Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My kids LOVE this cake, even knowing that it's lowish-fat, lowish-sugar, gluten-free, and made with veggies.  It is very moist and dense, and the chocolate is satisfying but not heavy.  You can use applesauce or bananas, both work well.  The applesauce flavor doesn't come through but the banana flavor does.  It is still a moist, dense cake with regular flour, but a little less so.  It's delicious either way.

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed overly ripe bananas (or applesauce)

1/4 cup vegetable oil (or substitute extra bananas or applesauce!)

1 cup sugar (with bananas you can probably even get away with 3/4 cup)

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups flour (the BEST GF flour I've found is Walmart's Great Value--and it's the cheapest!)

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/3 cup chocolate chips (if you add extra, I won't tell)

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 baking pan (I use a glass one, but metal should be fine--you may have to adjust the time) and preheat the oven to 350.  

In a large mixing bowl, beat the bananas, oil (if using), and sugar until well mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, mixing well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until fully combined.  Stir in the zucchini by hand.  The batter will be thick and a bit sticky, so don't worry.  Spread the batter into the greased baking pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  It's good warm or cooled.  

Instant Cooker Shredded Chicken for Tacos

Instant Cooker Shredded Chicken for Tacos

This chicken was so good that all of the humans and one of our cats loved it!  My husband has never been a big fan of chicken and definitely not chicken tacos, so this was a big win!  The bonus is that it can be served several ways: in a taco, over rice, over tortilla chips, or just as a meaty stew.  My older son had 2 tacos and then made a bowl of soup.  I love that I can use frozen chicken because I'm not good at thinking far enough ahead to have thawed chicken.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil (whichever you prefer--I used evoo)
1/3 c. diced sweet onion (or yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 c. chicken broth (or 1/2 c. for more soup)
1-1/2 lbs. FROZEN boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14.5oz)
1 can diced green chiles (4oz)
Taco seasoning (either a packet or see my recipe for homemade)
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Set instant cooker to Saute and allow it to come to temp.  Add the oil and onion.  Cook until the onion is almost translucent and add garlic, continuing to saute until the onion is soft. Add the chicken broth and turn off Saute.  Place the chicken into the instant cooker, in a single layer so it cooks evenly.  Sprinkle the taco seasoning and the salt over the chicken.  Pour the tomatoes and chiles over everything and add the lid.  Set the valve to sealed.  Cook on Poultry or Manual/High Pressure for 15 minutes.  Allow to do a 5 minute natural release and then quick release.  Place just the chicken in a bowl and shred (you can use 2 forks to pull the meat apart).  Add the meat back into the instant cooker, stir, and cook for 2-3 more minutes to allow the soupy part to really soak into the meat.  Then quick release (it will be loud and fierce, so watch out!) and serve!

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

I've never been thrilled with the packets of taco seasoning and some of them have sneaky gluten.  I tend to do mine by taste so I've tried to estimate measurements for this.  I tend to go heavier on beef than chicken.  

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

dash or more of cayenne pepper (to your spice level preference)

Instant Cooker Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or dairy-free margarine
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup chicken stock
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1/2 cup coconut milk (full-fat, not lite; needs to be room temp and mix it up before measuring)
2 Tbsp gluten-free flour
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

***Serve with basmati rice***

Spice Mixture:
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
up to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, as desired
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

***My instant cooker is a 6 qt Crockpot brand and may have different settings than yours.  I have tried to use generic terms but you may need to adjust based on your cooker's buttons and whatnot.***

Set your instant cooker to Saute and add butter.  Cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute.  Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste.  Add the chicken chunks and stir again.

Set your instant cooker to Stew and reduce time to 10 minutes (mine would only go down to 15 so I just stopped it after 10).  If you don't have a "Stew" button then do a manual setting of High Pressure and High Heat.  Keep the steam valve closed.  Follow your cooker's instructions for a quick release.

While your cooker is cooking, get your rice going.  In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and flour.  Once your cooker is done and released, remove the lid and put it on Saute.  Stir the milk mixture into the butter chicken and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and taste to adjust salt and pepper. 

