Eating like a Kid again

I consider myself a professional adapter.  As I work with students in need of adaptations, I am continually looking at a material and changing it to meet the needs of my students. 
 
So it comes naturally to me when it comes to changing food to meet my needs.  I am also stubborn, and when I stopped eating wheat and dairy I vowed to figure out ways to eat the same type of food.  I am well on my way to success.

I have done this with pizza, meatballs, cookies, and pasta.  And now, I have figured out how I can eat grilled cheese.

It's easy:
I used three ingredients:

1. Daiya Cheese
2. Udi's Gluten Free bread
3. Earth Balance

Paired with some Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup, I finally got to enjoy grilled cheese again.

Got the Munchies?

Over spring break I went to the library and took out a dozen cookbooks. I finally had a chance to look through them and am happy to report that I found a few recipes that look great.

I tried this one and it proved to be a great snack!

Spiced-Cherry Crunch Mix from Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook

I changed it up a bit and am pretty happy about it.  In fact, I am eating the rest of the batch as I type this.  Both sweet and salty; it hits the spot.

I have adapted the recipe and will share with you what I did:

Snack Mix
Adapted from Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 cup sugar *
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups gluten free rice krispies**
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds***
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp grated orange rind****

Directions :

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil and coat with cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg white with a mixer until foamy
4. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, in a separate bowl.  Add sugar mixture to beaten egg white, 1 tbsp at a time beating until stiff peaks form
5. Fold in cereal as well as next 3 ingredients.  
6. Spread mixture on cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
7. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack and store in a airtight container.

Notes:
* Next time I am going to try 1/8th cup of sugar or try to omit completely
** Don't want it to be gluten free? just use regular rice krispies or be adventurous and use your favorite cereal.
*** I might try to toast the almonds next time too, I love that taste
**** I learned that I really don't enjoy orange flavor, so I will omit the orange rind.

Breakfast Ideas

Let me begin by saying that I am not a breakfast person.  I didn't even start eating breakfast until I was into my twenties.  I know the importance of eating breakfast, so now I eat it everyday but it definitively lacks creativity, probably because I am still half asleep.  I tend to be a repetitive eater, so this months' breakfast is a banana, a handful of nuts and a muffin.  I also really enjoy pancakes, but those usually make a dinner appearance.

Some of the ladies that I work with love breakfast.  They frequently have conversations about all of the wonderful things that they make...I guess I am just not that creative in the morning.  I am a willing recipient though, so feel free to cook breakfast for me anytime.  Next to pancakes, hash browns and eggs are my favorite. 

I have been asked for some potluck gluten free breakfast ideas...thanks to pinterest I found some that look great. 

The Obvious: Bacon and Eggs (with gluten free bread)
source

Gluten Free Pancakes- the best I've ever had

Raspberry Breakfast Bars
from Smitten Kitchen

Gluten Free Egg Crepes
from Simply Gluten Free

Breakfast Cookies from Make or Die

Gluten and Dairy Free Breakfast Bars
 from the Bonjon Gourmet

 

Apple and Carrot Gluten Free Breakfast Cake
from simplysugarandglutenfree.com

Dutch Apple Cake

Banana Loaf is a staple in our house.  While it is pretty amazing, I get bored of it.  Now let me clarify, I don't eat it.  I guess I just get bored of watching Dan eat the same thing for the last five years. 


Good news! I don't have to be bored anymore- I found the Dutch Apple Walnut Loaf. And I love it!

source

The best part is that my critics love it too and didn't even know I made it gluten free.

I adapted the original recipe to make it gluten free, dairy free, as well as to have a little of my own personal touch.  You can find the original here.

This is what mine looks like...I so badly wanted to pick at the topping!

Dutch Apple Walnut Loaf- makes 1 large loaf

Adapted from Carina-Forum

 

Before you begin:

- get 1/2 cup chopped walnuts in the oven for toasting.

