Banana Carrot Grain Free Muffins

This recipe was created by our sweet friend Sarah. They are absolutely delicious. They make great road food too!



Banana Carrot Muffins

1 c pitted dates
3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3 eggs
1/4 melted coconut oil

In food processor, process dates. Add melted coconut oil and process til smooth. Add eggs, bananas, & vinegar. Process until smooth.
Add dry ingredients listed below (except grated carrots) and process again.

2 cups almond flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Add 1 1/2 cups grated carrots and pulse to just combine.

Scoop out into well greased muffins cups and bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes or less. Makes 15 regular muffins and 24 minimuffins.


Remove from pan and let cool until warm. Then cover and let cool completely. Bet you won't let them cool though before you eat them :)

Totally GAPS Legal Thanksgiving Meal!

I feel like I have come over a huge hurdle! I made a 100% GAPS Legal Thanksgving dinner.

Here is what we enjoyed today. (We can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!)

Honey Brined Turkey (see recipe below)

Butternut Squash Casserole

Pecan Crusted Apple Pie

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Homemade Cranberry Jelly (recipe below)

Coconut Flour Bread Dressing with Giblets

Honey Brined Turkey Recipe
I took this recipe and this recipe (both from Alton Brown) and created my own. I have been making AB's classic Roast Turkey for years now. But because it has sugar in the brine I needed a modification. This worked great! The only thing I would do differently is brush the turkey with melted coconut oil instead of rubbing it with ghee. The ghee caused the uneven browning that you see in the picture. It was still very moist and delicious if not very pretty.

Turkey Brine
1 cup hot water (I use filtered)
1 lb real salt
1 lb honey

Combine hot water, honey and salt and stir until salt dissolves. Add 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns and 1 1/2 tsp whole allspice berries. Pour into a 5 gallon bucket or cooler. Add in 2 quarts of vegetable broth and 1 seven lb bag of ice. Stir to combine. Place thawed turkey neck-side down in liquid until completely immersed. Let sit in cold place for 8 to 16 hours.

Aprox. three hours before serving. Remove turkey from brine. Throw away the brine and wash and pat dry the turkey. Rub the turkey with melted coconut oil and place in roasting pan. Add to the cavity 4 sprigs of rosemary, 4 sprigs of sage and 1/2 onion sliced, 1 red apple sliced and 2 cinnamon sticks. (Steam the onions, cinnamon, and red apple in one cup of filtered water until soft and then add to the cavity with sage and rosemary.)

Roast turkey uncovered on lowest rack at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn down the temp after that to 350 and roast for another 1 1/2- 2 hours until thickest part of breast reads 161 degrees on a meat thermometer. (I tent my turkey breast with foil to keep it from drying out after I turn down the heat to 350. I took the foil off the last 30 minutes.  Let rest covered for 15 minutes before carving. My turkey was 13 lbs and took a little under 3 hours total.


Cranberry Jelly

I followed the basic homemade jello recipe from here and made it into what I was aiming for (tastes like the canned cranberry jelly that is GAPS legal).

1 Quart  "Just Cranberry" Juice
Grade B Maple Syrup
4 Tbsp Great Lakes Gelatin Powder

In a pan over medium heat mix cranberry juice and maple syrup. (I added around 3/4 cup or less.) Taste to see how sweet you want it to be. Let cool. Then remove 1 cup of juice mixture and heat until hot in a small pan. Add gelatin powder mix well with a whisk until gelatin is fully dissolved. Add the rest of the cold juice mixture and set in fridge to chill over night.

PLEASE Note: I did not know until after Thanksgiving that maple syrup is not legal on GAPS. But it would be easy to add honey to taste instead. That's what I will do next year.

The Best Way to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies- Chocolate Pudding!

This is such a crazy creation and you would never think that it would taste as amazing as it does. Chocolate pudding that is made with avocados! I got the recipe here. I was totally skeptical when I started making it. But it is lick the bowl good and you would never know it had avocado in it! Great way to get avocado into those (like my boys) that won't eat it otherwise.

Braised Cabbage

I made this from the Internal Bliss cookbook. I never even liked cooked cabbage until I made it this way. The beef bone broth makes it taste rich and meaty and the ghee and coriander are key to cutting the bitter taste and bringing out the buttery sweetness.

You can find the recipe here.

What's in the Pantry or Fridge Now?

Since we started the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet back in August we have changed allot of what we keep in the house. I got rid of almost all of my gluten free stuff and went grain free. So we are grain free, real food, sugar-free, and lactose free family now.


Freezer usually has:
Grassfed Beef
Grassfed Organ meats
Organic Chicken
Pastured Pork Fatback
Wild Caught Fish
Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Homemade Beef Bone Broth
Pureed Butternut Squash
Cooked and then frozen organic veggies
Local fruit- sliced peaches, organic strawberries, organic blueberries, organic apples (sliced and apple sauce)
Coconut Flour
Chicken Bones and parts
Beef Bones


Fridge usually has:
Homemade Coconut Milk Kefir
Homemade Cow's Milk Kefir (cultured for at least 24 hours) Raw Milk would be best if you can get it.
Crispy Nuts in glass jars- almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, & pumpkin seeds
Lacto-Fermented Mayonnaise
Fresh vegetables all organic (our favorites are: red swiss chard, winter squash, salad greens, zucchini, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, avocados etc.)
Eggs tons and tons  (pastured would be best.  We go through about 10 dozen eggs or so a week, depending on how much baking I do.)
Probiotics
Fermented Cod Liver Oil/ X Factor Butter Oil Blend
Bubbies Dill Pickles
Bubbies Sauerkraut
Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese
Raw Milk (look here to find a farmer near you)

Fridge, Freezer or Counter Top:
Coconut Flour Baked Items: muffins, bread, pancakes etc.
Culturing Kefir with grains


Pantry:
Local Honey
Coconut Flour or here
Almond Flour
Organic Cashew Butter with sunflower oil (NOT safflower oil)
Organic Peanut Butter (no salt added)
Jarred Anchovies in Olive Oil
Lard
Canned Wild Caught Albacore Tuna in water without salt
Kosher Beef Gelatin Powder
Kelp Granules
Celtic Sea Salt
Herbs and Spices with no additives especially silicon dioxide
 This Coconut Oil or this one (I buy mine from Swanson Vitamins , Azure Standard or CLNF)
Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
Eden Organic Crushed Tomatoes in Amber Glass
Dried Fruits- organic figs, apple slices, & raisins
Organic Shredded Coconut
Napa Valley Organic Sunflower Oil
Homemade Ghee from Raw Milk Butter

Beef Heart Chili

"Beef Heart Chili" not the type of name that makes you start salivating, right? But it is actually the best chili I have ever made! (No, I am not kidding!) My husband and I were floored after we made this at how good it is. Now granted, not everyone finds handling beef heart that easy (my husband cut and cleaned this one for me). But if you can get past that part, you will be amazed at the dish you eat! You could feed this to someone and they would never know that it wasn't made of ground beef. Go ahead, try it. You'll be glad you did!

Ingredients:
1/2 beef heart ( rinsed, cleaned, trimmed and cut into cubes) Be sure to remove all visible fat, silver skin and arteries, capillaries etc.
1/4 lb salt pork (very cold)
2 green peppers diced
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 Carrot finely grated
1 cup beef bone broth
1 tsp salt
24 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Chili Powder



Instructions:
1/2 beef heart ( rinsed, cleaned, trimmed and cut into cubes) Be sure to remove all visible fat, silver skin and arteries, capillaries etc.
1/4 lb bacon or salt pork or fat back (very cold)

Grind heart and pork fat in food processor until ground beef texture. (careful not to over process! Use the pulse feature for about 20 pulses or less. You don't want meat paste.)

To a large pan add the ground heart & pork fat mixture and the following

2 green peppers diced
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot finely grated
1 cup beef bone broth
1 tsp salt

Turn stove on to  medium heat and cook until meat is browned and veggies are soft.

Then add:
24 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Chili Powder

Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

This is a part Fat Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday

Coconut Flour Pancakes

I make these regularly in my house. I got the original recipe from here. These substitute well for bread as a "pancake sandwich" with anything you like. They are great anyway you can think of. If you want to make them for a savory dish leave out the honey and vanilla. They even work as a stand in for hamburger buns!

This is my version:

4 eggs
1 cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond milk or full fat coconut milk)
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut flour (I use this coconut flour)
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee

In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla, honey, salt and cooled liquid oil. Whisk well. Add in coconut flour. Whisk very well, until there are no lumps. In a frying pan on medium-low heat or a griddle at 275-300 degrees. Fry your pancakes. I use an ice cream scoop and ladle them out. The batter will be thick. I just swirl the lump of batter flat with the back of the spoon. Cook well on first side until bottom is brown. Flip carefully and cook until brown on second side. Remove from pan and eat hot or let cool and eat later.

Just an FYI if you have never worked with coconut flour. You need to let your batter rest for a minute to soak up and swell. Coconut flour brands are all different. If you use something other than Wilderness Family Naturals coconut flour, then you may have to adjust the flour quantity up or down to get the right consistency. I hope to take pictures next time I make these so there will be better instruction.

Grain Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Here is another variation of the muffin base I used for the banana muffins. This recipe originally comes from here and I changed a few things. Below is my version:

5 eggs
2 cups chunky homemade apple sauce (or store bought if you want)
4 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup lard (or coconut oil or softened butter or ghee)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut flour.

To make applesauce. Peel, core and slice 2 large apples. Place in food processor and blend until chunky. I used two large organic Jonagold apples which are rather tart. You can decrease the honey to 2 Tbsp if you use sweeter apples or applesauce.

In a large bowl put eggs, applesauce, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and lard (or oil of choice). Whisk well. Add coconut flour and salt and whisk again. Let sit for a minute while you grease your 12 cup muffin tin (or more). I got 16 muffins out of this last batch. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack or eat hot.

Grain Free Banana Muffins

I made these by request for my five year old this morning and they were a huge hit! I got the recipe from here

Below is my version

5 eggs
2 ripe bananas (with spots)
1/4 cup lard (or coconut oil or softened butter)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey


In a bowl whisk eggs, smashed bananas, vanilla, lard (or oil of choice) and honey together. Add salt and coconut flour and whisk again. Let sit for a minute, while you grease 12 muffin cups. Scoop into muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown and toothpick comes out clean.

I'll have to take a picture from the next batch. The ones today went too fast!!

Grain Free Apple Pie

I made the most lovely grain free apple pie tonight using this recipe from Real Food Forager.

I used soaked, crispy almonds instead of pecans. (Pecans have been a little steep for my budget right now.)
And I substituted lard for coconut oil. (I was out of coconut oil.) Either work really well in this recipe. I used only 5 organic Jonagold apples.

Now go try it at your house!!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins- Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free and Dairy Free

I bought a lovely pie pumpkin a while back from a local farmer and made the best pumpkin muffins. I found the original recipe here. I tweaked it a bit to get to the flavors I wanted, and I doubled it to make enough for a family of five. The recipe below makes 12 muffins. I made these GAPS Legal too. They taste like eating a pumpkin pie!

1 cup pitted dates
6 Tbsp Honey
4 Tbsp coconut oil melted
1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin (or canned plain pumpkin)
6 eggs beaten
4 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a food processor place dates, drizzle in honey and melted coconut oil to make a "date paste". Add in pumpkin and blend again. Add eggs, shredded coconut, vanilla, salt, and spices. Blend again until smooth. Add coconut flour and blend one last time till smooth. Grease a 12 cup muffin cup or use paper liners. Using a scoop put in batter into muffins cups and bake.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes our clean. Let cool and store while just barely warm (if there are any left!)

The picture above is the last muffin. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture.) You can just say that these were so good that they disappeared in a blur....

