So, since having my son, I have become much more cognizant of what I put in my body because, well frankly, I'm not gonna put just anything in his. So, I've been doing more shopping at farmer's markets, health food stores, such as Good Health Natural Foods, and Whole Foods Market. I recently took a friend to Good Health to see how awesome their selection is, and we happened upon ginger carrot soup, and I remembered making it a long time ago, but set out to perfect my recipe. I am done, and here it is:
Ginger Carrot Soup (of course, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic (or 4 cloves, crushed)
2 pounds peeled chopped organic carrots
5 generous tablespoons minced fresh organic ginger root.
4 cups vegetable stock
*I make my own with 36 ounces water, an onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 3 or 4 tablespoons tomato paste and salt and pepper and I let it cook in the crock pot for 10 hours or so, and then strain out the veggies but store bought is ok too*
2 cups Silk Pure Almondmilk, unsweetened
Heat oil in a skillet and add onion and garlic. Saute til both are cooked but not burned. Add carrots and saute only til they are coated with the oil, then transfer all of this, plus the ginger to a soup pot along with the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down to the minimum setting. Leave to simmer until carrots are tender, about an hour. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Place in a food processor on the puree setting in stages until all of the soup is pureed. Return to soup pot and add almondmilk. Simmer for another 15 minutes, and serve hot.
*I ate it all too fast to take a picture... Next time I eat it, I'll be sure to get out the camera before I get out my spoon :)
Enjoy!!
Monday, June 13, 2011
The best cupcakes I can eat...
Ok.... So Delina wanted to make cupcakes yesterday. This is my take on the recipes I searched through yesterday, and guess what?! First time ever making gluten free cupcakes was a huge success. They were DELICIOUS. I even let her pick out some food dye free sprinkles, because food dyes drive me insane!!! Here is what we did!! Enjoy!!
Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free Vanilla Cupcakes
2 tablespoons canola oil
Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free Vanilla Cupcakes2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour
1/4 tsp non iodized sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup Silk Pure Almondmilk, unsweetened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Position rack in centre of oven. Grease cupcake pan with canola oil and set aside. Add sugar and eggs to large bowl mix thoroughly, until fluffy. Add flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in centre of oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until centre springs back when touched and cupcakes are very lightly browned (bake about 35 minutes for nine-inch round, 40 minutes for eight-inch round). Cool on rack for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan onto rack and cool completely before icing.
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour
1/4 tsp non iodized sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup Silk Pure Almondmilk, unsweetened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Position rack in centre of oven. Grease cupcake pan with canola oil and set aside. Add sugar and eggs to large bowl mix thoroughly, until fluffy. Add flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in centre of oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until centre springs back when touched and cupcakes are very lightly browned (bake about 35 minutes for nine-inch round, 40 minutes for eight-inch round). Cool on rack for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan onto rack and cool completely before icing.
Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free frosting
6 tablespoons Earth's Balance Soy free spread
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Top with India Tree Sparkling Sugar. Because I HATE FOOD DYES :)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
More things I've figured out since going gluten-free...
Let me start by saying, it's never fun to see your baby suffer. Anthony has been having a tough time digesting things and getting lots of eczema since his first week of life. Because I'm breastfeeding, this meant I had to alter my diet. We thought it was all dairy. Maybe soy. But I was having trouble sticking to a completely soy and dairy free diet, and being not completely convinced that was what was causing the issues, I wasn't very strict about it. We visited Children's Hospital Boston a week ago to see an allergy doctor and it was there we got some answers. Before the test, the doctor suggested I switch to formula so that I can stop stressing about my diet. Gosh, he doesn't know how much work we put in to get this far did he. THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN.... I hadn't even thought of that as an option... I decided I'd alter my diet, no matter what it took.
In the office Anthony tested positive for an allergy to soy and WHEAT! Wheat??? I had NO idea. And negative for both casein and milk, or so I thought. A couple hours later, I learned the truth. Anthony is allergic to milk, highly so, but the reaction is a bit delayed. Therefore, it's more dangerous because it could come on hours, or even days after he consumes something he's allergic to. He will be retested for milk and casein in July just to be sure. So on my way home from this appointment, I went shopping and bought gluten free stuff to get be started. His rash literally cleared up in 2 or 3 days, and I only used the medication for his face 2 or 3 times. Tuesday, 4 days after the test, I worked and he drank some milk that had been pumped before the change. And his rash came back.... Poor boy. Well, at least we know. And at least now they have some great stuff out there. Here is what I've learned so far!
