Tag Archives: gluten-free

Zucchini Almond Cake

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This cake is lovely AND delicious! Zucchini makes it moist and almond flour makes it high in protein and gluten free. The tartness of cream cheese frosting balances out this coconut sugar sweetened cake.

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Blog zucchinicake1

Who knew kale plants had such pretty AND edible flowers! Great for cake decoration. 🙂

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus 5 tablespoons, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch is fine)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
  • dash sea salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or other sugar, white/brown)
  • 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup finely grated zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini), squeezed of excess liquid
  • 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • Edible flowers like Kale flowers (shown) or mint for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 or 9 inch round. Whisk together almond flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt
  2. Set a large heatproof bowl over (not in) a pot with 1 inch barely simmering water. Add eggs and whisk until foamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in brown sugar and continue to whisk until mixture is fluffy and sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove bowl from pot and, using a mixer, whisk on high until mixture is thick and pale, 7 to 10 minutes (I did this in my food processor with the standard chopper blade)
  3. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in melted butter, flour mixture, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and zucchini. Pour into pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Invert onto a cake platter
  4. With mixer (or again I used the food processor here) beat together room-temperature butter, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, and cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Spread on top of cake.

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/907427/zucchini-almond-cake

dit-elle-Esther

Cream of Artichoke Soup

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Artichoke soup – yum! Full of veggies, delicate herbs, and rich with a splash of cream. This would be a great paleo soup if you substitute coconut milk for the dairy. 🙂

Blog artichokebisque

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (found it at PCC in bulk – it’s basically a blend of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme oregano and sometimes lavender)
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to adjust the heat)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 3 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
  • 2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions

  • Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
  • Cook onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, Herbes de Provence, celery seed, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add artichoke hearts, vegetable stock, milk, cream and bay leaf.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaf and carefully blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Thanks PCC!

dit-elle-Esther

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Super delicious – gluten free and protein rich – chocolate chip cookies! So easy to make, this is a great cooking project with your toddler! Ava did all the mixing for me and then we dropped these on a baking sheet to cook!blog chocochipcookies

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
  • 1 cup chocolate chunks

Directions

  • Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
  • Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
  • Mix wet ingredients into dry
  • Form 1-inch balls and press onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  • Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
  • Cool and serve

Thanks ElanasPantry.com!

dit-elle-Esther

Egglets with spinach & bacon

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Good morning! These egg muffins are gluten-free and dairy free! They make a great protein snack as well.

Blog egglets2

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 package of bacon – or 6 strips each cut in half to make 12 short strips (optional)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 10 oz spinach, from frozen or freshly steamed
  • 1 large Roma tomato, diced (or a handful of sundried tomatoes, diced)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (I used dried parsley as a substitute)
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds, soaked for a few minutes in water
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Oven to 350*
  • Beat eggs with some water and add remaining ingredients, mixing well to combine
  • Prepare muffin tin with nonstick baking spray or line each muffin tin w/bacon strip
  • Pour egg mixture evenly into cups
  • Bake 30 minutes or until set
  • Serve warm!
Blog egglets1

Add some cheese for extra deliciousness!

dit-elle-Esther

 

Frozen Banana Bonbons

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Happy Valentine’s Day! These are delightful tiny frozen treats – made these early this morning before school & work! They take ~10 minutes to prepare. Love bonbons? We do too! Did you know –

“..the name bonbon (or bon-bons) refers to any of several types of sweets, especially small candies enrobed in chocolate. The first reports of bonbons come from the 17th century, when they were made at the French royal court. Their name arose from infantile reduplication of the word bon, meaning ‘good’. In modern French and several other European languages, the term simply refers to any type of candy or small confection.” (Wikipedia)

Blog chocolatebanana1  Blog chocolatebanana2e

Ingredients

  • 1 banana, cut into ½ -inch slices
  • 1/2 bag chocolate chips
  • unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions

  • Place sliced bananas on a parchment paper lined plate
  • One by one, using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut banana slices into hearts
  • Put chocolate in microwave safe dish and heat (~45 seconds) until melted, stir
  • Dip sliced banana hearts into chocolate, then sprinkle with coconut
  • Place on parchment lined plate to set
  • Freeze for 1 hour or more

Thanks Elana’s Pantry – see the original Paleo Frozen Banana Bites.

dit-elle-Esther

Chicken Chilaquiles

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This is a wonderful and easy dinner to prepare! Not paleo, but gluten free and so yummy!

