Beet Salad – Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut and Tree Nut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

May 30, 2020May 29, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

This is one of my go to salads. I know some who have a nightshade allergy are sensitive to beets but I seem to be able to digest them as long as I’m feeling well.

One of my favorite things about this salad is the fennel. I fell in love with this vegetable when I started making this salad a few years ago. This salad uses both the bulb and the fronds.

Fennel is something I grow in my garden every year but do not have luck with producing a bulb. I do get lots of feathers fronds and spicy seeds.

How long this salad takes to make depends on wether or not you have to roast the beets. I often used the prepackaged beets found in the produce section and have used canned beets when in a pinch. The last time I made this salad I also included a grapefruit with the other citrus.

I hope this becomes one of your go to salads this summer.

Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 4-6 servings
Time: ~20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2- 4 medium beets (roasted, or two cans of beets)
1-4 oranges (navel or blood) sectioned
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 fenne bulb sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Cut beets into bite-size pieces.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss.
Enjoy!

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookies

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

May 19, 2020May 29, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

May is Celiac Awareness month along with food allergy awareness month. Having one of these food avoidance diagnosis is difficult, and sometimes adding the second seems overwhelming. We started off with just food allergies but quickly found out that gluten was a problem. I have been free of gluten and dairy for more than 10 years. It is sometimes hard to remember what it was like to cook with wheat flour or what certain cheeses tastes like.

I am a much better baker than cook and really enjoy baking. I have a soft chocolate chip cookie recipe that I make often, so when I came across someone raving about this cookie recipe I had to try it.

During this time of Safe at Home it has been heartwarming to see the sharing and caring coming from so many companies. Even though I have never been able to partake in the the warm cookie at a DoubleTree, I was curious about the recipe. It is often the little additions that make a cookie great. This one has three things added to make it special (four if you count the nuts, but I don’t usually replace those in recipes). Cinnamon, oats, and a squeeze of lemon make the DoubleTree cookie memorable.

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 36cookies
Time: ~60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

0.5 pounds butter substitute
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 1/4 cup Namaste Flour
1/2 cup Certified Gluten-Free rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 2/3 Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life or Toll House Simply Delicious)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300℉.
In a bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
With a mixer cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice.
Mix on medium until fluffy.
Slowly add the dry ingredients mixed together in step one.
Stir in chocolate chips until well incorporated.
Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop dough onto a silicon lined baking sheet (12 cookies).
Bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool before transferring to serving plate or container.
Enjoy!

Instapot Beef with Broccoli #top9free (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut and Peanut-Free, Nightshade-Free)

May 11, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

FARE is challenging people to make a Top 9 Free (#top9free) dinner on May 13. This is one dinner that is easy to make and is free of all Top 9 allergens. I like making this in the instapot but you could easily adapt it to make on the stovetop. You can brown your beef first, but after trying it as a dump recipe (just dump everything in the pot) I think it tastes just as good without the extra step of browning.

I have more than one pressure cooker so I usually make the rice at the same time in another pot. If you just have one pressure cooker you could make the rice ahead of time and wipe out the pot and then cook the beef.

Pair this with a salad topped with Carrot Ginger Dressing (With olive oil substituting the sesame oil) and you have a meal free of the Top 9 allergens.

Instapot Beef with Broccoli
Servings: 3-4
Time: ~40 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1.5 pounds beef stew meat (or other beef roast cut into chunks)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup broth (beef preferred but can be whatever you have on hand)
1/2 cup coconut aminos
2 tablespoons white sugar
1+ tablespoons corn starch
1/2 pound broccoli

Directions

Add the beef, garlic, broth, aminos, and sugar to the bowl of the Instapot.
Secure the lid in the seal position.
Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
When the beef is almost done add the broccoli to a microwavable bowl with a few tablespoons of water and microwave on high for approximately 4 minutes. Broccoli should be tender.
Manually release pressure when the cook time is done.
Remove some liquid from the pressure cooker to a small bowl and stir the corn starch into the liquid. Once the corn starch is dissolved pour the mixture into the Instapot and turn on the Sauté mode.
Continually stir the beef and sauce until thickened. This usually takes less than 5 minutes. If it doesn’t seem to be thickening repeat adding some corn starch to some reserved liquid to dissolve and then adding it to the pot.
Once the sauce has thickened add the broccoli and serve over rice.
Enjoy!

Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut & Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

May 7, 2020May 11, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

The first warm sunny day in spring I always feel like making lemon bars. I love the tart sweetness and the shortbread crust.

I always plant a big garden that is growing bigger each year. I hope to add some more bushes this year, current, raspberry, and elderberry. For right now I have to be content with planting more lettuce, radishes, and beets since there is a chance the temperature will drop below freezing a few nights.

These lemon bars are easy to make. The crust is crumbly but holds nicely for slicing. If you are getting too much of a skin on the top of the egg/lemon layer try baking it a little less.

I hope you enjoy these in the sunshine of a summer day!

Lemon Bars
Servings: 12
Time: ~1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients for Crust

1/2 pound butter substitute
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups Sweet Rice Flour
dash of salt

Ingredients for lemon filling

6 eggs
3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup rice flour
powder sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. I like to do this with a pastry cutter, but you can use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
Grease a 9 x 13 pan with coconut oil spray and lightly pack crust mixture in to the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes. Will form bubbles (wholes) and will not be completely set.
Remove from oven and cool.
Once the crust is cooled make the filling by whisking all the filling ingredients together with the whisk attachment of your stand mixer.
Once well combined pour over the top of the crust.
Bake for 35 minutes. (Check at 30 minutes, if the top is getting too brown remove at 30 minutes).
Let cool and dust with powder sugar before serving.
Enjoy!

Carrot Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

April 25, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

Well, I made it through week 6 of social distancing by focusing on this years garden preparations. I am moving my compost piles to a new location and giving up on my composters. I had a not so windy day to spread peat in some of the garden beds. I ordered seeds and am trying to patiently wait to plant the seeds leftover from last year.

One of my My 19 For COVID-19 was to use things I had in the freezer. I have used some of the meat and quite a bit of the veggies and chicken I have in there for soup making. Today I took out some Quinoa Black Bean Soup (aka My No-Nightshade Chili) and Poppy Seed Cornbread for my dinner tonight. I also took out some baked cookies I had frozen to see how they would taste after and some cookie dough.

One of the things on my todo list today is to do a little organizing in my big freezer. At the start of the social distancing I had to add some items that did not fit in the designated sections I have in the freezer. Do you have certain spots were you put like things? I have a shelf for leftovers and prepared foods, a shelf for bread and “raw materials”, a shelf for soup prep, and a shelf for finished soup. Often the raw material and soup prep shelves house similar items or overflow from the other. Now that I have a flow to what is going in and out of the freezer I need to rearrange a few things that are in the wrong place.

I am trying to menu plan a week in advance. This helps me since I am trying to get more produce from Imperfect Foods and I have to have my order in a few days before it is delivered. This is also true with grocery deliveries. Grocery deliveries are stressful for those of us with food allergies. Our last order had a box of chocolate almond milk, not something I ordered. We DO NOT bring nuts in the house. Thank goodness it was a shelf stable box and not something from the refrigerator section that might be more likely to leak. I always specify no substitutions, but this wasn’t even on my list.

The weather has been a little dreary and cold so I have been enjoying making some soups I have not make in awhile. One was this Carrot Soup that I make often around Easter. I add a parsnip for a little zip and don’t feel the need to thicken it with any root veggies, but you could easily add one if you would like a smoother soup. I enjoyed this soup with Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers after working in the garden.

Carrot Soup
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into chuncks
4 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup SoDelicious plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil

Directions

Bring carrots, parsnip and broth to a boil. Simmer covered until carrots are soft.
Sauté onions in some olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and stir for one minute.
Add onions and garlic to the carrots and blend using an immersion blender.
Once at desired texture add yogurt and spices. Heat on low until thoroughly warmed.
Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers (Dairy-Free, Nightshade-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free)

April 22, 2020May 8, 2020 cygnetorg1 Comment

I am still working through some of My 19 For COVID-19. My best accomplishment has been the completion of a gluten-free sourdough starter. I am trying to muddle my way through keeping it alive and feeding it. It feels very wasteful discarding part of it even now that it spends most of it’s time in the fridge.

