October 29 - November 4

Highlights from this week were not meal related. As you can see, we were too busy with Halloween and other festivities to plan and make thoughtful dinners. Instead of food photos, enjoy these candy, costume, and fencing photos. Yes, we fenced this week. It was hilarious. 

October 29 - Frozen Pizza and Caesar Salad
Again!? I know. I know. Like I said, we were too distracted getting well and getting ready for Halloween. I vow better things in November. Stick with me! Nothing new here, save for the fact that Freschetta has moved their GF pizza option to a "personal pan" size meaning that I spend the same amount for less than half the pizza. Boo. As such, the boys has the good old glutenous kind and, of course, loved it. We had a kale casear salad kit to pair with it.


October 30 - Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries and Kale/Cabbage Salad
I'm nearly done with the pack of frozen turkey burgers I bought this summer. This meal took us down to the last two! Wahoo. It couldn't matter so much save for the fact that I have a Barbie-sized freezer. 4 things fit in it and only when placed in an exact way, just-so. Infuriating! A chest freezer is on the wish list, for sure. In the mean time, we eat through what we have to make room for new things. So, it was turkey burgers to the rescue, again! I used my stand-by Alexia sweet potato fries and the cabbage/kale salad kit from Fred Meyer. Yawn. Nothing to get too excited about, but a descent dinner for a Friday night.

October 31 - Candy and Other Snacks...but let's be honest, candy.
After our fencing adventure in the day we stopped for a late lunch, then, when we returned home the kiddo ate an early dinner so we could get ready to trick-or-treat (in the torrential rain).  As such, I thik I'll call this night's dinner what it was: candy. We didn't have much but we did have it, and it was just around dinner time. I recall eating something "real" as a snack after the toddler went to bed but I don't know what it was.

November 1 - Leftover Pizza and Kale Salad
We had a lovely lunch at our dear friend's house (see photo of our sons together above in the silly glasses) where at my friend made Cranberry Chicken Pilaf. By the time we got home we just wanted to veg out (and mourn the lack of light at 5pm after the end of day light savings time!) so we had leftover pizza and tossed together a fresh kale, pepper, and carrot salad.

November 2 - Kale Frittata
I've made this before a bunch of times and we all always love it. It appeared on my meal plan for a couple weeks in a row, but every time I went to make it I was always short on eggs. I finally had enough this night and so we got to enjoy this dish again! I accidentally got turkey bacon instead of pork: oops! While I'm not always a fan, it worked in this dish (recall that I use pre-cooked bacon instead of the recipe's called for pepperoni). Yum. And healthy. And a meal I actually made from ingredients! Yay me!

November 3 - Chickpea Curry
This one was so tasty and easy the first time I made it, I had to try it again. Turns out it was just as good and simple the second time around. Wahoo! I used 1 TBS of Sriracha and 2 TBS of honey and felt the sweet-to-hot balance was just right. FYI. Seriously, though, such a simple and wholesome dish. I also served this with spinach (we tossed it in our bowls just as we were serving it so it wilted but wasn't a stringy soggy mess) and it was delicious and added some needed greens to our plates (and lives!). If you like a curry, you must try this.

November 4 - Microwave Chicken Fajitas 
I don't love to cook in the microwave, I'll use it to reheat things but don't use it as a primary heat source in meal preparation. But, my mom (who sells Pampered Chef) got me hooked on this Deep Dish Covered Baker that you can use in the microwave and still get juicy, tender, tasty food (especially protein). The key, so she says, is that the microwave heats the stone and the stone cooks the food. I'll buy it. This dish is a must-have for a busy night, just as simple as chop, beep, and serve. I can get it on the table in under a half hour, and that's with all the prep. Yes, please! 

October 22 - 28

Yep, photos of food continued to allude me this week. You'd think I'd have caught on by now, right? Good thing I have a goofy spouse and cute kid to distract you. 

October 22 - Breakfast for Dinner
This week is honestly a little hazy to me. I'm catching up on posts from about 3 weeks back and this was the thick of "everyone is sick, what are we going to eat?!" I didn't do a great job of making or following a meal plan, noting what we actually ate, or, documenting my meals. So, apparently I am human. ;) I'm fairly certain there was a breakfast for dinner that happened this week, though, and I know it wasn't any of the other days, so we're going to pretend that is what we had on this night. Again, this a is standby and shows up when we get overwhelmed. Usually it involves a breakfast bread (waffle, pancake, bread, or bagel -- all of which we find GF), eggs in some fashion, and breakfast meats (we love turkey sausage and bacon).

October 23 - Takeout Thai from Thai Village in Wilsonville
I had to work late this night and I picked up dinner on my way home. This is our favorite Thai place in the area. We usually get a Curry - this time it was Panang - (with tofu or chicken) and the Mango Paradaise (with chicken or shrimp). They never disappoint. This time I got "medium" spice level and enjoyed the little kick, especially since we were fighting the chest/head cold.

October 24 - Leftovers
Not my finest week of cooking so far, eah? Sometimes, you and your spouse and your kid are all sick and you just need to put calories in. That's what we did. Blessed, blessed Thai leftovers. Thank you for your tasty ease.


October 25 - Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
I made real food this day (cue applause)! This is a recipe my mom adapted from several she found. They live in North Dakota (a land where wild rice is abundant, donchaknow!) and when they moved there mom was determined to find a good recipe. She made this for us on one of our visits out there and it was tasty and hearty. My version was similar. Great for the turn in weather to fall conditions. I liked serving this with a piece of toasted GF bread and a small smear of butter.

October 26 - Mashed Chickpea Salad
I've made this before a couple of times and loved it every time. It is such a bright, crunchy, healthy dish and I love that it keeps well in the fridge. I actually made this at the same time I did the soup and just packed it up and kept it for the next day. That method is actually how me and the hubs used to cook prior to the arrival of the kiddo. We used to spend a weekend day making 2 or 3 big things and just portion them out for the week of lunches and dinners. It was rad. But, now we spend weekend days fabricating Halloween costumes, building forts, and taking part in epic and unending rounds of "hide and seek".


October 27 - Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Leftovers
One of the best things about a big pot of soup is the fact that it is big. All the work pays off when you get to revisit your yummies for lunch or dinner with the ease of reheating. Wahoo!


