Quick an easy way to spice up your summer favs on the BBQ: Asparagus!!

Not my picture



I love love love summer because that mean BBQing. And in my humble opinion most everything tastes better when it is cooked on the BBQ. Last weekend my brother came over and we decided to BBQ some asparagus. His friend mason suggested marinating it with something you might have right in your fridge.

What you need:

Asparagus

foil

Italian dressing

freezer bag

What to do:

Cut the bottoms off the asparagus. Put in a freezer bag. poor dressing on. Shake shake shake to cover the asparagus. Let sit for a bit. Wrap in foil and throw on the grill until it is cooked to your liking!

Enjoy!

Gluten free and vegan!

If you're like me I was uncertain about the Italian dressing covered asparagus, however it was delicious!!!!! Its a quick and easy way to spice up one of MY favorite summertime BBQ favs. So, give it a try you just might like it!!

gf orange glazed tofu

I think one of the things i miss most since i had to give up gluten is Chinese food. my mom and i used to have dinner dates when my step dad went out of town(he hates Chinese food). It was soo much fun and sooo delicious.  But alas soy sauce is in most Chinese food , so i have to refrain. 
so I decided to search the web for ideas on how to make my own safe but yummy recipe for orange chicken minus the chicken!
I made this recipe by combining a few i found online. and honestly the sauce is sooooo yummy

Grocery list:
-block of firm tofu
-orange juice
-orange marmalade
-GF soy sauce
-olive oil 
-garlic
-rice wine vinegar
-fresh ginger
-corn starch


how much:

-3 medium to small cloves garlic, minced

-1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and diced into cubes

-2 tbsp olive oil

-3 tbsp soy sauce

-1/2 cup orange juice

-2 tbsp rice vinegar

-1/2 cup orange marmalade

-1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

-1 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp water

Lets cook:

tofu prep:

Drain tofu for 30 minutes to and hour.  Then what I like to do is cut it into squares and bake it at 350 for ten minutes. This helps a lot if you don't have a tofu drainer and your tofu is a little soggy still.

sauce: 

put the  garlic and olive oil into the pain for about three minutes or till browned.  Add in the soy sauce,orange juice,marmalade,ginger,and vinegar. Stir to combine and then add tofu. Mix until coated. Add the cornstarch and water mixture.This helps to thicken the sauce. Let it come to a boil and thicken .

Then enjoy!!

Add some veggies,pasta or even meat for a wonderful meal.

Adapted peanutbutter cup shake

Today I saw this yummy shake recipe on Kyla Roma's blog and i adapted it to be a lower calorie , but just as yummy shake.

Give it a try and let me know what you think
Details:
Vegan,gluten free and yum yum yum

Shopping list:

• 2 whole bananas
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk( use more to make it less thick)
  

Directions:

Kyla's blog recommended adding the ingrdients in a specific order to so they mix properly, so add as follows

• add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• add 1 tbsp peanut butter
• add 2 bananas
• Then Blend
  
• Nex add 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• Blend again until smooth

Chickpea nuggets

Gluten Free Chickpea Nuggets

I have about 30 small ones with this recipe

{wet ingredients}
3 C cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 T toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 small lemon, or ½ of a medium or large lemon
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3 T gluten-free soy sauce
…………….
{dry ingredients}
1 C GF flour
1-2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
½-1 tsp smoked paprika, to taste\

Directions

Mixing the wet ingredients: mash the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice, garlic and GF soy sauce Mash again a couple of times to mix in the liquids. Chickpeas should be smooshed; some smooth, some can be partially whole.

Mixing the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until thoroughly blended.

Add dry to wet. Wet hand and make lil nugget shapes. You don't want them too thick. Add a tiny bit of oil to a pan, put on medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Cover the pan with a lid so you don't have to bathe them in oil to cook them.

Let them cool and enjoy

Taste Review: boyfriend non gluten meat eater approved. I also loved them. We dipped them in ketchup. The sweetness really balanced the taste out nicely .Also try as meatballs in some yummy marinara sauce

simply delicious

Recently we went and had dinner with our dear friend George. It was my job to make dessert. Since school had started I didn't have a lot of time on my hands, so I had to come up with something quick, easy, and yummy yummy yum!

So I made little chocolate turtles.

Shopping list:
1. GF pretzels ( I use Glutino)
2. Rolos or and other chocolate candy filled with caramel
3. Pecan halves.

Prep:
Preheat oven too 300
1. Lay as many pretzels as you want on a pan covered with foil
2. Put half a rolo on each pretzel
3. put in oven for 4 minutes
4. Take out press pecan half on top of the rolo
5. Let cool or eat hot. and enjoy!

They were a big hit and I can't wait to make more!

Farmer's Fresh Zucchini bread

I love summer in my area because all the surrounding town's have bunches of wonderful Farmer's Markets. Supporting local buyers and my community economy , eating fresh and in season is a wonderful treat. And I wish I could eat like this all the time. I got some delicious zucchini and decided to make what turned out to be the most incredible Zucchini bread ever. Even my pat (step dad) didn't think it tasted gluten free and let me tell you that is a big deal!

Oh and I found this handy substitute list for baking the last time I baked...I don't remember what I was out of but I thought this was awesome, so check it out http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/common-ingredient-substitutions/detail.aspx.

No on to the bread!

Grocery list:
1. Two zucchini
2. eggs
3. oil
4. vanilla
5. GF flour
6. Xanthan Gum
7. Salt
8.Baking soda
9. Baking Powder
10. Cinnamon

First combine...
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of oil
1 cup zucchini
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Mix until blended

Next add ....
1 1/2 cup of gluten free flour ( I used Bob's Red mill)
1 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all these into the first mixture until fully blended.

Bake
Bake for 1 hour at 350

And you will be ridiculously happy and have to force yourself not to eat it all in one sitting.

GF: Cinco de Mayo soup

I wanted to make something easy enough for anyone to make...like maybe a college student with limited resources..oh wait that's me !!

Honestly its easy and took only a few ingredients! I did not have to go out to buy anything and that is saying something. Try it out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
2. 3/4 cup soy milk or other non-dairy
3. 1 teaspoon chipotle or chilli powder
4. salt and pepper to taste
5.1 tablespoon olive oil
6. 1 yellow onion, diced
7. 1 red ( or any color really) Bell pepper


Cookin' Time:

1.Chop onion and bell pepper into cubes and saute in pan with olive oil. Cook until onion is translucent.
2. Add the spices..mmmm spicy!! I do this all to taste because some like it hot!
3. Add corn ( puree before and have extra corn on hand to add extra whole kernels to the mix) and add non-dairy milk into the pan.
4. Let it boil on medium and then serve!

** I added garlic because I always do and I added some black beans at the end for some more sustenance..I suggest this!! Also I have heard of people adding a little broth to it too, but I have not tried that.**


cheers
nic

** Don't forget to spread the word about celiac awareness month , sign up for y giveaway and donate if you can**

GF orange cranberry carob cake!

Say that three times fast !!!
I did a sweet guest post at my friends blog , go check it out. Its easy and delicious!
Go to articohokedesigns see all her cool stuff and my blog post too!

cheers

nic
Artichoke designs

The Tastiest GF RedVelvet Cupcakes

For my birthday the Boy made my gluten free dairy free red velvet cupcakes. And honestly they won over everyone ( even the meat dairy eater!). They were soooooooooooooo yummy! In the midst of chowing down I forgot to snap a picture of the rouge delight. I recommend this even if you like your daily gluten and dairy.


Grocery list:
1.Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix ( They have an entire line of GF boxed yummies)
2. instant chocolate pudding mix
3. 1 stick vegan butter
4. 3 eggs or appropriate amount of egg re placer ( you can use flax seed or egg re placer from whole foods)
5. 8 oz of tofutti vegan sour cream
6. 2/3 c almond milk( unsweetened)
7. 2 tbsp red color dye

Grocery list for Frosting:
1. 8oz vegan cream cheese
2. 5 tbspn soften vegan butter
3. 2 tbsp gf vanilla
4. 3 c powdered sugar
Preparation:
Leave butter out for a bit before so it is softened.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make:
Combine all cake ingredients mix until smooth in your handy dandy mixer ( about two minutes). Put in muffin pan with super cute liners. Bake for 16-20 minutes and let it cool while you make your frosting.

Frosting :
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla( don't whip) until they are combined. Gradually add powdered sugar with mixer tuned done low. Add vanilla and taste as you gradually add the sugar until its has desired sweetness. When its smooth and sweet your ready for your gluten free treat!

Good luck and good eating

cheers
-nic

Gluten free: Felafel's

I love felafel's ! So it was birthday week, day two and I said lets do it guys ( or I'll do it guys ..because i am the mother and cook for them)!

They came out delicious!!!! I mean I should have made five times as more. Do y'all do that, make only a little when you are trying a recipe in case it sucks? It works if it sucks , but its sad if they rock. And let me tell you they rocked!!! They are super easy and I suggest dipping in some tahini or Greek style hummus or just pop 'em in your mouth.

Grocery list:
-Garlic ( 4 cloves)
- Onion(1/2 a cup) ( I used a yellow one in this recipe because it's what I had, but I think a purple one would fit in too!)
-Cilantro(2 TBSPN)
-Parsley(2 TBSPN)
-Salt(1 TSPN)
-Cumin(1 TSPN)
-Cayenne(1/2 TSPN)
-GF Baking powder(1 TSPN)
-Flour (4 TBSPN; I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose GF flour)
- Olive oil for frying( or whatever you use)
-Hummus( I used Athenos)

Preparation&steps:
1. chop: 1/2 onion, 2TBSP cilantro&Parsley and 2 cloves of garlic

2. Measure: measure out 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp of cumin

3. Mix: Put everything, except flour and baking powder, in a food processor. Process until blended, but be sure not to turn it into a paste. It just needs to hold together.

4. Make: Sprinkle in the baking soda and flour. I like to mix with my hand to see if it has the right texture. If it feels sticky still you can add up to 6 TBSPN of flour. The point of the flour is to allow you to form them into little balls. Once you think you have it down make them into tiny balls, patties or however you want. Then fry 'em up and enjoy! ( I am trying to find a healthier way to fry, I used olive oil. Does anyone no an alternative that makes it taste as good and gets the outside crunchy?)

I think I might make them this weekend again!

-Nic

Gluten Free French Toast: quick idea !

I love my boyfriend because he does things like make me GF french toast at 11pm at night.
I made some lovely Pamela's GF bread last weekend and one night got the hankering, yea you know it well, for something sweet and syrupy. So, Dal, being wonderful made me gluten free french toast. It was fantastic

He used a normal recipe except we were out of nutmeg so he used cinnamon and vanilla. I think he used 1/4 a tspn. It gives it that little extra edge that I always need!

It was amazing he has made it twice for me since and every time is better than the last.
SO I suggest putting vanilla in your french toast ..do it!

I will post some GF product reviews later this week and do a GF cooking post that actually involved some cooking too :) For now I am off to spend a wonderful Sunday with my boy and hopefully read some more!!!!

My little (GF) Lasangas!

I was at a local health food store,Health Hut, in Brentwood. I was just browsing their lovely selection of GF delights and I stumbled upon GF lasagna noodles. With a gasp and a squeal I literally yelled out to Dallas to run over. And that was it I HAD to buy them. Pasta and pasta noodles are a thing of joy when I can find them GF. And this is the first time I have ever seen GF lasagna noodles. The brand is Tinkyada ( see below ) and they inspired me to make adorable mini lasagnas!

Grocery list:

1. GF lasagna noodles
2. two Tbsp. Olive oil
3. Three garlic cloves
4. 2-3 tspn. Italian spices
( I use a mix that has rosemary, basil, oregano and some others)
5. salt and pepper ( I do the taste test to decide how much i like)
6. 1.5 Tbsp. Lemon juice
7. 6-8 ounces of Vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti brand)
8. Some vegan motz. flavored cheese
9. 16 oz. Firm tofu

The process:
It is actually very simple. Start with your noodles. Cook them until they are 2-5 minutes from being done and set aside. If you have never worked with rice pasta you should no they feel a little different than regular wheat flour noodles. However, to me, these particular noodles cooked the same. They are a little sticky at the end , so wet you fingers when handling. Next is the tofu ricotta. You need firm , drained tofu. For those who draining tofu isn't a normal part of there life what you need to do is put it between two plates and put something heavy on the top one. The pressure will squeeze out any extra liquid. I cut mine up in to long strips first and then you crumble.

Crumble it up small so it resembles ricotta in texture and look.I used my hands , but you could use a food processor. Just don't over process. The trick to tofu ricotta is the texture. If its to big or small it will taste off. No one wants funky lasagna! After that add the spices, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a bowl with your crumbled up tofu. Mix until tofu is coated. Do a taste test to see if you need more of anything. After you are satisfied you are going to add the cream cheese. You need to heat it up for 30-60 seconds , so it will mix nicely. Stir until evenly mixed. And guess what ricotta vegan style is done!
Now you can make your lasagna. I chose to make mini ones so I had to cut my noodles to fit my pan.

Put sauce at the bottom of you dish, then noodles, sauce, vegan motz, vegan ricotta and then repeat. Until you have a beautiful little lasagna.

If you are not GF then you can add vegan meet. Another idea would be to add some veggies that you love. Put in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

Aren't they adorable?!!

This was sooooo yummy I can't wait to eat more. I had some the next day and it was even better!

Peppermint hotchocolate sticks

Christmas gifts were a little difficult this year because 1. I am a poor college student & 2. I am busy college student, but I wanted to do something for my roomates and girls from class. SO I decided to makes candles and candy.

I made peppermint bark and hot chocolate sticks.There is nothing better than some yummy hot chocolate to warm your tummy on a cold winter day. I got the idea from this lovely blog and then added my own twist.

And all though this does not call for gluten of any sort we will still call it gluten free !

Nic's Hot Chocolate Pepermint SticksSupplies:

* ice trays or shot glasses

* mini candy canes

* choclate chips( you decide what kind ;) )

* a pan

Make 'em and then eat 'em:
prep:

-rub some butter or oil on the inside of your ice trays or shot glasses and preopen your candy canes.

