Posted by alisa on February 8, 2012 | No Comments
Just in case you missed these recipes yesterday …
Vegan White Chocolate Crispy Bars
Two-Tone Chocolate Crispy Bars
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on February 6, 2012 | 25 Comments
Today we are honoring our good friend Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free with a Virtual Baby Shower …
For my contribution to the shower, I went out on a limb, choosing something savory that doesn’t involve any butter, cream, or cheese (hang with Amy, you are still going to love it, I promise!). Nonetheless, these little frittatas are rich and packed with flavor.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any baby shower inspired props for decorating. But, I did my best to honor Baby Boy Green with some little blue plates that I actually won at a baby shower! That’s themed enough, right?
Summary: Unlike so many egg-based recipes, these little bites are dairy-free AND soy-free! If desired, you can make them larger in regular-sized muffin tins and serve them for brunch.
The amount of salt you will need will depend on the saltiness of your smoked salmon. I used a fairly salty one with 1/2 teaspoon salt. They were devoured, but I definitely could have used a little less salt.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Diet type: Pescatarian, Dairy free, Gluten free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free, Sugar free
Number of servings (yield): 12
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
And don’t forget to check out the other delicious recipes (all gluten-free and refined sugar-free!) for this Surprise Baby Shower by …
Hallie with Chocolate & Vanilla Pudding Parfaits
Maggie with Vegan Gingersnaps
Alta with Grapefruit, Avocado & Jicama Salad
Lexie with Dairy-Free Crepe Quiches
Kelly with Grain-Free Lime Pound Cake
Carol with Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Cara with Mushroom Pesto Pinwheels
Ricki with Vegan “Wine and Cheese” Charlotte
Kim with Maple-Glazed Apple Cinnamon Squares
Silvana at www.SilvanasKitchen.com
Jen with Tomato Panzanella Salad
Cybele with Allergy-Free Focaccia
Helen with Cranberry Chicken Salad Surprise
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on January 10, 2012 | Comments Off
Today I’m sharing my secrets for cutting back on added sugars in the morning (I have a “no added sugar” before noon policy that I get right 99% of the time) and a quick recipe for Sweet No Added Sugar Whole Grain Cereal (this can also be used for hot cereals without added sugar too!). See my post with the tips and recipe here on Attune Foods.
While you’re there, please share your own tips for healthy breakfasts and cutting back on sugars (You can comment on that post – I will be checking!). I’d LOVE to read them and am always looking for new ideas!
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on December 26, 2011 | 5 Comments
Did you enjoy the holidays?
My husband and I don’t usually exchange gifts during the holidays, so this year, I felt like a little kid again with all of the wonderful surprises! Tony outdid himself in deal-finding (hello, awesome new, more powerful netbook for just $200!!), my in-laws as usual were so generous (love the new powder blue ski coat!), and I even received a cool, and completely unexpected gift basket of treats in the mail ….
Is it just me, or does Starbuck’s always make the coolest coffee accessories? (I’m sitting here right now sipping tea from my favorite Starbucks jumbo “world” mug that I bought years ago). That, above, is a ceramic travel mug – so, so awesome! Oh, and that StellaMare soy candle is heaven on earth. Seriously, I’m not a fan of most scented candles and nearly keel over whenever walking by those candle and bath shops, but StellaMare is now on my Pinterest loves (yes, I even created a new board just to have a place to pin those candles!).
So as some of you know, I adore tea (understatement of the year), but coffee and I are practically strangers. That said, I’ve been wanting to trial coffee in recipes, and the VIA instant coffee that they sent seemed like the perfect excuse. I love the individual packets, as I can use a small amount in recipes and the rest stays fresh! Anyway, I whipped up these amazing, caffeine-infused nibbles …
See the recipe here.
Take a look, do you see what I did? I actually “themed” them with coconut and pistachios for a wintery, holiday vibe. Yes, the girl who typically can’t take 2 seconds to style the food or even think about making it look seasonal. I know, this isn’t huge … but baby steps. Are you proud of me?
