Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

If you’ve never tried gluten-free baking, you don’t know how hard it is to get yeast to cooperate to produce light and spongy doughs.  Fortunately, we’ve done plenty of experimentation and found a way to reproduce airy and fluffy cinnamon rolls typically made with conventional flour.  If you’re tired of gluten-free rolls that are heavy, dry and chalky give this recipe a try and start enjoying baked goods again!

Arctic Char with Lentils and Herb Butter

Lately, I’ve been craving lentils – or poor man’s caviar, as they say.  Sure, they’re a cheap and quick source of protein, but I find something comforting about a bowl of lentils.  Despite the long, and seemingly daunting ingredient list, this dish is actually very simple, and hopefully will get you to try a different combination of flavors and textures that you never knew went together so famously.

Trout with Fennel Puree and Balsamic-Pine Nut Dressing

Fennel is one of the most under-utilized vegetables I can think of.  I know I’ve been guilty of ignoring it in the past due to my strong dislike of licorice.  However, once I started using the bulb (rather than just the seeds, like most recipes use), I noticed how delicate and refreshing fresh fennel can be and I was hooked.  I wanted to take advantage of this flavor profile and see how I could use it to enhance the flavor of rainbow trout, which is abundant in rivers throughout Colorado and try to match its various attributes with other mild flavors, such as pine nuts and sweet, roasted garlic.  The result? Nothing short of amazing.  If you ever need a dish that can knock the socks of your dinner companion(s), spend the extra minutes preparing this dish… the ingredients alone sound like they came out of some haughty modern-American bistro menu.

Green Pea Soup with Tarragon

When you think of pea soup, do you (like many people) automatically think of a bland, green mush that is as tasteless as wet cardboard?  Well, perhaps this version of pea soup that is short on ingredients and big on taste will help change your mind.  In order to create a light and delicate soup, we ditch the pork many recipes use, and rely on fresh tarragon to complement and enhance the natural sweetness of peas.

Chilled Shrimp Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

As much as I love to cook, there are times when the kitchen is the last place I want to be, especially when the sun is out and Pliny the Elder is on tap.  That’s why I love having salads like this chilled shrimp salad in the fridge ready to go on a moments notice.  Like most salads, the ingredients in this dish can be prepared ahead of time and quickly thrown together to yield a very satisfying lunch or light dinner.