I’m delighted to be taking part in the Home for the Holidays event, organized by Shirley over at Gluten Free Easily. The event spans almost a month, with a new blogger each day (25 in all!) presenting to you the recipe that spells “home” to her or him: the one that sparks memories of family gatherings when you were a child, warms your insides, makes you smile and evokes love and community. The one you immediately think of when you think, “holidays“! And we hope you’ll join in on your own blog by posting the badge, below, and linking up to the event as well!
So what does this mean? Well, there are twenty five amazing recipes–AND twenty five amazing giveaways! Just as there will be a new recipe posted every day (mine’s at the end of the post), there will also be a new set of prizes each day (each blogger will be giving away 3 prizes, with some repeated, so if you don’t win a favorite book on one day, you can try again later!). In addition to the individual bloggers’ giveaways, Shirley is coordinating three incredible Grand Prizes–and you’re automatically entered for each of the grand prizes every time you enter any of the individual giveaways throughout the month (such as the one you’ll find below!). D
To enter to win these three prizes–or any of the others—leave a comment on any, or all, of the blogs presenting in the event. Every entry also counts toward the three grand prizes. The more you enter, the more chances you have to win! The three prizes above will be announced on Gluten Free Easily on Christmas.
Today, I’m giving away these two prizes: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
TWO Copies of Living WithoutMagazine! This is a fantastic resource for anyone who has food intolerances, sensitivities or allergies. You’ll find great information and recipes for people who live without eating gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, etc!
TO ENTER TO WIN ONE OF THESE GREAT PRIZES THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! (all entries are also eligible for the three grand prizes): simply leave a comment on this post.
You can gain extra entries by doing one or more of the following. FOR EACH EXTRA ENTRY, PLEASE COME BACK AND LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING ME THAT YOU’VE DONE SO.
The giveaway will run until MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13.THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! Shirley will announce the winners on her blog at the end of the week, and I’ll also announce them here thereafter.
For a complete list of all the prizes and their sponsors, see the end of this post (just after the recipe).
[Chocolate + peppermint + truffles = My kinda holiday food!]
When I thought about what foods evoke “holidays” for me, there was only one answer: chocolate. As an avowed chocaholic (okay, serious, recidivist, chocolate addict), pretty much any special occasion has to include the beloved blissful brown bite, but wintertime holidays in particular bring this confection to mind.
When I was a singleton living on my own, I rented the basement apartment of a fabulous Victorian home that had been converted into four flats. The woman on the top floor was a jetsetting, run- (and flirt)-with-the-wolves kind of gal, with a fashion sense that combined pixie-cute appeal with a definite siren-sexiness factor. (In the end, she nabbed the son of Canada’s richest billionaire as her husband. The marriage has since dissolved, but I have no doubt that the bank account is as healthy as ever).
One year, Ms. Jetsetter invited me to a Christmas party in her flat. Emerging from the bowels of the building, my eyes still squinting from the light, I was entirely entranced by the fantasty winter-wonderland theme of her party and the dreamy quality of the decorations in her apartment. It was as if she had smeared the camera lens with Vaseline and strung gauze all over the place, with everything slightly blurred, the edges softened, silver and white undertones to the light and shadows throughout the place. The antique tree decorations were illuminated in glimmering beams, reflecting off the glowing embers in the fireplace. Tabletops were crowded with plates of food and drink and small, flickering candles emitting a soft and sensuous glow. And there, in the bathroom (yes! the bathroom!) was a lovely bowl of individually wrapped chocolate truffles on the counter, so guests could sneak a little treat with them after checking their reflections, fixing their lipliner, or straightening a tie.
I was in love with the idea of offering truffles in virtually every room of the party, and since then, have blatantly copied the concept any time I throw a holiday bash. But the truffles themselves were easier to attain, since they came from Canada’s own President’s Choice line. Anyone who lives in Ontario (or has access to the brand) will likely be familiar with these rich little squares, covered in milk chocolate and concealing a mint-chocolate ganache filling.
Now that I can consume neither chocolate nor sugar, I just had to create an ACD friendly version of my own. I think you’ll find these incredibly reminiscent of milk chocolate, and just as irresistible. The insides are a blended-till-silky-smooth mix of coconut, cashews and chocolate (somebody save me), all covered in a thick and intense dark chocolate cloak. The contrast in flavors and textures is enough to make even the richest billionaire swoon.
The next time you throw a holiday party, you can proudly lay these treats out for your guests–in whichever room you choose.
[Didn't I tell you they look like milk chocolate? Rich, minty, smooth. . . heaven.]
“Milk Chocolate” Mint Truffles(ACD Stage 3 and beyond)
The coconut-chocolate combo in the filling really looks like milk chocolate and has a mouthfeel that is very reminiscent of the “real” thing. These truffles are rich and delectable enough to satisfy any chocolate lover in your life! I’m including a more labor-intensive version (my preferred) as well as a quicker and easier version; both are delicious and they are very close in texture.
Filling, Version I (a bit more work, but much more economical):
1.5 ounces (40 g) good quality unsweetened chocolate (I use Cocoa Camino; I hear that Scharffen Berger is great, too)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin coconut oil, preferably organic
2 cups (160 g) unsweetened, dried thick or medium shredded coconut (not coconut flakes or the shredded type that is already ground up into crumbs, unless you weigh it)
1 heaping cup (160 g ) lightly toasted natural cashews (no salt)
Make the Filling: Prepare a small square plastic container, single-serving loaf pan, or other small (around 2 cups/500 ml) square container by lining with plastic wrap. Alternately, you could use miniature silicone muffin cups (for round truffles). I used a small square plastic freezer container. Set aside.
For Filling Version One, Proceed as Follows: In a small, heavy-bottomed pot over lowest heat possible, melt the chocolate and coconut oil; set aside.
Place the coconut, cashews, sugar and salt in a high-powered blender (I use my VitaMix) and, using the wand, blend until you have a smooth and semi-liquid coconut-cashew “butter”. Keep blending until it is very smooth and pourable! (The mixture will be very warm at this point).
Add the melted chocolate, vanilla, stevia and peppermint extract and blend again just to combine.
For Filling Version II, Proceed as Follows: In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the coconut butter, cashew butter, coconut sugar, salt and chocolate. Heat over lowest heat possible, stirring constantly, until melted and very smooth. Add the vanilla, stevia and peppermint extract and stir well. (For a glassy-smooth filling, at this point you can pour this mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds to smooth out any last remnants of graininess from the coconut sugar. . . but this is totally not necessary–still delicious without!).
For both Versions, Continue as Follows: Pour the mixture into the prepared container and refrigerate until solid, 40-60 minutes. Once solid, invert onto a cutting board lined with plastic and allow to sit for 5 minutes just to soften slightly (it will get soft fairly quickly, but if you cut it right away, it will splinter and crack). Using a very sharp knife, cut into desired number of squares (I made 16; some cracked or broke, so I ended up with about a dozen good squares).
Place the cutting board with the squares on it in the freezer until completely solid, about an hour.
About ten minutes before you will coat the truffles, make the coating.
For Coating Version I, Proceed as Follows: Bring about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a boil in a small pot; turn down to lowest heat. Set a glass or metal bowl over the pot (the bowl should be big enough that the bottom isn’t touching the water in the pot) and add the chocolate and coconut oil to the bowl. Allow to sit about 30 seconds, then stir until the chocolate melts. Remove from the pot and whisk in the carob powder and stevia. Mix well to eliminate any lumps.
For Coating Version II, Proceed as Follows: Place the sugar, chocolate and coconut oil in a small, heavy-bottomed pot over lowest heat possible. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and add the stevia; stir until well combined.
To Coat the Truffles: Place the bowl of chocolate on the counter. Get yourself a big, wide-tined fork (I found a good one at the dollar store; any large fork should do).
Bring the board with the cut-out filling to the counter. Working quickly, grab each piece and dip the bottom in the chocolate; let it drip off a bit, then place chocolate side-down onto the board. When they’re all done, return the board to the freezer so the chocolate can firm up a bit (about 5 minutes).
