A Gluten Free Valentine's Day

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Rather than making reservations at a nice restaurant on Valentine's Day, I decided to use this holiday as an excuse to cook an extra special meal at home with Dan.  This ended up being the perfect decision with the Valentine's Day mini snowstorm that arrived Saturday night.  We may have spent at least a couple hours in the kitchen preparing our dinner, but it was all completely worth it.  In honor of this day devoted to celebrating love, I created a delicious three course menu!
Appetizer
Main course
Dessert

So what was my favorite component to this three course meal?  It's a tough call, but I must say the flourless chocolate torte was the best I've ever had (even better than the one I got at a really nice restaurant on my birthday)!

Chocolate Dipped Lemon Ricotta Olives
Adapted from Cupcake Project
Yield: 20 olives + extra filling
Gluten free, soy free, egg free


Ingredients
  • 1.8 ounces dark chocolate (I bought a bar of Madecasse Madagascar chocolate from Whole Foods, which I highly recommend)
  • 20 fresh green olives (I got mine from the olive bar at Whole Foods)
  • 1.5 ounces ricotta cheese (Grass-fed would be the best option)
  • 3/4 teaspoon lemon zest (~1/2 a lemon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
*Make sure your olives are chilled ahead of time to make the chocolate dipping process easier and less messy.  This way, the chocolate should start to harden seconds after touching the olives.
  1. Melt 1 ounce of the dark chocolate in the microwave.
  2. Dip the closed end of the olive halfway into the melted chocolate.  Spin the olive around to evenly coat all sides.
  3. After dipping, place the olive on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat step 2 with the remaining olives.
  4. Place the dipped olives in the fridge for the chocolate to finish hardening while you mix the filling.
  5. In a medium sized bowl, melt the remaining .8 ounces of dark chocolate in the microwave.  Mix in the ricotta, lemon zest, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract.
  6. Remove the olives from the fridge and pipe the lemon ricotta filling into each olive.  *If you do not have a piping tube, place the filling in a sandwich sized Ziploc bag and cut off a small piece of one of the corners.  Then, just place this opening in the olive and gently squeeze the filling out of the bag.
  7. Refrigerate the olives until ready to serve.


Creamed Mushrooms
Adapted from Paleo Leap
Yield: 2 servings as a side dish
Gluten free, soy free, egg free, dairy free, Paleo


Ingredients
  • 5 oz mushrooms, chopped (your choice on type of mushroom!)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine
  • 2 Tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Rinse the mushrooms to remove any excess dirt, then pat dry and chop.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium and add in the coconut oil.
  3. Stir in the garlic and allow to saute for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add in the mushroom and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the wine, coconut milk, and thyme.  
  6. Allow mixture to simmer until thickened.

Bacon and Asparagus Stir Fry
Adapted from Spice the Plate
Yield: 3-4 servings
Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, Paleo, Whole30


Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 1/4 pound bacon (*Note: There is FINALLY Paleo bacon at local grocery stores, such as Whole Foods and MOMs)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Trim the ends off each asparagus spear by grasping the end of the spear in between your pointer finger and thumb and bending until it breaks.  Alternately, you can use a knife to trim the hard, whiter portion of the bottom end of each spear.
  2. Cut the asparagus spears into 2-inch long strips.
  3. Cut the bacon into 2-inch pieces as well.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  5. Add in the bacon and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp around the edges.
  6. Add in the garlic and asparagus and stir fry for about 4 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
  7. Add the coconut aminos and stir fry for 1 minute longer.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Coffee, Chili, and Cumin-Rubbed Steak
Adapted from Oprah.com
Yield: 2 servings
Gluten free, soy free, dairy free, egg free, Paleo, Whole30


Ingredients
  • 2 lean steaks (~1 pound)
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon finely ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
*Remove the steaks from the fridge to prepare about 1 hour prior to cooking them.
  1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except the steaks.
  2. Pour spices onto a large plate and roll the steaks in the spice mixture to evenly coat.
  3. Preheat an electric grill pan and lightly spray with olive oil.  Use a meat thermometer to cook the steaks to desired level of doneness (125°F for rare-to-medium rare).
  4. Remove from grill pan and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
*Note: Cook the steaks using any method that you prefer, such as grilling, roasting, or searing.  I enjoy my electric grill pan because it is quick and simple.
Flourless Chocolate Torte with Vegan Creme Anglaise
Adapted from This Mama Cooks!
Yield: 4 cakes
Gluten free, soy free, can be made egg free, Paleo


Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I bought a bag of Guittard 46% cacao baking chips from Whole Foods)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2.5 Tablespoons espresso or strong coffee
  • 2.5 Tablespoons merlot wine
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup arrowroot
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 egg (or egg substitute - I used 1 Neat Egg)
  • 1 additional cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Extra coconut sugar and cocoa powder for sprinkling
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, melt the 2/3 cup of chocolate chips with the coconut oil. 
  3. Mix in the vanilla extract, coffee, and merlot.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to your dry ingredients and whisk everything until thoroughly combined.
  6. Add the egg and mix well.
  7. Grease 4 ramekins with coconut oil and sprinkle each with a small amount of coconut sugar and cocoa powder.
  8. Divide the batter evenly between the 4-8 oz. ramekins.
  9. Place a large open oven-safe dish filled with boiling water on the bottom rack of your oven.  This water will produce steam that will help keep the cakes moist.
  10. Bake the cakes on a rack above the water for 15-20 minutes (mine took 19 minutes), or until all but the very middle has risen.
  11. Turn off the heat and open the oven door.  Allow the cakes to rest in the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes before removing.
  12. Serve each cake on a plate of the vegan creme anglaise - recipe below!  Garnish with raspberries or other fruit, if desired.
Vegan Creme Anglaise
Adapted from Yummly
Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, Paleo, vegan

Ingredients
  • 11 ounces lite coconut milk
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water overnight)
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • Dash of sea salt
Directions
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  It may take several minutes for the mixture to get nice and creamy, just be patient!
-Brought to you from Erin's Kitchen

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