Cranberry Orange Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I'm really excited about this one!  And its just in time for the holidays.  It all started when I grabbed a bag of fresh cranberries at our local produce market and started thinking of all the yummy things I could make with them.  Then I started wondering about the nutritional value of cranberries, so I did some research.  It turns out cranberries are really good for us!  Besides having a nice amount of vitamin C, and fiber, the phytonutrients they contain are well know for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.  There are studies showing cranberries help support immune function and potentially lower the frequency of cold symptoms as well as benefiting the digestive tract.  And guess what?  Studies show that in order to get the most benefit from cranberries, they should be eaten in their natural food state (surprise!).

Setting aside all the good news about cranberries and their nutritional qualities, it turns out they are super yummy as part of this delicious, allergy-friendly snacking loaf.  This cranberry orange bread would make a tasty breakfast, a nice pick-me-up afternoon snack or a wonderful gluten-free bread to serve with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  The orange flavor subtly adds a bit of tangy sweet which compliments the cranberries beautifully.  For the recipe, I started with the one on the Ocean Spray cranberries package and adapted it to be free of gluten, dairy and eggs (and a little less sugar).  And it worked!

So run right now to the store, grab a bag of fresh cranberries and make this bread!  Its come together quickly - no fuss - and gets eaten really fast!

Cranberry Orange Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP ground flaxseed
3/4 cup sugar (I used white)
1 cup orange juice
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (I used my good old Pampered Chef Food Chopper)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground flaxseed and sugar).  To this, add orange juice and oil.  Using a hand or stand mixer, mix for a few minutes until well combined.  Stir in chopped cranberries.  Transfer to a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Remove from pan, slice and enjoy!  Makes one loaf.

This recipe is being shared at Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Delightfully Inspired Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday,   Food on Fridays, Potluck Party, Gluten Free Monday, Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Musings of a Housewife, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Tasty Traditions


 

Drop Biscuits {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Biscuits - Oh yeah!  I love biscuits and had missed them for so long.  That's why I'm so happy to share this easy gluten-free biscuit recipe with you.  Back in the day, ya know, before we realized my daughter couldn't eat gluten, dairy or eggs, we used to make biscuits on Sunday mornings with our handy Jiffy All-Purpose Baking Mix.  Even setting aside allergies, I'm so glad we makes these from scratch now since those mixes have ingredients that no one should eat.  Can you say 'partially hydrogenated oil'?  Anyway, these drop biscuits are quite versatile.  They can be enjoyed for breakfast topped with jam, honey or coconut butter.  How about biscuits and sausage with gravy.  They are just perfect at dinnertime alongside a steaming bowl of creamy potato soup.   You could even make a sandwich on one of these.  The possibilities are endless!  And since these are drop biscuits you get to skip the mess and work of rolling out dough.  Just mix, plop, bake and eat.  Give 'em a try.  I think you'll love 'em!

Drop Biscuits {gluten, dairy, egg-free}

1 1/2 cups millet flour (sorghum works too, but millet gives them a wonderfully sweet, light flavor)
1/2 cup potato starch (tapioca starch works too)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP ground flaxseed meal
1/3 cup oil
1 - 1 1/4 cup dairy-free milk (I use almond milk)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (millet flour, potato starch, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar and flaxseed).  Add in oil.  Add in 1 cup milk and stir, checking consistency.  If batter is a bit dry or thick, add up to 1/4 cup more milk.  Mix by hand until you have a nice thick (but not too thick) consistency.  Using a large mixing spoon, drop dough onto non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat).  This yields about 8-9 good sized biscuits.  Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

This recipe is being shared at Better Mom Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Gluten Free Monday, This Week's Cravings, Make Your Own Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Real Food WednesdayWednesday Fresh Foods, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspired Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday

Gluten-Free Granola Cereal {dairy and egg-free, too}

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A batch of this gluten-free granola can always be found in my pantry.  Its easy to make, is high in protein, and tastes great!   In the morning, my family often grabs some for a healthy bowl of breakfast cereal topped with cold almond milk.  I would like to thank Stephanie O'Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking for teaching me to make granola in my crockpot.  The original recipe belongs to her and you should definately check it out as she has some different add-ins than I do.  Who would have known that you don't have to burn endless batches of granola in the oven because you had to change a diaper, or take a phone call, or just plain forgot to watch it carefully.  Behold the wonders of the crockpot!

Just so ya know, this is not the clumpy kind of granola that travels well as a take-along snack.  Its more the cereal-in-a-bowl type.  I'm guessing there is something you could adjust in the recipe to make it stick together in clumps, but I don't know what it is.  If you have a tried and true method, please let me know.

Gluten-Free Crockpot Granola {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (or a mixture of both)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar

In your crockpot, toss together the dry ingredients.  Add in the wet ingredients and toss till evenly coated.  Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, keeping the lid vented with a wooden spoon (to prevent burning).  Stir every so often.  Once the granola is finished cooking, spread it out on a cookie sheet or clean counter to cool.  Sometimes I just let it cool in the crockpot.  This doesn't seem to affect the granola, but it does make it stick to the crockpot, making cleanup a bit harder.  Store in an air-tight container or zip-close freezer bag.  It will stay fresh in the pantry for at least a week.  I'm sure I've kept mine much longer that than.

This recipe is being shared at Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Better Mom Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Cast Party Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday

Green Smoothie Pops {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Okay, so green smoothies are nothing new.  But they are still good and good for you.  Plus, they're great for those with food allergies because they can be made without dairy and tweaked to accommodate allergies and preferences.  Frankly, its the only way I'm going to eat kale.  Even my children enjoy a good green smoothie, although my 8 year old son refused to try it for the longest time just because it was green.  Now he admits he likes them too.  

So we were going along, enjoying our green smoothie at breakfast when my daughter suggested we turn it into green smoothie pops and enjoy them in the hot afternoon.  Great idea!  So now we have a cool and refreshing, sweet and satisfying afternoon snack to look forward to.   You gotta try it!

My littlest one is a big fan!

As for the smoothie pop recipe, you gotta start with a good green smoothie recipe.  Most folks don't really follow a recipe when making a smoothie.  Its more of a "little of this and a little of that" sort of thing.  But I like to have a basic recipe to start with, so I'll share mine with you.  Feel free to add or subtract as your led. As a side note, the majority of smoothie recipes rely on banana to give them some body and sweetness, but one of my children HATES bananas.  She literally gags when someone eats one near her.  So to make a smoothie she enjoys we just replace the banana with peach.  The peach still adds body and sweetness and doesn't offend banana-haters.



Green Smoothie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

• Peaches (15 oz can in pear juice) or 2 fresh peaches
• Orange juice (1 cup)
• Kale (1 large handful which is about 1 cup torn leaves smooshed into a measuring cup)
• Ground Chia or Flaxseed (2 TBSP)  This is an optional ingredient, but once you read about the amazing nutritional value of chia, you'll want to include it.
• Coconut Oil (2 TBSP)  Again, optional but adds nutritional value (read up on the benefits of coconut oil)
• Ice cubes (If you're blender doesn't do ice cubes, just toss a few in your glass)

Toss all the ingredients into your blender, and blend till smooth (about 2 minutes).  This makes about 3 cups.  Just so ya know, if you are like me and long for but don't have a Vitamix blender, you'll do just fine with a smaller and cheaper one like the smoothie/blender set that I have and love.  It comes with 4 individual tumblers plus a 4-cup blender.  And its soooooo easy to clean!  Ours gets used every day.  

Anyway, now that you've got your smoothie made, simply pour some of it into a popsicle maker and freeze. There you have it.

This recipe is being shared at Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Better Mom Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Allergy Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, Foodtastic Friday, Gluten Free Fridays

Spiced Zucchini Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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If you are growing zucchinis in your garden this year, you probably have them coming out your ears about now.  Sounds like the perfect time to make zucchini bread.  This recipe makes two delicious gluten-free loaves that smell wonderful in the oven and taste just as good on your plate.  The key is in the spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice - yum!  This recipe makes two loaves because, just like banana bread, this zucchini bread freezes well.  When freezing it, slice a loaf after it cools, then freeze slices in a zip-closed freezer bag.  You can take the slices straight from the freezer to the toaster for a wonderful breakfast.  And please don't let the long ingredient list discourage you - its mostly the spices that make the list look long.


Spiced Zucchini Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

2 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup ground flaxseed or chia seed
1 TBSP tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup shredded zucchini (about 2 large zucchinis)
1 cup walnuts (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, flaxseed, spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar).  In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients (applesauce, oil, water, vanilla and shredded zucchini).  Transfer dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in walnuts. This recipe works with hand mixing or with a stand mixer, but it's a bit too thick for an electric hand mixer (the batter will tend to crawl up the beaters).  Pour batter into two standard size loaf pans (I prefer glass) and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Cool on a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms (hee, hee . . that phrase "soggy bottoms" makes me laugh).

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays, Melt In Your Mouth Monday,  Monday Mania, The Better Mom Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thriving on Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Eat at Home

Beach Vacation Meal Plan: What To Eat While Traveling - July 9, 2012

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As anyone with food allergies knows, travel can be a challenge.  But as with most things, it can be done!  It does take some prep-work and advanced planning so I thought I'd share how my family handled food on our recent week-long trip to the beach. 

The first thing we always do is rent a condo or house that has a kitchen.  That way we can be in control of our meals and do much of the food prep ourselves. 

The second thing we do is a little internet research to see if there are any allergy-friendly restaurants in the area we'll be visiting.  One helpful site is AllergyEats.com.  Visit the site, choose the foods you avoid and the location you'll be visiting and it will give you a list of restaurants with links to menus as well as reviews.  Other helpful sites include Find Me Gluten Free, Life Without Gluten's Restaurant Finder, Gluten Free Registry and Celiac Restaurant Guide.  (I'm sure there are others.)  Finding a restaurant that is conscious of gluten intolerance is at least a start to finding one that accommodates other allergies.

Third, we make a detailed meal plan including what we'll eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.  On this list, we'll include at least a few meals that we'll eat out at a restaurant (provided we found some leads on the above mentioned websites.)  Since no one wants to spend much time in the kitchen while one vacation, we make sure our meals are quick, easy and mostly prepped ahead of time.  Dinners such as Mrs. Jolly's Chicken Casserole, Creamy Chicken Pie, Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice, Italian Sausage Rice Bowl, Pulled BBQ Chicken or even Homemade Allergy-Friendly Pizza can be fully prepared at home, frozen in a baking dish or zip-close bag and taken along in your cooler to your destination.  During your vacation, its quick and easy to let one of those ready-made meals bake in the oven while you shower off the sand and, voila!, dinner's ready. (Just make sure you plan out your meals so there's time to defrost things in the fridge before cooking time.) Other ideas include meals that require few ingredients and little time in the kitchen such as spaghetti and meat sauce, hamburgers or taco salad.

You may also want to prep some take-along lunches so everyone doesn't get burnt out on sandwiches.  I'll give you a few ideas below.  Speaking of sandwiches, now might be a good time to buy store-bought GF bread instead of making your own Awesome Sandwich Bread.  You don't want vacation prep to wear you out completely.

Lastly, we make a grocery list of things to buy when we get there.  I prefer to do most of my shopping at home and bring it along. (Who wants to do a full-out grocery run while on vacation!)  But there do seem to be those last minute or freezer items that are just better purchased close to your destination.  But I do recommend bringing from home those specialty items like soy yogurt or gluten-free bread that may be hard to find at a standard grocery store.

So here's the actual plan we followed for our recent beach trip. 


Monday

• Breakfast on the road:  Banana Oat Breakfast Bars
• Lunch on the road:  Cold Cut Sandwiches plus snacks
• Dinner:   Buckwheat Waffles and Sausage

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Gluten-Free English Muffins (I adapted this recipe from Tessa the Domestic Diva, made them at home and froze them for easy toasting later.)
• Lunch:  Cold Cut Sandwiches, grapes and potato chips
• Dinner:  Out at a restaurant

Wednesday

• Breakfast:  Homemade GF Granola Cereal similar to this recipe found at Crockpot 365
• Lunch:  Taco Burger (Ahead of time, brown some ground beef with taco seasoning. Serve on the beach in sandwich bags with a spoon.) and Fritos and apples
• Dinner:  Salad Dressing Chicken, Ore-Ida Fries (label states "gluten-free") and Salad

Thursday

• Breakfast:  Gluten-Free English Muffins
• Lunch:  Chef Salads (Served on the beach in individual take-n-toss containers. Don't forget the forks!)
• Dinner:  Out at a restaurant

Friday

• Breakfast:  Banana Bread (I made 2 loaves at home, sliced and froze for easy toasting.)
• Lunch:  Summertime Chicken Salad, fruit cups and chips/crackers
• Dinner:  Pulled BBQ Chicken (We made this in the crockpot while we swam in the sea, but this is also an easy one to make at home, freeze and take along.)

Saturday

• Breakfast:  Cinnamon Toast
• Lunch on the road:  Cold Cut Sandwiches and snacks
• Dinner on the road:  Restaurant  

So that's it. That's how we do it.  I'd love to hear how others handle meals while traveling so please share your ideas with us.  


