Life, Gluten Free

Gluten-free & Grain-free Cinnamon Toast

Sophie was beyond pleased with this version of cinnamon toast, and I was so excited to share something with her that I loved to eat as a kid. Sure, it's a little bit different than actual thick toast, but it tastes great and she couldn't be happier!

So what do you need to make this cinnamon toast?

See the ingredients below! And, it helps to have a little helper eager to help spread on the honey :)

Ingredients:

pure wraps

raw honey

coconut oil

cinnamon

Directions:

Place one of the pure wraps onto a baking sheet

Mix coconut oil and raw honey in a bowl to make a spreadable mixture (about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of honey.. this was enough for about 2 wraps)

or simply spread on one layer of coconut oil and one layer of honey

Shake on some cinnamon

Cut into small squares

Bake in the oven on low broiler for about 2 minutes

(Baking it just the right amount of time is the tricky part, and every oven is different so please be careful. The pure wraps can easily burn to a crisp!)

We also tried it with jelly! We spread on a layer of honey, and then some homemade muscadine jam that we had only lightly sweetened. If you have very sweet jelly, omit the extra layer of honey.. :)

Perfect!

5 gluten-free cold weather recipes

I don't know about you, but I am looking at a good 8 or so inches of snow outside.

And it's cold! As in, it is supposed to be -4 tonight.

So I've compiled a list of some of my gluten-free soup, cake and breakfast recipes.

I hope you enjoy them!

Pumpkin Spice Cake 

Potato Leek Soup

Carrot Potato Soup

Coconut Cake (not grain-free, I need to make a version that is!)

Banana Coconut Porridge

Want more ideas?

Head over to my friend Debbie's blog, The Gluten-Free 'Dish', and check out her recent grain-free carrot cake recipe (note: it's not a tree-nut free recipe, but it sure looks good and is appropriate for those who can have nuts)

Keep warm! ♥

Peach Coconut Porridge

I promise the next recipe that I post on my blog will not be porridge. But, we could barely help it. Last week we had quite a few days of chilly weather with rain. Who doesn't eat porridge when it's cold and rainy outside? right?

Now it's unseasonably warm and I'm wondering what the heck happened.

I don't want to talk about it.

All I can say is, it better start cooling off or I am going to get grumpy.

But I am happy that organic peaches are $1.49 a lb right now.

(that's the best price we've found around here so far this year, how about you? don't say you bought organic peaches for 99 cents a pound, because then I may just have to wallow).

Peach Coconut Porridge

no: gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut

1 banana and 1 peach blended with 1 cup coconut juice

1 peach, diced

1 cup water

Directions:

Blend one banana and one peach with one cup of cococnut juice, then pour into a sauce pan

Add remaining ingredients to sauce pan

Place on medium heat and bring to a light boil

Cover with lid (turn down if necessary, we want a light simmer but not a hard boil)

Stir ocassionaly, cook covered for 10 minutes

Remove from heat, leave the lid on and let it sit for another 5 to 10 minutes.

It's good. Too good. 

Banana Coconut Porridge

We got the memo. Fall is here and we're ready for it.

Porridge? check

Pumpkins? check

The fall craft bug? check!!

I do have a non-banana coconut porridge recipe, but I do think I prefer my new creation with the added banana. I like banana and I think it adds a nice flavor enhancement. Next time, I am thinking about blending one banana and one peach because we love peach and it just so happens to be peach-a-rama here with loads of yummy ones to choose from.

Banana Coconut Porridge

no: gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

2 bananas blended with 1 cup coconut juice

1 tablespoon molasses

1 cup water

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Blend two bananas with one cup of cococnut juice, then pour into a sauce pan

Add remaining ingredients to sauce pan

Place on medium heat and bring to a light boil

Cover with lid (turn down if necessary, we want a light simmer but not a hard boil)

Stir ocassionaly, cook covered for 10 minutes

Remove from heat, leave the lid on and let it sit for another 5 to 10 minutes

Serve topped with fresh fruit (or eat by itself, my favorite way)

My daughter likes it with fresh apple pieces and a topping of pink sprinkles (that is, beet-dyed honey-coated shredded coconut sprinkles made by her dad).

Little Miss Muffet,

sat on a tuffet,

eating her curds and coconut..

along came a spider,

who sat down beside her,

and frightened miss muffet away!

Perfectly Green Smoothie

My friend Debbie, over at The Gluten-Free Dish, recently posted a recipe for her Energizing Spring Smoothie. It got me thinking about one of our favorite - and simple - green smoothies.

And green it is, perfectly so. Green happens to be my favorite color, but that's not the real reason we like this smoothie so much. It tastes good, with just the right amount of spinach for a good helping of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Folate.

Green Smoothie

a generous heaping handful of organic spinach

1 organic banana

1/2 - 1 cup of coconut juice

Add to a blender and process until it's completely liquified.

Serves 1 adult and 1 kid, double for a larger crowd!

**We also like to add fresh orange juice to this smoothie recipe!

Warning: side effects may include, but are not limited to, a green moustache

How to cook plantains 101

Plantains are firmer and lower in sugar content than what we know as a "regular banana." Bananas can be eaten raw, because they are soft and sweet. Plantains are more starchy and are better cooked in some way (fried, boiled, baked, etc).

Keep reading to find out how to cook these tropical wonders. We really love them in our house.  I've been eating them since I was a kid. My dad used to fry them on the stove in a cast-iron pan (usually) and then he would serve them with yogurt and a sprinkling of dark brown sugar.

And while plantains definitely make a great dessert, there are many other ways to serve them too.

