gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Grain Free & Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls
Grain Free & Dairy Free Cinnamon Rolls
*Makes 15 cinnamon rolls
For the dough:
2/3 Cup Arrowroot (plus more for rolling)
1 1/2 Cups Sweet Potato Flour
3/4 Cup Coconut Flour
4 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
4 teaspoons Double Acting Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Yeast
3 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
2/3 Cup Dairy Free Butter
6 Eggs Separated
3 Tablespoons Grass Fed Gelatin
1 Cup Cool Water
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
For the filling:
About 3/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter (room temperature)
About 3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
For the Frosting:
Powdered Sugar
Dairy Free Butter
Pure Almond Extract
Water
Measure the arrowroot, sweet potato flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, yeast, and sugar into a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. Measure in the dairy free butter and work lightly through the dough with your fingers until the butter is about the size of small peas and distributed throughout the flour mixture (or use a pastry cutter). Set aside.
Next, separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until stiff peak.
In a glass measuring cup filled to 1 cup with cool water, add the 3 Tablespoons of gelatin and quickly whisk with a fork. Place in the microwave and heat for 25 seconds. Add the egg yolks to the beaten egg whites, add the apple cider vinegar, and turn the mixter on low. Slowly drizzle the gelatin mixture into the egg mixture. Beat on medium for 15 seconds.
Switch the whisk attachement to the paddle attachement and with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and butter mixture. Once it’s all been added, turn the mixture on medium and beat for one minute. It will be very wet.
Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter and flour it with arrowroot or sweet potato flour (arrowroot is much less expensive). Spray a 13x9x2 baking dish with coconut oil and set aside. Turn the oven to 375 degrees.
Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment paper and sprinkle with more flour. Pat into a rectangle with floured hands and roll dough out with a floured rolling pin to about the size of a baking sheet.
Dot the dough all over with the room temperature dairy free butter. Spread with a spatula. Sprinkle with the coconut sugar and spread out a little if necessary with your hands, and then sprinkle generously (very) with the ground cinnamon.
Using the parchment, carefully roll up the dough into a cylinder, pressing the dough down a little as you go to seal. Pinch the ends and squish them in a little. Cut into about 2 inch sections and place in rows in the baking dish. Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and place on top of the oven to rise for 45 minutes.
Remove the plastic and towel and bake for 25 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes and frost. The frosting is a personal preference depending on how much you like. Just make a basic powdered sugar frosting flavored with pure almond extract.
Simple Homemade Yogurt & Granola
Coconut Milk Yogurt
The recipe below is the “quick” method for making yogurt. If you would like to make yogurt the traditional way with kefir grains, you can go HERE for more information.
**I use this yogurt maker. It’s only $20 on Amazon Prime and works great.
4 1/2 Cups of 100% Coconut Milk
2 Tablespoons of Pure Maple Syrup (You can use 2 organic dates instead, or organic raw honey)
Powder from 1 Probiotic Capsule (I use one with different strains than what is in my daily probiotic capsule)
2 1/2 teaspoons of Grass Fed Gelatin
In a blender, add the coconut milk, maple syrup, and probiotic powder. Blend on medium low until fully combined. Turn the blender to low and while it’s running, slowly sprinkle in the gelatin. Turn blender on medium and blend for 30 seconds. Pour into the yogurt cups, turn the yogurt maker on, tighten the lids, put the cover on, and allow to sit for 8-10 hours. I also cover mine with a towel to keep the heat in, as we keep our house cool. Halfway into warming time, you’ll notice the milk has separated. Pick up each yogurt container and swirl to combine and allow to warm for the remaining time.
When done warming, swirl the cups again to combine the liquids and refrigerate overnight before eating. It will thicken as it cools.
Blueberry Almond Granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Cups of Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup
1/8 Cup of Avocado Oil
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1/4 Cup of Activated Raw Almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup of Organic Dried Blueberries
Cover a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Toss all ingredients together in a medium bowl until oil is evenly distributed. Spread out onto the parchment paper and bake 20-25 minutes stirring halfway through. I like my granola darker and crunchy, so I went the full 25 minutes. Make sure you watch it though, at a certain point, it darkens very quickly and burns easily. It will crisp more as it cools too. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Cherry Turnovers
Cherry Turnovers
~ Makes 14 Turnovers~
*Preheat oven to 35o degrees
1 Recipe of my Gluten Free & Dairy Free Pie Dough
3 – 14.5 oz cans of Tart Cherries, drained well
1/2 Cup of Coconut Sugar
3 Tablespoons of Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon of Pure Almond Extract
About 4 Cups of Confectioners Sugar
About 1/4 Cup of Dairy Free Butter
2 teaspoons of Pure Almond Extract
Water to thin out frosting
Remove dough discs from freezer and allow to thaw on counter for about 30 minutes. If you’re making the dough the same day you’re making the turnovers, refrigerate the dough for two hours before rolling. Place a large sieve over a large bowl and drain all the cherries while lining two baking sheets with parchment, preparing your rolling surface, and preheating the oven.
Move the drained cherries to a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Toss carefully to combine thoroughly. Set aside. Roll dough out one disc at a time and cut into rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets. Continue to roll out dough until you have enough rounds to top the turnovers. Once the rounds are on the sheets, pat each one out a little bit with your fingers.
Place a large spoonful of the cherry mixture in the middle of each round on the baking sheets. With a spoon, drizzle a small amount of cherry juice around all of the edges. Roll each top out a little more after cutting and cover the cherries. Press down into the cherry juice on the bottoms, and crimp edges (I used the handle end of a fork). Poke each top once or twice with fork tines.
Bake for 35 minutes. Move to cooling racks and let rest for 30 minutes before frosting.
For the frosting:
Melt the butter, add the powdered sugar and almond extract. Whisk until combined adding a little water at a time to make a thick drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the tops of each turnover, allow to set before serving.
Instant Pot Braised Beef
Sometimes I serve it over mashed potatoes and sometimes over roasted potatoes like this night.
Instant Pot Braised Beef
2 Pounds of Beef Stew Meat
1 Large Onion, sliced
About 10 Large Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
5 Garlic Cloves, peeled & minced
1/2 Cup of Sun Dried Tomatoes (the ones packed in oil)
6 oz Can of Tomato Paste
4 Cups of Beef Broth
1 Cup of a Good Red Wine
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tablespoon of Dried Rosemary
1 Tablespoon of Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon of Dried Thyme
Several Grinds of Fresh Pepper
1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
Avocado Oil for Browning
2 Tablespoons of Arrowroot Flour
Place the Instant Pot on your stove top under your overhead fan and plug in. Press “saute”. Drizzle the pot with avocado oil and wait for it to heat up. Add the meat and saute until browned. I had to remove some liquid so it would brown thoroughly (reserve the liquid!).
(While the meat is browning, prepare your potatoes for roasting or boiling. When I roast mine I cut them into wedges and toss in avocado oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and oregano. Then I lay them out on a parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set potatoes aside.)
When the meat is browned removed to a bowl and set aside. Drizzle a little more avocado oil into the pot and add the onions and mushrooms. Saute until the onions are almost translucent. Add the minced garlic and saute.
Unplug and transfer from the stovetop to the counter. Plug in.
Add the meat, any reserved meat juices, the tomato paste, the herbs, salt and pepper, beef broth, and wine. Stir well to combine ingredients. Secure the lid, push the “Meat/Stew” setting, and adjust the time up to 43 minutes. Put the potatoes in the preheated oven to roast. Everything will be done right about the same time.
When the timer on the Instant Pot goes off, release the pressure. Remove the lid, hit the cancel button. Push the “saute” button. Mix 2 Tablespoons of Arrowroot Flour with about 2 Tablespoons of water or so, mix well and drizzle while stirring into the braised beef. It will thicken quickly. Turn the pot off and serve.
Grain Free Mini Focaccia
This is one of my favorite ways to make a really quick focaccia. It’s incredibly easy and they are very tasty.
Grain Free Mini Focaccia
*14 Servings
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
For the Topping:
1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Cloves of Garlic, minced
About 1/2 Tablespoon of Rosemary, Thyme, & Oregano
A Generous Amount of Sea Salt
Mix it all together with a fork and set aside.
For the Dough:
4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup of Water
About 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
About 1/2 Tablespoon of Oregano
About 1/2 Tablespoon of Thyme
Sometimes I use Bragg’s Seasoning Instead
Measure all the ingredients into a medium bowl and stir with a fork until dry ingredients are wet. Then, kneed with hand until dough forms a ball and is relatively smooth. Pinch or cut dough into 14 pieces and pat out onto parchment lined baking sheets (2).
With a pastry brush, generously brush each focaccia with the oil and herb mixture. You will have some leftover which will be used to brush over the top again after baking.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. (I use convection)
Chocolate Chai Tea Latte
Chocolate Chai Tea Latte
*Makes 2 servings
1 1/2 Cups of Filtered Water
2 Decaf Black Tea Bags
1/2 Cup of 100% Coconut Milk
1 ounce of Dark Chocolate
2 teaspoons Chai Tea Spice Mix (see below)
1 teaspoon of Raw Honey
Chai Spice Mix:
1 Small Jar
3 teaspoons of Turmeric
4 teaspoons of Cardamom
5 teaspoons of Cloves
4 teaspoons of Allspice
10 teaspoons of Cinnamon
7 teaspoons of Ginger
Measure all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together until combined. Spoon into a storage jar.
