Quinoa (not Rice) Pudding

Thought I'd take a quick minute to jot down this yummy recipe. With all the talk of Arsenic in our rice, I must admit, I am making quinoa more than ever (and I made it a lot before!). I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart's wholeliving.com recipe.

1 1/2 c. quinoa
3 c. plain or vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

Cook covered on medium high, until liquid is gone (about 10 min.). Turn burner off, but leave pot on the burner.

Combine:
2 eggs
1 c. plain or vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
1/2 t. cardemom
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins, or other dried fruit (chopped apricots, cranberries, etc.)
1/8 c. honey
1/4 c. unrefined cane sugar

Turn heat back on medium, and pour in egg mixture. Stir quickly to avoid eggs curdling, and continue cooking for a five minutes more. You can add more milk if you like your pudding a bit runnier. Cool slightly and serve with a dollop of whip cream if you can have it.

Baked Oatmeal

For Estelle! Thanks for reading!!

Last summer I took the kids (no hubby) to family camp with a friend of mine. Between the 2 of us, we had a 6 year old, a 3 year old, a 2 year old, an 8 mo. old, and a 6 mo. old. Yes, we were crazy. BUT we had a great time, so much so that we're doing the exact same thing this year.

The food at this place was AMAZING, and mealtimes were such a great time of relaxing for us moms, as we didn't need to cook a darn thing. One morning we were served baked oatmeal, which my friend had raved about (she had been the year before). Unfortunately for me, it was full of wheat, sugar and milk; more like a cake. When I came home, I made it my mission to find a baked oatmeal that I could serve to my family. Ta-da! Here it is:

3 c. rolled oats (I use quick, but I think any would work)

1/2 c. unrefined raw cane sugar, or sugar of your choice

2 t. ground cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. almond milk, or milk of your choice

2 eggs

1/2 c. butter

2 t. vanilla

1 c. dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, or any fruit of your liking

1/2 c. chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Stir in fruit and nuts. Spread in greased 9x13" pan. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. This is great for breakfast or as a fast snack on the run. Serve it on it's own, or with a bit of milk and a drizzle of maple syrup. Yum!

Classy Chicken

This is one of those recipes that has always been a stand-by for me. Not only is it easy, but it is SO yummy. If you haven't ever had it before, here's the recipe!

3 c. fresh/frozen brocolli or asparagus

2 Tbsp. oil

1 whole chicken breast, chopped into cubes

1/4 t. pepper

Lightly steam fresh brocolli or asparagus (I find that frozen brocolli doesn't need to be pre-cooked). In a frypan, heat oil, sprinkle chicken with pepper, and cook until done.

In a separate bowl, combine:

1/2 c. mayo

1 tsp. curry, or to taste

1 tsp. lemon juice

10 oz. dairy-free cream of chicken soup

In a casserole dish, place steamed brocolli topped by chicken. Pour mayonaisse mixture over top, and top with 1/2 – 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or cheese alternative. Bake in 350 oven until bubbly, around 30 minutes. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Dairy-Free Cream of Chicken Soup

If having a dairy-free diet has you longing for all the cream-based casseroles you CAN'T have, rejoice! Most casseroles use canned cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup as a base. Here is a wonderful recipe for all the casserole dishes you've been missing. Happy eating!

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1 1/4 c. chicken broth

2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
Season with Salt and Pepper

Melt butter. Add flour and cook until bubbling. Whisk in chicken broth and poultry seasoning. Cook until thickened over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool. Use in your favorite recipe, wherever condensed cream of chicken soup is called for. Cheers! Makes 10 oz.

My Mom's Quiche (My Way)

I think I've mentioned before that my parents used to own and operate a quaint little tea room. An abundance of delicacies were served, but aside from the sweet treats to enjoy with your cup o' tea, lunch was the main focus, and my mom's quiche was always the first thing to go. Here's the recipe we still enjoy today, although I've adapted it for our dairy-free diet. If you enjoy dairy, I've included the original ingredients as well. Pip Pip, Cheerio!

Start with a combination of all or some of the following:

1 Tbs. onion, diced fine

5 bacon slices, fried and crumbled

1/4 c. zucchini, chopped fine

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 can of artichokes, chopped

1 fresh tomato, chopped

Saute your selection of veggies/meat, set aside.

Combine:

3 eggs, beaten

1 can coconut milk (OR 1 1/2 c. whipping cream)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. fresh spices, or 1 tsp. dried

In the bottom of a pie crust (I just use Tender Flake, but if you feel like making your own, go for it!), sprinkle 3/4 c. your choice of cheese (feta, swiss, cheddar, or cheese substitute). Add sauteed veggies. Top with egg mixture.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, 350 for 30 minutes, or until it "doesn't juggle". Sprinkle salt on top, and pair it with a green salad. Great for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner.

Peasant Soup

This soup is so hearty and good. Serve it with rustic bread and sharp chedder (if you can have it) and be satisfied!

I know this picture might not be the most appetizing, but trust me, this soup is yummy!

Heat oil, and fry until soft:

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

3 ribs celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. ground tumeric

Add and cook until tender:

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1/3 c. dried green lentils

4 1/2 c. water or chicken broth

Add:

1 Tbs. tomato paste

1 c. cooked pasta (optional)

1 can (19 oz.) bean medley, drained and rinsed

Stir in:

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

1/2 t. salt or to taste

Serve!

This soup surprised us all with how tasty it was, and my kids loved it! I hope you like it too!

Thai Pa Naeng

Some friends of ours introduced us to this fantastic local Thai restaurant, and Pa Naeng was the first and only main course meal we have ever eaten there, because we can't be convinced that anything else is going to taste as good! We use chicken in ours, but you could use prawns or even pork if you were so inclined.

1-2 Tbs. Red Curry Paste, or to taste (this is spicy)

1-2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

2 cans coconut milk

1 whole chicken breast, sliced thin

2 red pepper, cut into strips

1-2 Tbs. Fish Sauce, or to taste

3 kaffir lime leaves

A splash of lime juice

4 Tbs. honey or to taste

3 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

Over medium heat, heat red curry paste and olive oil. Add coconut milk, chicken breast, red pepper, fish sauce and lime leaves. Simmer until the chicken is cooked. Remove kaffir leaves. Give a splash of lime juice, stir in honey and fresh basil. Serve over jasmine rice.

Best Pancakes Ever

I love pancakes. LOVE them! But because we limit both wheat and dairy, a good pancake recipe has been hard to find. Quite by accident this morning, I made a wonderful batch of pancakes that I want to share with you!

Upon rising this morning, my dd announced that she wanted pancakes. I was willing to comply, but realized that I was all out of baking powder. Well, you can't make pancakes without baking powder... Unless... I seemed to remember a substitution for that... Yes, it appears that 1 tsp. baking ponder can be substituted with 1/4 tsp. baking soda plus a 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, both of which I DID have. Here's the resulting recipe:

2 eggs
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup

Add almond milk to make 1/4 cup

1 c. More of almond milk

2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter

Mix and add:

1 1/4 c. Kamut flour

1 Tbsp. whole unrefined raw cane sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Let sit while your pan heats up (it will thicken). Oil your hot pan, pour batter in, and flip when bubbles form. Pancakes are done when the surface is soft to the touch. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Let me know if you like these as much as we did!

Roasted Garlic Cream Pasta with Chicken

I LOVE roasted garlic. I will do 3 heads at once (they bake down) and use it in recipes, spread it on bread, and simply enjoy the smell of it.

It's super easy to roast garlic. Just peel away a few layers of the outer paper (don't pull the cloves apart), cut the head of garlic in half, put it cut-side up on some tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, close the foil around it (to make a little package), and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so. It should be soft.

Remove the tin foil and let it cool. then just use your fingsers to squish the cloves out of the paper. When you've done that, try it in this super yummy recipe. I sub out the milk for almond milk, so feel free to do that if you limit dairy. Cheers!

Pumpkin Pie (Dairy-Free)

In honor of Thanksgiving, here is a recipe for pumpkin pie that everyone can enjoy. The coconut milk gives it a very nice creamy texture.

1/2 can real pumpkin

1/2 c. panela unrefined cane sugar, or sugar of your choice

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ginger

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. coconut milk

1 egg

1 pie crust

Mix all ingredients. Pour into your pie crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Serve with cool whip or whip cream.

Homemade Granola (wheat-free)

This granola has NO wheat flour in it. So full of yumminess, it is one of our faves for breakfast and snacktime.

6 c. oats

1 c. chickpea flour (available in the ethnic aisle)

1 c. oat flour

1 c. oil

1 c. honey

1/2 c. water

2 t. vanilla extract

2 t. salt

Mix together and bake at 250 for 1 hour. After an hour, stir in:

1 c. unsweetened coconut

1 c. dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, and/or apricots)

1 c. nuts (pecans, almonds, and/or cashews)

Bake for another 30-45 minutes, until nice and golden. Serve over yogurt, or simply eat with milk. D-liscious!!