Recipe: Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac'n'Cheese

When I learned that I could no longer eat dairy, I panicked.  No more creamy comfort foods?  No more mac'n'cheese?!  What was I going to do?  Fortunately, there are some pretty awesome (corn free) cheese substitutes out there and with a little help from the internet, I was able to hobble together a pretty amazing Mac'n'faux-cheese.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac'n'Cheese

4 cups dry gf pasta (such as Tinkyada shells)

drizzle olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 tbsp rice flour

2 cups rice milk

7 oz follow your heart cheddar, shredded

5 oz follow your heart mozzarella, shredded

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Heat oven to 350 degrees

1) In large sauce pan, cover pasta with water, bring to a boil, then simmer until al dente.

2) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large pan.  Add onion and sautee until tender.  

3) Add rice flour and stir until well combined.

4) Add rice milk one cup at a time and stir continually, simmering until thickened.

5) Add shredded cheeses and stir until cheeses have melted completely. 

6) Stir in mustard and nutritional yeast.

7) Place pasta in 2 qt casserole dish.

8) Pour sauce on top of pasta and toss until well combined.  

9)  Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top.  

*optional: before baking, top with crushed rice crackers or rice breadcrumbs for extra crunch if desired

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie

One of my absolute favorite cold-weather comfort foods is chicken pot pie.  It's quick and easy to assemble and chock full of healthy foods.  I've had to modify my recipe to meet my new dietary restrictions but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It was incredibly yummy without any wheat or dairy!  Here's how it's done:

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 large stalks celery, diced (I'm allergic so I swapped in a big handful of spinach in the photographs below)
2 large carrots, diced
4-5 small potatoes, diced
1/4 cup rice flour
1 cup Basic Onion Broth
1 cup rice or coconut milk (coconut will make a creamier sauce)
Liberal dash each Rosemary, Majoram, Savory, Parsley, salt and pepper (thyme and sage also work well)

1 cup flour (I use 1/2 cup rice flour and 1/2 cup tapioca starch)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
cold water

1)Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Cut up potatoes and carrots

2) Put potatoes and carrots in large pot, fill with water, bring to boil, then simmer 10-15 minutes, until just tender

 3) Cut onion and celery

 4) In large skillet, heat olive oil, then sautee onion, celery (or spinach), peas and herbs/spices until tender

 5) Add flour to veggies in skillet.  Slowly stir in rice or coconut milk and broth and cook on low, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

6) Meanwhile add flour, baking power and coconut oil to large bowl.  Mash until mixture forms consistency of small peas.  Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until dough forms smooth ball.

 7) Drain potatoes and carrots and add to creamed veggie mixture.  Pour into 2 qt casserole dish.

8) Roll out dough on sheet of parchment paper and invert on top of casserole.  Gluten-free dough may be fragile, so you may have to patch it.  For a more 'artistic' look, cut dough with cookie cutters and arrange on top of pie.

 9) Bake for 35 minutes, remove from oven, and let stand another 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!!

Recipe Of The Week: Basic Onion Broth

On my new food-sensitivity diet, two of the foods I can no longer eat are beef and garlic. I have found it next to impossible to find a broth that doesn't contain at least one of those ingredients (or celery which is also on the list).  Plain old chicken stock just doesn't have enough of a 'kick' for me, so I cooked up this basic onion broth to fill out my soup bases and splash in my veggies and casseroles.  It's super easy and so good!

Basic Onion Broth

2 onions, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
liberal dash marjoram
liberal dash savory
(if you can eat them, bay leaves, thyme and sage work well, too)
8 cups water

Add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on low over night (approximately 12 hours).  Strain into a large bowl, cool and ladle into smaller containers to freeze. 

Grain-Free Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

You've all heard my spiel about food sensitivities.  I was miserable, I turned out to be sensitive to a boatload of foods, I eliminated those foods, and now I feel better.

But the better I feel, the more I notice when certain foods make me feel uncomfortable.  And I've come to the conclusion that, in general, I need to avoid eating grains.  All grains.  No wheat, no corn, no rice, none of them.  So now I'm pursuing a way to give up these foods without living on fruits and veggies alone.  I like to bake and bake I will, even if it means getting a little creative.

