Chickpea Farinata Bread

If you are like me and have never heard of or tried Italian farinata before, you are in for a treat.  This is one of the simplest loaves of bread you could hope to make, although I hesitate to lump it into the category of "bread" lest it mislead anyone about what to expect from the texture.  This is dense.  It's just chickpea flour and water, really.  Add a few spices, and it's ready to go in the oven.  Heck, we skipped the mixing bowl entirely and stirred this up right in the pan.  Don't be concerned when it looks....well....soupy when you stick it in the oven.  Ours resembled crepe batter (very thin and runny) and we exchanged dubious looks as we closed the oven door behind it.  It seemed impossible that it would solidify into anything bread-like and/or edible under any amount of heat.  But, seemingly miraculously, we opened the oven door 20 minutes later to find that it had browned on top and settled into the dense bread you see pictured.  Fantastic. 

The whole loaf only has 680 calories if you make it as directed below, and 24 grams of protein.  This makes a really dense loaf, so it can stand on its own as part of a main meal (perhaps served with soup or salad on the side).  But it was also great to have as a power snack during the day.

The great thing about this bread is how versatile it is in terms of flavor.  The original recipe also called for thinly sliced onions to be cooked into the bread, which my friend Lisa had had the first time she ate this (served by friends of hers), but which we omitted.  It also did not call for cumin originally, but we happen to love cumin - a lot - and it just goes so well with chickpeas that we dumped a ton into ours, with wonderful results.  Check out this post about farinata for some great ideas about how to customize it (topped with zucchini and parmesan cheese??  Yes, please!)  Feel free to make it your own.  Play around with it to find the flavor you like.  But if you're a fan of chickpeas like I am, you will find a new addiction in farinata. 

Chickpea Farinata Bread

For a flatter bread:
1 cup warm water
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 - 2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 thinly sliced onion, sautéed (optional - we did not add this into ours)

For a thicker bread (like the picture above):
2 cups warm water
2 cups chickpea flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 - 4 tsp. cumin
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
1 thinly sliced onion, sautéed (optional - we did not add this into ours)

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Spray a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour into the pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or just until browned on top (for the thicker bread, you'll need to leave it in for 20 - 30 minutes; start checking for doneness after 20 minutes with a toothpick).  Remove from oven and let settle and cool for 5 - 10 minutes.  Serve warm.  If desired, sprinkle with addition cumin before serving.  

Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Hummus (Vegan and Raw)

This is a lovely twist on traditional hummus dip.  In fact, I'm not entirely sure that it should even be called hummus, given the complete absence of the chickpeas, which are replaced entirely with cashews in this recipe.  All I know is that it was really, really tasty.  After several minutes of blitzing in the food processor, this raw dip was silky smooth, creamy, and wonderful.  It has a slightly sweet flavor from the roasted red peppers, with a salty tinge that lingers on your tongue.  I'm learning the art of keeping things simple, so I only added small amounts of a few other spices to this.  Not too many, though, because the roasted red peppers have such a strong flavor, and it's not fair to have to compete with that.

I ate this with corn chips, but it would be wonderful with pita chips as well, if you can find or make gluten-free ones.  I also used it in place of ketchup on a black bean burger I had this week, which was fantastic, and it would be great as a layer in a sandwich or as a tapenade with melted cheese on top, too.  Unfortunately, I ran out of the dip before I had time to try all of the different ways I thought of to use it.  But I'm sure that a few more batches will be coming my way before long...



Roasted Red Pepper Cashew "Hummus"

1 cup roasted cashews (I used the 50% reduced salt kind from Trader Joe's)
2 whole roasted red peppers, skin and seeds removed
1 - 2 tbsp. lemon juice (to taste)
2 tsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. salt (add more or less to your own taste)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste/tolerance)
Dash of cumin (to taste)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend on high speed for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until very creamy.  Remove and adjust spices as needed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with corn chips or as a tapenade.

Roasted Broccoli and Edamame with Garlic

There's a lot of green in this post.  I was feeling the need for something really healthy for dinner tonight, and, feeling inspired by a friend who raved last night about some roasted broccoli she had made, I decided to try it out.  I've always prepared broccoli by boiling it or steaming it.  And don't get me wrong; I love it that way.  But I feel like I discovered broccoli for the first time with this recipe. Seriously, you will never look at broccoli the same way again.  No longer will your mind fly to adjectives like "smushed" and "overcooked" when you ponder broccoli.  Instead, you will think about slightly crisp yet soft florets, roasted under high heat with whole garlic cloves and simple spices.  I was definitely cursing the fact that I only had 1 1/2 cups of broccoli in my freezer tonight!  Check out the inspiration for this recipe here on the Amateur Gourmet's site.  He does a better job of raving about this broccoli than I have, plus offers a few more tips for ways to spruce this up if you feel it needs sprucing.  I adapted his recipe slightly and have re-posted it below.

Originally, I was just going to make the broccoli, but at the last minute, decided to throw in the edamame for some protein (but did not add any extra oil to coat them).  I put them on separate halves of the pan so the edamame would have a chance to get crispy without being overshadowed by some of the larger broccoli florets, and they were fantastic, crispy, and full of spice.  So if you are in need of a green dinner, make this.  Trust me, you won't be sorry - you will never look at broccoli the same way again.

