Purple Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Pie Alternative

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

An Alternative to the Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Slice of my Purple Sweet Potato Pie

This year, I wasn't able to quickly procure any pumpkin puree for my traditional gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert of choice, so I decided to get a bit creative and work with what I had at hand: purple sweet potatoes!  I really like these potatoes roasted, by themselves, as they are smooth textured and quite sweet and flavorful. So, I figured, why not?  I can make a gluten-free pie from these things just as easily as pumpkin!

Ingredients

I didn't take time to really measure any of the ingredients, as I just took a best-guess at what would be ideal.  But, this is approximately the quantities that I used:

• Purple Sweet Potatoes — not quite a Kilogram (perhaps 1.5 - 2 pounds). I had some thinner potatoes that were relatively long but only an inch or so in diameter. This allowed them to bake quickly, and the bake time would have to be increased if they were thicker.
• 5 Eggs
• 1 Kilo of plain yogurt or Fromage Blanc
• A few tablespoons of molasses
• A tablespoon of Date syrup that I have been wanting to try in a recipe
• A tablespoon of cane sugar
• A tablespoon of ground cinnamon — I would have also added some other pumpkin-pie spices (clove, nutmeg, etc), but for some reason I couldn't find any in the house (now on shopping list!)
• A teaspoon of vanilla
• A teaspoon of cocoa — just on a whim; surely not needed.
• A tablespoon of cornstarch

Directions

I started by roasting a batch of purple sweet potatoes in a cast-iron pan in the oven, for about an hour or so, which cooked them through nicely and caramelized the outer skins fairly well too.

Next, after they cooled down a bit, I added ½ of the yogurt/fromage-blanc into the pan I roasted them in, along with the now just warm potatoes, and used a mixing wand (aka: an immersion blender, stick blender, wand blender, hand blender, etc) to really mash and blend the potatoes until all the skins were well pulverized and incorporated into a smooth purple mixture.

I then moved this mixture over into my stand-mixer's bowl. Next I added the remainder of the yogurt, the eggs, and the rest of the ingredients and just allowed the mixer to beat it until it was all smooth and consistent. 

After cleaning out my cast-iron pan (in which I originally roasted the potatoes) and spraying it with a bit of oil, I just poured my pinkish-purple mixture into the pan (no crust used today — I was feeling lazy).  Then, I baked it for about 2 hours at a relatively low temperature of between 300 and 325 degrees F.

Results

When the pie came out of the oven, I would have thought it was a pumpkin pie from the color of the surface!  It looked so similar to a pumpkin pie!  I could hardly wait to see if the inside retained its purple hue.

And, well, it kept some of its color on the inside.  I could clearly see a few bits of the brighter reddish / purple bits of potato skin throughout the pie, but it now had a more subdued pinkish hue; a shade that was sorta pink but slightly tan also.  I cannot claim it is the most desirable color (I so wish it would have stayed purple), but I am not eating it for color, but rather the taste.

As for taste: I rather like it!  Yes, it is different from pumpkin, but, it retains much of the same texture and sweetness, and with the cinnamon and vanilla, it more directly makes me compare it to a pumpkin pie (I really wish I had the clove and other pumpkin-pie spices that I am used to using).  Either way, I consider it a relative success and I would make it again. 

Thanksgiving will at least feature a gluten-free pie this year, one way or the other.

Gluten-Free Purple Sweet Potato Pie : Pumpkin-Pie Alternative

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Loquats / Nesperas in Season and a Delicious Fruit

Loquat / Nespera Time is Here

Ripe Loquat (or Nespera), Spain / Portugal variety, about 5cm (1.75 inch)

A Lesser-Known Tasty Fruit, available nearly worldwide

I first encountered the Loquat, which grows on an evergreen shrub or tree, while in Houston, Texas.  There were plenty of the bushes growing around the neighborhoods, and it seemed like nearly everyone owned the plants just for the lovely sweet-smelling fragrant flowers — I only encountered one other person in the neighborhood that actually ate the fruit.

Since then, I have become quite a fan of a good loquat (or nespera, níspero, nespolo in  Porgugal, Spain, and Italy respectively), and the varieties grown in the southwest of the European Union region are just wonderful.  The Loquat cultivars I found in Texas produced fruit that were perhaps an inch in diameter, which didn't leave much actual fruit after removing the group of large seeds in the middle.  But, as pictured above, these Spanish and Portuguese varieties get quite substantial — nearly 2 inches in diameter — and, even more importantly, they may best be described as simply succulent.

Loquat Taste, Texture, Nutrition Profile

I quite enjoy the rather distinct flavor and texture of loquats.  I consume the thin outer skin along with the slightly tangy flesh, but I first cut them in half and remove the inner seed ovules and the thin membrane around the seeds.  The flesh has a mildly acidic, semi-citrus-like flavor profile — perhaps quite similar to a ripe mango — that combines with flavors of peach or even a hint of apple, or at least that is my opinion. The flavor is complex and enjoyable for its unique mix of characteristics.

Since the plants grow in many different regions of the world, you may be lucky enough to find them at your local grocery or simply growing on a tree nearby, and this would be the time of the year (in the northern hemisphere) when you should start seeing the lovely orange fruits ripening.

Another gluten-free treat that is healthy to eat!  The fruit have a fair amount of Vitamin-A, Vitamin B6, Potassium, and Manganese, as well as some other trace minerals and vitamins. Combine that with the enjoyable taste, and the loquat is an all around winner.  As for the loquat price: this depends quite a bit on where you are and whether any commercialization of the fruit even exists.  In Houston, TX, I never saw them in the stores and instead had to go looking for friends with the trees in their yards where I could pick some. In Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean region, they are quite easy to find at a grocery or fruit stand, and depending on the time of the picking-season, they may range from the USD ($) equivalent of $1-1.50 per pound, which is quite reasonable.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake Recipe: Yogurt, Mascarpone, Ricotta

Chocolate + Lemon = Tasty GF Recipe!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake

I generally like the combination of citrus flavors and chocolate / cocoa.  And, since I had some extra cheeses and yogurt to put to use, as well as some lemons, I decided to assemble this super-simple cheesecake.

