Microwave Chocolate Cake

My friend Stacey sent me this recipe the other day (she got it from this blog) and last night I was having a huge chocolate craving so I gave it a shot. It definitely satisfied my chocolate craving but I would've liked it to be a little sweeter. My husband ate it too and we both agreed the consistency was great but it didn't have that sweetness we desired. I plan to make it again but I'll probably add a little sugar;) Sorry the picture isn't so pretty, we were getting ready to watch a movie and I was in a rush so the frosting literally got dumped on.

Here is the recipe: 

Microwave Measuring Cup Cake

Dry Ingredients:
2 TBSP Sorghum Flour (Can use Brown Rice) *see note
2 TBSP Almond Meal, 
2 tsp Coconut Flour
, 1 TBSP Flax Meal, 
2 TBSP Potato Starch, 
1 tsp Baking Powder, 
1 ½ TBSP Cocoa Powder, 
¼ tsp Xanthan Gum, 
Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
3 TBSP Organic Applesauce (warmed in microwave 20 seconds)  **see note about using egg instead, which is what I used, 
3 TBSP Coconut Oil (melted in a 2 C measuring cup), 
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, 
3 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup (Grade B is Preferred)

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.


2) Add warm applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup and the coconut oil to the
 dry ingredients.  Leave a little coconut oil in the measuring cup and
 swirl it around to coat the sides.


3) Stir together all ingredients until well blended.


4) Pour cake batter into the measuring cup with the remaining coconut oil. Smooth top with a spoon.


5) Place cup in microwave and cook on high for 1 minute 40 seconds. 
Remove cup from microwave, let it rest for 30 seconds.


6) Run a butter knife gently around the edge of the cake, invert cup onto
 a plate and tap the bottom of the cup to release the cake.


7) Let cake cool for awhile (if you can wait!).  Frost with quick microwave
 frosting recipe. (below)


*Note:To make this cake grain free, replace the sorghum or brown rice with almond meal (in addition to the other almond meal).  Also tasty! 

**Note:  If you can tolerate eggs, replacing the applesauce with 1 egg does result in a taller, fluffier cake.


Microwave frosting

¼ C GF DF Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life)
2 tsp Coconut Milk

1) Place chocolate chips and milk in a microwave safe bowl. 


2) Heat in microwave for 15-20 seconds.  Stir.


3) Heat in 10 second increments until most of chocolate is melted.


4) Stir until all chocolate is melted.


5) Spoon frosting on top of Measuring Cup cake and smooth across top
 and sides.  Now dig in!

My First Successful Sugar Cookies!

 I've been trying to find the perfect gluten free sugar cookie dough for a long time now. I've bought a few box mixes that were good but pricey and not really good enough to do cut outs with. Well today I finally mastered it and guess what? I used the recipe on the back of the C & H sugar bag and just substituted gf flour blend and Earth Balance buttery sticks. So simple, easy and tasty! 

 We decorated using Betty Crocker frosting since it is labeled gf.

 Finally have sugar cookie cut outs that taste like I remember! 

Everyone in the family loved them! Yahoo!

Here is the recipe from the C & H sugar bag:

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups butter, softened (I used Earth Balance so they'd be dairy free) 

2 eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it's gf) 

3 1/2 cups gf flour blend (I use Silvana Nardone's, I'll post that below)

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

directions: 

1. combine sugar and butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3-5 minutes
2. add eggs one at a time, blending well
3. add vanilla, mix well
4. in a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, & salt
5. add flour mixture to butter mixture one cup at a time until well blended 
6. pour onto wax paper in a log shape and refrigerate for 2 hours
7. roll out onto wax paper (this dough is a little more fragile that regular dough, I just rolled it slowly and used a dusting of gf flour each time and it worked just fine). 
8. cut out with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet. 
9. bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
10. let cool and frost! Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Flour Blend: 

(From Silvana Nardone's book called, "Cooking for Isaiah")

-6 cups rice flour

-3 cups tapioca flour

-1 1/2 cups potato starch

-1 tbsp salt

-2 tbsp xanthum gum

Mix in a big container and store in an air tight container. I keep this on hand at all times and have found that it substitutes perfectly in all recipes, I love it! 

