EASY Gluten Free Pear Tart

This is a delicious and simple gluten free pear tart. I adapted this recipe from the one found here, and was really surprised at how quick and easy it was to prepare. I will be making pear tarts more often!

Easy gluten free, yeast free pear tart

I used butter in this recipe, but I think you could substitute organic vegetable shortening to make it vegan. By the way, I have noticed that Spectrum Organics now has a butter flavor vegetable shortening, although I have not tried it. If you try it, please let me know how it worked for you.

Gluten Free Rustic Pear Tart
Makes one 9" tart

Ingredients

For the crust
3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1 chia egg (1Tbsp chia mixed with 3Tbsp water, let sit about 5 minutes)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the filling
2 large or 3 medium pears, slightly underripe
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Method

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Beat in the chia egg and gradually add the flour until dough comes together in a ball. Place the ball of dough in baking dish, and press it into shape with your fingers.

Refrigerate dough while you prepare filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Core pears and slice into thin strips. I used a mandoline, but using a knife is fine. I was going for a more rustic (and simple) tart, so I did not peel the pears.

Toss pears with 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice, and tapioca starch. Arrange pears in a fan-like array on the chilled dough. Keep layering pears until you run out of pears. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar to taste.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until edges of dough are just lightly golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Yum!

Raw Vegan Seaweed Soup

Wow!

Raw vegan creamy seaweed soup

I really, really liked this soup.

I was a little skeptical, but it was fantastic. Not to mention fast and easy!

I got this recipe out of a raw vegan cookbook... somewhere. Unfortunately, I did not write down which cookbook, and I regret that I cannot give proper credit! If anyone knows where this came from, please let me know and I will cite appropriately.

Seaweed is very high in iron, calcium, and other minerals. Seaweed also has strong anti-inflammatory compounds, as well as antiviral and anticoagulant properties. For more information on the health benefits of different types of seaweed, click here and here.

Raw Vegan Seaweed Soup
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
1 ounce wakame
5 cups filtered water
1 cup raw pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Soak the seaweed in the water in a large bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a strainer, strain the seaweed over another bowl. Measure 3 cups of the seaweed water and discard the rest (or use it on your plants).

In a high speed blender, combine the 3 cups of seaweed water with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Using a ladle, remove any foam that rises to the top. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with some of the soaked seaweed.

Valentine Bacon and Spicy Green Beans

Tonight I decided to play around in the kitchen a bit. I've been seeing photos of bacon hearts popping up all over Facebook and the internet, and I had some bacon in the fridge, so I thought: Why not?

Image source

I also have a new recipe for sweet & spicy green beans that I have been wanting to try- and I thought the two of those sounded great together. So, that was dinner. 

Here's a photo of my sweet and spicy string beans (with a bacon heart): 

You can Google for a recipe for the bacon hearts (that's what I did). Basically, you cut a strip of bacon in half, arrange in in a heart shape, and bake at 400 for 25 minutes or so. Pretty easy.

Obviously the bacon is not vegetarian/vegan- although I suppose you could try it with vegan bacon- I don't see why not? The green bean recipe, on its own, is vegan.

Here is the recipe for the green beans, with my adaptations 

Sweet & Spicy String Beans (gluten free, soy free*, vegan)

Ingredients

Fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

2 T brown sugar

2 T tamari  *if you are gluten AND soy free, see note below

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1 tsp grapeseed oil

Method

Blanch green beans for one minute

Mix brown sugar, tamari*, and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet

Saute green beans over high heat 3-5 minutes or until beans look blistered. Remove from heat.

Toss green beans with tamari, brown sugar, & pepper mixture.

*If you are gluten and soy free, you can try this substitute. I've been using it in raw dishes for a while now, and have been pleased with it. This is the first time I have used it in a cooked dish, and I was skeptical about how it might perform. But I liked the way the beans turned out, so I was happy with this substitute in a cooked dish. 

Soy sauce does add a certain flavor and dimension to a recipe, but if you are limited by allergies/sensitivites, sometimes you can get away with omitting the soy/tamari and adding sea salt. The substitute linked above uses mushrooms, and that gives a little more depth and flavor than just salt. Play around with it, and see what you think. I make a batch, freeze in ice cube trays, and keep the cubes (which are approximately 1Tbsp) in a Ziploc in the freezer- just take one out when you need it.

Sweet & Spicy String Beans, with a bacon heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Rice Krispy Treats (gluten free, corn free, vegan)

Good morning and happy Valentine's day!

