What's For Dinner Tonight?{Gluten, Dairy and Soy Free} French Dips and Caesar Salad

When I was a child, my favorite thing to order at a restaurant was a French Dip sandwich. Since changing my diet I have tried so many different ways of making an Au Jus dipping sauce that is gluten and soy free without real success. It is always too different. On Sunday, I had a hankering for French Dips and a Caesar Salad. My inspiration involved a new idea to try for the Au Jus. My husband and I couldn't believe how close it was!  I am thrilled to have these back in my life! I am posting this at

Au Jus Dipping Sauce:
1 Quart Gluten Free Pacific Beef Broth
1 TBS onion powder
1  tsp salt
1 TBS GF Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

1lb Roast beef

Gluten Free bread of choice (I made my own by not stirring in the cinnamon and sugar part of this recipe to make a french bread) This would be great with Canyon Bakehouse buns.

Put the ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes on low. I added my roast beef to the saucepan to heat it up as well.  Next time I would leave the meat cold, but this is a personal preference. We paired this with my Vegan Caesar Salad.

Gluten Free Bread Making in the Bread Maker

I have now made about 17 loaves of bread with this beauty and it has become so easy that I can whip up the ingredients in about 5 minutes. By putting it on the dark setting for the crust it is always crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I can't say enough good things about it. Even my gluten loving family members beg for some. 

This is the Cuisinart Bread Maker I received recently for a gift. I must say it is rocking my world right now. It takes just a few minutes and a few buttons to press and the amazing aroma of bread starts wafting through the house.  I have made GF bread by hand and from scratch over the years with good success. It's just the sheer time consumption that goes with it which has turned me off and made it a rare happening.  This Bread Maker is basically $116 and comes with a very specific gluten-free baking setting. I chose it because I read reviews on it that said people have had great success making gluten free bread in it.  As I mentioned I bought Annalise G. Robert's Gluten Free Bread Maker cookbook and have started tweaking it to come up with my own fun breads. So far this is my favorite recipe:

1 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 packet or 2 and 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch(or 1/2 cup tapioca and 1/2 cup corn starch)
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp salt
3 TBS sugar

Mix the above ingredients together.

Separately mix together the following:
1 and 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp oil

Take the warm water (not too hot and not luke warm) and oil. Put it in the bread pan (first make sure everything is firmly in place). Take the flour mixture and put it over the top spreading it out (without pressing down) until all of the liquid is covered. Turn it on. As it is stirring take a spatula at some point and push the extra flour around the edges into the mixture.

My favorite add in:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix these together and reserve 2 TBS of the mixture. When the "add mix in" beeping starts stir in the sugar and cinnamon. (about 6 stirs). Sprinkle the remaining 2 TBS on top.  My next goal is to try this with brown sugar instead of the regular sugar. Yum!

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Bake Time 18-20 minutes

Makes 8 servings

1 pound hamburger

2 large carrots, grated

1/3 cup tomato puree

1/2 large onion grated

1 and 1/2 TBS worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves minced

1/8 cup pomegranate juice (or vegan red wine)

1/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp crumbled dried rosemary or 1 Tablespoon fresh

1 and 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tablespoon fresh

for the Mashed Potatoes:

1 and 1/2 pounds potatoes

water

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 and 1/8 cup unsweetened rice milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

optional: 1/8 cup Go Veggie! (non-dairy parmesan "cheese")

Preheat the oven to 400F.Brown the ground beef in a frying pan. Add the grated carrots, onion,  and minced garlic, sautee for a couple of minutes.  Add the rosemary, thyme, and tomato paste. Stir in the worcestershire, pomegranate juice, and chicken broth. Cook while stirring occasionally for a couple of minutes. 

Bring water to a boil. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to the water with salt. Turn the heat to medium low, cover and boil for 15 minutes. When they break apart when you poke them with a fork they are done.  Drain the water. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and unsweetened rice milk (and Go Veggie if desired). Whip with a beater until creamy. 

