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You'll never eat mayo from the jar again!
Avo Mayo
1 ripe avocado
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black peper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons light olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in the bowl of your food processor and blend until pureed. You will need to scrape down the sides several times to insure all avocado is pureed. 

When the mixture is smooth, drizzle the oil slowly into the processor while blending. Be patient - if you add the oil all at once or too fast, you will not achieve the rich creamy mayo-like texture that you're looking for.

Use immediately, or store in fridge for 3-5 days tightly covered. It may keep longer, but it never stays around my fridge long enough to find out. 
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Perfect for a sandwich!
Also try my Avo Mayo in these Deviled Eggs!


Coming soon!

The announcement for my February webinar and topic is coming this week! I don't want to give it away, but if you are gluten free AND dairy free, or if you're gluten free and considering going dairy free, this webinar is for you! You won't believe what I did in the name of science and the results will SHOCK you!  Be sure to sign up for my FREE E-LETTER by CLICKING HERE to be among the first to receive these exciting details!!


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Serve up a healthy brunch for mom to show her how much you cherish her health!
I was going to post a few clever quotes for you for Mother's Day. Didn't really find any I like that much. Some were much too sappy (I don't find anything about being a mother sappy). Some were downright pathetic (I'm no martyr!). And some elevated us, as mothers, to near godliness (really? I'm just doing what needs to be done here).

The truth is, I had four mothers. Not one of them was sappy, a martyr, nor would any of them stand on a pedestal seeking praise. Instead of quotes for inspiration, I'll tell you about my four mothers. Oh, and there's a menu with recipes, too!
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For each wrap, you will need:
1 ripe banana
1/2 Tablespoon raw cacao powder
1/2 Tablespoon purified water
1/2 Tablespoon ground chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon raw vanilla extract

1 raw Pure Wraps Coconut Wrap
1 teaspoon raw grated coconut, for garnish
A drizzle of raw Blue Agave nectar, for garnish
Simply place banana, cacao powder, water, chia seeds, and vanilla in your food processor and puree until smooth.

Place wrap on a plate, fill with pudding, and roll up. Drizzle the top with a bit of raw blue agave and sprinkle with coconut. Enjoy!
This recipe is linked to Gluten Free Homemaker~Gluten Free Wednesdays!
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These wraps are incredibly easy to roll up - I seal mine with a bit of water on the seam.
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An elegant raw dessert!
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Raw Nut-Free Fudge
While I'm not a Raw Foodist, I continue to read and research about eating raw to get an idea of what that really means so that I am able to understand and communicate with friends who follow a raw diet. In general, I'm interested in learning more about all types of diets and how people came upon their chosen way of eating and the raw foods diet is no different.

This recipe was developed for a web event. I was eager to participate because I knew it would be an opportunity to learn more about raw foods through my own research and experimentation and from others participating in the raw foods recipe event. 

What I didn't expect to learn was how much I enjoy raw foods and how many raw food dishes I eat. Developing this recipe gave me insight into the Raw Foods Diet, a new appreciation for its health benefits, and introduced me to an entirely new way of thinking about food. I hope you'll be as inspired by my raw foods recipes!

Update: This recipe was one prepared for a Raw Foods Demonstration at the Gluten Intolerance Group Atlanta Gluten Free Vendor Fair in October, 2011.


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Ingredients for Raw Nut-Free Fudge
Raw Nut-Free Fudge
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 organic avocado, peel & pit removed
1/2 cup organic Medjool dates, pits removed
2 teaspoons organic raw vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Place the avocado, dates, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your food processor and blend until completely smooth - this takes quite a few minutes to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency, but hang in there - it's worth it!

Once you've achieved a smooth, creamy mixture, add the cacao powder and process until you have a uniform mixture (this doesn't take quite as long as the initial blending).

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (I used my cupcake frosting tip) and pipe in swirls onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. (My swirls are approximately 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the mixture).

Chill fudge for 45 minutes, or until a firm, fudge-like consistency.

This fudge keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge (if you have leftovers). It also makes an excellent frosting for cake or cupcakes if used prior to chilling!

Enjoy!
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32 Comments
 
Simple Salsa 09/17/2010
 
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Do you have a favorite cookbook? You know, the go-to book that you never tire of reading with the recipes over which you never tire of drooling. I cannot honestly narrow it down to a single book; however, I can tell you that one of my all-time favorites is an attractive little dust-jacketed book published back in 1992 called “Burning Desires”. The author is W. Park Kerr of the El Paso Chile Company, and sadly, I haven’t ever tried any of their products, but I have certainly spent hours over the years reading and contemplating Kerr’s sassy recipes for the grill. And I know that summer is nearing an end and my thoughts should be turning to apples, pumpkins, and spiced cider…and they are, just not completely. I never turn completely away from the grill; I have been warmed many a winter evening by a spicy sauce-slathered bite of grilled meat à la Kerr. And although I read (and re-read) Burning Desires as if it were a sultry novel, it is rare that I actually follow one of Kerr’s recipes. Perhaps I never have all the ingredients for the recipe I would like to make. Or maybe I tweak something to suit my family’s unique taste preferences. Kerr says shrimp, I use chicken. He writes Serrano, I sub jalapeno. Regardless of my refashioning, it always seems to work, and somehow, I think Park Kerr wouldn’t mind. A man who writes with his wit and grills with such passion has to be open-minded, especially when it comes to food. And so, as I perused Burning Desires yet again, I began thinking of what I would put on the table on busy autumn weekends filled with football games, festivals, and hayrides. Something I could make ahead, something everyone would enjoy, something that was free of gluten, dairy, egg, soy, and nuts. Something with nutritive value. Something simple and quick. After reading so many of Kerr’s wonderful salsa and guacamole recipes, I then, very hungrily, closed the book and headed to the kitchen and made a few chip-worthy dips, no one coming from Kerr’s book, but all three inspired completely by Burning Desires. Once again, thank you, Mr. Kerr. 

