The cuisine of other cultures tends to be much more food allergy-friendly than good old American food. We are very dependent on wheat and processed food, more so than many other countries. So ethnic cooking is a great source for recipes. Remember that all cream/milk products can be substituted quite nicely with your own cashew cream (Icecream... post). I'll post just a few of my favorites today.
Meatball Tagine
A wonderful authentic Moroccan recipe from my friend Debbie who lived in Morocco for a couple years. This requires a pressure cooker, which replaces the traditional "Tagine" baking dish. If you don't have one, I assume you could cook it in the oven and make it work. Cook till the meatballs are done.
Saute 1 lg. onion and 2-3 cloves garlic in a little oil (in the pressure cooker if you're using it)
Add:
1/4-1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/8 t. saffron (don't skip this amazing, but expensive season; it will NOT be the same without it)
a handful of fresh parsley (I actually use a generous sprinkling of my own dried basil most of the time)
Stir the seasons in and simmer a few seconds. Then add the following and simmer a few minutes:
2 tomatoes, grated (peel & all)
1/2 c. beef stock
Add:
2 lb of little beef meatballs
3-4 c. of green beans
2 c. additional beef stock
Seal up the pressure cooker and once it begins to steam, cook for 35 minutes. Serve over Jasmine rice.
Lettuce Wraps
These were created by my daughter, Rebekah. She patterned them after the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs and they're great!
Cut chicken breasts into little pieces (about finger-tip size, using kitchen scissors)
Marinate them in: (we just liberally sprinkle this stuff and it always turns out good)
tamari sauce
chinese 5 spice powder
a little bit of cumin (just a little)
drizzle some raw honey (or regular honey... or brown sugar?...)
a clove or two of minced garlic
After they've marinated a few hours or overnight, saute the chicken and sauce till chicken is done.
Wrap them in lettuce leaves and enjoy!
Beef Curry
2 lb round steak cut into thin beef strips
Mix the beef strips with 3-4 T. curry powder and 1 t. salt; rub it in. (I actually use more curry powder, but I like a strong curry flavor). Let the beef sit a little.
Saute 2 diced onions, then add the meet and 3 c. water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
DON'T skip this part. It's what makes curry wonderful. Serve the beef curry over rice and sprinkle with toppings:
diced tomatoes
shredded carrots
diced mango/pineapple/papaya
raisons
cashews/peanuts
coconut
Mom's Chicken Curry
This is not my mom, but Deanna's mom, Janelle Moore. Thanks for a great recipe!
Boil a chicken till tender; debone and chop into bite-size pieces
Saute 2 med onions, diced, and 2-3 crushed garlic cloves
Add:
3-4 T. curry powder
1 t. each: dry mustard, crushed/ground coriander seeds, grated fresh ginger root
3 T. gluten-free flour
salt to tast
Slowly add broth and cook till thick (whatever amount needed to make a gravy consistency)
Simmer 30-45 minutes. Serve over rice with the toppings listed above.
Layered Salsa Supper
Eating Hispanic food without using wheat, corn or dairy is a challenge, but this satisfies the craving. Credit goes to my sister, Twyla, who is a great cook. Layer the following items over rice:
Chicken: Stir-fry diced chicken breasts seasoned with a little cumin, salt & ground oregano, or cook whole in a crockpot and shred afterwards.
Black Beans: Mash and re-fry some cooked black bean or pintoes. Season as desired with onion, salt, jalapenos, etc.
Red Salsa Stir together: blended tomatoes, minced garlic, salt/cumin/ground oregano/cilantro to taste. Add some green onion, if desired.
Salsa Verde Mix together: peeled and blended tomatillos, avacado, salt/garlic/cilantro to taste
Homemade Rice Tortilla Chips - (purchase from Enjoy Life, or make your own). Drizzle with oil & salt, then broil on each side till browned (watch carefully!) Break into chip sizes.
