Wellness Wednesday: Bacon & Egg McGriddle

Guys, I'm so excited about this recipe. If you can even call it that. I know I shared a Gluten-free Waffle McGriddle many moons ago, but that is now a thing of the past for me and this version is even better for you than that...

I realized that I've been terming all my recipes anymore gluten-free and dairy-free, but there's so much more they're free of. Think this covers it?

Close enough--I ran out of room.... ;)

This little treat uses my Breadless French Toast Sticks that I shared a while back. Every time I come up with a new recipe, I wonder how I didn't think of it sooner, and this is no exception. The french toast comes out flat and thick like bread, so why not use it like it?? So now I do. Alll the time.

You'll need:
For the "bread":
Two squares of "French Toast Bread"
Maple syrup

For the eggs:
2 eggs (or as many as you want)
salt (I use himalayan)
pepper
some chopped onion
olive oil

For the bacon:
3 or 4 slices of turkey lunchmeat (I use this)

1~ If you don't have the French Toast already made, do that first. It takes a bit. ;)

2~ You can make the eggs however your heart desires. But here's what I like to do: Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk them with salt and pepper to taste, sautee the onions in a pan with olive oil, heat a drizzle of oil in a pan (used in place of butter), pour the eggs into the pan, sprinkle the onions on top, and then fry on either side. The onions are optional, as is sauteeing them first, but I've found that way is the best.

3~ While the eggs are frying, tear or cut the lunchmeat into strips, lay them out on a paper towel-covered plate, cover with a paper towel, and microwave for about 3 minutes. {Credit to Daniel for dreaming this up. Priceless.}

4~ Cut off two squares of the French Toast bread (microwave them if they're not fresh), and drizzle maple syrup on each slice. {Tip: drizzle the syrup on them sooner, before cooking the eggs and such, so the "bread" absorbs the syrup and becomes more McGriddl-y.} Stack the eggs (which you can see I fold over) and the bacon as you wish, and top with the second slice of "bread." Feel free to dip it in more syrup too. ;)

So simple! And so not bad for you like the "real thing" that I love, love, loved way back when, with a Dr. Pepper. I was so healthy. Why am I surprised my body is so sick?

This is great for a special meal! Or every freaking breakfast for a week. You won't see me judging...

Like this? You might like these allergen-free recipes too!

Coconut Banana "Oatmeal"

Strawberry Smoothie

Easy Turkey & Veggie Fry

{linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday, Real Food Recipe Roundup here and here, Time to Sparkle, Share It Link Party, Do Tell Tuesday, Let Your Light Shine, Treat Yo' Self Thursday}

Wellness Wednesday: Breadless French Toast Sticks

I have been so eager to share this recipe with you guys! I happened to find the original recipe at The Scent of Oranges through a link up about a month ago. And I think I've made it five times since then... :O Needless to say, I've found yet another healthy recipe I can't live without. And it was invaluable to have ready to microwave and eat on our trip this weekend. Even my husband agrees, this stuff is awesome!

Now, as always, I've made some changes to the recipe. I will tell you that the original is called German Pancakes, but once I made my changes, it felt like French Toast fit it better in my case. Thus the new name. ;)

And as if they're not awesome enough, they are so easy. The hardest part is cracking open 6 eggs without making a mess everywhere--and having 6 eggs in your fridge!

Breadless French Toast Sticks

You'll need:

6 eggs

1 cup gluten-free flour (I have used different versions [more on that below] but prefer this)

1 cup coconut milk (the cold, carton kind)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. olive oil to grease the pan

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) Mix the eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. (It will be runny.)

3) Drizzle the oil in a 9x13 baking dish, place the pan in the oven for about 30 seconds to let the oil heat up, then remove the pan and move it around to let the oil coat it.

4) Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes. (The original says 20, and I've done it up to 40 before, so I think it greatly depends on your flour.)

As I mentioned, I've used different brands and kinds of flour for this. I almost always use Bloomfield Farms, but for these photos I was out of it and used Bob's Red Mill and could not believe the difference in looks. The edges shot up the sides of the pan!

 And here is how it looks made with Bloomfield Farms flour. 

Much prettier. :) But it still tastes good either way. And to add to the craziness, both of these look completely different than in the original recipe! So feel free to use whatever flour you prefer!

I like to dip these in real maple syrup and have them with Easy Fried Broccoli (yep, kinda weird I guess) and turkey lunchmeat fried up in olive oil until it's crunchy. Pretty stinkin' tasty! :)

P.S. Linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday, Real Food Recipe Roundup here and here, Time to Sparkle, Share It Link Party, Do Tell Tuesday, Let Your Light Shine, Monday Morning Gossip

Make It Monday: Coconut Banana "Oatmeal"--Gluten-free, Dairy-Free

If you saw the cookies in last week's Make-It Monday, then this week's recipe is going to look quite familiar. When I first made those cookies, they were so simple, so not bad for you, and so tasty without even baking them (all the ingredients are edible without baking), I knew I had to try to make some type of "oatmeal" with them.

So now I want to share that recipe with you guys--it's gluten-free, dairy free, and totally Repairvite diet-friendly but definitely so good that you'll love it whether you're on a special diet or not. ;)

Coconut Banana "Oatmeal"

You'll need: 

1 cup shredded coconut

1 ripe banana

1/4 cup sugar (I use these coconut crystals)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

a couple pinches of salt (I use sea salt)

I basically just third the cookie recipe, as this recipe is just one serving for me.

