Raw Cashew Dip

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Eat it raw baby. Crisp fresh veggies and cashew dip.

I've been eating hummus all weekend. Help. I can't stop. It all started when I whipped up a big batch of my tried and true favorite, a classic chick pea hummus recipe with tahini and lemon (though in full disclosure, I used lime juice instead of lemon). I munched it as a party worthy snack, with retro bunny carrot sticks as we caught the season premiere of Mad Men - sophisticated serial television that just keeps getting better and better, does it not? Mad Men is a show with keen originality, surprises, and rare insights into sexual politics, power, culture, and marriage- not only enlightening those of us who lived through the sixties (I was exactly Sally Draper's age, so many aspects of the show are akin to watching home movies), but connecting the dots that birthed our current consumer pop culture, in all its tarnished glitz and trashy glory.

Then I nestled dollops of the stuff on warm and comforting bowls of brown rice and stir-fried vegetables (recovering from said cultural insights, and newly minted wife-slash-copyrighter Megan's saucy rendition of Zou Bisou Bisou).

I ate and I ate.

And then there was no more. I was hummus-less. Without hummus. Bereft. An empty fragile goddess sans my favorite vegan protein complement. So I began to scheme. I pined for the opportunity to blog another hummus recipe, but I'd already shared not only my classic style hummus, but my irreverent upstart hummus with jalapenos, lime and peanut butter (which apparently, on some vegetarian forum raised an anti-goddess ruckus). Not to mention, my roasted red pepper hummus, perfect for Party On mode.

So my thoughts did a shuffle play through new and cool possibilities.

And I remembered my raw cashew cream recipe. Why not make it thicker? Why not make it into a hummus style dip? So I did the sensible thing. I soaked some cashews. And guess what?

Raw vegan deliciousness ensued.

Bisou. Bisou.

Fresh, raw vegan candy for body and soul.

This raw cashew hummus style dip is light and creamy.

Raw Cashew Hummus Style Dip Recipe

I'm a big fan of hummus in any variety. This particular "hummus" is light and creamy, a lovely dip for those eating raw. I love it as a veggie dip, and as a condiment to lightly stir-fried vegetables and rice.

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked raw cashews*
1 tablespoon raw organic tahini (sesame paste)
Juice from 1 fresh lemon, or to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon organic onion powder
1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder
Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

Combine the soaked cashews, raw tahini, lemon juice,  extra virgin olive oil, onion, powder, garlic powder, and sea salt in a Vita-Mix or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

Taste test. If needs more body, add a little more extra virgin olive oil.  If you like a stronger tahini taste, add another tablespoon of tahini. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Store in the fridge- in a covered glass bowl or storage container. The flavors get better as it chills. Chilling the hummus also thickens it.

Use as a dip for fresh crisp veggies such as carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, zucchini sticks, yellow squash sticks, red pepper strips and broccolini.

Serves four to six.

*See how to soak cashews in this post.

More hummus goodness from food bloggers:

Raw Hummus made from zucchini at Choosing RawGluten-Free Gobsmacked makes Gluten-Free Pita with HummusGorgeous Beet Hummus at Simply Recipes Cool Cucumber Hummus from FatFree Vegan KitchenRoasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus at ATX Gluten-FreeNot Just Any Old Hummus at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free uses yogurtParsley Hummus looks green and good from Kalyn's KitchenI Am Gluten-Free makes tempting Hummus and Pita

Green Chile Egg Bake

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This puffy golden egg bake is easy (and pretty enough for brunch guests).

This simple egg bake recipe flirts with being a souffle. She imagines herself in an Anais Nin novel, puffy and voluptuous, trembling on a sunlit, blossom strewn table, about to be devoured by a Henry Miller style character, an unknown writer, all bluster and Brooklyn guff, with a surprising, childlike glint to his laughter.

In a Kerouac novel she imagines herself liquid, a stream of golden beats syncopated in hot opposition to the heart's rhythm, strangely, vertigo defyingly more in tune with how the stars blink- on and off- cradling her humble, unassuming beginnings in feather injected hay, spinning cool and restless past the farmhouse windows lit yellow by a single lamp on the center of a wooden kitchen table strewn with cereal coupons and finger smudged newspaper and coffee cups stained not with lipstick but with infinite tiny cracks, scenting the air with morning that rushes into this author's highway memory like a distant train whistle crooning its tug toward reckless freedom, toward shed dreams and mockingbird awakenings that mimic the familiar just to confuse you, just to keep you anchored, just to clip you from flying in your own, crazy trajectory, your one chance at what might be possible.

Then again.

Maybe she's just an egg recipe.

With attitude.

Fresh organic free-range eggs with Omega's.

Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Easy. And fabulous.

