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Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger for August … I’m Hosting!

This month, I’m so excited to host the terrific Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event! Originated by the delightful Sea at Book Of Yum, the event has been going on for a few years now and, just as Sea intended, it’s a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers, introduce others to new bloggers, and, of course, try new gluten-free recipes.

We all leave comments on others’ blogs in response to recipes and photos that make our mouths water. Comments like: “Oooh, yummy. I sooo want to make that!” or “I’m definitely making that soon.” But, then life intervenes and months pass and we still haven’t made that recipe that we truly wanted to make. This event gives you an excuse to take a break from your daily routine and do just that! If I hadn’t participated in Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, I would not have made Pete and Kelli’s (No Gluten, No Problem) Pasta with Shrimp Marinara and Brownies; Kate Chan’s (Gluten Free Gobsmacked) Cheese Rolls and Pizza Crust; Melanie’s (Gluten-Free Krums) Avocado Artichoke Salsa;  or Wendy’s (Celiacs in the House) Savory and Sweet Crepes. It would have been a shame to miss out on making any one of those recipes and getting to know each of those bloggers just a little better.

To sign up for this month’s edition of Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger, leave a comment letting me know which blogger you plan to adopt. Here are the guidelines on how you can join in … nothing complicated.

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name and blog name, and their name and blog name.

Notes:  The blogger’s recipes must all be gluten-free or there must be a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes. A different blogger should be selected each time you participate. And, ideally, each blogger should only be adopted once.

2) Choose one (or two!) of your gluten-free blogger’s recipes to try.

3) Make the recipe, photograph it, and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and their recipe. Link back to this event announcement in your post.
Notes:  Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And, please don’t print the blogger’s recipe on your post—just provide your reader a link to their original recipe.

4) Email me at glutenfreeeasily@gmail.com with your photo of the recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe, and the URL of the original blogger’s recipe post.

5) After your post is published, submit your post’s URL in a comment to this post, and if possible please try to visit two other blogger’s posts that are posted here (and comment!). The idea is to make this a truly interactive event.

Deadlines:
Sign up BEFORE August 27 (loose deadline; late sign-ups are ok).

Post your review and email me by September 3rd (firm deadline—no kiddin’). (IMPORTANT: If you sign up and cannot complete this event by September 3rd for any reason, please email me at glutenfreeeasily@gmail.com.)

**If you don’t have a blog, you are still welcome to adopt a gluten-free blogger. Sign up here to adopt a blogger, write a review of one of their recipes, including your name (or pen name), the recipe URL, and recipe title. Then take a photo of the completed recipe (if you can) and EMAIL ME the review and photo. I’ll happily post your reviews and photos as part of the roundup in September.**

If you’re stumped on who to adopt, you can take a look at my sidebar for ideas or visit Sea’s Gluten-Free Blogroll. Let’s make this a mass gluten-free adoption!

Adoption Sign-Up Sheet:

1. Iris at The Daily Dietribe (adopted by me)

2. Nancy at The Sensitive Pantry (adopted by Kim of Cook IT Allergy Free)

3. Me, here, at Gluten Free Easily (adopted by Iris of The Daily Dietribe)

4. Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs (adopted by Valerie of City/Life/Eats)

5. Ali and Tom at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen (adopted by Hallie of Hallie’s Daily Bites)

6. Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (adopted by Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea)

7. Karina of Gluten-Free Goddess (adopted by Tia of Glugle Gluten Free)

8. Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea (adopted by Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake).

9. Alta of Tasty Eats At Home (adopted by Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free)

10. Jenn of Jenn Cuisine (adopted by Wendy of Celiacs in the House)

11. Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker (adopted by Alea of Gluten-Free Flavor Full)

12. Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen (adopted by Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom)

13. Wendy of Celiacs in the House (adopted by Alta of Tasty Eats At Home)

14. Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef (adopted by Lydia of At Home with Real Food)

15. Sheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness (adopted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs)

16. Vanessa of Celiac Princess (adopted by Thomas of The GFCF Experience)

17. Kelly of The Spunky Coconut (adopted by Jen of Gluten-Free Life with Jen)

18. Karina of Gluten-Free Goddess (adopted by Kirstin of Our Gluten-Free Family)

19. Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook (adopted by Tracee of Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes)

20. You (and your adoptee) are next! (Yes … a few late entries would be great. Choose someone who has not yet been adopted, please.)

