I could’ve sworn I’d told you about this cake, and yet I don’t find any mention of it. So, I hope this isn’t a rerun for you.
Aunt Elsie’s Banana Cake has been a family favorite at our house for well over twenty years. I made it all the time, so, when I had to start baking wheat/gluten free, I knew this was the first cake I would try. It baked beautifully.
A few years later, I had to tweak the recipe again, this time using almond milk to replace the dairy milk and applesauce instead of eggs. The cake took each of these changes in stride, I can’t seem to go wrong with it. It still is my go-to cake when I want to bake something that I know will actually turn out. Back in the day, when the kids all lived at home, I baked it in a 9×13 pan. Now that it’s just Kevin and I, I bake it in 2 – 8×8 pans. We eat one, freeze the other. (Cake recipe below.)
Last time I baked this cake, instead of making up my usual frosting, I opted for the vegan “Miss Jones Baking Co. Cream Cheese Flavored Frosting” which Bradley and I found at Whole Foods.
I opened the container. It looked and smelled like cream cheese frosting. Stirred it up – kinda dry. The texture actually reminded me of spackling. (Check out pic below.)
Definitely needed to be warmed up just a bit in the microwave. Then it spread on the cake smooth as butter.
It said on the container that I might want to microwave it for 5-10 seconds. I did 9 seconds, then another 6. That softened it up and it frosted the cake nicely. The flavor works great with the banana cake. While it doesn’t taste, exactly, like cream cheese frosting, I’d say it’s close; especially when you consider there is no cream cheese, milk or butter in it! All in all, it is good, very good, and very sweet. Tastes a lot like something you’d get at a bakery. I will definitely buy this again… for my banana cake and I think I want to try it in a pumpkin roll.
Aunt Elsie’s Banana Cake (wheat free and vegan)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. shortening
½ c. applesauce
1 c. mashed bananas (about 3)
½ c. sour milk (Add ½ tsp. vinegar to your milk alternative, let it set for awhile before using.)
2 c. flour alternative*
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum (Unless if your flour alternative is a pre-made mixture already containing xanthan gum.)
Cream sugar and shortening. Then add applesauce and bananas. Stir. Add milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder, soda and xanthan gum. Stir to mix. Pour batter in greased pan(s) & bake at 350 degrees.
Bake for 35-45 minutes in 2- 8×8 pans or 1- 9×13 pan, 25 minutes in layers or 50-55 minutes in loaf pan. Check if done with either a knife or toothpick, which should come out clean.
Cool before frosting.
Top with walnuts, if desired.
Just waiting to be frosted!Look at that!!Yum!
*(I used the flour mixture I blogged about in my 2nd post “In the Beginning: Our First Encounter with Food Allergies”. If you’re interested, the recipe for the mixture can be found at:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
While cleaning up the kitchen one afternoon, I had the TV on. I flipped around the channels, came to PBS and stopped at “Lidia’s Italian Table”, featuring Lidia Bastianich. I love watching her cook. Sadly, many of her recipes don’t work for me, but that day, she was making cabbage rolls. I make cabbage rolls!
As she cooked, I listened with half an ear, looking occasionally at the TV as I continued cleaning up. She started to talk about the prepping of her cabbage leaves. I stopped washing dishes and watched what she was doing. She had me captivated. She was using an Italian cabbage, but I was pretty sure her tips would work with the cabbage I had in my fridge. (I had just a basic green, round cabbage you can pick up at any grocery store.) At the end of her show, my mind was blown! She had just passed on some awesome tips on prepping the cabbage for cabbage rolls.
After I’d finished cleaning up the kitchen, I proceeded to make a new mess – a dinner of delicious (and pleasing to the eye) cabbage rolls; using Lidia’s tips for the cabbage prep and my own recipe for the tomato sauce to cook them in.
Her tips:
After carefully peeling the individual leaves off the cabbage head, trim the spine on each leaf.
What I did: First I carefully peeled off 6 individual leaves. Next, using a paring knife, I carefully shaved the spine down, so it was flush with the rest of the leaf; careful not to take too much off, thus splitting the leaf in half. I did this to all 6 leaves.
