grain free Archives - Page 6 of 16

Summer Kale Salad with Peaches and Candied Pecans

July 18, 2016 By Becky 14 Comments

This refreshing summer kale salad is packed with seasonal superfoods and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy candied pecans.

Kale salads. How do you feel? I was a little suspicious back in the day, but if I give the kale a good massage and add a lot of different toppings, I can now get pretty excited about them. If you’re not into kale salads yet, let me see if I can sell you: we’re adding juicy peaches and blueberries, creamy goat cheese, and perfectly salty-sweet candied pecans.

CANDIED PECANS! Sorry to shout, but they’re so good, and they’re super easy and quick to make on the stovetop in less than ten minutes. No fuss, no oven. And you may want to make a double batch, because it’s hard to stop snacking on them. I ate a lot of mine before the salad even got dressed!

In other news, I have a serious peach problem. Last summer, we got down to Chattanooga at the end of peach session, right after The Peach Truck had left town. I was so mad I had missed out. All year I waited and checked the schedule. And when they came to East Ridge a little over a week ago, I was there. I bought a 25-pound box of peaches and a one-pound bag of pecans.

Since then, it’s been all peaches all the time. In addition to eating an embarrassing number of them out of hand, juice dripping everywhere, I’ve made a peach dutch baby, peach margaritas (I shared the full recipe on Insta–they’re so good!), peach muffins, and peach ice cream.

No-Churn Cherry Ice Cream

July 16, 2016 By Becky 11 Comments

This no-churn cherry ice cream is simple, ridiculously easy, and so good! What more could you ask for from a summer dessert? With a dairy-free option that’s vegan and paleo with no added sugar, everyone can indulge.

How do you feel about the dog days of summer? I may be alone in this, but I like them. I find extreme heat kind of comforting. I like how the air is almost palpable when the temperatures get high, as if it’s a blanket wrapped around you providing a bit of pressure. I made it through two Houston summers with no AC in my car (I still miss that ’89 Buick!) and now I’m relishing my first full hot summer here in the Tennessee Valley.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t also like to indulge in frozen treats when it’s hot out. We’re still living in a very small house, so my beloved ice cream maker is in storage. That means I’ve been turning to my favorite no-churn frozen treats time and time again, and this no-churn cherry ice cream is the one I make the most.

It’s unbelievably simple, and it tastes so good. I actually first made and shared this several years ago, but it was buried in the archives with terrible photos, so I know many of you never got to see it.

I took some time off from this ice cream because I always loved it so much made with coconut milk, and about a year ago I discovered that I’m allergic to coconut. However, recently I’ve been making this ice cream with heavy cream, and while it’s much less paleo it is still delicious. It’s hard to do a true comparison since I can’t taste the two versions side by side, but I think the coconut milk version is even a little better. Go for that unless you’re coconut averse or allergic like me! As a bonus, that means the ice cream is vegan as long as you don’t add any honey.

Heirloom Tomato Galette

July 5, 2016 By Becky 14 Comments

This gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free heirloom tomato galette is the perfect way to celebrate summer’s bounty. With a tangy goat cheese filling and fresh basil on top, it’s irresistible!

A couple of weeks ago I made a tomato galette and shared it on Instagram, and a lot of people asked about the crust. It’s the exact same cassava flour crust used in this gluten-free quiche lorraine with leeks, but the tomato galette was so good that I decided it merited its own post. (I also used the same crust to make a plum and blackberry galette, but I’m still tweaking the frangipane filling. This crust works just as well for sweet galettes as savory ones, though!) This tomato galette has a creamy goat cheese filling and is topped with a rainbow of tiny heirloom tomatoes from Big Sycamore Farm. I’m amazingly into it for someone who never really liked tomatoes that much!

Anyway, Otto’s cassava flour makes the best crust. It’s flaky, buttery, crunchy–everything a classic crust should be. Since cassava flour behaves so much like wheat flour, I was able to take this all butter crust from Simply Recipes and adapt it with only a few changes needed. Adding egg yolk helps the dough hold together, and a tiny bit of extra sugar balances out all the flavors.

Patatas Bravas

June 27, 2016 By Becky 8 Comments

This version of patatas bravas features potatoes roasted in duck fat until they’re super crispy, then topped with spicy brava sauce and creamy, garlicky allioli.

I’ve been on a quest for months to make truly crispy roasted potatoes. They’re more elusive than you might expect. Simply roasting potatoes in a hot oven for a long time may give you some crunch around the edges, but the interior of the potato isn’t satisfactory. I need the insides of the potatoes to be tender and fluffy with no hint of dryness. And I’m not after just crunchy corners–I’m in need of some solid, wrap-around, all-encompassing crunch.

My quest finally came to a delicious end when I discovered this recipe for roasted duck fat potatoes on The Domestic Man. I bought myself a jar of Epic Cage-Free Duck Fat from Thrive Market and got roasting. The recipe requires you to parboil the potatoes, drain them, rinse them until they’re cool, and pat them dry. Then you heat the duck fat on the sheet pan in the oven before adding the potatoes, so they sizzle when they go on. After that, they roast for about an hour.

The results are just perfect, but it’s not exactly a quick recipe. You can’t really get around the lengthy roasting time, but I’ve discovered you can microwave the potatoes with a bit of water for five minutes instead of waiting for a pot of water to boil. Somehow, eliminating the stovetop step makes all the difference for me, and I’ve now moved these potatoes from a weekend treat to a valued member of my weeknight arsenal. (Of course, if you don’t have a microwave or don’t want to use one, you can just follow Russ’ original instructions here.)

Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Curd + Summertime BBQ recipes

June 16, 2016 By Becky 18 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grilled pound cake with lemon curd and berries is the perfect way to finish off any summer BBQs, and since it’s gluten free and grain free, more people can enjoy!

Summer is finally here, almost officially! I’ve already gotten in my first swim and am loving all the summer produce. I am such a summer person that I even enjoy basking in the heat of days that are 90+ degrees and humid–I find it kind of comforting!

Also, it’s BBQ season. To get ready for all the cookouts that are in store this summer, I teamed up with a few of my favorite bloggers to bring you five delicious paleo-friendly recipes that are perfect for summer BBQs. My contribution is this grilled pound cake with lemon curd and berries.

Grilled pound cake is the ideal way to end any grilling sesh. You bake the pound cake and make the lemon curd ahead of time, so all you have to do when the dessert hour rolls around is quickly grill the pound cake, spoon the lemon curd onto plates, and add a handful of fresh berries. I used local blackberries, but if strawberries are still in season near you, those would be fabulous, too! Later in the summer I’m looking forward to enjoying this with blueberries.

This pound cake recipe is super simple and comes together in one bowl with just one kind of flour–Otto’s Cassava Flour. It’s a grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free flour that makes paleo baking super easy. The cake is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with vanilla extract. It’s the perfect foil for tart and creamy lemon curd and juicy summer berries!
Read More…

Easy Texas Sheet Cake

June 6, 2016 By Becky 20 Comments

When you need grain-free, dairy-free cake for a crowd, this easy Texas sheet cake is here for you! It’s simple to make (no mixed needed!) and impossibly delicious. This post is sponsored by Dream in partnership with Honest Cooking.

This easy Texas sheet cake is perfect for times when you need a cake that serves a lot of people, but is simple and straightforward to make. It’s ideal for feeding folks with dietary restrictions since it’s paleo-friendly and free of gluten, grains, and dairy. And it’s also just the thing for when you suddenly need chocolate cake on a random afternoon and don’t want to wait too long to get your fix. With a chocolate sheet cake, you don’t have to worry about un-molding, stacking, or leveling multiple layers of cake. And since sheet cakes are thin, they cool quickly so you don’t have to wait long to frost them. You can make this whole thing, start to finish, in less than an hour. It’s also just really fun to look at such a vast expanse of cake!

This cake also has the best texture of any paleo-friendly chocolate cake I’ve ever made–it really tastes just like a regular cake! But, like a really good, homemade regular cake–not a store-bought one, of course. I looked to classic, gluten-laden Texas sheet cake recipes for guidance in developing this recipe, and discovered that they are usually made with buttermilk. Buttermilk works together with baking soda to help cakes rise, and also helps create a tender crumb. For this recipe, I made a super simple dairy-free buttermilk replacement using Dream Ultimate Almond Unsweetened Almond Beverage and a little bit of apple cider vinegar.

Crispy Chicken Thai Salad

June 4, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This crispy chicken Thai salad is super refreshing thanks to a light but flavorful lime dressing and plenty of fresh herbs. The chicken is amazing on its own, but transcendent when paired with the crunch and tang of the salad.

If you’re a long-time reader, you may have heard me mention my lack of love for salad. However, I’ve been working on changing that, because eating lots of raw vegetables is so good for you, and salads are generally easy and quick to put together. Also, I get so much lettuce in my CSA, and I definitely don’t want it to go to waste.

Here’s the formula I’ve discovered for making salads that I don’t hate: some kind of greens, preferably fresh from the farm + something sweet (usually fruit) + something crunchy (often nuts) + something creamy like avocado or cheese + plenty of pops of color + a flavorful dressing that’s just tart enough. And if said salad is meant to be an entire meal, add in a good dose of protein.

Lemon Olive Oil Cookies

May 23, 2016 By Becky 30 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These lemon olive oil cookies come together quickly and are free of gluten, grains, and dairy. The olive oil won’t assert its flavor in the finished cookies, but helps produce a tender, delicate crumb.

It’s Monday, but these lemon olive oil cookies can help ease the pain. They’re bright, chewy, and irresistible. They’re delicious right out of the oven or the next morning, when they fit right in at breakfast by masquerading as extra-tasty mini scones. They’re good with or without the glaze; you can make them with Meyer or regular lemons. The only way to go wrong with these cookies would be to not make them at all.

This is one of those cookie recipes where you basically just stir all the ingredients together in a bowl. You can even use a fork. The hardest part by far is zesting and juicing the lemons, and I find that fun. The smell of the lemon oils released from the peel is reward enough for me. (Wait, I take that back. I actually also need there to be cookies. Cookies are the best reward!)

When I make these without the glaze, I roll the balls of dough in a little raw sugar before baking them to give the outsides a little extra texture. If you’re planning to glaze them, you can skip that step.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Figs and Olives

May 14, 2016 By Becky 18 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This pan-roasted chicken with figs and olives from The New Yiddish Kitchen is an easy and satisfying one-pan paleo meal.

I know, I know. We’re well into spring and I’m trying to get you to roast things. However, this pan-roasted chicken with figs and olives (and kale and potatoes, if you want!) is worth heating up the kitchen a bit. It’s delicious right when you make it because the perfectly crispy chicken skin goes so well with the sweet figs, tart olives, and silky pan juices, and it’s almost more delicious heated up the next day or the day after that, when the flavors of the sauce have deepened.

Plus, this post isn’t just about the recipe–it’s about my new favorite cookbook, The New Yiddish Kitchen: Gluten-Free and Paleo Kosher Recipes for the Holidays and Every Day. This gorgeous tome is written and photographed by Simone Miller of Zenbelly and Jennifer Robins of Predominantly Paleo. It has over 100 gluten-free, paleo, and kosher recipes that I think will appeal to everyone, whether you’re eager to get your hands on traditional Jewish holiday recipes made with real-food ingredients or just really miss bagels since going grain-free. The book includes recipes and complete menus for all the major Jewish holidays, including Sukkot, and an impressive array of sweet and savory baked goods, too. There are FIVE different bagel recipes, including one that’s free of eggs and nuts, plus bialys and bagel dogs. I basically can barely handle how much good stuff is in this book! If you’re not sold yet, let me tell you this: there’s also chocolate babka (see page 195). Also, I’m giving away a copy of the book to one of you–just leave a comment on this post to enter (details at the end of the post).

Mocha Cream Paleo Truffles

May 10, 2016 By Becky 20 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mocha cream paleo truffles are an ideal no-bake dessert for the warmer months. And since they’re vegan, too, more of your friends can enjoy them!

I’ve been sick for the past few days and haven’t been able to stomach much other than these paleo truffles. I think it’s because I’ve been eating them frozen and they’re made with such wholesome ingredients–no dairy or anything like that to throw a wrench into things. My appetite has been really low and I haven’t even craved my morning coffee like I usually do, but a couple of these chilled truffles gives me a little bit of the caffeine boost I’d otherwise be missing out on.

These are also fabulous when you’re feeling great. In fact, the mocha cream filling is so good on its own that I didn’t even dip the first batch into chocolate. I dreamed up this filling a couple of weeks ago and it tasted even better than I’d hoped. Basically it’s cashews whirred to creamy perfection with some coffee (both brewed coffee and finely ground espresso powder), cocoa (I absolutely love this fair-trade, Dutch-processed cocoa and use it in all my recipes), maple syrup for sweetness, and a little bit of salt and vanilla because all desserts need those two flavor-boosters. Sometimes cashew-based desserts taste too much like cashews to me but these don’t at all–the flavor is pure mocha.

