GFCF Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti

1 c white rice flour

1/2 c brown rice flour

1/2 c sorghum flour

1 t baking powder

1 t xanthan gum

1 c powdered sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 t vanilla extract

1 t grated orange rind (I used dried, organic orange peel)

1/2 c unsalted pistachios

1/2 c dried cranberries

water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with rice flour. Sift flour, baking powder and xanthan gum into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar and dried orange peel. Make a well in the center and add 2 whole eggs, one egg yolk and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined. Stir in pistachios and cranberries. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together. Knead dough a few times on a lightly rice floured surface. Divide dough in half, shape into flattened 10"x3" logs on lined baking sheet. Beat remaining egg and brush logs with egg. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Once logs have cooled, slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place slices on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 10 minutes. Biscotti are done when they are dry and hard. Continue baking in 5 minute increments if necessary until done.

Chicken Pot-Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is a good way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

for filling:

2 lbs. chicken breasts

4 stalks celery, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

10 oz. frozen peas, thawed

olive oil

salt

pepper

dried thyme

for potatoes:

3 lbs. potatoes

olive oil

chicken broth (I use Pacific foods organic free-range chicken broth)

earth balance spread

salt

pepper

for gravy:

3 T earth balance spread

3 T white rice flour

1.5 c chicken broth

salt

pepper

1. Boil peeled and chopped potatoes for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash potatoes. Stir in about 1-2 T earth balance and 1-2 T olive oil. Stir in about 1/4 c chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. While potatoes are boiling, heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Add chicken to skillet. Once chicken is almost cooked through, add carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add peas and cook until chicken is cooked through and carrots and celery are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 T earth balance over med?med-high heat. Whisk in 3 T white rice flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1.5 c chicken broth and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Drain liquid from chicken and veggies if necessary. Transfer chicken and veggies to a 13"x9" baking dish. Pour gravy over chicken and veggies, stir to coat. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.

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Potato Chickpea Curry

1-2 cans chickpeas (15 oz.), rinsed and drained
4 medium sized red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
28 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 c vegetable broth
sea salt
black pepper
curry powder
cumin
ginger
Combine chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and vegetable broth in a Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Season with spices to taste. Again I didn't measure, I just eyeballed it. I think I used about a teaspoon each of the curry powder and cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger. Coriander would also compliment this dish nicely. Simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally, adding more vegetable broth if needed. Serve over cooked grains. I used millet, but quinoa or rice would work too.
Feel free to add other vegetables that you have on hand. Next time I think I will add cauliflower and green beans.

Quick Tomato Hamburger Stew

1 lb. ground meat
sea salt
black pepper
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
1 jar gfcf pasta sauce
cooked brown rice
Brown meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain fat if needed. Season meat with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. No need to measure, just eyeball it. I use a few shakes of each. Stir in pasta sauce and simmer until heated through. Serve over cooked brown rice.
optional: add 1/4 c to 1/2 c butternut squash puree; 1/2 c to 1 c cooked, chopped spinach

Mayo-free Tangy Potato Salad

2-3 lbs. red potatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c rice vinegar
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 c chopped fresh dill
sea salt to taste
Scrub and cut potatoes. Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until tender, drain. Whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, scallions and dill. Pour dressing over potatoes and toss to coat. Season with sea salt. Drain excess dressing, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

Not all saturated fats are created equal!

Contrary to popular belief, not all saturated fats are unhealthy. The way most food is processed in this country is what makes it unhealthy. We all need a certain amount of saturated fat in our diet. Saturated fat is needed for many functions in the body.

Red meat and high fat dairy are the main sources of saturated fat that we are told to avoid. Most cows live their short life on factory farms and Concentrated Animal Feeding Organizations. Not only are these cows unhappy, but they are unhealthy as well. These cows are fed an unnatural diet of mostly corn. In addition to an increased risk of E coli, this diet makes the cows produce fattier beef. This beef is higher in omega-6, whereas grass fed cows produce beef and milk high in omega-3s.

Coconut oil is another saturated fat that has gotten a bad rap. The processing is what makes this fat unhealthy. I believe that organic, expeller-pressed, extra-virgin coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats. It is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Not only is coconut oil good for cooking and baking, it is also a wonderful moisturizer. One of my daughters had diarrhea recently which gave her a very persistent case of diaper rash. After using diaper rash cream for a few days I decided to try coconut oil. I applied a small amount to the rash before bed and in the morning it was gone.

Do unnatural things to healthy food and they become toxic. I try to follow the advice "Don't eat anything your grandma wouldn't recognize as food".

Velvety Chocolate Avocado Pudding

1/4 c coconut oil (I use Nutiva)

1 c pureed avocado (2-3 avocados)

1 c confectioners sugar

1/2 c cf cocoa powder (I use Chatfield's)

1 t vanilla extract

Mash avocados with a fork, then blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Stir in the avocado, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla.

This is super thick and creamy. The flavor is reminiscent of chocolate covered bananas, probably because of the potassium in the avocado. When cooled, it almost has the consistency of fudge. This recipe would probably also work as a frosting.

To make corn-free confectioners sugar, blend granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until it turns into a fine powder.

Dairy-free Chai Tea Mix

It just isn't fall without chai! Here's a casein free chai mix that tastes just as good as any made with real milk.
2 c Vance's DariFree
2.5 c granulated sugar
1.5 c unsweetened instant tea
2 t ground ginger
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground cardamom
1 t ground nutmeg
optional: 1 t allspice, 1/4 t white pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and grind to a fine powder. To serve, stir 2 heaping tablespoonfuls into a cup of hot water.

Dirty Rice

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 lb. grass fed ground beef

1 t worcestershire sauce

1 t cumin

1/2 t paprika

1/4 t cayenne pepper

3 c cooked brown rice

salt and pepper, to taste

1 T apple cider vinegar

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot and bell pepper. Cook until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add worcestershire sauce, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Mix in cooked brown rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one tablespoon apple cider vinegar (this gives it that nice hot sauce tang). If desired, top it off with a few dashes of hot sauce.

GFCF Lemon-Blueberry Scones

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 c white rice flour

3/4 c brown rice flour

3/4 c sorghum flour

2 T granulated sugar

4 t baking powder

1 t xanthan gum

1/4 t salt

1/3 c gfcf butter, cut into pieces

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 c coconut milk (don't shake the can, pour just the white liquid on top)

1/2 c dried blueberries

zest of one lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

rice milk

coarse sugar

Combine flour, 2 T sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, lemon zest and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl combine eggs, coconut milk, blueberries and lemon juice. Combine the two mixtures using a fork until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold and knead dough 10-12 times until smooth. Pat dough into an 8" circle and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with rice milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

GFCF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees.

3/4 c gfcf butter, softened

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

3/4 t xanthan gum

1/2 t cinnamon

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

3/4 c sorghum flour

1/2 c white rice flour

1/2 c brown rice flour

2 c gluten free rolled oats

1 c raisins

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour, then oats. Stir in raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 large cookies.

Ground Sirloin Stew with Dill Rice Noodles

I modified this recipe from Rachael Ray magazine.
ingredients:
salt and pepper
1 lb. rice noodles (I use Tinkyada fettucinni, broken into pieces)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground meat (beef, buffalo, or turkey)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 T gfcf butter (ghee or earth balance spread)
2 T white rice flour
2 c organic vegetable broth
2 t gfcf worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins)
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1/4 c chopped fresh dill
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil on medium to medium-high heat. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the yellow onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook un til vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Keep warm. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 T butter. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth and worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir sauce into beef mixture, then stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper, lower heat and simmer. Toss cooked noodles with 1 T butter and chopped dill. Serve stew over noodles.

Super Chewy GFCF Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 c gfcf butter or spectrum shortening

1/4 c nut butter

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1 t vanilla extract (I use Rodelle)

2 eggs

1/2 t salt

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t xanthan gum

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1/4 c almond meal

1/3 c white rice flour

1/3 c brown rice flour

1/3 c sorghum flour

1/2 c chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, nut butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs, beat until well combined. Add salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, flax, almond meal and flours. Mix until well combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 large cookies.

Our gfcf journey!

Looking back I realize that Ellie has always been sensitive to gluten and casein. I tried breastfeeding for Ellie's first few days of life. Neither of of could get the hang of it so I gave up and decided to give her formula, thinking it was almost as good. Her chronic constipation started at only one week old. Following our pediatricians advice, I started putting Karo syrup in her formula to loosen her stools. That it did, but I didn't know that it would also cause candida to flourish in her gut. Another disconcerting fact about high-fructose corn syrup; half of the samples tested recently contained mercury.
By the time Ellie was around 18 months, she started eliminating foods from her diet. I was told it was just a normal toddler phase, that all kids are picky eaters at this age. It got so bad that by the time I decided to try a gluten and casein free diet, she would go days consuming nothing but milk. Ellie would only eat if my husband got pizza from Little Caesar's.
The first couple months on the diet Ellie still wouldn't eat. Pedisure was out so I made my own gfcf version. I mixed an allergen free mutivitamin powder and organic hemp protein and fiber powder in her rice milk. The third month she started eating one or two things all the time. Six months in is when things really began to change! Ellie started expanding her diet, her eye contact improved, the constipation was less severe, she was engaging in pretend play more often and her speech improved.
Watching Ellie grow and learn these past seven months has given me hope that she will eventually recover. I am enjoying every milestone along the way!

Quick and Healthy frosting substitute

Equal parts nut butter and raw spun honey. That's it! This tastes delicious on carrot cake. The only gfcf cream cheese substitutions I have found not only contain soy, but also partially hydrogenated oils. Yuck! No cream cheese frosting for us. This is a really yummy apple dip! It tastes like caramel.
Note: Never give honey to infants under one year of age.

GFCF Pumpkin Bread

1 c white rice flour

1 c brown rice flour

1.5 c sorghum flour

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1 t xanthan gum

2 c sugar

2 t cinnamon

2 t nutmeg

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

1/2 c organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted

1/4 c apple and plum baby food (or other flavor, just make sure it's gfcf)

2/3 c water

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix thouroughly. Fill 24 lined muffin cups or 2 greased loaf pans. Bake loaves for 50-60 minutes. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure they're done.

I made french toast with this bread and topped it off with pure maple syrup and chopped pecans. It was so good it could pass as dessert. You definitely want to serve it with eggs or some other protein to avoid a sugar crash.

Why blog?

I never have been much of a writer, so starting a blog is somewhat intimidating to me. Nevertheless, here I am, trying to think of where to start. Why start a blog in the first place? I just thought it would be a good way to share recipes and chronicle Ellie's recovery. If this blog helps at least one person, then it's worth my time.