Category Archives: Appetizers

Oven Fried Zucchini with Homemade Pizza Sauce

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This recipe has been floating around Facebook for a while now. I’m a fan of pretty much anything fried (who isn’t?) so I thought I’d tweak it and give it a try.

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I would change two basic things the next time I make it:

#1. I would dip the zucchini in dairy free butter instead of almond milk prior to breading.

#2. I would shpritz the breaded zucchini lightly with a good olive oil before placing them in the oven.

If you want to keep it healthy you can just follow the recipe below and it will taste just fine. But I think that the butter and olive oil would add more flavor and moisture to the breading so it would crisp properly. And keep in mind that although the addition of butter and olive oil will increase the fat content, it’s not by much. Certainly not as much as if you were to deep fry them.

Oven Fried Zucchini

1/2 – 3/4 Cup Gluten Free Breadcrumbs

1/4 Cup Dairy Free Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Several Grinds of Pepper

About 1/4 Cup Almond Milk

1 1/2 – 2 Medium sized Zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

Non Stick Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray an oven safe cooling rack with non stick spray. Lay the cooling rack on the baking sheet covered with foil.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a shallow baking dish and stir to combine.

Pour milk into a cereal sized bowl. Dip the zucchini slices in the milk and then dredge well in the breadcrumb mixture. Place each slice on prepared cooling rack, don’t allow sides to touch.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned, outside is crisp and middle is tender.

There’s so many different ways you could make this. You could add Italian seasonings to the breading mixture and dip them in a meat sauce. You could add Mexican seasonings and dip them in a spicy chipotle mayo, you could add fresh herbs and dip them in a lemon vinaigrette…

*Don’t stack them while hot like I’ve done for this photo. The steam will make them soft. If you’re serving them to a crowd, allow them to cook just a bit longer to become extra crisp and then you should be able to place them on a platter without them becoming soft. If you’re just serving them to your family, leave them on the rack and family can help themselves.

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Homemade Pizza Sauce

I don’t have a written recipe for this sauce, I just wing it each time. So I’ll give you my basics and then you can add your own flair.

Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Canned Tomato Paste

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Dried Basil (or fresh if I have it)

Dried Oregano (or fresh if I have it)

Minced Garlic

Kosher Salt and a Little Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until somewhat smooth.

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Sit And Have Lunch With Me, And I’ll Give You An Update!

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I’ve missed you! Every time I try to bake you something wonderful, or even sit down with a few Fall photos to say hello, something else calls for my attention. But a girl has to eat lunch, right? This gives me the perfect opportunity to sit and relax for a few minutes and give you an update on our upcoming life change.

In 11 days the movers will arrive to pack all of our breakables and load the semi truck. I opted to pack all of the non-breakables because it just kills me to give away money for something I can easily (?) do myself. The packing will begin this weekend.

My husband is in New Hampshire  for the third weekend in a row to look at houses. Let me just say that there are an abundance of homes for sale in NH. There’s also an abundance of blue counter tops, purple carpet, wallpaper, and houses that more than likely have ghosts (which I don’t believe in…but why chance it, right?).

People also have so much stuff. I mean so much stuff that it’s hard to see past all of it and envision what the house would look like if you lived in it. Another interesting thing about NH is that unless you live in Manchester, pretty much the entire state is rural. This means that almost every single house is on at least an acre of land. And hundreds of houses on the market are on 3+ acres. Plus going all the way up to 27!  At first we thought we wanted a lot of acreage. I had dreams of huge organic gardens, chickens, maybe a goat for fresh goat’s milk cheese, a barn to lay in the hay and contemplate life…. Then, reality struck. We are used to having dinner parties and family over to the house regularly where we live now, but when we move, it will just be the two of us, two dogs, and a cat. We talked about it and decided that we thought it would be a better idea to downsize. Why have all that to take care of when we would rather spend our weekends and our $$$ traveling around the east and seeing what there is to see? Enter an issue…it’s actually HARD to find a small house in NH. Every house Tony is looking at today has at least 1 acre. And they all have more square footage than we have now. Hmmm…well, if we don’t want a haunted, dusty, wallpapered, purple carpet, blue counter top kind of house, then we’re just going to have to go with it. On the plus side, we’ll have plenty of room for visitors.

