Quinoa Salad with Pineapple, Broccoli, and Mint

Pineapple quinoa salad with broccoli. Fresh and healthy.

Spring is beckoning. I can feel it. And my winter-stiff body is aching to stretch and move and shed the yearly inertia that descends like a bear with the shrinking daylight. My brain is flickering awake. My taste buds are tiring of the heavy, creamy comfort foods that sustained me (thank you, lovely spuds, lasagna, and mac and cheese, I love you with all my heart).

I'm craving lighter, cleaner tastes.

Not to mention, missing my warm weather jeans. You know the ones. That stack in the back of the closet you haven't fit into since December, when you began wondering if the laundromat medium heat setting was shrinking your favorite Levi's. The jeans you have to lay down to zip, doing your best imitation of Jane Fonda's pelvic tilt, sucking in your breath and praying to the zipper gods. Your skinny jeans. You know what I'm talking about. You have two sets of jeans, right? Winter. And summer.

So here's what I'm thinking. Quinoa to the rescue.

Vegan. Versatile. Easy. Fresh. Light. This new quinoa salad with pineapple and broccoli and fresh mint is all of the above. And maybe, just maybe, it'll be the first step to fitting into those skinny jeans.


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Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Sexy delicious gluten-free vegan chocolate muffins.

Today's post is short and sweet and all about muffins. Not just any old muffins, either. Gluten-free chocolate muffins. Because as any gluten-free goddess knows, chocolate makes breakfast better.

Gluten-free chocolate muffins for breakfast or tea time.

GFG Chocolate Muffins Recipe

I happen to love the taste of quinoa flour. It complements chocolate perfectly. But if you're not a fan of quinoa flour's taste, substitute your own higher protein flour. Buckwheat, almond, or brown rice flour should work.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a twelve muffin tin with paper liners.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic quinoa flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup GF millet flour

1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup organic light brown sugar

1/4 cup light olive oil

3/4 cup to 1 cup rice milk- start with less

1 tablespoon Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy*

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or light tasting rice vinegar

Instructions:

Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth- it will be slightly sticky. If it climbs the beaters use a figure eight motion to control the batter better.

If the batter is too thick, add in a little rice milk at a time until it becomes smooth- like a thick version of cake batter.

Stir in:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (omit for nut-free)

Heaping 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips

Spoon the batter into twelve lined muffin cups. Swirl and smooth the tops with a wet finger if you need to. Top each muffin with a pecan, chopped walnuts, or a couple of chocolate chips, as you prefer.

Bake in the center of a hot oven until domed and firm, but springy. About 17-20 minutes. Remove the baked muffins from the pan as soon as possible and cool on a wire rack (this keeps the bottoms from steaming).

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous warm from the oven, when the chocolate chips are melty. When cooled, I recommend wrapping each muffin in foil and freezing in a freezer bag for optimum freshness. Thaw to room temperature.

Cook time: 20 min

Yield: One dozen muffins

*Or use two large free-range organic eggs and omit the vinegar.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

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Joey's Kicked Up Rockin' Guac with Lime + Tomatillos

Party worthy guacamole with lime and tomatillos

Treat yourself. Make this guacamole tonight. I beg you. You'll go loco over it. Trust me. It's the tomatillos and fresh lime juice that nudge this gluten-free vegan guac recipe into super favorite status-- which, by the way, is why I am excavating it from the dusty archives. In case you missed it.

Because there seems to be some partying goin' on this weekend. You already know how I feel about football. But who am I to deny that my Nachos Fabuloso, Quinoa Taco Salad, and Lime Chicken Tacos wouldn't be some seriously tasty game peeping food? Not to mention my vegan Hot Artichoke Dip,  Jalapeño Lime Hummus and Baked Grape Tomatoes with Basil Cornbread Crumbs. 

Need even more Super Bowl recipe inspiration? If you're weary of ho-hum chili, and Mexican bean dip, try these Turkey Sweet Potato Enchiladas, my Cranberry Buffalo Roast Stew, Roasted Hatch Chile Stew or this family favorite Roasted Corn Chowder with Chicken and Cilantro. Break out this make-ahead Red Potato Salad Spiked with Horseradish, or my Green Chile Tortilla Bake with layered corn tortillas and cream cheese.

Party on, gluten-free guys and gals.

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