Beverages

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🔴 Herbal Teas: My Favorite Flavors

Alvita - Fennel Seed

Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice

Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread

Celestial Seasonings - Vermont Maple Ginger 

Republic of Tea - Raspberry Rose

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Hot Carob Mix

1 cup carob powder

1 cup powdered coconut milk

1 cup sugar

Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir to mix and spoon into a wide mouth canning jar.

To make a cup of hot carob drink, use 4 or 5 tablespoons of the mixture to 1 cup boiling water.

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Hot Molasses Drink

Heat a mug of your favorite plant milk on the stove or in the microwave. Then stir in one tablespoon of molasses. You can sprinkle in some cinnamon or pie spice and enjoy!

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Mexican Rice Water

5 cups boiling water, divided into 3 cups and 2 cups

1 cup long-grain white rice (optional: 1 cup oats)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

11.6 ounce can of sweetened condensed coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Boil water. In a medium bowl, large jar, or covered pitcher, add 3 cups hot water, rice and cinnamon. Soak for 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Pour the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and remaining water into the rinsed soaking pitcher. Pour the blended rice water into the pitcher through a fine mesh strainer. Stir to mix all well together. Serve either as a warm drink or over ice or chill until serving time. Makes 6 (1 cup) servings. 

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Peach Smoothie  (see "Fruit" post for fruit puree recipe)

1/4 cup peach puree

5 ounces plant yogurt, peach flavored

2 cups ice

Optional garnish: a spoonful of Coco Whip & a slice of a peach

Fill a 16 ounce glass full of ice. Pour ingredients into a blender cup in the order listed. Add ice from the serving glass, cap and blend until smooth. Pour back into the serving glass, add garnish and serve. 

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Condiments

Alfredo Sauce, Wheat-Free

2 tablespoons soy-free margarine
2 - 3 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose 1 for 1 flour or 3 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 cups plant milk
1 cup dairy-free shredded cheese 

Melt margarine in saucepan. Then stir in gluten-free flour until it becomes pasty. Pour in plant milk and stir the roux in. Keep cooking until it thickens slightly. Dump in shredded cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and pour over cooked pasta. Stir in, eat and enjoy!

Travel Tip: I made up a batch to take with me on vacation and stored it in a wide mouth, 24- ounce canning jar in a cooler and then put it in the refrigerator when we got to the Airbnb. One large jar makes two batches of wheat-free pasta. To heat the sauce up after being in the fridge, I melted some margarine in a sauce pan, spooned out half of the sauce and added more plant milk until it melted down into a gooey sauce, dumped in the pre-cooked pasta and mixed it altogether. It was yum!

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Blender Mayonnaise 

2 large pasteurized eggs

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

pinch of salt

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Optional Herb:

1/2 teaspoon dried dill 

Add the eggs, mustard and salt into a blender container. Pour the oil over the previous mixture, then the vinegar, water and cornstarch.  Whirl on whip setting until frothy and white like mayonnaise. Blend until thickened and combined. Add any seasonings at the very end. Store in a wide-mouth canning jar in the frig for up to four days. 

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Hot Carob Sauce

1/2 cup carob powder

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/4 cups plant milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the carob powder and cornstarch in a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Add about 1/2 cup plant milk & whisk until smooth. Add the remaining plant milk and maple syrup and whisk again until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, while whisking , for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it forms a thick sauce. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and gently reheat to serve. 

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Imitation Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing

Add to my Ninja blender jar:

1 (15 oz.) can carrots, drained and pureed

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup stevia or cane sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

Optional: For a thicker dressing, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Whirl the carrots in the blender first to puree them, then add in the rest of the ingredients, blend for 1 minute. Pour into a mason jar to store in frig. GOOD! 

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We have not been able to find a low-sodium, garlic or onion-free stock, so this is my solution for making my own. 

Meal Prep: Low-Sodium Homemade Stock Tip 

Save any bit of water from boiling or slow-cooking meats into a canning jar. Let it sit in the fridge overnight and the next day scoop off the fat that rose to the top of the jar. Add the fat to an empty vegetable can that you saved for that purpose and put the can into the freezer to be thrown out on your next trash pickup day.

Save the meat liquid in 1/2 cup Souper cubes in the freezer. When the stock is frozen, push out the cubes and place the "bricks" into a gallon size zippy bag to save for soups and other meals to add a bit more flavor.

One of my girlfriends said she makes stock from beef or chicken bones that she has removed the meat from and several vegetables like carrots, celery leaves, etc.  She boils the mixture for about an hour, then lets it simmer all day to cook down and concentrate, then adds the strained liquid to a Souper Cube to freeze it. 

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Maple Syrup-Mustard Dip

I don't really have a recipe. Just use about equal amounts of yellow mustard and real maple syrup in a custard cup, then stirred it altogether with a spoon. Great with Dino's gluten-free chicken nuggets. 

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Nomato Sauce

2 (15 oz.) cans carrots, drained

1  (15 oz.) can beets, drained

Place these ingredients in a saucepan, then mix with an immersion blender until you have a soft paste. 

Add:

1/4 cup vinegar (can be red wine or white vinegar)

1/4 cup coconut amino or water

1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme

2-3 Tablespoons of real maple syrup, cane sugar or stevia

Mix thoroughly with immersion blender, then cook the nomato sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens. The warmer the sauce gets, bubbles should begin to rise to the top of it. Stir the sauce from time to time to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan and burn. Remove from heat and serve on gluten-free pasta. Keeps in fridge for about 3 days.

 

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Tip: Olive oil and red wine vinegar makes a great salad dressing! 

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Slow-cooker Butternut Squash Spread

4 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped butternut squash

1 cup water

1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cook the squash and water in the slow-cooker until fork tender. Than mash the squash with a potato masher. If it seems a little watery, drain the squash by pouring it into a colander or large sieve placed over a separate bowl to catch the water. Then return the squash to the slow-cooker and stir in the rest of the ingredients. There will be enough squash spread to store in a quart-sized, wide mouth canning jar. Cover, label, and store in the refrigerator. Especially yummy on buttered gluten-free toast! 

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 Sweet Potato BBQ Sauce

1 (15 oz.) can or 1 cup of sweet potatoes cooked & mashed

3 Tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 Tablespoon molasses

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 cup water (if you use canned sweet potatoes, eliminate this water)

In a medium sized saucepan, boil your peeled and roughly chopped sweet potatoes until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher. Set aside. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend on medium high speed for 1 minute or until sauce is smooth. Transfer the sauce to a sauce pan and cook down for 15 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Use sauce immediately or store in the fridge for 1 month. Use this BBQ sauce just as you would tomato based sauces. Can be baked, broiled, bbq'ed, or used as a dipping sauce. Save in a labeled wide-mouth mason jar. Enjoy!

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Teriyaki Sauce, Low-Fodmap 

(see Grain post for Rice Recipe)

1 cup water

3 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut aminos

1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a saucepan until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil on the cookstove, continuously whisking, reduce heat and simmer for about four minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add to precooked rice with 1 (15 oz) can of mixed veggies. Can also use frozen mixed vegetables after warming them up. 

Dairy-Free

Cow's milk and milk products such as cheese is considered a protein, however, in my case, I use plant milks because I am allergic to animal milk. 

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🔴 Sheet Pan "Grilled" Cheese Sandwiches - 400* F., 7-10 min.

Preheat oven to 400* F. 

Spread margarine on 12 slices of wheat-free bread on one side only. 

Put 6 slices of bread, margarine side down, on a sheet pan (stainless steel rimmed cookie sheet). Put 1 slice of plant cheese on top of each slice of bread.

Then top the cheese with more bread slices, margarine side up. 

Place sheet pan in the pre-heated oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes.

Flip over half way through. 

Remove from oven when bread is golden brown!

Eat and enjoy 1 sandwich!

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Fruit

Fodmap Tip: Don't stack or mix two or more high fodmap fruits together like in a fruit salad. Take it from me, it's a guaranteed tummy ache! 

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Frozen Fruit Juice Popsicles 

Can use any fruit juice to make a refreshing summertime treat to make molded frozen popsicles to eat. In addition, can mix the fruit juice with plant-based yogurt to add a nice taste to the popsicles too. 

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Frozen Grape Snack

Remove stems from the grapes, wash grapes in a colander, then place flat in a rimmed cookie sheet pan. Place in the freezer and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer the next morning, dump 1/2 cup portions into 4 oz. canning jars or snack-sized zippy bags and refreeze. Remove one container at a time to eat and enjoy! 

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🔴 Fruity Gelatin

4 cups of fruit juice

4 tablespoons beef gelatin powder

Pour one cup of juice into a saucepan. Add the four tablespoons of the gelatin powder to the saucepan. Mix it with a whisk until all the clumps are gone. Once all the gelatin is mixed in (looks cloudy), move the saucepan over to stove and cook on medium high heat. Heat and stir until it looks clear. Remove from heat, then stir in the rest of the juice. Stir gently to prevent air bubbles. Pour it into an 8" x 8" pan or Jell-o mold. Refrigerate at least four hours. Cut into small cubes. 

Suggestions: 

Leftover pickled beet juice makes great gelatin! 

Stir in a cup of Fruit Puree to the fruit and gelatin mixture just before pouring into the molding pan (see Fruit Puree recipe below)

Welch's Grape Juice is yummy!