One at a time, place each square chocolate side-down on the fork. Hold the truffle over the bowl and, using a spoon or spatula, spoon more chocolate over the top and sides, allowing excess to drip through the tines of the fork and back into the bowl. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove any excess. At this point, it’s really important to ensure that the entire filling is coated, with no uncovered spots peeking through the chocolate! Slide each truffle off the fork one at a time by pushing it off with the tip of a knife or another fork, and replace them all on the cutting board.
Once all the truffles are coated, you can pop them the fridge to firm up (no need to go back in the freezer at this point).
Once the truffles are firm, you can drizzle any leftover chocolate coating over them to create pretty patterns, or dip a dried cranberry or goji berry in a bit of the leftover chocolate to “glue” it to the top of a truffle as decoration.
Store the truffles in a covered container in the refrigerator. Remove them from the fridge at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling inside to soften up for a smoother, more ganache-like consistency. If you’ve covered the entire filling with chocolate, they should be fine at room temperature, as the coating is solid and will prevent any of the filling from oozing out. Makes 12-16 truffles.
Here’s the full lineup of participating sponsors and prizes for Home for the Holidays:
PRINT BOOKS (Cookbooks and Resource Books, or Combos):
–More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and Totally Together Journal combos–by Stephanie O’Dea, three combos (3) –Simply … Gluten-Free Desserts by Carol Kicinski, 2 signed copies (2) each with a package of Carol’s Gluten-Free Flour mix –Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking by Pete and Kelli Bronski, one signed copy (1) –Artisanal Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Pete and Kelly Bronski, one signed copy (1) –Gluten-Free Baking for Dummies by Jean Layton and Linda Larsen, one copy (1) (release date Dec. 6) –Gluten-Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn — 2 copies (2) –Gluten-Free in 5 Minutes by Robin Ryberg — 2 copies (2) –Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson – 2 copies (2) –The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam, six signed copies (6) –The Gluten-Free Cupcakes Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam, six signed copies (6) –The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen by Laura B. Russell, two copies (2) –The Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Kitchen by Denise Jardine, ONE EXCLUSIVE ADVANCE COPY (1) –The Pure Kitchen by Hallie Klecker, two copies (2) –Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone, three copies (3) –Free for All Cooking by Jules Shepard, one signed copy (1) –The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Jules Shepard, one signed copy –Healthier Without Wheat by Dr. Stephen Wangen, three signed copies (3) –Sugar Nation by Jeffrey O’Connell, four copies (4) –Wheat Belly by William Davis, three copies (3) –Dangerous Grains by Ron Hoggan and Dr. James Braly, two copies (2) –The Food Allergy Kitchen by Amra Ibrismovic and Carmel Nelson, one copy (1) –The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen* by Lévana Kirschenbaum and Lisa R.Young –The Spunky Coconut Cookbook 2nd edition, by Kelly Brozyna, one signed copy (1) –Grain-Free Baked Goods and Desserts by Kelly Brozyna, one signed copy (1) –Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield, three copies (3) –Go Dairy Free* by Alisa Fleming, two signed copies (2) –Modern Spice by Monica Bhide, one copy (1) (in combo package with Monica’s app, iSPICE) –Perfect One-Dish Dinners* by Pam Anderson, one signed copy (1) –The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Ali Segersten and Tom Malterre, two signed copies (2) –The Steamy Kitchen* by Jaden Hair, one copy (1)
–100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, one copy (1)
E-BOOKS (Cookbooks and Resource Books)
–Gluten-Free Goddess E-Book:Best Loved Recipes by Karina Allrich (1) –The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook by Diane Eblin, one copy with tote bag (1) –7 Quick Start Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten-Free Fit Life, by Erin Elberson, five copies (5) –Sweet Freedom*, by Ricki Heller, one copy (1) –Combo Set of following: Good Morning Breakfasts, Desserts Without Compromise, and Anti-Candida Feast Book by Ricki Heller, one copy (1) of set
MAGAZINES–Easy Eats, three subscriptions–electronic (3) –Delight, two subscriptions–print (2) –Living Without, two subscriptions–print (2)
APPS
–Cook IT Allergy Free by Kim Wilson-Maes, three apps (3) –iSPICE by Monica Bhide, one app (in combo package with her cookbook, Modern Spice; already mentioned above) (1)
THIRD PRIZE—Caveman Cookies giveaway package ($89 value).One large bag of each of the current three flavors , Original, Tropical, and Alpine ($28.95 value) plus one large bag of the soon-to-be released new flavor, Rainforest ($9.95 value; will be shipped as soon as available; anticipated end of Dec); 1 large variety pack ($32.50 value), and 1 t-shirt ($17.50 value; your size, your color).
The other evening, my friend Eternal Optimist and I went to see a movie (Friends with Benefits–surprisingly enjoyable, and I even liked Justin Timberlake in it!). We both love watching the trailers before the film, but what struck us this time was how many of them were actually promoting remakes of old movies. First was Planet of the Apes(okay, technically a prequel), followed by Straw Dogs. Even the main attraction itself was sort of a remake (of When Harry Met Sally–oh, and pretty much every rom-com ever written). It got me thinking about the concept of remakes in general: you know, those revised, updated versions of established classics.
For instance, did you know that the movie King Kong has been made at least three times (seven if you count all the sequels and “Sons of–”)? Dracula: seven times (not to mention and entire page on Wikipedia devoted to spinoffs and related films). Invasion of the Body Snatchers: five times. Heck, even Freaky Friday has had two remakes! And (in my humble opinion), each remake is just slightly less effective, less interesting, less engaging than the previous version.
I feel the same way about books made into movies, for the most part. How many times have you read a book, then seen the movie, only to be bitterly disappointed? (Though I must admit I’m really looking forward to The Helpon the big screen; and most people would agree that The Godfather was a better film than novel). With novels, imagination allows for any manner of individual, idiosyncratic characters, appearances, voices, and so on. When you see a movie, it’s all distilled into one face, one voice, one set of mannerisms–there’s no way you can envision anything that isn’t already right in front of you.
I have noticed that certain things, however, do improve with a little revision. In the past, when I lectured at the college where I teach, I’d sometimes have to present the same course to three different groups of students. Each time I delivered the material, I’d think of a new detail to add, or an additional example to illustrate a point. By the third class, I was really rocking, and those students always received the most detailed, most engaging lecture of the three. Similarly, working on refining a recipe usually leads to improvements each time you “remake” it.
When I switched to a gluten-free diet back in March 2009, it seemed a little overwhelming to create tasty foods I could eat. Back then, it never entered my mind to “remake” any of the original recipes on this blog. Eventually, once I was familiar with gluten free flours and low glycemic sweeteners, I began to play with some of the recipes in my cookbook, Sweet Freedom(and by the way–did you happen to notice who included my book in her “Going Vegan with Ellen” website?! Whooooopeeeee!!). I’ve now re-made the Butterscotch Blondies, Fluffy Fruited Pancakes, Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Seed Jumble Cookies, and a few others using my all-purpose gluten-free flour mix in place of the spelt, and every one has come out great!
My sweet successes led me to experiment with other flour-heavy recipes as well, just to see what I could make of them. Last week, I remembered these Chinese Scallion Pancakes, one of the most popular recipes on the blog (and one that the HH and I absolutely adored back in the days when we would meet for lunch during the workweek). What if I could re-create those pancakes to taste just as appetizing as the original? What if we didn’t need to frequent a restaurant to enjoy some chewy, salty, green onion-y flatbreads with our lunch? What if I suddenly lost 15 pounds and had perfectly toned triceps (oops, sorry; wrong fantasy there). What if–??
And so, I give you gluten free Chinese Scallion Pancakes. I have to admit that the process was much easier than even I anticipated; I simply subbed a mix of all purpose flour and sweet rice flour (also called glutenous rice flour) for the spelt, and–presto–the recipe worked perfectly the very first time! I’ve since made these two more times (just to be sure the recipe works, you understand) and they’ve come out beautifully both times. The exterior is browned and crisp; the interior is moist, delightfully chewy, with the murmur of caramelized green onion strewn here and there. Great on their own, or with a spread or dip of your choice.
Now, if only I can figure out how to remake my triceps . . .
Gluten Free Chinese Scallion Pancakes
suitable for ACD Stage 3 and beyond
These pancakes are a perfect accompaniment for Sunday brunch, to sop up some rich Onion Gravy with your next nut roast or veggie burger, or all on their own as a snack. The combination of chewy, salty and bready will have you hooked in no time!
