Category: Food

Food. Eaten. Made. Discussed. All gluten-free.

December 10, 2013

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Korma

Oh lordy. It is winter outside. Complete with that white stuff that covers the ground.

Aside from that meaning that it is officially mitten weather, it also means that it is high season for hearty dinners. Spicy stews. And dishes to keep you warm. Not the shake off the cool edged wind of fall. But to warm you up from the cold that gets all the way to your bones.

To be honest, I am almost glad that pumpkin-filled everything is done for a while. Because it is high time for some cassoulet. And maybe some soup. And a curry or two.

I have been trying to make sure that I spend some time on Sundays making lunches for the week, and when it gets cold things like a dish that reheats and travels well. (I like to win at lunch). This dish is does just that. And if you pack a little fresh cilantro, you can look like you packed a fancy pants takeout meal that is both more delicious and healthier.

I fell in love with Indian food in college. It was part influenced by my best friend, Sid, and part because it is so easy to eat gluten-free. And these days, I do not get to eat it nearly enough. This sweet potato korma is easy to make thanks to purchased korma curry paste and is ready to go in 45 minutes which makes it perfect for weeknight dinners. It is vegetarian and can easily be vegan if you swap out the yogurt for a dairy-free variety or cashew cream.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Korma

Recipe Type: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Author: Mary Fran Wiley

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

An easy, weeknight dinner, this vegetarian korma is perfect to make ahead and pack as work lunches. If you wish to make it vegan, you can swap a non-dairy yogurt or use cashew cream in place of the plain yogurt or sour cream.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes
Olive Oil
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger*
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves picked and stalks reserved
1 fresh red jalapeño or fresno chili, seeds and veins removed
1 heaped tablespoon korma curry paste**
1 14oz can chickpeas
2 1/2 cups boiling water
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup of your favorite long grain rice, I prefer basmati

Instructions

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch chunks and place in a large frying pan over medium heat with a good glug of olive oil (2 tablespoons). Fry them for about 5 minutes, or until they start to turn golden.
While the sweet potatoes cook, peel and finely slice the onion, garlic and ginger. Finely chop the cilantro stalks and mince the chili.
Add all the veggies and the korma paste and cook for another 5-10 minutes and stirring occaisionally. You want to make sure that the onions have softened.
Add the chickpeas, canning liquid and all, to the frying pan along with the boiling water.
Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until thickened.
While the korma is cooking, prepare 1 cup of rice according to the package directions and drink a glass of wine (because you deserve it for cooking on a week night).
When the korma has thickened, stir in the yogurt or sour cream and the lemon juice. Garnish with the cilantro leaves.

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December 8, 2013

Relish 11: Stuffed

Relish is a compendium of things to enjoy greatly and that add a little flavor to your gluten-free life. You know, the holidays are all about the stuffing. Both with the turkey and stuffing your days with joy.

I know, this is a week late. I have been crazy busy. I launched a new website! You can now buy my poster designs from my other blog (and eventually there will be some neat FrannyCakes items there).

November was busy with a trip to the Food Allergy Blogger Conference in Las Vegas, a pair of Friendsgiving celebrations and Thanksgiving. December promises to be equally as busy. I am 19 days into a 100 day countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 over on the Chronic Positivity Project.

I also might have gotten some mighty nice new shoes. November was pretty awesome. It doesn’t take too much to make me happy 🙂

Some grub.

You can find these delicious gluten-free mini pumpkin cinnamon rolls (01) from Sarah Bakes Gluten-Free Treats. They are perfect for holiday breakfasts. Irvin at Eat the Love remade a holiday meal staple, the green bean casserole (02) to be home made and gluten-free. This lovely fudge christmas tree scene (03) is easy to make and gluten-free. And you know I love macarons. These are present-shaped and gingerbread flavored macarons (04).

Little treasures.

I might have ordered these tea towels (01) from gluten-free blogger/design genius Beth at Tasty-Yummies for myself and someone as a gift this year. I also made it possible to order this quote poster (02) from Gfree Foodie KC. This tshirt is a perfect reminder for all you holiday bakers to keep calm and bake on. If you are a bit of a foodie, I would suggest popping over to the GFree Foodie Kickstarter (04) to help her get some more specialized boxes added to her line up.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…

It is time to bust out my recipe for my favorite Christmas cookies, do some shopping and get some homemade gifts made. I can’t believe there are less than 20 days til Christmas!

November 26, 2013

Friendsgiving + Gluten-free Mushroom Stuffing

Udi’s Gluten-Free graciously provided a box of goodies for this year’s friendsgiving celebration.

Friendsgiving is a pretty awesome holiday. Like Thanksgiving, it usually involves a traditional set of dishes like a turkey, cranberry sauce (complete with a debate over whether or not you slice the kind from a can) and stuffing.

It also includes the added bonus of being celebrated with the people you choose to involve in your life, not just the ones that are lucky enough to be your family. Often we do not spend holidays with the people we let in to our lives from outside our families, and Friendsgiving is the perfect time to do this.

There is no stress about who makes better stuffing (um, me!) or if you deviated from the family pumpkin pie recipe. There is plenty of laughter and maybe even a few drinks. A lot of fun and ridiculous stories.

This year, I brought a gluten-free mushroom stuffing, my famous apple & sage gluten-free stuffing and some pretty spectacular gluten-free cupcakes. Mostly, I wanted to eat stuffing. (I would argue that it is the best part of any Thanksgiving feast). So, I have to make it. Then I know that it is gluten-free and safe for me to eat.

(Although, this year my friends were pretty great. Someone bought gluten-free animal crackers and someone else made sure the chips & dips were safe for me to enjoy).

This gluten-free stuffing recipe happens to be vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean it is lacking in the flavor department. A healthy dose of fresh thyme and parsley along with a variety of mushrooms ensure a complex flavor that will satisfy meat eaters and vegetarians alike (as long as you don’t actually stuff it in the bird). Mushrooms + turkey = a match made in heaven. Mushrooms + corn casserole + cranberry sauce = happy vegetarian guests. Mushrooms + gluten-free bread = happy gluten-free you!

This recipe is perfect with Udi’s Gluten-free Multi-Grain bread. It is best if you freeze the bread overnight, as this makes dicing the bread easier. If you don’t have time to freeze the loaf, just tear the slices to keep from smashing the bread.

Gluten-free Mushroom Stuffing

Recipe Type: Side

Cuisine: American

Author: Mary Fran Wiley

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 12

This recipe was adapted from one in the November/December 2011 Jamie Magazine. We have made it at 2 Christmas dinners, 2 Friendsgivings and 1 Thanksgiving. It has become a family standby – it isn’t even in a magazine anymore. That’s how you know it’s good – it is now just a page clipped and saved in a binder.

Ingredients

1 ounce (30 grams) dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) boiling water
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 loaf [url href=”http://udisglutenfree.com/products/whole-grain-bread/”]Udi’s Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Bread[/url], frozen over-night if you can*
2-8 ounce packages (about 450 grams) white, crimini or similar mushrooms, roughly chopped
1-8 ounce package portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
A small bunch of (10-12 stems) thyme, leaves picked and stems discarded
3 bay leaves
1/2 bunch of parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stems discarded

Instructions

Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside.
Grease an 11×13 baking dish with olive oil.
Dice the loaf of bread and set aside.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until translucent and soft, but not yet golden (about 5 minutes).
Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid, and add them along with the other mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme to the skillet. Cook until the mushrooms are softened. At this point, if you are cooking ahead, stop. You want to assemble the stuffing right before putting it in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (if your oven is a little hotter because of other dishes, you can adjust the baking time). While the oven heats, let the mushrooms cool slightly. Remove the bay leaves.
Strain the reserved soaking liquid to remove any grit from the dried mushrooms.
Stir together the mushrooms, the diced gluten-free bread and the parsley. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
Pour the reserved soaking liquid slowly & evenly over the stuffing. You want to moisten the stuffing but not soak it. You may not need all of it (although I always have).
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. You want the bread to start looking nice and golden brown.

Notes

*Freezing the bread makes it easier to cube. If you are using room-temperature bread, it will smush less if you tear it.[br]For added crunch, you can stir in some chopped pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts before baking.

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November 17, 2013

Chica-goin’ out to eat: Gluten-Free at Do-Rite Donuts

I have loved doughnuts my whole life. When I was a kid, my dad always got us doughnuts for the first day of school. Summer swim team got doughnuts at Friday morning practices when we won a meet. Winter swimming meant Saturday morning doughnuts. Even Sunday mornings could mean a douughnut.

I had a few go-to favorites. Chocolate long-johns, Boston Cream, Chocolate snowballs. And their loss was a big one for me. I can make a mean cupcake. But doughnuts are different. They require hot oil if you want to go about making them the traditional way. And while I love gluten-free baked doughnuts, they just don’t have the same effect as perfectly fried yeast dough. (There have been a few times that I put in the effort for gluten-free doughnuts of the fried variety, but they are quite labor intensive).

And then I found Do-Rite Donuts. (I am a little late to the party). They are one of the donut shops that has gained an almost cult following, and one day not too long ago, I hopped off the ‘L’ in the morning and decided to check it out.

I bought a dozen gluten-filled donuts for my coworkers and then ordered one each of that day’s gluten-free flavors. Before I could even ask for the woman working to change her gloves, she had them off. With a fresh pair of gloves, she grabbed tissue out of a separate box and reached into the gluten-free case. I was a wee bit speechless.

They also use a separate fryer and prep for gluten-free doughnuts.

The best part?

The doughnuts were damn delicious. Yeasty, not too heavy. Crispy outside and a soft, lush dough. And then there are the flavors. Every day they have a gluten-free doughnut with Valharona chocolate glaze and a specialty flavor. Now I understand how doughnuts have a cult following. They make a lemon doughnut that is pretty much perfect. The maple bacon, however, blows the rest of them out of the water.

These doughnuts are so good, that I brought my friend Kyra (you know, the pastry chef who won Cupcake Wars three times with gluten-free cupcakes) there early on a Sunday morning. We practically bought them out of all the gluten-free doughnuts in the case – when someone behind us in line asked if they had more in the back and there weren’t any, we left a couple behind so their Sunday voyage from the suburbs wasn’t in vain. (To be honest, we really didn’t want to share.)

The verdict?

Gluten-free doughnuts are a luxury that many of us don’t often get. Making them at home can be a lot of effort and buying them usually results in baked (which are delicious, they just aren’t the same) treats. I hadn’t had a doughnut that was made by someone else since my diagnosis 8 years ago and it was totally worth the wait. Next time you can find some time in downtown Chicago, you need to make getting a doughnut a priority. (And go early, when the doughnuts are gone, they’re gone for the day.)

Do-Rite Donuts
50 W. Randolph Street.
Chicago, IL
312-488-2483

November 1, 2013

Relish 10: the pumpkin spice of life

Time has just been rushing by. 2013 is 5/6 over. That’s kind of crazy. And October is over. The prettiest month of the year. And this October was pretty darn great. There was a wedding where two of my best friends married each other. There was a trip to Dallas to see some of my favoritest ladies ever.

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. – LM Montgomery

I fail at being a vegan.

I tried to do it. I really gave it the old college try. But I could not do a 100% plant-based diet. I made it 3 weeks, sort of. I cheated with pork at Little Goat and a specially ordered gluten-free filet at a dear friend’s wedding.

On to good things.

In the gluten-free world, there was something amazing that I really hope you know about – Erica, from Celiac and the Beast, released her first book. She funded the printing through a kickstarter campaign, and I finally got to hold and see the book. It is dang good. It is laugh out loud funny and brutally honest. I included a picture of the piechart she made at the Dallas GFAF Expo. Go buy your copy now! You can get it from her, for your Kindle, Nook or in iBooks or you can order it from Amazon.

