DF Apple Spiced Muffins

Dairy-free, Egg-free} Spiced Applesauce Muffins {OR} First Birthday Applesauce Cake

Yield: 12 muffins OR two 6-inch round cake layers

Dairy-free, egg-free applesauce muffins, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, make a great snack or breakfast on-the-go. The same batter can also be made into an allergen-free first birthday cake!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (such as safflower or canola)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, heated until warm
• Small chopped apples

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners (or generously grease two 6-inch round pans with nonstick cooking spray).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, apples, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Alternately add flour mixture and applesauce and blend in, starting and ending with flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
3. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan and bake for 14 to 16 minutes (or divide batter between 6-inch cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Whole wheat pastry flour may be substituted for some or all of the all-purpose flour.

Melted coconut oil may be substituted for the vegetable oil.

Unrefined cane sugar (Sucanat or Rapadura) may be substituted for the granulated sugar.

DAIRY-FREE FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE FROSTING: If you bake a first birthday cake and would like to frost it with dairy-free frosting, whip 1/2 cup softened soy-free natural buttery spread (such as Earth Balance) until smooth. Mix in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time until desired sweetness and consistency is reached (around 3 cups total). Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Beat at high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, you may add a tablespoon or two of rice milk or coconut milk to reach desired consistency, but the additional liquid probably will not be necessary.

NOTE: After going to the trouble of making an allergen-free birthday cake, I would have felt guilty about tinting my daughter's birthday cake frosting pink with regular food coloring. So this was my first time using an all natural, dye-free, vegetable-based food coloring. I tried India Tree and was happy with the results for attaining shades of pink, but I haven't experimented with achieving different colors with natural food coloring.

*Lemon Chicken w/ Artichoke + Brown Rice

Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken meat, large dice
• 1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (canned or jarred - not frozen)
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup lightly packed thinly sliced basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups chicken broth (for rice)

Directions

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring rarely, until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes.

Add wine, water, some basil, and juice and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits. Cook until alcohol smell is cooked off and sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil and lemon, and serve with brown rice.

White Fish with White Wine

Ingredients

• 4 fillets of cod or other firm white fish, about 6 ounces each (used haddock)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon squeezed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano , or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• Garlic powder to taste

Directions

PREP

15 mins

COOK

15 mins

READY IN

30 mins

• Chop garlic finely. In a skillet large enough to hold fillets in a single layer, heat butter and olive oil. Cook garlic on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until it starts turning brown.
• Chop onion and tomato finely. Add onion, tomato and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Remove any skin from the fish and cut into serving size pieces.
• Place the fillets on top of the vegetables; salt and pepper everything lightly. Add the wine and lemon juice, cover, and simmer until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 5 - 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. (Test with a fork after 5 minutes.)
• When the fish is done, remove it to keep warm, and then raise heat to high and boil until the sauce is reduced to desired thickness, about 5 minutes.  
• Taste test sauce. Add garlic powder if needed. 
• Spoon sauce over fish and serve immediately.

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

READY IN: 55mins

INGREDIENTS

• 8 boneless skinless, chicken thighs
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• Carrots (optional)
• Broccoli (optional)
• Onions (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl with tight fitting lid, put the flour.
3. Add chicken, in batches, and shake to coat.
4. Shake off excess flour and place pieces in a greased 8x8 baking dish (use orange cruset pan)
5. making sure not to lay them flat.
6. They should have the same shape as they were in the package.
7. In a small bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, garlic and seasonings.
8. Pour evenly over the chicken.
9. Add veggies on top
10. Cover and bake 30 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce.

Shrimp Vegetable Skillet

·       Omitted onion powder because I didn’t have any

·       Instead of chicken broth I made a broth from the shrimp shells as I mentioned and used it

·       Instead of asparagus and zucchini I just used broccoli (I didn’t think the zucchini was a good addition – thought it would be too mushy for the dish – and I only had broccoli on hand anyway)

·       Oh, I also added a few fresh mushrooms sliced

Ingredients:

·       ½ teaspoon onion powder

·       ½ teaspoon garlic powder

·       ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

·       Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

·       1 lb raw shrimp, peel and deveined, but with tail on.

·       1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tbsp tablespoon olive oil

·       1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

·       1 cup white onions, chopped

·       ½ cup chicken broth

·       1 cup asparagus (the spears should be cut at a diagonal in 2-3 inch pieces)

·       1 cup zucchini, diced

·       Fresh chopped parsley for garnishing

Directions:

1.        In a small bowl, add all the spices (onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper) and mix together to combine.

2.        In a large bowl, add shrimp and the spice mixture. Mix everything well to combine.

3.        In a cast iron skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.

4.        Add shrimp and cook for about 1-2 minutes each side or until they are pink. Set them aside

5.        In the same skillet, add 1-tablespoon olive oil, white onions, and red bell pepper.

6.        Cook for about 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.

7.        Add chicken broth and asparagus (cut into 2-3in diagonal pieces). Put the lid on the skillet and cook for only 2 minutes and stir occasionally.

8.        Add zucchini, put the lid on the skillet and cook for more 3 minutes.

9.        Bring shrimp back to the skillet.

10.     Cook for 30 seconds or 1 minute.

11.     Garnish with parsley and serve over quinoa or rice. I cooked 1 cup of rice.

SHRIMP STOCK RECIPE

Ingredients

·       1 1/2 pounds shrimp SHELLS (NOT TAILS)

·       1 cup coarsely chopped onion

·       1/2 cup chopped carrots

·       1/2 cup chopped celery

·       1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

·       1 bay leaf

·       1/4 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       2 1/2 quarts, plus 1 cup cold water

Directions

Rinse the shrimp shells under cold running water and place them in a stockpot with the shrimp shells, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, and water. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Skim the impurities that rise to the surface with a ladle, spoon or a skimmer. Simmer the stock for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the stock is completed, strain the stockpot and immediately cool the strained stock using an ice bath of water and ice. Use the amount of stock you need, and refrigerate and/or freeze the remainder.