To make the cooked pumpkin-
place a whole small pie pumpkin in the the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 and bake until a knife goes in easily (an hour or more). Let cool. Cut open and scoop out seeds. Scoop pulp into a container and save for cooking or freeze in quart sized zip bags for later use.

I also use left over pumpkin pulp or cooked butternut squash pulp as a substitute for mashed sweet  potatoes. Add butter, ghee or coconut oil, cinnamon, honey and large pinch of salt and stir together.

Homemade Coconut Milk

I started making my own Coconut Milk in the past month. All the store bought canned coconut milks have guar gum or some other additives to keep it emulsified. I wanted a pure coconut milk. This is super easy and cost way less than a can of coconut milk to make. I use this same coconut milk to make Coconut Milk Kefir.





Homemade Coconut Milk
1 cup of Shredded Unsweetened Coconut (preferably organic)
1 cup of boiling water (should be filtered, or distilled)

Pour boiling water over shredded coconut and let sit until cooled. Pour mixture into a food processor or blender.  Blend until very smooth. Pour blended mixture through a cheese cloth (I just use a muslin cloth). Squeeze the cloth to extract the liquid. Keep squeezing until no more liquid comes out. Discard the pulp. Store your coconut milk in the fridge. Use within 2-3 days. If you let it sit beyond about 4 days it will go sour.

I generally try to only make what I can use within a couple of days. It also freezes nicely but separates a little when defrosted. You can just blend it again to bring it back to a smooth consistency.

I buy my shredded coconut in 5 lb bags for about $16 and use it constantly.

Enjoy!

Sunflower Seed French Toast Sticks (gluten free, grain free, dairy free)

I made this Sunflower Seed Bread last night and then cut it into sticks and made French Toast out of it.

Sunflower Seed Bread 
(original cake recipe from the Internal Bliss cookbook)

2 1/2 cups of Sunflower Seeds (soaked and wet)
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/3- 1/2 cup Honey (used 1/3 of a cup)
4 eggs
2 Tsp Cinnamon

Soak your sunflower seeds for 8 hours in 5 cups of filtered water with 1 Tbsp of sea salt. Drain out through strainer and rinse with filtered water.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grind the sunflower seeds into a paste in your food processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Pour mixture into greased 8X8 baking dish or 9 inch cake pan
Bake for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Let cool some before removing from pan (has a tendency to want to stick). While still warm loosely cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely.

French Toast Sticks
Cut the Sunflower Seed Bread in half lengthwise.

Then cut off stick size slices. Dip into a batter of 2 beaten eggs combined with an 1/8-1/4 cup of milk of choice (I used homemade coconut milk). Turn to coat all sides. Cook in hot pan in lots of oil or butter (I used coconut oil). Turning until all four sides are golden brown. Serve with your choice of toppings. (We used a drizzle of maple syrup.)

These are very filling. My kids and I ate only two each along with a fried egg.

(Buddy ate two french toast sticks with a fried egg, and his cup of beef bone broth. He could barely finish the second toast stick. )

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

We love breakfast sausage, but we don't like all the nasty extra ingredients they put in it.

A while back I set out to find a way to make my own. I don't have a meat grinder or any of the paraphernalia required to make cased sausage. But it is really easy to make sausage patties. The first time I made this recipe, I bought a pork roast and cut it into large cubes and ground it by pulsing it in batches in my food processor. The second time I picked up a pound of clean ground pork from Whole Foods and whipped up the same recipe super fast. You will never buy breakfast sausage again when you see how easy this is. I love being able to control exactly what is in our food and still getting the flavors that we have enjoyed in the past.

Jimmy Dean Type Pork Breakfast Sausage

1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp crushed coriander
( I found the whole coriander was a little intense. I collect the coriander seeds when my cilantro goes to seed and crush it in my mortar and pestle. The coriander is that "something" spice that gives most sausage it's sausagey flavor.)

