Tasty...

How good does this look?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html#Pecan_Pie_Truffles

I want to try replacing the graham crackers with a gluten-free biscuit and seeing what happens.

Santa Fe-Style Quinoa Salad

I really like quinoa, and it's so versatile! I made this salad for a potluck and even the non-vegan people liked it! For more of a quick, feel free to add some chopped up peppers, but it has a little bit of a kick from the hot picante sauce. This salad keeps for several days in the fridge, and leftovers are great by themselves or added to a salad with some hummos and balsamic vinegar.

Santa Fe-Style Quinoa Salad. Reinterpreted from The Gluten Free Vegetarian Kitchen

1.5 C water

1/2 C hot picante sauce

1 C quinoa

1/2 tsp cumin

a pinch of salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

15 oz black beans (rinsed)

15 oz corn (sautéed in olive oil)

1.5 C halved cherry or grape tomatoes

4-5 scallions (thinly sliced, both green and white parts)

1 Tb olive oil

1. Combine the water, picante sauce, quinoa, cumin, salt & pepper. Allow to boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cover, letting simmer until the water is fully absorbed and the quinoa cooked. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Uncover, and toss with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

3. While still warm, stir in remaining ingredients.

Chicago Diner

Went for brunch with some friends today, and it was so good! We sat in the new outdoor patio (heated!) and listened to the rain pound above our heads. Crystal was our waitress, and she was as nice and helpful as always (I love that she writes little notes on the receipts). At the end of our brunch, she even came over to let us know the bakery had just sent down some fresh-baked GF vegan maple cupcakes (apparently they're getting more into making GF items?). I had the quesadilla for lunch (they are using tapioca cheeze now) and some coffee with almond milk. (Side note, all their coffee syrups are GF and the peppermint hot chocolate is great). Jenni had the Big Bang breakfast with burnt eggs (as she requested them), Lizzie a "Radical Reuben" with flash greens and Becca a burger, also with flash greens. Delicious and so much fun! We must have spent almost 2 hours there, at least 1:45 of that time was spent in hysterics.... Lizzie doesn't handle sugar too well : )

Challah

So a few days ago my roommate and I decided to make challah. It turned out great and was a lot of fun. It also got me thinking about whether or not it would be possible to make a decent GF vegan challah. I found a recipe online, modified it, and gave it a try:

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

1 3/4 cups tapioca flour

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons sugar

3 teaspoons xantham gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup lukewarm water

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (if you are not using quick-rise yeast, make sure to let your yeast mixture sit for about f minutes until foamy)

4 tablespoons melted earth balance

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

6 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 8 tablespoons of water

1. In a large bowl or mixer, combine the flours, xantham gum, and salt.

2. Dissolve the 2 tsp. sugar in 2/3 cup lukewarm water. Mix in the yeast. In a separate bowl, combine the butter with the additional 3/4 cup water, vinegar, and honey (if you first grease the 1/3 cup measure with some melted earth balance, the honey will come out easier).

3. Blend the dry ingredients. Slowly add the butter/water/honey/vinegar mixture. Blend in the combined egg replacer and water, in four parts. The dough should feel slightly warm. Pour the yeast mixture into the ingredients and beat for 2 minutes.

4. Place the bowl in a warm spot (I like to put it on top of the pre-heating oven) covered with greased plastic wrap and a towel (or a lid) and let rise for about 1 hour.

5. Uncover the dough and beat it for 1 minute. Spoon it into a greased, floured loaf pan (I like using Pam then using rice flour). It should only be filled 2/3 full. Put the remaining dough in greased and floured muffin tins. Let the dough rise for another 45-60 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 380 F and bake the loaf for about 50 minutes. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes.

The 'normal' (not GF or vegan challah)

The significantly less attractive GF vegan challah

It tastes pretty similar to how I remember challah tasting, and even smells like it. The problem I have with it though is the same problem I have with a lot of GF breads: it's dense and spongy, not at all the way challah should be. Next time I make it, I think I'll try lowering the amount of tapioca flour and xantham gum... although it'll be pretty hard to make a light and airy GF challah : )

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