2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil, preferably organic
1/2 tsp fine or coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper, optional
6 green onions, white and light green parts
Sift the flour and xanthan gum into a bowl and whisk to combine well. Add the water slowly, mixing as you go, until you have a very soft dough (use a touch more or less water, as necessary). Form the dough into a ball and cover with a damp cloth; let rest for 15-20 minutes.
Flour a large work surface thoroughly with more all-purpose flour, and place the ball in the center of it; dust the top with more flour. Roll out to a disk of around 12-14 inches (30-35.5 cm), dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Brush lightly with about 1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 ml) of the oil, then sprinkle with salt (and pepper, if using). Scatter the green onions evenly over top.
Roll up the dough tightly to form a long roll. Cut the roll in half and pinch the ends closed as best you can. Stand each roll on its cut end and push down to create two patties (or disks).
Working with one disk at a time, roll it out the floured surface (use more flour as needed), moving outward from the center. Make a round about 7 inches (18 cm) wide.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with the oil. Gently transfer the disk to the pan, and then brush the top of the dough with more oil. Cook 4-5 minutes, until the bottom is browned in spots. Gently flip the pancake and cook the other side another 3-4 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a plate (cover with a clean cloth, if desired, to keep it warm while you cook the second pancake). Repeat the procedure with the second dough patty, rolling it, brushing with oil, and cooking in the same way.
Cut each pancake into 4 pieces and serve immediately. Makes 2 large cakes, or 4 servings. Best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, wrap tightly in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350F (180C) oven for about 10 minutes to serve.
[A plate of detox-friendly cookies! In the background, the ailing azalea plant my cousin gave me. Any advice on how to keep it alive?]
Are you a fan of granola? For most of us, the mix of (usually) oats, nuts, seeds and raisins or dates is very alluring. I must admit, however, that I first ate granola in my 20s, and then only for a few weeks before eschewing it entirely until my 40s. Why, you may ask? Well, let me answer by telling you a story (because you know that I will, right?).
As a child, I couldn’t really tolerate the taste of nuts. Which was weird, since pretty much everyone else in my family seemed to love them; my Uncle S , for one, consumed dry roasted peanuts almost incessantly (though I must admit I never counted peanuts as “nuts”; not because I was a child prodigy who instinctively understood that “legumes aren’t nuts”; no, it was just that I never associated the sweet, tan unguent that I slathered on toast or saltines–so far removed in appearance, taste and texture from their original form–with the dry pods that my uncle popped in his mouth all day).
My mother, too, loved nuts of all kinds. Every Christmas, between the shortbread cookies, the pecan bars, the sugar cookies, the double chocolate brownies and the coffee cakes, she baked a huge batch of what she called “Frozen Nut Cookies.” What was considered “frozen” about them I have no idea, as the mixed dough was never placed anywhere near the freezer, nor were any of the ingredients previously chilled. The recipe called for a pound (454 grams) of ground walnuts, an entire jar of maraschino cherries (including the syrupy, sugary “juice”), and lots–lots–of butter. Every year, I scarfed a few of the cookies, hoping they’d convert me into a nut-lover, but really the only part I enjoyed was the chopped maraschinos. (In retrospect, I realize that what I really enjoyed was actually the sugar in the chopped maraschinos).
Then, during my late teens and early 20s while living in a university residence, I finally began to eat nuts in certain foods and actually enjoy them. That is, until what I now refer to as “The Granola Trauma,” an incident that’s gone down in the annals of Ricki lore. My room mate and I had acquired the habit of buying the large plastic bags of “No Name” granola to snack on (or eat as a meal) during the semester (when we weren’t inhaling birthday cake, that is). One evening as we sat cross-legged on opposite sides of the army-style cot, each totally totally engrossed in studying for our next final and entirely oblivious as our spoons repeatedly dipped into the bag with the cheery yellow stripe and then directly into our mouths, the GT occurred. Let me explain what happened by relating this common children’s riddle:
Q. What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple granola?
A: Finding half a worm.
‘Nuff said.
As you can guess, I wasn’t too keen on eating granola for a while. . . like, for a couple of decades. The nuts were just collateral damage.
It wasn’t until my 30s and the advent of the ACD that I really began to appreciate almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts and the like again (of course, meeting the HH during those days also helped, since he’s one nut that everyone’s just gotta love. But you saw that coming, of course.).
By the time I created my first cookbook, Sweet Freedom, I was consuming (homemade) granola again and even had a favorite recipe to share on the blog. I decided I wanted to include my own version of a granola cookie in the book, and came up with Seed Jumble Cookies. The Seed Jumbles were always a hit with my friends and their children (whether or not they could eat nuts–the cookie is nut-free). This recipe is a healthier, gluten-free version of those.
I actually created this recipe in anticipation of this week’s Sweet Victory detox program that begins on Saturday (and today is the last day to register at the early bird discount price!). The program is designed to help participants eschew sugar from their lives and get a grip on those gnawing sugar cravings (a feeling about which I know all too well). I’m also participating in the program, which was designed by holistic health coach Andrea Nakayama to provide crucial information about the nature of sugar addiction, brain chemistry, how to deal with cravings, and more. I wanted to be sure that everyone’s sweet tooth was satisfied with healthy, delicious desserts for the two weeks. Believe it or not, this is the kind of recipe you can eat while detoxing from sugar!
Although I’ve already removed refined sugars from my own diet, I’m going through the program to learn more about why my brain keeps asking for sugar anyway–and what to do about it. But it’s really for anyone at any stage who wants to beat the sugar demon ).
These cookies combine coconut sugar with fresh pear purée and a bit of stevia to achieve a perfect level of sweetness and cookie-like texture. The seeds and SunWarrior powder add enough protein and fiber to offset any rise in blood sugar and prevent a spike that will send you toward the sugar bowl. I was able to eat two cookies and stop there (though the HH enjoyed these so much he actually ate 3, and told me, “These taste like real cookies”!). In fact, they’re healthy enough that I would feel fine eating a couple for breakfast–just the way I might eat a bowl of granola (just please, not the no-name kind).
Baked Granola Haystack Cookies(ACD Stage 3 and beyond)
These are a great cookie as an afternoon snack or even as a quick breakfast-on-the-go. If feeding to people with nut allergies, you can replace the almond butter with sunflower seed butter or more tahini.
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut sugar
1 large pear, cored and cut into 8 pieces (no need to peel)
1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2.5 ml) plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened dairy free carob chips or cacao nibs (optional; may replace with raisins, if you’re allowed)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
Place the coconut sugar and pear in a food process and process until smooth. Add the stevia, vanilla, tahini and almond butter and process again. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt and flax seeds to break up any lumps. Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and carob chips, if using.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir to coat everything well. It may seem as if it won’t hold together like a “real” cookie batter—this is as it should be.
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place mounds of “dough” about one inch apart on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and press together with your fingers if it looks as if they’re not holding together on the edges.
Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet once about halfway through, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before sampling. Makes 16-20 cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. May be frozen.
In my 30s (aka the “Decade of the Dinner Party”), I used to bake a lot of elaborate, very involved recipes. I mean, a lot. As I recall, I held a dinner party in my little basement apartment about once a week. Since most of those soirées featured more or less the same guest list (hey, B & P! Long time no dinner party! Are you guys still in California?), I felt it necessary to bake something entirely different each Saturday. Actually, I would have felt that way regardless–I just like to try new things in the kitchen. (No, no, not those kinds of things, silly! I’m talking about cooking and baking). One of my favorites was a ten-layer meringue-and-buttercream concoction that alternated layers of mocha meringue with either chocolate or coffee buttercream, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce and little gold dragees. Needless to say, that one was a huge hit.
Today’s recipe reminded me of that gilded extravaganza, if only because it’s multi-layered, involves a creamy filling, and–most importantly–requires more than one day’s preparation. (The original recipe, in fact, tells you to take at least 4 days lead time if you wish to serve this beauty, but I’ve cut it down to three. See, there are some benefits to eating ACD-friendly!)
