Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Coconut Ice Cream Recipe Review

Coconut Ice Cream Recipe Review

WARNING: Deliciousness ahead!

I recently tried this recipe for dairy-free, gluten-free coconut ice cream from Sandi's Allergy Free Recipes, and--WOW--am I glad I did. It was easy-to-make, required few ingredients, and tasted oh-so-good. If you have the double-whammy of a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, it is definitely worth checking out.

Click here to view the full recipe at Sandi's Allergy Free Recipes

The ingredients:

• canned coconut milk
• honey (or desired sweetener)
• vanilla extract
• egg yolks
• sea salt

And a few notes:

1. The recipe directs you to refrigerate the canned coconut milk overnight before using it. Make sure the cans are unopened when you do this, or the milk won't set up correctly (FYI: This is also true if you are looking to make the "coconut whipped cream" that is all over Pinterest). Personally, I used one unopened chilled can and one open chilled can, and it turned out just fine.
2. I used regular old sugar rather than honey. I am too cheap (and lazy?) for any fancy sweeteners, and I don't mind refined sugar.
3. I completely forgot to add vanilla extract and sea salt. Oops. It still tasted great.
4. The recipe calls calls for egg yolks, and I immediately wondered why you couldn't just use whole eggs. I did a quick Google search, and the short answers are a) It's tradition b) Egg whites taste "eggy" c) Egg whites contain water, which may lead to ice crystals in your ice cream.

Enjoy!

I know my pint-sized sous chef and I certainly did!

Grown-Up Gluten-Free PB & J

Grown-Up Gluten-Free PB & J

making an old favorite new again

If I've learned anything since starting this blog, it's that keeping certain ingredients on hand--Craisins, chopped nuts, coconut, fresh fruits and vegetables--can make gluten-free eating significantly more enjoyable. With just a little creativity and a good dose of gourmet bravery, you can break up your routine and enjoy food again. This sandwich is the perfect example.

My son has requested "peanut butter and jelly" almost every day for the past few weeks, and every once in a while I like to indulge him. At the same time, I like us to share our meals, and I need a little more than jelly and peanut butter to get me excited about lunch. 

Enter the following ingredients to the rescue:

• gluten-free bread, toasted*
• peanut butter**
• your choice of jam or honey
• fresh banana slices
• slivered almonds
• shredded coconut

*My favorites are Glutino's Flaxseed and Grains For Life's Millet & Brown Rice. Gluten-free bread always tastes better toasted.

**JIF is labeled gluten-free

Assemble all ingredients in the order listed above.

Enjoy!

A Tasty Gluten-Free Duo

A Tasty Gluten-Free Duo

Holy Yum Chicken & Garlic Lemon Green Beans

The two recipes I road-tested this week come to you courtesy of Pinterest. Well, that's where I found them anyhow. Technically, I guess, they come courtesy of the lovely ladies at Table For Two (Holy Yum Chicken) and She Wears Many Hats (Garlic Lemon Green Beans). Since Julie and Amy did such a great job writing the recipes, you will want to pop over to their blogs for the full instructions.

Notes on Holy Yum Chicken

Visit Table for Two for the Holy Yum Chicken recipe

When I first read this recipe, I knew my husband would love it. He is a big fan of chicken in all its forms, and loves anything with a good sauce. I, however, am a little pickier--at least when it comes to chicken. In my opinion, chicken is only as good as the sauce it is in. In this case, that means chicken is very, very good.

Ingredients:

• boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• Dijon mustard*
• 100% pure maple syrup
• rice wine vinegar
• salt
• ground black pepper
• cornstarch
• fresh rosemary for garnish**

*See note below--I couldn't find gluten-free Dijon mustard

**Optional

If you want to try it out, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Read the entire recipe before you get started, including the disclaimers. Julie gives some pretty good advice, and she explains herself well.
2. Try as I might, I could not find any gluten-free dijon mustard. Instead, I substituted a combination of Koop's brand Honey Mustard and Spicy Brown Mustard--both of which are available at Target and at least one Dollar Tree location. I used 1/4 cup of each, but you could play with the ratio based on your preferences. (Personally, I love honey mustard, but I think my husband would have preferred a bit more spice.)
3. The recipe instructs you to use cornstarch to thicken the sauce--make sure you don't use too much. My sauce was thickening much, so I kept adding more and more and wound up with a gritty texture. In the future, I plan to stick to the recommended amount of cornstarch and live with a thinner consistency.
4. Trimming the fat adds considerable time to your prep work--especially if your knife is dull. Plan for at least 10-15 additional minutes unless you trim it in advance.

Notes on Garlic Lemon Green Beans

Visit She Wears Many Hats for the Garlic Lemon Green Beans recipe

My mother is, what I consider, a gourmet cook, which means she has high standards. Specifically, she thinks vegetables should be fresh, or at the very least, frozen--never canned. While I think this is a great attitude to have, it also intimidates the heck out of me. I mean, how does one even prepare, for example, fresh asparagus?

To try to overcome this fear of mine, I pinned this recipe, planning to finally show vegetables whose boss. Apparently, it's them. While the green beans I produced were edible, they were rather crunchy and bland. Now don't get me wrong--I still think the recipe is great. Proof of this is the fact that they were soft and flavorful the next day when I nuked them in the microwave. However, what I am saying, is that I need to take a couple more whacks at this before I can rock this recipe to it's fullest potential. If you have a little more experience in the kitchen, I am sure you will do fine.

Ingredients:

• fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
• olive oil
• butter, salted*
• fresh lemon juice**
• garlic powder
• salt
• ground black pepper

*I am lactose-intolerant as well, so I substituted margarine

**I substituted lemon juice in a bottle (cringe if you must--it was already in the fridge)

Here are some things I may change on the next go-round:

1. Use steamed frozen green beans instead of fresh The process of parboiling green beans seems simple, but I evidently didn't do it correctly. They way I figure it, I could probably defrost a bag of frozen green beans, dump it in to my steamer basket, and save myself some time and stress.
2. Thoroughly cook and drain the green beans before adding the butter, lemon juice, etc. As I mentioned, my green beans turned out a little bland. My theory? All of the seasoning and flavor got left behind in the pan (which smelled delightful, by the way). Adding the final ingredients once the green beans have been drained and plated up should help make sure those tasty flavors will stay where they are supposed to be--on the green beans!
3. Test the green beans to make sure they're done Yes, I know how obvious this seems. But this is exactly the kind of stuff a non-chef like me forgets to do. You live, and you learn.

Looking for more great recipe ideas?

Follow my Pinterest gluten-free recipe board, Kitchen (Mis)Adventures To-Be

Creative Gluten-Free Tuna Salad

Creative Gluten-Free Tuna Salad

A.K.A. an easy lunch you'll be proud to eat

I would like to start off by apologizing to anyone who thinks this meal is entirely too pedestrian to deserve the title "kitchen (mis)adventure." I understand where you are coming from, but long story short, my health knocked me on my back this weekend, and there was no way I felt up to trying out a new recipe...although I definitely wanted to.

Additionally, I realize that just about everyone knows how to make tuna salad: open a can of tuna, stir in some mayonnaise, and call it a day. At the same time, one of the greatest challenges of the gluten-free diet is feeling stuck in a rut and limited in your food options--especially if you are not into cooking. This post is about a simple way to put a new spin on an old favorite.

All of that said, let me tell you why I love this recipe: It's easy, adaptable, work-lunch friendly, and healthy.

Now, for the directions.

As always, gather your ingredients first:

1. 1 can chunk-light tuna in water
2. 1 stalk of celery, sliced
3. 1 small carrot, cut into matchstick-sized pieces
4. 1 handful of dried craisins
5. 2-3 heaping teaspoons of gluten-free mayonnaise*

*My favorite brand of "safe" mayonnaise is Smart Balance. It is labeled gluten-free, available in nearly every grocery store, and very tasty. 

Next, mix all of the "dry" ingredients together in a small Tupperware container. Yes, technically you could use a bowl. However, substituting a Tupperware container means you can just slap a lid on the leftovers without dirtying an extra dish.

Add the mayonnaise last, a little at a time, so you can control how much you have. I like my tuna salad well-coated in mayonnaise, but not swimming in it.

Finally, serve on your favorite gluten-free bread substitute. For the picture above, I made an open-faced sandwich on a toasted slice of Glutino's gluten-free flax seed bread (my favorite), but you could also try  gluten-free crackers, celery sticks, or rice cakes. Enjoy!

Why is it called "creative" gluten-free tuna salad?

Well, I threw together at the spur of the moment based on the ingredients I had on hand. I've tried craisins and sliced celery before, but the carrots were a bit of a (lucky) gamble.

How can it be adapted?

Truthfully, however you want. In the past, I have used halved grapes instead of craisins, and a friend and I once tried corn kernels, cooked rice (chilled), and ranch dressing--but I wouldn't recommend the latter combination. Throwing in sliced almonds or chopped walnuts would be another great way to change it up, as would using canned chicken or salmon instead of tuna.

Get creative, and let me know how it turns out!

This kitchen (mis)adventure was a delicious experiment gone right!

P.S.

I apologize for the lack of photos. I know the recipe is painfully easy, but we all want a little eye-candy, right? Basically, I was too hungry to bother with pictures--which is why the solo piece of photographic evidence features a half-eaten open-faced sandwich on gluten-free bread.

Gluten-Free Cake-Mix Cookies

original recipe source

Gluten-Free Cake-Mix Cookies

makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies

My crafty friend, Desiree, shared this wonderful recipe on her blog, Your Crafty Friend. The ingredients include 1 box of cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, and a small amount of sugar. Using just those four ingredients you can make up to three dozen cookies! I decided to be brave and tried the recipe using a gluten-free cake mix. It was a rousing success!

Ready to try it yourself? Make sure you follow the directions below, not the directions on the cake-mix box!

Start by collecting your ingredients:

1. 1 box of gluten-free cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix, Gluten-Free)
2. 2 eggs
3. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4. sugar to roll the cookies in (Desiree@YourCraftyFriend suggests about 1/4 cup)

(pint-size sous chef optional)

Next, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are combined. At this point, start preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

(make sure your sous chef doesn't get distracted)

At this point, my dough resembled very dark, gritty, wet soil.

For the next step, you will need a small bowl of sugar and one or two greased cookie sheets. Now, roll the dough into one-inch balls. For the gluten-free mix, you will probably need to "pat" it into shape more than roll it. Also, if the dough seems hard to work with, you may want to chill it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Roll each ball in sugar and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Space the cookies about two inches apart.

Finally, bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the center is firm. As Desiree explains on her blog, the cookies will probably look a little puffy when they first come out, but they will settle as they cool.

Ding! The sound of success!

Make sure you let the cookies cool completely before you gobble them up. Gluten-free baked-goods tend to be crumbly, so letting them cool first can make a big difference.

(waiting is the hardest part) 

At last--time to dig in and enjoy!

This kitchen (mis)adventure was a definite success!

Feeling adventurous? Try the recipe and let me know how it goes.

Ready to experiment? Desiree recommends different combinations, such as rolling the cookies in chopped-up Andes mints instead of sugar. What creative combinations can you come up with? Share your ideas here or on Desiree's original recipe post.

P.S.

I am linking to Gluten-Free Fridays hosted by Vegetarian Mama. Pop on over and check it out!