Hey there!

I’m back again from another adventure. Although I’m slightly confused as to what day it is, what time zone I’m in, and who is going to do all of my laundry before leaving again this weekend for a wedding, I have something sweet + summery for you today.

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

Chris and I were on the east coast last week and just got home last night. He had work training in Fairfax, VA for a few days, so we thought it would be fun if I came along. I was able to bring work with me and stay busy while Chris was working so it worked out well.

After 2 days in Fairfax we planned to head to DC for a long weekend to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. I hadn’t been to DC since 6th grade and Chris had somehow never been. We lucked out with very comfortable weather on Saturday and pretty much walked until our legs couldn’t walk any longer. The two meals I ate for breakfast—plus mimosas + coffee—kept me fueled all day long.

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

It was the first time either one of us had really take a complete break in quite awhile. Even though I was in CA twice recently and OH just a few weeks ago I kept working throughout all of those trips. But this time there were no house projects staring us down, no work deadlines to complete, and emails that could wait to be answered.

The only thing we had to do was explore + eat our way through DC.

And that we did.

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

But before leaving for our trip I whipped up this lightly sweet, fruity, doughy-topped treat!

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

Up until this recipe I had never tried a raw apricot before, which kind of blows my mind. I have no idea why this is but I had only ever eaten the dried variety. I decided it was finally time to try them out and they’re obviously my new favorite. If you like nectarines and peaches then you will also like fresh apricots. They’re not quite as juicy but the taste is similar.

I paired them with the most fragrant strawberries I’ve eaten this year and topped it all off with an incredibly simple oat crisp topping, which included a surprise ingredient.

Quinoa! We had a bowl of plain quinoa in our fridge that I knew wasn't going to be eaten before leaving for our trip, so into the mixture it went. The quinoa added a lovely crunchiness to the texture that contrasted well with the ripe fruit and soft oat crumble.

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

The best part about this dessert? It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and you can bake it on the GRILL! No need to heat up your whole house. This baby is grill-baked!

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

Print this!

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp

gluten-free, vegan // yields 4-6 servings

for the crumb topping:

3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour, divided
1/3 cup cooked quinoa, optional*
1/4 cup muscovado sugar, or coconut sugar, sucanat, brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, softened not melted

for the fruit filling:

8 ripe apricots, pitted + sliced into 6-8 segments
1 pint strawberries, stemmed + quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
2 tablespoons muscovado sugar

Preheat your grill [or oven] to 350* F.

Stir oats, flour, quinoa, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl until combined. Cut in the softened coconut oil with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture starts to form a crumbly dough and the oil is evenly distributed.

In another bowl combine the fruit and toss with the vanilla extract. Then add in the flour and sugar and toss to coat.

Portion out the fruit mixture into 4 oven-safe baking dishes about 4-inches in diameter, or in an 8x8/9x9 baking pan. [You could also use about 8 ramekins.] Sprinkle the oat mixture over each portion and lightly pat down.

Place dishes on the grill [avoiding hot spots] and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the oat mixture starts turning golden brown. Carefully remove and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla Greek frozen yogurt or vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream if desired.

notes: *The quinoa is a fun addition that turns crunchy once baked in the mixture. However, feel free to leave it out. Simply add in 3 more tablespoons of rolled oats instead. This dessert is only lightly sweetened. Add more sugar if desired.

Apricot Strawberry Grilled Crisp | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree

The gooey texture and vibrant flavors just about killed me.

Enjoy!

Ashley

Feta + Herb Chickpea Quinoa Sliders

gluten-free // yields appx. 16, 2-inch sliders

1 1/4 cups chickpeas, skins removed

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup finely crumbled feta

1/4 cup finely diced shallot

3 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8+ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 – 1/2 cup quinoa flour, or light buckwheat, oat, etc.

garnish: toast, baby kale, feta, kalamata olives, lemon, olive oil

For the sliders: Place chickpeas in a large bowl and mash well with the back of the fork making sure to break all of the beans. Stir in the quinoa, feta, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes [if using].

In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the oil. Pour the egg mixture over quinoa mixture and stir together.

Let sit for 5 minutes and place a large skillet over medium/med-low heat add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to thoroughly coat the pan.

Stir in 1/4 – 1/3 cup quinoa flour. Scoop a golf ball sized amount of the mixture into your hands and form into a ball by passing back and forth between your hands. Lightly flatten the patty to about 1/2 – 3/4-inch thickness. [The mixture will feel fairly loose and wet but should hold together. If the mixture is not holding together add 1-2 tablespoons more quinoa flour at a time until patties form. The patties firm while cooking.]

Gently place each patty in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until golden brown and firm. Avoid overcrowding the pan. [I fit 6 small patties in my 10-inch pan.]

Carefully flip to the other side with a spatula, lowering to the pan with your hand. Cook for another 4-6 minutes until golden brown. If they’re browning too quickly reduce heat to medium-low. You want to cook them for the full amount of time so the egg fully cooks.

Keep cooked patties in a warm oven [preheated to 200* Fahrenheit] on a baking sheet until ready to serve while you cook another batch of sliders. Or, let cool to room temperature if desired.

To garnish: Toast bread and slice into squares slightly larger than the patties. Let toast cool. Place a few baby kale [or other] leaves on top, followed by the slider, a drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon, small cube of feta, and a kalamata olive. Skewer together and serve.

Notes: The eggs are crucial in this recipe. Fully mashing the chickpeas and removing the skins will help ensure the patties hold together in the pan. I recommend making the patties no larger than 3-inches.

*Check this post for my favorite quinoa cooking method. I now use 1 1/4 cups water : 1 cup dry quinoa instead of 2 cups water.