Tag Archives: Gluten Free

Easy Coconut Milk Whipped Cream Five Ways!

Whipped Cream is one of the great pleasure of life! Gosh, I have missed my coffee shop beverages with all that delicious whip on top after going dairy free! Just before Thanksgiving, I finally purchased my own professional whipped cream dispenser, and I am so glad I did. I have been enjoying whip on my Matcha Latte’s I make at home, and Coffee, and also whipped topping for dessert on Thanksgiving. I am having a blast with it! Look at the gorgeous ways you can use it! You can also use a hand held mixer to make this whipped cream. Make sure your coconut milk is very cold.

chocolate-cherry-coconut-milk-whipped-cream

So, I have five variations of whip to share with you today, and it is super easy! Here’s how!

a-medley-of-coconut-milk-whipped-creams

easy-coconut-milk-whipped-topping-5-ways

Directions to make Coconut Milk Whipped Cream:

Refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk for a minimum of four hours so it is nice and chilled. This is the brand I recommend. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl with a pour spout, and whisk it until it is creamy and blended well. (If you are making it with a hand held mixer, scoop of the coconut cream and reserve the coconut water in the bottom for another use.) Add it to your Stainless Steel Whipped Cream Dispenser. You can get it here for a good price. You will also need the cartridges to charge your dispenser here. Screw the top onto the dispenser, and add the decorator tip. Charge it as directed with one charger. You will hear the air dispelling into the whipped cream in the can. Now shake it up. I found shaking it thoroughly and more than you think you need yields the best whip, so I shake my can up and down about 50 times. It’s a good arm workout too. 🙂

It’s ready to use. The five variations are easy and delightful! Another super fun thing to do is give company a choice of what variation they want to have because it is not incorporated into the whip itself.

Cacao Dusted Whip!

Sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon
Sprinkle with a dusting of raw cacao (substitute carob powder for AIP Paleo)
Sprinkle with freeze dried Just Cherries. They are freeze dried and so crush beautifully. (here)
Chocolate Cherry Whip! Sprinkle on a dusting of raw cacao and some crushed cherries!
Whip it up with plain whip! Equally delicious.

If you would like your whipped cream sweetened, add in two tablespoons of organic powdered sugar and beat first with an electric mixer before pouring it into the dispenser.

Let me know what your favorite way to have your whip is! Share with me in the comments below, and also, has this inspired you to try different whip flavors of your own?

cocao-dusted-coconut-milk-whipped-cream

*Affiliate Link – I receive a small commission when you purchase products I recommend through my Amazon links. I use these products myself and never recommend anything I haven’t tried and use regularly. The small commission helps me keep my blog up, so if you have enjoyed my posts and recipes, I appreciate your support. You don’t pay any extra for your products. Thank you. 🙂

Paleo Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Stir-Fry is great, because it is a one dish meal full of vegetables (my favorite) and a savory sauce!

mandarin-orange-chicken-stir-fry

Here is my Paleo version of a Mandarin Chicken Stir-Fry that is super delicious! The chicken is very juicy and tender, because I used my favorite part of the bird, thighs! I had mine as is, no rice needed, but feel free to add some hot jasmine rice if you like. I added a leafy green salad on the side, because I am a leafy greens gal! 🙂

Grab your wok! A large shallow pan will do if you don’t have a wok!

mandarin-orange-chicken

Paleo Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Pounds of Boneless Chicken Thighs (cut into bite size pieces)

10 oz. of Frozen Baby Asparagus Spears (I used Woodstock brand)

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper (Diced)

5 Green Scallions (green tops only if Low Fodmap) (Thinly sliced)

1 10 oz. Can of Mandarin Oranges (I use Native Forest Here)

1/2 Cup of Coconut Aminos (Here is the brand I use)

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil (feel free to use 2 cloves of garlic and regular olive oil)

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Plain Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Ginger Juice (I use this kind)

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Prepping Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Directions:

In a medium bowl whisk together the coconut aminos, honey and ginger juice. Drain the oranges and set aside.