Steam the individual leaves, making them pliable for rolling. (She didn’t show exactly how to do this, so I kinda faked it.)
What I did: I used my small veggie steamer pan, putting all six of my leaves in the basket. (I cupped them all together.) I steamed them for about 2 minutes. Uncovered the pan and took the basket out and placed it on a cutting board so it could cool.
So, now I’m going to give you the recipe for my cabbage rolls, incorporating my newly acquired knowledge.
Cabbage Rolls
This recipe is for 6 cabbage rolls
Carefully peel individual leaves off the cabbage head and trim the spine of each leaf as instructed above.
Trimming the spine off the cabbage leaf.I’m hoping you can zoom in on this pic. I didn’t do a closeup of leaf, because I wanted you to see the “spine” which I trimmed off. If you do zoom in, you’ll see how closely you want to trim the spine.
Steam the cabbage leaves as instructed above.
While cabbage leaves are cooling, combine your meat mixture.
1 pound ground beef
Ian’s Gluten Free Panko Bread Crumbs
Diced onion & sweet peppers, chopped parsley
Season with salt and pepper
Combine ingredients and form into 6 small patties (or maybe you’d call them giant, somewhat flat meatballs) that will fit in each cabbage leaf.
From steamer basket, carefully remove one cabbage leaf at a time, so as not to tear them. Place your small patty/giant flat meatball in leaf and slowly roll it up; folding in the edges of the leaf when you get about ¾ of the way rolled up. Finish rolling and place each cabbage roll with “flap side” down on a plate. Next, prepare your tomato sauce.
In large pan/skillet combine :
1 qt. tomato juice
14. 5 oz. can stewed tomatoes (If looks like too much, you can go with half the can.)
Season to taste with garlic powder, basil, oregano, celery seed, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Place each cabbage roll in tomato mixture, flap side down. Cook, covered, on medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, checking to be sure the cabbage rolls are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. You may also want to drizzle the tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls, so they don’t dry out.
First 2 cabbage rolls into the pan. Check out that sauce, the chunks of tomatoes, the herbs… We’re on our way to a great meal!All six ready to go. Seriously, those are some nice looking cabbage rolls.
I have to tell you, the combination of removing the majority of the spine and steaming the leaves allowed me to create the prettiest cabbage rolls I have ever made – seriously.
The finished product. Now that is a thing of beauty.
Serve warm with a hot vegetable or two. I like baked squash with mine, as well as maybe, steamed green beans or carrots.
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
Recently, Bradley was home for 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks – being in the same house the whole time, afforded us the opportunity to do a little cooking and baking together.
I suggested we pull out an old favorite, Aunt Sue’s (my sister-in-law) recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They’re just a good, chocolate chip cookie. They always had the nicest consistency; held together nicely, yet soft and chewy. Almost with a slight “crisp” to it, when you took a bite. Sue always said using a ratio of half shortening and half butter (instead of just butter) gave the cookies their nice feel.
(This recipe makes a lot of cookies – she raised 5 kids. You can easily cut this recipe in half.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter substitute
Cream together.
Then add:
1 cup applesauce
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups sugar
Mix together. Then add:
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp xanthan gum*
2 tsp vanilla
5 ½ – 6 cups gluten free flour**
Enjoy Life Mini Chips Semi Sweet – Add as many as you want, you know you will anyway. 😉
Bake 11-13 minutes.
*If you’re using a packaged, pre-mixed gluten free flour mixture, chances are they’ve already added the xanthan gum for you. Read your label.
** Two things about the flour:
Yes, that’s a lot of flour, but as you know, gluten free flour has a lighter, airy consistency; meaning you use a little more. When it comes to the last cup of flour and I’m unsure how much more I should add, I bake one or two “test cookies”. (Which are always fun to eat, even if they’re a little flat.) Bradley also mentioned, refrigerating the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking makes a nice difference.