Put the shepherd's pie filling in the bottom of a round pie pan. Spread the potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle more non-dairy Parmesan cheese on top, as well as chopped parsley or thyme for garnish. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays.

What's For Dinner Tonight? EASY {Gluten Free and Dairy Free} Chicken Sausage Pasta

This recipe is one of my family's favorites!The room gets strangely quiet when a meal like this hits the table.  I love that there is spinach and red pepper in there.  If you are Paleo this would go perfectly with Zucchini noodles!  The cheese on top is Daiya non-dairy cheese.

Ingredients:
1-6oz can tomato paste (and 1 can of water)
1-14.5 oz can of diced and stewed tomatoes
1 cup spinach
1 red or orange pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS dry italian seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
2 TBS pomegranate juice or 1 TBS basalmic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 package Isernio's chicken sausage browned

Directions:
While browning the sausage put the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook in a saucepan until warmed through. Cook 1 package of gluten free pasta ( I like Tinkyada). Combine and enjoy! I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays.

What's for Dinner Tonight?{Gluten and Dairy Free} Roast and Veggies!

Rub for Roast
1 tsp dried rosemary crumbled
1 tsp dry mustard or 1 TBS dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS oil

Veggies
1/2 red onion sliced in chunks
1 bundle Asparagus
3 carrots peeled and cut in long slices
Gluten-free Tamari or Coconut Aminos
McCormick's seasoning
olive oil
salt

Heat oil in a pan. A high heat oil like grapeseed oil works well. When it is smoking add the roast. Sprinkle the roast with McCormick's seasoning, sear on all sides until it is a nice gorgeous brown all over.  Rub with the above rub and cook in the oven at 325F for 20 minutes per pound. So if it's a 2 pounder it should be in there for 40 minutes, etc.  In the middle of the roasting process take some GF Worcheshire sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the roast.

Take the juices from the roast and make a gravy just like you normally would with gluten-flour. Instead I use 2 TBS brown rice flour and 2 TBS tapioca (or corn) starch. Mix in a mug with a little water until it is a thick liquid. Pour into the roast juices in a saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring as it thickens. I like to add some salt, and McCormick's seasoning to that as well.

Meanwhile, prep the veggies for the oven. Hold the asparagus on both ends and bend it slightly. It should naturally break off leaving the hardest part on it's own. Discard those hard bits! Peel and cut carrots. Cut the onion. Combine all ingredients on a pan. Drizzle with Gluten-freeTamari (or Coconut Aminos!), olive oil, McCormick's seasoning and salt. Roll them around until they are covered all over. Bake at 400F for 16-18 minutes.

I like to serve this with mashed potatoes.  I use rice milk (or chicken broth) and olive oil instead of dairy products. Don't forget the salt and pepper! I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays.

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

I used to love these bars before I changed my diet. They were unbelievable. I was craving them awhile ago and decided to change this recipe to make it allergy-friendly. It was a sweet success. They were one of the yummiest desserts I've had in as long as I can remember. It is by no means sugar free, but worth the splurge if you can tolerate it. I gave one of these to my sister-in-law whom can eat anything and she was amazed that these are gluten and dairy free. This would be great for company, or to bring to a party or potluck. I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays.

Ingredients

• 1 cup palm shortening or Earth's Balance
• 1 and 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 and 1/4 cup tapioca or potato starch
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12-ounce package)Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• 1 can (13.5 ounces)Coconut Milk
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Beat oil flours,xanthan gum,  sugar and salt until crumbly. If it's not crumbly add a little more brown rice flour until it is. With floured fingers, press 1 3/4 cups crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan; reserve remaining mixture.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

MICROWAVE 1 cup morsels and coconut milk in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute;STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread over hot crust.

SPRINKLE crumb mixture over chocolate filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

My Favorite{Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free} Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I could eat this pie all day! I love this time of year! 