Heat your wok over high heat. Add two tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil. Add the chicken thighs, and 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir-fry until the chicken is almost done. Put the chicken in a bowl, and set aside.

Add one tablespoon of regular olive oil to the wok. Then add the asparagus. Stir-fry for two minutes. Add the red peppers and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir-fry two more minutes, then add in the scallions.

Asparagus and Red Peppers

Add the chicken back to the pan, and pour over the sauce. Gently stir in the mandarin oranges. Cover and simmer for five minutes, or until the asparagus is tender.

Mandarin Orange Chicken Stir Fry Gluten Free, Paleo

mandarin-orange-chicken-paleo

Serve it up! Yum!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Hearty Baked Chicken and Sausage with Mushrooms

hearty-chicken-and-sausage

A Hearty Chicken and Sausage bake is a real crowd pleaser! We recently had the family doing some hard work here around the house, and they have been coming in at dinnertime ravenous! I have been calling them “a bunch of cavemen” 🙂 because they have been devouring the protein part of the meal. Have you every had cravings for protein?

chicken-and-sausages

Well, I’m a firm believer in listening to your body, so I made this Hearty Chicken and Sausage Bake for dinner, because all that use of muscle was creating a serious craving around here.

hearty-chicken-and-sasage-dinner

Hearty Chicken and Sausage with Mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 375º degrees.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Pounds of Bone In ChickenThighs

12 oz. of Fully Cooked Sausage Cut in Half on a Diagonal (I used gluten free Applegate Chicken and Apple)

1 Can of White Button Mushrooms

1 Large Yellow Onion, quartered and sliced

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (or substitute 1 Garlic Olive Oil for the Olive Oil above)

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Sauce:

1 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Thyme

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Rosemary

1/4 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

2 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Whisk the Sauce ingredients together and set aside.

In a large dutch oven, or an oven safe saute pan that you can cover with foil, pour the olive oil and garlic if using. Season the chicken with salt and pepper while warming the oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown on both sides for about 5 minutes each side. Add the sausages, tucking them in around the chicken. Sprinkle the mushrooms and onion on top.

Drizzle with the previously prepared sauce. Cover and bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes.

This can be served with hot jasmine white rice and vegetables.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

Today is the first day of Autumn, and to celebrate I am baking this Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake! Enjoy this cake after a beautiful afternoon of raking leaves with someone you love! Or, sit outside on a cool sweatshirt morning with a piece of this cake and a warm cup of coffee! It is pure heaven!!!

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When you hear coffee cake, don’t just think of breakfast. This is a great snack cake. I have drizzled the top while it is still warm with a glaze that soaks in and makes the cake super moist! So grab your Bundt pan!

pumpkin-coffee-cake-grain-free

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees. Now, lets get our ingredients out.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Canned Pumpkin (I use this brand)

3 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Honey

1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil

1 1/2 Cups of Superfine Almond Flour (I like this brand)

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour (I use this brand)

1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon of Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/3 Cup of Coarsely Chopped Raw Pecans

Glaze:

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (melted)

2 Teaspoons of Honey

1/8 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

a pinch of sea salt

Directions: Grease a Bundt pan with organic shortening or coconut oil and set it aside. In a large bowl with a hand held mixer, blend the pumpkin, eggs, honey, and coconut oil for two minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix with your hand held mixer until thoroughly incorporated. Add the teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and blend again for 30 seconds.

Spoon the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with your coarsely chopped pecans. Place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes to bake. The top should spring back slightly when ready. Remove the pan from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. While it is cooling, prepare the glaze above.

After five minutes, turn the Bundt pan over with a wire rack on top of it to catch the cake. When it is out of the pan it will be upside down. Turn the cake right side up by using another wire rack sandwiching the cake between the two, or carefully use your hands to turn the cake right side up with the pecans on top. Drizzle the glaze onto the cake and cool.

pumpkin-coffee-cake

Happy Autumn! Although it’s still hotter than average for September, there are signs of Fall outside. The pumpkins are ripening for one, and before you know it, it will be time for cozy sweatshirts and jeans, and leaf raking!

