G-free & Dairy Free Apple Pie

Apple pie is an all time favorite of pretty much everyone, but it's difficult to find it G-Free AND dairy free. So, I decided to make an apple pie that people that are allergic to gluten and dairy can eat. This was a very easy thing to make and doesn't take much at all.

Pie Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup gfree flour
1 tbsp  cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 tbsp smart balance
1 large egg
1 tbsp vanilla

Apple Filling Ingredients:

4 large granny smith apples; sliced thinly
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
a splash of lemon juice

Crumble Topping Ingredients:

3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups gfree flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup smart balance

Method for crust:

Stir the flour, xanthan gum and cornstarch together. Add the sugar, smart balance, egg and vanilla. Mix well. Knead and fold dough until it is well combined. Chill in the fridge while making the filling and crumble mix. Once chilled (After you've made the filling and crumble), take it out and roll the dough onto a lightly gfree floured surface to desired thickness. Place the crust into a 9" glass pie dish, lightly coated with non stick spray. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides of the dough.

Method for filling:

Mix the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Pour the mixture into the pie crust, pouring the juices on last.

Method for crumble topping:

Mix the brown sugar, gfree flour and nutmeg. Add chilled smart balance. Cut into the mixture with a fork until you have a course, crumbly mixture. Spread the mixture onto the pie. Pop into an oven at 400 degrees for 35 min. The topping will be browned and bubbly. Let cool for an hour before serving. Serve it with Dairy Free ice cream.

Non-Dairy ice cream

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I first tried this at a friends house. Then my mom started making it, so I decided that I wanted to try it. It's actually very easy, and you can even make it in a crock pot like I did.

**This dish is gluten free and dairy free.


Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
2 tbsp vegetable bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of salsa
1/2 onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp cumin
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
Tortilla shells (only if desired)
Dairy free sour cream (to garnish)

Method:

Open all of the cans of beans and rinse them; pour them into the crock-pot. Open the rest of the cans and add them to the pot. Add the corn, onion, bouillon, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the salsa and lemon juice. Shred the chicken and add it to the pot. Add about 4 cups of water and stir well. Cook for 2 hours on high, but then you can leave it on low for up to 6 hours. This is an easy dish to make in the morning and forget about it until dinner time! (If you make this in a regular pot, you can boil everything on medium high for about 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to mingle.)

Garnish with crushed tortilla chips and dairy free sour cream. You could even add some soy cheese or goat cheese. Enjoy!

Nully's Tips:
When something is baking or cooking, and your kitchen looks like a disaster, you could tidy up the kitchen while your dish is in the oven. Trust me, you do NOT want to take something out of the oven, and then realize you can't put it down anywhere.

" ... be sure, your sins will find you out. " Numbers 32:23

Angel Food Cake (G-Free AND Dairy Free)

Ok, so my mom went to the doctor to see what else she's allergic to, and it turns out she is allergic to dairy! Now, being allergic to dairy isn't the same as being lactose intolerant. If you're lactose intolerant, you can usually take a little pill to help digest the dairy you're eating. But my mom can't have any dairy products from a cow, because her body can't tolerate the protein in it. She can still drink almond milk and soy and other stuff. Luckily, there are a lot of gluten free and dairy free options out there. So, I made this with almond milk and G-Free flour. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups egg whites (10 -12 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted G-Free flour
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp xanthan gum

Method:

Set the egg whites out in a large mixing bowl for 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar and flour together. Set aside. After the egg whites are at room temp; add the cream of tartar and vanilla and mix on high speed until curled peaks come up when you lift the mixer. This takes a few minutes. Add the granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time, mixing continually. Mix until stiff peaks appear straight up. Then sift 1 cup of the flour mixture at a time into the mixing bowl. Fold the egg mixture over the flour mixture, then add another cup. Repeat until all of the flour mixture is in the egg mix. Pour the batter into a greased bunt cake pan. Run a knife through the batter to make sure there aren't any air bubbles. Stick in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 min.

While you're waiting for the cake to bake, you can make an icing to put over it. Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup goat cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp almond milk

Add all the ingredients together into a kitchen aid mixer and mix until the icing is smooth.

After the cake is done baking, flip the cake over onto the cooling rack, but keep the pan on. Let it cool for 10 min. Take the pan off of the cake and let it cool for a bit. Dust and decorate your cake with powdered sugar. Slice and serve with the icing and some fresh berries if desired.

Nully's Tips:
Even though the batter looks amazing, DO NOT EAT IT RAW! It has raw eggs, and that could get you really sick, so just wait until the cake is done baking. It is worth the wait!

" The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. " ~Psalm 28:7~

G-Free "Cinna-Bunns"

Mmmm! This was pretty good, but it was a little gooey. Next time, I may bake it a little longer... but my dad says he loves the gooey texture!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk @ room temp.
1packet of yeast (about 1 tbsp)
1 1/2 cup gfree flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (to your taste)

Icing:

3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk
1/2 cup cream cheese

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sugar and butter in an electric mixer, and mix well. Add the egg and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and yeast. Mix until combined. Add the baking powder, baking soda, gfree flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Mix until there are no lumps.

Lay a generous amount of plastic wrap on the counter and spinkle sugar on it. Plop the dough in the center of it, then cover it with an equal layer of plastic wrap. Roll the dough flat and even. You may need to readjust the plastic wrap a few times. Then take off the top layer of plastic wrap. Pour the cinnamon sugar on the dough evenly, leaving an inch wide strip on the end of the dough untouched. This will leave room for the sugar to squeeze out without falling out of your cinnamon rolls. Start rolling the dough on the side that has sugar on it, going towards the side with no sugar. Cut into even slices. I cut 10. Place in a round, greased glass pie pan. Bake for 25-30 min at 375 degrees until they're browned on top.

While you're waiting, start making the icing. In a small mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix well, gradually increasing speed until the icing has no lumps.

Take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and spread the icing over it. Serve it on a plate and enjoy!

Nully's Tips:
If you need to use milk that's at room temperature, but you've just taken your milk out of the refrigerator, just pour some warm water in a glass dish and place your glass measuring cup containing the milk into the warm "bath", of course making sure you don't spill water in the milk. This will bring the temperature down much faster!

 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings fourth it's fruit in season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. -  Psalm 1:3

G-Free Zucchini Bread

Ok, so to be honest, I didn't really like this one. But my mom LOVES it, so I guess it just depends on the person. It was my first time making it, and it was really easy. It takes a while to bake, so if you're having guests at your house in half an hour, this isn't something you could make for them!

Ingredients:
3 cups G-Free flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons Xanthum Gum
2 eggs
2 cups finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (I used about one half of a GIANT zucchini that my Aunt gave me.)
1/2 cup cooking oil

Method:

Grease two bread pans and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, xanthum gum and nutmeg. Set aside. In another bowl, add the eggs, zucchini, oil, and sugar. Mix it well. Add the zucchini mixture and the flour mixture together and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the two pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 50-55 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 min, then take out of the pans and cool completely. Cut it up and serve! (I used honey over it to make it taste even better)

Nully's tips:
Most of the time, I'll make G-Free stuff, but when I don't, and you're allergic to gluten, you can always replace regular flour with G-Free flour, and vice versa!

" 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' " ~Jeremiah 33:3

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies (G-Free)

These cookies are super good and a healthy (sort of) snack! Well, healthier. You can use any kind of dried fruit with this, and any kind of chocolate. It's fun and easy to make, and it's a nice gift for friends, family, or even new neighbors!

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups G-Free flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries (optional)
1 tsp xanthum gum

Method:
Mix the butter in a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, xanthum gum and baking soda. Mix on medium high until combined, scraping the sides occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much G-Free flour as you can, then add the rest after mixing for a bit. Stir in chocolate and dried fruits or nuts, if desired. Round the dough and drop it on an greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart from each other. Put in the oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 min per batch. Once you've removed them from the oven, let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for about two minutes before putting them on a wire rack to cool.

Nully's Tips:
DON'T DO A HALF-WAY JOB! Half-way jobs look sloppy, can be dangerous, and with cooking, not taste as good. If you don't have an ingredient, try to improvise. Use something close enough to it so that it doesn't taste like a half-way job. Example: if a recipe called for wheat, and you're allergic to wheat, use G-Free flour, like I've been doing!


"'I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.'" ~Job 42:2~

~ Nully's Nachos ~ ...P.S. They're G-FREE!

Ingredients:

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3 cloves of garlic                                        
half an onion  (diced)                                              
1 vegetable bouillon cube                                               
1 pound ground turkey                                                                             
tortilla chips
1 tsp cumin
1/2-1 tsp sea salt
a dash of cayenne pepper
a small bunch of fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp turmeric
bean dip (recipe follows)
a dash of lemon or lime juice
sour cream (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
salsa (optional)

Bean Dip Ingredients: 

1 can of kidney beans
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
salt & pepper to taste
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup water

Method: Pour a generous amount of EVOO into your skillet and heat it to medium high. Place the turkey meat in a skillet along with the onion, garlic, and spices. Break the meat apart with your spatula and stir for a bit. Cook until meat for about 15 to 20 minutes until the ground turkey is fully cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare your bean dip. To do that, pour all the bean dip ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Heat the bean dip in a small saucepan.

Plate the tortilla chips, then add the bean dip, meat, sour cream, cheese, and don't forget the salsa. I used pineapple mango salsa. Serve up and enjoy!

Nully's Tips: You can change the flavor by changing the spices. Try experimenting with different spices to make brand new flavors!

