Oats & Raisins

Toasted oats and butter, a hint of cinnamon and sweet scents permeate the kitchen.  A comforting combination....oats & raisins. I love this cookie, in fact, if I had to choose just one classic cookie to eat for the rest of my life....I'd choose oatmeal raisin over chocolate chip..Any shape & size, thick & hearty, thin & delicate, crispy, chewy..as long as it involves a combination of oats & raisins.

Our version is already a Gluten Free Belly favorite!  These lacy cuties are on the menu currently for wholesale customers and coming to Seattle-area farmers' markets this January (fingers crossed!).

Coconut Crepes

Yesterday I had a hankering for crepes, but T. and I got a little side-tracked along the way with Sushi, Cider & Gelato!  I made up for it today with my first of many gluten-free & dairy-free crepe creations.

A crepe that my gluten-free belly can enjoy too!

Coconut Crepe & Mango Slices

Dollop of Coconut Bliss, Drizzle of Tupelo Honey
&
Sprinkle of Coconut Sugar

Eat Your Greens!

This time of year I love kale, chard and spinach lightly wilted or softened with a vinaigrette and eaten raw.  For my current gluten-free class I create this salad as the first nibble for my students.

Raw Red & Green Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets & lightly steamed
1 bunch green curly kale, ribs removed & leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch red chard, ribs removed & leaves chopped into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Sherry Vinaigrette
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup Sherry vinegar
2 T honey
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix the minced shallot with the sherry vinegar and let macerate for 10-15 minutes (up to 1 hour).  Whisk in the honey.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well mixed.  Season with salt & pepper.  Drizzle  about half of the vinaigrette over the raw salad mixture and toss. Add more if needed to coat every leaf.

Depending on how big your bunches of kale and chard are you may have an excess of vinaigrette.  Place the extra vinaigrette in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until about 1 hour before use, then bring to room temperature.  Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

I enjoy eating this salad at room temperature however it is equally delicious chilled.

A Welcoming Cupcake

I've been cooking gluten-free savory meals and snacks for years. However, when it comes to sweets and desserts, this is where I've recently ambled down a path of pulverized ancient grains and stumbled upon an entire world of seeds, grasses & nuts. One of my first creations involved an Ethiopian love grass called Teff, which I used as the base flour in my Almond Butter & Raspberry Jam Thumprints, a crumbly first attempt at a gluten-free cookie. I've unearthed the mother grain, eaten by the Incas known as Quinoa.  Millet may have been cultivated thousands of years before rice and holds up well to both sweet and savory applications. 

I've learned that not all Oats are created equal. Although naturally gluten-free oats are traditionally grown in fields next to Wheat and Barley and therefore harvested, milled and transported using the same equipment. The grains inevitably mingle and as a result the oats become contaminated with gluten.

I've discovered that Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum are a MUST when baking gluten free. I create both gluten-free & dairy-free goodies so I've embraced Coconut Oil as my butter substitute. Although, Olive Oil, Safflower and nut oils work just as well. T. and I have never been milk drinkers, so for baking my go to is Coconut Milk, but soy milk, almond, hazelnut milk, rice milk and oat milk all have unique flavor profiles and are fun to experiment with.

Welcome, to My Gluten-Free Belly!  I hope that you discover something new and come back to visit often.

Sweet Potato Coconut Cupcakes & Chai Frosting

1 dozen

1 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup lite coconut milk, warm or room-temp** (may need 1/4 cup more)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potatoes

1/2 batch of Chai Frosting (recipe to follow)

2-4 large slices of candied ginger, julienned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, coconut flakes, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and spices.

In a separate large bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut milk and sugar. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes.

Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. 

**Coconut flour is extremely absorbent so you want to get this batter into the muffin liners as soon as possible. If the batter seems a bit thick then go ahead and add 1/8 cup of coconut milk at a time until the batter is the consistency of regular cake batter, not too thick and not thin like crepe or pancake batter, somewhere in between.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before frosting.

Once cool frost with Chai Frosting.  

Chai Frosting 

Inspired by Flying Apron's Bakery Chai Buttercream

Enough to frost 2 & ½ dozen cupcakes

1 cup organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (Spectrum)

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of sea salt

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup strongly steeped Chai tea, hot

In the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and powdered sugar on low and work up to medium speed. The mixture should change in appearance from a coarse crumb to a soft dough consistency, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the spices, salt, vanilla and Chai tea. Continue to beat on medium speed for a few minutes until no longer curdled in appearance yielding a smooth  and creamy consistency, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Whip on high speed for approximately 2 minutes until light & fluffy.

Frost cupcakes. If not using right away, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If preparing from the fridge then warm slightly in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over barely simmering water (making sure the bowl is not touching the water). Then place in the bowl of an electric standing mixer and whip until light and fluffy.

Garnish the cupcakes with 2-3 julienned pieces of candied ginger.