My Chaotic Kitchen

Amaretto Apple Pie, Eggless and Non-dairy

This is really just a basic apple pie, but with an added ‘Yum factor’…. Amaretto.  I love that amaretto flavor.

I admit, I cheated on this one.  I found a ready-made, store brand, refrigerated pie crust, with no eggs or dairy, and I used it for this pie.  It was obviously a time saver and it happened to be delicious, too.  If you can find one, use it.  But, making your own is simple enough.  Below is my pie crust recipe.  You may recognize it from Our Favorite Apple Pie recipe.

Cream together butter-product and sugar.  Add milk.  Add flour and salt to creamed mixture.   Mix until dough comes together.  Divide into 2 parts.   Press half dough mixture into 9-inch pie plate.   Wrap remaining dough in plastic and set aside.

Now for the apple filling.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl and pour into pie crust.  Some people like to arrange the apples in circular rows.  I just dump them in and press them down.   Roll out your top crust and place over filling.   Using a fork, press edges together around the entire rim of the pie.   Be sure to cut vents into the top of your crust.  You can cut shapes in any excess dough and use to decorate your pie.  I rolled out some dough and used a cookie cutter to make small flower shapes.  Then, using a little soy milk, I adhered the shapes to the top of the pie.  Then, I brushed the top of the entire pie with a little more soy milk and sprinkled some sugar on top.

Place strips of foil around the outer edge of your pie to prevent burning.  Put the pie in the oven and bake for about an hour at 375°.   Remove from oven.  Cool for at least half an hour, but try for a full hour, if you can.  Cut and serve.  I hope you enjoy!

-Michelle

We had this for dinner last night and it was delicious.  It is perfect for vegetarians or for those who do not eat pasta.   If you are serving people without a dairy allergy, then I would recommend using a tomato vodka sauce.  It’s creamy and wonderful over the squash.  However, in our house, I’d use a more traditional (and non-dairy) tomato pasta sauce.  It is fresh-tasting and good for you, a wonderful “spaghetti” dinner without the heavy feeling afterward.   I really hope you give this one a try!

-Michelle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.  Warning: Spaghetti squash can be very tough.  Please use caution when cutting.  Place squash face down in baking dish and fill dish with 1/2 inch of water.  Cover tightly with foil and place in oven.   Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.

While the squash is baking, over medium heat, heat olive oil in a pan.  Add your chopped onion and garlic.  Stir frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Once the onions become translucent, add your diced tomatoes and stir.  Season with as much salt and pepper as you like.  I’d say about 1/4 tsp. or so of each, but do what you like.  Chop your fresh basil and add to the sauce.  Remove sauce from heat.

Remove squash from the oven.   Scoop out the seeds from the centers and discard them.  Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash and place the spaghetti squash pulp into your serving dish.  You’ll notice the pulp resembles thin spaghetti when scraped out.   Spoon your tomato sauce over the squash and serve.

I made this for dinner last night.   This is a terrific way to use leftover chicken and rice.   My husband loved it and my girls ate it up.  My son (who loves bell peppers but hates tomatoes, even petite, diced ones) was less than thrilled.    He picked out most of the little tomato pieces.   However, the variations on this recipe are endless.  Next time, I think I will add olives.  Give it a try!

Michelle

Chop 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces

Prepare 2 cups of rice, any kind.  I used Jasmine last night.  I think this would be great with Basmati!

Chop 1/2 yellow onion

Chop 5 green onions

2 stalks celery; diced

Dice 1 large tomato OR use 1 can petite diced tomato, drained

Bell peppers; topped and emptied.  (like a Halloween pumpkin)  I used 5 green bell peppers.  One pepper per person.

Tofutti® Brand Sour Supreme

Mix the rice, chicken, onions, tomatoes and celery together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon mixture into emptied peppers.  Place stuffed peppers upright in glass baking dish.  Drizzle tops with olive oil.  Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm.   I served with a dollop of Tofutti® Brand Sour Supreme.   If you are able, you could top with sour cream or shredded cheese.

Here is a recipe that is so simple and so awesome, it’s ridiculous… are you ready?  Get a store-bought cake mix (I have to buy one without any dry milk or whey)  and mix with a container (16oz.) of sour cream.  We use Tofutti® Brand Sour Supreme.  The batter will be very thick.  Scoop into an 8×8 inch cake pan and bake at 350 for around 30 minutes or until done.  If that isn’t easy, I don’t know what is!  Give it a try.

-Michelle

For the past year, I have had some very bad cystic acne, particularly around my jaw line.  I am 32 years old, and I feel like I should be well-past this stage.  I have used lots of over-the-counter products and had varying results.  A few months ago, in desperation, I got a prescription for tetracycline.  Even though I usually don’t like to take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, I was so eager to use it and finally be rid of these cysts!  It worked for a while.   Then, I went off of the antibiotic and the acne came right back.  Just in time for a job interview, I might add!

Up until that point, I believed it was not possible to have clear skin without spending money on a skin cleansing program, or without using certain products specifically created for acne.  But I had finally reached a point where I figured there must be a more natural approach to clearing my complexion.  So, I did a little research.  Here is what I discovered; those cysts are caused by an overgrowth of Candida, a naturally occurring yeast in our intestines.   I also consulted my wonderful friend, Anna, an aesthetician.  She does my eyebrows, and does a fabulous job, by the way!  It turns out, I could have clearer skin by simply using some basic ingredients from my own kitchen.  Here is what she suggested:   Take 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar by mouth once per day.  Be sure to chase it with a glass of water.   No, it doesn’t taste good, but it works.  The apple cider vinegar neutralizes the acids in your stomach.  Also, it is highly beneficial to apply the vinegar to existing cysts and blemishes.  Just dip a cotton swab and apply to the trouble spots.  I do this when I feel one coming on.  It works great!

Upon further investigation I discovered that Candida feeds off of sugars in your system.  Cut back on your sugar intake, and all things made with white flour.  It is also recommended that you cut back on dairy products.

I have to tell you, I went to get my eyebrows done the other day, and Anna noticed my skin was clearer, but that it was quite dry.  She said the apple cider vinegar can be drying.  Her suggestion; use olive oil as a moisturizer.  Just a small amount goes a long way.  I put a little on a cotton ball and applied all around my face, with a focus on my under eye area and my lips.  Apparently honey is also great for dry lips.  Anna says I should exfoliate by mixing brown sugar and sea salt with olive oil, and apply as a scrub a couple times a week.  She also recommended a homemade moisturizing mask using plain yogurt mixed with papaya or avocado.

If you experience problem skin, I hope you’ll give these remedies a try before spending time and money on other acne products.  What have you got to lose?!  Everything you need is right in your kitchen!

-Michelle

You can never have enough garlic.  With enough garlic, you can eat the New York Times.” – Morley Safer

This meal is the reason my kids LOVE broccoli!

Each Spring, my aunt, uncle and cousin come out for a visit.  Last year, my aunt offered to make us dinner the night before they left.   She made my cousin’s favorite meal; garlic broccoli with pasta.  We all loved it so much that it has become a staple at our house.  I make this almost once each week.  It’s simple, delicious,  eggless, dairy-free and I feel good about serving it to my kids.  If you like broccoli, you will certainly love this dish.  If you avoid gluten, use gluten-free pasta.  Be sure to buy a good-sized bulb of garlic and some fresh broccoli at your grocer.  I also add onion to this dish, although Aunt Pam didn’t use onion, I think it adds a touch of sweetness.  With or without the onion, it is super yummy!  I hope you enjoy Aunt Pam’s Garlic Broccoli!

- Michelle

Garlic Broccoli with Pasta

Get yourself a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, finely chop your garlic and onion; set aside.   Then, chop thick stems off broccoli and cut into small to medium-sized florets.   You will have a whole lot of chopped broccoli! 

Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic and onion.  Stir frequently until garlic is just lightly browned.  Add your broccoli and stir to coat with oil and garlic.  Add another 1/4 cup olive oil OR butter/butter substitute and stir. 

Once the water is boiling, go ahead and pour a splash of olive oil into the pot.  Then, throw in your pasta and give a quick stir.  The oil will keep the pasta from sticking together.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Strain pasta and then add to the broccoli. 

Add salt, pepper and Earth Balance® butter spread to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

This really is one of my all-time favorite recipes!  My mother-in-law passed on this recipe to me.  It was her mother’s recipe and, quite possibly, her mother’s mother’s recipe.  Thank you to my fabulous mom-in-law for sharing this one! 

The original version calls for eggs, milk, and butter.  I’ve made a few adjustments to accommodate our dietary needs.   I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  A word of warning; the recipe yields one large loaf, which disappears quickly into the bellies of hungry kids.  I often double the recipe and keep a loaf in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag.   Refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to serve. 

-Michelle

Grammie’s Banana Bread  (egg-free, dairy-free version)

1.) Mash bananas with soy milk and baking soda.

2.) Cream butter, sugar and applesauce.  Add to banana mixture.

3.) Add flour and baking powder.

4.) Grease loaf pan (makes1 large loaf OR 2 small loaves) Bake at 350° for about one hour for large loaf, or 35 minutes for small loaves.   Insert a toothpick to see if bread is done.

My grandmother makes these addictive little treats each year, and they are very popular with the over-21 set.  That is, at least, in our family. 

This year, Grandma emailed me the recipe for Bourbon Balls and I was SO excited to make a batch right away.  I mixed all the ingredients and noticed that the batter was quite runny.  There was no way I could roll this stuff into little balls!  I must have added too much bourbon, or not enough dry ingredients.   I checked Grandma’s email again to be sure I’d followed directions.  The emailed recipe read this way; 

1 cup bourbon, I add a little more”

That is exactly what I had put into my batter.  One cup, plus an extra splash of bourbon.  To make a long story short, after some searching the bookshelves, I found a copy of her recipe in a compilation cookbook she was published in years ago.   It was the same recipe, but with one minor difference;

1/4 to 1/3 cup bourbon”

Well, well, well.   It seems Grandma may have enjoyed one too many Bourbon Balls before emailing that recipe.   Either way, these are yummy, easy to make and the more you eat, the more you want!  Thank you, Grandma Ruth!

-Michelle

Note: The original recipe uses vanilla wafer cookies, which often contain eggs or dairy.  I replaced with dairy-free graham crackers.   Works out great either way!

Ruth’s Bourbon Balls

Mix crumbs, sugar, cocoa and nuts.  Add remaining ingredients.  Shape into balls the size of walnuts and roll in powdered sugar.  Store in tightly covered container for up to two weeks.  You may also store in freezer for extra freshness.

My mom would make this for me during the holidays.  Unfortunately, I didn’t develop a taste for pumpkin until adulthood, so I never truly appreciated her efforts.  This recipe does call for evaporated milk, but I am going to see how it works when I replace with soy milk.   I will keep you posted.    If you happen to give it a try with the soy, be sure to let me know how it turned out!  Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this eggless version. 

Eggless Pumpkin Pie

Mix pumpkin and dry ingredients.  Add evaporated milk and beat.  Pour into crust.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Turn oven to 350° and bake for 45 minutes.