Quinoa Chicken Nuggets

These are hands down the best nuggets we have tried. 

We have altered this recipe and added all sorts of spices and each time they are amazing. 

We also make large batches, place in freezer before cooking on cookie sheet To freeze and then throw into a ziplock bag. Perfect go to.

Quinoa nuggets

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

1/4 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce ( we used my recipe)

1/4 cup onion diced

1/2 cup cheddar or mozzarella shredded

1 cup breadcrumbs ( panko worked best but I used gluten free as well)

Salt and pepper

Place the quinoa in the water and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. It will take about 15 minutes. Let cool

Mix all ingredients. Make sure you add enough breadcrumbs to keep shape. 

We pressed each nugget into a flower cookie cutter that was around 2 inches and a small Mickey head. 

You can fry these in a pan or bake at 350 until browned about 10 minutes. 

They are amazing!

Broccoli puffs!

Last time we visited Vanessa, she made the most outrageous broccoli bites. 

Luckily she's awesome and gave me the recipe! 

I altered it a little for gluten issues, but they are amazing.

"Broccoli puffs"

Ingredients: 

2 cups steamed broccoli chopped

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

3 eggs

Salt and pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs ( I used gluten free)

Mix all together and then make small balls. 

Place in baking sheet

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Flip the bites between baking. 

Let cool and enjoy! We make these twice a week!

The boys favorite granola bars!

I was really excited that everyone loved these bars as much as us!

The boys love these and although I only give it to them as a snack, I wrap each individually and keep in a ziplock for when they want. 

"Granola sticks" ( as the boys call it)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar ( we make our own)

2 cups organic oats ( quick comes out great for the kids, I love the old fashioned for me)

1 cup Barbara's brown rice cereal ( or rice crispy but look for a brand without bht or tbhq)

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons mini chips 

In a large bowl, mix the oats and the cereal together. 

Melt the butter brown sugar and the honey over medium high heat until it bubbles.

Make sure it bubbles all over, not just a little.

Reduce the heat and let it summer about 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla and stir

Mix into the dry ingredients and pour into a greased pan. The size of your pan depends on the thickness, we use a jelly roll pan.

Pack it down, like really smash it together! Mine are always around 3/4 inch thick. 

Sprinkle with mini chips and press them down. 

Let cool for about three hours, 

Then you can slice! 

Enjoy!

My homemade ketchup!

Sorry it's taken so long to post, but here is the recipe for the ketchup!

"Mommys candy ketchup"

6 oz can organic tomato paste

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir until smooth.

Continue to stir until it comes to a boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes. Continue stirring often so it doesn't clump.

If using raw honey add at the end not to kill the proteins. 

Enjoy!

Chickpea nuggets! They were such a hit!

The kids all seemed to love these! 

We served them with ranch and they ate them up!

No chicken Chickpea Nuggets

1 can of chickpeas drained

1 medium onion puréed 

1 large egg

1 cup flour ( I used oat flour)

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp dil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Coating: 

1 egg

Breadcrumbs of choice ( I've used panko and they liked them the best)

Put the chickpeas into a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

Add the seasonings and one egg. 

Slowly pulse adding oat flour.

Preheat oven to 350

Once it makes a paste like dough you can start to make your nuggets.

Mix one egg and some seasoning.

Shape the nuggets into 1 1/2 inch rounds and dip in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs

Put some olive oil on the bottom of your pan 

Once all are coated, cover your tray with tin foil and bake 15 minutes

Take the foil off, flip and bake about another ten minutes. 

Enjoy!

Let's make lunch fun!

I've been pretty busy and decided that I would surprise the kids with some fun lunch requests. 

There are too many to post so I let Dean pick his favorite!

Sweet potato cakes!

Now that Dylan no longer has any allergies to carrots, I decided to start trying to whip up some delicious lunch cakes. 

This was deliciously perfect. I made these and wanted to eat them all for myself!

Delicious Sweetpotato cakes

1 cup shredded sweet potato

1 cup carrots shredded

4 tsp oat flour ( you can use whole wheat)

4 eggs

Cinnamon

1/4 tsp honey

Mix your eggs together and then add all ingredients .

Heat your pan and add a little butter or coconut oil  

Scoop 1/4 cup each cake and cook until golden. Then flip and repeat. 

You can dip in honey, maple syrup etc. 

enjoy!

Dylan loves his lunch cakes!

It seems like the pancakes have been a big hit during our group meets so I figured I would post them to make sure you all had them!

There are a few versions but all basically the same. He loves them all!

Yummy lunch cakes

Sweet potato version

 1 sweet potato cooked and mashed

1 banana

2 eggs

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp Greek yogurt

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal

Place all in the blender and purée. 

Make sure griddle is warm enough for it not to stick, medium low heat

Melt a little butter and then put about two tablespoons per pancake

Make sure you don't flip them until the bottom is nice and dry and the spatula can slide under!

If you are interested in a baby cereal pancake ( because I had bought and had tons leftover) I have a great one! 

Our favorite breakfast, Gluten free blueberry Oat Flour Cake

This is the simple recipe that you can swap with the listed tested versions. 

We cut out the raw sugar, And use one one cup of brown if this is for the kids for breakfast. 

Blueberry Oat Flour Breakfast Cake

by Batter to Bake

Ingredients:

3 cups of gluten free oat flour ( if you are not gf then just three cups of oats processed to flour)

1 1/2 cup of raw brown sugar ( we make our own with raw sugar and molasses)

1/2 cup raw sugar ( optional)

1 stick of unsalted softened butter OR 1/2 cup of coconut butter (this recipe used coconut)

1 medium puréed Banana

2 single  serve containers of blueberry Greek yogurt

1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt

5 eggs

2 tsp gf vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter or oil a bundt pan and set aside.

3. In a small bowl rinse blueberries and set aside in paper towel. 

4. In a large mixing bowl begin to beat your five eggs until a light yellow. 

5. Add in your sugar and begin to beat. 

6. Add your butter and vanilla and mix until creamy.

7. Add your banana and yogurt and beat about three to five minutes. 

 8. Add the salt, baking soda and baking powder to your oat flour mixture and begin to add to your wet mix one cup at a time. 

9. Add your blueberries and stir gently. 

10. Pour into your pan and bake 1 hour on center rack  ( or until toothpick inserted comes out clean) 

11. Allow to cool completely before removing it from pan. 

Tested versions of our oat flour cake!

I know some of the family keeps asking for this recipe, sorry I keep forgetting. 

This is the simplest form of the recipe.

You can use any of the following tested combinations:

2 containers of strawberry Greek yogurt

1 cup sliced strawberries

Or

2 containers blueberry Greek yogurt 

1 cup blueberries

Or

2 containers peach Greek yogurt

1/2 cup diced peaches

Or

2 containers pineapple yogurt

1/2 cup drained pineapple

Or

2 containers honey yogurt

1 cup shredded zucchini

Or

2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Or

2 cups lemon yogurt 

Replace vanilla extract with lemon

Rhind  of one large lemon

Poppyseed, about a table spoon,optional

Or

2 cups vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup macadamian nuts

The apple recipe given

The carrot cake recipe given

Oat flour pan bread

We attempted to make a versatile bread that I could cook in a small square pan so that the slices would be like bread, and after a couple of... Failed...attempts, I've come up with this

Oat Flour Pan Bread

by Batter to Bake

1 3/4 cup of ground oat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk( we have used almond and coconut with the same results)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 eggs

Season of choice ( I did cooked onion in the bread last time and it was amazing)

Mix all dry ingredients in  sad separate bowl. 

Mix wet ingredients. 

Mix into dry, try not to over whip. 

Pour about 1/4 cup into small square skillet, or on your griddle in a square shape 

Flip once bubbles start to form. 

Make sure the bread is thick enough to flip. 

Enjoy

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

The best gluten free chocolate chip or raisin cookies!

1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2  tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp raisins or chocolate chips
2 tbsp Greek yogurt or melted butter
4 tbsp milk, begin with 2

Place rolled oats in food processor to make oat flour
Add all ingredients together
Bake 375 for 7 minutes, and done!

Egg free, dairy free, gluten free...Free Cake... Because I've done it!

I had it with using all my eggs for a gluten free cake. 

I had it with having to be a scientist and having to try to use all these different gum pastes to try to get the cake, to taste like cake.

And then one day, I remembered a cake we used to call Empty Pantry cake. Many call it dump cake, or depression cake since it uses barely any ingredients. My mom used to make a similar one, when we had a friend with an egg allergy. So, I figured I would do something silly. 

My mom sent me over a package of Bob's gluten free flour and away I went. Now, I've made this cake close to twenty times already and I've alternated between butter and bananas.  So I'll post the recipe with both and you decide which you rather based on taste preferences. You really don't taste the banana.

Empty Pantry Cake

1 1/2 cups flour ( oat, wheat etc)

3 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa

1 cup raw sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

5 tbsp coconut oil, or margarine

1 cup water

Preheat 350

Mix first 5 dry ingredients in bowl

In a smaller bowl mix all ingredients except water. 

Add to dry mixture along with water. 

Pour into 8 inch pan

Bake on middle rack 35 minutes. 

Ingredients

The stages of oat flour cake for gigi

Here is a run down of what the cake should look like while making it. Hope it helps!

Dean's "Yummy Butta Bread"

My son, Dean, is obsessed with my bread. I have no idea where the recipe came from. 

 I started making it five years ago after visiting Lancaster PA and got the recipe from a book out there( along with the most amazing potato buns but I'll post those another day)

So, he loves the bread. Asks for it like it's candy. And sometimes it's just so much easier to open the blog on my phone and look at the ingredients this way than it is to open up my cabinet and search for the recipe( which is scribbled on a paint sample paper by the way)

I wish I wasn't gluten free so I could enjoy it... I'll take the smell that floats around for hours after!

"Dean's Butta Bread"

This recipe is for two loaves. Cutting it in half works just fine as well. We freeze one and use the other. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups of warm water ( I use the baby thermometer to measure this at 110 degrees)

2/3 cup raw sugar

4 tablespoons butter melted 

1 tsp kosher salt

6.5 cup unbleached flour

Olive oil

Directions: 

1. In a sauce pan on low heat slowly melt the butter. Remove from heat when melted. 

2. In a glass bowl, mix together the water, sugar and yeast. Store to combine. Set your timer for ten minutes and wait until it blooms. If it doesn't, your yeast may not be active, try again:)

3. Pour into an extra large pot ( I used a sauce pot or the bowl from the kitchen aid) Mix in the melted butter, half the flour, and salt. Begin to mix with a fork until the dough is thickened. Slowly add the remaining flour, and knead for five minutes. Stop when the dough is able to stay in an elastic ball, and springs back when pressed in with a finger. If it is too sticky still add flour only a table spoon at a time. You should be able to mix without the dough getting stuck on your hands.

4. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead on a floured surface about five to ten times. Clean out another glass bowl and coat with olive oil. When placing the ball into the bowl turn it to make sure the oil gets on every piece of dough. 

5. Place a damp towel over the bowl and remain covered for one hour, or until doubled in size. 

6. Once complete, take the dough out and cut in half. Press out each dough into a square and picture it as a piece of paper. Fold up one third, then the bottom third and then pinch together the seams. Turn over and place into a buttered bread pan. Cover with cloth and allow to rise another hour. 

7. Bake for 30 minutes, and make sure your top doesn't burn. Once out of the oven, brush with some melted butter and let cool. 

We have used this for rolls, hamburger buns etc. Our favorite is adding a diced onion, olive oil, dill, pepper, salt, garlic powder to the top of the buns for onion bread!

Apple pie gives me feelings, feelings I can't ignore...

And when that apple pie is gluten free, I kind of want to dance around the house.

Yeah, this happened... Three times in one week actually. That's how fast it goes. I've warned you. Have plenty of apples on hand. 

I made this cake for my Mother and Sister for our Mothers Day Brunch that we have every year. They brought home half and by the time my husband and son had dessert the cake was gone!

Here you go mom! 

Gluten Free Disapearing Apple Cake

By Batter to Bake

Ingredients:

 

Apple filling:

2 cored, peeled and diced apples set aside in a bowl 

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp sugar ( in this cake pictured above I used truvia)

In cake one and two I threw in a fourth cup of craisins 

Mix together and set aside 

Cake:

3 cups of gluten free oat flour( if you are not gf then just three cups of oat flour)

1 1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

( since we do not like things overly sweet we cut down the sugar to half cup brown half cup Raw)

1 stick of softened unsalted butter or coconut butter

1 medium banana mashed

1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt( or two 6-7 ounce containers)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

5 eggs

2 tbsp gf vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

Glaze: 

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Apple topping:

One apple peeled and diced

1 tablespoon stevia ( or sugar)

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Butter or oil a bundt pan and set aside. 

3. In a small bowl prepare your apple filling. 

4. In a large bowl begin to beat your eggs until light yellow about five minutes. 

5. Add your sugar and continue to beat on high. 

6. Add your butter and mix until creamy. 

7. Add yogurt and beat three to five minutes. 

8. Add in your banana and beat until mixed.

9. Add spices , baking soda, salt and baking powder to oat mixture. 

10. Add oat flour one cup at a time and beat until entirely combined. 

11. Throw in some of the apple filling mixture into the bundt pan. Pour half of the mixture on top. Add the remaining apple filling on top of the poured batter in the bundt pan.Pour the remaining batter on top of the apples.

12. Bake on center rack for about one hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Remove from bundt pan and allow to cool entirely. While cooling dice your apple and begin to bake mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes or until apples are soft. 

Prepare your glaze and pour over your cake. I do this to make the top nice and sticky for the apples to get a nice hold. 

Pour your apples over the top of the cake and just smell the aroma. Amazing.

I am not joking when I say this cake was made three times this week. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. It's just that good! 

Carrot cake perfection (gluten free!) Even Peter Cottontale would agree!

Who doesn't love a good carrot cake? 

Moist, soft, and just the right amount go texture from the nuts and raisins to satisfy even the toughest critic. Now add healthy and gluten free ingredients and we have a deal breaker!

I've been asked for the last few months from family and friends to please send them the recipe I finally perfected. It took a little over a year and a half of trial and error, and some flops, however I promise if followed it will suit your needs! 

Gluten Free Carrot Cake 

by Batter to Bake

Ingredients:

3 cups of gluten free oat flour ( if you are not gf then just three cups of oats processed to flour)

1 1/2 cup of raw brown sugar ( we make our own with raw sugar and molasses)

1/2 cup raw sugar ( we omit 1/2 cup of brown at times to add this)

1 stick of unsalted softened butter OR 1/2 cup of coconut butter (this recipe used coconut)

1 medium puréed Banana

1 single serve container of lemon Greek yogurt

1 single serve container of vanilla Greek yogurt

1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt

5 eggs

2 tsp gf vanilla extract

2 cups finely shredded carrots

1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins

1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans 

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp all spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter or oil a bundt pan and set aside.

3. In a small bowl mix shredded carrots, spices, nuts, raisins and vanilla. Let sit.

4. In a large mixing bowl begin to beat your five eggs until a light yellow. 

5. Add in your sugar and begin to beat. 

6. Add your butter and mix until creamy.

7. Add your yogurt and beat about three to five minutes. 

 8. Add the salt, baking soda and baking powder to your oat flour mixture and begin to add to your wet mix one cup at a time. 

9. Add your carrot mixture and be sure to mix well throughout the batter.

10. Pour into your pan and bake 1 hour on center rack  ( or until toothpick inserted comes out clean) 

11. Allow to cool completely before removing it from pan. 

Creamcheese Frosting

By Batter to Bake

Ingredients:

1 stick of creamcheese

1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp lemon extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix creamcheese, butter and yogurt until fluffy

Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time. Mix until consistency you want ( sometimes you will need less sugar depending on the thickness of the yogurt)

Add vanilla and lemon. Frost your cake and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

Enjoy!

Heaven Macaroons

So I've been attempting to find the perfect macaroon recipe. And after flat ones, skinny ones, gooey ones and burnt ones, I think I officially figured out what it needed..

The secret?

Almond extract. You heard that right! almond extract. Pure, not flavoring. 

These ended up in little perfect balls of coconut goodness that worked out perfectly. 

I am also going to be posting the baby pancakes I've been making since they can only have the yokes.

Heaven Macaroons

By Battertobake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unsweetened organic coconut flakes

3 large egg whites ( reserve yokes for baby pancakes)

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions

1. Whisk together the egg whites, honey, vanilla and almond until bubbly

2. Add the flakes  and self and mix extremely will.

3. Chill in the fridge covered for about an hour. 

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

5. Using a tablespoon scoop out the mixture and pack it in. Add two tablespoons to your hand and squeeze firmly to make a ball.

6. Place on a lined baking sheet in the center rack and bake for 15 minutes. 

7. Cool completely before removing. 

8. Top with dark chocolate if you need that extra sweetness!

Gluten free mish mosh banana raisin pumpkin bread!

I had two of the darkest bananas, half a can left of the pumpkin from my pumpkin cheese cake roll, and knew if I didn't use them, my husband would throw them out.
So, I looked at a recipe that my mom had been using for flourless oatmeal muffins, and, as always, started to play.
The outcome, was a perfect loaf of all the right choices.I made it twice, once with sugar and once with stevia. The recipe below is the stevia, feel free to use regular!

Gluten Free Mish Mosh Bread

By: Batter to Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yields: approximately 6

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup stevia (or sugar)
1/3 cup pumpkin
2 over ripe bananas
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/3 cup raisins
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix together the rolled oats, yogurt and milk in a separate bowl. Leave aside until the end.
Mix oat flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, pumpkin and raisins into the mixture
Mix well.
Now add the soaked oats into the mix.
Pour into the loaf pan and top with raw oats and raisins
Bake 30 minutes

Chocolate chocolate chip cookies( yup double the chocolate gluten free!)

Just a warning, in future posts you will probably be seeing a lot of this little dude

He's kind of my super awesome helper. And any time there is baking to be done in the kitchen, he's right there with the mixer!

So, cookies. Yum. 

I always have to measure everything out ahead of time, especially with baking with my little three year old. 

First throw your butter into your bowl. 

Now, your sugar

Then, on medium speed, mix the two until blended and fluffy

Then add your egg

Then add the flours, and once mixed.... Throw in your chocolate!

" that's a lot of chocolate mommy!"

Place two inches apart in teaspoon fills ( they will really puff up)

And then bake!  

It's been my experience to completely allow them to cool before attempting to eat them, they will be very soft and will not hold up if you try to eat them while warm... Although this is perfect in the bottom of a cup with ice cream thrown over!

No flour chocolate chip cookies

By: Batter to Bake

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup oatmeal flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

8 tbsp or one stick of butter softened

1/2 cup sugar( I use raw)

1/2 cup brown sugar( I make my own but I am use any will work)

1 egg

2 tsp cocoa powder1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Blend together the butter ,and sugars until fluffy.

Beat in the egg.

Mix the flours, cocoa and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture.

Stir until smooth. 

Add the chips.

Drop by teaspoon on pre greased cookie sheets, around two inches apart. 

Bake 8-12 minutes or until brown around the edges. 

I highly recommend to allow the cookies to cool before devouring them!