Gluten-Free Goddess : Recipes by Karina

The Goddess Returns to the Kitchen   Hello, dear hearts. After a long and gentle pause—a time to rest, breathe, and refill the creative well—I’m back in the kitchen and baking once more. The inspiration has returned (along with the craving for warm muffins and chocolate anything), and Gluten-Free Goddess is stirring to life again. Sometimes, you need to step away to rediscover the magic. And now? The magic's back. I’ve been updating and revamping beloved old recipes, testing some new favorites, and falling in love again with the art of gluten-free baking. If you've been here before, welcome back—I've missed you. And if you’re new to our kitchen, pull up a chair. There’s plenty to go around. Here’s to sweet things, second chances, and recipes made with heart. With love and flourless joy,

Ah, flourless chocolate cake. The perfect luxurious dessert.  Forgive the hyperbole. But I just can't help it. This is rich, silky chocolate deliciousness on a plate. And such an easy recipe, especially if you use a food processor to do the work. Serve this to non-gluten-free folks with no apologies. None. Zip. Nada. And for gluten-free folks? Hand out seconds (we deserve it, don't we?). And the best part is- the recipe is inherently gluten-free and wheat-free. Always has been. No substitutions. No funny stuff. This is the same flourless chocolate cake I've been making for decades. It never contained flour. The only thing I've tweaked post-celiac diagnosis is adding more coffee and vanilla. Just because. As Spring is beginning to unveil her colorful beauty, why not celebrate with this tried and true dessert- a reader favorite on Gluten-Free Goddess. And PS: See below why I make this recipe in a food processor- thanks to Bobby Flay. Happy SPRING! Karina xo

What She Said. An old meme from years ago had bloggers posting 50 things to remember, as in lessons learned, life advice, various opinions and tips. And it turns out I had 50 things I felt like mentioning. So I did. Over time, the post was lost to the archives and got a little dusty back there. So I decided to bring it back and dust it off. To remind myself. Because at my age? Remembering is an art not a science. So write this down. It's important.   You know what they say. Here today, gone mañana. 50 Things To Remember: 1. Make a To Do List. That way, when you find it in the bottom of your purse next month, you'll have something to read while you're standing in line buying tube socks. Which by the way, was never on your list. 2. What's done is done. 3. Breathe. I'm serious. Take a deep breath now. You don't want to get shpilkes. 4. You are not what you eat. And you are not what you don't eat, either. 5. Some people are velvet hammers. T...

Light + Lemony Gluten-Free Pasta for Spring with Grilled Asparagus   To speak about something as prosaic as pasta salad seems downright ho-hum. I mean. It's just a pasta salad. It's something I tossed together with stuff I had on hand. I hadn't planned on it. I didn't spend days contemplating the ins and outs and quirks of gluten-free penne. In fact, if I'm being unabashedly honest here I rarely think about food at all. Until I'm hungry. Until those familiar, nagging pangs begin gnawing their pesky little way into my consciousness, distracting me from my preferred, visual nomenclature- which rarely includes anything edible. I daydream about painting in the Rockies, the plight of bees, and walking low tide on Brewster Flats. I notice the temperature of light and the curve of negative space against a jar of old spoons. I think about expectations and illusions and perceptions. I ponder where my soul is taking me, tugging at me to pay attention to my lif...

    The Queen of Spring. Asparagus. It's a welcome signal of warmer days (and nights!) when those bundles of slender green stalks are back, standing tall in elegant rows at the local market. Erect, perky little beauties. My deep and abiding craving for asparagus is surprising for someone who never tendered a single bite of fresh asparagus until my third decade here on planet Earth. Yes, you read that right. Three decades. I admit it. I was anti-asparagus. In my own defense, I must mention, in full transparency, that the only asparagus I was served in childhood came from a can. A CAN. And Darling! If you've never had the non-pleasure of noshing said limp and stringy excuse for a such a brilliant vegetable, I am here to assure you, it was tinny, flaccid, and disgusting with a capital D (and in full disclosure, it ended up buried deep inside my paper napkin, doomed for the garbage pail as soon as the parental and familial accomplices to this vegetable horror were occupi...

Sometimes a great notion... Cornbread is such a reliable quick bread for gluten-free bakers- there is no yeast to proof, no rise time to plan before baking, no complicated kneading or punch-down. Simply stir together the batter, pour, and bake. In roughly half an hour you have an invitingly warm and tender bread to pair with your hearty bowl of chili or stew, and a perfect companion to a plate of baked beans. What makes this recipe extra special- aside form being gluten-free- is the cooked sweet potato I was inspired to stir into the batter. It gives the cornmeal something to grab onto, with a touch of exotic sweetness and heft. Honestly? It's just so darn tasty. Sometimes intuition creates kitchen magic. Karina xo

A Fresh, Light Risotto for Spring. May I just take a moment and express my deep appreciation for risotto? And tender-crisp spring asparagus? A week like we've had triggers a need for comfort food- but not the heavy, spice laced comfort food of winter. Something fresh and light and creamy. Asparagus risotto   to the rescue. Happy Daylight Savings! Karina xo

Blueberry Muffin Mornings. Blanched almond flour and blueberries make the perfect little gluten-free bite for a spring breakfast. Or, for that matter, a lazy summer brunch. Or afternoon tea. Or- you name it.  For right now, though, I'm thinking a blueberry muffin morning might be the perfect start to my day. This day. The recipe here is vegan- but if you prefer using eggs, darling, beaten eggs will work perfectly well in this favorite recipe (just use fresh free-range eggs in place of the egg replacer). Stay true blue this week, everyone- be well, be safe, make this week delicious. Karina xox

Let. Us. Eat. Cake. My husband's latest birthday marked another spin around the wheel of time. And yes, I baked a cake. And as I stirred the batter and scooped it into cake pans, I thought about the other cakes I have baked for him. The chocolate cake in our first year of marriage. Children beneath our roof. Blue balloons and candles. The newness of each others' dreams. The shine of our ideas. The belief in what was possible. We've shared twenty-eight of his birthdays now. And the single constant through these twenty-eight years is change. Change has woven its intricate design deep inside our marriage, our thirteen different living spaces in seven different states, our evolving work as artists and writers, our sons' own ever-changing lives. There isn't a piece of our life together that has not been burnished by change. I asked my husband what he felt about this birthday, if anything. He said at first he didn't feel anything about it. That is was just ...

Stormy weather comfort food.  Temps have plunged to zero here in New England. Oh, well. Perhaps I shouldn't exaggerate. Okay. It was 1 degree above zero. One. As in uno. As in eins. As in une. Translation? COLD. AKA soup weather. So I whipped up a wintry weather comfort food favorite. A creamy and delicious split pea soup. That just so happens to be gluten-free. Meat-free. Dairy-free. My secret? Coconut milk, darling. And a dash of spicy jalapeños. It was lip-smacking tasty. Trust me. You won't miss the ham hock. Stay safe and warm out there!  Karina xo