP

2.5 C. Water

1/4 C. Cashews

1 slice Gluten-Free Bread*

1 lb. Carrots, peeled and chopped

1 Apple, chopped with peel

1/4 Small onion, chopped

1 stalk Celery, chopped

2 cloves Garlic

4 California Dates or 2 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for at least 30 minutes

1 Tbs. Tamari or Miso

2 tsp. Curry powder

1 tsp. Garam Masala

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1. Combine Cashews and Water in Vita-mix or blender, blend until smooth.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and blend until thick and creamy.

3. Garnish with raw sunflower seeds and raisins (optional).

*a frozen gluten-free waffle, pancake, etc. works here too (don't worry if there's blueberries in them, it still tastes good).

You can use the equivalent amount of just about anything gluten-free and bready that you have on hand.

On a side note—I made this in a friend's kitchen (who didn't have curry powder). The soup tasted like pumpkin pie so it's definitely a variation to try, especially if you're out of curry powder.

Super Simple Sorbet, No (Unusual) Equipment Needed

2010-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

I love summer. Who doesn't? On the various food blogs, summer definitely signals ice cream. Ice cream, or at least, frozen yogurt was an all-year thing for me, in the days before stomach problems, being on a first name basis with everyone at the gastroenterologist's office, and putting my allergist/ immunologist on the Winter Solstice Card list. After about a year of living off of mostly pureéd foods because I couldn't digest much else I find myself extremely sensitive to sugar and dairy even though these things weren't outlawed by the allergist and I have been eating like a non-elderly adult for a while. I wonder, how did I do that almost daily, how was I not close to 200 pounds and was doing this sort of thing what ultimately made my body rebel in a major way?

Now, I can count the number of times I've had traditional sugar and dairy ice cream or frozen yogurt on one hand in the past year (admittedly, I do make it to the second hand if I count the number of times I've had $4 golf-ball sized amounts of gourmet, local ingredient gelato worth every tiny flat spoon biteful). I usually have a weird sugar haze the next morning and feel slightly hung-over, but after lots of water and some exercise I usually feel back to normal. But after a great, Americana feeling July 4th, where I went to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor operating since the 1920s and got real, super creamy ice cream I think that my ice cream days are officially over. I woke up on July 5th, with a sore throat and so much sinus congestion that I felt spacey, drugged and like an episode of Vertigo was imminent. After extensive netti potting and 2 days full of eating mainly raw with garlic and onion heavy soups and salads, I feel somewhat human again. But, I won't be doing real ice cream again any time soon.

For anyone else that wants a healthier, gentler alternative to ice cream, here is one of the ways that I normally get my frozen treat fix. It's easy to whip up in less than 5 minutes and only requires a food processor or a blender. If you're anything like me, you will soon have some frozen fruit on standby in the freezer all year round. There is no ice cream maker, fancy equipment, sinus problems or sugar hangover involved!

SIMPLE SORBET

3/4 C. of your favorite frozen fruit (I usually do berries, cherries and a chunk or two of mango)

1/4 C. Raw Cashew Milk*

1 packet Stevia or sweetener of your choice (optional)**

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor, blender or vita-mix.

2. If your blending device of choice is having a hard time add a little bit more liquid.

3. Eat before it melts.

* Use non-dairy milk of your choice, water works in a pinch too.

**If you don't have stevia, use a small amount of your favorite natural sweetener if you want to make the fruit a tad sweeter.

Summer of Luz: Gluten-Free Gazpacho Andalucia (Almost Raw)

2010-05-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Every year when the weather gets warmer I get requests for this recipe, they have recently started rolling in from friends flung across the country. I posted this last year at the old blog, but haven't gotten around to transferring all of the old recipes, so here it is again . . . Gazpacho Andalucia just like my señora, Luz, used to make during my study abroad days in Madrid. While this soup is from the southern coastal region of Andalucia, this cold soup is served throughout Spain all summer long. A piece of (gluten-free, in this case) bread lends the creamy texture. This is of course healthy and seriously addicting. Great with a glass of red wine and salad, pre-Siesta, por supuesto.

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

4-5 Ripe Tomatoes*

1 Cucumber, peeled

1 red pepper, deseeded

1/4 C. Olive Oil

2 Tbs White Wine Vinegar (red or white wine with or without a splash of vinegar works too)

1/2 tsp. Cumin

2 cloves garlic

1-2 slices gluten bread, soaked in water for 5-10 minutes**

1. Chop all vegetables and garlic.

2. Squeeze excess water from bread.

3. If using a vita-mix or the equivalent, add all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

4. If you are using a less powerful blender, combine the wet bread with the olive, oil and white wine vinegar, blend until smooth.

5. Add in tomatoes and blend until smooth.

6. Add in remaining ingredients a handful at a time and blend until smooth.

7. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

*The quality of the tomatoes will determine the flavor of the soup so I recommend using Juicy ripe organic tomatoes fresh from the Farmers' Market. This soup doesn't taste as good when tomatoes aren't in season locally.

**Pretty much any kind of gluten-free bread will work, I have even used plain frozen gluten free waffles, a gluten-free English Muffin and Gluten Free French Roll all with great results. Add the equivalent of 2 slices of gluten-free bread for thicker soup, one for thinner soup.

Indian Summer— Curried Cauliflower Soup

2010-05-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

After a 3 month hiatus, I am trying to return to posting recipes. Life has been busy with travel and many other exciting things. While I've continued to cook lots of vegetable concoctions, few have been very photo worthy and I haven't had the time to take pictures of the ones that were. Aside from coconut bread, I've barely baked at all.

With the days slipping by so quickly, I only realized how close the official start of summer was when pricing memorial day weekend flights. In my neck of the country, it feels like fall— cool, foggy, breezy. So while the Calendar says summer, the weather says soup. Hot soup. I have been on a hopeless Indian/ Thai kick recently, not wanting to eat much that doesn't involve curry, coconut milk or some kind of hot pepper. I have been living off of this soup for weeks at a time and am still not sick of it!

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 Tbs. Coconut Oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large head of Cauliflower, chopped into florets

6 cups vegetable Broth*

2 Tbs. Curry Powder**

3/4 C. Coconut Milk (Use full fat, not lite unless you're okay with a runnier soup)

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

1. In large stockpot melt coconut oil over low heat.

2. Add in chopped onions and sauté until translucent.

3. Add in cauliflower florets and coat onions and cauliflower in curry powder.

4. Allow mixture to cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes. If your sense of smell has the ability, wait until the smell of the curry powder changes to be slightly sweet.

5. Add Vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.

6. Pureé mixture in pot with a hand blender until smooth or transfer to a regular blender to pureé. If you are transferring to a blender or not skilled at using a hand blender with hot liquids, allow the mixture to cool first.

7. Stir in the coconut milk and red pepper flakes if using to taste. Stir over heat for 5 minutes.

8. If the consistency of the soup isn't thick enough (the thickness will be dependent upon the size of the cauliflower), add a few tablespoons of rice flour or arrowroot powder and stir over heat.

*I am a huge fan of Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable cubes. They are available at pretty much every Whole Foods in the country that I have visited. These are much more environmentally friendly than buying liquid vegetable broth and much more affordable. Plus, I attribute my reputation for making amazing soups solely to these cubes. The ingredients are all natural, mostly organic and they are gluten free.

**The flavor of the soup is very much dependent upon the quality of the Curry Powder that you use, so if you have a favorite, use it! My current favorite is Frontier Brand, also available at most Whole Foods.

Breakfasts of Champions

2010-02-25T07:49:00.001-08:00

Coconut Bread with Sunflower Seed Butter & Tea with Cashew Milk

The title of today's post was inspired by knowing someone who is actually somewhat following the Winter Olympics. Just kidding, sort of. This somewhat surprising discovery made me think of the true spirit and purpose of the Olympics: endorsements. If you have Celiacs, one of the most prized of Olympic endorsements—Wheaties— will send you into days of agony. But, even if you don't have Celiacs, eating highly processed wheat cut with sugar and cooked at extremely high temperatures probably isn't good for your blood sugar, hunger, weight or overall health, especially if you're morning is spent in front of a computer, not in extreme physical activity.

Where am I going with this? I have shared the Hearty Winter White Bread with a few friends who are trying gluten-free or low-carb diets. Multiple people have told me that this has been an important dieting tool because it is satisfying, filling and craving-reducing or obliterating. I am addicted to it and have been having a piece of this bread with 1 tsp. of sunflower seed butter and a cup of tea (or 3) for breakfast just about every morning. It tastes great and keeps me full until mid-afternoon and sometimes dinner. A true breakfast of champions, or at least champion desk and computer jockeys that want to lose or not gain winter weight.

