allergy-friendly

Whyatt's SuperWhy Applesauce Carrot Cake

In one of our family's favourite episodes of SuperWhy! on Kids' CBC, Whyatt wants to make a carrot applesauce cake for his baby sister Joy's birthday, but he does not know how. The Super Readers soar into a new kind of book, a cookbook, to learn about selecting ingredients, measuring, mixing, and baking cakes.

 

The episode resonated with us, since baking homemade birthday cakes is a tradition in our home. I am also a big believer in encouraging kids to be involved in cooking. Through cooking, kids can practice reading, learn basic math skills such as measuring, work on their fine motor skills by pouring and mixing, and learn where food comes from and how to make healthy food choices. Given our love of cooking, SuperWhy, and homemade birthday cakes, it was natural for us to try and make a SuperWhy! inspired Applesauce Carrot Cake of our own.

 

Our family is gluten free, and our friends have dairy sensitivities, so this cake is both gluten and dairy free. The low amount of sugar and high percentage of protein per serving also make it a relatively healthy treat. As an added bonus, you do not need to use a mixer to prepare it, making it safe and fun for even the youngest chefs to help prepare.

 

Whyatt's Gluten Free Carrot Applesauce Cake:

5 Eggs
3/4 cup apple sauce
2tbsp coconut oil (softened)
3 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup shredded carrot

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper

2. Beat eggs, applesauce, coconut oil, golden syrup and vanilla with a whisk until combined

3. In a separate bowl, sift together coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture, and mix until batter is smooth and well incorporated. Fold in chopped apple and shredded carrot.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes until top is lightly browned and the cake is set in middle. We enjoyed our cake dusted with a just a sprinkle of icing sugar, but you could top it with cream cheese icing if you prefer.

 

Posted by momstown team on 10/21/2012 - 19:45
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Flapjacks

Flapjacks are a traditional British dessert or snack bar. Like many "traditional" foods, opinions seems to differ on what makes a good flapjack. Some people prefer then crispy, while others think they should be soft and chewy. What does seem certain is that a British flapjack is a baked bar that includes oats, golden syrup, brown sugar, and butter. They are not entirely different than a baked granola bar, and can also include extra ingredients such as raisins and chocolate.

 

They are naturally wheat and egg free, and can easily be made dairy free by replacing the butter with a substitute such as vegan margarine or coconut oil. They can also be made gluten free if certified gluten free oats are used. They only a handful of ingredients, and are a great recipe to get your junior chefs cooking in the kitchen. Here's our familiy's recipe:

 

Flapjacks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped dried fruit (optional)

Note: Golden syrup is a type of syrup made in the process of refining sugar cane.  It is popular in Great Britain, and can be found at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops in Canada.  The most common brand is "Lyle's Golden Syrup".  If you can't find it, honey, maple syrup, or corn syrup may be substituted, although the flavour will be different.

 

Method:


1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, and butter the foil well.

2. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is smooth.

 

 

3. Remove from heat, and stir in oats and salt until mixture is well coated:

 

 

4. Stir in additional ingredients, if using.  We added semi-sweet chocolate chips to this batch.  Transfer oat mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.

5. Bake until top is golden, and edges appear to set, appoximately 15 minutes (this results in a chewy bar.  If you prefer yours more crispy, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes). 

6.Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes, the cut into 4 squares. Cut each square into 4 triangles (mixture will be soft). Allow flapjacks to cool completely in pan before serving.

 

 

7. Make sure you share with your friends too!

 

Posted by momstown team on 07/25/2012 - 14:37
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Homemade Granola

Sometimes we're drawn to make a homemade version of an old favourite for a variety of reasons. Our momstown Oakville mama started to make her own homemade granola because her child is allergic to nuts and also to manage costs (why is granola so expensive??).

 

Here's Kelly's recipe for her version of granola - perfect with Greek yogurt for breakfast or sprinkled on fruit for dessert or even tasty on its own!

 

What you need to make your own Homemade Granola:granola rose

2 cups large rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp canola oil
1/4 apple juice
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

What you do:

Preheat oven to 300F, line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.

Combine all except the last two ingredients, stirring well to combine.

Spread mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing once to prevent burning.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Add the raisins and cranberries and stir. Store in an air tight container.

I have used dried apricots, dates and dried strawberries before and they all tasted delicious too! If you did want to add nuts to this recipe, add 1/2 cup of whichever nut you like and mix it in the the bulk of the ingredients so they toast up in the oven.

As mentioned, I love this granola with greek yogurt but my kids love it with milk. Also makes a great snack when you are out and about, tastes great all on its own!

Kelly adapted this recipe from Rose Reisman's Family Favourites cookbook.  I usually double this recipe as it's very popular in my house and doesn't last long.  You can freeze the granola for up to 2 months.

 

Photo credit

Posted by momstown mama on 07/11/2012 - 20:58
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Cooking with Kids: Mock Peanut Butter Pizza

peanut butter pizza

 

Another adventure in cooking with kids happened on a weekend we were all sick an at home and needed a cheery pick-me up. Baking a dessert brightens any child's face!

Having a peanut allergy in our house means having to opt out of all the yummy desserts that include peanut butter in the ingredient list. Recently, my kids were given a great recipe book full of kid friendly recipes and their favourite thing is to flip through and pick something to try together,

 

Wouldn't you know, both my kids separately chose the same recipe, Sweet Ending Pizza, with the main ingredient is peanut butter. How could I say no? We  brought out an allergy-free peanut butter substitute,  and gave the recipe a whirl anyways.

 

We called our adapted version Mock Peanut Butter Pizza


3/4 cup Mock Peanut Butter (we used soy butter but pea butter is good too)

1/2 cup Margarine, softened

3/4 cup Brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup Granulated sugar

2 Large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla flavouring

1 3/4 cup All purpose flour

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup Butterscotch chips

1/4 cup chocolate candies

1 pizza pan

Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Grease the pizza pan.

Cream the pea butter and margarine together with an electric mixer. Then beat in both sugars and then eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla last.

Mix the dry ingredients first then add into the pea butter mixture and stir just to moisten.

 

kids at the mizer

 

Press the dough into the pizza pan (we used a regular cake pan but the pizza pan would be better). My toddler loved this and broke spontaneaously into "Pat a cake, pat a cake Bakers man! Bake me a cake as fast as you can..!"

 

toddler patting dough

 

Bake for about 7-10 minutes until lightly browned (ours took closer to 15 minutes because it was thicker in the cake pan).

 

melted frosting

When hot, sprinkle with the chocolate and butterscotch chips which melt to make a sticky frosting and then decorate with candies! When cool slice it into pie slices.

 

Beware it's RICH and SWEET. And we found better chilled rather than warm (extra sweet when warm). Ours was a thicker than expected as the orginial recipe  called for a thin pizza pan and we used a cake pan but it stil worked out and was a hit!

Posted by momstown mama on 03/06/2012 - 15:37
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Homemade Turkey Broth

We had a great turkey dinner over the holidays and enjoyed the wonderful aroma of turkey broth on the stovetop today. For some reason people think making broth is hard - but it's really the easiest thing! You can't do it wrong, the simplest version is just bones and water but here a slightly more spiced recipe for homemade turkey broth. 

 

turkey broth

If you have a large stock pot, go ahead and double this one! It's a great base for all of those soups that keep you warm and fuzzy. If you don't have the ingredients with a ** just skip them. The longer this broth simmers, the better it will be!!

 

1 full turkey (or chicken) carcass - bones, skin, leftover meat

1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered

2 carrots, halved and unpeeled

1 1/2 celery stalks with leaves, cut into fourths

7 parsley sprigs **

5 thyme sprigs **

7 sprigs of fresh dill **

1/2 head of garlic, cut in half again, unpeeled **

1 Tbsp. kosher salt **

1 tsp. black peppercorn **

Water - fill the pot

 

Place everything in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 4 hours. Once it has simmered, strain it, and remove all the chicken bones.  Discard the contents, except for the broth. If you chill overnight the fat can be removed from the top.  But it can be used right away.  Freezer friendly too - try freezing in ice cube trays for smaller purposes. 

Posted by momstown mama on 12/28/2011 - 00:30
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

A Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Christmas Cookie Round-Up

The holiday season can be a little overwhelming when you’ve got food allergies or food sensitivities.  It’s been two years since our five year old was diagnosed with gluten sensitivities, right before Christmas 2009.  You can bet this left me feeling a little bit overwhelmed! 

I’ve worked hard over the last two years to find and to create allergy-friendly recipes for some of our holiday favourites.  Today I’m going to share some with you – hopefully it will make the holiday cookie swap season easier for you and your loved ones. 

gluten free baking

Gingerbread Cookies – Everybody needs a gingerbread cookie recipe. We used this very recipe last year to make a gingerbread house.  The kids loved it!


Chocolate Chip Truffle Recipe – Finding dairy-free and gluten-free truffles can be difficult so I improvised and came up with a delicious and kid-friendly recipe.  It’s super easy and the kids can help along the way.


Shortbread Cookies – When I think of Christmas, I think of shortbread cookies! 
I’m still perfecting my gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free shortbread recipe, but in the meantime, check out this one from Cook It Allergy Free.

Sugar Cookies – My kids love using cookie cutters, but they especially love it at Hallowe’en and Christmas.  This recipe is an allergy-friendly lifesaver and includes a frosting recipe that won’t spike your blood sugar! 


gluten free baking

Candy Cane Ice Cream – Okay so it’s not a cookie, but growing up my Mom always bought Candy Cane Ice Cream so I feel like it’s a tradition for us!  This year I created a dairy-free version that tastes just like the real thing.  Only better!


Caramel Pecan Squares – I am a sucker for squares.  There’s nothing I love more than an ooey, gooey square on my dessert plate. If you’re anything like me, these two recipes will make you and your loved ones very happy this holiday season!
Caramel Pecan bars
Chocolate Chunk Pecan squares


Salt-Dough Ornaments – Some people are so sensitive to gluten that touching it will give them a reaction.  Here’s a recipe that the whole family will be able to play with!  Just make sure you don’t eat them! 


Last year I shared my 8 Tips For a Jolly Gluten-Free Holiday.  Check it out here.

Happy Holidays from SheLetThemEatCake.Com

What’s your favourite holiday cookie? 

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 12/05/2011 - 21:10
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Cooking with Kids: Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

For momstown Calgary's first Kids' in the Kitchen event, they decided to tackle gluten-free, egg-free chocolate chip cookies. This recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting dairy free chocolate for the chocolate chips, or by using raisins or other chopped and dried fruits in place of the chocolate chips.  The recipe is a great one to make with kids: an electric mixer is not required, the recipe can be scaled down so that each child can make his own small batch of cookies, and kids get the opportunity to roll and flatten the dough.  Because there is no egg in the dough, you don't need to worry if the kids want to taste it. Here's the recipe we used:


Small Batch Gluten Free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Note: This recipe makes a small batch of cookies, and is perfect if you are cooking with a group of kids and want each child to be able to make his own cookies. If you are making the recipe at home, you can easily double or quadruple it to make a family sized batch.)
Ingredients:
½ cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
2 tsp canola or other neutral flavoured oil
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp agave nectar (honey, brown rice syrup, or maple syrup should also work)
1 tbsp miniature chocolate chips (use a brand such as “Enjoy Life” for a dairy free or vegan option)
Method:

1.    Preheat oven to 325, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.    In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until blended, and make a well in the centre.
3.    Add oil, vanilla, and agave nectar to the dry ingredients.  Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.  Stir in chocolate chips.
4.    Use your hands to roll dough into teaspoon sized balls.  Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently flatten them to approximately ¼ inch thickness using the palm of your hand.
5.    Bake for 6-9 minutes, until lightly golden around edges. Allow to cool on baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes about 8 small cookies. Enjoy! 
I was busy cuddling a newborn baby while the kids were measuring, stirring, and scooping their cookies, so there are no pictures of the actual cooking process, but here are our cookies before they went into the oven.  If you look closely, you can see the fingerprints in the cookies. There is something so precious about that:

 

 

  momstown Calgary read a story while we were waiting for the cookies to bake and cool, and pretty soon they were ready:

 

 

There is nothing quite like a warm, fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookie.  As proof, there were exactly two cookies left at the end of our playdate.  I can't wait for the next Kids in the Kitchen event!
Thanks to Guest Blogger Chelsea from momstown Calgary for sharing!
Posted by momstown team on 10/25/2011 - 23:28
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

Gluten-free Zucchini Muffins

momstown loves member recommended recipes! These Zucchini Muffins were shared on momstown Calgary north by a great member!

 

zucchini kids muffins
I baked these muffins last week and brought them to the park to share with Caro and Peyton, and also shared them another day with another mom and tot.  All of the babes (and moms I think) loved them!  Apparently zucchini is rich in potassium, which is good for muscle strength, regulates blood pressure, and mellows anxieties!  Right now Grace loves eating steaned zucchini, but it's always good to find other ways to sneak in veggies! 

Anyways, I told Caro I would send her the recipe, so I thought I'd share it with everyone.  It is from a new cook book I got as a gift, called "Babycakes - Vegan (mostly), Gluten-free (mostly), sugar-free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery" by Erin McKenna.  This is the first recipe I have tried from it, but it was delicious, so I just ordered her next book to from amazon.ca.  As I type this, I have another batch baking in the oven...smells good!  Next week I'm going to try the pumkin muffins for Thanksgiving!


Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole spelt flour (you can sub reg. flour I'm sure or any gluten free all purpose baking flour mixure you use)
  • 1/2 cup flax meal (very nutritious! I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I used the type from spice rack)
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger (I only used 1 teaspoon - from the spice rack again - 1 tablespoon seemed like too much ginger for my liking)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (measure this melted - I just zap it in the microwave - it comes in a jar and looks like a white solid if you have never used it - high in omega-3 fatty acids, packed with lauric acid, and supports the proper function of the thyroid - promoting the metabolism - so good fat!)
  • 3/4 agave nectar (I used Blue Agave Syrup I bought at Costco - I'm not sure if it's the same as the nectar but it worked well - you could probably use any liquid sweetner - like Maple Syrup if you wanted)
  • 3/4 rice milk (I used Unsweetened Almond Milk - but I'm sure any "milk" would work)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (if you are gluten-free, apparently you have to make sure this is GF)
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini (it took about 1 very large zucchini - or 2-3 regular sized ones)

 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.  Line standard muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Add oil, agave, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth (do not over stir).  Using a spatula, fold in the zucchini until it is evenly distributed through the mixture.

Fill each muffin cup most of the way up.  Place on centre rack for 22 minutes, rotate the pan half way through.  The finished muffins will bounce back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean.  (Mine took a couple extra minutes)

Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature last for about 3 days.  (I kept them longer no problem - it made almost 24 muffins).

Posted by momstown mama on 10/07/2011 - 22:40
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

How to bake gluten-free

Using a gluten-free flour mix to make your old favorites!



gluten free baking

 

I have learned a lot about gluten-free baking over the past 8 years.

When I first started baking gluten-free I bought a book that told me I needed to keep a gazillion different flour mixes because each mix was good for certain baked goods. That totally turned me off gluten-free baking.

But I was a baker by heart so I ventured out on my own, found some brown rice flour, and used it in any recipe I was converting to gluten-free. This worked, but the results were mediocre. We survived for a few years (can you say crumbly and bland).

My next step was to buy a mix from a gluten-free bakery near our house. This was a great way to bake, and everything I made tasted yummy, non-gluten-free-eaters even said, “Wow, you’d never know this was gluten-free”. We were getting closer!

One day I started thinking about the very white flour mix I was buying from this bakery. Wondering about the nutritional value, I decided to research other flours that might have more nutritional oomph to them.

Enter quinoa flour, sorghum flour, chickpea flour, teff flour, quinoa flakes, and so many more deliciously nutritious gluten-free flours. I often think us gluten-freebies are luckier than those gluten-fullers when it comes to the diversity of our flour choices.

So now, when I want to convert a gluten-full recipe to a gluten-free recipe, I simply use my own gluten-free all-purpose mix cup for cup.   This works for basically any recipe: cakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies, pie crusts, etc…


Gluten-Free Flour Mix

2 cups sorghum flour
2 cups arrowroot flour
2/3 cup quinoa flour
3 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Transfer to a storage container. 
I store my mix in a glass storage container for approximately 2-3 weeks. If you don’t think you’ll use it by then, store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.

And of course you need a recipe so you can test out this mix, right? 

Here’s a recipe that will use up some of those freshly picked apples that are sitting on your counter. 

Delicious Apple-Cinnamon Quick Bread – Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Egg-Free

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix (see above for my recipe)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 tbsp of ground flax combined with 3 tbsp warm water
1 cup coconut sugar (you could use cane sugar)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1 cup peeled, shredded apple (2 medium sized apples)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x4 inch loaf pan.

Sift the gluten-free flour mix into a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well to combine.

Combine the ground flax and warm water in a small bowl. Add the sugar, apple, and oil. Stir well to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted coconut oil. Return to oven and bake for 15-20minutes. Remove from oven and check with a knife to make sure it's done.

Let cool in pan. Remove bread from pan and cut into nice, thick slices.

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 10/06/2011 - 12:39
Labels:
ShareThis share this post

The Gluten-Free Lunch Bag Roundup

My 5YO started school this September and boy is it keeping me on my gluten-free and dairy-free lunch bag toes!   Once he finally gets past those first-days jitters, I plan on sending him lots of healthy and yummy baked goods. 

Here’s a list of recipes I’ll be relying on and sending to school! 

If a recipe has almond flour or nut butter, and your school is nut-free, try substituting quinoa flour or brown rice flour and sunflower seed butter.

All of the recipes of gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. 


gluten free lunchSuper Snacks


Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Cereal Bars

Brownies for Breakfast

Oat Macaroons

Vegan Apple Bread

Quinoa Banana Muffins

Buckwheat Muffins

 


gluten free spreadsSandwich Spread and Dips


Sweet Potato Spread

Roasted Carrot Hummus

White Bean Hummus


Sandwich Breads

Sandwich bread recipe

Sugar and gluten free bread


Check out these excellent resources when you get a chance:
A printable list of 50 allergy-friendly lunchbox ideas from Cook It Allergy-Free
A free e-book with school time recipes

What are some of your favorite gluten-free lunch foods? 

Next month I’m going to tell you how I take my old recipes and convert them into allergy-friendly recipes. 

Posted by Gluten Free Maggie on 09/10/2011 - 20:21
Labels:
ShareThis share this post
123next ›last »