It’s no secret I love Disney World… and yes, I will get those 2013 reviews up soon!
But recently, I had the opportunity to spend one evening in Orlando, so I took full advantage of this and made dinner plans with my friend Sarah at one of my favourite restaurants!
Sarah runs a comprehensive gluten-free and dairy-free Disney World dining site… and, lucky her, she lives so darn close to the place that she goes ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME.
Colour me jealous. Continue reading
Sweet, creamy cookie dough. Crunchy salty pretzels. Smooth silky chocolate. Everyone will love these bite-sized sandwiches. For a soy-free batch, I used crispy plantain chips instead of the pretzels… which was a truly awesome experiment.
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vegan buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
About 64 knot-shaped pretzels (I use Snyders Gluten-Free)
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Fine sea salt (optional, but recommended)
Put the maple syrup, vegan buttery spread, and vanilla extract in a bowl or a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or the stand mixer, beat until well combined. Add the flour, icing sugar, and salt. Beat until fluffy and well-mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips and beat until combined.
Lay a piece of waxed paper on a large plate. Use your hands to roll the mixture into truffle-sized balls (about 32). Squish each ball to about 1-inch thick between two pretzels to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining balls and pretzels. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Nearing the end of the 15 minutes, put the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals on medium-power, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth.
Dip half of each sandwich into the melted chocolate, then put it back on the waxed paper. Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Freeze or refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
A spicy marinade has a kick of cayenne, along with sweet apricots and a tang of Dijon. You can also fire up the grill, cut the tofu into chunks and spear it on skewers for a barbecued version of this easy protein- and flavor-rich dish.
For the marinade:
6 medium apricots, stoned
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (depending how potent your brand is, add it to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
To finish:
2 (170g/6oz) packages super firm tofu, squeezed of excess moisture
Put the apricots, garlic, water, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth.
Slice each block of tofu into six slices. Pour a little marinade into a long container. Add the tofu in a single layer, then top with the remaining marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve warm.
Laurie Sadowski 