Contest Closed: Weekend Giveaway: The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook
The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
By Elana Amsterdam
When I was first diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and told that I should stop eating gluten, I didn’t even know what gluten was! After a lot of research on the subject and countless hours scowering blogs and websites for new recipes, I ended up with about 100 bookmarked pages from Elana’s website Elana’s Pantry.
Much like me, everything Elana makes is gluten-free and grain-free. She uses mostly natural sugars and a lot of her recipes are also dairy free. She has gorgeous photos and mouthwatering explanations of her recipes that make you want to reach for a fork to dig right in. Her blog, along with Comfy Belly, is what inspired me to create my blog.
I received her first cookbook as a Christmas gift and have loved using some of the recipes as a starting point for some of my own new recipes. I have a handful of favorites that I don’t touch because they are so delicious! Try the Cinnamon Apple Muffins on page 15, Savory Vegetable Quiche on page 61, Chocolate Cake on page 84, or S’Mores on page 120.
For Thanksgiving this year, I plan to use her Pumpkin Pie recipe on page 70 and her delicious Gingerbread Men recipe on page 108 as my crust.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I enjoy this cookbook so much that I want to share my joy with YOU!
To enter the contest, you will need to do 2 things:
1. “Like” my Facebook page
2. Leave a comment on this page telling me that you’ve joined me on Facebook and then tell me about a dish you plan to make this Thanksgiving that is grain-free! If you’re confident in your recipe, feel free to post it or post a link to it as well!
The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Friday evening 10/21! Good Luck!
Against All Grain 
Hi ! I like your facebook page, and one dish I would make for Thanksgiving is cauliflower rice as a side dish. Here’s the link to the recipe http://shanonhilton.blogspot.com/2011/10/recipe-cauliflower-rice.html
I love cauliflower rice! Here’s one I did that has an Indian flare to it: Safron Rice
Have you ever tried cauliflower mashed “potatoes”? They’re great!
Yes, I have tried cauliflower mashed ”potatoes”, so yummy ! I’ll look into the Saffron rice recipe, thank you Danielle !
Manon
Hi! I like your facebook page, and am super excited to start trying your recipes. I did the 30 day Paleo detox about 2 months ago, and have been sticking fairly close to the Paleo diet ever since. But with fall, I’ve been craving things like apple dumplings, pumpkin cookies, etc., and have been looking for more recipes to expand my list of favorite paleo friendly foods. After seeing your page a few weeks ago, I decided to order my first bag of almond flour – it came in yesterday and I have your pumpkin bars baking in the oven right now! Can’t wait to try them. Another recipe I will try for a Thanksgiving dessert are the walnut date bars. I also want to try the pumpkin bread! I’m soooo glad I found your page!
Hi! I like your page, and am very excited to start trying your recipes! After seeing your page a few weeks ago, I ordered my first bag of almond flour, which came in yesterday! I have your pumpkin bars in the oven right now (used maple syrup instead of agave nectar, though). I did the 30 day Paleo detox about 3 months ago and have been trying to stick to eating Paleo ever since. After finding your page, I’m looking forward to trying your recipes and finding new favorites to add to my Paleo friendly list of good eats! In the coming weeks, I’m also looking forward to trying the pumpkin bread, and for Thanksgiving, I’ll try the acorn squash with cranberry apple stuffing or kale with cranberries. I’ll probably try them before Thanksgiving gets here, though.
Congratulations on entering into the Almond Flour world! I have a few tips and my favorite place to purchase it from in my post “All About Almond Flour.”
I like your page on Facebook and I’ll most likely be making a grain-free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving (coconut flour crust).
Would love your crust recipe. I always have trouble with coconut flour!
I like your page on Facebook and I’ll be making baked cheesy squash for Thanksgiving.
My recipe:
1 spaghetti squash
1 cup of plain yogurt (greek works best)
1.5 – 2cups of shredded smoked gouda cheese (you can use any flavorful cheese)
1/2 onion diced
1 cup of chopped bacon or pancetta
1/2 cup of white wine
1 Tbs of dijon mustard
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1tsp of black pepper
1Tbs of butter or olive oil
salt to taste
Cut the squash into quarters and place flesh side down in an inch of water in a large kettle. Steam until soft.
Combine the yogurt, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, black pepper and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In a small sauce pan, saute diced onion in the butter or oil until slightly soft (about 5 minutes). Add the pancetta to the pan and cook for 5-6 more minutes until the pancetta is slightly crispy. Turn down the heat and add the white wine. Cook a few minutes so that the alcohol evaporates. The mixture should be a little “saucy.”
