Cinnamon Roll Bread

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

its our little secret

Does anyone else out there have a food detective living or visiting them? By food detective I mean a small child or an adult who runs at the first mention of vegetables. If you do then this is a great recipe for you. It will shock your gluten eating friends. It has zucchini and quinoa to pack a nutritional punch while still satisfying that sweet tooth. This one is kid approved as delicious. It is a great way to use all the zucchini that you have growing in your garden. Taste great and makes a great breakfast food too. I have been having this with my tea or coffee every morning and it leaves me satisfied for hours.

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice flour
1/3 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup garbanzo fava flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 farm fresh happy eggs (or egg replacer)
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 4 oz cup of unsweetened organic apple sauce
1 ½ cups palm sugar
½ cup agave
2 cups pureed zucchini

Directions
Grease and flour one 9 ½ by 5 ½ bread pan or two regular sized bread pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut zucchini into one inch pieces if you have you can remove the green skin if you have a food detective in the house that will be examining the bread later. Steam about 4 medium zucchini for about 6 minutes. Place zucchini in the blender and add one tablespoon of water and blend until you have zucchini puree. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Add the zucchini mixture and beat eggs, oil, vanilla, applesauce, agave, and palm sugar together in the bowl. At this point mix well with electric mixer until all ingredients are combined. Pour the mixture into the greased bread pan. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes until a knife comes out clean from the center.

Icing

Ingredients

1 ½ cups powder sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla almond milk

Directions

Pour powdered sugar into bowl add melted butter and vanilla almond milk add more sugar if too runny or more milk if too dry. Drizzle over warm bread fresh out of the oven.

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Sweet Potato Quinoa Gnocchi with Fresh Green Beans in Butter Sage Sauce

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Allison Dorsey


This recipe is delicious the butter sage sauce is great and the sweet potato gnocchi was a fun gluten free alternative to regular pasta. It was love at first bite with this recipe. I used to be able to find sweet potato gnocchi at whole foods that was gluten free however that is not the case so I whipped up my own.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes ( I used 4 small ones that came in my CSA box)
1 clove garlic minced
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup butter or ghee
1tsp sage dried

Directions:
The first step is to cook the sweet potato by baking them in a 350 degree oven for around 30 minutes or until they are soft to the touch. It is important to let the potatoes cool before you try to work with them they will be very hot when first out of the oven. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled off a bit remove the skins and place the rest in a large bowl. Before you get the potato mixture going it’s a good idea to start a large pot of boiling water the larger the better because you will be able to cook more at the same time. I also started my smaller pot of water to steam the green beens. Before I steamed them I remove the ends and wash them. Now back to the potatoes start by adding in the eggs and spices and mix that mixture up now gradually add in the flour until you get a soft dough consistency. Next I lightly floured the cutting surface and hand rolled out long coils of dough and used a knife to cut them into pieces of about one inch. You can use a fork to decorate them if you would like. Once the water is boiling drop the pieces of dough into the boiling water and allow them to cook until they float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and the gnocchi is finished. The final touch for the recipe is to heat some butter in a small pan until its melted and add the dried sage and drizzle this over the gnocchi and green beans. You will end up with a colorful delicious dish.

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Carrot Cake

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Allison Dorsey


I love to bake and I love my friends so this one is for you Melissa. You wanted a carrot cake for your Birthday and here it is. This one is gluten free and it has quinoa flour in it as you already guessed by now. This one is not vegan but you could simply use an egg substitute and use vegan cream cheese for the frosting. While this recipe may be a little bit richer than my traditional recipes. I believe it is good to mix it up a bit and indulge sometimes thats a great part of life so have you cake and eat it too.

Carrot Cake

1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup palm sugar
3 farm fresh eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 cup pineapple
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup shredded coconut optional
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup almond milk

frosting

8 oz organic cream cheese
1/2 cup organic butter
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees grease a 9 inch round cake pan. In a large bowl combine the different flours, baking soda, baking powder, palm sugar, flax seeds, and spices. Make a hole in the center of the dry mixture pour the liquid ingredients and add the carrots and pineapple. Use your electric mixer to mix the cake batter if it is looking too dry simply add a teaspoon of almond milk until it is thoroughly combine no dry spots. Use a spatula and place the cake batter into the cake pan. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. When fully cooked a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the middle.

While the cake is baking or after it has cooled mix together the butter and cream cheese and slowly add in the sugar with a hand held mixer until you get a firm but still spreadable consistency for the icing. Make sure to let your cake cool completely on a baking rack before icing your cake. Don’t forget to enjoy your cake thats the best part.

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Spring is in full bloom with this Asparagus Beet and Quinoa Salad

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

Asparagus Beet and Quinoa Salad

Spring has sprung and one of the first signs is asparagus. The weather out here is getting better by the day and I am excited that I got my first bunch of asparagus in my CSA box. This recopies is inspired by my CSA box and its quick and easy.

4 to 5 small beets
1 bunch asparagus
1-cup quinoa prepared
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 and place beets in foil with a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 25 to 45 minutes it depends on the beats they should be easy to pierce with a fork when they are done. In the meantime prepare the quinoa and set aside. Also boil water and steam the asparagus until tender. Once the beets are roasted remove the skin and chop into bite sized pieces. Cut the asparagus into bite sided pieces and toss with the quinoa. Mix the oil and vinegar and mix the dressing with the salad. Refrigerate for at least an hour I thought this salad was best the second day. Enjoy.

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Veggie Bella Pasta

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

Ode to Veggie Bella

Oh how I miss Azar’s Restaurant in Norfolk and Virginia Beach Virginia so I decided that I would make my own version of my favorite dish there. If you ever get the chance they have amazing food and lots of vegan options however I decided to make this one gluten free. I used quinoa pasta for the noodles. My favorite kind is the rice and quinoa blend however the corn and quinoa taste great too. This dish is full of veggies and has a Mediterranean twist with an ample serving of tahinni.

1 package quinoa pasta
1 bunch swiss chard
2 large portabella mushrooms
1 zucchini
2 carrots
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
3 tbsp tahinni
3 tbsp of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:
Prep your veggies by washing. Start water for the pasta bring to a boil then put pasta in for 8 to 10 minutes. Use a peeler to peel carrots and zucchini into long strips. Slice mushrooms into long strips. Cut swiss chard into bite sized pieces. Mince the garlic. Place olive oil or ghee into a large skillet and sauté veggies with the garlic with the mushrooms until the veggies and mushrooms are tinder then place on top of the pasta and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette and tahinni.

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Quinoa Polenta Lasagna Comfort for Tax Day

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

Today is April 18, 2011. Tax day has just passed and who knew quinoa and taxes would have anything in common? Last week I came back to my desk to see a very funny article, What color is your tax return? With a smiley face circled around the part about quinoa from my co-worker. I thought that with taxes being due recently you all might need a laugh and something comforting to eat! Here is a great recipe for quinoa polenta lasagna.

Quinoa Polenta Lasagna

Vegan and oh so good

  • 1 package quinoa polenta
  • 1 bunch swiss chard
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1 package baby spinach
  • 1/2 an onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 package of mushrooms
  • 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
  • 1 bag of daiya cheese

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Wash veggies and chop into bite sized pieces.
  • Cut the polenta roll into about 20 to 24 pieces.
  • Chop the onion and sauté with the garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 4 minutes then add the veggies and sauté for about 3 minutes or until all of the greens are tinder.
  • Begin layering your baking dish with polenta slices cover with a layer of veggies then cover the veggies with more polenta slices top with the jar of marinara sauce and cover with daiya cheese.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 

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Quinoa and Veggie Chili

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

I have been looking at my budget more lately and one of the best ways to save money it to eat more vegetarian meals. I decided to make a big pot of chili, which will last for several meals. It’s made with items that I have around the house and chances are you do too. I wanted a hearty chili that would fill me up. This recipe with the addition of the quinoa gives me a complete one-pot one-bowl meal. It’s a great dish to serve if you are having people over because it feeds many for so little. This chili would be great over potatoes or with cornbread or by itself. I always use organic if its in season and available.

