foodie: meyer lemon & lime coconut cupcakes (gluten-free)

for my dad's 60th birthday, i offered to make a few dozen gluten-free cupcakes to accommodate the several family members and friends who do not eat wheat.  to ensure quality (since i haven't done too much gluten-free baking, yet) i used a box cake mix as the base, but added in super delicious add-ins to personalize them.  and, if i do say so myself, they turned out great!  they were moist, delicious, and full of awesome flavor.

table for dad's birthday party

picnic area for dad's birthday party

one box mix yeilded 1 dozen large cupcake and 1 dozen mini cupcakes.  i was baking for a crowd, so i made two boxes worth and jazzed each up differently.  below are two cupcake variations that i made with pamela's products: wheat-free, gluten-free classic vanilla cake mix, which i found at our local natural foods market.

meyer lemon cupcakes

1 bag of vanilla cake mix (gluten-free)
zest from one lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (you could also use canola)
3 eggs

1 jar of lemon curd
1 container of gluten-free vanilla frosting
1 meyer lemon (if you can find one)

mix all the ingredients together.  line your cupcake pans with paper wrappers, and fill 3/4 full with the batter.  (i got 12 large and 12 mini cupcakes from the batter.)  bake according to the cake mix directions or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

once the cupcakes cool, scoop out a divet at the center of each large cupcake.  then, fill it with a spoonful of lemon curd!  (i didn't fill the mini cupcakes.)

using a piping bag, fill it with the remaining lemon curd and vanilla frosting, and frost the cupcakes.  (try to fill one side with lemon curd and one side with frosting so that both come out when you start piping the icing onto the cupcakes.)  garnish with a small slice of meyer lemon!

lime coconut cupcakes

1 bag of vanilla cake mix (gluten-free)
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup coconut milk (or other milk)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or canola oil)
3 eggs

1 container fluffy white frosting
extra lime zest for garnish

mix all the ingredients together. (toss the white chocolate chips with a bit of the dry cake mix to coat them.  then add them at the last minute to the batter -- hopefully this will prevent them from sinking, as mine did....)  line your cupcake pans with paper wrappers, and fill 3/4 full with the batter. (i got 12 large and 12 mini cupcakes from the batter.) bake according to the cake mix directions or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

once cupcakes cool, frost them and garnish with a sprinkle of lime zest!

both cupcakes were utterly delicious, but if i had to choose, i'd vote for the lime coconut.  the mix of bitter lime with the creamy white chocolate was divine!  also, for whatever reason, the lime cupcakes rose better than the lemon, but both were still moist and decadent.

trust me, you will not be disappointed with these :-)

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a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

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foodie: spaghetti squash with spring asparagus

i've been having a cooking love-affair with spaghetti squash.  even before going gluten-free, my husband and i would often enjoy this versatile veggie as the base for our meals.  well, this past week i created a new dish that made use of some of the delicious asparagus that has been available lately.

this is what you'll need for 4 servings...

1 spaghetti squash
1/2-1 bushel of asparagus, cleaned with woody ends off
1 onion, chopped
1 ear corn, cut off the cob
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 oz goat cheese
1-2 oz bleu cheese
olive oil
lemon wedges
salt & pepper

1. pierce the skin of the squash, and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 45min - 1hr, or until it's fork tender.  also, roast your asparagus (after drizzling it with olive oil and sprinkling it with salt) for about 20 min.

2. as squash and asparagus cook, saute the onions in some olive oil until they're lightly browned, and then toss in corn at the last minute.

3. allow the squash to cool, and then cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then scrap out the stringy flesh into a large bowl.  cut asparagus into 1-2 inch long pieces and add them in.  also mix in the cooked veggies, dill, yogurt, crumbled cheese, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. mix everything together, and then serve with wedges of fresh lemon to further brighten the flavor!

if you still haven't tried spaghetti squash, it's time to hop on the bandwagon.  this yummy veggie makes for the perfect foundation for a spring meal : )

bon appetit!

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a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian

a friend of mine requested that i post what i eat since she was wondering what i was subsisting upon after announcing i was "going gluten-free" about a month ago.  since i was already a vegetarian, i was used to cooking lots and lots of veggies, but going gluten-free took that to a whole new level!

breakfast - almond meal hot cereal with ground flaxseeds (prepared with almond milk) and topped with cherries and peanut butter

lunch - 1/2 avocado topped with goat cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes

snack - carrots "chips" (i.e. carrots sauteed briefly with olive oil and curry) and hummus

dinner - eggplant lasagna (all veggies -- no gluten-free pasta here!) and a glass of red wine : )

after dinner - decaf tea with half and half

so, that's what a day of meals looks like for a gluten-free vegetarian : ) yummy!

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