Cinnamon Rolls, with a twist! (Bread machine)

Recently, I purchased a HUGE tub of delicious coconut oil.  Coconut oil has so many health benefits, and there is nothing I don't love about it.  So, I decided to try to create cinnamon buns using coconut oil!  They turned out amazingly!  Please forgive the shape of some of them, but really, it's all about how they taste, right???

*Egg, Dairy, Soy and nut/tree nut free*

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice milk or water (coconut milk would be great too I'd expect), heated for about 1 minute in the microwave
1/4 cup of warm water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder & 2 Tbsp water for each egg called for)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

5 cups flour

3 tsp yeast

In order listed, add to your bread machine pan.  Use dough setting.  Warning......this may rise a ton.  My dough was touching the glass lid of my bread machine.  It was huge!

Once dough cycle has finished, divide dough in half.  (I only do this because it fits on my wood cutting board better if I do it in two parts).  On a floured counter, roll dough into a rectangle shape.  Brush the rolled out dough with liquid coconut oil and sprinkle a decent amount of the following mixture onto the entire surface of the dough.

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Roll the dough tightly, resembling a log.  Divide into 6 equal parts and put into a greased (yes, you guessed it.........I greased my glass baking dish with coconut oil!) 10X14" baking dish or pan.

Repeat using the second half of the dough.

Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise from 45-60 minutes in a warm, draft free spot.  The dough should almost double in size, and almost be touching the bun next to it.

In a 350F oven, bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cinnamon buns are a nice golden brown color.

While the buns are cooling, mix a simple glaze together using the following ingredients.  Please note, I did not really measure the following, but it turned out fine.

Approximately 1 cup icing sugar
Approximately 1-2 tsp vanilla
A bit of water
And you guessed it, coconut oil!  I found the coconut oil just took a bit of the sweetness of the glaze away.

These look amazing and taste even better!

Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is SO easy to make, just takes a little bit of prep work.  I toss mine in the slow cooker and it's extra tender by dinner, but I know others have made it on the stovetop and had it turn out wonderfully too.

*Egg, Dairy, Soy and Nut Free*

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef, browned

1 onion

1 can tomato soup (check ingredients for allergens)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp mustard

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1-2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

Instructions:

Brown ground beef, put into slow cooker.
Add add chopped onion.
Add all other ingredients and give a good stir.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Serve on home made dinner rolls, along with a salad or another favorite side!

***I also tend to put as many veggies into our meals, I added carrots and celery to tonights meal, and did not even get a complaint from the littles about it!***

Fried Cinnamon Strips

While out the other day, I came across Sweet Cinnamon flavored CheeCha Puffs.  This is one flavor that I had not yet tried, so grabbed a couple of bags and got to work thinking of something simple and yummy that I could make with them.  And fried cinnamon strips is what I came up with!

*Dairy, Egg, Soy & Nut Free*
(contains gluten)

Ingredients:

1 cup Sweet Cinnamon flavored CheeCha Puffs (or just a handful, which is how I measured them today)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
a pinch of white or brown sugar

2 (10 inch) flour tortillas (check ingredients, many brands contain allergens)
cooking oil

Instructions:

In a cloth bag (we use Sling Sisters reusable bags), combine cheecha puffs, sugar and nutmeg, and with a rolling pin, crush until the cheecha puffs are a powder.
At this point, I transfer my mixture into a bowl so the oil in the recipe doesn't stain the bags.  If using plastic, you can just keep it in the bag.

Cut tortillas into 3X2 inch strips.  

Heat 1 inch of oil in a skillet or pan, to 375F, or over medium-high heat.

Fry 4 or 5 tortilla strips for approximately 30 seconds on each side, or until golden brown.  Drain on cooling rack on top of paper towels.  

While the strips are still warm, place into cheecha puff mixture and coat the strips.  Either toss the bowl or shake the bag gently.  

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container once cooled.  

**Please note, as you can see at the bottom of the pile there are a few really dark ones.  These can burn very easily, so keep a close eye on them while they're cooking!**

Now, I personally am not a huge fan of Nutmeg, so next time I make these I might choose to add a bit of extra cinnamon in place of the nutmeg.  As my husband often tells me, recipes are a guideline.  Play around with the spices, see other creations you can come up with!  And of course, please share in the comments section if you find something else to add to these tasty treats!

Shepherds Pie

There really is no better comfort food than Shepherds Pie.  It's easy and filling, and just an all round easy to please everyone type of dish.

I decided to see what I could come up with, using a bag of Original CheeCha Puffs, and it actually turned out really good!  My family loved the crunch factor!

*Dairy, Soy, Egg, Nut and Gluten Free*

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds lean ground beef (or meat alternative)
1/2-1 onion, chopped finely

1-2 cups vegetables, fresh or frozen (all I had was corn, but carrots and peas would be wonderful too.)

4-5 potatoes (more or less, depending how thick you want the "crust")
4 Tbsp butter or margarine (we use Earth Balance Soy Free)

1/2 cup beef broth (check ingredients on the brand you use)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce (we use Lea & Perrins brand)

1/2 bag CheeCha Puffs, original flavor, crushed.  (I put them in a cloth bag and smooshed them with my hands.)

Salt and Pepper, to taste
Pinch of paprika

Grated cheese (we use Daiya, cheddar style shreds)

Instructions:

Boil peeled potatoes, once cooked, add in 2 tbsp butter and mash.  Set aside.  

In large frying pan,  melt 2 tbsp butter and brown the ground beef.  Drain off any fat.  Put ground beef back into the pan, add in onion and any vegetables.  I would suggest if you're using fresh carrots, that you steam them prior to using them or they might not be cooked through.  

Add worcestershire sauce into the pan, as well as the beef broth.  If you find your meat mixture getting dry, you can add more broth than what's called for in the recipe.  Simmer over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in salt and pepper.

In a casserole dish, place beef and veggie mixture.  Spoon mashed potatoes on top, and spread out to cover the meat and veggie mixture.  I find it's easiest to spread and flatten the potatoes using a fork.

Add a layer of grated cheese on top of the potatoes, as well as the crushed up CheeCha Puffs.  I took my pinch (which actually was probably a few pinches) of paprika, to add some color.

Everything is cooked already, so all you're really doing at this point is heating it all up, melting the cheese and browning the wonderfully crunchy topping you've added.

Bake in a 400F oven for 15-30 minutes, keeping an eye open to make sure nothing burns.

In the past, I've browned  the potatoes simply by putting the oven on broil, but I would think that if you're using any type of topping, they'd burn that way.


This meal was filling, and my taste testers (4 and 6 years old) gave it two thumbs up!

I'll definitely be making this again, I might even make a few to put in the freezer to have for a night when we need an easy and quick dinner!

Vegetable Chowder with Cheese

*PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS DAIRY*

There are very few recipes on my blog that contain any of the allergens we typically avoid in my family however, this soup is delicious, so I had to share the recipe.  I have not tried this using a milk or cheese substitute, but I think it would turn out just as good as the original recipe!  If you do make it without dairy, please let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine (or substitute of choice)

1/2 cup onion, chopped finely

1 cup carrot, chopped finely

2 stalks of celery, chopped finely
1 Tbsp minced galic

4 cups chicken broth (be sure to check the ingredients or simply make your own)

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped in tiny pieces

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk (or substitute)

2 cups broccoli, chopped

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or substitute)

Instructions:

In a large pot (I use my Kitchen Aid cast iron pot), melt butter or margarine.  Add celery, onions, and carrots, and saute until onions are tender.
Toss in garlic and continue to saute for another couple of minutes.
Add broth and potatoes, bringing to boil and cooking until potatoes are tender.  In a bowl, mix flour and water together, and add to the pot.  Stir until soup thickens, add in milk and chopped broccoli and simmer just until the broccoli is soft and soup is heated through.  Add in grated cheese and allow to melt.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup is wonderful!  This recipe makes a decent amount, but if you are serving more than 4 adults, I'd probably double the recipe.

There were no leftovers when I made this!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Mmm mmm Muffins!

It's cold where I live today.  Freezing cold.  The type of cold that makes your eyelashes freeze shut, and takes your breath away.  

Currently, it's -42C with the windchill.  That's cold.

What better way to keep the house warm and wonderful smelling, than to make a batch of Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins! 

(egg, dairy, soy and nut free)

Ingredients

1 cup flour (I used white, but gluten free (remember to use xantham gum) or whole wheat would be wonderful too)
1/2 cup sugar (I did use a bit less than this)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup oatmeal (use gluten free oats if needed)
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1/2 cup oil (I used canola oil)
2/3 cup milk (I used coconut "milk", but any unflavored milk substitute should be fine if you choose to not use cows milk)



I used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the spatula attachement

*Mix all dry ingredients together
*Add in wet ingredients
*Mix wel

(yes, it's that easy)

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes.

These are very basic, very simple and very yummy!

Yeilds 12 muffins

As promised, creation #1!

When I was asked to create foods using CheeCha Puffs in the recipe, I thought to myself...no problem.  I am no stranger to the kitchen, so this will be easy!  Well, I was wrong.  It's not easy.  I cannot use any egg, dairy, soy or tree nuts in any of my baking or cooking due to allergies, which already limits what I can make and how I can make it.  Plus, it had to be kid approved.  Which means, the easiest way to come up with my first creation was to think...like a kid!

And this is what I came up with.  It's basic, it's simple, it's VERY easy, and it was DELICIOUS!!!!!

*Dairy, Egg, Soy, Nut & Gluten Free Chicken Fingers*

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (although I'm sure drumsticks, thighs etc would work too)
1 bag Sea Salt & Spiced Black Pepper CheeCha Puffs
2-4 tbsp butter or margarine (we use Earth Balance Soy Free)

Preperation

*In a plastic or cloth bag, crush the entire bag of CheeCha Puffs with a rolling pin until they resemble bread crumbs.  Pour onto a large plate and set aside.
*Thaw chicken and slice breasts into thin strips (or nuggets if you prefer)
*Melt margarine in a bowl

*Dip each strip or nugget into the melted margarine and coat thoroughly.  Take each chicken piece and roll it into the crushed up CheeCha Puffs until they are well covered with the mixture.

On a stone or greased/lined baking sheet, bake the chicken for approximately 30 minutes (or until cooked) in a 400F oven.

It's THAT easy!

I was a little worried that the chicken would either come out with soggy CheeCha Puffs, or that they would be burnt, changing my meal to a "Blackened Chicken using CheeCha Puffs" type dish.  But it was quite the opposite.  The chicken strips were a wonderful golden color, with a nice crispy coating on them.

We had ours with a huge tossed salad, and it was the perfect light dinner.  Pair this up with fries, salad, pasta..........and you'll have an easy and quick dinner sure to please everyone!