Healthy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Nut-Free, can be vegan

These cinnamon rolls are delicious and full of warm sweet cinnamon flavor! These do not rise much or get very fluffy, but even with the denser texture these cinnabons hit the spot. They have more gooey cinnamon sugar filling than many recipes call for, but since that is one of the best parts about this dessert I increased, and might experiment with increasing it even more. The icing recipe also makes extra, but since the icing is my favorite part about any dessert, I increased it to really make sure these were well-frosted and not skimping with thin drizzly stuff like many other recipes out there. 

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1: 
Adapted from the Grain Free Table's recipe over at Foodbabe.com, here.

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1

With this recipe the dough seemed really dry and crumbly and would not mix in a good part of the remaining dry ingredients. To fix this I decided to add in 1 egg. It turns out that was a bad idea, as the dough became too wet/sticky and wouldn't roll properly when I attempted to roll them into a log. It just kept sticking to the pan and breaking. I tried to roll as much of it as I could, and arranged them in make-shift half-bun, half-pieces in the pan. It ended up being more like a monkey bread kind of dessert than actual cinnabons, and it was still delicious! This goes to show if you have problems along the way, don't give up, and even if the end result is different than what you planned it can still be a success. We made these to celebrate Christmas, and a wonderful Christmas it was indeed. 

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #2: 
Adapted from the recipe at Detoxinista.com here. 

This recipe turned out really well and tasted just like a glutenous cinnabon! The use of arrowroot starch and coconut flour made for a lighter texture, less heavy than the previous version, so this is what we'll use going forward. I modified it by adding more of cinnamon/coconut sugar filling, and adding a decadent cream cheese frosting! If you can't tell from the pictures, cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite things ever, which I'll only have on special occasions, if I make it myself with safe ingredients and without refined sugar. The end result tasted so good and decadent I think my husband may ask for it too frequently!

Ingredients

Dough

Dry: 

• 1 1/2 cups arrowroot starch/flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

Wet: 

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs (for vegan version replace with 3 tbsp. chia or flax seeds + water to form a gel)

Spice Swirl

• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil)

Frosting

• 8 oz. organic cream cheese (or greek yogurt, or dairy-free cream cheese, try to avoid soy still)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon erythritol, or pinch of stevia (or coconut sugar)
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• squeeze of lemon juice
• Thin to desired thickness with non-dairy milk 

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together the dough dry ingredients.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Stir together the wet ingredients in the cup. 
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry making sure there are no lumps. 
4. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
5. Stir together the the cinnamon/coconut sugar filling ingredients and set aside. 
6. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out onto a tray lined with parchment paper and greased with coconut oil (we don't want the dough to stick!). 
7. Sprinkle the filling onto the rolled out dough. If you like the gooey cinnamon filling as much as I do, sprinkle more cinnamon and coconut sugar on top. 
8. Roll the dough into a log, folding each section over at a time by carefully rolling up the parchment paper. 
9. Cut the log into sections and place in a greased 8x8 dish. 
10. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cover the dish with foil so they don't get brown.  
11. Make the frosting by heating the cream cheese gently in the microwave or stove-top. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and adjust the taste/sweetness to your liking. 
12. After 25 minutes, take off the foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes until lightly browned. 

Dollop on the frosting and Enjoy! 

There will be extra icing, and you can use that as a dip for fruit or the other rolls.

I happen to LOVE cream cheese frosting, so we used it all. no regrets. ;)

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1 - so much gooey, cinnamony, cream cheesy goodness!

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan-optional

At my favorite Thai restaurant the dish I get every time is, Pumpkin Chicken Curry! It is is creamy with a luscious coconut milk curry sauce, lightly sweet with buttery chunks of freshly cooked pumpkin, and pretty much divine! Kabocha squash, which looks like a small pumpkin, went on sale at the commissary, so I decided to buy and try and recreate the Pumpkin Curry recipe myself. The following recipe is the happy result from this experiment. 

Adapted from the recipe here. 
Makes 5-8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 small pumpkin (kabocha, sugar pie) - approximately 1lb
• 1 small red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1lb boneless and skinless chicken, cubed in to 1"piece (organic, hormone-free, etc.)
• 1 package frozen spinach
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil (julienned, thinly cut)
• Salt
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)
• 
  

*use as many organic ingredients as possible

**can substitute chickpeas for the chicken to make vegan

Directions

Prepare the Pumpkin: 

- Bring a large pot of water to a boil

- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pumpkin into quarters and scoop out the seeds. (leave the skin on, it's really hard to cut into chunks while still raw.)

- Boil the pumpkin quarters for at 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender. 

- Drain the water and let the pumpkin cool until you can handle it. 

- Cut the pumpkin into bite-size cubes and cut off the rind of the pumpkin from each piece. 

Prepare the Curry: 

- Blend the red curry paste, garlic and onions together (I used a Nutribullet). 

- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, and saute the mixture over medium heat until the paste smells aromatic. 

- Stir in the can of coconut milk and teaspoon of coconut sugar. Once the oil begins to separate from the mixture, or the sauce begins to simmer, add in the chicken pieces (or chickpeas) and do not disturb the chicken for about 7 minutes. Carefully handle the chicken without stirring much and allow to fully cook in the coconut milk. 

(To better monitor the chicken's doneness, you can cook it only half the can of coconut milk and add the other half with the veggies. I just added the milk all at once though.)

- When the chicken is fully cooked, add the pumpkin and thawed spinach. Simmer until all the pumpkin is fork tender and parts cohesive. 

- Add the lime juice and season with salt to taste. 

- Take off the heat, add the julienned Thai basil, and adjust to taste. 

Serve over brown rice, greens, with Pad Thai, or on it's own. Enjoy!

• 
  

Triple Chocolte Brownie Pudding Cake ~ Secretly Healthy

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, Oil-Free

Adapted from the AH-Mazing recipe over here at ohsheglows.com! 
Growing up, the Brownie Pudding Cake recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook used to be my absolute favorite dessert! We made it so many times in my household, and I so loved the chocolatey combo of brownies and gooey pudding underneath. The flour, eggs, white sugar and brown sugar were integral to the recipe, and for years I couldn't think of a way to healthify this classic dessert. The brilliant blogger at ohsheglows.com cracked the code though and made a brilliant recipe for it though thank goodness! I adjusted her recipe by not using oat flour, by combining pudding mixture before putting on the batter, and a few other things. In the future I might increase the cocoa and sweetener amounts, or add more chocolate chips. 

To put this recipe over the top, I went back and added a chocolate ganache topping to the brownie! It made this absolutely divine and added the perfect touch and deep chocolatey richness to balance out the smooth pudding and moist brownie. 

How is it still healthy? 
Pumpkin. Quinoa Flour. Omega 3's (from chia/flax). Raw Cacao Powder (antioxidants). Organic. Gluten-Free. Fiber. Protein. Enough said. 
I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients: 

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa flour (or experiment with a different gf flour)
• 3 tbsp. coconut flour
• 1 cup erythritol (or coconut sugar)
• 10 pinches stevia
• 2/3 cup raw cacoa powder (or cocoa powder)
• 1 tbsp. cream of tartar (corn-free substitute for baking powder)
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

Wet Ingredients

• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tbsp. water)
• 2 chia eggs (2 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 4 tbsp. water)
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree (can also sub with apple sauce)
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Pudding Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup erythritol (or coconut sugar)
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water

Chocolate Ganache Sauce

• 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand, or dairy-free)
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (or nut butter)

*Use as many organic ingredients as possible


Directions

Brownie: 
- Spray a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. 
- Mix the flax and chia "eggs" together in a cup, then leave for about 5 minutes (in the fridge, optional) to set up and form a gel. 
- Stir together all the dry ingredients, gf flour, coconut flour cocoa powder,  in a large bowl, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture (cocoa tends to clump a lot). 
- Stir in the wet ingredients: almond milk, pumpkin, chia/flax eggs and vanilla, into the dry ingredients and gently mix until thoroughly combined. The batter should be thick like brownie batter. You can choose to mix the chocolate chips into the batter, or to sprinkle them on top. 
- Spread the batter into the pan. 

Pudding: 
- Stir the cocoa powder and erythritol together in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until everything is dissolved. 
- Pour the cocoa/boiling water mixture on top of the brownie batter. It will look like a complete disaster and like you totally ruined the recipe, but you didn't! It's okay, and all part of the plan!!
- CAREFULLY place the pan in the oven. 
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the brownie looks fully cooked and not wet on top. 

The brownie will bake and rise to the top, and the cocoa/water mixture will turn into a lovely silky pudding on the bottom - magical!
Let the pudding cake cool for a bit so the pudding has time to set up. 

Prepare the Ganache: 
- While the brownie is cooling, heat the chocolate chips in a microwave at about 30 second intervals until the chips melt. 
- Stir in the non-dairy milk and sunflower seed butter. You may have to heat it up again and continue stirring to make everything melt and incorporate. Adjust the amount of milk, chocolate or sunflower seed butter to how thick you'd like it. 
The sunflower seed butter adds a thicker richness to the sauce, but it could be left out and substituted with more chocolate if preferred. 

Serve with the Chocolate Ganache sauce, or dairy free ice cream, or coconut whipped cream, and Enjoy! :)

Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. chia seeds
Optional: sea salt, sweetener, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg or other flavor to taste

- Combine everything in a blender. Adjust the flavors to your tastes. 
- Let sit in the freezer to firm up. 

Asian Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients: 

• red cabbage, diced half of 1 head
• 1 cup zucchini, diced 
• 1 cup celery, diced 
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced 
• 1 bunch scallions, diced
• any other veggies you want!

Dressing: 

• 3 tbs. apple cider vinegar (Bragg's brand)
• 4-5 tbs. coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos)
• 1 tbs. minced garlic
• 1 tbs. chia seeds
• 1 tbs. olive oil or macadamia oil (optional)
• sprinkle of garlic powder
• sprinkle of paprika
• sprinkle of pepper
• sprinkle of dried minced onion flakes (optional)
• any other seasonings/herbs you prefer

Steps: 

1. Chop up the veggies and place in a bowl.

2. Stir together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and season to fast.

3. Pour the dressing over the veggies and stir together. 
4. Refrigerate and enjoy! :)

Super easy, and PACKED with loads of nutrition!! 

Thai Green Curry

Easy, Paleo, Gluten-Free, One Pan Wonder

Makes 2 large servings

While in Thailand, my husband had the opportunity to attend a Thai Cooking class. We LOVE Thai food, especially curries and pad thai, so he jumped at the chance to learn how to make it from scratch. In the class they learned how to make Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Kra Pow (sliced chili and Thai Basil) and Som Tam (papaya salad) from scratch. The teacher provided the recipes and instructions for everything, and when he finally returned from deployment we set out to make the recipes ourselves! We ended up not being able to find some of the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and curry paste, so we had to just buy the packaged sauces. The recipe turned out really well, and this is definitely a satisfying comfort food. The brown rice provides a better source of protein, and while the sauce does have sugar making it not the healthiest thing in the world, this version is healthier and cheaper then what we would buy at a restaurant. 
This recipe is straight from Thailand, and we didn't have to spend $9+ per serving! :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 tbs. coconut oil 
• 2 tbs. Green Curry paste (we used Thai Kitchen brand)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 lb chopped chicken, beef, seafood (optional, to make vegan you can use chickpeas as the protein source, or serve over quinoa)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1.5 cups chopped vegetables: Thai eggplant, Pea eggplant
• 1/2 cup Thai Basil (find at farmer's market, looks more pointed and purplish than regular basil)
• 1 tbs. Fish Sauce

Steps: 
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste. Stir until you smell the curry (20 seconds). 

- Add 1/4 can of the coconut milk to the pan and dissolve the paste. Let it boil for 1 minute. 
Add another 1/4 can and wait until it's boiling. Repeat until the measured coconut milk is emptied. 

- Add the meat and wait until it's cooked. Do not stir until chicken is 80% cooked. Wait until everything is boiled evenly, and add water if the coconut milk is too thick. 

- Add vegetables (Thai eggplant and Thai basil), and stir occasionally until they are cooked. The Thai eggplant should have the consistency of a cooked potato once it is ready. 

- When the vegetables are cooked, stir in the brown sugar and fish sauce. Serve garnished with red chili and Thai basil leave. 
Enjoy!

Green Curry & Pad Thai!

