Lemon Olive Oil Yogurt Cake with Lemon "Cream", Gluten Free and Dairy Free

Lemon Olive Oil Yogurt Cake

It's been ages since I posted a recipe so I'm excited to share this one. My family has been loving this cake so much that I have made it three days in a row! It's that easy and that good!

You would never, ever know this cake is both gluten and dairy free. It is hands down, the most moist and fluffy baked item I have come across since I went gluten free (and if you are familiar with GF baked goods you know this is a big deal!)

Fully loaded

With just a sprinkle of confectioners sugar

Lemon Olive Oil Yogurt Cake

• 1 cup gluten free flour of choice.  I used Bob's Red Mill Biscuit and Baking Mix.  Any flour mix will do, even regular flour or a combination.  I've used corn and coconut flour with good results.
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar OR do what I did and substitute a little SweetLeaf Stevia with the  granulated sugar to cut down on the sugar.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain non dairy yogurt of choice.  I used So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon.  You should end up with about a teaspoon of zest and 2 Tablespoons of juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all and pour into greased 8 inch round cake pan, spread cake batter to edges of pan. Batter will be tick.  Bake in 350 degree oven.  Start testing the cake at 20 minutes, top should be lightly golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  22 minutes is perfect in my oven.

Makes about 8 slices.  Prepared my way each slice is about 210 calories (without the cream.)  The cream is nice if you are making a fancy dessert but the cake doesn't need it to be delicious.  The first day I made this cake I also made the cream which lasted through the second cake. Refrigerate the cream in between uses. 



Lemon "Cream" from Go Dairy Free. 
See original source here, I've just reprinted for your convenience:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Juice of medium lemon
• 1 Tablespoon dairy-free margarine

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Gradually add water and whisk until well blended. Whisk in egg yolks, lemon peel and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick and bubbly. Boil one minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter. Cool to room temperature, without stirring

Healthy Banana Blueberry Pancakes (GF & Dairy Free)

I have not posted a recipe in a long time so I'm excited to finally share this one which I made for a 4th of July holiday breakfast today.  I've made variations of this several times but usually for dinner.  We are big fans of BFD (Breakfast For Dinner.)  The first time I made these pancakes I wasn't sure how my kids would react because these are not your usual pancake but they loved them!  Now it's the only pancake recipe I make.  I love the wholesome ingredients and the fact that no sugar is added.  My family just loves the way they taste!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free flour of choice, I used Arrowhead Mills.  If you are not GF, use whole wheat flour.

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup almond meal (sometimes called almond flour)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 medium bananas

1 cup milk of choice, I used unsweetened rice milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup applesauce

1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (optional*)

1 Tablespoon chia seeds (optional*)

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries or mixed berries (I used blueberries today but have also used raspberries  or a mixture of the two.)

* Both the ground flax seed and chia seeds can be omitted or you can double one up and omit the other - i.e. 2 Tablespoons flax, no chia.

 Combine first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  In another bowl, mash the bananas and then mix in milk, egg, vanilla extract, applesauce, flax & chia seeds.  Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Gently fold in berries.  Warm skillet or griddle and coat liberally with cooking spray or butter, as these pancakes are a bit sticky.  Measure out 1/4 - 1/3 cup of batter and pour onto skillet.  The pancakes will not be round as the batter is rather thick.  You can shape them into nicer rounder shapes with a spoon if you like.  Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. 

Keep in mind that because of the banana and berries the pancakes will be slightly mushy in the middle.  If you like, put them on a baking sheet in the oven on medium heat for a few minutes to help dry them out.  I usually put the first batch in the oven while I cook the second batch.  This makes about 12 pancakes for me.

Some variations I have tried:

- Use only 1/4 cup almond meal and add 1/4 cup slivered almonds.  Makes them crunchier.

- Mash only one of the bananas.  Slice the second banana and add it when you add the berries.  Can make them mushier.

To makes these vegan, subsititue the egg with 3 additional Tablespoons of ground flaxseeds mixed with a little water.

 

Adapted from a recipe I found in the January 2012 issue of Self Magazine.  If you try my recipe I would love feedback.  Enjoy!!

