Mango-Coconut Chia Pudding

Now that I have this blog people send me the best recipes! The newest one is from my friend Heather, who eats similar to my family. We had a crazy cooking session at my house the last time she was here but it was too crazy to write about. It was a mediterranean feast of some sorts, with homemade tzatziki,  mint meatballs, salads, etc. but the kids were helping and ingredients were flying. I forgot half the things we did. Next time Heather, aka "Headda", is in town I will document it better.

http://www.food.com/recipe/mango-coconut-chia-pudding-494615

This recipe is an awesome dessert, breakfast, or snack. I, of course, had to alter the recipe a little but it is the kind of recipe that everyone can make their own. I eliminated the almonds and added blueberries and cinnamon. (The cinnamon was a recommendation from my friend Debbi who was here sampling with me. She also suggested adding pineapple to give it a little bite.)

Anyways, I have to make it again soon because I ate it all without sharing with the kids. Emma wasn't too interested but Ava had Will's last bite and liked it. I imagine the more fruit and cinnamon in it the more my kids would eat of it. If I have time to make it on July 4th I will layer with strawberries and blueberries for a fun red, white, and blue treat. 1 batch made 5 single servings so if you are going to make for a party double or triple the recipe.

Thanks for reading and if you make, enjoy!

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

How could black beans and dates turn into delicious brownies? They can! My kids were shocked. They helped me make them and gagged at the thought of black beans, plus dates, plus sunbutter, plus chia seeds all blended together. It wasn't until I put the cocoa powder in that they considered even tasting them. However, blend and bake and I swear they come out delicious. After coming out of the oven, I must warn, they are more like a gooey souffle. Jill, the friend who gave me the recipe, suggested putting them in the fridge over night and the next day they are more the consistency of a fudgy brownie.

The recipe actually gives another recipe for a topping. I went the easy route and just put whipped cream and blueberries on top.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fudgy-black-bean-brownies-and-banana-treat

Ingredients
2 cups cooked black beans or canned no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained
10 Medjool dates (remove the pits)
2 tbsp Sunbutter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground chia seed
Raspberries or other berries for topping

DirectionsPreheat oven to 200° F.

Blend the black beans, dates, sunbutter and vanilla in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Pour into a very lightly oiled 8 x 8 inch baking pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool completely before cutting into small squares. Top with raspberries or other berries.

Carrot Apple Coconut Muffins

Parents always ask how they can sneak veggies into their kids diets. That is probably why Parenting Magazine (www.parenting.com) had a whole page article on carrots and "fun, fresh ways to fix this kid-pleasing veggie".

I had my eye on the recipe for Carrot Apple Coconut Muffins since April's issue. It was a recipe that required ingredients I always have in my house and it sounded really good. I had to modify it a little bit but the muffins were still great. And it was easy enough to make that Vince helped me bake them.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the following ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 cup of peeled, grated Carrots
1/2 cup of peeled, grated Apple (Or I used 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed

Then in a separate bowl mix:
2 eggs (or 3 tsp of Ener-G egg replacer + 4 Tbsp water)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. If it looks like it needs more liquid, add some coconut milk. Add 1 Tbsp of batter to mini muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes, 30 for regular size muffins.

Enjoy being sneaky.

Banana Oatmeal Raison Bars

I have been quite busy lately and haven't been trying new recipes. I am waiting for my Beetnik Gluten Free food delivery and was thinking I would blog again once that came. But yesterday when I saw on Facebook a link for these Banana Oatmeal Raison Bars I figured I could squeeze in some baking time. They actually came out delicious! I think they are even better today though, maybe they aren't meant to be eaten hot. Since there is no sugar they made a good breakfast (I don't like sugary breakfast food). If making as a dessert food, I would replace the raisons for chocolate chips.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRoadToHealthy/

I shared it on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheEverythingFreeMommy?ref=ts&fref=ts

I modified the recipe and came up with:

3 smashed Bananas
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups of GF rolled oats
1/4 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup raisons (Or I think Chocolate Chips would be great)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Mix and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Taco Salad

Even my salads have a Mexican flare. This salad has been on my mind for days. I even had a Mexican Casserole two days in a row and still was thinking up a Taco Salad. And then today my grocery store was advertising a new corn chip, The Better Chip, Jalapeno flavor. It was calling my name and definitely going in my salad.



Taco Salad:
Spinach
Chickpeas
Black Beans
Diced Orange Pepper
Diced Cucumber
Diced Tomato
Olives
Sauteed Ground Beef-with pepper, salt, chili, and about a cup of salsa
Shredded Cheese
Crunched up Jalapeno Corn Chips

Salad Dressing:
Olive Oil
Honey
Lime
Salt & Pepper

With the help of my mom, I realized my kids do not like their food items all mixed together like I do. So tonight I kept a portion of the ingredients out of the salad for them. They had ground beef, olives, and cucumbers.

Dinner took about 15 minutes to prepare and was amazing. Tomorrow I will have the leftovers for lunch which will make it four days in a row of Mexican food.

Greek Chicken with Hummus, Tzatziki, & Quinoa

Have I mentioned I am back to work? Not too much, only 10 hours a week but it seems to have cut into my food shopping, cooking, and blogging time. Heads up...my recipes will probably get easier and shorter and my posts about take out restaurants will get more frequent. I have my old job from 4 years ago working at a residential eating disorder treatment center. I am one of the Education Coordinators, helping the students who are in treatment keep up with their school work. I also contact teachers, parents, and counselors.

I was sure this dinner would be a disappointment. It was about 15 minutes of prep and not well thought out. But Emma said half way through dinner, "Mommy, can you make this again tomorrow night?" It is amazing how good that feels, when your kids all actually like the dinner you prepared. Success! And when it happens after an easy prep it is even more of a Success!

Greek Chicken:
I cut chicken with a scissor, put the chunks in a baking dish and added a little greek salad dressing. Baked at 350 until done.

Baked Broccoli:

Cut up broccoli, top with Olive Oil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Sesame-Free Hummus:
In the VitaMix I added:
1 can chickpeas
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp Olive Oil
salt

Tzatziki:
Fage Total Tzatziki

Quinoa:
Cook in a rice cooker or pot
1 cup of Quinoa in rice cooker
1 tbsp of greek salad dressing
2 cups of water
After it cools add Feta Cheese.

Nothing fancy but when the kids liked it, I decided to share it. Enjoy.

Baking with a Baker (and Blogger, Writer, & Photographer)

My cousin, Shuna, from http://eggbeater.typepad.com/, is a Baker (and Blogger, Writer, & Photographer). My recipes would probably horrify her... but today I got to bake with her. First, she made me Gluten Free Flour! Mixed and matched and viola, my own Gluten-Free All Purpose flour. Her recipe was inspired by glutenfreegirl.com. This flour can be used for all kinds of cooking. 

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour:

200 grams Super Fine Brown Rice 

150 grams Sorghum

50 grams Potato Flour

250 grams Sweet Rice Flour/"Mochi" Flour

150 grams Potato Starch

100 grams Arrow Root

50 grams Coconut Flour

Then, I got to watch her make chocolate chip cookies. I must admit, every time I try and bake cookies from scratch they look and taste like scones. I can't even share the exact recipe she made because there was a lot of tasting and adding and I lost track. It was a variation of the recipe on the back of the Kirkland Chocolate Chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies,  Egg-free + Gluten-free:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1.5 teaspoon of Ener-G egg replacer + 2 tbsp warm water

3 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 1/3 cup Gluten-free All Purpose Flour

1 cup Chocolate Chips

Mash the butter in a bowl until it looks whipped. Then add the sugars and mix. Then add the egg replacer, vanilla, and salt. Once mixed, add the flour. Do not mix until the flour is fully mixed in. When there is still a flour coating on the butter mixture add the chocolate chips and finish mixing. Taste and if you are as talented as Shuna, add what you think is missing. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. 

I learned lots of lessons today which will hopefully affect my cookies forever. First, I learned not to melt the butter but get it to room temperature and mash it until it is a whipped consistency. Second, I learned not to over mix, it creates too much air which could have caused my scone like cookies for so many years. Third, I learned that gluten-free baking is inconsistent and trust yourself, if you think it needs more of something despite the "recipe", then go for it. In baking-for-dummies terms, the gluten-free flours absorb the liquids differently and longer than a gluten based flour and there is no consistency among them. After the cookie dough appeared and tasted done to me, Shuna added more salt, vanilla, and butter. End result, they were insane!

Zucchini Linguine, Cauliflower Mash, and Grilled Chicken

Imitation night... I was inspired to imitate some of my favorite dishes tonight with vegetable replacements. The grilled chicken is real...although for a minute I considered sticking with the theme and making some imitation chicken tofu thingy.

