Gluten Free Figs, Walnuts, Buckwheat and more!

This was the last bowl of my latest batch of homemade gluten-free granola, and boy do I miss it!  Thankfully this granola recipe is so easy to whip up, that I don’t feel like I have to put aside too much time to create the next batch.  Often I will mix up a batch before I settle-in to watch one of my favorite evening shows, and while I am laughing at Jessica Day and Nick Miller as they navigate their attraction to one another, or traveling through time and space with the Doctor and his companion, the intoxicating smell of oven-warmed granola is filling my home.

Add some sliced bananas and non-dairy milk…

My inspiration for this recipe came from a raw granola recipe on the Choosing Raw website.  If you have a dehydrator, or an oven that will cook at very low temps you can also make my recipe raw.  One day I hope to have a dehydrator, but for now, I am loving this oven-warmed recipe too.  I have tried it at both 200 F and 250 F and both work depending on what consistency you prefer your granola (slightly chewy or slightly crunchy).  So I encourage you to experiment.

Gluten Free Granola Breakfast

I have also tried this with a few different ingredients.  It is excellent with raw hazelnuts, chopped into pieces, and I have enjoyed it with dried apple pieces too.  After it has baked I will also sometimes add in raw cacao nibs and chopped up crystallized ginger.  There are so many delicious ways to make it, so definitely have fun with it.  Also, the current amount of agave that I use is a mildly sweet version, so if you want it sweeter add a little bit more at a time to see what tastes good to you.  Remember that adding fruit or non-dairy milk will also add some sweet.

The post Fig-Walnut Granola – Gluten Free appeared first on Nourish the Budding Lotus.

Rich. Creamy. Vegan. Pudding.

I have been enjoying homemade Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding for over a year now, but it is one of those recipes that seems so easy to make that I have been hesitating to put it up on the blog…  Not because I think it is too obvious to share, on the contrary, I think people are quite surprised by the idea of making pudding out of avocados.  My real road block was that I considered it such and easy recipe that I never actually measure the ingredients.  I just mix and keep adjusting until it tastes good.

But, I have finally measured out the ingredients so that I can officially share the recipe with those of you who are excited about a super easy way to make some indulgent chocolate pudding.  It only takes a few minutes to whip up and you don’t have to cook, simmer, stir or wait for the pudding to settle.  The avocados are a perfect agent for pudding.

Spoonful of Pudding

For those of you who are worried about the taste of the avocado overpowering the pudding, I say “give it a try!”.  Avocados are one of those foods that has a subtle flavor and will absorb the flavors around it, so if you are hesitant, let the pudding sit for at least an hour so it can becomes even more chocolate-y.   This is not a necessary step, but I do find that it helps the flavors meld.

Avocado Superfood

Once you fool everyone into enjoying this indulgent dessert, you can also revel in how amazingly healthy it is for you, your friends and family.  Here are a few of the many superpowers that avocados hold within their dark green shells:

• Increase metabolism
• Anti-aging
• Anti-oxidant
• Improves the skin
• Loaded with nutrients – Potassium, Folate, Vitamin E and more

The other excellent health features about this pudding is that it is so rich that you will eat a lot less of it than other puddings.  The avocado is so filling that you only need a small serving to feel satisfied.  I usually have a few spoonfuls here and there when I want a snack and my desire is quenched.  So this pudding will go a long way.  And if it is too rich for you, try adding some coconut milk to the food processor 1/4 cup at a time to see if the consistency feels better to you.

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Chocolate Chips – Bananas – Yum!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Lately I have been feeling the desire to take more photos and feel more creative, so here are a few images of what is making me feel the Valentine’s Day spirit today.

Oh, and definitely check out the gluten-free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe below!  This bread is super moist and so decadent.  Perfect for a sweet breakfast, or loving afternoon treat, or all of the above!

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Gluten Free Pizzelle

I have not been feeling very festive so far this December, but my one holiday indulgence has been these pizzelle.  Over a year ago I purchased a waffle iron that came with plates to make hot sandwiches and pizzelle too.  I was so excited, but never tested out the pizzelle maker.  Mostly because I had no idea if one could make gluten-free pizzelle.  Recently I found this recipe by The Wannabe Chef.  His recipe was a great guideline for me.  I have made a few alterations and plan to test it out with other flours too.  But for now I was excited to share this holiday treat with all of you.

Crispy and slightly sweet.

Pizzelle have been a family treat for me since I was a child.  The Italian half of my family would have them at most holidays, although I don’t remember if they were ever homemade before.  I loved them!  I know it is not for everyone, but I love anise.  It was a common flavoring in many of our traditional holiday desserts.