I am linking up to Market Yourself Monday on Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Carmelized Onion, Ham & Apple Risotto

The other day I looked in the freezer for some dinner inspiration and found some leftover glazed ham from Easter.  I was going for a ham & rice dish inspired by Joy of Cooking's Arroz con Pollo but when I realized that the ham was too sweet I headed another direction.  This recipe is naturally gluten free and diary free.  Omit the ham and it's vegan, too!

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cups chopped precooked ham
1/2 cup apple, chopped, peeled & cored
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces dry white wine
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces Arborio rice
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance or other non-dairy butter substitute

Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes, add the brown sugar and continue to saute about 5 minutes.  Add ham & apple, saute until apples begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat rice.  Add wine and stir while it evaporates.  Add 1 cup broth, stir well and allow to simmer.  Do not allow to dry out, keep adding broth as needed  about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently to keep from sticking., about 18-20 minutes.  Rice should be al dente, not mushy.  Once rice is cooked stir in Earth Balance to create a nice shine.  Let sit 2-5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was chopping carrots for the salad I served with the risotto I noticed my fingernails were the exact color of the carrots...I had to be careful where I was chopping!!  This is Zoya Professional Lacquer "Arizona."

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, gluten & dairy free

I've been baking macaroons lately, the problem with making macaroons, not once, but twice is that my husband doesn't love coconut.  The poor guy would come home to find me baking only to realize I had made something he didn't like.  When I saw this recipe using his favorite flavors (peanut butter & chocolate) I knew I had to make them soon!  They turned out so good...maybe even the best cookies I have ever made.

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips (Trader Joe's semi sweet are diary free)
Sugar for rolling

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop and roll dough into balls and roll the balls in the sugar.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten slightly, I did the traditional fork criss-cross but the shape didn't survive the baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a golden brown. Cool completely.  Enjoy!

 

One last note, these cookies are moist and soft but I must admit I slightly over-baked the second batch (just shy of being burned, really) and they were a big hit, too.  The more well-done cookies were drier and crumbly...so if you like a well done cookie, bake for a few minutes longer.

Macaroons, Take 2

I'm in the middle of a macaroons experiment.  I made macaroons last week and they were amazing....ut they were quite sweet and sticky and I wanted to see if I could make a more cookie like macaroon, denser and maybe with a little less sugar.  Here's how it went.

 

 

 

These cookies came out well, they were definitely not as sticky and sweet as that first batch.  These cookies are drier, denser and more filling.  My kids definitely prefered the sweeter ones.  Honestly I hesitated about posting these, not that they are bad...they are just not fabulous like the previous recipe.  I did promise a follow up, though, so here it is.

Ingredients

3 cups unsweetened flaked coconut, I used a small flake

1 cup almond meal

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almon extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup egg whites

pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan combine eggs, egg whites, sugar and coconut. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 12-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in extracts and almond meal. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Using a tablespoon, scoop tightly packed spoonfulls onto baking sheet covered in parchement paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden.

I think I will going back to the kitchen one more time, maybe the first recipe with a combination of sweetened and unsweetened coconut?  Or maybe leave well enough alone and just make another batch of version one?  Stay tuned.

Macaroons

Anytime I can find a recipe for sweets that is both diary and gluten free I get excited!  I had never tried macaroons before and this recipe is very easy and very moist & delicious.  I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation.


 

 

 

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup (5 large) egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
10 oz sweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, sugar and coconut.  Cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 12-15 minutes.  The mixture should be sticky and moist, not dry.  Remove from heat and stir in extracts and almond meal.  Transfer to a bowl and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Using a tablespoon, scoop tightly packed spoonfulls onto baking sheet covered in parchement paper.  Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden.
The only thing I changed was adding 2 tablespoons of almond meal when I added the extracts. I wanted a bit of substance and am always adding almonds to increase our calcium intake. It's especially hard to get my dairy free son the right amount of calcium!

Stay tuned for more on macaroons...I decided to try another version to see if I could make them more cookie-like with a bit of crunch...although I loved these, as I said above, they are very moist and I wanted a bit of crunch.

Linking up to Take A Look Tuesdays on Sugar Bee Crafts.

Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker

Monday's are my hardest cooking days.  My daughter has ballet until 5:30 so I try to cook ahead so that by the time we get home there is just reheating or last minute preparations.  Today was no exception and after a very sunny weekend we are covered with a chilly, gloomy marine layer.  My son is home from school with a cold and I am a bit rough around the edges myself.  In other words, the perfect day for soup.

I've tried a variety of Chicken Tortilla soup recipes but none in the slow cooker. The slow cooker did the work for me and this is hands down the tastiest Chicken Tortilla soup I have ever made.  Everyone in my family LOVED it and it could not have been easier.  I literally threw all the ingredients in and just left it alone.  This recipe is taking it's place in our top ten.  It is that good!

Chicken Tortilla Soup in the slow cooker

1 lb shredded, cooked chicken (I boiled chicken breasts in water and let them cool before shredding)

15 oz. peeled tomatoes, mashed (I prefer to use tomatoes from boxes like this to avoid the BPA found in cans.)

16 oz. enchilada sauce (I use sauce from a jar, not a can)

4 oz. chopped green chili peppers (these are from a can, if you know of an alternative to canned, let me know!)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon each cumin, chili powder, salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bay leaf (make sure to remove when soup is done)

12 ounces packaged frozen corn

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro + more for garnish

7 corn tortillas to make baked tortilla chips for garnish

sliced avocado for garnish

light sour cream for garnish
juice from a fresh lime

Put all ingredients (chicken through to cilantro) in slow cooker and cook covered for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

When the soup is nearly done prepare the tortillas by lightly spraying with vegetable or olive oil spray (I prefer olive oil.)  Cut into thin strips and spread on lightly sprayed cooked sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes.

Serve soup garnished with tortilla strips, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.  Add a squeeze of lime juice.

My sweet little girl wants to be just like her mommy. She styled and photographed her own bowl and asked me to put it on her blog. So cute!!

Sharing this recipe:

Started a new painting today and love the way paint contrasts with my nails.  Stay tuned...

The BEST Beans Ever (Beans in Broth)

The BEST beans ever (Beans in broth)

Chop 1/2 cup yellow or white onions and cook in a 1 tablespoon each of olive and canola oil (I sometimes use coconut oil, too, but it can change the flavor of the beans so you can experiment which oil mixture you like best.)  Cook the onions until they are turning black, not just browned but burned black. You might want to open doors and turn on your fan. In the meantime, rinse 1 cup of dry pinto beans.  No need to soak but do rinse and remove any beans that don't look good. When onions are black add the beans and 4 or 5 cups of boiling water. Be very careful adding water to hot oil! Water should cover the beans. Add one bay leaf. Simmer partially covered for about an hour. Keep your eye on the beans, if too much water evaporates add one cup of water at a time (water should be hot before adding.) After about an hour when beans have softened add 1 teaspoon of salt. Make sure you do not add salt before beans have softened. Continue to simmer, adding hot water when needed for at least another hour or two until beans are cooked. There should be some "broth" left.  If too much water has evaporated, add more to make some broth. Discard the bay leaf. Discard the black onions if you like (I never do.) These beans freeze very well when cooked so I try to make huge batches. Use this recipe to make refried beans by smashing beans and reheating in a bit of oil.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Apple Pie

I've always been more of a cook than a baker. I'm all about improvising and experimenting rather than precise measuring. Since I've been trying to lead the gluten free life I have had to give up conventional baked goods so imagine my delight when my local specialty store started to sell gluten free pie crusts by Kinnikinnick.

 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Apple Pie with Crumb topping

2 tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon almond flour or meal
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
1/4 cup gluten free oats
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance or other dairy free substitute
1 Tablespoon almond flour or meal
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coat apples with lemon juice.  Mix together the remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Add apple slices and coat them with mixture.  Put apple mixture in pie crust. 

In another small bowl mix topping ingredients, breaking Earth Balance into small pieces.  Cover pie with topping mixture.

I covered my edges in foil but in hindsight it wasn't necessary.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake another 25 minutes - or just bake for 50 minutes if no foil is used.

 

 

 

Served with dairy free whipped topping.  So easy and good!  We were fighting for the last piece.

Krista's Kale Salad

My good friend Krista gave me this recipe.  I'm a relative newcomer to the joys of eating kale, especially raw, so I was excited to try this recipe.  It is DELICIOUS!

For the salad:
-kale (mine is from my garden!)
-avocado
-radish
-sunflower seeds

For the dressing:
-juice from 1/2 lemon
-juat about equal parts Braggs Amino Acids and olive oil (you may need to use more oil and less Braggs which is very salty.)
-pepper to taste

Remove tough stems from kale if you like and cut into bite sized peices.  Toss with a good amount of dressings and then use your hands to gently knead dressing into the kale, this helps break up the toughness of the kale.  I let it sit in the fridge for two hours.  Then add the rest of the salad ingredients and more dressing if needed.  I served it salad with fresh asparagus lightly sauteed in Bragg Amino Acids and olive oil.

Yum!  Thanks Krista!

And for dessert...

The Busy Lady's Curried Lentil Soup

Coming out of the yoga hot room into the blustery weather today put in a mind for soup.  I'm always starving after yoga and since Bikram takes up a large chunk of time during which I am away from my desk I'm always starving AND in a hurry to catch up on work.  When I'm hungry and in a hurry I tend to grab fast, easy foods that are not necessarily my best options nutritionally  so I came up with this quick soup idea today with pretty good results.  Not as good as when I take the time to make Curried Lentil Soup from scratch but a decent substitute that hit the spot and only took about 7 minutes to prepare.

1 1/2 cups ready to serve soup, in this case I used Creamy Corn & Roasted Pepper Soup
1/2 cup cooked lentils (I keep cooked lentils in my freezer for just such an occasion)
1/2 cup frozen cooked vegetables, I used a combo of carrots, peas, corn and green beans
1 teaspoon curry powder
dash of cinnamon
dollop of plain yogurt as garnish

Add first three ingredients to blender little by little, blending as you go.  I had to add about 1/4 cup water at the end because it was getting too thick to blend.

Pour into saucepan to heat or directly into bowl and heat in microwave.  Stir in yogurt and enjoy!

Sausage & Pasta Soup

When it's cold and windy and rainy I always crave soup. Lucky for me I was able to adapt a very old recipe with the ingredients I had on hand so I didn't even need to go shopping.

Served with gluten free crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers (Caraway)

Ingredients:
-1 package (about 1lb) of sausage of your choice.  Use turkey sausage to save calories, I used sweet  Italian that I had in the fridge.
-2 boxes of low sodium chicken broth - 64 oz total (use boxes, not cans that can be lined with BPA!)
-1 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces, I used red
-1 can low sodium or no salt added pinto or cannellini beans (I used pinto,) drained & rinsed***
-1/2 yellow onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon oregano (I used fresh from my garden)
-1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 oz gluten free pasta

*** Thanks to Kristine for pointing out that I forgot to list the beans in my original post!  And two notes on canned beans.  First, if you do not use low/no salt beans rinse the beans very, very well to help remove as much of the sodium as possible.  Second, I buy Eden Organics canned beans because the lining on their cans is BPA free.  A great place to buy them is online at Vitacost, if you don't already shop at Vitacost I highly recommend it...you can even email me for a link and I can get a discount on my next purchase.  :)

My sous chef peels

Directions:
Remove sausage meat from casings and roll into one inch balls (see below).  Brown in a splash of olive oil, being careful while turning them that they don't break up.  Sausage does not need to be cooked through at this point, just browned.  If you are using very fatty sausage I would suggest cooking well to help remove as much fat as possible.  When they are ready, set aside and drain fat, leaving just a bit to cook the onions & garlic.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until slightly browned.  Add oregano, thyme, broth and potato.  Simmer covered until potato begins to soften, about 15 minutes.  If sausages were not cooked through add them now and continue to cook until sausages and potatoes are done.  If you did cook the sausage through just add them for the last 5-10 minutes.  Add the beans in the last few minutes, also.

If working with any fatty meats I prefer to cook my soup early so it can cool and I can skim the fat.  If you cook a whole day ahead, the fat solidifies in the fridge overnight and can easily be discarded.  In this case, I let the soup cool for an hour or so and used one of those fat skimming cups with a spout (no idea what they are officially called!)

Now about the pasta - you can cook it in the soup for the last 8-10 minutes if you like.  The problem for me is that if you have leftovers, the pasta will be mush the next day.  I like to make the pasta in a separate pot and add to the soup when it's in the bowl just before serving.  I used De Boles Gluten Free Elbow shaped pasta.  Of the gluten free pastas I have tried I really prefer those made with corn.