Rediscover Chocolate Chip Cookies

After some experimentation I found a recipe that makes a good cookie! It looks like a perfect totally normal Chocolate Chip Cookie. They stay soft and chewy.


These cookies are dairy free, soy free, gluten free, but they do have eggs.


The most important part of this recipe is: Chill the dough overnight!


The second most important part is to put the dough on a cold cookie sheet. To keep the dough chilled, roll the dough into balls and place back in the fridge for about 30 mins before cooking.


Preheat your oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR foil with the shiny side up. Parchment paper is recommended as you can easily remove all the cookies by removing the sheet from the pan and put the next batch in.

• 1 Cup Spectrum Shortening, organic butter flavor 
• 1 Cup brown rice flour 
• 1 Cup Sweet Sorghum flour
• 1/4 Cup cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour (this is the same as Tapioca starch)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 1/4 Cups light brown sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened rice milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (If you use mini chips, less then 10 oz is more then enough. I used 'Enjoy Life' brand semi-sweet dairy, nut and soy free chips.)

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl cream buttery spread with the sugars until light and frothy. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (eggs, rice milk, and vanilla) Slowly add the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Add chocolate chips. Place in the fridge overnight.

Form dough into small balls about 2 tablespoons worth. Place back into fridge for another 30 mins. Place on cool cookie sheet. Bake for 11 mins or until lightly brown around edges and top. They will still look undercooked in the center. Leave on the sheet for 2 mins and then move to a cooking rack until cool.

Enjoy!

Find ingredients here:

http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=87#j280

This recipe is adapted from: 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-gluten-free-recipe/index.html

Rediscover Tomato Sauce- Recipe #2 Review

I made the second sauce tonight. First off, it is much easier and faster to make. Secondly, it looks more like tomato sauce. Thirdly, it is not as sweet and didn't require as much tinkering.


So over all, I prefer this.


I did skip the last step since it was already very thick, and I only had a 15 oz can of beets, so I used about half of the beets. Remember to drain all the liquid, you don't use it.


It was a bit acidic so I did add roughly 1 tablespoon sugar, which helped a lot.


I added some Thyme, sage, and celery seed to taste after setting about 1/2 aside for later.


It makes enough for 3 people, or 2 people with some side dishes with enough for leftovers.


I made this with some mashed cauliflowers as a side. For noodles I used Rice Spaghetti noodles. They were a bit al dente, but good.


Overall, give this a try! It's yummy!

Rediscover Tomato Sauce- Recipe #1 Review

So I made the first pasta sauce today, and here is my review.


First off, I should not have been surprised that it was sweet. Not sugar sweet, the kind that tastes good when you have it in tomato sauce, but, odd to be in a pasta sauce sweet. I think to compensate for this next time I will use more carrots and less sweet potatoes.


In order to balance the sweetness I tried to add more lemon juice, salt, pepper, thyme, sage....then more lemon juice, more salt, more pepper, more thyme, more sage....then MORE salt, pepper, thyme, and sage....and some more lemon juice...then some apple cider vinegar. Still was too sweet.


I looked online to see what else to try, and ended up adding some chicken stock. My intent was not to make this vegan, so this worked well for me. It was still too sweet, but not as bad as before. I ended up using enough ACV to make it slightly acidic like normal tomato based pasta sauce. I also added some seasoned ground beef.


 I ended up splitting it at this point and setting half of it aside for another meal, then added some gluten-free noodles and topped it with some Almond milk mozzarella style cheese.


I also ended up using Tapioca starch instead of cornstarch and it worked fine.


The next time I make this, I will use more carrots, less sweet potatoes, and attempt to find something to use in place of beets. It was very slight, but you could taste them, and I am not a huge fan of beets.


For what it was, it tasted good. Like tomato sauce with noodles and real mozzarella? No, but not bad either.


I will keep you updated and keep track of the amount of spices I use as well as lemon juice and ACV.


I will also make the second recipe and see if it is an improvement over this one. I might end up blending the two together and maybe get something even better!

Rediscover Tomato Sauce- Part 1

As I take a closer look at my diet and the relation if has to my symptoms, I find that I must also have some intolerance to Potatoes. When researching this possibility, I saw that they are part of a larger family: The Nightshade Family. This family has been linked to pain in joints and muscles, and I wonder if my high intake of these relates at all to my severe pain.


So add to the list of stuff I can't have:


Potatoes (not sweet though. Too bad I dislike sweet potatoes. No time like the present to get over that! LOL)
Tomatoes (although I have never liked these raw, they are a stable in all the foods I love.)
Red Peppers (already on my cannot have list, which makes me think I might be intolerant of all Nightshades)
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Paprika (Which along with Cayenne I was using in place of Mustard and Onion)
Cayenne Pepper
Tabasco Sauce
Eggplant
Ground Cherries
Tomatillos
Tamarillos
Huckleberry
Naranjillas
Pepinos
Pimentos


When searching for a good substitute for Tomato sauce, it seems most use Red Peppers. *headdesk* Or Mushrooms *sigh* or Onions...*walks away*


Needless to say, I cannot use any of those. 


