Posted by alisa on April 27, 2011 | 4 Comments
Our randomly selected winner is …
Tanya! Tanya blogs over at Cooking with T and her “tweet” was the winning comment. But, in her initial entry, she let us know that she would choose the Chocolate Coffee, Cocoa Raspberry, and Simply Snack (or Cinnamon) Simply Bars. So those flavors and a $100 Amazon Gift Card are heading to you Tanya!!
Also, The Simply Bar has a new U.S. website at www.thesimplybar.com; check it out! They are a Canadian company, but have expanded and become quite popular in the U.S., too. Oh, and with The Simply Bar is available on Amazon! At last check, you could get them at 30+% off with the discount and subscribe & save. I love subscribe & save.
Go Dairy Free and Alisa Cooks (the Go Dairy Free kitchen!) will be offering more awesome giveaways monthly, and sometimes weekly, here and on Facebook. To keep up with the giveaways, recipes, and other things from the Go Dairy Free kitchen, you can follow along here:
This month’s giveaway was sponsored by:
Posted by alisa on April 21, 2011 | No Comments
Oh do I have a treat for you! Head over to my guest post on Attune Foods today for this scrumptious (and simple!) recipe …
Posted by alisa on April 16, 2011 | 22 Comments
Sweet and sour chicken … it was something I had always wanted to recreate at home, but never quite got around to. Well last week the night for my home-cooked, Chinese take-out adventure arrived. I found a simple recipe in one of the many magazines I read (Cooking Light perhaps?), and I just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand.
The recipe came together very quickly, and the colors of the dish were vibrant … too bad it tasted like crap. I mean seriously, they paid someone to come up with that formula? We ate it, I mean, it wasn’t so horrible that it needed to be thrown out, but it won’t be repeated and I won’t even be attempting to modify that recipe to improve … it’s just not worth the ingredients. Tony said it tasted like ham and pineapple pizza. Mind you, we both like Canadian bacon + pineapple pizza, but this was not the right format.
Buuuuuuut … the rice, oh the rice. I had received some Texmati Rice for review and thought my “special entrée” deserved something beyond plain old white rice. It was a white basmati, so I knew it would be light and fluffy, but a couple of additional ingredients amped up the comfort factor. This wasn’t one of those smack you in the face flavor kind of sides, but rather a really simple and mellow feel good food, if you will.
So though I had hoped to share a killer Chinese sweet & sour recipe with you (I use the word “Chinese” loosely here, as the recipe-gone-awry was even more Americanized than Americanized Chinese cuisine), at least I have a delightful side dish recipe to share …
Basmati Coconut Rice
The coconut milk adds to the fluffiness and richness of this rice, but the coconut flavor is very, very subtle. If you want more of a coconut vibe, feel free to add in some unsweetened coconut shreds. This rice goes wonderfully with bright stir-fries and Thai food.
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Sugar-Free.
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice (I used Texmati White Basmati Rice)
- 1/2 Cup Regular (full fat) Coconut Milk (the kind sold in cans)
- 3 Cups Water
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Serves 6
P.S. ~ I also tried the Texmati Brown Rice. It was a lovely grain, and quite fluffy for a brown rice. I actually ate most of it for breakfast, with cinnamon, freshly ground pecan butter and a few other flavor treats … I probably should have written that down to share too, but I’m hungry in the mornings and my mind isn’t always on recipes! I have to agree with HEAB that the Texmati brown rice does have a sweet popcorn smell as it cooks!
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Posted by alisa on April 10, 2011 | 1,107 Comments
This month I am hosting a Big Giveaway from The Simply Bar. They are generously offering a $100 Amazon Gift Card and three full boxes of their bars (that’s an additional $100+ value!) to one of you.
The Simply Bar is a high protein, low glycemic, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free snack that comes in several delicious flavors:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter – The classic combo of peanut butter + chocolate (their top seller!)
