My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

gluten free

Oven Roasted Salsa

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Let me be up front about this. This is not one of my quick recipes, BUT it is incredibly easy AND delicious. This Roasted Salsa taste better than my favorite Mexican restaurant.

If you have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden or if you just can’t resist the low prices at the store and farmers markets then I have a recipe you really need to try. I’m addicted to it.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Roasted Salsa

Ingredients

  • 8 Roma Tomatoes (more or less)
  • 2 Jalapeno Peppers
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1/4 of an onion
  • salt to taste (optional)

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash your produce. Put tomatoes and garlic in one oven safe pan and put your jalapenos in a separate pan. You do not need oil! I didn’t roast the onion because I didn’t have much left but you could. Watch it so that it doesn’t burn.
  3. Roast veggies (1 hour for jalapenos, 2 hours for tomatoes and garlic).
  4. Remove from oven and allow everything to cool so that it can be handled.
  5. Once everything is cool put the tomatoes, jalapenos, half of the garlic and the onion in a high-powered blender. I used my Blendtec and pushed the “Dip” button. I also removed the skins from my tomatoes and the seeds from the jalapenos and tomatoes before blending them. You don’t have to do this, it’s just an extra step. (If you don’t have a Blendtec I recommend putting it on your Christmas List. You can even get a Reconditioned Blendtec for a great deal.)
  6. Blend until there are no large chunks, add a little salt if needed.

Serve

This is heaven with tortilla chips but I’ve also eaten it on Black Bean Tostadas and Tacos. Today I’ll have it on my Baked Potato.

You can mix things up and use roasted onion, roasted corn, whatever you have in abundance. This made about 2 cups for me but it will depend on the size of your tomatoes.

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Meal Plan Monday: It May Be Fall But…

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This time a year poses a conundrum for me. As you know if you’ve been here for a while I live in Arizona. I should be on the Arizona Tourist Bureau I love AZ so much.

The problem is that the weather here is different from the rest of the country. Most people here aren’t quite ready for soup and chili even though it’s “Fall” in many places. I try to strike a happy medium, plus I am ready for those delicious comfort foods. I made Veggie Pot Pie last night.

So I try to keep a middle of the road approach to Meal Plans. I know I can’t make the perfect meal plan for my friends in Michigan, Africa or Australia. Hopefully you will find something that inspires you. Or do what I do and take a look at the Recipe Page.

Plant-Based meal plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Breakfast

We recently reintroduced oatmeal to our house and we are loving it. We have a few other breakfasts for busy days though.

Lunch

I usually utilize dinner leftovers for my lunch and pack a lunch for my 5 year old. I usually post his lunch pictures on Instagram.

  • Taco Salad
  • Chili topped Baked Potatoes
  • Soup and a Baked Potato
  • Veggie Wraps
  • Leftover Veggie Pot Pie ( I have an older recipe here but I’m working on a new one. This one uses a little Earth Balance and wheat flour. The new one I’m working on is GF and oil-free.)

Dinner

Have you planned your meals for this week? What season are you cooking for?

Don’t forget! I have some very special Meal Plans available soon! Especially if you’ve been curious about my Custom Meal Plans.

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A Behind the Scenes Update

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We have had a whirl wind of activity lately BUT it’s not finished. I wanted to fill you in on a little bit of what is going on behind the scenes.

a Behind the Scenes Update

New Fall Meal Plans

I’ve been working like mad creating Custom Meal Plans. They take a long time, especially when dealing with food allergies or other food restrictions. You may not realize that a Custom Meal Plan can range from 30 to 50 pages. When was the last time you typed that up for someone?

I know many of you are curious about the Custom Meal Plans but spending $30 to $40 just isn’t in your budget right now. I completely understand and I really want to help. I can’t make the Custom Meal Plans cheaper, they just take too long, in fact at some point I may have to raise the price.

The Solution

Later this month I will unveil 2 Fall Meal Plans that are created just like the Custom Meal Plans. They will be for one week but will include the Menu, Prep Sheet for those who want to cook a majority of the meals on the weekend, a shopping list and all of the recipes. This will be the perfect solutions for those of you who are interested in the Custom Meal Plan but aren’t quite ready to invest in the full priced Meal Plans.

