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I’m ready! So hot all summer! Usually I say “in Miami”. But it was so hot everywhere! I started craving butternut squash about a week ago and I wanted to make this amazing looking vegan pasta dish with handmade gluten free pasta stuffed with cashew based “cheese” and squash (sounds amazing, right?!) But my meat & gluten loving husband didn’t like the idea…

So! Quinoa with pomegranate and butternut squash! Served with cáprese sandwiches!

Here we go! Turn on your tunes and let’s do this!

1 cup quinoa, prepared (1 cup water, salt- dash, 1 T olive oil, boil & add 1 c quinoa)

1 clove garlic

3T olive oil

3T Apple cider vinegar

2T agave syrup

1 cup chopped butternut squash, chopped into cubes, seasoned with thyme, curry & salt and cooked for 15 mins 400 degrees

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

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I’m an emeals fan! Total groupy. I use it weekly to glean ideas for dinner for my adventurous eaters! They love burritos, but I never make them because of the gluten free requirement, but last week I saw this great product and decided to give it a go. The results were amazing!!

What you need for a family of 6 with school lunch leftovers (8 burritos).

Salsa

The wraps (8) warmed on griddle

3/4cup jasmine organic rice

1 1/4 cup quinoa

2 1/4 c water

2 cups “Mexican cheese blend”

Iceberg lettuce shredded

2 avocado sliced

2 cans organic black beans

Cilantro

Jalapeño pepper

Red pepper flakes

Salt

1/4 red onion

Garlic 1 clove

Ok- start boiling the water and mix in salt, olive oil and rice and quinoa together. Boil 30 sec and then simmer for 20 mins

In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, red pepper flakes and then add black beans and pulse lightly so it still has some chunky beans.

Scrape into bowl or saucepan and either microwave 3 mins or heat in stovetop depending on your preference!

Ok! It’s assembly time! Turn on the music!

Line up your wraps.

Pile on rice & quinoa, cheese, lettuce, avocado and bean mix

Tuck sides and roll.

Slice in half and serve with salsa! I used a pineapple salsa (yummmmmy) but any will do!

Enjoy

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I’m on a mission to reduce my dairy intake. The struggle is real – 2-5 cappuccinos each day made with whole milk, yogurt, cheese sticks, nightly Breyer’s vanilla ice cream and vegetarian dishes rich with cheese.  I’m cooking for 6 and 3 of them are growing, little athletes and need calories. How can you amp up the calories & protein with a health conscious plant based diet? It’s tough!

I subscribe to “emeals” that I found through amazon and it gives me some great dinner ideas that are easy and fit my family’s dietary needs. Tonight I’m making a modification of their stuffed zucchini. This isn’t vegan, but could easily be so with just a change from the Parmesan to vegan  Parmesan. I served the dish with quinoa mixed with corn and black beans and topped with a dressing prepared with olive oil, agave, lime, apple cider vinegar and crushed red pepper.

Ingredients – 6 large servings

6 zucchini

1 cup chopped mushroom

2 onions

2 T chopped garlic

1 can chopped tomato, drained of extra fluid

2T chipotle sauce

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 cup parmesan, divided

1 cup chopped walnuts

Olive oil

salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 425

Halve zucchini & scoop out to create a zucchini canoe. Cut end off. I used a grapefruit spoon and it was fast work this way.

Saute with oil, onion, garlic and mushroom. Add chipotle and seasoning. Add drained tomatoe and zucchini. Sauté until tender. Drain extra fluid.

Mix in 1/2 of cheese and bread crumbs.

Fill your canoes heaping to the top.

Cover, generously, with walnuts and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

bake on top rack for 40 mins

enjoy

 

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This one is good. Really good. Everyone had 2 servings, except my hubby who thinks his belly “is growing” (and then he had ice cream). I do, however, support calorie prioritization, and not having ice cream makes me sad, so I get it.

This recipe is simple.

This is everything you need. Plus you can sub in and out the veggies you have available. I cook for 6 with plans for school lunches for 3 the next day, so please half the recipe if you are cooking for a more manageable household (also maybe you don’t need wine with dinner? Don’t know… but sometimes this house gets a little crazy) .

Ingredients

Powdered chipotle – dash

Green curry paste – 4 heaping spoonfuls

Olive oil

Curry powder- to taste

Salt and pepper

Cilantro -1/4cup chopped

Tomatoes 1 cup chopped- I used heirloom cherry tomatoes halved/quartered

1 ear corn

2 cans organic chick peas

1 can coconut milk

1 red onion

2t minced garlic

Ginger fresh 1t

2 heads cauliflower

Sundried tomatoes

Rice (I used brown)

Let’s Do This!

Get the rice going… it takes the longest.

In a large saucepan put in oil and curry Paste. Mix on medium heat and once mixed add onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, chipotle & curry

Yum. Smells awesome already.

Add veggies (corn – I slice the corn off the husk right into the pan)and cook until tenderAdd beans, additional spices to taste

Add coconut milk

Simmer until the rice is done!

Add cilantro & tomatoes

Yep. That’s gonna be good!

Serve with rice and lime slices.

Enjoy!

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Monday. I’m beat. When are the weekend activities going to abate? I open the fridge and it’s a disaster. There are stacks of Tupperware containers of varying ages and stages of decay. My 16 year old son just crams his leftover plates – uncovered… still on the plate- wherever he can fit them in the fridge, and my 12 year old wants lasagna. Lasagna.

I hate throwing away veggies, so after cleaning out the fridge and restoring order, I have some decent ingredients left and I’m using them!

Sauce

1 onion finely chopped

1 T chopped garlic

Sauté.

Add rosemary, oregano, rosemary, salt, red pepper

2 finely chopped zucchini (if your kids are picky, shred it so it’s not identifiable)

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

Sauté mas 

2 T chipotle

1/2 can pumpkin pack

1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes

Filling

Ricotta 10oz

4 oz mozzarella

1t nutmeg

2 eggs

Yep- leftover ricotta from quiche last Friday. Same for the mozzarella. I see an Amazon fresh order in my near future because this fridge is empty!

Noodles

2 cups of gluten free flour mix- I used Pamela’s 

1 egg mixed with water to total 225 ml

Layer

Bake at 350 for 45 mins

I topped with olives.. had 1/2 a jar of those too

Eat

The pumpkin adds a smooth richness to he sauce that just blends perfectly with the subtle spice of the chipotle. 

This turned out just right and my fridge is clean too!

Happy Monday

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Pasta is just the most versatile dish. The problem is if you can’t eat wheat… then you are stuck with the limited selection of gluten free pasta products. Store bought gluten free lasagna is just not comparable to the “real deal” and I just don’t like to serve it to my family.  Homemade gluten free pasta is shockingly simple to make…. and fast. Really fast. 

So, here is one of my favorite prep time under 30 min dinners. 

Start with the following

2 eggs

12 oz chopped spinach

1/4 cup pine nuts

8oz ricotta

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

1/4 t nutmeg

1 t Italian seasonings 

Mix together. Add cheese. It’s pasta time!

• I followed the basic instructions on the machine. The only difference is that I use gluten free flour and a tsp of  xanthum gum. 
• Add the quantity of water plus 20%
• Flatten the pasta rolls as they come out. They crack once dry 
• Smear each one with mixture and roll
• Tonight I used store bought pasta sauce. Either yours or the stores? Pour in enough to coat bottom of greased pan. Place in rolls and cover with sauce and top with cheese
• Bake 350 for 45 mins
• Go for a run. You’ve got time!

fast, delicious, gluten free. Happy belly, happy family, happy heart.

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I’ve been dying to make homemade gluten free pasta. I haven’t had fettuccini since being diagnosed with Celiac 6 years ago. I’ve been reading online for the last few months about how to make gluten free pasta… people are rolling, slicing and slaving to make a batch of gluten free pasta. Uff… that is not going to work with my dinner making schedule, and 6 people to feed. I came across several people making lovely, delicious gluten free pasta with no mess using  the Philips smart pasta maker, so when it came on sale, AND I found a coupon… it was in my cart!!

Tonight was the night! My 11 year old and I got out the instructions and decided to give it a go!

Gluten Free Fettucini Alfredo

Alfredo sauce for family of 6 (after swim practice.. half it if you are normal people)

1/2 cup butter, melted over med heat

1T gluten free flour, whisk in once melted

16 oz cream, whisk in and stir until thickened 

Add 1 t chopped/crushed garlic

1 T parsley 

1 cup Parmesan cheese, stir until smooth

Keep warm until ready to serve

Pasta!!!!! Yeah!!!! Change to fettucini shape. 

Place 2 cups of gluten free flour (I used Pamelas Artisan Blend All Purpose Flour)

2 t xanthum gum

Turn on machine!!! Egg pasta setting

It tells me to add 190 ml

I mix: 2 med eggs, water to equal 230 ml

Begin kneading, slowly add fluid

Wait for it… wait for it..

Yes yes yes!!!! Cut the pasta to your preferred length.

I repeated above for 2 batches and had enough for school lunches!

Place in boiling salted water for 6 mins

Serve and toss with Alfredo sauce and top with Parmesan!

That is it! That’s all! It was so easy! So delicious!! 

Thanks Philips!!! Love my toy!!

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You want easy, nutritious and fast? Well, here you go! This was crazy delicious and  I served it with some fresh tomato sauce! Yum. 

I decided to swim today and got home late… I had made pizza dough for the kids dinner before heading tot the pool.. but that has gluten, so I still needed something for me! NOT in the mood for salad and I have been craving a spinach Soufflé, so I decided to throw together a quiche- really this was 5 mins to in the oven.

What you need-

Gluten free premade pie crust- available at publix and whole food in frozen food aisle

Organic cut leaf spinach frozen in “steam in bag”

1 cup ricotta

5 eggs

1 cup whatever shredded cheese you have on hand (I used mozzarella, Parmesan, and Colby jack)

Swiss cheese slices

Red pepper flakes

Salt, pepper 

READY? 

Go! 

Heat oven to 400.

Take one of the frozen crusts and put a layer of Swiss cheese slices on bottom.

Place spinach in microwave per instructions but only cook half the recommended time. Cut corner when done and allow excess water to drain.

Mix 5 eggs, seasoning, ricotta and shredded cheese. Add spinach once drained. 

Bake at 400 40 mins or until knife comes out clean.

Enjoy!  This was so yummy that the kids ate more of it than the pizza!

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