allergy-free

Gluten Free Vegan Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

Thanks to the theme "My 5 Senses"  and the book "How do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies", momstown Calgary  was keen to get tasting at Tales for Tots! Our good little ones remembered their pretend manners while reading: they waited until the cupcakes are cooled, said please and thank you, took only one or two at a time, and chewed them with their mouths closed.   

 

Taking into account various allergies and food restrictions among our group, we developed a recipe for gluten free, grain free, vegan vanilla almond cupcakes to share:

 

gluten free vanilla cupcakes

 

Gluten Free Vegan Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp coconut oil, warmed just to melt
1/2 cup agave nectar (you could also use maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or other liquid sweetener of choice)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup warm water mixed with 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp non dairy milk
½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Method:

1.    Preheat oven to 325F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2.    Combine warm water and ground flax seeds in a small bowl, and allow to sit for approximately 10 minutes, until mixture has gelled. In a separate small bowl, combine non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar.
3.    In a large bowl, sift together almond flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir well to combine.
4.    In a separate bowl, stir together coconut oil, agave and vanilla. Add flax mixture and non dairy milk  mixture, and mix.
5.    Pour wet ingredients into dry, and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until well incorporated.
6.    Divide batter between muffin cups, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
7.    Once cool, frost with your favourite vegan icing recipe, or enjoy as is. 

Posted by momstown mama on 04/28/2012 - 23:30
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Gluten-Free Avocado Banana Bread

Shhhh, don’t tell your kids (or your hubby) that there’s avocado in this banana bread.  It’s okay, they’ll never know! 

This banana bread is full of healthy fats and calls for nature’s candy – maple syrup! 

The recipe uses teff flour; it’s one of my favorite grains because of its nutritional content.  It’s very high in minerals, protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.

This delicious Avocado Banana Bread will make a great breakfast for your family, or a good addition to school lunchboxes!

 

avocado bread

Avocado Banana Bread

1 ½ cups of teff flour
½ cup of arrowroot flour (tapioca flour will work too)
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup avocado puree (1 ½ medium avocados)
2 ½ small bananas, pureed
½ cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp psyllium husks
¼ cup coconut oil, liquefied (plus a little extra for oiling)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees c.  Grease a 9x5 inch bread pan. 

In a large bowl, combine teff flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. 

In a smaller bowl, combine pureed avocado, pureed banana, maple syrup, vanilla, psyllium husks, and coconut oil.  Add to dry ingredients and combine.

Scrape batter into prepared bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush the top with extra coconut oil.  Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. 

Let cool, then run a knife along the edges and carefully invert to release.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.  Don’t cut into it early! 

 

Thanks to Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake for this month's Gluten-free recipe - always delicious and inspired!

 

For more great meal ideas, including family favourites, sign up for our monthly newsletter!

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 04/15/2012 - 23:52
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Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free Pancakes

I love using quinoa flour in my gluten-free recipes.  Quinoa is high in protein and packs a nutritional punch like no other gluten-free grain.  It’s a great way to start the day.  If you find the flavour of quinoa flour to be a little strong, feel free to substitute with brown rice flour. 

 

gluten free pancakes

Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free Pancakes

I used grated apple in these pancakes, but if you need to get veggies into your kids, try grated zucchini.  They’ll never know. 

1 ¾ cup quinoa flour
¼ cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup grated apple (zucchini works too)
2 tbsp ground chia mixed with ½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup dairy-free milk (I like to use coconut milk)
2 tbsp maple syrup

Combine quinoa flour, tapioca or arrowroot flour, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir in grated apple. 

Mix ground chia and water in a smaller bowl and let sit for 2 minutes.  Add vanilla, non-dairy milk, and maple syrup.  Mix well. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Batter will be thick and will get thicker over time due to the ground chia. 

Drop by ¼ cup measurements into a preheated and well-oiled pan. Let the top bubble and then flip.  Cook until both sides are lightly browned. 

Yield: 20 silver dollar sized pancakes

Pancake Making Tips
•    Preheat your frying pan before cooking pancakes. Cook them on a low temp too. I usually do it at a low-medium temperature.
•    Be patient. Clean up while you’re waiting to flip the pancakes. Seriously. I am not good at waiting and you need to be patient when cooking pancakes.
•    You may need to oil your pan a few times during cooking. 
•    We freeze leftovers in between pieces of parchment paper in a ziploc bag. Makes for much easier removal and then we just throw the frozen pancakes in the toaster to heat them up.

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 03/19/2012 - 23:02
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Gluten-free and Vegan Quinoa Banana Muffins

When I bake goodies for my friends and family, I like to make sure they’re loaded with nutritional value. 

One of my go-to flours for baking is quinoa flour, and it is so good for you. In fact, quinoa is irresistible and here’s why:

•    Quinoa is a complete protein because it contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for our muscles.
•    Quinoa is high in fibre so it’s a great way to ensure that you’re eating valuable fiber.
•    Quinoa is loaded with the vitamin B2, which is so important for energy production. 
•    Quinoa is a complex carbohydrate, which means you won’t get energy and then crash quickly. 

You have to be careful when adding quinoa flour to your baked goods though – they can quickly get a bitter taste.  I like to balance quinoa flour’s strong taste with another mild gluten-free flour. 

We love this muffin recipe.  It makes for a perfect lunchbox treat or after school snack. 

quinoa muffins

Gluten-Free & Vegan Quinoa Banana Muffins

3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
2 and 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed combined with 3 tbsp of warm water (this replaces one egg) OR 1 tbsp ground chia combined with ¼ cup of water
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (I measure it when melted, in a dry measuring cup)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar (cane sugar or coconut sugar work well)
3 ripe bananas mashed with 5 tbsp of hot water
Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pans with cupcake liners or wipe with oil to prevent sticking.

Combine flours, baking soda, guar gum, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.


In a small bowl combine the ground flax with the 3 tbsp of warm water. In the bowl of your mixer combine melted coconut oil, ground flax mixture, vanilla, and sugar.  Mix on medium speed until well combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the mashed banana, to the wet ingredients.   Now would be a good time to add chocolate chips if you’re a ‘chocolate chips in muffins’ kinda person.  They are perfect in this recipe.

Bake regular-sized muffins for 20 minutes, or mini muffins for 10 minutes.  I like to do a combo – 2 trays of mini muffins for the little hands, and six regular-sized muffins for the adult hands.

So, are you a ‘chocolate chips in muffins’ kind of person?

 

Thanks Maggie for another super Gluten-Free recipe frome She Let Them Eat Cake

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 11/09/2011 - 14:31
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Chocolate Avocado Pudding

A Super Tasty Superfood!

chocolate avocado pudding
Despite their high fat content, avocados are one of the healhiest foods you can eat, and are included on many "superfood" lists.  Much of the fat found in avocados consists of heart healthy monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, as well as oleic acid, a type of fat that triggers your brain to send signals of fullness. 

Just one half of an avocado contains 3.5 grams of fibre, which helps maintain your digestive system and keeps you feeling full longer, and over. Avocados are also a great source of many essential vitamins and nutrients.  They contain antioxidants such as lutein, which helps protect against eye disease,  and tocopherol (vitamin E),  which is believed to play a role in preventing a variety of conditions, including cancer and Alzheimer's Disease.  Avocados are a great source of folate, which helps prevent spinal cord birth defects, and also contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. 

Cocoa shows up on many superfood lists as well.  Like avocado, it is an excellent source of antioxidants, and can help to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.  Cocoa also contains a variety of essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese, and can increase serotonin in the brain, which may ease symptoms of depression.

Last night I combined these two superfoods to make one allergy friendly (it's dairy, egg and gluten free), taste bud pleasing batch of chocolate avocado pudding.  It's super easy to make, and a perfect recipe for  little ones to help prepare.  Serve it at your house, and you will be telling your kids to eat their pudding too!

chocolate avocado pudding

Chocolate Avocado Pudding
yield: 2 large, or 4 small servings

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5mL) vanilla
1.5 tablespoons (22 mL) agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (feel free to use dairy milk if you can tolerate it)
Method:
1. Peel and dice avocado, or scoop it out and mash it in it bowl (a great job for kids).
2. Add avocado, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, vanilla, agave, and non dairy milk in a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy. Taste, and add additional cocoa and sweetener, if desired.
3. Transfer avocado mixture to bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, until chilled and firm.
4. Enjoy!