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Fruit Puree

Thaw out a package of frozen fruit and puree in a blender. Or do the same to drained, canned fruit. Store it in a wide mouth canning jar in the refrigerator or make a Souper Cube container of it for the freezer. Since I'm allergic to applesauce and 5 other fruits, I puree those I can eat to use them in baked foods, beverages, gelatin, etc. 

Suggestions: bananas, blueberries, peaches, pears, prunes, pumpkin, raspberries

🔴TIP for Out of Season Fruits:

I have no problem with eating commercial baby food purees, as long as I can find them without any of the ingredients I'm allergic or intolerant to or restricted from eating. (see Spice post for Small Jar Tip).

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Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Since I'm allergic to 6 fruits, I cannot eat any jelly or jam made with pectin, so if I desire to eat a peanut or sunflower seed butter sandwich for lunch, I use pie filling in the can. It is usually made with cornstarch instead of pectin. My favorites are blueberry & peach. 

(see Condiments for newest Squash Spread recipe! 😍 Yum!)

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Snack Packs/Fruit and Vegetable Tray/Finger Food

Absolutely Gluten-free crackers

Banana chips
Blueberries, raw
Cantaloupe melon balls
Carrot sticks or baby carrots
Celery sticks
Chex, Corn or Rice Cereal
Grapes, seedless
Honeydew melon balls
Kinnikinnick (brand) Vanilla Wafers
Raspberries, raw
Red, orange, and yellow bell pepper slices
Violife cheese slice squares (cut slices into quarters)
Watermelon balls
Yum Earth Black Licorice

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Grains - Corn, Oats, Rice

Breakfast Oatmeal

1 cup water

1/2 cup oats

Combine water and oats in a microwave cereal bowl. Microwave on high for 1:30 minutes. Stir before serving. CAUTION: Bowl may be hot.

* For thicker oatmeal use less water. For thinner oatmeal use more water.

* Due to differences in microwave ovens, cooking time is approximate. 

My Toppings:

2 teaspoons of sugar or stevia

1 tablespoon of peanut powder 

1 teaspoon calcium powder

5.3 ounces of plant yogurt with fruit

* I used to eat my morning oatmeal with 1 jar baby food fruit puree.  

 

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Cornbread, Wheat-Free  - 425* F., 20-25 minutes

1 cup corn flour (masa harina, not cornstarch) 

1 cup corn meal (grittier than corn flour)

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup plant milk

1/4 cup corn oil

Preheat oven to 425* F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour batter into the skillet. Bake. To serve, cut into pie-shaped wedges. Can be eaten with slow-cooked beans. 

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Corn Flour Waffles

2 cups of masa harina corn flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons corn oil 

2 1/3 to 2 1/2 cups plant milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat up a waffle iron on medium heat while you are mixing the above ingredients together. If it seems a little watery, wait a few minutes and the mixture will thicken up. Lightly grease the  waffle iron (I use a Dash waffle iron) with either 1 tablespoon of corn oil or a soy-free oil spray. Ladle out about 1/4 cup of batter onto the waffle iron (I use a cookie/ice cream scoop) and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. My Dash waffle iron will quit steaming and the light goes out. Serve with margarine, real maple syrup, or fruit pie filling. Yum! 

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Cornmeal Mush

Supplies: 
2 bowls, both big enough to hold 2 cups of water without spilling and one microwave safe
2 pats of soy-free margarine
1 whisk, 1 fork, 1 spoon
liquid measuring cup -- 1 or 2 cup
1/2 cup uncooked cornmeal
stevia or maple syrup and a plant milk
microwave, 2 potholders and/or a bowl cozy

Directions:

1. Pour 1 cup of tap-warm water into each bowl.

2. In the non-microwavable bowl, while you are stirring the water with the whisk, dump in the cornmeal and whisk until all the cornmeal is wet and there are no dry lumps. This step is important as it reduces the cooking time.

3. Next, throw in the two pats of margarine into the microwavable bowl, place into the microwave and nuke the margarine and water for 2 minutes. (While I'm waiting, I do my leg exercises like leg lifts and balancing on one leg at a time for a count of 25.) After the bell dings, I remove the bowl with potholders and stir in the wet cornmeal with a whisk. Use a spoon to scoop the last bits of cornmeal from the bowl and stir it again in the microwavable bowl with the whisk. This will be the last time you can use the whisk.

4. Nuke it again for two minutes and remove to stir the mush with a fork or tablespoon. It will have begun to congeal at the bottom of the bowl, so you need to break it up with the stirring utensil -- I break up the lumps by cutting them with the side of the fork or spoon and then mashing them with the back of the fork or spoon. Stir it again.

