Dairy-Free Creamy Mushroom Soup

January can be summed up in two words:
1. polar
2. vortex.

Time for more soup!!!

Dairy-Free Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 tbs of olive oil
20 ounces of mushrooms, sliced - I used 2 whole packages, 1 white button and 1 baby portobello
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
32 ounces of beef broth - I used 1 whole container from Trader Joe's

A handful of fresh rosemary & thyme
Sprinkle of dried ground sage
Salt & pepper
Unsweetened, plain almond milk or coconut milk

Preparation: It's so simple! In a soup pot, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Add fresh herbs and season with salt, pepper, and sage. Toss together. Once the veggies are soft and fragrant, add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce heat. Carefully blend soup using immersion blender (or standard blender - work in batches if necessary). Blend until the soup is smooth, and then add almond or coconut milk until the soup reaches its desired creaminess. If you don't live the dairy-free life, feel free to use half and half to thicken your soup. Simmer for a bit before serving (about 10 minutes). Add more salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!

Love,
Amy

Last minute Thanksgiving recipe: homemade cranberry sauce

For most households, canned cranberry sauce is a staple on Thanksgiving. No muss, no fuss and it tastes like cranberries, so.. yeah.

I'm a believer in canned cranberries, until the other night when for kicks I made some from scratch. First off, it's super easy. Secondly, it turns out there's no comparison taste-wise to something homemade with fresh ingredients. And finally, it looks so pretty!

So for anyone willing to try something a little different this year, cook some basic canned/packaged essentials from scratch for your guests. You can even make this recipe ahead of time! 

Homemade Cranberry Sauce 

Ingredients:

One 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries (frozen works too!)

1 cup sugar 

1 strip orange or lemon zest (optional)

2 tbs water

Preparation: Set aside about 1/2 cup of the cranberries in a small bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat, and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries soften (about 10 minutes). Increase the heat a bit to medium and cook until the sauce becomes pretty thick and the cranberries burst (still stirring occasionally). Lower the heat again, and add the reserved cranberries to the sauce - cook just until those berries soften, to give the sauce a chunky texture. Add more sugar to taste (and salt & pepper if you want!) and set aside to cool. Serve at room temp or make the night before & refrigerate in an air-tight container. 

I actually removed some of the cranberries from my sauce and added 2 handfuls of blueberries to balance out the tartness. I also added a drizzle of blood orange olive oil instead of using zest (a cooking oil I definitely recommend!). 

Easy & sweet. Nothing better. 

Happy Thanksgiving!! Enjoy your comfort food.

Love,

Amy

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

I'll bet that 99% of people would agree that when baking, the process can pretty much end at the dough/batter phase and all would be well. Except that whole raw-egg-consumption-may-lead-to-salmonella-poisoning thing does tend to cause second thoughts, right? Problem solved! In fact, problem solved and then dipped in chocolate.

 

And don't worry my gluten-free and/or dairy-free friends... I got you. 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free!)

Ingredients:

2 & 1/4 cups almond meal

1/4 cup unsalted vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

1/4 cup creamy almond butter 

1/4 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tbs unsweetened almond milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Sea salt

Gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips 

 

Preparation: Using an electric mixer, beat the sugars, vegan butter, and almond butter until soft and fluffy (about 2 minutes will do it). Blend in the almond milk and vanilla extract until combined. Add the almond meal and sprinkle in some sea salt, and mix on low or by hand until fully combined. Then fold in a handful or two of your favorite gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips. Place in fridge to chill while you prepare your dipping chocolate. 

 

The dipping chocolate is super easy and follows the same method as making ganache, except this time, add a tablespoon or two of canola or vegetable oil to your chocolate for a shinier finish. You can melt your chocolate chips in the microwave using a microwaveable bowl and only heating it at about 30 second intervals (stirring in between). Add some almond milk for a smoother chocolate sauce. 

