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

Miyoko's Vegan Mozz - Life-Changing Vegan Cheese!!

I have been on a bit of a hiatus from posting recipes while I have been focusing on my Skinnee B's products - but I just could not resist writing a post about Miyoko's Vegan Mozz. It is absolutely life-changing and I want to shout it from the rooftop!

This cheese melts, bubbles, stretches - and it's even good cold! This is just insane to me - when I first tried it I was so excited that I would not stop telling my boyfriend about it (even though I know that he couldn't care less about cheese, vegan or otherwise..)

So, you can see my dilemma - I had to share this with SOMEBODY. Thus, my return to the blog life.

Also it is cashew-based so it is also Paleo and Soy Free :)

Sadly, I do not have any photos of the first recipe I made with the Vegan Mozz, because I literally inhaled it. The next time I make it I will take pictures and post the exact recipe - but the gist of it is as follows:

Canyon Bakehouse GF Rosemary Focaccia  - cut in half
Fry up some Chicken Italian Sausage and add Red Sauce (I used Gravy's Arrabbiatta Sauce )
Spread Sauce/Sausage on Focaccia pieces, top with Miyoko's Vegan Mozz
Broil until Mozz is melted, bubbly and delicious :)


I have since used the Vegan Mozz in 3 other dishes(I have pictures of 2 of them)

Baked chicken with Arrabbiata Sauce, Broccoli and Vegan Mozz

& Baked Rigatoni with Arrabbiata Sauce and Vegan Mozz :)

And the third(not pictured) was a Caprese Salad with Avocado and Balsamic :)

Enjoy!

265 Calorie Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

I came up with the idea for this soup on a whim - I had all of the ingredients on hand so I just sort of threw it together, and it turned out great! This was a super easy, light, Italian dinner - perfect for the freezing weather we've been having in Chicago.

I used NOoodles for this recipe - they are a "zero calorie" noodle - basically there are so few calories that they can say there are zero calories, I would estimate there's about 30 calories or fewer in the whole package which is still really good for noodles  -- to satisfy a pasta craving I like to just rinse, drain and microwave these with some Earth Balance or olive oil and garlic powder and salt. These noodles are also already prepared so you don't have to cook them, just heat them up! They are also gluten and dairy free!

This recipe is gluten free and dairy free :)

Ingredients:

1 Can Tomato Basil Soup - 300 calories

1 Package NOodles - 30 calories

1 turkey burger patty - 200 calories

Garlic powder and Garlic Salt to taste                            

=530 calories, 2 servings, 265 calories per serving

Directions:

1. Put the turkey burger in a heated up medium sauce pan

2. Mash up the turkey and heat until browned

3. Add the tomato soup, bring to a boil

4. While the soup is heating, drain and rinse the noodles

5. Add the noodles to the pot, cook for a minute or two until the noodles are heated up

6. Serve hot :)

238 Calorie Chili

I tried making a skinnier version of my Mom's turkey chili - this was the result - you can customize it to your own preferences for chili ingredients, spice level etc.

This recipe makes at 2-3 large servings - you can freeze any leftovers and re-heat later for chili mac, chili dogs, or whatever else you might use chili for.

This would be great with my 158 Calorie Hearty Jalapeno Cornbread as a side :)

This chili is way better than canned/store-bought and it is gluten and dairy free!

Ingredients:

2 cans tomatoes - 180 cal

1 can chili beans - 315 cal

1 turkey burger - 200 cal

1 small can green chiles - 20 cal

1/2 tsp cumin

2 dashes each of salt, pepper and chili powder if desired                          

= 715 calories total, makes 3 servings, 238 calories each

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot brown and break up the turkey meat
2. Once the turkey is well browned, add in the tomatoes
3. Rinse the canned beans, then add to the pot
4. Add in green chilis and spices to taste
5. Allow to simmer for at least 25 minutes, longer if desired - stir occasionally
6. Remove from heat and serve hot - store leftovers in airtight container in the freezer

150 Calorie Bacon Mushroom Salad

I made this Bacon Mushroom Salad for dinner tonight and it was awesome - only 3 ingredients and under 20 minutes to make! 

The bacon and mushrooms would also be good as a steak or chicken topping, or on their own as a side dish - they are very versatile and there is no added oil because the mushrooms cook with the bacon - you can also add some extra spices like garlic or plain old salt and pepper.

