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Ingredient-Challenge Monday (one day late): Coconut Curry Vegetables and Beef (Vegan Option Noted)

May 16, 2012 By 13 Comments

In addition to the many things I do as a wife, mom, teacher, church-goer, so on and so forth; I recently joined a book club.

Reading is my life so gathering together with a great group of women every six weeks or so to discuss a book, enjoy some food and time away from the kids is much more of a break to me than it is just one-more-thing on my list.

That being said, because our meetings are held on Tuesdays, whatever dish I decide to bring must be quick, ready-to-go and hearty enough to feed both my family and my book group.

When we gather, we do our best to bring dishes inspired by whatever book we have just read.

Our most recent book?

One Year Off: Leaving it all behind for a round-the-world journey with our children by David Elliot Cohen.

The great part about pairing food with a book like this is that it is a free-to-choose opportunity.  I mean, they travel the world, talk about food and culture, people, poverty and riches beyond measure.

Really, truly, anything we brought would have fit.

For me though, one of the more insightful portions of their journey was related to the Cohen’s family’s time in India.  With extensive discussions about the meals they enjoyed, my mouth began to water for curry and vegetables. Oh to be able to scoop them up with a warm piece of naan…

Sigh.

While I have not perfected a grain-free version of naan just yet, this Crockpot Coconut Curry Vegetables and Beef dish did hit the spot.

While this may not be exactly what the Cohen family enjoyed on their trip (the meals they enjoyed in India were strictly vegetarian), this dish is easily made vegan by excluding the beef and adding in two or three more sweet potatoes to the pot.

While you may wish to cut this recipe in half, I must say this is one of those dishes whose leftovers are almost better than the original meal.  Perfect for planned-over lunches or quick heat-n-go dinners, I might recommend you keep this recipe just where it is…even if you aren’t serving the army and a half that I serve every day.

As this is my entry into this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday, I do hope you enjoy this meal as much as we have, and don’t forget to enter your favorite coconut recipes on the linky tool below for your chance to be featured in next month’s ICM Challenge Ingredient Announcement! xoxo

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Crockpot Coconut Curry Vegetables and Beef (Vegan Option Noted)

Ingredients

  • Crockpot Coconut Curry Vegetables and Beef
  • 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2.5 pounds Stew Meat (grass fed beef is best) (optional: replace stew meat with 2-3 more sweet potatoes for a vegan dish)
  • 1/3 c Curry Powder
  • 3 Tbs Arrowroot Powder
  • 1 Tbs and 1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Sea Salt
  • ¾ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • ¾ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Large Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips
  • 2 Large Red Bell Peppers, cut into strips
  • 1 Large Red Onion, Diced
  • 5 Large Carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 cans Whole-Fat Coconut Milk (I used Thai Kitchen)
  • ¼ c Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a large 6-quart crockpot, layer sweet potatoes and stew meat.
  2. In separate mixing bowl, mix curry powder, arrowroot powder, chili powder, sea salt, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper together. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes and stew meat, mixing until evenly covered.
  3. Layer green bell pepper, red bell pepper, diced onions and carrots over sweet potato and meat mixture; do not stir. Slowly pour coconut milk over vegetables and cook over low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4.
  4. Mix in cilantro immediately prior to serving.
  5. Serve as-is or over steamed rice (for your gluten-free grain eaters).
  6. Makes 12 servings.
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Ready to enter your coconut recipe?  Please link back to this post and enter the link for your recipe in the linky tool below.

Don’t have a blog?

No worries!  You, too can enter to have your recipe featured in next month’s ICM Challenge Ingredient Announcement!

To enter, simply leave a comment with your complete recipe here.

We do ask that your recipes stay gluten-free and dairy-free so that our family can give them a try.  If they are Paleo friendly, I will be joyously enjoying your dishes along with my family.

And yes, we do sample each and every one!

I look forward to seeing your coconut creations all month long! xoxo

This post is also connected to: Wellness Weekend

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

April Ingredient Challenge Monday Featured Recipe-Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole from The Taste Space and ICM Challenge Ingredient Announcement!

