Chocolate Honey Cake

I've been feeling the pull for the past few weeks of chocolate cake.  There is a gluten-free, vegan chocolate cake which I have made many times (my friends know it well), but for two reasons, I've been dreaming of a new cake.  I've become bored with making the old stand-by and the old stand-by recipe has xanthum gum, which try to stay away from these days.  So, I've been keeping my eye out for something new to try...

I started with Nigella Lawson's recipe for Honey Bee Cake which I converted to gluten-free and veganized.  It is by no means health food - there is a great deal of sugar and fat.  But, it would be a lovely cake for a special occasion.  Its a dense, very rich, almost gooey cake with a beautiful chocolate taste and the floral notes of honey in the background.  I didn't want to change everything about her recipe the first time out, and I'm sure I'll be making this again and plan to try it with less fat and much less sugar, (I found it extremely sweet for my taste - although I'm sure some folks will like it super sweet).  I'd also like to try it with another liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup, which is wonderful with chocolate. 

And, this is an incredible easy cake to put together, especially in the food processor.

Nigella and her kids of use marzipan to make little bees, decorated with the chocolate glaze and sliced almonds - I suppose if one has kids about, this might be fun, I skipped it.

Cake:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

4 tablespoons ground golden flaxmeal

6 tablespoons coconut milk

1 1/3 cups soft light brown sugar

2 sticks earth balance buttery stick (room temperature) 

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour (ground superfine is best)

3/4 cup arrowroot flour (or tapioca flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Sticky Honey Glaze:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and oil and line the bottom (with parchment paper) a 9-inch springform pan.  Also, because the batter is quiet liquid, I wrapped the pan with foil very tightly (although my pan did not leak at all).  Also, place the springform pan on a sheet tray (if there is some leakage, you don't want it all over your oven).

Combine ground flax meal and coconut milk and allow to sit for a few minutes (this is the substitute for 2 eggs).

Combine all dry ingredients: (sweet sorghum flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot flour, baking poweder and soda, salt, and cocoa)  and whisk until combined. 

In a food processor, beat together softened earth balance sticks and brown sugar until creamy, then add the honey and process another few seconds.  Add half of the flaxmeal & coconut milk mixture and about 1/2 of the dry ingredients.  Add remaining flaxmeal & coconut milk mixture and remaining dry ingredients.  Add the cocoa pushed through a tea strainer to ensure you have no lumps, and add vanilla and the boiling water. Mix everything well to make a smooth batter and pour into the prepared tin.

(don't have a food processor?  Do the same as above in a large bowl with a hand held mixer)

Cook for up to 1 1/2 hours, though check the cake after 45 minutes and if it is getting too dark, cover the top lightly with aluminium foil and keep checking every 15 minutes.  Let the cake cool completely in the tin on a rack.

To make the glaze, bring the water and honey to a simmer in a saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, swirling it around to melt in the hot liquid. Leave it for a few minutes, then whisk together. Add the powdered sugar through a sieve and whisk again until smooth.

Choose your plate or stand, and cut out 4 strips of parchment paper and form a square outline on the plate. This is so that when you sit the cake on and ice it, the icing will not run out all over the plate. Unclip the springform pan and set the thoroughly cooled cake on the prepared plate. Pour the glaze over the cold cake; be sure a good deal of the glaze dribbles down the sides. The glaze takes awhile to harden, so give it least an hour before you plan on serving it.

Notes:

- this cake rose beautifully in the oven, but then fell a bit in the middle (this is common occurrence with gluten-free baked things) - it didn't bother me at all.

- this recipe would make a beautiful cupcakes and there would not be the issue of the middle falling.
- I found the addition of the glaze over the top for me.  Next time, I will try the cake (or cupcakes) with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  And, because the cake is so deeply chocolaty, I'd like to try it with raspberries or raspberry jam - now that's something I could get excited about.

Gluten-Free Waffles

I love my new waffle maker!  Its a Black & Decker, with reversible non-stick plates (waffle on one side, smooth on the other).  We've made panini sandwiches several times with the smooth side, turns any sandwich into something special.  I've never owned a waffle iron before and initially became interested when I read somewhere of the idea of using waffles instead of bread for sandwiches and burgers - which I haven't tried yet, but what a great idea.  In the meantime, we are really enjoying waffles.

These waffles are so easy that we can be eating a lovely hot waffles in less then 30 minutes, which means waffles are possible almost any morning. 

