Gluten-free Pancakes (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free)

I do love pancakes, one of my favorite breakfasts on Sundays, the only day I allow myself something other than a smoothie. Its been hard to find a recipe for gluten-free pancakes that doesn’t result in a gummy pancake. This one fits the bill.

In a small bowl mix:

1 cup non-dairy milk, preferably unsweetened
1 tablespoon vinegar

In a medium size bowl combine:

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ground flax (I use the golden and it doesn’t change the color of my baked goods)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

In a small (4-cup) bowl, whip:

2 tablespoons aquafaba
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon monk fruit powder

Whip on medium until stiff peaks form and then increase speed to maximum and whip another 4-5 minutes.

Add to the flour mixture:

1/4 cup avocado oil OR 1/4 cup fruit puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Add the milk mixture and stir until combined. Gently fold in the aquafaba mixture. Drop by 1/4 cups onto greased, heated skillet and cook until bubbling and then turn over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add some maple syrup and enjoy.

Gluten-free Waffles (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free)

One of the most difficult recipes to adapt, in my opinion, has been waffles and pancakes. If they taste great, they’re gummy. Not these — light and fluffy and at the same time very crispy and oh so good. And I learned a great tip for cleaning my waffle iron (that doesn’t come apart to wash) — after you’re done cooking your waffles and the iron is still hot, place a flat wet paper towel inside the iron and close the lid and it will steam clean your waffle iron. In my 4-waffle iron, this batter made 8 waffles.

In a small bowl combine:

1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon vinegar

In a medium size bowl place:

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Stir dry ingredients to mix. In another bowl (4-cup capacity), beat on medium:

3 tablespoons aquafaba
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon monk fruit powder

Beat until stiff peaks form and then increase speed and continue to beat for another 2 minutes until they become marshmallow like. Increase to highest speed and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add:

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup applesauce or other fruit puree
1/2 cup avocado oil

Add the milk mixture and combine until well mixed. Gently fold in the aquafaba mixture. Grease your waffle iron and make sure it is hot. Pour 1/4 cup of batter (per waffle) into your waffle iron and cook. You may need a little more than a 1/4 cup — as you can see from the picture, mine could have taken a little more batter to completely fill the waffle iron. Add syrup and enjoy!

Savory or Sweet Seed Crackers (dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free)

Sometimes the best comfort food is something small, quick and within reach. These seed crackers fit that need for me since I can’t have anything pre-made like store-bought cookies or crackers. The savory crackers go well with hummus, guacamole, or other dips and even with some non-dairy cheeses. The sweet ones are tasty by themselves or with some hemp cream. And with both of them, you can vary the herbs and seasonings to fit your taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the savory or sweet crackers, put in your food processor:

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup water

Process until blended and the rice is broken down, adding small amounts of water as needed. The amount of water used will depend on the moisture in your rice and quinoa. The mixture should have a dough consistency. Remove half from the processor and form into a ball. Make a hollow in them middle and add herbs such as:

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dry parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Need herbs into the dough. Place dough on a piece of greased parchment the size of your baking tray (preferably one without sides so you can slide the rolled out dough onto the sheet easily, before and after baking. Place a second greased parchment sheet on top and using a rolling pin or heavy can, roll out dough until very thin. The thinner you can make it, the crispier the crackers after baking. Place on baking sheet, remove top layer of parchment and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from over, flip over (this is always difficult for me and I usually end up with some of the dough underneath so I have to pull it open again but if you’ve cooked it long enough, this is easily accomplished), and cut into cracker sized squares. Put back into the oven for another 20-30 minutes until crackers are crispy and browned on the edges. If you have some that are thinner than others (usually the middle of my crackers are slightly thicker), remove the thinner ones and continue cooking the thicker ones until they are dry and crispy.

For the sweet crackers, you should have left half the dough in the food processor. Return the bowl to the processor and add:

2 tablespoons carob or cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon monk fruit powder
2 tablespoons hemp hulls

Process until well mixed; you shouldn’t need to add more water but if you do, add it by tablespoons being careful not to get mixture too wet. Remove from processor, and follow rolling and baking directions above.

Tahini Cheesecake with Chewy Brownie Crust

What a wonderful combination! Who can resist a rich, decadent, chewy fudge brownie topped with a nutty creamy cheesecake. This is not one of my quick, easy desserts; it takes some doing but not a great deal of skill, other than folding the brownie dry ingredients into the meringue. Well worth the trouble.

First make the brownies. Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease 8×8″ pan. In a medium size bowl, combine:

1/2 cup aquafaba (bean water)*
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Whip the aquafaba and cream of tartar to stiff peaks and then continue whipping for several more minutes. Slowly beat in the monk fruit powder and then the date sugar and continue beating for 2-3 more minutes.

3/4 teaspoon monk fruit powder
1/3 cup date sugar

Sift:

3/4 cup carob powder (or cocoa if you can use it)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt

Pour into the meringue. Add on top of the dry ingredients:

1/4 cup avocado oil
3 tablespoons hemp milk (or soy or rice milk) [If you use almond butter in the cheesecake, you could use almond milk here]
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Using a folding mix technique (using a spatula, bring the meringue from the bottom middle out to the edge in a sweeping motion; turn the bowl 1/4 of the bowl and repeat until the mixture is well mixed) mix the dry and wet ingredients into the meringue. It will deflate somewhat. Pour into the baking dish and spread out in an even layer. Bake 12-15 minutes, remove from oven and top with the cheesecake mixture.

For the cheesecake mixture, combine in your food processor:

12 ounces non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 cup tahini (or nut butter if you can have one)
1/2 cup agave nectar (or 1 teaspoon monk fruit powder, or 1/2 cup date sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Blend until smooth. Pour over brownie in an even layer. Return to oven and bake an additional 25-40 minutes depending on your oven. If you have some sugar free chocolate or carob chips, you can sprinkle them on top of the cheesecake mixture before baking. Turn off oven and open door and let cool for a half hour before removing from the oven. Cool on draft-free counter for an hour before placing in the refrigerator. This will keep the cheesecake layer from splitting. Serve ice-cold, if you can keep your family from eating them sooner!

*Aquafaba is the liquid you drain from a can of beans and usually discard. It is a great substitute for eggs. Usually used is garbanzo bean liquid.

Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie (Dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

One of my husband’s favorite dishes is a pot pie. This one has lots of tender chicken or turkey for my husband along with plenty of vegetables to satisfy me. If you pre-bake the bottom crust, it won’t get as soggy from the gravy while baking. Feel free to change up the vegetables — lima beans, mushrooms, garlic, etc. can be added along with greens like kale or spinach (chopped of course). I had some leftover mushrooms that I sautéed, cut up and added to my stew. Some diced sweet potatoes would also do well in a stew or any diced and cooked winter squash.

First make some chicken or turkey stew:

1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked string beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cooked chicken or turkey diced
3 cups chicken or turkey stock
1/4 cup brown rice flour
Herbs, salt and pepper to your taste

Cook the onions and celery in a little oil under tender, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups of the stock and herbs. Whisk the brown rice flour into the other 1/2 cup of stock and add it to the stockpot and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add the cooked meat and vegetables and cool in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the pot pie or whatever you want to do with the stew (you could also use this for chicken and dumplings or a chicken casserole with a cauliflower crust).

If you don’t cool the stew before adding it to the pot pie, the bottom crust will get too soggy, even if you pre-baked it.

You can either make your own gluten-free crust (see my recipe for pie crust), use a mix (Bob’s Red Mill makes a very tasty mix) or purchase a ready-made gluten-free crust.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Pre-bake your crust per package directions. When cool, add the cooled stew to fill the pie crust. Add top layer and bake approximately 40 minutes until pie bubbles and top crust is browned.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free)

A throwback to my earlier life cooking for my best friend and my son, and sometimes for her parents as well, this recipe holds lots of memories. The marinara sauce is a remake of my Aunt Jean’s sauce while the meatballs are an off-shoot of my meatloaf recipe. If you prefer, a jarred sauce works just as well if you have one your family especially likes, and it sure is a lot quicker and easier than making a sauce from scratch.

Marinara Sauce:

1 medium onion diced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1/2 cup grated carrot
64 ounces of pureed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine (or stock if you can’t use wine)
1/2 cup tomato paste
fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley (about 2 tablespoons of each)
monk fruit powder, stevia, or agave nectar if needed for additional sweetness

In a large skillet, saute the onion and bell pepper for a few minutes and then add the diced garlic and the grated carrot. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the red wine and cook off the alcohol. Add the pureed and diced tomatoes and cook over a low heat, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add the fresh herbs along with salt and pepper to taste and the tomato paste. If needed, depending on your taste, add additional sweetener. Simmer over low heat until ready to add the meatballs.

Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, pulsed in a food processor until small dice
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I used an herb mixture such as Mrs. Dash)
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley
1/2 cup sugar-free ketchup (such as Organicsville Agave Ketchup) OR 1/3 cup tomato paste
2 slices of gluten-free bread crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees; grease an 8×10 baking pan with olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until combined but try not to overmix so that the meat mixture stays tender. I use a soup spoon to measure out the meatballs so that they are all about the same size. Mine were approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter and the recipe made 24 meatballs. Bake in the prepared pan for about 45 minutes, in the middle of the oven so that the bottoms of the meatballs don’t burn. Add the meatballs to the sauce.

Prepare your favorite pasta. I use the red lentil and quinoa linguine which takes just about 8 minutes to cook and my husband thinks tastes good even though he doesn’t realize its gluten-free and contains protein. After you drain your pasta, put it back in the cooking pot, add sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve with the meatballs and feel free to sprinkle some grated mozzarella (non-dairy of course) over the top.

Peach Melba Cobbler (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, vegan)

One of my father’s favorite desserts was cobbler, didn’t matter what fruit we used, he loved it with some vanilla ice cream on top. Its a fairly easy, quick recipe that appeals to those who like to think their dessert is also good for them. This one has the classic combination of peaches and raspberries.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 5×8″ baking dish.

Combine:

2 cups sliced peaches
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 teaspoon stevia or 1/2 cup date sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown rice flour whisked with 1/2 cup cold water

I spread the peaches and raspberries in the baking dish, then sprinkled them with the cinnamon and stevia and then drizzled the flour mixture over the top.

In a medium size bowl mix:

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon stevia or 1/2 date sugar

Cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or a fork:

1/4 cup non-dairy margarine

When the margarine is combined and you have a crumbly mixture, stir in:

3/4 cup non-dairy milk

Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the fruit (its okay if not all of the fruit gets totally covered), being sure that the cobbler dough is even so that you don’t have an inch of it in one place and only a 1/2 inch somewhere else so that the cobbler will cook evenly.

Bake 20-25 minutes and cool slightly before serving. Best served warm. Serves 6-8.

Leftovers Casserole (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

This is a great casserole for using up leftovers after a big meal like Thanksgiving or just a family Sunday dinner. It takes the meat, gravy, stuffing, vegetables, and potatoes and puts them together into one dish that’s easy and my family loves it. You’ll want a deep casserole dish so that you can get four layers. You could also make this quick and easy using rotisserie chicken or turkey breast.

Grease a 9″ round, 5-7″ deep casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The first layer consists of:

2 cups of diced meat (chicken, beef, turkey, pork)
2 cups gravy (see recipe under Sauces)

The second layer consists of:

2-3 cups of stuffing (see recipe under side dishes)

The third layer consists of:

2-3 cups of leftover vegetables (I used my leftover string bean casserole; see recipe under side dishes)

The last layer consists of:

2-3 cups of mashed potatoes, or in my case, mashed celery root and parsnips (see recipe under side dishes)

Bake 30-45 minutes until the gravy starts bubbling to the top and the top is browned.

Gluten-Free Gravy (dairy-free, gluten-free)

In New England, gravy is a necessity with any roasted meat dinner. Gravy is very easy to make with some boxed meat stock (or vegetable stock). I’ve been known to make lumpy gravy but that’s easy to fix by putting it through a sieve.

In a small saucepan:

1 1/2 cups of stock (be sure to use stock for the most flavorful gravy)
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons of brown rice flour mixed into 1/2 cup of cold stock or water (depending on how thick you like your gravy)

Whisk to mix and keep stirring until the gravy comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Of course, the best gravy is made from the pan drippings. I often put some stock in the bottom of the pan when I roast a chicken or turkey and then after removing the bird from the roasting pan, I add more stock and bring the pan to a boil. Once its boiled for a few minutes, scrape the bottom so that you get all those flavorful pan drippings and then you can pour it into a saucepan, let cool slightly and then pour it through your fat separator. Put it back into your saucepan, measure out 2 cups (or increase the flour in proportion to the amount of liquid), heat the stock and follow above directions.

Tomato Pie (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

Another very easy to make recipe, tomato pie takes some planning and most of the day but the time is spent waiting for the tomatoes to dry and that takes 4-6 hours. So if you want to try this easy recipe, plan ahead and make sure you have plenty of time available. Not something you can throw together at the last minute. It’s one way for me to use all the overabundance of tomatoes I have this time of year.

You’ll need:

5-8 tomatoes depending on size
one small onion
a gluten-free pie crust, bottom layer only (see my recipe under desserts)
1 to 2 cups of non-dairy mozzarella cheese (depending on how much cheese you like)

Line a large baking tray with 4 or 5 layers of paper towels

Slice:

5-8 tomatoes, depending on the size (you’ll want about 30 slices)
one small onion

Let the tomatoes and onion dry on the paper towels, turning every couple of hours, for 4-6 hours. I also put a couple of layers over the top so that nothing gets into the tomatoes and I can help dry out the slices. Make sure that its a single layer of tomatoes on the tray. If you don’t dry your tomatoes thoroughly, you’ll have tomato juice in your soggy pie.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prebake a 9 inch gluten-free pie crust. Blind baking the bottom crust helps make sure that it doesn’t come out soggy.

When the crust is cool, add about a half cup of cheese and then place the tomato slices into the pie crust trying to cover the entire surface. Add a layer of onions. Continue to add tomatoes and onions until you have three rounds and the crust is mostly filled. Cover the top of the pie with cheese and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

As a variation, you can add some cooked Italian sausage, either slices or ground, into the pie as you’re layering the tomatoes and onions.