Category Archives: Quick and Easy

In keeping with my “Hey ya’ll, it’s SUMMER” theme around here as of late, I bring you a fresh, bright, delicious salad, full of quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and basil, and a lovely slight heat of fresh jalapeno.

But before we get to that, I have something to confess.

Here it was, Sunday evening. Sunday dinner often revolves around roasting or preparing a whole chicken (usually spatchcocked – it’s easy and delicious that way.). We receive a monthly package from our local rancher, Rehoboth Ranch, which consists of whole chickens, ground beef, a roast, and breakfast sausage, so in an effort to utilize this delicious sum of meats, I try to implement this routine. It works well – we eat the chicken one night, and I use the rest of the meat to top a salad later in the week. (I also save the bones for stock, which, by the way, I am so behind in making…)

Well, this past Sunday, I opted instead to grill the chicken, as it was warm and I didn’t want to turn on the oven to roast it. I made a yummy rub of chipotle chiles, jalapeno, coconut oil and lime and rubbed it all over the chicken and under the skin. This is gonna be tasty, I thought to myself. I heated up the grill, placed the chicken over indirect heat (well, semi-indirect – I had the chicken over low heat, and the other burners on high), and went inside.

And proceeded to distract myself by making some ice cream, and forgot about the chicken. Was it for 15 minutes? 20? I don’t know. I realized it’d been far too long, and I ran outside to check. Too late. My chicken was blackened. Really blackened. Sigh. Operation grilled chipotle lime chicken: FAIL.

I managed to salvage some of the meat, as it wasn’t completely burnt and dry – just the skin was totally black. So much for the rub flavor. That was completely gone. (Guess I’ll have to try that again some other time.) It definitely wasn’t the best chicken I’d ever cooked, let me tell you. I offered up apologies to the hubby more than once. It looked like hell.

The moral of this story? Don’t try to do too much at once.

There was still a highlight to Sunday’s meal, however – this salad. I’d been craving a tabbouleh-like salad for a while, and started to gather ingredients for a traditional version of the dish, when I saw the jalapenos I’d picked up at the farmer’s market, and then eyed the limes. Immediately I made a bit of a detour from my original plan, and instead decided on a more Texas-style version. I’m sure I’m biased, but I believe my version might just be better than the traditional. The jalapeno doesn’t add a ton of heat – just a nice kick. And the lime really brightens, making it sing. And of course, now that it’s summer, I managed to grab all of these items (okay, save the lime) either from my garden or the farmer’s market, so they’re super-fresh. I think that makes such a difference in a salad – the fresher, the better! Even if you don’t have access to a garden or farmer’s market, chances are, the produce at even your local grocery is fresher this time of year, making this an ideal choice.

If you’re tasked with bringing a side salad to a dinner or barbecue this summer, this is a great option. It’s perfect to make ahead of time and will keep (and dare I say, improve) when refrigerated for a few hours before serving. Personally, I was just glad to have it to gobble up, instead of just my overly-blackened chicken. Gotta celebrate the successes when you can, right?

Quinoa Tabbouleh, Texas-Style (gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free)

1 c quinoa, rinsed

1 1/2 c water

1/2 t salt

2 T lime juice

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2-3 T diced leeks (you can also substitute green onions/scallions)

1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa by placing it, the water, and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and remove to a bowl and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil. Toss the quinoa with this mixture. Add in the remaining ingredients and toss, combining everything well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Serves 4-6.

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posted on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Main Dishes,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Side Dishes,Vegan,Vegetarian 1 Comment

I rarely drink sodas (or cokes, as we typically call them down here in Texas…). I used to, years ago, but now drink mostly water, coffee, and tea. Every now and then, however, a carbonated beverage is a much-needed refreshment. Especially when it’s hot.

And ladies and gentlemen, it’s officially hot.

