Simple Bread (gluten, grain, and dairy free)

My inspiration for this recipe comes yet again from Elana. Gosh, I love her. Her recipes are so simple and always delicious. Since the weather has cooled, my yearning to bake has come alive. And today I just needed a really good, gluten free bread. Everyone in our house has been eating a lot of toast lately (organic, yes, but filled with gluten no less), so I've been feeling a bit left out. This morning I sought to change that by making a gluten free bread that I can indulge in just like the rest of 'em.

I used Elana's Bread 2.0 recipe as a guide, but since she bakes hers in the Magic Loaf 7.5x3.5" pan and mine is currently packed away in the storage unit, I only had access to an 8x4" pan, which means I needed to increase a few ingredient proportions to make sure this bread did not come out of the pan completely flat. I also added some extra virgin olive oil to make this bread a little more savory and moist. I am very happy with the results! My kids seemed to gobble this up too, always a sure-fire sign that a recipe is blog-worthy. I love how the top of this bread gets nice and brown, slightly crunchy to the touch, giving it a rustic, comfort food feel.

Since I've had this bread at least three different times throughout the day, I've had ample opportunities to top it off with various twists: butter and honey, jam, plain, and almond butter. Elana recommends spreading it with goat cheese, which sounds divine. You can eat it for your morning toast, make a nice sandwich out of it for lunch, or serve it alongside some soup for dinner (we ate it with our Thai Coconut Chicken Soup tonight). Very versatile, very healthy, very high in protein and fiber; simply a bread you can eat and feel really good about.


Simple Bread

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cups arrowroot powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)
1 teaspoon agave or honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan with olive or coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, EVOO, ACV, and agave. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Use a small silicone spatula to remove from pan. Slice and serve.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

This recipe came to me from one of my girlfriends who makes a version of these that looks divine, but unfortunately for me, is not gluten free. So I've had to adapt the recipe to fit my gluten and sugar free dietary needs. And let me tell you, these granola bars take the cake! They are so delicious!

My first batch of these were devoured for breakfasts and snacks by my family, very quickly, proving their addictiveness. Although the list of ingredients seems a little long, this recipe does, in fact, come together very quickly.

So the next time you're craving one of those packaged granola bars for a quick breakfast or snack, try whipping up a batch of these instead. In this case for sure, homemade trumps store bought by a long shot.


Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups certified gluten free rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries, or dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk egg and add remaining wet ingredients. Continue whisking until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir thoroughly. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars. Let set another 30 or more minutes before indulging.

Makes 16-24 bars (depending on your size preference).

Cinnamon Honey Scones (gluten, grain, and dairy free)

I've sort of been on a scone kick as of late. I've always loved the things (see here and here for some of my other scone recipes) and with the crispness of the morning air the last week or two, these divine baked goods have been calling to me (either that or it's a random baby craving from my pregnancy... I'm really not sure). I've made these a few times and they've definitely satisfied not only my craving, but also my body with the high protein and high fiber content. My kids love to eat them spread with fruit-sweetened jam, and I think they are excellent with a dab of butter and some extra honey. Sometimes we eat them alone, but they are also a wonderful compliment to some eggs and fruit for a weekend brunch.


Cinnamon Honey Scones

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 teaspoon Xylosweet
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly spray with coconut oil cooking spray).

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined. Form into a dough ball and place dough ball onto prepared baking sheet. With slightly wet hands, press the dough ball into an 8 inch even circle.

Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the scone circle. Score the scone circle into 8 even wedges.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cut through the scored wedges to separate. Place back in oven for 2-4 more minutes to allow the edges of the scones to crisp up a bit (I like mine a little crispy).

Enjoy with fruit-sweetened jam or grass fed butter and raw honey.

Makes 8 scones.

Fresh Garden Salsa

Tomatoes are here! My dad has been bringing home tomatoes from my grandma's backyard tomato plants, which have been growing spectacularly. Mine, on the other hand, were complete duds this year.

(Whoa, back up. Did that sound weird to anyone but me? My dad has been bringing home tomatoes... Yes, it's true, I am now living with my parents. I am a grown woman, so let me explain. My husband and I sold our house this week and aren't able to move into the house we are trying to buy for another month, so it's purely transitionary living. Now that's not so bad, huh? Actually, it's kind of fun living with my parents again!)

And I'm super lucky that my parents get the whole "healthy eating" thing. In fact, they are bonafide aficionados of a local co-op and shop there weekly. Their counter and refrigerator are always full of fresh produce. They wake up to fresh fruit and veggie smoothies, lunch on simple salads, and enjoy cooking whole foods at every meal. Their kitchen is truly like my own kitchen. Isn't that grand?

So back to the tomatoes. When I saw them laying on the counter this evening, the salsa craving struck. My husband used to be the salsa maker in our house, but he's been just a tad busy lately with work and the move (!!!) of course, so I thought I'd pick up the ball and run with it. I'm glad I documented my salsa making experience tonight because it turned out perfect.

This is such a simple, delicious salsa, you'll wonder why you ever buy store-bought salsa again.


Fresh Garden Salsa

3 medium size tomatoes, quartered (about 3 cups)
1 zucchini flower, quartered
1 small serrano pepper, seeded
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and/or parsley
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 drops liquid stevia
pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in the order listed in a Vitamix or blender. Pulse on low speed until salsa reaches desired consistency.

Eggplant Panzanella (gluten free, dairy free)

It's been a frustrating year of growing vegetables in my backyard. First, the weather has been quite A typical of a normal Minnesota summer. Lots of storms, lots of heat, lots of humidity, and all very early on in the season. Then there were the rabbits. And then there were (and still are) the Japanese Beetles. Oh boy. With that combination of farming nightmares (at least farming in my own little urban garden), I have only three out of my nine crops planted left: eggplant, peppers, and a very small portion of kale. All of my other plants had to be uprooted last week. It was very sad, especially when you think of the time, money, and patience put into the growing process. Thankfully, this is the first year we decided to sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), so despite my lack of backyard produce, we have not been short of fresh and local veggies.

That being said, my eggplant not only survived the harshness of the season, it has flourished. And now I have a ton of it. That, combined with the zucchini and summer squash from my CSA, has pretty much filled up my crisper drawer. Time to put those fresh veggies to good use.

I've never been a "bread" salad kind of girl, especially after giving up gluten. However, I was watching an episode of Kelsey Nixon's Kelsey's Essentials recently during my workout, and she had an inspiring recipe for a fresh panzanella salad that looked divine. And as luck would have it, I just so happened to have a bag of gluten free bread chunks in my freezer just waiting to be used up. So I came up with a version of the panzanella salad, gluten free style. And now that I know how easy and delicious it is to make this (and gluten free no less), it will be a staple in my house this time of year when those veggies come knocking on my crisper door.


Eggplant Panzanella (gluten free, dairy free)

Panzanella:
1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 green pepper
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 medium fresh tomatoes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper

6 cups gluten free bread chunks or crumbs (I get a bag of GF bread chunks in the freezer section of my local coop)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt, pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Chop eggplant, zucchini, squash, and pepper into large bite size chunks and place in a large bowl. Drain juice from can of tomatoes, or if using fresh tomatoes, chop into large chunks and add to bowl. Drizzle veggies with oil and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each). Stir to combine. Spread in a single layer onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Meanwhile, spread bread chunks evenly onto the other prepared baking sheet. Grate garlic cloves over bread and drizzle with oil. Bake for 6-8 minutes, during last part of baking time for the veggies.

Remove both pans from oven. Place bread chunks in a large bowl to stop from browning further. Let veggies cool on pan for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then add to bowl with bread chunks.

For the dressing, add vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of both salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Pour dressing over bread salad. Stir to combine.

This salad can be served immediately, but flavors deepen if allowed to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Minute Steaks in Garlic Tomato Sauce

Ahh, the minute steak. The seemingly last cut of meat to get cooked out of my bulk purchase of 30 lbs. of grass fed beef from our local beef farmer. What to do with these guys? I am always asking myself. Usually I make chicken fried steak out of the minute steak, but the other night I wanted something different. Something juicy. Something comforting.

In my online research about the best ways to cook this often neglected cut of meat, I found that it really should be slow cooked in some form of acid to get it to a tender state. After some thought, I realized I haven't made a lot of tomato-based dishes lately, so that became my cooking-acid of choice. It worked out fabulously! My four year old told me the house smelled "delicious" while this was cooking on the stove, "just like a restaurant," (a sure sign that I've hit the mark on dinner).

In fact, it was so good, I raved to my husband about this dish (he unfortunately missed this manly meat-and-potatoes meal due to some work deadlines), and I'm not one to rave about steaks in general, let alone minute steaks. So I knew it had to make an appearance on the 18 Hour Kitchen as this will definitely be one recipe I'll keep coming back to when our next round of beef is scheduled for delivery and those minute steaks need to get used up quick!


Minute Steaks in Garlic Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 lb. minute steaks (about three 1/3 lb. steaks)
1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend
1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt, pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Chop onion and add to pan. Cook about 3-4 minutes until translucent.

Meanwhile, rough chop garlic and dredge steaks on both sides in GF flour, shaking off excess flour. Add steaks to pan and spread garlic around steaks in pan. Cook steaks 3-4 minutes per side, until browned.

Next pour the whole can of tomatoes over the steaks in pan (including juice). Sprinkle oregano over tomatoes and add a few shakes of salt and pepper. Stir to evenly distribute sauce over and around steaks.

Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat down to low, cover, and cook an additional 20 minutes, until steaks are tender. Serve steaks topped with garlic tomato sauce.

This dish pairs wonderfully with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Asian Slaw Salad

I'm going crazy with CSA produce, now that peak season is here. Last week we had a beautiful head of napa cabbage in our boxes and I thought it would be perfect turned into a sweet and savory Asian slaw.

I whipped this up one night for dinner as a side to go with some grass fed beef round steak from our favorite beef farmer. The slaw turned out so good! It reminds me of the Asian Chicken Salad (sans the chicken) from Applebee's that I remember from my past (gosh, I haven't been to an Applebee's in years, thank God, but I am thankful for the inspiration from their standby menu).

The dressing is so distinct and the toasted sunflower seeds really shine as an added flavor dimension. You could turn this into a meal all by itself by topping it with shredded or chopped cooked chicken (ala Applebee's). And it does really well the next day too, once the dressing has soaked completely into the cabbage and given it even more depth of flavor. If you don't have napa cabbage, you could sub any of your favorite cabbage in its place.

Asian Slaw Salad

Salad:
1 head napa cabbage
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

Dressing:
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave or honey
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos or tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop cabbage into thin strips and place in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine dressing ingredients (mustard through sesame oil) and stir. While continuing to stir, whisk in olive oil in a steady stream until thoroughly combined. Pour dressing over cabbage, add cranberries and sunflower seeds, and toss to coat.