Gluten Free Horseradish Mushroom Baked Potatoes Recipe

I love a good baked potato (and by baked I mean one that is baked in an oven, not nuked in a microwave) – a potato that has a crispy, well-seasoned skin worthy of eating and is light and fluffy on the inside. 

Since it takes time to cook the perfect baked potato I always throw a few extra in the oven to repurpose later in the week. And what better way to repurpose than to stuff it full of yummy ingredients and then bake again? But before I get into the gluten free recipe for these Vegan Horseradish Mushroom Twice Baked Potatoes, let’s just discuss what is, in my humble opinion, the way to get the perfect baked potato.

It’s not complicated. It doesn’t even require a whole lot of hands-on work. In fact it is so simple I am almost remiss to bring it up, but as I have eaten a lot of less than perfect baked potatoes in my life, bring it up I shall.

First let’s talk about the potato. I do love all those almost buttery potatoes like Yukon Golds. I love red potatoes, blue potatoes and even purple ones; I just don’t love them for baking. What I love for baked potatoes is your standard, garden variety russets. Russets have a thick, brown skin, high starch and low moisture content which yields a light, full center. I like to buy big ones that feel a little heavy for their size.

Now despite what your mama or best friend told you about baking potatoes, do not wrap them in foil! The foil traps too much of the moisture and makes them mushy, not fluffy. In order to release the extra moisture in the potato while it bakes, you need to pierce it with the prongs of a fork in several places (like 8 – 10) and I don’t mean a gentle little poke – push the prongs of that fork way into the potato, let it know you mean business.

As you probably know, most of the nutrients of the potato are in the skin, so why not make the skin worthy of being eaten? I rub my potatoes in olive oil and generously (and I do mean generously) coat them with coarse salt. This results in crispy, delicious skin that is almost as good as the innards!

There are just some things in life I feel passionate about and proper baked potatoes is one of the. Here’s how to make the Perfect Baked Potato:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.

Start with LARGE russet potatoes; scrub them under cold, running water. Dry the skins well. Take a fork and pierce them 8 – 10 times, sticking the fork in as far as you can get it. Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl on a plate and pour on some olive or vegetable oil. Turn the potatoes round and round to totally coat them (yes, your hands will get oily). Then sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher or sea salt.

Place the potatoes directly on the rack of the oven (do not place on a baking sheet and under no circumstances do you wrap your potatoes in foil!). If you are worried about the oil dripping in your oven, place a baking sheet on a rack under the potatoes but DO NOT place the potatoes on the baking sheet (didn’t I just say that? Yep! See… that’s how serious I am about it).  Bake for 1 hour for 4 potatoes, if more than 4 add 15 minutes. Test your potatoes for doneness – the skins should feel crispy but the flesh underneath should feel soft, it will yield when you gently squeeze the potato.

And once you have mastered the perfect baked potato, how about baking them twice?  When making baked potatoes just throw in a few extra and then later on in the week, you can whip up into these Horseradish Mushroom Twice Baked Potatoes – they are an interesting twist on a classic recipe and dairy free and vegan to boot.  I used one of the new flavored Vegenaise products from Follow Your Heart, Vegenaise Horseradish Sauce plus a little vegan sour cream for both flavor and richness. It makes a great side dish or a delish vegan main course – just add a salad and you are good to go!

Gluten Free Vegan Horseradish Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

3 large russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for rubbing the potatoes
Kosher salt
½ small red onion, cut in half then sliced thinly
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
Black pepper
½ cup Vegenaise Horseradish Sauce
¼ cup vegan sour cream
1/3 cup chopped chives

Directions

Position the rack of your oven in the middle and preheat it to 350 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes under cold, running water. Dry the skins well. Take a fork and pierce them 8 – 10 times, sticking the fork in as far as you can get it. Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl on a plate and pour on some olive or vegetable oil. Turn the potatoes round and round to totally coat them then sprinkle with a generous amount of kosher salt. Place the potatoes directly on the rack of the oven (you can place a baking sheet on the rack below the potatoes to keep the oil from dripping) and bake for 1 hour or until the skins feel crispy and the flesh yields to a gentle squeeze. Remove potatoes from the oven and let them cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on.

While the potatoes are baking heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, the liquid from the mushrooms has been released and evaporated and the vegetables are starting to brown.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl leaving a ¼ inch layer of the flesh in the potato skins. Mash the potatoes with a little salt and pepper and place the potato skins on a baking sheet.

