Amazing Dairy Free Toffee

I make this one time a year....ONLY for the holidays.  Why, you might ask.  Good question!  Because I have no self control.  I will eat the entire batch all by myself.  It is THAT GOOD!  I try to make enough for all our holiday parties, teachers, neighbors, etc, but this is so good that it doesn't stick around for long.  I usually have to make several different batches of it so we have enough!


AMAZING DAIRY FREE TOFFEE

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup soy free earth balance butter (the stuff in the red tub)
1/2 cup Kirkland, ghittard or earth balance dairy free chocolate chips


Directions:

1.  Grease bottom and sides of a square pan 9x9x2.
2.  Spread chopped nuts in pan.
3.  Heat brown sugar and butter to boiling in 1 1/2- quart sauce pan, stirring constantly.
4.  Boil about 7 minutes, or until your candy thermometer registers at 302 Celsius (hard crack.)
5.  Immediately spread evenly over chopped nuts.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and cover with another pan or cookie sheet. 
6.  Let chocolate and toffee stand for about 1 minute, then when chocolate is softened, spread over candy. 
7.  Break into wedges after candy and chocolate are hardened or cut into small squares while still hot. 

Thai Coconut Curry

This is pure deliciousness!  I got this recipe from my friend, Terri Buckmaster.  This recipe is sure to please if you like curry!

Thai Coconut Curry


Ingredients:

2 tbsp. coconut oil
3 diced red potatoes
1 chopped and cooked chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth (divided)
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 chopped onion
2 tbsp. fresh shredded ginger
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 diced jalapeño
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 cups of veggies (I prefer chopped spinach, broccoli, and chopped kale)
1 can coconut cream
salt & pepper


Directions:

1. Place coconut oil, diced potatoes, and chicken in hot skillet.  Add 1 cup of chicken broth in skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink in center. 
2. Add remaining broth, curry, onion, ginger, jalapeno, and garlic to skillet.  Stir.
3.  Add veggies and cilantro to skillet.  Cook 1 minute.
4. Add can of coconut cream, salt & pepper.  Do not let the coconut cream boil.  Serve as soon as it is melted & stirred in. 


Serve with rice or quinoa.

Spicy Walnut Chicken

This is one of my all time favorite meals.  I made it long before our food allergies were known, and I really missed it once our diets changed.  Eventually, I got knowledgeable to adapt this recipe to our new diets!  Here is the new improved version.  Feel free to change it up so that you can eat it too!

Spicy Walnut Chicken

Makes about 4 servings, 1 cup each (I usually double this recipe for my family)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch, arrowroot starch, or tapioca starch
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. coconut aminos (or use non gmo-soy sauce)
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tbsp. olive or avocado oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut up
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. grated gingerroot (or ground ginger)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
2 cups of veggies of your choice (examples: broccoli, chopped kale, carrots, snow peas, etc.)
1/3 cup walnuts or other nut of your choice (peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, etc.)
2 bunches of green onions, sliced



Directions:

1.  Mix broth, starch, honey, coconut aminos, vinegar, and red pepper. 
2.  Heat wok or 12 inch skillet (I love my cast iron one for this meal) over medium high heat.  Add the oil: rotate pan to coat sides.  Add chicken, garlic, and gingerroot;  stir-fry about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
3.  Add bell pepper and veggies to pan; stir-fry 1 minute. 
4.  Add liquid mixture to pan.  Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens.  Take off heat.  Stir in walnuts and garnish with green onions (or serve both separately on the side.) 

Serve with rice or quinoa. 

Healthy Chocolate!

I love chocolate.  A lot.  But, all the stuff in the store has yucky stuff in it.  So, now I make my own!  Want to know the best part about it?!  It's healthy!  That's right!  I can feel good about eating my daily chocolate.  Ha!

