An Adoption and an Adaption: Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Posted on August 6, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I decided to adopt Ricki, and her (not so) little dogs, too, because I like her philosophy toward real, unprocessed foods and avoiding processed sugars.  She’s creative and not afraid to go out on a limb.  All of her recipes are even dairy free and vegan! Though she uses a lot of whole grains in her cooking, not all recipes are GF, but she does have a tag for GF recipes so they’re easy to find. A requirement for adoptions is to make a recipe as-is, or pretty close. With all of my restrictions, that’s easier said than done! So for the adoption, I made Ricki’s Spicy Cauliflower Soup. But I have also been on a huge baking kick lately, so I adapted her Maple Walnut Cookies to be GF with the following changes:

  • I increased the flour to 1/2 cup (actually, even 1 tsp or two more) and changed it from barley to brown rice
  • I used hazelnut praline paste rather than tahini (leftover from the last Daring baker challenge) since I’m allergic to sesame
  • I used just a tiny pinch of vitamin c crystals instead of the apple cider vinegar since I don’t do anything fermented
  • I reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 cup, since the paste was sweetened
  • I made a few without sea salt for a friend who can’t have any salt, and those turned out well, too.

I planned on using teff because I like the flavor and it’s quite a bit more nutritious than brown rice, but I’ve been on a baking binge lately and so I was out!  I might also try unroasted (light) buckwheat flour, or add in a pinch of mesquite.  Ya know, just for the sake of scientific experimentation.

They were delightful and cooked up beautifully! I will certainly make these again and play with variations.  Flax is very healthy, and I often avoid taking it because I’m not crazy about the taste.  These will give me good incentive 😆

One thing, though…since you GF bloggers out there all seem to be getting pregnant, recommendations are to eat no more than 2 Tablespoons a day of flax seeds while pregnant.  So you can eat half a batch, but not  the whole thing!  At least not in one day. 😎

Spicy Cauliflower soup

Summer time isn’t usually soup time, but I love soup.  It’s just so comforting and soothing, even when it’s 90 degrees out (or 93, I think, but who’s counting!).  The spices are a lovely mix.  I made it according to the recipe, but put in cauli stem instead of potato because *sigh* no potatoes for me, and used almond milk instead of soy.  I also have some in my freezer for the next rainy day!  I’m sure this will be a regular in our rotation in winter months.

Due to camera issues, I made the soup twice.  It ended up being a very good thing, because when I have a tummy ache, blended soups are the perfect thing.  The second time around, I blended in a few overripe apricots and the gave a subtle sweetness, and I added a little ground nutmeg on top.  I can’t wait to explore the different ways to enjoy Ricki’s soup!

So, check out Ricki’s blog.  Her recipes are great, and the stories are always entertaining.  And the doggies are too cute for words, too.

This post will be part of the Adopt a GF Blogger round up.  I’m hosting, which is why I wanted to make sure to post it on time!  Adopt a GF blogger is the “baby” of Seamaiden of Book of Yum.  If you want to adopt someone, you still have time!  Just email me or put it in the comments, and post by August 11th.


Posted in adopt a gf blogger, dessert, recipe | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Menu Plan Monday: August 4th

Posted on August 4, 2008 by Cheryl Harris


Gluten Free Mommy is the generous hostess and, of course, the originator, of this weeks’ Menu Plan Monday. It’s a mint flavored week!  Not only do I have “normal” mint in the line up,  but I can’t see going through a week without other kinds of mint, like thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.

Also, if you haven’t already, please consider joining the fun and participating in this months’ Adopt a GF Blogger, which is now through Aug 11th.

Monday:

Grillin’ Rosemary Salmon with grilled marinated peppers

Tuesday:
Quick and easy:
Baked turkey cutlets in a tomato basil sauce with roasted asparagus

Weds:
More grillin’
Grilled mint-stevia chicken with roasted corn (for DH) and broccoli for me (I will post this recipe if anyone is interested)

Thursday:
Vegan:
Southwestern Quinoa and black bean salad, featuring my very own tomatoes

Friday:

Leftovers =)

Saturday:

East Indian
Beef and coconut curry with Spicy Cauliflower soup (my adoption of Diet, Dessert and Dogs) and maybe even papadams, if I get some energy!