To the mashed potatoes add the mushroom onion mixture, the Horseradish sauce, vegan sour cream and about ¼ cup of the chives. Mix well. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins and bake for 15 minutes or until hot and the tops are starting to brown.

Sprinkle the remaining chives on top of the potatoes and serve.

gluten free recipes that makes 6 servings.

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Gluten Free White Bean Chili Salad Recipe

Spring break and Easter week means that my home here in Florida is packed to the rafters with people. So many people that we have had to break out the air mattresses and turn offices into bedrooms. With our lovely weather and beautiful beaches these people are coming and going so much I feel like I need to install a revolving door and hire a doorman. And of course lots of people means I need to stock my fridge with lots of gluten free food. Lots and lots of gluten free food – not to mention some dairy free food, vegetarian food, vegan food, nut free food…you get the idea.

As much as I would love to have my whole clan gathered around a communal dining table for every meal this week, it just aint gonna happen. There are places to go, people to see, waves and fish to catch. I know I can wrangle them all up for Easter dinner but beyond that, they are much more interested in grab and go, already prepared food. Since the males in my family can look into a fully packed refrigerator and tell me there is nothing to eat if it isn’t already prepared, I have baked dozens of gluten free muffins, stocked the fridge with roasted chickens, pre-cut fruits and veggies, individual yogurts (both regular and dairy free) and simple one dish meals that can be snagged on the way in or out as the case may be.

This particular salad actually started out to become a big pot of white bean chili. The balmy weather and the lack of patience for reheating by some family members made me switch gears at the end and make instead a salad; all the spicy Southwestern flavors of chili without having to waste precious vacation seconds reheating.

I started with a bag of Hurst Family Harvest White Bean Chili mix (which I love for their high quality beans and all natural, gluten free seasoning packets) added in some red peppers, green onions, olives, cilantro and pickled jalapenos and tossed it all up with a honey lime vinaigrette. Easy peasy to prepare and, as with most composed salads, the flavors just got better and better as it sat in the fridge. A little bit of advanced preparation has paid off with a delicious, flavor and nutrient packed, easy to eat salad that fits all of our combined food intolerances (except for maybe the hubby’s “intolerance” to red bell peppers as evidenced by a little pile of discarded pepper pieces pushed to the side of his plate).

This is a great vegetarian (for vegan use agave instead of honey in the dressing) main dish salad and for those so inclined, a bit of cooked chicken tossed in is a nice addition. I like mine on a bed of lettuce with some chips on the side.

If you have a house full of people, consider stocking your fridge with a few dishes like this and make things a lot easier on yourself. Come to think of it, while I like the IDEA of three sit down meals a day all week, it is kind of exhausting just to contemplate, so I am kind of happy everyone is running in their own directions. And since my work is done, I think I will grab a book and enjoy the quiet while it lasts.

White Bean Chili Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1 bag Hurst Family Harvest Southwestern White Bean Chili
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1 – 4 ounce can sliced black olives
¼ cup pickled jalapeno pepper rings
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1/8 cup fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
3/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher or fine sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cover the beans by at least 2 inches of water and soak in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours (I soak mine for 24 hours to get softer beans) and reserve the flavor packet. Drain the beans, rinse and place in a large pot with 6 cups of water and the reserved flavor packet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour covered. Uncover the pot and continue to cook for another hour or until the beans are tender and most of the water has cooked off. Drain any remaining liquid and let the bean s cool. Put the beans in a large mixing bowl, add the red bell peppers, green onions, olives, jalapeno and cilantro leaves.

Combine the lime juice, olive oil and honey with a large pinch of salt and pepper in a small covered jar and shake well to combine. Add to the bean mixture, toss to coat and taste – adjust seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if needed.

Refrigerate salad until serving. Serve on a bed of greens with corn chips on the side if desired.

A gluten free recipe that serves 6 – 8 people.

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Gluten Free Miracle Souffles Recipe

Ahh the soufflé – it has all the stability of a hormonal teenage girl in love. The potential for highs as high as the farthest reaches of the galaxy and lows so low I shudder to contemplate the depths. Perfection and bliss can plummet into heartbreak and disaster in the blink of an eye (or the slam of a door).

This is why I decided to see if I could come up with a gluten free recipe for soufflé that was a lot more stable, less fraught with potential disaster, much more “user friendly”.

Typically a soufflé is made by combining a sauce that starts with a mixture of flour and butter, enriched with cream or milk and egg yolks then folding this into stiffly beaten egg whites. It is time consuming and the results are fragile. So many things can cause the soufflé not to rise and then even if does rise, a loud noise, a gush of air or even your breathe can cause it to fall. And of course getting something to the table this fragile is just plain stressful.

