Omega No-Bakes (vegan, gluten free) Updated!

Omega No-Bakes (vegan, gluten free)

One the first and most popular posts on the Stealthy Mom blog was our Omega No-Bakes recipe: fudgey little chocolate and peanut butter cookie balls that each contained about a teaspoon of flaxseed and a tablespoon of rolled oats.

Today we tweaked them a little bit. We switched the white sugar for sucanat (evaporated cane juice) and the olive oil for avocado oil. Sucanat is sugar's minimally processed relative, and avocado oil has no taste and is stable at a higher temperature. We added a bit more plain peanut butter.

G-man and the Cadet were scooping up the No-Bake as fast as I could roll them. Indeed, when still warm, they were pretty gooey and yummy. The sucanat gave them a rich molasses flavour that worked well with the chocolate and peanut butter. After chilling, those that made it to the fridge set up well.

For two dozen:

2 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 cup sucanat
6 tbsp water
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsweetened "just peanuts" peanut butter
1 1/2 cups quick oats (whole rolled oats will work, but will

In a large sauce pan, mix the avocado oil and cocoa powder. Slowly heat, constantly stirring. When the powder is completely melted, stir in the sucanat and water. Heat, constantly stirring, until the mixture starts to bubble. (Sucanat takes longer to melt than white sugar.)

Turn off the heat, and quickly stir in the flaxseed meal and peanut butter. When the base is smooth, stir in the rolled oats.

As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, form into 1" balls with your hands. If your hands are a bit wet with water, the balls will roll easier. (Alternatively, spray a pyrex pan with non-stick spray and press the mixture into it. When cool, cut into squares.)

Chill in the fridge for about an hour to set.



I shared this post with these weekly natural food recipe round-ups: Hearth and Soul Hop,  Fight Back! Friday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.


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G-Man's Fruit Pudding (vegan, gluten free, no added sugar)

G-Man's Fruit Pudding

After supper, our four year-old son stood in the kitchen and dictated the ingredients and instructions for his dessert idea. He wanted to make "Dessert Soup," with bananas for the broth and strawberries and blueberries. Smooth and creamy, this dessert was a snap to make and a delicious way to add another serving of fruit to our day. I am proud of G-man's creation!

(He is with me as I write this, wearing pyjamas and sunglasses. He stayed up late to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy on Iowa Public Television.)

For four:

3 ripe bananas
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Thaw and slice the strawberries. Mash the bananas in a small bowl. Add any juice from the strawberries and whip it all together with a fork.

Divide the banana puree among four fruit nappies. Top with the strawberry slices and gently swirl them in. Place the blueberries on top, then serve right away.



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Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt

Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt

Yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. This was easy enough that the boys could help from start to finish. The recipe I found originally called for sugar. Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness and flavour that compliments vanilla so I opted for that instead.

Commercial frozen yogurt may seem smoother and creamier for a variety of reasons. Many add cream. Others have gelatin, guar gum, carrageenan, or agar agar for thickness. The lower the fat content of a frozen dairy dessert, the more tiny ice crystals can form; some low fat brands of ice cream contain ice structuring proteins "borrowed" from fish to prevent the formation of these crystals. I have not encountered these proteins on the labels of frozen yogurt yet but it would not surprise me.

None of those magical additives are in here, so expect something more like a sherbet. I started with a firm yogurt made with whole milk using my favorite culture. The yogurt was given a day in the fridge to "set" before we used it.

Banana Bread with Maple Mascarpone

Banana Bread with Maple Mascarpone

Today was a perfect spring day. While Stealthy Dad worked in the yard, the rest of us hung out in the kitchen. Bread was rising, yet it was a bit chilly in the house, so warming up the oven with something sweet was a fine plan. The boys pulled their stools up to the kitchen work table and helped make Banana Bread.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

How long does it take to open up a tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls? Add five more minutes' of prep time, and you could make these delicious cinnamon roll biscuits from scratch. I used whole wheat flour but white would be fine. Compared to the chemistry lesson required for the store-bought kind, this ingredients list is simple and you likely have everything on hand:

2 cups flour (either whole wheat or unbleached)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (optional)
1/3 cup butter, still hard from the fridge
1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder

Raisin Spice Muffins (Gluten Free)

Raisin Spice Muffin (Gluten Free)

Plump raisins and the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Raisin muffins have always been my favorite, warm with a touch of butter. Why should us wheat-eaters keep all the best muffins to ourselves? This gluten free version is just as yummy and your kitchen will smell divine when you bake them.

Monkey Bars (gluten free, vegan)

Monkey Bars

Do you ever go into the kitchen, fish out a recipe, and make so many substitutions that you can only hope what the result will be? I found a basic cake recipe and got to work. I switched  a double-portion of bananas for oil and sugar. Bananas make a gooey brownie, so I subbed flaxseed for the eggs, just in case. Corn syrup? Um, no. Maple syrup instead. Gluten free flour for regular...  I ended up with what I was aiming for! That NEVER happens!

Banana brownies! They are soft and delicious when served as soon as they cool enough to slice. (One night in the fridge did not hurt them but they were better warmed up.) I spread a wee bit of unsweetened, just-peanut butter on top just before serving. They had no official name until I presented one to the Cadet. After shoving one in his mouth and dancing around, he called to me in the kitchen, "Monkey Bar! Oo oo! Aah aah! More Monkey Bar, please!"  If our nearly-two-year-old says they are "Monkey Bars," then that is what they shall be.

Quinoa Pudding (gluten free, egg free)

Quinoa Pudding

Since I was ten, I have been searching for the perfect non-rice pudding. My mom used to make the best rice pudding, and when we discovered I was allergic to rice, I had had my last bowl. *sigh* It has been so long that I do not remember the taste. Nonetheless, rice pudding was the inspiration for this dish. It is baked slowly with milk, like the old fashioned classic. Plump, juicy raisins and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon compliment the quinoa grains.

1.5 cups quinoa
1/3 to 2/3 cup maple syrup. (Think, "breakfast" or "dessert?")
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup seedless raisins

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Butter a casserole dish. Mix all of the ingredients except the raisins together in the dish. Bake for an hour at 300F, uncovered. Turn the oven down to 250F.

Stir the mixture up in the dish, and drop in the raisins. Return it to the oven to bake for another hour and a half at 250F.

Serve warm or cold. A night in the fridge makes for a great breakfast!

[Yes! This worked in the crock pot! Keep it on the lowest setting. At first I reduced the liquid but quickly learned that it not necessary.]

This recipe is shared with Monday Mania, Fat Tuesdays , Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesdays,  Frugal Days Sustainable Ways,  Real Food Wednesdays, Simple Lives Thursday and Full Plate Thursdays the Living Well Blog Hop,  Fight Back Friday and Empty Your Archives- Puddings.


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Raspberry Custard Pie

Raspberry Custard Pie with Omega Crust

Did you give up cheesecake this year? Let me introduce you to Raspberry Custard Pie. The Omega Crust contains no lard, shortening or butter. Flaxseed meal contributes 1900 milligrams of Omega-3 oils per serving. The creamy custard has the goodness of eggs and milk. There are no artificial ingredients, and a generous slice has 9 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and fewer than 300 calories.  All "diet" talk aside.... This pie is a smooth, tart-n-sweet  treat. Go for it.

Dark Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes (whole wheat option)

Dark Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

My friend asked me if I had any gluten-free recipes for cupcakes, since her turn was coming up to send goodies to school. The only problem with sending these is the "sending" part. Who can resist rich, moist, dark chocolate? Topped with all-natural Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting, these little cupcakes are grown-up enough to serve any crowd.

For a dozen cupcakes:

1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

2 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt. (Try to avoid the brands that contain gelatin or starch. We make our own.)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a muffin tray with paper liners, lightly coating the inside of each with olive oil using a pump sprayer, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix the dry ingredients together, using a sieve if needed. The Xanthan gum must be evenly distributed before adding the liquid ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, then cream in the yogurt, butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Fill the muffin liners. Bake for 17-18 minutes.


[Whole wheat flour can be subbed in for the gluten free flour. Just omit the xanthan gum.]



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This recipe is linked to  Fat Tuesday,  Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Fight Back Fridays and Empty Your Archives.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

You would not have to hang around with me for very long to learn how I feel about food colouring, especially food colouring intended for children.

This pretty pink frosting is bursting with tart raspberries and contains no added sugar and no artificial colours. It is the perfect compliment to rich chocolate cake, or will dress up vanilla for a party!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Muffins (whole wheat option)

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is always good to have a few go-to recipes for people with special dietary needs. We are fortunate that no one in our household needs a gluten-free diet, but we know plenty of people who do.

G-man and the Cadet tore into these chocolate chip muffins as soon as they were cooled from the oven. They are so moist and light that you could pass them off as cupcakes. I adapted them from a recipe posted by Pets'R'us. My gluten-free flour blend of choice is Bob's Red Mill and I add a little xanthan gum to make it behave more like wheat flour. The hardest ingredient to find locally is the plain yogurt. (Plain, as in no added gelatin or starch.) We make our own with whole milk and starter.

For 24 small muffins,

3 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour* (one 22oz bag)
2 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (or lite salt if you need to lower the sodium.)

2 large duck eggs, or 3 medium chicken eggs
1 1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Lightly spray the insides of the cups with olive oil using a pump sprayer. (Or use non-stick cooking spray.)

Mix the dry ingredients well in one bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the yogurt, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet. The batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips.

With a spoon and spatula (or ice cream scoop) pour batter into baking cups. If you like, smooth the top of the batter in each cup with a spoon to even them out.


Bake for 17- 20 minutes.


Variation: Whole Wheat Flour:  Skip the xanthan gum.




www.stealthymom.com

For more natural and gluten free recipes, visit:  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Lunchbox Love,  Gluten Free Wednesdays and Empty Your Archives.

Slim Mints

Slim Mints

G-man asked me if we could make "Thin Mints." He was referring to those chocolate mint cookies that the Girl Scouts have in their fundraising lineup. Every year, a few boxes find their way into the house, we eat them, and they are gone. (I could claim altruism and say I ate most of a box to protect the kids from the artificial ingredients. Um, sure.)

Slim Mints are crisp, chocolate-mint cookies topped with rich, dark chocolate. Scrumptious!

Several hours before, prepare the dough:

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp cocoa powder (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)

1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp peppermint essence

6 oz (1/2 bag) dark chocolate chips
1 tsp peppermint essence

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine the egg, butter, sugar and peppermint essence in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. You may need to knead the dough.

Using waxed paper, roll the dough into a 1" diameter roll. Place the dough roll (s) in the refrigerator until hardened, several hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator and slice into 1/4" thin coins. Slicing them thinner, if you can, will make them a bit crisper. Be sure to slice them as uniformly as possible to ensure even baking.

Bake for 9-11 minutes at 370F. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips and peppermint essence, mixing well. I use a microwave, thirty seconds at a time. Thickly ice each cookie with the melted chocolate, using a spatula. Place them on waxed paper and cool in the refrigerator.


Makes 3 dozen.


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Raisin Spice Omega Cookies

"I want to make cookies with raisins," said G-man. I was kind of shocked, because he does not like raisins... He diligently stirred the ingredients together, checking them off the list. Flaxseed meal replaces half of the butter with a source of Omega-3 and, along with the rolled oats, a source of soluble fiber. When the house filled with the festive, spicy aroma during baking, he excitedly paced along with me to see how they would turn out. Delicious!

Blueberry Scones (no lard, shortening or butter)

Blueberry Scones

The Queen would not be amused.... These delicious scones buck tradition and contain no lard, shortening, butter, or eggs. Each bite bursts with blueberries. Not too sweet,  you will find these scones are perfect with a cup of Earl Grey.

For 8 scones:

1 1/4 cup unbleached flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp lite salt

1/3 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 cup frozen blueberries

Perfect Pancakes with Blueberry sauce

Perfect Pancakes with Blueberry sauce

"Pancakes!" was one of the Cadet's first words. Around here, we like them morning, noon, and night. The kids especially like them coin-sized presented on a platter as finger food. This is the second batch today, and no one is complaining. (I did not get a photo the first time because they were devoured.)

This recipe has a shorter ingredient list than boxed mix. There are seven, compared to Aunt Jemima's seventeen, not including their list of "enriched flour" ingredients. Seventeen! You will find this recipe to be just as easy as boxed. A double batch is a great idea because they freeze really well for an even quicker breakfast in the future.

For a batch of about two dozen 4" pancakes:

2 cups unbleached flour (I get away with whole wheat flour and the kids don't mind.)
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar

1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup milk

5 tbsp vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients well in one bowl, and whisk the egg, milk and vanilla in another. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and let the batter rest for at least ten minutes.

Coat a griddle with non-stick spray and heat it up. (I use olive oil in a pump sprayer from Pampered Chef.) Stir in the vinegar, folding the bubbles into the batter.

Drop batter onto the griddle by spoonfuls. When the bubbles break, the bottoms should be golden brown. Flip the pancakes and brown the other sides.

Serve with butter, syrup, or blueberry sauce.


Blueberry Sauce:

2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar

Heat the sugar and blueberries together in a sauce pan until bubbly. Serve immediately.




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This recipe was shared at Make Your Own! Monday.

Mocha Omega Truffles (vegan, gluten free)

Mocha Omega Truffles

It has been along week. How about a nice, soft truffle? Mocha Omega Truffles are rich and almost guilt-free: no butter or margarine, or artificial ingredients.  The flaxseed meal provides Omega-3 fatty acids and, along with the oatmeal, provides an excellent source of soluble fiber.  The grown-up combination of cocoa and coffee is rich in antioxidants. Our kids both like them, too. 


To make about four dozen Mocha Omega Truffles:


1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
1 cup strong, black coffee 
2 tsp instant coffee (or more, to taste)
1 cup flaxseed meal
3 cups quick oats
1 cup crushed almonds

Spinach Chocolate Brownies

Spinach Chocolate Brownies

G-man was bugging me this morning to make spinach chocolate cake. Seriously. The Cadet started chanting, “Cake, cake, cake!” so it was official. We were skipping Sesame Street to hang out in the kitchen.

To make an 8”x11” pan of Spinach Chocolate Brownies:

1 package frozen spinach

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

6 tbsp flaxseed meal

Chocolate Omega Macaroons (vegan, gluten-free)

Chocolate Omega Macaroons

Craving chocolate? Chocolate Omega Macaroons  are fast to make and contain no butter or margarine. The flaxseed meal provides Omega-3 fatty acids and teams up with oatmeal for an excellent source of soluble fiber.  Cocoa is rich in antioxidants.... All in all, a pretty good excuse to eat chocolate, no?

[I have gotten my hands on some Avocado oil, which does not have as strong a flavour as olive oil. I'll try this out and make an amendment if it's a good idea- Laura @ Stealthy Mom, May 2013]


To make about four dozen Chocolate Omega Macaroons:



3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups water
1 cup flaxseed meal
3 cups quick oats
1 cup flaked coconut

In a large sauce pan, mix olive oil and cocoa powder. Slowly heat, constantly stirring. When the powder is completely melted, stir in the sugar and water. Heat until it starts to bubble, constantly stirring. Add the flaxseed meal and stir again until bubbly. Stir in the oatmeal and coconut, maintaining a low heat for a couple more minutes.

Turn off the heat.  As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, start breaking off chunks and rolling into 1" balls, and chill at least an hour before serving. (If you are short on time, spray a pyrex cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and press the mixture into it. Cut when chilled.)


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Omega Pie Crust (vegan)

There is an ongoing debate among pie bakers regarding lard vs shortening. I prefer to use just butter myself, to avoid using either hydrogenated oils or preservative-laden lard from the grocery store. A butter crust is rich and flaky and smells wonderful while it bakes. If only cholesterol was no object. Butter is very high in cholesterol.

This crust recipe contains no lard, shortening, or butter. Instead, it features olive oil and flaxseed meal, with a touch of baking powder for lift. I sighed with relief when it was approved by G-man because he is a connoisseur of pie crust.

For either three single crust or one extra large double-crust pie:

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp lite salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup flaxseed meal (preferably golden flaxseed)

1/4 cup olive oil

2/3 cup warm water

Mix the dry ingredients together well. Add the olive oil and stir with a spoon until the mixture looks like crumbs.

Add the water. Unlike a traditional crust, a bit too moist works better than a bit too dry.

Allow he dough to sit for at least 15 minutes to relax the gluten in the flour.

Roll the dough out. It will not be dainty or crumbly like traditional crust. It will expand some during baking, so roll it thinner than regular pie crust.

Fold the crust onto into the pie plate and proceed with your pie recipe.

For a pre-baked shell, bake for 10-11 minutes at 400F.




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