Today I share with you cocoa and vanilla rice krispy treats. These treats use brown rice syrup instead of marshmallows, so they contain NO gluten, corn, soy, or animal products. Yum!

Easy Gluten Free, Vegan Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients
1/3 cup nut butter of choice (I used cashew, but I think peanut or hazelnut would be fantastic with the cocoa treats)
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups gluten free crispy rice cereal (I use this one) It also comes in cocoa.

Method
In a large pan, heat nut butter and brown rice syrup over low heat until melted and well combined.
Stir in vanilla extract
Turn off heat
Stir in rice cereal until well coated with syrup mixture

Spread rice mixture in brownie pan to cool.

Alternatively, you can use a rice mold to make all kinds of shapes. I find this easier than cutting out rice krispy treats with a cookie cutter. This is what my rice mold looks like:

You can find rice molds (sushi molds) in Asian grocery stores. If you are lucky to live in a city that has a Chinatown, you can find them in ALL shapes and sizes- and super cheap. I found my heart mold, which also came with a flower mold, for 99 cents in San Francisco's Chinatown. If you can not find them in a local shop, you can also find them on Amazon.

How to make your own vanilla extract

There seems to be some confusion out there regarding extracts, and whether they are gluten (or other allergen) free.  Commercial vanilla extract is made using alcohol and vanilla beans. Any type of alcohol will work (which is great news for those of you who plan to follow this recipe and make your own at home). Commercial extracts do not need to list the type of alcohol used- but it is pretty safe to assume that the alcohol is either derived from gluten-containing grains, or corn (it is possible the alcohol used might come from sugarcane, potatoes, or another starchy substance but you cannot tell from the label on the extract).

Does the type of alcohol, or more accurately, the ingredient from which it is derived, matter? I'm not sure. Shauna of Gluten Free Girl, whose writing I love and research and advice I trust, reports in this post that while it was once believed that alcohol derived from wheat, barley or rye contained gluten, it is now believed that the gluten proteins are destroyed in the distilling process. Therefore, grain based alcohols and extracts would be considered gluten-free. Some brands of extract are certified gluten-free; whether this is because the distilling process has denatured the gluten protein, or because they use an alcohol derived from a non-gluten containing grain, such as corn, I'm not certain. For those with corn allergies, Cornallergens.com lists vanilla extract as an ingredient to avoid.

In the past, I have gotten sick from recipes using commercial vanilla extract (the quality stuff, no fillers or imitation vanilla) and when I substituted vanilla powder instead of extract, I tolerated the dish just fine. That led me to believe the vanilla extract was the culprit. That's when I started using vanilla beans or vanilla powder in all of my baking and smoothies- which I now actually prefer, since I find that the real vanilla bean has an even better flavor than extract... mmmmm.

However, there are some recipes where you may want the vanilla flavor, but you do not want little black specks from the vanilla bean in the final product. What to do?

Good news! It is very easy to make your own vanilla extract. It is also much less expensive to make it yourself than to buy quality commercially prepared vanilla extract. It is also pretty cool to be able to adjust the flavor of your homemade extracts to your needs and liking, simply by varying the type of alcohol or the variety of vanilla bean. Tip: if you are really into vanilla, order a sampler variety packand try different types of beans- I did this a while back and it has been a lot of fun pairing certain varieties with certain recipes.

If (like me) you are wondering which alcohols are derived from which ingredients, a beverage industry site explains this about different types of alcohols (spirits):

Generally speaking, spirits are classified by the fermented material that they are distilled from. Whiskies, Vodka, Gin and most types of Schnapps are made by distilling a kind of beer made from grain. Brandy is made from fermented grape juice, and Fruit Brandy is made from other fruits. Rum and Cane Spirits derive from fermented sugar cane juice or molasses. Tequila and Mezcal come from the fermented pulp of the agave plant. Fortified wines are hybrid beverages in that they are a blend of fermented wine and distilled spirits (usually Brandy).

Note the above is just a general guideline and somewhere to start. If you plan to make your own extracts, and wish to avoid a certain ingredient, be sure to research the ingredients in the specific brand of alcohol you plan to purchase. When I went searching for vodka, believing all vodkas were made from potatoes, I found nearly all of the vodkas at the (very large) liquor store I went to were actually derived from corn. Thanks to the very helpful manager, we did locate a vodka derived from grapes, which was a fantastic surprise. Grapes are even better than potatoes for me!

