gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Orange & Sea Salt Chocolates
Orange & Sea Salt Chocolates
16 oz. Dairy Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 teaspoons Pure Orange Extract
Sea Salt
Chocolate Molds
Lay out the chocolate molds and sprinkle 2-3 pieces of sea salt in each one.
Melt chocolate on medium low in a double boiler or heat water in 1/3 of a medium pan and place a glass bowl on top of the pan. Once chocolate is melted, leave on the heat and quickly stir in the extract, 1 teaspoon at a time stirring constantly. It will look like it is starting to seize a bit on the sides, continue to stir constantly and quickly and it will come back together.
Spoon chocolate (it will be hot!) into a piping bag fitted with a thin tip and pipe chocolate into molds, do not overfill. Tap each mold sheet lightly on the counter once it is filled to settle the chocolate.
Allow to set up completely before removing. (I set mine outside on our deck for 20 minutes.)
The salt will leave little divots in the chocolate, but don’t worry about it, it adds character and as soon as people taste them they won’t be thinking about what they look like.
I used the leftover chocolate to make decorative hearts for my Clementine Buttercream Cupcakes by piping chocolate hearts onto waxed paper.
Chocolate Buttercream Cake with Boysenberry & Rum Filling
*I made this cake and frosted it one day ahead. Store in a cool place. My fridge was full with Super Bowl food so I stored it in our garage on a shelf. If it’s extremely cold or damp where you are I would stick to the fridge or maybe a cool basement. Then, bring it to room temperature when you’re ready to serve it.
Chocolate Buttercream Cake with Boysenberry & Rum Filling
3 Boxes of Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 1/2 Cups Dairy Free Butter
9 Eggs, room temperature
3 Cups Water
1 Jar Trader Joe’s Boysenberry Preserves
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons or so of Dark Rum
( 3 cake pans, buttered)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees for conventional, 325 degrees for convection.
Place butter in mixer bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating on medium low until fully incorporated, scraping down sides frequently. Turn off mixer and add the three bags of cake mix. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water. Mix on medium for 1 minute, scraping down sides twice. Then, mix on medium for 2-3 minutes until the batter is thicker and ingredients are fully incorporated.
Evenly (I use a measuring cup) distribute the cake batter into the three cake pans. Set timer for 35 minutes and check cakes, if not done, continue baking in 3 minute intervals. Do not over bake them. Nothing is more disappointing that taking a bite of a lovely cake just to find it’s dry and flavorless. I don’t stick something in mine to check them, I simply touch the tops and if they don’t jiggle and do feel moist and spongy, they are done.
Cool the cake in their pans on raised cooling racks until they are 100% cool.
In a cereal sized bowl, add the preserves and the rum, stir to combine. You can add more or less rum. You want it to remain a spreading consistency though, so not too much! Plus, the rum is meant to compliment the Boysenberries not overpower them.
Place the first layer on the cake plate upside down. Cut a thin layer off of the entire top of the cake with a long serrated knife. Spread 1/2 of the preserve mixture over the cake. Remove the second layer and remove a thin layer of the top of that cake. Place the side that you removed the layer from face down on top of the preserves. Remove a thin layer off of the top of that piece and spread with the remaining preserve mixture.
Remove the third layer of cake from its pan and slice a thin layer off of the bottom of the cake, lay it bottom down onto the second layer of the cake. If the top is uneven you can also shave a little off to even it out. Don’t worry if the cake has a couple of flaws, all flaws can be hidden by the delicious frosting!
Set aside.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 Cup Dairy Free Butter
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Almond Extract
4 Tablespoons Dairy Free Creamer
About 1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
Pour the creamer in a measuring cup and add the instant coffee granules, stir to combine. Set aside and allow the coffee granules dissolve.
Cream the butter in a mixer until it is light and fluffy, scraping down sides once or twice. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and almond extract. Mix on lowest setting (so you don’t end up with a cloud of powdered sugar and cocoa powder over your whole kitchen) until mixture starts to come together.
Stir the cream mixture to make sure the coffee granules are dissolved. With the mixture on medium, slowly add the cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl once or twice in between. Once all of the cream has been added, beat on medium for 3 minutes.