Green Chile Egg Bake Recipe

These simple baked eggs puff like a fancy souffle. The round slice of gluten-free bread gets golden and crusty. We ate this for lunch. It would be a fabulous brunch for a family get-together. Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

Note- I've written this recipe per person- this recipe is for one 4-inch individual souffle dish. Multiply ingredients as needed.
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 whole roasted green chiles (canned is fine)
2 tablespoons soft cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
1 slice of Udi's Sandwich Bread
Butter or vegan buttery spread
2 organic free-range eggs
1/4 cup milk or non-dairy milk
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch chopped chives
Smoked paprika
Grated cheese or vegan shreds- optional

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Rub olive oil inside each 10-ounce 4-inch porcelain souffle dish and set the dishes on a sturdy baking sheet.

If using canned green chiles, drain well and pat dry.

Cut two chiles in half and layer in the bottom of an oiled gratin dish.

Top the chiles with two tablespoons of soft cream cheese.

Using a round cookie cutter, slice a circle of Udi's bread. Butter both sides.

Place the bread on the cream cheese.
Beat the eggs with milk or non-dairy milk. Season with sea salt, ground pepper, and chopped chives.

Pour the egg mixture into the gratin dish. The bread will float.

Sprinkle the top with smoked paprika.

Option: Top with a tablespoon of shredded cheese or vegan cheese, if desired.

Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.

Bake on an upper rack for 30 to 35 minutes until the eggs are firm, puffed and golden brown around the edges. A cake tester should not emerge wet- but may show melted cream cheese.

Serve immediately.

Karina's Notes:

This recipe is for a single serving. Multiply for two, four or six, as needed.

When making these for more than four people- I would not place more than four souffle dishes on a baking sheet. Use two baking sheets, and increase baking time, if necessary; rotating once for browning, if needed.

Use sturdy baking sheets- not flimsy ones. Be safe.

I made these dairy-free using organic non-GMO soy milk, vegan cream cheese, and Earth Balance. Delicious!

For dairy lovers- I used to make this recipe using butter, organic milk and cream cheese (or goat cheese). It's lovely.

Adding shredded cheese is optional. We thought these were quite tasty without, but I understand how some folks love their cheese.

Goat or feta cheese would be a tangy alternative to mild cream cheese.

These can be prepared ahead of time, if you wish. Keep refrigerated. You'll need to bake a bit longer if quite chilled. Keep an eye on them.

Here are the 4-inch souffle dishes I used, at Amazon.

Here is the Udi's Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread I used.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake

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Karina's Gluten-Free Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake

Remember those maple sweetened almond zucchini mini-muffins? I do. They've become one of our favorite grab-and-go gluten-free treats. I tuck a bag of them- fresh out of the freezer- into my bulging purse knapsack beach bag tote whenever we venture far afield. Like. The Valley. Because, well. You never know. It can get crazy. In L.A. you might end up jammed on the 405. Stuck as in four lanes = a parking lot stuck. Stuck as in, Dude that's my hunger growling louder than Kurt Cobain's rasp on the rattling radio speaker pleading, What else could I be? All apologies.

I know this from experience. I learned the hard way (the way I learn most things in life). Driving in L.A. can lead to stop-n-go squatting in the baking sun where is my nail file and why did I leave the apartment without food and water and ice in a cooler panic. Because the thirty-three minutes it took yesterday to get to Studio City is seventy-five minutes today.

That's when I started imagining a zucchini cake. For breakfast. On the 405. Heading north (allegedly). To sign a lease. On a new apartment with an ample well planned kitchen and an open living room with a fireplace. And two balconies- one sunny for growing herbs, one shady in the afternoon, facing a quiet leafy green street lined with lavender gardens and rose bushes and honeysuckle and song birds.

We'll be moving in two weeks.

Your intrepid Gluten-Free Goddess has some packing to do.

Good thing we baked a zucchini quinoa cake.

Warm from the oven gluten-free dairy-free zucchini quinoa breakfast cake

Maple sweetened gluten-free zucchini quinoa breakfast cake

Gluten-Free Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake Recipe

Sweetened only with a half cup pure maple syrup, this cake is not overly sweet. Which makes it perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Almond meal, sorghum flour and quinoa flakes add protein and nutrition.

Ingredients:

2/3 cups almond meal
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (cereal flakes, not whole quinoa)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light melted coconut oil
3 organic free-range eggs, beaten
1-2 tablespoons coconut milk, soy or rice milk, as needed 
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 packed cup shredded zucchini, patted dry

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch Springform pan with a circle of parchment.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, quinoa flakes, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, beaten eggs, and one tablespoon coconut milk. Beat to combine. If needed, add another tablespoon of coconut milk to loosen the batter. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat the batter until it is smooth and slightly sticky.

Add in the shredded zucchini and stir by hand to combine.

Spoon the cake batter evenly into the lined cake pan. Smooth the top with wet fingers. I add a few strands of grated zucchini to the top for flecks of green.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and springy-firm to the touch. A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.

Cool the cake pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula or knife and release the clasp on the Springform pan. Move the cake to the wire rack and continue cooling.

This filling, satisfying cake is very moist and slices best when cooled. Wrap and freeze leftover slices for easy to-go treats. (Especially if heading out in mad traffic.)

Serves 8-10.

Good morning! Gluten-free zucchini quinoa breakfast cake and coffee.

Karina's Notes:

I baked this moist and satisfying breakfast cake in a parchment lined 8-inch Springform pan. If you have only a 7-inch layer cake pan it will work. Line it with a circle of parchment paper. Keep an eye on the center- it may need an extra minute or two in a smaller pan (higher center).

And speaking of pans- I beg you, Darling. Do not bake gluten-free cakes and breads in those disposable aluminum foil pans. They are way too thin to bake gluten-free batter evenly. Foil pans cause over-browning on the outside, and gummy, undone centers.

If baking for a gluten-free friend- protect her from cross contamination and line your cake pan with clean foil or parchment paper. (And don't use your old wooden spoons- gluten protein is sticky, and tenacious.)

More gluten-free zucchini goodness:

For a sweeter zucchini cake from Beth Hillson check out Living Without's Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Zucchini Quinoa Cake

Gluten-Free Pasta Frittata with Kale (Dairy-Free)

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Karina's Gluten-Free Pasta Frittata with Kale (Dairy-Free)

It's crunch time here at Casa Allrich. Moving day looms. Packing has begun. I've been sitting on the floor like a cast-off princess in a fairy tale assigned to her individuating task, combing not through haystacks or mountains of tiny grain but musty boxes of thirty-five-year-old letters, stacks of faded photographs and yellowed clippings, evidence of another life allegedly my own. I am struck most by the persistent echoes, the parallels spiked with the quirky twists of fate that led me here, to now, the line between seeking and creating blurring into a narrative that persists in your life like an ache.

We seek what we need to become. We long for the parts of ourselves we discarded out of necessity or people-pleasing acquiescence. Accommodation is a common theme in many a woman's life. Mid-life sharpens this trend into focus in subtle ways. When you begin counting seasons, and fewer summers await you, each choice you've picked up to now- and every discarded loss- becomes bittersweet and ripe with meaning.

All this contemplation and dust as we recycle the last remaining things we carry.

Our life has been whittled and sanded and simplified these last six years. An empty nest has its gifts. From the east coast to the west coast we have pared down and let go with each move (five times in six years). No original furniture remains. We own a sofa (a floor model bought in Marina Del Rey). A bed. Two desks. The truckload of books and old paintings is now a carload.

My boxes of cookbooks have shrunk from twenty to two.

Our move to Studio City is a gesture toward community (writing and film). A move closer to family (both sons- and a new daughter-in-law- live closer to Studio City than Redondo Beach). A move away from the ocean, but toward sun. From fog to heat. Our new neighborhood is a quiet, leafy one, framed in well tended white fenced gardens that rival Provincetown. We walked the block last week. Waist high lavender bushes, roses, iris and honeysuckle feed me in ways concrete and steel cannot. Small town New England is in my bones, I guess. And forever will be.

Today I offer you a recipe spun from the magic of leftover brown rice spaghetti and eggs- a creamy, light frittata. Perfect for when you're simply too tired to cook. Or you have nothing in the fridge but a carton of eggs, half a bag of kale salad and last night's leftover spaghetti in eggplant marinara.

The "cheese" I used was a vegan "mozzarella" (my current favorite is Vegan Gourmet).

The cooked brown rice pasta makes a lovely little crust for the eggs.

Gluten-Free Pasta Frittata Recipe with Kale (Dairy-Free)

I keep a bag of chopped kale salad on hand for nights when I'm too tired to cook. Kale salad can be added to eggs, pasta or a brown rice stir-fry for a super quick and healthy meal. Last night I added kale salad to leftover organic brown rice spaghetti with a bit of eggplant marinara. A perfect combo to use as a base for this fast and easy baked fritttata.

Ingredients:

Olive oil, as needed
2 heaping cups chopped kale salad greens with carrot shreds
2 cups leftover (cooked) gluten-free spaghetti pasta with some sauce
4 oz Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella, shredded
5 large organic free-range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain soy milk, or vegan sour cream
Dried basil and oregano, to taste
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg
Sea Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh chives, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Lightly oil a 9-inch glass pie plate.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the chopped kale salad. Stir until wilted a bit. Add the leftover spaghetti pasta. Stir lightly to combine. Heat through gently. Remove from heat.

