For Bread or Muffins

 

Thank you to all who voted for my gluten-free, dairy-free Brownie Sundae’s recipe on the So Delicious – So Much to Love contest!

Guess what?!  It won the desserts category!  Yippee!  Here is the recipe which is a perfect summer dessert for entertaining.

This recipe is kid tested and adult approved!  Everyone loves these brownie sundaes!  It is fun to create a Brownie Sundae bar at a birthday party or dinner party and guests can build their own creation using any variety of So Delicious Frozen Dessert.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Sundaes

Gluten-free/Casein-free

Makes 8 Sundaes

1 recipe Dark Chocolate Brownies

1 recipe Chocolate Agave Sauce

2 pints So Delicious Vanilla Almond Milk Frozen Dessert

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

 

Prepare dark chocolate brownies (recipe below) and let cool.  Prepare Chocolate Agave Sauce (recipe below).   Cut brownies into 2 ½ by 2 ½ inch squares.  Place brownie on dessert plate.  Top with large scoop of Vanilla Almond Milk frozen dessert.  Drizzle with Chocolate Agave Sauce and top with chopped nuts.

 

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups gluten-free/dairy-free chocolate chips

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons chia seeds

3/4 cup hot water

1/3 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ cups organic All Purpose Baking mix from The Pure Pantry

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

 

Preheat oven to 350˚F.   Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.

Place semi-sweet and dark chocolates and coconut oil  in double boiler on medium heat and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and set aside. Place chia seeds and hot water in large bowl.  Whisk together and let stand for 3 minutes.  Stir until mixture is gel like.  Using an electric mixer, add coconut yogurt, sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well blended.  With mixer on low, add melted chocolate and blend.

In a medium bowl combine baking mix and sift in cocoa powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with mixer on low setting.

Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely – this is very important otherwise they will crumble.  Once cooled, cut into squares 2 ½ by 2 ½ squares.

Options: add 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder for an “adult” brownie; fold in ½ cup chopped nuts after adding dry ingredients

 

Chocolate Agave Sauce

Gluten-free/Dairy-free

Ingredients:

2 cups dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

½ cup So Delicious Coconut milk, regular flavor

1 teaspoon vanilla

In double boiler pan, place chocolate chips over low heat.  Stir until melted.  Add agave nectar, coconut milk and vanilla and continue stirring until combined.

 

Recipe from “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen: Gluten-free & Allergy-free Recipes” by Elizabeth Kaplan

 

 

 

Gluten-free Easter Brunch

Here is a menu that is easy to make ahead so you can enjoy the Easter festivities!  Make the Frittata in advance by blending all the ingredients and placing them in the springform pan in the refrigerator prior to baking.  Pop in the oven about an hour before you are serving brunch.   The gluten-free Raspberry Scones can be made the day before as can the Citrus Brunch Cake.  The Quinoa Mango Avocado Salad is a breezy recipe that can be make in under 20 minutes.  Happy Easter and Happy Gluten-free Entertaining!

Baked Asparagus Red Pepper Frittata

Gluten-free

Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped, or ¾ cup tomatoes, finely chopped — juice drained off

¾ cup onion, finely chopped

5 spears asparagus, washed, trimmed and sliced into ½ in. pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

5 large eggs or 5 egg whites and 2 whole eggs, beaten

1 cup ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup Elizabeth’s Flour Blend (recipe here) or 1/3 cup The Pure Pantry Gluten-free All-Purpose Baking Mix

1 tablespoon fresh basil

1 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

½ t. sea salt

½ t. pepper

Spray 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Place olive oil to large skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add red bell pepper, onion, asparagus and garlic. Sauté until tender for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain any excess liquid and cool.  In a mixing bowl combine beaten eggs, ricotta and baking mix until well blended.  Add basil, chopped spinach, salt and pepper, cooked vegetables and crumbled feta cheese.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form pan, place pan on baking sheet.  Baking for 45-50 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Quinoa Mango Avocado Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegan option)

¾ cup quinoa

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 ½ teaspoon curry powder

1 mango – peeled, seeded and half of it diced, the other half sliced for garnish

3 green onions, chopped

½ cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

1 avocado, sliced for garnish

Instructions:

Place chicken stock, quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper and bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

Let quinoa cool.  Place cooked quinoa in a medium serving bowl and stir in curry powder, mango and green onions.  Sprinkle with toasted almonds, garnish with mango slices and avocado slices and serve.