So although there are a lot of houses on the market back there, there are not an abundance of houses that we would like to live in or take on as a project. I have searched through at least 900 homes on the internet. Yes, you read that right. Out of those 900 homes, I believe after this weekend Tony will have looked at less than 20 in person. So that gives you an idea of what’s out there. We have a decent price range too. But I keep telling my husband, “Gee honey, if we could just pop it up a notch (several) to a million, we’d have a lot more to choose from.” Ha! Needless to say, that got a good laugh.

If we can find one this weekend and our offer is accepted, then depending on the weather, we will either head to NH or North Carolina to wait it out until it closes. If we don’t find a house, then really, our only option is to try to rent something, somewhere in NH, on a month to month basis until we can find something that is a good fit for us.

I’ve been trying to keep up on all of your blogs every few days! If I haven’t left a little note, please don’t think I’m not looking. I love to see what’s happening with all of you. Things will be getting more hectic, but I’ll try my hardest keep up on all of the exciting things that you guys are all doing too!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

~ April

Focaccia with Olive Oil, White Balsamic, Roasted Garlic, & Goat Cheese

This is incredibly easy. In an hour tops you can have freshly baked focaccia bread dipped or spread with whatever you like. I used a half portion of  my favorite gluten-free french bread mix (add any type of herbs, garlic, seasonings that you like in the bread dough). It was left over from pizza the other night. I used half for the pizza crust and then just sprayed a ziplock with olive oil and stored the remaining dough in the fridge.

First, take a whole head of garlic and slice off the top. Set it on a piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil and herbs. Close up the tinfoil and bake in a small dish (the olive oil will leak)  for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. While the garlic is baking, get the dough ready.

It will be really sticky when you take it out, so you’ll want to have gluten-free flour handy. I covered a small baking sheet with parchment, patted out the dough with floured hands, and lightly poked holes all over it with my fingers. Then, drizzled it generously with olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt, garlic powder, and herbs. I used basil, thyme, and rosemary, because that’s what I had on hand. I also sprinkled it generously with dairy free Parmesan. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and place on top of your stove to rise.

When the garlic is done, remove the plastic from the dough and bake for about 35 minutes or so, but don’t over bake it! You want it to feel “springy” when you touch the middle.

Slice and enjoy however you like. I dipped mine in good olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, spread the roasted garlic on top, and sprinkled it with crumbled goat cheese. And yes, I ate the entire head of garlic in one sitting, by myself. 

Herb Cheese Logs

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Guess what? You can freeze goat cheese. Who knew?

I had no idea. According to the internet, soft cheeses freeze quite well, actually. This opens up all kinds of ideas for different types of goat and sheep’s milk cheeses. This cheese is mild and delicious. Not overly “goaty” like a lot of aged goat or sheep’s milk cheese. Perfect on crackers, toasted baguette slices, on top of a baked potato, in your favorite salad, sprinkled over your favorite pasta dish…the options are endless. You can make it sweet with zest and agave nectar or savory with herbs and spices. I’ve used sweetened goat cheese with breakfast crepes and it was amazing. Get creative!

Goat’s Milk Cheese Logs

*Makes four 4-5 inch logs

1 Gallon Raw Goat or Sheep’s Milk

3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt + more for seasoning later

Juice of 10 Organic Lemons, about 1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

About 2 Tablespoons Organic Chives, chopped

About 2 Tablespoons Organic Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

About 1 1/2 Tablespoons Organic Thyme, chopped

About 2 teaspoons Chopped Garlic ( I used the organic garlic that comes in the jar)

Ground Pepper

I have a new obsession. Making my own goat’s milk and sheep’s milk cheese! Once you try it, you won’t believe how incredibly easy it is.

I’ve read that it’s important to use raw milk because pasteurized milk doesn’t clot the same way. If you’re able, I would suggest trying to find a local organic farm where you can buy the raw milk.  And then of course, use organic lemons and organic herbs. I buy organic and all natural whenever possible. It just makes sense to eat pure, clean, food as much as I can.

But as you probably already have experienced yourself…pure, locally grown food comes with a little sticker shock.

