One of the first recipes I tried was Karina’s Vegan Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread recipe. I have never been that appreciative of Irish Soda bread (sorry Bette Hagman), but the Millet-sorghum base in this recipe intrigued me, as well as the inclusion of caraway seed. I never met a caraway seed bread recipe I didn’t like… and this recipe was no exception. I used coconut milk instead of the alternative, and arrowroot starch instead of potato starch. I shaped it, baked it, let it cool (as much as I could bear to wait) and sliced it. Heaven! One of the best quick breads I’ve ever had. It is sweet, yet savory, and each bite is crunchy when toasted yet melts in your mouth at the same time. This will go into my regular rotation!

I also tried Karina’s Vegan Gluten-free English Muffin Recipe. I’m a big fan of any round, yeasty bread product, whether it be Crumpets, English Muffins or buns, and I had high hopes for this recipe. Bette Hagman has spectacular recipes for gluten-free crumpets that I’ve enjoyed for years, and I was hoping Karina could help me make one using sorghum flour as the tasty base. Happily, this recipe did not disappoint in the slightest, even with the substitution of arrowroot starch for the starch flour. The dough was elastic and light, and I knew before I even poured them into the molds that this recipe was going to be a winner. I did make one error when I took them out of the oven- greedily sawing one out of the mold and trying to cut it in half and drizzle it with olive oil right away. Perhaps due to the arrowroot starch, they are delicate and if you rush these beauties by threatening them with a knife right away they may deflate and you may miss out on the optimal light-hole riddled english muffin experience. I found out that if you let them cool entirely and THEN delicately remove them, you can gently saw them in half with no damage to the structure of the muffin. Or if you just can’t wait (understandable, when you smell these lovelies in the oven), you can gently rip them apart (in half, horizontally) without entirely destroying them. These english muffins made me realize I’ve been giving sorghum a bum rap all these years. Just because there are some bad recipes using sorghum doesn’t mean the grain is bad… and these wonderful, faintly nutty, whole-grain flavored muffins are proof. I forced myself to freeze half of the first batch, but happily made another batch the next time sorghum day rolled around. And I’m sorry to say, none of those made it to the freezer. They made an excellent base for a sunbutter and jelly sandwich when I went out for a bachelorette party… and were just as good when i gobbled them with some no-soy margarine and dill. Karina should get a medal for these English Muffins. They are that good. *I also found that if you are greedy like me, you can squeeze 8 muffins out of the recipe. Just be slightly stingy when pouring the batter into your molds.

I also tried one of Karina’s quinoa-based recipes for what she calls a Vegan Breakfast Brownie. I love eating dessert for breakfast, but it is usually a guilty pleasure I don’t share with others. Who, me, eat half a gluten-free apple pie for breakfast? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Honest. But our decadent gluten-free goddess has no such compunctions, brazenly throwing out recipes for brownies that you are SUPPOSED to eat at breakfast time. My heroine. Who could feel guilty about a high protein treat stuffed with quinoa, anyway? I’m sure all that healthy goodness cancels out the chocolate chips, although not in flavor! These breakfast brownies are worthy of the name, and they travel gloriously well. You can also individually wrap them and freeze them. Brilliant! *I take them out of the plastic wrap and either defrost by leaving them out at room temperature or microwave on half-power. Perfect with a steaming Americano!

Of all the recipes I tried from Karina’s site, the only one that didn’t quite work for me was her Vegan gluten-free Herbed Flatbread Recipe. Perhaps the temperature of my liquids was off… but it just didn’t rise and look as lovely as her images. However, since I actually have a vegan gluten-free pizza crust recipe that works for me, I wasn’t too worried about it, especially since every other recipe was a keeper.

The one thing this little experiment taught me is that Karina’s title of “gluten-free goddess” is well deserved. All of us with gluten-intolerance and multiple intolerances can find yummy recipes, inspiration, and a bit of magic over at the Gluten-free Goddess’s Blogspot. What’s your favorite Gluten-free Goddess recipe? Share in the comments!

Recipe Recap:
Gluten-free English Muffins
Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread
Gluten-free Quinoa Breakfast Brownies
Gluten-free Herbed Flatbread

This isn’t the first time I adopted Karina! I also adopted her in 2008 and made her tasty gluten-free Mac-n-Uncheese Recipe.

