Vegetable & Cream Cheese Quiche with Almond Crust

Quiche. I always associate it with spring - maybe it's because of the eggs (Easter Egg hunts) or the vegetables (Bye winter! Hello fresh veggies!) or because they're such an "Easter Brunch" friendly food (can be served room temperature). Either way, this quiche, made with an almond flour crust, is something I'll be serving all year long.

I've long been a fan of Elana's Pantry; her almond flour and coconut flour recipes are delicious and her cookbooks are gorgeous. I love her philosophy about food and the fact that she uses her grain-free diet as a way to treat her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. (This is especially fascinating to me because my mother has MS and I'm always looking for alternative ways to help her cope.)

If I were trying to convince anyone to try a grain-free diet (cough, cough mom), this is one dish I'd present. Elana's chocolate chip cookies are another. 

Vegetable and Cream Cheese Quiche with Elana's Pantry Almond Crust

You'll need to make one recipe of Elana's savory pie crust recipe (there's a version of it here on another favorite of mine, Spunky Coconut's blog - or a version of it here on Elana's site) but you'll have to get her book to get the recipe I used. Here's what I typically do for my quiche fillings, you need:

4 eggs, whisked

2 small heads broccoli, roughly chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons cream cheese

scallions and parmesan cheese for garnish

salt, pepper, & garlic powder, to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl add all of the vegetables and dollops of the cream cheese (don't try to fully blend them in with the veggies/eggs), then add the eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the mixture to your prebaked crust, top with some shaved parmesan and bake for about 35 minutes (it will be ready when the middle of the quiche has a wiggle to it). Let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving, garnish with scallions and more parmesan.

Cooking and Booking Review: Ten Tiny Breaths

I owe my friend Megan a huge, ginormous "thank you." She has rekindled my love for reading. Scratch that - she sparked a love of reading in me that I never knew I had. Megan started a book review blog a few months back called The Book Asylum. It's really taken off and there's no question why: she's incredibly articulate, knows what she's talking about (without being a snob), and her passion for reading is downright contagious. I caught what she has; I've got the I-just-love-a-good-book fever.

For the longest time I only really liked non-fiction; the realist in me just couldn't get into many of the novels I'd been assigned in school because I found them hard to believe, unimaginable - just foreign, which is a big reason I got into journalism. I thought life itself was interesting enough - and it can be, but fiction, man, it can be good. It can suck you in, make you fall in love, and occupy your mind all hours of the day. (Whoa. I never thought I'd say that....)

So, for the past few months I've taken Megan's suggestions on books and I always immediately text her when I'm done, explaining that I need my next hit, I mean, my next book, and she always recommends winners.

We both recently just read "Ten Tiny Breaths" by K.A.Tucker and it did not disappoint. Whenever I had a free moment, and sometimes when I should've been doing other things (the laundry piled up quite a bit), I was reading this book. I'll let Megan do the review, but there's tragedy, love, heartache - and a twist that I didn't see coming.

Megan and I decided we'd take note of all the food that was mentioned in the book and I'd come up with a recipe based off of one of the foods: veal parm, Spam and pancakes were a few of the foods mentioned. Pancakes were the easy choice for me, and because both Megan and I have to avoid certain foods, the recipe below is: gluten-free, egg-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free.

The majority of the book took place in Miami, a place known for amazing Cuban food, so this recipe, with its masa harina and fresh lime, is Miami inspired.

Masa Harina Pancakes w/Lime, Butter and Brown Sugar

1 cup masa harina (it can be found in the International aisle of your grocery store)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter/coconut oil/Earth Balance for frying and topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 lime

In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the masa, basking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Then add the applesauce, vanilla extract and water. Masa harina soaks up quite a bit of water, so if your batter seems too dry (say, more cookie dough then pancake batter) add more water about a tablespoon at a time. Let the batter sit for at least five minutes (and add more water if it thickens up too much).

In a frying pan over medium-low heat, add one tablespoon butter and fry about 1/4 cup of batter until you see bubbles forming on the batter. Turn and cook until cooked through.

Serve with butter, brown sugar and a squeeze of lime. 

Here's Megan's awesome take on the whole book. I tell ya; her love of books is contagious!

