My Perfect Morning!

I love everything about the morning; the routine, the smells, the breakfast waiting to be whipped up, coffee ready to be ground, and an entire day in front of you, adventures awaiting.  It is no secret that I LOVE coffee so naturally it takes center stage in my morning routine, stealing the show with its aroma and zombie curing qualities.  

When I partnered with Equator Coffees & Teas earlier this year I was given the opportunity to visit their roastery and learn the ins and outs of everything coffee.  The amazing Akaash (an award winning barista who can make a pour over that would blow your mind) taught me everything from where the beans come from, how they are farmed, harvested, roasted, and brewed.  I was even taken through a pretty in depth "tasting" where I got to try coffee from all over the world, beans produced using both the natural and washed methods, and really start to develop a feel for my own palate and the flavors I enjoy in my morning brew. This is where the "dreams do come true" sentiment became reality when I got to create my very own blend, a blend that is now sold online here and will also be available at Equator Coffees new Larkspur location when it opens this Spring! 

I was like a kid at disneyland, loving every deliciously caffeinated minute of my coffee training. Among a million other things, Akaash taught me how to make the perfect pour over and it has been a game changer in my mourning routine.  Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep at night because I am SO excited about my morning (yes the 5 year old inside me is still very much alive).

I couldn't keep all of this goodness and giddy excitement to myself so I wanted to share my recipe for the perfect morning, starting with the perfect Tayler Wiles Blend pour over! :)  

The Perfect Pour Over

• Equipment
  • Grinder: I use the Hario hand grinder which is great to travel with and has the ability to adjust the grind based on brewing method.  This is SO important, if your grind is too fine or too coarse for your brewing method the extraction won't be right and the coffee will taste weak or bitter.  If you are buying a mechanical grinder make sure it has different grind settings (fine, medium, coarse, etc).
  • V60 Cone.  Or pour over cone of your choice!
  • V60 Cone filters
  • Bonavita kettle.  This kettle is amazing.  To make the perfect brew you need to control the water temperature and also have a kettle with a spout which allows you to pour evenly.  This one ticks both boxes like a champ!
  • Hario Range Server (decanter): this is just fancy pants stuff, you can use your mug or a coffee cup, but this looks pretty!
  • Hario V60 drip scale.  You can use any food scale, this is very important because the the amount of coffee as well as water used is key to making the perfect morning cup!
  • Equator Coffee & Tea Tayler Wiles Blend! :) 
  • You can find all of the equipment you need at any of the Equator Coffee & Tea locations in the Bay Area, or on their online shop here!
• Method
  1. Fill the kettle and heat to 200 degrees F.
  2. Grind your beans, for a pour over your grind should be medium. For my tiny cyclist arms this also doubles as an arm workout ;) 
  3. Put your paper filter in the V60 cone and rinse it with a small stream of warm water making sure the entire filter is wetted. This removes paper taste and warms the V60.
  4. Place the V60 cone & filter on top of the Hario decanter (or your mug:) and place both on top of the scale.
  5. Zero out the scale.
  6. Pour ground coffee into the filter.  Ok here is the math...for every gram of coffee grounds you use, you will use 15 grams of water.  To fill a standard coffee cup it would be about 24 grams of grounds and 360 grams of water.  I like to fill up a big travel mug so my morning brew is about 40 grams of grounds and 600 grams of water.  However, the ideal amount for the very best result in flavor is 23-25 grams of grounds.
  7. Once you have your coffee weighed and noted, zero the scale again.
  8. Here's my favorite step.  When the water reaches 200 degrees start the brewing process by hitting start on the timer on your scale and start pouring slowly, but only add enough water to equal double the weight of your grounds (for example if you started with 24 grams, you add 48 grams of water to start) this is how you form the "bloom." This is the coffees first reaction to the water, when the aroma smacks you in the face and causes an instant smile :)
  9. After 30 seconds start pouring again.  Just pour little bits of water in a circular motion until you reach your target water weight (for example if you started with 24 grams of coffee, you will end when you've added 360 grams of water).  The process should only take about 2.5 - 3 minutes :) 
  10. Remove the dripper cone, pour that delicious coffee into your mug and ENJOY! 

