Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Silky Chocolate Glaze Recipe (Gluten Free!)

I love this recipe!  It is my "go to" cake -- you can top it with raspberries, strawberries, or just leave it wonderfully plain!  Got this recipe from http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsandsweets/r/flourlessgfcake.htm

INGREDIENTS

•   6 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

•   1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

•   3/4 cup sugar

•   3 large eggs

•   1/2 cup cocoa

•   1/4 teaspoon salt

•   1 teaspoon vanilla

•   For Glaze:

•   2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares

•   1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

•   1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk

•   1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey

•   1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spray a 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. If you don't have a tart pan, use a 6 to 7-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

•   Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.

Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.

•   Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.

•   Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.

•   Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.

•   Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.

To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.

Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.

Serves 6

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.

Kale Rainbow Detox Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

A delicious vegan and gluten free detox kale salad with an incredible lemon

dressing! You'll make this again and again!

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Can Serve 4 (or 1)

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sugar, if desired to sweeten it up

salt and black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

2 bunches kale (about 6-8 cups), destemmed and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup roasted almonds

1/2 avocado, diced

Instructions

1. To make dressing: place lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and salt in bowl; whisk together until

combined and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss kale, bell peppers, onions, and carrots together. Add dressing, cilantro, and parsley.

Use hands to massage kale with dressing; this is important so that the kale absorbs the dressing. Place in

refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to let flavors soak in.

3. Before serving, toss salad again. Top with almonds and avocado. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Notes

To make this a full meal, add in a cup or two of cooked quinoa!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/4th of recipe Calories: 192 Fat: 8.9g Carbohydrates: 26.2g Sugar: 7.4g Fiber: 8.1g

Spring Risotto with Shaved Asparagus

Serves 4

From http://www.willcookforfriends.com.

Recipe Notes: Before starting your rice, get all of your ingredients prepped and ready. Having everything nearby will make easy work of the whole dish.You can use Homemade Chicken Stock but vegetable stock would work just as well. I recommend using homemade stock if you can, but if you choose to use store-bought be sure to get ‘low-sodium’ stock.

Feel free to swap out or change the ingredients to your liking — if you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, leave them out. If you don’t like asparagus, try bell peppers, broccoli, or snap peas instead.

2 TBSP olive

2 TBSP butter, divided

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped (or whatever mushrooms you like)

1 cup Arborio rice (or other risotto rice)

1/2 cup white wine (use what you like)

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, blanched*

1/4-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (plus more for garnish)

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

*For this recipe I cut off the tips of the asparagus, then held the stalk at the woody end and used a vegetable peeler to make long ribbons. I then blanched the asparagus tips and shaved asparagus in hot water very quickly, and then moved them to a bath of ice-water to stop the cooking. This made them perfectly tender and bright green. I added the tips to the risotto, and served the shaved asparagus as a garnish on top. Alternatively, you could blanch or steam the asparagus whole and chop it before adding to the risotto.

Method

1. Place stock in a sauce-pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. In a separate pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, one TBSP butter, shallot, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the wine and continue to stir gently until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. This should happen pretty quickly.

4. Add one ladle full of stock to the rice mixture, and stir gently until almost all of the liquid has absorbed. This will take just a few minutes. Once most of the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle full of stock, and continue to stir. Repeat until most of the stock has been used, then give the rice a taste — it should be just a little chewy still.

5. When the rice is almost done, add in the peas, asparagus tips, lemon zest and juice, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

6. Once the last ladle full of stock has been added and the rice is just barely al-dente, remove the pan from the heat and add one TBSP butter and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well until incorporated, then season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. If you prefer your risotto a little looser, add a bit more stock or water.

7. Top with shaved asparagus and serve immediately. Bon Apetit!