I’m obsessed with winter squash, especially when it’s roasted. Acorn squash is one of my favorite vegetables in the entire world. My younger son likes it just as much as I do. In fact, he and I ate so much squash when he was a baby that he had a nice orange glow to him from an (over) abundance of beta carotene.

Now he’s bigger and he still likes squash. Sometimes I make it just for the two of us. My husband and older son are not quite the squash fans that my younger son and I are.

For me winter squash is just one more amazing vegetable in the cornucopia of naturally (healthy) gluten free foods. So when people tell you it’s a challenge to be gluten free, remind them of squash and maybe tell them that life just isn’t that hard (at least when it comes to gluten free). Now go get yourself some squash and bake it up!

I serve my squash with ground cinnamon and a touch of additional coconut oil. It tastes like an ambrosial dessert, even though squash is a healthy (and lower calorie) food.

Here are some recipes that use roasted squash; please note, I use squash and pumpkin quite interchangeably in my recipes:

• Squash Pie
• Paleo Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Cranberry Upside Down Cake

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For those avoiding starchy high carb foods such as white rice, cauliflower rice is a wonderful alternative that is highly nutritious.

When I posted my recipe for Cauliflower Rice a year ago, I received numerous requests for various flavored varieties of that dish. So when I opened one of my new favorite books, Paleo Comfort Foods and saw that they had a recipe for Dirty Rice, I knew I’d have to make my own version.

Do you like your rice dirty? According to Wikipedia, “Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark (“dirty”) color and a mild but distinctive flavor.” I turned my Dirty Rice into a vegetarian Paleo side dish, by leaving out the giblets, which while quite nutritious are not my favorite thing. My rice gets its dirty color from an abundance of antioxidant rich spices.

Even my children like Cajun dirty rice. In fact, we had this for dinner last Friday with the boys and 4 of their friends. I served my Dirty Rice with the Turkey Loaf recipe from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, and when all was said and done, not a drop of either remained.

What are the health benefits of cauliflower? First, cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. That is a good thing because cruciferous veggies help with the detoxification of the body. Cauliflower is also full of antioxdiants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Finally, cauliflower is full of vitamin C, vitmain K, Omega 3′s and good fiber. Over here? We just can’t get enough cauliflower.

Here are my other rice recipes that use cauliflower as their base:

• Cauliflower Rice
• Mashed Cauliflower
• Mexican Chicken and Rice
• No Potato Salad

What type/flavor of cauliflower rice recipe would you like to see here next?

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Latkes are everyone’s favorite Jewish fried food.  The typical latke is made with potato, flour and eggs.  I however, like to make a more Paleo friendly latke and now with this new recipe, I have 2 versions of Paleo pancakes.

Generally at Hanukkah, I make a Butternut Squash Latke, though this year I was searching for a bit of variety and so came up with this Carrot Scallion Latke.  Why carrots?  Well, first of all, my younger son asked me to make a carrot latke.  Second, given my Paleo preferences, I eat carrots and not potatoes.  Third, carrots make a healthier latke than potatoes –why?  Carrots are rich in carotenoids which promote good vision, regulate blood sugar and may also promote colon health and prevent cancer –who knew?!  Potatoes on the other hand are tough for me to digest, high in starch and can wreak havoc on blood sugar.

So, here, I present you with what I hope is healthier fried fare (if such a thing is possible) with these healthy and delicious Carrot Scallion Latkes.  Although Hanukkah is a celebration that entails a good deal of fried food, if you saute these in a bit of olive oil rather than deep frying them in inches of the stuff, they’re a nice alternative to regular greasy Hanukkah food and a much healthier latke.

At Hanukkah, we also make doughnuts, or donuts (in Hebrew we refer to them as sufganiyot) and other fried goodies. While I haven’t come up with my own sufganiyot recipe, Tovah from Gluten-Free Bay has a great recipe for gluten-free sufganiyot (jelly donuts), and Silvana also has several lovely looking gluten free doughnut recipes in her book Cooking for Isaiah.

Carrot Scallion LatkesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
3 cups shredded carrots
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 eggs, whisked
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon coconut flour
olive oil for frying

1. In a large bowl combine carrots, scallions and eggs
2. Stir salt and coconut flour into carrot mixture
3. In a large skillet heat oil
4. Scoop large tablespoonfuls of batter onto skillet
5. Fry patties on each side over medium heat until browned and crispy
6. Transfer latkes to a paper towel lined plate
7. Repeat process until all of the batter is used up
8. Serve with applesauce and sour cream (or yogurt)

If carrots aren’t your thing take a look at my Butternut Squash Latkes. I hope you enjoy these healthy latkes as much as we do!

Here are some other latke type recipes you might enjoy:
-Zucchini Fritters from Kim of Cook It Allergy Free
-Potato and Apple Latkes from Gwyneth of GOOP
-Sweet Potato Latkes from Emily of The Reluctant Vegetarian

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I’ve been making this mashed cauliflower recipe for several years now.  So I must be on the same page as my readers –when I posted my  Cauliflower Rice recipe I received suggestions from Jose and several others to make mashed cauliflower.

This cauliflower dish (which I make in place of mashed potatoes) is perfect for a gluten free, Paleo Thanksgiving.  I like to have something mashed and gooshy at Thanksgiving not only as a vehicle for gravy, but also to mop up all of the delicious goodness floating around my plate.

What suggestions do you have for a Paleo version of mashed potatoes?

Chris of Celiac Handbook has a fabulous Gluten-Free Blog Showcase that you might just want to check out.  I really enjoyed reading his little blurbs about each of my favorite gluten free bloggers, and also greatly appreciated his blurb about Elana’s Pantry.  Thanks Chris!

Here are some other gluten free vegetable dishes you may like:

-Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini from Stephanie of Wasabimon
-Roasted Artichokes from Kate of Gluten Free Gobsmacked
-Caramelized Brussels Sprouts from Gwyneth of goop.com

And last of all, don’t forget about the big Vitamix Giveaway this month!

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My boys love these carrot fries hot out of the oven.  I like baking them as it eliminates the messy splattering that results from the typical preparation of French fries –frying.

Speaking of messes, I feel like I’m cleaning up a lot of them these days.  Writing a book this summer really threw me for a loop.  First, I wasn’t entirely planning on it.  Second, I spent just about every waking (and too many that should have been sleeping) moment(s) on the book.  Now I’m feeling worn out and tired, and oh so cranky.  I’m realizing that pushing myself this hard is not good and that getting back into balance will take more than one restful weekend –it might take a couple of months, or even longer.

What do you do to take care of yourself when you are feeling off kilter?  Let’s have a chat (in the comments section) and toss around our ideas.  Right now, I’m focusing on eating a lot of protein, getting to sleep early and taking long slow walks.  Do any of you have other strategies to share?  Go ahead, let’s hear ‘em!

Baked Carrot Oven French FriesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
6 large carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Cut each carrot into 2-inch long sections
2. Cut each section into thin sticks
3. In a large bowl toss carrot sticks with olive oil and salt
4. Spread out carrot sticks on a parchment paper baking sheet
5. Bake at 425° for 18-22 minutes until carrots are browned

Here are some more Veggie French Fries recipes you may like:

-Sweet Potato Fries from Jenny at Creative Cooking Gluten Free
-Mixed Root Veggie Fries from Heather at YumUniverse
-Roasted Parsnips from Elise at Simply Recipes

And, in terms of the book that I just wrote, Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour, today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day! My book will not be published until April 2011, for now, to celebrate this day, you can make my the gluten free Chocolate Cupcake recipe that I have here on my website.

Here are some other Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcake recipes you may also like:

-Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Icing from Karina at Gluten-Free Goddess
-Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes from Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
-Chocolate Cupcakes from Shauna at Gluten-Free Girl

The post Carrot French Fries appeared first on Elana's Pantry.

I mentioned in my Stuffed Peppers post the other day that I would give you all the recipe for my Cauliflower “Rice.”   Around here, we call it Cauli Rice, and I’m super happy that my husband and children like to eat it as much as I do.  Cauli Rice is a tasty, nutritious, grain-free, alternative to white rice for those of us that follow a Primal or Paleo eating plan.  Works for the Atkins people too.

I’ve been making Cauliflower Rice for a while now.  I found out about it on a Yahoo Low Carb Group and posted my own recipe for Mexican Chicken and “Rice” back then.  My friend Kalyn over at Kalyn’s Kitchen has a fabulous looking recipe for “Cauliflower Rice” with Fried Onions and Sumac.  I actually like her post better than mine because she has tons of photos and how to tips along with her recipe, so head on over and check it out!

Cauliflower RiceNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Saute onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft
3. Add celery to skillet and saute for 5 minutes
4. Meanwhile, place cauliflower in a food processor with the “S” blade and process until the texture of rice
5. Add cauliflower to skillet, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until soft, then add salt

It’s hard to believe that The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook has been out for more than a year now! I’ve been reading through a lot of the reviews on Amazon and wanted to give thanks and highlight this review from Madeleine of Paris, France:

For people with celiac disease, baking is not always easy, results often not too pleasing and very often not too healthy either. This book addresses these 3 problems in a magnificent way. The recipes are super easy, the results absolutely delicious and the nutritional value outstanding. I reach for Elana’s recipes again and again. Friends and family prefer ‘her food’ over regular stuff. If you have never cooked before and don’t know where to begin, this book is a great place to start. For more experienced cooks, the book has a lot to offer as well: a lot of recipes for pie crusts, pizzas, breads etc etc that spark your own imagination and creativity. Do your family, your palate and your health a favour and buy this lovely book!

Wow. Thank you Madeleine for your complimentary words and favorable review!  I greatly appreciate it.

So… Are you ready for another freebie this week!? Well, I’m giving away a signed copy of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook!  Leave a comment below to be entered.  For those that already own it, another copy of The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook could make a great holiday present for friends and family.

Update: this giveaway has ended and the winner was ildiko v!

The post Cauliflower Rice appeared first on Elana's Pantry.

Carrot Kugel –who would have thought of that? Well, the fabulous Lisa Stafford, that’s who. Lisa recently posted her recipe for Carrot Souffle in the forums and here’s what she had to say about it:

“I made this dish Tuesday night and had some with our meat and salad. I warmed some up in the toaster oven for lunch on Wednesday. Before I put it away, I tried it cold. Oh my goodness! I like it cold much better. It reminds me of the sweet potato pie I used to eat when I lived in Georgia, and of the Pumpkin Pie my mother made when I was growing up…”

Thanks Lisa! I have adapted your Carrot Souffle to be this Passover’s Carrot Kugel.

Carrot KugelNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
5-6 cups chopped carrots (approximately 2lbs)
¼ cup agave nectar or honey
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange rind
3 eggs
¼ cup blanched almond flour

1. Cook carrots in a steamer until soft, about 20 minutes
2. Blend carrots, agave, cinnamon, orange rind, eggs and almond flour until smooth in vitamix
3. Place mixture in a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish
4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, until browned around the edges and done in the center
5. Serve warm out of the oven, or allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight and serve cold

I want to give a major shout out to Lisa. She is an active member of the forums and one of those people who just makes your day better for no reason whatsoever. Thanks again Lisa, you are amazing and I am so glad to have “met” you here!

In Passover news (rapidly approaching), I have a couple of Passover roundups from 2008 and 2009 for you all to check out; these posts feature full menus including Matzo Ball Soup, entrees, desserts and more –all Kosher for Pesach.

Stephanie Stiavetti from the gluten-free food blog Wasabimon recently featured me in her Food Blogger Spotlight series. Thanks Stephanie! She has many interesting interviews with other food bloggers as well so you may wish to head on over and take a look!

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The other day, I noticed that I had 2 butternut squash sitting in my kitchen, waiting to be cooked.  The first I turned into butternut squash soup.

I wanted to be a bit more creative with the second one, so I figured I’d make fries out of them.  The boys must have eaten an entire 3 pound squash worth of oven fries.  They chowed on them all afternoon and then asked for more.  I ate quite a few myself, to me they were as sweet as candy.

Squash FriesNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 medium or large butternut squash
grapeseed oil and olive oil , to coat
about 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Peel the squash and remove the seeds
2. Cut squash into long thin slices (about ¼ inch thick by 2 inches long)
3. Place squash in a large bowl and generously coat with equal parts grapeseed and olive oils
4. Sprinkle with salt and toss
5. Lay squash fries onto 2 or 3 large baking sheets
6. Broil one tray at a time in oven until crispy
7. Serve

Hope you enjoy this tasty winter treat as much as we did!

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Some days I need a little inspiration. I knew that I would be baking squash for our Shabbat dinner tonight. And I knew it would have some delicious dried cranberries in it. I just wasn’t entirely sure what form it would all take.

I looked around on the internet for a bit and saw this scrumptious looking recipe for a Southern style baked acorn squash and was on my way!

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Apple StuffingNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 acorn squash
boiling water
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or coconut oil

1. Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds
2. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish place squash cut-side down
3. Pour ¼-inch boiling water into baking dish (or use ¼ inch room temperature apple juice for extra sweetness)
4. Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 350°
5. In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, cinnamon and oil to make stuffing
6. Remove squash from the oven after 30 minutes
7. Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture
8. Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender

Serves 4

On a separate note, I just want to thank everyone for their extensive and heart felt comments to my last post. It is nice to see how many people out there cherish food and hold it in such high regard.

In her review of my simple bread recipe, Alchemille points out something that I agree with and that unfortunately may only become increasingly true during these tough economic times: food is a luxury.

With nearly 1 billion people going hungry on our planet every day, only some of us are lucky enough to have food to eat. Still a smaller portion of that population gets actual real, nourishing food –as opposed to fake food chemicals and the “foodstuff” created by corporate America.

Those who are discerning and make the choice to eat high quality food are the truly fortunate. Still, there are challenges to be faced in making these choices, whether on an economic or social level. Hopefully as agriculture becomes more localized, food quality will improve and high quality food will become more accessible to all.

Again, many thanks to everyone for their astute comments and especially to Alchemille for engendering a timely and most important conversation.

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Hanukkah is a day away and that means only one thing: fried food! Lots of it. Yum. I love a good crispy latke, or just about anything fried for that matter.

Below is my favorite recipe for latkes. I have been making these gluten-free latkes for 5 plus years and my family still rejoices each Hanukkah when I serve them.

This gluten-free latke recipe is one of my all time favorite dishes. Sweet in flavor and fried to a crisp –what could be better?

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