allospabulum

Turkey Burgers and Toasted Baked Potato Bites

2013-09-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

We've been without a stove this week, so I've been making good use of my George Foreman, toaster oven, crockpot and microwave. It was Josh's birthday today and he really likes hamburgers. We do generally make turkey burgers instead of using ground beef. However, today I realized that I was making burgers and then cutting them up for the kids - and that it might make more sense just to make them smaller to begin with. As it turns out, burger bites are super quick to form and grill, and the kids were able to handle them more easily.

Turkey Burgers
2.5 lb ground turkey (I use 93/7 lean.)
1 egg
2-3 Tb Worcestershire sauce

Blend all ingredients together with a fork or your hands. Form patties to desired size, and grill on medium-high heat until cooked through.

I have a pretty large George Foreman, so I can do quite a few at once.

Since we've been eliminating gluten out of the rest of the family's diet we ate our burgers on lettuce topped with freshly shredded cheddar cheese and slices of tomatoes from our garden. For our starch item we had Toasted Baked Potato Bites - also easy.

Toasted Baked Potato Bites
potatoes
cooking spray or oil
salt and pepper
parsley

Scrub the potatoes, then poke with a fork several places around each potato. Place on a microwave safe dish and microwave until tender. Cut up potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet - one that fits in your toaster oven or full sized oven. Spray with cooking spray or drizzle with a little oil. Add desired amount of seasonings (could also use seasoning salt) and cook at 375 until the outside of the potatoes are crispy.

Pizza Dough

2013-06-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Buying pizza out is really expensive, and the frozen kind is gross - especially when it's gluten free. I made some pizza tonight for my girls, and we all loved it. They gobbled it up and didn't even notice there was anything different about it.

Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water
1 Tb yeast
1 tsp raw sugar
1.5 cups oat flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gun
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm water and let set for about 5 minutes while you mix the dry ingredients. Combine the oat flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, quinoa flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in the one egg and then the yeast mixture. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 15-20 minutes. On a sprayed pan, press out the dough. To keep it from sticking to your hands, spray the dough with cooking spray or get your hand wet. After the dough is pressed to the shape you want, add your toppings and bake for about 15 minutes.

Yes, we ate the whole thing ...

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

2013-06-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

At the Farmer's Market, Faith and I found zucchini 3 for a dollar! We decided some zucchini bread would be great; I just needed to figure out how to make it gluten free. I destroyed the kitchen in the process, but it was worth it. We also ground oat groats, quinoa and amaranth into flour, so that's part of the mess. Here's what I came up with:

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

2-2.5 cups pureed zucchini
2 cups pumpkin (or 1 15 oz can)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup raw sugar
1.5 cups oat flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1.5 Tb paking powder
1 Tb cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 envelope or 2.5 tsp unflavored gelatin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine zucchini, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, honey, brown sugar, and raw sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together oat flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot powder, brown rice flour, amaranth flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, xantham gum, baking soda and unflavored gelatin. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour batter into 2 ungreased bread pans. Bake at 350 for 70-75 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a cooling rack. Let the loaves cool completely.

It was delicious! The kids loved it too!
Quinoa and amaranth flours can have stronger flavors, so you could probably use additional oat or brown rice flours instead if you prefer.

Fried Fish

2013-05-27T11:44:00.001-07:00

Fried Fish

I haven't had fried fish in a LONG time and have really missed it. So yesterday I made some, and it was delicious! My kids gobbled it up, and my gluten eating husband LOVED it .

3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (Can omit if allergic to dairy.)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 egg (Can omit if allergic to eggs.)
1 lb fish (I used flounder.)
oil.

Mix together first four ingredients in a bowl. Beat egg in another bowl. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in skillet over medium high heat. Dip fish in egg and then into the flour mixture, gently patting to make sure it's all covered. Fry in oil until fish is a golden brown, flip and fry the other side until it's golden brown.

I made some tartar sauce to go with it by mixing a little mayonnaise, pickle relish, lemon juice and chives.

Pie Crust

2013-04-24T12:17:00.001-07:00

Faith and I have been doing a unit on apples, so we've done all sorts of things with apples including making applesauce and apple pie. (And for the last couple of weeks organic red delicious apples were on sale! .49/lb one week and .88/lb the next.) I made apple pie with a gluten free crust and it was very yummy, so I thought I would share.

Pie Crust

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup oat flour
1 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup ice cold water

Use a fork to mix coconut oil, salt, oat flour and arrowroot powder until it is crumbly. Mix in just enough water to form a ball. Use extra oat flour and arrowroot powder to roll out 2 pie crusts. It helps to roll out the dough on a baking mat and use it to help transfer the crust to the pie plate.

It passed the taste test for one my little gluten eaters!

For the applesauce, we peeled and sliced apples. Then threw them in the crockpot w/ a splash of lemon juice, some cinnamon and some stevia if needed. Let it cook on high until you can mash them with a spoon.

Long time no post.

2012-01-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a really, really, really long time! I started this blog mainly to come up with gluten free and dairy free recipes because I have Celiac Disease and my oldest daughter was allergic to milk. However, once my daughter turned 2 (last April) she outgrew her dairy and apple allergy! It made GF/DF recipes not applicable anymore. She is still allergic to apricots and lactose intolerant, but it doesn't much affect my cooking.

My second daughter, Grace, turned 1 on November 26, and she is also now allergic to milk. We hope that she will magically outgrow it at the age of 2 like Faith did, but until then I should be creating more recipes. She is teeny tiny, and needs all the good cooking she can get. :)

Life has been really busy with three kids under the age of 3. Faith is 2, Grace is 13 months, and Ladybug (our foster daughter) is 7 months. I'm hoping to still be able to create and post despite the business. I'm working on a Pear and Apple Crisp recipe which should be posted soon.

French Toast

2011-04-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

While we love French toast, it's a splurge for us because it requires special ingredients. We do however indulge on occasion. Here's a recipe that's simple (like pretty much all of my recipes), but is oh so delicious! Use whatever bread or milk you're not allergic to. However, if the milk isn't vanilla flavored add in a little vanilla flavoring.

French Toast

6 slices of bread (gluten free, dairy free, etc.)

1 egg

½ cup vanilla soymilk

1 tsp cinnamon

Heat non-stick griddle over medium heat. Beat egg until it is a creamy yellow and then add in vanilla soymilk and cinnamon. Put bread in mixture, making sure each side gets wet. Place on griddle and cook each side until golden brown.

Egg Salad

2011-04-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

A good way to use some of those extra Easter eggs!

Egg Salad

2 boiled eggs, diced

2 Tb mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)

½ tsp mustard

dash of paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a fork. Serves 2.

Parsley Potatoes

2011-04-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice Easter dinner today. Everything was gluten and dairy free except for the stuffing, which I made for my husband - the Glutinator. (I call him the Glutinator because he LOVES bread, and he always leaves a trail of crumbs.)

The potatoes were very tender. Next time I may even use the same recipe and then whip them into mashed potatoes, maybe add a little garlic.

Parsley Potatoes

2.5 lbs red potatoes

½ of a 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

2 Tb oil

1-2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

pepper, to taste

Thoroughly scrub potatoes and cut into large chunks. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Stir occasionally.

Tuna Salad

2011-04-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Tuna Salad is a really good lunch option. I like to eat it on top of romaine lettuce.

If someone in your family has an egg allergy, omit the hard boiled eggs and substitute the mayo with plain yogurt.

Tuna Salad

12 oz tuna, approximately

½ cup mayonnaise

1-2 hard boiled eggs, diced

1-2 Tbs pickle relish

½ tsp ground mustard

½ tsp celery seed

Combine all ingredients. Eat on sandwiches, crackers or even a salad. Serves 6.

Chicken Chili

2011-04-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

We had this on Sunday when everyone was still feeling sick. It was so delicious that I wish we were having it again tonight!

Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks

2 cans white beans (Great Northern or Navy)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp paprika

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Serves 4. This recipe is easily doubled.

Maw Maw's Cornbread

2011-04-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today I made chicken chili and cornbread. The cornbread recipe is adapted from my grandma's. Every summer I would go to Selma, AL to spend time with my grandma whom I admired and adored. I wanted to be just like her - and I still try to live up to her example. She left quite a legacy!
She would make cornbread almost every day. It was always something I would look forward to - cornbread and black-eyed peas! It was a family recipe that had never been written down, so as a teenager I attempted to write it down one day as she cooked - which was interesting because she doesn't measure anything. It was just a little of this, a little more of that, and it should make enough for dinner! I wrote it down as best as I could and then made some adjustments, such as making it gluten and dairy free. Here is the completed effort.
If you have an egg allergy, omit the egg. It will be just fine, just maybe a little crumbly.

Maw maw’s Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal

¼ cup gluten free all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 egg

¾ cup soy, rice, almond or cow’s milk

1-2 Tbs oil

Preheat the oven to 450°. Put oil in cast iron skillet or 1.5 quart casserole dish and heat in oven. Mix together cornmeal, all-purpose gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the egg and milk. Pour mixture into hot oil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes enough for dinner.

Banana Muffins

2011-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy day and we're all sick, so I decided to see if warm banana muffins might make us feel a little better. They definitely helped! :) Even my husband - the Glutinator - couldn't get enough of them, and the cake mix I used was gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free.

Banana muffins

Cake mix (gluten free, dairy free, or whatever mix your family can eat.)

3 bananas, mashed

Eggs or oil according to cake mix directions

Water according to cake mix directions

Preheat oven according to cake mix directions. Mash bananas. Stir in cake mix. Stir in either the eggs or the oil. If you want to save on calories, substitute the oil with the bananas. If you have a family member with an egg allergy, substitute the eggs with the bananas. Add in the amount of water specified on the cake mix. Add in the water slowly because you may not need all of it. Pour batter into sprayed muffin tins, filling one-half to two-thirds full. Or pour into loaf pans. Cook for the recommended time on the cake mix.

Spaghetti Sauce

2011-04-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

You would be surprised at what canned spaghetti sauce has in it! Not safe for many families that have food allergies. This is a very tasty and cost effective spaghetti sauce recipe that is easy to make without having those ingredients that you might be allergic to - unless of course you're allergic to tomatoes! It's a double batch so you will want to freeze half of the recipe for another meal. If you don't have much room in your freezer, put in a gallon size freezer bag to freeze.

Use this sauce in any recipe that calls for spaghetti sauce.

If anyone has any creative ways to use spaghetti sauce, I would love to hear it!

We usually just eat it with corn pasta.

Spaghetti Sauce

2-2.5 lbs ground beef or ground turkey, cooked and drained

3 – 6 oz cans tomato paste

4 cups water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

Pepper to taste

Cook and drain meat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer until the rest of the meal is ready.

Mexican Rice

2011-04-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

My daughter LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Mexican rice! She devours it when we eat at Mexican restaurants, so I wanted to recreate it at home - at a fraction of the price, of course. This recipe passed her taste test with flying colors.

Mexican Rice

1 ½ cups white rice, uncooked

1-2 Tb canola or olive oil

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 – 14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ green bell pepper, diced and sautéed, optional

½ medium sized onion, diced and sautéed, optional

Brown uncooked rice in oil. Do this by placing rice and oil in medium sized pot and cooking over medium heat until the rice begins to brown. If you wish to have green bell pepper and onions in your rice, there is where you would add them. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and salt to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pot – lifting occasionally to stir. Cook on low for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

This is what the rice will look like when it is browned.

Crepes

2011-04-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe! In addition to being delicious, it takes a lot less gluten free flour than pancakes. And for those not requiring gluten free flour, regular flour works just as well.

I topped my crepes with homemade strawberry jam. I got a water bath canner for my birthday, and strawberries were 98 cents a pound - so I made six quarts of jam! I have to make pectin free jam for Faith - since she's allergic to pectin. It tastes just as good, but it doesn't jell as well.

