Free Chicken Nuggets

My favorite meal of all time is chicken nuggets. 

I grew up eating the ones you buy from the grocery store and occasionally enjoyed the fast food version.  Then I got married.  It didn't work for us to go to the drive thru every time I had a craving and I was determined to not buy processed food- so I learned to make my own.   

I have tried a number of recipes, all which disappointed and then I found it.  I found a chicken nugget recipe that inspired me to make my own version.  

I am confident that I will be feeding my version to my grandchildren one day.  

It is fast and easy and in fact, my husband is usually the one to make it!

If you haven't tried this recipe already, give it a try.  I promise you won't be disappointed...unless you use vanilla flavored Rice Krispies.  
 
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets*, feeds 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup olive oil (+ extra on hand if you run out)
• 3-4 cups gluten free Rice Krispies, crushed**
• 3 tbsp of gluten free flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
3. Crush rice krispies (by hand or with food processor) and add flour.  Put in bowl and set aside.
4. Cut defrosted chicken into chunks/strips and put on plate.
5. Pour olive oil in a bowl
6. Begin an assembly line until all of the chicken has been used   

• dip chicken in olive oil
• dip chicken in Rice Krispie mixture
• put on pan  

    7. Sprinkle/drizzle any leftover krispies/oil over top.
    8. Bake in the oven until the meat is white in  the center (about 30 minutes).  Flip half way
      through.

Easy Peasy!

Notes: 
*Don't be fooled by the Gluten Free aspect.  A) they are still delicious...like actually and B) use regular Rice Krispies and white flour and you are able to have gluten.

** I keep a jar of crushed Rice Krispies on hand.  When it is low, I use my blender and make some more
  

My Brown Bananas finally have a use!

Banana Bread is a family favorite.  I still make my grandma's recipe for my husband, but for some reason I can't bring myself to adapt it...I think it is too sentimental or something.

Thankfully, after searching and having many 'uhh, this isn't the same as my grandma's' moments I have found one that was good.  

 source

This recipe originally came from the Babycakes Cookbook, then shared by the foodie at the Whipped blog.  Both great resources!

 You can find the recipe HERE

Notes:
- This recipe is vegan, dairy free, and gluten free.
- I made mine into muffins.  The recipe made 12 regular sized and about 8 mini muffins, perfect for breakfasts and snacks

Ice Cream without the Bloating

A long time ago I realized that I may never be able to enjoy a cold bowl of delicious ice cream again.  Yeah, sure there is coconut ice cream and soy ice cream, which aren't too bad, but let's face it, they just aren't the same.

However I have been pleasantly surprised lately and I have eaten a fair amount of ice cream.  Specifically, ice cream that was really good, and not made of coconut or soy!

One of these surprises came when someone bought me some gluten and lactose free ice cream:

I think they have a couple of flavors in most grocery stores

I am usually pretty hesitant to buy items like this just in case it turns out to be gross.  But let me tell you, the Butter Pecan flavor I had was quite good.  It is full of cream, but whatever Chapman's did to take the lactose out, it worked for me - I didn't even bloat!  So as long as you are only lactose intolerant, and not allergic to (or avoiding) dairy, this may be an option for you.

There is also another way I have enjoyed ice cream.  Have you ever been to Menchie's?

I heard about Menchie's from a co-worker, so I brought my ice cream loving husband there for a date. 

source

I went with some tea to drink, vowing not to 'cheat' and planning to just enjoy watching Dan eat his ice cream.  This all changed when I learned that they have two gluten free and dairy free sorbets, along with a number of gluten free options (for those that can have dairy but not gluten).  I believe they have vegan options too.  So if you can't have eggs, this may be for you too!

I tried my hardest not to fill my whole cup with Strawberry Sorbet swirled with Triple Berry Sorbet. I then chose from the numerous toppings, trying my best to stick to the ones that I could eat (though I think I may have cheated a little). It turned out pretty good!

