Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup Glaze

I love brussels sprouts. I crave them. I know, some people think that I am weird in that way. Judge after you make this recipe, and you will join me and start craving brussels sprouts too.

This is a great side dish for any meal, Thanksgiving, holiday, or weekday. ( I am making this as a side dish for our Thanksgiving meal.) If I am running to the grocery store, and the sprouts look good, I will pick them up and make these for my lunch. Don't cut out the garlic, it seems like it wouldn't go with this recipe, but it isn't as good without it. I just had them (again!) yesterday, and just typing and talking about them makes me want to have them today...

Update: There was a query about how to make a bunch of this for a holiday party without having to make several batches in a skillet. I experimented today, and the alternate cooking method is below.

Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup and Walnuts

15 brussels spouts, washed and sliced in half
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons butter (to make dairy free, omit and use more olive oil)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter (omit for dairy free)
walnuts, optional to taste (I use a small handful)
salt, optional, to taste

Warm olive and and 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over low heat. Add sliced garlic cloves. Stir the garlic and remove as they are turning light brown and reserve. Lay brussels sprouts in pan, cut sides down and cover. Cook approximately 15 minutes or until tender.

Mix maple syrup and tablespoon of butter, melt on stove or in microwave. Add walnuts. Add syrup mixture and garlic to brussels sprouts in the pan and toss to create a glaze, OR remove brussels sprouts, add the cooked garlic and maple syrup mixture and toss in bowl.

Alternate cooking method for larger batches, and making ahead:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. As oven is warming up, put butter, olive oil and garlic slices (make sure to up the amount of each depending on how many brussels sprouts you are using), on a cookie sheet to melt the butter and to lightly cook the garlic. Remove the cookie sheet when the garlic just starts to turn golden brown. Put the brussels sprouts cut side down on pan on middle shelf. Cook approximately 10 minutes, checking to make sure the tops don't burn. Add the cooked garlic back in and stir. If making the night before, after you lightly rewarm, mix maple syrup and the additional butter, melted, pour over the sprouts. Add the walnuts right before serving.

Cheers!
Danielle

A Taste of Sunshine ~ Caesar Lemon Dressing

I love this dressing. A good friend gave me this recipe, and it tastes so fresh and clean. I love it on salads of any kind and any mix, or on roasted veggies (like roasted asparagus with grated Pecorin Romano cheese..YUM!)

This is where you would use your virgin olive oil, if you have some handy. If you don't, and can't afford it, use regular. My Mom did, (She is first generation Italian-American, and honestly, I don't remember a lot of virgin olive oil, it was a special thing; she used the big can, which I still buy, and can get a good price on when it's on sale.), and I did on this batch since I ran out. You still get a lovely flavor, and the health benefits of the olive oil.


Lemon Caesar Dressing

1 lemon, juice of
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
ground pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Put all ingredients in a jar. (I use a cleaned jam jar.) Shake well. Pour over whatever suits your fancy: salad, roasted vegetables, avocado, fish, etc.


I was doing my weekly visit around my favorite blogs and found a couple of other recent posts on salad dressings. (if you did a salad dressing post, email me or comment and I will link to it when I get a chance. You know I am not blogging as much as I used to! ;)

Gluten Free Goddess has a post titled: Three Ways to Dress a Naked Salad.

Natalie of Gluten Free Mommy has a salad and salad dressing recipe in her post: Mixed Greens, Cilantro, and Purple Cabbage.

Check those out for more ideas.

Cheers!!

Vegetarian Chili - Dairy, Meat, & Gluten Free

I used to make a vegetarian chili quite often before I went gluten free, and used bulgar wheat in it. I just forgot about it until today, and then thought, "Duh! I can use quinoa!" And it came out perfectly,and maybe even better.

A half an hour later, my family was sitting down and eating. The children had been called in from outside, their cheeks rosy from the cold, and chatting all about the new snow fort they had created outside. My daughter, who usually shies away from the soup/stew/chili kind of food polished off her warm steaming bowl in record time. One thing she loved was being able to put toppings on...cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, green onion, sour cream...whatever you have on hand. This meal will definitely be repeated!



