Archive for the ‘gluten-free’ Category
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Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Happy Anniversary Well Being in the Kitchen!
Raw Cacao Truffles
It is officially 1 year to the day that I wrote my first recipe on this blog and I am loving it. Looking back at this past year I have had the pleasure of sharing some of my favorite recipes with you like Falafel (2 Ways), Gluten-Free Pizza, and Nectarine Upside-Down Cake. More importantly this blog has inspired me to test out new recipes and share them with pride like the Roasted Vegetable Tart, and the Cornicopia Rolls. Best of all, I was able to share my travels with you too, as I explored the markets, fairs and restaurants of Europe. I feel very fortunate to have had such a wonderful “foodie” year!
I am also excited to unveil the new “look” of Well Being in the Kitchen. I have been wanting to personalize the style of the site for a while now, and finally found a little pocket of time to “renovate”. As a designer, you can bet that this is only the beginning. I am sure there will be more tweaks and touches to come…but I hope you find the design welcoming!
Lastly, in celebration of my anniversary, you might have noticed that I made some truffles. I have been experimenting with raw cacao in the past few days which has been great fun, and voila, truffles! They are super easy to make, have no added sugars, and even have a little kick! I hope you get a chance to try them out too.
Tags: cacao, coconut, dates, walnuts
Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 5 Comments »
Passion Fruit Pudding
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
Sunday in Key West.
It brightens my morning to start off with Yoga on the Beach at Fort Zach. Since it was a little chilly this morning (58 degrees) Céline warmed us up with the 5 Tibetans (yoga) and kept us going with sun salutations to greet the morning sun.
Next we headed in search of vibrant sustenance. It has become a tradition for us to go to the Help Yourself Farmer’s Market after yoga on Sundays. I am so appreciative that they have brought this market to the island, because Key West has really been missing a great source of fresh, organic foods. Personally I just love the atmosphere of farmer’s markets. Charlie, the owner, has created a beautiful setting of fresh produce, smiling faces and acoustic music.
The tropical fruits were what caught my eye this time, and I am excited to share a recipe that I created from these sweet treats. Passion fruit, start fruit, and avocado star in this delicious, and naturally sweet pudding.
Tags: avocado, banana, coconut oil, passion fruit, star fruit
Posted in breakfast, dairy free, dessert, egg-free, fruit, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 4 Comments »
Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
A cup of warmth
Today is a perfect day for soup. Not only is it a chilly day in the tropics, but after all of the holiday festivities, and the food that goes along with it, I have been yearning for some hearty, healthy soup! This morning I put all other plans on hold long enough to whip together this delicious batch of soup, and quickly proceeded to eat a nice big bowl of it.
Soup is one of the staples of our diet because it is delicious, easy to make, and lasts for a few days if you make a big batch. Consequently I realized that it is strange that I have not shared any soup recipes on this blog, so I am happy to finally have the chance.
If you can find them, I definitely recommend using French lentils in this soup. Often lentil soup is made with red lentils which become mushy and are better for a puree. The French lentils hold their shape and crunch and therefore add some hearty texture to the soup. You might have to look for them in a specialty food store. I recently purchased mine from Atlantic Spice Co.
Tags: carrot, celery, cumin, curry, garam masala, lentils, sweet potatoes
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, soup/stew, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »
Creamy Squash-Gingered Quinoa
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Butternut Squash "Quinotto"
Thanksgiving morning I woke up with a big chunk of time before joining my extended family for our Thanksgiving meal, and still no clear plan of what I wanted to “bring to the table”. It is odd for me not to have a plan of what to cook…a recipe that I have been looking forward to testing out on just the right occasion. I guess I was a bit preoccupied though. Lots going on lately! Packing, moving, planning to move again soon after the first move. Living in cold weather, packing for warm weather, and who knows what else. So, in the mix of it all, I was sort of lost for inspiration on this Thanksgiving day.
The next thing that happened was a welcome distraction from it all. My neighbors invited me for a morning walk, and I was quite happy to have some company and get out of the house. A release from all of my worries for a 1 hour walk…which turned into more. By the time we got back, I realized that I had left myself very little time to actually come up with a recipe and prepare a dish to bring to my aunt’s house. So, I quickly googled up a few ideas and then decided to go with my own.
Quinoa is a very easy grain to cook. It is one of the fastest, and personally I find that it is pretty difficult to mess up. Perfect! Normally I make a simple “naked” quinoa to accompany other dishes, but this time I decided to be adventurous and try something new. A little ginger, and a creamy dollop of butternut squash, and voila – quinotto. (At first I thought I might be making up this term, but after googling it to be sure, of course someone else had come up with it first.) A creamy version of quinoa that resembles risotto.
This turned out to be so easy to make, and absolutely delicious. I was even surprised that everyone who tried it really liked it too. Even the ones who had never heard of/seen quinoa before! So, don’t be shy. Step up to the “plate” and try it yourself…and let me know what you think.
