gluten free

Protein Chex Mix {gf}

Show of hands if your holiday always included handfuls of Chex mix.🙌

Chex mix is a classic family affair. In my family, everyone had their opinions about how it should be made- mild versus spicy, smoked versus baked and some needed a nut or gluten-free version.

My latest version offers a swap of Gochujang for the standard Tabasco sauce. Tobasco will bring a little more heat while the Gochujang adds a touch of sweet complexity along with light heat.

You know this already- but change out any dry ingredients for those crunchy snack items you love.

I’ve chosen my ingredients for two reasons: for nutrient density and for a gluten-free mix. Side note: not all gochujangs are gluten-free so check the package or use my 5-minute homemade Gochujang recipe.

The optional Collegan Protein Powder is a bonus for healthy skin and connective tissues. Collagen can tolerate heat up to 500, so baking it will not degrade it.

Throw caution to the wind with this recipe – nothing needs to be measured exactly. Remember that the Gochujang or Tobasco butter sauce will taste super spicey before you bake it; trust the process. Have patience, cook it low and slow. Your house will smell delicious for days. Classic Chex Mix – the holidays aren’t the same without it.

Happy eating,
Monique

Gochujang Chex Mix

4 Tbls gochujang sauce OR 3 tbls Tobasco sauce
1/2 cup ghee or grass-fed butter
1 heaping Tbls seasoning salt
3/4 Tbls granulated garlic
1/2 tsp powdered onion
1/4 tsp smokey paprika
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Optional: 4 scoops collagen powder
8 oz gf pretzels of choice
2 cups pecans, raw
2 cups whole almonds, raw
2 cups cashews, raw
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
2 cups Cheerios
Options if gluten isn’t a concern: Oyster crackers, Bran Chex, sesame sticks, bagel crisps, rye chips.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the pecans, almonds and cashews in cake or large roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes

Melt the ghee/butter, gochujang/tobasco, seasoning salt, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce and collagen powder (if using) in a pot over medium-low heat.

Remove the nut pan from the oven. Add the remaining dry ingredients (chex, cheerios, pretzels and anything else you’re adding.)
Carefully drizzle the pan with the Gochujang butter sauce and toss well to ensure everything is coated.

Return the pan to the oven. Bake until the Gochujang Chex Mix pieces are dry, expect this to take around 1.5 hours. Toss every 30 minutes!

Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container. This Gochujang Chex Mix stores well in the freezer for a month or two.

The Whole Orange Cake {gf}

Take a couple oranges, throw them in a food processor. Add a couple of eggs, honey, almond flour and bake it into a lovely Gluten Free Whole Orange Cake.

Food waste is astronomical and it doesn’t need to be. Root to stalk cooking can actually be delicious.
From veggie concentrates to Potato Peel Chips and now to this Whole Orange Cake. Use all of of the fruit for mor flavor and color.
Happy day,
~Monique

Gluten-Free Whole Orange Cake {gf}

1 pound oranges (about 2 large or 4-5 small), thick ends cut off, quartered & seeded
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
2 1/4 cups almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Topping
Orange slices with the rind removed and honey.
Options 2: Orange Marmalade: 1 large orange, sliced thin, 2 tbls honey, 3 tbls Ghee or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×19″ pan or a 9″ round cake pan with olive oil (or ghee).

Process the orange quarters (in a food processor) until broken down and pureed (doesn’t have to be fully smooth. Add the eggs, olive oil and honey, blend to combine.

Whisk together the almond flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the orange puree, mix just to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for ~50 minutes. The edges should become golden brown with a firmness to the center.

Let cool 15-20 minutes before enjoying this Gluten Free Whole Orange Cake

Orange Marmalade: While the cake is cooling, slice the orange thin. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a pan and sear the orange slices. Mince the orange slices, place back in the pan with the honey and remaining olive oil, bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. Spoon over the cake.
OR slice the rind off the orange, slice thin and layer over the cake. Drizzle the Gluten Free Orange Cake with honey.

NOTE: you can use a 1×1 gluten free flour mix in place of the almond flour, but decrease the amount to 2 cups and add the juice of another small orange.

Easy, No-Roll Crackers {gf, v}

It’s no secret I’m a fan of homemade crackers. It gives control of all the ingredients with no fillers, chemicals, gluten or sugar.

With most homemade crackers (my homemade, gluten-free crackers included), the dough is stiffer and requires rolling the dough out.

