Among all of the gluten free blogs, a few blogs stand out as truly extraordinary artistic endeavors that inspire both the newly diagnosed and long term gluten intolerant cooks. One of my favorite blogs has consistently been Karina’s blog over at Gluten Free Goddess ^[1]. Her immensely popular blog is renowned for fabulous recipes centering on fresh, delicious ingredients as well as mouthwatering, gorgeous photos. Unfortunately Karina recently found that ^[2] she has multiple allergies to some of the central ingredients in her culinary experiments, including Cow’s milk, cheese, whey, casein, goat’s milk, eggs (including whites and yolks), chicken, turkey, gluten, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans, lemon, avocado, pineapple, papaya, green beans and kidney beans.. ^[3]All of her readers were equally dismayed, but BytheBay came to the rescue with a brilliant idea for a blog event she titled Cooking for Karina: A Blogging Festival and a Cooking Challenge ^[4]. Our mission? To create delicious, healthful recipes for Karina that did not contain the above allergy inducing ingredients. I went to my local farmer’s market for inspiration and brought home an assortment of fresh, local produce for grilling in my Recipe for Grilled Vegetables. This recipe is deceptively simple but sure to be a hit at any party-private or for a crowd! Using a propane grill makes it about as easy as turning on a burner on your stove, with amazing flavor. You can also try it using a grill pan or broiler on a rack, but I highly recommend a grill. Because Karina is the queen of healthy gluten free desserts (Apple flourless cake ^[5], anyone?) and also often features seasonal fresh fruit, I created a lovely summer fruit salad for her topped with a fresh, sweet, and creamy Cashew Cream. (Almond, Soy, and Dairy Free- but still yummy!) If Maple Syrup is too sweet or high on the glycemic index, Agave syrup may be substituted. Here’s to Karina- no matter what is or isn’t on her plate, she’ll always be a goddess to her readers! Thanks also to BytheBay, for hosting this event!

Grilled Sesame Vegetable Recipe Vegan [6]  Vegetables [7]  American [8]

Ingredients Spice Rub 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp sugar (optional) 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp paprika 1/8 tsp chipotle pepper Vegetables: Zucchini, cleaned, cut in half and cut into horizontal slices (about6 slices per small/med. zucchini) 1 fennel, root and top removed and sliced into slabs 2 portobello mushrooms either sliced or whole 1 lg red pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into strips 1 Chinese eggplant, sliced into rounds or halves Any additional vegetables you like 2-3 tbsp Sesame Oil Directions Once you have sliced the veggies into desired size for grilling, baste the veggies with sesame oil. Combine the spice rub and then sprinkle the vegetables evenly with the mixture. Make sure you season all of the vegetables- and if you have extra veggies, mix up more spices! You can either put these veggies on skewers (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes) or place them straight on the grill. Turn when grill marks are clearly visible and serve heaped up on a big platter. Notes I made a huge feast for the 4th of July and this recipe was one of the most popular things I made. Deceptively simple but the sesame oil and spices combine with a smoky grill to make food that is absolutely yummy. Great for a summer grill party. Vegetarians and Omnivores alike will enjoy this dish!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Modified heavily from a Peanut Butter Planet Recipe Recipe ID:  1093 Added:  July 9, 2007 Last Modified:  July 9, 2007

Organic Farmer’s Market Fruit and Cashew Vanilla Cream Recipe Dessert [9]  Salad [10]  Sauces & Condiments [11]  American [8]

Ingredients Assorted Fresh fruit from farmer’s market (I used plumicots, nectarines, fresh blueberries, fresh strawberries, grapes, etc) Edible flowers (organic, optional) Sprig of fresh mint (optional) Cashew Vanilla Cream: 1 cup cashews 3/4 cup water 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional) Garnish: Freshly ground nutmeg Directions Vanilla Cashew Cream: Soak 1 cup of cashews in 2 cups of water. If you’re in a very warm climate, soak them in your refrigerator. After 8-12 hours, discard the soaking water and rinse the nuts. In a blender, place the nuts and enough fresh water to allow the blender to operate. Blend, gradually adding enough water to achieve a smooth consistency. Yields 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups. (I often halve this recipe and still have some left over for other applications- you only use 1/2 cup cream at most for this recipe) To assemble salad: Collect an assortment of beautiful organic fruits from the farmers market and top with Cashew Vanilla Cream. You can even add edible flowers for garnish! Garnish with fresh mint (Adds a lot of flavor!!) and sprinkle with freshly ground nutmeg. *Cream is also really lovely served with fresh fruit and chocolate fondue as a substitute for whipped cream- dip in chocolate OR cashew cream Notes Version of cream found at http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/whippedcream.html

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Modified from Abbey’s Vegetarian Recipes Recipe ID:  1091 Added:  July 9, 2007 Last Modified:  July 9, 2007