Chocolate:

1 Cup cocoa powder (organic is best)
1 cup organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup raw honey
A smidge of gluten free vanilla
5 drops of peppermint essential oil (optional if you want a delicious minty freshness to it)

- Melt 1/2 the coconut oil on low in a pan & let it cool slightly. 
- Place remaining 1/2 cup of solid coconut oil, the coca powered, honey, (and other ingredients if desired) in the food processer.  Add melted oil and blend. 
- Pulse the food processer a few times until the mixture is smooth.  Do not over mix or ingredients will separate. 
- Line a glass casserole pan with parchment paper. 
- Pour fudge over parchment paper.
- Place in fridge until solid (about a 1/2 an hour).
- Gently remove parchment paper from glass pan, place on cutting board or counter, and gently cut the hardened chocolate into squares.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer in a tightly sealed container. 

Chicken & Dumplings

So, this is one of our most favorite ways to eat chicken soup!  Just add dumplings!  And, even better, now we eat them gluten, dairy, and soy free!  This is a full meal, and perfect for a rainy day, a sick family, or just because!

Ingredients:
one whole chicken
5 stalks of celery
4 carrots
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic (we can't have this, but I like it best with it!)
1 tsp parsley
1/4 cup celery leaves
1 tsp. or sprig of thyme
1 tsp. or sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

dumpling ingredients:
2 cups gluten free flour (1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1 cup tapioca flour)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup dairy free milk (coconut milk, rice milk, anything will work)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

First, stew a chicken.  Discard the bones, fat, and yucky stuff, and keep the meat and the broth.  Take out the meat, chop it, and put it back into the broth.  Chop and add all ingredients to the soup, but the dumplings.  Simmer ingredients for about 15 minutes.  Taste broth & see if anything is needed.  Onion powder, garlic powder, more herbs, etc can be added at this time.

Mix Dumpling ingredients, then drop them into the pan in serving sizes (each drop should be about 1-2 tbsp or the size of a small roll.) It is ok to put them on top of each other, just give them at least 10 seconds in between so they won't connect.  Cook for 12-15 minutes, then serve soup immediately!

The Best Coffee Cake

This is a crowd pleaser!  My family begs for this every now & then, but I try to only make it on special occasions.  It's not a "low sugar" breakfast, so I try to make it a special treat.  Enjoy this special recipe that I adapted from a recipe passed down from my mom.



INGREDIENTS:

-2 1/2 cups gluten free flour*
-1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
-2 cups brown sugar or coconut sugar
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or butter (I use Earth Balance)

DIRECTIONS:

mix til crumbly
take out 1/2 cup of mixture & set aside
To what's left over, add:

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:

-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 baking soda
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 cup curdled milk substitute (coconut milk or sub with 1 tbsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar - let it set for 5 minutes)
-2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water.  Mix & let gel for a few minutes.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix remaning ingredients.  Beat at medium high speed for 1-2 minutes or until light & fluffy.
2. Prepare a 9x11 pan.  Spread mixture out evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.  Next, take cake out of oven & sprinkle the 1/2 cup crumbly mixture over the top.  Bake for 10-15 more minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


* For a LIGHTER flour blend, use 1 cup sweet white rice flour, 1 cup tapioca starch, and 1/2 cup sorghum flour.
For a HEALTHIER flour blend, use 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup millet flour.

Greek Shish Kebabs

I adapted this recipe from allrecipies.com  It is delightful & I usually double or triple it for my family.  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tbsp onion powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 wooden skewers
2 large green or red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 6 mini sweet peppers
1 large onion, quartered and separated into pieces
12 cherry tomatoes
12 mushrooms
1 zucchini cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic or onion powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper together in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap; marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Soak wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes before use.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat; lightly oil the grate.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess liquid.  Alternately thread pieces of the marinated chicken with pieces of bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms onto the skewers. I like to paint the marinade on veggies after I first place them on the grill (the marinade had raw meat with it, so only do this at the beginning!)
5. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently until nicely browned on all sides, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes.