Tag: Bean free

The Smoky Little Secret Behind Every Great Chili

Secret number one: when we food allergy types cook, we don’t want our non-food-allergy friends and family to even notice we’ve omitted our allergens. And believe it or not, we want to forget about our food allergies for a little while, too.

Secret number two: we really want to knock your socks off!

That’s right. Want chili so good that it might help you forget who won the Super Bowl? (Perhaps it depends on the outcome?) But, we do, too! So, how about some %$@! good chili?!

Oh! And the smoky little secret that it takes to make that happen? Well… you have to read down to find out. 😉

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%$@! Good Chili

2 lbs. ground beef, preferably grass-fed if you can get it

1/2 large onion (or 1 whole small) diced

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (just plain, no basil or any other flavors)

2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 jalepeno, seeded and diced fine (this won’t make it spicy… the heat is in the seeds)

1 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika

2 Tablespoons smoky bacon fat* (<—- there it is!)

salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste

For moderate heat chili: add another 1 Tbsp of chili powder

For intense heat: create moderate heat chili and add the whole jalepeno, seeds and all, chopped fine

If you like beans in your chili, add a 16 oz can of dark or light red kidney beans (or both!) – delish!

Directions:

In large deep skillet or stock pot, brown ground beef until half-cooked through. Add onions and continue cooking until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and add 2 cups water. Simmer until seasoning is well-blended.

Oh… and next time you pick up a package of some yummy applewood-smoked bacon (nitrate-free if you can) and you fry it up for breakfast, do what your grandma did and save the grease! We put ours in the refrigerator until it hardens and then portion out small pieces of it in the freezer like this… you know, for things like !@% good chili! 😉

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It’s not pretty… but the result is delicious. This stuff melts in the chili like butter. And if you can’t have diary butter, have bacon “butter”! Yummm!

Don’t forget the tortilla chips!

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Tender and Delicious Waffles (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, and Bean/Soy-free)

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Homemade waffles, with a delicate texture and enticing aroma and flavor, make such a beautiful weekend breakfast. And these waffles contain very few additives that can detract from the flavor and texture. Most store bought gluten-free frozen waffles, especially, tend to contain soy lecithin and a legume-based flour. For those who suffer from soy, peanut or legume allergies, the store-bought gluten-free waffles are not an option.

Homemade waffles are surprisingly easy and budget-friendly. With a $10 dollar Rival waffle iron, we used a standard gluten-free flour mix and adapted a classic wheat recipe to omit several food allergens while retaining all the texture and flavor of a waffle that we agreed is superior to the frozen waffles.  This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, peanut-free, treenut-free and dairy-free.

An egg-free version is still in testing. We attempted to make an egg-free version using applesauce as a replacement but applesauce is not recommended as causes the outer layer to caramelize and stick to the waffle iron (even with extra oiling). This article will be updated when a successful egg-free version is achieved.

These waffles are slightly sweet and perfect with our favorite Log Cabin All Natural syrup – made without caramel color or high fructose corn syrup. If you plan on adding a lot of sweet toppings, omit the sugar in this waffle recipe.

Note: Please be sure to double-check all of your ingredients to ensure you avoid your particular food allergens.

Tender Waffles (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, and Bean/Soy-free) 

Makes approximately 8-10 waffles

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine:

1.5 cups (12 oz or 150 grams) Basic Gluten-free Flour Mix

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Then add:

3 Tablespoons of canola or grapeseed oil

2 eggs

1 cup (8 oz.) water

Following the instructions of your waffle iron manual, heat and prep the surface of your waffle iron. TO AVOID SOY, do not use a spray cooking oil. Instead, use a brush to apply a light coating of canola or grapeseed oil to the iron.

Mix together the ingredients above with a fork until ingredients are well-combined and lumps are removed. You will notice that the mixture will bubble a little and take on a frothy texture. This is good and exactly what you want to make a tender light waffle.

Using a 1/3 measuring cup, ladle waffle mixture onto each waffle section of the iron. You do not have to fill every square entirely or else the mixture will spread and overflow during the baking time.

When your waffle iron light indicates that the cycle of baking is complete, lift the lid and use a fork to pull up a corner. The waffle should then come up very easily.

And just one more picture to show the tender deliciousness. Enjoy!

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