Breakfast Birthday Party

A year ago if you had asked me about hosting a breakfast-themed party, I would have said "no way!". Breakfast can be a difficult meal for people with allergies, especially when making food for a crowd. But when Little Man was recently asked what food we should serve at his birthday, he replied "waffles and bacon". That sounds like the makings of a breakfast party to me!

Here's what we served for our party of nine people:

• bacon (made before people arrived and kept warm in the warming drawer)
• waffles (made to order)
• maple syrup
• blueberry sauce*
• Healthy Top "whipping cream" (this was really good!)
• large fruit platter
• banana bread (I made the delicious one from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook)
• car-shaped cake (Agave Cupcake recipe from The Allergen-free Baker's Handbook)
• pina colada ice cream
• juices: apricot, guava and pomegranate

The cake was our first one that wasn't white (we don't use food colouring). The pink icing (I was going for purple) was coloured and flavoured by crushing raspberries and blueberries through a fine mesh sieve and adding the juice to the icing. The brown icing had molasses added to it. I made the cake in 2 8-inch round cake pans and cut them to form the car shape. The '3' was made of raisins.

*Blueberry sauce:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

1. Combine all in small saucepan. Cook at medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until sauce thickens a little.

The party was a big success and all the food was a hit. Our 3-year-old was very pleased with his special party.  And when it was all over, he predictably asked "Can I have more cake please?".

Zucchini Bread with Roasted Almonds

I have been looking for a good gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free zucchini bread for awhile, and I finally found one that really caught my eye over at Gluten Free Goddess.  I made a few changes, including incorporating roasted almonds.  We are just starting to introduce nuts to the Little Man's diet, so we don't have a wide range of nuts to choose from.  Although I would have originally wanted to pair this with pecans, the almonds surprised me in how much flavour they added to the bread.  It was a perfect match!  Roasting them yourself really brings out extra flavour.  I also included almond residue (leftover from making homemade almond milk) for an additional flavour boost, and used an organic demerara sugar for a crisp crust.

To roast the almonds, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spread whole raw almonds over a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch the oven carefully as the 10 minute mark approaches.  You want a nutty smell to be coming from the oven, but if you overdo it the almonds will burn.  Set cookie sheet aside for almonds to cool.  Note that almonds will not crisp up for at least an hour.  For using in the bread, you only need to wait until the nuts are cool enough to handle.  Chop by hand or in Vitamix at power 5 for 5-7 seconds.  For storage of extra almonds, wait 1-2 hours until almonds are completely cool, then store in a tightly-sealed container in the fridge.  I like to use my roasted almonds to top green salads.

The bread recipe can be started while the almonds are roasting.  Conveniently, the bread bakes at 350 degrees, so you can use the same preheated oven once the almonds are done.

• 1 rounded cup (1 1/4 cups) partially peeled then grated zucchini
• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic demerara sugar (can be substituted with natural cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup almond residue (solids created by making almond milk) (optional)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp lime juice (can be substituted with lemon)
• 1 Tbsp Ener-G egg replacer whisked with 1/4 cup water 
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted almonds (optional)

1. Press the liquid out of the zucchini by placing it in a sieve and squeezing. It is important to remove as much liquid as you can so the bread isn't too gooey. Fluff it with a fork and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sorghum, tapioca, xanthan, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Mix.  Add sugar and mix again.
3. Add almond paste, coconut oil, coconut milk, lime juice, and egg replacer mix.  Beat on medium speed until well mixed -- about 1 minute.
4. Add drained zucchini and almonds and mix on slow 20 seconds or so until combined.
5. Scrape dough into parchment-lined loaf pan (I just drape it in a U-shape in the pan and don't worry much about the ends) and smooth the top with a damp spatula.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

We eat these chicken wings all the time and I never remember to take a picture because I am so busy digging in.  So please excuse the poor photo of the remaining few wings, and just trust me that these are way more tasty than they look.

