Scared Silly Sprout Slaw

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Deanna

I love participating in blog carnivals that challenge me to try something new – a new ingredient, a new technique, a new approach. So, when I saw that this Month’s Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten-Free theme was Scared Silly, I knew I had to participate. What exactly is Scared Silly, you ask? Well, Diane, this month’s host, explains it all over on her website, The W.H.O.L.E. Gang. But, the gist is that she challenged all of us to use an ingredient that scares us in some way. Now, had I not just posted a beet recipe, I would have been all over doing something with beets. But, I figured those chocolate cupcakes kind of took the scary out of beets for me (or at least knocked it down to apprehension instead of fear).

I like to keep things seasonal as much as I can, so the most obvious next choice for me was brussel sprouts. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t be just a wee bit scared of something that looks like this:

Mammoth Brussel Sprout Stalk!

I mean, seriously, that is one intimidating vegetable. (The kid is not so scary.)

Never fear (too much). I have a handy dandy combination of flavors that has never steered me wrong when trying to turn something scary into something scrumptious. What’s the secret? Garlic, ginger, sesame oil and lime. Seriously, that combo of flavors always has me at hello. The other major obstacle in brussel sprout consumption is being able to cook them without turning them into stinky mush. What better way to attack that than by shredding them and stir frying! I used the food processor to quickly shred both the sprouts and the carrots. But, theoretically, you could do it by hand, if you really needed to.

Sprout Slaw

Sprout Slaw

Scared Silly Sprout Slaw

2 T. sesame seeds
2 T. sesame oil
1 small onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 lb brussel sprouts (about 2 cups), shredded
1/4 lb carrots (about 1 cup baby carrots), shredded
3 T. wheat-free tamari
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Heat a dry sauté pan and add the sesame seeds. Toast for a few minutes until a few begin to pop and they become fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside. Add sesame oil and onions to hot pan. Sauté until onions are soft. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 more seconds, just until garlic is fragrant. Add shredded sprouts and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add tamari sauce. Continue to stir fry until sprouts are beginning to soften – a couple more minutes. You still want some crunch. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

To make this a main dish, add a protein such as tempeh. Or, if you’re a nut freak like me, top with a generous serving of peanuts.

This sprout slaw was actually consumed by that small child pictured above. His response? “Not the best Mom, but I can eat it.” From a 7-year old, I’ll take it.

This post also submitted to this month’s Sweet or Savory Challenge hosted by Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Affairs of Living.

For more healthy (or healthier) recipes, check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

Posted in carrots, Cooking Challenges, grain-free, main dish, sesame, side dish, vegan | 18 Comments

Thai-Inspired Truffle Treats

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Deanna

I can’t take any credit for this flavor combination. The other night we were eating dinner – Thai lettuce wraps with a coconut milk, peanut butter, lime sauce – when the boys in my life started waxing poetic about how they could drink the sauce and how much it tastes like candy. And, why in the world isn’t there a peanut butter coconut candy? And the brainstorming began.

Now, among the small fry contingent in the house (my son and his buddy who “doesn’t like coconut”) consensus is that these might not live up to the imagined deliciousness. But, I like them. Perhaps you will, too. And they couldn’t be simpler to throw together.

Peanut Butter, Coconut & Lime, oh my!

Peanut Butter, Coconut & Lime, oh my!

Thai-Inspired Truffle Treats

1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup palm sugar
1 T. lime juice
1/2 cup dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut (plus more for rolling)
2 T. thick coconut milk

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and blend until a dough forms. Form into small balls. Roll in additional shredded coconut. Eat. Makes about 16.

Tasty Thai Treat

Tasty Thai Treat

Find this and plenty of other tasty concoctions at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

Posted in coconut, desserts, peanut butter, snacks, vegan | 22 Comments

Broccoli Red Pepper “Cheddar” Chowder

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Deanna

It’s time for another Sweet or Savory Challenge! Ricki, from Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim from Affairs of Living have concocted another great challenge for all of us. This month, we’ve been charged with creating unique sweet or savory recipes featuring sesame, in all its many forms – sesame oil, sesame paste (tahini), or straight up sesame seeds.

Now, don’t anyone have a heart attack or anything, but I’m actually posting something savory. I know, I know. It doesn’t happen all that often. But, I do eat savory foods. Honest I do. I just don’t photograph them well, and I’m really quite bad about throwing a little of this and a little of that in a pot and never doing it quite the same way twice. It’s hard to post a recipe when you don’t actually follow a recipe, ya know?

But, just for all of you (and Ricki and Kim) I decided to actually try to write down what I did for this family favorite soup. I’m cheating a bit, though. We’ve been making this soup for years – long before I stopped eating gluten or dairy. The recipe originally came from Epicurious. They wrote down most of it for me (hence, the cheating). We’ve morphed it into something quite a bit healthier, and that fits all my dietary needs.

Granted there isn’t a LOT of sesame in this recipe. But, it really isn’t the same without the tahini. The tahini makes it “creamy” and the combination of nutritional yeast, tahini and lemon juice is what gives it that “cheesy” kick. Mmmm….cheesy… and yet, it’s vegan and gluten-free.

Broccoli Red Pepper "Cheddar" Chowder - Tahini Makes it Creamy

Broccoli Red Pepper "Cheddar" Chowder - Tahini Makes it Creamy

Broccoli Red Pepper “Cheddar” Chowder

1 T. coconut oil (eyeball it – anything close is fine)
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, diced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 1/4 cups gluten-free veggie broth
1 t. whole mustard seed
1/2 t. ground mustard seed
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
A few generous grinds of pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 T. tahini (sesame paste)
1 T. lemon juice

In a 2 quart kettle, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until melted. Add the onions, red pepper, potato, mustard seed and cumin. Sauté several minutes until onions begin to soften. Add the broth, salt and pepper and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and continue to simmer until potatoes are soft and broccoli is tender. Remove from heat.

Using a stick blender or regular blender, puree the soup. If you so desire, you can scoop out a few pieces of broccoli before you puree it. Or not. No big deal either way. Leave some chunks. This is a chowder, not a cream soup.

Add the nutritional yeast, tahini and lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy!

What do you do with sesame? Are you up to the challenge?

Posted in broccoli, Cooking Challenges, main dish, peppers, sesame, vegan | 13 Comments

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes (vegan)

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Deanna

Beets. Those little red devils that taste of earth and stain your hands. Everyone says you either love them or hate them. But, everyone is wrong. I’m decidedly somewhere in between. Let’s say that I may be learning to like them. I certainly can’t say I hate them anymore. But, I’m not yet in the love camp, either. So, when my gardening neighbor arrived at my door with a whole basket of freshly dug beets I knew I had to get creative. Happily, I had a party to bake for this weekend, and cupcakes are always a hit at a party.

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Chocolate Coconut Ganache

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Chocolate Coconut Ganache

I knew I’d heard of chocolate beet cake before, but I’d definitely never made it. I needed a little help. Google to the rescue! Some interesting options:

But, my favorite option was the “Can’t Be Beet Cake” at Fat Free Vegan. Maybe it was the silly name. Maybe it was the fact that it looked relatively simple to convert to gluten-free. Or maybe it was that I knew I’d modify it enough to consider it kind of “my” recipe. But, this is the one I choose as a starting point. And, I think it worked fairly well as inspiration. I made it gluten-free, added back in some fat, and got rid of the white sugar. The party goer’s chowed and no one could believe there were beets in there. Oh and no gluten. And no dairy. And no eggs….

Vegan Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups sorghum flour
1/4 cup + 1 T. arrow root starch
1 1/4 t. xanthan gum
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup cocoa

WET INGREDIENTS
3 small, 2 medium, or 1 large beet, boiled until soft and pureed in a food processor
Unsweetened apple sauce
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1 cup palm sugar
1/4 cup agave

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
  3. Place pureed beets in a 2 cup measure. Add enough applesauce to fill the measuring cup to 1 1/2 cups. Pour into a large bowl.
  4. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the large bowl. Whisk well.
  5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until mixture is smooth. It will be thick.
  6. Spoon into 12-14 muffin cups and smooth tops.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Cool completely and frost with Chocolate Coconut Ganache

Chocolate Coconut Ganache

1 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut cream (not the sweetened variety – just the higher fat percentage variety)
8 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate (check label for dairy)

  1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
  2. In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk until simmering.
  3. Pour hot coconut milk over chopped chocolate. Allow to stand, undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir until completely smooth. At this point you will have a shiny pourable ganache. You can use as is or…
  5. Whip with electric beaters until thick and spreadable.
Mmm...chocolately

Mmm...chocolately

Can I get away with calling these Slightly Indulgent? I mean they do have beets, right? That’s healthy. And, they’re vegan. That’s healthy. Right?

You can check out a whole bunch of other from-scratch recipes over at the Hearth and Soul blog hop, too.

Looking for a great group of gluten-free recipes? Head on over to Gluten Free Wednesdays at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

Posted in chocolate, desserts, vegan | 38 Comments

Adopt a GF Blogger – Manifest Vegan

Posted on October 2, 2010 by Deanna

It’s been a while since I have participated in the wonderful community event – Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger. Like the rest of you, I’m sure you read blogs and comment with the best of intentions.  You put things on your “must try” list. You star them in Google Reader. You copy recipes, sometimes even going so far as printing them out and making a pile on your kitchen counter. (Please don’t tell me I’m the only one with a pile of recipes on my kitchen counter.) But, there are dishes to do and laundry to fold and your own recipes to write up and kids to pack lunches for and so on and so forth and somehow that pile stays there, untouched. The Adopt a Gluten-free blogger event is great motivation, though, to finally do something about that pile of “must-try” recipes.

One blogger I’ve been reading for a while now is Allyson of Manifest Vegan. Allyson has a passionate commitment to the environment and helping to preserve the planet. But she never comes off as preachy or judgmental about her veganism. She was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009, so everything she’s posted since then is also gluten-free. She takes brilliant food photographs – seriously, just look how gorgeous this photo is! How could you NOT want to make that?

Now, you may have noticed that what I’m most passionate about in the food world is baking. One of the things I like best about her gluten-free baking is that it doesn’t have a heavy reliance on the starches and white flours. She uses a lot of sorghum, which just so happens to be my favorite gluten-free flour (and the one that I bought a 25 lb bag of from a local farmer). She does tend to use a bit more sugar than me. But, there’s a time and place for super sweet desserts, right?

I made two of her recipes  – the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Double Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. What can I say – I’m a sucker for double chocolate chip. Both of these recipes were made when I was baking for others, and both were devoured by their intended audiences.

First the cookies….

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

The only change I made in this recipe was to use Spectrum palm oil shortening instead of vegan margarine. I should probably have reduced the shortening just a wee bit, as the shortening has less water content than margarine, so they melted and spread a bit more. But so it goes, right? They were crisp-chewy, sweet, and oh so tasty. I left them at a friend’s house as a surprise, and when I checked back with her later her comment was, “THOSE were gluten-free? And VEGAN? You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” She declared them to be super rich and fabulous. I think we have a winner here. I made them again for the family, and we all had a similar response. They’re amazing. They’re a bit over the top for every day consumption. But, for a special cookie treat? They’re going to be hard to beat.

I made the muffins because my son is “special student of the week” at school and he wanted to bring a special treat. “Something with banana, mom.” Okay, can do. Allyson has a very intriguing sounding chocolate avocado banana bread recipe. But, somehow I wasn’t sure that would go over so well with a bunch of second graders. The muffins appealed to me because they were kid-friendly, and one recipe made enough to feed the whole class. Yay!

