detoxinista Archives · Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen

14 Valentine’s Day Sweet Treat Recipes {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

On February 13, 2017

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, My Story, Paleo, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Bill and I love holidays and find ways to make them special. My family always did that growing up, so it’s a tradition I’ve carried into my marriage.

This past week, I thought it would be neat to buy a card and a treat for Bill for each day leading up to Valentine’s Day.

I put a card and a treat in a brown paper bag with “Happy <3 Week” written on it and put it in his backpack each day.

It was fun for me to do and I know it will be at least one bright spot in the midst of his hectic days as an elementary school phys ed teacher. I’m not sure what he has planned for this weekend, but I’m looking forward to it!

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, one thing is for sure – BOTH of us love chocolate.

We are fans and followers of our favorite Baltimore-based chocolatier, Jinji, and know that Valentine’s Day is not complete unless we are eating some of her amazingly delicious chocolate creations. It’s seriously the purest, richest chocolate I’ve ever tasted.

Truffles galore! They’re always so creative and decadent.

If you can’t make it out to your favorite chocolate shop, or you just want to make a delicious sweet treat at home, try one of these 14 Valentine’s Day-worthy recipes below.

They are all dairy-free, gluten-free, and made without refined sugar. Many of them are paleo-friendly as well, so give at least one of them a try!

The first recipe holds a special place in my heart because dark chocolate caramels are pretty much the best thing ever.

Homemade Rolos by oh she glows

Photo Credit: Angela Liddon. Used with permission.

Oatmeal Heart Cookies by Nourishing Meals

Photo Credit: Nourishing Meals. Used with permission.

Sweet & Salty Super Food Chocolate Bark by RNK

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies by RNK

Two Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies by oh she glows

Photo credit: Angela Liddon. Used with permission.

Cacao Mousse & Raspberry Parfaits by Begin Within Nutrition

Photo Credit: Begin Within Nutrition. Used with permission.

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Bites by RNK

Seductive Raw Chocolate Walnut Fudge by oh she glows

Photo Credit: Angela Liddon. Used with permission.

Easy Strawberry Cheesecake by Kasia Kines (my nutritionist!)

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles by RNK

Dark Chocolate Berry Cups by Yuri Elkaim

Photo Credit: Yuri Elkaim. Used with permission.

Peanut Better Balls by oh she glows

Photo Credit: Angela Liddon. Used with permission.

Mint Chocolate Crunch Bliss Balls by RNK

Peanut Butter Cup Pie by The Detoxinista

What are your favorite sweet treat recipes?

Feel free to leave a comment below and share!

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes: Gluten Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On November 24, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Nourish, Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! It’s my favorite food holiday and a wonderful time to reflect on what matters most and what we value and appreciate.

I have a lot to be thankful for, including all of YOU who have been SO supportive of me and my continued work on this blogging adventure.

I am SUPER excited to spend most of the day in the kitchen Thursday preparing yummy and nourishing food for my family. I love them and want them to be well!

I love how colorful the Thanksgiving plate can be, how amazing our house smells as everything is cooking and all of the flavors are coming together, and taking the time to reflect on what matters most to me.

Here are a few of the recipes I’ve shared on the blog before (and some I haven’t!) that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner 🙂 Just as a little reminder, all of these recipes are dairy-free and gluten-free, so just about anyone can enjoy them!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Walnuts

People often ask where I look for recipes when I’m trying to come up with ideas. Here are a few of the blogs I will be getting inspirations from this Thanksgiving. Check out the recipes and let me know if you end up trying out any of them!

Healthy & Gluten-Free Recipes from The Detoxinista

I love so many of her recipes and try out at least one of them every couple of weeks. I’m excited to try out her Clean Green Bean Casserole (cut back on the sodium – it’s a LOT!), No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Tarts, and Grain-Free Stuffing, but she highlights a full list of 10 of her favorites here, so be sure to check it out!

Grain-Free Thanksgiving from Against All Grain

I made a recipe for a dense, moist (everyone’s favorite word, right??) pumpkin bread that I saw blogger and author, Danielle Walker, post on Facebook and brought it to my church for our annual Thanksgiving dinner tonight. SO worth it!

