Dairy Free Chick

Gooey Paleo Brownies

Posted by Tash on May 13th, 2013

Good morning sunshines! The sun is shining, the skies are blue (here in Texas), and the weather is cool and breezy. I’ve been able to wake up earlier these past couple of weeks, and it is amazing to get things done in the morning before work. Like this post. I hope that you are having a great start to your week. Maybe you can make these “brownies” this evening to guarantee you are going to have a good week? Good idea!

Gooey Paleo Brownies

(makes enough for a bread loaf pan–10 fairly small brownies–double or triple for a full pan of brownies)

Ingredients

1/8 cup raw macadamia nuts
3/8 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 egg
1/4 cup honey (warm it up for 10 seconds in the microwave to make it runny)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F
Place all of the nuts into a food processor and blend until it becomes a nut butter consistency. You can add a few drops of water to bring it together, if necessary
Add the egg and blend again
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth
Fold in chocolate chips, if using
Pour into an oiled loaf pan (or pan of choice, remember to increase the recipe for a larger pan)
Bake for 12-14 minutes at 325 F
Allow to cool before cutting
Enjoy your gooey delicious, yet sinless, treat

How to Treat Yourself, Even if You’re Dairy Free

Posted by Tash on May 6th, 2013

I’m just coming off of an incredible weekend. The parentals flew in for my birthday and brought my fluffy white puppy, Socrates. He’s been with his grandparents during my college and grad school years, but he’s finally back with me. I guess that means I’m officially old now, huh? That’s a sensitive topic because my birthday is tomorrow and I’ve finally hit the year where I want to press the stop button on the aging process.

Isn’t he super cute?

My contribution to your dairy free life, “How to Treat Yourself, Even if You’re Dairy Free“, is over at the super fun and positive website PlumDeluxe today. Check it out. Have a wonderful day!

Zucchini Hummus

Posted by Tash on May 2nd, 2013

A lighter for veggieful hummus. Delicious as a dressing, sauce, or dip!

Zucchini Hummus

Ingredients

Two large zucchinis, ends cut off, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Pulse the diced zucchini and garlic in the food processor
Add the tahini and lemon juice and process until smooth
Stream in the olive oil and taste for desired acidity {add more lemon juice if it tastes too “rich”}
Add chili powder and salt and pepper to taste
Process again
Store in an airtight container for up to a week

Am I Lactose Intolerant?

Posted by Tash on April 25th, 2013

Well, I know I am, but are you wondering if you are lactose intolerant, too? My road to discovering my intolerance was a long one. I just assumed I was tolerant, like a lot of us do. Our American culture is a cheesy, milky one. As children, we are indoctrinated to drink milk for strong bones. “American” food has cheese slathered on everything from burgers to fries, pizza, and even hot dogs (weird).

According to a study on self-reported lactose intolerance, people underreport being lactose intolerant. Estimates of lactose intolerance in the United States range from 30 to 50 million (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). That’s a lot of people! There are about 314 million people in the US today.. so it is estimated that from 10-16% of people in the US are lactose intolerant.

BUT… I’m fairly certain a lot of these people don’t recognize their symptoms. Maybe that’s you? Maybe you have a mystery stomach ache that won’t go away, potty troubles, or are just always feel bloated and retaining water? I know people that have simply come to expect digestive consequences when consuming a food— that’s just part of the experience. I suppose that is one way to cope, but I prefer to know my triggers and be able to control them.

Medical tests for lactose intolerance exist, but are not widely administered . Your doctor may empirically diagnose you, or ask you to refrain from dairy and see how you feel… then tell you to avoid it if you feel better. Hmm.. well thank you, doc, I could have done that myself. Now don’t get me wrong, you should seek medical attention for digestive issues because they could be due to something much more serious than lactose intolerance.

My challenge for you today is to think about the people in your life, your spouse, your kids, and consider if they might unknowingly be lactose intolerant. Obviously, talking about such topics can be a little bit awkward, but think about it–you might be able to significantly increase their quality of life! No one should live with a constant tummy ache and a long leash to the potty.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Posted by Tash on April 22nd, 2013

Chocolate covered strawberries are one of the easiest desserts to make, and they are not just for lovers or for Valentine’s day. They are delicious and on the healthier side of desserts. I always use super dark chocolate (85% or darker) because I love the contrast between the bitter chocolate and the sweet strawberry. Since strawberry season is well under way, here is a sweet and dairy free way eat ‘em.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

A pint of strawberries, rinsed and dried (important to dry well)
A bar of super dark chocolate (to your liking, but I like 85% or darker)

Directions

Chop up the chocolate bar and place in a microwave safe bowl
Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds first, then 15 seconds at a time as needed, with stirring, until the chocolate is completely melted
Hold each strawberry by its green top and dip into the melted chocolate
Place the strawberries on wax paper on a cookie sheet
Allow the chocolate to harden
Serve immediately or refrigerate to harden even more