Basic frittata (dairy-free)

Our whole family loves quiche and frittata and mom makes it all the time. However, I've been a little dismayed by all the recipes out there always using tons of milk and cream and cheese, etc. And I don't like taking lots of time in the morning, so I rarely like doing a crust, though they are yummy additions. So I finally have refined my quiche recipe to what works for me and is super moist. Paul said it was his favorite quiche...which surprised me, since there's no yummy extras that would generally make it so, according to others.

There is no crust. And the bread inside it kind of disappears and makes it very moist! But, here it is--again, no milk or cheese, so don't use this recipe if you're dying to have those in it.

2-4 bread slices, broken in pieces (4 is more moist; I use light sprouted wheat bread--like white)
2 T butter, melted in glass dish
5 eggs (you can use 4 if needed)
1c.+ water (I'll add a few extra Tablespoons of water so it's 1 1/4, but not needful, esp if only 4 eggs)
1/2 c.+ cooked ground pork sausage (or bacon, but the flavor isn't as savory)
1/2 onion, diced (or just dash of powder to save time)
1 garlic clove, minced (or powder to save time)
2 handfuls spinach, cut into thin strips so it's small
1/2 c. red pepper, diced (opt.)
1/4 t. sage powder (optional--with bacon--but super yummy with sausage! Fresh sage = 1 t.)
salt and pepper to taste

optional:
1 c cubed baked potato pieces

1. Put butter into the glass pie pan and place in oven while it preheats to 350 (watch so it doesn't burn). Pull it out and make sure butter covers the whole pan.
2. Mix egg and water together in a bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Pour into greased pie pan and bake for 30 minutes.

double the amount of eggs for feeding larger family/guests and put in 9x13 dish.

Dairy-Free Whipped "Cream"

Ever had coconut milk? Well, you can make whip cream out of it.
Just store that in your fridge overnight and then the next day open the can from the bottom and drain out the liquid. With the leftover cream you can just blend it and voila...you have a dairy-free Whip cream alternative. But it needs to stay cold and doesn't hold it's form the same way as the typically whip cream, so you just have to get use to the differences. Hopefully you like the coconut flavor!

You can add cocoa powder for more of a chocolate topping. :)

Egg Substitutions Chart

This is a super helpful chart from a website if you either are missing eggs or don't want them!
http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/