I did some research on waffle irons before purchasing my Black & Decker.  I didn't want a  Belgium waffle maker and liked the idea of the reversible plates.  And I spent an evening reading all of the comments about waffle irons on amazon.com and based my decision mostly on what I read (I love amazon!). 

So, here's my recipe for a basic gluten-free waffle.  This is a very basic waffle, but you can top your waffles with anything you like.  You can also add flavor to the actual waffle, add vanilla or almond extract, add ground nuts (almond, hazelnut, etc) for part of the flour.  See other options at the end of this post. 

I've shared a link to this post at Slight Indulgent Tuesdays.

4 tablespoon ground flax meal
6 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup coconut milk yogurt
3 tablespoon melted coconut oil (or any other fat)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
extra coconut milk to thin out batter (I usually need about 1/2 cup)

Lightly brush both waffle plates with oil (I used an extra virgin olive oil spray).  Close the iron and preheat to the waffle setting (follow the directions for heating your waffle iron).

In a medium sized bowl, stir together ground flax meal and coconut milk and let sit for a few minutes.  Add yogurt and melted coconut oil and whisk to combine.  All dry ingredients and stir strongly with a whisk to combine.  Add additional coconut milk until you have a nice thick batter.

When you waffle iron has come up to heat, add the recommended amount of batter for your iron (mine is about 1 cup of batter).  Close the iron and bake until done (usually about 5 minutes).

In my iron this makes 3 very large waffles.

Top with your favorite toppings: maple syrup, fresh fruit, your favorite jam, etc.

Options:
- use a purchased gluten-free flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill, especially if you are new to gluten free cooking)
- use butter in place of the coconut oil
- use 2 eggs in place of the ground flax meal and 6 tablespoons coconut milk
- instead of the coconut milk yogurt, use any yogurt you like, or try sour cream
- also, instead of the yogurt, use mashed bananas, pureed pumpkin or sweet potatoes
- for a savory option, leave out the sugar and add a bit of finely grated cheese

Blackberry Pandowdy

What the heck is pandowdy?  - turns out it is a very easy and rustic fruit dessert with pastry on the top.  The the word pandowdy refers to breaking up the crust half-way thru the cooking time so that the fruit bubbles up between the pieces of the crust.  You end up with pieces of crisp crust and pieces of crust submerged in the fruit - just like a pie.

Breaking up the pastry immediately caught my attention - this means the pastry does not have to be perfect!  The word 'dowdy' brings to mind something unfashionable, without style...  Warm, sweet fruit with a yummy, whole-grain pastry on top and I'm there stylish or not.

We love berry pie around here - however, I've never been able to master pie crust, so I usually get away with berry crisp and cobblers.  I came across a recipe for Strawberry Pandowdy in the latest edition of Eating Well (June 2011). 

I used blackberries and converted the original recipe to gluten-free and vegan.  Use any fruit you want or combination of fruit.  You may want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how naturally sweet your fruit is.  (some ideas: strawberry & rhubarb, peach & blackberry with cystalized ginger, apple & maple - the sky's the limit...) 

This reminds me of one of my favorite cookbooks, Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, which is filled with intriguing recipes for crumbles, buckles, cobblers, pandowdies, and lots more.

I shared a link to this post at Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Crust:
3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon earth balance buttery stick (or butter), cut into small pieces
2 - 3 tablespoon ice water

Berry Filling:
2 lbs fresh or frozen blackberries (about 6 cups)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (use less if you like your berries tart!)
3 tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the crust:  place 3/4 cup flour mix, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add butter, 1 small piece at a time, pulsing continually.  Mixture should resemble coarse sand.  Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture begins to come together. 

(to make crust without a food processor: Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add pieces of butter and rub the into the dry ingredients with your fingers.  Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture begins to form a ball.)

Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the berry filling and place in a 8 x 8 inch baking pan.

Roll the chilled dough out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  I've found that this dough does not  hold together like 'normal' pie crust dough, so I just place the dough on top of the filling in pieces, large and small so I end up with a patchwork - which looks interesting and very rustic.  If you've got just one big piece of pastry, cut a few slits for steam to escape.

  Tuck any overhanging dough into the edges of the baking dish. 

You may want to have a baking tray under your pandowdy to catch any drips - depending on how full your baking dish is.  Bake for about 30 mintues.

