Yummy and Easy -- Nut butter and honey Crispy Treats!

These are so easy and so good!  I made one batch of peanut butter, honey and rice puffs Crispy Treats, and I made another batch of cashew butter, honey and millet puffs Crispy Treats; all in about 10 minutes!


Nut Butter and Honey Crispy Treats


Measure out 4 cups of puffed cereal (rice, millet, etc.) into a large mixing bowl and set it aside.


In a small saucepan combine


1/2 cup nut butter (cashew, peanut, etc. whatever you tolerate)
1/2 honey or a combination of honey and agave nectar


Heat it until it is well combined,stirring constantly.  The cashew butter version was a bit thick, so I added about 3 tablespoons more honey right at the end.
Pour the sauce over the cereal and mix it well with a wooden spoon.  Pour the mixture into a 8" or 9" square pan, and smooth the top.  Allow it to cool completely before cutting it into bars and serving.  Makes about 9 bars.

Eggless mayonnaise and non-dairy egg free Ranch salad dressing

Ok, these actually work.  I don't know if I'd eat this mayo on a sandwich, but then again, I don't eat sandwiches!  I used the mayo as a component for the ranch dressing.  The Ranch worked very suitably for Chicken Salad Sandwich Pizza Thingies from one of my Extreme Lo-Carb books.  We topped them with pre-shredded Pecorocino Romano.


Eggless (egg free) Mayonnaise


Blend on high speed in a blender container until frothy


4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/2 cup filtered water


Add and continue blending


3 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of chipotle pepper or cayenne (ground)
1/2 packet Truvia


Add slowly while the blender is running


2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons canola oil


(I originally used all olive oil, but the taste was way too strong!)


Chill and use for mayonnaise.




Non-Dairy, Egg Free, Ranch Salad Dressing


Using a large bowl and a whisk, whisk together


1 cup Eggless (egg free) Mayonnaise (see recipe above)
1/2 cup goat milk (or rice milk) plus 1 teaspoon vinegar, allowed to rest about 5 minutes
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 packet Truvia
1/4 cup goat milk (or rice milk)


Use as for Ranch Dressing or as a dip.  Store covered and refrigerated for about a week.


I hope these help some folks.  Let me know what you think and if you make any changes :)


Blessings,
Sharron

Allergy friendly Fresh Strawberry Cake and Frosting recipe

This is a very yummy cake and frosting combination.  We used lime jello because our friend is allergic to red dye.  


Fresh Strawberry Cake without eggs, dairy, wheat, soy or sugar


Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Grease a 9"x15"x2" cake pan.  Set it aside.


In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream


1 cup lard
Pinch salt
2/3 cup fructose
1 cup Stevia in the Raw, measurable


Add and continue to beat


1 packet sugar free lemon, lime or strawberry jello


Combine
1/4 cup ground flax plus 3/4 cup warm water


Add it slowly to the fat/sweeteners mixture.  Slowly add


1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup pureed strawberries
1 cup goat milk (or rice milk)


Add and beat only until mixed


2 1/4 cups flour mix
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder


Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake it for about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean.


Cool it completely and frost it with






Fresh Strawberry Frosting for folks with allergies


Cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer


1 cup lard
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Add


1/2 cup strawberry puree


Little by little add about


2 2/3 cups Ideal Confectionery


Use to frost cooled cake.  Yum!

Breading for meat and veggies -- Fried Okra, Fried Shrimp, Fried Zucchini, etc.

Hey,


We've had company over a couple of times the last week or so, and I ended up doing breaded meat and veggies both times.  The first time, I did breaded, fried okra and breaded, fried zucchini.  I often do breaded, fried mushrooms, but I didn't this time.  Then, we had them over again, and I used the same breading for shrimp.  It works well with chicken tenders, too.  I've done this quite a bit, and I wanted to share the method so that others can make wheat free, non dairy, soy free, egg free breading for meat and vegetables.  Oh, and my non-"off everything" friends rave about this recipe.  There are never any leftovers!


Method for making Allergy-friendly breading for meat and vegetables


First, thaw the meat or veggies if they are frozen.  Rinse them well.  Then, if they need to be sliced, do so.  At this point, put the food into a colander if it isn't already.  Salt the food well, tossing it to coat.  This will draw the excess moisture out and allow the breading to adhere better.  Allow the food to rest and drain -- continue to toss it occasionally -- for 5 to 30 minutes.  At this point, the food may be rinsed or not, depending on how much salt is desired on the food.


Prepare a combination of equal parts of cornstarch and cornmeal for dipping the food in a fairly large bowl.  Set this aside.


Place the food into another bowl, seasoning it as desired.  Old Bay seasoning is really good on shrimp, and Adobo seasoning is good on just about everything.


Combine a mixture of 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds plus 3 to 6 tablespoons of water.  Pour it over the food in the bowl and mix it well.


At this point, pour at least 2 inches of canola oil, (or other liquid oil like corn) into a fairly large pot.  Heat it on medium-high heat until it is hot.  


CAUTION:  Do NOT use drops of water to test for how hot the oil is.  This is an extremely dangerous practice that is recommended by some authors.  The water will vaporize and come shooting out of the pot, potentially causing a very serious injury.  Instead, if a test is desired, put a small piece of tortilla or any other bit of food into the oil to see if it starts sizzling right away.  If it does, then the oil is hot enough.  I simply watch for the wavy "heat lines" to appear in the oil, then I know it is ready. 


While the oil is heating, put the food, bit by bit, into the cornmeal mixture, tossing it to coat evenly.  Once the oil is hot, place the coated food into the oil and allow it to cook until the coating is just becoming golden.  The cornstarch/cornmeal mixture will not brown like flour does.  It does get very crispy, though, so watch for the crispy texture and slight golden coloration to appear.


Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the food from the hot oil, and place it onto paper towels to drain.  Serve hot.

Granola Bars -- without sugar or wheat

Hi,


I wanted to make a snack for my kids and myself that suited our restrictions and thought of granola bars.  These are wheat (gluten) free, soy free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free, of course :)


Honey Granola Bars


Pre-heat the oven to 350F.


4 cups rolled gluten free oats (or barley if gluten isn't a problem) 

1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)

1/2 cup flax seeds (or coconut, unsweetened)

1 cup nuts (pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)

*See Note below

1/3 cup fructose
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw, measurable
1/2 cup honey (or agave nectar)
2 tablespoons sorghum molasses (or honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted lard (or other solid fat, like coconut oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt
**See Note below


Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.  Line a 15"x10" baking sheet with a rim with parchment paper.  Spread the granola evenly over the baking sheet.  Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is just becoming golden.  Remove it from the oven and use waxed paper or parchment to press it down firmly into the pan while it is still quite warm.  Once it has cooled down almost to room temperature, cut the granola bars with a sharp knife.  Allow them to continue to cool.  Once they are completely cooled, use a spatula to remove them from the pan.  It may be necessary to cut the bars again with a sharp knife.  Store them covered and place parchment  between layers.  A word to the wise:  Do not use paper towels.  They stick to the bars.  Makes 16.


*Note:  I've discovered I can substitute quite a few things in this combination.   Basically, it needs 4 cups of grain and 2 cups of additional ingredients.  I've used up to 1 cup of puffed rice or puffed millet cereal instead of up to 1 cup of rolled oats and instead of the fruit.  Have fun!


**Note:  Instead of 1/2 cup of Stevia in the Raw, 1/3 cup additional fructose can be substituted.  Also, corn syrup can be substituted for the honey in a pinch.