 

So, after all of that... here is how you make extract:

Super Easy, Allergy Friendly Vanilla Extract

Ingredients
1-2 vanilla beans of choice
1 cup alcohol of choice
Glass container

Method
Place the vanilla beans in a glass container, and pour enough alcohol in the container to cover the beans.

You do not need to use whole beans, you can use the bean after you've scraped out the inside for another recipe. This is a great way to make those expensive vanilla beans go even further.

I used Indian vanilla beans, because that is what I had on hand. I'd had these for a while, and they were getting a little stiff and not so good for scraping out for baking, so I just broke 2 whole beans in half and put them in the jar.

Keep the mixture in a cool dark place, and every week or so, give the jar a little shake to mix things around. The extract is ready in about 4-6 weeks, but it will continue to get darker and stronger over time.

Here is a comparison with a batch I made a few months ago:

Ideally, you would use a dark glass jar to protect from light, but I just used the paper bag that the vodka came in.

That's it! I will soon be trying this recipe with mint and other flavors to make more extracts. I would love to hear your experience with this, especially if you have tried other flavors.

Enjoy!

Red White & Blue Rice Krispy Treats

Here is a fun, healthy, patriotic treat that only takes about 5 minutes to make. Enjoy!

Allergy Friendly Red White and Blue Rice Krispy treats

Gluten free and vegan. No corn, soy, or dairy.

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup nut butter of choice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups puffed rice cereal
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Method
In a large pot, heat brown rice syrup, nut butter, and vanilla over med-low heat until melted.
Stir in puffed rice, cranberries, and blueberries
Spread evenly in a 9x9 or similar pan, and let cool.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Great for snacks or breakfast.

You can use any puffed rice cereal that works for you, just double check to make sure it meets your allergy needs. I use Arrowhead Mills brand, it looks like this:

Note that this kind of puffed rice is not as crisp as a Rice Krispy type cereal. For that texture, I have used Erewhon brand, it looks like this: 

Brown rice syrup comes in a jar in the sweetener/baking aisle and looks like this:

Also note that you can find a variety of puffed grains, such as millet, quinoa, and corn in the cereal aisle. Play around, and mix and match various grains for your taste or allergy preferences. For example, here is a link to puffed millet treats I made for Halloween.

Have fun! Happy 4th of July.

Health benefits of: Blueberries, Cranberries

Raw Vegan Watermelon Cups

Here is a fabulous idea for a summer fruit salad. It is the perfect party appetizer. Yes, it has several steps and looks like a lot of work, but it really wasn't that bad. The most time consuming part was dicing the fruit for the fruit salad. If you wanted to enjoy this recipe with a little less work, you could simply rough chop all of the ingredients for the fruit salad and serve in bowls. I highly recommend making the cilantro-lime creme dressing to top your fruit salad- it is quite good!

This recipe was inspired by this post. I raw-veganized it for the version below. This recipe does not contain any dairy, eggs, gluten, grains, soy, corn, or refined sugar.

Raw Vegan Watermelon Cups

Ingredients


For the Fruit Salad: 
1 mini seedless watermelon, 3-5 lbs
2/3 cup jicama, small dice
4 ripe yellow peaches, small dice
1/3 cup sweet or red onion, finely chopped
1/2 granny smith apple, small dice
1 clove garlic, pressed
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice (depending on how tangy you want it)
1/2 fresh jalapeno, small dice (seeds and membrane removed if you don't like spicy stuff)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped plus several small whole leaves to garnish
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the Cream Sauce:
3/4 cup soaked cashews (soak raw cashews in filtered water for 4-8 hours, drain)
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 cup filtered water
Pinch of himalayan salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp minced fresh jalapeno

Method

To make the watermelon cups:
Cut the ends off of the watermelon. Stand the watermelon up on one of the flat ends and cut off the sides, forming a rectangle. Discard the rind, but keep the watermelon "scraps" to add to the fruit salad.
Cut the rectangle into cubes. I pretty much just sliced mine evenly into squares- think Rubix Cube :)
Use a knife or a melon baller to hollow out the inside of each cube. I made mine square because I was in the mood to put in some extra effort, but you could just use a melon baller or spoon and make little wells in the cube. Once the cube is filled with fruit salad, you don't really see the shape of the hole anyway.
Put the watermelon cubes in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill them.

To make the fruit salad:
Finely dice the remaining watermelon, jicama, peaches, onion, green apple, and jalapeno.
Add to bowl, add lime juice and garlic.
Add chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
Refrigerate until ready to fill cups.

To make the creme sauce:
Blend cashews, lemon juice, agave, water and salt until smooth.
In a bowl, add cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and 1/2 cup of the cashew creme and stir to combine.

To assemble: 
Fill watermelon cubes with fruit salad, top with cilantro lime sauce, and enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Made-from-scratch Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Allergy Free Wednesday- click on the links for more great ideas for sugar free, gluten free, allergy friendly recipes.

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon

My first batch of Homemade Bouillon

Vegetable broth is one of those ingredients that has stumped me for a while. I never realized how many recipes call for vegetable (or chicken) broth. I searched for about a year, but no matter which brand I looked at, there was always something in the ingredients that I was sensitive to.

But I also noticed something else. Even if I didn't have food sensitivities.... there are some products that I don't think I'd want to consume.

For example, take a look at the ingredients in a major brand of bouillon:

Ingredients: with Other Natural Flavors Ingredients: Salt, Sugar, Flavor (Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Salt), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Contains 2% or less of Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Fat Flavor (Partially Hydrogenated Corn Oil, Flavoring), Natural Flavor (Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar, Whey Powder [from Milk], Lactic Acid), Spice, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Cooked Beef, Caramel Color, Dried Beef Stock, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Autolyzed Yeast, Flavoring. No MSG Added (Contains Naturally Occurring Glutamates).

Food allergies and sensitivities aside... yuck! That is not even food- those are laboratory ingredients designed to taste like food.

In contrast, here are the ingredients in a top organic brand:

Ingredients
Vegetables* and Concentrated Vegetables* (Carrots*, Celery*, Onion*, Tomato*), Salt, Soy Sauce* (Water, Soybean*, Salt, Alcohol*), Cane Sugar*, Maltodextrin*, Natural Flavor, Potato Starch*, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Dried Onion*, Dried Garlic*, and Spice*. *Certified Organic by QAI

At least it is real food : ) But- as those of you with gluten or other sensitivities know- these ingredients still present an allergy/health issue- "natural flavor" could be anything. The catch-all "natural flavor" is so frustrating. It could be derived from corn, or soy, or wheat-- you simply do not know.

Even if the "natural flavor" turned out to be safe for me, I avoid corn, soy, potato, and yeast, due to allergies and sensitivities. So, even the organic brand does not work for me.

Of course, there are other brands, but I've found that they all contain very similar ingredients. Same goes for broth that comes in a box or can. In recipes, I would just use water instead of broth, but there was definitely flavor lacking in the final product.

One day, I came across this recipe for DIY Bouillon on 101 Cookbooks. This recipe is so easy, much healthier than store-bought, is made entirely from whole food (organic, if you choose) ingredients, and you can customize ingredients to your own needs or preferences.

I made a batch a while back, and it lasted forever. I used it in everything- in every recipe that called for broth (finally!), as extra flavor when making soup, in the rice cooker when making rice or quinoa, basically anything that could use some seasoning. I just love it. It is now a staple in my kitchen.

This time, I made half a batch, and adjusted the ingredients based on seasonal availability, and the fact that I am now tolerating more foods (yay!) I am posting with the ingredients I used, but click on the link above for the full/original version on 101 Cookbooks.

Homemade Vegetable Bouillon (Gluten free, Yeast free, Nightshade free, Vegan)
Equipment needed: Food processor
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (one quart, and one pint mason jar)

Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces leeks, slice into rings and wash well
3 1/2 ounces fennel bulb, roughly chopped
4 ounces carrot, scrubbed and roughly chopped
1 stalk celery
1 3/4 ounces shallots
2 small-ish garlic cloves
4.5 ounces fine grain sea salt
3/4 ounce parsley
1 ounce cilantro

Method
Add vegetables to food processor, and pulse a few times to mix. Scrape down sides of food processor, if necessary. Add remaining ingredients, and process until well combined. You will wind up with a loose paste.

Spoon into jars, and keep in freezer until needed. Because of all the salt, it barely solidifies, so it is easy to scoop out when you need it.

As the original recipe suggests, I typically use about 1 tsp of this bouillon per 1 cup liquid; although sometimes I use a little more. It is totally up to you- feel free to adjust amounts (and ingredients) to your preference.

This recipe is linked to Made From Scratch Mondays on Living With Food Allergies and Celiac Disease. Be sure to check their page for more gluten free recipe ideas.

Pomegranate Lentil Soup

Brrrrr! Cold outside = make soup!

