DINNER ROLLS (Sandwich Buns, Snack Pizza Rounds)

This recipe, depending upon how you shape it before baking (and adjust the baking time accordingly) works well for a number of “bread substitute” types of recipes or meal plans. You can use this, English muffin size, to make open-faced snack pizzas just as easily as you can eat it as it is, or turn it into the base of a breakfast sandwich with your favorite ingredients. I can be used for sloppy joe and/or biscuits with sausage and country gravy style of meal plans too. I’ve used it as a “burger bun” style of bread replacement when eating salmon burgers, turkey burgers, or beef burgers, as well as making a bun sandwich with it. It does okay, flavor wise, with either sweet (top with stevia sweetened cinnamon butter for example) or savory items. It freezes well. It tastes just fine by its self or with butter on it. (Try garlic bread, too–just remember it is soft and can easily crumble). I’ve not tried it yet for bread crumbs but I bet it could be crumbled and used as a base to make herb croutons, or a stuffing base with turkey broth onions celery and sage, and is basically a good go-to item to have on hand since it freezes so well. It can be made ahead and frozen. It thaws easily in the toaster oven in the amount of time it took me to make the meal I wanted to use it for. When I made “pizza” with it, I added it frozen to the baking tray, topped it with frozen sauce, and frozen homemade sausage, and the dairy-free cheese, and it worked well enough too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup HEB Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
• 1 TBSP Psyllium Husk
• 2 TBSP Golden Flaxseed Meal
• 2 TBSP Melted Butter
• 1 TBSP White Vinegar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Real Salt
• 1/4 tsp Arrowroot

INSTRUCTIONS:

You can find this recipe’s original author’s instructions to mix these and bake them here: Keto Vegetarian’s Recipe

I made modifications from the original recipe due to different allergens. One note is that the water should be boiling when it is used to activate the psyllium. Once mixed, the dough needs to rest for about 10 minutes. The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees. These are baked about 25 minutes (until golden on top). Turn off oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the oven.

They do well: 1) frozen and thawed (I froze them flat on a tray, then transferred them to individually sealed bags with a piece of parchment paper between the split portion so as to be able to separate them before thawing more easily so i could thaw in the toaster oven. 2) can be used without any further work than making them. 3) do well from the fridge and being used.

They are too moist. Like many “coconut” based items these have a tendency to have a too moist texture. They do not hold up well to a burger and don’t toast firm enough, even in the toaster oven (but that’s better than not toasting them) to really not crumble when eating a juicy burger. I would suggest always using sandwich style lettuce in the bun if you are using them as a burger bun so it catches what ever you have inside (tuna salad, salmon beef or turkey burgers, chickpea/hummus spread, etc) when the bun eventually falls apart, as it likely will.

Recipes on this blog I recently used in combination with this dinner roll recipe to make various types of meal plans:

1. Snack Pizza
   
   
2. Salmon Patties
   
3. Burger Patties
4. Turkey Patties
5. Sandwich
6. Open face as a base for: sloppy joes, or sausage and country gravy.
7. Just as is, or with butter, or toasted with butter or seasonings (garlic bread, cinnamon and stevia, etc).

Salmon Patties (or Salmon Nuggets)

This recipe is easy and tasty. It is a great recipe to use to put up some food in the freezer to have easy meals or snacks later on. You can shape these into either patties for fish burgers or nuggets to make them more salad ready or as a snack.

INGREDIENTS:

• 13.5 Ounce Can of Salmon (Skin on/bones in are okay–as we’re blending this into a patty and that all adds nutrition, or remove depending on your preferences)
• Carrot (2-4 TBSP grated)
• 2 green onions (chopped)
• 1 tsp Chives (rough chopped)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 TBSP coconut flour (or ground chia seeds)
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Dill Weed
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Grate raw carrot. Zest lemon. Drain can. Put all ingredients together in high-speed blender, or food processor. Whirl until well combined.
2. Form into patties. Bake in preheated 400 degree toaster oven, and bake approximately 40 minutes. Don’t cook too long or they will dry out. Check on these as they cook for the timing in your toaster oven.

This recipe yields about 6 patties or about 12-20 nuggets. You can easily freeze these, thaw by cooking in a toaster oven.

Turkey Nuggets (GF, Egg-Free)

Recently, I re-visited a recipe for turkey nuggets I’ve made many times before. I trialed a few tweaks and they all turned out great!

Original Blog Post and Recipe: https://collectedgoodies.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/turkey-nuggets/

Trials:

1. I used this same “base” recipe to make one pound of ground turkey into turkey nuggets just as the recipe calls for; however, this time I trialed 1 chia egg [made by measuring out 3 TBSP of water, then adding 1 TBSP whole chia seeds to a spice or coffee grinder and blending the seeds to form a flour of sorts, then adding the chia flour to the water, stir well to combine everything completely, and then allow this mixture to rest a moment for the “gel” to form fully before using it as the binder in the Turkey Nugget recipe]. These turned out excellent!
2. I used the “chia egg” described above in another 1 pound batch, this time adding 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper to the meat mixture, as well as 1/4 tsp called for in the breading. These turned out fabulous. They had some heat. While they aren’t “buffalo” by any means, if you or your loved one is nightshade free and able to handle black pepper, this is a great option and is very flavorful.
3. The next batch, I added celery salt to both the meat (1 tsp) mixture before shaping into nuggets, and to the breading mixture (1/4 tsp) without adjusting the Real Salt already in both. These also turned out tasting GREAT. For my taste buds I like the celery salt version better than the regular version.
4. I tried a batch just exactly like #3 above, only after mixing the meat mixture, shaping it into nuggets and breading it, as outlined in #3 above, for this trial I also sprinkled the sprinkle cheese atop and “tapped” it in before baking.
5. I made #3 above, but didn’t have enough coconut flour to make up another batch of “breading”. I did have about 1/2 the volume which was needed to bread this last batch of the left over breading from the trials outlined above. To this 1/2 batch of breading I added the sprinkle cheese I had made up already. I used this as the breading and it is FABULOUS too. They are all very different flavors but all are nice!

If you try them, be sure to mention which is your favorite in the comments below.

Now I just have to work on an excellent BBQ sauce or dairy-free ranch dressing to go along with these too. One friend recommended making a cranberry sauce dip

Yield: 1.5 to 2 gallon bags frozen nuggets

YIELD: approximately 120 nuggets or approximately one-and-a-half gallons, frozen, nuggets.

BAKE TIME: approximately 15-25 minutes, then flip, then cook another 15-25  minutes.

Breakfast Cookie

This can be rolled, shaped, or even baked as bars.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup hemp seeds.
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 3 eggs (for egg-free use 3 TBSP arrowroot in 9 TBSP water)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted, cooled)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• dash of salt
• 1/4 brown sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup add in (options include chopped nuts, such as walnuts or macadamia; chopped chocolate chunks, crainraisins, raisins, chopped fruit)

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line a baking sheet. Set it aside.
3. Mix together coconut oil and eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes.
5. Shape into cookie shapes. Makes 12-14 cookies.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.

I have made this recipe several times with lots of different options. The only note I would make is if you make a stir-in optional choice which is more dry, or your coconut ingredients are more dry than other times, you may need to add a dash of coconut milk or water before shaping your cookies. If you make them as bars, it is so much quicker, but then you have to play around a bit with the time to bake them.

With chopped walnuts and chopped cranraisns

Everything “Bagels” (Epic Fail)

Today, I tried a very popular (in terms of the number of times I’ve seen it on various people’s Pinterest accounts, YouTube channels, and blogs) but for me it was an EPIC FAIL! This recipe isn’t even worth washing the dishes it created!

EPIC FAILURE:

Why is this recipe a waste of time, effort, and ingredients? Because the sweetness of coconut with the garlic/salt of the everything bagel seasoning was too much of a mash up. Speaking of mash up, the pre-baked dough literally looked like and tasted like mashed potatoes. Even after baking, while it looked more like cake, it still tasted like lattkes or smashed spuds. The texture was also rubbery. Having said that, I am still blogging about this recipe as a way of recording that I’ve tried this recipe as I don’t want to try it again, by mistake.

TIPS OR TWEAKS?

It could work, perhaps as: a. muffins instead of trying to parade its self as bagels. b. as spiced sweet such as cinnamon (raisin), pumpkin spice, or apple pie spice, or even classic spice blend together like an old-fashioned spice-cake. These do not rise much so perhaps making them in a ramekin or muffin tin would work better where the “molds” could hold more batter than the small donut pans. It tasted best with some butter on it.

INGREDIENTS:

• Faux Eggs (to replicate 3 eggs use 3 TBSP arrowroot powder dissolved into 3 TBSP water)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP coconut flour
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 3 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 TBSP gelatin powder (unflavored)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp melted butter
• everything but the bagel seasoning

METHOD:

1. Mix together in a small bowl, 3 TBSP arrow root into 9 TBSP water. Stir well and set aside for 15 minutes. Stir before using as an “egg” replacement (or simply use 3 eggs below where this egg replacement is called for in the recipe).
2. This recipe yields 6 servings so lightly grease a six-hole donut pan with coconut oil.
3. In a bowl, mix together coconut flour, gelatin, baking powder, and salt until well blended and any clumps are broken up.
4. Add in wet ingredients (“faux eggs” coconut milk and coconut oil); mix well to combine.
5. Distribute dough into donut mold pan.
6. Brush tops of donuts, before baking, with melted butter and sprinkle on everything bagel seasoning.
7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (toothpick will come out cleanly)

Savory Crackers

This recipe is a trial of turning various recipes I’ve viewed online into an allergen-friendly recipe based on the allergens I’m making meals and meal plans around based on the folks in my life who have various allergies and sensitivities.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup freshly GROUND sunflower seeds.
• 4 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
• 1.5 tsp italian seasoning powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup boiling filtered water

METHOD:

1. Begin by measuring all of the dry ingredients into an appropriate sized bowl.
2. Mix together dry ingredients well.
3. Add boiling water.
4. Mix together well to incorporate all dry ingredients into water. Press together until it forms into a dough ball (it may be a bit sticky–that’s okay)
5. Allow “dough” to rest for a few minutes.
6. Place dough ball on baking tray between either two pieces of parchment paper or two silicone baking mats. Roll out thin. Now you can leave it whole and bake it that way (watch closely this is going to require longer baking by a few minutes), score it to break easily, or cut it into bite sized crackers. Any method works great depending on how you are going to use it later.
7. Bake until desired done in a 350 F degree toaster oven. Cooking time may vary on each batch.

NOTES:

• Add color: parsley flakes, mustard or turmeric powder, beet or spinach water (left over from cooking and draining a colored veg) or never mind the fact they look ugly–they taste fabulous! With the fresh nutritional yeast combined with the other herbs and spices this tastes like Italian Parmesan something–not quite the texture of breadsticks but not bad either.
• Watch the salt. It can taste too salty. So adjust to your likely and purpose. This is okay as is, but I would tweak the salt down (or leave it out all together) for some uses.
• Serving suggestions: with dip: Don’t pre-cut or score the dough prior to baking. Instead bread into dippers and serve on your snack boards with dip. as a chip: simply enjoy as you would chips or crackers on the side with favorite go-alongs or alone, as is. as a snack: spread with jam, preserves, butter, a compound butter, or top with dairy-free cheese or fish/salmon/sardine/ or plant-based “spreads” atop such as pesto or olive tapenade.

Star Fruit

Information

Recently, I gave star fruit a try. There are many ways you can prepare it from raw, to cooked, to juicing it into a favorite beverage. The flavor of this unusual fruit is not as pronounced as it unique shape or juiciness. It tastes “familiar” and yet isn’t.

Worth the click-thru to view information about its nutritional benefits, as well as risks to those taking certain medications or with kidney issues.

Health Benefits, Risks, and Studies: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/star-fruit-101

RECIPE:

I took 1 store-purchased star fruit and washed it. Next, I thinly sliced it and removed any visible seeds. Next, I sampled a small piece of it, raw before proceeding to lay out the rest of the cut slices on a silicone mat. Then I baked it for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Some of the slices were still moist and others were crispy. The crispby ones tasted a bit like browned potato chips!

Shortcake (Coconut Flour)

This recipe is grain-free, low carb, can be made sugar free, quick and easy to whip up and is delicious! Eat it plain, as is, or served with your favorite berries or berry sauce atop, with or without whipped cream. Another serving suggestion is with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 Cup coconut flour
• 3 TBSP melted butter, coconut oil, or other neutral oil
• 1/3 Cup JUST eggs vegan liquid egg replacement
• 3 TBSP sweetener (or about 6 stevia packs)
• 1/4 tsp rum
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

METHOD:

1. Turn on your toaster oven (If using) to 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile prepare a 6 muffin tin with muffin liners (or grease with butter, coconut oil, or other neutral-flavored oil)
3. Begin by mixing together in a bowl all of the dry ingredients. Make sure the mixture is well combined and none of the dry ingredients have lumps.
4. Stir in the melted butter or oil, as well as the liquid JUSTeggs brand egg replacement.
5. Mix well to combine.
6. Drop by heaping TBSP into prepared muffin tins. Distribute batter evenly between 6 muffin tins. Batter rises, but it doesn’t spread much, so spread it out evenly in the muffin tin before baking.
7. Bake until golden about 10-15 minutes depending on your toaster oven.

Various Serving Suggestions:

• This recipe yields 6 small shortbread portions. Those individual portions can be slit in half to stuff with , or top with, fruit of choice and cool whip/whipped cream. It makes a nice snack or dessert.
• Leave out the rum, cinnamon powder and sweetener; use olive oil in place of butter or coconut oil for a savory flavor. Pairs nicely with garlic or Italian seasonings.
• For portion control, you could bake for a shorter time, 12 mini muffins instead of 6 regular muffins.
• As is, this recipe tastes great as a short cake (with any fruit/juice and whipped cream).
• Top with cream cheese.
• Other topping ideas, besides fruit include just using whipped cream. And/or adding chocolate bits. Walmart carries a sugar free brand of chocolate bits. Or, you can make your own.
• Taste great at room temperature with some butter on it.
• Try it with sugar-free jelly or jam.
• This recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to make, with very little clean up. You can make it frequently.

Source: For this recipe, I looked at high carb recipes, gluten free recipes, and other online recipes which were similar to this one. Then I made up a hybrid type recipe without any of the allergens the folks I’m cooking for avoid.

Cheesy “Faux-tatoes”

One of the most requested recipes I’ve made and others have enjoyed is Cheesy Potatoes. But not everyone can eat nightshades/potatoes or high-carb side dishes such as the original recipe for Cheesy Potatoes. Solution? Cheesy FROZEN Cauliflower Rice Faux-Tatoes.

Why use frozen cauliflower? Many brands (or fresh-made) rice cauliflower have a lot of flavor from the veggie. Whereas the frozen cauliflower is rather bland, by comparison, lending its use as a substitute for hash browns without the traditional cauliflower flavor.

What’s different? Frozen cauliflower is super moist compared to frozen potatoes. You’ll need to thaw and pat dry the cauliflower rice before using.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Pound Frozen Cauliflower Rice (plain)
• Pepper
• Celery Salt
• Shredded cheese
• Minced Onion
• 1/2 stick of butter

METHOD:

1. Thaw the riced cauliflower.
2. Pat the cauliflower dry with a clean kitchen towel.
3. Place mixture in bowl.
4. Mince onion and stir into cauliflower rice mixture.
5. Add celery salt and pepper. If you would like, add fresh or dried parsley. It looks lovely and adds nutritive value too. Stir well to incorporate.
6. Mix 1/2 of the cheese into the mixture. Smooth out in 9×9 (or 8×8) baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 of cheese.
7. Bake at 375 until cheese is golden brown.

NOTES:

This was still too moist. I had friends say it tastes exactly like the cheese potatoes I make. However, I wasn’t satisfied with the moisture content. I left the condensed soup out, to help keep nightshades and carbs out of this recipe (and make it gluten free too) and also because I thought it would be too moist with condensed soup included. It turned out to be a bit moist/runny even with removing the soup. It could use another spice or two, which can compliment your main dish. Such as “Old Bay” if you are enjoying fish, garlic with just about any main, or any other favorite spice(s) and/or blend(s) of choice. Next time too, because of the moisture, I think I will try using dried minced onions from the spice aisle instead of freshly minced onion. This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan. Could be eaten as is, or enjoyed with a dollop of sour cream and a snip of chives along side.

Macaroon Bake

This simple to make sweet treat is easy to make, comes together in minutes, and combines macaroons with a nutty graham -cracker crust substitute. Bonus: Easy clean up!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package unsweetened coconut
• 1 package JUSTegg
• 1 splash cream de cocoa
• sugar-free chocolate bits
• pecan meal
• room temp stick of butter
• Swerve brown sugar
• Swerve granular

METHOD:

1. In a 9x9Pan, spread pecan meal to cover bottom of pan.
2. Top pecan meal with a layer of Swerve brown sugar.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Add softened butter to the pecan/brown Swerve mixture. Mix well to combine. Spread out evenly over bottom of 9×9 pan.
5. Now, mix a splash of cream de cocoa over the opened package of unsweetened coconut, add a bit of Swerve granular, and JUSTegg. Stir to combine. Spread in an even layer over prepared pecan crust.
6. Top, if desired, with unsweetened (or stevia sweetened) chocolate bits.
7. Bake 350 until fragrant and edges of coconut are just browning.
8. Cool. Cut in to bars. Enjoy.
9. Store left overs in bite-size pieces in fridge or freezer to thaw and enjoy later.

This recipe is my own creation mocking “graham cracker crust” and macaroon cookies but making them with egg-free and sugar-free ingredients.