Coconut Flour Chia Crackers (grain free/gluten free, egg free, soy free, vegan)

As I mentioned in my Easy Grain-Free Flatbread recipe post, I was attempting to make crackers when I "accidentally" made bread instead. Good accident. But- it didn't solve my cracker problem. So back to work again. Now I've become obsessed! I've made these crackers 3 times in the past week and my flatbread everyday as well with various modifications. Why? Because it's really easy. Especially when you leave your jelly roll pan, silpat, and rolling pin out :)

So for the crackers I decided to use Chia Seed meal along with the coconut flour and I made these herb crackers by throwing in some garlic powder and Italian Seasoning blend. You can leave them out or add other flavors you might like- nutritional yeast (for a "cheesy" flavor), rosemary, cinnamon, etc... If you're wondering about the wonderful nutritional benefits of chia, click HERE.

Coconut Chia Crackers

(grain free/gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, nut free, paleo)

½ cup Coconut flour

¼ cup Organic Chia seedmeal**

¼ cup Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

¾ cup Boiled Water

1/8 tsp Sea salt

1/8 tsp Granulated garlic

½ tsp Italian Seasoning

**For the Chia seed meal I grind whole Chia seeds in my blender or coffee grinder into a powder and just store it in the fridge in a jar.

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF

Using a whisk or fork, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated.

Add the coconut oil into the bowl.

Add the hot water a little at a time, stirring as you add it in. (This will melt the coconut oil.)

Mix well with a spoon, stirring and mashing out any lumps that might still exist. Once you have a uniform dough in a ball, place it on your silpat or unbleached parchment-paper lined tray and roll out. Keep rolling your dough until it is as thin as you can get it without seeing through or tearing it. Feel free to move pieces of dough around and press it in- the dough is forgiving and easy to "cut and paste."

Mine rolled to be approximately 14.5” x 10” in measurement. Slice into squares with a pizza cutter.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes depending on your oven. 15 minutes got me a soft bread-like cracker, 20 firm but crisp, and 25 minutes extra crispy and darker.

Makes approximately 49 crackers (at 7 rows x 7 rows)

Pin It

Pin It Now!

Easy Grain-Free Flat Bread

 

I posted the other day on my Facebook page about an "accidental" recipe I had made and have been really excited about... so here it finally is! I wanted to test out a few more things with it, so I've been working on that.

What I was aiming to make was some simple grain free crackers and ended up with a great flatbread instead! I was sent some Psyllium Fiber by Konsyl to test out for gluten free baking, so I was also eager to incorporate it into my baking to see how that went. Turns out the Psyllium powder is great- especially as an egg replacer and binder so it works well to keep the bread together.

I have really enjoyed this bread because (other than the few ingredients) it's so easy to roll and flexible- it doesn't crumble or break like a lot of gluten-free tortillas and breads do and is reminiscent of Persian Lavash bread.

I've given two variations- one is the basic recipe, and then you can add on whatever you like to adjust the taste or make something a little different.

Easy Grain Free Flat Bread

(gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, nut free)

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/8 cup (2 TBSP) Konsyl Psyllium Fiber Powder

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1 cup boiling water 

optional:

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning herb blend

Whisk the coconut flour and psyllium together in a bowl along with the salt and herbs if using. Add the coconut oil. Add the hot water a little at a time, stirring as you add it (will melt the coconut oil).  Mix well making sure all the dry bits are incorporated.

Roll (with rolling pin) or pat (with moistened spatula) the bread out on a Silpat/Silicone Liner or unbleached parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan until thin and even. The dough is forgiving, so feel free to move pieces around and repair patches as you go along. I tried baking as two separate pieces (picture below) and as one large bread and both worked out well.

Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and how thin you've rolled the bread. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing/eating. The taste will mellow out the longer it cools and sits out.

Enjoy! 
(ps- if you haven't been eating a lot of fiber recently, don't eat the whole pan at once!!)

 

 

Pin It Now!

Equal Exchange Coffee Review

I recently had the opportunity to sample a new product that I thought would be important to share with others- The Equal Exchange Congo Coffee Project coffee blend.

If you're not a coffee drinker, you might enjoy hearing about the project anyways or buy some for someone who is- I'm an occasional coffee drinker myself, but I really feel that if you are going to drink any, this is definitely one of the more important products to support.

First about the project:

A portion of the sales from this coffee is donated to the Panzi Foundation which supports the medical programs of the Panzi Hospital in the D.R. Congo which provides life-saving treatments, counseling and aftercare programs to more than 2,000 survivors of sexual violence each year. You can find more information on this project on their site if you are interested – http://www.equalexchange.coop/congocoffeeproject

From the site: "The challenge for the survivors of sexual violence and women with gynecological conditions to access primary as well as secondary health care remains significant. This is due to factors such as displacement, political insecurity and lack of capacity within the local health structures.  More than 5,000 women were raped in South Kivu alone during 2009, according to the UN."