It was lovely seeing all your faces in Dallas (Plano) last weekend where I was with Erica for her book launch, and I can’t wait to see more of you this weekend in Las Vegas for the Food Allergy Blogger Conference. Which is pretty much going to rock.

Oh, and our friends at Taste Guru are making a video. It is going to be pretty bad ass.

Now, let’s talk food.

We all know I love to eat. This month I found some pretty tasty things to try. And while I love pumpkin, it was nice to see such variety this month.

Joy the Baker made a Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Hash (01), which, means she might have made the most epic breakfast ever. (I might love brussels sprouts…and anything that is a “hash”). My dear friend Amy, who I got to see this past weekend, made Skinny Orange Spiced Pumpkin Butter (02). I think it is a perfect use for one of the pumpkins I haven’t cooked yet. It might be from the summer, but this Tokyo Fried Chicken (03) from Gluten-Free Girl is something that I think fits the comfort food requirement for late fall. And this Caramel Apple Popcorn (04) from Irvin at Eat the Love might just be genius.

Get yourself a little something, you deserve it.

It is almost time to do all your holiday shopping, so before you start shopping for everyone else, get yourself a little something. Particularly one of these books I mention…

Seriously, one of my besties wrote the most amazing book about living gluten-free. With just enough fart jokes. (01) My new favorite lipstick is Barcelona from Red Apple Lipstick’s fall collection (02). My favorite summer scarf is from Fashion Able, and I really think this one might be making it’s way to me soon (03)…And did I mention one of my best friends wrote a book? (04)

Let’s do November.

All I know is that it involves Las Vegas, a blue wig and Thanksgiving.

October 15, 2013

Gluten-Free Warm Autumn Salad

I really don’t know how pumpkin became the official squash of Fall. Is it because it is the orangest? Because it was voted most likely to have a kooky face carved into its side? Is it because that’s what Cinderella’s castle was made from? There was hold over from a little bibbity-bobbity-boo?

Pumpkin isn’t the only squash in town, even if it does have some lingering magic power. (Like the power to make the entire world go bananas for a latte that can be ordered with just three letters).

(I even stuffed one of those “other” squash back in the day before I wrote FrannyCakes…)

There are kuri squash and spaghetti squash. Butternut and buttercup squash. Delicata and fairytale pumpkin. And so very many more.

Today, I bring you the humble acorn squash. A green-skinned squash with a yellow-orange flesh, Acorn squash is indigenous to North America and keeps well for several months (so grab some at your local pumpkin farm while the getting is good). It belongs to the same species as zucchini, which makes it more related to summer squashes, even if it is considered a winter squash itself.

This recipe highlights the delicate sweet flavors of the squash, the earthy flavor of the beets and the spice of the fennel. The flavors pop with the addition of pomegranate arils and some fresh herbs.

Gluten-Free Warm Autumn Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Mary Fran Wiley

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 4

This recipe, adapted from Jamie Magazine, is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. It is packed full of seasonal flavors and is a perfect sort of comfort food – hearty and healthy.

Ingredients

salad
1 acorn squash
4 beets
1 red onion
2 fennel bulbs
2 tsp coriander seeds (1 tsp if all you have is ground)
1 small bunch of mint, leaves picked
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 pomegranate
5oz (1 1/4 cups) feta cheese (optional)
dressing
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the acorn squash in half and save the seeds to roast later (like pumpkin seeds). Cut each half into quarters, use a sharp knife to peel the pieces away from their skin and arrange in a roasting tray or sheet pan lined with parchment.
Peel beets with a vegetable peeler and halve (small ones) or quarter (large ones) them. You want your pieces of beet to all be about the same size. Place them in the roasting tray. Cut the onion into sixths and tuck between the other vegetables. Remove the fronds from the fennel (if they came with it) and cut each bulb into sixths. Spread around the roasting tray. Drizzle the vegetables with a little olive oil.
Use a mortar and pestle to crush the coriander with a good pinch (1/4-1/2 teaspoon) sea salt and black pepper. Sprinkle over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Roast for about 40 minutes, tossing the vegetables about halfway through. The onions and fennel should be soft and golden and just starting to caramelize. The beets should be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a jar with an airtight lid and shake until well mixed.
Toss dressing, roasted vegetables, mint, parsley, pomegranate and feta (if using) to serve.

