gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Vegetable Stuffed Portobello For One
Grilled Vegetable Stuffed Portobello with Sautéed Rainbow Chard
1 Portobello Mushroom
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Small Sweet Onion
About 3/4 Cup Broccoli
About 6 Sugar Peas
Rainbow Chard, about 8 leaves, stems removed
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Diaya Cheddar Style Cheese, optional
Drizzle the mushroom with a little olive oil and rub to coat, set aside. Add the cut vegetables to a bowl, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic powder, and toss to coat. Add everything to a grilling pan and grill on medium-high until mushroom is cooked and moist and vegetables are tender and browned on the edges.
While vegetables are grilling, coat a saute pan with a little olive oil. Heat on medium-high and saute the chard until it is wilted. It will wilt a lot, just like spinach does, so if you’re cooking for more than one, you’ll need to use a full head or more.
If you would like to top yours with dairy-free cheese, you’ll need to melt it under the broiler or in the microwave.
Bird’s Nest (Egg on Pasta)
Bird’s Nest
Gluten Free Spinach Pasta (I use Tinkyada)
Organic Red Chard, sautéed with organic olive oil
Squeeze of Lemon
Organic Egg (s), over easy
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Saute the chard in olive oil until wilted, squeeze about a Tablespoon of lemon over it, and set aside. Take the finished pasta and place it in a saute pan over medium high heat and toss with the pesto. I used about 1 1/2 Tablespoons for one serving.
Arrange the pasta on the plate in a “nest”. Top with the wilted chard. Top with an egg, over easy, and finish with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Fried Chicken Livers & Smashed Potatoes with Pan Gravy
Fried Chicken Livers
1 Container of Chicken Livers, organic if possible, rinsed
Organic Almond Milk
1 Organic Egg
Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour
Organic Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Bacon Grease/Drippings (from all natural bacon)
First, let’s remind ourselves that this is a special meal. An indulgence meal…I only make it about once a year. So we won’t be counting calories or worrying about our hips and thighs. We will simply enjoy the comfort and memories of childhood that these types of meals bring with them.
Melt a generous amount of bacon grease in a large skillet. I used about two heaping serving spoons full.
In a medium dish or dinner plate, add about 1 cup or so of the flour and generously season with the garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Remember, it’s just a dredge so the majority of the coating stays on the plate. You want what ends up stuck to the liver to be flavorful!
Pour about 1/2 cup almond milk into a cereal sized bowl and whisk in the egg.
Once the bacon grease is heated on medium to medium high, dip each chicken liver into the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour mixture. Coat well, shake off, and lay carefully into the bacon grease.
Cover with the splatter shield. Allow to brown thoroughly before flipping. I would say about 6-7 minutes on each side or more, depending on the heat in your pan.
Smashed Potatoes with Pan Gravy
Both the smashed potatoes (basically the lazy cousin of the mashed potato) and the pan gravy are a no brainer. I’ll just give you the ingredients that I used. You can go here for pan gravy instructions if you’ve never made it. It’s SO easy!
Organic Yukon Gold Potatoes, skin on
Almond Milk
Dairy Free Butter
Kosher Salt
For the pan gravy:
Leave drippings in the pan
Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour
Dairy Free Butter
Organic Chicken Broth
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Lemon Sorbet
Lemon Sorbet
You will need a Vita Mix or other heavy-duty blender.
Juice of 4 Lemons
Zest of 2 Lemons
1/2 cup – 3/4 cup Light Agave Syrup or Honey (You may want to reduce the honey a bit)
4-5 Cups of Ice
Add all ingredients to blender in order. Blend until smooth and mixture comes together. Taste for sweetness. I like mine somewhat tart so I stuck to 1/2 cup agave syrup.
Chicken & Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
Chicken & Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
You can find the french bread baguette recipe here.
*Makes a 9×11 dish of pasta, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
1/2 lb. Ground Italian Sausage (a lot of sausage is made with dairy & gluten, make sure you check)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced or cubed
A Good Shake of Red Pepper Flakes
Olive Oil
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
About 4-5 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped
About 3 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
About 6 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 – 14.5 oz Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 – 6 oz Can of Tomato Paste
About 20 oz Of Your Favorite Pasta Sauce (I used Newman’s Marinara)
About 3/4 of a bag of Gluten Free Spiral Pasta, cooked just before aldente (mine called for 15 minutes of cooking time and I cooked it for 10-12)
Daiya Dairy Free Mozzarella Style Cheese
Galaxy Foods Dairy Free Parmesan
Drizzle a large saute pan generously with olive oil. Add the sausage, chicken, and pepper flakes. Saute until just done.
Add the garlic, basil, oregano, mushrooms, and saute until garlic is beginning to brown. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon the pasta into an oiled 9×11 pan. Add the contents of the saute pan, and the tomato sauce and fold to combine.
Taste for seasoning. I added a couple of teaspoons of dried oregano. Sprinkle generously with dairy free parmesan, and spread a handful of the dairy free mozzarella over the top.
Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and cover tightly. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and broil for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
Serve with gluten-free french bread and dairy free butter.
Chocolate Chunk & Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chunk & Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
*Makes about 20 three-inch cookies
3/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter
1 3/4 Cups Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour
2 Cups Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 Generous Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Dried Cherries
3/4 Cup Dark Belgian Chocolate (Dairy Free), chopped coarsely
Cream the butter and sugars together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add about half of the flower, the egg, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, cherries, and chocolate. Mix well.
Add the remaining flour and the oatmeal and mix until thoroughly combined.
Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. (I use convection.) Or just until they are golden around the edges.