We’ve had a mild spring this year, but this week has brought in tons of humidity and sunshine, and our temps are in the upper 90s. Ah, yes. Texas summers. I’ll be wishing for October’s cooler breezes all too soon.

But in the meanwhile, let’s make the most of summer’s pleasures. One such pleasure is watermelon. I could eat my weight in watermelon. And why not? It’s sweet and definitely cools you on a hot day. Most of the time, it’s sufficient for me to simply cut it open and announce to the family that there is watermelon, and it’s gone in a flash. Once in a great while, though, I can sneak some for a special treat. Like a soda.

Watermelon soda.

With lime. You know, just for fun. And because I have a ton of limes at the moment.

This soda is made with a cane sugar syrup made with unrefined cane sugar, but you can always opt to substitute some agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup to suit your needs. I bet you could also use stevia with a little experimentation. I also happen to think this soda would benefit nicely from the addition of rum or tequila after the kiddies go to bed. In fact, I might make another batch just to test that out.

Hmm. Watermelon-lime-a-ritas, anyone?

But I digress. Here is the “virgin” variety. Don’t be daunted by making the lime simple syrup – it only takes a few minutes. And it’s so worth it. You might just need more lime simple syrup in your life, in fact. Along with a watermelon lime soda or two.

Watermelon Lime Soda (gluten-free, vegan)

5 cups watermelon chunks

2 cups sparkling mineral water or seltzer

Lime simple syrup, recipe below

Lots of ice

Lime Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup turbinado/raw sugar

1/4 cup water

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

Zest of 1 lime

To make the simple syrup, combine all of the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, juice the watermelon by either placing the cubes in a juicer, or placing in a blender and pureeing, then straining out any seeds through a colander.

In a pitcher, combine the watermelon juice, cooled simple syrup, and seltzer water. Serve immediately over glasses filled with ice, garnishing with limes if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

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posted on Thursday, June 13th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Kid-Friendly,Quick and Easy,Vegan 2 Comments

It’s berry season! At the farmer’s market, I’m finding tons of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries everywhere I turn. I try to exercise some restraint, but this past weekend, I came home with some of each. I consider it a victory – I haven’t come home with a dozen pints just yet.

Most of the time, I just open the fridge, and there the berries are, staring at me. They are usually just munched on a little at a time, every time the fridge is opened. (So, in other words, they’re there for like, three days, tops.) But once in a great while, they actually make it into a recipe. Most recently, they made it into some salsa.

Strawberry salsa? Why, yes! If you haven’t tried it before, you’re in for a real treat. You might just make it every week until strawberries are out of season. It’s that tasty.

Head on over to The Balanced Platter to check out my recipe for strawberry salsa!

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posted on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Appetizers,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Kid-Friendly,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegan No Comments

I love biscuits. Like, really, really love them. Let me count the ways: biscuits with butter, with jam, with gravy (especially a good Southern sausage gravy!), with fried chicken, or even for the making of a sausage biscuit sandwich…that’s just the beginning, I’m sure. But good, tender, moist biscuits are hard to come by, especially when one is gluten and dairy-free. So for us, biscuits are a special event.

What I do love about making gluten-free biscuits is that there isn’t that pesky gluten in there, making things tough and chewy. Makes for an easy time – you can’t accidentally overwork the dough. And when using potato flour, it seems there is no need for gums like guar or xanthan gum. It also makes the biscuits taste nice and potato-y; something I really enjoyed.

I do have to apologize to you, however. It seems I’ve been hoarding this recipe for a while now. I’ve had it tucked away for at least a year, digging it out once in a while, but I’ve never managed to get photos of these humble beauties. Well, my friends, there’s no time like the present. I hope you’ll make up for lost time by making these quite often. Grab yourself some potato flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill), so you’ll always have it on hand for a quick breakfast treat.

Potato Biscuits (gluten-free, grain-free, vegan)

2/3 c potato flour (not potato starch)

1/3 c potato starch or tapioca starch

2 t baking powder

1/2 t kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

3 T coconut oil

2/3 c canned full-fat coconut milk

1 T chia seed meal (grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder)

1/2 t apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the potato flour, starch, baking powder and salt. With your fingers or with a fork, blend in the coconut oil until the mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, chia seed meal, and apple cider vinegar. Stir the coconut milk mixture into the flour mixture until combined and the dough comes together. It will be crumbly, but it should hold together. Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, press a handful of dough into a circle to form a biscuit, pressing just firmly enough for the dough to hold together. (Alternatively, you can simply form rounds by hand.) Repeat with remaining dough. Sprinkle each biscuit with a pinch of kosher salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 biscuits.

Do you make breakfasts more often during the summer, when kids are home? What do you like to make? Share at Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community!

This post is linked to Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free over at Gluten-Free Easily.

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posted on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Baked goods,breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Kid-Friendly,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegan,Vegetarian 4 Comments

Nailed it!

That’s totally what went through my head with this recipe. I told my husband last week that I was craving Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. (Doesn’t everyone have these random cravings for nostalgic, refined “crap” foods once in a while?) It’d been forever since I’d had anything close to macaroni and cheese, much less the “real” thing (Kraft or homemade). Last year around this time, I made a “cheesy” grain-free, vegan cauliflower and butternut dish that was a delicious swap for macaroni and cheese. But never had I attempted something that would really replace macaroni and cheese. I wanted, you know, noodles. With a creamy cheesy-like sauce.

So I went for it. I found some brown rice pasta that I enjoy. I grabbed a whole can of full-fat coconut milk, my good ol’ vegan cheesy standby – nutritional yeast – and a few other ingredients, and got to work. What resulted surprised me. It looked and felt very much like the cheese sauce you might find in a boxed macaroni and cheese. It was creamy. Smooth and rich. Orange, even. Only it tasted better. The flavors were more complex, but still cheesy, and still kid-friendly. My oldest son Matt, who really enjoys the simpler flavors of childhood days, commented that this was some good macaroni. (I hadn’t told him that it wasn’t “real” cheese until afterwards.) The kid in me could imagine some sliced up hot dogs thrown in. (My favorite meal when I was about five – no joke!)

Of course, if you want to elevate this to grown-up status, you could certainly put it in a baking dish, top it with some non-dairy shredded cheese, sprinkle some gluten-free breadcrumbs over, and bake for 20-30 minutes. It’d be amazing that way as well.

So embrace your childhood. Make some mac ‘n’ cheese today!

Macaroni and “Cheese” (gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, nut-free)

1/4 c vegan butter or butter-flavored palm shortening

1/3 c chopped onion

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c potato starch

1 T lemon juice

1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk

1/4 c nutritional yeast

2-3 T Dijon mustard

2 T tomato paste

1 t turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

12 oz gluten-free pasta (I used Tinkyada), cooked according to directions on package

Smoked paprika, for sprinkling

Heat the vegan butter or shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the potato starch and whisk in until thick. Add the lemon juice, coconut milk, and remaining ingredients and whisk in completely, and stir occasionally until the sauce bubbles. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in cooked gluten-free pasta, and serve with smoked paprika sprinkled over.

Serves 4-6.

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posted on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Kid-Friendly,Pasta,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Side Dishes,Vegan 11 Comments

Earlier this month, we did some renovations to our kitchen. For about a week, I was kitchenless. As in, I couldn’t cook. There were even two days where we could barely get water from the fridge. (Seriously. We had to tear away some plastic sheeting to get to the water and ice, and if I wanted into our pantry, I had to suck it in and squeeze between the fridge and the wall in what amounted to less than 10 inches of space.)  When we finally scheduled for the work to start, we only had about a day’s notice before I had to clean out the cabinets. I went into a state of half-panic. I would starve! I thought. After all, I pretty much prepare all of my meals myself. I didn’t have time to make much of anything in advance. How would I survive? Well, needless to say, I managed. I’m grateful for some trustworthy gluten-free restaurants and my arsenal of snacks that I stashed in my desk drawer at work. And now we are back in the new kitchen. Let me tell you, it’s awesome. I am so excited.

