Category Archives: breakfast

Remember donuts? Those sweet, light, fluffy fun circles that went so well with a cup of coffee? For many of us on a gluten-free diet, donuts are just no longer part of our routine. They’re just not an option.

But what if I told you they could be part of your life again? While I was not a big donut person before I went gluten-free, I tried something new – I opted to bring donuts back as part of our gluten-free lifestyle as a lovely weekend breakfast treat. But I wanted them to be so good, you’d never guess they were gluten-free. After all, my kids and husband don’t eat gluten-free, so I have to convince them that my baked goods are just as tasty as what they can get down at the corner bakery. It’s a challenge for me, and one I faced gladly.

These blueberry buckwheat donuts are a healthier (because they’re baked) breakfast treat that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and full of sunny flavor. They’re also made with whole grain flours (buckwheat and brown rice), so there’s a bit more nutrition on these treats than a typical donut. What I loved most, however, was that they were light – something hard to come by in gluten-free baked goods!

If you don’t have a donut pan, don’t fret – these can be made in a muffin tin as well. You may wish to increase your baking time slightly to compensate.

Blueberry Lemon Buckwheat Donuts

½ c non-dairy milk (I used homemade cashew milk)

2 T chia seed meal

2 eggs

1 T olive oil

1/3 c sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1 t lemon zest

½ c freshly ground buckwheat flour

¼ c brown rice flour

¼ c arrowroot flour

1 t baking powder

¼ t baking soda

1/8 t kosher salt

½ c blueberries

2/3 c powdered sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a nonstick donut pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together non-dairy milk and chia seed meal until there are no lumps. Add eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk dry mixture into wet until combined. Gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter evenly into donut pan and spread out. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan. Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes more on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until there are no lumps. Allow to come to a simmer on low heat, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat.

Dip each donut into glaze on both sides and return to wire rack to allow excess to drip off.

Makes 6 donuts.

Do you have a recipe that’s so good, no one would guess it’s gluten-free? Submit it to the Udi’s Look Again It’s Gluten Free Recipe Contest on Facebook! You could win a 3 day/2 night trip for two people to California, a gluten-free cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu, or Udi’s shopping bags with Udi’s coupons!

Also, check out Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community for a wealth of gluten-free living tips, tricks, recipes, and more!

I loved combining new flavors and gluten free ingredients to create this delicious recipe. Now I’m curious to know, what do you enjoy most about trying something new?

For your chance to win a $350 William Sonoma gift card to purchase a Kitchen Aid Mixer or other gluten free cooking tool of your choice, complete these two steps:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine. Official BlogFrog Sweepstakes Rules.

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

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posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012 by altawrites Posted in Baked goods,breakfast,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Kid-Friendly,Vegetarian 13 Comments

A Gluten-Free Holiday is being hosted this week over at Diet, Dessert, and Dogs by Ricki Heller, and the theme is Holiday Breakfast and Brunch. Ricki is giving away a copy of her book, Sweet Freedom, and a copy of Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays by Jennifer Katzinger, so be sure and head over there to check out the party!

Christmas is a time filled with lots of indulgences. Lots of cookies, tons of candy, and ever-so-special baked treats that make the season bright. Breakfasts are no exception, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t fond of a Christmas stollen, donuts, or a coffee cake. But overindulgence in these treats, I’ve learned, comes at a price – my still-sensitive system still can’t handle a ton of sweets and grains, even gluten-free ones. So I pick and choose when and what I’m going to enjoy, even on the holidays. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for “special” meals – far from it! Special, in my mind, means something that’s a departure from the everyday (in a good way), and that doesn’t always have to equate to extra sugar. In fact, for breakfast, I know I prefer a protein-and-veggie-filled meal to a carb-heavy one.

Hence the reason for this frittata. It comes together relatively quickly. Of course, the most important part? It’s tasty, in a light and fresh sort of way. Yes, there is some bacon involved (which also ups the “special” factor a bit), but it’s definitely nowhere near as heavy as most baked egg dishes, which are full of cream and cheese. The bacon and sun-dried tomatoes are pleasant components here, providing some depth of flavor without being overwhelming. This frittata is a delicious way to start a special day, and is light enough to leave room for a bit of other Christmas breakfast goodies, such as those being shared over at Diet, Dessert and Dogs this week!

