Life, Gluten Free

Cornbread with TigerNut Flour

I ate cornbread so many times growing up, it doesn't seem like such a distant memory. Cornbread with chili, or hearty vegetable soups... warm cornbread drizzled with honey. It goes with everything!

I recently came across a new gluten-free flour called Tigernut. Have you heard of it? Despite "nut" being in the name, it is not a tree nut. It's a tuber. 

The folks at Organic Gemini sent me a bag of Tigernut flour to try out. This cornbread is one of the first things that I made with it. I've also used the flour for pancakes and pie crusts. I really love it. It will definitely be a staple in our kitchen.

Organic Gemini TigerNut Flour is 100% organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and raw.

Organic Gemini TigerNuts products are all very high in fiber, in a particular form of fiber known as resistant starch. Resistant starch is a prebiotic that resists digestion and helps our bodies to naturally develop probiotic bacteria ensuring a strong immune system. TigerNuts are also high in iron, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins C & E. 

Cornbread with TigerNut Flour

Ingredients:

1 cup TigerNut flour

3/4 cup organic cornmeal 

2 tablespoons organic sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 eggs

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt).

Measure 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into your cast-iron pan. Place the pan in the oven to melt the coconut oil. 

In another mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk and the 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil).

Whisk the wet ingredients together until well combined. Add this to the flour mixture and mix well.

Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with jelly, honey.. or eat plain! Enjoy.

 

Quinoa Veggie Pilaf

This quinoa pilaf is really easy to make and it is delicious. It's a great addition to lunch, dinner or even to take to a party. Perfect for the 4th of July!

Also, be sure to follow me on snapchat (username: lifeglutenfree) so you can get a sneak peak into my kitchen and the recipes I make :)

Lets get started on this quinoa pilaf.

Ingredients:

1 small bunch scallions

2 small celery stalks

1 corn on the cob

1 medium carrot

2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (optional)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I use organic bionaturae balsamic vinegar)

1/5 teaspoon paprika 

1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning (I use Spicely)

1 cup organic quinoa (I use TruRoots)

2.5 cups vegetable broth or water

few springs of fresh garden herbs (savory, oregano, thai basil)

3 tablespoons avocado oil for sautéing 

sea salt to taste (I also added some Herbamare sea salt seasoning to taste)

 

Directions:

Chop the veggies and scallions. Finely chop the fresh herbs (if you use them). I harvested a few sprigs of savory, oregano and thai basil from my garden.

Begin to sauté the onions and veggies in avocado oil or oil of your choice. Add the herbs and spices as you are sautéing.

Add in the liquid aminos and balsamic vinegar and continue to simmer. Measure out the quinoa and add it along with the broth or water. 

Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add more broth/water if necessary during the cooking processes. Once cooked, fluff the quinoa with a fork.

This dish serves about 4 and is great with a lettuce or spinach salad. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pie with Ginger Snap Crust

My husband loves pie and I love to make pie! It's fun and usually quite simple and quick.

My go-to pie recipe base is avocado because it is easy and makes it very creamy. You can't taste the avocado. But since you can't always get good avocados, I decided to try and make a pie without them.

This pie was more firm and much richer, like a large chocolate truffle! 

Chocolate Pie

Crust:

13 gluten-free ginger snap cookies (we use Lucy's)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

5 dates

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in the food processor until you have a fine texture that pinches and holds between you fingers.

Add to lightly greased (with coconut oil) pie dish. Set in fridge while you make the filling.

Filling:

10 ounce bag of sweetened chocolate chips (we use enjoy life)

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup coconut cream

2 tablespoons coconut oil

additional 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (added later)

Directions:

in a double broiler, melt chocolate chips with 1/2 cup coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil.

Once melted, transfer to food processor and begin to blend.

Add additional 1/3 cup coconut milk and continue blending until creamy.

Add to pie dish and let chill in the refrigerator.

Decorate with strawberries for fun!

*Let the pie sit out for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Plantain and Onion Fritters

Plantains are a staple in our house. 

One of the local natural food markets in our area, Alfalfa's, stocks organic plantains. I told the produce manager to please keep them in! We purchase a huge stack basically every week. And every single time, someone notices them in our cart and asks us how we cook them. I've had conversations with strangers, just about plantains, how to cook them, how to know when their ripe and what to season them with.

That's normal.

Maybe I should keep index cards of this recipe and hand it out.

Perhaps we've already inspired some of our fellow shoppers to cook plantains. That is, if there's any left after we raid the produce section. 

Plantain Fritters

makes about 25

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

Ingredients:

3-4 Plantains (ripe ripe ripe)

1 Yellow onion, diced

Coconut oil

Sea salt

Directions:

You want to use pretty ripe plantains, that are starting to become soft.

But not yucky mushy.

If they are firm, they work well for fried plantains. 

Use a potato masher or fork to mash the plantains. 

Once mashed, add diced yellow onion, a dash of salt and mix well.

Start with measuring 3 tablespoons of coconut oil and add it to a stainless steel skillet on medium heat.

Once the oil is warmed, take a spoonful of the plantain batter and form into a pattie shape.

I was able to fit about 5 patties in my skillet at one time.

Every stove is different, adjust the temperature if you need to but cooking on medium heat works on my stove.

Flip using a metal spatula when the fritter is browned on one side (about 5 minutes).