Not only that, but Danielle is offering a completely grain-free Thanksgiving recipe ebook for sale on her website for less than $5! Many people who have digestive challenges feel better when they at least temporarily eliminate grains from their diet.

Against All Grain’s Pumpkin Bread (Nut-Free, Grain-Free & Dairy-Free!)

Nourishing Meals by Tom Malterre

What caught my eye was this mouth-watering picture of an Apple Cider & Herb Brined Turkey. This Wild Rice Stuffing recipe with apples, cranberries, and sage looks (and sound tasty), too, so I may try it!

I also happen to think the two Nourishing Meals cookbooks are FANTASTIC, and I highly recommend them.

Our Paleo Thanksgiving by realfoodwithdana

I’ve been following Dana’s work on Instagram for the past few years and have gotten to meet her in person at the Natural Products Expo East several times. She focuses on paleo recipes (no beans, grains, dairy, refined sugar or processed foods), and she is fun and funny, too. If you’re not already following her on instagram, you can do that here.

In this post, she shares over 50 paleo-friendly, mouthwatering Thanksgiving recipes that you will definitely want to check out to upgrade your menu.

Nomtastic Thanksgiving Recipesfrom nomnompaleo

I love the playful vibe of this blog and appreciate how simple and fun their approach is. Their Roasted Garlic Autumn Root Vegetable Mash, Brussels Sprouts Chips (um, yes, please!!) and Cran-Cherry Sauce are all on my list of menu possibilities.

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes from oh she glows

Angela posts amazing recipes (and beautiful photos). I made my own version of a sweet potato casserole tonight but think this one looks pretty awesome, too! This Gooey Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Pudding Cake sounds as incredible as the pictures look and may be worth trying.

And now for a little gravy on top…

For whatever reason, I’ve never been a fan of gravy, but I know it’s most people’s favorite thing about the meal, so here is a recipe for a gluten-free gravy and another for a vegan mushroom gravy recipe to check out! Both have good reviews. Bon Appetit also wrote a simple post about how to make gluten-free gravy, and you can check it out here.

What’s YOUR favorite Thanksgiving dish? Feel free to leave a comment below 🙂

Peachy Keen Kale Salad

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On July 3, 2014

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, Paleo, Recipes, Tips & Tricks

It’s no secret that I like kale.

I’m surprised I haven’t bought one of those “Eat More Kale” shirts yet! (birthday hint??)

A beautiful bunch of curly kale

It can get boring to eat kale the same way all the time (juice from 2 lemons + 1-2 T olive oil + a few hefty shakes of nooch + a sprinkle of sea salt + black pepper massaged into the kale leaves), so I like to change it up throughout the year and try new recipes to keep things exciting.

I’ve shared my absolute favorite kale salad recipe before along with one for an upgraded kale Waldorf salad, but the salad I made this week has quickly become a new favorite!

(Check out the video below to see how you can quickly and easily “destem” kale as you prep this salad 🙂 I’ve been working on doing some videos for Hometown Harvest, which is the company Bill and I use for our fruits, veggies, eggs, meats and some other pantry items. I also write for their blog. If you don’t live in the Baltimore/DC metro area, check out LocalHarvest to find a farmer’s market, CSA or farm near you!)

This salad is SO easy to make and gave me an excuse to use the sweet, juicy and flavor-filled peaches that are in season right now on the East Coast.

The basic ingredients are kale, peaches, and red onions. Easy, right? The dressing isn’t much than that – a peach, olive oil, water and apple cider vinegar (whose health benefits I’ve raved about before in this post!).

Make sure you let the kale sit for at least 30 minutes to soak in all the flavors. We stored ours in the fridge overnight, and the flavors came together beautifully for dinner the next day.

I plan to bring this salad along with a watermelon mojito salad to the 4th of July party we’re going to on Friday. You have to try it for yourself – it’s so yummy and will be a hit if you bring it to a summer party or cookout!

Peachy Keen Kale Salad

This beautiful peachy kale salad will be a hit at your dinner table or a potluck!

