The Verdict: Gluten Free Yellow Cake

Yesterday I promised to write about how the gluten free yellow cake went over.  Answer?  Great!  I used the recipe found in Elizabeth Hasselbeck's Deliciously G-Free (a gift from my husband's grandma).   I used the kid's choice chocolate icing recipe found in the same book.  The icing was really chocolatey, which I love!  The cake itself was a big surprise.  Based on brown rice flour, I was sure it would taste strange.  It was a little heavier than a regular wheat-based cake, but it tasted delicious.  My nephew had helped me make it, and when he tasted the raw dough he said it was "weird".  Yesterday though, he asked for seconds!  Speaking of seconds, there weren't any!  Next time around I would make two cakes, since this was pretty small.  It would serve 12 normal size slices or 20 teeny tiny slices, which is what we did.

The Birthday Girl liked it!

Texas Caviar

I love corn and black beans together.  They are an eye-catching combination, and when you add some colorful tomatoes and avocados, you have a fiesta on your plate!  I have made many variations of this recipe over the years.  I love adding some finely diced red onion or fresh cilantro.  This is a frugal, simple side dish that's perfect for potlucks since it can be served at room temperature.  It also tastes good in an omelette.  Obviously corn and beans are not paleo, but they are naturally gluten free so I have no problem eating this as a treat during the summer.

Ingredients:
2 ears fresh corn, boiled or grilled, kernels cut off
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used cherry)
1 avocado, diced

 Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil (I used regular, not extra virgin, because it has a milder taste)
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic

Gently combine corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados.  Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Drizzle dressing over corn and bean mixture.  Stir gently.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve chilled or room temperature.