Vegetarian Chili - Dairy, Meat, & Gluten Free

1 can black beans, liquid as well
1 can red kidney beans, liquid as well
2 14.5 oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 medium diced onion
3 carrots, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa
olive oil
to taste - cumin, chili powder (I like ancho), salt, pepper, oregano

Put sauce pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Put carrots and onions in pan for about 5 minutes and stir occasionally. Add quinoa, stir. Sprinkle on spices to taste, stir and cook a few minutes more. Add 2 cans of tomatoes, and add 2 more cans water or broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the two cans of beans with the liquid, and chopped pepper. Cook until everything is hot. Serve with whatever toppings you like. We did pico de gallo, guacamole, and green onion.

Cheers!!

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

My mother calls this the perfect food. It has everything you need in it, protein, starch and vegetable. (I guess that could be argued, tomato..vegetable or fruit? I grew up with it as a veggie.) It's fast, easy and delicious. By the way, don't forget to top with grated cheese, my family favorite is Pecorino Romano, and crushed red pepper.

I thought of my beautiful Auntie Anne (her given name ... Amedia) when I made this the other day. It was my first time making it gluten free, and I hadn't eaten pasta fagioli (we, being stock from Italian peasants pronounce it, "pasta fa-zule"). I wasn't sure that it was going to be the same. I get nervous making 'soul' food gluten free. I still want that taste connection to my past, and my heritage.

Auntie Anne passed away last spring. She was 88 years old. She was up and about and cooking 2 weeks prior to her death. Cooking was her passion. She would read cookbooks like novels, and could 'see' if a recipe would work. With her being older, I was surprised she wasn't skeptical about me eating gluten free, rather, she was fascinated by it, and completely curious. If it dealt with food, she was there. She was the one that taught me to make my own Italian sausage, fast and easy, and gluten free, since I was so nervous about going to the Italian butchers and figuring out what was gluten free. (Back when I was new to being gluten free, now I could easily have that conversation.) And I still will make the sausage the way she told me.

I wish she could taste my pasta and beans, one of her favorite meals to make, and eat. I wish she could taste and explore all the really cool things I have discovered, among them..teff and sweet sorghum flours, the oat pie crust I made, and get her ideas about Italian recipes that are gluten free. And to just sit there, after a family meal and chat about everything.

So, here is a taste of my family and heritage, spelled the way we say it.


Pasta Fazule

2 cans cannolini beans
1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups elbows or small pasta, cooked al dente (I used Tinkyada)
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped or put through garlic press
1 can chicken broth, water, or reserved pasta liquid
salt
pepper
basil
olive oil

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium to low heat. Cook until soft, not browned. Add tomatoes, beans with liquid, and chicken broth or water to thin to desired consistency. Simmer 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and basil to taste. Add pasta.

Don't for get to top with grated cheese and crushed red pepper.
This gets better the day after, but don't forget, the pasta will absorb a bunch of the liquid, don't be surprised.
And, big tip here in Italian cooking, a lot of the time we use the cooking liquid in the pasta to thin the sauce to the right consistency. It adds a whole heck of a lot more than just water.

Cheers!

Artichoke Dip

If you have been a regular here, you have been noticing some changes on my blog. I have been trying to catch up on some long overdue housekeeping. Anyway, in the spirit of the gluten free blog community we have going here, I signed up to start a web ring of gluten free recipe blogs. There are gluten free web rings out there, but they mostly seem to be products that people are selling. So, if you have a gluten free blog, and you think this is a good idea, then scroll down in the sidebar, and hit the join button underneath.


Last night was one of those nights that I did not want to cook, at all. I was SO wishing I could order Chinese food and have it delivered. No such luck. So I fed my children some chicken tenders and veggies, and I ate this for supper. Not the most nutritionally balanced, but probably better than the Chinese food I would have gotten! And, with a glass of wine, I really enjoyed myself!

Artichoke Dip

3/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons hot salsa or hot sauce (I use Mrs. Renfro's Green Salsa)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded cheese
3 green onions, cut thinly
2 teaspoons granulated garlic, or 1 minced fresh clove

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in oven safe bowl. Bake approximately 35 minutes or until dip is bubbling. Cool and eat. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Cheers!!

