Dairy Free Soy Free Peanut Butter Cereal Crunchies

My husband and I actually call this Peanut Butter Crack, because we seem to have no ability to leave it alone until it’s gone.  I love no bake cereal type desserts because they can satisfy my sweet tooth quickly.  With only a handful of ingredients and a five minute or less prep time we have a winner in my book.  Also I love peanut butter, and have used the pregnancy and post pregnancy as a reason to justify consuming unholy amounts of it. (it’s good for protein right?) This dessert is fast, sweet, crunchy, peanut buttery and totally addicting.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup karo syrup
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 4 cups Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies, Rice Chex or any combination of the 3
• Optional (only for dairy eaters:  ½ cup chocolate chips)

Instructions:

1. Add 4 cups of corn or rice cereal to a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, mix the sugar and karo syrup until the sugar is mostly dissolved. 
3. Add the peanut butter to the sugar mixture in the pan and stir to combine.
4. Once the peanut butter is mixed into the sugar and Karo syrup add it to the bowl with the cereal and carefully mix together, trying not to crush the cereal.
5. (Optional – if diary is okay) Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Press warm mixture into a cookie sheet and cut into squares or eat by the handful.  Enjoy.

Dairy Free Soy Free Pasta Dinner

Since college I have always loved pasta. I think it might have been because it was the only meal I knew how to make and not botch for a number of years. Now when we’re sitting in the living room and I haven’t made anything for dinner and we’re all hungry it’s my go to meal. It’s quick and filling and to me it will always be delicious… honestly if I was trapped on a deserted island and I could have one food for the rest of my life it would probably be pasta.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 can Light Ragu No Sugar Added Tomato & Basil pasta sauce (The only premade kind I could find that doesn’t have dairy or soy)
• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ white or yellow onion
• ½ box of spaghetti noodles (I have yet to find a pasta that has dairy or soy so you should be fine here)
• Optional: Fresh asparagus  

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Dice onion and add to browning beef in skillet.
3. While beef is cooking fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once water is boiling turn temperature down to medium heat and add pasta. Cook according to package direction, likely 7-12 minutes. Drain the water from the pasta when finished cooking.
4. Once beef is browned drain the fat and add the Ragu sauce to the meat, continue to heat over medium until the sauce is warm.
5. Serve by adding pasta to a plate and covering with sauce.

Cooking Asparagus

1. Take each stalk of fresh asparagus and apply a light pressure toward the middle/bottom of the stalk. It should snap and the tough bottom part of the stalk can be discarded.
2. Layer the stalks on a microwavable dish and fill the bottom of the dish with a ½ cup of water or until the stalk are touching the water but not covered by it.
3. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Diary Free Soy Free Roast Beef Sandwiches

I’ve been working on finding some quick things for lunch and I haven’t had a lot of luck.  Sandwiches are always nice, but you have to have the bread to make them, and in my case I haven’t been able to find any store bought bread that works so I’ve had to make my own bread.  If you have bread or have made bread this is a savory warm meal that is great for lunch or dinner.  I had mine cheese-less and it was delicious, but I have to admit I envied my husbands that had gooey cheese melting off his sandwich and onto his plate. 

Servings: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pounds leftover roast meat or 1 pound package roast beef lunch meat, shredded 
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• Dash of salt – to taste
• 8 slices of bread – See bread recipe
• Optional: 4 slices havarti, white american, or swiss cheese (for the potential dairy eater – such as my husband.  One piece per sandwich)

Instructions:

1. Add onions and 2 tablespoon oil to a frying pan, cook until onions are soft and light brown. 
2. Add shredded meat in a single layer to the cooked onions in the frying pan.
3. Add salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. 
4. Once meat is heated through add to bread and enjoy, or add cheese and give the cheese a few minutes to melt, then add to bread and enjoy.

Adapted from MMM… café - Leftover (GASP!) Roast Beef Sandwich

Diary Free Soy Free Pot Pie

This delicious low calorie, budges friendly pot pie is an adaption from one of my mom’s classic recipes.  It’s loaded with vegetables, has a flaky crust and is easy to make.  This is another one of my go to meals when I’ve neglected to plan dinner because I nearly always have the ingredients for it and  I can throw it together in a few minutes.   

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2-3 cubes chicken bullion
• 1 chicken breast shredded
• 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, beans)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 cup water

Crust:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup rice or coconut milk

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add chicken to a small sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Once water is boiling turn down the heat and simmer the chicken until cooked, about 10 minutes.
3. Once chicken is thoroughly cooked and no pink spots remain, remove from the water and shred using two forks. 
4. While chicken is cooking thaw vegetables. Adding them to a microwave safe dish, cover them with 1 cup water and microwave on high for 5 minutes or add them to a sauce pan cover them with water and bring the water to a boil.
5. Once vegetables are warmed combine chicken, vegetables, water, and bullion in the sauce pan and bring to a boil.
6. Mix corn starch with 1 tablespoon cold water and slowly mix it into the boiling filling mixture. 
7. Once filling is boiling remove from heat and add to a 9 x 9 or 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
8. To make the crust mix flour, salt, oil and milk together until a thick pasty dough forms.  
9. Using a piece of parchment paper and a floured rolling pin roll the dough to be a little bit bigger then  your baking dish.
10. Pick up the parchment paper with the dough on top of it and flip it over the baking dish with the filling so the dough is over the filling and the parchment paper is on top. 
11. Carefully peel off the parchment paper and press the dough into the corners and against the sides of the baking dish.
12. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Diary Free Soy Free No Knead Cinnamon Bread

