Sweet and Tangy Cherry Apple Meatballs

These are a new twist on an old favorite.  I have been craving them for a while, but sadly, Trader Joe's has not stocked the cranberry chutney I used to use for ages.  I tried making it with their mango ginger chutney to mixed reviews; I liked it okay, but the rest of my family seemed to be less than enthused.  It was the ginger, I think, that was the misfit.  Don't get me wrong - I like ginger in general.  But it didn't belong in this concoction of sweet and tangy.  It knocked the other flavors out of its way.  It took over.

So it was time to do some tweaking.  This recipe is so simple that it wasn't hard to find substitutions;  I used homemade cherry jam to roughly parallel the tartness/sweetness of the cranberries, and while I was at it, added some apple butter I had in the fridge.  And then, I remembered the box of Kinnikinnick bread crumbs I had on my shelf.  (They sent me a box of them to review about a month ago, and with the end of the semester and being home for the holidays, I hadn't had a chance to use them yet.)  Since I was already in experimental mode, I tossed them in, too, replacing the oats from the original recipe.

They were wonderful, with a tender yet sturdy texture, and strike a beautiful balanced between sweet and a kick of spice.  These make a great dinner, but are essentially a fancier version of the cocktail meatballs made with grape jelly, so you could also make smaller meatballs and serve them as party snacks.  But trust me - whatever size you make them, you'll probably want to eat every last one yourself. 

Sweet and Tangy Cherry Apple Meatballs
Serves 3 - 4

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
3/4 cup Kinnickinnick bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. minced onion OR Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. maple syrup or maple butter (or you could substitute agave nectar)
2 tbsp. cherry jam
1 1/2 tbsp. apple butter (or substitute any other kind of jam)

For the sauce:
1 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup cherry jam
2 tbsp. apple butter (or substitute any other kind of jam)

To serve:
1/2 cup brown rice (cook as directed on package)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Get a glass baking dish ready for baking.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs and mix well.  Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and put over medium heat.  Form the mixture into meatballs, dropping them into the pan.  Saute on all sides just until browned (they won't be done in the middle yet) and place them in a single layer in the glass baking dish.  You'll probably have to do this in about 3 batches.

In a separate bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, jam, and apple butter and mix well.  When the meatballs are all browned and arranged in a single layer in the glass baking dish, pour the sauce evenly over them, turning them so that all sides are coated.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the meatballs are completely cooked through.

Serve over brown rice.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Intriguing, aren't they?  Pancakes...made of cornmeal.  Perhaps not the first whole grain you'd jump to if you were looking to change up your favorite breakfast food.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times wrote this week about pancakes.  About whole grain pancakes, specifically.  Have you ever thought about the intrinsic value of pancakes?  I mean, pancakes sans maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, etc.  What are pancakes without all those frills?  Don't get me wrong - they are delicious frills, and personally, I am usually okay with the thought of a pancake serving a purely vehicular purpose.  As a simple means of transporting maple syrup from the plate to my mouth.

But I will admit, they are not the healthiest option, nor do the plainest ones taste like much if you take away the maple syrup.

So I decided to adapt this particular recipe from Mark Bittman's column, which was already inherently gluten-free, but which I predicted might lack the sweetness I'd want to have in my pancakes.  So I added a little sugar - not much, but enough to bring a tinge of sweetness - and a dash of cinnamon.

And they were actually good.  Golden crisp, they held their own in flavor and became even better when drizzled with agave nectar (you could also use honey or maple syrup).  I won't claim that these are necessarily healthier than regular pancakes (although being devoid of processed starches is at least one point in their favor).  But I think you'll enjoy the new flavor in this creative, whole grain departure from an old favorite.

Slightly Sweet Cornmeal Pancakes (Adapted from a recipe from the NY Times, found here)
Makes 5 - 6 medium pancakes (can be easily doubled)

Non-stick cooking spray
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Vanilla Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choosing)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Toppings:  maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, almond butter, cinnamon-sugar

Combine the cornmeal and salt, and then add the boiling water.  Let it sit for about 8 minutes to soften the cornmeal.  Slowly add the hemp milk bit by bit, stirring to mix well.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

Spray a nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  When it is fully preheated (when a drop of water sizzles on it), spoon about 1/6th - 1/4th cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle.  Cook for about 4 minutes (until small bubbles start to appear or the bottom becomes nicely browned) and flip, cooking for another 4 - 5 minutes, until they are done all the way through.

Serve with your favorite toppings (I had mine with a scoop of almond butter and a drizzle of agave nectar, but go crazy with your own favorites!).

Hint:  You could also make these savory by omitting the sugar and adding in your favorite herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary, and serving as a side dish for dinner or lunch. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - Healthy, Vegan, and Raw

I know the words "vegan" and "raw" can have a similar effect to flipping an "off" switch for some people.  They become suspicious and doubtful of its flavor potential.  But just hear me out on this one.

