Recipes for Radiance

Gluten free, vegan cooking does not have to be complicated. The simpler the recipes, the more radiant you will feel from savoring the natural flavors of whole foods. Try some of these delicious combinations or get creative and make up some of your own using these as a guide! I recommend trusting your gut, when it comes to cooking, adding more or less of what you feel might satisfy your belly. Have fun, no matter what! Visit Recipes for Radiance or Create Radiance for more information.

Feel free to take what you are learning and share with your friends.

Gluten Free Bread

Raw Cacao Brownies:

• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup cacao (or raw cocoa powder)
• pinch sea salt

PLace dates in blender and blend. Add walnuts and cacao and sea salt. Blend until dry and chunky. Add to a pan. Press to ensure a flat top. Dress with one of the following:Then freeze for 1 hour. Cut into bite size or manageable pieces and chew well!!

Avocado Icing:

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• dash salt
• dash cinnamon

Date Molasses Scones:

These are delicious and perfectly sweet. You can also add a bit of maple syrup, if you are used to more sugar. I served mine with a glass of warm milk on the side. Very impressive for the first day in the gluten free bakery! (and much better than the boxes of gf cookies I’d been consuming this week!)
1 cup flour* (I used brown rice, you can experiment with your favorite)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
2 dates, chopped small* and soaked
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil*
2 Tbsp molasses*

Preheat the oven to 350. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix in chopped dates, making sure each piece is separate and dusted in flour so they don’t clump up. In a measuring cup, measure the water then stir in the olive oil and molasses (plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup for sweeter scones). Measure the olive oil first so the molasses doesn’t stick to the spoon when you measure it out (handy little tip!). Add the liquid all at once to the flour mixture and blend well. The mixture will by slightly dry so knead a bit with your hands. If it’s sticky, dust with a bit of flour.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and form each into a smooth ball. Take a cookie cutter and place it on your baking sheet, and press a ball of dough into it, flat and even, then remove the cookie cutter. Repeat with the other 3 balls. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. Enjoy warm with a pat of butter,  jam, slices of cheese, with brunch, or accompanying a sweet vegetable soup.

GLuten Free Foccaccia
Thanks to for the inspiration!

1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup teff flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1/2 t dried herbs or 2 t fresh herbs
1 cup warm water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

sesame seeds or dried rosemary for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 13-inch pan with about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.

In a smaller separate bowl whisk together the warm water, olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together vigorously until thickened and smooth.

Spoon batter into oiled pan. Oil your hands and gently press and move the dough to the edges of the pan (dough will be sticky). Make sure it is evenly spread. Put more oil on your hands if needed. Prick the dough with a fork about a dozen times (this is optional, if you don’t do it you will have a few more air bubbles in the bread).

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and then cut into squares and serve.

After going to the dentist and having 6 shots of novocaine, I could barely move my mouth. I knew I wanted flavor, had no appetite, and so could not feel what I was craving. Here’s what I created:

Quinoa Pilaf: This was nice and nourishing and satisfied my need for flavor.

1 c leftover quinoa

1 clove garlic, minced

.5 t turmeric

.5 t coriander

.5 t dry ginger

Saute garlic in ghee or olive oil. Add spices and quinoa, and a 1/4 c water. Bring to a simmer, cover and let warm for 5+ minutes. Serve warm.

Azuki Squash Kombu Soup

I had this leftover, and added this to my quinoa for some extra protein.

• Wash and soak 1/2 cup of azuki beans with a 1-inch square piece of kombu for 2 to 5 hours.
• Place kombu in bottom of the pot and add chopped hard winter squash such as acorn, butternut, or buttercup. When squash is
• not available, substitute onions, carrots, or parsnips.
• Add azuki beans on top of squash and cover with water.
• Cook over a low flame until the beans and squash become soft. While cooking, you may need to add cold water for a few times.
• When beans are 80 percent done, add a few pinches of sea salt.
• Cover and let cook another 10 to 15 minutes or until all the water has cooked down.
• Turn off the flame and let the pot sit for several minutes before serving.

Dinner: (well, I could’ve used some inspiration…but here’s to simplicity!)

Red Lentils

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed well

2 cups water

fresh ginger juice

1 t salt

Bring lentils to boil. Allow foam to gather and skim off to prevent gassiness (a good secret when cooking beans).

Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add 1/2 t fresh ginger juice, or 1 t freshly grated ginger and 1 tsp sea salt. Let simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve warm garnished with cilantro or scallions.

Sauteed Spinach and Garlic

Heat olive oil in pan. Add 1 clove freshly minced garlic. Add a bunch of spinach. Cover and let braise for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cook 30 seconds more. A divine way to get the iron in and prevent anemia, circulate the blood and tissues, uplift the cells to ease depression and satisfy the brain with a vitamin booster! The olive oil aids in the assimilation process of vitamin k.

Rice Cakes with Agave Nectar

so, not too creative, but I was still hungry and wanted something sweet at the same time. Since I had both my scones for breakfast, and have yet to explore further the gluten free baking experience, I settled for an old favorite and gratefully sat back in digestion mode. I am celebrating the feeling of being gluten free. My body is celebrating as it recognizes the food, is hungry for more and rests peacefully knowing that all is well. If you’ve ever struggled with digestive distress, severe autoimmune malfunction, depression, anxiety and everything in between, you get how good it feels when the body recovers and trusts that it is not going to go back. And especially, when every day gets better and better in every way. This life is not about food. And at the same time, it is important to be aware of the food that you are taking in–and if you constantly feel bad after eating, or are hungry all of the time, you may want to experiment with taking away certain foods to determine if your body’s needs are changing.

Cinammon Rice Pancakes
These pancakes are a simple and delicious way to use leftover grain.
You can try these with brown or white rice, quinoa, millet, gluten free oats or any of your favorite grains.

2 ½ cups cooked grain
1 t cinnamon
2 eggs
Pinch salt
1 T agave nectar or cane sugar
Ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil or olive oil

1) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
2) Fry heaped tablespoon amounts in a heated pan using small amounts of ghee, olive or coconut oil.
3) Serve top with a slab of ghee, yogurt or maple syrup.

GLuten Free Snacks!
Dates or Apricots with Almond Butter

slice the date or apricot or fig and put a pat of nut butter. indulge healthfully!

Pumpkin Deliciousness

* 1 can pumpkin, flax meal or any kind of ground nuts or seeds, agave nectar
* Mix it all around for a nutritious and delicious snack!

Rice Cake Sandwich

* made with avocado (plain or mixed with lemon juice and salt + pepper)
* tahini (sesame butter) and apple butter or apricot jam

Date Milkshake

* 1 cup cow’s milk or hemp or rice or soy milk
* 3 dates
* pinch cinnamon
* Foam milk. Add dates and cinnamon and blend well. Enjoy warm before bed. This is a relaxing ayurveda remedy to calm the nerves and soothe the body! Especially nice to unwind after a long winter day!

Beet Carrot Onion Stew

2 medium beets
INGREDIENTS
3 medium beets (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the beets in half and then into large chunks.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Saute the onion until fragrant and clear.
2. In a stock pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beets and water or stock. Simmer the soup, covered, for 50 minutes. Add orange rind, and stir well.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches. Transfer the pureed soup to a large container, and stir in the salt and pepper. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasonings, if you like. Serve the soup hot or chilled, garnished with dollops of sour cream.

Walnut Scallion Pesto

¼ cup walnuts
½ cup scallions
1 T oil (coconut or olive)
1.5 t ume vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon (or lime for added punch!)
1 small garlic clove, whole

Add ingredients to blender and mix. Add more oil for a creamier pesto which resembles traditional pine nut pesto, add less for a more chunky pesto.

Arame Kale

Serving Size: 4
Ingredients

• 3 cups kale — washed, rinsed and cut up
• 1/3 cup onion — sliced
• 1 cup seaweed, arami seaweed — soak, rinse, drain
• 1-tablespoon olive or sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce — or more to taste
• 1 clove garlic — minced
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:
1.     Wash kale and spin dry.
2.     Soak arami seaweed for 5 minutes, drain water, and set aside.
3.     Slice onion and mince garlic
4.     In a medium size skillet, sauté onion and garlic
5.     Add seaweed and sauté for a minute; add kale and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and lower heat. Let steam for 5 minutes.
6.     Add tamari and steam for another 5 minutes.

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