The Recipe / Directions

When baking for fun, I don't usually take time to measure ingredients or anything since I have a fairly good feel for what works and does not.   But, I did keep a mental note of what ingredients I used, the approximate measurements, and how I went about creating this chocolate-lemon cheesecake.  The recipe is accommodating enough to not require much exactness in measurements, from my experience.

The ingredients I used:

• 750g (~1 quart) Yogurt
• 500g (~1 pint) Mascarpone Cheese
• 250g (~1 cup) Ricotta Cheese
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup (or slightly more) Cocoa
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• Lemons: the juice and zest of 3 lemons — if I had some lemon oil / lemon concentrate, I would have considered using a bit to boost the lemon flavor and impact
• ½ Cup Sugar — you may like yours sweeter, but I was aiming for semi-sweet in my final product.
• ¼ Molasses — I was using this to deepen the overall flavor profile and complexity a bit; you can certainly choose to use all white sugar, perhaps 1 cup, and omit this if you want.
• 1 TSP vanilla

• [Optional, as shown] A pre-made gluten-free tart-base, a product which I will review here later.  Fact is, I could have just made this without the base and it would be just fine and bake nearly identically.

The mixing and baking process:

I simply placed all the ingredients listed above, except for the cocoa (and obviously not the tart-base either), into the mixer and blended until nice and smooth.  The next step is to add and mix in all the cocoa at a lower speed (so as not to throw cocoa all over the kitchen), then finally raised the mixer speed and mixed thoroughly for a minute or so.  That's it. Done.  This whole process is very quick.

I then selected a 12-inch cast iron skillet, which may not be as "normal" as a springform, but, I like cast iron a lot and it worked quite well.  I covered it with a light coating of cooking-spray and placed the tart-base in the pan.  Next, I poured my cheese, yogurt, cocoa, etc mix into the pan overtop my base.

Place this into a preheated 325-degree F oven, and give it 90 minutes bake time or so, then turn the oven off, allowing the cake to remain in the still-hot oven another 15-20 minutes, then remove and allow to cool down to near room temperature before placing in the fridge.  This will yield a reasonably firm, yet smooth-textured, cheesecake with a deep chocolate flavor.  If you prefer a softer texture, reducing the bake time 15 minutes may produce the result you desire.

I created this on a whim, and I liked the result.  This recipe demonstrates how multiple cheese varieties, and yogurt, can be combined to produce a lovely cheesecake in a hurry.  And, it would be quite simple to alter the accent-flavor to orange if you choose, or perhaps even berries of some variety.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Biscotti Recipe : Apple Cinnamon variety

Gluten-Free Biscotti Recipe

Apple and Cinnamon Flavors join Almond — delicious treat!

Gluten-Free Biscotti Recipe : Apple Cinnamon flavor

I finally got around to posting this delicious Apple-Cinnamon Gluten-Free Biscotti recipe (link to full recipe) on my recipes-library site.  This is a recipe that Kate came up with a while back, and it extends upon the basic Almond biscotti formula with some additional flavorful gluten-free ingredients that include:

• Buckwheat
• Coconut
• Amaranth
• Applesauce
• Honey
• Cinnamon

Whether you want a nice hearty and crunchy gluten-free cookie / biscuit to go with your afternoon tea of coffee, or if you want to serve these twice-baked delights as a dessert, they are bound to please.  Hope you enjoy them!  These are created in much the same fashion as the other biscotti featured in my Gluten-Free Desserts cookbook: a standard Almond variety and a lovely Chocolate Orange Macadamia Biscotti too.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Easy Gluten-Free Fig-Paste Recipe

Homemade Gluten-Free Fig-Paste Recipe

Last week, I posted a blog entry about how fresh figs are now in season along with some recommended preparations and uses for these figs, one of which was to create your own fig paste.  After harvesting some 20 pounds or more of figs in the past week, it became quite clear that I had to get busy...

Step 1: Wash the Figs, Cut in Half, place in Vitamixer with cinnamon...

After rinsing them off, I cut each fig in half just to make sure there are not any invasive bugs (e.g., worms) in any of the figs.  Luckily, bugs were very rare, and I only found one fig among my entire harvest into which a bug managed to burrow, and it may have been a fig I picked up off the ground instead of directly off the tree.  I could fit perhaps 3 pounds of halved figs in the blender at a time.

I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon onto the figs at this point, just to make sure it mixed in well. Do this only to your personal preference.  I will add additional ingredients later...

With my blender container loaded with figs, I added between 4 and 6 ounces of water to assist the blending along, and...

Fresh Figs, halved, in blender.

Step 2: Blend, but don't fully liquefy

Although the resulting fig mixture is not the best looking, here is a picture of it.  I didn't quite fully liquefy or fully puree the figs, as there are still some discernible bits of the green outer portion of the figs, and all the fig-seeds are quite noticeable.   I blended on a somewhat low speed until I was satisfied with the consistency...

Blended Fresh Figs, ready for cooking.

Step 3: Place blended figs in pot, add other ingredients, and cook it down

I had a very large batch of figs, of which I used perhaps 8 or 10 pounds of figs, and had performed step 2 (above) three times, creating just over a gallon and a half of blended fig liquid that I would next cook down.

To my pot full of blended figs, I added (do to taste, with each being optional) a bit of vanilla, some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a few tablespoons of molasses, and a few tablespoons of plain white sugar.  The figs have quite a bit of natural sweetness already, depending on how ripe they are, and my goal was primarily to just enhance the flavors slightly using the citrus and molasses tones.