I was browsing through food blogs last night and, after following a long chain of hyperlinked posts, stumbled across a blog called "Chocolate-Covered Katie."  Feeling an immediate kinship with the title, I delved further into Katie's website and discovered an entire section of her blog dedicated to making what she calls "Fudge Babies."

Intrigued, I scrolled through the list of varieties she has mastered.  Some of the flavors she has developed recipes for include peanut butter cup cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate fudge, tiramisu, and s'more cookies, to name a few.  There are many others, and they all look fantastic. 

The first one I wanted to try is a flavor most of us will recognize and love.  Something we probably ate too much of when we were kids (and, um, some of us beyond the time since we were kids):  chocolate chip cookie dough.  What is it about cookie dough that is so damn good?  Yes, it's bad for you.  But it's awfully hard to resist one little taste while you're dumping chocolate chips into a buttery, sugary, silky-smooth bowl of cookie dough.  And once you've had one little taste, it's awfully hard to resist another little taste.  And then another.  And another.

With these, you don't have to worry about all the butter, sugar, and raw eggs you're consuming as you eat cookie dough.  It's not completely spot-on in flavor, I will say that - but it's very reminiscent of cookie dough, and you can make it even more so by upping the vanilla content.  But even though they aren't exactly the same as cookie dough, they are still really, really good.

And best of all, you can feel good about trading in that sliver of flavor for a huge slice of health.  As Katie describes, these are sort of reminiscent of Larabars in their flavor, texture, and simplicity.  They are super easy and quick to make (you can have them done in less than 15 minutes) and make a healthful and delicious snack.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Modified slightly from "Chocolate-Covered Katie's" fantastic recipe, which you can find here.)
Makes about 12 - 15 pieces

90 grams (~1/2 cup) dates
30 grams whole raw cashews
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
2 heaping tbsp. shredded coconut
1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)

For best results, chop dates into smaller pieces before placing into food processor so they are easier to grind up.

Place the dates, cashews, vanilla, and salt (if desired) into a food processor (Katie uses a Magic Bullet, but I don't have one of those, so I just threw it all into my plain old food processor).  Blend on the highest setting until the dates have been reduced at least to small crumbs and will stick together in clumps (longer if you want it to be even smoother).  Scrape into a bowl and add the coconut and chocolate chips, stirring to mix well.  Scoop out by the tablespoonful and mold into small balls with your hands.

That's it!  Now you can go ahead and eat them.  You can store at room temperature or in the fridge.

I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect these would be great dipped in a chocolate ganache.

Health Nut Crunchy Granola

You know how granola you buy at the store always has that wonderful crunch?  It's not the crunch of over-baking - it's the crunch of perfect baking.  Not too hard, and not too soft.  It's the kind you marvel at with each bite - light, crisp, and utterly addictive.  It's a melt-in-your-mouth kind of crunch.

I eat homemade granola for breakfast almost every day, and every time I make a new batch, I tweak my recipe a little bit in an attempt to make it taste like one from the shelves of Whole Foods.  I've tried different ratios of liquid to dry ingredients, different ingredients, and different baking temperatures.  And it turns out, that particular kind of crunch is not all that easy to achieve - at least, not until you've discovered a few secret tips after many failed attempts.  (Well, maybe not failed - I never made a batch I couldn't eat.  They just weren't perfect.)

Yesterday, somehow, I hit upon a magical combination of ingredients, baking temperature, and baking time.  I'm not saying this recipe is perfect yet.  But I'm sharing it with you because it is really, really, really good - by far, the best granola I've ever made.  The flavor is addictive, and the best part is that it doesn't rely on a lot of oil for its texture.  Instead, it's packed full of nuts, pure nut butter, and seeds.  If you can't have any of the ingredients listed, you can easily substitute the same amount of something else.  For instance, if you can't have nuts, use all Sunbutter; if you can't have almond butter, you can substitute all Sunbutter or use peanut butter instead.  Don't like sesame seeds?  Leave them out and put in more flaxseeds.  If you like dried fruit in your granola, go ahead and add some.  I'm going to keep working on it until it's perfect, but for now, this makes a fantastic breakfast on its own, or sprinkled over some fruit and yoghurt.  It's full of flavor - but it's also healthy.

And the crunch?  That's the best part.  It's there, too. 

Health Nut Crunchy Granola
Makes 2 - 3 cups of granola

1 cup gluten-free oats (make sure to talk to your doctor before starting to eat oats if you have celiac!)
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup whole cashews, ground or crumbled
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp. flaxseeds
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or oil)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. agave nectar (can substitute honey)
1 1/2 tbsp. almond butter
1 1/2 tbsp. Sunbutter (can use either all Sunbutter or all almond butter if needed)
3 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut, ground cashews, almond meal, flaxseed, sesame seeds, buckwheat flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, Earth Balance, honey, agave nectar, almond butter, Sunbutter, and vanilla.  Heat over medium heat until it starts to simmer and everything has melted together.  Pour immediately over the dry ingredients and stir very well to mix.  Make sure all of the dry ingredients have been coated.