Goat cheese and Spinach Quiche with Roasted Red Pepper

I got this recipe from my friend and neighbor, Mrs. Younghome. She got it from some low carb site and the original recipe call for spinach and feta cheese. I changed it only by changing up the cheese and adding roasted red pepper. Fool around with it, it is so easy. I am now making this about 3 times a week to have with soup for lunch, or a quick breakfast. My friend uses a carton of eggbeaters instead, and that will work too!

Goat Cheese and Spinach with Roasted Red Pepper

spinach, frozen chopped
6 eggs or a carton of egg beaters ( equivalent to 8)
Goat cheese, crumbled 1 package, or to taste
roasted pepper, chopped
granulated garlic (optional)

Spray 8 inch square pan or pie plate with Pam, or coat with oil. Thaw spinach put on the bottom pan. Sprinkle chopped red pepper, garlic, if using (can use fresh if preferred), and half the cheese over the spinach and mix in. Beat eggs and pour over the defrosted spinach, and sprinkle rest of cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cheers!!!

Greek Village Salad

This is one of my all time favorite salads, since it a bulky one and does not have lettuce. This is the 'dream' team of veggies I like in it, but I am just as happy with only red pepper and onion, cucumber, and always the feta cheese.

Greek Village Salad

red pepper, chopped
red onion, chopped
cucumber, chopped
tomato, chopped
shredded carrot
feta cheese, crumbled
Greek dressing of choice

Put all veggies in bowl. Crumble feta cheese, add dressing, and mix.

(If you have leftovers, you can put them in a quiche the next day!)

Cheers!

Roasted Cauliflower with Indian BBQ Sauce

I made this for lunch yesterday. You should make it too. It was delicious. It would also be a great side dish. It's not my recipe, so click below to get there!

Roasted Cauliflower with Indian BBQ Sauce

Cheers!!

BBQ Nachos & Refried Beans...Cheater Version

This is a picture of my lunch. Corn tortilla chips topped with refried beans (see recipe below), roasted red and green peppers, onions (I roast a bunch of vegetables at the beginning of the week to use in all sorts of recipes; they are great to have on hand.), and topped with cheese. After this photo, I sprinkled on some cilantro, and put a glop of guacamole on top.



I love refried beans, but hate all the stuff that goes in there, plus the time it takes. This is my favorite way to make them, and it takes less than 2 minutes.

"Cheater" Refried Beans

1 can beans
BBQ sauce, salsa, or lime juice and garlic

Mash beans with fork. Add liquid of choice and stir until you get the consistency of refried beans.

Cheers!

Brown Rice and Veggies with Coconut Oil

The cleanse I am on has very specific ingredient limitations. Thank goodness it's only for a few days. So, I have combinations I normally wouldn't use. This is one of those recipes, a very healthy and yummy stir fry version. If you notice, there's no char that you get with a traditional stir fry. While cleansing, you don't cook on high heat; I guess it adds carcinogens to your diet. I am not saying that stir frying is bad, I do it quite often, as well as grilling, but I guess a vacation from anything doesn't hurt. And, these are the rules I was given, so I follow.

Since this is a simmer dish you can be doing other things while you are cooking it. You don't need constant vigil like regular stir fry. I also do many different versions, based on what vegetables I have on hand.

Brown Rice and Veggies with Coconut Oil

onion, chopped
red and green peppers, each chopped
1 carrot sliced
minced ginger
1 teaspoon white miso
2 tablespoons coconut oil
dash curry (optional)
sliced fresh mint and basil (Thai if you have it)

Melt coconut oil over low heat. Add onion, keeping it on low. Simmer a few minutes. Add ginger and carrot. Simmer a few more minutes, longer if you like soft carrots. Add peppers stirring occasionally. Cook until veggies are at a consistency you prefer. Add rice, miso, and curry. Stir until all is warmed through. Add mint and basil, and eat.

Cheers!

Guacamole in Red Pepper = LUNCH

This is a great easy lunch, and a good one to pack as well. Very easy. I modified the guacamole to fit in with my cleanse, but go ahead and add more spices and veggies (like tomato, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, etc.) in there. I eat this everyday on the cleanse, and on a day I need more calories. One avocado has about 279 calories, and tons of good fats.