Check out more meal plan ideas at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Awesome Sandwich Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Pin It I got tired of serving my daughter dry and crumbly store-bought gluten-free bread devoid of any nutritional value.  In all fairness, there are some not-so-bad options on the store shelves, but they are pretty pricey and many of them contain egg.  So I decided to tackle homemade gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free bread and guess what?  Success!  I started with this recipe from The Wacky Waffle which is written by a friend of a friend.

But homemade bread?  Isn't that hard to make?  Doesn't that take a lot of time?  The answer, my friends, to both questions is 'no'.  Homemade gluten-free bread is not hard to make and it doesn't take a lot of time.  In fact, gluten-free bread is quicker and easier to make than wheat bread because you don't have to knead it and you only have to let it rise once.  This recipe, from start to finish, will only take about 1½ hours, and of that time, only about 15 minutes is you actually working.  In case you just don't have 1½ hours, this recipe can be made in a bread machine (though I think it turns out best when you make it the old-fashioned way)!

Take a look at the ingredients below and you'll see this is primarily a whole-grain recipe - so it's good for you.  And it tastes good, doesn't crumble and stays fresh in the fridge for at least 5 days!  It can also be stored in the freezer, sliced and ready for toasting.  

After reading through the simplified instructions, please read the "additional notes" section and the bread machine instructions below the recipe for more details.  Please try this bread!  Then come back and tell us how it turned out for you.  I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make and how tasty it is to eat.

Awesome Sandwich Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free} 

1 ½ cups sorghum flour

½ cup buckwheat flour 
1 cup potato or tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp salt
¼ cup ground flaxseed meal
1 TBSP yeast (*don’t add yeast yet if using the delay setting on a bread maker)
¼ cup oil
¼ cup honey
1 ¾ cups warm almond milk (heat about 1 minute in microwave)
1 tsp mild-tasting vinegar (distilled white or apple cider vinegar)

Whisk together dry ingredients (flours, xanthan gum, salt, and ground flaxseed).  Add yeast to dry ingredients unless using the delay setting on a bread maker.  In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients (oil, honey, milk and vinegar).  Add dry mix into the wet mix.  Combine thoroughly using the dough hooks on a stand mixer.  This dough is a bit too thick for regular beaters as it gets a little crazy, walking up the beaters.  You’ll know you have the right consistency if your dough is too wet to knead but too thick to pour.  Its kind of like a thick drop biscuit dough.  Transfer dough into glass loaf pan (no need to grease your pan) and let rise for 30 minutes.  Loaf should almost double in size, or be about even with the top of your loaf pan.  Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Your loaf should have a nice medium-brown crust.  Allow bread to cool in the pan until cool enough to remove; then pop bread out of pan by running a butter knife around the edges. Let bread finish cooling on a wire rack. (This prevents the bottom from getting damp.)  Once cool, slice and enjoy or freeze for later! 

Additional Notes: 

Rising:  Here’s my preferred rising method:  Pour boiling water into an oven-safe casserole dish or spare loaf pan and place in the oven.  Then place your loaf in the oven, shut the door and let it rise.  Stick a note on your oven controls to remind yourself not to turn the oven on while your dough is rising.  Oh – maybe that step is just for scattered people such as myself.

Baking:  Leave the above mentioned hot water in the oven during the baking.  This seems to help the bread retain its moisture. 

Ingredients:  Don’t leave out the vinegar!  It really helps with the rise.  Also, if you don't have buckwheat flour, you can replace it with sorghum so that your flour mix would be 2 cups sorghum flour and 1 cup potato or tapioca starch.  I like it best with the buckwheat - I think it improves the texture.

Storage:  This bread stays fresh for at least 5 days stored it in a zip-close plastic bag in the fridge, unsliced.  For longer storage, slice the loaf and store in a zip-close freezer bag in the freezer.  When its time for breakfast toast or a sandwich, simply pop your slices in the toaster and they’re ready to be enjoyed.

Bread Machine Instructions:

This bread can also be made in a bread machine!  Don’t fret if your bread machine doesn’t have a gluten-free cycle.  I have a low-end machine  without a gluten-free cycle and, although I imagine a better machine might produce better results, it gets the job done.  My machine requires that I help it along by scraping around the corners during the mixing cycle – sad, but true.  I've got my eye on this one but I'd love recommendations if you have a machine you like.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients (flours, xanthan gum, salt, and ground flaxseed).  Whisk yeast into dry ingredients unless you are using the delay setting.  If using a delay setting,  you'll add the yeast last -on top of the dry mixture so it doesn't get wet prematurely.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (oil, honey, milk and vinegar). Transfer to bread machine.

