SkinnyTwinkie » gluten free

Gluten-Free Flour Blends

Twinkie — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:00:07 +0000

Did you know that you can follow any recipe and make it gluten-free, if you choose to go that route? When following your recipe of choice, sometimes a simple one-for-one substitute doesn’t always work. Sometimes, it does. Here’s some flour blends that you can make yourself to use as a simple flour replacement.

Blend #1 – Use in recipes that don’t require yeast

1 cup Brown Rice Flour

1 cup Tapioca Flour

1 cup Corn Starch

1 cup Almond Flour

1 cup Sorghum Flour

Blend #2 - Use in recipes that don’t require yeast

1 cup Brown Rice Flour

1 cup Coconut Flour

Blend #3 – Use in Recipes that require yeast

1 cup Brown Rice Flour

1 cup Tapioca Flour

1 cup Corn Starch

1 cup Sorghum Flour

1/2 cup Millet Flour or Chickpea Flour

Instructions

With each gluten-free flour blend, just mix the different flours together very well and store in an airtight container. I suggest keeping it in the refrigerator so that it will last longer.

Now you know how to make any recipe “gluten-free”!

Coconut Macaroons with Raw Honey

Twinkie — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:00:16 +0000

I love Coconut Macaroons, and I love them even more when they are healthy! These little cookies are easy to make and taste delicious – without any processed sugar! You can eat these macaroons without the guilt!

Ingredients:

7 Egg Whites

3/4 cup Raw Honey

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

4 1/2 cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (measure after you blend the coconut flakes together – see Step 1 for instruction.)

Instructions:

Step 1) Blend the large coconut flakes together to make them into small pieces. Don’t over blend them to become powder, you just want to blend them well enough so the coconut flakes won’t be too big in the cookies. Set aside.

Step 2) Beat egg whites until stiff peaks start to form.

Step 3) Slowly add in raw honey as you continue to beat the egg whites. Keep moving the bowl to make sure that the honey gets mixed in very well.

Step 4) Take the blended coconut flakes and fold gently into the egg whites mixture.

Step 5) Put batter in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. This will allow for the batter to thicken up, making it easier

Step 6) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and grease cookie sheet with a little bit of coconut oil to prevent sticking.

Step 7) Spoon the batter in small spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet and back in the over for about 45 minutes, or until the macaroons are slightly browned. Let macaroons cool for about 5 minutes before you remove them from the cookie sheet.

Notes:

Make sure you remember to put the batter in the fridge, otherwise you will have difficult batter to work with and they will turn out to be flat macaroons. They will still taste good, but they just don’t look the same.

These are healthy macaroons, but they are still high in calories since coconut is naturally a high calorie food. My point? Eat in moderation, just like anything else.

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What is Gluten Free?

Twinkie — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:00:56 +0000

Whether you have an intolerance to gluten or just choose not to eat it, you have come to the right place!

Gluten Free Labeling

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and kamut. In order for a product in the United States to be labeled as “Gluten Free”, it must have less than 20 ppm of gluten. This means that a “Gluten Free” product still might have some gluten in it.

Benefits of a Gluten Free Diet

Some have a choice to eat gluten products or not, while others have Celiac Disease and just simply can’t tolerate gluten.

If you experience symptoms such as headaches, aching joints, bloating, gas, fatigue, poor concentration, and emotional irritability, after you eat gluten, you may have a gluten intolerance.

If you suspect that you have a gluten intolerance, you might want to omit gluten from your diet for a week or two, and see if there is any relief to your symptoms. You can also get a blood test done to see if you have Celiac Disease.

Gluten Free Alternatives

There are plenty of healthy alternatives for gluten. If you haven’t already figured it out, just because something is labeled as “Gluten-Free”, it doesn’t mean that it is healthy for you. It just means that the product doesn’t have gluten in it. You will find plenty of gluten free products out there, from gluten free cookies to gluten free cakes. If you are switching to a gluten free diet (aka “life style”), then make sure you eat the healthy gluten free products.

Here is a list of gluten free products that are either eaten as a whole grain or as a flour.

