Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes - Gluten Free, Egg Free

Is it possible to make it through October without eating massive amounts of pumpkin foods? I don't think so. So, I bring you today.....Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes! Because it's October. :) This recipe is gluten free, egg free, and easily dairy free as well. 

Happy Autumn!

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

3 tablespoons water

1-3/4 cups milk or milk substitute

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking mix

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

dash of salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips (can use dairy free chocolate)

• In a small bowl, stir together ground flax seed and water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes. 
• In medium sized mixing bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, oil, and vinegar. Mix well.
• In large bowl, combine xanthan gum, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Add ground flax seed mixture to wet ingredients. 
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour 1/3 cup batter onto a hot oiled skillet. Flip to heat on both sides until cooked through.
• Enjoy!

Orange Banana Popsicles

Super easy, healthy, and delicious. How can you go wrong? Perfect popsicles for those warm summer days.

You'll need:

2 ripe bananas

2 cups orange juice

Blender

Popsicle holder (plastic cups with a stick or spoon work too)

Combine in blender and blend until liquified.  Pour into Popsicle holder and put in freezer.  

Delicious! Enjoy!

Easy Lasagna - Gluten, corn, and egg free

Lasagna!  Mmmm mmm mmm. I love it. 

Cooking gluten free doesn't mean you have to give up your old favorites. We just change them a bit!

Here is a simple step-by-step lasagna recipe using gluten free noodles.

1 pound ground lean turkey (I use "Italian seasoned" ground turkey)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups lightly packed spinach, chopped

1 jar marinara pasta sauce (I use Kirkland Signature brand)*

6-8 uncooked "oven ready" gluten-free lasagna noodles (I use DeBoles rice lasagna)*

1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese**

16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese**

1/2 cup hot water

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brown ground turkey in large skillet over medium heat, stirring to crumble. Add minced garlic and chopped spinach. Cook until done. 
• Stir in pasta and heat through.
• Spray 11" x 7" baking dish lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
• Spread a thin layer of meat sauce (approximately 1/3 of sauce) evenly in bottom of dish.
• Place a single layer of noodles on top of sauce.

• Spread 1/2 of ricotta cheese on top of noodles.
• Sprinkle approximately 1/3 of mozzarella cheese evenly on top of ricotta cheese.
• Spread 1/2 of remaining meat sauce on top of cheeses.

• Place a single layer of noodles on top of sauce.
• Spread remaining ricotta cheese on top of noodles.
• Sprinkle half of remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta cheese.
• Spread remaining meat sauce over cheeses.
• Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Pour 1/2 cup of hot water around the inside edges of the dish.
• Cover the dish with foil and secure edges tightly.

• Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until noodles are cooked.

•  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

• Enjoy! :)

* Check noodles and sauce for gluten free label. Also, jarred pasta sauces sometimes contain corn syrup, FYI. 

** Check ingredients on both types of cheese. Some prepackaged cheeses include anti-caking ingredients which are usually flours. Popular anti-caking ingredients are corn starch and potato starch/flours. Ricotta cheese may include corn starch as well or "food starch" which is often made from corn.

Baking Gluten Free with Sorghum Flour

I've found that I like sorghum flour as a good base in gluten free blends.

Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend

1 ½ cups sorghum flour

1 ½ cups potato starch (or cornstarch)

1-cup tapioca flour

Whisk together until thoroughly blended. Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.

For more information on baking with sorghum visit this site:
http://sorghumcheckoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012_how_to_bake_sorghum.pdf

Zucchini and Carrot Muffins - Gluten, dairy, egg, and nut free

This is a redo of a recipe I posted once before. I think this one is better (hence the redo). Plus, it's officially gluten free this go round. Enjoy!

6 tablespoons warm water

4.5 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer (click here)

1/2 cup white sugar

1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup canola oil

3 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder*

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1-1/2 cups raw zucchini, grated

1/2 cup raw carrot, grated

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a small bowl, mix together water and Ener-G Egg Replacer until well combined.
• Mix in both sugars, vanilla, and oil. 
• In large bowl, stir together dry ingredients (the next 6 ingredients, through cinnamon). Mix until well combined.  
• Add sugar and oil mixture to large bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. It will be very thick.
• Stir in zucchini and carrots and mix until well combined.
• Add to greased or paper lined muffin tin. 
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-27 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

*I use gluten free and corn free baking powder

Yields 18 muffins.

Potato Salad with Dill (vegan)

2 lbs red potatoes (14 to 16 small)

1 cucumber, chopped

1 cup Italian dressing (store bought or see below for recipe)

2 teaspoons dill weed

salt and pepper

dressing (optional):

1/2 cup olive or canola oil

1/8 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspsoon onion powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

• If making own dressing, combine ingredients for dressing in small bowl and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Wash potatoes, but do not peel, and cut into into quarters. 
• Cook potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. 
• Drain water and allow potatoes to cool.
• Place potatoes, chopped cucumber, and dill weed in large serving bowl and toss with half of dressing. Add more dressing as needed. Toss until coated evenly. 
• Salt and pepper to taste. 
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes - Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Option

1/2 medium banana

1 cup gluten free flour blend 

3/4 cup milk or milk substitute

1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons canola oil

3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or thawed and drained if frozen)

• Mash banana in mixing bowl with fork.
• Add remaining ingredients and beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
• Heat pan on stove top over medium heat.
• Pour batter onto greased pan, about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Cook pancake until edges are dry. Flip and cook other side until golden brown.

*I use Hain Pure Food Featherweight Baking Powder. It's gluten free, sodium free, and corn free.

Makes: 5-6 pancakes

Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole - Gluten Free

Gluten-Free Version of Trader Joe's Holiday Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole 

1-1/2 Tablespoons butter

1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup onion sliced

24 ounce fresh green beans

2 cups gluten-free cream of mushroom soup (click here for gluten-free recipe)

1-1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1-1/2 to 2 cups gluten-free fried onion pieces (click here for gluten-free recipe)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet.
• Add mushrooms and saute until they become soft and lightly browned. 
• Add onion and continue to saute until they become soft and lightly browned.
• Add green beans and saute until heated through.
• Add soup, mix, and cook until heated through. 
• Add mixture to a medium size casserole dish.
• Top with cheese and fried onion pieces.
• Place in oven and bake until cheese melts and becomes warm and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup - Gluten Free

3 Tablespoons butter

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup onion, diced

4 Tablespoons sweet white sorghum flour

1 cup gluten free chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

salt and pepper

• Heat butter in saucepan over med-hi heat.
• Add mushrooms, garlic, and onion to pan and saute for 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour into pan, stir, and cook an additional 2 minutes.
• Slowly stir in broth and milk and cook over med-hi heat until thickens.
• Season with salt and pepper as desired. 

Click here for Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole Recipe.

"Fried" Onion Pieces (Baked) - Gluten Free

1 large onion, chopped

1/3 cup gluten-free sweet white sorghum flour

1/3 cup gluten-free tapioca starch

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

olive oil

• Preheat over to 475 degrees F. 
• Chop onion into small pieces. 
• Rinse onion with water in small colander. 
• Pour onions into mixing bowl, sprinkle sorghum flour, tapioca starch, and 1/4 t salt over onion. 
• Stir until flours evenly coat onion pieces.
• Coat cookie sheet (or shallow baking dish) with olive oil.
• Spread "breaded" onions onto dish.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 475 degrees F flipping onions every 5 minutes.
• Broil for an additional 2 minutes or until desired.

Click here for Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole Recipe.

Chocolate Frosting

Yum yum yum! 

Store bought frosting often has corn syrup or soybean oil in it. Those are both ingredients we avoid at our house due to food allergies. Below is a delicious homemade chocolate frosting that is in no way low cal but it's frosting...we're not eating it because it's good for you! 

Enjoy! 

8 ozs cream cheese, room temperature (I've used the "1/3 less fat" kind and it still turn out great)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3-4 cups powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

• Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.

• Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Try one cup at a time.

• Add cocoa powder and mix until well combined.

Yummers.

Click here for a delicious chocolate cake recipe that's gluten free, egg free, and dairy free!

Chocolate Cake - Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free

This is now my favorite "go to" recipe for gluten-free, egg-free cake! Delish!

1 1/2 cup gluten free all-purpose baking flour

1-1/2 teaspoons xantham gum

3 Tablepsoons cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  Tablespoon white vinegar

5 Tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup water

• Preheat oven to 350 degress F.
• Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix together wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. 
• Pour batter into 8x8 cake pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Enjoy!

Click here for a scrumptious chocolate frosting recipe (although it's totally NOT dairy free. Sorry to the dairy free readers!).

Pan Fried Pork Loin Chops - Gluten Free

Some times it's a pork chop night! Usually it's boring chicken night but last night it was pork chop night. I know, sounds wild and crazy. Ok, maybe not. BUT, it was tasty and that's what matters around here. :)

Here are the deets:

3-4 pork loin chops

1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour (or other gluten-free flour of your choice)

1 teaspoon herbs de Provence

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

• In a shallow dish, combine flour, herbs, and seasonings and mix well.
• Place pork loin chops in dish one at a time to coat all sides.
• Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add butter to oil (I never said this was low-cal!).
• When oil and butter are hot, add the pork chops to pan. 

•  Cook on medium heat for 4 minutes then flip and continue cooking until cooked through.

Serves 3-4

Enjoy!

Cauliflower "Bread" Sticks - Gluten free, egg free

1/2 head cauliflower

1-1/2 teaspoon Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 Tablespoons warm water (or 1 egg)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Line bread pan with parchment paper.  
• Grate raw cauliflower into microwave safe bowl. Microwave grated cauliflower for 8 minutes (adding no additional water). Carefully remove bowl from microwave and add egg replacer and water (or egg), mozzarella, dried herbs, and garlic. Mix well. 
• Spread mixture into bottom of bread pan and flatten.   

• Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for an additional 10 minutes.
• Use parchment paper to lift bread sticks out of pan and transfer to baking sheet.
• Use pizza cutter to cut into sticks and flip over.

• Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese.
• Place baking sheet with sticks back in oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until tops are browned. (I orignally did this last step with my oven set to broil and my parchment paper started to burn! Ooops! Turns out paper burns above 450 degrees. Who knew? So...be careful!)
• Enjoy!

Serves 3 (2 sticks each)

Brown Rice Tortilla Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce - Gluten Free, Corn Free

I la-la-LOVE Mexican food, especially enchiladas...and burritos and tacos and...well, I love it all, really. I've been trying to figure out to make enchiladas without using flour or corn tortillas (no gluten, wheat, or corn for my boy). Aren't flour and corn your only two opinions, normally? I found brown rice tortillas at Trader Joe's which have a good flavor but they are a bit dry and stiff. My goal was to roll those bad boys into enchiladas! Normally I heat tortillas on the stove top. That doesn't work so well with the brown rice version. They become even more brittle. Warming them in the microwave seems to be the best way to keep them more flexible. 

Here is the recipe I made today -

3 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cup chopped onion (divided)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

3 cups green enchilada sauce (canned or see recipe below. Most canned sauces have either corn starch or corn syrup in them, FYI)

cooking spray

5 8"-10"brown rice tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar and Monterrey jack blend 

• In a large pot, combine chicken broth, 1 cup onion, oregano, garlic, salt, bay leaf, and chicken. 
• Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 15 or until chicken is cooked through. 
• Remove chicken from broth and allow to cool.
• Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken with  remaining 1/2 cup onion, and sour cream in bowl, stir well. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Spray 9x13 oven-safe dish with non-stick cooking spray. 
• Spread approximately 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of dish.  
• Warm tortillas. (I warm brown rice tortillas in the microwave because they seem to get brittle if I heat them on the stove top over a gas flame) 
• Spoon chicken mixture down center of each tortilla and roll up.
• Place each chicken filled rolled tortilla in dish, seam side down.
• Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top or until it's saucy enough for you.
• Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes or until heated through.

Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce (thanks Martha Stewart)

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed

• 1 cup diced white onion

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 jalapeno, quartered (seeded if desired)

• 1 cup water

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

• Pinch of sugar

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook tomatillos until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain tomatillos and transfer to a blender; add onion, clove, jalapeno, and water. Puree until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids: Remove cap from lid and cover opening with a dish towel.) Season with salt and pepper. In pot, heat oil over high until shimmering. Add tomatillo mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, vinegar, and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rice Pudding - No Egg

Have you ever searched for a rice pudding recipe? Maybe you have. And maybe that's why you're here! I've been searching for one that didn't include egg but didn't have weird things like cranberries or almond in it. There are so many basic recipes but not so many without eggs. After a little research this is what I've come up with. It's not as "runny" as my husband would like but mixed with a little extra milk upon serving it'll do the trick. Personally, I like the pudding-like texture. It's thick and delicious. Enjoy!

4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked rice

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• Combine milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. 
• Bring to boil, stirring frequently so that milk does not burn. 
• Add cooked rice, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg to milk mixture. 
• Simmer for 30 minutes (or until milk is absorbed), stirring often. 
• Transfer to 5 small bowls and refrigerate until cooled (cover with plastic if you don't want a pudding skin).
• Sprinkle tops with cinnamon, if desired, before serving.

Yields: Approximately 5 servings.

Waffles - Gluten, Egg, and Dairy Free

Mmmmm...waffles! We ate these for dinner tonight because breakfast for dinner is just awesome.

This waffle recipe is gluten free, egg free, and dairy free. The result is a delicious, light and crispy waffle. Enjoy!

1-1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup potato starch 

1 teaspoon xantham gum

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer + 1/4 cup warm water (or 2 eggs)

2-1/4 cup rice milk (or other milk substitute)

3/4 cup canola oil

Combine dry ingredients in medium size mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix together Egg Replacer and warm water. Add remaining ingredients and Egg Replacer mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined. 

Batter will be thin.

Cook in pre-heated waffle iron until golden brown.

Top with your favorites and serve! 

Makes seven (7) 6" Belgian-style waffles.

Applesauce Muffins II

I updated my previous Applesauce Muffins recipe (click here for original recipe). It's still gluten, corn, egg, and dairy free. It's only slightly different but I like this version better. They're not as dense.

Enjoy!

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 potato starch

1 teaspoon gluten free xantham gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspooon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup no-sugar added applesauce 

1 cup cold water

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine ingredients in bowl and stir until well mixed.
• Pour batter into lined muffin tin.
• Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Yields 12 muffins

Summer Quinoa Salad

I'm cooking more quinoa! and loving it.

This is a great main dish salad or a perfect side dish on those summer BBQ evenings.

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups quinoa

1 can (12.5 oz) chicken breast

1 medium cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can (3.8 oz) black olives, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese

1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

• Place quinoa and broth in saucepan and bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Cook for 10-15, or until liquid is absorbed. Cool for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing and whisk until well combined.
• Combine quinoa, chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta, and Italian parsley. 
• Toss salad with desired amount of dressing.

NOTE: Try tofu in place of chicken! It's good too.

Banana Bread - Gluten, Egg, and Nut Free

Have a couple ripe bananas? It's time for banana bread!

There are so many recipes for banana bread and they are all similar...mashed bananas, sugar, flour, eggs...I read so many looking for one that would work for our house. I found this one which I thought looked different and intriguing. I did my usual "tweek" to the recipe and came up with the recipe below.

The batter tastes like heaven! Sweet banana flavor with a hint of orange. Delish!

2-1/2 cups all purpose gluten free baking mix

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened (or butter substitute)

1-1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer*

2 tablespoons warm water*

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

2  tablespoons orange zest

1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)

*If you are ok to have eggs, use one egg 

in place of egg replacer and omit warm water .

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and xantham gum in bowl and set aside.
• In separate bowl beat together sugar, softened butter, egg replacer, and water until smooth.
• Add bananas, orange zest, and milk.  Mix together until combined.
• Add flour mixture and mix until smooth.
• Pour batter into greased bread pan.
• Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until done.