Make em':

- Melt your chocolate chips in a pan and if needed add water or butter to get desired consistency

-When they are properly melted pour the chocolate into teh ice cube trays

- stick the candy canes in and let them dry

* you might want to use a piece of paper to hold up the canes nice and straight

Package 'em or eat 'em:

I gave mine away as gifts to i wrap with reindeer cellophane, ribbon and home made tags with direction.

To eat just stir in a pipeing hot cup of soy milk or moo milk . Or you can even just eat it off the stick a few of my friends enjoed that too.

***Happy holidays all ****

Gluten Free sweet and sour tofu!

This weekend I made a much needed visit home and decided, per my lovely friend Ashley's desires, to make sweet and sour tofu gluten free style. I got the sauce recipe form Ginger Lemon Girl's blog and of course used tofu instead of chicken. Ash and I loved it , but tofu is not for Dallas so I quickly whipped up some gluten free fried chicken to go with his rice.

Coating Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper2 teaspoons garlic granules
1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar( I use stevia!)
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 cup water2 tablespoons GF soy sauce( I use la choy)3 tablespoons ketchup

1.First drain, press , or squeeze your tofu (Tofu tastes best when drained).
I place my tofu in between two plates and put some books on top to squeeze it out.
2.While tofu is draining mix dry, coating ingredients in a bowl with a lid.

3.Cut tofu into cubes, put them in the bowl with coating ingredients, put the lid on and shake shake shake it in the kitchen!
4. put some oil ( i use canola) in a frying pan on medium. Place coated tofu tofu in the pan and fry until golden brown or longer if perferred.
5. While you are frying the tofu put all the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. It will be a dark muggy color at first. Whisk the entire time and bring it too a boil. It should turn a glossy red color when you are done( it takes me about ten minutes)
6. Take tofu out of pan pour sauce on it and enjoy!
** Add white, brown or fried rice and make it a meal.

Be Gluten Free With Me!

As you may, or may not know, I am a celiac so I have to eat gluten free. I am finding a lot of joy in it through creating my own recipes and dishes. Gluten free does not mean i have to give up yummy food.So take the gluten free journey with me !

This weekend is the tenth annual hardly strictly blue grass festival and I decided to create some goodies to bring along. I created my very own gluten free, nut free, vegan and 100% delicious granola squares.

Nic's Granola Squares done right! (Gluten free, nut free, vegan, and yummy)

Ingredients

1 c. of dried cranberris( or you can use blueberries, cherries, apricots or any mixture)

2 c. pumpkin seeds

2 c. sunflower seeds

2 c. gluten free rice cereal ( not all rice cereals are gluten free, rice krispies are not but if you are not a celiac then use what ever one you like most)

1/3 c. honey ( you can use more or less depending on how sweet you want it)

1/3 c. sugar or brown sugar( I ran out of brown sugar and used white sugar; there was no taste difference in taste)

1/4 c. vegan butter( I use Earth Balance , you can find it almost anywhere)

** Also if you want add some nuts or even some yummy chocolate chips. If you add chocolate chips do it add the end after you mix everything. You can push them into the top before it cools or even drizzle it on top!**

1. Combine honey, butter and sugar into a saucepan. Bring it too a boil and then let it simmer for two minutes.

2. While the honey mixture is coming to a boil mix all your dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Add the honey mixture to the dry ingredients and mix it up.

4. Before it cools spread into a pan evenly and add extra honey , Cinnamon, or chocolate to the top.

5. Put in the refrigerator for at least two hours , cut up , and enjoy!

I loved them , the come out chewy and the dried fruit gives it such a great taste. Everyone will ask for more.

( don't mind my picture I am not much of a photographer and I take pictures with my cell phone he he)

Gluten Free , dairy free pizza!

I made some yummy in my tummy pizza. And the part my tummy liked the most was it was gluten free!

It's really quick , easy, and delicious.

You will need:

1. 2 1/4 teaspoon active yeast ( I used rapid rise but you do not need to use that.)

2. 2/3 of HOT water ( Don't boil just turn your tap as hot as it goes)

3. 1 teaspoon of agave , or your prefered sweetner.

4. 2 cup of Pamela's baking and pancake mix. ( You can use your favorite premade flour mix or make your own.)

5. Teaspoon of olive oil.

6. Extra ingrediants: Your favorite soy cheese, if you eat meet , garlic, sauce...ect.

preheat oven 450

Combine the first threee ingrdiants and is stand for about ten minutes. It will start to get foamy and you will know its ready. Next add the rest of the ingrediants into your yeast mixture. At this point I also added some italian seasoning( basil, oregano, thyme..you can get premixed) I like this best because you end up with an italian herb crust that is to die for.

Next pat or roll the dough into a round with a high outsdie edge for the crust. Then brush the crust with oilve oil and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. When its done put sauce and favorite toppings !

yummmmy