pumpkin, carrot, & parsnip soup

I made this soup from scratch about a week ago and had it for lunch every day this week. It's perfect with some toasted bread and goat cheese. No photos, unfortunately, but it's not much to look at anyway; just really, really tasty!

The recipe is an estimate because I was making it up as I went along, but it should be close. I also made it in stages; the roasted pumpkin happened first, then the turkey stock and soup came a few days later. The stock was inspired by this lovely post from a blog I recently discovered.

turkey stock
2 turkey drumsticks (thanksgiving leftovers!)
thick, green stalks from 2 leeks, cut into 6-inch pieces
3 medium carrots
2 large parsnip roots, halved, cored, and cut into 4-inch pieces
2 small onions, skins removed
1 poblano pepper, seeded and halved
small bunch of fresh tarragon, including stems
6-8 cups water
salt

put the turkey and vegetables in a stock pot (mine holds up to 12 c. of liquid, I think) and cover with water. bring to a boil and then immediately turn down the heat.  if foam appears on the surface of the water, skim it off with a spoon. simmer for 1 hour, then remove all of the veggies (set aside the carrots and parsnip for later and discard the rest). remove the turkey long enough to pull all the meat off the bones, then return bones to stock and simmer for another 2-3 hours. add salt to taste.


pumpkin, carrot, and parsnip soup
1-2 lb. roasted pumpkin (I roasted it in the oven at 375 w/butter & maple syrup for about 1.5 hours)
carrots and parsnip from chicken/turkey stock
3-4 c. turkey stock
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream (optional)

combine pumpkin, carrots, parsnip, and 2-3 c. turkey stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until veggies are soft enough to mix. using a hand mixer, puree veggies until smooth. add additional turkey stock to reach desired consistency, and cream, if desired (it's good either way!).

gluten free pizza

More allrecipes.com fun:

I made pizza! It was my first time making a super-tasty crust from scratch. I liked this recipe and will definitely use it again. The dough was chewy, in a good way: not too dried out or too moist, full of flavor from the olive oil and sorghum flour in my flour mix...and the tomato, mozzarella, and basil made for a killer combination!

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pizza-dough-i/detail.aspx. The original recipe is for 15 servings; I cut that to 5 and ate the whole thing, so they must be small servings! :)

Gluten-free pizza
Serves 1

1 c. gluten-free flour (I used this mix)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp oil (I used olive; recipe calls for vegetable)
1/3 c. warm water (110 degrees: I just guesstimated)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix dry ingredients; add oil and water and mix until combined. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out dough (I did mine pretty thin: probably 1/8-1/4 inch and about 10 inches across). Add desired toppings. I spread mine with olive oil, sprinkled some salt, and layered it with sliced mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh, chopped basil.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

carrot cake (part 2)

Yesterday/tonight I made a carrot cake. It's late, so I'll be brief. If you want an idea of what it looked like, check out my earlier post.

Want the recipe? I adapted this one: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/carrot-cake-iii/Detail.aspx.

How did I adapt it?

• The last time I used this recipe, the cake turned out a little too oily for my taste, so I cut the vegetable oil and only used 1 cup.
• Also, didn't want it too sweet, so I cut the sugar and only used 3/4 c.
• I made it gluten free! I substituted the 2 cups white flour with 1 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (that's a mouthful), 1 cup of my own flour mix (3 parts brown rice flour, 1 part tapioca starch, 1 part quinoa flour), 1 tsp xantham gum, and an extra 1/2 tsp baking powder. 
• I added 1/2 tsp nutmeg.
• Finally, I cut the pecans in the cake and frosting. The guy I made it for likes it straight up. :)

gluten free flour mix

gluten-free flour mix*
3 parts sorghum flour
3 parts potato starch
2 parts tapioca flour
1 part corn flour**

*Borrowed from http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/carol-fensters-new-flour-blend/.

**Corn flour is similar in consistency to masa harina, but doesn't have the added lime. It's slightly finer than cornmeal, and definitely coarser than corn starch. It can be tough to find outside the Hispanic section of the grocery store, so masa harina might make a viable substitution (I say "might" because I haven't tried it!).

carrot cake

I need to play around with the recipe a bit more before posting, but I had to share the photo:

I made carrot cake tonight...