My perfect morning doesn't end there, because breakfast is the supporting act to my coffee and my muesli recipe is the best compliment to delicious coffee.  This recipe was developed with inspiration from the breakfast bowls served at La Fabrica here in Girona Spain! :)  

Tayler's Morning Muesli :)

Ingredients (this yields about 4 or 5 servings)

• 1 1/2 cup oats (oat flakes work best, you can always buy regular oaks and pulse them in a blender to break them up a bit! :)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4-1/2 cup chia seeds (I like a lot of chia so I usually do 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup raw pepitas
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/4 cup raisins 

Daily Prep Ingredients 

• +/-1/2 cup coconut milk (almond milk works too, or regular milk if you perfer) 
• 1 tsp - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it.
• Chopped fruit of your choice.  My favorites are chopped mango, strawberries, and banana.

Instructions

1. Heat coconut milk on stove till its warm but not boiling.
2. Place 3/4 cup to 1 cup of muesli into a bowl.
3. Once coconut milk is warm pour it slowly over the muesli.  Only add enough to cover it at first, then let it sit for 5 minutes to let the oats and chia soak up the milk.  Pour a little bit more if you'd like, I like it to be pretty coconutty ;)
4. Top with honey and your fresh cut fruit and enjoy with a Tayler Wiles Blend pour over! :) 

Red Curry & Miso Veggie Bowls!

This recipe is so delicious I have had a really hard time not making it every single day! (I may or may not have eaten it for dinner 4 days in a row once...;)  I was inspired by a recipe on Love & Lemons (a really great site with tons of delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes!) but I've added my own tweeks and twists! Try it, I promise you won't be sorry, but I can't promise you won't become an addict!  My recipe yields 2 bowls (two cyclist size bowls that is!:)

Ingredients 

• 2 Sweet potatoes
• 1-2 Delicata squashes (depending on size, if they are tiny use two)
• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Cucumber
• Greens of your choice (I use spinach and romaine)
• Toasted Sesame seeds (you'll need about 1-2 tablespoons)
• Soy or Tamari sauce (about a half a cup)
• 2 Handfuls of mushrooms (yes very precise measurements ;) 

Glaze/Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Olive oil
• 2 tsp. Red curry paste
• 2 tsp. White miso paste
• 2 tsp. Honey, agave, or maple syrup (whatever you've got laying around, I usually use honey)
• 1 tsp. Siracha (if you like spicy double this, I always do:)

To be added to sauce later in the recipe:

• 1/3 cup of Coconut milk 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F).
2. Chop the sweet potatoes and eggplant into cubes, and the delicata squash into half moons and lay them flat on a baking sheet.  Use a separate baking sheet for the eggplant as it cooks differently than the sweet potatoes and squash.
3. Mix the glaze ingredients together (everything EXCEPT the coconut milk, this will be added later).  I usually just throw everything into a mason jar and shake!
4. Brush the glaze on the veggies making sure to coat both sides.  Make sure to leave enough glaze to brush a tiny bit on after the veggies come out of the oven and also to make the sauce out of it (this step comes later, I'll explain don't worry:)
5. Bake the veggies for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown, making sure to flip them every 15 minutes to make sure both sides get toasty!
6. Cut the mushrooms into quarters and add them to a small sauce pan with the soy/tamari sauce.  Bring them to a boil and then let them simmer in the sauce until they are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain them and then sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds.  Be generous with your sprinkling, the sesame seeds are yummy!
7. Once the veggies are done remove them from the oven and brush a little bit more of the glaze on them.  Then add the coconut milk to the remaining glaze (there should be about a 3rd of what you started with left).  I usually just add a bit of the coconut milk and not all of it, just do it to taste.  This will be used later to drizzle over the top of your bowl to add a little flavor.
8. Now assemble the bowls!  I usually start with the greens and cucumber and drizzle a bit of the finished coconut sauce on before adding the other veggies.  Then add the mushrooms, avocado, squash, and sweet potatoes.  
9. Drizzle a little bit of the sauce over the top and sprinkle lots of sesame seeds!  Then enjoy!!!!
10. Optional step: I'm obsessed with eggs and usually try to add them to everything so I throw a fried egg or two on top and its delicious! 