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October 9, 2013

Gluten-Free Kisir with Sorghum

There are a couple of very awesome things about this blog post. First, it is pomegranate season and I can get my hands on the fruit at nearly every grocery store and they aren’t going to break the bank. Heck, even Walgreens has fresh pomegranate arils next to the Naked juices and RedBull.

Second, I finally found an excuse to make whole-grain sorghum. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some quinoa on the regular, and rice is a staple in these parts, but sometimes you really need to try something new.

When I went gluten-free 8 years ago, it was a nerve-wracking, difficult process. There were so many foods with crazy names – back then quinoa wasn’t a culinary buzzword and no one had any idea how to pronounce it. And if you didn’t have a Whole Foods or an ethnic grocery store nearby, you were not going to find it.

But those foods are now routine and ordinary in my diet. I eat buckwheat soba noodles and black bean spaghetti. I get annoyed when Whole Foods tells me they can’t find a local grower of kohlrabi.

Gah. Something happened to me. I became adventurous when it came to safe foods just so that things stay interesting. Which brings me to sorghum. I have used “sweet” sorghum in my gluten-free baking for a few years now. In flour form it isn’t gritty like rice flour or strongly flavored like teff, amaranth or quinoa flours. So, when I stumbled across this bag of whole grain sorghum when I was grocery shopping, I just had to buy it.

I am told the chewy texture is similar to wheat berries or faro, so it is great for salads. It has a mild nutty flavor but none of the bitterness of quinoa. It works well as a substitute for bulgur/cracked wheat in this recipe, and I suspect it would be equally as delicious in other similar dishes.

Combine the nutty sorghum with fresh herbs and pomegranates and you have a delightful salad that is delicious both warm and cold. A perfect dish for in-season pomegranates (yay!) and the wild roller coaster that is a Chicago fall…

Gluten-Free Kisir

Author: Mary Fran Wiley

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 6

Kisir is a Turkish dish typically made from bulgur or cracked wheat, parsley and pomegranate molasses. I made this salad gluten-free by using pearled whole-grain sorghum in place of the bulgur. Sorghum has a texture similar to wheat berries which makes it an excellent choice for this salad. The mild, slightly earthy flavor is the closest of the gluten-free grains in flavor to wheat. The salad can be eaten warm or cold and makes for an excellent alternative to a sandwich for lunch. The time on this recipe looks like a lot, but if you put the grain on to cook and leave the prepping of the rest of ingredients until just before the sorghum is done cooking, you really only have about 15 minutes of active time total. This recipe is adapted from the October 2013 issue of Jamie magazine.

Ingredients

500 grams (3 cups) dry, pearled sorghum*
9 cups water
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 small, sweet pepper or 1/2 of a large sweet pepper, pureed or finely minced**
1/2 red jalapeño pureed or finely minced**
1 tablespoon tahini
1 heaped teaspoon cumin
1 heaped teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pomegranate, seeds removed
2 tomatoes roughly chopped (about 1/2 inch pieces)
1 cucumber chopped in 1/2 inch dice
1 bunch green onions finely sliced
1 bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat combine the water and the sorghum. Generously salt the water (2 large pinches of sea salt is perfect) and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pot leaving the lid slightly askew. Cook the grains for 55-60 minutes.
About 15 minutes before your sorghum is cooked, chop your vegetables and herbs.
When your sorghum is cooked and the water is mostly absorbed- it will be chewier than quinoa or rice – drain any excess water (if there is more than a couple of tablespoons).
Add the pomegranate molasses, sweet pepper, jalapeño, tahini, cumin, black pepper and garlic to the cooked sorghum. Stir for about 10 minutes, making sure that everything is combined well and that the grain is absorbing the flavors.
Now, add about 3/4 of each of the following: pomegranate seeds, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint and parsley. Stir until you have an even distribution.
Use the remaining herbs and vegetables as a garnish when you transfer the salad to a serving dish.

