Berry and Pine Nut Salad with Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette

                                     Berry Pine Nut Salad with Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette 

4 cups mixed baby greens

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 cup blackberries

3 strawberries, sliced

handful of golden raisins

1 oz white cheddar cheese, diced

handful of pine nuts

Toss salad ingredients together in a large bowl and top with the amount of vinaigrette to your liking!

Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette (from Vegetarian.About)

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil 

juice of 1 orange

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients except oil in small bowl. While whisking quickly, add oil and combine well. Store unused dressing in a mason jar for a few days! 

Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins

                                                          Chocolate Banana Muffins

Try them. You'll love them. Moist, chocolatey, not too sweet and healthy.

Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend)
6 tbs cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter muffin tins or use liners.

Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside (first 6 ingredients).

In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix together the brown sugar and oil until creamy. Beat in eggs, yogurt, vanilla and mashed bananas until fully incorporated.

Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix at low speed until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Using a spoon or ice-cream scoop, fill muffin cups to the top. Bake for ~30 minutes or until muffin springs back lightly when touched.

Allow to cool and eat! Eat within a couple days or freeze! Recipe makes about 16 muffins.

This recipe is inspired by the NY Times, A Hodgepodge of Muffins, All Gluten-Free.

Lemon Pine Nut Sugar Cookies (gluten free)

Sometimes you need the easiest way to make a fail proof sugar cookie. I recently tried Pamela's Sugar Cookie Mix. Dont get me wrong, I love truly homemade cookies, but sometimes an easy roll and cut cookie is all you have time for.  These cookies are delicious and so simple to make! I added a bit of lemon zest and topped them with pine nuts. The pine nuts give the cookies an additional delicate flavor and extra texture while the subtle lemon makes the cookie not too sweet and sugary! I definitly will be making these again...and even though its been over  three years since I've had a "real" gluten filled sugar cookie, I'm pretty sure these taste like the real deal.

                                              Gluten Free Lemon Pine Nut Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 bag Pamela's Sugar Cookie Mix
8 TBSP butter
1 egg, large
2 tsp lemon zest
pine nuts for topping

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Soften butter in stand mixer, then add dry mix, egg and lemon zest, mixing until dough comes together. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment. Cut out cookies using cookie cutters.
Lightly press pine nuts into top of cookies before baking. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8 to 12 minutes until edges just start to brown. Let cool completely and enjoy!

 

Arugula and Grilled Veggie Pizza

Arugula and Grilled Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

10" pre-made gluten-free pizza crust (I used the Gluten Free Bistro) 
Fresh Arugula and/or spinach  
Mushrooms, sliced 
Yellow peppers, sliced
Fresh tomato, sliced
Whole milk mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
Sundried tomatoes
Kalamata olives
2 Garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss mushrooms and peppers in olive oil, season with garlic, salt and pepper. Sautée or grill for about 5 min over medium heat. Remove and set aside. 

Top pizza crust with a thin layer of olive oil, salt and pepper and mozzeralla cheese. Next,  layer on remaining toppings- arugula, both tomatoes, grilled veggies, olives etc. place directly on grill (set at low-medium) for about 12 minutes or until pizza crust is crispy and cheese is melting and bubbly.
(or bake in  400 degree oven for 12ish minutes, directly on rack) 

I don't have any measurements of ingredients for pizza because I just chop veggies to my liking. Feel free to add more or less of anything! Grilled pizza is the best!