I don't know where you live, but Menchie's seems to be all over the world, so check out their website for the one closest to you.  And perhaps you can once again share some ice cream with a loved one.

Good Eating Starts with Good Ideas: Appies

Merry Christmas! 

I am about to start a two-week stint off of work (joys of working in a school!) and I have been thinking about appetizers.

Tomorrow I am going to take some time to plan some 'allergy friendly' Christmas Appetizers for part of our pre-Christmas feast, but I have been doing some research on Pinterest for many weeks. 

I myself haven't tried most of these, but here are the links of the ideas that have caught my eye.  If you try them, I'd love to hear how they turned out.   Some of these contain dairy & wheat but my plan is to use my favorite replacement ingredients , and I should be good to go.  

 

 

Beet Hummus

Curried Carrot Dip

Gluten Free Chips/Crackers- I bought mine at Costco

Hummus & Avocado Toasts

Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Fries

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Cucumber Bites

Bite Sized Greek Salad

Bacon Wrapped Caramelized Sesame Seed Asparagus

Lemon Goat-Cheese Dip

Grilled Zucchini Pizza Bites

 

Top 5 Ingredients I love!

People are frequently wanting to know replacements that I use and where I find them.  
Here is a list of my top 5 favorite and most used ingredients that allow me to eat like everyone else.

#5. Daiya meant that I can eat pizza again! Use it to replace cheese on pasta, pizza, nachos, I use:

Daiya Cheese

*You can buy Daiya at Save-on, Superstore, or any specialty food Stores

  

 #4. To replace butter and margarine in baking and cooking, I use: 

Earth Balance Vegan Spread

*You can buy Earth Balance anywhere, though I prefer to buy the large container at
Community Food Co-op in Bellingham, it's cheaper.

#3. I have tried a few different brands of Gluten Free bread, this one is by far my favorite. 

Udi's Gluten Free Bread & Buns

*You can buy it at most stores, but I like to get mine on sale or at Trader Joe's and freeze it

#2. I could live without coconut oil, but I don't want to.  I get mine at Trader Joe's, but it is sold in a lot of places.

I use it for all sorts of things: replacement for oil and butter in baking & cooking, spread on my bread and as a nightly face moisturizer.

Coconut Oil

* I came across this great post today on 52 uses for coconut Oil. 
Check it out here

#1. Quinoa.  I could not eat without Quinoa.  I eat it as is, as pasta and as flour.

Quinoa Flour, Quinoa, & Quinoa Pasta

* I buy the flour and pasta at Community Food Co-op and the bag of quinoa at Costco (4lbs for $9!).



I hope these ingredients can be as helpful in your kitchen as they are mine.  

Sugar Cookies You'll Love!

Lately, my family members have been giving me Gluten Free Magazines for presents.  This is a really good thing because they are informative and inspiring.

This one inspired me to make cookies

This issue of Gluten Free Living had a great gluten free sugar cookie recipe in it.  I couldn't believe how easy the dough was to work with, how well they froze, and how delicious they were.

To cap off my Christmas Baking, and maybe yours too, here is the recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Sugar Cookies.  I will definitely make these again!

Sugar Cookies by Jacqueline Mallorca (with my adaptations*)
(gluten free & dairy free)

1. In medium bowl, mix together:

• 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
• 1 1/2 cups potato starch
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda

2. In large bowl, beat together:

• 1 cup softened non-dairy butter (earth balance*)
• 1 cup white sugar (organic cane sugar*)

3. When butter and sugar are light and fluffy, add:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

4. Beat at medium speed for about 4 minutes.  

5. Then separate into two chunks, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Meanwhile, do something relaxing: drink some tea, watch a movie, make the icing, walk your dog...

 

6. After 2 hours, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

7. Roll dough in some icing sugar then roll out in between two pieces of saran wrap.  

8. Cut cookies out using your favorite shapes and carefully transfer onto cookie sheet.  

9. When cookie sheet is full, bake for 9 minutes then let cool.

Mine weren't perfect...but the icing covered and you would never know!!

 
Sugar Cookie Icing from Dominosugar.com

• 4 cups Icing Sugar (Trader Joe's Organic Icing Sugar)
• 1/2 cup shortening (Earth Balance)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla (or any other flavoring you wish)
• Food Coloring (optional)   

Mix together, adding extra water if too dry.  Add color as desired and decorate to your heart's content.  

Pancake Day!

I have always loved pancakes.  When I was a kid I loved it when my school would have pancake day- it meant pancakes for lunch AND for dinner!

In my young adult years, I would mix up the typical boxed pancake mix, put it in a small pan covered in melted butter and smother it in syrup.  

I was pretty bummed when I stopped eating wheat- that meant no more pancakes!

But then I figured out how I can eat pancakes again!

I have tried a variety of gluten free pancake recipes and after a lot of experimenting I found one that is versatile and delicious!

I didn't find this one on the internet, or in a cookbook, but on the side of a Trader Joe's bag of flour.  After substituting for 'allergy friendly' ingredients and playing around a whole lot, I have found a good replacement for my old love.  And now, my pancake addiction continues.

Crispy Pancakes 
(gluten & wheat free, & easily dairy free too)
Makes about 12 pancakes

In a large bowl, mix together:

• 1 cup gluten free flour mix (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp sugar (or try agave/honey/maple syrup)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add:

• 1 1/4 (dairy free) milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil (or olive/canola oil or  melted butter)-optional
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional) 

I used coconut oil this time

1. Heat skillet over medium-low heat and melt butter or coconut oil.

2. Once the butter is melted, scoop batter with a 1/4 cup measure and let cook until bubbles form on top and it seems firm enough to flip.

3. Do the same of the other side and serve warm or cool on cookie rack and freeze for a quick breakfast.

Note: I make this recipe a lot. Sometimes they turn out light and fluffy and sometimes more like honey crullers.  So if they don't turn out great the first time, try again.

Variations

Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to batter

Use Agave for sweetening and use as a topping

Add 2 tsp of cinnamon to batter

The options are are limitless!  What do you add to your pancakes?

Perfect Party Treat: Chocolate Mint Brownies

This time of year can cause me to have pity parties.  Not because I don't have a lot, or because I can't travel during the holidays- but because I can't enjoy the Christmas treats that are so popular this time of year.

So this year, I decided to do something about it.  It was time to learn how to make some delicious Christmas goodies that people couldn't even guess that were allergy friendly.  

Dairy, Egg, Wheat & Gluten Free- can you believe it???

And it worked!  Today I brought these mint brownies to work and they were gone in no time. Staff enjoyed them, but even more importantly- the kid approved of them too!

So today, I share with you my newest, delicious, allergy friendly creation.  

This recipe was inspired by an amazing brownie recipe that I discovered through Camp Homewood and a mint icing I found on this website.  

I substituted for allergy friendly ingredients, put them all together, froze and voila- a delicious Christmas treat I can bring to all sorts of parties!

  Chocolate Mint Brownies- 9 x 13 pan
(gluten, egg, wheat, & dairy free)

Part 1: BROWNIE LAYER

Ingredients:

• Flax Gel (1 cup hot water + 5 tbsp ground flax seed) *
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil or melted margarine/butter 
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 3/4 white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose gluten free flour **
• 1 tsp xanthan gum **
  

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Boil water in kettle*

3. Line cake pan with parchment paper

4. Mix 1 cup boiled water with ground flax seed*
5. In large pot heat oil/melt margarine over medium-low heat

6. Take off heat and add cocoa, whisking until smooth

7. Add sugar, baking powder and salt to pot and stir

8. Stir in flax gel*

9. Sprinkle flour and xanthan gum over chocolate mixture and stir in with spatula, being careful to not over mix.

10. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 25- 30 minutes.