May 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

So, I could give you a million excuses why this post is so late…

I mean, this weekend was Mother’s Day weekend, and as the mother of five amazing kids and one superb husband, they spoiled me and took care of me all while keeping me away from my computer (although I did sneak in a couple of hello’s from my telephone ;) ).

It is also the last month of school.  As a teacher this means assessments, finals, state tests and more.

But then, excuses are like armpits.  We all have them and they all stink.

So my apologies for this being late, but I am pleased to announce late this 2nd Monday of the month, we have our April Ingredient Challenge Monday Winner!

All the way from Canada, Janet at The Taste Space was so kind as to link in some of her favorite Pineapple Recipes for our April ICM Challenge.  Of those, this Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole (Guacamole Con Piña y Pepino) took the cake.

There are so many things to love about this recipe.  Light and refreshing, this dish can quite literally stand on its own.  I love the simple ingredients, ingredients which I usually have on hand and are safe for everyone in my family.

No need for chips or other grain-filled fried dipping tools, eat it straight up with a fork, alongside your favorite tropical main course, use some fresh veggies (cucumbers and celery work perfectly), whatever you do get ready to enjoy some amazing deliciousness!

Thank you Janet for your wonderful recipe!  I look forward to seeing what you have in store for our next challenge… (be sure to read below for this month’s featured ingredient!)

Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole (Guacamole Con Piña y Pepino) From The Taste Space

1 (10- to 12-ounce) cucumber, seeded, and diced (1 cm)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, minced, including seeds, or more to taste (I used 1 fresh green chile and it wasn’t spicy in the slightest)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime), or more to taste
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large or 4 small ripe Mexican Hass avocados, halved and pitted
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced (1 cm) (around 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a cross-hatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon into the bowl and gently stir together, being careful not to mash the avocado. Stir in half the cilantro and the pineapple last so the fresh acidity is distinct from the avocado. Season to taste with additional chile, lime juice, and salt. Transfer the guacamole to a wide dish and sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top.

2. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Let it come to room temperature before you serve it.

Serves 10.

 

Are you primed and ready for this month’s challenge?  Would you like to be featured as next month’s winning recipe?  Well hold on tight and get ready to strut your stuff with this versatile ingredient:

 

 

 

COCONUT!

Coconut oil, shredded coconut, coconut butter, coconut milk, whole coconut…anyway you serve it up, it if comes from a coconut feel free to link it in.

So that my family and I can test your delicious recipe in our own kitchen, we do ask that you keep things gluten-free and dairy-free at minimum. Paleo friendly recipes are preferred but not required (I do have some gluten-free grain eaters in my house).

Keep your eyes open for my entry into this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday and the linky tool for you to link in your own coconut related recipes!

Have a wonderful night and “see” you tomorrow. xoxo

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unsweetened Vegan Coconut Milk Crockpot Yogurt

April 28, 2012 By 17 Comments

When my daughter was diagnosed with a milk allergy at just 17 months old, I could have never imagined where our food journey was about to take us.

It was just two years prior to that when I learned of my son’s shellfish allergy.

Because my son is severely allergic to shellfish, exposure giving him a full-blown anaphylaxis response; and because I had never ever dealt with a food allergy before his, I figured his immediate and dire reaction was exactly what we should expect with all food allergies.

If only it were so easy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, food allergy symptoms may include:

  • Tingling or itching in the mouth
  • Hives, itching or eczema
  • Swelling of the lips, face tongue and throat, or other parts of the body
  • Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing
  • Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting

These symptoms do not include more severe, anaphylaxis reactions where there may be a constriction and tightening of airways, shock, rapid pulse, dizziness or loss of consciousness; symptoms that require immediate care.

With so many varied symptoms, some that may not reveal themselves for as long as two to three days after ingesting an allergen, it is difficult, if not impossible at times to properly diagnose a food allergy.

When an allergy is diagnosed, especially when it is a food that is commonly enjoyed on a daily basis (milk, wheat, etc), there is often a panic of “what am I going to eat/how am I going to feed my child?”

That is where mommy bloggers like me come in.

Once I began to dig in and figure out what all exactly had milk in it, I immediately felt a sense of panic.

Quickly I learned that I had to not only watch out for the word “milk” on the label, nooo…I had to watch out for key words like: casein, whey and lactose.

After hours and hours of inspecting, dissecting and learning to read food labels, here are just a few things that I learned.

Bread has milk it.

Ham has milk in it.

‘Veggie cheese’ has milk in it.

A number of artificial sweeteners are derived from milk.

Breath mints. Breath mints sometimes have milk in them.

Medication sometimes has milk in it (like that pink amoxicillin pediatricians often prescribe)

Chocolate. Oh my poor baby…do you know how difficult it is to find chocolate that is truly dairy free?

Oh my poor baby.

But then I learned, not all bread has milk in it.  There is plenty of ham that is made without lactose or casein additives.  Vegan cheese is okay for us; ‘veggie’ cheese often is not.  Artificial sweeteners are not good for us anyway, so we just eliminated those…breath mints don’t always have milk in them and when it comes to chocolate, the richest, creamiest and finest dark chocolates are often dairy-free.

I can live with being a chocolate snob. Better yet, I can live with teaching my daughter to be a chocolate snob.

There are certainly worse things in life.

Still, when it comes to every day foods: cheese, yogurt, milk… where do you turn when you have a dairy allergy?

Fortunately for us, it seems the market is finally becoming aware of the growing epidemic food allergies have become.

Instead of being a rarity, we are finding that our difficulties are actually being shared by many in our community, in our country and even throughout the world.

Every day it seems new products arrive which make our world not only easier, but tastier too.

Unfortunately, many of those products come with a big price tag.

Take yogurt for example.

One six-ounce container of dairy free yogurt costs us anywhere from $1.29-$1.60 each.

Each.

We love yogurt.  We love the naturally healing good bacterial provided by yogurt.

We do not, however, love that price.

It did not take me long to determine that making my own yogurt might be a worthwhile venture.

But how?

My friend Stephanie O’Dea, the crockpot lady herself seemed to have the answer.

You see, Stephanie came up with the ingenious idea of making organic yogurt in her crockpot.

A reader of hers even made an allergy-free version of crockpot yogurt.

So I tried it.

I failed.

I tried again.

I failed.

By the fourth or fifth time, I had just about given up.  Just about.

After many, many attempts…I am pleased to say that I, too, have learned to make yogurt in my crockpot.

More than just a cultured milk product (which is very yummy in its own right), I finally managed to make a yogurt my children can sink their spoons into.

With just a few tweaks to Stephanie’s ingenious recipe, I have turned 6 oz of yogurt into 128 ounces of pure gold…

Okay, so it’s still yogurt.  But for a savings of about $30 a batch, it might as well be gold in my book.

Learn how to make your own liquid go…er, yogurt by following the recipe and detailed steps below.

Enjoy!

 

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Unsweetened Vegan Coconut Milk Crockpot Yogurt (Adapted from Stephanie O'dea's. original recipe)

Ingredients

  • ½ gallon Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • 4 Tbs Agar Agar Flakes
  • 6 ounces (1 container) Plain, Dairy-Free Coconut Milk Yogurt

Instructions

  1. In 4-6 quart crockpot, mix together ½ gallon unsweetened coconut milk and 4 tbs of agar agar flakes. Turn temperature to low, cover and cook for 1 hour.
  2. Remove cover, whisk agar agar and milk mixture until fully incorporated, return cover and let cook for another 1 ½ hours (2 ½ hours total).
  3. After 2 ½ hours, remove cover, whisk agar agar and milk mixture again, return cover and unplug crock.
  4. Allow crock to sit for 3 hours, unplugged with the lid on.
  5. When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk/agar mix and put it in a medium bowl. Whisk in the container of dairy-free coconut milk yogurt then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.
  6. Keeping crock unplugged, return lid and wrap a heavy bath towel (or two) around the crock for insulation. Let crock sit for 10-12 hours (overnight is best). In the morning, you will discover your lovely yogurt, milk and agar mix has thickened, although it will not be as thick as the store-bought stuff you are used to. Still, there is no doubt this is yogurt.
  7. If you still want to add more thickness, try adding in ¼ c tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.
  8. You may find bits of agar still floating in the mix, because we add in whole fruits to ours, the few flakes that are left never bother us.
  9. If you must, straining your yogurt can remove any extra agar remnants.
  10. Add in fruit, honey or whatever toppings you please to your velvety white creation.
  11. Have fun, make it your own and eat in good health.
  12. Makes 1/2 gallon.
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Ingredient-Challenge Monday: Pineapple Bacon Bites

April 9, 2012 By 7 Comments

Welcome to the April Ingredient-Challenge Monday!

As announced yesterday, this month we feature the mouth-watering pineapple as our challenge ingredient.

In spite of its natural sweetness, pineapples are not only low in calories (82 calories per cup of pineapple chunks), they are also a good source of fiber, Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin C.  Most importantly though?  This luscious fruit has a very low glycemic load making it a wonderful way to sweeten almost any dish without the need to add sugar.

The recipe I have to share with you tonight isn’t really a recipe.

My husband tells me it is, but there are only two ingredients.

It does come with a few instructions, so I suppose this counts as a recipe…

But it’s just so darn easy. And delicious.

In fact, of all the things available at our Easter gathering—cupcakes (from Elana’s Pantry none the less), deviled eggs, paleo pizza, veggies, fruits, etc… it was these delicious little bites that won the crowd over.

I have seen pineapple bacon bites floating through the web, yet every recipe I have come across require sugar to be added.

Why?

Pineapple is naturally sweet, and when you cook them pineapple caramelizes into one beautifully candy-like divinity.

It is important to use fresh pineapple for these bites.  The canned stuff just doesn’t hold up.  Trust me, it is worth every last bite.

Without further adieu, I am happy to open this Ingredient-Challenge Monday with this simply delicious almost not a recipe, recipe.

Enjoy!

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Pineapple Bacon Bites

Ingredients

  • ¼ Fresh Pineapple, skin removed
  • 1 package (12 oz) high-quality nitrate free bacon (quality makes all the difference)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425f.
  2. Prepare pineapple by slicing into 1-inch by ½ inch cubes, or would that be a prism? Oh, shucks… cut your slices into 1-inch by 1-inch squares that are ½ inch in depth. This seems to be the ideal wrapping size.
  3. Wrap one entire slice of bacon around each pineapple cube.
  4. Lay each bacon-wrapped pineapple on to parchment-lined cookie sheet with the bacon-flap side down.
  5. Bake at 425f for approximately 30 minutes or until bacon is perfectly brown.
  6. Remove pineapple bites from pan and allow to cool on paper towel lined plate, allowing the bacon to crisp and the drippings to dry.
  7. Serve warm.
  8. Makes approximately 13-14 bites.
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:) Now, what is your favorite way to enjoy pineapple?

Link up your favorite recipes by 11:59pm April 23, 2012 for your chance to be featured on the next ICM Challenge-Ingredient Announcement.

Don’t have a blog?  You still have a chance to enter!

Simply leave your recipe in a comment below for your equal-opportunity entry.

Please note that all entries must be linked back to this post and must feature pineapple as a key ingredient. In order for my family to taste-test, your recipe must also be gluten-free and dairy-free…so please make sure your recipe falls under these requirements as well.

We look forward to seeing all of your pineapple goodness!

Happy Ingredient-Challenge Monday!

 

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grain-Free Vegan Candy Creme Eggs

April 3, 2012 By 4 Comments

:) If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or even if you stopped by to visit my recent review of Well Fed (don’t forget to enter the giveaway while you are there!) you have heard me talk about my final plunge into the Paleo world.

While most of the recipes I have shared here over the last year have been Paleo or Paleo friendly, I must admit that up until the last few weeks, I was still indulging in things like the occasional rice or potato platter.

Going grain-free has not only been an important adjustment for my gut, limiting my sugar intake (palm, stevia or otherwise) has also been a blessing.

That being said, Easter is this weekend, and while I plan on continuing my grain-free, dairy-free, legume free ways; I will be making treats for others to enjoy including these Vegan Nutty Butter Eater Candies and the beautiful crème eggs I am sharing with you tonight. And while these are sweeter than I can eat on a regular basis because these treats are Paleo-friendly, if I stop to steal a bite I know I won’t be throwing off my whole eating plan.

Because the creme filling is made with palm sugar, it is darker than the store-bought stuff, yet the texture and flavor is spot-on to the candies we so lovingly remember.