When I lived in Florence I quickly discovered that pizzelle were not native to the Tuscan region, but I discovered a cousin of the pizzelle, the brigidini which are thinner than pizzelle and a little more crispy, with the same overall flavor and style.  Now that I am living gluten-free I am really excited that I still can enjoy these nostalgic treats!

I have put together a few photos of the pizzelle making process to help you along the way with your gluten-free cooking adventures.

The batter comes out a little sticky and dryer than I had assumed, but don’t worry it makes good cookies!

You only need a small cookie scooper (about the size of a melon-baller) for the batter.  One heaping scoop should be good for each pizzelle round in your pizzelle maker.

In order to get a nice golden color to the pizzelle I cook them for about 1 minute and 15 seconds.  Definitely check the manufacturer’s instructions on your pizzelle maker though as they are bound to cook at different rates.

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Salad with Fennel, Pecorino Toscano, Oranges and Mint

There is a relatively new gluten-free bakery in Santa Fe called Revolution Bakery which I have been enjoying exploring over the past few months.  In addition to making some exciting baked goods, they are also serving lunches.  When I first started going I always wanted to get something that included a gluten-free-alternative focus like their pizzas or a sandwich…but then I discovered this beautiful salad.  Their version is a little different, but it inspired me to create my own and I have been enjoying it at home ever since.

It is really easy to put together and requires only a few ingredients which I really appreciate.  Sometimes it is nice to have a salad ready to go in just a few minutes.  If you are looking for a vegan option, this salad is excellent without the cheese as well.  I put in a small amount just for a touch of flavor, and specifically because I love sheep’s milk cheese.

Pecorino

Personally I don’t know why there isn’t more sheep’s cheese in the US.  I think it is the best cheese in the world!  If you can find pecorino toscano (which is different than pecorino romano) go for that.  If you are shopping at a mainstream grocery store you might be able to find manchego, and if you are at Trader Joe’s they have a pretty good Petite Basque too.

While there are days in the winter season when we want hearty soups and warm roasted veggies I am sure this salad will become a staple in your seasonal favorites as well.

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My favorite experience of eating halvah involved my international travels of 2009.  As part of my trip, I visited Istanbul for a few days, exploring the art, architecture, culture and beauty of the city.  I loved it, and apart from the difficulty of finding gluten-free options, the vegetarian choices were excellent.  I was pretty excited to find helva (halvah) everywhere!

Since I was returning to Rotterdam to stay with friends on the way back from Istanbul, I brought home some helva for them as a gift.  Their little girl devoured it!  She was so cute, loving each bite, and you couldn’t help but enjoy watching her savor this sweet treat.  We got so wrapped up in her enjoyment that we weren’t really monitoring her consumption, and she very quickly hit a sugar high of cuteness, followed by a major sugar low.  I will admit I learned my lesson, since I was sharing a bedroom with her at night, and lets just say, I don’t remember either of us sleeping all that well.

It definitely hasn’t kept me from loving halvah though, and I have to say I was excited to come upon this new recipe by accident.  I was playing with versions of a Frozen Fudge recipe that my friend Joslyn had created on her blog, and with a few substitutions here and there discovered that I had pretty much made Chocolate Halvah Fudge.

It all started out from reading her ingredients list which included: 1.5 cups cashew butter (or you can use a different butter, like almond or peanut), and I thought, hmmm, what if I tried coconut butter?  Would it have too different of a consistency?  What if I tried part coconut butter and part…oooh…tahini butter!  It sounded great, so I decided to see what came of it.  And that children, is the story of the great Halvah adventure!

Maybe it doesn’t sound as exciting to you.  I do sometimes get teased for all of the experimenting I do in the kitchen.  I can’t just stick to one good recipe, I have to keep trying new versions of it.  But how else do you invent something awesome!  Like the person who first decided to whip egg whites.  I am sure someone was making fun of them for sitting there with a bowl of egg whites and a primitive whisk for a crazy amount of time…but they invented something cool.  Hello macaroons!

It does leave room for a lot of cooking blunders, but I guess I just never stopped playing with my food!

Ok, back to the halvah.  Did I mention that this is only sweetened with dates?  How perfect is that?  No more sugar highs (unless you eat the whole pan or something).  It is a perfect balance of mild sweetness.  And coconut butter.  Hello healthy fats!  This is pretty much a raw dish as well.  When you make coconut butter, there is a debate about whether the blender heats the coconut higher than raw standards, so if you want this to be full-on-certifiable raw, definitely read about your blending options.

All in all…just enjoy this perfect little treat.

