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?

As I type this, my yard is overflowing with dark green leafy vegetables; they are literally taking over our tiny property.  So what's a girl with a garden to do?  Every morning I go outside, bowl and scissors in hand, and harvest greens.

I braise the greens with a bit of garlic and red pepper and eat them with a side of scrambled eggs, starting my day with a glorious Paleo breakfast.  If I'm really hungry, I'll add a side of gluten free bread to this breakfast. Of course we have braised greens for dinner just about every night during this time of year as well.  We have to keep up with the garden!

Generally, I harvest 3-4 ounces of greens per person, so in our house, this would be a recipe for one.

For those of you that want to know how many bunches this recipe calls for, I can't help with that, as my garden does not grow in bunches --I harvest individual leaves directly to a bowl.  If you do figure how many bunches this recipe uses leave a comment and let us know.  In terms of converting ounces to cups, I'd say that 4 ounces of chopped greens equals about 3 or 4 cups well packed cups.

Cooking tips?  Here's what Renee from the website Kitchen Table Scraps, has to say, "cooking green vegetables too long will turn their color dark and murky and their texture to mush."  So all you gardener/chefs out there, be sure not to overcook your greens.

This easy side dish is great with any meal; you can try experimenting and adjusting the flavors to come up with other yummy recipes for greens.  For basic instructions on how to prepare, wash and store you greens see my McKale post.

Here are some other healthy cooked veggie recipes to help you manage your harvest:
-Broccoli Rabe with Garlic
-Garlic Ginger Bok Choy
-Sautéed Kale

Can't get your family to eat their greens?  Try this healthy, gluten free, soy free, Garlic Ginger Bok Choy recipe.  This Asian veggie dish is delicious paired with the Sesame Salmon Burger recipe I posted last week.

This recipe is actually based on a recipe I found in Fine Cooking Magazine called Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic, Ginger, and Scallions by Susie Middleton.  I changed mine up a bit, eliminating the corn starch and chicken stock from it.  I hope you like it as much as my hubby did when I made it for him.

I had a huge book launch party here last weekend with 1,000 cupcakes (no joke). We're still eating cupcakes over here today; you'd think I might be tired of them by now, however, no, it seems that one is not ever tired of cupcakes (or ice cream) for some reason. I haven't had a chance to go through all the photos we took of the party; once I do I'll post some for you all to see.

I'll be doing a book signing on Wednesday, June 1st at the Boulder Bookstore. The event is free of charge (they've begun collecting a fee for book signings, however this event is exempt) and I will be bringing cupcakes for everyone to sample. Hope to see you there.

Here are some more gluten free Asian vegetable recipes you may like:
-Sweet Asian Sunflower Slaw from Alisa of Alisa Cooks
-Soy-Free Chinese Jicama Stir Fry from SeaMaiden of Book of Yum
-Sesame Crusted Tuna with Asian Vegetables from Diane of The WHOLE Gang

In my opinion nature's bounty of beautiful, nutritious vegetables is completely underrated.  And beets are a perfect example of this.  They brighten up any meal with their gorgeous earthy reddish-purple color and are highly nutritious to boot.

We eat beets in my house about once a week (our fave veggies are kale and broccoli, not a day goes by without those brassicas at our table, in fact tonight we're having both, along with this grilled lemon chicken dish).   So, back to beets.  This root vegetable is thought to have nutrients that contain both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  The nutrients in beets are also thought to assist in detoxification.  That's not why we eat beets though, we just like 'em.  They're delicious and super easy to prepare!

Roasted Balsamic BeetsNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
3-4 medium beets
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Wash beets, scrubbing well to remove any dirt
2. Cut beets into 4 to 6 wedges
3. Place beets in a 9x13 inch Pyrex baking dish
4. Drizzle vinegar, oil and salt on top of beets
5. Cook at 375° for one hour (covered), then 15 minutes (uncovered), until almost fork tender
6. Serve

The variety of beets pictured above are not the norm in color when it comes to beets.  Most beets found in the grocery or health food store, are a nice purplish red through and through.  These just happen to be a variety I picked up (and cooked and photographed) last summer from the Boulder farmer's market.

In case you prefer eating your beets in dessert form, here's a link to my Purple Velvet Torte (made of beets and chocolate).  And in case you haven't had your fill of plain old chocolate, check out my Easy Black and White Cake.

In Ayurveda, beets are said to be healing to the Vata and Kapha doshas.  They are tolerated by Pitta best when cooked.

Here are some more gluten free recipes using beets:
-Beet & Spinach Salad from Gluten Free for Good
-Sauteed Beets from Deliciously Organic
-Orange Glazed Beets CrockPot Recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking

I made these super healthy salt and vinegar kale chips the other night before dinner, and was shocked, I mean absolutely shocked, that my children ate them.  Not only did they boys eat these, they loved them.  Trust me, while these kale chips are healthy, this is a sophisticated flavor combination for children.

Also, a word of warning, these gluten free kale chips are very salty.  So, if you don't care for salt as much as we do in this household, take your salt down for this recipe.  You may also want to try experimenting and increasing the apple cider vinegar if the flavor of mouth puckering sour is your thing.

I know these kale chips may sound very healthy and not all that appetizing, however, just so you know, they lasted all of 4 minutes in my house and when I looked at the platter I had served them on, the boys had divided them up into "sides," as in this is MY side, and that is YOUR side.  So all I can really say is, hooray for healthy Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips!

Gluten Free Salt and Vinegar Kale ChipsNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 head dino kale, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. For how to prep your kale see my McKale post
2. Place kale in a large bowl
3. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
4. Massage above ingredients into kale with your hands
5. Spread out kale on 2 parchment lined baking sheets, so that pieces of kale do not touch
6. Bake at 375° for 10-13 minutes until dry and crispy
7. Cool 10 minutes and serve

Here are some more kale chip recipes you might enjoy:
-Kale Chips (with nutritional yeast, tamari and sesame oil) from Cooks4Seasons
-Wasabi Garlic Kale Chips from Affairs of Living
-Kale-Dust from Smitten Kitchen
-Lemon Kale Chips from Elana's Pantry

I love kale.  My boys love kale.  Even my husband goes for it.  Kale is a universally favorite vegetable in our family.  And boy am I lucky since it's a superfood.  Given our collective kale obsession, I am always looking for more ways to cook kale, and this is one of my favorites.

Let's not forget that kale is one of those"naturally gluten free" foods as my friend Shirley would say. So try it, you just might like it.

Sauteéd KaleNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch strips
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat
2. Reduce heat to medium low and add onion
3. Sauté for 15 minutes until carmelized
4. Add kale and sauté for 5 minutes uncovered
5. Cover pot with a lid and sauté for 1-2 minutes until wilted
6. Add salt and serve

Sometimes I like to throw a few thinly sliced carrots into this dish to add a bit of color.  Have you ever sautéd kale before?  What other veggies or seasonings do you enjoy adding to your sautéed kale?  Leave a comment and let us all know.

Here are some more gluten free kale recipes you might enjoy:
-Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Onion (Melting Tuscan Kale) from Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen
-Kale Caesar Slaw from Silvana of Dish Towel Diaries
-Sautéed Kale & Mushrooms from Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl

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

Stuffing. Gluten free stuffing, no less.  While I generally find stuffing to be a time consuming and complex dish to make, I have chosen one that is on the easier side; though be forewarned, I would hardly call this dish easy.

This gluten free stuffing recipe is based on one I found by Sara Foster at Bon Appétit.  It has all the components of a good stuffing recipe: bread (gluten free of course in this case), onions, celery, chicken broth, and eggs.  For me, these ingredients are the foundation for a variety of delicious stuffing options.

Cranberry Apple StuffingNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
½ cup dried cranberries (fruit juice sweetened)
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 medium granny smith apples, cored and chopped into 1 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 loaf Paleo Bread or Gluten Free Bread 2.0, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 eggs
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Soak dried cranberries in chicken broth for 1-2 hours
2. Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet, over medium heat
3. Saute onion until soft, about 15 minutes
4. Add celery and saute for 10 more minutes
5. Add apple and parsley and saute for 3 minutes, until apples just begin to soften
6. Transfer mixture to a very large bowl
7. Bake bread cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 5-10 minutes at 350°
8. Cool bread cubes for 20 minutes after removing from oven
9. Stir bread cubes into vegetable mixture
10. Whisk eggs and salt into cranberry-chicken broth mixture
11. Add egg-cranberry mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine
12. Transfer stuffing to a 9x13 inch Pyrex baking dish
13. Bake stuffing at 350° uncovered until cooked through and browned on top, about 40 minutes
14. Let stand 10-15 minutes
15. Serve

Here are some other gluten-free stuffing recipes you might enjoy:

-Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing from Carrie of Deliciously Organic
-Wild Rice Stuffing from Ali of Nourishing Meals
-Perfect Homemade Stuffing CrockPot Recipe from Stephanie of A Year of Slow Cooking

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The winner of the Vitamix 5200 Blender is Autumn! Congratulations Autumn!

I wanted to thank everyone who commented and shared their favorite Vitamix recipe (or what they would make with a Vitamix). I also wanted mention that Vitamix will be holding a huge factory sale at their facility on November 20th in Olmsted Falls, as well as special deals online.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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!

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