...for the first time in six years! I love being able to eat dairy again. :)

The recipe I adapted is linked below, and it turned out pretty well. I'll have the adaptations and photos later;  maybe tomorrow? Or maybe not until after Wyoming. :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/carrot-cake-iii/Detail.aspx

beet salad and cucumber raita

I love beets. With a little balsalmic, olive oil, flat leaf parsley, and some good old salt and pepper, it's easy to make a delicious salad - especially nice on a hot day! It was in the mid-90s earlier this week, so a beet salad and some cool raita were just what I needed after a long day at work.

beet salad
serves 2

2 cups beets, chopped into 1.5 inch pieces, boiled for 10-15 minutes, and peeled
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup goat or cow's milk feta (optional - I didn't have any this time, but it turned out fine without it!)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss. Enjoy!

yogurt-cucumber sauce (raita)*
adapted from Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food. serves 2-4


3/4 c. full-fat yogurt (I used Fage, a really delicious Greek yogurt)
1 small cucumber, diced (see the photo)
2 tsp coriander seed, ground in a spice grinder
2 tsp garlic scapes
salt and pepper to taste

put the diced cucumbers in a small bowl, sprinkle with about half a tsp of salt, and let sit for 10 minutes.

combine the remaining ingredients (below) and stir. add the cucumbers and stir again. add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

*This was more raita than I needed, so the next day I added about 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 2-3 tbsp olive oil and turned it into a dressing for my salad. It was delicious!

scape, arugula, and walnut pesto

I love having a CSA, and the time to use it and create new recipes! We had some arugula in desperate need of consumption, and *lots* of garlic scapes, so I decided to make a pesto. It packs a punch! The spicy arugula and pungent garlic are a sweet combination - this is definitely something I'll save for next year's batch of scapes. It's great on pasta (with broiled squashes and more parmesan cheese) or with eggs and tortillas (inspired by my good friend Becky Kuk - check out her blog!).

scape, arugula, and walnut pesto
makes 1/2 to 3/4 c. pesto


1 small bunch arugula, roughly chopped (approx. 3/4 c?)
2 tbsp garlic scapes, chopped
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
pinch salt
1-2 tsp freshly ground pepper

throw ingredients in a food processor; blend until smooth. Or until it looks like this!

pesto pasta with broiled squashes and parmesan cheese

pesto, eggs, and tortilla with feta

*note: this was a little on the salty side because of the pesto and feta. if I make the pesto again, I'll leave out the salt and add to different recipes as needed.

brilliant (oatmeal) banana bread

Gluten-free cooking is relatively straightforward - there are thousands of excellent recipes that are naturally gluten-free, and good substitutes for things like pasta and bread and couscous. See my other recipes or the blogs listed on the right for examples.

Gluten-free baking can be a different story. Gluten acts like a glue (it's known as a "sticky protein"), making fluffy cakes and thin pastries and delicate crusts possible. Without that sticky protein, it's a bigger challenge to get those pastries, cakes, cookies, and crusts just right, and it's a real adventure in terms of finding the right textures and flavors to make your baked goods turn out right.

Sweet breads are relatively forgiving, but I've still had a hard time finding a good recipe. Until now. I had bananas that needed using up, so I went in search of two things: 1) a really good banana bread recipe that I could adapt and 2) a gluten-free flour mix that I could create without having to make a trip to the grocery store. I found both, tried it out, and fell head over heals in love. The recipe follows and was a big hit with non-gluten-free friends - even a full *week* after I'd made the bread! That's unheard of in the gluten-free baking world - typically, it either sours if it's not refrigerated or dries up if it is after just 2-3 days. So, in many ways, this was a huge success. Hope you enjoy!

brilliant (oatmeal) banana bread
Adapted from allrecipes.com (Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread) and Carol Fenster via Gluten-Free Gobsmacked
Makes 2 loaves.

gluten-free flour mix
3 parts sorghum flour
3 parts potato starch
2 parts tapioca flour
1 part corn flour*

*Corn flour is similar in consistency to masa harina, but doesn't have the added lime. It's slightly finer than cornmeal, and definitely coarser than corn starch. It can be tough to find outside the Hispanic section of the grocery store, so masa harina might make a viable substitution (I say "might" because I haven't tried it!)...

banana bread
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas (fresh and/or frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups gluten-free flour mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I just put these in one loaf, so I only used 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans (or line them with parchment paper; a habit I formed sharing loaf pans with non-gluten-free roommates!).
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the banana and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oats and nuts. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You may need to cover with foil 40-45 minutes into baking to prevent the top of the loaf from burning/overcooking, so keep an eye on it!

