Life, Gluten Free

Lemon and Dill Mashed Potatoes with Avocado

A friend of mine told me she had seen (and tried) a recipe recently that added lemon juice, olive oil, dill and avocado into mashed potatoes. Since she didn't have the recipe, I decided to figure it out and add those ingredients to taste to create a recipe.

Lemon and Dill Mashed Potatoes with Avocado

NO: gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts

Ingredients:
8-9 medium sized potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (loosely packed)
2 avocados, diced
salt to taste

Preparation:
Boil the potatoes and make mashed potatoes as you normally would.
I usually put some earth balance in the mashed potatoes (and I did this time).

In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil.
Add to the mashed potatoes and stir well.
Add salt to taste.
Lightly fold in the diced avocado with a spatula.

This dish is awesome and is one of our favorites now. I made a small batch for Sophie without earth balance and with coconut oil instead of olive oil because of her allergies.

The avocado adds a really nice creamy texture to the dish. I like the salty and tangy tones that are created by the lemon juice, dill and sea salt. You can also use dried dill if you don't have access to fresh.

After dinner, my husband and I kept talking about how much we enjoyed this twist on mashed potatoes. I am looking forward to making it again soon. We also sauteed some fresh local pesticide-free corn and swiss chard with onions to eat with the mashed potatoes.

I hope you try these potatoes! If you are not particular fond of dill, you could substitute for another herb or even leave it out. Dill actually contains iron and manganese. Potatoes offer Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and Potassium. Avocados are a great source of Vitamin K, dietary fiber and are a tasty source of essential fatty acids. Combining these ingredients in mashed potatoes make this dish even more healthy!

-heather

Creamy Coconut Ice Cream

This ice cream is amazing. It tastes better than the packaged coconut ice creams that you buy at the store!

Creamy Coconut Ice Cream
NO: gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy

Ingredients:
1 can of organic coconut milk
1 container of coconut yogurt (plain 6oz)
1/2 the meat of 1 young coconut (optional, see below)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons raw honey

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients in a blender.
Put in ice cube trays, it makes two large trays of ice cubes.
Freeze until completely frozen.

Use however many ice cubes are appropriate for the size batch that you want.
Place ice cubes in a Vitamix or other high-powered blender or a food processor.
No liquid is used.
Blend until creamy!

You can make plenty of variations of this ice cream too! Add chocolate chips or berries when blending, for instance. We often make peach or apricot ice cream and add the fruit when blending. This time, we made just plain coconut ice cream and put peaches on top.

You don't have to use the meat of a young coconut, that is optional and can be left out completely without hendering the recipe. We've made it plenty of times without the meat of the coconut.

Also, if you are allergic to vanilla you can leave it out and the ice cream will still taste great :)

-heather

Champagne Cucumber Delight

1 pound organic champagne grapes
3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
4 cucumbers, peeled
1 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Remove the grapes from the stems and place in a bowl.
Dice the cucumber and mix with the grapes.
Whisk the lemon juice, raw honey and golden balsamic vinegar together in a separate bowl.
Add to the cucumber and grapes and mix together.
Serve in individual bowls or along with a meal.

This is my mom's recipe. She put her creative mind to work and "engineered" this delicious recipe with cucumbers and grapes. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. The combination, however, proved to be fantastic. It's a perfect summer salad!

This recipe makes a lot, it's perfect to take to a picnic and share with others. If you want to make less, just trim the recipe down. You can use red or green grapes as well but you will need to chop them into small pieces. Enjoy!

-heather

Carrot Potato Soup

Carrot Potato Soup

2 large potatoes - peeled

6 medium carrots - peeled

1 medium onion

6 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

In food processor, grate the potato, carrot and onion.

Add to boiling water.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, covered while stirring occasionally.

Add salt and olive oil.

Cook until vegetables are done.

Add spices and seasoning to taste.

This is a very delicate soup. It will pair nicely with a garden salad and some gluten-free bread.

-heather