5. Replace bowl in microwave and heat it again another 2 minutes. It should appear congealed at the sides with a little liquid in the center by this time (if it doesn't, after stirring, cook it at 2-minute intervals until it does). I remove the bowl from the microwave and place it into the bowl cozy, then stir in  the plant milk, and some sweetener (some low-fodmap pureed fruit like berries or a banana or stevia) with my spoon. Yum!

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Microwave Rice

Ratio: 1 cup uncooked rice to 3 cups water. 

In a microwave safe casserole dish with lid, pour 3 cups of water, then while stirring water with a spoon, pour in 1 cup of rice. Thoroughly mix rice with water until the rice is completely wet. Add 1 tablespoon margarine. Cover dish with lid and place in microwave on a paper towel.

Cook rice on high for 5 minutes, then for 20:00 minutes at half power. Let sit for a few minutes to allow rice to absorb all the water and then remove dish from microwave with hot pads and lift lid away from you, so that steam does not burn your face. Set aside. Eat or use rice with other recipes calling for cooked rice. 

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No Roll Pie Crust  - 375* F., 10-12 minutes

1 1/2 cup oat flour (You can purchase oat flour or grind it yourself in a blender)
2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

4-5 tablespoons cold water, as needed

If you want a pre-baked pie crust for cold pies, preheat the oven to 375* F. 

Mix everything together and dump the ball of dough into the pie pan and press it down with your fingers, spreading it out and up the sides of the pan. Try to make it an even thickness.  Bake it at 375* F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Pull it out of the oven when golden brown and let cool. 

However, if you want to use this crust for baking a pumpkin or fruit pie, make it and then let it chill in the refrigerator until the filling is made, pour it in and bake as usual. 

Protein - Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, Tuna, Turkey

2 Ingredient Chaffle (rhymes with waffle)

1 large egg

1/2 cup plant cheese shreds

Spray a waffle iron with non-stick oil spray and let it heat up. Mix the egg and cheese together in a bowl with a fork. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the batter to the waffle iron and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the light on top goes out and the steam quits. The chaffle is done when golden brown. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 waffles. Serve hot or warm. 

Tips:

Add melted margarine and cinnamon-sugar mix to make the chaffles taste like churros.

Can eat two as a hamburger bun. 

I haven't tried this yet, but I was told you can pull them straight out of the waffle iron, while still warm and drape them into a taco shell press tool. Let cool while in the tool. 

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7 - Can Slow Cooker Soup

1 (28 oz.) can meat (see my list of brands)

6 (15 oz.) cans of various low-sodium vegetables, drained (my hubby found various cans of veggies in our pantry - beets, black beans, carrots, corn, green beans, hominy, peas, potatoes, etc. )

1/2 to 3/4 cup rice

6 cups cold water or stock

2 tablespoons beef gelatin

1 teaspoon each of the Italian herbs - oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme

1 teaspoon dried celery powder

Dump all ingredients into the slow-cooker. Heat on high for several hours or on low all day or overnight. 

TIP: We had leftovers. I got 2 (1/2 cup) Souper Cube trays for Christmas and I used them for some of the soup leftovers. My husband said he liked them because it was easy to figure out portions. We popped out the frozen cubes and stored them in a zippy bag in the freezer. Hubby said we need a couple more souper cube molds! :)

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Meal Prep: Boiled Eggs

6 eggs (optional: or more)

Place the eggs down in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil on the stove set on high with big bubbles coming to the top. Set the timer for 10 minutes and let it boil until the timer goes off. Turn off the burner, cover pan and let it sit for 5 more minutes for hard boiled eggs. When done, pour the boiling water out and rinse the eggs in cold water until they can be handled. Place all the eggs in a canning jar, cover and store in the fridge. When they are good and cold, you can use the eggs for a snack, carob pudding (see "Treat" post for recipe), deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, eggs on toast, sliced up in a lettuce salad, etc. 

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Broiled Hamburgers

I have been broiling pre-made frozen hamburger patties in my oven on high. Takes 4 minutes each side and they are done. I bought a stainless steel BBQ grill drip pan at World’s Market that fits over the top of my stainless steel 13 inch x 9 inch cake pan. Fits like it was made for it. The fat from the hamburgers drains away into the cake pan and they are done in 8 minutes flat! I broil six hamburgers at a time and store the extras in the fridge for my lunches. I love this new way to cook them and they don’t taste any different from the fried hamburgers.

TIP: And I drain all the fat and juices from the pan into a clean vegetable can that I save for that purpose and store in the freezer until the can is full and then hubby takes it out with the garbage on trash day.

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Egg Sandwich

1-2 eggs

1 slice of wheat-free toasted bread, cut in half

soy-free margarine

Break egg(s) into a square glass bowl and whip with a fork. Nuke in the microwave 1:30 to 2:00 minutes. Meanwhile, toast bread slice in a dedicated wheat-free toaster and when done, remove to a clean plate. While the bread is still warm, spread soy-free margarine over one side of the bread and cut into half. Remove cooked egg from the microwave, cut in half, then transfer egg onto half bread slice and cover with the remaining half of bread. Yum!

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Meal Prep: Slow-Cooker Chicken 

1. Place chicken breasts in the the slow-cooker.

2. Pour water over the chicken to barely cover it.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

4. Confirm the internal temperature reaches at least 165* F. with a meat thermometer stuck in the largest portion of the breast.

5. Pull chicken out and place on a plate to let cool.  When cool to the touch, take two forks and pull meat apart or run through a grinder for sandwich meat. Pack into freezer containers and put them away until you need one for a recipe. 

6. Ladle the cooked chicken broth into canning jars and cover. When cool to the touch, refrigerate. Remove fat that floated to the top of the jars and freeze the stock water in 1/2 cup Souper Cubes to use later in other dishes to give them a bit more flavor. Be sure to label and date. 

Can use in soups, chicken & egg noodles, chicken salad sandwiches, etc. 

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Meatloaf, Low Fodmap - 350* F, 55-60 minutes

 

2 1/2 pieces wheat-free white bread

1/2 cup plant milk

1 1/2 pounds hamburger (ground beef)

2 large eggs

1 medium carrot, finely chopped in blender

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped in blender too

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley and dried thyme

Soak bread in plant milk, preheat oven and then hand squish all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Pat down into a loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350* F. for 55 to 60 minutes. Good with a baked potato! (see "Vegetable" post for directions to microwave a baked potato). 

TIP: I have a meatloaf pan that contains a drip pan that drains the grease off the meatloaf as it cooks. I believe I bought it at J.C. Penny's many years ago. However, I came across a similar pan at Walmart recently!

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Muffin Egg Bites - 400* F., 15 minutes

1 slice of turkey bacon per muffin well

1 egg per muffin cup well

1/8 cup (coffee measuring scoop) Violife cheese shreds

Sprinkle of Salt-free spice blend (see Spice post for recipe)

Line the inside of the muffin well with the turkey bacon like a cupcake liner. Break an egg into each well inside the bacon. Add the 1/8 cup of cheese shreds to the top of the egg and sprinkle on top of that a little salt-free spice blend. Bake at 400* F. for 15 minutes.

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🔴 Peanut Butter and Crackers Snack

I really don't have a recipe. I just mix equal amounts of maple syrup or molasses and peanut butter together in a bowl to eat with wheat free crackers for a snack. Yummy! 

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Sheet Pan Turkey Bacon - 400* F., 10-15 minutes

1 whole package of turkey bacon

Preheat oven to 400* F. Line a large baking sheet with either parchment paper, foil or a baking grate. Lay the bacon slices on the sheet or grate side by side. Cook the bacon slices at 400* F for 10 to 15 minutes or until it's as crispy as you'd like.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to serve. If you have a crowd at your place, you can cook the bacon with 2 sheet pans in the oven at the same time! 

If you have any bacon left over, you can crumble the pieces to use in other dishes. Store in fridge. 

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Slow-Cooker Black and White Beans

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans

2 (15 oz.) cans white northern beans

3 3/4 cups of water or homemade, low-sodium stock (see Condiments for recipe)

Rinse the canned beans in a sieve or colander and then dump all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low all day or on high for a half day for dinner/supper. Eat with cornbread (see "Grain" tab for recipe). Enjoy!

 

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Slow-Cooker Roast Beef and Broccoli Bowl

Original recipe called for 1.5 pounds of chuck roast, sliced up into steaks, but I used 3 packages of cut up frozen stew meat and it was just as good!

2 (12 oz) bags frozen broccoli

1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons beef gelatin

ingredients from the low-fodmap Teriyaki Sauce recipe (see Condiment post)

cooked rice (see Grain post for microwave recipe) 

Dump the stew meat into the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with the ingredients of the Teriyaki Sauce recipe, except for the cornstarch. Stir to make sure all the frozen chunks of meat are covered with the teriyaki sauce ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. After 6 hours, whisk cornstarch from the recipe into the liquid in the bottom of the slow-cooker to thicken it up slightly. Add the frozen broccoli, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes until tender. Serve hot, over a bowl of cooked rice, and enjoy! Yum! 

What are Little Girls Made Of? Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

🔴 You won't find any garlic or onion here! I'm allergic to garlic and GERD - Fodmap intolerant to the allium family. 

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Dried Celery Powder - 1 substitute flavor for garlic or onions

If you have a home dehydrator, wash, then chop up several stalks of celery into about 1 inch pieces and dehydrate. 

I purchased a container of dried celery pieces from Amazon. When it came I dumped the dried celery out into a bowl, saving the container and lid for later and then ran the dried celery several times through my Magic Bullet blender until it became powdery. To make sure there were no large bits in the powder, I dumped the powder through a sieve into a bowl after the blender step and anything that was caught in the sieve went back into the Magic Bullet. When all the celery was pulverized, I dumped it all back in the original container and screwed back on the lid. I use it from time to time in my foods to give it added flavor. 

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When I was just a young squirt, putting cinnamon-sugar on your buttered toast was all the rage. We ate it for breakfast as well a snack after school. I got a hankering for it the other day, so had to make some up. 

Cinnamon-Sugar Mix

1 bottle of ground cinnamon

the same amount of sugar or stevia

Dump both into a mixing bowl and mix together until it looks well-blended. Pour into a shaker or canning jar. Make toast, spread margarine on one side while the toast is still warm and sprinkle some of your cinnamon-sugar mix on top of the melting margarine. Enjoy!  

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SMALL JAR TIP: I have a collection of small jars for when I purchase plastic bags of spices and herbs from Amazon, county or state fairs, ethnic or organic grocery stores, street markets, vendor shows, etc.

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Salt-Free Herb Blend

1 bottle dried thyme

1 bottle dried sage

1 bottle dried rosemary

1 bottle dried marjoram

Buy one bottle of each (about the same size) of the herbs above and dump all of them into a bowl, saving the bottles, shaker lids, and bottle lids. Set aside. Stir all ingredients together, then grind a small amount at a time in a Magic Bullet or other small blender until the herb mixture is a fine powder. Dump the powder into another bowl and continue to grind until the first bowl is empty. When all the herbs have been ground into a fine powder, return spoonfuls of the mixture into the saved bottles, using a small funnel as needed. When each bottle is full, snap the shaker lids back on, cover with a saved jar lid and label. Sprinkle over foods as you would salt. Yum!

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Treats

3 Ingredient Blueberry Wheat-free Cake

Eggs, as required on cake mix

1 box gluten-free cake mix

1 can blueberry pie filling

Preheat your oven according to the directions on the cake mix. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and eggs. Mix until well combined. The batter should look smooth and free of lumps. Gently fold in the blueberry pie filling into the cake batter with a spatula. Make sure the blueberries are evenly distributed though out the batter. Grease a cake pan and pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. 

Bake the cake in the oven for the time specified on the cake mix box or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes. 

Suggestion: 

I haven't found a commercial frosting that I can have, so if I were to "frost" this cake, I would use the powdered sugar icing recipe below. 

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Banana Cookies - 350* F. for 20 min.

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried blueberries, cranberries, raspberries or other low-fodmap dried fruit

1/3 cup oil (coconut or corn)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in all the other ingredients. Mix well and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop of teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven or until lightly brown. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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This recipe is great for using up those odds and ends of biscuits, bread, and pancakes as long as they aren't moldy. I keep the end slices of wheat-free loaf bread in the freezer until I have enough for a recipe. 

Bread Pudding, Wheat-Free  - 350* F., 30-60 minutes

1 1/2 cup plant milk (I like coconut milk in this recipe)

2 well-beaten eggs

1 T. vanilla

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped prunes or cranberries

1/4 cup melted margarine

1 (18-20 ounce) day-old loaf of bread, torn into pieces in a large mixing bowl

Preheat oven and oil an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish. One loaf of bread makes this size dish. Make two recipes for a 9" x 13" cake pan. Bake for a longer time for the larger pan. 

Blend together milk and eggs in a large measuring bowl with a whisk. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. 

Pour the mixture over the torn up bread and mix with either your clean hands or a large spoon. If the mixture seems on the dry side, add more milk until it comes together. Bake in a well-greased pan until brown. Test by sticking a toothpick in center. If it comes out clean, pudding is done. Drizzle sauce over warm bread pudding.

Bread Pudding Sauce - Option, cook on stove or in the microwave

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 1/2 cup plant milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 drops yellow food coloring

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan (stove) or in a microwave safe bowl (microwave). Whisk in plant milk until smooth. Add vanilla and food coloring. Cook over medium heat until thickened. However, if you want to cook it in the microwave, as I did, cook on high for 3:00 minutes, then whisk. Put back in the microwave and cook again on high for 2 minutes. Stir and cook again for 1 minute and stir. Should be thick enough to add to warm bread pudding, however if it is still runny, like milk, cook again in 1 minute increments until it is as thick as you like. Drizzle over warm bread pudding in a zig-zag pattern. Serve warm or cold. 

My husband likes it best cold straight from the refrigerator! He also likes it with dried cranberries!

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Carob Candy Bar

3/4 cup carob powder

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup solid coconut oil

Melt your coconut oil in a bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Add all the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well! Pour carob mixture into a chocolate bar mold(s). Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Pop out of the mold and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer! Enjoy! 

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🔴 Homemade Carob Candy Bar - Super Yummy! 

 8 Tablespoons coconut oil or 1 stick soy-free margarine 

 8 tablespoons peanut or sunflower seed butter

1/2 cup stevia powder or sugar  

6 Tablespoon carob powder, sifted 

 9 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup 

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

 Melt coconut oil and nut butter over a simmer. Continuously stir until it slightly thickens, then remove from heat. Stir in the sweetener & brown rice syrup and vanilla. Stir in the carob. Continue to stir until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch pan and place in the fridge or freezer to harden. 

 Variation: Add 1/2 cup coconut flakes, chopped nuts or seeds after removing from heat. 

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Carob Pudding

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chilled
1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup carob powder

1/2 cup plant milk

dash of vanilla extract

Place the chilled eggs, sugar, carob powder and milk in a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Separate into 3 (4 oz.) ramekins or canning jars, cover, and chill in the fridge before serving. Enjoy your surprisingly delicious, protein packed pudding!

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Coconut Milk Ice Cream

1 (13.5 oz. can) A Taste of Thai Coconut Milk

1 (11.6 oz. can) Andre Prost Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 (3.4 oz. box) sugar-free instant pudding powder in the flavor of your choice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional ingredients that you can add to the mixture above: 

1/4 cup carob powder

1/4 cup carob chips, chopped

1/4 cup nut or seed butter

1/4 cup crushed wheat-free vanilla wafers

I put both cans of coconut milk, the stand mixer beater, and the loaf pan into the refrigerator to get cold, then mixed all the ingredients together with my mixer until it got thick, poured it into the chilled loaf pan, covered it with plastic wrap and froze overnight. It's so Good!

(See "Condiments" for Hot Carob Sauce recipe)

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Dirt Cake

Part 1:
1 wheat-free white or yellow cake mix (makes 12 servings)
1/3 cup carob powder

Mix the cake up as per the box direction. Add the carob powder. If it seems a little dry, add a bit of your favorite plant milk. Bake per box directions in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Remove from oven when fully baked. When the cake is cool, crumble 1/2 of the cake into a large, clean plastic plant pot (one without a drainage hole in the bottom) or a large plastic ice bucket.

Part 2:
1 tub of Coco Whip (a coconut based whipped cream)
1 box of instant vanilla pudding (or your favorite flavor)

Mix the part 2 ingredients together in a bowl. Add a bit of plant milk if you want to make it a bit smoother. Spoon the mixture into the plant pot over the crumbled carob cake, then crumble the rest of the carob cake over the whipped cream center. Insert a long bubble tea straw into the center of the "dirt" and slip a flower bunch into the straw. I love to use silk sunflowers, but any flower bunch will do. Makes a pretty table decoration that can be eaten too.

To serve: use a long handled serving spoon to dip out a portion of the cake onto a small dessert bowl.

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🔴 Donut Icing Glaze

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons corn oil or liquid oil of choice

1 to 3 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

food coloring, if desired

Mix all ingredients. Drizzle or spread over cake mix donuts or sweet rolls. 

To thin: add more oil and water.

To thicken: add more powdered sugar. 

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Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons plant milk

Mix all the ingredients together with a small whisk or fork. Drizzle over your favorite treats with a spoon. 

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Yogurt Pie (from my Secret Sister at church)

1 16 oz tub of Coco Whip

2 tubs any flavor plant yogurt

about 1 cup fruit

1 (9 1/2") wheat-free graham cracker crust

Gently fold yogurt into Coco Whip. Add fruit. Pour into crust. Freeze. 

Vegetables

Abby's Spinach Soup

Combine 5 cups homemade meat stock + a pinch of salt unless stock is salty to begin with and 1/4 cup Arborio (short-grained) rice in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, cook 15 minutes.

1 pound or 14 cups (12 oz.) greens (I use spinach, not kale as in the original recipe).  Meanwhile, wash leaves and remove ribs. Abby suggested to not use pre-chopped bags of kale because all of the tough ribs are included and they are very hard to puree. Coarsely chop.

When the rice has cooked 15 minutes, stir in greens; return to simmer. Cover and cook until spinach is tender & wilted, about 15 minutes total. Use immersion blender to puree. Can drizzle in olive oil; a pinch of black pepper, to taste. Can add in more stock to thin soup if you think it is too thick. Ladle soup over crusty wheat-free bread. 