• Amaranth, grain and flour

• Arrowroot, grain and flour

• Brown Rice, grain and flour

• Buckwheat, grain and flour

• Chestnut, flour

• Coconut, flour

• Corn, grain and flour

• Garbanzo, flour

• Maize, flour

• Millet, grain and flour

• Potato, flour

• Quinoa, grain and flour

• Sorghum, flour

• Tapioca, flour

• Teff, flour

Baking with Gluten Free Flours

When I follow a recipe, I just use my gluten free flour of choice as a replacement. If the recipe calls for 3 cups of all-purpose flour, I might use 2 cups of brown rice flour and 1 cup of coconut flour. In most cases, a simple swap of ingredients will work.

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Gourmet Waffles

Twinkie — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:19 +0000

These waffles are extremely easy to make. Very healthy. Very delicious. You’d think that these waffles were made at a gourmet restaurant.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups Brown Rice Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

2 eggs (separate yolks and whites)

1 3/4 cups Rice Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Coconut Oil

Non Fat Whipped Cream

Ground Nutmeg

Maple Syrup

Instructions:

Step 1) Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Step 2) In another bowl, beat egg yolks and then stir in milk, vanilla, and oil.

Step 3) Combine both mixtures.

Step 4) In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until peaks form.

Step 5) Stir in egg white mixture partially with the rest of the waffle batter.

Step 6) Cook waffles.

Step 7) Place cooked waffle on plate. Drizzle some maple syrup on the waffle, then add a small amount of whipped cream on top of the waffle. Dash on some ground nutmeg over waffle.

Notes:

Looking for a gourmet tasting waffle? Look no further! I believe that a combination of the vanilla extract, fluffy egg whites, maple syrup, and nutmeg are all key factors in making this waffle “gourmet”.

Let me know what you think of these delicious waffles once you have had a chance to make them!

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Veggie Slices by Galaxy Nutritional Foods

Twinkie — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Healthy and Tasty Alternative

I was looking for a healthy alternative to Cheddar Cheese slices, and I came across the Cheddar flavored Veggie Slices by Galaxy Nutritional Foods. I have tried them cold in deli sandwiches and warm in grilled cheese sandwiches and even on top of eggs. Every time I use these Veggie slices, nobody can tell the difference between them and real cheddar cheese slices!

More good news…

•Only 40 calories per slice (compared to 60-80 calories per slice)

•No Cholesterol

•Lactose Free

•Gluten Free

•Comes in a variety of flavors: Cheddar, Pepper Jack, American, Swiss, Smoked Provolone, and Cheddar with Jalapeños.

Wow! These Veggie Slices are delicious and a lot healthier for you than regular cheese!

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The BEST Banana Nut Bread!

Twinkie — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:00:47 +0000

This is Organic, Gluten-Free, and has no processed sugars or additives. Healthy can taste great, and this recipe proves it!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped Pecans

2 Eggs, beaten

6 ripe Bananas, mashed

1/3 cup Raw Honey

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil Cream (or Coconut Oil)

Instructions:

Step 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray bread pan with coconut oil spray.

Step 2) Mix rice flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans together.

Step 3) In separate bowl, mix the eggs, mashed bananas, honey, vanilla, and melted coconut oil cream.

Step 4) Add banana mixture to dry mix.

Step 5) Pour batter into your bread pan.

Step 6) Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:

Depending on the size of your bread pan, you may have 2 bread loaves or 1 loaf with enough batter to make some muffins!

Enjoy!

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All Natural Yoghurt by Mountain High

Twinkie — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:24 +0000

Health Benefits

There are many benefits to yoghurt, and it is important that you get it from the right source. What I mean by that, is that there are plenty of yoghurts out there being marketed as “healthy” or a “weight loss food”. Be sure that you are not being fooled by marketing campaigns, and actually reading the back of the label for the truth.

The yoghurt from Mountain High is labeled as “All Natural”. That wasn’t what sold me on it. What attracted me to this yoghurt was the ingredients: No sugar added! What a lot of people don’t know is, the added sugars takes away from the health benefits you would have otherwise received from the yoghurt, which is the good bacteria such as live, active, and probiotic cultures (acidophilus is the most commonly known, which is said to help lower cholesterol). Those who are lactose intolerant should actually be able to eat yoghurt, but because of the added sugars in most yoghurts, they will have a hard time digesting it. If you are lactose intolerant and want to eat yoghurt, you might want to get a plain yoghurt with nothing added. And when I mean nothing added, No artificial growth hormones, no sugar, aspartame, etc.

