No Sugar Added - Nut Free Energy Bars - SunButter Balls and Cherry Garcia Balls

I cannot eat Larabars because I have a tree nut allergy.  At Christmas, I make the most divine Sun Butter Cups (think Reese's without the Peanut Butter because of our SEVERELY allergic kid).  Said child mourned the fact she, too, could not have Larabars, which are a staple for several of my children.  So, I came up with this truly divine concoction.

These are not sugar free.  I just don't add any additional sugar above and beyond what is in the ingredients.

SunButter Balls

10 dates, pitted and soaked in boiling water to soften, then drained
1/4 c. cocoa
1/3 c. SunButter
Optional Add-ins:
2 Tbsp. Chia seed
3 Tbsp. Hemp seed
3 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips

Place the dates in a food processor or blender like "The Ninja" and process them until they are finely chopped.  Add the cocoa and SunButter.  Puree until combined.  If you don't want them smooth, just process until mixed.  Remove from the processor and add any "Add-ins" by hand.  Shape into balls and store in an air-tight container. 

With the crunch of the seeds and chocolate chips, these taste like peanut butter cups without all the allergens.

Cherry Garcia Balls
(I love Cherry Garcia Ice Cream - I'm sure this is much better for me than ice cream.)

10 dates, pitted and soaked in boiling water to soften, then drained
1/4 c. cocoa
1/3 c. dried cherries, soaked in boiling water to soften, then drained
Optional   Add-ins:
2 Tbsp. Chia seed
3 Tbsp. Hemp seed
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips

Place the dates in a food processor or blender like "The Ninja" and process them until they are finely chopped.  Add the cocoa and cherries.  Puree until combined.  If you don't want them smooth, just process until mixed.  Remove from the processor and add any "Add-ins" by hand.  Shape into balls and store in an air-tight container.  

These are seriously addictive, but totally squelch any chocolate or sugar cravings I might have.

Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day

Our St. Patrick's Day will revolve around four of our six children dancing in their first ever Irish Step Dance performance.  Today our day is full.  Hubby and oldest son attended our Archdiocesan Men's Conference.  All four kids have a pre-show dance practice as I write this and this afternoon, three children sing at Mass with the Children's Choir.  With Mass out of the way, we will focus on St. Patrick tomorrow.

We're an Irish bunch here.  My husband is half Irish.  I am probably a quarter Irish, maybe more like an eighth...I want to be a quarter :-).  So, is it any wonder we have four children with Irish names or named after Irish descendants?  My husband and I were too broke buying our first house to go on a real big honeymoon, but we took a "second" honeymoon after a year and a half of marriage to go to Ireland.  And, taking Irish Step Dance was a dream come true for my girls and one boy.  The others go along.

Today when we get home from church, I will be putting the girls' hair in tiny curlers so they have the springy Irish curl (no wigs, please).  That will take about an hour.  One daughter has waist length hair.  The other has uncooperatively straight hair!  That will be followed by Tylenol, but I digress...

Tomorrow I want to be all about St. Patrick's Day.  We will feast on Green Scones (recipe to follow), rashers of bacon and green tea.  After we finish breakfast and get ready, we will have a quick lunch before heading out to the Day of Irish Dance at a local exhibition hall.  We will finish up our day by eating at our favorite family restaurant run by an Irish family.  Every year they put up a new calendar with the countdown to St. Patrick's day starting January 1st!  Got to love that!

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I hope you will be wearing the green and eating or drinking something that comes from Ireland.

St. Patrick's Irish Scones
(AKA Mint Avocado Scones)

2 c. Bisquick (so sue me...the recipe works, okay?!)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. mashed avocado
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. mint extract
3/4 c. chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (optional, but many gave up chocolate for Lent here, so it is not optional!)
1-2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the avocado into the Bisquick and sugar.  Add the chocolate chunks and combine.  Add milk and mint extract.  Stir just to combine.  Place dough in a round on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Pat and press down to flatten into a circle about 1" thick.  Cut with a sharp knife and, if possible, separate a bit.  Sprinkle top with sugar.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly and enjoy with a good cup of Irish coffee.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Breakfast Muffins - Egg free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free

We were looking for a special recipe for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.  The kids love starting out our day with a recipe for the Catholic Saint 'o the day.  Since we are back to no wheat, these looked like a recipe I could easily modify.  What a hit!   They loved them so we had them, again, today.

Egg-free, Dairy-free and Wheat-free Mexican Chocolate Muffins
Prep: 15m 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners.
3/4 cup canned lentils or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. chia seed meal mixed with 1/2 hot water (or equiv. egg replacer for 2 eggs)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

I combined the beans and chia seed/water mixture in the blender until it was smooth.  I added the rest of the above ingredients and blended until well combined.

In a separate bowl I combined:

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. hemp seed (or you can add 1/4-1/2 c. nuts here...we're allergic)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Add the wet ingredients from the blender to the dry ingredients and blend until combined.  Pour into prepared muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool 10-15 minutes for easy turn out.

Dust tops with confectioners sugar, if desired.

We interrupt this blog vacation for a major announcement!

This is good news for me, bad news for those with wheat allergies!  My little man has grown out of his wheat allergy!  Praise the Lord!  So, we're still re-introducing wheat slowly so his intestines don't freak out. 

We found this out on November 9th.  So, over the last three weeks, we have been slowly adding wheat, a few crackers and macaronis at a time and voila!  no reaction.

However, he still is positive for dairy (high on skin test, low on RAST).  The other interesting news is that he did not test positive in the RAST test for egg, but the skin test was mildly positive.  That's the next thing to try.  Dairy won't be tried until the new year.  So, after a month of introducing wheat back in, we can try egg.  Then after a month, we MIGHT try dairy.  He had dairy accidentally last week and had hives around his mouth, so I'm dubious that he's safe, but we'll see.

So, that's my good news.  Here's one way we celebrated yesterday.  At Thanksgiving, my 13 year old daughter made pumpkin pie tarts.  To humor me, she made them without eggs.  We made a double batch of egg-free pumpkin pie filling because she was going to make a pumpkin pie for another Thanksgiving celebration, but ended up not, so we had extra.  I ended up using the extras with a 5 star Paula Deen Pumpkin Bar recipe to make these:

Egg free Dairy Free Pumpkin Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
First - combine in a medium sauce pan: (This can be used as an egg-free dairy-free pumpkin pie filling.)
 1 15oz can pumpkin
3/4  cup  brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2  cup  water
6 1/2  Tbsp  cornstarch
1  tsp  allspice
1/2  tsp  salt
1/4  tsp  ground cloves
1/2  tsp  ginger
Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.  Mine was cool.  Allow to cool a little.  Put in mixing bowl and  add:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.

These bars received HIGH marks all around from my kids who don't normally like pumpkin bar.  They were almost a little gooey and oh-so-yummy.

Now, back to my blog vacation.

Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free Chocolate Chip Bars

This are called "Breakfast Bars" or "Friday Bars" at our house because they are the breakfast the kids get on Friday.  I don't eat them because of the rice flour, which I use to prevent me from eating them (I'm allergic to rice...weird, I know.)  These are YUMMY, so say my kids and others who have tried them.

Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free Chocolate Chip Bars
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray or grease a 9x13" pan.
Mix:
2 Tbsp Chia Seed meal with 6 Tbsp hot water

Cream together:
1 stick Earth Balance or 1/2 Dairy Free Butter Substitute
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar

Add:
Chia seed mixture
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Mix until emulsified.

In a separate bowl, combine the following then add to wet ingredients:
2 c. oat flour (I use rolled oats processed in the blender)
1 c. rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Spread batter in pan.  Bake 22-27 minutes.  Cool and serve.

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake in a Cup

The new treat here (although we're not eating LOTS of treats during Lent) is cake in a cup.  Friday, my 2 year old, in her sweetest voice, with her hands clasped, pressed up to her cheek as she tilted her head exactly 30 degrees said, "Please make me cake for breakfast."  So I did...Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake.  Of course, I had to make some for the 4 year old.  So here's his:

First, spray a 1 1/2 cup coffee mug with cooking spray or grease well.
In the cup, mix together:
1 tsp chia seed meal
1 Tbsp hot water
Let that sit for about 2 minutes.  Add:
1/3 c. gluten free bisquick
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. dairy free milk (soy, almond, rice, dairifree)
drop of vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Mix with a fork.

In a separate bowl, mix together:
1 tsp. gluten free bisquick
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
Mix together to form topping.

Thinly slice some apple (put a thin layer on top) over the batter then cover with cinnamon topping.

I have a very powerful microwave oven.  I put mine in the microwave for 1 minute 25 seconds.  Be careful because the cup will be nuclear hot!  Enjoy.

Ed. Note: I keep updating the recipe as we improve it!  

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Krumkake

My 12 year old daughter has a krumkake iron she received from Santa two years ago for Christmas.  We made krumkake for her book club tomorrow and the 4 year old sat all sad-faced in the kitchen.  I poked around and found a gluten free recipe.  I adjusted the gluten free recipe I found and made the necessary changes for his diet.  He helped make them and waited very patiently for them to cool.  They turned out great (so say the girls...I can't try them because of a rice allergy).
Here's the recipe we landed on for him:

GF, EF, DF Krumkake
makes 18

Mix up:

1 Tbsp. chia seed meal plus 3 Tbsp. hot water

Add:
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/3 Tbsp Earth Balance spread, softened
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp gluten-free flour (I used Bette Hagman's rice flour based mix)
1/3 cup rice milk
dash of vanilla

Heat the krumkake iron and oil as necessary.  Mix up chia seeds with hot water and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until completely combined.  Pour scant 1 Tbsp. into each spot in the krumkake iron.  Cook for about 30-35 seconds (your krumkake iron may require more or less time).  Remove and shape on cone (if desired).  They are fragile and lacy, but apparently very good!
Big thumbs up received from all who tried them!

Mr. Peterson's Gingersnap Cookies

I'm waxing poetic today about two wonderful men that died of complications of Diabetes.  One is my brother-in-law John, who loved these cookies and Mr. Peterson, who made these cookies.  Both were lovely men that left behind 5 kids and a beautiful wife.

Mr. Peterson was the father of my good friend Deb.  We were in all-things-choir together.  So was John.  We were a tight-knit group.  After EVERY choir concert or musical performance Mr. Peterson brought an ice cream bucket full of these delicious cookies.  John loved anything full of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  His apple pies and pumpkin pies always had DOUBLE the spice.

Today, I was feeling badly I couldn't attend my dear neighbor Bob's funeral yesterday because I have coughing kids.  We've had lots of asthma attacks this fall, thanks to the dry, windy weather and a respiratory virus that is wreaking havoc on my two youngest kids' lungs.  This mommy has been up several nights now, battling coughs with Benedryl and Albuterol.  I couldn't make it yesterday because we had had one of  "those" nights and I was worried about leaving the coughers to someone else's care.

So, I baked up a batch of these cookies today, egg-free, and we shared a 1/2 dozen with Diane, Bob's beautiful wife.  I got the benefit of seeing all the beautiful flowers that were at the church and picture boards because they were home, in Diane's living room and dining room.  Diane said they served over 200 people lunch.  Bob was a great man, and I was happy to find out that Gingersnaps were his favorite cookie.  Diane got an extra hug because I needed to give one.  She told me, as she squeezed my hand, that she wants to stay in her house as long as she can because she and Bob built that house and Bob is everywhere in that house.  I'm so glad to hear that.

Here's the recipe WITH the eggs. I replaced the two eggs with a mixture 1 Tbsp flax seed meal, 1 Tbsp chia seed meal and 6 Tbsp. water.

