grain free Archives - Page 16 of 16

Mini Grasshopper Parfaits + Epica Cocktail Muddler Review

March 4, 2014 By Becky 10 Comments

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

I thought about calling these mini grasshopper fools, but that sounded like a bit much.

Have you ever tried a fool? It’s an old-fashioned dessert consisting of pureed or mashed fruit, usually berries, folded into sweetened whipped cream. I made a strawberry moscato fool last spring, and it was delicious. These parfaits are similar to fools, but with mint instead of fruit. They’re the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or any day).

(In case I lost you at “grasshopper”, I use the term to describe minty desserts, usually also involving chocolate. The name was first used for a green cocktail made with creme de menthe.)

25 Grain-free Vegetarian Recipes

February 28, 2014 By Becky 9 Comments

Check out my new roundup of 70 grain-free vegetarian recipes right here!

Photo credits, clockwise from top right: How Sweet It Is; ACW; Cookie & Kate;
ACW; How Sweet It Is; ACW; ACW

Here’s a roundup of 25 delicious grain-free vegetarian recipes that are perfect for anyone avoiding gluten and trying to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Readers have asked me whether it’s possible to eat paleo while sticking to a vegetarian diet. It’s a tough question, and since I’m not a vegetarian, I can’t really answer. I imagine, though, that a paleo-ish vegetarian diet that allows some legumes and/or dairy could totally work–it’s definitely possible to eat a grain-free vegetarian diet (and a grain-free vegan diet–the blog YumUniverse is proof!). It’s harder to imagine being a paleo vegan, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of delicious recipes out there that satisfy both diets.

Here are 25 grain-free vegetarian recipes; 17 of them are also vegan. Even if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, I hope these recipes will inspire you to cook something new and delicious with plant-based ingredients!

Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Cilantro Pesto

February 21, 2014 By Becky 11 Comments

Do you like to read “day in the life” posts? I loved this one on What’s Gaby Cooking (the first food blog I ever read!), saw this one recently on How Sweet It Is, and was inspired to write my own. I think it’s fun to get a peek into someone’s daily routine. Of course, if you don’t, you can just scroll down for the recipe.

If you’re still with me, here’s the story of my Thursday!

I woke up late, around 9:30. Since Ben works from home on Thursdays, he had made coffee. I had mine with vanilla chai spiced ghee and a splash of cream, blitzed with my immersion blender.

In the kitchen, I briefly contemplated abandoning my cauliflower plans since I wasn’t sure I had time to cook and photograph everything before class at noon, but I decided to go for it. I had a gorgeous orange cauliflower from Whole Foods, so I had to take a few shots of it before chopping it up.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Brownies

February 12, 2014 By Becky 8 Comments

The large amount of frosting on these brownies represents the large amount of love I have for you! It constantly makes my day that people actually read my blog, and I’m even more thrilled when I get a comment or get to connect with you on FB, Twitter, or IG. You are the best, and that is why I made you the best brownies.

I’ve been wanting to make frosted brownies for a while now. They just seem fabulously over the top–because once you’ve baked a rich and fudgy brownie, you totally need a big pile of buttercream on top, right? (Hint: the answer is yes!)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins + Pure Indian Foods Grassfed Ghee

February 11, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

I had a snow day last Wednesday, and spent the morning making these banana chocolate chip muffins. They’re a worthy project for any morning, unexpected day off or not. Here are some reasons to give these muffins a try: they’re gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, and lactose-free, they’re high in protein, they’re sweetened mostly (or entirely) with fruit, and they’re delicious. Oh, and they have chocolate in them!

Baking with just coconut flour requires a lot of eggs, but the finished muffins don’t taste eggy. They’re moist and bursting with chocolate chips, and they have a subtle banana flavor. Unlike many muffins that are packed with sugar and low in protein, eating a couple of these makes for a pretty balanced breakfast in terms of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. That means they’ll keep you full for longer, but they still taste like treats.

Saag Paneer

February 10, 2014 By Becky 12 Comments

It’s easy and fun to make your own saag paneer at home! It’s especially delicious with rice or paleo flatbread.

Have you ever made your own cheese? I made some ricotta last year, and wanted to try my hand at paneer. Fresh cheeses like paneer and ricotta are easy to make at home, and totally worth it. All you need is milk, a lemon, some cheesecloth, and a little patience.

Saag paneer has been my favorite Indian dish for years, and I’m so glad I finally made it myself. The creamy spiced spinach studded with chewy bits of paneer is totally addictive, and my major Indian takeout/delivery habit is all saag paneer’s fault (oh, and Eat24–you guys didn’t help, either). This homemade version is just as good as my local restaurant’s, and the paneer is far superior: it’s meltingly tender, with a wonderfully creamy flavor. It’s a little labor intensive to make the paneer and the saag on the same day, but it was a perfect project for a Sunday afternoon. Next time I might try making a big batch of paneer, stashing some in the fridge, and freezing the rest. That way I can make saag paneer happen on weeknights!

Cherry Clafoutis (Gluten free, Grain free)

February 1, 2014 By Becky 6 Comments

This gluten free, grain free cherry clafoutis is as easy as pancake batter to whip up, and bakes into a fluffy cake that’s as wonderful for breakfast as dessert.

I really missed baking during my Whole30. As soon as my 30 days were up, I wanted to bake something with dairy (the first food I’m reintroducing) that was still gluten-free and on the lighter side. I’ve found that it’s much easier to make gluten-free versions of baked goods that call for a relatively small amount of flour as compared to the other ingredients. So when I came across this classic cherry clafoutis from Saveur, which only calls for 3/4 cup flour, plus 6 eggs and over a cup of milk, I figured it would be a good candidate. Guess what? I was right.

Mini Quiches with Duxelles & Baby Broccoli (Whole30 Day 15)

January 16, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

I’ve only been back at school for two days, and I’m already ready for another vacation! On my first day back, I accidentally left my computer at school. Luckily a friend was still on campus and was able to find it and stash it in her locker, so nothing happened to it. I was stuck without it at home, though, which meant I had to break my blogging streak. It was a little disappointing, but I figure it’s more important to keep up the healthy eating than to blog about it everyday, right? Tuesday was the longest day ever with class from 8 to 1:30 and back-to-back sessions in the clinic from 3 to 5. Today, I finally made it into the kitchen.

My Whole30 is officially half over, and I’m so happy to be eating such great food. I have almost no cravings for off-plan foods, although there was one rough evening when I was getting ready to go to dinner at a friend’s and Ben had my favorite kind of pizza delivered. To his credit, he thought it would arrive after I’d left. I was starving and I would have loved a slice of that pizza…but I love having my pants fit better even more. I stayed strong, made it to my friend’s house, and enjoyed a delicious Whole30-compliant meal there. I even managed to sit calmly at the table while everyone else had cake and ice cream!