Egg Substitutions

1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg whites

Replacement In	With Ingredients like	How to Replace
Brownies	Silken Tofu/ Tofu( 1/4 cup blended silken tofu = 1 egg )	Process in a blender until completely smooth and creamy, leaving no graininess or chunks. You will want to attach other wet ingredients to this mixture to return with it to blend properly.
	Applesauce(1/3 cup applesauce = 1 egg or ¼ cup Applesauce + 1 tsp Baking Powder )	If chocolate in the brownies overpowers the flavor of applesauce so it can be safely used, and is in fact, one of the best egg substitute in brownie mix.
	Soy Yogurt/Plain Yogurt( ¼ cup Yogurt= 1 EGG )	If you are a vegan, you may opt for soy yogurt. Otherwise plain yogurt will do the trick. Just beat it well and add it to the brownie mix.
	Flax seeds(1 tbsp ground Flax seeds +3 tbsp Water =1 egg	Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder, and mix with water. Allow it to rest till it becomes gelatinous, then use.
	Bananas(½ pureed Banana, abt 1/4 cup = 1 egg)	Just mash it smooth, and use it but the addition of banana will alter the flavor of the brownies
	Commercial Egg Substitute	Use as per instructions on pack. Many people who have used this find it to leave behind a peculiar taste. However, there have been exceptions to this case.
Breads	Bananas (½ pureed Banana, abt 1/4 cup = 1 egg)	Recipes: Banana Blueberry Bread
	Soy yogurt(1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1egg)	Soy yogurt works deeply like whiz tofu as an egg replacer.Helps to make it moist
	Water(one egg with 1/4 cup water.	Recipe:Vegan Banana Nut Bread
	Flax seeds(1 tbsp ground Flax seeds +3 tbsp Water =1 egg	Adding ground flax seeds to any recipe add Omega-3′s to the recipe! You can buy ground flax seeds in the health section of most grocery stores. Recipe: Whole Wheat Honey Walnut Pumpkin Bread
Cakes (eggs mostly serve as leavening agents in cakes, helping to make the end product light and fluffy)	Applesauce (1/3 cup applesauce = 1 egg or ¼ cup Applesauce + 1 tsp Baking Powder )
	Bananas (½ pureed Banana, abt 1/4 cup = 1 egg)	Recipe: Wholegrain Banana Cake
	Soy yogurt/Yogurt(1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg)	Soy yogurt works deeply like whiz tofu as an egg replacer. It makes things moist. Recipes: Blueberry Boy Bait; Strawberry Yogurt Cake
	Water(one egg with 1/4 cup water.)
	Vegetable Oil(1/4 cup = 1 egg)	Recipes: Banana Cupcake
	Buttermilk	Buttermilk is one of the preferred egg substitute used for eggless cake recipes. What you need to do is add half a cup of buttermilk (instead of one egg) and follow the same directions as you did for baking regular cakes. The only thing is to add less amount of water for making the dough. With buttermilk, the resultant cake will be very soft and tasty.
	Pureed Fruits(3 tablespoons of pureed fruit = one egg )	In cases when you don’t like using eggs and buttermilk in cakes then a good egg substitute for baking cakes is, adding pureed fruits. Use 3 tablespoons of pureed banana (for one egg) and follow the same tips for baking cake. Even without eggs, you will surely serve a soft and delicious cake with pureed fruits.
	Gelatin (Non Vegetarian)(1 tablespoon gelatin + 3 tablespoons lukewarm water = 1 egg)	Another popularly used egg substitute in baking is unsweetened and unflavored gelatin. Most vegetarians prefer adding Agar Agar instead of Gelatin as a substitute in cake, instead of the other options. For using gelatin in baking cake, mix together one tablespoon gelatin with three tablespoons lukewarm water. Add this mixture for making the cake dough.
	Flaxseed(1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil+ 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg)	Stir the flaxseed mixture well and allow it to thicken for a few minutes. Strain the seeds by using a muslin cloth and use the filtrate for baking cake.
	Vinegar and Baking Powder	Use this egg substitute in cake, only when you require more than one egg for baking. Mix one tablespoon each of white vinegar and water in a glass. To this, add one teaspoon of baking powder and stir well until the mixture blends well. Now, use this egg substitute for your cake recipe.
	Potato Starch(2 heaped tbsp potato starch = 1 egg)
	Arrowroot Powder(2 heaped tbsp arrowroot powder = 1 egg)
	Soy flour(1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour + 2 tbsp water = 1egg)
	Soda Pop	A regular-sized (12 oz.) can of soda pop can be used as a substitution for 3 eggs in your baking recipes. Additionally, one regular-sized (12 oz.) can of soda pop can be substituted for the oil/egg combo required by most boxed cake mixes.
Cookies (eggs mostly act as binding agents in cookies and adding moisture)	Vegetable Oil(1/4 cup = 1 egg)
	Cornstarch(1 tablespoon of Cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons of Water = 1 egg)
	Soy flour(1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg)
	Ener-G Egg Replacer(follow package instructions)	It seems to work best surrounded by cookies, or things that are supposed to be a little crispy.Otherwise, there have been complaints that it tends to add certain aftertaste noticeable more in other bakes like a chalky taste.
Muffins (eggs mostly act as binding agents in Muffins and adding moisture )	Applesauce(1/3 cup applesauce = 1 egg or ¼ cup Applesauce + 1 tsp Baking Powder )
	Pumpkin(1/3 cup of cooked pumpkin = 1 egg)	This works almost for all baked goods but especially for muffins leaving a subtle Pumpkin flavor in the muffins (depending upon the eggs substituted)
	Soy yogurt/Yogurt(1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg)	Soy yogurt works deeply like whiz tofu as an egg replacer. It makes things moist Recipes: Cranberry Walnut Muffins
	Water(one egg with 1/4 cup water.
	Vegetable Oil(1/4 cup = 1 egg)
	Soy flour (1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg)
	Banana(½ pureed Banana, abt 1/4 cup = 1 egg)	Recipe:Strawberry Banana Quinoa Muffins
	Flaxseed(1 tbsp ground Flax seeds + 3 tbsp Water = 1 egg)	Recipes: Vegan Pear Walnut Muffins
Pancakes	Flax seeds(1 tbsp ground Flax seeds + 3 tbsp Water = 1 egg	Adding ground flax seeds to any recipe add Omega-3′s to the recipe! You can buy ground flax seeds in the health section of most grocery stores.
	Soy flour (1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg)
	Banana(½ pureed Banana, abt 1/4 cup = 1 egg)
Savory Dishes(as binders/ coating)	Mashed Potatoes	When a recipe in any savory dish like Vegetable Loaves or Burgers calls for eggs as a binding agent, then any of these will work as an substitute for eggs. When used for Frying (as an coating of eggs and flour), you can use a mix of all purpose flour + water to form into a paste and apply that as coating instead of beaten eggs.
	Bread Crumbs
	Cooked Oatmeal
	Cooked Rice
	Tomato Paste
Chocolate pies, Quiches, pudding	Tofu	Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of egg. To substitute for only one egg in a recipe, whip or blend 1/4 cup soft tofu and add to your cooking.
Salads/ Sandwiches/Omelet	Tofu	Diced or mashed tofu can replace chopped hard-boiled eggs in some salad and sandwich recipes. Scrambled tofu makes a delicious alternative to scrambled eggs.

