gluten free & fabulous

In the Hall of Philosophy, we were talking some basic tips about being gluten free and fabulous. Often we hear about folks going gluten free. Some folks do it because they have celiacs and others give it a go because they feel it might be a way to lose some extra pounds.

If you are one of those who feel you might lose weight, here’s a quick tip… you can substitute a cookie/cupcake/bread/pasta for gluten free cookie/cupcake/bread/pasta and you will not lose any weight. If you want to lose weight substitute cookie/cupcake/bread/pasta for more fruits, veggies and nutrient dense sweets & savories. The goal of being gluten free and fabulous is to find some easy to prepare, indulgent and seasonal ingredients.

Here are 3 of the recipes that I shared that night at Mt. Gretna, in the Hall of Philosophy. The recipe for raw, vegan brownies can be used to make chocolate balls or “pie” crust. Remember that the recipe uses nuts and is calorie dense.

raw zucchini salad

• 2 small summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced with hand shredder or mandoline
• 2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 cup sun dried tomato
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa (cooked in 1 cup water/broth)
• fresh basil, leaves torn cheese optional –
• fresh buffalo mozzarella / shredded parm evoo and a squeeze of lemon juice

raw vegan brownies (makes 1lb of brownies, if rolled into 1/4 oz balls, 2 balls per serving = 74 cal serv)

• 2 cups walnuts (pecans, almonds)
• 2 cups dates, seeded
• 1/3 cup coco powder
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of instant coffee (optional)
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

pulse in the food processor until you have crumbles…that simple.  Have fun with the recipe and add what you like… coconut maybe or roll them in coconut and coco…

raw, vegan chocolate pudding / icing for brownies

• 2 haas avocados
• 1/3 cup agave
• 1/3 cup coco powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put it in a food processor and blend until smooth.   I have heard some folks use bananas instead of all the sugar in agave to sweeten.  Experiment with this recipe…it’s just a guideline NOT a rule…