I guess I must love a challenge more than I realize, because as soon as I saw the original recipe from Fine Cooking, I thought, “I must make this anti-candida friendly.” Now, that’s no mean feat, given that we ACDers can’t eat sugar, refined flours, gluten, anything too starchy or moldy, and–in my case–eggs or dairy. Yowzah. Then, a few days later, Iris posted her “Birthday Cake Challenge.” You see, Iris is about to celebrate a major b-day (the last year of her 20s) at the end of this month, and she’s asking for people to post cakes that would be appropriate. And wouldn’t you agree that this beauty fits the bill perfectly?
I decided that I wanted to make the cake as allergen-free as possible–more than just gluten-free and refined-sugar free. In other words, no eggs, dairy, gluten, refined sugar, nuts, corn or soy.
For the cake, I adapted the Golden Vanilla Cake recipe from Sweet Freedom by using my all-purpose GF flour mix instead of the spelt and adding xanthan gum; those were the only changes required to the original recipe (and I was amazed at how easy it was to convert to gluten-free!).
The vanilla pastry cream (used in place of the original corn cream) is from my Desserts without Compromise ebook (no real changes necessary, but I did gussy it up with a pinch of turmeric and a touch of coconut sugar). And while I couldn’t use corn cream in order to avoid major allergens, millet is a different yellow grain, so I figured that would do just fine.
Finally, to replace the strawberry preserves, I cooked up a simple strawberry compote along with the fresh berries. And while the preparation was a wee bit (!) time-consuming, it is all, astonishingly, still within the confines of the anti-candida diet (well, the later stages of the diet, anyway).
The original recipe also instructs you to freeze the cake to “set” it, then defrost in the refrigerator for 36 hours. I decided to forgo the freezing, partly because agar doesn’t freeze well, but also because it didn’t seem necessary–the cake was ready to go as soon as I assembled it.
Having said all that, this is really not a “daily” ACD dessert. Now that I’m in the final stages of the diet (Stage 3), I am able to eat a dessert this decadent, perhaps, once a month. Starch-heavy, high carb and naturally high-sugar foods are generally avoided, even on maintenance, so if you do make this cake, consider it a once-a-month (or less) indulgence, eat only a moderate slice, and consume it only after a day or two of low-glycemic and low-starch eating.
Which will work out perfectly, since you’ll have at least 3 days to think about it while you’re preparing the cake.
[For those of you who think I'm insane to make thisdon't have an extra four days to make cake want to use the individual aspects of the recipe on their own, the cake is great as cupcakes or in a larger pan; the pastry cream is wonderful in a tart shell, covered with fresh berries, or in a parfait; the cookies (uncoated) are terrific as decorated holiday sugar cookies, or with tea; and the strawberry spread is a perfect stand-in for jam, or served atop pancakes for breakfast.]
Special Occasion ACD-Friendly, Allergen-Free Strawberries and Cream Triple Layer Cake with “White Chocolate” Covered Cookie Crumbs (inspired by this cake from Fine Cooking magazine)
If you’ve been on the anti-candida diet for a while, if you can’t eat gluten or sugar or eggs or dairy or nuts or corn or soy–No longer must you miss out on spectacular showpiece cakes on special occasions! This stunning three-layer confection is impressive both aesthetically and for its superb combination of light and tender cake layers, cookie-crumb garnish, custardy-smooth pastry cream filling and sweet-tart, juicy strawberry filling and topping. There’s no need to tell anyone this is a “special diet” cake–they’ll never know.
For the Cake, adapted from Sweet Freedom’s recipe (can be made up to 3 months ahead):
3 Tbsp (45 ml) finely ground flax seeds
3/4 cup (180 ml) light agave nectar
3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla soy, almond or rice milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line three 8-inch (20 cm) round pans with parchment paper, then spray the parchment with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flax, agave nectar, soymilk, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Set aside while you mix the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and whisk again to combine; do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. If you have a kitchen scale, you can weigh them to ensure they are exactly the same; if not, set the pans side by side on the counter and just estimate. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and smooth the tops.
Place two pans on the top shelf and one pan on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through, until the tops are puffed and deep golden and a tester inserted in the center of each pan comes out clean (depending on where they were situated in the oven, the cakes may not all be ready at exactly the same time; if necessary, remove one or more as they are ready and keep baking the others). Leave in the pan until completely cool, then run a knife along the sides and invert onto a cooling rack. Peel off parchment, then gingerly wrap in plastic and place on the cooling rack (or a cutting board or plate) in the freezer until firm. Store in freezer bags until ready to use. May be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cookie Crumb Garnish (coated cookie crumbs can be made up to one week ahead; store in a covered container in the refrigerator):
1 recipe Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies, below
1 recipe “White Chocolate” Coating, below
Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies (adapted from this recipe; can be baked up to 3 months before using)
6 Tbsp (90 ml) light agave nectar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground chia seeds
2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla soy, almond or rice milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut oil, solid at room temperature (if necessary, place in refrigerator until solid)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the agave, chia seeds, soymilk, vanilla and lemon extraact. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine evenly. Drop the coconut oil in large chunks over the flour mixture. Then, using your hands, pinch the mixture between your thumb and forefingers repeatedly until it comes together and the oil is completely blended into the flour. The mixture should appear crumbly but hold together when squeezed in your hand. (Note: the dough should NOT be the same as a pie dough, with visible, pea-sized bits of coconut oil distributed throughout; it should all be smoothly and completely blended into the flour).
Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir well to combine. You should have a soft and sticky dough, but one that holds together.
Gather the dough and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Once firm, remove the dough from the plastic and place on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper or countertop and roll out to about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thickness. Cut into rectangles about 3 x 2 inches (8 x 5.5 cm) big. Place the cookies about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on cookie sheets. Gather any remaining dough and roll again; repeat until all dough is used.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets about halfway through, until cookies are deep golden brown on the edges. Cool completely before removing from the cookie sheets. Makes 24-30 cookies. May be frozen: wrap in plastic and store in an airtight bag or container in the freezer until ready to use, up to 3 months.
“White Chocolate” Coating (should be made just before you coat the cookie crumbs):
4 cups (320 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut sugar
30-50 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender (I use a VitaMix) and blend until perfectly smooth and almost liquid; this will take some time, and you will have to push the mixture toward the blades using the tamper. When it’s done, it should be pourable and the consistency of a very thin natural almond butter. Use immediately to make the Cookie Crumb Garnish.
To make the Cookie Crumb Garnish (coated cookie crumbs may be made up to a week ahead; store in in a covered container in the refrigerator):
Have the freshly made “White Chocolate Coating” at the ready.
Break the cooled cookies into chunks and place them in a food processor. Process until you have coarse crumbs. No pieces should be larger than a pea. Turn the crumbs into a medium bowl.
Pour the freshly made white chocolate coating over the crumbs in the bowl. Toss with a fork until they begin to clump together and form little balls; keep tossing until all the crumbs are coated. If the mixture seems too wet, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then toss again; repeat until the coating is firm and you have a bowl of little clumps. Break apart with your fingers if necessary to ensure that none of the pieces is larger than a pea. If you’re making the garnish ahead of time, transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator. Otherwise, refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Pastry Cream Filling (can be made up to 3 days ahead):
1/4 cup (50 g) dry millet
1/2 cup (120 ml) water or plain or vanilla rice milk (only rice milk will do for this)
1 can (14 oz or 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) packed coconut sugar
pinch fine sea salt
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) turmeric, optional (for color)
20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure almond extract, optional
Place the millet and water or rice milk in a medium pot and bring to the boil; lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, 15-20 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, salt and turmeric and return to the boil over medium heat. Lower heat to simmer once again and continue to cook, stirring frequently to avoid scorching (a silicone spatula works well for this) until the grains of millet have begun to open and break apart and the mixture has the consistency of very thick oatmeal or thick wallpaper paste, 30-50 minutes. If necessary, add a bit more water, 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time, to ensure that the mixture has cooked long enough. Don’t worry about overcooking at this point–the longer it cooks, the better!