But back to those fudge bites, which are delicious! A touch strong in coffee for me … just a touch, so I left the amount in the recipe as is, but I might use a little less next time for my own tastes since the flavor of coffee is still a bit potent for my timid taste buds. But I need more ideas!
Do you have any recipe ideas or loves that use [a small amount of] coffee? (again, baby steps)
Also, the Home for the Holidays – Gluten-Free Event has come to a close. See the ginormous list of winners here.
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on December 18, 2011 | 317 Comments
Even though I’ve never had a gluten-free holiday in the past, as the honorary dairy-free gal in the free-from foodie club, I was invited to join in on the Home for the Holidays: Gluten-Free Style event, hosted by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily. Truthfully, the timing couldn’t be better, as by coincidence (seriously, this is just a coincidence) we will be having our first gluten-free and dairy-free Christmas this year.
Now, the idea of Home for the Holidays is to share a gluten-free recipe that says both “home” and “holidays” to me. I liked this concept, but honestly, I was a bit uncertain about what to post. With a small family scattered around five states / provinces, holidays have become less about tradition for my husband and I, and more about relaxing. While I definitely do not want to get rid of the relaxation part, I’m eager to “settle down” and inject a little more love into the season. So I’m digging deep into my childhood memories, past the toys and gifts, to the things that truly meant the most to me at Christmas.
One wonderful memory that I have is my mother baking dozens of mini-loaves of pumpkin bread to give as gifts. It was a traditional present that she baked up every single year for friends and neighbors, and it filled the house with such warmth and an unforgettable sweet and spicy aroma. She was a bit of a perfectionist, so I wasn’t allowed to help with the baking process, and thus had no “tried and true” family recipe to start with. Not to mention, with Tony on a gluten-free and egg-free diet, conventional recipes just wouldn’t do.
I searched all around for egg-free, gluten-free pumpkin bread recipes, and found a few, but all of them were so different! Which one would work best, and what could I safely modify? It was all so overwhelming that I scrapped the lot and I winged it. That’s right, sans recipe, I threw together a quick bread that is free of the top eight allergens and gluten-free to boot!
And you know what? It turned out fantastic on the first batch! Now that is something that doesn’t happen very often. It must be the magic of the holidays.
Summary: This pumpkin bread has a wonderfully tender (yet cohesive) crumb that hits the sweet spot in texture, not too moist, not too dry. I didn’t get out of control with the sugars, so though it is dessert-like, it’s also passable as a brunch-style treat. We loved snacking on it plain (especially when warm), or even slathered with some dairy-free margarine or nut butter.
This recipe was baked at sea level. Note that egg-free AND gluten-free bread becomes trickier at high altitude. It may still work, but I haven’t tested it as of yet. Also, you may need to add a little more liquid at high altitude or in very dry climates.
If desired, before baking, sprinkle the tops of the loaves with a little cinnamon and sugar or with coconut sugar, for a little extra crunch and sweet.
This recipe should work well as muffins (will make about one dozen) and as a large loaf (use a 9×5 pan). Since I haven’t tested these, use your best judgment on the baking time. I would start with 22 minutes on muffins, and watch them from there. For a large loaf, it will probably take at least 60 to 70 minutes of baking time.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 50 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free
Number of servings (yield): 12
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
Note: This Giveaway is now closed, but you can still enjoy the recipe above!
I’ve got FIVE PRIZES to share, which means FIVE WINNERS (see below for the big bonus prizes for the event)!
BONUS: By commenting to win on this giveaway, you will automatically be entered to win one of the GRAND PRIZES in the Home for the Holidays event:
To Enter to Win:
This giveaway is open to entries worldwide! The entries will close Tuesday, December 20th at midnight (PST), so enter now!
Note: If you want to join in on the Home for the Holidays event, feel free to grab the badge above and use it in your own gluten-free recipe post. Be sure to link back to the Home for the Holidays event page so that Shirley sees your post!