Guacamole Mashed avacado seasoned with fresh lemon juice, coarse sea salt, cilantro or spicey basil, opt. smoked paprika
Other optional toppings: sauted onions rings, green onions, avacoda slices, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro
Teriyaki Stir Fry
Stir-Fry:
Shredded cabbage, 5-6 diced carrots, bok choy, or any combination of veggies you like and diced chicken breasts. Season with :
raw suger (or other sweetener)
balsamic vinegar
coarse sea salt
tamari
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Turkish Chicken with Honey
2 lb chicken pieces
Place in a single layer of a baking dish and rub into the skin:
salt & pepper
1//4 t. saffron threads, roughly crushed
Add to the chicken then cover:
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 t. grated ginger root
drizzled olive oil
Bake for 10 min. at 475, then reduce to 350 and cook till chicken is done. Check in about an hour (can take up to 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken pieces). While the chicken is baking, dry roast 1/2 c. almonds (sliced or whole) & 2 T. sesame seeds in a low-heat pan on the stove, stirring till browned. After baking, remove the chicken to a clean baking dish. Boil the left-over sauce for 10 minutes then stir in:
3 T. honey
1 t. cinnamon
Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with roasted almonds & sesame seeds. Serve with rice.
Chicken Paprika
Ok, I confess that I have no idea if this is even remotely related to anything Hungarian, but it's good!
Put boneless chicken pieces into a baking dish or electric skillet. Cover completely with almond milk (1 c. almonds, 4 c. water, 2 t. sugar, couple pinches of salt - blended together). Pour as much almond milk over it as your pan will hold. It makes a great sauce and everyone will fight over it. Sprinkle with: thai basil, lots of smoked paprika & slivered/sliced almonds. Bake/cook till chicken is done. Serve with rice (surprise!)
Thai Beef
Cut 2 lb round steak into thin strips (kitchen scissors work great) and slice a couple onions. Put both of these in a large pan on the stove and cover with water. Season generously with Thai season (online or ethnic grocery stores) and Thai basil. Simmer till beef is done and.... serve over rice!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Breakfast
I've been asked to talk about what I eat for breakfast. I must confess, sometimes I just decide it's not worth the bother. But other times I'm not so lazy. I am blessed with the ability to eat eggs so that is always an option. Good eggs- from happy chickens who aren't fed antibiotics and other terrible things. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is in a quiche. Rebekah created a cheese-less quiche which we all love. It's a bit of a pain to make, but if you're of a mind to trouble yourself, it makes a great breakfast for several days. We have two versions of this; one is more "breakfasty" than the other because it includes breakfast sausage, but the other is great too.
I also eat hot cereal. Brown rice can be ground up into a coarse flour if you have a way to grind it. My Blend-tec works great for this. Then it can be cooked into a hot cereal. If not, Bob's Red Mill has a brown rice cereal and a gluten free cereal (although the gf cereal contains corn so I can't use it anymore). I have several variations of this cereal.
I also eat quick breads or muffins, as well as Namaste waffles on special occasions. Sprinkling lots of chocolate chips into the waffles makes a great snack/desert for later. I like my olive oil-sea salt toast shared in the Sick Food post. I used to eat oats raw (or whatever you call them when they're in flakes and not cooked). If you're not allergic to oats, you can buy gf oats now and this would be a great option. Mix the flakes with nuts and raisons or other dried fruit and pour milk over them (any kind of rice or nut milk works). This makes a great "cold cereal". Quinoa flakes, which look like oats, might work too, but I haven't actually tried them.
The only kind of processed cereal I've found which I can eat is Perky's Nutty Rice or Nutty Flax. It's vaguely similar to a grape nut type texture. There are also natural brands of rice crispies that are gluten and corn-free; EnvironKids has a chocolate rice crispies, and Enjoy Life has a granola that's corn/gf (it's not the greatest tasting in my opinion, however). I'm not overly fond of Rice Crispies or Perky's, but they're not bad once in a while when loaded up with nuts, seeds, fruit, etc. I've just about decided that it's time for me to start a cereal company. Lots of companies make gluten free cereals. No one makes gf cereal that's also corn and oat free. Surely there's a way to make a "flake" cereal that meets this criterion.
Rice pudding can also be a nice option. Otherwise, these are about all the options I can think of. This area of my food-life still needs some work. But keep in mind... virtually any left-over can be breakfast as well. There's no law that says "breakfast" foods must be eaten at breakfast!
