Pumpkin Bread!! Gluten & Dairy Free, BED, SCD!

Tags

almonds, breakfast, carrots, eggs, GF Bread, GF dessert, gluten free, grain free, pumpkin, SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, stevia, vegan

It’s almost 2013! How exciting!

cooking up a storm on Christmas!

As promised, tonight I’m sending you a brand-spankin’ new recipe….PUMPKIN BREAD!!

mmm mmm mmm!

OK…truth time…it’s not really made with pumpkin….but it tastes EXACTLY like pumpkin. In fact, I fooled everyone in my family, and only told them after they demolished the entire loaf! What is it made with? Give you one guess…and if you know me, you probably already know…it’s why I’m turning orange…literally…..CARROTS!!

wait a second…there are carrots in there?!

Yep, it’s made with carrots! And no one can tell the difference!

saved you a slice!

And it’s Gluten and Dairy free, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet friendly! And it also has a Vegan Option!

the almond flour keeps it from sticking to the sides!

Here’s what you need:

2 1/2 cups carrots, diced and steamed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cashews
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 droppers-full of pure liquid stevia extract (SCD use 3 tsp honey)

This could not be simpler. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your small loaf pan (4″x 8″) by spraying with olive oil and then coating it with almond flour.

First, steam your carrots until tender-about 7 minutes. Take them out, and let cool for about 3 minutes. Then, place them in your food processor along with your cashews, spices, sweetener, and vanilla. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides several times. Then, add in your egg whites or flax/chia eggs. Process for a few seconds. Then, add in your almond flour and process until combined. Pour into your loaf pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

finally….SCD BREAD!!!

This. Bread. Oh my gosh where to begin!! It was SO INCREDIBLE! Every Christmas, my mom always makes her famous pumpkin bread, which I can no longer eat. So I was determined to have some Happy Tummy Approved pumpkin bread to enjoy too! And let me tell you, this. was. it!

gluten and grain free!

Everyone in my family gobbled it up! They LOVED it! The texture was moist and amazing. Not crumbly or cakey at all, like many gluten free baked goods. And it was wonderfully sweet – not extremely sweet, but juuuust right:)

get in my belly!

The flavor was so warm and cozy, with the comforting cinnamon and the slightly spicy nutmeg and cloves. It tasted like the holidays.

I’m not going to lie, I had 2 1/2 pieces. It was THAT good. :) And the best part — you feel AMAZING after you eat it — there isn’t any sugar or butter or flour to make you feel sluggish and icky. Plus, it’ll get your picky eaters to eat a serving of carrots and not even know! Everyone had a good laugh when they found out my “secret ingredient!”

check out the beautiful stocking my mom needle-pointed! She’s amazing!

Plus, the almond flour provides a nutritional boost with lots of protein!

This is definitely becoming a new tradition for the holidays….and throughout the year!

What are some of your traditions during the holidays?

See ya tomorrow!

Here’s to you, Dad!

Tags

Body Ecology Diet, brown rice, carrots, cashews, chinese, chocolate, cilantro, corn, cucumber, edamame, father's day, GF Bread, GF cookies, gluten free, Maker's Diet, mango, Meringue, mexican, pasta, peanut butter, peas, pesto, pizza, potatoes, quinoa, recipe round up, red pepper, vegan

I have a great dad. He’s my best friend.

I love how there’s a day dedicated to showering love on the man who taught you how to ride a bike and play catch:)

But that’s not all he’s taught me. Here are the top 3 things I’ve learned from my dad:

1. The value of hard work. My dad is Mr. Problem Solver — the hardest worker. He recently retired from his job he had for over 30 years. Talk about dedication! He is loyal, dependable, and a man that gives 110%. He led by servant leadership, and empowering others.

2. Perturb to learn. That’s one of his sayings. Basically, you won’t know until you try. You’ve got to advocate for yourself.

3. What a loving marriage looks like. That may sound strange…but just hear me out. My parents have been married for 38 years. Isn’t that amazing! The way he treats and respects my mother is the most beautiful example of selfless love. I have learned through their example what a healthy, happy marriage is.

I have learned countless other lessons too — about faith, integrity, friendship, discipline, football (go Packers!), priorities, giving, and Porche Boxsters:)

So Happy Father’s Day Dad! Cheers to you!

So here are some of my dad’s favorite recipes! Breakfast, Dinner, or Dessert, there’s something for everyone!

They are ALL Gluten Free and Dairy Free. The majority are Vegan. MD = Maker’s Diet, BED = Body Ecology Diet

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (GF, MD)

Chinese Seared Ahi Tuna w/ Stir Fry (GF, MD)

Curry Apple Quinoa (GF, V, BED)

Fish Sticks – Baked! (GF, BED)

Cod w/ Mango Salsa (GF, MD)

Pesto Pizza (GF, BED)

Mexican Fiesta Salad (GF, V, BED)

Pad Thai (GF, V, MD)

Potato Gratin w/ Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce (GF, V, BED) – His #1 Favorite Dinner!

Cincinnati Skyline Chili! (GF, V, MD)

Cashew Custard in Cinnamon Crunch Bowls (GF, V, BED) – His #1 Favorite Dessert!

Chocolate & Peanut Meringues (GF, MD)

Peanut Butter & Chocolate French Macaroons (GF, MD)

What are some things you learned from your dad? Do you have any special plans for Father’s Day?

Until tomorrow!

PS: kitchen experiment tonight = exciting post tomorrow! i can’t wait!! :D

Dessert First! GF Banana Bread & GF Falafel Burgers!

Tags

almond, bananas, breakfast, burger, chickpea, chocolate, cilantro, cucumber, dessert, eggs, GF Bread, gluten free, Maker's Diet, peanut, peanut butter, red pepper, tomatoes, vegan

Happy Thursday, happy tummies! This week is just scooting right along, and tomorrow is already Friday! Wow!

mm mm good!

So today, the glorious smell of banana bread wafted through our house all day! It was so wonderful…like being inside a Yankee Candle:) And what was even more wonderful? Eating the GF banana bread!

even better as a dessert:)

I’ve made GF banana bread before, which was pretty doggone amazing. You can check out my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread here. Yes…both peanut butter AND chocolate in banana bread. It was beyond decadent, and so good you couldn’t help but giggle. But this banana bread, I decided to make a little more traditionally — plus it has farm fresh eggs in it!

I’ve read enough banana bread recipes that I patched together my own GF version. So here we go!

1 cup GF AP flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 ripe bananas
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 whole egg + 1 egg white
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/8 cup maple sugar
1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients, and the chocolate chips, in a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, with a hand mixer, blend the bananas, vanilla, EVOO, milk, eggs, and sugars. You don’t want any lumps in the banana puree. Then, in 2 batches, add the dry to the wet, and stir to combine. Don’t over mix! Then pour batter into an olive-oil-sprayed bread pan and bake for 40 minutes, when a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

moist, delicious & gluten free!

So that was our dessert first! Next, dinner! I really, really am missing all my friends in NYC, so I decided to have a NYC-inspired meal! I remember having my 1st falafel with my friend T, on the Upper West Side, near Columbia. Falafel is King in NYC, with food trucks all over Manhattan serving up these delectable, deep-fried chickpea balls. Well, needless to say, I baked mine, and made them super yummy and tummy friendly!

yummy falafel burger!

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion
big handful cilantro
~1 Tbsp fresh parsley (or more if you love parsley, I don’t)
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 tsp EVOO
1 tsp cumin
big pinch of salt & pepper
2 Tbsp oat flour
1 egg

Put all those into a food processor and combine. Then, on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet, divide the “batter” into 4 patties. (Don’t try to shape them with your hands, it won’t work…I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup.) Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.  I finished them off on a frying pan (sprayed with olive oil), and they got a nice crust on them, but 3 of 4 broke when I went to flip. Try this at your own risk! :)

yummmm!

While your patties are baking, make your tahini sauce. Tahini is a middle eastern condiment, that is made of ground up sesame seeds. It’s sesame seed paste, but more “liquidy.” This sauce is AMAZING on the falafel, not so much on its own. Something fabulous happens to it when you pair it with the chickpeas. Trust me.

1 Tbsp Tahini
1 small grated garlic clove
1/2 tsp grated onion
1/2 tsp minced parsley
juice of 1 lemon
water to thin out…about 2 Tbsp
salt

Stir those all together. It won’t taste great on its own, but slathered on the burger, it is spectacular. I promise! PS, this doesn’t make very much– enough for 3-4.

bright and refreshing with the dill & cucumber!

With this burger, I served a fantastic, cool cucumber salad. This salad is actually meant to go in the burger when you eat it! You see, falafel is traditionally served in a pita, so the salad can nestle right inside the pocket. But, since my falafel was in burger form, I served the salad on the side.

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp red onion, minced
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Combine, chill, and enjoy!

fresh & crunchy salad!

I really enjoyed this meal. My dad liked it, but wanted more “meat.” But for my tastes, it was delicious. It had a fresh, middle eastern flare with the cilantro and the parsley. I love the combination of the nutty tahini sauce with the bright, creamy burger, and the cool, refreshing tomatoes and cucumber. Finally, there were great textures going on here. The temperature differences between the burger and the salad, and then the bright, crunchiness of the salad was just superb.

unbelievably fantastic! and low fat!

Back to dessert — there’s something so satisfying about banana bread. It’s “homey,” rich, moist, and in this case, chocolatey! What’s not to love?! And this recipe is low in fat and rich in flavor! Guilt-free!

Until tomorrow!

Gluten Free Bread Take 2!

Tags

dairy free, eggs, GF Bread, gluten free, Maker's Diet, olives

So here we are at the end of another day. Its easy sometimes to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we lose sight of what’s important, and forget what we have to be thankful for. Today, surrounded by my family in the beautiful outdoors, I was reminded how truly blessed I am to have a family that loves and supports one another. I am thankful for friends who care and love and accept you. Little blessings add up to big grace from above.

