Trial errors and kiddie snacks that are picky eater approved =)

Oh my this week has been an interesting run of trials and errors in my kitchen...First, I wanted to make gluten free sticky buns and decided to try the "sweet bread sorghum flour" from Bob's redmill. Did you know you should read instructions closely? It's only meant to replace 10-15% of the gluten free bread mix! The sticky buns were far from sticky, they were like dog biscuits!  Then I had two separate requests for sugar free or low sugar cupcakes. Since my Chocolate velvet cupcakes only require a 1/4 cup of sugar I thought this would be easy to use standard flour instead of gluten free and Stevia sweetener instead of sugar. I was wrong. So gross. Beautiful texture and disgusting flavor, truly grotesque. I'm going to try again with using carrot juice instead of almond milk and make sugar free carrot cupcakes. Stay tuned for how those turn out.

So today's post is going to be your every day staple snacks for gluten free kiddies or just kiddies in general!

"Octopus" hot dogs and apple slice peanut butter sandwiches. 

For the hot dogs I took Foster farms natural turkey dogs and for 3/4 of their length cut them into strips (tentacles). Then boiled them in unsalted water until the tentacles curl up.

This little picky eater approves!

Another fun, easy and nutritional snack for your picky eater is a twist on the peanut butter and apples snack.  Nadine LOVES sandwiches but it's always more for the honey or the jam and she can get wild with sugar.
I "planked" an apple on cut size 3 on my pamper chef mini mandolin and used those as my "bread" for the sandwich.

Apple, peanut butter and a knife or mandolin. Easy!

So simple and delicious!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bourbon Vanilla cupcakes

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday!  Happy Birthday Mom! 
I made this recipe just for her gluten free dairy free needs. I can't wait to share them over a cup of coffee. 

As for the rest of you, enjoy! These turned out awesome.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup apple puree (slice up 1 and 1/2 large green apples, simmer in 2 tbs of Bourbon Vanilla and enough water to barely cover the surface of the apples. Simmer until apples are completely cooked and tender. Let cool, then drain and puree them in a blender or "magic bullet")
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Bob's gluten free bread flour
1/2 cup canola oil (in an effort to make things healthier I use Smart balance omega 3 canola oil)
2 tbs  almond milk
1 teaspoon plain toffuti supreme cream (sour cream substitute)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature (for super moist and fluffy cupcakes this is an important step! Beat the eggs and almond milk together into a froth in your blender or magic bullet!)

1 and 1/2 apples sliced and simmered with 2 tbs of bourbon vanilla
and 3/4 cup of water.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 10 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, Toffuti supreme cream, apple puree, and vinegar first. Then add the frothy milk and eggs to retain the air pockets. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill the cupcake wells 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before you ice them.

Check the inside with a toothpick!
They will look done but not be!

I'm all for easy and time saving!
GF and DF frosting mix!
just add DF margarine and h2o.

deliciousness!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

I love cupcakes, they are cute and pretty and really fun to make. I was looking online for red velvet cupcakes that use beets, I know this is a weird thing to be looking for but I was watching a show (remember I am a foodnetwork addict...) called "Eat your way thin" where they used beets! I've used zucchini so why not beets? I must tell you that these chocolaty treats are delicious, moist and contain beets!


Ingredients:
3/4 cup beet puree (I'm lazy and got an organic can of whole beets packed in water but if you're feeling up to it you can boil then peel some raw beets and puree them in a blender or "magic bullet")
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Bob's gluten free bread flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil (in an effort to make things healthier I use Smart balance omega 3 canola oil)
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon plain toffuti supreme cream (sour cream substitute)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (If you are using canned beets that were packed in salt and water DO NOT add salt)
2 eggs, at room temperature (for super moist and fluffy cupcakes this is an important step! Beat the eggs and almond milk together into a froth in your blender or magic bullet!)

Make things easy on yourself and pour from
a container with a pour spout instead
of spooning it in from the batter bowl.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, Toffuti supreme cream, beet puree, and vinegar first. Then add the frothy milk and eggs to retain the air pockets. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill the cupcake wells 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before you ice them.

Traditional Roux frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Almond milk
1/2 cup Dairy free/gluten free margarine (I use Earth balance)
1/2 cup powder sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:


In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch, salt and almond milk.  Cream together the butter, vanilla paste and sugar. Slowly add the almond milk mixture. Beat until it is creamy and smooth. It will take longer than you'd think. Frost on cooled cupcakes or cake. 

As far as the red dye free red velvet cupcakes go.. I'm working on it, my first attempt came out tasting like carrot cake and lost their vibrant beet red color as they baked.. delicious but not what I was aiming for,  so you will have to stay tuned for this. 


In the mean time if you're not wanting to make a traditional roux frosting then Trader Joes has an excellent frosting base that is delicious and super easy for little helpers to contribute.