What we do, usually, is sauté them in coconut oil and serve them with a sprinkling of sea salt. The key, however, is to allow them to fully ripen and even become what may seem overipe. You can cook them at varying stages of ripeness, but we prefer them to be quite soft.

So, we let them become blankened and to the untrained eye, it may seem they should be discarded rather than consumed (See pic above).

Where to buy plantains?

We buy organic plantains from our local natural grocer, but I am sure you can find them at a variety of stores.

How to cook plantains:

Peel them as you would a banana, though realize the peel is thicker and they will not peel quite as smoothly as a regular banana.

Sllice them into rounds.

Add coconut oil to a pan and start cookung them on medium heat.

Once they start cooking, you may want to turn the heat down to medium low (every stove is different, adjust as necessary!).

Flip them so that they cook evenly on both sides.

Before they are cooked, they are a peachy color. Once done, they will be a nice golden yellow.

Put them on a plate and sprinkle with some sea salt! Yum!!

Why not fry some potato fries in the same pan whie you're at it?

Coffee Cake Cobbler

Coffee Cake Cobbler
NO: gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin or 1/2 cup ground bananas (or a combination of the two)

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons egg replacer

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1/4 teaspoons himalayan salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)

Preparation:

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. 

Blend the wet ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Use an 8x4 pan greased with coconut oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a hand mixer.

It is going to be somewhat dry, it will not be like a cake batter.

You may need to add a bit of liquid (water or coconut milk) but expect the batter to be somewhat thick and sticky.

Spread the batter into the pan. 

Take chopped fruit (we used apricots) and put on the top of the batter.

Press into the batter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until done.

We sprinkled some rice flakes (kind of looks like oatmeal) on a few of them but they mostly got crispy. They look neat though!

Enjoy!

-heather

Sophie's Sweet Sunday Morning Biscuits

There is something comforting about a warm biscuit topped with a large dollop of jam or honey. Growing up, I remember eating biscuits with all different kinds of soup. I've always thought of biscuits as not quite a cake and not quite a cookie. They're in-between, the unique one. We also make sweet biscuits with dried fruit, like cranberry, papaya or raisins. Of course, biscuits don't have to be sweet. But what fun is that?

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1 tablespoon dried organic cane sugar

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt

6 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)

1/2 cup coconut milk*

1/2 cup water (more if needed)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Preparations:

In a bowl, cut in all flours and other dry ingredients with the coconut oil until the mixture is course. As a cutter, use two knives or a biscuit cutter.

Add the liquids and stir with spoon and hands.

Dust a cutting board with sorghum flour.

Roll out the dough and cut to preferred size.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

*We used the unsweetened coconut milk by soy delicious, but you can also use canned coconut milk. 

Makes enough biscuits for 3 adults and one hungry toddler to eat with breakfast and have a few left over. It also depends on what size you make them! Sorry, we didn't count how many :)

A biscuit topped with local organic plum jam.

These biscuits are a perfect addition to your breakfast, especially if you plan to go out afterwards and work in the yard! 

I am repenting my crime. I took too many photos!

-heather

Coconut Porridge

This is a tasty morning breakfast porridge and it helps to sustain you until lunch time. Coconut is filling and cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

This porridge is also a great idea because it can be kept in the fridge for easy access, and it tastes great both hot and cold!

The recipe is from this book by Bruce Fife, ND: Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut.  

My mom shared this recipe idea with me. She changed it slightly from the original one, adding a healthy dose of cinnamon.

Coconut Porridge
NO: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups water

1 1/4 cups dried finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon molasses (or honey, as in the book)

1/2 teaspoon of a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom (or just ground cloves, as in the book)

Preparation:

Heat water in sauce pan until it boils. Add coconut, raisins, molasses and spice. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 8 minutes or until the raisins are soft and plump. Serve warm or chilled.

You can also top with sliced fruit.

enjoy!

-heather

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Moist. Irresistible. Sweet.

Three words that best describe this gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free treat. Who'd have guessed there are so many missing ingredients? I'm not sure even the most hardcore "foodie" would know. It would be hard to detect what it doesn't have in it. 

I am thrilled to present this recipe to you because if you are like me, and not only have to be gluten-free but also have to be egg-free, then you must try this seasonal dessert. It even makes a great breakfast with a nice cup of Roobios tea or Coffee for your lovers of java. 

Recipe:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh!)

1/2 cup of raw honey

1/2 cup organic cane sugar (although not wet, you will combine it with these)

2 tablespoons organic molasses

1/3 cup of grapeseed oil / coconut oil (I did half grapeseed and half coconut oil, for a total of 1/3 cup)

Egg replacing ingredients:

6 tablespoons apple sauce

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp egg replacer

(or use 2 eggs)

Preparation:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Rub a 8 by 8 glass baking pan with coconut oil.

Combine pumpkin, honey, sugar, molasses, oil, and egg replacer ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well.

Add remaining ingredients (except for the raisins) to the wet mixture. Mix with a hand mixer. Stir in raisins.

Transfer batter to the greased baking pan and bake approximately 40 minutes or until a tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Fall is in the air and it has an effect on people. At least those that pay enough attention to feel it. I think this may very well be my favorite season. But don't worry Winter and Spring, I love you too. But Summer, I really could do with less heat and more cool breezy days. 

Try this bread, even if you normally bake with gluten and eggs. You'll be pleasantly surprised. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

In fact, I wish I could develop some device to whisk you all a free sample. But that would require atoms to disappear and re-materialize, which might get tricky.

And to broaden your horizons even further, I have a fun fact. Did you know that Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A and C? So strengthen your eyes and boost your immune system with a slice of Pumpkin Spice Bread! How's that for inspiration. 

Enjoy.