Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Soy-Free

Oven Fried Chicken and Kale-Carrot Slaw

Amy — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:00:20 +0000

Picnic season is upon us! With the warm weather, there will be get-togethers of all types. And, of course, there will be lots of delicious food. I have two simple, healthy gluten-free recipes that you’ll be able to whip and share with all your friends.

Maybe it’s because I live in Texas, or maybe it’s because some folks just don’t cook, but at nearly every potluck-style picnic I’ve been to there’s at least one bucket of fried chicken and some kind of mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw. I always pass on those two dishes.

I’m not saying there’s anything at all wrong with fried chicken and coleslaw. When I was a kid, my Granny Jeanne sent my dad to pick up a bucket of fried chicken every Sunday we were at her house. I liked the mashed potatoes and gravy best, with biscuits and honey being a close second. That was a long time ago, and honestly, I can’t remember eating fried chicken since then.

But, I’d like to start healthier traditions with my family. I don’t want to be “that mom” who polices everything her kids put in their mouths, though. Instead, I want to instill a love of good healthy food in them so they’ll naturally make healthier choices.

Which is exactly where oven fried chicken and kale-carrot slaw come in.

And, just so you know, Joe said this is the best fried chicken he’s ever had. Ever.

Get both recipes on the Attune Foods blog.

Note: I am a Brand Ambassador for Attune Foods. This post is sponsored by Attune. Truth be told, I loved their products before I started working with them. Their gluten-free, refined sugar-free, GMO-free cornflakes got me through the first several months of my pregnancy when I could rarely stomach anything else. So, you can rest assured that I’m sharing my honest opinion of their products.

Let’s make some fabulous picnic food!

From my sponsor: Plan To Eat was born from our desire to eat real food – great food – prepared at home, together as a family. Plan To Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them, automatically generating your grocery list, organized the way you like to shop. Eat well. Eat together. PlanToEat.com.

Dreena’s Falafels (and a FABULOUS cookbook give-away!)

Amy — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:46 +0000

I met Dreena through Maggie and Ricki. I must say I am so very grateful!

Shortly after Nate was born and I started eating a very heavy plant-based diet. Not completely plant based, mind you. But I could just sense that my body needed lots of fresh, whole foods after giving birth to get itself back in shape.

There is a huge transition in diet and cravings after giving birth, and Let Them Eat Vegan! helped me make that transition beautifully.

The first thing you notice when you read Dreena’s book is that she’s the kind of lady you’d love to have coffee with. She’s witty, fun, and she’s easy to relate to. You get the strong sense that you’d be fast friends with her. You want to bring her into your kitchen. It just adds to the deliciousness of her food.

Let’s talk about her Panfried Falafel Patties for a minute. Who needs cookies when you can eat these? Really! When I told Dreena on Twitter that I’d been making batch after batch, she asked if I was dipping them in her Smoky Spiced Tahini Sauce and I replied that, yea, the sauce is delicious but I’d just been pulling them out of the refrigerator and eating them. No sauce necessary.

In true Dreena style, she replied, “Now that’s some falafel lovin’!” And, yep, I do love her falafels. In fact, I’ve made them more times than I can count and I’ve never gotten a photo of the finished product. (Guilty as charged.)

When you make her falafel, you must – and I mean must – make her Quinoa Tabbouleh. I used to live in Columbus, Ohio and frequented The North Market. There was a little middle eastern restaurant that served the best tabbouleh I’ve ever had. Since going gluten-free, I’ve tried to replicate it several times but just couldn’t get it quite right. Well, Dreena did. It’s got the perfect balance of acid, veggies, parsley and quinoa.
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Melted Leek & Red Pepper Quiche

Amy — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:22 +0000

For those of you still sorting through recipes to plan your Mother’s Day menu, I thought I’d share a quiche that has been a big hit at our house.

I actually started toying with this recipe back in January. My intention was to serve it as a meat-free, dairy-free option for Nate’s first birthday party. His party was in Ohio and we landed just 24 hours before the guests were scheduled to arrive. I barely had time to get the grocery shopping and the cupcakes baked. So, the quiche didn’t make it on the table. Thank goodness I had lots of help with the rest of the food from my sisters, aunt, and mom.

I’ve made this dish several times since. Like most quiches, you can make it the day before and serve it cold, at room temp, or warm. The pie crust can be mixed up and refrigerated for several days before baking. It’s an easy-peasy dish fancy enough for entertaining.

Some ideas for dishes you can serve with this quiche include:

a green salad with Blueberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette
S imple Berry Salad
Lavender-Infused Lemonade
Cucumber Basil Herbal Water
Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

You can also find more Spring Brunch recipes here and here.

And, if you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day do it now! There are 8 recipes with menu suggestions, each developed by moms. For more details about the book, read this post.
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Raw Apple-Walnut Snack Bars

Amy — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I haven’t talked much about what we’re feeding Nate because, honestly, it’s been a bit of a struggle. When he was 9 months old, we found out that we needed to cut all dairy out of his diet. And, since I have problems with wheat we’re keeping him gluten-free until he’s at least 18 months old so that his gut is developed enough to digest it properly. I may keep him gluten-free longer as baby #2 will need to be gluten-free as well.

At play dates, I see mommas giving their kids dairy yogurt, cookies, and animal crackers. None of those work for our sweet little Nate.

Couple that with the fact that Nate would rather eat an orange (or any fruit) than a cookie or carbs, and the fact that he never, ever holds still and I’m left with the interesting challenge of finding foods that he’ll eat that will also help him gain weight. Or at least maintain his current weight.

I started searching for solutions and wanted foods to be whole-foods based, full of healthy fats, portable, and something he’ll gobble up. In the process I’ve found lots of foods he absolutely loves.
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Lemon Pudding Cakes

Amy — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:20 +0000

I’ve been obsessed with lemon lately. Maybe it’s because it’s nearly summer. Or, maybe it’s because I’m pregnant. Regardless, lemon just hits the spot.

Since Nate was born, and especially since he started walking, I have less and less time for baking. There’s always something else that HAS to be done. Washing diapers, picking up toys, folding clothes, scrubbing the high chair. You get it, right? The list is never ending.

When I do have time to be creative in the kitchen, it’s usually when I’m making dinner. And, dinner isn’t my favorite thing to make. Joe looked at me one night and said, “Honey, I know you’d rather be baking but you’ve got Nate to feed and we’ve got another one on the way. You’re a great cook. Just enjoy it.”

I’ve been working on that. And, I do enjoy it much more than I used to.

But, gosh, it doesn’t compare to the joy I get from whipping up dessert, or even a fresh loaf of bread.

So, I stayed up way too late getting these lemon pudding cakes just right. I wanted something sweet-tart, creamy, and light. In my mind, I’d envisioned something you could eat at the end of a summer cookout that would fit the dessert bill without leaving you weighed down. You know, the kind of dessert that has you begging for just one more bite.
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