Mama's Chocolate Hemp No-Bake Macaroons

Hey Folks, super excited to share this recipe with you.

My kids love them and I took them on my girls weekend to get a second opinion. They got unanimous approval from 11 other mama's. So you know they must be good.  Plus it is so easy. Hello - no bake. Its summertime - who wants to turn on the oven. 

Being full of super foods doesn't hurt their standing either. Hemp. Check. Coconut oil. Check.

I was on a fully grain free diet for a LONG time. But, I have recently re-introduced some grains and am coping okay with them. I generally avoid them early in the day (or my blood sugar gets right out of whack) and their role in my diet is pretty limited. But I'm always trying new (or old) things. I'm not a slave to one particular diet - I just try to figure out what my body is, or is not, responding to at any given time. And trust me, it changes with the seasons, stress, weight, etc. A constant guessing game. 

In the past, when my adrenals where in bad shape, and my blood sugar was crazy low, I couldn't have handled this little snack. But these days, I can indulge in a few oats now and again. As long as I've had a good dose of protein for breakfast and my blood sugar is stable. 

And, oh lordy, am I enjoying these!  Hope you do too! These girls sure did.........

Mama's Chocolate Hemp No-Bake Macaroons

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: raw dessert dairy free gluten-free vegan hemp seeds oats

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Ingredients (3 dozen)

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups quick rolled oats (GF if necessary)
• 1 cup hulled hemp hearts
• 1 cup shredded coconut (I used fine)
• dash of salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup butter or vegan buttery spread (if dairy free)

Other

• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 6 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 3 Tbsp Stevia (or adjust sweetener)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate saucepan, add almond milk, coconut oil, butter, cocoa powder and sugar. Stir over medium heat until it comes to a low rolling boil. Let boil, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla (it will bubble up). Pour cooked mixture over dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Scoop packed 1 Tbsp spoonfuls onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. It may stick a bit so you have to work slowly/patiently.

Let stand until cooled completely. Enjoy!

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My Go To Snack - Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Loaf - No grains!

My go-to snack. I literally eat this everyday. I freeze it in individual servings (two slices wrapped in piece of parchment and tied with twine) and take one out for my lunch kit each day. Sometimes I eat it straight up. Sometimes with a little bit of almond or peanut butter with jam. When I was being bad I used to top it with cool whip and strawberries (but my tummy didn't like that very much so I gave it up).

I've swapped out the zucchini for pumpkin puree and it works just as well. Since I've made this recipe at least 100 times I would say its pretty fail-proof.

Warning - its not overly sweet. Feel free to increase the sweetener factor or switch it up with another sweetener if Truvia is not your thing. I seem to tolerate it better than almost any other sweetener so that's also my go-to. If you can handle some extra sugar I'm pretty sure adding in a few chocolate chips couldn't hurt the taste factor either.

Make sure you let it cool completely before you slice it (using a serated knife).

Hope you enjoy it  rely on it as much as I do. You've got to make this clean eating/allergy avoidance thing as easy as you can. This is my secret weapon for keeping my hands off of the sweets/grains...................

Paleo Zucchini Bread - Grain & Dairy free

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: bake bread snack dessert candida-diet friendly dairy free paleo almond flour arrowroot powder chocolate zucchini

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Ingredients (1 loaf ( but I usually do a do)

• Dry Ingredients
• 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/3 cup organic coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp ground golden flax (I grind whole flax in my coffee grinder)
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder - 100%
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• Wet Ingredients
• 3 free run eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree or 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted or grape seed oil
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp Truvia (Stevia/Erythritol blend or sweetener of choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I usually grease a glass loaf pan with grape seed oil and then put a strip of parchment paper on the bottom and it never sticks.

Fully combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls.

Mix wet and dry ingredients until fully combined.

Bake in oven for 50 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool fully before slicing.

I always make this as a double batch. I slice the loaf and freeze in individual servings.

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I'm back with some Experiments - Water Kefir + GF Sourdough Starter + Bananas = Perfection

Hey Folks,
I'm finally back with a recipe. I've actually been cooking, baking and fermenting up a storm. But I'm kinda out of the habit of documenting my kitchen adventures so many of my experiments have been lost, never documented, so never to be repeated. In some cases that's not a bad thing - there have been some epic fails as I learn how to make and use GF Sourdough starter. But there have been some real winners...this one I HAD to share.

