Grain free Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

4 6-oz cans of salmon
2 large eggs
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T coconut flour
1/2 C almond flour** (plus a bit more for dusting)
grapeseed oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and mayonnaise. Open the salmon cans and drain off the liquid; dump the drained salmon into the egg-mayo emulsion, mix well.  Add the salt, pepper, coconut and almond flours and stir into the salmon mixture, blending thoroughly.  Allow to sit for a few minutes to allow coconut flour to absorb liquid. Mixture should be easy to handle and form into patties.

Preheat a large skillet and add a couple of tablespoons of the grapeseed oil, form patties and brown in the oil over med-high heat.  Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes, until a dark golden-brown.

Citrus-y Chicken Tacos

During my eternal quest for yummy but EASY dinners that my kids will eat, I ran across an interesting recipe for chicken tacos at AllRecipes.com.  The original recipe calls for lemonade and Worcestershire sauce; I couldn't quite get my head around Worcestershire sauce with chicken, so I changed it up a bit by substituting more traditional taco flavors (cumin, Old Bay seasoning, and McCormick taco seasoning).  I also used lemon juice, white wine, and agave nectar in place of the lemonade.

The citrus flavors make these tacos truly special; my husband asks for them quite often now, and both kids love them too!  Note: if you omit the cheese and sour cream, this recipe can be casein free.  I posted this first on my other blog: My Experiment in Gluten Free Living.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 T dried onion flakes)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1-2 tsp garlic powder)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut up (can substitute cooked or canned chicken)
2 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1-2 T lime juice
1-2 T agave nectar or honey (adjust amount to taste)
3/4 - 1 C white wine or water
salt, pepper to taste
2 tsp cumin
1 T taco seasoning (McCormick is gluten free)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

Directions:

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer.  Add the chicken and saute until cooked through (3 or 4 minutes on med-high).  If using previously cooked chicken and dried onion flakes, you should skip this and just add your ingredients to the next step, below.

Add lemon and lime juices, agave or honey, wine or water, cumin, salt, pepper, and the taco and Old Bay seasonings.  Feel free to increase or reduce seasonings as you see fit. 

Reduce heat to medium and stir frequently until liquid has evaporated. Serve in taco shells with your favorite condiments (shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, guacamole or sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream,  etc).  Those who are sensitive to casein should avoid cheese and sour cream, of course.

P.S. Instead of pre-made taco shells I usually buy regular corn tortillas and saute them very briefly in oil on high heat (a few seconds each side), then I blot the excess oil very well with paper towels and fold into a taco shell shape.  A lower calorie taco shell may be had by taking a stack of 6 or 8, wrapping them in paper towels and microwaving for 45 seconds to one minute. We prefer these softer shells to the store-bought variety.

White Bean and Ground Turkey Chili

With the advent of cold weather, I've been experimenting with warm comforting foods like chili, and was pleasantly surprised when I tried a recipe for White Bean and Chicken Chili by Giada de Laurentiis.  The fennel seed gives such a wonderful flavor to this chili, and when topped with a bit of Parmesan cheese, it's fabulous!  It's also a very healthy chili, lower in fat due to the ground turkey and higher in nutrition because of the spinach.

NOTE: If you omit the Parmesan cheese, this recipe is casein free.  I posted this first on my other blog: My Experiment in Gluten Free Living.

I modified it slightly to suit our taste and to make it gluten free; here is my version:

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
2 T ground cumin
1 T fennel seeds
1 T dried oregano
1 T chili powder
1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
3 T sweet rice flour, or other gluten free flour (even Pamela's Baking Mix should work)
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 - 5 C low-sodium gluten free chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, chili powder, and Old Bay. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Stir the sweet rice flour into the meat mixture. Add the beans, spinach, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cover with lid tilted to allow steam to escape and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley (no cheese if you're casein free!). This is a great meal, especially served with gluten free corn bread on a cold winter's night!

Grain-Free Casein-Free Banana Berry Bundt Cake!

Well, some of you have seen this recipe before....it's nearly identical to my Banana Blueberry Muffin recipe.  But I wanted to do something a little different this time, so I baked the muffin batter in a Bundt cake pan.  My family loved the way it turned out: moist and tender, with a texture similar to pound cake, and bursting with berries!

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mashed
1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
3/4 C agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 rounded C blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, or raspberries, or a mixture (if fresh, dry them well after washing)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I use Spectrum).

In a large bowl mash the bananas and beat until smooth; add the eggs, agave, vanilla, and oil and beat with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the banana mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the berries, or you can simply layer the berries in the Bundt pan alternately with the batter if you wish.

Spoon muffin batter into a greased Bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for approximately 40 - 50 minutes, depending on your oven, until deep golden brown on top.  You may test the cake the same way you test a pumpkin pie: insert a table knife and if it comes out clean it's done.  My cake took 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to wire racks to finish cooling.

Enjoy!!

Triple-Coconut Berry-Pear Crumble (grain free)

"Triple" because I use coconut flour, coconut nectar, and coconut oil!  I've recently discovered coconut nectar, which is made from coconut sap.  It's interesting because it is very low in fructose, unlike agave nectar, plus it can actually aid digestion.  Coconut nectar is expensive, but I rarely use that much at one time, so it's worth it.

Ingredients

Topping:

1 C almond flour

1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch or two of nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C of coconut nectar (or 1/4 C agave nectar)

1/3 C melted coconut oil (or melted butter)

Filling:

4 medium-large pears, peeled and sliced (OR 2 pears and 2 medium apples, THINLY sliced)

1 1/2 - 2 C fresh or frozen berries (I used fresh blueberries and raspberries)

1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch if not concerned about grains)
2-3 T coconut nectar (or agave)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly oil the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the topping, then add the coconut oil and coconut nectar.  Blend well; it should be stiff and somewhat crumbly, of course.

Toss the fruit together with the other ingredients for the filling.  Sprinkle a small amount of the crumble topping on the the bottom of the pie plate, then spread the filling in the pan.  Use your fingers to crumble the remaining topping over the fruit filling.

Bake at 325 F for 30 - 40 minutes.  After approximately 30 minutes test with a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick; if the pear (and/or apple) slices are very tender, and the topping is a deep golden brown, remove from oven.  Serve warm as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

This is a VERY nutritious grain free dessert, so I don't mind my kids asking for more!  If you use the coconut oil rather than butter, it is casein free too.

The Best Baked Beans in the WORLD!

I cannot take credit for these incredible baked beans; I found this recipe posted on the Pioneer Woman's blog. Actually, Ree didn't come up with this one either....she got it from an online friend named Pam Anderson (no, not THAT Pam Anderson!).

These beans are truly to die for!! You've got to try this recipe!

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans

Serves up to 18

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, diced
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I use my own gf bbq sauce)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

NOTE: Pure distilled vinegar is gluten free, malt vinegar is not. Flavored and seasoned vinegars may contain gluten, most typically in the form of malt, so ingredient lists should be carefully read. If wheat protein is contained in vinegar, the label will say so. The single word “vinegar” on a food label implies cider/apple vinegar and is gluten free. (from diet.com).

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep saute pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Stovetop version of Obama's chili

This is based on the Crockpot version of the Obama family's chili that I first copied from Stephanie's blog. Here I have converted it back to something resembling the original recipe used by the Obama family, although I have definitely increased the spice level. It is still not hot by any sort of normal "chili-head" standards. But use your own judgment when adding spices; when in doubt, start with half of what I recommend and add more slowly until you find the right level for you. Or if you think it's too tasteless and wimpy, add MORE! :)

This makes a LOT of chili, because I'm using my 8-quart Dutch oven. If you are serving a normal-sized family and you don't want a lot of leftovers (we LOVE leftovers), you might want to cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients

2 can kidney beans
3 lbs lean ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or a combination)
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
10 medium tomatoes or 8 large, chopped (include seeds and all)
6 chopped cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp turmeric
2 T chili powder
2 1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp salt
5 T red wine vinegar
Cooked white rice, if desired

Directions

Again, you'll need a large Dutch oven, otherwise cut the recipe in half.

I've increased all of the spices from the original recipe, and also increased the amount of ground meat (we like more meat than beans).

First, brown the meat in the Dutch oven on the stove top, and drain well. Add the two cans of red beans, liquid and all; set the heat at medium low and allow to simmer while you chop and add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.

Lastly stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on medium-low for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili seems to have a bit too much liquid, tilt the lid so that some of the steam escapes while cooking, but keep an eye on it.

Serve over white rice, if desired.

Basic Risotto

OK, here's a gluten free (but NOT grain free) recipe that is truly a classic. There are a lot of risotto recipes out there, but here is the basic one that I use. You can modify it to suit yourself with various additions or substitutions....I've listed a few possibilities below to get you started.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil
butter (leave out for casein free)
1 large diced onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
3-4 C chicken broth
1 C white wine
1 1/2 C arborio rice (you must use arborio rice!)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - leave out for casein free)

a few optional additions/substitutions:
sliced mushrooms
green onions or shallots instead of regular onion
vegetable broth instead of chicken
cooked or uncooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined
use your imagination!