Using turmeric to color the ‘yolk’ not only keeps you from having to use unnatural food coloring; the lightly floral flavor from the spice is a nice compliment to the candy itself.

Amazingly these treats come together in just minutes (excluding the refrigeration time to help solidify the filling/make molding these by hand possible), and other than a hand or stand mixer to make the crème creamy, there are really no special tools required.

While the measurements I use makes approximately 15 candy eggs about the same size as the store-bought versions, I could easily see making dozens of miniature versions by dropping the filling measurements from tablespoons to teaspoons or doubling the filling and making just a few giant eggs.

Because the directions below do not require a mold, you are free to measure and shape however your creative nature guides you.

However you choose to enjoy these, I hope this holiday gives you many reasons to celebrate.

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Grain-Free Vegan Candy Creme Eggs

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Blend together arrowroot powder and palm sugar in blender. Set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer, beat together agave nectar, palm shortening, vanilla and salt in large mixing bowl.
  3. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Measure in no more than ¾ c arrowroot and palm sugar mix at a time, blend on lowest setting until completely creamed together to prevent covering the walls with grain-free powder sugar. No matter how much you are tempted, do not go above the lowest setting (take my word on this!). Continue mixing in ¾ c at a time until powdered sugar and agave mix are completely incorporated.
  4. Divide candy crème in half, placing each half in small glass bowl. Mix turmeric into one-half candy crème until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate each bowl of candy crème filling for 2+ hours or freeze for 10-15 minutes, depending on when you want to serve your candy.
  6. When candy crème is stiff but pliable, scoop out 1 tbs of egg ‘white’ (okay, it’s light brown, but you know what it’s meant to be ;)) and flatten completely. Scoop out 1 tbs of egg ‘yolk’ and form round ball. Place the yolk in middle of the white then mold the white around the yolk, shaping the filling into the desired egg shape. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and continue this process until all of the filling has been molded into the desired shape.
  8. Return molded crème to the freezer for approximately 10 minutes or refrigerate until ready to cover with chocolate.
  9. Melt chocolate in the microwave using a ceramic bowl. Set timer for 2-minutes, but remove chocolate at 30 second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate has completely melted. This will take approximately 1 ½-2 minutes.
  10. Remove crème eggs from freezer.
  11. If eggs flattened slightly during the original molding process, they should be stiff enough at this time to re-shape into the perfect egg (or whatever you would like them to look like). Do this before dredging each egg in chocolate.
  13. Dredge each egg in chocolate until completely covered, allow chocolate to drip lightly from the egg and place on clean parchment lined cookie sheet. Once each egg has been properly covered, return eggs to the freezer and allow them to set for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate shell has completely solidified.
  14. Remove from freezer and wrap in candy wrapper until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature.
  16. Makes approximately 15 eggs.
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Have a Happy Easter!

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Papaya Lime Coconut Muffins

March 25, 2012 By 16 Comments

I’m sorry I have been so quiet this past week.

Truth is my family and I have eaten a lot of whole-food this week with very few inspirational recipes.

The best meals are those that don’t require recipes though, right? ;)

Oh, I do have a couple of special just-waiting for that right moment recipes under my belt; but with Easter quickly approaching, I am doing my best to perfect a few Eater-related, gluten-free, dairy-free refined sugar-free but still as good as you remember recipes for you to enjoy.

Then my friend Shirley Braden announced her March Muffin Madness event and I knew I had to find a way to participate.

I love muffins. Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, lemon, banana, banana chocolate chip and more.

I must say muffins were one of the top things I missed when going gluten-free.

Knowing that Shirley is going to have something amazing and never heard of before recipes for her event, a classic blueberry muffin just wasn’t going to do.

So I took a look around my kitchen to see what inspiration I might find.

Because we are so close to Mexico and the tropical produce that comes with, this time of the year our stores are brimming with bright, beautifully exotic fruits that make you dream of days on the beach just by cutting in.  Naturally, my kitchen is well stocked with these luscious fruits waiting to be devoured.

Of these, the papaya fruit has to be one of my favorites.  Beautiful coral pink hues and lightly sweet, squeeze a little time juice on and you have created a paradise for your mouth.