11. Take out of oven and allow to cool for about an hour before spreading on 
      mint layer.
  
Tip: Brownies will appear gooey and undone after 30 minutes, but take them out anyways.  I cooked mine for 40 minutes and they were really crunchy instead of the chewy brownie they are intended to be.

 Alternative Ingredients:
* if you prefer to use eggs, replace the flax gel with 5 eggs.  First add 3 eggs to cooled chocolate mixture in step 8, then add the remaining 2.  I have not tried this, so you will let me know if you had to adjust the cooking time.

** if you prefer to use regular flour, replace the Gluten Free Flour with white flour and omit the xanthan gum. 


Part 2: Mint Layer

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup non-dairy butter, softened (or regular margarine or butter if you wish)
• 3 TBSP non-dairy milk (rice, almond, quinoa, soya)
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• green or red food coloring (until you reach your desired colour)

Steps:

1. Mix above ingredients and spread on cooled 
    brownie.  

2. Put in fridge for 20 minutes to set icing.  That 
   means you have time to take a water break and  
   catch up on dishes before you prepare your 
   chocolate layer.



Part 3: Chocolate Topping

Ingredients:
- 2/3 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
-  1/4 cup dairy-free butter 

Steps:1. In small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate together over low heat

2. Spread over mint layer and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

These are delicious and freeze well!  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Move over Pumpkin Pie. Here comes a Maple Pecan Pie that we all can enjoy!

I have two brothers.  My younger brother is a talented writer/editor and my older one is a gifted chef.  Every year the chef treats our family to an amazing dinner to celebrate the fall birthdays.

 

Not only was the gourmet food to die for, but so was the view

This past weekend he had us over to his Vancouver apartment and treated us to three memorable courses:

Root Vegetable Inspired Appetizers

Mediterranean Themed Main Course

Maple Flavoured Desserts

Is your mouth watering yet?  Trust me, it should be.  And the best part is that he made it all allergy friendly, so I could truly enjoy these masterpieces. 

Here is a breakdown for those of you curious of what each course entailed:

• Appetizers: Root Vegetable Soup; Yellow Beet Hummus with a variety of Root Vegetable Chips; and a Beet Panna Cotta with Pickled Carrots, Diakon and Turnips.

• Main Course:  Stuffed Chicken over top of Puttanesca; Lamb Meatballs with a Mint Yogurt; an Empanada stuffed with Ratatouille topped with some delicious yellow sauce; Rice Pilaf; Lemon Roasted Potatoes; and Maple Glazed Carrots

• Dessert: Unset Vegan Maple Fudge underneath a Maple Pecan Pie with a Gluten Free Crust topped with Maple Bacon Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I happened to arrive when he was preparing the Maple Pecan Pie...and it quickly became my favorite.  Made on a gluten free crust made it enjoyable for both me and the 'regular eating' guests.

So today, I share with you the recipe from Post Punk Kitchen and the little extra's he added to make it special (you will find those in a bolded green).  I will share the basics, for more details be sure to visit the link.


Chocolate Maple Pecan Pie/Tarts
 
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (goat butter) 
6 oz extra firm silken tofu (1/2 of a tetra pack)
1/4 cup cold unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (Quinoa Milk)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves  
1/2 a bag of vegan chocolate chips

Note: Leftover filling can be used for ice cream topping, or if you are like me, you can eat it by the spoonful. 

Melt together sugars and maple syrup to make a caramel.  Add goat butter the take off heat.

In a blender mix tofu, cornstarch and non-dairy milk

Add tofu mixture, vanilla and pecans to caramel mixture

Optional: add chocolate chips and stir

Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

The finished product!

 
What a great night and a great menu! The good news is that he caters! and is a great teacher- I have learned so much and I am thankful that he taught me that just because you have limitations on your diet doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a delicious, gourmet meal.  Be adventurous, or else you may never find out that yellow beets make a great hummus!