h2herbs-blog

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🥰Eating healthy doesn’t have a cost a ton. Here, I’ve used ingredients from Misfit Market and a bag of lentils.

🍠This dish is as easy a boiling water and chopping a few veggies.

🤔Want the recipe? Ask below

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Gluten Free-Raw Cookie Dough

You know that urge you get to eat raw cookie dough but (a) you’re gluten free and (b) you only want enough for yourself?

We all get that once in a while. It’s totally human. Today, Sara is camped out on the couch with seasonal allergies in full blow. She asked for cookie dough. I figured I’d see what we have and whipped together the following Gluten free-dairy free-raw cookie dough. Just enough to satisfy her sweet tooth and easy enough to only dirty one small bowl and 2 measuring spoons!

1 Tbs Earth Balance

2 Tbs maple syrup

2 Tbs coconut flour

4 Tbs Gf flour mix of choice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dash of salt

1 Tbs of chocolate chips or shavings

Mix together and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to firm. Eat as you wish.

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Whole30 Stuffed Pepper

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. This is a favorite in our home. Sometimes, it doesn’t even make it into the peppers!

Sweet colored peppers

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 small butternut squash, diced

4 kale leaves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1 Tbs cumin

1 Tbs chili powder

Brown the meat, drain grease.

In hot skillet, sauté onions and garlic for 2-4 minutes, add butternut squash and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add in beef, cumin and chili powder. Mix together.

Remove tops from peppers and deseed. Fill with beef mixture and bake at 350 for 10-45 minutes depending on the softness of Pepper desired.

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Butternut squash soup with fresh nutmeg

I love butternut squash anything. It warms up my not only my body but my soul. This past week, I whipped up a quick batch using some ingredients from around my kitchen. Below is my easy recipe.

1. Cook one butternut squash, WHOLE, in the oven. No need to cut your fingers like I once did (cut off the entire pad of my index finger once trying to cut one!). Now, I simply oil the squash and pop the whole thing in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Finger saved.

2. Once cooled, cut in half and scoop out insides, leaving seeds out. Put in a large stock pot. Add:

a. 4 cups of vegetable stock or water b. 1 cup non-dairy milk

Allow to boil

3. Break up the scooped out butternut squash and add:

a. Granulated onion b. Granulated garlic c. Ground cinnamon d. Ground nutmeg e. Salt & pepper

4. Using immersion blender, blend all together.

For extra creaminess, I added 1 cup of almond cream cheese from #kite.

It was amazing! Simply blend all together until smooth. Keeps for one week in an airtight container. 

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Cornmeal Crust (or biscuits)

This Depression Era Recipe is perfect for adding leftovers in and topping off with cheese.

1 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup boiling water

1 Tbs fat (I used bacon grease)

Mix together in bowl. If you want to make biscuits, divide in 4 and fry up in pan.

To use as a crust, press into skillet and par-bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Top with leftovers (we did bbq pulled pork and tomato/olive cheese) and bake for another 15–20 minutes.

My husband had 3 servings and my oldest said it was “Amazing!” My youngest? Had quinoa with me. ;)

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Dreamy Lemon Rice Pudding

I’m sure you’re thinking “Ick! Rice pudding!” But you’ve never had mine. It is nothing like Kozy Shacks glob of gelatin. This rice pudding is smooth, comforting and invites you to put on a soft sweater and watch re-runs if Gilmore Girls all day long.

On a serious note, this rice pudding is amazing! One of my daughter’s best friends used to grab the whole pot just as I took it off the burner and run with it up 3 flights of stairs just to have it! I would have put it in a bowl for her.

It is the perfect answer to too many cups of left over rice and a dream come true to an upset stomach. My version is dairy free and you can add whatever else you’d like to add to the base (raisins, dried cranberries, nuts etc). We are purist here and only add lemon.

3 cups nondairy milk

3 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oil

1/4 granulated sugar

5 egg whites whipped until they barely hold soft peaks

3 cups cooked rice

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

3 Tbs maple syrup

2 Tbs cinnamon

In a large stockpot, over medium heat bring the milk and water barely to a boil. Then add salt, oil and sugar. Stir well.

Add several spoonfuls of the heated liquid to the egg whites to temper them. Slowly whisk in. Next add the rice making sure to break up clumps as you empty the rice into the liquid.

Cook, stirring frequently so the rice doesn’t burn to the bottom, for about 20 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat and add lemon, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Eat warm or cool. Store in fridge once cooled.

