Artichoke Dip

I never thought we’d be able to recreate a dairy free artichoke dip. This recipe is great and turns out creamy and delicious. I served this for Easter and no one noticed that is was diary free. The picture above is a double batch and was taken before the dip was cooked.

Ingredients

20 ounces canned artichoke hearts, drained
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup DF sour cream
2 tablespoons DF Parmesan (I used Parma! Vegan parmesan)
1-1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
pinch of ground pepper

big pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon Earth Balance
3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the artichokes and garlic in the food processor and pulse until hearts are chopped. Scoop the mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture. Mix together until well blended. Spoon into a small baking dish or crock. Set aside.

Microwave the Earth Balance until melted (about 20-30 seconds on high). Add the sliced almonds and stir to coat. Sprinkle the buttered almonds on top of the artichoke dip. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbly around the edges and heated through. Serve with GF crackers or toasted baguettes. Makes about 2 cups of dip.

Note: Kristie tried adding spinach to this dip and it was a big fail. It made the dip watery, which took away from the original creamy texture.

I adapted most of the ingredient amounts of the recipe but the inspiration came from the Gluten-Free Goddess.

Pizza Crust

This crust is so easy to make, and in its normal form is gluten and dairy free. It comes from my favorite cookbook Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. She calls this her “Perfect Pizza Crust” and, as far as GF goes, I would have to agree. One of the key tools that is needed for the success of achieving the crispiest of crusts is a baking stone. They can purchased online for around $30.00.

Ingredients
2 cups GF Flour1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 egg whites, at room temperature and lightly beaten
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DirectionsIn a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl mix the egg whites, oil and water together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Separate the dough into two pieces and place each onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper.

Using your floured finger tips or rolling pin, roll the dough flat leaving it about 1/4 inch thick. (I have had the most luck using my finger tips in the beginning to start the flattening process. I then place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll the dough flat and round from there.)


Remove the waxed paper, keeping the dough on the parchment , loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake one crust at a time, on the parchment paper and preferably on a baking stone. Bake for about 8 minutes until it is puffy and the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the second crust.

You can freeze the baked crust for up to one month. Make sure you prepare your pizza on a thawed, room temperature crust.

Taking the room temperature crust, I loaded it up with my favorite toppings, and placed it in a 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

The other day I attempted to make a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I wasn’t complete sold on the cake but the frosting was wonderful!! This recipe was given to me by Kristie from her “Cooking for Isaiah” by Silvana Nardone cookbook. I only adapted the amounts.

Ingredients

2 cups DF semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup water

Directions

In a microwaveable bowl combine the chips and water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until the chips are melted. Stir until smooth and let cool to room temperature. With a handheld mixer, beat the chocolate mixture on medium-high speed until light and whipped; about 10 minutes.

Note: Beating the chocolate made huge mess of my kitchen. I would make sure to wear an apron and transfer the chocolate to the deepest bowl that you have before mixing.

Banana Bread

This recipe came from Kristen and has been in my recipe book since right after Brent and I got married. It is a classic, very easy banana bread that leaves the house smelling wonderful. I made a few changes to the recipe, only to make it gluten and dairy free.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 Large egg
2 cups GF flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
optional: 1/2 cup DF chocolate chips or nuts

Directions

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in the bananas and finally the chocolate chips and/or nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. When a knife placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean the bread is done.

Side note: I have made this recipe as a loaf, regular muffins, mini muffins, and as pictured above, a 9X9 pan and all have turned out golden brown on top and moist in the middle. The muffins usually bake for about 15-17 minutes and the 9X9 baked for the full 60 minutes.