Bible verse:  The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid. ~Psalm 27:1

G-Free Kitchen Tips

Since The Nully Kitchen has gone Gluten Free, I thought it would be helpful to share some resources and tips for running a G-Free kitchen.

First of all, there are so many resources out there that you can take advantage of. The Internet is a great place to look for information, but be sure that it's from a reliable source such as www.celiac.com and www.glutenfreeliving.com

Some books we like are "Gluten Free Cooking For Dummies", "Gluten Free Living For Dummies", and Elizabeth Hasselbeck's book, "The G-Free Diet"

Living with someone who is gluten intolerant can be a challenge to begin with because gluten seems to be in EVERYTHING! Seriously. Obviously, gluten is in bread and pasta, but it also hides in seasonings and uncommon items like licorice. It's even in some natural flavorings.

What to avoid:

Wheat & almost anything with the word "wheat" in it (except for wheat grass, since it's a grass and is gluten free), barley, rye, malt (from wheat) and so on.

Some foods that usually contain gluten are:

Bread, bagels, biscuits, most cereals, cookies, cakes, pastries, doughnuts - ok, most baked goods! -cornbread, crackers, croutons, gravies & sauces, imitation seafood, licorice, marinades, pasta, pizza, pretzels & soy sauce. Of course that's just a small list that I read about in "Gluten Free Cooking For Dummies". There are many more foods that contain gluten, so if you're cooking or baking for someone who can't have it, you need to be very careful about reading the ingredient list for any foods you're working with. Also, make sure to wash any utensil or cooking item thoroughly before making G-Free foods. You don't need to have separate tools just for G-Free cooking, but it's easier to have your G-Free items separate from the glutenated (my mom's word) items in your pantry, that way "someone" doesn't goof and accidentally cross contaminate what you had hoped would be G-Free! 

Cross Contamination:

Cross contamination is a big deal and recently was the reason my mom had to go to the ER in the middle of the night. GAH! It's simple to avoid, but you must be vigilant and employ these few tricks.

• Wash, Wash, WASH your utensils and work spaces between making glutenated and G-Free foods.
• Don't make the silly mistake of double dipping. For example, if you're going to use peanut butter for a regular sandwich, you can't touch the bread with your peanut butter knife and then stick the knife back into the peanut butter. Then the whole jar is contaminated and cannot be used for the G-Free-er.... is that a word? 
• It might be helpful to have two sets of certain ccondiments. ie: ketchup, mayo, mustard...
• Consider gluten to be a contaminate like raw meat. You wouldn't use a knife used to cut raw meat to then butter bread with. (Gross!) 
• Make the G-free foods first before you make any gluten containing foods.
• Don't assume that because a food is "organic", it is gluten free. It can be organic and still contain gluten. Watch out!

Shopping for a G-Free-er can also be a challenge, but if you want to save time & money and eat more nutritiously, shop the perimeter of the grocery store where you will find fresh fruits, veggies, meats and dairy products.

You can ask the store manager if they have a Gluten Free section. Most grocery stores do these days. The store manager will most likely be happy to help!

The Bottom Line: If it makes you (or someone you love) feel bad, don't eat it.

I hope that you have found this to be helpful and look forward to receiving your feedback.

~Nully~

G-Free Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups g-free flour mix (We use Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
4-5 medium bananas (smashed)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tsp xanthan gum (recommended)




Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour



Method:

 Mix all the dry ingredients into a large bowl; then mix the wet ingredients with the dry ones. Fill 2 8"x4"loaf pans-coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. (optional)

Bake @ 350 degrees for 45-55 min, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for ten min before removing from pan.

Now you're ready to eat!

Tip: The xanthan gum is expensive, so use sparingly, and try not to spill! Luckily, recipes usually only call for 1 or 2 tsp of it, but it really improves the texture of your baked goods, so it's worth the cash.

 

Bible Verse:

  One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD. ~Psalms 27:4

Xanthan Gum can be expensive, but only a teaspoon or two is used at a time, and it really does make a difference!

I'm BACK!

Hi, it's me again! I'm sorry that I haven't written since December! Things have been a bit hectic around here latetly, but I'm finally taking the time to sit down and get started on my blog again.

I'm still cooking and baking, but there have been a few changes. My mom was diagnosed with gluten intolerance in December, and so she can't have gluten. That has been a huge change for our family, and now we're all trying to navigate living with a G-FREE family member. From now on, I'll be making gluten free meals and goodies, and I'll show you how to make them! We can find out together about what works and what doesn't. I'll still be doing the same things, but this time, I'll try not to go missing for eight months! (: Check it out daily for more updates!

~Nully~

P.S.
If you have any pointers or recipies you'd like me to try, please feel free to let me know!

 My mom & I at my cousin Esther's wedding with my cousin Matt 

in the background. Classic photo-bomb! =)