Guacamole in Red Pepper

1 ripe avocado
1 red pepper, cut in half
4 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lime or lemon, or to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley chopped

Cut avocado in half the long way. Take the seed out and scoop out insides. Add minced or pressed garlic and the citrus juice. Mash with fork. Add chopped cilantro. Mix. Put inside pepper and eat.

Cheers!

Greek Veggie Bake

The family and I are taking off for just over a week. We are going to Ireland, and we are really excited. I will tell all when I get back; I heard it's great for gluten intolerant people. In the meantime, I thought I would leave you with this recipe. It can be a side dish, but sometimes I eat it for supper.

Greek Veggie Bake

1 eggplant chopped in cubes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 peppers, coarsely chopped (I used orange and yellow here)
carrots. chopped or shredded
Any other veggies you have on hand
Feta cheese
Greek dressing (the oil based kind, not the creamy, and make sure GF)

Chop veggies, add dressing, toss. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put veggies on shallow pan, roast about 35 minutes, or until veggies are cooked to your taste. Sprinkle feta cheese and..Enjoy!

(This also tastes great cooked in the grill with one of those wok things with holes in it...great for not heating your house up in the summer.)

Banana-Quinoa Muffins - Quick and Easy

I saw a recipe in Health Magazine for Banana Oat muffins, and decided to alter it to make it gluten free. These are yummy and easy to make, and a pretty good breakfast on the go too.

We had them this morning warm with cappuccino...yum!

(I am also thinking these would be great with applesauce and chopped apple substituted for the banana...)


Banana-Quinoa Muffin

2 mashed ripe bananas
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup fat free milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/3 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans/walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine bananas with wet ingredients, mix well. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine mixtures until combined, don't stir too much! Grease or put muffin liners in pan, spoon batter evenly into 12 cups. Bake about 16 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy.

Super Fast Fried Rice

I have not been feeling at my best lately, I actually think I am in a great healing phase; I have been gluten free for almost 8 months. So, I am eating things that are easy to digest for a bit, and no meat. ( A huge sacrifice on my part, but it's only for a couple of weeks. ;) And when I have been feeling well, we have been gardening like crazy..my herb garden is almost all planted, so fresh herbs are coming my way.

So, another night I just want something fast and tasty, and I don't want to cook. Surprise. :grin:

Just another reminder: make sure your soy sauce is gluten free. I use San J, but I believe that LaChoy is gluten free as well.

So, here is a way to turn this:
Into this:

Stir Fried Rice and Veggies

minced garlic
minced ginger
soy sauce
sherry (optional)
sesame seed oil
whatever vegetables you have on hand - chopped somewhat small, they will cook faster that way.
(I used carrot, red pepper, onion, sugar snap peas, green onion)

Cook rice. Prepare veggies. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add ginger and garlic. Cook about 30 seconds, add vegetable that takes longest to cook, cook a couple of minutes, then add the next, and so forth. Add cooked rice. Add soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil and mix.

Eat.

:)

Kiss me & Tell me you Love me Risotto

This rocks. Absolutely. And I will be making a version of this every week. True chefs will tell me I am crazy and this isn't the "right" way to make risotto. But, baby it is so right for me.

Risotto in the crock pot.

I was inspired to try this since it has been a busy week. I felt great at the beginning of the week. It was finally beautiful outside, and Navy Boy (my husband) and I started planting trees, flowers, and cleaning up the herb garden. That's how we celebrated our 8th anniversary, and we had fun. It was great to feel so healthy and be outside all day.

Then, a day later, I felt horrible. That old exhaustion and malaise that I experienced for the 4 years prior to my diagnosis. I have been gluten free for 7 months, and I heard from others that this can happen as your healing. So, I decided to try and make an easier risotto, so I could kick back and relax. I also have my bread machine going with Pamela's mix. Time to pull out all the cheaters. :grin:

(If you want to read more about bread machines and Pamela's bread, go to this excellent entry of Gluten Free Goddess. I agree completely,it was so good!)

I made a vegetarian version of my Shrimp and Lemon Risotto. Here are the directions. I think the first time you make it, you should be around and watch it. I imagine all crockpots might be a little different, and therefor the time might be a little different for yours. I am sure that other types of risotto can be made this way. Enjoy.