Using a frosting spatula and a small amount of frosting, cover the cake with a crumb coat.
Do a second thicker (but not too thick!) layer of frosting and smooth it out. Fill a piping bag with a star tip.
Pipe (however you like) around the bottom of the cake and the top. I have zero cake decorating experience so I always choose something easy that I know I can get away with without making it look too crazy.
Zucchini & Corn Fritters with Tomatillo Sauce
Zucchini & Corn Fritters
Makes about 20-25 fritters
2 Zucchini, about 1 to 1/2 cups when grated
4 Eggs, lightly beaten
About 2 Cups Daiya Cheddar Style Cheese
2/3 Cup Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour
2/3 Cup White Rice Flour
(whisk almond flour and rice flour together)
2/3 Cup Chopped Green Onions
4 teaspoons Cumin
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 Cups Frozen Whole Kernel Corn or Fresh Corn grilled and removed from cob
Avocado Oil, for frying
Place frozen corn (if using) in a colander in sink or over a bowl and allow to defrost (about 2 hours). When corn has completely thawed, coarsely shred zucchini and drain on several layers of paper towels, patting dry with another layer of paper towels.
Line a baking sheet with several paper towels and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. This is where I love a convection oven because the hot air will keep them crisp.
In a large bowl, add the zucchini, eggs, cheese, flour, green onion, cumin, oregano, and sea salt. Stir well, fold in the thawed corn.
Fill a large skillet with about 1 1/2 inches of canola oil and heat on medium. Test by adding a tiny drop of the corn mixture. Once it has a strong sizzle, it’s hot enough to begin adding the corn mixture about 1 1/2 Tablespoons at a time. I put 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the mixture onto a spatula, spread it with a spoon (thick – about half the size of the palm of my hand and I have small hands) and then scraped into the oil with a knife.
Cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to paper towel covered baking sheet and keep in preheated. Repeat process with the remaining batter.
Tomatillo Sauce
** I made my sauce the day ahead and brought it to room temperature before serving it with the fritters
This makes a medium sized bowl of sauce. Plenty for the corn fritters and enough for chips.
16 Tomatillos, husked and washed
2 Poblano Chilis, seeds and membranes removed
1 Whole Jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed
2 Tablespoons Garlic, chopped
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, snipped
A Generous Pinch of Sugar
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper To Taste
Preheat broiler. Place the tomatillos and poblano peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Broil until charred and blistered turning once halfway through the broiling process.
Place the broiled poblano peppers in a plastic bag, close, and set aside. (I also placed the tomatillos in a bag because I had to run a short errand. It was perfect, by the time I returned they were cool enough to handle and the bag had steamed the juices out of them nicely.)
Once the poblanos have cooled enough to handle, remove the charred skin and discard. Add the poblanos, tomatillos (with the juices), and the jalapeno pepper to a large blender. Blend until smooth.
Drizzle a large skillet with about 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil. Heat to medium low and add the chopped garlic. Cook until they begin to turn golden.
Add the tomatillo mixture and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add the chicken broth and simmer for another 8-10 minutes or so. Stir in the snipped cilantro, season with salt and pepper and a generous pinch of sugar. Pour into a serving bowl and allow to cool.
Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes
Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes
1 15oz. Box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter
2/3 Cup Water
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract
Rind of 1 Lemon
3/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Pure Lemon Extract
1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
Rind of 1 Lemon, Plus More For Tops of Cupcakes
2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Creamer
Preheat oven to 350 degrees for conventional 325 degrees for convection (I use convection)
For The Cake Batter:
Cream butter in a mixer on medium, scraping down once, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the cake mix, both extracts, lemon rind, and water. Mix on low for 30 seconds, scrape down bowl. Mix on medium for 2 minutes, scraping bowl at the 1 minute mark.
Line 12 (I only got 11 cupcakes out of the mix) muffin tins with paper and fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 19 minutes (convection) or until the middles are just done. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting on wire rack.
