Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I am so excited about this recipe! Do you know why? Because I made it completely up myself. I didn't look at one other recipe. I just threw things in together and it worked! :) And it's even delicious! So delicious, that I'm afraid I ate both of the two versions within the day I made them! :)

Version One: Pictured here and above

Version Two: 

 

So you want the recipe now do you? Looks good, doesn’t it? :) And guess what? It is really healthy for you too!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 + cup  applesauce (you want it slightly overflowing)

1/3 cup agave (or honey, but I would suggest agave, as I used)

1 T. butter or earth balance, melted

1 c. previously cooked/prepared oat* groats  or 1 c. cooked oatmeal (I used oat groats. It gives it more of a chewier texture. If you do use oatmeal, do not use quick oats. Try steel cut and make sure that they are broken up with a spoon after you cook them and before you add them to the recipe.)

*Note: Those with celiac should only consume GF certified oats/ oat groats

1 c. flour (Whole grain GF mixes should work great here, as does whole wheat flour)

1 T. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen (it is not necessary to thaw them if they are frozen before putting them in the recipe)

 

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients together starting with the liquids first and then adding in the dry ingredients.  Next add the blueberries.

Pour into a greased round cake pan or a greased square pan.

Bake at 350 for 35 mins.

Serves 8.

Variation (Version 2)

Mix 1/4-1/2  c. shredded coconut (preferably unsweetened), 1 T. melted butter/earth balance, and about 2 tsp. agave together. Crumble over the top of the cake. Bake.

 

Wondering what oat groats are?

“oat groats = whole oat groats = whole oats  Notes:  Oat groats are minimally processed--only the outer hull is removed.  They're very nutritious, but they're chewy and need to be soaked and cooked a long time.  Substitutes: wheat berries”- From this source

This recipe is being submitted for Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. See more great recipes here!

Chocolate Banana “Ice cream”

To make this simple ice-cream, all you need is a little sweetener, water,  cocoa (1/4- 1/2 c.) and four frozen bananas. Add the frozen bananas in chunks, to your ice-cream maker or food processor and then add cocoa and sweetener (preferably liquid) to taste.  Then add water until it reaches the right consistency. Serves 2-4. YUM!

Yummy, Easy Creations

 

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal   

Melt-in-your-mouth Peanut butter cookies

I’ve been meaning to post about these two for quite a while. Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly how I did each of them (a far as having an exact recipe but I can give you an idea of how to do it since both of them were so delicious and easy. Luckily, I have gotten better at writing down what I do, so hopefully most recipes you see on here will have a “real recipe”. ;)

 

For the chocolate banana oatmeal:

Take one frozen banana or fresh and mash it (reserving a few slices for the top). Add 1/3-1/2 c. dry oatmeal and water. Add in some cocoa powder (I'm guessing about 2-4 T.) and sweetener (I used agave- probably a couple of T.)

 

For the Melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies:

I used absolutely no grains, butter, refined sugar, milk products, gluten, etc! I used peanut flour and agave. I purchase my peanut flour through Emergency Essentials. You can find them online. Anyway, I mixed some peanut butter powder (peanut flour) and agave together with an egg and or baking powder ? until it looked and tasted to be peanut-buttery  and sweet but not overpoweringly peanut buttery or too sweet. I then placed spoonfuls in the oven I think for around 15 mins. I will try and make these sometime soon again and update you on what I did. :) They were so good and melted perfectly in your mouth.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie

Oh my! I just had the best! smoothie :)

I have been a little wary of green smoothies but decided to give it a try (especially since I can't seem to digest spinach by itself [ie. in a salad, or just raw]). Boy, am I glad I did.

My recipe is based off of this one from The Spunky Coconut! Thanks for the inspiration!

I love, love, bananas and peanut butter! And since I don't have any protein powder but wanted some protein in this smoothie, I decided to put peanut butter in it!

So good! I could taste both the peanut butter and the banana. (And I couldn't taste the spinach :)).

Not only is it delicious, this smoothie sneaks in some not usually kid friendly vegetables (which are full of antioxidants- especially good this time of year), protien, fruit, and water to hydrate! And it is not full of sugar or juices. :)

Here's the recipe

3 handfuls baby spinach

2 T. peanut butter (natural)

1/8-1/4. t. powdered stevia

1 c. water

5 icecubes

1 frozen banana, in chunks

Combine in blender and blend well. Makes one very large and filling serving or two normal size servings.