I am so excited to be doing this post with one of my dear friends and fellow bloggers, Liz Lerner. Liz and I have been friends for a very long time. She is my partner in crime and many other things too – blogging, reading, being an awesome virgo, and unfortunately, food allergies. Boo! Liz has blogged since 2007 at her site – The Good Eatah. It’s my go-to resource when I need allergy-free, healthy food ideas. She’s an amazing cook and has been a tremendous help to me on my allergy-free journey.

Since we’re always talking books and food (my top two favorite things ever) we decided to do a joint post today. So, here's the deal. We chose a book to read together - Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker. After chatting about what we both loved about it, I wrote a review while Liz took a food mentioned in the book (pancakes) and came up with her own awesome allergy-free recipe for it. Pretty cool, huh? We think so, and we're hoping this will be a monthly post we do together. We're calling it 'Cooking and Booking'. 

So without further ado, please check out the review on Ten Tiny Breaths, feast your eyes on the most delicious looking pancakes you've ever seen, and make sure to connect with Liz at her blog, on facebook, pinterest, and on twitter! Enjoy!

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths

Author: K.A. Tucker
Published: December 11, 2012
Date Read: January, 2012
The Book Asylum Rating:

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

The Book Asylum Review:

I had been seeing a lot of buzz around Goodreads and the blogosphere about K.A. Tucker’s recent release - Ten Tiny Breaths. When I see so much positive buzz about a book, I sometimes bypass reading the book blurb completely. Sometimes it’s nice to pick up a title, start reading, and be completely surprised. That’s exactly what happened with Ten Tiny Breaths. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride… and it was such an awesome ride!

This story follows Kacey and her little sister Livie as they make their new lives in Miami, Florida. Kacey is emotionally damaged after a horrible accident that killed her parents, her best friend, and her boyfriend four years ago. She was the only survivor of a crash brought on by a college student who was drunk driving with two friends in the car.

“Before Kacey died four years ago and all that’s left is a mess. A mess who spent a year in physical rehabilitation to repair her shattered body, only to be released with a shattered soul. A Mess whose grades did a nose dive into the bottom of the class. Who sunk into a world of drugs and alcohol for a year as a way of coping. After Kacey doesn’t cry, not a single tear.”

After reading that, you’ll understand that Kacey has some issues, to say the least. Big ones. Nightmares torment her daily. Insomnia is her closest friend. She has hardened into a ‘take no prisoners’ kind of gal whose favorite coping mechanisms are kick boxing, sarcasm, and denial. She has become adept at keeping everyone at a distance and is about as aggressive and abrasive as they come. The only person she allows close is her sister, Livie. Luckily, Livie wasn’t in the car that horrible night so she was spared the haunting memories that plague her sister. Unfortunately, both sisters have scars. They just deal with them differently…or not at all.

Determined to do whatever it takes to make a life for her and her sister, Kacey accepts a position at a local adult club where her neighbor, Storm, works. Her ends – putting food on the table, paying rent, and sending Livie to Princeton – justify her means. Along the way, without her even realizing it, Kacey starts to let people in. That includes her hard-working neighbor, Storm, her adorable daughter Mia, and Trent – her neighbor from apartment 1D... Trent with the striking blue eyes and unshakeable interest in Kacey.

“How can he see what I don’t want him to see, what I work so hard to conceal? He’s found a way in, that’s how. Like a trespasser, he’s invaded my space, breaching security and sliding in to take what I haven’t offered to him.”

Trent… Oh Trent… Trent is everything a girl could ever want in a guy, and everything a reader could want in a dreamy book boyfriend. He’s tall, handsome, sexy, sexy, sexy, bright, composed, and unwavering in his pursuit of Kacey. He’s sexy and he rides a motorcycle. Did I already say sexy? I did? Just making sure.

“It’s like Trent’s got a “Make Kacey Smile” itinerary and it’s jam-packed. By the time I get to work each night, my face hurts from so much smiling.”

A lot of tension comes from the fact that although Kacey is falling for Trent, he keeps pushing her to face her past. A past she would much rather leave buried.

Besides Kacey’s strong voice and the every so engaging relationship between her and Trent, Tucker has colored this story with an amazing array of supporting characters. Livie is caring, perceptive, and intelligent. She’s also completely selfless. I just adored her! Storm and Mia are the neighbors that live next door. They are some of the sweetest, most endearing characters I’ve ever read. I can’t imagine anyone not falling for them. They’re perfect! Then, there’s the landlord, Tanner (a personal favorite of mine), who sports Batman pajamas, Cain, the club owner with a heart of gold, Nate, the gargantuan bouncer, and Ben, hottie bouncer and lawyer in training. Everyone is distinct. Everyone is likeable. Everyone adds to the flavor of the story in a unique way.

