Spinach Dip

This is my favorite appetizer to order when we go to restaurants, however, when my kids are with us, we don't order it- because it is a Dairy based item. When I discovered Manchego cheese was Sheep's Milk and very similar to Parmesan, this was the first thing I thought of.  So tonight my kids had Spinach dip, and it is just crazy to me that it tasted EXACTLY like the restaurant dip I love!

I think it is just awesome that I can get cool things like Goats Milk Cheese and Sheep's milk cheese at Walmart just blocks from my house!  They also have Glutino Bagel chips and Purple Corn Tortilla chips.  I just recently learned that purple corn is always non-gmo, so I make it a point to always buy the purple ones. I buy the Mexican ones from Herdez to avoid the price hike for the 'organic' or 'non-gmo' label.

Spinach Dip

6 oz Spreadable plain Goat Cheese
5 oz wedge Manchego cheese (sheep's milk cheese) grated
3/4 cup Mayonaise (not fat free or miracle whip-  it won't work)
1 - 1 1/2 cups steamed spinach (can sub with frozen)
1 tsp Dried Minced Garlic
1 TBSP Dried Onion Flakes
1/2 tsp Louisiana sauce or Tabasco sauce
Pinch of Chilli Pepper Flakes

Stir to combine all ingredients.  Grease a 4x9 inch bread pan and bake 350 for 27 minutes or 'til the top is slightly golden.  I served it with Glutino Bagel Chips and Purple Corn Tortilla chips.

Chicken Alfredo w/ Coconut Milk Sauce

This was, in the words of my 9 year old, so "yummy and delicious" that I had to put it up without a picture.  My intentions for the dish was no more than dinner tonight, no blog post was in the order, so I came out without a picture.  But I will post one next time I make it.

 Chicken Alfredo

 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon tapioca flour
19 oz Mae Ploy Coconut Milk
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
*  *  *  *

5 Medium Chicken breasts, seared in skillet and sliced thin

12 ounces noodles, cooked
Freshly ground pepper
1) Melt butter in skillet and add minced garlic and lemon zest. Cook til garlic is soft.

2) Add tapioca flour and stir til incorporated then add coconut milk, salt, and onion powder. Cook til mixture thickens.

3) Turn off heat and add fresh chopped parsley, and pepper to taste.

Serve by plating noodles and spooning sauce over noodles and laying chicken slices over the sauce.  If there are Dairy Lovers in the house, parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top would fit nicely.

Authentic Flan!

Flan:

1 TBSP Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Rice Milk

1/2 Cup White Sugar* 
*  *  *  *
13.5 oz can of Coconut Milk (look for a good brand that does not add water if possible)

4 Eggs

1/4 TSP Cinnamon

Pinch Ground Cloves

*  *  *  * 

1/3-1/2 cup Cajeta (Goats milk caramel)

*You can use Agave nectar or coconut sugar, but it does affect the color.  Also add 1 tsp tapioca starch if you choose to use Agave Nectar.

1) Before starting, make sure that your can of coconut milk is cold enough that when you open it, it is mostly solid. You will end up using the solid part and tossing the water.  I use the Golden Star brand and end up with only 1-2 TBSP of water in the bottom of the can.
2) The first 3 ingredients are the Sweetened Condensed milk substitute.  Rather than boiling the rice milk to condense it, it is just so much easier to condense it by adding rice flour to it- Mix rice flour into COLD rice milk and then bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly.

3) When mixture thickens remove from heat and add sugar mixing until fully dissolved and then add the solid coconut cream/milk and stir until smooth.
4) Put eggs in medium bowl and whisk together before adding the warm milks mixture, cinnamon, and cloves. 
5) Spread cajeta over the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

6) Pour the contents of the bowl over the cajeta and bake 325 for about 60 minutes or til fork comes out clean when poked in the middle of the flan.  Flan will be dull in appearance with no sheen.

7) Let cool for 30 mins on the counter before placing in refrigerator for an hour. Then remove from pan by placing a plate over the dish and inverting it onto a plate.  The cajeta/caramel will now be on top and drooling over the sides.  If you think you need more cajeta add it now. 

8) Serve cold.

Heathy Milk Alternative for your TODDLER for pennies

To live without; THAT is the question??

We found out about our children's allergies about 1 year before we had baby number 3.  I remember having a tough time trying to find a good replacement for milk.  While milk is not necessary and sometimes counter productive in nutrition, I felt it was an easy option for one of the daily snacks and made naps/bedtime easier.  So after seeking out an option for so long and even trying to find a formula that could work for a toddler, I settled on my version of a 'coconut milk' that was amounted to everything Cow's Milk did and then some more with a minimal price difference.  Not to mention this choice had a very pleasant flavor compared to the other alternatives out there.

I figured out that one tablespoon of coconut milk added to rice milk had the equivalent amount of fat as a glass of 2 % Cow's Milk. At first I tried bulk mixing a can of coconut milk with a 1/2 gallon of rice milk.  That did not work because the coconut milk would go bad and spoil the entire carton of rice milk. It was then that i had the idea to make coconut ice cubes.  The ice cubes were approximately 1 tablespoon each, so it was perfect.  It made it really easy to pull out just enough for each glass of milk as needed.  I then could either defrost the cube in the microwave or preserve its nutrients by pouring warm rice milk over the cube to melt it.  

Great option for our growing babies.

Cheese Dip or Sauce Replacement

This can be used as a cheese sauce or dip replacement.  Add roasted green peppers and tomato (well drained) for an easy chip dip or use it as a cheese sauce over Broccoli, Cauliflower, or even Nachos!

Cheese Sauce Dip

 

4 egg yolks
1 TBSP freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

1/2 cup unsalted butter,  melted (1 stick)

1) Bring a pot of water to a boil as you whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together with a fork in a metal bowl.  

2) Over the pot of water continue whisking briskly with a fork until mixture thickens. Be careful not to let the mixture go up the sides or sit, because the yolks will scramble.

3) Slowly add melted butter as you continue whisking over the pot of water.

4) Remove from heat, set aside (still in the metal bowl) and add your uncooked macaroni elbows (about 12 oz) to the already boiling water.

 

Then:

1 1/2 TBSP Butter

1 TBSP + 1 tsp Cornstarch

1  cup Rice Milk 

  

5) Melt butter in a pan over the stove and then add the cornstarch and stir feverishly so no lumps can form.

6) After well mixed, add milk and stir constantly til it starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and add to the 1st mixture in the Metal bowl.

Then add:

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp White Pepper (you can use black if you don't mind the specks)

1/4 tsp Ground Anatto Seed (for color only; you can find this in the spice section)

You don't have to, but I recommend adding 1/4 cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree.  Mix well.  Makes about 2 cups.