Apple Pie

Perfect apple pie for fall. As always, dairy, egg and GF.

Ingredients:

2 recipes No-Roll Pie Crust
3/4 C sugar (I used Stevia in the Raw)
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TBS cornstarch
6 apples (I used Golden Delicious, because they were the least expensive) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 TBS coconut oil

Mixture for top:
1 TBS sugar (again, I used Stevia)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make one recipe of the no-roll pie crust and press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate. Crimp the edges of the crust. Set aside the crust-lined pie plate. Make the second recipe of pie crust in a bowl. Set aside.

In a two-quart nonstick saucepan, combine the sugar, spices, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Add the apple pieces and toss the mixture to coat the apples evenly. Put a lid on the saucepan and heat the apples over medium heat. As soon as they start to simmer, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir them once or twice, putting the lid back on each time.

Transfer the hot apples to the prepared pie shell. Dot the top with 1 TBS coconut oil. Crumble the crust in the bowl over the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake the pie until it is bubbly in the center and golden brown on top, approx. 45-55 minutes. Allow the pie to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

(Source: Celebrating Food: 121 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthier You by Susan Gauen)

Rotisserie Chicken

I love a good roast chicken. Those kind you get from the grocery store deli? MMMMM...but so bad for you...so here is a homemade version, completely dairy and GF and healthier for you. And think of all the things you can do with the left overs...

Ingredients:

One whole 4-lb chicken
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/4 tsp dried basil
1 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2 TBS olive oil


Directions:

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water, making sure to remove giblets. Blot dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix the spices and oil. Rub the inside cavity and outside of the chicken until spices are gone. Place the chicken breast side up in a slow cooker. Add a little water to the bottom of the cooker. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Enjoy!



You can use the carcass and bones to make your own chicken stock! Just separate the meat from the bones. Put the bones, carcass, 2 chopped carrots, 3 chopped stalks of celery, and 8-10 C water in the slow cooker and cook for 9-10 hours on low. Strain into a big bowl, discarding veggies and chicken remains. Separate broth into Ziploc containers and freeze until ready to use!

No Flu This Year!

Here is an article I found from "Organic Authority" on preventing the flu. I highly recommend this sight, there are a lot of good recipes and interesting articles (like what is REALLY in your McNuggets....trust me...it's not all chicken, or even mostly chicken).

"Did you know that flu shots could actually increase your chance of catching colds? Plus, those things are loaded with funky chemicals. Besides, needles are evil. Instead, take a stab at flu prevention the natural way. These seven foods are some of the easiest ways to avoid the Nyquil grog. Consider the fact that they're all also pretty darn delicious, a little bonus for being so smart and healthy.

Green tea is a personal trainer for your immune system. Tea contains powerful alkylamines that may aid the body in learning how to fight off disease and flu viruses by a type of cell memory. Kind of like my dog and anyone wearing a postal worker uniform.

We often start taking vitamin C once we're sick, and it surely helps (try 800mg every 20 minutes when you've already got a cold or flu), but citrus fruit and juice, a great source of vitamin C, can actually help prevent illness by creating stronger cells that deflect virus and germs.

Sweet potatoes are abundant during cold and flu season and it's a good thing because they're loaded with a healthy dose of beta-carotene, which creates vitamin A in the body. This crucial nutrient boosts immune function by lowering the amount of free radicals, helping to eliminate the cause of sickness.

While you probably won't put them on your pizza, super mushrooms such as cordyceps and reishi have well documented antioxidant and immune boosting benefits. Reishi is actually considered the king of herbs out of thousands in Chinese medicine. You can find them dried or in tinctures.

Boosting your intake of whole grains such as brown rice increases vitamin E, known to enhance production of B cells, which destroy illness-causing bacteria. And pinto beans are a rich source of zinc. You need zinc to fight off the infection before you even know you have it. Who's savoring every bite of a tasty rice and bean burrito now?

Flax oil is loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This important oil boosts production of phagocytes, which like to eat foreign bacteria. Flax oil is also great in easing the effects of infection on the body. It also boosts brain function so you'll remember that the number one way to avoid colds and flus in the first place is by regularly washing your hands, especially if you have any plans of putting them anywhere near your eyes, nose or mouth."

Now, I don't drink green tea, but there are a lot of herbal teas out there that are good for you as well. I regularly drink herbal teas of all kind, but when I start to feel sick I immideiately pull out my "cold and flu" tea. It is a medicinal herbal tea that works wonders. I also take 1/2 tsp of liquid silver a day to help with my immune system, as well as a multi-vitamin liquid called "Buried Treasure VM-100 complete" and vitamin C tablets. Load up on those vitamins and fruits and veggies! They are super good for you and you will feel the difference!

Cantonese Shrimp

This is a yummy recipe I adjusted from the magazine "Family Circle." It is fast, easy and delish! (notice how I love recipes where those three words are in it?) *This recipe isn't technically gluten free because there is soy sauce*

Ingredients:

1 C vegetable broth (You can make your own with water and vegan bouillon)
2 TBS light soy sauce
1 TBS corn starch
1 TBS oyster sauce
2 TBS olive oil
1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound snow peas
1/2 TBS ground ginger
1 can corn (frozen or fresh corn would work well too, this is just what I had on hand)
Gluten free spaghetti (I like the quinoa kind)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and oyster sauce. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over med-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 4 minutes, or until opaque and done. Remove shrimp to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add remaining TBS of oil to skillet and add snow peas and ginger. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add corn and broth/soy mixture. Simmer for 2 minutes, until thickened. Add shrimp and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

Easy Salmon and Orange Salad

This is super fast, easy, and has a nice tangy taste to it.

Ingredients:

4oz Wild Salmon Fillet
1 small orange
2 big handfuls spinach
lemon juice
seasoning


Directions:

Season salmon fillet (I used Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper). Grill 4-6 minutes, or until done. While the salmon is grilling, peel the orange. Place the spinach and peeled orange in bowl or on plate. Add salmon. Pour lemon juice over salad to taste.

Lemon Meringueless Pie

This pie is absolutely delish! Egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free...but you sure can't tell!

Ingredients:

one recipe for No-Roll Pie Crust for a 9-inch pie, baked and cooled
2 1/2 C cold water
1 3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 C cornstarch or tapioca flour
1 1/4 C granulated sugar (I did half sugar half stevia)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C lemon juice
1 TBS grated lemon peel
1 TBS coconut oil

Directions:

Prepare and pre-bake the no-roll pie crust according to the recipe directions. Cool the crust and set aside.

In a two-quart saucepan, combine the water, gelatin, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk the liquid occasionally over medium heat until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and add lemon juice, lemon peel, and coconut oil. Whisk the mixture to blend it.

Slowly pour the lemon filling into the cooled pie crust. Leave the pie on the counter for about an hour to allow the filling to cool. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill overnight.






From: Celebrating Food: 121 Gluten-Free recipes for a Healthier You! by Susan Gauen

GF No-roll Pie Crust

This pie crust can be frozen! Hooray!

Ingredients for 9-inch bottom crust:

3/4 C Pancake and Baking mix
1/4 C plus 2 TBS oat flour
2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (You can also use Stevia in the Raw)
1/4 C plus 2 TBS oil of choice
2 TBS plus 1 tsp non-dairy milk (I use rice milk)

Directions:

Measure all the dry ingredients into a clean pie plate and mix them together with a fork.

Whisk oil and milk together in a separate bowl, then add them to the dry ingredients, once again mixing with a fork. Use your hands to press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Crimp the edges with your fingers.

If the pastry must be baked before the filling is added, bake the crust in a 350 degree oven for 24-26 minutes or until the crust begins to turn golden. Let cool.

If you don't need to bake the pastry, add the pie filling and bake the pie as the directions require. What the pastry should look like before baking.

From: Celebrating Food: 121 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthier You! by Susan Gauen

Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix

This mix I found in the book "Celebrating Food: 121 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthier You" by Susan Gauen. This book was a gift to me from my mother-in-law. It is AMAZING. The recipes are superb, easy, and fairly cheap. I love this flour mix mostly because it doesn't contain bean flours, which can be bitter. When measuring, spoon into measure cups and scrape over the top with a knife. This is important, otherwise your measurements will be off. Be sure to mix in the order given, and mix VERY WELL. This makes approx. 29 cups of flour mixture.


Ingredients:

8 1/2 C Brown Rice Flour
1 C Potato Starch
3/4 C plus 2 Tbs Baking Powder
3 Tbsp Salt
1/4 C plus 1 Tbs Xanthan Gum
4 C Coconut flour, almond meal, cornmeal (fine-ground), or oat flour (I used oat flour, because it was the least expensive)
4 1/2 C White Rice Flour
6 1/2 C Sorghum Flour
4 1/2 C Tapioca Flour (aka tapioca starch)


Directions:

Place the brown rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum into a large (very large) bowl in the order given. Use a large spoon to turn the mixture over and over, turning the bowl and scraping across the bottom of the bowl each time. Baked goods will only turn out correctly when the baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum are evenly distributed throughout the mix, so good mixing is important.

Add all remaining ingredients and do a very thorough mixing again (At this point I combined everything in the big bucket storage container I was going to store it in).

To ensure ingredients trapped in the bottom of the bowl are well mixed, tip the mixture into a different large bowl and mix thoroughly yet one more time (I just put the lid on and shook the bucket, then stirred more). Now the mix is ready to be used.

Storage:
Store in gallon jars, zip-top bags, or canisters with snug-fitting lids. If the mixture will not be used within one month or will be used in a humid climate, store in the refrigerator. The contents of the mix settle during storage, so use a whisk or fork to fluff it up each time before measuring.


*I store mine in my box-freezer, to save room in the fridge. It works just as well.*

I will post recipes using this flour, so stay tuned!