Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Bars {gluten free, dairy free, and soy free!}

These bars... oh my! I really love cranberries, but I'm a bit timid when it comes to using them in the kitchen. I may have broken through that barrier with this sweet treat!

Thanks to the lemon and cranberry flavors, the bars aren't syrupy sweet, and they're not too rich. They're moist and bursting with flavor.

Confession: I ate a bar this morning with my tea. Life is short, right?

Let's get to it! Here's what you need to know to make your own pan of cranberry lemon bars:

Ingredients:
3 C. Gluten Free AP Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Earth Balance Spread
1 C. Sugar
Zest of One Meyer Lemon
1 Egg
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 C. Cool Water

1 Bag of Cranberries {12 oz., mine were frozen}
1/2 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
Juice of One Meyer Lemon

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir ingredients to mix, and then, with your hand mixer, add Earth Balance. Mix the ingredients to break up the Earth Balance.
Add sugar and zest, and give the bowl another spin with your mixer.
Add egg and vanilla, and mix again. You'll have a bowl of crumbled dough at this point.
Slowly add the 1/4 cup water, mixing as you go. The ingredients will pull together into a ball. I used the entire 1/4 cup, but you may find that you need a bit less.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, and press half of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine cranberries, sugar, and corn starch. Stir the mixture to coat the berries, and then add lemon juice. Stir again to combine, and then spread the cranberry mixture over the dough you pressed into the baking dish.

Top the cranberries with the remaining dough by crumbling it up and bit or spreading it into thin pieces to lay over the berries. It's perfectly alright if you can see the berries through the dough in places!

Bake the bars at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the center is set. Cool completely, then use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store, covered, in the fridge.

Allergy-Friendly BBQ Baked Beans {gluten, dairy, and soy free!}

I confess--I didn't really think I liked baked beans. They're a BBQ staple, sure, and sometimes I would add a small scoop to my plate. But I never went looking for the baked beans either.

Until this weekend.

For Father's Day, I asked my hubby what he'd like me to make for dinner. He wanted baked beans! So I set out to make a batch of baked beans that he would enjoy, and boy, am I glad I did. What a surprise to find out that I like them too! In fact, I'm eating the last little scoop of leftover beans for lunch as I write this.

He wanted bacon in his beans, so I used it in my recipe. I think they would be just as tasty without the bacon, for a vegan option.

Ingredients:
2 Cans of Beans {I used pinto beans, but you would traditionally use something smaller, like navy beans}
4 Strips of Bacon {diced}
1 Onion {on the small side, diced}
1/4 C. Ketchup
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Molasses
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

To Make:
Open beans, drain and rinse, place in an 8x8-inch square baking dish {or similar} and set aside.
In a skillet, saute bacon and onion until the bacon begins to crisp and the onion has a translucent appearance. If you wish to omit the bacon, saute your onion in a bit of oil, Earth Balance/butter, or perhaps coconut oil.
Add the bacon and onions to the beans, and mix.
In a small bowl, make your sauce using the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, dijon mustard, and garlic powder. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour the sauce over the beans, combine thoroughly, and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Please note... the amount of sauce created with this recipe is just right for coating the beans, but doesn't leave any "soupy" sauce behind after baking. If you prefer beans with more sauce, consider doubling the sauce recipe before you add it to your beans.

Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Dressing {gluten free, soy free, dairy free, vegan}

The heat has really picked up where I'm at, leaving me looking for dinner options that aren't rich, heavy, or, well... hot! Salads fill the need nicely, I think. This dressing is definitely my new favorite. It's rich and creamy, but refreshing at the same time. Perfect for a loaded salad, or for dipping chopped veggies.

Ingredients:
1 C. Cilantro {remove the large stems, wash and chop it a bit, and don't worry about packing too firmly}
6 oz. cup of PLAIN coconut yogurt {almond milk yogurt, etc. would also work}
1/4 Cup Oil {grapeseed, olive}
Juice of One Lime
Meat from 1/2 Avocado
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

To Make:
Combine the ingredients in your food processor or blender, and process thoroughly. You can also use a stick/immersion blender.
Taste the mixture for salt and pepper, and add more to your liking.
The dressing is best served immediately, but it will keep for a few days in your refrigerator if stored in an air-tight container.

German-Style Potato Salad {gluten, dairy, and soy free}

Several years ago, I had my first taste of a German-style potato salad. I was hooked! And then I promptly shoved the memory to the back of my mind, where it lay dormant. What brought the memory back? Pregnancy, of course! And if memory serves, it was during my last pregnancy that I first tried this style of salad.

Anyway--my memory didn't fail me. This is one yummy, satisfying salad. It's much lighter than standard BBQ fare, as it doesn't contain even an ounce of mayonnaise.

I love to eat this dish warm, just after it has been put together. It tastes great cold too, so make it ahead and stash it in the fridge if you'd like.

Ingredients:
Red Potatoes {I used six large potatoes}
Bacon {I prefer the uncured variety, and I used six pieces}
White or Yellow Onion {diced}
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar
Salt and Pepper {to taste}
Green Onions {I LOVE green onions, so I used an entire bunch. Scale that back if you prefer.}

To Make:
Wash and dice your potatoes, then put them in a large pot of water to boil. Cook until fork-tender, drain, and set aside.
Chop bacon into bite-size pieces, and cook to done in a skillet. I don't like my bacon to be ridiculously crunchy, but if you do, go for it!
Remove cooked bacon from the skillet, reserving the grease. I put mine on a paper-towel lined plate.
Add the diced onion to the skillet, and cook until tender and translucent.
While the onions are cooking, combine potatoes, bacon, and green onions in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Carefully {you ARE adding vinegar to hot grease, after all!} add the sugar and cider vinegar to the cooked onions, and stir to combine.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the salad, and give it a good stir to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!