Cashew + Goji Berry Salad to Die For!

When Olivia and I were in Ireland this September we went to this delicious little restaurant called The Happy Pear!  It is owned by two twin brothers (handsome fellas) and is completely family run (we even chatted with their Mom as she cleared some tables).  The food is incredible!  Everything is vegetarian, locally grown, organic, whole food whipped up into divine curries, stews, soups, breads, salads, you name it!  You walk in, load up your own plate (which I turned into a mountain of goodness) and enjoy!  I was pretty excited when I found out that the two brothers were coming out with a cookbook.  Olivia's sister bought us the book and we have made nearly every curry and salad in it since!  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a lot of them here, with my own little adaptations.  To start here is one of my very favorites, and a really good post ride recovery snack!  See The Happy Pear Cookbook for more!

Cashew + Goji Berry Deliciousness! (serves ~4)

Ingredients 

• 1-1 1/2 cups Quinoa (dry)

• 3/4 cup Goji berries (or more/less depending on your preference.  This recipe is very flexible.  Goji berries can be on the pricey side, 3/4 cup from whole foods bulk section is about $5, however they are one of the best superfoods and really make this salad so yummy)

• 1 heaping cup of Cashews (or more if you love em)

• 1 1/2 cups peas or edamame beans (I've made it with both, and its delicious with both)

• 1 bushel of fresh mint, take of the leaves and chop finely

• 1 bushel of fresh flat leaf parsley, take of the leaves and chop finely

• 1 small bushel of chives (see my photo if you don't know how much I mean by bushel, I realize that is pretty vague ;)

• Mixed lettuce (you can use as little or as much lettuce you want and it can be any kind really.  It works great with arugula, or I've used the Trader Joes bag of super greens which has two kinds of kale and baby spinach in it and that is delicious too).

Dressing

• 50 ml of Olive Oil
• 40 ml of Tamari 
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Ground pepper to taste 

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa (2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until water is absorbed:)
2. Chop the mint, parsley, and chives finely.
3. Add the cashews, gojis, chopped herbs, and cooked quinoa to a large salad bowl.
4. Wisk dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad mixture.  Toss to combine.
5. Add mixed lettuce when you are ready to eat, toss and enjoy!! :)

** This salad saves well in the refrigerator for multiple days.  I would recommend that unless you are eating the whole thing in one sitting (for a dinner party or whatever, or after a long ride...yes I could eat the whole thing easy) only put the lettuce in the part you plan to eat that day.  The salad mixture without the lettuce saves really well in the fridge for multiple days.  When you want to eat some just add in a handful of lettuce and stir it in.  If you are eating it all in one sitting than throw a bunch of lettuce in with it all and mix it up!

A bushel of mint, parsley and chives :)

I love the colors in this salad!

Bibimbap!!

I fell in love with Korean food last year when Olivia and I hangerly (anger induced hunger = Hanger) made our way into a Korean restaurant right around the corner from Berkley Iron Works where we do our strength training.  Whenever I see anything on a menu that is topped with an egg I usually order it...that day I saw Dolsot Bibimbap, which not only has a cool name but was also described as rice bowl topped with all sorts of delicious veggies, amazingly marinated beef, and topped with an egg served in a cast iron bowl, (which makes the rice deliciously cripsy), yeah I was easily sold!  And now I am a bibimbap addict!  There is nothing more motivating during a hard gym workout than the thought of delicious food as a reward (yes I motivated by two things, success and my tummy...the latter may take top priority ;)  I never in a million years thought this was something I could actually make myself until we visited friends in New Jersey who, unknowing of my extreme love of bibimbop, cooked it for us one night and assured us how easy it was!  So I tested it out at my family vacation in McCall and cooked up a big batch of it for nearly 20 people!  It was a hit!  This is such a fun thing to make for friends and family, and the name always makes people laugh!  The recipe below will make enough for 4 people (keep in mind I made this for 4 athletes who eat a lot and we still had left overs...so it might feed 6 regular, non-ravenous individuals:)

Bibimbap!  

