Baked Peaches . . .

. . . and the results of the vegetarian, non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free dinner!

In my last post I asked for some suggestions for our company with strict diet needs. I ended up making fish tacos, dredging small pieces of basa in Creole seasoning and corn meal and wrapping them in corn tortillas. I served (vegetarian!) refried beans and Spanish rice on the side along with a salad with homemade lemon-garlic dressing, and had cole slaw, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes to go on the tacos.

Dessert was the real challenge. Do you know how many recipes call for either flour or milk or both?! Answer: almost all of them. I could have bought a gluten-free cake mix and used rice milk, but in my experience some brands are really good and some really aren't, and I didn't have time to experiment. Luckily, I found the recipe below in my "Best of America" cookbook, and it was delicious!

The dinner was a hit, we enjoyed their company, and now I'm ready for a new challenge. Anyone got an egg allergy?


Baked Peaches with Raspberry Sauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ground almonds
6 ripe peaches

Sauce:
1 cup raspberries
1 Tbsp or more confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp fruit-flavored brandy (optional)

Beat the butter with the sugar until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and beat just until blended.

Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Scrape out some of the flesh from each half to enlarge the hollow, reserving the excess peach flesh to use in the sauce. Place each half on a baking sheet, using crumpled foil if needed to keep them upright. Fill each hollow with the almond mixture. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes, until filling is fluffy and golden and peaches are tender.

Combine the sauce ingredients and the excess peach flesh in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and press through a strainer to remove fibers and seeds.

Let the peaches cool slightly, then serve with the sauce on the side.