- Then preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup dairy-free butter (such as Earth Balance)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside. 

Loaf

• 1/2 cup dairy-free butter softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup dairy-free milk (almond or rice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, & diced
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:

1. Grease a baking dish. Line the base of the dish with parchment paper, then grease the top of the parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well until fully incorporated. Beat in the milk and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer running, slowly beat in the dry ingredients just until fully combined. Stir in the diced apples and chopped walnuts by hand.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared dish, and sprinkle over the topping.
5. Place the dish in the oven and bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55 minutes to an hour. Cool the dish on a rack for 15 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Trust me, this is a must try!

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Since I stopped eating wheat, dairy, and beef, I have not enjoyed a good solid burger.  Thankfully for me, I really like chicken and can do without the cheese. The problem I ran into when going to restaurants is that they wanted to give me iceberg lettuce to wrap my burger in instead of a bun.

This just shouldn't be eaten ever, especially around a burger.

Iceberg Lettuce??? Eww.  I have never opted for lettuce.  This summer I was introduced to the rice bun.  I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it was actually pretty good.  At camp, I had my fair share of veggie patties on a rice bun, but it still didn't hit the spot.

On a recent date my husband brought me out to White Spot.  I had been craving a restaurant burger so badly, so those that know me won't be surprised when I tell you that I brought my own bun*.  White Spot actually has a great gluten free menu, but I just really wanted a burger, hence my creativity.  They couldn't bring my bun into the kitchen, but they did bring burger minus the bun out to me.  This worked just fine, and let me tell you, it was well worth the two year wait.

*I have a reputation of being very resourceful.  This includes bringing a variety of items to restaurants with me, including my own salad dressing, buns and condiments.

where there is a will, there is a way.

 If you don't mind being a little embarrassed and your sensitivities will allow, it is worth a try!

What will go in your Megalunch? Part 2

So I must confess, I expected to do a lot more blogging during my spring break.  I cooked lots even took a number of pictures, but time just flew!  It's time to get disciplined again.

Last week, I introduced you to the megalunch.  This thing makes a weekly appearance in our house, in fact I made another one last night.  If I didn't pre-make food, I am certain Dan would either live on peanut butter sandwiches and chips or he would be eating out every day.  Neither are good options for us, so instead, I schedule in soup making sprees when I can.

The Megalunch.

Another confession, I don't have that many soup recipes.  Dan has been happy to eat the same few over and over.  And while I have tried new ones, they don't always work out , so I don't experiment with soups very often.

If you have a favorite soup recipe, please pass it on, even it if has wheat and dairy in it (Dan can still eat it).
You can comment or email me  I'd love hear from you!

Because I had some free time I tried something new. Actually two new things and a usual.
1. I put Kale in our Quinoa Minestrone.  Not bad, but neither Dan or I enjoy greens in our soup, so while we will finish the batch I don't think Kale will ever make it in a soup again.

2. I tried a new vegetable soup with Quinoa Pasta.  The Quinoa pasta was good immediately after cooking it.  However, after having one from the freezer I have decided to not put quinoa pasta in soup again.  I find that it gets too gritty.  I LOVE quinoa pasta, but I love it in pasta form, not in soups.  

3. I made an old fashioned Chicken Soup for Dan.  This is pretty basic and I know there are a million ways to make it...let me tell you what I did:

Chicken Soup Recipe* 

In a large pot, combine:

• 2 cartons of Knorr Chicken Broth
• 3 or so celery sticks, chopped
• 3 or so carrot sticks, chopped
• all purpose spice such as Mrs. Dash or Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning, to taste
• 1 cooked chicken breast, sliced and cooked in all purpose spice
• salt & Pepper to taste 
• 1/3 cup rice or two handfuls of spaghetti noodles, broken into small pieces

Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables and rice/pasta is soft.

Note:
* I don't follow a recipe, I eye my ingredients and taste as I go along.  So do the same, because I can't promise my measurements are the same.