Recipe Remix: One-Pot Oktoberfeast

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Whole Foods has some great recipes on its website. I have enjoyed trying many of their recipes in the past and will continue to use them in the future. I recently came across a recipe that looked delicious, but did not fit into my dietary requirements. Thus, welcome to my first recipe remix post, where I show what substitutions I used to make a recipe more aligned with my dietary needs.

One-Pot Oktoberfeast from Whole Foods is a great recipe for fall. It's a warm, savory comfort food that would be great to make for football tailgate or a German Oktoberfest party. The only problem: it contains dairy. You can see the original recipe by clicking here. Below, I will show you what ingredients I used to make this recipe dairy free.

Ingredients


1 tablespoon non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance. You could also use olive oil)
1 package (12 ounces) The Original Brat Hans Original Bratwurst, cut into 2-inch chunks 
1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided 
2 teaspoons dried dill, divided 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 yellow onion, chopped 
1 pound fresh button mushrooms, quartered 
3 tablespoons non-dairy sour cream (I used Tofutti Sour Supreme) 
3 tablespoons German mustard 
1 jar (32 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained 

Preparation

Melt the non-dairy butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth, 1 teaspoon dill, pepper and onion and cook until onions are softened and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook until they've released their juices, about 5 minutes more. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup broth, non-dairy sour cream and mustard. Add to pot, along with sauerkraut; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until fragrant and thickened, about 10 minutes more. Sprinkle with remaining dill and serve.

 

 

Recipe Review: Bob's Red Mill GF Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix

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As I discussed in the previous post, I am on a mission to find a great go-to gluten free bread recipe. This post is more about a product than an actual recipe. Here, I am reviewing a gluten free baking mix from Bob's Red Mill, called Gluten Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix. I saw this mix last time I was at the grocery store and I was tempted to try it because I thought it might be a tasty and easy way to enjoy some great gluten free bread. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:

All you need to make this recipe are the mix, warm water, oil (I used canola oil), cider vinegar, and 2 eggs. It is nice to just buy the mix instead of having to buy multiple types of gluten free flours and other ingredients. Here, all the dry ingredients are prepared ahead of time so there is less to buy and less measuring of ingredients. The yeast is even included inside the bag so you don't need to buy a packet of yeast.

This mix makes a very nice-sized loaf. It fills a regular 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and rises nicely. The slices come out about the same size as regular wheat bread that you would buy at the store. The bread is also hearty and thick, with a nutty and somewhat bitter flavor, similar to pumpernickel bread.

Cons:

This bread takes some time to make. It contains yeast and needs time to rise, so when you include the mixing time, rising time, and baking time, you are looking at over 2 hours before it's ready to eat. It's not something you can whip up in 40 minutes.

This bread has a lot of ingredients, which makes it taste good, but also means that there might be some ingredients that you wish were left out. For example, someone following a strict Paleo diet would probably not be able to eat this bread because it has bean flour, buckwheat flour, and potato starch in it. However, if you are just eating gluten free and are not sensitive to any other types of grains or beans, this bread is a great option.

Conclusion:

Overall, I like to make things from scratch. It's a personal preference, but I like to control the ingredients and know exactly what I am eating. Further, I would like to find a bread that takes less time to make. On the other hand, this bread tastes great and is the perfect sized loaf to have at least a week's worth of sandwiches and toast. I would probably not make this bread every week, but it is a nice treat to make once in a while because it tastes great and has a true "bread" consistency. It does a great job of tricking you into thinking you are eating the real thing!

Recipe Review: Elana's Pantry Paleo Bread

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Starting out on a new gluten free diet isn't always easy. There are so many things you used to eat, probably everyday, that you simply can't eat anymore. One of those things is bread made with wheat. There are gluten free breads you can buy from the store, but sometimes they have ingredients you don't want, such as preservatives, dairy, refined sugar, or alternative flours that you don't care for. It can be difficult to find a suitable alternative to wheat bread that still meets your other diet requirements.

The problem is that even when you are on a special diet, sometimes you just want a sandwich or a piece of toast. So how do you find a way to have gluten free bread that meets your needs? I am on a mission to find a go-to gluten free bread recipe that will satisfy my own bread cravings.

The first recipe I tried is the Paleo Bread recipe from Elana's Pantry. For this post, I am going to do a review of my thoughts on this recipe. If you would like to try it, you can find the recipe here. When I tried this bread, I did my best to follow the recipe exactly.

Pros:

This recipe is extremely easy to make. You basically just dump all the ingredients in a food processor, pour the batter into a loaf pan, and bake.

 
It's also a quick recipe to make. There is no waiting for the bread to rise and it only takes 30 minutes to bake.

This bread also has a very healthy list of ingredients, which is the best and most important part about it. I will be amazed if I can find a healthier recipe than this concoction of almond flour, coconut flour, flaxseed and eggs.
 

Cons:

Because this bread is not designed to rise, a very specific sized loaf pan is required to make this bread and have it be a normal size. (When you read the recipe, you will see that the author recommends a particular pan you can buy from Amazon). I did not have the proper size pan, so my bread turned out somewhat short and flat. It would be difficult to make a good sandwich with my bread because the slices were too short. If I decided that I was going to make this bread a lot, I would probably end up getting the special loaf pan recommended in the recipe with the hope that the slices would be taller.