This recipe is going to call for my two new loves - gluten-free sourdough starter and water kefir. I'm sure I'll lose some of you there (no worries - I wasn't familiar with either a few months ago). Unfortunately I haven't documented how I've made either of these. Yet. Sorry - that will have to be a future post but there is LOTS of good information out there so just do a goggle search and start experimenting yourself. That's what I did.

For those of you that already have a batch of GF sour dough starter going (or regular flour if you don't much care about being gluten free) this is great recipe to use up some of that extra starter.

All three of my kids LOVED this bread. I can't have banana's - sigh - but I was quite giddy about how much this bread rose and the texture. Weird things make me happy. After almost 3 years of GF baking this is by far the fluffiest bread I have made.

I did have a cheat. To make sure it was edible. It was. So then I had another cheat. I'm going to pay for that.

Just for the record, I'm introducing fermented foods into our diets to try to increase my intake of food based probiotics (my IBS was on a rampage this winter even with a probiotic supplement) and improve the digestibility of some foods. I've even re-introduced some gluten free grains since the fermentation process helps pre-digest them and so far, so good.

I'm experimenting with all kinds of things these days - FODMAPS diet, water kefir, raw potato starch, L-Glutamine, sour dough, fermented vegetables - so watch for some new recipes and updates on how much better I feel.............or how I overdid it and really buggered up my system. LOL. Hopefully its the former not the latter! Happy baking!

Vegan GF Sourdough Banana Bread

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: Varies

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: bake dessert bread breakfast snack vegan gluten-free gluten-free flour oats banana sour dough starter

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Ingredients (1 Loaf)

• 1 cup Gluten Free Sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 cup gluten free quick oats
• 3 banana's mashed
• 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/3 cup water kefir
• 6 Tbsp organic coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• dash of fine sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 chia egg (4 Tbsp warm water with 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds)
• Vegan chocolate chips (optional, amount as per preference - I did about 1/4 cup)

Instructions

I just threw all the ingredients, with the exception of the chia egg and baking soda, into a mixing bowl. I used my hand mixer to mix until fully combined.

I then let it sit on the counter (covered with a tea towel) for about 6 - 8 hours. The batter rose significantly during that time.

I then preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

Immediately prior to putting it in the oven I made my chia egg and combined it with the baking soda.

I added the chia/baking soda mixture to the batter and folded it in taking care not to over-mix it.

I then put it in a greased loaf pan and baked it in the over for 1 hour.

Wait until completely cooled before attempting to slice. That's a hard wait but worth it. Enjoy!

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Magic Pina Colada Tofu Slice - Raw, Vegan and Grain Free

I sprinkled some candied coconut on top. Oh. Yeah!

I had to put "magic" in the name of this recipe because I am still amazed by how tofu can be made to replace "cheese" in recipes. And its super low calorie (if you care). Before I had to give up dairy, cheesecake was one of my all-time favorite desserts. So I missed cheesecake. And I wanted a Pina Colada slice at Christmas-time. I had originally also given up soy. But I find that I can handle it in moderation and I stick with the organic, Non-GMO variety. For this dessert you need to buy the Silken tofu (I used firm which they were selling at Costco - not sure if its still there but you can get it at any grocery store). 

Anyway, I got my Pina Colada slice. Did. I. Ever. I made it three times in December. 

This recipe is super simple. The hardest part is letting it sit in the fridge for long enough to completely cool and set. And its actually got a fair bit of protein............so it makes a pretty good afternoon snack too. I think you could easily convince yourself to eat it for breakfast. Not that I would ever do that;)

Pina Colada Slice - Raw Vegan and Grain free Pineapple tofu Magic

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0

Keywords: raw dessert candida-diet friendly low-carb vegan gluten-free coconut silkken tofu pineapple

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Ingredients (8 x 8 pan)

Crust/Base

• 1 Tbsp Truvia or sweetener of choice
• 1/4 cup oil (I actually used 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 2 Tbsp Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (ground in coffee grinder)
• 1/4 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
• 2 Tbsp ground golden flax
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch fine sea salt

"Cheesecake" Layer

• 1 package firm Silken tofu
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp Truvia or sweetener of choice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tin (14 oz) crushed pineapple, in juice
• 2 Tbsp organic gelatin
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

To make the base, combine all ingredients together. Mix until fully blended. Pack down into an 8 x 8 pan. I use a piece of parchment and the palm of my hand to pack it down rather than trying to do it with a spoon.