Meat Marinade Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Skirt, Flank, or Flap steak 
• 1 cup Soy Sauce (gluten free if you have gluten sensitivity, low sodium is also a good option)
• 2 Asian pears, grated including juices/skin
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 1 small white onion chopped, or 1/2 a large one
• 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (peeled)
• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 4 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds
• 4 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 Tsp. Ground red pepper (Cayenne)
• 1/2 Tsp. Ground black pepper
• 4 Green onions sliced
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Marinade Instructions:

• Cut the meat into long thin slices (you can even put the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes to make this a little easier).
• Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, add in the meat making sure marinade covers it and then let it marinade for 30 minutes-3 hours before cooking it.
• Once all the veggies are ready, (see veg recipes below, I cook meat last because it only takes about 3-4 minutes) add the meat to a large pan (I use a big skillet pan with high edges.  It needs to be at least an inch deep because you cook the meat with a bit of the marinade and don't want it bubbling out of the pan).  Cook the meat on medium heat, the marinade will get bubbly but don't let it go boiling like crazy, and just cook it long enough that the middle of the meat stays pink but outsides brown up nicely (3-4 minutes, flipping it half way through).  I end up cooking the meat in 3 waves because it wont all fit in my pan at once.  Once the pieces of meat look done fish them out with a fork and put aside in a bowl (cover with foil so they stay warm).  Once all the meat is cooked and you just have the remaining liquid from the marinade left in the pan, turn up the heat and reduce the sauce for 5-7 minutes.  The marinade then become a delicious sauce to add to the bibimbop!

Bibimbop Veggies (The veggies are the creative part, you can really add whatever you'd like, these are just my top favorites!)

• 4-5 Carrots, julienned. (Saute these in a pan with sesame oil for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly soft but not too soft.  Then season with sea salt and pepper)
• 1-2 Zucchini or Yellow squash (Saute these in a pan with sesame oil for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly soft but not too soft.  Then season with sea salt and pepper)
• 2 Yellow, Orange, or Red Bell Peppers (Saute these in a pan with sesame oil for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly soft but not too soft.  Then season with sea salt and pepper)
• Broccoli (Cut the Broccoli into bite size pieces, blanch them in boiling water for about 2 minutes, and then saute them in a pan with sesame oil for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly soft but not too soft.  Then season with sea salt and pepper)
• 3 Cups of Shiitake Mushrooms. (Put whole mushrooms, 1/3 cup of soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in a pot and bring to a boil...mix soy sauce and brown sugar together before adding the mushrooms.  Once they are boiling lower the heat and cover them.  Let them simmer for 12-15 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.  Remove from heat, let cool, and drain off remaining liquid.  Slice them, toss with 1/2 Tsp of toasted sesame seeds and Salt/Pepper, yum!)
• 20 oz. Spinach (Cook spinach in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain and cool.  Heat 2 Tbsp of sesame oil in a pan, add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and cook 1 min. until fragrant.  Add cooled spinach, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tsp white wine vinegar, and salt/pepper to taste.) 
• 1 bag of Mung bean sprouts 
• 1 Large cucumber, peeled and julienned. 

Other Toppings (the funnest part about this dish is all the fun things you can throw into it!)

• Kimchi
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Gochujang paste (This is definitely the secret ingredient in making this dish incredible!  However it can be hard to find, and is usually only at asian markets or specialty stores.  However if you can't find it, look for any kind of red pepper paste.  The key to making the perfect Gochujang hot sauce for this dish is to mix together 4 tbsp. gochujang paste (or red pepper paste) with 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and two tbsp sesame oil.  Use this sparingly as a topping at first because it has a kick, but if you like spicy throw it on by the spoonful and mix it in with the bibimbap, its YUMMY! 

Assembly 

• This is the fun part!  After the meat, veggies, and rice are cooked (I used two cups of dry sushi rice for 4 people and it was barely enough so maybe do 3 cups to be safe) divvy it up into each persons bowl.  I like to set out all of the toppings out in separate bowls on the table and let everyone build their own bowl with all the veggies and toppings they like.  The meat and sprouts are added last and then the best part of all, top it off with a fried EGG!! (Runny yoke style!).  Then top it off with the extra add ins like the sauce you made out of the marinade (this is also delicious dished right on your rice before you add the veggie toppings), the gochujang sauce you mixed up, and some toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on to make it pretty!  Take photos, blow them up on instagram/twitter/facebook and then enjoy!!:)

Great dish to make for friends!:)  Especially after they do a 17 mile run...

Cauliflower Pizza Crust!

Come on, who doesn't love pizza!!  However sadly its usually not considered a healthy choice and after eating an entire pizza (which I can do with ease and still be slightly hungry afterwards) there is always a small touch of guilt that follows.  But I have good news!!  I have found a cure for any and all pizza guilt!  Three words...cauliflower pizza crust!  It is amazing, tastes amazing, looks and feels just like regular pizza dough and allows you to create a pizza that is made almost entirely of veggies!!  Are you stoked, you should be!:)  (This recipe was adapted from the website The Detoxinista)

Crust Ingredients!

• 4 cups of raw cauliflower (this is about one large cauliflower, maybe a little more so buy two to be safe).
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/3 cup goat cheese (I used slightly less and it still turned out really good)
• Oregano (this can be fresh or dried, we used fresh and it turned out amazing)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions! 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees!
• Pulse small batches of cauliflower in a food processor (or a Blendtec!) until the cauliflower has a rice like texture (at first I put too much cauliflower in at once and it made it tricky, so do maybe 1/4 of the cauliflower head at a time and then dump it into a bowl).

• Bring about an inch of water to bowl in a large pan, once its boiling add the 4 cups of         cauliflower, reduce heat, cover and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
• Strain the cauliflower in a fine mesh strainer (getting as much water out as possible and then transfer it to a dish towel.  Wrap it up in the dish towel and squeeze out as much of the water as you possibly can (this is the secret trick to making the dough stay together like regular pizza crust).

• Add the strained and squeezed cauliflower to a bowl, add the egg, goat cheese, oregano, salt & pepper and mix it all together with your hands!  This dough will feel different than most doughs you've used but trust me its delicious!
  
• Spread the dough out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (don't forget to use this so it wont stick)  We made ours into a circle about 1/3 of an inch thick and slightly raised at the edges to get the "crust" type feel.
• Throw it in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden brown!

Toppings!

This is the fun part because you can get all crazy and creative!  Personally I'm not a sauce on my pizza kind of gal.  Instead I like to drizzle on some truffle oil (the smell of it alone makes your mouth water), fresh sliced tomatoes, prosciutto, and lightly sautéed mushrooms.  I pause here and cook those toppings for about 10 minutes to get them toasty warm, (if your pizza has cheese on top cook it till the cheese is melty:)  Then to finish it off add arugula and a little drizzle of balsamic glaze and its ready to eat! YUM!  Feel free to add anything you love; marinara, sausage, pepperoni, heck make a Hawaiian pizza!  Olivia and I doubled the recipe and each had a personal pizza, which we devoured quickly and completely free of guilt! :)  Enjoy!! 

GF Quinoa Granola Bars!

Before jetting off to euro land I decided to whip up some yumminess to bring over with me!  After seeing how easy it was to make granola (seriously try that recipe, previous post, so simple and so good) I wanted to test out making my own granola bars.  Turns out this is also SO easy (even easier than granola) and of course delish!!  These make great airplane snacks and ride food!  

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 1/3 cup almond butter

• 1 cup cashews

• 1 cup slivered almonds

• 1 cup of coconut flakes, unsweetened

• 1 cup dried cherries (I used mixed dried berries, some cherries, raisins, & blueberries.  You can find this mix at trader joes!:) 

• 2 cups oats (gluten free oats...or crush up rice cakes to use as an alternative)

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and dried (the whole rinsed thing is unnecessary, just throw it in!:)

• 1/2 cup flax seeds

• Sea salt to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast quinoa and oats in a pan over medium high heat until fragrant. Allow to cool and combine with cashew, almonds, coconut flakes, dried cherries, and flax seeds. In a small sauce pan, combine the honey, maple syrup, almond butter and coconut oil and heat until hot and melted.

• Pour into the bowl of ingredients and fold to coat evenly.

• Line a 9 1/2 x 13 1/2 pan with parchment paper. Pour mixture into pan and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon to spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes (I suggest 25, I did 30 and they were a bit too golden brown;) until the edges are toasted.

• Sprinkle the tops with a little sea salt. (just a tid bit :)

• Allow to cool entirely. Cut into rectangles (Really let these cool ALL the way or else they wont hold together as well).

• Enjoy!! :)

GF Quinoa Granola!

Just out of the oven before its broken up...yum!

I'm sorry but it must be said, this stuff is damn GOOD!!  So its my last recovery day before the race season really starts up.  With San Dimas and Redlands right around the corner it was time to bake up some race food, starting with breakfast!  I have to say I'm a sucker for cereal but stopped eating it awhile back because of how processed it is, and I do miss the crunch!  Granola is always a good pre-race breakfast staple, but bought from the store it is really expensive and still pretty processed and often contains ingredients that I can't pronounce.  Then the light bulb went off...try to make your own!  I admit I was a bit intimidated by the idea but honestly it is the EASIEST thing to make.  Its one of those great recipes where you just throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, and bake!  Of course it had to be gluten free for Livey so I made a few adjustments from a recipe I found on the amazing food blog hungry hungry hippie!  Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 1 cup whole rolled oats (certified gluten free)--Olivia has trouble with oats (even GF ones) so I actually crushed up 2 rice cakes which equaled about a cup and it turned out great.
• 1 cup buckwheat (either groats or uncooked hot cereal mix is fine)
• 1/3 cup quinoa (I used 1/6 cup each of of red and regular quinoa)--I used tri-colored quinoa!
• 2 T chia seeds
• 3/4 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut--I used the big coconut flakes because they are yum!
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted--I reduced this to 1/4 cup

**I also made a version with less maple syrup and I added lavender, vanilla bean, and a little salt...yum!

Instructions

• Like I said, chuck all of that into a bowl and mix together very very well!
• Spread it out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake at 225 degrees for 60 minutes.
• Let it cool and then break it apart and enjoy the ridiculous deliciousness!!

GF Pumpkin Crumble!

Ok I know I keep saying this but I truly am astonished at how easy some of these recipes are and how delicious they turn out!  The Gluten Free Goddess has yet to let me down!  My Dad and Cort came to visit this weekend and I wanted to celebrate my Dads birthday (which was a few weeks back) so we had kitchen Birthday California style!  (Background: for the past 5+ years we have started calling our birthday celebrations on my Dad's side of the fam kitchen birthdays, because we always make a home cooked meal and just hang out together...in the kitchen ;) Brilliant I know!)  So Olivia had the bright idea of baking a GF cake!  My step Mom Cortney is a gluten free gal like Olivia, so I went to my trusty gluten free goddess blog and found this awesome pumpkin crumble recipe.  It turned out SO good and yes it was very very easy!  Have at it, you wont regret it! :)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups light brown sugar 
1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour (sorghum is the best in my opinion :)
3/4 cup almond or hazelnut flour (almond is the best in my opinion :)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 large organic free-range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup organic coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract

For streusel topping:

1/3 cup organic light brown sugar
3 tablespoons brown rice flour or sorghum flour
3 tablespoons organic coconut oil (melted)
2-3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans (may omit) 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9-inch deep cake pan or baking dish with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients: light brown sugar, brown rice or sorghum flour, almond or hazelnut flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Add in the pumpkin, beaten eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract. Beat to combine.

The batter at this point will be smooth and sticky, and not too thin. Humidity affects flours, so you may need more liquid, depending upon your locale. If so, add 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk.

Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth it out to the edges. Use wet hands if you need to.

Make the streusel topping, combining the brown sugar, brown rice or sorghum flour, coconut oil, chopped walnuts or pecans (if using), and cinnamon. Mix until sandy.

Spread the streusel topping on the cake. Lightly press down to even it out.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 40 minutes, then loosely tent a piece of foil over the top to prevent the streusel from browning too much. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the center of the cake is firm and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean.

Cool the coffee cake on a wire rack.

Delicious served slightly warm. (We served it with vanilla ice cream and it was de-lish!!)

May be baked the night before, cooled, and wrapped for the next morning. Slice, wrap in foil, and freeze uneaten cake slices in a freezer bag.

Cook time: 55 minutes Yield: 10-12 slices (or 8, I mean who really wants a slice that small;)

Blendtec GF Millet Irish Soda Bread

Every time I'm grocery shopping and I have to buy gluten free bread I cringe, first of all because it is stupid expensive, and second because it is uber processed!  Making my own GF bread has always sounded a bit daunting with the yeast, rising time, and the need for a bread machine or the perfect over temperature...which is why I just kept cringing and spending my pennies on subpar ultra-processed GF bread.  However Blendtec has saved the day yet again with the easiest and most delicious GF bread recipe...seriously I'm still in shock at how easy it was and how yummy it turned out.  No yeast, no rising time or bread machine needed, just throw it together, hit the batter button on the Blendtec, throw it in the oven, and then do your best not to eat the entire loaf in one sitting!  

Ingredients: 

3/4 Cup Milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 Cup butter, softened (You can also try coconut oil)

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Large Eggs (organic and cage free of course;)

1 Cup Millet Flour

1/2 Sorghum Flour

1/2 Potato Starch

2 tsp. Xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 F.  Add milk, butter, honey, vinegar, and eggs to the wild side jar, secure lid.  Select "Batters."  Add remaining ingredients, secure lid and again select "Batters."  Pour batter into a greased bread pan.  Using a sharp knife, slice a criss-cross into the dough.  Bake for 35-40 minutes (mine took 40) and Enjoy!!  

See I told you it was easy!  This bread is great for sandwiches, with eggs, or add some flare (almond butter and strawberries per say) throw it in some tin foil and put it in your pocket for killer ride food!  

Blendtec Quinoa Corn Muffins!

This recipe is SO easy, you can whip these muffins out in now time! Blendtec comes with a pretty cool recipe book that gives you step by step instructions down to just how many times you need to pulse the blender to make the perfect batter.  This is perfect for people like me who love recipes that have thorough, easy to follow directions ;)  I've made a few different versions of these muffins, one with blueberries and also a spicy jalapeño version.  I'll explain how to do each version below.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 whole egg and 1 egg white

2/3 Cup Milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 Cup Canola oil (I subbed this out for coconut oil, I highly recommend this.  The measurements are the same, just melt the coconut oil before adding)

1/4 Cup Honey

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

2/3 Cup Cornmeal

2/3 Cup Quinoa Flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Add first 4 ingredients in the order listed (if you have a blendtec, secure the lid and press pulse 4-6 times, however if you don't, just use a mixer and they will turn out lovely too).  Add the remaining ingredients (if using blendtec pulse 4-6 times, if not just mix it till batter is smooth).  Pour batter into greased muffin tins or tins lined with paper cups.  Bake 15-17 minutes and enjoy them hot out of the oven with some raw honey (I suggest Therabee Honey!)

**Blueberry version:  I bought fresh blueberries, froze them, rolled them in a little bit of the quinoa flour, and then mixed them in the batter at the end.  This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of your batter when you bake them!

**Spicy Jalapeño version:  I diced up some jalapeños along with a Cherry pepper (just pick a pretty red one, I mostly used it for the color it gives alongside the green jalapeño).  Dice them up and sauté them in a pan with a little oil (olive oil or coconut oil and just a touch).  Then add them (the amount you add will depend on how spicy you like it, I use      1 1/2 tbsp. or so) to the batter and bam spicy deliciousness! 