I calculated the nutrition information based upon a request and noticed that the fat-carb-protein-fiber ratio is very "Zone" Diet friendly and likely accounts for the satiety factor. Here it is:

Hearty Winter White Bread*

Nutrition Info per slice (assuming 12 slices/ loaf)

93 Calories

5.3g Fat

7 g. Carb

3g Fiber

4g Protein

*A word of caution: coconut flour (as all coconut products) can have a slight laxative effect so proceed cautiously with how much of this bread you eat until you are sure of your stomach's reaction.

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2010-02-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Post-Mardi Gras green confetti

Since the fall, I've noticed brussel sprouts popping up on restaurant menus and at dinner parties everywhere. The recipes always seem to involve a balsamic reduction sauce and bacon. Not wanting to spend hours reducing balsamic vinegar, I decided to make a simpler bacon-free version. When roasted, brussel sprouts become sweet and lose the bitterness that they have when eaten raw or boiled. I suggest doubling this recipe, because you won't be able to stop eating them. I've started using them as a salad topping so that they last longer.

These will keep in a glass jar in your refrigerator for 5 days—if they last that long.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Pre-heat oven to 400º

1 lb. brussel sprouts, quartered

2 medium onions, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1.5 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1. Toss together all ingredients in large glass baking dish.

2. Bake for 35 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Creamy Carrot Soup

2010-02-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite, and first cookbooks was The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking). Many of my favorite recipes from this cookbook are based on vegetables and are naturally gluten-free. Even before I was gluten-free, I never experimented much with the baking in this book and usually stuck to the soups and vegetable recipes—the book's forté.

Over years of making the "Herbed Carrot Soup Recipe," I have adjusted it to make it not so thick (made according to the recipe it's more like a carrot purée than a soup), give it more flavor and make it simpler to make. It's a good source of beta carotene to keep your skin glowing until strawberry season.

Quick & Kicked up Carrot Soup

2 lbs baby carrots*

1 medium organic potato

6 cups vegetable broth

1.5 cups chopped onions

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 tsp. salt

5 medium cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1. Roughly chop the carrots and organic potato (leave skin on) and place them in large soup pot with 6 cups of vegetable broth.

2. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until carrots and potato are soft (about 15 minutes).

3. Heat oil in small sauce pan. Add onions and salt and sauté for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add garlic and dried herbs and sauté for 5 more minutes.

4. Put the contents of the skillet into the saucepan and puree everything with a hand blender or in a regular blender in batches.

*You can use 2 lbs of regular carrots but baby carrots that are already cleaned and peeled save you about 15 minutes.

Caramelized Banana Frosting (Sugar-Free)

2010-02-04T19:01:00.001-08:00

"Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal"

~Pablo Picasso

I recently re-watched Pirates of Silicon Valley in ten parts on youtube, of course. This is one of my favorite movies—for the story, not for any cinematic value. I love when Noah Wyle, playing Steve Jobs re-quotes Picasso, stating "good artists copy, great artists steal" and promptly utilizes everything that Xerox has inadvertently gifted to Apple Computers.

Similarly in cooking, I can almost never make a recipe exactly as printed but I definitely "steal" techniques and parts of the process from cookbooks and my favorite food bloggers. While watching Pirates of Silicone Valley and after months of attempts to concoct a frosting recipe that doesn't depend on large amounts of oil, is sweetened naturally but is worthy of the title "frosting," I thought about the first step in my favorite ice cream recipe, Roasted Banana Coconut Ice Cream over at Elana's Pantry. The caramelized bananas and dates had a waxy texture that I realized would be the perfect base for a frosting recipe. Who doesn't want to be a Pirate once in a while?

After adapting and "sampling" Elana's tecnique, I came up with a frosting recipe that was amazing in it's own right (not just for the gluten-free, sugar free, healthier category). Next time, I plan on doubling it so that I can pile it even higher on top of Banana Cupcakes or Coconut Flour Vanilla Cupcakes. All months ahead of Talk Like a Pirate Day— Arghhh!

Caramelized Banana Frosting

Pre-Heat Oven to 375º

2 medium bananas

3 medjool dates

1 Tbs. coconut oil, melted

1 Tbs. vanilla extract (make sure gluten-free)

1/2 C. coconut milk (light, okay)

2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted

2 Tbs. arrowroot powder (Cornstarch will work to if you're not trying to make it grain-free)

1. In a glass pyrex dish, slice the bananas and dates into 1 inch slices, toss in 1 Tbs. Melted Coconut Oil and 1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract.

2. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

3. Puree the caramelized banana mixture with the coconut milk until smooth in blender, vita-mix or magic bullet and pour into a medium sized bowl.

4. Stir in melted coconut oil and arrowroot powder until combined well.

5. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Frosts 12 cupcakes lightly, double if you would like to pile on the frosting.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes (Grain-Free & Vegan)

2010-02-04T18:10:00.001-08:00

Frosted with Caramelized Banana Frosting

While I found it fairly easy to make a great gluten-free, soy-free vegan cupcake with a few tweaks to the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World Vegan Golden Vanilla Cupcake Recipe. Substituting an all-purpose gluten-free flour and using light coconut milk instead of soy milk made a very convincing cupcake that nobody guessed was gluten-free or vegan. But, these weren't for my battered stomach that is hostile to even gluten-free grains. I also don't do well with cane sugar, which makes me feel dizzy and drunk—but not in a good way. I feel like I'm having an adverse reaction to a medication. While I don't have this reaction to Agave, with all the controversy surrounding Agave, I try to use it sparingly.

In Philadelphia, I checked out the new Gluten-free Vegan Sweet Freedom Bakery where they use coconut sugar to sweeten their baked goods, which supposedly has the same Glycemic index as an apple. I had one of their amazing banana chocolate chip cupcakes (which do use gluten-free grains) but still had a reaction similar to as if I had eaten sugar. But, their cupcake was definitely inspiring. I made these cupcakes and while they use a lot of ingredients everyone from meat, dairy, gluten and sugar eatings agreed they were delicious.

Banana Cupcakes (vegan, grain-free)

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º

Wet Ingredients

1 small banana

3 Tbs. Grapeseed or Olive Oil

2 Tbs. Applesauce

8 Medjool Dates (or 16 California Dates), soaked for 2-4 hours

2/3 C. light coconut milk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes

1.5 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract (or more vanilla)

Dry Ingredients:

1/3 C. garbanzo bean flour

1/4 C. coconut flour

1/3 C. arrowroot flour

1/3 C. potato starch

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. xantham gum

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. mini-dark chocolate chips or chunks

1. In a blender or vita-mix purée first 4 wet ingredients together until smooth.

2. Mix the contents of the blender with the rest of the wet ingredients in a small bowl/

3. Sift dry ingredients in large bowl except for chocolate chips. Whisk together.

4. Stir wet ingredients into dry, do not over mix.

5. Fold in chocolate chips.

6. Spoon 3/4 of the way full into muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.

7. Make for 25 minutes.

8. The cupcakes will rise significantly but then drop a bit as they cool.

9. Frost with your favorite frosting or the Caramelized Banana Frosting (my next post).

Note: the garbanzo bean flour will have a strong flavor that the banana and dates helps to mask. The batter is not good and tastes like a bean. The baked product tastes much better, so don't be alarmed or throw out the batter if you taste it.

Grain-Free Baking Powder

2010-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Citizen Cake, "She was disappointed by grain-filled baked goods, so she built some of her own"

I have been doing very little baking or blog-worthy cooking recently. My stomach still hasn't recovered from the holidays when I was eating gluten-free baked goods made of gluten-free grains. I have been living off of Earl Grey Au Laits, vegetables, soups and Grain-Free White Bread as my stomach gradually begins to feel better again. I was and am surprised at how not good I feel when I eat gluten-free grains and really recommend that anyone who has lingering stomach problems try reducing or eliminating grains for a while and see how they feel.

However, a lot of "grain-free" baking isn't technically grain free because of the use of baking powder which often has a tiny amount of cornstarch in it. Therefore, I have been very happy to find a recipe for Grain-Free Baking Powder at The Spunky Coconut. I hope to devise a grain-free, vegan cupcake recipe for my friends annual Mardi Gras party that is quickly approaching and may try to tweak the recipe to use arrowroot powder which has a similar starch content to potato flour.