These muffins highlight what I consider to be the best of the best in regard to paradisiacal delights; papaya and lime with coconut and banana, naturally sweet and no sugar needed.  Like having the ultimate fruit salad in one easy-to-carry high-protein package; these muffins may not plump up like the glutinous cousins you so fondly remember, but don’t let their flattened package fool you, these are every bit as pillowy sweet as a muffin should be.

Enjoy!

Print
Papaya Lime Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Papaya, peeled and seeded
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Fruit of 1 lime (remove the pith and use the entire fruit, not just the juice)
  • 1 large, very ripe banana (about 4 oz)
  • ½ c Coconut Flour (unsifted, 2.75 oz)
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ½ c Coconut Oil
  • ½ c Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • ½ c Shredded Coconut, unsweetened

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f. Generously grease or line 12 muffin tins, set aside.
  2. Add all ingredients to blender in the order listed.
  3. Blend until ingredients are fully incorporated, tampering as needed.
  4. Scoop ¼ scant cup of muffin batter into each prepared tin.
  5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until muffins are golden and the centers are firm.
  6. Allow muffins to cool in the tin, they should be moist but not mushy and will firm up as they cool.
  7. Makes 12 servings.
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It’s that easy!

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a copy of Paleo Parents new cookbook, Eat Like a Dinosaur today!  Entries close at 11:59 tomorrow, March 26, so be sure to leave your comment here to win.

Also, stop by BeBesty.com every Thursday to see a combination of new and not previously published recipes with the occasional oldie but goodie from yours truly.  Register and comment here by midnight tonight (March 25) for your chance to win a $50 Visa gift card, tell them SunnyB sent you ;)

This recipe is also connected with: Wellness Weekends

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eat Like a Dinosaur and Yummy Egg Pie

March 10, 2012 By 6 Comments

If you are a regular visitor of the gluten-free blogging world, it is likely you have heard a lot of buzz about the new cookbook from Paleo Parents titled Eat Like a Dinosaur.

Well let me tell you, this book is worth buzzing about.

I was honored to work with Stacy and Matthew, the paleo parents, back in August, when they privileged me with a guest-post and some amazing Healthy Lunchbox ideas.  So when I received a message that they wanted to share their cookbook with me, I jumped at the opportunity!

While this book is loaded with lots of wonderful tips, ideas and suggestions to help get your kids involved in preparing meals, easy to read allergy labels and great recipes; it was the opening story that really got my kids excited.

You see, Stacy and Matthew’s story is not too far off from our own.  While only two of my five children have food sensitivities and allergies, three out of seven of us (including me) physically cannot eat the way we used to. Like us, the Paleo Parents have managed to heal physical ailments and behavioral issues through changes in their diet.  So, the idea of eating habits have changing dramatically and impacting lives in a positive way is something they can all relate to.

My children were very excited to read a story, presented from the child’s view, which is very much like their own story.

And you know what?

Because every recipe in Eat Like a Dinosaur is naturally gluten and dairy-free, we can enjoy each and every one of these special creations!

How exciting is that???

Tonight, Victory Belt Publishing has given me the honor to share one of our favorite recipes (so far) from Eat Like a Dinosaur.

This egg pie is the perfect solution for a healthy breakfast, or a lovely addition to an easy dinner.  Choosing to pair this with a simple salad and a light drizzle of my easy vegan ranch dressing this meal is not only beautiful, it is filling and healthy as can be.  Most importantly, it is delicious enough that even my pickiest eater went back for more.

I have no doubt you’ll be going back for more, too.

Enjoy!

Reprinted with permission from Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & guidebook for gluten-free kids. Copyright © 2012 by Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry. Published by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

 

Kale, Bacon, & Black Olive Egg Pie

Ingredients

1/3 lb nitrate-free bacon

2 c kale, chopped

1 c black olives, chopped

8 eggs

¼ tsp black pepper

1 prebaked pie crust (p. 207) (optional)*

 

Instructions and How Kids Can Help (every recipe has a cute little hand-print next to each direction where kids can help, as identified with the bullet-point. I love this part of the book! Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is essential to their health and development.)

Cook bacon in frying pan over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes.

