Sunday, March 28, 2010

Wheat-Free Breaded Zucchini

Wheat-Free Breaded Zucchini
Yum!  This is, also, eggless, gluten and dairy free.  This same method works well with mushrooms.

1 pound fresh zucchini
Sea salt
Corn starch
Corn meal
Oil for cooking

Slice the zucchini into 1/4" rounds.  Place them into a bowl and thouroughly salt them.  Stir, and salt them again.  Put them into a collander over the bowl and allow them to rest about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every so often.  Rinse the zuccini and allow it to drain.

Place the slices into a clean bowl and sprinkle cornstarch over them, stirring to coat.  Sprinkle cornmeal over them and stir again.  Add a bit more cornstarch, being sure each section is thoroughly coated.

Heat some cooking oil in a pan and deep fry the slices.  Place them into the hot oil one at a time, so it doesn't splatter.  Cook them until they are crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per batch.  Drain them on paper towels and serve hot.

Enjoy!

c2010 Sharron Long & Adams Media all rights reserved

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wheat Free, Non Dairy, Egg Free, Sugar Free Brownies

Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Non Dairy, Egg Free Brownies -- the improved version

Believe it or not, it's true! We put non-dairy topping on them with some sugar-free syrup and took them to a banquet. We didn't feel deprived at all!

1/4 cup cornstarch*
1 cup water
1 cup cornflour (*or whatever flour you can use)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup honey, agave nectar or corn syrup
24 packets Truvia (1 cup sugar sweetness equivalent)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup applesauce

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the cornstarch and the 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the mixture until it forms a paste. Set this aside to let it cool.

In mixing bowl combine the oil, vanilla and sweeteners. In another bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and nuts. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing well. Add the paste and the 1/4 cup water and the applesauce, stirring well.

Grease a 9"x9"x2" baking pan. Spread the batter in the pan and bake the brownies for about 30-45 minutes. Do not over bake them!


Blessings,
Sharron

c2010 Adams Media Corp., all rights reserved

Sunday, March 21, 2010

No Egg, Non Dairy, Wheat (Gluten) Free, Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie

No Egg, Non Dairy, Wheat (Gluten) Free, Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie
An easy, yummy treat!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour mix
8 packets Truvia
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons lard
3 tablespoons coconut oil

Pre-heat the oven to 450F. Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl until they resemble a coarse meal. Press the dough into a 9" pie pan. Bake it for about 5 minutes. Set it aside.

Filling:
1 packet Knox gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon cloves
12 packets Truvia
1 cup boiling water
1 - 16 ounce can pumpkin puree

Put the gelatin, seasonings and sweeteners in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and mix thoroughly. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared crust and chill thoroughly, about two hours. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Makes 8 servings.

I originally had much more seasonings in the pie filling, but it was a bit strong. I've decreased them for this writing.

I hope these help someone!

Blessings,
Sharron

c2010 Adams Media Corp & Sharron Long, all rights reserved.





Allergies!!

Hi,

It has been a very long time since I posted. We have been so busy. We are loving our positions as house parents at a Christian school.

As part of the benefits of living here we get to eat in the dining hall. It has made me aware that we've definitely got some food allergies going on -- much beyond what I could muscle test for, or at least it seemed that way.

I contacted a dear friend from George Fox days, Dr. Christina Cooke, ND. She sent us kits and had my son and I tested for 95 different foods. The big surprise that came up on both of us was eggs!! We are both quite allergic to them. For me, it was huge -- a six on a scale of one to six. Aaron is also allergic to wheat and sugar. We are keeping him off dairy and nightshades at Dr. Cooke's recommendation for a month, then we'll experiment.

Other big "hits" for me were: Almonds, asparagus, almost all grains, peas, broccoli, most dairy.

Soy is an issue for both of us. Here is the full list:


Cottage cheese
Yogurt
Milk
Eggs
Chicken
Coffee
Sugar
Yeast
Banana
Cranberry
Papaya
Pineapple
Crab
Lobster
Oyster
Tuna
Almonds
Peanuts
Sunflower
(Basically all nuts except Walnuts, pumpkin seeds and occasionally pecans)
Wheat
Soy
Rye
White rice
(Basically all grains except corn and occasionally barley or brown rice)
Peas
Asparagus
Broccoli

The doctor also wants me to avoid nightshades: Tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant.

Cooking oils are an issue. I'm allergic to soy and sunflower -- the two main cooking oils and the primary ingredients in margarine. Plus, I'm allergic to milk, so no butter, either. Olive oil and canola or safflower oil are okay.

My son's results:

Eggs
Sugar
Oyster
Lima beans
Soy (including our margarine & cooking oils)
Wheat
Rye
Spelt

The doctor wants him to avoid: Dairy and nightshades (tomato, potato, eggplant, peppers) for one month. After that, she will let us know what foods to add in as a test to see how they affect him.

Since discovering these allergies his grades have gone up dramatically. Other parents are commenting on the positive change in his behavior. I'm really proud of him -- this hasn't been easy, but he's been a trooper. He's got all As and Bs in his classes except for one class that he'd been previously failing. He's now passing that course! Yay :)

I've been having to come up with "super allergy" recipes, so I'll be posting those as I have time.


Blessings,
Sharron