Here is a recipe I originally found on theKitchn. It is warm, tasty, full of iron, protein, & fiber. I used spinach instead of chard, only because that's what I had on hand. I didn't put the pretty pomegranate arils on top, either, because I didn't have any. But I think that punch of red would be very pretty on top of the soup. Especially in the heart shaped bowl :)

This recipe contains no gluten, corn, dairy, soy, or nightshades.

Pomegranate Lentil Soup 
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped chard (I used fresh spinach, but any dark leafy green would work)
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice* (I've found Costco has the best price on pomegranate juice, but Target is a close second, especially when on sale)
1 large pomegranate, de-seeded (I've noticed in the produce section of some groceries, you can now buy a small container of pomegranate arils already out of the pomegranate)
*If making it from scratch, you will need about 3-4 pomegranates to make 1 1/2 cups of juice.

Method
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and sauté until onion is translucent.
Add cumin and coriander and sauté for another minute.
Add lentils, chard, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in pomegranate juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Click here to see nutritional information and health benefits of: Lentils, Pomegranate, more on Pomegranate, Chard, Spinach, and other Green Leafy vegetables

This recipe is linked to Made From Scratch Mondays on Allergies and Celiac- check it out for more gluten free and allergy-friendly recipes.

Raw Vegan Valentine Cookies

This recipe was inspired by a great recipe on Veggie Wedgie- check it out here. I love Veggie Wedgie! This recipe is also linked to Wellness Weekends and Allergy Friendly Friday, be sure to check each of those pages for more gluten free, allergy-friendly recipes. If you are gluten free and vegan, and you do not know of Cybele Pascal, get thee to her page now. If you are gluten free and sugar free, be sure to visit Diet, Dessert and Dogs for amazing sweet and savory recipes... and dogs. Food and dogs...what more could you possibly want in a blog? (Woof, woof, nothing, says Bailey from the Healing Kitchen. Wag, wag)

But first, read the yummy recipe below. Trust me, you want to make these cookies!

I think these are the best cookies I've ever made. Ever. Even way back when I could eat butter, eggs, flour, and Crisco (shudder). Seriously, these are as good or better than any raw,vegan, cooked, or traditional cookie I've ever tasted. Bonus: these are much easier to make than baked cookies! Bonus bonus: they are super healthy! (links to health info at bottom of recipe) 

This recipe has no gluten, wheat, sugar, corn, dairy, egg, soy, or nightshades/potato.

These cookies are mostly raw. To make them truly raw, you could use raw oat groats, and make a raw jam for the filling. I was lazy and used gluten free rolled oats and lingonberry jam I had in the fridge. 

Raw Vegan Valentine's Day Cookies

Makes approximately 30 sandwich cookies

Special equipment: Vitamix or food processor, Dehydrator (optional)

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw almonds

3/4 cup raw hazelnuts

1 cup gluten free oats

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 Tbsp coconut oil

pinch vanilla powder(ground vanilla bean)

pinch himalayan salt

few teaspoons of water, if needed

Method

One at a time, grind the almonds, hazelnuts, and oats into flour. I did this in the "dry" container for the Vitamix. You can probably do this in a food processor, or perhaps a coffee or nut grinder. You want a fine flour, not just finely chopped nuts. You could also use nut pulp left over from making nut milk (keep it in the freezer until you need it), or purchase nut flour (but nut flour is really expensive).

Whisk nut and oat flours, vanilla powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the agave nectar and coconut oil, and knead with your hands until well combined and you have a dough that sticks together when you press it between your fingers. If dough is too dry and crumbly, add some water, one teaspoon at a time. Knead, and add more water if necessary. I did not need any water this time, but sometimes I do. Be careful not to add too much water, or you'll wind up with a sticky mess.

Roll out the dough on parchment paper or silpat. Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes. Carefully transfer to dehydrator tray lined with teflexx sheet or parchment paper. Dehydrate at 145 degrees F for one hour, then 115 degrees F for as long as you like to get the consistency you desire. I dehydrated for about 6 hours... but a few cookies may have disappeared from the trays in that time... had to taste, you know... 

Add jam to cookies, and assemble.

You can eat these as soon as you cut them, or dehydrate first. It is up to you! 

They are very good for breakfast. They are also very good frozen. Mmmm.

Click on the following links for more information on the health benefits of almonds, hazelnuts, another page on hazelnuts, nuts in general, oats, lingonberry, another page on lingonberry, and coconut oil. Click here for more information about the health benefits of raw & living food.