A perfectly peachy salad ready to be enjoyed! You won’t even need dessert after having this treat 🙂

Ingredients

2 bunches curly kale, stems removed
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ripe peach, pitted and chopped

Peach Vinaigrette:

1 ripe peach, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Click here for the recipe from The Detoxinista!

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with Creamy Cashew Frosting

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On June 23, 2014

In Clean Eating, Recipes

Last week, we got a big container of strawberries in our weekly produce delivery and wanted to find a creative way to use them.

Strawberry season isn’t very long, so I try to take advantage of the fresh, local strawberries while I can.

Sooo, why not make some cupcakes?!

It's strawberry season! Who wants a cupcake? :)

Strawberries and lemon pair well together in this recipe.

I was also intrigued by the creamy cashew icing, since I’ve used cashews in the past as a substitute in a lot of dairy-free recipes from paleo parmesan cheeze and nacho cheeze sauce to sour cream and caramel apple dip. Cashews are versatile and help create a creamy consistency.

I could have eaten the icing by the spoon on its own, but I did leave enough to fully ice all of the cupcakes.

These cupcakes are gluten-free yet they stay super moist, unlike most gluten-free baking recipes, so I was really happy with the outcome.

The recipe calls for coconut flour, which you can find online at Amazon or Vitacoast and at health food stores like Whole Foods, MOMs, and Wegmans, but I’ve also found it at Home Goods and Trader Joe’s JUST started selling it (for like $2.99/bag!). Since it’s becoming more popular, there’s a good chance your local grocery store will carry it in the gluten-free aisle.

The recipes for both the cupcakes and the icing are included below 🙂 I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with Creamy Cashew Icing

It’s strawberry season! Who wants a cupcake? 🙂

Strawberry Lemon Cupcake Ingredients (Gluten-Free)

Makes 8 cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries

Click here for the cupcake recipe from a fellow health coach, The Detoxinista!

Cashew cream frosting – SO creamy and delicious!

Creamy Cashew Icing Ingredients (Dairy-Free)

Makes 1 1/4 cups

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked 2-3 hours and rinsed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Click here for the cashew cream icing recipe.

Creamy Cauli-fredo Sauce! {Paleo, Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On June 20, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Fettuccine Alfredo.

If I had to guess, I would bet this dish is one of the most popular and beloved comfort foods of all time.

But with a cup of butter, almost as much heavy cream, and over a cup of cheese in a typical Alfredo sauce recipe, it’s not something many people can enjoy very often, especially if you’re trying to stay away from dairy or just notice that you feel better without it.

If you absolutely love fettuccine Alfredo, my goal isn’t to get you to give it up for good. Instead, I want to introduce you to a new way of preparing a similar dish…one that is a lot healthier but still creamy and comforting!

The main ingredient?

Cauliflower.

Cauliflower in Alfredo sauce?? Wait a minute…how can this possibly taste good?

I have to admit, when I first saw this recipe, I was a bit skeptical…and so was Bill.

I know it sounds kind of absurd…but, trust me, it works!

One of my passions is showing how some of our favorite recipes that might not be so healthy can be flipped to a more nourishing version that is still delicious and kid/family-friendly

My ultimate test for knowing whether I’ve made a successful recipe is to have my husband, Bill, try it.

If something we make doesn’t taste good, he has no qualms saying so.

But if it’s delicious, I usually get an emphatic “oh yeah” or “this is great” (which is a lot coming from him!).

Bill and I were pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this recipe and licked our bowls clean!

Not only does this recipe taste delicious, but it doesn’t use any fancy ingredients and can be whipped up in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

4 zucchini, spiralized using this awesome gadget! (You could also sub in your favorite gluten-free pasta of choice – we like the Tinkyada brown rice pasta)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Caulifredo Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or grass-fed ghee
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (here’s how to break apart a head of cauliflower in seconds!)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 generous pinch of pepper, to taste
juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1.5 tablespoons)

Directions

Sauté the minced garlic in coconut oil or butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant but not browned.
Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower florets, and bring the water to a boil. (The water will not cover the cauliflower, but that’s okay.) Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for 12-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft.
Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Add in lemon juice and onion powder. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids– the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender!).
Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot. If it seems thick, add more water. If it seems dry, add a liberal drizzle of olive oil.
Place spiralized zucchini in a medium-sized frying pan greased with coconut oil, and stir for 3-4 minutes or until zucchini takes on a cooked pasta texture, sort of wilted and soft. Be careful not to overcook.
Transfer zucchini noodles (AKA “zoodles”) to a plate or bowl and pour sauce on top. Sprinkle this 3-ingredient paleo parmesan cheeze on top and start eating!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On June 13, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

Chocolate-covered strawberries…for breakfast? Why not!

When I was a little girl, there was a strawberry man who would ride a horse drawn cart around our neighborhood and shout, “Strawwwwberries! Strawwwwwwberries!” as he sold pints of fresh strawberries to us and our neighbors.

I couldn’t quite say such a complicated word at the time, so my dad tells me that I called them “strawbetties.” 🙂

Berries have always been my favorite fruit, so I try to take advantage of them for the limited time they’re in season each year, which happens to be right now for strawberries!

Mmmm, locally grown strawberries

Not only do they taste delicious raw or cooked, but they’re also loaded with fiber and antioxidants, low in sugar, and are one of the 6 GBOMBS foods (anti-cancer/anti-fat storage!). Eat berries…lots of them!

For today’s recipe, I used frozen strawberries, but you could very easily just use fresh ones and throw in a few extra ice cubes OR cut the tops off of fresh berries and then put them on a parchment paper lined container and freeze them yourself 🙂

I don’t know about you, but chocolate-covered strawberries are one of my favorite treats, and this recipe gives us a nourishing way to have our strawberries AND chocolate. Try this smoothie/shake for breakfast, a midday snack, or as a dessert. It’s really yummy!

Cacao powder is one of the superfood ingredients in this recipe. Cocoa powder (such a slight difference in spelling!) is treated with heat, which destroys a lot of the health-boosting antioxidants of the cacao plant (where chocolate comes from!), so we use cacao powder instead. It’s a little more bitter, but it does the trick to create a chocolately taste! You can find it online or at a natural food store, Wegmans, Whole Foods, MOMs or Home Goods.

To learn more about the difference between cacao powder and cocoa powder, click here. Otherwise, check out the recipe below!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Chocolate-covered strawberry shake! I topped mine with some cacao nibs for a little crunch 🙂

Ingredients

1 cup water or almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
1/4 ripe avocado
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping tablespoon raw cacao powder
ice, if needed for texture

Click here for the full recipe from The Detoxinista!

Tag: detoxinista

14 Valentine’s Day Sweet Treat Recipes {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

Homemade Rolos by oh she glows

Oatmeal Heart Cookies by Nourishing Meals

Sweet & Salty Super Food Chocolate Bark by RNK

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies by RNK

Two Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies by oh she glows

Cacao Mousse & Raspberry Parfaits by Begin Within Nutrition

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Bites by RNK

Seductive Raw Chocolate Walnut Fudge by oh she glows

Easy Strawberry Cheesecake by Kasia Kines (my nutritionist!)

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles by RNK

Dark Chocolate Berry Cups by Yuri Elkaim

Peanut Better Balls by oh she glows

Mint Chocolate Crunch Bliss Balls by RNK

Peanut Butter Cup Pie by The Detoxinista

What are your favorite sweet treat recipes?

Feel free to leave a comment below and share!

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Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes: Gluten Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo

People often ask where I look for recipes when I’m trying to come up with ideas. Here are a few of the blogs I will be getting inspirations from this Thanksgiving. Check out the recipes and let me know if you end up trying out any of them!

Healthy & Gluten-Free Recipes from The Detoxinista

Grain-Free Thanksgiving from Against All Grain

Nourishing Meals by Tom Malterre

Our Paleo Thanksgiving by realfoodwithdana

Nomtastic Thanksgiving Recipesfrom nomnompaleo

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes from oh she glows

And now for a little gravy on top…

What’s YOUR favorite Thanksgiving dish? Feel free to leave a comment below 🙂

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Peachy Keen Kale Salad

Peachy Keen Kale Salad

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Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with Creamy Cashew Frosting

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with Creamy Cashew Icing

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Creamy Cauli-fredo Sauce! {Paleo, Vegan}

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Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie

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