Gluten Free Goodness » sugar free

Banana ‘Scream with a Kick

Cheryl Harris — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:47:30 +0000

Life has been busy—issues with construction, permits, fire hazards and the like. And our oven broke. So lately it’s been all about the quick and easy.

And what’s quicker and easier than Banana ‘Scream? It takes about 2 minutes from start to finish, simple, and totally customizable to pretty much any diet (except a banana allergy). We tend to have browning bananas go to freezer heaven, and the lucky ones are found and made into dessert before they become a mass of ice crystals.

1 banana, frozen, chopped into 5-6 chunks
1 TBSP liquor (chocolate liquor, Frangelico, whatever)
OR 1 TBSP “milk”, juice or water
1 pinch vanilla beans, cacao nibs, cinnamon, chocolate shavings or whatever other topping suits your fancy.

Blend until smooth in the food processor.

See? Couldn’t be simpler. I get my husband to eat fruit and he counts it as dessert. That works for me!

I’m submitting this to Ricki’s Wellness Weekends, because it’s a great way to liberate dessert from the necessity of sugar, gluten and such.

My New Fave-Simply Yum Quinoa

Cheryl Harris — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:09:48 +0000

Quick and easy has been the overriding theme for the past few months and forseeable future.

And of course, that’s a wonderful thing, no matter what! So here’s one of our favorite one super yummy, super simple, something-for-everyone wonders. Easily vegan, totally customizable. You’ve got your veggie, your protein, your carb all in one. No chopping, no fussing, one pot and all done. It’s evolved over time. I make it with chicken when E is home, without when he’s gone (I prefer without). And I greatly prefer Mache, but if I can’t find it, arugula will work in a pinch. I need to start growing Mache because it’s too expensive to keep up my habit long term!

The amounts are nowhere near precise because first, with soaked quinoa, the amount of broth you need depends on how long it’s been soaking. Personally, my tummy prefers “overcooked” quiona, when it’s much softer. Feel free to customize to your preferences.

1.5 cups quiona
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife blade
1 carton of Pacific broth or homemade if desired
½ cup pitted olives with a few Tablespoons of the brine, like Kalamatas OR ¼ cup lemon juice
2 clamshells of either mache, arugala or spinach. I like Mache best. Mache cooks quicker than arugala.
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak 1 ½ cups of quinoa overnight in more than enough water to cover. Drain, rinse.

Heat olive oil on medium. Crush a few cloves of garlic. We’ve still got some from the garden—how awesome! Sauté garlic until you start smelling that wonderful aroma. Toss in the quinoa, add in 4 qts broth. Simmer, covered for about 12 min.

Add in a clamshell of arugula and the pitted olives or ¼ cup lemon juice. 2 min later, stir and add Mache. They need to be added one at a time or there’s not enough room in the pot! Let it wilt uncovered, and cook until quinoa is cooked fully.

NOTE: if you love a non-vegan, when the quinoa is starting to unfurl (about 5 min from the end), add 2 diced raw chicken breasts.

I am submitting this to Wellness Weekends, as hosted by the most delicious Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. This week’s entries are here.

Cinnamon Glazed Walnuts

Cheryl Harris — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:58:06 +0000

Mmmm….I love nuts. What’s not to love, really? Delicious, portable, lots of variety…And of course, walnuts have nutritional benefits, with some ALA, which is a kind of omega 3 fatty acid.

And I’ve always been a fool for nuts with cinnamon and sugar. So I’ve played around with a few variations, and really adore these gluten-and sugar-free vegan beauties, because I wanted to make them using coconut palm. I just adore the flavor! And, of course, part of the fun is getting the piece that’s got the caramelized sugar clump–I’m sure you understand. The only hard part is not eating too many…

I’ve made a small batch because it’s key to have a skillet that conducts heat well, and my All-Clad is pretty small. So funny how I revere certain pieces of kitchenware–ya know, the Vitamix, my All Clad skillet, a lot of my mini-bake pans…the older I get, the more expensive my toys, it seems! But I digress.