Gluten free flour, by Bob's Red Mill is amazing stuff. Whoever invented this is an amazing person, truth be told. I made cookies today, substituting this flour for all purpose flour and the cookies are amazing. They taste the same as the original. All you need to do is add a touch of xanthan gum to get the cookies to have the same texture and stick right, and voila.... You can't even tell the difference...
Another thing I've found is Udi Breads. Delicious. Enjoy Life Foods makes the best cookies. Free from the 8 most common allergens. And Ener-G gluten free low protein and dairy free pretzels are sooo good. Earth's Balance Dairy Free Spreads have rocked my world!!! All this, paired with the fact that Anthony's rash has gotten 100 times better since starting gluten free, makes it all worth it.
Here is a recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry cookies that are free of gluten, soy and dairy.
1 cup Earth's Balance Soy free spread
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups gluten free oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1. Combine spread, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a bowl, mix til creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients except oats and berries.
3. Slowly add dry mixture to sugar mixture until well blended.
4. Slowly stir in oats, then cranberries.
5. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes.
And another recipe... This time for something to go on your bread :)
Fried Bean Burger
1/2 fresh onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 can red (or kidney) beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt
cracked fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice, dash hot sauce, rice flour ,more olive oil
1. Sautee Chopped fresh onion and minced garlic with oil in a regular sized saute pan, stirring often until onion is cooked through. Do not allow them to burn. Set aside to cool.
2. Open cans of beans, and strain well. Place into food processor and add onion and garlic. Puree. You can do a portion at a time, or all at once and mix frequently. The beans will cling to the blade, so make sure to mix often. I like to leave the mixture a bit chunky.
3. Once mixture is blended, form into patties and dust with gluten free flour.
4. Saute bean cakes in original pan used for onion and garlic, using enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the bean cakes cook for a couple of minutes on each side to form a crispy crust.
5. Let stand 5 minutes before eating.
(makes around 10 burgers)
In the office Anthony tested positive for an allergy to soy and WHEAT! Wheat??? I had NO idea. And negative for both casein and milk, or so I thought. A couple hours later, I learned the truth. Anthony is allergic to milk, highly so, but the reaction is a bit delayed. Therefore, it's more dangerous because it could come on hours, or even days after he consumes something he's allergic to. He will be retested for milk and casein in July just to be sure. So on my way home from this appointment, I went shopping and bought gluten free stuff to get be started. His rash literally cleared up in 2 or 3 days, and I only used the medication for his face 2 or 3 times. Tuesday, 4 days after the test, I worked and he drank some milk that had been pumped before the change. And his rash came back.... Poor boy. Well, at least we know. And at least now they have some great stuff out there. Here is what I've learned so far!
Gluten free flour, by Bob's Red Mill is amazing stuff. Whoever invented this is an amazing person, truth be told. I made cookies today, substituting this flour for all purpose flour and the cookies are amazing. They taste the same as the original. All you need to do is add a touch of xanthan gum to get the cookies to have the same texture and stick right, and voila.... You can't even tell the difference...
Another thing I've found is Udi Breads. Delicious. Enjoy Life Foods makes the best cookies. Free from the 8 most common allergens. And Ener-G gluten free low protein and dairy free pretzels are sooo good. Earth's Balance Dairy Free Spreads have rocked my world!!! All this, paired with the fact that Anthony's rash has gotten 100 times better since starting gluten free, makes it all worth it.
Here is a recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry cookies that are free of gluten, soy and dairy.
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups gluten free oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1. Combine spread, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a bowl, mix til creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients except oats and berries.
3. Slowly add dry mixture to sugar mixture until well blended.
4. Slowly stir in oats, then cranberries.
5. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes.
And another recipe... This time for something to go on your bread :)
Fried Bean Burger
1/2 fresh onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 can red (or kidney) beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt
cracked fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice, dash hot sauce, rice flour ,more olive oil
1. Sautee Chopped fresh onion and minced garlic with oil in a regular sized saute pan, stirring often until onion is cooked through. Do not allow them to burn. Set aside to cool.
2. Open cans of beans, and strain well. Place into food processor and add onion and garlic. Puree. You can do a portion at a time, or all at once and mix frequently. The beans will cling to the blade, so make sure to mix often. I like to leave the mixture a bit chunky.
3. Once mixture is blended, form into patties and dust with gluten free flour.
4. Saute bean cakes in original pan used for onion and garlic, using enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the bean cakes cook for a couple of minutes on each side to form a crispy crust.
5. Let stand 5 minutes before eating.
(makes around 10 burgers)
The shadiest chicken nuggets ever...
First things first. I hide veggies in food. There, I said it. I'm a sneak. I'm dishonest. I'm a shady shady woman. But kids need vegetables to get all the vitamins and minerals they need. They know that for some reason we really like it when they eat them. So they argue, but they have NO idea that they're doing themselves a disservice. And they do taste good... So, get mad if you want, but I'm not completely truthful with kids. But they'll understand when they get older, I promise :)
You should join me in being dishonest. It's fun. I'll tell you how.... Decide for yourself :)
1. Choose the vegetable you will hide based on how well the color of it will be hidden by the food you're adding it to. Like orange and yellow veggies hide well in mac and cheese because they are the color of the cheese... I like acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash to hide here because they disappear.
*I have an advantage, however. I have a baby who eats purees every day that I make myself. So because I roast, bake or steam the veggies and puree them, then put them in ice cube trays myself, I just add a few cubes of whatever veggie I'm hiding into something. I puree things pretty finely still for him, so there's not much extra work to be done. I will get into baby foods and combinations that work here later.
2. Make sure the flavors aren't too strong to completely change the flavor of what you're making. For instance, Brussels sprouts and asparagus aren't really good choices to hide.
3. Use organic veggies and meat whenever possible. Look at lists such as the "Dirty Dozen" amd "Clean Fifteen" put out by the EWG when deciding whether to choose Organic. http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
4. Don't get too excited they are eating things they always ate. They. will. know.
1 pound ground turkey (I use cage free, organic fed, sustainable farming, local turkey)
1 pound ground chicken (I use the same type of chicken, but I buy whole breasts and grind them myself, but you can have the butcher do it, if you want. It's cheaper and easier to find this way)
10-15 Organic baby carrots (shredded)
1 small to medium zucchini (shredded)
2 cups bread crumbs (in our house we use Gillian's gluten free bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs and oil.
Dip in bread crumbs by teaspoonful and flatten.
Place on cookie sheet greased with olive oil.
Coook for 10 minutes at 350, and flip.
Continue to cook til done, about 10 more minutes.
*I place them in a freezer bag in the freezer after they cool. Then when the kiddos want some, heat them for about a minute and a half in the microwave, or 8 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
You should join me in being dishonest. It's fun. I'll tell you how.... Decide for yourself :)
1. Choose the vegetable you will hide based on how well the color of it will be hidden by the food you're adding it to. Like orange and yellow veggies hide well in mac and cheese because they are the color of the cheese... I like acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash to hide here because they disappear.
*I have an advantage, however. I have a baby who eats purees every day that I make myself. So because I roast, bake or steam the veggies and puree them, then put them in ice cube trays myself, I just add a few cubes of whatever veggie I'm hiding into something. I puree things pretty finely still for him, so there's not much extra work to be done. I will get into baby foods and combinations that work here later.
2. Make sure the flavors aren't too strong to completely change the flavor of what you're making. For instance, Brussels sprouts and asparagus aren't really good choices to hide.
3. Use organic veggies and meat whenever possible. Look at lists such as the "Dirty Dozen" amd "Clean Fifteen" put out by the EWG when deciding whether to choose Organic. http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
4. Don't get too excited they are eating things they always ate. They. will. know.
Chicken/Turkey nuggets
1 pound ground turkey (I use cage free, organic fed, sustainable farming, local turkey)1 pound ground chicken (I use the same type of chicken, but I buy whole breasts and grind them myself, but you can have the butcher do it, if you want. It's cheaper and easier to find this way)
10-15 Organic baby carrots (shredded)
1 small to medium zucchini (shredded)
2 cups bread crumbs (in our house we use Gillian's gluten free bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs and oil.
Dip in bread crumbs by teaspoonful and flatten.
Place on cookie sheet greased with olive oil.
Coook for 10 minutes at 350, and flip.
Continue to cook til done, about 10 more minutes.
*I place them in a freezer bag in the freezer after they cool. Then when the kiddos want some, heat them for about a minute and a half in the microwave, or 8 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Secrets I've learned. Usually from mistakes I've made.
 |
| My kiddos |
 |
| Homemade chicken nuggets |
First, I have a habit of hiding veggies in anything Delina will eat. Zucchini and squash in chicken nuggets, carrots and sweet potatoes in mac and cheese, broccoli and spinach in meatballs and hamburgers and my favorite, any veggie I have in the house goes in my tomato sauce when we make homemade pizza. My food processor is my best friend. I'm not kidding. All these veggies can easily be hidden if they are pureed, and if you do it right, they won't even taste a difference.
 |
| Homemade Meatballs With Gluten free Pasta |
I also make all my own baby food. This is another reason I love my food processor. I will share secrets about this as well.
Last... cleaning supplies. I make them myself, or use green, if I can't make a better one myself. I will give you my thoughs on this... I also will definitely let you know when I find an awesome product you should know about!!!
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