Apple pie is a classic dessert, perfect for any special occasion or holiday. This gluten-free, grain-free version is made from raw ingredients and is dairy-free. Make sure to top it off with some delicious dairy-free Coconut Whipped “Cream.”

Step 1: Pecan Crumble (Prepare first.)

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ c pecans (pieces or whole)

2 tsp honey

1 ½ tbsp cinnamon

1 ½ tbsp carob powder

½ tbsp date sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind ingredients in a food processor until finely textured, but don’t overgrind or else they’ll release too much moisture (about 15-2o seconds grinding depending on equipment).

2. On a Teflex dehydrator sheet, lay out the mixture so that it is as thin and evenly spaced as possible.

3. Dehydrate for 4-5 hours.

4. Reserve crumbles for later use.

Step 2: Apple Piece Sauce

INGREDIENTS

½ tsp clove, ground

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ c cashews, soaked 3 hrs

1 tsp orange peel, fresh or dried (You can find it dried in spice sections of most gourmet markets.)

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ c currants (or raisins)

¾ c water

1tbsp agave (or date paste)

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a very high-powered blender, blend all of the above until very smooth.

2. Keep the mixture reserved in the blender for later use.

Step 3: Coconut Whipped “Cream” (Prepare third.)

INGREDIENTS

3 medium young Thai coconuts, meat only (3/4 to 1 c meat total)

½ c coconut oil, firm

1/8 c agave

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender until very smooth.

2. Place into a storage container and refrigerate for later use. (Stays good for up to 3 weeks.)

Step Four: Apple Filling (Prepare last.)

INGREDIENTS

4 medium apples, cored and cut into large pieces (optional: soaked in Kahlua or rum)

½ tsp sea salt (brings out the sweetness)

1 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Just before serving, pulse the ingredients listed above a few times in your food processor just to roughly chop the apple pieces to a chunky consistency.

Step Five: Apple Pie Assembly

1. Re-blend the apple pie sauce on a continuous run for 1-1 ½ min. to warm the mixture.

2. While blending, in a serving casserole dish (1-c size) or large ramekin, place the pulsed apple filling leaving about an inch from the top for the crumble.

3. Spoon 2-3 tbsp of the crumble over the apple.

4. Add a dollop of the Coconut Whipped “Cream” over the center of the crumble.

5. Garnish the dish with some chopped fresh mint or some nutmeg!

Enjoy!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

In making a kitchen safe for celiacs, I recommend purchasing a new toaster specially designated for gluten-free use, which can be invaluable in avoiding cross-contamination. But what about when you’re traveling or eating over at someone’s house?  Now you can avoid cross-contamination with an innovative product called Toast-It Reusable Toaster Bags, which are convenient not only for toasting but for grilling gluten-free foods.

The bags are Teflon® and 100% non-stick. You can use them for heating up all sorts of foods, such as sandwiches, burgers, pizza slices, and garlic bread, in toasters and toaster ovens and on grills. Each bag is reusable up to ten times and comes two to a package.

Follow the link below to order a package:

http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm/manufacturer/IMCG/959069-___-Toast-It-Bags.html

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

I like to make these at barbecues and in place of French fries as a healthier alternative. They are gluten-free and grain-free. They also make a great side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c orange juice

¼ c oil

(optional) ½ tsp of:

ground ginger

garlic

salt

pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine orange juice and oil and reduce by simmering over the stove.

3. Add seasonings.

4. Thicken over the stove. Add cayenne pepper if you’d like.

5. Cut sweet potatoes into “fries.”

6. Bake approx. 25 mins on a greased dish. Toss halfway through with ingredients.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

What a delicious springtime treat! This recipe comes from Laura Waldo, author of the blog, Living Gluten and Grain Free (http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com). Make some extra strawberry filling and serve it as a parfait, topped with whipped cream and some fresh strawberry slices, in stylish glasses.

Serve it for dessert after having this amazing recipe! Flank Steak with Chimichurri sauce

Strawberry Filling

INGREDIENTS:

2 c fresh organic strawberries, tops removed, sliced

1 c raw cashews

2 tbsp gluten-free vanilla extract

½ c raw honey

1 pinch sea salt

1 c coconut oil, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth and creamy (approximately 3 mins).

2. Carefully pour into your favorite cooked pie crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Laura’s Favorite Grain-Free Crust

Laura’s favorite grain-free crust was developed by Dr. Bruce Fife. She says this fast and easy pie crust doesn’t require a mixer or food processor and makes a perfect 9-inch pie shell.

INGREDIENTS

½ c sifted coconut flour

½ c almond flour

2 eggs

½ teaspoon raw honey (optional)

¼ c butter, melted

¼ tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whip the eggs.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix until well-incorporated.

4. Using your hands, press dough into a 9-inch pie plate forming a crust.

5. Pierce pie shell all over with a fork, or use pie weights if desired.

6. Bake 15 mins, until the edges start to brown.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

Thanks again to Laura Waldo, author of the blog,

http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited over the past several years, and ten of the eleven doctors who were involved in the study have removed their names from it. The Sunday Times reports that Dr. Wakefield “changed and misreported results” in his research, according to “confidential” medical documents and interview with witnesses.

Dr. Wakefield’s study was published in February 1998 in The Lancet medical journal, causing widespread concern among parents that the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps, and rubella—was linked to autism. According to The Sunday Times, the impact of the article was “extraordinary,” with vaccination rates decreasing from 92% to less than 80%, while “herd immunity” from measles occurs when 95% of the population has been vaccinated.

After a British journalist, Brian Deer, published the results of his investigation calling Wakefield’s study an “elaborate fraud,” Wakefield denied these allegations as false in an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Wakefield continues to stand by his findings, saying that the results have been replicated in studies in five other countries and that Deer has received financial support from a pharmaceutical company. Check out the link below to see the interview yourself.

CNN Video Clip

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

Chocolate Piping

I made shapes of hearts and ovals but really any shape can be made.  These gluten-free, soy-free chocolate “designs” can be used on tops of cupcakes, cakes, served with a cup of cappuccino or with a small bowl of fruit for a classy dessert.

Make sure you make the piping thick enough.

INGREDIENTS and SUPPLIES

1. ½ package (5 oz.) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

2. Parchment triangles

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chocolate in pan on low heat and stir with a wooden spoon constantly or place in a Pyrex cup in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir at each break.
2. Take a piece of waxed or parchment paper and tape it to your cookie sheet (or counter top like I did) – draw the shapes you desire.
3. Roll your triangles into cone shapes.
4. Once melted you’re ready to fill your parchment paper triangles but make sure the tip is very small, allowing a little chocolate out.  Roll over the top of the parchment and gently squeeze.
5. Place in refrigerator or freezer.  Peel off gently.  Enjoy.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Nut Butter Rice Crisps

This is fun, easy, and absolutely loved by people of all ages. Kids have fun making this and you can add variety. Terrific snacks for your child’s lunchbox!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup creamy nut butter (peanut, almond, etc.)

½ cup room-temperature honey (or ½ cup honey and ½ cup maple syrup)

Gluten-free rice crisps (¾ cup to 1 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all in a bowl, and if it’s not sticky enough, roll with your hands into a ball, then add more nut butter. You can add more honey, but it will be sweeter.

2. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

3. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove and store in Ziploc bag. They can be kept either in the fridge or in the pantry, where they will stay softer.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Read the interview by clicking on the link below:

http://bfkbooks.com/interviews/tina-turbin-on-danny-the-dragon-et-al

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

Mr. Ritts Gingerbread

1/4 lb butter

1 cup sucanat (evaporated cane juice)

2 eggs

3/4 cup molasses

2 1/2 cup buckwheat mix

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp powdered ginger

Preaheat oven to 350.

Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch square cake pan.

Cream the butter, add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and beat well.

Add 3/4 cup boiling water and the molasses and blend.

Mix together the buckwheat mix, baking soda, salt, and ginger, add to the first mixture, and combine thoroughly.

Pour into the pan and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a plate.

I was a bit skeptical testing “already-cooked” rice in a bowl. It appealed to me somewhat, as it was organic and preservative-free, and sometimes I do need a side dish and don’t want to wait for the standard forty minutes for my brown rice. So I gave Go-Go Rice a shot and asked my test team in L.A. to try it out as well.

I popped this little dish in the microwave, after peeling back the cover slightly, set the time, walked away, got myself a glass of juice, and it was done. The moment came to test it. I could not believe how moist and tasty these little hearty grains of brown rice were. I thought it would be dried-out and need something to make it taste good. Not at all. It tasted as if I had just cooked it stove-top, with the same consistency as stove-top rice.I called the L.A. team and before I could say a thing, they went on and on about how convenient, fast, and unexpectedly delicious the organic brown rice was.

The master of the creation, T.J. Song, Stanford Business School graduate, with seventeen years of global trading (in Korea and the U.S.) and ten-plus years in the natural and organic food business in the U.S. under his belt, was a rice lover. In fact, it was and still is his daily staple. He wanted convenient “rice meals’’ for a long time. He found consumers purchasing products like this, but to him, these meals weren’t that good.

In 2004, he finally decided there was a potential business and ventured into the cooked rice business with a facility completed in 2005. Go-Go Rice was successfully introduced March 2006 to Expo West. Minsley, Inc. currently manufactures and distributes these delicious, convenient rice bowls.

We thank T.J. Song for being a man with a vision and taste.

Miranda Jade
www.glutenfreehelp.info.