Coconut Flour Crepes - YUM!

One of the hardest things about going GF for me has been breakfast.  Don't get me wrong, I love my oatmeal, but it's got nothing on a big weekend breakfast of pancakes, waffles, crepes, and other gluten-laden goodies that I used to make when I had more time on a weekend morning.  I can't even tell you my excitement when I stumbled upon a GF crepe recipe here last week.  Naturally, I tried it out this past weekend.

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• Stevia liquid drops, to taste (about 10 drops)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (can substitute almond extract)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour, sifted
• small pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1/3 cup whole milk (can substitute regular coconut milk)
• 1-1/2 cups blueberries (or other berries)
• Whipped cream

In a medium bowl with a wire whisk, beat together the eggs, oil, stevia, vanilla, and salt. Mix in sifted coconut flour, nutmeg and cinnamon; stir in milk.

Heat an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, melt a tiny pat of butter, coconut oil or palm shortening in the pan. Pour 1/8 cup of batter in the skillet and swirl around in pan until a thin layer of batter covers the bottom. The crepe should be about 6-inches in diameter.

Cook 1-2 minutes, or until batter is bubbly and cooked around the edges. Flip the crepe and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes more, or until done.

Fill the crepes with the berries, top with a little whipped cream, and if you wish a light dusting of coconut flour.

Makes about 6 crepes.

My Take:  Now if you're anything like me, the first thing you probably noticed was that it is supposed to make 6 crepes.  6 crepes!?  That's not even enough for me!  Well that's what I thought when I read the recipe, so the first thing I did was double it.  I also cut out any stevia/sugar since I never used to add any to the batter when making normal gluten-filled crepes.  In my opinion, pancake/waffle/crepe recipes should not need sugar since most anything you put on them is sweet.  Just me.  The batter behaved a lot like normal crepe batter, but it did take a little longer to cook and they seemed a little more delicate in the flipping process.  The finished product however acted just like any crepe should, and was absolutely delicious filled with strawberries, cinnamon sugar, or any other topping you can think of.  The only problem I ran into was that even with a head start I couldn't make them as fast as Joey and Jenna could eat them and we were all sad when the batter ran out.  Pleasantly satiated, but still sad.  Next time, I'm either tripling the batch, or making them when no one else is around!





Frittata: Dangerously Delicious

So what do you do for dinner on a Sunday evening when you haven't thought ahead and you have a lot  of eggs? Frittata!!! I have used several different frittata recipes but have resorted to just making up my own everytime depending on what kinds of ingredients I have laying around.  So today's frittata was a potato, spinach, sausage, cheesy frittata.  Here's how it went:

Ingredients:

half an onion diced
clove of garlic, minced
1/4 pound sausage
3 potatoes sliced uber thin
salt and pepper
olive oil
handfuls of spinach
6 eggs
1/3 cup parm cheese
1/2 cup to 1 whole cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Drizzle a little EVOO in a oven safe pan on medium heat and cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink.  Add garlic and some salt and pepper.  Through in the potatoes and cook around a bit.  Add the spinach and put the lid on the pan to help it wilt faster.  Meanwhile, beat the 6 eggs together and add the cheeses to the eggs and mix.  (I also added a dash of heavy whipping cream to it because 1. I had some and 2. it's delicious in everything)  Once the spinach is wilted down, add the beaten eggs and mix everything around until its combined and flatten it down.  Turn of the heat and stick it in the oven for 18 minutes.  Then flip in over on a plate and VOILA! Frittata! You can through in different vegetables like bells peppers or add different meats or make it with hash browns. Super easy and takes little thought or random ingredients.

So now you are asking yourself, what is so dangerous about frittata? Its seemingly harmless with its slightly crunchy exterior, and warm soft eggy cheesy middle.  THE PAN! WATCH OUT FOR THE PAN! Frequent use of my pan on the stove has taught me that it does not hurt me if I just touch the handle which has a silicon handle and tiny metal hole on the end. But! Once it has been in a 350 degree oven for 18 minutes that tiny little exposed metal part is 350 DEGREES HOT! Every stinking time I make a dang frittata I remember to use a hot pad to take it out of the oven (duh) and then use a towel and like 3 hot pads to turn it onto a plate for a nice presentation.  But once that pan is frittata free and sitting innocently empty on the top of the stove, my brain thinks, oh this wont hurt me, so I grab it.  WRONG! SO painfully blisteringly wrong.  Alas, I have burned myself once more.  Tonight when I started the frittata process I said to myself, "I will NOT burn myself on that pan this time.  THIS time I will be smart and remember."  Everything was going well.  I put it in the oven, cleaned up the ingredients, set the table, and got a plate and 3 hot pads ready for removal.  I pulled it out and had Taylor even help me to put it on the plate to avoid incidence.  (I burned Taylor in the process, sorry honey!)  Then I put the frittata on the table and while Taylor went to do something before we sat down, I walked over to the stove, and seeing the pan sitting a little off kilter, grabbed it and burned my self again.  I will never learn.  So I have been nursing my burnt hand with a pack of ice water the last 3 hours.

Frittata pan: 5
Jessica: 0

Cilantro Black Bean Quinoa

Some nights you just need a quick and easy dinner, and this is one of our favorites.  Found it on Allrecipes a while ago when I was first experimenting with quinoa, and it quickly found its way into our regular rotation.  I ususally serve as a main dish/complete meal (hence the quick and easy dinner label) but it could be used as a side dish, or served with a salad.

Cilantro Black Bean Quinoa
(I've made a few minor modifications from the original recipe)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped (our personal preference is for about 1/2 a good sized onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth (I use chicken broth)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 -1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Meet the Glutton Girls

Jessica, Natalie, K.C., Rauna, Karen, Nicole

I started this gluten-free life style in August on the advice of my wonderful sister, Jenette and her husband, Scott. They had been eating a paleo/gluten-free diet and were feeling great. I had been trying to lose weight for years with limited results. I was discouraged and frustrated. Going gluten free sounded drastic, especially since breads and grains were my favorite food group, but I was ready to try anything. After the first two weeks, I never looked back. I have lost 35 pounds and feel better than I have in years. I felt so great that I encourged my whole family to go gluten free. Natalie, Nicole, and Jessica started this blog to share recipes with each other and anyone else who is willing to give it a try. K.C. is away at college and is just happy when she has real food to eat. Rauna hangs out with a bunch of paleo-types at her cross-fit gym and makes a mean paleo chili, making her an honorary glutton girl.

Our family loves to cook and eat. When we get together, the first question is always, "What's for dinner?" This blog is our effort to eat healthy and delicious food.

Skinny Muffin in a Mug

1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. coconut oil, melted
1 egg
1 packet stevia or xylitol (or other sweetener of your choice)

Break the egg into the mug and beat with a fork. Add the dry ingredients and the coconut oil. Mix with the fork. Microwave for one to one and a half minutes. When it comes out of the microwave, invert onto a plate. So easy!

*check out the comments for some yummy variations!

Add-ins could include berries, banana, applesauce, chocolate chips or raisins. If you add too much wet fruit, you will need to add a little bit of cooking time.

Got this recipe from my hairdresser, Lora, who is also on a gluten-free journey. I tried it this morning and it was so quick and really tasted great. It took less that five minutes to mix and cook. To make it even quicker in the morning, Lora suggested putting the dry ingredients in a Ziploc bag ahead of time and then just adding them to the egg and oil before baking. It was tasty, filling, and a great way to use flax seed.

Gluten-Free Pizza a la CPK (Cauliflower Pizza Kitchen)

We had been going gluten-free for 3 weeks and it was going great, but darn it all, I wanted pizza. I needed pizza. I almost broke down and cheated at my favorite pizza place (California Pizza Kitchen) but I was strong. Wheat Belly promised the joy of pizza without the gluten, so I gave it a try.

Be forewarned: the crust is made of cauliflower, and will require a fork (sorry, you can't pick up a slice and eat it with your hands).

Here is the recipe for just the crust, you are on your own with the toppings!!