Zucchini and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata

2 slices bacon, cut in half to fit skillet

1/4 c thinly sliced onion

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)

3 T sun-dried tomatoes (I used my dehydrated “tomato candy“)

1/4 c roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 eggs, whisked

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a small 8-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat and fry bacon until crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Remove bacon, leaving the grease in the pan. Once bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble. Add the onion to the pan and saute for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini. Saute until just tender and brown in a few spots, then add the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and crumbled bacon. Toss together a bit, and remove from heat. Add the whisked eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the vegetables and bacon together with the eggs a bit to incorporate everything evenly. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until eggs are set in the center. Remove from oven, and place a plate upside-down over the skillet. Holding the bottom of the plate with one hand, and the handle of the skillet with the other, flip the pan and plate together so that the plate is now at the bottom and the skillet upside-down on top. The frittata should come free from the skillet and lay on the plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes enough for 2 as part of a breakfast or brunch. Can be doubled – just bake in a larger skillet, perhaps for a few extra minutes.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

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posted on Thursday, December 8th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Eggs,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Paleo/Primal,Pork,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free 12 Comments

 The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

Yeah, when I read that, I got a lump in my throat. You know the kind – it was exactly like a cartoon character, facing imminent doom, swallowing that lump with the audible “gulp”. Scary.

Why so scary? Well, in addition to making gluten-free croissants (Kate over at Gluten-Free Gobsmacked has successfully made those, and they look amazing), since I really haven’t been consuming grains lately, I wanted to make them grain-free. And who has heard of grain-free, dairy-free, yeast-free croissants? Not me. But I figured I’d give it a shot. They wouldn’t be flaky in the traditional sense, but I’d try my best to make something edible and resembling a croissant.

And so I got started. I made a stiff dough and chilled it. I pounded out butter and chilled it too. I then read through the instructions posted on the Daring Bakers challenge, and in the spirit of how Julia Child makes her croissants, I folded over the dough multiple times, rolled it out, and eventually (very carefully) rolled up my croissants.

How did they come out? Well, like I said, not flaky in the traditional sense. However, they were edible. Tender even. I would have liked them a touch sweeter, actually, but overall, I was surprised that they came out. They’d definitely be tasty to dip into a sauce at dinner. It’s definitely a recipe worth investigating further.

I’ll consider this a win for me!

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Croissants

1 c almond flour

1/2 c coconut flour

1/2 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 eggs

1/4 c non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious unsweetened coconut beverage)

1/4 c vegan butter*

1 egg white, for brushing

1 t turbinado sugar

Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs until frothy and add the non-dairy milk and whisk in. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir to incorporate. The dough should be barely sticky; add additional almond flour as needed. On a large sheet of parchment paper, pat out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, take another sheet of parchment paper and stick the butter on it. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top, and using a roller pin, pound out the butter until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle with a bit of almond flour and roll out into 1/4 – 1/8 inch thick rectangle between the two sheets of parchment (if you’re having difficulty with the parchment sticking to the dough, sprinkle with a bit more almond flour. With some care, you ought to be able to peel away the parchment and leave the dough in one piece). Scrape butter from the paper and spread out onto the top two-thirds of the dough.

spreading out butter on my not-so-rectangular rectangle of dough

Fold the bottom third up. Fold the top third over the bottom third.

dough folded into thirds

Turn the dough 90 degrees, and roll out again to 1/4-1/8 inches.

turning dough 90 degrees

Repeat the process of folding in thirds and rolling out 4 times. After it’s rolled out for the final time, cover with parchment and stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the dough from refrigerator and cut into about 9 squares with a pizza cutter. Cut each square in half diagonally to make two triangles out of each square.

cutting dough into triangles

Carefully roll up each triangle into a croissant shape, and place on a lined baking sheet. Curve the ends.