I left both loaves out for about 24 hours, then put them in Ziploc bags and kept them in the fridge. When I wanted bread, I toasted it in my gluten-free toaster at home, or warmed a slice in the microwave for 25-30 seconds. It's good on its own, or with a little bit of butter. :)

High on my gluten-free culinary adventures list...

...is this delectable avocado, cucumber, apple soup with salmon and other loveliness. Oh. Man. Alive. I love this blogger and her delicious food!

In other news, check out these spectacular photos de un volcán en Chile (from a volcano in Chile)! The lightning photos are my favorite!

And, finally, these are some really cool infographics (e.g. pictures!) conveying some (overly-simplified) facts about the world. I loved them. Here's a version that doesn't require clicking for every other photo.

Wicked Good Lasagna

I made lasagna today, possibly for the first time ever, and definitely the first time ever gluten-free. It was delicious. Not perfect, but delicious. The recipe is an adaptation of a few Alice Waters recipes, and it definitely took me about 3.5 hours, 4 if you count the clean-up...but it was worth the time and effort. Totally worth it. Here's the recipe, with notes at the end about what I'll do differently next time.

truffle making

[I swore there was a photo! But I can't find it...must have deleted it.]

I made truffles this year for the first time, with a friend, and it's something I plan on doing again next year. It's pretty easy, albeit somewhat time-consuming, but also tons of fun. Plus, it geeks out the creative bug in me - it's super easy to create all different kinds of flavor combinations from one basic recipe (compliments of Epicurious.com) - you just add flavor to the cream either by infusion, ground spices, or extracts. Our creations this year included:

• Straight-up Chocolate
• Mexican Chocolate (ganache plus cinnamon & cayenne pepper: next year I'm infusing the cream with cinnamon sticks and dried chilies)
• Jasmine Chocolate (made with a teeny bit of essence of jasmine - I found it at a South/South East Asian grocery in Baltimore)
• Peppermint Chocolate
• Cardamom Orange Chocolate
• Cinnamon Balsamic Chocolate (sounds weird, I know, but they were heavenly. Here's the recipe)

My favorites were the jasmine and balsamic truffles, but the most fun part was seeing how the different additions affected the consistency of the ganache (chocolate + cream). I can't wait for next year...I'm thinking lemon lavender, something with sage or rosemary, and maybe even a garam masala-infused truffle: chocolate with cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and a touch of coriander sounds exciting. :)

December food

I'm flying from Boston to Detroit, experiencing the phenomenon that is (free) in-flight wi-fi (crazy!) and thought I'd take the time to catch up on some food blogging. Pictures will, unfortunately, have to wait, because hooking up my camera to the computer is almost logistically impossible in this tiny seat. Live blogging is a big enough deal in and of itself. :)

There are several things I've been wanting to post/share for you gluten-free (and gluten-full!) friends out there - so many, in fact, I'm likely not going to remember them all! But here are some food highlights from the last few weeks:

• Potato Leek Soup, compliments of David Lebovitz: this was my first ever attempt at making potato leek soup, and it went fairly well. I mistakenly tried to wing it with the measurements and ended up having a pretty watery soup, but once it cooled and settled, I was able to pour off some of the extra liquid and was left with a subtle but tasty soup! I added some hot chili pepper to give it a kick. I highly recommend this one!
• (Gluten-free) sugar cookies, compliments of Gluten-Free Girl & the Chef. These are delightful cookies, and easily adaptable if you're looking for dairy-free as well. I made one version with butter (that I actually haven't rolled/baked yet - a project I'm saving for The Michigan Christmas Adventure!), and a smaller batch with coconut oil instead of butter. The latter turned out great; I made them for a friend who can't do gluten, dairy, soy, or corn (or much sugar). They're fantastic with a bit of honey drizzled on top!
• Tom Yam Soup (sp?) from a Thai cookbook. I don't have the recipe in front of me, but it's essentially 1 quart of shrimp stock, 1 cup each of thinly-sliced mushrooms and peeled, deveined shrimp, 3 stalks of lemongrass (Google directions on how to cut/slice it), and 2 Tbsps galangal (I had to use ginger and it turned out okay) simmered for about 10-15 minutes and then poured over 2 Tbsps fresh lime juice, 1-2 hot green chili peppers (I used serrano), 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, and two stalks of green onion, thinly sliced. If you can find lime leaves in a South East Asian grocery store, the recipe called for several of those as well, but I just substituted extra lime juice in the broth. It turned out pretty tasty, and was good over steamed jasmine rice. It was also surprisingly quick and easy!
• Fennel, leek, and arugula risotto, fennel, pear, and arugula salad and pistachio sandies (same page), compliments of Cannelle et Vanille, one of my new favorite food blogs. These three dishes/desserts were decadent, yet not at all too heavy. I will certainly make all of them again, especially the pistachio sandies, which were a big hit at work!
• Finally, some holiday goodies: Nanaimo/Vameeno bars (a Christmas tradition of sorts in my family...and, apparently, British Columbia!) and my first-ever, roommate-inspired foray into truffle making. I'll post photos eventually, but this year's flavors included cinnamon balsamic, jasmine, peppermint, straight-up chocolate, orange cardamom, and Mexican (cinnamon cayenne). They were all incredible, if I do say so myself. :)