Mr. Peterson's Gingersnap Cookies
(These are soft and chewy, not hard.  If you want hard cookies, do not store them in an airtight container.)

1 1/2 c. melted shortening (I know, not good for you, but these are cookies!  They AREN'T good for you!)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon

Sugar for rolling cookies

Mix all the ingredients together.  Using a small scoop, make a ball and roll in granulated sugar.  Bake 9 minutes at 350 degrees.  Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before cooling on a rack.


One last thing...please say a prayer for Beth, my sister.  She and her five kids are on vacation this week.  Please also say a prayer for the repose of Bob's soul and his wife of 56 years, Diane, and their four sons as they get used to life without Bob.

UPDATE:  Please also pray for my stepdad, Tom. I just found out today he has been diagnosed with Colon Cancer.  We don't know what stage the cancer is, but he's been feeling drained for a long time.  The doctor doing the colonoscopy did not biopsy because it was very evident it was cancerous and had perforated the inside layer of the bowel.  They are awaiting a surgeon to know how to proceed.  St. Peregrine, pray for us!

Delicious Summer Salad

When my eldest was born 13 years ago, my dear sister took care of me because it was a rough, rough delivery.  I'll spare you the details because you are here for a recipe, not a war story.  She brought down several wonderful meals and sent recipes with them.  This recipe was locked up with the last one.

By the way, this is THE best way to use up leftover steak, or even better, grill an extra steak and save one for this recipe for later!

Thai Beef Salad
Fast (15 minutes), Low Fat and Delicious!
10 oz.  cooked steak, left overs work well here, trimmed of fat, sliced thin, across the grain
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. fresh grated (I sometimes sub 3/4 tsp ginger powder, in a pinch)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. crushed pepper flakes
6 scallions, sliced thin
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
2 red pepper, thinly sliced
4-8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

1.  Cut beef into thin strips and pace in a medium bowl.  Add lime juice, soy sauce ,water, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes.  Toss to mix.  Add scallions, pepper and cucumber.  Toss again.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time (1-2 hours is good).
2.  Arrange lettuce in large serving bowl .  Pour beef, vegetables and any liquid in bowl over lettuce.  Toss at the table just before serving.

Much Ado About Garlic

I first made this recipe in February 2000.  We LOVED it and guess what?  I lost the recipe.  Well, not really lost it.  I put it in a really, really safe place.  It was in a storage tub full of my heritage recipes.  Heritage recipes are those recipes that have been passed down to me from my mom and grandma.  My grandma is, by the way, the best cook in the world.

So, you have to know that the first place my husband and I ate together was at "The Stinking Rose" cafe.  To say we love garlic would be an understatement.  It was at that restaurant that I was sure I had met my match.  We went back, all the way to San Francisco for our 10th anniversary and the first place we ate was "The Stinking Rose."  That night, the late-great Jeff Connaway fell in love with our then 3 year old daughter.  He flirted shamelessly with her, came over and asked if he could tell us how beautiful she was and colored on her placemat with her.  The signed it with "A hickey from Kenickie".  He smootched her on the head and kept smiling at us through our dinner.

So, back to the recipe.  It sounds like a lot of garlic, but don't cut back.  You really should add ALL 40 cloves.  By the way, my dearest brother-in-law John, who just passed away, adored garlic.  His wife didn't adore the fact that he loved garlic, but didn't fuss as long as he used Beano afterwards. This recipe is for John.

French Farmhouse Garlic Chicken
(Low Fat)
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
40 small cloves of garlic - if you unpeel them, they make a fabulous sauce.  If you leave them in the skin, that is fine, but you will need to peel them to eat them when they are cooked.
1/2 c. mushrooms (optional)
1 c. chicken broth (you can sub 1/2 with white wine, if you like)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. corn starch
2  Tbsp. broth or wine

Pat chicken dry with kitchen paper.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add chicken and garlic cloves (and optional mushrooms).  Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or just until browned, turning once.  Add 1 c. liquid, lemon juice, basil and oregano.  Simmer, covered 6-8 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a warm serving platter.  You have a couple of options now.  If you peeled the garlic, you can mash them into the sauce.  If you didn't peel them, remove them from the broth and peel them (just use a butter knife).  Just put it back into the pan.  Mix together the corn starch and 2 Tbsp. broth or wine and add to the pan juices.  Bring the pan juices to a boil.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Spoon sauce atop chicken.  Serve with mash potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice, pasta or my favorite, zucchini!

Enjoy!  And offer up a prayer for my sister and her family.  Thanks!

Gluten free, egg free, dairy free Peppermint Meltaways

Yum, yum, yum!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1-1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
  FROSTING:
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk-substitute like Vance's Dari-free
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream Earth Balance Buttery Spread and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine gf flour, xanthan gum and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a small bowl, beat Earth Balance Buttery Spread until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk substitute, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 dozen.

I did it! HBI5MAD Eggless, GF, Diary Free Brioche Dough!!

We have a new 11 year old here.  My eldest daughter turned 11 today.  We started the day with Mass (her choice).  Then, we came home for our very weird family tradition - Ice Cream and Donuts for breakfast.  Last night at midnight, I was mixing up the regular dough.  My friend Julie lent me the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book.  I have only tried one other recipe, and of course, I punted on that one, too.  We didn't want the three year old left out, so I modified a recipe for donuts for him, too.

I'm happy to report my daughter (the birthday girl) and husband said the GF, EF, DF, CF donuts were great!  I couldn't try them because of the rice flour (I'm allergic).  They said the donuts were chewier (more like a bagel) than our Egg free Challah based donuts, but good none-the-less.  The good news is that I have lots of dough left.  I will be making him cinnamon rolls tomorrow, as a treat.   I will make the rest into a small loaf suitable for little pieces of toast or I will make it into cinnamon swirl raisin bread.  Haven't decided on that one, though.

So, here's the recipe.

Egg Free, Diary Free, Wheat/Gluten Free Brioche the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day Method

based on the GF Brioche recipe from Healthy Breads in 5 Minutes a Day.
Makes 3 1-1/2 lb loaves (I only made enough for 1 loaf)

1 c. brown rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch
3 3/4 c. corn starch
2 Tbsp. granulated yeast
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. xanthan gum (I used 1.5x as much Guar Gum since I'm out of xanthan gum at the time)
2 1/2 c. milk substitute (I used Vance's Dari-free, made according to package directions)
1 c. honey
1/4 c. flax seed meal mixed into 3/4 c. warm water (as an egg substitute)
1 c. neutral flavored oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1.  Combine dry ingredients and whisk together until thoroughly combined.  I used my stand mixer because this a difficult bread to mix well by hand.  I used the paddle attachment.  If you use an ice cream bucket for your dough, it will fit under your stand mixer and you don't have to dirty an extra mixing bowl.
2.  Combine liquid ingredients and mix until well combined.  Gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix until no dry spots are left.
3.  Loosely cover and allow to rise until doubled at room temperature. 
4.  Refrigerate lightly (not tightly) covered.
5.  For donuts, sprinkle a little rice flour on a board or counter.  Sprinkle top or cover with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Roll to about 1/4" thickness and cut with a donut or circle cutter.  Place on a sheet pan or bread board covered with wax paper, sprinkled with rice flour to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Heat oil to 360-370 degrees.  Add donuts and holes carefully to hot oil.  Do not over crowd.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and flip carefully.  Cook until other side is done.  Drain on paper towel covered plate.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.
6.  For bread, grab a 1 1/2lb wad of dough and gently shape into a loaf, using wet hands.  Put into a greased 8x4" pan.  Allow to rise for 90 minutes (covered with plastic wrap).  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Just one more note...I don't usually use flax seed as an egg replacer, but I have found that it is the best replacement in bread.  I just don't use it as much.  I'm going to get some chia next to try as an egg replacer!

Naan Sense

I confess that this is one of my favorite things. Naan is a flat bread that you use to sop up the delicious juices of your favorite food.

We have this with Indian food, mostly, but it goes well with anything.

Here's my recipe for a single batch, regular technique. I will follow up with the Artisan Bread version.

Naan, Easy traditional Method
Makes enough for my family (8 eaters)
Mix together:
1 c. warm water
2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar

Sift:
2 1/2 c. flour (can use whole wheat, if you like)
1 tsp. salt

Mix all together with the Kitchenaid, adding:
1/2 c. melted butter

Knead in Kitchenaid for 10 minutes. If dough is still sticky, add enough flour (a little at a time) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides. It is okay if it sticks to the bottom. Place in oiled bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour. Cut dough into 8 hunks. Heat a griddle over med-hi heat. Melt 1/2 stick of butter. Flatten and stretch each ball. Then, brush melted butter on one side. Place buttered side down and butter top. Cook until browned on bottom. Flip and repeat. Remove to a kitchen towel to keep soft.

Naan, Artisan Bread method
Cut off a hunks of dough, about tangerine size. Heat a griddle over med-hi heat. Melt 1/2 stick of butter. Flatten and stretch each ball. Then, brush melted butter on one side. Place buttered side down and butter top. Cook until browned on bottom. Flip and repeat. Remove to a kitchen towel to keep soft.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Icebox Pie with Whole Wheat No-Roll Pie Crust

As promised, as healthy as you can get recipe for Strawberry Icebox Pie

Whole Wheat No-Roll Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferablely no taste)

1/4 cup ice water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients in a bowl until combined.  Do not over mix.

Place in pie pan.  Use the bottom of a measuring cup to nicely smooth the dough into the edges and up the sides of the pan.  Place a very large piece foil over top (so that you can press it into the pan and still have some hanging over) and fill with pie weights (I used dry beans) to prevent the sides from falling down while you blind bake it.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes with the pie weights in.  Carefully remove the pie weights and bake for another 8-12 minutes, depending on how brown you like your crust.  Cool completely before filling.

Strawberry Icebox Pie

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemonade mix or 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 baked pie crust (see above)

Defrost the frozen strawberries (in the microwave or in a bowl) and mash them.  Place them in a small saucepan. Add the 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt, and stir to combine.

Soften 1 1/2 teaspoons of the gelatin in the cold water, and set it aside.

Place the saucepan over low heat and bring the berry mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is transparent and of medium thickness, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the softened gelatin, and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Arrange the fresh strawberries in the pie crust pointed end up.  If any strawberries are left over, dice them and mix them into the cooled strawberry mixture.  Pour mixture over the strawberries and gently work the mixture down to the bottom of the pie crust.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.  Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Tandoori Chicken

My husband and I love Indian food.  Getting the kids to eat it is a whole other story.  They actually tried this dish and half of them loved it.  That's pretty good!

This dish is adapted from the American Test Kitchen's Recipe.
This recipe does contain dairy.  I had my dairy allergic eat some that did not have the dairy on it...

Fast Tandoori Chicken 

Serves 4

Homemade Garam Masala

In the blender or spice grinder put:

2 TBSP coriander seeds

1 TSP cardamom seeds 

1 ½ TSP black peppercorns

Blend or grind until relatively fine.

Tandoori Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tsp. ground ginger
All of the garam masala made above
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup plain greek yogurt
4 tablespoons juice from 2 limes, plus 1 lime, cut into wedges
2 teaspoons table salt
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise in half to reduce the thickness

Instructions

1. Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ginger, garam masala, cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder; continue to cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer half of garlic-spice mixture to medium bowl; stir in yogurt and 2 tablespoons lime juice and set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine remaining garlic-spice mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and salt. Place chicken breast pieces in the bowl.  Using hands, gently massage salt-spice mixture into chicken until all pieces are evenly coated; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated with thick layer. Arrange chicken breast pieces on wire rack set in foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Bake chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 125 degrees for breasts and 130 for legs and thighs, 10 to 15 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Transfer chicken pieces to plate as they reach correct temperature.)
4. After removing chicken from oven, turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes. The oven needs to come up to temperature without the chicken in the oven or it will be over cooked and burnt.  Once broiler is heated, flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots.  Flip and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, approximately 8 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes. Serve with chutney or relish, passing lime wedges separately.

Our "Go-To" Meatless Friday Meal

We eat meatless just about every Friday, being Catholic and all. This is one of our favorite meals. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Toasted Cheese Sandwiches for a Crowd and Tomato Basil Soup

First, the soup:
Makes 4 big bowls or 2 big bowls and 4 little dipping bowls for the kids' sandwiches

In a large sauce pan, combine:
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can chicken broth
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add:
1 stick butter
Stir until it's completely melted.
Temper 1/2 c. cream with some soup, then stir it in.
Add chopped fresh basil to your taste.

Next the sandwiches:
Makes 8 sandwiches
You REALLY need to have a stoneware pan for this to work otherwise you will be flipping halfway through (which, I suppose, if fine if that's all you have).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
16 slices of bread
16 slices of cheddar cheese
1 stick of butter
Generously brush the one side of the bread with butter. Put the buttered side down on the pan (2 rows of 4 slices). Put cheese on top. Top with another slice of bread, generously buttered (buttered side UP). Put in the oven. If you used a stoneware pan, check it in 10 minutes. Otherwise, check bottoms to make sure they are not too brown and flip them. You don't need to flip them if you have stoneware.

Remove when golden. Slice in half and serve with soup.

Meal Plan for the next 2 weeks...

I thought I would share our meal plan for the next two weeks. Because of our food allergies, we do not usually use ANY canned soups or make casseroles that have allergens. We're pretty straight shooters: Main Dish, Starch, two veggies. I try to make soup one night a week. Very often the starch is Artisan Bread. Very often one veggie is Romaine lettuce, from the big Sam's Club sized bag with miscellaneous other veggies cut up on top and bottled dressing. It's pretty boring and YES, I miss food mixed together, but it just doesn't work well for my family.

I will place an asterisk after each food that might have some alteration for food allergies in our family:

Date - Main Dish, Starch, Veggie, Veggie
Sun., Feb. 7 - Spaghetti Sauce w/Italian Sausage,Angel hair pasta & Artisan Bread, Romaine Salad w/dressing, Green Beans
Mon., Feb. 8 - Chicken Enchiladas, Quinoa w/ Salsa, Corn, Black Beans
Tues., Feb. 9 - Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Artisan Bread, Pea Pods, Baked Potato
Wed., Feb. 10 - Pasta e Fajole Soup, Artisan Bread
Thurs., Feb. 11 - Marinated Flank Steak, Pasta Limone’*,Peas, Romaine Salad w/dressing
Fri., Feb. 12 - Toasted Cheese Sandwiches*, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup*, Romaine Salad w/dressing
Sat., Feb. 13 - Spaghetti Sauce w/Italian Sausage, Angel hair pasta & Artisan Bread, Romaine Salad w/dressing, Green Beans
Sun., Feb. 14 - Porcupine Meatballs w/tomato sauce*, Tater Tots, Oriental Slaw
Mon., Feb. 15 - Pork Chops, Artisan Bread, Broccoli, Romaine Salad w/dressing
Tues., Feb. 16 - Chicken Parmesan*, Angel Hair Pasta, Carrots, Romaine Salad w/dressing
Wed., Feb. 17 - Cheese pizza (with veggies)*, Carrot, Celery and Cucumber Spears
Thurs., Feb. 18 - Baked Potato Soup*, Artisan Bread, 7 layer salad*
Fri., Feb. 19 - Baked Apple French Toast & Scrambled Eggs*, 3 Berry Compote

I will be posting the recipes I don't already have on this blog later this week.

Baby cakes

For years, I've wanted to make a baked food for breakfast for my new eaters (the under 9 month crowd). It was always a challenge to make something baked without eggs or dairy, which I usually introduce around 9 months of age. With all our allergies here, I have mastered cooking without those two ingredients now. Here's how I made baby cakes for my Wee One this morning.

Babycakes
Yield - 24 mini muffins

Mix together:
1 container Gerber 2nd Food Bananas
1 container Gerber 2nd Foods Carrots
2 tbsp. flax seed meal
2 tbsp. coconut oil
4 tbsp. water

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 tbsp. Vance's Darifree **
1 cup Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a non-stick mini-muffin pan with aerosol pan spray. Fold wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon into muffin pan (about 1 1/2 - 2 tsp). Bake approximately 6-8 minutes (until edges start to brown). These are naturally sweet from the bananas and carrots. No sweetener is required.

** This is a milk substitute that contains no dairy, soy, nuts, corn, gluten, rice. 1 Tbsp of Darifree powder contains the equivalent Vitamin D and Calcium of 1 cup of milk.

You could substitute some other milk or milk substitute (2 Tbsp) for the Darifree and 2 tbsp. water.

Feed the baby and freeze the rest.

Christmas Baking

It's my favorite season - Advent, or as renamed at our house Christmas Baking Time! That's my house there, with the snow man out front.

Money's tight this year (isn't it for everyone?), so instead of giving gifts that add to the clutter, I'm giving out some baked goods. Once they are gone, there is not more clutter (except maybe on the body if you eat too much ;-). So, it has started.

Now, being Catholic and really, for the first time just a few years ago, understanding what Advent was all about, my baking doesn't start until sometime after Gaudete' Sunday. I usually wait until the 4th Sunday, unless Christmas falls directly after that.

So, what are we giving this year? Well, I'm only doing a few gifts for folks outside the family. I really haven't had the energy (6 kids, remember?) or the time (6 kids, remember?) to make something for everyone I would love to gift. Here's our list:

Our "grandparent" neighbors across the street and next door and the one homeschooling family down the street and the girlie's Choir teachers:

• Panettone

My nieces and nephews:

• Microwave Caramel Corn
• 7 Layer Bars
• Peppermint Meltaways
• Safe to Eat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

For Christmas here and a 2nd day of Christmas party:

• Sun Butter Cups (think Reese's Peanut Butter Cups made with Sun butter - sunflower seed butter)
• Church Window Cookies
• Cookie Press Cookies (this one is for the little boys who get SO EXCITED when I let them use "the Cookie Gun")
• Krumkake
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread (Sorry it doesn't give the recipe, but it gives the page number in my favorite recipe book)
• Peppermint Pals*
• Graham Cracker Houses (think gingerbread houses, except walls and roofs are made with graham crackers)*
• Frosty Trees (okay, this recipe is for wreaths, but we wad it up and make it look like Christmas Trees)*

*These will create an edible Christmas village. The kids do ALL of it themselves. I pitch in if asked.

I will try to get back here and post some pictures, but I'm sure you can click on the links and see MOST of the pictures.

May you all have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Schmarren or Scrambled Pancakes

This is for Julie...Enjoy!

Kaisers Schmarren tanslates loosely to "Emperors Pain". Its name comes from the stories of how Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, would emit groans of pleasure when he ate this pancake like dish. Oooooooo, Ummmmmmmm, Ahhhhhhh! At any rate, it is a very good dish for a meatless Fridays. It is usually served with a side dish of fresh fruit or cooked fruit like plums, cherries or peaches. Apple sauce is great, too!

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions

1. Whisk together ingredients.
2. Pour into a greased non-stick pan.
3. Cook on stove top on medium heat.
4. Stir periodically like you are scrambling eggs.
   
5. Cook until cooked through and/or lightly browned.
6. Serve with favorite syrup or honey.