Cauliflower Mash:
2 bags of Microwavable Cauliflower, cooked
1 tbsp of Cream Cheese (or dairy free cream cheese)
1 tbsp of Butter (or dairy free butter, I used Smart Balance)
1 minced Garlic Clove
1 tbsp of Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
Salt & Pepper

Put all the ingredients in the VitaMix and blend on a low speed. Mash down while blending.

Zucchini Linguine:
4 Zucchinis
1 jar of Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp of Olive Oil

Shave the zucchinis using a vegetable peeler. Go around the zucchini in a circle until you see the seeds and throw the rest away. Saute shaved zucchini with olive oil. After a few minutes add the sauce. Cook about 5 minutes. Serve like Linguine.

Grilled Chicken:

Chicken Cutlets

Salad Dressing (I used Organicville Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic)

Put some salad dressing in a Grill Pan. Grill chicken.

Edamame Salad

I have been meaning to blog about this dish since I started the blog. My friend Jenny told me about this simple recipe for Edamame as a snack, side dish, or appetizer.

1 bag of Frozen Edamame, defrosted
Craisins
Feta Cheese, Crumbled
Salad dressing, I used Organicville Olive Oil & Balsamic

Mix and serve!

Whole Foods Indian Red Lentil Soup, Everything-free

I am sorry that I have been out of touch. Spring break, new (old) job, and a little bit of cookers block (if that is a thing?). I am tired and overwhelmed. Headache, potty accident, atomic meltdown, ear infection, shower refusal, allergic reaction to dog, MRI scheduled, planning the summer, school project, kids fighting, Uggs in the rain, eczema.... Yea, I ended up hysterical crying in the doctors office today. There was a student nurse following the doc. I had no control and just melted down. Wonder what their conversation was after I left?

In other news, I stumbled upon the Recipe section of the Whole Foods website and found new inspiration. There are hundreds of recipes, all simple, healthy, and many are allergy free. My first recipe was their Indian Red Lentil Soup.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/indian-red-lentil-soup

Check it out. Their pictures are better than mine so I am not posting one. It was simple, delicious, and pretty easy.

Passover Desserts, Everything-free

I can't legally say these are traditional Passover desserts but they are acceptable and they are gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free...

This cake from The Gluten-Free Goddess is so delicious I can't believe it. I made it a while ago for my vegan cousin. Tonight I am missing some ingredients so I am certain it won't come out as good but I wanted to share it.

Vegan "Flourless" Chocolate Cake Recipe:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/02/vegan-flourless-chocolate-cake-made-in.html

The second dessert I am making I found while looking for an SCD diet dessert for a friend. They are also everything-free and so yummy!! I even made this for breakfast once.

Baked Apples:
http://scdrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/baked-apples.html

Happy Passover, Happy Spring Break, Happy Easter, and Happy Sunday!

Chimichurri Filet with Mango Avocado Salad & Brussel Sprouts

Tonight I was going to make frozen Udi's pizza with some salad. Will, thank God, had other plans. I LOVE when Will shops and cooks. He comes home with things I overlook a million times at the grocery store. For example, the Gaucho Ranch Gluten Free Chimichurri sauce he came home with tonight. He also came home with Filet Mignon and gummy worms, two other things I never buy.

So, although he cooked it, I will blog about it.

Chimichurri Filet:
He butterflied the steaks, rubbed them with Chimichurri, and then grilled them. After they were done he topped them with Chimichurri again.

Mango Avocado Salad:
Mixed Greens
Diced Mangos
Diced Avocado
Shaved Romano
1 Squeezed Lemon
Drizzled Olive Oil

Brussel Sprouts:
Drizzle Olive Oil and Kosher Salt on Brussel Sprouts and cook at 400 until crispy (about 45 minutes).

Who knew, pizza and a movie night turned out to be gourmet. Thanks Will. xo

Chicken & Pepper Enchiladas

It is pretty obvious that I love Mexican food. I am sorry if it is overkill on the Mexican recipes. However, I just discovered the Fontera Pouches and had to share. (BEWARE, they are not all allergy safe. I almost bought one that had sesame oil! Read the ingredients carefully.) A few are labeled Gluten-free, including the Red Chile Enchilada Sauce.

Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas:
So I put chicken & peppers in the crock pot with salsa (Jack's Special) for 6 hours. (If you don't have a crock pot you can saute it in a skillet instead). After about 5 hours I  shredded the chicken. When it was done cooking, I added the chicken & peppers to corn tortillas and topped with Fontera Enchilada Sauce and some cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes of until the cheese starts to bubble.

Moros Rice:
In the rice cooker, I added 1 cup brown rice, 2 cups of water, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 can of black beans.

Quacamole:
In the Vitamix I added cilantro, 4 small avocados, juice from 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and a 2 spoonfuls of Jack's Special Salsa. Blend on the lowest speed while mashing down. (If you don't have a Vitamix you can mash it in a bowl). I served with Late July Organic Sea Salt by the Seashore Chips.

Muy Delicioso!

Neon Green Smoothie

This is my Dear God Don't Let Me Get Sick drink. Of course, I make it different every time but today was worth sharing. Feel free to add or delete anything according to your likes.

I filled half the blender with frozen peaches and mangoes
Then added coconut water to the top of the frozen fruit
And I blended.
I gave part of the mixture to the kids and then added to the rest:
2 cups of Spinach
1/4 inch ginger
Vitamin C (liquid)
Juice Plus capsules (opened up)
Drops of Oregano Oil
Aloe Vera Juice
1 cup of Cilantro

It was the prettiest shade of green and it was delicious.

Coconut Banana Bread, Gluten-free + Dairy-free + Egg-free

When one kids, or two, are sick, my other children feel completely neglected. Like I am abusive for paying any extra attention to their sick sibling. There is a chart somewhere in their head counting the minutes I spend on each, the special treatment I give each, the "favorite foods" I make for each. So since Ava was the only child who was well today, she came home from school in a rage. Emma got to sit NEXT to Vince in the car, Emma got to watch TV all day, bla bla bla.

So after an afternoon and dinner that revolved around Emma and Vince, I decided to make a dessert specifically for Ava. As I have said, she loves banana bread. So tonight I made a variation...Coconut Banana Bread. I found a recipe online and of course, altered it a bit to fit our family's food restrictions/preferences.

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2012/12/banana_coconut_bread_vegan.php

Banana Coconut Bread:

2 cups all-purpose GF flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut

4 small bananas
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp dark rum
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, salt, sugar, and coconut. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas well. Add the oil, rum, and vinegar, and stir to combine.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones until no trace of flour remains, without overmixing. Pour into the prepared pan, level the surface with a spatula.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Pull out from the pan and let cool on a rack before serving.

It was a hit! Ava went to bed happy (but only after complaining that it wasn't fair that Emma was sleeping with us).

Lemon Chicken with Cauliflower Butternut Squash Soup & Sweet Potato Fries

Two sick kids home today and I felt chicken and soup was an appropriate dinner. Honestly, I ate my way thru the day and couldn't imagine cooking or eating anything. Being home all day was a great excuse to start a new book (Gone Girl) and snack on everything in my fridge and cabinet. Green smoothie, Omelette with spinach, feta, and sun dried tomatoes, yogurt and granola, quacamole and PopChips, Apple, Banana...

So as a Jewish mother I suppose it is my job to make chicken and soup when my kids are sick.

Cauliflower Butternut Squash Soup:
1 box of Pacific Butternut Squash Soup
1 head of Orange Caulifower
1 cup of carrots
2 celery stalks sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Put all the ingredients in the Crock Pot for 5 hours. After 4 hours mix and add Thyme, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano. I actually overcooked the soup and it lost its soupy consistency. It was still delicious but served more like Cauliflower Mash than a soup.

Lemon Chicken:
2 lbs of Chicken Legs
3 Lemons
Olive Oil
2 Sliced garlic cloves
1 tbsp spicy mustard

Mix everything except chicken in a bag and then add the chicken. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Pour out the chicken and sauce from the bag in a saute pan and cook on all sides. Then bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries are Gluten-free

Will, my husband, said the dinner had an Indian flare. Hope mama's chicken and soup help my babies feel better. 

Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Gluten-Free + Sesame-Free

Emma said this was one of her favorite meals I ever made. I am shocked. I didn't even think the kids would try it. I think the kids ate it because it was different and they enjoyed making their own wraps (with lettuce, filling, and dressing).

I found this recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/turkey-lettuce-wraps-recipe/index.html

I sauteed ground turkey in coconut oil until no longer pink. Then added broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, chopped garlic, mushrooms, and sliced green onions. Once the veggies were cooked I added a mixture of gluten-free soy sauce (1/4 cup), rice wine vinegar (1 tbsp), and brown sugar (1 tbsp).