For the creamy layer/topping. Blend the Silken tofu first until it is creamy and smooth.

Drain the juice from the crushed pineapple into a saucepan. Heat the juice over medium heat until just boiling. Turn off heat. Sprinkle with gelatin and let sit for one minute. Use a whisk and vigorously whisk the mixture until all the gelatin has dissolved. Add tofu, coconut, honey, Truvia, and drained crushed pineapple. Thoroughly mix together.

Pour the creamy topping onto the base.

Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours before serving to ensure it is fully set. That's the tough part.

Keep refrigerated until serving.

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Resolutions for a New Year - Eat LOTS of Vegan Gluten-free Queso Cheese Dip - Because It's Awesome

This is my New Year's gift to you. A really EASY recipe for a dip that will make you forget you had to give up dairy. According to friends at work, "soaking cashews" doesn't qualify as easy, but they have obviously not given up major food groups and/or processed foods. This is relatively simple for those of us that are used to cooking from scratch and know how to boil water. I got quite a laugh out of that conversation as I sometimes forget that the average person eats a ton of pre-packed/prepared foods. It's all relative and for me this is relatively simple. 

I am so excited about this recipe. I've made it three times in two weeks and I'm making it again tomorrow. Its great with gluten free chips. And I used it to make nacho super fries. French fries smothered in nacho cheese and salsa............something I haven't had in almost three years. And it was damn good.  I can't wait to try this in all kinds of recipes.....watch out 2015. 

I was going to do a big New Years post on all my goals for 2015, my reflections on 2014, blah, blah, blah. But you know what, I've got a great recipe to share so I'm just going to send out a challenge instead..................soak some cashews and make this dip to celebrate the new year! 

And I left you a little motivation/tip just for fun! 

Happy New Year! Bring it on 2015!

Vegan Mexican Queso Cheese Dip

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour to soak ca

Cook Time: 1-2 minutes

Keywords: blender saute appetizer vegan gluten-free nutritional yeast cashews green chili

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Ingredients (serves a crowd)

• 1 cup raw soaked cashews
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk substitute)
• 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot starch - optional
• 1 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning (I used homemade so low salt)
• 3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacement)
• 1/4 cup onion finely diced (I used red onion)
• 1/4 cup pepper finely diced (I used orange)
• 1 large clove garlic - finely minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 can mild green chili's

Instructions

You can either soak the cashews for 4 hours in cold water or speed things up (if you are impatient like me) and soak them for 1 hour in boiling water. Drain.

Add almond milk, nutritional yeast, starch and taco seasoning to cashews.

Blend in blender or food processor until full pureed and smooth. I was able to do this using my Magic Bullet.

In a frying plan, melt Earth Balance over low/medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic. Saute until vegetables are softened. This will just take a few minutes. Add sauteed vegetables, can of green chili's and Cilantro to pureed cashew mixture. Mix by hand until fully combined.

You can refrigerate mixture at this point. When you are ready to serve, warm up in microwave for 1 - 2 minutes - stopping to stir every minute.

Serve with gluten free taco's or crackers. You can top the dip with diced tomatoes, green onion or additional Cilantro if you want to jazz it up.

Enjoy.

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Merry Christmas and a Little Vegan Gluten free ginger bread man.........

Hello Everyone!!!
Just wanting to send out a big, huge, gingery Merry Christmas to you.

I am finally finding some time to "slow" down. Okay - kind of impossible with three kids but spending some time at home at least.

We've got one sick kid but we still managed to get them all helping with baking some cookies. I originally posted this recipe last year. I decided to dust it off and try it again.........still works. My 7 year old still loves them "Mommy this is the best batter ever....even better than cupcake batter". And she knows her batter.