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour for a large pie 

or 35-37 minutes for a 4inch pie

Makes 7 small pies or 1 large one

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1-14 or 15-oz can organic pumpkin

1 and 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk 

2 teaspoons GF vanilla

2 tablespoons grape seed oil

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon guar gum

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the crust:

1 ¾ cups brown rice flour, plus more for dusting

⅔ cup plus 

¼ cup potato starch (not flour!)

⅓ cup tapioca starch

 1 teaspoon guar gum

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ⅓ cups chilled palm shortening or Earth Balance spread

⅔ cup ice water

Grape seed oil, for brushing

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

Instructions for the crust:

Preheat oven to 400F. In a food processor, pulse together the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, guar gum and salt. Add the shortening and pulse off and on until coarse crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together and the water is thoroughly mixed in, about 30 seconds.Divide the dough into 2 pieces for a large pie or 10 pieces for mini pies. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours, until firm. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease a pie pan or mini pie pans. Sprinkle brown rice flour onto a sheet of parchment paper. For a whole pie, roll out half of the dough on the parchment paper into a flat thin circle (less than ¼-inch-thick).  After it is fully rolled out, flip it over onto the greased pie pan. Take a fork and prick the bottom of the crust. Warning: it will fall apart more easily than regular crust. Break off the excess dough that is hanging over the sides and use a fork to flute the edges. Put small pies on a baking sheet before baking. Poke shell with a fork and bake the empty shell for 15 minutes at 400F. 

You can save the excess dough for another pie in the freezer or cut it into shapes, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and bake in the oven until firm. 

For the filling:

Put ingredients in the blender. Cover and blend until smooth and creamy. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, if necessary to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Pour into the prepared pie pan(s) and smooth the surface. Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about an hour for a large pie or about 35-37 minutes for a 4inch pie,  until done. The pie should be firm- but gives a tiny bit when lightly touched. The center should not be wet. When you shake them they shouldn't jiggle very much. 

Cool the pie on a wire rack completely. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving. I am posting this at Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays.

{Gluten and Dairy Free} "Cheesy" Bread in the Breadmaker

3/4 cup tapioca starch
3/4 potato starch
1 tsp salt
2 and 1/4 tsp gf yeast
3 TBS sugar
1 and 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup millet flour
1 and 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp xanthan gum

Mix the above ingredients together.

Separately mix together the following:
1 and 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp oil

Take the warm water (not too hot and not luke warm) and oil. Put it in the bread pan (first make sure everything is firmly in place). Take the flour mixture and put it over the top spreading it out (without pressing down) until all of the liquid is covered. Turn it on. After it is done stirring take a spatula and push the extra flour around the edges into the mixture. Mix it and add in the Daiya cheese (below).
stir in:
 2/3 cup cheddar Daiya shreds
1/8 cup Daiya Havarti Jalapeno and Garlic wedge broken into small bits
(if you don't want to do the havarti you can just do one cup of your favorite non-dairy cheese broken into chunks or shredded)

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Thai Coconut Beef

I love Thai food and this one is about as easy as it gets. In 30 minutes you can have dinner on the table. It's faster than take out! I love that I can put in chicken or whatever vegetables I have on hand. It's a great meal to whip up when you are running out of options and are cleaning out bits and pieces from your refrigerator.

 Thai Kitchen red or green curry pastes are vegan and gluten free. This opens up a world of possibilities. I find it at regular grocery stores for about $4. It's a small bottle, but makes 8-16 meals (depending on how strong you make it). In no time you have a wonderful thai meal brewing, filling your house with glorious smells!

Ingredients:
14oz can Thai Kitchen Coconut milk
1/2-1 TBS Thai Kitchen Green Curry paste
1 to 2 TBS Thai Kitchen fish sauce
2 TBS brown sugar (or pure maple syrup)
1/3 cup water
1 large steak cut into strips
veggies (I chose broccoli, spinach and red pepper)
basil
cilantro

Cut the steak into strips and cook in a little oil until cooked through. Set aside. Stir fry the veggies until crispy yet tender. In a separate sauce pan put the brown sugar (or maple syrup), water, curry paste, fish sauce and coconut milk.  Heat and then let simmer for about 10 minutes. Combine the chicken, veggies and sauce. Pour over Jasmine rice and top with basil.

