Fish and Rice Stirfry (Dairy-free, Soy-free, Gluten-free)

I’m always looking for new ways to use fish. Fish is one of those proteins that I love to eat but don’t often like to cook. This is a quick recipe that really highlights flavor. Its well balanced nutritionally, very filling, and can be adjusted to serve the tastes of anyone.

You’ll need:

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked quinoa
6-8 ounces white fish, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 3 tablespoons fresh parsley)
Scallions, cherry tomatoes, etc. for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of a half lemon

In a large hot skillet, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute over medium heat until celery and carrots are softened. Add the fish and cook thoroughly. Add the rice, quinoa, peas, and herbs.* Stir to combine. Heat through, spritz with the lemon juice and serve with whatever garnishes you like. This time of year, my first garnish is always tomatoes although this year, without my husband’s garden, I’ve had to find fresh tomatoes in the markets.

*Other additions, depending on your tastes, could be some diced peppers, sweet or hot; some hot sauce or chili oil; Old Bay seasoning or other herbs; and perhaps, since I’m now living in Minnesota instead of New Hampshire where this seems to be like seafood back east, some wild rice instead of the brown rice and/or quinoa.

Hash (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Anytime we had left over meat of any kind, my mother or I made hash from it. My favorite is probably ham while my mother really liked red flannel hash made with corned beef. It can be served with gravy, ketchup, horseradish sauce, or even plain with a poached or fried egg on top. The vegetables added can also vary depending on taste and what’s in the frig or freezer. I like to use sweet potato but again, any potato will work just fine. It could also be made with just vegetables for a vegan hash. In my eyes, any way one makes a hash is delicious with the crispy potato, tender meat and tasty vegetables. The English version of Chinese stir fry!

You’ll need:

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 diced onion
1/2 diced celery
1 cup diced and cooked potato
2 cups diced and cooked meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, tofu, etc.)
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked carrots

In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and celery until softened. Add the potato and cook until potatoes are browned. Add the meat and vegetables and stir well. Cook until heated through. Add salt, pepper, and herbs to taste. I used my salt-free mixed herbs. Top with gravy, ketchup, etc. or serve plain. My mother always fried eggs to go on top of her hashes but for those of us allergic to eggs, that’s not an option.

Braised Cabbage (dairy-free, gluten-free)

My mother loved braised cabbage; this was her go-to winter vegetable when she was tired of peas, carrots, green beans or corn. She always used red cabbage but any cabbage will work. The onion adds a little tang and the bacon a smoky flavor. I add pear; my mother always used apple. Either will add some sweetness to the dish and, when combined with the fat from the olive oil and bacon, give it a full-bodied richness. Prepare the onion, bacon, and cabbage ahead of time and this takes around 15 minutes to cook. And it can be a vegan dish if you leave out the bacon. Makes 4 servings using a 3-4 inch cabbage.

In a large saute pan, add:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped uncooked bacon (whatever bacon your family likes works fine) — IF your bacon is very fatty, don’t use the olive oil

Cook until bacon is browned. If you have more than a couple of tablespoons of fat in the pan, drain some off. Add to the pan:

1 cup chopped onion

Cook until onion is softened. Add:

4-5 cups chopped cabbage
1/4 cup vinegar (any vinegar works but if white is used, a little less vinegar would probably be good unless your family really loves the taste of vinegar)

Cover and braise 5-7 minutes until cabbage is softened, stir once or twice during cooking.

Add 1 diced apple or pear and cook another minute or two until fruit is soft (the apple may take a few minutes more than the pear). Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and serve.

You can also add 1 tablespoon caraway seeds.

Tahini Carob Chip Cookies (dairy-free, gluten-free, refined cane sugar-free, egg free, vegan)

Remember those chewy, nutty peanut butter cookies from our younger days? These are very reminiscent of those but are healthy and so easy with just five ingredients. Feel free to substitute any nut or seed butter you can use such as sunflower or pepitas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Put in your food processor:

1 cup tahini (or any nut or seed butter), use a thicker tahini rather than a runny thin one or your cookies will not come out chewy
1 cup date sugar
4 tablespoons of aguafava (or 1 egg if you can use eggs)
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Process until smooth and then remove from food processor into medium bowl and stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of unsweetened carob or chocolate chips. Scoop by tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet, flatten with damp fork (or spatula) and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. You want them crispy on the outside but chewy in the middle so when the middle is set and the outside browned, they are done. Makes 10-15 cookies.