Note - I left this in the fridge overnight, and it firmed up even more.  It could easily be used as a non-dairy icing on cupcakes too, or as a filling for a chocolate tarte or pie.  It's so good you will forget that it is good for you.

Posted by momstown team on 08/24/2011 - 16:53
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Chocolate Cherry Cake - Egg, Dairy and Soy Free!

When my eldest son was younger, he was allergic to eggs, milk, and soy. So making a cake could be a little tricky! This recipe is still a favourite, and we like it with cherry pie filling or blueberry! And because it's such a moist cake with the cherries (or blueberries) in it, it doesn't need to be iced, unless you prefer it that way.


Chocolate Cherry Cake (egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free)

Ingredients:
1 can of cherry pie filling
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Spread the pie filling evenly in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Add these liquid ingredients to the flour mixture all at once. Stir until just moistened. Pour the batter evenly over the pie filling.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes.
5. Let the cake cool completely if you are icing it.
6. Enjoy!



This recipe was submitted by Marla, a momstown Winnipeg member, as part of momstown's birthday cake contest!

Posted by momstown team on 08/16/2011 - 12:57
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Soft-Serve Ice Cream that won't give you a Tummy Ache

I don’t know about you, but we love a mid-afternoon treat and since it is summertime, that treat usually comes in the form of something cold!

I grew up on Dairy Queen.  Blizzards were standard fare for many summer nights!  Unfortunately a trip to DQ always came with a follow-up tummy ache. 

I eventually learned that the brick-in-the-belly feeling wasn’t a good thing.    So, no more DQ.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good soft serve treat.  And the same goes for my dairy-free kids! 
 
This soft-serve ice cream would make a delicious dessert, a nutritious snack, a lucky breakfast, whatever!   The possibilities are endless when you’re playing with healthy ingredients. 

This recipe is like an ice cream meets a milkshake. Serve it with a spoon and everyone will be happy.

allergy free ice cream

Chocolate fRAWstie (or Fudgesicles)

2 tbsp raw cacao (unsweetened cocoa powder works great too)
5 medjool dates, soaked for 5 minutes in warm water and pitted
½ cup raw cashews soaked for at least an hour
1 cup ice cubes (7-8 cubes)
1 tbsp water

Add all the ingredients to your blender (make sure you strain and rinse the cashews after soaking). Blend until it reaches desired consistency.  If you’re using a regular blender (not a high speed one) you might want to put in a little more water, and put it in first.

We’ve also used this recipe to make popsicles and oh my goodness! They were like a lot like fudgesicles. Only NOT loaded with cow’s milk, high-fructose corn syrup, and who knows what else.

Try adding 1 tablespoon of leftover coffee in place of the water for a mocha treat. 

There’s so much you could do with this recipe so please use your imagination and let us know what you come up with! 

Enjoy your August!  I’ll be back next month with some ideas for packing a healthy gluten-free lunch (yes, September is around the corner). 

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 08/12/2011 - 22:00
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Gluten-free Double Chocolate Stampede Cookies

Yeehaw! It's officially Calgary Stampede time in western Canada and as always, the celebration kicked off with the Calgary Stampede Parade. momstown Calgary watched the parade from the balcony of a member's home, which happened to be right on the parade route!! Awesome view!

 

To kick off the festivities, momstown Calgary got busy in the kitchen creating these yummy cookies to enjoy while watching the parade. Since you don't need an electric mixer to make them, they are a great recipe for kids to help with. Here's a picture of the baking in progress:


And here is a picture of the finished product:

 



In the spirit of the Wild West, we'll be referring to them as Chocolate Cow Pie Patties, but you can call them Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies too. What ever name you choose, we're pretty sure that you'll agree with the label of "delicious". The bonus? They are gluten free, nut free, and they can also be made dairy free and fat free by leaving out the chocolate chips, so they are perfect for a variety of different dietary needs.



Chocolate Cow Pie Patties (Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies)

2 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment.

2. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula to stir together all ingredients from icing sugar to vanilla extract until smooth, ensuring you scrape the sides of the bowl. The batter should be glossy, and quite thick. Stir in chocolate chips if using.