Gluten Free Pancakes! Best pre-long ride breakfast ever!

The gluten-free goddess comes through again with this super easy and YUMMY GF pancake recipe!  I've made GF pancakes before with the pre-made mixes but this was my first attempt at making batter from scratch.  I mixed up the dry ingredients the night before (we had to be on our bikes by 9 and anything I can do to stay in be longer, I will :) so everything was ready to go in the morning!  A few things to note: make sure your batter is runny enough, if it is thick add more liquid, my first pancake came out a bit odd because the batter was too thick, so the pancake was too thick and didn't cook well in the middle.  Also this recipe calls for soy milk but I used almond milk.  I also didn't have any almond extract in the house so I just doubled the vanilla and they were perfect!

Dry ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups sorghum flour (this is my favorite GF flour for any recipe)
1/4 cup buckwheat flour 
1/4 cup almond flour 
1/4 cup potato starch (not flour) or tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 

Wet ingredients: 

1 cup soy milk (or milk of choice) 
1 cup water 
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten 
4 tablespoons organic coconut oil (make sure you melt the coconut oil, its solid at room temp)
1 tablespoon honey or raw agave nectar 
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions (all from the gluten free goddess blog, I take no credit;): 

Heat a griddle on medium-high heat. If your griddle requires greasing, do that now. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in the wet ingredients. Beat well to incorporate. Your batter should be silky and smooth. Not too thick. 

Test the griddle by shaking a drop of water on it. If it pops and sizzles, your griddle is hot enough. 

Using a ladle, pour a scoop of pancake batter on to the heated griddle. Repeat for as many pancakes as you can fit at one go. 

When tiny bubbles have formed in the batter, carefully flip the pancakes with a thin flexible spatula. Cook a minute or two until firm- but don't over cook. Overcooking pancakes makes them tough.

To keep warm- or eat immediately? The truth is- gluten-free pancakes are best eaten straight off the griddle- while hot and tender. If you keep these warm in the oven they may toughen a bit. 

If the batter thickens as it stands, add a little more liquid to thin it. 

Serve with warm maple syrup. 

Serves 4.  Enjoy!:)

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/08/karinas-gluten-free-pancakes.html#ixzz2qrOaD8Mp

Gluten Free Zucchini bread! (Coast ride fuel)

I have experimented in all things gluten free and I have to say there is one blog, with a TON of recipes that has yet to fail me!  I am a big fan of the gluten free goddess! http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ For our coast ride I decided to try her twist on zucchini bread and it was delicious!  She recommends adding nuts to the bread...I of course added chocolate chips! :)  Try it, you wont be disappointed!!

Ingredients:

1 rounded cup of fresh, grated zucchini (I partially peel my zukes, in stripes)
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch (or tapioca flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light olive oil or coconut oil
2 free-range organic egg whites, beaten or egg replacer (1/4 cup liquid)
1/4 cup coconut milk 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or orange juice
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla

Option:
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions:

Press the grated zucchini with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. After pressing, fluff with a fork (I learned this tip from 101 Cookbooks). Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, and cinnamon. Add in the brown sugar.

Add the oil, lemon juice, egg whites or egg replacer, and the coconut milk. Beat to combine and continue to beat on medium high until the batter is smooth- about two minutes.

Add in almost all of the shredded zucchini (I save out a few shreds to decorate the top of the loaf) and stir by hand to combine. If you are adding nuts, stir them in to distribute.

Scoop and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and using a silicone spatula, even out the top. 

Add a few shredded zucchini strands to the top.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven until the top is golden and firm, yet gives a bit when lightly touched. It should feel slightly springy. This may take anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes. It took 55 minutes for my zucchini bread to bake. Test with a thin sharp knife or a wooden pick- either should emerge with no crumbs or batter.

Cook time: 1 hour

Yield: 1 9-inch loaf


Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-bread.html#ixzz2qgMKCHr7