The big twist in Ten Tiny Breaths wasn't super shocking to me. I would imagine most people will predict what it is, but that doesn't take away from what you'll experience all the way up to that point. Just because I saw it coming didn't mean that the sucker punch it packed hurt any less. In the end, I was sad because the story wrapped up pretty quickly and long before I was ready to say goodbye. It was a pleasant surprise to have become so attached to these characters, their struggles and especially their futures. I told you it was a good idea not to have read the blurb first, right?

With Ten Tiny Breaths, you’ll experience all the highs and lows with Kacey, Trent, and the gang. You’ll feel their want, their need to connect, to live, to love, and ultimately to forgive. Ten Tiny Breaths is an amazing journey that will appeal to readers who love an authentic contemporary romance. It’s beautifully written and emotionally charged, with characters as complex and flawed as the events that shaped them. If you’re looking for a book filled with honest moments and characters worth rooting for, check out Ten Tiny Breaths today. Believe me, you won’t regret it!

“Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.”

Kid Food: Carrot Apricot Chews

My baby is now officially a toddler. A toddler who prefers to eat while exploring: double-fisting mini-muffins while he runs, climbs and crawls around the somewhat baby-proofed house. He takes a bite and then he's on the move, always gripping tightly (usually too tightly) to his snack of the moment. Sometimes we don't know whether he finishes his food or squirrels it away someplace (we find a lot of "real" food in his play kitchen cabinets). 

We try, and do succeed, in getting him to sit in his high-chair during meal times and he does pretty well most of the time, especially if there's meat in front of him. (That's a picture of him eating a chicken wing on New Years Eve. He was in HEAVEN.)

But, there are days when the wiggle-worm will not sit still and when those days align with the days I have no patience, his meals need to be portable.

He has this affinity for Ella brand "nibbly fingers." They're like small, chewy oatmeal bars with somewhat healthy stuff in them. They're portable, and packaged individually. They're great, but expensive so I wanted to make my own version, and after a few attempts, we got a winner!

The Bubs loves them, I've eaten a few dozen and when we bring them on play-dates his pals seem to dig them too.  

Bub Bub's Carrot Apricot Chews

1 cup carrots
3/4 cup dried apricots
1 1/2 cup oats (I use certified gluten-free oats)
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave - I've used both before; agave makes it sweeter)
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a heavy-duty blender or food processor add all of the ingredients and blend until a batter forms. Spread on a lightly greased (I use coconut oil) pan (I use 8x8 or 8x6) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into rectangles or squares. 

Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free

 

Before I get into the deliciousness of the doughnut above, I have a few short stories to tell...

I've only lived in the Capital Region of New York for about a year and a half, but Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free has been a part of some major life events. First, when my husband and I were looking at houses here (mind you, this is after seven years, three deployments, and thousands of miles apart, we were finally living in the same place for good) I mentioned to our real estate agent that I couldn't eat gluten, so she brought us to Sherry Lynn's for lunch. It was the first meal I ate here and immediately after I remember telling my husband, "I hope we find a place close to Sherry Lynn's." 

We did.  We live about four miles away in a house that's so perfect for us it's almost creepy.

Fast forward about eleven months after we moved to upstate New York and I'm in labor with my son. After ten hours of contractions and pushing we meet our little (er well, big: he was 9.1 lbs, which probably had something to do with the Sherry Lynn's cravings I had during pregnancy) guy. It was the most amazing, tiring, rewarding experience of my life and how do we celebrate? I ask my parents to pick up some Sherry Lynn's to bring to the hospital for lunch.  A patty melt filled my stomach as I watched my son sleep in the bassinet beside me.

It's one thing to be gluten intolerant and eat at a gluten-free restaurant because it's safe. It's another to make that restaurant a part of your life, a way to celebrate big life events, and a place you want to take your family.

I heard recently that Sherry Lynns was having a breakfast and lunch buffet. I haven't been to a buffet where I could eat all the food in probably seven years. This was very exciting.    

We went for breakfast and I had something I've never had before: breakfast pizza. And in a word, it was ridiculous. Ridiculous in the best way possible. Chewy, soft bread with egg, cheese, veggies and meat cooked on top. My husband informed me this breakfast pizza is nothing new (his college had it in their dining hall) but in my head, this mixture of pizza and breakfast blew my mind.

