I know what your thinking…’Amie, you’re crazy for baking a cake when it was 98 degrees here in Manhattan all week’…But, I just had to … I had a yearnin’ for some bakin’ and when I get the yearnin’ … I make it happen. I took a nice stroll over to the newest Whole Foods Market on the Upper West Side (which is honestly my new home because I love it o’ so much, hehe) to purchase some fresh grapefruit, poppy seeds and an exceptionally pure olive oil.

I choose a few ruby red grapefruits that were incredibly tender and juicy…I simply couldn’t resist.  By the time I got back to my lil’ apartment, I had created a gluten-free masterpiece in my mind.  I leave you with my latest creation…the best cake I’ve made yet and let me tell you, this one will surely knock your socks off…

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups stevia for baking
• 1/4 cup cup olive oil
• 1 ½ cups almond milk
• 4 tablespoons fresh grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon fresh grapefruit zest
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Greek yogurt, for topping
• Agave nectar, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9-10” round spring-form pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar.
3. Slowly add oil, almond milk, grapefruit juice and zest; mix well to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, poppy seeds, baking soda and sea salt.
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture; mix well to combine.
6. Transfer batter into a 9-10” round greased pan.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.  Gently remove the cake, place onto a platter to cool completely.  Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of agave nectar.
9. Enjoy!

Here is yet another one of my famous ‘healthy french fry’ recipes, however, this time I am using carrots! What a great way to get a nice dose of Beta Carotene!

Ingredients

• 6 Large, fresh carrots, cut into fry-like shapes
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Dash of Sea Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice carrots diagonal into ‘french fry’ strips and place on a baking sheet.
• Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Be sure to mix the carrots on the baking sheet every 10 minutes
• Enjoy!

Enter for your chance to win a box of 1 2 3 Gluten Free Scrumdelious Cookies and Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix Giveaway!

Simply leave me a comment on this post telling me why you’d like to try 1,2,3 Gluten-Free products and I will pick a random winner on Wednesday morning.

Good Luck!

Ever wonder how to get your kids involved in the kitchen? Here are a few tips that I offer to my clients…whether you have young children, nieces, nephews, neighbors, family or friends…these tips are sure to get your little ones active and entertained in the kitchen.

• Cucumber Caterpillar: Slices of cucumber held together with natural peanut butter. Place the Caterpillar on ‘greens’ to look like grass.
• Taco or Burrito Bar: Serve brown rice, black beans, onions, hot peppers, sprouted grain or gluten free tortillas, broccoli, arugula, cauliflower, guacamole and  salsa.  Add nuts, seeds and spices in tiny serving dishes to jazz up the flavors!
• Salad Bar: Spin your greens in a salad spinner, then dress dry greens with a lime dressings made by combining sesame oil, fresh lime juice, low-sodium tamari, cayenne pepper, agave nectar, balsamic vinegar and water.
• Mashed Potato Parfaits- Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips and carrots mixed together…topped with raisins, cinnamon, shredded coconut and agave nectar
• Individual Pizzas: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Choose gluten free or sprouted whole grain tortillas, caramelized onions, spinach, red onion, mushrooms, kalamata olives, artichokes, fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Add each ingredient atop each tortilla and bake for 20 minutes.
• Panini Party: Gluten Free or sprouted whole grain bread, SoyaKaas Gluten Free/Dairy Free cheese, tomato slices, eggplant slices, fresh basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, avocado, zucchini and squash slices.  Add all ingredients to 2 slices of bread.  Place onto a panini maker (sprayed with cooking spray); cook until cheese is melted and veggies are warm and cooked.  Dip into marinara (red) sauce.
• Stir-Fry: Switch up your usual recipe with unique grains such as millet, quinoa or buckwheat.
• Fruit Salad: Add exotic fruits to spice up the flavors.  Use a melon baller and serve in a wine glass to add to the allure of this meal.  Add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt atop each fruit salad serving and sprinkle with cinnamon and stevia.
• Slaw Wraps: Cabbage, celery, carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, peppers, snap peas, bean sprouts, snow peas, green beans and Napa Slaw can easily be combined and wrapped in rice paper.  Liven up this dish by pairing it with a special sauce of grapefruit juice, ginger, balsamic vinegar, lemonade and seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower.  Toss with fresh apples or cumin roasted chick peas.  Adding berries such as blackberries, raspberries and cherries add a nice antioxidant punch to these wraps.
• Peanut Butter Chicken Fajitas: The best way to make a good peanut sauce is by combining organic peanut butter, fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, agave nectar and low-sodium tamari/soy sauce.
• Frozen Basil and Banana Pops: Blend together 2 cups ice, 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 1 ripe banana, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup agave nectar in a blender.  Blend well and pour into glasses! This is a wonderful treat for a healthy dessert!

Have fun and experiment with some of my ideas above…Getting the kids active in the kitchen is fun…and who knows, your kids may just start to ‘enjoy’ their veggies!!!

Honestly, I’ve fallen in love with a cutting board…

The John Boos Cutting Board, that is…and O, how fine it is!

Now, this isn’t just any ol’ cutting board, aside from the fact that it’s incredibly well crafted and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, this John Boos cutting board can handle anything you desire.  The best part? It’s reversible…yes, you’ve heard me correctly, the easy to grip side hand grips allow you to flip the cutting board and start chopping right away on the other side.  I opted for the Maple Board as I think the wood  looks incredibly beautiful on my counter top.  This professional cutting board is cream finished with beeswax and used in many fine restaurants all over the country…now, who wouldn’t love one of these babies in their kitchen?

Today I was hard at work in my tiny kitchen…chopping, dicing, slicing…you name it, I did it!  That’s why good ol’ John Boos came in handy.  I opted for a vegetable stew to warm me up on this chilly December day.

Hearty Chickpea n’ Veggie Stew

Ingredients

• 2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 cups onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 large zucchini, cut into 1″ cubes
• 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1′” cubes
• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 3/4 cup all natural tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a large stock pot, add onions, olive oil and garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add all remaining ingredients and cook, covered, on low heat for 6-7 hours or until vegetables are tender.
• Enjoy!

Last night, instead of heating up my Turkey Day leftovers…I decided to whip up a tasty cauliflower soup with crunchy gluten-free croutons.  The vegetable stand on my corner had the most beautiful heads of cauliflower this morning on my way to work and I simply couldn’t resist…

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp.olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• ½ cup white wine
• 1½ quarts vegetable stock
• 4 thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup Greek plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Toppings

• 2 cups gluten free bread, cut into cubes
• 1 cup reserved cauliflower, cut into florets
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 4 Tbsp. ghee

Directions

• In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cauliflower; set aside 1 cup for the topping.
• Season with sea salt, pepper, cinnamon and pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the white wine and enough vegetable stock to cover the cauliflower; add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower. Discard the bay leaves and remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid to set aside.
• In a blender, puree the cauliflower mixture a little bit at a time. Add the reserved cooking liquid as needed if the mixture is too thick.
• After pureeing, return mixture to a clean pot and cook over low heat. Stir in the ghee and Greek yogurt, then adjust seasonings.
• For the topping, melt the ghee over medium heat in a skillet. As it starts to brown, add the bread cubes and gently toss. Season with sea salt and pepper.
• Add the cauliflower and cook until bread is crispy and cauliflower is soft, then add the golden raisins.
• Serve warm with the crouton mixture topping.