Yesterday was my day to feed my starter. So I was determined to actually use the discard. I came across a super easy recipe for discard crackers. Crackers are so elusive in the gluten-free diet. I have not found many that are edible let alone enjoyable.

I love these and have plans to spice them differently and add some mix-ins to liven them up. But this basic recipe is very tasty

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Gluten-Free Sourdough starter discard, around 1/2 cup/200 grams
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons herbs of choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt butter and allow to come to room temperature
Add 200 grams of gluten-free sourdough starter to bowl
Add two teaspoons of herbs of your choice. I like to add an Italian Herb mix and some salt.
Stir until well combined
Line a baking sheet with parchment
Spread the mixture in a thin layer on the parchment
Cook for 50 minutes until crisp
Let cool and break apart into snack size pieces

Enjoy!

These can be kept for a few days in an airtight container.

Homemade Pickled Ginger

April 15, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

Even though this time at home during social distancing has been a time of shifting priorities and relearning how long somethings now take. I’m sure you are also rearranging cabinets to hold the extra groceries and entries to house your packages while they wait the time before you can open them with out having to spend time wiping it all down.

On my list of one hundred things for the year there is usually a few (or 20) pickled/ jam/chutney/fermented type entries. I do like how these things can add to everyday meals but am often lost as to how/what to use them.

Sushi is one of my favorite foods. This is also usually on my list of 100 “make sushi”. I did make avocado rolls earlier this year and they turned out ok. We’ve made poke bowls at home so the next logical step for me was to try and make pickled ginger.

It actually was easy. To slice up the ginger I tried using the mandolin but it was still slicing the ginger thicker than I wanted. However in the end I used even the ones I thought were too thick and it turned out fine.

Enjoy this with your homemade sushi or on top of avocado toast (just watched one of my teens do this). I’ll have to look on Pinterest to see what else people are using pickled ginger for.

Pickled Ginger
Servings: 12+
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1 lb ginger bulbs
2 cups vinegar (white or rice)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Prepare a large mason jar by sterilizing it in a water bath.
Peel the ginger and slice as thinly as possible
In a saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil, remove from heat and cover.
While the vinegar is heating up, bing approximately 2 quarts of water to boil. Once boiling add ginger for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Strain and transfer to the sterilized mason jar.
Poor the vinegar mixture over the ginger and put the lid on the jar.
Let cool to room temperature and then store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Rutabaga Chowder (GF, DF, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

April 13, 2020 cygnetorgLeave a comment

Here in Illinois we are at the start of week 5 of social distancing. The weather has mostly been cloudy and rainy. The few nice days I have tried to get out and walk but my daily step counts have been abysmal. I have been working in my garden, and today am cleaning and roasting some dandelion roots to use in making tea. I have also been trying to grow some veggies from food scraps.

I have a few more started in water but I have run out of pots.

All of us are looking for comfort and grounding. Many have turned to working in their yard or potting plants on their balcony. I was so happy (there may have been some tears) when heard my favorite garden center would be open and delivering! One of the items on my to do list this week is to go through all my seeds and order more. I know I am out of radishes and am thankful to a neighbor who had some extras for me to use until I can order some online.

Another way many are looking for comfort is with baking. I have successfully created a gluten-free sourdough starter and am experimenting with new recipes. I have also been making some new soups. This soup is the best soup I have made in months. It will definitely become a regular in my food rotation.

Rutabagas are my go to replacement for potatoes. They do usually need to be cooked longer than the potatoes in a recipe when making the substitution

Rutabaga Chowder
Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced and fronds reserved
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons rice flour
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups broth (your choice)
1 1/2 cup water
1 large rutabaga cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 apple, peeled and shredded
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup coconut cream

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add onion, and fennel and heat until soft.
Add garlic and thyme and stir until incorperated.
Add flour and stir to coat onions and fennel.
Pour in wine and stir un til the wine is almost evaporated.
Add broth, water rutabaga, apples, bay leaf and orange zest.
Bring soup to boil and then simmer partially covered until rutabaga is soft, approxamately 30 minutes.
Once rutabagas are soft discard bay leaf and transfer 2-3 cups to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Combine the blended soup back in the soup pot and add the coconut cream. Stir until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the fennel fronds.
Enjoy!

Stay well. Give yourself grace and there will always be time tomorrow to do the next load of dishes.

Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing (Dairy-free, Soy-free, Gluten-free, Peanut and Treenut-free, Nightshade-free

April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 cygnetorg1 Comment

With the end of week three of social distancing I am reflecting on My 19 For COVID-19. I made a sourdough starter and am researching recipes. I am spending time with my new Turtle cat. And I am trying really hard to eat some salad everyday.

One of the things that I find hard on our avoidance diet is salad dressing. I like making salads but just greens with dressing often is hard since it seems like it should be fast and easy, but is not. One of the dressings that I make is the carrot ginger dressing you often see at sushi restaurants. Making it at home lets you control the consistency and the amount of oil in the dressing. In this recipe I often leave out the oil/water or add just a small amount of water to make it more pourable.

Enjoy this over greens, cucumbers and avocado, or a poke bowl

Carrot Ginger Dressing
Servings: 6
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

3 medium carrots (peeled)
1/4 cup fresh ginger (peeled)
2 tablespoon white onion
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
pinch of salt
up to 1/2 cup of oil or water

Directions

Place all ingredients except oil/water in a food processor and blend until smooth. slowly add water or oil until desired viscosity. I like mine very think so I usually leave out the oil/water.

Enjoy on greens with cucumbers and avocado. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for a finished effect.

Cygnet Organizing

Helping those newly diagnosed with food allergies/Celiac find flow in their new lifestyle.

Beet Salad – Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut and Tree Nut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 4-6 servings
Time: ~20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Ingredients

Directions

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 36cookies
Time: ~60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Instapot Beef with Broccoli #top9free (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut and Peanut-Free, Nightshade-Free)

Instapot Beef with Broccoli
Servings: 3-4
Time: ~40 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Instapot Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients

Directions

Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut & Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Lemon Bars
Servings: 12
Time: ~1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Lemon Bars

Carrot Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree Nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Carrot Soup
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Carrot Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers (Dairy-Free, Nightshade-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free)

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers

Ingredients

Directions

Homemade Pickled Ginger

Pickled Ginger
Servings: 12+
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Pickled Ginger

Rutabaga Chowder (GF, DF, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Rutabaga Chowder
Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Rutabaga Chowder

Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing (Dairy-free, Soy-free, Gluten-free, Peanut and Treenut-free, Nightshade-free

Carrot Ginger Dressing
Servings: 6
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Carrot Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)Servings: 4-6 servings Time: ~20 minutes Difficulty: easyPrint

Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Ingredients

Directions

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)Servings: 36cookies Time: ~60 minutes Difficulty: easyPrint

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)

Instapot Beef with BroccoliServings: 3-4 Time: ~40 minutes Difficulty: easyPrint

Instapot Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients

Directions

Lemon BarsServings: 12 Time: ~1 hour Difficulty: easyPrint

Lemon Bars

Carrot SoupServings: 4+ Time: 1 hour Difficulty: easyPrint

Carrot Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard CrackersServings: 4+ Time: 1 hour Difficulty: easyPrint

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers

Ingredients

Directions

Pickled GingerServings: 12+ Time: 30 minutes Difficulty: easyPrint

Pickled Ginger

Rutabaga ChowderServings: 6 Time: 1 hour Difficulty: easyPrint

Rutabaga Chowder

Carrot Ginger DressingServings: 6 Time: 10 minutes Difficulty: easyPrint

Carrot Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Beet Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 4-6 servings
Time: ~20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Gluten-Free DoubleTree Signature Cookie (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Tree nut and Peanut-Free, and Nightshade-Free)
Servings: 36cookies
Time: ~60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Instapot Beef with Broccoli
Servings: 3-4
Time: ~40 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Lemon Bars
Servings: 12
Time: ~1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Carrot Soup
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Crackers
Servings: 4+
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Pickled Ginger
Servings: 12+
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

Rutabaga Chowder
Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Carrot Ginger Dressing
Servings: 6
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print