Christmas Spice Cookies and Hot Cider

I don't know about you all but we sure have been doing a lot of Christmas baking these days. The girls just love to roll out the dough and cut out Christmas cookie shapes! The cookies are fun to give away to Christmas carolers and friends. Today I wanted to share one of my newest creations for you to enjoy this holiday season.

Sort of like a sugar cookie, but with the addition of a few warming, sweet spices. I used my favorite cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon. The flavor reminds me of the red hot cinnamon candies that were a favorite of mine as a child. I added nutmeg and cloves, and then a little freshly ground star anise. You can also find the star anise in the bulk spice section of your local co-op.

To grind the anise, simply remove the seeds from the pod (the star) and grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle (I used the later). For a more intense anise flavor grind the whole star (pod and seeds) in a coffee grinder. The aroma is intoxicating and the flavor exotic. You can use it to make your own chai spice tea, or try making a stove top potpourri with water, orange peels, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and star anise. Simmer on the stove during a holiday gathering or on Christmas eve and enjoy its sweet aroma wafting throughout your home.

Serve these delightful little cookies with hot mulled cider on a chilly winter afternoon. You can make a cookie glaze if you wish by mixing powdered sugar with a very small amount of non-dairy milk or water and a dash of vanilla. I used palm shortening in these cookies but organic unsalted butter would also work. The flour I buy from Authentic Foods in California. If you live on the east coast you may want to order it from the Gluten Free Mall.

Christmas Spice Cookies

1 cup superfine brown rice flour

3/4 cup superfine sweet rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground star anise

1 cup organic palm shortening or unsalted butter

1 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
1/4 cup applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla

Place the dry ingredients into a bowl (rice flour through ground star anise). Whisk together.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the applesauce and vanilla and beat about 30 more seconds.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Sprinkle a clean, flat surface with a little four and roll out your dough until about 1/8 -inch of thickness.

Cut out with your favorite cookie cutter shapes. Place cookies onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

Enjoy cookies with a cup of freshly mulled hot cider. If you don't have any apple cider on hand then try using a container of organic apple juice. You know the kind in the large glass jars, the not-from-concentrate-type found at your local health food store or co-op. Basically you simmer apple cider on the stove with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, sliced fresh ginger, and a few orange slices for about 30 to 60 minutes. Strain and enjoy! The girls use the cinnamon sticks as straws to suck the warm cider up. Mmm.

Snow Day Soup

Here in Bellingham, Washington the temperature has dropped and its snowing! In fact, the cold weather moved in last weekend and we had a little snow then and now its a beautiful winter wonderland!

I had to buy the babies some down buntings so they could go out and play in it. As soon as we set them on the front porch, all toasty warm in their new blue buntings, they crawled down off the porch and began crawling through the snow and eating it as their faces brushed up against high drifts (they both walk now but for some reason prefered to crawl in the snow). It was the funniest site to see, something the girls never did! They crawled all throughout the yard, making tracks in their wake.

What better than to relieve the cold chill in the air than a steaming bowl of hot soup! We have been enjoying the Winter Vegetable and White Bean Soup this week (recipe in the soup chapter of our book). It is chocked full of warming winter vegetables, such as, yams, delicata squash, potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and cabbage. (We had a bumper crop of delicata squash this year in our garden so I have been making more squash recipes than usual this season.) The white beans (I used navy beans in this batch) add extra protein and fiber. The tomatoes add zing and balance the heavy flavors of the root vegetables. The large amounts of onions, shallots, and garlic add robust flavors and help keep your immune system functioning well. The herbs add a subtle complexity in flavor.

This soup is a favorite of most and we hope you enjoy it too! The recipe makes a large batch, which for our family only lasts 3 days. The root vegetables don't freeze too well so if you find you have extra, I 'll bet your friends would be happy to share it!

I have some new recipes to post, but this is the Holiday Season and we have been enjoying spending time with our children playing Christmas songs on our new piano, baking Christmas cookies, playing in the snow, or just cuddling up on the couch with a good book.

The boys will turn ONE YEAR this Friday! Hard to believe, it goes by so fast. I am going to create a recipe for a special first birthday cake, so stay tuned!

Happy Holidays!

Spicy Butternut Squash Stew

The other night Tom began preparing dinner by making his favorite Quinoa Black Bean Salad (recipe in the cookbook). I usually like to serve it along side some steamed winter squash for a light meal. But it was chilly out and I was craving something a little denser, with more, salt, spice, and fat! I had a flash picture in my mind of what I wanted. I always try to keep ingredients stocked in my pantry so I can create a recipe on a whim. And luckily I had everything I needed.

Since Tom had everything prepped for the quinoa salad I asked him to peel the squash. While he was busy with that and the kids were all happily playing I began with the rest of the stew. I started cutting an onion. And then heated my large, heavy-bottomed (11-inch) stainless steel skillet over medium heat. I tossed in some whole cumin seeds and toasted them for about 60 seconds. Then added the oil and onion, more spices, some chopped jalapeno pepper, the chopped squash, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, and some sea salt and water. After it had simmered for a while the whole house smelled like a Mexican restaurant.

We all sat down to a candlelit dinner and enjoyed our simple, yet very satisfying meal of Quinoa Black Bean Salad and Spicy Butternut Squash Stew with sliced avocados on the side.

Spicy Butternut Squash Stew

2 to 3 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch cayenne pepper

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped

one 14-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

sea salt to taste (2 teaspoons or so)

Heat a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast for about 60 seconds. Then add the olive oil and onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and jalapeno. Saute for a minute more. Then add the squash, tomatoes, water, and salt. Stir, then cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Taste and adjust salt or seasonings if necessary. Source: www.nourishingmeals.com

Subscribe to this Blog via Email

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Giving Thanks Recipes: Pumpkin Desserts

When it comes time for dessert how about celebrating the day with what's perfectly in season....pumpkins! I have a relatively new recipe to share with you that is super easy to prepare and always a crowd pleaser. A Pumpkin Spice Cake, cooked to perfection in a bundt pan.

Other great recipe ideas from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook include, my delicious vegan, gluten-free, soy-free Pumpkin Pie. Also, a simple Pumpkin Pudding made from tapioca pearls, maple syrup, and cashews (and a few spices). Or how about my Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, those also have pumpkin in them. Mmm delicious, I just love pumpkin anything!

I normally don't bake things with a lot of sugar, but when creating this recipe my gut feeling was that it needed this amount. Be sure to have all of your ingredients at room temperature. If your shortening is too cold it won't cream with the sugar and pumpkin puree. And last but not least, please use an electric mixer. It will whip air into the batter resulting in a lighter cake.

Giving Thanks Recipes: Starchy Side Dishes

The past few years I have made a delicious, savory wild rice stuffing for the big Thanksgiving Day turkey. We always use half of it to stuff the turkey and the other half gets baked in a casserole dish. I have not had a recipe for this until today. I usually just toss it all together until it tastes just right.

While preparing this at our holiday cooking class last week, I had a number of people ask me for exact measurements, which I just could not give. So today, I dutifully measured every ingredient before I put them into the skillet. The end result was perfection. We enjoyed the stuffing as a main dish for dinner tonight along with the simple additions of braised kale, steamed green beans, and steamed fingerling potatoes.

During dinner we offered our 3-year old daughter some fingerling potatoes and she promptly replied that she doesn't eat fingers! I just had to share that little bit of 3-year old wisdom.

The stuffing can easily be made a day ahead of time for all of you who are super organized and like to plan. For those of you who are new to gluten-sensitivity, please remember that your Turkey is not gluten-free if it has bread (made with wheat) stuffing inside of it. If you are going to be attending another Thanksgiving dinner then you can suggest to have the cook use a rice stuffing or you may just need to enjoy some of the other side dishes that are naturally gluten-free.

Wild Rice Stuffing

A delicious, savory addition to your holiday table or to be enjoyed anytime! This recipe makes enough to stuff one turkey and fill one medium casserole dish.

1 cup wild rice

1 cup long grain brown rice

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups chopped red onion

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 to 2 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups chopped mushrooms

2 to 3 cups chopped celery

1 cup pecans

1/2 to 1 cup dried cranberries

1 apple, diced (I used Honeycrisp)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Herbamare or sea salt, to taste

In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the wild rice, brown rice, and stock. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Let stand in the pot for at least 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 or 6 minutes until softened. Then add herbs, mushrooms, and celery. Sauté 5 minutes more. Turn off heat and add the pecans, cranberries, apple, and parsley. Stir in cooked rice. Add salt to taste.

Place some of the stuffing in the cavity of the turkey and the rest into a covered casserole dish. The stuffing can then be baked in a 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.

When it comes to roasting the turkey, I usually layer onion slices, celery, and plenty of fresh herbs on the bottom of the pan just beneath the turkey. Then fill the pan with about 1/4 inch of water. These flavors infuse into the turkey and drippings during roasting for a rich, savory flavor. I also like to brine a turkey using salt, apple cider, and herbs. 

Don't be afraid of salt. I generously salt the top of the turkey with Herbamare, which is a flavorful herb-infused sea salt. A few dashes of olive oil and a handful of chopped herbs are sprinkled over the top for more flavor.

When it comes to making the gravy, the flavors are already full-bodied from the stuffing, celery and onions, herbs, and your generous amount of salt. It just needs to be thickened. I use arrowroot powder for this. Just mix it in a little water before adding it to the drippings. I use about 1 tablespoon arrowroot per 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of drippings. Whisk over medium-low heat until thickened and translucent.

Though freshly made mashed potatoes are naturally gluten-free, they often contain heavy amounts of dairy. For a lighter, dairy-free version, I leave some of the cooking water in the pot, then add Herbamare and extra virgin olive oil and beat with an electric mixer. My dad makes these with the addition of a full head of roasted garlic - delicious!

Stay tuned for desserts and tips for a safe Gluten-Free Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays!

Subscribe to this blog via Email
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram

Giving Thanks Recipes: Salads and Vegetables

What do you have to be thankful for? Family, friends, a warm house, a cozy fire, delicious food. There is so much to be grateful for, just stop and think about it for a minute.

This morning I slept in until 10am! Now that is something to be grateful for. The babies woke up an awful lot last night leaving me quite sleep deprived early this morning. Tom took all the kids downstairs and with the shades wide open and sun shining in I slept for an extra 2 1/2 hours!

After I finally awoke, I started down the stairs to join everyone who sounded to all be quite happy. I stopped midway to see the girls running back and forth in the hall squealing and giggling with delight. The babies were imitating them by crawling back and forth as fast as they could giggling as they went. It was quite a sight to see. I stood quiet for a while to get an uninterrupted glimpse. In that moment I felt grateful to see all of my children so happy and healthy playing together in the morning sunlight.

Thanksgiving, food, family, friends. How about sharing food that is gluten-free? We can all feel grateful about that. Grateful that our loved ones with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity can eat without becoming sick. Grateful that we can share food that is nourishing to all of us. Grateful for being healthy and alive.

This Thanksgiving Season I wanted to share with you a series of gluten-free recipes to bring to your upcoming feast. Please stay tuned in the days to come for more recipes, including a Wild Rice Stuffing, Pumpkin Spice Cake, and more!

The following salad recipe is something I created a few years ago. My friend Kathy invited me over to her house one day to watch how I prepared a meal with what was available. She was hungry to learn my kitchen wisdom and I was happy to share a meal with friends. She had bought a beautiful piece of salmon from Vis Seafoods and wanted to watch how I prepared it. That is where the Wild Salmon with Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme was born (recipe in the cookbook). I checked out her refrigerator and pantry to see what she had available. I pulled out the fresh cranberries, shallots, oranges, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and slowly a cranberry salad dressing evolved. We also cooked a pot of quinoa, steamed some broccoli, and toasted some nuts for the salad. Below is the salad we created that day. Please note: for this Thanksgiving recipe we are using candied walnuts in place of the hazelnuts (recipe below). Enjoy!

Pear and Hazelnut Salad with Creamy Cranberry Dressing (from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook)Serve this salad when cranberries, pears, and hazelnuts are in season in autumn. It is also delicious served at a festive holiday meal.
Serves 4 to 6

Salad:1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn into pieces
1 firm ripe pear, cored and sliced thin
½ small red onion, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup raw hazelnuts, roasted
½ cup crumbled organic feta cheese, optional
Dressing:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon sea salt or Herbamare
Place all of the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the 2 teaspoons olive oil and sliced shallots. Sauté shallots for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add fresh cranberries and continue to sauté until the cranberries are soft and have “popped.”

Place shallot and cranberry mixture into a blender with the orange juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange zest, and sea salt. Blend on high until creamy. Add a few tablespoons of water for a thinner consistency and blend again.

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately. Extra dressing can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Candied Walnuts

These nuts are a delicious addition to any holiday salad. Or try putting some into little jars and giving them as gifts!

2 cups walnut halves

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch or two of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place all ingredients into a baking dish (I use a 7 x 11-inch glass baking dish). Stir well with a spoon. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.

As soon as they come out of the oven stir them up so the syrup sticks to the nuts and not the pan. Immediately transfer them to a plate to cool.

The other day I was thinking about yams and what else I could do with them to dress them up for the holidays. I usually roast them in the oven with olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary. But I wanted something different, something fresh, a new creation. Below is a delicious recipe that you can bring to your holiday gathering. Just make sure you put the dried cranberries in toward the end of baking time. I didn't do this the first time I made this and the cranberries burned quite a bit. Happy Cooking!

Maple Roasted Yams with Pecans and Dried Cranberries

This recipe will be a delicious addition to your next holiday feast. If you do not have a sensitivity to dairy then try replacing the olive oil for organic butter.

2 large yams, peeled and diced

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredient except cranberries in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Toss with a large spoon.

Bake for 30 minutes. Add the cranberries, lightly stir. Bake for 15 minutes more.

Subscribe to this Blog via Email

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter