gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Cherry Fluff Salad
I made this for Christmas with cranberries and with cherries for Easter and it got rave reviews both times. Everyone loves a traditional “fluff” salad that takes us back to holiday meals at Grandma’s house.
Cherry Fluff Salad
16 ounces of Pitted Dark Cherries, thawed & drained
8 ounce can of Crushed Pineapple, drained
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Cups of Mini Marshmallows
6 ounces of Soft Goat or Sheep’s Milk Cheese
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
2 Cups of Sweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk Whipped Cream (I make this the night before so it has time to really chill and set up. Some coconut water will separate, just pour it off before folding the whipped cream into the other fluff ingredients)
Chop the thawed, drained, cherries and toss them in a small bowl with the drained pineapple and 1 cup of sugar, chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Drain off excess juice.
While the fruit is chilling, bring the goat cheese to room temperature. Beat the cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 TBS of sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Remove the coconut milk whipped cream that’s been in the fridge chilling over night and drain off excess coconut water. Fold the cheese and whipped cream together carefully. Don’t overwork it. Fold in the fruit mixture and marshmallows and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Easter Breeze
Easter Breeze
2 Large Whole Pineapples (peeled & juiced or you can use store bought pineapple juice – about 20 ounces)
15 ounces of Organic Pure Cranberry Juice
2 Limes (one for rim slices and one sliced for the cocktail mix)
15 ounces of Ciroc Vodka (more or less depending on how strong you like your cocktails)
Sparkling Apple Cider
Sea Salt & Sugar For Glass Rims
Make this cocktail mix the night before serving so the flavors have time to come together. Juice the pineapple and add the cranberry juice, lime slices, and vodka. Refrigerate over night. Rim the cocktail glasses with the sugar and sea salt mixture and a slice of lime. Fill the glass 3/4 full and top with a little sparkling apple cider.
Cranberry Pepita Bread
This makes a really delicious, dense, loaf of semi-sweet bread.
Cranberry Pepita Bread
2/3 Cup of Arrowroot
1 Cup of Chestnut Flour
3/4 Cup of Coconut Flour
2 teaspoons of Xanthan Gum
3 teaspoons of Double Acting Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons of Coconut Sugar
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt
3 teaspoons of Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons of Active Yeast
1/2 Cup of Dairy Free Butter
3 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin
1 Cup of Warm Water
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
1 Cup of Organic Dried Cranberries
1/2 Cup of Raw Pepitas
(You’ll need parchment paper and a dutch oven for this recipe.)
Cut two pieces of parchment to line a medium bowl and set aside.
In an electric mixer whisk the arrowroot, chestnut flour, coconut flour, xanthan, baking powder, coconut sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, and yeast to combine. Work the butter through until it resembles pea sized crumbs. Measure the cup of water and add the gelatin into the water mixing quickly with a fork so it doesn’t clump. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add the gelatin mixture and the vinegar to the dry mixture. Beat on medium for 1 minute scraping down sides once or twice. Fold in the cranberries and pepitas.
Lightly form the dough into a ball and place in the parchment lined bowl. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees, cover the bowl with a light towel and set it on top of the stove to rise for 1 hour. At the 30 minute mark, place your dutch oven in the oven with the lid on. If the lid handle isn’t metal, remove the handle by unscrewing it.
At the 1 hour mark, carefully pull the rack out and remove the dutch oven lid. Set it somewhere safe because it will be HOT. Pick up the sides of the parchment and transfer the dough and the parchment to the dutch oven and replace the lid.
Bake for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove bread to cooling rack before slicing.
Asian Style Beef & Vegetable Soup – Instant Pot
Asian Style Beef & Vegetable Soup
1 Sirloin Steak, sliced thinly on the diagonal – fat trimmed and reserved
1/2 Onion, diced
6 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
About 2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil
28 Brussels Sprouts, outer first layer peeled and bottoms trimmed
1 Cup of Red Cabbage, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup of Celery, sliced
1/2 Cup of Red & Orange Bell Peppers, sliced (I used the minis)
1 Cup of Multi Colored Carrots, sliced
2 1/2 Tablespoons of Vegan Pesto
1 1/2 Cups of Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
2 1/2 teaspoons of Freshly Grated Ginger
1/4 Cup of Cilantro, roughly chopped
5 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Sea Salt
1/4 Cup of Coconut Aminos (Or tamari sauce)
2 teaspoons of Sriracha (If you like heat, if not, less)
1 1/2 Boxes (48 ounces) of Beef Broth
Saute (in the Instant Pot) the Beef fat, onions, garlic, and avocado oil for about 6 minutes. Add the sliced steak and saute quickly until the steak is medium rare. Add the brussels, cabbage, celery, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, pesto, and ginger. Stir to combine. Add the coconut aminos, sriracha, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Secure the lid and Manually set the Instant Pot timer for 5 minutes (it will take time for the pressure to build up, so the finished time will probably be closer to 15 minutes or a bit more).
As soon as the timer goes off immediately begin releasing the pressure. Remove the lid and stir in the cilantro and green onion and serve.
Grain Free Crispy Chicken Tenders
Grain Free Crispy Chicken Tenders
*Amounts will vary depending on size of your family. This recipe is based on 6 chicken tenders.
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenders
About 1/4 Cup of Avocado Oil
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup of Full Fat Coconut Milk, or any milk you like
About 1 Cup of Grain Free or Gluten Free Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons of Sea Salt
Several Grinds of Fresh Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoons each of Thyme & Oregano
1/2 teaspoon of Paprika
Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels and set aside. Whisk the egg and milk. Add the crumbs, salt, pepper, and herbs to a bowl and whisk together. Coat the chicken in the eggs and milk mixture then roll in bread crumb mixture. Transfer to a plate to rest. In a large skillet add the avocado oil and heat on medium to medium high. Add the chicken tenders and fry until browned on both sides and chicken is firm to the touch.
If you’d like to bake instead of fry: Line a baking pan with parchment and add the coated chicken tenders. Drizzle lightly with olive oil or avocado oil. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.
If you’re craving breaded dishes, here’s another tasty recipe you may enjoy for Baked Halibut and Sweet Potato Fries.
Chicken Meatball Soup
Chicken Meatball Soup
*For the Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
(Makes 72 bite size – I used half and froze half )
2 Packages of Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, 8 thighs
3 Tablespoons of Diced Red Onion
2 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Minced Rosemary
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Minced Sage
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Minced Thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons of Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Pepper
Place half of the chicken, half of the garlic, half of the herbs, and half of the sea salt and pepper in a food processor, pulse until ground. Not too much or you’ll end up with pate, but enough that there aren’t chunks of chicken and the herbs and garlic are distributed thoroughly. About the texture of tuna fish, so minced pretty well. Remove the ground chicken mixture to a bowl and repeat with the second half of the meatball ingredients. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and form bite size meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Don’t over cook as they will cook more while simmering and you don’t want tough meatballs.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the base.
8 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic, diced
1/4 Cup of Red Onion, chopped
2 1/2 Cups of Purple Kale, ribs removed and chopped
5 Multi Colored Carrots, skin on and sliced on diagonal
4 Sun Dried Tomatoes In Oil, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Sage, chopped
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons of Fresh Thyme, chopped
About 2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil
3 – 32 ounce Boxes of Chicken Broth (I use Pacific Organic Free Range)
Sea Salt & Pepper To Taste
Saute the onions and garlic with the avocado oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot until the onions are translucent. Add the kale, carrots, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes melt down a bit. Add a couple pinches of sea salt and pepper. Add half (or all if you want a lot of meatballs) the meatballs and the broth. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 1 hour. Season again with sea salt and pepper to taste.
Grain Free Pumpkin Pancakes
(Don’t text your friends while you’re cooking these, it doesn’t end well.)
Grain Free Pumpkin Pancakes
*Makes about 10
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour
1 Tablespoon of Arrowroot
1 teaspoon of Double Acting Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cloves
2 teaspoons of Coconut Sugar
1/4 Cup of Pureed Pumpkin (I used organic canned pumpkin)
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup of Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice
Dairy Free Butter for frying
Measure all of the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the lemon juice to the coconut milk and let sit for 10 minutes (this will make a faux “buttermilk”). Whisk the eggs and them and the milk mixture to the dry ingredients whisking until combined. Let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken a bit.
Heat a pan to medium low (they burn easily so keep an eye out). Coat the pan with dairy free butter and spoon batter into pan. Wait until pancakes bubble a bit on top before flipping.
You can serve these with traditional maple syrup and butter like I did, or add your own flare. I thought pumpkin spiced butter would be delicious too, or sauteed spiced apples, or coconut whipped cream, you could also add dairy free chocolate chips or nuts to the batter…the options are endless and you can make it as special or as simple as you like.
Cranberry Almond Bites
(These are little olive jar tongs and work wonderfully for dipping candy!)
Cranberry Almond Bites
1 1/2 Cups of Dried Cranberries, soaked in water in a small bowl for 1 hour then drained and dried between layers of paper towels
3/4 Cup of Dairy Free Butter, melted
1 lb of Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon of Pure Almond Extract
1 Bag (8 ounces) of Shredded Unsweetened Coconut (I used Let’s Do Organic)
2 Cups of Sliced Almonds
14 ounces of Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (I used two 7.4 ounce cans of Let’s Do Organic)
8 3 ounce each Bars of Theo Organic 70% Dark Chocolate Bars
Chop the cranberries and mix all ingredients except the chocolate in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely set – about 3 hours.
Line two baking sheets with parchment and using about 1 1/2 teaspoons of candy, roll into small balls and place on baking trays. Cover and refrigerate until completely set – 3 hours or over night.
In a double boiler melt the chocolate squares. Using small tongs (or place each ball on a large fork and scoop the chocolate over the ball) dip the balls quickly into the chocolate, shake off any excess, and place them back on the baking sheets. Repeat until they are all covered and allow the chocolate to set up. I placed mine outside to set up because it’s cold here but you could also do a quick set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container.
**Depending on the size of your candies, you may have some leftover melted chocolate. You can dollop it onto parchment and allow it to cool into discs for snacking, or what I like to do is fold in some add ins that you have on hand and create another type of candy. Once things are stirred together, a little bit of left over chocolate goes a long way. This time I used gluten free Rice Chex cereal and dried cranberries – then I drop them by the teaspoon into cute little paper or foil cups. You can add any combination of things you like. Nuts, dried fruits, pretzels, cereal, marshmallows, chopped up candy canes…
Spicy Swedish Ginger Snaps
Otherwise known as Pepparkakor, these are very similar to those tasty tins of ginger snaps you find at IKEA and World Market. Very easy to make and the recipe yields about 90 fabulously crispy, and VERY spicy cookies. When you first bite into them you get the familiar spice of a ginger snap and then it ends with the heat of cayenne. If you love a good ginger snap but like a little less spicy heat, then I would omit one tablespoon of the ginger and the pinch of cayenne. The cookies will still have plenty of flavor but won’t be quite as hot.
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Ginger Snaps
(Recipe adapted from The Cutlery Chronicles)
*Makes about 90 1 1/2 inch cookies
2 1/2 Cups of Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour Blend
2 teaspoons of Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/2 Cup of Dairy Free Butter
4 Tablespoons of Ground Ginger (omit 1 Tbs for less heat)
2 teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon of Freshly Ground Pepper
Pinch of Cayenne (omit for less heat)
1 1/4 Cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of Molasses
1 Large Egg
Whisk the Flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Heat the butter in a medium pan over medium heat until melted – continue to cook swirling the pan frequently until the foaming subsides. Turn off the heat and whisk in the spices, brown sugar, and molasses. Continue whisking until the sugar is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the egg and whisk again to combine until you have a smooth and glossy texture.
Pour the sugar mixture into the bowl of flour and mix with a spatula just until combined – don’t over work it. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (I did overnight because gluten free dough bakes better when thoroughly chilled).
Pre heat oven to 300 degrees.
Break of a portion of the dough and mold into a disc. Slowly roll it out with a rolling pin. If it sticks, add a small amount of flour to the pin and continue rolling slowly. Do not flour the counter or the dough.
Place the cookies on parchment covered baking sheets and bake in 10 minute increments rotating the sheets every 10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Caramel Bites
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Caramel Bites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×11 pan with tinfoil (sprayed) and parchment paper.
For The Crust:
1 Box of S’Moreables Gluten Free Graham Style Crackers
6 Tablespoons of Dairy Free Butter, melted
1/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
For The Topping:
1/2 Cup of Dairy Free Butter
3/4 Cup of Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Cups of Miniature Marshmallows
3/4 Cup of Sliced Almonds
1 Cup of Unsweetened Flaked Coconut (I used Let’s Do Organic)
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they turn into fine crumbs. Add the 6 Tablespoons of melted butter, the sugar, and the cinnamon and pulse until it all comes together.
Press the crust tightly into the pan (I used my fingers and then went over it with the bottom of a glass), sprinkle the marshmallows, almonds, and coconut over and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan melt the 1/2 cup of butter, the brown sugar, and the cinnamon over medium heat. Whisk until the butter and sugar are melted, it is ready when the mixture is thoroughly combined (no butter floating on top) and the sugar is no longer grainy. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the marshmallows, almonds, and coconut.
Bake for 20 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Cool completely. When ready to slice, remove the mixture from the pan with the tin foil. Fold down the sides of the foil and parchment and cut into bite sized pieces with a sharp knife.
These bars are very rich and I often mail them and deliver them to friends in goodie boxes so after cutting them, I like to place them on a couple of paper towels for 30 minutes (no more than 30 minutes though because they’ll stick) before boxing. It helps remove any extra butter that may transfer in the packaging.
gluten free zen 