Breakfast Quiche
Mix a batch of breakfast sausage to begin with. Work the seasonings into the meat:
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 t. each: coriander, sage, marjoram
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Brown the meat, then throw a couple big handfuls of baby spinach on top and stir till it wilts. Set aside. Peel 4-6 good-sized potatoes, shred and lightly fry them. Season with salt & pepper to taste and then press them into an oiled baking dish, going up the sides to form a "crust". Whisk 6-8 eggs and then pour them over the sausage-spinach mix. Pour the whole thing over the potato crust and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes till browned & done. We all LOVE this stuff!
Chicken Quiche
Saute onions, peppers, finely chopped broccoli, then add diced chicken pieces and saute till done. Season with salt, pepper, basil, or whatever you like. When done, cool a bit while you peel, shred and fry the potatoes as instructed above. Follow instructions above for adding eggs, pouring over the potato crust and baking.
Cooked Rice Cereal
3 c. water & 1/2 t. salt - bring to a boil
1 c. coarsely ground rice or rice cereal - whisk into the water and simmer 5-8 minutes. Lots of possibilities for what to do with this. Below are a couple to get you started.
Cocoa: Add 2 T. sugar & 2 T. cocoa. Voila! Cocoa wheats without the wheat :0)
Cranberry-Maple: Sprinkle walnuts and dried cranberries over the hot rice cereal then drizzle with pure maple syrup on top. Flood the whole thing with rice or nut milk.
Strawberry/Blueberry: Either kind of berry with raw sugar, cinnamon and sliced almonds.
Millet Breakfast Cereal
1 c. millet - dry toast it in a pan for more flavor. Mix with 3 c. water and a pinch of salt. Boil, then simmer, covered for about 30 minutes till the water is absorbed. I'm guessing this could be done in a rice cooker, but I haven't tried it. Mix in any combination of fruit, nuts, and other goodies.
Muffins:
I wouldn't call the muffins below the worlds most delicious, but they might be the easiest and cheapest allergen-friendly ones. The plain rice flour option keeps the cost down and they're super quick. Namaste Muffin Mix is also a great option if you want a little more sophisticated muffins; make according to directions. In addition to these, any muffin recipe will work with Namaste Perfect Flour Blend subbed for the flour.
Easy Muffins (makes 1 dozen)
1 c. milk substitute
1 egg
1 c. rice flour or flour mix
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder (or 1 t. cream of tarter & 1/2 t. baking soda)
2 t. oil
1/2 t. flavoring: pumpkin pie spice / almond extract / coconut ext./ cinnamon / vanilla
Raspberry: Add enough fresh raspberries that the batter is thick with berries. Frozen berries don't work well with this because they make the muffins soggy. Other berries can be used but we think raspberries are by far the best.
Chocolate Chip: Same as the berries. Add the chips till the batter is thick with them. The chips make the muffins much better, and they make a nice snack/desert-type food as well.
Banana Bread (from the Namaste mixes)
2 c. Perfect Flour Blend
1 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 brown sugar packed or heaping
2 large eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes, or till toothpick comes out clean.
Zucchini Bread
1/2 c. raisons & 1/4 c. water; boil a mintue then drain, reserving the liquid
Sift together:
1 1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
1 slightly rounded t. of baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tarter
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Mix:
1 beaten egg & 1 c. shredded zucchini.
Mix separately:
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. oil
1 c. sugar
Add the sugar and egg mixtures along with half the flour. Beat well then add the raisons, water, and:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 t. fine lemon peel, along with the remaining flour. Mix well and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min. Let cool 10 minutes then remove.
Cranberry Nut Bread
We always make this around the holidays, but it also makes a nice breakfast food:
Sift together dry ingredients together then add wet ones:
2 1/2 c. perfect flour blend
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
3 1/2 t. baking powder (or 1 1/2 slightly rounded t. cream of tarter & 3/4 slightly rounded t. soda)
1/4 c. oil
1/3 c. rice or nut milk
2 eggs
Mix well then add 1 c. chopped walnuts & 1 c. cranberries, chopped into halves. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
Apple-Rice Pudding
Combine:
4 c. cooked rice
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. honey
1 c. raisons
4-6 apples, chopped
6 T. oil (virgin coconut, canola- or butter if you can have it)
Bake in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish for 30 minutes. (You might try subbing rice or nut milk for the oil if you don't like using oil. I've not tried it though.)