There you have it - December in the life of Lynnae E. Ruberg. Photos soon!

buttermilk scones

I'm still on my dairy kick - it's fun playing around with a whole "new" food group! Today was my last day of vacation, so I celebrated appropriately by baking scones. These are pretty tasty - a bit dry, so you might only use 2 cups of flour, but otherwise, yum yum yum! Enjoy....

Buttermilk Scones

Adapted from epicurious.com, Dried Cherry Buttermilk Scones

Makes 8 scones

1/2 cup buttermilk plus 1/4 cup for brushing the scones


2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 large eggs


3 tablespoons light brown sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract


2 - 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix*


1 scant tablespoon double-acting baking powder


1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon zantham gum


1/2 teaspoon salt


3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits


1/2 cup granola or dried fruit

granulated maple, turbinado, or white sugar for sprinkling

In a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, the eggs, the vinegar, the brown sugar, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well. In another bowl stir together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt and blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the granola and the buttermilk mixture with a fork until the mixture just forms a sticky but manageable dough. Knead the dough gently for 30 seconds on a lightly floured surface, pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick round, and cut it into 8 wedges. On an ungreased baking sheet brush the wedges with the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and sprinkle them with the sugar. Bake the scones in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden.

*I used a blend comprised of three parts brown rice flour, one part tapioca flour, and one part sorghum flour.

oatmeal buttermilk pancakes - success!

"Wow, Lynnae, these taste just like Dad's!"

My sister's words this morning couldn't have made me happier. Growing up, we had a Saturday morning tradition of making oatmeal buttermilk pancakes. My dad made them - and sometimes let us "help" - and then we'd sit around and eat them with tall glasses of milk and grandma & grandpa's real, Michigan maple syrup. Sometimes we'd vary the recipe a bit - add some vanilla and cinnamon for a sweet version, or chocolate chips for an even sweeter one! - but rarely would we miss a Saturday.

Then, five years ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease and had to say good-bye to Dad's oatmeal buttermilk pancakes (among what felt like 1,000,000 other things). Oh, the sadness! Since then, I have tried several times to reproduce Dad's pancakes. Given that I've also been unable to have dairy for the last five years, it was always an exercise in frustration - there's just no substitute for buttermilk, oats, and good-old gluten flour.

Today, however, is a different story. For the last few weeks, since I've been introducing a bit of dairy back into my life, I've been working on perfecting a gluten-free version of my dad's oatmeal buttermilk pancakes. I'll spare you the details of each stage; suffice it to say, this recipe rocks! Like Alayna said, you can hardly tell the difference between these and my dad's gluten-FULL version. Success is so sweet! :)

Gluten free oatmeal buttermilk pancakes

Makes 8-10 pancakes (4 servings)

5/6 c. gluten-free flour mix (3 parts brown rice flour, 1 part potato starch, 1 part sorghum flour)

1 c. gluten-free oats

1 tsp. each baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar

½ tsp. zantham gum

pinch of salt

1 ¼ c. buttermilk

¼ c. orange juice

2 eggs

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, mix, and set aside.

Wisk two eggs; add orange juice and buttermilk and mix until combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Batter should resemble cake batter; not too thick, and not too runny. Add buttermilk if needed.

Heat a skillet (non-stick works best) over medium to medium-high heat. Grease with some butter, then spoon pancake batter onto skillet. Cook until the top sides are bubbly and the bottom sides are browned. Flip and brown on the other side. Serve with butter (or your favorite butter substitute) and maple syrup.

