Category Archives: allergy-friendly

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Zughetti with Mushroom Fennel Pasta Sauce (SCD/GAPS/Paleo)

I was surprised by the interest in this recipe I posted on FB last week.  I figure zucchini pasta is such old news by now as I’ve been making my sun dried tomato and artichoke heart zucchini pasta for about a year and a half (and freaking LOVE it).  Also check out my raw pesto sauce with zucchini and carrot noodles.  Well, turning squash into noodles may be a standard in our house, but it’s not common for everyone.  Anyway, it’s a good reminder that everybody is on a different journey and at different points on their journey.  This recipe is near and dear to my heart.  The meat sauce is based on my Gramie’s pasta sauce recipe.  I love making it because the smells bring me right back into her kitchen.  As you might know from reading my blog, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up and lived with them for many years of my life (in childhood and as a teenager).  And I was exposed to my Gramie’s deep, devout love for food and her passionate cooking and baking (everything was from scratch).  I made a few adjustments from the original pasta sauce recipe, but it’s still wonderful and lovely and if she were still alive today, I have no doubt she would gobble this up…and laugh hysterically at these funky little non-pasta noodles.
 Zughetti with Mushroom Fennel Pasta Sauce 
  
Ingredients:
-3 to 4 pounds of zucchini (I do 3 1/2 lbs)
Sauce

-2 1/4 cups homemade marinara sauce or THIS is my favorite store brand (it’s in a glass jar, organic, and salt free)

-2 pounds ground turkey 
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 chopped fennel bulb (1 1/4 cup)
-2 cups chopped mushrooms
-1/4 cup coconut vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
-1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sub: honey, maple syrup)
-2 tablespoons coconut oil + 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
-1 teaspoons salt + 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon 
-2 teaspoons garlic granules 
-1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and basil (both optional) 
How To:
Sauce
1.  In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, onions, and fennel and saute 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add in the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute for 3 minutes. 
2.  Move the onion mixture to the sides of the pan, add the two final tablespoons of coconut oil to the middle of the pan and then add the ground turkey in the middle, chopping it up, browning, and incorporating it with the onion mixture.  
3.  After the meat and onion mixture are well combined and the meat is starting to brown, add in the garlic granules and the final teaspoon of salt.  
4.  Now add in the marinara sauce, the vinegar, and coconut sugar.  Mix everything together, turn down to low, and cover for 20 minutes.
5.  Turn off heat, remove the cover and add in the fresh chopped basil and additional dried spices (optional).
Pasta
1.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil 
2.  While the water is coming to a boil, peel and trim edges off zucchini. Make sure the cuts are straight to work best in the spiralizer.  
3.  Create the zucchini noodles.  I love this gadget or this peeler works too.
4.  Place noodles in the boiling water for 4 minutes (I love the texture at this cook time).
5.  Drain into a colander and allow the water to drain off for 5 or 10 minutes or so (you could also rid excess water by spinning in a salad spinner).  
6. Plate the zucchini noodles (zughetti) and top with the sauce and fresh basil (or parsley). 
Serves 4 to 5

Notes:
*Try THIS recipe for a nightshade free marinara sauce 
*Vegetarian?  Simply skip the meat and double all the veggies.  I would also add in 2 cups chopped carrots and 1 cup chopped celery.
Fabulous zucchini noodles! 
Boil
Drain
Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Posted by Amber at 3:35 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, GAPS, main dish, Paleo, SCD.

6 Comments

  • Vicky August 10, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    Gorgeous Amber! I will have to try out your vegetarian version. For my birthday I received an Amazon voucher so I’m off to see how much the spiralizers are – eek! the one you recommend is half the price on your Amazon.com! Still I’ve wanted one for a while and so I think I may invest – your noodles look fantastic!

    Reply
  • Megan Ancheta August 13, 2013 at 6:30 am

    I agree with Vicky – this looks gorgeous! Totally something I would like to make. (Is it okay to admit I’ve never cooked with a fennel bulb? One of those weird Alaska quirks of mine… I don’t see them very often in our stores.) All the more reason to make this yummy dish!
    Hugs!! xoxo
    Megan

    Reply
  • Laura August 13, 2013 at 6:35 am

    I am loving all your fabulous dinner idea recipes Amber. I had a spiralizer for veggies back in college years ago. I need to get myself a new gadget and make these awesome zucchini noodles. I also love the sauce and turkey addition. Can’t wait to make it!

    Reply
  • Beyond The Peel August 15, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    Oh goodness gracious. That looks amazing. I too heart zucchini noodles and recipes like this are perfect for the abundance we’re having. Thank you so much for the recipe for the sauce. The fennel sounds like a great addition to the typical tomato sauce. I’m certain it brings it to new heights!

    Reply
  • Lauren August 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm

    I LOVE this recipe! This would be a great way to satisfy my whole family…meat for the hubby, veggies for me, sauce for the kids. Yay Amber! I will be trying this SOON!

    Reply
  • Lizzy Allan August 21, 2013 at 6:01 am

    Oh wow, my mouth is watering! I had never even heard of zughetti until now!! Your photos are gorgeous too 🙂

    Reply

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Raw Nutrient Dense Key Lime Pie Creamsicles (also makes a tasty pudding) SCD/Paleo/GAPS

I’m always looking for new ways to serve not only sweet treats, but healthy sweet treats.  My freezer is usually full of popsicles at the ready.  It gets super hot here in the summer and so they are a necessity.  We usually go with juice based pops, but I love the use of coconut milk or other non-dairy milks for a fun, healthy twist.  I wasn’t sure how my kiddos would respond to these…and yeah, they LOVED them! And mommy loves how much nutrition they get in every cold, sweet and sour bite. 
This also makes a great pudding, you know, kind of like key lime pie without the crust.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours to thicken. 

Ingredients: 
-1 can (1 1/2 cups) coconut milk this or this 
-1 cup fresh spinach
-1 avocado 
-1/3 cup honey* (vegans use maple syrup or coconut nectar)
-1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

How To:
1.  Add the above ingredients to a blender and blend until well incorporated.  Fill popsicle molds and freeze at least 4 hours.  
2.  I like these popsicle molds which are made with toxic free plastic. 

Notes:
*Please adjust the sweetness to your preference.  Taste test before and add more as needed.  
*You can also add in some protein powder of your liking for additional nutrition. 
*A banana with 1/4 cup water would add in another fun flavor combination to these pops. 

Shared on: Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Raw Foods Thursday, Wellness Weekend 

Posted by Amber at 12:06 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, dessert, GAPS, Paleo, SCD, snacks, summer treats.

20 Comments

  • Ricki June 24, 2013 at 12:10 am

    Love the spinach in here! And they look great. Basically, my kinda smoothie! 😉

    Ahhhnnnndddd. . . . MAD MEN FINALE TONIGHT!!! (I’ll be thinking of you while we watch–LOL!). 😀

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2013 at 2:33 am

      Hi Ricki,

      Yes, you can’t even detect the spinach. It’s so great. Luckily my kids don’t object to eating greens, but if I can get more in there anyway I can…I will. 🙂

      And I cannot wait for the finale. I’ve been meaning to email you about the last 4 episodes. They have been FANTASTIC! I have to wait until tomorrow night to watch (as we don’t have a TV so I must wait for it on the computer). But It’s always such a treat. I love this show. So sad it’s the finale. But so excited to see how they are going to end the season.

      Reply
  • Lauren June 24, 2013 at 12:12 am

    Oh, these look so good! I think my favorite pudding to make with avocado is actually lime. I’ll have to try these with my girls…they are OBSESSED with popsicles, hehe. 🙂
    Thanks for all your sweet comments over on my blog. I always love hearing from you!

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2013 at 2:37 am

      Let me know how your girls like them! It’s funny because I gave some of the “pudding” to my daughter, and she was like, “Meh.” But of course when it’s all cold and creamy in popsicle form it tastes fabulous and she loved it. So funny. Kids DO love popsicles! I love them too. Maybe that’s why I have 500 of them in my freezer. Mommy likey. 🙂

      Reply
    • Lauren July 3, 2013 at 1:01 am

      I had to come let you know that we all loved this recipe! I have these tiny popsicle molds, so we had some ‘batter’ leftover (which was good because we all wanted an immediate treat), so I threw some ice in it and made a ‘frosty’. Yum yum yum!! I also only used 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 15 drops of stevia and hemp milk in place of coconut. Thanks for the great recipe Amber! 🙂

      Reply
  • [email protected] June 24, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    These sound fabulous! I only wish it would warm up here in Scotland to really enjoy them, or any frozen treat. But I guess at least they wouldn’t melt so quickly 😀

    Reply
    • Amber June 25, 2013 at 2:46 am

      Thanks Kellie. Does it ever warm up there in Scotland? I’ve always wanted to visit. We have distant connections to Scotland and Ireland. One day.

      We love our frozen treats in the summer, but also enjoy them in the winter. And ha ha, yes, they don’t melt nearly as fast.

      Be Well,
      -Amber

      Reply
  • Laura June 25, 2013 at 2:59 am

    As always Amber, these look incredible! I am going to make these popsicles tomorrow and try them out with lime essential oil 🙂 Totally stoked. I love the nutrition in these babies-avocado and spinach!

    Reply
    • Amber June 27, 2013 at 4:28 am

      Hi Laura,

      I thought these would catch your eye. I hope they are well received on your end. xoxo

      Reply
  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen June 25, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    Oh Amber, the kiddos are too cute!!! I love that they loved these! That’s a huge win! The creamsicles look amazing! Definitely giving these a try! xoxox

    Reply
    • Amber June 27, 2013 at 4:27 am

      Thanks Sarean.