For every bag of coffee sold, Equal Exchange will donate $2 to the Panzi Foundation.  All of Equal Exchange's products are fairly traded from small farmers, making this a great company to support.

So now the what is the coffee all about??! 
I really loved this coffee.  It is a blend of East African Coffees that is smooth and balanced, with rich chocolate, sweet vanilla, brown spices and a hint of fresh berry.  One of the things that bothers me about a lot of coffees is that either they are too weak or too bitter if they're strong. This blend was able to  remain bold without that bitter taste- it was smooth and rich and was able to hold its own without any cream or sugar added. My husband was a big fan of it as well and said that it was definitely one of the best coffees he has had!

To prepare it we ground the whole beans and brewed it in the french press. One day we even made mochas with it using a little So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk drink!

Thank you to Mambo Sprouts for providing me with the opportunity to learn more about this great company and its efforts! 

 

Pin It Now!

Coconut-Ginger Curried Chicken & a So Delicious Giveaway!!

I just returned from a fabulous warm-weather vacation and made this recipe up remembering the amazing flavor of fresh coconut and strong, delicious spices coming together... definitely one of the most tasty chicken dishes I've made! It is a bit on the spicy side, so definitely reduce the cayenne if you don't like spicy food. I don't eat rice anymore, but it would be delicious served on top of a fluffy bowl of brown rice.

I also used So Delicious Coconut milk drink in this recipe - I really love this drink. I give it to my daughter to drink all the time and use it in desserts, but not that often in my cooking, so I was excited to use it here. It has a light and smooth flavor that is pleasing even if you're not that crazy about coconuts! I am quite excited to offer some free So Delicious products for you to try, so check out my giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Coconut-Ginger Curried Chicken

1.75lbs (approx) organic chicken leg quarters*

1large sweet potato (1 heaping cup chopped)

3organic carrots (1 cup chopped)

4large organic collard green leaves (2 cups packed/chopped)

1Tbsp grated ginger

4large cloves crushed garlic

2Tbsp curry powder

1tsp cinnamon

2tsp salt

1tsp oregano

1/8tsp cayenne pepper (less if you don’t want it spicy)

1Tbsp olive oil

1cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

2Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

112 oz can organic black beans (optional)

*vegan option: Tofu would work wellhere, or just use the black beans and forget the meat

Mix together in a small bowl theginger, garlic, spices, and olive oil. Gradually add the coconut milk whilestirring and set aside. Place the chicken(or tofu) in a large, oiled pyrex and arrange the vegetables around it. Pourthe sauce over everything. Cover the pyrex in foil and place in therefrigerator to marinate for 1-2 hours.
To cook: preheat oven to 375ºF.Cook for approximately 40 minutes, remove foil, and cook another 5-10 minutesor until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165 ºF)
Serve with lime slices over brownrice or alone.

THE GIVEAWAY & PRIZE:

I will be running a giveaway herefor 5 free So Delicious products of your choosing + coupons for more amazing products!
The giveaway will be limited to U.S. residentsonly, and I will send prizes to the winner directly.

To Enter:
There are multiple ways to enter the giveaway!

Pin It Now!

Crunchmaster Giveaway Results!

I greatly apologize for the delay in posting these results- I'm out of town and didn't have access to a computer :(

I am happy to announce that I have picked a winner for the Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers giveaway chosen by random.org:

The winner is Kristin Caudill!!!

Kristin please email  me at nooshins [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing address, and Crunchmaster will send you your case (12 bags) of crackers in the mail! Congratulations!

Pin It Now!

Crunchmaster Review and Giveaway!

 

I recently received a case of Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers as part of the Moms Meet Blogger Program that I’m involved in (I’m a Moms Meet Ambassador – we sample natural and organic products).  I was sent the White Cheddar, Roasted Vegetable, and Sea Salt varieties, and all three were delicious! I had never tried any of the Crunchmaster crackers before, so they were a nice surprise. I was asked to review the White Cheddar variety, so here we go:

To put it simply, these crackers taste pretty amazing.  They are definitely called “Crunchmaster” for a reason – they are a crispy, crunchy tasty little snack that is quite addictive.  I’ve eaten a few different varieties of gluten free crackers and these are by far the best. It’s been a while since I’ve had wheat crackers, but I think the texture is similar and the taste doesn’t scream “rice cracker”. Even my non-gf husband called them highly addictive. You definitely don't have to be gluten free to enjoy these.