When each side is browned, transfer to a plate and keep cooking until the batter is gone.

Be sure to keep an eye on the oil, as you will need to add more. 

If the oil gets low in the pan, the fritters will begin to stick.

Lightly salt the fritters, and serve with a sauce (we like them with guacamole).

 

Cauliflower Rice (Grain-Free, Paleo)

Over a year ago, we adapted our diet to be completely grain-free instead of just gluten-free. When I found this recipe for cauliflower rice, I knew I had to make it.

I adapted it slightly, using coconut oil instead of olive oil.

It turned out so well, and adds a nice texture to dishes. You can use it in place of rice in nearly any dish.

 Cauliflower Rice

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

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons coconut oil

sea salt

Preparation:

Chop the cauliflower coursely, and process it in the food processor with the "S" Blade.

Be sure to only process it enough for the texture to resemble rice, don't over process.

In a large stainless steel pan over medium heat, saute the onion with coconut oil or olive oil.

Add the cauliflower once the onion is cooked.

Cover and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft.

Add sea salt to taste and serve!

How to use Cauliflower Rice:

1. Make a stir fry

2. Eat with soup

3. Make a casserole

4. Use it to subsitute rice in your favorite recipes

Cauliflower "rice" so good, my whole family enjoys it. Try it!

Mango Guacamole

Some of my favorite foods include avocado, mango, banana, homemade french fries, coconut macaroons, mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. 

Maybe not all together at the same time, of course. But then again.. why not? Sounds good to me.

But back to the mango guacamole. Who wants some? 

I didn't put tomatoes in the guacamole, because my daughter and my husband are both not eating tomatoes. I put some in a smaller bowl for me, but honestly you don't need the tomato. It's just as good without it.

I also didn't have any cilantro, since I didn't plan ahead for this recipe. Too bad. I love cilantro! If you have some, add a tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro and you'll be happy.

Ingredients:

5 avocados

1 cup mango, peeled & diced

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Mash the avocadoes in a bowl. I use a potato masher, but you can also use a fork or spoon.

Add diced onion, diced mango, lemon juice, and a dash of sea salt.

Mix well and serve!

Sophie likes to eat it with plantain chips, cucumber sticks and carrot sticks. I'm also partial to it along side a plate of fried beet & potato hash (cooked in coconut oil).

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?

Breaded Polenta

Guest poster: My husband! The recipe was written and crafted by him. He originally created this recipe over a year ago.

Breading

1 cup Corn Meal (finely ground) or corn flour may work as well

4 tablespoon Tapioca Flour

2 tablespoon Potato Starch

1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

4 tablespoon Coconut Milk (So Delicious Unsweetened)

1 rounded teaspoon Egg Replacer

1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar

1/2 cup Water – this is approximate – add enough water to turn this into a batter

I sifted the flour mix (corn meal, tapioca flour, potato starch and xanthan gum) before mixing the liquids in. I then put the egg replacer and rice vinegar in a small bowl and mixed them together with about a tablespoon of warm water. Mix this and the water together. This batter needs to be thick enough to stay on the polenta, but not so thick that it makes the polenta crumble when you try to coat it.

Polenta

I cooked 3 cups to produce extra.

There really is no secret to this, just be sure the grits are thick so that it will set rather than stay mushy. Keeping the water to dry grits ratio at 2:1 should work well. Add more water if you have to but as I said before, don't overdo it.

Add lots of butter, Earth Balance, coconut oil, or olive oil. I used coconut oil. If the grits are thick enough, you can add lots of oil/butter. Generally, the more the better and richer the polenta will be. Also, you can sauté and brown onions, scallions, leeks etc and add the basic Italian spices. You really need to add lots of flavoring to get that flavoring to come through in the final product. Luckily, you can add everything to taste since the polenta is already cooked and you can test it as you add the herbs.

Once the polenta is ready, put it in a large pan to spread out the polenta. I usually spread it to about 1” but you can spread it as thick or thin as you want. Next, put it in a refrigerator until it cools or you can just leave it out to cool. Once the polenta sets and hardens up you can cut it up, coat it in the breading, and fry it in coconut oil (or oil of choice) in a wok.

Balsamic Reduction & Avocado

For the avocado, we simply cubed avocado for garnish. We also made an avocado sauce by mashing avocado in a bowl and then adding salt , herbs and onion. You can also add tomato, sort of like guacamole. Get creative and flavor it how you prefer!

Put balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan. Place on medium heat and let simmer until it reduces to a thick syrup.

We hope you try it!

- Heather & Matt

Champagne Cucumber Delight

1 pound organic champagne grapes
3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
4 cucumbers, peeled
1 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Remove the grapes from the stems and place in a bowl.
Dice the cucumber and mix with the grapes.
Whisk the lemon juice, raw honey and golden balsamic vinegar together in a separate bowl.
Add to the cucumber and grapes and mix together.
Serve in individual bowls or along with a meal.

This is my mom's recipe. She put her creative mind to work and "engineered" this delicious recipe with cucumbers and grapes. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. The combination, however, proved to be fantastic. It's a perfect summer salad!

This recipe makes a lot, it's perfect to take to a picnic and share with others. If you want to make less, just trim the recipe down. You can use red or green grapes as well but you will need to chop them into small pieces. Enjoy!

-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