Conclusion:

Not only was this bread super healthy, but it also tasted great. It did not taste like any type of bread I have had before, but it had a delicious nutty flavor to it that I think would taste great with any type of sandwich or as peanut butter toast. I would recommend trying this recipe. I liked it a lot and am strongly considering getting the special loaf pan so that next time I make it the bread comes out perfect.

Pizza Omelet

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I recently shared my recipe for gluten free pizza. Pizza is one of my favorite foods, and after I made the pizza recipe, I had some leftover ingredients. I needed to throw together a quick breakfast, and I thought, what better than a pizza-flavored omelet? You can enjoy delicious Italian flavors even at breakfast :-)

Ingredients

3 eggs
garlic powder
salt
pepper
diced tomato
black olives
pepperoni
dairy free mozarella cheese (I used Daiya)
chopped fresh basil

Preparation

 

1.  Use a whisk to scramble 3 eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Add the tomato, pepperoni, and olives to the egg mixture.
2. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Set the skillet on the stove over medium heat.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet.
3. Stir the eggs frequently as they cook.

4. Once the eggs are cooked, put them on a plate and top with dairy free cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Dairy Free Basil Mozzarella Pizza

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Pizza is something that is hard to find a substitute for when you are not eating dairy. I found a good brand of dairy free cheese that I used to make this recipe. If you want to make gluten free/dairy free pizza, try making this pizza recipe with my Gluten Free/Vegan Pizza Crust.

Ingredients

Your favorite low sodium or no salt added tomato sauce
Mozzarella-style dairy free cheese (my favorite brand is Daiya. I get mine at Sprouts but I have also seen it at Whole Foods).
Pepperoni (or leave off the pepperoni if you want your pizza to be vegetarian or vegan)
Black olives
Fresh basil
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of dried Italian Seasonings

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the tomato sauce to a pre-baked pizza crust. (Try my Gluten Free/Vegan Pizza Crust recipe!)
3. Cover the sauce with the non-dairy cheese, pepperoni, and black olives.

4. Sprinkle some garlic powder and Italian Seasonings on top of the pizza along with some thinly sliced pieces of fresh basil.
5. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

There are many other gluten free pizza crust recipes out there that you could try if my almond flour version is not for you. I am a big fan of this Wheat-Free Vegan crust by Bethenny Frankel, which is made with oat flour. I have also come across pizza crusts made with coconut flour, such as this Paleo Pizza recipe. I have not made the Paleo recipe but I hope to try it sometime soon. There are so many options out there for making gluten free crust. Keep trying new ones until you find what is right for you!

Gluten Free/Vegan Pizza Crust

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One of the foods I miss the most when not eating gluten is pizza. It's the ultimate comfort food and it it's the food of choice on many occasions. It's not always easy to be in a social environment watching others enjoy pizza when you are not eating it. I was so excited to come up with a gluten free pizza crust option that was easy to make at home and would satisfy my pizza craving. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

Serves 3-4. 

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or your favorite dried Italian herbs, such as oregano or basil)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (this is optional - I like a little sweetness in my pizza crust, but feel free to leave this out if you don't)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well until the dough forms.
3. Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll into a ball. Put another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in between the two pieces of parchment paper. (I like to roll my dough into a square or rectangle because I find that to be easier than trying to roll it in a circle, plus it fits on the cookie sheet better).
4. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
5. Take the top piece of parchment paper off the dough. Flip the bottom piece of parchment paper upside-down over the cookie sheet so that the pizza dough drops down onto the center of the cookie sheet.

 6. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the dough start to turn golden brown.

Use this dough to make my Dairy Free Basil Mozzarella Pizza, or add your own favorite toppings and enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

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I love mint chocolate. I mean, I REALLY love mint chocolate. Thin Mints, mint chip ice cream, York Peppermint Patties.... the list goes on and on. I also love cupcakes. Who doesn't, right? Baking cupcakes is so much fun because there are endless options for flavors, colors, frosting styles, and presentation. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find delicious mint chocolate-flavored treats or cupcakes when you're watching your gluten and/or dairy intake. Luckily, with a little help from Elana's Pantry, I have found a way to indulge in my love of mint chocolate (and cupcakes!) in a much healthier way.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

The recipe below is based on the Chocolate Cake recipe from "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam. This recipe makes about 16 cupcakes.

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour (my favorite is from Honeyville Farms)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, mix well, and combine with the dry ingredients.

4. Using a small spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each cupcake liner half-way with batter. 
5. Put the cupcake pan in the oven and bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into one of the center cupcakes comes out clean. While your cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting (recipe below).
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan.
7. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a spoon to pop the cupcakes out of the pan.

Mint Chocolate Frosting

The following recipe is based on the Vegan Chocolate Frosting recipe from Elana's Pantry. It does not make a ton of frosting, just enough for a thin layer of frosting over 16 cupcakes. If you like using a lot of frosting on cupcakes, consider making a larger batch of this frosting.

Ingredients

1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (many times dark chocolate chips are dairy free. You can also find dairy free chocolate chips at most grocery stores).
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
pinch of salt

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil.
2. Stir in agave, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt.
3. Put frosting in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to chill and thicken.
4. Remove from the freezer and whip the frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy.

5. Frost your cupcakes! For the cupcakes you see in the picture below, I used a Wilton 1M tip to frost. You could also frost them the old-fashioned way with a spatula. Get creative and make some delicious, beautiful, and healthier cupcakes!