Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Bars

Gluten-free pumpkin spice bars- yummalicious.

Pumpkin bars aren't as sexy as say, a fresh raspberry tart or a chocolate mousse. In fact, they're rather bake-sale pragmatic. They don't exactly inspire passionate prose. But at the end of October, as daylight dwindles and afternoon shadows creep like spiders across the burnished rustle of windswept streets (yes, Darling Babycakes, this is my ode to Hallow's Eve), nothing warms the cockles of a pilgrim soul like the autumnal flavors of cinnamon, brown sugar and pumpkin.

And so, I offer you a new recipe for this deliciously spooky time of year. Bake a batch of these spicy fallish treats, pour yourself a mug of hot apple cider, and watch Tim Burton's classic Halloween movie, Sleepy Hollow, snuggled beneath a cozy throw with someone you love.

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Gluten-Free Pasta with Artichoke Hearts, Raisins & Pecans

Sexy gluten-free pasta for two.

When I learned I had celiac disease, the first thought I lurched into was: Pasta! No more pasta? That was December 2001 and it was a cold, dark day, indeed. I was devastated. I *heart* pasta. I lurve pasta. Just the very thought of pasta perks up my appetite and sparks my desire for saucy food and spicy romance. You know, sultry jazz and candlelight. Spaghetti dripping with garlicky olive oil. Pesto coated penne. Putanesca sauced linguine. Roasted vegetable stuffed lasagna. Creamy shells. The soft reliable comfort of macaroni and cheese.

My pasta love runs deep and true.

No wonder. My husband and I honeymooned in Tuscany, Italy. Talk about love food! Honey Baby, we have been in love- and in love with Italian food- ever since. Why? If it isn't obvious, let me count the ways.

Start with sensuous and fruity extra virgin olive oil. Or the intoxicating mingle of garlic and fresh lemon. Balsamic vinegar drizzled on a roasted peach. The brilliant combo of basil leaves and pine nuts. Soft, creamy globes of mozzarella sliced thin and snuggled in between disks of juicy ripe tomatoes. Crisp white wine and nibbles of salty sweet Parmesan. Oh my.

What's not to love, Dear Reader?

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Garlicky Shrimp and Spinach Rice Bake

Baked rice, spinach and shrimp.

Easy, Tasty, Cheesy Shrimp, Spinach and Rice Bake

This is one of those way too easy recipes I'll share with you anyway- just because. Just because you might find yourself (as a certain individual did, last night) cranky and hungry- with nothing planned for dinner- poking around the numbing depths of a freezer rooting for sustenance. And there you find it. Inspiration. Shrimp. And spinach.

Karina's Garlicky Shrimp and Spinach Bake Recipe

Recipe posted October 2006.

I don't often use frozen vegetables. But something I always keep on hand? Frozen spinach. And frozen cooked shrimp. That way I always have a Plan B for supper.

Ingredients:

A splash of extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping cups frozen shelled wild caught shrimp (not farmed, if possible)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
Black pepper
A splash of golden balsamic vinegar
2 cups cooked long grain brown rice
1 16-oz bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained
A handful of organic sweet grape tomatoes, halved
A pinch of nutmeg and Old Bay Seasoning, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 oz. garlic and herb marinated mozzarella, sliced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat and toss in the shrimp and garlic; stir for a minute or two just to defrost and firm up the little pink gems. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar in the pan; shake a moment and remove from heat.

In a casserole or baking dish make a layer of brown rice in the bottom of the dish. Scatter all of the chopped spinach over the top. Season the spinach with nutmeg and Old Bay Seasoning; sea salt and pepper. Toss in half of the grape tomatoes.

Layer in half of the mozzarella. Pour the shrimp into the casserole and distribute evenly. Use every last drop of garlicky oil.

Add the rest of the tomatoes. Top with the remaining mozzarella.

Cover and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes, till heated through.

Serves 3 to 4 depending upon appetites.

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Pasta Smothered with Roasted Vegetables

A pan of glorious vegetables and garlic ready for roasting

It's the time of year for roasting. And this sweater-clad goddess couldn't be happier. Roasted vegetables are my favorite comfort food. I love my roasted veggies with unabashed passion. Balsamic vinegar, fruity olive oil and sea salt make for simple, fabulous roasting, complementing the caramelized sweetness of the vegetables with a perfect touch of salty-tart [and darling, who doesn't appreciate a little salty tart?].

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Sweet Potato Cornbread- A Gluten-Free Favorite

Scrumptious sweet potato cornbread- and it's gluten-free.

It's all about taste. Good taste and bad taste. You want the good first? This recipe for sweet potato cornbread. It rocks. Seriously. The bad? Yesterday we decided to go to the movies with Joey and Will (those two totally fab rockin' guacamole styling hunks). We chose The Departed, Scorsese's new flick (it's been garnering rave reviews); and met at the theater.

Well, Babycakes, in all gut wrenching honesty (I won’t speak for the three men who apparently liked it more than I did) I could barely sit through it. I felt as if I was being beat up. Run over by a Zamboni. I mean how much misogyny and homophobia and execution-style murders can a tenderhearted sensory sensitive girl like me take? 

Not this much it turns out.

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