GF Crackers

You all knew this was coming. I had to make a gluten free cracker with all these gluten free recipes I am trying. This is my second cracker using almond flour as the base, and if its possible, I like them better than wheat crackers. They come out crunchy every time, and are super easy to put together. It is almost like almond flour was made for making crackers. In my first batch I put in some basil and oregano and those were mighty tasty. These don't have herbs - just some salt and a little bit of sugar. I was going for a wheat-thin type cracker.

You basically just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and you have your dough. No food processor, no chilling anything...just mix, roll, cut, bake.

To roll them out on my cookie sheet/silpat, I used wax paper. This way everything didn't stick to the pin. I just kept rolling until it reached all the sides and was an even thickness. These are pretty thin but still hold up.

The missing pieces were just for testing...

Gluten Free Crackers (using almond flour)
adapted from LoCarbolicious

1 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325. Mix almond flour, flax meal, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add egg and melted butter and mix until well combined (no need to worry about over mixing. mix and mix as much as you want).

Put dough on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat and flatten with your hands. Place a piece of wax paper as big as the cookie sheet over the dough and roll out until you have mostly covered the cookie sheet. Roll and pat and adjust until it is, for the most part, uniform in thickness.

Using a cookie cutter, cut out cracker shapes. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Let cool before breaking apart and storing in an air-tight container.

Frosting (dairy free, refined sugar free, gluten free)

Here is my frosting for yesterday's Almond Cut-out cookies. It isn't the smoothest, creamiest frosting I've ever had, but it is sweet and flavorful. It makes the cookies extra special. It even softens them up a little bit, so they aren't so crunchy. I love the flavor the maple syrup gives. I also used India Tree food red food dye  for the coloring - and it is such a brilliant color! I like this much better than that buttercream I was talking about yesterday. Of course for my son, the frosting sent these cookies from good to "Wow!". I'll probably work with it a bit more, and use coconut butter instead of oil once I get some.

Whole-food Cookie Frosting

2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 Tbsp coconut flour

Blend all ingredients in a small bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes as the coconut flour absorbs all the moisture, and then mix it well again. Add desired food colorings and spread on cooled cookies!

Almond cut-out Cookies. Grain Free, Sugar Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free.

Another must in my gluten-free experiments...cut-out cookies. A basic cookie that can be made just because, or for something special like Valentines Day. This is a very basic gluten free recipe, that just also happens to be egg-free, dairy free, and sweetened with honey. So they are a good go-to for people with food sensitivities or allergies. They stand up well to frosting and decorating. I prefer soft cookies as opposed to crunchier cookies, and these are more on the crunchy side, but they are still very tasty and most importantly, the toddler approves. He thinks they are delicious, and that is saying a lot for my kid.

They also hold their shape fairly well. They spread a little, but as you can see my shapes came out decently. I wouldn't attempt do cut out anything with much detail though.

I am going to leave some of these plain, frost others with a little swiss buttercream I have in the fridge, and then the rest with a glaze that I'll play with - I'm thinking of mixing coconut cream and maple syrup and see how that holds up! I'll write a new post with that recipe once I get it right.

A perfect snow day activity after playing outside

Finished dough

Use a little dusting of almond flour to roll it out

I could have taken them out a minute earlier. Darn facebook distracted me. 

Almond Cut-Out Cookies

250 g almond flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, melted (ghee for lactose intolerance, coconut oil for completely dairy-free)
1/4 cup honey

Mix together almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and honey to another bowl and mix well. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. We used a stand mixer, but purely because my son loves to make it run. Just mixing it with a spoon would work just fine.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dust work surface with almond flour and roll dough out to about 1/3-1/2" in thickness. Cut to desired shapes and place on baking sheet (I lined mine with a silpat...parchment would also work). Bake for 10-11 minutes or until just starting to turn brown around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting, if desired.

Grain-free apple muffins

We have some exciting news around here. Next school year it has been decided that my step-son, who will be 11 next month, will be going to school here in Monticello and living with us! He now lives about 3 hours west of us and we get him on weekends and summers/holidays. I think it'll be a nice change and move for everybody. He seems to do much better here with us, and the kids adore him. I am stoked about joining the PTA and packing school lunches. 

My step-son has ADHD, and this gives me the opportunity to try and control it with diet and lifestyle changes. My first move is going to be to cut out all gluten and food additives from his diet (including colorings as I do for my children). I've done lots of reading about gluten intolerance being related to ADHD and in the long run, I'd really like to get him off all of his medications and see if we can get a hold of things naturally. He is a great eater and will try anything I put in front of him, so I'm not too worried about pleasing his pallet. 

Plus there are so many new recipes out there that are gluten free. I have been using almond flour a LOT lately. Not because I have any issue with gluten, but just because it is more nutrient dense than flour. If I'm going to give my kids cookies, muffins, etc. I want them to be packed with as much nutrition I can get into them. I've been playing around with some recipes this week, including paleo/gluten free graham crackers and herb crackers. They both came out really yummy and even my kids like them. I think that I have a lot to chose from on this challenge!

So I'll be doing a lot more gluten-free cooking on this blog. Like I said, I have no issue with gluten and whole wheat will still be a part of me, my husband's, and my kid's diet. We eat it about as often as any other grain, I'd say, because variety is the key to health in my opinion and the more variety, the better. However, for health reasons all around, we'll be using a lot more almond, coconut, and bean flours!

These muffins are a cinch to make and came out pretty tasty. My toddler wasn't crazy about the texture, but everybody else likes them (not at all uncommon around here). I kind of think it is absolutely necessary to top these with butter before eating them. Then again, I top everything with butter. 

When I use almond flour, I like to weigh it. Whether I grind my own almonds or buy the store-bought kind, it always seems to pack differently. By using my food scale and weights, I can ensure I'm putting the right amount in. 

I ground my own almond flour for this recipe, but will use the variety from Bobs Red Mill next time. I think it'll make for a better muffin. 

I grated my apples, but any sort of dicing into small pieces will do.

I lined my muffin tin, but next time will grease them with butter and forget the liners. Too much of the muffin stuck to the liners.

Somebody was excited to try them

Grain-free Apple Muffins

200 grams (about 2 cups) almond flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large apple, grated or finely diced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. butter, very soft or melted, plus extra for greasing muffin tins (or use non-stick spray)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl
In a smaller bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, eggs, butter, and honey.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry, and fill greased muffin tins about 3/4 full. I got 9 muffins out of this batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with butter!

Veggie Nuggets

My son has never had a chicken nugget. Or any sort of nugget for that matter. So I wasn't too surprised when he didn't want to try these. That is how my boy is though... he also does not like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, or hot dogs. 

I think that if I could get him to just TRY one of these nuggets though, he'd like them. That is usually the way it goes. If I can trick him into thinking it is his idea to try one, I think he'll like them. Being a mother is all about strategy. 

If your little one does like nuggets, however, these are definitely worth a try! They are full of veggies and while they don't taste like chicken, they are delicious. I was in now way going to get out little animal shapes like they show in my cookbook, but by all means, if you have the time, go for it. This recipe comes from my Weelicious cookbook. I'll admit - it takes some work, but I now have a bunch of frozen veggie nuggets in a bag in the freezer ready to pop in the oven to heat up when I need them. Maybe one of the times I do, my toddler will actually try them. 

I like that the veggies are all steamed to retain all their nutrients. 

Chopped in the food processor

Mixed together

Spread out and frozen. Freezing these is important...they won't cut or hold up for breading if they aren't frozen.

I cut mine into squares. I got through half the nuggets before they defrosted and I had to freeze the rest before working with them.

My flour, egg, breadcrumb lineup. This was the most annoying step in the process. I'll have to think of a different way. Most of the coating just got stuck to my fingers while I breaded each little nugget. I know that is the way all breaded things are made, which is why I guess I generally don't bread things.

Ready for the oven

Ready for eating!

Despite the work, these ARE really really good. Maybe I'll try sweet potatoes next time. They have a nice crunch on the outside that would really appeal to a kid.

Most importantly, they are healthy! Look at those colorful veggies!

Baked Veggie Nuggets

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into cubes
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 cup flour
2-3 large eggs, whisked
1-2 cups breadcrumbs, depending on how much sticks to your fingers
olive oil spray

Steam potatoes and carrots for 15 minutes, then add broccoli and steam another 5 minutes. Remove broccoli and carrots to a food processor, add corn, and process until finely chopped.

Mash potatoes in a bowl and add in veggies and spices. Mix until well combined.
Spread out on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet to about 1/2" thick and freeze until solid, 1-2 hours.

Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in their own bowls. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray. Cut nuggets into desired shapes and then dredge in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet. Spray tops with olive oil spray.

Preheat your broiler and bake the nuggets for just about 2 minutes on each side. You can also bake them at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

You can freeze them and take them out when needed - just pop them in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes or until heated through and crunchy.

Brownies - Paleo style

A lot of people take the new year as an opportunity to start fresh, get into healthy habits, and cleanse their bodies and minds with resolutions that vary from going outside more to organizing their closets. I am certainly not above all of this, and have several resolutions of my own.

This year, it seems like a lot of people are cutting out gluten, or grain altogether. After reading some books about the "paleo" diet trend, it does seem to make a certain amount of sense. While I am not one to follow diet trends, I did think that trying to eat this way was worth a shot to give my body a fresh start for the new year. I am not saying good-bye to grain forever, and I still think a variety can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, for busy mothers, athletes, children, outdoorsmen, etc, I think healthy carbohydrates are absolutely necessary. I also believe that treats are an essential part of life and I wouldn't want to live in  world where I wasn't allowed a piece of my son's birthday cake.

Anyway, this month I decided to spend 30 days avoiding most grain, dairy, and sugars. I have been eating lots of wild game, our farm fresh eggs, loads of vegetables, and fruits. Also, LOTS of healthy fats. Avocados, ghee, coconut oil, and olive oil primarily. My goal is not weight loss...I just want to feel good and strong. So far I am half-way through this experiment, and am still not feeling as great as I was when I was eating healthy carbs. I'll give it the whole month, but I really do think my body needs healthy, whole grains.

In the mean time, I've been making mostly paleo-style recipes. This coming weekend is kind of special though. Monday I am getting together with some amazing friends of mine and I want to celebrate it. They are like-minded Mamas and we always have loads to talk about when we get together (which isn't often enough for women that see eye-to-eye on as many topics as we do). Well, I like to celebrate things with food. It was how I was brought up and will always be! So besides whipping up some wild venison stroganoff over spaghetti squash, I am also bringing these brownies.

These brownies. Oh my goodness. Grain or no grain, these are my GO TO brownies from now on! I've never liked things to be too sweet, and these are perfect. The texture is super moist, but not too dense or too cakey. They don't fall apart like some "fake" desserts, and they are just absolutely DELICIOUS. I had to stop myself from just eating half of them as they came out of the oven today. I adapted the recipe from PaleoGrubs.

Please try these brownies, whether you are cleansing your bodies or not. They are easy, tasty, and dare I say it...healthy!

Mixing peanut butter and maple syrup

The addition of eggs, butter, cocoa powder

Must resisit yummy batter! (Ok, a little taste doesn't hurt...)

Baked and cooled

Look at these beauties! They are perfect!

Paleo Style Brownies

2 cups nut butter of choice - I used organic peanut butter (all natural - should only contain nuts and oil)
2/3 cup maple syrup - the good stuff
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. butter, really soft or melted
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well. Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch glass baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and cut. Makes 12 generous brownies.