gluten free by nature — dairy, soy and entirely almost sugar free…

It is November, and the past 2 days have been 70 degrees in Colorado.  Contrary to popular belief, it is typical for us to have mild temperatures during the winter months. At over 5000 feet in elevation, being closer to the sun warms us up quite nicely. And snow doesn’t hang around long. Last night we were having scallops for dinner, something we don’t have the chance to eat very often in our land-locked state. I was in the mood for a salad - something on the lighter side. I remembered seeing a recipe in the Sunday paper for scallops with a warm ginger citrus sauce. And it had looked delicious. Here’s my adaptation.  

2 tblsp ghee (clarified butter)
8-10 wild scallops
salt & pepper
1 1/2 Tblsp fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp shallots, minced
juice of 1 organic lemon
juice of one organic orange
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp gluten free dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
2. Melt ghee in saucepan. Saute 2 minutes per side. Set aside in warming drawer of oven.
3. In the same pan, saute ginger, garlic and shallot for 1 minute. Add juices and wine. Using a wooden spoon, (deglaze the pan) scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the bits and pieces and simmer this until liquid is reduced by half - just a few minutes.
4. Whisk in the mustard and olive oil, stirring constantly and bring to simmer. Remove sauce from heat.
5. Place 2 scallops per plate on top of some mixed greens. Drizzle sauce on top. You can add some orange segments or serve alongside another steamed vegetable.

Back in the old days, I would frequently eat this fantastic bulgur wheat dish (that I stumbled across in a Food & Wine issue years ago). I was thinking the other day - in one of my “I really miss that” moments that I could use some kasha and tweak the ingredients a little bit. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It’s not as crunchy as the bulgur wheat dish but it is as satisfying.  Kasha is also known as buckwheat groats. We buy Pocono brand and it is certified both gluten free (from cross-contamination in the field and on equipment) and USDA organic. It is high in fiber, protein and contains all 8 essential amino acids. It is also loaded with calcium, B-complex vitamins and vitamin E.  I personally enjoy this recipe because constitutes a hearty “meal in a dish”.

1/2 small head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound (1 bunch) lacinato kale, sliced in thin ribbons
1/2 cup kasha, rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 red pepper flakes
1 cup water
juice from 1 lemon

1. In a mortar and pestle, combine the chopped garlic and 1 tsp salt. Or you can use a knife and a cutting board to smash the garlic and salt together.
2. Add garlic, onions, kasha, olive oil, saffron, red pepper flakes, water and lemon juice in a deep saucepan or small dutch oven. Stir to mix well.
3. After it is combined and the spices are incorporated, place the kale on top of the kasha mixture.
4. Place a paper towel over the kale, cover the pot and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.

This recipe comes from my mom -   the keeper of family recipes. She’s been making this cake for years. I really love it. It’s one of the things about autumn that I look forward to every year. I’ve changed it up a little bit by adding some pecans in there. But, it tastes great without nuts, too. I used braeburn apples but feel free to try any of the hundreds of apple varieties currently in season. Side note: if you’re using a baking mix that contains xanthan gum you won’t need to add any additional gum. If you are using a plain flour mix, add a scant 1/2 tsp of xanthan or guar gum.

2 cups coarsely chopped apples
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla
1/3 cup liquefied coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine apples, agave, cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl whisk to combine flour, baking soda & powder, salt and pecans (and gum, if using). Set aside.
5. In another bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and coconut oil.
6. Add apple mixture to egg mixture -stir well to combine. Slowly add in flour mixture a bit at at time, ensuring to mix well with each addition. 
7. Transfer batter to pan - it will be quite stiff -  spreading/evening out the batter with a spatula.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

As the weather has started to turn increasingly chilly, I’ve spent Sunday afternoons making soup. That way, I have a healthy prepared meal to eat throughout the week. And I am less tempted to eat tidbits of this and that while I am busy preparing my childrens’ lunches. When the time comes, I have a healthy nutritious soup waiting for me that just needs to be heated up. Wild rice is quite nutritious and is very underutilized, in my opinion. It is rich in protein and B complex vitamins. This warming grain is also a good source of minerals such as magnesium, zinc and phosphorous.  

3 tblsp olive oil
2 carrots, small dice
1 onion, minced
2 stalks celery, small dice
salt & pepper
1 tsp gluten free curry powder
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped fine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 bunch swiss chard
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes - thoroughly drained and pulsed in a food processor

1. Sweat the carrots, onion and celery in a stock pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. About 5-6 minutes. Add salt, pepper and curry powder. Saute an additional 3-4 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and broth. Let simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is just tender.
3. Add the rice, tomato, chard and beans. Let simmer another 5 minutes until just heated through. Serve with a side salad, corn muffins or a slice of gluten free french bread.

Today, I made some hard boiled eggs for my children. They love them. All of a sudden, egg salad  just sounded really good to me for lunch. Instead of the typical sandwich, I used some Napa Cabbage to cradle the salad. This particular variety of cabbage is very mild in comparison to its cousins - which suits this dish perfectly. It reminds me of an endive dish I used to eat every so often in France. Pair it up with a few vegetable sticks and you have a light, healthy lunch that won’t bog you down. 

1 hard boiled egg, mashed with a fork
2 heaping tblsp celery, small-diced
1 1/2 tblsp gluten free mayonnaise
2 cabbage leaves, washed and pat dry
carrot sticks/avocado slices

Yesterday, I was at the supermarket. And I came across some frozen baby food - in the shape of little cupcake molds. That got me thinking. What about a sweet potato souffle baked in a ramekin ?  I thought of adding shredded apple or carrot. But, in the end I decided to stay the course and used sweet potato by itself. Sweet potato is one of the healthiest foods in existence. In addition to being cleansing to the body, these cancer-fighting tubers boast vitamins B(6), C, E. The souffles are great with a side salad or served alongside a piece of fish or chicken.

2 tblsp shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups sweet potato, shredded
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 heaping tblsp all-purpose gluten free flour
pinch cinnamon
2 tblsp coconut milk
2 tsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mince shallot and garlic. Place in a bowl.
3. Add eggs, coconut milk and honey. Whisk to combine. Add the flour. Whisk again.
4. Using the shredder blade on the food processor or a mandoline, shred the sweet potato.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the mixture into oiled ramekins. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake 40 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave oven door closed. Let ramekins set an additional 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and serve. Makes 4 ramekins.

We carved several pumpkins this week. And we had quite a stack of pumpkin seeds by time we were finished. I tried drying them out this year on a really low temperature over a 24 hour period and they came out crispy and crunchy with the perfect hint of salt. In my opinion, the best seeds yet.

4 cups pumpkin seeds
1 tsp salt

1. Soak pumpkin seeds for 4-5 hours in purified water. Drain.
2. Clean, remove and discard the yellow squash strings from the seeds.
3. Transfer the seeds to a bowl. Toss with salt.
4. Spread seeds out on baking tray and preheat oven to 170 degrees or the lowest your oven will allow. In 3 hour increments, turn the oven on and off. Side note: when it came time for the “overnight” shift I turned the oven off and let the seeds sit in there overnight without opening the door. In the morning, I recommenced the on/off procedure. 
5. Follow this regimen for a full 24 hours. Store in an airtight container.