I added an extra tablespoon of maple sugar this time. They are still not super sweet but they did the trick for my kids. If you want more sweetness - go for it. Or add some sugary toppings.

December was trying to do me in but I survived and now I'm ready to catch my breathe. 

I hope this finds you all well. Take some time for yourself. Slow down. Breathe. 

And eat a cookie..........................Merry Christmas!

Vegan Gluten Free Ginger Bread People or Cookies

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert gluten-free vegan almond flour coconut flour gluten-free flour

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Ingredients (18 - 24 cookies)

• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp Almond flour or Almond meal (I just grind blanch slivered almonds in my coffee grinder)
• 1/2 cup All purpose Gluten Free Flour (I used Cloud 9 brand from Costco)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch fine sea salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp molasses (I used Blackstrap)
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Instruction

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine Chia seeds with water and let stand for 5 minutes to gel.

Combine all dry ingredients.

In a seperate mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients including Chia gel.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. It should form a ball (like dough).

Let stand for 5 minutes. If it seems sticky add some additional coconut flour.

Roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thickness on a piece of parchment paper. Cut shapes out of dough and transfer to lined baking sheet. I just kept reusing the scraps (forming into a new ball and re-rolling out) until there was no dough left. I let my kids choose and cut the shapes. They loved this job.

Bake for about 12 minutes.

Let cool and decorate.

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Wow - A Grain Free Vegan Pizza Crust the Whole Family Can Enjoy!

This pizza crust has made me very happy..............a pizza crust the WHOLE family can 1) eat - yay - no eggs, dairy or grains and 2) enjoy. Even my hubby loves it. My gluten-dairy pizza loving hubby!

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. I promise to be back with an honest to goodness update REALLY soon. Things are good...............I'm feeling good. Life is good. But I'm continuing on my journey and part of that has been working on slowing down. S.L.O.W.I.N.G.D.O.W.N. Which means a lot less blogging..................

But I have still been cooking and sticking to my diet (no grains, no diary and low sugar) since it works for me. I don't experiment as much as I used to but I did play with this pizza crust recipe that I got from Primally Inspired to make it vegan and to work for my families tastes. It is incredible given all the restrictions.

I've tried several pizza crusts since changing my diet. I loved pizza crust #1 from the Wheat Belly cookbook but, unfortunately, that one contains dairy and eggs. Since I no longer eat dairy and my daughter doesn't eat eggs it didn't last long.

I've also experimented with cauliflower crust pizza on several occasions and it never worked for me.

Well, I've made this one now at least 5 times and it seems to be fail-proof. Consistent. Delicious.

I'm pretty excited about this recipe. So I thought I better get blogging and get this recipe in the archives.......because I think we will be eating this for years to come.

PIZZA NIGHT IS BACK BABY!!!!!

If you don't eat dairy and you are wondering about toppings, I usually use a combination of Daiya (non-dairy cheese) and nutritional yeast for my kids. For myself I usually use a combination of goat cheese and nutritional yeast. I find the goat cheese goes better with non-traditional toppings so I like to use a sun-dried tomato pesto for the "sauce" and toppings like chicken, leafy greens, cilantro, red onion or whatever happens to be in the fridge. Its pizza. You can't go wrong.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Looking forward to catching up soon!

Grain Free Vegan Pizza Crust

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake entree dairy free vegan gluten-free wheat belly chia seeds chickpeas coconut flour arrowroot powder

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Ingredients (12 inch pizza crust)

• 3/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup garbanzo bean (chick pea flour) - I get it at Bulk Barn
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil (or other oil)
• ⅓ cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cu warm water mixed with 1/2 tbsp ground Chia seeds and 1/2 tbsp ground golden flox
• ⅓ cup coconut flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine your flours, spices and nutritional yeast.

In a small pot bring the oil, broth or water, apple cider vinegar and minced garlic clove to a low rolling boil. Just let it boil for 1 minute or so before removing it from the heat. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Add boiled mixture to flour mixture and mix thoroughly until fully combined - it will be really thick and pasty. Don't worry if its not completely smooth.

Add in the water/Chia/flax mixture. Stir well.

Add in your coconut flour. Stir to fully combine. It will start making a dough as the coconut flour absorbs the moisture. I find it best to take it out of the bowl and gently kneed it on a piece of parchment paper. It should form a ball.

I use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on the parchment paper. I usually make it about 12 inches in diameter. I then transfer the dough (on the paper) to a pizza pan.

I bake the crust for about 10 minutes.

Then I remove it from oven to add toppings. Depending on the type of toppings I usually bake it for an additional 8 - 10 minutes and then use the broiler to crisp it up for 2 minutes.

Then we eat...........yummy!

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Happy Birthday to Me with a Silkken Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie! Vegan and Grain Free!

I can't believe its August 23rd and this is my first post of the month.  There are two main reasons:

1) We have been soaking up every bit of summer so we have been busy playing. I haven't exactly been hanging out in the kitchen experimenting with recipes; and

2) Other than the stomach flu that has been circulating our house and normal monthly hormone fluctuations I have been feeling really good.

Throughout our summer adventures (and there have been many) I have managed to stick to my grain-free, dairy-free, low sugar diet. I actually can't believe I did that given how much time I spent away from my kitchen. Yes - I am proud of myself. It would have been very easy to let things slide but after my anxiety fueled spring I was pretty motivated to stay off the crazy train. And its working. If I stay away from grains (okay - I have a couple bites here and there but never a serving) I don't have anxiety. Low grade stress and worry - yes. Honest to goodness fear and anxiety - no. 

So that's what I have been doing. Along with banishing my anxiety I've noticed a few other benefits of "keeping it clean". My skin is clearer, my moods are WAY more stable, I rarely get grumpy, my stomach works properly, I have more energy and my monthly cycle is way less volatile. And I haven't had brain fog all summer. 

This all translates into THE MOST AMAZING SUMMER OF MY LIFE. Its crazy and hectic and the kids drive me crazy lots of the time but I'm in the right frame of mind and have enough energy to sail through the madness and appreciate the all the beauty and blessing around me. Over the past 7 years its not that I haven't enjoyed my kids - I have. But more often than not I went through hours, days, weeks or months of just struggling to get through the days. Fighting to feel like myself, trying to shake off fatigue, stomach aches, brain fog, moodiness, anxiety, etc, etc, etc. This is the first time in a while that I have felt CONSISTENTLY good for hours, days, weeks, months. Yay! 

So as I turn 38.....................

I am grateful for my new job that allowed me to keep all three kids home for the summer. 

I am grateful that all three of my kids are healthy and FINALLY sleep through the night.

I am grateful that we have the money to do so many fun things with the kids. 

I am grateful that my husband has been so supportive of my lifestyle changes and even thought his inclination is to hang out at home he lets me drag us around the city and province to enjoy summer out and about.
I am grateful that I was able to figure out my food sensitivities - it has changed my health but its very hard to do.

I am grateful that I "hit rock bottom and burned out". It has made me completely change how I live my life. And although I have had to "give up" many things I have gained so much in return. 

Giving things up doesn't have to mean losing...........it can just force you to make new discoveries. And its worth the effort.

One of my discoveries has been Silkken tofu..............................its magic! So I made myself a magical pie - because the chances of someone else making me a grain and dairy free Birthday cake are slim to none - and that's okay! Now I gotta run................there's still a week of playing  summer to enjoy!

Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Tofu Pie with a coconut walnut crust

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Keywords: bake blender dessert dairy free vegan gluten-free Silkken Tofu Peanut Butter chocolate walnuts

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Ingredients (1 pie)

Crust

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup organic coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp ground golden flax
• 2 Tbsp Earth balance (dairy-free butter)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6-7 Mejdool Dates, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water

Filling

• 1 container extra firm Silkken Tofu
• 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot flour
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 3 squares unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted
• 3 - 4 Tbsp sweetener of choice - I used a combination of Truvia and maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch pie plate (I used a glass one).

I roughly chopped the dates before soaking them. I used my coffee grinder to roughly chop/puree both the dates and the walnuts. I then mixed all the crust ingredients together (including the leftover water from soaking the dates) until the earth balance was full incorporated throughout. If my food processor was working I would have just thrown everything in and processed it together. Work with what you have.

Press the crust mixture into the pie pan - including up the sides. Make sure it is not loose or it will crumble later.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the crust is baking you can make the filling:

I melted the chocolate squares in the microwave in a glass dish (60 minutes, stir and then an additional 30 seconds) to have it ready.

I then blended the tofu in my high speed blender until smooth. Depending on your blender you may have to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times. I then added all the remaining ingredients, including melted chocolate, and blended until smooth. Again you may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Blend until JUST smooth. Do not over-blend.

Add the filling to the baked pie crust and put it back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

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Red Velvet Brownies - Vegan and Gluten Free with Beets and Black Beans

Hello everyone.

I'm finally back with a recipe.

I have been busy enjoying my summer and dealing with the roller coaster that is my life with adrenal fatigue and Candida. I've had to go back to a strict "grain-free and very low sugar" diet so I can't actually eat these brownies anymore. Tear. But I'm feeling much better so it is worth it.

But if you can handle some non-glutenous grains then I say go for it..........I enjoyed them while I could and now its time for someone else to enjoy them.

I'll be back with an update on how my battle with adrenal fatigue and Candida is going soon. In the meantime hope you are all enjoying your summers...............

Vegan and Gluten Free Red Velvet Brownies with Beets and Beans

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake blender dessert vegan sugar-free low-carb almond flour black beans coconut flour beets cake

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Ingredients (16 small squares)

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup GF quick oats
• 1/2 cup organic coconut flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 2 Tbsp oil (melted coconut oil or grape seed oil)
• 2 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cooked & shredded beets (I used ones that had previously been cooked and frozen)
• 1/4 cup black beans drained and rinsed
• handful non-dairy chocolate chips (more if desired)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a food processor or blender (I used my Ninja), blend the almond and coconut flours, oats, cacao powder, salt, and baking powder. It should basically turn into a flour.

Add in the milk, vanilla extract, oil, pumpkin puree and maple syrup, and blend until fully combined.

Add in the cooked beetroot and the beans and blend until the mixture has formed a thick batter.

Remove the blade and stir in the chocolate chips or just toss them on top after pouring in pan.

Pour the batter into an 8 x 8 baking dish lined with parchment paper. I just cut a square to fit the bottom and didn't worry about the sides as I greased the pan first. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is fully cooked. Let cool. I dare ya to wait. Although we really liked these a bit warm with some toppings (coconut cream, cool whip, berries).

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Vegan and Gluten Free Banana Muffins - Chocolate Chips optional

My kids are LOVING these muffins. I've made this batch about 6 or 7 times in the past two weeks so its definitely a new family favorite. They disappear pretty darn quick.

Its that time of year when we need portable snacks - picnics, playing at the park, bike rides, soccer, etc, etc, etc. We are often away from the house and the kids are always hungry.

It's so easy to get into the habit of "grabbing" a pre-packaged, pre-wrapped, processed, sugar-filled, nutrient deficient snack on the way out the door. Convenient - yes. Healthy - no.

That's okay once in a while. But I find muffins are a great alternative if you want to throw something a little more healthy into the rotation. They freeze well so do a double batch and freeze them..........if there are any left to freeze.

These are refined sugar free and even have some almond flour for a bit of a protein boost. They will fill them up and keep em happy. And they are vegan and gluten free for all those egg, dairy and gluten sensitive ones out there.

Have a great weekend everyone!

This was us out for a picnic supper before soccer the other night............we ended up at Target. Three minutes after we arrived at the park someone needed to use the toilet. They always either need a snack or the potty.............muffins and Target to the rescue!

Vegan and Gluten Free Banana Muffins - Oh YEAH

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes ish

Keywords: bake breakfast dessert snack vegan sugar-free banana chia seeds almond flour oats

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Ingredients (10 - 12 muffins)

Wet Ingredients

• 3 ripe banana's, mashed
• 1/3 cup organic palm coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup grape seed oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 chia or flax egg (1 tbsp ground chia or ground golden flax gelled in 3 Tbsp warm water)
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond flour (I grind blanched slivered almonds in my coffee grinder)
• 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour blend
• 1/2 cup GF quick oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• vegan chocolate chips - optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combined wet ingredients.

Combined dry ingredients in a seperate bowl.

Gently mix dry and wet ingredients together. Fold in chocolate chips.

Place batter evenly in a lined muffin baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes (or until center is fully cooked).

Let cool completely before removing from liners or they tend to stick.

Enjoy.

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SNAP............Those are some Delicious Vegan Gluten Free Ginger Snap Cookies

Yummy, yummy, yummy I've got Ginger Snaps in my tummy!!!!!

These are so GOOD. And clean. And lowish crab (relatively).

I made them vegan so my daughter could enjoy them with me...........and she did. She LOVES them.

They are so soft. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Can't you tell I like them.

I generally try to stay away from grains but I did use a bit of gluten-free flour blend in these. Choose your battles. The coconut and arrowroot help to keep them low grain and lowish carb so there are a lot worse things you can eat. And no refined sugar of course.

Snap.....Vegan Gluten Free Ginger Snap Cookies

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Keywords: bake dessert gluten-free vegan almond flour coconut flour gluten-free flour ginger cookie

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Ingredients (15 cookies)

• Ingredients
• 1/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 1 Tbsp ground golden flax
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• +1/2 cup organic palm coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp black-strap molasses
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance (vegan margarine - or replace with more coconut oil)+
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• Dry Ingredients
• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
• 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together first 3 ingredients. Let stand for a couple of minutes.

In a second bowl, whip together oil/butter and sugar. Mix until fully combined and slightly fluffy. Add molasses, applesauce and vanilla.

Mix together two separate bowls of wet ingredients.

Add dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Scoop out a heaping Tbsp at a time. Form into balls and then flatten out slightly with the back of a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool before eating.

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Glaze - Dairy-Free & Gluten Free

Ha, ha, ha. I could barely type the name of this recipe (or say it for that matter) without cracking up. I'm such a redneck under it all that it just seems way too sophisticated for me. I'm such a fraud.

But I have to say that this was a delicious appetizer and I felt like such a grown up serving these (I know I'm 37 but I still feel like I should sit at the kids table).

I bought the figs at Costco. And then started experimenting because I have never cooked or baked with a fig in my life.

Success.

The combination of sweet figs, nutty walnuts, creamy goat cheese and balsamic vinegar is just to die for. And you can prepare it and then refrigerate it so you can relax when guests arrive to play the part of super sophisticated, calm and cool hostess. Or maybe you can - I'm frazzled most of the time no matter how prepared I think I am. If only I still had a shot of home-brew at parties I'd be a bit more zen......until I got crazy. That's why I don't drink anymore. That and it was poisoning me.

But I still like a good party. And a good appetizer. So here's a new one for the rotation. Hope you enjoy! Serve it with some red wine if you want to really endear your girlfriends..............or some home brew if you want to impress your redneck friends.............or some rooibos tea if you want to keep it clean like me!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Glaze

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Keywords: bake appetizer snack vegetarian Dried figs Goat cheese Walnuts

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Ingredients (20 stuffed figs)

• 20 dried figs (I used Golden Delicious Calimyrna figs from Costco)
• 20 tsp soft unripened Goat cheese
• 20 walnuts (full pieces)
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacement)
• 1 Tbsp organic palm coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)

Glaze

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp organic EVOO
• 1/2 Tbsp organic palm coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)

Instructions

To prepare figs

The figs may be quite flattened when they come out of the bag. I formed/plumped them up with my fingers so they were full. Then I cut off the top stem and make a small incision (butter knife width) at the top of the fig. I put the top of the knife in the fig and wiggled it around to make a cavity for the goat cheese to go in. I used a knife to stuff the goat cheese into the fig.

To prepare the candied Walnuts

In a saucepan, melt Earth balance and then add walnuts and sugar. Fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the walnuts are cooked through and a bit crunchy.

To prepare the Balsamic glaze

Bring the balsamic vinegar to a low boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Using a whisk, stir the vinegar frequently until it starts to thicken (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add EVOO and sugar and continue mixing until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Assemble and Bake

I put the stuffed figs into a small glass casserole dish and topped each one with a candied walnut. I then drizzled with the balsamic glaze. When you are ready to serve, bake the figs at 325 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until warned through. Serve and enjoy!