Here’s the recipe for Simple Salsa, or Winter Salsa, as I call it, due to the canned organic tomatoes that it requires. I tend to be a purist when it comes to food, eating primarily what is in season, but my yearning for salsa does not die out with the summer, so I turn to this recipe when I must. Enjoy!

Simple Salsa
28-ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium tomatillo, quartered
2 cloves of roasted garlic
1 T. diced jalapeno pepper (or to taste)
¼ c. finely minced cilantro
½ t. toasted cumin, ground
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ t. sea salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

Add tomatoes, onion, tomatillo, garlic, and pepper to the bowl of your food processor and pulse 6-8 times until all ingredients are reduced in size and somewhat uniform, but not puréed. Pour into serving bowl; add cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper and stir. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to fully develop before serving with your favorite gluten-free organic chips.
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I certainly have not been doing this food blog gig long enough to repeat recipes, I realize. And typically when I reinvent a recipe I’ve posted, I just keep it to myself, mainly because I know that you, too, are creative and adventurous in your own kitchen, and you are quite capable of tailoring a recipe to your tastes without my interfering. But this time, I really do want to share a “do-over” with you because I didn’t merely change a recipe, I improved upon it by simplifying preparation and improving flavor, and I think you deserve to know. And now I’m hoping that some of you are like me and continue to have one eye on summer and can appreciate a frozen treat, even when there are fresh apples on the counter ready to become a warm bubbly pie. Enjoy!

 Mango Freezer Tart
Gluten-Dairy-Egg-Soy-Free         No Added Sugar            Low Fat

Base:
½ c. oats
¾ c. chopped dates (no added sugar)
¼ c. unsweetened grated coconut
½ t. lime zest
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground ginger
Juice from 1 medium sweet orange

Fruit Filling:
1 medium banana
1 c. frozen mango chunks
1 pure fruit juice frozen lime bar (you can find these in the frozen confection section in many flavors; I think coconut would be super in these, but I had lime on hand, so lime it was! If you do not have these, use ¾ cup of additional frozen mango or other fruit)
¼ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ - ½ c. rice milk (or milk of your choice)
 
Topping:
2 T. seedless raspberry jam, slightly warmed to drizzling consistency

You will need a 9” glass pie plate.

Place all base ingredients in the bowl of your food processor and process until the mixture begins to come together – 10 to 12 pulses. If the mixture seems too crumbly, add a bit more juice, a couple teaspoons at a time. You should end up with a somewhat sticky mixture that stays together when pressed between your fingers. 

Scrape your processor bowl clean and press the mixture evenly into the pie plate. Place this in the freezer while you wash up the processor bowl and blade and prepare the filling.

Add filling ingredients to the processor bowl except for ¼ cup of the milk. Reserve the additional ¼ cup of milk in case you need it to smooth out the mixture in the end. Pulse several times to break down the fruit a bit, and then process just until smooth. If mixture is not smoothing out enough, or if it appears too thick, add a bit more milk to the mix until you get the consistency of a thick milkshake. Remove the base mixture from the freezer and spoon the fruit mixture over it and return to the freezer for a couple of hours, or until firm and sliceable. 

 To serve, remove tart from freezer for a few minutes before slicing into wedges. Warm jam and drizzle over plated slices of the tart; serve immediately.

This keeps well in the freezer for a week covered with plastic wrap.

This recipe is linked to Seasonal Sundays at Real Sustenance.
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These are incredibly easy to make and are an amazing cool fruity treat that is nearly ice cream like without the dairy and without all the added sugar and fat. Dates provide added sweetness and lend a slightly chewy texture to the base. I’m thinking this is a cool make-ahead treat for after that big Labor Day barbeque! I’ll make mine the night before and store them in an airtight freezer container, ready to whip them out when the post-bbq sweet tooth sets in! You can change up the fruit in these and make them your own. I’m thinking mango may be next! Enjoy!
Base:
½ c. chopped dates
¼ c. GF oats
2 T. unsweetened grated coconut
1 t. orange zest
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground ginger
2 to 4 T. freshly squeezed orange juice

Fruit Filling:
2 medium bananas, frozen and cut into 3 chunks each
1 c. frozen whole strawberries
¼ c. rice milk (or milk of your choice)
¼ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
½ t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract

Line the sections of a 12-section muffin tin with paper liners. 
Place all base ingredients except orange juice in the bowl of your food processor. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the juice over other ingredients and process until the mixture begins to come together – 10 to 12 pulses. If the mixture seems too crumbly, add the remaining juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. You should end up with a somewhat sticky mixture that stays together when pressed between your fingers. 


Scrape your processor bowl clean and divide the mixture evenly among the lined sections of your muffin tin. I find this is approximately 1 ½ teaspoons per section. Press mixture evenly around bottom of paper liner to cover. Lightly oiled fingertips make this easier.

 

Add filling ingredients to the processor bowl, pulsing several times to break down the fruit a bit, and then process just until smooth. Spoon the fruit mixture over base in muffin tin, dividing evenly and spreading smooth on top.

 

Cover the muffin pan with clear wrap and freeze until fruit filling is firm. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes prior to serving.
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