Sweet Treats Part 1: Caramel-y Apple Dip (Vegan)

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

We had a party last weekend with 30 lovely guests, many gored pumpkins and a bunch of rambunctious kids.  And what went fastest?  Apple slices.  I know, who would have thought?  Granted, they were my favorites, fresh from the Farmer’s Market, and some was due to parental nudging in that direction, but a bunch was voluntary, too.

But it was the dip that really sealed the deal.  Rich caramel flavor…and completely vegan and sugar free.  You know you want some…

2/3 cup reduced fat coconut milk
1 1/3 cup coconut sugar
Pinch salt
½ tsp stevia concentrate (optional, but more caramel-like)
1 generous TBSP macadamia butter

Boil and reduce coconut milk and sugar for approx 15 min over med/low heat.  Add in other ingredients and aggressively whisk.  It will thicken as it cools for perfect dipping consistency.

I’m delighted to submit this to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Actually, I think it’s super indulgent, but it’s also sugar and gluten-free, and much better for your blood sugar than typical caramel. Head on over and see all the entries!

I’ve also gone the not-so-original route and added to Ricki’s GF Healthier Holiday Roundup.  I will be more original next time…

Posted in appetizers, dessert, recipe | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Menu Plan Monday Nov 1st

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  We celebrated, as usual, with a big pumpkin carving party and have the orange goop on the walls to prove it.

What we actually made:

And so…there’s a lot of food around still.

This week I need to make pesto because we had the first hard-ish frost, and it’s do or die time for the basil.  I wish I hadn’t waited so long, but it’s like I keep hoping that if I don’t do anything, it won’t get cold.  Hasn’t worked so far, but I still keep hoping.

Last week I also posted gluten/dairy free doughnuts…check ’em out!

Wendy of Celiacs in the House is our hostess and her theme is peppers. I don’t have any yet, but plan to add them in–they’re one of my favorite foods.

And…check out a BRM giveaway of Carol Fenster’s Book

And please, we need new hosts, so email me!!! Cheryl(at)eharrishome(dot)com.

Monday:
Roast Rosemary Turkey and broccoli

Tues:
Leftover turkey with mixed greens and avocado

Weds:
Nightshade stew (featuring peppers, of course)

Thursday:
Lentil Stew (with garden fresh kale)

Friday:
sit on my butt and do nothing day…I think I’ve earned it!

To make:
pesto

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Doh! (nuts)–A Daring Baker Challenge

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

Ah, doughnuts.  I’ve never made them, or ever thought of it.  And yet, that’s what Daring Baker Challenges are about–stretching my horizons.

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

I wasn’t terribly enchanted when I read the selection.  Deep frying?   Yuck.  (sorry!)  Now, since I’m gluten free, I couldn’t use the recipe given, and I started looking at recipes and realizing I could make BAKED doughnuts.  Then I got jazzed, and even bought a mini doughnut pan for the occasion. 

I used this recipe, substituted Better Batter GF flour and coconut yogurt instead of the buttermilk and yogurt.  I did a simple sugar/’cream’ glaze as well as just dipping in powdered sugar.

No joke, they went in record time.  And everyone enjoyed them so much I’m thinking of making them again this weekend.  I’m glad I went out on a limb and did this!

Please check out the other DB’ers for more and beautiful doughnuts!

Posted in baked goods, daring bakers | 7 Comments

Menu Plan Monday–Pumpkins!

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

Wow!  I hope everyone had weather as beautiful as we did.  I’m somewhat limited in enjoying it because I sprained my ankle, but I did spend time in a nearby park with DH and we saw 4 wild turkeys, which was pretty neat.  And check out my basil!

And so…this week is the run up to our 9th annual pumpkin carving party, so there’s a lot of baking going on ’round these parts.  I tend to pre-make my own mixes so the days before are easier.  At the point, the menu will include:

As usual, I’m trying for a mix of some healthy-ish options and also fun ones that appeal to little people.  And my thought is that I’m going to be eating really simply this week because my attention will be on my baking projects.  So that means a lot of hummus and Yummy Red Lentil Dal.  No arguments here!

Michelle of Gluten-free: A Reason to Smile has chosen pumpkins as our theme.  I’m allergic, actually, but I grow the little guys.  3 years ago I grew the big ones and had 40 feet (approx) of moldy vines…thanks, but no thanks.  I’ll stick with the babies.

If anyone is interested in hosting future weeks, please contact me!  For info on hosting, please see the Swap HQTRS

Wishing you all a great week and a fun Halloween!

Posted in menu plan | 5 Comments

Gobs of Basil…

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

Really, when I said gobs of basil I meant it.  My goal was to have a winter’s worth of pesto, so these are two plants out of 8.  Both are about 3-4 ft tall. The pictures aren’t great because they’re from the window of our house (can’t navigate the back lawn yet) but you get the general idea.

Posted in vegetables | 1 Comment

A Gluten-Free Autumn Menu Plan

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

What says Autumn?  Apples, pears, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkins, oh my!  So since we haven’t had cinnamon in the rotation for a bit, I thought I’d throw some in.  Many of my recipes do feature cinnamon because DH adores it.  Just a few:

And, of course, I love garam masala, which includes cinnamon as one of its spices for a perfect blend.

Just to wear my dietitian hat for a minute, cinnamon is an especially fabulous spice because it’s extremely high in antioxidants, and some studies show that it may help balance blood sugar, too!  Talk about a sweet deal.

I’ve also put up an Autumn/Halloween newsletter with tips and idea for gluten-free trick-or-treating, and I also did a guest post on nutrition and depression. I also posted a Lentil stew recipe, and made fantastic sweet potato pie that I need to re-make to blog about. What yum!.

Looking at next week, I’ll be trying to get things ready for our annual pumpkin carving party in addition to taking things a bit easy–I sprained my ankle, and am in the midst of a few projects, such as this fun  Celiac Disease Video project, which I’m eagerly anticipating.  But seriously, come mid November, I really need to commit to some hard-core vegging out to make up for all these deadlines!

And to all you lovelies…calling new hosts/hostesses! Info here

So onto the meal plan:
Monday:
Malaysian Curry with broccoli (does contain cinnamon)

Tues:
Kalamata hummus and garden-fresh lettuce

Weds:
I have bison and I need to figure out a good recipe, so I need to hunt down a good recipe

Thurs:
Roasted rosemary salmon with roasted cauli. This keeps getting bumped off the menu, so it’s time to get serious!

Friday:
Leftovers

To make:
okay, this is party food made in advance, mind you, or there wouldn’t be so much sugar overload:
pralines
meringues
our DB challenge
whatever else I can premake!b

Garden brag:
basil. Gobs of basil
a few tomatoes
an obscene quantity of kale
pumpkins (little guys)

And everyone else?
Joyce of Annotated Food joins us with a great menu, including goulash and a chicken dish in creamy tomato sauce, and I can’t help wondering if I can liberate if of dairy.

Wendy of Celiacs in the House and her gang has been under the weather, so she’s been taking it easy.  And yet she still has a lovely menu plan, with lamb, arepas and more!  She has a bunch of goodies for serving as a gluten-free ambassador.

Renee of Beyond Rice and Tofu has Smokey Mountain Lasagne on the menu, and is looking for a heriloom bean recipe.  I can’t wait.  And here’s to hoping she posts some garden pics!

Heather of Celiac Family has been having a hectic time, but as usual she’s got great food on the menu.  The Mexican Pizza looks delish, and she links to a Banana Coffee Cake that really caught my eye.

Scrumptious of In My Box has a great gluten-free vegan meal plan.  She’s helping a friend celebrate his 10th “veginaversary” and pondering making rum balls.  Though everything looks delicious, the Tofu Aloo Golbi looks uber yummy.

Posted in menu plan | 11 Comments

Lentil Stew (and why I love my garden)

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

Gardening is such a joy.  I don’t always get a lot of food or exercise out of it, per se, but it’s so delightful to spy a growing watermelon, a new flower budding, my first artichoke–oh!  my babies.  The butterflies, the birds, the bunnies and the toads all keep me company is such a delightful way.

This year has been such a mix.  It was way too hot, and it coincided with a time I wasn’t feeling well so I wasn’t getting up early and so, sad to say, my plants got a bit parched.  So I’ve got great kale, tomatoes and herbs, but some of the tomato plants are looking very unhappy, and none have had a good year.  However, one set of pumpkins are coming along, so fingers crossed.

Oh yeah…I mentioned a lentil stew.  I had a cavity filled and my poor mouth hurt.  As I stared at my garden harvest, my brain went to soft foods and I immediately opted for a lentil stew.  And it was so glorious that almost everything (the kale, the tomatoes, the carrots, the garlic, the parsley, and the thyme) was lovingly grown in my garden.

1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
a big handful kale, blanched, or spinach and skip the blanching
a couple of potatoes
5 cups broth
1 cup dried lentils
2 bay leaves
2 springs thyme or lemon thyme
2 carrots, chopped
a handful of tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Saute the onions for a few minutes and then saute the garlic a minute more. Add the broth, blanched kale, lentils, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Let simmer until the potato is tender, then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley at the end and enjoy.

Posted in main meal, side dish, soup, vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Menu Plan Monday Oct 11–potatoes!

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

Oh my, what a week. I was at an amazing conference with fantastic people…and yet I sprained my ankle so I’m hobbling around and more than a bit stir crazy.  It’s challenging to walk, a pain to drive, awkward to sit…I’m working on levitation, but so far, no luck.  I’m crossing my fingers for a quick recovery.

Last week I made Bittersweet Chestnut Fudge (because what better to cheer me up!) and kept real food really simple.  Chances are I’ll try to keep to the basics this week too because I’m still struggling in the kitchen.

I have also posted about a project that I’m super excited about –a Celiac Disease Video project. In a nutshell, it’ll be a video by experts on the nuts and bolts of Celiac diagnosis, followup, diet, etc. so people will have a great take home tool for themselves, friends and family.  It’s been something I’ve been working on making a reality for the past year, and I’m so glad we’re on our way!

Heather of Celiac Family is our kind hostess, and our ingredient for this week is the magnificent potato.  I LOVE potatoes.  Adore potatoes.  My body isn’t quite as enthusiastic, but I will definitely take this excuse to eat them this week.  And I don’t even usually get fancy–plain grilled potato with sea salt and freshly ground pepper is a dream.  Way back in the day, ideally topped with Greek yogurt.  Mmmmm…

Monday:

Turkey “parm” (well, parm for DH) with caramelized onions

Tues:
Kalamata Hummus and peppers

Weds:
Oven roasted rosemary salmon and garlic roasted cauliflower OR a baked potato (bonus points if I can get DH to grill)

Thurs:

Lemony mint quinoa
Friday:
Leftovers!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Chocolate Chestnut Fudge

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

fudge

Note: Somehow I managed to ‘un-publish’ this recipe and I just realized it, so I’m sharing this again because it’s too good to miss!  Bon appetit!

This fudge, or a version of it, was my saving grace.  When I went gluten free, I also went dairy, soy, egg and corn free and limited sugar and couldn’t have most grains.  I used to pride myself in my baking skills, and was totally discouraged with the variety of “incredible inedibles” I was making at the time.

My first success was chocolate chestnut fudge, and I’ve been making it every year since.  Rich, chocolatey, decadent, moist, satisfying and delicious.    When I had the first piece of fudge, I knew I would find some way to make the diet thing would work, I would learn the ropes, and somehow it would all get better.  And boy, it has!

Did I mention that it’s vegan and sugar free?  yep, this is some fudge, and it’s totally easy to make.  The only hard part is letting it chill overnight.

I’ve submitted the recipe to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Gluten and Sugar Free.  Check out the roundup!

8 oz chestnuts-jarred or pouches work perfectly
2 heaping Tablespoons macadamia butter
2/3 cup agave
1 Tablespoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
4 dropperfuls of liquid stevia concentrate
4 oz melted unsweetened 100% chocolate–preferably Scharffen berger
1/2 cup chopped  walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, etc. OR cacao nibs. (optional)
mint extract or orange zest (optional for variations)

Melt chocolate in a heat safe bowl.  The lazy/easy method is to nuke in a glass bowl for for 1 min 30 seconds.
Put chestnuts in food processor and process until it’s smooth, occasionally scraping down.  Add ingredients through stevia and blend well.  Add in melted chocolate and pulse again.  Stir in nuts and or orange or mint if desired.

Scrape into a 9X5 bread pan lined with wax paper, or double recipe and use an 8X8 square pan.  Flatten out the top.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, or you will have tasty goo.  Cut into pieces and enjoy.  Best slightly chilled.

Posted in dessert, recipe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger–Shirley of GFE

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Cheryl Harris

I can’t believe that October snuck up on me, and so did the Adopt a Gluten-free blogger deadline over at Book of Yum.  Now, I’m at a mind-body conference all this week, learning fantastic things with absolutely amazing people and it’s simply incredible.  And I promised myself that I wouldn’t use the computer.  Yet here I am, largely because I wanted to participate, and because Shirley’s just that cool.

I became acquainted with Shirley by chance, and was delighted to find someone who shared my philosophy of REAL food.  Simple food.  Easy.  Yummy.  Because (IMHO) there’s no way to be truly healthy without eating good, real foods, and I posted on GFE a few months ago on the topic of healthy, real, gluten-free foods..  And of course, most of these “real foods” are naturally gluten-free.  So yay for Shirley for being such a voice of reason and motivator.  And double yay so for Shirley hosting a support group in Fredrickburg, where she inspires many in person as well as online.

As with my tradition in adopting bloggers, I’ve always done an adoption and an adaptation, because I often need to modify recipes to make them Cheryl safe.  So the adoption was her Blueberry Honey pie.  Since I needed to bring it to work, I opted for little pie crust hearts on top rather than the whipped cream, since I wasn’t sure how stable the whipped cream would be at room temp.  I made it for a co-workers’ birthday, and he loved it, as did everyone else.  I also made a mini pie for my honey, who is a blueberry-avore.  He adored it, too. The honey added a delightful dimension of brightness ( I can’t think of a better term)

The adaptation was a wee bit more subtle.  The Apple Quinoa Breakfast cake I posted last week was actually based on the healthy version of her Oatmeal Marble Squares.  Sure, it’s quinoa rather than oatmeal, apples rather that chocolate (horrors!), chia rather than an egg, some additional spices…and yet I used approximate proportions, because the base of the recipe is so similar.  My DH makes fun of me for that, I have a tendency to see recipes, change many elements and put a totally different spin on them…and yet without that initial inspiration, I wouldn’t have made them.

So please do stop by Shirley’s site for a huge array of delectable treats from the sweet to the savory to home cooking.  I mean, she’s even got Tomato Rosemary Mint Ice Cream.  If that doesn’t say adventure, I don’t know what does!

Posted in adopt a gf blogger | 5 Comments