At this point, the granola will be very sticky and will look like one big clump.  Spread into the glass pan and place in the oven.  Bake at 300 F for 45 - 50 minutes, reaching in every 5 - 7 minutes to stir.  If you want lots of big chunks in your granola, don't break up the clumps; if you want lots of smaller clumps, do a stir-and-chop to get the consistency you want. 

The granola is done when it's got a sort of golden hue and when the clumps are not breaking apart easily when you stir the granola.  They will not be completely crunchy yet (they'll get crunchier as they cool), but they should taste kind of toasted - slightly hard on the outside and a little softer on the inside.

Remove to a large plate or another pan and spread out to cool.  When completely cooled, store in a container with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for longer shelf-life.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Soup with Thyme

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.  I recited this to myself as I watched this soup simmer, resisting the familiar urge to reach into the spice cabinet and dump more seasonings in.  Stop.  Breathe.  Keep it simple. 

I'm beginning to realize how vital this concept is in culinary pursuits.  Cooking need not involve lots of heavy machinery or fifteen different spices which will only confuse your palate.  Food can be uncluttered without sacrificing flavor.

This is a soup for a cold, gray day (if possible, hold out for a snowy one) - not just for its color, which will inject some brightness into the bleakness of winter, but also for its vivid taste, which delights afresh with each bite.  The thyme and sun-dried tomatoes are perfect together, giving each other space but merging beautifully at the same time. 

It is simple, but there is no flavor sacrificed in this soup. Best of all, you can serve it to almost anyone, as it is gluten-free and vegan.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Soup with Thyme (Adapted from Food and Wine)
Serves 2 - 3

1 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil), drained and coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, diced
3 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth (such as Trader Joe's or Pacific brands)
6 - 7 whole fresh thyme sprigs, divided
1/2 - 1 cup soy creamer (to taste/texture)
1 tsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need:  A food processor or blender

In a medium-sized pot, melt the Earth Balance and olive oil together over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the onion is becoming translucent.  Add the diced tomato, sun-dried tomato, chicken broth, and 4 whole thyme sprigs to the pot.  Bring ever-so-briefly to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes, but up to 35 or 40 minutes if you have the time.

Remove the whole sprigs of thyme and discard.  In batches (depending on the size of your food processor), puree the soup as finely as possible.  Return to the pot.  Add the soy creamer (adding more if necessary or if you want it to be especially creamy), add the brown sugar, and then season with salt and pepper to your own taste.  Take the remaining 2 - 3 sprigs of thyme and pull off the tiny leaves and sprinkle into the soup.  Serve with hot garlic bread or this grilled cheese.  It also goes quite well with Roasted Red Pepper Mini Meatloaves.

You can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to serve it.  Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 - 15 minute until it is warmed through. 

Irish Soda Bread

I'm a convert.  A soda bread convert, that is.

It's not like I used to hate soda bread or anything.  I don't even know that I ever even tried a regular piece before being diagnosed with celiac.  And maybe that's why I was never particularly compelled to make a gluten-free version of it.

If only I had known, I might have tried this recipe years ago.  It's a bread that sits on the fence, with a hint of sweetness on the one side and a slightly bitter aftertaste that gives you pause, and then makes you want to take another bite, and another, and another.  It doesn't taste quite like a regular loaf of bread, but also doesn't taste like a dessert bread.  It's fantastically in between the two, and to make it even better, it comes together very quickly since you don't need to proof any yeast.  The raisins add intermittent splashes of subtle sweetness (hint: try using the raisins that are specifically for baking so they don't dry out as much).  Absolutely perfect with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, this bread is pretty addictive.

Since I have learned not to trust my own taste buds as indicators of what others will find delicious, I tested it on several friends who can eat gluten;  one friend took one bite before proclaiming "Oh, it's delicious!", while another (who is a huge fan of regular soda bread) called it, in his own words, "DAMN good" (he really did put that emphasis on DAMN, I swear).

Having never made a regular loaf of Irish soda bread before, I was unsure about the texture.  I knew it was supposed to be a very sturdy bread, but even though it called for 30 minutes of baking, I got nervous after the top was dark brown after only 25 minutes and took it out of the oven then.  It was baked through, but ended up being rather soft when it cooled.  Unless you're really wanting that particularly hard texture, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and besides, it firmed up quite nicely after 2 days in the fridge.  However, if you want to eat a firmer loaf, I'd suggest either baking it for longer at a lower temperature (perhaps 325 F instead of 375) or making it a day or two before you want to serve it.

