gluten free

Basil Pesto Hummus Recipe

March 15, 2017

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks. I pack it with my lunch along with some carrots and celery sticks for a healthy afternoon snack. Sometimes when my husband is out of town, I will just eat carrots and hummus for dinner. Don’t judge, guys. Sometimes even I don’t feel like cooking dinner! And carrots and hummus is a lot healthier than eating a carton of ice cream.

Which I have definitely never done. (She says as she looks around the room nervously.)

I buy so much hummus, sometimes I forget how easy it is to make at home. One of my favorite “flavors” to make at home is pesto hummus. I love pesto. I love hummus. Why not put the two together!?

One of the tricks I have picked up over the years of making my own hummus is microwaving the chickpeas in a little bit of the canning liquid before you blend them. It just makes the hummus so much more creamy!

Also, can someone remind me next time I am taking picture in the kitchen to not wear a pink or red shirt. Geez! That pink glare is terrible!

Once the chickpeas are nice and toasty from the microwave, add them to a food processor then in the rest of the party- chickpeas, tahini, garlic, basil, and a bit of Parmesan. Then turn on your food processor and let that bad boy do the work for you.

In seconds you will have delicious basil pesto hummus!

Of course this pesto hummus would make a great dip – pairing perfectly with pita chips and veggies! It would also be a great spread for sandwiches and wraps, or you can just put a big dollop on your salad.

But I am just happy eating this delicious basil-chickpea dip with a big bad full of carrots.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:141]

Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos

March 10, 2017

Leave it to me to start appreciating fish tacos only after I have moved away from the fish taco capital of the world (I assume). Despite growing up a stones throw from the beach and surrounded by amazing taco spots all with their own take on the fish taco, I didn’t eat my first fish taco until moving to North Carolina. That just feels wrong, doesn’t it?

Now a days if I want a fish taco I have to make the haul to the only spot in town that makes a decent one, or I can just make them at home. Since I am lazy and cheap, I tend to choose the later.

And my go-to fish taco recipe? This easy and flavorful cilantro lime fish taco!

Start with some fresh (or thawed) fish. I used tilapia which is a nice light white fish that is great for fish novice’s like me.

Generously dust the fish with a mixture of chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Don’t be shy! In my opinion you can’t over season the fish. Then sprinkle on some cilantro; unless you are one of those weird people who hates cilantro, then skip it.

Now take a half a lime and squeeze the bejeezus out of it to get every ounce of juice over the fish. Then pop in the oven for a quick bake.

After about 10 minutes in the oven, the fish should be done and already flaking apart. All you have to do is take a fork to it to break it up into smaller chunks. Now they are ready to be made into tacos!

I like to top my fish tacos off with a fresh mango pineapple salsa, which is the same salsa I used in the Jamaican Jerk Shrimp skewers. There is just something about fish and tropical fruit. I don’t know what it is.

These tacos make such a nice fresh and healthy dinner that can be made in less than 30 minutes, easy! And if you are new to fish, kinda like me, this recipe will be great for you. Tilapia is a nice mild fish with that really takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with. It is also very easy to cook and practically fool proof.

Trust me.

But if you are a fish connoisseur and tilapia is too mild for you, you can definitely substitute in some ahi tuna, mahi mahi, halibut, and any other favorite fish! Make it your own!

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:139]

Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Recipe

March 3, 2017

There are a lot of cookie recipes on this little blog of mine. Lots. I have at least 4 different versions of my favorite sugar cookie recipe. But what I haven’t had until now is a gluten free sugar cookie recipe!

This recipe actually came about through my cookie decorating classes! I had a couple girls in my Halloween class ask if I could make them gluten free cookies instead of my normal sugar cookies. Never one to turn down a challenge, I obliged. While that first batch of gluten free sugar cookies were okay, I knew they could be better!

The perfectionist in me kicked in (it lays pretty dormant throughout most of the year, and really only makes an appearance when cookies are involved) and I knew I had to find the perfect gluten free sugar cookie recipe

I essentially put aside a weekend, canceled all my plans (I had none) to devote myself to this baking challenge. Fortunately, it only took a couple hours on a Saturday (which means I had the recipe of the day to catch up on my DVR…adulting, am I right?). The 4th recipe turned out to be so good I didn’t feel like I need to experiment any further.

But before I get ahead of myself, let’s discuss these four cookies, shall we?

Trial A:

Recipe: 4 parts GF flour to 1 part almond meal, plus a bit of baking powder.

Results: A crumbly cookie that completely lost it’s shape when baking.

Trial B:

Recipe: Half GF flour and half almond meal, plus baking powder. Also, baked 5 minutes longer than A.

Results: A big ol’ disaster!

Trial C:

Recipe: Doubled the GF flour from recipe A and eliminated the baking powder.

Results: The shape is a lot better, but the taste and texture are still a bit off.

Trial D:

Recipe: Increased the amounts of both GF flour and almond meal from recipe B, keeping the ratio roughly 50/50, and eliminated the baking powder.

Results: A delicious cookie with perfect edges and a great texture (although slightly over-baked)

Clearly recipe D was the winner! And really, it all came down to the texture. I could tell the minute I started rolling out the dough for Trial D. The dough felt like my normal sugar cookie dough. It wasn’t too soft or delicate. It rolled out really well and clearly made the best cookie.

You can see the difference in texture in the pictures above. When I tried to break C in half, the cookie just kinda fell apart. When I broke D in half, it did just that! I don’t know about you but I don’t like my cookies to crumble into a pile of sand after every bite. Gross!

Okay, enough of the nerdy recipe experimenting stuff. Let’s get to the actual recipe!

This recipe starts like my favorite sugar cookie recipe, with butter and sugar, eggs and vanilla. I also added almond extract (my favorite of all the extracts) because it’s delicious and it compliments the almond flavor that will already be in the cookie. Then, like I said above, I mix in an even ratio of gluten free flour and almond meal until I had a pretty solid ball of dough. Something that would feel tacky to the touch but not so soft that your finger sinks right into it. If you think your dough is too soft, add more almond meal.

Baking these cookies is really no different that any other sugar cookie. I did chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before I rolled it out. This dough will inherently be a little bit softer than normal dough, so you may want to work in small batches, keeping the unused dough in the fridge.

I baked the cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I watched them closely after the 10 minute mark because I really didn’t want them to over bake. If they over bake the dry out even more and they get kind of scaly on top (you can see what I am talking about in the picture of the broken D cookie above). Just as soon as they barely start to brown on the edges, it’s time to take them out!

The resulting cookies are delicious and slightly nutty thanks to all that almond meal. I think they would make a great substitute for any sugar cookie for those of you who have cut out gluten from your diet for one reason or another. Even as someone who does not have a gluten intolerance, I gladly taste tested these cookie over and over again.

It was all in the name of science. 🙂

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:136]

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Chicken Zoodle Soup

January 16, 2017

As soon as our feet hit the ground back in Charlotte after the holidays, both my husband and I immediately got a cold. It was like our bodies knew not to get sick during the holidays and waited until the very second we got home. So not only were we exhausted from the trip, now we were sick, and Charlotte was also about 30 degrees colder. As you might imagine, nothing sounded better to us than chicken soup! Scratch that; nothing sounded better than chicken ZOODLE soup.

Zoodle (zood-l) n: a noodle made from zucchini.

Chicken zoodle soup isn’t a whole lot different than chicken noodle soup. In fact, they are exactly the same recipe. The only difference being the zoodles which makes this classic comfort food that much healthier. It was exactly what the doctor ordered….if that doctor were me or WebMD.

First I sauteed carrots, celery, and onion. Once they were a bit tender, I added in the chicken and chicken stock. I let the whole thing come up to a simmer, then I covered it and left it alone. I find that most soups are better when the have a chance to just sit and hang out for a while. All the ingredients warm up and get friendly with each other. It just seems to help the flavors develop.

At the very end, just when I was ready to serve, I added in the zoodles. Just like your classic noodle, the zoodles can get really mushy if they are cooked too long. And it doesn’t take very long for zoodles to get mushy. I prefer my zoodles to still have a little bit of a bite to it, like an al dente spaghetti noddle, which is why I liked to add them at the very end.

All that was left was to assemble a couple big bowls to soup for the both of us! The broth was so soothing for our soar throats. And we didn’t miss the noodles a bit. I think it helped to eat something so healthy! We both bounced back pretty quickly and got over our colds relatively quickly. Well, some more than others.