I paid $16.58 for 1 gallon of raw goat’s milk. One gallon of goat’s milk made into cheese gives you about 12 ounces of cheese. That’s about $1.38 per ounce. Expensive, but really no more than you pay in a grocery store. And the satisfaction of making it yourself and knowing exactly what is in it and where the ingredients come from…priceless!

So give it a try, you won’t be disappointed, I promise:

In a large dutch oven or stainless steel pot (do not use aluminum) add several inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes to sanitize.  I carefully sloshed it up and around the sides. Drain, add the milk and salt, stir. Heat to 185-190 degrees stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t scald on the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, line a large strainer with the cheesecloth. I used all of the cheesecloth in the small package I purchased. Just fold it over and make sure it drapes over the sides. Place the strainer over a deep bowl.

When the milk reaches 185-190 ish degrees, remove from heat.

Slowly stir in the lemon juice. It starts to curdle right away.

Add a pinch of parsley, chives, and thyme, reserving the rest for after the cheese has drained. Allow to rest for 25 minutes in the pan.

After it has rested, pour slowly into the cheesecloth. Allow to drain for about 30 minutes.

Do yourself a favor though…keep an eye on it and don’t go check your blog or your Facebook page while you’re waiting for it to drain. Because you’ll end up with this:

And more importantly this…

Carefully pull the sides of the cloth in and twist into a ball, carefully squeezing out some more of the liquid. Allow to rest and drain for another 25 minutes or so checking and draining the bowl every so often so that it is not sitting in its own liquid.

Remove the cheesecloth from the strainer and scrape the cheese off with a spoon into a bowl. Add the remaining herbs and garlic and stir to combine.

Taste and add a bit more kosher salt and a few grinds of good peppercorns.

On a clean working surface pull out a piece of plastic wrap and fold in half. Spoon goat cheese onto the middle of the plastic wrap in a small row.

Gently roll up one side of the plastic wrap and snuggle it over the log. Roll the log to the other end of the plastic wrap, twist the ends tight and tuck under.

Continue to do this with the remaining cheese or if you’re going to use it within a couple of days, you can also make it into one large log or any shape you like, really.

Once all of the cheese has been rolled, refrigerate for three hours. Remove from fridge, roll in one more layer of plastic wrap, cover in tin foil, enclose in a freezer bag and freeze up to one month.

Saturday Night Special – Hors d’ oeuvre & Cocktail Night

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We’ve dubbed Saturday nights our hors d’ oeuvre & cocktail night.

I make fun little meals that can be enjoyed in the backyard with our feet up.  We’ve worked hard to make our backyard our little sanctuary and once the nice weather arrives, we try to enjoy every second possible!

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

*Makes 20

1/2 Package Ground Italian Mild Sausage

1/4 Cup (heaping) Sweet Onion, diced

1/4 Cup (heaping) Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 teaspoon Garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Basil

1/4 Cup Kalamata Olives, chopped

1 Tablespoon Vegan Parmesan plus more for topping

Parlick Fell Sheep’s Milk Cheese, crumbled for topping

20 Cremini Mushrooms, stem scooped out at base

In a large skillet on medium heat, saute the sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, and basil. When sausage is done add the 1 Tablespoon of vegan parmesan and the olives. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet lined with parchment, hole side up. Fill each mushroom with stuffing.

Crumble a little Parlick Fell on each mushroom and sprinkle with more vegan parmesan. Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes.

Spinach Tart

*Makes 4 personal sized tarts

1 Portion of Gluten Free Pie Dough

10 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed & drained

2 Cups Raw Spinach Leaves, packed

4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped

3 Tablespoons Dried Parsley

1 1/2 Tablespoons Dried Dill

1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil, chopped

1/4 Cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped

10 oz of Sheep’s Milk Feta

2 eggs

Roll out the chilled pie dough and fill each tart pan, press in, and trim edges.

Place remaining ingredients except the feta in a medium bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Fold in the crumbled feta.

Fill each tart pan.

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the edges of the crust turn golden.

Sugar Plum Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Sugar Plum Tomatoes

English Cucumber, peeled and sliced

About 6 Basil leaves, torn

Ground Pepper

Olive Oil

White Balsamic Vinegar

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Place desired amount of tomatoes and cucumbers in a small bowl. Add the basil and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Season with ground pepper and kosher sat. Toss to combine.