Remove from the oven and with a small, sharp knife, cut the partially baked crust into 2 inch squares.  Using a spoon or small spatula, press about half of the dough squares into the fruit until they are partially submerged.  This is called 'dowdying'.

(Note:  if your pastry looks 'beautiful' at this point, feel free to skip the step which breaks the pastry into pieces and submerges them into the fruit.) 

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 30 - 40 minutes more, until the crust is browned in places and the fruit is bubbly.  Allow to cool a bit.

Double the recipe (that's what I did!) and bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  We had it for breakfast with yogurt.

Banana Cinnamon Pancakes, G-Free and Vegan

Yesterday was sunny, we worked in the garden, dug some weeds and planted a few things.  We took a lovely walk thru the neighborhood in the late afternoon and as we were on our way back home, we could sense that the weather was changing.  And, sure enough it started to sprinkle after we returned home.  We woke this morning to the kind of rain that will continue all day.  So we had pancakes for brunch!

I started with a recipe from the Gluten Free Girl's web site.  I used my own flour mix and veganized it.  As a substitute for the eggs, I used a banana, which acts as a binder.  Banana is not one of my favorite flavors, but it is quiet subtle.  The ground flaxseed also helps bind the mixture.

These pancakes are crispy at the edges with soft insides and quite light; not only do they taste good, but are made with lots of whole grains.  After eating 2 of these cakes, I felt warm and full, but absent was that heavy feeling that I always have after eating pancakes made from all-purpose flour. 

I shared a link to this post at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
7 oz flour mix (1 3/4 cups) see below
1 oz ground golden flaxseed (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 oz banana, mashed (1 large banana)
4 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or butter)

Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat.  Have a solid piece of coconut oil handy to oil the griddle.

Mix together coconut milk and vinegar in a small cup and let sit. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour mix, ground flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. 

Mix the mashed banana with the coconut milk / vinegar mixture, add melted coconut oil, mix until combined.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mix thoroughly. 

Oil hot griddle with coconut oil.  Pour batter onto hot, oiled griddle, about 1/4 cup for each   pancake.    When bubbles form and start to pop, flip the pancake over.  Cook for a few more minutes.

Makes about 6 4-inch pancakes.

Serve with warm maple syrup, earth balance buttery stick, jam, fresh fruit, etc.

Options:
- instead of the mashed banana, try applesauce, or pureed sweet potato

Whole Grain Flour Mix:
200 grams rice flour (ground superfine is best)
100 grams sorghum flour
200 grams quinoa flour
100 hazelnut flour
100 grams corn flour (non-GMO)
150 grams tapioca flour
150 grams arrowroot flour

This is a very nice high protein flour mix with a lovely taste because of the hazelnut flour.  For more information about making your own flour mix, see my post 'How to make your own gluten free flour mix'.  And, if you're just starting the gluten-free journey, start with a purchased mix (that's what I did...).

Sweet Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts

Luckily, no one in my family will even look at a beet much less eat one, because I had just 4 small beets.  And, I only have the beets because I forgot to swap them out of our farm box which we have delivered once a week.  I don't eat beets too often, but each time I do I am reminded how fabulous they taste and I ask myself, where are the beets?

And even those folks who do not like beets (yet!) - must agree that they make the most beautiful salad.

This recipe is for an individual servings (at least as far as I'm concerned), if you want a salad for 4, you will probably want to double or triple this. 

I shared a link to this recipe at Cybele's Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

4 beets, remove greens and save for another purpose (e.g. sauteed greens?)
walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
handful of walnuts
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
a few springs of cilantro, leaves only

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, trim and clean beets and place in a small casserole dish with a splash of oil, toss beets to coat with oil.  Cover the dish either with a lid or foil.  Place in oven and cook for 45 - 60 minutes, until beets are fork tender (the flesh of the beets are easily pierced with a fork).  Remove from oven and uncover, let sit for a few minutes to cool.

When beets are cool enough to handle, remove the skin by rubbing with your fingers under cold running water.  The skin should very easily come up.  Slice beets into serving bowl and add a bit more oil and the vinegar. 

Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, add about 1 teaspoon of oil, walnuts, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Stir constantly for about 3 - 5 minutes, until walnuts are fragrant and sugar is melted.  The spices should adhere to the walnuts.  Add to the sliced beets, and cilantro, mix to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings, you might want a bit more vinegar also.

