egg free

Girla is always on the lookout for new and interesting dairy-and-gluten free products. Here, she shares her opinion of Lillabee's classic yellow cake mix.

I picked up this dairy-free, gluten-free cake mix in Boulder a while back. In fact, Lillabee is a Boulder-based company. In addition to having no dairy or gluten, this cake mix is soy-free and all natural, meaning non-GMO. When I picked up a bag, I didn’t realize that the recipe requires 2 eggs, but thankfully, Ener-G Egg Replacer came to the rescue! Lillabee’s aim is to provide delicious baked goods you make at home that are allergy-friendly. Other products include: Fudgy Brownies, Anytime Muffins, and Perfect Pancakes/Waffles.

Keep reading to see her thoughts of the finished product.

If you're in need of a scrumptious Thanksgiving side, don't overlook kale. Fresh Tart recommends this raw kale salad with feta cheese and pine nuts.

I first wrote about this recipe a few weeks ago when I described our trip to San Francisco.  My friend Maud's brother Arthur made a delicious kale salad for us, and I couldn't wait to make it at home and post it for you.  In the process of raving about it on Facebook, I found out that the recipe originally came from Maud and Arthur's sister Abigail!  She claims she didn't make it up herself, but I'm happy to give her credit for introducing it to me via Arthur.  She said that Arthur added the nuts (a good addition).

The kale in the salad is raw, yet tender, because it sits tossed with some lemon juice for a bit (the acid tenderizes the greens).  In fact, I kept leftovers in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it completely the next day.  Abigail notes that it is always popular on buffets - as we all know, it's not easy to find a green salad that can sit nicely (and even improve) on a buffet!  I'm thinking . . . Thanksgiving.  Yes.

Get the uncomplicated recipe after the break.

It's apple season, and what should you do if you have an abundant supply of apples? Follow Fresh Tart's lead and make applesauce!

I hated applesauce as a kid.  (I realize how many blog posts I begin by mentioning a food I hated as a kid.  I do it to reassure you, and myself, that picky children often become great cooks and eaters.  So hang in there if you're feeding the impossible.)

I hated its grainy, watery texture. I hated its unappetizing pinky-grey color.

I hated that it didn't taste like apple pie, which I loved.

And then I made homemade applesauce and like many things homemade, it blew my mind a little bit.  Smooth and almost creamy, thick and not-too sweet, scented with cinnamon and tasting fully of apples.  Like apple pie, in fact, warm and comforting.  Yes.

See her mind-blowing recipe when you read more.

Are you tired of boring leftovers? Check out OnSugar blog Fresh Tart's great idea to serve them on chickpea flour pancakes for a change of pace.

I'll just cut to the chase — there is no better way to eat leftovers than atop a chickpea flour pancake. The pancake itself is so flavorful, it could breathe new life into almost any topping. It also takes 3 minutes to make — chickpea flour, stirred with some water, fried in a tiny bit of olive oil, done. Depending on what I'm topping it with, I might stir in a dash of seasoning, say curry powder or cumin. But I often don't even bother. Today's topping was a spoonful of leftover spaghetti meat sauce, sauteed with a handful of spinach. After it landed on the pancake, I added a crumble of feta cheese. It was, hands down, one of the best meals I've had all week.

I'm already jealous of this delectable-looking lunch! If you want to see her recipe and more fabulous filling ideas, just keep reading.

Wondering what to make with a bounty of fresh eggplant? Take a tip from OnSugar blog Fresh Tart and put together a creamy and delicious eggplant caviar dip.

My family is more than a little obsessed with the eggplant spread — or melitzanosalata — at It's Greek to Me.  The creamy eggplant is perfectly balanced with lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt.  Nathan and I could sit down with just that, and a mountain of pillowy, hot-off-the-griddle pita bread, and stuff ourselves like fat little dolmades.

Yeah.

Needless to say, when I saw a pile of gorgeous eggplants at the farmers market, I greedily snagged several, with eggplant spread fully on my mind.  I used this David Lebovitz eggplant caviar recipe, because 1) David Lebovitz recipes are always fantastic, and 2) I loved the idea of the seared, blackened eggplant skins imparting a subtle smokiness to the spread.

Always go for the smoke, right?  Perhaps a rule to live by.

To see the recipe she uses for this scrumptious eggplant dish, read more.