Blueberry Crumb Coffeecake (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Do you find yourself more cautious to cook and eat since discovering you may have a problem with certain foods? It can be very paralyzing and helpless feeling when you just do not know what to eat to make you feel better. And if you have been on this journey of gluten-free eating for a while you may find times when you just miss good ol' cake and cookies from the younger years of your life. Eating gluten-free is a great reason to never bake again. But really, do you want to live that way? There is something about the learning of food allergies that can either break you, or make you more alive than ever. I choose to find new life in these new discoveries. I choose to be more adventurous and dare-devilish in the kitchen. I believe I can feel better and there is a better way to life than feeling sick all the time. And, that is why I make blueberry coffeecake, gluten-free style. That is why I am grinding almonds and millet in my coffee-grinder. That is why I am picking 20 pounds of blueberries over the weekend... It is all because I have discovered that there is life after gluten allergies, and that there is a much sweeter reward to life when you feel your best. So, this recipe comes out of a place that celebrates new adventures in the kitchen, and bringing hope to healing in a life that needs every ounce it can get. I hope the best for you today, and I hope you try something new. Make yourself go out and try that new recipe that you have been staring at and thinking how good it must be. Don't let fear and despair rule your life anymore... there is hope. Keep adding doses of fresh life to yours everyday. Oh and here's the new recipe for the day....:)

P.s. This recipe is also grain-free, so if you are trying an experiment in how eating grains may be affecting your digestion or symptoms... then this is a treat for you.

Blueberry Crumb Coffeecake:

1 cup of ground almonds (this is where I grind a cup of raw almonds in my coffee grinder or store bought almond flour works too)

1 cup of millet flour (I also ground millet seeds in the grinder as well)

1/2 cup of sifted coconut flour

1 1/2 ts. of aluminum free baking powder

1/2 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

2 cups of sucanat or dehydrated sugar cane juice

1 cup of hemp milk (or other non-dairy milk option)

1/2 cup of walnut oil (or other unrefined baking oil)

1 ts. of pure vanilla

6 large farm fresh free range eggs

2 heaping cups of fresh blueberries

Mix all the ingredients above together and whip up real good so that everything is mixed thoroughly. Then add the blueberries and mix carefully. Pour into a 9x13 baking Pyrex pan that has been greased with oil. After pouring in the batter, you can mix up and top with the crumble.

Crumble:

1/2 cup of sucanat or use organic brown sugar to make it even better...

2 TB of millet flour

1 TB of coconut flour

1 TB of ground cinnamon

1 TB of organic palm oil shortening

Mix all together with a fork or your hand and then crumble all over the top of the cake. Now you are ready for baking...Put the cake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour depending on your oven.

After baking let cool for a few minutes and then cut into big squares. The 9x13 pan will serve 15 large square pieces or 18 smaller. I hope you try this one and enjoy the luxury of waking up and enjoy a piece with a nice cup of tea or coffee... Or serving it up as a great dessert with friends. Much peace to you today...

Italian Stuffed Peppers (gluten-free, dairy-free)

This recipe comes out of the abundance of summer vegetables. How beautiful they are! How flavorful and nutritious... how can you pass up the season's bounty? This recipe could make up to 12 peppers full of the filling, or if you want to stuff some zucchini , the filling works great as well. (See below).

I used some fresh ground lamb from a local farm in this recipe. And it not only added great flavor, but it was easier on the digestive track. If you have been questioning whether or not to eat as much meat or what kind of meat to eat. I would tell you to start investigating your local meat options. It seems like we can become so disconnected from where our meat comes in particular because we probably don't really want to know where it comes from. Find out if there is a local meat farm in your area and investigate what they do to feed and house their animals. I am sure you will find that the meat that is bought from your local farmer is easier on your digestive track and better for your heart and soul. Most local farmers are concerned about not using hormones in caring for their animals and they are not feeding them waste and carcases from other animals. I know that sounds dramatic, but really factory farmed meat is really some of the worst carcinogens you can put in your body. Thinking about healing means that you will be thinking about what exactly you are putting into the very sensitive body of yours. Think about how every piece of food is going to send love and nourishment to your whole being. Being more connected and in touch with your whole person will bring more healing to your life. Think... if you are putting chemicals, rotten carcinogens and fake things in your body... your body will know what is happening. You will start to become what you are eating. So eat pure, fresh and full of life. Everything is connected. How you treat animals, the earth and yourself is connected. What do you think? Any thoughts about this?

So, here a recipe to enjoy some of your favorite summer veggies...

In a large frying pan, saute the following:

2 small diced onions

2 minced garlic cloves

1 TB(or so) of extra-virgin olive oil

(then wait till the onion and garlic changes a translucent color, then add the meat)

1 pound of ground lamb ( or other red meat that is humanely raised)

use some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to season up the meat as it is frying.

Fry until the meat is browned and cooked and then add the following:

1 160z. can of organic tomato sauce

1 TB of Italian seasoning spice mix

Cook for another 5-7 minutes so that the sauce starts to marinate and cook with the meat.

Then add the meat mixture to the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:

3 cups of cooked wild rice and brown rice mix

1 cup of chopped fresh basil and other fresh herbs of choice

1/2 chopped jalapeno pepper

1 summer squash sliced into saucers and halved if large enough

add some more cracked pepper or salt if you desire...

Mix well and then scoop 1/3-1/2 cup of mixture into halved bell peppers, or into smaller bell peppers whole. This mixture will fix about 6 large bell peppers halved or 12 small peppers whole.

After you fill all of the peppers...put them in a Pyrex baking sheet that has been bottom bushed with some oil. Then thinly slice 1-2 small Roma tomatoes to place on top the filled peppers and then dust with ground almonds or blanched almond flour. The last and final step is to drizzle some olive oil over the peppers with the tomatoes and almonds added to add some flavor and crisp. If you prefer a gluten-free bread crumbs to dust the tops instead of the almonds, then by all means try that instead. I really liked using the almonds... I just ground 1 cup or so in a coffee grinder and that is what I used instead of flour.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes and check to see if the sauce is bubbling. Pull from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes and then it is ready to eat. Voila! A nutritious meal all in one pepper!

This picture below is of some stuffed zucchini in a small 8x8 Pyrex. I ran out of peppers and I still had some mixture, so basically I lined the bottom of the pan with a bit of oil and sliced open zucchini. I cut out some of the zucchini meat and chopped it into the remaining mix and them I poured it on top of them. Basically the same procedure as with the peppers I layered some tomatoes and almond flour and olive oil and baked the same amount of time as the peppers. Turned out delicious, and might make something like this again it was so good. The nuts turn into a crispy crunchy crust that adds so much to the flavor and texture that you have to try it sometime!

Enjoy, friends. Make the most of the quickly ending summer season...

Blueberry Sauce

Yesterday I picked another 20 pounds of blueberries at a local blueberry farm. Yes, I know... I am crazy in love with picking blueberries Well, and eating them. I am now up to about 50 pounds of blueberries in the freezer, ah! So yeah, I have a lot of them on hand right now. I am planning on freezing most so that we can have them throughout the whole winter and spring for smoothies in the morning and pies over the holidays. But for now... I am adding them in fresh wherever possible. This morning I made some french toast from my favorite bread... Sami's Millet and Flax Bread,  and then I made some blueberry sauce to pour on top. The blueberry sauce is quick and simple, but I wanted to post it to give you an idea. 

You could pour it over coconut ice cream, over cooked salmon, over pancakes, and for me this morning I am pouring it over my french toast. So here it is:

2 cups of fresh blueberries (frozen could work too... I am sure) 

1 cup of pure water

2 ts. of organic corn starch

juice from one lemon

1 TB of honey or agave nectar

Pour all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir quickly and on high for a few minutes and then turn down the heat and let cook simmer for about 10 minutes. If you need more water/blueberries to get the right consistency you are looking for then go for it by all means. 

Let me know if you have any new places to pour this luscious and fresh blueberry sauce. I would love to know, and I am loving the ways to use my fresh berries right now.

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Peach Crisp Bars (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Peaches. Hm. Those velvety fresh juicy fruits that you can smell miles away. They are seductive. They are beyond beautiful. How can you not want to sink your teeth into one of those? I went to the farmer's market this morning and almost every stand had peaces for sale. They are ripe and ready to devour. I bought a barrel of them yesterday at one of my favorite orchards in the area with great expectations to make something wonderful. But peaces are so delicious and wonderful even on their own. If you cut them in half, drizzle honey or agave, dash some cinnamon and then bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes you have an instant dessert. Of course I would probably dream of putting some vanilla coconut cream ice cream right on top of that. :) But really peaches are a dessert in themselves.  So delectable, so soft and juicy. 

A recipe that I have been dreaming up is based on a pre-gluten-free recipe. I think I have mentioned in the past that I pretty much grew up in a bakery in high-school and college. Well, a fruit bar recipe I used to make in those days was with whole wheat flour and oats and lots of butter. To say it was just a good recipe was far from the truth. It was literally melt-in-your-mouth good. It usually involved frozen peaches and maybe another fruit like raspberries or blackberries. Anyways, so I have been recently been thinking about how I could re-invent these gluten-free healthy style. :) So, I came up with the following recipe...

You need 1 dozen fresh peaches for this recipe

Bar base and crumble:

1 cup of certified gluten-free oats

1 cup of buckwheat flour

1 cup of brown rice flour

1/2 cup of sweet sorghum flour (or one of the above flours is fine)

1 cup of shredded coconut

1 cup of sifted coconut flour

1 1/2 cup of sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice crystals)

1/8 cup of agave nectar or honey (for moistening)

1 TB of cinnamon

1 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 cup of pure water

4 farm fresh free-range eggs

1 cup of organic palm oil shortening (or coconut oil works too)

***If you eat dairy, try 1 cup butter*** Or even try dairy-free ghee (clarified butter)

Mix all the ingredients up for a few minutes so that it is all mixed well and whipped just a bit. Cut the batter in half and roll out half of it on a 12x18 parchment-papered baking sheet. Roll out with flour if need be because it is sticky and try and pat it down for a consistent level throughout the whole pan.  When it is rolled out you can slice a dozen peaches on top of the whole bottom base. If you desire to take of the skins, then go for it, but if you have washed and cleaned the skins and want to keep them on, that works too.  Then crumble the rest of the batter on top of the peaches. The picture below is before I baked it, so you can get an idea of what you are trying to do here...

After you have the layered fruit bars complete, bake in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes. If it seems like you may want to bake a tad more to get a best crust on the bottom, then use your best judgement. After baking, pull from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into square sized bars. This recipe could make 24 large bar pieces. I set aside 12 on a plate and froze the other 12 for a later date, or for a nice travel/camping food. 

Of course, you will have to try one right from the oven and make sure it tastes ok :) If you want to add some coconut ice cream or other non-dairy ice cream to this I am positive it will be delicious. Although, it is perfect on it's own. I also wanted to try and add some berries to this recipe some time, so maybe if you want to try out doing half the peaches and then adding a cup or so of fresh blackberries, raspberries or even blueberries that would be good as well. My husband liked this recipe so much he even asked if I could try and make this again the same exact way. I guess he may be tiring of how I can't seem to replicate the same recipe over and over again and it always turn out the same way. I tend to get too crazy creative and want to try something new all the time. He asked I make it again, so it must be good right?! 

Enjoy and I hope you have a beautiful summer weekend, we probably don't have that many left here in Michigan. Much love to you today!

Raw Vegan Coconut Mango Ice Cream Pie

Here is the raw dessert I promised in my last post. This recipe is a little over the top experimental for me. But with all the hot weather we were having last week, I was craving something refreshing and cool. So with some overly ripe mangoes and a can of whole coconut milk you can have the main ingredients to make up this raw dessert. No need for turning on that stove. No need to get all hot and sticky sitting next to the oven. Just whip up and freeze and then enjoy! So start with making the crust in a traditional glass or tin pie pan.

Crust:
1/4 cup of sorghum flour
1 cup of finely ground almonds ( I grind mine in a coffee grinder, but a food processor works too)
1/3 cup of raw honey or agave nectar
1/3 cup of unrefined organic non-hydrogenated palm oil shortening (coconut oil may work as well)

Mix up the crust ingredients and then roll out and press into the pie pan. It doesn't have to look and be perfect in away way. It is just a crunchy base to the rest so don't spend too much unneeded time on this.

Then to work on the filling... pull out a large food processor or blender. (I used a large blender).
Then put the following ingredients in before you blend all together...

Filling:
3 cut up ripe mangoes without the skin or seed
1 can of chilled coconut milk
1 cup of shredded coconut meat
1/4 cup of agave nectar
1/4 cup of packed fresh mint leaves (washed and diced)
2 TB. of high quality gluten-free rum, which all rum should be gluten-free because it is made out of sugar cane or molasses. If you don't want to add any rum, but you have rum extract, you can add 1 TB of the extract for flavor.
1 ts. of ground cinnamon
1 ts. of ground cloves

Blend it all in the blender and then make sure it is thoroughly mixed and whipped up. Pour into the pie crust and add some coconut flakes or mint leaves for an added touch and flavor if you want.

Freeze in the freezer on a secure shelf. Freeze for 3 hours and then pull out and see if it is firm enough for cutting. It is best right after you freeze it for a few hours before it gets a chance to get really solid-frozen. If you want you can still freeze for longer until you want to serve, but plan on pulling it out of the freezer for a few minutes before to give it time to thaw just a bit so that it is easier to cut.

Not too hard, and it's a fun summer dessert. The texture is not so much of a real ice cream pie or cake, but it reminds me of a yogurt fruit pie that my mom used to make when I was a kid with a graham cracker crust bottom. Not the same, but a nice refreshing sweet treat none the less. Enjoy and let me know what you think about this one. Or if you have any ideas for making it different. Have a beautiful refreshing day!

Gluten-Free Pan-Fried Fish and Garlic Kale Wildrice on the side

I thought I would share a nutritious dinner idea with you this week. I work a lot of hours away from my kitchen throughout the week and sometimes I just don't feel like making the most nutritious meal within the crunchtime between work and dinner. But here is a quick and cost effective nutritious meal that leaves you full and satisfied, and you also have leftovers for the next day's lunch. So let me share....

I never used to be a huge seafood fan. I still don't like shrimp, or any shellfish, but occasioanlly I get the craving for some fresh quality tasting fish. Salmon is my favorite :) and then any kind of white fish falls behind that. The best white fish I have ever eaten was in a small country in Africa on the shore of a large fresh water lake called Lake Tanganyika in Burundi Africa. (ask me why I was there another time :) Maybe I thought it was so good because I wasn't eat much of anything but raw food bars and trail mix, but seriously... it was fresh and the flavor was awesome. Every chance I got to eat fish there I did. That fresh fish is hard to find here in Michigan, and so I usually buy it frozen that was caught in the wild somewhere off the Northwest coast of the USA. The hard part about making a good crust on some pan-fried fish is that most of those mixes are made with wheat flour. So I decided to venture and try to make a mix of my own. So here we go...

Fish Batter:
1/2 cup of ground almonds (in coffee grinder or food processor)
1/2 cup of millet flour
1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 TB paprika
1 TB minced onion
1 TB dried sweet basil
1 ts. ground mustard
1 ts. ground coriander

Mix all the dry ingredients on a bowl and set aside.

Then whip up:
2 farm fresh eggs with 1/4 cup of water added

Set up a drudging station to coat your fish.

The main ingredient:

1 pound of pan fish, like wild perch or any kind of white fish


Coat the fish fillets in whipped egg and then dunk it in the dry mixture. Set on a plate to get ready to fry. Use a large frying pan on the stove or electric frying pan. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) in the pan to make sure the fish fries up nice and crunchy.

Cook 2 minutes on each side and it's done to make sure see if the meat is white and not translucent anymore and opens up to the pressure of a fork.

It is a very quick way to prepare fish, so make sure you have your other parts of the dinner ready because the fish cooks up so quickly. It can also be kept warm in the oven if need be.
The side dish I was making on the side was a way to get some whole grains and some fresh greens into the meal...

Wildrice Garlic Kale side-dish:
3 cups of cooked wildrice mix of choice
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups of chopped fresh kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper
olive oil to coat pan
1 TB of agave
1 Tb of wheat free tamari sauce

Saute the garlic and the kale for a few minutes in the oil and then add the rice, tamari and agave with the fresh sage and salt and pepper to your taste. If you want to add more veggies or other herbs, go for it! The greens and the rice are filling and dense with nutrients, so it will satisfy your body's hunger. Simple... yes, but delish and good for your body! Rice and greens are a good combo with fresh fish as well. If you have any more ideas, then send those my way. I hope you have a great week and can hopefully take some time to make a healthy meal for yourself and your family.

And maybe some Raw Coconut Mango Icecream pie for dessert.... I guess that will be my next post then :)

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

One of my favorite things to do with zucchini is bake it. Hard to believe right?! Well, of course this time of year in Michigan we have summer squash and zucchini coming out of our ears. So stir-fried, grilled, baked, and sauteed zucchinis have made their way to our plates. I thought I would make something to last us a weekend camping trip for breakfast. So here is my best gluten-free bread recipe yet. Zucchini has made its way into our bread and it tastes delicious!
I don't grow my own zucchini yet, but you can find it at roadside stands on the outskirts of town, or at farmer's markets for sometimes 3 for a dollar or 2 large ones for a dollar. Good deal...and the vegetable is so versatile, stays fresh for many days and can last a long time in the fridge/freezer. So, the best answer to those odds would be to buy a lot of it and try some new recipes.

I bought multiple zucchini the last few days as I was driving in the farmlands outside the city. I decided to shred it with a cheese shredder and freeze it in freezer bags to have some for the fall and winter to make breads and cakes. It is a great way to add some more nutrients to your muffins and cakes and it tastes so good. For the vegetable haters out there, you will not even know it is in there...seriously! So, I shredded like four large zucchini's so far and have them in the freezer to use at a later date, but for now I am using up my fresh shredded on some fresh bread. Yum. Here is the recipe I use and would recommend for the gluten-free:

Recipe: (Ingredients high-lighted are linked to a page to show you what it is)

1 1/2 cup of sucant (dehydrated sugar cane juice) or organic unrefined sugar or sweetener of choice

2/3 cup of coconut oil, or 1/2 cup oil and 2 TB of ghee

1/4 cup of agave nectar syrup or honey

3 large (or 4 small) farm fresh free-range eggs

3 cups of shredded zucchini (I shred mine with a cheese grater or shredder)

1 cup of sweet sorghum flour

1 cup of buckwheat flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1/2 cup of white rice flour

1 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of pure vanilla

1 TB. of cinnamon

1 ts. of ground cloves

1/2 ts. of ground nutmeg

(The gluten-free flours can be found at any health food store or bulk market.)

Optional toppings or mixed in batter:

chopped walnuts, dried cherries or cranberries, raisins, or chocolate chips, or even a combo of all.

The picture above is of some chocolate chips topping a 8x10 baking pan.

This recipe will make 2 bread pans or 24 muffins or 2 8x8 pans. So be creative. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes for the bread and baking pans, and about 20-22 minutes for muffins. Eat warm with some smothered ghee on top (first picture of post).

This past weekend I made a batch and brought it with us camping for a few days. It last miraculously through all the travels and it tasted divine every morning with a warm cup of tea.

So enjoy and have a nice summer day enjoying this heat! Much love to you all!

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

      

This past weekend I drove two hours north of the city to an organic blueberry farm. I had grand intentions to get around 20 pounds of berries in the freezer, but after three hours alone I decided that I couldn't pick anymore. I ended up with fourteen gorgeous pounds of blueberries (and two pounds in my stomach), and a great day in the country to say for it. Picking your own food is something surreal. I am a city girl, and I am becoming more and more aware that it matters where we are buying and gathering our food. I have discovered that leaving the city and going out to the local farms can be a very enriching experience. It connects me to what I put in my body and to where it comes from. There seems to be such a disconnect in the western diet with  what foods we are eating out of the packages. How have we reached this point in history when we can "eat" but not really be ingesting anything from the earth or our natural habitat? It does seem weird when you really start to think about it, and only drives me more to think and eat more locally. I wish I could have more space to garden and someday I hope to do that, but for now having local farmers do their job is good enough. I enjoy meeting the people that have had their hand in growing my food or raising their animals. Seriously, it wasn't too long ago when everyone had to live and eat this way. It shouldn't seem so foreign for me to be saying this because people have been eating off the land for thousands of years. My personal goal is to be more aware from where my food is coming, and to do the best I can to gather my own food from my local habitat. It can be a very healing experience for your body and your soul. Local vegetables and foods are packed with fresh nutrients that are not wasted in the time it takes for it to get to you and stay on the shelf.         

Aren't these blueberries gorgeous? Picking these beautiful berries is a great experience of fun and my idea of a relaxing day. 

So that is just what prompted me to go pick in the countryside for three hours and gather fourteen pounds of berries that are now washed and bagged in my freezer for winter. I think I will probably pick again soon so that I can have around thirty pounds altogether in the freezer for winter. Not to mention that this is a way cheaper way of having frozen fruit throughout the winter months. About 1/8 of the cost of frozen berries if you were going to buy them from the store. 

And of course I had to make something to eat with some of the berries. Why not some classic blueberry muffins? Yum! It was what I was dreaming about as I picked that bucket full. So here is my recipe to share with you...

Blueberry Muffins Recipe:

1/2 cup of sifted coconut flour

1/2 cup of white rice flour

1/2 cup of sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice)

1/4 cup of agave nectar syrup

1/4 cup of coconut oil

3  free-range eggs

1 ts. of baking powder

1/2 ts. of baking soda

1 1/2 cups of almond milk

add last:

2 cups of fresh blueberries

Whip all the ingredients up in a mixing bowl and pour 3/4 full in muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through in the middle. This recipe make 18 muffins or 24 small muffins. 

Hmmm, these muffins are so tasty and light you will really appreciate the use of the coconut flour in these. I haven't experimented that much with the flour, but I have discovered it to be a great nourishing way to bake gluten-free. The coconut flour is a bit more expensive and you will be able to find it at any health food store. It can be used great in baking, especially for those interested in baking grain-free as well as gluten-free. The coconut flour is full of fiber believe it or not... Like 6 grams of fiber in 2 tablespoons. That is a lot of fiber for a flour. It is also lower in the carb index and full of nutritious vitamins and oils. So, try it out and see what you think. 

So, I hope you are able to investigate if you have any local berry farms by you and make a day of going out to the countryside and gathering pounds of your own food. It really is a great experience with many long-lasting benefits. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Rainy Day Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was planning on a beach day today. And, if you are in West Michigan, you know it is storming outside. Yeah, so what do I do instead?! Well, bake of course :) I guess I have a problem... if I am home and I have spare minutes... I will find myself elbow deep in some baking project. I love it. I really do. It isn't a hassle or a mess. It is pure fun and freedom to create. So, what is better on a rainy day to have some warm chocolate chip cookies from the oven. Hmmm. Seriously...probably one of my favorite things. So, instead of moping around because it is going to rain all day, I think some warm cookies and a nice book while I listen to the drizzling rain will be just as nice.

My most favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe requires only 5 ingredients...

Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 16 ounce jar of natural cashew butter with the natural oils and everything (or any natural nut/seed butter)

2 cage-free free-range eggs

2 ts. of aluminum-free baking powder

1 1/2 cup of sucanat or coconut palm sugar

After mixing the above ingredients you can add...

1 cup of vegan dark chocolate chips, or allergen-free chocolate chips.

Add more or less depending on how much you are in love with chocolate.