Options:
- I just happened to have walnut oil, a light olive oil would be just as yummy
- add any fresh herbs you like
- add globs of goat or feta cheese, the tangy softness of either of these cheeses is wonderful against the sweetness of the beets and the walnuts

Hazelnut Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam (g-free & vegan)

I had a bit of trouble with scones this month.  I've made plenty of biscuits, but never scones.  I've not eaten too many scones either, the only scones I remember eating are the orange cranberry scones at Starbucks (which are very delish).  After reading some history about scones, I wanted to make a simple scone with no added bits, no nuts, no fruit.  A more traditional scone.  Because, I was really interested in making jam (which I've never made before either). 

(beautiful logo designed by Anile Prakash)

The theme of this month's Ratio Rally was Scones - scroll down to the end of this post for a complete list of the offerings.  Lauren at Celiac Teen has done a bang-up job at hosting the whole event this month. 

EZ PZ, biscuits with a bit of sugar...

I made several version of scones that were just okay to awful, awful in the sense of very dry and crumbly (upon removing one batch from the oven, the whole thing fell to crumbs).  I did make a pretty good chocolate scone with dried cherries, but the texture was more like a brownie, which was yummy, but I just didn't like the sound of 'brownie scone'.  I almost gave up, except the blackberry jam was so fabulous! 

(By the way, these are a few pictures of my garden, Spring has finally appeared in the last few days.)

The garden's looking beautiful, but what's to be done about these darn scones?  In desperation, I tried the cream scone method, more liquid, more fat - could work.  Since I was trying to keep it vegan, I used coconut cream in place of the traditional heavy cream.  Finally!  The scones were fabulous, they smelled wonderful and were moist and flavorful and held together.  The hazelnut flour gives a subtle, sweet flavor which goes beautifully with the tartness of the blackberry jam.

In the end, the scones were very good, (definitely best the first day) but the jam was the luscious star of this combination.  I am planning my next batch of jam already.  And, I'm looking forward to trying some of the other gluten-free scones in the ratio rally.  My journey with scones had just began and there are untold mysteries in the baking of scones which still elude me. 

And, one of those mysteries (at least about these particular scones) is the ratio.  I know this recipe was developed for the 'Ratio Rally' - but to be honest, the ratio escaped me.  I think the ratio is close to 3-2-1 (flour, liquid, fat) - to get to this ratio, I counted the coconut cream as liquid, although it was in a solid form, more like a fat instead of a liquid.  Was this correct?  If anyone knows - please let me know! 

I shared a link to this recipe at Amy Greene's Slight Indulgent Tuesdays.

Hazelnut Cream Scones
2 tablespoon golden flax meal
4 tablespoon coconut milk

3 oz hazelnut flour (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz sweet sorghum flour (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz sweet rice flour (about 1/2 cup)
2 oz arrowroot flour (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
zest of 1 orange, very finely minced or use a microplane

2 oz cold earth balance buttery stick (4 tablespoons), cut into pieces

coconut cream from a 15 oz can full-fat coconut milk (just the solid part which sits on top when you open the can)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Combine flax meal and coconut milk in a small bowl and mix to combine.  Let this sit for a few minutes to thicken.

Place all dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  With machine running, add pieces of the vegan butter one at a time.  The mixture should look a bit like sand at this point.  Add the coconut cream (just the solid part, do not add the liquid at the bottom of the can of coconut milk) and process until mixture starts coming away from the sides of the bowl.  If this does not happen in about 20 - 30 seconds or so, add a bit more sorghum flour.

Spoon dough out of the food processor onto the prepared sheet tray to form a circle about an inch thick.  I just use a spatula (and my fingers) to form the round shape about an inch thick.  With a very sharp pizza wheel (or knife), cut thru the dough from side to side,  making 8 wedges.  The wet dough will immediately come back together, but that's okay.  When baked, the scones will be scored and easier to pull or cut apart.  This dough is too wet to use a biscuit cutter.  You will end up with lovely soft sides, just crunchy on the top.  It seems most people like crunchy all around - I do not!  I'm all about the soft, moist, tender interior (well, there it is, now you know my big secret...). 

Blackberry Jam
4 pound blackberries (or a mix of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries), fresh or frozen
1 pound sugar
2 tablespoon bourbon
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon butter

Place a small plate in the freezer.

Place everything in a large dutch oven or saucepan (not aluminum).  Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon.  You can smash the fruit against the side of the pan with the spoon - but there's really no need, all of the fruit will brake down.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  If foam forms on the surface of the jam, skim it off.  After 30 minutes, the jam should have cooked down quiet a bit and be very thick and beautiful. 

Now, retrieve the small plate from the freezer (bet you were wondering about that!).  Use a small spoon to place a small amount of the jam on the plate.  Let sit for about 30 seconds, the jam will thicken on the cold plate - if this is the consistency you want for your jam - you are done.  If you'd like it thicker, simmer gently a few more minutes

Rinse your jars in very hot water (or run thru the dishwasher).  Spoon hot jam in the jars and place lid on (I use jars with rubber seals and clamps, see photo).  Because the jam is hot, this will make a pretty good seal.  However, this jam needs to be stored in the refrigerator. 

You'll notice that I did not strain the seeds out and blackberries do have rather a large amount of seeds - I've eaten lots of blackberries in my life and I like the seeds, they are an integral part of the blackberry experience.  You can smash up the fruit and strain before you start the cooking - entirely too much trouble for me.  If the seeds are going to bother you, try strawberries and raspberries for your jam. 

Amie of The Healthy Apple - http://thehealthyapple.com/2011/05/04/gluten-free-rice-crispy-scones/
Britt of GF in the City - http://www.gfinthecity.com/2011/05/gluten-free-ratio-rally-scones.html
Brooke of B & the Boy - http://bellwookie.blogspot.com/2011/05/coconut-scones.html
Caleigh of Gluten-Free[k] - http://gluten-freek.blogspot.com/2011/05/jam-on-top-or-cream-on-top.html
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten-Free - http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2011/05/savory-jalapeno-cheese-scones.html
Caroline of The G-Spot - http://thegspotrevolution.com/?p=3228
Charissa of Zest Bakery - http://www.zestbakery.com/ingredient/almond/amaretto-soaked-cherry-and-almond-scones/
Claire of Gluten Freedom - http://www.thisglutenfreelife.org/2011/05/ratio-rally-strawberry-banana-scones.html
Erin of the Sensitive Epicure - http://thesensitiveepicure.blogspot.com/2011/05/millet-scones-gfree-rally.html
Gretchen of Kumquat - http://kumquat-blog.blogspot.com/2011/05/gluten-free-ratio-rally-maple-oat-nut.html
Irvin of Eat the Love - http://www.eatthelove.com/2011/05/spotlight-on-savory-green-garlic-bacon-thyme-scones-with-white-pepper-maple-glaze-gluten-free-ratio-rally
Jeanette of Jeanette's Healthy Living - http://www.jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2011/05/glutendairyegg-free-coconut-pineapple.html
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine - http://jenncuisine.com/2011/05/banana-apple-and-currant-scones-gluten-free
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free - http://cookingglutenfree.com/2011/05/gluten-free-ratio-rally-oat-scones-with-currants/
Kate of Katealice Cookbook - http://katealicecookbook.com/2011/05/04/cinnamon-fruit-scones/ 
Lauren of Celiac Teen - http://www.celiacteen.com/2011/scones-ratio-rally/
Lisa of Gluten-Free Canteen - http://glutenfreecanteen.com/2011/05/03/gf-ratio-rally-bisconies-actually/
Lisa of With Style and Grace - http://withstyle.me/2011/05/04/gf-lavender-earl-grey-lemon-scones
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking - http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2011/05/02/avocado-scones-vegan-and-gluten-free-recipe/
Meaghan of Wicked Good Vegan - http://www.thewickedgoodvegan.com/2011/05/04/gf-scones/
Melanie of Mindful Food - http://mindfulfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/hazelnut-cream-scones-with-blackberry.html
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty - http://glutenfreebetty.blogspot.com/2011/05/cinnamon-raisin-scones-for-gluten-free.html

