Tag Archives: gluten free

Leeks

Summer produce is amazing. A few months with access to inexpensive unique veggies. Leeks can be grilled, baked, broiled or cooked on a stove top. They are similar in flavor to a mild onion and texture of an endive.
For this recipe I choose to braise the leeks.

Ingredients :
3 Leeks
2 Tbls. Butter ( I use a light version but a vegan option would work just fine)
1/3 Cup White Wine
1 tsp Thyme
1/4 Cup chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

The first step is to cut the top green part of the leeks and the bottom part of the root off. This should leave with a 9 inch stalk. Give it a good rinse and slice in half. In a skillet melt butter until it bubbles. Salt and pepper the leeks and both sides and place them in butter cut side down. Give the leeks a few minutes to brown. Add wine and thyme and place lid on pan, cooking over medium heat for about ten minutes. Remove lid, sprinkle on parsley and continue to cook for a few minutes until liquid reduces. Enjoy!

If you have an leftovers, leeks go great in egg, pasta, soup or even as a pizza topping.

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Quinoa for Breakfast

I am always looking for new and quick breakfast ideas and trying to come up with something different that is low in fat, high in protein and fiber. I love quinoa for any meal but have never given it a try in morning. As the one “grain” with the highest protein I figured it makes sense to give it a try for breakfast. Unlike oatmeal, quinoa needs little added sugar or cream. The texture of the partials does not absorb all the moisture and sweetness during the cooking process like oatmeal often will. Try this in the morning and see what you think.

3 Tbsp. dried quinoa (Any color is fine, I used yellow but red is even better)

¾ Cup Water

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 Banana

½ tsp. honey

In a small dry pot, pour in dry quinoa and heat over low flame to toast. This will allow you to create a really nice flavor before adding any liquid to the pot. Move grains around and toast until a light brown color forms on the bottom grains. Next add the water bring to boil, stir and cover. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pick up the lid and stir, add cinnamon and allow quinoa to continue to cook with lid on for another 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove lid, and continue to cook on low until water is almost gone. Add crushed banana and mix well. Water amount in this recipe varies depending on the humanity in the air the type of pot you are using. Your goal is for the mixture is not to be bone dry but not to have any liquid remaining in the bottom of the pot when you stir. Once the quinoa and fruit have cooked for about 2 minutes remove from heat and serve with honey on top. Enjoy!

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The first show of many!!!

I still can’t believe this is all happening so fast. I am excited to show everyone what I am all about. I have always been a fan of the Olympics so I wanted to be festive and make a healthy Olympic meal that is great on a hot summer day watching USA win some gold!!!!

Gold Medal Salmon Burger

1 ½ – 2 Pounds of Clean and Chopped Salmon Meat

One egg white

¼ Cup fresh Parsley

¼ Cup green onion chopped fine

3 – 4 Tablespoons corn meal

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 lemon

Broil height each side 8 min

Yogurt Sauce:

Mix ingredients below in separate bowl and reserve for serving.

1 cup plain yogurt (Greek Yogurt works best)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salmon meat can come from salmon filets, steaks or even salmon belts which are usually the scraps sold at the fish market. Make sure the meat is clean, skin and bone free, and cut into chunks. Place 1/3 of the chunks in the food processor and blend. This will help give the burgers the ability to bind. Combine all the salmon and add the egg, parsley, green onion, salt, pepper and corn meal. Once meat mixture is well combined form about four patties and place on sheet tray of baking pan. Broil on high for about 8 min on each side. (Note – this can be also done on a stove top of grill but handle carefully to avoid them from breaking apart.)

Serve burgers on bun (find my gluten free favorite at http://www.sweetchristinesglutenfree.com) with lettuce, tomato and my yogurt sauce.

Watermelon Salad

4 Cups cubed seedless watermelon
2-3 hot peppers (optional)
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped mint
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh feta cheese

In a bowl whisk together lime juice, vinegar, chopped pepper (seeded), salt and pepper. Pour moisture over watermelon. Then, add the mint and mix. Salad is topped with feta when serving. If the cheese sits in the dressing too long it will break apart and dissolve. Salad holds well in the fridge. Add feta cheese

Red, White and Blue Sangria

1 bottles of white wine ( I prefer Francis Coppola Winery Rosso & Bianco Pinot Grigio)

2 Cups ginger ale or lemon lime soda

1/2 – 1 cup of vodka

2 Cups mixed berries (strawberries sliced , raspberries, blueberries all work great)

First put the vodka in freezer and wine in fridge and get it cold. Clean berries and place in big glass pitcher. Pour vodka over fruit and allow it to marinate and cool in fridge for 6-8 hours. Mix in wine and soda and let it chill in fridge for an additional 2 hours. Serve over ice or frozen berries.

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Carrot Halvah

My love for carrots with never end, I have been addicted since I was little. I make juice, bread, cake and even pasta with them. I have even been told that I have turned slightly orange form the large amount of carrots I can eat in a week. I was introduced to this desert at a great Indian wedding. Its could be compared to a carrot pudding.

Ingredients:

2 lbs Carrots
2 Tbsp oil of any kind
2 Tbsp light butter (earth balance if vegan)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup Splenda
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup yellow raisin
4 Tbsp walnut meal or any crushed nuts you have around
1/2 Tbsp corn starch

The first step is to grate carrots fine. This can be done with a hand grater or simply in a food processor. Place carrots in pan with oil and sauté on low until carrots begin to become translucent. Adding the butter a few minutes into cooking. It’s important to watch them and not to let the carrots brown. Next, add the almond milk, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, corn starch and salt. Allow the mixture to simmer low for at least 30 minutes string occasionally. The mixture will begin very liquid but the goal is to have it reach a rice pudding like consistency. After 30 minutes add half the walnut meal, all the raisins and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until desired consistency is reached. When complete, allow to cool and serve with remaining walnut meal.

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Walnut Bread

This is a good one. I have been trying hard to come up with a good cake / bread recipe that had no flour. This one works great and seemed to work out like magic. I must warn you that this recipe takes a lot of love and a lot of whipping.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups walnut flour
4 eggs (whites and yokes separated)
1 cups sugar ( you could use less or use a smaller amount of Splenda)
2 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon optional

The first step is whisk egg yokes until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar to yokes and continue to whip. Next, whisk egg whites until it forms big peaks. Then, go back to the yokes and add walnut meal slowly. Mix well and slowly add egg whites. Add baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk batter carefully and try to maintain a light fluffy batter. Pour into a well oiled loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Make sure cake is brown and slightly firm before removing from oven. Let it cool well before removing. Enjoy!

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Roasted Persimmons

I love using seasonal food that I find in the market. Once summer rolls around the colors of the new stuff is always eye catching. Persimmons are a great side to any dish. They look like an orange tomato but when cooked, tastes like a sweet potato. This recipe is super simple a great one for kids.

I must admit I took this recipe from my boyfriend. He is an amazing cook but does not cook very often. Any dish he makes is always something to remember.

Ingredients:

3 Persimmons (cut into 1/8th chunks)

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Place on a foiled pan and roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until chunks begin to become golden brown.

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Elvis Morning Smoothy

Life has been so crazy and with the heat I needed a fun quick breakfast. Smoothies are something I have always had fun playing with but never have posted about.
The trick is to keep fruit frozen and be creative. Frozen bananas, berries, mango and melon work great. The frozen fruit allows you to make a cold drink with no ice. Using ice changes the consistency and melts quickly. Prepare fruit before freezing. Peel and slice mango, peel bananas and wrap in foil, wash berries etc.

Ingredients:
One cup almond milk (less if you want a thinker shake)
One frozen banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp sugar free chocolate syrup
1 tsp Splenda or any sweetener (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Start on a low setting until banana begins to break up and then turn to high for a minute or two. Pour into a nice tall glass and enjoy!!!

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Moussaka

Between my mom and Jay I have seen many forms of Moussaka, it is the number one item they order when we eat at a greek restaurant. The best way I can explain it is as a Mediterranean lasagna. I never really tried it until recently and was shocked by what I had been missing. The blend of spices like cinnamon with beef and the creamy sauce was just a wonderful combination. I needed to replicate it both gluten free and a little more guilt free then the normal restaurant version. I promise it won’t disappoint!!!

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 medium potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound lean ground meet ( beef, turkey, chicken or lamb)
1/4 cup red wine
1/3 chopped white onion
1/4 almond milk
4 oz of low fat cream cheese
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated parm cheese

The first step is to microwave the potatoes whole for 3-4 minutes. The goal is to begin the potato cooking process but not to make them to soft. Allow the potatoes to cool completely and slice thin ( the thinner the better). Next, slice the eggplant into think rounds, again the thinner the better. Coat the rounds with a heavy dusting of salt and allow it to sit on a baking sheet for a bit, until you begin to see the eggplant start to release some water (could take about 15mins.) While the eggplant is sitting begin to make the meat mixture.
Begin by browning the meat with chopped onion. Drain the liquid and add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, nutmeg, 2 tsp cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper to taste.
To make sauce simply combine milk, cream cheese, pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Microwave for 10-15 seconds and mix well until smooth. Set aside.
Now it’s time to assemble the mosuka. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Place a layer of half the eggplant on the bottom. Above the bottom layer place half the potato rounds. Then a layer of half the meat and top meat with all the parm cheese. Repeat the layers of eggplant, potato and meat. Top the whole dish with an even layer of cream cheese sauce. Cook on 350 degrees for 25 minutes cover with foil. After 25 min remove foil and broil on low for an additional 5 minutes until the top layer begins to brown.

Makes about 6 servings. Pair very well with a fresh Greek salad.

Enjoy!!!

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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread is one of my boyfriends’ favorites! I was getting so tired of buying it for him in the morning and never getting to share it because it is not gluten free. It took a little work but I came up with a great recipe. It’s a blend of flours, vegetables and fruit that together make a super healthy product.

Zucchini Bread:

1/4 cup White Rice Flour
1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/4 cup Chickpea Flour
1/2 cup Oatmeal
1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 medium zucchini (skin removed and shredded )
1 cup almond milk
1 tbs corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbs honey
2 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs nutmeg
1 tbs baking powder

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (all three flours, oatmeal, corn starch, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices) and mix well. In a separate bowl combine egg, applesauce, zucchini and almond milk. Whisk wet ingredients. Next, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Pour mix into a loaf pan and bake for about 30 min on 350 degrees.

Serve warm with butter 🙂

As good as my healthy version is, it will never be as good Aunt Mona’s recipe. If she could only make it gluten free 😉

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