Apples with Tahini Caramel: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut free, Oil free, Sugar free

This is surprisingly good.  I like the combination of sweet and solid.
from a cookbook I borrowed from the library: Vegan Yack Attack's Plant Based Meal Prep (p. 154)
Look for the original there.  It's Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut free, Oil free.  

Of course, I had to change a few things.

I made a one-third batch.  Mine is also sugar-free.

Ingredients: 
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/4 c hot water

1 1/2 T tahini paste

1/2 tsp granulated Stevia

1/4 tsp liquid monk fruit

1/3 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 apples, cored and sliced

Directions:

Place dates and hot water in blender.  I used a small bullet container. Let them soften for 10 minutes. Add the tahini, monk fruit, Stevia, vanilla and salt.  Puree until completely smooth.  If your blender is struggling, add another tsp of water.  Since the dates were already chopped, this was not a problem.

Serve with the apple.

If you're saving the apples for later, toss them in 1/2 tsp lemon juice.  The tahini caramel can be stored in the fridge up to 7 days.

Makes 2-3 servings.

The Best Cheese ball

I've used a cheeseball recipe I really don't like for years.  It uses cottage cheese and Worcestershire sauce. The texture has never been good and most of it goes to waste.  

Not this year.  Even if I can't eat it, I'm gonna make a good one.

The Best Cheese ball

Ingredients
16 oz cream cheese softened
1 jar Kraft Old English spread (sharp cheese variety is good)
1 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese (medium)
1 tsp garlic + 1 tsp onion + 1/2 tsp salt
          (or tsp each garlic salt and onion salt)
1-2 tsp lemon juice concentrate
2 heaping T mayo (NOT miracle whip)
2 c finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds - whatever)

1 T chopped parsley
crackers for serving

Instructions

1- finely chop nuts and set aside

2- In a large bowl (or food processor) combine all of the ingredients.  Mix well.

3- Form a ball and place on a large piece of saran wrap.

4. Place the cheese ball in the fridge for 10-15 min to firm up.  

        You can continue or wait for the last two steps and do them right before serving.

5- Mix the chopped nuts and parsley and place on a plate.

6- Unroll the cheese ball and place it in the nuts.  Roll to cover and shape with your hands.

7- Serve immediately or store for a few hours in the fridge.

Paleo Lemon Loaf

I doubled this and put it in a used a 8x12 pan.
For the flour I did 2 1/2 c of a 1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3 mixture of oat flour, tapioca starch and brown rice flour 
then I also added 1 1/3 c. Almond Flour
1/2 c coconut oil + added olive oil to make 2/3 cup
1/2 c. granulated Stevia
And I added 3 tsp more lemon concentrate because I had no lemon zest
Baked for 22 min at 375 F.
It's good, but it needs the grated lemon, I think.

Instant Pot Mongolian Beef

 

We had this tonight for dinner - very good!

I parboiled some cabbage, cauliflower and chopped carrots and placed that on the plates.  Then everyone served the amount of brown rice and meat they wanted.  I did my altered sauce (no cornstarch, 6 drops of monk fruit for sweetener, 1/2 c water, 1/3 c tamari, ginger and garlic as shown) in the instant pot and a normal sauce on the stove.  This is a keeper!

Italian Beef - Crock Pot

 Tired of Turkey? But don't want to spend much time in the kitchen?  

This is a wonderful recipe for you:

Gather the ingredients...

Here 's the recipe...

Slice and rub all the good herbs in...

Here it is all cooked...

Dairy free condensed cream of mushroom soup

This may come in handy when you're preparing your Thanksgiving feast....

https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/dairy-free-condensed-cream-of-mushroom-soup-2

This one has been certified as good by my sister, MFK

I'll use Almond Milk, Brown rice flour and tapioca starch.

Dairy-Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Campbell's Copycat)

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

This easy recipe is a sample from my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. It can be used as a 1:1 vegan substitute for Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup in any recipe.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: American

Serves: Makes 1¼ cups (the equivalent to one 10¾-ounce can of Campbell’s)

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups unsweetened plain dairy-free milk beverage (do not use one with protein added)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or white rice flour (for gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon oil (see Oil Options in post above)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• Generous pinch garlic powder
• ½ cup canned mushrooms (pieces and stems), drained

Instructions

1. Put the milk beverage, flour, starch, oil, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in your blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour the soup mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, whisking often. It should reduce to about 1¼ cups of very thick “condensed” cream of mushroom soup, weighing roughly 10¾ ounces.
3. Use this condensed soup in recipes as you would the original. If you want to enjoy it as a prepared soup, see the Note below for directions.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze it to enjoy later.

Notes

Prepared Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup Directions: Whisk about 1¼ cups water into the condensed cream of mushroom soup and heat it over low heat until warmed to your liking. Pour into bowls, and enjoy.

Pear and Apple Crumble - gluten and sugar free (Instant Pot or Oven)

Original recipe: https://allthenourishingthings.com/paleo-instant-pot-apple-pecan-crumble-vegan/

Of course, I had to adjust the recipe.. 

I used 4 pears, 1 red apple, 1 green apple - cut into bite sized pieces (keep skins on or peel, doesn't matter).  

For the filling:  I switched out the first sugar with 3 T granulated Stevia and used tapioca flour instead of arrowroot powder 

Then for the crumble, I used 1/4 c coconut oil and 1/4 c olive oil. It's easier to blend.  Then I used another 3 T granulated Stevia, 4 T tapioca flour and 3/4 c.- 1c. coarsely ground oats.  I did not use the pecans or allspice.

Ingredients

Apple Filling

• 5mediumapplespeeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1lemonjuiced
• 1teaspoonvanilla extract
• 2tablespoonsarrowroot powder
• 1/3cupcoconut sugar
• 2teaspoonscinnamon
• 1teaspoonground ginger
• 1/2teaspoonallspice
• 1/2teaspoonsalt
• 1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
• 1/4teaspoonground cloves
• 1/2cupsoaked and dehydrated pecansroughly chopped

Pecan Crumble Topping

• 1/2cupcoconut oilsolid, not melted
• 3/4cupsuperfine almond flour
• 2/3cupcoconut sugar
• 1/2cupcassava flour 
• 1teaspooncinnamon
• 3/4teaspoonsalt
• 1/2teaspoonallspice
• 1/2teaspoonground ginger

Instructions

Apple Filling

1. Grease a 1.5 quart round baking dish with a glass lid.

2. Peel, core, and cube 5 to 6 medium size apples and add them to the greased baking dish. Toss with lemon juice and vanilla. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the remaining filling ingredients and stir together.

4. Pour over the prepared apples and toss gently to coat. Set aside.

   Pecan Crumble Topping

   1. Add all topping ingredients, except pecans, to a large mixing bowl.

   2. With a pastry cutter, cut the ingredients together until the texture is like wet sand. Optional: stir in the pecans.
   3. Carefully dump the crumble topping over the apple filling. Press down.
   4. Place the lid on the baking dish.

   5. Put the trivet inside your Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. The water is necessary for the pot to pressurize.

   6. Place the covered apple crumble on the trivet. Press the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and adjust the time to 25 minutes on high pressure.

   7. When the pot beeps, immediately release the pressure. Carefully lift the trivet with the baking dish out of the Instant Pot.

         

      
      

   8. To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the lid from the baking dish and bake until browned and bubbly (about 15 to 20 minutes).

      Nutrition Facts

      Paleo Instant Pot Apple-Pecan Crumble

      Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

      Calories 420Calories from Fat 221

      % Daily Value*

      Fat 24.5g38%

      Saturated Fat 12.7g79%

      Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9g

      Monounsaturated Fat 3.9g

      Sodium 365mg16%

      Potassium 190mg5%

      Carbohydrates 53g18%

      Fiber 5.7g24%

      Sugar 36.7g41%

      Protein 3.6g7%

      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Serve immediately. (Optional: top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream). Store leftovers in the fridge.

Hummus without Tahini

I have been looking for a good hummus recipe without Tahini paste - and this is it!

Using my Instant Pot to cook the Garbanzo beans, this didn't take much time at all.

1 c. dry Garbanzo beans + 3 c water.  High Pressure for 50 min, let pressure release naturally for 20 min. Rinse and use.  This makes about 24 oz cooked beans. I altered the recipe below to make a 1.5 batch.  Enjoy!

https://www.thewholesomedish.com/simple-hummus-without-tahini/ 

Cranberry Sauce - three ways

 

I tried the above recipe - mostly. And it turned out quite good.  But not as good as the original.

Here is my Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe I've used for years.  

It makes 3.5 to 4 cups and takes 45 min.

1/2 orange         3 c fresh cranberries      1/4 tsp cloves

2 c water            1 1/4 c sugar

1 tart apple        1/2 tsp cinnamon

Tip: Wash, sort and measure the cranberries first to be sure you have enough.  

Squeeze the juice from orange half and set aside.  Remove membrane from orange shell.  Discard membrane.  Cut orange shell into small dice.  Place in pan w water, bring to boil and cook 10 min.  Drain and set aside soft orange shell only.  

Peel, quarter and core the apple, then chop into small pieces.  Place in saucepan.  

Add cranberries to apples, diced orange shell, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally until thickened, apples tender and cranberries burst (10-15 min).  

Transfer to bowl, cool and refrigerate.  

OR place in clean canning jars with new seals.  Be sure the top of the jar is clean so you have a good seal.  Once filled and secured, flip them over.  If you do it immediately, the sauce is hot enough, and they will seal.  

Third - I'm trying to do a sugar free version this year.  The only change I'll make from the recipe above is to switch out the 1 1/4 c. sugar with 1/4 c. Stevia, 1/4 c. apple juice concentrate, 2 T liquid monk fruit.  I'll report on how that goes.

Instant Pot - my new favorite kitchen toy

I got an Instant Pot over a year ago and decided to return it.  I didn't feel I had room in my kitchen for it.  Strangely enough, now that I have moved and downsized, I really need this in my smaller kitchen.  AND I feel it'll make my holidays that much easier.  If I can get all of my gadgets working at once in my small kitchen, there will be fewer people in there bumping into each other.

Preparation is the key, I've found.  Plan a menu, buy the ingredients, chop the veggies, and be ready to mix and cook.  

So far, in the last 48 hours I've made these dishes:

Black Beans

Speedy Sweet Potato Curry

Cinnamon Applesauce

Pear Sauce

Brown Rice (long grain)

Millet

Hamburger (2# cooked, starting as frozen blocks)

Chicken Broth

Cranberry Sauce

Flood Frosting

Gotta love the handwritten recipes for GREAT holiday treats.