October 28 - Sausage, Pepper, and Potato Hash with Roasted Brussel Sprouts
My in-laws joined us for dinner on this night and I made this new recipe. It was tasty and easy (mostly just chopping and sauteing). It was tasty but almost felt like a breakfast dish, I kept thinking it would have been great topped with a fried egg.  I adapted it by putting the potatoes in the oven rather than roasting them stove top. That required less attention (so I could direct mine to the kiddo). The potatoes roasted right alongside my sprouts. For those I cut off the bottoms and cut them in half and then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. If I have one on hand I add a chopped shallot to the mix, too, that gives a nice punch of flavor. Then, I roast at 400-450 for 30-60 minutes until the get tender in the center and some of the leaves start to blacken. Yum.

October 15 - 21

 I got two meals captured this week. Here's a cute kid pic to help round out the collage.

October 15 - Lentil, Cauliflower, and Sweet Potato Curry
This was decent and a good way to bulk up a curry with some protein and veggies, but it wasn't honestly my favorite curry recipe. I went ahead and bought the special Tikka Masala curry paste that the recipe calls for (I found it on Amazon, thanks Prime!) and it was pretty tasty. I think the proportions were a little off, though. I added more broth than it called for and it was still a little dry and the cauliflower certainly over powered the dish. I also forwent the black mustard seeds (found those on Amazon, too, just didn't want to have them hanging around) and I don't think we missed out terribly without their presence. If you're looking for curry I suggest a red lentil and butternut squash recipe that I make every fall or the chickpea curry that I made a few weeks back that was rad, both are superior to this one.

October 16 - Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
First of all the pecans in the salad were amazing. I'm planning on making them separately for Christmas gifts (and so the hubs can enjoy them again, he RAVED about them).

Second, the salad was decent but my fatal error was using chopped baby kale and dressing it too early before dinner. Somewhere in the midst of all that the kale wilted and it was a bit more soggy than can really be called delicious by the time we ate it. All that said: the recipe warrants making again because all the elements were yummy and it could go so well assuming I made those few changes. I'm thinking it would be a good side dish at a holiday meal.

October 17 - Frozen Pizza and Salad
I'm not proud of the number of times this meal appears in our menu plan, and yet, that doesn't stop me from eating it with unabashed joy. There is always salad. We always eat that first. And it is always good salad, with dark leafy greens. So, I can take some solace in that. As a final plea to my Catholic guilt, this was slated to be a date night and we stayed in because the kiddo came down with croup in the afternoon (no fun for him or a babysitter). So, pizza felt like a decent alternative to a meal out without a kid in tow.  We shopped at New Season for this meal (and just handed over our wallets upon entry, as is necessary when shopping there). We got a Caesar salad kit and I honestly don't recall the brand of pizza. It was neither  so bad or so good that it needs referencing here.

October 18 - White Beans with Spinach and Sausage
This was good and easy. Win. Win. Mine turned out a little salty, but I think it was my fault in the "to taste" seasoning rather than an error in the recipe. I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand and so this has become part of my "oops, what's for dinner?" playbook. There was also something for everyone in this dish: meat, beans, and greens makes it appealing and balanced. Wahoo.

October 19 - Parmesan Crusted Salmon with Broccoli
This was also good. I substituted GF bread crumbs and it worked well. I left the skin on the salmon and it turned out fine. And, I roughly halved the topping recipe as I had half as much salmon and it worked well. I'm always looking for a new way to make salmon and this is defiantly to which we will return. Something really gratifying about cooking everything in one pan (that's my dinner M.O.) and you'll love the oven roasted broccoli if you haven't had it before. Slurp!

October 20 - Pesto Pasta Toss with Italian Sausage
I've make a version of this every few weeks. Its is easy, mostly wholesome, and a crowd pleaser. For whatever reason I forgot to buy a zucchini and I was out of frozen stock from the summer (how is that possible?!) so I substituted with chopped spinach and broccoli. It turned it into more of a primavera style dish which was yummy. Great way to use up extra veggies in the fridge, too.

Chop a whole purple onion, a red bell pepper, and grate a zucchini. Boil water for pasta and cook according to package instructions. Saute the onion and 3 cloves garlic until onion is translucent. Add pepper. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When pepper is crisp-tender, add zucchini, 2 TBS of white wine, and 2 TBS of lemon juice. After the pasta is cooked and drained, toss it in the veggie mixture and toss to coat with about 1/2 the container of pesto (about 1/4-1/2 cup). Then, use the pasta pot to pan fry the sausage (I pre-cut into rounds). Toss together and sprinkle with Italian herbs (fresh or dried) of your choosing and serve with grated parmsean and fresh greens.

October 21 - Taco Salad
Another standby. Open a can of black beans, drain, rinse, toss into a pan to heat. Chop a tomato, an avocado, a lime, cilantro (if you roll like that), and a couple leaves of romaine lettuce. Open your favorite bag of tortilla chips, can of black olives, salsa, sour cream, and pre-grated Mexican blend cheese (sure, you could be classy and grate your own cheese, that sounds like work to me). If you're feeling really adventurous and have the tortillas around, you can make some quesadillas with the extra cheese.

Assemble salad according to the wisdom of my great-grandmother: "Put what you like!" I start with a bed of lettuce, add beans and veggies, and top with salsa. I eat with a small handful of chips (small because otherwise I'd eat the whole bag: Yum!)

October 8 - 14

OOPS! This has been sitting unpublished in my drafts folder. Sorry about that. Eat well!

As you can see, I failed miserably at taking photos of my meals this week. Hopefully cute pictures of my family will make up for the disappointment.

October 8 - Out at La Sen in Tualatin
The kiddo was sick all day this day so my wonderful husband brought home dinner so I didn't have to unearth myself from the feverish toddler to cook. I got the pho with beef broth with chicken in it (rather than beef) and it was rad. I prefer the beef broth on this one, it is more savory and flavorful. But, not having eaten real beef itself for over 2 decades, I opted for the easier-for-me-to-digest, chicken.

October 9 - Fred Meyer Sushi (California Roll)
We grabbed sushi to have in the cafe at Fred Meyer before we headed to Bend this evening. Since I'm currently avoiding soy, it was not as delicious as usual (as I couldn't mix the wasabi with tamari for a dipping sauce) but it was still tasty and good pre-road-trip fare. Double bonus: the toddler ate his first sushi roll. Wahoo!

October 10 - 
Out at Kebaba in Bend (lunch)
This was recommended to us by our friend's mom. Thanks Mabel! What a great choice. I had the vegetarian mezza with a chicken kebab. Yum, yum, double yum.

