Vegan Dairy and Egg-Free Strawberry Lime Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Strawberry Lime Coconut Milk Ice Cream (vegan)

 

Mmmm this recipe is to die for!!!  My 3-year old isn't feeling well again and when she doesn't feel well, she doesn't eat.   The only things she'll eat are popsickles and ice cream, so I am always on the look-out for more dairy and egg-free ice cream ideas!!  I came up with this one using about 5 recipes I found online and made them dairy and egg-free so my daughter could enjoy it!

Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients

3 cups full fat coconut milk
3 cups strawberries (You can use frozen)

1 ripe banana
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp lime zest
Pinch of sea salt

(You can add 2 egg yolks if you don’t need to be egg-free)

Directions

 

Put everything into a blender and blend until well mixed.  Chill mixture in fridge until cold (You can skip this step if using frozen strawberrys!)  Process in an ice cream maker and place into freezer to become more solid.  Takes about 25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken with Homemade Whole Wheat Buns and Coleslaw

For dinner tonight, I'm making an easy recipe using both my slow cooker and bread machine.  I love meals that are completely homemade as well as fast and easy!!! 

 

Zesty Barbecue Chicken in the Crockpot

I love this recipe and use it often.  Find it here.

 

Ingredients

• 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the diced onion, barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Whole Wheat Rolls in the Bread Machine:

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm Milk (I use lactose free or soy milk)
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter or dairy-free margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups bread flour
• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy margarine, melted

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press start.
2. When dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rolls with a 3 to 4 inch diameter biscuit cutter or use a 3-4 inch cup. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets; cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, brush with melted margarine.

For the side dish tonight, I made french fries in the oven! Much better for you than the deep-fried version.

 

Oven-baked french fries:

 

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Cut potatoes into small wedges or fry shapes. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder together. Coat potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven.  

I also happened to have a head of cabbage in the fridge that my brother bought by mistake the other day (he thought it was iceberg lettuce)  So I figured I might as well make coleslaw as well. This recipe is NOT dairy and egg-free, I just didn't put it on my daughter's sandwich!

Coleslaw

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard ( I also added a teaspoon of wasabi mustard)
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (we love black pepper, use less if you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large head cabbage, finely shredded or chopped

Directions:

 

Blend mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and oil. Add onion powder, dry mustard, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, half-and-half and salt. Stir until smooth. Pour coleslaw dressing over shredded cabbage in a large bowl and toss until cabbage is well coated. Keep coleslaw refrigerated.

Diary and Egg Free Apple Pie

This is my hubby's favorite dessert and I can even make it dairy and egg free so my kids can eat it!

 

Dairy and Egg Apple Pie

 

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (Recipe Below)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter or dairy free margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 6-8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. In a large mixing bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and sugar mixture, reserving about a half cup.  Then, transfer the apple mixture into the pastry lined pie plate.
3. Cover with a lattice work crust. (Easy How to http://annies-eats.net/2010/11/19/how-to-make-a-lattice-pie-crust/)  Gently pour or brush the reserved sugar and butter mixture over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
4. Bake 15 minutes on the bottom rack of the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.   It helps to tent with foil when browned nicely to keep from over browning.
   

Pie Crust

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ice cold water

 

Directions

1. Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork.
2. Roll gently on a floured pastry cloth to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half, lift to pie plate, and unfold. Press into pan. For a single-crust pie, trim with a small knife to about 1/2 inch beyond rim. Fold up, and pinch so edge of pie is raised from rim.

(Helps to put bowl and pastry blender in freezer ahead of time.  Everything needs to be COLD for a good crust!)

Dairy and Egg-Free Blueberry Pancakes

Dairy and Egg-Free Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour (can use whole wheat)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
1 1/3 cup almond milk (can sub soy milk or regular milk if no allergies) I've also made it when I am completely out of milk, with 1 cup of water and 1 T dairy-free margarine and it tuned out great!
1/2 cup fresh blueberrys

Directions

1.  Mix first 4 ingredients with a whisk until well combined. Add remaining wet ingredients and stir just until moistened and large lumps are broken up.  Fold in the blueberrys.

2.  Preheat an electric griddle or pan over medium heat until hot.  Brush lightly with canola oil. 

3.  Pour batter onto hot pan to form small pancakes.  Cook until bubbly and edges look dry.  Flip with spatula and cook until the underside is golden.  Keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Oven Baked Bacon

Oven Baked Bacon

Once you try baking bacon, you will never ever go back to microwaving or pan frying!!!  The texture of the bacon is just so much better when it's baked and if you do it on foil, it makes clean-up a breeze!!!  Try it, you will be so glad you did!!!  I put a little fresh ground black pepper on the bacon because I was using it for a savory dish.  If I'm using it for breakfast, I sometimes like to brush a little pure maple syrup on the bacon before cooking... It will carmelize and makes the bacon taste soooo yummy!!

Directions

1.  Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.
2.  Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. Turn oven on to 400°F (No need to pre-heat)
3.  Cook for about 17 to 20 minutes. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it's done. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon.

4.  Let the bacon grease cool and harden, then you can just fold it up and throw in the trash can!! No need for a can of grease to dispose of!!

Strawberry Crepes with Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

Strawberry Sauce

1 qt sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Zest of one lemon

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens
 

Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 3/4 cup white sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1.      In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

2.      In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. 
 

For the Crepes

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

2 Tbsp melted butter

1.      In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, flour sugar and salt until smooth. (You can also put all ingredients in your blender and pulse until mixed)

2.      Heat a medium-sized skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Grease pan with a small amount of butter or oil applied with a brush or paper towel. Using a serving spoon or small ladle, spoon about 3 tablespoons crepe batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that bottom surface is evenly coated. Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes on a side, or until golden brown.

To assemble each crepe, spoon on some of the whipped cream cheese filling and top with strawberry sauce.  Roll crepes and top with more strawberries and cream cheese (you can also top with fresh strawberrys as well)

Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken
2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans
1 (15 ounce) can white corn
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning (Or use homemade seasoning, see recipe below)
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can of chopped green chilies
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
chopped green onion (optional)
monterey jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker.
2. Top with beans and corn.
3. In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, chiles, condensed soup, and chicken broth. Pour over top of ingredients in the crock pot.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
5. Before serving, stir gently to break up chicken, then stir in the sour cream.
6. Serve topped with green onions and jack cheese, if desired.

Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in air tight container.  I usually double or triple the recipe and store in a ziplock bag.  Use 2 Tablespoons instead of store bought taco seasoning envelope.  I use 3 Tablespoons in the soup! See original recipe here.

Valentine's Card

This isn't a recipe, but a card I made for my amazing hubby on Valentine's Day that I wanted to share :)  I used my wedding ring and Scrabble pieces and then had the card printed on Walmart.com for less than $2!!  I got the idea from Pinterest last year....So simple :)

Ground Turkey Lasagna with a Quick Homemade Sauce YUM

Lasagna is my hubby's favorite meal so I love to make it for him as often as possible.  I try to make a healthier version with the ground turkey and I make it much quicker by not boiling the noodles.  I don't buy the no boil noodles, I just use regular old dry lasagna noodles.  I hate overcooked noodles and have found this works the best to still have that bite in your noodles after cooking your lasagna for an hour!  The trick is to make sure your your noodles are completely covered with sauce in every step.  I sometimes cheat if I'm in a hurry and use store-bought sauce.  I still saute onions and garlic with the meat and just add the store-bought sauce (plus an additional 1/2 cup of water) at that point.  The ground turkey makes it much healthier, but you can absolutely use a different meat such as ground beef or sausage...just be sure to drain before adding the sauce so it doesn't become greasy!!

Ground Turkey Lasagna

 

Ingredients 

1 package regular dry lasagna noodles  

1 pound ground turkey 

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped 

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

8 ounce can tomato sauce

2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

6 oz can tomato paste

2 Tablespoons italian seasoning

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 

16 oz ricotta cheese 

4 cups mozzarella cheese, Shredded or finely chopped 

4 oz (1/2 cup) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese 

2 extra large eggs (Use 3 if smaller)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add diced onions, mushrooms, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until soft and onions are translucent.  Add minced garlic and dried crushed red pepper and cook another minute or two.
2. Add the ground turkey and more salt & pepper and cook over med-high heat until browned. (If using store-bought sauce, add it at this point) Once browned, reduce heat to medium and add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and tomato sauce. Season again with salt & pepper to taste.  Stir occasionally and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Add water when needed.
3. While sauce is cooking, in a medium to large mixing bowl combine ricotta, all but 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs and fresh parsley (reserve a handful of parsley to garnish the top at the end).
4. Preheat oven to 350'F.
5. Spray a 13x9 inch casserole pan with olive oil spray and cover the bottom of pan with a layer of sauce mixture. 
6. Add a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Lay the noodles side by side in the pan (not overlapping) They will expand when they are baked.
7. Take half the cheese mixture and lay it evenly over the noodles.
8. Now cover with another layer of the meat sauce over the cheese.
9. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8 using the remaining cheese and more meat sauce, reserving some sauce for the top.
10. Add your last layer of noodles in the same fashion described in step 6. Top with the remaining sauce. Spread it out so there is no noodle uncovered.
11. Cover your lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in a 350'F oven. Bake covered for 45 minutes.
12. Remove foil and top with the reserved 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
13. Let rest for at least 10 minutes and serve.

Homemade Potato Chips with Carmelized Onion Dip

I made this for the Superbowl and it was so delicious! My 15 month old loved the homemade chips.  With all of his allergies, he doesn't get to eat snacks unless I made them homemade!  You can make the dip in the crockpot if you want as well!!!

Hand Cut Potato Chips

Ingredients

Canola Oil for frying
2 potatoes, thinly sliced using a mandolin or very sharp knife
Salt

Directions

1.  Using a mandolin (or very sharp knife), cut potatoes into paper-thin slices, and let the slices stand in a bowl of cold water. until you are ready to fry them.  Drain potato slices and spread without overlapping on a triple layer of paper towels. Blot slices completely dry with another layer of paper towels.

2.  In a heavy saucepan, fill oil no more than halfway and heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

3.  Add the potato slices in batches. Fry until light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt.  Continue to pat dry, cut, dry and fry remaining potatoes in same manner until they are all cooked.

4.  Store potato chips in an airtight container (if you don't eat them all immediately!!!)

Caramelized Onion Dip

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh diced parsley

Directions

1.  Thinly slice both of the onions (You will have about 3 cups of onions). Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for about 30 to 45 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. The longer you can cook them, the better.  Add about a 1/4 cup of water to the pan and stir until water evaporates.  Take off heat and allow the onions to cool.

2.  Place the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest, and Worcestershire sauce in food processor and process until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Add the parsley (reserve some for serving) and serve with your homemade chips!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite recipes to serve when I have company over... It looks so fancy without being a ton of work.  I edited this recipe from Tyler Florence's Food Network Recipe to make it more affordable.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
• 8 think slices of deli ham
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of deli ham neatly over the top to cover the breast, 1 slice of swiss cheese and sprinkle a quarter of the Parmesan cheese over the ham. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3.  Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season with salt and pepper as well.

4.   Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

5. Serve whole or slice into pinwheels and serve over Baked Brown Rice!!