Peach and Blueberry Cobbler (SRC)

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan, Vegetarian by naturalnoshing

Pies, cobblers, crisps…talk about comfort food! A sweet and cake-y or crumbly topping paired with a warm fruit filling make for the ideal combination of a flavors and textures that scream EAT ME NOW. Cobbler transports me back to vacation days at my grandparent’s in South Carolina…and my cousins, brother and I couldn’t wait to taste grandma’s homemade treat. Topped with her homemade peach ice cream, we all reached food nirvana (and a blissful sugar-induced coma)!

I was thrilled to be assigned Margaret’s Tea and Scones blog for the last hurrah for the Secret Recipe Club! It’s the final reveal for the club, and I want to all the hosts and members for making so many wonderful memories and fantastic recipes 🙂 For the finale, I couldn’t help but choose a “sweet ending” and a dish that evokes a huge heartfelt smile…so when I saw Margaret’s recipe for Peach Cobbler, I was sold.
Originally, I was deciding between Margaret’s Coconut and Salmon Laska Soup or her Chai Spice Scones yet a dessert seemed appropriate for this occasion, and I was not disappointed! I can’t wait to try other fruits and combos as well! A few other recipes that had me still loving fall flavors are her Sweet Potato Praline Brownies, Pumpkin Beer Bread and Sweet Potato Curry Puffs — there’s no denying winter squash and sweet taters are some of my favorite foods. They are most definitely on my list of dishes to try!

peach-blueberry-cobbler1

To make it allergen-friendly, I swapped out the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flours for a combo of oat flour and coconut flour to make it gluten-free. Margaret mentioned the cobbler needed to be a little sweeter so I opted for coconut sugar for the granulated sweetener and added some stevia to bump up the sweetness without a ton of added sugar. I also swapped non-dairy milk and butter-flavored coconut oil for the butter (and canola) to make it dairy-free. I had a few blueberries in the freezer and some leftover ground chia seeds so I tossed them in along with the frozen peaches for some added color, fiber and omega-3s. What a lovely recipe, the blueberry-peach reminded me so much of my sweet grandma! With these ingredients – oats, peaches, berries, coconut oil and chia…this made for a guilt-free yet decadent-tasting breakfast and a sweet AND satisfying dessert.

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler (adapted from Tea and Scones)
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Soy-free, Corn-free, Refined Sugar-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Nut-free, Seed-free

Filling
3 large ripe peaches or 3 cups unsweetened frozen sliced peaches, diced into 1 inch cubes
2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or berries of choice or more peaches)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tsp chia meal/ground chia seeds (or 2 tsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch)
1/8 tsp pure stevia and/or 3-4 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice

Topping
3/4 cup oat flour (I ground gluten-free rolled oats in a magic bullet)
2 Tbsp coconut flour (or 4 more Tbsp oat flour)
¼ cup coconut palm sugar or granulated sweetener of choice
15 drops vanilla-flavored liquid stevia or to taste (can use1/16 tsp powdered stevia or 3 more Tbsp granulated sweetener)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice
3 Tbsp coconut oil (I used butter-infused) or earth balance, ghee (if you can tolerate dairy), melted
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. To make the filling, if using fresh peaches, bring a 4-quart pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. With a paring knife, slice through each peach skin from end to end, but leave the peach intact. Place the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to the ice water for 30 seconds. Remove the skin from the peaches. Split the peaches in half, remove the pits, and slice each peach into 8 slices.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the sliced peaches, berries, lemon juice, cinnamon, and starch. Add the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, to taste depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Pour the peach mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish.

4. To make the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, butter, and oil and stir to combine. Distribute spoonfuls of the batter over the peaches, leaving some patches uncovered. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Bake until golden brown, 25-28 minutes.

Yields 4 large or 6 medium servings
peach-blueberry-cobbler-pan

To view other recipes from this month’s reveal, click the link below!

21Feb2016

Allergy-Friendly Grain-free Waffles (SRC)

Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Refined Sugar Free, Sides and Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian by naturalnoshing

As a child, my mom made these Mickey Mouse waffles that I still remember to this day. The waffle iron was in the shape of Mickey’s face and my favorite part was saving his waffle ears to eat last and filling them up with lots of maple syrup…mmm! A good hearty breakfast is right up with there with pizza and brownies on my “top comfort foods list” and waffles are always included.

Not to mention, the smell of waffles cooking is deliciously intoxicating…how can you go wrong with this bread-like goodness that’s fluffy yet crisp on the edges? Plus, you can pile them with toppings from fruit and chocolate chips to savory options like crumbled bacon, scrambled eggs and/or a smear non-dairy cashew cheese (or shredded cheese). YUM!