So, here is my adaptation of a favorite cookie recipe.  Please, only attempt these cookies in bar form, OR use shortening instead of the coconut oil.  If you make drop cookies as is, they will run all over your oven and start a fire (I kid you not).

Grain-Free, Dairy Free Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

1/2 cup coconut oil, chilled
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch lemon zest
1/2 cup potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca starch
3/4 tsp  baking soda
1/3 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, beat coconut oil and sugar until smooth.  Add egg and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients except lemon juice and mix until lumps are gone.  Slowly stir in lemon juice.

Pour into greased 8x8 square pan.  Sprinkle top with additional sugar.  Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick tests done.

Recipe Of The Week: Honey Glazed Apple French Toast

On a cold winter morning, I love a hot breakfast.  However, we've been stuck in a bit of a pancake rut, lately.  Daddy to the rescue!  My husband was inspired by our big pile of Honeycrisps one morning and whipped up this delicious breakfast.  We all gobbled it right down!

Honey Glazed Apple French Toast

1 large honeycrisp apple, cut in thin slices
3 tsp honey
1/2 tbsp butter

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon

6 slices whole-grain bread (or 6-8 slices Gluten Free bread, such as Udi's)

In small skillet, melt butter.  Add apple and honey and cook until apple is soft.

In shallow bowl, combine eggs, milk and cinnamon.  Beat well.

Heat non-stick skillet.  Dredge bread slices in egg mixture.  Cook in non-stick skillet until both sides are golden and egg is set.

Top with 1/6 of the apples and serve.   

Recipe Of The Week: Spicy Red Beans

You may have heard me mention lately that I'm dealing with a lot of food sensitivities at the moment.  Long story short, I was feeling sluggish and cranky and just not myself - for two years.  After lots of testing and "oh, you're fine, how about some Prozac?" I finally found a Functional Medicine doctor who took one look at my paperwork and said "Let's check your food sensitivities."
We did and I wound up being moderately to severely sensitive to 35 different foods!  Odds are, there's just one or two culprits that have so badly messed up my system that I'm now hypersensitive to everything.  But while I'm waiting for my insides to heal, I have to swear off all 35 foods - including gluten, dairy, celery, honey, cinnamon, garlic, thyme, sage, bay leaves, avocados, beef and so much more! 

I was amazed at how many foods contain at least one of those ingredients - everything from conventional ketchups to deli meat to pickle relish - it's been crazy trying to shop and cook for this diet.  However, it has led me to a few recipe gems and I plan on sharing them with you!  (I'm working on an allergy-free Thanksgiving right now - keep yours eyes peeled for the results).  During detox, as I was scrambling to make plain ol' beans exciting, I threw together this recipe and was shocked at how good it tasted. So - enjoy!!

Spicy Red Beans

1 tsp olive oil
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cilantro
liberal dash cayenne pepper

In medium skillet, heat oil.  Add onion and pepper and sautee until onion is tender.  Add beans and spices and heat through.

Serves 2

*If you like things more flavorful or spicy, double all spices.

Cuisinart Smart Stick Stainless Steel Hand Blender & Chopper (Google Affiliate Ad)

Recipe Of The Week: Spinach and Strawberry Salad With Candied Walnuts

Summertime means salad time in our house.  It also means I'm usually too lazy to spend much time in a hot kitchen.  This salad is super easy and super delicious for those nights when you need something quick.  We paired ours with pesto noodles for a fast and filling dinner.

Spinach And Strawberry Salad With Candied Walnuts

 1 9-oz package spinach
3/4 cup strawberries, sliced
1 small package Feta, crumbled
1 cup walnuts
2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash salt and pepper

In large salad bowl, spread out spinach.  Top with strawberries and feta.  Toast walnuts in non-stick skillet over medium heat until golden.  Turn off heat and add honey, stirring to coat well.  Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in small bowl or dressing container, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.  Shake or stir well.  

Before serving, top salad with walnuts and drizzle with dressing.