      Reply
  • Cassidy Stauffer June 26, 2013 at 1:17 pm

    I pinned this and can’t wait to make it! I’m SO INTO ice cream and popsicles – thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber June 27, 2013 at 4:26 am

      I know what you mean girl! Us too. So easy and such great snacks. 🙂

      Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook June 30, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    These look incredible! One more reason for my to get a popsicle mold 😉

    Reply
    • Amber July 3, 2013 at 8:03 pm

      Indeed! 🙂

      Reply
  • Gwyneth's Loves July 3, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    What do you recommend I replace for the avocado? We can’t have those here.

    Reply
    • Amber July 3, 2013 at 8:03 pm

      Just leave it out. If you want, you can add in a banana for the creaminess. Good luck.

      Reply
  • Anonymous July 5, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    How much coconut milk should be added? When I looked at the links you provided one is a carton (8.5oz) and the other is a can (13.5oz)…so I’m not sure how much coconut milk to use. Thanks! I am excited to try this for my kids

    Reply
    • Amber July 6, 2013 at 2:27 am

      Good question. So use one can, or equivalent, and that would be just slightly over 1 1/2 cups (or just weight out 13.5 ounces).

      I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

      Reply
  • Phoenix Helix July 16, 2013 at 1:33 am

    I bought my first popsicle molds this year, so have been gathering recipes, and these are on my must-try list. I also added it to the paleo popsicle roundup in my latest blog post. Thanks for your delicious creativity!

    Reply

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

My Favorite Chicken Salad ~ With Apples and Fresh Tarragon

I flippen LOVE chicken salad.  Especially with lots of add-ins.  Oh the flavor and texture combination can be magnificent.  And I am one who loves to mash food together. There are no boundaries between food on my plate.  It’s a friendly place.  I will mix everything together on my plate so each bite equally represents each food.  That must be why I love things like chicken salad.  Everything is nicely mixed together and I just love it.  I can eat chicken salad for any meal (yes, even breakfast).  I hope you enjoy this recipe.  It’s super easy and a fantastic way to use up that leftover chicken (see the notes section for additional add-ins).    
Chicken Apple Salad with Fresh Tarragon 

Ingredients:
-2 cups shredded chicken*
-1/2 cup dill pickle, small chop
-1/2 cup celery, chopped 
-1/2 cup peeled apple, small chop 
-1/3 cup diced red onion
-1/3 cup mayo ~ here or here , vegan or homemade vegan
-1 teaspoon Dijon or stone ground mustard (optional) 
-1/2 teaspoon garlic granules 
-1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
-1 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried

How To:
1.  To a bowl add in the above ingredients and mix.
2.  Best if made 4 – 6 hours before serving.  

Notes:
*The best way to “shred”  chicken is in a food processor.  Simply add in the two cups of chicken and give it a whirl.  Personally, I like to cook chicken in the crock-pot, this makes it shred naturally.  So I use leftover crock-pot chicken for my chicken salad.  You could also used cubed chicken, it’s really up to you.  
*There are endless possibilities with chicken salad.  Here are some of my other favorite add-ins: sliced grapes, sweet yellow or red peppers, cucumber, hard boiled egg, radish, green onions, fresh dill, cashews, mango, slivered almonds, walnuts, kalamata olives, bacon, curry spice, or dried cranberries.  Go crazy folks.  

Posted by Amber at 2:51 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, gluten free, lunch, snacks, summer cuisine.

3 Comments

  • Tessa Domestic Diva June 17, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    I love crunchy/sweet combos in chicken salad…and I love your take on this! It is one of my favorite ways to use up my leftover roasted chicken meat!

    Reply
  • Easy Natural Food June 19, 2013 at 3:50 am

    Yummy, it sounds so good! I really love chicken salads like that too. I am pinning this to try 🙂

    Reply
  • Dawn June 19, 2013 at 11:43 am

    This recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply

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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Just Right Coconut Blueberry Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, nut free, cane-sugar free)

You might remember last month I shared my kitchen epiphany regarding baking.  Well, I’ve been having a grand ole’ time here in the kitchen BAKING and loving it, yes, Amber the “I am soooo not a baker” loves to bake.  Why the change of heart?  Well, things are working out.  Things are happening.  Things are not tasting like dirt and cardboard.  Things are delicious.  

YEAH! 

I’m starting off here with basic gluten-free baking (using eggs)…vegan gluten-free baking will be my next conquest.  Last month I shared my banana chocolate chip muffins (that I’ve also made into a banana walnut bread…sharing soon).  I have to tell you, a couple of my friends have made my banana chocolate chips muffins and like them very much.  My friend Jen tells me she makes a double batch every week. How great is that!  I love it when my recipes are enjoyed by others.  So nice.  

Okay, so these muffins (that really taste like cupcakes) were my latest baking adventure.  I played around with the recipe about four times before I found the PERFECT moist factor.  Last night’s batch was the winning batch.  Yeah.  When I took that first bite, I thought, “ahhh, just right.”  These muffins are so moist, I just can’t get enough.  They are moist, yet light and fluffy.  The sweetness is right-on for me.  BUT, you know I’m not a huge sweet tooth, so make them once yourself and adjust the sweetness as needed the next time.  I think they’re fantastic.  I’m super proud of this recipe.  I hope you try it soon, and perhaps enjoy with a glass of non-dairy milk, such as: almond, hemp, walnut, or macadamia.  
Cheers.  
Just Right Coconut Blueberry Muffins 
(gluten free, dairy free, nut free, cane-sugar free)

Ingredients:
Wet
-2 eggs room temperature (weighing 4.5 ounces in the shell)
-1/2 cup coconut sugar
-1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (room temperature)
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla or plain stevia
-3/4 cup fresh blueberries 

Dry
-100 grams sorghum flour (3/4 cup + 2 level tablespoons)
-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)
-60 grams tapioca starch/flour (1/2 cup)
-1 teaspoon baking powder 
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 
-1/2 teaspoon salt 

How To:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
1. In a medium bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients.  
2. Next, in a large bowl, add in the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and stevia (please make sure everything is room temperature).  Beat on medium with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.  Drizzle in your coconut oil with the beaters running on low.  Beat on medium for 15 seconds.  
3.  Add in the dry ingredients.  Mix gently until incorporated   Then beat with mixers on medium for 15 seconds.  
4.  Fold in the blueberries.  
5.  Fill batter to the top of the muffin cups.  
6.  Bake for 18 minutes.  
7.  Remove muffin from tin and cool on rack.  
Makes 12 muffins

Notes:
*Due to the high coconut content in these muffins, they will stay moist at room temperature, but if they get cold, they will become stiff.  It’s warm here in my neck of the woods (high 80s to mid-90s).
*When baking, I suggest following the weight of the ingredients exactly. This might mean investing in a small kitchen scale.  I cannot guarantee results if the recipe is not followed as specified and measurements are not accurate…just sayin’.
*For wet ingredients use only a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring.  *For dry, use metal measuring cups.  And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife.  Never pack in the flour. 
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.  
*Oh, and I only use these large baking muffin cups.

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, My Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mealtime Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Love
Posted by Amber at 12:13 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, breakfast, cane sugar free, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, nut free, snacks.

10 Comments

  • Megan @ Allergy Free Alaska May 18, 2013 at 12:27 am

    Amber,
    Those look absolutely perfect!! Look at the rise on the those babies! =) YUM!!

    Enjoy your weekend!
    Hugs,
    Megan

    Reply
  • Amber May 18, 2013 at 12:37 am

    Thanks Meg! That means a lot coming from such an amazing baker such as yourself. 🙂

    You also have a wonderful weekend.

    Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily May 18, 2013 at 7:48 pm

    Those look fantastic! I love that you are becoming a baker after all! 😉

    xoxo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Vicky May 18, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    Amber! Your cupcakes look beautiful and the picture second from the bottom is fantastic, the blueberries are tumbling out!

    I’m going to share it on my GF Afternoon Tea FB page and pin it!

    Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!

    Hugs

    Vicky x

    Reply
  • momphotographer May 20, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    what a great recipe!

    Reply
  • Cathy May 20, 2013 at 11:52 pm

    Yum!

    Come party with APIMP!

    I would love for you to share and link up at my TGIF Link Party. The party is open every Thursday night and closes Wednesday’s at midnight.

    http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/2013/05/tgif-link-party-3.html

    Hugs, Cathy

    Reply
  • Heather Pace May 22, 2013 at 2:21 am

    Love this muffins Amber!!! J likes taking muffins to work so I’m always on the lookout for good recipes. I will be making these for him once we get settled. Or you can come on up for a visit bring a batch 😉

    Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook May 23, 2013 at 1:25 am

    Oh wow those muffins look just perfect! Definitely a recipe worth tweaking until it was exactly right 🙂

    Reply
  • Heather Pace May 25, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    I’ll be making these this week, just need to get sorgum flour!

    Reply
  • Anonymous August 9, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    these are incredible. Hands down my new favorite. so so tender and delicate. I replaced strawberries for blueberries and almond milk for coconut milk. Make these!!

    Reply

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Mini Strawberry "Cheesecakes" ~ Inspired by Chef Amber Shea

Last week on Facebook I shared a recipe by Chef Amber Shea: Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars.  These totally blew my mind.  I kid you not, these babies taste like REAL cheesecake…and the texture is spot on.  Needless to say, I have been obsessed with the recipe. So for a family gathering over the weekend, I turned the bars into little mini strawberry “cheesecakes.” I kept most all ingredients the same with the addition of strawberries to the topping (instead of maple syrup and cinnamon).  Amber’s recipe is so very versatile.  You can have fun with it and add in your favorite flavors.  The possibilities are endless.  I urge you to try Amber’s version first, as it’s just delicious!  Thank you Amber for such an amazing, healthy recipe.  
Mini Strawberry “Cheesecakes”
Inspired by and based on: 
Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars 
(By Chef Amber Shea)

Ingredients:

For the crust
-1 1/2 cups almond flour or sunflower seed flour* 
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
-3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
-2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

For the filling:
-1 cup raw cashews soaked for 2 – 3 hours, drained & rinsed
-1 6-oz container plain coconut milk yogurt or plain Greek almond milk yogurt  
-1/4 cup honey (vegans, use coconut nectar or maple syrup)
-2 tablespoons lemon juice
-1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-4 large ripe strawberries 
-1 tablespoon honey (vegans, use maple syrup, coconut sugar, or coconut nectar) 

Instructions:
1.  Fill a regular sized muffin tin with muffin cups.  
2.  To make the crust, combine the almond flour and salt in a large bowl.  Add in the maple syrup and coconut oil. Using a pastry cutter or large fork, cut/stir the mixture together until it is crumble but just starting to clump together. 
3.  Press down the mixture in the muffin cups, make the crust as thick as you want.  Just make sure there is an equal amount in each cup.  
4.  To make the filling, in a high speed blender (I used a Vitamix, or you can use a food processor as Amber suggests), combine the soaked and drained cashews, yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and salt.  Blend to combine.  With the blender running on low speed, pour in the coconut oil in a thin stream, then blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth.  
5. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups all in equal amounts, leaving about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the blender.
6.  To the blender add in 4 large ripe strawberries and blend together with the mixture until smooth.  Top off the muffin cups with this strawberry mixture.  
7.  Place the muffin tin in the dehydrator or 4 hours at 105 degrees.  OR as Amber suggests (and what I do) is leave out on the countertop for 5 to 8 hours.  Then transfer to fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.  I like to leave out at room temp for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Notes:
*To make sunflower seed flour, simply add about 2 cups raw sunflower seeds to a food processor and blend until well ground and BEFORE it turns into sunflower seed butter.  I used sunflower seed flour as the base, as almond flour is difficult for me to digest.  But I’ve made this recipe with almond flour too, and I actually prefer the taste of the almond flour.  So I would go with the almond flour if you can digest it.  
 
This is how I served the little cheesecakes!  I blended up about 8 strawberries with 1 tablespoon of honey and drizzled over the top.  I finished with fresh blueberries.  EVERYONE was raving about these puppies.  I hope you try them soon.  
Shared on: Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, My Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mealtime Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Pure Ella Potluck Party Friday
Posted by Amber at 4:07 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, cane sugar free, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, raw.

14 Comments

  • gfe--gluten free easily May 11, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Those are gorgeous, Amber!! I’d say that’s a wonderful Amber-Amber collaboration! 😉

    Happy Mother’s Day! xoxoxo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Vicky May 11, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    These look delicious and they’re presented so beautifully!

    Reply
  • Lauren May 11, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Beautiful Amber! 😀 I have a kind of love/hate relationship with cashews (or at least my stomach does), but I would totally risk it for these!

    Reply
  • Laura May 12, 2013 at 12:09 am

    Happy Mother’s Day Amber! This looks like the perfect treat for the day!

    Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva May 12, 2013 at 12:21 am

    Mmmm, these look to die for…just love the culturing effect!, wonder if it helps make the cashews easier to digest?! Regardless, this is a must try for me! Wish I could make almond flour more digest able too!

    Reply
  • Gabby Ouimet May 12, 2013 at 4:18 am

    I have been eyeing that recipe since she posted it and this is just another confirmation that I need to try it! Love your variation 🙂

    Reply
  • Steph May 12, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Mmm…these cheesecakes look absolutely delicious, I really like the look of the dripping strawberry honey sauce, it makes the cakes even more irresistible

    Reply
  • [email protected] May 12, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Those look wonderful. I’m looking forward to trying it. I don’t have any “yogurt”, what do you suggest instead? Extra soaked cashews?

    Reply
  • Chef Amber Shea May 14, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Ahh, your little cheesecakelets are just BEAUTIFUL! Sorry I’m so behind on my feed reader, or I would’ve commented days ago. I LOVE your strawberry variation – I am going to have to try it myself as soon as I get my hands on some seasonal local strawbs!
    I agree with GFE – excellent Amber-Amber collaboration here 😉
    Happy belated Mothers Day, Amber!

    Reply
  • Heather Pace May 15, 2013 at 2:35 am

    Oh my goodness these look absolutely glorious Amber and perfect for Spring!

    Reply
  • momphotographer May 20, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    they look so cute. the recipe sounds fantastic. I especially love ingredients for the crust!!!

    Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva May 21, 2013 at 3:24 am

    featuring you this week!

    Reply
  • Heather May 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    These sound wonderful and easy to make. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  • Heather @Gluten-Free Cat May 23, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    These little babies are just gorgeous! Perfect for a brunch, a birthday party, or heck…right now!

    Reply

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Enchilada Lasagna with Homemade Enchilada Sauce (gluten and dairy free)

Do you have a favorite food?  Mine is, hands down,  Mexican.  It’s been a favorite for years, and it was an easy transition food when I went dairy and gluten free.  And living here in California we are spoiled with amazing Mexican restaurants.  The Mexican culture is also a big part of our lives, as our children are in Spanish Immersion school (learning this great language that is so prominent here in California).  While I would not consider myself a creator of traditional Mexican dishes, the basic spices and staples of the cultural food inspired me greatly.  I reserve two nights a week for something Mexican inspired and with the help of so many amazing gluten and dairy subs these days, it’s easy to create something satisfying and delicious.  I hope you enjoy this fun spin on enchiladas.  
Enchilada Lasagna with Homemade Enchilada Sauce 
Ingredients:

-1 pack of Rudi’s Gluten Free Fiesta Tortillas 
-16 ounce jar of your favorite salsa.  We like this one
-Daiya non-dairy shredded cheddar cheese*

For Chicken Mixture 
-2 large cooked chicken breast shredded or well chopped up (great use for leftovers)
-1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (small chop)
-1 1/2 cups chopped yellow pepper (small chop)
-1 1/2 cups squash – I used a mix of leftover butternut and sweet potato.  (You can use any leftover veggie you have in the fridge.  Or just skip if you don’t have anything).
-1/2 cup soy-free vegenaise
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon garlic granules
-Oil for the saute 

For the Enchilada Sauce
-8 ounces Anaheim peppers, seeded and veins removed (this is where the heat it)
-1 cup chopped yellow onion
-1/4 teaspoons salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt 
-1 1/2 cups filtered water
-1/2 teaspoon cumin 
-1/4 teaspoon garlic granules 
-2 tablespoons oil 
-Salt and pepper to taste
___________________________________________

How To:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

1.  Anytime that day, preferably before you start making the enchiladas, roast the Anaheim peppers for the enchilada sauce. In a 8×8 glass Pyrex (or favorite roasting dish).  Combine the seeded and de-veined Anaheim peppers, onions, oil, and 1/4 teaspoons salt and toss the ingredients together.  Roast, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes (or until you start to see some browning and roasting action).  After the peppers are roasted, remove and set aside until you are ready to make the sauce.

2. Start now by sauteing the 1 1/2 cups of onions and 1 1/2 cups yellow peppers in a large skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil and a dash of salt.  While this is sauteing, work on the chicken mixture.

3.  In a large bowl, add in the chopped (or shredded chicken), vegenaise, salt, and garlic granules.  Mix.  

4.  Return to the onion/pepper saute and add in your cooked squash to warm through.  Then add in this entire sauteed mixture to the chicken mixture and mix thoroughly. 

5.  Now build your enchiladas in a 13×9 glass Pyrex (see instructions and pictures below)

6.  Finally, make your enchilada sauce.  To a blender, add in all the roasted Anaeim peppers and onions.  Add in the 1 1/2 cups filtered water, 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin.  Blend on high until mixture is smooth.  Now it’s important to check for spice and add in more salt, cumin, garlic granules, or pepper if needed.  Then pour a generous amount of the enchilada sauce on the enchiladas, making sure to get it all around the sides.  

7.  Baked covered for 45 minutes.  Since I don’t use foil in my kitchen, I simply cover with a stainless steel baking sheet.  Allow enchiladas to cool for about 20 minutes before cutting.  Serves 6.

Notes:
*Top with dairy free sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, or cilantro.
*I understand that Daiya cheese is not for everyone, so just use real cheese if you can have it, or just omit.  It’s not necessary for this dish to turn out.  It simple adds a cheese-like flavor that my kids love.
*
Chicken mixture 
Saute mixture
Chicken and saute mixture becomes friends 

How to Assemble

1.  Spread 1/4 cup salsa with some oil on the bottom of the dish
2.  Add in tortillas 
3.  Spread around 1/3 of the chicken mixture
4.  Add some cheese 
5.  Add some Salsa 
6.  Place two more tortillas in the dish
7.  1/3 of the Chicken
8.  Cheese
\
9.  Salsa 
Then tortillas, chicken, cheese
Etc… 
I layered 3 times for a total of 8 tortillas used
Top everything with the two remaining tortillas and pour on enchilada sauce (I don’t use all of it, but I do drench the dish with it so the top and all sides are covered.  This sauce thickens and firms up when cooking, so you won’t have a sloppy mess – it’s okay to add in lot of sauce.  

 Here is the top.  
At this point, pour on your enchilada sauce
Here we are fresh out of the oven
Here is what it looks like cut
Enjoy!
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Mealtime Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays,  Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Fresh Bites Friday, Show  Off Friday, 
Posted by Amber at 7:29 pm

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, gluten free, main dish.

