German-Style Potato Salad {gluten, dairy, and soy free}

Several years ago, I had my first taste of a German-style potato salad. I was hooked! And then I promptly shoved the memory to the back of my mind, where it lay dormant. What brought the memory back? Pregnancy, of course! And if memory serves, it was during my last pregnancy that I first tried this style of salad.

Anyway--my memory didn't fail me. This is one yummy, satisfying salad. It's much lighter than standard BBQ fare, as it doesn't contain even an ounce of mayonnaise.

I love to eat this dish warm, just after it has been put together. It tastes great cold too, so make it ahead and stash it in the fridge if you'd like.

Ingredients:
Red Potatoes {I used six large potatoes}
Bacon {I prefer the uncured variety, and I used six pieces}
White or Yellow Onion {diced}
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar
Salt and Pepper {to taste}
Green Onions {I LOVE green onions, so I used an entire bunch. Scale that back if you prefer.}

To Make:
Wash and dice your potatoes, then put them in a large pot of water to boil. Cook until fork-tender, drain, and set aside.
Chop bacon into bite-size pieces, and cook to done in a skillet. I don't like my bacon to be ridiculously crunchy, but if you do, go for it!
Remove cooked bacon from the skillet, reserving the grease. I put mine on a paper-towel lined plate.
Add the diced onion to the skillet, and cook until tender and translucent.
While the onions are cooking, combine potatoes, bacon, and green onions in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Carefully {you ARE adding vinegar to hot grease, after all!} add the sugar and cider vinegar to the cooked onions, and stir to combine.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the salad, and give it a good stir to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Gluten Free, Raw, Vegan, Vanilla/Blonde Macaroons {Kinda like Hail Merry}

I love, LOVE my chocolate macaroon recipe. We make them often, especially during the summer months. When a  friend asked me to try making the "blonde" {vanilla} version, I couldn't turn her down. I'm really pleased with the way these turned out, but I confess--I prefer the chocolate variety. Probably because I never say no to chocolate.

And to be fair, I've never eaten a Hail Merry Blonde Macaroon. This is simply me taking my chocolate macaroon recipe, and vanilla-izing it.

Finally, wouldn't these be yummy with a bit of chocolate drizzled over the top? Or perhaps with some mini chocolate chips stirred into the mixture, before the macaroons are formed?

You'll Need:
1 {heaping} Cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
6 Tbsp. Almond Meal
2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup* {the real stuff!!}
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

To Make:
Add coconut to your food processor, cover, and pulse several times to further break up the coconut.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and run the processor again to mix completely. Scrape down the sides if necessary.Working quickly {coconut oil melts very rapidly in your hands!}, roll the mixture into small balls and place in a dish lined with parchment paper. Better yet, use a small scoop to measure equally sized portions, depositing them directly on the dish.Refrigerate immediately, allowing the macaroons to set up, then cover and store in your fridge or freezer.Makes 10-15 macaroons, depending on size.

*I had sweetened coconut on hand, and that is what went into this recipe. You may wish to add a touch more maple syrup or agave to your recipe if you're using unsweetened coconut.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free BBQ Chicken Pizza

Something about the beginning of this new year has flipped a switch in my brain. I'm craving healthier things during the day {yay!}, and flavor-filled, light dinners that don't leave me feeling less-than-awesome at the end of the day. This isn't a huge change from the way I normally eat, but I do confess to having a pretty big sweet tooth. Ok--let's call it what it is. A carbohydrate tooth.

Anyway.

This pizza seemed just right the other day. Filling, satisfying, and with more than a hint of tangy-sweet BBQ sauce. I used pre-made crusts so it came together quickly. When I've got more time, I like to make Silvana's crusts from Cooking for Isaiah.

Like many of the meals I put together, I didn't use precise measurements. Your needs will vary based on how many you are feeding, the size of your pizza crust(s), and so on. The sauce I put together was enough to cover one pizza about twelve inches, and two smaller "personal size" pizzas.

You'll Need:
Pizza crusts {Udi's and Rudi's are both great pre-made gluten-free options}
BBQ Sauce
Water
Chicken Breasts {I used two and had some left over}
Almond or Rice Milk
Earth Balance Spread
Red Onion {I halved my onion and then sliced it very finely}
Daiya Mozzarella Shreds {or another cheese/cheese replacement of your choice}
Cilantro

To Make:
 In a small sauce pan, mix some BBQ sauce and water. I used less than 1/2 cup each.
Add chicken, and cook over medium-high heat, turning the chicken occasionally.
While the chicken is cooking, put together the sauce for your pizza. I put some BBQ sauce in a small bowl {enough to spoon over my crusts}, and then added roughly one Tablespoon each almond milk and Earth Balance. Of course, you could use plain BBQ sauce here, but I wanted to give my sauce a slightly more creamy consistency.
Spoon sauce over crusts.
When the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred the meat, and then stir the mixture to coat with BBQ Suace.
Add shredded chicken to your pizza.
Add finely sliced red onion and cheese/cheese replacement to your liking.
Bake your pizzas according to package or recipe instructions. I baked mine at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or so.
Before serving, top your pizza with washed, chopped cilantro.

Allergy-Friendly {P.F. Chang's} Lettuce Wraps: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, SOY Free!

When he sat down to the table yesterday, my hubby didn't look very impressed with the spread. A plate of lettuce leaves, a bowl of "ground turkey?? we're having ground turkey??," and some sweet potato fries sat in front of him. I reassured him that this wasn't just ground turkey he was about to dig into. So he tried a wrap.

"Oh, HONEY!" he said. He had all but declared the lettuce wraps his new favorite meal by the time he pushed his plate away. Yup--I win!

Anyway--these are good. Really good. They're light, and pretty darned healthy, but they're also satisfying. The perfect meal, if you ask me.

Ready to make some of your own?

You'll Need:
1 lb. Ground Chicken or Turkey Breast {a 1.25-pound package of ground turkey breast works well too!}
1/2 Onion {chopped}
1 Tbsp. Oil
Salt and Pepper

1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Freshly Grated Ginger
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp. Coconut Aminos*
3 tsp. Water
1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar {I used seasoned rice vinegar}
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 C. Green Onions {chopped}
1/4 C. Water Chestnuts {chopped into small pieces}
1/4 C. Chopped Peanuts {optional--I left them out this time because I didn't have any on hand}

Butter Lettuce or Iceberg Leaves {left whole, and washed}

To Make:
In a large skillet, heat oil and  cook the meat and chopped onion, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir often and use a spatula to break up the meat into small crumbles.
Combine the garlic powder, ginger, sesame oil, coconut aminos, water, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a microwave-safe dish.
Microwave sauce ingredients for 20-30 seconds and then stir well to integrate the peanut butter, and then set aside.
When the meat is cooked through, add the green onions, water chestnuts, and peanuts and stir to combine.
Top the mixture with sauce, and mix thoroughly.
Serve the mixture with lettuce leaves for wrapping. I put ours out family style and we built a couple of wraps each onto our plates

*If you're not avoiding soy, or want to use gluten free soy sauce in place of oconut aminos, use 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, and add a couple of teaspoons of honey or agave nectar to the sauce mixture.

Shared on... Allergy Free Wednesday, Allergy-Friendly Friday