 

Recipe Of The Week: Chicken A La King

I love quick dinners that I can toss together in a few minutes before the kids get cranky.  Even better if the kids will eat them.  This dish is super quick to put together and my kids devour it.  Win win!

Chicken A La King

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour (all-purpose or rice)
2 cups milk
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup spanish (green) olives, sliced thin
brown rice or toast

In medium sauce pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour then add milk, whisking till smooth.  Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Add chicken, peas and olives and cook until heated through. Serve over rice or toast.

Variations:
1) Sautee onions in butter before adding flour
2) Substitute 1 cup chicken broth or 1/2 cup sherry for an equivalent amount of the milk
3) Sprinkle on smoked paprika before serving. 

 

Recipe Of The Week: Knock-Off Doubletree Cookies

My husband travels a fair amount for work, so he's had the chance to try out quite a few hotel chains.  And one of his favorites, by far, are the Doubletree hotels.  Why?  Because every guest gets one of their famous Doubletree cookies.  Hubby loved them so much he begged to recreate them the other night so he could bring some to work.  And because I didn't want to be left out of the fun, I made a gluten-free batch as well.  We made a few tweaks and they were so amazing and addictive I ate literally almost an entire batch in two days.   So here is the recipe (with GF conversions) for our version of these cookies. 

Knock-Off Doubletree Cookies

1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Montana Gluten Free Naked Oats)
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup potato starch)
1/4 cup ground flax seed meal *
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil **
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In medium bowl, combine flour, flax meal, oats, and baking soda.
3) In mixer, cream butter and coconut oil with brown and granulated sugars until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla.
4) Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.
5) By hand, fold in chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut.
6) Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets.
7) Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes approx. 2 dozen.

* Or, omit flax and use 2 1/4 cups flour
** Or, omit coconut oil and use 2 sticks butter



 

Recipe Of The Week: Lemon-Pepper Salmon In White Wine Butter Sauce

My kids are picky eaters. Some days I feel like there's nothing I can offer that they'll be willing to put in their mouths. However, 9 times out of 10, they will eat salmon.  As someone who has to force herself to eat fish, it's unfathomable to me that my picky kids will eat salmon.  However, even I can be convinced to get my daily omegas if I fix this salmon dish. 

 

 

Salmon in White Wine Butter Sauce

3 large salmon fillets
3 large cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
4 tbsp butter

In large baking dish, lay salmon flat.
Top with grated garlic and lemon pepper.
Pour wine over the fish.
Cut butter into thin slices and distribute evenly across pan.
Cover pan with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove foil and turn fish, basting with wine/butter sauce.
Top with more lemon pepper if desired.

Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until fish is flaky.

 

Recipe Of The Week: S'mores Muffins

Please forgive me if I cop out a little this week - but I'm technically not even here - I'm right in the middle of a week-long media fast to get back to reality and spend some quality time with the kids.  So, I thought I'd pass along a recipe I found at another wonderful site for some super duper yummy

S'mores Muffins

If your kids are like my kids, they could live on s'mores.  It's their favorite camp-fire treat, and we've even been known to make them in the toaster oven.  I definitely have this recipe on my list for my week off, so I thought you might want to join me!  Go check them out and start drooling! 

p.s. I made these here with gluten free flour, and added some ground flax seed to make them a little healthier.  They still turned out pretty well, but they would have been fluffier if made as instructed with wheat flour.  So please don't judge their final height by my pictures  :)


 

Recipe Of The Week: Egg Cups

There are versions of these egg cups all over Pinterest.  We had them at a brunch the other day, and I decided to tinker with them at home.  Here is the yummy result!  (My kids gobbled them up for breakfast - so glad they are finally eating protein).

Egg Cups

6 eggs, beaten
dash salt and pepper
2 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup broccoli florets (cut very fine)
1/4 cup green onion, minced

Mix all ingredients.  Grease 6 muffin cups* well.  Divide egg mixture evenly between cups.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. 

* number of cups will vary slightly depending on depth of muffin tin

Other suggested ingredients:  Finely crumbled sausage, well diced ham, diced tomatoes, shredded spinach, swiss or monterey jack cheese, fresh herbs, bacon, avocado, chili powder - the possibilities are endless