When it’s reached the desired consistency, stir in the stevia, vanilla and almond extract. Stir and taste; adjust sweetness if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a high speed blender (I use a Vita Mix) and blend, scraping down sides as necessary, until perfectly silky smooth. Pour into a large bowl. (If you are using a conventional blender, you can still make it; blend in smaller batches and transfer each blended batch to a bowl after mixing, then stir it all together in the bowl). Allow to cool at room temperature before covering and chilling in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight. It will thicken as it chills. May be made up to 3 days ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Strawberry Filling and Topping (can be made up to 2 days ahead):
3 pounds (1.4 kg) fresh strawberries, preferably organic
juice of 1/2 lime
10-20 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
2 tsp (10 ml) agar powder (not flakes–I used this brand)
Measure out 2 heaping cups of berries (about 15 large berries), choosing the most beautiful looking ones for this purpose. If you’re making the cake now, hull and slice about 2/3 of the beautiful berries into slices; hull and quarter the other third of the beautiful berries (keep the two piles separate). The slices will be used beween the cake layers and the quartered berries will be used as garnish on top. (If you’re making the cake a day or two later, don’t slice or cut the separated 2 cups (480 ml) of berries; leave those whole, and store them in the fridge until you need them. Slice and quarter right before you assemble the cake).
Hull the remaining berries (everything but the 2 cups you removed) and wash well. Place berries in a blender, in batches if necessary, and purée until liquefied. Transfer the liquid to a medium pot. Squeeze in the lime juice and stir.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until the mixture reduces to 2-1/2 cups (600 ml) total (about half the original volume), 1-1.5 hours. Add the stevia and adjust sweetness level if necessary. Whisk in the agar and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Allow to cool until it reaches room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and refrigerate until cold (it will be firm at that point). If making ahead, store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 days (and keep your fresh berries in the refrigerator as well until ready to use).
To Assemble the Cake:
Keep the cake layers frozen (they will defrost very quickly–mine were defrosted by the time I assembled and finished photographing the cake–but it’s much easier to assemble everything with frozen layers). Bring all your other components to your work station: the coated cookie crumbs, the pastry cream, the strawberry spread and the sliced and quartered fresh berries.
Measure out one cup (240 ml) of the cookie crumbs and set aside for garnish. Divide the remaining cookie crumbs in half.
Place one frozen cake layer on the center of a cake platter or serving plate. Cover the top with half the pastry cream; spread evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with one half of the (non-garnish) cookie crumbs. Measure out 2/3 cup (160 ml) of the strawberry spread and dot the top of the cake layer with spoonfuls of it evenly over the crumbs, then spread it as evenly as possible to cover the surface evenly using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with half the sliced fresh berries.
Top the first layer with another frozen layer, and repeat the toppings, first spreading with the rest of the pastry cream, sprinkling with the other half of the non-garnish cookie crumbs, covering with 2/3 cup (80 ml) of the strawberry spread, and sprinkling with the other half of the sliced berries.
Place the final frozen layer on top of the cake. Cover the top with 2/3 cup (160 ml) of the strawberry spread, leaving about 1/4 inch (1 ml) of cake uncovered around the edge. Sprinkle with the quartered strawberries and the cookie crumbs you reserved for garnish. (You may have a bit of the strawberry spread left over at this point; if so, store in a jar in the fridge up to 4 days. It’s great as a jam or atop pancakes).
At this point, you may serve the cake immediately, or store, covered, in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours. Serve cold, from the fridge. Makes 8-10 stupendous servings. It doesn’t keep well for much longer, however, so should be made for an occasion with 8-10 eaters, if possible. . . over time, the cake will absorb moisture from the fillings and will seem more like a trifle by day two (not that there’s anything wrong with that. . . . ).
And since it’s also such a celebratory cake, I’m submitting the recipe to Kelly’s Our Spunky Holiday event as well, for the 4th of July! Drop by Kelly’s blog next week to see all the other recipes in the roundup as well.
I suppose anyone who devotes one third of their blog’s name to “dessert” must really love the sweet stuff. (Uh, yeah). A quick glance at my blog’s recipe index will reveal that, ACD be damned, I’m not willing to give up my sweet treats.
You’ll also notice that stevia has been my savior ever since I began the anti candida diet. As I mentioned in yesterday’s SOS kickoff post, it’s up to 300 times sweeter than sugar and also boasts some pretty impressive health properties. For someone unwilling to consume sucralose, aspartame or other unnatural chemical alternatives, stevia is a perfect means to add sweetness without calories to food. Used in conjunction with other natural sweeteners, it can boost a recipe’s sweet quotient while lowering overall calories–and allow you to continue to enjoy perfectly decadent desserts.
Enter this coconut ice cream, the final recipe in my dinner party trifecta (along with the sushi pizza and tempeh bourguignon). I made it last week for a couple of friends who don’t have any dietary restrictions. I served it over a big slice of the Ultra Fudgy Brownies from Sweet Freedom. Both of them (along with the HH) gobbled it up, entirely unaware that they were eating something “healthy.” (Happily, I was able to enjoy a big serving of the ice cream, too, with fresh blueberries, since it’s ACD-friendly).
Because it contains ingredients that are actually good for you, I felt no compunction whatsoever about having some ice cream atop waffles for brunch a few days later. The HH was very appreciative, too.
As you can see, this recipe contains this month’s SOS ingredient, stevia, as well as last month’s (coconut oil). That’s because I had actually intended this as another coconut oil recipe, but, as often happens these days, got behind in my blogging. No matter; like so many other recipes in my life, it coincidentally contains stevia as well–which makes it a perfect anti-candida dessert.
“Mum, it’s also a perfect canine dessert, you know. How about we help clean up those plates once you’re done?”
[Coconut ice cream atop a wholegrain waffle from my upcoming ebook, Top of the Morning: ACD Recipes without Sugar, Gluten, Eggs or Dairy.]
This ice cream is extremely rich tasting, smooth and silky, with pronounced coconut flavor that isn’t overpowering. For a more subtle coconut contribution, swirl in some chocolate sauce, melted nut butter or sugar-free jam after the ice cream is ready to serve.
1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla soy, almond, rice or coconut milk (for coconut milk, use the kind in a carton, not a can)
1 cup (150 g) raw natural cashews, soaked in room temperature water 6-12 hours and drained
1 ripe medium pear, cored and cut in chunks
1 pkg (12 oz or 350 g) firm or extra firm silken tofu (I used Mori Nu)
1/2 cup (45 g) dry shredded unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp (60 ml) extra virgin coconut oil, preferably organic
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut (palm) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) agave nectar or food grade vegetable glycerin
10-15 drops plain or vanilla stevia, to your taste (I used NuNaturals)
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure coconut extract, optional
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
Place all ingredients in a high powered blender (such as a VitaMix) and blend until perfectly smooth. This may take a while (if using a VitaMix, you’ll need to push the ingredients down with the wand until everything comes together). If using a regular blender, start with the wet ingredients and then add the coconut and cashews last; blend in small batches if necessary.
Pour the mixture into silicone muffin cups or small plastic containers and freeze until solid. Remove from the cups or containers and store in plastic freezer bags until ready to use.
To make the ice cream: For each serving, remove one muffin cup (or equivalent sized piece) of frozen cream from the freezer and, using a large, sharp knife, cut it into 5 or 6 pieces. Place the pieces in the bowl of a food processor and process until it comes together in a ball (at first it will break apart and resemble breadcrumbs, but eventually it will come together). Stop the processor and spread out the mixture evenly in the bowl, then process again if necessary until it just begins to smooth out (avoid overprocessing or the mixture will be too soft). Scoop into bowls and serve. The full recipe makes 4-6 servings.
[This week's A Gluten Free Holiday (the fourth installment of this event that Amy created) is hosted by Diane at The Whole Gang. You'll probably remember Diane's "30 days to a food revolution"--she even got Jamie Oliver involved! Diane's theme is sides and main courses today, so hop over to her blog if you'd like to see what she made (warning to vegans: meat-heavy recipe!), to enter the contest to win one of several cookbooks (see below) or to post your own recipe, click here.
Diane is giving away TWO books by Shauna James Ahern, everybody's favorite Gluten Free Girl! You could win Shauna's first book:
or the just-released, co-authored book by Shauna and her husband Danny:
Diane is also giving away TEN of my books--a hard copy of Sweet Freedom:
My contribution this week, surprisingly, involves rutabaga. (It's only a surprise, really, if you know my history with this gnarly root--but we've now gotten past our differences, the 'Baga and I).
