Mexican Ranch Dressing

What kind of salad goes well with Mexican food? In need of something to go with a Mexican-themed main dish, I came up with this modification of my regular ranch dressing. It's similar to ranch dressing but has a bit more of a kick to it, due to the chili powder. I also like the addition of some lime juice and chopped cilantro. I didn't have any tomatoes when I took the picture of the salad above, but tomatoes or other vegetables would be great as well.

Mexican Ranch Dressing
serves 2 to 3 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (not the light version). I recommend Hellmann's because it's labeled gluten-free.
  
• 2 Tbsp. Lactaid milk
• 1 Tbsp. sour cream (not low-fat). I recommend Daisy brand, which contains just cultured cream.
• 1 tsp. lime juice (or 2 tsp. if you want a bit more of a lime flavor)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
  
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
  

Instructions:

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve over Romaine lettuce and other salad toppings.

Banana Brownies (egg-free)

Since it's still been so cold here, I've been craving baked goods. And because chocolate baked goods are the best kind, I decided to experiment with egg-free banana brownies. After some tweaking, I think I like these egg-free brownies even better than the original ones. They are nice and chewy with a great chocolate flavor. This time I sprinkled the chocolate chips on top, but it would also work to stir the chocolate chips into the batter.

Banana Brownies (egg-free)
makes an 8"x8" pan of brownies

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed meal
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 2 large bananas)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. The two kinds I use that do not contain milk fat are Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8"x8" Pyrex pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil with canola oil.

Chop the unsweetened chocolate and place it in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of canola oil to the pan and stir. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted; then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sea salt.

Returning to the pan with the melted chocolate, stir in the sugar, flax seed meal, and vanilla. Mash the bananas using a fork or a food chopper and stir the mashed banana into the pot with the chocolate. Pour the chocolate banana mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir just until no traces of flour remain. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter, if desired.

Pour the batter into the Pyrex pan and spread to smooth. If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before cutting them.

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Since buying a jar of fish sauce and a bottle of Thai red curry paste, I've been looking for ways to use them. This soup recipe uses both ingredients and tastes great, especially on a cold, rainy day like today. I started off with the following recipe for coconut curry soup. However, I modified the recipe to use red curry paste, which gives the soup more of a Thai flavor. So if you like Thai food, you should really try this soup. The coconut milk gives it a creamy taste, something that I miss since going mostly dairy-free. I also like the fact that the soup does not call for all that many ingredients, and it's really quite easy to make. Even better than that is the fact that Michael and the girls all think it's great.

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 "rice-cooker" cup of long-grain white rice, like Thai jasmine, to make about 2 cups of cooked rice
  
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. (to 1.25 lb.) boneless skinless chicken breasts that are organic or kosher
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 to 3 medium carrots (to make 1/2 cup chopped carrots)
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. red curry paste. I use Thai Kitchen brand because it's gluten-free.
  
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce. I use Thai Kitchen brand because it's gluten-free.
  
• 2 cups Imagine Organic chicken broth OR Trader Joe's Organic free-range chicken broth
• 1 can light coconut milk. A can with guar gum is okay, but avoid any other additives.
  
• 2 broccoli crowns or 1 small bag of baby spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions:

Place 1 "rice-cooker" cup of uncooked rice in the rice cooker with the appropriate amount of water and start the rice cooker. Chop the onion and carrots and set aside.

Place a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Thoroughly rinse the chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Pour 1 tablespoon of canola oil into the pot and let the oil heat up. Then add the chicken to the pot. Let one side of the chicken brown before turning the cubes so that another side browns. Toss the chicken pieces until all of the sides have browned, about 2 minutes in total. The chicken should not be fully cooked inside since it will cook some more later on. Transfer the chicken and any chicken juices to a bowl.

Pour another tablespoon of canola oil into the pot and lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and carrot to the pot and saute until they have softened, stirring occasionally. When they are soft, add the coriander, red curry paste, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Stir for 1 minute. Then pour the lime juice, fish sauce, chicken broth, and coconut milk into the pot, and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the liquid to a simmer.