Garden harvest:

From my garden:
Ground cherries
green peppers
garlic
Chocolate mint!
tomatoes
basil
rosemary
stevia

From the Farmer’s Market:
Peaches
Apricots
Cabbage
Summer onions (very yummy)
Red peppers

Dessertof the week:
some variant on chocolate cherry pudding, and possibly something else. I have been a baking fool lately, but most of my endeavors have fallen a little flat (no pun intended)

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Go Ahead, Honey, It’s GF–UNCOOKING edition

Posted on August 2, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

The summer months are a great time for uncooked meals. Fresh tomatoes and an avocado. Peaches and cashews. Tuna, green apple and arugala with some balsamic. Quick, easy and perfect!  I’ve always been a fan of the simple stuff, but never delved much into more involved meals and desserts.  This has given me a bunch new great ideas!

Here’s a roundup of what all of you DIDN’T bake:


Naomi at Straight into Bed, Cakefree and Dried is the the founder of GAHIGF.  She’s treated us with a lovely gluten free, dairy free, basil pesto recipe.  I can’t wait until my basil gets big enough!  Naomi has a great bunch of SCD recipes, and just gorgeous pictures.


Hannah, from Hannah’s Harvest, is joining us for the first time.  She has a beautiful Candy Apple Fennel Salad, which is great sweet treat, and a good way to use up fennel!



Lauren, the Celiac Teen, waltzed in with some no-bake cheesecakes. She’s celebrating 6 months gluten free, so let’s all raise a glass of…err…non alcoholic beverage… in her direction!



Cindalou, of Cindalou’s Kitchen Blues, is taking a minute off from her cloud of newly married bliss to share her Purslane, Plum and Avocado Salad. I grow purslane, and am always looking for new ways to use it, so I’m jazzed!


Rachel, the Gluten Free Mama has graced us with a gorgeous, seasonal Kiwi Strawberry Salad with Citrus dressing. It was her way to make great use of an abundance of lettuce and spinach in her garden.


After a few raw desserts that didn’t quite work as planned, I pulled together a yummy, tangy, peach ginger ice cream.  This was the first ice cream I’d had in years, and so I was delighted.



Last but not least, Rachael of the Crispy Cook limboed under the deadline with her Striped German Tomato Salad.  Not only is the tomato from her garden, but it’s the first of the season, which makes it even more exciting!



She doesn’t have a purty picture, but M-elle of Cooking and Uncooking has a Mango Avocado salad posted.  Since mangos and avocados are my favorite foods, it sounds just about perfect to me!

We must all be on the same wavelength, because Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess, posted recipes for greenwiches (uncooked lettuce wraps).  Yum!

So I think we hit everything, from appetizers, to salad, to main course, to dessert.

If you had fun with this, please be sure to check out this month’s Adopt a GF Blogger, which is runs from July 28 – Aug 11.

And, of course, be on the look out for the next month’s edition of Go ahead, honey, it’s GF.  This just in!  Rachel, from the Crispy Cook will be hosting, and her theme is seasonal veggies.  Also, you can check out the main page at Naomi’s blog!

Posted in go ahead honey | Tagged | 8 Comments

Sorrel Soup

Posted on August 2, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I made sorrel soup for the first time last year, and told my husband. He started laughing, and said, squirrel soup? Um…not even close!.

Sorrel has a nice tart taste to it, and is supposed to be lovely with fish. Next time! It can be hard to come by, and I was happy to find it at the market.


I know I saw a recipe last year, but don’t remember where, so I decided to just wing it. I left some of the lettuce and veggies un-pureed because I like the texture and hint of crunch, but that’s a a matter of personal preference.

Last time, I thickened with a potato, but those are off limits, so I used a little coconut flour. I’m sure more walnuts or another root veggie like parsnips would work, too.

2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup diced onions
2 big romaine hearts, chopped (divided)
3 cups veg or chicken broth
4 cups or so sorrel
2 Tablespoons coconut flour, or potato flour (NOT starch)
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked overnight if you think of it!
sea salt
fresh mint
white pepper

Saute the onions for 5-6 min until soft with a pinch of salt. Add in 1 1/2 of the romaine hearts and saute a few minutes more. Add broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sorrel and simmer 5 minutes more. Reserve 1 cup or so of cooked veggies and puree the rest with the (drained) walnuts. Add back reserved veggies and add in the last 1/2 chopped romaine heart. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh chopped mint.

