Gluten-Free Apple Pie

Happy Tuesday! 

Since we are almost into December, I figured I'd wrap up the month of November with a pie recipe! This gluten-free apple pie is so blissful! The crust is perfectly crispy and flaky- you won't be able to tell it's gluten free! The apple filling has the perfect sweet and spicy ratio. 

On a side note, how cute is the pie crust?! The fall shapes add a festive finishing touch to this delicious gluten-free pie! Shout out to a good friend who gave me these adorable pie cutters! 

Onto the recipe!

Gluten-Free Apple Pie (makes 1 6-inch pie)

Crust Ingredients;

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
• 1/4 cup WEDO banana flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients;

• 4 granny smith apples, peeled and medium diced
• 2 tablespoons WEDO banana flour
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar (cane works too)
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (butter works too)
• egg wash, to brush pie crust (1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tablespoons water)
• cinnamon-sugar topping 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a pie crust with coconut oil.

First, we are going to make the crust! Sift together flour blend, banana flour, sea salt, and sugar. Add shortening and mix until crumbs form. Mix in egg and water. Kneed the dough for about 2 minutes, or until it becomes pliable and soft. Roll into a ball. Separate dough in half. Roll one ball of dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick, and then transfer into the pie crust. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut into fall themed shapes. Set aside while we make the apple pie filling!


In a large bowl, toss chopped apples with banana flour and spices. Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add apples and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Once the apples have softened, add in sugar and water. Stir, let come to a boil, and reduce until the filling thickens, about 5-7 minutes.

Pour apple pie filling into crust. Top with shaped pie crust cutouts. Brush crust with egg wash, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Wrap the edges of the pie with tinfoil, then bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve by itself, a la mode, or with fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Crispy Pork Chops with Roasted Fennel, Radishes, Shallots, & White Wine Sauce

Happy Saturday! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

This healthy dinner is not only delicious, but pretty simple to make as well! First, you coat the pork chops in gluten-free breadcrumbs and then bake till crispy, then roast sliced fennel, radishes, and shallots, and then you make a simple white wine sauce! You will surely impress your guests with this elegant dinner!

Let's get to cooking!

Crispy Pork Chops with Roasted Fennel, Radishes, Shallots, & White Wine Sauce

• 1 lb thin pork chops (boneless)
• 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, whisked with salt & pepper
• 2 fennel bulbs, quartered and sliced (reserve fronds for garnish)
• 5 radishes, sliced
• 3 shallots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (to coat veggies)
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the white wine sauce;

• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Drop in egg mixture, then coat in breadcrumbs. Bake in oven for about 35 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Toss sliced fennel, radish, and shallots in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Time to make the white wine sauce! Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add in shallots and garlic. Saute until translucent. Whisk in white wine and let reduce slightly. Now whisk in vegetable stock. Let come to a boil and thicken slightly. Season with salt, pepper, and a few minced fennel fronds.

Plate crispy pork chops with roasted vegetables and white wine sauce. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds. Serve and enjoy!

-Juliet

Banana Bread Cupcakes with a Peanut Butter & Chocolate Swirl Buttercream

Happy Monday!! Here's to a great week! Only two more days until Thanksgiving!!

Start your week off by making these delicious gluten-free banana bread cupcakes with a peanut butter & chocolate swirl buttercream! You will have a hard time believing these cupcakes are free of gluten; the texture and flavor is spot on! If you love chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas, then you will fall in love with this treat!

Onto the recipe!

Banana Bread Cupcakes with a Peanut Butter & Chocolate Swirl Buttercream

For the cupcakes;

• 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 cup WEDO banana flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted
• 1 cup pure cane sugar (coconut sugar works too)
• 1/2 cup milk (both dairy and non-dairy work)
• 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• pinch of salt

For the peanut butter buttercream;

• 2 sticks (14 tablespoons) of grass-fed butter, softened at room temperature 
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups organic powdered sugar

For the chocolate buttercream;

• 2 sticks (14 tablespoons) of grass-fed butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two 24 count cupcake pans with cupcake cups.

Mix flour blend, banana flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and milk. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake holder. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. While the cupcakes are cooling, we are going to make the frosting!

First we are going to make the peanut butter frosting. Beat butter in a stand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in peanut butter and mix again for another minute or so. Add in powdered sugar and mix until creamy. Place frosting in bowl, wrap, and put in fridge until ready to frost.

Time to make the chocolate buttercream! Beat butter in a large mixture for about 2 minutes on high speed, until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Mix again until well combined.

When you are ready to frost the cupcakes, get out a cup and a piping bag. Fill one side of the piping bag with the chocolate buttercream, and the other side with the peanut butter frosting. Pipe onto all of the cupcakes and serve! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Dairy-Free Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all have been having an amazing week!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I am so excited to start cooking so much food! This eggnog pumpkin pie is SO scrumptious- the eggnog adds a fun twist on traditional pumpkin pie! Another plus to this pumpkin pie is that it is free of dairy and gluten! 

Usually in a pumpkin pie, you use sweetened condensed milk. I created my own dairy-free condensed milk by mixing dairy-free eggnog and organic sugar together in a saucepan, and letting the mixture come to a slow boil and reduce. The end result is a delicious eggnog condensed milk, that is free of dairy!

Onto the recipe!

Dairy-Free Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

For the graham cracker crust;

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup WEDO banana flour
• 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the eggnog condensed milk;

• 1 cup dairy-free eggnog (I used So Delicious brand)
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (coconut sugar would work as well)
• pinch of sea salt

For the pumpkin pie filling;

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup dairy-free eggnog condensed milk (read instructions above) 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie pan. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, coconut oil, spices, and sugar in a small bowl until crumbs form. Press into greased pie pan and bake for about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Mix together pumpkin puree, and eggnog condensed milk in a stand mixer until well combined. Add in condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix again until filling is thoroughly combined and creamy. 

Pour pumpkin pie filling into crust, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until center is set and crust is golden. Let cool on kitchen counter, then place in fridge for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Grain-Free Potato & Sausage Thanksgiving Stuffing

I can't believe Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! I am so excited to eat all of the yummy food! The food being served at the Thanksgiving table can be not only delicious, but healthy for you as well! This sweet potato stuffing is just as good as traditional bread stuffing, if not better! You get all of the scrumptious flavors, minus the gluten. 

Onto the recipe!

Grain-Free Potato Thanksgiving Stuffing 

• 2 purple potatoes, medium diced
• 2 russet potatoes, medium diced
• 2 sweet potatoes, medium diced
• 5 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 lb pork sausage
• 5 tablespoons grass-fed butter
• 1/2 cup no sugar added dried cranberries (re-hydrate in a bowl with about 1/4 cup water)
• 1 tablespoon turkey seasoning
• olive oil, to coat potatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and crispy.

Heat butter in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once melted and hot, add in onions, mushrooms, and celery. Season with a little bit of salt, pepper, and turkey seasoning. Once onions are translucent and the celery and mushrooms are cooked, add in pork sausage and continue cooking until pork is completely cooked. Add in cranberries and season with turkey seasoning. Now add in roasted potatoes and continue frying to make the potatoes crispier. Serve with fresh thyme and devour! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Simple Gluten-Free Eggnog French Toast

Happy Tuesday! This eggnog french toast is the most perfect meal to make for breakfast, lunch, and even for dinner! 

Traditionally, eggnog is made with milk, cream, sugar, and whipped eggs. But the other day when I went to the supermarket, I found a dairy-free nog made by So Delicious Dairy Free, that uses coconut milk instead of dairy milk! It is SO tasty! You won't be able to tell that it contains no dairy! It made the french toast super creamy and filled with notes of spices like nutmeg. 

Onto the recipe!

Simple Gluten-Free Eggnog French Toast (serves 4)

• 8 slices of gluten-free bread (I used Canyon Bakehouse)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup dairy free eggnog
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• coconut oil, to grease pan
• pure maple syrup, to top *optional*

Whisk together eggs, eggnog, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add in slices of bread and let soak for about 2 minutes.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in slices of eggnog soaked bread and fry on each side for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Serve with pure maple syrup, and enjoy!

-Juliet

Three-Bean, Three-Meat, & Three-Pepper Chili

This chili is a great dinner to make on a chilly fall/winter night! It is full of protein and healthy fats. The ingredients include three different types of beans, meats, and peppers! It is perfectly spicy, and has delicious seasonings including paprika, oregano, and cumin. 

Onto the recipe!

Three-Bean, Three-Meat, & Three-Pepper Chili 

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 2 poblano peppers, diced
• 4 bell peppers, diced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 32 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans 
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• *optional* cilantro, radishes, lime wedges, and sour cream, to garnish

Time to start making this delicious, protein-packed chili! Start by heating about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in onions. Saute until translucent, then add in all three peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Once the peppers have slightly softened, add in ground beef, ground pork, and ground chicken. Season with more salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder. Once the meats are browned, pour in chicken stock, and crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Let come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add in all three beans and continue simmering for at least 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro, a lime wedge, and sliced radishes. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Sesame-Ginger Marinated Duck Breasts with Roasted Carrots & Broccoli

Happy Tuesday and Happy First Day of November! I can't believe we are already into November- September and October flew by so quickly! 

This recipe is super simple to make, and super healthy for you as well! The sesame-ginger marinade for the duck is complete perfection. It contains coconut aminos (a soy-free alternative to soy sauce,) fresh ginger, garlic, sesame oil, raw honey, and sesame seeds. 

Let's get to cooking!

Sesame-Ginger Marinated Duck Breasts with Roasted Carrots & Broccoli

• 4 duck breasts (skinless)
• seasoning blend (1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds)
• 1 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 cup broccoli
• salt and pepper, to taste
• avocado oil, to grease pan

Season duck breasts with seasoning blend. In a large bowl, mix together coconut aminos, raw honey, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and sesame seeds. Add duck breasts to bowl, cover, and place in fridge for at least 4 hours. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Toss broccoli and carrots in avocado oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender and broccoli is slightly crispy.

Time to cook the duck breasts! Heat about 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add duck breasts and sear on each side for about 4-6 minutes, or until the duck reaches a medium or medium-rare doneness. Serve duck with extra sauce, and roasted vegetables. Enjoy!