6 Comments

  • Laura April 18, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    I am crazy about Mexican, but have a hard time as I try to avoid corn whenever possible and of course gluten. This dish looks super delicious and filling Amber. I love it and am sharing this now! 🙂

    Reply
  • Jen April 18, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    Amber! This looks soooooooo good! I’m going to pretend I didn’t see it since I’m on AIP and can’t eat it… (sad face, puppy eyes)

    This is another scrumptious winner. Keep ’em comin’!

    XO
    Jen

    Reply
  • GlutenFreeHappyTummy April 18, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Hi Amber!! sorry i’ve been so absent lately! i’m glad to see you’re doing well! this recipe looks like a real winner! my goodness! hugs!!

    Reply
  • Cassidy Stauffer April 19, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    We love Mexican food too! This looks soooo yummy, I’ll have to add it to my “to make” list 🙂

    Reply
  • Tessa Simpson September 3, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Hi Amber! I finally got around to making these and we loved them!! I loved the enchilada sauce…i went ahead and roasted whole cloves of garlic along with the peppers and onions and added some coriander and cilantro at the end, as well as some fresh squeezed lime!
    I used Udi’s flour tortillas, and they got a bit soggy, so I will try either my own or some corn next time.
    I didn;t have any squash this time, but seems like a really great way to get some additional veg in there!
    Thanks for a yummy dinner…I have been thinking of you loads, hoping you are well in your hiatus!

    Reply
    • Amber November 17, 2014 at 8:18 pm

      Hi Tessa. Yeah! I’m so glad you liked these. I knew you would enjoy this sort of recipe. We love our Mexican inspired dishes don’t we!!

      Reply

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

It seems I’ve had it all wrong.  You see, I tried to perfect gluten free vegan baking before I was successful in simply gluten free baking!  I have plenty of experience with traditional baking from years of helping my baking-extraordinaire Gramie bake everything from apple pie to German chocolate cake (from scratch).  But for me, attempting to perfect gluten free vegan baking first was not the best order of things.  Especially for someone who never really loved to bake as an adult.  Case in point – it took me nearly 4 months to feel comfortable sharing my gluten free vegan chocolate cake recipe after making it like 15 times, and I am STILL tweaking it here and there.  Blasted baking.  If you follow my blog you know I’m not a huge baker and don’t really enjoy it.  And now please allow me to reframe that thought.  I did not really enjoy baking until I made these muffins.  For the first time I think I felt what avid bakers feel: exhilaration.  I created a baked good that was fantastic and it worked…it actually worked, and tasted awesome!! What a rush.  Anyway, I do believe I have fallen in love (in a big way) with baking.  I plan on experimenting much more with gluten free baking and bulking up that sorry excuse of a baking section on my recipe page.  I hope you try this recipe.  Especially if you’re new to gluten free baking, this will be a great starter recipe for you.  Listen, if I can do it, you can FOR SURE do it.  I promise.  Be sure to read over my notes below before you get going.  Salud.
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins 


Ingredients:

Wet
-10 ounces of peeled banana (about 3 largish bananas)
-1/2 cup coconut sugar (3.0 ounces)
-2 room temp eggs (weighing 4.5 ounces with shell)
-3 tablespoons full fat canned coconut milk
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia

Dry
-80 grams sorogum flour (3/4 cup)
-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)
-60 grams tapioca starch (1/2 cup)
-1 teaspoon baking power 
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if you can’t use xanthan gum, try 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk instead). 
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (optional, these contain cane-sugar).  I like mine with chopped walnuts. 

How To:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
1.  In a bowl add in the banana and mash it around for a bit with a fork until it’s a wet mixture.  Then add in all the other wet ingredients and mix everything with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) for 45 seconds on medium speed.
2.  In another bowl, add in the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and whisk everything together until everything is well incorporated.  
3.  In small batches, add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue mixing with the hand mixer.  Mix until everything is well incorporated.  The batter will be somewhat think.    
4.  Add in the chocolate chips and stir by hand.  
5.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.  The muffins will rise quite a bit here, so don’t over fill them.  This recipe makes 12- 14 muffins (depending on how full you make the cups).
6.  Top muffins with chopped walnuts and coconut sugar 
7.  Bake for 18 minutes on the middle rack.  
8.  Remove the muffins from the muffin tin and allow to cool on a cooling rack.  

Notes:
*When baking, I suggest following the weight of the ingredients exactly (even the banana).  This might mean investing in a small kitchen scale.  I cannot guarantee results if the recipe is not followed as specified and measurements are not accurate…just sayin’.
*For wet ingredients use only a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring.  *For dry, use metal measuring cups.  And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife.  Never pack in the flour. 
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.  
*Oh, and I only use these large baking muffin cups.

  These muffins are incredibly light, yet moist.  They have been taste tested many times (and by traditional eaters) with rave reviews.  I’m very proud of this recipe and I hope your family enjoys it too! 
Coconut butter tastes fabulous on top of these puppies 
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays,  Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Fresh Bites Friday, Show  Off Friday, 
Posted by Amber at 5:07 pm

Labels: allergy-friendly, breakfast, cane sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, snacks.

18 Comments

  • Vicky April 1, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    These look good Amber almost melt in the mouth! Lovely pictures too! I bet those disappeared fast!

    Vicky xo

    Reply
    • Amber April 2, 2013 at 1:17 am

      Thanks, Vicky! These are very popular in my house. We are traveling tomorrow to see family and I will be making a batch of these tonight for the trip. 🙂 Happy spring.

      Reply
  • Laura April 2, 2013 at 1:24 am

    Congrats Amber!!! Baking gluten-free and vegan sure can be a science experiment from time to time eh?! These look incredible and can’t wait to make these soon.

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:38 am

      Thanks Laura! 🙂

      Reply
  • Neera April 2, 2013 at 4:02 pm

    Awesome. I like it and going to try it. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂

    gfcfrasoi.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:39 am

      Thanks for stopping by today.

      Reply
  • Wild bird seed April 9, 2013 at 6:31 am

    Oh what a delicious and easy recipe. I’m so glad I’ve found this.

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:39 am

      Thanks so much! These are very user friendly. I hoe you enjoy them!

      Reply
  • Heather Pace April 10, 2013 at 3:05 am

    These look delish Amber! Congrats on the successful recipe and we all get to benefit from it 🙂 I’m a huge banana muffin fan!

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:40 am

      Thanks Heather! We love these…I often leave out the chocolate chips and just use walnuts. They are really great either way.

      Reply
  • Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey May 6, 2013 at 6:13 pm

    They look so yummy, Amber! Already pinned and ready to try them 🙂

    Stopping by from Mix It Up Monday! Hope you have a wonderful week 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:40 am

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  • HandJ Cobb May 6, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    These look amazing! I am in love! I love bananas and am totally going to try this!

    http://www.domesticblisssquared@gmail.com

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:40 am

      I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!

      Reply
  • Anonymous July 14, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Hi,
    I’m just curious how you would melt the coconut oil. Is the microwave ok?
    Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber July 15, 2013 at 1:14 am

      Hi Anonymous,

      I can’t honesty answer this question, as I don’t own a microwave. Butt I can tell you, I heat my oil in the oven. While the oven is preheating for the muffins, I add the oil to a 1 cup measuring tin and place it in the oven for a few minutes…melts it perfectly. Another non-microwave alternative would be to add some water to a small pot and place a 1 cup glass Pyrex in the water and then add the coconut oil to the glass Pyrex and melt this way. This is how I melt cocoa butter and coconut oil for my raw chocolate. Hope this helps. 🙂

      Reply
  • Casandra August 20, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    I have these baking in the oven as I type. I used a 240grams of Namaste Flour Blend I had on hand and swapped out walnuts for pecans and dropped the chocolate chips but followed your other ingredients. Looking good in the oven hopefully the taste test will be awesome.

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Casandra. Let me know how the Namaste packaged flour blend works!!! I am very curious. Thanks for stopping by and come on back with the verdict! 🙂

      Reply

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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Healthy Sunflower-Hemp Seed Granola Bites – A Great Afternoon Snack for Mamma (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

One of my favorite sweet recipes on my blog is the SCD “caramel” sauce.  It has a wonderful deep flavor, so creamy and (in my opinion) very rich.  I use this sauce as the base in my SCD “granola” bars.  The sauce works great, as it really holds everything together quite nicely.  I figured this sauce would also work great with oats, and it sure did.  Last month I made Shirley’s granola cookie bites.  She inspired me with these little morsels. I like how she made bites instead of bars.  Bars can be hard to form sometimes and often don’t stay together.  And it all tastes the same, so why not make it easy.  So I gathered some of my favorite dry ingredients and added it to the caramel sauce and voila, healthy little granola bites were born.  My husband is addicted to these.  My kids love them too.  They are almost too sweet for me, but I have a very low tolerance to sweet, so I prefer these with cranberries instead of chocolate chips.  These are the perfect mid-afternoon snack for us mommies (you know, around that 3:30 time when the tummy starts rumbling for a little something).   The ingredients are simple and healthy.  I hope you’ll give these little granola bites a try.  They will satisfy mommies…and kids alike.

Healthy Sunflower-Hemp Seed Granola Bites - A Great Afternoon Snack for Mamma (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: Snacks, Desserts
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces seeded Medjool dates (7 dates), soaked for 3 hours*
  • 3 tablespoons honey (vegans, maple syrup is a great sub here)
  • 3 tablespoons cashew butter
  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • ¼ cup full fat canned coconut milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups gluten free oats
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • -1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or dried cranberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. To a food processor, add soaked and drained dates, honey, cashew butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Blend for 90 seconds. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the coconut milk. Blend until everything is well incorporated.
  3. In a bowl, add the oats, chocolate chips, sunflower, hemp, and chia seeds. Mix.
  4. Add the wet ingredients from the food processor to the dry ingredients. Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes.
  5. With a spring scoop, make little balls and place on a baking sheet with a non-stick surface. Make sure to really pack the mixture in the scoop. Use your hands if necessary. Get a little dirty. It's fun.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer the bites to a cooling rack.
  7. Makes 24 granola bites. I recommend making two batches at a time. Enjoy.
Notes
*I've made these using soaked and dehydrated oats and sunflower seeds. They are equally tasty. The color is more gray-ish and the texture is softer.
*Please soak dates for the time recommended. I cannot guarantee the same results if the soaking time is not as noted in directions.

