Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Crazy Crock Pot Chicken

This sounds like such a weird combination but the flavor turns out great. There are quite a few variations of this recipe out there but this is the one I use most often.
Even my picky DH likes this one!

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups salsa
1 tbs honey
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tbs mustard

Directions:
Place chicken in the crock pot.
In a small bowl mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Really good over rice or pasta.
Serve each breast with about 1/3 cup of sauce.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Coffee Cake

I love this recipe for coffee cake. Not only is it dairy free but it is also fairly low fat! One of the best parts is that you can switch out the fruit for any other fruit or berry that you like! Our favorites to use in this coffee cake are rhubarb, blueberry, or blackberry.

Ingredients:

CAKE
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1 cup dairy free sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups blueberries (may be thawed frozen)

TOPPING
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs dairy free buttery stick, softened

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream applesauce and sugar together.
Beat in egg whites, one at a time.
Mix in dairy free sour cream and vanilla.
Mix flour and baking soda together.
Mix flour mixture into wet ingredients.
Stir in blueberries.
Spread in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
Mix together topping ingredients until crumbly.
Sprinkle over the top.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until done.
Serve warm or cooled.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Best Low Fat Steak Fries Ever

This is how I do Steak Fries or french fries if you prefer to call them that...
This works best with a convection oven.

Preheat the over to 425 degrees.
Line a sheet pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.
Wash your potatoes - regular, red, yukon gold whatever you have on hand they all turn out well.
Cut into wedges for steak fries or into sticks for more traditional french fries.
Place in a single layer on the lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with seasoning salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Place into the preheated 425 degree oven and turn on the convection option.
Bake for 25 minutes until browned, crispy and tender.

Best served with fry sauce or honey mustard.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Milk & Dairy Alternatives

Have you tried some of the different milk alternatives that are out there? Some are really great in my opinion, and you know they have to be good if my picky DH likes them too!! I even turned my Dad on to using vanilla rice milk on his morning cereal, and now he loves the stuff.

I have a problem with an additive called carrageenan which is found in many milk and dairy alternatives especially those that are soy based. If I have too much of this additive I break out in hives and have some other allergic type responses. One brand of products that I have found which does not have this additive is the DREAM line of products. Although not all of their products are carrageenan free either. The DREAM line offers soy, rice, almond, hemp, and oat based products.

Our favorites are the Rice Dream - Vanilla, Rice Dream - Chocolate, Rice Dream - Vanilla Hazelnut, and Oat Dream - Maple Brown Sugar. We love to use the vanilla on cold cereals, and all of them are great in coffee! DH didn't care for the Almond Dream at all as he thought that the almond flavor was too strong. I personally can't wait to find the Kidz Dream Smoothie products as they sound delicious!

I wish that the DREAM brand Ice Cream alternatives didn't have carrageenan in them as they sound great too, but they do so they are out for me :( Turtle Mountain makes some fantastic Ice Cream alternatives though too and their Purely Decadent Coconut Milk varieties are carrageenan free which makes them just about perfect for me :) They even are high in fiber as an added bonus!

When I just have to have some sour cream or cream cheese I go for the Tofutti brand on both of these even though they have some carrageenan in them. I just have not found any other substitute for these products. We do have these from time to time and my DH likes them both and doesn't mind the switch from the real dairy versions in many cases. However, due to the carrageenan in them I do try to limit these products.

Now for cheese substitutes one really needs to be carefull as many of them still actually contain dairy products. So far the only ones that both DH and I like are the Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative in the Mozzarrella and Monterey Jack flavors. We do not like the Cheddar flavor at all though! Again these do have the dreaded carrageenan in them so I do have to limit them as well. The Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet line also offers a cream cheese alternative which looks to be carrageenan free but I have not found a place to buy this product. Their sour cream alternative does contain carrageenan too but again I have not found a place to buy this product either.

As for a butter and or margarine substitute I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and Smart Balance Spreads. But be careful with the Smart Balance as only some of the products are totally dairy free. Both of these products are really good and my DH doesn't mind the switch from the real thing at all.

I hope that this can help some other people searching for true dairy free alternatives. Also, please feel free to let me know about any dairy free products you have found that you love!

Kinda Thai Inspired Crock Pot Chicken

This is kind of Thai inspired in tastes hence the name.

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs or a combination of the two
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup orange marmalade
6 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 to 1 cup water or chicken stock

In a small bowl heat the peanut butter so that it loosens up.
Then stir in the orange marmalade, soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.
Once well incorporated stir in the warmed liquid to get a even looser consistency.
Place the chicken in the crock pot and pour the sauce over it.
Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
If the sauce starts to get too thick add a little more liquid to thin it back down.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice, egg noodles, or angel hair pasta depending on your preference.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Getting Serious!

I can't believe that it has been almost 2 months since I last updated anything over here. I guess that I have just been too busy with life and my other blog From Huskies to Husbands to have even noticed. How sad is that?? Anyhow I plan on changing that and posting here more often. I am still living dairy free and coming up with new recipes and such that allow me to enjoy my favorite foods without compromising that so why not share that here!