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

Eat Your Nutrients!

Grain Free No Bake Healthy Energy Bars

This recipe came about because my daughter, Danielle, asked me to try and replicate her beloved bar she orders online. She recently had a baby, and needed some handy, nutritious, energy-rich snacks on hand.

Make Your Own Bronco Energy Bars

She is breastfeeding, and her baby boy has a voracious appetite. He is adorable and growing fast at one month old. She regularly orders these bars to have on hand for her and her husband for packing in their work lunches and for snacks. She is a nurse, and he is a teacher. She is home on an extended maternity leave and is pinching pennies to stay home as long as possible, so she wondered if it was doable to make them herself at home. So I said I would give it a whirl.

I am happy to report that she thought they were “Amazing”! 🙂

These bars are chocked full of goodness! They have almond butter, healthy coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, honey, almond flour, sea salt and vanilla. They are a symphony in your mouth. There is no baking involved! Make Your Own Mustang Bars on a Tray.JPG

Bronco Energy Bars

Lay out a small cookie sheet and cut parchment paper to fit the pan. Set aside.

You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Almond Butter

1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup of Raw Honey

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Mix all the above ingredients together with a mixer until well blended.

Add in:

1 Cup of Roughly Chopped Raw Walnuts

1 Cup of Sliced Almonds

1 Cup of Almond Flour

1/2 Cup of Raisins

1/2 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Pour the nuts, raisins, almond flour, pumpkin seeds and coconut into the bowl of the mixed ingredients. Blend in all with your mixer, or hand stir with a wooden spoon. Pour onto the cookie sheet and pat out with some coconut oil on your fingertips to keep them from sticking to your hands. Pat them to your desired thickness. You don’t have to fill up the whole cookie sheet if you have a larger one. Just pat an edge. Freeze for 30 minutes before cutting them into bars.

Store them in the refrigerator or freezer. If you will be packing them in a lunch, make sure you have an ice pack in your bag as they get soft a room temperature. 🙂

Paleo Energy Bars

Eat Your Nutrients!

DIY Macadamia Nut Milk

Making your own nut milk is a great option if you want to really know what is in your milk, and/or want to avoid additives that prolong the shelf life of store bought dairy alternatives, such as guar gum.

Make Your Own Macadamia Nut Milk

My go to milk that is ready-made has been coconut milk. There are a couple brands that are just coconut extract and water, and that is the kind I buy. But, when I am in the mood for a different flavor, or want to mix it up, I make my own nut milks!

One of the things I really love about Macadamia Nut Milk is not only the flavor, but the really white milk you get from these nuts. They are higher in fat too, so you get a really creamy milk.

I also have a recipe for Toasted Hazelnut-Vanilla Nut Milk here that is yummy and so good in coffee.

Macadamia Nut Milk

Macadamia nuts are pricey, so I just make this milk occasionally. But I enjoy it oh so much when I do!

DIY Macadamia Nut Milk

DIY Macadamia Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Raw Macadamia Nuts

4 Cups of Good Well Water or Filtered Water

a pinch of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: Soak Your Macadamia Nuts in 3 cups of cold water on the counter top at room temperature for two hours. If you are not making your milk right away, you can at this point place the nuts, in the water, in the refrigerator, until you are ready to make the milk for up to 24 hours.

Drain and rinse the macadamia nuts, and place them in a high speed blender. Then add the remaining ingredients. Blend on high for two to three minutes until emulsified.

Get a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout because it’s just less messy :-), and pour the milk through a mesh nut milk bag like this one and into the bowl. Drain the milk by gently squeezing the bag when most of the liquid has passed through to extract all the liquid.

Pour the milk into a sealed container, and refrigerate.

This milk is unsweetened, which is the way I like it. If you like yours sweetened, feel free to add sweetener. If I want a sweet milk, I usually add a touch of honey during the blending stage.

Macadamia Nut Milk

Have a lovely day!

Macadamia Nut Milk – Homemade

Macadamia Nut Milk

Eat Your Nutrients!

Sticky Asian Chicken Drumsticks

These drumsticks are the perfect party food, kid friendly, and you can also substitute wings for Super Bowl Sunday!

We are cooking more Asian food the past couple weeks here at home with the Autumn Moon Festival coming up September 15th. Last year after having a fun dinner at our house, we lit Sky Lanterns outside, and it was a lot of fun!

If you are new to the blog, I have two Chinese daughters, and we have had so much fun celebrating their heritage with some of the special occasions celebrated in China since they were babies.

Sticky Asian Chicken Drumsticks

Today, I have a recipe for you for Sticky Asian Chicken Drumsticks! They are kid friendly, as all finger foods tend to be! 🙂 I found the inspiration for these in my many Asian cookbooks I have collected. We served them recently with Asian Cabbage Salad with Cashews, Hot Jasmine Rice, and for the rest of the family who can have them, some gluten free egg rolls from Feel Good Foods that I buy at the market for in the freezer section.

Sticky Asian Chicken Drumsticks

One of the nice things about this recipe, is the marinade! You make it and add the drumsticks. Then you let it refrigerate at least two hours and up to 24 hours. You have flexibility!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Pounds Chicken Drumsticks (This was 10)

Marinade

1/2 Cup of Green Scallions (sliced)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Olive Oil (or 2 more of Olive Oil and 2 Cloves of Minced Garlic)

1/4 Cup Honey (the sticky part)

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos (this is a soy sauce substitute)

1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon of Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Coriander

1/4 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

1/8 Teaspoon of Ground White Pepper

Zest of 2 Limes

Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the drumsticks to a baking pan, and coat them all over with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Sticky Asian Chicken Drumsticks

When ready to cook the drumsticks, Preheat the oven to 350º degrees. Then, heat a large oven safe pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, then the drumsticks taken from the marinade. Brown on each side for approximately 3 minutes. Pour the marinade from the chicken over the chicken you browned, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Bake until the center of the drumsticks reach 165º degrees.

Plate the drumsticks, and drizzle additional sauce from the pan over them at your discretion. 🙂

Eat Your Nutrients!

Harvest Bread (Grain Free, Toastable)

I know Autumn is just around the corner when the cicadas start screaming day and night. School started today! Waaagh! I have mixed emotions about it. We had such a nice Summer, and it seems like Summer just began.

However, I am looking forward to my favorite season and cooler days where I can throw on layers. The cool weather makes me think of different smells in the kitchen like cinnamon, nutmeg and bread baking.

Harvest Bread (Grain Free, Toastable)

Living a healthy life is more than just having everything you put into your mouth be uber healthy. It is also about balance, community, listening to your body, sharing time together over food, relaxation, spirituality, exercise, and fun! These things give us a sense of well being deep in our innermost self.

It is one of the reasons I like to blog treat recipes, like this very delicious and toastable bread that is reminiscent of my days as an artisan bread baker for my local food coop. I have made this seasonal recipe in a grain free version!

It is important if you have digestive challenges, like me, or want to improve your health in other areas, that you eat plenty of cooked and fresh vegetable produce, some fruit, good quality protein and healthy fats. I typically recommend 2/3rds of the plate consist of vegetables. Then there is a place for a piece of this grain free bread. Just don’t eat the whole loaf! Now, my daughters can eat plenty of this bread, and they absolutely love it toasted! I am happy with one thick slice toasted and savored with a cup of coffee or tea.