Apple and herb turkey (yumm!)

Even though it feels like it was just Thanksgiving, Christmas is right around the corner! I have a super recipe for an easy and moist turkey.
Ingredients:
Defrosted Turkey
1 Green apple
1 sweet onion
1 bunch of poultry herbs
     Thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley.
(check out the prepacked fresh herbs in the produce section at Safeway, FredMyer, or your local grocery store)
5 tbs of melted dairy free margarine
Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

In a large foil pan or roasting pan take the giblets out of the neck cavity of the turkey (it is super important these are removed so the packaging doesn't contaminate the bird!) either throw the giblets away or start simmering them on low in a low sodium chicken stock. Stuff the herbs, apple (halved) and onion (quartered) in to the turkey's cavity.

This is a 14lb bird, takes about 4 hours on 375 degrees Fahrenheit
The internal temp should be no lower than 180 degrees Fahrenheit

 Cover the skin of the turkey with the melted margarine and sprinkle the seasons to taste. Go light on the paprika because it will burn easily.

Cover the whole thing in foil for the first 3 hours (or depending on the size of your bird for the first 3/4 of the baking time per instructions on the packaging) After 3/4 of the baking time remove foil and use part of it to create an upside down V to place over the turkey breast (this helps keep the white meat moist while the dark meat is still finishing up) Every 15 minutes or so spoon the drippings in the bottom of the pan on top of the bird to retain moisture. Once the nifty red button has popped or the internal temp is at 180 degrees Fahrenheit remove that bird from the oven. For optimum moisture let the turkey rest for an hour before carving. I like to utilize the resting period to make gravy from the drippings and prepare my sides.

During the last hour of baking I like to throw in some red potatoes for convenience. You can eat them
as baked potatoes or peal and mash them.

Voila! She's beautiful and moist!

HINT: Save your apple and onion from the chest cavity for a delicious left over wrap/sandwich the next day.

For an easy and scrumptious lunch take your left over turkey, a couple slices of the cooked apple, a couple of layers of the baked onion, spread a thin layer of Chevre or cream cheese on the inside of a gluten free tortilla or bread (I really enjoy Udi's gluten free bread products!).

That's it! Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Torte (pure deliciousness!!)

Hello My Name is Danielle and I am a FoodNetwork addict! oh boy that feels so good to get out ;) hehe

One of my favorite shows to watch (re-runs) is the Take Home Chef! In one episode he made a flourless chocolate torte with chocolate ganache that made my mouth drool. I immediate went out, got the main ingredients and started playing around for a completely gluten free option (he greased and floured the pan) and dairy free adaptions. I wont lie, it take precision and a few extra dishes but is so incredibly delectable that it is the highest demanded dessert recipe I have.

For the cake:
1½ sticks butter (softened) (For Dairy free alternative us Earth Balance Margarine)
1 cup castor sugar (fine sugar)
6 eggs separated
6oz plain dark chocolate, melted
½ tea spoon of ground cinnamon

For the drizzle
6 oz plain dark chocolate, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease with dairy free margarine bunt cake tin. Cream the margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time (slowly).

Mix in the melted chocolate and the ground cinnamon. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the mixture to loosen the mixture. Slowly fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture. Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 30-40 min. Remove from cake tin and allow to cool for 45min. Cake will deflate during cooling.

Hint: Be really careful to not deflate the egg whites while folding in, also make sure that everything is even;y incorporated or you will end up with a blotchy result with egg white spots. 

Chocolate torte with melted semi sweet chocolate drizzle
and fresh strawberries.

local treasures and foodie pleasures

Karl enjoyed a chocolate dipped butter horn while I had a hot cup of coffee.
Noah wanted some so badly! I don't blame
him they look delicious.

As a supporter of the the local economy the family and I ventured into the heart of downtown Salem Oregon searching for the ultimate foodie experience. At the Reed Opera you have your choice of greek, mexican, thai, indian and italian cuisine. Down in the basement is a hidden treasure called "the little canoli bakery"! With incredible handmade and fresh pasteries, nummy espresso drinks and traditional itialian pizzas. Guess what my dear gluten free and dairy free friends....they have'' chewy chocolate pecan cookies that are delicious!

We also had a beautiful drive out to Dallas and visited the modest little goat farm "Fairview Dairy Goat Farm" which has a self service stand in their drive way and also is at the Salem farmers market on Saturdays. 

I'm in love with their onion and dill veggie dip. They also have this wine washed cheese that looks delicious and we will be picking up some of that tomorrow at the farmers market!

The best Lamb stew you will ever eat!

I know my title is so humble right? Haha but seriously, if you want a recipe that is lick your bowl until is clean delicious this is it! Perfect pairing for the cold fall weather or a snow day in. Originally I developed the recipe with standard gluten products and recently figured out a couple small tweaks to make it gluten free and still deliciously full of flavor!
For those of you who are going to go gluten free keep in mind that some cheap cooking wines do have gluten in them (I don't understand why, but I have come across this) I love supporting local companies so I use Honeywood Cabernet all of the Honeywood wines are gluten free and the winery is right here in Salem!
Also if you do not have potato starch you can use dehydrated potatoes just read the ingredients thoroughly for dairy or gluten products.My rule of thumb is that if it has more than 4 ingredients and does not specify gluten free or vegan I don't trust it to not have something hidden in the "natural ingredients".

Ok, let's get cooking!

Toss in a bowl 1 1/2 lbs cubed lamb (or beef) with 4 tbs of flour (for gluten free substitute potato starch), season with salt and pepper

In a large soup pot melt 2 tbs of butter (or dairy free margarine) and 1 tbs olive oil

Brown the meat in the bottom of the pot.(I prefer Lamb but Beef works well too)

After the meat is browned add 1 cup red wine, 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar scraping up all of the browning pieces in the bottom of the pot.

Add to the pot 3 large carrots (cut all veggies into rustic bite size pieces), 1 large yellow onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 4 red potatos, 3 stalks of celery.For liquid add 32 oz of low sodium stock (I use chicken since I don't eat beef, but most stew recipes call for beef broth)

For seasoning add 3 baley leaves, a pinch of annise seed, a pinch of cinamon, 1 tbs rosemary, 1/2 tbs peperika, 2 tbs savory herb, salt and pepper to taste.Simmer for 1 hour on medium/low heat. To thicken add 1 tbs butter (or dairy free margarine) and slowly stir in (sprinkling so as not to clump) flour (or potato starch). Simmer on low for 20 minutes, stiring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn while thickening.

I know most of you are used to making a roux by mixing the thickening agent (flour or potato starch) a head of time with some water you can do this but you will need to re-taste your stew and see if it needs additional seasoning to compensate for the additional water. Also when reduce the heat and let it cool down some before doing this method or you will likely end up with clumps.

The bowls were so steamy I didn't get some great shots to share but I will add more soon I promise!

BBQ and Football

My husband and I are both trying to lose our "baby weight" gain and so any opportunity I have to swap out your traditional full fat munchies or meals I will. Today the boys are watching football and the request for food was KFC and chips/ dip. Although I LOVE KFC extra crispy chicken (it's dairy free!), that's a whole lot of calories to spend on one meal. I fired up the BBQ. First I washed up some red potatoes and individually wrapped them in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, and garlic powder. With the potatoes on the grill at 500 degrees I went back inside and started on my chicken. I like to substitute flavor for fat. I took fresh chicken breasts and seasoned with rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, seasalt and pepper on both sides. The key to not having the chicken stick to the grill is to not touch them until they have formed a nice golden crust.

The rosemary smells so good as it's grilling! Yummo! To replace the bisquits I pulled some premade pizza dough out of the fridge and rolled into one long baguette and baked in the oven. Trader Joes premade pizza dough has 4 ingredients in it and is dairy free! My food philosophy is that the fewer the ingredients in something premade the better! 

If you skip the bread and just have the chicken and potatoes the meal is satisfying and gluten free/dairy free. 

I chose not to add anything else to my plate but the boys
topped off their potatoes and bread with a little Good Earth dairy free/gluten free
margarine.

For the chips and dip I pulled a trick out of my hat, I love pampered chef products! I used my mini mandolin on size 1 and sliced up some raw red potatoes. I laid them flat and single layered on my microwave chip maker also from pampered chef. I have seen these in the "as seen on TV" section at Walmart if you don't have a pampered chef you support through ordering products. I lightly salted with seasalt, some fresh ground pepper and microwaved for 4 1/2 minutes. 6 trays worth was the perfect amount for a super healthy alternative to your usual potato chips. For the dip I got out the got Chevre we have from the farmers market and the boys were super stoked! 

Items needed: Microwave chip trays, mandolin, sea salt,
pepper and red potatoes... an adorable assistant
makes for fun too!

season to taste! Hint: fresh ground
pepper when heated up can have
a good bite, use sparingly. 

This is one serving of chips about 3/4 of a red potato
which is approx. 75 calories with seasoning.

What recipes do you wish you could eat but are not gluten free or dairy free?

So I already have a stash of 20 or so recipes I will be sharing and on a weekly basis and developing new ones (some times it takes a few tries to get it right!) but I would love feed back from anyone who really misses a specific dish, I will do my very best to find a pallet pleasing alternative! I love a good challenge so don't hold back!

The perfect cinnamon rolls! With easy dairy free and gluten free adaption options.

Okay folks I have the perfect recipe for Christmas breakfast! Cinnamon rolls! Or if you're like my family we use all special occasions where we have to get up early and not have school to make these ;) There are intext adaption options for both dairy free and gluten free. Don't forget if you're new to this or a seasoned pro ALWAYS read the labels for your go to substitute items. There have been a couple times where I used the same product for years and then when I got sick found out they had changed the ingredients. 

ENJOY! 

Perfect Cinnamon Roll Dough

Warm and soft with the slightest touch of sweetness, this roll dough is simply perfect for making cinnamon rolls. If you're wary of making yeast breads, you really have nothing to fear. The only vaguely tricky step is mixing the yeast into appropriately warm water. Water too hot can kill off the yeast, but lukewarm water won't activate it. A good rule of thumb to use when preparing the warm water for your yeast is to run your own hand under the faucet and feel the temperature of the water. If you'd take a nice, long bath in it, it's probably the perfect temp for your yeast. Enjoy!

2 cups very warm water

2 tablespoons dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup instant, nonfat dry milk – substitute ½ cup non-dairy vanilla pudding or gluten free vanilla pudding

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

4-5 1/2 cups flour, all purpose (bread flour can be used if you have it on hand) - substitute Bob's gluten free bread mix!

1 stick butter (softened) –

substitute 4 tbs of butter flavored shortening and 4 tbs of dairy free margarine

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water and yeast. Whisk in the sugar and allow the yeast too foam slightly by letting it sit alone for 5 minutes, or so. Stir in the dry milk( or ½ cup pudding mix), salt, and egg. Slowly start stirring in the flour, cup by cup, until a thick, sticky dough is formed. Don't add too much! You want it sticky and pliable, not overly floury. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, sprinkle a thin layer of flour on top, and knead the bread until it becomes a little less sticky and slightly elastic. Now begin to knead the butter into the dough. It should make the dough very soft and greasy enough so the dough no longer needs any flour. Once the butter has been kneaded through, and the dough is elastic, set it in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a slightly damp, clean cloth, and allow to rise for about 1 hour.

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Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cinnamon Rolls

The true secret to amazing cinnamon rolls isn't so much the recipe, it's the method. Be sure to read through the instructions below, I've tried to let you in on the ultimate tips to make absolutely perfect cinnamon rolls.

1 stick butter, very soft (or dairy free margarine)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

Once the dough has risen and doubled in sized, turn it back out onto a lightly floured countertop. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out quite thin, about 1/4 inch thick. (To make smaller cinnamon rolls, I like to roll the dough into a long rectangle that is about 4 inches wide. For monster sized cinnamon rolls, I tend to roll the dough into more of a square).

*

Use your hands to spred the butter in a nice, thick layer across the surface of the dough. Sprinkle a generous layer of white sugar on top of the butter. (You can use brown sugar, too. But I love the white-sugar-taffy that pools in the bottom of a pan when making it this way.)

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Now for the IMPORTANT step. Sprinkle a GOOD layer of cinnamon on top of the sugar. Too much and you'll clear out the sinuses of everyone eating. Too little, however, and you're cinnamon rolls won't be nearly as delicious as they could be. Don't be stingy with the cinnamon. If you're feeling really daring, drizzle a second layer of 3-4 tablespoons of melted butter over the cinnamon & sugar layer.)

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Roll the cinnamon rolls up tightly, pinching the top edge closed to keep the cinnamon rolls closed while baking. Slice into 2" rolls with a knife and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise for another 25-30 minutes before baking.

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Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or just until the edges of the rolls have browned slightly. Remove from oven, allowing to cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting and serving.

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Decadant Cream Cheese Buttercream

This is it. The only way to make light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting in the way it's made in this recipe...a teensy taste of cream cheese, a boatload of butter. You're gonna love it.

4 oz. (goat) cream cheese

2 sticks butter (or dairy free margarine)

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 Tablespoons (coconut) milk

In a large bowl beat together all ingredients until a thick but spreadable frosting appears. Slather on slightly warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Trader Joes has gluten free vanilla pudding mix
and so does the life source store, so I'm sure if
you don't live near either you could find one in a
local health store or just skip this step and add
vanilla flavoring but it really does make
the dough super moist!

Great substitute for the flour in the dough mix! I've
used Bob's many times!

Make sure you have enough flour to where the dough doesn't stick but not too much to dry it out =)

Give ample amount of room for these babies to grow!

All done!

To food blog or not to food blog that is the question...

For those of you who don't know me I have a random list of food that I'm allergic to (beef, cow based dairy, pineapple, avocado, sesame oil, and shell fish)  which makes for interesting recipe adaptions. To add to this my mom and mother in law are also gluten free so many of my holiday dishes are adapted for these specification..oh and my son and husband can't do cinnamon and my daughter can't have cloves or mangoes. Because I have started saving my recipe adaptions I have repeatedly said I would love to start a food blog. So I'm left wondering, do I start a separate food blog open to the public or do I just bundle all of my blogging efforts into the Marshall's corner? What do you think?