Out at Spork in Bend (dinner)
You may recall that I went here last time we were in Bend. It was so good I went back. This time I had the Grilled Vegetable Coconut Green Curry with Chicken. It was awesome. Spicy but not too much. And the perfect balance of roasted and fresh flavors.

October 11 - Turkey Sandwiches 
After 4 hours in the car and returning home to a very empty fridge, it was time for something easy and to use what I had on hand. Same old, same old here. Good thing we like these. ;)

October 12 - Oven Pancakes with Berries and Turkey Breakfast Sausage
Oven pancakes used to be a Saturday morning stand-by at our house until gluten went the way of the do-do. I hadn't tried it with GF flour and I'm not sure why. I was trying to keep up the tradition of breakfast for dinner while dad is away, but didn't want another night of GF waffles and scrambled eggs. I'm glad I remembered these. You don't get the same awesome souffle effect with the GF flours, but the taste is spot on. I topped with a little butter, some lemon juice, 1/3 cup of mixed berries (defrosted from our picking adventures this summer), and a sprinkle (or two) of powdered sugar. I served with ready-to-eat turkey breakfast sausage. We were happy and full.

Oven Pancakes
Preheat oven to 425

Beat 3 eggs with 3/4 cup milk (or alternative milk if needed/wanted). *Note it is best to use eggs that are room temperature.

Add 1/4 cup gluten free flour mix, 1/4 cup coconut flour, and 1/4 cup almond flour and mix until well blended.

Pour batter into 1-2 greased round baking dishes (8-9 inch) and bake for 15 minutes.

October 13 -Turkey Burgers with GF Buns, Sweet Potato Fries, and Southwest Chopped Salad
I am trying to use up things that have been in the freezer since summer, so I put some of the remaining "have these around in case of an improptu BBQ" turkey burgers to use. Since I went GF we often skip the bun, but I splurged this time and bought them. I served with our standard Alexia SPF's and a Fred Meyer brand of chopped salad kit that was southwest themed. All was tasty. I'm ready, though, after a two week hiatus from real cooking not only to get back to making things for myself but to do so with things that involve more than opening a package and heating something premade. Sigh.

October 14 - Shrimp Scampi with Spinach Salad
This was yummy and super easy. Sometimes I serve a scampi over zucchini noodles "zoodles" but I opted for GF spaghetti this time. It was tasty. The toddler thought it was "too spicy" with the red pepper flakes and my hubs said it was a little heavy on the garlic (which, around here is saying something, garlic goes in EVERYTHING). I think it was tasty just as it was.

The spinach salad was just spinach, chopped peppers, grated carrot, and some cucumber. I usually have an assortment of dressings from which to choose - those can be gluten hiders, though, so be sure to check your labels!

October 1 - 7

You get no pictures of my food. I took no pictures of my food. But, here are some of my trip to Vegas. Apparently I took pictures of my drinks. Appropriate.  

Also, you'll note the box from Sprinkles Cupcakes. I was too full from dinner that night to partake. But, if you're in Vegas you must check them out. They have one GF option (Red Velvet) and they have a cupcake ATM. Super Cool.

October 1 - Take out from Habibi
Habibi is one of my favorites in Portland. Don't judge them by their website, which is a little silly. The food is the real deal! I like the Vegan Mezza (with out the pita, boo!) and I add a chicken skewer for more protein. I had a delicious cupcake from Petunia's, too. If you don't know about this place, you should. It is vegan and gluten free and a little like my version of paradise. Everything there is good, I've even eaten lunch there and it was also scrumptious. Thanks to my wonderful husband for making my birthday meal special and easy!

October 2 - Taco Salad and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
I slow cooked the chicken breasts in a can of diced green chilies. It was good, but needed a little more salt and acid. I think next time I might add some pickled jalepenos to the mix to get that balance. Otherwise, I chopped romaine lettuce, tomato, and avocado. I heated a can of black beans and a couple of cups of pre-made white rice (I had it from a day or two before). I served with pre-grated Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, chopped black olives, salsa, and tortilla chips. Yum. This is a go-to delicious meal that takes very little effort. Horray! I made my stand-by carrot cake. You made your own birthday cake?! Well, not really, my friend Brian and I were celebrating our combined birthday so I was really making it for him, but I got to enjoy it, too. Yum.

October 3 -  Out at Earl of Sandwich in Las Vegas
I learned that what happens in Vegas isn't usually gluten free. I found the food court in Caesar's Palace (where I was staying) late after I arrived and the only option that was suitable for me was a pre-fab Cobb salad. It was decent but, like most things in the sin city, overpriced.

October 4 - Out at Cafe Americano in Las Vegas
I shared some chips and guacamole with my friend Nicole. It was tasty. We also had drinks. Those were good, too. We munched on a late snack that day and intended to eat at the conference welcome reception later that evening. I ended up eating ice cream at that as it was the shortest of the lines. Not a banner day for health and wellness, but what do you expect in Vegas?

October 5 - Out at Spago in Las Vegas
Despite the flash flood warnings intruding as harbingers of doom on our phones, this was a lovely meal. Our waiter was fantastic and had committed the gluten free menu to heart and did not make me feel out of place or like I was asking for the moon when I asked for gluten free options. Sigh. I had a GF BBQ chicken pizza (which I was assured was not tossed in regular flour) and it was tasty. We also shared a delicious little starter salad with lots of yummy parts, non of which I remember but all of which were scrumptious together. 

October 6 - Out at Searsucker in Las Vegas
Another GF win in Vegas! I had the most amazing brussel sprouts I've ever had, despite that they turned my tongue and teeth a little black (due to the vinegar glaze) and then a CRAB CAKE! You may be asking, why are you screaming?! Well, because crab cakes are a thing I love that I almost never eat anymore, because I'm too lazy to make my own an normally they are made with breadcrumbs by others. But these were heavenly and free of gluten. Huzzah! 

October 7 - Turkey Sandwiches
What's the anti-vegas? Homemade turkey sandwiches. A little avocado, tomato, lettuce, and mayo. And, zip-zip-zoom. You're all set. Not over priced. Not opulent. Not even really that memorable. But, oh, so, good! 

September 24 - 30

September 24 - Coconut Almond Chicken
I make this every couple of months (last on July 1). It is hearty, healthy, and very yummy. Sometimes I serve it over rice, sometimes not. This time I served it plain and it was delicious.

