Gluten-Free Goddess : Recipes by Karina

Giving our body a break. It's hard not to feel anxious these days. So much barking and finger pointing and chest thumping. So much posing and strutting. Not to mention mean spiritedness, and grinding, voracious greed. It's mighty tough for a sensitive soul (prone to itchy bouts of worry) to cope with all the mishegas and mayhem of our overheated plugged-in 24/7 culture.  Finding a little grace and respite amidst the noise can be hard. That is why I am sharing another favo rite  soup recipe. Just in case there is a kindred spirit out there in need of a bowl of creamy veggie comfort. A gluten-free dairy-free vegan detox soup worthy of Peter Rabbit's  sneaky excursions into Mr. McGregor's garden (that mischievous little rabbit- or as we like to say in my house...  BUNNY!-  close to my own greens adoring heart). Bunnies aren't known for twerking on YouTube, or tweeting out criticism with all caps, or bullying, or, in general, wreaking any ki...

A bowl of comfort with a kick. Created during one gnarly week in the Northeast, on the cusp of a March snowstorm. A soup recipe too good to ignore. Too tasty to keep to myself. So here it is- from The Gluten-Free Goddess Recipe Archives... The word wicked does not even begin to cover it. Epic... might be a start. Massive... might be an understatement. The snow, you see, is record breaking. One might even say, crazzzzzy. It's enough to make a big dog weep. In (previously) typical fashion, one might be tempted to throw up one's hands in defeat and shout, Let the carb cravings begin! But I might actually be in the mood to defy such cravings, yipping and gnawing inside my belly like so many tiny, quivering chihuahuas. Tugging my attention to mocha frosted vanilla cupcakes . I might actually choose, instead, to grab a big pot. And start a batch of hearty, soul mending soup. And living- as we did for three decades- on Cape Cod, you might guess I rustled up some classi...

Go Raw for a Super Creamy Cashew Dip. In these last lingering days of warm sun and green leaves, I find myself craving something light and fresh, savory and creamy... Perhaps this tasty, velvety  roasted red pepper hummus , perfect for 'Party On' mode. Hmmm. My mind is swirling with possibilities... spinning a tempting, hummus shuffle play. Today's winner?  This raw cashew dip (inspired by my  raw cashew cream recipe ). Your body- and taste buds- will thank you. Karina xo

We still have some nippy days ahead I'm told. And here in the Northeast... snow is coming. That means only one thing. Time to make a simmering pot of homemade soup. And this one is vibrant, unexpected, deeee-licious. You won't find this in a can, darling. The windswept sky is thick as felt this morning. The windows are rattling. Chickadees are hiding out in the side yard thicket. And I am still in my favorite Hannah Anderson jammies.  I was craving mulligatawny that classic, well loved ever-evolving soup that sprang from Indian-Anglo tastes combining chicken, curry and apples. And as luck or fate or Plan B foresight would have it, I had enough ingredients on hand to make my own vegetarian version.   Inspired by my go-to mulligatawny style soup recipes, I thought I'd skip the cabbage and cauliflower I sometimes use, and upped the carrots to make a bright, fresh tasting- dare I say- healthy happy potage -- that's a fancy word for soup, as you, Well Informed Reader...

Italian Dreams.  There isn't a speck of Italian blood in me. Allegedly. No blood lines (even faint ones) to trace back to Italy's flavor and culture rich boot. I claim no Italian grandmother with deft, gnarled hands who could roll out ravioli dough in her sleep. No puttering, gardening grandfather who offered me my first taste of a sun warmed tomato straight off the string-tied vine. We didn't have lasagna on our Thanksgiving table. Or baked ziti. My mother never mixed me an almond infused Italian soda after a rough day at school. So why is Italian food forever, for me, the ultimate comfort food? Hungry, angry, lonely, tired- what do I crave? Spaghetti slick with garlicky olive oil and red pepper flakes. Bubbling hot lasagna. Fresh baked focaccia. Bruschetta. Risotto with butternut squash. Baked stuffed pasta shells. All heaven. The tough part is- living gluten-free AND dairy-free can seriously crush your Italian gilded comfort food dreams. Back in the ...

Chocolate Mint Cookie Love.  Okay.  I'll say it up front. For all those perceptive Readers out there. This post? It's a redux slash revamp of a previous chocolate cookie recipe. Why? Because Darling, we are always tweaking and gently nudging recipes toward perfection around here. Though as you and I well know, perfection is unattainable (in the gluten-free vegan baking world, that is). But we can come close. Very close. And with this latest peppermint chocolate chip incarnation we are a good nibble closer to the best chocolate cookie yet. So of course, I had to tweak and share. These remind me of those Girl Scout cookies called Thin Mints. Except they're chubby (though I suppose one could flatten them a bit if one was so inclined). These peppermint laced fudgy sweethearts are crisp chocolate goodness. We freeze ours and serve them slightly chilled. Those of you more adept at fancy baking could try creating heart shapes.  These are lovely warm from the oven with an ic...

