Tag: gluten free

Fruity Lemonade

Melissa King 24 Comments

Who doesn’t like a refreshing cold drink in the summer?  I know I love it on hot days like today.  Problem is, most store bought mixes are laden with processed sugar and chemicals.  Take a look at the ingredients in this Country Time Lemonade that I got off their website.  Did you notice how there are no actual lemons in the ingredients???  There are, however, lots of other unwanted additives.  I have highlighted some of the nastier ones.

95119cf

Ingredients: SUGAR, FRUCTOSE, CITRIC ACID, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, CALCIUM FUMARATE, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, YELLOW 5 LAKE, TOCOPHEROL (PRESERVES FRESHNESS). CONTAINS: SOY.

You can almost guarantee that the soy products contain
GMOs.  This is easy to make and much better!

lemonade watermark

If you don’t want a drink, you can make these into popsicles using these molds.  I made mine using a juicer, but you can use a blender and strain if you like, or just make it into a lemonade smoothie!  I got the idea for this after I saw all the fruits that came in my co-op basket.

Fruity Lemonade

Fruity Lemonade

print shopping list
Prep Time 5 min

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons (remove rinds, but leave as much white as possible)
  • 3 mangos (skins removed and pitted)
  • 4-5 cups honey dew melon cubed
  • 1-3 T of raw honey or maple syrup

Instructions

  1. If you are using a juicer , juice all ingredients except for the honey.
  2. Take a taste.
  3. Add 1-3 T raw honey or maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it. I personally love the tarty flavor.
  4. If you are using a blender juice the lemon separately.
  5. Add the rest of the fruit and the sweetener into the blender with the lemon juice.
  6. Blend for about 90 seconds.
  7. Serve immediately or store for later. I got about 32 oz of juice out of mine. Enjoy!

by

Healthy Key Lime Tarts (Vegan and Paleo)

Melissa King 62 Comments

Healthy Key Lime Tarts.  One of the things I think of during summer is healthy key lime tarts.  I knew I had to find a way to make a healthy key lime vegan tart recipe.

My father-in-law loves all things key lime and he loved this key lime tart recipe!  I had him come over and taste test them.  If you like my Key Lime Larabars, you will love these key lime tarts!

 

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

 

I had soaked some cashews because I was making some Smoky Sweet Potato Tacos and the recipe called for a maple cream.

I thought they were plenty sweet and didn’t end up making the cream part.  The tacos were bomb though!

I used the extra cashew cream in this recipe. These little tarts are vegan, grain free, gluten free and raw.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

print shopping list
Prep Time 2 hr Serves 5 - 6 servings     adjust servings

Ingredients

    For the crust

    For the filling

    Instructions

      For the crust

      1. Soak the cashews overnight and then drain and rinse.
      2. In the food processor , grind up the salt, almonds and pecans until they are a course/crumbly texture.
      3. Add the dates and pulse until a dough starts to form. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water or oil if the dough is not holding well.
      4. Press the dough into individual greased tart pans . I have the kind with the removable bottoms. Makes it real easy to remove them afterward. I got five out of my batch. It helps to use wet hands while forming the dough into place.
      5. Once all the dough is formed in the cups, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm the dough back up.

      For the filling

      1. While the dough is firming back up, you can start on the filling. Throw the cashews, coconut milk, sweetener and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. I used my Vitamix . Take a taste. If you like it a little more tart, add some more lime juice.
      2. Pour the contents into the tart shells and let chill in the fridge for a couple hours. That’s it!

      by

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

      Melissa King 17 Comments

      Summer is here and who doesn’t like a frozen treat?  I already have several up in my recipe index.  This pina colada ice cream is just a perfect addition.  The taste of pina colada reminds me of when I lived in Las Vegas.  We would go to the resort pool parties and sip on pina coladas.  Super yummy.  I found this recipe initially at The Midnight Baker’s website.  She made them into popsicles, but I turned them into ice cream.  You could do either.

      pina colada ice cream watermark blur

      If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can make them into popsicles
      or smoothie pops.  Any way will work great!  We received a pineapple and some vanilla beans in our co-op basket so I used them in this recipe.

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 15 min Serves 4-5 cups     adjust servings

      Ingredients

      • 1 can coconut milk (I used Thai Organic)
      • 1 frozen banana
      • 1 vanilla bean (whole) 1tsp extract would work well too.
      • 3 cups pineapple diced
      • 2 T liquid sweetener (optional)

      Instructions

      1. Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about 90 seconds. Take a taste. It will be slightly tart. I liked it that way.
      2. You can also add 2 T of maple syrup or honey to sweeten it more if you like. I did not add any sweetener to mine.
      3. Pour contents into ice pop molds or an ice cream machine . Mine took about 20 minutes in the machine.
      4. The ice cream will come out like soft serve. If you prefer a harder ice cream, place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to firm up. Enjoy!

      by

      Super Easy Tacos

      Melissa King 30 Comments

      I have said before that my husband is a huge fan of all Tex Mex food.  I swear he could eat tacos everyday.  This is one recipe that he makes that I absolutely love, even though I am not that into Tex Mex.  This recipe is not spicy, because I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food.  I will add in some options if you want it a little hot.

      tacos watermark

      Last week, in our co-op, there was an option to buy 48 ears of organic and non GMO corn.  We jumped on that deal and have it tucked away in our freezer.  We used some of that corn in this recipe.  There is nothing like the sweet taste of corn on the cob.  It reminds me of summer just like watermelon does.  Yum!