You can find the recipe I followed from the Gluten-free Goddess here.  I used Sunmaid Baking Raisins, substituted a real egg for the egg replacer, and also brushed a thin layer of hemp milk over the top of the loaf before baking to give the crust more of a sheen and crunch.  Make this when you have someone to share it with - they'll appreciate it!

English Muffins by the Gluten-free Goddess

That is an English muffin, friends.  A real English muffin.  I received a lovely set of English Muffin Rings from my cousin for Christmas, and I put them to use immediately upon returning to Boston yesterday after spending the holidays in St. Louis.  I tried this recipe for English muffins by the Gluten-free Goddess, and you are looking at the rather delicious result.  I halved her recipe and used a real egg instead of the egg replacer and ended up with 5 English muffins.  This is what mine looked like when they came out of the oven (the dusting on top is cornmeal that I sprinkled on before baking):

These were pretty simple to throw together - the longest part about this recipe is proofing the yeast.  And that only takes five minutes.  But once the yeast gets frothy, the dough comes together in just about another ten minutes.  Definitely no longer than you'd spend driving to the store to buy a bag of English muffins, let's put it that way.

The texture of these was pretty good and was pretty close to a regular English muffin; however, I might play around with the recipe a bit more to see if I can make it even lighter.  But even as they were, these were pretty fantastic and are definitely worth making.  They may seem slightly dense once they cool, but don't worry - pop them into the toaster and they will be transformed into airy lightness.  They are even sturdy enough to make an egg sandwich without falling apart.  I suspect these would also be great for making mini-pizzas or mini-paninis, if you have a panini-maker.

Or you could keep it simple and delicious with some good homemade jam and peanut butter.

Check out those air pockets!  Try them out for yourself.  If you don't have English muffin rings, you could try using (carefully cleaned!) empty tuna cans with both the top and bottom cut off.  Freeze any leftovers as soon as they're completely cooled and toast to defrost as the cravings hit (you could even slice them before freezing to make it easier on yourself).  If you've missed English muffins, these will hit the (approximate) spot!

Bakery-Style Hamantaschen

Ok, yes - it's too early for Purim.  Heck, to be honest, my family is not even one to celebrate that particular Jewish holiday.  Perhaps if I had known about the Hamantaschen, though, that would have been different...

These were my first Hamantaschen.  What is a Hamantaschen, you might wonder?  These cookies are little three-cornered wonders that puff up into bite-size pastries filled with any number of things, including jam, chocolate hazelnut spread, nuts, dates, and perhaps most commonly, poppy seed filling or prunes.  Their triangular shape is sometimes called evocative of the ears of the villain of the holiday of Purim - you guessed it - Haman, who is defeated in the story as told in the Book of Esther.

You'll probably forget all of that after your first bite.  The dough for this looks remarkably like regular old gluten dough, becoming elastic enough to survive a rolling pin and cut-outs, and pinching together like its gluteny counterpart. [We suspect that you could use this basic dough recipe as a pie crust as well, but that is yet to be tested.]  And after about 12 minutes in the oven, they turn into golden brown beauties, tiny crystals of sugar dotting their crispy tops even as the inside stays soft as a pillow and melts in your mouth.

These look a little different than the pictures of other Hamantaschen we saw, which seem to be more open in the middle and look vaguely like a mini danish.  But I rather like the way this shape distributes the filling, and so I would encourage you to try it out this way at least with some of them.  We filled ours with some of our homemade strawberry, peach, and blueberry jams, and also made a few with Solo Poppy Seed Filling (confirmed gluten-free here).  As my mom cut out the rounds and lined them up on the parchment paper, I filled each one with a teaspoon-sized dot of filling and pinched them together at the top.  A final dusting of sugar and then into the oven they went.

You would never in a million years know these were gluten-free.  With some gluten-free desserts, the flavor stays intact but the texture suffers, or vice versa; rarely do the stars align and create something that surpasses its glutenful counterpart in both taste and texture.  But both my father and brother actually requested that my mom make the gluten-free version of these because that is how good these are.  And how often does that happen?

All I can say is, there is a reason these are called "bakery style."  Seriously.  No one will regret your making these cookies - even if it's not Purim.

Gluten-free Bakery-Style Hamantaschen (Adapted from "A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking" by Marcy Goldman)

Makes 4 - 6 dozen pastries


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted non-dairy baking margarine (we used Fleischmann's, but you could also try Spectrum Butter Shortening)
1 1/4 cups sugar + 1/4 cup for sprinkling before baking
3 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups white rice flour + up to 1 cup more to use when rolling out the dough
1/2 cup tapioca starch (allow to settle well into the measuring cup)
3/4 cup potato starch (allow to settle well into the measuring cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
Fillings of your choice, such as jam (strawberry, peach, or blueberry); Solo Poppy Seed or Almond Paste filling; nutella; dates; or prunes

Combine the margarine/shortening and the sugar together.  Add the eggs and mix until smooth.  Stir in the orange juice and the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, fold together the white rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture to form a firm but soft dough.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat it down.  Cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Alternatively, you can dust it with tapioca starch and wrap it in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator (up to 2 days) or freezer (up to 3 months) until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 2 or 3 flattened discs and work with one at a time.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.  Depending on how sticky your dough is, you may need to use quite a bit more white rice flour to make it workable.  Don't fret, though - they'll still be delicious!  We used the top of a cup with a diameter of 2.5 inches to cut out rounds from the dough.  As you run out of space to cut dough from, rework and roll the dough out again, as many times as necessary until you run out of dough completely.

Line the rounds up on the lined baking sheet.  Fill each with a generous teaspoonful of the filling you've chosen and then draw each round of dough together by pulling three sides together and pinching them together in the middle.  You'll now have a pastry that looks like the top picture.  Once you've pulled all the rounds together in this way, sprinkle generously with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Or eat warm from the oven.  Store in an airtight container (if they last long enough to be stored).

Chocolate Chunk Blondies by Cybele Pascal

You're looking at round two of baking from my favorite new cookbook, The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame by Cybele Pascal.   (You can also check out her blog here.)  Unfortunately, the recipe for these blondies is not posted there, as far as I can see, but that is just more incentive to buy this fabulous cookbook for yourself. (Note: I did not receive a copy of this cookbook for free, nor am I in any way connected to Cybele Pascal, so this review is completely unsolicited and is based solely on my personal experience with her cookbook and blog.)

It's taken me a long time to build up my baking credibility with some members of my family since being diagnosed with celiac.  A long time.  For the first year, anything I brought to a family gathering was regarded with a great deal of suspicion.  Eyes would flicker warily to the plate I held in my hands, and looks were exchanged.  Sometimes it wasn't so subtle, and rumblings of "....gluten-free.....gross...." could be heard across the living room.  One time, I made a batch of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and asked my cousin to walk in with them instead of me.  They were gobbled up and exclaimed over by all, but when I revealed that they were, in fact, gluten-free, one of my sisters actually grimaced and refused to touch them again for the rest of the night.

That's a powerful association to try to break.

As I've made and shared more and more desserts, a hesitant trust has formed.  People have started to realize that the lack of gluten and dairy does not break a dessert.  Things can be delicious even without those two seemingly core elements, they have realized.

I was flipping through Cybele Pascal's cookbook, and one of my sisters caught sight of a picture of the Chocolate Chunk Blondies and exclaimed over how delicious they looked.  That same sister happened to get engaged later that night - and so - clearly the only thing to do was to make a batch of Engagement Blondies!

I personally love baked goods warm out of the oven and thought these tasted heavenly while still hot, but others in my family insisted that the taste improved drastically once they had been chilled.  But go with your own gut.  I will say, though, that the sister who used to grimace at the mere mention of "gluten-free" finished half the pan.  By herself.

That, to me, says more than any blog entry can.

Food Bonanza: The American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo

We've all been surrounded by food because we all go to grocery stores (although some of us take much more delight in this chore than others).  But have you ever found yourself surrounded - truly surrounded - by people who love food?

Well, let me tell you - it is a wonderfully affirming feeling to walk amongst people who are just as obsessed as you are with all things culinary - and beyond that, all things healthy.   Because I am part of a Health Blogger network called Wellsphere, I was recently given the opportunity to attend the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo held here in Boston as a member of the media.  It was not only my first time being a member of the press, but also the first time I had an official piece of paper with "Freelance Writer" written under my name.  That is one piece of paper I will not be letting go of for a very long time.

After a stop in the press room - partly out of curiosity, it being my first time in a press room - I decided to head to the expo floor before the talks I wanted to see in the afternoon.  As I stood at the top of the escalators and looked down at the expo floor, I gazed at booth after booth spanning in every direction, with people spilling out of the aisles, carrying one, two, sometimes three bags full of samples and papers.  This was big.

The program for this conference was a tome, and quite overwhelming.  I wanted to go to everything, but it all seemed to be happening at once!  The most interesting talk I went to focused on celiac disease and the newest research about it and gluten intolerance.  Did you know that while 1 % of the population is estimated to have celiac disease, there is an additional 6 % who likely have a non-celiac gluten intolerance?  Those are huge and alarming numbers, when you think about it - particularly as most of the people behind the statistics are not being diagnosed.  Many may continue to struggle with their symptoms for years before they discover how to feel better - if they discover it at all.  It is so important to raise awareness so those people can live healthier lives.

And after all of the other speakers had spoken, and we had sampled all of the food on the expo floor, we all came together at the end in the largest hall I think I have ever been in, and listened to Anthony Bourdain's parting words.  From his opening proclamation ("I don't know if I'm really the right person to address a conference with the word 'nutrition' in it..."), he was funny, amusing, and charming.  He talked about our increasingly globalized world and how to be a citizen of that world, even when (and especially when?) we are doing something as routine as eating (particularly in parts of the world where eating is sadly not as routine as it is for us here).  He talked about having respect for where food comes from and the central role it plays in families and cultures.  And he talked about food itself, and the joys of the perfect meal prepared in just the right circumstances, even if they may also be the (seemingly) least glamorous of moments.

He was preaching to the choir, of course.  We loved him. 

In between conference talks, I wandered around the food expo, past representatives thrusting bags of almonds, pistachios, baked chips, and dried fruit into my bag.  They offered me brownies and gluten-free macaroni and cheese; avocados and chocolate tortilla chips (no kidding - look here.  They are really, really good.).  I drank shot-sized samples of hemp and almond milk.  Simply by following the crowd, I found myself in the line for a book signing for "The Food Cure for Kids:  A Nutritional Approach to your Child's Wellness."  The same thing happened to me an hour later with a different book.  After shaking hands with the author, I tucked the book into one of my (now several) bags and continued walking, searching for what, for me, was one of the main draws to the expo.

Yes.  The Gluten-Free Pavilion.  Where I spent every spare minute at the conference. 

While I was wandering around the Gluten-free Pavilion, I was lucky enough to meet the author of one of my very first gluten-free cookbooks: Carol Fenster!  She was there to promote her new cookbook, 100 Best Gluten-free Recipes.  It was amazing to meet her, and I even got proof that I did!  What I remember most from the encounter is thanking her profusely for her focaccia recipe, which completely changed the course of my experience with (and trust in) gluten-free bread, and then snapping this picture before becoming aware of the crowd forming behind me, eager to meet Ms. Fenster as well.


Many thanks to Wellsphere for sponsoring me to attend the ADA Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo!  Official conference information (and information about the ADA) can be found here.  Find out more about Wellsphere here.


Food Reviews

I was lucky enough to taste many products that I had not had a chance to try before (many of you know that some of these products can be quite expensive, and I am always wary of spending $5 on something if I don't know what the quality is!).  Here are some of the things I sampled, with a quick review of each.

Amy's Macaroni and Rice Cheese Pasta, Rice Cheese Pizza, Tamale Verde - both delicious.  The macaroni and rice cheese pasta was incredibly creamy and rich, and while I don't know that I could eat a huge portion of it at once, it tasted pretty close to regular mac and cheese.  The Tamale Verde was also delicious, with lots of flavor and protein packed into each serving.  And the rice cheese pizza was absolutely amazing, with a crisp crust and melted cheese; the sad news, however, is that it is quite expensive (I recently saw them in a local store for $11.49 each!).  I don't think I could justify buying one for myself unless it were cheaper, and will simply continue to dream about it instead.

Udi's Blueberry and Lemon Struessel Muffins - I enjoyed both varieties, which had a cakey texture.  They're expensive, and come in packs of 4, but they are also huge muffins, so I suppose it is a trade-off.  I would not hesitate to serve these to someone without a gluten intolerance.  However, I think you could make something equally great at home.

Udi's Original Granola - This was fantastic.  Delicious, flavorful clumps of gluten-free oats with a powerful vanilla flavor - it was hard to stop eating it.  The granola has several different kinds of nuts and banana chips, which at first struck me as slightly odd but then quickly grew on me as I continued to crunch through the bag.   I took a whole bag home and it was gone within a week.  Highly recommended.


Kettle Cuisine Chili and Thai Chicken Soup -  Amazing soups!  The Thai Chicken is a yellow curry-based soup that is extremely rich in flavor, but which still manages to have a light texture.  The chili is less outstanding but still delicious.  Highly recommended - I would definitely buy either of these!

Almond Dream Chocolate and Vanilla Milk - I tried both the sweetened and unsweetened versions of each kind of milk, and because this is largely a matter of personal taste and tolerance for sweetness, it is hard to offer a clear review of each.  I personally preferred the sweetened versions of both the chocolate and vanilla almond milk; the chocolate in particular tasted like regular chocolate milk to me.  The unsweetened versions tasted.....well, unsweetened.  The unsweetened chocolate milk tasted a bit like cocoa powder, and while I wouldn't drink it on its own that way personally, I could see myself using it to bake. 

Foods by George Brownies - Amazing brownies - decadent and rich, and wonderfully chewy.  I believe you could make some good competition in your own kitchen, but for a store-bought kind of day, these are fabulous.

Vegan Gourmet Cheese  - Quite good - they were making little mini pizza-type appetizers with gluten-free bread and cheese toasted together.  It melted quite nicely, which surprised me, and while I still think Daiya Vegan Cheese is my personal favorite, Vegan Gourmet is very good, too.