Remove bacon from the pan and crumble when cooled.

  • Add kale to pan with bacon fat, tossing frequently; cook until softened, about 3-minutes (do not allow to wilt entirely; it will cook more in the pie).
  • Add crumbled bacon and olives to pan with kale, cook 2 minutes until warmed through and well combined.
  • Lay vegetable mixture into precooked pie crust if using, or greased pie pan if not.
  • Beat eggs in bowl with pepper.
  • Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
  • Cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil or pie crust protector.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes; remove once the top becomes a light golden brown.

Serves 6-10 slices.

*To obtain the pie crust recipe, purchase your copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur here

 

:) Are you ready to receive your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur? Inspired by the recipe above, Shea and I are featuring the beautifully in-season, perfectly green vegetable, kale for this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday posts!

Starting Monday, March 12, you will not only have the opportunity to win a feature spot on each of our blogs; we will also share exactly how you can enter to win your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur!

Until then, sleep well and dream of yummy kale creations.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

March 4, 2012 By 8 Comments

About a week ago I pinned these beautiful, paleo-friendly no-bake cookies which were originally shared by Alison Lewis from ingredients, inc.

While Alison’s recipe is good, really good, this recipe has been the cause of much discussion over the last week.

One of the main discussions that really stuck with me is where on earth do you find good chocolate chips that don’t have cane sugar or artificial sugars in them?

While my chocolate chips of choice use evaporated cane juice, which is safe for my family; there are many (like my friend Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs), who cannot have cane sugar of any type.

So when Ricki asked me if I knew of a good replacement for the chocolate chips, I had no positive answer for her.

I knew right then and there that I wanted to revamp this recipe, if for nothing else than to make something Ricki could enjoy, too.

The addition of flax seeds to this recipe not only increases the nutritional value of these cookies, it adds just enough of a bite, making these truly reminiscent of the texture more traditional oat-based recipes have.

Inspired by Alison’s beautiful paleo-friendly recipe, I have updated the recipe from my childhood and am happy to share these allergy-free, refined/cane sugar-free, vegan and paleo friendly no-bake cookies made just for you.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

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no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, combine palm sugar, cocoa powder, coconut oil or palm shortening, unsweetened coconut milk and salt. Melt over medium heat until mix reaches a light simmer, stirring continuously. Lower heat slightly and continue to stir for 60 seconds. Remove from heat.
  2. Quickly stir in remaining ingredients. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until completely cool.
  3. Makes approximately 30 cookies.
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Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups

February 26, 2012 By 7 Comments

Growing up as a child of the 80′s, fruit roll-ups were one of those quintessential items.  I mean, what was lunch without a vivid green and blue, sugary sweet roll of fruity deliciousness?

And fruit roll-ups are made with fruit so they are good for you, right?

Riiiiight.

When the key ingredients include corn syrup, dried corn syrup and sugar…well, let’s just say I try to stay away.

Even long before we became a whole-food/high-nutrition household, these types of treats scared me. Despite the strong childhood connection I have with these treats, I do not recall ever having purchased these for my children.

Undoubtedly my children have partaken in these sugary delights at some point, at some party or school event…but I, personally, have never purchased these for my children.

Fruit leather, that is a different story all together.

Generally items I can rely on, fruit leather provides the yummy goodness of fruit rollups without all the extra junk.

Even so, fruit leather, especially organic no sugar-added fruit leather can be quite expensive; so when my husband gifted me with a dehydrator for our anniversary, I was excited to be able to make things such as these at home.

The trick to getting fruit leather to turn into fruit rollups is in the thickness of the spread.

Too thick and they won’t bend.

Too thin and they turn crisp.

For me, the ideal roll-up comes from a spread that is less than 1/4 inch, but greater than 1/8 inch in thickness.

With no added sugar, honey or anything…these fruit roll-ups are just sweet enough to please the most intense sweet tooth, yet just healthy enough to please the pickiest of moms.   Make these with organic fruit to ensure the best in nutrition and taste.

Enjoy!