 

Scoop your cookie dough using a half-tablespoon measuring spoon and roll into a small, bite-sized ball. Dip into your melted chocolate, rolling it around until coated and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Sprinkle the truffles with a touch of sea salt while still wet ('cause ya know, it looks pretty). Refrigerate your truffles to set the chocolate. Serve cold or room temp and don't feel guilty when you share with absolutely no one. Nom nom nom. 

 

I think I'll be making these again during Christmas cookie season... Maybe with a seasonal twist? We shall see. 

 

Love, 

Amy

Sea Salt Caramel Apple Pie... with food allergy alternatives!

It would be very remiss of me if I didn't post an apple pie recipe during apple season. Last year I stumbled upon this recipe here for a salted caramel apple pie... and now I'll never make a standard apple pie ever again. It's too delicious. I'm hooked and must share! 

Sea Salt Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients for crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted, cold butter

1tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Preparation: Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter (in cubes), and process until the mixture looks like coarse meal (about 10 seconds). With the machine on, add the ice water in a slow yet steady stream, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds, as it's important not to overwork the dough. 

If you don't own a food processor, you can "cut in" the butter using 2 knives and/or a pastry blender. This is how I made my dough! Repeat this process until the butter pieces are the size of a small pea and the dough resembles coarse meal. Then add the cold water and knead the dough slightly until it holds.

Next, turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into two equal parts. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Flatten and mold into two discs, then wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients for pie:

The pie crust you just made!

5-6 tart apples (Granny Smith is pretty standard for pies, but not your only choice. I used a mix of Golden Delicious & Winesap that I picked!)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbs heavy cream

4 tbs butter

Preparation: On a floury surface, roll out one disc of your chilled dough until it's able to cover the inside a pie dish with a slight over-hang on the edges. Let this chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling. 

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash, peel, and slice up your apples and place them in large mixing bowl. Drizzle lemon juice over the apples. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (brown sugar, white sugar, flour, and spices) and then add to the apples. Toss to mix and coat apples. Add the vanilla extract and cream to apples and toss again. 

Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add apple mixture and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until apples are soft and the liquid is thick and golden. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell. Roll out other pie crust disc and cover with a lattice top, or just drape it over the filling and crimp the edges (if you do this, prick with a fork or slice an X in the middle to allow aeration). I was inspired by my apple-shaped fruit dish and made an apple-shaped top :) feel free to get creative! 

Decorate the edges as desired and glaze the top crust with heavy cream. I topped my pie with some extra sea salt crystals. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. You'll know it's done when the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Mmmm. 

Serve a la mode if you want, but this pie is actually tasty enough to go without it. Enjoy your fall treat!

And for all my gluten-free, diary-free friends, here are some tips and alternatives so you too can enjoy this recipe:

• Try this GF DF pie crust I made over the summer! 
• Swap out the 1/4 cup flour in the pie filling for 1/8 cup cornstarch.
• Use butter alternatives like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
• There are all kinds of cream substitutes these days for folks with sensitives. Try coconut cream or soy non-dairy creamer.
• Glaze the top of your pie with egg instead. Here are some tips. 

Love,
Amy

Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup (gluten-free, with vegan option!)

 

Fall & winter are great for many reasons, but soup is definitely in the top 3. My favorite food of all time is my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup that takes a full day to make. It has magical healing powers, I kid you not. I'm pretty sure it could heal a broken bone.

To kick off soup season, here is a fairly quick & easy recipe to warm you up. The spices and color got me so amped for fall I went into the grocery store for sugar this week and came out with 2 mums and about 7 mini pumpkins & gourds. I've also just about overdosed on spiced lattes. And I'm just getting started. 

Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
 

Ingredients:

3 medium to large sweet potatoes 

1 cup carrots, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced 

1/2 of a tart apple, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 can coconut milk (full fat)

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tbs garam masala

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves (or 1/4 tsp if you're not as big a fan as I am)

A few sprigs of parsley 

2-3 tbs olive oil

Preparation: Scrub sweet potatoes, pierce each one several times with a fork, and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until tender (about 45 minutes). 

Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté onion, carrots, apple, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add garam masala, curry powder, and salt and toss to coat the veggies in the spices. Once the potatoes are baked through, scoop their meat out and discard the skins. Add the sweet potato to the other spiced veggies and toss to coat.
 

Add chicken (or veggie) stock and bring to a boil for about 2-3 minutes. Then lower the heat to a simmer, add parsley, and blend soup using an immersion blender. If you are using a standard blender, work in batches until soup is smooth (careful - hot!). Once soup is blended, add coconut milk, ginger, and clove. I used coconut cream for my soup, and so I only added about 3/4 of a can. Feel free to adjust the coconut milk to your creaminess preference. 
 

Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until ready to serve. I garnished mine with a bit of cayenne and cinnamon for a kick. 

Stayed tuned for more soups as we head into chilly weather! It really is so good for your soul.

 

Love,

Amy

Flourless Fudge Cake with Dairy-Free Ganache

The end of August was a blur. A crazy, beautiful blur. If you're like me, not only is your birthday in August, but 90% of your friends were born in the same month as well. So the final days of last month were spent celebrating numerous births, however, I must say that Jamie's was a little extra special this year. He turned the big 3-0 on the 26th and we celebrated with all kinds of things pulled from our childhood memories, including a piñata and some roller skates. So it just wouldn't be right if I didn't make the birthday boy the world's fudgiest [dairy-free, flour-free] chocolate cake on his big day, and later share the recipe with the rest of the world! And just so you know, all non-dairy ingredients below can be replaced with actual dairy products, like butter & cow's milk. So it's a recipe for the masses.

Inspired by a recipe found here, I bring you chocolate madness... you're welcome.

Flourless Fudge Cake with Dairy-Free Ganache

Ingredients for cake: 

3 oz. dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup non-dairy butter, such as Earth Balance Buttery Spread

8 large eggs, chilled

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch nonstick springform pan.  Set aside. (caution: be careful that the batter does not drip through the seal of the pan!) **

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and non-dairy butter and heat in the microwave for about a minute or 2, until nice and melted. Whisk together and allow to cool a bit. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes on medium speed, until the mixture appears bubbly and light. You can use a hand mixer, or a standing mixer.

Gradually add sugar, cocoa powder and the vanilla extract into the eggs and whisk well. Drizzle in the chocolate and non-dairy butter mixture into the egg mixture while the mixer is running. Mix until fully combined. 

Pour batter into the pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the center is just set and the cake's sides pull away from the pan a bit. Cool on a wire rack, or feel free to pop it in the fridge for a bit to chill. To remove from the pan, run a knife along the edges to make sure it doesn't stick. 

Once the cake is cool -- time to add the ganache! 

Ingredients for ganache:

1/2 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate morsels 

1/4 cup vanilla almond milk (I choose unsweetened, but think sweetened would work nicely with the semisweet chocolate too)

Simply melt the chocolate and almond milk in the microwave (in a microwave safe bowl!) for about 1-2 minutes and stir to combine. Easy! Then pour this ganache onto the cake, your mouth, whatever. Just make sure it runs down the side of the cake. Then refrigerate the finished chocolate-coated cake until ready to serve and devour. 

Love, 

Amy

**For those of you (like me!) who don't own a springform pan, a simple 9-inch round cake pan can be used for this recipe -- just make sure not to fill the pan more than 3/4 way with the batter. Proceed with caution, and your cake should turn out just as lovely & yummy. And you should still butter the bottom & sides of the pan. 
  

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If there is a combination in this world more rewarding than peanut butter & chocolate I have yet to find it.

Here is a quick & easy recipe I found on Pinterest (original recipe here), however, I've made a gluten-free, dairy-free version for those of you candy-lovers out there with food allergies. I just can't stand the thought of you missing out on a creamy, crunchy, chocolatey, peanutty treat any longer!

Super simple and super satisfying. I couldn't figure out why I didn't make these sooner.


Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter alternative (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
3/4 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs (try Annie's Snickerdoodle Graham Cracker Bunnies!)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup dairy-free, semisweet chocolate chips (I recommend Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips)
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
Sea salt

Makes 8 peanut butter cups!

Use a food processor to crush graham crackers into 3/4 of a cup of crumbs. Melt the peanut butter & butter alternative together in the microwave for about 45 seconds and stir until smooth & combined. Then add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix to combine. Divide this mixture into 8 cupcake/muffin cups that either stand alone, or line a muffin tin.  Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes so the peanut butter sets and stiffens.


Combine the chocolate and almond milk in a microwaveable bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir, and heat for an additional 30 seconds if needed (until the chocolate is smooth).  Pour the chocolate over each of the peanut butter cups and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt. Chill until firm -- about 30 minutes or longer. Once the chocolate is firm, you're good to go! Enjoy the peanut butter & chocolate happiness, friends.

Love,
Amy

Wasabi Lime Vinaigrette

It’s just been way too hot lately, guys. As much as I love hovering over my stove cooking my little heart out, its just been way too sticky in my apartment to fire up the oven or range for more than a few minutes.

So I figured why not get creative with salad?

Buying an immersion blender has totally enhanced my cooking. On top of homemade soups & smoothies, it’s a great tool for blending homemade dressings and sauces. And that’s just what I did the other night when I felt like experimenting in the kitchen, minus the heat. If you like wasabi or anything with a kick, then I think you’ll really enjoy this dressing!

Wasabi Lime Vinaigrette

 

Ingredients:

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tsp wasabi powder

½ tbs lime juice

½ tsp sugar

1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped

Blend ingredients together using an immersion blender, or standard blender, until the ingredients emulsify and the dressing looks nice & green & creamy. If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients together by hand until emulsified.

I drizzled this tangy dressing over a fresh ahi tuna salad. I sprinkled fresh ground black pepper all over an ahi tuna steak and seared it on medium-high heat for only about 2 minutes on each side. Then I laid the tuna over a bed of greens with cherry tomatoes, orange bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, sunflower seeds, and a sprinkle of goat cheese... and topped it with the wasabi vinaigrette!

And I hardly broke a sweat. 

Love,
Amy

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Coconut Jam Cookies

Greetings friends! Hope you all had a happy Independence Day! Mine was filled with food, family, friends, fireworks, and so much gratitude. It was perfect.

Now, the nerd in me just loves holiday-inspired desserts. So I made these red & blue cookies for a 4th of July BBQ, but I do think they would be great for any occasion. I love the summery combination of the coconut mixed with the sweet jam. I can't wait to make them again and experiment with some new fruit flavors!

Since this was a BBQ with my boyfriend's family, I made the recipe gluten-free, dairy-free so that he could enjoy them as well. I hope you do too!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Coconut Jam Cookies

Ingredients for the homemade jam:     
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup (total) white sugar
fresh lemon juice

Directions: Making the jam ended up being my favorite part! It was so easy and all the leftovers made me very happy. But feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don't want too much jam (or double if you want lots!). All you have to do is mash up 2 cups of fruit and combine with 1/4 cup sugar and a squeeze (about a teaspoon) of fresh lemon juice in a small sauce pan and boil over medium high heat until it thickens. I boiled my jam for about 10 minutes, or until it was thick enough that I could see the bottom of the pan when scraping my spoon through it. Then I popped it into the fridge while I prepared the cookie dough to cool it down. It should thicken even more once cool. Store the extra jam in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Ingredients for the cookies:
inspired by sarcasticcooking.com recipe here
1 cup almond meal, packed
3/4 cup gluten-free flour, packed
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
lemon zest (I only used about 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (grade B)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
your homemade jam!

Directions: Combine almond meal, gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup into the dry ingredients and mix until just about combined. Then add in the shredded coconut and continue to mix all the way through, until no flour is visible. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly greased tin foil. Keep the dough refrigerated while oven preheats. Once the oven is ready, roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball (flour your hands with gluten-free flour if necessary) and then place it on the baking sheet, spacing all cookies about 2 inches apart. Press your thumb into the center of each ball of cookie dough, creating a small indent. Drop about 1/2 tsp of jam into each crater. I made half of my cookies with blueberry jam & half with raspberry. I also baked my cookies in two batches, and kept any unused dough in the fridge.