rolling up croissants

Brush each croissant with the egg white, and sprinkle a bit of turbinado sugar over each.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

 *vegan butter such as Earth Balance isn’t entirely grain-free, as it has ingredients derived from corn and soy, but you could possibly substitute shortening for the vegan butter. I’d be interested to see how it turns out.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

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posted on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Baked goods,breakfast,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Kid-Friendly,Side Dishes 14 Comments

 Before August brought the seemingly endless heat, I planted some butternut squash. It started out so well – it grew  by leaps and bounds every day, started blossoming, and gave promise of much delicious winter squash. Then the heat got the best of it. In spite of my watering, my butternut was just no match for 105-110 degree days. (I guess squash isn’t a desert plant!) I had three small butternut squashes from one plant before they all shriveled up, like just about everything else in the garden.

All but one, that is. A few weeks ago, seemingly from nowhere, I had one last plant that got a second wind and started to grow again. I was unsure whether it would be strong enough to set any fruit, but yesterday, when I went out to water, I noticed two blossoms on it. So I’m hopeful that we’ll get a few more butternut squash from my garden before the season is over.

These three small squash were used in this hash for breakfast yesterday morning. Along with some zucchini, a bit of onion, and some spices, this was a hearty, wake-up-your-tastebuds change from the usual morning fare. I topped mine with some perfectly fried eggs.

This week is back-to-reality time for us, as we go back to work after taking a week off and traveling. I started to get prepared by boiling some eggs for our lunches, and hoped to make some more granola bars (recipe will be in my book!) for my husband. However, my usual marathon Sunday cooking was short-circuited by some air conditioning issues we started having. The oven was turned off (along with just about every light in the house) when the house started heating up. We had it working for a while, but I already deviated from the meal plan, swapping meatloaf (Sunday’s planned meal) for a cooler, simpler option planned for Monday night – grilled chicken with salad. Here’s to hoping the A/C is in full working order later this week so I can still use the oven. Meatloaf will have to wait until this next weekend – good thing I have room in the freezer for the meat!

Monday:

Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs, leftover asparagus, carrots, and spaghetti squash

Morning snack: pear

Lunch: garden salad topped with grilled chicken breast with a homemade honey mustard dressing

Dinner: leftover curried chicken wings, mashed potatoes, green beans (A/C guy is coming this afternoon, so this may be very up in the air!)

Tuesday:

Breakfast: leftover chicken breast, spinach-blueberry-banana smoothie

Lunch: leftover curried chicken wings, carrots, spinach, pear

Dinner: chicken piccata, spaghetti squash, broccoli

Wednesday:

Breakfast: eggs, spinach-peach smoothie

Lunch: leftover chicken piccata, spaghetti squash, broccoli

Dinner: pumpkin shepherd’s pie (if this is successful, I’ll share the recipe!), braised cabbage

Thursday:

Breakfast: eggs, braised cabbage

Lunch: leftover pumpkin shepherd’s pie, tangelo

Dinner: roasted whole chicken, zucchini and sun-dried tomato casserole, mashed sweet potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast: leftover chicken and sweet potatoes

Lunch: leftover zucchini casserole, eggs

Dinner: out – it’s Brandan’s 15th birthday, so we’ll be celebrating!

…and now, for the curried squash hash.

Curried Squash Hash, inspired by Everyday Paleo

1 T coconut oil

1 1/2 c diced butternut squash

1/2 c diced zucchini

1/4 c diced red onion

2 t Madras curry powder

1/2 t cinnamon

A couple pinches of salt

Heat a large, heavy skillet to medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt, swirling around the pan to coat. Toss butternut squash, zucchini, onion, curry powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add to skillet and saute, allowing to cook undisturbed for a minute or two at a time before stirring, so that the pieces of squash get browned and crisp. When squash is tender, remove from heat and adjust seasoning as needed. This should take about 6-8 minutes.

Enjoy unadorned, or toss in crumbled, cooked bacon, and top with fried or poached eggs.

Hope you have a great week!

 This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free and was shared at Gluten-Free Detroit Metro for GF Menu Swap.

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posted on Monday, September 19th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Side Dishes,Vegan,Vegetables,Vegetarian 12 Comments

A few weeks ago, my husband surprised me. Little did I know he’d been tucking away money, but he sat me down, whipped out some cash, and told me that it was for a new VitaMix. I nearly cried, I was so excited. I ordered it right away, and it arrived at my doorstep a few days later.

Of course, the first things I made with it were my morning smoothies. No real recipe there – often I toss a fruit or two, some spinach, some protein powder, and give it a whirl. But now, the smoothies are creamy. No more chewing bits of spinach! This Blueberry Spinach Mint Smoothie is even more of a delight in my new blender. Lately, I’ve been throwing fresh, ripe peaches in the blender and making creamy peachy concoctions. Delish.

But the VitaMix can do so much more than just make smoothies. You can actually “cook” soup in the blender – just blend on high speed for a few minutes, and I promise you, your soup will come out creamy, smooth, and HOT! It’s amazing. But it can also blend batters for baked goods. My first attempt? A chocolate zucchini muffin – without the addition of oils.

I wanted a little treat for breakfasts that wouldn’t be too rich, too sweet, or too indulgent. This muffin definitely delivers. You’d never know there was zucchini in the batter, as the VitaMix takes care of all of those little pieces. The muffin is denser than some, but I found it really enjoyable. Just the right amount of texture for a good, hearty muffin.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1/4 c brown rice flour (30 grams)

1/4 c potato starch (35 grams)

1/2 c sorghum flour (60 grams)

1 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

2 T cocoa powder (12 grams)

1/4 t guar gum

1/4 t salt

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t allspice

1/4 c egg whites

1 t vanilla extract

2/3 c coconut palm sugar (100 grams)

2 c coarsely chopped zucchini (255 grams)

1/2 c chopped pecans

1/2 c raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with papers.

Combine brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, guar gum, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl. Whisk until completely blended.

Place egg whites, vanilla, coconut palm sugar, and zucchini into blender and secure lid. Select Variable 1, then turn machine on and quickly increase speed. Blend for 15 seconds or until everything looks uniform. Stop blender and add dry ingredients. Secure lid and continue to blend for 20 seconds or until everything is uniform. If necessary, use tamper to press any ingredients into the blades.

Stop machine and pour mixture into large bowl. Mix in nuts and raisins by hand. Spoon into muffin papers 2/3 of the way full. Bake 16-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 1 dozen.

This post is linked to Eggs, Cream and Honey and Gluten-Free Easily’s March Muffin Madness.

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posted on Thursday, July 21st, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Dairy-Free,Desserts,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Kid-Friendly,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegetables,Vegetarian 23 Comments

Where have the menu plans gone? You might be asking. They haven’t been posted on my blog for a few weeks now. Well, long story short, I was on vacation for 2 weeks. While I had vague ideas of what I planned on cooking, I was in the midst of testing so many recipes for my upcoming book, and our schedule was so lax, that I didn’t have an actual “plan.” (In fact, there were evenings where, after hours of cooking and testing recipes, my husband asked what was for dinner, and my only plan was something like “There are brownies, a cake, crackers, bread, some tomato jam, and I’m working on a meatloaf. Would you like any of that?”  I had tons of food around, but often, there wasn’t a cohesive meal in sight.) Last week, I was still in post-vacation recovery mode, and a lot of the meals were last-minute compilations of what we needed to use up. Finally, this week, we’re back into the swing of things.

One of the recipes I was testing during my time off was a recipe I debuted last year, albeit in a slightly different form, as an appetizer for a crowd of guests (gluten and dairy eaters) that were visiting. Originally it was called an “appetizer square”, and was made with zucchini and crumbled pork sausage, rather than summer squash and chicken. It obviously went over well, as the pieces were gobbled down fairly quickly. When I came across it again, I remembered the abundance of squash in the refrigerator, and decided to make a different version. It turned out to be even better than the first, in my opinion.

What’s lovely about a recipe like this is that it’s versatile. Zucchini or summer squash can be used – and this time of year, most of us have more of both of these veggies than we’d like, so it’s a great way to use it up! Any leftover cooked meat can be used – or even beana (I could imagine black beans tasting scrumptious here!). Spice it how you’d like. Serve it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer. The sky is the limit here.

Summer Squash Chicken Frittata (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

½ c olive oil, divided

½ c diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t minced fresh sage

½ lb diced cooked chicken

½ t ground cumin

1 t herbs de Provence

1 t chile powder

4 whole eggs

½ c almond flour

¼ c coconut flour

1 T baking powder

3 c grated summer squash or zucchini

½ c Daiya cheese (or other non-dairy cheese)

1 T nutritional yeast flakes

½ t salt

¼ t ground black pepper

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions to skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, sage, and chicken and sauté for another minute. Remove and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Grease a 13X9 baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended, and add the rest of the oil and whisk. Add in the flours, baking powder, onion-garlic-chicken mix, grated squash and remaining ingredients. Spread into prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Makes 16 appetizer servings.

And now, for the menu for this week!

Monday

Breakfast: Healthy chocolate zucchini muffin, scrambled egg whites with spinach and tomato

Lunch: Roasted turkey breast, leftover veggies from Sunday dinner (grilled asparagus, green beans)

Dinner: Chicken with mole sauce, steamed brown rice, steamed broccoli

Tuesday

Breakfast: Smoothie with strawberries, spinach, protein powder, almond milk and chia seeds, scrambled egg whites with Daiya cheese

Lunch: Roasted turkey breast with baby carrots and steamed spinach, unless there are leftovers from dinner

Dinner: Garden salad, Meatballs

Wednesday

Breakfast: Healthy chocolate zucchini muffin, scrambled egg whites with spinach and tomatoes

Lunch: Garden salad with roasted turkey breast or tuna

Dinner: Brined pork chops, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed cauliflower and spinach

Thursday

Breakfast: Smoothie with acai berry, protein powder, banana, spinach, and chia seeds, scrambled egg whites

Lunch: Tuna, shredded carrots, and spinach in a brown rice tortilla wrap

Dinner: Grilled salmon, okra and tomatoes, grilled potatoes

Friday

Breakfast: Healthy chocolate zucchini muffin, scrambled egg whites with spinach and tomatoes

Lunch: Creamy tomato tofu soup, gluten-free crackers

Dinner: Fried brown rice with shrimp, green beans

Snacks this week will include fresh peaches, black bean dip on brown rice cakes, and apples with peanut or almond butter. I also have Tanka bars on hand if I need a bit of protein.

Want more great menu ideas? Check out Celiacs In The House and the Gluten-Free Menu Swap!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

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posted on Monday, June 27th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Appetizers,breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Chicken, Turkey, and other Poultry,Dairy-Free,Eggs,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Main Dishes,Meal Plans,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegetables 7 Comments

Yesterday was my first day back at the office, after enjoying two weeks of vacation at home. It was a glorious two weeks. We didn’t do much – we visited Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth, saw a movie, visited the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center, played with the XBOX 360 and Kinect, and I met Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free for lunch one day (which was wonderful!). Other than those things, some shopping, errands, and doctors appointments, there wasn’t a lot of schedule or planned activities. Which left me with LOTS of time to test recipes for my upcoming book!

Testing recipes starts out as fun. First, there’s an idea. It’s like a spark in your brain. This can happen anytime – many times, I’ll be immersed in another activity, such as running, watching TV (okay, so watching shows like Top Chef Masters does help get those creative juices flowing!), or chatting with my husband, and a concept will pop into my head. Then it’s as if I have little control over the mind flow that happens next – I start to envision a dish, and components fall into place. A bit of color here, some fresh herbs there, and a bit of citrus for acidity and balance…and suddenly, I need to do one of two things: either hop into the kitchen and start making my creation immediately, or else grab whatever I have to write on (or type) and jot down my ideas. During these past two weeks, many times, I had the freedom to hop into the kitchen. That was liberating and great fun.

