Eating Freely

The Blue Canooper Cocktail This drink is summer in a cup. It is...

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 22:45:00 -0400

The Blue Canooper Cocktail

This drink is summer in a cup. It is fresh and zesty. The basil, lemon and blueberry balance each other beautifully.

I tried making it several different ways, and this is my favorite.

To make one drink:

In a shaker muddle together:

3 large basil leaves

¼ cup thawed frozen blueberries (frozen are easier to muddle the juice out of)

small pinch of lemon zest

Add and shake:

4-6 ice cubes

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 oz light/white rum (like Baccardi)

¾ oz simple syrup

Strain over ice cubes

Add a splash of soda water

Garnish with fresh basil

To make 16 drinks

Muddle in a large container:

4 cups thawed frozen blueberries

48/1.3 oz/36 g leaves of basil

zest of 2 lemons

Add 32 oz of light/white rum

refrigerate for a few hours or overnight

When you are ready to serve strain the liquid into a pitcher and add:

16 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice

12 oz simple syrup

½-1 cup soda water to taste

Ice

Allergy Friendly Drumstick! Yes, you can make this too. You can...

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:23:00 -0400

Allergy Friendly Drumstick! Yes, you can make this too.

You can follow these steps listed on Instructables, but replace with appropriate ingredients:

For homemade “Magic Shell” that works wonderfully, I used Enjoy Life’s chocolate chips and coconut oil following these instructions over on Skip To My Lou. It does not harden until it is cold and in the fridge, so let it come down to a barely warm temperature before you dip your ice cream in it.

I used the “Let’s Do..” Gluten Free ice cream cones , I used So Delicious’ Coconut Milk Vanilla (soy free and dairy free) Ice Cream, and topped it with crushed S’morable Graham Crackers gluten free (leaving off the peanuts for those with nut allergies).

I can not wait for someone to try this!

Allergy Free Panko Breadcrumbs

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:37:56 -0400

Allergy Friendly Panko Breadcrumbs
OK, if there is any bread you can eat, here is how you make Panko
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
Get out your food processor, put the grater disk on
Take 6 slices of bread slice them in thirds and grate them (I use Sami’s Flax and Millet bread)
Pour the shredded bread on a baking sheet
Bake for about 6 minutes to slightly brown and crispy.

Allergy Free Chicken Parmesan

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:26:00 -0400

I often wish I took photos of things the first time I made them. This is one of those times.
I was sitting in my sister’s backyard with one of her friends who was telling me about how she was going to make Chicken Parmesan for dinner.
I thought, “ohhh, that sounds yummy!” I calculated that I had all the ingredients at home and left to start it up.

So now that I started thinking about it, it is a pretty easy dish. The hardest part is doing the breaded chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken cutlets
3/4 cup tapioca starch
6 tablespoons olive oil + additional 2 tablespoons
1/4 canola oil
3 tablespoons rice milk
1 cup allergy free breadcrumbs (I make my own, but will post that later)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 paprika

1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 package of Daiya Mozzarella style shreds
I package of Joy fettuccine brown rice noodles

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Breaded Chicken Cutlets
You will need four bowls.

In the first bowl toss 4 chicken cutlets with a 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Pour in a shallow bowl (by itself)
tapioca starch

Make your egg replacer in another shallow bowl:
Emulsify 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons rice milk
(I use a hand blender in tall cup, but you could slowly add the olive oil to the milk whisking the whole time)

Mix together in the last shallow bowl:
1 cup allergy free breadcrumbs (I make my own, but will post that later)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 paprika

Take a cutlet and dredge it in the tapioca starch, then dredge in your egg replacer bowl, then finish up in the last bowl of breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken.

Pour about 1/4 cup of canola oil in a pan, heat to medium/high. When the oil is hot enough to make the breading sizzle drop enough cutlets in the pan to fill, but not crowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, remove from pan and place on paper towels. Repeat until you are done.

Next spray some cooking oil on an 11”x7” pan (or whatever size works for the number of cutlets you have).
Lay the finished cutlets in the pan.
Pour your favorite spaghetti sauce over the top.
Top with Daiya Mozzarella styled shreds ( 3/4 of a bag or so)

Bake it for about 20-30 minutes.
While it is baking, make your pasta, be sure to follow the instructions on the package.

