Gluten Free Chocolate Teff Cake with Mixed Berry Coulis

March 18, 2010  { 6 Comments }    

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Teff.

A teenie, tiny little grain packed with nutrition.

Frugal, too, because a little goes a long way.  Soaking up and expanding in miraculous ways, this nearly microscopic grain produces tender cakes, cupcakes and breads.  Pair it with chocolate, ginger, rich spices.

Coulis for Your Cake

Who doesn’t love berries and chocolate?

A simple puree of mixed berries and lite coconut milk adds another layer of flavor and interest to this already delicious cake.  If you don’t have a plastic bottle to drizzle sauce over your cake, put it in a ZipLoc baggie and snip a little bit off the corner – not too much or you’ll have a stream instead.

Add a scoop of sugar free vanilla bean ice cream for a decadent, but healthier, dessert.  This cake is dense while still being incredibly moist so it will hold up to the ice cream.

Other Teff Recipes

• Carrot Date Spice Muffins
• Old Fashioned Gingerbread

Print friendly recipe

Gluten Free Chocolate Teff Cake
serves 6 – 9

1 cup teff flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon clear liquid stevia (I like NuNaturals)
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together teff flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a medium mixing bowl.

Break chocolate into smaller pieces.  Place chocolate and canola oil in a small glass bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds, stir.  Microwave for another 20 – 30 seconds until chocolate is nearly melted.  Stir until it’s completely melted.  Transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer.

Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.  Add palm sugar, applesauce, and almond milk.  Whisk on medium until combined and palm sugar has mostly dissolved.  Add in vanilla extract, expresso powder, and stevia. Mix for a few seconds.  Add egg and egg white and mix just until combined.

Switch to the paddle attachment and add in dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined.  Use a rubber spatula to do any final mixing. Don’t overmix.  Turn batter into prepared cake pan, level with your spatula, give the pan a few raps on the counter to collapse any air bubbles.   Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.  The cake will pull slightly from the edges of the pan when it’s done.

Print friendly recipe

Mixed Berry Coulis
makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed
1/4 cup lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons powdered stevia (I like NuNaturals)
a pinch of kosher salt

Put all ingredients in your VitaMix.  Start on low, increase to Variable 10 then whirl on high for about a minute until all the seeds have been pureed.  If you don’t have a VitaMix, use a food processor or blender.  You may need to push the coulis through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

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Apple & Carrot Gluten Free Breakfast Cake: VitaMixed

March 17, 2010  { 24 Comments }    

I struggled with the price of my VitaMix for months before I actually bought it.  Rationally, I couldn’t justify a blender that was more than my KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

Joe told me to buy it. Ruminating for months about a purchase isn’t in his DNA.  Laser-focused decisions based on cost verses energy is how he operates.  Time is money. Cliche, yes, but true for him.

Buying the VitaMix

One fateful day, we were at Costco and The VitaMix Man happened to be there effortlessly whipping up sugar-free smoothies and frozen treats.  My husband, ignoring the stress in my eyes, told Mr. VitaMix to put everything he was selling in our cart.

Being me, thoughts of an unused grain attachment and the ‘luxury’ smaller blending attachment swirled through my brain until we got to the checkout.  Why I thought they’d go unused, I don’t know.

My entire kitchen flashed before my eyes – 2 KitchenAid Stand Mixers, a 6 quart and a 5 quart, a Cuisinart food processor, mini-food chopper, and immersion blender with various attachments, a handmixer that’s begging to be replaced, two sets of knives, two sets of pots and pans, one stainless and one non-stick, an assortment of cast iron skillets, griddles, and dutch ovens.

An electric skillet, various convenience gadgets including silpats, juicers, and enough bakeware to feed a small army.  Yes, an assortment there too – glass, stoneware, non-stick, and both light colored and dark colored metals.  Let’s not forget my yogurt maker, two ice cream maker attachments and, yes, a Magic Bullet that sits in the bottom of our garage storage cabinet patiently waiting to make chicken paste.

At the last minute I insisted that Joe leave the attachments behind until I was convinced that the VitaMix was going to be an integral part of my life.

A Love Affair

I’ve never been ashamed to admit that there is a special place in my heart for my kitchen tools, and especially my VitaMix.  Maybe the way some people love their big screen tv, or the way others adore their Gucci bags.  If given the choice between a beautiful Louis Vitton and a brand new VitaMix, I’d take the VitaMix.

