Sunday, November 27, 2011

Challenge #34 - Banana Cream Pie

I was inspired by a peanut butter banana pie recipe I saw on the food network.  Other than the banana, there was no other ingredients I was to have.  So I came up with the following recipe to create a gluten free/sugar free version.  I brought this to Thanksgiving diner, and it got rave reviews from those eating a SAD which I took as a very good sign.

Ingredients Crust:                        Ingredients Filling:  
1-1/2 cups pitted dates                    2 frozen bananas
1 cup almond meal                           1 fresh banana
2 handfuls of raisins                         3-1/2 tbsp raw almond butter
                                                       1 tbsp vanilla extract
Ingredients Optional:
Cinnamon
Sliced banana

Step 1: Pit dates (unless you buy already pitted dates)
Step 2: Add dates, raisins, & almond meal to food processor and pulse until its broken down and starts to combine.  Remove from food processor and roll into ball to make dough.  make sure ingredients are well combined.
 Step 3: Press dough into parchment paper covered pan to make crust (bottoms & sides)
 Step 4: Blend frozen bananas, bananas, almond butter, & vanilla. 

Step 5: Put filling into crust.  Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

Step 6: Add sliced banana to slices before serving.  The pictured below was right after I made the pie (I was excited to try it!)  Before I served it to others, I put it back in the freezer and allowed the filling to set.  Remove and let soften before cutting and serving (think softening a super hard container of ice cream before scooping)

You can make the crust with a different nuts like pecan instead.  I chose to use almond because I put almond butter in the filling. 

Challenge #33 - Thanksgiving Stuffing My Way!

This past weekend was one of my favorite holidays - Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving was interesting enough a few years ago when I became a vegetarian, but this year was even trickier eating a detox diet.  Stuffing was always one of my favorite things, so I was determined to create my own version of stuffing and not feel left out. So here you go....gluten free stuffing.

The No's:  Bread Crumbs, Bread cubes
The Swap:  Millet flatbread (or you favorite gluten free bread)

Ingredients:
Homemade Millet flat bread (gluten & yeast free) (or your favorite gluten free flatbread or bread)
2 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 colored pepper diced
1/4 onion sliced (or however much you like, that is what I had left over from something else)
2 cloves garlic diced
1 sprig Rosemary chopped
Sea Salt & Pepper
Goat Milk butter (or whatever  butter or oil you prefer to saute)
Vegetable Broth (yeast free, low sodium)
5 peppers to stuff (tops cut off and seeds removed)

Step 1: Saute onions, garlic, carrots, celery, & pepper.  Add salt and pepper. Saute until tender.

Step 2: Break up flatbread and add to veggies. 

Step 3: Add rosemary and vegetable broth.  Add broth a little at a time while stirring until you moisten the flatbread and stuffing begins to bind together.

Step 4: Stuff peppers

Step 5: Bake at 350 until warmed through.  Add a little veggie broth over peppers to prevent drying in oven.

Step 6: Serve and enjoy.

My husband liked this version of stuffing even though it was non traditional.  This was a good substitute that allowed me to have stuffing with everyone else at the table who was eating a traditional stuffing. There are many variations on this recipe.  You can season with your favorites, used different veggies, or your favorite gluten free bread to make stuffing.  Have fun with it.