Tags: butternut squash, ginger, quinoa
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain side, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »
Butternut Squash Flan with Pecan Crust
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Butternut Squash Flan
Fearless Creativity. Funny, I definitely don’t think of myself as fearless, but I will say that when it comes to cooking and baking, I get the closest to this sense of fearlessness. Maybe that is why I love cooking. Usually when I am feeling overwhelmed and stuck, I retreat to the kitchen to lighten my heart and work on releasing what binds me…
This week, I have been in serious need of some fearlessness, so I have been adding creativity here and there between the kitchen and my studio. I guess here is where I can fearlessly plug my newest jewelry designs which you can see in my etsy shop and get a preview of at the bottom of the page…
But back to the kitchen… This recipe was super easy, and I hope you will try it out! It was a total experiment and I will surely tweak it for next time, but after rave reviews last night (from my mother) I know it is ready for the world to taste!
Tags: butternut squash, eggs, pecans, rice milk, rosemary
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, entree, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | 2 Comments »
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Stress has gotten the better of me. Big changes are coming, the unknown is all around me, and overwhelm seems to be a common term in my vocabulary these days.
I find in situations like these, when my emotions get the better of me, my cravings for all sorts of foods come alive. Isn’t it convenient that when we are stressed and overwhelmed, we often do not have the time to cook healthy meals and provide balanced nourishment for ourselves?
Well I have been quite aware of my cravings lately and successfully resisted bringing home a pint of ice cream last night, but I did get some supplies from Trader Joe’s and the local health food store so that I would be able to make some yummy gluten-free cookies for myself. If I am going to indulge, I prefer to indulge knowing that my treats were made with quality ingredients and love.
I decided to take my Key West Cookie Creation recipe and try a new spin. I love these cookies and vary the recipe often, but this time I was inspired to try ground pecans as the flour! Wow! They were great. I don’t think they are going to last long, which is good because I look forward to making them again to fine-tune the recipe. They need a little more grip, but otherwise are absolutely delicious. If you try out the recipe, be sure to let me know what you think.
Tags: agave, almond butter, apple sauce, chocolate, oats, pecans
Posted in cookies, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | 4 Comments »
Nectarine Upside-Down Cake
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
C. loves this recipe and I am sure she is going to be quite surprised that I made it with nectarines, and have created a gluten-free version too! In Key West we would make this every so often with fresh mangoes which we were fortunate to have occasional access to on the island. The original recipe was another discovery when I was going through my Vegetarian Times Magazine phase. This time in making it, I decided to be adventurous and try out alternative sweets, oils and flours for the open-minded chef. Be sure to try this out…it was sooooo good!
Tags: buckwheat flour, nectarine, oat flour, yogurt
Posted in alternative grain, dessert, fruit, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | 7 Comments »
Gingered Rice Stuffed Peppers
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Color, flavor, crunch…these peppers have it all.
I have been making this gingered rice recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine for a few years now. In my first few years in Key West I would purchase these magazines religiously. Always looking for new ideas on great vegetarian meals I definitely found my share. I have bookmarked numerous pages, and my collection of magazines has followed me from Key West to Boulder and now to Cape Cod. Who knows where I will take them next… I will keep you updated on where my next home will be, but in the meantime enjoy this fun summer rice dish.
Tags: bell pepper, corn, ginger, orange juice, rice
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, grain side, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free | 1 Comment »
Involtini di Melanzane (Eggplant Rolls)
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
My first homegrown eggplant!
Having a garden this summer has been really exciting! I am so grateful to my neighbors for sharing a little space in their sun-kissed yard with me. It has been fun to pretend that I know what I am doing, and just start planting, watering and harvesting. Every so often I get a tip from someone, or realize that I am doing something completely wrong, but for the most part I planted things and they are growing! What more do you want? It is a very rewarding practice and I am glad that I have finally had the opportunity to try it. I definitely hope that I will get the chance for even more next time the gardening season rolls around.
For now, I have some lovely tatsoi, some (swiss cheese) bok choy, some beautiful collard greens, cucumbers which were a big surprise because I was told they would be zucchini, and eggplant! As you can see from the above photo, my eggplant are looking pretty cute. I have lots of butterflies and bees buzzing around the eggplant flowers, and the new eggplants are shining beautifully. In honor of my little eggplants (and in anticipation of them growing to plumpness) I share this lovely recipe for Involtini di Melanzane which I have been enjoying for the past few years. This recipe also comes from Cucina Natuale and is really quite simple, and is great as an appetizer.
Tags: basil, eggplant, mint
Posted in egg-free, gluten-free, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free | 2 Comments »
Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Tonight I flipped through old photos of my dear friends from Florence and smiled remembering all of the great times we had together. Considering it was Italy, a lot of the fun involved good food, and social gatherings. Living in Florence was a great influence on my life in so many ways and I don’t think I could have left without having a new culinary approach. No one understood how I could be vegetarian in Italy…but surprisingly I met other vegetarian/vegans in Italy too. These friends opened my eyes to new exciting directions. My friend Tracey was passionate about spinach and green beans, and thanks to her, they became staples of my diet as well. She even taught me how to make roasted chickpeas…delicious!
My friend Joslyn introduced me to so many new recipes and shared beautiful meals with me. I was always excited to join her for a dinner party. One recipe I loved was her Fennel and White Bean salad…so easy and so good! Eventually she introduced me to the recipe below for Pasta with Almond Tomato Pesto Sauce. It came from an Italian cooking magazine called Cucina Naturale which I eventually bought every issue of.
My dear friends from Italy, I am sending you love and hoping that we can gather around the table again soon to share good food and life stories.
Tags: almonds, basil, pasta, tomatoes
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, egg-free, entree, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 3 Comments »