I added the filling to iceberg lettuce and topped with a dressing of gluten-free soy sauce (3 tbsp), rice wine vinegar (2 tbsp), honey (2 tbsp), dijon mustard (1tbsp), and water (1/4 cup).

According to Emma, it is worth trying!

Fresh Vegetable Quinoa with Costco Rotisserie Chicken & Brussel Sprouts, Everything-free

What goes well with Costco Rotisserie Chicken? Everything. Tonight I made a Fresh Vegetable Quinoa and Brussel Sprouts. I can't promise the kids will love this but we can try. I used all the left over vegetables and put them out as an appetizer and they ate them all so I won't complain.

Last night was a dinner disaster. I was feeling ambitious and it was a bad idea. I promised to try and stay away from the crock pot, however, I am not cut out for complicated dishes. First, I tried to make fried chicken cutlets. I should have known. All the bread crumbs ended up stuck to the pan, the chicken looked like it was covered in water by the end. I baked broccoli & cauliflower but undercooked it and it was too hard to eat. I sauteed spinach in the same pan as chicken and kids wouldn't touch it because of the bread crumbs all over it. I also made quinoa spaghetti with Classico Tomato & Basil sauce, fortunately something almost impossible to mess up. The saving grace was the arugula pesto my cousin Carianne recommended. I blended arugula, lemon, garlic, olive oil, and salt & pepper. When I diced the chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, and spaghetti and mixed it with the pesto it actually tasted delish! But even after deciding it was delicious, it was not worth the clean up. Frying pan, broccoli baking dish, mini food processor, pasta pan, sauce pan, cutting board, plates bla bla bla.  Soooo, tonight was a Costco Rotisserie Chicken night!!! It is free of all my family's allergies, it is 5 bucks, and it is easy!

Fresh Vegetable Quinoa:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cups of water
2 tbsp of salad dressing (I used Organicville Olive Oil & Balsamic)

I put the above three things in the rice cooker.

Diced tri-colored peppers
Diced celery
Diced carrots
Diced cucumbers

Mix the vegetables with salad dressing (I used the Organicville for this too) and add it to the cooked Quinoa. Add salt & pepper. You can eat this warm or cold.

Brussel Sprouts:
Mix brussel sprouts with olive oil and kosher salt. Bake at 400 until crispy.

Kitchen is clean, I am not exhausted, & healthy food awaits. In the future I will try and remember my own rule, nothing complicated.

Oatmeal Cranberry Waffles, Gluten-free + Egg-free + Dairy-free

Good Morning! Since the girls slept AN HOUR later than usual today I decided to reward them with a special breakfast. I love making them pancakes or waffles but today I wanted to eat them too. So I made a concoction....

The Vitamix cookbook has a recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Waffles that I altered. I used the Vitamix but if you don't have one you can just mix it. Also, if you don't have a waffle maker you can use this mix and make pancakes.

In Vitamix on low speed mix:
1 cup GF pancake/waffle mix (today I used Maple Grove Farms)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cup water

Then add:
1 cup GF oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Add 1 cup to heated waffle maker. I use the hottest setting, I like waffles crispy.

Top with Coconut Butter & Maple Syrup, and Enjoy!!!

Chicken Fajitas, Moros Rice, & Sangria

What goes well with Sangria? Yea, that's where I am starting tonight. I like my meals, drinks, and desserts to match. And tonight, all I care about is the sangria. And if you were walking by my house 10 minutes ago and heard me screaming you would have probably brought me a bottle yourself.

Sangria:
Red Wine
Lime Sparkling Water
Canned fruit with some of the juice

Chicken Fajitas:
Chicken breast tenders
Salsa
Tri-colored peppers, sliced long

I put them in the crock pot for 3 hours (so that they did not shred). But you can saute them in a pan. Put in corn tortillas and top with either quacamole, sour cream, or cheese. BTW if you buy "Fajita seasoning packets" in the store be very careful, they may contain gluten. Just add your own spices and seasoning if you have a gluten allergy.

Moros Rice:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 can black beans
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt

Put all the ingredients in the rice cooker. I think this is a cuban dish. If you are ever in a cuban restaurant, order this!! It is amazing. It is pretty much rice cooked in black beans.

Drink, eat, and enjoy your evening!