Directions:

Saute the diced onion in the olive oil and butter until soft. Warm the broth in a separate, nearby pan, but don't let it boil. Add the garlic and the rice to the onion and saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes longer, but don't brown the rice! If you're going to use mushrooms or other veggies, add them with the garlic and the rice. Lower the heat to a medium low setting, and pour in the cup of wine, stirring constantly as the rice and vegetables simmer. When the wine is mostly absorbed, add a ladle full of warm broth, and again, stir as the rice simmers until it is nearly absorbed, then repeat. You'll have to experiment a little to find the right heat level for cooking risotto; the entire simmering and stirring process should take about 30 - 40 minutes, if done correctly.

The risotto is done when the rice is tender all the way through (no crunch in the middle); at that point you could add uncooked shrimp and continue cooking for about 3 more minutes until the shrimp is pink and thoroughly cooked (don't over cook shrimp or it will be rubbery). Cooked shrimp may be added at the very end, just before serving (all you want to do is heat the previously cooked shrimp through). Add a handful or two of Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto demands your attention for the entire 30-40 minutes, but is definitely worth it! Good risotto has a delicate, creamy texture that can't be faked, a direct result of the slow cooking process and your stirring efforts.

For casein-free you can leave out the butter and parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings, Updated

Here again is basically the same Chicken and Dumplings recipe (also from Stephanie) that I've already published. The main differences are using ThickenThin/NotStarch, almond milk, and arrowroot, plus I used my Grain-Free Biscuits to make the dumplings and they WORKED! I was really craving some Chicken and Dumplings and was so glad to find out that I can make it grain-free and casein free!

Ingredients

2 T arrowroot
ThickenThin/NotStarch
1 cup almond milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
16 ounces frozen vegetables

Plus one batch of drop biscuits: I used the grain-free biscuits recipe.

Directions

In a medium saucepan, mix the milk and broth with the arrowroot powder while whisking constantly, and cook until thickened; stir in the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. If necessary, add the ThickenThin one teaspoon at a time (whisking well!!) until the sauce is thick enough.

Any Crockpot with a capacity of 4 quarts or more will work. Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the Crockpot. Add the milk-broth mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. An hour before serving, shred chicken with two large forks, and mix up the biscuit dough. Drop the dough in large spoonfuls on top of the hot chicken stew and replace the lid.

Cover and cook on high for another 45 minutes - 1 hour. The dumplings are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. They will be spongy but firm to the touch.

Serve in bowls, with a dumpling or two per person.

Crockpot Cranberry-Orange Roast

Another recipe from my other blog, it was inspired by a recipe on Stephanie's website, although I've changed it a bit (note: this is technically not grain free because there's cornstarch in Lipton Onion Soup Mix, and it also contains some soy):

Ingredients:

3-5 lb beef roast (or pork roast or stew chunks)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix (yes, it's gluten free!)
3 T gluten-free soy sauce
2/3 of a bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 - 1 C orange juice
1/4 - 1/2 C agave nectar

Directions:

First make a cranberry sauce using the fresh cranberries, orange juice and agave nectar. Put washed cranberries into a medium saucepan; add orange juice until the level of the juice is about 1/2 inch below the level of the cranberries...you don't want so much juice that it's covering the berries. Add agave nectar; start with 1/4 C and add a bit more if it's not sweet enough (or add a tiny bit of stevia). Place pan on stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. You want it to be higher than a simmer but not a fast boil. Stir often. The cranberries will begin to pop; after most are popped removed from heat.

I have a large (7 qt) Crockpot, and the roast I used was about 4 1/2 lbs, and SOLIDLY frozen. You don't have to use frozen but it works just fine if you do (add a little more time or cook on "High"). Put roast in Crockpot then sprinkle the onion soup mix and soy sauce over. Pour the cranberry-orange-agave sauce over the top. Do not add water. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. If you are cooking on high, you may want to break apart the meat into smaller chunks an hour or so before serving so that the juice penetrates more deeply into the meat.

We ate it over mashed potatoes with a green salad, per Stephanie's suggestion. What a fabulous meal for a cold night!!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free Clementine-Cranberry Baby Cakes

Here is a recipe (also posted on my other blog) that I created based on the Clementine Cake; I did use agave nectar this time as the sweetener and made them in muffin tins. These little cakes have a wonderful fresh fruit taste and fragrance, but are not overly sweet. They're moist, yet firm...not crumbly as many gluten-free, grain-free baked goods can be.

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 pound of clementines (for me that was 10 tiny clementines)

1 heaping cup fresh or frozen cranberries

6 eggs

1 C minus 2 T agave syrup (1 scant cup agave nectar)

2 C almond flour

1/3 C coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Remove any stem remnant from each clementine if necessary; place whole clementines into a pot with cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover pot, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain the clementines and set aside to cool until you can handle them.

As the clementines cool, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Total bake time is approximately 18 - 22 minutes depending on your oven and how full the muffin cups are.

Grease approximately 20 - 22 muffin cups (if you plan to fill them about 2/3 full).

Coarsely chop the cranberries by hand or in a food processor. Set aside.

When the clementines are cool, cut each one in half and remove the seeds, if any. Squeeze excess water out of each clementine half by hand. Then process them in a food processor until pureed.

Beat the eggs then add the agave nectar. Mix almond flour, and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add the egg-agave mixture. Mix well, adding the clementine puree after the eggs and agave, and the chopped cranberries last.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans and bake for 18 - 22 minutes, depending on your oven. The top will yield but rebound when done. It's normal for the sides of the baby cakes to be dark golden brown, but the tops should only have a few brown spots.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a rack. These are wonderful right out of the oven, but are even better the next day!

Grain free, dairy free, pliable flatbread!!

I first published this recipe and the previous one on my other blog; sorry it took so long to get them over here to the archive!

Another recipe we've become fond of recently is a very tasty grain free flatbread originally posted by Liz (aka "lonewolf") in one of the forums on celiac.com.


Grain-Free Flatbread

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
2 - 4 egg yolks (note: original recipe calls for 2 yolks, but 4 works too)
1 tsp melted butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free/casein-free version)
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
1/2 C almond flour
dash salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Separate egg whites and yolks....


Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.


Beat yolks with melted butter or coconut oil, dash of salt, and agave or honey.


Sprinkle the almond flour over the egg whites and fold in gently along with egg yolk mixture.


Spread the batter onto the parchment paper into a 12" by 12" square (if using 2 yolks only) or a 12" by 14" rectangle (if using 4 yolks). Make sure the thickness is uniform over the square (or rectangle). Bake at 350 for 12 minutes; it should be turning golden brown on top when done.


This bread is so versatile! You can simply cut it into squares and use them for regular sandwiches, or into the right-sized rectangles to be wrapped around hot dogs as a bun-replacement. You can even take an entire sheet of bread and cover it with Dijon mustard, ham slices and Swiss cheese, roll it like a jelly roll, microwave it until the cheese starts to melt, slice and serve.


OK....it's not as flexible as wheat-based bread, so it does tend to crack a bit when you're rolling it up, but it's still AMAZING bread when you consider that it's entirely grain free!

Clementine Cake

The luscious cake pictured above is my version of a Nigella Lawson recipe, Clementine Cake. Actually this recipe is all over the Internet in various forms, and was brought to the attention of the larger public by Starbucks, who sold a similar cupcake called the "Valencia Orange Cake" for several months. It was advertised as "gluten-free" so people didn't buy it often (unless they HAD to buy gluten free), so Starbucks decided it was unpopular and stopped selling it. :(

The great thing about this cake is that it's ALWAYS been gluten free, because it's traditionally made with almond flour. You can use oranges, clementines (which are a type of mandarin orange) or even a mix of oranges and lemons with extra sugar, but clementines are my preference because the little ones I buy at Trader Joe's have very thin skins. The thinner the skin, the better your chances are of having the cake turn out well, because thick skins contain more pith (the white part) and can make the cake bitter.

We had Clementine Cake for our dessert on Christmas Eve; it received rave reviews! Here is my version; as usual I used both almond and coconut flours:

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free Clementine Cake

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 pound of clementines (for me that was 10 tiny clementines)

6 eggs

1 1/4 C sugar (yes, I used sugar....I do plan to try it with agave syrup)

2 C almond flour

3 T coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Remove any stem remnant from each clementine if necessary; place whole clementines into a pot with cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover pot, cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds, if any. Squeeze excess water out of each clementine half by hand. Then finely chop the clementines in a food processor until they achieve a sauce-like consistency.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Total bake time is about 40 - 50 minutes.

Grease and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs. Mix the sugar, almond flour, and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add the beaten eggs. Mix well, adding the processed clementine "sauce" last.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes; cover the cake with foil at that point to prevent the top from burning. Cook for 10 more minutes or so until a metal skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. It's normal for the outside of the cake to be dark golden brown; it's also normal for it to "puff" up above the pan and then settle back down towards the end of baking.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a rack. This cake is fabulous as soon as it cools, but is even better the next day after the flavors blend and mellow....it's moist, light and delectably citrus-y. Yum!!

Grain-Free Banana Blueberry Muffins

Another recipe for grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free muffins!

This recipe makes approximately 20 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mashed
1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
3/4 C agave nectar
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 rounded C blueberries (if fresh, dry them well after washing)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl mash the banana and beat until smooth; add the eggs, agave, and oil and beat with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the banana mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven, until beginning to brown on top. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins: grain, gluten, and dairy free!

Here is a recipe for scrumptious gluten, grain, dairy (and sugar) free pumpkin muffins I came up with recently. I did post this first on my other blog, but will always archive the recipe here as well.


This recipe makes approximately 21 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Ingredients:

1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 C agave nectar
1 15-oz can pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp (rounded) ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

NOTE: 1 15-oz can of pumpkin is approximately 1 3/4 C of pumpkin puree, at least for Libby's pumpkin!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl combine the eggs, agave, oil, and canned pumpkin with a hand-held mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and all the spices. Dump the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 21 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

As I mentioned before, I made 21 muffins by filling the muffin cups about 2/3 full. If you fill yours with more batter, you will have larger (fewer) muffins and may have to bake them a bit longer.

Casein-Free, Grain-Free Drop Biscuits

Another recipe from my other blog....

I'm still experimenting with coconut and almond flours, attempting to replace all of the other gluten-free flours that I've become accustomed to using. Here is a very nice drop biscuit recipe I came up with (casein-free cousin to the garlic cheese biscuits) which uses both almond and coconut flours, as well as a bit of flax meal; my husband says they taste very much like Bisquick biscuits, only better.

I like the flavor and the texture of the almond-coconut flour combo.....I will continue to experiment! :)

Ingredients: (updated 11/22/09 and again on 11/26/09)

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/4 C almond flour**
1 1/2 T flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2 T agave syrup (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil (and agave if using) thoroughly. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes (start checking them at about 16 minutes), until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 biscuits.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady, keeps coming out with great recipes, even though her year of Crockpotting is officially over! Here is another one:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 C gluten free flour
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 T kosher salt
6 oz (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (little or no pulp is best)
3 T brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 T ketchup

Directions:

Stephanie says to use a 4 quart Crockpot for best results. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off any excess. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. Sear it just enough for the flour to stick.

Place the chicken pieces into the Crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste; add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

Enjoy!

Kay's Fish Pie

This is a "fishy" version of Shepherd's Pie from Kay, and it's amazing! I've only made it once so far, and I used tilapia instead of cod, but we loved it! Hubby ate some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning! :)

Please visit Kay's site to see her wonderful step-by-step pictures of this recipe.

It was very easy to convert it to be gluten and casein free.

UPDATE (9/1/09): I've made it twice more, the last time with cod, which was wonderful too!

Ingredients:

Mashed potato topping:

1 1/2 lbs potatoes
roughly 2/3 cup of milk (rice milk works if you prefer)
2 T butter (omit butter if casein free)
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Fish/Vegetable Filling:

14 - 16 oz white fish (cod and tilapia both work)
1 1/2 cup milk (again, rice milk or almond milk or whatever will be OK)
2/3 cup vegetable (or fish or chicken) broth
1 1/2 cups green peas
1 small onion
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 large carrot
1 lemon
flat-leaf parsley
cheese (you'll have to omit the cheese or use rice or soy cheese to be casein free)

White Sauce:

4-5 T sweet rice flour
3 oz butter (or organic shortening or coconut oil if casein free)
1/2 tsp salt
white pepper


Directions:

Peel, salt, boil and mash the potatoes. Season them with butter, a pinch of salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, and set aside.

I used frozen tilapia; Kay used frozen cod. NOTE: according to Kay, what really gives a fish pie a major boost is adding some salmon, about 5 oz or so.

Place the fish in a deep pan—Kay always uses her Dutch oven for this—and pour in the milk and broth. You can use vegetable, chicken, or fish broth for it. I used chicken broth because that's what I had on hand.

Peel the medium onion, cut it in half and stick 3 cloves in one half. I know it seems a bit different, but this is how Kay's grandma did it.

Put the clove-studded onion in with the fish, clove side down, and season the liquid with 1/2 tsp salt and one fairly large bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and simmer covered over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. Until the fish starts to flake.

In the mean time peel and coarsely grate 1 large carrot and dice the other half of the onion.

Another frozen item: 1 1/2 cup green peas. Kay says that she absolutely prefers frozen peas over fresh ones. I used frozen peas as well.

Chop a big handful of flat-leaf parsley. About 4 T. chopped.

In the mean time the fish should be done. Move it to a plate. Don't pour the cooking liquid out! You'll need it to make the sauce with. Discard the onion and bay leaf and sieve the liquid.

To make the sauce, melt 3 oz of butter and whisk in 4 to 5 T sweet rice flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two (over low heat), then slowly whisk in the sieved cooking liquid until you’ve reached a sauce consistency you like. You may or may not need all of the cooking liquid.

Season the sauce with salt (1/2 tsp for me), white pepper and simmer for another 3 minutes. Just set it aside while you prepare the vegetables. Tip: you may add a splash of white wine for a more adult type of fish pie! :)

Heat a small amount of oil and saute the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, until soft. Don’t let them brown, though. Add the green peas and let the veggie mixture heat through for a few more minutes.

Grate and add the zest of half a lemon and squeeze in some lemon juice as well, about 1 or 2 tbsp. Also get the chopped parsley in there.

Transfer the vegetables to the oven dish (I used a round glass baking dish with fairly high sides), add the fish and carefully break it up with a spatula. Be gentle, though, don’t stir that poor fish like a maniac. You want the fish to still be in chunks when you're done. Pour the white sauce in there and mix it in gently.

Top it with the mashed potatoes. Kay says she always uses a fork to draw some stripes on the top of the potato layer. Top the mashed potatoes with a generous amount of cheese. Cheddar and Gouda both work really well for this, but I wouldn’t go for a very sharp (aged) cheese. It just doesn’t really add to the laid back flavors of the fish pie. NOTE: I used a mixture of medium cheddar and gruyere.

Bake the casserole at 350F (175C) for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

Wow....this is REAL comfort food!! My whole family loved it, even my three-year-old son! Good way to get him to eat vegetables....

The Perfect Meatloaf

This recipe probably came from a magazine....the title of this post, "The Perfect Meatloaf", was the name of the original recipe (wherever it was that I found it). "Perfect" may be a little bit of an exaggeration but it is a good recipe!

I've had it for many years and have made it many dozens of times. I've made a few changes to the recipe to make it "mine", but if anyone recognizes it and knows where the original came from, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due! :)

Note: I usually omit the ground veal and just use 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck and 1/2 lb ground pork.

Ingredients:

Glaze:
1/2 cup gluten-free ketchup (Heinz is gf)
4 T. brown sugar
4 tsp vinegar (I usually use either cider or white)

Meatloaf:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in USA, but not in Canada!)
1/4 tsp gf hot sauce
1/2 cup milk (can use rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever)
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
2/3 cup gf cracker or bread crumbs (I have used Glutino crackers, crushed, or my own homemade gluten free bread, finely crumbled)
1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Meatloaf: Heat oil in skillet, add onion and saute until almost soft (5 min), then add garlic and saute another minute or so. Set skillet aside to cool.

Mix eggs with salt, pepper, thyme, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Add to meat in large bowl along with cracker or bread crumbs, minced parsley, and onion/garlic mixture. Mix with fork until well blended and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. Add a little more milk if it sticks.

With wet hands pat into approximately 9" by 5" loaf shape, place in foil-line baking pan for easy clean-up. Brush with 1/2 the glaze and bake until top is crisp, about an hour. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining glaze.

NOTE: This recipe is casein free if you use non-dairy milk (such as rice or soy) and if the bread or cracker crumbs are casein free. We frequently use Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix, which is casein free.

Edit (10/20/09): for a grain free version, use grain free bread crumbs. For example, smash up almond or coconut flour biscuits to make the crumbs. You can also substitute 2 T agave nectar for the 4 T brown sugar in the glaze (a little healthier).

Crockpot Chicken with Chickpeas and Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken breast, cut in cubes
1 lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
grill seasoning
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp powdered coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 T garam masala (or more to taste)

Directions:

In a large skillet sear chunks of chicken that you've sprinkled with grill seasoning. Drain and pour into Crockpot. Saute onion, garlic, and tomatoes until tomatoes release juice. Add chunks of potato and can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. Season with cumin, powdered coriander, red pepper, garam masala. Dump everything in the slow cooker and mix together; cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are tender and chicken cooked through.