Gluten Free

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don't miss dairy

Emily Stokes
I'm a lady who loves cheese, sour cream, & ice cream, but I recently became lactose intolerant. My key focus in recreating dairy recipes is taste, but I try to be as health conscious as possible. Some of my recipes are low lactose rather than dairy free. I'm also a writer, teacher, nanny, dog mom, housewife, native Yinzer, current Californian, and social organizer extraordinaire.

Gluten Free

Dairy Free, Egg Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

Desserts, , , , , , ,

It’s that time again! Fall is here, and I’m super excited about pumpkin everything! I’ve already had my pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is in two weeks. There we will get big pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and enjoy pumpkin pancakes, smoothies, curry, pie, bread, and even pumpkin ale!

I had a go at some dairy free pumpkin ice cream and it is so delicious. It tastes just like pumpkin pie without the crust. My recipe is completely vegan and low in sugar. Add an extra half cup of soy milk to make it creamier and less pumpkiny, if you like it like that. I hope you have an ice cream maker!

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk, chilled
1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin, chilled
1/2 cup Very Vanilla Silk Soymilk (optional)
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
1. Stir all ingredients together until smooth. I used an electric mixer but it’s not necessary.

2. Pour into your completely frozen electric ice cream maker and it should be soft serve ready in 15-20 minutes! Put it in the freezer for an hour to harden it up if you prefer. If storing in the freezer, let it soften for a half hour before eating.

                                                

Vegan Black Bean Dip

Snacks & Dips, , , ,

Eric and I just got back from Maui and while we were there we ate at this awesome Mediterranean style restaurant called Pita Paradise. We had the best falafel, best humus, best olive tapenade, best pita of our lives! There was also the yummy chicken kebab with rice and grilled vegetables, the sun dried tomato and lamb penne, and the ginger hibiscus margarita. So good! If you are ever in Wailea we totally recommend it!

We didn’t have much to eat when we got back to Cali, but we did have a couple bags of pita chips and I just got a brand new food processor! So with the recent Pita Paradise in Maui experience, the idea was to make humus, but upon raiding my kitchen cabinets I found only black beans. That gave me an idea to make black bean dip. I’ve never done it before, so I looked up internet recipes for inspiration. Some were complicated and I prefer very simple dips. Also, a lot of the recipes I looked up called for vinegar.

I love vinegary things, but when I tried Trader Joe’s Black Bean Dip I couldn’t get past the first bite. It was the worst vinegar flavor I’ve ever tasted. Since then I haven’t bought black bean dip and probably never will again. I understand potatoes and vinegar, cucumbers and vinegar, oil and vinegar, but I just don’t get black beans and vinegar. So here is a simple vacation inspired recipe I made with ingredients I found in my kitchen, minus the vinegar.

Ingredients:

1 can no salt added black beans, almost completely drained
1/2 small onion, about 1/4 cup chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add onions and black pepper and saute for about five minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for no more than 30 seconds.

2. In a food processor or blender, combine all remaining ingredients with sautéed onions and garlic. You want just a little bit of liquid from the can of black beans. Pulse food processor 10-15 times and then hold in for 20 seconds. Your dip should be smooth. Let it chill in the fridge for a half hour so the flavors blend together–if you are patient. We just ate it!

      

Dairy Free Tomato Basil Skillet Eggs

Breakfast, , , , ,

Here’s a dairy free healthy breakfast for two! I found this recipe in a magazine and adapted it to be dairy free. I made it with tomatoes, basil, and parsley from my garden. You can make this recipe even healthier by using just egg whites instead of whole eggs. Eliminate the toast to keep it gluten free or use a gluten free bread. Yummy!

Ingredients:

6-8 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs
1/4-1/2 cup dairy free shredded mozzarella such as Trader Joe’s Soy Mozzarella or Daiya Shreds, according to preference
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
15-20 fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, diced or 1 tsp dried chives

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium non stick pan over medium heat. Add onion with half of the sea salt and pepper (1/4 tsp each) and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and the rest of the sea salt and pepper to the onion, stirring to combine. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Use a spoon to make four even wells in the onion/tomato mixture and crack an egg into each. Cover pan and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with dairy free cheese then cover again and cook for 1 minute. Remove cover and add chopped basil, parsley, and chives. Serve immediately alone or on top of toasted bread. Enjoy the day!