Notes

* Bob’s Red Mill has recently started selling [url href=”http://www.bobsredmill.com/Gluten-Free-Sorghum-Grain.html”]whole grain sorghum[/url] as part of their Grains of Discovery line. I found it at my local whole foods, but you can also get it from a number of online stores such as Amazon and Vitacost.[br][br]** I just finely minced the peppers. It was easier than pureeing them and the dish works just fine that way.

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October 6, 2013

Rose Cupcake Toppers

Does Pinterest get you too? I swear, every time I log in I find some beautiful cake or cupcake that I wish I had the skill to make. I dream about all the intricate piping I would do if I could get my hands to obey. The fondant sculptures I would make if I had a reason.

Well, I think I looked at one too many rose-adorned baked goods, and I might have gotten a wee bit obsessed.

It happens, though, right? Pinterest tricks us into trying things we normally wouldn’t.

I caved to their evil master plan and tried something that was just a little bit out there.

(And no, I am not referring to the Doctor Who/ fez cupcakes I made last month even though “fezzes are cool.“)

Today, I went and made a whole assortment of roses. And then I made cupcakes to put them on.

Embrace your inner child’s love of playdough and sugar, and you will be in the right mindset to make these roses.

So, you want to make the roses

All of the steps are written out below the image, but I wanted to give you a good overview of what was happening at each stage. You don’t need any fancy tools – you could just use your fingers, a rolling pin and a round cookie cutter, but using some of the sculpting tools mentioned will make this process a lot easier. They can also be made with fondant or gum paste, but I used the Wilton dough for these.

Warm up the Shape-N-Amaze (or fondant) by working it with your hands until it is pliable.
Take a small amount of the dough (a #2 in the measuring tray), and roll it into a teardrop shape.
Use a #11 size ball (about 2″) and roll it very thin – 1/16″.
Cut out at least 5 (and up to 13) circles that are slightly larger than the teardrop you made in step one. The number of petals changes the size of the rose.
Thin the top edges of the circles using the large, round sculpting tool.
Start attaching the petals using a little water to help them stick. The bottom might get a little big, so roll it to be thinner and then pinch off the extra at the end.
You can curl the edges of the petals on the outer round to open up the flower and give it a more realistic look.
These will last for several months – so it is perfectly ok to make them up ahead of time.

See? They are pretty easy to make – unlike 90% of the projects you find on Pinterest.

A giveaway

[box type=”info”]While Wilton provided the giveaway for this post, they did not sponsor the post or provide additional compensation. I asked them for product to giveaway after trying it out myself. [/box]

I first got to try the Shape-N-Amaze at BlogHer this summer when Wilton invited me to a fun event at their headquarters. When I was there, they double checked the gluten-free status of the dough. (They track 27 different allergens at Wilton and their customer service is always happy to answer questions about their products).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 1, 2013

Gingered Apricot & Almond Chia Breakfast Parfait

I am the opposite of a morning person and I have the Starbucks habit to prove it. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That you should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

And we all know my penchant for fruity pebbles. And gluten-free doughnuts. And Iced Dirty Soy Chais (my favorite barista calls it a dirty hippie). And, while I don’t suffer from sad desk lunches, I definitely eat sad desk breakfast. A bowl of cereal or granola at my desk while I try to get through my second (or third) cup of coffee.

Those might be some terrible morning habits. Talk about a double crash at 10am. You can do better than that. I can do better than that. Let’s make a pact. Real breakfast.

