Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

I like to wow my boys with a treat for breakfast once in a while. Today was one of those days.

This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake might just make me mom of the year. At least for the moment.

I don't even feel guilty about giving them this treat for breakfast (or too guilty!). It's a cake that's whole-grain, gluten-free, vegan, no added sugar and it has pumpkin! It's got to be kinda good for you, right? And, my boys will tell you that chocolate is a superfood, so adding the optional chocolate chips just makes it all the more healthy in their eyes!

If you need a sweet treat later in the day, this might be a little more appropriate. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, food allergy safe)
Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons oat flour (gluten free, if necessary)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg & 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple juice or water
• optional: 1 tablespoon allergy-free chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. In a mug or ramekin , whisk together flour, salt, spice and baking powder.
2. Thoroughly mix in remaining ingredients.
3. Stir in chocolate chips if using.
4. Microwave for one minute.
5. Note: If you'd prefer to make this without a microwave, you can bake it in an oven-safe vessel at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Happy Cooking!

Kim

Shared with Allergy Free Wednesday.

My new book, Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Back to School Lunch Ideas

It's here again! Back to school. 

For me, it's back to lunches! Here are some things that I will be making for lunch this year. They are all nut-free, so they are safe if your child eats at a nut-free lunch table or has a nut-free school.

My kids do not like sandwiches, so here are some of our lunch ideas.

Smoothies make great lunches. Loaded with fruits and veggies, they can sip up their lunch quickly so they can get outside to play at recess. Add a crunchy snack, and they will have enjoy their meal and have the energy they need to get through the rest of the day.

Smoothies make a fun and nutritious lunch.

Soup in a thermos is another favorite option.

Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter is delicious in a sandwich or spread on apple slices.

• 

  Make a special sandwich with Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter.

  
  

Try some of these other ideas, too:

• Hemp Seed Hummus from Super Seeds
• Chocolate Chia Pudding
• Quick and Creamy Veggie Dip.

This post was shared with Allergy Free Wednesday.

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Hemp Seed Hummus

Photo Credit: Bill Milne

The Hemp Seed Hummus from Super Seeds: The Complete Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Chia, Quinoa, Flax, Hemp & Amaranth (Superfood Series) is one of my favorite summer recipes. It's protein-packed, so it can fuel your summer fun. It's quick to come together and not too heavy, making it ideal for summer snacking. Serve it with cut veggies or crackers, spread on a sandwich or dolloped on a green salad.


Hemp Seed Hummus (vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free)
from Super Seeds by Kim Lutz (Sterling Publishing, 2015)Makes 1 ½ cups

Hemp seeds do double duty in this recipe.First, they take the place of the traditional ingredient in hummus, tahini (some people are allergic to sesame seeds). Second, they bring crucial phytonutrients, including zinc and magnesium, to this tasty, satisfyingly textured dip.


1 ¾ cups cooked garbanzo beans (or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons water


Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

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Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Yogurt Smoothie

I love a good contest. 
I love So Delicious Dairy Free everything.
So, the combination of a So Delicious recipe contest is too much for this girl to pass up!

I am entering my Carrot and Sweet Potato Yogurt Smoothie in the Sippable Category.


Carrot and Sweet Potato Yogurt Smoothie
makes 4 generous servings


Ingredients (amounts are approximate):
one baked sweet potato, skin removed
3 carrots, cut in chunks*
3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks 
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
3/4 cup non-dairy vanilla yogurt, I used So Delicious vanilla cultured coconut milk.
1 cup So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk beverage
1/2 cup apple juice (or more if needed for a thinner consistency)

Preparation:
*I use a Vitamix Blender . If you are not using a high-powered blender, grate the carrots first.
 
Blend thoroughly. 

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

 

Read More

Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter -- a nut-free, whole-foods Nutella alternative

I had so much fun working on Super Seeds , that I'm finishing up writing another book. I'll tell you all about it later, but for now, I wanted to share a little something that can not wait until next spring for you to try it. 

 I have said it before, but I'll say it again ... often when you have to adapt a conventional food to meet your special diet needs you come away with something better. Something delicious. Something with higher-quality ingredients. Something craveable. Something you can feel good about eating right off the spoon. 

This Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter doesn't just stand in for sugar-loaded chocolate nut butters, like Nutella, it takes their place! It's crammed full of goodness: sunflower seeds, coconut, cocoa and agave. There's not a speck of palm oil, sugar or dairy here. Just good stuff.

I've been having a bit of a crush on Coconut Butter lately. It's delicious spread on toast or baked into goodies, but it wasn't enough. I needed to take it one step further. 

Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, allergen-free)
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients: 
2 cups shelled sunflower seeds*
3 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-5 tablespoons coconut Oil
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)

Preparation:

1. *If you are using raw sunflower seeds, lightly toast them in a 200-degree (f) oven for 2-3 minutes, just to warm them up and release their aroma. Watch them, because you don't want them to burn. If you are using roasted sunflower seeds, you can skip this step.
2. Break down coconut flakes into smooth coconut butter in your food processor . This can take 10-15 minutes. Scraped down the sides a few times as it processes. See this post if you need more information. 
3. Add remaining ingredients, using just 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil , process until smooth. If you need it to be thinner and smoother add a little more coconut oil.
4. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. 
5. To use, let hardened butter soften for a few minutes at room temperature before spreading.

If you have Super Seeds and you're enjoying it, would you please help me get it to more people by leaving a review on Amazon? Thanks so much if you can!  

This post was shared with Allergy Free Wednesday.

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

 

Read More

Whole Grain Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whole Grain Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a delicious whole grain cookie that is loaded with oats and chocolate chips. What's not to love?

Whole-Grain Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 24 large cookies

Ingredients:

1. 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
2. 3 tablespoons warm water
3. 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
4. 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (old-fashioned oatmeal)
5. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
9. 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
10. 1/2 cup non-GMO canola oil
11. 1/2 cup allergy-free chocolate chips

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a small bowl or cup, combine flaxseed meal with water and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine coconut palm sugar, maple syrup, and oil.
• Mix dry ingredients into wet.
• Stir in chocolate chips to combine.
• Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let cool for 3-5 minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to cooling racks.

Happy Cooking!
Kim

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

Read More

Growing Up With Food Allergies: How to Survive a Potluck with Food Allergies or Other Special Diet

Fresh fruit is a safe offering for almost every guest at a potluck!

This is another post that I wrote about Growing Up With Food Allergies. With new people learning about the need for a special diet all the time, I though it would be good to bring it back.

Just when you think you have the hang of your special diet (whether it's vegan, gluten-free, due to food allergies, etc.) summer comes and throws a little wrinkle your way.

At least that's what happened to me.  I finally felt I had some mastery of what I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner when I changed my diet to address the needs of my nursing, food-allergic baby.  I wasn't eating the same one food over and over and over anymore.  I could make a dinner to serve guests that passed company muster.

And then came summer.

Summer means barbecues and potlucks and bringing dishes to share.  Ugh!!!

After figuring out a few tricks, I now look forward to the hot months with glee.

Here are some tips:

• If I'm only bringing one dish to share, I make sure that it packs a nutrition-filled punch.  It needs to be filling and nutrient-dense so that I can be sure to join in on the fun with a grumpy belly.
• If I'm bringing a couple of dishes, I make sure one of them is a delicious treat.  This shows the other guests that they, too, can provide a dish that's safe for others that is still going to taste great.
• My family and I never go to a party hungry.  It's a bonus if we can eat when we get there, but if we've had something before we leave the house, we're still ok if we don't have much to choose from.
• I separate out a few cookies or brownies from what I'm bringing and wrap them up separately for my boys.  It's easy for crumbs to mingle on a buffet table, and then all of my hard work to provide a safe treat can go down the drain.  If I have theirs set aside, I can pull them out when it's time to eat, and they will have a treat that looks like everyone else's.
• I ask if I can serve my family first, before spoons migrate from one bowl to another.
• Sliced fruit is always a good option to bring, too. 

 Need some potluck inspiration?

• Lemon Dill Pasta Salad
• Tomatillo Pineapple Guacamole
• Watermelon Nectarine Fruit Salad
• Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life), is available now! Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

Read More