Into your bread machine, add dry ingredient mixture on top of wet ingredients.  If using delay setting, make a little valley in the flour mixture to hold the yeast there on top of the dry ingredients.

Set your bread machine for a 2 lb loaf and let your machine do the rest.  If you do have a gluten-free cycle, use it.

This recipe is being shared at Homemade Bread Challenge, Potluck Party

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I think breakfast can be the toughest meal for those with food allergies, especially if you're new to it.  Scrambled eggs and toast are not going to cut it for this crowd.  So I'm always looking for nutritional options for breakfast foods.  This is a new one I've been testing out on my family and everyone likes it.  It's high on the nutrition scale and low on the effort scale.  Just bake it the night before and, in the morning, your breakfast will be waiting for you.  The recipe is based on this one I found at CDKitchen.com.  

Side note on baking with bananas: I discovered while making this recipe that my Sunbeam Heritage Mixmaster (similar to this one) does a great job of mashing up bananas.  Maybe I'm not that smart, but I never thought of doing this before!  When I broke up the banana and put it in the mixer's bowl as my first ingredient, then mixed it for a minute or two on a medium speed, it saved me from having to fork mash the bananas (a job I don't enjoy).  Great time and mess saver.

Banana-Oat Breakfast Bars

3/4  cup sorghum
1/4  cup potato or tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 cups gluten-free oats (use either Gluten-Free Rolled Oats or my new discovery of Gluten-Free Quick Oats)
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup oil (canola, safflower or similar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum flour, starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, flaxseed and oats).  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, break up bananas and mash them using a fork or a stand mixer.  Add to the mashed bananas: peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Combine.  Add in dry ingredients and mix using hand or stand mixer.  Spread dough into an 8 by 11 inch pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool a bit before cutting.

Note:  These are still moist and fresh the next day, so feel free to bake these the night before.

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesday and Gluten Free Wednesdays

Banana Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I love banana bread!  As a child, I remember my dad making it for me.  But his version, as good as it was, was made from a box mix and was more like a dessert bread.  This gluten, dairy and egg-free version is meant to be hearty and healthy - something you'll feel good about eating for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.  If you're looking for a lighter, sweeter bread this may not satisfy, but this one has a higher whole grain content and a  lower sugar content.  The sweetness comes straight from the bananas and we all know the sweetest banana bread bananas are those darkening, mushy ones you'd never just peel and eat. 

My family enjoys this for breakfast - great with some dairy-free butter smeared on top of a nice, thick slice. Sometimes I make two loaves at a time. I slice up the second loaf, wrap it in foil and/or a freezer bag and freeze it. The slices toast up great - straight from freezer to toaster - for a quick and hearty breakfast.

Banana Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 cup sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups banana, mashed (about 3 large bananas)
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup oil
1 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP flaxseed meal mixed with ⅓ cup water
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Step 1:  In mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum flour, potato starch, xanthan gun, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). 

Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (mashed banana, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, flaxseed/water mixture).

Step 3:  Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, combine dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Combine till thoroughly mixed.  If adding walnuts, now’s the time.

Step 4:  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until edges pull away from pan and cake tester comes out clean. 

FREEZER NOTE:  Make an extra loaf, slice it and freeze.  For a quick breakfast, put frozen slices in toaster and voila! – breakfast is ready!

This post is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesday.

Holiday Snacks and Sweets {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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How can you not enjoy your food
when it's sitting on this adorable plate!

Around here, the holidays have a lot to do with food.  For those with food allergies, being able to eat the same wonderful holiday treats as those around you can make a huge difference in how you feel about yourself, your friends and family, and the holidays in general.  To help get you started, or spark your own creativity, here are some no-compromise recipes our family enjoys around the holidays.

Cookies:
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies - Nothing says Christmas quite as well as cookies in the shape of candy canes and Christmas trees.  And don't forget the icing - that's the most fun part!

Ginger Snaps - Last year we had fun with Karina's ginger snap cookies from The Gluten Free Goddess!  We plan to make these with the kids, along with our sugar cookies next week.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - A must-have treat for any time of the year (am I right?)

