Have your (chocolate) cake and eat it too! GF DF

Laure made this incredible chocolate cake from her mom's (my grandma's) birthday and was kind enough to let me decorate it! Instead of four layers, she made two and I used the filling as a frosting on each of the layers. I lined the bottom layer with blueberries to add height and used the chocolate ganache as a garnish, with more berries to decorate. We hope you enjoy this fabulous dessert!

 

Zenbelly No Joke Chocolate Cake (DF, GF)

This recipe made 2 small spring form pans. If you plan on making a large (10″ or so) cake, double the recipe.

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil (plus more for greasing pans)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM FILLING:
3/4 cup heavy cream (or equivalent in coconut cream, from the top of an unshaken can of coconut milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life because they’re gluten and soy free)
1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE GANACHE GLAZE:
4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon honey

Make the cake:

• Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and line 2 small spring form pans (I used 6″, but you could use 8″ or 9″ and make a 2 layer cake instead of 4) Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Sift dry ingredients (almond flour through cocoa powder) into a medium sized bowl
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir to combine and add to the dry ingredients.
• Beat until well combined by hand, and pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your pans. If using larger ones, check after 20 minutes.

Make the chocolate whipped cream filling:

• Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water.
• Beat your cream until it’s fairly stiff.
• Add the melted chocolate and give it another quick whip, and scrape down the sides of the bowl so it’s mixed in well.

Make the ganache glaze:

• Melt the butter, unsweetened chocolate, and chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. (you can use the same bowl you melted the chocolate in for the whipped cream, scraped out)
• Once it’s melted, stir in the honey and turn off the heat.
• Here’s where patience and attentiveness comes in: Remove the bowl from the heat and allow it to come to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. You want the ganache to thicken, but not get so hard that you’ll have to spread it on the cake. You want to be able to pour it. It will probably take about 1/2 hour to get to the right consistency, a good time to do all of the dishes you just made dirty.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

• If you’re going for 4 layers, cut each cake in half, and arrange the bottom layer on a plate with parchment paper tucked in around the edged to keep the frosting from getting all over the plate. 
• Plop 1/3 of the chocolate whipped cream in the center and spread it out to the edges.
• Repeat
• Stick the cake in the fridge to allow the filling to harden a bit. 
• Once the ganache is at the right consistency, pour it over the top of the cake and push to the edges so it falls over. If the sides of your cake are prettier than mine, leaving it dripping might look nice. My cake was was a bit wacky, so I tried to spread the ganache to cover the sides. It didn’t really work. But like I’ve said before, I’m a chef, not a baker!

Who says gluten free dessert isn't absolutely fabulous?

Dr. Chelsea

Pizza, the allergy free way

When I was growing up, Friday night was always pizza night. Not just takeout either, we regularly made amazing homemade pies at home. It was the highlight of the week! Until my sister and I discovered that neither of us could handle the cheese anymore because of our dairy sensitivities and hers to gluten. I was in denial for a few years, then would pick off the cheese when it was presented at parties, until I finally came to accept that I don't handle gluten well either. Most of the gluten free recipes out there which I have found for pizza crust have a ton of dairy in them (like 4 CUPS of cheese, what the heck?!). So for quite a while, I have suffered from pizza withdrawal.

Until Laure bought me a pizza crust from Sami's Bakery. Now I can have pizza anytime.

The crusts from Sami's do have traces of wheat, so if you are highly sensitive this may not be the solution for you.
Here are a few alternatives (disclaimer, I have only tried the Bob's Red Mill mix):
1. Bob's Red Mill Mix
2. Gluten Free Goddess (She has an AMAZING blog, check it out!)
3. King Arthur Flour Mix (which comes with some helpful tips)
4. Food Network Potato Pizza Crust
5. Faithfully Gluten Free

I would also like to take a moment to rant about store-bought pizza/pasta sauce. My mom has always made her own sauce, so any time I buy something from a jar, it is simply bland. Some are better than others, but I always end up adding spices to them. If you are buying sauce, I highly recommend adding oregano, thyme, and garlic, and adding basil right at the end.

Empty the Icebox Pizza
Whenever I make pizza, I try to load it up with as many vegetables as possible! Which ones I use depends on what we have in the fridge that week, but my three primary requirements are zucchini, bell peppers and sundried tomatoes. Getting the sundried tomatoes in the jar in oil is the key step here, the rich buttery flavor really makes up for the lack of cheese.

This time around, I used zucchini, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, summer squash, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. Be creative with it, you can use whatever you have in the fridge! At times we have used kalamata olives, eggplant, pineapple, avocado, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and whatever else we could find. I also usually add some kind of meat depending on what is available.

Ingredients: 

1. 3-5 cups of vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces
2. 3 cloves garlic, chopped
3. 2 cups tomato sauce
4. Seasoning (oregano, basil, salt, pepper)
5. 1 pizza crust (see above)
6. 1-2 cups meat, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
7. 4-5 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Set oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare pizza crust (If it's Sami's, just take it out of the bag, if you have a recipe, prepare it as instructed) and place on a baking sheet
3. Spread sauce on pizza crust, add oregano and pepper
4. Heat 1tsp olive oil in a frying pan or wok on medium, then add garlic and saute for 2 minutes
5. Add vegetables, season to taste and add 2-3tsp olive oil, cover and cook until they are almost soft.
You may have to do this in stages, adding in the harder vegetables like brussels, carrots, peppers etc. first and allowing to cook for a while before adding softer vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. which only require a short cook time. Add more olive oil if needed, but keeping the cover on should produce sufficient moisture.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables from pan and spread onto the pizza
7. If you chose to use meat, add it to the pizza now
8. Bake until crust is golden brown, around 13-15 minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy!

*We do not get any kickbacks from any of these brands for promoting their products, we are simply thoroughly impressed with their commitment to producing delicious gluten free products!*

Send me your favorite combinations, I'm always looking for new variations!
Dr. Chelsea

Who doesn't love bread?

One of the complaints we hear most often when recommending a gluten free diet is that people have trouble giving up flour-based products such as bread, pasta, and baked sweets. On one hand, it is actually beneficial to decrease the amount of those products in your diet anyway, trading them for vegetables, fruit, nuts, and lean meats. However, if you absolutely have to grab a piece of toast now and then, you do have options.

As food sensitivities continue to rise in commonality, so does awareness and a demand for alternative products. We all know that where there is demand, a supply will be created, so POOF! all of a sudden you can find gluten free alternatives in your local grocery store. Some areas are better than others, but things are definitely getting better!

As common brands are expanding into the gluten free market, make sure you are actually purchasing the gluten free product. Most importantly, **READ THE LABEL!** Oats are contaminated with wheat in processing and MUST be labeled gluten free to be considered safe. Also, gluten free does not guarantee dairy free or soy free. If you are particularly sensitive, you may also have to watch out for Tapioca flour and Xantham gum. There may also be increased sugar content in these products to help with flavor.

Stumped where to find them? Check the freezer section. I leave my bread in the fridge and lightly toast a few slices if I'm making a sandwich or french toast, or fully toast them if true toast is what I'm after.

Some gluten free breads we love:

1. Homemade from scratch

2. Homemade from a mix such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Flour

3. Sami's (Sami's Bakery, Chuck's Natural Fields, Rollin' Oats)

4. Canyon Bakehouse

5. Rudi's

6. Udi's

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! We are more than happy to discuss these options with you! Catch us in the office or shoot us an email at frankclinicofchiropractic@gmail.com.

Let me know what your favorites are and where you find them in your area!
Dr. Chelsea

Breakfast Quinoa

Breakfast Quinoa (GF, DF, SF, EF)

Servings: 1-2

Leftover quinoa is the best! When I'm in a hurry and am in the mood for a special treat, there is nothing I like seeing in the fridge better than last night's quinoa. It makes an amazing substitute for oatmeal or grits or rice cereal and it's GI friendly.

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
2. 1/4 to 1/2 Almond/coconut/cashew milk (depending how thick you like your "cereal")
3. 2 Tbsp peanut/almond/cashew butter
4. 1 tsp cinnamon
5. Optional: flaked coconut, fresh fruit, unsweetened dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, and apricots work best), or 1 tsp of fruit preserves

Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on medium low, stirring often until hot
2. Serve in a mug and enjoy!

Let me know what your favorite variations are!
Dr. Chelsea