While the liquid is heating, cut the broccoli crown into approximately 4 cups of bite-size florets. If using baby spinach instead of broccoli, measure about 4 packed cups of spinach and chop the spinach into bite-size pieces. When the liquid has come to a simmer, add the chicken with its cooking juices and the broccoli florets to the pot, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Let the soup barely simmer for 15 minutes. (If using spinach, just add the chicken to the pot.) After the 15 minutes, add the spinach, if using, the cooked rice, and the peas. Stir and serve.

Spinach or Broccoli with Bacon and Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

I don't know if I've mentioned Southern Living magazine before, but it consistently has some great recipes. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for the subscription! As a case in point, the current issue of Southern Living has an entire article on bacon. I was so excited that I had to try one of the recipes immediately, even though I didn't have all of the ingredients.

The recipe was originally for mango-spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette. However, as you may imagine, good-tasting ripe mangos aren't all that easy to come by in New Hampshire. So instead of mango, I added raisins for the fruity element to the salad. In addition, the first time I made the salad, I didn't have any spinach, so I used broccoli instead. I think it tasted just as good with the broccoli, and Michael and the girls may have liked the broccoli version even better than the spinach one.

Spinach or Broccoli with Bacon and Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
serves 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. (which equals 1 1/2 tsp.) lime juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  
• about 4 to 5 ounces of baby spinach OR 2 broccoli crowns to make about 4 cups of broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup raisins

Instructions:

If using broccoli, set a pot over high heat with some water in the bottom and a steamer basket inserted into it.

Place a pan over medium heat. Cut the bacon into 1/4-inch wide strips and place the bacon in the pan. While the bacon is cooking, chop the onion and cut the broccoli crowns into bite-size florets. When the bacon is browned and crisp, remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the chopped onion to the pan with the bacon drippings and saute until the onion has softened.

When the water in the pot for the broccoli has come to a boil, add the broccoli to the pot, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to medium, and let the broccoli steam until it is tender-crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes.

When the onion is soft, add the red wine vinegar, lime juice, and honey to the pan and stir. Then add the raisins, stir briefly, and remove the pan from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If cooking broccoli, when the broccoli is done, transfer the broccoli from the steamer basket to a bowl. If using baby spinach, place the spinach in a large bowl. Pour the warm dressing over the broccoli or spinach and toss to coat. Place the broccoli or spinach on individual plates and sprinkle the bacon over the top of each serving.

Egg-free Baked Oatmeal

I came up with this baked oatmeal as an alternative to making oatmeal on the stove. I haven't turned my back on my regular oatmeal, but sometimes I'm just in the mood for something a little different. Plus, when it's cold outside and the house is still warming up, turning on the oven in the morning makes me happy. Naomi is also a big fan of baked oatmeal. She has started putting in breakfast requests before going to bed, and baked oatmeal is a frequent suggestion.

Another great thing about baked oatmeal is that it is open for interpretation. My personal favorite is to pour 1/2 cup of heated frozen wild blueberries over the top. I also like putting 1/4 cup of frozen wild blueberries at the bottom of the ramekin, pouring the oat mixture on top, and then baking it. Another fruit option that I've read about is to place slices of peeled apple at the bottom of the baking dish before pouring the oat mixture on top and baking. Michael, on the other hand, prefers his without fruit. Instead, he transfers his baked oatmeal to a bowl and pours some milk on top.

Egg-free Baked Oatmeal
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
  
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• frozen wild blueberries

Instructions:

The night before, put the oats in a small bowl. Warm the milk in the microwave and pour it over the oats. Stir the oats and milk; then cover the bowl with saran wrap or a plate. Leave the bowl on the counter overnight.

In the morning preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir the canola oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon into the oats. When the oven has reached 400 degrees, stir the baking soda and cream of tartar into the oat mixture. Transfer the oat mixture evenly into two 5 to 7-ounce ramekins. Put the ramekins in the oven and let the oatmeal bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Egg-free Baked Pancake

I know this pancake might look a little odd, but it tastes really good. Since we're avoiding feeding Sabrina eggs, I wanted to come up with an alternative to the German baked pancake that I used to make. I started making substitutions and came up with the following recipe. I'm not sure exactly what to call it because it doesn't look or taste like a German baked pancake. In fact, the taste and texture remind me of French toast, which is funny since it doesn't have any bread or egg in it. Regardless of what I call it, the girls call it "yummy" and always ask for more.

Egg-free Baked Pancake
serves 2 adults, or 1 adult and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• canola oil
• 1/2 cup warmed rice milk or almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed meal. I used Bob's Red Mill brand.
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flour
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Use Trader Joe's alcohol-free vanilla extract or another vanilla extract that does not have corn syrup and is preferably alcohol-free, since the alcohol could be derived from corn. Recently I have been using Rodelle Vanilla Flavor alcohol free all natural extract, which I found at Stop and Shop.
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Immediately grease the sides of an 8"x8" Pyrex pan with canola oil. Pour 1 tablespoon of canola oil in the bottom of the pan, and place the pan in the oven to heat up as the oven is preheating.

Heat the milk in the microwave. Add the flax seed meal to the milk and set aside. Cut the banana into slices and add them to a blender. Then pour the flour, salt, and baking soda into the blender. Stir the vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar into the milk and flax mixture.

Right when the oven has preheated, pour the liquids into the blender and blend thoroughly. Take the pan out of the oven. Pour the batter from the blender into the pan and return the pan to the oven for 20 minutes.

While the pancake is baking, heat the blueberries in the microwave for about 2 minutes, until they are hot and release some of their juices. Add the maple syrup to the heated blueberries and stir.

When the pancake is done, serve immediately with the blueberry maple syrup.

Tomato Soup

In the winter I like to make soup, and recently I have been craving tomato soup. In particular, I wanted cream of tomato soup. I though this would be a bit difficult to make dairy-free, but then I came across a Cook's Illustrated recipe for dairy-free tomato soup that claimed to be just as thick and creamy as tomato soup that contains lots of cream. I tried it out, and I think they're right! Naomi likes this soup so much that she says it's one of her favorites. I made the mistake of giving her some of the leftover soup for lunch one day last week, and since then at lunchtime she's been asking for more. Fortunately, the recipe is quite easy and quick to make, so I perhaps I'll make it again soon.

Here is my version of the Cook's Illustrated recipe, modified to make it wheat-free and corn-free. If you don't need to make the soup wheat-free and corn-free, just follow the ingredients listed on the link.

Tomato Soup
serves 2 adults and 2 small children, or 3 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. brown sugar (depending on your preference)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  
• 1 28-ounce can of Nature's Promise Organic whole or diced tomatoes in tomato juice (found at Stop & Shop and Giants supermarkets) OR 1 26.46-ounce box of Pomi chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 2 slices Ener-G tapioca bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  
• 1 cup Imagine Organic chicken broth OR Trader Joe's Organic free-range chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• sea salt to taste. I use about 1/2 tsp.

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Chop the onion and add it to the pot. Saute the onion until it has softened. Then add the garlic to the pot and stir for about 1 minute. Add the ground black pepper, brown sugar, and tomato paste, and stir. Then add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and chopped bread. Stir and increase the heat to medium-high to bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let the liquid simmer for about 5 minutes so that the bread falls apart.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot and add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. If you have an immersion blender, add the chicken broth to the pot and then use the immersion blender to blend the soup until it is completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour half of the soup into a standing blender and blend until smooth. Transfer this liquid into a bowl and then pour the rest of the soup from the pot into the blender to blend until smooth. Pour all of the soup back into the pot and add the chicken broth. Stir in the baking soda and salt, to taste.