This yoghurt is also high in calcium and protein. As stated on the Mountain High Yoghurt website, “Adequate daily dietary calcium intake over a lifetime can prevent osteoporosis. New research also indicates calcium may help in the prevention of heart attacks, PMS (premenstrual syndrome), and colon cancer.”

Taste

As far as taste goes, the plain flavor is a little bit of a mix between bland and tart all at the same time. Not quite sure how to explain this one. If you are used to the fruity and sugary yoghurts, it may take you a while to get used to the taste, but I can’t say it tastes bad necessarily, just different

Preparation

No preparation needed. You can eat this yoghurt as-is. If the taste is a little too bitter for you, you can try adding fresh fruit, agave, or even honey. You can also just add yoghurt with frozen berries and make a shake out of it. Use this yoghurt in any recipe that calls for yoghurt as one of the ingredients.

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 120

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Image Credit: mountainhighyoghurt.com

Isagenix® IsaLean Shake

Twinkie — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:43 +0000

Whether you choose Vanilla or Chocolate, either way, you are making the right choice by having an Isagenix® IsaLean Shake (Side Note: My favorite is Vanilla!)

The Isagenix’s IsaLean Shake is a complete meal replacement that is actually healthy for you. The reason I say “actually” is because there are so many weight loss shakes that have nothing but sugar as the first ingredient (just look and see!), and added vitamins – though they may be low in calories, they aren’t healthy for you. If you are going to try to lose weight, you should be healthy while doing so.

Nutrition

The IsaLean Shake has high quality Whey from New Zealand, Fiber, Calcium, Vitamins, Casein protein that is from grass-fed cows with no added hormones or antibiotics, Ionic Alfalfa™ (Isagenix’s proprietary blend of 70 super-charged minerals, trace minerals and alfalfa juice), and active enzymes to help maximize the absorption of key nutrients.

Health Benefits

May support your body in burning fat*
May support increased energy*
Highest quality of amino acids
Exclusive source of whey and casein protein
Supports digestive health*
Low lactose
Zero Trans Fats
No artificial flavors
Gluten-Free
Wheat-Free

The Isagenix IsaLean Shake has nothing but ingredients to help benefit and feed nutrition to your body…your body will thank you.

Feel free to watch an informational video on the Isagenix® IsaLean Shake

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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Buckwheat Wildberry Waffles (Organic) by Nature’s Path

Twinkie — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:46 +0000

I wasn’t the biggest fan of pre-made waffles, until I came across Nature Path’s Organic Buckwheat Waffles! With other waffles, they are cheap tasting (bland) and unhealthy. Mainly it is the unhealthy part that concerns me.

I first got the Buckwheat Wildberry Waffles by Nature’s Path for my husband, who prefers gluten-free products. I decided I would try it one morning, and it wasn’t so bad. It was actually pretty good- Good enough you can eat it plain, which is the true test if it tastes good!

What’s great about these waffles is that they not only taste good plain, but they are Gluten-Free, Wheat Free, Vegetarian, and has No Trans Fat. For those of you who understand and know the value of Organic, this is also a USDA Organic product.

As far as preparation goes, you can add some butter or jam to it. If you usually like to put syrup on your waffles, you might want to try this with some warmed up honey for added flavor. It tastes great, sweet, and it is a lot healthier for you than regular syrup.

Why not give these waffles a try!?

Serving: 2 Waffles

Calories: 180

Where to Buy: Health Food Stores, Grocery Stores, or visit naturespath.com

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Hashed Browns (Organic) by Alexia

Twinkie — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00:51 +0000

Taste Test

These are comparable to the good ‘ol fashioned home-made version you might have been lucky enough to grow up with.

Guilt Free

Not only is this the best frozen hashed browns I have ever had, and lucky for you and me, it is USDA Organic, fat free, gluten free, and fairly low in calories. Let’s just say, you don’t need to hesitate about buying these when looking for convenience and taste, and this is something that will go great with your chicken and apple sausages, eggs, and home made orange juice. Hey, I believe there is a way to not only eat healthy (or at least healthier than the average Joe), but also enjoy some great taste all at the same time.