For The Buttercream:
Cream butter in a mixer on medium, scraping down sides once, until light and fluffy. Turn off mixer and add the powdered sugar, sea salt, lemon rind, and both extracts. Mix until it comes together, it will be lumpy.
Slowly add the creamer 1 teaspoon at a time while the mixer is on medium. Once all of the creamer has been added, mix for 1 minute
*I like to do a crumb coat (even on cupcakes), then pipe mine or spread more frosting over the top.
Sprinkle with lemon rind to finish.
Baked Oysters with Chorizo & Spinach
Baked Oysters with Chorizo & Spinach
About 4 Ounces Spanish Chorizo Sausage, Casing Removed & Diced
1/4 Cup Minced Shallots
About 1/2 Cup White Wine (not a dessert wine)
8 Cups Lightly Packed Chopped Fresh Spinach
1/2 Cup Non-Dairy Creamer
About 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
About 1/4 teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter
A Couple of Tablespoons Snipped Fresh Cilantro
About 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
25 Fresh Oysters in Shells, Shucked with Bottom Shell Reserved With Oyster
2 Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Seeded and Diced
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons Dairy Free Queso Fresco
Dairy Free Parmesan
Place the oysters in a large strainer and rinse well. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and rock salt. The rock salt allows the oysters to stay put so you don’t lose the juice. I used kosher salt to lay them in because it was handy and I didn’t feel like running down to the basement to find the rock salt. It worked just fine and hardened in the oven so it wasn’t all over the bottom of the oyster shells.
Shuck oysters being careful that no grit or shell is left with the oysters. If you don’t have a special glove, use an old oven mit to protect your hand. The fishmonger suggested I use a short flat head screwdriver to shuck the oysters but it didn’t work. You need to have a wider blade so you can twist it to pop open the shell. An over sized pocket knife would probably work just fine. You can go here to see how to shuck an oyster in 30 seconds. I wouldn’t say that I mastered the 30 second part, but the video definitely helped. There’s a tiny hole in the fat end of the oyster. This is where you wiggle and wedge the tip of your knife. Once you get it in a little bit you can twist the knife to pop the oyster open (sometimes they give a good fight) and then work it around the edge. I wouldn’t suggest using a serrated knife like I did, it’s a little rough on the delicate edges of the oyster. I ended up having to pick a few pieces of shell out of the oysters.
Once the oysters have been shucked and placed on the salted baking sheet, set them aside.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet heated to medium. Add the diced chorizo and minced shallots. Saute until shallots are tender. Add the wine and simmer uncovered until most of the wine is evaporated. Stir in spinach and cream and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until the liquid is almost all the way absorbed. Stir in salt and pepper, remove from heat to cool.
In a small bowl, add the butter, garlic, and cilantro. Microwave until butter is melted. Place a generous teaspoon full of the spinach mixture on top of each oyster. Sprinkle with the diced jalapeno and drizzle each one generously with the garlic and cilantro butter. Top with a little crumble of Queso Fresco and sprinkle with dairy free parmesan.
I placed mine in the fridge until guests arrived (about 2 hours).
Once you’re ready to cook them, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes . The spinach topping will be bubbling a little and the cheese will be beginning to brown. You can also serve them with lemon wedges and hot sauce.
Corn Salad with Homemade Queso Fresco
Homemade Queso Fresco
One Half Gallon Very Fresh Raw Goat’s Milk
About 1 -2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
3/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Cheesecloth
(1/2 gallon of milk makes a little over one small ramekin of cheese, about 6 or 7 ounces)
Do not use aluminum. In a large dutch oven or stainless steel pot add several inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes to sanitize. Drain, add the milk and salt, stir. Heat to 190 degrees stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t scald on the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, line a large strainer with the cheesecloth. I used all of the cheesecloth in the small package I purchased. Just fold it over. Place the strainer over a deep bowl.
When the milk reaches 190 degrees, remove from heat. Slowly stir in the lemon juice. Allow to rest for 25 minutes. Stir, pour slowly into the cheesecloth. Allow to drain for about 30 minutes. Carefully pull the sides of the cloth in and twist into a ball, carefully squeezing out some more of the liquid. Allow to rest and drain for another 15 minutes or so.