But then reality starts to set in. Sometimes these grand ideas work the first time. But sometimes (many times), they don’t. Not that they’re all failures (although I’d had my share of those!), but they need tweaking. So I start again. And again. This is where it starts to not feel as “fun”. However, if I can persist through multiple trials, and see a successful dish arise from my experiments, then it’s all worth it. There is nothing more rewarding than working hard at something and finally feeling that sense of accomplishment.

But there’s another side to recipe testing. This is the side ”they” don’t talk about. The part where you have to taste. And taste. And taste again. All day, you’re nibbling. Next thing you know, that scale creeps up, bit by bit. That fourth and fifth version of your cookie recipe is slowly doing your figure some damage! Not to mention all those nibbles are not likely to add up to a balanced diet by the end of the day.

So I am trying to balance however I can. Being back at work this week puts me back into my routine, which helps. (It also slows down recipe testing progress, but c’est la vie…) I’m also trying to incorporate a good, nutrient-rich smoothie pretty often in my diet. This is a smoothie I’ve enjoyed quite a bit lately. For some reason, the combination of blueberries, mint, and spinach works well for me. It’s fresh, just barely sweet, and with a scoopful of protein powder, it’s filling enough and has staying power to get me through the morning. It certainly helps that blueberries are plentiful this time of year, and the mint in my garden is beginning to really take off. It’s perfect on a hot summer day, when the thought of a hot breakfast just doesn’t appeal.

Rarely do I follow a recipe when making my smoothies. It’s more of a dump-random-stuff-together-and-see-what-happens event. So if you don’t have something, feel free to substitute. A banana would work well in here. So would some coconut milk or yogurt (dairy or non-dairy, your choice). Change up the greens – use kale or swiss chard instead of spinach. Or omit them entirely, and add multiple varieties of berries for a berry-mint smoothie. It’s YOUR smoothie – make the most of it!

Blueberry Spinach Mint Smoothie

About 2 cups of baby spinach

1/2 c packed mint leaves

1/2 c fresh blueberries

1 T brown rice protein powder (I’ve been using Jarrow Brown Rice lately)

1 T hemp seeds (optional)

1 c coconut water

Ice

Stevia to sweeten, if desired

Add spinach, mint, blueberries, protein powder, hemp seeds, and coconut water together in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut water or ice if desired. Taste – if it’s not sweet enough for your liking, add a few drops of stevia extract and blend again.

Serve cold. Makes 1-2 servings.

Don’t forget! You can enter for your chance to win  Gluten-Free Made Simple by Carol Field Dahlstrom, Elizabeth Dahlstrom Burnley, and Marcia Schultz Dahlstrom! Check out my giveaway post here. Hurry, because the giveaway ends Saturday, June 25, 2011!

This post was submitted to the June 2011 SOS Challenge over at Diet, Dessert and Dogs and is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten-Free Homemaker.

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posted on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegan,Vegetarian 19 Comments

I love eggs. They’re not only healthy, a great source of inexpensive protein (even happy, free-range eggs don’t cost much), and one of the speediest things to cook, they also are SO tasty. One of my favorite ways to enjoy an egg is simply cooked sunny-side up, followed closely by poached. But sometimes, I want something with a little more flair, and more ability to incorporate the plethora of veggies in my kitchen. This is when an omelet is just the thing.

Omelets don’t need to be complicated. Of course, mine aren’t as delicately fancy and thin as some, but for my everyday breakfast, that’s fine by me. Just a single fold – enough to allow the filling inside to get all warm, melty, and mingled with the egg – works for my quick and healthy breakfast. I’ll save the fancier stuff for fancier occasions.

Another bonus about omelets – each one is customizable. That way, if you’re making omelets for other family members, everyone can pick out their favorite fillings. Today, I opted for a Southwestern style – a sauteed mix of shallots, diced tomato, serrano pepper, and spinach, topped with just a tiny bit of Daiya cheese. It was spicy, fresh, and packed with powerful flavors, but light enough so that I had energy to get on with my day. My kind of breakfast.

Southwestern Omelet (makes 1 omelet)

1 T olive oil

2 T sliced shallots

4-5 slices fresh serrano pepper (or more if you’re daring – my chile was HOT!)

1/4 c diced tomato

1 large handful of baby spinach

2 eggs, scrambled

2 T Daiya (or other non-dairy) cheese, or omit

1 T fresh chopped cilantro

Heat a small skillet (mine was about 8 inches) to medium heat and add half of the oil. Saute the shallots and serrano chile for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add tomato and spinach and continue to saute until spinach is wilted. Remove and set aside in a small bowl. Wipe out the skillet and add the rest of the oil. Swirl to coat well. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the eggs. Allow eggs to sit without stirring for a minute. Once eggs start to cook on the bottom, take a flexible spatula and carefully pull the edges of the eggs away from the skillet and allow the runny part to fill the space underneath. Do this all the way around the omelet. Repeat this once or twice more, or until the egg is starting to set up more. Once nearly set, add your veggie mixture on one side of the omelet and top with Daiya cheese. Top with a bit of cilantro. Then carefully flip the empty side of the omelet over onto the filling, holding the top in place for a moment or two, if necessary, until the egg stays folded. Allow to cook for another 30 seconds or so, and carefully remove from pan and put onto plate.

Enjoy.

Okay, by announcing it here, this makes it official, right? Are you ready? (Am I ready? Eeek!)

I am working on my first e-book! This book will be filled with gluten and dairy-free recipes that are tasty and healthy for the whole family, made from whole foods and real ingredients. But I need your help to make this happen. I will be furiously working on recipes here at home, but I need testers! If you’re interested in testing out recipes, please send me an email at alta2924 (at) hotmail (dot) com. I hope to be able to have recipe testing start in the next month or so. Thank you in advance for all of your help! This is a huge step for me, and I have so many dreams for this book – I certainly hope it’s as exciting for you as it will be for me!

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posted on Friday, June 10th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Eggs,Gluten-Free,Grain-Free,Healthy Meals,Main Dishes,Paleo/Primal,Quick and Easy,Refined Sugar-Free,Vegetables,Vegetarian 8 Comments

This giveaway has ended. For an opportunity to purchase a copy of this book and other great ebooks by Ricki Heller, visit her blog here. She has many wonderful sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan recipes on her blog as well!

When someone has food restrictions (one or several) and those restrictions include gluten, sugar, eggs, and/or dairy, breakfast tends to be the most difficult meal to adjust. After all, typical American breakfast fare includes cereal, donuts, muffins, milk, eggs, pancakes, and the list goes on. All of these items are off of the table when you throw in food restrictions such as those mentioned above. So what DO you eat?

If you have a copy of Ricki Heller’s (of the Diet, Dessert and Dogs blog) new ebook, Good Morning! Breakfasts without Gluten, Sugar, Eggs or Dairy, suddenly there are more options out there than one can comprehend. This ebook isn’t Ricki’s first, and it seems her talents in the kitchen just continue to improve with each book she publishes. This book gives back those items we all miss when on a restricted diet. Cereal? Yes! Muffins? Of course. Pancakes? She has two different recipes, plus a recipe for waffles! Ricki has even figured out how to make delicious egg alternative dishes, and shares these recipes in her Good Morning! ebook.

When she asked me to review a copy, I was excited. In an effort to lower my sugar intake, in combination with my avoidance of gluten and dairy, her recipes seemed like a blessing to me. She is endlessly creative, making “syrups” from almond butter and carob (she has a recipe for a sweet almond sauce that’s to die for) for topping pancakes (or sweet potatoes – she suggested it, and I happily followed her instructions.), or making vegan breakfast sausages using rice and walnuts. Ricki adheres to the Anti-Candida Diet, and all of her recipes are ACD-friendly. What I love is that they’re friendly to my tummy as well.

