Does the trick.

No, I didn't make cookies. I gave up doing that a long time ago. They turn out horrible and I just stuff my face with them. Two very bad things. So I usually just stick to the chocolate bars. "When coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate." On a box of Starbucks Chocolate. That stuff is amazing by the way. The Espresso Dark Chocolate Bar, a personal favorite. But anyways, I do love chocolate and usually eat that but sometimes it just doesn't do the trick. So off to Whole Foods to buy a prepackaged cookie. Last night I had this one by Wow Baking Co. It's pretty amazing! It does have dairy, usually I try to stay away. But the texture is like a real cookie so I give myself a treat. Anyways, it does the trick. This is from a local Seattle company and they do not have them in Colorado. Usually I buy a cookie from the Whole Foods Bakery that they make that is flourless. However, they do not make that at the Seattle ones. I guess that's good that not all stores are exactly the same. So if you're in the Seattle Area try these out! Let me know what you think. Thanks all!

It's a party

And it's graduation time. My brother graduated from high school yesterday. So of course with big events like this come the parties. Well yeah I basically can't eat anything at parties ever so I made my own food. This is "Wonder Cake" from The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook. It's gluten, dairy and sugar free. My brother is currently living sugar free so I wanted to make a treat for him that he can eat. So needless to say the cake turned out pretty well. The texture was moist and fluffy. A little crumbly like all GF things are. Then I made royal frosting in his school colors for people who eat sugar. The weird thing was the recipe called for olive oil and not vegetable oil. I could kind of taste the olive oil and it was kinda gross. So maybe next time I'll make it with just vegetable oil. Anyone have any thoughts?

Wonder Cake
1 egg
1/3 c each honey and molasses (I only used honey)
6 TB olive oil
1 3/4 c rice flour
dash of salt
2 ts cinnamon (I used 3)
2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
1 cup apple juice
1 small apple, chopped
1 small pear, chopped
1/2 c raisins (I used Craisins)

Cream the egg. Blend in honey, molasses and oil. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and soda. On low speed mix in the juice. Stir in the chopped apple, pear, raisins. Pour into a parchment lined 8 or 9 inch cake pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Royal Frosting
1 egg white
1 3/4 c powdered sugar
2 TB water

Mix all together. Add more powdered sugar/water if needed. Can add food coloring.


I also needed to make something with substance to eat for dinner. So what better than quinoa?! I actually had this recipe for lunch at PCC last week. I immediately tried to find the recipe online when I got home. I came up with one pretty close. It's really easy and doesn't call for many crazy ingredients. Remember you can buy some them in the bulk section. Pumpkin seeds, quinoa, pepper. Anyways, the salad turned out really well, my family was impressed. And it's just super healthy and makes you feel good! Oh the perks of being gluten, dairy, meat free!

Aztec Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 or 3 scallions, minced
1-pound can pinto, pink, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaping cup diced canned tomatoes (I used 1 fresh)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c Pumpkin seeds

Optional:
Black olives
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes. When the quinoa is done, remove it from the heat, fluff it with a fork, and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Combine the quinoa with the remaining ingredients and toss well. Also good when served chilled.

Cornmeal Pizza

Pretty sucky weather over here in Seattle. It's June, and it's rainy. I finally braved the rain and went for a run this morning. It actually wasn't that bad. Quite refreshing. But now I'm cold. Even when surrounded in fleece. But last night I made a quite epic pizza. I went to the Bellevue Farmer's Market for the first time this season. There was this amazing toffee. I will get some next time. I was expecting to get all the vegetables for the pizza from the farmer's market. In Fort Collins, the market has any vegetable you could possibly want. But not here. So I only bought onions and scrumptious heirloom tomatoes. I saw the recipe for polenta in one of my cookbooks, "The Gluten-Free Vegan" by Susan O'Brien. I'd never had it before so it's been enticing me for quite a while now. I saw that my mom had cornmeal in the cupboard (I don't have that at home) so it reminded me and motivated me to make it. It was actually really easy. and yummy too. Actually, it didn't really taste like much. If anyone has any suggestions about what herbs to add that would be wonderful! But I'm definitely going to make it again. I think you can buy cornmeal in bulk from Whole Foods.....

Polenta Crust
3 c soy milk
4 c cornmeal

Boil the soy milk, then gradually add in the cornmeal. It should be like really thick oatmeal. I just stopped here and started making 3 inch diameter pizza crusts on a oiled cookie sheet. The recipe said to let it sit on the stove for 20 minutes. I think it would burn and dry out. Then bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Pizza Toppings
Sauce (I had premade from the store)
Cheese (Mozzarella?)
Veggies (Onions, Green Pepper, Tomatoes)
Pineapple (no pizza is complete without)
Meat or protein topping (black beans*)

After crusts have baked for 20 minutes add the toppings and then put back in the oven for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

*I also made sorta of a mexican style pizza (as you can see in my photo). Didn't use any sauce but put black beans, veggies on. It was good of course. Can't go wrong with mexican. So this polenta is very versatile!

Quiche

After a day of driving around in the pouring rain, my mom and I made a GDF quiche. I have the Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour a friend gave me. I hate that stuff. I bought it once to make cookies with. Who the heck turns beans into flour and then puts it in sweets. I swear I'm the only one who can taste it (my gluten friends can't.) I figured it would be fine the crust because it's thin and a fraction of the dish. It did turn out well. And I will probably just use the flour for this from now on.

Crust

1-1/2 c. Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 c. Margarine (I use Earth Balance)

4-5 Tbsp. Plain Soy Milk

From Bob's Red Mill

Filling
1 c vegan cheese
1 c chopped tomatoes
1 c chopped asparagus
1/2 c chopped ham slices
3 eggs
1/2 c plain soy milk
First, make the crust. Combine flour and salt, then cut in margarine using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending, until all ingredients are moist. Using wax paper, place dough onto one sheet, flatten with palm, place another sheet on top and roll out to desired size. Remove the top sheet and invert into pie pan. This made just enough for the pie pan. Not enough the roll the edges over :( Bake this for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. While that is baking cut up the veggies. Beat eggs, add to soy milk. Grate cheese. After crust is baked, put cheese in the bottom, then the egg/milk mix, then put in veggies. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool 5 minutes.

and so I begin!

Hi Everyone! Today starts one of many! I have been wanting to start a blog for a while now. Now, that I'm on summer vacation there is no better time than now. I plan on posting comments about cooking (Gluten and Diary Free, mostly vegetarian too) and on my running and yoga practices! I was inspired by Shauna the "Gluten-Free Girl" and her amazing book. Also by random other blogs I have come across in the last few days that have amazing recipes that inspire me to cook all day. Cheers to more to come!