Chicken Nuggets!

These are chick-fil-a style chicken nuggets, not like processed meat style.. though someday i'd like to make those too .. for fun. 

about 1 lb chicken breast or tenders or whatever kind of raw chicken you want to use
1/4 cup flour mixture (I used sorghum and a bit of corn flour this time, i'm sure about anything would work)
3/4 tsp salt or garlic salt
1 tsp garlic powder 

(whatever other seasonings you'd like to use)
about 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

chicken nuggets!

Cut chicken into small pieces, about 1 in -1.5 in.  Coat with flour, by tossing in a bowl, or a ziplock bag or whatever.  Then pour in coconut oil (try to spread it out) and toss - they will look less pretty after the oil - then put them in the oven on foil.  450 in a regular oven for about 15 mins, or if you want to be super excited about how fast and easy they are I used a convection toaster oven, 425 for 6-8 mins and they were DONE! I made way too many today so i'm excited to see how they are left over - next time i think i'm going to try freezing them prepared, but raw.  

 I also roasted almonds today, in a sauce pan - the top half are dry roasted, nothing but raw almonds in the pan stirring constantly - the bottom half were roasted with just a bit of coconut oil - they are browner and prettier and i can't tell a difference in taste/oiliness.  They are done when they smell nutty and the skins just start to crack or when they taste good ;). 

Drop Biscuits! (Gluten and Dairy free!)

Even if you're not gluten free, I've been looking for a whole grain biscuit recipe that works and this is it!! Though I don't know if it would work with whole wheat flour, because that stuff is kind of .. you know, gluten-y..  

PREHEAT THE OVEN to 425.  (this is important because its ideal to get them in the oven right away)

4 cups gluten free flours*
2 tbs + 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 + 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2 tsp your choice of sugar
2 cups milk mixture at room temperature or slightly warmer (1 & 7/8 cups milk substitute- i used rice milk - and 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, we are making a butter milk substitute)
3 T melted coconut oil

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix, in a separate bowl, combine the "milk" and oil. Add the wet to the dry and stir until just combined plus a little - the mixture will get REALLY fluffy quickly, don't mix beyond that point. 'drop' onto pan, they will bake as is, so you don't need much space between them at all.  Bake at 425 for 12-15 min

*this time I used 2 cups sorghum four, 1 cup buckwheat flour,  1/2 cup millet, 1/2 cup brown rice flour. - I was trying to use more of the less expensive flours.

Green Muffins!

And we aren't talking about earth day, people!  I've always heard this and that about green smoothies - but i just saw this spinach in the fridge and .. ta-da!

In person, this looked kind of a horrible color

Green Muffins!

Here they are next to the regular muffins, they don't even look that different - I added about 1 cup of packed fresh spinach to my muffin recipe.  Added the spinach to the wet ingredients and used an immersion blender to puree it all together - this also seemed to help make the muffins light and fluffy, because of the extra well beaten egg (i guess?)  No other changes in baking time or anything. 

I've been adding spinach to a lot of things lately,  green scrambled eggs are a big hit with the kids! (and of course i forgot to take a picture!! they look awesome!, same technique with the blender! )

s'mores!!

you need 3 things to make s'mores - and why not make them all ?  because the process can easily take all day? yeah, well. i did this over 2 afternoons and most of it with the kids.. and it was FUN.  

 

Yesterday I made Marshmallows with the kids - it was way simpler than i thought it would be .. you just have to listen to your candy thermometer and then let the stand mixer do the rest

 

• 3 T of unflavored gelatin (1 box of 4 package Knox = 3T)
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 cup chilled filtered water
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp real vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powder sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• non-stick spray

Directions:

1.  Chill whisk attachment and mixer bowl. (just stick it in the fridge, though honestly I'm not sure this was really necessary)

2.  Dissolve 3 T of gelatin into 1/2 cup of chilled water.  (yes, it gets all hard and weird) 

3. In a pan on the stove, combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and salt. 

4. Heat, stirring occasionally, with a candy thermometer in the solution.  

5. watch the thermometer closely and remove from heat when it reaches 'soft ball'(about 235 degrees)

6. remove the mixer bowl & whisk from the fridge & put the weird hard gelatin-water mixture in the bowl.  

7. turn on the mixer and slowly pour the hot sugar solution into the mixing bowl 

8. mix/whisk at a fairly high speed for 10-15 mins - until it looks like a thick marshmallow cream & has about doubled in size

9. while the mixer is going - mix powdered sugar and corn starch in a small bowl, spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray, and then coat with the sugar/cornstarch mixture.  

10. once the marshmallow cream looks done pour it into the pan (spread evenly), sprinkle remaining cornstarch/sugar mixture on top. 

11. let set up for at least a couple hours - then dump out onto a cutting board and cut up the marshmallows (i used kitchen scissors) coat the cut sides with more powdered sugar (i just threw them back in the 9x13 pan and rolled them around a bit and there was enough to coat them)

Now for the Chocolate chips...

