Gluten Free and Dairy Free Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting ~ inspired by the Spunky Coconut

Vanilla Cake (revised from the Spunky Coconut)

5 eggs, whisked

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted before adding

2/3 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted

2/3 cup tapioca flour

2/3 cup almond flour 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

• Mix wet ingredients in the kitchen aid mixer then add the dry ingredients
• Pour equal parts into two round greased 9 x 1.5 inch cake pans. I did not have these 2 cake pans, so I used a 8x10 pan. I grease my pans with coconut oil.
• Bake at 325 degrees for about 18-20 minutes.
• Cool for a few minutes, then flip onto wire racks and let cool completely. 
• Use a serrated knife, carefully...I mean carefully, remove the bottom crust and sides of the cake.
• Lay one cake on a piece of parchment paper
• Spread a very thin coat of chocolate frosting on top. See recipe below
• Lay the second cake on top.
• Cover with chocolate frosting.
• Decorate!! I made the number "2" with strawberries and chocolate chips for my daughters birthday. 
• Store in the refrigerator 

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2011/06/strawberry-birthday-cake-gluten-free.html

Frosting from the spunky coconut:

• Melt over double boiler (I used the microwave)
• 1.5 bars of 3.2 oz dark chocolate (about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips...I used Guittard dark chocolate chips)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used reduced fat)
• When the chocolate has just barely melted, remove from heat.
• Add:
• 2 tbsp honey
• 10 drops liquid stevia (omitted and used 3 tablespoons frosting) 
• 2 to 4 tbsp coconut flour, sifted ( I used 2 tablespoons) 

Refrigerate until the frosting has cooled, about 15 minutes. 

When the cake has cooled fully, top the cake with the frosting.

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2009/06/gluten-free-dairy-free-sugar-free.html

Kale Pesto

INGREDIENTS

Kale, 6-8 leaves torn into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 garlic clove, sliced
6 parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

Add kale, lemon juice, garlic, and sunflower seeds into food processor and process until a pastey texture forms. Add olive oil and one tablespoon water. Process and scrape down sides as needed — 3-4 minutes. Add parsley leaves and one tablespoon water and process again, stopping to scrape, until a smooth texture forms. Use as a dip, pasta sauce, or put on a slice of gluten free bread or crackers and enjoy!

www.fitsugar.com

Gluten Free Multi-Grain Crackers ~ Crunchmaster

I picked these crackers up at Costco yesterday and they are so yummy. There are 7 grains: brown rice, sorghum, Quinoa, Sesame, Millet, Flax & Amaranth. Other ingredients include potato starch, safflower oil, and sea salt.

Cream of Broccoli Soup ~ Forks over Knives

This soup is amazing! Kaitlyn liked it so much she wanted it for breakfast the next day. As Matt was looking at the ingredients in the livingroom, I heard him shout: "you are putting cashews in the soup?!?!" Relax honey, you will like it, I promise. He did like it! The blended cashews make the soup creamy, something I miss from not having any dairy. I copied this recipe exactly.


The recipe says it serves 6…nice size servings.


6 cups Vegetable Stock or Boullion
1 rounded cup Raw Cashews
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Puree 1 cup of vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
In large pot, cook onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of vegetable stock for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed.  Remove the pot from heat and puree about half the soup, in small batches, until smooth.  Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well. 

 Serve!!

Coconut Brownies (gluten free & dairy free)

I bought a 1 lb bag of coconut flour months ago and still use it. Although it is expensive, I don't use much when I am baking.  For every 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, there is 70 calories, 2.5g fat, 6g dietary fiber, and 3g protein. It does not taste like coconut so you can enjoy these brownies if you are not a coconut lover. The brand I bought is in a 1 lb green bag called "LET"S DO...ORGANIC."


GLUTEN FREE COCONUT FLOUR BROWNIES
Alison's Wheat Free Brownies (recipe on the back of the coconut flour bag)


Ingredients~ 


1/3 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (I use bourbon vanilla)
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted 
1 cup chocolate chips, optional


Directions ~


Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium saucepan over low heat, blend butter and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a separate bowl (I used my kitchen aid mixer), mix the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Blend this into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the coconut flour until the batter is no longer lumpy. Add the chocolate chips, if desired. Bake in pre-greased 8x8 baking pan for 30-35 minutes. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free & Dairy Free & Egg Free & Grain Free)

I have been wanting to try a chocolate chip cookie recipe that was gluten free, dairy free, and grain free (as much as possible).  I found this recipe on the Spunky Coconut website.  I love the website, however she uses expensive ingredients like coconut oil and coconut flour.  I don't use the ingredients on a regular basis, so I don't worry too much about using them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Add to bowl:

1/2 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)

3 tbsp flax seed meal or 1.5 tbsp Chia seed meal (I used flax)

1/2 tsp guar gum (I substituted xanthan gum which is not grain free)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

12 drops vanilla liquid stevia (I omitted this and still thought the chocolate chip cookies were sweet enough)

1 tsp vanilla extract (I use burbon vanilla which does not contain any added sugar and i)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup honey or coconut sugar (I use honey)

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified  (can also you ghee or butter)

Mix with electric mixer (I use my kitchen aid mixer)

Add:

1 cup almond meal flour (I use Honeyville grain blanched almond flour)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder (you can make grain free baking powder but I used regular)

1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Guittard Dark Chocolate Chips because they are dairy free and I used about 1/2 cup)

Mix again.

Roll into balls and flatten the balls in your hands. (they don't really change shape in the oven)

Or roll out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters =)

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2010/02/chocolate-chip-cookies-gluten-free.html

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Eggplant "Parmesan"

My husband gave this dish a 10/10. My kids thought the grilled eggplant was chicken. I promise it tastes so much better than the picture looks. Below is a link to the original recipe.

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey meat 
• 1 large jar tomato/spaghetti sauce (I used a 24 oz jar of Classico Tomato Basil)
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 medium to large eggplant, peeled and sliced 
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• 1/2 cup-1 cup arrowroot powder (can also use tapioca starch)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast, like Braggs (this gives the dish a cheesy flavor)
• Gluten-Free Noodles 

Directions: 

• In a skillet, brown the meat & onion
• When the meat is done, add the tomato/spaghetti sauce (see picture below)
• While the meat is cooking, start grilling your eggplant on the stove: Dip the sliced eggplant first in the arrowroot and then the eggs. I used a stove top grill greased with some olive oil. You could also use a skillet to cook the eggplant in some olive oil. Grill both sides of the eggplant until done. Place on a plate or a paper towel until ready to use (picture of my grilled eggplant below)

Layers:

• I used an 8x10 pyrex casserole dish
• Put half of the meat mixture on the bottom
• Layer on half of the eggplant
• Sprinkle on the nutritional yeast
• Layer on the basil leaves
• Put the rest of the meat mixture on
• Layer the rest of the eggplant 

Serve with gluten free noodles 

http://www.myrealfoodlife.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-eggplant-parmigiana/