 

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend, Whole Food Friday Fresh Bites Friday, Show  Off Friday, 
Posted by Amber at 4:50 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, cane sugar free, cookies, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, snacks.

23 Comments

  • Gabby @ the veggie nook March 5, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    That sauce just sounds amazing, I can’t imagine anything tasting bad coated in that beauty! Perfect fuel for a busy lady like you!

    Reply
    • Amber March 5, 2013 at 10:51 pm

      Thanks, Gabby. And yes, it does make everything taste fab.

      Reply
  • Vicky March 5, 2013 at 5:12 pm

    This is a stunning recipe Amber and the pictures are beautiful!

    Reply
    • Amber March 5, 2013 at 10:52 pm

      Oh thanks, Vicky. You’re too sweet. 🙂

      Reply
  • Laura March 5, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    This is one scrumptious snack Amber! It’s 2pm here…this Mom wants a few of these right now 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber March 5, 2013 at 10:52 pm

      Hi Laura. Come on over, I’ll have a few ready for you with some homemade walnut milk. Perfection. 🙂

      Reply
  • Dana Visak March 5, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    Hi Amber. Firstly, thank you for this awesome recipe—I can’t wait to try it! But just curious why you wouldn’t choose to dehydrate these gems of yumminess, rather than baking them so as to keep them raw? Perhaps it’s the wet ingreds. that would make them difficult to stay in form unless baked (?).

    Also, I have to share (I hope you don’t mind). I thought this was funny. I only have a very tiny Cuisinart mini-prep plus that chops and grinds—you can hardly call it a food processor—but I AM grateful to have it (I think the only real reason I wanted it so badly, way back when, was because it was pastel pink!). I’ve known for a while, that I am really needing a “big girl” food processor (lol) and as I’m looking at your recipe, I’m wondering, “Hmm, I wonder what kind of food processor Amber uses?” And sure enough, with my detective’s eye, I notice the make and model of yours ON your blade (the center plastic piece). How perfect was that? So thank you for such close-up pics of your creations, that was a huge help (lol).

    So sure enough, I went on Amazon and lo’ and behold, there it was. At least the Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7-cup. Yours doesn’t have the “S” so maybe yours is slightly dif. Nonetheless, it has great reviews. Do you love yours or would you actually recommend another?

    Thanks for reading and thanks for all that you do and share! And by the way, your little boy is so precious! What a cutie! 🙂

    Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily March 5, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    Amber, I looked at your post title and said to myself “oh, those are me.” Then I saw the photo and said, “yes, definitely.” Then I read your post and saw you were inspired by my granola bites. Super, super cool! I think you did far better than I did as these babies are packed with goodness and nutrition. LOVE that you use your caramel sauce, too! I’ll leave out the chia seeds (they’re not my friends lately), but I’m on board with these yummies otherwise. 🙂

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
    • Amber March 5, 2013 at 10:51 pm

      Hi Shirley. Well, we all loved your granola cookie bites. And I’ve mentioned before that my husband takes granola bars to work with his lunch everyday. So I am always experimenting with new bar/bite recipes. So, yes, chia seeds are not for everyone. I would just omit the chia and add in an extra 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (and maybe a few teaspoons of psyllium husk) for binding. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva March 5, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    That saice IS amazing! I just whipped up a batch of these up, super yum! ilove the texture and mild sweetness. You now me, I had to chage something (‘
    This time it was just method:

    I did a quick soak of the dates by soaking in boiling water for 10 minutes.
    I put all the ingredients for the caramel sauce into the processor and whirred away until smooth and creamy. I used raw soaked cashews in lace of the butter as it is what I had on hand: 1/4 cup.
    I them added the seeds and pulsed several times to break them into smaller chunks for my whole-seed averse kids.
    I then added the oatmeal and did the same, smaller pieces of oatmeal too!
    You know me, lazy cook, I had to find a way to use the minimum dishes as possible, I love recipes I can do all within the food processor! Thanks love!

    Reply
  • Amber March 5, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Ha ha…mild sweetness. I must have something wrong with me. These taste WAY too sweet to me with the chocolate chips (perhaps because the chocolate chips DO have evaporated cane juice, which I am not used to). It’s crazy. I can only eat one, then I am running into the cupboard for a salty chip. Anyway, glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for your version, Tessa. That’s always helpful for readers to have another assembly option. 🙂

    Reply
  • Not Missing a Thing! Allergy Friendly Cooking March 6, 2013 at 1:51 am

    Pinning this one for sure! Sounds wonderful!

    Reply
    • Amber March 8, 2013 at 4:08 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  • Megan A March 7, 2013 at 5:01 am

    Amber,
    These look amazing! I love that you made them into bites instead of bars – and that you used chia seeds. These are the perfect kid friendly snack. I’m off to share this one on FB!
    Hugs,
    Meeg

    Reply
    • Amber March 8, 2013 at 4:09 am

      Hi Meg, yes, these are super fun. Thanks for sharing on FB. 🙂

      Reply
  • [email protected] March 7, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    I bookmarked these Amber. These look freakin’ amazing. I can’t wait to try them. I’m with you on the bite size. It’s easier to just have a little bite that way. I’m looking for recipes like this for my upcoming adventure. These will be perfect.

    Reply
    • Amber March 8, 2013 at 4:10 am

      Ha ha, thanks France. You’re too sweet lovely lady. Glad these might have provided some inspiration for your adventure.

      Reply
  • feeldivinefood March 8, 2013 at 2:18 am

    These sound yummy and are so packed full of nutrition! I love your array of photos, too. 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber March 8, 2013 at 4:10 am

      Let’s just say they don’t last long in this house at all. I love making my family healthy snacks. It just feels good, you know! 🙂

      Reply
  • Dana Visak March 11, 2013 at 3:47 am

    I guess you missed my post on Mar. 5th?

    Reply
    • Amber March 11, 2013 at 6:02 am

      Hi Dana,

      Please clarify. Thank you.

      Reply
  • Lauren March 12, 2013 at 6:16 am

    Yum yum! These look delicious! I bet my girls would love these. It’s great to have healthy snacks like these on hand for when someone gets hungry. I’ll definitely pin and try these soon. Thanks Amber! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber May 23, 2013 at 4:37 am

      I hope you enjoy them, Lauren. 🙂

      Reply

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Delightful Vegan Double Chocolate Cake (free of: gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, and cane-sugar) – with a VIDEO


Last week I shared my trip to the East Coast.  It was all amazing.  But there is one thing I just CANNOT get out of my head: Babycakes.  It was there in that small, cramped, ridiculously cute and hip little bakery I fell in love with chocolate cake.  Yes, we are in love and it’s going great…although we haven’t seen each other since May.  Hum…how to see more of this chocolate cake?  This long distance thing is NOT working out.  So I set out on a mission.  Recreate this moist, fluffy, delicious cake at home.  Now I know Babycakes has a cookbook, but I thought this would be a great learning experience and baking challenge.  You see, I’m NOT a baker (it’s not something I particularly enjoy).  But I plan on changing this.  So this non-baker is ready for the challenge: to make the perfect dairy-free, gluten-free, cane-sugar free, vegan chocolate cake.  Well my friends, after much trial and error, this non-baker did it (can I call myself a baker? perhaps after I perfect my grain free baking).  At any rate, I am pleased to share with you: my very own chocolate cake recipe.  And it’s everything I love about chocolate cake (er, or cake in general), everything I never knew I loved.  I’m no chocoholic (like my sweet husband) but I will say this cake makes my toes curl up a little.  I’ve baked this thing about 15 times (no joke) and the last 3 batches came out perfectly consistent, so I feel confident sharing the recipe.  I wanted to make sure the recipe was precise with exact measurements.  Please follow my notes too, as this will ensure a superior cake.  I’m very proud of this recipe.  I hope you enjoy it too.  Tastes fab with a cold glass of dairy-free milk (such as my homemade walnut milk).  Cheers.  
~See below for chocolate cake making video~

P.S.  Nine people taste tested different variations of this recipe (and yes, I even printed out questionnaires regarding the texture, sweetness, chocolaty-ness, etc.).  The below recipe was the favorite, and overall, the taste testers claimed they could barely tell this cake from traditional chocolate cake (taste testers also favored frosting #2).  

