Grilled Pepper Salad

It’s easy to make a main dish like any meat on the BBQ but coming up with sides that are more creative can be a challenge. This wonderful pepper dish is slightly sweet with a touch of vinegar and will pair well with BBQ chicken, steak or fish.

Ingredients:

3 Red Bell Pepper
1 Small Sweet Onion
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Chopped
1 Tablespoon Balsamic
1 Tablespoon Honey

Start by grilling the peppers and onion over a high heat grill. Turn all of it every few minutes until all sides are black. Once everything is done, remove and let cool. Next, peel the skin, stem and seeds of the peppers. Cut the peppers into long strips and place in a big bowl. Then remove the outer layer of the onion, cut onion into thin slices and add that to the bowl. Finally, add basil, balsamic and honey to bowl then mix well by hand. Serve warm or cold.

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Ice Green Tea

Green tea has so many health benefits. It is one of my favorite pick me up when I do not want coffee. This ice version very different then a traditional Ice tea.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (Find it online or an Asian grocery store)
12 oz warm water
1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup ice

I usually make this in a mason jar since its microwaveable, large enough for a big iced drink and with a lid you can shake to mix everything really well.

Start by placing honey in the jar and microwaving for 15 seconds. This will melt the honey so that it’s easier to mix. Next, add the green tea power and stir slightly. Finally, add 12oz warm water and stir or shake well. Finish with the ice and enjoy.

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Mushroom Salad

I work in Kennett Sq., Pennsylvania, known as the mushroom capital of the world. I have access to all types of fresh mushrooms that are super affordable. This recipe is a nice summer mushroom recipe that goes great with a barbecue.

Ingredients:

1 container mushrooms (button or portobello)
1 tablespoon oil or coconut butter or butter
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Orange
4 cups arugula

Start by cleaning and slicing all the mushrooms. Next, heat the pan with oil or butter and add mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms over medium heat until they start to brown. Next, add pepper, red wine vinegar and the zest of the orange to the mushrooms. Continue cooking a few minutes and then add the juice of the full oranges. Cook for another min or two until juice begins to reduce and then remove from heat. Please the arugula in a large bowl. Once your ready to serve and mushrooms have cooled, add mushrooms to arugula and mix well. Serve as soon as possible.

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Book News

Book sales have been great. Interacting with people during different promotional events has made it all worth it. Many people buy the book for loved ones who suffer from Celiac to seize or themselves to learn how to cook new and fun things.

This weekend I’m honored to have another book signing at the famous Fante’s Kitchen Shop in Philadelphia’s Italian Market. I will be following in the footsteps of some of the most famous Chef’s.  It  will be a great weekend to visit the area since it is also the annual Philadelphia Italian Market Festival where people travel from all over to visit the historic market. Stop by to say hi and grab a copy of the book.

Event Info

Location:

Fante’s Kitchen Shop

 1006 S 9th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

 (800) 44-FANTE

 

In other news, I was recently had a radio interviewed about the book and my story. Check out the link below. My part  is at the very end.

Radio Show

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Grain Free Carrot Flat Bread

I am always looking for replacements of common starchy items like breads, pizza crust or pancakes. This recipe can be used for all three. I used it as a flat bread and made an almond butter sandwich. This recipe is paleo friendly with no added sugar or grain.

Ingredients:
1 Jumbo Carrot (or two medium)
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Tapioca Flour

Start by cutting the carrot up into large chunks and steaming. Allow the carrot to cool and dry for about an hour. Next, place the carrot, egg and tapioca in to food processor. Blend ingredients until smooth. Next, oil and heat an 8 inch skillet. Then pour the whole mixture in and spread out evenly. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Once the bottom is brown, flip and cook the other side for about an addition two minutes. Remove from hot pan and allow to cool.

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Grilled Eggplant Salad

With the weather warming up its becoming easy to find fresh herbs everywhere. This eggplant salad is a great side dish for a BBQ. A simple combination of grilled eggplant, fresh herbs, a touch of honey and citrus.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/3 cup salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of half a lemon
8 fresh basil leaves chopped

Start by cutting the egg plant into large rounds. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and coat both sides of each round with salt. Let the eggplant sit with salt for an hour. This will remove some of the water and bitter taste. After the hour rinse the salt off the eggplant in the sink very well. Now, coat the rounds with the olive oil and place them on the grill. Grill each side about 3 minutes. You want the eggplant to be soft and have nice grill marks. Remove the eggplant from the grill and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Next, cut the rounds into cubes and place them into a large bowl. Finally, add the remaining ingredients including salt, honey, lemon and basil. I suggest heating the honey in the microwave for a few seconds to help soften it up if needed. Mix everything together and serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

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Carrots for Breakfast

One of the most common brunch side dishes is potatoes like hash-browns or some type of starchy breakfast potatoes. This recipe uses carrots to replace a common potato dish.

Ingredients:
2 jumbo carrots (or 5 medium)
1 tsp salt
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 water

Start by dicing up the carrots into small squares. Heat a large pan with the olive oil. Once hot slowly add in the diced carrots. Cook the carrots over medium high until they start to caramelize on the outside. After a few minutes when the carrots start to stick to the pan pour in the water. The steam from the water will soften the inside of the carrots. Once the water evaporates after about a minute or two place the carrots in a well sprayed or oiled baking dish. Place in a 450° oven for 10 minutes. This will make them nice and crispy. Serve hot with eggs and enjoy.

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Paleo Flat Bread

I am trying hard lately to stick to a Paleo diet as much as possible. Sometimes you just crave bread so I needed a paleo recipe. This recipe worked out pretty well and it was easy.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup almond flour
1 Cup tapioca flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 almond milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used a fancy sea salt)

Start by mixing together almond flour tapioca flour and baking soda in a large bowl. Then add the milk, egg and half the salt. Mix together well and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Pour the batter into a well sprayed 3 x 8 baking dish. The bread does not rise much so the sides of the pan do not need to be high. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of the salt. Feel free to add any other flavors like garlic powder, rosemary anything you would like. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°. Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Pot roast is a big deal in my family. Everybody has their own recipe but I want to come up with something a little different. It’s common in my family to add bottle wine to the gravy and some flour to thicken it up. I wanted to make a recipe for the slow cooker that was also Paleo and whole 30 friendly. The biggest changes I made was using vegetables to sweeten the gravy and also thicken the sauce at the end.

Ingredients:
3 meat (Chuck roast is a good cut for this)
1 onion sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic sliced in half
15 oz chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots cut into rounds
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder

Start by heating a large pan with olive oil. Once the oil is hot and onions and garlic. Sauté the onions and garlic until they begin to become translucent around 3 to 4 minutes. Next season the meat with the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Place the meat in the pan to brown each side. That should only take about a minute, you’re only searing the outside not cooking the meat. When the meat is finished remove and let it rest on a cutting board. To the onions and garlic in the pan add chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Bring the liquid to a boil making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you cook. While the liquid is cooking down you can start to prepare the slow cooker. Place the cut up carrots at the bottom of the slow cooker. Then put the meat on top of the carrots. Finally pour all the liquid with onions and garlic that’s in the pan on top of the meet. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours. Sliced thin and serve.

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Book Signing at Cardenas Taproom

The book release has been an amazing experience. Hearing feedback from readers has been wonderful. The book was fun to write but interacting with those that use the recipes I created is the best part! Thank you again to everyone that has supported me this far.

Last weekend the signing at CHOP Hospital’s Celiac Event went great. This weekend I am hosting another signing in the Italian Market. It will be at Cardenas Taproom in the heart of the market . This a great location with tons of fun products to sample. Soft and hard cover books will be available for sale. I am will be sampling one recipe for the book using some of the great ingredients Cardenas Taproom offers.

Event Details:

Saturday – March 24, 2015   

Time – 11am – 2:00pm 

Location:

Cardenas Taproom 
942 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
267.928.3690

www.cardenastaproom.com

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