Archive for the ‘Gluten Free’ Category

Organic Stevia Cheesecake  (gluten and grain free as well)

This is a very easy recipe and it lends itself to making a smaller recipe. The first time I made it I was figuring out the stevia amounts so I made a half recipe and it was great. The last time I made it I only had three packages of cream cheese so I cut the other ingredients accordingly and it also worked great. If you halve the recipe you can make it in six custard cups. It’s wonderful with a little fresh fruit or sugar free jam and it freezes really well too. The picture if from the first time I made this. Using all the cream cheese makes a thicker cheesecake, then pictured. It’s delicious too!

Ingredients:

32 ounces – 4 packages – organic cream cheese

1 tablespoon Stevia (use amount equal to 1 cup organic sugar)

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 teaspoon organic lemon juice  (add lemon zest too)

4 organic, pastured eggs

3 tablespoons organic sour cream or organic Greek yogurt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and splenda at slow to medium speed, scraping sides often. Add all other ingredients except eggs. When completely mixed (with no lumps), add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating very slowly. When eggs are incorporated, do not mix any more

Pour the mixture into a 9” springform pan. I make an easier version of a water bath for my cheesecakes. I put a 9×13 inch pan on the oven shelf below the cheesecake and put an inch or so of water in it. This makes the oven nice and humid but you don’t have to worry about wrapping the cheesecake itself.

Place the pan of water on a lower shelf while you are preheating the oven.  Place the cheesecake in a 300-degree preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour and reduce heat to 200 degrees for 1 more hour. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in until the oven is completely cool. This is how you avoid cracks in your cheesecake.

It may be beneficial to run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, separating it from the sides of the pan. If your goal is to serve the cheesecake on a different dish without the bottom of the spring form pan, then the pan can be lined with parchment paper before the batter is poured in. Make sure to grease both sides of the paper. This will make for easy removal of the cheesecake later. It works best if the cheesecake has been refrigerated fully before trying to remove it from the bottom pan. Cheesecake is even better the second day.  Enjoy!

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Asian Chicken Thighs

Found this recipe for Asian Chicken Thighs. I use either one or two packages of TJ’s boneless organic thighs. Usually two as I am feeding a teenager but even then we have some leftovers.

They’re easy to make and really good!

Ingredients:

10 boneless organic chicken thighs  (our TJ’s carries them)

2  organic garlic cloves minced

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup organic soy sauce (I use the Gluten Free variety)

2 tbsp organic olive oil

Organic Coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except chicken thighs

2. Add chicken thighs to mixture, coat them completely and let them marinade for at least an hour. I usually make the marinade an hour or two before dinner and put the marinated in the refrigerator until I’m ready to cook.

3. Add about two tablespoons of coconut oil to a large pot and let it heat at medium temperature for about 5 minutes. You want a nice thick layer of oil on the bottom.

4. Add chicken thighs in batches to the pot and fry. I can fit around 5 in my pan at one time.

5. Cook the chicken thighs, turning them about every 5 minutes. Because of the marinade they have, they tend to get brown very quickly so please turn them often to prevent burning. It takes about twenty minutes for the batch of five thighs to be ready. Then I added the other batch of five and cooked them the same way.

I’ve made them a few times. Have served them with a salad, broccoli with butter and Sauerkraut.  They’d be good with rice as well. Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/09/monday-mania-9192011/

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This recipe is my version of one I found in Eating Stella Style by George Stella. Every recipe I’ve tried from this book has been excellent. These cookies were great. They are a bit crunchy the first day, and once you put them in the refrigerator – if you have leftovers – they get softer and keep for days. Very filling and wonderful with a little pastured butter on top.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup organic Almond Flour (made from grinding organic almonds – I soak and dehydrate mine first)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon Celtic salt
3 organic and pastured egg whites (see note about what I do with my yolks)
1 1/2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure orange extract (optional)
27 drops of liquid Stevia  (or 1/3 cup organic sugar/sucanat)

1 1/2 teaspoons organic/pastured butter, softened, at room temperature
1 1/3 tightly packed cups organic shredded unsweetened coconut (use fresh or unsweetened shredded)

Special Equipment

optional: 1-ounce ice cream scoop
parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet

Directions:

Place the baking rack in the center of the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and extracts until foamy, then stir in the stevia and butter until well blended.

Add the mixed dry ingredients to the egg mixture and fold in the coconut until everything is combined. Wet your fingers and form 16 equal balls of the mix, about 4 teaspoons each, or use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop tightly packed with the mix. Place the macaroons on the lined sheet pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown all over.

Remove the macaroons from the oven and let cool completely, about 15 minutes, before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container. (Macaroons will soften greatly after being covered and refrigerated.)  One net carb per cookie.  Enjoy!  Note: I use this recipe for the yolks – 3 yolks and 1 egg and lately have been using 27 drops of Stevia instead of the sugar – same oven temp so I make the custard right after the cookies http://momsforsafefood.net/2010/03/15/easy-egg-custard/

We’re on FB now!  Look for Moms for Safe Food.

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/08/monday-mania-8292011/

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Read more great, grain free recipes here: http://realfoodforager.com/2011/10/grain-free-real-food-linky-carnival/

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

We recently started getting beautiful eggplants from our CSA  (community supported agriculture).  I have to admit I’m not the biggest eggplant fan, so I started looking for eggplant Parmesan recipes. I found some that you didn’t have to fry the eggplant first – just broil them for a few minutes per side.

This turned out really well. Even one of our picky teenagers went back for seconds. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 organic eggplants, around 1 pound each

¼ cup organic olive oil (or coconut oil)

½ tsp. Celtic or sea salt

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced thinly

2 – 3 cups organic marinara or pasta Sauce

16 ounces organic shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Trim the ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 1/2″ slices. You should

get around 6 – 8 slices from each eggplant. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil or coconut oil to coat. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Broil about 5 minutes per side until tender and a little browned. Watch them closely because they can burn quickly. Lightly sprinkle them with celtic salt after removing from the oven.

Layer everything in a greased 9×13 baking dish in this order: 6 – 8 eggplant slices,

½ of the sauce, , ½ of the basil, ½ of the mozzarella. Repeat the layering again then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350º about 30 minute or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly brown.  Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here:  http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/08/monday-mania-8222011/

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Sugar & Gluten Free Chocolate

I’ve been playing around with different homemade chocolate ideas that are both sugar and gluten free.  This is a great recipe and you can make it with many different variations. I had a variety of chocolate molds already from a chocolate kit that one of my kids got me (he likes chocolate;) for a gift a few years ago.  You can find them on Amazon, at Michaels and at any candy making supply store. They are only a few dollars apiece and work great. This recipe uses whey protein powder. I had never used it before but found one by Dr. Mercola http://proteinpowder.mercola.com/Pro-Optimal-Whey-Protein.html that is GMO free from grass fed cows, and sweetened with stevia, but you can skip it if you’d like.  I’ve made it with both cocoa butter and with coconut manna (or coconut oil) substituted for the cocoa butter. Both are really good. You can add nuts, dried fruit and if you like spicy chocolate add a little cayenne or curry power.  One batch filled two mold sheets. Whenever I have a little extra I mix it on waxed paper with nuts and make chocolate bark.

Ingredients:

2 oz.  Organic Cocoa Butter (or Coconut Manna, or Coconut oil)

2 oz. Organic Unsweetened Chocolate

½  cup  Whipping or Heavy Cream, preferable organic and raw

2 tsp.   SweetLeaf Stevia Powder  (use less & to taste if you’re using liquid stevia)

1/8 tsp. Celtic Sea salt

1 tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract

6 Tablespoon of Whey Protein Powder

Directions:

Get your chocolate molds out, or you can use a sheet pan covered with a layer of wax paper.  I don’t oil my molds, after the chocolate is frozen they pop out pretty easily.

Chop the cocoa butter and chocolate into small pieces. Place into a double boiler or a glass bowl and melt over hot — not boiling — water.  Remove from heat and stir to combine.

In a food processor or blender, combine the cream, stevia, salt and vanilla.  (You can just mix it all up with a spoon but with the whey it will dissolve better if you blend it).  Pulse to combine.  Add the whey protein and pulse to combine. Let sit for a minute or two to dissolve the protein powder, then blend briefly until smooth.

With the motor running, slowly add the chocolate mixture. Pour into your chocolate molds, or onto waxed paper – you can put it by the spoonful to make bite sized pieces.  Freeze for a few hours and then you’ll be able to unmold it. I freeze it in a plastic container.  It melts pretty fast once it’s out of the freezer, but is so good.  Enjoy!

Carb and variation notes: Net carb count for the entire batch is under 11 grams. You can make a ‘milk chocolate variation, decreasing the unsweetened chocolate to ½ oz and using a little less stevia with net carbs under 9 grams and you can make a white chocolate bar by omitting the dark chocolate and increasing the cocoa butter to 3 oz, the vanilla to 2 tsp and the whey to ½ cup.  Net carbs under 6 grams for the whole batch.

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/08/monday-mania-8152011/

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Gluten & Sugar Free Blueberry Muffins

My husband and I – the teens are doing their own thing – are on our second month of gluten and sugar free eating. We’re feeling really good eating this way. These muffins are great!  After the first day, I take the leftovers and freeze them. Then we can pull two out as we want and give them a quick reheat in the oven. They are wonderful warm,  split in half with pastured butter on top and they are very filling and they’re low carb as well – less then 2 grams per muffin. One is plenty! And my husband was amazed at how good they are. He liked them as well – if not better –  then the blueberry muffins we used to make: http://momsforsafefood.net/2010/02/01/organic-blueberry-muffins/

Ingredients:

2 cups organic almond meal – we make ours from crispy almonds

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼  teaspoon Celtic or sea salt

½  cup (1 stick) organic/ pastured butter, melted

4  organic/pastured eggs

1/3  cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries

½  tsp. organic lemon zest

1 tsp. organic vanilla extract

Stevia to taste = to 1/3 to ½ cup of sugar.

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Butter or put muffin cups into a 12 muffin tin.

3) Mix dry ingredients together well.

4) Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. You don’t have to worry about overmixing with almond flour/meal

5) Put in muffin tins (about 1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/08/monday-mania-812011/

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I’ve made this a few times in the last few weeks, as everyone liked it so much. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand but what I used below was wonderful and it’s another good way to use zucchini if you’re growing it in your garden, like I am.  This is easy to make, takes around a half hour, and is nice enough to serve for company.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup organic pastured butter

1 to 1 ½ pounds organic chicken tenders or skinless thighs

2 tbsp. dry vermouth

1/2 tsp. grated organic lemon peel

2 tbsp. organic lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Celtic or sea salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 cup organic heavy cream, preferably fresh and raw

1/3 cup organic grated Parmesan cheese

½ – 1 cup organic sliced mushrooms

½ – 1 cup sliced organic zucchini

3 organic scallions, chopped

Directions:

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, turning, about 10 minutes (around 5 minutes per side) or until chicken is brown and tender.

Remove chicken to ovenproof serving dish. There should be lots of wonderful butter left in your pan. Saute your vegetables in the butter for 5 minutes, or until just tender and then put the veggies in the casserole on top of the chicken.

Add wine, lemon peel and lemon juice to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in salt and white pepper. Gradually pour in cream, stirring constantly, until hot; do not boil! Pour cream sauce over chicken and vegatables; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place the dish in your oven around 6 inches from heat source and broil until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.  Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/07/monday-mania-7182011/

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Grassfed Steak Fajitas

We bought 1/8 of a grassfed cow last month, it was around 40 pounds of meat, and some of the cuts were not ones I usually buy. We have two packages of ‘fajita meat’ so I started looking around for recipes. I found a few that I tweaked together, and added in what veggies we had in the house to make this.  I’m not eating grains at the moment so I just had mine on a plate with a little shredded raw cheddar and they were delicious.  We all like them so much that I made it again a week later.

Ingredients:

NOTE: What you see in the pictures is double the steak and the marinade ingredients listed. I wanted leftovers.

1 pound grass fed flank steak or skirt steak, cut into strips.

Marinade:

A few tablespoons of Olive oil

Juice of 1 organic lime

2 cloves organic garlic

½  teaspoon ground cumin

½ tsp chili powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh organic cilantro, including stems

Veggies:

1 large organic yellow onion

2 large organic bell peppers (I used one yellow, one red)

3 organic scallions

2 organic  zucchini, cut into little stick shapes

1 Tablespoon of organic Coconut oil

Serve with:

Tortillas, brown rice or on their own.

Shredded cheese

Salsa

Directions:

The meat we had was already cut into strips so I put it into a glass dish and tossed the meat with the marinade.  I covered it and let it marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator.

First I cooked the meat in a large frying pan with a little coconut oil, until cooked through, it took around 10 minutes. Then I took the meat out of the pan and set it aside, covered to stay warm.

Next I cooked the veggies in the same pan, with a little more coconut oil and cooked until they were done. Then I added the meat back into the pan and mixed them both together.

You can serve them with tortillas, brown rice, or as they are. They’re wonderful with a little cheese and salsa. Guacamole would be great too. Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/07/monday-mania-7112011/

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Asian Braised Pork Belly

We had a pound of cubed pork belly in the freezer that I wanted to cook. I looked around at a number of different recipes and combined them into this. It turned out great!  Pork belly is bacon without the smoke or salt cure.

This recipe is for pork belly that been slowly braised in a salty-sweet liquid for hours and hours, until both the fat and the meat melt in your mouth.

We served it with brown rice, steamed broccoli and Sauerkraut.  My husband was skeptical, but he loved it too.

1 lb pork belly

2 tablespoons Organic sugar or rapadura

½ organic Onion peeled and roughly chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 Organic Orange, quartered (with peel on)

1 large piece of fresh ginger

1 star anise

3 tablespoons Organic soy sauce (wheat free for Gluten Free)

2 tablespoons sake

2 cups of homemade beef or chicken broth or water

Cut the pork into cubes about 1 inch or so square. If the skin is still on, leave it on. Heat up a large pot with a heavy bottom. Sauté the pork belly cubes, without any added fat (you don’t need it…) until browned.

When the meat is browned, scrape it to one side and put the sugar in the fat that’s accumulated on the bottom, and stir around until it’s a bit caramelized. Stir and toss so the meat gets coated by the sugar.

Add the rest of the ingredients, you can chop the orange into four quarters.  I peeled a bit of the rind off one quarter and also squeeze the juice out of the same one and added it all to the pot. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Put a lid on and let it simmer gently for about 3 hours, turning occasionally.

To serve, dredge the pieces carefully out of the oily cooking liquid, and peel off the thick layer of fat that’s on the skin side of the meat, or just the skin. Drizzle a little bit of the cooking liquid over the cubes.

Serve with very steamed vegetables, like broccoli, steamed rice and a fermented vegetable like pickles or Sauerkraut would be great too.  To eat, take a small piece and put it on top of your hot rice, and let the sauce and fat sort of melt in. A little goes a long way.  Enjoy!

Read more, great Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/06/monday-mania-6272011/

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Homemade Pesto

Pesto is so easy to make and as we’re getting into basil season, it’s a great time to make extra and freeze it for later in the year.

I hadn’t made pesto in a long time but when we went to the Asian supermarket a few weeks ago, I got a huge bunch of Thai basil. I used some in a great curry (recipe will be up soon) and was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of  it, when I remember how easy it is to make pesto.

Pesto will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and for a few months (or more) in the freezer. Some people make big batches and freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop the cubes in to a Ziploc bag so you can just pull them out as needed.  You can make this recipe with fresh spinach too –  also makes a delicious pesto.

I make mine in a food processor, but I think you could make it in a blender as well.

Ingredients:

3 cups packed organic basil leaves  – remove the big stems, you can use the smaller ones

2 large organic garlic cloves

½ cup organic pinenuts, walnuts, almonds or a combination. – I make a variety of crispy nuts and keep them in the freezer, they’re perfect for making pesto.

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese – I use the fresh parmesan/romano blend from TJ’s.

¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Celtic salt to taste

Directions:

Combine everything except the olive oil in your food processor, turn it on and pour the oil in a slow stream until the pesto comes together in a nice paste. If you’re storing it in the refrigerator, put it in a small dish or container and cover it with olive oil, that’ll keep it fresh for up to four days. Serve it over any kind of pasta. It also makes a great spread for cheese and other types of sandwiches. Enjoy!

Read more great, Monday Mania posts here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/05/monday-mania-5162011/

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