Monthly Archives: April 2013

Summer Squash Spaghetti

We try to have pasta night once a week. I am always looking for healthier alternatives to pasta that don’t take much time to put together. With my new mandolin I have been coming up with a lot of new fun inventions.

Ingredients:
2 Summer Squash
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup of Your Favorite Pasta Sauce

Using the mandolin grate each squash down the long way so that you get a bunch of long strips. Place the strips on top of each other and slice them all the long way to form thin ribbons. Place the squash in boiling water for 1 min and then drain well. Plate up and top with you favorite sauce. Enjoy!

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Cannoli Dip

I really enjoy catering events especially when the event has a gluten free focus. I was asked to host a gf birthday and I was excited to creat some fun recipes that I knew everyone would enjoy. The best part of a cannoli is the creamy sweet filling so I decided a fun way to make this classic gf and a easy crowd pleaser was to make it into a dish for dipping.

Ingredients:

2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
8 oz Mascapon Cheese
1/2 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Powder Sugar
1 Pinch of Salt

Combine all the cheese, vanilla and salt in bowl and mixing together. If you have a hand food insure or blender use it to help combine ingredients well. Add cheese mix back to bowl and slowly add powder sugar slowly while mixing by hand. Mixture will begin to firm up. Last add chocolate chips and mix it all together. Place in an air tight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The mix will firm up a lot more once cooled.

Serve with strawberries, gf cookies or rice cakes and gluten free lady fingers.

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Traditional Health Salad

Its a friday night and we decided to stay in, make dinner and watch a movie. Earlier todayI picked up some great local beef from a neat farm near work. I figured burgers would be a great meal. Jay was very excited and all he wanted with it was health salad. The same stuff you get at a good Jewish Deli. I had never dome it before but he found me a recipe and ran to the store. It came out so good I ran to my computer to type up the recipe.

Ingredient:

1 Green Cabbage Shredded
2 Carrot Sliced in to Thin Rounds
2 Cucumbers Sliced in to Thin Rounds
2 Green Peppers Chopped
1/2 Cup Vinegar (apple cider, sugar cane or white wine)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tbs Oregano
2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt

I used a micro-planer to cut all my veggies as described and placed in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients a mix Very Well by hand. As you mix the veggies will begin the break down and soften making easier to mix. Service as a great side dish to any meal and refrigerate the leftovers.

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Thai Peanut Salad

Fun new salads is what spring is all about. I love putting a fun spin on basic coleslaw recipes and this one is great.

Ingredients:

1/2 Head Red Cabbage Shredded
1/4 Cup Crush Peanuts Plus 1 Tbs for Garnish
5 Green Onions Chopped
3 Carrots Grated
1 Cup Frozen Peas Defrosted
1 Cup Cilantro Chopped
1 Tbs GF Soy Sauce
Juice of 1 Lime
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 Pinch Salt
1 tsp Sugar

Combine cabbage, nuts, green onions, carrot, cilantro and peas in a large bowl. In additional bowl combine peanut butter, salt, sugar, soy sauce and lime juice to form dressing. Whisk dressing well and pour over salad ingredients. Toss everything together and serve with addition nuts on top for garnish.

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Peanut Butter Mousse

I am sorry but this recipe is addicting. Luckily I found a way to slim it down so you can enjoy it with out the guilt. Its fluffy, sweet and the peanut butter flavor make it a dream come true.

1 1/2 plus 1 Tbs Cups Skim Milk
1 Packet Sugar Free and Fat Free Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 Container Lite Cool Whip Defrosted
3 Tbs Peanut Butter

Start by combining peanut butter in a small bowl with 1 Tbs Min and mix well to soften. In a large mixing bowl combine milk and pudding mix whisking together. Once combined add peanut butter and continue to mix well, until pudding comes together and firms up. Now fold in Cool Whip one cup at a time. Place everything in the fridge and allow to cool. Enjoy!

