What to do with Squash Leaves and Stems: 9 Gluten Free Ways to Use Squash Leaves (Tenerumi)

This post was originally published on August 18, 2013, but it's such a popular post this time of year I'm bumping it up so that those of you looking for ways to use up your squash leaves can find some suggestions.

Don't forget to check the comments section, as tons of people have been kind enough to share their wonderful recipes from around the world!!

Ever wondered if can you eat squash leaves? 

I noticed these big buckets of fuzzy, curly, decorative squash greens for the first time a while back at the farmers market. We eat a ton of greens, but I’ve never grown squash so it just never occurred to me to question if squash leaves are edible.

I asked the older Hmong lady selling them what to do with the squash leaves. She told me to peel the fuzzy skin off and boil them. This was rather vague, so as soon as I got my bunch home I scoured forums and blogs and found squash leaf recipes ranging from Hmong to Thai to Nigerian to Italian.

I’ve shared 9 different ways I found to make use of squash leaves and stems, as well as some tips for prepping and using them. So if you have pumpkins, zucchini or other squash spreading in your back yard, or you see a bunch of them at your farmers market, go buck wild with these ideas!

Easy Gluten Free Rolled Fruit Dumpling Biscuit Thingies +Meatless Monday

Free of gluten, eggs, nuts, soy, with dairy free / vegan option

I've made this recipe three times in the last couple of weeks, and yesterday was the first time I was able to photograph them before they all got eaten. And that's only because I made them early in the day just so I would have time to photograph them before anyone came over and ate them all!

I don't know what to call these things, really, since the original recipe that I used as the model called them fruit dumplings. But really, they're more like a baked fruit biscuit roll-up type thingy. They're also not as sickly-sweet as a lot of other dumplings.

Whatever you want to call them, these gluten free baked fruit biscuit roll-up dumpling fruit log thingies are so very quick and easy (easy enough that I've made them 3 times to take dinner parties). They're also pretty healthy, since I cut back on the butter and sugar and used sorghum flour. And of course, they're loaded with fruit, so they make a fabulous healthy dessert.

They're so good, I took them to a dinner party where I was the only GF person. I had someone ask me if I was sure they were gluten free because they said the texture was too good to be gluten free.

Gluten Free Braided Easter (or anytime!) Bread

Free of gluten, nuts, soy, corn, with dairy free option

I just got back three days ago from Europe, where my husband and I spent a month traveling by plane, train, car, and bus across four geophysical zones. Twelve days of the trip were spent in Greece, a country I've visited twice now. Since Easter is coming up and Greece is on my mind, I wanted to create a Greece-themed Easter dish to share on the blog.

While researching, I discovered a beautiful, sweet, braided bread known as Tsoureki. Looking over the recipes I found, I realized that they were very similar to the gluten free German Easter bread I posted last Easter (a.k.a. Osterkranz)

Delving a little deeper, I discovered that many different European countries make yeasted, sweet braided bread decorated with coloured eggs for Easter. There are a few common denominators, which I've shared below. I've also, of course, shared a new version of gluten free Easter bread, a little different from the one I made last year.

Of course, this bread is fantastic ANY time of year, so don't confine yourself to just eating it at Easter ;)

Versatile Marinated Chickpea Salad (gluten free with vegan options for #MeatlessMonday)

Free of gluten, nuts, soy, corn, egg, dairy free / vegan option

This simple, versatile chickpea salad comes together in about 2 minutes, and was a lifesaver the other week when we hosted three dinner parties in a row, plus a lunch.

I made a double batch and served it alongside a big bag of mixed greens and some other bowls of things as part of a salad bar. It works particularly well if you're feeding vegetarians or vegans, as it's protein-packed, filling, and flavourful. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with a dairy free / vegan option for #Meatless Monday

Free of gluten, eggs, nuts, soy, corn, with dairy free / vegan options

The season of pumpkin is upon us. I had half a large can of pumpkin puree leftover from making my Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie for Canadian Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago. So I modified my old recipe for Gluten Free Herb Rolls to use up leftover pumpkin puree, and added some cinnamon spice mix. (I have also made a similar version in the past using sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin, so you could use sweet potato instead if you like)

These rolls are simple, tasty, pretty healthy, and versatile. I've had them for breakfast, served them with dinner to guests, and drizzled them with a bit of icing sugar mixed with milk as cinnamon rolls for dessert. 

They also freeze well, so make up a batch and sock them away for later! 

Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bowl (GF, Vegan)

Free of gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, corn, soy

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to get a good, hot, gluten free breakfast that doesn't take forever. I mean pancakes are great and all, but they're not exactly quick.

And the other morning I woke up and it was chilly and raining and I had a cold. Which is funny, because right now it feels something like 30C! It's totally summer weather!

So being sick and it being cold and rainy, I was craving something warm and comforting. I wanted a hot, easy, gluten free breakfast. I'm allergic to oats so oatmeal wasn't an option. I did, however, have a large bag of quinoa in the cupboard. The rest is quinoa breakfast bowl history...

Vegan, Gluten-Free Osterkranz (German Easter Bread) & Natural, Homemade Egg Dyes

Free of gluten, nuts, eggs, dairy, soy, corn

Phew! I figured out how to do this just in time for Easter, and it only took two tries!  Osterkranz is a traditional German bread made for Easter. It literally means Easter wreath and, as you can see, the bread is braided and shaped into a wreath.

With some fiddling after checking out several different glutinous Osterkranz recipes I think I can confidently say that this is a pretty good gluten free substitute. And it's actually really easy to make, and the vegan version (this one, and my 2nd try) isn't really any different than the normal one with eggs and butter (my first version).

