Cranberry Orange Scones

My cousin's son is allergic to nuts, eggs and milk.  I am gluten and mostly dairy-free, but I feel fortunate to be able to eat nuts and eggs.  However, I can empathize with the frustration of not being able to eat out when I travel in the summer, so I often bring my own food with me.  I freeze my baking in individual portions to take to work, or to take in a cooler on car trips during the summer.

A few bloggers, such as Kelly from The Spunky Coconut and Jenni from The Urban Poser, often use chia seeds or flax seeds as egg replacers in many of their recipes.  This can be useful for vegans or people with allergies to eggs.  I like to eat chia seeds because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, protein and help with blood sugar regulation.  This is a scone recipe that uses "chia eggs" and is based on Kelly's egg-free bagels.  You could also make these into a bagel shape.

Add to a mixing bowl:
1 tbsp chia seeds, ground into chia seed meal (using a coffee grinder or magic bullet)
3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plain yogurt or dairy free plain yogurt (I used Nancy's Cultured Soy yogurt which is free of cane sugar and at The Real Canadian Superstore in Airdrie or Calgary. The yogurt is watery and not really thick.  You may need to add another tablespoon of water if the yogurt you use is thicker.)

Mix with an electric mixer or by hand.

Add:
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
2 tbsp millet flour
2 tbsp quinoa flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
orange zest from one orange (could also use lemon zest)

Beat until a mass begins to form.  Stir in about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries or currants.  Divide the dough into 6 equal balls (4 balls for bagels).  On a parchment lined baking sheet, shape a ball into a large biscuit ring, remove the ring and repeat for the other 5 balls of dough.  If you are making bagels, oil your hands and shape dough into a ring by poking your finger through the middle of each flattened ball.  You will have 4 bagels or 6 scones.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes for the scones and 24 minutes for the bagels.

Brandy Slush

This is a recipe that has been around for years in my family.  It is popular at many of our summer get-togethers.  With summer starting and July 1st coming quickly, I usually make a batch of this to have on hand in the freezer.

Over the years we have reduced the sugar content in this recipe, and it still tastes great.  We are not pop drinkers in our family, but we make an exception when we make Brandy Slush to welcome summer, friends and family to our home.  Cheers!

7 cups boiling water

3 tea bags (black tea)

1-26 ounce (750 ml) bottle of brandy

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

In a large pot, boil the water and then turn off the heat.  Add the tea bags and let steep for about 3-5 minutes.  Remove the tea bags.  Add the brandy, can of frozen orange juice and lemonade.  Stir until dissolved.  Put into a large plastic container and freeze for about 48 hours.  

When serving this drink, scoop the slush mixture into a glass until it is about half-full, and add ginger ale to fill up the glass.  Stir to dissolve any lumps and serve.

Rice Noodles and Peanut Sauce

Here is one of our favourite vegetarian recipes for rice noodles.  I usually stir fry a package of frozen asian-style vegetables to add to this dish.  This recipe is based on one from Epicurious.com, although I have modified it quite a bit over the years.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

1 package gluten-free spaghetti or linguine
2 teaspoons coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes or 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce (if you use the chili sauce, you do not need the honey)
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water (I use half of a gluten-free vegetable bouillon cube in warm water)
2/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce/Bragg's/wheat-free tamari
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger (I keep mine in the freezer which makes it easier to keep and grate)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
chopped green onions for garnish


Cook noodles according to the directions on the package.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water before straining the noodles.

While the noodles are cooking, sauté the garlic and chili flakes in the coconut oil over moderate heat in a large heavy frying pan.  When the garlic is golden, stir in the broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey and ginger.  Simmer for a couple of minutes while stirring before removing the pan from the heat and adding in the lemon juice.  Toss the sauce with the noodles, green onions, stir-fried vegetables, and some of the reserved cooking water if necessary (to thin the sauce).  Serve immediately.

Variations:  For a fresher version of this dish, you could add some raw grated carrot, cucumber sticks, sliced red pepper and chopped cilantro instead of the stir-fried vegetables.

Thai Pineapple Chicken and Noodles

With the rainy weather, we have enjoyed this spicy version of sweet pineapple chicken.  This dish is based on a recipe from the cookbook "Simply Thai Cooking" by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu.  Another sister-in-law, who is also an incredible cook, told me about this cookbook.  It has many easy and flavourful recipes and is worth every penny!