Mini Chicken Meatloaves!

MINI CHICKEN MEATLOAVES

I was flipping through some recipes I had saved and saw one that sounded really good! Of course, I couldn't just leave it like it was, soooo I Ariana'itzed it! :)

First off, I didn't have any ground turkey or chicken (if you want lean ground turkey or chicken, you have to pay an arm and a leg for it, so I never buy it. ) Instead I make my own.

How to make ground chicken or turkey in three easy steps:

First off, I used chicken breast that I half-defrosted and then cut into chunks.

2. Then I pureed it into

ground turkey in my food processor.

3. Put it all together. In the end, I ended up with about two cups of ground turkey. (I tried to

weigh it but my scale wasn't working.) Use it for this recipe or freeze for later use :).

Sorry if those pics are kind of unappetizing but it is so worth it in the end :)

The finished product, well, before cooking :)

Mini Chicken Meatloaves!

Yield: 1 Dozen Mini "Muffin" Size Meatloaves :)

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts (pureed into ground turkey)

1/2 c. chopped carrot (sneak some good veggies in there- your kids won't even notice)

1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I used GF ones I saved from my bread every time crumbs fall off and then put it in the freezer for future use)

1/2 c. sugar-free ketchup + (see my sugar-free recipe on that link :))

1 egg

1 t. marjoram

1 t. salt

sprinkle pepper

Preheat oven for 350. Mix all the ingredients. Distribute evenly into 12 muffin cups (about 3/4 full). Squirt ketchup on the top and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

See this and other entries here at the Simply Indulgent Carnival. Give it a shot! This weeks giveaway is perfect for the coming holidays! A $25 Amazon gift card!

Homemade Sugar-Free Ketchup

I found this recipe and changed it up a bit. :) The original recipe had onion and garlic powder in it but I don't handle those well unfortuntenately! However, this recipe came out wonderful anyway! Here's the end yummy result!

Homemade Sugar-Free Ketchup

Ingredients:

12 0z can (or two 6 oz cans) tomato paste

1/2 c. + 3 T. water

1/4 c. + 1 T. agave nectar (honey will probably work too)

1 t. salt

1/4 t. cumin

3/4 t. cinnamon

2-3 T. apple cider vingear, depending on how tangy you like it :)

Directions: Blend together in a blender or food processor. Pour into sqeezeable container. Store in fridge for a few weeks (if it lasts that long!) Serve with french fries etc. :)

(In case your wondering, yes, my container is an old agave bottle :) that I recycled :))

Easy Beansy Black Bean Soup

I almost called this post easy peasy but I thought, hey easy beansy is more appropriate right? :)

Anyway, with my corn bread, I made a simple nourishing (and inexpensive) soup my aunt taught me to make. It is so delicious! I had two bowls of it today :). It goes great with the my corn on the cob bread.

Here's the simple recipe. It can be made in a snap especially if you used canned beans or you already have some beans prepared.

Take your cooked beans and place the desired amount in your blender or food processor. Add a little water (about 1/4 c. to one cup of beans) and puree. Add more water if necessary, until you reach your desired consistency. Scoop out puree into a pan, warm, and then serve in bowls. Serve with corn on the cob bread! :) Enjoy!

Corn on the Cob Bread

This is version two above, made with 1 c. teff flour and no sweetener (but the rest is the same).
This is version one below, made with 1 c. whole wheat and following the recipe to exactness.

Sorry I have not posted in quite a while! I have been so busy with school and things and just have not had much time to cook or blog.
Here's my newest creation though! Corn on the Cob bread! Yum! I had never heard of this before but I was so intrigued with it that I decided that I would be making this soon! (Usually I just bookmark it thinking "That looks really good! I'll have to make that one of these days!" And then it sits there forever until I get back to it)
Not this time! Stephanie used raw kernels, but I had already cooked my corn so I decide to experiment anyway. The results! Mmm...So tasty! Very moist, and not crumbly or dry like most corn bread. You can really taste the sweet corn flavor too.
I made this twice this weekend. I tried leaving out the sweetener since the corn helps give it a sweet flavor but decided I would at least leave half of it in next time. Also, I think what I would try next time is to leave out the applesauce, leave in the agave, and just try that. I think that would produce the best results. But hey, I ran out of corn on the cob ok? :)
Also, if you use think that it would work better with a GF mix versus just one GF flour if you go that route. Still tasted good though. :)
Just a heads up, it will be quite crumbly when hot but as it cools, it is easier to cut and not as soft.
I still prefer it warm though, especially with "butter" or in my case "Earth Balance" and agave nectar on top! :)
As I was making these I had another idea. I think these would work great as muffins.