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Dairy & Gluten Free Potato Perogy Filling - Cheesy with a few Polka's on the side!

Hey Folks.

I took a bit of a "break" from blogging but I'm back.

We were busy on a mini-vacation and then had a "Ukrainian weekend". My daughter wanted the theme of her 5th Birthday party to be "Ukrainian". Who am I to complain? And then we had my daughters' first ever Ukrainian Dance Recital.

So I have been busy. And so HAPPY! For those of you that don't know me well - the idea of spending the weekend immersed in Ukrainian music, food and dance is kinda my thing.

I'll share a couple of pictures from the party just for kicks. We love theme parties.

But the key to any good party is the food. And unfortunately the staple of the Ukrainian feast is the good ol' perogy. The cheesy, wheaty, inflammation-inducing perogy.

A while back I developed a gluten-free, vegan perogy dough. That's the dough I used again and it worked out just fine. Warning: gluten-free dough is not that forgiving. I'm an experienced roller and pincher so I managed to make it work. If you are a newbee to perogies I apologize in advance if you struggle with it. You can always just use this filling with gluten-free lasagna noodles to make a perogy casserole if you aren't a fully-qualified Baba like me. Or look for an alternative gluten-free perogy dough. The one I made was purposefully simple (i.e. few ingredients) so I used an all purpose gluten-free flour blend. If you want to get fancy (and use more flours/ingredients) you might be able to make something a bit more pliable (and forgivable).

Just a couple other tips:

• Obviously, omit the bacon if you want to keep these vegan; 
• Fully cooled and refrigerated filling is MUCH easier to work with than when it is still warm. Don't rush it; 
• After trying it both ways, I found that freezing the perogies raw (if you aren't going to eat them immediately) works better than boiling and freezing them, which I would normally do with wheat perogies; 
• When you are ready to eat them, take them directly out of the freezer and boil them immediately. Make sure you boil them on a LOW GENTLE ROLLING BOIL so they don't fall apart. Be patient and let them cook slowly. When they float to the top let them boil for a couple extra minutes and then drain and serve doused in melted Earth Balance;

These were a big hit with my daughters'. And I think my guests were pleasantly surprised that gluten and cheese free perogies could be so PLEASANT.

There is life after gluten and cheese people. I promise. And parties...............

Really Cheesy - Gluten & Dairy Free Potato Perogy Filling

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 1/2 hour plus chill time

Cook Time: NA

Keywords: boil entree gluten-free dairy free bacon potato nutritional yeast Ukrainian

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Ingredients (Enough for 4 - 5 dozen perogie)

• 3 Tbsp Earth Balance - or other dairy free butter
• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
• 3 sliced bacon finely chopped
• 4 cups hot cooked white potatoes (about 6 medium sized potatoes boiled in salted water until tender and then drained)
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup Daiya dairy-free shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp Herbamare or fine sea salt
• dash of black pepper

Instructions

Peel and boil your potatoes.

While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon and diced onion with 1 Tbsp Earth balance until tender. About 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

After the potatoes are boiled and drained, put them back in the pot. Add all remaining ingredients.

Mash together until fully combined and smooth.

Let cook on counter until warm and then put in fridge to cool entirely. This will take a few hours so you may want to do it the night before you are assembling the perogies.

Use the filling with your favorite gluten free perogy dough recipe. Or layer the mixture in between cooked gluten free lasagna noodles and baked for a delicious perogy lasagna.

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Our Ukrainian Weekend - well some of it...........Mommy with her little Uki at her first concert, Avery blowing out the candles on her Matryoska doll cupcake-cake (not my best decorating job but vegan and the kids actually gobbled them up), the little guests with their VINOK's (yep- that was a major glue gun project) - don't they look pretty, the vinok's, and a my creepy decorations - my daughter's face superseded on an old dancing poster of mine. LOL. I love it. She hated it.

We also did a Matryoska doll craft, had a Polka inspired Freeze dance party and ate cabbage rolls and Kulbasa. Mommy did a bad job of getting pictures.