Enjoy!

This is my weekly offering for Weekend Herb Blogging, the brainchild of Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s kind host is Sounding my Barbaric Gulp

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008. Please do not replicate without crediting/permission.

Posted in recipe, side dish, vegetables, weekend herb blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Peaches and spice and all things yum…

Posted on July 31, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I planned to make a simple peaches and cream ice cream as a fun raw recipe for July Go Ahead, Honey, It’s GF “UNCOOKING” edition, but the fates had something more interesting in mind.

It was a bit of a comedy of errors. My first two recipe attempts–banana macadamia candies– were okay, but underwhelming, and time was running out. So I decided to go for one more attempt, peach ice cream, and as usual, I figured I could could wing it. I used young coconuts for a creamy texture, and blended in a few peaches, but you could barely taste them. Coconut milk is wonderfully creamy, but it takes a strong flavor, like chocolate, mint, berries, etc. to mask it. So I hastily ran out to the Farmer’s market, and pureed some more peaches. You could taste the peach, but still it wasn’t prominent.

Hmmm. So I had a vat of yummy, peach goop, and I needed inspiration. Pecans? Extracts? And then I realized, of course! Crystallized ginger.

The ginger and peach pairing worked really well, with the sweetness balancing the sharpness of the ginger. I would make vanilla ice cream again, and have chunks of peaches, but I wouldn’t do peaches by themselves again. I would try it with pineapple or banana in the future, and will certainly tinker with this recipe again!

You live, you learn. May all my “mistakes” be this yummy!

Makes a batch for a 4 quart ice cream maker

“meat” of 2 young coconuts
4 cups of water (I assume you can sub 2 cans of coconut milk for the coconut and water)
2 tablespoons of raw cashew butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
7 peaches
1 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
vanilla or almond extract, if desired

Puree all ingredients, except ginger, in batches. Stir together in a big bowl. Chill for 1 hour. Add in ginger chunks, and put in ice cream maker and follow instructions.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

Posted in dessert, go ahead honey, recipe, side dish, weekend herb blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream–Daring Bakers Rule!

Posted on July 30, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

Or, more accurately, 2 yummy chocolate hazelnut cakes

Each time I see the new Daring baker challenges, I think, can I REALLY make this gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, corn free, sugar free and vegan AND have an amazing taste, too? *gulp*
But that’s the fun of being a Daring Baker. It even went more smoothly than I anticipated. This month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte. The recipe is for the Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream from Great Cakes by Carol Walte.

This was a blast. I was pretty excited about doing this, because I haven’t really piped icing in years, and the spirit of the recipe seemed very adaptable to me. I’m not a huge decorator, and I appreciate needing to do thing differently than I normally would. Although it took a long time, I really enjoyed both the process and, of course, the cake!

I did two versions, both gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and vegan.  However, one cake had sugar, soy and alcohol, because I don’t have any burning desire to enforce my restrictions on other people. The two variations were:

  • Hazelnut cake, hazelnut cream with fresh apricots and a dark chocolate frosting (second picture)

and

  • Hazelnut cake, raspberry glaze, praline buttercream and chocolate ganache with praline buttercream on top (top picture)

I used an adapted version of my hazelnut cake from the May DB challenge. The cake had a mild flavor, which was a perfect complement to all of the other flavors in the final production. Rather than making a thicker cake and cutting them in half, I just made very short cakes.  The filling was a  variant of the PB buttercream recipe from Vegan Cupcakes take over the world for the buttercream. Per a suggestion from VeganNoodle, I used 1/2 the powdered sugar and used Darifree instead, which worked perfectly.
I brought the cakes to a dinner party, which was quite lovely, and they were promptly gobbled.  Most of the people there were glutenovores, and people used to a “normal” diet, so I was delighted to get such positive feedback! Sometimes I get a little nervous, especially when I don’t know how things will turn out, but it was delightful. Not only that, but the cakes were enjoyed equally and the sugar free one disappeared the fastest. Yahoo!