Celebrate: Gluten-Free Style! Looking for recipes and inspiration for your gluten-free Christmas breakfast? Winter solstice brunch with friends? Vegan Hanukkah guests? A romantic New Year's Eve? Some simple winter comfort food? Here is my collection of holiday friendly favorites. Browse these gluten-free wheat-free recipes (most are dairy-free as well) and create your own winter holiday menu. Celebrate gluten-freestyle. With love. Karina xo Read on for links to he recipes...

Divine Gluten-Free Layer Bars. From my kitchen to yours. This classic style dessert is a family favorite- my chocolate-coconut layer bar recipe. Simple to make. Sweet and gooey and bliss inducing. And most important? You can offer them at any gathering without a gluten-free apology. (Would that be, Don't ask, don't tell?) Chill before serving, if you like, for a snappy, cold burst of sweetness. Cheers- Karina xo Karina's Nirvana Layer Bars Recipe By Karina Allrich Last night I made a batch of these wonderfully rich and decadent bars. Truthfully, they're more like candy than cookie. Gooey and divine, they made the men in the house simply go, "Ahhhhhhhh." "Nirvana?" I asked. "You betcha," was the lip-smacking reply. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter (or vegan buttery stick, such as Earth Balance) 1 1/2 cups gluten-free chocolate cookies, processed into crumbs 1 cup (heaping) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 1 cup sweetene...

Cape Cod and cranberries... The two go together like Beatles and Sunday. And I was imagining a tea bread that might work for gluten-free French toast. The sort of breakfast you'd like to wake up to on Christmas morning. Something warm with melting butter and cozy cinnamon. Something festive. You know, special. Not your average grab-on-the-go with coffee nosh. A gluten-free bread worthy of a holiday. Like Autumnal Equinox... or Thanksgiving. Or any given Sunday, actually.  That's how it all started, my craving, my imagining.  That's when it dawned me.  Cranberry bread.  Why not? It's simple. And not too sweet. It flirts magically with maple syrup. So I started daydreaming about the tart little berry that is a bog's ruby jewel. And a gluten-free cranberry bread recipe was born. Happy Cranberry Harvest, dear ones. Karina xox

A Tea Bread Slice That Tastes Like Pie? Yes please. For the holidays! I am forever looking for ways to bake with pumpkin (aren't you, Babycakes?). So I absolutely had to share our latest recipe, baked fresh and warm and tender and spicy, just this morning, filling our chilly kitchen with the cozy autumnal aroma of pumpkin pie. It was simply too darn tasty to keep to ourselves. We are, after all, in the thick of the season of gratitude and giving. And the best part is- for many of us- this gluten-free recipe has nary a single gum. No xanthan gum. No guar gum. No locust bean gum. No weirdo ingredients. Just a whole lotta YUM. Have a safe and delicious holiday weekend! Karina xo

This time of year simply begs for gingersnaps- the classic and humble cookie that tastes old fashioned and elegant and post new wave all at once. A subtle, spicy, gingery bite that snaps with a crunch to awaken satiated taste buds soaked in a holiday sea of egg nog, cheese logs and peanut butter balls. Fancy cookies, these are not. Slathered with green icing and star sprinkles? Not exactly. Though, you could, I suppose. Slather these. And sprinkle with abandon. If you're of a mindset that more is more, and nurture not the minimalist mantra of Less. The choice is yours. Go old fashioned and let the gingersnap goodness tingle on its own. Or go wild. And get your frosting on. It's your party. Karina xox

Chocolate Gingerbread, Gluten-Free Goddess Style The wind is roaring through the forest next door today. The wood stove is lit, warming our bodies and our spirits. I put on my holiday playlist and stir cocoa-laced batter with a wooden spoon, imagining my fellow gluten-free bakers- all of you- out there- standing in your own humble kitchens, beating strange flours and non-traditional ingredients with a hefty dash of hope.  By Winter Solstice I will celebrate another gluten-free anniversary. NUMBER 21! December 19, 2001 was the day I decided to shun gluten forever. What timing. Right before Christmas. I could have waited until December 26th (Christmas cookies!). Or even the New Year (Trifle!). But I didn't. I couldn't. As soon as I connected the dots- from my plague of symptoms to their instigator gluten- I couldn't wait to begin my new life. If I had eaten my very last buttery croissant, so be it. If I had unknowingly crunched my last Milano cookie, so what. I was do...