Serve the pasta and the Chicken Parmesan when hot.
Enjoy!

Allergy Friendly Turkey Melt! Until a friend told me about...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:04:00 -0400

Allergy Friendly Turkey Melt!

Until a friend told me about Sami’s Bakery Millet and Flax bread I was starting to think my bread days were over. It is hard to find a GF bread with no eggs or corn that has a good texture and tastes yummy. Sami’s has made it! I have made a few, but they just dont cut the mustard for me.

I was just looking in the fridge and wishing I had something interesting to eat. Then I decided I wanted a turkey melt. Well, Daiya cheese really melts nicely, and Sami’s Bakery Millet and Flax Bread has no gluten, eggs, corn and other items we avoid. Now I just wish my avocado was not mushy and inedible. Oh and the Olive Oil Mindful Mayo has no eggs or soy!

What do all of these wonderful ingredients contribute to?...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:02:00 -0400

What do all of these wonderful ingredients contribute to? Allergy Friendly Turkey Melt!

Sami’s Bakery: Millet & Flax Bread no gluten, eggs, soy, corn and tastes pretty good too!

Daiya: Cheddar style dairy free cheese

Earth Balance: Olive Oil Mindful Mayo no soy or eggs!

Carrot Ginger Spiced Soup My mom has been touting this soup...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:00:00 -0500

Carrot Ginger Spiced Soup

My mom has been touting this soup recipe for a while and I finally got her to read it to me over the phone. She often has to make soup for 20 or so people and this one is one of her favorites. It is yummy, easy and low cost to make. If you don’t have some of the spices go to a store with bulk spices and buy just a tiny amount. It is SO much cheaper that way.

Carrot Ginger Spiced Soup

2 lbs carrots, sliced

4 cups water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onion

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsps fresh ginger, grated

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a large pot bring the carrots and water to a boil. Once they reach a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

In a large skillet heat the oil over med/high heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium to keep the onions from browning. Add the ginger, garlic, spices and salt until the mixture is soft and fragrant about another 5-10 minutes.

Add the onion mixture and lemon to the carrots and water. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the food processor, blender or Vitamix until it is nicely pureed. I started with the immersion blender, but the carrots stayed too chunky so I transferred it to the Vitamix at it gave it a wonderful mousse like texture.

Serve immediately.

Lots of food with no photos and few recipes

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:18:43 -0500

I have been working far too much lately, but I have been eating too.

A few weeks ago I had a craving for biscuits and gravy. Such a strange thing to crave. I made the Flax Biscuits from Allergen Free Bakers Handbook and the Gluten Free Mushroom Gravy from Living Without’s site. The sauteed mushroom mixture from this recipe is really something well worth making to eat all on its own. So fantastic. I wanted about double the amount to put in the gravy. I realized after I made that I really wanted more of a “country” gravy. It is a bit more of a cream sauce, so I will have to figure out how to make that work with no gluten and dairy. Sounds like a good challenge.

Last night we made a yummy risotto. I think that people really have some block in their head against risotto. It has a mystique of being complicated, but the fact of the matter is, it is easy. You just have to stand around with it. Most of us dont have the patience to do that. Risotto is simple it has basic instructions from which you can add just about anything. I will have to write out my basic risotto instructions when I get a little more time. I call last night’s Green Risotto it had lots of fresh herbs: thyme, basil and chives. I chop up spinach, asparagus and throw in some frozen peas. The combo of them all is so cheery and tasty. It is easy to do allergy free as long as you can have rice and can make or find a stock/broth with no gluten, corn, etc. I will post some brands I like soon. I make it with olive oil only and don’t stir any cheese in at the end. If I have dairy eaters coming for dinner, I get some goat cheese for them to stir in and everyone is happy.

A big favorite dessert in our house lately is the Cherry Buckle, from you guessed it, Allergen Free Baker’s Handbook. It is heavenly. It is similar to a coffee cake with cherries and a strussle cinnamon top. The combination of cherry and cinnamon is amazing. Served with a little coconut vanilla ice cream and you have a smash hit!

Yes, Pancakes! Christmas morning I made pancakes (as I do every...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:09:00 -0500

Yes, Pancakes!

Christmas morning I made pancakes (as I do every Sunday morning) for my little family and my visiting gluten free parents. My dad kept walking around saying, “this pancake is gluten free! and egg and diary. It is good!”

The recipe is pretty simple.

Allergy Free Pancakes!

In a medium bowl whisk toghether:

2 cups white or brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

(or in place of the brown rice flour and tapioca flour use 2 1/4 cups of your favorite GF flour mixture)

2 tsp baking powder (Hains brand is corn free)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp guar gum or xanthum gum

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

In a small bowl combine:

2 - 2 1/2 cups alternative milk beverage - we use coconut milk, but almond, rice, soy or hemp should work fine too. (start with 2 cups if the batter is too thick add more milk until the batter becomes pourable.)

2 tsp vinegar, use apple cider vinegar to ensure it has no corn

1/4 canola oil (or other veg oil)

2tbsp agave (or 2 tbsp sugar in the dry ingredients)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix with a whisk until just combined.

Heat your pan at medium to medium high. Be sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent the pancakes from sticking.

Use a 1/4 measuring cup to pour batter onto your hot pan.

When the pancake bubbles on top and is lightly golden brown on bottom flip and cook another minute or so until the bottom is cooked to a golden color. Obviously repeat the whole thing until you used up all your batter.

I have some lovely pancake molds from William Sonoma in Star Wars character shapes. Yoda is a big favorite with my son. This recipe works fantastically with pancake molds.

I usually make extra pancakes and freeze them (just put them in a zip lock with wax or parchment paper between the layers and throw them in the fridge). We eat them all week long until a fresh batch is made again on Sunday.

Gluten Free Gnocchi for Xmas Eve dinner! My mother and I made...

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:10:00 -0500

Gluten Free Gnocchi for Xmas Eve dinner!

My mother and I made three cookie trays of gnocchi. We quadrupled the recipe and fed A LOT of our family..

I followed Cybele Pascal’s recipe and it is fantastic! We served it with a choice of pesto or mariana sauce.

Super dinner to make for those you love!

Acorn Squash with Chard and White Beans

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:27:00 -0500

My parents are in town for the holidays. I had very little time to come up with something yummy. I took inspiration from a few different recipes I read, but none that combined all of the ingredients so nicely. The majority of the cook time is really just the squash cooking. It is about 10 minutes to do the rest. I served it with some tilapia (very optional). It was lovely and very easy to make. We were so hungry I forgot to take a picture. Next time.

Acorn Squash with Chard and White Beans
Serves: 4
Time: approximately 40 mins to make

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash
1 bunch chard. Stems removed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 can white beans (cannelloni or other) drained and rinsed
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds, spread the 2 tablespoons of the oil throughout out the inside of all the squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. bake for 30 mins or until soft enough for a fork to pierce the flesh easily.

In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up. When the oil is hot add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes when onions are cooked and starting to turn brown add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the chard, the coriander and ginger. Stir the mixture up and put a cover on the pan. Let the chard cook and wilt. Cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. When the chard is wilted add the beans. When the beans are warmed through take the pan off the heat and set aside. Salt to taste.

When the squash are done cooking pull them out put them on plate or bowl and heap a generous helping of the chard and bean mixture to the inside of the squash. Enjoy.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We were at a friend’s house for dinner a few weeks ago and they served us this fantastic chili. We made it for the adults at my son’s birthday dinner. It is great to make ahead as the flavors just get better. It also freezes well.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth (gluten and corn free)
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde (or can tomatillos)
drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced
tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 (15 ounce) can white beans
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove 1-2 cups of the broth add 1/4 cup of the beans and puree in the blender or with a hand blender (this step is optional, it just helps thicken the chili)
Add chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

My son turned 5 and he loves Legos. I made him Lego minifigure...

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

My son turned 5 and he loves Legos. I made him Lego minifigure cupcakes for his birthday party. I used Cybele Pascal’s Vanilla Cupcake recipe and her frosting. I made the minifigures from Enjoy Life’s Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips melted into Lego minifigure ice cube trays available at the Lego store or online on Amazon.

Gingerbread Jacuzzi

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:24:13 -0500

Gingerbread Jacuzzi

These little gingerbread boys look a little sad since they are...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:05:00 -0500

These little gingerbread boys look a little sad since they are missing their raisins for eyes. Where 2 1-lb bags of raisins wander off to, I have no idea.

Once again, Cybele Pascal comes through for me. My son’s class is making gingerbread boys tomorrow and I needed to send him to school with some dough so he could join in the rolling fun. Of course the rest needed to be made into these cute fellas at home.

Apple Pie Filling by Alton Brown

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:43:00 -0500

Apple Pie Filling by Alton Brown:

This filling is great because it uses tapioca for the thickener. No extra wheat flour added here.

I substituted the grains of paradise for a teaspoon of cinnamon. Yum!

This posting is late, but one of my favorite traditions for Thanksgiving is to eat a piece of pie for breakfast the next morning. My 4 year old son was shocked when he asked for pie at 6:30AM and was handed a slice!

Cybele Pascal’s double flaky pie crust:

For the double crust

3 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (2 cups brown rice flour -Authentic Foods Super Fine Brown rice flour if you can, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca starch)

6 tablespoons white rice flour

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening - Spectrum Organic Shortening works really well

4 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tablespoons rice milk

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice milk, for brushing top crust

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling over top of pie

For the pie crust:

If you have a stand mixer use the paddle attachment to whisk together the flours, confectioners’ sugar, xanthan gum and salt. Add the shortening in tablespoon-sized pieces and mix on medium until you have a coarse meal. Add the egg replacer and lemon juice and mix until combined.

Divide the dough in half and mold into balls. Set one aside. Place the other on a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten into a disk, pinching together the edges. Top with a second piece of parchment paper, and roll out to 1/4 inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie dish. Grease a 9-inch pie dish lightly with a little vegetable shortening. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, flip the crust into the pie dish, pressing down with the palm of your hand and using your fingers to press into the dish around the edges, then peel off the other sheet of parchment paper. Trim the edges, patching as necessary. Prick the bottom 8 times with a fork and refrigerate while you roll out the second crust.

Roll out the second crust the same way you did the first.

If you are using a pie bird, place it on the crust in the middle. Pour the filling into the bottom crust. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper from the rolled-out top crust, and flip on top of the pie. Press down along the edges with your fingers to secure the top crust. Peel off the remaining sheet of parchment paper. Seal and crimp the edges. Use the tines of a fork to make a final seal all the way around. If you are not using a pie bird, use a sharp knife, cut 6 slits in the top of the pie. Pie birds do not require any vents to be cut in the top of the pie crust.

Follow the baking instructions for the pie filling in the Alton Brown recipe link above.

Let it cool for at least two hours to give the gluten free crust time to cool and cling together.

Gluten and dairy free amazing apple pie with adorable pie...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:36:00 -0500

Gluten and dairy free amazing apple pie with adorable pie bird.

I attempted the tart pan technique for the apple pie (in Alton Brown’s link above). It worked great with the small tarts, but not with the large. Next time I will stick with the traditional pie pan. The gluten free crust was amazingly tasty, just not terribly strong. It was not able to hold up its structure once the outer tart pan was removed.

The pie bird worked as promised. It releases the steam as the pie cooks so that the fruit does not over bake and bubble over. No need to cut steam vents, the bird does it for you.

Turkey Tacos

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:50:55 -0400

One of the favorite easy meals around my house is turkey tacos. You can use corn or rice tortillas.

How do you make this simple meal?

Taco meat:

1 pound ground turkey breast

Brown the meat and then add:

1 packet of gluten free taco seasoning.

Let it sit and simmer.

When the meat is done, load it on your tortilla of choice (or make a salad of it)

Top with Daiya dairy free cheese, sliced avacados (or guacamole), lettuce, tomatoes, salsa.

Side of Lime Cilantro Rice:

I think the lime cilantro rice really makes the meal.

Cook two cups of your favorite white rice (Jasmine is a favorite around here) according to the package instructions.

When the rice is done and nice and hot stir in:

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/3-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of one lime (or more to taste)

Salt to taste.

Hope your house loves it as much as mine!

Need a fantastic Birthday Cupcake? Vanilla Cupcakes with...

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:07:00 -0400

Need a fantastic Birthday Cupcake? Vanilla Cupcakes with frosting from Allergen Free Baker’s Handbook. I add a little lemon extract to the recipe.

Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:49:01 -0400

Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal:

If you like baked goods and miss having all the treats you used to enjoy this book is a dream come true. Some of the items I have made of this book include muffins, breads, gingerbread boys, blueberry boy bait, and the most amazing vanilla cupcakes I can remember eating in years. I am curious about the foods I have not made,