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Carmel, Apple, Bread Recipe

1.5 cups Pamela Artisian Blend Gluten Free Flour 1/2 cup almond meal 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 tsp Salt 2 Tsp Cinnamon 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup applesauce 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup ginger ale

Crumble Topping: 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup brown sugar 1.5 cups chopped apple 1 tsp cinnamon

Carmel Spread: 30 Caramels - Melted Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Whisk together and set aside. In large bowl, cream together the shortening with both sugars. Once creamed, mixing to integrate each ingredient add eggs, applesauce, vanilla and ginger ale. Slowly mix in dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Spray to coat muffin tin or insert cupcake liners. Fill each 2/3rds of the way full. Top with crumble topping. Cook 18-23 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire rack. Once cool, melt carmel and drizzle over the top.

To me, it is more of a cupcake than a bread because so much sugar!!

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Mary’s Marvelous Mysterious Dinner: Black Bean Burger

If you saw today’s FB Live video, you saw how I handle my leftovers. I literally open the fridge, look at what I have and pretend I am on Food Network’s Chopped Kitchen. 

Today’s leftovers included:

Italian Vegetables

Yesterday’s Black Bean Chili with Sweet Potato

What was I to do with that?! 

I had some uncooked GF oats, so I blended all three together and found some cilantro in my freezer as well as in my herb garden.

I put all of these in my #KitchenAid food processer and blended it all together. Yes, I eyeballed it. I used approximately 1/2 cup of uncooked GF oats.

I put some tin foil on a cookie sheet and hand formed 8 patties. I put them in the freezer to firm up. 

Once firm, I placed them in a hot cast iron pan greased with bacon grease (nothing goes to waste in our home). I cooked each side for 5-6 minutes. 

I served these with the condiments of ketchup, mustard and Thousand Island dressing. Our side dish was oven baked fennel, onion and baby carrots. Dessert? Baked apples filled with dairy free butter and maple agave syrup.

Wondering where to find that live? 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hackyourbudget/

#glutenfree #gf #vegetarian #blackbeanburger #burger #dinner #leftovers #marysmarvelousmysteriousdinner #glutenfreeburger

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It’s National Pancake Day!

We love pancakes here at the Herrington Home. There’s something so cozy about pancake mornings. They remind us of weekends and lazy mornings. 

Being homeschooled, we do have the option everyday to do so ;) But today, we were up and at life starting at 6am. I whipped up a large batch of pancakes so I could freeze them and have them on hand to pop in the toaster oven later in the week.

Below is my simple recipe:

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Cup for Cup Flour

4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbs baking soda

3 cups non-dairy milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut sugar

Mix all together in large bowl, whisking to remove any lumps.

Pour 1/3 cup serving size pancakes onto a 350 degree griddle. Cook until the sides become dry and bubbles occur across the pancake. Turn and cook for another few minutes until cooked all the way through.

Allow to cool on a cooling rack. To freeze, wrap in freezer paper between layers, wrap tightly in tin foil, label the tin foil, then air seal wrap with plastic wrap. To be less extravagant, place in large zipper top bag and eat within a day or two. ;) 

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Plant Based Mac N Cheese Recipe

What does one do with leftover butternut squash?

Make Mac n Cheese of course!

After last night’s dinner or quinoa and chickpea stuffed butternut squash, we had leftovers.

After a day of snow play and play date, who doesn’t love Mac n Cheese? Better yet, gluten free Mac n Cheese!

Sara and a friend played outside for hours. North Carolina doesn’t see snow often, so it is a novelty. It only lasts a few days so time to play in it is at a premium.

My recipe is easy.

1 shallot, diced

1 clove Of garlic, chopped

1.5 cups carrots or butternut squash

3 cups of water or broth

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp white miso paste

2 Tbs almond butter

1 tsp basil

Salt & pepper to taste

1 lb cooked GF pasta

1 head of brocolli florets

Cook the shallot, squash or carrot and garlic in 1 cupbof liquid for 5 Mins. Once soft, add to blender. Add the rest of your ingredients, sans cooked pasta and brocolli. Mix well.

Preheat oven. Add pasta, sauce and brocolli to a 9x12 baking dish. Bake for 20-30 mins.

Breadcrumbs optional.

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The 4pm Panic! What To Eat?!

We’ve all done it: forgotten to take something out for dinner before we entered into the hub-bub and buzz of the day. The normal standby? Take-out. 

But let’s face it, take-out isn’t good for your budget or your body. So, what are you to do?

There are a few ways you could deal with the 4pm panic.

1. Make sure you have some pre-made freezer meals ready to be popped in the oven at all times. Things like lasagna, chili, etc.

2. You can do a breakfast for dinner night. No one will deny pancakes or waffles with a side of eggs or bacon (if you are meat eaters) or fruit salad. Kids usually love this and dinner is done in under 30 minutes. Brilliant!