The fig mixture is surprisingly thick before boiling, thanks to all the natural fiber in the figs. But, for my fig paste to be ideal, I want it to be even thicker.  So, I carefully bring the mixture to a low boil and maintain the boil for up to half an hour or so, stirring regularly enough to prevent any burning.  The mixture will thicken considerably as steam escapes.

Cooked Gluten-Free Fig Paste

The fig mixture will not reach a consistency of being a "paste" while on the stovetop, due to the heat... but, once it cools, it should set up in the refrigerator quite nicely.  This full pot of cooked figs took most of the day (8 hours) to cool down to the point where I then placed it into various jars that I keep in the fridge, as well as into some containers that I froze for use later in the year.

This fig paste recipe may be a bit different than some other alternative recipes, but this is the fastest and most efficient way I have found to process large batches of fresh figs into fig paste.  I will use this paste in other recipes (I even used it in my gluten-free pancake batter the other day) as well as an accent added to other foods and desserts.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Fresh Figs in season, and delicious gluten-free recipes using them...

Figs, fresh-picked from the trees

I really enjoy this time of year when figs are ripening on the trees and plentiful.  Yesterday I came across a small cluster of fig trees growing wild on a tiny strip of public land where a couple streets meet at an intersection (barely a 2-foot wide area between an alley and a larger road). These trees, which are approximately 15 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter must each literally have a thousand figs on them right now!

I only noticed the trees because so many figs had fallen to the ground that they caught my attention when I accidentally stepped on one and it squished everywhere. It only took a few minutes to harvest some five pounds (2-3 Kg) of fresh figs...

Fresh Figs from the tree

Although these figs look rather green in color yet, the ones that were just slightly more yellow in color than some others were quite soft and ripe already, and their inner seeds are already turning a brown-sugar brown color...

Fresh Fig : center showing ripeness

Of course figs are safe for a gluten-free diet,... they are just a fruit, and a really tasty fruit at that.  And, figs are quite versatile and can be included in a wide range of gluten-free recipes in addition to being consumed fresh.  These figs have a wonderful natural sweetness, and are naturally high in fiber (~14% by weight, raw).

The only thing that may take a bit of getting use to is the rather light, fluffy texture of a fresh fig.  If for any reason you do not care for the texture of fresh figs, simply consider frying them or baking them, or cooking them down into a lovely fig jam or paste.  Since I will have more figs than I can possibly consume fresh (they tend to quickly ripen!), I will certainly be cooking some of them.

Recommended Preparations / Uses for Figs

You can dry / dehydrate the figs for longer term storage, if you have a way to do so.  I generally purchase my dried figs from the store.  I really like dried figs in my morning granola or for simple snacking.  But, I also like to prepare fig paste: simply cook the whole figs down in a sauce pan, add just a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, and keep a jar of this around, like jam, to add to greek yogurt, use as a spread to accompany various cheeses, or even place on top of a square of nice dark chocolate!  This fig preparation can even add a nice tone to some salad dressings.

Next, try baking or frying some fresh figs.  I typically do this in a cast-iron pan either on the stove top or in the oven.  Split the figs in half, vertically, place them cut-side down in a pan that has been lightly sprayed or coated with oil, and sprinkle just a light dusting of cinnamon over them.  Fry or roast until the sugars in the figs caramelize nicely.  If for some reason the natural sweetness of the figs is not sufficient for your liking, just add a slight bit of brown-sugar.  Optionally, instead of a light coating of cooking spray, use a bit of butter to enrich and enhance the flavors.  The end result (the lovely baked / fried figs) can be served as is, for a dessert item, or provide the finishing touch to fancier and more complex desserts or dishes — perhaps over ice-cream, on top of your favorite gluten-free cake, or even as a salad accent.

For pricing purposes, if you cannot find fresh figs just growing wild, I have seen them in the local grocery stores in the area lately for between EUR 3 and EUR 5 per Kilogram (i.e., in US Dollar terms, that is essentially $1.50 - 2.50 per pound), and keep in mind that the figs are not terribly heavy. They are delicate when ripe, so remember not to pile other groceries on top of them unless you want raw-fig-paste accidentally.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Pomegranate Cocoa Lemon Gluten-Free Antioxidant-Rich Snack

Pomegranates as the basis for a tasty GF treat

One of my favorite fruits is the wonderfully delicious pomegranate — a fruit that requires a bit of patience when it comes to retrieving all the individual edible berries (seeds) from within its thick reddish skin and the inner near-white pulp. I have tried repeatedly over the years to improve the efficiency with which I can harvest those little single seeds inside, moving along as quickly as possible without bursting each flavorful juicy bit during its extraction.  Yet, a good sized fruit (which may reach the size of a medium grapefruit) takes me perhaps 10 minutes to fully shuck and disassemble.  I have tried methods that claim to be faster, but nothing really works better than careful deconstruction, especially if you want to keep the seeds intact.

Fresh Whole Ripe Pomegranates

Good plain, and fantastic in various gluten-free recipes too...

As good as the pomegranate fruit tastes on its own, I also have experimented quite a bit with various gluten-free recipes and combinations of ingredients mixed with pomegranate seeds.  I especially like simple recipes!  One of my perennial favorites is mixing pomegranate seeds, plain Greek yogurt, almond butter, and a few drops of vanilla (if for some reason you desire added sweetness, honey is my recommendation due to the flavor it adds). I further vary that formula with things like hints of cinnamon, some cocoa, and some citrus (I prefer lemon, but orange can be nice too, with the almond butter especially).

Recently, I have settled on a super-simple and healthy gluten-free snack that is nothing more than the pomegranate seeds, drizzled with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and then tossed about in a heaping teaspoon or so of plain cocoa.  The resulting "dish" may look a bit unusual, as the next image demonstrates:

Cocoa-Dusted Pomegranate Seeds with Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice Binder

The lemon juice serves two purposes: it makes more cocoa stick to the pomegranate seeds, and furthermore it imparts a lovely sharpness and slight sourness to offset the sweetness of the pomegranate.  In fact, this snack is all about contrasts.  Textures contrast substantially, ranging from the crunch of the seeds inside each little pomegranate berry to the juicy popping of each berry as you bite into them, and the powder of the cocoa is quite different and contrasting as well.  Tastes range from that sweetness you would expect from the main fruit, to the tangy and sour taste of the lemon, to the slightly-bitter flavor of the bold cocoa powder.

In my opinion, it all combines nicely. It may be an acquired taste, but it is something that can be experimented with in a small batch (just a few seeds) to see if you like it before using the entire pomegranate.  I'd recommend playing around with other complementary flavors and combinations of your own too.

Furthermore, this gluten-free snack has a nice range of nutritional elements from vitamins to minerals to antioxidants and polyphenols / flavonoids (e.g., the theobromine of the cocoa), which makes it a bit of a super-food combination.  Hope you enjoy yours!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free on Comedy Central's South Park Cartoon Season 18 Episode 2

The Ravages of Gluten : SouthPark Style

For those of you that may still be unfamiliar with the TV Cartoon Series "South Park", I must first issue a warning to readers: South Park is considered an adult animated sitcom, and it runs on the Comedy Central television network.  The adult rating is mainly due to the coarse, raw, nature of the comedy the show delivers, especially due to the substantial amount of profanity that is coupled to nearly any topic that can be depicted in the most non-politically-correct way possible.

I just had the opportunity to view Season 18, Episode 2 which is titled "Gluten-Free Ebola". As you may imagine, the evils of gluten have taken on a more sinister capability than in real life.  If you care to deal with such vulgar comedy, and want to see how gluten can be discussed in a truly absurd manner, then check out the episode... it is hilarious.

In brief, basically the town of South Park Colorado becomes the epicenter of an Ebola-like outbreak of deadly gluten exposure... whereby consuming too much gluten causes horrendous things to happen.  For the males of the population, it causes a certain body part to fly off and explode as well, and that tells you how far the absurdity of the show can go.

The show starts with a scene at the local school where one of the teachers has taken up a gluten-free diet and is sharing his experience of how awesome he feels because of it.  This provokes a predictable reaction from some others in the room: some scorn the gluten-free diet (which the coworker has started not because he suffers from Celiac, but because it is a "fad"), and others want to jump on the gluten-free diet bandwagon.

So, eventually the FDA and USDA get involved in a debate over gluten. At one point, a government scientist is demonstrating how gluten is the protein left over after removing the moisture and starches from wheat... and he condenses a block of absolutely pure gluten protein, on stage, during his demo, and tells the audience how it is harmless.  Of course, the audience challenges him on that statement: if the cube of highly-purified gluten is truly harmless, the scientist should eat it without hesitation...  so he does, albeit nervously...  and, things go horribly wrong...

South Park Season 18, Episode 2 : Gluten destroys the government scientist!

... the above picture, courtesy of South Park / Comedy Central, gives you a hint at the horrors that follow when you eat gluten: in this case, the scientist essentially disintegrates in spectacular fashion, with a certain body part flying off and exploding soon after this image (a fate shared by others during the episode).

As one may expect, things only devolve from here.  There is a gluten-quarantine implemented by the USDA where people exposed to gluten are locked up at a Papa John's Pizza for things like drinking beer, eating soy sauce, and so forth.  And, ultimately, the USDA's food pyramid is redefined to place grains (and thus gluten) in the tiny tip of the pyramid and fats at the bottom (largest area), leaving the several co-protagonists of the cartoon handing out frozen butter-pops (think butter lollipops) at the end of the episode, at a party, instead of the usual crackers, pretzels, pizza and such.

It's a truly hilarious look at a serious topic to those of us which really must avoid gluten to remain healthy and/or alive.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Nestlé Gluten-Free Chocolate Corn Flakes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Corn Flakes?

Now these sure sound oddly interesting!

Nestlé Gluten-Free Chocolate Corn Flakes

My wife just noticed this new Nestlé gluten-free cereal listed for sale on the Continente hypermarket website, currently on sale for €1,53, or about USD $1.70 (at current exchange rates), for a 13¼-ounce box (375 grams).

I have had Nestle's regular / traditional gluten-free corn flakes that preceded this new product, and like them quite a bit. I tend to add a few in with my homemade gluten-free granola which typically also features shredded coconut, cocoa or cocoa-nibs (or bits of dark chocolate), some almonds, raisins, dates, dried figs, and gluten-free oats among other things. The corn flakes add a bit of extra crunch.

So, now that I see there is a gluten-free chocolate corn flake on the market, I feel compelled to try them ASAP.

Are these Nestlé flakes available in the United States? If you have seen them, post a comment mentioning where you found them and the size/price if you could, and whether you like them.  So far, the first and only place I have encountered them for sale is in the Eurozone (specifically in Portugal), and I have a box on order so I can evaluate them first hand, and I plan to update this post with my review of these new chocolate corn flakes once I acquire a box.  Hopefully I will be able to get some within the next week or two.

Sure looks interesting!

I also noticed Nestle now has a gluten-free Gofree coco rice cereal (on the Nestlé UK website) that I am currently tracking down as well... which may be the first mainstream mass-produced brand of gluten-free chocolate crispy rice cereal (until now, most any commercial big-name brands have contained barley malt in the recipe).  More to come on these items...

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Romanesque Cauliflower (Couve-flor) : as beautiful as it is delicious!

Romanesque Cauliflower

A delicious vegetable with visual presence to match...

