These pancakes are SOO yummy even my gluten-eating husband eats (and enoys!) them!
1 C rice flour
3 T tapioca flour
1/3 C potato starch
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 eggs
3 T canola oil
1 1/2 to 2 C milk substitute (rice, almond, hemp, etc.)
Sift together dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients until very few lumps remain. Pour into heated, oiled pan on medium heat; flip when bubbles begin to form on top.
*We add a variety of things to the batter to make flavored pancakes: blueberries, bananas, chocolate chips, cinnamon and brown sugar/maple syrup, vanilla, etc. You can also add ground flax seed for some extra fiber.
TIP: I make several half-batches of the dry ingredients and store them in ziploc baggies so I can make a quick batch of pancakes by only adding an egg, oil and milk to the dry mixture for a faster breakfast!
We all get only one life -- this is mine! It's my life as a wife and homeschooling mom to an elementary school boy with Sensory Processing Disorder and a "neurotypical" preschooler, and it is sensational!
Thanks for joining me along the journey! I'd love to hear what you want to know ... do you have questions about sensory processing disorder, gluten-free/dairy-free diets, homeschooling, faith, life in general? Send me a note or post a comment and I'll try to write something that addresses your interests and questions!
Showing posts with label dairy-free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy-free. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Recipe: Pumpkin Soup (Sauce)
Here's my current favorite creamy-pasta substitute :) It's actually a recipe for a pumpkin soup, but I make a few alterations to the recipe and make it a sauce for a pasta dish. Here's the original recipe with some notes ...about my alterations:
Pumpkin Soup (sauce)
1 C sliced carrot (I do about a cup and a half)
3/4 C coursely chopped green pepper
1/2 C chopped onion
(I also add about a cup of thickly sliced zucchini and/or broccoli just to add more veggies, because I like them!)
1 Tbs cooking oil (we use olive oil, usually, though coconut oil would probably work splendidly in this as well)
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 can pureed pumpkin
14 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 medium fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs snipped fresh cilantro
(I'm not a fan of cilantro or jalapeno so I put in a dash of chili powder for some spice and added peanut butter to give it a more Thai flavor)
In a large saucepan, cook carrot, pepper and onion in hot oil over medium heat, about five minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir in brown sugar, jalapeno pepper, salt and ginger (and/or chili powder, peanut butter, etc.) Stir pumpkin mixture into cooked veggie mixture (and add more delicate veggies now, if you plan to, like zucchini and/or broccoli).
Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro before serving.
**My other changes: I also added a bit of cornstarch during the simmer to thicken it up just a tad. Served over grilled chicken and some gluten-free pasta, this makes a yummy creamy sauce loaded with veggies and flavor!See More
Pumpkin Soup (sauce)
1 C sliced carrot (I do about a cup and a half)
3/4 C coursely chopped green pepper
1/2 C chopped onion
(I also add about a cup of thickly sliced zucchini and/or broccoli just to add more veggies, because I like them!)
1 Tbs cooking oil (we use olive oil, usually, though coconut oil would probably work splendidly in this as well)
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 can pureed pumpkin
14 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 medium fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs snipped fresh cilantro
(I'm not a fan of cilantro or jalapeno so I put in a dash of chili powder for some spice and added peanut butter to give it a more Thai flavor)
In a large saucepan, cook carrot, pepper and onion in hot oil over medium heat, about five minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir in brown sugar, jalapeno pepper, salt and ginger (and/or chili powder, peanut butter, etc.) Stir pumpkin mixture into cooked veggie mixture (and add more delicate veggies now, if you plan to, like zucchini and/or broccoli).
Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro before serving.
**My other changes: I also added a bit of cornstarch during the simmer to thicken it up just a tad. Served over grilled chicken and some gluten-free pasta, this makes a yummy creamy sauce loaded with veggies and flavor!See More
Labels:
dairy-free,
gluten-free,
pumpkin,
recipe,
sauce,
soup,
soy-free
Tips for 'Transitioning to a Restricted Diet
It's been almost two years since we've had Josiah off gluten, dairy and soy, and in that time, I have gone gluten-free for Malachi and even Josh (daddy) has tried eliminating gluten. While it's much easier now, the transitions are always tough. Having done it a few times, I've learned a few things, so here are my tips for making a transition to a restricted diet:
(1) Add new foods BEFORE you start eliminating! In every case, the transition has been easier when we delay making the full transition for a few weeks while we introduce new foods that fit the restricted diet so there are foods they are used to and enjoy before you eliminate things they've been used to. For example, we introduced gluten-free Koala Crisp before we started taking away Cheerios, and we offered him gluten-free Pretzels before we took away his toast and sandwiches. That way, when the gluten foods are eliminated, there are still lots of things he's already enjoying that don't have to go away!
(2) Shift to eating more whole foods. While processed foods are convenient, they aren't nearly as healthy as prepared whole foods anyway, and most processed foods won't be allowed on a restricted diet. Almost EVERY processed food in the American diet has gluten, dairy or soy in it (if not all three). It takes a bit more time and planning, but the food almost always tastes better anyway, is far more nutritious, and saves money -- and you'll be able to make "old favorites" in versions that fit your restricted diet.
(3) Focus on what you CAN eat, rather than on what you can't. On a gluten/dairy/soy free diet, there is still a LOT you can eat, especially if you do some whole foods cooking. Any meat, nuts, fruits and vegetables are safe and encouraged, and there are also still a lot of grains you can eat and cook with (rice, quinoa, lentils, potatoes, etc.) Instead of making lists of off-limits foods, make menus of foods that fit your diet. A snack list might include: apple slices, raisins, peanut butter with gluten-free pretzels or crackers, frozen blueberries, red peppers and hummus, pickles, carrot sticks with dipping sauce (Josiah loves the dip I make by adding curry powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice to some mayonnaise).
(4) Read labels meticulously AND be informed about all the names/ingredients that might include your restricted foods. For example, sodium caesinate is found in lots of "dairy free" items (like whipped topping and coffee creamer) but is derived from milk and can be problematic for many people on a dairy-restricted diet. "Spices" and "Natural Flavorings" often include dairy and/or gluten proteins. When in doubt, keep it out :) And you can always call the company to ask whether a specific product contains gluten or dairy (or whatever restricted ingredient you're dealing with).
(5) For some meals/dishes, you can find good substitutes that fit your dietary restrictions; for others, it's best to just alter the recipe or dish to something different. For example, spaghetti is easy to do GFCFSF (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free) by making sure your pasta sauce doesn't have cheese or cream in it (we like Newman's Own sauces as they are all natural ingredients and only a couple have dairy in them) and serving it over a bed of gluten-free pasta (if you can eat corn, the corn-quinoa blend by Ancient Harvest is my favorite). Sandwiches, on the other hand, just aren't the same with gluten-free breads, so we just do deli rolls instead -- on a slice of deli meat, spread mayo or hummus, add a couple leaves of spinach and a thin slice of tomato and roll it up :)
(6) Consider throwing out some of your "food rules" while you're making the transition. For example, we normally wouldn't allow candy on a daily basis, but while we were transitioning Josiah off gluten, we let it slide and would let him have a small piece of candy after lunch if he had eaten well. We already had fairly relaxed rules regarding table manners (our SPD kid still has trouble sitting still for a full meal and using his utensils consistently, but we do insist on politeness like excusing yourself if you burp, etc.) but we also added other "gimicky" things like carpet picnics, where we'd all eat together on a tablecloth on the floor of the living room, to make eating more fun while he was getting used to the new diet. (Actually, we enjoyed carpet picnicking so much that we still do it fairly frequently!)
(7) Along the lines of number 6, find a treat you (or your child) enjoys that fits your restricted diet and reward yourself with it on difficult days. When I eliminated gluten, I found some Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins that, while relatively unhealthy and expensive, taste SOOO yummy. I keep a pack in my freezer for those days when I'm really bummed about having to avoid the cake at a baby shower or am craving a bagel and cream cheese :) It's the pat on the back (or belly, as the case may be) that I need sometimes to keep pressing on!
(1) Add new foods BEFORE you start eliminating! In every case, the transition has been easier when we delay making the full transition for a few weeks while we introduce new foods that fit the restricted diet so there are foods they are used to and enjoy before you eliminate things they've been used to. For example, we introduced gluten-free Koala Crisp before we started taking away Cheerios, and we offered him gluten-free Pretzels before we took away his toast and sandwiches. That way, when the gluten foods are eliminated, there are still lots of things he's already enjoying that don't have to go away!
(2) Shift to eating more whole foods. While processed foods are convenient, they aren't nearly as healthy as prepared whole foods anyway, and most processed foods won't be allowed on a restricted diet. Almost EVERY processed food in the American diet has gluten, dairy or soy in it (if not all three). It takes a bit more time and planning, but the food almost always tastes better anyway, is far more nutritious, and saves money -- and you'll be able to make "old favorites" in versions that fit your restricted diet.
(3) Focus on what you CAN eat, rather than on what you can't. On a gluten/dairy/soy free diet, there is still a LOT you can eat, especially if you do some whole foods cooking. Any meat, nuts, fruits and vegetables are safe and encouraged, and there are also still a lot of grains you can eat and cook with (rice, quinoa, lentils, potatoes, etc.) Instead of making lists of off-limits foods, make menus of foods that fit your diet. A snack list might include: apple slices, raisins, peanut butter with gluten-free pretzels or crackers, frozen blueberries, red peppers and hummus, pickles, carrot sticks with dipping sauce (Josiah loves the dip I make by adding curry powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice to some mayonnaise).
(4) Read labels meticulously AND be informed about all the names/ingredients that might include your restricted foods. For example, sodium caesinate is found in lots of "dairy free" items (like whipped topping and coffee creamer) but is derived from milk and can be problematic for many people on a dairy-restricted diet. "Spices" and "Natural Flavorings" often include dairy and/or gluten proteins. When in doubt, keep it out :) And you can always call the company to ask whether a specific product contains gluten or dairy (or whatever restricted ingredient you're dealing with).
(5) For some meals/dishes, you can find good substitutes that fit your dietary restrictions; for others, it's best to just alter the recipe or dish to something different. For example, spaghetti is easy to do GFCFSF (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free) by making sure your pasta sauce doesn't have cheese or cream in it (we like Newman's Own sauces as they are all natural ingredients and only a couple have dairy in them) and serving it over a bed of gluten-free pasta (if you can eat corn, the corn-quinoa blend by Ancient Harvest is my favorite). Sandwiches, on the other hand, just aren't the same with gluten-free breads, so we just do deli rolls instead -- on a slice of deli meat, spread mayo or hummus, add a couple leaves of spinach and a thin slice of tomato and roll it up :)
(6) Consider throwing out some of your "food rules" while you're making the transition. For example, we normally wouldn't allow candy on a daily basis, but while we were transitioning Josiah off gluten, we let it slide and would let him have a small piece of candy after lunch if he had eaten well. We already had fairly relaxed rules regarding table manners (our SPD kid still has trouble sitting still for a full meal and using his utensils consistently, but we do insist on politeness like excusing yourself if you burp, etc.) but we also added other "gimicky" things like carpet picnics, where we'd all eat together on a tablecloth on the floor of the living room, to make eating more fun while he was getting used to the new diet. (Actually, we enjoyed carpet picnicking so much that we still do it fairly frequently!)
(7) Along the lines of number 6, find a treat you (or your child) enjoys that fits your restricted diet and reward yourself with it on difficult days. When I eliminated gluten, I found some Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins that, while relatively unhealthy and expensive, taste SOOO yummy. I keep a pack in my freezer for those days when I'm really bummed about having to avoid the cake at a baby shower or am craving a bagel and cream cheese :) It's the pat on the back (or belly, as the case may be) that I need sometimes to keep pressing on!
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