Love This!

Found this at Costco today and I LOVE it! So tasty! 

Gluten & Dairy Free Burrito

These are my latest go to item when I'm in a hurry for lunch or dinner. They are gluten and dairy free and pretty tasty. They take about 2 min to cook in the microwave and then I put some salsa and top and voila! Lunch or dinner is done. My kids even like them and they can split one for lunch, not bad. They are about $2.50 each, I buy them at Fred Meyer in the natural foods freezer section. 

Finally tried Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzels and we LOVE them!!!!

I finally tried these yesterday and I love them. They are my new favorite pretzels, taste so much like the original pretzel. Yummy!

PCC Walk, Talk, & Taste Tour

 MY very favorite new non dairy yogurt. Hands down the best dairy free yogurt I've had. Great texture & taste. Gluten, dairy, soy, cane sugar free. It is sweetened with fruit juice and oh so delicious! 

 Annie's is expanding their gluten free Bunny line. I think I saw 3 or 4 different flavors! Still no gluten free cheddar bunnies though, one of these days hopefully.

 These English Muffins are pretty darn good, they aren't as soft as the regular kind but still quite tasty! 

Last week my friend Stacey and I went on one of PCC's Walk, Talk, & Taste Tours. I highly recommend them. They are free (you do have to register on their website) and you get to try a variety of gluten free products the store sells, you get a nice little chat with a nutritionist from PCC, and then they walk you around the store to show you all their favorite products. And to top it all off, you get a $10 coupon off your next $40 purchase, which we all know is easy to spend at PCC! I thought it was a great way to try some new products and learn a little, while having fun:) 

PCC also offers some gluten free cooking classes (there is a fee for the classes) and I'm hoping to try one in the Fall. None of their summer dates worked for me, but they sound great! 

Another Success From "Cooking For Isaiah"

I made brownies from scratch last night following Silvana Nardone's recipe book, "Cooking for Isaiah" and they were a huge hit with our guests tonight. Very fudge like & decadent. I served them with whip cream and strawberries. I skipped the whip cream and just had strawberries on them and they were delicious! So far I'm very pleased with the 3 recipes I've made from this cookbook. My mom even said, "These are way better than any I've had from a mix" which is always nice to hear! I love when non gluten free people compliment my gluten free baking:) 

Meatball Sliders

 I made a new meatball recipe this week and it was soooo good! These are pretty healthy little meatballs too. We liked them as sliders, but I actually think they'd be really good with spaghetti. 

 Since gluten free slider rolls aren't exactly easy to come by (though I know there are a few out there) I made my own biscuits in mini muffin tins. Next time I'd make them in regular size muffin tins, or make the meatballs smaller. I used Pamela's bread mix for the muffins which is also dairy free! 

I toasted the biscuits with a little mozzarella cheese (we were living on the edge that night and ate a little dairy!) and covered them some marinara sauce and voila! Yummy meatball sliders! 

Here is the recipe (from All You magazine)

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb organic ground beef
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed, rinsed, & drained
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 cup marinara sauce (I used Classico)
• gluten free dinner rolls (or gluten free pasta if going the spaghetti route)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Mix ground beef, spinach, onion, garlic, and 1 tsp each of salt & pepper in a large bowl. 
2. Gently shape meat mixture into small balls. 
3. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs on each side until cooked all the way through (about 15 minutes). 
4. Warm marinara sauce in saucepan over low heat. 
5. If desired, melt cheese on biscuits in oven. 
6. Top  half of biscuit with meatball and drizzle marinara on sauce. Cover with the other half of biscuit to make a sandwich. 
7. Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bites

I love love love chocolate, peanut butter, & oats combined, I just think it is one of the best combos ever. So I was SO excited when I saw this recipe in All You magazine. I only had a to make a couple changes to make them gluten free. Our whole family loved these and we decided they were practically the same as a breakfast bar, I even ate one before a run the other day to give me a little extra energy;) 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 2/3 cup peanut butter (make sure it's gluten free, all natural is best)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp gluten free vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup crushed Rice Chex cereal
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Nestle Semi Sweet)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, sugar, honey, & vanilla. (I had to keep it on low heat to get this to melt completely)
3. Stir in oats & Rice Chex. Allow mixture to cool. (I didn't wait long enough and the chocolate chips melted, not really a big deal, just depends on if you want the chocolate chips whole or melted I guess). 
4. Stir in chocolate chips . 
5. Form into 1 inch balls and set on cookie sheet in refrigerator to harden. I stored mine in the a sealed container in the refrigerator but the actual recipe does not say you have to. 

Enjoy! 

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Zucchini & Squash

I've made this healthy & yummy dish a few times recently and it is always a hit! 

I got it out of Health magazine, I love it because it is naturally gluten free, no substitutions needed!

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp lemon zest (I usually juice the lemon too and use the juice for some extra zing)
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 lb chicken breasts cut into cutlets
• salt
• pepper (fresh ground is best)
• olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (make sure it is gluten free) 
• quinoa

Directions: 

1. Mix lemon zest, lemon juice, and thyme in medium sized bowl
2. Sprinkle a little salt & pepper on the chicken, then coat in the lemon & thyme mixture. 
3. Heat olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is golden and cooked through (a few minutes on each side, depending on thickness). I usually pour any leftover lemon & thyme mixture in the skillet as well. 
4. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside (to keep warm I usually set my toaster oven to warm and put the chicken on a plate in there). 
5. Using the same skillet saute the zucchini and squash ver medium heat. I usually add a little extra olive oil. After the veggies are golden & tender (about 5 minutes) stir in the chicken broth.
6. Add the chicken back in and let simmer another minute or two. 
7. I usually serve this over quinoa which I make in my rice cooker. 
8. Garnish with fresh thyme if you want to feel a bit fancy:) 
9. Enjoy! 

Dairy Free

Being "mostly" dairy free, I am often asked if Lauren and I are getting enough calcium. My naturopath has assured me I need not worry about this as it's not an issue if I eat a healthy balanced diet. I have read many articles that all say the same things and most of the time I feel pretty confident with skipping out on the dairy (especially because it makes us feel so icky). But then I start thinking of how it has been pounded into our heads since birth that cows milk is essential and it's healthy and it makes strong bones, etc... and I start to wonder and think, what if I am missing out on an important health benefit not drinking milk. I am got this newsletter today from a friend who is a nutritionist and I thought this article was really great. I thought I'd share: 

Milk and Calcium Requirements, Dr. Pam Popper, ND, PhD

Dairy consumption does not promote bone health, and there is massive scientific evidence to document this fact.

Most of the world's population does not consume any milk after weaning, and these people grow normal, healthy skeletons and do not experience osteoporosis. Bantu women in Africa, for example, consume no dairy products and their calcium intake is between 250 and 400 mg. per day. These women generally have about 10 children and breast-feed each one for 10 months. Pregnancy and breast-feeding are tremendous drains on calcium, yet osteoporosis is virtually unknown among these women. Population studies further document that dairy consumption does not help bone health – countries that have the highest consumption of cow's milk products, like the U.S., Sweden, Israel, Finland and the U.K., have the highest incidence of osteoporosis.

Beyond population studies, research does not support the use of dairy foods as a tool for building bone. An article in the September 2000 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reflected research compiled by two researchers who reviewed 57 studies that have been published since 1985 on dairy consumption and bone health. An overview of the studies concluded that 53% of them showed no benefit from dairy. When studies with weak evidence or poor techniques were excluded, less than half of the studies remained, and of those 57% showed no benefit and another 14% found that dairy consumption actually weakened bones. This means that 71% of the research published does not support the consumption of dairy products for bone building and health.

7 of the studies were randomized controlled studies, 6 of which were financed by the dairy industry. One looked at the consumption of milk by postmenopausal women. This study was published in the February 1985 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study concluded that women who drank 3 extra glasses of milk per day were losing more calcium from their bones than they were absorbing, in spite of the fact that they were consuming 1400 mg of calcium per day. In fact, they were losing more than twice as much bone as the women in the control group, who did not drink the extra glasses of milk daily.

This reinforces that the amount of calcium you take in has little to do with the calcium balance in your body or your bone health. It is the source of the calcium, as well as your body's ability to retain and utilize it that are more important. This is why calcium supplementation is generally not recommended for bone health, and why dairy products are not helpful either.