Parmesan Sausage Zucchini Boats

4 medium Zucchini
1 lb sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan, grated (opt.)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c water

1. Cut zucchini lengthwise and scoop out insides, leaving 1/4-inch shell. Chop the pulp.
2. In large skillet, brown the sausage. Add onion, garlic and chopped zucchini pulp; sautee 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs, 1/2 c parmesan cheese and egg; mix well.
4. Sprinkle salt in each zucchini shell and fill with meat mixture. Top with additional parmesan if desired.
5. Place shells in ungreased baking dished and pour 1/2 c water into bottom of each dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes of until zuchini is tender.

*I used turkey burger seasoned more like sausage (cumin, ginger, cayenne, oregano, fennel, etc.) and used left over bread crust for bread crumbs. I always add two eggs, although the original recipe just calls for one. I also like broiling for a minute or two for a slight crunch, once fully cooked.


*from LDSliving

Homemade Sorbets/Herbal Ices

There are two basic methods to extract the herbal flavors. One uses a blender and the other a saucepan. Aside from an ice cream maker, which is  not required for granitas, a fine-meshed strainer is the only special piece of  equipment you’ll need (to guarantee a smoother texture).

1. BLENDER METHOD
Measure the sugar,  water and lemon juice into the blender container, add a generous quantity of  herb leaves, and blend for a minute or so until smooth. Pour the liquid through  the fine strainer and immediately freeze it in an ice cream maker. Although you  can use ordinary granulated sugar, fine sugar (also known as baker’s sugar) is a  better choice because it will dissolve faster in the syrup without heat. This  method works best with lemon verbena, lemon geranium, tarragon and mint. It also  works well with basil, but you’ll get the best color if you blanch the basil  leaves first (a quick dip in boiling water followed by a cold-water  bath).

2. INFUSION METHOD
As easy as brewingherbal tea. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a  saucepan, toss in a bundle of herb sprigs (stems and all), cover the pan and  take it off the heat. Let the herbs steep for 15 minutes or so and then strain.  The syrup will carry the flavor and fragrance of the herb while the green  vegetal flavor of the leaf, along with the stems, will stay behind. Next, add  citrus juice and freeze. This is the more versatile method because it works with  nearly any herb. The infused syrups also can be mixed with fruit purees like  berry, melon or peach, creating endless combinations of herb and fruit  sorbets.

If you make a sorbet with nothing but sugar, water and an herb, it will taste cloying and flat; but add the correct amount of lemon juice and the flavor will be bright and refreshing. Fruit purees each have their own level of sweet and tart, so the proportion of sugar syrup  may vary with each particular fruit.

Too much sugar will  make a sorbet that is too soft; too little sugar will make a sorbet that is too icy. You’ll need to rely on your taste buds or a recipe.

Standard Formula
1 cup  of sugar
3 ¼ cups water
¼ cup lemon/lime juice

----------------
Although there is no firmly defined difference between a sherbet and a sorbet,  sherbet often is made with dairy or egg whites. Here are two recipes to try....

Lemon-Verbena Yogurt Sherbet
• 2 cups lemon verbena leaves, lightly packed 2 cups whole-milk  yogurt
• 1½ cups fine sugar 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1½  cups water
1. Puree lemon verbena, sugar and water in blender on high speed.
2.  Whisk together yogurt and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
3. Strain lemon  verbena syrup through a fine sieve into yogurt; whisk until smooth. Freeze  immediately in ice cream maker until slushy-firm. Scoop into storage container  and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Basil-Lime Sorbet
• 3¼ cups water
• 2 cups basil leaves, gently packed
• 1 cup fine  sugar
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
1. Bring water to a boil in small saucepan. Add basil leaves; cook 10  seconds. Drain and plunge basil into cold water. Drain again.
2. Puree  sugar, water, lime juice and blanched basil leaves in blender on high speed for  about 1 minute, or until you have a smooth, bright-green liquid. Pour through  fine-meshed strainer.
3. Freeze immediately in an ice cream maker until  slushy-firm. Scoop into a storage container and freeze until firm enough to  scoop.
Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/cooking/5-easy-delicious-sorbet-recipes.aspx?page=2#ixzz1U4S6X2sB

Creamy Whole Beet Pilaf

1 beet, peeled and quartered
1-2 c beat greens, stems trimmed/shredded

4 c water/broth (up to 7 c. if using brown rice instead)

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, minced

1 c Arborio rice (I rarely use arbirio, but most often brown rice)

salt and pepper to taste

1 T lemon juice (opt.)
2 T butter (opt.)

grated Parmesan cheese  (opt. for top)          

1. Sautee onion in the oil until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the rice; cook and stir another 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the beet and beet green mixture, cooking another minute.
4. Pour in the broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding each batch, stirring continually. Do this for the amount of time the rice normally takes to cook, but allow the water to absorb until tender--may have to periodically taste for doneness. (I do brown rice and cook it for a whole hour with seven cups of broth/water)
5. Continue stirring until creamy and thick, about 3 minutes more. Add lemon juice, butter and salt if desired. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired. ]

*found this recipe at allrecipes.com and it's a great way to use the whole beet/greens. I tweaked it a little by not adding any cheddar cheese, using brown rice and adding the lemon juice. It's very creamy with the brown rice and 7 cups water! And I've used pumpkin and feta, in place of beets. Adding pureed vegetables makes it healthier. So this recipe is my modified version. Enjoy!

Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup

1 (16 oz) pkg pork sausage, cooked (opt.)

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 T oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 -1 (6 oz) can tomato paste (or ketchup, to taste)

2 quarts water

1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (opt)

3 cloves garlic, minced (opt)

salt to taste

1 t. sugar (opt, but not needed)     

1 t vinegar, any type (opt. -- if you didn't add in ketchup)   

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. (add meat now if desired)
2. Fill the pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook 10 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, beets, cabbage and tomatoes; cook 10 more minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt (and sugar if needed).

*from www.allrecipes.com

Muesli

Try this simple twist on regular and boring oatmeal!

1 c rolled oats
1/4 c raw almond slivers
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup warm filtered water plus 2 T whey, yogurt, kefir or buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c filtered water
1/4 c raisins
1 T flax seeds, ground
fresh berries, optional but good!

Mix oats with almonds, cinnamon, and coconut.  Combine oat mixture with warm water mixture, cover and soak at room temperature for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours.  (I find it easy to start soaking my grains just before going to bed or right after dinner.)  Bring an additional 1 cup of water to boil with sea salt.  Add soaked oats and raisins, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes.  Serve with butter, flax meal and either Rapadura, date sugar, pure maple syrup, maple sugar or raw honey.  You'll feel SO good after eating such a healthy and delicious breakfast!

recipe from: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
*see post: awesome heath benefits of soaking flour

Brownie Pudding Cake (soaked)

I made this for my son's birthday cake. His first. Excellent with strawberries.

1 c brown rice flour (grind your own if you have a good grinder)
1/2 c thin coconut milk
2 T cocoa powder
1/2 T raw apple cider vinegar (or kefir)
1 T chia or flax seeds
3-4 T water
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
2 T melted coconut oil or butter
½ c sweetener of choice
1 1/2 c boiling water
1/3 c cocoa powder
dash of salt
½ c sweetener of choice

1-Mix together the flour , cocoa powder and coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, if using. Leave covered in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

2-When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chia seeds in the water and let sit for 15-20 minutes, until thickened. Put the water on to boil. Then mix the baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt, oil or butter and sweetener, and the chia seed mixture in with the soaked flour mixture.

3-In another, heat safe bowl, combine the boiling water, cocoa powder, dash of salt and honey. Mix until combined.

4- Scrap the batter into the pan 8 x 8 x2 or pie dish. Then pour the boiling water mixture over it.

5-Baking for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the cake topping. Then remove from the oven. Let rest at least ten minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving. The longer it sits the thicker the sauce will become.  My husband actually likes this best cold. But most enjoy it warm with some ice cream on top.

*from nourishinggourmet.com

Nut Milk - Dairy Alternative

I don't have milk much, so when I came across this almond milk recipe I thought, "why not?" It's not bad. I only use it for an ocassional bowl of milk or as a milk alternative in my cooking if I've already made a batch. It only lasts about 4 days, and you'll want to figure out how to use the leftover ground almonds so you don't waste them (I threw them in some sweet bread/muffins or as a cumble topping, or oven for a pie crust.

1/3 C. Raw Organic Nuts (almonds or cashews)
2 C. Water (and 2 c more for soaking)

Need:
A pot
A blender (I use my stick blender)
A mesh strainer (clean nylons might work, maybe?)

1. Soak nuts hours in 2 c. water with 1 1/2 t salt. drain, rinse. (soak for a few hours or overnight)
2. Blend soaked nuts with 2 c. water.
3. Strain nut remnants out (might need to twice).
4. Add sweetener to taste (I normally add a swirl of agave)
5. Shake well and use (or put in fridge)

This generally lasts 4 days, and I found that I could add a little extra water while blending to make it last longer. Or, you can even run the nut pieces you strained through with another 2 cups of water and make another batch if you're lucky (it worked for me).

You can try the egg nog recipe using regular milk or nut milk!

Or try doing it with rice or oats for a 24 hour soak! Oat Milk is actually very nourishing and great to drink during winter!

Cream of ....[any Vegetable] Soup (dairy-free)

This recipe is great if you have lots of a certain vegetable, but don't know how to use it all up. I frequently do it with celery, asparagus, and zucchini.

2 medium onions or leeks, diced
2 celery, diced (opt.)
2 T butter
2-5 c main big vegetable (asparagus, zucchini, etc.)
2 quarts stock
sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter in a large pot and add onions, celery and main big vegetable.
2. Add stock, cover and cook at least 30 minutes.
3. Puree soup with a handheld blender just till blended some; season to taste.

Variations:
celery base: ham, potatoes and peas (add cubed potatoes and simmer 30 minutes, then add ham and peas)
asparagus base: same as above
zucchini base: add corn and black beans?

Creamier taste w/o dairy: If you want to make this creamier, then blend ¼ cup of light olive oil 2 tsp nutritional flakes (cheesy/nutty tasting) and 2 tsp salt (or to taste) and add to the soup. The whipping of the oil makes it creamy.