One look at the picture says it all: this gluten-free vegetable known as a Romanesque Cauliflower is simply visually fascinating in its structure and almost a natural work of art.  And, if you like the taste of cauliflower but find it to be to "bland" or lacking in flavor, and if you like broccoli but find it perhaps slightly too heavy on flavor, this romanesque cauliflower may be just what you are looking for: it tastes like a cauliflower but with the addition of a bit of broccoli flavor.


Romanesque Couve-Flor (Cauliflower)

I just encountered this vegetable for the first time here in Lisbon, Portugal.  They are available at a few of the supermarkets (supermercados) or local fruit and vegetable stands in the area.  Also, it was quite reasonably priced at €1.59/Kg (i.e., at today's exchange rates, that is about $.80/pound in USA terms).  Not bad at all.  This lovely example (image above) weighed just over 1Kg, so it was not quite USA $2.00.

Prepare it as you do your favorite broccoli or cauliflower dish and enjoy.  This should make a healthy diet / recipe choice as well. I like to bake/roast my broccoli in the oven in a cast-iron skillet (once cut into segments, that is), and I enjoy eating it plain or with a slight bit of grated cheese sprinkled over it, or even some ratatouille poured over the top (tried that last time and it was rather enjoyable).

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco UK: Gluten-Free Organic Coconut Flour bulk bag

Nutiva Organic Coconut Flour

Gluten-Free Coconut Flour — Awesome GF Recipe Ingredient, Bargain Price!

If you are looking for great addition to your gluten-free baking ingredients, look no further than your local United Kingdom (UK) Costco right now!  This quite large bag (4#, or 1.81Kg) of Nutiva Organic Coconut flour was £4.99 (roughly $7.50 USD), which is a fantastic deal, and hopefully Costco continues to keep it available.

There are some things to note about baking with coconut flour: this stuff definitely absorbs liquids readily and your recipes will need to take that into account.  But, once you get the proportions right, it is a wonderful ingredient to add to your baked goods — use it in cookies, brownies, breads, pancakes, and so much more.  In moderation, it does not seem to alter the flavor-profile of most items either.  

I even used some of this coconut flour in my homemade hummus as a thickener, though it did impart a slight sweetness (perceived) and a noticeable taste of coconut when I pushed the proportion up a bit much.

Here's what the product at Costco currently looks like:

Nutiva Organic Gluten-Free Coconut Flour at Costco UK

Nutiva Organic Gluten-Free Coconut Flour Nutritional Data

Nutrition: Coconut Flour is high-fiber and protein.

According to the label, this coconut flour is a near "perfect" (nutritionally) ingredient for us Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free diet people: it is very high fiber (nearly 50% fiber by weight) and nearly a quarter protein by weight too!  Seeing how difficult it is to find high-quality sources of fiber for use in our baking, I am quite pleased to have this ingredient as an option.

Bottom line: this product is quite versatile and fun to try out in all sorts of recipes.  I definitely enjoy it in my baked goods and it makes a nice alternative to some other GF ingredients I would otherwise rely on.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Fresh Black Raspberries in Season

Fresh Black Raspberries: Yum!

Bushes full of berries...

There has been an absolute abundance of wild berries this year here in the southwest United Kingdom, especially blackberries and black raspberries.  The image below shows a typical wild black raspberry bush, or patch — perhaps better described as a hedge of raspberries or nearly a forest of raspberries — that I keep running into all over the region along footpaths, bridal paths, hiking trails, biking trails, and so on.

Wild Black Raspberries on the bushes

These berries are simply everywhere: I call these berries the "national weed of the UK" due to how widespread they are.   I definitely do not mind, as unlike most "weeds", these plants produce a very useful crop — a delicious fruit that is quite versatile and can be used in many of my gluten-free recipes.  I used to pick these same types of berries in Ohio in the United States, but I never encountered them in such abundance as I have seen here.

...but, picking still takes time.

Even with so many berries on so many bushes, I have found that my ability to pick them peaks out at about 1 quart per hour.  The black raspberries are quite a bit smaller than the nice big plump fresh blackberries I was picking earlier this year (compare the picture below to the pictures in the blackberry blog-link — shown in same size pan); in fact, it probably takes 6 or 8 of these small berries to equal the size of a medium blackberry.

Next, there is the issue of the thorns on the bushes that must be avoided; those do not feel so nice and/or can get get your clothing all caught up in them.  If that were not enough, so often where these wild raspberries are growing, so grow large patches of stinging nettles around them and/or mixed throughout them — and if you have experienced the "sting" of those stinging nettles, you will soon realize why it is with great care (even if it slows down the harvest) that I work my way through the wild berry patches.

Fresh-picked black raspberries - much smaller berry than blackberries.

Lovely treat worth the effort

Even with the effort required to pick these lovely little flavorful berries, it is so worth it!  Much like with the blackberries, I eat these black raspberries fresh and I also freeze any extra ones.  I freeze some of the berries whole and others I cook down a bit prior to freezing the resulting very thick puree (many of the berries remain nearly whole).  I use these in some lovely gluten-free berry pies and other dessert recipes too!

One characteristic of the black raspberry I very much prefer to the larger blackberry is how it stays much more solid and has less liquid (per volume) than the blackberry when cooked — this denser and more solid texture makes for a much nicer berry pie, berry crisp or crumble, and so forth (the dessert does not succumb to sogginess).  And, they are simply loaded with flavor!  This all makes for them being quite a treat when placed in the morning granola or yogurt.  Hope you have a chance to enjoy some where you are.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Fresh Hazelnuts Harvest and Preparation

Harvesting and Preparing Fresh Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts / Cobnuts / Filberts in Season in the UK

I very much enjoy the flavor of hazelnuts.  Hazelnut (the nut of the hazel tree) is also referred to as cobnut or filbert nut according to species.  I do not know the specific species of hazelnut I have harvested this year, but they sure do taste good!

I really have no idea how many hazelnut trees are in the UK since they do not appear terribly abundant  — I have only found a few so far (Turkey is the big commercial producer in the world with about 70% of the total, though in 2014 the hazelnut crop was 90% lost due to frost and such).

I encountered some trees located right along a paved public bike-trail nearby in the Southwest of the United Kingdom, but only located them by chance when I saw all the pulverized nut shells and mashed (by bikes) filberts on the trail.  There is a bit of work involved in manually collecting fresh hazelnuts.

It was not too difficult to locate the source cobnut tree(s) based on where the nuts had rolled to on the ground — just a bit of back-tracing.  But, then came the fun of dealing with stinging nettles growing all around the base of the trees! (ouch!)  With careful movement, I was able to collect about a kilogram of nuts with only a few nettle stings.

Hazelnuts Nutritional Value — Healthy-Eating

Hazelnuts are a rather healthy nut and a great gluten-free ingredient.  They are high in dietary fiber and low carb.  In fact, they have more protein than they do "net" carbs (carbohydrates less fiber portion of carbs). They are rich in vitamin E especially (100% daily requirements in 100g of nuts)!

In addition, the nuts contain a nice balance of minerals and other vitamins: B1, B6, and folate are notable vitamins; manganese, magnesium, and iron are noteworthy minerals.  Furthermore these nuts contain a lot of healthy unsaturated fats (especially oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat) that may even help lower "bad" (LDL) cholesterol.

Hazelnuts in Pictures (in husks, clusters, loose, and shelled) 

Here are some pictures that show the hazelnuts in their varied states, along with a look at the tree leaf that may help you identify a hazel tree along the way:

Hazelnuts / Cobnuts : on tree, in husks, and husked

Shelled Hazelnuts / Filbers / Cobnuts -- ready to toast / roast

Roasted Hazelnuts

How to Roast the Hazelnuts

It took a few hours to shell all the hazelnuts.  I chose a pair of pliers to crack the nut shells with and my wife opted for the meat-hammer to crack them open with.  Shelling the hazelnuts is the hardest bit of work in the entire process — it takes time and my forearms and hand muscles can still feel the aftereffects of squeezing pliers for hours.  Perhaps there is an easier way, but this worked I guess.

Roasting is optional.  You may prefer the nuts raw — the flavor at this point is much milder and the consistency is rather like fresh coconut.  Roasting really brings out the hazelnut flavor that you may be used to tasting in hazelnut praline and similar products, and I really like that well-developed flavor.

Once the nuts are all shelled, simply place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet (or jelly-roll pan with a slight edge — as I have done — so they do not roll off) and put them into a 150-degree-Celsius (300 degree F) oven for about an hour or just over.  You can decide how long to bake them based on the desired consistency.  I like them nice and crunchy, but I do not mind them slightly soft in the center either (still with that coconut-like consistency).  You can test them by pressing down on them with a fork or other utensil and observing whether they "give" yet — a crunchy nut will not give at all.  My preferred crunchier nuts took about 1 hour and 10 minutes in a convection oven.

Coming up: Using Hazelnuts in Recipes

I have been using these fresh hazelnuts in a variety of gluten-free recipes lately. The simplest of these recipes is a nice nutty granola with toasted whole hazelnuts, fresh coconut, almonds, raisins or currants, and some gluten-free oats.

I have been making homemade hazelnut butter with the roasted nuts. Another favorite is my own version of "Nutella" (brand) hazelnut / chocolate spread but without all the sugar and with a LOT higher percentage of hazelnut and cocoa — here is a link to my gluten-free Nutella-like cocoa hazelnut spread recipe.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Wild Cherry-Plums Season: time to cook and freeze some.

Cherry-Plums In Season

Sweet Treat on Local Trees (Somerset, UK)

The summer fruit harvest continues.  Soon after my recent blog about preparing the wild blackberries harvested this year, the (apparently) wild plum trees in the area really started to hit their peak for ripening fruit. 

Fresh Cherry-Plums (halved / pitted)

I suspect these trees grew on their own (wild) since they are growing immediately along a public bike path that is carved through some varied, and otherwise rough, terrain.  As the plums were littering the paved bike trail and being turned to puree by passing bikes, I figured I might as well collect some and puree them myself at home.  So, now it is time to enjoy these fresh plums and cook some up for freezing in a very similar manner to how I prepared my blackberries for longer-term storage. 

There are so many different varieties and cultivars of plums that I am not 100% sure which type of plum(s) we are harvesting — I believe these plums are all "cherry plums" of some sort.  These wild plums have been nearly perfect even without any pesticides or other treatments applied to them.  We have encountered only 2 wormy ones out of a couple thousand plums so far.

The cherry plums coloration is quite similar to some Victoria plums, but those tend to get much larger.  Whereas these plums are all 2-3 cm (an inch or so) in diameter with a very small pit, the Victorias (from what I have read) get as big as 5-6 centimeters in diameter, much more like a normal commercial plum you would see at the grocery store. 

We also have what I believe are Mirabelle plums growing wild nearby, though they were not fully ripe yet — I plan to harvest some of those in a couple more weeks. If you want to see the wide range of plums and related fruits available, check out the incredible variety of Plums, Gages, and Damsons that are offered for sale on fruit-tree dealer sites like Pomona Fruits and Orange Pippin Fruit Trees. 

Recipe : Simple Cooking and Freezing Process

Much like my blackberry cooking process, this plum-preparation cannot get much simpler.  I just halved the plums, pitted them, and tossed them in my trusty large stainless steel 6-quart pot with perhaps 1/2 cup of water and brought them to a boil.  After that, I reduced to a simmer and stirred every so often for an hour or so until the puree / sauce was thickened to desired state.   After that, I waited until the sauce cooled down and then froze portions of it for later use while keeping about 1/2 of the sauce in the fridge for use in my morning yogurt over the coming week (with a bit of honey and vanilla added). 

Fresh Plums : in the pot, ready to cook down

Cherry Plums (after cooking down into a puree)

I sure hope these plums return in full force next year!  I am definitely a fan of fresh plums and naturally-occurring gluten-free treats that I can use in my own recipes.  I will definitely use these in yogurt, but I also think they are going to be quite nice in my cakes, pies, and other dessert recipes (whether as a sauce / topping or whether directly in the baked goods).  Yummy!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Fresh Blackberries : Simple Cook and Freeze Method

Extending the Fresh Blackberries Season

Blackberry Puree Ready-to-Use for Many other Recipes

This year I have been fortunate enough to encounter a bumper-crop of fresh blackberries growing wild where I live. There have been so many blackberries ripening at once that eating them all while fresh is just not possible — I can eat perhaps a quart of berries a day, but something has to be done with the remainder.

So, time to cook these berries up for simple storage (and reduced storage space in the freezer too).

The steps to this "recipe" cannot get much easier:

1. pick berries, unless a very nice neighbor or friend donates some to your cause;
2. rinse them off well in a colander
3. place the berries in a nice large pot in which you can cook down a substantial batch on the stove top at once.  If you have very ripe berries, there should be no need for any additional water in the pot (to prevent burning or such), since they should have a lot of their own natural juice
4. bring the berries up to a light boil — if your berries are as ripe as the ones I am using, your pot should have plenty of liquid in it just from mashing a large stirring-spoon through the berries a couple times.
5. reduce the heat to a simmer and be patient — stir every so often to prevent any burning and let the batch cook down as much as you desire.  This can take an hour or more to off-steam enough liquid to thicken the mixture considerably.  
6. Let cool and place into containers of your choosing and freeze (and, perhaps keep some in the fridge for the coming week or so) 

Fresh Blackberries ready to cook down on stove top

Although I could freeze the berries whole, I have limited freezer space and this process allows me to greatly reduce the volume of the berries.

I have kept a bunch of cleaned, used, pint (1/2 liter) size plastic yogurt containers into which I place my cooked berry sauce.

Then, I place these containers in the freezer for easy retrieval and thawing when I need blackberries for any other recipes I am planning, or simply for my morning yogurt.   I make my own flavored-yogurt by simply adding about a 1/2 cup of this cooked blackberry sauce to a cup of greek or plain yogurt, along with a bit of honey and slight bit of lemon juice (or couple drops of lemon oil).  This is the way a blackberry-yogurt should be — loaded with berries and full of flavor!

I also use this puree in some other gluten-free dessert recipes, like: cheesecakes (right in the batter), other cakes (in batter, or in the frosting, or both), berry pies (used along with some other fresh/frozen berries), my morning pancakes (in or on), and much more.

This is one of my favorite gluten-free recipes / treats that comes along during a limited season each year.   I hope you are able to find some fresh berries nearby to try this yourself.

Nicely cooked-down blackberry puree / sauce

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Awesome Gluten-Free Bread : Genius Brand Spiced Fruit Loaf

Genius Spiced Fruit Loaf is Simply Excellent Gluten-Free Bread!

Fantastic Gluten-Free Bread at Reasonable Price

Genius brand Gluten-Free Bread : Spiced Fruit Loaf Variety

This bread is simply fantastic, gluten-free or not!

When I first encountered this gluten-free bread, with a brand-name of "Genius", I could not help wondering if the bread would live up to its name.  Without a doubt, it definitely does!

This is one of those rare gluten-free breads that I enjoy without toasting (worth noting, since toasting is a "requirement" for so many GF breads if you want the bread to have a decent texture and taste).  This sliced spicy fruit loaf review does not require any additional bread preparation in order to achieve optimal taste: just eat it, and enjoy.

Genius brand Gluten-Free Bread : Spiced Fruit Loaf Variety (close up of slices)

As you can imagine, the bread tastes very nice toasted too, though it is wonderful even fresh and untoasted. I find myself eating it plain, or with a bit of almond butter on it, or occasionally toasted with a bit of butter. In all cases, the texture, crumb, and taste are very nice and I am thoroughly enjoying the fact I am eating tasty bread.

One of the keys to the fantastic texture of this Gluten-Free Spiced Fruit Loaf bread (apparently) is the fact it does not rely on the old-school and more traditional gluten-replacements — such as Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum — but instead it uses Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, which is an inert polymer used as an alternative to animal gelatin (and, somewhat related to and along the same lines as the carboxymethylcellulose (i.e., Dow Wellence gluten-free gluten-replacement product), which I first wrote a blog about in September, 2012).  And, I am please to further report: this stuff does not bother my GI tract like Xanthan Gum (which generally causes me pain).

This was my first encounter with a gluten-free product that used this particular gluten-replacement additive to mimic gluten, and I must say it does a fantastic job of doing so (best I have encountered in commercial gluten-free breads).

The full list of ingredients is as follows (quoted from their site):

Water, Tapioca Starch, Sultana (12%), Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Sunflower Oil, Yeast, Raisin (4%), Currants (4%), Caster Sugar, Psyllium Husk Powder, Humectant: Glycerine, Stabiliser: Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Dried Egg White, Cinnamon, Maize Flour, Salt, Maize Starch, Mixed Spice (Coriander, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Fennel, Clove, Cardamom), Rice Starch, Preservative: Calcium Propionate.

Notice that Psyllium Husk Powder too: more fiber and texure!  And, the dried egg whites are certainly going to help with that gluten-replacement also.

