Almost every day I interact with someone who either has or knows someone with gluten intolerance.  And the biggest challenge they face is finding a way to enjoy sweet treats (which we all know are good for the soul!).

Having a gluten intolerant child is even worse in a society that is full of flour laden birthday parties, school cafeteria snacks, and basically any event where there is kid food. 

BUT, thankfully, gluten free baking has gotten a lot easier and is way more accessible these days.  There are blogs, cookbooks, gluten free flour blends, and so much more that will allow you to find ways to enjoy sweet treats that actually taste good too. 

Before re-stocking your pantry, check out these resources below. 

For foodies who love the science of baking check out America's Test Kitchen Guide to Gluten Free Baking.  I love all of their books and resources!

Gluten Free Girl has a great introduction to gluten free baking with resources and a how to MAKE YOUR OWN FLOUR BLEND.

And another one of my favorites is King Arthur Flour, a New England company, that offers an all purpose gluten free flour blend and a GLUTEN FREE BAKING GUIDE.

Bob's Red Mill has a ton of great products on the market for gluten free baking, so please do check them out too.  They sell gluten free flours like almond flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour as well as an all purpose gluten free flour blend.  And the bags all have recipes on the back!

You may notice that gluten free baking is usually not vegan and can have 2-4 eggs per recipe. It is possible to sub out the eggs with flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water / egg) but you may have to experiment.  There are also great recipes online that are gluten free and vegan.  And follow my blog as I like to make plant based desserts with alternative flours. 

Stay tuned for my gluten free vegan dessert cookbook which will hopefully be out this summer and will have lots of amazing sweet treats for you to enjoy.  As well, if you would like to purchase the recipes for one of my gluten free vegan dessert classes please email me.  There are 6 recipes for only $5!

Happy gluten free baking!

Photo by Stephanie McCabe on Unsplash

When it's late at night and I realize I need to prep a healthy lunch for the next day I think of soba noodles! 

They are packed with nutrients, taste delish cold, and are ridiculously easy to make.

You can make endless variations of cold soba noodles or simply eat them with just soy sauce, sesame oil, and a dusting of crushed red chili pepper flakes. 

When creating, use what you have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry.  Examples include:

• Pantry: cashews, peanuts and or peanut butter, sesame seeds, raisins, crushed red chili pepper flakes
• Fridge: carrots, green onions. chives, cilantro, bok choy, spinach, cabbage, tofu, tamari/soy sauce, sesame oil
• Freezer: peas, edamame

This is exactly what I did the other night and when I busted out my cold soba noodles for lunch I made everyone around me drool!  And I tell you it took less than 10 minutes to chop up the veggies, boil the noodles, assemble, pop in container and into the fridge.

Give this recipe a try.  Or create your own in under 10 minutes and tell us what you used!

Quick & Easy Cold Soba Noodles - makes 1 serving
1 bundle of your favorite soba noodle (I love Organic Planet)
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/3 (or more) cup of fried tofu (I have this on hand so I can just eat it as is with soy sauce and tamari or to pop into meals.  Always found in fridge at Asian Markets. Here is ex.)
1/2 cup chopped bok choy
2 Tbsp chopped cashews
1 green onion, chopped
handful of fresh cilantro chopped
Optional sliced jalapenos or a sprinkle of crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (I prefer tamari)
1 tsp agave
1/4 of a lime, juiced (I love using ume plum vinegar, so if you have that try it instead!)

In a small sauce pot bring about 3 cups of water to boil.  Add soba noodles and the frozen peas.  Cook about 3-5 minutes or until noodles are al dente.  Drain and rinse with cool water. 

Add sesame oil, soy sauce, lime and agave, and stir to cover noodles thoroughly.  The noodles will soak up the dressing so don't worry if it looks soupy at all. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste.  Place in fridge overnight and enjoy how the flavors have come together the next day!

It is still winter in New England and although I had the opportunity to escape to a tropical climate during February, there are many people who have endured this long winter and are in need of something tropical and exotic. 

Enter the papaya.

Although papaya is native to Central America it is imported to New England grocery stores and can be found right now in the produce section.  It is a funky looking fruit from the outside, but down right beautiful on the inside. The salmon colored flesh and large peppercorn looking seeds can both be eaten.

Papaya flesh and its peppery seeds are very nutritious and contain needed digestive enzymes known as papain that help digest proteins. Rich in antioxidants, bioflavonoids, and Vitamin C, papaya is an excellent fruit to add to your diet. Papaya is also a good source of fiber, folate, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.

Devour the papaya flesh when it is ripe and juicy by simply eating as is or
-scoop out the seeds and add more fruit to the center allowing it to be a fruit salad bowl -chop it up and add coconut yogurt and granola
-dice it up into a papaya salsa
-or make a papaya sorbet!