Roasted Broccoli and Edamame with Garlic

For the broccoli:
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, rinsed and patted dry
3 whole garlic cloves, chopped into large chunks
2 tsp. olive oil
To taste:
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
2 - 3 tsp. lemon juice
Optional:  Sprinkle of parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan cheese

For the edamame:
1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
1 - 2 garlic cloves, chopped into large chunks
To taste:
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
Ground Cumin
Garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a baking dish with a sheet of foil.

Toss the broccoli, garlic, olive oil, and spices together in a bowl and spread onto one half of the lined baking dish.  Then toss the edamame and spices separately and spread onto the other half of the lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minute, stirring once or twice for even browning.  When the broccoli is browned and tender, and the edamame is crispy on the outside (but soft on the inside), remove from the oven.  Sprinkle the lemon juice over the broccoli.  Serve immediately.

Smoky Black Bean Burgers

It's been a long time since I've had a veggie burger - not to mention a good veggie burger.  The last time I checked, most of the ones commercially available brands use wheat gluten or some other gluten-ful product as a binder.  So when I found this recipe on a blog called "Voracious," I couldn't wait to try it out for myself.  These burgers are packed full of protein, with both black beans and quinoa as the base, and the liquid smoke gives them a lovely faux-burger-cooked-outside taste. (Colgin Liquid Smoke is gluten-free!)  And they hold together extremely well, despite being completely devoid of gluten binders.  We enjoyed them straight from the pan with some melted rice cheese and ketchup, and I reheated one the next day and topped it with some roasted red pepper cashew dip and Daiya Vegan Cheese.  But it turns out that they are also delicious right from the fridge as a snack!  We followed the recipe pretty much exactly as is, but made 6 pretty hefty burgers instead of the 4 from the original recipe.  These are quite filling, so you may or may not even need a slice of bread with them.  If you're like me and miss veggie burgers, these are definitely worth a try!

Find the original recipe here.

Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Sausage, Dried Cherries, and Feta "Cheese"

This is a fantastically quick pilaf to throw together for when you're in a rush, or if you're so hungry you can't wait to for food that takes longer than 15 minutes to prepare.  Since recently discovering Sunergia Soy Feta Cheese (which is remarkably spot-on in flavor and texture, considering it's both dairy and gluten-free), I have been adding it to all kinds of things for an extra kick of flavor.  In this pilaf, it complements the tart cherries and sweet sausage perfectly, making for a quick and delicious meal.  I personally don't usually keep cooked quinoa on hand, but even if you don't either, the white kind only takes about 15 minutes to cook.  Once it's done, though, it's really just a matter of stirring the other ingredients in.  You'll be sitting down to eat before you know it. 


Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Sausage, Dried Cherries, and Feta "Cheese"
Makes 2 small-ish servings

1 cup cooked quinoa (make as directed using chicken or vegetable broth)
2 Sweet Apple Maple Chicken Sausages (from Trader Joe's), sliced and sauteed until browned
1/3 cup dried cherries (can substitute cranberries)
2 - 3 tbsp. Sunergia Soy Feta Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together, breaking up the soy feta cheese well to distribute evenly throughout the pilaf.  Season with salt and pepper to your own liking.  This pilaf can be eaten either hot or cold.

Healthy Truffles

You may be asking, how can truffles be healthy?  And with good reason.  Normally, truffles are buttery, silky smooth balls of intense chocolate.  They melt in your mouth and overwhelm you with their richness.  They embody indulgence.

People in grad school tend to do a lot of stress eating.  (Although, let's face it, I've always been a stress eater anyway, so I can't blame it entirely on grad school.)  Truffles, and chocolate in general, are an obvious default candidate for those frenzied hours of studying and snacking.  So I am in an ongoing quest to make my stress eating a little less awful by developing healthier versions of some of my favorite snacks.  My friend Sarah (whose adorable children I babysit) and I have been tweaking this recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough balls a little bit each time we make them, which is often (her kids devour them as quickly as she makes them.)  Sarah had the brilliant idea to add cocoa powder to the regular version to make a sort of "brownie bite," and from there, we just kept tweaking until this version came about.  In my chocolate-addled state of mind, I decided to take it a step further and roll them in cocoa powder (just to add to the chocolate quotient).  And, ta-da!  Truffles.

I brought some of these to school with me to share with some of my classmates, who loved them.  One friend said that the texture was great because it really fools you into thinking you're eating a truffle; another said they were simply amazing overall.  The best part is how quickly and easily you can whip up a batch because it's truly just a matter of throwing all of the ingredients into your food processor and hitting "blend."  And you can't really mess these up because you can always tweak them by adding a little more of one ingredient or a little less of another until you find the combination and texture you personally like.  The recipe is very forgiving in that way.  And if you don't feel like rolling them into balls, just put the mixture in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.  I won't tell (because I've definitely done that before). 

So go ahead.  Indulge.  Because now, it's healthy.

Healthy Truffles

7 Trader Joe's Fancy Medjool Dates (with pits removed)
1/3 cup cashews
1/4 cup gluten-free oats
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp. Marshmallow Fluff or Vegan Ricemellow Marshmallow Fluff
1 1/2 tbsp. pure cocoa powder + 1 tbsp. for rolling truffles
1-4 tbsp. So Delicious Coconut Milk, as needed
1 tbsp. granulated sugar (for rolling truffles - optional)

Place the dates (be sure to remove the pits!), cashews, oats, vanilla, coconut, Fluff, and cocoa powder in a food processor and blend on the highest speed.  When the food processor seems to have done as much as it can with those ingredients, start adding the So Delicious Coconut Milk one tablespoon at a time.  You want these to be very creamy so the texture is like the inside of a truffle, but still firm enough that you can roll them into balls.  Continue to pulse on the highest speed so that they are as well-blended as possible.