For a Hot Version just add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

In a large bowl place ground pork. Sprinkle the spices over the pork or mix the spices seperately and then sprinkle over the pork. Mix well (I just used my hands). Form into small patties. And cook in a pan on medium heat with a little oil for each batch of sausages. Turning and cooking until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on paper towels or brown paper and serve.

You can also store these in the freezer in zip-top bags, just place waxed paper between the patties to prevent sticking.

Maple Sausage
1 lb ground pork
3 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed coriander

Maple Garlic Sausage
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp granulated garlic
 This combination ends up tasting like Chinese food to me. The combination of the salt, the syrup, and the garlic is very reminiscent of a soy sauce flavor with garlic. Odd but true, and very tasty!

These two sausage versions cook quickly and brown faster because of the sugar in the maple syrup. So watch to be careful you don't burn them.


In a large bowl place ground pork. Sprinkle the spices over the pork or mix the spices seperately and then sprinkle over the pork. Mix well (I just used my hands). Form into small patties. And cook in a pan on medium heat with a little oil for each batch of sausages. Turning and cooking until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on paper towels or brown paper and serve.

GAPS Birthday Cake

Buddy turned five this week! I made him a GAPS Diet legal birthday cake and it was delish!

I made the Coconut Flour Orange Cake from this recipe. or here (you can leave out the baking powder) And then I frosted it with the Marshmallow Fluff recipe from here.   This was really good! I doubled the cake recipe to make a two layer cake. I would recommend taking the cake out of the pan before putting the orange juice over it (if you plan on serving it from another dish). I also used four egg whites instead of one in the Marshmallow Fluff, but the same amount of maple syrup called for. Frost this right before serving because the egg whites deflate as it sits. I think the maple syrup contributed to that. Even when it melted on the left over pieces it was delicious but it was ugly left over.

I use the coconut flour from Wilderness Family Naturals. You can buy it here or here. The Bob's Red Mill coconut flour is denser than the one I like to use. Just keep in mind that every company's coconut flour is a little different in consistency and that will determine the texture of your finished product. I like to make coconut flour pancakes with Bob's Red Mill coconut flour. But it makes more crumbly, dry bread. I will share my Coconut Flour Pancake Recipe and Coconut Flour Read Recipes soon. I use the Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Flour for bread.

Blessings,
Edie

Cinnamon Almond Flour Cookies

I made these the other night with Buddy and they were YUMMY!. Considering I haven't had a cookie in about three months, I think anything that tastes close to a real cookie would be amazing to me at the moment. Be warned though, they are so good  you won't want to eat just one. But because of the oil and almond meal they are really filling. I got this recipe from Nourished and Nurtured.

"1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (you could use extra virgin coconut oil too)

5 Tb honey

1 Tb vanilla extract, preferably organic

2 1/2 cups almond flour, preferably from crispy almonds

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt 

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  

Turn off heat, and stir in the honey and vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well.

Drop by Tablespoon onto a stoneware or greased sheet pan.  

Don't flatten them as they will spread well on their own during baking. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. 

Allow the cookies to cool before moving them."

I used salted butter the first time I made these.  

If you use salted butter leave out the salt listed in the recipe.  

Baking Soda is not legal on GAPS Diet.  

I haven't tried it without the baking soda, it may still work. 

I will post an update when I do.

I think these would be good with raisins mixed in and some extra cinnamon.

Gradually going GAPS

I have been researching and praying since January about putting our little guy on the GAPS Diet. I found out about it from a friend and read up on it online. The first places I went to were here and here. But after initially reading what it would take, I shrugged it off. This diet looked way too complicated and expensive. So we kept on doing what we were doing diet wise.

As this year has progressed I can see that Buddy was not doing as well as he had been; and I suspected that he was started to react to the foods he was eating regularly. Hubby and I talked about it, and agreed that we should have him retested. We agreed that if he tested positive for things he had previously tested negative for, then we would consider putting him on the GAPS Diet. Well, life happened. Buddy had to have ear surgery and then a long recovery. He wasn't off of antihistamines for a long enough period for us to get another round of testing done.... until recently. He got retested this month and the results were as we expected. He is now reacting to the food he regularly eats such as apples, bananas, corn, pork, beef etc. These same foods that a year and a half ago were NOT allergen foods, but now they are.


The GAPS diet we will gradually be moving Buddy on to is short for the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. It was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride a Neurologist and Nutritionist. She successfully treated her son for autism using this diet and he is now off the autism spectrum.

The premise of the diet is that many physical and psychological problems are often rooted in an imbalanced intestinal system. In regards to our situation- the food allergies are actually a manifestation of a leaky gut. Using the GAPS Diet protocol we believe that it could be possible for Buddy's intestinal system to heal and thus his allergies would gradually disappear. There are many testimonials of people who have gone on the diet and found great changes occur in their physical and mental health.

This diet is complicated and can be expensive, but I have been praying for direction. I asked the Lord IF He wanted us to take this next course of action; then I would need provision for the resources (both financially and food wise) and resources for learning how to once again cook and feed my little guy a whole new way. And that has been provided.

So I am now learning how to cook grain free, among other things. I have learned how to make kefir, sauerkraut, and bone broths. There is allot to learn and I intend on doing it gradually. As I find new recipes and things change, I will share my discoveries here or here. All of this in the hopes that what we are discovering will help or encourage someone else on their path as well.

Blessings,
Edie

Gluten Free Crepes

I have eaten these allot recently, now that I have gone grain free again for myself. You can fill these with anything you like. I usually eat them for breakfast stuffed with stevia sweetened cream cheese and fresh berries. You can fill them with anything you like making them sweet or savory.

1 Large egg
2 Tbsp Heavy cream or allowed milk
3 Tbsp Tapioca Flour
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl  combine egg, cream/milk and salt. Whisk with a whisk until fluffy and then add in tapioca flour. Whisk again until smooth.

Place a 10 inch  non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot pour 1/2 the mixture in the center of the pan and swirl the pan to create a thin layer of batter over the entire bottom of the pan. Cook until top side looks no longer wet. Flip crepe and cook for another minute. Take out of pan and fill with desired filling. Roll and serve warm. These cook fast, so have your filling ready before you start cooking the crepes.

You can use a larger pan and make larger crepes, but I find that the larger the pan the harder the crepe is to flip. I think a 10 inch pan is the most manageable pan size.

Makes 2 or 3 crepes. This recipe doubles nicely.

Coming next- Homemade Allergen Free Breakfast Sausage

Gluten Free Popovers

I found this recipe in my LifeChange Cookbook. I have made this recipe numerous times with dairy in it. I made them for the second time today dairy free. You can make them either way. If you make them with almond milk they will not puff as much but will still be delicious. In the picture above they are shown with a dollop of butter and a drizzle of honey. These are great as a bread with a roast and gravy, as a carb with breakfast with fruit, honey & butter (if you do dairy). They can also be topped with Diary Free Pudding or Dairy Free Custard (recipes to come). There are dozens of creative ways to use them!

Popovers (Gluten Free Version with Dairy)
(Makes 24 popovers)

2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter two 12 cup muffin tins. In a medium bowl (I use a four cup glass measuring cup) beats eggs. Then add cream, and beat with a whisk to combine. Add tapioca flour and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Place empty buttered muffins tins in oven for 30 seconds (NO MORE). Remove hot tins and pour in batter 1/4 inch in each muffin cup. Place back in oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Don't Peek and open your oven door while baking! I turn on the light and look through the glass to check mine. Remove from tins and serve immediately.

Store leftovers in a ziploc bag  and reheat to crisp in a 325 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes.

Popovers (Gluten Free Dairy Free)

(Makes 24 popovers)

2 eggs

1 cup almond milk

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 12 cup muffin tins. In a medium bowl (I use a four cup glass measuring cup) whisk eggs. Then add cream, and beat with a whisk to combine. Add tapioca flour and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Place empty buttered muffins tins in oven for 30 seconds (NO MORE). Remove hot tins and pour in batter 1/4 inch in each muffin cup. Place back in oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Don't Peek and open your oven door while baking! Remove from tins and serve immediately. When using almond milk the popovers do not puff quite as much. They may be a little chewy on the bottom but still very tasty. 

Store leftovers in a ziploc bag  and reheat to crisp in a 325 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes

Oatmeal Cookie Granola

I have been playing around more with my granola recipe and fell upon this combination. It tasted like crumbled oatmeal cookie! Yum!

3 cups gluten free rolled oats (I buy mine here in bulk.)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/8 cup golden flax seeds
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large pinch of salt
(I also threw in a scoop of rice protein powder when I mixed the dry ingredients for extra protein.)

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add in wet ingredients-
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup oil of choice (I like coconut oil or safflower oil. Choose a neutral oil.)
1 tsp vanilla (I buy alcohol free here)



Pour out onto large jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with a lip. Bake at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes. Stir after the first 15 minutes. Stir again 15 more minutes later. Then after that check your mix about ever 5-7 minutes. Watch that it does not cook too fast on the edges. (I mix mine from the edges in so that the middle gets toward the edges and the edges get pushed into the middle.) Ready when it is golden brown.

Pull out and let cool completely before storing in an air tight container. Mix in 1/2 cup or more of raisins before storing. (We didn't wait and just ate ours warm with almond milk over it...mmmmm!)


Makes about 9 half cup servings.

Homemade Granola

We love granola in our house but buying gluten free granola is a challenge. So here is my basic recipe. The beauty of making granola is that there is no wrong way to do it. You can add whatever you like within certain ratios and viola! personalized to your taste.

3 cups gluten free rolled oats (I buy mine here in bulk.)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/8 cup golden flax seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add in wet ingredients-
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup oil of choice (I like coconut oil or safflower oil. Choose a neutral oil.)
1 tsp vanilla (I buy alcohol free here)

Mix wet with dry ingredients and spread out onto large cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir after fifteen minute intervals.  Take out of oven and let cool on cooling rack. At this point add any dried fruit you desire. I add 1/2 cup of raisins. I don't like my raisins baked with the granola, I think they get a weird off taste to them. Let mixture cool completely and store in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Makes 9 servings (1/2 cup size).

You can add whatever kind of raw unsalted nuts you like and whatever dried fruits you choose. You can also exchange the maple syrup for honey or another sweetener like rice syrup if you like. I plan to try out some other derivations in the future and I can post my results later.

Rice Lasagna

This is a favorite in our house, but you do need to think ahead and cook the brown rice before hand. I often have made this with leftover rice. If not, then you need to plan your assembly time to start after your rice is cooked. 1 cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.

[Just in case you don't know- Cook brown rice in a medium pan with lid. 1 cup rice and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low and simmer covered until rice is tender. (Brown rice takes about 45 minutes or less at our house.)]

Rice Lasagna

1 lbs Ground Beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
30 oz. spaghetti sauce (your favorite jarred or homemade. I like Muir Glen-Garlic Roasted Garlic)
15 oz ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
8 oz. or more of shredded mozzarella
3 cups cooked rice (I use long grain brown rice)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized pan brown beef and onions and then drain off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce. In a separate bowl combine ricotta/cottage cheese, egg whites, and shredded mozzarella (you can add more than 8 oz if you like it cheesier). In a 13X9 lasagna pan spread 1/3 the meat sauce mixture, then 1/2 of the cooked brown rice and then 1/2 the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers a second time. Save last 1/3 of meat sauce for very top. Finally, cover top  with grated Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Bread

I just posted my recipe for Whole Wheat Bread, complete with step-by-step pictures. I am sure that I am not the only one who has to feed their family member/s with allergies along with balancing feeding everyone else. So this is for the "other" family members. You can find the recipe here.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake!!!!

I had a birthday this past weekend and was blessed by one of our dear friends. She took a recipe that I was planning on trying and made it for me. It is a modification of a simple chocolate cake recipe that I have used for years. My dear husband even made the original recipe to sell at our Church's Men's Bake Off. It was yummy!!! So here is a picture of the cake my sweet friend made and a couple of different possible ways to make this chocolate cake. It is the best Gluten Free Cake I have EVER eaten. It lasted beautifully in the refrigerator and did not dry out. (I ate a piece today after it sitting for five days.) It is chocolaty, sweet, moist, and delicious! YUM! YUM!

This is where I got the original recipe. You can top this with a German Chocolate Cake Frosting if you are able to do dairy. You can make it Gluten Free with Dairy OR Gluten Free and Dairy Free. If you want to make this dairy free you can make a confectioners frosting to put on it. The picture above is frosted with a butter cream frosting made out of butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and coconut milk.

1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour (Gluten Free Pantry's All Purpose Flour was used here)

2 Cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk (coconut milk was what was used here)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use safflower oil)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes on medium. Add boiling water and mix gently with a spoon by hand until well combined. Pour the batter into two greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans or three 8 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes and until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly and then turn out of pans onto cooling racks to cool. Let cool to just barely warm and then cover loosely and let finish cooling. Frost with your frosting of choice when cool and store in refrigerator before serving.

Our Favorite Gluten Free Bread

I've been meaning to post this for a while. I still have not created a scratch recipe for gluten free bread. But this is our favorite gluten free mix Gluten Free Pantry's French Bread and Pizza Mix. This is the way I make it for our food limitations.

First off I will give you the ingredients for the mix: white rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, guar gum, granulated honey, salt, and Red Staf Instant Yeast (packet included). It does say "may contain traces of soy". But my son has never had a problem with it.

(Set Oven to preheat at 375 degrees. )
In my Bosch Universal mixer with batter whips attached I dump the contents of the box and yeast packet and then the following ingredients

1 3/4 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tsp cider vinegar (if vinegar is an issue you could probably substitute lemon juice)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs plus 1 egg white

I turn my mixer on low to combine the ingredients and flip it to medium and let it run for 2 minutes. While it is running, I spray my 9X5 bread pan will Pam Olive Oil Spray. When the two minutes is over, using a ladle I carefully scoop the batter into a well greased pan. The batter has the consistency of mashed potatoes.  This is what it looks like.

Then cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until the dough rises to touch the plastic wrap. After I pulled the wrap off the risen dough, it  looked like this.

Place in 375 degree preheated oven. And bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack and let cool until warm to touch. I bag my bread as soon as it is warm and no longer hot. That keeps the crust soft. Then once it is cool in the bag, I take it out and slice it. I place plastic wrap between each slice and then freeze the bag of sliced bread. I pop a slice at a time into the microwave for 25 seconds, then flip it over and then another 10 seconds. Voila! Instant fresh soft bread!

New Gluten Free Baking source

I am excited to say that Country Life Natural Foods has started carrying gluten free items, particularly gluten free oats and gluten free rice flour. And they are in a price range that we can afford! They also have gluten free all purpose flour mix (which has legumes in it) and gluten free pancake mix. Go check it out here!

Gluten Free Pancakes (Take 2)

I have played a little with my pancake recipe, thanks to my sweet sister who has been trying them out. She is helping me to know if my recipes are easily reproducible in another person's kitchen. This last time I made them I took some pictures and changed one thing to hopefully create a better product for more people.

2 cups Rice Flour mix

5 tsp aluminum free baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp honey

4 Tbsp oil of choice ( I use safflower oil)

2 eggs

2 cup almond milk (I like Almond Breeze unsweetened) or other milk

Mix dry ingredients together and them add wet ingredients and whisk. 

Using a ice cream scoop, ladle mixture onto hot non-stick pan or griddle. I use my electric griddle and set it at 350 degrees. These pancakes seem to do better on a slightly hotter griddle than my wheat pancakes.  The honey seems to help them brown. Flip when lightly brown on one side and bubbles pop. 

Cook and eat or freeze right away. Makes about 24 standard sized pancakes. We love these with butter and agave nectar or maple syrup or even jelly.