Of course, no snack night would be complete without a cocktail or good wine and a delicious dessert.

My favorite wine from the Methow Valley.

Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Cream

*This recipe was adapted from the Black Dog Food Blog

(This recipe makes 4 – 1 cup servings. It is very rich and could easily be made into 8 – 1/2 cup servings)

24 oz of silken tofu, blended in food processor or Vitamix until very smooth

20 oz of Dark Belgian Chocolate, chopped & melted

1 1/2 teaspoons Espresso Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

3 Tablespoons Raw Agave Syrup

2 Cans Full Fat Coconut Milk, refrigerated upside down overnight

Pure Vanilla Extract

Powdered Sugar

Raspberries & Apple Mint for garnish

Scrape the blended tofu into a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted chocolate, espresso powder, vanilla, salt, and agave. Whisk until thoroughly combined and very smooth. Set aside.

Remove the coconut cream from the fridge carefully as to not allow the coconut milk on the bottom to mix with the coconut that has settled on top. Remove the lids (which is actually the bottom of the can). Very carefully, scoop out the solid coconut cream stopping as you get close to the liquid and add to an electric mixer. Do this with both cans.

Pour 1/2 Cup of the clear coconut milk into the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Spoon chocolate mixture into dessert dishes.

To the solid coconut milk, add about 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix on high with the whisk attachment, for about 2 minutes. It won’t get as firm as whipping cream made with cow’s milk, but it does set up a bit and will set up even more when refrigerated for a couple of hours.

Spoon the coconut cream on top of the chocolate. Garnish with raspberries and mint.

April’s Gone Crackers

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Not really, I’m still “normal”, I haven’t lost my mind. Yet.

These crackers? These crackers have me jumping for joy. They have me thinking about all of the yummy food combinations you can eat on a cracker that I haven’t been able to eat in years.

To Die For

So yesterday on just an average grocery shopping trip I ran across these amazing little table crackers from Schar. I thought…”Hmm…table crackers. Do I dare?”

Typically gluten-free crackers are either very dense and kind of pasty chalky or very crunchy, like in the form of those round rice crackers you see. Those rice crackers kind of resemble “diet” crackers. They taste like it too. Or how about that certain brand that looks like something you should feed your horse and is likely to send you to the dentist needing a crown and at the very minimum gives you heart burn for a good five hours? We eat them anyway, because really, sometimes life just calls for crackers and how many choices do those of us with multiple food allergies really have?

So after I scanned the ingredients I took a leap and thought, “Why not?”. If they end up tasting like any other gluten-free cracker so what.

Well, let me tell you something…they are amazingly delicious. Hands down the absolute best gluten-free cracker that I have ever had that does not taste GF DF and has perfect texture.

They are kind of a half way point between the texture and taste of a Saltine cracker and those Club crackers we’ve all served at parties. Perfect texture, lovely “normal” cracker flavor. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

So delicious in fact, that I cannot stop thinking about them. I opened them immediately after loading my groceries in the car. Ate 6 of them on the way home and made tons of “I’ve died and gone to Heaven” noises that quickly irritated my son who was along for some visiting time.

Then, I ate another one while putting groceries away. Then, I ate three more at 10:00 PM before bed with that amazing Parlick Fell cheese that I’ve told you about. And this morning, it was all I could do not to eat them for breakfast with peanut butter slathered all over them. So, I settled for an almond milk yogurt for my breakfast and then counted down the hours until I could make lunch with my new-found crackers at a reasonable lunch time.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Or maybe not, because then that just leaves more for me!

A Spring Dinner To Remember

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Spring has finally arrived in the form of beautiful, sunny, skies and pleasantly warm weather! We had what seemed like an unusually long winter, but somehow I remember saying the same thing last year… not really sure if it’s true, but I think it is safe to say that we are all definitely ready for some warmer weather and sunlight.

While my husband was taking hang gliding lessons yesterday, I was planning a spring celebration dinner that we could enjoy in the back yard. It ended up being an incredibly gorgeous day and I cannot tell you how nice it was to sit in the back yard, listen to the birds, and soak up as much of the beautiful weather as we could. All of the tree buds are opening up and even the lilacs are preparing themselves for warmer days.

I wish this tree could stay this gorgeous all summer! By this afternoon it will be filled with hundreds and hundreds of honeybees.

I love to sit on the porch and listen to them all.

 This is one of three lilacs that I had to cut way back last year because they were having “issues”.  I was worried that they wouldn’t recover, but it looks like they are going to have a good year. Fingers crossed. I can’t remember the name of this one but it smells divine. It sits right off our back deck and if it blooms like it’s supposed to, soon the entire main floor of our house will be filled with its gorgeous perfume.

This is our favorite tree. It has 4 different stages it goes through to prepare for summer. This stage where it begins to bud, then a flowering stage which isn’t quite as pleasant because although it looks gorgeous…the flowers smell like cat pee at night. The third stage is when the flowers drop and large green leaves appear, and then in the final stage the green leaves darken to a beautiful deep purple that shades our hot tub and hides us from the neighbors.

Last night was the first time I’ve ever had swordfish. Not being a fish lover I was a little apprehensive but it was interesting to me to learn that they hold together well on a skewer as a kabob. Fish on a kabob? Why not!

For some reason “celebration” for me either translates into an array of decadent desserts or Mexican food. Even though it would be wonderful to have an array of desserts for dinner, I figured my husband would probably want a real meal after a work out of hang gliding and then mountain biking. So I came up with a nice little Mexican feast for us to celebrate such a lovely weekend.

Oh yes, I almost forgot…Swordfish is now my new favorite fish!

Swordfish Skewers with Spicy Kumquat & Mango Salsa for Two

For the Swordfish Skewers:

A little over 1 Pound of Swordfish Steak, cubed (about 10 pieces)

2 Pablano Peppers, cleaned and cubed

1 Small Red Onion, cubed

Olive Oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1/2 – 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

Pinch of Kosher Salt

1/2 Lime, juiced

Pat the fish dry and place in a small zipper plastic back. Drizzle with about  1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, minced garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt. Seal the bag, gently massage for a few seconds and refrigerate.

Next, place the pablano and onion cubes in a large zipper bag. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, about 1 1/2  Tablespoons chopped cilantro, the juice of 1/2 a lime, a good pinch of kosher salt, and several grinds of pepper. Seal the bag, gently massage for a few seconds and refrigerate.

After the Swordfish and vegetables have marinated (mine marinated for 7 hours), layer the ingredients on skewers.

Set aside and allow them to come to room temperature. Heat gas grill to 425 degrees. Grill skewers for about 4 -5 minutes on each side until the Swordfish is almost cooked through and vegetables are grilled and crispy on the edges. It will go very quickly.

Top with the Spicy Kumquat & Mango Salsa.

 Spicy Kumquat & Mango Salsa: 

6 Kumquats, each sliced into 8 sections, seeds removed

1 Mango, peeled and cubed

2 Tablespoons Red Onion, diced

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeds and membrane intact

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Raw Agave Syrup

1 1/2 Limes, juiced

 Place all ingredients in a bowl, stir, cover, and refrigerate. I allowed the fish, vegetables, and salsa to marinate for 7 hours.

Simple Tostadas

4 Corn Tortillas (You really only need 2)

Canola Oil (or whatever frying oil you like)

Kosher Salt

About 1 Cup Shredded Lettuce (I used iceberg because it was left over from the asian chicken wraps)

1 Tomato, diced

1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced

Dairy Free Cheese (I used Daiya Cheddar Style)

Refried Black Beans (I used canned low-fat Rosarita brand)

Pour about 2 cups of the oil in a small saucepan. (Make sure pets and kids are out of the kitchen…I’m sure I don’t have to give you lessons on how dangerous frying in oil can be.) Heat on medium-high. Fry tortillas one at a time until they are crisp and lightly browned on both sides. It only takes about 1  minute per side. Remove to a plate covered with a couple of paper towels. Blot lightly and sprinkle with kosher salt.

**I fried these right before I was ready to serve dinner. If you’re cooking for a larger crowd you can also buy them already crisp (make sure they’re gluten-free) or, you could fry them ahead of time, allow them to cool completely, and then place them in a zipper bag until dinner.

Plate the tostadas and spread a thick layer of beans over the top. Next, add the cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Serve with Tabasco and lime wedges.


Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

10 Strawberries

3 ounces of Dark Chocolate (Dairy Free)

Pretty much the easiest dessert on earth and always pretty. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, dip strawberries, and refrigerate until dinner is served. Allow to sit out and come to room temperature before eating. If you don’t, they will stick to the plate.

Lime Margaritas

1800 Silver Tequila (100% Agave)

Lime Juice (I used Simply Lime)

Limes, quartered

Kosher Salt

Granulated Sugar

Crystallized Lime (I used True Lime)

Ice

I’m not sure this can be truly categorized as a margarita. I don’t make a lot of mixed cocktails but of the 3 or 4 I do make, this is my favorite.

In a small ramekin add about 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 Tablespoon crystallized lime. Stir to combine and pour on a small plate. Wet the rim of a tumbler with a quarter of lime and dip the rim of the glass in the sugar mixture.

Add ice, I like to fill mine 3/4 full. Add tequila, I don’t measure… but I probably add 2 shots. Fill remainder of glass with lime juice. Squeeze a couple of pieces of lime and leave in glass as a garnish.

Yum!

Asian Lettuce Wraps & Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes

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Love, love, love, lettuce wraps.

This recipe makes a double batch. However, there are only two of us, so if you have a large family of 4 or more, the entire recipe will be perfect. We eat about half and I freeze the other half for another dinner or lunch.

Lettuce wraps are also great for an appetizer party. My aunt puts the meat in a crockpot and just places the lettuce cups next to it. Everyone can serve themselves.

Did you know that PF Chang’s has gluten-free lettuce wraps? They have an entire gluten-free menu if you’re interested. Make sure when you order that you double-check that the condiments they bring to the table are also gluten-free.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

*This recipe is adapted from my aunt, Judy Zumeks’ recipe.

14 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs (sounds like a lot but they are small – you can also use ground turkey or pork)

1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced (I had green, you can also use red, yellow, or orange)

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Ginger

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 8oz Can Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped

 8 Tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce

3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (make sure it’s gluten-free)

3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

7 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I use gluten-free Tamari sauce)

3 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce

4 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Olive Oil

Iceberg Lettuce (or any type of lettuce you like, I like the iceberg because it’s firm and crisp)

In two batches, place the chicken thighs in a food processor and pulse until “ground”.  I thought I had ground turkey in the freezer but I did not, so this is what I settled with and I am so happy I did! It’s incredibly easy to “grind” and less expensive than buying organic ground meat. I will never buy ground chicken, turkey, or pork again.

Place the ground meat (both batches) in a bowl and add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, and green onions.

Stir to combine. Drizzle the olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the chicken mixture and cook until meat is done. It will turn a pale color, don’t cook it until it is browned, the garlic will burn and the chicken will be tough. Once the chicken is done, add the chili sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, water chestnuts, and cilantro. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.

This meal was incredibly easy so right after dinner I even had time to make my Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes for dessert. (Of which my husband and I ate 3 each and then were so loaded up on sugar we couldn’t sleep. Two is perfect…three might have been just one too many. But they were so good!)

Welcoming Spring

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I am happy to announce (probably not as happy as you), that you will no longer have to hear me whine about our horrible weather.

What was seemingly an infinite winter, has finally disappeared to wherever winter goes and spring has arrived. We spent the day enjoying every bit of the weather we could with a picnic at our favorite park and a nice walk with the dogs. It was so wonderful to soak up that sun and feel the warm breeze! And I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to hear that tomorrow is even supposed to be better than today!

Because we can finally see a light at the end of the winter tunnel, it won’t be a big deal if we get a little more rain here and there. The hope of sunny days ahead and the taste of today and tomorrow will tide us over, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be planting herbs on the deck and filling pots with flowers. Before we know it, we’ll be relaxing in lawn chairs, sipping cocktails in the backyard, and watching the sun set – one of our favorite weekend evening past times.

In honor of spring’s arrival today, I made us a lovely dinner full of spring colors. Did I also mention it was simple? Incredibly simple, fresh, and delicious. Perfect for the day after all of that Easter indulgence.

