Gluten & Dairy Free Manicotti a Must Have Delight for Christmas

Not only do I have a great recipe to share, but it comes with some fantastic news:

You can eat delicious and decadent food throughout the holiday season and come out the other side NOT feeling sick, bloated, or that you’ve compromised your health.

Don’t believe me? Try my recipe for gluten-free, dairy-free manicotti.

Yes! a Gluten Free & Dairy Free Version of Italian manicotti!

The nut-based cheese provides richness made from healthy fats not dairy which can cause stomach upset, bloating, and inflammation.

The tomato-based sauce is filled with lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes that may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and heart disease. 

The herbs typically found in Italian seasoning: parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, are antimicrobial and anti-bacterial while the phytochemical eugenol, found in the extra dose of basil, provides anti-inflammatory benefits which can lower blood pressure – perfect for family gatherings.

The spinach adds fiber which is great for your gut microbiome and digestion.  It is also a good source of folate (B9), so important to cell growth and function, and Vitamin K, crucial to bone health.

Be sure to check the ingredients when choosing a gluten-free wrap. One of my favorite brands is NUCO. The only ingredient is coconut; coconut meat, water and oil. No unhealthy additives and no form of flour that could spike blood sugar.

You have worked so hard to establish healthy habits. Don’t let the season of sugar and spice and everything NOT nice set you back.

This Gluten & Dairy Free Manicotti recipe along with those in my Holiday Plant-Based Keto offer will help you stick to your hard-earned health goals while feeling healthy and satisfied, not deprived of your favorite celebratory foods.
Put your health first and welcome the new year feeling amazing, not depleted.

Yes it’s absolutely possible with the right food and recipes.

Manicotti

Ingredients: 

• Coconut wraps, cut in fourths 
• Cashew Macadamia nut cheese (below) 
• Tomato Sauce (below) 
• Handful spinach 
• A little lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Roll coconut wrap around cannoli mold and use a little cheese to make it stick, then set aside. If desired, can roll the manicotti ingredients down middle of coconut wrap and roll, using a little cheese to keep in place. 
2. Spread Tomato Sauce in bottom of square glass pan. 
3. Put spinach in bowl with lemon juice and massage with hands to soften. 
4. Add softened spinach to bowl of Cashew Macadamia Nut Cheese and mix. 
5. Fill coconut wrap tube from both ends with cheese and spinach mixture. (Or roll mixture inside of coconut wrap.)
6.  Place tube on top of tomato sauce. Repeat with all the tubes. 
7. Drizzle Tomato Sauce over the tubes. 
8. Dehydrate for a couple of hours or place in convection oven at 110 degrees F.

Cashew Macadamia Nut Cheese

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup cashews 
• 1 cup macadamia nuts 
• 1 cup water 
• ¼ cup lemon juice 
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt

Directions: 

1. Blend cashews, macadamia nuts, and water in Vitamix. 
2. Add lemon juice and salt. 
3. Blend in Vitamix.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: 

• 7-8 Roma tomatoes, cut into pieces 
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder 
• 1-2 tablespoons basil 
• Pinch oregano 
• Pinch Himalayan salt
•  ¼ teaspoon kelp 
• 1 tablespoon tomato powder

Directions: 

1. Put Roma tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic,1 tablespoon basil, pinch oregano, pinch salt, ¼ teaspoon kelp in food processor, leaving some texture. 
2. Add 1 tablespoon tomato powder and process. 
3. Taste. Add more garlic powder, basil, and salt if desired and process.