Now onto a recipe. Like I said, my mother and I have been trying to find a delicious gluten-free bread recipe. We found one that we thought would be amazing: an olive focaccia.

Let me preface this by saying that this bread was just okay.  It had a wonderful garlicky flavor, but the texture was lacking.  It was a BEAUTIFUL loaf of bread. But, it wasn’t the crusty, airy, chewiness that we were hoping for. That being said, we ate all the way around the outside where it was crusty, but left the center.

beautiful, yes...but...

I think if we would have rolled it out to be thinner, it would have achieved the crunchy crustiness we so desired.

...a little too dense

So here’s the recipe: from The Gluten Free Goddess. Make at your own risk!

Gluten Free Bread for Mankind

Tags

eggs, GF Bread, gluten free, Maker's Diet, Ulcerative Colitis, Utah

Still in Utah and I feel the healing is upon me! Today we went to the spa at the Stein Eriksen Lodge and got a massage and ate at the gourmet lunch buffet. The day was, in a word, outrageous. The spa was amazing and the massage worked out all the inflammation knots in my back. They had beautiful saunas and steam rooms, hot tubs, and my favorite, the relaxation room.

The lunch buffet was UNREAL. They had all this scrumptious fresh seafood, and different salads, probably 20 different artisanal cheeses. Fantastic fruit and stews, and then several different prepared meats and fish. They made “my” grilled mahi mahi with mango salsa!! They also had a artisanal caesar salad buffet where the chef prepared it in front of you, made-to-order.

And then the desserts…..Let me preface this by saying that I have not had even a sweetener in my tea for the past 18 weeks while I have been trying to heal. Today, I got off that band wagon.  After not getting sick after dinner last night and sleeping through the night for the first time in 18 weeks, I decided to push my luck and have dessert. Well, they had probably 30 different gourmet desserts ranging from bread pudding, to pecan pie, to raspberry mousse layer cake. They also had gluten-free options! I had a gluten-free cupcake, flan, creme brulee, and chocolate decadence which is a flourless chocolate mousse cake. (Don’t worry, I just had bites of each ;) )

So our day today was phenomenal to say the least.

Now for a recipe! Back in Cincy, my mom and I have been trying to find a good gluten-free bread recipe. We’ve tried out several, and this one is on the top of our list (at least right now).  It is a bread mix from Pamela’s, and it is made in the breadmaker.

Pamela's Products

It had a really nice, light consistancy. It was airy and moist, not dense and chewy like most GF breads. We toasted it up in the morning for breakfast, and made french toast out of it for dinner! It does have 2 eggs in it though, so it is not vegan; but still delicious!

Check out the light, airy goodness!

This bread does contain yeast. After I ate it, I had a bit of a stomach reaction to it, due to the sensitivity of my stomach right now.  During a flare, certain things “light you on fire,” and for me, its sugar, and we think yeast.  However, after I am through this flare, we will be making this bread again.

Happy baking!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Tags

bananas, brown rice, chocolate, dessert, GF Bread, gluten free, Maker's Diet, mushrooms, mustard, pasta, peanut butter, pesto, spinach, tomatoes, vegan

Yes, you read that right: banana bread with both peanut butter AND (vegan) chocolate chips! If you’re anything like me, you can eat peanut butter for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…precisely why I DON’T keep it in my apartment in NYC. But in Cincinnati, it is a household staple.

So here’s the story: it was snowing; Macy’s was having a “one day sale” and KitchenAid stand mixers were 30% off.  My mom has never had one and always wanted one. So, when my dad was at Macy’s looking for a sport coat, my mom called and asked him to pick one up! He came home with a fabulous tangerine orange stand mixer.

We had to try it out….we had browning organic bananas….it was a crime NOT to make this bread.

Fabulous Tangerine Stand Mixer

We found the recipe at another one of my favorite blogs, The Gluten Free Goddess. The only tweak I made to the recipe was to add 1/4 cup of…PEANUT BUTTER! Just because I could:)

And let me tell you…this bread was GOOD. I mean, we had a slice right out of the oven and it was so amazing it should have been illegal.  The texture was so wonderful, it didn’t have your typical “gluten free bread” denseness or crumbliness. It practically melted in your mouth. Half the loaf was devoured on the first day, and the second half was gone by the end of the weekend.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

For dinner, we did a repeat of the pesto from the other night because it was so dang yummy.

1 cup of basil

1/2 cup pine nuts

1-2 garlic cloves (I sautéed them for a few minutes to release their flavor.)

1 T EVOO

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper

water until desired consistency —>all in the food processor and over rice noodles.

Vegan Pesto!

I served it with some wilted spinach and mushrooms. I sautéed onions and garlic in 1T of EVOO, salt and pepper. Then I added mushrooms, and at the very end, stirred in some spinach to wilt it.  Be careful not to over salt this side dish because the mushrooms and spinach shrink down to almost nothing and soak up all the salt like a sponge.

Enjoy!