Sweet and Tart.   No philosophy today. Dust off your cake pan, Babycakes. This is a moist and tender apple cake laced with a hint of cinnamon and studded with fresh tart berries. After seven   twelve   - er, 22!- years of baking various gluten-free incarnations of my tried and true family apple cake recipe, this could be our favorite. Maybe it's the sweet-tart combo. The subtlety of flavors. In a food culture obsessed with kicking up recipes with more for the sake of more (white chocolate peanut butter bacon swirled maple donut ice cream drizzled in dulche de leche coconut marshmallow syrup and dusted with sugared Meyer lemon zest and shaved cacao, anyone?) the clean and classic flavor contrast of apples and cranberries is somehow new again. Even, refreshing.  I don't need dessert to taste like candy. I like my cake to taste like cake.  You can bake this recipe with eggs and dairy, or vegan alternatives. See options below. xo Ka...

A fall-inspired donut worthy of a dunk.  Gluten-free donuts can often be, shall we say... a wee bit on the heavy side. Without the stretch and lift of gluten, g-free donut dough can be stubborn, baking itself into a tough, dense, disappointing mouthful of dust.  But not these donuts, Sugar. These donuts are light. Tender. Delightful. I promise.  And PS: they're rice-free.  Karina xo

Vegan Gluten-Free Bliss, Ya'll. And it makes a fabulous (beautiful!) Labor Day picnic offering for all your guests that shun gluten, dairy, eggs, and critters. From the archives, in the nick of time... If you're looking for a fresh idea to liven up your ho-hum salad plate, Sweetcakes, have I got a recipe for you. Light, vegan, and packed with protein, this is no ordinary bunny food. It's got quinoa. Studded with nutty, buttery chick peas and crunchy toasted pecans and succulent jewels of ripe, juicy pears. And did I mention, in a bowl licking maple vinaigrette? In fact, this is a salad even salad haters would eat. You know, those stalwart gotta have my meat and potatoes aficionados who eschew anything leafy. Who snicker at fiber. And mock carrot sticks. The sort of individual who gets misty eyed for melted butter and bacon martinis. To said individuals, salad could never be anything but rabbit chow. But this lovely mélange of flavors just might piqu...

Got Zukes Galore? Sharing a favorite summer recipe here on Gluten-Free Goddess-- a cinnamon laced tea bread made with garden fresh zucchini. You'll love it. And so will everyone else. I also jotted down some batter and baking tips for ya. See below. GFG Tips on gluten-free bread baking: Here's my all-time favorite baking pan for gluten-free breads. It's a lovely glazed ceramic pan that creates steady, even heating for gluten-free batters. In other words, it's as foolproof as you can get. Find it here at Amazon:  Good Cook 9-Inch Ceramic Loaf Pan . Make sure your batter isn't cold when you put it into the oven. If you keep your flours in the fridge, for instance, this will cool down your batter quite a bit. If you find your batter is cooler than room temperature, allow the batter to rest in the pan near the pre-heating stove and let it come to room temperature before you place the bread pan in the oven to bake (I also do this with cakes sometimes). The first time...

This homespun summery side dish recipe has been a favorite of ours for a long, long time. Not months. Or years. But decades. And I'll tell you why. It's easy- for starters. And reason number two- it's super delicious. And reason number three? It's gluten-free. And reason four (there's a four?)... Dairy-free and vegan for all your meat-shunning soy latte sipping groovy guests.  So get your calabasitas on, dude.  And party.

A Summer Classic: Blueberry Crisp We had a sudden hankering. You know how it is. A craving hits that will not be denied. Insistent. Growling. Desire with an uppercase D. So I'm digging into the archives. June is here. And you start imagining fresh, juicy blueberries, nestled beneath a perfectly golden crumble of a crust, warm, the deepest purple, bubbling as you slide it- ever so gently- out of the oven and onto a cooling rack to rest and settle until you can't stand it a minute longer, breathing in the cinnamon laced aroma of a summer dessert classic. The forever glorious blueberry crisp. And this one's gluten-free. And dairy-free. No xanthan gum either- a bonus. So darling. Don't wait. Blueberry season is short and sweet. Peace + Love, Karina xox

Parfait this! Easy fancy for a long hot summer- so bookmark this one... a simple, creamy coconut ice cream recipe served parfait style with blueberries and strawberries. And it's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. And because you make it yourself, gum-free and carrageenan-free. So many yays. It was sunny and hot yesterday, and today is a repeat. So during a heat wave, even a modest two-day hot fest, yours truly is unable to muster any enthusiasm for cooking. Typically, I live on gluten-free granola. And ice cream. Yes, I know. I am a poor, sad, sad role model. What kind of food blogger doesn't rise to the challenge and cheer-lead you to whip up baby kale and avocado salads and raw maca peach turmeric and oat milk smoothies? What kind of food blogger would simply give in to her sticky, prickly fatigue and general overall crankiness and not create some virtuous, nutrition packed bunny food miracle slurry for you? This one. She who is about to share a no-cook reci...