***Wheat-Free Pizza Crust

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large eggs
1 cup mozzarella cheese

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the cauliflower until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and transfer to a large bowl. Mash until the consistency of mashed potatoes with minimal chunks. Add the oil, eggs, and mozzarella cheese and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coast a pizza pan or large rimmed baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Pour the cauliflower mixture onto the pizza pan and press the 'dough' into a flat, pizzalike shape no more than1/2 inch thick, mounding it up higher at the edges. Bake for 20 minutes.***(here ends the official recipe)

Top with whatever your heart desires, and bake until cheese is nice and melted, 10 to 15 minutes.
                                _____________________________________

My spin:

• I used a frozen bag of cauliflower that was pre-cut into little pieces. It saved time chopping and boiling, it only needs 6-8 minutes in the pot.
• The first crust did not stay together very well, so the second time around, I made the crust in a blender. I just threw everything in and gave it a whirl. The 'dough' was much smoother, and the cooked crust was nicely puffed and held together much better.
• Toppings we used - sausage, onion, fresh mozzarella or sauteed spinach, onion, grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella (I really like onions and fresh mozzarella!)

                                _____________________________________

We thought it was delicious, and Travis and I were both completely stuffed after 2 slices. Juliet was a little less sure but we told her it was cheese (the color matched...), chicken, or pizza intermittently and she ate it; she even said 'yummy!' a few times. A complete success!!

Purple Carrot Soup

Purple Carrot Soup, Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits, and  fresh Lemonade

So this past week in my Bountiful Basket I got a couple of purple carrots.  I don't know about you, but before they landed in my kitchen, I had no idea they even existed.  Naturally, I went to the web to help me figure out what to do with them.  Turns out you can use them for anything you would do with regular orange carrots, but I wanted to do something special with them since I've never seen them before!  Thus I found a recipe for Purple Carrot Soup courtesy of The Indolent Cook.

Purple Carrot Soup (makes 2 entree-sized serves)

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium French shallots
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 very large purple carrot
1 medium potato
1/2 cup water
2 cups vegetable stock
salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste

- Heat up the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the shallots until they brown at the edges. Add in the garlic, ginger, rosemary and and ground coriander seed and fry until fragrant.
- Add carrot and potato pieces. Pour in the water and vegetable stock, bring to boil, then simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes and then puree in a blender in small batches. You may blend all of the mixture for a smooth soup or half of it for a semi-chunky soup.
- Return the soup mixture to the pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to taste.

*This makes a light, yet still deliciously comforting soup. For a rich, creamy, non-vegan version, add cream to the soup at the step where the pureed soup is returned to the pot. Or you can still keep it vegan, and use coconut cream instead. Either way, the soup should turn a pretty pastel purple, and taste quite luxurious!


My Notes:  I didn't have any French shallots on hand so just used 1/2 of a small onion.  Couldn't find any coriander seed either (seriously, must be the only spice I don't have!) so I just didn't use it.  I used a couple of purple carrots, two small potatoes, and chicken stock instead of vegetable.  I opted not to add cream as the soup was plenty creamy on its own.  Also only added balsamic to my dish - my husband and daughter don't love it the way I do.  As a note, the soup didn't need it.  It turned out delicious!   The fresh ginger and rosemary flavors were YUM!  Will definitely be making this again, with any color carrots I can find!

My Bountiful Basket also came with a plentiful supply of lemons, so what was I supposed to do besides make a pitcher of fresh lemonade?

Lemonade

6 lemons
6 cups cold water
1 cup sugar

-Juice the lemons to make approximately 1 cup of lemon juice (I got slightly more, which is good because I like a strong head-banging lemonade!).  In a pitcher combine the lemon juice, sugar, and water (I strained my lemon juice as I added it to catch any seeds/pulp).  Serve chilled, over ice garnished with fresh lemon slices.  Enjoy!

Finally, in my world no soup is complete without some kind of biscuit side dish.  I opted to try a recipe for coconut flour biscuits that Jessica found, and they did the trick!  Thanks to the Heavenly Homemakers for this one.


Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits

¼ cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/3 cup sifted coconut flour
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Blend together eggs, coconut oil or butter, salt, and onion powder. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in cheese. Drop batter by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. For a cheesier biscuit increase cheese to ¾ cup.

This recipe makes about 10 biscuits.

My Notes:  I used coconut oil, and did add more cheese.  Also, I don't sift flour regardless of the recipe.  Sorry, just lazy.  They turned out awesome, although my 3 year old preferred them dipped in ketchup.  Oh well, to each his own.  Will definitely make again!

Welcome to our lifestyle

With New Year's bringing the excitement of resolutions and new health goals, we, the United Sisters of Willmore, have followed our mother's lead and have pledged to be gluten free! This blog is to help us share tips, tricks, recipes, and stories about our gluten free triumphs and follies.  Let the blogging begin!