These are perfect for a party as an appetizer, but also work as a main course.  They are excellent for planning ahead as they freeze really well in the marinade.  I usually prepare an extra batch (or two) when making these and freeze for a future easy meal.

• 3 1/2 pounds split chicken wings
• 2/3 cup safe ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

1. Mix ketchup, honey, wine, sugar, salt, ginger and garlic together in large Ziploc bag.
2. Add wings and squish gently to thoroughly coat all the pieces.
3. Refrigerate overnight, or freeze for a future meal.  If you previously froze this recipe, now thaw overnight in the fridge.
4. Transfer chicken to foil-lined baking sheet.  Pour a little marinade over each chicken wing so each is coated in sauce.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Oooey Gooey Lasagne

You may have heard it talked about as it is getting a lot of press, or you may have tried it yourself.  I'm talking about Daiya, a newcomer to the vegan cheese market.  If you haven't tried it I know what you're thinking: "Eeewww, vegan cheese. I'm not trying THAT again."  But you have to trust me that Daiya isn't like other cheese alternatives.  It contains no dairy, soy, eggs, or wheat.  What it DOES contain is gooeyness.  It actually melts like real cheese!  It also has quite a good taste.  So good the Little Man and I have consumed over 8 pounds of it since we ordered it the first week of August.  He loves it raw and gobbles up slices of it.  I am not so fond of it in its raw state, but love it melted on pizza, nachos, quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and of course -- lasagne.

I modified this recipe from one at Gluten Free Chops.

• 9 Tinkyada lasagne noodles
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• fresh oregano, basil, marjoram, parsley all finely diced
• - or - dried herbs to taste (try 1/2 tsp of each)
• dash of agave syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt for sauce plus 1/2 tsp salt for meat
• 1 pound ground bison
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1/4 pound (or more) Mozzarella-style Daiya 

1. Lay dried noodles in 2 lasagne pans so they are not overlapping.  Pour 1 inch of boiling water in each pan and cover with cookie sheets.  Let sit 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, lightly brown bison over medium heat in a large frypan.  Add garlic, onion, peppers, carrots, zucchini, kale, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cook over medium-low until veggies are softened.
3. Drain a little liquid from the diced tomatoes, then puree with a hand-blender.  Stir in tomato paste, herbs, agave, and 1/4 tsp salt.
4. Once the 20 minute noodle timer rings, remove the lids and transfer all the noodles into one pan (draining the other pan).  Coat the empty lasagne pan with a little olive oil, then place 3 noodles side-by-side in the bottom of the pan.
5. Spread half of the meat/veggie mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the tomato sauce and 1/3 of the Daiya.
6. Repeat another layer of 3 noodles, the remaining meat/veggies, 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce, and 1/2 of the remaining Daiya.
7. Top with last 3 noodles, remaining tomato sauce, and remaining Daiya.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Have you tried Daiya?  What do you think of it, and what recipes do you make with it?

Eagle Loft Quinoa Salad

My recipe is featured on the Enjoy Life blog!

At first I found lunch to be a somewhat tricky meal to manage with allergies as I don't have time to prepare it from scratch every day.  I wanted something I could make ahead and have on hand, a dish that could provide protein and pack in a lot of nutrients.  Something that could be a side dish to last night's leftovers, a meal of its own, or a dish I could serve to friends at brunch.  One dish fit all these parameters -- quinoa salad.  I make quite a few variations of this salad, but over time this version has become my favourite.  I eat it daily!

Eagle Loft Quinoa Salad
(makes 6 servings)

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• 2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and sliced (remove any thick outer leaves)
  
• 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, rinsed and halved
• 4 slices bacon (check for allergens), cooked and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 of a sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 of a sweet yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/8 of a red or sweet onion, chopped small
• small handful of chopped parsley

 Dressing:

• 3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Combine quinoa, water and pinch of salt in medium saucepan with lid.  Bring to boil, then turn to low simmer and cook 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, remove lid and let cool.
2. Place all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Add cooled quinoa.
3. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  Stir well to combine.