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Chickpea Love (aka Garbanzo GaGa-ness)–Cucumber Chickpea “Bruschetta”

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, and Pennywise Platter Thursdays.

Amy’s (author of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free and soon-to-be author of a gluten-free, sugar-free cookbook!) roundup for this week’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays is all about healthier snacks. Amy says she receives many requests for healthy snacks and is asking her readers for help. I suspect we all know how to serve up healthier snacks, but we get bored with the seemingly mundane apples, bananas, baby carrots, celery sticks, and the like. We want something more inventive. We want a snack that appeals to all our senses and excites us just a little bit. Wasn’t your interest piqued by “bruschetta” in the title? Consider the chickpea and cucumber factors and you may be even more intrigued.

Let’s talk more about what we’re looking for in our snacks. Often with healthier snacks, it’s the presentation alone that makes the snack appealing. Take an apple, cut it into slices, arrange the slices into a pinwheel design on a plate, leave it on the kitchen counter, and I guarantee that the apple slices will magically disappear. And, that’s without the benefit of any dips or special topping. However, if I didn’t cut the apple and place it out for public snacking, it would stay in the basket on our kitchen counter until it literally shriveled up. I’m usually the only one who eats apple in their natural state at our house, but even I enjoy apple slices more than eating a whole apple. Attractive and bite-sized, with no work involved–that’s what we consumers really want in our healthy snacks.

A recent mention in Better Homes and Gardens magazine shared some ideas for chickpeas. The first was a roasted version, which used olive oil, salt, and black pepper. As you know, I love roasted chickpeas, but I think I’ll stick with my version, which uses olive oil and cayenne pepper as shown here. (Of course, any seasoning of your choice can be used.) Two other chickpea ideas appealed to me though: cucumber bruschetta and spiced chickpea couscous (remember couscous is only safe if made from brown rice like this product, which I have not yet tried). I decided to pull some of the ideas presented from each suggestion to come up with a healthy, yet appealing snack for today’s Slightly Indulgent roundup.

This Cucumber Chickpea Bruschetta is perfect for simple family snacking or elegant enough to serve as an appetizer at a dinner party. I’d even go so far as to say that one could have this bruschetta as a meal. Plus, it’s gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, soy free, corn free, yeast free, and egg free.  For folks with intolerances and/or allergies, that puts tasty “bruschetta” on their table—with no baking. And, yes, this bruschetta is even vegan. No matter on our eating needs, for all of us, it’s a nice way to get in one’s veggies, fruit, and protein. I also like the fact that it’s a cold snack-—that’s very much appreciated with this heat wave we’ve been having. In fact, Mr. GFE gave this recipe two thumbs up and said that he liked the cucumber slice as the base better than traditional bread or even crackers. He explained that the cucumber slices are so juicy, one doesn’t have to keep sipping on a beverage every few seconds. He also suggested that shrimp would be perfect on these little bruschettas. As I’ve said before, we really do think adding shrimp makes just about any appetizer or entree better. No shrimp was needed though as we sampled this bruschetta before eating some steamed crabs. However, it’s amazingly filling. We had to stop after only a few. I’m taking the rest to work today, and I know they’ll be well received.

Cucumber Chickpea Bruschetta
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

cucumber slices
can of drained chickpeas, mashed
juice of about one-fourth of a lemon
chopped tomatoes
chopped onions
chopped basil or other herbs and seasonings (e.g., dill, cumin, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes)
salsa (see notes below)

Slice cucumbers thick enough that they can hold some weight. (See photo.)

In a large bowl, add chickpeas and lemon juice. Mix well. Mash chickpeas with a potato masher or back of a spoon. They do not have to be fully mashed, just spreadable (or “spoonable”).