Blog chickenchilaques

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 – 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (divided)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 12 (6″) corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray
  • Sour cream for garnish

Tomatillo Sauce

  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 (11oz) can tomatillos, drained
  • 1 (4.5oz) can chopped green chiles, drained (come in mild or hot varieties)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375*
  • Combine chicken, green onions, half of the Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss well to combine
  • Place milk, cilantro, tomatillos, chiles in a food processor and blend until smooth
  • Spray 11×7 or larger baking dish with cooking spray and pour 1/3 cup of the tomatillo sauce in bottom
  • Arrange layers of tortillas and chicken mixture ending with a tortilla layer and pouring the rest of the sauce over
  • Top with cheese
  • Bake at 375* for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden
  • Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Morning Glory Muffins

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Good morning sunshine! Bananas, dates and pineapple make these muffins delicious and sweet. Enjoy hot or cold or freeze for later.

Blog morningglorypaleo

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 ripe banana mashed
  • 1 cup of carrots, shredded
  • 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
  • 4-6 dates, chopped
  • 1/2 shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon

Directions

  • Beat eggs till creamy (food processor works great!) and add oil and banana and blend well
  • Mix in shredded carrots, chopped dates, coconut and pineapple
  • In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder/soda and cinnamon
  • Mix everything together
  • Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or when a fork comes out clean

dit-elle-Esther

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

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Bacon & Asparagus Spears! This is a wonderful paleo appetizer/snack! 🙂

Blog baconasparagus

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh asparagus (16-20 spears)
  • 8-10 strips bacon

Directions

  • Wash & trim asparagus spears
  • Cut bacon strips in half crosswise
  • Wrap one half strip bacon around 1 or 2 asparagus spears (depending on how fat/skinny they are), leaving tip and end exposed
  • Lay on cookie sheet or large baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is cooked
  • Serve warm or at room temperature

dit-elle-Esther

Indian-Spiced Cocktail Nuts

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With hints of cinnamon, coriander, cumin and the heat of cayenne, these nuts fill your house with a savory warm aroma while baking and make a delicious snack (with or without cocktails). Garam masala is a fragrant Indian spice blend, often found in bulk.Blog indiannuts

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lightly salted mixed nuts
  • 1 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325
  • Combine all ingredients and toss to coat
  • Spread in a single layer on a parchment paper lined pan
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once or twice during cooking
  • Store tightly covered, up to one week

dit-elle-Esther

Coconut-Sugar Butter Cookies

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Super yummy, crispy & light butter cookies made with coconut palm sugar and almond flour! Let the holiday season begin! Oh wait..  Blog buttercookies1

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (I used half and half rice flour and almond flour)
  • extra almond flour or unsweetened coconut flakes for rolling cookies in
  • 1 c coconut palm sugar
  • 1/2 cup potato starch (or tapioca flour)
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • dash of salt
  • 2 sticks of cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 Tbsp milk
  • 1tsp vanilla

Directions

  • In your food processor, combine all dry ingredients and pulse until well blended
  • Add pieces of butter and pulse until dough becomes crumbly
  • Add egg, milk and vanilla and pulse until dough starts to resemble.. well, dough!
  • Refrigerate for 2 hours
  • When ready to bake, set oven at 350*
  • Shape dough into small balls (about the size of large marbles) rolling some in almond meal if desired
  • Bake for ~12 minutes or until they are golden brown
  • Serve warm or freeze (yummy as a crispy cold snack too!)

Blog buttercookies2

dit-elle-Esther