Dairy-free version

-Omit the salt

-Substitute ¾ c. soymilk + juice from ½ a lemon for buttermilk; combine these

ginger mint potato salad

I bought a bag of red-skin potatoes this weekend. I love red-skin potatoes, but they take time to prep and make, so I haven't had many of them lately. After roasting a chicken yesterday, I decided a potato salad was in order. One of my favorite recipes is Potato Salad with Mint and Peas, from epicurious.com, but I didn't have any peas (or shallots). So I started inventing with the ingredients I had on hand and ended up with the following recipe - the ginger, garlic, and chili are still lingering in my mouth, and it's a tasty combo!

Lynnae's Ginger Mint Potato Salad

Serves 4

6-8 medium red skinned potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, with skin

1/2-1 cup orange bell pepper,

2-4 tsp garlic clove, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp dried mint (or 1-2 Tbsp fresh)

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1-2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Immerse the potatoes in cold, salted water (I used about 3 tsps salt), bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Add remaining ingredients to the potatoes and stir. Let sit for a few minutes (or a few hours) for the flavors to blend together; serve cold.

anniversaries

Five years ago, in mid-April 2005, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Three years ago, in mid-May 2007, I started blogging about it. A year ago, I celebrated Starbucks' gluten-free almond cake (which they discontinued shortly thereafter...sad!). This year, I moved to Boston and started a grad program, blogging along the way about quick, cheap ways to cook/eat gluten-free.

When I tell people I can't eat gluten (and what that means), the most common reaction I get is, "Wow, I could never give up bread and pasta and cookies and cake!" It's not a surprising reaction; I had the same about a year before I was diagnosed when I first learned about celiac from a college friend - "I can't imagine living without gluten!" That same friend was an incredible resource and encouragement once I was diagnosed, letting me borrow his CSA gluten-free product listing and my roommates' favorite, Special Diets for Special Kids. :)

Since then, I've collected a library of helpful books, websites, blogs, and delicious recipes that I love passing along to new and old friends facing the scary transition. I've learned that, while losing a major part of one's diet is without a doubt a loss to be mourned, there is life after the diagnosis, and it's healthier and tastier than before! I have acquired a new appreciation for good food, one I didn't have before; because my options are limited, and because not all gluten-free goodies are created equal, I celebrate really good food all the more now than I ever used to. I also really look forward to God's promises of a heavenly feast - one that will most certainly include the richest bread you can imagine, one that won't make me sick!

This week, the last week of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, I am celebrating these anniversaries in a few different ways: 1) tonight I am roasting a whole chicken, per Alice Waters' beautiful instructions in The Art of Simple Food; 2) I am adding an "I blog gluten-free" logo to my blog, courtesy of Karina at the Gluten-Free Goddess; and 3) this summer, I am contemplating cooking up some of these scrumptious-looking goodies at 101 Cookbooks - all gluten-free!

Here's to the next five years of gluten-free living!

asparagus, halibut, tarragon and lime

One of my latest (last night!) cooking adventures, this recipe was inspired by one I found on Epicurious.com (linked here). I had never cooked with fresh tarragon before, but I'll definitely be doing it again! Tarragon has a subtle, sweet, licorice flavor that really sings when paired with these fresh veggies!

A note about the fish: I asked my brother a few days ago for good resources on finding sustainably-caught fish and he and my dad suggested these websites, from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Services. Based on their recommendations, I went with wild-caught Pacific (Alaskan) halibut, but cod works as well.

Halibut Special

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 15x15-inch squares parchment paper (mine were bigger - I added more veggies!)
4 5-to 6-ounce fish fillets (such as halibut or cod; each about 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves
olive oil
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, sliced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
juice from 1 lime

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place parchment squares on work surface. Drizzle ~2 tsps of olive oil in the center of each parchment square; top each one with 1 fish fillet. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; divide tarragon, asparagus, carrots and red onion evenly among 4 fillets, then drizzle with another ~1-2 tsps olive oil and lime juice. Fold parchment over fish and asparagus, folding and crimping edges tightly to seal and enclose filling completely. Place on 2 rimmed baking sheets (or a glass baking dish or two), spacing apart.

Here's a photo of the set-up, pre-baked.

Bake fish packets 17-25 minutes. Slide packets onto plates and serve. I ate it with steamed brown rice - delicious! Here's the final product:

cinnamon apricot porridge

This morning, I made my weekly pot of brown rice porridge - it's like oatmeal, only Lynnae-friendly (see note at the end on oats and gluten free!).

Ever interested in spicing things up, I came up with a new creation. I started by adding cinnamon and coconut to the cereal before boiling, and then added chopped dried apricots near the end. The result was a smooth, creamy, dessert-like porridge that reminded me of my mom's peaches and cream cheese cake (amazing!). I loved it so much, I had to share the recipe. No photo, unfortunately, but trust me, it's pretty! :)

Cinnamon Apricot Porridge
Makes 4 servings

1 c. Bob's Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Farina
4 c. water
1 Tbsp butter or margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1-2 sticks cinnamon
1/4 c. coconut

1/2 c. diced apricot

Combine the brown rice farina, water, butter, cinnamon and coconut in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the consistency is smooth and oatmeal-like, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. About 5-7 minutes into simmering, add the apricots.

Serve on its own, with milk, and/or maple syrup, to taste. Enjoy!

*Note on oatmeal: There's a lot of debate about oats and whether or not they're suitable for a gluten-free diet. Some good resources are listed below. While several companies make specially-processed gluten-free oats, I've had a hard time with them, so I've had to avoid them. Here are some good websites on the topic:

• Gluten Free Oats (sells oats - these were the "easiest" for me!)
• CSA Celiac's Info on Oats
• Sure Foods Living (a great GF blogger from California) on oats
  

ginger, cayenne, and cupcakes

The title is a bit misleading; I did not make ginger cayenne cupcakes, as tasty as those might be (note to self...)! No, instead, I used ginger and cayenne in two recent recipes (I'm beginning to love the tantalizing combination!) and one of my wonderful roommates made the (gluten-free/dairy-free) cupcakes - her little Valentine's Day present. Yes, we're a sappy bunch at the Harvard St. house...sometimes. :)

Instead of keeping you in suspense, I'll just cut to the chase.

1. Potato Pancakes with Pears
A friend of mine from Baltimore sent me a recipe he'd created for potato pancakes with pears. The photo below doesn't do it justice, but I highly recommend the recipe. Three suggestions: don't use red skin potatoes (try russet, like the recipe says!); if you're making it gluten-free and the egg creates too much liquid, add ~3 tbsp+ brown rice flour; and try doing the pears first and keeping them warm in the oven while you do the potato pancakes.

Potato Pancakes:

Shred:

2 pounds peeled russet potatoes

1 md. onion

Squeeze the water out of the potatoes with either a salad spinner or cheese cloth. Save the water that you produce--the potato starch will settle out.

Combine:

Shredded potatoes, onions

Potato starch

1/8-1/4 tsp salt

1/8-1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg or 4-6 tbs. oat flour

Make into patties and fry on medium heat.

Pears

Saute on md. heat

2 tbs butter

1/8 tsp red pepper

1.5 tsp garlic, minced

1 tbs. ginger, minced

1/4-1/2 tsp cloves

2 pinches dark. brown sugar

After 2-3 minutes,

Add 2 pears, cut into 16th or something like a 16th.

Saute for 4 minutes

Add 1/2 - 1 cup water and cover until the pears are starting to be tender.

Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce until the pears are tender and the sauce is syrupy.

Serve the pears over the potato pancakes and drizzle with maple syrup.

2. Alexis' Valentine's Day Special
Adapted from a Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World recipe - Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting. Absolutely amazing.

3. Apricot Ginger Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Betty Crocker's Living Gluten Freely recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4	cup steamed Japanese yams & ginger (see note below)
1/4	cup Earth Balance soy free shortening, softened (not melted)
1 1/2	teaspoon vanilla teaspoon lemon juice from concentrate (or 2 tsp lemon zest)
1	egg
1	box (19 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free chocolate chip cookie mix
1/4 1/3	cup each, dried apricots and candied ginger, chopped (1/2 cup total) cup pistachios, chopped
dash	cayenne pepper
	Poppy seeds, if desired

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2.	In large bowl, stir yams & ginger, shortening, vanilla, lemon juice and egg until blended. Stir in cookie mix, apricots, ginger, pistachios and cayenne pepper until soft dough forms. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets and flatten with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds.
3.	Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when lightly touched in center and edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Note: The Betty Crocker recipe calls for pumpkin purée; I had some lovely Japanese yams (similar to white yams) in my fridge that were begging to be used for this recipe; they're subtly sweet and super starchy, so they add some lovely bulk to these cookies without overpowering the other tastes. I diced 2 yams, sliced up about 1 Tbsp ginger, boiled them together until soft, and then threw the whole thing in a food processor until smooth (had to add a bit of water). If you're pressed for time, substitute (canned) puréed butternut squash.

There you have it, folks! Some of the delicious food I've been eating lately. Enjoy!