Yesterday I chatted with my local NBC news affiliate about gluten-free living, The Pure Kitchen, and the upcoming Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo in Chicago this weekend! I will be attending the expo and selling copies of my book all weekend. If you’ll be there, swing by and say hi!

Before you watch the clip, I wanted to chat about something else briefly. I’ve had a lot of readers and friends ask me lately if people who don’t necessarily need to eat gluten-free can benefit from a gluten-free diet. The answer, quite simply, is YES!

Even if you’re feeling just fine, there’s a good chance that you could feel even better by avoiding foods with wheat. One of my friends recently told me that her doctor suggested she trial a gluten-free diet for a month to help ease a few digestive issues she was having. Within 3 days of going gluten-free, she was a total convert! Not only did her digestive symptoms disappear, but she also felt more energized, focused, and stronger during workouts.

I’m not saying that gluten-free is a must for everyone, but for most of us it makes a noticeable difference in our overall well-being. If you’ve been considering the idea of trying a gluten-free diet for a while, I urge you to give it a go. Chances are you’ll feel like a new you.

Have you heard of Lindsay Olives?

I recently had the opportunity to work with the company on a photography project for one of their many naturally gluten-free recipes. (Lindsay Olives are gluten- and casein-free.) It was so much fun! I’ll be sharing the recipe and photos with you next week, but for now let’s talk about olives.

One of my favorite snacks is a handful of garlic-stuffed olives with a scoop of hummus and some carrots. I call it my “Mediterranean snack plate.” Stirred into salsas, sprinkled over salads, processed into pesto…olives have many delectable uses. And come on. Salt and fat in one delicious bite? I’m in!

Last summer, Lindsay Olives sponsored a gluten-free blogging series that had my mouth watering at every turn. Bloggers from across the web offered up olive-centric recipes all summer long. Here are a handful of the recipes shared during that event:

• Champagne Nectarine Tapanade from Life as a Plate
• Olive Roasted Vegetable Quinoa from Book of Yum
• Tangy Olive & Tomato Pasta Salad from Wheatless & Meatless
• Muffaletta Burger from The Whole Gang
• Curry Grilled Chicken with Pistachio-Green Olive Stuffing from Tasty Eats at Home
• Fast & Easy Grilled Fish Tacos from Go Dairy Free
• Barbecued Chicken with Olive Relish from Celiacs in the House

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As you can see, there is no limit to what you can make with gourmet olives! Check out the Lindsay Olives website for more information about their product line and visit them on Facebook and Twitter, too.

Stay tuned for next week’s post with more olive chat and a great Lindsay Olives recipe!

When I found myself in a bit of  snack slump last week, I came up with this crunchy quinoa recipe to satisfy my mid-afternoon munchies. Packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fat, a handful of this crunch sticks with me and tides me over until my next meal. If you’ve read my book, you know that I’m as devoted a snacker as they come. I wrote an entire section of The Pure Kitchen solely based on healthy nibbles. Eating in between meals keeps me feeling energized and steady-Eddy all day long.

I wanted a chewy, crunchy snack that wouldn’t spike my blood sugar, so I chose to sweeten this quinoa crunch with stevia. If you’d prefer to use maple syrup or honey, I’m sure a tablespoon or two of that would work just fine here.

Quinoa, a grain-like seed containing all of the essential amino acids, offers an impressive nutritional profile. Boasting vitamins and minerals as well as fiber, it pairs perfectly with the heart-healthy walnuts and coconut in this recipe. Soaking the quinoa in advance not only helps to hydrate and soften the seeds, but also makes them easier to digest.

Instead of using an egg to bind the clusters together, I whipped up a quick mixture of applesauce and flaxseed to work like “glue.” I also did this in my Grain-Free Cranberry Walnut Granola recipe and it worked like a charm.

More crunchy nibbles you’ll love:

• Simple Spice-Roasted Chickpeas from The Balanced Platter
• Peanut Butter & “Jelly” Munch from Tasty Eats at Home
• Crunchy Chili Chickpea Chips from Daily Bites
• Carob or Chocolate Coated Almonds from Whole New Mom

Quinoa Crunch

Makes 1  1/2 – 2 cups

Enjoy this healthy snack by the handful or sprinkled over fresh fruit, applesauce, or smoothies for some added crunch. For extra sweetness, stir 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit into the mixture upon removing it from the oven.

1/2 cup quinoa, covered with water and soaked at room temperature for 5-6 hours

1/2 cup raw walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

15 drops liquid stevia

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Rinse well and drain again, pressing on the grains with the back of a spoon to remove as much water as possible. Transfer the drained quinoa to a mixing bowl and stir in the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, flaxseed, and stevia. Stir the applesauce mixture into the quinoa mixture to thoroughly combine. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I’ve been keeping this recipe under wraps for a while now. I unintentionally created it a few weeks ago when I was working on a fudge project. But accidents do happen, and sometimes they turn out to be delicious blessings in disguise!

You’d never know that this melt-in-your-mouth chocolate candy is dairy-free. Even right out of the refrigerator, it has the texture of a candy bar but isn’t tooth-breakingly hard. I love the bittersweet flavor and the subtle sweetness that the coconut oil provides. If you’d like to increase the sweetness of the candy, simply add additional coconut sugar or stir in a squirt of honey or maple syrup.

With Easter coming up, we all could use a few more healthy candy recipes in our back pockets. Who needs sugary chocolate eggs when you’ve got this stuff? Seriously, this candy can be addictive, so make it when you know others will be around to help you eat it!

The irregular shapes and sizes of the candy add that rustic, homemade touch. Don’t worry if your pieces crack and buckle as you slice them. I think this adds to the character of the recipe. Put out a plate of these walnut-studded chocolate shards at your next gathering and watch them disappear. Because I promise you, they will.

News & Reminders

• There’s still time to enter to win a whole grain gluten-free flour gift pack courtesy of From the Ground Up. Find all the details here. The giveaway is open until Thursday, April 5th.
• Tess, aka The Blender Girl, is hosting an amazing giveaway this month of a KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand Mixer! All month long, she is sharing gluten-free baked good recipes from bloggers across the web to inspire you to get in the kitchen and start baking gluten-free. I’m following along with the event on Facebook and Twitter so that I don’t miss one moment of the action!
• Are you always on the look-out for more easy and nutritious recipes? You should check out Kim Wilson’s eBook and website, Good and Easy Eats. Kim was kind enough to send me a copy of her eBook and I can tell you that it is full of healthy gluten-free and allergen-friendly recipes. Check it out here.

Nutty Chocolate Candy
Yield will vary depending on how large or small you cut the pieces

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Line a 7.5 x 3.5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap.

In a small pot over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Transfer to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Process until thoroughly combined. Pour into a mixing bowl.

Sift the coconut flour over the chocolate mixture in the bowl. Stir to combine thoroughly, ensuring there are no lumps. Pour the mixture into the plastic-lined loaf pan. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.

Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Remove the chocolate slab from the pan and cut into irregular shapes and sizes. Store pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

UPDATE 4/5/12 – This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks to all who entered!

From the Ground Up is a new-to-me company I just discovered a few weeks ago. They offer a line of gluten-free whole grain flours and baking mixes that are free of starches and preservatives. And today, they have generously offered to give one Daily Bites reader a package of their products!

From the Ground Up mills the grains on site in their gluten-free facility, which eliminates the risk of cross-contamination. Located in Vermont, they source many of their ingredients and grains locally. I love that. You can check out their supplier list here.

Because From the Ground Up strives to meet the dietary needs of their customers, they are willing to modify their baking mixes to be free of certain ingredients if needed. For example, their pancake and waffle mix can be made sugar-free (which is what they did for this giveaway) and their muffin mix can be made with ground flaxseed in place of the xanthan gum. How cool is that?

From the Ground Up is supplying five of their whole grain flours for today’s giveaway! Included in the package:

• 1 (18-ounce) package Millet Flour
• 1 (18-ounce) package Brown Rice Flour
• 1 (18-ounce) package Buckwheat Flour
• 1 (18-ounce) package Sorghum Flour
• 1 (18-ounce) package Pancake/Waffle Mix (a sugar-free blend!)

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Here’s how to enter:

UPDATE 4/5/12: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!

• Leave a comment on this post.
• Follow From the Ground Up on Twitter and/or Facebook and leave a comment saying that you did.
• Follow Daily Bites on Twitter and/or Facebook and leave a comment saying that you did.

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This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, age 18 years or older. Giveaway is open until 9:00 am CST on April 5, 2012. One (1) winner will be randomly selected and notified via email that they have won.

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Good luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

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(Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I saw a certain movie last weekend that still has me replaying scenes in my head.)

People are often surprised to know that I basically eat the same foods over and over again, just in different arrangements. I generally stick to a diet of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats and oils, and some complex carbs every once in a while. To me, this framework offers plenty of room for creativity and fun in the kitchen. Even though my diet doesn’t change much from day to day, I rarely experience “food boredom” or pesky cravings.

Eating this way also helps keep me on track health-wise. I know that if I lived off of gluten-free baked goods and fruit smoothies alone I would feel pretty lousy. Focusing on fresh vegetables and fruits balanced with moderate amounts of protein and fat keeps me feeling energized and a-okay in the digestion department.

I eat at least one salad a day, often two or three. Designating one of your meals as a big salad is an easy way to ensure you’re loading plenty of vegetables onto your plate at least once throughout the day. Lunches for me usually consist of a bowl of greens topped with shredded carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables along with chicken, chickpeas, or wild-caught fish. Depending on the day, I may add a few toasted nuts or seeds and a sprinkling of raisins or chopped dried apricots.

But what always stumps me is the dressing.

When it comes to healthy salad dressings, the grocery store selection is pathetic. Even bottles labeled “organic” and “gluten-free” often pack in refined sugar, milk or dairy, gums and other stabilizers, and low-quality oils. Homemade dressing is a must if you want to avoid a goldmine of overly processed ingredients.

Usually I drizzle my salads with extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It’s easy and quick, just what I need in the middle of a busy day. As much as I love the flavor of aged balsamic vinegar, though, my mouth often fights back in an explosion of canker sores if I overdo it. Just last week, I found myself with a sore-speckled tongue that was simply vinegared out.

To give my mouth some much needed relief, I came up with this mild and creamy dressing. Macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds give the dressing its smooth appeal without the need for milk or cream. Because macadamia nuts are a pricey splurge, I use half sunflower seeds to save a little money without sacrificing flavor or good nutrition.

Garlic and onion powder, a bit of lemon juice, and fresh dill give the dressing a ranch-like spin. It must be the time of year, because dill is tasting so good to me right now. I’ve been throwing it in everything from salads to omelets to meatballs. It seems that I just can’t get enough of the mellow, grassy flavor.

A few other fresh and nutritious dressings you might enjoy:

• Raspberry Thyme Dressing from Daily Bites
• Rustic Salad Dressing from She Let Them Eat Cake
• Sweet Dijon Dressing from Alisa Cooks

Creamy Onion Dill Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fresh dill (about 4 sprigs)

1 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Place the macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds in a bowl with enough water to cover. Soak for 3-4 hours at room temperature. Drain well and add to a Vitamix or high-speed blender. Add 1 cup fresh water, lemon juice, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, and salt. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Thin the dressing out with a bit of water before serving if desired.

Find more healthy recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

These vegan and grain-free cookies come from Tammy Credicott’s new book, The Healthy Gluten-Free Life: 200 Delicious Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, & Egg-Free Recipes. The book, a hefty 400+ pages with hundreds of full color photos, provides recipes for everything from Italian Meatballs to Chocolate Chip Cookies to Fried Rice, all with a healthy gluten-free spin.

