Fudgy Carob Brownie Recipe (gluten-free, egg-free)

Since I am still nursing my son, I am still avoiding chocolate because of the caffeine content. I have tried

countless carob brownie recipes to satisfy my cravings and one worked for a while but I want something fudgy and unhealthy tasting.

I briefly experimented with amaranth and quickly learned that cooked amaranth is very gooey, not like quinoa at all. So I put it in the back of the pantry and forgot about it. While trying to find a recipe for a fudgy carob brownie I came across amaranth and realized it would be perfect in a brownie. I didn't have any eggs to spare since our hens aren't really laying much right now so this recipe is also egg free. These are the most fudgy gluten-free brownies I have ever made!

Fudgy Carob Brownie Recipe (gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar free)

1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup carob powder

1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp coconut sugar or honey or 1/2 tsp more stevia
1/4 tsp powdered stevia leaf
1/4 cup coconut oil
1-1 1/2 cups raw milk at room temperature
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8 x 4 or similar size pan.

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil and 1 cup of milk. Mix well. Add more milk if it's too thick. Mix in apple cider vinegar. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Brown Rice Sunflower Seed Cracker Recipe

I have been making rennet cheeses lately with all the goat milk I have been getting from our goats. My husband has never liked chevre but I decided to make it anyway because of how little work is involved. He tried it after I made it and liked it but wanted crackers to eat it with. So I looked for a cracker recipe. I used this recipe as a guide but changed the ingredients to use what I have on hand. We have been out of almonds so I used raw sunflower seeds. I just used a little salt for flavor because some of the chevre I made is flavored with sweet ingredients.

As a snack, we topped these crackers with the plain chevre. Then for dessert, I topped these crackers with chevre and a drizzle of honey and my husband topped his with chevre and dried fig...so delicious! We finished the crackers in one day, so I will probably double the batch next time.

Brown Rice Sunflower Seed Cracker Recipe


1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease a baking sheet.

Grind up the sunflower seeds. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until a dough is formed. Make two balls of dough.

Put one ball of dough in between two sheets of wax or parchment paper and roll out to 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Pull off the top sheet of paper and flip the dough onto the baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter to cut crackers into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares. Take the edges off and add to the other ball of dough and repeat.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. (I rolled mine real thin and baked for 15 minutes.)

Let cool on baking sheet.

Makes 30-35 crackers.

This article is shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays.

Gluten-Free Egg-Free Banana Bread

I have been waiting for the two bananas on my counter to turn extra ripe so I can make banana bread. I usually make Elana's banana bread recipe but I did not have any eggs to spare so I tried to make a new egg free version with the ingredients I had on hand. This banana bread came out great! You can't tell that there are no eggs and it was NOT crumbly. I store it in the fridge and when I want a slice, I put it in the toaster oven an top with a sliver of butter.

Gluten-Free Egg-Free Banana Bread Recipe

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup flaxseed
1/4 cup white rice flour
2 tbsp ground chia seed
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup soaked almonds or walnuts, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp stevia powder
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup milk*

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grind up flaxseed and chia seed (I used a magic bullet.) Add milk to the flaxseed and chia. In another bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, white rice flour, stevia, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add vanilla, milk, and baking soda. Mix together the coconut oil, banana mixture and flour mixture. Fold in nuts. Pour into greased 8 x 4 glass loaf dish.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

* I have used sour cow's milk and fresh goat milk from my goats!

Frugal Lunch: Leftover Meat Puttanesca

Leftover Meat Puttanesca

The other night we had penne with meat sauce for dinner. There was enough leftovers for a light lunch for one. I somehow had to turn this into a hearty lunch for two. The previous day, I had soaked all my garbanzo beans to cook and freeze for future use (I avoid all canned foods as most cans are lined with toxic bpa which leaches into the food.) I decided to make a puttanesca with whatever I had in the fridge. We enjoyed it so much that I am making it again for tomorrow's lunch with leftover roast chicken. The best part about this recipe is that you can leave out or add in whatever you have or don't have in your kitchen. The garbanzo beans have enough protein to make this a hearty meal even if you don't have any leftover meat. Here is the basic recipe:

Leftover Meat Puttanesca Recipe


1 cup leftover meat (spaghetti sauce w/meat , roast or boiled chicken, can of sardines etc.)
1 cup leftover brown rice pasta or cook up the desired amount of pasta
1 bunch  chopped swiss chard, kale, or mustard greens
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 chopped onion or 1 tsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 - 1 cup pasta sauce or chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped olives
salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

top with cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Saute the onion, stems from the greens, and garlic until soft. Add sweet peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Add everything else except olives and heat through. Turn stove off and add the olives and mix. Serve in bowls and top with cheddar or mozzarella cheese.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I've started roasting or boiling a whole chicken every week. I always try and make something new with the leftover chicken. I had made all this chicken broth the other day so I wanted to make a soup but I was craving a creamy soup. So I came up with this creamy chicken soup recipe. My husband said it tasted like pot pie. You can really add whatever vegetable you have on hand. I would have loved to add some celery, spinach, and/or mushrooms if I had some. If you add fresh spinach, add it at the end with the milk. I also made this gluten-free by using potato starch as a thickener. Here is the recipe:

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup Recipe

16 oz homemade chicken broth
4-5 carrots, chopped
1 bag of frozen peas or any frozen vegetables you have on hand
2 sprigs of lemongrass or 1 inch of ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups deboned roast chicken
1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 cups raw milk (I used soured milk)
3 tbsp potato starch
Brown rice to serve with

Pour chicken broth, chopped carrots, onions, and garlic into pot and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemongrass or ginger, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of milk and potato starch. Add the remaining milk to the pot and stir. Add potato starch mixture to the pot and heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

Soaked Oat Breakfast Bread

Over the long holiday weekend, I tried a new breakfast recipe. It was for a soaked berry oat breakfast bread. I have been trying to stay away from grains but some days can't seem to get full unless I have some grain. I have recently learned about soaking grains prior to cooking them from the Weston A. Price Foundation. Soaking reduces the phytic acid which increases the ability of your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals from the grain and reduces enzyme inhibitors which in turn makes the grains easier to digest. The first recipe I tried was a baked oatmeal from soaked grains which I enjoyed. So I looked for more soaked grain recipes. I have made this berry oat breakfast bread a few times now, but I altered it every time to my liking. When I saw the recipe, it reminded me of Entenmenn's cheese danish I used to eat when I was a kid, so I added a cream cheese mixture, among other changes. Here is my version:

Soaked Oat Breakfast Bread

4 cups freshly ground organic rolled oats, (I blended oats in a magic bullet)
2 cups raw sour milk
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp maple syrup

Mix the above in a large bowl. Cover and put in oven 12-24 hours to soak.

The next morning:

1/2 cup water
1 tsp himalayan salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup blueberries
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp chia seeds
4 free range eggs

Cream Cheese filling:

4 oz cream cheese
3 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add the water, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and maple syrup to the bowl of oats and mix. Beat the eggs and bananas together in another bowl. Add to oat mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the blueberries, chia seeds, and walnuts. Pour into 2 greased 8x8 or round casserole dishes.

In a separate bowl mix cream cheese and maple syrup. By the tablespoon full, drop this mixture into the dishes. There should be one dollop for each slice you plan on cutting. I put four dollops into each dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with a tablespoon of butter on top.

8 servings

Broccoli Ricotta Casserole

Hopefully, everyone had a great holiday weekend. This was our first Christmas with a baby, so it was a whole new experience. He wasn't old enough to actually open his presents so we opened them for him. I haven't posted in a few days because my husband has the week off so I've been a little distracted to post. We started working on our temporary chicken coop in the last couple of days. We just need to get food, pine shavings, and chickens. We will be doing that either today or tomorrow. I have tried a lot of new recipes since my last post but forgot to take pictures of most of them. I did get a picture of my broccoli casserole.

I had a head of broccoli and ricotta that I needed to use up to go with a pizza I was making. I googled broccoli casseroles and all the recipes were more like frittata bakes (they had a lot of eggs.) This was not what I was looking for. Then I remembered we were over at a friend's house for dinner a while back and had an eggplant lasagna type of bake without pasta. So I decided to try and make my own version of that with broccoli. This dish turned out to be delicious!

Broccoli Ricotta Casserole

1 large head broccoli
12 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup sweet peppers, chopped
1 cup mozzarella
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.

Chop up the broccoli and put in food processor with s blade. Process until broccoli is little tiny pieces. Place in bowl. In a separate bowl mix together ricotta, eggs and mozzarella. Combine both mixtures along with peppers, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder.

Grease and 8 x 8 casserole dish. Pour half of pasta sauce in casserole dish. Pour broccoli mixture on top. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Grain-Free Almond Snowball Cookies

I have been making regular, unhealthy almond snowball cookies from the Food Network as Christmas gifts for years now. The people I make these cookies for do not care about eating healthy so I just make the same thing for them every year, including this year. As I was baking the cookies, I wanted to try one so bad but we don't eat white flour or white sugar and the ingredients were not organic so I couldn't have any. The next day I decided to try and make a healthy version for hubby and me.

Grain-Free Almond Snowball Cookies

1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 stick salted butter
1/4 tsp stevia
a few drops almond extract
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup coconut flour
powdered sugar for dipping cookies

Combine butter and almond flour in a bowl. Add stevia, honey, almond extract, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add coconut flour and mix until combined. Put dough in fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheet and press down with fingers or the bottom of a glass. Bake for 20 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Dip cookies in powdered sugar and place on cooling rack. After cookies are cooled, dip in powdered sugar again and store in an airtight container.

Makes 12 cookies.

Cold Breakfast Cereal

I came across Sarah's article at The Healthy Home Economist about how toxic store bought cereal is for you and how to make your own. Now, I have known that store bought cereal is toxic because of the high temperatures they use to cook the cereal. I haven't bought cereal in a while, but after watching her video, I decided to make some cereal. She buys fresh wheat and grinds it herself. I do not know where to get the whole grains to grind yourself, so I decided to try make the cereal gluten-free with flours I already have. I also made a third of the recipe as this was more of an experiment. Here is my altered version (feel free to multiply the ingredients by 3 if you want a lot more cereal):

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Cereal

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup plain yogurt

Mix the above ingredients and put them in a large glass bowl and cover with a cloth for 24 hours.

The next day, add the following to the mixture:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Spread this out in a round cake pan and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Once it cools, crumble it up into small pieces and add 1/4 cup chopped almonds and spread out on a cookie sheet. Put in warm oven (the lowest it will go, I used 175F) for 4 hours mixing it every hour. Take out of oven and leave on tray to crisp up some more. 

This cereal came out amazing! You can change the flavors based on personal preference. The cereal does stay crispy in the milk. After I made this, I saw that Sarah had a gluten free version using almond flour. I will try that next time!

Cream of Cauliflower Porridge

I have 4 more heads of cauliflower to use up. I have been looking for new cauliflower recipes to try but haven't come across anything that sounds better than mashed cauliflower. As I was eating the last of the mashed cauliflower, I found the consistency to be similar to that of cream of wheat. Bingo! I have a new meal to create! If it is a success, I will serve it to my husband as cream of wheat and see his reaction. Yes, I have fun tricking people into eating something healthy that looks and tastes unhealthy. Off to test my creation...

Well, I tested it and it came out delicious! The almond flour gives it a texture like that of wheat. Feel free to replace it with any ground up nut of your choice. This is really a good base for a breakfast porridge. You can just add whatever nuts, seeds, or fruit you would normally add to a hot porridge.

Here is the recipe:

Cream of Cauliflower Porridge

water

1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped

1/4 cup of almond flour

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice

In a pot, boil the water and cauliflower until tender. Drain cauliflower reserving 1/4 - 1/2 cup of water. With a stick blender, puree the cauliflower and reserved water. Add almond flour, maple syrup and butter. Mix well.

I am just going to store this in the fridge in individual portions for ease of serving.

Mashed Cauliflower

Publix Greenwise had organic cauliflower on sale for $1.99 a head, so we bought 5 heads (that's all that would fit in our fridge.) For dinner, my husband suggested mashed cauliflower with pulled bbq chicken and sauteed chard, so that's what I made. The cauliflower came out so good, you could trick someone into thinking the were mashed potatoes! My hubby said I should make the "mashed potatoes" for Christmas dinner at my parents house and see if they could tell the difference. I actually boiled 2 chicken leg quarters and used that broth to boil the cauliflower. I think the fat in the broth is what gave the mashed cauliflower the great taste! Here's the recipe:

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head organic cauliflower

chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Chop up the cauliflower and put it in a pot with the chicken broth. Boil until tender. Drain the cauliflower reserving 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the broth. Using a stick blender, blend together the cauliflower and the broth until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add spices and mix or blend again. If using, store bought broth, you may add butter.

Nutty Granola

I have become obsessed with granola since my pregnancy. I can eat a whole box of Cascadian Farms granola cereal in one sitting. Their granola doesn't have any nuts and uses sugar so it is not as healthy. Since we are trying to avoid prepackaged foods, I have to make foods for us to snack on. I have been experimenting with granola recipes and this is what I have come up with. My husband loves this stuff and he normally does not eat anything with oats.

Nutty Granola

1 cup raw almonds, chopped

1 cup raw walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, chopped

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if you have allergies)

1 cup crisp rice cereal (I used unsweetened)

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond butter (I have made it without this)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*All of the ingredients above are organic.

Preheat oven to 175F. Grease 9" x 13" glass casserole dish.

Melt coconut oil on stove top for a minute if it is solid. In a large bowl, mix together coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix in all the other ingredients, ensuring everything is coated well with the maple syrup mixture.

Dump the mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours minutes. Shut oven off oven and leave the granola there for another couple of hours to crisp.