Key Lime Pie

I adapted this recipe from my Uncle John's Key Lime Pie recipe. He used to frequent Florida and bring back fresh key lime juice. Oh heavens! Get the real key lime juice if you can. It has far more of a kick to it!

I'm sure you've noticed from the picture this isn't a normal piece of pie. I make 2 mini pies when I bake just for my husband and I. One mini pie is two servings, two is four servings. We really don't need a whole pie if I'm baking for us. Because if the pie is in the house we I end up eating it all!

But the recipe is written for a full, normal pie. If you want to make two mini pies, just divide the recipe in half.

Key Lime Pie

Tart Crust
1 c brown rice flour mixture
1/4 c sugar
1 t xanthan gum
5 T butter
1 t vanilla

Filling
1 3/4 c condenced milk
6 egg yolks (separated)
4 oz key lime juice

Topping
Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the wrack in the middle of the oven. Lightly spray a pie pan and dust with brown rice flour mixture. Mix flour, sugar and xanthan gum in a electric mixer. Add butter and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be very crumbly. Bake for 12 minutes*. Set aside, but leave the oven on.

Combine milk, eggs, and lime juice. Pour into pie crust. Turn off the oven and place the pie in it for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the fridge. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!


*If you're using this as a substitute for a grahm cracker crust in a pie that doesn't get cooked with the filling, cook for 18 minutes.

Tart Crust (Graham Crust Substitute)

My biggest gluten free demands was to have a great pie crust. This is a fabulous substitute for a Grahm cracker pie crust. It is like a crisp cookie shell.  If you want the graham cracker taste, you can add some graham extract to give it that extra oomph.

Tart Crust

1 c brown rice flour mixture

1/4 c sugar

1 t xanthan gum

5 T butter

1 t vanilla

Lightly spray a pie pan and dust with brown rice flour mixture. Mix flour, sugar and xanthan gum in a electric mixer. Add butter and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be very crumbly. 

Bake in Crust

Bake for 12 minutes. Fill with cheesecake, key lime pie, etc. Bake according to directions for your pie.

Filled Crust

Bake for 18 minutes. Fill with mousse, ice cream, etc. and follow remaining directions.

Waffles & Pancakes

Saturdays are big breakfast days for my family! When I was going to school Dave would make something delicious for me while I snuggled into bed to get some homework done. The rolls reversed when I finished and he was going to school. Now we're both done and it's the only day of the week we don't have to be anywhere at any specific time.

Dave's favorite breakfast food is waffles. So the first gluten free breakfast we worked on was waffles. This recipe makes amazing gluten free waffles! They're so good, that when we run out of the gluten free waffle mix in the pantry, we will be using this instead of the regular stuff.

I mix all the dry ingredients (except the xanthan gum) together the night before. That way we can sleep in as long as possible and enjoy a delicious breakfast as soon as we get up.

Waffles & Pancakes

1 large egg

3 T oil (subtract 1 T oil for pancakes)

1 c water

1 t vanilla

1 1/6 c brown rice flour mixture

1/4 c powdered milk

1/4 t salt

3/8 t xanthan gum

Pre-heat waffle iron or griddle. In an electric mixer, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil, water, and vanilla. Slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients. Mix together making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan half way through the mixing. The batter will be runny.

Lightly mist waffle iron or griddle. Spoon batter into waffle iron or griddle. For waffles, fill until the squares are just above covered.

Yields: 5 waffles or 8 pancakes

Honey Cashew Chicken

Are you ready to have dinner changed forever? Then this is the stir fry for you! It's sweet and tangy at the same time. It's so good, my husband requests it every time I give him an opportunity to choose dinner.

It's pretty easy to make too, if you prep everything prior to cooking (mix the sauce, chop the broccoli, onion, and cube the chicken).

Honey Cashew Chicken

1 c rice (cook it normally)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubed)

2 T cornstarch

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

2 T oil

2 c broccoli florets

1 c frozen edamame (shelled)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (cubed)

1 c roasted cashews

1 T rice vinegar

3 T honey

2 T soy sauce 

1 T salsa juice (no chunks)

In a sauce pan, combine vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and salsa. Heat up the sauce until it's combined. Pour over veggie/chicken mixture. Set aside.

Mix cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss until completely coated. Heat a wok over medium heat. Add oil and chicken. Sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn heat up to high, and add veggies. Cook 5 minutes (stirring frequently). Mix in cashews*. Serve over rice.

Serves: 6

*If you're not eating all the stir fry on day one, mix the cashews into each individual serving to ensure they stay crunchy as leftovers.

Coconut Almond Granola

I started making my own granola before I was eating gluten free. I love how easy it is to switch up the mix-ins and get the best granolas you've ever eaten. Some of our favorite combinations:

Crasin, Apricot, Almond

Strawberry, Banana, Walnut

Apple, Crasin, Almond

You can mix in any dried or freeze dried fruits or nuts you enjoy. We've mixed in freeze dried blueberries, dried cherries, and sunflower seeds. All tasty and delicious!

Also, let me qualify the "gluten free" of this. Those that have a highly adverse reaction to gluten (like those with Celiac Disease) are usually encouraged to remove oats from their diet because of cross contamination from the wheat fields that are grown in. So if you are highly adverse, make sure you are using oats that are certified gluten free.

Coconut Almond Granola

2/3 c oil

1 c honey

2 t vanilla

6 c oats*

1/2 c brown rice flour mixture

1/8 t xanthan gum

1 c nuts

1 c coconut

1 c fruit

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt together oil, honey, and vanilla over low heat. In a separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, powdered milk, fruit, nuts and coconut. Pour honey mixture over dry mixture and mix well.

Spread out on parchment or silicon mat lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted. The edges will get a light brown/crispy look that lets you know it's done. Let cool at room temperature and store in an air tight container. Enjoy with milk, sprinkled over yogurt or as a snack. 

* Those with a strong aversion to gluten make sure you have certified gluten free oats.