Gluten Free Sourdough Cakes

I wrote this post last July but alas it was never posted because I got tied up with my purchase of United Kitchen - I now sell Gluten Free Sourdough Rolls at United Kitchen and they are rather popular! So I am happy to share this recipe for Sourdough Cakes for anyone brave enough to take on the challenge of maintaining their own sourdough starter! Good Luck!

I have been working on a GF sourdough starter which I am really excited about because I love sourdough and I have really missed it since I stopped eating gluten - AND there is some speculation that fermented foods (like sourdough) are helpful for digestion, gut healing, and people with Celiac's disease!

 As I have been feeding my starter 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water twice a day it has started to outgrow the bowl! So in order to use up some of it I decided to try using it for some "sourdough pancakes". I made these really thick and fluffy so they are almost like an english muffin - you can definitely cut one in half and use if for a sandwich or whatever else you want. They are also good to eat as-is but you don't need to eat too many of these since they are so fluffed up!

These are both gluten and dairy free - depending on your sourdough starter's sourness level these may have more or less of a distinct sourdough flavor.

I am not including a calorie count because with fermented foods like the sourdough starter is it just too hard to know the calories, since the structure of the ingredient changes and is never the same twice -

This recipe made about 10 large "english muffin" fluffy cakes 

1. The night before you want to make these combine:

1 cup almond milk(warm)

1.5 cup starter

1.5 cup GF all purpose flour - I used Pamela's Blend

2. Let sit overnight on the counter, covered with a dishtowel

3. In the morning mix in:

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp baking powder

3 beaten eggs

3 tbsp melted butter - I used Earth Balance

Let rest for 10 minutes

4. Heat up your griddle or pan and grease with coconut oil

5. Spoon batter onto hot griddle and smooth into circles with 3-4 inch diameter

6. Allow first side to cook so that the edges are set, this batter is very thick so the center may not bubble like normal pancakes 

7. Flip to cook the other side, repeat until batter is gone

8. When both sides are cooked and the center seems set transfer each cake to a cooling rack, once completely cooled store in an airtight container

93 Calorie Biscuits

Tonight I whipped up some super easy gluten and dairy free biscuits - these are great with Earth Balance butter, or honey, or as the base for a breakfast sandwich -

These biscuits puff up without yeast - and they are gluten free and dairy free!

Ingredients

3/4 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour - 300 cal
1/4 cup other flour of choice - coconut, cornmeal, almond etc. - about 100 cal
6 tablespoons egg whites - 50 cal
1 tablespoon olive oil - 100 cal
1/4 cup almond milk - 10 cal
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 pinch salt                                                            
= 560 calories total, makes 6 biscuits - 93 calories each


Directions:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees
2. Mix together the dry ingredients
3. Add in the olive oil and almond milk
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy
5. Fold the egg whites into the other mixture until combined
6. Divide into 6 balls and form into biscuits on a parchment paper covered baking sheet
7. Bake for about 18 minutes - cool on a wire rack, store in an airtight container :)

126 Calorie Purple Protein Smoothie

I whipped up this protein shake as a snack between homework and Pure Barre this afternoon - This protein shake only has 3 ingredients, and it has 7.5 grams of protein and 126 calories :)

This shake is also vegan, gluten free, and dairy free if you use Vega Protein powder.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk - 40 cal

1/2 serving vanilla protein powder - 40 cal

1/2 cup frozen blueberries - 46 calories              

= 126 calories total

1. Combine all ingredients and blend until fully combined

2. Serve cold :)

55 Calorie Maple Cinnamon Butter

I love the honey butter at restaurants like Longhorn Steakhouse and Redstone - so I thought I would try to make my own low calorie and dairy free version - I thought this turned out really well and it is only 55 calories per tablespoon - regular butter is 100 calories per tablespoon and regular honey cinnamon butter is probably even more than that!

I used Earth Balance Whipped as a butter alternative but you could use any variety you like -

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

2 tbsp Earth Balance - 160 calories

1 tbsp Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 7 calories

1 tsp Cinnamon                                             

= 167 calories, about 55 calories per tablespoon

(vs. regular butter 100 cal per tablespoon)

1. Measure out butter in a small custard cup

2. Add syrup and cinnamon

3. Mix thoroughly (I used a fork)

4. Add more cinnamon or stevia if desired, store in refrigerator and use on toast, crackers, pancakes, waffles etc.

75 Calorie Chocolate Mint Protein Shake

"So Delicious" makes some seriously delicious holiday flavored Coconut Milk drinks - one is Chocolate Mint flavored - this protein shake tastes really similar to that but it has the added benefit of protein!

Recipe:
1/2 serving chocolate protein powder - 45 calories
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 30 calories
1/8 teaspoon Peppermint Extract                              
= 75 calories


1. Blend together all ingredients
2. Refrigerate or add ice cubes if desired

163 Calorie Eggs Benedict

This skinny eggs benedict has way more protein than regular eggs benedict -

 it is also gluten free and dairy free!

I used a broccoli pancake, a turkey slice and a poached egg to construct this - I also used some Annie's Light Thousand Island Dressing for dipping sauce instead of hollandaise

I used a microwave egg poacher but you can also poach an egg using a small custard cup in some boiling water in a sauce pan covered with a lid - or you can just baste or scramble your egg instead

Recipe:

1 egg - 70 calories
1 turkey slice - 23 calories
1 Dr. Praeger's Broccoli pancake - 70 calories


1. Cook the broccoli pancake
2. Heat up the turkey slice in the pan at the same time
3. Cook the egg last if you're using a microwave, it takes less than 30 seconds
4. Top the broccoli pancake with the turkey and egg - sprinkle salt and pepper if desired :)

90 Calorie Mocha Protein Latte

I needed a caffeine and protein fix after Pure Barre this morning so I made this Mocha Protein Iced Latte :)

This was really good and much healthier than a Starbucks latte :)

This is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

1 cup Almond Milk - 40 calories

1/2 serving Chocolate Protein Powder - 45 calories

1 cup coffee - 5 calories                                             

= 90 calories

1. Freeze 1/4 cup almond milk in ice cube tray(if desired) and make coffee ahead of time and store in refrigerator

2. Blend almond milk, coffee, and protein powder until the protein powder is fully dissolved

3. Serve cold :)

9 Calorie Pan-Seared Apple Fritters

Here's another apple recipe - it isn't the prettiest thing I've ever made, but these apple fritters taste really good! And they are much better for you than traditional deep-fried apple fritters. These are healthy enough to eat as breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

These are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and only 135 calories for the whole batch!

Recipe:

1 egg - 70 calories

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories

1/2 a medium Honeycrisp Apple - 40 calories

1 teaspoon Stevia                                                  

=135 calories for whole batch, makes about 15 small fritters - 9 calories each

1. Wash and cut the apple into small pieces - I cut mine into shoestring-type pieces

2. Whip together the egg, applesauce and stevia

3. Add the apple to the egg mixture

4. Spoon small amounts into a heated greased pan, flip carefully, brown both sides - repeat with the rest of the batter

5. Top with butter or sugar free maple syrup, enjoy hot :)

95 Calorie Apple Pie Protein Smoothie

Here's another protein smoothie recipe :) This one tasted fantastic in my opinion, I think the apple and cinnamon flavors worked really well with the Vanilla Vega protein powder 

Using half a serving of the Vega Protein powder gives this protein smoothie 7.5 grams of protein and a full serving of vegetables :)

This is also gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

4 tablespoons Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories

3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 30 calories

1/2 serving Vanilla Protein Powder(1/2 scoop, or half of a single serve packet) - 40 calories

1/2-3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon                                                   

= 95 calories total

1. Freeze Applesauce in an ice cube tray over night
2. Put apple sauce cubes, almond milk, protein powder and cinnamon in the blender
3. Blend until smooth - it may take 1 or 2 minutes for your apple sauce cubes to fully blend if your blender is like mine
4. Serve cold :)

45 Calorie Pumpkin Donuts

I finally cracked and bought a Donut Pan from Target - for my first experiment with it I made these Pumpkin Donuts :)

These held their shape really well - especially since they don't have any oil/butter or eggs!

These are also gluten free, dairy free and vegan!

Recipe: (makes 2 donuts)

3 tablespoons Oat Flour - 66 calories

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree - 20 calories

1 tablespoon Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 5 calories

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Stevia                                                       

= 91 calories, makes 2 donuts - 45.5 calories each

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the pumpkin, flour, apple sauce, cinnamon and stevia
3. Pour into a greased donut pan (makes 2 donuts)
4. Bake for about 18 minutes - let cool and remove from pan

100 Calorie Pumpkin Pancakes

I really like the pancakes you make with just a banana and an egg  - I tried them last year after I saw the recipe all over Pinterest, they are so easy to make! - But since it's fall I thought I would try making them with Pumpkin!

Pumpkin also has less sugar and calories than bananas so these are an even healthier version of pancakes :) If you are feeling extra festive you could mix some pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon into the batter or sprinkle some on top of the pancakes - 

These are also Gluten Free and Dairy Free and Paleo :)

Recipe:

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree - 20 calories

1 egg - 70 calories

2 tablespoons Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 10 calories       

= 100 calories total

1. Mix together the pumpkin and egg in a bowl

2. Pour about 1/3 of the batter into a heated and greased skillet (medium to high heat)

3. Flip when bubbles start to pop on the top of the pancake and the edge is solid - cook until both sides are browned

4. Repeat with the rest of the batter - top with syrup :)

100 Calorie Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

For my next protein smoothie experiment I decided to make a Pumpkin Pie-inspired smoothie. My blender doesn't blend regular ice cubes very well so I made Pumpkin Puree ice cubes over night - I put about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree into each ice cube section, they froze pretty quickly so you could probably put them in the freezer for just a few hours instead of overnight

I used the Vega Protein Powder (not the VegaOne all-in-one mix) - it tasted very similar to the VegaOne all-in-one, but it has less calories and it doesn't have all of the other added vitamins - this is the lowest calorie protein powder of the ones I bought to try - and it it is plant-based so it is Vegan :)

This Protein Smoothie has 100 Calories, and it is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan!

Recipe:

1/2 Packet of Vanilla Protein Powder (a half scoop) - 40 calories
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 40 calories
1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree(frozen into cubes) - 20 calories
1/8 teaspoon Allspice, 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon Cloves (or sub all for Pumpkin Pie Spice)
= 100 Calories

1. Freeze Pumpkin Puree in an ice cube tray overnight - if you skip this step you will want to refrigerate your shake before drinking it, or add some ice cubes to the blender

2. Put almond milk, spices, protein powder, and pumpkin in the blender

3. Blend until smooth - enjoy cold :)

35 Calorie Pumpkin Spice Latte

I promised a recipe for a Skinny/Dairy free Pumpkin Spice Latte, so here it is!

This was the perfect morning pick-me-up before a day at the Pumpkin Patch :) Pumpkin Spice Lattes definitely get me in the Fall Spirit - and this version comes without a stomach ache or all the extra sugar and calories :)

This is Gluten Free, Dairy free and only 35 calories for about 1.5 Grande Lattes - 

(A Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte From Starbucks has 380 Calories!)

Recipe: (makes enough for the amount of coffee in a Grande)

1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 20 calories

1 or 2 packets Stevia (depending on how sweet you want it to be)

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree - 5 calories

2 tablespoons Soy Whip - 10 calories                       

= 35 calories

1. Mix together the Almond milk, Stevia, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Pumpkin

2. Mix into 16oz. coffee (a Grande from Starbucks - the whole mixture will not fit in a grande cup)

3. Top with Soy Whip :)

Dining Out: Breakfast/Pancake Houses

You can basically find the same few things at any Pancake House/Breakfast restaurant - omelettes, pancakes, french toast, hashbrowns, bacon etc. - But some choices are healthier than others

My usual go-to is a Veggie Omelette - with egg whites only - and I try to order fruit instead of hashbrowns/toast/pancakes - depending on the restaurant and size of the omelette this should have 200-300 calories, and it is a very filling breakfast.

When we went to breakfast yesterday, my boyfriend ordered: An Omelette with Bacon, Pineapple, and Ham(about 450 calories) with hashbrowns(about 200 calories) and a side of pancakes with butter and syrup(about 400 calories) - that's over 1,000 calories total!

107 Calorie Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie

I started drinking Protein Smoothies last year when I got the NutriBullet on sale at Macy's - since then my mom bought the Ninja and I must say I think that the Ninja works better because it is a more powerful blender, but it does take up more counter space so the NutriBullet is a good option if you don't want a bulky blender and are just looking to make single serving smoothies.

I don't like to eat/cook a lot of meat so Protein Smoothies are a good way for me to get more protein in my diet - especially early in the day because I have them for breakfast. I used to use Whey Protein - and although I have read mixed findings on whether or not it affects those who are lactose intolerant, I have decided to try some other varieties of protein powder in order to find which one works best for me. I bought single-serve packets of a few different types at Whole Foods - these are great if you aren't sure if you like protein powder or if you don't know which type you like best, because you don't have to invest in a large tub of a protein powder that you may end up disliking - I have found that different types and brands can have very different flavors/textures.

The first one I tried was the Egg White Protein in Chocolate Flavor - yesterday I blended half of the packet up with some Almond Milk(90 calories total) - it was just ok, it didn't taste great or terrible, but it DEFINITELY is important to drink this cold (otherwise it is gross) so I chilled mine in the fridge for a few hours after I blended it up and ended up having it as an after-class/pre-workout snack.

I was a little more creative with the second half of the packet - I made a Chocolate Strawberry Protein Shake - this has a few more calories(17.5 cal - from the strawberries) but I think it tastes much better than the plain protein powder and almond milk combination, the strawberries add a true sweetness that covers the fake sweetener taste you can get from the protein powder. The egg white protein worked well in this, it turned out very creamy, almost more like a milkshake than a smoothie.

This Protein shake is Gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian :)

Recipe:

1/2 a Packet of Chocolate Flavored Protein Powder(or half a scoop) - 60 Calories (Egg White Protein)

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 30 calories

1/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries - 17.5 calories                           

= 107.5 calories

1. Add Frozen strawberries to the bottom of your blender cup (slice them if your blender doesn't blend super well)

2. Pour the protein powder on top of the strawberries, then add the Almond milk

3. Blend until smooth - enjoy cold!

Sweeten Your Own Cereal - 5 Ways!

Today I went to the grocery store just to get cereal - I keep craving it as a late night snack and I didn't have any in my apartment - the store didn't have Cinnamon Chex, so I took a closer look at the Gluten Free Chex labels and I realized that General Mills has been pulling one over on me....

Plain Rice Chex has 100 calories per 1 cup serving, the sweetened varieties have 120-130 calories - but those are measured in 3/4 cup servings! That means a whole cup of the sweetened Chex has over 160 calories!

So I decided to get the plain old Rice Chex and spice it up/sweeten it myself!

The first variation I tried was a Cinnamon Sugar copycat using Cinnamon and Stevia - these don't add any significant calories so my version is still about 100 calories for 1 cup (that's without milk - 120 cal with half a cup of unsweetened almond milk) - while regular Cinnamon Chex is 160 calories (without the milk!)

I tried four more variations:

Vanilla Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla & 1/4 cup Stevia - 100 cal

Chocolate Chex - 1/2 tablespoon Cocoa & 1/4 cup Stevia - 110 cal

Maple Chex - 1/8 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 110 cal

Peanut Butter Chex - 1 tablespoon PB2 Powder - 122 cal 

You could do this with any cereal you like! 

~ The more you know... ~