Well Being in the Kitchen

Posts Tagged ‘agave’

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Nectarine Berry Crisp

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Nectarine Berry Crisp

Nectarine Berry Crisp

This is truly one of my favorite desserts.  It is light, fruity, and self-sufficiently sweet!  I am excited every year when the nectarines and berries are ready to dance together in this delicious combination.  I am especially excited this year to finally have time to make this too!  As some of my readers know, I have been in school for the past 6 months working on a bodywork certification and I am happy to say that I have finally finished!  Yay!  It has been a tough 6 months both with school and more, and I am glad that at least one part of my life is going to fall into more ease…

I am envisioning more cooking, baking, experimenting…and possibly looking for a job too!  I am also hoping for a bit of travel now that I am out of school…Europe?  Hmmm.  Maybe…

In the meantime, I do want to share this delicious recipe in case anyone else wants to try it.

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Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, fruit, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | 3 Comments »

Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Gluten-free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This past weekend I headed up to southern Colorado to celebrate a very special birthday.  My sweetheart was turning…well, maybe I shouldn’t say how old, but anyway, it is the precursor to a big one!  :)

Although I have always wanted to try-out baking a gluten-free birthday cake before, I have never had the courage, until now!  I was inspired by a chocolate-hazelnut cake recipe that I had tried about 1.5 years ago, and also more recently by the chocolate mousse recipe that Joslyn shared on the Shak-Shuka blog…  So I thought I would try them together…  I have never made a layered cake before!

Considering the circumstances, my first attempt was a smashing success!  I was headed to a retreat center, and was unsure whether I would have time/resources to make the cake there.  So I made the layers at home, kept them in the cooler for the 3.5 hour drive, and pieced them together the night of the birthday dinner.  Everyone was quite pleased with it, including my sweetie, who was happy to have leftovers!

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Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, dessert, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »

Chocolate-Coconut Mousse

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Chocolate-Coconut Mousse

Chocolate-Coconut Mousse

Recently my friend Joslyn of Shak-Shuka shared a recipe for Chocolate Mousse on her blog.  Amazing cook that she is, I knew it would be awesome, and it just-so-happened that I had every ingredient I needed to whip this up asap.  As we speak…I am devouring it.  Yum!  It is beautifully firm, and I am loving the chocolate – coconut combo.  Hopefully the photos will entice you to head over to the Shak-Shuka blog and try it out yourself!

Chocolate Mousse

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Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »

Gluten-Free Strawberry Coconut Muffins

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Strawberry Coconut MuffinsBaking, baking, baking…  I have been very busy with school and work lately, and have found that one thing that I enjoy as a stress release is to do some baking.  I am able to free my thoughts (for a bit) and enjoy the tactile fun of mixing finely ground flours with gooey nut butters, smooth coconut oils, or mashed fruits.  I am reminded of the movie Amelie when they recount her “likes” which include cracking the crust of her crème brulée and plunging her hand into a sac of lentils.  It is a way for me to get out of my head for a bit and become more in my body.

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Posted in alternative grain, breakfast, dairy free, fruit, gluten-free, vegetarian, wheat-free | No Comments »

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Pecan Cookie

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.

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Posted in cookies, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free | 4 Comments »