gluten free Carrot-Cake Cake Balls (and Easter chickies)

Happy Easter.  Whether you celebrate Easter as a religious holiday or a celebration of family, Easter is about new life and transformation. Look outside and you’ll see that change is in the air.  Surprisingly, spring comes on very gradually here in Los Angeles but you can see the changes.  The days are longer, spring vegetables are ready to plant, and we are enjoying the warm air.

My first memory of Easter is from when I was maybe 4 years old.  The small town I lived in sponsored an Easter egg hunt in which there was a sand pile full of money.  From my age group, I pulled out the most money that day.  Maybe 50 dollars??  I don’t even know if this is a real memory or a memory that I’ve created from stories, but it came to me this morning.

It reminded me that I am out for the treasure.  I’ve called myself a perfectionist, but really I don’t have the attention to detail.  What I love is seeing a transformation; realizing a final product that you will only get if you follow a process.  Now, that process may be pre-defined or you might create it along the way, but regardless a transformation requires a vision of the end product.  Thank goodness for Youtube videos and photographs!

These carrot cake cake pops are about creating a beautiful finished product to put on display; maybe for a birthday party, bridal shower, or wedding.  And given the cake mixed with frosting, covered with candy coating; they are bound to taste good!

The queen of cake pops is Bakerella and it has been so much fun to get ideas and gain tools.  Look at her website for complete instructions and tools.  I’ll just share some basic steps.

1. Bake the cake.  I used this Martha Stewart recipe and substituted all purpose gluten free flour.  It looked so beautiful that I couldn’t resist, even though I knew I would tear it up.  I am far from understanding how to use gluten free flour so that it tastes like white flour.  I am open to learning easy tips!
2. Make the frosting (purchase the products for an entire cake, but only make half the frosting).  I made this Honey Cream Cheese Frosting from a fellow blogger, Honey & Jam.
3. This is the fun part!  Remember all the times that your cake didn’t turn out right and you covered it up with frosting?  This time all the cake goes into a large bowl.  Yep, just dump it in!  Crumble the cake completely and add part of the frosting.  Mix the cake and frosting, gradually adding more frosting until the crumbs start to resemble cookie dough and it binds when you squeeze it with your fist.
4. Roll the dough into balls.  Follow these steps from Bakerella for basic cake pops and these steps for cake balls.  I purchased vanilla candy melts and sprinkled on pecans pieces.  You can use a candy food dye to add fun colors or candy sprinkle for some flair.  Purchase candy melts at a party stores or local cake shop.
5. Prepare a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Once you melt the candy coating, you will need to move fast.  Be sure and use the correct bowl.  I used a very round bowl so that I could dip and then scoop out the cake ball.  Tap off extra coating.
6. After laying the cake ball on the parchment paper, quickly draw a line around the ball with a tooth pick.  Then add sprinkles or pecans.  Remember, they dry super quick!

I put these together as a fun birthday cake, though you could explore better ways to present them.  I made an E with the colored cake balls to add some pop and celebrate my friend’s birthday party.

And here is a preview of the chickies in case you are in suspense.  Since spring is in the air, they would make a fun gift or party treat.  My roommate made these since she has the gift of attention to detail.  But, I made the cake!

toasted garlic quinoa with tomatoes and basil

This post took me completely by surprise.  I had absolutely NO plans to cook quinoa or toast garlic, but my friend Erica was coming over at 1pm to hang out (or enjoy a blogging feast ) and I thought I should have something ready.  Erica rarely eats gluten so at the last minute I decided to make quinoa.  And boy did it come together!

Isn’t it amazing how pleasant surprises can be?  I plan most of my time, but I’ll admit that life wouldn’t be exciting without surprises.

The pleasant surprise this weekend is having my friend Erica over for toasted garlic quinoa and wine instead of going out for happy hour.  Sometimes a different setting allows you to connect in a way you hadn’t expected.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 5 garlic cloves
• extra virgin olive oil
• 3-6 fresh vine tomatoes (from a garden or farmer’s market)
• fresh cinnamon basil (adds a peppery taste which I prefer)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper (optional)

I watched a Bobby Flay video on the food network while watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (is there really any other way to do it?) and I learned how to toast garlic.  Toasted garlic adds a whole new element to quinoa that is complemented by the tomatoes.

Smash the garlic cloves on a cutting board with your palm against the flat part of the knife.

Remove the skin and trim the cloves.  Sprinkle kosher salt over the cloves.

With a fork smash the garlic into the salt until it breaks up.  Slice if desired.

Add enough olive oil to the pan to cover the bottom.  Add the cloves and heat the oil on low until the cloves begin to brown and curl.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions.

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a bowl and fold in the toasted garlic and olive oil.  Add sliced tomatoes and basil leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil on top and serve immediately.  We especially enjoyed this with chilled chardonnay and toscano cheese.

Tofu Tacos

I grew up in Southern Arizona and we ate tacos all the time.  It was one of the few homemade meals that I remember and every restaurant including the local truck stop served Mexican food.  The tacos at our house were pretty traditional, but the tacos at my uncle’s house were baked after the meat was added.  I don’t remember what those tacos tasted like, but I remember being amazed.

My sister introduced me to Ketchup.  What does this have to do with tacos?  My sister put Ketchup on Everything, including her tacos, and I thought she was crazy until I made Persian friends who did the same.  Tacos and cheese crisps (which are the best with Ketchup) were a staple at our house.

