Zucchini Waffles - Gluten Free

I came up with this recipe when I had some extra zucchini lying around, and I wanted to somehow sneak it into my husband's breakfast. He hates eggs/omelettes, so I had to do something sweet, but zucchini bread takes over an hour to make. So I came up with this zucchini waffles recipe and Brett LOVED them. They're full of good-for-you ingredients and you can't even taste the zucchini. Perfect for picky eaters.











Ingredients:  makes 2-4 waffles

3/4 cup gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp psyllium seed husks
2 packets stevia
1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 egg (can sub chia or flax egg)
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup grated zucchini

Blend wet ingredients in blender, then pour into a bowl. Fold in dry ingredients. If batter is too dry, add hour almond milk as needed. Pour batter into waffle iron as directed. Serve with pure maple syrup, fruit, or nut butter or choice.

Meal Planning and Sample Grocery List

I've had a few people ask me about meal planning each week, so I decided to post my grocery list and meals I have planned for this week. This can give you an idea of exactly how easy meal planning can be, and it also helps to make your grocery trip a lot easier and quicker. Brett and I also never eat lunch out, unless we have a day off together, so I also included lunch meals/ingredients into the grocery list. We often eat leftovers for lunch, however.

Almost all of these meals are gluten free, however I do use some soy sauce that contains gluten. I choose to eat gluten when we eat out, in moderation, because it doesn't bother me all that much. I also firmly believe in EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. No foods are completely off limits, unless they're horrible for you. Like soda, in which case, I have zero desire to drink.

Meals this Week:

Monday: Spring Rolls with Quinoa and Peanut Dipping Sauce
Tuesday: Chicken Sausage and Lentil Veggie Soup
Wednesday: Cauliflower Crust Pizza and Salad
Thursday: Pho
Friday: (Eat Out, Parent's in Town)
Saturday: Mexican Black Bean Pizzas
Sunday: (Eat Out)
Monday: Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Veggies

Lunches For Bree: Miso Soup with Veggies, Black Bean Patties and Salad, Zucchini/Cucumber Salad w/ Peanut Sauce, Tempeh and Veggies, Leftovers)

Lunches for Brett: Caprese Quinoa Salad, Leftover Soup, Leftover Cauliflower Pizza, Veggie Sandwich, Tomato Soup)

Breakfasts: Yogurt and Granola, Sweet Potato Muffins, Oatmeal and Almond Milk, Green Smoothies, Hard Boiled Eggs


This weeks menu is a bit different as I am having a flare up of silent reflux, and in order to get my acid back under control, I am having to cut back on all citrus, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. And sadly, coffee and wine, which is so hard for me. Anyways, back to this weeks grocery list. I put the meals that each ingredient will be used in in parentheses.

I go to two grocery stores because I know that some things are cheaper at certain places than others. And Whole Foods has certain ingredients that I can't get at Trader Joe's.


Trader Joes:

1 Pack Organic Zucchini       (Sausage Lentil Soup, Lunches)

1 Bag Organic Broccoli Florets    (Pho, Miso Soup, Tempeh and Veggies)

1 Bag Organic Baby Romaine    (Pho, Salads)

1 Bag Organic Spinach       (Pho, Salads, Green Smoothies)

1 Bag Organic Sweet Potatoes   (Chicken w/ Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Veggies, Muffins)

1 Cauliflower head      (Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Chicken and Roasted Veggies)

1 Organic Cucumber     (Spring Rolls, Zucchini/Cucumber Salad, Miso Soup)

5 Bananas           (For my reflux and Smoothies)

1 Bag of Organic Quinoa      (Spring Rolls, Caprese Quinoa Salad)

1 Box Organic Tomato Soup     (Brett's Lunches)

1 Dozen Eggs   (Breakfasts)

1 Box Ginger Miso Soup Broth      (Pho)

1 Box Low Sodium Organic Chicken Broth     (Sausage Lentil Soup)

1 Package Organic Free Range Chicken Tenders      (Chicken and Roasted Veggies)

1 Bottle of Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon   (MY FAVORITE)




Whole Foods:

1 Bunch Organic Asparagus  (Sausage Lentil/Veggie Soup, Chicken and Roasted Veggies)

2 Bunches Organic Kale   (Salads, Green Smoothies, Sausage Lentil/Veggie Soup)

1 Cantelope   (For my reflux)

1 Container Greek Yogurt   (Breakfasts)

1 Liter Almond Milk      (Breakfasts)

1 Bag of Dried Organic Black Beans  (Mexican Black Bean Pizza)

Aloe Juice   (For my reflux)

1 Package Raw Cheddar Cheese    (Mexican Black Bean Pizza, Snacks)

1 Bag Organic Brown Rice      (Just to have on hand)

1 Bag Organic Popcorn Kernels      (Snacks, Just to have on hand)

2 Perfect Bars    (Snacks)



Things I Already Had at Home:

Mozzarella Cheese   (Cauliflower Pizza, Caprese Quinoa Salad)

Condiments for Dressings/Dipping Sauces  

Brown Rice Thai Noodles     (Pho)

Dry Lentils     (Chicken Sausage Lentil/Veggie Soup)

Chicken Sausage    (Saved from last week and frozen for Soup this week)

Brown Rice Tortillas  (Mexican Black Bean Pizza)

Brown Rice Paper Wrappers  (Spring Rolls)

Coffee

Creamer    (So bad for us, but I can't live without my International Delight)

Tomatoes   (Caprese Quinoa Salad, Mexican Black Bean Pizza)

Garlic

Onions, Both Green and Red

Bread  (Gluten Free and Regular Crusty Table Loaf,  kept in freezer)

Organic Vegan Frozen Black Bean Patties       (Bree's Lunches)




There it is, I hope that's not confusing. Just an example of how I try to use ingredients all week so that as little food as possible goes bad. You don't have to buy all organic, I just try to.

As I've been doing research on Silent Reflux lately, I discovered that a lot of packaged foods have acid added to them to increase their shelf life. While this is much more convenient for me, it isn't great for someone with excess acid. In fact, it's probably not great for anyone. So as a result, I've been looking more closely at ingredients list on the labels and discovered that SO many things have absorbic acid, lactic acid, or citric acid added to them. Even organic products. That is why for this week, and probably from now on, I bought dried beans and zero canned ingredients. We will see how that goes.

Gluten Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago for THE BEST gluten free chocolate chip cookies made with gluten free oat flour. Since oat flour is so similar to regular flour it makes the perfect gluten free substitution.




These cookies are THE BEST gluten free cookies I have made to date. They're chewy, yet slightly crispy on the outside, and the brown butter makes them out of this world. And on top of that, they're free of white sugar, and the oat flour makes me feel a little better about eating them. Seriously, make these cookies. You will not be disappointed.








Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup gf oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped gluten free chocolate chips

In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium low heat, swirling around every once in a while for about 5 minutes, or until the butter browns. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl to cool.

Add palm sugar and brown sugar to brown butter and mix gently. Set aside to cool. Once cool, whisk in egg and vanilla to brown butter/sugar mixture.

In another bowl mix together oat flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then add in chopped chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in fridge for 15 minutes while oven is preheating.

Scoop dough into mounds with an ice-cream scoop, or roll into 1 1/2 inch mounds. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until they just start to brown. (I personally think they're better under-baked)

Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

I saw a picture of someone eating scones the other day, and I could not get them out of my head.



But when I think of scones, I think of butter and cream. And sugar. And deliciously crumbly little morsels of sugary crust with a soft and fluffy center.




Then I decided I should make them. But the thought of all that cream and butter going straight to my thighs was a little off-putting. So I came up with this recipe that would make me feel a little less guilty about stuffing my face with one, or five, of these babies.





The result was amazing. Slightly sweet, crusty outside, and soft pillowy goodness on the inside. I made half the batch and put the others in the freezer for later consumption…which means tomorrow. But due to the gluten-free nature and the lack of starches/weird gluten free ingredients, they can tend to be a little crumbly. So handle with care.

The best part about these is that they have only 215 calories, 3 grams of fiber and 4.5 grams of protein per serving.  AND there is only four tablespoons of butter in the entire recipe. That means there's about half a tablespoon of butter in each scone, so eat up!









Ingredients: (makes 8-10 round scones)

2 cups gf oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons psyllium seed husks
3 packets of stevia (or you can just do three more tablespoons of coconut sugar)
4 tablespoons extra cold butter
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup blueberries


Begin by adding 1/2 tsp vinegar to the almond milk and set aside for 5 minutes. This is to make a dairy free 'buttermilk'.