- Cinnamon – Sweet cinnamon flavor with moist raisins (this was my favorite flavor)
- Cocoa Raspberry – Rich dark chocolate with sweet raspberries in every bite
- Lemon Coconut – Sweet lemon flavor and big coconut chunks
- Chocolate Coffee – Rich chocolate flavor with a coffee bite
- Simply Snack Caramel – The newest addition to the Simply Bar family
These bars have become very popular with vegan and dairy-free athletes, since they provide a whopping 16 to 18 grams of protein, as little as 8 grams of sugar (the bars are sweetened with organic agave nectar and organic brown rice syrup), and just 138 to 160 calories per bar. The new Simply Snack Caramel version is a more petite snack, clocking in at just 100 calories, but still boasting 10 grams of protein.
The Simply Bar is available in both the U.S. and Canada (residents of both countries can purchase directly from the Wellness Foods Website or via Amazon), so this giveaway is also open to residents of both countries!
To Enter:
Leave a comment below and tell me … What three boxes of The Simply Bar would you choose? It could be all one flavor or mix and match, you pick!
For Additional Entries:
(for each of the following that you complete, leave an additional comment)
Entries will close on April 24, 2011 … so enter NOW!
Posted by alisa on April 7, 2011 | 31 Comments
In case you haven’t noticed, I like cookies. As a personal ritual, I bake cookies on the holidays. I mean, what else do you do when all of the stores are closed and no one is working?
So when a few people emailed in asking for a gluten-free version of Hannah’s Bakery-Style Oatmeal Cookies, I took it upon myself to see what I could come up with. I thought I would master the recipe and share it just in time for some Easter cookie baking. But little did I know that even with all of the changes I made to her recipe (flours, sweeteners, add-ins), the recipe would work beautifully on the first try!
Either I’ve truly honed my ability to adapt recipes to special diets, or I just got lucky. Either way, these were scrumptious. And devoured in one day.
I will still be sharing this recipe on Go Dairy Free just in time for Easter, but those of you who follow me here get a sneak peek, since I accomplished my goal so early in the game. It is also fun to post recipes here as I have more room to include an extra picture or two. Because really, can you ever have too many pictures of cookies on your blog?
If you prefer a gluten-based cookie, see Hannah’s original recipe (link above), or simply replace the tapioca starch and brown rice flour in the recipe below with 1/2 cup of all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour, adding a tablespoon or so more at the end if the dough is too soft and sticky. I’d keep the oat flour though – so easy to make and it goes well with gluten flours too!
Gluten-Free Bakery-Style Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Tree Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, and Wheat-Free. You can even go all out, making them refined sugar-free by replacing the brown sugar with coconut / palm sugar or evaporated cane juice.
These cookies have a soft and chewy texture. Store them in an air-tight container to keep them from drying out.
- 1 Cup + 1/2 Cup Oats, Divided (for strict gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats)
- 1/4 Cup Tapioca Starch
- 1/3 Cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- Rounded 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine (I Used Earth Balance Soy-Free)
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips And Raisins (I used Dream Chocolate Chips)
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Place the 1/2 cup of oats in a spice / coffee grinder (a food processor or high powered blender should work too) and grind for about 30 seconds, or until you get powdery oat flour.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the fresh oat flour, the 1 cup oats, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the margarine, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. Stir in the reserved flour mixture until it is all incorporated and you have a nice thick dough. Stir in the chocolate chips or raisins.
Drop the dough by the generous tablespoon-ful onto your prepared baking sheet. I used slightly damp hands to shape the cookies – if the dough is too moist to handle, feel free to refrigerate it for an hour or so to help it firm up.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they just begin to brown. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Gluten-free cookies (especially ones without xanthan gum) tend to be fragile when still hot.
Makes 14 cookies
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I submitted this recipe to Real Food Weekly at The WHOLE Gang.
Posted by alisa on April 4, 2011 | 18 Comments
… okay, there were way more than 60 new products announced at Expo West 2011, but all of these happened to be dairy-free! Many are also gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, etc., etc., etc. I didn’t get to attend this year, but I did some serious research to get the low down on what was new in my market, and holy crap, there is a ton!! Rather than overwhelm, I broke the new product intros into 5 articles last week on Go Dairy Free:
Truthfully, I probably won’t try too many of these products myself, but there are definitely a few that I’ve already tried and some that I am super-excited about:
- I tried the new Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Oh. My. Amazing.
- I’m definitely going to have to sample the Silk PureCoconut to see how it matches up to the So Delicious Coconut Beverage, which I like.