To make a pretty basil garnish: Stack 6 basil leaves on top of each other and roll like a log. Slice in thin slices. Do the same with the cilantro. Put the rice on the plate. Pour the chicken and sauce over it. Add the veggies and sprinkle with basil and cilantro. You are done!

Same recipe except with Chicken!

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Stew in the Crockpot

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Slow cooker time: 8 hours on low

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 of a quart of Pacific Vegetable Broth

1 and 1/2 cups of mushrooms cubed

4 TBS Gluten-free flour (or arrowroot). I used brown rice flour

4 carrots cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1 small onion diced

2 tsp dry rosemary crumbled

1 TBS dried thyme

1 TBS ketchup

2 TBS dijon mustard

2 TBS gluten free Worcestershire sauce

2 TBS Pomegranate juice or 1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

salt and pepper to taste

1 large steak cubed

McCormick's seasoning (if you can have soy)

optional:
Mashed Potatoes
peas

DIRECTIONS:
First, cube the steak. Put it in the crockpot with the prepared onions and carrots.  Sprinkle the herbs, salt, and pepper over the meat and veggies. Mix the broth in a separate bowl with the ketchup, dijon, gluten free flour and worcestershire sauce. Pour over the meat and veggies. Turn on low for 8 hours.   I served ours over mashed potatoes (I use olive oil, and unsweetened rice milk in my vegan potatoes). Top with frozen peas to cool it down.  Note: If you'd rather, you could cut up several potatoes and add it to the stew. I love it with the mashed. It almost has a gravy feel to it. I am posting this at Allergy Free Wednesdays.

What's for Dinner Tonight?{Gluten and Dairy Free} Enchiladas

I love these enchiladas. The sauce takes just a little time, but makes a double batch so you can freeze half of it for another night. You will thank yourself when you discover it's all ready to go! I am posting this on Allergy-free Wednesdays here. They have great recipes shared! I hope you get to take a look! For vegan options you can put black beans, rice, corn, and/or green chilis inside instead.

Enchilada Sauce

1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic crushed)
1 TBS onion powder (or 1/2 onion chopped)
1 TBS cumin
2 TBS mild chili powder
4 TBS gluten free flour (I use a gluten free mix here, or garbanzo)
4 cups chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (I use a small can of tomato paste plus 1 can water)
salt to taste

1. Mix spices and flour in olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until fragrant and starting to brown.
2. Slowly add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and cook and stir until thickened. (15 or so minutes). Add salt to taste.
This makes a double batch of sauce. Label and freeze half of it.

Other ingredients:
Shredded cooked chicken
diced avocado
chopped green onion
chopped red pepper
chopped tomatoes
cilantro
daiya cheese
brown rice tortillas
dairy free sour cream (Tofutti, Vegenaise, or  So Delicious Coconut yogurt).
salsa
(green salsa is dynamite on this!)
black olives

Directions:
Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of the 9 x 11 pan to make a thin layer. I take Trader Joe's or Food for Life tortillas, and freeze them in the freezer. Take tortillas out one by one and dip them in the hot enchilada sauce for 5 seconds (holding on to the top outside of the sauce with your fingers). Take them out and lay them in the pan.Put 1/2 cup of cooked shredded chicken down the middle. Roll them up with the seams down. Repeat until you have a pan full of enchiladas. Sprinkle with daiya cheese and chopped olives (if desired). Baked at 450F until warmed through. (15 minutes or so) and "cheese" is melted. While it is cooking I shred the lettuce, chop tomatoes, chop green onions, chop cilantro, cut avocado into chunks, and make guacamole (combining smashed avocados with some salsa in a ratio of 2/3 avacado to 1/3 salsa). We also like to put diced red peppers on top. Serve the enchilada with piled toppings on top. I like to use vegenaise instead of sour cream on top.