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. The batter will be a bit sticky. So spoon out 12 cookies on a baking sheet with a spoon and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. The batter makes about 24 large cookies or could make 3 dozen small cookies. Bake to the preference you have for your cookies... chewy or crispy. It is important to let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes before moving so that they don't break apart when you move. But...if you do break off a piece, that is your excuse to taste test and make sure they are ok :)

So that's my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for the gluten-free dairy-free friends out there. Oh, and it is also grain-free for those avoiding grains. Obviously, not nut-free unless you use sunflower seed butter. Which is very good as well. These are my favorite because they are like real chewy choclatey cookies. It is not at all like you are eating something gluten-free, but you are... natural gluten-free goodness.

Enjoy!!!

Keep it Simple Summer Veggies

Can you believe it?! I went back to the farmer's market twice this past Friday...mainly because I realized I kept forgetting things I wanted. I bought 3 bags worth of produce. Cherries, blueberries, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs and greens... I mean really anything and everything available for sale I bought. I do say that it is a sacrifice to live in the city sometimes because I don't have the ability to plant as much vegetation I would hope to plant in few planter pots. But really, what the farmer's market offers in fresh- in- season- produce is a life source to whole foods people like me. I couldn't believe this week how many foods were ripe and available. This is the best time of the year to find the ripest berries and tomatoes. I had fun with all my fresh goodies. I made a huge batch of fresh pesto pasta salad and also cucumber salad that lasted throughout the whole weekend that we shared with visiting friends.

I just love looking at all the colors too. Seriously, fresh vegetables are gorgeous! I just like looking at them. Food should be good to look at, don't you think?!

These are just fresh green beans that have 3 different colors. Fresh vegetables and fruit are so colorful it is almost breathtaking at how beautiful they can be. I must be a food-nerd to love fresh food so much, but I really do think it is amazing. So, really why not keep it simple...add some more flavor, but then enjoy the fresh summer produce in it's most natural form. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. And, if you are not a "vegetable" person... I dare you to try and experiment and force yourself to try new ones... and maybe before you know it you will start to like and even crave the flavors. Our bodies do crave the nutrients. I was recently pondering the idea of how the majority of Americans eating the "western" diet are overfed, but undernourished. This means that maybe we keep eating empty calories because our bodies are in fact hungry, but they are hungry for vitamins, and minerals and foods that actually gives energy and nourishment. Interesting thought when obesity is rampant and snacking seems to be a major issue in the western diet. We are still hungry though, so I guess it makes sense.

Here is a simple recipe to eat up all those fresh green beans that you can pick or buy from your local farmer:

I pinch off the ends of the beans so that I don't have the stems and hard parts in my dish, but really you can eat the whole thing, just be careful of the stems I guess. (In my pictures I have bent off all of the ends... no need to get out the cutting board and knife, just bend the ends and pop... they come off!)

Boil 2 pounds of fresh tri-color or green beans in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for about 5-7 minutes until it takes off the sharp crunch of the bean. Wait till it is softened, but still crunchy. That is how I like my beans cooked, but if you like them softer or crunchier... then adjust your time and keep a watch over them to not over-cook. Then strain in the sink over cooler water. Add some dressing...

In a small food processor, or magic bullet type blender add:

1-2 chopped garlic cloves

1 TB or so of balsamic vinegar

1 Tb or so of extra virgin olive oil

3-4 large fresh basil leaves, or thyme or oregano

cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Blend all the ingredients together and get a whipped up dressing. Pour over the warm beans and mix with tongs or your hands to make sure all the beans get covered. Add more pepper or sea salt if you need it, but really just add the little bit of dressing to bring out the fresh, green and crunchy flavor of the beans. Full of vitamins and fiber. Delicious!

Serve warm, or serve as a cold side dish to any meal. Have fun with fresh vegetables this week and remember that the best kinds of foods to eat are those that come from the ground. Something that Michael Pollan mentions again and again in his book, "In Defense of Food" is that the best diet to be on is one that consists of the foods your great-grandmother would recognize. Not the packaged, wrapped, processed, and refined foods of our present western diet situation. So have fun with it... get some colorful food in the kitchen and be inspired!