Morri of Meals with Morri - http://mealswithmorri.blogspot.com/2011/05/yerba-mate-chai-scones.html
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks - http://honeyfromflintyrocks.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/classic-cream-scones-gluten-amp-dairy-free/
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks - http://honeyfromflintyrocks.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/almond-fig-scones-gluten-amp-dairy-free/
Peter and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem - http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2011/05/gluten-free-ratio-rally-mesquite-scones.html
Sea of Book of Yum - http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/may-ratio-rally-gluten-free-classic-dairy-free-scone-recipe-6823.html
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef - http://glutenfreegirl.com/gluten-free-scones/
Silvana of Silvana's Kitchen - http://silvanaskitchen.com/2011/05/gluten-free-pecan-streusel-scones-with-cinnamon-drizzle
Tara of A Baking Life - http://abakinglife.blogspot.com/2011/05/gluten-free-ratio-rally-ginger-scones.html
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies - http://tcrumbley.blogspot.com/2011/05/gluten-free-cinnamon-pecan-scones.html
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie - http://laphemmephoodie.com/2011/05/red-velvet-scones-for-the-gluten-free-ratio-rally.html
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen - http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/coconut-raisin-scones-gluten-free-and-vegan.html

Quinoa Cranberry Cookies

These cookies were inspired by a recipe on Amy Greene's blog, Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free this morning, 'Quinoa Raisin Cookies' - I veganized the recipe by removing the egg, the dairy, cut down the sugar, used my own mix of flours, and used walnuts and cranberries in place of the raisins.  They taste so good!  David came home and said, "I don't like cranberries!",  (okay, at my age, its difficult to keep track of everything several people do not like, can't have, are allergic to... I need to start writing this stuff down), but after eating several of these cookies, he proclaimed that they were very good.  Too bad, I was secretly hoping to eat them all myself.

I shared linked this post to Slight Indulgent Tuesdays and at Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

Flax Meal Slurry:
2 tablespoons golden flax meal
3 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup earth balance buttery spread (or butter) room temperature
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar * (see note below)
1 - 2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)

Dry Ingredients:
1/3 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/3 cup blanched almond flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (not sugar sweetened)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper.

Mix the ingredients for the flax meal slurry in a small bowl and set aside to thicken for a few minutes.

In a large bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer), cream the butter until light, add the coconut palm sugar and mix well.  Add thickened flax meal slurry, vanilla and 2 tablespoons coconut milk.

In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.  Add quinoa flakes, walnuts, and cranberries.

Use a small scoop to drop cookies onto parchment lined sheet tray (the cookies do not need much space between them, they do not spread much).  Bake for 12 - 14 minutes (mine baked for exactly 14 minutes), until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges (do not over bake).  Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack.

My cookies were about 1 1/2 inches in size when baked and the recipe make 30 cookies.

Options:
- substitute raisins (or any kind of dried fruit) or chocolate chips for the cranberries
- use whatever nuts your like
- substitute gluten-free oatmeal for the quinoa flakes
- substitute 1 egg for the flax meal slurry
- if you do not have the flours I used, try 2/3 cup of any whole grain gluten-free flour (e.g. brown rice, millet, garbanzo bean/fava bean, quinoa, teff etc.), and 1/3 cup of some kind of starch (e.g. arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch)
- and, if you want to try this with a purchased flour mix (such as Pamela's, or Bob's Red Mill) - I bet it would taste great

*Note: coconut palm sugar (sometimes referred to as palm sugar) is very lightly processed, low glycemic index (35 GI - which is comparable to agave), and high in minerals.  This sugar is traditionally used in south Asian cooking.  It has a wonderful taste, similar to brown sugar.  Its becoming widely available.  (just for reference, the GI for table sugar is 80)

Quinoa Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes

I haven't made pancakes for years, although I have wonderful memories of making light, fluffy pancakes (actually my memories are of eating the pancakes).  And I remember that they were easy to make - so why has it been so long?  And I think I may have issues about cooking in the morning.  So, pancakes for supper is the solution. 

Today, I won't be making the same pancakes as years ago, they need to be vegan (eggs and dairy are the biggest bad guys in our house) and we try to stay away from gluten when we can.  So, I could have made pancakes with wheat flour - but I get a kick out of using gluten-free flours, its an interesting challenge and flours other then wheat flour taste wonderful.

These pancakes are an adaptation of a recipe on Irwin Lin's blog Eat the Love  his Quinoa Cornmeal Lemon Honey Pancakes.  I veganized his recipe and left out the lemon and also his yummy sounding Rosemary infused Maple Syrup - I wanted a simple pancake.  I love the combination of quinoa and corn - so for my first gluten-free pancake, I tried this.  And, these pancakes were incredible!  First bite - heaven...