Bring the filtered water to a boil in a small pan. Turn off heat and add tea bags, steep for 10 minutes. Remove bags, heat on medium and add the chocolate, coconut milk, and chai spices. Bring to a low boil, remove from heat and add honey.
Grapefruit Margarita
Grapefruit Margarita
Silver Tequila
Simply Grapefruit Juice
Simply Lime Juice
Perrier
Grapefruit & Lime Slices
Coconut Sugar
Sea Salt
True Lime Crystallized Lime
I didn’t really measure….it depends on how many you’re serving. I made a big glass pitcher. I’d say about 2 Cups of tequila, 3/4 jug of grapefruit juice, and 1/2 a jug of lime juice. I made mine yesterday, so it will “marinate” in the fridge until brunch tomorrow. Then when I’m ready to serve it I’ll rim the glasses with a mixture of coconut sugar, sea salt, and the crystallized lime. Put a good amount of ice in a tumbler, fill 3/4 of the way with the tequila mixture and then top off with Perrier. Add a wedge of grapefruit and a wedge of lime to the glass.
Enjoy!
Toasted Coconut Pecan Toffee
Toasted Coconut Pecan Toffee
About 1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
About 1/3 Cup of Chopped Pecans
1 Cup of Dairy Free Butter
1 1/3 Cups of Coconut Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Water
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/2 Cup of Miniature Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
Measure the coconut and chopped pecans into a large skillet and toast on medium heat until the coconut is golden and you can smell the nuts toasting. Set aside. Line a small baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
In a heavy pan or dutch oven, measure the sugar, butter, water, and salt. Heat on medium stirring constantly. It will take a couple of minutes for the sugar and butter to incorporate. Once it starts boiling, keep a good eye on it and stir it the entire time. You can use a thermometer but with the first batch I did, it was clear that coconut sugar and dairy free butter don’t need to get up to 280 to form toffee and if they do, they will likely burn and separate. I removed mine from the burner when it was getting very thick to the point where my spoon marks were remaining in the mixture as I stirred.
At the point where you pour it out of the pan, you’re going to have to work very quickly. Pour it and then pick up the pan to spread it around. Don’t use a spoon or spatula as it will glob up and stick. Then, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, wait for about 3 minutes and spread them out over the top of the toffee. Sprinkle with the coconut and pecan mixture and chill for 20-30 minutes to set.
Chocolate Chip Gingersnaps
Grain Free Chocolate Chip Gingersnaps
*Makes about 2o cookies
1/4 Cup of Spectrum Shortening
3/4 Cup of Coconut Sugar
1 Egg
4 Tablespoons of Unsulphured Molasses
2 teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of Ground Ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1 Cup of Sweet Potato Flour
1/4 Cup of Arrowroot
1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup of Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips
Extra Coconut Sugar For Rolling & Pressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Place 2 Tablespoons of coconut sugar onto a small plate and set aside. In a mixer, beat the shortening until fluffy and scrape down bowl. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Add the egg, molasses, vanilla, baking soda, sea salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the sweet potato flour, arrowroot, and coconut flour and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix until distributed.
Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Roll into balls, then roll in coconut sugar and press down with a fork.
Bake for 7-9 minutes until golden and allow to rest on baking sheet for 3 minutes before removing with a spatula to a cooling rack.
Incredibly Easy Instant Pot Pork Ribs
Incredibly Easy Instant Pot Pork Ribs
1 Rack of Pork Ribs
1/2 of a Large Onion Sliced
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Bottles of Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
A Couple Pinches of Sea Salt
A Few Grinds Of Pepper
Arrowroot Powder
Place the onion and garlic in the Instant Pot. Pour half of the BBQ sauce over the onions. Cut the ribs into two’s or three’s and layer on top of the onion and garlic. Season with salt & Pepper. Pour remaining BBQ sauce over the ribs.
Put the lid on and secure it. Make sure the pressure valve is closed. Click the meat setting and increase to 35 minutes. I don’t like the meat to be completely falling of the ribs, just nice and tender. If you want your meat to fall of the ribs, then I would increase the cooking time to 40-43 minutes.
When the timer goes off, release the steam, and remove the ribs to a plate and cover with foil. (After removing the ribs I laid a paper towel lightly over the top of the sauce to wick up any unwanted fat. Do it quickly and then just toss. So much easier than trying to skim it off!)
Next, click the saute button, the sauce will come to a boil quickly. Mix a couple of teaspoons of arrowroot powder in about 1/8 cup of water and stir well. Drizzle slowly (about 1/2) into the BBQ sauce while stirring. Add the remainder of the arrowroot mixture only if it needs more thickening. Turn off the Instant Pot and serve.
Easy!!
gluten free zen 