Whisk almond 'buttermilk' with the egg and vanilla.

In a bowl mix together oat flour and almond meal with baking soda, salt, stevia, psyllium seed husks, and sugar.  Cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour liquid ingredients into bowl of flour  and gently mix until there are no more flour streaks. Be very careful not to over mix! Fold in blueberries and place bowl in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scoop batter with a large ice cream scooper (or roll into 2 inch balls, but batter will be a bit wet) onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can brush them with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you'd like. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until scones begin to brown.

You can also scoop out batter into scone shape and freeze for later baking. Simply bake at 375 and extend the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash Salad (GF)

Who says you can't pretend it's summer in the middle of winter?

Well, it feels somewhat like summer here in Los Angeles right now, which is why I decided this salad was such a good idea. Grilled zucchini and squash on top of fresh baby romaine lettuce, with a sprinkle of feta, basil, and marcona almonds.  For the dressing I just squeezed a bit of lemon juice along side a drizzle of really good olive oil. This salad is so amazing.

So if you're in need of a little taste of summer this winter, go ahead and try this. You won't regret it.




Ingredients: (serves two)

1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
4 cups of baby romaine (roughly)
1/4 cup marcona almonds
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
crumbled feta
2 slices of lemon
2 tablespoons good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice zucchini and squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on an indoor (or outdoor) grill, only about 30 seconds on each side (you don't want the veggies to be soggy, just have nice grill marks).

Once grilled, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile put romaine in a bowl along with feta, basil, and marcona almonds. Squeeze lemons on top of romaine, along with olive oil, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add grilled veggies and toss everything together. Serve immediately.

Guilt Free Banana Muffins (GF)

I needed to use up an avocado one day before it went bad, and came across a banana bread recipe that uses avocado in place of butter! Yes, avocado. Sounds disgusting you might say, but honestly you cannot even taste the avocado. In fact, when combined with coconut palm sugar, it tastes like butter.

These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free! I also used a technique I came across to help the muffins get more of a 'rise', which is often hard to find in gluten free baked goods. The trick is to bake the muffins at 400 degrees, which allows them to have more of a dome look.


These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free!




I apologize for the horribly lit images, I made these one evening and my wonderful daylight was gone. On top of that, these muffins were practically gone by morning and I didn't have a chance to re-shoot.




Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mashed/pureed avocado
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs (room temp)
1 cup coconut palm sugar
6 tablespoons room temp almond milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mash/mix together bananas, honey, vanilla, avocado, and coconut oil until mixed well. Whisk in eggs, coconut palm sugar, and almond milk and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine brown rice flour, almond meal, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until just combined, do not over mix.

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick once inserted comes out clean.

Blueberry Crisp Bars (GF)

I apologize for the severe lack of postings lately. I've been a combination of lazy and busy. But here's a delicious recipe for blueberry pie bars, which are surprisingly gluten free and almost guilt free! A slightly gooey and creamy interior sandwiched in between crispy cinnamon-y crumble. It tastes exactly like blueberry crisp…but in bar form!





These bars are great for breakfast, or even dessert with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. There is very little sugar in them, because I sweetened them with stevia as well.



My husband loved them. They're best in the first day or two, but my husband ate them for breakfast all week. I'd recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheating prior to eating. But to be honest, they're best straight out of the oven, still warm, and crispy on top.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (you can use regular sugar if you do not have coconut)
2 packets of stevia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon psyllium seed husks
8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

 Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet of stevia
juice of half a lime
5 tablespoons oat flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients and cut in cold butter, until it forms into small balls and set in the fridge. In a separate bowl mix together yogurt, egg white, vanilla, honey, stevia, lime juice, and oat flour until well combined. Fold in blueberries and set aside.

Remove crumble mixture from fridge. Using an 8 x 8 pan, line the bottom with wax paper, leaving enough wax paper showing on the sides to help you take out the crumble once it's baked. Take half of the crumble mixture and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Press down the crumble to form a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. You want to make it as uniform as possible.

Then add the wet ingredients and spread into a thin layer. Top off with remaining crumble, scattering on top of batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until top is crispy and batter is set. (My oven is broken and is way too hot, which is why the cook time in this recipe is so broad).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.