While my sister poured the ketchup on her tacos, I preferred salsa.  I learned early on how to fry a taco shell, the one and only Mexican food lesson I remember.

What I love about tacos are the fresh vegetables.  I started with tomatoes from my garden and purchased a head of butter lettuce.  Butter lettuce dissolves in your mouth; it is so soft.

My love for (or adaptability to) tofu started in college when I learned that I could buy a pound of tofu for less than a pound of chicken breasts. This is not always the case, but tofu is very cost effective and predictable.  When I moved to Southern California, I fell in love with all Asian cuisine; my new favorite being Cambodian.

I prefer extra firm Tofu and lately my favorite is Trader Joe’s High Protein Organic Super Firm Tofu.  Extra firm Tofu is easier to grille.  Start by sauteing diced shallots or onions in grape seed oil and then fold in the cubed tofu.

Continue to saute the tofu until browned or it sticks to the pan, scraping the pan often with a wooden spoon.  Add salt and freshly crushed pepper.

When the tofu is browned, add oyster sauce.  Make sure you purchase a good quality oyster sauce (preferably from an Asian market) and stay away from Kikkoman.  It seems to have excess salt and doesn’t smell like oysters.  Turn the heat to low and continue to saute the tofu until the oyster sauce is absorbed.  Remove the pan from the heat and cover when the sauce begins to stick to the pan.

When the tofu is prepared, the shells cook up like a breeze.  Start with a small skillet and enough oil to cover the bottom.  With two forks in hand, lay a corn tortilla in the heated oil.  Flip to cover both sides.  Before the tortilla starts to harden, lift up one side with the forks.  Flip to the other side when the shell hardens.

Transfer to a pan lined with paper towels.  When all your shells are prepared, add the tofu and finish off the tacos with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and salsa.  I used Trader Joe’s Serrano Salsa.  It is perfect with tacos or chips, is a medium salsa, and is low in calories.

I had a friend over for lunch and we finished off these tacos in no time.  They were amazing!

Ingredients

• Corn Tortillas
• 1 package Extra Firm Tofu (16 ounces)
• 2 small shallots or half an onion
• 2 Tbs+ grape seed oil
• 2 Tbs oyster sauce
• Butter lettuce
• Vine ripened tomatoes
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh salsa or Ketchup

Directions

1. Dice the shallots or onion.  Set aside.  Chop the tofu into 1/4 inch cubes.
2. Heat 2 Tbs grape seed oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the shallots or onion and saute for 30 seconds.
3. Fold in the tofu until covered in oil.  Continue on medium heat until the tofu is browned, turning often.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4. When the tofu browns or begins to stick, add the oyster sauce.  Turn heat to low and saute until the oyster sauce is absorbed.
5. Turn heat off and cover.
6. Heat 2 Tbs of grape seed oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Add a corn tortilla and fry on both sides.  Flipping with two forks or a utensil.  Flip up and hold one side until the other hardens.  Flip over and fry until both sides are crispy.
7. Transfer the taco shell to a pan lined with paper towels.
8. Layer the tofu in the taco shells to make a bottom layer.
9. Add lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese.
10. Serve with salsa, or if you’re like my sister Ketchup.

cinnamon walnut date balls

I’ve been trying to get no bake desserts down for weeks; combining dates, peanut butter, coconut oil, coconut flakes, rice cereal, oats, chocolate…you name it.  This also coincides with my new found desire to eat healthy.  I’ve had a really hard time eating healthy for…my entire life…especially now that I work at an office and go out for lunch everyday.  Well, lunch hasn’t been so easy but I’ve been making healthier meals and desserts.

My friend Lauren makes amazing no bake desserts and she has inspired me to think differently about sweets.  I adapted her Oat Pecan Butter Balls recipe to make these cinnamon walnut date bars.  As a result of this drive I have fallen in love with coconut oil, all of a sudden I’m eating nuts when I never used to eat nuts, and I’m eating flax seed.  Miracles do happen!

These date balls are very simple to make, but you either need the right equipment or be prepared to chop dates very coarsely.  If you don’t have a large food processor, a strong blender should also do.  If you don’t have either, process the oatmeal first and then combine with the dates by hand.

Add water to the date and oats until the mixture is sticky.

Doesn’t this look yummy already!  Be warned, they taste like oatmeal cookies so it will be difficult to eat only one.  The coconut oil makes them extra rich, though a little goes a long way.

Roll the mixture into balls and freeze for 20 minutes before serving.  If eating them later, store in a sealed container in the freezer for an extra yummy treat at any time.  Though I bet they will transform your thinking of what a treat is!

Ingredients:

• 10 dates, room temperature
• 3/4 cup oats
• 4 Tbs filtered water
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 tsp flax seed
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• coconut flakes (optional)
• cinnamon

Directions:

1. Chop dates coarsely.  Pulse the chopped dates and oats in a food processor until crumbly.  Add water and process until sticky.
2. Add the walnuts, flax seed, coconut oil and agave nectar and pulse until crumbly.
3. Form the mixture into balls and roll in coconut flakes.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Store in a sealed container in the freezer for an extra fresh treat at any time.

roasted vegetable summer pasta salad with basil, oregano, and thyme

With summer quickly approaching and barbeque aromas in the air, I wanted to create a pasta salad that is light yet full of flavor and made with “freshly” picked vegetables and herbs.  I have oregano in my garden but hadn’t found …