Baking With Flaxseed

This is the flaxseed I always use when I bake to replace the eggs in a recipe.  On the back of this package, it says to replace an egg with 1 TBSP flaxseed plus 3 TBSP water.  In baking, I only use 2 TBSP water for cakes and muffins, and start with 2 TBSP in cookies(**I add 1/2 TBSP usually after the dough is mixed if it needs a little more moisture-if you add too much your cookies won't turn out).





















http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Gold-Flaxseed-Organic-Milled/dp/B008PUMAB4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1438269244&sr=8-9&keywords=cold+milled+flaxseed


I have yet to find a truly good brownie recipe where this works, but in cookies, cakes, and muffins, this works nicely.  Some times you need to up your flour 1/4-1/2 C to help the cake/cupcakes to not fall as much.  You will have your cakes fall a bit in the middle, don't worry, just use more frosting!  That is one sacrifice we make with using flaxseed.

Flaxseed has helped me so much to make all the things I love for my family.  It also has been a game of try and try again.  Cooking without eggs can be very frustrating.  But be patient with yourself.  Elevation, makes a difference too.  I live in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, so play with your recipes to achieve what works best with your location.

 One other tip with cookies and flaxseed is that they tend to go stale faster than when using eggs.  So I bake my cookies, cool completely and then freeze.  It only takes a few minutes out of the freezer before you can eat them.  Or if you can't wait, then microwave for a few seconds.:)

Happy Baking! Check out my egg free cinnamon rolls here:  Egg Free Cinnamon Rolls

Egg Free Banana Bread

1 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar
2/3 C butter, softened
2 TBSP flaxseed + 4 TBSP water, mix in a small bowl and let stand 2-3 minutes
4 lg ripe bananas, mashed
6 TBSP Dannon plain yogurt http://www.dannon.com/dannon-all-natural/
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 C unbleached flour

Sugar for sprinkling on top(makes it look pretty)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  I love how my bread turns out in disposable aluminum mini loaf pans.  I just wash and reuse them.  The always cook through and turn out great.  So, grease pans with butter, and then flour them(put a tbsp or so of flour in the pan and turning the pan and tapping it coat the buttered pan with flour).  Set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.

In a bosch mixer, cream sugars and butter on speed 1.  Then add flaxseed/water combo( this will look gelled when ready), bananas, and yogurt.  Then add your dry ingredients and mix again.  Scoop dough into prepared pans, filling them about 1/2-2/3 full.  I just try to make all six mini loaf pans equal.  Sprinkle with sugar on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a tooth pick come out clean and the top is lightly browned.  Remove loaf from pans, and let cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or cooled completely.

This recipe will WOW your neighbors!  Most people I know can't believe I make these without eggs!

You can use a different type of mixer, I used to use a hand mixer until I got my BOSCH universal mixer.  You can get one here:

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Universal-Plus-Kitchen-Machine/dp/B0016KU16G

Soy Free Sweet and Sour Chicken & Rice

2 large chicken breasts, cubed

Olive oil

½ onion, minced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

½-1 green pepper, chopped (may use whatever colors and amount desired)

Sauce:

1 C pineapple juice(100 % pineapple juice canned with the fruit + a little water to equal 1 cup)

½ can tomato sauce

1/3 C ketchup

½ TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp ginger

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Add:

1 C pineapple chunks( I cut the “sliced” pineapples into chunks)

1 ½ -2 TBSP cornstarch (mix it with a little cold water first, then pour in)

Before beginning to cook, it is easier to have the chicken and veggies all chopped/minced.  In a large skillet with a lid, cook chicken in a small amount of olive oil.  While chicken is cooking, make the sauce.  Then when the chicken is just about done, add the onion and carrots.  Cook for about five minutes.  Then add the green pepper, and cook 2-3 more minutes.  Pour in the sauce and add the pineapple chunks.  Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer 15-20 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Add cornstarch/water mix and stir until the sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.

Rice:

4 cups water

salt

2 Cups good quality rice

Bring water to a boil, lightly salt.  Then add rice and turn heat all the way down to low.  Cook rice for 35-40 minutes.  I like to check the rice at 35 minutes, fluff with a fork, then let cook  a few more minutes. If you start your rice just before cooking the chicken, they will be done about the same time.

Yogurt is not created equal

One thing that surprised me when we began our food allergy journey was that sour cream was impossible to find without soy.  Then I remembered people saying you can substitute yogurt.  So I began looking for a yogurt with nothing else added.  At first it was a struggle, then I saw this one from Dannon

This "all natural" yogurt is actually what it says!  Shout out to Dannon!  Just look at the INGREDIENT...yes I said ingredient...ONE ingredient!