I recall reading a long time ago about a soufflé that was made in the blender and was stabilized with cream cheese instead of flour. Of course I don’t remember where I read that or how the whole process was supposed to work but never-the-less, I decided to do what I do best, get in the kitchen and play around.

I tried just blending the whole eggs in the blender first, not separating the whites from the yolks and I have to say this resulted in a very decent soufflé-like product. It was stable, kept well and could be prepared ahead of time. My only problem with it was it didn’t get as puffy as I would have liked; they rose but the tops were flat like a table top, not puffed. So I them decided to separate the egg whites from the yolks, do the blender thing with the yolks and whip the whites separately – much better! Light, airy soufflés that rose beautifully did not collapse and most importantly, stable!

If you have wanted to entertain with soufflés but were afraid of the hormonal, emotional roller coaster – this is the recipe for you. The egg yolks base can be prepared up to a couple hours ahead. While it is probably best to whip the egg whites and combine them with the yolk mixture just before putting the soufflés into the oven, I let mine sit for about 10 minutes first, just to see what would happen and they were perfectly great! And I didn’t have to rush these to the table. I know how to photograph items that are fragile; I have learned a few tricks along the way. But I wanted you to see what these soufflés looked like after sitting around for 10 minutes or so and as you can see in the photos, these guys held up quite well indeed.

And speaking of hormones and the crazy things they can do to not only teenage girls (and boys!) but all of us, do you really want to eat eggs that come from chickens that are injected full of hormones? I think not! Look for organic, cage free eggs that are free of hormones and antibiotics. I use Nature’s Yolk eggs, after all the egg is really the star of this show and who wants a hormonal diva as the star?

If the method of adding the whipped egg whites to the yolk mixture seems backwards to you, it is. I didn’t want to pour my egg yolk mixture into another bowl and have another thing to wash up; I am assuming you will appreciate this concept as much as I do.

I made these in individual 1 cup ramekins but you can also bake this in a large 8 cup soufflé dish – increase cooking time to 40 – 45 minutes. Also I used a combination of garlic and herb soft cheese, goat cheese and cream cheese because it just seemed like a great springtime combo to me but I think the possibilities are endless!

So here you go – a gluten free recipe for a stress-free “miracle” soufflé that won’t send you on an emotional roller coaster and is also great for a people on a low carb diet as well as a gluten free diet.

Gluten Free “Miracle” Cheese and Herb Soufflés

Ingredients

1 tablespoon softened butter or gluten-free non-stick cooking spray
6 large organic cage free eggs (Nature’s Yolk)
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
6.5 ounces garlic and herb soft cheese (such as Boursin or Alouette)
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease 8 – 1 cup oven safe ramekins or 1 – 8 cup soufflé dish with either butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks placing the whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in a blender.

To the egg yolks add the cream, salt and pepper. Turn the blender on high and mix until combined. With the blender running, add in the crumbled goat cheese, a little at a time. Then spoon in the garlic and herb cheese and finally add in the pieces of cream cheese, letting the mixture blend for a second between each addition. Once all the cheeses have been added and the ingredients are fully incorporated, blend for 5 more seconds.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and mix in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer on low until the cream of tartar is fully incorporated into the whites. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer to high and mix until stiff peaks form. Pour about ¼ of the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and fold in until fully mixed. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in, it is fine if there are a few larger pieces of egg whites in the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish(es) and bake for 15 – 20 minutes for individual soufflés, 40 – 45 minutes for a large soufflé. The soufflés should be risen and golden brown.

A gluten free recipe that serves 8.

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Gluten Free Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

I love a good burger (sans bun of course!). I have fond memories of going to the pool at the Officer’s Club at Naha Air and Naval Base in Okinawa and ordering huge, juicy burgers loaded with ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, pickles and onions, eating them by the pool with the juices dripping down my arms, the sounds of happy kids splashing away and the occasion shriek from some one being pushed off the high dive by the rowdy boys in the background while the sun beat down on us and a gentle breeze stirred the air. Of course charging them to my Dad’s account at the O Club was pretty cool too.

My vegetarian sister, Karen, ironically sent us a big box filled with meat products for Christmas so I have been enjoying lots of burger lunches lately.