If you are on a no-carb or gluten-free diet, you need this recipe! Especially if you get sick! This will help you get through any cold…and who know, maybe it will actually help! Or at the very least, it will be a nice comforting, healthy meal to get you through the Winter.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:117]

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Burger Bowl

May 16, 2016

For those of you who have been on a diet before can definitely understand how hard it is to eat out. You have to question everything that goes into the dish, including that things were cooked in, or whether they have found a way to sneak in sugar or fat somewhere you would least expect it. One the easiest things for me to eat out while on the Whole 30 was a burger, oddly enough. Of course I became that annoying customer who had to modify just about everything, but I had ordering burgers down to a science (“I’ll have the Classic Burger, no bun, no condiments, and can I add avocado on top?”).

Then one day the most magical thing happened – I discovered the burger bowl! One of our favorite burger spots in town actually makes a deconstructed burger in a giant bowl. It was amazing! It was pretty much made for anyone who is eating Paleo. It didn’t have any condiments or dressing and I didn’t have to change anything on my order (“One burger bowl, please!”). It felt so good not to be the high maintenance customer again. I knew I had to add this to my list of Whole 30 meals!

The burger bowl is incredibly easy to put together. I start with a bed of romaine lettuce that I tossed in lemon juice and olive oil. I then added some thick slices of tomato, grilled onions, and some roasted sweet potatoes (to add that french fry element). Then I topped it all with a 4 ounce burger patty that is simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

I actually topped this off with some condiments because I had to cut this round of Whole 30 short thanks to an ill-timed case of food poisoning. I wanted to add just a little bit more flavor (and color) to the bowl, but its not like it really needed it.

And just like the burger bowl at Bang Bang burger, this one totally hit the spot! It satisfied that craving for a juicy burger without that pesky bun. Who needs a bun anyways?

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:31]

Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

August 28, 2014

This gluten-free sugar-free peanut butter cookie was inspired by the book, Year of No Sugar, which is essentially this woman’s diary of her (and her family’s) year trying to eat no added fructose. Part of the book details her adventures in satisfying her sweet tooth by baking with sugar substitutes that do not have fructose (the bad sugar). After some trial and error (and some research), she determined that brown rice syrup was her best option.

Taking her lead, I decided to do my own experimenting with baking with brown rice syrup. Clearly I have a weakness for baked goods, so if I can find away to reduce or completely eliminate the amount of fructose in those baked goods I’m all for it!

I also wanted to experiment with gluten-free flours as well, and why not mix the two for an even healthier combination, right?!

To make these cookies gluten free, I used a mixture of coconut flour (purchased at Trader Joe’s) and buckwheat flour (found at my local supermarket). To make these sugar-free, I obviously used the brown rice syrup, which I found at Whole Foods (it was in the same aisle as the honey). You could also replace part of the brown rice syrup with a half of a banana if you like that banana taste (I do not).

The resulting cookies are full of peanut butter flavor with a hint of coconut from the flour and oil. They also have a hint of sweetness that is highlighted by the sea salt sprinkled on top of the cookie.

But if we are being totally honest here, these do not compete with normal gluten-full and sugar-full peanut butter cookies. You just can’t get the same taste with the coconut flour and brown rice syrup. I’m sorry, but you can’t. HOWEVER, if you are on a very restricted diet and cannot consume gluten and/or sugar, these cookies are pretty dang good.

How do I know? I made these right before a friend came in town. Over the course of the weekend I saw her sneak a couple cookies from the container, and by the end of the weekend, they were gone.

I mean, if that doesn’t tell you they are good, I don’t know what will.

Have you ever made gluten-free or sugar-free baked goods? What ingredients did you use?c

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Gluten Free and Sugar Free Pancakes

May 9, 2014

I really like to reward myself with some little indulgences on weekends. But what I love even more is to indulge myself while still being healthy. One of my favorite indulgences to give a healthy makeover are pancakes because they offer a variety of ways to experiment and are relatively fool proof. To make these pancakes gluten free, I combined 3 different “flours”. Buckwheat flour, almond flour, quinoa flour (which is just dried quinoa processed until fine like a flour).

To make them sugar free, I just used a banana and a little stevia. You could also use apple sauce, honey, or brown rice syrup if you don’t like the banana flavor. I mashed up the banana and mixed it in with milk and eggs before adding it to the dry mixture. I like my batter on the thicker side, but you can always add more milk to make it thinner and thus result in thinner pancakes. After a quick flip on the griddle, I had myself a nice stack of healthy pancakes. The perfect fuel for my Saturday runs.

But I didn’t just stop with making the pancakes healthy. I also decided to make my own “syrup” using strawberries, water, and a little honey. Boy was that stuff delicious!

And I didn’t feel at all guilty about drenching my pancakes in it either.

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