biscuits!!

the day i made this simple biscuit recipe, my roommates had just bought brand new cookie cutters that i could use before they glutified them. yay! not only were they tasty, but they were also cute!

these make a great quick snack with preserves, margarine, or with dinner

biscuits

• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• 3/4 plus 2 tablespoon milk of choice
• 1/2 cup soy-free margarine

PREHEAT oven to 425 degrees

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

in medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg

add the 3/4 cup milk, and mix well with wooden spoon

mix in the margarine with your hands, until fully combined

add remaining milk, mix with spoon

roll the dough on a clean floured surface, and cut out any shape you like, until all the dough is used.

bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden

let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes before removing to cool or eat

mom's delicious almond chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

my mom gave me this awesome recipe. chocolate chip cookies made with almond meal and agave. yum!

if you're like me and like big cookies, i recommend at least doubling the recipe

almond chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

(makes 6 large cookies)

•  1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips 
• 1/4 cup gluten free oats

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees

in medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt

in small bowl combine oil, agave, and vanilla

add wet to dry

stir in chocolate chips and oats

drop onto parchment lined baking sheet

bake 5-7 minutes

let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then cool on rack

dumpling revelation

 i've been thinking about making dumplings all week long. 

i haven't actually had a dumpling in a really long time, i don't even really remember what they taste like, and this being the first time making my own dumplings, i wasn't expecting much. turns out, for me, there was more heart in the hype than in the act. i think i've really just been craving the idea of dumplings.

 once i finally got around to making them, the romance was lost. the ratio of vegetable to dough just didn't seem worth it. consuming almost a cup of flour and only 5 teaspoons of blended vegetables per serving didn't sit well with me. i like my vegetables. and protein. and i discovered, when i'm eating dinner, i want more of those than flour.

still, this recipe was fun to experiment with, and using my new bamboo steamer and dumpling press was a good time. maybe if your attachment to dumplings is stronger than mine, you will appreciate this more than i do. 

dumplings

 (makes at least 12)

           filling

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, halved and sliced
• 5-6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can small red beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 heaping cups of kale, broken into small pieces 
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons liquid coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

in medium pan, heat oil, garlic, ginger, and onion on medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning, for about five minutes

add carrot, stir for 3 minutes

add mushroom, stir another 3 minutes

add beans and let everything sit for about three minutes

stir everything again, add kale and water, and cover

after about 3 minutes, add coconut aminos, and chili power

cover and cook for a few more minutes, until carrots and kale are cooked.

drain for a few minutes, to remove as much moisture as possible

add to a food processor and blend ingredients to small chopped size

(the last step is pretty important, if you want to taste and get all the ingredients into one dumpling.)

 

        dumpling dough

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 10-12 tablespoons cold water

in medium mixing bowl, combine flours and xanthan gum, whisk to combine

add oil and water, and blend with your hands

roll out onto floured board, let sit a few minutes with a towel over it

 

taking one small ball of dough at a time, flatten out in your hand, and add about a teaspoon of the vegetables. i used a dumpling press, which worked well and made the dumplings come out pretty darn cute, but you can fold the dough by hand and use a spoon to seal and crimp the ends.

add the dumplings to your bamboo steamer, and steam for 5-10 minutes, until dough is more translucent, and cooked.

then add your steamed dumplings to a frying pan with a little sesame oil and fry each side to brown slightly. 

while doing that, i also threw some broccoli into the bamboo steamer and served my dumplings with that.

(for the sauce, i didn't really measure anything out, but i combined some garlic chili sauce, cashew butter, rice vinegar, fresh grated ginger, sesame oil, coconut aminos and let sit in the fridge for a few minutes.)

banana bread loaf!!

mmm as i type this the smell of the bread is filling my room.....
this bread came out awesome. soft, moist, fluffy, not too sweet, filling, and refined sugar-free even!

banana bread loaf

• 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour!)
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 2/3 cup milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

PREHEAT oven to 350 F
in medium mixing bowl, add dry ingredients, whisk well
in smaller bowl, combine oil, applesauce, agave, milk, and vanilla
add wet to the dry ingredients, mix well
fold in mashed bananas until mixed with batter
put in a greased loaf pan
bake 35-45 minutes (when a toothpick comes out of the center clean, it's done)
let cool in the loaf tin 20 minutes
remove from tin and serve warm, or finish cooling
(i think it tastes the best the day after)

try not to eat it all at once!

vegetable curry, dal, and naan!

i was craving Indian cuisine for dinner so i whipped this up!

vegetable curry

• 2 tablespoons soy free margarine
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 zucchinis, sliced
• 1/2 a head of cauliflower, chopped
•  3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 3 vine tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• 2 cups long grain brown rice, cooked
• cilantro, chopped, for garnish

in a medium saucepan, heat margarine

add and saute onion and garlic until onion soft 

add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil

simmer for about 20 minutes, until all vegetables are cooked through

add pepper to taste

turn off heat, and let the sauce thicken (about 5 minutes)

add over brown rice

top with cilantro

Dal

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 vine tomato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons mustard seed
• about 2 cups spinach, chopped
• grated carrot, for garnish
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped 
• salt and pepper, to taste

in a medium saucepan, bring broth, lentils, turmeric, garlic, ginger, tomato, and onion to a boil

reduce heat and simmer for 30-50 minutes, until lentils are soft

once cooked, add salt and pepper to taste

mash the lentils

add mustard and spinach, stirring on low heat to cook the spinach

turn off heat and cover until ready to serve

top with shredded carrot and cashews

naan

for the "naan" i made my no yeast pizza crust dough, and simply added some extra spices to the dough.

i added about 1 teaspoon curry powder, and 1/ 2 teaspoon garlic powder

once rolled out on the baking sheet, i sprinkled the top with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

yum!

did you know?

there could be wheat (among other things) in your xanthan gum!?!

Xanthan gum may be derived from a variety of source products that are themselves common allergens, such as corn, wheat, dairy, or soy. As such, persons with known sensitivities or allergies to food products are advised to avoid foods including generic xanthan gum or first determine the source for the xanthan gum before consuming the food.

Specifically, an allergic response may be triggered in people sensitive to the growth medium, usually corn, soy, or wheat. For example, residual wheat gluten has been detected on xanthan gum made using wheat. This may trigger a response in people highly sensitive to gluten. Some consider this to be a separate allergy to xanthan gum with similar symptoms to gluten allergy. Xanthan gum is a "highly efficient laxative", according to a study that fed 15g/day for 10 days to 18 normal volunteers. Some people react to much smaller amounts of xanthan gum, with symptoms of intestinal bloating and diarrhea.^[12]

^{when buying/using xanthan gum, do some research. find out where it comes from and what medium it was grown on.} 

^{if you are a celiac that is also super sensitive to corn or soy, i recommend using guar gum instead.}

^{more info here} 

new cookbook!

i have been baking up a storm with my newest cookbook, the allergen-free baker's handbook!

every recipe i have tried so far has come out absolutely amazing. i wish i could share the recipes with you, but you're going to have to get the book if you wanna cook!

plus it has all these amazing and helpful facts, substitution ideas, and even a list of the supplies and tools you might need along the way.

perfect addition to any allergy friendly kitchen.

can't wait to try the breads, but for now, look at these sweets!!

 

 chocolate cupcakes with chocolate butter cream frosting

 

strawberry shortcake with vegan whipped topping

golden agave cupcakes with personal chocolate cashew frosting

strawberries were on sale this week :)