Cherry or Chocolate Chip Oat Scones by Cybele Pascal

Think back.  When was the last time you had a scone?  A scone like you remember them - crumbly, subtly sweet, faintly biscuit-like and scattered with sugar crystals?

Well, if you can't remember, don't worry.  I found one for you.

If you haven't heard of her yet, check out Cybele Pascal.  I recently discovered her fantastic cookbook, The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, and then - much to my delight - found that she also has a blog with instructional videos for several of her vegan and gluten-free recipes.  (Check below for the link to the recipe for these scones.)

Every single one of her recipes will make your mouth water.  Just try to watch these videos without wanting to reach through your computer screen to take a bite of whatever she is making.

The only modifications I made to Cybele's recipe (which originally was for Cherry Oat Scones) were to substitute Silk vanilla soy milk for the rice milk, and then to divide the batter to make half cherry and half chocolate chip (at the request of my family).  You could go crazy and make them all cherry chocolate chip if you want.  Or you could substitute your favorite kind of dried fruit for the cherries.  I get the feeling you could use any other toppings you like in these scones, as long as you don't change the basic ratio and weigh the batter down too much.  They are deliciously soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside - and in the cherry version, the hint of cinnamon is wonderful.

The only thing that is for sure is that if you miss scones, these are for you.  The members of my family who are not gluten-free tend to be brutally honest about these things, and they were not complaining.  In fact, they had seconds.

You can watch Cybele Pascal make these delicious scones here.

Bagel Pizzas

You can tell I just got done with finals by all the quick and minimal-effort food I've been eating.  Being gluten-free, it can sometimes feel hard to have a truly quick and easy meal.  This is pretty simple, though.  If you have the fifteen minutes it takes to bake it, you're golden after spending about 5 minutes assembling it.  Promise.

I recently attended a food and nutrition conference here in Boston, where I was given a bag of Udi's Multigrain Bagels to try (so, for full disclosure, I did receive these for free).  I think they are pretty fabulous; I've tried them with Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese, with peanut butter, and with a fried egg as a sandwich.  And now, with this, the final bagel, I decided to get a little more ambitious and see how they would hold up as a pizza base.

It turns out that they hold up really well, becoming deliciously crispy on the outside while staying nice and soft on the inside.  These little pizzas are very versatile, although the prime real estate space on the bagel is pretty limited, plus you have to work with the big hole in the middle, so you can't really pile on too many toppings.  Just take it easy and choose 2 or 3 to start with.  I had a Trader Joe's sausage in my fridge, along with a jar of roasted red peppers.  I went with that.  But next time - who knows?  It could turn into anything.

Bagel Pizzas

Per person:
1 Udi's Multigrain bagel, cut in half
~1/2 cup gluten-free pizza sauce
1 pre-cooked gluten-free sausage, sliced thinly (I used Trader Joe's Sweet Apple Sausage)
1/4 cup sliced roasted red peppers
3/4 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese (mozzarella works best, but if you've only got cheddar, go on and use it)
Optional: oregano, basil, and parsley (to sprinkle over)

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper so any cheese that falls off doesn't attach itself permanently to your pan.

Assemble the pizzas:  spread the pizza sauce over each bagel slice, then arrange the roasted red peppers and sausage slices, and then top with the Daiya Vegan Cheese and if desired, sprinkle with the spices.

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes (but depending on your oven, it could take shorter or longer so I would start checking after about 10 minutes, just in case).  When the cheese is completely melted and the bagel slices are crispy, you can remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Grilled "Cheese"

Cheese.  Melty, gooey, stringy cheese.  

Ok, it's not really cheese.  But I swear, it tastes and acts so much like it you won't be able to tell much of a difference.

My second attempt at gluten-free bread in my new breadmaker was a loaf of challah bread that I first posted about two years ago.  It came out beautifully - soft, chewy, and sliceable.  I'll be posting more about that one later.  

But did I mention it's sliceable?  As in, it doesn't fall apart when you try to eat it.  Something we take for granted with regular bread.  And that opens you up to a whole array of new recipes.

Like grilled cheese.  This is so simple, and so quick to make, and you can modify it any way you want and it will still be great.  (See below for some extra-good modifications).  The combination of the Daiya cheese with a bit of mayo makes the filling extra creamy and melty.  Serve by itself or with tomato soup.  If you were like me as a kid, maybe you ate it with ketchup (I know, I know - it probably sounds disgusting to those who haven't tried it.....but I remember it being oh-so-good that way!).

So slice up some of your favorite bread - the best kind for this grilled cheese is a softer white bread - and get cooking.  Get melting.

Quick and Easy Grilled "Cheese"

2 slices of soft, white bread (like challah)

1 tbsp. gluten-free margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1-2 tbsp. Veganaise or regular gluten-free Mayonnaise

1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Daiya Vegan Cheese (either mozzarella or cheddar will work)

Garlic powder (optional)

In a small bowl, mix the Veganaise and shredded Daiya Vegan Cheese together.  If you want a garlic kick, add some garlic powder to taste; otherwise, omit.  Spread the gluten-free margarine on one side of each slice of bread. 

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Place the bread, margarine side down, in the skillet.  Immediately spread the cheese/Veganaise mixture evenly onto both slices.  Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until both pieces of bread are nicely browned and the cheese mixture has started to melt.  Carefully take one of the pieces of bread and flip it onto the other so the sandwich is formed.  Continue to cook over low heat until all the cheese is melted.  

Serve immediately (with tomato soup or alone!). 

Some especially delicious modifications include:

-Spread both slices of bread with your favorite dairy-free pesto before adding the cheese.

-Add fresh basil leaves to the cheese mixture.

-Arrange roasted red peppers onto the slices of bread while they are cooking.

-Add slices of tomato to the sandwich just before serving.

-Serve with tomato soup or any other favorite soup.

Multigrain Breadmaker Bread by the Gluten Free Goddess

You know how gluten-free bread sometimes withers under the heat of the oven?  How it looks so full of yeasty promise, only to deflate disappointingly once you attempt to actually bake it?

I've been hearing rumblings of the wonders that a breadmaker can work on gluten-free bread, and as I was lucky enough to inherit a Breadman Breadmaker from my cousin recently, I decided to try out a recipe from Karina's website (always trustworthy) in my first attempt to use it.  She raves about her Multigrain Bread in her blog, and so I decided to give it a try.  I followed her recipe pretty exactly, using real eggs instead of egg replacer and used all water for proofing the yeast instead of using half non-dairy milk.  I also left out the seeds on top (and I only did that because I stuck this in the breadmaker at an ungodly hour of the night after a marathon paper-writing session and promptly fell asleep before it was time to add the seeds on top).

The result?  Mine was a little dry, but made a beautiful piece of toast spread with sweet jam.  And it slices!  It slices without falling apart!  I'm inclined to blame myself for the slightly dry texture because I originally only used 1 cup of warm water to proof the yeast since I'm not cooking at a high altitude like Karina was.  I think next time I'll use the full 1 1/4 cup and see if it turns out to be any moister.  Overall, though, it was a pretty good loaf of bread and held up well in terms of texture, and was particularly good as toast.  I think everyone's breadmaker will be slightly different, so I'd start with Karina's original recipe and then tweak from there.  Even if mine turned out a little dry, it was still eons above some of the store-bought stuff I've choked down.  Thanks for the recipe, Karina!

Chewy Mint Chocolate Cookies

Do you ever miss Thin Mints?

I do.  They were my favorite kind of Girl Scout Cookie (aside from a maple cream one they sold for only one year before yanking it off the market for some inexplicable reason).  The combination of the chocolate and mint - dangerously addictive, and completely delicious.

Well, it's just as hard to stop eating these.  I overbaked the first tray I put in and was extra careful not to repeat that mistake with the rest, standing like a hawk by the oven to pull them out after exactly 9 minutes.  The results?  Chewy, chocolatey, minty, coconuty goodness. (But don't worry - if you hate coconut, you can leave it out and they will still taste awesome.  I tested it out for you.)

I got the idea from the Gluten Free Goddess and tweaked the recipe from her site (which you can find here) based on the ingredients I had on hand.  I also halved her recipe, fearful of the implications of a full batch of chocolate cookies alone with me in my apartment. 

And those fears were justified.  The gooey chocolate chips and chewy coconut are a wonderful combination, and the mint makes them festive somehow.  They'd be perfect for a holiday party!

Try them for yourself and see if anyone you serve these to complains about their being gluten-free.  Dare them to. 

Chewy Mint Chocolate Cookies

1/3 cup Spectrum organic shortening
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼   cup white sugar
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 egg
7 - 9 tbsp. mint chocolate Silk soy milk (or any other non-dairy chocolate milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 -1 ½ tsp. peppermint extract (according to your own taste)
1 ¼  cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I used Montina, but others would work, too)
½  tsp. xanthan gum

¾ tsp. baking powder
½  tsp. baking soda
¼   tsp. salt
¼   cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
½  cup chocolate chips
½  - 1 cup shredded coconut (optional, but recommended!)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the shortening, sugars, and agave nectar and mix well.  Add the egg, 7 tbsp. of the mint chocolate soy milk, and the vanilla and peppermint extracts. 

In a separate bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  Add to the liquid mixture, stirring well.  Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut, if desired.  If the batter is too dry, add more mint chocolate soymilk by the tablespoonful until the batter is smooth and stiff.

Drop by tablespoon-ful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, or just until they are barely cooked all the way through.  I baked mine for about 9 minutes.  Do not overbake!  They may not look completely done when you pull them out of the oven.  Allow to rest for 2 - 3 minutes on the hot cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack or plate.