I use the gluten free flour mixture I posted about in my 2nd post, “In the Beginning: Our First Encounter with Food Allergies”. The recipe for the flour blend is towards the end of that post. I’m also putting it below for you, in case you’re like me and don’t have the patience to look it up.
Mixing them up!
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Link to my 2nd post – “In the Beginning: Our First Encounter with Food Allergies.”:
Carol’s Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour Blend (Found in “Gluten-Free 101, by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.”)
1 ½ cups sorghum flour 1 cup tapioca flour
1 ½ cups potato starch ½ cup almond flour
Combine all ingredients. Store in freezer in freezer tight container.
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
Recently, on his way back from the butcher, Brent dropped off several packages of a new beef cut Triple H Ranch is now carrying – Beef Stir Fry/Fajita Meat.
Check out Triple H Ranch on their Facebook page.
I googled fajita recipes. I flipped through cookbooks. (I’ve tried my hand at fajitas before, but they always tasted a lot like glorified tacos. I wanted my fajitas to sizzle, to have that tangy pop when you eat them.) Each recipe listed their own mixture of spices – all similar to each other and to taco seasoning. I compiled a list of all the different spices and chose the ones I wanted to use.
I read some more and I discovered, why fajitas don’t taste like tacos. You’re supposed to marinate fajita meat. Every recipe stressed the importance of preparing the marinade ahead of time and marinating the meat for 2 to 24 hours (never less & never more).
Each recipe also called for either lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice or red wine vinegar. I had found the “tang” I was looking for.
Then, Betty Crocker (Whom I turn to, a lot, for cooking & baking advice.) suggested broiling the meat in a 500 degree oven – talk about sizzle! Also, talk about HOT. 500 degrees is HOT!!! (Remember I am a mother first and a cook second – so be careful! Don’t burn yourself. ) If you are comfortable using the broiler in your oven, follow those instructions. (Personally it has taken me several ovens and years and three oven fires to be comfortable using the broil setting. For years the only reason I used the broil setting was to brown the meringue on a lemon meringue pie.) If you aren’t comfortable using the broiler you can use the stove top instructions. (I’ve made really good fajita meat on the stove too.) If using the broiler, be sure you have an appropriate pan to broil in, I have my Gram’s old cast iron skillet; it works like a charm.
So, on two different nights, about four weeks apart, I made fajitas. One night my recipe included lime juice, the other night I used the red wine vinegar. Each had its’ own unique flavor. The recipe I’m going to give you actually lets you make the choice of whether you want to use the lime juice or the red wine vinegar – it calls for a ¼ cup of either.
Fajitas – Served Dairy & Wheat Free
1 ½ lb. fajita meat (If you’re using Triple H Ranch Fajita Meat, it’s ready to go. If you’re using another cut of steak, you’ll want to cut it into 1” strips.)
The Marinade:
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup lime juice OR ¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ – 1 tsp. red pepper (Cayenne) – optional & to taste
Salt & pepper
The Veggies (You’ll sauté these while you’re cooking the steak.):
1 or 2 sweet onions, sliced
2 sweet peppers, cut into ¼ inch strips
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
Refrigerate veggies until you’re ready to cook.
The Process:
In a glass bowl combine all marinade ingredients and stir. Place steak in bowl, turning it, to coat meat. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours – turning it occasionally.
Fajita meat in the marinade.
Cooking the meat can be done in the oven on broil or on the stove top.
Broil: Set oven to broil. Place steak, along with the marinade, in large cast iron skillet. You’ll cook the meat, uncovered, about 3 inches below the broiler. Broil around 8 minutes before turning the meat. Broil another 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven. Swirl the meat around in the marinade remaining in the pan.
Stove Top: Turn stove to medium – medium high heat. Place steak, along with the marinade, in a fry pan or skillet. Cook the meat, uncovered, around 8 minutes before turning the meat. Cook another 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Swirl the meat around in the marinade remaining in the pan.
The finished product.
(If you prefer to cook the steak without the marinade, your cooking time will not be quite as long. Cooking without the marinade means your steak could dry out. (Cooking time also depends on your preference as to how rare you do or do not like your steak.)
Don’t forget your veggies! Using a fry pan, sauté your onions and peppers in oil, while meat is cooking.
Serve your fajita meat with Mission Gluten Free Tortilla Shells’, ‘So Delicious Coconut Milk Unsweetened Plain Yogurt Alternative’ your sautéed veggies, either ‘daiya Cheddar Style Shreds’ or ‘Violife Just Like Cheddar’, shredded lettuce, salsa and guacamole. (Product links are below.)
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
The Fourth of July is just days away! Like, TWO DAYS away!! Are you getting together with family over the holiday weekend? Still trying to think of a tasty dessert that is simple and quick to make? One that won’t require a lot of “oven” time? Especially if you’re into day 5 of an expected 12 day heat wave? I have just what you’re looking for – “Big Boy” Strawberry Pie! Yes, that’s right, the same strawberry pie you used to get, as a kid, when you went to Big Boy, with your family.
Not only is this pie, which is made with fresh strawberries, fast and easy to make; if you’re in Michigan, right now it’s super easy to find delicious, locally grown strawberries. ( Mid-June and into July is Michigan’s strawberry season.)
I love strawberry season! We had a strawberry patch for 20 years. While it was an absolute pain to maintain – weeds, weeds and more weeds coupled with grumbling kids who hated picking berries and helping to weed; it was still just the best. I loved it when our kids would run out to the berry patch and grab a handful of berries as they played in the yard. Or when our friend’s son Jax would visit and the first thing he would ask is if he could pick some berries. You just can’t beat a homegrown strawberry. Especially the first berry of the season, I always got to eat the first berry. And for the first week or two, before they were all coming on at once; Kevin would go out before work and pick a ripe berry or two and leave them for me on the kitchen table with the newspaper. And I made lots of fresh strawberry pies. I really love strawberry season.
I hadn’t been thinking about strawberry pie the other day, when we stopped at a small Amish market to pick up some fresh strawberries. I was thinking about freezing some of them, eating others in my oatmeal for a couple of mornings, having some as a snack or maybe in a salad. I thought about the pie after Brent said we should have a cookout at their house on Sunday, since the guys would be grinding feed that day.
So I made the pie. I didn’t think to take any pictures until it was time to cut it. I was pretty sure I’d already posted this recipe before, but on a whim decided to take a picture just in case. Later I looked through my notes of my previous posts and I didn’t find any mention of strawberry pie. After our lunch, I actually had a couple of pieces to bring home. The next day I took the pictures of the last slice of pie.
Enough chatter. Time is short and if you want to put this pie together, you may still have to run after some ingredients.
I can tell you this is not a family recipe passed down over generations. It’s not a “secret”. It’s a recipe found in countless church cookbooks, and for good reason. It’s comfort food, a seasonal indulgence; a cool, sweet slice of summer. (I’ve based my “allergy friendly” recipe on a recipe I found in the ‘St. Mary Church, Westphalia Michigan – 150th Anniversary Cookbook pg. 203 with three contributors named. Thank you ladies, it’s delicious!)
“Big Boy” Strawberry Pie – Free of Dairy, Egg and Wheat
1 Wholly gluten free Pie Shell (Wholly Wholesome) – Bake as instructed on label. Let cool.
4 cups fresh strawberries – halved
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 – 3 oz. pkg. strawberry jello
3 Tablespoons potato starch
½ cup water
Combine sugar and 1 cup water, bring to a boil. Stir in a paste of the potato starch and ½ cup of water. Boil until clear and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in jello. Cool. Fold in berries and pour into baked pie shell. Place pie in refrigerator for several hours until jello sets. Serve pie with a dollop of So Delicious CoCo Whip on each slice. (Before we had dairy allergies in our house, I used to top the whole pie with whipped topping and garnish with fresh strawberries on top. Now I simply serve it with a dollop of whipped topping on each slice; giving everyone the option of either the Coco Whip or otherwise a dairy based whipped cream on their individual slice.)
Just started cutting it. Look at those berries!
Again, can you see the berries?
Look at that!
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping.