Snacks:
Chex Party Mix - Now that General Mills is making their Corn Chex and Rice Chex gluten-free, it's easy to make a few substitutions and recreate a satisfying allergy-friendly version of this old standby party mix.  Follow the recipe on the box, making the following changes: 
1. replace the Wheat Chex in favor of corn or rice
2. use gluten-free pretzels such as Glutino Pretzel Twists , Ener-G Wylde pretzels, or Snyder's of Hanover gluten-free pretzels
3. replace bagel chips with broken corn chips or skip altogether
4. of course, use a dairy free butter such as Earth Balance

Chex Muddy Buddies - Again, follow the recipe on the box, but use only Corn or Rice Chex, use dairy-free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life or Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and of course, dairy-free butter.

Dips, Chips and Veggie Trays - A nice presentation of corn chips and salsa is always a winner.  I also recommend trying potato chips and this great Ranch Dressing Mix found at 5 Dollar Dinners.  For the ranch dressing, mix up the seasonings listed; then make the dressing using an egg-free mayo such as Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise and your choice of dairy-free milk.  The ranch dressing also makes a welcome addition to your veggie tray.

Beverages:
We have found some dairy-free holiday beverages at our local grocery store that my daughter really enjoys.  These can be ordered from amazon, but see if your local store carries Westsoy Chocolate Peppermint Stick soy beverage - served warm or Rice Dream Rice Nog.  Of course, good old fashioned apple cider is a great option as is any combo of gingerale and fruit juice mixed to make a yummy punch.

Breakfast:
Cinnamon Rolls - I made these last Christmas and they were great!  The recipe works well if you want to make them the night before, store in the fridge and bake in the morning.  Just substitute in dairy-free milk and use an egg replacer for the 1 egg it calls for (I used Ener-G egg replacer but I'm thinking I'll try it with 1/4 cup applesauce next time).

Muffins - This might be a great time to try out some of the muffin recipes offered on this blog such as Absolute Best Anything Muffins, Apple Cider Muffins, or Pumpkin Muffins.

One Dish Breakfast - Check out Oatmeal Breakfast Cake or Breakfast Fruit Crisp

Buckwheat Pancakes - Top with maple syrup, powdered sugar or fruit

Well, that should get you started thinking of some great snacks and treats to serve around the holidays, or anytime!  If you've got more ideas or recipes, please share them with us!

Apple Cider Muffins

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Apple cider is my favorite fall-time treat!  And though fall is quickly turning into winter, I just had to share this new twist my hubby created on our favorite standby Absolute Best Anything Muffins. 

Apple Cider Muffins

1 ½ cups millet flour or sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 TBSP ground flaxseed meal
1 TBSP baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup oil
1 1/3 cup apple cider
1 medium apple, peeled and diced

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, starch, xanthan gum, flax meal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon).  In a seperate bowl combine brown sugar, applesauce, oil and cider.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat with electric mixer for a minute or so.  Add in chopped apple pieces and mix by hand.  Scoop batter into lined or greased muffin tins.  Go ahead and fill the muffin cups fairly full.  Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes.  This seems to make about a dozen muffins, but sometimes I end up with a few extras.

Pumpkin Muffins {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Pin It I am a summer person. I prefer the hot weather over the cold. But there sure are some appealing things about the onset of autumn - like the warm comfortable flavors we've started enjoying again. Pumpkin muffins just scream "Fall has arrived"! So here's a fall-ish recipe for you to try, free of all those troublesome allergens and easy to put together. NOTE: I always have trouble getting these muffins out of the muffin papers - they really stick. If anyone has a trick to help with that, please share!  

Pumpkin Muffins {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 1/2 cup sorghum (or millet) flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 TBSP ground flax seed meal

1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of allspice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh is best, but canned is fine)
1/4 cup oil
1-1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I prefer almond milk)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flours, xanthan gum, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice).
Step 2 - To the dry mixture, add brown sugar, pumpkin puree, oil and milk.  Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), thoroughly combine.
Step 3 - By hand, stir in walnuts.
Step 4 - Line muffin tin with 12 muffin papers and fill fairly full.  Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.
Note:  When removing from the oven, let cool a few minutes in the muffin tin.  As soon as they are cool enough to touch, remove muffins to a cooling rack.  This prevents the bottoms from getting soggy.

So simple, even a nine year old can do it!

Make-ahead tips:  Muffins are always best fresh out of the oven so I don't make these ahead of time.  Instead, I mix up my dry ingredients the night before.  Then in the morning I just have a few ingredients to add.  It makes morning muffins do-able.  In fact, last week when I made these I had a sick and fussy young one to tend to.  So I relied on my nine year old to assemble the muffins.  Since I had already mixed the dry ingredients the night before, it was just a few steps for her to follow to finish the job - and she did great!

This recipe is being shared at Lifeology, Better Mom Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspired Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday