Turkey pesto sandwich

When I was doing the five day fast track with my new workout program, Focus T25, I posted a lot of yummy food photos. Someone mentioned that I should post the recipes or at least share. This is my take on the turkey pesto sandwich, which was the highlight of the foods I enjoyed & proof that "dieting" is not about deprivation. 

Start by toasting two slices of whole grain bread. In my case, I used Rudi's original gluten free bread.

Then add a slice of Swiss cheese.

A tablespoon of prepared pesto.

Two slices of deli turkey.

Some cucumber and red bell pepper.

A small mound of fresh spinach.

Slice in half and enjoy!!

Savory Bread Pudding

Here we go. It has taken me nearly two weeks to get this post from recipe made to up on the blog. All I can say is that life happened. Sinus infection, never ending work schedule, and then the damned (sorry) time change. Can I say how much I do not like the time change? Yeah, yeah we get a whole 'nother hour of sunlight. Nobody ever talks about the month it takes for your body to adjust to the change. Nor do they talk about the craziness that ensues with children let alone ones with sensory issues. Do I need to say anything more about this?

Anyway. The idea for these muffins was born back in the fall when I made sun-dried tomato and basil muffins that only I liked. I put half of them in the freezer intending to make bread pudding. Looky! Here is the bread pudding. I kept it simple with just vegetables and put my meat (an apple-chicken sausage) on the side. Made about 5 very yummy servings, and was a great way to use up my savory bread/muffin. Enjoy!

Savory Bread Pudding

2 dozen savory mini muffins

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2-1 cup diced vegetables

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, spices, cheese and vegetables. In this case, I defrosted some crinkle cut zucchini and tri-colored peppers, and then diced them up. Set aside. Cube up bread/muffins, and add to egg mixture coating thoroughly. Dump either into a 9 x 9 greased pan or 5 (or 6) individual ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is firm and your pudding is slightly pouffy. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

So, a few months ago my mother gave me this recipe she had printed off for me for months before that as it sounded like something I would like. This generally means a weird combination of ingredients, and probably something nobody else in the family will eat. It was for Pumpkin Black Bean Chili in the slow cooker. I bought all the canned ingredients, and meant to make it before Christmas.

Then I got all kinds of crazy hours, and was to tired to do the dishes let alone actually make food that didn't go in the microwave or practically make itself. Yes, yes. I know this almost makes itself, but it was still beyond my tired brain.

Finally got to it a couple of weeks ago after testing out a recipe for a forthcoming crock pot cookbook. I used the broth as the base of my chili. Failed to measure though and ended up with soup. Really, really tasty soup. So tasty, I nearly didn't share with the one member of the family who actually thought this sounded half way good. Sucked it up though and shared. I am such a saint. You should really try this.

I used chicken instead of turkey

Pizza Casserole

Today while it snows, I am wishing for something warm to fill my belly come dinner time. I know that I am going to have to at least shovel a path to the car, and clean the car off for my sister. Warm food though is probably not going to happen as I am in the midst of testing a new cookie recipe for the blog, testing some crock-pot recipes for a forthcoming cookbook, and I have my shake & tuna salad chilling in the fridge. Maybe I will just make another pot of coffee, and dream of this pizza casserole.

This casserole came into our lives via an apartment complex newsletter almost 7 years ago. My sister started making it, and it has become a staple in our lives. You can find a variety of variations on it all over the web. This is the way we like it. Okay, my sister likes it with sliced mushrooms, but I don't. I like peppers, and she doesn't. So, we do it this way. Add sliced mushrooms or peppers if you so desire.

Pizza Casserole

1 pound cooked pasta (we like gemelli or wagon wheels)

1 jar pasta sauce (we usually do a six cheese)e

1 kielbasa sausage (turkey or beef)

1 small can sliced olives

Mix all this together in a big pan. Grease a 9 x 13 pan, and dump it in. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Add 1 package pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (or like us the 4 cheese pizza blend) to the top, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with a side salad and sourdough bread.

Spicy Pumpkin Pasta

So I didn't quite make it into October with the last of the challenge ingredients. Nor did we do November. However, that is all changing now.The last of the ingredients for the October challenge were very challenging. What does one do with oatmeal, jalapeno, and curry powder? You make pasta of course!

So maybe there is no of course about it, but it is what I came up with. I have to say that noses were wrinkled at me, but in the end this was fabulous. Really found myself wishing that there was more.

Spicy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan Butter Sauce

100 grams oat flour

40 grams potato starch

60 grams brown rice flour

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 jalapeno, seeded & diced

4 ounces of pumpkin puree

2 eggs

Note: I grind my own oat flour using old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten free if you need to) and my cheap-o mini food processor.