Reasonable Price for Great Gluten-Free Bread

I am actually tempted to call this not just "reasonably priced", but rather low-priced gluten-free bread — especially given the absolutely ridiculous price of some gluten-free breads I have encountered in the United States (I have seen a small loaf of gluten-free paleo bread at Whole Foods Market for $11.00!! ouch!!).   In fact, most commercially available gluten-free bread in the US is absolutely absurdly overpriced with typical tiny loafs costing in excess of $6 or $7, which is just crazy given that the base ingredients are usually quite cheap (potato starch, rice starch, etc).

Price is where the Genius Gluten-Free Bread shows its genius again: this loaf is only £2.50 (i.e., about US $4.25/loaf) and it is a nice sized loaf (400g, or approximately 14 ounces).  Basically, it is pretty similar in size to a "real" loaf of raisin bread or similar fruit loaf.

Hopefully you will have a chance to try this bread.   My product-review bottom line: Genius gluten-free bread is highly recommended!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Waitrose Fiery Alcoholic Ginger Beer Review - Refreshing and quite nice!

Waitrose Fiery Alcoholic Ginger Beer Review

A new Gluten-Free "Beer" to try

This adult-only ginger-beer is a delightful recent find I encountered in the United Kingdom at the Waitrose grocery store chain.   When I first came across the bottles at the store, I was immediately intrigued by the description on the label: "An alcoholic ginger beer made with Jamaican Ginger, Sicilian Lemons, and a hint of Chili."

Waitrose Fiery Ginger Beer (Alcoholic)

 Chili, did I read??  Interesting!  So, I quickly took a look at the product page on the Waitrose web site to see if this is considered a gluten-free alcoholic ginger beer, and yes it is.  Perfect... and, as soon as possible a couple bottles made their way into my shopping basket and on to be chilled in the refrigerator.

Review: A refreshing, satisfying, cool drink with added zing

I found this gluten-free ginger beer to be rather delightful.  It definitely left me satisfied and was a great cool thirst-quencher perfect for summer.

The effervescence is noticeable, though not overwhelming — I'd say it is just about right.  I have had non-alcoholic ginger ales that have been either too flat or too stingy-bubbly, but this drink gets it spot-on in my opinion.

As for the presumption of "heat" I made upon reading the "Fiery" portion of the label as well as that mention of Chili — well, I certainly do not consider it "hot" in any way.  Any "fiery" aspects are quite tame, though that is just fine with me given that the drink comes together nicely with the discernible hint of those Sicilian lemons present in among the notes of ginger and the ever slight heat from the Chili.  I like the drink quite a bit, though I would welcome a true hotter (spicier) version with more Chili if it were ever produced.

Since the options for gluten-free beer are somewhat limited, and I am not particularly an avid wine drinker (occasional is plenty), this GF ginger-beer fills a gap in my drinks menu.  Definitely recommended, and count me in for refills next time I make it to Waitrose.

Now, if only this would be sold in the United States of America (USA)!  I am not aware of anything quite like this in the US, but perhaps I can find a way to ship the stuff there if enough demand exists?  Shipping would be cost-prohibitive I fear, and each bottle is currently costing £1.77 (i.e., around USD $3.00 at the time of this writing).  That is certainly going to equate to a "premium" gluten-free beer / drink option by the time any shipping and retailing-costs are added.   Anyone have "extra" luggage space and heading to the US?

Nice, bubbly, GF Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Costco: Gluten-Free Honeyville Almond Flour bulk bag

Costco has Gluten-Free Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour

New item at our Costco: 3 pound bags of fine almond flour!

Honeyville brand Blanched Almond Flour (Gluten-Free) 3# bag at Costco

If you have been looking for a very fine almond flour for your gluten-free recipes, check your local Costco store: I just came across this product this week at our Houston, TX location.

The flour has worked nicely in a few recipes I regularly use in my gluten-free diet:

• pancakes:  I used along with finely shredded coconut flour and buckwheat flours and it was quite nice
• yogurt: I often put almond butter in my yogurt along with fruit and berries, so I tried this almond flour instead and rather enjoyed it
• chocolates: I created some quick coconut / almond "haystacks" using shredded coconut and this almond flour, cocoa, coconut-oil, and maple-syrup and found that to also be a tasty treat

This 3 pound bag was $18.99 at our Costco, and 3 pounds is a lot of almond flour!  I hesitated at first when I thought "how am I going to use all this?", but after purchasing it I am fully sure that I will use it quite quickly since I am finding it a versatile gluten-free recipe ingredient for so many things I make.  I think this will be quite nice in cookies and pie crusts and tarts and other things too.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free Halloween Items and Party Recipe Ideas

Some Festive Gluten-Free Halloween Party Ideas

Dressing up some favorite GF party items for Halloween

Have you been contemplating what foods to make for a Halloween holiday party — whether appetizers, desserts, or other snack items? Kate, one of our gluten-free blog contributors, put together a sampling of her own ideas for some simple to make, and simple to convert from everyday fair into Halloween themed variations, gluten-free recipes that fit the occasion nicely.  She served these up this weekend to a group of people that found the items rather delightful.

I think you will all agree, these playful holiday treats should be quite easy to replicate using your favorite recipes.  She created things ranging from a pumpkin that is performing some Exorcist-type expulsion of green goo (in this case a tasty guacamole!), to some lovely one-eyed (cyclops) chocolate-dipped strawberries, to some gluten-free cupcakes covered with spiders!

Other items at her party included "bloodshot-eye" deviled eggs and other adventuresome and creative treats.  Here's hoping these all provide inspiration for a great GF holiday spread.  In addition to being gluten-free and wheat-free, she was able to accommodate the dairy-free / vegan / vegetarian crowd very nicely too.

(pictures all credit: Kate)

"Guacamole-Barfing-Jack-o-Lantern"

Cyclops-eyed Chocolate-covered Strawberries 

Oh my... Gluten-Free Cupcakes crawling with spiders!

Gluten-Free Halloween Party Treats Ideas

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.