One big challenge to the dairy-free, soy-free lifestyle is that of a cheesy pizza. Sure, you can make a tomato sauce and just skip the cheese, but it doesn’t have that rich mouth feel or decadence. I’ve played with a variety of solutions to this problem. There are a number of lactose free or dairy free cheeses on the market, including almond, rice, and soy cheeses that are also gluten-free. However, finding a commercial w”cheese” that is truly 100% dairy-free as well as soy-free can be another story. Besides, if you’ve ever tried these cheese “substitutes” you know that they taste almost nothing like real cheese, and often don’t seem to add anything good to a recipe besides the idea of cheese. Luckily vegan cookbooks such as The Uncheese Cookbook have more creative alternatives using a variety of “real” foods as the base for their un-cheese recipes. Some of these recipes use soy (frequently) or gluten (less frequently), but there are many options that do work for a gluten,dairy, and soy-free diet.

However, interestingly one of the most successful soy and dairy-free cheese substitutes I found was not in a vegan cookbook, exactly, but on a related raw foods cookbook. Raw foodists might find it sacrilege, but I used it in a baked lasagna to wonderful effect. This recipe for soy and dairy-free lasagna has been one of the most popular recipes at the Book of Yum because it answers a real need in the food-sensitive community for TASTY cheese substitutes. This recipe came to mind when Mother was visiting us this week. She can eat gluten, but is allergic to soy and dairy, so she doesn’t often have the chance to have “cheesy” dishes. She is also allergic to garlic and avoids tomatoes due to RA. When I decided to make a dairy-free pizza, I thought immediately that I should try using the yummy pine nut sauce on it as the “cheese” base. I was also inspired by the season to roast sweet potato cubes and mushrooms for toppings. I decided to simplify the pine nut recipe a bit and found it was just as good, if not better than the original. It was a big hit with my allergy-sensitive Mom, and the DH and I enjoyed it as well. The combination of pine nut sauce, fresh basil, and roasted vegetables was absolutely addicting. Because I had extra pizza crusts I decided to also make a dairy-free walnut pesto and top it with roasted vegetables as well. Yum! And nobody missed the cheese (or soy) at all.

Looking for a gluten-free pizza crust recipe?
Here’s a fun thin-crust recipe- it doesn’t rise much but makes enough for 6 pizzas that you can enjoy over a week’s time.
And, here’s my personal favorite crust- Carol Fenster’s classic gluten-free Pizza recipe with allergen-free pizza topping recipes

Dairy-Free Soy-Free Pine Nut Cheesy Pizza Main Course  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 1 gluten-free pizza crust Pine Nut “Cheese” (new version) 1/2 cup pine nuts 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. brown rice vinegar 1/4 tsp or less salt 1/8 cup water or more 1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed handful fresh basil leaves, julienned 4 baby portabella mushrooms (between crimini and portabella) 1 red pepper for roasting olive oil salt, pepper Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Soak 1/2 cup pine nuts in enough water to cover for an hour. Then drain, rinse, and blend in food processor with dash of salt, vinegar and water until you have a creamy consistency. Put in small container and reserve, refrigerating. Prepare toppings: Toss sweet potato cubes with dash of olive oil, salt and pepper if you like. Place on baking sheet. Remove stems from mushrooms and rub with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper if you like. Place whole red pepper on baking sheet or on oven rack along with rest of your veggies. Roast for 15 minutes and check your mushrooms. If they seem done, remove mushrooms from oven, dribbling juices over them and letting rest. If not, check mushrooms again in another 5 minutes. After they have rested, you can slice them. Roast sweet potatoes until they are fork tender but not mushy. Roast red pepper (turning occasionally) until sides are all slightly charred. When you take red pepper out of oven, place in freezer safe ziploc bag, seal, and let steam for 10 minutes on counter before removing. Rub off skin with paper or cloth towel, cut in half and de-seed. Slice and/or cut into bite sized pieces and reserve. To assemble your pizza, top with even coating of your pine nut “cheese”. If you have some, you could rub the crust first with a bit of blended sundried tomato and olive oil to give the crust a more attractive golden color that will stand out from the pine nut “cheese”. (I didn’t do that this time, Mom is also sensitive to tomatoes). Sprinkle with julienned basil, roasted sweet potato, mushroom slices and red pepper pieces. Bake following pizza crust instructions. The thin-crust pizza recipe I used requires a short bake time (12 min or less) and so is ideal. For a long baking recipe, you might bake the crust halfway before topping the pizza. Notes My dairy-free, soy-free Mom loved this pizza, and loved the pine nut sauce.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain. Pine nut recipe inspired by (but different from) raw foods recipe. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1335 Added:  December 18, 2008 Last Modified:  December 21, 2008

Walnut Dairy Free Pesto Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 1/2 cup walnuts 2 cups fresh basil leaves sprinkle salt 1/8 cup roasted fresh onions 1/4 cup olive oil Directions Combine ingredients in blender or food processor, drizzling in olive oil as you blend it. Taste and season with more salt or other spices if desired. Enjoy! Notes I used this pesto on a gluten-free pizza crust topped with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, roasted red pepper, roasted onion, and even half roasted chard. Yum yum yum!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1334 Added:  December 15, 2008 Last Modified:  December 18, 2008

What are your favorite gluten-free, vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes? Feel free to include the link and description in this post and I’ll do a roundup as the holidays approach.

Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Apple Mushroom Breadless Stuffing Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1 small pumpkin-type squash A few whole garlic cloves, unpeeled Half of an onion roughly chopped several Sprigs of fresh rosemary olive oil salt, pepper 1 medium onion, chopped 1 portabella mushroom OR 8 crimini mushrooms, chopped 1 peeled apple, chopped in small pieces poultry seasonings (with sage etc.) salt, pepper fresh rosemary sprigs fresh basil leaves, julienned, to taste Vegan Nutritional Yeast Gravy, Cranberry Sauce for Serving Directions Chop and peel small pumpkin squash into small to medium sized (about 1 1/2 inch) chunks. Heat oven to 450 f and place your pumpkin cubes in roasting dish or cookie sheet with a few garlic cloves, chopped onion, and fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 or 40 minutes and reserve, discarding the rosemary and removing the (still unpeeled) garlic cloves. Keep at least two of the roasted garlic cloves for usage in the recipe later. Add some olive oil (less than 1 tbsp.) to a dutch oven or cast iron pan on medium or medium high heat and saute onion until it begins to turn transparent. Toss in mushroom pieces in a single layer, moving onions aside so mushrooms are in direct contact with the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sear mushrooms until golden brown and then turn. When the mushrooms are browned on both sides, you may wish to remove most of the onions and all of the mushrooms from the pan for optimal browning of the apples. If desired, add a touch more olive oil (1 tsp or so) to the pan and heat. Throw in your apple chunks and season with poultry seasoning. Let them brown to taste, turning a few times. Then add your mushrooms, onions, and roasted pumpkin to the pan with the apple pieces. Add extra seasonings and more fresh rosemary. You may wish to add the contents of 2+ of the roasted garlic from the pumpkin roast, but make sure to evenly distribute the contents throughout the dish. Cook for a few more minutes to let the flavors mingle. Then take off the burner and sprinkle with basil, folding into the dish. Serve with Vegetarian gravy and Cranberry sauce on the side.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1308 Added:  October 21, 2008 Last Modified:  October 24, 2008

Nutritional Yeast Gravy Vegan  Sauces & Condiments  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1/4 cup brown rice flour 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp Braggs GF liquid aminos 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp onion granules 1/4 tsp garlic granules (if desired) 1/8 tsp black pepper Directions Heat brown rice flour and nutritional yeast flakes in a dry nonstick frypan on a medium temperature, and let them lightly brown and release their fragrance. Take the pan off the heat and slowly add water, braggs, olive oil and seasonings, whisking continuously until mixture is silky smooth. Return to heat and stir until gravy reaches desired consistency. Notes I serve this gravy every holiday with mashed potatoes and (on thanksgiving) my portabello stuffed acorn squash dish. It’s so easy you can make it anytime, and top brown rice, pasta, baked potatoes or tofu patties. DH enjoys it too, and it’s considerably easier than the typical American gravy made from scratch.

Rating:  10 Original Source:  adapted from vegan vittles Recipe ID:  1059 Added:  April 11, 2007 Last Modified:  November 20, 2011

This week’s gluten-free, soy-free challenge is the CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. One unexpected problem arises when you try to do soy-free and dairy-free baking, especially cookie recipes. Many cookies call for either butter or margarine. Butter contains dairy (although it is low in lactose), and most, if not all margarines contain soy. What to do? You can try to replace the fat with a combination of applesauce and olive or canola oil, but I’ve had mixed success with cooking oil substitutions. Vegetable oil or blends often contain soy ingredients, complicating the issue. However, Alton Brown showed us that shortening makes a perfectly delicious puffy cookie. Why?

“Shortening melts at a higher temperature than butter so it remains solid longer giving the batter time to rise and set before it spreads. Hah. Increasing the ratio of brown to white sugar also creates a more tender cookie.” (Transcript of Alton’s Cookie episode)

When I had to make an allergen-free cookie, I started looking for a good gluten-free cookie recipe using shortening. I like Spectrum Natural’s Organic Shortening without any trans fats and no soy oil. I recently bought Annalise Roberts’ book Gluten-Free Baking Classicsand found her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies using shortening. This recipe was also published in Gourmet magazine, so you can see it too! I used Ener-g Foods egg replacer for the eggs to make it egg free. For those who are severely allergic to soy and can’t even have soy lecithin, Enjoy Life chocolate chips is the perfect (if rather pricey) solution that always wins raves. I shared my GF SF (and EF,DF) cookies with my Celiac SF Bay support group (many of whom have multiple allergies) and they were very popular. My non-GF DH also enjoyed them, although he prefers those made with butter or margarine. I froze the dough in logs at least one day before baking them because I find that the texture improves and they spread out less, although this isn’t so much of a problem with a cookie made with shortening. I then cut them into rounds, toss them in the oven, and have some delicious cookies. This is a good way to prevent an attack of the cookie monster… I have a pretty unlimited hunger for cookies and DH and I WILL eat way more than is good for us if they’re baked and looking all enticing on the counter. One other plus? An egg-free cookie dough tastes darned good even uncooked, and can be used for a homemade gluten-free cookie-dough ice cream. Mmmmm… Just sub in an alternative milk if dairy is an issue. :)

Looking for a pre-made frozen GF cookie dough or GF cookie tips? Read this post!

Here’s a list of my favorite gluten-free, soy-free BAKING INGREDIENTS:

Spectrum Organic Shortening is relatively easy to find in health food stores, and is trans fat free as well as dairy and soy free. It’s an excellent ingredient for baking and has a pleasant, if rather bland flavor. Make sure to boost flavor elements of your recipe, and you may also find it helpful to add high protein ingredients (almond meal, bean flour, or yogurt if not dairy-free) to your recipe to improve texture of final product.

Pam’s for Grilling seems to be the only non-stick cooking spray without that ol’ popular soy lecithin. Make sure to check the label before you buy as the formula could change at any time. I like to use nonstick cooking spray for grilling (especially this variety) and also for bread pans. I usually spray the pan and then dust it with flour or cornmeal before adding the dough and letting the bread rise. DO NOT use this kind of spray on nonstick cooking surfaces like fry pans, as it will ruin your finish. Trusts me on this one.

Mother’s Margarine is actually dairy AND soy-free. The catch? It seems to only be available during Passover. Doh. I suppose you could order it in bulk and then stock up in season… Here’s a detailed article on this margarine. Apparently there was a Passover Margarine Shortage in 2008, and there are rumors that Mother’s Margarine may have discontinued their product. Please share any links you have if you have more information on this…

Coconut oil is another interesting dairy-free, soy-free oil for baking. I haven’t been entirely satisfied with my experiments so far, but I think that this oil is promising and I know many gluten-free bakers who use it successfully. Here’s an intriguing recipe for gluten-free, soy free brownies using coconut oil.

These dairy, soy, and gluten-free chocolate chips have become legendary at our Celiac support group meetings. Turns out soy doesn’t really add anything in terms of FLAVOR to chocolate chips, and these little chocolate chips are delicious for snacking as well as in chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately they are a little pricey. Sigh. I usually buy them at Whole Foods, but you can also buy them online at Allergy Grocery. If you find the price of these chips prohibitive, you can also find chocolate chips for Passover that are both dairy and soy-free.

When I made my recent gluten-free, soy-free eclairs for a friend, I was having trouble getting a nice glaze from the Enjoy Life chocolate chips, so I added some Bakers Unsweetened Baking Chocolate which is ONLY chocolate and contains no soy (or dairy, for that matter). It did help the recipe. This isn’t a good snacking chocolate, but it can be used for chocolate sauces.

Breads from Anna are popular gluten-free, soy-free (DF, EF etc) bread mixes that I haven’t had a chance to try yet…

Namaste Foods is another popular gluten-free mix company with products that are also free of soy, corn, potato, dairy, and nuts. Once you pick your favorites, you can get a good price online through Amazon (below).

Share any GF cookie baking tips OR your favorite soy-free products in the comments!

Coming Soon Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Living Challenge #2 Chinese Stir Fries without SOY SAUCE but with LOTS OF FLAVOR!

For now, check out Soy-free recipes at the Book of Yum
Cool gluten-free, soy-free (and other allergen-free ) recipes at Elanas Pantry
Soy-free recipes at Gluten-Free Goodness
and
Recipes at the Gluten-Free Soy-Free Vegan
Soy-Free Gluten-Free recipes at Cindalous Kitchen Blues*note margarine, and substitute accordingly

Have any other favorite gluten-free, soy-free blogs? Tell me and I’ll add them to the list!

*Don’t forget to Adopt-a-gluten-free-blogger! Deadline: Sep 8!

Below you can see the step-by-step guide to making the vegan dough. The crust is very delicate so if you just try to roll it out and shape it, it is prone to cracking. BUT, if you follow my super-sneaky steps, you can make perfectly smooth and lovely samosas! This trick would work for any gluten-free pastry dough. Chebe with the typican non-vegan ingredients is easier to work with, and also nice, with a sweet and salty “white flour” flavor. But if only whole-grain and vegan will do for you, I recommend my tasty brown rice and teff flour pastry. Enjoy!

Vegan Dough

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Vegan Baked Indian Samosa Recipe Main Course  Alternative Grains  Potatoes  Indian

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups Rebecca Reilly’s Brown Rice Baking Mix* 1/2 cup teff flour (or other whole grain brown flour) 1 tsp. xanthan gum 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp. of spectrum shortening 2 tbsp. GF Margarine 5 tbsp. of water Filling: 1/2 batch of Potato Samosa Filling Dairy-free milk or nonstick cooking spray Rebecca Reilly’s Baking Mix: 1 cup brown rice flour 1/3 cup potato starch 1/6 cup tapioca starch Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (Paper is optional, but it does make them easier to remove!) Whir the dry ingredients together in a food processor and then add the liquid ingredients. Let it combine together for a few minutes and then take off the lid. The dough won’t have come together in a ball on its own, but see if it clumps together nicely when you squeeze it into a clump with your hand. If not, add a little more shortening or water until you get a workable texture. *Make sure to check out blog post for step-by-step photos of the next steps* Take the dough out of the processor and shape six to eight balls and place them in a bowl. You can either roll out each dough circle with a rolling pin, OR (and this is my preference) use a tortilla press. Either way, take a freezer safe gallon ziploc bag and cut out the sides. If you’ll be using a tortilla press, cut it around the edges (keeping it a square) to make it fit the press. Make your dough into eight to ten balls- big enough to make one small tortilla shaped round of dough. Press or roll out one circle of dough. DO NOT remove it from the ziploc bag. The dough is delicate and will require careful handling, but I have a trick for dealing with it and creating beautiful samosas. Peel off the top half of the ziploc bag, leaving the bottom of the round still attached to the bag. Pick it up in your left hand (if right handed) UNDERNEATH the bag (so you are not actually touching any dough. Curve the Bag GENTLY so the dough is shaped almost like a fried, curved taco. DO NOT remove it from the bag yet! Take a large spoon and put a spoonful of filling inside the “taco” in the center and then gently continue folding over the dough to complete the samosa shape. Press the edges of the samosa together (through the ziploc) and then CAREFULLY begin peeling off the ziploc side, now wrapped around the samosa. Continue crimping as necessary (the middle part is the hardest.) You can now carefully move the sealed samosa to your baking sheet. Don’t move it around, though! Make all the rest of your samosas, following the same procedure. Just re-use that same ziploc bag for the whole batch! In fact, if you’re making a second batch or the Chebe you can use it for those two, but once you use it for Chebe (with egg!) it must be thrown out after use. Cut some cute little lines into the dough to let the steam come out. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake the samosas for 20-25 minutes or until they look golden brown and the bottom is medium golden brown. Turn over the samosas and bake them for five more minutes or until they look (and taste) as crunchy as you want. Serve with yogurt or cucumber raita if you want to be fancy. Notes See step-by-step instructional photos in blog post

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission or I will have to send Ra and his minions after you. Recipe ID:  1280 Added:  August 13, 2008 Last Modified:  August 20, 2008

Non-Vegan Chebe Version (easy-to-handle)

Baked Chebe Samosa Recipe Main Course  Alternative Grains  Potatoes  Indian

Ingredients 1 7.5-ounce package Chebe All-Purpose Gluten-Free Bread Mix 2 large eggs 2 tbsp oil or softened margarine 5 tbsp milk, liquid milk substitute, or water 1/2 batch of Potato Samosa Filling (recipe below) Non-stick cooking spray Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine bread mix, eggs, oil, and milk together in a medium to large bowl. Mix with a large spoon and then your hands, beginning to knead the ingredients together until you can form a ball of dough. Knead it until it seems firm and pliant. Then separate it into smaller balls- big enough to make one small tortilla shaped round of dough- and place them in a bowl. Cover them with a damp towel. You can either roll out each dough circle with a rolling pin, OR (and this is my preference) use a tortilla press. Either way, take a freezer safe gallon ziploc bag and cut out the sides. If you’ll be using a tortilla press, cut it around the edges (keeping it a square) to make it fit the press. Press or roll out one circle of dough. Place a square of filling in the center of the dough circle and fold over all three sides to make a triangle shape. Place on baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Crust inspired by By the Bay Perogies Recipe ID:  1282 Added:  August 17, 2008 Last Modified:  August 17, 2008

Vegan Potato filling, enough for two recipes:

Vegetarian Potato Spinach Samosa Filling Recipe Main Course  Potatoes  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (mustard or peanut is good) 3/4 tsp. whole coriander seeds 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 medium onion, minced 1 in. ginger, peeled and minced 1/2 or 1 green serrano chili, minced 1 tbsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. paprika OR cayenne pepper (paprika for those who prefer it mild) 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1 scant bunch spinach leaves (maybe 3/4 of the leaves), rinsed, chopped, and drained 2 very large potatoes (baking monsters) OR 3 large potatoes, boiled and peeled 1/2 cup cooked green peas 1/2 or 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped Directions Heat oil in a nice cast iron pan or wok on medium and add your coriander and cumin seeds. As they start to brown, throw in your onions and lower the temperature if needed. Allow them to slowly caramelize, stirring occasionally. This may take up to fifteen minutes, but I only took about ten minutes on my super-fast ceramic stovetop. Then add the ginger and chilies and let them cook for a minute or so, adding the coriander, paprika (or cayenne) and turmeric. Let the spices heat, releasing fragrance, and then add the spinach, letting it wilt. Fold in the spinach and crumble the potatoes into the pan. Add salt, mix, and then gently fold in the peas and cilantro. Enjoy as filling in your favorite samosa dough or with rice or GF flatbread. Yum!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Adapted from The Bombay Cafe, with my own variations. Recipe ID:  1281 Added:  August 13, 2008 Last Modified:  February 23, 2009

I loved all the savory dishes, but dessert time was especially fun, as we had all sorts of exotic fare from gluten-free cream puffs to allergy-free (egg-free, bean-free, soy-free, dairy-free etc) chocolate wacky cake and an absolutely divine allergy-free brandied apple cake. I was ecstatic over the cream puffs, as I’d only had them once before (in my life!) and I wasn’t the only one. I think everyone enjoyed them. The only problem with fluffy bread bits filled with ooey, gooey custard filling and topped with luscious chocolate frosting? You end up wearing as much filling and frosting as you ate- or maybe that’s just me. You can see the big ol’ mess I made on the left. But the recipe, the recipe was divine, and I was so thrilled that one of our members went to all the trouble to make them. Hurrah for ambitious gluten-free bakers! The recipe was based on Melonie Katz’ recipe for cream puffs from the SillyYaks message board through Yahoo, and then variations of filling recipes found online. I’m eager to make them myself. I will be contacting Melonie to see if she’ll let me share them with you on here. I’ll test the recipe with my own luxurious filling, and hopefully you’ll be seeing my version at the Book of Yum soon. In the meantime, feast your eyes on them above.

But I also really appreciated the allergy-friendly recipe for brandied apple cake that our master bakers, V and H, brought to the party. This allergen-free (but not taste-free) cake was gobbled up by those with special allergies as well as by the simply gluten-free folks. As one of our party commented “I think I like cakes with brandy.” Me too! This is my version of V and H’s excellent recipe. I would like to do some experiments in the future- maybe add a little more liquid ingredients (one half cup applesauce?) in addition to my dry brandied apples. Also a teaspoon or two of xanthan gum might make it less crumbly. Quinoa adds its own stamp to this cake, but you could also try it without for a lighter flavor. I have to admit, the powdered sugar V and H added really took it to a whole new level. Too bad we didn’t have any powdered sugar in the house… but that shouldn’t stop you from adding some. Trust me, it’s worth the sugar guilt. I would strongly recommend you visit V and H’s GF Recipe Web Page to check out their tasty recipes- there are tons of yummy gems in there, including their Simply Amazing Easy Cranberry Pie Recipe that I blogged about in October.

Isn’t it wonderful having gluten-free friends with such great kitchen voodoo? :) The meals I enjoy at these support group potlucks are always worlds better than most restaurant offerings- and certainly there’s way more variety and imagination present! If you haven’t tried joining a gluten-free support group, why not look into it? You may find, as I did, that there’s a whole community right outside your door that can understand better than anyone else the joys of GF online shopping, the best and worst of the latest gluten free products, and the highs and lows of the gluten-free lifestyle.

Vegan Brandied Apple Spice Cake Recipe Dessert  Alternative Grains  European

Ingredients 1 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup tapioca starch 1/4 cup sweet rice flour 1/4 cup quinoa flour (or teff) 1 generous tsp. baking soda 1 generous tsp. baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/2 cup vegan margarine like Earth Balance 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup brandied apples- recipe below (may substitute applesauce but the texture will be different) 1 cup raisins Directions Prepare 8*8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or by greasing with vegan margarine. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flours and baking powder and baking soda with spices in a medium size bowl. Cream margarine and brown sugar together in a mixer and then add flour mixture, brandied apples, and raisins to the bowl. Turn the mixer on and let the apples get chopped up a bit by the mixer. Place the (stiff) batter in your baking tin and bake in your pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. (I was out so left it off.) How to make 1 1/2 cup brandied apples: 5 medium (green?) apples, peeled and thinly sliced several healthy slugs of brandy generous sprinkles of ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp high quality vanilla plenty of brown sugar Add your apple slices to a cast iron pan and heat, mixing slugs of brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a healthy layer of brown sugar. When the apple slices brown you can turn them over and if you like, add more brandy and brown sugar. Cook until the apples are tender, and remove from stove. Place in glass jar, cool, and reserve (or use right away in a recipe). There may be more than 1 1/2 cups apple slices after cooking- don’t worry, just use them in another recipe, like on ice cream or in a mini tart. (mmm, mini tart.) Notes My version of this recipe is tasty but not especially moist. (Although in a way that makes it tasty- like a bar cookie!) Next time I might try: an extra 1/4 or 1/2 cup applesauce (or yogurt if dairy or soy is not an issue) 1 or 2 tsp xanthan gum

Rating:  7 Original Source:  My Variation of Vic and Hallie’s Recipe- my own original flour blend, my proportions of apples, and take on seasonings. Recipe ID:  1269 Added:  August 7, 2008 Last Modified:  August 7, 2008

Sweet Lime Soda Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 1 1⁄2 tbsp. or more freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tbsp. or more simple syrup (equal amounts of sugar and water, boiled together and let cool) 3⁄4 cup soda water Lime slice Directions Put your lime juice and soda water in a tall, clear glass. Add simple syrup, mix, and taste. Add more simple syrup to taste. Garnish with a lime. Enjoy! If you like you can add ice, but we were generally skeptical of the water used for ice in India so enjoyed ours at room temperature or cooled, if the soda water had been refrigerated.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from Saveur magazine but modified by our observation in India. Recipe ID:  1169 Added:  January 4, 2008 Last Modified:  January 4, 2008

Pesto Grilled Veggie Pizza- one on Chebe crust (front) and the other slice (back) on Carol’s crust…

And now- for the recipes! One of the most interesting recipes that I made for this potluck was a totally allergen-free sundried tomato pizza. As you may know, I have been happily using Carol Fenster’s pizza recipe, available at her Savory Palate web site and in many of her books, for a very long time. I have developed some special tricks for working with the dough over the years that I really wanted to share it with you, but since I don’t publish recipes by gluten-free cookbook authors without permisison, I emailed Carol Fenster for permission to reprint a modified version of the recipe. She graciously gave permission, so you can see the recipe below, modified to be dairy free and vegetarian and including my dough tricks. Carol recently released Gluten-Free Quick & Easy: From Prep to Plate Without the Fuss. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure it’s full of great recipes just like her others. Two of my favorite gluten-free recipes ever have come from Carol Fenster- her pizza crust and her equally yummy flatbread. I also like her recipes for their flexibility with flours- if you have multiple flour allergies besides gluten, you can easily adjust her master flour blends to accommodate those intolerances, with excellent results. So, if you haven’t tried any of Carol’s recipes yet- I hope you will, and if you’re a long term fan like many of us, I hope you’ll take this chance to check out her new cookbook!

For another grilled veggie pizza, see my post on The Best Gluten-Free Pizza ever.

Adapted Carol Fenster’s Pizza Crust Recipe Alternative Grains  Italian

Ingredients 1 tablespoon dry yeast 2/3 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour 2 teaspoons xanthan gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning OR “pasta seasoning” mix like Trader Joe’s 2/3 cup warm non-dairy milk (110) (rice etc.) 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put a pizza stone on the bottom rack, leaving the main rack free. Combine dry ingredients in your mixer, including yeast. Then add the liquid ingredients slowly and beat the ingredients for two minutes. If the dough bounces around the mixer, it’s too dry, so add extra liquid a little at a time until it will mix smoothly. Prepare a pizza pan by greasing it either with nonstick baking spray (NO FLOUR VARIETY) or grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil. Next, take your mixed dough and either split it for two mini pizzas or use it for one large pizza. throw your dough on the pizza pan (rectangular pan for two, round for one) and take a freezer-quality ziploc bag. Either spray with nonstick baking spray OR grease with a little olive oil. Put your hand inside the bag and use it to spread the dough out into a pizza shape, giving the dough a little rim around the edge to hold the toppings. Bake for ten minutes and then remove from the oven. I like to baste the crust in oil from sundried tomato pesto. Cover the pizza with your desired toppings and then move the pizza stone to the middle rack and put your covered pizza on the pizza stone and bake it for at least ten minutes or until the pizza is done. Notes THIS PHOTO SHOWS THE HALF-BAKED DOUGH BEFORE THE second-baking on the pizza stone. After baking the second time, especially after pesto basting, the dough turns golden brown. The pizza stone really makes the dough nice and crispy so I highly, highly recommend one!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Based on Carol Fenster’s Pizza Recipe at Savory Palate. Please do not replicate this recipe anywhere without BOTH Of our permission. Recipe ID:  1230 Added:  May 15, 2008 Last Modified:  June 7, 2009

Slow Roasted Tomato Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 2 lbs or more of your favorite medium sized tomato high quality olive oil sea salt pepper a dash of sugar Chili flakes or any other desired seasoning (not too many, though- you want the tomato flavor to be central!) Directions Preheat oven to 200F Slice your tomatoes and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, ground pepper, and a teeny amount of sugar. Space the tomatoes out evenly on a dark baking pan (or whatever you have). Bake for an hour and a half and then raise temperature to 225f or 250f, and bake for at least another 45 minutes. Your tomatoes should have shrunk somewhat but still be slightly moist. Remember, you’re not making sundried tomatoes, but intensifying and condensing the flavor. Notes Yummy yummy! Great for using in all kinds of recipes!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Based on I Heart Farms recipe Recipe ID:  1231 Added:  May 15, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008

Dairy-free, Nut-free Vegan Sundried Tomato Pesto Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 8 or more high quality sundried tomatoes (fresh packed) 4 slow roasted tomatoes 1-2 slow roasted garlic cloves 1/8 cup high quality olive oil freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper Directions Soak your sundried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minute or so and then drain. Combine all ingredients in your food processor. Blend and taste. Adjust seasonings, add more olive oil if desired. Notes The great thing about this recipe is that you can use it for pasta too! Here the pesto is pictured with some Glutino corn pasta with grilled veggies and a touch of marinara. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1228 Added:  May 10, 2008 Last Modified:  May 16, 2008

Dairy Free Basil Pesto Recipe for Pizza or Pasta Main Course  Sauces & Condiments  American

Ingredients 2 cups basil leaves, destemmed, and packed tightly 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (*Edited to have more nuts) 1/6 cup rice wine or cider vinegar 1/8 cup water 1/6 cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 2 cloves roasted garlic (bake with other dishes in the oven or use raw if you like) 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper Your favorite gluten-free pizza recipe (from mix, scratch (carol fenster) or pre-made) Directions Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender through the garlic, and pulse until ingredients are combined and chopped. Add olive oil in a steady stream with the machine on until you form a nice pesto paste. Scrape out pesto into a bowl and reserve. Notes Reserve one or two tablespoons of pesto for other recipes like my buckwheat grit pesto fries! You can use it for pizza: Prepare your gluten-free pizza according to recipe and top with pesto. Add any other ingredients you like (olives? artichoke hearts? portabella mushroom slices?) and bake according to instructions. (Usually 10-15 minutes). Slice and enjoy! Or for pasta: Combine with gluten-free pasta, grilled veggies and plenty of pesto. Yum!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  modified version of this recipe: http://www.bookofyum.com/recipes/showrecipe.php?recipe=1024 Recipe ID:  1208 Added:  March 16, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008

Gluten-Free Grilled Vegetable Pizza Recipe *Dairy Optional* Main Course  Vegetables  Italian

Ingredients 1/2 recipe dairy-free, nut free sundried tomato pesto (recipe in files) Enough slow roasted tomato slices to cover your pizza (recipe in files) High Quality Organic marinara sauce 1 whole portobello mushroom 1/2 red pepper Several creamy white potatoes 1 zucchini, sliced horizontally 1/2 red onion, sliced olive oil Pasta seasoning blend, salt, pepper to taste 1 recipe Carol Fenster brown rice pizza crust (can be made with rice milk for dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free) *OPTIONAL* equal amounts of grated romano and mozarella cheese Directions Assemble pesto, slow roasted tomato slices, and marinara sauce and reserve. Season some olive oil with your pasta seasoning mix (or italian seasoning mix) as well as salt and pepper, and baste your whole mushroom and red pepper, zucchini, red onion, and potatoes. (Actually, I threw the potatoes in with the tomatoes while I was roasting them and then grilled them after they were mostly baked.) Grill your vegetables and then reserve them for the pizza. Bake pizza crust for ten minutes and then top with pesto, slow-roasted tomato slices. Fill in the holes with marinara sauce. Top with grilled veggies and cheese, if you like, but this pizza was designed to be delicious without cheese. Bake for another ten or fifteen minutes on a pizza stone and enjoy!

Additional Pictures

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1229 Added:  May 10, 2008 Last Modified:  May 15, 2008