Allergen Free Pretzel Bites

I am always trying to find yummy snacks that the boys will eat, that also fit into our allergen free lifestyle.  They are always wanting things they can't have, so I wanted to find something different that would pique their interest.  One of our favorite treats at when we go to the mall is soft pretzels.  But that is not an option right now.  So I thought I would try to find a recipe for soft pretzels so we could try it, incase I really needed it for future! I found a pretty tasty recipe, that I tweaked for our needs.

Ingredients
1 c warm water
1 Tbs quick acting yeast
1 Tbs honey
3 1/2 c Bob's Red Mill 1:1 baking flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/4 c oil
1/3 c warm water

    For Later...
10 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
Sea salt for sprinkling on top

Step 1. In a small bowl, add the 1 c of water, honey, and yeast.  Let sit for five minutes until it starts to bubble.

Step 2. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk until blended.  And oil and yeast mixture. Mix until ball of dough forms.  Add 1/3 c water, then mix for 1 more minute to knead the dough.

Step 3.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 5. Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in large pot.

Step 6. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a thick rope. Slice each rope into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Step 7. Drop pretzel pieces into the boiling water and boil them for 30 seconds until they start to float.. Remove the pretzel pieces from the water using a slotted spoon, allow to drain, and place them on the baking sheets.

Step 8. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Step 9. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Step 10. Serve and ENJOY- with dairy free nacho cheese!!

Strawberry Cheesecake (Non Dairy, Gluten Free)

Today was my birthday! I ALWAYS have cheesecake for my birthday- it's my favorite!  But since we are on an allergen free diet, that kinda eliminates the option for cheesecake.  So I set out to make one that was non dairy and gluten free.  I make my own graham crackers, so the crust would be easy enough to replicate, but I didn't have any made- ARGGHHH!  So I had to come up with a better plan.  The result was pretty tasty!

Ingredients

Cheesecake
2 c cashews
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c honey
1/3 c coconut oil melted

Crust
2 1/2 c gluten free chocolate chex cereal
3 Tbs non-dairy butter, melted

Topping
2 C thawed strawberries
2 Tbs sugar

Step 1. Boil cashews in 5 c. water for 1 hour. In the meantime...
Step 2. Crush cereal.  Mix in melted butter and coat well.
Step 3. Spread into bottom of pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Step 4. When cashews are done, rinse and place cashews in blender.  Add lemon juice, honey, and coconut oil to blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Step 5. Pour over crust.  Place in fridge to allow to cool and set-up overnight. 
Step 6. Mash thawed strawberries and mix with sugar.  Spread over cheesecake.
Step 7. Serve and ENJOY!

Bell Pepper Nachos (Dairy Free)

I am constantly trying to come up with ways to add more veggies into our diet- like many families, I'm sure!  Even if we do have good ways to do it, we are not very good about planning ahead to get them cooked.  When I was searching for recipes for nacho cheese, I skipped over a site that had bell pepper nachos.  Their recipe used regular cheese, so I didn't think much about it after that.  Then it dawned on me that I could make it my own way.  I never paid much attention to what was in it after seeing the cheese, but remember they looked a lot like traditional nachos, subbing the bell pepper for the chips. So here is my, rather tasty, bell pepper nachos!

Ingredients
mini bell peppers (enough to fill a baking sheet or whatever size baking pan will feed you/your family)
1 can traditional refried beans
chopped chicken
Dairy free nacho cheese
1 avocado

Step 1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cut heads off mini bell peppers, remove seeds, and cut in half length-wise.  Place on baking sheet.

Step 2. Using a butter knife, spread a thin layer of refried beans inside bell peppers.  Sprinkle chopped chicken on top of refried beans.

Step 3. Prepare Dairy free nacho cheese as directed.  Drizzle over 'nachos.'
Step 4. Place in over on bottom rack, and bake 7-8 minutes until bell peppers are hot, but still crunchy.
Step 5. Remove from oven and place on plate.  Cut small pieces of avocado and distribute over 'nachos.'

Step 6. ENJOY!!

Dairy Free Nacho Cheese

Fall.  It is one of my favorite  times of year.  The leaves changing color, the air becoming cooler, and football!  With football comes finger foods, and the best finger food is nachos!  Nachos has been one of our Sunday football lunches for as long as I can remember.  My dad and I would make our nachos and sit together watching whatever game was on. 

Since we are currently on an allergy free diet, traditional nachos is not something I am able to enjoy.  So I went on a mission to find a dairy free alternative.  I searched all sorts of sites, and even took to Pinterest- which is not something I do often!  I tried a couple recipes, one from cashews, but it just didn't quite satisfy my nacho cheese craving.  So I developed my own concoction.  The problem is that it has to be fast to make, because with 3 kids, I don't always have time sit and make a nacho cheese that takes an hour to make.  It also has to be something that my 9 month old, 2.5 year old, and 4 year old can all enjoy, along with a husband who is not fully compliant with our allergy free diet.  I hope you can enjoy this cheese as much as we do!

Servings:
This was enough to make 2 adult plates of nachos, 2 toddler plates, and a small amount to mix with chicken for the baby's lunch.

Ingredients

3 Daiya chedder slices
1/4 Daiya jack style block
3 rounded Tbs nutritional yeast
2 rounded Tbs mild salsa
splash of rice milk

Step 1. Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
Step 2. Microwave on high for 45 seconds.  Stir.
Step 3. Microwave another 30 seconds or until melted and all ingredients are combined.

Step 4. ENJOY!  Drizzle over chips, use for dipping, add chili for chili cheese, etc