Delightful Vegan Double Chocolate Cake


Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients (please see notes below about weighing flours)
-1/2 cup (55 grams) garbanzo/fava bean flour  
-1/2 cup (60 grams) (1/2 cup) sorghum flour 
-1/3 cup (40 grams) (1/3 cup) tapioca starch
-1/2 cup (50 grams) raw cacao powder 
-1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon GF baking powder 
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) xanthan gum
-1/4 teaspoon salt 

Wet Ingredients (please see notes below about measuring wet ingredients)
-1/2 cup room temp maple syrup (I recommend grade B)*
-2/3 cup room temperature unsweetened applesauce 
-1/2 cup liquid coconut oil  
-2/3 cup hot water (just before it starts to boil)
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia 

How To:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Prepare cake pans by oiling and dusting with flour (I use coconut oil or grapeseed and sorghum flour for dusting  – or you can use parchment paper, but I prefer the oil/four method.  I DO NOT recommend using a glass pan.  If you do use a glass pan use baking parchment paper for the bottom to prevent sticking.  A regular non-stick cake pan is recommended and I’ve only made this recipe in non-stick pans. 
3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients  
4.  In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients
5.  SIFT dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until well combined (do not over mix).  The batter will become thick, this is normal.  Scoop batter into cake pan and spread out with silicone spatchula.  Tap down pans to even out batter. 
6.  Baking instructions: 
-For two 9″ cake pans filled with one batch of batter, bake for 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out dry). You may need to bake 3 to 5 minutes longer in the wet, winter months.  Check at 20 minutes and continue on from there.    
-For one 9″ cake pan filled with one batch of batter, bake 20  – 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out dry). Bake up to 28 minutes in the wet, winter months. Check at 20 minutes and go continue from there.  
-For cupcakes, bake 20 – 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out dry).  Bake a little longer (maybe 2 or 3 minutes) in the wet winter months. When cupcakes come out of the oven, immediately remove the paper cups and cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack.  
7.  Allow cakes to cool on cooling rack for 30 – 45 minutes

-The recipe in this post will yield 15 cupcakes, or 1 round cake which would be just a single layer (baked in one 9 inch cake pan), or two single layer cakes (which is the double layer shown in the pictures – the batch is obviously split between two 9 inch cake pans). 

Frosting #1:

Ingredients
-2 very ripe avocados 
-3/4 cup raw cacao powder 
-1/2 cup maple syrup + 10 drops liquid stevia (adjust sweetness to taste)
-1/3 cup melted coconut oil

How To:
1.  Mix all ingredients in a food processor until creamy, smooth and well incorporated.  Frost cake.  This frosting yields enough for two layers (the above recipe baked in two 9 inch cake pans).

Frosting #2:

Ingredients
-1/3 cup vegetable shortening
-1/3 cup grade B maple syrup (or more to taste)
-1/4 cup liquid coconut oil 
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-5 – 10 drop liquid stevia (to taste)
-1/2 cup (40 grams) raw cacao powder 

 How To:
1.  Add ingredients to a food processor and blend until well incorporated.  Frost cake.  This frosting yields enough for one layer of cake (the above recipe baked in one 9 inch cake pan).
2.  Place in fridge to firm up frosting if need be.

Recipe Notes:
*I cannot guarantee results of this recipe if flour weights and liquid measurements are not followed exactly.  Just sayin…!
*I highly recommend weighing the flours.  This will ensure a superior cake.  Being off with the flour too much or too little will compromise the texture of the cake.  So PLEASE invest in a scale with grams and ounces.  
*Please ONLY use a glass Pyrex measuring cup when measuring liquids.  Do not use tin measuring cups, as there is a big difference in these measurements.  I’ve also included liquid measurements in grams for accuracy.   

Chocolate Cake from Amber Husten on Vimeo.

Single Layer with shortening frosting:

Double Layer with avocado frosting:

Cupcakes with avocado frosting:

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Tastetastic Thursday, Keep It Real Thursdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Friday Food, Whole Foods Friday, My Birthday Pot Luck Party Friday, Allergy-Friendly Fridays, Sweet Saturday, 


Posted by Amber at 2:14 pm

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, dessert, egg free, gluten free, vegan.

68 Comments

  • Amber Shea @Almost Vegan September 14, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    Oh my goodness, Matt would DIE for this cake. Bookmarking! I am impressed with all the work you put into this, Amber! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks so much, Amber. I hope to conquer baking in shapes and forms one day. 🙂

      Reply
  • Vicky September 14, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    Gorgeous cake Amber! I’ve been visiting your FB page every day this week to see if you’ve posted it! And I LOVE the frostings! Yum!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks Vicky. 🙂

      The frostings are pretty great. But I have to say, I prefer the avocado.

      Hugs

      Reply
  • Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance September 14, 2012 at 6:14 pm

    This looks divine! And its egg free? Incredible!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:24 pm

      I know…egg free even. Crazy. It’s super yummy and moist. I find that eggs make baked goods so darn dry. Perhaps this is why I never liked chocolate cake before. 🙂

      Reply
  • KB September 14, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    Looks amazing. Allergic to legumes, so I’m subbing out bean flours. I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂 (soooo glad it’s egg-free!!!) 😀

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:25 pm

      Yes, please, substitutions and results are much appreciated. Good for other readers who might be looking for variations.

      Reply
  • CassidyS September 14, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    Wow Amber, what a BEAUTIFUL cake!!! I would certainly be proud if I were you! Your frosting looks soooo good 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks so much, Cassidy! 🙂

      Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva September 14, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    I am SO proud of you!! No gar-fava, but I need to make a cake today, so will try this out!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:26 pm

      Hi Tessa,

      I thought you would be…you are my baking guru after all. Thank you for trying a variation of this recipe. Let me know if you ever make it with the fava/garbanzo and how you like it (and if the flavor is too overpowering for you).

      Reply
  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen September 14, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    Oh Amber, this is beautiful! Now the love affair is no longer long distance! Seriously, this is amazing!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks Sarena. It’s fun to eat such a healthy cake.

      Reply
  • Good Girl Gone Green September 14, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    Looks so yummy, Amber! 🙂 I appreciate my fellow greenies too! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:27 pm

      Thank you Stephanie.

      Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva September 15, 2012 at 1:50 am

    I we had this for little man’s bday tonight! I subbed the garfava for another high
    Protein flour.”coconut. The flavor was awesome, and that FROSTING! Number two that is….sublime! Next time I might add so emchia meal or more gum or psyllium to help bind, the cake was very fragile. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Amber September 15, 2012 at 5:42 am

      Hi Tessa,

      Wow, you’re quick. Glad you enjoyed the flavor. Everyone who tastes it really likes it.

      If you can, try to make it with the fava/garbanzo (it’s a preferred gf mix at Babycakes Bakery). And the x-gum holds the cake together perfectly – but I don’t think you use x-gum (bc of the corn). I don’t use it that much either (but the Babycakes uses it), so again, trying to stay close to their recipe.

      I would love to hear how you like the cake if you ever make this recipe. I can tell you, it’s certainly not fragile. It feels and tastes JUST like a traditional cake. I’m so proud of it. Funny, I figured you would sub with teff before the coconut. 🙂

      Anyway, thanks for your version, Tessa. Again, let me know if you get to use the garbanzo/fava mix.

      And happy birthday to your son! I hope he had a great day.

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
    • Tessa Domestic Diva September 15, 2012 at 8:04 pm

      I have used bean flours before and I always taste them, no matter how little. I have never used gar-fava though…worth a shot, can’t know until you try it! And I did use guar gum, b/c yes, that whole corn thing….

      Reply
    • Amber September 15, 2012 at 8:35 pm

      Hey Tessa,

      Well, you might be able to detect the fava/garbanzo flavor then. This recipe would work with just sorghum as the flour. It’s such a great, light, sweet flour. I really like it. 🙂

      Have a great weekend. Still hot as hell here in Cali. So looking forward to fall.

      Hugs,
      –Am

      Reply
    • Tessa Domestic Diva September 15, 2012 at 10:00 pm

      I love sorghum too, so will try that…after all, i DO have a bit of frosting left….. (;

      Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook September 15, 2012 at 3:58 am

    Wow Amber this is amazing! I love avocado frostings so I would totally use that one 🙂 Next time I need a cake recipe, I totally know where I’m coming!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      Thank you Gabby. If you get a chance to make it, let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂

      Reply
  • Kammie @ Sensual Appeal September 15, 2012 at 4:10 am

    This looks totally delicious. Great recipe, Amber!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      Thank you lovely Kammie.

      Reply
  • christine September 15, 2012 at 7:58 am

    well, I have to say this looks fantastic:) I have the Babycakes book,the UK version, and have only made the chocolate muffins, so it will be interesting to compare the two – life can be so tough sometimes … sigh … well done for all your hard work for a non-baker:)

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      I will have to get my hands on that cookbook – but it has been fun experimenting and strengthening my baking skills.

      Reply
  • Laura September 17, 2012 at 5:22 am

    You most def. can call yourself a baker now!! Your grain-free cake looks incredibly moist and screams perfection. This cake looks divine Amber!

    Reply
    • Amber September 17, 2012 at 1:34 pm

      Thanks Laura! Although this cake isn’t grain free. I look forward to creating my own grain free chocolate cake recipe soon. 🙂

      Reply
  • Alexia September 17, 2012 at 8:05 am

    oh wondferful! grain free and looks more moist than any other “grain cake” out there! mhmmm

    Reply
  • Amber September 17, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Hello Alexia,

    Thanks for stopping by. This cake does in fact contain grains though. And yes, this cake is very moist indeed. Everyone has really liked it (especially those used to eating traditional gluten cakes). Have a great Monday. 🙂

    Reply
  • Yvonne @ StoneGable September 17, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    Amazing cake. I could learn a whole lot about healthy alternatives from you! Thank you for sharing this beautiful cake at ON THE MENU MONDAY!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      Many thanks.

      Reply
  • Kristin Overton September 17, 2012 at 6:17 pm

    Is the recipe supposed to say: Makes (12 cupcakes, or) 1 round cake (in one 9 inch cake pan), or two round cakes (in two EIGHT inch cake pans). ?? Or 12 cupcakes plus an 9″ pan vs 2×8″ pans? I’m planning on making this today- so excited!

    Reply
    • Amber September 17, 2012 at 7:19 pm

      Hi There Kristin,

      I will do my best to help you understand. But please let me know if it still isn’t clear for ya…

      With the batter in the above recipe you can do 1 of three things with it – I’ve tried all three which is why I’m suggesting them.