Pad Thai with Brown Rice Noodles

Easy, Gluten-Free, One Pan Wonder, Thai Comfort Food

Makes 4 large servings

While in Thailand, my husband had the opportunity to attend a Thai Cooking class. We LOVE Thai food, especially curries and pad thai, so he jumped at the chance to learn how to make it ourselves. In the class they learned how to make Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Kra Pow (sliced chili and Thai Basil) and Som Tam (papaya salad) from scratch. The teacher provided the recipes and instructions for everything, and when he finally returned from deployment we set out to make the recipes ourselves! We ended up not being able to find some of the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and curry paste (like tamarind, kaffir limes, etc.), so we had to just buy the packaged sauces. The recipe turned out really well, and this is definitely a satisfying comfort food. The brown rice provides a better source of protein, and while the sauce does have sugar making it not the healthiest thing in the world, this version is healthier and cheaper then what you would buy at a restaurant. 
This recipe is straight from Thailand, and we didn't have to spend $9+ per serving! :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 diced red onion, or 1/2 cup diced shallots
• 2 tbs. Pickled Mixed Vegetables (found at asian market)
• Chicken, beef or seafood approx. 1/2 lb
• 4 eggs
• Pad Thai Sauce (we used Thai Kitchen brand) 8 oz
• Brown Rice Vermicelli Noodles, 200 g package (soak for 5 min. or according to package instructions)
• 1 cup diced garlic chives (they look like flat chives, found at farmer's markets, can also use scallions)
• 1 or 2 grated carrots
• 1 grated zucchini
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• (any more veggies you would like ... broccoli, bamboo shoots, etc.)
• 2 tsp. paprika (for color)

Steps: 

- Heat up the coconut oil on medium heat, and when the oil is hot, add the diced onions and pickled mixed vegetables. Cook for about 1 minute or until they begin to brown. 

- Add the meat and cook it well. (If using shrimp, cook it quickly and set aside before adding the eggs.) You can also add the carrots and zucchini (or any other preferred veggies) at this time. 

- When the meat is ready, add the eggs in the middle of the pan. Scramble slightly and do the "pancake" movement to spread the egg around your pan. 

- After 1 minute or until 80% of the eggs are cooked, add the noodles and Pad Thai Sauce. Using tongs incorporate everything together, and add the paprika for color. 

- The Pad Thai should barely start to become dry in the pan, then add the garlic chives and bean sprouts and cook for another 20-30 sec. Turn off the heat and serve on a plate with lime wedges, extra bean sprouts and some crushed peanuts. 
Enjoy!

Traditional Pad Thai Sauce:  4 servings  (if you can find the ingredients...)

• 4 tbs. Brown Sugar
• 4 tbs. White Sugar
• 2 tbs. Tamarind (pre-packaged sauce from the Tamarind tree nut)
• 6 tbs. Fish Sauce
• 4 tbs. White Vinegar

Vegan Beet Brownies

Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

When traveling I like to bring my own healthy foods so I don't have to pay for or depend on what's available at the airport. I experimented with making bars that have vegetables, protein, fiber, and that taste good, and these were the result! Beets are packed with nutrients, the chickpeas and quinoa flour provide a great protein source, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar, and I even added a zucchini for good measure. These will be a good breakfast, snack, dessert, or mini travel meal. 

Health Benefits of Beets:

• Beets are packed with vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; and folic acid.
• Beets help detoxify the body by boosting liver function, purifying the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer.
• Beets help mental health and can also lower blood pressure.
• Beets are full of fiber, contain only 60 calories per cup, and have potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas:

• Plant protein source containing 15 grams of protein per cup
• Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber
• Rich in vitamins and minerals: A one-cup serving of chickpeas provides 50% of daily potassium needs, 2% vitamin A, 21% calcium, 13% vitamin C, 69% iron, 2% sodium, 55% vitamin B-6 and 57% magnesium. They also contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline and selenium.
• Low glycemic index of 28, providing slow burning energy and not spiking blood sugar.
• Much more! Reference the sources below for the full articles

Raspberries & Blueberries sprinkled on top

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flour (or gf flour of choice)
• 1 ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup erythritol or sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoon (or less) stevia powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon mineral salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 steamed beets
• 1 raw zucchini
• 1 can organic chickpeas
• 3 tbs. chia seeds mixed with 6 tbs. water
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used flax milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  Berries (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 355 degrees.
2. While the beats are steaming, measure out and stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Blend together the wet ingredients in a food processor until totally smooth.
4. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
5. Smooth out into 2 9x13 inch pans. Top with berries, chocolate chips or any other toppings.
6. Bake at 355 for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.

All packed and ready for traveling!

Recipe revised from: http://www.theroastedroot.net/fudgy-paleo-beetroot-brownies/

Sources:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-beet-benefits-aphrodisiac-brain-booster-more.html/2

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/

http://www.naturalfoodbenefits.com/display.asp?CAT=2&ID=86

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280244.php