On a plate, combine the 1 tbsp. cocoa powder and the 1 tbsp. sugar (you can leave the sugar out if you want, although they will taste slightly more bitter).  (If the mixture is too thin, you can put it in the fridge for a little while to harden it up before you roll it into balls.)  Remove the chocolate mixture by tablespoonful and roll into balls with your hands, and then roll in the cocoa and sugar mixture to coat.  Place on a plate.  Refrigerate them for at least two hours before removing them to a container where they are touching each other.  Eat as needed.

Carrot Ginger Scone Cookies

I'm not sure whether to classify these as cookies or scones, because they are somewhere in between.  But what I can vouch for is the taste (if you are a fan of ginger, that is).  I recently went to a ginger-themed party and, as I often do, defaulted to baking for my contribution.  I loved the idea of the taste of carrot cake with an extra spike of ginger to complement the other spices I regularly use.  These turned out tasting pretty great, although the texture is definitely rather cake-y and not very chewy (at least, not in the way that cookies often are).  I'd actually suggest shaping these into triangles and serving for breakfast as a scone!  I personally liked the ones without raisins better than the ones with them.  I didn't add any nuts to mine, either, although I've included them below as an optional ingredient (some people like nuts in their carrot cake, and if you're one of those people, you'd probably like them in these, too).  So just let your own taste guide you in this one.  And gather all of your ginger-loving friends to help you eat these!

Do you have a favorite ginger recipe that you would have brought to the Ginger Party?  Please leave it below!

Carrot Ginger Scone Cookies

3/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg or Egg Replacer (for our vegan friends)
4 tbsp. So Delicious Coconut Milk
1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend (your favorite kind)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
optional: 1 cup raisins + 1/2 cup ground walnuts (although I liked these better without them)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until it is creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.  Add little bit little to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with a tbsp. at a time of So Delicious Coconut Milk.  If the batter is too dry, add more coconut milk one tablespoon at a time. 

Add the shredded carrots, coconut, and oats and mix in by hand.  For larger cookies, drop by tablespoonful onto the cookie sheets and bake for about 14 - 16 minutes at 350 F, or until set on top and slightly brown on bottom.  For bite-size cookies, drop by teaspoonful and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Let sit on hot baking sheet for 2 - 3 minutes when they come out of the oven, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  When completely cooled, store in an airtight container.

If desired, top with a buttercream icing for a mini-carrot cake effect.  But they are delicious by themselves, too!

Flourless Orange Almond Cupcakes

It's a beautiful thing when you find a cake recipe that is already naturally gluten-free.  What's even more beautiful is when it's also naturally delicious.

A fellow blogger, Leah, told me about this recipe, which is from The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden.  You can find the original post about the recipe on the Jewesses with Attitude blog.  It sounded good, and hey, if it's a gluten-free dessert, chances are that I'll try it.

I am so glad I did.  Despite a rather long baking time, these cupcakes end up being ridiculously moist, and the flavor is amazing.  The orange shines through, and the almond flour rounds out the taste in a lovely, balanced way.  Don't worry about an icing or a glaze - these won't need it.  I suppose an orange drizzle would probably taste good, but seriously, these are so good on their own that no one will miss it.

Although boiling oranges for 1.5 hours is admittedly a bit of a pain, this is a breeze to throw together once that step is done.  You could do what I did and boil the oranges a day ahead of time, puree them, and stick them in the fridge (in an airtight container) until you're ready to use them.  Trust me, it will be worth the effort - these got rave reviews.  And no one will miss the flour because, well, it wasn't even there in the first place. 

Flourless Orange Almond Cupcakes (Adapted slightly from this recipe)
Makes 18 cupcakes

2 large oranges
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. orange extract (McCormick's is gluten-free!)
1 1/2 cups almond flour

Wash the oranges and boil them for 1.5 hours or until very soft.  Remove and cool.  Peel them gently (the peel will come off very easily, and I used a butter knife to slice most of it off).  Make sure there are no seeds left in the oranges and place them in a food processor.  Puree until very smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two cupcake/muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray (although I did not try it with just cooking spray - just a disclaimer!).

Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until the color changes to a light yellow and it starts to get frothy.  In a small bowl, combine the almond flour with the baking soda and add it to the mixture.  Add the orange extract and pureed orange and continue to beat until very well mixed.

Distribute evenly among all of the cupcake tins.  They won't rise all that much, so you can fill them almost to the top.  (It might make a few more than 18 cupcakes depending on how big your tins are, but if you only use half of tne tray, be sure to use the middle tins, and not the ones on the outside!)  Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until they bounce back a little when you press on them gently.  They should be nicely browned on top.

Remove from oven and let sit in the cupcake tin for about 5 more minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.  Either serve immediately or cool completely and then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

**Note:  If you'd rather make this into a cake, you can do so by pouring the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan and baking it for an hour or until it is nicely browned on top and has completely set.

Strawberry Cream Pie

I know.  It's not exactly the prime time of year for strawberries.  But this winter has been so full of white and gray, snow and clouds, that it was time for a splash of color.  And.....February was a good time for pink and red (National Heart Month and all - oh, and Valentine's Day).  When I saw strawberries at Haymarket a few weeks ago, I grabbed them eagerly without any clear plan for them yet.  But I knew something good would come out of a carton of strawberries.

This was a pretty divine splash of color.  At first I thought it was going to be too sweet, but no - it was fantastic.  Everyone who tried it raved about it!  (That is, with the exception of a certain slightly picky 5 year old who hates coconut - but she still loved the strawberry filling sans crust.)  So if you're baking for a coconut-hater, not to worry - use your own favorite pie crust, but keep the filling.  The filling is definitely a keeper.

 

Strawberry Cream Pie 

1 Coconut Almond Pie Crust

For the filling:

16 oz. strawberries, sliced or chopped

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 package Knox unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 cups gluten-free, dairy-free whipped topping or vanilla custard (you want something that is pretty firm in consistency)

1 tbsp. vanilla

Slice the strawberries and combine with the sugar.  Set aside to rest together for 15 - 20 minutes.

Place the 1/2 cup cold water into a small saucepan.  Pour the packet of Knox gelatin and let dissolve.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil, simmering until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and mix in the lemon juice and almond extract.  Pour over the strawberry-sugar mixture and mix well.  Leave to sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.  The mixture will be very...gel-ly at that point.

When the strawberry mixture has cooled, fold in the vanilla and gluten-free, dairy-free whipped topping or vanilla custard.  Spread evenly into the prepared Coconut Almond pie crust and cover.  Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to fully set.  Keep refrigerated (unless eating!).  

Gluten-free Thin Mints

Ok, if you miss Samoas, I know you miss Thin Mints.  Who can resist a sleeve of Thin Mints straight from the freezer?  (Did she say a whole sleeve?  Um, yes....easily.) 

These are...amazing.  They are everything you remember about Thin Mints: crispy when straight from the freezer, the perfect blend of mint and chocolate, and really, really addictive.  Despite possibly seeming complicated to make (because of what we imagine to be the mysterious veil of secrets shrouding Girl Scout Cookies), they're actually kind of a breeze.  They're really no harder to make than any other cookie.  And there will be no judgment from me if they are all gone within hours of being made - I promise. 

Gluten-free Thin Mints (Adapted from this recipe from Seattle Weekly)
Makes 4 dozen cookies

1 stick (1/2 cup) Fleishmann's Unsalted Margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
1 - 2 tbsp. sweet rice flour for dusting (or regular rice flour)

For chocolate coating:
1 cup Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Mint UFOs OR 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips + 1/4 tsp. mint extract
1 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread

This dough will chill in the fridge for a few hours, so don't preheat the oven yet!

Cream the margarine and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Add the egg and beat well.  Add the mint extract and continue to beat. 

In a separate bowl, measure out the flours and whisk together with the salt and cocoa powder.  Add little by little to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, beating with the electric mixer until very well-mixed.  Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, longer if possible.

When you're ready to make them, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and put your 1 - 2 tbsp. sweet rice flour into a small bowl.  Scoop out the cookie dough by teaspoonful and roll into a ball with your hands.  Place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Dip a wide, flat spoon into the sweet rice flour to coat it and then use the spoon to flatten each little ball of dough into a rough circle.  Bake for 12 minutes (or until ever-so-slightly puffed up and set) and then remove.  Leave on the hot baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

In a small sauce pan or double boiler, place the chocolate and buttery spread.  Melt them together over very low heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning.  When they are melted, remove from heat.  Dip each of the cooled cookies into the chocolate mixture and coat completely with chocolate (you may need more chocolate than this depending on how well-coated you make them).  Remove from pan with two forks, using one to hold up the cookie and the other to scrape of any excess chocolate.  Place on waxed paper and place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool completely. 

I personally like to keep Thin Mints in the freezer, but you can store these in the fridge as well. 

Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Potato, Pears, Avocados, and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

I make a lot of quinoa around here.  This is partly because it's so healthy (complete protein!), but also because it's so easy to transport to school for the many meals I eat away from home.  Usually I toss it with sauteed vegetables, or chicken sausage, or both.  But recently, I created a totally new kind of pilaf.  I would never have tried this combination of flavors without my trusty copy of Culinary Artistry, which lists ingredients that are, shall we say, friendly with one another.  It was a bit like playing a matching game, looking up different ingredients to cross-check and make sure that they all (hypothetically) would pair well together.  And they did!  This was delicious, despite sounding a bit strange at first.  I will definitely add it to my repertoire of go-to quick and easy meals.

Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Potato, Pears, Avocados, and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked as directed with chicken or vegetable broth and cooled (should end up being about 1 cup of cooked quinoa)
1/4 cup toasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1 medium sweet potato, baked or microwaved until tender and then chopped/shredded
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 small or 1/2 medium pear, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. sea salt (more or less to your own taste)
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 tbsp. parsley, shredded finely (optional)
Ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss until well-mixed.  Serve immediately.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

**Hint:  If you are not serving/eating this right away, it is best to add the avocado and pear just before serving so they stay as fresh as possible and don't get brown.  If you're going to have leftovers, add the avocado and pear as you eat it

Ethiopian-inspired Vegetable Chickpea Stew

Do you like spicy food?  I don't mean "hot" spicy here; I mean "full of spice."  If the answer is yes, then this is probably something you'll enjoy - a lot.  This is some seriously spicy stew.

Not that you can't make this "hot" spicy if you want - it's just that it's not necessary.  Even a mild version of this bursts with flavor, the layers lining up one after the other to impress your taste buds.  The spices are some of the main ingredients for the Ethiopian spice blend berbere, used to flavor simmering stews (or wats) that are then served over injera, a traditional spongy flatbread that is used both to hold and to scoop up the stew.  If you're feeling a little adventurous, ditch your utensils for this meal and try using flatbread or even regular bread to scoop this up with your hands - eating this way is a different, and really fun, kind of tactile experience.  

This can be made completely vegan, but non-vegetarians can also use chicken stock and throw in a few diced chicken breasts if they so desire.  You can adjust the seasonings to your own taste, adding a little less of one or a little more of another.  Serve with injera flatbread, over rice, or even on its own as a thick stew.  

Ethiopian-inspired Vegetable Chickpea Stew (Adapted from this Whole Foods recipe)
Makes 4 - 6 servings

1/2 tsp. ground coriander (or 1/2 tsp. whole coriander seeds, toasted lightly and ground)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp. whole cloves, toasted lightly and ground)
1/4 tsp. fenugreek (optional)
6 cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom)
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste later)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste mixed with 1 3/4 cup hot water
1 quart  vegetable or chicken broth
3 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 baby carrots or 4 regular carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
Optional for non-vegetarians: 2 - 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Mix the ground spices together in a small bowl and set aside.

If you're in a hurry, don't worry about roasting the chickpeas; just drain them and rinse well before adding to the stew.  If you do want to roast them, preheat the oven to 450 F.  Drain and rinse well and then toss with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and a dash of salt.  Spread into a baking pan and roast for 16 - 18 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes so they do not burn.  When they are slightly browned, remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the other 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the diced onions and cook for 2 - 3 minutes; add the fresh garlic and ginger and continue to saute for another 5 - 6 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add the spice mixture and stir constantly for about 2 minutes to toast them. Add the tomato paste mixed with water and stir well and bring to a boil.

Now add the chickpeas, vegetable or chicken stock, potatoes, and carrots and stir well.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are soft.  If you want to add chicken, add it now and cook for 7-9  minutes or just until cooked through.  Adjust seasonings (especially salt and pepper) as desired.

Serve with gluten-free injera flatbread or brown rice.  Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

Who out there misses Girl Scout Cookies?  Samoas, anyone?  You might not have to miss them quite as much if you make these.  They're not spot on, but they are - shall we say - reminiscent.  If you don't compare them directly to the gooey coconut-y fudgey deliciousness of Samoas, you'll probably like them even more.  Lose the comparison entirely and they become decadent.

I was lucky enough to host a friend of mine over the weekend, a friend who is scarily similar to me in many ways.  One thing we share is a love of baking, and we spent much of her visit in my kitchen, chatting endlessly as we made one delicious thing after another.  On the first day of her visit, we walked past a little cluster of hopeful Girl Scouts  in the Harvard subway station.  They were standing in front of huge stacks of cookie boxes, trying their best sales pitches/pleas on the passing commuters.  While we didn't buy any for obvious gluten reasons, they inspired us to try making Girl Scout cookies on our own at home.  After all, how hard could it be?

Not very hard, really - and fun!  All it takes is a good cookie base - we used shortbread, but feel free to try any other vanilla cookie base that you think would work - and then it's just a matter of the coconut cream and chocolate.  Easy to assemble, and despite being shortbread (aka butter-based), ended up tasting quite light and airy when all was said and done.  The shortbread base did become slightly crumbly, making the process of eating them a little messy.  There are two ways to remedy that.  You could use a different base, one that is more like a regular cookie, which will be softer and chewier.  Or - you can avoid crumbs by eating the entire cookie at once.  The choice is yours.  But if you're looking for a Samoa fix, these are the cookies for you.

Gluten-free Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

For the shortbread:

1/3 cup brown rice flour 
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tbsp. tapioca starch
3/4 cup, or 1.5 sticks, Fleischmann's baking margarine or Earth Balance "Butter"
Sweet rice flour for dusting


For the coconut cream and chocolate drizzle:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. coconut oil (can substitute Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup shredded coconut + 2 tbsp. for sprinkling over cookies
1/4 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
3 oz. Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 300 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric hand mixer (if you don't have one, just do the best you can by hand), cream the butter until it is very smooth.  Slowly beat in the dry ingredients bit by bit until they are well mixed.  Using your hands, gather the dough into a big ball, kneading any uneven parts as necessary.

Break off the dough by tablespoonful and roll into balls.  Place them on the parchment paper and, after dusting with the sweet rice flour to keep from sticking, flatten with the bottom of a cup or a fork or spoon. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, until they are firm to the touch, but not yet browned.  Remove from oven and let sit on the hot cookie sheets for another 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

In the meantime, prepare the coconut cream.  Melt the sugar and coconut oil together into a small pot and toast them together for about 1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning/sticking.  Add the coconut milk and vanilla and stir well.  Simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the mixture has reduced a bit and has become slightly thicker.  Add the shredded coconut and salt and stir in well.  Continue to cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, or until it has thickened more.  Remove from the pot into a bowl.  Let cool for a few minutes, then add the powdered sugar (which will help thicken it even more).  If yours still isn't very thick, you can try adding a bit of extra cornstarch as well.  Continue to cool.

In a regular nonstick pot, melt the chocolate over low heat. (If you have a double boiler, go ahead and use that!)  You could also microwave the chocolate in increments of 15 seconds if you prefer to avoid pots altogether.  Once it is melted, place it in a small baggie.  When you're ready to use it, cut a small hole at one of the corners to drizzle it over the cookies.