Crepes

½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

¾ cup coconut, rice, soy, almond or cow’s milk

2 Tbs oil

Whisk together flour, salt and eggs. Whisk in milk and then oil. Heat small sized non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray the skillet, and pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Use a large spatula to flip when the bottom is lightly browned. Serve with jam, jelly, or fruit – they can even be filled with cream cheese sweetened by powdered sugar. Or make savory with cheese and meat. Makes about 6 crepes.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2011-04-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday, so I made myself chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

I have very fond memories of going to strawberry festivals when I was kid. My favorite thing to eat was always the chocolate covered strawberries! It was something I always looked forward to, so it's special to me to be able recreate such a yummy treat.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

1 cup chocolate chips*

3 Tb soy, rice, almond, coconut or cow’s milk

1 lb strawberries

Wash and thoroughly dry strawberries. If the strawberries are not dry, the chocolate will not stay on the strawberries very well. Put chocolate chips and milk in double boiler over medium heat. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a glass or metal bowl on top of a pot of water. Stir constantly until melted through. Turn heat down to as low as it will go. Hold the strawberry by the top, and dip the strawberry into the chocolate using the spoon to help coat the strawberry. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator until the chocolate has set.

*Many brands of chocolate chips contain milk fat. Depending on your sensitivity you’ll need to be careful to find a brand that is dairy free.

I don't have a double boiler, so I use a bowl on top of a pot of water.

Coleslaw

2011-04-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe for the coleslaw that is pictured on yesterday's post. I definitely use a food processor - that way I don't loose all the skin on my knuckles. ;)

Coleslaw

½ head cabbage, shredded

1-2 carrots, peeled and shredded

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb apple cider vinegar

1 tsp celery seed

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Serves 6.

It’s easiest to shred the cabbage and carrots with a food processor.

Pulled Pork

2011-04-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

My family really enjoys barbecue, and this is an easy way for us to make it. Our friend with the massive smoker is sure to make fun of us for using a crock pot, but we like the way it turns out - and I don't constantly have to check on the meat! :D

I'll add the coleslaw recipe tomorrow.

Pulled Pork

4 lb pork loin

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Put pork loin in crock pot with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours. When done, drain liquid, remove fat and then pull apart meat. Works best to use a large fork or tongs. Eat plain or top with gluten free barbecue sauce. (I like Maull's.) Tastes good on top of a baked potato.

Thai Chicken

2011-04-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Another family favorite! My 2 year old ate 3 servings of this yesterday. I would recommend serving this with broccoli or asparagus.

Thai Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

2-3 Tb canola oil

2 cups coconut milk

2 Tb peanut butter

2 Tb cornstarch or tapioca starch

½ Tb gluten free soy sauce (I use La Choy’s.)

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp salt

Cooked rice – I prefer basmati, but you could use jasmine, white or brown rice.

Cut the chicken in small chunks. In a large skillet, cook the chicken in canola oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Mix together coconut milk, peanut butter, corn or tapioca starch, soy sauce, ginger and salt. Pour into skillet with the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir often. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Soup!

2011-03-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband had has gallbladder removed, which meant a liquid diet for the day. So in addition to lots of strawberry jello, I made tomato soup! It's super easy, SO much better than canned, and gobbled up by 2 out of 3 toddlers (at least at my house, although the one that didn't eat it is very picky).

Tomato Soup

1 - 6oz can tomato paste

1 - 8oz can tomato sauce

1-2 Tb honey

1 tsp Italian seasoning

¼ tsp salt

pepper to taste

¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch

2 cups water

2 cups soy or cow’s milk

In medium sized saucepan, heat tomato sauce, tomato paste, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until it just begins to boil. Mix ¼ cup corn or potato starch into water. Add mixture to the saucepan. Continually whisk until it comes to a boil. Add soy or cow’s milk and whisk until it is heated through. Serves 4.

Family Favorite

2011-03-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

For the very first recipe on my blog, I thought I would put a family favorite! The Tarragon vinegar really makes this recipe, which you should be able to find at your local grocery store.

When a recipe says "moo note," it has a suggested substitution or addition for those of us who eat dairy.

For those with egg allergies, use egg free mayo. However, I would suggest using 3/4 cup mayo and 1/2 cup soy, almond or rice milk.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

4 cups cooked rice – white rice, brown rice, or basmati rice

1 can cooked chicken OR 1 boiled and shredded large chicken breast

1 can French-style cut green beans

1 cup plain yogurt and ½ cup sour cream OR 1 ½ cup mayonnaise

3 Tbs Tarragon vinegar

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients. Spread evenly into a sprayed 3 quart casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 35-45 min or until the edges are very lightly golden brown. Serves 6-8.

Moo note: Remove casserole from oven 10 minutes before it is finished cooking. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top and cook for the remaining time.