Baked Chicken Breasts (dairy-free, gluten-free)

I eat a lot of chicken since I’m allergic to anything that comes from a cow as well as most other red meats. So I’m always trying out new chicken recipes and this is an old recipe I found while digging around for blog posts in my old cookbooks and files. It originally used almond flour and nut butter but I’ve updated it and removed those ingredients and added several healthier options. It can be served with some cranberry sauce (see Cranberry Compote). Be careful with the baking times — its a very moist breast due to the marinade but will dry out around the edges if cooked too long. Its difficult to tell when its cooked just by looking at this chicken; take it out of the oven and check it for firmness to be sure its cooked. Depending on how thin the breasts are pounded will vary the cooking time. Mine were around a 1/2 inch and I cooked them 35 minutes which turned out to be about 5 minutes too long since they were a little dry around the edges.

This recipe serves 4 using two whole (versus half) chicken breasts. Place a breast in a gallon storage bag. With either a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer (flat edged), pound out breast until its about a half inch thick. Repeat for the second breast.

Spray a shallow 10″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add the flattened breasts. In a small bowl mix:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
juice from one lime
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dry parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Pour over chicken breasts. Turn over the breasts several times to be sure that all parts of the breasts have some marinade on them. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a second shallow dish (like a large pie plate), combine:

1/4 cup ground flax/hemp mix
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry parsley
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir to combine. Press a chicken breast into the mixture to cover. Turn it over to coat the other side and don’t forget the edges. Repeat with the second breast. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes depending on thickness (for 1/2 inch breasts; for thicker breasts increase slightly). Serve plain or with cranberry sauce. I paired mine with the celery root and parsnip mash (see Side Dishes) which is now one of my favorite sides — can’t tell you the last time I ate a potato!

Gingerbread Cookies (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, vegan)

What’s better at the holidays than sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies? Just the smell of gingerbread baking makes most of us think of Christmas. This recipe uses a number of types of flours to get the right consistency for gingerbread but is fairly easy to put together. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger but it could have used substantially more so if you really like ginger, add 1-2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger. And, depending on how thin you roll these, vary the baking times from 10-12 minutes for thinner cookies and 15-20 minutes for thicker cookies. And the number it makes also depends on how thin you roll them; it can make as few as 15 for thicker cookies or as many as 24 for thinner cookies.

I’m working on a sugar-free and egg-free royal icing and hope to have that recipe ready for the blog soon.

In a medium sized bowl combine:

1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger (more if you like them really gingery)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt

Sift or stir to combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl mix:

1 cup shortening such as Spectrum
1/2 cup date sugar
1 teaspoon monk fruit powder

Beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add:

1/2 cup agave nectar (or coconut nectar or honey)
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

Mix on medium speed until combined. Add dry ingredients in several batches (around 3/4 cup at a time) until all the flour is incorporated. I actually put down the mixer when half the dry ingredients were added and mixed in the remainder with a large spoon. Form into a round disk (or a rectangle) and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (no non-stick spray needed). Unwrap the plastic wrap and add a piece of parchment paper to the top. Roll out to 1/8 to 1/4 inch depending on taste. I prefer a very thin, crispy cookie so I rolled mine out rather thin. Repeat until all the dough is used. These cookies will not rise or expand while baking so they can be placed on the cookie sheets closely packed. Decorate with unsweetened carob or chocolate chips if desired before baking.

Bake 10-20 minutes depending on thickness; when the cookies are slightly firm and browned (hard to tell with the molasses), they are cooked; if you like yours crunchier, cook them a little longer. Cool on cooling racks. These can be frosted with carob buttercream or cream cheese frosting if desired (I enjoyed mine just plain).

Nachos (dairy-free, gluten-free, corn-free)

If you love nachos like I do, you’ll like this recipe. I spent 12 years living in the Phoenix area and our favorites places to eat were the Mexican restaurants. Now, with my dairy, gluten and corn allergies, I don’t get to eat nachos very often. I found using this tortilla recipe, that the nachos stay sturdier; with regular flour or corn chips, they can get very soggy after the cheese sauce is added. These did get a little soft but they still held up and everything didn’t spill off when they were picked up, even the ones on the bottom. This recipe makes 3 tortillas or about enough a large plate of nachos. As an appetizer, enough for 6-8 people but as a meal, probably only enough for 1-2.

First make the tortillas. Combine in a quart bowl:

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (or another dense flour such as hemp)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
dash (or two) of cumin or chili powder (optional)
3/4 cup cool water

Whisk until all ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth. Heat an 8″ skillet (non-stick) over medium heat. When hot pour about 1/3 of the mixture into the skillet and, like a crepe, move pan to let the mixture cover the entire bottom of the pan. Cook until small bubbles cover most of the tortilla (this will only take 2-4 minutes) and then turn over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat for the next two tortillas. Let cool slightly before cutting into eighths.

Meanwhile get the rest of the nacho ingredients started. Combine in a small sauce pan:

1 cup shredded non-dairy cheese (I really like the Daiya Classic Combo cheese for this)
non-dairy milk of choice just until it almost covers the cheese (about 2/3 of a cup)

Cook over low heat until cheese is completely melted and incorporated into the milk. Whisk every few minutes.

If you like ground meat on your nachos, cook a quarter to a half pound of ground meat, seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder (optional).

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of refried beans in a small skillet with a little oil (or if you want, a minute in the microwave).

You can use store-bought guacamole or make some. I use a very simple guacamole recipe:

Combine in a food processor:

the meat from 2 avocados
1/2 cup prepared salsa
juice of 1 lime

Blend until smooth. I prefer a smooth guacamole but I know some people like it chunky so if a chunky one is preferred, pulse until desired consistency. Add 1/4 cup pomegranate arils if you like a little crunch in your guacamole (and they add a nice flavor as well).

These tortillas absorb oil like crazy so I didn’t deep fry them. Instead, I used my air fryer and placed them in a single layer, air fried them for about 10 minutes or until crispy.

Then it time to make the nachos. Start with a layer of chips, cover with meat and/or refried beans, top with cheese sauce and guacamole. Repeat until chips are all used. Top with some diced tomatoes and scallions.

Yule Log (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, vegan)

One of my favorite desserts when I was younger was a rolled cake. That’s all a Yule Log is — a rolled cake that’s made to look like a tree log. I remember when I first made them in the 1960s, we used almonds to make the bark; today, one just uses a fork or toothpick to make the frosting look like bark, much easier than lining up all those almonds slices! I struggled a long time to develop a recipe for a sponge cake that doesn’t use any eggs but I finally came up with this one. It makes a small roll so if you want something bigger, make the recipe twice (I don’t recommend doubling it, instead just make 2 batches). This will serve 8 normal people (in my family my two brothers would have demolished it all by themselves!).

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Grease a small cookie sheet with sides. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and grease the paper.

In a large mixing bowl add:

3/4 cup aquafaba
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Beat on medium speed until peaks start to form and then increase speed to high. Add, a few tablespoons at a time:

2/3 cup date sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

When the sugar is completely combined, fold in by hand:

1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour

Again, add the flour slowly, a few tablespoons at a time. Fold in gently just until combined. If your merengue falls, add 1 teaspoon baking powder to the mixture. [You can go ahead and use it but it will make a tougher sponge.] Spread in the prepared pan – makes about a 6″x8″ cake.

Obviously, if you’re doubling the recipe, you’ll want to use a larger pan and it will spread to approximately 12″x16″. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven. When done, turn out onto a CLEAN dish towel (doesn’t matter what fabric towel it is as long as it isn’t too thick and its clean). Let sit for about 1 minute and then roll long side to long side including the towel. Let cool completely before filling and frosting.

I used the Carob Buttercream frosting but any brown frosting would work including a Nut butter and cream cheese (or tahini and cream cheese) frosting.

Carob (or Chocolate) Ganache (dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan)

If you want a quick and easy, but still very tasty, topping for ice cream or cake, here’s a simple carob ganache recipe. If you like things a little sweeter, add a little more monk fruit powder.

Heat in a small saucepan:

1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice

Put in a small bowl:

1 cup unsweetened carob chips
1 teaspoon monk fruit powder

It only takes a minute to heat up the milk. When it is hot, pour it over the chips. Stir vigorously for a couple of minutes to melt the chips and incorporate the milk. Add:

1 tablespoon vanilla

Stir to combine. Your ganache is ready. Use quickly as it will harden up in just a few minutes. To use as “Hot Fudge Sauce” simply increase the milk to 3/4 cup.

Spice Cake with Parsnips (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar free, vegan)

My mother always made a spice cake for my sister’s birthday. It was her favorite and she would have loved this one. Its light and moist texture will make even the pickiest cake eater happy. Topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting, its a delight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need:

9×13 baking dish, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
1 cup cooked and pureed parsnips (steam the parsnips until tender; blend in food processor with a little water, up to 1/4 cup, to make puree; you’ll need approximately 1 pound of parsnips to make a cup of puree)
1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg (I don’t like nutmeg so I usually use allspice but if you do like nutmeg, feel free to use it instead of the allspice)
1/2 cup date sugar
1 tablespoon lucuma
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup avocado oil
3 tablespoons ground flax combined with 1/3 cup hot water, cooled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup club soda
1/2 cup hemp hearts (or if you can eat them, chopped walnuts)

Before beginning anything else, combine the ground flax and hot water so that it can stand for about 5 minutes and cool for later use. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and set aside. Combine the parsnips, oil, date sugar, lucuma, vanilla, baking powder and flax gel and beat to combine with a hand or stand mixer. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk and club soda and beat until well combined.

Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Mixture is quite thick so needs to be spread evenly in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool on the counter for an hour before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine: