Christmas Spice Cookies

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!  I am not a huge cookie person, but using cookie cutters is just too fun to resist- they always come out so professional looking.  I like my cookies spicy and sweet, so I put tons of ginger in this recipe.  Enjoy these flavorful cookies with a nice cold glass of rice milk!

Ingredients

• 3 and 3/4 cups of gluten free flour
• 1 tsp of xanthan gum
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of salt
• 4 tablespoons of ground ginger
• 4 tablespoon of cinnamin
• 4 tsps of nutmeg
• 4 tsps of ground clove
• 1 cup of Earth Balance
• 1 cup of maple syrup
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, xanthan, baking soda, salt and spices)
3. Using a mixer, or your own two hands, mix in the Earth Balance and maple syrup, egg and vanilla until it becomes integrated into a soft dough.  
4. Roll dough into a ball and wrap in saran wrap and put in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
5. Take chilled dough out of the freezer and roll out onto a floured surface until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick or less.  
6. Use cookie cutters to make fun holiday shaped cookies.
7. Bake cookies in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until golden.  
8. Put out a plate for Santa and hope for some good gifts!

Chocolate Rosemary Bread

This bread is insanely delicious.  My roommate made this one night, and I could not stop eating it!  She used chunks of 100% dark chocolate for me, and I was worried it would be too bitter, but it was perfect.  Somehow the sweetness of the dough balances it all out, and the rosemary adds a fresh fragrant layer to this bread.  I am a sucker for any uniquely savory/sweet combination of foods and this bread did the trick. This recipe is adapted from Kim Boyce's cook book, Good to the Grain.

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/4 cups of gluten free flour mix
• 1 and 1/2 tsps of baking powder
• 3/4 tsps salt
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 3/4 cup of agave 
• 3/4 cup of rice or almond milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 5 oz of 100% chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9 inch pan with olive oil.
2. Sift and mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs well.  Mix in the olive oil, milk and rosemary.  
4. Using a spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, gently mixing together.
5. Mix in 2/3 of the chocolate.
6. Pour into the pan, and add the rest of the chocolate on top, letting the pieces sink in a bit.
7. Bake in the oven for 40 or so minutes until nice and golden on top.  
8. Let cool, slice and devour!

Philly Food

I was so psyched that my job sent me to an amazing conference in one of my favorite cities:  Philadelphia.  Not only do I have friends and cousins who live there, but I also adore the old cobblestone alley ways and all of the beautiful murals throughout the city.  Plus, Philly has fabulous food!  Now I knew I wasn't going to be getting a Philly cheese steak or a soft pretzel while I was there, so before my trip, I looked up some gluten free restaurants on Gluten Free Philly.

 The one that stood out to me the most was Sweet Freedom Bakery.  Their treats are all gluten, egg, dairy, soy, corn, peanut and refined sugar - free (and they're kosher!)  They have donuts, cupcakes, cookies, muffins and more.  I went there with my friend Miriam and we indulged in some chocolate chip banana bread and a cinnamon twist!  They were so delicious, sweet with a fantastic texture!  Next time I'm in Philly I am going early in the morning to try their cinnamon buns!

 Later that evening, my cousin Cassandra snagged us a reservation at the hottest new vegan restaurant, Vedge.  Even with all the talk and anticipation over this new restaurant, the food still managed to surpass all my expectations.  We started with the collard greens and the crispy cauliflower in a kimchee crema - both were phenomenal.  My cousin ordered the braciole: cauliflower and garbanzo beans wrapped in thinly sliced eggplant and a pea salsa verde- it tasted like nothing I had every eaten.  My plate was a beautiful stack of golden beets, smoked tofu, avocado and capers served with a creamy dill sauce (all vegan.)  The flavors were so sophisticated- smooth, refreshing, yet rich and satisfying.(Also, check out my cousin's blogpost on Vedge! Yes, we were both taking tons of photos during our delicious meal for our blogs- what do you expect- we're related and even have the same Aries birthday!)

Along with these two unique places, I had luck finding good food at the Reading Terminal Market- similar to Faneuil Hall in Boston or the Ferry Building in San Francisco- with plenty of options for fresh and yummy food.



I also went to Alma de Cuba, a fabulous Cuban restaurant.  We shared the sweet plantains and the tostones (all gluten free!), and I went for some ceviche topped with sweet potato shredded crisps and a side of garlicy greens.

Philly is also known for it's plethora of good Vietnamese food and so we went to Vietnam Palace in Chinatown and I had the tastiest vermicelli bowl with shrimp and bbq pork! Oh, and speaking of pork-the top photo is of a pork roast with a honey saracha sauce, brussels sprouts and a sweet potato hash that I ate at Smokin Betty's (there was definitely some sugar in this dish, but otherwise it was safe for me!)  I can't wait to come back to Philly for some more delicious food!

   

Winter Kale Salad

Oh my goodness, this salad is amazing, mouth-watering, jaw-dropping, delicious!  My roommate massaged and marinated the kale making it so tender and flavorful (way better then when I steam it!)  Then we added some delicious winter fruits like apples and pomegranate, and then sprinkled pumpkin seeds and walnuts on top.  It was the best kale dish I ever had, and I've had a lot of kale in my day!  I think this salad would also be good with pear slices, persimmon slices, or roasted sweet potatoes.  So have fun and mix it up!

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of green kale
• 2-3 tbs of olive oil
• 1 large lemon
• 1-2 tbs of tamari
• 1-2 crisp apples
• 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup of walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Wash, de-stem, and chop up the kale.
2. In a large bowl, massage the olive oil and lemon juice into the kale until it turns bright green and softens.  Let marinate for an hour.
3. When ready, dress the kale with the tamari.
4. Chop up the apple and toss into the salad.
5. Pick out as many pomegranate seeds from the fruit as you have patience for (I did half the pomegranate.)
6. Add the pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts on top.
7. Toss and enjoy!