In any case, whether you use GF flour or not, the recipe below should work well for you. :) And it's sure delicious! I served it with my easy black bean soup. MMMM :)


Corn on the Cob Bread

This recipe was inspired by my mom's classic corn bread and Stephanie@ Gluten Free by Nature's Corn (on-the-cob) bread.

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of cooked corn on the cob (mine were large so that's about 1-3/4 c.-2 c. cooked corn, this allows you to use fresh corn anytime of year, even if you have to resort to frozen)
• 1 c. flour (GF mix or whole wheat, one time I used whole wheat and one time I used teff but I suggest a mix, see above explanation)
• 1/4 c. agave nectar or honey (I used agave)
• 1/4 c. applesauce (or oil, but my philosophy is to put it where you can taste it most-on the bread!)
• 4 t. baking powder
• 1-1/2 eggs (I used one whole egg and one egg white)
• 1/2 t. salt

Directions: Preheat oven for 425. In a blender or a food processor (which I used) puree corn on the cob (after it's been cut off) until fine. Then in a bowl combine the flour, sweetener, salt, baking powder, and pureed corn. Stir with a spoon or mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir again. Pour into a greased square pan. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until top is brown AND bread comes clean when checked with a toothpick. :) If the top gets brown before the bread is ready, cover it with foil and place it back in the oven.

I entered this for Slightly Indulgent Monday's. Check it out here.

3-in-1 Peanut Butter Cookies, Muffins, and Bread

I was craving peanut butter so badly last night!... I decided to make something with peanut butter. I started out making cookies (inspired by a recipe by Amy from Simply Indulgences and also another recipe that I've seemed to misplace) but the dough came out more bread like soooooo I decided to experiment and see!

So I ended up making a small pan of about 12 cookies, a tin of 6 muffins, and mini loaf pan of bread! They all came out gorgeously! Yum!

In the future, I would use agave or honey instead of stevia and decrease the water amount accordingly. See the recipe for details on that. I also would like more peanut butter taste. So I would sub 1/4 c. more peanut butter for the "butter".

In order of taste and texture, my favorite was the bread. I know, you're thinking, "But I thought that they are all the same batter?" To me, it definitely seems to make some difference though in the texture and just plain mood of the recipe :). Try it out. You decide!

3-in-1 Peanut Butter Cookies, Muffins, and Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 c. Earth Balance or butter (softened on the counter or for about 3 secs in the microwave)

3/4 c. creamy natural peanut butter or other nut/sun butter

1/2 c. applesauce

1 egg

1 c. water and 1-1/2 t. stevia OR 1/2-3/4 c. agave and 1/4-1/2 c. water if needed*

1/2 t. baking powder

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. oats (gf if needed)

2 c. flour (whole wheat, gluten free mix, etc, I used whole wheat this time since I have to eat gluten this week)

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream 1/4 c. "butter" with peanut butter. Add the egg and applesauce. Add the agave if using. Next, Add the flour, baking powder, salt, flour, oats, and vanilla, and stevia if using. Stir. If it needs more water add and stir again. Batter should be pretty thick almost like bread dough but not quite. :) If making cookies, scoop onto greased cookie sheet. If making muffins, scoop into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. If making bread, scoop into regular or medium bread pans. For cookies, cook for about 10-15 minutes. For muffins and mini loaves of bread cook for about 20-25 minutes. For a full loaf of bread cook for about 25 minutes and then adjust accordingly until the top is firm and when check it with a toothpick it comes out clean. Enjoy hot out of the oven or cooled if you can wait! : )

*You could experiment with using regular sugar in this if you wanted. I think brown sugar would be wonderful in this. Just adjust the water ratio accordingly to get the right thickness and wetness in the dough.

I submitted this to Amy's Slightly Indulgent Mondays.

Mom's Applesauce Muffins

I LOVE my mom's applesauce muffins. And after hearing from Celiac teen, how she has been making recipes to fit her celiac diet from those from pre-celiac days, I have been doing some of my own experimenting. :) So, here's what I came up with. Also, it is has less sugar and no oil versus the original recipe! Enjoy!

