Game Day Wings

These are our favourite wings to serve on game day.  Tar Pit Chicken Wings is a recipe that my sister-in-law told me about from epicurious.com.  I make this recipe with honey instead of sugar, and VH soy sauce instead of the soy sauce that is not gluten-free.  These wings are tangy and somewhat healthier than many wings because they are baked and not fried.  Make sure you use a dark roasting pan when making these as the sauce gets quite dark.

I serve these wings with raw vegetables and a homemade low-fat dip.  It is easy to make a low-fat dip by substituting yogurt for some of the sour cream and mayonnaise.  I make a dairy free dip using coconut milk yogurt, gluten-free mayonnaise and Epicure seasoning.  This snack is lower in fat and calories than many traditional finger foods and it is also free of gluten and dairy for a healthier game day!  

Tuscan Chicken in the Slow Cooker

This is an italian variation of coq au vin based on a recipe from The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson.  Although this dish is remarkably easy, the sauce has a nice rich flavour.  I served this with cauliflower mash and steamed pea pods for a paleo dinner.

16 boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup tapioca starch

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped (I have also substituted some halved mushrooms for 1 onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried sage

2 1/4 cups robust red wine (I used Yellow Tail Shiraz)

1.  On a plate, coat chicken thighs with tapioca starch.  Discard excess starch.

2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, in batches, and brown on all sides.  Transfer to slow cooker.

3.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add onions to pan, adding 1 tablespoon additional oil if needed.  Cook, stirring until softened.  Add garlic, salt, pepper and sage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Pour in wine and bring to a boil.

4.  Pour the sauce over the chicken.  Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until juices run clear when pierced with a fork (I cooked mine on Low for about 8 hours and the sauce was darker and richer).

Steak and Sautéed Vegetables in Coconut Aminos

Our favourite weekend meal is now a steak and sautéed vegetables instead of having a gluten-free pizza night.  We are trying to eat more paleo meals that are free of grains and soy.  This is not so much a recipe as a quick meal idea.  

My husband prefers to make steak in a cast iron grill pan because it tastes much better than a grilled steak on the barbecue.  Start by preheating an oven to a high heat (425 - 450 degrees).  Then pound/tenderize a steak and season it with sea salt and pepper.  Oil the hot cast iron skillet with some coconut oil on the stove-top.  On high heat, sear the steak for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.  Lastly, put the whole pan in the preheated oven and cook for about 2 minutes each side.

While he is making the steak, I sauté the vegetables.  Oil a frying pan with coconut oil.  Chop and sauté the vegetables in a couple of tablespoons of water and a tablespoon of coconut aminos.  Coconut aminos is a substitute for soy sauce that is suitable for people who follow a paleo diet or are allergic to soy.  I found coconut aminos at Community Natural Foods in Calgary.  I like the flavour of coconut aminos with asparagus, mushrooms and yellow peppers.  You could vary the vegetables according to your own taste.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

I often make this dairy free chocolate shake to take to work for a morning snack.  For the smoothest smoothies and nut/seed milks a high speed blender is essential and worth every penny!

Ingredients

1 recipe of homemade hemp seed milk (or another dairy free nut or seed milk) OR 3 cups of purchased unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk beverage

2 frozen bananas (I peel them and freeze them in a bag)

1 tablespoon cacao powder

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

10 drops of vanilla liquid stevia or a couple of tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Directions

Place the above ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chai Walnut Milk

We love our high performance blender for smoothies, soups, ice cream and more.  Recently, I have had fun creating all sorts of nut and seed milks that are free of dairy and soy.  Nut and seed milks are quite easy to make and contain healthy oils, vitamins and minerals.  I often make them in the morning before work and add them into our breakfast smoothie.  I have made homemade almond, hemp seed, sunflower seed and walnut milks.  Walnut milk is my favourite because it is the thickest and creamiest!  A high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec is essential if you are making nut and seed milks.  I noticed that Costco had Blendtec blenders.  A high speed blender would make a great Christmas gift for anyone who likes to make smoothies!

Walnut Milk

1 cup walnuts, soaked for 8 hours (overnight) and drained and rinsed

3 cups filtered water

1.  Blend nuts and water in a high performance blender for about 2 minutes.  Blend on high for the last minute.  Strain through a nut milk bag (I have also read that some people use an unused nylon sock) and into a wide jug or jar.  I find you have to squeeze the nut milk bag like milking a cow to get out all of the milk!  Here is a picture of the nut milk bag I found at Community Natural Foods in Calgary.

2.  Rinse out the blender.  Add the milk back into it.  Use this milk for a smoothie or add some chocolate chai flavourings into the blender.  For the chocolate chai flavours add 3 tablespoons of coconut butter (to make it richer), 2-3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup, 1 vanilla bean (scrape out the insides and discard the outer coating) or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of sea salt, 1 tablespoon cacao powder and 1/2 teaspoon chai spice (I used Epicure, but you can make your own).  Blend for 20-30 seconds.

3.  Pour into a glass jug with a lid or a mason jar.  Will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Kale, Pear and Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is a great way to pack in some daily greens.  I like to make it with hemp seed milk for a change, but you could also use unsweetened almond milk that you buy in the store.  A high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec makes the best smoothies.

3 cups hemp seed milk or almond milk
3 pears, peeled and cut into pieces
2 frozen bananas, peeled and frozen (I freeze them in a large zip lock bag)
2 large leaves of kale, stems removed
juice of half a lemon or lime

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Apple Charlotte with Apricot-Brandy Sauce

This is another slow cooker recipe based on a dessert in the cookbook The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson.  I have changed the recipe to make it free of gluten and sugar.  It could also be Paleo if made with coconut bread.

Ingredients

6 slices gluten-free bread, crusts removed

6 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tbsp melted butter

3 tbsp liquid honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup brandy

Apricot-Brandy Sauce:

1/3 cup apricot jam (I use fruit sweetened)

2 tbsp brandy

3/4 cup apple juice

pinch ground ginger

1 tsp arrowroot starch or kuzu, dissolved in 1 tbsp apple juice

Directions

1.  Line bottom of stoneware with bread, buttered side to the bottom.  Arrange apple slices on top.

2.  In a bowl, combine butter, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and brandy.  Pour over apples.  Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours or until the edges of the bread are slightly browned.  

3.  To make Apricot-Brandy Sauce: In a saucepan, combine jam, brandy, apple juice and ginger.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until jam is completely dissolved.  Add arrowroot mixture, stir well and remove from heat.

4.  When ready to serve, spoon charlotte into individual bowls and top with sauce.  I also like to serve it with whipped coconut cream or homemade chai coconut milk ice cream.

Coconut Mango Porridge in the Slow Cooker

On cold mornings, it is nice to have something warm and filling.  This slow cooker recipe is based on a Coconut Peach Porridge recipe by Kelly from The Spunky Coconut blog.  I prefer millet over quinoa because it is more alkaline and easier to digest.  I have also included some honey and chai spice to add sweetness and warmth.  Put this recipe together before you go to sleep and it is ready for breakfast the next morning!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond milk (or another dairy free milk)

1 cup whole grain hulled millet or quinoa (I buy the pre-washed quinoa by TruRoots at Costco - or soak the quinoa for a couple of minutes and strain it to remove the bitter coating)

1 can coconut milk

2 cups applesauce (unsweetened)

4 cups frozen mango pieces

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/3 cup honey

1/2 tsp chai spice (optional - I use Epicure)

Directions

1.  Grease the slow cooker with coconut oil.

2.  Combine the above ingredients in the slow cooker.  

3.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Add a pinch of sea salt and stir.

4.  Serve topped with additional almond milk or another dairy free milk, cinnamon and coconut sugar (depending on your taste).

Gluten-Free Beer

With the Paleo diet becoming popular, I have noticed an increased selection of gluten-free beers.  That is favourable for adults who need to follow a gluten-free diet as well.  Some of the varieties of gluten-free beers that I have tried include La Messagere, Bard's, Redbridge, Daura, Mongozo and Lazy Mutt.  Redbridge is my favourite beer, but I have only come across it in the U.S.

Gluten-free beers are improving and tasting better all the time.  Part of the reason that some gluten-free beers are tasting better is because many brewers are using barley, but removing the gluten with a special brewing process.  I have tried Daura and Mongozo beers that use barley for flavouring.  I preferred the taste of the Mongozo beer over the Daura beer, even though Daura has won a couple of awards for the world's best gluten-free beer a few years ago.  To be quite honest, the Daura beer made me ill, so the batch I had must have contained a fair amount of gluten.

After tasting the beer Lazy Mutt recently, I was convinced that beer makers do not need to use barley to flavour a gluten-free beer.  Lazy Mutt is a sorghum beer, and it is comparable to some of the beers made with barley.  I also find it comforting to know that Lazy Mutt is completely gluten-free.  There is promise in continuing to use gluten-free grains like sorghum, buckwheat and millet to create beers that taste just as good as barley-based beers.

Gluten-free beer can be used in marinades and recipes such as Beef Carbonnade.  Cooking with alcohol helps to tenderize the beef and bring out the flavours in the sauce.  It is important to be cautious when cooking with alcohol because it does not all burn off in the cooking process (like previously thought).  I would not recommend cooking dishes with alcohol for children or women who are expecting.

With all this talk about beer, I am not an advocate for excessive drinking of any alcoholic beverage.  I enjoy the occasional beer with certain foods.  Mexican food, chicken wings, potato chips and sweet potato fries go well with a beer.  More restaurants seem to be carrying gluten-free beers as well.  It is becoming easier for people who follow a gluten-free diet to eat out and enjoy the occasional beer with their meal.