Have a great Fourth of July! Be safe, stay healthy.
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
You may remember, in my most recent post, I made an off the cuff remark about Kevin writing a guest post for me. Don’t get all excited, he’s not going there. But, I did have a couple of family members slip up and mention that they were bored because they’re currently not working. We all know what any self-respecting mom does when she hears someone utter the words, “I’m bored”. She finds something for them to do, and since both of them are out of state; cleaning out my closets wasn’t an option. I suggested they might write a guest post for me. Both being good sports and extremely bored, they said yes. Lucky for you, they’re both excellent cooks, so get ready for some good recipes!
This week’s guest blogger is our oldest son, Bradley. You will see by his writing style that he has a bit of his mother’s sarcastic nature. You may also pick up on the fact that our quest for finding out why he had a stomach ache ALL the time and just plainly felt like crap was a long one; almost 2 years. So, yes there were lots of doctor visits, a five day hospitalization, tests, gall bladder removal and then some more doctor visits before finally finding an allergist that tested for food allergies. The rest is history…
And here we go:
Hi! My name is Bradley; I am Brenda’s first pain in the butt (read as eldest child) I was the one that made food allergies a thing in the house… I didn’t mean to, I swear!
Back in 2003 after going to the doctor, oh 1,000 times, Mom told one of my 50 doctors that she wanted me to be tested for food allergies, so we did it… Guess what, those 1,000 doctor visits were not necessary! I had food allergies!! So, we took on the “simple” task of changing my diet to get rid of all Wheat, Corn, and Soy… sounds easy right? NOT! Especially not at that time… If you’ve read this blog before you know what an ordeal this process was, so I will spare you the details (hint, hint keep reading if this has you intrigued).
I adjusted to life and kept living, but my allergies decided I needed to give up more. In 2011 I started breaking out in HIVES! After my mom helped me clean my apartment top to bottom, and I was still having issues she asked me, “What are you eating?” I told her I was trying to start a breakfast routine (I have never been much of a breakfast person; sleep has always been more important). I was making one or two eggs every morning for breakfast. I thought I was making a healthy choice – eggs for breakfast is great, if you’re not allergic to them… Mom sent me to the allergist, lo and behold I was allergic to egg…
With this crushing blow to my breakfast routine, I stopped eating breakfast for a little while – then I realized I was still hungry! So, I combined some different tips and tricks (along with things found in my pantry) to come up with my own Breakfast Potatoes! Here is the recipe and some directions on how to prepare.
Ingredients:
4 Potatoes (I find the best results with “thin” skinned potatoes white, gold, red, etc)
1/3 of an onion (any kind will do, or use 1 TBSP onion flakes if you are out of fresh)
4 cloves fresh garlic (no fresh garlic? Use garlic powder or garlic salt or to taste)
Olive Oil (or preferred or available cooking oil)
1 tsp. Kosher salt (or to taste also use less if using garlic salt)
1 tsp. Black Pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp. Paprika
½ tsp. Chili Powder
¼ tsp. Thyme (can use parsley or rosemary will change taste some but still really good)
¼ tsp. Oregano (same as above really depends what is in the pantry)
½ tsp+ Crushed Red Pepper flakes (optional) (I like spicy potatoes)
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional) (yeah still like more spice…)
½ cup water
Directions:
If using fresh onion – peel, wash, and chop the onion into small pieces.
If using fresh garlic – peel, wash, and mince the garlic into small pieces.
Use a non-stick skillet or seasoned cast iron skillet, add enough oil in to coat the bottom.
Place onion and garlic in the skillet and oil – let this sit while you finish prepping.
Thoroughly wash your potatoes, leave the skin on if using a thin-skin potato.
Cut the potatoes into small squares.
Turn the stove on medium – medium high (depends on your stove and skillet)
Let the onion and garlic start to cook in the oil, careful not to overcook the garlic, stir with a spatula/flipper.
As the onions start to become clear add your potatoes.
Add your dry seasonings and ½ cup of water.
Cover your skillet with a lid and let simmer for approx. 20 min or until potatoes are soft.