September 25 - Zucchini Fritters with Sausage
These were pretty good. I, of course, used GF flour instead of regular. And, I hauled out the frozen shredded zucchini for this dish and was able to use up all of the remaining stock. My second batch turned out better because I actually let the oil and pan get hot enough to cook them at the right temperature. I had left over Sriracha mayo that I topped this with rather than making the chili lime mayo, but that sounded yummy, too. I served these with roasted chicken sausage, which was a good addition of protein and salt for the dish overall. I think left over fritters would be good topped with an over-easy egg.

September 26 - Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Cauliflower and Steamed Green Beans

Fall means I start craving hearty food. This meatloaf is so filled with herbs and veggies it isn't your traditional "mommas" meatloaf. Very easy to whip together and I cook it in my mini loaf pans to shorten cook time and limit portions.


For the cauliflower mash: I used 2 cups riced cauliflower, 1 peeled and chopped Yukon gold potato, and 1 peeled and chopped parsnip (the one that looks like a big white carrot). I steam all together until the potato and parsnip are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Then, I add a bit of butter and milk and mash until smooth. I know adding the one potato brings the starch content up a bit on this, but it is worth the trade off for consistency of texture. Also, you don't have to rice the cauliflower, I just had some leftover from another recipe. Finally, I like the parsnip because it is another root veggie (yay for minerals!) and it adds a yummy nutty flavor to the whole thing.

Green beans are easy: snap, steam, and serve crisp-tender. They are great for dipping in that mash.

September 27 - Salmon Coconut Curry
We pulled this recipe from a Runner's World magazine back in 2012. Every time I make it we enjoy it and remember how lovely all the flavors of this particular curry compliment one another. I didn't have any tomato paste on hand so I used about a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. It worked. I forgot to make the rice ahead of time so on this night we had it without (the gluten eaters around here had naan: jealous!) but we made some rice to use for the leftover portions.

Here's what you do:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet/curry pan. Add 2 chopped shallots and 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 2 cups chicken broth/stock, 14 oz of light coconut milk (one small can), 2 cubed sweet potatoes, 2 TBS tomato paste, 1 TBS minced ginger, 1 TBS curry powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add 1lb skinless, raw, cubed salmon, 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, and juice of 1 lime and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Top with fresh cilantro. Optional: serve with rice or naan. 

September 28 - Leftovers
We revisited the curry from the night before. I love how stews, soups, and curries usually make enough to cover some lunches and a night of leftovers. Woohoo!


September 29 - Falafel Burgers with Brussel Sprout Salad and Sweet Potato Fries
These are an old standby for us, too. I make them every few weeks (last on June 30).  I love the balance of flavors in the burger with the fresh lemon. We usually add some hummus to the top of ours, too. As per usual, I used a salad kit and the Alexia fries. Comfort food at is finest.


September 30 - Sausage and Veggies Stuffed Squash
I adapted this recipe since I only had one mondo patty pan squash (looks like a big flower) and a couple of summer squash.  I also doubled the filling so that we'd have plenty and some leftover. Overall it was a decent dish (both the hubs and the kiddo ate it up). I wasn't as impressed. I used an Italian chicken sausage and it was okay but not my favorite. Couple that with the texture of the squash and it was not something I gobbled up. But, it was full of vitamins and was a good change up from the norm.

September 17 - 23

September 17 - Chris' Chicken Salad
We call this one Chris' salad because I got the recipe from my sister, Chris. I don't know where she got it. It is a standard and a favorite around here. Very simple and very delicious.

Salad
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup roasted pecans, chopped
1/2-1 cup feta cheese
1-2 granny smith apples, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Dressing
3 TBS olive oil
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 TBS maple syrup
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Green Base
Spinach, Kale, or Field Greens

Toss the ingredients for the salad together and set aside. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and toss over the salad ingredients. Serve salad over the base of greens (put what you like).

September 18 - Kale Frittata
Every time I make this I'm pleasantly surprised about how easy and good it is. I have it pinned as a breakfast recipe but make it often for dinner. It serves well with fresh cut fruit or a side of greens. I substitute pre-cooked, chopped bacon for the pepperoni in the recipe. I'm considering adding some roasted, chopped red potatoes to this one of these days, but haven't ventured to do so yet. Also, the toddler INHALED this, so it is a big win for that reason.

I also got adventurous and made my own salsa! It was a great use for all the garden goodies (peppers, tomatoes, and onion) and turned out very well. I followed the directions and used 4 whole jalapenos (seeds included) and it was HOT, even for me. I'd recommend using fewer of them or seeding them to tone it down a bit.

September 19 - Fajita Chicken Stuffed Peppers
I used the salsa from the day before as a base to slow cook the chicken in the crock pot. We cooked it on low for about 2-3 hours and then shredded it. After that I followed the directions to a T other than the fact that I added some broth to the bottom of my pan while the peppers roasted (as my pepper were too big for cupcake tins). They turned out pretty well. That said, I always want to like stuffed peppers (any of them, not just this recipe) more than I do. They are so pretty and self-contained, but the first thing I do to eat them is tear into them with a knife and start mixing things around so I can get a balanced bite. I served them with some more of the salsa, some plain yogurt (instead of sour cream) and sliced avocado.

September 20 - Taco Salad
I worked in the late afternoon on this day and as a result was not home for dinner. Instead, I enjoyed the catered meal that was provided for the training I facilitated at Willamette University. I made my own taco salad with seasoned shredded chicken, fajita veggies, and black beans. Yum.

September 21 - Caribbean Grilled Veggie Packets

I haven't made this in a while but don't know why. It is rad. Super easy and very tasty. Despite my general dis-interest in grilling, I did have every intention of grilling these but was informed by my darling husband that the grill has been shut down for the season (gas line disconneded, cleaned, and cover on). Ok then. I baked them at 450 for 20 minutes. That worked well. My other adaptation was that I couldn't find the type of chili sauce referenced in the recipe so I used a combination of sweet Thai chili sauce and Sriracha. I just gave a little squirt of each on the top of the veggies before I closed the packets. They had just the right amount of heat for us, you could adapt up or down with the addition or omission of the Sriracha.

September 22 - Chicken Burgers with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Sauteed Summer Squash, and Sweet Potato Fries
I've written about these burgers before, too. I got them at Costco, they are rad. They have kale and quinoa in them as well as some jack cheese. They paired well with the roasted sprouts and SPF's (I used the pre-made Alexia ones again).

For the squash: Chop in half moon sections, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Chop 1/4-1/2 purple onion. Mince 1 clove garlic. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook until squash just starts to break down in the center. Add freshly torn basil (or other herbs) just before serving.

For the sprouts: chop off bottom and then in half. Chop 1-2 shallots and combine with sprouts. Toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 450 for about 15-20 minutes until the center of the sprouts are tender but not mushy. You'll have some black leaves on some of the sprouts, too, that's ok. They are roasty and delicous.

September 23 - Turkey Sandwiches
I had something else more exciting planned, but my hubs worked late and me and the kiddo went to the park in the afternoon. Sometimes easy and nearly-prep-free is the best option for dinner. GF bread, deli turkey, lettuce, tomato (the last of the garden fresh ones, sad!), bacon, and a tiny bit of mayo. Yum. I served with a side of reheated brussel sprouts from the night before.

September 9 - 16

Remembering to take pictures of my dinner this week was, apparently, very challenging. You get two. Here's hoping for more next week!

September 9 - Cranberry Chicken Pilaf
I got this recipe from a friend, who got it from her mom, who got it from the newspaper in Boise, Idaho. How's that for a circuitous path to you? I've always liked it as a main course (served with about a 1/2 lb of chopped chicken or turkey and with a side of greens) but it would also make a great side dish to any harvest table. Double bonus: the toddler loves it. In fact, he asked for "more of the delicious pilaf" both the night we ate it and the next day. Woot-woot!

1 cup basmati rice
1/4 quinoa
2 3/4 cups chicken broth/stock
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 TBS butter or olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup grated carrots
Salt, to taste
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 lb cooked chopped chicken or turkey (this is a great use for leftovers)

In a medium sauce pan over high head combine the rice, quinoa, and broth/stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the cranberries, cover, and set aside for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the rice cooks, in a separate large skillet melt butter or heat oil. Add cinnamon, cumin,  and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds. Add onion and saute until it begins to soften (about 4 minutes). Add almonds and carrots and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice, quinoa, cranberry mixture to the onion mixture and mix well. Add chopped chicken or turkey and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving toss in chopped scallions. Serve with a side of greens.

September 10 - Shrimp Stir Fry
This was very good. It was a bit time-intensive to shred (or thinly chop) all the veggies, but well worth it. Especially to see the toddler pick up zucchini, pepper, and onion and slurp them into his mouth like noodles. Ha-ha! I've bested you this time, kiddo! I didn't serve it with rice, but it would have very easily taken to a side of some, with all that yummy sauce to soak up. And speaking of sauce, I couldn't find store-bought hoisin sauce, so I found this recipe to make my own. Very easy and very tasty. 

September 11- Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
I've made this before and will continue to make it again. It has a very satisfying crunch and it is pretty easy. I don't bother separating the dressing from the peanut sauce, rather, I just mix all the ingredients for the two together and then toss single servings of the salad with the dressing as I plate it (the veggies don't hold up super-well to dressing in the fridge, so if you plan to have leftovers this is a good bet). Also, I forgot about marinating my chicken until 2 hours before dinner, so that's all the longer it got and it turned out well. And, because I don't love the BBQ, I cooked it in the oven (350 for about 20 minutes) and it was just fine.

September 12 - Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce, Caprese Salad, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Yellow Tomato and Cucumber Salad

They're bah-aaack! I've made them 3 times since I started this blog. Each time for a crowd and each time to rave reviews. My mom now makes these as a go-to as well and she makes them into meatballs and serves them in a pita pocket. I like to serve them (any size) over a bed of greens so you can use the yogurt sauces as a dressing. I must remember to make a double batch next time I do these, though, because there is plenty of yogurt sauce to go around and they would reheat well.

The caprese was pretty straight forward: chopped vine-ripe red tomatoes, chopped basil, fresh mini balls of mozzerella (drained), salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

The oven fries were worth the work. All the prep in getting them soaked, rinsed, dried, and dredged pays off. I added some fresh rosemary to the mix while I was tossing them in seasoning, that was yummy. And, I used GF breadcrumbs in the coating, but I think you could honestly leave them out all together, there is enough other stuff on them that the bread crumbs were superfluous.

September 13 - Gluten Free Pizza with Kale, Cabbage, and Brussel Sprout Salad
Normally we wouldn't have pizza two weeks in a row, but a local grocery store is going out of business and I was able to score our favorite GF frozen pizza for 40% off. Then, I remembered that my freezer is tiny and I don't like having a frozen pizza in it because it takes up way too much space. So, excuses aside. Here's a replay on a favorite (albeit less than healthy) meal.

September 14 - Turkey Sandwiches
I got another bumper crop of tomatoes from not one but two friends, so I'm finding easy uses for them. I intend a home-made salsa, so stay tuned for that. For the sandwiches: I used GF bread, toasted it and smeared with hummus and avocado. Added sliced turkey, romaine lettuce, basil leaves, and sliced tomato. Simple and tasty.

September 15 - Breakfast for Dinner
When dad's away at a business dinner, we have breakfast for dinner. This was a tradition I remember from when I was a kid and my own dad traveled for work. I ADORED it. My mom used to make crepes. I don't get that fancy. Instead, we had GF toaster waffles, turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, and fresh strawberries. The toddler was starving by the time we ate on this night (thanks to two walks, preschool, and an afternoon of play with his BFF) so he cleaned his plate: wahoo!

September 16 - Zucchini, Bell Pepper, and Pesto Pasta Toss with Italian Meatballs.
It is "keep up with the garden goodies" season. I used the new food processor to shred the mammoth zucchini I got from my father-in-law last week and made 10 cups of shredded zucchini! I used some on the 12th for the turkey burgers, reserved 2 cups for this dish, and froze the rest. I'm not sure how shredded zucchini freezes, we shall see.


I've written about a rendition of this meal before: I obviously used GF pasta. I used pesto from the batch I made early in the summer. And I used pre-cooked Italian-style chicken meatballs (make sure you look to see yours are GF as many meatballs contain bread crumbs!).

Preheat the oven and cook/reheat the meatballs according to the package instructions. Chop a whole purple onion (or a couple of shallots which is what I used this time!), a red bell pepper, and grate your zucchini. Boil water for pasta and cook according to package instructions. Saute the onion (or shallot) and 3 cloves garlic until onion is translucent. Add pepper. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When pepper is crisp-tender, add zucchini, and 2 TBS of lemon juice. After the pasta is cooked and drained, toss it in the veggie mixture and toss to coat with about 1/2 cup of pesto. Stir in cooked meatballs or serve them on the side. Sprinkle everything with Italian herbs (fresh or dried) of your choosing and serve with grated parmesan and fresh greens.

September 1 - 8

September 1- Leftover Shrimp Enchiladas
I have an unwritten (well, I guess it is written now, eah?) rule that if a recipe is super time intensive that it should make enough to cover two nights of dinner. Luckily, the shrimp enchiladas from August 31 made enough for two nights plus some lunches. These bad boys were delicious. AND, I had leftover filling that I added to quesadillas for lunches this week, too. nomnomnom

September 2 - GF Corn Dogs and Power Greens Salad
Nothing says "home alone with the toddler" like this meal's title, does it? My hubs was out to dinner with an old friend and so I spared no expense on the cuisine this evening. The weren't even very good, sadly. The crust came off while they were cooking, so really I had salad with a hot dog with some corn croutons. Sad. The glass of wine from a box really classed this meal up, though. ;)

September 3 - Banh Mi Bowls
Remember that curry that I made a few weeks ago that I called "stupid easy" where I just keep thinking surely I missed a step because it was so straight forward? Well, this recipe goes into the category "stupid hard" because none of the steps were particularly difficult, but there were so many of them and they seemed to take forever. I kept trying to make this dish (it lost rank on our meal plan at least three times) but getting stopped because of a lack of preparation (pickled salad has to marinate for a day, tofu has to dry out for an hour and then marinate for 20 minutes). I won't lie that when I finally go around to making it I kind of hoped that it turned out horribly so I wouldn't have to make it again. For better and for worse it was A MAZE ING. My husband all but begged me to make it again and commented about how it was restaurant quality a couple times. Thanks babe! So, this one will make it back into our repertoire at some point, but when I have my wits about me enough to do the appropriate planning and prep. I was impressed at how this blogger was able to be so spot-on in her measurements and estimates of serving size. Most of the time with a recipe that has this many elements I have way too much or too little of something. This one worked beautifully. That said, I would double everything but the pickled salad so that we had more leftovers.

September 4 - Black Bean Patties with Avocado Salsa and Sweet Potato Chips
I've had this one around for a while and I still have this muscle memory that it is "hard" and involves a lot of work. I think that stems from the skills I had in the kitchen when I first started making it. Now that I know how to chop, prep, and keep my ingredients in order this one is super easy. I adapt it by simply mincing the garlic into the black bean mixture and omitting the whole boil and mash process for the garlic. If I'm wanting a super-easy shortcut I use two cans of mandarin oranges instead of slicing the segments with a knife. The latter is certainly more time-intensive but also more tasty. The recipe doesn't denote that you need to peel the oranges with a knife, however, so be sure to do that (cut both ends and then carry the knife down the interior of the peel just where it meets the flesh).  

September 5 - Chandra Malai Kofta with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Kale Salad, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (dessert)
We were at a friend's house for this meal and they made the kofta, sprouts, and salad. WOW! It was amazing. Will definitely be something I recreate, especially for a special occasion or a crowd. The kofta are little vegetable dumplings, reminiscent of a falafel. Our host used GF pretzels instead of bread crumbs, it worked well. The sauce is basically a curry (though very mild) and the ground cashews give it a nutty, wholesome texture. The roasted sprouts were also tasty, roasted in the oven until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. I didn't happen to get a recipe for the kale salad, rather, I noted that they kale was chopped finely (but not grated) and coated with a light citrus vinaigrette (I'm guessing olive oil and lemon juice?) and then tossed with raisins. Yum. The toddler devoured the kofta and sauce (he even had seconds!). Thanks Emily and Brant for a delicious and nutritious dinner! The company and your home were lovely.

I made the carrot cake and it is quickly becoming a go-to specialty dessert for me (made it at Easter and received the same reviews then as I did this time). I used eggs (instead of making flax eggs) and I made a traditional cream cheese frosting (I make the addition of 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsps lemon juice). I suggest using freshly grated carrots for the cake, it really does make a difference. And, as always, I use a blend of flours: 1.5 cups of the Namaste Perfect Gluten Free Flour Blend, 1/2 cup of coconut flour, and 1/2 cup almond flour. I used only 3/4 cup of each sugar and it was still plenty sweet, I might even try just 1/2 cup of each next time I make it. And, finally, I use melted coconut oil and used it in place of the vegetable oil.

September 6 - Hazelnut Crusted Salmon and Harvest Fruit Roasted Chicken
We hosted a quarterly gathering of some of our best friends. The theme this time was "Farm to Table" so I went to Flying Fish Co. to get the salmon (Columbia River King) and to SuDan Farms to get the chicken. Both protein sources were amazing. Neither recipe was to-die-for. It was our first roasted bird (and admittedly I did very little of the dirty work on it, thanks to my husband and my dear friend Dante).

I think the salmon would have benefited from more salt and more time in the oven. I also think that the marinade should have been oil rather than butter based.

For the chicken, I liked all the elements that went into it and it smelled AMAZING while it was cooking, but it lacked seasoning. I think I would have done some salted butter under the skin while it cooked to help with that. I added a chopped shallot to the mix of aromatics as well as halved the amount of raisins and supplemented with 1/2 cup of dried cherries. We ended up adding broth and water to the pan while it cooked. I would start with that to avoid some of the catching that happened to the aromatics in roasting pan.

Also at this meal was this Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad  that I am certainly going to make again as well as: marinated tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, homemade salsas (green and pico de gallo), homemade vanilla ice cream a top a GF peach buckle, and peach puree and apple cider based cocktails. We know how to do it right! Thanks to all our chefs for making it another memorable Quarerly!

September 7 - Hazelnut Chicken Salad
You'll notice that this recipe calls for almonds. I had freshly roasted and chopped hazelnuts on hand, though, so I substituted. It worked out well. I'm sure you could really use any type of nut. Since I didn't want to bother looking for GF pitas we served this a top a bed of field greens. It was tasty. I used the leftover roasted chicken from the day before. 

September 8 - Thai Style Turkey Lettuce Wraps
This is a recipe I got from my sister. It is easy and yummy and surprisingly kid friendly. I served it tonight to two toddlers and they both ate it right up. Fair warning, it is a messy one, so be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand. Or, add some cooked rice to the mix to soak up the sauce before you put it in the lettuce shells. If any one has tips for how to peel the leaves off a head of iceberg to make them functional cups, please share! I'd love to know the secret of what they do at P. F. Changs to get them so firm and uniform.

1 cup thinly sliced leeks (about 2)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey (lean)
1 TBS red curry paste
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 light coconut milk
1 TBS brown sugar
Grate rind from one lime 
Juice from one lime
1 TBS Asian fish sauce
1 head iceberg lettuce
Chopped basil
Chopped green onions

Combine curry paste, tomato sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, lime rind, lime juice, and fish sauce in a bowl. Set aside. Saute leeks and garlic in a pan until leeks are separated and begin to caramelize. Add turkey and cook until it is separated and becomes slightly browned. Add the liquid mixture and stir. Allow to simmer until about half of the liquid is absorbed into the turkey.

Serve in iceberg lettuce leaves topped with chopped basil and green onions.

August 24 - 31

August 24 - Spinach, Bacon, and Sweet Potato Salad
I got this recipe from my sister years ago. It is an old standby around here. I serve it on top of what ever greens I have around. I usually double (or triple) the bacon and I don't always cook it stove top, either. If that is the case, just remember to add some of the bacon grease to the pan when you are sauteing the onion and pepper. You can use dried ginger if you don't have fresh (but fresh is better...and do you know about the trick of keeping your ginger in the freezer? It keeps longer and makes it super easy to mince/grate!) You can also use orange juice from concentrate if you don't have anything else on hand. If doing that, use the 3:1 ratio to make any amount needed. I also always use one yam and one sweet potato (that makes for more color on the plate, no other reason).

August 25 - Curry Chicken Salad
This, or something like it, is a standby for us. I usually serve with GF crackers or bread on the side and on a bed of greens. Easy, yummy, and great leftovers for lunch the next day. This would work well with turkey, too, in the even you had a roasted bird left over. I used a 1/4 cup of mayo and substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream. I used purple onion (be sure to soak in cold, salted water first!) and added about a 1/2 cup of chopped cashews to the whole thing. Even my friend who is wary of chicken salads and curry liked this and asked about the recipe. Here it is, Liz!

August 26 - Kale, Quinoa, and Chicken Burgers with Mixed Green Salad
These burgers are pre-made and from Costco. They are rad. The brand is Sabatino's. They taste great, are super easy to prepare, and are the perfect "oopps! I spent too much time on the blog today to cook" kind of dinner. I served them on a bed of greens and topped with a slice of melted Swiss cheese.

August 27 - Teriyaki Salmon with Peach Salsa and Steamed Broccoli 
I should have known better taking my salmon recipe from a blog titled "Cookie Rookie". This wasn't great. The salsa was lack-luster, didn't have enough flavor or heat (and that's saying something given that it is peach season!) and the fish was just ok. I don't love grilling, and especially not fish. Don't get me wrong, I love grilled food, especially fish. I am just not personally a grill-master just yet. I tried it anyway on this one and it didn't end well. I resorted to bringing it in and finishing it in the oven. It wasn't just the grilling, though, the sauce and use of molasses was off. I give this one a solid "meh".

August 28 - Gluten Free Pizza with Kale Caesar Salad
It was a big day in our house: the toddler had a successful deuce on the potty. Its been a long awaited and worked toward goal and we wanted to celebrate accordingly. Naturally, we had pizza for dinner. I bought a Caesar salad kit that was kale, spinach, and grated broccoli. We all liked it and it was a good way to justify the rest of our calorie and fat laden meal.

August 29 - Kebabs with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Mixed Green Salad with Mixed Berry Cobbler (Dessert)
We were invited to a friend's for dinner. They made kebabs with chicken, pineapple, and bell peppers. They marinated the chicken in a really nice teriyaki sauce that was excitingly GF from Costco.Yum. The salad was pretty simple but made a great bed for all the yummy kebab stuffs. And, the sweet potatoes were tossed in olive oil, salt, and cinnamon. The toddler inhaled those.

I can't take credit for the cobbler, my husband made that. Thanks hon! I think I liked it best of everyone. It wasn't too sweet and was even a little more like sponge cake than it was like cobbler. You could rectify that with more butter and sugar, of course, but I liked it. We topped it with whipped coconut cream (where you take the solid part of a can of coconut milk and whip it (use an electric mixer) until it resembles whipped cream). If you can't seem to get the solids to separate in your cans of coconut milk (like me), apparently it is supposed to work if you put the cans in the freezer, you can find straight up cans of coconut cream at Trader Joes and Whole Foods.

August 30 - Coconut Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips and Roasted Brussel Sprouts
These were TASTY! Remember the misadventure with coconut shrimp I had a few weeks back? I redeemed myself with coconut crust on this one. They were super easy and delicious. I think I decided on this night, however, that all turkey burgers should have a little shredded zucchini added to them, for moisture and texture. I served this with store-bought sweet potato chips (slurp) and roasted brussel sprouts. For those: chop the bottom and then slice them in half, slice one shallot and toss together with sprouts in olive oil, salt, and pepper (to taste). Roast for 10-20 minutes at 400ish. I take them out when the centers are tender and some of the outer leaves have begun to blacken. Ohmygoshsogood. These aren't your grandmas boiled sprouts, people!

August 31 - Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas with Jalapeno Cream Sauce
Wow was this time intensive, but DOUBLE WOW was it DARN GOOD! Everything about it was tasty. Only thing I would change is how much sauce to make. I would double it and add a bit to the bottom of the pan before I put the enchiladas in. We topped with sliced avocado which was good to cut through some of the heat (triple threat with the chipotle, cayenne, and jalapeno). Don't shy away from this, though, if you think it might be too hot. It really wasn't. It balanced out well with the cream sauce.

August 14 - 23

I had this post completely done last Wednesday. Then, I went to publish and there was a glitch. It wouldn't publish and it didn't save. Next thing I knew, it was lost and gone forever. Sniff. Sniff-sniff. So, here we go again.

I'm learning about this whole blogging thing. I want to be more pin-able (thanks for the idea Joie!) and have learned that more pictures on my blog will help this. That's fine and all, except for the fact that I started this blog to have less photos and more recipes. So, I had this amazing idea the other day while out on my run (if you don't know me, this is where I have all my ideas)...why don't I take a picture of my meal every night and then do a photo collage?! Genius!

