COCO-LIME SQUARES

This is an exotic twist to the classic lemon bars.
The extra tartness and bright zest of the citruses is so uplifting and great mood enhancer for this time of the year!
I've got the recipe from a Martha Steward's magazine, and excitedly substituted the little flour that is used in it with gluten free sorghum flour. It worked like magic!
I'm giving you this interpretation of the original recipe -it is easy, light, tart and great twist for a Valentine treat!

Crust:

. 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter.
. 3/4 cup Sorghum flour
. 3 tablespoons whole brown sugar  
(I am slipping here on the sugar use; for the sugar conscious, use xylitol or other favorite sweetener)  
.1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened organic dry coconut. 
.few pieces of gluten free white chocolate (you can use cacao butter instead, or just skip this ingredient)
.1/4 teaspoon course salt 
.1 tablespoon vanilla extract. 

Filling: 

.3 large organic eggs
.2/3 cup whole organic sugar.
.3 tablespoons Sorghum flour.
.2/3 cup fresh lime juice (regular lime juice or K-lime juice also works great)  
.more coconut flakes and organic powdered sugar for sprinkling. 

Directions: 

Crust:
1.Preheat oven to 375 F
Lightly butter an 8-inch square or round baking pan. 

2.Combine sorghum flour, brown sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a few times.

Add butter and pulse until large pieces are the size of peas.
Add the coconut flakes,white chocolate and vanilla extract, and pulse a few more times. 

Transfer mixture to pan, and pack down firmly with the bottom of a cup or a large spoon, raising the mixture up to the sides of the pan (mixture is sticky, so it works fairly easy). 

Bake until crust is golden brown-about 18-20 minutes(watch not to burn the sides).

3. Filling

In a mean time prepare your filling- whisk together eggs and granulated sugar, then whisk in the sorghum flour. Gently stir in the lime juice, (do not whisk or stir vigorously or batter will become foamy. 

4.Take crust out of the oven and pour filling over hot crust.Reduce oven to 300 F. Bake until filling is set,about 15 minutes- check in the middle with a tooth pick-if the filling is still liquid-y, let sit a bit more in the oven. 
Remove and let cool before cutting. 

Cut in 1-inch squares,dust with powdered sugar and coconut flakes and serve!
Great with an afternoon coffee!


ENJOY!

FLAT BREAD WITH SPINACH AND MUSHROOMS

I was very pleased to find this recipe in a Marta Steward's magazine and adapt it to a gluten-free version.The dough came out so tasty and sweet,we could not have enough of it!I was trilled to be able to have such a rich treat-something between pizza and kish-gluten free and guilt free!

So, here it goes: 

Ingredients:

For the crust:

.1 cup amaranth flour

.1 cup sorghum flour

.3/4 cup Arrowroot flour 

.2 tbsp. coconut flour 

.1/2 tbs. baking soda

.1/2 teaspoon salt

.1 tbsp.maple syrup or a sweetener of choice 

.5 eggs

.1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

.1/4 cup olive oil 

For the filling:

.1 pound portobello mushrooms (you can also use button, mixed or shiitake mushrooms) 

.4 cups baby spinach

.2-3 tablespoons olive oil
.1/2 tbsp. salt 
.a dash of black pepper

For the dressing:

.2 eggs

.1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)

.1 tbsp salt

.6 ounces fetta cheese (or other favorite cheese) 

.3-4 cloves of garlic 

.1/2 tbsp.oregano

.1/2 tbsp.basil (the herbs an be fresh or dry)

Directions: 

Heat oven to 275 F.

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients for the crust. It is done pretty much like my award winning PALEO BREAD, only it has an extra cup of sorghum flour.Mix all wet ingredients and slowly add them to the flour mixture.Stir and kneed till the dough is formed-this mixture does form a firm dough.

Brush a baking pan with olive oil and dust with flour-(mine was 11-by-7-inch pan, but it could be spread thinner, for a crispier crust)
Press the dough to the bottom of the pan,forming it much like a pie crust-leave a rim to the side. 

Step 2: Before you start the baking prepare the filling ingredients.

On a baking sheet toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.Spread in a single layer and roast for about 10 minutes.Take out, push mushrooms to one side and place spinach on empty side; roast until wilted, about 3 minutes.

Step 3:  Now you are ready to bake-you can put the 2 together- baking pan with the crust and the baking sheet with the mushroom in the oven. Put the mushrooms on a higher rack. In 10 minutes add the spinach to the side of the mushrooms. In another 3 minutes take the sheet with mushrooms and spinach out of the oven and mix together. 
Reduce oven to 350 F and leave the crust for another 10 minutes-watch it not to burn-it does bake fast!  

Step 4: While the crust is baking, mix the dressing ingredients in a blender- cheese, eggs, heavy cream, garlic.Add herbs and pulse to combine.

Step 5: Take the crust out of the oven. Spread the mushrooms and spinach mixture over crust, and pour the dressing mixture over top. 

Step 6: Return the bread to oven, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the dressing is set.Remove and let cool. 
Cut as pizza or kish and serve.
  

Enjoy with a glass of red wine! 

NOTES:

Do not let the many steps of the recipe dissuade you! It is really a simple one.Once you get all your products together,it actually takes about 30 minutes to make this hearty treat, which could be an appetizer as well as a full dinner.  

STRAWBERRY CREAM SWEETHEART PIE

         This recipe is irresistible, it takes 10 minutes to prepare, it is not only gluten free, but also diary- free, and it gives you the same sumptuous feeling you get from a cheese cake pie.I found it in the Tropical Traditions  recipe page, but I changed it a bit as I always do -( I have a hard time fallowing recipes, even my own:)

    This pie could be your little Valentine's present,too-the pink, the strawberries, the buttery taste--it'd be perfect!

     Here it goes: 

Products:                          

Pie crust:   

 .1 cup raw or toasted cashews 

-substitutes-pecans, walnuts 

or hazelnuts.If you have 

toasted and salted nuts,just 

soak them for 1/2 hour 

in water(this is just what I did)    

 .1/2 cup dried, unsweetened 

shredded coconut flakes. 

 .1/2 inch butter or a spoonful 

of ghee-optional for the 

buttery lovers (I did use it!)

Filling:

.2 cups+ fresh strawberries

.2 tablespoons Vanilla extract

.1/2 cup xylitol, raw honey or your favorite

 sweetener.

.1 pinch see salt

.1 cup coconut oil, melted in a double boiler. 

Preparation:

Put crust ingredients in a food processor and grind, till smooth and creamy.If you use butter add it last.I used cashews and hazelnuts and it made a gorgeous pie crust mixture with the butter.

Press the crust mixture onto a 9 inch pie plate,building it on the sides.(it will not be baking, so any nice dish would do.

Place the filling ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy,adding the coconut oil last. 

Pour on top of crust, cover with foil wrap, and put in the freezer for up to 3 hours.It will be done as soon as 1 hour.

Can be kept in the refrigerator after that. 

Just heavenly...!

Serving tip:

Take out and cut with a hot knife-you run the knife under hot water and then cut.Serve immediately.Serving it with a hot spatula also worked good to keep in whole and not crumble the crust. 

                                                             

Just pressed into the plate 

NOTES: 

                                                                   

                                     

I am going to try and add some cream cheese to the filling next time, for a cheese cake kind of taste-I believe it would take it well.But for those on dairy free diet,with no butter and no cream cheese it still tastes heavenly!

You can garnish it with coconut flakes,chocolate, fresh strawberries, or other favorites, for even better presentation. 

The filling can be made and used on its own--coco/strawberry cream, or ice cream,if you keep it in the freezer.