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced

1 can coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand is good and easy to find)

1-2 tbsp Thai Kitchen red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

1 red pepper, cut into strips

Heat about 1 cup of the coconut water/milk (the liquid from the can of coconut milk) in a large frying pan on high heat until it boils.  Add red curry and stir until it dissolves.  Add lime juice and soy sauce and stir briefly.  Add the chicken and honey and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is starting to curl.  Add the pineapple and red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the coconut cream (the thick creamy part from the can of coconut milk) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the oil rises to the surface.

Serve over jasmine rice or rice noodles.  Garnish with some chopped green onions.

For dessert, we love this easy recipe for Thai-style Creme Caramel.  I use vanilla extract instead of the pandan paste.  Both recipes together make for an exotic meal that is is a winner at our house!

Beet and Feta Salad

My mom created this beet salad after having a similar salad in a restaurant.  I prepared this salad the other day as a side for Sunday dinner.  The next day I took the leftovers for lunch.  When I got home, everyone in my family said they had been looking for the leftovers for lunch as well!  I decided that it would be a good recipe to post!

4 large beets or 6 medium beets
3 cups blanched cut green beans (fresh or frozen)
3 - 4 cups salad greens
goat milk or regular feta cheese to taste
Renee's Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Wash the beets.  Trim the ends while leaving the skins on.  They peel much easier after they are cooked.  Cover them with water in a large pot and add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to keep them from bleeding while cooking.  Boil for about an hour or until tender when pierced with a fork.  Rinse in cold water until cool enough to handle and peel.  Cut each beet in half and then slice.

Blanch the cut green beans near the end of the cooking time for the beets.  I cook them in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes.  Then drain them and put them in cold water for about 3 minutes and drain again.

In the bottom of a large bowl spread some salad greens.  Add the cooled green beans.  Then add the cooled sliced beets.  Top with crumbled feta cheese.  Do not add the dressing until you are ready to serve the salad.  When ready to serve, add about 1/2 cup of the salad dressing and toss the salad.  You may garnish the salad with some chopped green onions if you like.  I also serve the bottle of dressing beside the bowl, so that each person can add more dressing to his/her taste.

Asian Coleslaw

There are so many recipes for this popular salad.  Here is one that is quick and easy to do on a weeknight.  I think the original recipe may have come from a Canadian Living magazine.  I have modified this recipe numerous times to make many variations of the salad.

Ingredients

1 bag of coleslaw

1/2 a cucumber, cut into matchsticks

2 chopped green onions

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tbsp minced or grated ginger root

3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce or tamari

Directions

In a bowl, combine the coleslaw, cucumber and green onions.  In a small saucepan, heat the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.  Chill until ready to serve.

Variations

You can also make this salad a bit fancier by substituting other ingredients for the cucumber.  Some of the additions I have tried are chopped red pepper, bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, slivered almonds and sesame seeds.  I have also put half a gluten-free bouillon cube in the dressing for extra flavour in larger salads.  For some heat, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce in place of the honey would be another option.

Creamy Yogurt Chicken

My mom has made this recipe for years.  I have adapted it to make it gluten and dairy-free.  This is a comfort food recipe similar to pork chops or chicken breasts and cream of mushroom soup.

ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup plain yogurt or dairy-free plain yogurt

1/3 cup gluten-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 tbsp gluten-free dijon mustard

1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce 

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional - for sprinkling on top near the end of the baking time)

chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients together (except for the last two) in a bowl.  Place chicken in a casserole dish.  Pour the sauce on top.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.  Stir the sauce as you serve the chicken, and spoon some on the top of each piece of chicken.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These taste similar to a crunchy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  They do not last for more than a couple of days at our house.  It is similar to the recipe for the base of the fruit pizza.

Ingredients

1/2 cup softened butter or melted coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup almond flour

2 tbsp tapioca starch

2 tbsp arrowroot starch

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp millet flour

2 tbsp brown rice flour

1/2 cup quinoa flakes

1/4 cup quinoa flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup mini gluten-free chocolate chips

Combine the butter or coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, egg and vanilla.  Slowly incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Place spoonfuls of the batter onto a parchment lined cookie sheet (I use a clay cookie sheet).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp around the edges.

Chocolate Banana Loaf

This chocolate banana loaf is gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free.  It is inspired by Kelly's Chocolate Raspberry Cake from the Spunky Coconut website.  I like it as a snack with some butter and a cup of coffee or tea.  It is a bit of an indulgence!

Ingredients

1 cup mashed banana

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup honey

4 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, beat the banana, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a large bowl.  Add the honey, eggs, vanilla and salt.  Beat again with the electric mixer.  Add the flours, baking soda and powder.  Beat again.  Pour into a greased loaf pan (I use a clay loaf pan).  Bake for 45-50 minutes.