When the cookies have cooled, spread a layer of the cooled coconut cream on top, then drizzle chocolate over the coconut cream to your heart's content.  If desired, sprinkle some extra coconut flakes over the cookies before the toppings dry.  You can eat them right away, but the icing will still be slightly melty, so it works better to refrigerate them for a few hours before you serve them.

These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.  If they last that long.

Crustless Quiche for One

Here's a lovely meal to make when you don't have a lot of prep time and want something quick, easy, and healthy for dinner.  The beauty of this is that it's an individual serving, and you can make as many or as few as you have people (or mini loaf pans).  It's great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  You can use any vegetables you happen to have on hand or in your freezer.  Serve alone or with a fresh salad.  With Daiya, or your favorite non-dairy cheese.  I think that cumin and eggs are amazing together, but you could add any other spices you like.

It's versatile, is what I'm saying.  Versatile, foolproof, and delicious.

Crustless Quiche for One

2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. soy creamer
1/2 - 3/4 cup sauteed vegetables (I used onions, garlic, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and spinach)
1/4 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese (either mozzarella or cheddar is fine)
Small piece of soy feta cheese, crumbled (if you can't find this, you can just use more Daiya or omit)
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Pinch of cumin

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a mini bread loaf pan with cooking spray.

Sautee the vegetables until tender.  (I sauteed the mushrooms separately so they would brown more nicely.)  Layer into the bottom of the mini loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and soy creamer.  Add in the Daiya cheese, soy feta cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and cumin and stir just to combine.  Pour over the vegetables.

Bake at 350 until the eggs are set.  The time may vary depending on how big your mini loaf pan is; mine baked for about 35 minutes.  Test for doneness by inserting a fork or knife into the top center.  Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing to a plate to serve.  You could also serve right from the oven in the hot mini loaf pan, placed on another plate.

Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot cake might be my favorite of all cakes.  It's subtly sweet, moist, with a hint of spice, and you can even trick yourself into thinking it's halfway good for you because it has a vegetable in it.  Carrots are good for you - they are high in vitamin A (off the charts, actually) and antioxidants.  And they promote good vision.  They're healthy; we should get them into our diets any way we can....right?  Right. 

Everyone in Boston seems to have a copy of Flour these days, the new cookbook by pastry chef Joanne Chang, who owns several bakeries by the same name in Boston.  It's a gorgeous book, full of inviting recipes and pictures.  But the part that stood out to me the most was at the very beginning, when she writes about her path to becoming a pastry chef.  Secretly, I've always wanted to be a pastry chef and have spent more hours than I'd care to admit researching various culinary arts programs.  But I guess I've always thought of that as being unattainable because, who can afford that?

But that's what's so great about Joanne Chang's story.  She went to Harvard and got a degree in something extremely practical, worked for a few years in that field, and then - decided she'd rather bake.  She was able to find herself an apprenticeship of sorts in a bakery and worked her way up the ranks, learning from some of the best pastry chefs on the East coast.  And now - she has her own amazing bakery and her own amazing cookbook. 

Maybe I need to start writing some letters....  But in the  meantime, here is my gluten-free adaptation of her fabulous recipe for carrot cake.  There was too much batter for only 12 cupcakes, so I used the leftover to make a huge pancake, which was almost tastier than the cupcakes themselves - almost.  These were received by a non-gluten-free test audience with exclamations ranging from "Dynamite" to "Num!" (that one was from the one year-old I babysit).  Suffice to say - these are incredibly delicious.  Make them.

Carrot Cupcakes (Adapted from "Flour" by Joanne Chang)
Makes 12 cupcakes plus

2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. So Delicious Coconut  Milk + 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (to make dairy-free buttermilk)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Flour Mix
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place paper cupcake liners into a 12-muffin pan.

In a small bowl, combine the So Delicious Coconut Milk and lemon juice.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.  Voila!  Dairy-free buttermilk. (Note: Don't worry if it gets kind of chunky; mine did too, and it was fine!)

Combine the eggs, granulated and brown sugar.  Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture has gotten thick and the color is light.  In a separate bowl, combine the oil, vanilla, and dairy-free buttermilk and whisk together.  Add slowly to the egg-sugar mixture and continue to beat until well-mixed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.  Beat into the wet ingredients little by little, mixing well.  When all of the flour is mixed in, add the shredded carrots and raisins and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula.  The batter will be pretty thin - thinner than other cake batter you have worked with.  Don't worry.

Pour/spoon batter into each cupcake liner, filling about 4/5ths way to the top.  Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, or until ever-so-slightly browned on top, or about 28 - 35 minutes depending on your oven.  Remove from oven and let sit in the muffin pan for 3 more minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.  Cool completely, then ice with coconut cream frosting (see recipe below).  If desired, sprinkle with a few pieces of shredded carrot or shredded coconut for garnish.  Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze and defrost as-needed.

**For carrot cake:  Prepare batter as described above, but pour into a bundt pan and bake for about an hour at 350 F or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Use frosting recipe below.


Coconut Cream Cheese Icing (to be made about 2 hours before using)

1/2 cup Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (possibly more depending on how thick you want the icing to be)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup coconut 


Cream together the Tofutti, Earth Balance, and vanilla using an electric hand mixer.  Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until the icing is thick.  If you want the coconut to disappear a bit more into the icing, beat it in using the electric mixer.  If you'd like it to stay in bigger pieces, stir it in with a spoon. 

Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using.

Flourless Fluffer Nutter Cookies

Remember Fluffer Nutters?  Peanut butter and a thick slathering of Marshmallow Fluff brought together in one amazing sandwich?  They are a part of my childhood, and every once in a while, when I have a peanut butter sandwich, I reminisce about them.  So when I recently confirmed that Marshmallow Fluff is, in fact, gluten-free,  I was maybe a little too happy.  In fact, I promptly opened the jar I had just bought and ate a spoonful right out of the jar.  Yeah.  I do that sometimes.  (But don't worry, I don't double-dip, for those of you who eat my baked goods!)

Later that week, I was making a batch of peanut butter cookies for my cousin's birthday party and suddenly remembered that jar of Marshmallow Fluff.  Inspired, I took it off the shelf and decided to find a way to insert it into the recipe.

It worked!  They were delicious. Out of curiosity, and to test how well another favorite sandwich of mine would translate into cookies, I also made a few with strawberry jam instead of Fluff, and those were a success as well. (Directions for those are at the end of the recipe.)

The bottom line is, these peanut butter cookies are fantastic.  They have no flour, making them naturally gluten-free, and unmitigated peanut butter-y flavor.  The only problem is that they disappear quickly, so be sure to make enough!

 
Flourless Fluffer Nutter Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (I used Trader Joe's Creamy PB)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
3-4 tbsp. Marshmallow Fluff

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line two cookie baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the peanut butter and sugar until well mixed.  Add the vanilla and baking soda and mix.  Add the egg and mix very well until it is evenly distributed.

Using a teaspoon measure, scoop out the dough and roll into a ball with your hands.  Line up the balls of dough about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

Before putting in the oven, use a fork to crack each ball in half.  Place about 1/8th of a teaspoon (I'm just guessing since I didn't measure, but just a very tiny dollop) of Marshmallow Fluff into the center of each ball and then re-form the ball around it, rolling them in your hands.  Place the balls back on the cookie sheet and, using a fork, smash down each ball gently, creating creases on the top of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes or just until set.  Remove from oven and let sit on hot cookie sheets for another 3 - 5 minutes until slightly cooled, then remove to wire rack to continue cooling.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

**For peanut butter and jelly cookies:  Instead of placing marshmallow creme inside the cookie dough balls, use your thumb to press each ball of dough flat and then scoop about 1/2 - 1 tsp. strawberry jam into each cookie after baking.

Pea Mint Tapenade

I know - peas.  Gross, right?  Peas are the vegetables that get shuffled unenthusiastically around the plate.  They're the ones we hide behind the other food until dinner is over.  They're not only physically difficult to pin down, squirming and rolling away from utensils, but I feel like peas are often a vegetable of obligation.  I myself have a bag of them in my freezer that prompt a slight wave of guilt every time I catch a glimpse of them.  I feel like I should have them, but I don't know why.  Why do we hate peas, anyway?  Is it the faded green color?  The taste?  The texture?  The associations we have with being forced to eat them as children?  Whatever the reason, peas have gotten a bad rap in our minds, rating up there with brussel sprouts in their ability to repel us. 

So who knew they'd be so freaking delicious as a tapenade?  The texture of this is so creamy that you'll think for a minute that some sort of fat or cream has been added.  But - it hasn't.  The peas run the show, settling into perfect smoothness when pureed.  The flavor is delightful, but not overpowering, and it is wonderful spread over crispy garlic crostinis hot from the oven.  You could even serve it as a dip for gluten-free crackers.  The perfect appetizer, it's simple to make and will impress your guests with the unexpected harmony of peas and mint. 

Pea Mint Tapenade
Makes enough for about 24 crostini, or about 2 cups

2 1/2 cups peas, cooked and drained
5 - 7 tbsp. chopped fresh mint (to taste)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste


Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Adjust seasonings and mint to your own taste.  Serve with gluten-free garlic crostinis or gluten-free crackers.

*Note: This does not keep very well, even overnight, so it is best to make it as close to serving time as possible for maximum freshness and flavor.

Heavenly Snickerdoodles

These are hands-down the best snickerdoodles I've ever had, ever, ever.  They are soft, chewy, and the thin coating of sugar and cinnamon is perfectly balanced in its sweetness.  I have been bringing my kitchen creations into school to get feedback from my classmates (and also to avoid eating all of this food by myself, because believe me, I could do it).  These got rave reviews!  My professor took one bite, looked at me in surprise, and said, "Wow - you would never know that these are gluten-free!"  Another classmate leaned over as she was eating hers and confided, "I think I like gluten-free cookies better than regular ones."  I may have them all converted to gluten-free diets by May.  We'll see. 

But that should be all you need to hear to convince you to make these.  These are the kind of gluten-free snack you can proudly offer your friends.  You can bring them without shame to the potluck.  No apologies necessary for their being gluten-free - because no one will know.  Unless, of course, you want to impress them even more.

I adapted a recipe from Cybele Pascal's cookbook, The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, to make these.  I didn't change all that much;  I used an egg instead of egg replacer, adjusted the vanilla (I love my vanilla), and used sorghum flour in place of some of her more starchy blend to make it more whole grain.  Obviously, if the above comments are any indication, they turned out beautifully - for both the gluten-free and gluten-ful.

Heavenly Snickerdoodles (Adapted from "The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook" by Cybele Pascal)
Makes 48 small cookies or 36 large ones
(You can either use 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp. of your favorite gluten-free flour blend OR the following mix of flours)
1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp. sweet rice flour (or more tapioca starch)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk
2 tbsp. granulated sugar + 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (no cooking spray is needed).

In a small bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the Spectrum shortening and both sugars together with an electric mixer until very well-blended.  Add the vanilla extract and egg and continue to mix.

Add about 1/4th of the flour mixture and - still using the electric mixer - beat it into the dough.  Add a little of the coconut milk and mix.  Alternate between adding the flour and coconut milk until it is completely blended, scraping the sides of the bowl as-needed to make sure everything gets mixed in.  The dough will be pretty stiff at this point.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon and pour onto a plate.

You can make these into bigger cookies by using a tablespoon measure or smaller ones using a teaspoon measure.  Choose one and use the measure to scoop out the dough, and then roll each scoop into a ball using your hands.  Then, roll the ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place onto the baking sheet.  Space about 2-3 inches apart.

Bake the larger cookies at 350 F for 10-12 minutes, or just until they are set.  Bake the smaller ones for 8 - 10 minutes or until set.  Remove from oven and leave on the hot baking sheet for another 5 minutes until they start to firm up.  Then, remove to a wire rack to cool.

If there are any left to store, keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the dough and defrost later as-needed for a quick batch of these!

Coconut Almond Pie Crust

I've never really been much of a pie person in the past.  I'm not sure why.  Pie always seemed like so much work, and so messy.

But...that is one beautiful crust.  And it was so simple to make.  What on earth was keeping me from making pie all this time??

I used a strawberry custard filling in this for the first try, and it was delicious.  But I would imagine other successful flavor combinations oould include vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, key lime filling, non-baked cheesecake, or any dark berries - especially raspberries.

I taste-tested this with the kids I babysit, and while one of them hated it (because she hates coconut and almonds!), the other one couldn't get enough of it.  I eventually had to cut her off.  Her parents loved it, too.  They said the crust reminded them of Coconut Almond KIND bars.

This is probably the easiest pie crust you'll ever make - you don't even have to worry about peeling flour off of your rolling pin when it's done.  So, have at it.  As a former pie skeptic, I can tell you - it's worth it.

Here's what mine looked like just before going into the oven.  A springform pan would work best for this recipe, but if you don't have one (as I don't), a regular old 9-inch pan will work just fine, too.

Coconut Almond Pie Crust

1 cup shredded unsweetened or sweetened coconut
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tbsp. sweet rice flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 F.  Spray a 9-inch nonstick pan (or a springform pan if you have one) with cooking spray.

Combine the coconut, almond flour, sweet rice flour, and salt in a bowl.  Add the Earth Balance Buttery Spread and vanilla extract and cut them into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed.  Press into the pan, pushing some of the dough up along the side of the pan.  Place in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the coconut is lightly browned.  Watch it carefully so the coconut doesn't burn!  If it's browning too quickly, you can place a piece of foil loosely over the pan until it's done.

Remove from oven and cool before filling with cold filling.

**If you want to use this for a pie whose filling needs to be baked, I would place it in the oven for at least 10 minutes to firm up the crust before adding the filling.  I haven't tried this yet with a baked pie filling so I cannot guarantee that it won't burn being in the oven that long!

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Coconut Milk

  

Well, if you're like me, you ate way too many double chocolate espresso cookies in the last week.  Like, way too many.  And then, maybe you made a chocolate cake with coconut samoa icing to bring to a party on Friday (recipe for the icing forthcoming!).  And then maybe you had a huge helping of brioche french toast for breakfast on Saturday morning.  Maybe by Saturday night, your body had had it.

This is a soup for a detox day.  When your body is screaming for some nutritious goodness.  When all it wants is a damn vegetable, for Pete's sake.

This soup is so simple to make, and I suspect you could substitute a variety of other vegetables for the asparagus, if you don't have any of that on hand.  Or, you know, if you hate asparagus.  Try it with broccoli, or cauliflower, for instance.  I bet it would be fantastic.  Just a warning - this is a batch for a girl living alone and makes only about two cups of soup overall.  If you're cooking for several people, or if you want to have a bunch leftover, consider doubling or even tripling the recipe.

I owe the creamy texture of this to my aunt, who introduced me recently to So Delicious Coconut Milk, a lower calorie option to regular canned coconut milk.  It doesn't have a super strong coconut flavor in my opinion, and that makes it quite ideal for making creamy soups like this one without detracting from the flavor of the other ingredients.  I used So Delicious Original, which has only 80 calories per cup (and I only used one cup in the whole recipe!), but the So Delicious Unsweetened only has 50 calories, for those of you who want to trim even a few more calories off of this recipe.  Compare that to regular coconut milk, which can have - gasp - 480 calories per cup, or even lite coconut milk, with 180 calories per cup.  Not that I don't love to use regular coconut milk in my Thai curries, but it's not the most detox-friendly option.

You can feel good about eating this soup, is what I'm saying.  Your body will thank you.

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Coconut Milk
Serves 2

1 1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/2 cups chopped asparagus (about 350 grams, or 3/4 lb.), with ends trimmed off
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/8 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley + more for garnish
1 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk (or another creamy non-dairy milk)
1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste
Pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt the Earth Balance Buttery Spread.  Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and saute over medium-low heat for about 4 - 6 minutes, or until the onion starts to become translucent.

Clean and trim the asparagus and chop into small pieces (about 1 inch long).  When the onion is translucent, add the chopped asparagus and vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add the dried rosemary and fresh parsley, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the asparagus pieces are very tender.

Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until very smooth.  Return to the pot and add the So Delicious Coconut Milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and drizzle with a little extra coconut milk before serving.