Remove the lid and cook the potatoes to desired crispiness.
Remove from the heat, let cool, and enjoy!
I made some Just Egg scramble with mine (I used the same skillet I cooked the potatoes in because I didn’t want to do more dishes).
He serves his potatoes and eggs with Frank’s Red Hot. Big surprise.
Thank you so much Bradley!
You guys gotta try these! And thanks for stopping!!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
First of all, I want to say “Hello” to everyone and I’m hoping you’re all safe and healthy. While the ‘Shelter in Place’ has kept many at home, I’ve not been one of them – as is the case for many of you I’m sure. I work for a company that supports agriculture. My hours have temporarily increased and I’m working extra days. At the end of the day, I’m not exactly a bundle of energy when I get home. I’m not doing a lot of cooking or baking. Okay, to be honest, I’m not cooking or baking AT ALL. And I just haven’t been very motivated to write either. And now, time for a “Shout Out” to my hubby, Kevin, who’s taken on laundry, dishes and having dinner on the table for us, every night, when I get home! Woohoo!! Yay Kevin! Now if I could just get him to write a couple guest posts for me. Hhhmmm…
But… just because I’m super busy, doesn’t mean I’m not craving a good cookie. Good news for me was that, today, I didn’t have to go into work until after lunch. I’d have time to bake cookies, but not a ton of time. I had to complete the whole process, from start to finish, in about 45 minutes to an hour – because I had my grandson Duke for the morning and that’s about all you get from him in his morning nap. I decided to pull out a recipe that is an oldie but a goodie, a three ingredient peanut butter cookie; which we started making about 15 years ago, when Bradley was diagnosed with his wheat, corn and soy allergies.
I call this recipe “Brenda’s Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies” because I’ve kind of made it my own – by using the JUST Egg instead of one egg, which the original recipe called for.
Brenda’s Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons* JUST Egg
That’s it, just 3 ingredients! (JUST Egg link below.)
If you want, you can add “Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Mini Chips”. (Which technically makes these a four ingredient cookie, but because they’re optional, I’m not counting them.)
Link below.
Put all three ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir. (At this point, if you’re so inclined, and feeling a little wild, go ahead and add those ”Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chips”, you rebel.) Roll cookies into balls, but you don’t have to, as you will see in my pictures. Dip fork in water and put hash marks on each cookie.
Plain peanut butter. I didn’t roll these cookies into balls. Peanut butter chocolate chip.Obviously I didn’t roll these cookies into balls either.
Bake 9-10 minutes.
Looking a little flatter than I’d like, next time I’ll only use 3 Tablespoons JUST Egg. Still taste good!
That’s it! And I mixed up and baked the cookies, took pics and got to eat two cookies before Duke woke up.
*You’ll notice in my pic I mention the cookies are a little flat & I blame that on the fact that I used ¼ cup JUST Egg. So that’s why I say use 3 Tablespoons JUST Egg.
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
Hoping everyone is doing alright as we all learn to adjust to our new normal.
Without further delay, I give you my egg free, dairy free and wheat free crepe recipe.
Egg Free, Dairy Free and Wheat (Gluten) Free Crepes
1 cup gluten free flour
½ cup JUST Egg
½ cup almond milk (or your favorite milk )
½ cup water
Dash of salt
2 Tablespoons melted Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or your favorite)
1 teaspoon vanilla
In large bowl, whisk together the flour, JUST Egg and gradually add the milk and water. Whisk in salt, melted butter and vanilla. Beat till smooth.
I don’t have all of the ingredients in this picture, but I wanted to show you what the batter looks like.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. (I used an 11” pan. I told you we’re big eaters.) Scoop approximately ¼ cup batter into pan and kind of swirl the pan around to spread the batter into a thin layer, completely covering the bottom of the pan.
Side one, ready to flip.
Cook crepe about 2 minutes until bottom is light brown. Loosen the edges with a spatula, before flipping. Cook other side for another minute or so.
Cooked, but not stuffed, crepe.