I’ve included the recipes for the original parts of the cakes, but not the ones I used from other sources. I have not shared my recipe for the hazelnut praline, because trust me, you don’t want it. It took a heck of a lot of fussing and redoing and undoing to get a workable paste, but my initial efforts bombed in a big way.   Enough said!

I did do a raspberry glaze in lieu of the apricot, as I realized that our jam was gluten contaminated. Phooey. It couldn’t have been simpler, just a bit of boiling water and jam, strained.

Hazelnut cake For 4 thin layers (makes 2 6-inch cakes)
1 cup finely ground hazelnut meal (from lightly roasted and peeled nuts)
1 ¾ cup sorghum flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup apricot nectar
1/3 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup agave nectar + 1 teaspoon honey or all agave for vegan version
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 oil
¼ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon hazelnut (or vanilla) extract

Hazelnut filling (for two 6-inch cakes):
1/2 cup agave nectar
2/3 coconut milk
2 Tablespoons sweet rice
2 small apricots
3 Tablespoons hazelnut butter

Chocolate frosting (for 1 6 inch cake, you can double for both cakes):
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon hazelnut butter (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other extract (optional)

or, Chocolate Ganache (for 1 6 inch cake, can double for both cakes)
4 oz chocolate, melted
1/3 cup coconut milk (may need 1-2 teaspoons more)
1 teaspoon frangelico, hazelnut extract, etc.

Preheat oven to 350.
Line the bottoms of round 6 inch cake pans with parchment or wax paper (or for a non-opera cake, use an 8X8 square pan) Grease sides of the pans.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Mix until just combined and put in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. You may need to cover the cakes if they brown too much on top.

Cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes and turn out onto a plate.

Hazelnut filling:
Blend coconut milk and apricots. Heat in a small saucepan and whisk in agave, sweet rice and nut butter. Stir over medium high heat, whisking, until thickened. Add in extract if desired. Chill before using.

Chocolate frosting:
Whip together coconut oil and agave, add in cocoa powder. Thin with coconut milk until desired consistency.

Chocolate ganache:
Melt chocolate. I tend to do it in the microwave in a glass bowl, stirring at 30 second intervals. Add in the coconut milk until the desired consistency, then pour over cake.

Assembly:
Bake cakes, let them cool. Glaze with raspberry glaze if desired. Use chilled hazelnut cream (with or without fresh apricots) for the next layer, or you can do the praline buttercream instead. Chill briefly in the fridge. Top with either the chocolate frosting or ganache while they are still warm. Pipe remaining praline buttercream on top. or just decorate with chopped or glazed hazelnuts.

Enjoy! I love these Daring Baker challenges.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

Posted in baked goods, daring bakers, dessert, recipe | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Menu Plan Monday July 28th

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

Gluten Free Menu Swap Monday - Coconut
This week’s ingredient is coconut. Yay! I LOVE coconut, particularly young coconut water. I have a Latino grocery store nearby, and they sell inexpensive coconuts, so they’re often in my cooking. Not only is there coconut in the super yummy secret dessert I’ll be posting for Daring Bakers soon, but there’s also coconut milk in my UNCOOKING recipe AND the coconut curry. Our host this week is M-elle of Cooking and Uncooking.

Speaking of which, you have until July 31st to post your “Uncooked” recipe for Go Ahead Honey, It’s GF (details here). I haven’t posted mine yet, because I made something that sounded like it would be awesome….and it was *okay*. I don’t like posting “eh” recipes, so I’ll be giving it another shot on Tues (fingers crossed).

AND I’m also hosting Adopt a GF blogger. Claim a blog now and post between July 28 – Aug 11!

Monday:
Thai style
Turkey cutlets in a coconut curry sauce, probably with bok choy, broccoli and carrots

Tuesday:
Vegan delight:
Quinoa Italiana (quinoa with tomatoes, kalamata olives, basil and more!) with broccoli raab and sauteed garlic
Uncooking: Peach ice cream! a dairy free delight.

Wednesday:
Here fishy fishy:
Tilapia baked in parchment with a ginger sauce with TBD veggie

Thursday:
East Indian inspired:
Roasted garam masala chicken with roasted cauliflower with cumin seeds and papadams

Friday:
Some kind of leftovers. TGIF!!

Garden harvest:
From my garden:
GARLIC!
Thai hot peppers
tomatoes
ground cherries
green peppers
blueberries
raspberries (maybe)

From the market:
Peaches!
cherries
onions
cabbage

Posted in menu plan | 2 Comments

Carrot Muffin-cakes

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I just couldn’t wait to share these, they were so tasty!  They never last long around here. They are perfect for everyday snacking, with or without the glaze, and great for breakfast, too.

And did I mention that they are gluten free, casein free, soy free, vegan, egg free, corn free and sugar optional? If you go for raisins, they avoid all top 8 allergens.  I’m patting myself on the back as we speak. They are a good source of fiber and quite healthy

You do need to grate the carrots by hand with a small grater, this way they just disappear into the muffin.  You can add more spice if you like a stronger flavor, and I plan to put in pieces of crystallized ginger on my next time around for my husband and I. This version is more little person friendly..

The Salba seeds (or you can use chia seeds) are what hold these babies together. Salba can be ordered online, and chia is sold at many Latino markets. I’ve been using it a lot lately because it’s a great source of omegas and an even better binder than flax.

Ingredients
1 can crushed pineapple (divided into crushed pineapple and juice, we’ll be using most of it)
4 teaspoons whole Salba seeds

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour (or teff flour)
½ cup arrowroot starch
2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon each ginger and allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
(or substitute all 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for all of the spices)
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 T molasses (or 2 more T agave nectar)
½ cup crushed pineapple, drained (from the same can as the above)
½ cup packed finely grated carrots (approx 5 small carrots, but go by the 1/2 cup measure)
2/3-1 cup nuts: brazil nuts, macadamias, or walnuts work well. Or use a combination of nuts, raisins, and/or chopped crystallized ginger for people who enjoy a little kick.

Glaze:
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar (check corn free status) OR you can “powder” maple sugar or succant in a blender
1/2 -1 teaspoon pineapple juice, or orange juice (from the same pineapple can)

Preheat oven to 350º. Put muffin cups into muffin tin or grease tins, or grease baby bundt pans.

Drain ½ cup of pineapple juice into a small bowl and add the Salba seeds to the juice. Set aside for 20 minutes. Reserve crushed pineapple.

Combine dry ingredients, leaveners and spices and mix thoroughly. Chop nuts and add to dry ingredients. Grate carrots finely. Combine agave, molasses, oil thoroughly, then add carrots, ½ cup of crushed pineapple and Salba gel.

Mix wet and dry until just incorporated. Pour into muffin tins or baby bundt pans until they are 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until browned on top. Cool on wire rack and turn out after 5 minutes.

Make glaze: Add juice to powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon at a time until it is a pourable consistency. Glaze while muffins are warm, but not just out of the oven. A little goes a long way.

Makes 12 standard size muffins and 3 baby bundt cakes or 18 standard size muffins.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

Posted in baked goods, dessert, recipe | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Nanaimo bars redux–A trip down memory lane

Posted on July 18, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

I have to share a secret: few people enjoy food as much as nutritionists. Honest. In grad school, I had a friend Michelle who is a wonderful baker, and I got her recipe for Nanaimo bars. I’d make a huge batch, and they’d be in the freezer. Late at night, we’d be studying, and I’d hear the footsteps, then the freezer door open….footsteps away…then 30 seconds later, footsteps scurrying back to the freezer to get another. The overwhelming consensus was that the bars are totally addictive.

With all of my food limitations, I usually don’t try to replicate recipes from the past. I generally explore new territory, because I don’t want to make things that are *almost* like the real thing, I’d much rather make something different, but wonderful in its own right. But when I heard about Chef Jeena’s “It’s all about memories” food event, I couldn’t resist giving these a whirl. If you’re Canadian or have had Nanaimos before, they need no introduction, but if not, they’re super rich, loaded with sugar and amazing My challenge was to de-gluten, dairy, corn, soy and egg them, take out all the artificials but mostly to de-sugar them.

I did them two ways, half close to my memory of the old way, just gluten free, and the other half a batch made of “real food”. Ether way, the bars are quite decadent, but the “redux” is rich from macadamias and coconut, instead of powdered sugar and powdered pudding.

I found the new version bars to be blissful and I think I quite literally swooned. My tasters enjoyed both versions of the bars. If you’re sugar free, the agave sweetened chocolate is quite lovely. If not, you can use the standard chocolate topping or even the traditional filling from the official recipe.

