Chestnut Goji Muffins - Gluten Free and Vegan!

 Sometimes when you have allergies you just crave, well, normal.  You know, not something that taste just  ok . You want something that taste like "real" food taste. Well  I'm so happy because I made a muffin that actually looks like a muffin and has... taste! They were a hit here, and I sure wish I had double the batch - but then again, I don't think I have much luck when I double things so its probably best I didn't.  So to celebrate the fact that these things looked real, I took their picture. Aren't they cute. AND you can actually see them over the edge of the muffin paper instead of sitting under the edge like a small hockey puck. Ain't life grand!

Chestnut Goji Muffins

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup grape seed oil

2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons hot water per egg)

2 cups Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Blend

1 cup chestnut flour

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

4 teaspoons baking powder (I make my own)

1/2 tsp salt

ground ginger to taste

freeze dried goji berries to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flax eggs ( those should sit until they thicken some by the way) with sugar and mix a bit. Now add the liquids (oj, oil, vanilla) and mix those up as well. Now in another bowl combine all the dry ingredients(you can put the berries at this point too if you want), add to the wet and stir just until combined. The wonderful thing about vegan baking is you can give it a taste and see if you want to add anything else. Gotta love that. We're all ready for the muffin tins now. Once its in, sprinkle it with a mix of sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of cardamon. Put those puppies in the oven and cook them for about 30 - 35 minutes  and Voila you now have a yummy muffin! Oh La La Mon Ami il magnifique! ( that means boy thats tastier than warm tater tots in December when the sun don't shine -  in French. In case you didn't know.)

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

Since Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I decided it was time to think about what we are going to eat! I have no idea about the food yet, but I do know I want to make pumpkin pie!  I thought I would share the recipe for the filling, in case someone else out there has allergies and was wondering how they would enjoy this holiday favorite.  The recipe is from the book Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal

Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons canola oil

3/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 1/2 cups chilled rice milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 (0.3ounce) packet gelatin
 (if you really want it to be vegan don't get regular gelatin!)

To make the filling:

Combine the pumpkin, canola oil, Sugar, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/4 cups of the rice milk in a heavy saucepan, whisking well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then decrease to medium-low. Cook five minutes while stirring.

Next whisk the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the rice milk. Pour into the pumpkin mixture and cook about 2 more minutes. Whisk to smooth out any lumps, then remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk the gelatin into the remaining 2 cups of rice milk. Pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.

Working quickly, pour the gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture, stirring well to combine thoroughly, then pour into a precooked pie shell. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

I haven't made it yet, so I can't tell you if its any good, although I do know that I have loved everything I have made from this book. If someone makes it, please write and let me know how it turned out and  I'll let you know how mine goes. Bon Appetit!

Recipes for a Peaceful Tummy

The last several weeks for me have been very hard on the stomach. I am one of those pregnant women who can't be pleased. If I'm not nauseous I'm miserable because I think something is wrong, and if I am nauseous I'm miserable because - well I"m nauseous. Its not easy for me to spend hours and days sitting around feeling that any moment my stomach is going to defy gravity. It's especially hard with a house full of little ones who think helping Mommy clean means shoving everything in a corner. To say that finding something that I want and can eat has been a challenge would be somewhat of an understatement. I think its hard for most pregnant women who suffer morning sickness to find something they want to eat, then add allergies to eggs, wheat, dairy, oats, and shellfish; and your chances of finding something that taste good  are about the same as the President deciding to pop over for dinner to discuss foreign policy.

 One thing I realized  was that I feel a lot better not eating meat.  It's just not digesting well. If you combine not eating meat with my allergies you end up with a vegan diet. So, I looked online and found this cookbook,

The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion . Now I would just like to say that I didn't  actually notice that it said for entertaining until I finished flipping through the book. Yes, very non-observant.  Hey, I was busy trying to decide if I could eat what she was cooking  - although I did think there were a lot of recipes for  different events in the book - oh well, we all have our moments. Anyway everything looks really good in here and I can't wait to try so many of these recipes.  We had a version of her veggie paninis for lunch today and it was quite tasty. For dinner we had harvest stuffed acorn squash. I liked it, although next time I think I'll cut back on the spice some. Maybe you won't feel the need to if you're not pregnant. Anyway, if the squash sounds interesting you can watch her make it here.  If you scroll through the menu on the side, you'll see her recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies, eggless egg salad, three bean chili, and magic chocolate cake. So if you're suffering from allergies or just looking for a meatless meal, check out these recipes.

P.S.
I was going to take pictures of the food I made, but I got too hungry to take them.