Tomato-Free Tomato Sauce

When I first gave up nightshades, I believed I would never be able to replace tomato-based sauces and I grieved deeply for my collection of Italian and Mexican recipes. After reading about the amazing tomato-free Nomato Sauce, I was inspired to try making my own version. It took many, many tries in the kitchen to get the flavors to blend well, but I finally found a combination of fruits and vegetables that really worked well. If you’ve seen my Cranberry-Beet Ketchup recipe, you already know that beets and cranberries stand in well for tomatoes. This sauce has a fuller body than the ketchup and makes a great base for my marinara, bolognese, and enchilada sauces. The next test: tomato soup!

Tomato-Free Tomato Sauce

1 T olive oil

1 med onion, diced (110 g)

1 sm carrot, chopped (50 g)

1 med stalk celery, chopped (50 g)

2 sm fresh beets, chopped (170 g)

1½ c fresh or frozen cranberries (170 g)

1 t salt

4 c water, divided

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat
2. Add onion, carrot, celery, and beets, and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent
3. Stir in cranberries and salt, cooking for an additional 60-90 seconds until fragrant
4. Add 3 c water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat
5. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beets are softened and sauce begins to thicken (2-3 hours)
6. Blend until smooth and add remaining 1 c water

Yield 1 qt sauce

Updated to add: Try out this recipe in my Unbelievable Chili (click here for recipe)!

Do you have a favorite red sauce?

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DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. Your cost remains the same. Thanks for supporting The Hyphenated Kitchen!

Fig Bars

Paging through the calendar of unusual holidays at brownielocks.com, I discovered today (January 16th) is Fig Newton Day. To celebrate, I offer you my take on the classic cookie. I was inspired by Elana Amsterdam’s recipe, but she made hers with almond flour and I wanted mine without nuts. I also wanted a smaller bar, so I could eat more of them! During my testing process, the kids gobbled theirs up with big grins and pronounced them “really good.” My husband, who still indulges his sweet tooth occasionally in grain- and dairy-filled goodies, said they taste just like the real thing.

Fig Bars

½ c dried figs, about 10 figs (75 g)
3 T water
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract, divided
½ c coconut flour (57 g)
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
3 large eggs
2 T coconut oil, melted
1½ T honey (32 g)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F line a large baking sheet with parchment
2. Place figs in a small container, cover with water, lemon juice and ½ t vanilla, and set aside
3. Whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until frothy and uniform in color
5. Beat oil, honey, and remaining ½ t vanilla into eggs
6. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms
7. Puree figs and liquid into a paste
8. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (about 90 g ea)
9. For each portion, form a thin log and roll out between pieces of parchment into a 12×3 rectangle
10. Spoon 2 T fig paste onto dough and smooth into an even layer along the center of the rectangle
11. Use parchment to fold long sides of dough over fig paste and transfer bar to prepared pan
12. Bake bars for 10-11 min until golden and firm
13. Allow to cool 2-3 min on pan
14. Cut each log into 8 1½-in bars before removing to wire rack

Yield 24 bars

What is your experience trying to recreate store-bought treats in your own kitchen?

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DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. Your cost remains the same. Thanks for supporting The Hyphenated Kitchen!

Beef and Cranberry Bowl

I recently started following The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), which begins with the elimination of major inflammatory food categories, including nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, nightshades, dairy, soy, and grains. If you are interested in learning the science behind the protocol, I highly recommend The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne. Since I’ve cooked dairy-, grain-, and nightshade-free meals for years, I have been surprised by what a transition this still is for me. Apparently I was eating more eggs, seeds, legumes, and nuts than I realized.

Breakfast on the AIP diet is particularly challenging with all the major American breakfast staples off the menu. I’ve mostly been stir-frying meat with fruits and vegetables or cooking a vegetable porridge. A week or so ago, I was inspired to create this dish after seeing a recipe for Corned Beef and Cranberry Hash. This has been one my most popular concoctions to date. The last time I made it, the kids requested I double the recipe and serve it for lunch, too!

Beef and Cranberry Bowl

1 lb raw ground beef (454 g)
2 c shredded carrots (227 g)
1 c diced onions (160 g)
1 c chopped spinach (142 g)
2 garlic cloves, minced (6 g)
1 T dried parsley
1 t ground turmeric
1 t salt
½ t dried thyme leaves
¼ t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground cloves
2 c cranberries (227 g)
1 c beef or chicken stock

1. Brown ground beef with carrots and onions
2. Add spinach, garlic, and spices, and cook an additional 1-2 min until fragrant
3. Stir in cranberries and stock
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have popped and stock has been absorbed (about 20 min)

Yield 5 1-cup bowls

What is your favorite breakfast food?

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DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. Your cost remains the same. Thanks for supporting The Hyphenated Kitchen!

Guacamole

I first discovered fresh guacamole when I was in college. It quickly became my go-to party dish. When I found out that I can’t tolerate nightshades, I thought perhaps my excellent guacamole days were over. I mean, I know you CAN make guacamole with just avocados and salt, but it’s really not the same. After some testing and tweaking, I finally have the proportions for my new recipe just right; I don’t even miss the tomatoes and peppers! I hope you like it as much as we do.

Guacamole

Meat from 4 avocados, mashed (400 g)
⅓ c finely diced onion (60 g)
½ bunch cilantro (30 g)
2 cloves garlic, minced (6 g)
1 t lime juice
½ t salt

1. Stir together all ingredients until well blended.
2. Serve immediately or press cover directly on the surface of the dip to minimize browning.

Yield 2 cups

What do you like to dip in guacamole?

Midnight Chocolate Frosting

I suggested banana cake for breakfast the other morning, intending to make My Favorite Banana Bread in a round pan and call it “cake.” My daughter promptly informed me that what makes it cake is the frosting! I had to agree that cakes are truly cakier with frosting. So I let her whip up a batch of this wonderful fudgy frosting (that I’d put together to cover my Chocolate Birthday Cake) and the kids were very happy with their breakfast!

Midnight Chocolate Frosting

1 c coconut oil, melted
⅔ cocoa powder (53 g)
2 T honey (42 g)
1 T vanilla extract

1. Stir together all ingredients
2. Chill until set, but not hard (20-30 min in the fridge)
3. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy

Yield about 2 c frosting (just right to frost one layer or 12 cupcakes)

This is a truly dark, bittersweet chocolate flavor. If you’re looking for something a bit sweeter, I have found it works well with 3 T honey. If you want something even sweeter, I recommend Elana’s Paleo Chocolate Frosting recipe which uses melted chocolate chunks.

Variation: This also makes a great chocolate peppermint frosting. Simply replace the vanilla with 1 t peppermint extract.

What’s your favorite way to eat chocolate frosting?

Cranberry Muffins

When I was a kid, we made cranberry bread using the recipe from the book Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin. As an adult, Carol Gelles’s recipe from 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes became a family favorite. Once we’d cut grains out of our diet, though, we clearly needed a new concept for cranberry bread. This recipe combines the best parts of both favorites, leaving behind the grains, dairy, and copious measures of sugar. Plus, you don’t have to chop up the cranberries!

Cranberry Muffins

¾ c coconut flour (85 g)

1 t cardamom

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

8 large eggs

½ c coconut oil, melted

2 T orange juice

1 T honey

1 T molasses

1¾ c whole fresh or frozen cranberries (170 g)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Line 12 standard-size muffin cups with parchment
3. Whisk together coconut flour, cardamom, baking soda, and salt
4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until frothy and uniform in color
5. Beat in coconut oil, orange juice, honey, and molasses
6. Add flour mixture and stir until smooth
7. Fold in cranberries until evenly distributed throughout batter
8. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups
9. Bake for 35 min, or until firm and springy in the center
10. Remove immediately to wire rack
11. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving

Yield 12 muffins

How do you like your cranberries best?

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DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. Your cost remains the same. Thanks for supporting The Hyphenated Kitchen!

Monday Meatloaf

The weather has cooled, and something about the feel of autumn puts me in the mood for meatloaf. I would have guessed, once upon a time, something with “meat” in it’s name wouldn’t be too hard to make without grains. I would have been wrong. I used to make a great recipe with pork rinds and cheese in the binding. Then we went totally dairy free about three years ago and I hadn’t made a decent meatloaf in a while. Until last month, when my husband tossed together a loaf that was remarkably stable. I asked him how he got it not to fall apart when he cut it. His secret, it turns out, was garlic and onion powder. I’ve made this about once a week since then and the kids clean their plates and ask for more every time. (Please forgive the poor-quality photo. My daughter was anxious to eat and kept grabbing for the dish!)

Monday Meatloaf

loaf
2 lbs raw ground beef (900 g)
2 large eggs
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
2 t salt
2 t crushed rosemary
1 t black pepper
½ t dried thyme leaves
¼ t dry mustard powder

topping
¼ c Cranberry-Beet Ketchup (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Stir together all loaf ingredients until thoroughly combined
3. Press mixture evenly into a 9×5 loaf pan
4. Bake for one hour
5. Remove loaf from oven and spread with ketchup, if using
6. Increase oven temperature to 400°F and bake for an additional 15-20 min until internal temperature reaches 165°F

NOTE: This recipe is sugar-free with the optional topping omitted.

We usually serve meatloaf with baked squashed or a mashed root vegetable and some greens. What do you like with your meatloaf?

Apple Cinnamon (Coffee) Cake

I wanted something sweet for breakfast the other morning, and the kids (crazy little people) told me they were tired of banana bread. Given the abundance of apples in our house this year, I thought apple cake might just hit the spot. Given that all three of my kids asked for a second piece, I’d call it a big hit!

Apple Cinnamon (Coffee) Cake

2 c peeled, diced apples (250 g)

1 T cinnamon

½ c apple juice

¾ c coconut flour (85 g)

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

8 large eggs

½ c coconut oil, melted

1 T apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease and line 8-in round pan
3. Combine apples, cinnamon, and juice in large flat-bottomed pan
4. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until apples are softened and liquid is syrupy
5. Whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, and salt
6. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until frothy and uniform in color
7. Stir coconut oil and vinegar into eggs until well combined
8. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until smooth
9. Mix in apples, including syrup, until evenly distributed throughout
10. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 min, until fully set in the center
11. Allow to cool in pan 5-10 min before removing and slicing

Yield: 1 8-in cake

To make this a more dessert-y dish, I recommend adding a dollop of coconut whipped “cream” and/or drizzling with your favorite caramel sauce.

Do you prefer your cakes for breakfast or dessert?

Chia Pudding

Once upon a time, my very favorite pudding was tapioca. I could finish an entire tub in one sitting. Recently, I’ve learned that even a little tapioca can cause me digestive trouble, so the amount in even one reasonable serving of pudding is enough to really bother me (not to mention what the excess sugar and dairy milk would do to my system). Although chia seed pudding is not new to me, I recently found a classic recipe from Elana Amsterdam using chia as a substitute for tapioca. I knew I had to try out this idea for myself.

Chia Pudding

1 13.5-oz can coconut milk, blended smooth
3 T chia seeds (32 g)
2 t honey
2 t vanilla extract
⅛ t salt

1. Stir together
2. Refrigerate for 24 hours, shaking or stirring every few hours to redistribute seeds evenly

Yield 2 c pudding

What have you made (or wanted to make) with ch-ch-ch-chia seeds?

Unsweetened Apple Butter

A good friend has invited us over several times in the last month to help her harvest apples from the tree in her yard. Each visit, she sent us home with at least 10 lbs of apples. We all love apples, but after a couple of weeks my kids got a little tired of plain apples–even organic, fresh-from-the-tree fruit! I’m not a huge fan of applesauce, but I thought I’d try my hand at apple butter. I found an online tutorial at The Art of Homemaking, but it is sadly lacking in specifics, like how many apples, how much water, and exactly how long “many, many hours” might be. So, I started playing around on my own and found a recipe that works so well, my kids go at it with a spoon. My husband says it’s “tart” and an old friend to whom I’d gifted a jar described it as “almost savory,” but I just call it “delicious.”

Unsweetened Apple Butter

3½ qt apples, cored and chopped (1.7 kg)
1 c water
1 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg

1. Cook over low heat in a covered pot, stirring occasionally until apples have begun to break down (approx. 30-45 min)
2. Uncover and continue simmering on low, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick enough to stick to the spoon when turned upside down (approx. 1-2 hrs)
3. Press through a sieve to remove skins
4. Can for storage or keep in refrigerator

Yield: 3¼ c apple butter

Notes:

• The apples weigh about 5 lbs whole
• If you prefer your apple butter a bit sweeter, you can substitute apple juice for the water

I’ve enjoyed this on muffins and added to a ham wrap. To what would you most like to add a little apple flavor?