3. Instant Pot to the rescue! Find a bunch of vegetables and maybe some leftover protein of your choice in the fridge, put it together with some broth or filtered water, set the timer to “Soup” and 30 mins later you are enjoying a homemade soup made from whatever was on hand. Toast up some bread, slap on some butter, garlic powder and dried parsley on it and make up a side salad. Dinner is done in a flash!

4. Pasta! It is important to always keep a bag or box of pasta on hand, some sauce, and some veggies. Make it an “Italian Night” and toss together a quick salad, some garlic bread (see #3 above) and you’ve got dinner in under 20 minutes.

5. Tacos! Grab those beans or chopped meat from the store, some taco spices such as cumin, cilantro and chili powder, some lettuce, salsa and guacamole or tomatoes and avocado. You’re done. Warm up the protein, add the spices and get those shells ready! Happy kids. Full stomachs. Quick clean up. Happy family.

The biggest thing to remember is to not panic. Making sure your pantry is stocked with a few grab and go items is the trick to less panic. 

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Aldi Enters the Vegan World

The price is about 50% LESS than the brand that begins with a D and ends with an A!!

Picked some up yesterday and plan on using it tonight to make black bean pizza burgers and oven baked garlic potatoes.

Have you tried it yet?

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Why You Should Eat Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are more than just black little balls that you look at in the bag and think to yourself: “WHAT do I do with these?!” If you are someone who is interested in bettering your health through changing your diet, this powerhouse seed is for you.

They are full of antioxidants

Not only are they good for your cells (protecting them from free radicals) they are also good for our skin = fewer wrinkles in the future! Hello chia seed pudding!

A 2 Tbs serving has as much Omega-3 fatty acids as 4 oz of salmon

Don’t get me wrong, salmon is good for you but with everything that is going on with our oceans, is it truly safe to eat anymore? The jury is still out on that. Save your life and the life of a fish. Eat chia seeds.

They have a ton of fiber!

Those 2 Tbs above? They have 10 grams of fiber! Fiber is important for proper bowel function. Proper bowel function is important to remove toxins from your body. Eat fiber. Be happy.

They are also high in protein!

This little 2 Tbs serving is going to teach you a lot today. There is 4 grams of protein in just 2 Tbs of chia seeds. A little goes a long way. It’s easy to put that on a salad in a moment of seconds.

Don’t need the cow, chia has more calcium than milk!

5x the amount of calcium in an ounce to be exact. Save a cow from having to stay pregnant 24/7 to provide milk for drinking, cheese and ice cream. Eat more chia.

Are you wondering what you can make with chia seeds?

Chia seeds will become like a binder when wet for more than 5 minutes, that is why they are often used in vegan cooking as an egg replacement. 

Vegan Egg Replacement (as a binder) 2 Tbs ground chia seed + 1/4 cup water = 2 eggs

Add to smoothies

Add to salads

Add on top of fresh fruit

Add 2 Tbs to quick breads (increase liquid by a few tablespoons)

Add to pizza dough

Add to homemade cracker dough

Make chia seed pudding (2 Tbs chia seed + 1 can coconut milk. Mix and put in fridge overnight. Add vanilla if desired)

Add to pancake batter

Add to jam

Add to drinks

Add to muffins

Add to granola mix

Pinterest has a large variety of recipes for you to look through. Find one you like and try it. A bit of chia a day will help keep the doctor away.

Want more hints and tips for healthy eating and reversing the effects of autoimmune diseases? Sign up for my newsletter at www.maryherrington.com 

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Vegan Avocado-Cashew Alfredo Pasta

Dairy free alfredo sauce sounds like they shouldn’t be in the same phrase, right? For years, I have done without my favorite sauce because I can’t do dairy. Oh, how I have lamented over the years of missing my favorite dish: Alfredo with spring vegetables. 

Growing up in a tiny little town in Connecticut, about 60 miles from NYC, there was a restaurant called Portifino’s and they had the best alfredo sauce. Every spring, my best friend and her mom would take me lunch there and I would order the fettucini alfredo with spring vegetables. Little did we know at that time I was allergic to gluten and dairy!

Needless to say, my mouth loved the meal, the rest of me did not. I would have a seriously upset stomach, phlegm in my throat and be coughing all day long. 

But now, I have made a solution which I want to share with you! Happiness and glory to the day I discovered raw cashews! They are heaven sent!

I can see using this sauce on pizzas, pasta, and vegetables.

Avocado-Cashew Alfredo Sauce

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained 2 Tbs nutritional yeast 2 tsp white miso paste 1.5 cups vegetable broth 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted 1 Tbs lemon juice salt & pepper to taste

Blend all in high-speed blender. Warm in saucepan and use as desired.

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Super Salad & Vegan Caesar Dressing

I am a sucker for a good salad. To me, a salad has bright colors, a variety of textures and makes your mouth water when you look at it.

For years, I haven’t been able to eat Ceasar salad due to anchovies & eggs being in the dressing. :( Plus, let’s face it, most places don’t have GF croutons. 

I was playing around in the kitchen today and was looking through the new book I picked up called “How Not To Die”. The recipe for the dressing is an adaption of the one I found in there. I hope you enjoy it! 

Share, leave your comments below and let me know what you think of it. 

Dressing 2 cloves of garlic 2 Tbs nutritional yeast 1Tbs almond butter 1 Tbs blended lemon peel 1 Tbs Tamari 1 Tbs fresh parsley 1 Tsp mustard 1/4 tsp ground turmeric salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup water

Combine ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed.

Salad 1 head Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces 1 bunch watercress 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 carrot, grated 2 Tbs hulled hemp seeds

Place all in a bowl. Add dressing as desired. Top with GF croutons if you have any on hand.

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GF Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

There is a magical secret ingredient...

Going to birthday parties when you have food allergies means you bring everything with you. We normally keep a stash of cupcakes in our freezer, ready to go, but seeing that a month ago our fridge/freezer bit the dust and now the replacement one did also (it was an older one out in the garage we were using while we saved for a new one) I had no more stash left! 

We had lost every bit of food we owned in the freezer/fridge just before Christmas. So today was a great excuse to make a batch of our go-to red velvet gluten-free vegan cupcakes.

The secret ingredient is...

pureed beets!

We can’t do food dyes in our family, so we have to be creative. On top of that, beets add folate, manganese, potassium and copper as well as fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6.  

Can you say that about your cupcakes?!

This recipe is sure to please even your pickiest of eaters.

RECIPE

2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp (9 g) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)

scant 1/2 cup (115 g) non-dairy-milk 

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (73 ml) maple syrup or agave nectar 

1/3 cup (77 g) coconut sugar

1/4 cup (63 g) melted coconut oil 

1 cup (~243 g) beet puree 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (59 g) almond meal 

1/4 cup (25 g) gluten-free quinoa flour

3/4 cup (100 g) gluten-free flour blend (I use King Arthur’s)

For Beets:

Oven: To roast beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C), drizzle 2 large beets with oil of choice, and wrap in foil. Bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until a knife slides through easily. 

Instant Pot: Place beet on the wire rack, with one cup of water underneath. Using manual high pressure, cook for 40 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.

Peel away skins by rubbing foil around and it should shed off easily. Add beets to a food processor or blender and add 1/4 cup liquid of choice (I like a mix of water). Blend until creamy, smooth and pourable, scraping down sides as needed. 

For Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line 11 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease. We use silicone ones which are safer for our nickel allergy and do not require greasing.

Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add baking soda to the milk and stir. It should fizz.

Add the sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk mixture to the flax egg and beat to combine. Then add beet puree, melted coconut oil, and salt and mix.

Add cocoa powder, almond meal, quinoa flour, and gluten-free flour blend and beat to combine. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more milk, but it should be perfect. If too thin, add a little more gluten-free flour blend + cocoa powder. It should resemble a thin batter that’s pourable.

Divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11-15), filling 3/4 full.

Bake for 29-34 minutes or until puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let rest in the tin for 10-15 minutes.

Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or comments. Better yet, if you make them, let me know! They are a favorite around here. They freeze beautifully!

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Crispy & Fluffy GFVegan Waffles

Waffles can be sweet or savory. The best are crispy & fluffy.

Finding the right balance between a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior has been a challenge for many years. Today, that challenge was not only met but exceeded!

Sara has a birthday party sleepover tonight and having food allergies means having to make and pack ALL of her food for the party.

The girls are having pizza for dinner and she came up with the brilliant idea of savory pizza waffles as they transport easily and can be reheated with nothing more than a bit of tin foil in her friend’s oven.

The recipe was super easy and spot on. For the savory pizza waffle, I added Italian herbs so her base would be super flavorful.

Recipe

1.5 cups gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur)

.5 cup quinoa flour

.5 almond flour

1 Tbs arrowroot starch

3 Tbs coconut sugar

1.5 cups almond milk or coconut milk

.25 cups butter flavored coconut oil or vegan butter

2 Tbs for flaxseed meal mixed with 5 Tbs water (making eggs)

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in one bowl.

2. Mix all wet ingredients together in another bowl.

3. Combine wet into dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add more milk if you feel it is too thick.

4. Pour into waffle maker and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with toppings of choice.