I also eat hot cereal. Brown rice can be ground up into a coarse flour if you have a way to grind it. My Blend-tec works great for this. Then it can be cooked into a hot cereal. If not, Bob's Red Mill has a brown rice cereal and a gluten free cereal (although the gf cereal contains corn so I can't use it anymore). I have several variations of this cereal.
I also eat quick breads or muffins, as well as Namaste waffles on special occasions. Sprinkling lots of chocolate chips into the waffles makes a great snack/desert for later. I like my olive oil-sea salt toast shared in the Sick Food post. I used to eat oats raw (or whatever you call them when they're in flakes and not cooked). If you're not allergic to oats, you can buy gf oats now and this would be a great option. Mix the flakes with nuts and raisons or other dried fruit and pour milk over them (any kind of rice or nut milk works). This makes a great "cold cereal". Quinoa flakes, which look like oats, might work too, but I haven't actually tried them.
The only kind of processed cereal I've found which I can eat is Perky's Nutty Rice or Nutty Flax. It's vaguely similar to a grape nut type texture. There are also natural brands of rice crispies that are gluten and corn-free; EnvironKids has a chocolate rice crispies, and Enjoy Life has a granola that's corn/gf (it's not the greatest tasting in my opinion, however). I'm not overly fond of Rice Crispies or Perky's, but they're not bad once in a while when loaded up with nuts, seeds, fruit, etc. I've just about decided that it's time for me to start a cereal company. Lots of companies make gluten free cereals. No one makes gf cereal that's also corn and oat free. Surely there's a way to make a "flake" cereal that meets this criterion.
Rice pudding can also be a nice option. Otherwise, these are about all the options I can think of. This area of my food-life still needs some work. But keep in mind... virtually any left-over can be breakfast as well. There's no law that says "breakfast" foods must be eaten at breakfast!
Breakfast Quiche
Mix a batch of breakfast sausage to begin with. Work the seasonings into the meat:
1 lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2 t. each: coriander, sage, marjoram
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Brown the meat, then throw a couple big handfuls of baby spinach on top and stir till it wilts. Set aside. Peel 4-6 good-sized potatoes, shred and lightly fry them. Season with salt & pepper to taste and then press them into an oiled baking dish, going up the sides to form a "crust". Whisk 6-8 eggs and then pour them over the sausage-spinach mix. Pour the whole thing over the potato crust and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes till browned & done. We all LOVE this stuff!
Chicken Quiche
Saute onions, peppers, finely chopped broccoli, then add diced chicken pieces and saute till done. Season with salt, pepper, basil, or whatever you like. When done, cool a bit while you peel, shred and fry the potatoes as instructed above. Follow instructions above for adding eggs, pouring over the potato crust and baking.
Cooked Rice Cereal
3 c. water & 1/2 t. salt - bring to a boil
1 c. coarsely ground rice or rice cereal - whisk into the water and simmer 5-8 minutes. Lots of possibilities for what to do with this. Below are a couple to get you started.
Cocoa: Add 2 T. sugar & 2 T. cocoa. Voila! Cocoa wheats without the wheat :0)
Cranberry-Maple: Sprinkle walnuts and dried cranberries over the hot rice cereal then drizzle with pure maple syrup on top. Flood the whole thing with rice or nut milk.
Strawberry/Blueberry: Either kind of berry with raw sugar, cinnamon and sliced almonds.
Millet Breakfast Cereal
1 c. millet - dry toast it in a pan for more flavor. Mix with 3 c. water and a pinch of salt. Boil, then simmer, covered for about 30 minutes till the water is absorbed. I'm guessing this could be done in a rice cooker, but I haven't tried it. Mix in any combination of fruit, nuts, and other goodies.