The best diet for building healthy bones is a plant-based diet that minimizes processed and refined foods. The addition of proper exercise, sunlight, and avoiding tobacco, caffeine and alcohol will insure that your bones will last as long as you do!

--
Stacy Farrar
Certified Nutritionist

Certified Facilitator - Wellness 101

(619) 379-0910

Chinese Chicken Salad, gluten & dairy free

 I love Chinese Chicken salad and I especially loved the old recipe I had. Unfortunately it called for Top Ramen noodles and the Oriental Spice pack that comes with them. I know the noodles have gluten in them and can pretty much guarantee that spice pack has gluten as well as tons of msg and all sorts of other stuff that has an infinite shelf life, so I knew I couldn't use that recipe. 

I did some searching and came across a recipe on cooks.com that looked pretty good and I changed it a little bit so it'd be just right. It was soooo good, Kevin loved it too. I think it is equally as good as my old recipe, if not better. Plus it doesn't have an infinite shelf life, which I think is a plus:) 

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks (I poached mine)
• 3 tbsp gluten free teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 head cabbage
• 3 stalks green onion, I used the green & white parts
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 package maifun noodles (cook according to package directions, these are messy but so fun to watch puff up and cook, my whole family was quite entertained!) I used the Sun Luk brand, found them at Fred Meyer in the Asian food section. 

Dressing:

• 1/8 c sesame oil (I didn't have any, just used Omega 3 Vegetable oil)
• 1/8 c grapeseed or olive oil 
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Cook chicken and cut into chunks. While preparing the salad toss the cooked chicken with teriyaki sauce and let cool. 
2. Wash and chop lettuce and cabbage and mix together. 
3. Add sliced green onion and cilantro. 
4. Toast sesame seeds & almonds (I toasted them together at the same time). Let cool, then mix in with salad. 
5. Make dressing, set aside. 
6. Make maifun noodles according to directions. Let cool on a paper towel for a few minutes. 
7. Toss salad together and add maifun. 
8. This salad is best served cool, enjoy! 

Pamela's Gluten & Dairy Free Bread Mix

I was making corn chowder the other night and wanted some biscuits to go with it. I've tried a lot of different recipes for biscuits but haven't found one that I love yet. I decided to try Pamela's mix and I LOVED them. My whole family did. I made them in cupcake tins so they came out like little muffins. They were great with the chowder, but they are also really good with Nutella on them (what isn't though!). Kevin says they taste like a chocolate donut when you put Nutella on them, not bad!

*Unlike Pamela's baking mix, the bread mix is also dairy free which is a nice bonus! (Nutella however, is not.)

Almond Berry Muffins! Gluten, Dairy, & Egg free!

I found this recipe over a year ago on some website, printed it and tucked it away. I recently came across it in my recipe notebook and decided to make them and WOW! They are hands down my most favorite gluten free muffins I've ever made. My kids devoured them and so did I. I didn't use blueberries because I didn't have any, but I had frozen blackberries left from this summer, so I substituted those and they were fabulous! 

**I buy my almond flour at Trader Joe's, it is so much cheaper than anywhere else. 

Blueberry Muffin Recipe with Almond Flour (Gluten-Free)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together:

1 1/3 cups almond meal

1 cup sorghum (or brown rice flour, if desired)

1/2 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Beat in:

1 1/3 cups organic light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy

1/2 cup warm water, more as needed, up to 3/4 cup

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the batter until it is smooth, like a slightly thickened cake batter.

Add in:

1 pint fresh berries, washed and patted dry (I used blackberries, the original recipe I had called for blueberries, I think any berry will work just fine). 

Stir gently and briefly.

Plop the blueberry muffin batter into the twelve lined cups. You'll probably have some extra- for a baker's dozen. We made tiny mini-muffins with our extra better. 

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.

Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Gently pop the muffins out to continue cooling on the rack (don't cool them in the hot pan- they'll get soggy).