Bake the cookies about 11-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. General rule of thumb is to bake until golden brown but not dark! :) Place on cooling rack until the cookies are room temperature. Then enjoy!

Love,
Amy

Bruschetta & then some

Last week, after a monstrous lunch involving the world's tallest BLT and a mountain of french fries that left me feeling like I swallowed the Rockies, I was in desperate need of something fresh & light for dinner. So I started to make a basic bruschetta, but then ended up throwing in a few other things like avocado, garbanzo beans, and a summer favorite -- sweet corn!  It's bruschetta & then some. And my stomach was grateful.

Bruschetta & then some

Ingredients:

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup garbanzo beans

1 small avocado, diced

little bit of red onion, thinly sliced 

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ear sweet corn, boiled, buttered & then removed from cob

Drizzle of olive oil

Few splashes of red wine vinegar

Dried or fresh dill

Fresh basil

Salt & pepper

Mix all of these ingredients together and let it rest for about 15 minutes to a half hour before eating, so the flavors have a chance to meld. Serve with some crusty, toasted french baguette & enjoy!

Love,

Amy

Humble Strawberry Pie Beginnings.

Hello hungry friends! And welcome to The Girl Who Cooked for Herself.

I do believe that good things spring from humble beginnings. So it's quite appropriate that my first post is a recipe that took me over 24 hours to complete.

 What started off as a few planned hours of strawberry picking & pie baking with my gluten-sensitive, dairy-free boyfriend turned into a 2-day project. However, despite unfamiliar crust territory and oven malfunctions (eek!), I was finally able to serve up my very first post. And this pie was definitely worth the wait (and sweat).



Mmmm, humble pie.



Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Strawberry Rhubarb [Humble] Pie

Ingredients:
Gluten-Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust Mix (available at your local WholeFoods or Wegmans)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbs white sugar (optional)
10 tbs cold, unsalted butter, in small pieces (to make this dairy-free, I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
10 tbs butter-flavored vegetable shortening
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbs cold water
3 tsp cider vinegar
5 cups of strawberries, sliced
1+1/4 cup rhubarb, sliced (I used 1 medium-sized stalk)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbs agave nectar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg yolk (for glaze)


Preparing the crust: Being new to gluten-free baking, I followed the instructions on the package of Gluten-Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust Mix... Combine mix, baking powder, and white sugar and cut in butter and shortening until pieces are the size of large peas. You can cut in the butter using either a large food processor, a pastry blender, or a fork & knife. Combine 2 eggs, water, and vinegar and then combine with the mix. Form into a ball and chill for 1 hour. Later divide dough in half and flatten into 2 separate discs on wax paper. Chill for an additional hour. When you are ready to begin baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and "roll out" one of the discs to line the pie dish. I found this gluten-free crust to be somewhat stubborn, so instead of rolling it out, I laid the dough inside the baking dish and pressed it out to the edges with my fingers. I used the same technique for "rolling out" the top crust layer as well.

For the filling: Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch, brown sugar, agave nectar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir gently and try not to drool. (so simple!)

Pour the filling into the crust-lined pie dish and cover with the top layer. Trim & crimp edges and cut 4 slits in the top layer for ventilation. Brush top of pie with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with some coarse sea salt if you like your desserts salty-sweet! Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown (cooking time may differ based on how hot your oven runs). If you don't have a silicone pie crust shield, I would suggest protecting the edges of your pie with some foil to avoid a burnt crust.


I highly recommend you serve this pie with some vanilla ice cream (or coconut/almond milk ice cream if you're dairy-free)! Anything cold & creamy goes perfectly with the sweet berries & tart rhubarb.

Enjoy my friends! And please check back often for some more recipes. I promise to post a little something for everyone.

Love, Amy