But we can pretend that it is something else. Like a parfait. A superfood power parfait. I think I could definitely live like this. Plus, the chia seeds give me omega-3s. The ginger is anti-inflammatory. Healthy fats in the almonds help fuel your brain.

Here’s to (almost) desert for breakfast. And for getting the morning started right.

Gingered Apricot & Almond Chia Breakfast Parfait

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Mary Fran Wiley

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 2 hours

Total time: 2 hours 5 mins

Serves: 2

I might be hooked on this chia pudding business.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds
35 grams (1/4 cup) chopped, dried apricots
A handful of dried apricots and roughly chopped or slivered almonds to garnish

Instructions

Whisk together the almond milk, almond butter, agave, ginger and salt so that it is smooth.
Stir in the chia seeds and dried apricots. Chill for about 2 hours, shaking every half hour or so to make sure the chia seeds don’t clump together.
Top with dried apricots and almonds to serve.

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September 30, 2013

Relish 09: Fall in Gluten-Free Love

Just like a Pinot Noir.

September was just about as bonkers as it could have been, but there were no conferences, no travel (at least for me). It was a roller coaster with walks to the lake front, birthdays with friends, a visit from one of my favorite gluten-free ladies, boy drama and the loss of an aunt.

The best parts were the moments where Chicago was just being Chicago. Like the Pinot Noir tasting at Little Goat where we spent an hour learning about the wines and having a great time with the sommolier.

It was the perfect way for summer to end.

That healthy thing.

Yep. At just over a week in to YU30, I am doing OK at this dairy & meat-free thing. I discovered that chia seeds + almond milk make pudding, and I have to say, it makes a mighty nice breakfast. I actually think the not eating meat part is the hardest – I am still seriously craving some bacon.

Yum.

I found some new blogs that I am absolutely in love with this month, apparently being a gluten-free designer is a thing – I think we need to form a club.

Designer/Blogger #1, Meg from Beard and Bonnet. Her food is always beautifully styled and photographed, and it generally makes me hungry. This month, after cutting out dairy and meat, I found myself with a serious pumpkin spice latte craving and she delivered Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Syrup to make vegan PSLs.

Designer/Blogger #2, Beth from Tasty Yummies. I found her blog after going to a design conference in Ohio where her husband was the Emcee/host and then listening to his podcast. Yeah, a long story. But she has lovely photos and a great variety of gluten-free & healthy treats, like this Pumpkin Chai Smoothie (02). Let’s call that winning at breakfast.

Designer/Blogger #3, Sabrina from The Tomato Tart. Ok, she isn’t new to me, but I had to include her (again) because she made this incredible Texas Style Chili (03). It is on my list for one of the first meals I am having when meat is back on the table next month.

And, not a designer, but Jane from the Heritage Cook made these incredible Fully Loaded Green Chili Potato Skins just in time for football season.

Purdy.

My dear friend Kyra wrote a beautiful cookbook (01), you should read my review, then buy it. If you haven’t seen the new collection (02) from Red Apple Lipstick, go check it out and then sign up for their presale. I am kind of obsessed with the new H&M Home line, and I am definitely in need of this apron (03). When I go back to having my own kitchen, I am ordering myself one of these prints that says “People who love to eat are always the best people” (04) from Beth at Tasty-Yummies.

Let’s take a trip

I have a couple of gluten-free events coming up – The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Dallas October 26 & 27. I will be there with Erica from Celiac & the Beast promoting her new book (which is now available for pre-order) and wearing her cool tshirts. I will also be at the Food Allergy Blogger Conference in Las Vegas the following weekend talking about HTML, CSS and some design advice for your blog. There are still tickets available if you haven’t registered yet.

Also, you might have seen me tweet about a trip to India in March – I am going to see my best friend get married, but if you have any tips or advice about traveling to India while gluten-free (or what to get as a wedding gift for someone you once spent 2 hours trying to teach how to make plain pasta), I would love your advice!