Although some of the recipes call for non-dairy substitutes such as Daiya cheese or non-dairy butter/shortening, most utilize whole and natural ingredients to create classic comfort food favorites. The head notes of each recipe feature good-to-know tips and personal stories from Tammy, making the book not only informational but also fun to read.

I chose to make the No’Oatmeal Raisin Cookies after just one glance at the recipe. They include so many of my favorite ingredients in a not-too-sweet treat that can easily be enjoyed as a guilt-free snack or breakfast.

More of my favorite gluten-free cookies:

• Fruit-Sweetened Flourless Banana Nut Cookies
• Soft Island Bliss Cookies
• Oatmeal Currant Squares
• Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies

No’Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Healthy Gluten-Free Life by Tammy Credicott

1/4 C (40 g) raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 C (110 g) raw sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp coconut flour

1 Tbsp tapioca starch

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C (60 mL) raw organic honey

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp unsweetened organic applesauce

1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp finely shredded unsweetened organic coconut

1/3 C (50 g) organic raisins

1. Place raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a food processor and pulse until they are the consistency of a coarse flour.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the seed flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, and cinnamon.
3. Add in honey, vanilla, applesauce, and coconut oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer.
4. Fold in coconut and raisins.
5. Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough for each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on edges.
7. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Hallie’s Notes: I replaced the honey with 2 tablespoons of Grade B maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce, and 10 drops of stevia. I flattened my cookies lightly with the back of the tablespoon after placing them on the baking sheet. The recipe yielded 12 cookies for me.

A few weeks ago I posted 52 Ways to Eat Kale, a round-up of delicious and healthy gluten-free recipes featuring my favorite leafy green. The post was incredibly popular and flew through the blogosphere at breakneck speed.

So I decided to tap into that same theme and share another 50 recipes with you that all central around…….berries!

Berries—blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, you name it—are among my top five “desert island” foods (along with kale, of course). With summer inching closer and closer each day, I found myself salivating over my laptop as I compiled this list of recipes and anxiously awaited for my beloved berries to come back into season.

Savor the flavor of the nature’s perfect fruit with this collection of nutritious gluten-free food from some of the most talented bloggers across the web.

Happy spring!

Strawberries

Strawberry “Cheesecake” Bites from Nourishing Meals

Pomegranate & Red Beet Smoothie from Lexie’s Kitchen

Strawberry Avocado Smoothie with Dates & Hemp Seeds from Cara’s Cravings

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Strawberry Shortcake from Cook IT Allergy Free

Strawberry Chia Fluff from Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream from She Let Them Eat Cake