In fact, I’m so excited that I definitely need to take some photos for you and share. I have a few, and I’ve shared a bit on Instagram, but I really need to get some decent (read: non-iphone) photos for you! Stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, my garden didn’t stop growing just because we weren’t cooking. In fact, the lettuces, radishes, Swiss chard, collard greens, arugula and even some mizuna were all in need of harvesting. But I left them there, as I didn’t really have a way to wash or prepare them. Once we were back in business, I pulled radishes (some of which had grown to the size of golf balls!), cut what was left of the good lettuce (much of it has bolted), attempted to take control of the cucumber beetles, and harvested some of the Swiss chard for this easy little side dish.

Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens. It’s so pretty – especially the rainbow chard, with the colorful red, pink, yellow and white stems. It’s also milder in flavor than some other greens, and it cooks quickly – nearly as quickly as spinach. And the stems are tender, which is a bonus. I love munching on them raw. They have a texture somewhat similar to celery; crunchy and crisp.

This dish highlights that freshness that chard offers by throwing in a hit of citrus. It’s bright and light. I served it alongside some roasted chicken, but I imagine it would go extremely well with grilled pork, shrimp or any poultry. The pepitas (a.k.a. pumpkin seeds) add a nice crunch and nuttiness.

This recipe should serve 3-4; unless you’re me and love greens. In that case, I’d say it’s enough for 2.

Swiss Chard with Orange and Pepitas (gluten-free, vegan, paleo, sugar-free)

1 T coconut oil

1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange

Salt and pepper to taste

About 3 T raw pepitas, toasted in a dry skillet

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the stems of the Swiss chard and sauté for a minute. Add the garlic and orange zest and sauté for another minute. Then add the leaves of the chard and stir, and add the orange juice. Cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Allow to wilt for about a minute, then remove the lid and stir again. Allow the juice to reduce a little, season with salt and pepper to taste, and then remove the pan from the heat.

Serve with toasted pepitas sprinkled over.

Serves 3-4.

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posted on Thursday, May 16th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Vegan,Vegetables,Vegetarian 3 Comments

Okay, well, as you can tell by the photo, this sweet potato is stuffed with more than just that simple radish top pesto I made the other day. (See, I told you it was good for lots of things!) There’s all sorts of delicious, nutritious goodness stuffed in there – specifically black beans, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell peppers. It’s a filling, healthy, meatless mish-mash of flavor. Perfect for a quick little meal, or a side dish – whichever you prefer.

Never stuffed a sweet potato before? Well, don’t you fret – it’s not hard. In fact, this version of a stuffed sweet potato is just one of many (and exists merely as a result of my desire to utilize the available produce hanging out in my fridge). Hallie over at Daily Bites made a Broccoli and Walnut Stuffed Sweet Potato a while back, Gena from Choosing Raw has a super-healthy Kale and Quinoa version, and Kate from Eat, Recycle, Repeat shared a Bacon, Mushroom and Onion version as well as a sweet Chestnut, Apple and Coconut version over at Paleo Parents. Clearly, we love our sweet potatoes out there in the blogosphere!

Personally, I am partial to my version topped with my radish top pesto. That fresh, creamy pesto added a lovely flavor and texture that married all of the other ingredients together wonderfully. Back in the day, I would have reached for cheese as an easy way to achieve that result – now, it’s liberating to find new ways to combine flavors and textures and still satisfy the way cheese used to. I would be lying if I said there weren’t days when I miss cheese, but with flavors like this, those days are few and far between.

Next time you’re looking for an easy meal idea, try stuffing a sweet potato! This version, with smoky beans, sweet bell pepper, and the rich umami of the mushrooms, topped with pesto, is definitely a win in my book.

Radish Top Pesto Stuffed Sweet Potato (with Black Beans, Red Pepper, and Shiitakes) (gluten-free, vegan, grain-free)

2 large sweet potatoes, baked until tender (bake in 375 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes)

1 T olive oil

8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can black beans (I like Eden Organic), drained

1 t ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Radish Top Pesto

Bake sweet potatoes. While they are baking, add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and bell pepper. Saute until the mushrooms soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute or until garlic is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat black beans over medium-low heat, adding ground cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until warmed through.

Once sweet potatoes are baked through, cut a slit in each sweet potato. Open enough to expose a good amount of the flesh inside. Season with a bit of salt, and then top with mushroom-red pepper mixture and black beans. Finally, top with a healthy dollop of radish top pesto.

Serves 2.

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posted on Monday, April 29th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Beans,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Main Dishes,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Side Dishes,Vegan,Vegetables,Vegetarian 2 Comments

Radish tops – have you ever eaten them?

Up until recently, it never occurred to me that you could. After all, when you visit the grocery and buy a typical bunch of radishes, the green tops are usually wilted and past their prime, and really, they don’t look the least bit appetizing. I just assumed they were something you threw away.

Once I started purchasing radishes from the farmer’s market, however, one of the farmers mentioned to me that the tops were delicious as well. Eat the tops?, I thought. What a novel concept. I sautéed them once or twice after then, but never really thought them anything special. I’d eat them, sure, but if I was to choose between them and another leafy green, chances are I’d choose arugula, kale, or chard over radish tops. But this weekend, I was faced with a huge bunch of radish tops after harvesting radishes from our garden. (A side note: If you are new to gardening, I suggest planting radishes. They’re easy, and they go from seed to harvest in what seems like record time. These took a little over a month.) They were better-looking radish tops than even most I’ve seen, even at the farmer’s markets. I’m not trying to brag on my gardening skills, which are far from spectacular; it’s just that they were perfectly green, healthy-looking, with no blemishes to speak of. I felt I really needed to highlight them, not just throw them in a skillet and sauté. So, I put a shout-out on Instagram and Twitter. After I received the suggestion from Ali at Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen to throw it in smoothies, I made plans to add a good amount into my green juices. But I still had plenty left.

And then, like magic, it came to me. Why not make pesto? I’ve seen basil pesto (and have even made some), arugula pesto, and even kale pesto. Radish tops could be made into pesto too! The next thing I knew, the food processor was out and in a matter of minutes, this pesto was born.

This little condiment is a bit milder than a basil or arugula pesto – there isn’t that overly herbal or peppery bite to it. Instead, it adds a lovely freshness to anything it graces. It would be delicious in a sandwich, in a chicken salad, on top of eggs, in potato salad, on a burger, or as a dip for raw veggies. I could keep going. Basically, I think pesto could be added to everything. Because, well, why not?

If you happen upon some lovely radish tops this spring, don’t just toss them – give this pesto a try!

Radish Top Pesto with Walnuts and Hemp (gluten-free, vegan, grain-free)

4 cups radish tops/greens, packed

1/4 c walnuts, toasted in a skillet

1/4 c hemp seeds/hemp hearts

1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes

1 T green garlic (young garlic – 1-2 cloves of regular garlic can be substituted), roughly chopped

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

Place radish tops, walnuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until the leaves are broken down. With the processor going, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to blend until everything is pretty smooth and no large chunks remain. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Makes about 2/3 cup. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week.

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posted on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Appetizers,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegan 5 Comments

Update: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: Amy Z! Amy, you will be receiving an email from me – please respond with your mailing address so I can get your prize out to you ASAP. Thanks everyone for participating!

Are you familiar with KIND Snacks? Personally, I’ve often relied upon them as a quick or emergency snack, perfect for stashing in my purse or my desk. If I’m out somewhere and don’t know where my next meal will come from, these can be a lifesaver. Living with food allergies, intolerances, or celiac disease means that planning ahead is key, and these KIND bars definitely help. A lot.

So when KIND contacted me to review and give away some of their snacks, I was all for it. I mean, why not share in the snack love, right? Sounds awesome to me.

What’s even more awesome is that KIND recently expanded their variety. They also have some tasty multi-grain granola, and have some new KIND bars in delicious flavors like Madagascar Vanilla Almond or Cashew & Ginger Spice. Most importantly, in my opinion, is that they still have my favorite – the Almond & Coconut. (I seriously have a coconut addiction, as evidenced by these cookies, and these too…just saying.) I’m also a fan of the fact that they’re non-GMO, and while not every single one of their bars is dairy-free, almost all of them are, giving me quite the variety to choose from.

Want to win a box of KIND bars, so you can join in the delicious snacking fun?

To enter, do the following:

- Check out the KIND Snacks website and leave me a comment HERE telling me the snack you’d most like to try.

- Follow me on Facebook and leave me a comment HERE telling me you did/already do.

- Follow KIND on Facebook and leave me a comment HERE telling me you did/already do.

That’s it! Best of luck!!

Contest is open to continental US and Canadian residents only. Sorry to my friends overseas! Contest will be open until Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at 11:59pm CDT. Winners will be chosen at random, notified via email, and their names will be shared on this post.

What are your favorite on-the-go snacks? Share at Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community!

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posted on Monday, April 22nd, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Kid-Friendly,Quick and Easy 71 Comments

It all started with a big ol’ bag of coconut flakes (chips). They’d been hanging out in my pantry far too long. Finally, after looking at them quite a few times, I decided that it was high time I put them to use. But what to do?

I’ve used these big flakes before in granola, and loved how in the oven, they got all toasty, a little crispy, and deliciously chewy. The wheels started a-turnin’, and I thought about how toasty, crispy and chewy would all be wonderful qualities in a macaroon. So I set to making some.

Which, as it turned out initially, wasn’t as simple as just swapping out the finely shredded stuff for these big flakes. Without other modifications, the stuff just didn’t hold together. Which seems fairly obvious now, but at the time, I was at a bit of a crossroads. How could I maintain that chewy, delicious texture that I loved and keep everything together?

Obviously, as you can see, I managed. I couldn’t let you down, dear friends. Deep down, I knew you needed some coconut-y goodness, and I’m all for trying to deliver! These macaroons definitely deliver. I brought them to my coworkers, which, as I’ve probably mentioned before, are all regular gluten and dairy-eaters, and they were definitely well-received. In fact, we regularly receive these (supposedly amazing) freshly-baked mail-delivery cookies for Board meetings and the like, and they were in the office kitchen as well, serving as steep competition. One of my coworkers said she bypassed those mail-delivery cookies in favor of my macaroons, and proclaimed them superior. Made my day.

I hope these macaroons make your day too!

Coconut-Date Macaroons (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free)

2 egg whites

2/3 c powdered turbinado sugar (I process turbinado sugar in my coffee grinder to “powder” it. I bet using coconut sugar works well here too, though I haven’t tried it.)

1/2 t almond extract

1/4 t sea salt

3 c unsweetened coconut flakes/chips

1/3 c chopped Medjool dates

1/4 c potato starch

1/4 c superfine brown rice flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in the powdered sugar, almond extract, and salt. Stir in the coconut, dates, potato starch, and rice flour until everything is evenly distributed and mixed well. Scoop into 2-inch mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Slightly press the cookies down with the back of a spoon or your palm, if desired, for more chewy texture. (They’ll be a bit softer if you leave them in a more rounded shape.)

Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking time. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

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posted on Thursday, April 18th, 2013 by altawrites Posted in Baked goods,Dairy-Free,Kid-Friendly,Quick and Easy 2 Comments