It all started in the Garden of Eden. Well, okay, not literally, but it began with the promise of a portrait. And before that, it had its roots in the early days of my romance with the HH. And before that, it occurred with basically every man who ever went on a date with any woman, back through the centuries. . . as far back, even, as Adam and Eve.
It all started with a guy who promised, "I'll call you."
Yes, men have gotten in hot water over this one for all eternity. You know how it goes: you're at the end of a first date and he walks you to the door to say goodnight. You're standing beneath the beam of a streetlight as it illuminates the hopeful glint in your eyes. You gaze askance. "I had a great time," you whisper (a little breathlessly), tilting your chin up toward his face.
"Me, too," he replies, and brushes a kiss across your cheek. "Yeah, let's do it again. I'll call you."
I mean, can't you just imagine it? Garden of Eden. Eve says to Adam, "Hey, how do you like them apples?" Adam replies, "Wow, those were great. Let's do this again. I'll call you." And she never hears from him again.
Just as Freud wrestled with the question of What Women Really Want, every woman alive has attempted to solve the mystery of "Why do men say they'll call and then never call?" In fact, an entire movie was even devoted to the conundrum.
I've asked the HH about this (far too many times, according to him). Why do men (or anyone, for that matter) promise to do things they subsequently don't deliver? The HH's theory is that "we mean it at the time we say it." It's just that somehow, between the kiss at the door and buckling the seatbelt, that good intention dissolves as the guys realize that nope, they're just not that into you.
Apart from not calling me after our first date (or our second, or third, or pretty much ever since then), the HH and I have an ongoing joke about another of his unkept promises (no, nothing to do with "The M Word"--I have no desire to repeat youthful mistakes, either).
For years now, the HH has promised to paint a portrait of me. You see, even though he never pursued it as a career, the HH (who studied Fine Arts in university) happens to be one of the most talented artists I've ever seen. (In the early days of our relationship, I was constantly blown away by his artistic abilities. Sitting around the dinner table at my friend Gemini I's cottage one evening, the HH grabbed a pencil on the table, pulled over a napkin and--within the space of 45 seconds--drew a likeness of the niveous scene outside the window: the moonlit cottage across the frozen lake, the towering pines, the drifting snow. Gemini I asked if she could keep it, and it now hangs in their family room.)
Although he doesn't paint any more, I pleadedcajoledbegged asked the HH if he'd do a portrait of me (and make me look 10 pounds lighter in it, of course). When he hemmed and hawed, I questioned what it would take to convince him. His answer? "Make some authentic Scalloped Potatoes for me." (And he meant, to eat!). Well, what can I say--the guy likes potatoes.
Needless to say, he had his potatoes that week. And that week was. . . oh, perhaps 312 weeks or so ago. Do I have my portrait? Of course not. (But he really meant it at the time that he said it. . . ). .
Those potatoes came to mind as I was browsing through last month's issue of Whole Livingmagazine the other day. Like Martha Stewart's other publications (Living and Everyday Food), Whole Living quite often features vegan or vegan-friendly recipes. And right there, in an article about "Dishing Up Nostalgia" with health-conscious chefs, was a recipe for Rutabaga Gratin. Which looked exactly like scalloped potatoes. This might be my chance to nab that portrait after all, I mused.
Although I've never been a lover of rutabaga (unless it's the almond butter-crusted variety, that is), I knew the moment I saw the photo that I'd love this dish. In fact, this is the perfect dress-up ensemble for the otherwise homely rutabaga. Softened and sweetened by its slow roast in the oven, the rutabaga is transformed from dowdy tuber to ravishing root. With its rich, silky robe of cashew cream and nubby breadcrumb collar, little 'Baga gets all dressed up for its big date in this recipe.
I fed this to the HH and he was, like me, enraptured. "This stuff is great!" he enthused, scooping up almost half the casserole onto his plate. "It might even be better than scalloped potatoes," he went on. "You've definitely got to make this again."
"Sure thing," I said. "Maybe next week." Turns out, that was two weeks ago. But I did mean it when I said it. . . .
Rutabaga Gratin (adapted from Whole Living, November 2010)
This is the one rutabaga dish you’ll love even if you don’t like rutabaga. I made some adjustments to the original recipe to accommodate the ACD since the original included nutritional yeast. And while the ingredient list seems long, this comes together really quickly since everything is blended, mixed together and then baked.
For the Cashew Cream:
1-3/4 cups (420 ml) boiling water
1/2 cup (120 ml) sesame tahini
1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 ml) light miso
2 tsp (10 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup (150 g) raw cashews
For the Breadcrumbs:
2 slices rustic gluten-free bread (I used quinoa bread)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
For the Gratin:
2 small or one large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch (2 mm) thick rounds
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp (40 ml) herbs de provence [or use the original recipe's seasonings: 4 tsp (20 ml) chopped fresh thyme and 4 tsp (20 ml) chopped fresh marjoram]
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
Make the cashew cream:
Place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water; allow to sit for 15-30 minutes, until they begin to soften. Pour the cashews (and water) into a blender with the remaining cream ingredients and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Make the breadcrumbs: Tear bread into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you have fine crumbs, then toss the crumbs with the oil. Set aside.
Assemble the gratin: Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Grease a nine inch (22 cm) casserole dish with nonstick spray or a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of rutabaga slices, overlapping slightly to cover the entire surface (but keep slices in a single layer). Season with salt, pepper, and half the herbs. Add another layer of rutabaga on top of the first and season with salt, pepper and the rest of the herbs. Cover with about 1/3 of the cashew cream (enough to cover both layers). Continue in this manner until the baking dish is full, then pour in the remaining cashew cream. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the top layer.
Bake in preheated oven on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow that spills out) for 30 minutes, then remove and rotate the casserole before sprinkling the top with the breadcrumbs. Bake an additional 45-55 minutes, until the rutabaga is soft when pierced with a knife and the breadcrumbs are browned. Makes 6-8 servings.
Per serving: 149 calories; 1 g saturated fat; 5 g unsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbs; 89 mg sodium; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber
Vegan MoFo: Can you believe that the first week of Vegan MoFo is almost over? And so much has happened this week: over 700 bloggers have joined in on the fun! I’ve been scrambling to keep up with reading all the posts that magically appear in my Google Reader (I think it may take until the end of July to read them all). What on earth made me think I could keep pace with all the young buckaroos on this one and post at least four times a week?? Oh, wait, I’ve already done something similar, nary three years ago. . . well, I was much younger then (a pox on this half-century craziness!). The upside is that I’m learning new things and seeing hoardes of recipes I want to try.
In order to keep up with the frenetic pace of MoFo (in addition to the frenetic pace of my life in general–but that’s another story), I’ve decided that I’ll be posting a few non-food blog entries over this month. To wit, this very post.
As I mentioned in the post title, I’ve got three major bits of information to share: a recent award, a blog birthday, and not one–not two–but threegiveaways within a week on this blog!
I. An Award: This past Friday, the Cuisine Canada Culinary Book Awards were held at Exhibition Place in Toronto. These are national awards (one of only two country-wide book awards), so you can imagine how thrilled I was that Sweet Freedom, my cookbook, was shortlisted! (I won’t keep you in suspense: my book didn’t win, but it did receive Honorable Mention. Considering the heavyweights from FoodTV and various national magazines it was up against, I was happy to accept that for my little self-published tome!).
Mingling with culinary luminaries and sniffing at the spectacular buffet tables (sadly, the only food I could eat at the entire affair was a few spoonfuls of quinoa, originally intended to provide cushioning for beef curry) was thrill enough in itself: Laura Calder (one of the Gold prize winners) was there, along with Elizabeth Baird and Bonnie Stern, true dignitaries in the world of Canadian Cuisine.
I even remembered to bring along my camera, for once–and then promptly discovered that the battery was dead! Lest you think the entire event was a mere figment of my overactive imagination, voilà the proof:
My name tag. . . and
[The HH holding the massive book poster that graced the wall (see his wee hands gripping the top and left side? That's how massive this thing was!]