These are amazing, in their own way. in some ways, they don't even taste like chocolate, in another way, they are so rich and yummy.  I got the recipe here. But her pictures and everything are with butter, though it says you can use coconut oil - and I did, the pictures don't do me much good cause the coconut oil melted almost immediately.  anyway.

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar (i used half coconut sugar, half raw sugar)
1 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

combine coconut oil, sugar, and cocoa powder - make up some sort of double boiler - the original recipe used a glass jar, i used a stainless steel mixing bowl - then let everything melt together, stirring occasionally for about 10 mins. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and pour the melty chocolatey mixture into the pan.  Place in the fridge until it hardens, then break up your 'chocolate chips' and enjoy! 

Graham Crackers (Gluten and Dairy free!) 

Alright, last but not least .. I started with this recipe - for the most part, i stuck to it - except, of course, i made it dairy free.  And i really don't like having to go back and read through a really long blog post looking for a recipe when i don't follow the instructions anyway, so here is what i did.  (...and it worked fabulously, by the way - and i think the  blogger that developed this recipe has convinced me that i need a good kitchen scale) 

1/2 cup + 2 tbs sorghum flour

1/3 cup + 1 tbs brown rice flour
1/3 - 1tbs cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup + 2 tbs sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold (so, solid) coconut oil (i used 2 tbs unrefined and 5 tbs refined - didn't want them to taste too coconuty)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons water
cinnamon sugar (for sprinkling) 

Combine dry ingredients - cut in coconut oil, like you would butter.  until the flours are crumbly - if its warm and it looks wet - put it in the fridge then try again.  Once you've got a sandy looking flour mixture with no large clumps - add in 3tbs of water and the honey and mix until you can form a ball - put the ball in the fridge for 15 mins and preheat the oven to 325.  After the dough ball is cool again, split it in half (leave half in the fridge) and roll out on a sheet of parchment paper with another piece of parchment paper or wax paper on top (this gluten free thing can be sticky, but this wasn't too bad).  peel off the top paper, cut the crackers/cookies to the size you want (no need to separate, just make a cut) sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and get them in the oven - if at any point they start to melt or get hard to work with, well before they are in the oven, just put them back in the fridge.  bake 15-20 mins, then repeat with the 2nd half of the dough.   

Somehow, i managed to not take a picture of the final product with the homemade chocolate chips, so i guess this will do .. to make the s'mores - you're pretty much going to have to use a toaster oven.  The microwave doesn't really work as the homemade chocolate chips and marshmallows melt really quickly.  These marshmallows are also not suitable for roasting on a stick over an open flame.. at least i don't think they are - i think they would melt off the stick before they really toasted.  The chocolate chips melt quickly in the toaster oven too and the marshmallows go from normal to melted and burnt in, literally, a few seconds, so watch it carefully. 

Black bean chicken soup

• some black beans (if using canned, about 2 cans, drained - honestly i didn't measure mine - they were frozen cooked dry beans) 

• 4-6 chicken tenders, or 1-2 chicken breasts (raw)
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cans (or equivalent)  of diced tomatoes
• 8 oz of chicken or veggie broth 
• 1 can (or equivalent) of corn
• 1tbs cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more if you used no canned veggies, less if you used all canned veggies)

Heat a bit of oil in a large stock pot, add garlic, onion, celery and cut up chicken.  Saute until chicken is done. 

Add broth, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and spices.  Simmer for 30-45 mins or more. 

serve with tortilla chips - and if you're not dairy free, this would be fabulous with sour cream and cheddar on top. 

Yum. 

oh and i made this bread today. isn't it lovely?

 

BROWNIES.

Who doesn't love brownies?  yeah, thought so.   These are wonderful, an 'in between brownie' - not cakey or chewy.  and spectacular even if you don't need a gluten and dairy free brownie..  I like to think of them as a brownie, but also a food (and therefore a suitable breakfast if you're having one of those days... )

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cashew butter (or almond butter)
2 eggs
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (or apple sauce)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup millet flour
1 TBS tapioca starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Bake in greased 8x8 pan for about 4o mins at 350.

Hershey Kiss Cookies..

Gluten free and ALMOST Dairy free Hershey Kiss Cookies - these cookies are SERIOUSLY good.

The only part of this recipe that is not dairy free is the hershey kisses .. sooo you might replace them with something else if you want it to be dairy free.. 

1 Sorghum flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp Xanthan Gum1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. oil blend (i mixed 1 part refined coconut oil, 1 part unrefined coconut oil) 
1/3 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter, in this recipe i used natural creamy pnut butter)
1/2 c. sugar (I used raw)
1/2 c. brown sugar (coconut or something like that) 
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

combine baking soda, flour, xanthan gum and salt in one bowl. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars in another bowl. Add beaten egg and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients.

Then shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Take from oven; place a Hershey Kiss in center of cookie. Return to oven for 2-5 minutes.

yum yum YUM!