(The buffet also had a tasty quiche-like dish, eggs, bacon, waffles, hash browns, and doughnuts. Fresh-from-the-fryer glazed doughnuts. I couldn't handle it. I ate two - they were mini doughnuts -  and had to restrain myself)

Oh Sherry Lynn's. You've outdone yourself.

To use the terms that I hear my sister use with her four-year-old-niece about food that's delicious but not good for you in large quantities, Sherry Lynn's is a sometimes food. A "special occasion" food. A place with food that I can't wait to share with my little Wild Man (when he starts eating food, of course).  

I can't write a post about the place without mentioning the people. Sherry Lynn's is family run. They work hard and they treat you right. And they're super kid friendly.  They're doing the gluten-free community a great service here so I urge you, if you are even traveling within an hour of Albany, NY - make a trek here.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Muesli

*Enter tonight (Tuesday, 2/21) by 11:59pm by commenting on this post to win a gluten-free/dairy-free cookbook*

Muesli soaked in milk was one of my favorite breakfasts when I lived in Australia. (That was in 2003 when I did eat gluten - and drink beer and eat meat pies and douse crumpets in butter...)

It's hearty, filling and tasty, but it usually contains wheat germ and wheat bran. So, I hadn't eaten it in quite a long time.

Until 2010 when I get the chance to go to Switzerland with the huz. We discover a great little health food store in Interlaken that carries Schar brand gluten-free muesli. I have it for breakfast and my love for muesli is rekindled.

I have yet to find it in the states so I've been making my own. It's a super versatile recipe. You can adjust the amount of nuts/seeds and dried fruit to your liking:

Gluten-free, dairy-free muesli

2 cups rolled oats (certified gluten free)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

5 dried apricots, diced

1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

I prefer to eat my muesli soaked overnight in So Delicious coconut milk but many people eat it soaked or topped on yogurt. There's also a whole movement to eat your muesli soaked in juice. (I've tried it soaked in cranberry juice and it's good, I just prefer the creaminess that the milk produces)

Fresh Cranberry and Apple Cake

I use dried cranberries in a lot of different recipes: chicken salad, spinach salad, scones, trail mix, wild rice stuffing... they're easy to find and add a sweet and slightly tart flavor to a lot of dishes.

But for a few months a year I'm able to find cranberries in their original form - the fresh variety.

I had my first up-close experience (though I'm pretty sure I've gone as a kid at some point) with a cranberry bog this fall in Nantucket. We went there for our babymoon, and although I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to do this, I went ahead, reached down and popped a few fresh cranberries in my mouth. They were tart and bitter with tiny seeds, but they had great potential, and since I was craving the tart stuff I knew what I wanted to cook when I got home: anything fresh cranberry.

This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's and has been a nice way to start the day, end the day, or enjoy with a cup of tea for a few months now:

Gluten-free Fresh Cranberry and Apple Cake

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur - my new favorite)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl.


In a separate bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add the 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely.


Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mini-Crustless Vegetable Quiche

There are three questions I often ask myself before making a recipe: Will it be portable? Will it be healthy? And, will it be tasty? The answer for this recipe is yes, yes and yes.

Mostly spinach, with just enough egg to hold them together, I feel like I'm starting my day off on a good note when I eat these for breakfast.

This recipe is adapted from one in the South Beach Diet cookbook. I snagged it from my parents (sorry Mom and Dad -- I'll get it back to you!) when I first began eating gluten free -- thinking it would have lots of recipes for me. It does, in a sense, but it's very dairy-heavy so I end up adapting many of them. Including this one:

Mini-Crustless Vegetable Quiche (gluten-free, dairy-free)

makes 12 quiche


2 whole eggs plus 3 egg whites 1 ten ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed with liquid squeezed out
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
a handful of mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder & red pepper


Mix the egg together until combined. Add all of the other ingredients and pour into muffin tins (I have re-usable silicone ones that I love) and bake at 350 for twenty minutes.


The recipe for this is very basic, so feel free to substitute ham for mushrooms, add some cheese or some bell pepper.


Henry looks MEAN in this photo, but he's not. I caught him mid-yawn.