First, steam the jalapeno until it is very tender. I did this in a small bowl with a bit of water in the microwave. Let cool while mixing the flours, starch and curry powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. Make your pumpkin/jalapeno puree in the food processor. Blend well. Add eggs one at a time to the puree, and then stir into the flour mixture until combined. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. Wrap and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. When ready, divide dough in half and roll out between two pieces of parchment paper coated with a bit of flour (your choice). Cut into fairly wide strips. Cook in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and serve with sauce. Makes 2 servings.

Parmesan Butter Sauce

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan

splash of non-dairy milk

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add Parmesan while continuously stirring. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to bring to a creamy finish. Pour over one serving of pasta.

Ratio Rally Pot Pie

It is time again for the gluten free ratio rally. This month's theme was pie, and I can tell you that I was not overly excited about it. Mostly due to the fact that I have never made a successful pie that didn't include a pre-made graham cracker crust or was simply a dump cake sort of thing. I dithered. I will admit it. I wasn't sure what to do until just a week or so ago when the Monkey asked if we could have pot pie (his very favorite food in the whole world) for his birthday dinner. My ah-ha moment hit about 10 minutes later. I had been trying to come up with something sweet when I should have focused on the savory.

It was a good thing the idea hit me or I wouldn't have been able to participate in the rally this month. What is the rally? A group of gluten free bloggers who are baking/cooking by ratio's around a central theme each month with a new host. This month our host is Lisa of the Gluten Free Canteen. Head on over and check out her post and the links to all the other luscious pies!

Chicken Pot Pie

Note: The ratio is 3:2:1 (flour:fat:water)

Crust:

240 grams potato flour

90 grams potato starch

120 grams brown rice flour

1 Cup salted butter, softened

4 ounces ice water (or so)

Preface: I was a doofus and only did a 1/2 Cup of butter to start with as my math brain wasn't working properly. When I realized my mistake, I softened another cube of butter and retrieved my rounds from the fridge. I did have to add a bit more water. You shouldn't have to. :)

Stir together all the flours in a mixer. Add butter and continue mixing on low speed. Add ice water an ounce at a time until a nice ball forms. Divide into four (yes four) equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. Preferably longer.

Filling:

4 Cups water

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1/4 Cup potato starch

6 ounces non-dairy milk

1 1/2 Cups sweet potato, peeled & diced

2 Cups potato, peeled & diced

1 1/2 Cups frozen peas & carrots

4 chicken tenders, boiled & shredded

season to taste

Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add bouillon cubes and boil until dissolved. Set aside. Might as well put your potatoes on to boil at the same time as the water. Probably boil them for 10 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drain and set aside. This is when I did the chicken, as well. :)

Remove a 1/2 Cup of broth to a small bowl. Add potato starch and stir until dissolved. This will be added back in a little bit. You will want to spray a 9 inch pie plate, and either pat in one crust or roll it out and flip it in. I opted for patting. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

While it is baking bring your broth back to a boil, and slowly add in the broth/starch mixture stirring constantly. Add in the milk continuing to stir. Retrieve the potatoes, chicken, and frozen vegetables to add to the pan. Add any spices you might like. We kept it simple with a bit of basil, a good deal of black pepper and some sea salt. Reduce heat to medium stirring occasionally.

Your bottom crust should be done. Remove it from the oven and set it to the side. Time to roll out the top crust. I actually managed this using wax paper and potato flour. Just place it in between the wax paper and roll carefully. Don't want paper sticking to your dough. Measure out two cups of filling into your pie plate. Carefully flip your top crust onto the top and seal as best you can. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes. The top should be a darker brown than it went in as. Serves 4.

Note: Did you notice that there were four crusts and extra filling? Make yourself another pie why don't you!!

September Ingredient Challenge Part 1

At the beginning of September or somewhere there abouts, my friend and fellow coach Kasondra posted a request for 10 ingredients to make into a meal or possibly just one dish. I gave her one, and then asked for the list so I could try my hand at it. We are contemplating making this a monthly feature so stay tuned.

September Ingredient List:

1. Squash
2. Coconut milk
3. Sun dried tomatoes
4. Spinach
5. Lemon
   
6. Honey
7. Quinoa
   
8. Tomato
9. Asparagus
10. Cream cheese

This post will focus on the two meals I put together. Part two will focus on my baking endeavors. First off we have a crock pot dish.