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
1 package shitake mushrooms chopped
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Put broth in crockpot, turn on high to start warming it up. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes more. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add to crockpot, cover. Check every half hour to see if the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Mine took 2 hours. When it has, stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley if using, lemon juice and peel, and toasted pine nuts.

Then, kick back and tell me you love me.

Basic Crustless Quiche

This can be made almost any way. It is so easy, and I always get raves. It's also great for those days when you don't know what to make. Use any combinations of veggies that please you. This one my kids will eat, especially if I add ham. My favorite for adults? Asparagus with mozzarella and goat cheese. Yum.

Update: If you don't feel like sauteing your veggies on the stove, put them in a microwaveable dish with butter, cook in high for 2 min, then follow the recipe. Easy. :)

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
4 shitake mushrooms chopped
1/2 cup fresh broccoli, small pieces
5 eggs
8 oz. package shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

Spray 9-inch pie plate with Pam. Heat oil in skillet over med. high heat. Add shallot and saute about 3 min; then add mushrooms, saute 3 min. more. Add broccoli; cook it turns bright green. Let cool. Beat eggs in bowl. Add cheese.Combine the egg/cheese mixture with the vegetable mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour into pie pan, spreading top evenly. Bake until top is browned and tester comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.

SANTA FE-STYLE QUINOA SALAD

I have to admit, I did not make this, but I ate it. My friend, Robin, wanted to try a recipe that was in our local newspaper, and it happened to be gluten free, so she shared it with me. It was yummy. She did a few things differently. She added lime juice and cilantro and a smidge more cumin. She also would have made more dressing, and added some leftover chicken. I think I might also add some chopped up avocado.

Thank you Robin for sharing!

Before cooking quinoa, be sure to rinse the grains well under cold water to wash the bitter coating.

SANTA FE-STYLE QUINOA SALAD

1½ cups water

½ cup mild or medium picante sauce

1 cup quinoa, rinsed under cold water

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1½ cups fresh or frozen yellow corn kernels, cooked, drained and cooled

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

lime juice o taste

chopped cilantro to taste

In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the water, picante sauce, quinoa, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and toss with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Add remaining ingredients to the quinoa, tossing well to combine. Serve slightly warm or let cool to room temperature.

Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and serve chilled or warm.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Donna Klein's The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen

Soft Creamy Polenta w/Roasted Veggie Caponata

The original recipe is from the the Conde Nast site. They are doing an in flight meal challenge. Meaning you make the meal at home and it has to keep good for awhile at room temp, and taste good that way. This one happened to be gluten free, so I decided to try it.

This would also be great for a picnic, weeknight dinner. I would add a splash of white wine in here, but I didn't have any open. I might also do a little more marinade, and marinate the other veggies, the flavor of it was so good, I was licking the pan.



Soft Creamy Polenta with Roasted Vegetable 'Caponata'

1 medium/large portobello mushroom
1 lemon, zest & juice
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (scant) yellow or white coarse ground 'quick' polenta
2 1/2 cup milk or water
1tablespoon salt
3-4 tablespoon Ricotta cheese (optional)
2 cloves Roasted Garlic (optional)

2 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded or use Pastene jarred (I omitted the vinegar when using the jarred)
2 other vegetables chopped, I used zucchini & summer squash
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
1 can cannelli beans, drained and rinsed

Slice the portobello 1/2" thick slices. Make a paste by combining the garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, zest, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add portabellas and toss to coat and allow them to marinate, 20 minutes to one hour.

Bring the liquid up to a simmer and gradually add the polenta stirring consistently. Cook over low heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and roasted garlic at the end, and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.

Slice the red peppers, and and any other veggies you are using. Heat a medium sauté pan with remaining tablespoon olive oil and sauté the onions for 4 minutes over a high heat. Add summer squash & zucchini (or other veggie), cook until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and juice, cook for 3 minutes longer.. Lower the temperature to medium. Add the roasted red peppers, beans and vinegar (if using); season to taste and remove the mixture from the pan to cool.

Spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta and refrigerate if you will not be enjoying the meal within 5 hours. I added grated pecorino romano cheese and oregano on top. This dish would be best served at room temperature or warm.

Cheers!!!

Crockpot Polenta

I got this from the Better Politics from Food blog.


6 cups water, 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal, teaspoon of salt, on high for 3 hours, on low for 2.