- My interest is peaked by the Earth Balance Coconut Spread. I haven’t seen the ingredients yet, and am curious if it is more “pure” than their other margarines. Confession: I love the taste of margarine and am thankful there are more virtuous brands like this one.
- Yep, we like vegan mayo too (we’re weird), and I’m looking forward to spotting the new soy-free Vegenaise in stores to give it a whirl.
- Larabar has added Blueberry Muffin to their flavor list, and I’m sure I will buy it if I see it on sale.
- I did try the Chocolate Dipped Coconut LunaBar and wow, sweet! Much more like a candy bar than what I think of as a snack bar.
- Coconut Bliss is a bit out of my ice cream budget, but I might break down if I see some of those awesome new flavors in store.
But there are so many more new products to choose from (non-dairy Greek-style yogurt, new vegan pizzas, even dairy-free mozzarella sticks!), see those links above on Go Dairy Free and enjoy!
What new products have you tried and liked lately? What new products are you excited to try? Did any in the articles above catch you eye?
Posted by alisa on April 1, 2011 | 17 Comments
In just two weeks, the whirlwind begins … pack and move (out of state), then head to Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, back to Lake Tahoe for a friend’s wedding, and finally, Boulder. Though I’m very excited for all of these events, I am already looking forward to July, when I can dip my toes in the lake at our summer cabin, and simply relax.
But first, I want to share my schedule with all of you, and find out who will be at these great events …
Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo in Chicago (April 29 – May 1, 2011) – This will be a very fun event and it is open to the public! There will be a vendor fair with exhibits and goodies to sample … and a stage where several of us will be doing presentations! I’ve been asked to speak on dairy-free living and do a couple of recipe demonstrations. You will have to show up to see what I’ve got cooking. My presentation will be from 12:45 to 1:45 on Sunday May 1, but plan to be there the whole day on Sunday, as my friends Kelly Brozyna (The Spunky Coconut) and Carol Kicinski (Simply Gluten Free) will take the stage after and before me (respectively). We will each be on hand throughout the vendor fair to chat too. Just look for us in the “book” section. To get tickets to the fair (just $10 online) and find out more info, visit www.gfafexpo.com.
Now, for those of you who want the whole shabang, there will be cooking classes at the Expo too. These cost a bit more to attend, but will include superstars like Stephanie O’Dea (Make it Fast, Cook it Slow), Cybele Pascal (Allergen-Free Cuisine), Shirley Braden (Gluten Free Easily), and Amy Green (Simply Sugar & Gluten Free). Check out the full schedule of classes here.
CDF Conference in Los Angeles (May 14, 2011) - This is the Celiac Disease Foundation Annual Education Conference & Food Faire. No, I don’t have Celiac Disease (that I know of), but I’m pretty down with the gluten-free community, and have been asked by Attune Foods to help them out at the food faire. I won’t be speaking at this one, but I will be hanging out noshing and available for book signing. This is my “mellow” conference, but I’m really looking forward to meeting new people and picking up some knowledge from the various speakers they have scheduled. If you are in the L.A. area and have interest in Celiac disease, this is the premier conference.
BlogHer Food in Atlanta (May 20 – 21, 2011) – So it seems I just couldn’t get enough of BlogHer Food in October. Just 7 months later, I’m heading back. This time it will be a wee bit different, but more on that later. For now, if you are going to BlogHer Food, drop a comment, it would be great to meet some of you in person!
Fitness Blogger’s Conference in Boulder (June 24-26, 2011) – This is a brand new conference, and I’m pretty excited about it. It is three full days and did I mention it is in Boulder? Seriously cool little city. Anywho, the conference covers a range of topics and offers some good physical activity too. Interestingly enough, I won’t be speaking on food or fitness at this one, but will be speaking on publishing and self-publishing along with my good friend Elana of Elana’s Pantry. I’m guessing many of you haven’t heard about this event since it is the first year, but check out the agenda on their website – you may not be able to resist attending!
Sleeping, Swimming, and Sunning Summit in B.C. (July 1 – ???) – Where I’ll be sans electricity. Sorry, this event is not open to the public. I love you all, but sometimes a girl has got to disconnect, and I think I will need a little R&R by then.
So what about you? Will you be at any of these events? What other awesome events are there this year? Do tell!