Flax Meal Slurry:
4 tablespoon golden flax meal
6 tablespoon coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons quinoa flour 
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons corn meal
1/4 cup play 2 tablespoons corn starch (non-GMO)
1/4 cup play 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons coconut oil (melt before measuring) or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey

Mix together the flax meal 6 tablespoons coconut milk in a small bowl and let sit (this is the substitute for 2 eggs).

Mix together the 1 cup of coconut milk and vinegar and let sit for a few minutes. 

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. 

In a larger bowl, mix together the flax meal slurry, milk and vinegar mixture, and the remaining wet ingredients.

Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.  Film with oil.  When the pan is hot enough, add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly.  When the wet and the dry ingredients are mixed together, the baking soda will immediately start reacting with the vinegar  - so get your griddle hot first.

Scoop batter up with a 1/4 cup measure and pour onto the griddle.  Cook until the sides begin to dry out (there may be bubbles on the top) and the bottom side is golden brown.  Flip the pancake over and brown on the other side.  Hold in a warm oven (150 - 200 degrees) until all of the pancakes have been cooked.

(Note: when I made these again, I think I will add a bit more coconut milk to the batter, so that its easier to pour and makes a thinner pancake.)

Serve with a pat of earth balance buttery stick and maple syrup. 

Yum!

Saffron Soup

I received Heidi Swanson's new cookbook (Super Natural Every Day) a few days ago.  Part of the wonder of this book is the beautiful photos (which she takes herself) but the other part is the wonderful, creative vegetarian food she creates.  Her books are a great place to get inspired when I feel out of ideas.  (her previous book Super Natural is wonderful also.)  Also, both of these cookbooks are about food any home cook can accomplish, no chefy nonsense.

This recipe is my take on Heidi's Chickpea Stew (hers has eggs and dairy, so I had to change it up a bit)

Saffron is an investment (runs about $15 for a gram).  Granted, I'm kind of a food nerd, by from my perspective there is no substitute for saffron and its worth the price because the taste is fabulous (and the fragrance also).  (Note:  I just saw saffron on amazon.com from pretty cheap to extremely expensive - I might try amazon next time I need it - they have anything!)  Saffron lends a touch of the exotic, its quite common in Moroccan and Spanish cooking. 

Saffron is very labor intensive to grow and harvest click here for the wikipedia entry for saffron.  Its got a very long and interesting history.

This soup has a very delicate flavor and the saffron really shines.

This recipe has been shared at Slight Indulgent Tuesdays at Amy Green's blog Simple Sugar and Gluten Free.

1 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)

2 large shallots, minced 
salt to taste
2 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups vegetable stock (or water)
pinch of saffron
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
head of cauliflower (cut into quite small flowerettes - to nearly match the size of the chickpeas)
1 13.6 oz can full-fat organic coconut milk
handful of cilantro, cleaned and chopped

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven.  Add shallots and a pinch of salt, saute until shallots begin to take on some color. 

Meanwhile, heat the broth (or water) and drop in the saffron.  Let this sit for a few minutes to allow the saffron to 'bloom'.

Add minced garlic to the shallots and saute a few minutes more.  Add cauliflower and drained chickpeas and continue to saute a few minutes.

Add broth.  Bring soup to a gentle simmer.

Open the can of coconut milk and spoon the solid part into your soup (you can use the whole can, including the more watery part - depending on how you like you soup), stir to incorporate.  Taste and add more salt if desired.  (can also add red pepper flake if you like spicy)

Turn off heat and add cilantro, stir into soup.  Serve

Options:
- use yogurt or sour cream in place of coconut milk
- If not using saffron, substitute a bit of curry paste or curry powder (add this to the shallots and garlic and allow to saute for a few minutes)
- use any other combination of vegetable and beans you like (for instance: cannelini beans and broccoli or kidney beans and zucchini)
- don't like cilantro?  add something else green: spinach, dandelion greens, finely chopped kale...
- of course, cooked chicken breast can be added
- white fish would be great here also, just place the portion sized pieces in the gently simmering broth and allow to cook thru - should take 10 - 15 minutes.

And - for an asian take on this soup:
- in place of saffron, season with small amounts of fresh minced ginger, tamari, fish sauce, red pepper flake
- gently warm cubed firm tofu in the soup and add chopped bok choy, napa cabbage, and cilantro at the very end so the greens will stay a bit crisp

Salad of Quinoa and Greens with an Asian dressing

Who doesn't love quinoa?  Its so healthy, easy to work with, and it has a neutral taste so it takes on the flavor of whatever you mix it with.   