I did mange to find a tomato free pasta sauce rescipe and adapted it. Not sure how it will turn out, but fingers crossed!


Tomato-free Onion-free Pasta Sauce Recipe #1


Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup of carrots (cut into ½ inch pieces)
2 medium sweet potatoes cubed (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (8-ounce) can beets
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Optional herbs to make Marinara or other Italian sauce(s):
1/3 cup Parsley (chopped or whole, see below) [Fresh is better, if using dried, 2-3 tbsp]

How to prepare:
1. In a large stock pot, sauté the  garlic in a little olive oil until just starting to brown.

2. Add the carrots, diced sweet potatoes, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper then cover (barely) with water.

3. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer (covered) for 20-30 minutes until the carrots and sweet potatoes are very soft.

4. Blend the contents of the pot until smooth (in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender). Add the olive oil during the blending.

5. The cornstarch in step 6 will thicken up the sauce slightly so don’t worry if it is a little runny. If the sauce is too thick already, add some water, if too runny simmer it awhile to thicken (cover the pot but leave the lid askew).

5b. If you boil your meatballs/sausage in the sauce, I would add them here as well.

6. Puree the contents of the can of beets (liquid included) and the cornstarch in a blender until very smooth (if only using for pasta sauce, to save some chopping you can add the fresh herbs here as well!)

7. Add the beet mixture back to the pot and simmer for about five more minutes.

8. If using for more than pasta sauce, portion out what you need and then add a prorated amount of chopped herbs to the remaining sauce.

Enjoy!

Original Found Here: http://glutenfreedairyfreenj.blogspot.com/2011/07/tomato-free-pasta-sauce-recipe-gluten.html

I did make this one and the review is found in Part Two!

I found another one as well. So I will try both. Again, I removed the items I cannot have.

Tomato-free Onion-free Pasta Sauce Recipe #2

1 clove garlic, finely chopped, optional
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 (8-ounce) can beets,* drained (reserve the liquid)
1 (14-15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
½-¾ cups gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon coarse salt
24 grinds fresh black pepper
1½ teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot, moistened with 2 tablespoons reserved beet juice

1. Sautee garlic in oil until onion is translucent and slightly brown.

2. Add lemon juice and vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Puree beets until very smooth.

4. Add beets, pumpkin puree, salt,  and pepper  to pan. Stir until combined.

5. Whisk in the broth. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not over-cook; beets discolor with prolonged cooking. If sauce is too thick, add a little more broth to thin.

6. Whisk in the moistened cornstarch. Cook for 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.

*TIP: If you prefer, you can use fresh beets. Roast them in the oven until soft and puree them in a food blender before adding to recipe.

TIP: If the sauce seems too acidic, add a teaspoon or two of sugar. 

Found: http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/gluten_free_tomato_free_marinara_sauce-1771-1.html

Rediscovering Mayo- Part 2

I managed to find another recipe for mayo that would not demand me to make the sunflower paste. I will go ahead and make both to see which one will be better.

Rice Milk Mayonnaise (Egg-free, Soy-free, and Dairy-free)
Makes about 1 cup

The real trick to this recipe is the medicine dropper. To emulsify the mayonnaise properly, you must drip the oil in one drop at a time, or it won’t work. The best way to control the flow is with a dropper. It will take you a few minutes to get all that oil in the blender a drop at a time, but don’t be tempted to rush it. Your patience will pay off with perfection. Who would have thought it possible?  Egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, but still with a lovely buttercup hue and the lush creaminess we love in fresh mayonnaise.  Feel free to add fresh herbs at the end, or to use all canola oil, for a milder flavor.

• 1/3 cup cold rice milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 small clove of garlic
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Combine the rice milk with the lemon juice and white pepper in a blender. Don’t use a food processor for this; use a blender. Using a garlic press, add the garlic. Add the xanthan gum, and mix on high speed until foamy.

2. Set the blender on high, and using the medicine dropper, add the oil, drop by drop, through the hole in the lid of the blender, until the mayonnaise begins to emulsify. You may wish to use your other hand to cover most of the hole in the lid (see photo), to prevent splattering.  This is not a recipe for the impatient. Take your time! Continue to add the oil, in a steady drip, until the mayonnaise is thick and creamy, scraping down sides of blender as necessary. (I turned my cheap old blender off several times to let it cool down while making this. You may also wish to take pauses). Again, do not try to make this too quickly; the process of slowing incorporating the oil should take several minutes.

3. Add the salt, taste, and adjust salt and lemon juice if desired.

4. Serve at room temperature. Transfer remaining mayonnaise to a jar, and store tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Rice Milk Mayonnaise
Copyright © 2010 by Cybele Pascal

Found:  http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/2298.html


You might have noticed that you will need a good blender to make either of these. I am on a search to find a good blender for all the uses I now have, and am leaning toward the Blendtec brand. I will look into it more and let you know.

Rediscovering Mayo- Part 1

I guess I have known for a while how hard it would be to eat after I got that small laminated list the held all the foods I could no longer have. For a long time I ignored the ones I didn't like- the foods I liked enough to suffer for- only obeying the small colored sheet when it served me, and paid the price.


I have realized recently that this cannot continue, and am facing the reality of a life without some of the ingredients that make up...most foods. When I add to it the foods I want to limit in my diet it seems like I have no real choices left. 


Here is my list.


Cannot have
Oats (which I had a serious love affair with most of my childhood)
Mushrooms


Stay away from. If you eat these, you will pay.
Banana (which puts a kink in my much loved and cherished Banana Pineapple milkshakes)
Basil
Bay Leaf
Broccoli (which most people would not mourn, but I have always loved)
Cabbage 
Caffeine (which I mourned a little, but do not really miss anymore)
Coffee (which I never drank, so no biggie)
FD&C Blue #2 (a dye used in a lot of stuff, including medications)
Yellow #5 (see above)
Green Pea
Green Pepper (this includes all Bell Peppers)
Millet
Mustard (used in an amazing amount of premade items)
Onion (see above. Any spice you get, it seems, has this in it. Plus, most recipes call for this and do not taste good without it.)
Oregano (with this AND Basil on the list, most of my favorite Italian foods are off the menu)
Polysorbate 80 (used in a lot of premade foods and also medications and other non-food items, a real bugger to avoid)
Sesame (finding this in all sorts of surprising places)
Soybean (also in everything under the sun)
Spelt
Watermelon (seriously? Watermelon? Why??)


Things I am trying to limit, but can still have
Milk 
Egg
Other animal proteins


So, lets say you want veggie dip...hmm...has onion, polysorbate 80, milk....OK, lets make some from scratch. What sort of recipes can we find? Hmm...they call for yogurt, sour cream, or mayo. Well, yorgurt and sour cream are out. I wonder what is in mayo? Eggs. OK, what about Miracle Whip? Second thing on the list is Soybean oil. 


Next step: Make my own mayo. I manage to find a recipe that does not use eggs/milk/soy and am pretty excited! However, it calls for Tahini. I have never heard of this before, so I google it to see where to buy it. Lo and Behold, Tahini is Sesame paste. So that is out.


Backup plan: Find a substitute for Tahini. Most are other variations of sesame, but google pulls though and I manage to find that using roasted sunflower seeds would work- as a Tahini substitute. I have *no* idea if it will work in the recipe though.


If anyone is brave enough to give it a try, here it is:

Egg-free Lactose-free Soy-free Mustard-free Sesame-free Mayo

Choose your favorite, best tasting extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. It really makes a difference. You can use your favorite clean tasting vinegar for the acid, or use fresh lemon juice. And if mustard is not a problem for you, add a half teaspoon or so of prepared mustard, to taste.

You'll need:

1-2 tablespoons chilled organic raw Tahini Substitute (see below)

2-3 tablespoons clean tasting apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

3-6 tablespoon cold plain rice, nut or hemp milk

1-2 teaspoons honey or raw agave nectar, to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Optional: a dab of your favorite mustard, to taste

This recipe is a flexible template. Start with the lesser amounts and add a little more if you need to adjust thickness or taste.

In a small mixing bowl (or food processor) place 1 tablespoon of the raw tahini, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk, sea salt, paprika, xanthan gum and mustard, if using; beat/process to combine (I used a good hand mixer).

While the mixer or processor is running, start pouring the olive oil into the bowl in a thin, steady stream. After you have added all the oil, do a quick taste test to see if it needs more salt, acid or sweetness. Continue to beat or process until the mixture gets creamy and starts to thicken.

Here's the tricky part- you want it to emulsify and thicken but if you beat it too long, it can fall apart. When in doubt, stop the beating and check it. It will not be as thick and gelatinous as commercial mayo- more like a thick, creamy salad dressing.

If you have trouble getting it to thicken try drizzling in more vinegar or lemon juice. Or more mustard. That usually brings it around rather quickly.

Chilling it also thickens it, one reason (besides flavor) I use a good extra virgin olive oil in my mayo. Extra virgin olive oil is a heart-healthy monosaturated fat that becomes semi solid in the fridge. So make your mayo ahead of time, cover and chill it for best consistency.

Use within two days for best taste.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Found: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/07/egg-free-olive-oil-mayo.html

Tahini Sesame free substitute

2½ cups roasted sunflower seeds
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Supplies

measuring cups
food processor
baking sheet (if you need to roast your sunflower seeds)

Prep

If your sunflower seeds are not roasted, place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° F degree oven and toast, stirring frequently, for about 5-10 minutes.  Do not let them brown. Allow to completely cool before proceeding.

Directions

Place sunflower seeds and olive oil in food processor.  Blend until smooth.  You’re looking for a thick, pourable consistency.  If you need to add more olive oil, add it slowly by drizzling it into the mix while it is blending the ingredients.

Makes 2 cups

Found: http://www.halleethehomemaker.com/2010/05/sunflower-seed-swap-tahini/

Once I make this I will adjust the recipe as needed.