My newest homemade gluten-free cracker is a play on the Italian socca bread. Simply whisk, pour, and bake. Break it into shards for a fun presentation on salads or a veggie tray. Note that I list both buckwheat or chickpea flour as the main flour choice in these easy, no-roll gluten-free crackers– they both work and each lends a different flavor profile/texture to the crackers. Try both and let me know which version you prefer!

Happy eating,
Monique

Gluten-Free No-Roll Crackers

1/2 cup buckwheat or chickpea flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/2 cup hot water
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls pumpkin seeds
1 tbls sesame seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp flaky salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Whisk the buckwheat, almond flour and pink salt. Whisk in the hot water and let sit for about 20 minutes to allow the water to fully penetrate the flour. The batter should be like a thinner pancake-esque thickness and will thicken more as it sits, but should still be pourable; add in a spoon or two of water if it feels too thick.

Pour onto the parchment paper and spread evenly in a thin layer. Sprinkle with the seeds, flakes and salt.

Bake for 30 minutes rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the parchment paper from the sheet pan and set directly on the oven racks. Turn the oven off and let the crackers sit for another ~10 minutes until crisp through.

Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container (I like to store my crackers in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresh. Try not to eat them all at once!

Savory Galette {gf, v*}

Have fun and let go of baking precision with this savory gluten-free galette.

This gf galette dough recipe can be used as a savory or sweet option. It’s flakey and delightful and leftovers hold up well for a few days in the fridge. I smeared this one with pesto, topped with tomatoes and Boursin cheese (recipe below).

For another, I chopped up leftover roasted broccoli and cabbage and grated a bit of parmesan-cheddar over it with a few sprinkles of Dukkah spice. The guys LOVED that one! Go figure?

I tested out this recipe using straight gluten-free flour, it works fine but I didn’t love it as much. The almond and tapioca flour really brings a light, crunchy and interesting flavor

So anything goes. Don’t overthink it, it’s going to be great!

Happy eating,
~Monique

Savory GF Galette

GF Galette Dough:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp chilled grass-fed butter*, cut into small cubes (or Miyoko vegan butter)
2-4 tsp water (as needed to hold dough together)
1 pasture-raised egg (optional)

Filling:
3-4 tbls pesto, store bought or home made (I blended walnuts, pepitas, arugula, basil, lemon, olive oil and salt for a quick option)
1 heaping cup sliced cherry tomatoes
Handful of olives
1-2 oz Boursin cheese
Flakey sea salt

Pulse together the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, and salt in your food processor.
Add cold, cubed butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse flour.

Pulse in 1-3 tsp of ice-cold water to form a dough.

Wrap the gf galette dough into a ball and form it into a ball. Place this in the fridge to firm up for at least 1 or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Remove the gf galette dough from the fridge and place it in between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin roll it out into a circle (ish) shape about 1/4-inch thick, leaving it on the parchment paper. Place the parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Spoon the pesto in the middle of the galette, leaving a 1 1/2″ border around the edge. Add the tomatoes, olive and cheese.

Use the parchment to flip the galette edges over, onto the topping. It won’t be perfect, call it rustic!

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Brush the egg on the galette dough with a pastry brush. This is optional but will give the crust a deeper golden color and a more finished look.

Top with flakey sea salt. Bake the savory gf galette for 30 to 40 minutes, until the galette is crispy and slightly browned in color and the savory ingredients look done.

Let the galette rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

*For vegan option: use Miyokos butter and Kite Hill cheese.

Orange Broccoli Pepita Pesto {df, gf, v}

Change up your pesto by using one of the most powerful superfoods available broccoli. The Vitamin C and the sulforaphane in broccoli make it a great antihistamine vegetable to add to your diet.

Blanching the broccoli first helps to break down the enzymes, making it more digestible, and will help it keep a bright green color. I do recommend taking the extra few minutes to do this step.

This Orange Broccoli Pepita Pesto is dairy-free, gluten-free and is fun wherever you would use classic pesto including as a sandwich spread, over roasted veggies, or just as a dip.
Happy Eating,
~Monique

Orange Broccoli Pepita Pesto

1 heaping cup broccoli pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2-4 tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, zest and juice (at least 2 tbls juice)
1 large garlic clove, smashed & roughly chopped
1/2 tsp pink or salt

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water nearby. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain.