I seem to crave carbs like crazy, I think it’s mostly due the to fact that I can’t eat a sandwich for lunch unless I bake my own bread, and baking bread take time and energy with all the kneading and the waiting for it rise and what not. I found this recipe online and gave a big sigh of relief. It’s bread… well I actually think it’s a little more cake like… but we’ll call it bread. It was fast to mix together, there was no rising time or kneading and it was delicious. I love cinnamon to begin with, but this ‘bread’ hit the spot with it’s cinnamon sugar sweetness. It’s totally easy to make the top comes out with a nice little coffee cake-ish crunch. I bet if you make it you wont be able to leave it alone either.

Amount: 2 loaves

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup canola oil 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 cups coconut or rice milk 
• 2 tablespoons vinegar 
• 4 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda 

Cinnamon/sugar mixture: 

• 2/3 cups sugar 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl mix together oil, 2 cups sugar and eggs. 
3. Stir in milk, vinegar, flour and baking soda. 
4. Pull out two loaf pans and sprinkle a little bit of the cinnamon sugar mixture in the bottom of each pan. 
5. Put 2 cups of the bread batter in each pan, then add a generous layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture to the top of it. 
6. Add the rest of the batter to the pan and add the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture to the top of the loafs. 
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
8. Let cool in pan 10-20 minutes before removing. 

Adapted from Redfly Creations – The Amazing Amish Bread Alternative

Diary Free Soy Free Cinnamon Rolls

I have been dreading breakfast.  I love cereal, in the past I’d eat it for breakfast and whenever I felt like a snack.  It’s quick, low clean up, and delicious… it’s also no longer an option.  I’ve turned to oatmeal to fill that hollow pit in the mornings, but you can only get so excited for more oatmeal.  My sweet husband surprised me with these delicious cinnamon rolls the other morning and let me tell you, they were something to get excited for.  Fluffy, lots of cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, and an orange glaze. They took longer than oatmeal to make, but I enjoyed them for days!

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1/4-ounce package yeast
• 
1/2 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup rice or coconut milk

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 
1/3 cup canola oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour 


Filling:

• ¼ cup canola oil

• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• Optional: 
3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans

Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons rice or coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
•  
2 cups powdered sugar
• 
1 teaspoon vanilla extrac
• t
3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

*If you wan't regular glaze rather than orange glaze add another tablespoon of rice or coconut milk and skip the juice concentrate. 


Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine milk, sugar, oil, salt and egg.  Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth.   Add yeast and remaining flour and mix until dough is well formed.
3. Knead the dough for 10 minutes.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Transfer the kneaded dough to the greased bowl and coat the dough completely with additional oil.
5. Cover, and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. I usually put the raising dough in my microwave with a cup of hot water.
6. After an hour, punch the dough down.
7. On a floured surface roll the dough into a 15 x 9 inch rectangle. 
8. Spread oil over the dough.  Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture generously over the oiled dough.  Add walnuts, pecans or raisins if desired. 
9. Start at the 15 inch side and roll the dough into a tight spiral. Pinch the edge together.  Cut the dough into 12 even slices.
10. Layer the remaining cinnamon sugar generously in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pan.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Let the rolls rise until they are double in size, about 45 minutes. 
13. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.
14. While the cinnamon rolls are cooking mix together milk, orange juice, sugar and vanilla.  Add hot water one tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired thickness. 
15. Remove rolls from oven and let cool 5 -10 minutes before adding the glaze.

Adapted from Food Network - Paula Deen Cinnamon Rolls

Diary Free Soy Free Broccoli Salad

Finding foods without dairy or soy has led me to eat a lot of salads in the past couple of weeks. Now don’t get me wrong salad is delicious, but when you take out the dressing and call it a frequent main dish things can get a little boring.  I decided to mix things up a bit and forgo the traditional lettuce salad and try something a little more interesting.  It was great - filling, flavorful, sweet, and crunchy and I ate it as a meal for 3 days…

Also I’m not a huge fan of vinaigrette type dressings.  I’m a ranch girl through and through so having so many salads has been even more uninviting.  I found this poppy seed dressing at my local grocery store and I’m happy to report that it’s dairy and soy free and doesn’t have the same strong flavor as most of the vinegar based dressings.  It’s definitely not ranch, but it works as a decent replacement.  It’s a sweet flavored dressing, but I thought it worked really well on this salad.

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ head of broccoli
• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 red or orange bell pepper 
• ½ red onion
• 5 strips of dairy/soy free bacon (I used Butterball turkey bacon)
• Optional: Brianna’s Home Style Poppy Seed Dressing

Instructions: 

1. Cook the bacon till crispy using package directions. I usually cook turkey bacon in the microwave, by layering paper towels on a plate and cooking for a minute at a time until they reach desired crispiness.
2. Once bacon is cooked break or cut it into small ½ inch sized pieces. Put aside.
3. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized chunks. 
4. Dice the tomatoes, bell pepper and onion.
5. Mix the broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, pepper and onion in a large bowl. 
6. Add bacon to the top of the salad just before serving. Drizzle with dressing if desired.