Tag: Gluten free

Almond Cake with Citrus- Gluten Free!

Dessert number 2!….I have been experimenting with gluten free desserts. This is a really good one. I bought some meyer lemons from Trader Joes (go ahead and substitute regular ones as meyer lemons are not in season any more) and wanted to use them in a delicious dessert. I looked up a bunch of recipes and really liked on one site. I tweaked the recipe and came up with this one. It is really yummy and easy to make…

4 large eggs
½ cup raw cane sugar
Zest of one meyer lemon and one clementine
Juice of 2 meyer lemons and 2 clementines
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Syrup

Juice of 2 meyer lemons and 2 clementines
2 tablespoons honey
Confectioner sugar to dust on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and grease it as well. Combine the salt, almond meal, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.

Add the eggs and sugar to an electric mixture with a whisk attachment. Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, for a good 5 to 10 minutes. Add the citrus zest, citrus juice, olive oil and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute. Add the almond meal mixture and mix well. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

While the cake is baking transfer the citrus juice and honey to a small bowl. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds and mix well making sure the honey has melted through. Once the cake comes out, drizzle the liquid covering the surface evenly. Cool and cake completely and sprinkle powdered sugar and serve!

Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This second quinoa recipe has sweet potatoes- any vegetable can be substituted that is in season- like asparagus, etc…

I love, love roasting sweet potatoes with smoked paprika! I added them to some delicious quinoa. It was a delicious, healthy side dish I served with the yummy lamb chops!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with olive oil and add the quinoa and salt and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes till the quinoa is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and fluff with a fork. Keep aside.

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into inch squares
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt and smoked paprika. Mix well and bake till the sweet potatoes are soft and golden brown. Take out and add to the fluffed quinoa. Add the cilantro and check for seasonings before serving.

Quinoa Cooked in Coconut Milk

I am doing a week of quinoa recipes- the first is a simple version with coconut oil and milk…

I love making quinoa regularly. It is a healthy grain my whole family enjoys eating. The good thing about it is that it absorbs any amount of flavor. This one has delicious coconut oil and coconut milk which gives the dish a great nutty flavor.. enjoy!

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups coconut milk

Heat a medium saucepan with the coconut oil. Add the quinoa and salt. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for a minute. Add the coconut milk and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer according to box ingredients- usually about 15 to 20 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli with Blood Orange Juice and Pine Nuts

I served this with the pasta from yesterday instead of a salad. I used delicious blood orange juice and zest although regular oranges can be substituted… it was delicious!!

3 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the broccoli on a lined cookie sheet and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes or till the broccoli is golden brown. Take out.

Zest and juice of 2 blood oranges
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle the zest and drizzle the blood orange juice on the warm broccoli. Add the pine nuts and olive oil. Mix well and serve warm.

Mushroom and Olive Meatballs

Here is another version of my delicious meatballs. Everyone loved them. I took two of my daughter’s favorite pizza toppings- mushrooms and olives, and added them to the turkey meat. I also added garlic and parsley. Of course the homemade tomato sauce helps with the taste factor. This is a good one!!

1 pound dark meat turkey
1 cup Cremini mushrooms, shredded
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup panko bread crumbs soaked in ½ cup milk (for 10 minutes)
2 cups tomato sauce

Transfer the tomato sauce into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer.
Transfer the turkey, mushrooms, olives, garlic, parsley and cheese into a medium mixing bowl. Mix well and add the egg, salt and panko crumbs. Mix well and form meatballs and slide into the simmering sauce. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer and cook meatballs covered with a lid for 15 minutes. Taste for seasonings and serve with pasta.

Meyer Lemon and Avocado Oil Dressing

One thing I always have in my fridge is homemade salad dressing. A lot of people are intimidated and don’t end up making their own concoction but I am here to tell you- it takes all of five minutes to make. You can make it super healthy with limited amounts of fat. Speaking of fat- I am using something a bit different in this one- avocado oil. It is considered one of the ‘good fats’- it kind of has an acquired taste but I have decided I like it. I paired it with meyer lemon juice. Meyer lemons are in season right now and are super aromatic and very floral- kind of a cross between a lemon and and an orange. This is a great dressing to have on hand- it complements all sorts of greens and vegetables…

Spinach with Mustard Seeds

This is a delicious side dish to make with any kind of meal- especially an Indian meal. It is quick with not too many ingredients….