(*Serves 2) 

Pesto Bruschetta

6 Pieces of Left Over GF French Bread (This recipe makes 2 loaves. We always eat one fresh and then I freeze the second for bruschetta.)

6 Tablespoons of Vegan Pesto (When making this, I always try to make a double batch so there is plenty to freeze and use whenever I need it.)

About 12 Organic Cherry Tomatoes

About 2 ounces of Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Freshly Ground Pepper

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil until toasted. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of pesto on each piece of bread. Slice tomatoes in half and distribute evenly. Crumble sheep’s milk cheese evenly. Grind pepper on each piece and drizzle with olive oil. Place under broiler when vegetables are placed on grill. Remove when tomatoes are softened and cheese begins to bubble and brown. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  

Vegetable Kabob & Grilled Zucchini

2 Small Organic Zucchini

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper

1 Organic Yellow Bell Pepper

2 Small Organic Sweet Onions

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

Dried Parsley

Cut peppers and onions into large chunks and place in medium bowl. Remove ends of zucchini, slice lengthwise and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and dried parsley, toss until thoroughly coated. Add to medium-high grill about 6 minutes after the chicken has been added. Add the zucchini a few minutes after the peppers and onions have been on the grill. It cooks very quickly.

Simple Grilled Chicken

2 Organic Chicken Breasts

GF BBQ Sauce

Rice Vinegar with Herbs

Rinse and dry chicken breasts and place in a medium bowl. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup rice vinegar. Stir to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes. Place on medium-high grill 6 minutes before adding the vegetables to the grill.


Happy Easter

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Another beautiful Easter has already come and gone. My mom and our son joined us this year…I only had to cook for 4 people! I’m used to cooking for a crowd on special occasions at our house. It felt a little odd to not have to cook for days in advance, but it was such a nice, relaxing, visit. We were even blessed with a sunny day! Something we haven’t had in a long, long, time.

As we sat at the table gabbing and eating and eating and eating…I was thanking God for how blessed I am. Truly, truly, blessed in so many ways, they are innumerable. I love those quiet moments in your head where you can stop in the middle of the busyness to really take a look around and soak it all in. I hope you all were able to spend this day with some of the people you love.

I thought it was funny that it took me 43 years to realize that I don’t need to do Easter Baskets with that crazy grass that you end up finding in your house for the next two months…this year, I just did gift bags with tissue and it worked just as well. Silly how we stick to certain traditions even though there are parts of them we don’t like (like plastic colored grass). It’s a tradition yes, but we can change it up any way we like and make our own traditions, right?

Kurobuta Ham  (Japanese Black Hog)

This is the second time we’ve purchased a Kurobuta Ham to serve on Easter. Have you ever had one?  They are delicious, they’ve been dubbed the “Kobe beef” of pork. I’ve never had Kobe beef, so I’ll have to take their word for it and honestly, I can’t think of one reason to argue.

I wanted to prepare it the Bartolini Kitchen’s way…however, there were only two of us at the table that care for fennel. So I’ll have to wait until I’m cooking for a bigger crowd to try John’s roast pork with fennel.

I like to slather mine with Dijon mustard and then pack it with brown sugar. They are fully cooked so all you need to do is bring it to room temperature, heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook it for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer is almost at 150 degrees. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Twice Baked Potatoes

8 Russet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

Fresh Herbs Of Your Choice (I used a mixture of dried herbs for the outside of the potatoes)

Daiya Cheddar Style Cheese, about 3/4 Cup

Sheep’s Milk Cheese, about 1/4 Cup crumbled

Vegan Parmesan, about 1/8 Cup

Fresh Rosemary & Thyme, snipped

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Almond Milk, about 1/2 cup

Place each potato on a square of foil, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, garlic powder, and herbs. Roll up in tin foil and bake at 350 degrees until done. Allow to cool.

Slice each potato in half. I only stuffed 6 and used the innards from the remaining potatoes to add to the filling. I always make 2 extra potatoes to add to the filling.

With a small spoon carefully spoon out the potato filling into a medium bowl. Leave enough potato in the skins so that the potato will stand on its own without collapsing in on itself. Place the skins in a baking dish.

Add the cheeses, rosemary, thyme, salt, and ground pepper to the potatoes. Mash by hand until combined.