Muffins:
I wouldn't call the muffins below the worlds most delicious, but they might be the easiest and cheapest allergen-friendly ones. The plain rice flour option keeps the cost down and they're super quick. Namaste Muffin Mix is also a great option if you want a little more sophisticated muffins; make according to directions. In addition to these, any muffin recipe will work with Namaste Perfect Flour Blend subbed for the flour.
Easy Muffins (makes 1 dozen)
1 c. milk substitute
1 egg
1 c. rice flour or flour mix
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder (or 1 t. cream of tarter & 1/2 t. baking soda)
2 t. oil
1/2 t. flavoring: pumpkin pie spice / almond extract / coconut ext./ cinnamon / vanilla
Raspberry: Add enough fresh raspberries that the batter is thick with berries. Frozen berries don't work well with this because they make the muffins soggy. Other berries can be used but we think raspberries are by far the best.
Chocolate Chip: Same as the berries. Add the chips till the batter is thick with them. The chips make the muffins much better, and they make a nice snack/desert-type food as well.
Banana Bread (from the Namaste mixes)
2 c. Perfect Flour Blend
1 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 brown sugar packed or heaping
2 large eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes, or till toothpick comes out clean.
Zucchini Bread
1/2 c. raisons & 1/4 c. water; boil a mintue then drain, reserving the liquid
Sift together:
1 1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
1 slightly rounded t. of baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tarter
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Mix:
1 beaten egg & 1 c. shredded zucchini.
Mix separately:
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. oil
1 c. sugar
Add the sugar and egg mixtures along with half the flour. Beat well then add the raisons, water, and:
1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 t. fine lemon peel, along with the remaining flour. Mix well and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min. Let cool 10 minutes then remove.
Cranberry Nut Bread
We always make this around the holidays, but it also makes a nice breakfast food:
Sift together dry ingredients together then add wet ones:
2 1/2 c. perfect flour blend
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
3 1/2 t. baking powder (or 1 1/2 slightly rounded t. cream of tarter & 3/4 slightly rounded t. soda)
1/4 c. oil
1/3 c. rice or nut milk
2 eggs
Mix well then add 1 c. chopped walnuts & 1 c. cranberries, chopped into halves. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
Apple-Rice Pudding
Combine:
4 c. cooked rice
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. honey
1 c. raisons
4-6 apples, chopped
6 T. oil (virgin coconut, canola- or butter if you can have it)
Bake in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish for 30 minutes. (You might try subbing rice or nut milk for the oil if you don't like using oil. I've not tried it though.)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Desserts
The hardest part about multiple food allergies is not the diet. It's the isolation. At times the isolation can be overwhelming. Food is the hub around which all social experiences revolve. It bonds people together. A great deal of social conversation is in response to the food. The psychological impact of eating from your own little rubbermaid dish, while everyone else is discussing the delicious German chocoloate cake, can really take a toll on you over time. And the impact is compounded by the fact that most Americans, the dieting-est people in the history of the world, see "diet " as a voluntary fling with low carbs or weight-watchers, ignored or eliminated at will. A far cry from "I didn't choose this, and not only do I never cheat, but I live in mortal fear of making an error and getting deathly sick." My recurring dream is not that I'm enjoying the foods I miss; it's that I've accidentally eaten something and am panicked over what will happen. It's a solitary entrapment from which there is no escape. Sometimes it's helpful to know, just for a moment, that you are not alone. There are others out there who deal with this loneliness. For indeed, misery does love company. And next time you're going to a party, consider some of the recipes below.
Things to note in the following recipes:
Butter/Margarine/Shortening Subs
I substitute unrefined coconut oil for butter/margarine in most recipes. The best source I've found is Tropical Traditions. Be sure to wait for a half-off sale. If you're not allergic to dairy, the coconut oil can be converted back. Canola oil can be used for some recipes, but the flavor of coconut oil is better. In recipes calling for shortening, I use palm shortening, also available through Tropical Traditions.
