Gluten Free Blueberry Donuts

This shift over to gluten free eating has been extremely rewarding for me, but I sure do miss a few specific gluten-filled foods. I have been craving a Saturday morning trip to the donut shop lately, so instead I did a little research and landed on a recipe that looked too good to be true.  The photo doesn't really do justice to how awesome these little cake donuts tasted (I couldn't find a donut tin on my on-a-whim trip to get these ingredients, so I used a mini cake tin)--the lemon glaze was so perfect and so easy. 

Ingredients

1¾ cup gluten free flour 

¾ teaspoon xanthan gum 

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup blueberries

½ cup pure maple syrup 

4 tablespoons coconut oil

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

¾ cup plain yogurt (Greek or coconut milk yogurt work)

2 extra large eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

Juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a donut tin or a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set aside. I used a mini cake tin because I couldn't find a doughnut tin.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and nutmeg. Place blueberries in a small bowl, add a tablespoon of the whisked dry ingredients and toss to coat. Set aside.

3. Place the maple syrup, coconut oil and shortening in a small saucepan and heat over a medium-high flame, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are melted and have begun to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the yogurt. Mix to combine.

4. Pour the maple syrup and yogurt mixture into the center of dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add the eggs, and mix. Fold the berries into the batter until they are evenly distributed throughout. 
5. Fill the wells of the donut pan or muffin tin about ¾ of the way full. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the the cakes spring back into place when lightly pressed. 

6. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack. 

7. While the donuts are cooling, place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and mix well, adding a few more drops of lemon juice until a thick paste forms. Add more lemon juice by the teaspoon until the glaze is thick, but easy to pour.

8. Dip each donut in glaze and set on parchment paper.

Happy baking!

-J

(recipe adapted from Gluten Free on A Shoestring)

Apple Crisp Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free rolled oats 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large apple, diced (I prefer Granny Smith)

1/3 cup melted coconut oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until combined.  Fold in the apple. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla, applesauce, maple syrup, and brown sugar.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.  Spread onto two baking sheets and bake for 45 minutes, making sure to stir the granola every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning.  Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets for crunchiness.

Happy breakfasting!

-J

Fried Chicken and Ranch (Gluten & Dairy Free!)

Trying to figure out what to eat for Sunday night dinner? I have an idea! Daniel and I hit the jackpot of food experiments this weekend.

FRIED CHICKEN.

It tasted awesome, and the best part was not feeling absolutely gross after eating it.  Win win!

Gluten & Dairy Free Half Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain almond milk

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

salt

pepper

20 oz. gluten free flour mix

2 chicken breasts

extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.  Place cast iron skillet on stove and set burner to medium high heat.  After skillet gets warm, pour in oil.  In a medium bowl, whisk together almond milk, garlic powder, onion powder, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together flour (we used 10 oz. almond flour and 10 oz. garbanzo-fava flour), a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.  Set bowls next to one another near stovetop.  Slice chicken breasts into chunks.  

Dip chicken chunk into bowl of milk, shake off excess liquid.  Dip into bowl of flour and toss in hot skillet.  Repeat until each chicken chunk is frying in the skillet, but don't overcrowd.  Do this in multiple rounds if you need to.  When the bottoms of the chicken turn brown, flip them.  Once each side is brown, move them to the baking sheet.  Fry all chicken and place it on the baking sheet before sticking it in the oven.  Bake until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.

We were super pleased with how this turned out and can't wait to experiment with other flours and spices.

SO GOOD.

And if you don't like plain fried chicken...

Gluten & Dairy Free Ranch

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegan mayonaise

1 tablespoon onion powder (or to taste)

1 tablespoon garlic powder (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

Stir 'em all together! Taste. You may want to add more of each powder/pepper--it depends on how strong you like your ranch.

This is delicious for dipping veggies and chicken.  I'm excited to explore other sauce recipes.

Happy eating!

-J

Adventures in Pasta Making

Today I'm working from home because the streets are one big sheet of ice.  This is one of the most brutal winters I can remember, but it's also one of my favorites.  It's Monday morning and I'm propped up in bed after a post-freezing-run hot shower (Seriously, it was cold--the inside of my nose froze and hardened. So weird!).  The dogs are snuggled against my legs, and there's a hot cup of coffee on the nightstand to my right.  I'm checking work email and researching recipes for the week and feeling perfectly content in this warm, happy place.

The kitchen has been another happy place for me lately.  I'm seriously LOVING trying all of these new gluten free recipes and modifying old recipes to work (and taste FANTASTIC) for our new lifestyle.  We've eaten homecooked-from-scratch meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for five and a half days now, and it has been WONDERFUL.

Speaking of fantastic food, I mentioned in our honeymoon post that we ate THE BEST PASTA EVER in Portland.  We've been dreaming of making our own pasta from scratch since then, and after getting the pasta maker I asked for from Daniel's parents for Christmas, we made it happen! And it was SO GOOD. 

Don't think for one minute you gluten/dairy allergy sufferers have to give up soft, yummy pasta--and (even though we used one) you don't even need a pasta machine to make this at home!

Homemade Gluten Free Pasta

Ingredients:

3 ounces garbanzo-fava flour

3 ounces millet flour
3 ounces potato starch
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1 pinch ground nutmeg 
1 teaspoon kosher salt1 extra-large egg
3 egg yolks from extra-large eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons water

If you're using a mixer:

Combine the flours, psyllium powder, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl of the food processor to combine and aerate the flours.