Serve with rice--over, under, or on the side.  If you're not gluten-free (or if you can find some GF--please tell me!) some naan would be awesome with this!

Swedish Meatballs

I got a random craving the other night for Swedish Meatballs and decided to give them a try.  As usual, I tweaked the recipe to my taste and to be dairy and gluten free.  The result was wonderful and even my 8 year old liked them!  He said he would swim in the gravy!

Ingredients: (GF=Gluten Free)

Meatballs:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/4 of an onion, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 c GF bread crumbs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt (I used Kosher salt)
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Gravy:

• 3 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
• 3 Tbsp GF flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
• 2-1/2 c hot water
• 1 large or 2 small beef bullion cubes
• 1/2 c Tofutti Sour Cream
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

    Start by sauteing the onion in about 1/2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook it until it's translucent and let it cool while working on the next step.  In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg yolk, spices, and cooled cooked onion.  I used my hands to mix everything (hence, the cooled onions).  Next, form meatballs of whatever size you desire (smaller ones will cook faster).  Next, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides (takes about 5 minutes for smaller ones).  Set aside on a paper towel-line dish.

   To make the gravy, start by dissolving the bullion cubes in the hot water.  While that's working, melt the butter over medium heat in the same skillet you've been using.  Add the flour and whisk constantly until it's a little brown (about a minute; I use a gravy whisk from Pampered Chef that rocks).  Gradually add the beef broth you've made, stirring in a bit at a time to reduce clumping.  Whisk constantly until it is slightly thickened and then stir in the sour cream; salt and pepper to taste (I didn't need much salt with the bullion I use).  Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and thickened--about 8 to 10 minutes.

   I served ours with rice to be GF and it worked beautifully.  

Seafood Bisque

I made a seafood feast the other night to celebrate my boys doing well at their karate tests and we ended up with leftover boiled shrimp and crab legs.  So I did some research and through caution to the wind and came up with my own recipe.  I am estimating my amounts as best I can since I made it up as I went along.  The results were delicious and even better the day after, when the flavors had time to blend.  You can use pretty much whatever seafood you like or have on hand.  It just needs to be cooked first.

Ingredients:

About a pound of cooked seafood, cut into small pieces (or pureed if you want a smoother result)
2 cups of hot water
2 chicken bullion cubes (or 1 large one)
1 cup unsweetened original almond milk
2 Tbsp gluten-free flour (I used Bob's 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
1/4 cup sliced yellow onion
3 Tbsp dairy-free butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 dashes hot sauce
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Directions: 

     Dissolve the bullion in the hot water. Meanwhile, melt butter in the bottom of a large pot and then saute onion in it until soft.  Add the flour and stir with a whisk for about 3 minutes.  Gradually add the almond milk while stirring with the whisk to create a thick base.  Add in the chicken stock and stir to combine.  Then add the salt, pepper, parsley, and hot sauce.  Adjust seasoning to taste and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Add the seafood and stir until it is heated through, no longer than 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes or so.

I served my bisque with gluten free french bread.

Down with Gluten for me!

Well, it happened.  I finally realized that (or maybe came to grips with) my ongoing skin and tummy issues are likely the result of an underlying gluten intolerance.  It could be the basis for my fibromyalgia, too.  I always said that I'd just die if I had to give up both dairy and wheat but so far I've found it very easy to put down the bread and back away.  I'm not giving up all grains because I personally believe they have benefits.  I have found some great GF items so far and am getting great advice through friends and Google.  The withdrawal is crazy but I can see the positives already.  Here are a few of the awesome things I've discovered so far:

*A lot of my dairy substitutes are GF--almond milk, coconut milk yogurt and ice cream, Earth Balance margarine, etc.  Yay!

* Pamela's brand stuff.  I'm loving the chocolate cookies but I've gotten good reviews from others about the whole line.


*Snapea Crisps: I ate an entire bag of the Lightly Salted variety yesterday.  I was skeptical because, really?  Baked peapods don't sound readily edible but they are a great crunchy/salty treat.

*Hummus: with veggies or GF crackers

*I'm snacking on a lot of fruit and hard-boiled eggs now, too.