Also, as noted in my previous post, I am doing a 2 week glutenious trail and that made me think that some of your who aren't GF, may want to make this too! :) So for those of you who don't have to eat wheat/gluten-free, feel free to sub 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour=my mom's recipe or white flour) Also, if you are GF, you may sub 1-1/2 c. of your favorite flour mix for my mix. Sorry if that was confusing! :)
Mom's Applesauce Muffins


1/2 c. corn flour
1/2 c. millet flour
1/2 c. sorghum flour
3/4 t. cinnamon
2 1/4 t. baking powder
Combine dry ingredients set aside. (xanthum not necessary, if you think you need it just add a pinch)

1/2 c. apple juice ( OR 2 T. apple juice concentrate and water) or milk
1 c. apple sauce
1/4 c. agave
1 egg
Combine wet ingredients. Add in dry ingredients until just barely mixed. Fold in apples and raisins. Drop into greased or papered muffin tips until almost full


1 c. apples chopped
1/4-1/2 c. raisins (I used 1/4 c.)
1/2 c. cashew/almond meal (I used cashew) optional, adds protein!

Cook at 400 for 20-25 mins. Makes 12.

In the future, I would use 1/4 teff, 1/4 corn, 1/4 sorghum and 1/4 millet (my favorite GF whole grain mix!) I was out of teff though! Also, may leave out the nuts or something next time...who knows! Also, more raisins and I could leave out the apples (but I'm not sure though if I would want to)

Inspired by mom's recipe and delicouswisdom.
I am entering this into Slightly Indulgent Mondays here.

My New Favorite GF Bread (Whole Grain)

So I finally found a recipe for gluten-free bread that I like and that is whole grain and tastes like whole wheat-sorta :).

First take:

• 1 1/2 c. water

• 1 T. agave nectar (or honey)

Combine. Add 1 T. yeast. Stir. Let sit for 10 mins. Then...

Pour this mixture into bread maker.
Add to the yeast, 3 T. melted butter but be careful to not put it in too hot (I used earth balance), 2 room temperature eggs (place in a bowl of hot water to reach room temp quickly).

Next, mix the following and then pour it on top of the other mixtures
1 c. millet flour
1/2 c. + 1/8 c. (2 T) teff flour
1/2 c. + 1/8 c. (2 T) sorghum flour
1 c. corn flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. potato starch
1-1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 t. xanthum gum

Turn bread maker on to rapid setting and then wait for a few minutes. Check to make sure it's all mixed. If not, use your hands or spatula to mix in the last little bit. Let run. Take out as soon as it is done and let cool on a wire rack. DELICIOUS! Like whole wheat sorta! :) A little crumbly but amazing! Good without toasting and without anything on it!

Inspired by and based of Celiac Teen's 2 Hour Memory Rolls and a few other things I heard and saw. :)

Chewy Breakfast Muffin Cookies

I haven't done much cooking or experimenting lately as I am visiting some family and do not have a lot on hand. However, today, I had some leftover oatmeal to use up and didn't want to eat oatmeal...again. :) So, I wondered, could I make oatmeal cookies with leftover oatmeal for breakfast (I mean, healthy ones here) so that they would be healthy enough to be deemed breakfast, yet tasty enough that others and myself wouldn't turn up our noses to them? After doing a little search online, I discovered that my original idea wasn't so original. But, I found a recipe that sounded like just what I needed so I used this as a starter and then formulated my own recipe. After they came out, I found them to be quite delicious. Sweet, but not too sweet and deliciously soft and chewy. And after letting my little cousins and my aunt (who do not eat like I do) taste test, they all gave me a thumbs up. :) So here it is, a chewy, soft cookie that tastes almost like a muffin too (I guess I should call it a muffie) and one you wont feel guilty about eating or serving for breakfast. Great for breakfasts on the run, too!

Here it is:

Chewy Breakfast Muffin Cookies
(Banana Oat Version)


Makes about 3-4 dozen

Preheat oven to 375.

