Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Baking Without Butter

When baking without butter I've found Spectrum Organic Shortening will cover most of my bases.... with the exception of flavor! SO, in baking I usually double the vanilla (pure vanilla extract only my friends- check out costco) and add a dash more salt. 
In savory dishes I add that dash of salt and, if needed, a smidge more of the spices the recipe already calls for.  

My Favorite GF/Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies~Bars

I took photos of these delectable bars quite awhile ago, but enjoying them in their cookie form this morning has prompted me to actually write up the post :) This recipe is both gluten free and vegan as usual, but trust me, you wouldn't know it :)  
The original recipe came from http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ and I have slightly adapted it here.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies~Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup rice or sorghum flour (I strongly recommend sorghum)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 Tbs vanilla

1 Tbs honey or agave nectar

1 Tbs Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water or 2 eggs

2-5 Tbs vanilla rice or hemp milk, as needed

1- 1 1/2 cups allergen-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand found at health food stores, or parve choc chips from Roth's)

Whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda and sea salt in a big mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the Spectrum shortening, brown sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Add in the frothy egg replacer (or beaten eggs) and beat to combine.

Add in the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and beat to combine, until a dough forms, adding a tablespoon of vanilla milk at a time to achieve a sturdy, smooth dough. Add in the chocolate chips by hand. 

For Cookies:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop dough and form them into twenty or so balls; place them on the lined cookie sheet, about two inches apart. Press down on the dough balls ever so slightly, but keep a slightly mounded shape- not too flat.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes (I like to leave them fairly doughy :), until the cookies are firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 20 large cookies. The larger size bakes up better than smaller- crispy good on the outside and tender-chewy in the middle.

For Bars:

Line a 13x9 baking dish with foil, grease it. Spread prepared dough evenly into dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes (check it often towards the end- a lot of factors seem to influence baking time with these).

Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Prepare

Starting an allergy diet can be extremely stressful. As a wife and mom, this is never more true than when it comes to deciding whether to include your entire family on this venture, or continuing on as usual for the family at large and having (another) salad yourself.
My advice is, if you can afford it, make the switch for everyone at dinner time and with home-baked treats. This is the only way to eventually enjoy eating again. It will take awhile for you to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of your new diet, and to establish a tried and true tasty menu, so take the time to prepare.

Purchase an assortment of quick and easy meals for your non-allergy family members, and establish a "got-to" dish for yourself. That way on nights when the casserole tastes like putty, the bread didn't rise, your husband politely declines, and your child would rather die than try a bite, you have a stress-free back up plan. There will also, in all probability, be nights you don't feel up to hitting the cookstove again; for the first few weeks you will probably suffer food-withdrawals. Ending a life-long habit of wheat and dairy intake will take it's tole for a time.

Beginning my diet again this time around I hit Costco to pad my refrigerator/freezer with sure-fire winners. Frozen burritos and pizzas, summer sausage, cheese and crackers, bagels and cream cheese, and sandwich fixings, along with a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. Your family will survive a few nights of less-than-food-pyramid-standard meals.
My "go-to" meal is oriental chicken(turkey) salad. I keep portions of chopped cooked turkey in my freezer at all times (we can't have chicken). A quick trip to the microwave while I shred lettuce and crumble corn chips (sort of like chow mien noodles), and voila. Dinner. I love the sesame dressing by Feast from the East, also found at Costco (12-18 weeks out of the year) and is safe for almost any diet.

Most importantly, keep your sense of humor about you! Everyone embarking on a whole new way of cooking/eating is going to have some fantastic flops (i.e. my risotto with beet "tomato" sauce. No food has the right to ever be that shade of hot pink!) Keep at it, be flexible, browse your cookbooks. Better Homes and Gardens and Betty Crocker are both great resources. 99% of your headache comes from pre-packaged foods chalk-full of unnecessary additives. Scratch cookbooks provide base recipes to work from and are a lifeline. As are foods from certain ethnic groups; for my garlic and tomato intolerances, discovering Asian cooking has been a God-send.

Always remember, although allergy-eating is different and sometimes difficult, but it can be tasty as too!

Maple-Cinnamon Granola Bars

Ok, I know I say that everything that makes it on this blog has passed the non-allegy "hubby" test, but these are seriously beyond good. Like, make a batch for breakfast and have no desire to eat anything else all day kind of good. Like, your husband getting slightly annoyed that your son got two of the eight kind of good :) And did I mention they are good for you? High in protein and carbs, these guys really can be a guilt-free breakfast or snack for both kids and adults!

Maple-Cinnamon Granola Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup crisped brown rice cereal (I used Perky's- by Enjoy Life brand)
1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice or soy protein powder, nonfat powdered milk, or more flour blend
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (or nut-butter of your choice)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp real vanilla extract
2 Tbs canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Lightly oil an 8-incn square baking pan. In a large bowl mix oats, crisped rice, flour, brown sugar, protein powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl whisk nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and canola oil until smooth. Stir wet mixture into the dry, and if needed, use your hand to combine thoroughly.

Scrape mixture into the prepared pan, and use wet hands to pat it even. Bake for 20 minutes. Using a bench knife or stiff metal spatula, cut into eight bars by dividing it into 4 one way, the cutting in half the other direction. If you like soft granola bars, you are done. For crunchy, put the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes. The bars should be golden brown. Let cool completely (if you can; I couldn't!), then carefully cut the bars apart and separate them from the sides of the pan before removing. Store in a tightly closed container up to a week, or freeze for a month. A bit of a non-issue; around here they have never made it past 24 hours :)

My "Most Purpose" Flour Blends

There is no one gluten free flour or flour blend that replaces wheat perfectly in every recipe. That said, I have found I can "get away with" using this blend to convert most normal recipes to gluten free. I keep this on hand and use it in any dinner recipe calling for a small amount of flour for thickening, with great results. The outcome may not be all that I've dreamed of and more in baked goods, but they're edible and give me an idea of what to try on my next attempt.


For 5 Cups "Most Purpose" Flour Blend:
3 cups brown rice flour or sorghum flour (I prefer sorghum)
1 1/4 cups potato starch, corn starch, or tapioca starch (if using arrowroot powder below)
3/4 cups tapioca starch (if using potato or corn above), or arrowroot powder (if using tapioca above)
2 tsp xanthan gum or 1 Tbs guar gum (If using guar gum, sub in 1 1/2 times the amount of xanthan gum)


Another flour mix I am beginning to love can also be found, along with an amazingly helpful assortment of allergy baking tips, at http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/01/cooking-baking-gluten-free-tips-for.html. 


For 2 1/2 Cups Karina's Basic Gluten Free Flour Mix:
1 cup sorghum flour 

1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch

1/3 to 1/2 cup buckwheat flour or millet flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 1/2 tsp guar gum

I really encourage you to check out this link above if you are embarking on any kind of allergy cooking/baking. Her experience is literally tenfold mine, and her tips are incredibly useful. 

Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Dinner and a Tasty Soy Sauce Sub

My tip today is something I am just discovering myself. It is better to work with your allergies, than to attempt to replicate those foods you now must go without.
My particular set of allergies denies me my favorite ethnic food- Italian. There's not much from Italy without garlic, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. For a long time I have experimented with all sorts of unnatural "food" combinations (for those wondering: although you can safely consume it, I do not consider nutritional yeast flakes "food"), but it just isn't happening. Fake cheese will never be real cheese, and "tomato" sauce made from beets.... 'nuff said.

My body can, on the other hand, tolerate many foods indigenous to Asia. This is a whole new world of opportunity for me, as up until a few months ago "Chinese food" was synonymous with "take-out". My only real barrier was soy sauce. Although I have subbed salt water in various recipes with moderate success, I was elated the day my browsing the isles of Life Source (our local health food store) introduced me to "Coconut Aminos; Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce", stocked just below the real soy sauce.
I took it home, tried it, and we all lived happily ever after... except Westly, who is in fact allergic to coconuts.  Hmmm. Well, for now, good thing he's two and has no idea I'm slipping flavor into my food when he's not looking :) Enjoy!

Mongolian Grill Style Stir Fry

This is probably my favorite "everything-free" meal to date. It is also versatile; very easy to customize for your taste and allergy needs. The sauce/seasoning amounts given are really just to give you an idea of ratio. I go by taste as I'm cooking, and generally at least double the amounts given.

Mongolian Grill Style Stir Fry

Ingredients:
2 8oz boxes spaghetti style rice pasta
1+ cups carne asada beef, cut across grain into strips about 2 in. long
1 1/2 cups veggie of choice (I usually do broccoli)
1+ Tbs cooking oil
2 teaspoons ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced (or leave out and double the ginger)
1 medium onion (leave out if you need to)
1 red sweet pepper, cut into 1 in pieces (leave out if you need to)
1 1/2 cups veggie of choice (I usually do sugar snap peas; cut off woody ends)
1+ cups frozen peas and carrots, or just sweet peas
1+ Tbs sesame seeds
2+ Tbs soy sauce (or Raw Coconut Aminos soy sauce alternative, or salt water)
2+ Tbs cooking sherry
2+ Tbs rice vinegar
1+ Tbs packed brown sugar
1+ tsp sesame oil (toasted sesame oil if your diet allows)
sugar water to taste
salt water to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente. Rinse well with cold water, set aside.

Meanwhile, in a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic (if using); cook and stir 15 seconds. Add meat, cook until about half done. Add broccoli (or your choice), onion and sweet pepper (if using); cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas, frozen peas and carrots, and sesame seeds; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Add noodles, soy sauce (or alternative), rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil to mixture. Taste test. I usually double the sauce amounts given, and add in about a tablespoon each of salt and sugar water, and extra sesame seeds. Cook and stir until mixture appears glazed and taste is to your liking.

Hamburger Buns

 I ate a burger on a bun the other day for the first time in months. Don't get me wrong, "lettuce burgers" are good, but these buns were great. Like, amazingly delicious kind of great :)
And, surprisingly, not very hard to make.
Since first posting this recipe, I have felt that the buns from the original recipe were much too much bread. I made smaller, flatter buns recently, and the "bun to burger" ratio was perfect!

Hamburger Buns
Ingredients:
1 bag (3-1/2 cups) Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix
1 yeast packet (2 1/4 tsp.)
2 large eggs or egg replacer of your choice (I use Ener-G egg replacer powder)
1/4 cup oil 
warm water (per directions)
Now, on Pamela's website they give step by step instructions for how to make your own rings to shape the buns "properly" http://www.pamelasproducts.com/recipes/printrecipes/printhamburgerbun.html. I heartily disagree. I used a cookie sheet with parchment paper with GREAT results.


Use a heavy duty stand mixer with whisk attachment (not bread hooks), or start this off in your bread machine and remove once it has finished mixing.  In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, measure oil, crack in eggs, and fill with warm water for a total of 2 cups of liquid. Add to dry mix and yeast, and beat with  mixer for three minutes on med/high.


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Plop the spoonfuls right onto your baking sheet and shape just slightly with wet fingers.  I make 10-12 large, flat buns from the regular Pamela's bread dough. Brush the tops of the buns with water (if needed) and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Let dough rest for 1 hour.


Cover the tops with foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350º. When finished baking set buns on a rack to cool. Slice down the middle and serve.

I think this recipe would make amazing crusty rolls for the holidays as well. Make 12 rolls instead of 6 and lower the temperature, as well as the baking time a bit. Maybe 20 minutes at 300º? If someone tries it let me know!!!

Taco Seasoning

Most seasoning packets contain soy or dextrose so I long ago began making my own. This recipe is delicious as is, but since I can't have garlic or onions I simply leave them out. Still great!!! I use wayfare sour cream in meals with this recipe. It is both soy and dairy free.

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

1 Tbs red chili pepper powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 lb ground beef or turkey

Mix seasonings in a small bowl and add in 2/3 cups water. 

Brown and crumble meat in a large skillet until thoroughly cooked. Stir seasoning mix to prevent bottom sludge and pour over browned meat, mixing well. Bring to a boil and turn heat low to simmer until water  cooked off. 

 Serve with nachos, burritos, taco salad (with corn (or potato) chips and sour cream- yum!) or in recipes calling for taco seasoning, along with your favorite toppings.

Recipe= 1 packet taco seasoning

Tip!!! If serving young children or someone who prefers very mild seasonings, you can "rinse" the finished product in warm water. The meat retains yummy mexican flavor without the zing!

Good Morning Fall ~ Pumpkin Pancakes

Based on a post from my other blog.......

Time: 6:30am

Setting: Husband- out with guys for breakfast and disc golf; child #1- waking up to Monster's Inc.; child #2- sleeping in

...she pulls back a curtain covering the large front window and takes in the beauty of a rainy October morning in Oregon... 

...and is inspired. 

"Pumpkin waffles. Today's the day." 

Fortunately, she's been obsessively pursuing her favorite foodie blog, http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com, and yesterday found just such a recipe. Yum. Pulling out the dozens of necessary ingredients for successful "everything-free" baking, she fights back dark memories of foiled attempts at gluten-free waffles past. This time will be different....

Twenty minutes later she may or may not have broken another waffle maker.  

"Bother."

Not to be deterred by failure, or long distracted by the cute confusion of her son mistaking the baby's denim skirt for a pair of shorts....

...she adds a bit more water to the mix and resurrects pumpkin pancakes from the (literal) ashes of failed waffles. Ohhh- Perfection. 

Rainy morning, Peet's Coffee, pumpkin pancakes, and maple syrup. Does October get any cozier? I submit that it does not.

Good morning fall.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Whisk together your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl:

1 cup sorghum flour or certified gluten-free oat flour
1 cup organic buckwheat flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder (Featherlight brand is corn-free)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Add in your wet ingredients:

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
4 tablespoons oil
4 to 6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs or Ener-G Egg Replacer
2 cups hemp, almond, rice or dairy milk, as needed- start with less

1 1/2 to 2 cups water as needed- start with less

Oil skillet slightly. Beat the wet into the dry ingredients to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups water to make a thick cakey pancake; cook these on low heat for longer. Up to 2 cups for flatter pancakes; cook these on medium heat. These bubble on top and cook up like "normal" pancakes. Keep a close eye on them and adjust time for pancakes to your preference. 

Serve with real maple syrup. Yum!!!

This recipe was adapted from a waffle recipe that failed- so it makes A LOT of pancakes. Extras keep nicely in the freezer.

My Favorite GF Sandwich Bread

Today's recipe may be more of a pointer, but it's a good one :) I am in love with Pamela's Amazing Gluten-Free Bread Mix. 

I purchase this mix in bulk at my local health food store. The ingredients are generally safe for all diets: sorghum flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, organic natural evaporated cane sugar, chicory root, white rice flour, millet flour, honey & molasses, rice bran, sea salt, and xanthan gum. For more information, including baking directions for both oven and bread-maker, check out Pamela's web site: http://www.pamelasproducts.com 

This loaf was baked in my bread machine. I highly recommend investing in one of these if you are embarking on a gluten-free lifestyle (buying new is important to avoid contamination from prior loaves containing gluten). I used Ener-G egg replacer powder in the place of eggs, and one ounce less than water than the recipe calls for. The bread turned out soft and springy with a delightful crispness to the crust, and sooo tasty warm. The perfect sandwich bread. I have tried many, many recipes. Nothing can touch this mix. 

Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Pasta

Rice pasta doesn't have to be mushy!

Always cook rice pasta in as much boiling water as your pot can safely handle, never add pasta to water before it reaches a full boil, and always rinse well in cold water. I favor DeBoles for spaghetti style pasta, but they aren't paying me to say that so I'll admit I use Tinkyada pasta shells for everything else. 

Veggie Bacon Pasta Toss

Let me introduce you to...............my lunch.

No, I did not drug my children to sleep in order to spend some time in the kitchen. I didn't even plop them in front of a movie. That's right. I'm talking leftovers. When you must personally prepare from scratch every last bite that passes through your jaws, take your breaks where you can get them!

I threw this together last night for dinner. It was delicious then (scored a thumbs up with my hubby) and I'm pleased to say it was just as good the second time around. This is a very flexible dish. If my veggies are off limits or not to your taste, replace them with your own. Add chopped chicken or turkey if your diet allows. I wouldn't ditch the bacon though- it is the heart and soul of this butter-less meal. For company I'd pair it with a side salad and some crusty bread (GF or otherwise). We enjoyed it a la carte- it hits the major food groups, right?

Veggie Bacon Pasta Toss

Ingredients:

2 8oz packages of gluten free spaghetti (I prefer DeBoles rice pasta to Tinkyada- it never gets mushy)

6-8 bacon strips, chopped small (Use bacon free of dairy and corn derivatives.  I used Fred Meyer brand thick cuts. Read labels, most grocers carry at least one brand)

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet green peas

~1 tsp dried parsley

Extra-light olive oil to drizzle

Salt and pepper to taste (this sometimes means a lot :)

Get your water boiling for the noodles. Use lots of water, I'm talking as much as your biggest pot will hold, and do not put the pasta in before it reaches a full boil. Cook according to package directions, always rinsing well with COLD water. 

In a medium skillet, begin frying bacon. Do NOT drain grease. When bacon is most of the way cooked throw in mushrooms, zucchini, and parsley. Stir fry for one minute before adding frozen peas. When peas are thawed season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Toss gently, but thoroughly with cooked and rinsed pasta. Drizzle with oil until pasta is lightly coated, and less sticky. 

You may need to zap the finished product in the microwave, as noodles will be cold. This is allergy land-  we do what we must. 

Under Construciton

Hi there! 
I'm a Christian wife and mother of two beautiful babies, (hopefully only) the elder of which inherited a lovely list of food allergies from... you guessed it, me. 
In order to stay healthy, happy, and sane I avoid:
Almonds
Bananas
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Celery
Chicken
Eggs
Garlic
Hazelnuts
Melon
Green Peppers
Dairy
Onions
Oranges
Peanuts
Pears
Soybeans
Strawberries
Tomatoes
White Beans
Potatoes
and Wheat


I help my little buddy stay free of:
banana
barley
chicken
corn
dairy
eggs
nuts (anaphylactic to these)
oats
soybeans
strawberries
and wheat


No easy task, let me tell you! Chances are, we've got what you've got (with the exception of rice, but if that's you hop on board! I do most of my baking free of rice flour because I think it's yucky :)  
In starting this blog I'm hoping to create the resource I wish I'd had, and make some other allergy mommy's life a bit easier. 
This blog is currently in the making. Please check in again soon!
Ashley