Gluten-free Raspberry Scones

Gluten-free/Dairy-free

Recipe from “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen: Gluten-free & Allergy-free Recipes”

Makes 8-10 scones

Ingredients:

2 cups Elizabeth’s Gluten-free Flour Blend  (cookbook recipe) plus 2 tsp. baking powder

OR 2 cups All Purpose Gluten-free Baking Mix from The Pure Pantry

½ cup millet flour or almond flour

½ cup butter, chilled, or coconut oil, chilled

2 eggs or egg replacer

2 tablespoons agave nectar, preferably Nature’s Agave Amber variety

¾ cup fresh raspberries

½ cup So-delicious Coconut Milk Creamer (dairy-free) or regular cream

Raw sugar for topping (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat over to 375˚F.  Grease cookie sheet and lightly dust with baking mix or rice flour.

In a large bowl add the baking mix (add baking powder if using Elizabeth’s Flour Blend) and almond or millet flour.

Cut butter or coconut oil into small pieces with knife.  Add to flour mixture.  Blend butter with a fork or your fingers until it resembles course meal.  Add eggs (or egg replacer) and agave nectar, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Wash and drain fresh raspberries.  Fold in raspberries. Dough will be sticky.

Lightly dust a work surface and hands with rice flour or baking mix. Turn dough out onto work surface.  Knead lightly and pat dough into an 8 inch circle shape and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Score top of circle with knife, creating 10 wedges but not cutting all the way through dough.  Or, using a large spoon drop approximately ¼ cup dough onto greased cookie sheet, 3 inches apart.

Place coconut milk creamer or regular cream in small bowl.  Using a pastry brush, generously brush cream on top of scones.  Sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake for 25 minutes or until scones are golden brown.  Cool completely.  If you created the 8 inch circle, cut into 10 scones and serve.

 

Easter Citrus Brunch Cake with Lemon Strawberry Glaze

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil at room temperature (or non-hydrogenated shortening)

1 cup organic sugar

2 eggs (or equivalent egg replacer)

2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)

1 t. vanilla

1 T. lemon zest

1 T. orange zest

2 cups Elizabeth’s Gluten-free Flour Blend (cookbook recipe)  or organic All Purpose Baking mix from The Pure Pantry

1 t. baking powder

3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream coconut oil  and sugar in electric mixer.  Add eggs (or egg replacer), one at a time, mixing until well blended.  Add honey or agave nectar and vanilla.

With fine grater, grate the yellow skin of a lemon until you have 1 tablespoon.  Add lemon zest to mixing bowl.   Grate the skin or an orange until you have 1 tablespoon.  Add orange zest and blend in both citrus zests.

With mixer on low setting, add baking mix and baking powder Blend until combined. Add water and blend until smooth but do not over mix.   Pour into  greased 4 cup (small) bundt pan or 10 inch cake pan for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.   Cool.  Turn out onto plate.  Pour Lemon Strawberry Glaze on top and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Lemon Strawberry Glaze

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

1 T. lemon zest

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Stir together lemon juice and agave in medium mixing bowl.    Add lemon zest and strawberry jam and whisk to combine.  Sift in powdered sugar and blend together.   Pour glaze over cake.

What is Easter without beautiful flowers?   Here are a couple flower arrangement ideas.  The first one  is from my friend Jennifer Cole of Jennifer Cole Florals. She has an amazing knack for designing creative and gorgeous arrangements for weddings, showers, events and home entertaining.   I love the bright poppies and the use of star jasmine which will bring a spring time fragrance to the whole room.  Check out her blog at: http://jennifercoleflorals.com/blog/.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Cole Florals

 

This is also a great Easter table idea from Jenny Steffens Hobick’s blog: http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/.  I love the use of live potted daffodils and easter eggs.  Jenny has fabulous entertaining ideas, although she is not a gluten-free cook, I get a lot of inspiration from her.   Photo from Jenny Steffen’s blog.

 

Carrot Orange Ginger Soup

 Gluten-free/Dairy-free with Vegetarian Options

Recipe from “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen” cookbook by Elizabeth Kaplan

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons coconut oil

7 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

4 cups homemade or store bought chicken stock (see Index) or vegetable stock

1 cup coconut milk (preferably plain So-delicious brand)

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice from 2 oranges

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 1       Sauté the onion in coconut oil until translucent in a large, heavy bottomed stock pan.  Add the sliced carrots and ginger.  Sauté over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Stir in 3 cups chicken stock.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

2       Warm the coconut milk in a saucepan.  Add warm coconut milk, remaining 1 cup stock, orange juice and orange zest to the carrots.  Stir to combine and simmer on   low for 2 minutes . 

3       Puree the soup in batches in a blender.  Return pureed soup to stock pan over low heat.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Ladle soup into heated soup bowls.  Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley, if desired.

 Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake