A giant stinging nettles bush climbs up the side of the little red barn in my backyard.  Although we've been in this house for 9 years, it's taken me half that time to pay any mind to it.

The bush literally caught up with the boys first; they complained that it "bit" them whenever a 3-way collision of plant, child and a baseball occurred.  Back in those days, with 2 little ones, and always in a rush to clean something, cook something, or get somewhere, I would file this semi-monthly complaint along with all the others.  Finally, I figured out what this mysterious plant was, and that while I needed to keep the boys away from it, it might be advantageous to get myself closer.

Moving to the present, I have entered into a culinary relationship with the nettles plant in my backyard.  A wild edible, in my opinion, nettles is both superfood and superherb.  Nettle leaf is thought to be anti-inflammatory, helpful with seasonal allergies and calming to the nervous system.  Nettle root is regarded in herbalist circles as a natural aromatase inhibitor, meaning that it has been shown to prevent the "good" hormones from turning into "bad" hormones, that is, the type of bad hormones that cause cancer and other dis-ease.

This raw Nettles Pesto does taste very healthy, however, I couldn't stop eating it and neither could my tasters. This naturally gluten free pesto has a slightly astringent taste, the strong flavor of basil and a nice lemony tang to it. If you decide to find yourself a nettles plant and make it, I hope you'll stop back by to let me know your impression.

According to Wikipedia:

"Stinging nettle has a flavor similar to spinach when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. In its peak season, stinging nettle contains up to 25% protein, dry weight, which is high for a leafy green vegetable. The young leaves are edible. Nettles can be used in a variety of recipes, such as pesto. Nettle soup is a common use of the plant, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe.

Be advised, if you pick stinging nettles, you may want to wear gloves.  When lightly touched, the leaves cause a mild rash.  When I picked the nettles for this pesto yesterday, I again used my bare hands.  My 12 year old wore gardening gloves and was even stung once through them.  It is thought that deliberately stinging oneself with the nettles plant is a quick, easy, and free way to relieve symptomatic arthritic pain.

Last year, I did a little experiment and let the nettles sting me to see if it would heal any of my remaining symptoms from this diagnosis.  Unfortunately, I can only report that the results of this investigation were inconclusive.

These super duper healthy, yet easy to make Fudge Babies have recently been the source of much contention.  You see, it all started when I did the giveaway for a Cuisinart Food Processor a couple of weeks ago.  In that post, I asked readers to let me know of their favorite recipes using a Cuisinart.  There were 2,204 comments on that post.  Guess what? I read each and every one of them.  No joke.

The comments were fascinating.  First, I love hearing from you.  Second, I learned so many things.  One of those things was Fudge Babies.  At least 5 readers mentioned Fudge Babies as their fave recipe.  I then did my own version of Fudge Babies and called them Chocolate Power Bar Balls, of course mentioning that the idea was derived from your comments.

Subsequently, I received several emails and tweets. In my original post I linked back to a site that had not credited the creator of the original Fudge Baby recipe, a woman named Katie.  Thanks for the corrections, everyone, and for introducing me to her website Chocolate Covered Katie.

In any event, all this talk of Fudge Babies prompted me to make my own.  And I knew they were a success because when my husband walked in the door he ate one.  Then another.  And another.  And so on.  You get the idea.  I had to cut him off from the Fudge Babies.  I had to take a picture for you all.

The recipe below is basically Katie's recipe for Fudge Babies, with a couple of slight adaptations on my part.

I hope you all love these Fudge Babies as much as my husband and I do!

For other yummy, raw, vegan recipes go to these bloggers:
-Raw Nut Butter Bars from Nancy of The Sensitive Pantry
-Raw Pecan Pie from Shirley of Gluten Free Easily
-Fudgy Chocolate Tarts from Carrie of Deliciously Organic

I'm a bit of a cracker-a-holic.  I think the quest for crunchy food intensifies when one goes gluten free. So, I've made a habit of baking crackers at least once a week, if not more.  However, many cracker thieves dwell in my abode.  As quickly as I make crackers they disappear.  Therefore, some weeks, the cracker quest continues day in and day out.

Crackers made with almond flour (or in this case almond milk pulp, more on that in a minute) are highly nutritious and slightly addictive.  They're perfect with any number of spreads including Homemade Goat Cheese, Fig Tapenade, Sesame Dip or Savory Avocado Spread.

These particular Almond Pulp Crackers are a bit of a recycled treat.  I know that sounds odd, maybe even unappetizing, though let me explain.

After I make Almond Milk I use the leftover pulp of the almonds to create these delicious, high fiber crackers.  Seasoned with fresh thyme, they're vegan, gluten free and super healthy.  If you make them in your dehydrator (I don't have one) they're even raw.  I bake mine in the oven on low to preserve as many of the live enzymes in them as possible, though because my oven doesn't go lower than 135° technically they are not raw.  Still, they're good.

Of course, I have other gluten free cracker recipes that don't require almond pulp, including: Sesame Crackers, Walnut Crackers, Vegan Herb Crackers, Multi "Grain" Crackers, Rosemary Fig Crackers, Chardonnay Crackers.

The winner of last weeks giveaway for a copy of The Simple Food {for winter} ebook from Shannon of Nourishing Day's is Lori Misener. Congratulations Lori!

Here are some more gluten free recipes that use leftover pulp:
-Gena's Juice Pulp Crackers from Choosing Raw
-Carrot Pulp Bread from Milk for the Morning Cake
-Raw Cheesecake from Gluten Free Krums

The idea for this green smoothie comes from the amazing Sarma of oneluckyduck.com.  I recently purchased her book Living Raw Food and am loving it.  While some of the recipes can be complex, she has many that can be made in minutes. 

This Ginger Cilantro Shake is a hybrid of her Cilantro-Pineapple Shake and her Bangkok Baby.  Here is my version, a nice healthy green drink for Saint Patrick's day.

I recently read a great article in Fast Company about the Ten Most Inspiring People in Sustainable Food.  Of course, the usual suspects such as the fabulous Michael Pollan were in it; however, they also mentioned some very unusual and fascinating people and ideas in this article including a proposed plan for vertical farming in cities created by a professor at Columbia University named Dickson Despommier. 

Here's a big shout out to Professor Despommier --wish you had been at Columbia when I was a student there many moons ago!

After looking further into vertical farms I found another inspiring bit --a site called windowfarms.org in New York City.  This is an amazing idea!

Happy green day to all of you for Saint Patrick's!

This beet hummus recipe comes from Elise over at simplyrecipes.com.  She is one of my favorite bloggers and I was lucky enough to hear her speak at the last Blogher Food conference.  I myself, would not have ever thought of combining beets into a hummus type dip, so, leave it to Elise.  She is the inspiration for me on many fronts.

When it comes to beets though, I find that there is a bit of a love-hate relationship with them --as in, people either love them, or hate them.  I am a beet lover.  I think they are beautiful, I worship their color and truly enjoy their sweet, earthy taste.  My husband on the other hand, holds great disdain for this little root vegetable.  I think this comment from Jerry on my previous beet post, pretty well sums up my husband's perspective:

"From a man's point of view - beets taste like dirt and there's no disguising this fact!"

Thank you Jerry, my husband could not have said it better himself :-)

So, all you beet haters, turn away from this beet recipe and head on over to my delicious gluten free beet cake --I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with it.  My husband certainly was.

Beet Hummus from simplyrecipes.com (slightly adapted)Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
4 medium sized beets, scrubbed, cooked and cubed (learn how to roast beets)
¼ cup raw tahini paste
¼ cup lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth
2. Serve with crackers (Elise suggests topping with goat cheese)

The amazing Jen Cafferty of gfreelife.com is once again throwing The Gluten Free Cooking Expo in Chicago (at The Wyndham Hotel).  I spoke with her the other day and she told me that registration is filling up fast.  If you are interested in attending this conference on April 17th & 18th, head on over to gfreelife.com to sign up.

When I was in New York a couple of weeks ago, I found a raw, vegan, gluten free granola made of mulberries and walnuts.  It was absolutely delicious, though just a bit sweet for my palate.

I saved the package (it was made by International Harvest and they have other flavors as well), and this weekend found a dash of spare time to recreate their product without using the agave they add to sweeten it.  I think it's quite sweet enough with dried fruit in it.  The trick to making this granola is adding a ton of cinnamon (even more than the 1 teaspoon I have in the recipe below), which accentuates the sweetness of the dried fruits.

In addition to this mulberry walnut granola, you might also want to try my recipe for Gluten Free and Grain Free "Raw" Granola using almonds, macadamia nuts, raisins and pumpkin seeds.

I just spend the past 3 days at wonderful local conferences --Boco in Boulder and the Gluten Free Culinary Summit in Denver and had a blast.

Next up on my calendar are a couple of local cooking classes her in Boulder.  The first is at the Culinary School of the Rockies on October 15th and the second is at Bauman College on October 28th.

Finally, if you are a Facebook user and want to get regular updates on Elana's Pantry happenings, check out my new page.

Even though summer is coming to a close, I'm still into my green juices and smoothies; more than ever, in fact.  This is one of my favorites and I owe credit to Meghan Telpner as it is based on one of the recipes from the Green Cleanse on her site.

I'm running out to the airport with one of these in hand to refresh and revive me on the dash to Denver.  Soon I'll be in NYC doing signings and I hope to see some of you there, while I'm in my green smoothie withdrawal.

Gluten Free Green Piña ColadaNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
¼ cup water
½ cup parsley
½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon coconut oil
5 drops stevia
4 ice cubes

1. Place cucumber and water in a Vitamix and process on high until liquid
2. Add parsley, pineapple, coconut oil, stevia and ice and blend until smooth
3. Serve

This refreshing green smoothie is a great post workout drink.  It is hydrating, full of good greenness and a nice little dose of fat. I like to think of it as a green Piña Colada, or a "Greeña Colada."  I feel so healthy drinking it!

Speaking of getting healthy, the winner of last weeks Friday Freebie for the GAPS Guide is Jeannette!

Last night I made this delicious vegan "ricotta" dip for my parents who are in town visiting us.  The boys and I are having a blast with them, though I am having an especially great time, since I have extra mouths to feed, which means more guinea pigs to test my creations!

Luckily, the parents (and husband) approved of, and devoured, this tangy vegan cheese dip, based on a recipe from the phenomenal book Entertaining in the Raw by Matthew Kenney.

Creamy Ricotta DipNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
1 cup pine nuts, soaked overnight
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 scallion (green and white parts, remove and discard tip), minced
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Rinse pine nuts in cold water; then discard both soaking and rinsing water
2. Place pine nuts in a food processor, along with lemon juice and water
3. Process for 1-2 minutes, scraping down side of processor frequently, until smooth
4. Process in scallions, thyme and salt, until texture of ricotta
5. Remove from food processor to a serving dish
6. Serve with your favorite dipping veggies

I had a bit of a challenge getting this mixture to process; if that happens to you, just add a bit more liquid (lemon juice or water) very sparingly until mixture blends more easily and keep scraping down the mixture into the center of the food processor.

In addition to an abundance of cooking and baking, a lot is going on over here and I'm trying to keep up!  Below is a list of interviews and appearances that I have coming up in the next few weeks to promote the release of my book, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

• Interview with Martha Stewart Living Radio's Whole Living program, August 26th
• Book signing at the Culinary Institute of America's 4th Annual Gluten-Free Summit, Hyde Park, New York, September 12th
• Speaker at the 2009 BlogHer Food Agenda Conference in San Francisco, September 26th

If you're in the area of any of these events and would like to say "hello," tune in or drop by!

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."

The other night I went to a fabulous event in Boulder hosted by Bauman College. During this evening one of the graduates from Bauman's chef program did a great cooking demo for a raw kale salad with shiitake mushrooms (it had a number of other ingredients as well).

The next day, I was determined to make my a version of my own. Before that evening, I had not thought of eating raw mushrooms, however, after tasting the Bauman salad, I was sold. So, I picked kale from our garden in the blistering heat --it's growing so wildly I am having a challenging time keeping up with it-- and began to concoct the dish above.

Raw Shiitake Kale SaladNote: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
4-6 cups kale, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar
dash toasted sesame oil
dash celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. In a large bowl, combine kale and olive oil
2. Massage the kale for a couple of minutes until it looks slightly wilted
3. Add mushrooms, vinegar and sesame oil
4. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds
5. Serve

Serves 4

The evening with Bauman was filled with good food and information and I was very impressed with both the College and Dr. Bauman. He discussed food politics in America and so much more. His philosophy that "one size does not fit all" when it comes to eating is something with which I heartily agree.

Bauman College has an army of nutritionists, teachers and advisers and teaches classes in California (3 schools there), Boulder and also remotely. They also provide consultations with nutritionists and nutrition educators to people all over the world.

Recently, I've had quite a few people asking me for personalized dietary advice and consultations. This isn't something I would feel comfortable doing over the internet. I can however, recommend the services of the people over at Bauman College. They are a highly qualified and sensitive group of people and I hope to be teaching community classes there in the near future.