I’ll share more details as we get closer to their Launch Date. Make sure to follow me at My Plant-Based Family on Facebook for more clues.

The Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

Yesterday I announced the Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class that I’m hosting in Mesa, AZ on September 20th at 9 am. Many of you reached out to me about wanting to attend via conference call or video chat so I’m currently planning an online course. I’m really excited but still working out the details so stay tuned for those.

If you are interested in attending the live class or an online class (that will occur at a different time) please email me so you receive all of the updates.

Fresh Focus LLC

I’m officially a business now! Last month I completed all of the filing requirements to form an LLC in the state of Arizona. I’ve very excited because I have several new projects I’ll be launching this year and I wanted them under the Fresh Focus LLC banner. Don’t worry, My Plant-Based Family will still be your source of Allergy-Friendly Plant-Based Food and information.

More

There is much more in the works here but you will just have to wait to see the rest. I hope you are as excited as I am even though I don’t think that is possible. Stay tuned for more updates!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest!

The Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

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School has started and I’m guessing you’ve already found yourself standing in the kitchen wondering what to pack for lunch. Whether you need to pack a lunch for yourself, your spouse or a child (or all of the above) it’s not an easy task. Throw in food restrictions and it gets harder.

Back to School Month

I strive to come up with tips and recipes to make it easier. If you are in the Phoenix area I have a special treat for you!

Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

Save the Date

September 20th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am I’ll be hosting a Gluten-Free Lunch Box class in East Mesa!

This class will cover lunch box ideas for both children and adults. To make sure I meet your needs I’ll have you fill out a brief survey before the class (this will include allergies and food restrictions).

Loads of Information

You’ll receive 2 hours of instruction, light snacks, lots of great printouts including pretty printables to help make lunch packing easier on the whole family. I’ll be sharing all of my tips, favorite products and exclusive recipes. There is really too much information to mention here.

Prizes

Two attendees (depending on the number of registrants) will win Lunch Box Prize Packs that will include my favorite products!
This class isn’t just about kids lunch boxes, it’s also great for adults who take their lunches to work each day AND adults who eat at home but want a faster, easier solution to lunch time cooking and clean up.

At a Great Value

The class is $25 per person OR 2 people for $40! This class is worth it!

I had great feedback from the last class and I know this one will be even better!

Register Today

To register for the Gluten-Free Lunch Box class just send me an email and I’ll request payment through paypal. Space is limited! This class will fill up fast so register today!

Cookie Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free and Nut-Free)

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I first made this recipe when I was trying to make cookies. It tasted good but the consistency was off. I tweaked it to develop the Sunbutter Cookie Recipe (also GF and Vegan) that I shared last week. This recipe is easier and works really well as Cookie Bars. They are very sturdy and perfect for lunch box packing. My kindergartener ate them daily after school.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Cookie bars

I make this recipe with Sunbutter because my youngest son is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. You could try this with peanut or almond butter if you are not allergic. Also, if you do not have brown rice flour and sorghum flour you could use a gluten-free baking mix. If you make it with any adaptations I’d love to hear how they go. I’m considering making them with oat flour next. I imagine they would work fine with wheat flour also but I haven’t tried it.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Cookie bars

Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Do

  1. Cream Sunbutter and Sugar together.
  2. Dump the rest of the ingredients together, except chocolate chips.
  3. Mix well, adding extra rice milk if needed.
  4. If using chocolate chips mix them in or just sprinkle them on top.
  5. Pour into a 9×9 pan that is lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool before removing from pan and cutting into bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days.

Serve

This is perfect for an after school snack or in the lunch box.

The odd thing is that my super picky kid loved these and the one who eats everything didn’t like them. He doesn’t always want to try new things because of his food allergies so I don’t force it.

Do you need to work around various food allergies or restrictions? I try to make them as accommodating as possible. What restrictions do you deal with?

This recipe is part of the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck!

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Intro to Canning and Sweet Canned Blackberries

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I’m excited today to present a very special guest post from Sarah at Gazing In and Trail Cooking. As you can see she is multi-talented. She also has a ton of delicious allergy-friendly recipes.

Sarah and I became blog buddies years ago. We both strive for a mostly plant-based diet and generally cook the same kids of foods. One of our differences is that Sarah is great at preserving food. If you have questions about canning or dehydrating you’ll need to ask her because I know nothing.

I am thrilled she agreed to share today and give us an intro to canning along with a recipe for Canned Blackberries. Please welcome Sarah!

Tucked away into a low shelf in many grocery stores are cans of berries. Many people never notice them, and even if they did, would they buy them? They are usually very expensive for a small can, that only has a few berries in it. And are packed in a heavy syrup, which simply means a heavier amount of sugar. The berries become too sweet.
Have a bumper crop of berries given to you by Mother Nature? Ever thought of preserving them for winter? By canning them in a simple syrup, you can drain them later and make pies, cobblers and even mixed into yogurt. And you can control the amount of sugar used. PS: Once you get confident in canning, you can pack these berries in hot apple juice even!
Canning need not be time consuming, nor scary. A few simple tools and you can be making small batches of goodies in your kitchen – that you can enjoy ALL year long. Canning is renewable, resourceful and after a few visits to the water bath, more than pays for itself. A simple kit, such as the Ball® Home Canning Discovery Kit, will get you going:
Home Canning Kit
Canning Utensil Kit
And a few kitchen towels and canning jars, and you are all set. You don’t even need a dedicated water bath canning pot – and large pot will work. If you do decided you love canning, you needn’t spend a lot. A Granite Ware Covered Preserving Canner is all you will need. (Made in the USA as well!)
Canner
Just buy quality upfront. Don’t try to save money with off brand jar – buy Ball or Kerr, they are made in the USA. Same with the lids – only buy them. They are BPA free, made in the USA. Off brands are made in China, so you get what you pay for. I see mason jars as an investment. I often give jars away, but mention this “What is the first rule of the Mason Jar Club? You return the jar and band, and you might get refills” 😉 Funny is, I said that to a guy recently and he was “Oh…that is why people quit giving me stuff”. Hahaha!
Canned Blackberries
Cold Pack Sweet Canned Blackberries
Ingredients:
  •  Blackberries, washed and drained (see below for how many)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 5¼ cups water
Directions:
Wash canning jars, with bands and new lids, in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, and drain on a clean kitchen towel. Bring a large pot of water to boil, take off stove, add in clean jars and bands, and keep covered.
Fill canning pot or large stockpot halfway with water, bring to a near boil, then let simmer.
Make syrup by combining sugars and water, bring to a boil, either use immediately or keep warm.
Drain jars using tongs, place on a clean kitchen towel. Ladle ¼ cup hot syrup into the bars, using a sterilized canning funnel. Pack in 1 cup blackberries, gently tap on counter. Add more berries. Pour hot syrup over the top, then run a sterilized chopstick (or a plastic air bubble remover) around the inside of the jar. Top off with more syrup if needed. Leave a ¼” headspace.
Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.
Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″, if not add a bit more from the other pot that held the jars. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, process pint jars for 15 minutes, quart jars for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.
Once cooled, check again that seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.
As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard the contents immediately!!!!!! (I have only ever lost one jar in all my canning, so don’t fret!) As long as you sterilize the jar, it is fine to reuse later.
Notes:
The syrup makes about 6½ cups, and is considered a “light syrup”. When canning fruit and berries, you will need 1 to 1½ cups of syrup per quart jar, or ½ to ¾ cup per pint jar. Always hedge on the higher amount being needed, and keep an extra jar or two ready to be used “just in case”. That said, you can expect 4 to 6 quart jars or 8 to 10 pint jars total. Now for the berries, I can fit 1 to 2 cups blackberries per pint, so aim to have 15 cups of berries at minimun. If you have extra berries, no loss, just toss them on a baking sheet and freeze, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag. You can use frozen blackberries later on for eating, baking and even making jams & jellies.
Disclaimer:
While I can on a glass top stove, I cannot tell you that is a good choice. Many glass top stoves forbid canning in their warranties. This video from Fresh Preserving is helpful, and if you are out of warranty, well…you can be like me 😉

As you can see from this great guest post canning isn’t nearly as difficult as I though. It is also a lot less expensive than I thought it would be to get started. Don’t forget to stop by Gazing In and Trail Cooking for more great recipe ideas.

This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using links on this page I may make a small percentage at no additional cost to you.