Tag Archives: GF

recipe, vegetables

Baba Ghanoush

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Baba ghanoush is an eggplant salad dish popular in Turkey, Isreal, Egypt,
Syria, Lebanon, and other Arabic countries. In some countries it is used as a dip for pita bread, while in others it is served as a salad with tomatoes, onions, and a dressing of olive oil and pomegranate concentrate. This recipe is a basic version- you can spice it up however you’d like!

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Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs tahini paste
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

1. Bake the eggplant on a lined baking sheet at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

2. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and allow to cool. Scoop out the insides and purée in a food processor with all remaining ingredients.

3. Serve room temperature or cold with a drizzle of olive oil and vegetables for dipping.

Eat this as an appetizer, side dish, sandwich spread, or turn it into hummus by adding garbanzo beans to the food processor in step 2.

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breakfast, recipe, treats

Blackberry Crisp

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Treat your family to a tasty blackberry crisp with greek yogurt this weekend!

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Ingredients:
2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup gluten free oats
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tbs brown sugar
1 packet stevia
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
3 tbs butter or coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place berries in a greased baking dish (9″x9″ or larger).

2. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, stevia, cinnamon, and butter or oil in a bowl. Crumble together and sprinkle over the berries.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is crisp. Serve warm over cold yogurt.

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Easy, right? Try using other berries and summer fruits for fun variations. I think apple and blackberry would be an awesome combination.

recipe, starch

Tostones and Mofongo recipe: gluten free fun with plantains

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I went out for dinner and drinks with my coworkers last Friday night at Bar + Bistro, one of my favorite tapas restaurants in Vegas. My favorite tapas were the tostones- little sandwiches made on fried plantains instead of bread!

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These were SO delicious!! I couldn’t wait to recreate them at home. I’ve never used plantains before, so I did some research first.

-tostones are a dish that comes from Puerto Rico. They are eaten as a side dish in place of rice, pasta, or bread.

-plantains are starchier and less sweet than bananas, so they can be eaten savory or sweet. They also have more potassium than bananas!

Tostones are quick and easy to make. I found plantains at Whole Foods for $1 per pound. You can get an even better deal at Hispanic supermarkets. Pick a plantain that is green. I didn’t know any better, so I got a yellow one with some dark spots. It was still good, but a little on the sweeter side.

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Ingredients:
-1 plantain, large
-2-3 tbs grapeseed, coconut, or canola oil
-salt to taste

1. Cut the plantain into 1.5 inch slices. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.

2. Fry the plantain slices until golden on all sides, but not burnt. Adjust the flame as necessary.

3. Stand the plantain slices on a paper towel and gently flatten each one with the bottom of a plate or mug until they are about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.

4. Return the plantain patties to the skillet and fry until golden on both sides. Return to paper towel to remove excess oil. Season with salt to taste.

I served my tostones with leftover slices of African roasted pork and mint sauce. They would be really good with roast beef, carnitas, or turkey breast as well!

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My tostones were not as crispy as the restaurant version because I used less oil, but they were still very tasty!

For a different variation called mofongo, simply mash the fried plantains with a bit of garlic at the end. This is a very tasty alternative to mashed potatoes!

protein, recipe

African Roasted Pork Loin with Mint Yogurt Sauce

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This is a recipe for the best dinner I’ve ever made (according to Colby). I think you’ll love it too! The idea for juicy African pork tenderloin with Harissa sauce came from an issue of Cooking Light magazine a few years back.

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Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 c roasted red peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbs olive oil, divided
3 tbs lemon juice, divided
2 tsp cumin, divided
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 tbs sambal olek (fresh ground chili paste)
6 oz plain greek yogurt
Small handful mint leaves, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together roasted bell pepper, garlic, 2 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and sambal olek to make Harissa sauce. Place in a large bowl.

2. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet. Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides.

3. Place the pork in the bowl of Harissa sauce and coat well. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Pour the remaining sauce on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (medium) or 165 degrees (well done).

4. To make the mint sauce, combine yogurt, chopped mint, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt.

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Try this dish with curried cauliflower, Israeli couscous, or tomorrow’s recipe… Tostones! Here’s a sneak peek:

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recipe, treats

Fresh Cherry Cake Recipe (Gluten Free)

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I bought a big container of cherries at Costco. This is always how it starts… I have lots of something and need to figure out how to use it up! I knew I wanted to recreate my favorite cake, cherry clafoutis, which is a light and fluffy pancake style cake, but I wanted to make it gluten free. I also had to figure out how to pit fresh cherries without a cherry pitter (those gadgets are ridiculously overpriced).

First of all, if you’re going to use fresh cherries, pit them by pushing a straw through the bottom of the cherry until the pit comes out the stem end. It’s going to feel really gory. The juice gets everywhere, so do this over the trash can. If you’re using already pitted cherries, my favorite ones to use are the jarred cherries from Trader Joe’s.

Second of all, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. It will be more precise than trying to use a measuring cup. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, get one! They’re $20 (sometimes less) and are a handy tool to have around for portion control.

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Ingredients:
1-2 cups pitted cherries
50 g almond meal
50 g brown rice flour
60 g coconut flour
2 tbs arrowroot starch
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c plain greek yogurt
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 droppers full of liquid stevia, or 1/4 c sugar
6 egg whites
1 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer until frothy and fairly stiff.

2. Set the cherries aside. Sift together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients to the egg whites. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl gently to combine.

3. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9×13 casserole dish. Carefully press the cherries into the batter.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool before cutting and serve with powdered sugar (optional).

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The almond flour in this cake complements the flavor of the cherries really well! This is a nutritious cake! You could eat it for breakfast. Here’s the nutrition breakdown for 1/8th of the cake (a generous slice!)

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Let me know if you like having the nutrition info posted along with my recipes, I’m more than happy to include it!

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recipe, vegetables

Cauliflower Risotto with Peas and Roasted Mushrooms

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I’ve used cauliflower as pizza crust and as mashed potatoes in shepherd’s pie, but I hadn’t tried “ricing” my cauliflower until yesterday. I’m happy with the result. Here’s a recipe for cauliflower risotto with fragrant roasted mushrooms, white wine, thyme, and peas!

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Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
8 oz package of mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped onion
1.5 cups frozen petite peas
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1/4 fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs olive oil, additional in a mister
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Break the cauliflower into florets and process raw in a blender or food processor until it reaches “rice-like” texture. Do this in batches, or else your cauliflower might just turn to mush.

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2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice mushrooms and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil mister or cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

3. Sauté onion with olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the garlic after 3 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer for a minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

4. Add the cauliflower rice, green peas, thyme, wine vinegar, and roasted mushrooms. Stir together and simmer for 5-10 minutes to bring the flavors together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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If you’re avoiding legumes, leave the peas out and add carrots instead. Enjoy this risotto with chicken or yummy Swedish meatballs like I did!

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protein, recipe

Baked Paleo Swedish Meatballs

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It’s time for the weekly lunch cook up! This week we’re going with a Eurpean theme. I picked up some organic ground beef at Costco to turn into easy baked Swedish meatballs and packed them up with roasted mushroom cauliflower risotto for my workday lunches.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground pork (or turkey)
1 egg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
(For the optional sauce:)
1/2 c beef broth
1/4 c heavy cream or coconut milk
1 tbs arrowroot starch

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté chopped onion in 1 tsp olive oil to soften. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mash with your hand to combine.

2. Roll the meat into 1 oz balls (a little smaller than a golf ball) and place on a baking sheet.

3. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160 degrees.

4. If you’re looking to make the Swedish meatball sauce, pour the drippings into a sauté pan, add 1/4 cup beef broth, and heat to thicken. Dissolve 1 tbs arrowroot starch in another 1/4 c beef broth and add to the pan. Heat and stir to thicken. Add heavy cream or coconut milk and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency. Season to taste and serve over meatballs.

I didn’t make the sauce for the meatballs this morning, but I might make it fresh for the leftovers tonight. I think I have enough meatballs for 6 meals!

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recipe, snacks

Quick and Easy Raspberry Jam Recipe

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Did you know you can make your own jam in 5 minutes? You don’t need to heat it up, which keeps the fruit flavor true and fresh!

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Ingredients:
1 cup raspberries
1 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs lemon juice
Honey, maple syrup, or liquid stevia to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or Magic Bullet. Process to desired consistency.

2. Place the jam in the fridge for a few hours to thicken.

The chia seeds help to make this jam gelatinous without having to use pectin or large amounts of sugar. Pretty cool!

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I liked this jam swirled with plain greek yogurt. Colby liked in on waffles. You can try it on scones, toast, or straight out of the jar! It will keep in the fridge for about a week, maybe longer. Let me know what other fruits you try it with!

recipe, starch

Gluten free sweet potato gnocchi

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Sometimes the inspiration for a dish comes from a single ingredient. In this case, I was dreaming up unique ways to use sweet potatoes. These gnocchi are a flavorful variation of the traditional potato dumplings. The addition of ricotta cheese and parmesan gives them a little extra bite and chew. The brown butter sage sauce makes these babies out-of-this-world delicious!

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Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
6 oz ricotta cheese (fat free ricotta worked fine)
1 egg
1/2 c grated parmesan
1 tsp salt (plus more for salting the water)
1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
1 cup brown or white rice flour (more for dusting)
1/2 cup sweet rice flour (gives a better consistency- or try potato starch in place of this)
1/2 stick butter
1/4 c fresh sage, chopped

1. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave until tender, about 5 minutes. Cut in half to cool and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Press through a potato ricer or food processor and place in a large bowl.

2. Add ricotta, parmesan, cinnamon/nutmeg, salt, and egg to the potatoes. Mix to combine.

3. Add the flour and mix the dough until smooth. If the dough is still very sticky, add a bit more flour. Boil a large pot of salted water.

4. Separate the dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll one of the balls out into a log about 1/2″ diameter. Cut at 3/4″ intervals with a knife.

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5. Roll each piece into a small egg shape and smash slightly between your fingers.

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6. Gently boil the first batch of gnocchi for about 3-5 minutes, or until they float up to the surface. Set aside and repeat steps 4-6 with the other half of the dough.

7. Heat butter in a skillet until bubbly. Add chopped sage. Sauté the gnocchi in the sauce in two batches until golden. Serve seasoned with salt, pepper, remaining sauce, and shredded parmesan.

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