And don't forget to save the seeds! I like to eat a teaspoon of the seeds daily when I have fresh papaya around as I like their peppery taste and it helps my digestion.  You can also use all the seeds from one papaya in a creamy papaya seed dressing to be used on salads or even steamed veggies.

Here is a recipe I created...

PAPAYA SEED DRESSING (makes about 1/2 cup)
1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
1 Tablespoon sweet onion
1/2 of a papaya's seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar or agave
5 mint leaves
splash of chardonnay vinegar (optional)
salt to taste
Optional for non vegans, add 1/4 cup plain yogurt to make it creamier

Put all in a blender and blend until seeds look like pepper flecks. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately on a gigantic salad!

Remember, in cooking you can be creative, so play with this recipe and try out new combinations. Add lime or orange juice instead of lemon, or use raspberry vinegar instead. Many recipes for the dressing called for mustard and tarragon, which I did not have on hand, but plan on trying another time.

Now go grab a papaya or any other favorite tropical fruit, close your eyes, place the juicy flesh into your mouth and envision yourself in Hawaii, Thailand, Costa Rica or another exotic place just to make your spirit feel good!

If you want to make cooking a lot more fun and efficient you need the right tools.  You wouldn't believe how many home cooks I see using steak knives and plates as their prep stations, and metal spoons on non-stick pans.  And don't forget the lack of important tools (fine strainer and food processor) that limits their culinary creativity.

It's time to step up your game Home Cooks!  Here are a few basic tools that every future family chef needs:

-Wooden spoons/spatulas with long handles (I use these more than any other spoon or spatula because they are great on non-stick surfaces and just feel more authentic).

-A fine strainer as well as a spaghetti strainer (I use this for rinsing small grains like quinoa and rice, to strain nut milks, for getting seeds out of pureed berries, and basically everything that requires a strainer with a small hole)

-A real chef's knife that feels good in your hand and is actually sharp (Get use to this knife, trust me you will thank me.  And make sure to regularly sharpen it.  For this knife I would go to your local kitchen store and try them out rather than buy online.  See how the knife feels in your hand. This knife is a favorite in the kitchen I used to work in and it's only $20 at Kitchen & Co.)

-Wooden cutting board (Not a plate please.  I love the bamboo boards.  If you are cooking with meat get a plastic or glass one as well and use it just for the meat)

-Food processor (Preferably a regular sized one, but the small ones like this Ninja food processor/blender hybrid would work if that's all your budget can allow.  Prep veggies using the shredder, make hummus/salad dressings/sauces/dips/raw desserts, etc.)

-High powered blender (For smoothies, soups, dressings, nut milks, etc.  You can also use the Ninja food processor/blender mentioned above. The best ones on the market are Vitamix, but Warner's are good and people like the Ninja brand)

-Liquid measuring cup and dry measuring cups (Yes these are different. The glass cups are for measuring liquids and the little plastic/metal cups are for dry goods.  It does make a difference in baking especially.)

If you have any questions about kitchen tools please comment below.  I believe the right tools makes cooking so much more enjoyable.  Now get in the kitchen and have fun!

The weather is cold and my body wants warm comforting foods....time to make soup! 

I especially love bright vibrant soups during the winter time as my surroundings in New England are usually colored with grays and whites.  So I tend to make soups that are fiery red, daisy yellow or sunrise orange.  These soups appeal to my eyes as well as my palette!

Here are two delicious colorful soups for you to cook on the next cozy evening.  They are just a slight variation of each other so you can see how easy it is to tweak a recipe and create something new.  Both are vegan and gluten free of course!  Stay warm and get your soup on...

CREAMY CARROT SOUP - makes 3 servings
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 pound carrots, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (14oz) coconut milk
Using the coconut can - fill about half way with water

In a medium sized pot over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add carrots and all spices and saute about 1 minute.  Add the can of coconut milk and 1/2 can of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender when poked with a fork.

Cool slightly and pour into a blender (or use immersion blender) and blend until creamy and smooth.  Add more water to thin to your liking.

Serve warm with optional scoop of jasmine or wild rice, fresh cilantro, and avocado.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH COCONUT CURRY SOUP - makes 3 servings
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
Optional 1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 can (14oz) coconut milk
Using the coconut can - fill about half way with water

In a medium sized pot over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add squash and all spices and saute about 1 minute.  Add the can of coconut milk and 1/2 can of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook about 20 minutes or until squash is tender when poked with a fork.

Cool slightly and pour into a blender (or use immersion blender) and blend until creamy and smooth.  Add more water to thin to your liking.

Garnish with chopped cashews and fresh cilantro.  Optionally serve with rice or quinoa.

Photo by Monika Grabkowska unsplash.com/@moniqa