While there is nothing wrong with ketchup and mustard (except possibly all the sugar in the ketchup) sometimes I like something a little more sophisticated on my burger. This is an easy little topping just packed with flavor. I add a touch of Chilpotle Puree for some heat. That recipe follows. The Chilpotle Puree is hot so judge accordingly when adding.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

1 large roasted red pepper (from a jar, packed in water) – pat dry
¼ teaspoon Chilpotle Puree – or more or less depending on your heat tolerance
Pinch salt & pepper
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon agave syrup

Directions

Put everything into a small food processor or blender and whirl for a few seconds until blended and fairly smooth. Taste for seasoning. Great on burgers, chicken or fish.

Chipotle Puree

(Taken form the cook book “Seriously Simple” by Dianne Rossen Worthington. I keep this in my fridge at all times and use is for topping everything from hummus to mango sorbet.)
Ingredients

1 – 7 ounce can Chilpotle in adobo sauce
Directions

Pour the chilies and their sauce into a food processor and process until smooth. Place in airtight container, cover and refrigerate.
This gluten free recipe makes a great condiment!

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Gluten Free Grilled Orange Chicken Recipe

You know how you are at the mall, famished from all the shopping and bag carrying, and you go to the food court and some enthusiastic teenager pushes a piece of orange chicken at you to taste? Yes? Well I have a confession – sometimes I really wish I could have a taste. I know it is fried and filled with gluten and probably about a thousand calories in just that one taste and that I shouldn’t want to taste it, but I do. I don’t taste it – I WANT to taste it!  After all, eating orange chicken used to be an integral part of my whole mall experience.
I kind of want to hurt that  guy for bringing up the idea of orange chicken to me in the first place. Here I was all set to have a nice healthy salad for lunch and now all I can think about is orange chicken. And so with some disappointment and resentment I eat a salad. And a gelato. And…well… never mind.

If you, like me, miss the taste of orange chicken at the mall you will be happy to know that you can make a much healthier grilled version very easily with the help of some honey and gluten-free Orange Sauce from San-J. With a little forethought, I can have this recipe mostly prepared and waiting in the fridge for me when I return from shopping and finish my mall experience at home.

Now if I could just get Nordstrom to open up a shoe store in my living room…


Grilled Orange Chicken

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup San-J Orange Sauce
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions

Cut chicken into 1½ inch pieces. Combine the San-J Orange Sauce and honey and put half in a medium mixing bowl, reserve the rest for later. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to combine. Let chicken marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature or for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.  If you are marinating in the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.  If using wooden skewers, soak 4 in water for 20 minutes.  Pre-heat the grill to moderately high heat (450 degrees on a gas grill).

Divide chicken pieces onto 4 skewers allowing the chicken to touch but do not cram together. Brush grates of grill with oil.

Grill for 4 minutes with the lid to barbeque closed. Turn skewers over and grill another 4 minutes covered. Brush the reserved sauce onto the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes, turning several times, or until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

A gluten free recipe that serves 4.

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Gluten Free Biscuits Recipe

Gluten-free baking can be complicated, fraught with trial and error (emphasis on the error) and frustrating. However I am happy to report that making gluten-free biscuits need not be as difficult as some would have you believe.

There are those that will tell you the only way to get perfect baking results is to weigh your flours, measure very carefully, calibrate your oven and what not. While this may be true for some things, I have found that biscuits are very forgiving. Think about it, pioneer women mixed up their biscuits on the “road” in the back of a covered wagon and “baked” them over a campfire. Probably while making sure their children weren’t bitten by snakes and fending off hostile natives not too happy with the intrusion, all the while wearing a corset. Seriously, how much time did they have for carefully weighing their flour?

I have found that gums such as xanthan and guar are not necessary in gluten free biscuits, just some type of gluten-free flour and a starch mixed with baking powder and salt. I like my biscuits white and fluffy so I prefer superfine white or brown rice flour but if you want to use another type of gluten free flour such as millet, sorghum, quinoa, etc. or any combination thereof, then go right ahead. For starch I prefer to use either tapioca or potato starch but you could also use cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Again, you can also use a combination of starches if you prefer.

After you pick the type of flour and starch you want to use, it is simply a matter of adding some fat and liquid. The type depends on your taste and dietary needs. Personally I like to use butter for my fat and milk for my liquid but Earth Balance, shortening or even bacon fat and any type of dairy-free milk works really well for dairy free biscuits. Just make sure your fat and liquid are cold.

Once you have made all your decisions the thing to keep in mind is to use a light hand, don’t overwork the dough. The less you work it, the lighter and flakier the biscuit. And when you add the fat to the flour make sure you keep some larger chunks in there, this is also important for flakiness.

When it comes to adding the liquid, start with less than the recipe calls for and add just enough to form the mixture into a dough, various factors such as humidity can affect how much is needed. You may even need a tad more than the recipe calls for.

You can roll and cut out your biscuits or drop them by spoons onto a baking sheet. I prefer to pat out my dough rather than rolling it out with a rolling pin. It is easier and there is one less thing to wash.

I guess the most important thing to keep in mind is not to be intimidated. Really, what’s the worst that could happen? You bake little hockey pucks and try again. The best that could happen? You have warm, flaky, light biscuits warm from the oven ready for a slathering of jam – a little piece of heaven.

Gluten Free Biscuits

Gluten Free Biscuits
Ingredients

1½ cups superfine white or brown rice flour plus more for rolling
¾ cup tapioca or potato starch (not potato flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
6 tablespoons cold fat (such as butter, Earth Balance or shortening), cut into small pieces
¾ cup milk (any kind including dairy free)
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Whisk together the flour, starch baking powder and salt. Cut the fat into the flour either with a pastry cutter, two knives or by rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingers. Make sure you leave some larger pieces of fat. Add the liquid, starting with ½ a cup and gradually adding a little more at a time, mixing until the dough comes together. Put a little flour on a work surface and dump out the dough. Knead 3 or 4 times then either roll or pat it out to about ½ inch thick. Cut into biscuits using a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter. You can gently reform the dough to cut more biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

This recipe makes approximately 12 gluten free biscuits depending on the size.

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Gluten Free Apple Pie Parfait Recipe

There are times when being gluten free can be downright frustrating. For instance, let’s say you all of a sudden have an unquenchable craving for apple pie and yet you live in a town that is sadly remiss in having a gluten free bakery.
Sure you could make gluten free pie crust dough, wait an hour or two for it to chill, roll the dough, cut the apples, flavor them up, assemble it all up and put your pie in the oven for yet another hour and then you can (finally) quell your craving.

While I literally wrote a book on making gluten free desserts, even I don’t want to do that at 6:30PM on a Tuesday night after a long day’s work.  So what’s a girl to do?

Make gluten free apple pie parfaits, that’s what!  Sweet, cinnamony apple chunks layered with maple sweetened non-fat Greek Yogurt (for dairy free you could substitute dairy free sour cream or even dairy free ice cream) and a crunchy, gluten free graham cracker almond crumble.

This simple yet spectacular dessert takes about 20 minutes to prepare, perfect when you want an easy and light dessert that feels and tastes anything but – the perfect thing for when the hankering for apple pie strikes but you haven’t the time or energy to make one.

What really makes this parfait special is the crumble. Seriously, if you want any left to actually layer in your parfait hide it from the kids (and your spouse) until you finish up – otherwise it will all be nibbled away! I took some S’moreables (gluten free graham style crackers from Kinnikinnick) crushed them up coarsely, tossed the crumbs with some sliced almonds, coated with a bit of honey and a touch of oil and baked it for about 15 minutes. I am already thinking of anything and everything I can to top with this awesome mix!!


Gluten Free Apple Pie Parfaits

Ingredients

12 S’moreables (gluten free graham style crackers from Kinnikinnick)
1 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grapeseed (or other neutral flavored) oil
4 large sweet apples (such as Fuji or Honeycrisp)
Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Greek yogurt (non-fat, low fat or full fat)
4 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place your gluten free graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush them until you have some crumbs and larger (about ¼ inch) pieces. Combine in a mixing bowl with the almonds, honey and oil. Toss until the honey and oil coat the crumbs and almonds. Spread in an even layer on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the mixture is crisp, fragrant and browned – it will crispy up a little more as it cools and should be a little clumpy. Let cool.

While the crumble is baking prepare the apples; core and cut into 1 inch chunks. Spray a large skillet with a lid with some gluten-free non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the apples, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and vanilla and toss well to coat. Cover the skillet and let cook until the apples are softened, about 8 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the lid, increase heat to high and cook until the liquid has thicken up to a syrup and coats the apples. Let cool.

Mix the yogurt with the maple syrup. For each parfait place a layer of apples into a goblet or dessert dish, top with some of the yogurt and then add a handful of the crumble. Repeat the layers. I think this is best served while the apples are still warm.

A gluten free recipe that makes 4 large or 6 smaller parfaits.