On a side note I seldom use canned food because of the BPA that is used on most cans.

Quinoa and Veggie Chili

1/2 onion
2 zucchini
1 green pepper
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 can kidney beans
1 cup quinoa prepared
1tsp cumin
1tsp garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can tomatoes

Directions:
Chop all veggies into bite sized pieces sauté the onions an zucchini in the pan before adding the two cups of water and the prewashed quinoa. Add the spices and tomatoes to the quinoa along with the beans. Cook until the quinoa is tender and the veggies are done.

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Trumpet Mushrooms and Cabbage

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Allison Dorsey

I got my local CSA box and got to cooking. So what is a CSA anyway? A CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program its basically a local farm that you the consumer buys a share of and then gets a box of the produce when its ready. I have been getting a CSA box now for about a year and a half. It has helped me to try many new foods many of which I now love. It also helps me to eat locally produced organic produce. I enjoy knowing that I am supporting a local farm. I also get to vary my diet because each season there is a large variety of foods and its always changing.

This recipe is a useful one when you get the cabbage that is a sure sign of winter. The trumpet mushroom are very dense and meaty. I also used a soy free coconut amino sauce. This was a quick easy dinner to come home to that was energizing and delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 oinion
2 carrots
1/2 a green cabbage
half a pound of trupet mushrooms
3 tbsps coconut secret non-soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinioa

Directions:

Dice the onions, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms. Start by sautéing onions an carrots and then add the mushrooms and cabbage once the onion are tender and clear. After the cabbage starts to wilt add the coconut sauce. Also cook the quinioa with the basic directions in how to cook section.

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Quinoa Pizza Dough

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Allison Dorsey


Quinoa flour can be found at your local health food store or co op. I found mine in the bulk section at my local co op. I love co ops because they offer great prices on local goods. Bulk food is great if you have the option to purchase that way. Keep in mind that bulk food can contain trace amounts of gluten. I recently bought some quinoa flour and the first thing that I made was some pizza.

I love pizza its one of the things that I craved most when I first gave up gluten in order to regain my health, I decided to make a yeast free gluten free vegan pizza to bring to a pot luck earlier this month and here is the recipe. I have tried multiple gluten free pizza dough mixes and most require eggs so they are not suitable for vegans. I also wanted to make a yeast free pizza so this recipe would be great if you are avoiding yeast in your diet. The pizza dough was easy to make and taste good. It was quick cooking and easy to make.

Quinoa Pizza Dough
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup of rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup almond milk or more to make the dough moist
1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce-
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 zucchini

Toppings
veggies of your choice and dayia cheese

Directions combine all of the dough ingredients and mix until you have a dough roll it out on a cookie sheet or put it in a pizza pan and top with toppings of your choice and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. To make the sauce I simply put the tomatoes and zucchini in the blender and made it into a sauce for the pizza.

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Zesty Quinoa with Spinach

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Allison Dorsey


What can I eat?

So with the new year I have been cleaning up my diet a bit by eliminating sugar and doing a short cleanse. My cleanse lasted about 5 days and I have to say I’m glad its over. I love food and variety however it did make me get creative. And luckily for me one of the few carbs allowed was quinoa. However I had to get creative with this recipe because I was limited with what other items I could use. This was a quick way to flavor some quinoa when I didn’t have much to choose from. I got busy with the spices I could use. This dish is great if you are on a cleanse or diet because the flavor is all from spices. Also spices such area great for you this dish is mild enough for those who are picky eaters but still provides health benefits of the spices. Next time I make this dish I would like to add sauteed onions, carrots, and zucchini. You could leave out the veggies all together if you want and just make the dish as a flavored quinoa side dish. Overall I would eat this again when I’m not on a special diet.
Zesty Quinoa with Spinach
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cups fresh baby spinach
any other veggies you want to add

Directions: Rinse the quinoa and add it to two cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the spices and reduce heat to a simmer place a lid on the pan and wait for 15 minutes or until fluffy. In the meantime sauté the spinach in olive oil and garlic until wilted. Remove from the heat and add it to the cooked quinoa.

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