Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler

This is not Betty Crocker's Gluten-Free Bisquick mix. Nope.

Is Mercury in retrograde?

And if so, Darling, do I believe it can wreak havoc with recipes? I started out with a different approach to this peach cobbler recipe, you see. I thought I'd try out the new Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquick mix I bought this week. I imagined a golden topped biscuity crust you could sink your teeth into, a melt-in-your-mouth forkful of shortcake, dripping with warm and sticky-sweet juice.

But what I got was a bone white mound of anemic dough (scarily reminiscent of Play Dough) baked into what can only be described as yesterday's mashed potatoes. It didn't even try to turn golden. And it didn't melt in your mouth like a biscuit. It just sat there on your tongue. Flavorless. Bored. Expecting to be admired without effort. Like those fame junkies who are famous for simply being famous. They haven't actually accomplished anything to garner their celebrity status. They just nurture a deeper narcissistic ambition than your average high school beauty queen. They expect adulation because they exist.

Like an awful lot of the gluten-free foods churned out by corporate entities.


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Heirloom Potato Salad

A super easy potato salad with tasty heirloom spuds. Vegan and egg-free.

I snatched up a bag of those cute little potatoes at the market yesterday. You know the ones I'm talking about. Those baby sized spuds as cute as a button. In Easter egg colors like custard and purple and pink. So sweet and adorable you want to cradle the bag and speak in your talking-to-kittens voice. Heirloom root vegetable deliciousness. Yeah, you shell out a little extra cabbage for these pretty babies, true. But I say, live a little. Indulge in excellent ingredients.

You only got one life. 

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Everything and a bag of Flax Crackers

Wow! There sure is a lot going on these days.
First, I just got married, and it was by far the most magical day of my life. Thank you to everyone who joined in our celebration.
We are now on our honeymoon in California, driving along the Pacific coast in our 1981 VW camper van! It’s really too much fun.



Secondly, I finally completed a two-year project with a friend, Eva Cabaca, who wrote the most fantastic vegan cookbook. I will let you all know once it is published because I know that you will want your very own copy of this totally unique and original work. I had the privilege of creating the design and layout for the book, and it is my pleasure to share one of the recipes with you today.



Savory Flax Crackers
Ingredients:
• 2 cups flax seeds
• ½ cup hemp hearts
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 2 cups water
• ½ -1 tsp. Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt
• 1 Tbsp. dry herbs and spices, such as basil, oregano, chili powder, cumin
• optional ¼ cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary or thyme
• optional but delicious 1 Tbsp. agave syrup and 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder briefly to get a very coarse meal. Transfer into a large bowl.
2. Add the hemp hearts, chia seeds, water, salt and all the herbs and spices.
3. For easy spreading, mix quickly before flax absorbs too much water.
4. Spread the mixture immediately onto a solid dehydrator sheet and let it harden for 10 minutes. Cut into desired shapes.
5. Dehydrate at 115oF for 3-4 hours or until the top is dry, then flip onto a mesh dehydrating sheet. Continue dehydrating at 105oF until crisp, about 5 hours.
6. Alternatively, spread the dough onto an oiled cookie sheet, cut into desired shapes and dry in the oven on the lowest setting, for 4 to 6 hours or until you achieve the desired texture (from slightly soft to very crispy).
7. Crackers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

So that’s where I’ve been, and where I will be for the next little while. I do have some fabulous guest bloggers lined up, so check back every week or so for more of what you love! Thanks for all of your love and support for My New Roots – it means so much to me.
See you all soon.
In health and light, Sarah B.

Nectarine Ice Cream with Coconut Milk

Creamy and subtle coconut milk and nectarine ice cream: vegan yum.

It's been hot and sultry here in West Hollywood. [One could argue, when is West Hollywood not hot and sultry, Babycakes?] We've been settling into our new apartment, hanging curtains (adios, vertical blinds), unpacking books, and doing laundry. So before I share the new coconut milk ice cream recipe I whipped up last night (after scarfing down vegan tacos like there was no tomorrow, which would be, today) I thought I might  also share a few random pics from our new neighborhood.

West Hollywood rocks.

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Mexican Hot Fudge Sauce - Vegan and Gluten-Free

Decadent dairy-free hot fudge sauce. Vegan and gluten-free.

Now that there are some super fabulous gluten-free vegan ice creams out there (have you tried the coconut milk and almond milk based ice creams?) and we don't have to settle for less than delicious, I thought I'd reprise this silky chocolate sauce recipe from the archives. Because, you know. You may have missed it. And life is too short to live without fudge sauce.

In my book, anyway.

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Cupcakes and Baking and Why You Need an Oven Thermometer

Before you bake these cupcakes, get an oven thermometer.

I attempted my first baking recipe yesterday. In the new apartment, that is. The kitchen is new, not the baker. I've been around the block a time or two when it comes to batter and dough (so if you're new to the blog, Darling, don't panic- I've got armloads of gluten-free recipes waiting for your brilliance to coax them to life). See that sparkling little cupcake gem above? Try it's zesty orangeness on for size. Because the recipe I was developing for you... Well. 

It failed. 

What was it? you idly wonder. Zucchini bread. A bread that should have been moist and tender and bursting with juicy bits of zucchini. A perennial August favorite I haven't sunk my teeth into since going gluten-free nine years ago. So I was due.

What happened?

Here's the thing. The thing I have to share with you that could change your gluten-free baking life. The back story: the stove is new. As in brand spanking new. No gluten has ever darkened it's white enamel door (a psychological plus). And it's a gas stove (heats quickly, super efficient). So what I am about to tell you may surprise you.

The oven temperature was off. As in way off.

How do I know? I had an inkling. I bought an oven thermometer. I installed it. And I set the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. When the preheat light went off I opened the oven door. It read 400 cussing degrees.

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Potato Salad Recipe with Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion

Potato salad with no mayo- and sweet potatoes!

 A recipe winner from the archives you may have missed. Because I haven't been cooking. I've been packing. We're moving from our Santa Monica apartment to a sweet place in West Hollywood. Like, tomorrow. If it seems as if we live gypsy lives, it's true. We do (if packing up and moving six times in fourteen months counts). We're signing a lease today. Ostensibly for a year. I hope to settle in fast and start whipping up gluten-free recipes in the new kitchen- which is, I'm happy to report, new as in brand new. New everything. Hence, a gluten-free stove. Fridge. Dishwasher. The landlord remodeled, bless her generous heart. I'll post pics as soon as the dust settles. xox Karina PS: And yes, there's a window over the kitchen sink.

This is a colorful and lower carb potato salad recipe, a welcome change from the ordinary white spud con mayo and boiled egg offerings so ubiquitous at backyard get-togethers. Why? Beyond the no Hellman's and huevos part, it features sweet potatoes, Dude. Sweet potatoes.

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