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Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups

Ingredients

  • 1 c Strawberries (fresh or frozen), hulled
  • 1 c Sliced Peaches (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 c Pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 c Mango Chunks (fresh or frozen)

Instructions

  1. Blend ingredients together until mix is completely smooth. Spread puree onto silicone mat and dehydrate at 135f for 8-10 hours.
  2. To make in the oven: Spread fruit puree onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake at the lowest setting with the oven door slightly ajar for 6-8 hours.
  3. Once cooled completely, you can store these in a tightly-sealed glass jar.
  4. Makes 2 trays/8 servings.
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Whipped Coconut Strawberry Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo Friendly)

February 12, 2012 By 9 Comments

February is a big month in our home.  Birthdays, anniversary and more… With all of the hustle and bustle, school and work schedules, it is a wonder we manage to get anything done.

Still, especially when it comes to birthdays, it is important to give each event the special attention it deserves.

This year my second oldest daughter turns eight.  In our family, in our church, this is a tremendous milestone.

This year she has the opportunity to be baptized, and for this we are expecting family from all over the state to come celebrate with us.

Eight is the year we have designated as the time when our girls can get their ears pierced.  If for no other reason than because it is the same age when I got my ears pierced, eight is our year.

Eight is also a year when she will be given more responsibility around the house…her little chores will become more purposeful as will our ability to rely and trust on her, dependent upon her actions.

Eight is a great year, and one we decided to start off with a bang.

When my daughter asked me to make her a strawberry cake for her birthday, I was not certain she and I had the same goal in mind.

I do believe her idea of a strawberry cake resembled more of the pink, sugar filled, overly sweet version you can find ready-made in the store.

In my mind, I imagined something leaning more towards strawberry shortcake.  Fruit sweetened and light as air.

But because my daughter, this daughter, was diagnosed with a milk allergy at just 17 months old, knowing what soft, pillowy sponge cake layered with strawberries and whipped cream tasted like was not something she could fathom.

In the end, I believe this cake is a bit different from what either of us imagined, yet is every bit as delightful as what either of us hoped for.

Undoubtedly the sponge cake can be made into two thicker layers, although I cannot offer a bake time on those.  For this cake and the purpose of several layers of rich, luscious whipped cream intertwined with strawberry, the four thinner layers work perfectly as a method of flavor delivery and presentation.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Grain-Free,  Soy-Free and Paleo Friendly, could this be a wish come true?

 

 

…I think so.  :)

 

 

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Whipped Coconut Strawberry Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo Friendly)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f. Separate the eggs using the method shared here, placing yolks into large mixing bowl and the whites into warm metal stand-up mixer bowl.
  2. Whip egg whites into stiff peaks and set aside.
  3. In large mixing bowl, whip together yolks, butter-flavored shortening, coconut milk, strawberry puree, agave nectar, sea salt and vanilla extract. Add in coconut flour and baking powder. Gently fold mixture into egg whites and spread batter evenly between four greased 9 inch cake pans.
  4. Bake at 350f for 20 minutes, or until they pass the knife test.
  5.  
  6. Prepare whipped filling. Open chilled coconut milk, removing as much of the cream from the top as you can without getting too much of the coconut water below. Place cream into large, chilled mixing bowl for stand-up mixer. Using medium speed, whip cream until light and fluffy.
  7. While this is happening, blend together arrowroot powder and palm sugar until they resemble powdered sugar, approximately 15 seconds.
  8. Turning the mixer speed to medium-high, slowly add in coconut flour and powdered sugar, doing no more than ¼ powdered sugar at a time. Use as much or as little of this mix as you prefer. Because I was aiming for something between frosting and whipped cream, I used the entire batch for ours.
  9. Once whipped cream is sweetened to your liking, remove from mixer and gently fold in sliced strawberries.
  10. Refrigerate until cakes are completely cooled.
  11. Once cool, layer cake and whipped filling, using ¼ filling mixture between each layer and the remainder of the filling on top.
  12. Garnish with whole strawberries and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 16 Servings.
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Whether you use this to surprise your sweet valentine or simply wish to enjoy a dish that is truly over-the-top, I hope you enjoy this lovely dessert as much as we have.

 

Don’t forget to stop by the Ingredient-Challenge Monday post from last week and share your favorite fennel recipe.  We would love to feature your recipe on our site!

 

Have a wonderful week. xoxo

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