Coconut Oatmeal Layer Cake

Layer 1
2 EnerG eggs with water
3/4 cup shortening (smart balance light)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp molasses

Layer 2
1 3/4 cup coconut
2 EnerG eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Cream sugars and shortening for 1st layer. Add in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased casserole. Cream sugars and shortening for 2nd layer. Add in remaining ingredients and spoon on top of 1st layer.

Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. coconut extract
3 Tbsp. dairy free milk

Blend together then pour over top of cake.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I had made these oatmeal brown sugar bars once that were awesome. Rich, moist, amazing. But I wrote the recipe down on a piece of paper, placed it on the desk and it promptly got lost. So I did the best I could to remember the recipe, which was layer 1. It just didn't fill out the pan right though!!! So I decided to make layer 2 to place on top. Neither layer turned out as I actually wanted, but both were good. I think for the original bars I was trying to make, there were 2 cups of brown sugar and more shortening. I'll have to try again for those sometime soon :-)

Potato Salad (Mayonnaise Free)

I haven't had potato salad in 8 1/2 months since I haven't been able to eat eggs! I have always really enjoyed potato salad, especially since I discovered adding carrots for some extra goodness. I stumbled across a recipe online for a dijon mustard based sauce that actually turned out quite well.

3 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, cooked in salted water then cubed
3 large stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, ground in food processor
1 cup pickles, ground in food processor
1/2 cup pickle juice
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbps. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

Combine the last 6 ingredients in the blender and process til creamy and emulsified. Add to the warm potatoes so the vinagrette will soak in. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Adjust seasonings as needed. I've been gobbled this up, it turned out pretty tasty. Not as good as mayonnaise, as I am a MAYO girl! But will work until I can eat eggs again. :-)

Pasta Salad

Another dish I made to bring to my friends house for our get-together. I wanted another protein source, so added a can of chickpeas. You could also add diced chicken or turkey to get the same effect.

1 box geminili pasta or pasta of choice, cooked al dente
1/2 bottle TED safe vinagrette dressing. I used Drew's All Natural Roasted Garlic. Also delicious is Brianna's Rich Santa Fe blend
1 package thawed peas
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1 can black olives, sliced into rounds
1 can chickpeas
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together, preferably adding the sauce when the pasta is still hot so it will absorb. Chill before serving.

Pumpkin Seed Meatballs

Our son was dedicated at church this week, and we had the wonderful experience of going to our good friends home to celebrate afterwards with a fantastic shared lunch. I made these little meat balls that were quite fantastic! I didn't write the recipe down, so the below is a guess! I'll write it down next time I make.

1 1/2 cup of oatmeal, cooked with 2 cups water until thick and sticky.
1 1/2 Tbsp. Maggi's sauce (fermented wheat based sauce, similar to soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 3/4 cup finely ground pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup finely ground sunflower seed
2 cups quick oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
additional oatmeal or crispy cereal to make a firm textured, sticky ball

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the texture is similar to a looser type cookie dough. It should be very moist and sticky. Spray hands with cooking spray and roll into walnut sized balls. Fry in oil until crispy on all sides, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with a tomato sauce if desired.

These were good plain, smothered with tomato sauce or would be fantastic with spaghetti or on a meatball hoagie sandwich. I think these went over pretty well! I went with about 45 balls, and came home with 5 :-)

Adventures In Coconut Milk

I have been experimenting with coconut milk trying to make some yummy, dairy free desserts. I was buying several different brands of milk, and therefore was getting drastically different results each time. I'm just guessing which "recipe" is for each of the following pictures, but some of the results were good so I figured I would share.

This first turned out like a coconut curd/pudding type mixture. It was really tasty, thick and creamy. I believe it was 1/2 a can of coconut milk with a cup or so of granulated sugar. It just reached this point where it got thick and creamy instead of syrupy.


The next was a coconut caramel that I then beat with an electric mixer and some powdered sugar. This was a full can of coconut milk and several cups of sugar. It turned out sooooo sweet it wasn't very good.



Lastly my husband made me a coconut cake. Just a recipe we found online that we made MSPI/TED safe. I used the coconut curd in the middle and glazed with the caramel sauce. It was good but way too super sweet! It did lead me to make the coconut candy, so it wasn't a complete failure!

Coconut Candy

I went to the MSPI group at MilkWorks Sunday for the 1st time. This is a group of Moms that meet every 2 weeks that are all avoiding milk and soy in order to nurse their protein sensitive babies. Many Moms are also on the Total Elimination Diet (TED) as well. I wanted to take a treat, so decided to make this coconut candy which would hopefully be safe for most Moms. Unfortunately, I forgot it at home in the rush to get out the door! I'll have to bring next time.

1 can of coconut milk (preferably Thai Kitchen, less preservatives)
3 cups granulated sugar.

Combine in a large pan and allow to cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes a dark caramel color. Stir often, especially towards the end as it will burn quickly. Pour onto a sheet pan, allow to cool and then break into pieces.

It reminds me of maple sugar candy, if you have ever had that. Crispy, yet melts in your mouth.

Cheezy Pasta

Well, I'm honestly not really sure what to call this one. Ever since I learned that nutritional yeast has 8 grams of protein for 2 Tbsp, I have been trying to add it in every day. I don't have many good protein sources, so I really need to work at getting adequate amounts in.

1/2 box pasta of choice (about 8 oz.) cooked in salted water
4 Tbsp. smart balance light
5 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt to taste
3 Tbsp. dairy free milk

Combine all together with hot pasta and stir well to combine. Very tasty with a slight "cheesy" taste. My 4 year old loved the 1st time I made but balked the 2nd. Who can keep up with their tastes!