Preparation

This is pretty quick to make, just brown it on a frying pan or skillet. If you cook this with butter on the pan, just know you will be adding calories to this dish, so be careful with how much you add. A Great alternative to butter, is to use coconut oil, which is a safe oil when heated and cooking your foods.

Serving: 3 oz (about a 1/2 cup)
Calories: 80

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Gluten-Free Chicken Strips

Twinkie — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:03 +0000

This is one of those easy recipes for dinner that the entire family will enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour

1 teaspoon Chicken Seasoning

1 1/4 cups crushed Corn Flakes

1/2 cup Coconut Oil, melted

8-10 frozen Chicken Tenderloins (strips)

Instructions:

Step 1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2) Combine flour, seasoning, and crushed corn flakes in a shallow dish.

Step 3) Place melted coconut oil in a separate bowl.

Step 4) One at a time, dip pieces of chicken in coconut oil, then coat both sides of the chicken with flour and corn flake mixture.

Step 5) Place on Cookie Sheet.

Step 6) Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until Chicken is fully cooked.

Side Notes:

I use Coconut Oil rather than Butter because of the wonderful health benefits of Coconut Oil. I use the Simply Organic® Chicken Seasoning, but you can use whichever one you have on-hand. Also, when I buy the Corn Flakes, I get them from Nature’s Path and I buy the one that is “Fruit Juice Sweetened”, since no sugar is added.

As the name of the recipe implies, this dish is Gluten-Free and Wheat-Free and 100% delicious! Enjoy!

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Breakfast Sausage chicken & apple by Applegate Farms

Twinkie — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:29 +0000

“Yum!”

That’s where I am going to start off about this little breakfast sausage. I like to eat healthy, or at least have the healthier alternative, but I also think food should taste great all at the same time. Possible? Yes.

Sausage that isn’t bad for you?

I usually try to stay away from anything that says “sausage”, usually because there is a higher fat content involved amongst who knows what else. I like the idea that this breakfast sausage is gluten-free, casein free, and there are no nitrates (natrual or added)! There are only a handful of ingredients in this product. That is a good thing, since that means it doesn’t have all of these artificial and harmful filler products included. The chicken that is used was never given any antibiotics or animal by-products.

This is no ordinary breakfast sausage. It is something you won’t feel guilty eating, doesn’t take long to cook (already cooked, so you are just warming it up) and again… it actually tastes great!

Serving: 3 Sausage Links
Calories: 140

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Liquid Aminos by Bragg

Twinkie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:48 +0000

Nutrition

Liquid Aminos by Bragg is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate. Liquid Aminos by Bragg is not fermented or heated, Gluten-Free, no preservatives, no artificial colors, no alcohol, and no chemicals . This product does have a small amount of naturally occurring sodium, and no table salt is added.

Health Benefits

Liquid Aminos by Bragg comes from healthy soybeans, and it contains Essential and Non-essential Amino Acids in naturally occurring amounts.

16 Amino Acids included in this product: Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tyrosine, Valine, and Lysine.

There are 20 amino acids, and this product has 16 of them! So what is so important about Amino Acids? Amino Acids are the building blocks of proteins, and you need sufficient protein intake for healthy muscles, nails, hair, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, and even most body fluids. Amino Acids also help with metabolism. Simply put, the chemical properties of Amino Acids control just about all cellular processes- which is why they are known as being “essential”.

Consider this, Protein takes up the next largest part of our body weight (next to water), and your body’s health is directly related to your body’s need for healthy protein.

Taste and Uses

This product taste similar to Soy Sauce, which is exactly why I use it as a Soy Sauce replacement. You can add Liquid Aminos to stir-fry for a much healthier alternative, soups, dressings, salads, tofu, jerkey and other meat seasonings- the list goes on. You can add Liquid Aminos by Bragg to just about anything you could (or would) add Soy Sauce to, or you can always be more creative and use it for other things as well.

Your body doesn’t store extra Amino Acids, so it is something you need to get every single day in your food. I believe you too will benefit from this product since it helps you with 16 of the 20 amino acids that are so helpful for your body.

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