I purchase my pantry items such as the raisins, nuts, cashew butter, almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and the apple cider vinegar at Thrive Market online (see link in upper right corner of this page) and saved $1,500.00 on my grocery bill last year. This is my second year as a member. They have thousands of quality food and home care items, and for every membership that is purchased, they give a free one to a needy family. They have a mission to make quality food affordable. Let’s bake bread! 🙂

Harvest Bread Ingredients

Harvest Bread (Grain Free, Tostable)

Preheat the oven to 300º degrees. Grease a medium to large sized loaf pan with organic shortening, then line it with parchment paper. I used a pan my children bought for me as a gift when I started eating gluten free. It is a Pullman loaf pan and works well for gluten free breads, but it just makes a nice shape. Any medium to large loaf pan will work! (I left of the lid for this pan.)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (my favorite!)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In a second bowl with a hand held mixer, blend together:

4 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Cashew Butter

3 Tablespoons of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

After blending the eggs, cashew butter, honey and cider vinegar until well combined, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Then fold in:

1/2 Cup of Raisins

1/2 Cup of Chopped Walnuts

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and then place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown on the top and hollow sounding when you tap on the bread.

Remove from the oven. Cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then use the overhanging sides of the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan. Cool on a wire rack for one hour before slicing.

Baked Harvest Loaf Ready to Remove and Cool

Delicious Harvest Bread (Grain Free)

Eat Your Nutrients!

Grain Free Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Who likes finger food? Admit it, and find your inner child!

The day to day grind can make us forget life is supposed to be fun along the way. Making chicken nuggets in the oven will not only delight any children in your life, but hopefully you as well!

School is starting soon, and I for one am going to be busier than ever with two daughters in school. This is a fast and easy weeknight recipe with just a few ingredients, but oh so good!

baked-buffalo-chicken-nuggets

Grain Free Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Preheat the oven to 400º degrees. Lay out two parchment lined baking sheets with rims.

Ingredients

2 Pounds of Ground Chicken

3/4 Cup of Superfine Almond Flour

1/3 Cup of Buffalo Hot Sauce, plus more for brushing (I used Tessemae’s or you can use 2 Tablespoon’s of Frank’s with 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil)

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients gently but thoroughly. Over mixing ground meat can make it tough.

With a tablespoon scoop, make mounds of the chicken mixture evenly spaced apart on the two baking sheets. Gently press with your fingers to press them to about 3/4 inch thickness.

Place in the oven for five minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven, and brush them with additional hot sauce. Then return them to the oven for five more minutes. Remove them once again, and flip the nuggets, then brush them again with hot sauce. Bake another seven minutes, or until the center of a nugget tests to 165º degrees.

That’s it! They are ready! If you want to eat them with a fork, I will never tell! 🙂

Grain Free Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Eat Your Nutrients!

Healthier Mocha Frappuccino

It’s hot out there! We are back from Northern Michigan for the Summer, and plopped right into the dog days of August on the East Coast!

Cold blended coffee beverages really cool me down, and who doesn’t love an ice cold creamy drink when it is so hot? I sure do!

Check out my new Rooster! He was a find during my time up north this Summer! I think he is perky! Well he perks me up when I see him. 🙂

Healthier and Delicious Mocha Frappuccino

This recipe for a Healthier Mocha Frappuccino is much easier on the pocket book, you can make it at home, not to mention keeping yourself on track with healthier food choices. It has no refined sugars in it and is sweetened with 3 medjool dates that are softened. They really compliment the raw cacao and coffee to make a creamy, cold, delicious coffee frappuccino. There are just about 300 calories in it (this can vary a bit with the size of your dates) and it is a large, which is about half the calories of what would be in a commercial drink, with better-for-you ingredients. Head on over to Natural Society to read Over Seven Reasons to Eat Dates and why they are good for you. I used organic, fair trade instant coffee, so you don’t have to have a cold pot hanging around the house to make this. It is much more convenient and fresh! This is a reputable brand that I used, and you can get it in caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Healthier Mocha Frappuccino

Ingredients:

3 Softened Medjool Dates (I soak them for 5 minutes in warm water and then remove the pits)

1/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

1 Tablespoon of Raw Cacao

2 Teaspoons of Organic Instant Coffee Crystals

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Cup of Crushed Ice

1 Cup of Cold Pure Water

Directions: In a blender (I have made this with my Ninja and also my Vitamix. Any blender will do. Blend the Water and Dates until pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.

Pour into a large glass and it’s ready to drink! Yummy! Sit down and relax, put your feet up, and savor the moment!

Eat Your Nutrients!