Remove the cheesecloth from the strainer and scrape the cheese off with a spoon into a small bowl or ramekin. Refrigerate until ready to use.
*When I first opened up the cheesecloth I was worried that all of the cheese had drained out with the liquid because it looked like such a small amount. But, as I pulled back the layers of cheesecloth I could see that it had settled down to the last layer of cloth.
Corn Salad with Queso Fresco
5 Cups of Frozen Corn or Fresh Corn (if you use fresh corn grill it)
Homemade Queso Fresco (About 2 Tablespoons or so)
2 Cups Finely Chopped Red and Orange Sweet Bell Pepper
1 Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
2 Fresh Jalapeno (seeded) Finely Chopped
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Lime Juice
A Generous Pinch of Sugar
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
1/2 – 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Several Grinds of Pepper
Defrost or grill the corn. In a large bowl combine the corn, sweet pepper, onion, and jalapeno. In a small bowl or screw top jar, combine the olive oil, lime juice, sugar, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Shake well. Add to the corn mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Top with the Queso Fresco and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
When ready to serve, toss to re-coat with dressing and distribute the Queso Fresco.
Berry Clementine Snack Cake
Berry Clementine Snack Cake
For The Fruit:
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter
2 Cups Frozen Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Sugar
For The Batter:
1 1/4 Cup Almond Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Clementine Zest
1/4 Cup Clementine Juice
1/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter, melted
About 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons Raw Sugar To Sprinkle On Top
Preheat oven to 325°.
1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add the blueberries and sugar. Simmer softly for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (minus the almonds & raw sugar) and mix until just until smooth.
3. Pour half the batter into a square baking pan.
4. With a slotted spoon, cover the batter with the berries, then add about 2/3 of the juice over the berries. You will have a little left over.
5. Top with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the almonds and sugar.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes. You want to remove it from the oven when the middle is just done, maybe even slightly underdone.
Serve on its own or with almond milk.
Beans, Greens, & Bacon Soup
Beans, Greens, & Bacon Soup
1 Package Uncured Organic Hickory Smoked Bacon, chopped
4-6 (depending on size) Organic Carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 Medium Organic Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon Organic Thyme, chopped
2 Tablespoons Organic Rosemary, minced
5 Cloves of Organic Garlic, chopped
1 1/2 Cups Organic Purple Kale (packed), chopped
1 Cup Organic Green Kale (packed), chopped
2 Cans of White Beans, rinsed and drained
3 – 32 oz. Boxes of Organic, Free Range, Chicken Broth
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper To Taste
Heat a dutch oven on medium low and fry the bacon slowly until crisp. Remove the bacon bits to a paper towel to drain. Reserve about 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
Saute the onions until they are translucent and begin to caramelize. Add the carrots and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the thyme, rosemary, bacon, and both types of kale. Saute until the kale begins to wilt.
Add the beans and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until carrots are tender.
Season with sea salt & pepper to taste.
Affogato
Affogato
2 Scoops Dairy Free Coconut Milk Ice Cream
1-2 Shots Instant Decaf Espresso
Grated Dark Chocoloate
Sliced Almonds
Place scoops of ice cream in coffee cup. Pour hot espresso over the ice cream. Grate dark chocolate over the top and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Garnish with a solid piece of dark chocolate.
Organic Vegetable Soup
Organic Veggie Soup
1 Medium Organic Sweet Onion, Sliced
3 Cloves Organic Garlic, Chopped
3 1/2 Cups Organic Steamed Broccoli
3 Organic Cups Spinach, Packed
2 Cups Almond Milk
1 Cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
1 Poultry Cube or 1 Tablespoon Poultry Herbs, Chopped
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper
Steam the broccoli and set aside. Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a dutch oven and heat on medium. Add sliced onions and saute until they begin to brown and caramelize. Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking until the garlic softens. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat. Add the steamed broccoli, chicken broth, almond milk, and poultry cube and stir to combine. Then, with an emulsion blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth. Return to the heat and simmer until hot and ready to serve.
gluten free zen 