A piping hot bowl of this gluten free Broccoli Soup is the perfect dish for today.  Why?  We’re expecting a nice balmy high here in Boulder of 15 degrees, while we’re buried in snow from yesterday’s storm.

I was fortunate enough to spend yesterday, my Sunday, at a yoga class, and then hiking the gorgeous Mount Sanitas in the snow.  As you can see, thus far, the new year is treating me well.

If you’re looking for a healthy soothing recipe to help kick off your new year, this is it.  Simple (this gluten free soup is made of a mere 5 ingredients), warming, and easy to digest, it’s the perfectly healthy treat for cold winter days and nights.  Serve it with a salad and you have a quick and easy dinner that the whole family can enjoy.

Broccoli SoupNote: 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 broccoli (a couple of heads), coarsely chopped
2 quarts water
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Heat oil in a large pot and saute onion over medium to low heat until soft, about 15 minutes
2. Add broccoli and saute for 5-10 minutes
3. Add water and cook until broccoli is soft about 15 minutes
4. Puree hot soup in tiny batches in a vitamix until smooth and creamy
5. Reheat soup and serve

When looking for something warm and healthy to eat, I also like to make this Butternut Squash Soup and some of these other soups as well.

Here are some delicious looking soups from groovy bloggers:
-Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon Zest Soup (SCD) from Milk for the Morning Cake
-Broccoli and Arugula Soup from GOOP
-Mixed Mushroom and Veggie Soup from Gluten Free for Good

The winner of last weeks giveaway for an All-Clad 4-Quart Saute Pan is Caitlyn! Here’s what Caitlyn said her favorite vegetable stir fry combo is:

“Juicy shitake mushrooms sauteed and simmered in sesame oil with garlic, and caramelized onions. Then add roasted red peppers, green peas, and green onion. Add a touch of agave syrup salt and pepper to taste. And serve over a steamy bed of fresh brown rice. Enjoy and Bon appétit.”

Congratulations and enjoy!

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It’s a gray day here in Boulder and I decided some soup would be in order.  Chicken Noodle Soup to be exact.  So what’s a gluten free grain free girl to do for noodles?  Zucchini.  Yes, DIY zucchini noodles.

This recipe is super easy if you have chicken stock on hand.  I keep several jars in the freezer and try to have one in the fridge ready to go as well.  Just dice up some carrots, celery and other veggies of your choice and throw in those yummy zucchini noodles and you’ve got some good old fashioned, yet healthy modern chicken soup.

I’ve been sipping this soup all day long to stay warm and am looking forward to serving it to the boys when they return home from school this afternoon.

Bon Appétit is having a “virtual bake-off” in which they’re collecting holiday dessert recipes from food bloggers.  I’ve entered my Tart and Tangy Cranberry Bars into the officially titled Bon Appétit Magazine Blog Envy Bake-Off.

Voting began yesterday, November 1st, 2009, and ends December 13th, 2009. If you like my Cranberry Bars, head on over and give them a vote by clicking on the picture of them on the Bon Appetite website.  The Cranberry Bars are in a category called COOKIES, BARS and BROWNIES.

I spent a lot of time this past weekend making recipes from my gluten free cookbook and had great fun with it.  We turned the holiday cookie recipe into Halloween themed treats using our spooky cookie cutters instead of the Christmas ones.  It’s odd to me that a year after I wrote it, my children and I are still enjoying the recipes from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

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When the cold weather comes I’m in the mood for soup.  This gluten free Green Soup with Ginger that I found on Heidi’s website 101cookbooks.com is quite comforting on a chilly day.  And I must confess, I often eat it for breakfast to start my day out right.

I’ve probably mangled the work of art that Heidi had on her site, however, I was in the mood for something very soothing so I decided to puree this soup.  I also used collards (my friend Patrick had just brought some over from Rachel’s farm) instead of the green chard that Heidi had used and made a few other changes as well.

All in all I was more than happy with how the soup turned out.  The combination of lemon, ginger and greens can’t be beat taste or nutrition-wise.

Green Soup with GingerNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 large leeks, white and green parts, sliced
1 bunch collards
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced (plus more to taste)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large pot and cook onion over low heat with salt until soft and golden, about 20 minutes
2. Add leeks to pot and cook for 10 minutes until soft, then add collards and ginger, sauteing for 5 more minutes
3. Add chicken stock, then cook for 10 minutes
4. Remove soup from heat and puree in vitamix) in batches until creamy and smooth
5. Pour back into pot, heat and add lemon juice
6. Serve

Serves 6

Come on over to my facebook page and see my sister’s (Dina Amsterdam) campaign for the yoga clothing company, Blue Canoe.  She is a yoga teacher in San Francisco and leads retreats all over the country and teaches internationally.  The campaign is lovely.

You may notice that I am now displaying my twitter feed on the sidebar of this website.  I’m on twitter every day, usually a couple of times a day.  For more twitter action join me over here.

And finally, at this point, more than 2 months after its release, my gluten free cookbook has received a nice amount of reviews on amazon.com, to take a look at them (they run the gamut) check out The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

Enjoy the soup and stay warm!

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You will find this cool and creamy cucumber avocado soup refreshing on a hot summer day.  I’ve been drinking it all weekend and experimenting with it along the way.

I tried making it with raw garlic, which did not go down as smoothly as I thought it would, so I eliminated that ingredient.  However I did leave in the raw onion as it added a very sharp yet sweet flavor.

According to my first friend in the entire world, Amy Merideth (we go back to age 2) this recipe is an optimal way to use up leftover cucumbers, which apparently her mom, Beth, has a lot of.  It’s also a nice way to rehydrate yourself after a long day in the hot summer’s sun.

Cucumber Avocado GazpachoNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 small avocado
1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded, plus additional cuke for garnish
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 cup water
smoked paprika, to garnish

1. Throw avocado, cucumber, onion, oil, lemon juice, vinegar and water in vitamix
2. Puree on high speed until smooth
3. Blend in salt and chili powder
4. Serve, garnishing with extra cucumber cubes and smoked paprika if desired

Serves 2

Now and then I like to highlight reader’s comments that are especially captivating.  Here’s a favorite, that I just received a few days ago, from Kristin; she describes a conversation with her 5 year old daughter and it’s a real gem.

“Hey Mom, did you bake without me?”
“Sorry hon, I wanted to try a new Elana recipe.”
“Well, what’s in ‘em?”
“Almond meal, flax meal, eggs, dates, raisins.”
“Hmm. That’s all? No agave?”  “Nope.”
“Well, the dates and the raisins give them a really nice sweetness.  Mild, but good.  I love them, even if you did make them without me.”

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