Sunday, September 30, 2012

Flourless Orange Vanilla Cake (Paleo)


2 years ago to the day, I met someone that lit a light in my life.

I didn't know it at the time, but that person would save my life in more ways than one. He opened up a world to me which I knew nothing of before and taught me how to finally and fully go after all the things that I dreamed I could do. I quite literally might not be here today if it weren't for him. When I was gasping for air during my first life threatening allergic reaction, he was there to grab my hand and get me to safety. Though I couldn't fully tell him what was happening to me, he somehow knew to give me anti-histamines while we waited for the ambulance. I'm so lucky and happy to call him my best friend. I love him dearly.

One of Yan's favorite recipes of mine is basically the inverse of my chocolate paleo cake. This is an orange vanilla version that he describes as unbelievably moist and delicious. A few of our friends who are also from eastern europe said it was reminiscent of a type of Russian cake they used to have on occasion. I just love that a flourless and paleo cake can stand on the same level as rich glutenous cakes--everyone that tried it typically eats gluten. But as long as Yan says it's good, I'm happy. I wish I could do more to say thank you for everything and I love you.





Flourless Orange Vanilla Cake (paleo)

This recipe is free of: Grains, Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Peanuts, Legumes, Yeast, and Refined Sugar.

  • 2 cups almond flour/meal. I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond flour/meal.
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup xylitol (from birch, not from corn) or alternative sweetener of choice. (If it’s a liquid sweetener reduce the other liquids accordingly).
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange oil. I use Simply Organics orange flavor.
  • 3 eggs (I use soy free fed eggs).
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Optional: zest of 1/2 an orange

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use butter or coconut spread to grease a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients and combine well. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to the dry, whisking with a fork. Stir until well combined. There’s no need for an electric mixer here.
  3. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center to ensure it’s cooked through. Let it cool and add topping of choice, such as a chocolate drizzle or simple orange zest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Breakfast Stuffed Tomatoes


Our garden is overflowing with ripe red tomatoes. Today I braved a sudden downpour to pluck these hanging lovelies and oddly, standing unprotected in the chilled rain didn't bother me today. It felt raw and beautiful. I seemed connected to the ground, the sky, and all that is. I looked on the miracle of living plants offering their bounty in a vibrant flash of color, contrasting perfectly with the greyness of the morning. Breathing in the scents of the garden while it soaks an unexpected gift of water makes me realize how everything is moving around us in delicate but certain cycles of life.  These simple moments make me welcome the first day of fall with open arms.


I love gathering freshly picked produce, walking two minutes back to the kitchen and using it immediately. It doesn't get any more nutritious and fresh than that. Today's highlights included ripe green bell peppers, towers of kale, and crisp white onions. I knew these would marry well with some sort of egg scramble, but I wanted to try something a little less conventional. I've always been a fan of any kind of stuffed vegetable or fruit, and quickly eyed the shiny red tomatoes. Breakfast stuffed tomatoes ensued in a flash--a naturally gluten-free, soy-free and paleo pick me up in the morning. It's mouth-watering delicious!


Breakfast Stuffed Tomatoes

Yields 4 stuffed tomatoes

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Dairy (if omitting the goat cheese), Nuts, Fish, Grains, Legumes, and Yeast. (Paleo)

  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 4 to 5 large soy-free eggs
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped kale
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Optional: Crumbled goat cheese
  • 4 leaves fresh basil
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and hollow out the center and set securely in baking dish.
  3. Dice the vegetables and distribute evenly among the four tomatoes.
  4. Beat the eggs and pour evenly into tomatoes.
  5. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
  6. Optional: During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the crumbled goat cheese on top to warm.
  7. Serve hot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Flax & Almond Paleo Pancakes


Some of my earliest memories are times spent with my father in early mornings. On weekends, we often woke early and trekked just a few minutes away with waking highway traffic to our favorite breakfast spot. Decorated in old west and native American art, Soup n' Stuff restaurant was anything but typical. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hung around my dad as he sipped and waited as my older sister and I made our breakfast choices, which almost always included the most amazing flapjacks ever. They were always steaming hot and almost bigger than me. The waitstaff knew us by name and would sometimes drizzle shapes and smiley faces of syrup on top. I'm lucky to have a photographic memory--I can still see it perfectly preserved in my mind. That was time spent well.

That was also a time before I knew anything about my food allergies. But no matter what pancakes I'm making now, those memories come rushing back. This recipe in particular is becoming one of my favorites. It doesn't yield gargantuan flapjacks, but it's a delicious alternative, completely paleo, and also Specific Carbohydrate Diet safe. The SCD diet is grain-free and more and is often followed by those with Crohn's disease to reduce dangerous inflammation in the body. I've been opting for grain-free alternatives now and again for various health reasons, and with options like this I really can't complain. Plus, I know I'm fueling my body with sound nutrition. (I also can't resist saying that while I write this, they're using Almond flour in the dessert round of Chopped on Food Network! Loving it!)


Flax & Almond Paleo Pancakes

This recipe is: Gluten-free, Grain-free, Soy-free, Peanut-free, Legume-free, Yeast-free, Sugar-free. (Paleo and SCD safe).
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand here, and for the flax meal).
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 tablespoons So Delicious Sugar-free Vanilla Coconut Milk (U se more or less depending on consistency desired. If you want a thicker batter, use less. If you like a thinner batter, use more).
  • 3 eggs (I make sure I source from a farm that has soy-free eggs).
  • Optional: 1/2 tablespoon honey or alternative sweetener.

  1. Preheat a skillet on the stove on medium heat.
  2. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
  3. Drizzle some olive oil or coconut oil into the skillet. Drop about 1/3 cup pancake batter onto the skillet and flip when small bubble start to form on the top.
  4. Serve hot with fresh berries, or a drizzle of pure maple syrup. (I topped mine with Olivio Coconut Spread, ground cinnamon, and coconut sugar).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Easy Chocolate Chia Pudding


Lately it's been off the hook busy around here. I've begun work on some special projects for an amazing gluten-free publication and I love getting swept up in it. I don't want to say too much on that at the moment, but I'll be spilling all the delightful details sometime soon.

Happily settling in for a rare relaxing weekend, I found myself wanting tasty but fast fixes for meals and treats so I didn't have to spend too much time in the kitchen. My sweet tooth was howling for something chocolatey, but I didn't want it to be unhealthy or heavy. I remembered how easy it is to throw together a unique and allergy friendly twist on the classic chocolate pudding--using chia seeds.


Chia seeds make a fantastic pudding like texture when combined with most liquids. They also add a slightly nutty undertone to the dish and a little crunch to an otherwise smooth texture. I chose to use Good Karma Flax milk to make the dessert allergen free and only a little alternative sweetener to keep it light. A quiet moment coating my spoon in rich chocolate flavor with the afternoon sun spilling through the window panes made it all feel like a much needed indulgence.



Easy Chocolate Chia Pudding

Yields 2 servings

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens and gluten.

  • 3/4 cup flax milk (I use Good Karma brand)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons xylitol, or alternative sweetener of choice
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Combine flax milk and cacao powder and blend until well combined. You can use a whisk or put in the blender, which I found to be easier.
  2. Add xylitol or other sweetener, vanilla and chia seeds.
  3. Stir in the chia seeds until all are coated with the flax milk.
  4. Cover the mixture and put it in the fridge for at least one hour until it gels like a pudding. I left mine in the fridge for about 5 hours and it was perfect.
  5. Drop some fresh fruit over the top and serve cold or at room temperature.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Celiac Disease Awareness Day



When I was diagnosed nearly four years ago, I remember explaining Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance to everyone I knew. Most of those people had no idea what I was talking about at the time, but were almost gluten-free experts by the time I had stopped talking their ears off. Mentioning or explaining Celiac to someone may seem trivial at the time, but in the long run, it sure has gotten us far along the road to widespread awareness. Talk to someone about Celiac Disease today and help spread the awareness even more! Happy National Celiac Awareness Day!

Check out my other post on Celiac Awareness here.

Check out my past posts on the symptoms of Celiac, basics of diagnosis, and the importance of getting a diagnosis.


Who will you tell today?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, September 8, 2012

What's Hot: September


Check out what I'm loving this month:

  1. Simply Organics Orange Oil -- I just used this to make an Orange Vanilla Almond Cake and it added a spectacular splash of orange flavor.
  2. Chaokoh Coconut Milk -- Free of Guar Gum!! Some guar gums that are added to canned coconut milk can contain soy, but with Chaokoh, there's no worries. Perfect for making "ranch" salad dressings....recipe coming soon!
  3. Ultrapure Cosmetics Flawless Finish Foundation -- I just started using this gluten-free, soy-free mineral foundation and am loving it!
  4. Trader Joe's Raw Pepitas -- Pepitas are pumpkin seeds without the outer shell. These are great for a burst of energy during the day or mid-morning. Pumpkin seeds with sea salt are always a great fall inspired snack.
  5. Clif Bar Kit's Organic Fruit & Nut bars -- Great for back to school and on-the-go. I love that Clif Bar is now offering this allergy friendly option!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, September 3, 2012

Vegan Date Truffles (raw)


I'm smitten with slow, quiet mornings. Soft natural light seeping through the windows, sweet songs of birds, and the smell of early fall in the air entice my senses and reward me for rising early. I can't get enough of the earthy glow that enters our new home throughout the day, but especially just after sunrise in the kitchen. This morning, I got inspired to make a naturally sweet treat for our relaxing Labor Day off -- Vegan Date Truffles with a hint of orange oil.


While I almost never eat processed white sugar, I moderately indulge in nature's own candies; dates. When paired with the subtle sweetness of raw pecans, the classic combination of fruit and nut comes alive in a burst of flavor. Orange oil and coconut oil add a deeper layer to the otherwise simple combination. The coconut oil also acts as a further binder, especially when chilled to set in the fridge. In my opinion, you can't have a proper truffle without some form of chocolate. I couldn't resist rolling these in raw cocoa powder--the dates sweeten the powder on their own in this raw dessert.



Vegan Date Truffles(raw)

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Peanuts, Legumes, Grains, Eggs, and Processed Sugar.

Yield: 9 truffles

  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 4 medjool dates, pitted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic Orange oil
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • Raw cocoa powder for dusting/rolling the truffles in
  1. Combine pitted dates, raw pecans and dash of salt in a food processor. Pulse until a rough consistency is reached.
  2. Add the coconut oil and orange oil and pulse until the pecan pieces are very small and start to stick to the dates. Be sure not to over-process the mixture as you want to preserve some texture instead of having the truffles be too fine.
  3. Remove the mixture from the food processor and form into small round balls using hands. When all the truffles are formed into neat balls, roll them in loose cocoa powder. Shake off the excess powder and let them chill in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes, or until set. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
Happy & Healthy Labor Day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~