 I use this to replace sour cream in all my baking.  Look for future posts using this yogurt in banana bread, taquitos, and a Delicious marinade for chicken!

Homemade Chicken Broth

 This recipe was a little intimidating to me because I had never before bought a whole chicken and cooked it, let alone make homemade broth.  But this was surprisingly easy(crock pot does most of the work) and very delicious!





















1 5-6 lb whole chicken(organic/hormone free is best)
7-8 cups of hot water(I do 8)

2 stalks of celery, rinsed and cut into chunks

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped in chunks
1 TBSP parsley
1/2-3/4 TBSP peppercorns
1 tsp Real Salt
3-4 dashes poultry seasoning

1. Chop all vegetables and place in bottom of crock pot.
2. Sprinkle all seasonings over vegetables.
3. Rinse chicken and place on top of vegetables.
4. Pour hot water into crockpot.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
6. Take out chicken, be careful because it is so tender it falls apart(Use it for soup or any recipe that calls for chicken).  Take all the meat off the bones and then put the bones back into the crockpot with the broth.
7.  Continue to cook the broth and bones another 12+ hours(I just continue to cook all night and process in the morning.
8. Turn crockpot off and ladle broth, veggies and bones into a strainer over a large glass bowl(I prefer one that has a matching lid).  You want a strainer with very small holes.  When broth is all strained into the large bowl, cover the bowl with its lid and put it in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
9. When the fat solidify's you can easily scoop it off with a spoon.  Then your almost fat-free broth is ready for you to use in any recipe.  It is very delicious!

Yield:  All the meat from the chicken, plus approximately 6 cups of chicken broth.

You can use the broth right away, or freeze it for later use. I put my broth in pint canning jars and freeze them(I have an upright freezer in my basement & I keep it in the door; the type of freezer you have makes a difference as to how long you can store it for).  Then I put it in the fridge the night before or thaw in the microwave on the "fish" defrost setting for a couple minutes.

Chicken & Cheese Taquitos

4 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/3 C plain Dannon Yogurt
 3/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2-3/4 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cilantro or 1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese (or more), shredded

14 tortillas(fresh uncooked tortillas-Tortillaland-buy at Costco- are soy free)

Directions
1. Trim chicken and cut into thirds or halves depending on size and place in crockpot.  Cover with water and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
2. Remove chicken from crockpot onto a plate.  Cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Shred chicken with forks.
3. In a large bowl, mix yogurt and seasonings.  Add chicken and mix well. Set aside
4.Cook tortillas according to package.(this takes time, so plan accordingly)
5.Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6. Using a pampered chef stoneware cookie sheet, brush 1-2 TBSP olive oil to coat.
7. Place chicken and a little bit of cheese in a tortilla and roll up.  Place on stoneware seam side down.  Repeat until all tortillas are filled.  I filled 8 tortillas with chicken and cheese and 6 with just cheese(for my non meat eating children).  For the cheese only variety, roll up burrito style-ends folded under.  After all tortillas are on the stoneware, brush the tops of the tortillas with olive oil making sure to get all the tops that are showing.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Serve with salsa, fresh and canned both work great.

These are not spicy.  If you want more spice then you can always add some cayene pepper, red pepper flakes, green chilies, etc.

Quick & Easy Pizza Dough

3 C flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 C warm water

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar in a large bowl.  Stir(a fork works great).
2. Add oil and water and stir until combined.  I sometimes use my hands to knead the dough just a little.
3. Roll out on buttered pizza stone.(can use olive oil if no dairy)
4. Put on homemade sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you desire.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

2- 8oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 C chopped onion
1 TBSP dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Put all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.

*This makes enough sauce for four pizzas
*I just freeze this in containers and it thaws nicely.
*This is from Better Homes and Gardens and altered only slightly(no canned tomatoes)

Calzones

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 C warm water
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 -3 C flour, divided

milk to brush on top of calzones (or olive oil if no dairy)

1/2 -1 TBSP pizza sauce(see recipe on this site) for each calazone
pizza toppings you desire for filling


1. In a mixer with a kneading hook, place warm water, yeast, sugar, and salt.  Let stand for several minutes. 
2. Dump in flour, and mix in.  Scrape down sides if necessary.  Then turn up the mixer to knead for 4-5 minutes.
3.  Take our hook, and let rise for twenty minutes. 
4.  On a floured surface, take out dough and divide in half.  Roll out one half and divide into 4-8 segments with a knife. (you can make these small or large, snack size or dinner size) 
5. Put a small amount of pizza sauce in the center.  Then add cheese or other ingredients to half of the calzone.  Fold over the other half, and pinch edges of calzone using a fork to press down.  Then using the fork prick the top several times.
6. Place on greased cookie sheet and baste with a small amount of milk on the top of the calzone.
7. When all are done, place in a preheated oven of 375 Degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of you calzone.
ENJOY!
**I doubled this recipe and made 12 very large calzones.  If you want to make smaller ones, they are a perfect replacement for "hot pockets".  Just let cool on a cookie cooling rack, then wrap in plastic wrap well, and place in a freezer bag.  Pull them out whenever you need a snack.

A little about my family

My six year old son tested  positive for five food allergies a little over two years ago.  I was devastated.  How on earth was I supposed to cook food for my family?  How could I find food without egg, soy, tree nuts, coconut, and sesame seeds?  There were many tears shed that first year. One very positive thing that happened due to my son's diagnosis is that I decided to eat everything he ate to see what he liked.  After one month of his diet, I realized that my intestinal rumblings went away.  I narrowed my sensitivies to egg and soy.  My life is so much better now that I can avoid the foods that cause me grief!

 Looking back, this experience has been good for me as a mother.  I realized that I can cook good food--well most of the time!--from scratch that replaces all of our favorites from before.  Some of these new recipes are actually better than my old versions.

I have tried to write a few blogs trying to figure out how to record my recipes and hopefully help at least one mother to shed a few less tears than I had to.  I hope that my recipes will bring joy to families everywhere who are struggling to feed their families.  My disclaimer though is that I LOVE DESSERT!  My posts will probably be heavy on the dessert side.  My husband thinks this is very funny because my BS degree is in dietetics.  Life is always better with dessert. 

I would love any feed back I can get!  Also, if you have any recipes that you love and use frequently, please share them with me and I will post them!

Adapt Away!

Egg Free Cinnamon Rolls

 















9 C flour

2 TBSP saf instant yeast

2 C milk(2% is what I use)

2/3 C sugar

2/3 cup butter, cold

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP ground flaxseed + 5 TBSP WATER, mix in small bowl and let stand for 3-5 minutes

4-5 TBSP butter, melted

1 C sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

This recipe is made using a BOSCH machine:

Mix 1 C sugar and 4 tsp cinnamon.  Set aside for later.

In bosch mixing bowl with kneading hook, pour in the flour and yeast. Pulse a few times to mix.

In a medium sized pan, pour milk, and stir in sugar and salt.  Then add cold butter.  Warm on medium heat until butter is almost fully melted(or about 120 degrees).  Stir this occasionally.

When liquid is ready, pour into mixing bowl.  Then add your flaxseed/water mixture. Mix on speed 1 until combined.  Then turn up to speed 3 for 4 minutes.  Take out kneading hook.  Replace lid, and let rise in bowl for 30 minutes. 

On a lightly floured piece of wax paper, pour out dough.  Gently coat with flour on both sides, and let rest 10 minutes.  Then divide in half.  Put half of the dough back in the mixing bowl.  Then roll out the other half(may need to reflour surface) in approximately a 14x10 rectangle—I NEVER measure, I just roll it out until it looks good! With melted butter, baste the top of the rectangle.  Then sprinkle your cinnamon/sugar mixture over the top(I eye-ball and use a little less than half of the mixture for each half).  Gently roll up “jelly roll style”.  Then using dental floss bring it under the rolled-up dough, and in about 1 ½” pieces cross your floss over the dough and pull. You have now pinched off your roll.  Place in a greased stoneware cookie sheet with sides-I usually have to use one sheet plus part of another for this recipe. Continue this way until all dough is pinched into rolls. Then repeat process with other half of dough.

Cover & let rise for 30-40 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is(about doubled in size).  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  If you are not using stoneware, then watch more carefully.:)

After you take it out of the oven, Immediately make the icing.  

Icing

6 C powdered sugar
7-8 TBSP milk, divided
2-3 dashes of vanilla

In a large bowl, pour in powdered sugar and 7 TBSP of milk.  Stir using a whisk. Add last TBSP of milk only if necessary...too runny won't set up right.  It should be a thick glaze.  Then add a few dashes of real vanilla.  Stir.  Then ice your cinnamon rolls and let finish cooling.  They come out easier if you let them cool, but if you can't wait like we often can't, then eat up!