Almond Cake

3 cups almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
6oz container of vanilla cultured coconut milk ("yogurt")
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sliced honey roasted almonds

1) Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2) In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar together using a hand blender on medium speed until creamy consistency is achieved. Thoroughly combine applesauce, cultured coconut milk and vanilla with the egg mixture. Add to almond meal and mix to create batter.
3) Lightly spray a 9" round cake pan (or springform pan) with baking spray. Add batter and top with sliced honey roasted almonds. Bake for 30 minutes.

Review: This recipe uses maple sugar, which Trader Joe's used to carry at an affordable price. However, they no longer carry it and Whole Foods sold it for about $16. Eesh. I read online that I could substitute the entire amount with maple syrup, or just add some maple extract to regular sugar. I didn't have maple extract and figured maple syrup wouldn't work in a cake. So, I used 3/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup maple syrup. My cake sunk in the middle and was moistly dense. I think it would have been more cake-like if I'd just skipped the maple component (not like I tasted it anyway!). This was a big hit with the family. It wasn't very gritty and had a wonderful almond flavor.

Adapted from:
http://www.traderjoes.com/Recipes/recipe/174

Holiday Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups frozen chopped kale
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs honey
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup mint, fresh
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

1) Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the water is gone and quinoa is cooked (about 12-15 minutes).
2) Add frozen kale to still warm quinoa and mix, allowing the kale to fully defrost. Set aside to cool.
3) In a food processor, add cranberries, pistachios, mint, olive oil and honey. Pulse until chopped into medium sized chunks.
4) In a large bowl, mix the contents of the saucepan and food processor. Add pomegranate arils and mix gently. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Review: A similar recipe was circulating the internet/pinterest/facebook and my mother-in-law sent it to me. I tried it and thought it was tasty, but there were too many competing flavors. I tweaked it and focused on the colors being only red and green so I could serve it for Christmas. This was a much better flavor combination and was liked by many. It was super easy and quick to make (I also made stuffing and a pie). It's sweet and tangy, and a lot healthier than most holiday fare!

Adapted from:
http://familyspice.com/recipes/recipe/?recipe_id=570

Blueberry-Lavender Lemonade Popsicles

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp culinary lavender
1 1/4 cups water, divided
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1) Bring sugar, lavender and 1/4 cup water to boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep for at least 30 minutes.
2) Combine remaining water with lemon juice. Strain lavender from sugar syrup. Add syrup to lemon water and mix well.
3) Evenly distribute into popsicle molds, filling each 3/4 full. Drop several blueberries into each mold, until the liquid reaches the top. Insert sticks and freeze for at least 8 hours.

Review: Of course, the picture that accompanied this recipe had blueberries distributed throughout the entire popsicle - defying the laws of physics. Luckily, the blueberries seem to be just decorations since the lavender lemonade was so tasty it didn't need the blueberries! I adore this recipe and am going to quickly eat up all 7 (Mike broke one of the molds) popsicles!

Adapted from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/popsicle-recipes?page=4

Spiced Honey Cake

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
3/8 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbs vegan butter, melted
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs chopped candied ginger
confectioners' sugar, optional

1) In a medium bowl, add the flour and dust the Xanthan gum on top. Whisk until blended. Add remaining dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer, beat the ingredients to mix thoroughly and aerate the flour. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, beat the yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until pale. Mix in honey and butter until smooth. Reduce speed to low; add half of flour mixture, then milk, then remaining flour mixture.
3) In a clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites.
4) Allow the batter to rest (10 to 15 minutes) to allow the starches and Xanthan gum to fully hydrate. This is a good time to turn the oven on to preheat. Once the batter has rested, mix in the candied ginger. Allowing the batter to rest before mixing in the ginger helps prevent the ginger from sinking to the bottom while baking.
5) Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake until center is 210F, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of pan and let cool completely. Sift confectioners' sugar over top just before serving, if desired.

Review: This was a recipe that I altered to make gluten-free, with the assistance of King Arthur Flour's blog. The class I took last weekend was really helpful in teaching me about baking the gluten-free way. Unfortunately, the class also taught me that homemade gluten-free baked goods have a short shelf life, as they quickly dry out and start crumbling after just a day or two. They recommended their cake enhancer (a natural preservative), which I bought, but forgot to add into this recipe!! Looks like I'll be casting this off on my coworkers tomorrow!

Overall, I'm amazed. I can't believe I successfully pulled this off. It's moist (though dense) and cakey. It's spicy and full of ginger (it didn't all sink to the bottom!!!). It's beautiful and tasty!!!

Sauteed Cauliflower & Apples With Pecans

1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 red apple (such as Fuji or Braeburn), thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs vegan butter/margarine/butter

1) Toast pecans in a small saute pan, over low heat. Toss until evenly toasted and aromatic. Be careful not to burn the pecans.
2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the thyme and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more, though the apples will need to be added 1 to 2 minutes before the cauliflower is done. Stir in the butter and sprinkle with the pecans.

Review: This is another one of those times where I ended up making a side dish as a main dish. It wasn't very filling, but would be awesome as a side. Notably, in the picture you can see my apples are mushy. The recipe asked for the apples to cook for the full 8 to 10 minutes with the cauliflower. I tweaked the recipe to say 1 to 2 minutes, which I believe will be sufficient.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cauliflower-apples-pecans

King Arthur Flour

I took a baking class at King Arthur Flour today. It was a great excuse to have a romantic getaway with my husband. We stayed at a quaint inn last night. We had dinner across the street, where I had a gluten free veggie burger, topped with tomato, pickled onion and a lettuce leaf bun. Plus, handmade potato chips. So yummy!!

So, here's the highlights of the baking class:

Here's the King Arthur Flour store/cafe/baking education center

 A close up of the baking education center

This is a view of my classroom - I got a seat in the front row!

Mike and I had fun with the cutouts

I made a loaf of bread, though I couldn't eat it due to the milk and butter

 Mike said it was tasty, though

I also made a pizza crust, but before I remembered my need for a photo, we'd already eaten it for lunch!

Zesty Broccoli & Lentil Quinoa

1 cup steamed broccoli
2 cups cooked lentils
4 cups cooked quinoa
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Tessemae's Zesty Ranch dressing

1) Combine broccoli, lentils, quinoa and parsley in a large bowl.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic and zesty ranch dressing.
3) Pour dressing over the vegetable/quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Serve warm, at room temp or chilled.

Review: I made this upon waking, so that it would be chilled before a family party this afternoon. It was fairly quick and easy to make. Except for one thing. This special, vegan ranch dressing is largely comprised of olive oil - which hardens in the fridge. I had to run the bottle under hot water and shake vigorously to thaw it. I wasn't counting on that happening, as I'm so accustomed to traditional ranches. For serving later, I'll need to keep the bottle out for awhile before dinner is served. It smelled amazing and gave the salad a phenomenal taste. This may become a staple dish in our house!

Adapted from:
http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/2013/09/zesty-broccoli-lentils-quinoa/