Egg Free, Dairy Free Easy Instant Mashed Potatoes

I know this is a very simple idea, but I've never made mashed potatoes this way. My mom doesn't keep soy milk in her house so I decided to come up with a way that she could prepare instant mashed potatoes that would be safe for Jazzy. This is now our favorite instant mashed potatoes.

Easy Instant Mashed Potatoes

2 cups broth
2 cups instant mashed potatoes flakes (I use Betty Crocker Potato Buds)

Bring the broth to a boil either in a saucepan or in the microwave. Stir in the mashed potato flakes until moistened.
*  Feel free to vary the amount of broth or flakes depending on the consistency you desire and the amount you want to prepare.
*  You can stir some dairy free margarine into the mashed potatoes once they are ready.

Fruit Smoothies

My girls love these smoothies any time with any combination of flavors. I use a small personal blender, like a Magic Bullet, so that each person can have their smoothie the way they want it. Vary the amount of juice and frozen fruit so that your smoothie will be as thick or thin as you like it. Our favorite combinations are V8 VFusion Pomegranite Blueberry Juice and frozen strawberries, V8 VFusion Strawberry Banana Juice with frozen strawberries, mixed fruit juice and frozen mixed berries. Adding a fresh banana makes the smoothie more creamy.

Fruit Smoothies

Juice desired
Frozen fruit desired
Sliced banana, optional

Blend until smooth.

Egg Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free Chocolate Topped Melt Away Cookies

Jazlyn made these beautiful cookies by herself (except for taking them in and out of the stove). You can leave them plain, but Jazlyn wanted them topped with the chocolate. The girls loved the texture of the cookies because they melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Topped Melt Away Cookies

Cookies:
1 cup dairy free margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract, or flavoring desired
Food coloring, optional
2 cups flour
Topping:
1/2 cup safe chocolate chips
2 tbsp dairy free margarine, room temperature

To make the cookies, use an electric mixer to cream the margarine and confectioner’s sugar. Add the vanilla and food coloring then beat again. Add the flour then beat until just combined. Roll a spoonful of the dough into a ball. Place the balls 1” apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely.

To make the topping, microwave the chocolate and margarine until melted and smooth. Allow to cool until the chocolate is spreadable. Use a small knife or spoon to spread the chocolate topping onto the bottom of each cookie. Allow the chocolate to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container.

* The cookies barely change their shape while baking, so if you want a flatter cookie, flatten the balls into a disk on the baking sheet.
* You can omit the chocolate topping.

Egg Free Dairy Free Simple Baked Onion Rings

The Baked Onion Rings we made were very good, but they were also a lot of work. This version just used melted margarine for the dip and were so much faster to prepare. They had a crispy coating with a wonderful flavor. The only difference was that the outside didn't stick quite as well. This will be my go-to recipe for onion rings.

Simple Baked Onion Rings

Onions, sliced into 1/4" - 3/4” thick rings then separated
Melted dairy free margarine or oil
1 cup safe bread crumbs, seasoned as desired

Place the margarine in one bowl and the bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip an onion ring into the melted margarine, allowing any extra to drip off, then thoroughly coat it with the bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a well sprayed foil lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the onion rings are coated. Lightly spray the rings with cooking spray then bake at 450 for 6 minutes. Flip the rings, spray them again then bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Best served hot.
* No matter what thickness my rings were, the onion rings were fantastic. The thinner ones got a little crisper, but the thicker ones had a stronger onion flavor.
* You can substitute the bread crumbs for finely crushed cornflakes seasoned with salt and pepper. The end result is thicker and chewier, but still good.
* You can also use cauliflower flowerets, broccoli flowerets and/or 1/4” thick zucchini slices.

Egg Free, Dairy Free Baked Onion Rings

I love onion rings, so I finally got around to trying to make some. They took a little while to prepare and made a mess, but they were very good. The outside was crunchy and stuck to the tender onions very well. The onion rings on the right were coated with the bread crumbs and the onion rings on the right were coated with finely crushed seasoned cornflakes. We preferred the taste and texture of the bread crumbs, but if you are gluten free, the cornflake covered onion rings were also good.

Baked Onion Rings

2 onions, sliced into 1/4" - 3/4” thick rings then separated
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup safe bread crumbs, seasoned as desired (I used this recipe)

Use a fork to mix the soy milk, flour, cornstarch and vinegar until smooth. Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip an onion ring into the flour mixture, allowing any extra to drip off, then thoroughly coat it with the bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a well sprayed foil lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the onion rings are coated. Lightly spray the rings with cooking spray then bake at 450 for 6 minutes. Flip the rings, spray them again then bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Best served hot.
* No matter what thickness my rings were, the onion rings were fantastic. The thinner ones got a little crisper, but the thicker ones had a stronger onion flavor.
* You can substitute the bread crumbs for finely crushed cornflakes seasoned with salt and pepper. The end result is thicker and chewier, but still good.
* You can also use cauliflower flowerets, broccoli flowerets and/or 1/4” thick zucchini slices.