Allergy-friendly Waffles with eggs

I was assigned Traci’s blog Burnt Apple this month for the Secret Recipe Club, and wow what a fun collection of recipes to search through! Not only does her site contain a delicious repertoire, Traci has a knack for “taking any meal and giving it a healthy makeover.” Her Healthy Pixie Sticks have me intrigued, photos of her gluten-free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls had me salivating and her Dark Chocolate Thin Mints had dreaming if my old favorite Girl Scout cookies with a fun twist.

I ultimately chose these allergy friendly waffles since I’ve been in a bit of a breakfast funk and I was in the mood for comfort food. The fact that you can roll the waffles with a rolling pin to make a “waffle wrap” also caught my attention! These grain-free beauties use half coconut flour and half tapioca starch which boosts the fiber content, making them chock-ful of healthy fats and balanced carbs.

AIP version of Allergy-friendly Waffles without eggs
I opted to make two batches of waffles: I wanted to test each of Traci’s options – trying both the vegan/AIP (auto-immune protocol recipe) version without eggs and the paleo-friendly version with eggs to see what the difference was in the final product. When struggling with my own health and food allergies, I’ve experimented with AIP recipes so I wanted to give them both a shot. I’m so glad I came across this recipe, it’s a winner! I used coconut milk for the non-dairy milk, coconut oil for the fat and I substituted a sprinkle of stevia (to taste) instead of sugar in both recipes but stuck to the original recipe.

The waffles with eggs were delightful! Crisp on the edges, light and fluffy and filling with a touch of sweet 🙂 When I made the AIP-version of the waffles, they took much longer to cook in the waffle iron than the batter made with eggs, while delicious the result was more gummy and not fluffy like typical waffles. My bananas has light brown specks on them so I think a greenish yellow banana might be better since it’s more starchy and/or increase the amount of coconut flour by 1-2 Tbsp. I will give these a go again! I might even experiment with plantains instead of bananas since they are more starchy in general. Each batch makes about 8 waffles, so feel free to freeze any extras and just pop them into a toaster oven when you want a quick breakfast!

AIP version of Allergy-friendly Waffles without eggs

Allergy Friendly Waffles (lightly adapted from Burnt Apple)
Gluten-free, Grain-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Seed-free, Sugar-free, Paleo-friendly, Nightshade-free, Vegetarian, Egg-free option, AIP-option, Yeast-free, Vegan Option

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup non-dairy milk of choice (cow’s milk can be used if you tolerate but won’t be dairy-free)
3 eggs (AIP use two bananas in place of the eggs)
1 tbsp coconut sugar or sugar or a pinch of stevia*
1 tsp alcohol-free pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil (can use melted ghee or butter but will not be dairy-free or AIP)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

For serving (optional, ideas)

Sliced bananas or fresh berries
Carob chips or chocolate chips or cacao nibs (not AIP-friendly unless homemade)
Maple syrup, drizzle of honey or your favorite jam or jelly
Your favorite nut or seed butter (not AIP-friendly)
Shredded coconut or coconut flakes
Nitrate-free bacon (not vegetarian) or coconut “bacon”
Coconut whipped “cream”

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter or oil until smooth. Add in the coconut flour, tapioca or arrowroot flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until smooth.
Heat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions. Brush waffle iron with oil or butter. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto each waffle iron. (You may need to adjust the amount of batter depending on the size of your waffles). Close and cook according to manufacturers instructions.
Remove waffles from iron (if AIP batter is used, you may need a fork to carefully peel the waffles off the iron), serve immediately or allow waffles to cool to room temperature before placing in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
To make waffle rollups: While waffle is warm, roll with a rolling pin until flat. Fill with bacon, scrambled eggs, veggies, fresh fruit or any other combination you like. Place toppings in a thin strip along the waffle. Roll up and serve.

Yield: 8 waffles

For AIP-friendly version notes: If your bananas are sweet and speckled with brown, you might consider eliminating the sweetener altogether if you prefer more savory waffles. As I mentioned above, when I made the AIP-version of the waffles, they took MUCH longer to cook in the waffle iron than the batter made with eggs. My bananas has light brown specks on them so a more green banana might be better since it’s more starchy or increase the amount of coconut flour by 1-2 Tbsp.

Grain-free waffles 2 Allergy-friendly Waffles with eggs

For other recipes in this week’s reveal, click the link below!