      1. Cupcakes (12)

      2. One single layer cake (baked in a 9 inch cake pan). Reference pictures from above.

      3. If you prefer a double layer cake (this is my preference), this batch can be divided into two cake pans, but it won’t be very high (the batter will rise, but only slightly). Also reference pictures.

      I’ve tested all three methods at 350 degrees and for 20 minutes with consistent result.

      Hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂

      Reply
    • Kristin Overton September 24, 2012 at 5:10 am

      I used a 8″x8″ glass pan as we only had one 8″ round cake pan. After cooling for the directed half hour, I tried to flip the cake out of the pan as was effortlessly shown in the video. It would appear as though a glass pan holds the heat longer, and the cake didn’t make it in one piece.

      At this point I said “to hell with it” and frosted it immediately. I was obviously no longer going for looks. :
      We ate it off the plate (delicious!), still slightly warm

      Reply
  • Laureen @FoxKitchen September 19, 2012 at 2:49 am

    Oh my, that might be the most beautiful chocolate cake I’ve ever seen! With two frosting options, I’m going to have to make it twice 🙂
    Sharing on my Facebook page

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      Awe, thank so much Laureen. Appreciate your sharing.

      Reply
  • glutenfreehappytummy.com September 19, 2012 at 3:18 am

    wow oh wow that looks absolutely DELICIOUS! i wish i could grab a slice through the screen!!

    Reply
    • Amber September 19, 2012 at 9:31 pm

      Ha ha, I feel that was about so many of your recipes too, Caralyn. 🙂

      Reply
  • Jill September 21, 2012 at 12:41 am

    I just made this and it is fabulous! I think I just consumed way too much though. I did a single cake with frosting #2. I am thrilled to have a recipe that I can now make for my daughter’s birthday as she has many sensitivities. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Amber September 21, 2012 at 8:05 pm

      Hi Jill,

      So awesome! Thank you for leaving me a message here and letting me know how it turned out for your family. I LOVE getting feedback on recipes I worked on perfecting. You rock.

      And how special your daughter can enjoy this cake for her birthday. That makes me smile.

      Have a great weekend.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Kylie September 21, 2012 at 9:10 pm

    Thank you so much for offering an avocado free version! I just recently found out I am allergic to them, despite my love for them. ;o)

    Reply
    • Amber September 22, 2012 at 3:50 am

      Hi Kylie,

      My pleasure. It’s difficult to find out that certain foods don’t agree with us (especially if we love them). Last summer I came to realize that watermelons were causing me great stomach and intestinal distress! Crazy.

      Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  • Jessica September 22, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    Uhhhh…drool! That looks incredibly moist and delicious! Thanks for linking up at Sweet Saturday, nice to have you here again 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber September 26, 2012 at 4:52 pm

      Thanks Jessica. Great to be back. 🙂

      Reply
  • Sunshine Mama September 23, 2012 at 3:28 am

    You had me at sugar-free! I came via Lifeologia and saw your cake picture. We don’t have to eat gluten-free, though I do like to experiment with it, but we do avoid refined sugar, eggs and dairy when baking because of health issues between my son and I. This recipe looks so amazing, I’m really excited to try it out!

    Reply
    • Amber September 26, 2012 at 10:15 pm

      Thank you Sunshine Mama (love your name). 🙂

      Glad to meet you…thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  • Richa September 23, 2012 at 4:08 am

    wowza.. the cake looks ridiculously good. i might give it a try it one of the coming birthdays! i dont usually add brean flours either but have heard about garfava not tasting as strong. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Amber September 26, 2012 at 10:17 pm

      Yeah, the garfava isn’t too bad. If you’re sensitive, you might taste it though. I look forward to experimenting with some new flours and with vegan baking. 🙂

      Reply
  • April S. September 24, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    That looks wonderful! You are definitely a baker now – most bakers I know aren’t as dedicated as you were to making this a success. Thanks for sharing at Sweet Saturday!

    Reply
    • Amber September 26, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      Hey thanks April. Hooray. Glad to hear I’ve made it to the title of an official baker.

      Reply
  • Michelle @ The Willing Cook September 26, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    This is so beautiful, Amber, and I love the coconut “crust” on top! I’m glad we changed our AFW rules so that I could feature it this week. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Amber September 26, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      Thanks so much, Michelle. That means a lot. And thank you for featuring my cake this week. So honored.

      Hugs to you. 🙂

      Reply
  • The Crapshoot Mama September 30, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    Hey Amber – thanks for sharing! I am new to GF and found your recipe via Cybele Pascal’s website. I plan to try your recipe with a few changes and I’ll post how it turned out and what I changed. Thanks for a great website 🙂
    Sarah

    Reply
    • Amber September 30, 2012 at 8:31 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      Great! Can’t wait to see how it turns out and your modifications.

      Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

      –Amber

      Reply
  • Anonymous October 12, 2012 at 4:21 am

    Has anyone tried this recipe by subbing out the garbanzo/fava flour with another flour? I can’t have garbanzo beans. Do you have a suggestion for another flour I can use? I can’t use coconut flour either.

    Reply
    • Amber October 12, 2012 at 4:53 am

      Hello Anonymous,

      I suggest using millet, more sorghum, brown rice flour, or replacing with another high protein flour such as green pea flour (high in protein and fiber), quinoa flour (high protein), or soy flour.

      Let me know what works for you!

      Thanks,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Puppy Kisses and Paper Dreams November 19, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    I made this today, as cupcakes and they were DELICIOUS! And, I did frosting #2, which was really tasty. I recently did an avocado-based chocolate frosting, which was really good, so I tried #2 and it was great. However, when I made the cupcakes, they all fell. I followed the instructions very closely, and even weighed the flours. Any hints? THANKS! – Chris

    Reply
    • Amber November 20, 2012 at 9:23 pm

      Hi Chris,

      Thanks for your feedback. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!!

      I’m sorry to hear the cupcakes fell. I’m thinking back to these cupcakes and the batter, and I never had that problem. They always puffed up for me (and I haven’t heard any feedback from others about them falling). I’m sorry I can’t offer any concrete advice. I felt like after so many trials with this recipe, it was just right.

      The only thing that come to mind is oven temperature. If your oven is running cooler perhaps the cupcakes were not able to cook enough, then being exposed to the air dropped the middles.

      When I make these again I will let you know how they turn out for me.

      I took a baking break after months of experimenting (plus I was so tired of chocolate cake), but it’s sounding appealing again. 🙂

      This is why baking is not my forte. Just the slightest difference can change the outcome. But it sounds like you followed the recipe exactly…so I just don’t know what could have gone wrong.

      Please keep me posted if you ever make them again.

      And thanks for letting me know!

      Have a great Thanksgiving.

      –Amber

      Reply
  • Marisa February 1, 2013 at 1:01 am

    Will it work if I replaced all the flours with Bob Red Mill’s Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour (which contains Garbanzo Bean Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour, White Sorghum Flour, and Fava Bean Flour)? Also, I don’t have liquid Sevia. Can I just leave it out?

    Reply
  • Amber February 1, 2013 at 1:59 am

    Hi Marisa,

    Oh whoops, I thought I had this recipe in draft! I was still working on it. Sorry the measurements were confusing. I fixed them from my notes. I had it in draft because the batter acted different during the winter than during the summer. So, I had my good friend make this twice, and she said it came out fine. I plan on making it again soon to make sure. Arg…I’m so not a baker, and this is why…so many elements come into play with baking. For example, the batter was very thick in the summer, and then very thin during the winter on high humidity days.

    So anyway, to answer your question, I would just weight out the flours and see how the cake turns out. Test first. Since I have not used this blend personally, I can’t speak about the outcome. So please let me know if it works for you so I can make a note in the recipe for others who might want to use this blend. And for the stevia…I would highly recommend it. The cake will not be as sweet if you leave this out. It will be sort of bitter. But if you like the taste of bitter dark chocolate, that it will work well.

    Thanks,
    –Amber

    Reply
  • Marisa February 1, 2013 at 4:24 am

    I just made them, and they came out great with substituting the bean flour, the sorghum flour, and the tapioca starch for the equal amount (1 1/3 cups) of Bob Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour! I added about a heaping 1/4 cup of Stevia in the Raw granulated sweetener to help a bit with the bitterness from not using the liquid sweetener, and they were still not as sweet, but they were still very good. I’ll have to get some liquid Stevia next time I go to Whole Foods to use for the next batch of these.

    Reply
  • Amber February 1, 2013 at 4:55 am

    Hi Marisa,

    Thanks so much for letting me know! Did you make cupcakes?

    I’ll have to add that Bob’s 1 1/3 cups option to the notes. Thanks for testing that out. 😉

    And I’m surprised the 1/4 cup stevia in the raw was not sweet enough, considering you just left out 1/2 teaspoon stevia. You know, we all have different sweet tolerances. I, personally, am very sensitive to sweet and think this recipe here is too sweet. I always suggest folks test out recipes as written, then make adjustments the next time…you just never know. So you may want to add in 1 teaspoon liquid stevia if you make this again, because it still might not be sweet enough. I purposely did not over sweeten the cake though because the frosting is very, very rich. So together, the cake and frosting work well. But still, of me, a bit too sweet. Ha ha.

    Thanks again,
    -Amber

    Reply
  • Marisa February 1, 2013 at 5:51 am

    Yeah, I made cupcakes. I didn’t use any frosting though.

    Reply
  • Anonymous July 30, 2013 at 3:28 am

    Hi Amber! Thank you soooo much for this fantastic recipe, my girls and I LOVE it!!! I thought you might like to know that I have made this at least 4 times, and I am nowhere near as meticulous as you are… I have never weighed the flours (in fact I don’t even level them), I never bring the applesauce or maple syrup to room temp, and I don’t use stevia so I just omit that. I also have to sub olive oil for the coconut oil. It has come out BEAUTIFULLY every time! The cake is like velvet and the frosting is light and they complement each other perfectly. Taste and texture of both are flawless! I always make the shortening frosting and usually refrigerate it separately…it firms up nicely and is soooo silky smooth I am thinking of using it for chocolate creme candy centers….YUM!!! So grateful to you for your hard work and sharing your wonderful recipe! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber August 20, 2013 at 3:45 am

      Wow, thank you so much for your awesome comment! You really made my night. I am very proud of this recipe and it warms my heart that it is being enjoyed by others. And I really thank you for your feedback. I’ve never made this cake any other way and so great to know that you don’t have to be AS meticulous about weighing the flours – and all the other details. This is very helpful for my readers. Again, thank you for the great feedback!!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Maraika April 14, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Hi. Has anyone made this cake subbing the Apple Sauce? It is one of the no nos for Fructose Free. I can only think of Mayonaise (egg free) as having similar texture as the apple sauce.
    p.s Pear is not suitable either.

    Reply

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Allergy-Friendly Camping Cuisine (with s’mores of course) + Happy Birthday To Me!!

I LOVE camping.  I grew up camping – it’s in my blood.  My happiest memories in life are of being out in nature, singing around a campfire, playing for hours in a creek, fishing, hiking, lazy afternoon naps in a tent with a cool mountain breeze wafting around me…ahhhh.  Thinking about it makes me instantly happy and calm.  We took the kids camping last week in celebration of my 35th birthday.  We had a great time.  I was a busy bee cooking/baking, but over the years I’ve become accustomed to all this preparation.  I hope these recipes and food ideas are helpful for your next camping trip (allergy-friendly style).  

First up: S’mores.  
A MUST when camping. 
*SCD Marshmallows from Jenni at The Urban Poser
(these were amazing – they melted nicely and were ooey-gooey)
(these are the perfect chocolates for evening s’mores, caffeine free so the kiddos have a good night sleep)
*Grain Free Graham Crackers
(there are so many recipes out there to choose from)
S’mores – yes please.
I tried my hand at some grain free SCD graham crackers before we left.  I was sort of in a hurry (after alll my cooking, I was tired) so I googled “grain free graham crackers” for some ideas and literally threw this recipe together (I didn’t write anything down).  The recipe was…okay.  Certainly not blog worthy, but they did the job and held the good stuff in.
Next: allergy-friendly breads – and hot dog buns.
Another MUST when camping.  
Here is a list of homemade and store bought food items we enjoyed on this camping trip
Homemade:
1.  SCD Sandwich Bread
2.  SCD Cauliflower Wraps 
4.  SCD Marshmallows
6.  Graham Crackers
7.  Chocolate Milk
8.  Slow-Cooker Curry Chicken
9.  Cherry Almond Macaroons
11.  Tomatoes and zucchini from our garden
From the store:
1.  Gluten Free Crackers
2.  Garlic Hummus
3.  Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
4.  Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns
5.  Chicken Apple Hot Dogs
6.  Gluten Free Organic Canned Soup
7.  Fresh Organic Local Eggs
8.  Almond Butter & Jelly
9.  Bananas, Apples & Nectarines
10.  Gluten Free Oatmeal
11.  Turkey Bacon 
12.  Mustard & Vegan Mayo 
13.  Dried sugar & sulfur free cranberries
14.  Carrot & Celery Sticks
Here are some pictures of our fun time:
   Mommy playing some guitar – a MUST when camping.  
My sweet husband
My mountain girl
There was a lovely creek running through our camp site.
We had fun playing in the refreshing, cool water.
Mountain Mommy!
I feel my happiest in nature, especially near tall, beautiful, delicious smelling pine trees.  So healing.
 Here are a few pictures of me on my birthday
(35 years baby- woot!)  Here’s to many, many more happy, healthy years to come.
I’m an avid thrifter, and I found this super cute dress and belt while thrifting with my best girlfriend, Moe.  We are thrift store/garage sale addicts! Moe is my lucky charm, as I always find cute stuff and great deals when we’re together (plus she is really good at haggling).
My sweet-pea son, Ethan
 My sweet-pea daughter, Sky
And check out my birthday cake!!

(yes, I made my own birthday cake)
Thanks to Jenni at The Urban Poser for this great recipe.
It was amazing.

Shared on: Whole Foods Friday

Posted by Amber at 5:35 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, dessert, SCD, summer cuisine, summer treats.

16 Comments

  • Gabby @ the veggie nook August 17, 2012 at 9:10 am

    So many great camping tips! It’s been so long since I’ve been camping and don’t think I’ll get the chance to do it this year. Oh well, there’s always next year!

    Happy belated birthday! Looks like you celebrated it in the perfect way- camping, family and delicious food 🙂

    Reply
  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen August 17, 2012 at 9:58 am

    I have such incredible memories of camping as a kid! I remember mostly going with my cousin, riding bikes, eating smore’s and catching a huge bass (I was little so this is relative to my size and memory). Such great times. Looks like you guys had an incredible time together! I can’t wait for the fall so I can take my boys camping.

    By the way, you are beautiful! Love that dress too! I hope you had an incredible birthday!

    Reply
  • Amber Shea @Almost Vegan August 17, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    Happy b-day to you, lovely!

    Reply
  • lauren @ Empowered Sustenance August 17, 2012 at 7:01 pm

    Happy Birthday, Amber!! It looks like you all had a wonderful time camping and feasting on travel-friendly, healthy foods. Those s’mores look incredible! It sounds like you did a LOT of cooking… I could never make so much food at once! And thanks for linking my cauli wraps recipe!

    Reply
  • Shirley @ gfe August 17, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    I love this post a million times over, Amber!! Happy birthday, dear! You know I’m a camping gal and I love how you all are enjoying camping with your kiddos. Those will be treasured memories and change their lives forever, just as your camping as a child changed yours. What delicious camping food and birthday fare, and you look super, super cute in all the photos! I love them all, of you and your family. 🙂 Off to share on FB. I was just talking about camping the other day and a reader wanted another post from me, so I’ll use yours in the mean time–thanks!

    xoxo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Vicky August 17, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    You seemed to have a wonderful trip, gorgeous photos and lots of great tips!

    Lovely of you to share your birthday trip! Happy Birthday to you!

    Reply
  • Laura August 17, 2012 at 8:47 pm

    Happy Birthday Gorgeous Amber! You are one healthy, happy, loving Momma and inspiration to so many of us followers of your wonderful site!

    Reply
  • Unknown August 17, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    So glad you shared the pics, thank you! Love to have a face to go with the name. You are so pretty and have a lovely family. Happy Birthday and cheers to you!

    Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva August 18, 2012 at 1:02 am

    I can’t think its better way to spend a bday than calling! Oi got a kick out of the homemade list….boy can I relate to that…It sure is a lot of work getting ready for a trip When food allergies are the order of the day!Good thing we are ‘passionate about Good food my friend! Happy birthday!

    Reply
  • Unknown August 18, 2012 at 2:46 am

    I’ve tried to roast these same marshmallows several times with no success. How did you roast them?

    Reply
    • Amber August 18, 2012 at 3:45 am

      Hello unknown,

      One thing to keep in mind when making alternative food is to not expect the alternative version to be just like the traditional. This is difficult at first (it was for me). Case in point, these marshmallows. They might taste just like traditional, but they aren’t made from the same ingredients. Therefore, they will not act the same under similar conditions. I don’t treat them or roast them like a traditional marshmallow. I placed them in the fire (on a stick like you see there with my daughter). I held them in the heat of the fire (not the flame). I turned quickly and once they started dripping I removed and immediately transferred to the graham cracker. The final melted product was very similar to the traditional version. They do not form a crispy crust, but they do melt nicely and taste amazing.

      Sometimes you just have to go with it, you know. I’ve found over the years that holding on to our former experiences with food can actually hinder new experiences.

      We made new memories together as a family. My son’s first s’mores! No, he didn’t hold the marshmallow in the fire nor did my daughter (mommy did), but they still ate this fun classic camping food, which would not have been possible had I not made this recipe.

      Good luck to you, I hope you find a way to still enjoy them without missing the traditional version and process too much. I think this is such a lovely recipe – such a treat.

      Reply
  • glutenfreehappytummy.com August 18, 2012 at 3:03 am

    I LOVE THIS POST!!!! first of all, Happy Birthday!! You are so gorgeous! Oh my gosh – and what a fun camping trip! you all look so happy and like you’re having a blast! I didn’t know you played guitar! how cool! i do too — though, I left it in NYC, so I haven’t played in almost a year! haha … and wow those smores are perfect! I’ll have to try out those marshmallows! I hope you have a great night! Here’s to many more happy, healthy birthdays!! Cheers!

    Reply
  • [email protected] August 18, 2012 at 3:31 am

    You look so incredibly beautiful!! Wish you have many many awesome returns of the day Amber. Love the camping pics, and the choco recipe too!

    Reply
  • [email protected] August 20, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    YOU look beautiful and happy b day darling. Looks like the camping trip was a great success.

    Reply
  • [email protected] August 22, 2012 at 1:36 am

    Hi Amber,
    Thanks for sharing your fabulous camping pictures! You look gorgeous in your thrift store dress! I am also an avid garage sale addict! Another thing in common!

    Reply
  • Megan @ Allergy Free Alaska August 24, 2012 at 6:41 am

    I LOVE this post, Amber!! Happy Birthday again – and what a super cute thrift store find. I would love to go thrift store shopping with you and Moe. 🙂

    I’m highlighting this post over at Whole Food Fridays this week. Thank you for sharing!!
    xo
    M

    Reply

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