Mashed Potatoes with Pears

I have not made mashed potatoes since the girls became casein free, because I couldn't imagine that mashed potatoes free of milk, butter or sour cream would be worth bothering. But then I ran across this recipe in Bon Apetite and thought pears would definitely work. And they do! They lend a very subtle sweetness to the potatoes in such a way that I don't even miss the butter or the milk.3

Sweet Potato Rolls

All I need to say about these rolls is that the girls demanded them for breakfast the morning after I made them. I didn't think they would like these for breakfast, but the last crumb was barely scarfed before the girls asked for more! This recipe is based on the one I found here.2 1/2 cups GF flour blend2 tbsp. ground flax seed 1 3/4 tsp. yeast1 tsp. salt2 tsp. xanthan gum4 tbsp. sugar1 cup

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Lately I've been standing in the aisles of my local Whole Foods wistfully looking at boxes of tabbouleh mix or containers of pre-made tabbouleh, remembering the way it tastes and mourning its loss from my diet. Finally I decided that this sort of silliness needed to stop. So yesterday I made some homemade tabbouleh using quinoa in place of bulgar and it was really, really good. DH and I find

Fresh Pear Tart

I love baking fruit based desserts. I had wanted to make a pear pie for guests but didn't have the energy to be that fussy. I searched for a pear tart recipe instead and found this one - it looked easy and elegant. Happily it turned out not only to be fuss-free, but really good as well- not too sweet and not too heavy. The guests were impressed. I found the original recipe here.1 cup GF

Butternut Squash with Rosemary Breadcrumbs

This is another recipe from Parker Farms (thanks F&J!). I've modified the original recipe to be gluten and casein free - it remains one of my favorite butternut squash recipes. You can use any GFCF bread for the fresh bread cubes...I used two leftover Garlic Herb Sandwich Rolls with great results.1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only2 pounds

Green Beans with Basil Garlic Vinaigrette

DH's aunt gave us this recipe several years ago. She served it slightly chilled for an evening picnic on the lawn (we were treated to a ballet - I have wonderful memories of leisurely picnics before the ballet or the opera, before the kids were born and before life made DH and I start graying so young...but I digress). These green beans are yummy! Cook them until they are just crisp-tender and

Sweet Potato and Leek Pancakes

These are so excellent that Megan likes them cold for breakfast! (Go figure - the girl won't eat Dinner on a Stick but she'll eat cold sweet potato pancakes.) They make a great vegetarian meal served alongside a salad. And I happen to second Megan on her breakfast preference, these potato pancakes are really that good. 1 large yukon gold potato, washed and grated1 large sweet potato, peeled

My Favorite Lentil Soup

I love lentil soups and have many recipes dedicated to lentils. This is my favorite lentil soup recipe. It's pretty simple, but it always hits the spot. This is a thick soup, and one of my favorite ways to eat it is from a small bowl using red pepper strips instead of a spoon.1 large chopped onion1 cup chopped carrots2 large cloves minced garlic6 cups soup stock (chicken, beef or vegetable)2

Chicken Kofta Meatballs

Recently I've subscribed to Living Without magazine. I really like reading it, and it's stuffed with many interesting recipes and tips for those living with food allergies. Tonight I tried their Kofta meatball recipe (with some modification) on the girls - happily, they got Anna's stamp of approval. I stuck the meatballs with toothpicks and called it Dinner on a Stick. Anna was impressed.

Fish Tacos

I'd never had a fish taco before just recently. They are made with catfish or tilapia where we are, and I really like them. Fish tacos are made with flour tortillas in our local restaurants. Although it would probably be easy enough to ask for them with corn tortillas, I wanted to try making them at home. DH and I like ours sprinkled with lime juice and doused with green pepper sauce, but

Making Your Own Tortillas

Recently I have tried making both corn tortillas following the directions on the package of a bag of masa flour, and gluten-free flour tortillas made in part with rice flour. Both are good however the kids, DH and I prefer the tortillas with the rice flour in them. And in fact, the latter are the ones the girls were willing to eat.I have a few tricks up my sleeve in the kitchen. Actually it's

Key Lime Pie

I love a good tart dessert, and I make this key lime pie pretty tart. There's no getting around sweetened condensed coconut milk having a coconut taste, but it makes this pie interesting. My original recipe called for topping the pie with whipped cream, but it's just as nice to garnish with lime, or maybe a dusting of finely ground graham crackers and powdered sugar.3 eggs3/4 cup - 1 cup fresh

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

The original recipe for dairy-free sweetened condensed milk can be found here. 2 14oz. cans coconut milk1/2 cup sugarSimmer the coconut milk in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan. Fold in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce the volume by half (this will take about an hour).