I wasn’t sure what to make from her ebook first. I browsed through the entire thing more than once. I finally settled on making some of her “sausage” patties. I had some leftover brown rice from dinner, and so I set to work, blitzing the ingredients in my food processor and baking the little patties. It was a wonderfully relaxed recipe, and the result was more than I’d bargained for. They weren’t nearly as greasy or over-the-top salty as store-bought breakfast sausage. (This was welcome, as far as I was concerned.) They were filling, satisfying, and had a lovely hearty texture. They were at home with sauteed vegetables, her “veggie-full” breakfast hash (recipe in the ebook) or with gluten-free pancakes. I was hooked.

What next, I wondered, as I looked through this ebook yet again? I decided I was dying to make her grain-free granola. The recipe enticed me – I love granola anyway, and I loved that this version was very low on sweeteners and full of good healthy fats from nuts and seeds. It also included root vegetables, which piqued my interest. So I made it.

And this past weekend, I had to make it again. It was that good. I stored this jar in my pantry, and it was so addictive that every time I ventured into the pantry, I’d end up with my hand in that jar. It also made a great breakfast with homemade almond milk or as a snack.

I would have to say that Ricki’s Good Morning! ebook has passed my “test” with flying colors. It’s definitely a reference that I’ll use over and over again.

And so should you. That’s why I was glad Ricki was gracious enough to give one of you lucky readers a copy! Yes, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Good Morning! Breakfasts without Gluten, Sugar, Eggs or Dairy by Ricki Heller. Just leave me a comment below and you’ll be entered! A winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, May 14, 2011.

Of course, if you want extra credit (a.k.a. extra entries), you can do the following:

“Like” Diet, Dessert and Dogs on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

“Like” Tasty Eats At Home on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

Subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

Subscribe to Tasty Eats At Home and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

That’s it! I wish you all the best of luck! Again, this giveaway ends May 14, so hurry!

There are still a few days left to enter into my giveaway for a copy of Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts by Carol Kicinski! Check it out and enter for your chance to win! Giveaway ends May 7, 2011.

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posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Vegetarian 92 Comments

grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free cinnamon roll

This month, for Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger (a fantastic event, initiated by Sea at Book of Yum, where gluten-free bloggers “adopt” one another, cook one or more of their recipes, and share them with the world, in the interest of becoming more acquainted with one another and enjoying one another’s recipes), I adopted Kelly of The Spunky Coconut. The Spunky Coconut is a relatively “new to me” blog; one I’ve only been frequenting for the past few months. I discovered it around the same time I was given her latest book , Grain-Free Baked Goods and Desserts as a gift. I was immediately hooked – the recipes are nutrient-dense, simple, and delicious. I’ve made her vanilla bean cake and her coffee cake, both in the blog and in her book. I loved them so much, I purchased her first book as well - The Spunky Coconut Cookbook. I knew I wanted to adopt her, just as an excuse to try more recipes. So I did.

But what to make? There are so many choices! I did have a lot of raw nuts lying around, so I first opted to soak and dehydrate them, just so I’d have some yummy snacks (or potential nut butter beginnings!). Kelly outlines some easy instructions on how to do this.

All you really need is time (and a dehydrator – although I’ve also done this before on the lowest setting in my oven, in my pre-dehydrator days). Mine took around 24 hours to dry in the dehydrator at 115 degrees. The nuts were tasty and crunchy – perfect for snacking.

And then this morning, I turned my attention to cinnamon rolls. Grain-Free Baked Goods and Desserts has a lovely cinnamon roll recipe – and it’s completely dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. The only change I made was that I added some raisins (about 1/4 cup) to the filling. They came out full of cinnamon-y flavor, but not overly sweet or sticky. They were a lovely “grown-up” breakfast treat, perfect with coffee.

These two recipes are just the tip of the iceberg of The Spunky Coconut. I encourage you to go. Visit. Browse around a bit. You might decide you want to try a vegan, raw-inspired caesar dressing for your salad. Or grain-free tortilla wraps (which are next on my list!). Or as it warms up outside, how about a chilled chia coffee drink? The recipes here are endlessly creative – I know they’ve opened up my mind to a lot of amazing possibilities in the kitchen!

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posted on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Baked goods,breakfast,Dairy-Free,Desserts,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Vegetarian 12 Comments