Two ways you may want to serve your delicious crepes:
1.) Serve hot, filled with fresh fruit and Coco Whip, fold it over and top with more Coco Whip…or not. (We sprinkled a little powdered sugar on our peaches.)
I only have a picture of the fruit stuffed crepe. None with the ham and cheese.
2.) Serve hot, stuffed with hot ham and daiya Cheddar Style Shreds: Cook up some sliced ham, sprinkle some daiya Cheddar Style Shreds on the hot ham while in the pan. (Daiya doesn’t like to melt very well, so a little time on top of hot ham in a hot pan definitely helps the cause.) Fill the crepe with the ham & daiya cheddar mixture and fold over.
Enjoy!
Just in case you’re wondering: How in the world do I know what size my frying pan is? I googled it. I wasn’t sure what size my pan was. It’s actually very simple.
To properly measure a frying pan simply grab a measuring tape in one hand and then place the frying pan right side up on a flat surface. Then stretch the measuring tape across the center of the top side of the pan. Read the measurement from the top to get the proper frying pan measurement.Feb 22, 2018 www.eatbydate.com
That’s it for this week. Stay Home, Stay Healthy! Thank you to everyone doing their part to help stop the spread of Covid-19, and special thanks to everyone on the front lines fighting this virus. (Those in the public eye and those we never see.)
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
Over the past couple of months, Kevin and I have fallen way off the “healthy eating” wagon. Time to climb back on!
We went to the grocery store together, a real rarity; because Kevin doesn’t “do” groceries. It was a nice change having him shop with me. Our goal was to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. We were looking for fresh veggies we could eat as both snacks and at meals. Kevin mentioned stir fry and said he’d like fresh pea pods. The only fresh pea pods we could find were either the giant bag of Mann’s Stringless Sugar Snap Peas or a package, which was about a quarter of the size as the Mann’s for the same price. We’ll take the big bag please! We could use them in our stir fry, eat them raw as a snack, and also for a hot vegetable with another meal or two.
The package, empty… they really were very tasty.
On the back of the package I found the recipe for Snap Pea Parmigiano. Sounded good (without the Parmigiano cheese) and simple to make.
I made them last night. I, basically, followed the package instructions (minus the cheese), decided to add some fresh asparagus and instead of “sprinkling with salt” – I sprinkled with Salt Free Zesty Blend Garlic Herb seasoning (Kroger brand) and fresh ground pepper. Viola’! Perfection. What a nice addition to our dinner.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or
be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each
individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety.
I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your
allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover
her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
Chocolate pudding made with avocado, I’ve heard about it for years. Was I intrigued? Yes, but I just didn’t know if I was feeling it. I kept pushing it to the back of my mind. Then one day I looked in my refrigerator’s veggie drawer. There they were, alongside the carrots & celery; two forlorn looking avocados, just begging to be put to good use. It was time to just do it…time to make chocolate avocado pudding! I forgot to mention my version will be dairy free!
I took to Google for recipes. One of the first recipes I found sounded easy, maybe too easy. To paraphrase, the author said she’d “seen the pudding in the store…ingredients were simple…looked delicious…substitutions available…vary to taste”. It sounded as if she hadn’t tasted or even made the pudding; just looked at the package and wrote about it. There was nothing about how it TASTED. And substitutions are available, means what? What exactly is it I’m substituting? Just how do I vary – what? to taste?
I did some more looking. I found https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ and her recipe for Avocado Chocolate Mousse. Her second paragraph caught my attention; in it she mentioned a previous encounter trying to make chocolate avocado mousse and the fact that it took her five years to even think about trying it again. I like that kind of honesty and if she’s been that traumatized and is now going to try it again, its’ gotta be good.
Now I had a recipe I liked, but I just couldn’t find the motivation to make it. My little avocados couldn’t wait much longer. I needed a little push. My sister, Darlene, provided the needed catalyst. She mentioned she was going to the Better Health Store. I asked her if she could pick up some Coco Whip; telling her I planned to make chocolate avocado mousse and would serve the Coco Whip with the pudding. By doing this, I’ve now committed to this project. I know she’s going to expect an update. (She probably also was hoping I’d share it with her. I didn’t. Sorry about that. Next time.)
For the most part, I followed Katie’s recipe, so I don’t have a recipe of my own. I’m posting her recipe below and you’ll see – within the recipe – I’ve made comments (in bold italics) regarding what I did differently than her.
Before I give you the recipe, here are a few things you will want to pay attention to.
1.) Her recipe uses regular cocoa, as well as Dutch cocoa (OR melted chocolate chips). There is a difference between regular and Dutch cocoa and a reason for using both.
Here’s a short explanation:
Regular cocoa is intense and full flavored; it’s also somewhat acidic. Dutch processed cocoa (also called Dutched or European-style) is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acidity. The treatment process, invented by a Dutchman in 1828, smoothes and mellows the cocoa’s flavor and darkens its color. Cocoa Powder: Regular vs. Dutch – Article – FineCooking https://www.finecooking.com › article › cocoa-powder-regular-vs-dutch }
2.) She lists “sweetener of choice” and mentions she uses maple syrup. I like the idea of a liquid sweetener versus a granular one. I’m afraid a granular sweetener might give the pudding a gritty feel.
3.) She said to use a blender or food processor. I used my little personal blender, bad idea. Too small, not up to the job and difficult to get all of the pudding out of it. Next time, I definitely use my food processor.
· 1/4 cup dutch cocoa OR melted chocolate chips** (I didn’t have Dutch cocoa, so I used the melted chocolate chips – I use”Enjoy life semi-sweet mini chips” which are dairy free.)
· 3-4 tbsp milk of choice (I used 5 tbsp almond milk)
· 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
· 1/8 tsp salt(Be sure you use the salt, she said it’s very important.)
· sweetener of choice to taste (I like 1/4 cup pure maple syrup) (I used ¼ cup agave nectar)
Instructions
**You have two options for this recipe: The version with the chocolate chips will be richer; the version with the dutch cocoa (important to use dutch) will be lower in fat and sugar.
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. I used 3 tbsp almond milk, but if you’re not using a liquid sweetener then you might want to add a little extra for a smoother consistency.
My avocados, it was definitely time to use them. Few little brown spots, but they were still good. I cut the brown tops off, which I had read aren’t really a problem. They most likely were bumped and got bruised.My ingredients. Avovcado already in blender.Melted chocolate chips added, but not the cocoa yet.I couldn’t get it to finish mixing very well in my personal blender, so I switched to my 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and a wire whisk. This was after I added the regular cocoa powder.
I put the finished product in the fridge overnight, actually about 24 hours. Personally, I think letting it set a little enhanced the flavor.
How about that!!!Look at that texture.OH MYYYY! Such deliciousness!
I gotta tell ya, this was a big WIN – all around. Super easy to make. Super DELICIOUS!! The recipe made three servings. I probably could have gotten four servings if I’d tried harder, but having only three meant that I got to eat two – for research purposes and poor Kevin only got one. When I asked Kevin his thoughts, he said it was much thicker and creamier than any other pudding he’s had; he liked it a lot. We both thoroughly enjoyed the intense chocolate flavor, it was decadent. While it tasted great with whipped cream, we both agreed it also tasted great without.
The next night, I ate my second dish of research. The consistency of this mousse was really thick, more like a pudding. I always thought mousse was light and fluffy, essentially pudding mixed with whipped cream. I stirred my Coco Whip into it; making it light and fluffy, more of a milk chocolate color instead of the dark chocolate color; what I always thought mousse looked like. (No, I didn’t take a picture after I added the whipped cream. I just wanted to eat it, so you’re going to have to trust me on this.) I sent a picture of the pudding – before I added whipped cream – to my sister, Bethany, who was a pastry chef in a previous life (before kids lol). I asked for her opinion. She said, it definitely looked like pudding and that yes, adding whipped cream would in fact make it a mousse. So, I am calling my creation chocolate avocado pudding (which I did in my title).
I have to say, I don’t think you can go wrong with this dessert. Give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or
be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each
individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety.
I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your
allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover
her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!