II. A Birthday!
DDD turned THREE last week! Can it really be more than 1095 days and almost 500 posts since I first began tapping out random thoughts, ideas, musings, recipes and corny jokes in this space? (“And don’t forget about us, Mum!”). Oh, and transcribing comments from The Girls, too, of course. Rather than overwhelm you with a 5000-word post today (and because I do have to save some material for all those MoFo posts coming up), I’ll share my thoughts on the b-day later next week. In the meantime, let’s move to the third part of this blog post’s title: prizes!
III. And Three Giveaways: I also introduced this months’ SOS Kitchen Challenge last week (along with a Linky list so you can share up your own recipes), and I kicked off Amy’s Gluten Free Holiday event (with its own linky list).
Finally, I’m planning a third fabulous giveaway on Tuesday to kick off my own “Festive Freebies” series that will continue through the New Year. I’ve shared Festive Freebies before and really enjoy the idea of giving away gifts for the holidays to some of DDD’s readers. You all hang in there with me throughout the year, reading and commenting (and how I love hearing from you! Keep it up!) and standing by when I disappear for days at a time; and this will be my way of saying “thanks” and “Have a great holiday!”.
[A glimpse of my new breakfast obsession. . . recipe--and giveaway--coming soon!]
This year for Festive Freebies, I’ve handpicked foods and products that I personally already love and use, to share with you–and I can’t wait to have you try them. This first one has quickly become one of my all-time favorite foods! I know you’ll love it as much as I do–and it’s 100% vegan, sugar free AND gluten free!
And now, back to our regular weekend madness–the HH and I are having dinner with my friend Sterlin, who’s in town from England (though I doubt any Date Pasta will be had). Between catching up with old friends and catching up on my pile of work, the weekend will be over before I know it–and I’ll see you all here again on Monday for more MoFo madness.
I hope you’re all having a great long weekend! I am thoroughly enjoying the last vestiges of the summer holiday. (What?? Summer is over? Back to school and sweaters and crinkly leaves on the ground and pelting rain and mud and paw prints all over the carpet and frigid mornings and seeing your breath as you huddle toward the car–in the dark–and cranking up the heat and pulling out the jackets and scarves and gloves and snow–snow!–and ah, me, it’s winter and—)
Sigh. Sorry about that little outburst. I’ve regained my composure, now.
Besides, now that I’m an adult (chronologically, anyway), I do realize that autumn isn’t all bad. There’s the flavorful fall produce, and hand knit sweaters (which are so good at covering up those midsection lumps and bumps) and corduroy, and crisp, fresh air that sharpens everything, as if the houses and trees and automobiles have been outlined with a thin tracing of ink.
Oh, and a bevvy of holidays.
When I was growing up, we shared a duplex with my aunt’s family just upstairs. Because Aunty M (no relation to The Wizard of Oz) was almost 20 years older than my mom, and because our grandparents had died before we were born, we kids always thought of Aunty M as more ”grandmother” than “aunt.” And let me tell you, nothing could compare to holidays at Grandma’s house.
The otherwise utilitarian kitchen table, a long wooden rectangle stained and etched from years of daily use, would be pushed into the living room (there was no dining room), with what looked like its metal-and-plastic progeny–the folding card table–set beside it (that was where the kids sat, of course). Freshly laundered and pressed white tablecloths were shaken out and smoothed into place, intersecting lines permanently engrained in their weave from having sat, folded neatly in blocks in the linen closet, for the remainder of the year.
On these occasions, my real grandmother’s silverware was fetched from the basement, a lone “K” engraved proudly on the handle of each knife, fork and spoon. We had actual napkins at the table for once, and soda (or “ginger ale,” as we referred to all types of carbonated beverages) was served in glass pitchers rather than directly from the plastic bottles. Glasses were set out and glistened, scalloped pickle plates were laid out, and the entire house began to buzz with anticipation.
My mother and my aunt would spend days preparing in the kitchen as we children wandered in and out, plucking raisins from cookie dough or absconding with whole chunks of semisweet chocolate. We’d peek at the huge pots like mysterious cauldrons bubbling and spurting on the stovetop, never venturing too close. At same time, the oven toiled all day as it transformed jiggly pans into cakes, cookies, or kugels, warming the kitchen and spreading the aroma of chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and apple throughout the house.
Holidays were family occasions, shared with as many relatives as possible. I loved it when my cousin CBC and her family made the trek from Boston, since her kids were close to my age and their arrival always meant days filled with giggling, plays in the back yard, a co-conspirator with whom to tease the CFO, and extra treats for everyone. Despite anything that had preceded, the holiday dinners themselves were always happy affairs; adults were jovial and relaxed, we kids were allowed to indulge in second helpings of dessert, and everyone embraced the festive atmosphere. Whether it was a holiday, anniversary, or birthday celebration, we all came together to enjoy each other’s company along with the feast.
(When the HH and I were first together, I was both shocked and appalled to discover that he grew up in a home that didn’t celebrate holidays. No big family gatherings; no special meals; no gifts. “All days are special,” was his (otherwise normal) dad’s philosophy. “Every day is a holiday.” In fact, the HH was so accustomed to his family’s indifference about such things that he didn’t bother to get me a birthday present that first year we shared a house. Oh, yes. Hysteria [mine] ensued. Contrition [his] followed closely behind. And no, he hasn’t made the same mistake since.)
This year, I was feeling a little disheartened at the prospect of those imminent celebrations and Christmas just around the corner (for which I now supply a list of desired items to the HH every year) precisely because food has always played such an integral role in our family gatherings. I hadn’t anticipated still being on the ACD by now, you see. No feasting? No wine with dinner? No–dessert?!
It was almost enough to make me jump on the HH’s ”let’s just ignore the date” bandwagon. But then I realized two things: first, we could still make the days special. We can still set a beautiful table and make a point of sharing the evening with friends or family. We can still enjoy nature’s bounty. And I can still enjoy special-occasion foods; they just won’t be the same ones I used to eat as a child.
In fact, once I began to think about it, I was amazed at how many foods have found their way back into my diet.
First, there was chocolate–albeit unsweetened–but chocolate nonetheless. In Stage Two, the ACD gave me fruit. Previously forbidden apples (and pears, and berries, and peaches and nectarines) were welcomed back to the menu. Finally, as the symptoms continue to abate (they’re about 95% cleared up, now) the universe continues to bestow more and more low glycemic sweeteners. And the Universe said, “Let there be coconut sugar. And with it, let there be the occasional agave nectar.” And so, life is good.
This pear and cranberry cornmeal cake is the first cake I concocted with coconut sugar. Since corn is so often a symbol of autumn harvest, I thought cornmeal would be a perfect ingredient to include in this celebration dessert. Like the coconut sugar, corn is an “occasional” food on the ACD. Pears are abundant right now, and cranberries are quintessential harbingers of the holidays and the festive season.
Like sparklers on a birthday cake, the cranberries in this moist, dense sweet add glitter and verve, a tangy counterpart to the smooth sweetness of the pear chunks dotted throughout. The cake presents a surprisingly fine crumb, and the addition of lemon zest brightens everything. In fact, this dessert was so good that I took a first bite and immediately thought, “Oh, no, I’m not supposed to be eating this on the ACD” before realizing that “Oh, yes, I am allowed this on the ACD!”
Well, in moderation. It is a special occasion food, after all. But then again, despite what the HH’s father may have thought, it’s not every day we celebrate a holiday.
For those of you who celebrate, have a Happy Rosh Hashanah!
I thought this cake would be an ideal submission to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays event. Hop over and take a look at all the other delicious creations!
DDD News and Updates:
There’s a New (FREE!) Ebook from the lovely Alisa of Go Dairy Free and One Frugal Foodie. When she noticed the sorry state of back-to-school foods in her area, Alisa decided to do something about it and recruited a group of food bloggers to contribute recipes for an e-cookbook. The book, Smart School Time Recipes, contains over 125 recipes (a few from yours truly!) for healthy, kid-friendly breakfasts, snacks, lunches and more! You can download the cookbook directly from Alisa’s blog, here. Have I mentioned that it’s FREE?
And don’t forget there’s my new ebook, Desserts without Compromise, for $9.95 (available here). Or buy both ebooks for just $16.95. Great for holiday meals and desserts if you’re on a special diet!
I also wrote a guest post last week for Amy’s blog, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Amy’s recipes and mine have a lot in common. Somehow the perfect recipe match brought to mind the perfect life partner. . . so that’s what I wrote about! Check out the post here. I had lots of fun writing it.
DDD Gets Around:
Again this week, I’ve been honored that several DDD recipes were prepared or mentioned by other bloggers or writers! Here are some of the recipes you’ve all made or blogged about:
Did you cook up something from the blog or one of my cookbooks? Let me know if I’ve missed your post and I’ll add it next time! (for cookbook recipes, please ask permission before posting).
Pear and Cranberry Cornmeal Cake (suitable for ACD Stage 3 and beyond)
This cake is the perfect combination of light yet substantial with sweet yet tart. It’s a great way to end a meal or carry you through in between one to the next. Feel free to substitute apples for the pears here.
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp (2.5 to 5 ml) pure stevia powder (I used NuNaturals)
3/4 cup (360 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla almond or soy milk
1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground chia seeds
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, melted
1-1/2 cups (200 g) Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour (or your own blend)
1/4 cup (35 g) brown rice flour
1 Tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt
3/4 tsp (7.5 ml) xanthan gum
1/2 cup (85 g) cornmeal, preferably organic
2 pears, cored and diced (I didn’t bother to peel, but go ahead if you wish)
1 cup (240 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a ten inch (25 cm) flan pan, springrorm pan or pie plate with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, stevia, milk, vinegar, chia, vanilla and lemon zest until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coconut oil and whisk to blend. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the all purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and xanthan gum. Add the cornmeal and stir together to distribute everything evenly.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir to blend well. Fold in the pears and cranberries. Turn the batter into prepared pan and gently smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8-10 servings. May be frozen.
When my sisters and I were kids, my parents used to play Poker every Saturday evening with their group of friends. They’d play from around 7:00 to 9:00 PM, stop for coffee, snacks, and a gabfest, then continue with the cards for another hour or so before everyone headed home.
The group would rotate hosts, so that our abode was Poker Central once every month or so. I always secretly dreaded when my mom’s best friend hosted (since we kids had to tag along–babysitters were too expensive) because she always served “salmon salad,” consisting of one can of salmon that had been hastily mashed with some Miracle Whip–skin, bones, and all–and it grossed me out completely (my mom, you see, would gingerly scrape the skin off the flesh and then carefully extract the soft needle-like bones and vertebrae before mashing up her salmon salad–with real mayonnaise, I’ll have you know. It wasn’t until years later, living on my own, that I discovered my mother, and not her friend, was the anomaly.)
Canned salmon aside, the hosts also always served a generous assortment of desserts, and we kids took full advantage of our parents’ reluctance to berate us in front of friends, helping ourselves to at least one of each sweet when they hit the table. And in the realm of baked treats, my mother reigned supreme.
Despite what my teenaged self perceived as a sappiness and lack of self-confidence in my mum (which, as it turned out, was actually sappiness and lack of self-confidence), I always admired her ability to whip up a Farmer’s Cheesecake (one of my father’s favorite treats), cinnamon coffee cake or her (legendary, among her friends and our family) Chiffon Cake.
Almost a foot high and with an airy, spongy crumb, speckled throughout with shards of grated chocolate, the chiffon cake became Mom’s signature dish, highly anticipated at those weekend card games, expected at every holiday dinner, even transported across borders when we visited our American cousins, loosely swathed in aluminum foil and packed between multiple pillowy layers of paper toweling within not one, but two cardboard boxes, as if she were transporting blood samples, or a bomb.
The other staple in my mother’s baking repertoire was the classic chocolate chip cookie. Every year during the holidays our kitchen turned into a cookie lab where my sisters and I would help Mom try out a dozen or so new cookies from the pages she’d torn out of women’s magazines or from her cookbooks. But Chocolate Chip Cookies were the regular Joe throughout the rest of the year, consumed on Sundays when we ate dinner with my aunt’s family, who lived upstairs; when we got home from school on weekday afternoons; or during those weekly Poker games.
Ironically, it was my dad’s Great Aunt Yetta, and not my mother, who taught me to bake my first batch of my favorite cookie. Great Aunt Yetta (about whom I wrote here), took over our kitchen the summer she lived with us (her planned two-week visit mysteriously morphed into a month, then six weeks; of course I thought my mum was rather sappy to let her stay, but for some unknown reason, her husband didn’t seem to miss her).
I floated through that summer in Chocolate Chip Cookie nervana, baking them at least ten times during those six weeks. I’d savor the raw dough, of course, even before placing it in mounds on the cookie sheets (still the best part of the procedure, in my opinion). Then I’d relish the just-baked treats, barely cool enough to handle, their edges crisping up even as the centers remained soft, dense and moist inside, with chips barely holding their shape, yet still warm enough to ooze onto your fingertips when you bit them.
Classically sweet and chewy, with a buttery perfume of brown sugar–what could be better than chocolate chip cookies?
Of course, there was no question that I’d include a healthier version of the childhood classic when I decided to write my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, a couple of years ago. Lacking the original refined sugar, fat and eggs of the prototype, the cookbook version is nonetheless dense inside and slightly crispy at the edges, boasting a combination of dates, Sucanat and maple syrup to stand in for the original eggs and butter. After many trials, I was finally pleased with the recipe–and the cookies regularly sold out in the health food stores at which they were sold.
I planned to demonstrate how easy it is to adapt conventional recipes to gluten-free versions by taking the original Sweet Freedomrecipe and simply swapping gluten free all-purpose flour for the spelt. As often happens, I found that a one-for-one swap (despite the instructions on the bag) doesn’t always work out as planned. Accordingly, I added just a bit of brown rice flour, for heft–and, what do you know–it worked perfectly! I couldn’t have been more pleased with the result.
I’m happy to say these cookies are as good as the ones I used to bake, all those years ago. The HH loved these, as did the cooking class participants. Indeed, these are chocolate chip cookies you’d be proud to serve to family and friends.
Just please, promise not to serve them with canned salmon.
This is my submission this week to Amy’s wonderful Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays event. Why not submit something healthy of your own?
And a little reminder. . . Sweet Freedom is still on sale for one more week, at 30% off retail price (including taxes and shipping)! Check this page to learn more or to order.
1/2 cup (90 g) Sucanat or unrefined evaporated cane juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely ground flax seeds
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil at room temperature
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) all purpose GF flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup (75 g) brown rice flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) xanthan gum
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
2/3 cup (140 g) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over dates in a small bowl or glass measuring cup so that all dates are covered. Let sit for 8-10 minutes, until dates are soft. Do not drain.
Place dates with any leftover water, Sucanat, maple syrup, flax seeds, vanilla and coconut oil in a the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Allow to cool while you prepare the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to blend well. Add the wet mixture (be sure it’s at room temperature) and chocolate chips and mix well. You should have a very stiff but slightly sticky dough.
Using a small ice cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop dough onto cookie sheets. Wet your palms and flatten the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops are dry and begin to puff (the cookies should still be soft). Allow to cool completely before removing from sheets. Makes 24-28 cookies. May be frozen.
Well, before I write anything else, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who tweeted, emailed, commented or otherwise helped me to live out an adolescent fantasy of appearing on The Ellen Show. I have no idea how many of your messages went out, but I managed close to 200 tweets of my own directed at the show in a ten hour period, and had a blast doing it. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: blog readers are the best. And DDD readers are the best blog readers! So thank you!
But the offer to send free ebooks to every participant if I do get on the show still stands–so if you’d like to support my quest to serve vegan and sugar-free treats on The Ellen Show, you can still tweet @TheEllenShow or send an email to the show in support of my visit by clicking here. Feel free to spread the word by Stumbling my ELLENd Me a Hand page, telling your local librarian, getting a tattoo, whatever you can think of! I’ll continue to tweet and mention Ms. E in my blog posts.
In the meantime, as promised, I’m sending out 3 hard copies of Sweet Freedom and 7 ebooks to ten lucky winners chosen at random (see list at the end of this post). AND I’ve picked the winner of the 500 Vegan Recipesgiveaway. Congrats to all of you!
Sweet Freedom winners: Please contact me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom to claim your prize! (And if you won a hard copy, I’ll need your mailing address as well).
And since it’s also such a celebratory cake, I’m submitting the recipe to Kelly’s 
