Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars (Gluten & Soy Free, Vegan)

A very tired, but happy Michael & I at our wedding dinner 5 years ago...

Just in case you are in need of a gluten free vegan recipe fix today... here are some breakfast bars I created last night.

I don't have a picture for you, so you can use your imagination or pretend that they look like this. They actually look very similar to those bars, except our chocolate chips are actually mixed into the cookie batter!

This recipe makes 12 large cookie bars and I thoroughly enjoyed them for breakfast today!


Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars
(Gluten Free, Soy Free, Low Sugar, Low Fat, Vegan)
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (or whatever whole grain, gluten free flour you prefer)
• 1/4 cup brown rice protein powder
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup applesauce
• 3/4 - 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
• 3 full-droppers of vanilla creme stevia -or- 1/2 cup sugar (I used stevia)
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
  

Optional Add In's:

• 1 cup allergen free chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spritz a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or grease with coconut oil. Set aside.
   
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl mix wet ingredients together.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together to create a wet batter. The batter should be slightly on the wet side like a stiff muffin batter. Add more liquid by the tablespoon if your batter is too dry.
5. Stir chocolate chips and/or other add in's into batter.
6. Pour batter into the greased 9x13" pan and spread with a spatula.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the bars will "bounce back" when lightly touched with your finger or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Cut into 12 large bars. Cool in pan or on a cooling rack.
9. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

Michael and I are heading to Sevierville, TN next week to celebrate our 5th anniversary!

If you know of any delicious gluten free dining establishments in the Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge area that you can share with me, I'd LOVE to hear from you!
Please let me know in the comments or send me an email @ gingerlemongirl (at) gmail (dot) com.

Potato and Spinach Enchiladas (Gluten Free, Vegan, Soy Free)

Ocracoke Lighthouse, on Ocracoke Island NC

We seem to find cats wherever we go...

Wild Ponies on Ocracoke Island, NC

A fishing boat off the coast of Ocracoke

We spent last weekend on Ocracoke Island. It's a quiet, beautiful seaside village on a small island off the coast of North Carolina. It's one of the few places that never seems to change. We visited the wild ponies, the Ocracoke Preservation Society (one year I AM going to win that quilt!), walked around Silver Lake, and even visited the Community Grocery Store which amazingly sold gluten free baking mixes, flours, and cereals! We were even able to find great dining choices for vegetarian meals.

While the weekend went by quickly it was a lovely trip.

Sunday night when we arrived home from Ocracoke I made a delicious last minute dinner using the green sofrito seasoning base we made last week. I always have corn tortillas in the house, so by making a quick filling, you can have an instant meal. Enchiladas are easy to make and create a healthy and satisfying dinner.

Use what you have on hand to make these enchiladas. Don't have pink beans? No problem... use pintos, black beans, or red beans. Don't have any fresh or frozen spinach? Use green beans, broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, or cabbage! Don't have a baking potato? Use a sweet pototo, rice, or pasta!

Get creative and get cooking! Enjoy!



Potato and Spinach Enchiladas
(Gluten and Soy Free, Vegan)
Created by Carrie Forbes @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
Originally posted online Tuesday September 22, 2009

3 tablespoons prepared green sofrito
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped & rinsed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1 large baking potato, washed and diced
Half of a (15.5 oz.) can of your favorite cooked beans (I used pink beans), drained and rinsed
Freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste
10 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. On the stove, boil the diced potato in enough water to cover (or in a microwave safe bowl on high for about 5-6 minutes) until fork tender, drain and slightly mash. You want a very chunky potato mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large non-stick pan saute sofrito for 3-4 minutes on med.-high heat to release the savory oils and fragrance.Add chopped spinach and diced grape tomatoes and cook until spinach is bright green and wilted.
3. Add salsa, chunky mashed potatoes, and cooked beans. Mix thoroughly with spinach mixture and heat through.
4. Wrap corn tortillas with a damp paper towel or cloth and heat them for about 1 minute in the microwave.
5. TO serve: Add 3-4 tablespoons of potato-spinach mixture in the middle of warmed tortillas and wrap tortillas quickly around mixture. Pour a little salsa over each wrapped enchilada and serve immediately.

Makes 3-4 (2-3 enchilada) servings.

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Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat" Meatballs (Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan)

Does that look like a gluten free vegan meal to you? It's one of those fabulous recipes that I wish I could say I created!

This "meat"loaf is from Susan O'Brien's new cookbook "The Gluten Free Vegan". I bought this cookbook out of desperation a few weeks ago when I decided to follow a vegan diet to see if I could naturally lower my cholesterol. It was one of the very few books I could find with both gluten free AND vegan recipes.

This recipe absolutely did not disappoint. It is actually a recipe for "no-meat" meatballs, but I was in a hurry and decided just to make a loaf. It worked perfectly! In my three weeks of eating vegan foods, this is one of the best meals I have made. Here is a list of just a few of the great recipes in Ms. O'Brien's book:

• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Sauce
• Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Asparagus Risotto
• No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
• Coconut Pancakes

What I like most about Ms. O'Brien's new cookbook is that is she doesn't solely rely on soy-based meat substitutes. Since I have to follow a soy free diet, it can be hard to find vegan recipes that don't include products made from soy such as tofu or tempeh or wheat gluten products like seitan. This recipe has NO soy or gluten whatsoever, and it turned out beautifully!

My only mistake in making this recipe was that my jar of crushed rosemary didn't have a "sprinkle" lid on it, and I accidentally dumped half the container into the "meatloaf." So I tried fishing out as much of the overpowering spice as I could (the recipe only calls for 1/4 teaspoon -- yet I know I poured in several tablespoons!) and I still thought the finished result was delicious, but next time I definitely won't overdo the rosemary! Look at your spice lids before you pour! lol...

I recently contacted Ms. O'Brien and asked her if I could share a few recipes from her new cookbook with you and she graciously responded, "Absolutely!"

So you can thank Susan O'Brien and her new cookbook, The Gluten Free Vegan for this delicious recipe!



Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat Meatballs"
from her cookbook:
The Gluten Free Vegan c. 2007, pg. 96
Reprinted with permission from the author


1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for sauteing (Carrie's note: I just used non-stick cooking spray)
1/4 cup well-washed and chopped leeks, white part only
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cleaned and finely diced mushrooms
1 cup cooked brown rice or rice medley (Susan's note: I cook the rice in vegetable stock to give it more flavor.)
1/2 cup cooked, mashed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Pinch of dried thyme
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon course kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper,or more to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you wish to bake rather than saute the meatballs.
  
• In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the leek and onion over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, mashed potatoes, pecans, herbs, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
  
• Press tightly into balls (press hard, so they'll stay together) and saute on all sides in a large skillet in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the balls are browned, lower the meat to medium low and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  
• If you prefer to bake the meatballs, place them on a large cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 30 minutes.
  

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Carrie's Cooking Notes:

• If you want to make a "meat"loaf out of this recipe, simply pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. We poured our favorite barbecue sauce on top. Yum!

• I decided to serve yukon gold mashed potatoes with this meal, so the first thing I did was boil the mashed potatoes so I would have 1/2 cup mashed and ready to go to make the "meat"loaf. I love the yukon gold potatoes because they *look* like they have butter in them since they are a lovely buttery yellow color. I simply added 3 cloves of mashed garlic, a tablespoon of coconut oil, and almond milk to the potatoes. Being the carb addicts we are, they were our favorite part of the meal!
  

• I just LOVED how easy and delicious this meat "loaf" turned out. I never would have imagined LIKING let alone TRULY enjoying a "meatless" meatloaf. I would serve this to my meat crazy family and I think they would really enjoy it. The combination of flavors with the mushrooms, the leeks and red onion, and pecans, and the herbs... this recipe is DEFINITELY a winner in my book! Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe - Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free

Is there anything that screams comfort food more than a chicken pot pie? My favorite chicken pot pie is this one, but since we don't eat dairy/casein anymore I haven't had the time to revise the recipe to leave out butter.

I remember in my old gluten-filled days I used to often make a chicken pot pie with a biscuit crust and I wondered if I could do the same with almond flour. I love almond flour because it is a high protein, low carbohydrate flour and it really works well in gluten free baking.

So after getting a little inspiration from Elana's new book (which you MUST buy if you love baking with almond flour!) I created this recipe for chicken pot pie.

It takes a little time to make the dairy free/casein free sauce to go over the chicken, but the biscuit topping is a cinch to make using almond flour and it turns out a beautiful golden crust. We LOVED this casserole and it will be in our menu rotation, especially as we enter into fall in the coming weeks! (And fall cannot get here SOON enough!)

Please don't let the long list of ingredients scare you away! This is really a very simple recipe to make and you can easily make the gluten free white sauce and the biscuit topping ahead of time if you need to!



Chicken Pot Pie with a "Buttermilk" Biscuit topping
Created by Carrie @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
(Free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy)
*Inspired by Elana's biscuit recipe in her new book*


"Buttermilk" Biscuit Topping Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil -or- olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened hemp milk -or- other non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
Whisk together almond flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together oil, sugar, eggs, hemp milk, and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients and set aside. The mixture should resemble a wet cake mix.


Gluten Free, Casein Free White Sauce recipe for pot pie:

4 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 cups unsweetened hemp milk
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup drippings from roasted chicken -or- 1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons granulated gluten free chicken bouillon

Directions:
Melt dripping from roasted chicken in a large saucepan. In a glass measuring cup whisk hemp milk and sweet rice flour together. Add to saucepan with chicken drippings or chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste and granulated chicken bouillon. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, whisking constantly until mixture is thick like a cream soup or gravy consistency.


Assembling the Chicken Pot Pie:

2-3 cups roasted chicken, cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 small can button mushrooms, drained
1 (12 oz.) can mixed vegetables, drained
1 recipe Gluten Free, Dairy Free White Sauce (see above)
1 recipe "Buttermilk" Biscuit Topping (see above)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a large and deep 9x13" casserole dish. Place chicken in the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Pour mushrooms and vegetables evenly over chicken in the baking dish. Pour prepared gluten free white sauce over the chicken and mix to combine throughout casserole. Finally spoon the "Buttermilk" biscuit topping over the casserole evenly. (I like to use a rubber spatula that has been rinsed with water to spread the biscuit topping over the casserole.) Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes until biscuit topping is golden and crusty. You may need to set the oven on the "broil" setting for about 3 minutes to get a nice golden crust, just make sure to watch the time so you won't burn the casserole!

Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with a simple green salad!

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Carrie's Cooking Notes:

• The biscuit topping should be "wet" enough to easily spread over the casserole. The longer the topping sits, the more the almond flour will soak up the liquids. Feel free to add additional non-dairy milk or water until the batter will spread easily.
  

• I think the biscuit topping tastes almost like a "sourdough" topping on this pie! Almond flour is slightly sweet, so feel free to leave out the sugar called for in the biscuit topping. You can also use any type of non-dairy milk you like. Although I love the texture, taste, and feel of hemp milk!

• The White Sauce: I LOVE this gluten free/dairy free white sauce! This recipe is very versatile and you can add the flavors and seasonings of your choice. Hemp milk really is a wonderful choice in this sauce because it has such a mild flavor. Feel free to use other non-dairy types of milk, but I think the hemp milk gives the best overall flavor to the sauce.
  

• If you don't have a roasted chicken available, simply boil several chicken breasts and cut them up for the pie or use canned chicken!
  

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe - Take 2

Sometimes even a great recipe needs a few changes.

These cookies were one of the first successful gluten free recipes I created. This recipe was originally posted in November 2007. The recipe has since won a gluten free baking contest, sparked chocolate chip cookie debates on the Gluten Free Recipe Swap Group, and been a great conversational dessert for gluten eating friends.

Yet, despite how good the cookies are, I have received quite a few emails from readers who had trouble making them. A few of the problems people have encountered:

- the cookies spread
- some people do not want to use Crisco for nutritional reasons
- the cookies turned out too gooey in the middle
- the cookies did not puff up, etc…

So... I’ve made some changes.

I’ve worked with this recipe for over 2 years and I’ve changed an ingredient, updated the technique of forming the cookies and I hope I’ve come up with a recipe that will bake up beautifully for you!

The original recipe is still the base. As a matter of fact I’ve only changed one ingredient. BUT… the method of baking is slightly different.

• When spooning the cookie dough onto the baking sheet only use about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie. It doesn't sound like much, but the cookies will spread just enough to make a round 1"-2" cookie.

• When you are baking these cookies I highly recommend using a silpat mat or a sheet of parchment paper. Unfortunately no matter how you create them… gluten free baked goods just stick. Parchment paper (or a silpat mat) not only prevents the cookies from sticking, but it helps them to spread into their proper cookie shape.

• I also leave the cookies undisturbed on the parchment paper or mat after baking for about 20 minutes before putting them on a wire rack to finish cooling. This helps the cookies to cool into their shapes and helps the cookie structure “stay put.”

As far as the ingredient change, I started using Spectrum Palm shortening as the “fat” in the recipe. Unlike Crisco, the Spectrum Palm oil is completely free of trans-fats. Spectrum is organic and is 100% expeller pressed palm oil. I’ve found (after making these cookies many times) that you only need half the amount of palm oil compared to the Crisco. So while Spectrum Palm Shortening is more expensive, you’ll only use half as much!

Are you ready to try the *new* best gluten free chocolate chip cookies ever? I want to hear about your results!! Please email me at gingerlemongirl (at) gmail (dot) com or post a comment below!




The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Created by Carrie @ http://www.gingerlemongirl.com
(Free of gluten, casein, and soy)

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup tapioca flour -or- arrowroot starch (lately I've only been using arrowroot)
1/2 cup sorghum flour -or- millet flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Add In's:
6 oz. gluten free or allergen free chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl: cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together flours, salt, xanthan gum (opt.), baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture. Lastly, mix in chocolate chips. Place tablespoon sized dough portions 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Bake 7-9 minutes or JUST UNTIL edges are light brown.

(The cookies WILL NOT look completely cooked when you pull them out of the oven! That's what you want! That's part of the secret to these awesome cookies! DO NOT overbake them!)

Allow cookies to cool undisturbed on parchment paper or silpat mat on the cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes. Then move cookies to wire baking rack to continue cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter.

This recipe doubles easily.

(Printer-friendly recipe.)


Carrie's Cooking Notes:

• Xanthan gum is completely optional in this recipe, but I think adding just a tiny bit makes for a chewier gluten-free cookie and helps the cookie to retain its proper shape!

• Egg Free option: If you cannot have eggs, simply use 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of warm water to replace the egg in this recipe. It still makes fantastic gluten free (egg free!) chocolate chip cookies!

• Sorghum flour -or- millet flour: I love both of these gluten free flours. Some people detect a bitter taste in sorghum flour, if that is the case for you, I definitely recommend using millet flour. It does not have a distinct taste and works beautifully in these cookies! The only downfall to using millet is it may create a very slight "grainy" texture in the cookies.

• Use of other "sugars" in this recipe: I don't recommend using a different type of sugar in this recipe. The basic white granulated sugar and brown sugar are very important for the structure of these cookies. Other sugars such as turbinado, demerera, or date sugar may not work correctly in the cookies when baking.
  

• Other fats: You can use other fats in this recipe such as 1/4 cup coconut oil, or butter... but you may not get the same crisp results as you get with the Spectrum Palm Shortening. I recommend trying the cookies with the palm shortening first.
  

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