Flour Subs
Gluten free flours always need to be "mixed". No one flour will substitue adequately. I use Namaste's Perfect Flour Blend, which has the xanthan gum already mixed in and is corn-free (all others you buy are not corn-free). It can be purchased online through Amazon. If you don't want to use this mix, you'll need to buy another one or possibly mix your own. Below is a good mix.
A Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 c. tapioca starch;
1 c. potato starch (or cornstarch if you can eat corn)
2/3 c. garfava or light bean flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour.
Xanthan Gum
Be sure to add xanthan or guar gum to the recipe if you mix your own flour (it helps replace what gluten does). Use about 1/4 t. per cup flour for cakes, 1/4-1/2 t. per cup flour for quick breads and cookies & 1-2 t. per cup flour for kneading products. Guar gum can also be used, which is corn free, but I personally don't like it.
Baking Powder
Baking powder has cornstarch, so my recipes use cream of tarter and baking soda instead. If you're not allergic to corn and want to use baking powder, you can convert back by using slightly more baking powder than the combination of both tarter and soda. The exact conversion is 1 t. tarter + 1/2 t. soda = 2 t. baking powder. The missing 1/2 t. is the cornstarch which is simply left out. So for every 1 1/2 t. of soda and tarter combined, add an extra 1/4 t. of baking powder.
Blondies
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 t. cream of tarter
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
Opt: 1 c. chopped walnuts (which make them really good)
Opt: 1/2 - 1 c. chocolate chips
Cream the oil and sugar together; add vanilla & eggs; blend well. Mix in the flour. Add optional ingredients. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Chocolate Almond Cake
(My friend Sue found this recipe from Helen Nash's Kosher Kitchen; it's really good!)
1 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 t. potato starch
1 heaping cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life & GFS chocolate chips are both gluten, dairy and corn free)
6 large eggs, separated at room temp
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. each: grated lemon & orange zest
1/4 t. vanilla
9 ou. ground almonds (or almond meal)
Powdered sugar (corn-free from a health food store, or finely ground regular sugar)
1 T. sliced almonds for garnish
Heat oven to 300. Grease a springform pan. Line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Dust the pan with potato starch. Melt the choc chips (double boiler or microwave) and set aside to cool. Cream the coconut oil, then gradually add sugar till mixture is pale and bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Lower the heat and mix in the cooled chocolate and orange juice. Mix in the potato starch, ground almonds & zests. In a clean bowl mix the egg whites on high till stiff. Fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the whites, then reverse the process pouring the mixture over the remaining whites. Gradually fold together. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out slightly sticky; about an hour. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with powdered sugar and almond slices.
Peanutbutter Cups (My daughter, Rebekah, made these for me at Christmas and they're amazing- especially after years of no Reese's.)
1 pkg (12 oz.) chocolate chips, divided
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
miniature muffin papers, trimmed to half their height
Place half the chips in the microwave and melt for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spoon into muffin papers and fill half way. With a spoon spread the chocolate up the sides till evenly coated. Cool in the frig till firm. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar and salt. Divide into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and spoon over peanut butter; spread to the edges of the cups.
Pumpkin Pie
I've yet to find a recipe I like for pie crust so I usually just opt for a crumb crust. Pull out those sweet crumbs you've been saving (any stale baked good, crumbled and frozen for "graham cracker crumbs" later on) and mix 1 1/2 - 2 c. crumbs with enough oil to make a graham cracker crust consistency. Press into a pie pan. Almond or macadamia oil is great, but melted coconut or canola also works.
Combine:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. each: ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Add gradually and mix well:
1 2/3 c. cashew cream (recipe in Icecream & Other Basics... post)
Pour into the pie crust and bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40 minutes or till knife comes out clean.
Chocolate Fudge (another "Bonnie" recipe)
Warm together:
1/2 scant cup coconut cream (also available from Tropical Traditions)
Add enough water to make a "drizzle consistency" (about 1/3 c.) & 2/3 c. sugar (or to taste)
Add & blend:
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. melted chocolate chips
1/2 t. vanilla
Opt: nuts
Pour in a wax paper-lined silicone pan. Refreigerate till firm and cut into squares.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Combine & stir on low till sugar is disolved:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 c. rice syrup
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
Add & mix well:
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 eggs
Add 1 c. pecans (walnut also work)
Bake at 325 for 55 minutes
Ginger Snaps
Beat together:
3/4 c. palm shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. rice or cider vinegar
Add & beat:
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon & cloves
1/2 t. cloves
1 1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 heaping t. baking soda
Add 1/2 c. at a time, beating after each:
2 1/2 c. Namaste perfect flour blend
Chill dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into cookie shapes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
Mix and put in a greased baking dish:
3 lb rhubarb (several stalks) ; cut into small pieces, stringing as you go
2 lb strawberries, chopped
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. gluten-free flour mix (Namaste or other; or mix your own)
1 t. cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle over:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour mix
1/2 c. almond meal
3/4 c. finely chopped pecan or walnuts
enough oil to make a "crumble"
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, till rhubarb is tender.
Blueberry Crisp (frozen berries are fine)
4-6 c. blueberries, sweetened to taste (i.e. dump on some sugar and stir, taste, repeat process as needed)
Topping:
1 c. ground almonds
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. quinoa flakes (or gf oats if you're not allergic)
1/2 c. oil
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Layer Bars
2-3 c. sweet crumbs mixed with enough oil to make a crumbly consisitency; press into a baking pan
Layer:
pecan pieces
chocolate chips
coconut
Blend about 1-1 1/2 c. coconut cream with water to make a "drizzling consistency"
Sweeten the coconut cream mix to taste (you're replacing sweetened condensed milk)
Drizzle it over the layered ingredients.
Bake at 350 till lightly browned.
The World's Easiest Peanutbutter Cookies (from my friend, Hannah)
1 c. peanutbutter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
Roll dough into balls and bake 8-10 minutes at 350.
Opt: add chocolate chips
Things to note in the following recipes:
Butter/Margarine/Shortening Subs
I substitute unrefined coconut oil for butter/margarine in most recipes. The best source I've found is Tropical Traditions. Be sure to wait for a half-off sale. If you're not allergic to dairy, the coconut oil can be converted back. Canola oil can be used for some recipes, but the flavor of coconut oil is better. In recipes calling for shortening, I use palm shortening, also available through Tropical Traditions.
Flour Subs
Gluten free flours always need to be "mixed". No one flour will substitue adequately. I use Namaste's Perfect Flour Blend, which has the xanthan gum already mixed in and is corn-free (all others you buy are not corn-free). It can be purchased online through Amazon. If you don't want to use this mix, you'll need to buy another one or possibly mix your own. Below is a good mix.
A Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 c. tapioca starch;
1 c. potato starch (or cornstarch if you can eat corn)
2/3 c. garfava or light bean flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour.
Xanthan Gum
Be sure to add xanthan or guar gum to the recipe if you mix your own flour (it helps replace what gluten does). Use about 1/4 t. per cup flour for cakes, 1/4-1/2 t. per cup flour for quick breads and cookies & 1-2 t. per cup flour for kneading products. Guar gum can also be used, which is corn free, but I personally don't like it.
Baking Powder
Baking powder has cornstarch, so my recipes use cream of tarter and baking soda instead. If you're not allergic to corn and want to use baking powder, you can convert back by using slightly more baking powder than the combination of both tarter and soda. The exact conversion is 1 t. tarter + 1/2 t. soda = 2 t. baking powder. The missing 1/2 t. is the cornstarch which is simply left out. So for every 1 1/2 t. of soda and tarter combined, add an extra 1/4 t. of baking powder.
Blondies
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 t. cream of tarter
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. perfect flour blend (Namaste)
Opt: 1 c. chopped walnuts (which make them really good)
Opt: 1/2 - 1 c. chocolate chips
Cream the oil and sugar together; add vanilla & eggs; blend well. Mix in the flour. Add optional ingredients. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Chocolate Almond Cake
(My friend Sue found this recipe from Helen Nash's Kosher Kitchen; it's really good!)
1 c. coconut oil
1 1/2 t. potato starch
1 heaping cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life & GFS chocolate chips are both gluten, dairy and corn free)
6 large eggs, separated at room temp
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. each: grated lemon & orange zest
1/4 t. vanilla
9 ou. ground almonds (or almond meal)
Powdered sugar (corn-free from a health food store, or finely ground regular sugar)
1 T. sliced almonds for garnish
Heat oven to 300. Grease a springform pan. Line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Dust the pan with potato starch. Melt the choc chips (double boiler or microwave) and set aside to cool. Cream the coconut oil, then gradually add sugar till mixture is pale and bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Lower the heat and mix in the cooled chocolate and orange juice. Mix in the potato starch, ground almonds & zests. In a clean bowl mix the egg whites on high till stiff. Fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the whites, then reverse the process pouring the mixture over the remaining whites. Gradually fold together. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out slightly sticky; about an hour. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with powdered sugar and almond slices.
Peanutbutter Cups (My daughter, Rebekah, made these for me at Christmas and they're amazing- especially after years of no Reese's.)
1 pkg (12 oz.) chocolate chips, divided
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
miniature muffin papers, trimmed to half their height
Place half the chips in the microwave and melt for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spoon into muffin papers and fill half way. With a spoon spread the chocolate up the sides till evenly coated. Cool in the frig till firm. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar and salt. Divide into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and spoon over peanut butter; spread to the edges of the cups.
Pumpkin Pie
I've yet to find a recipe I like for pie crust so I usually just opt for a crumb crust. Pull out those sweet crumbs you've been saving (any stale baked good, crumbled and frozen for "graham cracker crumbs" later on) and mix 1 1/2 - 2 c. crumbs with enough oil to make a graham cracker crust consistency. Press into a pie pan. Almond or macadamia oil is great, but melted coconut or canola also works.
Combine:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. each: ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Add gradually and mix well:
1 2/3 c. cashew cream (recipe in Icecream & Other Basics... post)
Pour into the pie crust and bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40 minutes or till knife comes out clean.
Chocolate Fudge (another "Bonnie" recipe)
Warm together:
1/2 scant cup coconut cream (also available from Tropical Traditions)
Add enough water to make a "drizzle consistency" (about 1/3 c.) & 2/3 c. sugar (or to taste)
Add & blend:
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. melted chocolate chips
1/2 t. vanilla
Opt: nuts
Pour in a wax paper-lined silicone pan. Refreigerate till firm and cut into squares.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Combine & stir on low till sugar is disolved:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 c. rice syrup
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
Add & mix well:
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 eggs
Add 1 c. pecans (walnut also work)
Bake at 325 for 55 minutes
Ginger Snaps
Beat together:
3/4 c. palm shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. rice or cider vinegar
Add & beat:
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon & cloves
1/2 t. cloves
1 1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 heaping t. baking soda
Add 1/2 c. at a time, beating after each:
2 1/2 c. Namaste perfect flour blend
Chill dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into cookie shapes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
Mix and put in a greased baking dish:
3 lb rhubarb (several stalks) ; cut into small pieces, stringing as you go
2 lb strawberries, chopped
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. gluten-free flour mix (Namaste or other; or mix your own)
1 t. cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle over:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour mix
1/2 c. almond meal
3/4 c. finely chopped pecan or walnuts
enough oil to make a "crumble"
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, till rhubarb is tender.
Blueberry Crisp (frozen berries are fine)
4-6 c. blueberries, sweetened to taste (i.e. dump on some sugar and stir, taste, repeat process as needed)
Topping:
1 c. ground almonds
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. quinoa flakes (or gf oats if you're not allergic)
1/2 c. oil
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Layer Bars
2-3 c. sweet crumbs mixed with enough oil to make a crumbly consisitency; press into a baking pan
Layer:
pecan pieces
chocolate chips
coconut
Blend about 1-1 1/2 c. coconut cream with water to make a "drizzling consistency"
Sweeten the coconut cream mix to taste (you're replacing sweetened condensed milk)
Drizzle it over the layered ingredients.
Bake at 350 till lightly browned.
The World's Easiest Peanutbutter Cookies (from my friend, Hannah)
1 c. peanutbutter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
Roll dough into balls and bake 8-10 minutes at 350.
Opt: add chocolate chips
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