3. Drop ½ tablespoons of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving a few inches of space between the cookies, since they spread considerably.

4. Bake cookies for 8 minutes. They should spread, and have shiny tops with faint cracks.

5. Remove cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pans. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy.

If you need information on where you can take in the parade tomorrow, check out this website. Of course, if Stampede Breakfasts are more your thing, you can find a list of them here.

 

Happy Stampede momstown Calgary! Thanks Chelsea  from momstown Calgary North for the great recipe and blog!

Posted by momstown team on 07/15/2011 - 23:24
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Summer Vacations with Gluten-Free Kids

It’s not easy traveling with allergy kids and adults, but it doesn’t have to be hard.  And it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your summer vacation.  



1.  Plan ahead – Make a list of food items you will definitely need.  We always bring gluten-free bread, crackers, dried pasta/quinoa, nutritional yeast, avocado, and at least 1 container of almond milk.  We bring enough bread and almond milk to get us through the first few days (sometimes the entire trip if we’re not going to get to a store that stocks our necessities).  



 2.  Determine what you will need for the road trip - Unless you want to stop for fast food salad and fries, make sure you bring lots of snacks for the road.  We always bring crackers and almond butter, wraps or sandwiches, cut up veggies, fruit, nuts, and our water bottles.  Bring a few treats for those moments; you know the ones.  



 3.  Ask your host/hostess to stock a few items for you - If you’re staying with friends or family, don’t hesitate to ask them to pick up a couple of items that you can’t travel with.   Dairy-free ice cream is a good place to start, especially since it’s summertime! 

 

4.  Bring a couple of your easy go-to recipes – We always do some cooking while we’re at other people’s houses.  It’s one way to make sure we get a healthy meal and it’s our way of saying thanks to our hosts for putting up with all of our stuff (we usually bring a big bin of food).  



5.  Find out where the local health food store is located – You could even check out their website before arriving, or call to see if they stock any of the items you always use.  I love hitting up new-to-me health food stores.  It’s fun to browse for new products.   



6.  Locate some allergy-friendly restaurants – I always make a point of googling gluten-free restaurants before we’re headed out of town. I google vegan restaurants too, since we’re also dairy-free and egg-free.  I find vegan restaurants are really good about accommodating gluten-free eaters and most of them have gluten-free items on their menu.  



gluten free food for kidsWe recently went to Ottawa for a little holiday.  Before we left home, I searched online and found an amazing restaurant called Zen Garden.  We were treated to gluten-free and vegan Apple Fritters, Buckwheat Pancakes, and Tostadas with Daiya Cheese!  It was an amazing meal and everyone left the restaurant with happy hearts and happy bellies.  


Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 07/11/2011 - 00:07
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Mama's Green Smoothie

green smoothie

Our momstown Markham mama Natasha swears by these smoothies!

 

As defined in Wikipedia Green Smoothies are health shakes or smoothies, made by blending green leafy vegetables, such as spinach with fruit, some of which may be frozen, and water or ice. To balance flavor and nutrition the typical ratio in a green smoothie is about 60% fruit to 40% leafy greens. In my opinion it's life in a glass! Try it and you'll be hooked, literally it's known that once you start drinking these smoothies your body starts to crave the wholesome goodness. Here is a link to a few good recipes , and here are a few tips that I find helpful:

  • be flexible, the first time I made these I followed recipes, now I just wing it, do what sounds good and it probably will be, if not drink it anyway, waste not, want not and learn for next time
  • Use ripe fruit bananas, pears, mangos etc. makes your smoothie so much tastier
  • use organic fruit and vegetables, just because!
  • a Vitamix blender is a great investment, if you can afford one, if not, go for a high speed blender preferably with an ice crushing setting and add a bit more water, you want to puree your greens as fine as possible


Here is a pic from my latest batch - dandelion, parsley, pineapple, honey dates, banana and apple, I make a bunch at a time and freeze them in glass mason jars for convenience.

The benefits of green smoothies are endless, they are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, great for digestion, regularity, and a super easy way to get in your 7-8 daily servings of fruits and veggies, to name a few. As Martha would say "it's a good thing" enjoy!

Posted by momstown team on 07/09/2011 - 01:00
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