Veggie Quinoa Casserole

2 Cups vegetable broth (give or take)

1 Cup quinoa

1 Cup frozen zucchini

1 Cup butternut squash

1 can petite diced tomatoes

15 stalks asparagus

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon rosemary

If using frozen ingredients like I did, you will want to microwave your asparagus so that you can dice it into smaller chunks. Something I learned to late I should have done.

Dump everything in the crock and give it a good stir. Cook on low for three to four hours. Serve warm with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top.

Wilted Spinach, Baked Chicken and Baked Potato

I will readily admit that I had contemplated tossing the spinach into the casserole, and then chickened out. I think it would be lovely served on top of this wilted spinach. The recipe for the wilted spinach comes from Rachel Ray. I didn't use nutmeg or fresh garlic. Instead as you see I used dried minced onion and garlic powder. How much? A couple of shakes of each. :) Otherwise, I followed her instructions.

The first time I served it up beside my baked potato with sour cream and underneath my very basic baked chicken (I like garlic powder, black pepper and nutmeg). The next day for leftovers I diced the chicken and served both the spinach and chicken as potato toppings. Yum!

Pineapple Chicken

Can't believe it has been a whole week since I tried this recipe out. It has been quite a week what with both the hacking yucks and the flu yucks making their way through our family. Oh, and a lovely visit from family up from Maryland. It has been a whirlwind.

Anyway, my friend Carrie over at gingerlemongirl had posted it on Facebook, and I knew I had to make it. Of course, I didn't use actual onions as they tend to cause migraines for me, and my sister has issues with them as well. So just a shake or two of dried minced onion was sufficient for us. Otherwise, I kept the recipe just as stated.

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken from A Few Short Cuts

I decided to pair it with some white rice and frozen veggies (cooked of course!). In this case, i had a mixed bag of broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts AND a smidge left in my bag of mixed pepper strips. Microwaved both, put them on top of the rice, and then poured the chicken and pineapple over the top. It was delicious!


What is the sign of a keeper recipe? In my case, I crave it for leftovers and don't mind eating it twice heated. Yep, it's a keeper!

Three Bean Chili Mole

It may seem an obvious choice when a "secret" ingredient is a bean, but at last glance nary a chili had been submitted to the SOS Kitchen Challenge. I have been perfecting this particular recipe for a few years, and it seemed like a great idea to change it up with the adzuki beans.

Three Bean Chili Mole

1-15 oz. can ad(z)uki beans
1-15 oz. can black beans
1-15 oz. can dark red kidney beans
1-15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chili's
1 small can tomato paste
1 package McCormick Taco seasoning
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Tablespoon chipotle chili powder

Open all the cans. Drain and rinse beans in a large colander. Dump beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste in the crock pot. Stir well.


Add seasonings, and stir again. Cook on high for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese and Adzuki Bean Bread.


Also posted on It's a Keeper!

Soup, Soda Bread and Socks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! This is one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it is the Irish in me or the great food or the great sense that we are all one people on this day (isn't everyone Irish today?! :)). So I thought I would share a tradition with you. Starting in college I made matzo ball soup and soda bread as my meal for this special day as I don't eat beef or pork, and wanted something simple. Tonight we will be having some leftover cream of chicken soup my mother made, but I will share with you the soup I made last night. It was shared a couple of weeks ago on It's a Keeper Thursday by Making Memories...One Fun Thing After Another. I think the next time we do it that I will only do one package of taco seasoning as it was just a bit much for us.


To go with our soup this St. Patrick's Day, I tried to make soda bread from a recipe by the Gluten Free Girl. It is posted on the Food Network-Healthy Eats. I am sad to say that while mine looked nice it was still a bit gooey on the inside even after extending the cooking time by 45 minutes, and hearing the hollowness. My sister has suggested that I try something glutenous to see if it is just the gluten free stuff or just everything that is destined to give me fits. I am inclined to believe that my gluten free bread making skills are the same as my candy making skills, i.e. non-existent. :P




And just because it is a tradition for me I am sharing my favorite pair of holiday socks with you. Yes, I am wearing them today with one of my many holiday shirts. :)

Random Tuesday

And I mean that! Kind of a house keeping sort of day. I think we will do it in a list.

1. Last week, I made a vegetable breakfast hash for Ricki Heller's (Diet, Dessert and Dogs) new cookbook. It was spicy and fantastic! I had it for lunch and breakfast, plain and in a wrap.

Finished Dish

How it Started

2. I am hosting a clean eating challenge and support group on Facebook during the month of March. Come and join us as we continue to hold fast to our resolutions to be better, healthier people in 2011 and beyond. (The photo below will link you to the challenge!)



3. And I am participating in Blog it Forward hosted by Traci! :) If you are new here, welcome! Please leave a comment so I can follow you back!