Rum Fudge with Macadamia Nuts & Coconut
Vegan Coconut Fudge
2 Cans of Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 Cup Sugar
4 Cups 72% Belgian Chocolate (dairy free), chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
Kosher Salt, a nice sized pinch
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
6 Tablespoons Dark Rum
1 Cup Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, chopped
1/2 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
*This recipe was adapted from Gluten Free On A Shoestring‘s chocolate & peanut butter fudge.
(The first time I made this recipe I followed GFOAS’s recipe exactly. It didn’t set up and was basically like a fudge sauce. Still delicious, but not fudge in the form of fudge. I experimented with it today and was able to tweak it to my liking. As you can see, I tweaked it a lot, but I’m still thankful that I was able to learn the basics from GFOAS!)
Line an 8 inch square baking pan with doubled crisscrossed waxed paper. Melt coconut oil and brush on generously. I only used one layer, I think it would have come out of the pan easier with two, or even with the bottom layer being parchment.
In a heavy sauce pan or dutch oven bring the coconut milk and sugar to a boil on medium-high. Continue to boil, stirring well about every 3 minutes until liquid is reduced by half, is slightly thickened, and begins to turn a light amber color. I didn’t keep my eye on the clock, but I would guess it was about 20-25 minutes.
This picture doesn’t show it, but it’s a bit darker than this, but not by much. Once it reaches this point, remove from the heat and add the instant coffee, salt, vanilla, and rum. Stir to combine until the coffee granules have dissolved. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted. Add the nuts and coconut and fold in.
Pour into lined pan. Smooth with spoon and allow to set up in the freezer for three hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to cut, allow to sit on counter for 15 minutes. Remove fudge from pan with the sides of the wax paper and/or parchment and slice, or slice it right in the pan.
Keep leftovers in fridge or freezer.
Going Green Smoothie
Going Green Smoothie
*Makes two 16 ounce smoothies
1 Large Packed Handful of Baby Spinach Leaves
2 Medium Carrots, peel on
2 Stalks of Celery
1 Apple, cored, skin on
1/2 Cup Pineapple
Juice of 1/2 Large Lemon
2 Scoops Protein Powder, I use brown rice protein
About 8 oz. Spring Water
About 8 oz. Ice
Place all ingredients in a heavy-duty blender and blend until smooth. You can add more water for whatever consistency you desire.
Homemade Goat Cheese Logs
Goat’s Milk Cheese Logs
*Makes four 4-5 inch logs ( You can also freeze them for later use)
1 Gallon Raw Goat or Sheep’s Milk
3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt + more for seasoning later
Juice of 10 Organic Lemons, about 1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
About 2 Tablespoons Organic Chives, chopped
About 2 Tablespoons Organic Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons Organic Thyme, chopped
About 2 teaspoons Chopped Garlic ( I used the organic garlic that comes in the jar)
Ground Pepper
I paid $16.58 for 1 gallon of raw goat’s milk. One gallon of goat’s milk made into cheese gives you about 12 ounces of cheese. That’s about $1.38 per ounce. Expensive, but really no more than you pay in a grocery store.
In a large dutch oven or stainless steel pot (do not use aluminum) add several inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes to sanitize. I carefully sloshed it up and around the sides. Drain, add the milk and salt, stir. Heat to 185-190 degrees stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t scald on the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, line a large strainer with the cheesecloth. I used all of the cheesecloth in the small package I purchased. Just fold it over and make sure it drapes over the sides. Place the strainer over a deep bowl.
When the milk reaches 185-190 ish degrees, remove from heat.
Slowly stir in the lemon juice. It starts to curdle right away.
Add a pinch of parsley, chives, and thyme, reserving the rest for after the cheese has drained. Allow to rest for 25 minutes in the pan.
After it has rested, pour slowly into the cheesecloth. Allow to drain for about 30 minutes.
Once drained, carefully pull the sides of the cloth in and twist into a ball, carefully squeezing out some more of the liquid. Allow to rest and drain for another 25 minutes or so checking and draining the bowl every so often so that it is not sitting in its own liquid.
Remove the cheesecloth from the strainer and scrape the cheese off with a spoon into a bowl. Add the remaining herbs and garlic and stir to combine.
Taste and add a bit more kosher salt and a few grinds of good peppercorns.
On a clean working surface pull out a piece of plastic wrap and fold in half. Spoon goat cheese onto the middle of the plastic wrap in a small row.
Gently roll up one side of the plastic wrap and snuggle it over the log. Roll the log to the other end of the plastic wrap, twist the ends tight and tuck under.
Continue to do this with the remaining cheese or if you’re going to use it within a couple of days, you can also make it into one large log or any shape you like, really.
Once all of the cheese has been rolled, refrigerate for three hours. Remove from fridge, roll in one more layer of plastic wrap, cover in tin foil, enclose in a freezer bag and freeze up to one month.
Gingersnaps
Gingersnaps
*makes about 48 two-inch cookies
~Preheat oven to 375 degrees~
2 Cups Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour
1/4 Cup White Rice Flour (you could probably use brown)
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Oil, solid
1/4 Cup Molasses
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
2 teaspoons Freshly Grated Ginger Root
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Raw Sugar
In a mixer combine about half the flour, the brown sugar, coconut oil, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat on medium to high-speed scraping down sides once or twice until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour.
Shape dough into about 1 inch balls. Place on parchment covered baking sheets. With a fork, lightly squish down the balls. No need to criss cross, as the fork imprints bake out. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for 7 minutes (I use convection), remove to cooling racks and sprinkle with more raw sugar.
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