Using tongs, arrange the spaghetti and kale in the bottom of the pie plate.

Scatter half the vegan mozzarella shreds over the pasta.

Beat the eggs with the soy milk or vegan sour cream until frothy. Season to taste with dried basil, oregano, nutmeg, sea salt, ground pepper and chives.

Pour the egg mixture all over the spaghetti and kale and allow the liquid to seep in. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded vegan mozzarella. Sprinkle chopped chives on the top and add a whisper of ground nutmeg, if desired.

Bake on a center rack for 35 minutes - until the frittata is set and golden in color. Check the center for doneness with a fork, if you like.

Allow the pasta frittata to cool for a few minutes before serving (this makes it much easier to slice).

This pasta frittata is also good cooled, at room temperature, for a make-ahead picnic dish.

Makes 4 hearty servings. Serves 6 as a side dish.

If you don't need to be dairy-free, use sour cream and mozzarella.

Make this easy frittata for brunch or a backyard picnic.

More gluten-free eggs + kale recipes:

Kalyn's Kitchen: Baby Kale, Mozzarella and Egg Bake
Nomadic Foodie: Poached Eggs with Kale and Red Peppers
The Perfect Pantry: Kale, Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Breakfast Casserole


 

Gluten-Free Picnic Recipes - Karina's Faves

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Easy, easy! Grilled veggies for gluten-free pasta salad.

The summer kick-off weekend is here Darling. Let the picnics and grilling begin. June is nigh. 'Tis the season for dining alfresco. From a casual backyard family get-together to post-graduation parties, it's time to celebrate. And time for a little romance- a picnic in the park, a sunset dinner at the beach, feeding each other beneath the stars.

So air out those picnic blankets, blow the winter dust off your beach chairs and wire brush that grill. I've got some fabulous Gluten-Free Goddess® recipes for you. My best top ten gluten-free dairy-free picnic recipes, in fact. And nine of them just so happen to be vegan.

We are moving in less than week.

A stone's throw north, to Studio City. My year at the ocean is winding down fast. As I pack up our last bits and pieces, our favorite pasta bowls, spoons and cake pans, I listen to the waves and breathe in the salt air. This has been a nourishing year. Four seasons by the sea. Seasons that deepened my love for my family, nurtured my marriage, and illuminated my ongoing gratitude for each new day.

May you enjoy a meaningful Memorial Day, defined by love, gratitude, and the support of family and friends.

I'll catch you on the flip side- I'll be blogging from Studio City next week.

Be safe.

Karina's Top Ten Gluten-Free Picnic Faves

(compiled by Karina + Steve Allrich)

Festive and pretty strawberry spinach salad with berry dressing.

Fresh and pretty baby spinach salad with juicy strawberries in a berry dressing. (I could eat this every day- K.)

Karina's Gluten-Free Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

An Allrich family favorite- gluten-free brown rice penne pasta tossed with smoky grilled vegetables and herbs. Serve at room temperature.

Karina's Quinoa Taco Salad- vegan and gluten-free delicioso.

A vegan and veggie lover's taco salad. Packed with lovely vegan protein and spiked with fresh avocado and lime.

Karina's Lemon Infused Pasta Salad with Grilled Asparagus

Karina's personal favorite. A lemony, light and fresh pasta salad with bites of grilled asparagus and fragrant fresh herbs. (I could also eat this every day- K.)

So easy Heirloom Potato Salad with Vegenaise®

The Casa Allrich so easy you can hardly call it cooking new potato salad. With flavor-rich baby heirloom potatoes, you barely have to do anything. Seriously. Can't do Vegenaise? Try Karina's soy-free egg-free Champagne Vinegar Potato Salad Dressing.

Karina's Horseradish Spiked Red Potato Salad

An old school favorite potato salad recipe- without eggs. Just mega-flavor. And the spicy punch of horseradish. Heaven.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble-Crisp

Summer crisps and crumbles are the best. Simple, easy, no fuss desserts. This one (Karina's fave) features strawberries and rhubarb. The surprise is quinoa flakes. Gluten-free and vegan yum.

Gluten-Free Goddess® Blueberry Corn Muffins

Gluten-free corn muffins bursting with fresh blueberries. Bake them early in the day before the kitchen gets hot.

Karina's Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Almond Coconut Bars

Gluten-Free Goddess® has a dedicated sous chef. This is his favorite Gluten-Free Goddess® dessert. He bakes it- far too often. It's the reason Karina no longer fits in her summer jeans.

Gluten-Free Goddess® Dark Chocolate Brownies. Divine.

Hands down, this is Karina's numero uno best loved, most often baked, most often shared Gluten-Free Goddess® dessert recipe. The best gluten-free brownies. Evah. Reason number two Karina no longer fits into her jeans.