Since half of this is frozen, it means  you have an easy dinner just waiting to happen. I put the frozen tortillas in the freezer and heat them from frozen so they are ready to go. I make my own chicken broth in the crockpot (go here) and then freeze the chicken in two portions. I thaw one of the portions and the sauce. . . . walla! Dinner in no time!

My Two Favorite Pork Recipes

I'm not a big fan of pork. I love me some ham and bacon (who doesn't love bacon??), but pork I find a lot harder to swallow. Until I found this recipe. This is one of my all time favorite ways to eat pork.  It's grilled on the barbecue which makes it very easy. We love to serve it with rice or baked potatoes.  We often sub pears instead of apples and may like it even better.  I have it in a Pampered Chef cookbook, but found it posted on-line.  We mix the rosemary and next six ingredients all together and use as a glaze on the pork and apples.

Glazed Pork Chops with Grilled Apples

Submitted by: ARAMINTHA here on sparkpeople.com

from Pampered Chef - It's all Good for You

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless pork top loin or sirloin chops, cut 3/4 - 1 inch thick (about 4 oz)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
(top 4 should be mixed together)
2 tsp finely chopped, peeled fresh gingerroot
1/2 cup apricot preserves
3 T Dijon mustard
2 medium gala apples, cored and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

Directions

Yield: 4 svgs

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium coals. Season both sides of pork chops with 1 tsp of the seasoning mix.

2. Peel gingerroot; finely chop using food chopper. Combine ginger root, preserves, mustard and remaining seasoning mix in bowl; mix well. Core apples; cut apples crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, using chef's knife.

3. Lightly grease grid of grill. Brush one side of apples and pork chops with glaze using bbq brush. Place apples and pork chops, glazed side down, on grid of grill. Grill apples 3 minutes and pork 5 minutes, covered, turning once. Brush apples and pork chops with remaining glaze. Grill, covered 3-5 minutes or until internal temperature for pork reaches 160 degrees for medium doneness.

Number of Servings: 4

Mustard Oregano Pork Chops

My friend gave me this recipe recently and I must say it was amazing. My husband even grabbed one of the leftover pork chops the next day, ate it cold and still commented on how delicious it was!  She told me this makes three servings for a family of five. She divides it into three gallon size bags and freezes it. That's three fast and easy dinners! I love it! She serves it with hasbrowns and apple sauce, so that's what I did, too. I used pomegranate juice instead of the vinegar and lemon juice and it worked out super well. I wish I had taken a photo before they were all eaten. Next time!

Ingredients:

12 lean pork loin chops
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 T honey
3 t dried oregano
3 t minced garlic
3 one-gallon freezer bags

Whisk mustard through honey, divide into separate bags. Divide oregano and garlic evenly between bags. Add pork and freeze. Thaw and grill.

Shove it in the Oven Chicken Stew

A friend told me about this recipe, and I am glad she did. I love the name, because it makes it sound so easy. You can find it on this great blog here. The photo is what sold me. I'm a pushover for a yummy looking photograph.

Shove-it-in-the-Oven Chicken Stew with Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Italian Seasonings

Serves 6 to 8

Sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley, if you like.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
2 pounds yellow potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix chicken, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large roasting pan.  Set pan in oven and roast until cooked through and juices have released, about 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir in enough broth to form a thick stew.

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Vegan Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Frosting

This is the perfect time of year for sugar cookies!  This is our favorite way to make them. :)

Shortbread Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 10-12 Minutes

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch (not flour!)

1 cup tapioca starch

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup  Earth's Balance (softened)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

*Chia eggs (2 TBS ground chia and  6 TBS water mixed together. see note below*!) or 2 regular eggs or 2 eggs worth of Ener-G egg replacer or 6 TBS applesauce 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl,  mix the Earth's Balance and the sugar together.

Stir the vanilla and eggs (or chia eggs) into the wet mixture.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. It may look dry initially, but keep stirring until it is a dough consistency. If necessary use your hands and knead it together.

Wrap the dough in saran wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You can do it at room temperature, but will make the dough a little more firm (depending on your preference).

Sprinkle brown rice flour on parchment paper. Roll the dough out on the parchment paper to about a 1/4" thickness.  Cut into shapes. Place the cookie shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with dyed sugar, chocolate chips, or wait to frost them later.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm to the touch (will not be golden, but firm when done)

Let cookies completely cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

Frost and decorate as desired. 

Vanilla frosting

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup palm shortening or Earth's Balance (softened)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons milk or milk substitute

Put the above ingredients in a bowl. Whip with a mixer until well blended. If it's too runny for your taste add a little powdered sugar. If it's too thick for your taste, add a little more milk substitute. 

*Note: With the chia eggs it's important to mix it and then wait a little bit, mix it again and then wait a little bit until it is a gel like mixture. 

{Dairy and Gluten Free} Chicken Alfredo Food Fighters Copycat

I have been captivated by a show called "Food Fighters". If you haven't heard of it, it might be worth a google. It is a fun show where home cooks challenge experienced world renowned chefs to various cooking battles. The judge panel has no idea who cooks what and decides which dish they like best. The home cook contestants can earn more and more money, the more battles they win.  A gal on the show made one of her favorite dishes which involved a creamy alfredo with roasted jalapenos, sun dried tomatoes and an arugula pesto.  I was drooling while I watched. Needless to say she won the challenge and I decided to try my hand at making it allergy friendly. I did it tonight with some sweet success. I love her combination of flavors.  So fun!  Just to warn you, the arugula does have a peppery flavor so go light on adding pepper to your sauce or chicken. Also, if you don't like peppery flavor go light on the pesto. Note: Even though there is jalapeno in this it is not spicy. Make sure you don't include any seeds, as that is the spiciest part of any pepper.


6 chicken tenders

Vegan alfredo sauce (see directions below):
2TBS brown rice flour
2 TBS tapioca starch
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of daiya mozzarella cheese
unsweetened rice milk
3 cloves of crushed garlic
Roasted Jalapeno chopped
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped


pesto:
2 cups baby arugula
drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt to taste

Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Put the jalapeno on the grill and turn until cooked. (alternative methods are to cook it on a grill pan, or put it in the oven on some tin foil on broil, turning it until browned). After it is cooked, put it into a bowl and cover tightly with foil immediately. Let sit. This will finish cooking the jalapeno and make it tender.   

To make the cream sauce: Take 1 cup of the daiya mozzerella cheese. Put in a saucepan. Turn on medium low. Sprinkle with 4 TBS of the GF flour mixture and crushed garlic . Add rice milk a little at a time. Stir regularly and wait. It will thicken and you will need to add a little more rice milk. Add rice milk until it is thickened to a nice cream sauce. Remove the stem and seeds of the jalapeno and chop the remains. Add this and the chopped sun dried tomoato to the alfredo sauce. Let it simmer on low, stirring periodically. While sauce is thickening boil water for the gluten free pasta. For secrets to how to make perfect gluten free pasta go here.  Put the pesto ingredients in a small blender and blend. Use just enough olive oil for it to be a creamy pesto sauce. To achieve this add a little more olive oil and if it's not enough add a splash more. Set aside the pesto. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. When the pasta is finished toss with the alfredo sauce and chopped chicken. Salt to taste. Take a tablespoon of the pesto and smear it on the bottom of each plate in a nice design. Top with a serving of the pasta.  Garnish with a leaf or two of baby arugala. Serve! I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays. 

What's For Dinner Tonight? {Gluten and Dairy Free} Sweet Asian Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

for the chicken:
Corn Starch
salt and pepper

for the sauce:
2/3 cup of orange marmalade
3 TBS of rice vinegar
optional: red pepper flakes
3 TBS garlic
splash of tamari (gf soy)  or coconut aminos (or a dash of salt if you don't have any)

Directions.
Cube the chicken. Put cornstarch, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Stir  until well combined. Roll the chicken cubes in the corn starch mixture, coating well, and then add to a frying pan that has a high heat oil in it like grapeseed oil.  Cook for 5 or so minutes until golden brown and crispy over medium-medium high heat. Turn over with tongs. Cook on the other side until golden and cooked through. In a saucepan and the sauce ingredients. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce is "melted".  Pour over the chicken at the last minute and serve.  I stir fried some veggies and made rice to go with this. It was easy and reminded me of PF Chang's chicken. I am posting this at Waste Not Want Not Wednesday and Allergy-free Wednesdays.

{Gluten and Dairy Free} Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am in love with these muffins. They don't taste like pumpkin pie since I deviated from using all of the pumpkin pie spices.   There was just a hint of pumpkin and lots of chocolate. If you use the coconut milk, and chia these muffins have a surprising amount of nutrition. The chia has omegas and the coconut increases your good cholesterol, HDL (according to Nutrition and You). Yet it tastes like dessert. The pumpkin has vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance (according to Nutrition and You).We ended up enjoying them despite their October/November connotations!  I love it when some random thing you got on sale turns into a great surprise!

1 and 1/3 cup brown rice flour (or sorghum)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 TBS GF vanilla
2 "Chia eggs" (2 TBS chia with 6 TBS water) or 2 regular eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
1 cup of pumpkin
1 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Combine the flour, starches, xanthan, baking powder, soda, salt, brown and white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the oil, chia eggs, vanilla, non-dairy milk and chocolate chips. Stir well. Put in muffin tins.  Cook for about 13 minutes for mini muffins and about 22 minutes for regular sized muffins. Cook until a toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Indian-Spiced White Bean Dip – Gluten-free + Vegan

photo from tasty-yummies.com

I found this delightful recipe at tasty-yummies.com. Note to self: Go back to find more wonderful recipes. I hope you will find many great things there, too!makes about 1 cup of dip

1 can white beans
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
dash of chili
1 clove garlic, peeled and very roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Add of the ingredients, except the olive oil, to the food processor. Start pureeing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running, until it is all added. Puree the dip until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator and serve chilled. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

What's for Dinner Tonight? EASY {Gluten and Dairy Free} Pulled Pork Sandwiches in the Crockpot

We are having pulled pork for dinner tonight with Southwest Slaw.  My kids love this stuff.   Here is the previous post on it!

If you haven't noticed by now, I think I may have a thing for my crockpot. I just love throwing stuff in, walking away and coming back to a hot meal. I'm not a huge fan of pork, but I love this! Pulled Pork Sandwiches. This goes really well with my Southwest Slaw . I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays. 

1 pound boneless pork
Salt and pepper (I used a sprinkle of McCormick's Steak Seasoning, but don't use too much or it gets spicy after cooking for so long!)
2 cups chopped Spinach
2 cups Barbecue Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)
6oz Hard Cider, Root Beer or Apple juice

Put the pork in the crockpot. Sprinkle with Salt. Add the Spinach. Put the BBQ sauce on top. Pour the Hard Cider, Root Beer or Apple Juice on top of that. Turn on low for 8 hours. Serve in between slices of your favorite GF bread!

What's for Dinner Tonight?{Gluten and Dairy Free} Wholesome Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crockpot

before toppings

Ingredients
3 tsp Taco Seasoning (a link to make your own!)
salt to taste (I used 1 and 1/2 tsp salt)
1 cup chopped spinach
4 roma tomatoes chopped
1 carrot grated
1 zucchini grated
1 cup cooked rice
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
juice of 1 lime
1 red pepper chopped
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp onion powder
1 qt of Pacific Chicken Broth

tortilla chips crumbled on top

optional:
1 can black beans
chopped cilantro garnish
Daiya Havarti Jalepeno and Garlic "cheese" shredded
Vegenaise (tastes like sour cream!)

Directions:

Put the above ingredients in the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Top with Daiya, vegenaise, cilantro, or avocado. Don't forget the Tortilla chips! I am posting this at Allergy-free Wednesdays.