Spread chickpea mixture onto cucumber slices using a spoon.

Mix tomatoes, onions, herbs, and seasonings. Spoon onto  chickpea-topped slices.

OR

Top chickpea-topped cucumber slices with a small spoonful of salsa. Serve.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Shirley’s Notes: I used a seedless cucumber as I think they are a bit sturdier and I like the lack of seeds. Chickpeas are much more difficult to mash by hand than black beans; I was surprised. Just mash enough to be able to place on the cucumber slice. With the remaining chunkiness and their coloring, the mashed chickpeas almost look like shredded cheddar cheese, which is not a bad thing when one is eating dairy free. We had some peach-mango salsa leftover from our weekend camping trip with Son and his friends, which I used as topping for half of these bruschetta. (Incidentally, I’m not sure on the plural of buschetta. I just found out I was saying the word wrong after all these years. Apparently there’s the correct pronunciation and then the Americanized pronunciation.)  Just a dab of salsa from a spoon on top of the chickpea mixture was all that was needed. The resulting bruschetta was really lovely, with so many flavors and textures … all working well together. These are very addictive for a healthy snack! Incidentally, this would be a great recipe to get the kids involved in, too.

Carrie’s (Ginger Lemon Girl) 30 Days of Quick and Easy Meals continues on. My Tasty Meat Loaf … in Mere Minutes is the featured recipe today. Note that my  post is as much about a method as it is a recipe. If you have a favorite meat loaf recipe, you could certainly use that. Check out my guest post here. Be sure to check out all the other great recipes that have been shared to date and check back until the end of the event, and in the future. This one month of meals from so many great gluten-free folks could keep you in meal ideas for months to come. Maybe you’ll find—as I did with the Blackened Black Bean Burgers—that one great idea will just lead to another. That’s my favorite way to create in the kitchen!

Finally, there’s even more link love in the gluten-free blogosphere right now—all conveying some terrific, “must-have” info. My new, very sweet friend, Tia, of Glugle Gluten Free, dedicated her latest post to me because my suggestion on Elana’s Chocolate Chip Cookies worked. Woohoo for Tia’s success and Elana’s Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies! Check out Tia’s delectable version here. My other, super lovely friend, Heidi, who amazes me every day with her energy and all she’s doing to spread celiac/gluten intolerance/gluten sensitivity awareness, just shared a fabulous summary post of everything gluten free. Heidi’s roundup is so good that I may let myself off the hook for posting one this week (unless something else earth-shattering happens in our gluten-free world, of course). And, thanks, Heidi, for mentioning several posts from gfe! Be sure to check out Heidi’s post here. And, look for her upcoming article on her atypical symptoms of celiac in the next issue of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, too.

All for now, folks … enjoy!

Shirley
Not just gfe, but gfe!

“Big and Rich” Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free) with Gluten-Free Friends

This post is linked to Food on Friday, Foodie Friday, and Friday Foodie Fix.

As Mr. GFE and I head off for a tropical vacation for our anniversary (yippee on both!!), I thought I’d share one of my girlfriend getaways that took place right before Easter. Normally, this type of post would go on my Out and About page, but I’ve got the Bagels, Buddy, and Me book giveaway up there (be sure to enter!). One of my gluten-free girlfriends, Jennifer, has a river house about 70 miles away—pretty much equidistant from three of us who love to get together. So it doesn’t take much time to drive there, and it’s open country most of the way—very scenic and relaxing. The hardest part is always finding a time we can all get together. We’ve learned to just seize the moment when that window of time seems to magically open for all three of us and only plan on an overnight, 24-hour get together. We arrive one afternoon and depart late the following afternoon. While our time together is definitely short, it’s very relaxed and we pack a lot in. For one thing, we literally only stop talking when we are asleep. Because we’re all gluten free and have known each other for years now, that sense of comfort and safety adds to the relaxation and fun, too. There’s no need to quiz each other in regard to ingredients, possible cross contamination, etc. And, the meals we share are always superb. There is no preplanning. We each bring what we want to share and go from there. Usually those times result in some of the very best meals.

As Jennifer and I waited for our other friend, DeLaura, to arrive, she offered an appetizer. She had stopped at Whole Foods (she’ll admit that she’s addicted to Whole Foods!) and picked up some items, including a package of three lentil dal mini burgers. Oh, my goodness, how delicious those burgers were. They were beautifully browned and had many textures and flavors, including just the right amount of spiciness. They were so good, in fact, that while we could have immediately split the third one, we decided to save it for DeLaura to sample. Besides, we knew that the three of us would be sharing dinner shortly. If you’re curious, the ingredients in the lentil dal mini burgers were: lentils, potato, onions, chickpea four, eggplant, peas, canola oil, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeno peppers, ginger, garlic, curry powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, chutney (onion, sugar, raisins, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, cilantro, tamarind, ginger, garlic, salt, cornstarch, paprika, cumin seed, cayenne pepper). That’s a lot of ingredients, right? They worked beautifully together. (The price for the three mini-burgers was $7.19, if you’re interested.) Now, if anyone wants to go ahead and re-create these burgers using the ingredient listing, please feel free. I’d love to do some taste testing for you! But, I digress … a bit.

As I shared in my first Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger post, I had successfully made pasta using a variation of Pete and Kelli Bronski’s (No Gluten, No Problem) recipe. I’d topped my noodles in some sautéed mushrooms, but had also brought along shrimp to make the shrimp marinara sauce. I’d also brought the gluten-free, dairy-free brownies I’d adapted from Pete and Kelli’s recipe in their cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking.  In addition to the lentil dal burgers, Jennifer had brought eggs from her free-range chickens, avocados, butter lettuce, purple cabbage slaw (another Whole Foods selection), tuna salad (yep, Whole Foods), and a loaf of Udi’s sandwich bread (not from Whole Foods, but another grocery store local to her, Ellwood Thompson, that caters to organic and special diets). She had also stopped at a seafood dealer as she got closer to the water and purchased some rock fish (also known as striped bass). DeLaura showed up with grapefruit, goat’s milk (from her own goats), and almond milk. Are you starting to envision all this scrumptious food coming together?

For dinner, Jennifer suggested making a salad of the avocado chunks and grapefruit chunks. DeLaura obliged. This preppy-colored mix was actually pretty tasty. I admit I’m not always a huge fan of grapefruit because it is so tart, but I’m thinking that a salad using Amy’s broiled grapefruit  (Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free) would win me over completely. Jennifer made the green salad by cutting romaine into smallish pieces and drizzling it with a simple dressing that she made on the spot. (Per Jennifer: The recipe is just some high quality cold-pressed olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, shaken together in a jar.) 

I’d brought a large can of diced tomatoes to use for the Shrimp Marinara Sauce, but only a small can was needed, so Jennifer used part of those to top the pan-cooked rockfish. For our bread, Jennifer had also picked up some of Whole Foods’ gluten-free cheese biscuits, which are very good indeed. We had the purple slaw on the side. Quite a bit later, we enjoyed the homemade brownies for dessert. (See recipe at the end of this post.)

Our evening nightcap was hot chocolate made with almond milk and this mix by Dagoba, which includes hot chilies and spices. I add a little bit of raw sugar to mine, and the resulting taste was perfect.

We slept in a bit (think 7:30 am versus 5:30 am LOL), and chatted some before DeLaura asked Jennifer to lead us in some awakening yoga. (Jennifer happens to be a phenomenal yoga teacher.) We quickly moved the living room furniture so we could slowly go through a session. Limber once again and ready to face the gorgeous day, we were also ready for breakfast. The eggs from Jennifer’s chickens with their golden yellow yolks quickly became extra tasty scrambled eggs. Udi’s bread became marvelous toast. I had just had my March Muffin Madness week, so I shared Honey-Sweetened Corn Muffins and “Sweet Milk” Nut Muffins. Jennifer had some homemade jam.