Warm the almond milk and add slowly while mashing. Mash them to the texture you like. I prefer mine with a little body.

Fill each shell and bake at about 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until tops are starting to brown.

 I also served steamed, organic carrots and sautéed organic green beans with garlic and wine along with the ham and twice baked potatoes. And it wouldn’t be Easter without deviled eggs as a little pre-dinner snack.

Lavender scented candles set the mood for a relaxing meal.

 Mud Pie (Layered Ice Cream Pie)

3 Pints of Dairy Free Ice Cream

(I prefer Luna & Larry’s Coconut Milk Ice Cream – I used Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge, Dark Chocolate, and Naked Coconut)

2 Boxes of Dairy Free & Gluten Free Dark Chocolate – Chocolate Chunk Cookies (I prefer Pamela’s)

Organic Crunchy Peanut  Butter

1 Ounce of Dairy Free Chocolate, chopped

2 Ounces of Dairy Free Chocolate, melted

Sprinkles

Since I wasn’t having to cook for a crowd this year I hemmed and hawed over all of my dessert choices. In the past when we’ve had larger groups, I’ve made several types of cookies, pies, or cakes. I finally settled on this because it was out of the ordinary – well, out of my “ordinary” for Easter, and I knew my husband and son would love it.

This pie is a bit of a project not because it’s hard, but because it takes time. You need to freeze each layer, which means you either need a long morning or a long afternoon to complete it. I made it yesterday morning, so I wasn’t pressed for time today. You should also be forewarned about the cost. If you’re making this gluten-free and dairy free…it’s not cheap. As you may already know, a pint of dairy free ice cream is about $5.99, this takes three. Then it takes two boxes of dairy free and gluten-free cookies, also expensive. Then there’s organic peanut butter, chopped chocolate… I save this recipe for special holidays and birthdays.

Believe me, it’s worth it.

First, line a spring form pan with plastic wrap.

Next, place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until ground.

Turn the food processor on and drizzle the melted butter in until the mixture begins to come together.

 Spoon the cookie mixture into the spring form pan and with a piece of plastic wrap, press the cookies into the pan, scooting about an inch up the sides. Make sure it is firmly pressed.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set. Remove one pint of ice cream, remove the lid, and allow it to sit on the counter to soften for 45 minutes.

Scoop the ice cream in a bowl and stir. Spread onto the frozen cookie crust.

Cover and place in the freezer for 45 minutes.

Remove from freezer and spread with 1/2 jar of crunchy peanut butter. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove another pint of ice cream and repeat the same process as above.

On this layer (the third layer) chop one ounce of chocolate and sprinkle over the top of the second pint of ice cream that you’ve spread over the frozen peanut butter. Cover with plastic and freeze for 45 minutes. Remove the last pint of ice cream and repeat the process.

 Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 ounces of chocolate. Drizzle over the top of the last layer and lightly cover with sprinkles.

Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Will keep in the freezer for up to 5 days.

From my family to yours – Happy Easter and many, many, spring blessings to you!

Tomato Salad with Sheep’s Milk Cheese and Fresh Basil

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I found the cutest little organic tomatoes the other day at Trader Joe’s. I was also excited to run across white balsamic vinegar. I didn’t even know such a thing existed! It opens up a whole new wave of ideas where a dark balsamic can’t be used.

Trader Joe’s is new to our area. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with its tiny size and lack of a gluten-free aisle. I think I was secretly hoping for a Whole Foods experience. Whole Foods it’s not, however, their organic produce prices cannot be beat.  Now I make a trip up there just about every Friday to stock up on fresh, organic, veggies for the week ahead.

This is a simple salad that can be eaten alone or served as a side. I think it would go wonderfully with gluten-free focaccia bread with a little side of balsamic and olive oil…maybe some roasted garlic…

Tomato Salad with Sheep’s Milk Cheese and Fresh Basil

Organic Cherry Tomatoes (variety)

Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Fresh Basil

Olive Oil

White Balsamic

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Slice some of the larger tomatoes in half. Tear a couple of basil leaves into small pieces, drizzle with olive oil and white balsamic, season with sea salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Crumble the sheep’s milk cheese and fold into the tomato mixture.