Cleanse | Detox Your Body, Reduce Inflammation, Heal the Gut

Are you ready to start off the new year with a healthy detoxifying cleanse?  Cleansing the body of toxins, giving the organs a break, letting the gut heal from damage, reducing inflammation in the body, clearing up the skin, getting rid of bad habits, and weight loss are all benefits of cleansing.  I am following the Wholeliving 28-Day Mind and Body Challenge as a guide for my cleanse.  Wholeliving offers wonderful recipes, daily support emails, and weekly menus with delicious recipes.  Here on my blog, I will be writing about my cleanse experience and provide further recipe ideas and commentary.  You can access the Wholeliving Challenge here: http://www.wholeliving.com/152870/2012-whole-living-action-plan

Check back in daily and please chime in on my facebook (Elizabeth Kaplan – Gluten Free) or blog with recipes, ideas, struggles, questions.

In Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen, author Elizabeth Kaplan utilizes her abundance of culinary education credentials and sincere care throughout her cookbook on each and every page to give us a variety of family-friendly gluten-free recipes. You can enjoy her well thought out personal recipes in a box form her own Gluten Free company, The Pure Pantry.

Elizabeth has a flair for developing recipes and cooking. She has a real eye for capturing “the moment”; the book is full of captivating still photography that invites you into her world, her family, and her kitchen.

I was pleasantly surprised at the range of recipes this book offers with a full chapter devoted to one of my favorite meals, breakfast. She presents so many ideas she makes breakfast fun all over again.

I tried out the recipes for Quick Cranberry Nut Coffee Cake, Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup, Asparagus and Leek Risotto, Sticky Toffee Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce, and they all turned out absolutely delicious!

In my estimation, this book is one of the finest gluten-free cookbooks available. I also can not say enough about a woman who can run a family, run a company and write her own book.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

In our home we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas.  It makes for a very busy December, as you can imagine!  Although I did not grow up celebrating Hanukkah, I have enjoyed learning all the traditional recipes.  And, of course, adding my own twist to the holiday, I’ve created some recipes that are different than the traditional ones I’ve learned from my Jewsish friends and family members.  I hope you enjoy the recipes and have a warm and joyful holiday.

Eight Nights of Hanukkah | Gluten-free Latkes — Potato Pancakes

Here is my gluten-free recipe for Latkes, or Potato Pancakes.  They are so delicious — be prepared to serve seconds!

http://thepurepantry.com/recipes/side-dishes/gluten-free-potato-latkes-potato-pancakes/

Twelve Days of Christmas | Day 12 | Chocolate Raspberry Mini Cupcakes

Chocolate Raspberry Mini Cupcakes

Gluten-free/Dairy-free Options

Makes 60 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

1 package gluten-free Dark Chocolate Cake mix from The Pure Pantry

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup hot water

Filling

2/3 cup raspberry jam

Ganache and Garnish

6 oz dark chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup whipping cream or for dairy-free option, use So-delicious coconut creamer

1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored liqueur, such as Chambord

Fresh raspberries for garnish

White chocolate snowflakes (1/2 cup white chocolate chips) optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place miniature paper baking cup in each of 60 mini muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed package using two eggs, ½ cup oil and 1 cup hot water.  Fill muffin cups three-fourths full (about 1 heaping tablespoon batter each).

2. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3.Place chocolate in medium bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream just to boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes until chocolate is melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in liqueur. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture coats a spoon.

4. Meanwhile, by slowly turning end of round handle of wooden spoon back and forth, make small, 1/2-inch-wide indentation in center of top of each cupcake, not quite to bottom.

5. Spoon jam into small re-sealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 3/8-inch tip off 1 corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening.

6. Spoon about 1 teaspoon ganache onto each mini-cake. Garnish each with raspberry or white chocolate snowflake.   To make white chocolae snowflakes, melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips in a doulble boiler.  Place melted chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with plane tip.  Create snowflakes on waxed paper or parchments paper.  Place in freezer for 10 minutes.  Remove carefully and place on top of  cupcakes. Store loosely covered.