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Butternut Squash Soup

3 bags of frozen cubed butternut squash
2 1⁄2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups broth or 4 (1/2 cup) Souper Cube frozen bricks

1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ginger and cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add the coconut milk and broth to a soup pot and cook it on high until it boils. Add the 3  bags of butternut squash and maple syrup then turn heat down to a simmer. Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Add ground ginger and cinnamon, then serve!

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Grandma Marie's Cooked Turnips

1. Wash up turnips if they are fresh from the garden. Cut off tops, root end and thinly peel.
2. Slice turnips (abt. ¼" wide) into a saucepan and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil and cook at least 10 minutes or until the slices are fork-tender.
4. Remove from heat, pour water off, then cover with fresh water. Return to medium heat, throw in a chunk of margarine (abt. 1 tablespoon) and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar. Cook until margarine is melted. Remove from heat and serve.

She said the first boiling removes the bitterness from the turnips. I've had these many times and they are very good. 

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Roasted Vegetables - 425* F., 45 min.

olive oil

2 pounds assorted root vegetables, peeled and cut into wedges (beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.)

1 teaspoon of rosemary

2 teaspoons dried thyme (or Salt-Free Herb Blend, see "Spice" post)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, including splashes of the olive oil and herbs, tossing until all veggies are well coated.  In a large shallow roasting pan or a jelly-roll cooking sheet, evenly spread out the vegetables. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender and crispy on the outside. 

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Salad Toppings

Black beans or peas, canned and drained

Blueberries, either fresh or freeze dried

Carrots, peeled and shredded

Croutons, wheat-free and toasted

Cucumber, peeled and diced

Dried cranberries or craisins

Frito or Tortilla Corn Chips, crumbled 

Hard-boiled eggs, sliced or crumbled

Hamburger meatballs, boiled

Homemade Salad Dressing (see "Condiments" for recipe) or olive oil and red wine vinegar

Pickled beets, slices or diced

Red, Orange, and Yellow Bell Peppers, seeded and diced

Sunflower seeds, hulled

Violife or Follow My Heart plant cheese shreds 

Walnuts, chopped

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🔴 Meal Prep: Salad in a Jar - add ingredients to make 3 or 4 quart-sized canning jars at a time. Start with the bottom layer and work your way up to the top. Cover and store in refrigerator for lunches.  Yum! 🩷

1. Top layer (next to canning jar lid): any of the above salad toppings

2. Next layer down: a handful of lettuce and/or fresh herbs

3. Middle layer: Beans or peas (canned, drained)

4. Next layer:  Your choice of 1/4 cups of diced veggies - beets (drained, pickled), black olives (drained, sliced),  carrots (peeled, shredded),  corn (canned, drained), cucumbers (peeled, diced), dried cranberries,  red, orange or yellow bell peppers (seeded, diced), 

 

5. Bottom (wet) layer: favorite salad dressing or 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar  

To eat, flip jar upside down and shake ingredients into a salad bowl, add sliced deli meats and enjoy with wheat-free flatbreads or crackers. 

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Stacked Baked Potatoes

1. Layer: Bake (350*F., 1 hour) or nuke (high, 5-7 minutes) washed and unpeeled white potatoes. Cut open, mash the potato with a fork and slather insides with soy-free margarine on your dinner plate. Sprinkle salt-free herbal mixture (see "Spice" post) on top of the flattened potato.

2. Add your choice of meat next. 

3. Add your vegetables on top of that. I enjoy steamed broccoli or mixed vegetables. 

4. Lastly, add cooked bacon bits or a sprinkle of vegan cheese shreds on top of the vegetables.

5. Nuke in the microwave for about 1:30 seconds. The vegan cheese doesn’t melt down like real cheese, but it does get softer if you cook it for a little longer.

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Taco Salad

Base Salad -

1 large or 2 smaller bags of pre-cut salad mix

1-2 pounds of boiled hamburger or left-over broiled hamburgers, chopped

1 bag of safe tortilla chips, crushed

Mix all these ingredients together in a large serving or mixing bowl.

Other Family Members - small side bowls

1 package cherry tomatoes, rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

chopped spring onions

shredded cheese

1 bottle of Dorthy Lynch salad dressing or salsa

Mine - small side bowls

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 package dairy-free cheese shreds

Imitation Dorothy Lynch salad dressing (see "Condiments" for recipe) or olive oil & red wine vinegar

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 Vegetable Finger Food Snacks

Carrot sticks or baby carrots

Celery sticks or Ants on a Log

Red, orange, and yellow bell pepper slices