foodie: meyer lemon & lime coconut cupcakes (gluten-free)

for my dad's 60th birthday, i offered to make a few dozen gluten-free cupcakes to accommodate the several family members and friends who do not eat wheat.  to ensure quality (since i haven't done too much gluten-free baking, yet) i used a box cake mix as the base, but added in super delicious add-ins to personalize them.  and, if i do say so myself, they turned out great!  they were moist, delicious, and full of awesome flavor.

table for dad's birthday party

picnic area for dad's birthday party

one box mix yeilded 1 dozen large cupcake and 1 dozen mini cupcakes.  i was baking for a crowd, so i made two boxes worth and jazzed each up differently.  below are two cupcake variations that i made with pamela's products: wheat-free, gluten-free classic vanilla cake mix, which i found at our local natural foods market.

meyer lemon cupcakes

1 bag of vanilla cake mix (gluten-free)
zest from one lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (you could also use canola)
3 eggs

1 jar of lemon curd
1 container of gluten-free vanilla frosting
1 meyer lemon (if you can find one)

mix all the ingredients together.  line your cupcake pans with paper wrappers, and fill 3/4 full with the batter.  (i got 12 large and 12 mini cupcakes from the batter.)  bake according to the cake mix directions or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

once the cupcakes cool, scoop out a divet at the center of each large cupcake.  then, fill it with a spoonful of lemon curd!  (i didn't fill the mini cupcakes.)

using a piping bag, fill it with the remaining lemon curd and vanilla frosting, and frost the cupcakes.  (try to fill one side with lemon curd and one side with frosting so that both come out when you start piping the icing onto the cupcakes.)  garnish with a small slice of meyer lemon!

lime coconut cupcakes

1 bag of vanilla cake mix (gluten-free)
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup coconut milk (or other milk)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or canola oil)
3 eggs

1 container fluffy white frosting
extra lime zest for garnish

mix all the ingredients together. (toss the white chocolate chips with a bit of the dry cake mix to coat them.  then add them at the last minute to the batter -- hopefully this will prevent them from sinking, as mine did....)  line your cupcake pans with paper wrappers, and fill 3/4 full with the batter. (i got 12 large and 12 mini cupcakes from the batter.) bake according to the cake mix directions or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

once cupcakes cool, frost them and garnish with a sprinkle of lime zest!

both cupcakes were utterly delicious, but if i had to choose, i'd vote for the lime coconut.  the mix of bitter lime with the creamy white chocolate was divine!  also, for whatever reason, the lime cupcakes rose better than the lemon, but both were still moist and decadent.

trust me, you will not be disappointed with these :-)

a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

foodie: spaghetti squash with spring asparagus

i've been having a cooking love-affair with spaghetti squash.  even before going gluten-free, my husband and i would often enjoy this versatile veggie as the base for our meals.  well, this past week i created a new dish that made use of some of the delicious asparagus that has been available lately.

this is what you'll need for 4 servings...

1 spaghetti squash
1/2-1 bushel of asparagus, cleaned with woody ends off
1 onion, chopped
1 ear corn, cut off the cob
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 oz goat cheese
1-2 oz bleu cheese
olive oil
lemon wedges
salt & pepper

1. pierce the skin of the squash, and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 45min - 1hr, or until it's fork tender.  also, roast your asparagus (after drizzling it with olive oil and sprinkling it with salt) for about 20 min.

2. as squash and asparagus cook, saute the onions in some olive oil until they're lightly browned, and then toss in corn at the last minute.

3. allow the squash to cool, and then cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then scrap out the stringy flesh into a large bowl.  cut asparagus into 1-2 inch long pieces and add them in.  also mix in the cooked veggies, dill, yogurt, crumbled cheese, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. mix everything together, and then serve with wedges of fresh lemon to further brighten the flavor!

if you still haven't tried spaghetti squash, it's time to hop on the bandwagon.  this yummy veggie makes for the perfect foundation for a spring meal : )

bon appetit!

happy birthday, dad!

today is my dad's 60th birthday!!!  besides being an all-around great guy, he is also a wonderful friend, wise teacher, raving fan and constant comedian.

i love you, dad.

credit {here}

at great pond by mary oliver

at great pond
the sun, rising,
scrapes his orange breast
on the thick pines,
and down tumble
a few orange feathers into
the dark water.
on the far shore
a white bird is standing
like a white candle ---
or a man, in the distance,
in the clasp of some meditation ---
while all around me the lilies
are breaking open again
from the black cave
of the night.
later, i will consider
what i have seen ---
what it could signify ---
what words of adoration i might
make of it, and to do this
i will go indoors to my desk ---
i will sit in my chair ---
i will look back
into the lost morning
in which i am moving, now,
like a swimmer,
so smoothly,
so peacefully,
i am almost the lily ---
almost the bird vanishing over the water
on its sleeves of night.

 

happy birthday, dad <3

 

 

a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian

a friend of mine requested that i post what i eat since she was wondering what i was subsisting upon after announcing i was "going gluten-free" about a month ago.  since i was already a vegetarian, i was used to cooking lots and lots of veggies, but going gluten-free took that to a whole new level!

breakfast - almond meal hot cereal with ground flaxseeds (prepared with almond milk) and topped with cherries and peanut butter

lunch - 1/2 avocado topped with goat cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes

snack - carrots "chips" (i.e. carrots sauteed briefly with olive oil and curry) and hummus

dinner - eggplant lasagna (all veggies -- no gluten-free pasta here!) and a glass of red wine : )

after dinner - decaf tea with half and half

so, that's what a day of meals looks like for a gluten-free vegetarian : ) yummy!

time at the beach

friends of ours were kind enough to gift my family a few days at their gorgeous beach house in avalon, nj.  despite the fact that the wind kept us from lounging on the beach, we enjoyed long walks, exploring town, and quite a bit of poolside relaxing!  below are just a few images of our time in avalon.

avalon beach

spiked arnold palmers -- the beach is better with cocktails

gorgeous bay house that we spotted while walking

ash & han before their bike ride (my friend and my sis)

coffees while waiting for breakfast at uncle bill's pancake house

foodie: banana nut bread (gluten-free)

since beginning my gluten-free experiment 6 weeks ago, i haven't had any bread in the house...not even gluten-free varieties.  but with weekend visitors on their way, i decided i'd try my hand at making a gluten-free breakfast bread for our morning meal.

here's what you'll need...

2 cups plantain flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 banana (over-ripe and mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used more walnuts and pecans)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350

reseaching recipes for inspiration....

1. combine flour, chopped nuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. in a large bowl mix together the eggs, banana, vanilla, yogurt, coconut oil and syrup until well combined.  slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together.

3. pour batter into well-oiled 9 inch pie plate.

4. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the bread.

5. bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

to top our bread, i made a spread with equal parts butter and greek yogurt, and then i flavored it with maple syrup and cinnamon to taste : )  makes 8-12 servings, depending on how big of a slice you want.

FYI - the bread had good flavor, but was a little dry (it definitely was better with the butter/yogurt spread i mentioned above).  next time i make it, i would probably add 2 bananas or extra yogurt to moisten it up a bit!