Cookbook Review: The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook

When I heard that Cybele Pascal had a second cookbook coming out, I was very excited.  I have previously mentioned her first cookbook, The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook, as it contains several recipes that we regularly prepare at our house.  The one downfall of the first book for me was that the baking recipes contain spelt, which we cannot have as it is a form of wheat.  So I awaited the new book's arrival with a bit of caution as to not raise my hopes too high.  When I opened the cover for the first time I was holding my breath in anticipation.... and... NO spelt to be seen!  And Oh, what lovely photographs of things I can bake!

The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook starts with a very useful dry and perishable goods pantry list.  It outlines the various flours, sugars, shortening, chocolate, and other baking ingredients that are found in today's allergen-free kitchen.  Cybele gives information on companies that make some of these products, as well as useful tips on why these ingredients are used and how best to use them.  This is followed by a section on how to replace various allergens so you can learn what to substitute in your favourite baking recipes.

For the most part, the recipes in this book use a flour mixture consisting of brown rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour.  It is recommended that you mix up a big batch of this flour to store in your fridge or freezer so you have it on hand when needed in a recipe.  This makes it so much easier to bake -- you don't need a multitude of flours each time you want to make something.

In our family there is a one-month period where we celebrate three birthdays.  This book arrived just in time for the festivities!  My Mum borrowed the book and made Chocolate Layer Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting for my birthday.  She loved the book and decided to also try making Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting.  Both were a success!

Next was Little Man's birthday -- and his first ever cake!  I made the Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting -- twice, as we celebrated on his birthday and then again a few days later.  I found this recipe very easy to make.  The icing recipe creates a lot of icing, so I needed to make it only once for the two sets of cupcakes.  It keeps well in the fridge.  The cupcakes stay good in the fridge for several days, but they also freeze very well.  This has become a staple baked good in our house. In just over a month, my Mum and I have made these FOUR times!  When you have gone such a long time without cake I think there is a grace period where you can eat as much as you like to catch up a bit. :)

For my Mum's birthday, I made Carrot Ginger Layer Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting.  This is soooo good.  We couldn't taste the ginger, so we would add a bit more next time (and yes, there will definitely be a next time).  This cake was ok the day it was made, but it became outstanding the next day after it was refrigerated.  The icing is good enough to eat on its own!

I also tried the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.  The results on this one were somewhat mixed, but it was through no fault of the recipe.  In my area we are unable to purchase dairy-free, soy-free shortening.  So in my baking recipes I substitute 3/4 cup refrigerated coconut oil for 1 cup of shortening.  This worked fabulously on all three types on cakes and their icing.  But I didn't measure very well with the cookies (I added too much), and I didn't refrigerate the coconut oil as long as I usually would.  The flavour was divine -- but the cookies ended up flat and lacy.  Next time I will try this recipe with 2/3 cup coconut oil and I bet they will turn out perfect.

There is much more to the book than cake and cookies;  there are pies, cobblers, muffins, biscuits, and breads too.  Everything looks delicious.  There are lovely photos of baked goods that inspire you to try everything shown.  I am tempted to start at the beginning and cook my way through the book, but then I would have to wait a couple months before having a vanilla cupcake again -- and that is not going to happen!

This book is so much more than just a cookbook to me.  This book represents a way of experiencing "normal" foods in spite of all the allergies.  It's a guide to creating a birthday cake that doesn't have to have the label "allergy-free cake", because it is so yummy that the non-allergic crowd can enjoy it too.  It is a confidence booster in that you don't need to alter the recipes and hope they work out.  It is the first book I pick up when I want to bake.

I received a review copy of this book, but was in no way influenced to write a positive review.  I would have written everything the same if I had obtained my copy from the bookstore.  This is truly a breakthrough book for those of us living with allergies and I strongly encourage you to give it a try.  Cybele's web site gives the recipe for the flour mix, a red velvet cake with icing, and blueberry boy bait.  Give one of these a try and you will likely see yourself needing her book.  And remember, if you haven't eaten cake in awhile you have my permission to go a little crazy when you start baking from this book.