Sausage and Potato Bake

I found this recipe in a magazine and made it the other night. I altered it a little bit and it was really good. Kevin & I both agreed it's actually more of a breakfast type food than a dinner one. It'd be perfect for a brunch, and adding egg would make it even more "breakfasty". 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 small orange bell pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 sweet onion, slided
• 3/4lb red potatoes, quartered (I cut them into small slices just because I wanted to make sure they cooked all the way through)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 lb ground sausage (make sure it has no fillers with gluten, I used an all natural one)

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in a skillet. 
2. In a large bowl toss all ingredients together and mix well. 
3. Spread sausage on top of potato and pepper mixture and mix in. 
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring once or twice while baking.

Enjoy! 

**Kevin sprinkled cheese on top of his and loved it:) 

Best Ice "Cream" EVER!!!

I stumbled across this little piece of heaven a few days ago! Dairy & Gluten Free Cookie Dough Ice Cream, need I say more? Run out and buy it right now, it is completely worth the $5.50 it costs because it is creamy and delicious and tastes just like the cookie dough ice cream I've been missing this last year! 

**I found it at Top Foods in Woodinville, haven't seen this flavor anywhere else.

Honey & Walnut Salmon

I am always looking for new ways to prepare salmon, especially in the winter when the grill isn't that accessible. I found this recipe in the free Costco cookbook that they give out every Thanksgiving weekend. I made it the other night and it was delicious. I served it with potatoes just because we had rice the night before, but next time I make it I will serve it with rice or mixed greens. 

Here is how you make it: 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 lb salmon fillet
•  sea salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp finely chopped basil or tarragon (I used tarragon) 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray (or lay foil down, that is what I usually do).

1. Remove skin from salmon (if you can, I always wait until after it is cooked because it is just too hard to get off when raw I think). Cut into 4 pieces. Place on baking sheet and lightly season with salt & pepper.  
2. In a small bowl, mix mustard, honey, herb, & garlic. Spread mixture evenly on top of the salmon pieces. 
3. Sprinkle chopped walnuts evenly on top of each piece of salmon. 
4. Bake for 10- 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Bacon & Sage Wrapped Lemon Chicken

I found this recipe in All You magazine a few months back and finally got around to making it tonight. It was so tasty, the whole family loved it, including the kids! 

Ingredients: 

• 4 chicken breasts
• 12 sage leaves
• 8 slices thick bacon (I use Hempler's all natural, it is labeled gluten free. You can buy it at Fred Meyer) 
• 1 1/2 tbsp gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. 
2. Place 3 sage leaves on the top of each chicken breast. 
3. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each chicken breast and lay flat in baking dish. 
4. Bake until chicken is cooked all the way through, about 40 minutes. 
5. When chicken is done, drain juices from the pan into a small saute pan. Cover chicken with foil and let rest for a few minutes. 
6. In small saute pan heat juices from the chicken, broth, and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in gluten free flour until sauce has thickened ( I brought it to a quick boil while continuously stirring and it thickened in about 2 minutes). 
7. Poor sauce over chicken and serve! I served it over rice and it was delicious. 

Hope you like it as much as my family did! 

Sugar Cookies from a Box!

 I bought this cookie mix awhile ago and never got around to making it. The kids and I wanted to make Christmas cookies tonight but I didn't feel like all the work so I pulled out this little gem. They were SO easy to make and tasted great. The dough it a bit gooey to roll out for cookie cut outs (but maybe if you refrigerated it it'd work?) so we just made circles and decorated them. 

 Not bad for egg, dairy, & gluten free! 

Yum! 

** I bought the Cherry Brook's Kitchen mix at PCC, I think I've also seen it at Whole Foods. 

Coconut Curried Chicken & Chickpeas

I found this recipe in a magazine a few months ago and decided to give it a try the other night. I'm not a huge curry fan but I am trying to branch out a bit, plus it's a crock pot recipe and I love those. I changed the recipe a little to suite my taste more and I actually liked it! 

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 can coconut milk (I used the light kind to keep the fat content down)
•  2- 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained

Directions:

1. Coat chicken with olive oil, curry powder, and salt. Put in crock pot. 
2. sprinkle onions and garlic on top of chicken. 
3. Pour tomatoes on top and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 
4. During last hour of cooking add in chickpeas and coconut milk. 
5. Shred chicken with forks before serving. 
6. We served it over rice and it was delicious