These are delicious, so give them a try. And here are a few other glazed or sugary nut recipes I’ve enjoyed in the past:
Elana’s Cinnamon Pecan Brittle
Amy’s Spicy Roasted Cashews
Spicy Candied Walnuts

1.5 cups walnut halves (I’m sure you could use another nut)
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP agave
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Toast walnut halves over medium/high heat until they start smelling yummy. Remove from pan. Sprinkle coconut sugar into the pan, which should start to ‘melt’ instantly. Stir, add water. Add back the toasted walnuts, add in the agave, cinnamon and salt and stir until well combined. Pour onto parchment paper.

Allow to cool, if that’s your thing. These can be frozen.

Hopefully I remember to add this to Amy of Gluten and Sugar Free’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. This week’s edition is here.

Daring Baker Tasty Goop

Cheryl Harris — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:43:48 +0000

Hmmm…I think the title sums it up! I missed last month’s Daring Bakers, and I didn’t want to miss out on more. And yet, I’m trying to keep baking to a minimum because we’re showing our house. Quite a balance!

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

This wasn’t a stellar challenge for me. Essentially, I tried making a vegan, soy-free mousse, and got yummy goop. But it wasn’t firm enough to put into an edible container, so I didn’t end up doing that element. I know, I know. Next month!

What I did make:
1 cup macadamia nuts, raw
1 cup water
1 TBSP maple syrup (I ran out…)
1/4 cup agave
1 tsp agar agar powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder

Blend really well in a vitamix, chill & serve!

The un-mousse sauce is yummy on fruit, vegan, sugar-free and delicious. If I had to do it again, I’d use more macadamias and more agar for a firmer consistency.

Please check out what the other DB’ers did for this month’s challenge and vote on your favorite!

April in the Raw–Cocoa Raspberry Yummies

Cheryl Harris — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:14:02 +0000

Okay, they’re not the prettiest, but they ARE tasty!
The gang from Detox January had so much fun that Brittany of Real Sustenance and others suggested April in the Raw. And here we are! Each day, another blogger is posting their raw recipes, and there’s a link up to post yours, too.

Part of the reason I was intrigued by the event is that I tend to eat more cooked than raw fruits and veggies–what can I say, I have a sensitive tummy, although I adore raw foods (especially raw fruits!). You can’t beat the flavor of raw fruits and veggies. It’s important to me to explore the range of ways of eating, and this gave me the opportunity to step outside of my typical raw salads/fruits/veggies/nuts/seeds to a broader range.

Some of my favorite raw recipes:

Garlic scape pesto (my garlic are almost there!) w/raw nuts
Salsa-mole
Summer Rolls
Bliss Dip (use raw nut butter)
Summer lovin’ salad
Cocoa Carob Sweeties from Diet Dessert and Dogs
and I am itching to make this one from Gluten Free Cat, too: Double Cocoa Cranberry Drops

It was easy to figure out what to make. I still have raspberries in the freezer from my garden last year, and the new ones are starting to bud, so it’s time to get on with it! I tend to hoard my garden stash because, ya know, it’s a long winter and my inner squirrel emerges.

But I digress. These have a yummy, wholesome, very filling feel to them–the way you feel when you eat ‘real food’, vs how you feel when you’re taking in too much sugar (of whatever sort) for your body. And Senor picky (AKA husband) liked them, although I feared they weren’t sweet enough for his taste.

Raw Choco Rasp Yummies

¼ cup raw cocoa powder
¼ cup raspberries
½ cup soaked/well drained hazelnuts
¼ tsp stevia concentrate/10 liquid drops

1 Tablespoon raw agave or honey

Soak hazelnuts 4-6 hours and drain really, really well. Put in a food processor with all the ingredients except liquid sweetener. Blend for 3-4 minutes. Add in liquid sweetener and it will come together easily! Roll into small balls and refrigerate, or just pop into your mouth.

Do check out the rest of the April in the Raw lineup, and a big thank you for Brittany for the inspiration for this fun event.

Cinnamon Apple Millet

Cheryl Harris — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 02:14:07 +0000

Taught a fun class for DC Celiacs today up in Bethesda. We talked about healthy eating, a variety of gluten-free grains, seeds, fibers, etc. and how work them into our diets. Even better, a few volunteers brought in their favorite gluten-free dishes, so we tasted quinoa 3 ways, buckwheat soba and millet, too. I think we were a group of 60 or so, and there were a lot of fantastic questions.

The recipe for Cinnamon Apple Millet, which is a simple, comforting, delicious breakfast. Millet is particularly high in magnesium, which is a common deficiency in many Celiacs (and humans, period). It also seems to help lower triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker important in cardiovascular risk.) As we discussed, I prefer hemp milk becuase it’s a good source of protein, magnesium, fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. And it’s yummy. Don’t forget about yummy.

Sorry no pictures, it all went so fast!

Cinnamon Apple Millet

Makes about 4 large servings.

1 container hemp milk (4 cups)
1 cup dried millet
1 large apple, diced
3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup maple syrup

Bring hemp milk to a boil, add millet, apple, and cinnamon sticks. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent sticking. Add in maple syrup. Serve and enjoy! Makes 4 breakfast servings.

Chocolate Chai

Cheryl Harris — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:23:47 +0000

Quick and easy, one pan wonders or as Ricki puts it, flash in the pan. As we are trying to get our house in condition to sell, I find myself unable to make grand concoctions, because then there are too many pans. So my attention for the next few months will tend toward the quick and easy. And that’s why that’ll be the theme of MPM for Monday the 14th.

Chocolate Chai

1 mug hot water
1 chai tea bag
splash of hemp milk (optional)
1 heaping TBSP cocoa powder
10 or so drops stevia extract
2 tsp agave

Steep the chai for 5-6 min, add other ingredients and stir.

Simple, yes?

Panna Cotta and Florentines: a Daring Baker Adventure

Cheryl Harris — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:30:47 +0000

After missing last month’s DB challenge, I’m back with two!

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies

I’ve never made Panna Cotta or Florentine cookies, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And I thought that out of two recipes, at least I should be able to eat one. Only fair, right?

I ended up making a sunshine Panna Cotta, using very rich cashew milk and agave rather than the traditional milk and cream and sugar. I went hunting for some fresh fruit that would work, although winter is just not a great time for that and I was burnt out on raspberries because of this chocolate raspberry pie. So I settled on nectarines, which were decent but not great. (hey, it’s Feb, what do we expect???)

Since I was off to a family get together, I figured a large one would work infinitely better than a tiny one, and I was right! And since one of my cousins was going Paleo, it worked well because there was something she could eat (not sure about the agave, but most of it fit)

The recipe was along these lines:

2.5 cups water, divided
1 2/3 cups of cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
packet unflavored gelatin (about 2.5 tsp)

4 ripe nectarines or whatever fruit strikes your fancy.

Soak cashews in water overnight and drain. Blend cashews and 2 cups of water in a vitamix until absolutely smooth.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of water until simmering, add in gelatin, remove from heat and whisk very well. Let sit for a few minutes. Add in the blended cashew milk, return to heat and whisk for 3-4 minutes until much thicker.

Put cut up fruit in an 8X8 or glasses, add creamy mix and chill 4-5 hours.

I made the Florentine cookies per the recipe, just with GF all purpose flour, and they came out perfectly. Crispy, crunchy, just the right amount of sweet, and the topping worked beautifully.

I set them on our freezer to cool, left the room and when I returned, a few were covered in cat hair and the cat was sitting and ignoring me completely. Couldn’t have been him, right?

All in all, what a fun DB experience. Please do see the Daring Baker Blogroll for other adventures!