Gluten-Free Modernism

2010-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

Today I have updated the Cashew Milk post with some extra notes and tips.

And— I also wanted to direct anyone who also loves, Apartment Therapy, to the hilarious post they had a few days ago showcasing the website Unhappy Hipsters and their re-captioning of Dwell Magazine.

Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Ice Cream, Smothered With Hope

2010-01-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

Last night, my roommate and I both thought that it was Wednesday and shortly before 9 PM were surprised when we couldn't find the State of the Union on TV (neither of us ever really watch TV so we were already fumbling). We soon realized that it was actually Tuesday. The winter is going more slowly than we thought! For the event, I had even made sundaes thanks to some overly ripe bananas that I had put into the freezer a while ago and my vita-mix. We ate the ice cream sans president, and it was so good, we will again tonight for the real State of the Union address.

The texture and perfect cold sweetness will give you hope—if a banana and dates and can produce the texture and perfect cold sweetness of ice cream, maybe some day our "democracy" can produce a congress with a spine that's not controlled by corporations and their special interests that can actually create a viable public health care option.

A word of warning from the homespun wisdom of a South Carolina politician's uneducated grandmother: If you have any stray friends coming over to your house to watch the State of the Union address, you may not want to feed them this, because they will come back for more of your low sugar, healthy, yummy desserts and possibly breed. This is of particular risk if you are in your late 20s and every week you are getting another wedding/ engagement party/ baby shower invitation.

Banana Ice Cream Smothered in Hope

Makes 2 Servings*

2 bananas, frozen & sliced

2 dates, pitted and soaked for 2-3 hrs**

2 Tbs. carob or cocoa powder

2 Tbs. cashew milk, coconut milk or your preferred milk alternative

Optional "mix-ins":

walnuts, chopped

chocolate chips

1. Combine all ingredients (but not optional mix-ins) in a vita-mix or blendtec.

2. Start on low setting and gradually crank up to high.

3. Blend until whipped and banana has the texture of ice cream.

4. Add mix-ins and top with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream if you have some on hand or just feel ambitious.

5. Serve immediately (unfortunately, when stored, you lose the ice-cream like texture).

Notes & Tips:

*For each additional serving: add 1 frozen, sliced Banana, 1 Tbs. Carob or cocoa powder, 1-2 Tbs. Cashew Milk, and 1 soaked date.

** No time to soak? Cover dates with boiling water and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

I'm not sure if or how this would work in a regular blender. I think that making this in a magic bullet in small batches may work because they are pretty powerful but I haven't tried it.

Quirky Correspondence

2010-01-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

I despise the overly ornate embossed fonts and sickly pastels of Hallmarkesque cards almost as much as the saccharin sentiments they express. Alternately, I love the look and feel of the $5+ cards I find in architectural bookstores and boutique card/paper stores. But, even if you don't blink at shelling out $5 for the perfect card, it can still be quite the search to find the appropriate tone—particularly if you have eclectic and fascinating friends and family members. Fortunately, you can make a better card and save money with a typical computer, a functioning printer and "the google." Just beware, everyone will want to know where you bought the card but don't go into business just yet. While for personal, not-for profit use you can quotations and images, if you're going to sell you're going to need to stick to older quotations and images that are 70+ years old and now in the public domain unless you want to get permission or risk a copyright suit.

Happy card-creating and don't forget that there are roughly 3 weeks left to make sarcastic Valentine's day cards!

A Brief How-To:

1. Buy a set of blank cards and envelopes of your preferred size and color. My go-to place is Staples, but you can buy affordable packs of blank cards and envelopes at any office supply store.

2. When you are reading, keep your eyes out for funny or perfect quotations, or do a google search for your favorite author/ public figure and "quotes" or (more properly) "quotations."

3. Go to Google Images and type in the name of the person or thing you want to put on your card. Drag and drop the image onto your desktop.

4. You can do this all in MSWord. Under the "File" Menu choose "Page set-up." Enter the dimensions of the card you wish to print (Open and lying flat).

5. I generally use page 1 for the outside of the card and use the ruler guidelines to work on the bottom half of the card which will become the front cover (card will be folded in half).

6. I use page 2 for the inside of the card once again using the ruler guidelines to work on the bottom half of the page which will become the inside portion.

7. To wrap text around picture, click on picture. Go to "Format" Menu, scroll down to "picture" then click on the "layout" tab. Here there are a number of different options for how your font and picture can interact.

8. The trickiest part is printing and will depend upon how your printer feeds paper. You definitely want to print only page 1 first, then re-feed the paper according to your printer so that you can print page 2 on the inside.

The quotable Coco (my favorite entrepreneur)

For your stylish friend or your over-the-top gay male friend who always insists that he is "a girl that must strut his stuff."

Darling Davis . . .

For your grandmother, the woman in her book club that is always smiling, or your 75 year old block captain who knows everyone and everything that's happening on your street and is a better crime deterrent than any security system.

Weekends and the Mr. Grey Au Lait

2010-01-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am relieved that the holidays are over. I am enjoying the January cold and post-holiday calm and using them both as an excuse to spend weekend mornings inside reading and catching up on my favorite blogs. But, as a recent occasional instead of daily coffee drinker, this ritual didn't seem quite right without my coffee press and café au lait bowls. Still not wanting to actually drink coffee, I have concocted a tea version.

While the drink cools much faster in a bowl, it is better for dunking gluten-free bread and somehow just goes so much better with a weekend newspaper (whether online or in print) or book.

Earl Grey Au Lait

1 Earl Grey tea bag

6 oz. cashew milk or your favorite type of milk

1 Tbs. honey or 2 tsp. agave (optional)

1. Place sweetener if using and tea bag in cup while boiling water.

2. Pour about a cup of boiling water over tea bag and steap for 5 minutes, covered.

3. In small saucepan on stove, heat cashew milk on low watching constantly.

4. Remove cashew milk from heat when foam and small bubbles form on top.

5. Squeeze excess water from tea bag and remove.

6. Pour hot cashew milk into tea and stir.

Cafe au lait bowl pictured is from Anthropologie. They're not sold online but usually are in stores.

Hearty White Bread (Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)

2009-12-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

Soup is one of the best things about winter. And what is soup without bread? But has it been "no bread for you!" because gluten-free bread is to dense and painful for a badly damaged stomach?

I had given up on bread. But, when I made date-sweetened chocolate coconut flour muffins for a friend who is dabbling in gluten-free, she liked them so much that she researched other coconut flour recipes and sent me this one: Kokonut Pacific Coconut Flour Bread. Sometimes gifts come right back to you!

I tweaked this recipe to make it dairy free and was surprised to find that it had a similar taste and texture to a hearty white yeast bread made by a natural bread bakery near my childhood home that used soft-milled organic wheat. While it was baking I smelled a somewhat familiar smell: the kitchen of a childhood friend whose mother used to bake the dinner rolls where the bread dough "popped" out of a can. While this is much healthier than anything Pillsbury ever produced, it has a similar light flaky taste and texture that I didn't know was possible for yeast-free breads, let alone gluten-free, yeast-free breads. I hope you like this as much as I did! In the meantime, I am trying to eliminate the baking powder to make this SCD permissible.

Hearty Winter White Bread

6 eggs

2 Tbs. grapeseed oil

3 Tbs. unsweetened, organic applesauce

1.5 Tbs. honey

.5 tsp. salt

.5 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 C. coconut flour*

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Generously grease a small loaf pan.

3. Blend together first 5 ingredients (preferably with a mixer).

4. Mix last 3 dry ingredients together in separate bowl.

5. Blend dry ingredients into wet until thoroughly combined.

6. Pour into greased pan.

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes (toothpick or knife inserted in center should come out clean).

This makes 12 thick slices.

The loaf isn't very tall, but the bread is very filling.

*I use this Coconut Flour: Bob's Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour, 16-Ounce Units (Pack of 4).

Green-Baggers

2009-12-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

The truth is rarely pure, and never simple

~Oscar Wilde

We are quickly becoming a nation of green-baggers: grocery shoppers who ritualistically produce their own shopping bag as they approach the checkout line. On the few occasions that I shop unexpectedly and without my bag, I feel the guilt when the clerk asks "Do you have a bag?"