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Have you heard about coconut butter yet?  I am still in the process of discovering it, but the uses that I have found for it so far are delicious.  It is so easy to make too!  Basically just buy some unsweetened, shredded coconut, and blend…  Well there are some instructions, as you will see below, but it is way less expensive than some of the store bought options so why not try it?

My favorite use for it so far?  Spreading it onto pancakes and waffles!  Seriously.  I am not a fan of butter but sometimes I just want something creamy between my gluten-free pancakes and my rich-amber maple syrup.  Spread it on, and watch it melt between the layers of breakfast goodness.

Because coconut fat solidifies at 76 F, your coconut butter will be solid, liquid, or somewhere-in-between depending on the temp in your house.  When solid, it will be thick and hard, but will easily soften on a warm pastry or with a small amount of heating over a stove top (just warm on low in a small sauce pan).

I have always loved the taste of coconut, but until a few years ago it was a pretty superficial relationship.  But then a friend of mine introduced me to the benefits of coconut oil (and coconut in general).  Since then I have been in-love and have been including more coconut in my diet step by step.  I can’t wait to share my latest recipe, Chocolate Halvah Fudge.

How do you use your coconut butter?  Any good recipes to share with me?  Leave a comment below, I would love to check it out.

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Why didn’t I think of this before?

I have a confession.  I am way too much of a perfectionist when it comes to this blog…and it is keeping me from blogging.  Apart from the fact that the summer season keeps my schedule inundated with spa work and private massage clients, my main excuse for not blogging is the perfectionist block.

I have such high expectations for every element of my blog post, from the photos to the content I think I am just putting too much pressure on myself.  My most recent block came from the fact that I told myself I was going to get a new camera with the prize money that I won in the Hail Merry t-shirt design contest.  Little did I know, SLR cameras are expensive!  So, I am needing to save up a little additional money for that special camera…  In the meantime I am not going to allow myself to keep making these excuses. 

Every so often someone I know compliments me on my blog…I had no idea they were following it!  (Hello!)  It is inspiration to keep sharing my recipes and connecting with all of you out there.  Thanks for the positive feedback and gluten-free lovin’.

Second confession: I am addicted to muffins.  You might have noticed the abundance of muffin recipes on my blog, or the fact that I have shared my affinity for Saturday morning muffins.  Well it is Saturday again, and I have come up with a new muffin that I have instantly fallen in love with.

It all started with a post-farmer’s-market’smoothie.  I decided to blend up a chocolate-peanut-butter smoothie and somehow started playing around with delicious combinations in my head.  It didn’t take long until my mind skipped to the beauty of peanut butter and banana…and ooooh, that would be yummy in a muffin!  Voila!  Now it is in a muffin, and those muffins are delicious.  Too good to let my perfectionist block prevent me from sharing them.

[print_this]

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

1/2 c buckwheat flour
1 c almond flour
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
pinch of salt
1/3 c agave
1 egg
1/4 c coconut oil (warmed to a liquid)
2 bananas (pureed)
1/3 c peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare your muffin tin with muffin cups.

Combine the egg and agave together in a medium bowl until completely mixed. Next add the pureed banana, coconut oil, and peanut butter and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Next add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into the individual muffin cups and cook in the oven for about 22 – 25 minutes. Test with a knife in the center of one of the muffins to see if it is done. The muffins will be moist, but knife should be mostly clean when it comes out.

Cool the muffins on a rack.

[/print_this]Do you have any advice for the perfectionist blogger?

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Hail Merry Goodies!

News about my winning t-shirt design coming soon.  There could be a t-shirt giveaway, so stay tuned!

Thanks for the sweet note!

The post I Won the Hail Merry T-Shirt Contest! appeared first on Nourish the Budding Lotus.

queen of tarts - gluten-free

I have entered a contest! I know that this is not a recipe, but I wanted to share a new adventure of mine.  As some of you might know, I am not only a foodie, but I am also a web and graphic designer (and massage therapist).  When I saw that Hail Merry was running a contest to find a new design for their t-shirts I thought it was a perfect way for me to get my creative juices flowing in both the foodie and design world.

pure . raw . love

I am a big fan of Hail Merry and have even tried to weave my magic in the kitchen creating tarts similar to their Merry Tarts.  I think they have a great thing going, and was excited to try my hand at creating something to represent my experience of their products.  With my t-shirt design I decided to feature the tarts because those are my favorite, and to play a little with their Hail Merry logo which I love.

enlarged view of the design

The shirt is designed to be a worn, heather-gray so that the pinks, yellows and blues will pop.  I hope you like my design.  You can be a part of the voting!  Just follow the link over to Hail Merry’s Facebook page and “like” my image to cast your vote.

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