Why?

Because I can make this.

Yes, you really just put the apple and carrot into the blender, whirl it around and in less than a minute you have low-fat cake batter packed with whole foods.  No grating.  No dicing. No food mill.  Just yummy, slightly sweet, nutrition packed goodness.

Like I said – slightly sweet.  If you like your breakfast cakes sweeter, add a little more palm sugar or 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of clear liquid stevia.

Long Term Moistness

If you read Celiac Family, you know that Heather’s litmus test for a good gluten-free baked good is that it stays moist and crumble-free when sitting out on the counter.  This passes with flying colors.  I left it on the counter for 5 days – that’s how long it took us to eat it. It was just as good on day 5 as it was on day 1.

Other Vita-Mix Friendly Recipes

• Not Just Any Old Hummus
• Protein Packed Gluten-Free Breakfast Pancakes
• Almond Milk
• Whole Grain Gluten Free Belgian Waffles

Reminder

I’m hosting Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free this month.  Send your ‘Guiltless Pleasures’ to amy2804 at gmail dot com me by March 26th.

Print friendly recipe

Apple and Carrot  Breakfast Cake
serves 6 – 9
adapted from The VitaMix Cookbook

2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup palm sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup egg white substitute or 6 egg whites or 3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 apples, quartered (leave the peels on)
1 cup of carrots, peeled and chopped (about 3 medium carrots)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together sorhgum flour, palm sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and xanthan gum until evenly combined.

Place egg whites, vanilla, apples, and carrots into the VitaMix.  Start on low and quickly increase to Variable 10 while using the tamper to push the apples and carrots into the blades.  Switch to High and blend for 20-3o seconds until thoroughly mixed.  It will be thick.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients by hand.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.

Top with freshly whipped cream, homemade yogurt, or cream cheese frosting.

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Slightly Indulgent Tuesday – 3/16/10

March 15, 2010  { 6 Comments }    

Welcome to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday – where we bake, simmer, steam, and saute fabulous food made healthier.

Midterms are over and spring break has arrived. After fumbling around for 30 minutes in my user-friendly on-line student account, I learned that I aced my first two classes. The tension immediately disappeared from my shoulders.

On Monday, I start Basic Food Prep. Tuesday marks the beginning of Fundamentals of Baking. Performance classes with a solid academic platform. Bookwork doesn’t phase me. The doing under pressure is a another monster.

A school update post is the works. I’ve been able to participate in some quality culinary events.  I’ll pepper in posts about some tricks I’ve learned along the way, too.

My Vitamin D Deficiency

Thanks to everyone who shared their experience with me after I posted about my severe lack of vitamin D.  I’m on the upswing.  On Saturday I actually exercised and was active all day long, feeling better than I had in months.

Last Week’s Healthier Highlights

• Lillia from Healthy Simple Living shared her discoveries about being vitamin and mineral deficient and the results of a dietary overhaul.
• Lauren from Celiac Teen transformed ordinary cornflakes into a gourmet cookie.
• SnoWhite from Joy in my Kitchen made a healthier Broccoli Soup that made my ‘to make’ list.  What’s not to love about green foods?

My Submission

If you love quick, nourishing meals as much as I do, check out my Southwestern Dinner Frittata.

Linking Up Guidelines!!

• When you link, please tell us who you are and what you’re cooking . For example, I would enter:
  Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free – (Southwestern Dinner Frittata)
• Please link to your individual post, not your homepage and link back to this post so that your readers can find the recipes here.

I hate deleting links.

If you find that your link has been deleted it’s because it doesn’t link to your post or you haven’t linked back here.  E-mail me with questions or if you need help.

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Southwestern Dinner Frittata

March 14, 2010  { 9 Comments }    

Eggs are a go-to for a healthier meal in a pinch at our house.  Last week I had a chicken defrosting in the refrigerator with hopes of a perfectly moist oven roasted bird for dinner.  Still frozen solid with not enough time to defrost under cold running water, I had to resort to plan B.

A New Cookbook…Absolute Inspiration

I’d just come home from the library with a 2 foot stack of cookbooks.  After pouring over pages of inspiration, which was much more interesting than studying for my impending midterms, I decided to do a slight variation on a frittata from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. While cooking low fat is not my primary concern, I love learning about good low fat cooking because it infuses intense flavor using healthier ingredients.

The Moosewood Lodge uses hominy, which wouldn’t normally occur to me as a lively paring with eggs.  Then again, we love a pan of hot cornbread with almost anything. An unexpected heartiness emerges from the hominy, black bean, and egg combination.  Neither Joe nor I missed the meat or the extra egg yolks.

Served with a big green salad and a side of short-grain brown rice, this was a simple and satisfying quick meal – and naturally sugar free and gluten free to boot. The presentation is beautiful with thin lines of red bell peppers accented with specks of black and green.  I’ll serve this to our next bunch of out of town guests.

Other quick and simple breakfast-for-dinner ideas:

• Mushroom Frittata
• Protein Packed Breakfast Pancakes
• Whole Grain Gluten Free Waffles

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesdays and Gluten Free Wednesdays.

Print friendly recipe

Southwestern Dinner Frittata
serves 4 – 6
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites

1 large onion, small dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1 (14.5 oz.) can golden hominy, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup pasturized egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt, if needed
fresh ground black pepper, if needed
salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium low heat in a non-stick skillet.  Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add onions and saute for 5 – 8 minutes, until they’re soft and fragrant.  Add the bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes, until bell pepper is soft.  Add hominy, beans, cilantro, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until hot.

Taste and adjust as needed.  Does it need more salt? What about a few grinds of the pepper mill?  Or maybe you like a little more spice – if so add more cayenne.  Once the filling suits your palate, remove pan from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites until light and fluffy.  Stir the slightly cooled bean mixture into the eggs.

Coat the bottom of the same skillet with the remaining oil.  Don’t wash it in between – it has great flavor on the bottom of it.  Heat the skillet over medium heat.  Add egg and bean mixture.  Cover and cook for 5 – 8 minutes, until sides are set and the bottom is a nice golden brown.  Transfer skillet to oven and broil until the frittata is puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and let sit for several minutes before cutting.

Sliding the frittata onto a large cutting board.  Slice into wedges and serve.  Offer regular or light sour cream and salsa as toppings if desired.

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Announcing The Spring Cleaning: Get the Junk Out! Carnival

March 11, 2010  { 12 Comments }    

I’ve been invited to be part of an exciting carnival with some top-knotch bloggers.  We’re going to Spring Clean – and not the get-on-your-knees-and-scrub kind of clean, either.

For the next 10 weeks on Tuesdays, we’ll explore topics that you might want to clean out – everything from household cleaners to your pantry, your mental habits to your make-up.

Katie, from Kitchen Stewardship, has graciously orchestrated the event. Here’s what she has to say about it:

“Each week, a different blog will host a theme that fits their mission and a linky for YOU to link up any pertinent posts.

Related posts for the linky might include a tips post, a recipe, a personal story of getting that issue “out”, or even questions you have about the issue.

Here’s the list of hostesses and weekly themes so you can plan to participate. There will be giveaways for each week, with entries both for linking up at your blog and for leaving comments for all you non-bloggers.  New and old posts welcome!

1. 3/23 Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship: antibacterial soap/bleach
2. 3/30 Amy @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free: gluten
3. 4/6 Beth @ Fake Plastic Fish: plastic food containers
4. 4/13 Donielle @ Naturally Knocked Up: refined sugar
5. 4/20 Micaela @ Mindful Momma: parabens
6. 4/27 Lenetta @ Nettacow: food additives
7. 5/4 Kelly the Kitchen Kop: CAFOs
8. 5/11 Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers: pesticides
9. 5/18 Mandi @ Organizing Your Way: clutter
10. 5/25 Claire @ Saving Money Plan: debt

The Monday Mission here at KS will correspond with the week’s theme, and you’ll find information here about WHY you might want to “get out” a certain topic…then head on over to the hostess blog every Tuesday for multi-level options to help you make a change. You’ll get ideas to take Baby Steps, Making Strides, or a Leap of Faith to get it all out!”

I’ll host “Get the Gluten Out” at a special, totally gluten-free Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Mark these dates on your calendar! I’m sure I’ll learn a lot along the way – and hope you’ll join in the fun, too!

Questions or thoughts?  Leave them in the comments below.

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