I shared a link to this recipe Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal's bog, at the Heart and Soul Hop and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop blog.  And a big thanks to Angie at the blog cocina diary for her food photography tips.  This is just my third post taking my own pictures - using the Picnik photo editer she suggested - I think these photos are so much better than my previous ones.  I'm tempted to go back and edit all of the previous photos, but don't have time.

It's a bit awkward posting this recipe, because its hardly a recipe at all.  I've put amounts for the dressing ingredients, but truthfully, I don't measure any of it.

A bit of info for foodie nerds... quinoa is not a grain, but a species of goosefoot, related to beets and spinach with edible seeds.  Quinoa originated in South America, where is was domesticated more than 3000 years ago.  The Incas referred to quinoa as the 'mother of all grains' and held it to be sacred.  After the Spanish conquest, the cultivation of quinoa was suppressed because of its sacred status within the indigenous cultures.  Quinoa's protein content is quite high (12% - 18%) and it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it, very unusally, a plant that is a complete protein.  Quinoa is gluten-free a great source of dietary fiber, magnesuim, and iron. 

Quinoa requires rinsing because in its natural state, it has a coating of bitter-tasting saporins (which makes it unpalatable to birds).  Most quinoa sold in the U.S. has been pre-rinsed - however, I always rinse it briefly for my own peace of mind - although probably not at all necessary. 

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups filtered water

daikon radish, peeled and cut into small cubes
napa cabbage, shredded
purple cabbage, shredded
dandelion greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
snap peas, cut into bits-sized pieces
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (including the stems - they taste good)
sprouts

dressing:

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ume vinegar
couple drops agave or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
1 - 2 teaspoons grated ginger
Sriracha (or hot sauce or red pepper flake) to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan.  Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine meshed strainer and rinsed under cold water.  Add to boiling water.  Cover and turn down the heat so that the quinoa is gently simmering. Simmer the quinoa for about 15 - 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed.  Turn out onto a sheet tray and separate grains with a fork.  Allow quinoa to cool. 

Place all of the veggies in a large bowl. 

Mix together ingredients for the dressing with a whisk.  Taste and adjust the dressing so it tastes great to you. 

Spoon cooled quinoa in the bowl with the veggies, pour dressing over and mix.

Amounts for the veggies are not given because you can add whatever veggies and greens in whatever amounts that you like. 

Options (are endless...):

just to give one example with an Italian flare - roast some veggies (see my post regarding roasting vegetables) such as broccoli, onion, red pepper, garlic.  Dress the salad with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper.  Add kalamata olives, cubed fresh mozzarella, and chopped flat-leaf parsley for extra wonderfulness. 

don't like cilantro?  substitute basil and a bit of mint.

of course, grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or marinated tofu can be added to the salad.

Pear Chocolate Crisp

This isn't really the time of year I usually think of pears, but I am still receiving them from our CSA - so gotta use them...

This is inspired by a Pear Crisp with chocolate idea from the Caprial and John Pence who are wonderful chefs and have a restaurant and cooking school in Portland - I got to know them thru their PBS cooking show.  This is where I first encountered the idea of a fruit crisp with chocolate, which, I think we can all agree, is genius. 

Please don't be put off by the picture which looks like a handful of dirt on a pretty plate.  You can eat it at room temperature, in which case you will stumble upon the bittersweet chocolate in small chunks, or warm it up a bit and the chocolate will be more melty - either way its yummy.

I shared a link to this recipe at this week's cravings at the blog Mom's Crazy Cooking and slightly indulgent tuesdays at the blog simply sugar and gluten free.

I love ginger in anything, but this may be a minority view - if you don't like it so much, leave it out or use less. 

I used maple syrup as the sweetener because I think it complements the deep chocolate flavor.  You can use agave, honey, or even brown sugar.

4 - 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced pears

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 - 4 tablespoons chopped candied ginger (depending on how much you love it!)

2 tablespoons corn starch

5 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffenberger)

Topping

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil, melt before measuring)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.         

Mix together the pears, agave, ground ginger, candied ginger and cornstarch and mix well.  Place in an oiled 8" x 8" baking dish.  Top with the chopped bittersweet chocolate.

To prepare the topping, place the almond flour, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons agave, vanilla, butter and salt in a large bowl and mix until you form a crumbly crust. Top the pears with the crust. Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.