Banana Chocolate Chip Goodness

Banana Chocolate Chip Goodness

My son came home from school and announced, “The class has a message for you…..’YUUUUUUUUUM!'” We had a couple leftover muffins, which the kiddo was all too happy to finish off. Truth be told, I didn’t enjoy these quite as much as the cookies. But, then, I’m not as much of a muffin lover as the kiddo. This is one of Allyson’s “starchier” recipes, which is not as much to my liking. The thing I loved about them? They rose beautifully – must be that combo of vinegar and baking powder. I honestly thought 6 teaspoons of baking powder was going to be obnoxious, but the vinegar neutralizes a lot of it and there’s no funky baking powder aftertaste – just muffins with a beautiful rise.

I’m sure I’ll continue to haunt Allyson’s blog and make many more of her creations. And, I urge you to do the same!

Posted in Blogger Community | 2 Comments

Pecan Slices (grain-free, vegan)

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Deanna

Did you know that today is national pecan cookie day? Yah, me neither. But, I happened to see Foodimentary tweet about it this morning. And, it just so happened that I had “make cookies” on my to-do list for today. No really. I did. See, I’m heading off to Seattle tomorrow and my parents are coming down to help out with the kiddo while I’m gone. My dad likes to have cookies in the cookie jar. I think I might have mentioned before that chocolate chocolate chip is his favorite. But a close second is an old family recipe for pecan slices. So, I pulled out the old 3 x 5 recipe card and de-glutenized them. Actually, I de-grained them and veganized them, too. Here’s hoping he likes the new version. I’ll probably still tweak this recipe some. But, I figured I HAD to post it today, it being a national day of observance and all….

Grain-Free Vegan Pecan Slices

Grain-Free Vegan Pecan Slices

Pecan Slices

1/2 cup coconut oil
2 T. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup finely ground pecans (pecan meal)

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until it comes together like a cookie dough. (It will be crumbling first – don’t worry – keep mixing!) Roll the dough into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. (The pecan meal is already fairly dark, but you will be able to tell when the edges brown a bit.) Cool completely. Cookies will be fragile and crumbly until completely cooled.

Notes for next time: I think I might try adding just a tiny amount of xanthan gum to this recipe – perhaps 1/4 teaspoon. And, I might decrease the coconut oil just a touch. They’re delicious as is, but I’m constantly tweaking recipes, and those are the tweaks I’m thinking of next.

With only 2 tablespoons of a natural sweetener, I think these cookies qualify as “Slightly Indulgent” – don’t you? Check out all the great recipes posted at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Also check out the exclusively gluten-free round up over at Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Slightly Indulgent Pecan Cookies

Posted in cookies, grain-free, nuts, vegan | 36 Comments

Peanut Apple Scones (grain-free, vegan)

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Deanna

A week or so ago, Gluten-Free Gidget posted about ingredient guilt. You know – it’s that feeling you get when you buy something, with some grand (or not so grand) idea in mind and then the ingredient sits in your cupboard for weeks, or maybe months, unused. Every time you open the cupboard, there it is – staring at you. (What?!? Your ingredients don’t stare at you?)

Then, Amy of Simple Sugar and Gluten Free tweeted asking about what inspires people. I realized that ingredient guilt inspires me.

So, I thought about what was in my cupboard, staring at me and that’s a bag of Trader Joe’s peanut flour. I heard about it on The Non-Dairy Queen’s blog. I immediately ran out and bought some. And then I realized I had no idea how to use it. Oops. I’ve never been one to be stopped by not knowing what I’m doing, though. So, this morning I woke up determined to bake something with peanut flour.

Another source of inspiration for me is the blogger community and the various challenges and carnival posts. This month’s Sweet or Savory Challenge ingredient is apples. Apples and peanut butter are one of my all-time favorite snack. So, why not combine apples with peanut flour, too?

So what do you get when you combine apples, peanut flour, and a cold Wisconsin Autumn morning? An apple, peanut baked good, of course. Scones to be exact. Well, they’re somewhere between a scone and a cookie – moister than most scones, but only mildly sweet. Maybe I should call this a scookie? As a bonus, they’re grain free and vegan as well! For inspiration, I looked to the lovely Elana of Elana’s Pantry and her recipe for almond flour scones, the recipe which has seemed to inspire every grain-free scone on the internet.

Apple Peanut Scones (grain-free, vegan)

Apple Peanut Scones (grain-free, vegan)

Apple Peanut Scones

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup applesauce
2 T. ground flax seed
1/4 cup palm sugar
1 cup sifted peanut flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped unsweetened dried apples

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, applesauce, flax seed, and palm sugar. (I mixed this all with a fork.) Stir in the flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well-combined. Stir in the chopped dried apple.

On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Posted in apples, Blogger Community, breakfast, Cooking Challenges, desserts, grain-free, nuts, vegan | 32 Comments

Katz Bakery Giveaway Winner

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Deanna

Congratulations to Amber Shea from Almost Vegan! You’re the winner of the Katz Gluten Free Giveaway! You’ve won $25 in Katz goodies.

Our runner up winner is meeyeehere. You’ve won a free sample pack!

Thanks again everyone for participating in the giveaway. Don’t forget – today is the last day to enter their Summer of Desserts promotion on the Katz website. Tell them The Mommy Bowl sent you!

1 Comment

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (grain-free, vegan)

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Deanna

Sometimes I think I really should have named this blog The Cookie Momster. Cookies seem to feature prominently around here. They are by far our favorite baked good. Lately, I’ve been on a kick to create grain-free versions of some family favorites. Double chocolate chips cookies are my dad’s all-time favorite, so I thought I’d start there. I needed some inspiration, though. I’ve got the gluten-free cookies down. But, grain free? That’s another thing entirely.

Who does one look to for grain-free goodness? Well, there’s Elena of Elena’s Pantry, of course. And, Ricki, from Diet Dessert & Dogs. But, for this particular recipe, I had to look no further than Kelly, from The Spunky Coconut. She had a grain-free chocolate chip cookie recipe that I used as a jumping off point. Stevia and I aren’t really friends, though. So, out went the stevia and in went palm sugar. If you don’t have palm sugar you could sub succanat or even light brown sugar in a pinch. I love palm sugar for it’s caramel notes and subtle sweetness. And, it’s a whole lot cheaper than a lot of other natural sweeteners. (Oh how I love my Asian food store.) And, of course, I had to add cocoa. And, I wasn’t looking for a low-fat healthy cookie here, so out went the applesauce and in went more coconut oil. And voila!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil (or palm shortening)
3/4 cup palm sugar
3 T. ground flax seed mixed with 3 T. warm water
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. xanthan gum
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Add the flax and beat until light and fluffy. Add all other ingredients except the chocolate chips and beat until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. (I did a few turns of hand kneading to get the chips well incorporated.)

Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Chocolatey goodness

Chocolatey goodness

This post is linked up to Simply Gluten Free’s Photo Contest.

Posted in chocolate, coconut, cookies, grain-free, nuts, vegan | 21 Comments

Website Issues

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Deanna

You may have noticed that my blog has been up and down the last few days. And, that it looks a bit different around here. My previous host insisted I was generating too much load on the server and wanted me to upgrade to a semi-dedicated plan. Whatever, I say. So, I migrated everything over here to wordpress.com. While I will have a little less control here, at least I’ll have a site available, right?

If you were following me via feed before, please update your feed reader. Sorry about the inconvenience!

Meanwhile, since the site has been down for the last few days, I’m extending the deadline for the Katz Bakery Giveaway. You have until Monday to enter! Hurry up!

Posted in Rants and Rambles | Leave a comment