Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
SERVES 4
Believe it or not, those same silly seeds that made the Chia Pets so popular in the 70s are a powerhouse of nutrition. Chia seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are used as the primary building blocks of every cell in your body. Chia seeds also have as many if not more antioxidants than blueberries! Other benefits include fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc to name a few. Chia seeds help stabilize your blood sugar levels. You will feel full longer due to the fact that they absorb so much water and have such a high fiber content.
You can add the seeds to salads and yogurts or make them into this insanely delicious pudding. This recipe makes a large bowl of pudding. I like to eat some in the morning, as a snack, add it to smoothies, and even add it to other recipes. Chia seeds have no flavor on their own, so will absorb the flavors of whatever you combine them with.
2 cups coconut milk (light or full-fat)
1 cup water
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup almond or hemp milk (at room temperature)
2½ tablespoons maple syrup (add more if you prefer a sweeter taste)
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
½ cup chia seeds
Combine coconut milk, water, and shredded coconut in a blender. Mix on high speed until creamy. Pour the mixture into bowl and set aside. In the same blender, add almond or hemp milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Mix together on high until creamy and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add chia seeds to the milk mixture and whisk briskly until the mixture thickens. When the consistency resembles pudding, add the coconut milk mixture and whisk a bit more. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30–40 minutes before serving.
Apple Ginger Breakfast Bar
SERVES 9
In my attempts at cutting out most allergens from my diet, I wanted to see what I could create using the fruits and groceries I had on hand. I came up with this amazing apple ginger breakfast bar. The recipe is really so simple and so quick, and so yummy, and so much better for you than processed, packaged bars. These bars will keep for about a week wrapped and stored in the fridge.
2 cups almond flour
½ cup sprouted, gluten-free granola cereal (I use Lydia’s Organics Sprouted Cinnamon Cereal)
¼ cup arrowroot flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana
less than ¼ cup olive or grape-seed oil
1 teaspoon molasses
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, granola, arrowroot flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, mash the banana, add the oil and molasses, and stir. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and then mix in the apples and ginger. Spoon the batter into an 8x8” baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 25–30 minutes (or less if using a bigger dish). Cut into bars.
MAKES ABOUT 36 SCONES
Maple sugar has antioxidant properties and you can sub it in equal amounts for regular sugar. If you can’t find maple sugar, you can use coconut sugar, date sugar, or even brown sugar, but those have much lower antioxidant and nutrient values.
1 cup sweet potato puree (bake and mash a sweet potato, or use ½ of a 15-ounce can sweet potato puree)
¾ cup rice milk (or milk of choice)
⅓ cup grape-seed oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1½ cup almond flour
½ cup arrowroot starch
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup quinoa flour
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
⅓ cup maple sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon fresh dried vanilla (or 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup maple syrup (for brushing on top of scones)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the sweet potato, rice milk, oil, and lemon juice (if using liquid vanilla, add here). In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot starch, brown rice flour, quinoa flour, pecans (if you’re using them), maple sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum, dried vanilla, cloves, and salt. Whisk out lumps. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine with a wooden spoon. Take a heaping tablespoon of batter and drop on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 15–17 minutes (longer if you want firm texture and/or slightly browned bottoms). After about 11 minutes, or when the tops of the scones get a bit firm, brush maple syrup over the tops and then continue to bake. These scones will keep in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for at least a couple of days, or up to a week in the refrigerator
Banana Muffins or Banana Bread
MAKES ABOUT 6 MUFFINS OR ONE TO TWO SMALL LOAVES
Banana makes these muffins or bread (depending on what you want to bake them in) moist and succulent. This is a great recipe to make for breakfast or for a quick snack to take with you.
¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup quinoa
½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup potato starch
¼ arrowroot or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup maple sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, or evaporated cane juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground vanilla bean seeds (or natural vanilla extract, if gluten free)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup extremely ripe banana, mashed by hand
¼ cup applesauce
⅓ cup olive oil, coconut oil, or grape-seed oil
¾ cup milk of choice (like almond, rice, or coconut—look for milk without carrageenan, which is hard on people with digestive issues)
Optional: 1 cup any nuts or chocolate chips, or a combination of both.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the dry ingredients, whisk out any lumps, and set aside. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the wet ingredients except for milk.
Beat the wet ingredients with a mixer until combined, then slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating with a little milk. End with the dry ingredients and do not over-mix. Fold in the optional nuts and/or chocolate chips.
Place muffin cup wrappers in a muffin tin and fill each ¾ full of batter, or grease a loaf pan and dust with brown rice or sorghum flour and fill with batter.
Bake for about 25 minutes for muffins, or about 45 minutes for bread, or until a toothpick stuck into the center of a muffin or the loaf comes out clean. These muffins last up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Buckwheat Teff Pancakes
SERVES 4–6
½ cup potato starch
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup teff flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup rice milk
½ cup water
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1-½ teaspoon maple syrup
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until combined. You may need to add a little bit more water if the mix is thicker than you like it.
Put a griddle or skillet over medium heat and oil it or butter it with Earth Balance. Pour the batter onto the griddle to make pancakes in whatever size you like. Cook for about two minutes or until the underside is golden-brown. Flip and cook for about 1 minute. Serve hot with your favorite gluten-free toppings, like Earth Balance butter and real maple syrup or fresh fruit.
Pumpkin Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Pancakes
SERVES 4–6
When people who can’t eat gluten realize they can have pancakes again, it makes weekend mornings so much more fun! This recipe has great flavor and the chocolate chips give it that little hint of decadence. It’s a great excuse for having chocolate in the morning. (Just be sure the chocolate chips you buy are gluten-free and dairy-free.)
½ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup hazelnut flour
½ potato starch
½ teaspoons Himalayan sea salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
⅓ cup puréed pumpkin
2 tablespoon grape-seed oil
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup rice milk
½ cup water or less, depending on batter - how thick or thin you like pancakes; opt for the thicker
Grape-seed oil or Earth Balance (non-dairy ‘butter’)
Gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips (as many or few as you like)
Combine all dry ingredients and then whisk out lumps. Mix together all wet ingredients except the water. Add the wet to the dry, mixing as you go. Add water and mix as you go, slowly and a bit at a time. If you like a thinner pancake, add more water. If you like thicker, add less. I recommend keeping batter not too thin, or they won’t cook properly.
SERVES 2–4
After I gave up gluten, I missed having something starchy to munch on. These are perfect. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and sweet potatoes are high in vitamin B-6, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and the mineral manganese.
2 large or 4 small-to-medium sweet potatoes or yams
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French-fry shapes. Put them in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, sea salt, and cinnamon (if using). Spread them out on one or two large baking sheets so the fries aren’t touching. Bake until soft with crispy edges, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Sesame Parsnip Fries
SERVES 2–4
What I love about this recipe is that it turns parsnips into exact replicas of the glorious fry.
Parsnips are rich in potassium and a good source of daily fiber. They also store very well, up to 2-3 weeks unwashed in the refrigerator (in a plastic bag). Although autumn is their peak season, they’re available year-round, and it’s best to choose ones that are moderate in size and well-shaped—not pitted or shriveled. Sunflower butter—ground up sunflower seeds—is the surprise ingredient here. It creates a savory, crunchy coating. Delicious!
2-3 medium-size parsnips
3 tablespoons sunflower butter
2½ tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons organic olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean parsnips and peel outer layer like a carrot. Cut parsnips into thin strips like fries. In a large bowl, combine sunflower butter, sesame seeds, olive oil, and salt. Add parsnips and mix with a spoon or your hands until the strips are coated. Place parsnips on the baking sheet and bake for 35–50 minutes, or until crispy and brown.
Hearty Veggie Soup
SERVES 4
This is an easy, no-fuss recipe. Add whatever veggies you like. The water you add should cover them, plus an additional two inches. You can also add gluten-free pasta or rice by making it separately, adding it to a bowl, and ladling the soup on top.
