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Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

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Uncategorized

Flourless Quiche Crust

August 29, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

The death and destruction Hurricane Irene caused makes my heart go out to those who lost their homes, family, and friends.

When sadness strikes, sometimes we just need a little comfort. The word, “quiche,” sounds too fancy to be called comfort, but the creamy, eggy dish does just that-comforts.

Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

~This quiche is made with whole brown rice-no flour. It is a great way to use up your leftover rice. You can use some of my suggested fillings below, or create your own mix. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Serves 6

Brown Rice Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 egg*
Preheat oven to 350*. Mix rice thoroughly with the egg. Spread mixture evenly on a 9″ pie or tart pan (greasing the pan is optional. My quiche came out fine without it). Spread the mix up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
–
Filling Ingredients:
  • 4 eggs*
  • 1 cup milk or milk substitute (like almond milk)
  • 2 cups filling, ideas below
  • 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
Whisk together eggs, milk, fillings, salt, and pepper. Pour into Brown Rice crust and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool ten minutes before slicing and serving.
–
*May substitute egg whites for whole eggs if desired.
Filling Ideas:
  • Veggie: Chopped bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spinach.
  • Mediterranean: Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, capers, and roasted red peppers.
  • Meat Lover’s: Bacon, ham, pepperoni, salami, turkey.
  • Hawaiian: Canadian bacon, onions, pineapple.
  • Leftover: Throw anything and everything you have in the fridge into the quiche.
This is a lot healthier than your typical quiche with the flaky crust full of refined flour and fat. Check out Panera’s Spinach Artichoke Quiche nutrition facts: 540 calories, 34g fat (19g saturated), 165mg cholesterol, 910mg sodium, 38g carbohydrates, 8g sugar, 19g protein. The majority of the calories come from white flour, cheese, cream, and butter.
–
With my quiche, you get whole grains and fiber from the brown rice, vitamins from the healthy vegetables you add, protein from the eggs, and a filling meal.
But, of course, you don’t want to be lectured about the health of the quiche. You want to eat it!
–
I wish I could send this quiche to all of those on the East coast affected by the hurricane. Instead, I give you this recipe and send you a prayer.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have you, a family member, or a friend, been affected by hurricane Irene?

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Blissful Bites Giveaway!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bake, breakfast, dairy-free, Giveaway, Gluten-free, healthy, mushrooms, nutrition, PRODUCE, protein, recipe, sugar-free, vegetables

Blissful Bites {and Giveaway!}

August 27, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

This Giveaway is now closed. Winners announced here. 

When I got home from my trip, there was a package sitting on my doorstep…

The new Blissful Bites Cookbook from Christy Morgan at The Blissful Chef!

I was excited to look through the book and try the recipes. Christy wrote the book beautifully with tips and tricks, fun quotes, thoughtful insights on “bliss,” and it is all sorted into Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter recipes. I know exactly what recipes to make depending on the time of year and what’s in season.

I want to experiment with so many of her recipes! I decided to try the Chinese Cabbage Roll-Ups with Peanut Sauce first:

Delicious. Had a great ginger flavor, and the peanut sauce complimented it well. Reminds me of a fresher, lighter lettuce wrap from P.F. Chang’s or California Pizza Kitchen without all the oil.

Want to win a book of your own? 

One lucky winner will win a copy of Christy’s new book (U.S. and Canada residents only)!

How to enter: 

You can enter multiple times. Leave a separate comment below for each entry.

  1. Tell me your favorite vegan recipe. Add links if needed. Mine are these High Protein Cookies.
  2. Subscribe to Spoonful of Sugar Free by entering your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the right. Or follow by RSS, google reader, exc.
  3. Like me on facebook.
  4. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Can be something like, “I love vegan meals! @SugarFreeAlex is giving away a @TheBlissfulChef cooking book! http://spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/27/blissful-bites-and-giveaway/”
  5. Follow @TheBlissfulChef on twitter and/or like her facebook page.
  6. Blog about this giveaway on your blog.
Giveaway ends on August 31st. Good luck to everyone!
–

***Disclaimer: The book and giveaway were given to me by the author and publisher. However, the thoughts and my reviews written here are my own opinion.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cabbage, cookbook, Giveaway, nutrition, recipe, vegan

Family

August 26, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

I’m back from beautiful Colorado! Thanks to all of my Guest-Posters for filing in. I hope you enjoyed all of them.

The night skies were breathtaking:

 

 

{Looking out over the mountains at sunset}

{Denver, at night}

I enjoyed spending time with my family: playing football and tennis, cooking fajitas and cupcakes, running around with cousins at the park, and chatting until midnight.

It’s nice to be home and back in a regular routine, but I would love to spend another month together with my entire family-just enjoying their company. Looking back, I think this was one of my favorite trips of all time.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

When’s the last time you spent time with your entire family or had a family reunion? What did you do?

Do you see your family often? I wish I could see mine more than I do. We are all spread out: Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Idaho, Florida, Iowa, Tennessee, California, everywhere!

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: family, healthy

Itty Bits of Balance Guest Post

August 25, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

Here is Brittany who shares some of her favorite sugar-free recipes: 

Hey everyone! My name is Brittany & I blog over at Itty Bits of Balance.

Pirate

I’m actually part pirate too, but that’s besides the point.

When Alex said that she needed help with a guest post, I jumped at the opportunity! I have always been a huge fan of her blog, and although my diet is not completely sugar-free, I’m always down to incorporate some naturally sweet recipes into my meal plan.

2

Like many other healthy living bloggers, it has taken me years to achieve the balance that I have today. Since kindergarten, I had always been fighting a constant battle with body image and the amount of love that I allowed into my life. (You can see my progress here) Now that I have achieved that balance through fitness, food, and faith, I am constantly on the lookout for new ways to “healthify” and “simplify” unhealthy, time-consuming recipes.

With that said, I decided to create my guest-post in a sugarless-style and post the top five sugar-free, healthy and easy-peasy dishes from my own recipe archive!

1. Healthy Mexican Pasta: I’m a huge fan of anything Mexican, so this is one of my personal favorite dishes to make.

chucke 056

2. Easy & Healthy Chicken Patty Parmesan: A lighter-spin on one of my favorite breaded Italian dishes!

Parmigan 070

3. Lentil Stuffed Pepper for One– Peppers stuffed with lentils & veggies!

peppers 024

4. Vegan Wheat-free French Toast- A new breakfast creation that is becoming the norm for my wheat-free, egg-free self.

frenchtoast 050

5. Chicken Soup for the Sick Boyfriend’s Soul- My go-to chicken soup recipe that is quick, delicious, and easy to make!

soup 024

So there you have it— Some of my personal “simplified” and “healthified” meals! Thanks for reading and feel free to stop by and visit me anytime! I love company 😉

Thanks for the recipes, Brittany! Can’t wait to try some out. Especially the Mexican Pasta! 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Going Grain-Free-Guest Post

August 24, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

Rebecca, a grain-free eater, is going to tell you about her journey to sugar-free, grain-free living, and give you a wonderful Macaroon recipe. Take it away, Rebecca!

Hi SOSF readers!  I’m the Grain-Free Groupie and I am so excited to be guest-posting today, this is big for me as my usual blogging-audience consists of mainly, myself, occasionally my husband, and a friend or two!  Many thanks to Alex for giving me this awesome opportunity, and thank you so much to this awesome blog for giving me so much inspiration!

I only very recently got into the world of blogging, specifically, blogging as it pertains to special diets.  I never even read blogs!  It wasn’t until one day this past spring, that I was reading an article on HuffPo about diabetes and saw a comment that intrigued me, linking to someone’s blog.  I clicked on the link, and from there, my new hobby sprouted!  I had absolutely no idea how many amazing, fascinating, beautiful, blogs were out there, that were actually relevant to my life.  I made the decision to go completely grain and sugar free just this summer, and thanks to the multitude of resources I’ve found, like this very website, it has been an easy, fun, and very happy process.

Eliminating grains did not happen overnight, and to be quite honest, it wasn’t even intentional.  It has been a very gradual process that all began about 16 months ago when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes while pregnant with my daughter.  At the time, I was so shocked and overwhelmed that all I could do was memorize the relevant information, and adhere rigidly to the prescribed diet.  I didn’t want to have to think or question anything; I was 100% focused on the health of my baby and couldn’t begin to grasp what it all meant.  And besides, once my baby was born, the GD would retreat, and I could go back to my usual high-carb, low fat, nominal protein diet. Right?

Not so fast!  Although my daughter was born healthy, on time, and teeny tiny, my blood sugars never totally normalized, and over the next few months I increasingly experienced the unpleasant effects and symptoms of elevated blood sugar.  I began to realize, that for me, carbs and/or sugar= high blood sugar and a generally yucky, bloated, lethargic, and dizzy disposition.

I started out with the Glycemic Index diet, which I had heard was great for diabetics.  I felt some relief, but it required a lot more time, energy, and math than I could really handle with an infant.  Finally, more out of laziness than anything else, I decided to go grain-free.  I just figured if I avoided grains altogether I could quit counting carbs, and obsessing over eating precisely the right amounts of carbs, in precisely the right combinations, at precisely the right times.  Instead I surrounded myself with whole, clean, high-protein, grain-free and sugar-free foods, with plenty of healthy fats to keep me full and satisfied.  About a month into going grain-free, my cravings for sugar and carbs were completely gone.  I felt healthier, more energetic, lighter, and brighter than ever.  I’ve always loved to cook and bake, though I’ve never been much good at the latter, and I’m happy to say that going grain-free has only made cooking more fun and rewarding, albeit a bit more challenging at times.  (Especially when you are constantly faced with ingredients like Xylitol, Xantham gum, and Erythritol??)  For anyone contemplating going grain-free, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE UP DESSERTS and you don’t have to subsist on poached chicken breast and lettuce.  What you do need is a well-stocked pantry, a little creativity, plenty of herbs and spices, and a willingness to try new things.  I started blogging so I could have one place to keep all my recipes, tips, and ideas, and to have plenty of tools at my disposal to refer to when I need ‘em.  At first, going grain-free can feel a bit daunting.  Your usual trip to the grocery store takes on a new meaning.  Take it slow.  You do not need to buy five hundred items in one day.  Stock your pantry over time, and phase out grains and carbs in stages.  I still have some Steel Cut Irish Oats in my pantry (they were really flippin’ expensive!) and I’m not ready to just throw them out.  I also have some awesome French Meadow Men’s Bread in the freezer that I may or may not have with some nut butter if I feel like it.  Most likely not, but I won’t go off the deep end if I feel like having it.

I have spent a lot of time writing and updating my Grain-Free Shopping List.  It might look long at first, but most likely two-thirds of these items you already have, or buy regularly.  When I made the decision to go grain-free, I scoured the internet for a list that I could print off and save for future shopping trips.  I never found one that I liked, so I made my own.  Want a comprehensive list of what constitutes a grain and what doesn’t?  Visit Grain-Free Living.

Lastly, I have a special fondness in my heart for one of my first successful forays into grain-free baking.  I saw a recipe on a Let’s Do Organic bag of shredded coconut and knew right away I had to make it grain-free and sugar-free.  The result was easy and delicious and I haven’t stopped since.  Give it a shot, and enjoy!

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, and Sugar-Free Almond Flour Macaroons

3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sweetener, like Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut butter
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Combine egg white, oil/butter, vanilla, and sweetener.  Then mix in almond flour gradually.  Add coconut and combine thoroughly.  Roll into one inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 or until golden brown.

Thanks so much, Rebecca! It’s great to hear there are others out there who thrive on grain-free, sugar-free diets. You all know how much I love grain-free recipes!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Coconut-Chai Rice Pudding Guest Post

August 23, 2011 By Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

Here is a guest post from Rachel!
–
Hey there! I’m Rachel, and you can find me over at Eat, Learn, Discover.
First of all, thanks so much to Alex for this opportunity! As a relatively new blogger, I’m making my best effort to make new connections and meet awesome new blogger friends. As my site’s title suggests, I love finding new foods and challenging
myself to try different things in the kitchen.
–
As this is a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free blog, I decided to try my hand at a g-free, dairy-free, sugar free recipe. This easy, creamy, healthy recipe is good for dessert, breakfast, snacks, or anything in between.
Coconut-Chai Rice Pudding with Raisins:
–
(makes about 4 servings)
–
What you’ll need:
  • 1 cup short grain brown rice (may substitute arborio)
  • 1 can lite coconut milk
  • 1 cup chai tea
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 oz. seedless raisins
  • shredded coconut (unsweetened) for garnish
Directions: Brew two cups of your chai tea of choice, according to directions.
Bring half of the liquid (coco milk and tea), vanilla extract and the rice to a boil in a large pot, uncovered. Add a pinch of salt for slightly faster boiling. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Let the rice cook until all of the liquid is absorbed – about 30
minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent bubbling over or sticking.
Add the remaining ingredients – the rest of the liquid, raisins, cinnamon and other spices if you like. (If you were to add sugar, I’d recommend about 3-4 Tbsp of raw sugar added at this point but really not necessary!)
Stir in the ingredients, bring the mixture back to a simmer, cover and continue cooking until the rest of the liquid is not quite absorbed – about 20-30 more minutes. Don’t forget to stir!
Turn off the heat, keeping the pot covered, let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
Serve it creamy and hot, with some shredded coconut sprinkled on top!
or store it for breakfast tomorrow 🙂
The the raisins add a bit of natural sweetness, but feel free to add your own mix ins or spices. None of the flavors are too overwhelming, but this pudding makes a satisfying, filling treat for any season! You can even leave out the raisins and serve it as a base for a stir fry – the possibilities are near endless.
Thanks again for letting me guest post on Spoonful of Sugar Free! I love reading her fabulous posts and recipes, and I had a ton of fun coming up with this one. I hope that some of you will try it some time. In the mean time, feel free to hop over to my blog for some recipes, weekly eats, adventures and most important – discoveries.
Happy sugar-free cooking! ~Rachel
Thanks, Rachel! 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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