16Nov2015

Autumn Spice Butternut Quick Bread (Grain-free)

Posted in Breads, Dessert, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Sides and Snacks, Vegetarian by naturalnoshing

Although winter is already here in Montana, I am still holding onto fall. I could eat winter squash and pumpkin year-round but this time of year these ingredients particularly shine. This quick bread with warm autumn spices is another way of holding onto my favorite season.

Cant. Get. Enough 🙂

This bread can be a quick breakfast on the go, a sweet snack when you need a pick-me-up or part of a dessert. I’ve enjoyed slices straight from the fridge but have experimented with the following serving options to mix it up!

Serve lightly toasted with a pat of Earth Balance (ghee or butter if you do dairy) or a spoonful of coconut butter
Smear a generous spoonful of “cream cheese” (I love dairy-free cashew cheese, recipe to come) and drizzle with maple syrup
Crumble the bread and layer it with toasted pecans or walnuts with your favorite vanilla yogurt or coconut whipped cream for a parfait
Serve toasted or warmed with a scoop of vanilla or toasted coconut ice cream and sprinkle with dairy-free chocolate chips

I’ve also substituted the butternut squash puree for leftover mashed yams and pumpkin puree with success! I’ve made variations of this bread a couple times already this year…it gets eaten too quickly for me to snap photos…I finally kept my hands off to take a shot (after 1/3 of the loaf was already gone…oops!).

Autumn Spice Butternut Quick Bread
Gluten-free, Grain-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Paleo-friendly, Nut-free, Vegetarian, Refined-Sugar Free

Ingredients

½ cup sifted coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of cloves
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp maple syrup + 1/4 tsp pure stevia extract (or 1/4 cup of your favorite sweetener)
½ cup melted coconut oil (or ghee or butter if you are ok with dairy)
1 cup butternut squash puree (any winter squash or sweet potato puree can be used)

Add in options: 1/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, chocolate or carob chips

Directions

Heat your oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease well.
In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs well. Add remaining liquid ingredients (vanilla though puree) and whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth (the batter will be thick and thicken as it sits due to the highly absorbent coconut flour).
Spoon the batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife going into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to let cool, then slice and enjoy!

autumn spice cake

18Sep2013

White Turkey Chili

Posted in Chicken & Poultry, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dish, Refined Sugar Free, Soups and Salads by naturalnoshing

Yes, yes…YES! Fall is here! The breeze is cool, the morning air is crisp and I was able to break out a jacket this week! With Fall being my absolute favorite time of year, I was ready to jump in the kitchen and whip up some “comfort food”.

Warming you to the core, this white turkey chili is packed with flavor, a bit of heat (if desired). protein and fiber. I garnished my bowl with a large scoop of guacamole, baby spinach (for some extra greens), and a squeeze of lime juice…and I was cuddled up on the couch with a huge grin on my face. Needless to say, I am quite the happy camper 🙂

Here’s to soup season!

Feel free to garnish your bowl with shredded cheese and/or sour cream/Greek yogurt (if you are not dairy-free), or crush a few tortilla chips over your dish for a little crunch if that makes you happy! This chili keeps well and would be a delicious option for get togethers or Monday night football.

White Turkey Chili
Gluten-free, Grain-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Corn-free, Dairy-free

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil, butter, or ghee (use oil for dairy free)
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey (beef or chicken or cubed chicken breast can be subbed)
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 anaheim or poblano peppers, deveined, deseeded and diced
1 jalapeño, deveined, deseeded and diced
2-3 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fajita seasoning
2 Tbsp coconut flour (or other gluten-free flour like arrowroot to help thicken broth)
2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth or stock
4 oz diced green chilis (I used canned)
16 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cups cooked white navy or cannelini beans (if using canned, rinse well and drain)
juice from 1 lime + more for serving
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 tsp hot sauce or 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper to taste (only if you prefer a little kick)
sea salt and pepper to taste

diced avocado or guacamole for serving
leafy greens for wilting (optional) – spinach, kale, collards
shredded cheese (optional, omit for dairy-free)

Directions

1. In a medium soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil/butter over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook for 5-7 minutes until starting to brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Add onions, garlic, both peppers and seasonings to the pan and cook until onions are soft, stirring often, for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add coconut flour and stir to coat vegetables and meat.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and then add in the mushrooms, green chilis and beans and stir. Let cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms start to cook through.
5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Let cook for an additional couple minutes. Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce/cayenne (if using) to taste.
6. If adding greens, place in soup pot and let cook for until wilted (2 minutes for spinach, 5-7 for more hearty greens).
7. Serve in bowls and garnish with guacamole or avocado, a squeeze of lime and/or shredded cheese or crushed chips. Enjoy!

Serves about 4-6