Category Archives: Dinner

Cheese Cauliflower

I am always a sucker for a good creamy side dish but love finding ways to enjoy it gluten free. I whip this one up really quick as a side to a store bought roast chicken. It would be a great Mac and Cheese alternative for a holiday side.

Ingredients:

1 Cauliflower Head cut up
1 Slice American cheese
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
1/3 Cup Parm Cheese
1 Tbs Half & Half
2 Tbs Bacon Bits (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil cauliflower till very soft. Stain well and mash with fork or potato masher. With heat on low add remaining ingredients. Cook until all liquid is gone and cheese is melted.

Serve Hot

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Brussel Sprouts

Its finally brussels sprout season and I am trying to come up with a good recipe of the holidays. This is an easy recipe for any holiday side dish. I had received a sample of Pecan Yummies sweet pecans that worked as a great topper for this one. They are gluten free and are a great snack even by them self. Check them out at http://www.pecanyummies.com. Great gift idea for any chef in the family.

Ingredients-

1 Pound Brussels Sprouts

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Lemon Pepper

1/3 Cups Pecan Yummies Candy Pecans

Cuts the ends off all the sprouts and slice in half. Place them all in a large sauce pan of boiling water. Add salt and stir. Cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain and return to pan. Toss in lemon pepper and the serve. Top each serving with a good sprinkle of crushed candy pecans.

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Dana Slaw

I have been asking my friend Dana to make a recipe for my blog. Her cooking always inspires me do do fun vegetarian stuff. I changed the recipe a bit to make it vegan. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I would be glad to bug Dana for more.

Ingredients:

Slaw –

Cabbage Grated (I used the store bag of slaw mix because it was on sale and EASY)

1 grated apple or pear (Optional)

1/3 Cup Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds

1/3 Cup Raisins

Dressing –

1 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs Almond Milk

1 TBS Honey or Maple Syrup

1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Marjoram Spice

Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients for slaw in one bowl. In a separate bowl mix all dressing ingredients and whisk together well. Pour dressing into slaw ad mix well. Serve as a fun side to a sandwich or soup.

Cooking a disaster deployment. I think this was our chili cook off! I miss those days 🙂

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Slow Cooker Pork Chops

I am never a big pork chop fan because they are so hard to make tender. This was so easy, great for any week day meal.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Pork Chops (I went with boneless)

Salt

Pepper

1 Tbs Paprika

1 Tsp garlic powder

Marinade –

1/4 Cup Red Wine

1/4 Orange Juice

2 Cups Water

4 Bay leaves

1/2 Tbs Rosemary

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I just coated the chops with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika on both sides. Placed them in a container and pours in all tee marinade ingredients. Just letting the rosemary and bay leaves float on top. Leave the whole thing in the fridge over night. In the morning, place it all in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Take each one out careful for dinner because they will break apart from being supper tender. Serve with apple butter, polenta (Ancient Harvest Quinoa Polenta version is the best http://www.quinoa.net) and a veggie.

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Enjoy!

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Super Easy Squash

I love all the squash that comes around in the fall but hate the time and mess it makes to prepare it. This recipe is super easy and can be kept around for a long time.

1 Butternut Squash (peeled, seeded and chopped)

1/8 Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Orange Juice

1/4 Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Put all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours. Use a potato masher to mash it down in the cooker. Cook an additional 2 hours on low. If you want to lose some water remove lid at the end and let it cook an additional 30 min.

I keep it in the fridge for a week and always find fun ways to use it!

 

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Five Alarm White “Chilly”

Its officially fall time and time to make some great chili. As always I need to make it a little different so this is my white version using a squash base instead of tomato. An easy slow cooker meal that is put together in the morning and have ready when you get home.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Ground Chicken Breast

1/2 Tomato Sauce

3 Cups Cubed Butter Nut Squash

1/2 Large Diced Onion

1 Green Pepper Diced

3 tspn Chili Powder

2 tspn Cinnamon

2 tspn Paprika

1 tspn Garlic powder

1 tspn Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1 Can Red Beans Rinsed and Drained

1 Can White Beans Rinsed and Drained

2 Tbs Brown Sugar

First thing is to sauté onion and pepper with some salt and pepper. Place the mix into slow cooked. Next, place meat in same pan and brown along with tomato sauce, garlic powder and a little more salt and pepper. Drain meat slightly and place in slow cook. Then, add cubed squash to hot pan and lightly cook for a few minutes and place in the slow cooker. Add both can of beans. Now its time to add the nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, paprika and sugar. Stir well and add broth. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for about 10 hours. You may want to remove slow cooker lid for last hour if you prefer your chili more thick and less liquid. I serve with some Greek yogurt on top but cheese and sour cream are always fun.

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Elote Recipe

Elote is a mexican corn on the cob dish that sweet, spicy and creamy. When my boyfriend is in the mood for something he will ask for it repeatedly until he gets it. It’s kinda funny because it is always something very random that he sees in passing. The other day while walking in the market he must have found someone selling it so as always he called and started chanting “Elote… Elote….. ELOTE.” With corn in season this is a great alternative to spice it up a notch.
Since Jay is the Mexican food expert I finally got him in the kitchen to make this one. Check out what he did and give it a try.

Ingredients:

2 Full corn on the cob still in husk
1 Tbs Mayo
Juice of half a lime
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Cotija if possible)
2 tsps chile powder
2 tsps cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Soak corn for about an hour in water. Then broil corn in husks until dark brown on outside. Rotate 1/2 turn after 7 mins then cook another 7 mins. If you don’t have a broiler feel free to cook the corn in the same way on the grill or in am oven at 500 degrees.

When corn is cooked remove from husk. In one bowl combine 1 tablespoon of Mayo with 1/2 lime squeezed. In another bowl mix together Cotija cheese (or Parmesan if you don’t have Cotija) , chile powder, cumin, ground red pepper. When your ready to serve, brush on mayo lime mixture. Then coat heavily with cheese spice mixture and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

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Italian Pasta Salad

I always inspired by the Italian Market to make something fun. I made this recipe for a family picnic and it was a hit.

1 Box Quinoa Pasta ( Works Best with Ancient Harvest Pagodas which are like little different color twists http://www.quinoa.net)
1/2 Cup Chopped Sun dried Tomato’s
1 Can Artichoke Hearts
1/4 Cup Slice Green Olives
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Juice of Half a Lemon
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Sugar
1 Tbs Dried Oregano

Cook pasta and make sure not to over cook, your looking for it to be firm. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool. Then, in a food processor place the oil, salt, sugar, lemon and oregano in the food processor and mix well. Pour dressing over pasta and mix in Artichoke, Tomato and Olives. Toss well and Serve.

* This can be prepared ahead of time but keep the pasta and dressing separate until ready to serve.

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Veggie Burger

I am always looking for fun stuff to do with Quinoan and since finding a gluten free veggie burger can be hard I figured I would give it a try. The combination of nutty quinoia and naturally sweet butternut squash makes this a fun fall dish.

1 Small Butter Nut Squash
1 Tbs Honey
1 Egg
2 Cup Quinoa cooked (Ancient Harvest Brand Original or Red http://www.quinoa.net/)
4 Tbs Chestnut Flour
1/2 Red Pepper chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tspn Nutmeg
1/2 tspn Onion Powder
1/2 Tbs Garlic Powder
1/2 paprika
1 Pinch Chile Flakes
4 Gluten Free Hamburger Buns ( As always Sweet Christens brand is my favorite http://www.onlinebakery.co/ )

Peel and cut squash in to cubes. Place into a small non-stick over safe dish with a tiny bit of water at the bottom. Roast at 500 degrees for about 30 minutes until cubes are soft. Remove and drain as much water as possible while you allow them to cool completely. Once cool, mash squash on a bowl and add cooked Quinoa, egg, honey and all spices. Stir well and then add flour. I use chestnut but any nut flour would do the trick. Combine all ingredients and place in the fridge over night to firm up. When ready to serve just form patties and cook on a pan. Serve with your favorite topping!

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Ancient Harvest

Quinoa has always been a favorite of mine. It super health benefits, unique nutty flavor and its unique ability to be used many different ways. I use it recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and both cold and hot.

A few weeks ago I was in the store looking for quick meal to make and I was craving mac and cheese. Until this day I had never found a gluten-free pasta I liked. Kt always cooks into a mush. The employ at the store explained that rice pasta often does that and I should try this quinoa version of mac and cheese in a box. I figured why not.

He was right! This stuff was amazing! The pasta cooked great and held its shape. The powder cheese is exactly hot I remember from when I was a kid. Even Jay liked it and he will never eat my store bought gluten free stuff. The next day I wrote the company to express my love for this product. Thankfully the company makes a ton of different stuff which I am working hard to try it all. From all kinds of gluten free pasta to polenta and even quinoa flour.

Is quinoa gluten free?

As a grain, quinoa is gluten free. Our Ancient Harvest Quinoa is grown exclusively in the high Andean Altiplano regions of Bolivia. Our quinoa is grown at 12,000+ foot elevations in very arid conditions which will not support traditional gluten bearing grain production, therefore insuring us no possibility of potential field contamination with such grains. Our Traditional, Inca Red and Black whole grain quinoa is then cleaned, processed and packed in our quinoa-only organic and gluten free facilities.

Are your products produced in gluten free facilities?

Our Ancient Harvest Quinoa, Quinoa Flour, Gluten Free Pasta Corn/Quinoa Product Line and Food Merchant Polenta are all processed in specialized gluten free facilities in the United States. This assures us of the highest quality integrity and frequent shorter production runs for fresher product delivered to our customers. Our Quinoa Flakes are now also processed in a gluten free facility.

Playing with this stuff is a blast. I will be posting everything I make but Next time you are at the store pick up a box and give it a try.

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