So here it is, my easy, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, most other allergies-free German Easter bread! The only time consuming part of it is waiting for it to rise :)

Natural, Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spiced Coffee

I don't drink a lot of coffee. It makes me jittery. But from time to time I do need a bit of a "pick-me-up" (especially on these cold almost-winter mornings). And when I do sip a cuppa, I like a bit of flavour.

But a tall, 12 oz Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is a whopping 300 calories [1] and costs somewhere in the $5 range. Even store bought flavoured coffee grounds are more expensive, usually contain artificial ingredients and sweeteners and questionable flavouring, and many of them are not fair trade or organic.

However, a plain cup of homebrew with no milk or sugar is only 2 calories [2] and costs only a few cents. Making it pumpkin spiced is as easy as brewing a cup of coffee. Here's how I do it...

Gluten Free Watermelon Pudding + Melon Allergies & Oral Allergy Syndrome

Pudding is free of gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, corn and sugar

Watermelon has left the building! 

I realize I'm behind on posting this. Most people have moved on from watermelon and summer fruit to pureeing and preserving pumpkins. I searched the farmers market in vain this weekend for more watermelon. But just over a week ago I shared a super frugal recipe for Watermelon Rind Soup, and I promised I would share another cooked watermelon recipe.

So this week I'm posting this funky pink pudding - Sicilian style. If you look hard enough, you can probably still find some watermelon so you can enjoy this on a sunny fall day.

Gluten and Dairy Free Hot Cross Buns (and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns) for National Hot Cross Bun Day

Spiced gluten free buns with orange zest and raisins (or chocolate!)
Free of gluten, nuts, soy and dairy

I realize it's a bit strange to be posting a recipe for Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns in September when hot cross buns are traditionally served over Easter.

But for some unknown reason, September 11 is National Hot Cross Bun Day. Although I've never made hot cross buns - I do vaguely recall my mother making them once - I thought this was a perfect time to experiment with them.

So after a few tries I ended up with a couple of hybrids, Gluten Free Hot Cross Pull-Apart Buns and  Gluten Free Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, with an orange twist. And we've been munching them for breakfast all week now...

Gluten Free Baby Thai Eggplant Stir Fry (Soy-Free option)

Free of gluten, dairy, nuts, seafood, meat, eggs and with soy-free option

Have you seen those adorable teeny weeny green Thai eggplants at the farmers market or you CSA box yet? Wondering what to do with those little baby eggplants?

This simple gluten free Baby Thai Eggplant stir fry is a slightly sweet and spicy way to use up a bunch of local, in season veggies from the farmers market, CSA box or (if you're really lucky) your own garden.

Thai eggplant has a very mild taste compared to the usual bitter eggplant, and they absorb flavours wonderfully, so it doesn't take a lot of sauce to make baby eggplant flavourful. They also require much less preparation than regular, large purple eggplant, which usually needs to be salted and left to drain for awhile.

Gluten Free Miniature Chocolate Pudding Pie (or tartlettes)

Gluten Free Pie Crust with Quick Microwave Chocolate Pudding 

Free of gluten, sugar, eggs, nuts, corn, soy with dairy free option

Gluten Free Miniature Chocolate Pudding Pie

This super awesome chocolate pudding pie was a total fluke.  I was trying to make a sugar-free lemon meringue pie... and... yeah, that really didn't work out.

At all.

But I had some crust leftover and wanted to use it for something, hence the gluten and sugar free miniature chocolate pudding pie was born.

Sugar Free Beet Pear Salad Dressing

Salad Dressing made with Beet and Pear Puree {& a Cookbook Giveaway!}
Recipe is gluten free, soy free, sugar free, nut free, dairy free

I've finally managed to combine some of my favorite salad ingredients into a super healthy, antioxidant salad dressing!!

This salad is a great way to make use of some of the few things you can find at the farmers' market in the dead of winter, beets and pears!  It's also a gorgeous way to brighten up a gloomy, cold day and use up any leftover baked beets you might have kicking around.

Spinach is common at the farmers' market in Madison, WI right now (albeit rather pricey for some of us) so you could pair it with pears and spinach (get it? Pear, pair? Oh alright not funny) and feel pretty good about yourself for eating local and healthy over the winter!

Gluten Free Apple Pie

Miniature Apple Pies for National Apple Pie Day 

Free of gluten, nuts, eggs, soy, with sugar and dairy free options

Gluten Free Miniature Apple Pies for National Apple Pie Day

 I’m finally ahead of time for once!  Those of you who follow me on Google +, Twitter or Facebook know that I sometimes post about funny food days.  Some of you have asked that I include a recipe or info about those days.  A while back I managed to post a tutorial for making Turkish Coffee  on National Coffee Day, but I finally managed to plan ahead and get one done early! 

This apple pie is made especially in honour of December 5, National Apple Pie day.  The origins of this mysterious day appear unknown, but apparently there is also an Apple Pie day in May, too. 

Apple pie is so awesome it gets TWO national days.  

Hubby, who has no gluten problems, liked these so much that he ate two in a row.  Then he suggested we just have apple pie for dinner…

Gluten Free Chocolate Carrot Scones

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free Option

Gluten Free Chocolate Carrot Scones

Healthy, gluten free chocolate scones with a little bit of vegetable puree.  Need I say more?  

We've been eating these for breakfast every day for the last two weeks now, and I don't feel the least bit guilty about it.  They're rich in flavour but light in texture.  Also, if you have finicky kids (or partners!) they are a great way to slip in some extra veggies without fear of anyone knowing.