This dish is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Ingredients: 

1 large slice of bacon - 80 calories

8 oz sliced mushrooms - 50 calories

2 cups mixed greens - 20 calories                       

= 150 calories total

1. Wash and slice up mushrooms, and cut bacon into 1 inch or smaller pieces

2. Add mushrooms and bacon to skillet or wok - cook on high heat

3. Stir occasionally, continue cooking until liquid from mushrooms cooks off and mushrooms are browned and bacon is cooked through

4. Remove from heat and serve over mixed greens - add salt and pepper, or garlic 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 :)

170 Calorie Turkey Club Salad

Turkey Club sandwiches are classic - so I thought I'd try to make a salad version - 

I had a salad with Mustard dressing last week and it was fantastic so I decided to use mustard as the dressing for this salad - It is also much healthier than oily salad dressing

I also used Boston Lettuce for this - it's still alive when you buy it(it has the root attached) so it stays nice and fresh in the fridge :)

This salad is gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe:

1 head Boston Lettuce - 20 calories
2 slices Bacon - 60 calories
2 slices turkey - 70 calories
1.5 tablespoons Dijon Mustard - 20 calories          
= 170 calories total


1. Wash and chop up lettuce
2. Cook bacon and chop up, add to lettuce
3. Chop up turkey and add to salad
4. Add Mustard (as dressing) and toss to incorporate

200 Calorie Cabbage & Bacon Stir Fry

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Cabbage & Noodles cooked in bacon - and I figured I could make a healthier/gluten free version - 

This is sort of similar to Stir Fry or Pad Woonsen - it made a great main dinner dish and was really easy to throw together - you could add other veggies/protein to the mix if you want to change things up just make sure to cook the hard vegetables until soft

This is also gluten free and dairy free:)

Recipe:
1 package NoOdles - 40 calories
1/4 head cabbage - 57 calories
2 slices bacon - 60 calories
1 spritz coconut oil - 10 calories
1 teaspoon Tamari - 5 calories
1 teaspoon butter alternative - 29 calories
Garlic Salt to taste                           
= 201 calories total

1. Cook bacon halfway in the microwave
2. Wash and shred cabbage
3. Add cabbage to wok, spritz with coconut oil and heat up
4. Add the bacon and noodles(drained) and heat evenly
5. Add Tamari and garlic salt to taste - serve hot :)

100 Calorie Carrot Fries

I love sweet potato fries - but these carrot fries are even healthier, and they taste really similar!

These make a great snack or side dish

These are also super easy to make, and they are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan :)

Recipe:

1.5 cups Baby Carrots - 78 calories

1/8 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup -10 calories

Coconut Oil Spray - 10 calories                                          

= 98 calories total

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice the baby carrots in half length-wise, then in half length-wise again - cutting each carrot into 4 long pieces

3. Spread carrots on a foil covered baking sheet, spray lightly with coconut oil

4. Bake for 30 minutes, halfway through the cooking time move the carrots around to help them cook evenly

5. Remove from oven, serve with maple syrup as dipping sauce

230 Calorie Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice in a restaurant isn't very healthy - and it usually isn't gluten free because of the Soy Sauce - so I thought I would try making my own healthy/gluten free version for dinner :)

I used quinoa instead of rice - you can use rice if you prefer, I just already had quinoa - and I added egg whites and peas - but you can add whatever other veggies/protein you like

This was pretty easy to make, and its only 230 calories! It is also gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe:
2 Egg Whites - 34 calories
1/4 cup uncooked Quinoa - 160 calorires
1/4 cup Peas - 26 calories
1 tablespoon Gluten free Soy Sauce/Tamari - 10 calories
Onion Powder, Garlic Salt, Pepper (to taste)                     
= 230 calories total


1. First cook your quinoa or rice - quinoa takes about 15-20 minutes to make
2. Once the quinoa is cooked, scramble the egg whites
3. As the egg whites are cooking you can cook the peas in the same pan
4. Once the eggs and peas are done add the quinoa to the skillet and stir in the Soy Sauce or Tamari, and add the other seasonings
5. Serve hot :)

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 :)

90 Calorie Egg Drop Soup

This is one of my go-to comfort food dinners - it is really easy to make and it is perfect for a cold Chicago day

All you need is bouillon and an egg! As long as you check your bouillon carefully this is gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe: (makes 1 large serving or 2 smaller servings)
1 egg - 70 calories
2 cups Chicken Bouillon - 20 calories      
= 90 calories

1. Prepare the bouillon and bring to a boil

2. Scramble the egg in a separate bowl - then add to the boiling bouillon - the egg will cook immediately in the boiling pot so be sure to stir quickly to break up the egg

3. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve :)

100 Calorie Spicy Italian Salad

As you may already know, I love spicy food. One of my favorite ways to spice up my food is to use hot sauce as salad dressing (like I do at Chipotle) - this salad is a variation of that, using a mixture of Light Italian Dressing and Green Tabasco :)

This really tastes like a spicy italian sub sandwich - but it is only 93 calories! You can add some lunchmeat if you want more protein, or serve this as a side dish - 

This salad is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan :)

Recipe:

2.5-3 cup Lettuce - 20 calories

1 small (or half of a large) Heirloom Tomato - 35 calories

4-6 Pepperocini peppers - 15 calories

1 tablespoon Light Italian Dressing - 22 calories

2-3 teaspoons Green Tabasco Sauce                                 

= 93 calories total

1. Wash and chop up the lettuce and tomato(salt and pepper the tomato), and cut up the peppers

2. Before adding the tomato and peppers, add the italian dressing and tabasco sauce to the lettuce and toss well

3. Top with tomato and peppers, toss well again, and enjoy :)

Shrimp Scampi (Under 200 Calories!)

This is another variation of my 100 Calorie Zucchini Spaghetti -  this time I sauteed the Zucchini Spaghetti with garlic salt, butter, and shrimp, to make a healthy Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo!

Recipe:

1 medium/large Zucchini - 46 calories

10 medium shrimp - 64 calories

1 tablespoon Earth Balance Whipped Buttery Spread(or other Butter replacement) - 80 calories

1-2 teaspoons Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder                                                                                  

= 190 calories

1. Thaw your shrimp if you are using pre-cooked frozen shrimp

2. Wash and slice your zucchini into spaghetti strips

3. Heat up a medium frying pan on the stovetop, add the shrimp

4. Add the zucchini to the pan, add the butter(you may not need a full tablespoon, you just want to add enough to keep the zucchini from drying out)

5. Sautee for about 6 minutes, top with garlic salt and enjoy :)

260 Calorie Big Mac Salad

I love McDonald's Big Macs - but this salad version is much healthier, I don't even miss the bun and the cheese!

This is a very heavy salad, but it tastes exactly like a Big Mac in my opinion - 

It is also Gluten free and Dairy free!

Recipe:

1/4 pound Ground Turkey Breast (or other meat) - 120 calories

1 large pickle - 20 calories

2 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing - 90 calories

Lettuce (about 2.5 cups) - 20 calories                            
=260 calories total


1. Grill your turkey burger, flipping about halfway through
2. While the meat is cooking chop up the pickle, wash and chop up your lettuce
3. Put the lettuce in a large salad bowl, top with pickles
4. Add your turkey burger to the top of the salad, top with Thousand Island Dressing and more pickles

Dining Out: The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is one of the worst offenders as far as high calorie restaurant entrees - If you choose to eat here while watching your calorie intake you have to be very careful about what you order

I only order off of their new Skinnylicious Menu - I get the Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos, they are 260 calories, and they are gluten free and dairy free(without the crema) - they are basically like a mexican chicken salad in lettuce wrap form

For comparison, my boyfriend orders the Baja Chicken Tacos - these are 1,119 calories! And his entree does not look very different from mine except that his comes with actual tortillas and rice and beans. I would not have thought that his meal would be that high in calories - but leave it to Cheesecake Factory to make even the healthy-looking things high in calories..

Also if you eat here while restricting calories do not order cheesecake! Instead you should make your own low cal version at home - You can do this using 1 container of Chobani or Fage low fat greek yogurt and a tablespoon of Jell-O Sugar Free Cheesecake mix - just stir the two ingredients together well and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes - you could add PB2 powder or cocoa powder to make a peanut butter/chocolate cheesecake, or top with some fruit preserves for a classic fruit-topped cheesecake treat :)

200 Calorie Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower

I made this Spicy Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower for dinner tonight, it smelled AMAZING while it was roasting in the oven - and I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I ate then entire thing by myself...

This was really good! I love spicy food so I knew I would like how this turned out - I even used extra sriracha as a dipping sauce :)

I had this as a main dinner dish but you could also have it as a side dish, or serve it with some other heavy sides if you're cooking for more than one person.

This recipe is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan - make sure you use a Gluten Free Sriracha if you are gluten intolerant, not all brands are gluten free

Recipe:

1 medium head of Cauliflower - 146 calories

1/4 cup Sriracha - 60 calories

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Powder

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes               

=206 calories for the whole head of cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Wash Cauliflower and cut off the large stem and leaves

3. Mix together the Sriracha, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Powder, and Chili Flakes

4. Spread the Sauce mixture over the whole head of Cauliflower - Use a spoon or basting brush to do this, or wear gloves so that you don't stain your hands

5. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - I sprayed some coconut oil on my cauliflower halfway through the cooking time but that probably isn't necessary

6. Remove from oven when tender, slice and add some salt and pepper if desired - enjoy while it's HOT :)