Turkey Sausage, Kale and Cherry Stuffing

This has been my stuffing recipe for the past 4 years and I have never shared it with you. I've thought through why this hasn't happened and I guess it is just because it always gets eaten so fast after the holidays that I don't have time to take pictures and document it. Also things are always so busy in the kitchen around the holidays that it just hasn't been a recipe I have taken the time to write down and make into something to share. I know- it seems a bit complicated because of a few steps, but it is relatively easy after you bake and dry out the bread. And if you have made my bread before and have become a master at it yourself then you are more than half-way there. I think my bread is what makes it special. It's hearty and thick and gets all perfect with the other soaked flavors. I know Martha Stewart makes a versions of this type of stuffing with her own regular bread- so there's that- but, this one is special because of my bread. There are so many stuffing recipes out there and some have very passionate opinions when it comes to stuffing- but let me tell you- this recipe will forever change your mind about stuffing. And as I finally served it to some of my closest friends over last Thanksgiving- they declared it was their favorite dish I EVER made. That seems quite the exaggeration if you ask me :) Because we all know that I make a lot of food- and these friends have probably had 100's of my recipes- but they fell in love and when you fall in love- you say crazy things :)

Turkey Sausage Kale Cherry Stuffing Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nut, seed and refined sugar-free}

2 loaves of bread- this BREAD RECIPE doubled
after baking the bread, cooling it and letting dry-out- cut each loaf into slices and then cube up each slice to come up with a 11x15 baking sheet worth of bread cube crumbs. 

Then bake and dry out in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes and then check and toss through and then bake again for 20-30 minutes until the bread cubes are like croutons and hard and very crunchy. The timing on this may vary with each oven, but basically you have to keep checking on them to make sure they are getting dried how and crunchy and not burned. 

2 pounds of raw turkey sausage 
(I buy mine at a local farm at the farmer's market- it is actually a "breakfast" sausage blend, but it is just seasoned with paprika, herbs, sugar, and a little black pepper and salt. Any favorite turkey sausage or even pork sausage will do the trick- just make sure it is raw so you can ground it up with all the seasonings. I buy mine frozen, so I thaw it out for 12 hours and then toss in a large 8 quart pot and ground up and brown into chunks. Then pour our of the pot while you sauce up the rest of the veggies and then you can add in back in before you add the broth. 

2 TB of olive oil for sautéing
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 whole bunch of celery, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves finely chopped and minced
1/2-1 cup of chopped poultry blend fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary)
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups of finely chopped lacinato kale

Sauté on medium heat the above veggies and herbs for 5-10 minutes to get the onion and garlic soft, then add back the browned sausage, and then add the apples, cherries and broth.

1-2 small peeled and finely chopped apples
12 or 16 ounces of organic dried cherries
4 cups of organic chicken broth

Cook in the broth and let it come to a boil and then pour the bread cubes in the huge pot and turn off the heat. Toss and mix as quickly as you can so that the broth evenly distributes itself over all the bread cubes and then very quickly pour into a large 11x15 Pyrex dish, or even a 9x13 work for it to have it in a pile in the middle, or you can use a 9x9 to use up the rest of the mixture. Or if you have a special glass (oven OK dish) that would fit the whole mixture. Then use foil to cover it- let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but it can be over night. I have also froze it at this stage and pulled it our the day of the dinner. Then, the day of the meal, bake off in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. For the first 30 minutes with the foil on, and then the last 20 with the foil off to get some crispy tops of the bread pieces. If you don't like or what crispy edges, and prefer a more moist finish, then go ahead and keep the foil on. Make sure the middle is HOT before you totally pull from oven. Then let cool for a few minutes before serving with the rest of the feast and fixings.

This is a perfect Thanksgiving stuffing- but also has been eaten as a cozy comfort meal through out the winter months. It would pair well with a roast or ham as well for Christmas. There is no going back after you have tried it- so let it be known I have warned you :)

Much love xoxo

Cranberry Orange Oat Muffins

Friends- It's another Tuesday muffin recipe, a day late ;) Better late than never. This flavor and scent of orange has been uplifting my spirits that past week or so. I like imagining the groves they come from in sunny California. Grateful for their vibrant color and love they share with us Michigander's this time of year!

What a gorgeous November we've had though... so much sunshine, and beautiful fall days. This morning I sat in my kitchen with these gorgeous muffins coming from the oven, sunshine shining super bright through the door and a dear friend to join me in sharing it all. I don't think I could ask for a better Wednesday morning. I may sound overly positive- but the truth is, it has been a hard month of change and sadness. But as this season of advent has come, I am reminded of hope. Hope is what keeps us going and carrying us onward. In life, in our country, in our churches and communities, in our kitchens. 

So this recipe is very similar to my Cranberry Orange Cake, but wanted to make it in muffin form to and adjust the measurements if needed. It turned out fabulous and *almost* like them more since they are so easy to plate, pack and share if need be. The texture is just right and the scents just make you want to cozy up and snuggle next to the Christmas tree.

The cranberries are local Michigan berries though. I guess you could use dried in this recipe, but with local cranberries in season it sure is a delight to soften them up and add them to baked treats. They add so much color, fresh tart flavor and beauty to baked goods. You know me, my obsessive love for local berries and fruit ;) I'll try to keep my love under wraps and get to the ingredients... Happy baking, friends!

Cranberry Orange Oat Muffins
{gluten, dairy, egg, nut and seed-free}{vegan}

1 cup of rolled certified GF oats
1 1/4 cup of ground certified GF oat flour
2/3 cup of rice flour
1/3 cup of coconut flour
1/3 tapioca flour
1/3 cup of potato starch
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. sea salt
2 ts. baking powder (I use Hain brand for no-corn)
2 ts. of pumpkin pie spice blend (ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg)
2/3 cup of coconut suagr
2/3 cup of melted coconut oil
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of date puree
1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage
1 TB of apple cider vinegar
I organic orange: for 1/3-1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice and the fresh zest (2 TB's worth)

optional extras: food grade orange essential oil 4-6 drops or 1/2 ts. orange oil flavoring

2 cups (1 pint) of fresh cranberries cooked down to 1 1/2 cups. Put 2 cups of fresh cranberries in a saucepan with 1/4 or so of water. Let the cranberries start to heat and pop open, do not let them get too hot or turn into sauce, just heat them long enough to get soft and reduce to 1 1/2 cups worth.

First grind your GF flours and mix well with all the other dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet ingredients, and lastly the warmed oil. Mix well and you will start to see the orange juice and baking powder do it's work and make the batter poof up a bit. Fold down and then mix in the fresh cranberries, but making sure to not over mix and break open the berries.

Pour in a coconut-oil-lined muffin baking pan or with parchment liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden and firm. Let cool before serving. This recipe will make 12 large muffins or 24 small mini muffins. 

Happy baking and much love (and hope) to you...xoxo

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie. It seems like we should be allowed to make such delicacies more than once a year... or for a certain holiday... Yes, Thanksgiving is special because of such treats, but must we leave it to only one day a year? I say not. I say it will still be a special occurrence no matter when!

 

Perhaps you stocked up on extra canned pumpkin, or maybe you still have a chance to hit the grocery sale shelf before it's December. Or maybe you baked off a handful of fresh pie pumpkins and stuck that liquid gold in the freezer for all winter long. Then we can be long lost friends and talk about how much we love pumpkin and what a gift it is sent from heaven above.

It's true, I'm crazy about pumpkin and have made many varieties of pumpkin pie or pudding bars over the years (and more and more pumpkin). It's hard for me to make a version more than once, maybe twice, so this new recipe is my latest invention over the past holiday. So naturally I'm most in love with this one :) And this one contains some DATES for sweetness and texture. So amazing creamy caramel-like taste and texture. Delicious on so many levels.

I'm sharing it because I ate my last piece today and I'm missing already. Maybe I could convince my loved ones that we may need to celebrate some of our Christmas festivities with another one. Because. Just one pie a year?!?  No, way baby! This one is too good!

Maybe it's the taste, or maybe it's just the feelings of being around a table with family and friends that share their hearts about what they are thankful for and how this year has brought pain and love. Every soul shares in this journey of moving through life with the pain, sorrow, but also the joys and abundance too. This pie has a part in that story too. It is almost as if it has a seat at the table of such thanksgiving and gratitude.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nut, seed and refined sugars-free} contains eggs

Crust Recipe:
3/4 cup finely ground certified GF oat flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/2 ts. sea salt
2 TB of palm oil shortening
2 TB of room temperature coconut oil
2 TB maple syrup
2 ts. apple cider vinegar
1 ts. of water

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together first, then add in the oil and shortening and make it a sandy mix, and then add in the syrup, water and vinegar and mix it well together. It may be a sticky dough but it will start to form a dough ball and you can knead it and let it sit for it to all meld together well. Then toss into a pie pan and press it into all the sides of the pan, or you can roll it out to size of a 9 inch pan, and put it into the pan and cut accordingly. Its a pretty easy recipe to do either way. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and slightly firm. Let it completely cool before putting the pumpkin filling in and baking again.

Pumpkin Filling:

2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree
1 can of full-fall coconut milk

1/2 cup of date puree (this can be omitted- I add it for flavor and texture)

1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar

1/4 cup of of maple syrup

3 beaten eggs  *you can omit these if you are allergic or vegan, the texture is just different

2 TB of tapioca flour

1 1/2 ts. of baking powder (I use the Hain brand- to be corn free)

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 TB of pumpkin pie spice blend

1 ts. of pure vanilla

For date puree: (1/2 cup of boiling water poured over 1/2 cup of pitted dates, soak for 5 minutes and then blend in high powdered blender to make a pudding substance)

In a large mixing bowl, add in all of the wet ingredients and the beaten eggs. Then add in the spices  and whisk together well. Then pour into cooled pie crust. You then can place on a baking sheet or just put in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tightened up. This may be confusing because it will still appear to be gooey or giggling, but the baked cracks usually show that it is baked through, but needs to set up while cooling on the counter and in the fridge. So do not be alarmed if it seems too soft after 50-60 minutes of baking. You do not want it to get too browned or burned. Then let it cool on the counter after baking for 1-2 hours. Then lightly cover with some kind of wrap and put in the fridge for overnight or for 6-8 hours. 

Then, after refrigerating for 8-10 hours it will be ready for eating. I like cutting into it and removing one slice so that the rest of the slices are easier to fork out. It is so good by itself, but if you are looking for a great dairy-free alternative to pure dairy fresh whipped cream-this Coconut Whip from So Delicious is fabulous and made from better ingredients and brings back all cool-whip-feelings from younger years.

Each bite is fabulous and you don't want it to end. I also have no problem and recommend such wonderfulness for breakfast the day after :) I mean it has a good full servings of veggies and much lower on the sweetness scale. So with a coffee or chai latte- you just can't beat it.

I confess the above picture was my breakfast for the weekend after Thanksgiving. It really is something I look forward to after all the work of preparing food for a few days. Those lazy mornings after with jammies on till noon and eating pumpkin pie for breakfast- such is the life my friends.

Hope you had a blessed holiday and looking onward to this advent season of longing, and hope. 

Much love as always,

xoxo

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Just in time for another Thanksgiving recipe! Maybe a cranberry and orange cake, aint your thang, or maybe you need a little pumpkin + chocolate in your life or on the Thanksgiving menu. If so, this cake is for you :) I have made this cake more than a few times now and haven't wrote out a recipe. Yesterday I made it again for a family gathering, and finally wrote it out and was very happy with the results.

The first time I made it I was working from my pumpkin date muffins  recipe that I had made, and it was great, but to fill a bundt pan and to have the texture and moist-ness it needed it had to have the measurements adjusted to get the cake at it's best. So, I've done the leg-work for you and the experimenting ;) now it's your turn to try out this treat for the holidays or family gathering.

I hope you are finding time to reflect this season. It's so easy to be sad and stressed when your life revolves around what you can and cannot eat because of your health. And that can only escalates in a season of food traditions and even if you are a food blogger ;) Trust me, even after a decade of eating gluten-free (and many allergies-free) the depression/anxiety/sadness/grief feelings still unmask it's ugly self. So a simple way for me to deal with these emotions and stress is simply making a list of the many foods I CAN eat, and then finding a recipe or two that I CAN eat and enjoy and making it apart of my menu and even if it means starting a new tradition. I know that this does not take away the grief, and it is important to sit with that grief and really see it as that. Something that has also helped me over the years is writing out the simple things that I am thankful for each day....sometimes silly, but when you need to be reminded of how much in our lives is a gift- it seems really important. So it can be the things you use every day, the hot shower, indoor plumbing, the favorite mug from a friend, that one recipe you love and enjoy, the sunrise, chai tea, the sunset, your dear loved ones, and as you can see, an endless list of the gifts in your life. Food is a very important part, but it is not the only part, so trying to not let it be the controlling factor of your emotions is really important. And then when you can see it as just part of the balance to fill you up in your life, then you can start to find how food can be a gift to nourish a tired and weary body and soul. My prayer and hope for you is that food might be just that- a way for you to nourish your whole self. A way to inspire and fill up your body and soul to be the best version of your self. Many blessings and much love to you, friend xoxo

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, seed, nut, and refined sugar-free}VEGAN

1 1/2 cup of finely ground GF oat flour
1 cup of white rice flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
1/4 cup of coconut flour
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 ts. of baking powder (I use Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
2 TB of pumpkin pie spice blend

1/3 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (I used 1 can of Green Valley pumpkin)

1 cup of date puree ***This involves pouring 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup of pitted dates and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes and then blending in a high powered blender to whip up a creamy date-pudding like substance.

3/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1/3 cup of coconut milk beverage ( I use So Delicious)
 plus 1 TB apple cider vinegar
juice from 1 fresh lemon - 1-2 TB of juice

1 cup of dairy-free mini chocolate chips (Enjoy life brand)

First grind your GF oat flour and mix well with all the other dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet ingredients, date puree and lastly the warmed oil. Mix well and you will start to see the lemon juice and baking powder do it's work and make the batter poof up a bit. Fold down and then mix in the mini chocolate chips, but making sure to not over mix.

Pour in a coconut-oil-lined baking pan. I baked mine in a bundt or angel food cake pan. But you could also make this in a 9x9 circle or square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until it is no longer wet and giggling. The cake should show a clean toothpick from the middle of the cake and firm, but soft. no wetness. Pull from the oven and let it cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup of maple syrup
2 TB of cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan, melt the above ingredients and whisk very quickly with a hand whisk then pull off the heat. Be very careful to just warm and not boil or over cook and burn. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, and then pour over the top of the cooled cake just on top and let it drip over the sides in an organic fashion. Let it cool for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Then cut and serve. It is a beautiful cake and holds it form so beautifully... it's so easy to serve and would match well with some tea or coffee as well. Hope you give it a try and ENJOY!
 much love xoxo

Cranberry Orange Cake

Last week I had the honor of being invited to help cook (and bake ;) for a group of women who were on a Holistic Health Solitude Retreat. The heart behind the retreat was of women to find the space to heal, rest, grow and breathe. See at the end of the post for more info. It was set at a gorgeous location in northern Michigan looking over one of the most loved bays of Lake Michigan. It was just rejuvenating sitting at the shores of such beauty. Watching the sun rise and set  over the waters was one of my favorite parts. And more so, it was so amazing to watch women give themselves permission and grace to rest, to be nourished, all in efforts to be their most truest and best selves that God created them to be. Women are truly the force of beauty and change in the world. Such amazing respect for these strong and courageous women. And loved, LOVED, baking them yummy treats and bread to add to the amazing local and nourishing menu. On Saturday morning, the plans for a menu item was changed, and so I tried to whip up some extra autumn sweet goodness in a cranberry orange cake. That is how this recipe was born and now it is being documented for all of those that asked for such details to try and re-create.

I based most of this recipe off of one of my tried and trues, the Blueberry Lemon Cake from last summer, and then I made it a second time and added a few more additions to try and make it a little less crumbly and a little more moist. So I rested upon this final recipe as being the best to follow and give a whirl.

I'm glad to offer this recipe just in time for a little Thanksgiving treat. It would be a great addition to the spread or even for the holiday's morning as a coffee cake or maybe even the morning after for a little Christmas-shopping fuel. You know me, after Thanksgiving breakfast most definitely involves leftover pie or cake :) But cranberries and oranges with a little spice is great for any holiday gathering this time of year... The scents of the cake alone bless you with holiday cheer :)

Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nut, seed, refined-sugar, and eggs  free}

*can be easily made vegan* just don't add frosting or switch out honey with maple syrup

1 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (I grind my own from GF rolled oats)
1/2 cup of certified gluten-free rolled oats
3/4 cup of white rice flour or sweet sorghum flour works as sub
1/2 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
1 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 ts. of baking powder (I use Hain for corn-free)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt

1/2 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
2/3 cup of melted coconut oil
1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage with 2 TB of apple cider vinegar
1 organic orange to get...1-3 TB of fresh orange zest and....
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
optional additional orangey-ness: 4-6 drops of food-grade sweet orange essential oil,
or 1/2 ts. of orange flavoring

2 cups (1 pint) of fresh cranberries cooked down to 1 1/2 cups. Put 2 cups of fresh cranberries in a saucepan with 1/4 or so of water. Let the cranberries start to heat and pop open, do not let them get too hot or turn into sauce, just heat them long enough to get soft and reduce to 1 1/2 cups worth.

First grind your GF flours and mix well with all the other dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet ingredients, and lastly the warmed oil. Mix well and you will start to see the orange juice and baking powder do it's work and make the batter poof up a bit. Fold down and then mix in the fresh cranberries, but making sure to not over mix and break open the berries.

Pour in a coconut-oil-lined baking pan. I baked mine in a bundt or angel food cake pan. But you could also make this in a 9x9 circle or square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until it is no longer wet and giggling. The cake should show a clean toothpick from the middle of the cake and firm, but soft. no wetness. Pull from the oven and let it cool completely.

You can top the cake with this optional topping:

Honey Cream Frosting Recipe
1/2 cup of room temperature soft but NOT liquid coconut oil
1/3 cup of pure local honey ( or sub in maple syrup to make VEGAN)
2-3 TB of fresh orange juice plus 4-6 drops of food grade essential orange oil 
or 1/4 ts. orange flavoring
pinch of good sea salt

Whip up the ingredients with a fork in a bowl, DO NOT over mix because it will soften too much
Then you can spread/pour over a slightly warm cake and it will melt into the crust of the cake, or if it is cooled will be a frosting like topping and you can dress it up with fresh or dried cranberries on top and even some additional orange zest to add some color too. 

Serve warm with tea or coffee :) or as cooled-down or leftovers. Good both ways :)

Retreat INFO:
There will be more info coming soon- but I am working with a group of four wonderful women to start offering Michigan (local readers) one-day and three-day retreats. So much more info coming soon- just wanted to put a little bug in your ear if you are a local friend and this might be something you are looking for or interested in :)

Much love xoxo

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole + Thanksgiving

 

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving craziness to you! 

There is so much shuffle and bussel and 
I wish you well in the preparing and making. 

And most of all I wish you well 
in the resting, celebrating, thanking, and enjoying 
your loves and gifts in life.

This year I am in charge of some GF sweet potatoes and GF stuffing at our family gathering. I realized that I never posted my "healthified" sweet potato recipe that I have been making the past few years. So that is what is below. Which if you ask me, it isn't Thanksgiving without the sweet potatoes. Ok maybe the pumpkin pie, but the sweet potatoes are pretty much just as important. I must have a thing for orangey beta-carotene filled goodies. Because who doesn't love a dessert that is actually a dose of vegetables and vitamins?!

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

4 large sweet potatoes, pealed and chopped in chunks
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
1 cup of non-dairy milk: I use coconut or hemp
1 TB of pure vanilla
1/3 cup of warmed coconut oil
4 eggs (to veganize use 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 ts. of sea salt

Topping:
either 1 1/2 cup of oats, quinoa flakes or crushed GF rice or corn cereal (like either flakes or chex-like)
1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup of warmed coconut oil
1/2 cup of either pecans or raw sunflower seeds

Peel and chop 4 large sweet potatoes and put them in a large pot and just cover with water. Boil for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork soft and then drain and put back in the pot. 

Then, add all of the other non-topping ingredients and whisk with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes on high power. Until the mixtures is fully mixed and there is a bit of a whipped appearance. 

Then pour the batter into 1 9x13 pan or 2 9x9 pans. I made two small pans. One to be nut-free and the other would have the pecan topping. Then, in another small bowl mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the sweet potato batter.

You can at this point put in the fridge to bake off at the later dinner time or if you are making this day of, you can put in the oven covered with foil for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, and then take off the foil for the topping to get a little crispy for another 15 minutes. Total 40 minutes baking to make sure the whole pan is bubbling hot and baked to perfection. 

Here (above) is a picture of my rice cereal and pecan mix topping. The picture below is of a oat and sunflower seed topping. You may want to add some spice to this dish with some cinnamon or orange. But let me tell you, there is something very simple and special about sweet potatoes, vanilla and coconut oil and sugar. Oh not to mention the maple syrup! Super simple and buttery-delish dish.

Obviously, I make this simple treat for Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas, but really you don't have to just have this during the holidays. It would actually make a superb breakfast and you could have it all week long to warm up every morning if you so desired. It is a great way to add some veggies to your morning oats and fiber.

I will be bringing my pecan-topped one for the big day, but I have been enjoying the oats and sun seeds this week to get excited for Thanksgiving food. It is so fabulous...but of course I have raved about my love for sweet potatoes long enough. So just make sure you don't forget them for the big feast.

This is supposed to be a side dish, but could easily just be part of the dessert table as well. It is best warm from the oven, but is so good and simple that it would be just as wonderful cooled down as well.

I hope you enjoy and try this simple (way too simple) recipe out, even if it is next week with some of the leftover (on sale) sweet potatoes you have lingering in the pantry.

I want to also share some of my other most favorite Thanksgiving dishes below...ENJOY!
And many Thanksgiving Blessings to you and yours.

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

(gluten-free, dairy-free soy-free)

(mostly egg and nut-free as well)

Locally Raised Fresh Turkey and Gravy

+Turkey Brine Recipe by The Pioneer Woman

+Roasting Turkey Tips without Breaded Stuffing

+Gluten-Free Gravy by Whole Life Nutrition

Creamy Whipped Mashed Potatoes (vegan)

8-10 pounds of Yukon Potatoes pealed and roughly chopped

boiled in a large pot of water until extra soft

drained in strainer and then put back in large pot

with a hand-held mixer blend hot potatoes

with vegetable broth and Earth Balance soy-free

sprinkle sea salt and black pepper to you taste

using an "egg-white" whisk in the mixer will make it extra creamy

you can add finely chopped herbs or other spice to your taste...

Cornbread Herb Stuffing

Cranberry-Apple Relish

Green Beans with Maple Caramelized Apples

 Maple Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie

Apple Pie Bars

Spicy Cranberry Punch

Soft and Chewy Oat Baguette Bread 

*I am actually going to try a variation of a Martha Stewart Stuffing recipe with my oat baguette bread this year. I will post if all goes well in time for a Christmas dinner feast*

Some of my other Thanksgiving-worthy recipes 

Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries

Fresh Pumpkin Soup

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Savory Pumpkin Corn Muffins

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Pudding Bars 

Soft and Chewy Oat Baguette Bread

This bread recipe comes just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. I have been making this loaf almost every day for the last few weeks. It's my new favorite bread and perfect for almost anything you would use bread for. Soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, breakfast, toast, and butter and jam. Perfect...healthy... gluten-free bread!

It is soft and chewy, but with a hard crust and well, it's perfect. It is also very simple to make with very simple ingredients. It can be made within an hour with no trouble in waiting for the yeast or any other complicated step that homemade bread may require.

And with no yeast, sugar, eggs, wheat, gluten, soy or nuts, this just may be the friendliest allergy-free bread I have ever made. I am totally hooked.

 Soft and Chewy Oat Baguette Bread 
{gluten, dairy, egg, nut and sugar free}

3 TB of psyllium husk powder (must be powder, not seed or husk)
1 cup of pure water
1 cup of non dairy milk (I use unsweetened hemp or coconut)
2 TB of apple cider vinegar
2 TB of raw honey
2 TB of olive oil

2 cups of finely ground fresh GF oat flour {start with adding 1 1/2 cups for dough then add 1/4-1/2 cup more flour for kneading and firming up and dusting tops before baking
(grind 2 cups GF rolled oats in high powered blender)
1 cup of brown or white rice flour or sweet sorghum flour

1 ts. of sea salt
2 ts. aluminum free baking powder (I use Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda

You may need 1/4-1/2 cup more of flour (rice or oat) to knead and get less sticky

optional: sprinkle to 1/4 cup extra rolled oats for topping

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the psyllium husk powder, water, milk and apple cider vinegar together. It will turn into a thickened blob in a few minutes, then whisk in the oil and honey in together. *You can sub the honey for maple syrup if you are a strict vegan* 

Then, add all of the dry ingredients. Start with 1 1/2 cup oat flour and 1 cup rice flour and see how it feels, if it is sticky add 1/4 cup more oat flour until the dough is firm. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until all of the flour is blended, but be careful to not over mix and make it too clumpy.  

It will be spongy and you can dump the dough on a parchment paper and roll out with your hands with a little kneading as well, until you get the loaf the size you want. Don't be afraid to use extra rice or out flour to roll out if it is still sticky and not moldable.  Try and roll out a 12-15 inch loaf and roll out as many creases as you can. 

Then finally pat the loaf with a drop of water and sprinkle the oats on the loaf. The water helps the oats stick while baking. Then put in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes, but can last for 60 minutes if you want a thicker crust.

Pull from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into. This will be hard for you because this bread makes your kitchen smell heavenly!

Seriously, this bread smells like bakery heaven. And it comes out looking like you a pro baker who has been slaving away all day to make one perfect loaf! Surprise, totally the opposite!

Then, take that first bite and it will be hard to not want another slice. The bread is known as 'soup bread' by my son because it has made soup at dinner time way more interesting to him. It is a great dipping, NO CRUMBLING, gluten free bread. Go ahead, friends, try it out and ENJOY!

Much love to you!