Coconut Flour Waffles

It's rare that on a weekday I have time to cook a hearty breakfast, but fortunately, with half-marathon training in full swing, I have to take a few days off a week to recover. So, I forwent my usual quick breakfast and had a little time to cook up something nice before my first class of the day.

Low-carb, refined cane sugar free, and light and tasty. I had half of a grilled Al Fresco Sweet Apple chicken sausage with mine.

Coconut Flour Waffles

gluten-free, dairy-free

4 tablespoons melted butter (I use Earth Balance to keep it dairy-free)

6 eggs

1/3 cup agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup coconut flour

(When working with coconut flour I tend to use my blender to mix my batter because it can easily clump up)

In a blender, mix the butter and eggs until combined thoroughly. Then add the agave, salt and baking powder and mix to combine. Lastly, add the coconut flour and mix until completely combined without any lumps. Let the batter sit for at least five minutes (it will thicken) before adding to your waffle maker.

This recipe makes 4, large round waffles.

Little Nuggets of Joy

So far this summer has been much busier than I thought it would be. I left my job right before I got married and thought I would be twiddling my thumbs most of the time before I start graduate school, but I've been traveling quite a bit, entertaining friends, and surprisingly, keeping pretty busy (and I've managed to get sick for about a week and a half as well). That's not to say I couldn't squeeze in more blog posts; I've certainly been cooking a lot and I have quite a few reviews to post, but I know once I settle into my new life as a graduate student come mid-August I will be more frequent in my posting. So I wanted to take this time to share with you all a neat pan the A-man and I received.

Getting married has meant my kitchen supply has grown immensely. I've received some pretty awesome tools, including this one: an ebelskever:

It's basically a pan that you can use to make filled pancakes. And on a lazy Sunday morning served with a side of bacon, it's pretty awesome. We filled ours with with a strawberry-rhubarb compote (strawberries and rhubarb cooked with a bit of agave) and a vanilla pudding (take 3 cups of almond milk, 1/2 cup agave, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of corn starch, whisk together and bring to a boil. let simmer for five minutes stirring constantly until thick, take off heat and then add one teaspoon vanilla extract).


The recipe we used for the pancakes is one adapted from the recipe that came with the pan. We made it gluten free and dairy free of course. It makes a lot, and the process of making these takes some patience, but it's a lot of fun if you enjoy these types of things.

Filled Pancakes (gluten-free, dairy-free)
serves 4-6

2 cups gluten free flour mix (I used 1 cup superfine brown rice flour, 1 cup montina flour blend -- my new favorite)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs agave, or sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
4 tbs earth balance buttery spread melted, plus more for pan

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the agave, egg yolks, milk and melted "butter." Add the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined. Then, using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (about two minutes) and fold into the batter.

In the pan, put small pats of butter in each well, add 1 tablespoon of batter, then 1 teaspoon of your filling, and cover with one more tablespoon of batter. Wait a minute or so and turn with chopsticks or wooden skewers.

A great video on the ebelskever technique can be found here.

Enjoy with maple syrup. They're even good cold the next day as I just discovered. And of course Henry's a big fan.

*Muffins!

Mini-jam-filled almond muffins to be exact.

In an effort to make a morning treat as healthy and satisfying as possible, I did a little experimenting. First, I tried to make a pumpkin almond (regular sized) muffin and they were, well, absolutely disgusting: the outside was burnt and the inside was a gooey mess with a mealy texture. So, those got tossed. But, being the girl that I am, I didn't give up. I still wanted a high-protein, low-sugar muffin, but my key -- as it is in a lot of my gluten-free baking, was to make it miniature.

And here you have my miniature jam-filled almond muffins. And they're quite satisfying -- just two of these with your morning tea or coffee can fill you up plenty. Also, I made them two different ways: one with egg, and one with ground flax seed heated up with some water (a basic egg replacer recipe) and they both came out well -- the egg-based muffin looked more, well, muffiney -- the other a tad bit grainier, lighter in color and they didn't rise as high -- but still tasty (in photo above, the flax recipe is the muffin on the left, and egg recipe is on the right -- it's the opposite in the photo below).

Mini-Jam-Filled Almond Muffins (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan if you want)

makes nine mini-muffins


1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour (aka almond meal)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg (or 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons water, microwaved for one minute, or until gel-like)
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 cup jam of choice

Preheat oven to 325 F and grease a mini muffin pan with shortening or oil of choice.
In a bowl, mix the almond flour, salt, and baking soda until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vinegar and agave nectar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine. Fill each muffin tin with a scant tablespoon of the batter, then add about a 1/2 teaspoon of the jam, making a small indent in each muffin. Add about a teaspoon of batter on top of each jam-filled muffin and bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven.




*Said in reference to hilarious youtube muffin sensation found here.

The Millet Solution

Jenny at Sugar and Spice and my Gluten-Free Life recently wrote about breakfast and her quest to find the best replacement for instant oatmeal. I am a big oatmeal fan, but unfortunately have discovered that I can't eat more than half of a cup (of the certified gluten-free kind) at a time without feeling ill (in the celiac/gluten intolerance world, it's still questionable whether oats are acceptable), so I'm in the market as well to find a replacement. After a few failed attempts to find that perfect warm dish of goodness, she came upon Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Mighty Tasty Hot Breakfast Cereal. I'm a fan of this stuff as well, but like a little variety in my mornings, so again on a note from my super-intelligent sis, I played around with some millet. And out came delicious goodness. I adapted a recipe that I found on recipezaar to my liking and what do you know, a warm breakfast that outshines my long foregone oats.

Millet Porridge (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

serves 4 for breakfast

3/4 cup dry millet
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup almond milk (or cow's, hemp, rice...)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Topping

dried cranberries (or dried apricots, coconut, raisins...)
pecan halves (or almonds, walnuts...)
maple syrup (or honey, agave...)
more almond milk if reheating

In a saucepan combine the millet, water, almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a light simmer and cover. Cook for 25 minutes and remove from heat and serve. Top with whatever you like, but I'm partial to a little maple syrup, dried cranberries and pecans.

It stays well in the refrigerator for a week; when re-heating, be sure to add a bit more almond milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Sweet Potato Pudding

I had such a difficult time trying to figure out what to call this: Sweet potato souffle? Sweet potato custard? Crustless sweet potato pie? Delicious sweet potato side-dish/breakfast/brunch/Thanksgiving day food? It could be all of them!

If you're a member of my family, or are the man I'm about to marry, you know I can be incredibly indecisive. In fact, I'm so indecisive that I didn't decide where I was going to go to college until about a week before I had to leave (I put two deposits in). So please, be proud of me here, I named it and I'm sticking with it: sweet potato pudding.

I'm kind of in love (darnit, there I go again with the indecsiveness...) I mean I am in love with it. I've already eaten half of my batch. It's pretty simple to put together and the main ingredient, the sweet potato, is another rarely allergenic food! I learned this from my sister because she is starting to introduce my niece to food that is not breast milk and is making an effort to use foods that are the least allergenic and avocado and sweet potato top that list.

I was inspired to create this dish when I was thumbing through my trusty copy of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen -- a truly awesome cookbook.

Sweet Potato Pudding (gluten-free, dairy-free)

serves 4 for dessert, or side-dish, or breakfast...

2 lbs sweet potato (or about two cups mashed), cooked and peeled (a simple way to cook a sweet potato is in the microwave: about 6 or 7 minutes should do)
1 cup almond milk (or soy, rice, hemp...)
3 eggs, whisked
2 teaspoons coconut oil (or any other light tasting oil)
1/3 cup agave
2 tablespoons mollasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a baking dish (sorry no measurements -- mine was round and ceramic) with a bit of coconut oil. Whisk together the almond milk, eggs, coconut oil, agave, mollasses, cinnamon, nuteg and salt. Add the sweet potato and either: transfer to a food processor to evenly mix eveything together, or use an immersion blender to incorporate all the ingredients -- I did the latter. Pour into dish and bake for just under an hour, or until a knife comes out clean in the middle.

Serve warm, or chill in the fridge and serve cold.

Henry really has a thing for sweet potatoes; I usualy end up baking the skins that I don't use and give them to him as treats.

(Spanish) Tortilla

Back in college, er high school, er I forget when it actually was. But back in the day my parents, sister and I spent a family vacation in Spain, or "Espain" as they say it there. I remember it being pretty cool and liking the architecture in Barcelona and the history in Madrid. And I remember my sister flipping the bird to a group of men who were making cat calls at us and my Dad yelling "corupcio!" to a cab driver whom he thought was scamming us. And I also remember the tapas. Ooooooh the tapas. The Spanish meal which is not quite lunch and not quite dinner, but just quite perfect. Small, little plates of food meant to be shared. Looking back, a lot of the dishes were probably gluten-free -- including this little gem which I whipped up for a pre-Mother's Day meal for the fam.

(Spanish) Tortilla (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian)

2 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
8 eggs
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet on medium-low heat. Then, add the onion and potatoes and saute slowly for about twenty minutes until the potatoes are slightly tender. Meanwhile, mix the eggs until throughly combined, add salt and pepper and then add to the pan. Cook the egg/potato mixture until the eggs are set -- about ten minutes. While the eggs are cooking, pre-heat your oven to broil and set place the skillet in the broiler for another ten minutes, or until lightly brown.

Let cool slightly before serving, or chill and serve cold.

Food Review: Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix

Chicken wings. Pancakes. Chocolate chip cookies. And now -- waffles. I swear I eat healthy food. Really, I do. See: fresh spring rolls, fish soup and salad. But the homecoming of the boyfriend means celebrating his arrival with the foods that he may have missed overseas. Foods I know he likes. And not a lot of that vegetable stuff.

When I stopped by Trader Joes a few weeks ago I saw this: Trader Joes Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle mix. Thank the gluten free Gods for Trader Joe's. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they have a list online with all of the "no gluten ingredients used" in the store. That big bag down there; it cost me $2.99 and it's free of gluten, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, soy and corn. Not. Too. Shabby.

Now on to my review; I have only made waffles so far, but they're good. Pretty darn good, in fact and really simple to put together. Luckily, I have one of those fancy waffle irons that you see at restaurant brunches, so ours were cooked perfectly. They're made with a hint of vanilla bean, which was subtle and nice and there's less than one gram of sugar per serving, so you can feel okay about drizzling a little maple syrup on your waffle. We chose to put some blueberries (previously frozen) on ours.

I'm never one to promote packaged foods over homemade, but if you're feeling a bit lazy, are short on time, or are running low on your gluten-free flour mix -- go for these gems. Henry liked them so much he felt the need to start walking his two hind legs...

Oh Henry.

Welcome Home Pancakes

One of the many questions I asked my boyfriend when he was overseas was, "What foods do you miss?" Well, it sounded like he was pretty well fed over there, he had to search a bit for an answer. He didn't have any serious cravings, but once he came to the realization that he hadn't had any blueberry pancakes in quite a long time, he knew he'd want them once he got home. I had a lot to live up to, he's a native Mainer, so he knows his blueberries, his Mom is an amazing baker and he describes the local, volunteer-firefighter pancake breakfasts that he attended as a child with such passion it made me shudder to think of the Lions Club pancake breakfasts I attended as a child, surely they didn't use fresh blueberries in their pancakes.




So, I had a lot to live up to. Try making them gluten-free and dairy-free and serving them to a gluten-eater. Well, a gluten-eater when I'm not around. You see, once he understood the ins and outs of my gluten sensitivity, learning that even a small amount would make me sick, meaning that if he eats a sandwich and gives me a kiss, most likely I would end up with stomach cramps, among many other things for at least twenty-four hours, he basically swore off gluten when I'm around. Pretty. Darn. Cool. And just another reason why I wait through eight-month long deployments, month long trips and hundreds of miles between us, because he's just that worth it.

Enough of the sappy stuff and back to the pancakes. In my quest to find the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free pancake I had grueling taste tests, often involving my family. We tasted mixes, including one that was so dry that one pancake could literally soak up 1/4 cup of syrup. We tried recipes, including one that involved teff flour, which I love, but which my parents definately did not. And luckily, I stumbeled upon a recipe from allrecipes.com for "delicious gluten-free pancakes" that received rave reviews and euereka! after tweaking them to my requirements, no dairy and no sugar -- they were delicious! The following is the recipe I adapted from this one.


Blueberry Pancakes (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, no added sugar)

1 cup superfine brown rice flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 eggs
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil (or any light tasting oil)
1 1/2 cups soured almond or rice milk (to sour milk, simply add one tablespoon per cup of "milk" and mix, then let sit for about five minutes)
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen will work well too)

In a bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Stir in eggs, "milk", and oil until well blended and few lumps remain.

Heat a large, well-oiled skillet (or non-stick) over medium heat. Spoon batter onto skillet and add about five blueberries (make hearts and funny faces if you feel inclined) per pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to form. Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on bottom. Serve immediately plain, with maple syrup, or condiment of choice (agave nectar is tasty too).