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Pistachio Ambrosia Salad

This recipe is to good to be fat free and low in sugar. I know I had something like this before but never tried to make it. I love pudding so anything the can kick it up a step is worth it. This wonderful green color would be great for a St. Patty Day Treat or Easter Dessert. You could also use a vanilla or butter scotch pudding with some food color to change it for any holiday. Orange pudding and chocolate chips could be fun for Halloween. Have fun with this one and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 20 Oz Can Crushed Pineapple in Light Syrup

1 20 Oz Can Pineapple Chucks in Light Syrup

1 Box Sugar Free, Fat Free Jell-O Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix

1 Cup Mini Marshmallow

1 Cup Softened Fat Free Cool-Whip

ΒΌ Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Place canned fruit in a large bowl and drain most of the liquid away. Add pudding and mix well for a minute. Now add marshmallows and Cool-Whip and continue to fold together. Add the coconut and mix it all to combine. Place in the fridge and allow to firm up for an hour. Serve cold with a little extra coconut to garnish.

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Injera

Don’t let them name throw you. Injera is the best kept gluten free secret. It is a yeast risen flat bread made normally made from teff flour. It is very common in Ethiopian food but its versatility could be a game changer to anyone trying to eat wheat free. It can be used as a wrap for anything sweet or savory. Or use it to dip into sauce of anykind.

Normally people use teff flour for the recipe. I used buckwheat because it cheaper and easer to find. It is also one of the flours that is super healthy and packed with protein. Don’t let the name fool you, buckwheat is gluten free.

Ingredients –

1/3 LB Buckwheat flour (About 1 1/2 Cups)

1/2 tsp Yeast

1 1/2 Cup Warm Water

Seasoning (I used onion powder, garlic powder, paprika powder and salt but you can really use your imagination on this one)

Start by mixing yeast and water in a large bowl. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Then add flour and mix well. Your looking for a thick pancake batter consistency. Now cover well and allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour.

Once it has sat add any seasoning you want. Now you may need to add a little more water in order for my mixture to be think enough to spread or pour. Pre-heat the over to 400 degrees. Spray a large backing dish well. Now pour or spoon two a very thin round flat breads on the sheet. The round should be 5-6 inches across. Bake for about 2 minutes. Remove from over and gently place each one a cooling rack. Now repeat the whole think until you use all the batter. Make sure to spray the pan well each time to make sure they don’t stick. To serve, roll each wrap and place on a plate.

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Easy BBQ Chicken

BBQ chicken can truly be made in doors any time of the year with this simple recipe. So easy you will be using this one all the time.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast
1/4 BBQ Sauce
1/4 Water
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Paprika

Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and paprika. Brown the chicken breast in a hot pan on both sides. In a bowl mix together BBQ sauce and water. Add sauce to pan, cover for ten minutes and cook low and slow. Then remove, cover and reduce sauce. Serve with rice or potato.

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Chinese Lemon Chicken

Lemon chicken is a wonderful combination of flavors. The sweet, sour, salty flavor pairs very well with many types of poultry. Chicken is my favorite but you can get creative and us whatever you would like.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast Pounded and Cubed
1/2 Cup Sliced Mushroom
1/8 Cup Corn Starch
1 Juice Lemon
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Water or Wine

Start by coated chicken with corn starch. In a pan add lemon, water, salt, pepper, onion powder, soy sauce, five spice, sugar and whisk together bringing to simmer . Add chicken and mushrooms and cook covered at simmer for about ten minutes. Remove cover a reduce sauce to desired constancy. Serve with rice and enjoy.

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Chipotle Chicken

I am always looking for new and fun ways to kick chicken breast up to a new level. Something about chipotle is smokey and spicy and more unique then any pepper. This recipe is fool proof and a great crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Can Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce
1/2 Cup Crushed Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Chicken Breast Pounded and Cut in Chunks
1tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Start by browning onion in a pan with either oil or spray. Next in a bowl season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic and then add to pan to brown. In the bowl break up peppers and mix in adobe sauce and crushed tomatoes. Add sauce to chicken, cover pot and cook on low for about ten minutes. Serve over potato or rice. Enjoy!

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