1) Mash up half of the banana until it looks kind of like applesauce. (You'll use the other half in a bit.)

2) Mix the mashed banana, coconut, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. I just stir them briefly with a fork, unlike using a mixer when I make the cookies, but it's totally up to you. ;)

3) Place the mixing bowl in a large saucepan filled part-way with simmering water. Stir the mixture for a minute or two to warm it.

4) Slice the half of a banana you have left over and top the oatmeal with it.

There you go! So easy, and extra happy for those with certain allergies or diet needs!

P.S. Linking up with Eat, Drink, and Be Mary and friends over on Delicious Dish Tuesday!
P.P.S. Don't miss out on my welcoming-spring giveaway!

Gluten-free, Dairy Free Strawberry Coconut Smoothee

When I was searching Pinterest a while back for smoothee recipes, I found this one from Eat Drink Paleo, and it has become a regular for me.

I do make it a bit differently than the original recipe though, so I wanted to share it with you all!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Strawberry Coconut Smoothee

You'll need:

18 frozen strawberries

8 fresh strawberries

2 1/2 cups of coconut milk (I use this)

2 tsp melted coconut butter (I use this, or you could also use melted coconut oil)

2 tsp honey

2 Tbsp coconut crystals (sugar substitute--I use this amazing stuff)

Steps:

1) Place all the ingredients in a blender until as smooth as you want. 

That's it! This amount makes about 4 servings; I have doubled the original recipe so I'm good for a couple of days instead of having to make more every time I want some. So feel free to cut the recipe in half or even less.

You can also vary the amount of milk depending on how watery you want it. I like my smoothees very smooth, I've discovered.

This would be great with some coconut whipped cream on top! (Never heard of that? Hm, recipe coming soon then maybe? ;)

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Tortillas

When you're gluten free, sometimes you really just want something easy and insanely tasty. But no just grabbing a danish or a doughnut for us...

I discovered a while back that corn tortillas are so versatile, and I've showed you how to use them to make fries. Of course they're also perfect as a bread substitute and fried up in a pan. But I also discovered this super simple, incredibly delicious snack/breakfast/dessert. (As I like to say, when you're gluten free you can eat more!)

Unfortunately I'm currently on a diet that doesn't allow corn or dairy (health diet, not lose-weight diet), which I plan to expound on when the time is right, so I can't eat this right now. But I wanted to share this recipe with you!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese Tortillas

You'll need:

2 corn tortillas (I only know of small ones--if you have big ones, then one would be plenty)

Butter

A few strawberries cut up

Cream Cheese

Powdered Sugar

1) Lightly butter one side of each tortilla and spread some cream cheese on the other side of the tortillas--which I realize is pretty messy. ;) The amount of cream cheese is totally up to you--I lean toward more rather than less, of course. Place each tortilla, butter side down, in a skillet on medium heat.

2) Place the strawberries on half of each tortilla and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

3) With a spatula, fold each tortilla in half--obviously with the strawberry side on the bottom.

4) Let the tortillas fry for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your pan is and how crispy you like them.

5) Remove from the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Oh. my. goodness. These are amazing. A-mazing. Needless to say, I highly recommend them. And want them now.... So please go enjoy some for me, and do let me know how you like them!

Gluten-Free Waffle McGriddles

When I went gluten-free about two years ago, one of the (many) things I missed was McGriddles from McDonalds. Of course they always made my stomach hurt when I ate them, but I still missed them…

So my husband figured out this easy gluten-free alternative. No, it’s not exactly the same (it’s not bad for you! ;) but man, is it delicious.

Gluten-Free Waffle McGriddles

(makes 1 depending on how loaded you want it ;)

You’ll need:

2 gluten-free waffles (I used Van’s)

2 eggs

1 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

ab. 1 tbsp. milk (optional)

Sliced ham

American sandwich cheese slices (or whatever cheese you want)

Syrup

1) Heat the waffles according to the package. I like to toast them in the oven, which takes a little longer. If you microwave them, heat them when everything else is ready so they don’t get cold.

2) Scramble the eggs in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and milk (optional—will make them fluffier). Melt the butter in a skillet to cover the bottom, pour the eggs in the pan and let them fry, then flip over to finish frying. Of course you could use scrambled eggs too, but I prefer the eggs to be a solid piece, which you can cut to whatever size you want.

3) Fry the ham in a separate skillet for just a few minutes until the edges start to brown and curl up.

4) Drizzle syrup on each waffle, then stack the ham, egg, and cheese on one waffle, and put the other waffle on top.

If you’re real ambitious, feel free to make your own waffles. But I’m not that ambitious yet. ;) Also, I’ve tried this with sausage, but it just wasn’t as good as with the ham. I don’t know why. But feel free to try that too! 

And even if you're not gluten-free, this is a great option for when you're stuck at home and can't get to McDonald's. :)

These are perfect for breakfast … or dinner … or a snack (hey, when you're gluten free, you can eat more!) and definitely filling. And it’ll most certainly help with McGriddle withdrawals. :)

P.S. Linking up with What We Eat Wednesday.