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers are:

• Oven-baked, with a unique, crunchy texture
• Wheat-free and certified gluten-free
• 21g or more whole grains per serving
• A good source of fiber
• All natural
• Free of saturated fat
• Cholesterol-free
• Delicious, with a great multi-grain taste

I do think that these would be enjoyable for people of all ages- kids and adults included. They come in a shiny ziplocked package and stay fresh (even if you forget to seal it- oops!). The Cheddar variety is not overwhelmingly covered in cheese- it's more of a mild flavor so you still taste the cracker and it doesn't taste too artificial which is a bonus. 

So overall, I definitely recommend this product! I do have to say I probably would eat the Sea Salt the most – I could put a nut butter on it and make a nice snack out of it, and the Vegetable ones reminded me of Wheatable crackers I used to eat ages ago (also delicious).  I eat dairy so rarely (with a Lactaid pill) that the Cheddar is more of a treat. So if you haven’t tried Crunchmaster, check it out- it’s available at a lot of conventional grocery stores as well as the more specialty stores like Whole Foods, etc.

Find Crunchmaster online at:
www.crunchmaster.com and
www.Facebook.com/crunchmaster

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

 

THE GIVEAWAY & PRIZE:
I will be running a giveaway here for 1 Case (12 bags) of Crunchmaster White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers!! That's a lot of crackers!!
The giveaway will be limited to U.S. residents only, and the brand will send prizes to the winner directly.

To Enter:
There are multiple ways to enter the giveaway!

Make sure to leave a comment for *each* entry 

1.  “like” For the Love of Food! on Facebook (<-- Click link) (1 entry – leave a separate comment. If you already like For the Love of Food! on facebook just leave a comment that you do) 
2. “like” Crunchmaster on Facebook (<– click link) (1 entry – leave a separate comment. If you already like Crunchmaster on facebook just leave a comment that you do).  
3. Tell me (in a separate comment) why you would like to win these crackers! (1 entry)
4. Share this giveaway on your blog or Facebook page and let me know  (1 entry – leave a separate comment.) 

Contest ends at Midnight EST on November 27, 2011. Please check back here on Monday November 28th to see if you've won! I will need your email address to obtain your mailing information for the prize, so make sure to get in touch with me if you are the winner.

Good luck!

Pin It Now!

Vegan Quinoa Stuffing (gluten free, dairy free, soy free)

I think I've made some variation of this quinoa stuffing every year for Thanksgiving now since I went gluten free, but never wrote the recipe down. I just took this to a vegan Thanksgiving potluck the other day (shout-out to the Mindful Mommas!) so it gave me the opportunity to finally write it out. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and while traditions are nice, I love experimenting with different types of dishes and modifying old ones. If you make this, feel free to add other chopped veggies that you like (like mushrooms!) or leave it as it is. I used a Rapunzel vegetarian bouillon cube for this recipe, but any vegetable broth will do, or if you must, chicken or beef broth.

Vegan Quinoa Stuffing
gluten, soy, dairy, nut free


2 cups quinoa, rinsed and soaked overnight**
1 Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt
4 cups water

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic or 6 small
2 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chopped celery
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp rosemary (lightly crushed)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 cup dried organic cranberries

optional:
sliced sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
chopped pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts

**I soak my quinoa the night before, so it cooks a bit faster as well

• Heat oil and spices in a pot and stir continuously for one minute
• Add the onion and garlic, stir and cook for 5 minutes at medium/low heat. Add more olive oil if it looks too dry.
• Add the carrots and celery and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the veggies are cooking, prepare the quinoa:
• Rinse and strain the quinoa. Place 2 cups of boiling water in a small pot with the bouillon and stir until melted.
• Add another 2 cups of water and the quinoa
• Bring to boil then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the germ in the quinoa has come out, but it is not mushy (see pictures)
• When done cooking, add the cranberries and pour the quinoa into the big pot with the veggies, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking broth for later.
• Stir well and allow to sit- the liquid will become absorbed. A little before serving, you can add the rest of the reserved broth to keep it moist.

If you are looking for some other delicious ideas for Thanksgiving, here are a few of my other recipes that would be great for Thanksgiving or any fall/dinner meal:

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Stuffed Vegetables

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie

Dairy Free Cranberry Parfait

Gluten Free Apple Pie

Gluten Free Blueberry Pie

I have also submitted this recipe to November's 'Go ahead honey, it's gluten free!': Thanksgiving Dishes hosted by Brittany at Real Sustenance.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!

Pin It

Pin It Now!

Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free October: Spiced Desserts!