Normally, I feel somewhat righteous walking home with my reusable grocery bag, despite the bulk of my diet being produce which I weigh and purchase in—plastic produce bags. The irony isn't only environmental, devoted efforts have been made throughout my life to ensure my food avoided contact with plastic. Even before the current BPA scare, my mother just knew that plastic was bad. All of our food was stored in glass containers. Where other kids had plastic bags in their lunch boxes, I had neatly folded wax paper.

But before I monogrammed a scarlet BPA on my winter jacket, essentially weightless, washable and reusable produce bags appeared at Whole Foods. I picked up a pack ($7.99 for 6) and am further on my way to avoiding plastic in everyday life. The only issue I have with these is that they are all one size, none of which comfortably fits the typically large bunches of Kale and Swiss Chard.

However, a quick search on Amazon revealed that someone has indeed thought of this problem and has made Reusable Grocery and Produce Bags (Set of 15: Large, Medium, and Small Sizes). Happy Greening!

Buche de Noel (aka "Yule Log," Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

2009-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

For the holidays, I am home in my parents suburban kitchen with miles of countertops. If you have read the description of the "bobo" kitchen in David Brooks' Bobos in Paradise, you know what my parents' kitchen looks like. The large commercial convection oven begs for an elaborate and complicated project the same way that the usual limited space of my city kitchen begs for simplicity.

Before the days when my allergist/ immunologist banned gluten and a long list of other foods from my diet ("Do you have a pen?" was the first question from the doctor's office when they called with my test results), I was known for hand painting dozens of sugar cut-out cookies for the extended family Christmas Eve party. Not wanting to paint crumbly gluten-free cookies or special order natural food coloring that wasn't full of scary chemicals, my mind wandered back to a particularly magical holiday season in Paris. Yule Logs dominate Paris patisserie cases during the holidays and now for the past two days, my parents big bourgey kitchen. Below is the photo journal of the project with step-by-step instructions.

Materials:

1. Cake batter, use Coconut Flour Cupcake Recipe

2. Chocolate Frosting Recip e (or your favorite chocolate frosting)

3. Chocolate Creme Filling

4. 13 x 9 in. pan or dish

5. 13x9 in silpat or parchment paper

6. Large plastic bag

Assembly:

1. Line a 13 x 9 in. pan with edges with parchment paper or silpat mat.

2. Spread the Coconut Flour Cupcake Recipe batter over pan so that it is about .5 in thick.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and allow cake to cool.

4. Leave cake in pan while spreading the Chocolate Creme Filling over the cake.

5. Lift the parchment paper/silpat with the cake as you gently roll it, jelly-roll style. Do not worry if small bits of cake stick and there are blemishes— the frosting will cover minor imperfections.

6. Ever so gently, lift the rolled Yule and transfer it to it's final resting plate (the plate that you plan to serve it from).

7. Cut off two edges at an angle to show off the "log"-like interior. Attach to main log like to look like "branches."

8. Spoon the Chocolate Frosting into a large plastic bag and snip off the corner to make an icing bag or use a large icing bag without a tip (don't use a mechanical pastry bag because you will be constantly refilling it and this will not produce the effect that wide circles of icing will).

9. Pipe Chocolate Frosting over cake in long rows, they will be heavy and some may fall off. Don't worry, the frosting is fairly forgiving. Don't be afraid to work with the frosting. You will be spreading it with a knife

10. Run a knife along the rows of chocolate frosting to spread them and create a tree bark texture.

11. Garnish with Cranberries and leaves or mint and sprinkle with coconut or powdered sugar to look like "snow."

Joyeux Noel!

Chocolate Creme Filling

2009-12-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

This is a filling to make for the inside of a Yule Log, but also works well as a rich vegan chocolate mousse or garnish for other cakes or fruits.

Chocolate Creme Filling

13.5 oz. can whole coconut milk + 13.5 oz can water

2 Tbs. arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1.5 Tbs. agar powder

pinch of salt

1/2 C. Agave

1/3 C. Cocoa Powder

1. Whisk together coconut milk, water, arrowroot, agar and salt in a large sauce pan.

2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Allow to cool then refrigerate until rock hard.

4. Cut gelled coconut mixture into chunks and combine in vita-mix or blender with agave and cocoa powder.

5. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Rest of Us (Grain-Free)

2009-12-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

"Requires no decoration . . ."

Happy Festivus! December 23—the Eve of Christmas Eve—is finally upon us. While I may not be as prolific as Frank Costanza and am yet to create a holiday, I have created a grain-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie reminiscent of my aunt's famous adaptation of the Nestlé Tollhouse cookie recipe (her secret: an extra half-cup of flour). And like the Festivus metal pool, but unlike more complex iced sugar cookies, these of course, require no decoration.

You don't have to tell anyone that it's high protein and sweetened with dates (lending the caramel chocolate chip cookie color generally provided by brown sugar). But if you do, they'll surely agree that "It's a Festivus Miracle!"

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 eggs

7 medjool dates, soaked for 2 hours and pitted

2 packets powdered Stevia (optional, will increase sweetness)

.5 tsp vanilla

1.5 Tbs. grapeseed oil (or other oil)

2 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. coconut flour, sifted

1/3 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

1/3 c. semi-sweet gluten-free chocolate chips*

1. Pre-heat oven to 375º.

2. In vita-mix or blender, combine first 6 ingredients.

3. Blend until dates are thoroughly pureéd and no longer distinguishable (aside from brown flecks).

4. Mix together the coconut flour and salt in a small bowl.

5. Pour blender contents into a large bowl and slowly beat dry ingredients into wet.

6. Gently stir walnuts and chocolate chips into batter.

7. Drop by the tablespoonful into small rounded mounds on a well-greased cookie sheet or silpat mat.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

When Santa has Celiac's—a plateful of gluten-free cookies.

Note: Like the Nestlé Tollhouse recipe, these are cakey. For a buttery, thinner grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that is Vegan check out Elana's Pantry Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bloggers that want to familiarize themselves with Almond Flour can enter T he Elana's Pantry Contest to win a 5 lb. bag of her preferred Almond Flour and a copy of her book, The Almond Flour Cookbook which, if you haven't noticed, is quickly becoming an important part of the gluten-free cookbook canon!

* See Truffle post for readily available mainstream gluten-free chocolates.

Origami Boutique Boxes for Holiday Gifts & Baked Goods

2009-12-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't quite gotten past that toddler trait of being more excited about the box and wrapping paper than what's inside. I would have little interest in cooking or baking if it wasn't a visual experience. Since I bake for gifts and now occasionally upon request for events, I can't just hand the goods over in something semi-disposable and plastic (Gasp—The BPAs!).

While looking for materials that would keep my hard work in tact and visually appealing I found that 1) Bakery boxes and related accoutrement were expensive and 2) generally would have to be mail-ordered for a carless urbanite. To avoid the expense and inconvenience of getting packages (urbanites know they won't be left on the steps of your rowhome, and with good reason!), I googled around to create boxes with materials I had on hand.

Card stock or old file folders cut into squares work well. For a softer box you can use paper, but you will want to reinforce the bottom. I found these instructions particularly clear, detailed and simple:

Do It Yourself Origami Gift Boxes

And then, I of course, had to find a way to make these boxes my own:

REINFORCING THE BOTTOM OR TOP OF BOX:

1. Trace the bottom of your origami box on a piece of cardboard (pictured below is my roommate's cake mix box saved from the recycling bin— the gluten-filled cake mix had been sealed in plastic inside the cardboard).

2. Cut inside the traced lines and place cardboard square in bottom of box, trimming as necessary.

3. Cut a piece of decorative paper, a picture or simply a piece of paper with a font or graphic to the same size as the cardboard reinforcement and cover or tape in place (You want to be careful using glue, not only could it be generally toxic, many glues have gluten in them and you don't want to contaminate yourself or a friend).

Trace.

Fit reinforcing cardboard.

(Boxes to left made from legal sized folders cut to squares)

Decorate inside and outside.

(Box above made from linen paper— I probably won't use paper again for a box this size-- as you can see it bends and is flimsy)

TO DECORATE:

1. Trace decorative paper to fit the top of box.

2. Print out fonts or graphics and tape or paste to top of box.

3. Your imagination is the limit— Funny pictures, inside jokes, sarcastic/ironic quotes of 2009 or any time, literary favorites or anything else that you can dream up will make the box almost as much fun as what's inside.

While the box can be a gift and it's own miniature work of art, don't forget to fill it!

Pictured are Truffles, Date Sweetened fudge and Monogrammed Apricots

Up Next: A gluten-free, grain-free Yule Log hopefully with my new camera (all previous pictures have been with my iPhone camera while I have spent over a year researching the perfect DSLR . . . )

Chocolate-Dipped Monogrammed Apricots

2009-12-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer

~religioustolerance.org

I hate to deflate those who get their energy in the darkest days of the year from rage about "the war against Christmas," but how mainstream culture celebrates the "holiday season" in America and Europe is largely based upon Pagan traditions.

And the Pagans had the right idea— what better way to deal with the darkest day of the year and dipping Serotonin levels than presents, bright colors, feasting and magical reindeer! I like to observe the Solstice season with natural brightness— candles, oranges, cranberries and chocolate covered apricots. These are super easy and easy to make in bulk and in advance for gifts and parties. For a brief discussion of gluten-free chocolate see my truffle post. For the white chocolate I like the Whole Foods brand white chocolate chunks which have a 24% Cacao content and are gluten-free, but they are not vegan.

Pastry bags can be purchased from craft stores and many grocery stores for around $6-7. I use my trusty mechanical pastry bag from William Sonoma. If you don't want to bother monogramming them, dipped chocolate apricots are also a great gift. But, don't underestimate the fun of initialing and drawing snowflakes and other fun winter designs on bright orange!

Chocolate-Dipped Monogrammed Apricots

1 lb. dried apricots

1.25 C. gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

.5 C. gluten-free white chocolate chips

Pastry bag or press with writing tip.

1. Lay out wax paper on counter.

2. Melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat stir constantly and do not leave unattended.

3. When Chocolate becomes a creamy consistency pour carefully into a bowl next to wax paper.

4. Lightly dip half the apricot into chocolate and place on wax paper until hardened.

5. Once all apricots are dipped, repeat steps 2 with white chocolate.

6. Once white chocolate is melted, allow it to sit for a minute.

7. Carefully spoon the chocolate into the pastry bag or press and write initials or designs on apricots.

Elegant Truffle Wrappers

2009-12-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

Requires no decoration—I find tinsel distracting!

~Frank Costanza, The Festivus Episode

We all judge books by their covers. And is there a problem with wanting your life to be beautiful? I think not. Part of the experience of food is visual.

While these truffles may be simple, there's no reason that they don't deserve to be dressed up for the holidays. Wrapping these truffles individually not only keeps them in tact for transporting and boxing for gifts, but makes each bite an experience. You are encouraging your recipients to spend some time on your elegant little work of art that you sculpted and decorated— not just mindlessly pop it into their mouths.

Match the ribbons and outside paper to your aesthetic preferences. Try aluminum foil for the modernist, interesting sections of the newspaper for your favorite news junkie or brown unbleached wax paper and twine for your favorite earthy friend. If you do use a decorative outer wrapping, line it with wax paper which is food safe and gluten-free. I recycle tissue paper from gifts and boutiques for the outer-wrapping of the truffle.

Truffle Wrappers

Wax Paper

Tissue Paper (optional)

Ribbon

Scissors

1. Cut wax paper into squares.

2. Lay truffle in the middle of wax paper squares.

3. Bring the opposite corners of the wax paper to meet.

4. Repeat process over wax paper covered truffle with other decorative paper if desired.

5. Tie ribbon around into bow or knot to keep paper in place.

Coming up Next:

Monogrammed Apricots and Origami boutique candy gift boxes with recycled materials.

Deliciously Simple Truffles, 3 Ways

2009-12-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

Simple. Elegant. Godiva will have nothing on you.

Shockingly easy yet delicious, these make great gifts or a great addition to a holiday dessert tray. The taste and quality of the truffles will be determined by the quality of the chocolate you use.

I like to use the Whole Foods Brand vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips which are gluten-free. Bakers, Hershey and Nestles semi-sweet chocolate chips are all gluten-free according to this Celiac's Guide—if you want to use a chocolate readily available at most grocery stores.

Truffles

3/4 C. water

3/4 C. cashews

1 pound gluten-free vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate (chocolate chips work well)

1. Combine cashews and water in a vita-mix (or blender).

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. In sauce pan melt chocolate over low heat.

4. Stir chocolate constantly until thoroughly melted.

5. In a separate bowl combine melted chocolate and cashew mixture stirring thoroughly.

6. Put bowl in refrigerator until chocolate mixture hardens (about 1-2 hours).

7. Scoop out with mellon baller or small spoon and roll into round balls.

8. Roll in cocoa powder, shredded coconut or toasted coconut (recipe below).

Toasted Coconut

2 Cups shredded coconut (Sweetened or unsweetened according to your preference)

1. Preheat oven to 375.º

2. Spread coconut thinly over cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 6-7 minutes toss coconut with spatula.

4. Bake for another 6-7 minutes until browned.

Coming up Next:

Easy, elegant truffle wrappers

Date Sweetened Fudge

2009-12-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Desirous of everything at the same time . . .

Sweet, rich, chocolaty. Can healthy possibly be added to this list of fudge adjectives— can you have it all at once? I think so. With the healthy fat of coconut oil, anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder and light fruit sweeteners it can be healthy in moderation (this means a small piece). Perfect for holiday dessert trays and gifts.

And everybody goes "Awww!"

Date Sweetened Fudge

5 Tbs. coconut oil, liquified

5 Medjool dates, pitted, soaked & drained (or 15 Deglet Noor Dates aka California dates)

3 Tbs. apple sauce

1/2 C. cocoa powder

dash of sea salt

3 droppers liquid vanilla stevia or 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine coconut oil, dates apple sauce, salt and vanilla/stevia in blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Add cocoa powder and blend until smooth.

4. Line a bread pan with wax paper.

5. Smooth batter into a square on wax paper.

6. Fold the excess wax paper over and smooth the top until even.

7. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until hard.

8. Slice.

You will only use about a quarter of a typical bread pan's real estate.

But, the batter is thick enough that you can easily form it into a nice neat square, like in the case at an old-fashioned fudge shop.

A few notes . . .

1. If you opt not to use Stevia, you may want to use an extra date or two depending upon how sweet you want the fudge to be.

2. Yes, coconut oil is difficult to work with because it is solid and almost rock-hard at room temperature. But, this is precisely why it works so well to harden the fudge. I turn the oven to warm then chip out the coconut oil that I need for a recipe and put it in a small oven safe bowl. When the oven has reached warm (around 200ºF), turn the oven off and put the coconut oil in to liquify it.

I hope that you are mad for it.

Gluten-Free Holiday Gifts

2009-12-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Every child ought to have the opportunity to travel thousands of miles alone . . . for the sake of her self-esteem and independence of mind, with clothes and toiletries of her own choosing.

~White Noise (Don DeLillo)

I love giving toiletries as presents because everyone needs them and they are always the right size—getting through airport security aside. As a product junkie, I have spent over 8 years to finally transition to all natural products, after much trial and error (the useless natural deodorants, the odd-smelling soaps and greasy hand creams). I finally have an arsenal of effective and adored natural products. I am proud to say that the most unlikely candidates have loved and even used up and replaced the natural products that I have bought for them as gifts. Here is my list of my all-time favorite natural and affordable gifts.

Paraben-Free, Natural Toiletries of my own careful choosing:

1) LaVanilla, The Healthy Deodorant ($18.50): The only natural deodorant to convert me. Deodorant was previously the achilles heel of my natural products collection. Even as someone who doesn't sweat a lot, I felt like a dirty hippie wearing all of the other dozen or so natural deodorants I bought. While pricey for a deodorant, this lasts forever and smells so amazing you will give up your perfume and/or scented body lotion.

2) Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap ($3-$4): A great stocking stuffer or small gift. It smells and feels as clean and pure as its natural, organic ingredients. Wrapped only in a bit of paper that is easily recycled, after using this you won't ever want to buy a bath gel—and its BPA containing plastic container—ever again.

3) The Art of Shaving Facial Scrub ($22.50): I searched Sephora, Kiehls and a number of other stores for a paraben-free mens' face wash to no avail. I finally stumbled on an Art of Shaving store and was pleasantly surprised to read the ingredients in their products. Their facial scrub is not only paraben-free, made from natural ingredients and smells great, but according to the skin care apathetic recipient, was great for ingrown hairs and other shaving related conditions. And yes, when he ran out of this face wash and sheepishly walked out of The Art of Shaving with a replacement in their small, striped boutique bag, he finally acknowledged that he was too old for Clearasil.

4) Clarisonic Skin Brush ($140-$200): A friend bought this under the strong recommendation of her skin care guru (a former skin care expert to the stars who now works out of a small San Francisco apartment). Her skin and enthusiasm for this brush converted me and even her only slightly metrosexual boyfriend. Months and a $170 later, I still think it was a great investment. It cleans your skin better than any other device can and allows your skin to better absorb and reap the benefits of your other skin care products. It makes a great holiday present to yourself or anyone else that warrants a gift in this price range.

5) Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair (around $10): This is the only hand creme—natural or full of chemicals—that can cure the worst of chapped winter hands. It absorbs quickly and the scent is neutral and subtle enough for all genders. Like other Burt's products, you can recognize and probably even eat most of the ingredients.

6) Ojon Rub Out Dry Cleanser ($10-$24): This is a way to give the gift of time and beautiful hair. Even as a runner, I now only have to wash my hair twice a week. Not only do Ojon ingredients nourish your hair, they save days worth of straightening and styling damage. A one hour shampoo, condition, blow dry and straighten session suddenly takes 20 seconds. The scent is clean, spa-like and subtle.

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

Now that I have transitioned to a primarily grain-free diet, coconut flour has become my new best baking friend. Unfortunately, coconut flour requires eggs—lots of them. I have tried every vegan substitute and combination to no avail.

I don't like blowing through cartons full of eggs or the "eggy" taste resulting from the egg heavy recipes. Even at my favorite website, Elana's Pantry, the coconut flour cupcake and bread recipes that I tried tasted like spongy egg cakes. After much experimenting, I've decided that the best I could do was reduce the amount of eggs, not eliminate them. When I couldn't find a grain-free pumpkin bread recipe, I concocted this one and in the process found that pumpkin pureé really helped with the egg reduction efforts.

But, this recipe works best for muffins. The muffins have a slightly dense, moist texture— when baked as a loaf, it's difficult to achieve a non-soggy center without burning the rest of the bread.

Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat oven to 350º

1 C. cooked white beans

2 eggs

.5 C. pumpkin pureé

3 Tbs. Agave* OR 2 Tbs. Agave + 3 drops liquid stevia**

3.5 Tbs. coconut flour, sifted (yes, you read that right, Tablespoons)

1 Tbs. grapeseed oil**

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

.75 tsp. baking soda

.75 tsp. baking powder

.25 tsp. sea salt

Optional

1/4 C. raisins, soaked for a few hours and then drained

1/4 C. chopped walnuts

1. Line a muffin pan with with 9 liners, fill the 3 empty muffin cups with water

2. Pureé first 4 ingredients in a vita-mix or blender

3. Add the next 5 ingredients and pureé until well blended

4. Remove vita mix or blender from motor. Stir in remaining ingredients if using them

5. Ladel batter into muffin cups to fill halfway (batter will be very thick).

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean.

Makes 9 muffins.

*Maple syrup is also a substitute

**2 packets of powdered stevia can also be substituted

*** Any oil will work (e.g. olive or canola both work)

Roasted Broccoli

2009-11-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

At the tail end of Farmers Market season, cauliflower and broccoli are amongst the last vegetables standing. I'm usually not a huge broccoli fan, but even I can't stop eating it when it's prepared this way. It's become my new favorite breakfast. I'm not the only one who finds this completely addictive. Multiple other non-broccoli lovers have confirmed that this is completely addictive. At a recent party of not particularly health conscience gluten-eaters, it was the first thing to go. There were leftovers—in the form of traditional gluten-filled pizza. Victory.

It's also a great Thanksgiving side dish as an alternative to all of those weird broccoli and green been concoctions with odd hard fried things that debut on Thanksgiving and are sure to make your stomach miserable.

Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 425º

3 lbs broccoli or 2 lb broccoli + 1 lb cauliflower (Use florets with a little bit of stems)
2-3 Tbs. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced garlic
1 large onion, chopped or sliced
3/4 tsp. sea salt
A few twists of ground pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

1. Mix together all ingredients except 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large bowl. Toss.

2. Spread a single layer over baking sheets (usually 2), do not pile vegetables.

3. Roast in oven for 25 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and toss again.

5. Sprinkle with your favorite cheese (optional- it tastes amazing without cheese too).

Farmers' Market Baked Apple

2009-10-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

The other reason that fall is my favorite season (besides Halloween) is apples. I eat ridiculous amounts of apples and will find a way to integrate them into breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course, desserts. This is a recipe from my old web-site that is yet to be transferred (along with most of the others). But, with just about all of the ingredients to make these in abundance at the Farmers' Market at this time of year, I thought it was time to re-post it.

Since this tastes like a mini apple pie, it's a great alternative to apple pie if you don't feel like coaxing the often crumbly dough of gluten-free pie crusts into looking pretty during the holidays. I think that Fuji work best in this recipe, but definitely experiment.

BAKED APPLES

4 large apples

1/4 cup goat cheese, Fromage Blanc or Feta

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup apple cider or juice

2 Tbs. agave or maple syrup (optional)

Baking dish with glass lid large enough to fit 4 apples (if you don’t have a baking dish with a lid, you can cover a baking dish with foil but a lid is best).

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Wash apples.

2. With a small paring knife slice around the core of the apple and dig the core out, leaving the base of the core in tact.

3. Put hollowed out apples in a baking dish and set aside.

4. In a separate bowl mix together the goat cheese, raisins, nuts, cinnamon and sweetener (if you are using it). Stuff this mixture into the hole left by the core.

5. Pour the apple juice into the dish dousing the apples and cover.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, Use a ladle or baster to baste the apples every 10 minutes with the juice poured into the bowl (time varies by oven and size of the apples, the consistency of the apple should be so that it is easily sliced with a butter knife but not so soft that it is collapsing or easily mashed into apple sauce.

7. Serve with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream, Almond Mascarpone, Traditional Whipped Cream or Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt

Vegan Option: Omit cheese or replace with vegan cream cheese.

an inside view

Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes (reminiscent of "candied yams" but with a fraction of the work)

2009-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Few things say fall like sweet vegetables, pumpkin pie spices and maple syrup. In addition to satisfying you sweet tooth sweet potatoes will keep your skin glowing now that peach season is but a distant sweet memory.

Here's a quick recipe that takes approximately 10-15 minutes to make once you have the sweet potatoes already baked. To save energy, you can throw these in the oven when you are already heating it up for something else and save them until you are ready to mash. They will store in the refrigerator wrapped in foil or in a glass container for about a week.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes

1 Tbs. Olive or Grape Seed Oil

2 Large Sweet potatoes, baked with skins removed

2/3 C. Coffee Worthy Cashew Milk or milk (alternative) of your choice

2 Tbs. Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice

1. Heat oil in a large soup or sauce pan.

2. Add potatoes and smash with a spoon, masher or hand blender.

3. Stir in cashew milk, maple syrup, salt and spices.

4. Mix until smooth or for lighter fluffier potatoes whip with a hand blender.

Sweet Potato Frosting

2009-10-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

October is here and to me October means one thing: Halloween. I love the crispness and spookiness of the fall, costumes, haunted houses, the excuse to do any activity related to Poe and everything else about the carnival-gothic atmosphere of the holiday.

While Halloween is still fun as an adult, my fondest Halloween memories are from childhood. I would start dreaming up my Halloween costume around July and my mother would pull out her old sewing machine to help it come to life. Assembling the various props for my costumes was often a family wide effort—my "homie bopper" from my 10 year old Halloween costume as Homie the Clown was courtesy of one of my father's black gold toe socks stuffed with a combination of newspapers and more socks.

But one of the best parts of childhood Halloweens was the school party. Seeing orange cupcakes always reminds me of school parties and the sheer elation that not having class and getting to wear a costume to school evoked in elementary school. So, for Halloween I just had to concoct a frosting that was orange, relatively healthy, low-glycemic, gluten-free and of course, not full of scary dyes and chemicals. The sweet potato was most helpful in this endeavor because not only does it add a natural sweetness but the beta-carotene lends the cupcakes a perfect Halloween orange!

Sweet Potato Frosting (Vegan)

3.5 C. Light Coconut Milk*
1.5 Tbs. Agar Powder
1.5 Tbs. Arrowroot Powder**
1/3 C. Maple Syrup
Dash Sea Salt
.5 C. Light Coconut Milk

1 small baked sweet potato, skin removed and smashed

1. In a saucepan whisk together 3.5 C. Light Coconut Milk, Agar Powder, Arrowroot and Sea Salt at room temperature.

2. Bring to a low boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Allow mixture to cool and then refrigerate for 5 hours to overnight.

4. You will have a gelatin-like coconut milk brick. Slice it into a few chunks and put into a vita-mixer or blender with the maple syrup and the smashed sweet potato.

5. Blend on low thinning with the additional .5 C. of coconut milk 1 Tbs. at a time until it reaches a creamy frosting consistency. You may use more or less milk to achieve this. The processing breaks down the gelling properties of the agar. Do not over blend.

6. Spread or pipe onto coconut flour cupcakes with super powers. For boutique worthy cupcakes, use a mechanical pastry bag.

Options: For richer frosting use 100% coconut milk, for sweeter icing, increase the maple syrup.

More Halloween colors. The chocolate frosting was made using the same method except I omitted the maple syrup and replaced the sweet potato with one and a half-cups of melted, gluten-free vegan 70% Cacao chocolate chips.

*To make light coconut milk use 1 part 100% coconut milk to 2 parts water

**Cornstarch can also be substituted

Sculptural Coconut Vegan Frosting

2009-09-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

What is a cupcake without piles of luscious frosting? But, what is the purpose of making a healthy low-glycemic cupcake if you smother it full of fat and sugar? Most Vegan frosting recipes are full of either earth balance or some other fake butter and powdered sugar, or on the holistic basis, gobs of coconut Oil and agave, which while healthier than butter and powdered sugar, still doesn't make you feel exactly light and happy after eating a cupcake.

So, I came up with a frosting that is much lower in sugar and fat with the added bonus of making you feel full thanks to the wonders of agar; a frosting worthy of sitting atop a coconut cupcake with super powers.

I should add a few disclaimers— The people who like this best are often the people who find cake and icing too sweet. You can add more Agave to taste. However, the above cupcakes still receive an enthusiastic reception from dairy, sugar and gluten-eaters as well as the vegans, health conscious and gluten-intolerant.

While the texture will be wonderfully light and fluffy when spread with a knife or using a traditional pastry bag, a mechanical pastry bag will compress it and produce a texture more similar to traditional frosting. The cupcakes in the photo were iced with the William-Sonoma mechanical pastry bag ($28.00) which I have quickly come to find an indispensable dessert making accessory particularly for "boutique" cupcakes.

Sculptural Coconut Frosting (Vegan)

3.5 C. Light Coconut Milk*
1.5 Tbs. Agar Powder
1.5 Tbs. Arrowroot Powder**
1/3 C. Agave
Dash Sea Salt
.5 C. Light Coconut Milk

1. In a saucepan whisk together 3.5 C. Light Coconut Milk, Agar Powder, Arrowroot and Sea Salt at room temperature.

2. Bring to a low boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Allow mixture to cool and then refrigerate for 5 hours to overnight.

4. You will have a gelatin-like coconut milk brick. Slice it into a few chunks and put into a vita-mixer or blender with the agave.

6. Spread or pipe onto coconut flour cupcakes with super powers. For boutique worthy cupcakes, use a mechanical pastry bag.

Options: For richer frosting use 100% coconut milk, for sweeter icing, increase the agave. To give the frosting a "waxier" texture similar to some commercial frostings, melt 6 tablespoons of coconut oil (make sure no hard chunks) and add to vita-mixer when combining agave and gelled coconut milk. Icing will harden once coconut oil cools to room temperature.

*To make light coconut milk use 1 part 100% coconut milk to 2 parts water

**Cornstarch can also be substituted

The other cupcakes in the photo are frosted with chocolate and sweet potato vegan frostings which begin with this frosting as a base. I will put those recipes up in the next posts.

Coconut Flour Cupcakes with Super Powers

2009-09-27T11:29:00.009-07:00

Despite building for years, the cupcake craze doesn't show signs of slowing down. I won't call it a trend; if there is a genre of modern American culinary classics, cupcakes are a pillar. They are an American form of Prozac, just looking at cupcakes seems to make people happy, which probably explains why so many laid off workers used their severance to open up cupcake bakeries in the recession.

But despite cupcake boutiques seemingly everywhere, cupcakes are still somewhat elusive to people with gluten allergies. So, I tested and adapted multiple gluten-free cupcake recipes that were tasty, healthy and didn't cause a sugar crash. Below is a recipe for the highest protein, lowest sugar tastiest cupcake I have ever eaten. Being on a restricted diet by necessity, I thought that perhaps my taste buds had become delusional and I was only imagining that the impossible was possible: A (somewhat) Healthy Cupcake. Gluten-eating, sugar lovers confirmed that these were magic cupcakes.

Coconut Flour White Bean Cupcakes

(adapted from The Spunky Coconut Vanilla Bean Cake)

2 C. white beans, rinsed and drained

6 eggs

1.5 tsp. vanilla extract (gluten-free)

5 Tbs. Agave

3 Tbs. grapeseed oil

1 Tbs. applesauce

1/3 C. coconut flour*, sifted

.5 tsp. salt

1.5 tsp. baking soda

1.5 tsp. baking powder

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º.

2. Grease the inside of muffin tin or liner-these tend to stick to liners.

3. Puree first 4 ingredients in a blender or vita mixer until well combined.

4. Add remaining ingredients and puree until combined.

5. Pour cups 3/4 full- these really rise!

6. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

*The Economics and wonder of Coconut Flour: Not only does coconut flour have a lot of fiber and very few carbs, it's other super power is enhancing sweetness allowing you to use less sweetener in your recipe. Don't be deceived by the price; while it hurts to turn over $7 for a bag of coconut flour, I quickly realized that most coconut flour recipes only use 1/4 the amount that you would use of other types of flour so it's actually the equivalent of buying an equivalently sized bag of flour for less than $2.

"Creamy" Cauliflower Soup (Vegan)

2009-09-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

It is quickly becoming soup weather just as massive cauliflower are out in full force at the farmers market. Cauliflower is not only a great liver detoxifier, it also makes things creamy without dairy.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large head of cauliflower, washed and chopped

2 c. vegetable broth*

2 c. cashew milk or your favorite organic milk/ milk alternative

1 Tbs. Arrowroot Powder (optional)

1 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

Sauté onions in oil on low in a large soup pot until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add Cauliflower, broth and cashew milk. Bring to a boil and then simmer until tender (15 minutes).

Pureé in pot if you have an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Whisk in arrowroot powder until it is dissolved if you have it (it will make the soup extra thick). Then stir in salt. Sprinkle with pepper before serving.

*I generally use an organic gluten-free bullion. It's cheaper, better for the environment because it's lighter to ship and better for your back if you carry your groceries home from the market.

Coffee Worthy Cashew Milk

2009-09-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am not anti-soy, as many seem to be these days. But I think it should be consumed in its natural state in moderation. So while I figure that having non-GMO, organic tofu as a dietary staple hasn't adversely affected the health of the Chinese or Japanese in the past dozen or so centuries, I have been cutting out soymilk in my coffee and cooking.

While I discovered a relatively simple, affordable cashew milk recipe at Elana's pantry, it didn't quite have the creamy texture that commercial soymilks often have that make them so delightful in coffee, but probably not too healthy. So I experimented to make my own creamy textured milk for coffee. A touch of xantham gum did the trick of giving the milk the texture that I loved so much in commercial soy milk.

Creamery Cashew Milk

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

5 cups water

.5 tsp. Xantham Gum Powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1-2 Tbs. Organic Agave Nectar or mild natural sweetener of your choice (optional)

1. Rinse Soaked cashews.

2. In Vita-Mix (or blender) combine soaked cashews with all other ingredients.

3. Blend until smooth.

4. Pour into glass container and refrigerate. Adapted from the Elana's Pantry Cashew Milk Recipe.

NOTES, TIPS and TROUBLESHOOTING: updated 1.29.10

1. This milk stores well in glass jars, but it will separate; this does not mean that it has gone bad. Shake well to recombine. Often, after shaking it once or twice it doesn't re-separate.

2. This should last for at least a week after making it.

3. "Gritty" Milk?:

a) Did you soak the cashews sufficiently.

b) If the cashews were soaked for a good 8 hours, you likely need to blend for longer.

If you didn't soak the cashews long enough, you can always re-blend once the less than perfect milk has sat for a few more hours and any cashew bits have had the opportunity to absorb more moisture.

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream & Others: Amazing Agar Part II

2009-09-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Really, I don't own stock in an agar producing company, but if I could I would. Not only do I think it's great for weight loss and making you feel full (as I discussed in the Almond Mascarpone post) it supports so many culinary tricks, particularly those in the dessert making/ sculptural vein.

I love to use coconut milk whipped cream to decorate. It is thicker and richer than regular whip cream (with better nutritional stats), holds its form and doesn't deflate. It's essentially a whipped cream - icing hybrid— is there a more delicious concept in the dessert world?

The process is the same as the almond mascarpone, except for with coconut milk. I also follow the same process with Cashew milk to make what I call "cashew cream."

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

42 Oz. light coconut milk*

1.5 Tbs. cornstarch

1 Tbs. agar powder (or equivalent agar flakes, read package for instructions)

Agave, sugar (recommended if you are using it to garnish a dessert) or stevia to taste

Whisk the coconut milk, cornstarch and agar powder together at room temperature in large saucepan until well combined and cornstarch is dissolved. If you are using sugar add it at this time too. Coconut milk has a natural sweetness to it so you probably won't need more than 1/4 cup.

Bring to a boil whisking frequently (this is so the bottom won't burn) and then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. It's important to bring the mixture to a boil to activate the gelling properties of the agave but allow it to boil or simmer for too long and the gelling properties will deteriorate.

Remove from heat. If you are using agave, add it when the mixture has cooled slightly (the point where you can just touch it comfortably, 3-4 Tbs. should be good for a light sweetness). Allow the mixture to cool until sticking it in the fridge won't warm your refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. You will have a jello/ tofu like substance. Do not despair. Break apart the jellowish brick and put it in a blender or vita-mixer or stick an immersion blender right into the bowl of coconut jello. This will turn the jellowy substance into a luscious whipped cream. If you are using this to top fruit or like a yogurt for breakfast or a snack, a packet of powdered stevia per cup should do the trick.

Makes approx. 4 cups, at approximately 160 kCal/ cup (when using light coconut milk and stevia)

*Use regular coconut milk for a richer whipped cream. "Light" coconut milk is actually water + regular coconut milk (check the ingredients if you don't believe me, the first ingredient is water). Do your wallet and the environment a favor and buy regular coconut milk (check to ensure the only ingredient listed is coconut milk). 2 parts water to 1 cup coconut milk produces a typical "light" coconut milk. So, for every container of pure coconut milk, add two containers of purified water. Also, use real coconut milk, not the odd coconut milk beverage that has appeared in the dairy case at Whole Foods recently. I've never used it in this recipe but bought it and found it disgusting; then I looked at the ingredients and realized it was full of processed crap so I'm confident it would perform horribly in this recipe.

Cashew Cream

Follow above recipe for Coconut Milk Whipped cream. But make it with cashew milk. I use the Elana's Pantry Recipe for Cashew Milk except that I use 5 1/2 cups of water instead of 4.

The Side by Side: Almond Mascarpone and Coconut Whipped Cream.

Note for your dessert making/ designing needs that the Almond Mascarpone has a bisque color and a firmer texture (similar to, obviously, Mascarpone).

And the Coconut Whipped has a much whiter color and fluffier texture.

Yes— As you can see by my example pictures, I made a lot of lemon tarts for parties this summer. I will try to post a picture of cashew cream soon (It's color and texture is probably the perfect midway point between the almond mascarpone and coconut milk whipped cream).

Finally, I couldn't find the Wall Street Journal article discussing agar despite my best googling efforts. But, in my search, I did find another blog discussing the WSJ article and one woman's experience using it to lose weight: Chic & Slim article on agar for weight loss.

Vegan Saag "Paneer" (Gluten-Free)

2009-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

I love Indian food and much of it is naturally gluten-free. One of my favorite things about Indian food is: Paneer. But, it's fairly expensive and difficult to find organic or rBST-free paneer (I don't like to eat non-organic dairy, but if organic isn't available I try to at least find rBST-free). Even in organic form, Paneer is sadly, not the healthiest thing.

But, with a little bit of experimenting I found that extra-firm tofu is a good stand in when baked correctly. And, it's a recipe that you can make for mixed company (vegans and non-vegans). All of the warm spices of Indian food are perfect for the cool fall weather that seems to have arrived earlier than usual this year.

"Paneer" (essentially baked tofu)

1 lb organic firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1 inch squares

1 Tbls. oil

sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 450.º Toss the tofu in oil and salt. Place the tofu on a baking sheet or in a glass baking dish. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until brown. Then flip and bake for 12 more minutes or until the other side is brown.

This is what your tofu will look like when it's finished.

The tofu tastes great just like this and is super on top of a salad, so while you're heating up the oven and dirtying a pan why not make extra? It will last in your refrigerator for about 4-5 days.

Saag Sauce

1 lb frozen spinach

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbs. oil

1/2 tsp. ginger or 1 inch ginger crushed

2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar or agave (optional)

2 Tbs. lemon juice

Optional: 3/4 C. Regular or soy yogurt or Cashew Cream.

Defrost the spinach in the microwave. Heat the oil and add in onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté on a low heat until the onions are translucent and have soaked up the color of the spices (about 10-12 minutes). Add all spices except for the garam masala. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat, the smell of the spices will change and the mixture will turn to a deep color. If the mixture looks like it may burn, add a bit of water.

Then, add the spinach, salt and cook for 5 minutes. At this point, if you have a hand blender, remove the mixture from the heat and carefully blend the mixture to pureé everything into a thick mixture. If you don't have a hand blender it will still be good but the mixture won't be as integrated (you will see more chunks of onions).

Add the garam masala, lemon juice, yogurt or cashew cream and baked tofu cubes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serve over rice or eat alone. It tastes even better the second day and in the days following (if you are cooking for one or two it will last you for a few days).

Almond "Mascarpone" (Vegan): Amazing Agar Part I

2009-09-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

Agar is a wonderful thing. This sea vegetable makes nut and coconut milks into luscious creams that make full fat dairy products jealous.

But that's not the best part. Agar is supposedly a Japanese diet trick (according to the WSJ) and after trying it you'll believe the legend. Eat something prepared with agar and in about 20 minutes you'll feel, really full.

So, there has to be a catch, no? Agar can be pricey. But, little do the yuppies who pay $6 for a small bag at Whole Foods know, Asian markets typically sell it really cheaply. Lucky for my wallet, I get a 2-3 weeks supply of agar powder for a bit over $1 at the Asian market 2 blocks from my apartment. Yes, this white powder is as addictive as the other white powder and I would probably be paying 6 times as much for it if necessary. So, if you have access to an asian market, stock up. You can also order it online in bulk for less than you would pay in a typical grocery or health food store.

You can make this for a vegan, gluten-free tiramisu recipe or decoratively pipe it over a tart or cake. With less of an eye towards presentation, I make a large batch of some sort of agar cream product weekly, sweeten it with powdered stevia (the other addictive white powder for the holistic crowd) and eat it with fruit as a dessert or as an afternoon snack. Here is the almond variation that looks particularly elegant for desserts.

Vegan Almond "Mascarpone"

1 C. almonds, soaked for 2-4 hours or overnight

5 C. water

1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 Tbs. agar powder** (You will need to use more if you are using Agar flakes, follow directions on package for 5 cups of liquid).

Agave, Stevia or powdered sugar to taste*

Rinsing almond after soaking. Combine with 5 c. water in vitamixer (preferred) or blender for 1 minute or until you have frothy liquid that looks like milk (you are essentially making unfiltered almond milk).

Combine cornstarch and agar with milk at room temperature in large pot and whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Heat until boiling, whisking occasionally. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes (you need to boil the mixture for about 5 minutes to activate the agar, but boiling any longer will destroy the gelling properties). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When mixture is warm place it in a large ceramic or glass bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The mixture will be of a jello or tofu-like consistency.

Then blend the mixture (Once again, my favorite blending tool is the vitamixer but you can use a blender or a handblender right in the bowl). You will have a creamy mixture the consistency of a stiff pudding or thick creamy yogurt. Mix sweetener of choice into almond mixture, for an even stiffer mouse, beat sweetener in with a mixer for a few minutes (I didn’t use a mixer for the mascarpone in the picture).

Spoon over fruit or eat alone. For stunning presentation or to decorate a pie, tart or cake put mixture into a pastry bag with tip of choice and pipe.

*When I’m making this for myself to eat with fruit, I use about a packet of powdered stevia per cup of almond mixture. For those looking for a sweeter dessert you will probably want to use agave or powdered sugar.