Maple syrup pairs especially well with mocha. The dark undertones of its sweetness blend in with the coffee and chocolate so you don’t detect the maple flavor; you just wonder what other mysterious taste is in there that deepens and complements the mocha taste so well (see also this no-churn mocha ice cream made with homemade maple-sweetened condensed milk).

Anyway, after I made the first batch of this filling and scooped it into balls, I stuck it into the freezer to firm up so I could dip the truffles into melted chocolate later. That was on a Sunday afternoon and things got so busy with preparing for the work week that I didn’t get to it, so I thought I’d do it some evening that week after work. I told Ben he could try one or two of the naked truffles to see how he liked the filling, but not to eat them all because I was going to coat them in chocolate later.

Stuffed Avocados with Shrimp and Mango

May 5, 2016 By Becky 13 Comments

Stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango are simple, quick, and crave-worthy, especially when topped with a spicy jalapeño aioli!

I’m having a really hard time writing this post because there aren’t any fixings for these stuffed avocados left, and I’m craving them so badly. They check all the boxes for my top practical considerations because they’re healthy, fast, easy, and filling. And they check all my flavor and texture boxes because they’re creamy, savory, spicy, and sweet with a little bit of crunch from the scallions. They’re pretty much all I’ve wanted for dinner ever since I first dreamed them up.

My fiancé Ben loves these, too. He’s not too hard to please with food because he’ll eat almost anything besides sweet potatoes or cooked apples (I know, right?), but it’s rare that he gets super excited about a food.

However, after the first time we had these stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango, he made a point of telling me twice that he really liked them. (And in case you don’t know Ben, “I really liked those” is Ben-speak for “Those are the best things I’ve ever tasted!”) He hasn’t said so many good things about one of my recipes since last time I made the millionaire’s shortbread from Paleo Planet.

The premise for this dish is simple: it’s an avocado boat stuffed with a shrimp and mango filling accented with scallions and topped with an easy jalapeño aioli. The aioli is creamy, heart-healthy and delicious thanks to its main ingredient: avocado oil mayo from Primal Kitchen, which I buy from Thrive Market (affiliate link–I earn from qualifying purchases). It has only a handful of wholesome ingredients: avocado oil, cage-free, organic eggs, organic vinegar, salt, and rosemary extract. No sugar or canola oil in sight!

It’s kind of weird for me to be whipping up a mayonnaise-based sauce because I’ve never been a fan of mayo, but this one is so good and unlocks so many epic paleo sauce possibilities. Since I try to limit my dairy intake and I’m allergic to coconut, there are so many creamy sauces out there that just don’t work for me.

I first used this avocado oil mayo last year in an awesome green goddess dressing, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This jalapeño aioli is even better because it’s nice and spicy, and in addition to being great with these stuffed avocados with shrimp it’s also epic with baked sweet potato fries.

Quiche Lorraine with Leeks

April 29, 2016 By Becky 7 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As as Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This gluten-free quiche lorraine with leeks is perfect for Mother’s Day brunch! The crisp cassava flour crust and custardy filling studded with leeks and bacon are both total crowd pleasers.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and if your mom is anything like mine, she would love this quiche. I’ve been working on it for weeks, playing with the proportions to make a crisp but sturdy crust with my new favorite grain-free flour, Otto’s cassava flour, and balancing the flavorings of the filling so that they’re just right. After more tries than I care to count, I’ve finally nailed it. This gluten-free quiche lorraine is good enough for your mother, skeptics who raise their eyebrows at the thought of grain-free pastries, and just about anyone else. Don’t tell your gluten-eating family members and I bet they won’t know there’s no wheat in here.

Quiche is a bit of a process, so setting aside my recent burst of quiche-testing mania, I don’t make it often. A frittata is quicker and easier and does just fine for a regular meal, but when the occasion is special or you want to treat yourself, a quiche is 100% worth it.

Despite the many recipes that try to bill a frittata as a crustless quiche, the absence of crust is not the only difference between the two. The fillings of quiches and frittatas, even when made with similar ingredients in similar proportions, are totally different in texture. In addition to the quiche crust being delicious and satisfyingly toothsome in its own right, it plays a vital role in ensuring that the filling is delicate, light, and custardy instead of chewy and overcooked. The crust shields the egg and cream mixture from getting too much direct heat, which allows it to bake into an impossibly smooth and irresistible sensation that’s worlds better than an omelette or frittata.

« Previous Page
1
…
4
5
6
7
8
…
16
Next Page »