Place the broccoli into a food processor with the basil, pumpkin seeds, orange zest and juice, garlic, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until well combined adding additional olive oil as needed to get to desired consistency. Adust salt to taste.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownie {gf}

Looking for a deliciously fudgy brownie that’s gluten and refined sugar-free and also pretty gosh darn amazing while delivering more protein than a traditional version?

Mix up almond butter, applesauce and oat flour (and a couple other items) and boom — these amazing brownies are going to be in your grasp in no time.

Happy Eating,
~Monique

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownie {gf}

1/2 cup almond butter
3 tbls honey
4 heaping tbls coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pink salt
1 bar 70% dark chocolate, chopped, or 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.

Mix the almond butter, honey, coconut sugar, vanilla, egg and applesauce until smooth. Mix in the oat flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, pink salt and 3/4 of the chopped chocolate.

Pour the brownie batter into the baking dish, sprinkle with remaining chopped chocolate. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The top will puff up; a toothpick inserted will come out clean. Underbake just slightly for a more fudgy bar.

Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. Store in a sealed container for 2-3 days, longer in the fridge, or wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap to freeze.

Note: Go bitter by reducing the honey and sugar by 1 tablespoon each, especially if you are used to eating less-sugary desserts.

2 ingredient gluten free bagel

When I saw this idea floating around the internet, I thought-‘ya, right. A bagel make from yogurt and flour my a**.’

But I couldn’t shake my curiosity. So into the kitchen I went, armed with exactly yogurt and flour (in my case I used a gluten free flour), and out came these simple gf bagels. I’m not going to say they taste exactly like a famous NY bagel, but they were a fun addition to the soup we ate for lunch.

Think about topping them with your favorite bagel flavors, like sesame, garlic or everything seasoning!
Happy eating!
~Monique

2-Ingredient GF Bagel

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cups GF flour (or self rising flour)
toppings of choice (sesame seeds, garlic, poppy seeds, Asiago cheese)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the yogurt and flour to form a dough with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and lightly knead the dough together.

Divide the dough into 4 or 8 portions (I like baby bagels so I divide it into more portions, but go with the size you prefer). Roll each portion into a sausage-like shape. pinch the ends together to form a circle. Set on baking sheet. Repeat with all remaining portions.

Brush the tops (this will help the seasonings stick) with either a little water, melted butter, egg yolk or even olive oil. Sprinkle with toppings.

Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Gluten free bagels fro two simple ingredients- Could it really be true??

Simple, delicious gluten free bagels!

Note: try using this same dough as a bread stick or even a simple pizza crust!

Easy Gluten Free Shortbread

Easy gluten free shortbread recipe. Going gluten free can be difficult, especially around the holidays when everyone else throws caution to the wind and delves into the best goodies and feels you should too.

These simple shortbread cookies are your new solution. A couple of key notes:
*I used ghee, but you could use coconut oil
*If you use butter, you may want to use less salt.
*I used a gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (Namaste from Costco)

Gluten Free Shortbread

2 tbls ghee (or coconut oil)
2 tbls maple syrup
2/3 cup gluten free flour
dash or two of salt and vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cream together the ghee and maple syrup. And in the salt and vanilla. Mix in the flour – you may find it easier to knead it together.

Flatten the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to desired thickness. Cut into individual cookie sizes, use a fork to mark the cookies. Set the cookies slightly apart from each other to help them cook evenly.

Bake until lightly golden brown, roughly 15-20 minutes.

Crackers and Pate Class (Gluten Free & Vegan)

Crackers and Pate Class (Gluten Free & Vegan)

Monday, December 2nd @ 6pm; West Town

Learn how to make homemade, gluten free crackers that cost less and taste better than store bought in this hands on healthy cooking class in Chicago.

Ever wanted to make your own crackers? Ones that are delicious and gluten free? This class is for you! I’ll show how to make 2 different gluten free homemade crackers! Plus you’ll have a base to create hundreds of different ones from it.

We’ll also blend up my famous Walnut Pate- the perfect appetizer to any holiday party.

Recipes we’ll create:

Carrot Crackers
Lentil Crackers
Walnut & Sunflower Seed Pate
Cardamom and Lemongrass Crumble over Berries with Coconut Whipped Cream
A simple roasted soup will be available to enjoy with the crackers.

Run time: estimating 3 hours; feel free to bring a bottle of wine or bubbles to enjoy.

Limited to 6 people! Reserve your spot via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/MoniqueCostello/75.00

Address will be sent upon confirmation of funds received.

Gluten, Yeast, Egg Free & Vegan Focaccia Bread!

I MISS BREAD!! If you need to avoid gluten, or even if you are just trying to avoid gluten, this is the phrase I hear the most. Bread has become something we are just simply used to. It’s a vessel for sandwiches, avocados and dips, it encases meat and it gives us something to munch on while we are waiting for the main course. It can be crunchy, chewy, light and airy and still be delicious.

I’ve been scouring the internet seeking great, heck even decent, gluten free bread options. And there’s a few out there. But to add a layer of complexity, eggs are not agreeing with me right now so the gf bread also needs to be vegan. And I need to avoid yeast . . . so these are some tough parameters.

Let’s just get this one thing out there: bread that is gluten free and vegan and egg free and yeast free is not going to be ‘exactly‘ like their typical counterparts. But once your palette adjust slightly, there becomes a new normal (one that is ok adjusting too.)

This original recipe come from Magdalena Wszelaki. I halved the recipe, soaked the cashews overnight and added olive oil to add to that authentic focaccia depth of flavor. It’s quite dreamy really for an egg, dairy, gluten and yeast free bread. It’s going to be much heavier and thicker than the traditional thanks to the fattiness of the cashews, but that also lend to the rich flavor. Fresh rosemary is key but feel free to substitute dried basil.

Gluten, Egg, Yeast-Free and Vegan Focaccia Bread

1 cup raw cashews
1.5 Tbls ground flax + 5 tbls water
1 Tbls water
2 Tbls coconut oil, melted
2 Tbls tapioca starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine pink Himalyan salt
1 Tbls fresh rosemary, rough chopped and divided
1 tsp coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 Tbls olive oil to drizzle on the top

Soak the cashews overnight or for at least for 30 minutes; rinse well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a sheet pan in the oven.

Stir together the ground flax and 5 tablespoons of water, let sit for 20 minutes (can do this step the night before).

Blend all the ingredients together (the soaked & rinsed cashews, soaked flax, water, melted coconut oil, tapioca starch, baking powder, pink salt and half of the fresh rosemary) until a thick batter forms, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter next to the stove. Pour the batter into the middle of paper and smooth it out to a circle, less than an inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining rosemary, the coarse salt and the olive oil.

Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Refrigerate leftover pieces; rewarm in a hot oven for a few minutes.

vegan GF chocolate chip cookie

Sorghum flour is the gluten free flour you probably haven’t heard of. Today is the day you should cook with it. Think of sorghum as the wheat flour of the gluten free world.
These cookies are the bomb with sorghum flour and nut butter. And they freeze awesome. Don’t delay, get cookie’ing.
Happy Eating,
~Monique

Vegan, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie

1/4 cup brazil nut butter
3 tbls maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tbls ground flax + 2.5 tbls water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted quinoa flakes
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

-> Mix the flax with the water and set aside for 20 minutes
-> Whisk together the quinoa flakes, the baking powder, sorghum flour, salt and cinnamon
-> Mix the nut butter, maple syrup vanilla and flax
-> Mix together the dry with the wet, stir in the chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together.

->Scoop onto the sheet pan and bake for about 12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool.

Note: Makes between 6-9 cookies, depending on the size.
These store great in the freezer!
The batter is actually kind of interesting fried like a pancake.

Celeric Soup with Garlic Parsley Drizzle

1 tbls olive oil
1 cup small diced onions
3+1 garlic cloves
1 celeric root
4-6 cups broth or water
1/2 cup parsley
1 green onion
1 tsp pink or sea salt + to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
Ghee or olive oil

->Heat your soup pan over medium heat.
->Simmer the onions in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
->Add in the chopped celeric root and toss well. Saute to achieve a little roasted brown spots and the cubes begin to slightly soften.
->Add the 3 minced garlic cloves, saute a minute
->add the broth (start with 4 cups) and simmer 10 minutes or until the celeric root is soft
->Blend the soup until creamy, adding more broth if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Pour back into the pan
->Stir in salt and pepper to taste

->Put 2 cups of the celeric root back in the blender, add the parsley, one garlic clove and the green onion- blend until creamy.

In each bowl pour a scoop of each soup and swirl. Top with a spoon of olive oil or ghee and salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy

NOTE: Try a spoon or two of my gluten free bread crumb topping to elevate the soup.