When the squash is cooked through, drain the water out of the pan and let the squash cool a few minutes before handling. Remove the peel from each piece and shred the squash with a fork. Spread out in a 9 x 11 baking dish.
Add 1 cup of the cheese, the yogurt sauce, and the onion mixture to the squash and mix well. Cover the top of the squash mixture with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
This dish is soooo yummy and is a great substitute for macaroni and cheese during the holidays.
That sounds devine!
Found you TODAY on facebook through Elana Amsterdam and would LOVE this book! I just took a week of vacation to commit time to experimenting with new recipes for myself and my mother who is coming to visit. Over the last few weeks, we have both discovered that food has been making us sick! We haven’t even lived in the same state for over 8 years and our lives are changing at the same time with food because of genetics and environment. Mine with Celiacs and autoimmune thyroid disease and hers with an 8 page report of food allergies! This is the first year that the holidays will be different for us and I refuse to have a fall without her famous apple pie. This week is going to be all about modifying our favorite all time recipes and trying to find new ones. I will post the apple pie recipe modification and any other great things we come up with in the coming weeks. Wish us luck!
Would love to hear what you come up with! Head over to my facebook page and leave a message when you are done baking!
Good luck!! Would love to see the recipes you come up with!
I “liked” you. For thanksgiving I am planning on making A side dish of pureed butternutsquash with honey and sprinkling pecans on top! I would love to win the cookbook!
Sounds delicious! I love butternut squash! I was thinking of making the SCD marshmallow topping and trying it for candied “yams.”
I have always been the baker in the family, usually making 4 or 5 pies. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s this year, well, I’ll probably still be the baker, but at least one of those pies is going to have a crust that is SCD-Legal! In related news, I have Liked your Facebook page.
Thanks Damion! I too was and am still the baker and the cook in the family! Last year, I made an SCD-legal stuffing last year and no one even knew the difference!
Liked your page, really need this cookbook!!!! I cook for my girlfriend and she was just diagnosed with celiacs some days she can’t get up. I’d really like to find a recipe for non-grain gravy for her turkey dinner.
I’m working on the grain-free gravy recipe as well. It’s just not the same without the good ol’ cornstarch or white flour! Coconut flour adds a different taste so that’s out. I’m still searching!
I just liked you on Facebook and I have to say I have NO idea what grain free product I will be trying for Thanksgiving this year as this is all BRAND NEW to us! Like we just told our son we were going to try Gluten Free for his migraines! Thanks!!
Gluten-free works for my migraines. Good luck! I’ll be doing a whole post on Thanksgiving recipes so be sure to check back!
I liked your face book page! And I am going to make an apple-cranberry pie with a pecan crust.
Oh I can’t wait to start using cranberries again this season!
i like the facebook page!
i recently discovered elana’s pantry and have started to attempt grain free baking (i used to bake A LOT and just stopped pretty much when we went primal). my favorite thing to make right now is chocolate chip cookies a la primal-palate.com but would love more grain free recipes and am looking forward to browsing your site more!
mmm I love chocolate chip cookies. Which chocolate chips do you use that are primal?
Liking you on FB, and diggin your site as always!!
Thanks!
Joined on FB, VIA Paleo Parents!
This Thanksgiving, I’m going to convert as many recipes as I can to Paleo. Mashed cauli is a must, and I’m making a sweet potato/butternut squash casserole, probably an almond-crust pumpkin pie as well. 🙂
I wish I could eat sweet potatoes! I plan to do a butternut squash casserole as well. Recipe to come!
Hi!! I just liked your FB page. I plan to make a grain free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. (Not very original but it’s just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.)
I agree! What will you use for the crust?
I found one on The Food Lovers Primal Palate that has gotten rave reviews. I think I’m going to try it. Here’s the recipe for the crust:
Grain Free Holiday Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Process:
Preheat oven to 325.
In a medium sized bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients (make sure to melt the coconut oil before mixing it into the batter, about 40 seconds in the microwave does the trick).
Stir wet ingredients into dry.
Pat the dough into a 9.5 inch glass pie dish (this takes a little finesse. I probably took about 10 minutes to smooth out the perfect pie crust. It works very well, you just have to be patient. You want to create an even thin layer, the dough will rise a bit when you bake it.)
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.
Remove from oven to cool.
Hi There! I have recently gone Paleo and I am loving it! I’m trying to get as many family members on board as possible!! I’ve joined your facebook page – thanks! – and for Thanksgiving I will be making Paleo applesauce carrot muffins in place of rolls.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
3 large eggs (beat well)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce (unprocessed)
1/2 cup shedded carrots
Preparation:
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix dry ingredients well. Add in beaten eggs, honey, vanilla, applesauce and shredded carrots.
– Mix well until smoothe.
– Lightly grease muffin tin with olive oil or coconut oil.
– Pour in smooth muffin ingredients.
– Bake 35-45 minutes
I love any baked good with carrots in it! I have a carrot muffin recipe that is similar. Adapted from a Paleo recipe 🙂
I liked your FB page! Our whole thanksgiving will be grain free this year. My daughters (twin 3 year olds and I, all have issues with grains) I am working on perfecting a pumpkin pie that tastes as good as the grained variety. So far no luck. We are also planning all the traditional dishes.
Elana’s version is great! Comfy Belly also has a great one. I’ve tried my own a few times as well and haven’t quite perfected it. Hopefully by November I’ll be able to post it!
I liked you on Facebook and i plan on making a Paleo version of my cranberry sauce. not sure how yet.
I made one last year with some orange juice, honey and a tiny bit of gelatin to thicken it up. I’m going to try Agar flakes this year instead of the gelatin. I’ll be posting all of my Thanksgiving recipes as we get closer so stay tuned!
Hi, I liked your page (Amanda McClary.) We are reigned into cooking for the entire family, so everything with be gluten, grain and dairy free. I do plan on making a really awesome gluten free apple pie for everyone.
What a task! I’m not hosting this year, so I’ll only be making a few dishes thankfully!
New to your site – hoping to win the cookbook! I love me some n’oatmeal cookies!
Thanks for stopping by! Good luck!
Liked on facebook 🙂 I’ll be making baked pears stuffed with cream cheese and topped with almond slivers.
(have yet to attempt any gluten-free pies or cakes, but maybe this year I’ll try)
Oh how I miss cream cheese! Those sound great! I have a baked stuffed pear recipe on here. Seems like we’re on the same page!
I like your facebook page…very much;) I plan on trying out this Primal Palate grain free pumpkin pie recipe using almond flour in the crust although will need to adapt it further to make it dairy free as well. The recipe can be found here: http://www.primal-palate.com/2010/11/bills-chiffon-pumpkin-pie.html I am also considering a coconut crust which has a recipe here:http://allergyfreemenuplanners.com/2009/11/20/allergen-free-pumpkin-pie-recipe-gluten-free-grain-free-nut-free-sugar-free-dairy-free/ . I’ll also be making a yummy sweet potato casserole which is naturally grain free… can’t wait!
Those all sound fantastic!! Have you tried coconut milk in the pie? I am dairy free as well, at least for the time being.
I liked you on FB – glad to find you….Most of my Thanksgiving recipes do not have grains except for the Pumpkin Pie. I will figure out a pie crust, maybe with some nuts….I have only been eating Primal since the end of July….still figuring things out.
Carmen Rabbitt that recipe sound really good.
Hi I have just liked your fb page and want to shout to the world that i have seen the light and have now for the first time in my life started eating the way my body intended ti to be. I live in Australia so we dont have thanksgiving 😦 however this book is just what i have been looking for as i am (was) a full on baker my 3 daughters and i would always be in the kitchen cooking some delicious sweet or dish and now since changing my way of eating i am missing this terribly!! i have tried out a few recipes that i have found on the net but there is nothing like making something from a cookbook. I also think that i can gradually win my family of 3 girls and Hubby(who is going to go down kicking and screaming…lol) over the more great recipes that i have 🙂
My husband eats like me only because he can’t cook and is forced to! But he has actually grown to love a lot of the stuff I make now. It just takes a little time!
im totally thrilled to have additional ideas of what to cook. im following you on fb.
i have had 2 sinusitis surgeries because of polyps. needless to say lots of pain and no gains. not 1 doctor i had seen suggested a change in diet. on my own i have changed mine and my families eating habits (without them knowing!) and have seen relief like never before in 15 years i have had sinusitis polyps!
i am so not a baker, but i love to try new recipes now that i know my body can handle it.
thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! 🙂
I’m glad to hear changing your diet has helped you! I had a similar situation with Doctors. You can see an interview I did with SCDLifestyle to know more about my story!
I just joined you on Facebook and am excited to find some great recipes using almond flour. This holiday I’m excited to try an apple crisp. Mmmmm
That sounds great. Especially with all the apples that are in season now!
I liked you on Facebook and I like cauliflower risotto|!
I would love to make a pumpkin pie. My 13 yr old daughter is newly diagnosed with Crohns & this will be our first time doing a pumpkin pie.
I’m sorry to hear about your daughter. It is a nasty disease, but a lot of people have success helping it with diet! Have you seen Comfy Belly? Her son was also diagnosed at a young age.
Oops, forgot to add that I like your page on FB 🙂
I have ‘liked’ you on facebook. I would love thie cookbook my daughter is gluten & rice free & trying to find things that are gluten free that are not made with rice is just not so easy. Thanks so much
All of the processed foods are made with corn, rice, or potatoes. Very frustrating. Good luck!
I am so glad to have found and joined you on FB! I plan to make a gluten free pumpkin/chocolate tart for thanksgiving!
Oh! What better combination is there than chocolate and pumpkin?! Is it your own recipe?
I “liked” your page. I am going to make Gluten Free Chocolate Angel Food Cake from http://www.LivingWithout.com Would love to have Elana’s book!!
Oh that sounds yummy! I need to subscribe to that magazine. So many good ideas! Clean Eating is a good one too.
I just liked your page 🙂 We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in NZ, but I cook grain-free all the time. I think a nice basic roast would make a super easy stealth Paleo dinner (no one will notice the lack of grains, and a nice nut based stuffing would be awesome) 🙂
You’re missing out in NZ 🙂 I love stuffing. Do you use chestnuts?
Ive joined ur page..I hope to make mashed cauliflower at Thanksgiving! Just steam cauliflower and fresh garlic then mash up in food processor…so good! Add a little sea salt and clarified butter for flavor.YUM! Hope I win the cookbook!! 🙂
Just out of curiosity – why Ghee instead of regular? I’ve only used it in Indian food but am starting to learn more about it!
Hi,
I just liked you on FB. i’m planing to make chicken coated with almond butter.
I like you on facebook. As I am in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving 2 week-ends ago. Everything was gluten free as my 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with Celiacs last month. The Stuffing and Pumpkin pies were a huge hit 🙂
Did you use a bread for the stuffing? Thinking of using Elana’s Paleo bread this year for mine.
Liked you on facebook and am looking foward to making turkey with homemade cranberry sauce, yum
Ahh I have been eyeing this book forever! Happily I am looking to my mama to take the lead on thanksgiving– at Easter she made me the yummiest carrot/ginger muffins with almond flour, so I might ask for a repeat of that! : )
It’s a great one! Her cupcake book is great too.
Following the doctor’s orders, I’ve been off grains and casein for just a few weeks now. It came as such a surprise that I was stumped as to what to eat. Your website is a god-send, thank you!
I plan on making your coconut tortillas this Thanksgiving and filling them with fruit! Yum!
Oh they would be good with fruit! And a little coconut whipped cream. They’re more of a crepe than a tortilla anyways, but they taste great in the enchiladas.
Oh, what a great idea to serve it with coconut whipped cream!!! My mouth is watering, can’t wait for my ingredients to arrive in the mail 🙂 I forgot to mention that I’ve joined you on Facebook as well.
Thanks again for your recipes!!!
Hi there!!! I’m Allie by the way. Have I introduced myself yet? I’m an admin for the SCD Support Group page!! Forgive me if we’ve already gone over this. 🙂 I’ve ‘liked’ your page for quite some time now 🙂 so that’s already completed & for this Thanksgiving, I’m planning on making a cauliflower pizza!!! Or possibly broccoli soup!!!! Mmm, mmm, delish!! Gotta love living without grains! 😉 I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I have the pleasure of receiving this book, it’s been a dream of mine to have a copy!!!!! I LOVE “Elana’s Pantry”! I actually had the golden opportunity to meet her!!!! AHHH!!!!! Thanks for running this contest!!
Those all sound so good! And nice to meet you. 🙂 I’d love to meet her! Maybe at a blogging conference or book signing some day.
From Jackie Streetman on Facebook:
I have joined you and hope to gain some delicious new recipes and tips. This thanksgiving I will be baking a paleo pumpkin bread recipe! Thank you for offering elena’s cookbook giveaway:)