Ingredients:

• 3 c. oats (I used about 1 c. cooked oatmeal and 2 c. dry, feel free to use whatever proportions you like)

• 1 c. flour (I used 1/4 c. teff flour, 1/4 c. sorghum flour, 1/4 c. corn, and 1/4 c. millet flour)

• 1 c. apple juice

• 1/4 t. salt (if you oatmeal had salt in it already, omit)

• 2 mashed bananas
  

• 2 T. honey (or agave nectar)
  

• 1 t. baking powder (opt.-the original recipe didn't call for it but it will make them rise more)
  
• 1/4 t. baking soda (opt-see above)
• 1 c. nuts (optional, for added protein)
  

Combine all your dry ingredients (including cooked oatmeal if using). Add apple juice and stir. If it's too dry, add a little more juice. Add the mashed bananas and 2 T. of honey or sweetener. Stir. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 20-25 mins. I like mine closer to the 25 mins or so side...they are a little more chewy this way.

Other Variations
(I haven't tried these but I think they would be great!)

Hawaiian Variation

Follow recipe but instead of apple juice, use pineapple juice.
Instead of banana, use pineapple tidbits (about one cup).
Add 1/2 c or more of unsweetened coconut to the batter.
Taste, you may not even need the extra sweetener (agave/honey)

Cinnamon Raisin Variation
Instead of banana, use 1/2 to 1 c. raisins
Add 1-3 t. of cinnamon to the mix (depending on how much you like cinnamon.)

Carrot Cake Variation
Instead of banana, use 1-2 c. shredded carrots
Add 1/2 to 1 c. of raisins or pineapple and nuts (opt)
Use pineapple or apple juice depending on your preference


NOTE: I am entering this recipe into the next Simply Indulgent Mondays on Amy's website. See what it's all about here.

Recipe Review #6: 2-hour Memory Buns

Celiac Teen recently posted a recipe for these incredible rolls/buns. Seeing that they were rolls/buns and whole grain I was very excited to try them!

Here's the alterations I made:

• 1 and 1/4 c. + 1 T. water (I used less water because of the agave
• 3 T. agave (Agave is at least 25% sweeter than sugar so I used 1 T. less, and I don't like to use cane sugar)
• I ended up adding about 1/8 c. more teff flour, 1/8 c. more sorghum flour, 1/4 c. more corn flour, and 1/4 c. more millet because the batter was pretty runny.
• I also let it rise, covered with plastic wrap in a 200 degree oven (preheat to 200 and then turn it off. Then place the bread in).
  
• I only had to cook this about 15-20 mins.

They came out a little flatter I think due to the alterations I had to make and more flour. They are very tasty. Mine got more mashed together as you can see and I may just pour the batter if that runny in the future. Still, they tasted great!

In the future, I plan to use less water and also possibly add baking soda/powder to help it rise more. I think they would be great with butter if you can use it instead of oil or as I plan to, I will use Earth Balance next time! I am also thinking of decreasing the total oil amount. I also think it would be a great recipe to convert into a regular bread recipe!
Thanks again Celiac Teen!

Gluten-Free Bread and Bread Recipe Exchange

Hello there! How many of you have spent countless hours, wasted money, and frustration trying to make a perfect gluten-free bread loaf. You try a bread recipe online only to find it comes out like a brick, falls apart, or it just plain disgusting. You've been there? Me too! Several times you say? Me too!

So, I had this amazing idea last night as I was trying to fall asleep. Why don't we do a gluten-free bread recipe exchange. Post your favorite recipe with the title of it, (as a link if you can) for gluten-free bread and why you like it. Also, please include if it is also dairy-free, sugar-free, or free of any other common allergens. (Or if it can be alerted to be and be sure to list how on the actual recipe)

For example:

• This is my favorite gluten-free bread. It comes out every time. It's light and fluffy and just like mom's homemade wheat white bread....
• This is my favorite recipe because it is whole grain, sugar-free, etc. It has a pleasant taste and texture....
• This is mine because....... it's gluten and casein free......
• This is mine because.......it's low fat.......
• These are just a few ideas/examples to get you started... Hey if you like it because it's purple let us know. Any legitimate reason is fine! :)

P.S. It does not have to be a recipe you created (but it can be). For example, the recipes for breads on my site are from other sources as mentioned. It's just great to have a recipe that works and to know someone else has tried it and finds it works well too!


Also, this was my original idea too but I'm wondering how many people would be willing to actually send a sample of their bread to everyone else somehow and we can all taste tests the breads and find out which we like best. I'm not sure how this would work but if someone has an idea about how to do it, let me know. :) It sure would be neat! It would be really neat to to in the end vote and decide who has the BEST Gluten-Free bread recipe!


Like this idea? Please tweet about it, facebook it, mention it on your blogs. The more contributors we have the better are results will be!

Recipe Review #5: Super Easy (and yummy) peach crumble

Have some peaches that need to be eaten up? I sure did! I was looking at a dessert I could make that my family may enjoy even though they in no way eat the same as I do. I came across this recipe by Gluten-Free Goddess and had to try it.

The verdict? YUM! Thank you for the recipe!

Here's the only alterations I made or how I followed it:
For the topping:

• I used oat bran for the oats (I thought these would be interesting to try for texture and easier to digest) Make sure they are GF though if you have celiac!
• 2 T. oat flour
• 2 T. dark agave
  
• no walnuts or mesquite
• pinch of cinnamon
  
• 1/2 t. vanilla
  
• 2 T. earth balance (not melted)

In the peach filling, I didn't use arrowroot because I didn't have any on hand. I used 2 T. light agave.

Anyway, everyone of my very picky eaters (that would be my siblings especially) loved it. Most of them asked for seconds and thirds!

Pulled Barbeque... Chicken

Just the other night, my family had pulled pork. Like I've mentioned, pork is not one of those foods I can eat. So, spare of the moment, I created this healthier and quite tasty recipe. Feel free to multiply and double this recipe as many times as needed.

Ingredients:

• One large cooked chicken breast
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 2 T. organic refined-sugar free ketchup
• 2 T. dark agave

Pull chicken into small string-like piece. Combine tomato paste, ketchup, and agave. Toss chicken in the sauce until covered. Warm. Serve over rice or on a gluten-free bun! :)

Recipe Review #4: Gluten-Free Whole Grain Waffles

I was in the mood for waffles. Real, hearty, whole grain waffles, like the whole wheat ones my mother used to make.

I found this recipe on The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Site. I love this recipe! So delicious and simple! I tried it with a few alterations to the wet ingredients:

• I used 6 T. apple sauce (homemade or organic, sugar-free)instead of oil to make lower in calories and fat
  
• 4 tablespoons dark agave, low glycemic, similar taste to maple syrup
• 3-3.5 c. of water, I used this simply because I ran out of milk, use more water to make it less thick, (it's up to you)
  

Also, I used 2 t. cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Healthy and Delicious Low Calorie Breakfast :)

One morning I had about 5-10 minutes before I needed to leave for work when I realized I didn't have anything prepared for breakfast. Oops! So I threw together this quick, easily changeable recipe.

Per person:

• 2-4 egg whites or 1-2 eggs (higher calorie)
• 1 chopped up tomato
• 1/2 c. left-over or fresh cooked vegetables (I used zucchini)
  

Combine. Add salt, pepper, and any spices you wish! Cook on a oiled or sprayed skillet until done. Eat and "Scramble" :) out the door if needed :).

Simple Chicken Parm Twist

Wow! Mmmm.. Yum. That was all I could think of when I created this recipe. And even better, it tastes very little time to make.

The inspiration? Mom was making some chicken cordon bleu. And you know what? Provolone and ham are both "off" my list of what I can eat but I was definitely in the mood for stuffed chicken of some sort.

......So what did I do? I improvised! I decided to make my own stuffed chicken. Looking around the fridge I saw, "Rice Shreds Mozzarella" and fresh from the garden tomatoes! Perfect! I took a large chicken breast after it was defrosted and pounded out and covered it in corn meal first on one side. Then I took the uncovered side and stuffed it with juicy tomato slices and a handfuls of "cheese". I held it together with toothpicks and sprinkled a little more "cheese" on top. I put into the oven for 30 minutes at 400. Delicious!

For those of you who can tolerate dairy, go ahead and use the real thing! :) And for those of you who can't, leave a comment and let me know your favorite dairy free "cheese".

Oh, and the name? When I was thinking about what I should call this, I thought it was sorta similar to the classic chicken parm I used to love. :)

I posted this recipe for Slightly Indulgent Mondays here.

Homemade EASY, LOW-FAT Coconut Milk

I love coconut milk but... I have a hard time handling large amounts of fat at once. Plus, no matte how delicious coconut milk is, it's pretty much cream and not easily drinkable. So (before Turtle Mountain came out with their version-or at least before I knew about it), I set about to make my own version.
First off, I had to make a lower-fat coconut milk. So, I figured out that 2T of full fat coconut milk (from the can) mixed with about a cup of water in my blender would equal 60 calories per serving and 5 g of fat. And guess what? Follow that basic ratio and you have low-fat drinkable coconut milk! Just double or triple it, etc to make a larger quantity.
This coconut milk is a good source of healthy fat and tastes the closest to milk of any recipe for "dairy-free" milk I've tried. And to answer the question, it does still taste a little creamy, at least to me. Maybe not like the original, but I think too if you want it creamier you could just lower the amount of water to coconut milk ratio. Also, this is an easy recipe and way cheaper than buying it in the store (aka. Turtle Mt brand). You can also make "lite coconut milk" for recipes using this same ratio and save money on coconut milk. (The only difference between the canned original and lite coconut milk in the store is water. So why not buy the full fat stuff and make more milk with it thereby saving lots more money? :))

Note: This is my post for Slightly Indulgent Mondays here.

Low-fat Creamy Fruit-Sweetened Banana Coconut Ice-Cream

I was really inspired by Elana’s recipe. Thanks Elana! It looked delicious but I had one slight problem! I have a hard time handling large amounts of fat at once so I set about to make my own version.

First off, I had to make a lower-fat coconut milk. So, I figured out that 2T of full fat coconut milk mixed with about a cup of water in my blender would equal 60 calories per serving and 5 g of fat. And guess what? That is the basic recipe for low-fat coconut milk! Just double or triple it, etc to make a larger quantity.

My recipe:

4-5 medium bananas, sliced thin (see photo)
2 dates, sliced thin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3-4 c. l0w-fat coconut milk, homemade

Preheat your oven for 375. In a 9×13 pan, place sliced bananas. Sprinkle dates over the bananas. Pour the vanilla over the whole dish. Throw it in the oven for 20-45 mins (depending on how long it takes for your bananas and dates to caramelize). Watch carefully as you don’t want them to burn!

When they are done, take them out and let them cool a little. Add coconut milk and banana mix to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into your ice-cream maker. Best served then and there but left-overs can be stored in the freezer and then defrosted carefully on the counter.

Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce

After paying a ridiulous high amount for organic pasta sauce, I thouhgt, wellI could try one of my own. So here it is. And it’s based of my mothers recipe! (The photo shows this sauce in the recycled organic jar).

• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• A few shakes of basil, oregano, and garlic
• 1 leek chopped or one small onion (brown first)
• 2 T. olive oil (opt)

Combine and cook for about 10-15 mins.

Store in the fridge or use for your meal.

Easy and simply delicious!

Homemade Low Calorie, Low Fat Peach Sherbet

Mmmm…..peaches. I love summer fruit. I decided to make this recipe after looking at Katrina’s recipe.

1 c. almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk of choice

1/4 c. fruit-sweetened jam (peach especially)

1 egg white, if desired (helps texture)

4 cups of peaches (peeled and cut up)

1 peach set aside, peeled and cut up

Blend jam, egg white (opt), peaches, and milk in a blender. Add set aside peach slices and don’t turn the blender back on. Just stir. Pour into your ice cream maker. Enjoy!

Let me know what variations you tried…and how it came out!

Best Gluten-Free “White” Bread

Mmm…finally! I found a good! gluten-free “white” bread recipe. I found it online and did some alterations to fit my tastes and what I did. This is definitely one of my new favorites! It tastes just like “homemade normal gluten-containing white bread”. I even tested it on my picky normal family and they all said it was fine, just a little chewier or moister maybe. Anyway, I’ve tested A LOT of bread recipes out there and this ones sure amazing! Try it and let me know what you think!

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Energy-Egg Replacer
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Wet Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups water

For bread makers: Sift and mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Place wet ingredients in your bread maker and then dry ingredients (or according to your bread makers instructions). Select the gluten-free cycle if you have one, or select basic bread/white bread. Cook. Remove from pan immediately when done and allow to cool before slicing.

For those of your doing it in the oven: Grease one bread pan, preferably a smaller one. Set aside. Combine 1/2 cup of the water (make sure its about 110 degrees, warm, but not too hot), 1 T. honey, and yeast. Whisk together. Let sit for ten minutes. While you are waiting, sift together your dry ingredients (except yeast) or whisk them together. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir. Add the yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Preheat the oven to 200. Turn it off once it reaches 200 degrees. Knead the bread with a mixer or strong muscles, for about 4 minutes or more. (Or if you have a stand mixer, let it mix a little longer). Scoop dough into prepared pan. Smooth the top of the dough with wet fingertips. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warmed oven. Let rise 20 mins or until the dough is to the top of the pan or close to it. Take the bread out. Preheat the oven to 375 and then take the platic of the dough. Place the pan in the oven. Cook for 40-45 mins or until done. Let cool before slicing (if you can!) Enjoy!

I would love to hear any comments, suggestions, alterations, results etc that you found! Please comment and let us know!

Homemade Healthy Fish Sticks/Fingers ! :)

Traditional Fish Sticks

Breaded Fish Sticks

What’s in your fish sticks? Are they full of gluten and preservatives? Here’s a recipe I love that’s gluten-less, preservative free, sugar-free, milk-free and simple. It is so much healthier and cheaper too! Plus, the kids will love it! Freeze a bunch in advance for a healthy, quick dinner!

Recipe:

2 skinless fish fillets

1/2 c. corn meal OR 1/2 c.GF bread crumbs

sprinkling of salt, garlic, and pepper (plus any other spices you desire) over the corn meal or bread crumbs

1 egg OR 2 egg whites OR 1/4 c. oil

If frozen, defrost fish fillets. Cut into fish sticks or patties/fillets if you like. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400. Pour 1/2 c. corn meal on a plate with spices. Mix spices and cornmeal together and spread out evenly on a plate. Prepare eggs or oil in a bowl. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Dip the fish into the oil or eggs, and then place in the cornmeal mixture, flipping so it gets on bottom of the fish too. Place completed fish sticks on the cookie sheet. After the tray is full, cook for about 10-15 mins or until done. Breaded fish fillets take slightly longer.

Double or triple this recipe and experiment with the exact measurements. This is a rough estimate and it really depends on how big your fillets are etc. Based off my chicken nugget recipe.

Looking for a healthier tarter sauce recipe? See mine here.

Healthy, Delicious, and Simple Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ever crave those McNuggets? Ever think to yourself, $1 or more for 4 gluten-laden, 56% corn, 38 ingredient,petroleum antioxidant sprayed chicken nuggets isn’t worth it? (Want to read more about what is really in those “nuggets”? Read this. ) Anyway, rather than buy these guys or even those prepared and frozen at the grocery store, try this recipe. It is so much healthier and cheaper too! Plus, the kids will love it! Freeze a bunch in advance for a healthy, quick dinner!

Recipe:

2 skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. corn meal

sprinkling of salt, garlic, and pepper (plus any other spices you desire) over the corn meal

1 egg OR 2 egg whites OR 1/4 c. oil

If frozen, defrost chicken breasts. Cut into bite-size pieces or strips if you like. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400. Pour 1/2 c. corn meal on a plate with spices. Mix spices and cornmeal together and spread out evenly on a plate. Prepare eggs or oil in a bowl. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Dip the chicken into the oil or eggs, and then place in the cornmeal mixture, flipping so it gets on bottom of the chicken too. Place completed nuggets on the cookie sheet. After the tray is full, cook for about 20 mins. Chicken strips take slightly longer. Nuggets/Strips are done when you can pierce them with a fork and there are no juices or the juices are clear.

Double or triple this recipe and experiment with the exact measurements. This is a rough estimate and it really depends on how big your chicken is etc. Based off this recipe.

Food Review #28: The Power of Fruit Original All-Fruit Bars

I saw this new product in my grocer’s freezer the other day. I’d never seen anything like this before. I mean, sure, I’ve seen fruit bars and popsicles, but just fruit? NO sugar? Amazing! And the taste? Even better.

Why?

• Completely natural. 100% all fruit
• Real Fruit chunks
• No Gluten, Dairy, Sugar, Preservatives, Additives, Colors, etc!
• Low Calorie and Low Fat.
• Delicious!

What’s inside: strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, mangoe chunks, pineapple, bananas, white grape juice concentrate, water and nothing else. No added sugar, color, or preservatives. None. Zero. Zilch.

What to do with these:

1. Enjoy one of these at your next picnic
2. Enjoy one on a hot summer day.
3. Keep the kids cool and happy with a healthy treat they will actually enjoy.

Have you tried these? Let me know what you think!