The bars are best kept in the freezer and are good for months, if you hide them well. I don’t know how they keep at room temperature. Here, they’re usually devoured upon sight.

Base (for TWO 8X8 or 1 9X13)
2 cups whole almonds
2/3 cup whole or chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened works fine, and I used reduced fat because that’s what I had)
generous 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1-2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, to your preference
scant 1/4 teaspoon stevia powder (optional)
1/4 cup water with 2 teaspoons whole Salba or chia seeds (or an egg)

Filling (for 1 8X8: double for 2 or a 9X13)
2/3 cup raw macadamia nuts, cashews, or a mix
1/2 – 2/3 cup agave (to taste)
2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
2 Tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 cup of water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (you could sub vanilla powder, I’m sure)

Chocolate topping(for 1 8X8: double for 2 or a 9X13)
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1.5 Tablespoons cocoa butter
1.5 Tablespoons coconut butter
1.5 Tablespoons Dari free, soy milk powder, coconut milk powder or *gasp!* powdered milk (optional)
1/4 cup agave nectar

Soak Salba seeds or chia in 1/4 cup of water (or, if not vegan or egg allergic, use an egg and add with wet ingredients). In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine meal. Remove. Grind walnuts to a coarse meal. Add coconut, cocoa, stevia (if desired), Salba gel and combine with melted coconut oil. Press down into a 9X13 or 2 8X8 pyrex dishes. Bake for 15 min or so at 350 until slightly browned. Allow to cool.

Make the filling:
Soak 1/2 cup of macadamias or cashews overnight. Drain. Put nuts in a blender with the water, and blend on high, scraping down sides periodically, until smooth. This may take a while! Add in the sweet rice flour.

Cook over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring, until mixture thickens. It should be a good deal thicker than cream, and it will thicken after cooling, too. Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla and coconut oil and refrigerate until cool (30 min or so). Pour onto the base, and freeze until firm.

The chocolate topping:
Melt chocolate and cocoa butter in the microwave or over a double boiler. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk together well. If it’s grainy, you may need to cook a little longer until it dissolves.

Quickly pour onto the base, chill in the freezer.

Once they’re hardened, slice with a sharp knife. Remove from freezer 20-30 min before serving, if you can handle that. (I can’t)

Enjoy.

What can I say? As long as I can have treats like these, I’m happy to keep the originals as a luscious memory.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008. Please do not replicate without crediting/permission.

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Menu Plan Monday, July 14th

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Cheryl Harris

Gluten Free Menu Swap Monday
I love peaches so much that I actually got a peach tree for my birthday last year. This was her first year, so she only had 3 peaches, largely due to my own ignorance in how to care for peach trees. But either way, peaches are the ingredient of the week from the MPM swap, hosted by Natalie at Gluten Free Mommy.

I will have to stick with “plain” peaches, (as if there is such a thing!) since I already went food shopping and we’re heading out of town half way through the week for a conference in Boulder. It seems that Boulder is very GF friendly and I am crossing my fingers and hoping that the stars align and that I get yummy safe food.

Also, this is the Adopt a GF Blogger headquarters for July, AND I am the hostess of Go Ahead Honey, it’s GF–Uncooking edition.

Monday:
Grillin’
Moroccan Kebabs with sweet onions skewers for me and roasted corn (for DH)

Tuesday:
Vegan
Quinoa with a lemony thyme sauce,pine nuts and broccoli and a side of avocado

Wednesday:
Plain and simple:
Roasted turkey with celery in a chestnut sauce
Sauteed onions, garlic and green peppers–my newest obsession

Thursday:
Travel food
Something from my freezer
Canned tuna and carrots and whatever else I can find!

Friday:
Out to dinner

Garden roundup:

From my garden
Tomatoes
garlic
ground cherries
raspberries
blueberries
green peppers
parsley
basil, oregano, thyme, etc.

From the market:
Onions
cherries
peaches
broccoli
cabbage

Baked good of the week:
I made a “whole foods” version of Nanaimo bars, and those will keep me all week, for sure! I’ll post the recipe soon.
Dried cherries: I’m putting my dehydrator to work, which is very new for me.

Posted in menu plan | 4 Comments