Mix the egg, egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the water. Pour the liquid into the flours. Run the mixer for 10 to 15 seconds, then look at the dough. If the dough has formed crumbs that look like dry cheese curds, you’'re done. If they are a little too dry, add the remaining olive oil, then mix, look and add more water, if necessary. If the dough looks a bit too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.

Turn out onto a dry, clean surface.

If you're making the dough by hand:

Combine the flours, psyllium powder, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Whisk them together for a few moments to combine and aerate the flours.

Pile the flours into a small mound on a clean, dry surface and make a well in the center.

Mix the egg, egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the water. Pour the liquid into the flours. Using a fork, rubber spatula or your fingers, stir the liquids gently, bringing in a bit of flour from the outside walls with each turn. When most of the egg mixture is blended with the flour, bring the rest of the flour into the middle with your hands. If it feels too dry —(flour flaking off the ball of dough) — add the remaining olive oil, then water. If the dough feels too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.

Knead the dough for a few moments by pushing forward on the ball of dough with your hand, then folding the ball back on itself toward you. Rotate the dough and repeat until the dough feels smooth.

Once you have your ball of dough (whether you made it with the food processor or by hand) wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour any one of the flours on your work surface.  Cut the ball of dough into four equal pieces. Roll out the dough until it is as thin as it will go. 

If you're making the noodles by hand, use a knife to cut the pasta into noodles of your desired thickness. Move the noodles onto a plate and cover them with a damp cloth as you finish the other noodles.

If you have a pasta machine, roll out the ball of dough into an oval about three inches long. Put the pasta through the rollers, starting at the first setting, then moving up until the dough is as thin as you desire and not breaking. 

It's time to cook these babies! Fill a large pan with water and salt. Bring the water to a boil and add noodles.  Cook for two to four minutes--not long at all since the pasta is already soft! Drain immediately and mix the noodles with a bit of oil to coat.

Mix in any yummy homemade or storebought sauce you'd like! We pureed a few tomatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, and a little basil and cooked up some ground beef for a light spaghetti.  Pesto would also be delicious! And, imagine that, I have an awesome gluten/dairy free pesto recipe coming up later this week!

This pasta had a bit of a sweet aftertaste--it was so delicious. I can't wait to make more!

-J

*Pasta recipe adapted from Gluten Free Girl.

Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten & Dairy Free!)

This is what today looks like:

And this is what today looks like for us:

:) 

For us, snow days have become sweet, unexpected time off from feeling obligated to get things done.  After sliding off the road on our drive to church this morning, we've opted to stay in watching Parks and Rec on Netflix and baking cookies this afternoon and evening.  

Speaking of cookies--I came up with a dairy and gluten free recipe I really like.  Here's what we're snacking on on this snowy Sunday evening.

Coconut Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup gluten free flour (I used sweet sorghum flour)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup oats (GF)

1/2 cup craisins
Shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Set aside a large cookie sheet.  Melt coconut oil, then mix with brown sugar in a large bowl until combined.  Add the almond milk, applesauce, honey and vanilla.  Mix in flour, sea salt, baking soda until combined. Mix in oats and craisins.  Scoop tablespoons onto baking sheets and sprinkle shredded coconut on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool before eating.  

Five days into this gluten and dairy free lifestyle, and I'm feeling super satisfied! Stay safe and warm, pretties!

-J

Non-Dairy Vanilla Coconut Coffee Creamer

I can drink coffee black, but most of the time I prefer not to.  Honestly, fancy lattes might be one of the hardest things I'm giving up.  Even if I went to a coffee shop and ordered my drink with soy milk, chances are it would be contaminated by dairy products.  Bummer.  BUT, after a little research and playing around in the kitchen, I found a tasty alternative!  I actually like it more than most dairy creamers I've tried, so I'm pretty excited.

Vanilla Coconut Coffee Creamer

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk (full fat)

1/4 cup almond milk

1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup or pure cane sugar--your choice)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk coconut milk, almond milk, honey, and cocoa in a sauce pan on medium heat until it fully liquefies and milk begins to steam.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Store in air tight jar in the refrigerator. Add to coffee and sip away. Yum!

I hope you're having a happy Saturday! I know these girls are.

:)

-J

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Granola (Gluten & Dairy Free!)

Daniel and I kicked off day one of the new year and our gluten/dairy free lifestyle by baking a big batch of granola.  There aren't a ton of gluten free cereals out there, and the ones that do exist are a little pricey.  After sleeping in and a long walk with our pups, I was relaxed and ready for an afternoon of baking.  And BONUS: it made the house smell AWESOME!

Ingredients:

3 and 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (make sure they're gluten free!)

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the oats, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until combined.  Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until smooth and combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until dry ingredients are coated. Spread evenly onto two baking sheets and bake for 40ish minutes, depending on your oven. *Stir the granola every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning!*  Allow granola to cool and harden for 20 minutes on the baking sheets.  Pour into a large bowl and add dried cranberries. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to two weeks. 

Enjoy with almond or coconut milk!

For a heartier granola, you can always add nuts, pumpkin seeds, or other dried fruit! You can substitute vegetable oil for coconut oil, but I wouldn't because coconut oil smells so stinkin' good! And if you're not feeling chocolate, leave out the cocoa!

I don't know how I could go back to eating storebought granola after this.  My favorite cereal growing up was Cocoa Pebbles and it kind of reminded me of it, but mixed with pumpkin.  I see another granola experiment in the near future :)

*Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Happy baking!

-J