Pesto Pasta and Artichoke Dip

This recipe is two meals in one. You can just use the basic recipe to create a terrific artichoke dip, or you can add a few extras to make a scrumptious pesto sauce for pasta. Or you can do what I now do -- make a double batch, scoop out half at the dip stage and then add the remaining ingredients for the pesto sauce. Both freeze really well, so you can make double and save time another day. The dip recipe was adapted from one in the Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook. It is delicious with a fresh veggie platter, on crackers, or as a rich sandwich spread.

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor.

For the dip:

• 1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained (I remove outer leaves if tough)
• 1/2 cup rice breadcrumbs (you can use any breadcrumbs that work for you)
• 2 tsp capers with their juice
• 1/4 cup Manzanilla (green) olives (with or without pimentos)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• fresh ground pepper to taste

For the pesto sauce blend the above, then add and puree:

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil (pour in a steam while running the processor until you get the consistency you like)
  

Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

A couple of months ago I decided I needed an ice cream maker. Not "wanted"... neeeeded. After perusing the different options, I decided to purchase the ice cream maker attachment kit for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Being summer, one would think this would be easy to find. But no! In our town there was not a single place that stocked this item. Thus began an ice cream maker journey that involved online shopping, shipping to friends-of-friends in another country, my parents meeting up with those friends while both parties were on vacation, and their efforts to cram it in the car to drive it home.

This story is told to highlight just how special this ice cream is. Aside from the fact that I didn't think I could eat ice cream again. After all, I can't eat cream... not even soy cream. And now I don't need to, because this ice cream is spectacular without it!

This recipe is inspired by one in the new cookbook Lick It!: Creamy, Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love. It is the first ice cream I've made that doesn't taste like the coconut milk that it contains. I am excited to try many more of the recipes from this book.

• 1 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
• 1/2 cup agave or granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cup of each)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cherries
• 1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1. Put first 4 ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Freeze in ice cream maker following the directions for your machine (I processed mine for 25 minutes).
4. Add cherries and chocolate chips and process a further 5 minutes.
5. Transfer ice cream to freezer-proof container and freeze 4 hours or more to obtain a hard ice cream consistency.
   

White Bean and Artichoke Dip

This recipe was adapted from The Rest of the Best and More, Volume 2. It is good served on a veggie platter, and also is an excellent dip with crackers, such as Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips. These crackers are super delicious all on their own too, and work with all of Little Man's allergies. There are several flavours available for these corn-based chips, and most should be safe for us so we will be trying more of these soon. Now back to the dip:

• 19 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or dill)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• dash of cayenne

1. Combine beans, artichokes, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor.
2. Blend together, adding olive oil (while machine is running) until dip is smooth.
3. Stir in chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and the dash of cayenne.
   

Farmer Salad

This is a salad I have been making for years. It is slightly different each time, although there are always "core" ingredients. I once ate a "Farmer Salad" at a restaurant and it had artichokes and chickpeas in it, I think fennel maybe, and no lettuce. I don't remember what else was in that original Farmer Salad, but that is always the starting point for mine.

• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 can baby corn, sliced
  
• 1/2 bulb fennel (white part only), chopped
• 1/3 of a mild onion, chopped
  
• 1 red or orange pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• small handful of fresh parsley or basil, chopped
• optional: I sometimes add other crunchy veggies I have on hand such as radishes or celery

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive or safflower oil
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup mix of vinegars: apple cider, red/white wine vinegar, sometimes a dash or two of balsamic
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 tsp molasses (optional)
• dash cayenne (optional)
• 1 tsp dried herbs such as tarragon or oregano (optional -- don't add if using cayenne)

Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over veggies. Mix well and chill. Stir again just before serving.