Category: Gluten Free

Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

I know, I know. You probably read the title and thought to yourself there is no way quinoa can be a tasty breakfast. But hear me out. Quinoa, although a great grain to use as a dinner side, can also hold its own as a sweeter breakfast meal. I actually originally made this recipe so that vegan friends who were visiting for the weekend had a breakfast option. (Vegans have a tough time when it comes to breakfast! Oatmeal, quinoa, fruit. I think that’s about it…) Anyways, I wasn’t expecting much. But it was so tasty I made a batch for my breakfasts all week. That’s right, it even reheats nicely!

I found this recipe on Budget Bytes and made some minor changes. Check out her original recipe here.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 medium apple (I used Fuji)
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit/nut mixture

 

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Slow Cooker Marinara

Making a large batch of marinara sauce and freezing it for later use makes dinner on really hectic weeknights significantly easier. My mom used to make pots upon pots of tomato sauce during the first snow of the season which always made the house smell oh so good, especially after coming in from the cold. We haven’t had our first snow yet, but that’s not going to stop me from trying out this slow cooker marinara from Cooking Light. The sauce can be frozen and used for months.

The original recipe used fresh tomatoes but I hate peeling tomatoes and the plum tomatoes this time of year just aren’t very attractive. So I used the next best thing, canned whole peeled plum tomatoes. If it’s summer when you make this, go for the fresh ones!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped onion (about 2 onions)
  • 3/4 cup sliced carrot (about 2 carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup minced garlic (a good dozen garlic cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
  • 3 28 oz cans of Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Tri Vegetarian Chili

I made a realization this weekend. Chili is so hearty that I really don’t realize if there is even meat in them. So why add it in?

With a bunch of different beans and peppers, you can still deliver an absolutely delicious chili that doesn’t even need meat! (I’m not knocking those that like meat in their chili, I just apparently prefer the vegetarian version)

Katherine Martinelli had a chili link up last week on her blog and I couldn’t stop thinking about chili. Her Three Bean Chili in particular looked so fantastic, I decided to make my own version of it below. It is based off of her recipe but I did make some changes, so to see the original recipe, check it out here.

This Tri Vegetarian Chili is aptly named. It uses three types of beans, three types of dried peppers, and three types of bell peppers.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried red kidney beans
  • 1 cup dried great northern beans
  • 1 cup dried black turtle beans
  • 2 dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 dried chipotle peppers
  • 2 dried ancho chili peppers
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

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Christmas Trifle

Each year, my mom makes a beautiful trifle for Christmas. I’m pretty sure at one point, she was only making one, but as the popularity of her trifle grew, she is now up to making 6+ for different holiday events, friends, and family. My sister and I grew up begrudgingly helping my mom make these trifles but we both have grown to love them and look forward to a bite of trifle every December.

 

 

A trifle is just a layered dessert that is usually made with cake pieces, cream, pudding, and fruit. My mom tops her with a beautiful design of fruit: kiwi, peaches and raspberries. I wanted to make some trifle to share with this blog but a normal trifle can serve a whole family, so I made a mini version! To prepare a regular trifle, the process is just the same.

I highlighted Driscoll’s Berries in my trifle. I absolutely love their raspberries and blackberries so I wanted to have a higher ratio of berries in my trifle than may normally be used. Driscoll’s also sells really beautiful Strawberries and Blueberries that I have used in many many of my previous posts. Berries always add such beautiful color and flavor to a dish!

Note: Driscoll’s sent me coupons for free berries to make this recipe; my opinions are my own.

 

Ingredients:

  • Egg custard mix
  • Chocolate pudding mix
  • Milk (to make the pudding/custard)
  • Pound cake
  • A very small amount of white rum (optional)
  • Berry jam, jelly, or preserves
  • Whipped topping
  • Canned sliced peaches, drained and rinsed
  • Kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
  • Fresh Driscoll’s raspberries and blackberries

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Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

It’s funny how you can go years, even decades, thinking that you don’t like a certain food only to find you can’t get enough of it when you’re older. Fish tacos is one of those foods for me. They pack a ton of flavor but are a healthier option than other proteins (as long as the fish isn’t fried, that is). I also love how quickly you can cook them up, perfect for a weeknight dinner! Cooking Light always has the best taco recipes so I naturally went in search of a fish taco recipe there. I found this recipe in the myrecipes.com new cookbook: Myrecipes’ America’s Favorite Food Cookbook, which you can win by entering below!

 

 

Ingredients

Crema:

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime rind  (I just used the zest of one lime)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (I used the juice of one lime)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
  • Cooking spray
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage (or romaine lettuce)

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Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry

I am very vocal about my love of Cooking Light and myrecipes.com in general. I think it is a fantastic resource to find delicious recipes of all kinds and sort them easily and helpfully. I was recently sent a copy of myrecipes’ America’s Favorite Food: 200 Top-Rated Recipes from the Country’s Best Magazines which is a collection of recipes from All You, Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Health, Real Simple, Southern Living, and Sunset magazines.

What makes this cookbook different than any I’ve ever seen, is that it incorporates a Scan-It/Cook-It technology. Once you download the free Digimarc Discover app onto your smartphone, you are able to scan photos and info boxes in the cookbook which opens up how-to videos, shopping lists, and related recipes. Brilliant!

When I scanned the photo of the recipe I was making (Halibut with Coconut-Red Curry Sauce), it opened a how-to video to see how to prepare the dish, which is a wonderful tool for beginner cooks. The recipe also includes a side bar with substitutes and even tips on how to cook fish without smelling up the whole house.

This is the perfect cookbook for all levels of home cooks and I’m happy to be able to giveaway a copy of this cookbook! Check out the widget below to enter…

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • 4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (or a punch of ground ginger)
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar  (or 1 teaspoon stevia)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice  (about 1 lime)

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Herb Infused Turkey Breast

I’ve got turkey on the brain with Thanksgiving fast approaching and I wanted to do a post that used turkey. But if you’re like me, you don’t have 15 people around to help me eat an entire roasted turkey. So instead, why not make an Herb Infused Turkey Breast?

This recipe for Herb Infused Turkey Breast is cooked using the Ninja Cooking System, I thought it was a fantastic alternative for a smaller Thanksgiving. If you don’t have a Ninja Cooking System, you can still make this recipe; you’ll just need a saute pan that is also oven safe.

Ingredients (get all ingredients here):

  • 1 5-6 pound turkey breast
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch disks
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, cut into ½ inch slices
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 lemon, juiced

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Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 12 ounce package of cranberries
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup port wine
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (or 3 oranges, squeezed)
  • 1 tablespoon zest (also about 3 oranges)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • a dash (1/8 tsp or smaller) allspice

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Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

My goodness it dropped in temperature quickly! It feels like we went straight from September weather to December weather. Luckily, I have the perfect warm drink to keep you toasty. This is a (probably) oversimplified version of a drink my aunt and uncle always have at their house for the holidays: Wassail. It’s basically a mulled wine that warms you up from the inside out. I’ve been thinking about Wassail since the change in temperature so I decided to make a quick batch with things I already had in my house.
Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine (I used a red zin)
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
5 allspice berries
1 orange
2 oz whiskey
1 oz triple sec
1/4 cup brown sugar
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Crispy Salmon with Herb Salad

Salmon and salad are a great healthy go-to on a weeknight. You can have your meal on the table in under 20 minutes! This salad is a nice alternative to your traditional salads. Made with four different herbs and spicy arugula, the salad adds a ton of flavor to the crispy salmon. The lemon dressing is fantastic as well! This recipe is from Cooking Light’s cookbook: The New Way to Cook Light.
Ingredients: (serves 6)
  • 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup small fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup small fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • cooking spray
  • 6 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
  • 6 lemon wedges

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Applejack Spiked Hot Cider

Well, we are apparently forecasted to get hit with yet another nor’easter on Halloween. I remember as a kid, some houses would serve us hot cider to keep us warm while trick-or-treating. Those (along with the houses with candied apples and tons of Reeces) were my favorite. Now that I no longer go house to house on Halloween, nor do I even get trick-or-treaters, I wanted to make a more adult hot cider to enjoy during the crummy weather, or Applejack Spiked Hot Cider, to be specific.
Cooking Light must’ve read my mind, because The New Way To Cook Light showed up on my doorstep this week, with a wonderful sounding recipe for Applejack-Spiked Hot Cider!
Ingredients:  (makes 6 servings)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 8 whole allspice berries
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cups apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 (2-inch orange rind strips)
  • 2 (2-inch lemon rind strips)
  • 3/4 cup applejack brandy
  • for garnish (optional):
  •   1 tablespoon brown sugar
  •   1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

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Slow Cooker Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs

I’m not even going to pretend to care about football. I have no clue what is going on on the field, nor do I honestly want to. Not even going to school with Flacco could peak my interest in the sport. But I do care about the food aspect of watching football, to no one’s surprise.
So with the season in full swing, I figured it was about time for me to figure out how to make ribs. I “surprisingly” do not have a smoker in my tiny apartment, so I went in search of a slow cooker recipe. This Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs recipe fit the bill.
Ingredients:
  • 5 lbs baby back ribs, cut to fit in your slow cooker
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup ketchup (or tomato puree)
  • 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup horseradish
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

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Scarborough Fair Cornish Game Hens with Risotto

Do you remember the first recipe you learned how to make? One that was probably so simple, but made you so proud when you had completed the dish? Mine (besides grilled cheese) was a chicken recipe my mom referred to as “Chicken a la Simon and Garfunkel” based on the lyrics in their song Scarborough Fair:
Are you goin’ to Scarborough Fair? 
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there, 
she once was a true love of mine.
I knew the song so I was able to help make dinner by seasoning the chicken and keeping my mom company while humming the tune to the song (which I have to assume was more of a distraction than a help.. I’m a truly awful singer and I’m sure that translates into a truly awful hummer as well).
I figured this was as good as any time to learn how to roast a chicken. So I settled on Cornish game hens seasoned and stuffed with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. I also made a “Scarborough Fair” Risotto to go with the chicken.
Ingredients: (I was making this for a family dinner but lowered the amounts to happily feed 2. Multiply as needed).
  • 2 Cornish game hens
  • 1 tablespoon each of dried parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 lemon
  • 4 sprigs each of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
  • 6 small shallots, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup uncooked arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
  • 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

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Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I have no idea who decided that different foods should get taco-fied, but I am all for this movement. I love tacos, and Cooking Light comes up with the best taco recipes. These Kung Pao Chicken Tacos are everything I want in a meal: quick and easy to make, colorful, a hint of spice, and full of many ingredients I already had on hand.
Kung Pao chicken is a spicy stir-fry Chinese dish that includes peanuts, vegetables, chili peppers, and chicken. It is usually served over rice, but Cooking Light took some inspiration from Korean taco trucks and added the Kung Pao chicken to corn tortillas.
Ingredients:
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
  • 3/4 cup diagonally sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 4 lime wedges

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Potato and Wild Mushroom Soup

This past weekend was one of my favorite September events: the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival. That’s right, an entire festival dedicated to fungi. And it’s amazing. Kennett Square’s main street (State Street) shuts down to accommodate blocks of vendors, there are cooking demonstrations, soup contests, and mushroom eating contests. There is even pumpkin mushroom ice cream. All in celebration of the mushroom. (Fun fact: Kennett Square is considered the Mushroom Capital of the world).
Naturally, I picked up a bunch of mushrooms which I will now be using to cook all week. mmm. Because today was the first “fall” feeling day, I decided to use some of the mushrooms to make a soup. I wanted to stay away from a creamy soup so I used potatoes to thicken it up. I found the inspiration for this soup in The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit (one of my favorite books for food pairings).
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb wild mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken or beef stock)
  • 1-2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

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