I am so excited to share this month's 'Go ahead honey, it's Gluten Free!' roundup!!  Created by the lovely Naomi, this monthly theme event features amazing gluten-free treats from a variety of bloggers.

For the month of October, I chose the theme "Spiced Desserts" in honor of autumn, warmth, and creativity. 

The recipes submitted did not disappoint, and I am pleased to share with you the following:

I hope you brought with you a warm drink as we step into our autumnal lineup!

Rustic Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Biscotti by Valerie at City Life Eats features Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves) in this creative fall delight!

Cardamom Chocolate Bark by Naomi at Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried elevates chocolate to another level by including cardamom alongside toasted almonds.

 Stuffed Poached Pears by Kalinda at Wheat Free Meat Free feature both cinnamon and cloves in this unique and visually appealing dessert.

 GF Pumpkin Snickerdoodles by Lauren at As Good as Gluten have cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg in these soft and chewy pumpkin treats.

Healthy Pumpkin Donuts by Tessa the Domestic Diva are highlighted by aromatic cinnamon on this new take on an American classic.

Kaju (Cashew) Ladoos by Sonia at Flip Cookbool brings the aromatic cardamom to center stage in this beautifully presented dessert.

High Fiber Pear Walnut Muffins from Iris at the Daily Dietribe bring us cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger- perfect for anytime of day!

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily was especially creative in incorporating pumpkin butter that was made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg.

Finally my own- Baklava Cake by Noosh at For the Love of Food! This cake includes  cardamom, saffron, and fragrant rose water, a taste of Persian desserts made simple and gluten free.

Thank you to all of our wonderful contributors for this month - I can't wait to try some of these new recipes!

Make sure you check out the November 2011 Go Ahead Honey hosted by Brittany of Real Sustenance bringing her fantastic real food approach to - "Thanksgiving" Pin It Now!

Baklava Cake (paleo, grain free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, gluten free)

I've been dreaming about making this cake formonths now... I love Persian Baklava - the aromatic flavors of cardamom androsewater, mixed with the crunch of almonds and pistachios. Delicious. Afew months ago my aunt made what she called Baklava Cake, something I hadn't seen before. My husband of course ate it and loved it, and I watched patiently as he devoured a plate full of it. On two occasions.

My original idea was actually just to make a cake called "Honey Almond Cake" but then I thought I could go ahead and add in the extra spices and flavors and see how the Baklava Cake would turnout. Success! Now I totally understand that these flavors are notfor everyone- especially the American palate. So if you want to leavethem out, it's up to you, and you can just have the Honey Almond Cake and callit a day. Or you can just add less. The first time I made this I actually made it with Persian Saffron as well (my idea was actually "Saffron HoneyAlmond Cake!") which I appreciated, but I'll also leave that up to you ifyou're adventurous and want to add it in (it's also an expensive spice toacquire.)

The best news about this cake is that it’s reallysimple and easy to make. Because it is egg free I added in the Chia seed meal, and the Apple sauce adds sweetness and replaces butter. I used almond flourfrom Trader Joe’s in this recipe- it’s inexpensive which is helpful, but I also added the weight if you want to weigh and use your own almond flour. I’m sure blanched almond flour will be even lighter and more delicious.

This is my submission to October’s ‘Go ahead honey,it’s gluten free’ – Spiced Desserts that I’m hosting here on For the Love ofFood!

Baklava Cake
(gluten, soy, dairy, egg, grain free, and paleo)

½ cup organic applesauce(unsweetened-just apples)

1 Tbsp organic chia seed meal

1/3 cup - ½ cup honey(depending on your taste)**

½ Tbsp Rose Water

2 cups almond flour(Trader Joe’s)/7 ¾ oz/220 g

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt®

1 tsp of prepared saffron(optional)

**If you like it sweeter, you can also add in 1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar

Topping

Slivered almonds

Ground pistachios

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease either an 8” glass pyrex or an 8” parchment-lined pan.

If using saffron prepare: take ¼ tsp saffron threads and grind in a mortar and pestle. Add ½ Tbsp boiling water and let sit while you go on to the next step.

In mixer bowl, beat applesauce with chia meal onhigh for one minute stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom.

Add honey, rosewater, and saffron (if using) andbeat until combined.

In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients:almond flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and baking powder. Add to mixer bowl and beat just untilincorporated. Stir once or twice with spatula/spoonula
just to make sure the bottom was mixed in.

Pour into preparedpan and bake for 30 minutes.

In glass pyrex

In parchment-lined pan

Top of cake should be golden and toothpick comesout clean.

Cool on cooling rack untilcool, slice in diamonds, and top with crushed pistachios and slivered almonds.

Enjoy with a nice hot cup of tea!

Pin It

Pin It Now!