      Super Easy Tacos

      Super Easy Tacos

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups black beans
      • 2 cups corn (please use organic and non GMO corn if possible)
      • 1-2 cups cooked wild rice or quinoa
      • 1/2 yellow onion chopped
      • 2 tsp cumin
      • 1 tsp garlic
      • 1 tsp chili powder
      • Juice from 1/2 lime
      • 3 T oil (I used Avocado Oil )
      • 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
      • 1 pickled jalapino chopped (per taco)

      Instructions

      1. Cook the rice or quinoa according to the package instructions. 
      2. I actually always have some kind of a grain cooked in the fridge that I can add to meals to stretch them out. 
      3. In a large sauce pan , saute the onions, beans and spices in your oil of choice.
      4. When onions begin to soften, add corn, rice and lime juice and cook an additional 7 minutes or so on medium heat. That’s it.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      Now you can create the taco with whatever fixings you like. We use Food for Life sprouted corn tortillas, add in the cooked mixture, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro and cheese of your choice. We use our dairy free cheese sauce and it tastes awesome with this recipe. Enjoy!

       

      Coconut Almond Fudge (Vegan and Paleo)

      Melissa King 127 Comments

      Coconut Almond Fudge.  I thought I would never again enjoy a sweet bite of indulgent coconut fudge eating a clean and vegan diet. Who doesn’t like fudge?  It literally melts in your mouth with it’s velvety texture.

      The minute I had my first taste of coconut butter, I knew I could find a way to make it vegan AND clean. Introducing my Coconut Almond Fudge.  This fudge recipe is truly for coconut lovers!

       

      coconut almond fudge

       

      This coconut almond vegan fudge is so good.  If you like my Coconut Truffles, you will love these!  The best part?  They fit almost every diet.  They are grain free, gluten free and vegan.  If you have a nut allergy, you can try making them with sunflower butter.

      I am sure they would be great that way too!  I used chocolate molds to set my fudge, but mini muffin cups would work great too!  If using mini muffin cups, please use a paper or silicone wrappers so they can be easily removed.

      Looking for more fudge recipes?

      Coconut Almond Fudge

      Coconut Almond Fudge

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 10 min Serves 15     adjust servings

      Coconut and almonds that go beautifully to create a fudge that melts in your mouth.

      Ingredients

      Instructions

      1. In a saucepan , combine all the ingredients.
      2. Stir on medium heat until everything is combined.
      3. Pour into molds and store in the fridge to set.

      by

      Recipe Notes

      These should take 1-2 hours to set up in the freezer. Enjoy!

      Grain Free Strawberry Tart (Vegan and Gluten Free)

      Melissa King 34 Comments

      Grain Free Strawberry Tart.  I am a big fan of fruit tarts and strawberry tarts are my favorite.  In fact, strawberry fruit tarts might be my most favorite dessert, especially in the summer.

      So I had to make this grain free and vegan strawberry tart!  I already made a Grain Free Blueberry Tart that is on the blog.  It came out amazing, but I think I perfected the custard base this time around with the strawberry tart.

      It really tasted like the fruit tarts from Whole Foods except my tart recipe is dairy free!  This week, Whole Foods was selling organic strawberries 3 for $10, so I picked up some.

       

      grain free strawberry tart

       

      I initially was going to create a strawberry shortcake, but the shortcakes didn’t turn out right, so I turned it into a tart instead.  What a blessing because this may be the most delicious thing I ever made!

      I had to resort to serious willpower not to inhale half of it.  Another great thing about this is it’s raw, vegan, gluten free, grain free and dairy free.  So almost anyone can enjoy it.

      Looking for more strawberry recipes?

      Grain Free Strawberry Tart

      Grain Free Strawberry Tart

      print shopping list
      Prep Time 30 min Cook Time 60 min Serves 8-12 slices     adjust servings

      Ingredients

        For the crust

        For the strawberry topping

        For the custard

        Instructions

          For the strawberry topping

          1. In a large bowl , add the strawberries, sugar and lemon zest. Place in the fridge for about 3 hours.

          For the tart

          1. In the food processor , combine the almonds, salt and flax seed into a course powder.
          2. Add in the dates and the water and pulse until a dough starts to form.
          3. Once the dough is formed, gently form it into a greased tart pan . Wet hands work best for this.
          4. Once the crust is laid out in the tart pan , place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.

          For the custard

          1. While the crust is firming up, make your cashew cream.
          2. Drain the cashews that have been soaking overnight and add them to a blender with the coconut butter, maple syrup and milk.
          3. Blend until a thick custard-like cream forms.
          4. Remove it from the blender and spread it out over the crust.
          5. With a slotted spoon , spoon the strawberry mixture on top of the custard leaving only the liquid left over in the bowl .

          by

          Recipe Notes

          Save the left over liquid and use as a syrup for pancakes or waffles ! This should keep in the fridge for about a week. Ours didn’t even last that long!