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes, Giveaways
Posted by alisa on December 1, 2011 | Comments Off
The Attune Recipe Contest theme this month ($200 in groceries prize people!) is Homemade Gifts from the Kitchen. The playing field is wide open for entrants, but for my guest post on Attune this month, they gave me a more specific guide, high fiber. So what gift from the kitchen does one make when wholesomeness is a primary concern? Why cookies of course!
I went the extra mile in the high fiber arena, using whole wheat pastry flour AND whole grain raisin bran cereal in these Peanut Butter ‘n Honey Raisin Bran Cookies. If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, or want a cookie that is a little more indulgent, all-purpose flour will yield tasty results. I also used coconut sugar and honey as the sweeteners. I have to admit, the two flavors were amazing together. But I know that coconut sugar can be pricey, so feel free to use regular white and brown sugars if desired. They will make the end result a bit sweeter. Coconut sugar tends to be mellower and have almost caramel-like notes.
Click on the photo below to see the whole post and recipe!!!
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on November 29, 2011 | 8 Comments
I decided to join in for one last hoorah on Taste & Create and was paired up with Kat of the blog Study Food. She’s a relatively new food blogger, which made narrowing down options easier! I ended up going with her Chilli Con Sausage recipe, which was inspired by a Nigella recipe.
I picked this recipe because I’ve always wondered about cocoa in chili. It is a “spice” that I’ve never used before and thought it might be great for making a more full-bodied flavor.
I used a hot sausage, so I skipped the jalapeno and used juste chili powder for a little more heat. We like our chili lightly spicy. A very bad inedible chili experience keeps me timid with the spices these days. I also used all tomato puree plus a little honey instead of tomato puree and ketchup.
For some reason (the weather perhaps?) I’ve been craving richer foods, and though the cocoa powder added to the flavor, I wanted a little more … so I added a chunk of dark chocolate too. Melted that in, and it worked great!
We served it with tortilla chips (no rice) and diced avocado. I forgoed the spoon, since it was nice and thick, and used the tortilla chips for scooping instead …
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on November 21, 2011 | 15 Comments
My friend Sea at Book of Yum invited me to be a part of her Thanksgiving Recipe Carnival, and since she is so darn sweet, I simply couldn’t say no. The idea behind this particular event is a bit unique … she wants to show people that it doesn’t need to be difficult to feed gluten-free vegetarians and vegans for Thanksgiving.
I’m not a meat alternative guru, so I thought I would stick with one of my specialties, baking. At first, I dreamt up some elaborate ideas, but then I realized, why complicate things? Thanksgiving can be tireseome enough without having to accomodate special diets. Simplicity wins almost every time.
So I went with one of my top two favorite desserts (tied with cookies), crisp. I’ve never been a fan of pie crust anyway, I prefer just the filling and a nice crispy topping. And the great thing about crisp is that you don’t need gluten or eggs to bind, and you can even adjust it as you go, adding more sugar if you want it sweeter, more flour for drier, more liquid for more moisture. Very forgiving.
In terms of making a crisp gluten-free, there are actually many options. For extra simplicity, you can go paleo and just use nuts for all of the flour. Truth be told, I wasn’t a big fan of that option. I like a little flour in my crisp. However, I did find that coarsely grinding nuts added nice texture to the crisp and was actually a great replacement for oats (certified gluten-free oats can be hard to find, and some people who are gluten-free cross-react to oats regardless!) and some of the added fats. From there, the flour is very flexible.
People who aren’t gluten-free normally might want to just pick up gluten-free flour blend at the store. I recommend one that uses a brown rice, rice, or sorghum flour base for the most appeal. I tried one that was bean (garbanzo) heavy and um, yuck. That was our personal taste though! You can also get away with just one or two flours in a gluten-free crisp. In one batch (the Pecan-Apple crisp, see my link below – oh and I cheated, the picture below is the pecan-apple crisp – I didn’t get a picture of the pear one, sorry!), I used just brown rice flour and tapioca starch. It turned out great. You can use cornstarch for the starch in a pinch, which may help to simplify things further for non-gluten-free bakers.