Next up was a walk to the beach. It was a bright sunny day, but the temperatures remained cool enough to wear a jacket. At a mile each way, our walk was just right for continuing our stretching and body awakening. We were really surprised to see the toll that the harsh winter had taken on the beach. And, we were even more surprised to see hundreds of jellyfish in the water in early April. They came in pinks and oranges, and all sizes. Therefore, we weren’t upset that the river remained icy cold with swimming not an option. Jennifer’s dog waded in as we walked and chatted, and Jennifer and DeLaura followed while I snapped photos. Finally, we picked up a few interesting pieces of driftwood and headed back home.

We packed up and cleaned up for our departure before we enjoyed our lunch out on the deck overlooking the water. Jennifer used the last of the Udi’s bread to make tuna salad sandwiches. She split the remaining lentil dal min-burger, so we all could share. She and DeLaura enjoyed the last of the avocado-grapefruit salad. As we made our final preparations to leave, we even snacked on a brownie (or two!).

The ride home was nice and leisurely as I stopped at some of the interesting shops along the way and listened to an audio book. I picked up some beautiful old linen pieces that have already made their way into some photos here at gfe. It truly felt like I’d been gone for a few days. That’s how great time with friends can be. It was a gfe time, too, did you notice? Our meals and snacks consisted of mostly food that was naturally gluten free, some recipes that were easily made gluten free, some mainstream processed/prepared foods that were gluten free, and a few gluten-free specialty products.

Do you have gluten-free friends? If not, consider joining a local support group to make some friends who are gluten free. The support and camaraderie are invaluable. If you don’t have a local support group, consider starting one. That’s what a friend and I did over 6 years ago. My friend moved on to other responsibilities with her son, but my support group continues to grow and thrive. But, don’t think that a support group has to be a large, complicated matter. It can be as simple as having a get together once a month (or once a quarter) at a restaurant that has a gluten-free menu. Of course, I value all my friends, gluten free or not. As you know, I often eat dinner or take little getaways with my girlfriends who eat gluten, too. We have a wonderful time and I still manage to eat gluten free just fine, but there is definitely something special about getting together with folks who know how to eat gluten free and do it the gfe way. It’s incredibly relaxing—much like eating at Posana Café was because of its gluten-free status. Alta (Tasty Eats At Home) shared a food blogger potluck and another Dallas food bloggers meet-up where she, Amy (who started the group), and a few others met for lunch. Not everyone was gluten free, but just having another buddy who eats gluten free can be a plus. And, Kim (Gluten Free is Life) has shared several gluten-free pizza outings in the past, including this Gluten-Free Tweet-up. (Amy was there, too!) In the name of celiac/gluten intolerance/gluten sensitivity awareness, go out and make a gluten-free friend and get together to eat gluten free!

Big and Rich Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

slightly less than 2/3 cup oil, preferably a mix of extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil (liquefied), with only a little of the latter
heaping 1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar; either works great)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used my homemade version)
¾ cup gluten-free flour mix*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and 8 x 8 baking pan.

Mix all ingredients, mixing well.

Spread the batter in the greased pan. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies test done enough, but are not overcooked. (Toothpick test may still show some chocolate, but not much.)

Cool (don’t skip this step!) and cut into squares.

*As I’ve shared here at gfe before, I can’t always tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour (which is very finely ground) and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers. It’s a very economical mix that works well in most recipes. No refrigeration is needed. However, I’m sure another mix of other gluten-free flours that one would use in similar recipes could work as well.

Adapted from Pete and Kelli Bronski of No Gluten, No Problem and their cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking

Shirley’s Notes: No xanthan gum is required. These brownies have a very slight coconut flavor. They are somewhat dense, rich in flavor, and big in size (when cut into large squares like I did LOL, although small squares are good, too), but they are not heavy in any way. They are really very nice gluten-free, dairy-free brownies that all will enjoy. I just made these brownies again for mom and dad and they loved them! Incidentally, another gluten-free, dairy-free brownie recipe that I’ve made in the past and enjoyed very much is this brownie recipe from my friend, Steve (also known as Gluten-Free Steve to many!).

Oh, and when you get together with your gluten-free friends (or any friends) make these brownies to enjoy together!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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