Vanilla Almond Strawberry Granola from The Spunky Coconut

Strawberry Mango Salsa from Two Peas & Their Pod

Strawberry & Cream Smoothie from The Blender Girl

Quick Strawberry Rhubarb (and beet) Syrup from Lexie’s Kitchen

Easy Strawberry Jam from Simply…Gluten-Free

Strawberry Gazpacho from With Style & Grace

Strawberry Mint Coconut Pops from Phytofoods

Maple Balsamic Dijon Salad with Strawberries & Pecans from Healthful Pursuit

Raspberries

Raspberry Brownie Bites from Daily Bites

Raspberry Jam Cookies from The Urban Poser

Raspberry Coconut Almond Cookie Bars from Gluten-Free Goddess

Raspberry Thyme Dressing from Daily Bites

Raspberry Vanilla Fruit Leather from Roost

Vegan Raspberry Bars from Without Adornment

Chocolate Oatmeal Pudding Breakfast Cake from Family Fresh Cooking

Blueberries

Fruity Macadamia Muffins from Daily Bites

Easy Blueberry Muffins from The Spunky Coconut

Blueberry Cucumber Smoothie from Nourishing Meals

Blueberry Oat Crumble Bars from Daily Bites

Blueberry Syrup from Nourishing Meals

Blueberry Buckle from She Let Them Eat Cake

Blueberries & Cream Cupcakes from Elana’s Pantry

Blueberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream from Roost

Blueberry Chili Hot Sauce from The Sensitive Pantry

Blueberry Peach Crisp from Phytofoods

Blueberry Honey Pie with Honey Whipped Cream from gfe – gluten free easily

True Blue Smoothie from Alisa Cooks

Almond Flour, Blueberry, & Lemon Zest Biscuits from The Urban Poser

Blackberries

Blackberry Limeade from 101 Cookbooks

Raw Swirled Blackberry Ice Cream from Love Raw

Blackberry & Walnut Salad from Rawmazing

Blackberry Kefir Smoothie from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (use coconut milk for dairy-free)

Blackberry, Coconut, & Lime Muffins from Real Sustenance

Blackberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie from Go Dairy Free

Berry Cardamom Smoothie from Gluten-Free Cat

Mixed Berries

Stone Fruit & Berry Crumble from Jenn Cuisine (use coconut oil for dairy-free)

Quinoa Almond Berry Salad from Oh She Glows

Brazil Nut Berry Smoothie from The Blender Girl

Simple Berry Salad from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

Overnight Banana Berry Pudding from Healthful Pursuit

Mixed Berry Frozen Yogurt Sherbet from The Sensitive Pantry

Sunday Morning Grain-Free Crepes from Life as a Plate

Dairy-Free Berry Mousse from Whole New Mom

Beet n’ Berry Smoothie from Choosing Raw

UPDATE 3/19/12 – This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!

Do you feel like you’re on a sugar roller coaster that just won’t stop? Do you have the desire to kick your carb cravings once and for all but just can’t, no matter how hard you try? Do you want guidance from leading experts in the holistic nutrition field to give you the jump-start you need to start living sugar-free?

Then you’ve come to the right place!

Today I have the privilege of giving away—yes, giving away!—a FREE spot in Sweet Victory, the 2-week online course led by functional nutritionist Andrea Nakayama and holistic chef and educator Ricki Heller. These brilliant ladies are teaming up to offer you a spot in their online course that covers all things related to sugar-free living.

The goal of the course is to provide participants with the knowledge, tools, and skills that will help them to overcome sugar cravings and sugar addiction, using the most up to date scientific, physiological, and psychological information.

Sugar-free Caramel Ice Cream (photo by Ricki Heller)

You’ll learn how to:

• Conquer your sugar cravings once and for all
• End sugar’s dominance over your life
• Stay away from the temptations of the day-to-day
• Understand how your emotions relate to your food choices
• Create delicious and nutritious recipes that won’t send you into a sugar coma
• And much more…

Included in the course:

• Full access to the Replenish PDX Sweet Tooth, Bitter Truth homestudy program (valued at $67)
• TWO 1.5 hour teleseminars (on March 24 & 31) with teachings about detoxing your body of sugar and cravings once and for all
• Daily protocol for the sugar cleanse
• Recipe packet, handouts, and other materials to guide and educate you
• 24/7 online support from Andrea and Ricki throughout the entire program

The value of this course is $227.

On a personal note, I have looked at the recipes and handouts for Sweet Victory and believe me when I say that I’m incredibly impressed with the quality and content that these ladies have put together. You would seriously be silly NOT to enter for the chance to win this incredibly educational opportunity! The recipes alone have me swooning. Don’t think that a “sugar cleanse” means being hungry all the time, either. If anything, you will eat like a queen as you savor Fudgy Brownie Cookies, Easy Millet & Red Pepper Pilaf, Grain-Free Pizza, Caramel Ice Cream, and more.

For more details about the program, head over here.

Ready to jump on the sugar-free wagon? Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment on this post. It’s that simple!
• For an extra entry, share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook and leave a comment here saying that you did.

Giveaway is open internationally. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Giveaway is open until 9:00 am CST on Monday March 19, 2012.

(P.S. If you want additional ways to win, two more free spots are being given away by Deanna at The Mommy Bowl and Cara at Cara’s Cravings!)