Chocolate Raspberry Pie–Food as Love

Cheryl Harris — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:10:04 +0000

Q: What’s better than a beautiful organic raspberry?

A: A beautiful organic raspberry from your very own garden.

It’s not growing now, of course, since we’re smack in the midst of winter, but I have a frozen stash to remind me of the tastes of summer. And nothing quite pairs with raspberry like chocolate, and this is a heavenly marriage of the two.

This pie is absolutely decadent, luscious, super yummy vegan, grain free, sugar free masterpiece of yum-ness. And it’s a great make-ahead pie as an added bonus. I’m not even going to mention the fact that, especially due to the secret ingredient, it’s pretty darn good for you.

I’ve been making this pie for a while, and lost the recipe. I tried to re-create it, and I got a delicious pile of mush. So I gave it a roll again, and was delighted–I think this was better than the original versions.

If you don’t have a Vita mix, a) I’m sorry and b) no worries, the raspberries just won’t be as smooth.

1 cap raspberries (frozen is perfect)
3/4 cup agave nectar

1/3 cup of stirred cashew butter (generous)
1 can well-rinsed, well drained Canelli beans
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoon stevia powder concentrate
3 oz melted good quality unsweetened chocolate. Scharfenberger is my favorite
2/3 cup cocoa powder

Prepare a crust in an 8-inch pie crust. I used a simple almond crust, and didn’t write down anything. Whoops!
Blend raspberries and agave very well. I use a Vitamix, and wait until they are quite smooth. Transfer to a food processor, add beans and thoroughly blend for 3 min or more. Add in the rest of the ingredients, blend well.

Put chocolate filling into prepared crust, refrigerate a few hours until firm. Decorate with raspberries.

DH and I will be savoring the last piece of this pie for V-day…

I plan to submit this to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. This week’s roundup is found here.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Cheryl Harris — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:55:41 +0000

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and as usual, I was procrastinating, so I asked my sweetie if he wanted a treat. “Yes–something good, something chocolate”. Smart guy. We did the kitchen survey–a few over-ripe bananas, some eggs leftover from T-day, and some yogurt about to expire. So the obvious answer was banana bread, and his chocolate preference led this to be my first ever–but definitely not last– chocolate banana bread.

Banana bread is really a gluten free wonder. It’s easy to convert, reasonably healthy, and above all, tastes great! This was one of DH’s favorite recipes, and I know this because I hid the leftovers to take to work, and he dug them out and found them. Most of my recipes are a hit (sooner or later) but this one was a huge winner right off the bat. So definitely make this gluten-dairy-sugar free treat. It’s decadent enough to feel like quite a treat, but healthy enough that it passes my nutritionist-test.

And for my vegan/egg allergic friends, make my Nana Skillet Bread instead. No, it’s not chocolate, but boy it is one of my all-time favorites.

2 medium sized bananas, put in a baggie and well squished.
1/3 cup walnut oil
2 eggs
1 cup coconut/palm sugar (regular sugar is fine)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
splash of coffee extract
1/2 cup yogurt, drained (non-dairy works, too)*

1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp stevia powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

*note: I’ve never done it with Greek yogurt. If you do, let me know!

Preheat oven to 350.
Squish the bananas in a plastic zip lock–it’s fun, kids love to do it too. When done, cut the baggie open and dump in to a bowl. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and stir together well. Mix dry ingredients together, then combine wet and dry and mix until combined. Stir in walnuts if using.

Pour into a 9X5 lined with parchment. Or, if you’re not lazy, oil and dust a 9X5 with cocoa powder. Add batter and bake about 60 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I’m submitting this to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free‘s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, because this is the perfect blend of healthy and indulgent yum.
Also, she links to Share our Strength’s No Child Hungry Pledge, which is a great cause. And, one might argue, the purpose of the season, although my cats firmly believe that December is the holiday of empty boxes, ribbons and fun packing materials. To each their own, I say!