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Gluten Free Hummus Recipe

It’s Holiday time! Tis the season to be jolly. To eat, drink and be merry. To gain 10 pounds, do serious damage to your waist line and quite possibly your liver.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Holiday Parties. Houses twinkle, guests glitter and drinks clink. But all that partying can take its toll on our health. It is hard to navigate all the drinking and eating and still maintain the good health that you need to maintain the energy required to be truly merry.

Gluten is just lurking around every corner. And even if you manage to find gluten free goodies to munch on the sugar and fat can kill ya!

I have decided to add some healthy appetizers to my holiday party this year. Which brings me to the lowly hummus.

Hummus gets a bad wrap sometimes. It can be bland and may have a hippie conotation but really there is a lot to like about hummus. When seasoned properly it is delicious, it is packed with fiber, good fat and when served with fresh veggies it actual is very healing to your liver, which let’s face it can use a break this time of year.
I know you can buy fairly decent hummus almost anywhere these days but you make it yourself you can ensure it is packed with flavor and is indeed a healthful snack. And it is a snap to make.

To boost the healthy factor I use organic garbanzo beans and add some flax seed oil. Flax seed oil is amazingly good for you and it gives the hummus a great nutty undertone.

Skip the pita, serve with fresh veggies or even apples (don’t cringe, it is actually quite yummy) and if you want to elevate it to high status, pipe it onto the veggies for a pretty presentation. This hummus is definitely not hippie food!

Hummus

2 cans organic garbanzo beans, liquid drained and reserved
1 ½ teaspoons course sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
Juice of 2 lemons
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons flax seed oil
½ cup liquid from garbanzo beans
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients except olive oil in a strong blender or food processor and process until pureed. Add olive oil and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning, add more salt or Tabasco if necessary.

Serve as a gluten free dip with fresh vegetables or pipe onto veggies.

Simply…Gluten Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

Resource:

http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2008/12/hummus.html

Gluten Free Guilt Free Fudge Sauce Recipe

I just can’t think about February without thinking about chocolate. Hmmm… I wonder why? Is it because Valentine’s Day is sitting right there in the middle of the month threatening to derail all of our good diet intentions with its bounty of fancy truffles, chocolate dipped strawberries and other fabulous, chocolate-laden gluten free (and many not so gluten free) treats?

It must be a plot of some sort. After all, we start the year with our resolutions – to lose weight, eat healthier, cut sugar out of our diets, eat less fat, exercise more…the list goes on.  So we eagerly get started with great resolve, it is new and we are determined. And most of us, while we face challenges, start to feel better by the end of the January. This keeps us going a little longer. And then right there, smack dab in the middle of February, is a day that basically revolves around chocolate and sugar with some hearts thrown in.

If we just ate a nice chocolate or treat on the day, that would be no problem, but we don’t. We eat half a box (at least) of chocolates because, well, it’s a gift after all and we don’t want to be rude do we? And then maybe we celebrate the day with a special, calorie and fat laden meal that ends with, yep!… more chocolate.  And if we don’t have someone special in our lives to give us chocolates and take us out to dinner, we may fill the void with pints of ice cream topped with fudge sauce or whatever the sugar-filled, fat laden food of our choice is.

If we just stepped off the path of healthier eating for the one day, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal – the problem is that once we meander off the path, sometimes it seems much more interesting to continue in that direction and it can be a very difficult time getting back on it.

Am I saying don’t have chocolate on Valentine’s Day.  NO!  After all that, would be paramount to heresy. What I am saying is eat one of those lovely truffles and hide the rest in your freezer. Have those chocolate dipped strawberries or ice cream with fudge sauce but do it in a more health-minded manner. In other words indulge guilt free.

This is a guilt free fudge sauce that feels and tastes indulgent but is actually refined sugar free and practically fat free! It takes under 10 minutes to prepare and lasts about 10 days in the fridge.

This sauce gets its rich flavor and luxurious texture thanks to a combo of unsweetened cocoa powder, coconut sugar, a touch of instant espresso powder (not essential but it really deepens the chocolate flavor), pure vanilla extract and dark, almost caramelly organic raw blue agave from Wholesome Sweeteners.

Dip strawberries (or any fruit really) into it, spoon it on top of ice cream (for a really guilt free dessert try making a sundae with my almost instant cherry frozen yogurt) or just lick it off a spoon. You will feel all the fudgy chocolate love without bouncing off the walls or derailing all your good dietary progress.

Gluten Free Guilt Free Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup water
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup organic raw blue agave (dark agave)
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the water, coconut sugar, agave, cocoa powder and espresso powder (if using) in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring until smooth. Boil for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Whisk in the vanilla and let cool for about an hour – the sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Serve warm or cold. The sauce can be re-heated for a hot fudge sauce by microwaving for a minute or so on high power.

A gluten free, refined sugar free recipe that makes about 1½ cups of sauce.

Ready for more dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

Resource :
http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2012/02/gluten-free-guilt-free-fudge-sauce-recipe.html

Gluten Free Scalloped Tomatoes Recipe

You may think it is strange for me to be posting a tomato recipe in the dead of winter but before you purists who only eat tomatoes at their peak of ripeness and perfection (late summer) get all up in arms, let me explain.
I guess I need to start with a confession, so here goes. “Hi, my name is Carol and I am a tomato addict. And that’s not all; I have passed my addiction along to everyone in my family.” Seriously, we could be out of milk, eggs and gluten free bread and I am still not hopping in the car to run to the store, but just let us run out of tomatoes and I am off to the market before you can blink. A good portion of my grocery budget goes to tomatoes every week! We have even tried to support our habit by growing our own tomatoes – no luck yet but we are still trying.

So as you can see, I am not going to let a little thing like “out of season” get in my way of eating tomatoes. While tomatoes may be available all year round, they do tend to be pretty flavorless when not in season. The solution? Roasting them!

Roasting is a great way to bring out the natural sweetness of any vegetable and it works great with tomatoes. But for this recipe I took it one step further – in essence I scalloped them. With a bit of balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary, the tomatoes become a fabulous winter side dish or vegan main course. In the summer, fresh basil would be a great substitution of the rosemary. All the lovely, flavorful, aromatic juices exuded by roasting the tomatoes are soaked up with Kinnikinnick’s Gluten Free Panko Style Bread Crumbs which also provides a nice crunchy topping.

If you have any leftover scalloped tomatoes, serving with them with a poached egg on top is pure bliss. In fact, next time I make this recipe I am not counting on leftovers – I am making it specifically for topping with an egg because, yep, it really is that good!



Do you have a food addiction?


Gluten Free Scalloped Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 pound plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups Kinnikinnick gluten free panko style bread crumbs – use divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the tomatoes into roughly 1 inch pieces. Place in a 8 inch by 8 inch (or similar sized) baking dish. Add the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 1 cup of the bread crumbs, toss well. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs on top and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the remaining ½ cup of bread crumbs and cook for 10 more minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

A gluten free recipe that serves 6 people.

Ready for dessert?

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

Resource :
http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2012/01/gluten-free-scalloped-tomatoes-recipe.html

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free: Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with restorative properties � it helps get you through the sniffles, warms your bones and is a pretty good hangover food as well. In other words, it is good pho you. (Yes, I went there, sorry!)

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free: Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with restorative properties � it helps get you through the sniffles, warms your bones and is a pretty good hangover food as well. In other words, it is good pho you. (Yes, I went there, sorry!)

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free

Fast Pho Recipe- Gluten Free: Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with restorative properties � it helps get you through the sniffles, warms your bones and is a pretty good hangover food as well. In other words, it is good pho you. (Yes, I went there, sorry!)

Gluten Free Fast Pho Recipe

Gluten Free Fast Pho Recipe: Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with restorative properties � it helps get you through the sniffles, warms your bones and is a pretty good hangover food as well. In other words, it is good pho you. (Yes, I went there, sorry!)

Gluten Free Fast Pho Recipe

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with restorative properties – it helps get you through the sniffles, warms your bones and is a pretty good hangover food as well. In other words, it is good pho you. (Yes, I went there, sorry!)

While pho should be a naturally Gluten Free Recipes, often it is not, especially when you grab a bowl at one of those little corner pho joints. Often the broth is made with a soup base which contains gluten. You can of course make your own soup broth from scratch but all that work is sort of counter intuitive when you are in need of a soup with restorative powers.

Due to the dietary restrictions and choices in my family I wanted a broth that would be gluten free and work for both vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I decided to use CelifibR Vegetarian Chicken Bouillon soup cubes from Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods. This way I could use meat – in this case chicken, as an optional garnish.

Speaking of garnishes, that is what, in my opinion, pho is all about! I mean otherwise it is just a bowl of noodles with broth, fine but not magically restorative. The thing with garnishes is that each person customizes their own bowl, no two soups are the same and each is an individual masterpiece designed by the diner. Serve the pho with dishes filled with lime wedges, cilantro and basil leaves, sliced green onions, slices of fresh chili peppers, bean sprouts and in this case, chicken shredded from a rotisserie bird from the store – making this really fast pho!

Of course there is no pho without noodles. Look for rice noodles, also called Bahn Pho Noodles, in Asian markets or in the ethnic section of the grocery store. They come in different sizes; I think the medium (about ¼ inch thick) are perfect. And, according to the lady who runs my local Asian market, disregard the instruction on the package that tells you to boil the noodles. Instead, soak the noodles until soft in warm water (about 10 minutes) then place them in a strainer set in a mixing bowl. Just before serving, fill the bowl with boiling water, let the noodles sit for 5 seconds then place in the bowls and ladle on hot broth. This method results in perfectly cooked noodles that are not mushy.

So, in case you caught the sniffles this holiday season or indulged just a wee bit too much, think about making fast pho. It may just magically restore you back to good health!

Gluten Free Fast Pho

Ingredients

½ pound rice noodles (Banh Pho)
4 CelifibR gluten free vegetarian chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups boiling water
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 handful cilantro leaves
1 handful basil leaves
2 Thai or jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
2 fresh limes, cut into wedges
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (omit for vegan or vegetarian)

Directions

Soak the noodles in very warm water until softened, about 10 minutes.

Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 5 cups boiling water. Add half of the sliced green onions and season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed.

Once the noodles are softened, drained them, put into a strainer set in a large bowl and fill the bowl with boiling water. Let sit for 5 seconds, drain and divide the noodles among 4 large soup bowls. Divide the hot broth among the 4 bowls of noodles. Serve immediately with all the additional ingredients on the side. Let each diner design their pho the way they want.

Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by
Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com

Article Source: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/12/gluten-free-fast-pho-recipe.html

Gluten Free Tuna Casserole Recipe

Gluten Free Tuna Casserole Recipe: I am going to just spit it out � I love tuna casserole! There I said it. I know it is not hip, not trendy and certainly not �foodie� (you can add that to my mounting list of why I will never be called a �foodie�)

Gluten Free Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Gluten Free Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe: Leaving cookies and milk for Santa is something we always do in this house. Call it appreciation for the gifts he will bestow, offering some Gluten Free sustenance

Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe � Gluten Free

Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe � Gluten Free: Leaving cookies and milk for Santa is something we always do in this house. Call it appreciation for the gifts he will bestow, offering some Gluten Free sustenance

Gluten free teriyaki mushroom pate recipe

Gluten free teriyaki mushroom pate recipe: GLUTEN FREE TERIYAKI MUSHROOM PATE RECIPEFashion experts tell us that we should dress, get all accessorized up and then remove oneaccesory before leaving the house, that less is more. For about a second

Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe - Gluten Free

Santa�s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe - Gluten Free: Leaving cookies and milk for Santa is something we always do in this house. Call it appreciation for the gifts he will bestow,

Gluten Free Santa’s Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa is something we always do in this house. Call it appreciation for the gifts he will bestow, offering some Gluten Free sustenance for a long night or maybe even just a little extra assurance that Santa will know we have been nice this year, not naughty.

Every year it is something different. This year we are leaving Gluten Free Santa’s Thumbprint Cookies. We thought maybe he would feel a twinge of recognition and know how grateful we are.

For maraschino cherries without red dye or corn syrup, try these.

If you put out cookies for Santa, what kind do you leave?

Gluten Free Santa’s Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

4 cups pastry quality gluten-free flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup corn syrup or light agave nectar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup sanding sugar (or just more granulated sugar)
One 11 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
24 maraschino cherries, cut in half and dried well

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Cream together the butter and ¾ cup sugar with an electric mixer. Add the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture, with the mixer on low, and beat until combined. With a spatula, scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed well.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls then roll in the sanding sugar and place on a plate or baking sheet – you can put them on top of each other – and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can make ahead of time but if they are refrigerated for more than 30 minutes you will have to let them sit out for a few minutes before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets about an inch apart. Flatten with your thumb, making an indentation in each ball. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until firm but not beginning to brown. Leave oven on. If the indentations have risen, use the end of a wooden spoon to depress again. Fill each indentation with a teaspoon of chocolate chips. Return to oven for 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula or spoon, swirl the chocolate chips to melt. Top each cookie with a maraschino cherry half.

Want to know more about your favorite Gluten Free Recipe or how to avoid being bothered by Celiac with our range of Gluten Free Recipes which are made from Gluten Free raw material feel free to visit us at: http://www.simplygluten-free.com

Article Source: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/12/gluten-free-santas-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html