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 peppers
2 potatoes
6 cups water
2 tablespoons Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 cup chopped greens (like kale or mustard greens)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup gluten-free pasta (uncooked) or cooked rice (optional)
Chop onion and garlic and place in a large saucepot. Roughly chop carrots, celery, peppers, and potatoes. Add them to the pot and cover the vegetables with the water. Add salt and pepper, and turn the heat on to medium-low. After one hour, or when you can get a fork through the potatoes and carrots, add the greens and olive oil along with the pasta, if using. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Mashed Butternut Squash over Wild Salmon and Asparagus
SERVES 2
When you are dealing with this ever-changing autoimmune disease, taking a “day off” is a luxury you just don’t have. And when you’re busy, inflammation can creep up, indicating that something is off. Butternut squash is packed with vitamin A and full of antioxidants to support a healthy immune system and reduce chronic inflammation (it also helps support a healthy reproductive system). The omega-3 packed salmon is full of vitamin D, selenium, and other nutrients that control inflammation. To round it off, some detoxifying asparagus also helps reduce pain and inflammation. An easy, quick, nourishing dinner.
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1½ pounds wild salmon (about 2 pieces, though you can double)
½ cup olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
A few sage leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons rice milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash on a baking dish and bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. When squash is done, remove from oven and set aside. Place salmon in aluminum foil, skin side down. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, parsley, sage, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Close the foil around the salmon and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the outside is pale pink/white-ish and the inside is still pink. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fillets. Check with a fork; inside should still be pink while outside is pale pink/white-ish.
Take another piece of foil and place the asparagus on it. Sprinkle asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sea salt, and the remaining teaspoon lemon juice. Close the foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender. In the meantime, using a standing mixer or a hand mixer, combine squash with rice milk, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whip until creamy. Place whipped squash on plate and top with cooked salmon and asparagus.
Spaghetti Squash, Kale, and Tomato
SERVES 4
This delicious recipe is so great that you won’t miss spaghetti made with wheat. I like steaming the squash, but you can also roast it if you prefer.
1 medium spaghetti squash
½ onion, chopped
1½ cups cherry tomatoes
2 cups chopped kale
½ cup olive oil, divided
⅓ cup Daiya non-dairy cheese alternative (or dairy cheese, if you prefer and can tolerate it)
1½ teaspoons salt
Black pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a steamer tray inside. Carefully cut open the spaghetti squash and clean out its seeds. Place the squash halves on the steamer tray, cover the pot with a lid, and steam squash for 30-40 minutes, or until a fork is able to go through it.
While the squash is cooking, add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Sauté onions until clear, then add cherry tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. When tomatoes start to get soft, squish some of them down to get the juices out, but leave some whole. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale and the remainder of the olive oil.
When the kale starts to cook down, which will take just a few minutes, lower heat to medium-low, to bring the mixture down to a simmer. When the squash is done and cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the flesh out of the skin in a downward motion to get spaghetti-like strands. Transfer all spaghetti squash into a bowl and combine the kale and tomato mixture.
Before serving, top with cheese, more salt and pepper to taste, and even some more olive oil, if you like.
Banana Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES
Sometimes, you just want a cookie, and this is an easy recipe with delicious results. Keep them in your refrigerator. Kids love these.
1 cup almond flour
1 cup quinoa flour
¾ cup certified gluten-free oatmeal
½ cup maple sugar
¼ cup arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 very ripe bananas
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup grape seed or canola oil
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, quinoa flour, oatmeal, maple sugar, arrowroot flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Make sure that there are no lumps. In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork and then add milk and oil. Combine until creamy. Add wet ingredients to dry, mix until combined, and then fold in the walnuts. Scoop out the mixture with a spoon and place on baking sheet. Bake for 13-16 minutes, depending on how soft you like your cookies.
MAKES ABOUT 36 COOKIES
For this recipe, it is absolutely crucial to use certified gluten-free oats, because other oats contain gluten. I was able to have oats later in my journey, but not in the beginning, so you’ll want to be sure you can tolerate oats before you make these—not everyone can. The duration of the baking depends on how crispy you like your cookie.
3 cups certified gluten-free oats (important that the packaged is marked as gluten-free!)
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup maple sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar
¼ cup arrowroot starch
¼ cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup grape seed oil
⅓ cup applesauce (no sugar added)
¾ cup raisins
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown rice flour, sugar, arrowroot starch, sorghum flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, grape-seed oil, and applesauce. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry a little bit at a time. When dough is thoroughly combined, add raisins. Place tablespoon-sized pieces of dough on the baking sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes. These cookies will last about a week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.