Oh, and I have to talk about the fruit. I often read reviews of crisp recipes on recipe sites where people complain that the recipe didn’t work because the filling turned out mushy. This is NOT the fault of the recipe. Choose your fruit wisely people! Not all varieties are the same. Some are firmer than others, and hold their shape when baked, others turn to mush. For crisp, I recommend D’Anjou (or just Anjou) Pears. They are firm, smooth (easy to peel), and pretty easy to find, even organic varieties.
Alright, enough of my blabbering. Let’s get baking …
Summary: Crisps are amazingly versatile for various diets, particularly since the topping is permitted to be crumbly. Ingredients that bind or help with rising are of little to no concern and there’s no need to fuss with trying to get the perfect flaky crust! This particular crisp recipe isn’t overly sweet (as far as crisps go – but it’s still dessert-like!). I made it this way on purpose, so that it would be an excellent canvas for your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream or as something that pairs nicely with afternoon tea or coffee. If you prefer a more “sugary” topping, you can increase the brown sugar to 2/3 cup or more … give the topping a taste test and adjust to your liking. If it’s too sweet, simply cut in a little extra flour and/or starch – up to 1/4 cup.
Crisp Topping:
Fruit Filling:
Flour: Crisps and crumbles are very forgiving when it comes to flours. If you don’t have dietary issues, feel free to use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour for the flour. I made ours gluten-free using a gluten-free all purpose flour (Namaste’s Perfect Blend works well, but there are many options in stores). Another option (if oats are okay) is to grind 3/4 cup oats in your spice grinder to make a flour (takes just 30 seconds), or make your own flour blend with 1/2 cup brown or white rice flour plus 1/4 cup starch (I prefer potato and/or tapioca starch for baking). Remember, if you are gluten-free and want to use oats, be sure to get certified gluten-free oats.
See my Maple-Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe for another version on Go Dairy Free.
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg, free, Gluten free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free
Number of servings (yield): 6
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on November 18, 2011 | 18 Comments
Elsewhere Note: I interviewed Alison St. Sure of Sure Foods Living on the topic of a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving. She offers great tips and a couple of family-tested recipes that are at their feast every year. You can see the post here: Making Gluten Free Holidays Merry.
After discovering that many of my online friends didn’t have a single acorn squash recipe posted, I went a little nuts with trialing out different recipe ideas to inspire them … and this one was too delicious not to share. Yes, it is November, freezing, and I’m talking about smoothies and milkshakes, but really, ice cream never goes out of season, so why should shakes?
I think what surprised me most about the flavor was how it tasted a bit nog-inspired. No, I’m not claiming that this tastes just like eggnog (see my article on Dairy-free Egg Nog for some options in that department), but it does have a similar rich and creamy texture, in addition to those “warm” holiday flavors. And more importantly, this holiday beverage is virtuous enough to enjoy for breakast or as an afternoon treat. The acorn squash provides loads of vitamin A, vitamin C, and a whole host of other nutrients, the pecans and flaxseeds balance the carbohydrates with a touch of protein and some healthy fats, and don’t even get me started on the banana. Bananas are a key “superfood” in my world. I’m also addicted to adding fresh ginger to my smoothies lately. It adds a clean, but spicy taste, along with some more healthy benefits to help ward off winter colds.
The recipe below makes one really big serving, but I still wanted more …
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg free, Peanut free, Soy free, Refined Sugar free, optionally Gluten free
Number of servings (yield): 1
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
Blog Events:
I’ve submitted this recipe to Wellness Weekends ate Diet, Dessert & Dogs.
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on November 3, 2011 | 9 Comments
I’ve got a recipe featured on Attune Foods this week. Head over and check it out:
Crispy Curry Potato & Carrot Croquettes – You are going to love this combination. The carrots add a light sweetness, the curry gives it a warm and earthy flavor, and who doesn’t love the crisp coating you get from a light pan-fry? Plus, this is a “normal” recipe that just happens to be vegan/vegetarian, free of the top eight allergens, optionally gluten-free, and sugar-free! Suitable for almost everyone. Enjoy!
Blog Events:
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
