Life, Gluten Free

Dehydrated Banana Chips

I've been meaning to post these for a while. They make a great snack and are easy to make!

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas

Lemon Juice

Cinnamon

Preparation:

Slice bananas thinly. Place them in a bowl with some lemon juice - just enough to coat them lightly. Mix well and then place the banana slices on a dehydrator sheet.

Place your dehydrator on 118 degrees for 12 hours (or until they are pliable and not mushy).

The lemon juice is optional, as we have made them without with good results. You also don't have to sprinkle with cinnamon, but it's a nice addition :)

These are a great gluten-free snack and we really enjoy them. I hope you try them! We use an Excalibur dehydrator and are very happy with it.

-heather

Popcorn with Hemp Oil

One of our favorite ways to "decorate" popcorn is using hemp oil. One thing to remember though is that you do not heat the hemp oil. Hemp oil is 70% polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are not suitable for cooking. Some people recommend using it for low heat cooking (not above 120F), but I don't. We use it for dressings on salad and even in cold pasta salad. I have put it on noodles or rice after they are cooked but that's the extent to which it is "heated."

Hemp oil tastes a bit nutty and it's green in color. What's not to love? Hemp oil also has one of the most balanced and richest sources of E.F.A's (essential fatty acids). 

My husband had the idea of trying it on popcorn (fresh air-popped of course) and I am glad he did. It's so good!Our brand of choice is Nutiva's organic raw hemp oil. Do you use hemp oil - if so, how do you use it?

-heather

Summer Salad (Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free!)

Hosting this month is the lovely Shirley from Gluten Free Easily. Shirley has quickly found her way in the gluten free blogging realm and she is a great addition. Her theme for the Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free (founded by Naomi at Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried) is Make Me a Happy Camper. She asked us to submit a dish that we'd take camping, on a picnic or on a hike.

On a whim of inspiration, we roused ourself on Sunday and rushed out of bed to prepare for a hike on Lichen Loop. And of course, what's a hike without a picnic lunch or a picnic snack, in the least? I quickly shucked some fresh corn and washed it along with some cucumbers as a pot of water boiled on the stove, splattering water angrily. We decided to pack some gluten free pasta salad and make a quick summer salad with the fresh corn and cucumbers.

I didn't know it at the time, but the summer salad that I made would by my submission for this months Go Ahead Honey. I had originally planned to post another dish but found out that the pictures that I had snapped did not come out well enough for my liking. That will have to be published another day (because who can resist a dish made out of coconut and orange?).

Summer Salad

NO: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts

Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn
3 small cucumbers (these were the pickling kind)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
4 stems scallions
1 teaspoon dill (dried)
salt to taste

Preparation:
Shuck the corn and use a knife to slice it off the cob. Place it in a bowl.
Dice the cucumbers and toss in the bowl with the corn.
Chop the scallions and add to the bowl.
Add the olive oil and vinegar, mixing well with a spoon.
Mix in the dill and then the salt to taste.

Store in a glass container with a lid and allow the flavors to sit.Take on a picnic or serve at home and enjoy :)

Thanks Shirley. This was fun. I have to say, Go Ahead Honey is my favorite event to partake in!

We had a great hike and a great lunch afterward.

Be sure to check Shirley's blog to see who else participated, she should be posting the round-up by July 31st.

-heather

Coconut Porridge

My mom surprised me with this the other morning. She said it would help to regulate my blood sugar levels. If I don't eat meals plus snacks throughout the day, then my blood sugar levels will drop and I will start to feel bad.

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

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

She changed it slightly. She added cinnamon, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels. 

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