Now, I know I'm like the second to last one to the party on food blogs and now the dead-last one to e-photo collages, but hey, better late than never, right?!

You can see that I thought of this great idea mid-week and then proceeded to forget to do it after my posting issue so, for this week you get a photo of just 4 of the lovely recipes below.

August 14 - Chickpea Curry and Citrus Glazed Carrots and Beets
This curry is what I call "stupid easy". It was so simple to make I kept checking to see if I'd left out some step. When I assured myself I hadn't missed any steps I was positive that it wouldn't taste any good.

What? What's that?! I can't hear you over my Puritan work ethic.

Turns out, it was delicious. And easy. Winna-winna-winna: chickpea dinna!

The carrots and beets were also super simple and very tasty. Hardest part there was peeling both of them and just waiting for them to roast. Let's be honest, though, neither of those are very hard. I loved that i got to use an onion from a friend's garden and beets from my father-in-law's garden. You could through in other root veggies you have or like to that sauce, too: onions, rutabagas, parsnips, etc.

August 15 - Ethiopian Split Peas with Steamed Green Beans and Sweet Potato Fries
I got this recipe from a family friend in Seattle who is from Ethiopia. I assume it is an Ethiopian dish because she made it for me as a part of her local fare spread (ohmygoshsogood). All that said, she may have learned this in Scranton, PA, for all I know. Either way, it is tasty, easy, and healthy. Split peas are a great high-fiber, low-cost protein source.

1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
2 cups stock, broth, or water
1-2 inches of ginger - grated
6-8 cloves of garlic - minced
1-2 TBS olive oil
1/2-1 tsp salt

Add stock, broth, or water to peas and soak as long as you are able (I usually do this when I remember we are having that for dinner, so a couple hours). If you can't soak, no worries. It'll just take you a little longer (and likely a little more liquid) to make the dish. Add the ginger, garlic, olive oil, and salt to the pan and stir. Then, like all legumes and grains: bring to boil and reduce to simmer (BTBRTS) stirring occasionally and until the peas have absorbed the liquid and have become soft and slightly mushy. You can use an immersion blender if you want the texture to be smooth. Otherwise, you can serve as-is.

The green beans were snapped and steamed until bright green and served aside my favorite Alexia sweet potato fries. Since the split peas will be mushy in texture I use my beans and fries to dip and pick up the split peas. In Ethiopia you'd eat without utensils and instead use injera (a flat-bread made from teff flour (also high in protein and iron). Injera is too much work for me. So, I'll stick to my beans and fries for now. Feel free to get creative and tell me how it goes, though.

Call me Captain Industrious because in addition to dinner I also spent most of the day in the kitchen making good use of all the produce I received from my father in law (I call him D2 - for Dad 2...a phrase my mother-in-law coined). Thank goodness I splurged on a new food processor on this day, too, because I really needed it!

Pesto
I followed this recipe and it turned out well. There are loads of recipes out there, though. I have a friend who uses almonds instead of pine nuts to save on cost. That's great. Unless your mom is my mom and your maiden name is Carlascio. In which case pine nuts are the only nuts that will do and your oil had better be the good olive oil. And your garlic had better be freshly minced. And your parmesean freshly grated. Shhhhhh...don't tell mom I used pre-grated cheese and pre-minced garlic.

Zucchini Bread
I mashed up a couple different recipes I found online with an old standby that I had in the recipe book. My problem with almost all zucchini bread recipes is that they call for 1 cup of zucchini. That's nifty and all, but, have you seen the size of most home-grown zucchini?! I need a use for these baseball bat sized squash taking up real estate in my refridgerator. And, I'm not about to use a single cup of veggies to DOUBLE that of sugar.

So, here's what I did:

1 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup butter, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1 TBS + 1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups honey (you can use sugar and double the amount)

4 cups flour (I used 2 cups of the Namaste Perfect Gluten Free Flour Blend, 1 cup Almond, and 1 cup coconut, this is my favorite ratio for baked sweets)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 TBS + 1 tsp cinnamon

6 cups grated zucchini

Blend liquid ingredients until smooth. Mix dry ingredients together. Add dry to wet in batches until well blended. Fold in zucchini. Pour into greased bread pans (this will make 2-3 loaves) and bake at 350 for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

and

Lara Bars
My husband now calls these BethR bars and has logged his excitement, approval, and general like for them no fewer than 15 times since I made them. Good to know. I'll likely be making them again. They really were tasty and a great snack no matter the time of day. The sweetness of the dates was well balanced by the salty of the cashews and the almond butter. If you don't like cashews you could mess around with other nuts. I would be interested to try it with macadamia nuts.

August 16 - Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli

This is an old stand-by that we used to make a lot and that got replaced by a different recipe (Coconut Almond Chicken) that is nearly the same but a little healthier. All that said, it is tasty and fairly easy.

Couple of hints for this one:

• If making this GF use GF pasta and tamari or GF soy sauce.
• Ditch the sugar or use half as much honey instead. 
• If using GF pasta, blanch your broccoli in the boiling pasta water and remove it before you cook the pasta. I wouldn't commit such an act of culinary blasphemy with a traditional pasta, but with GF, it can stand to have broccoli infused water. And, less dishes! Horray! 
• Use the broccoli stalks, too. We love the crowns but the stalks have lots of good for you things in them and once you've cooked them and doused them in peanut sauce, you really won't know the difference. 
• Make this more protein rich (and balanced overall) by adding cooked, chopped chicken.

August 17 - High Protein Salad
This one is for you Sarah Shinn! We found this kit at Costco. Gluten free, animal free, and protein rich (a hard trio to come by). I did add chopped cooked chicken to it, but you don't have to. Kale, cabbage, carrots, almonds, corn, soy beans, chia seeds and an interesting bbq ranch dressing. I love a salad kit.

August 18 - Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Roasted Asparagus and Rice
We eat a lot of salmon. It is local and full of good stuff. And, I have a supplier who brings it right to me (a shout out to my favorite Alaskan fisherwoman Tonya! I miss you and my freezer is now empty, so you need to come visit again.). All that is to say: I try a lot of recipes with salmon and most of them are medium. Not great. Not bad. Just okay. This was RAD. Everything about the sauce and rub compliment the salmon. It was easy and tasty.

I snap the asparagus (hold each end and pull the base downward and allow the stem to snap in the natural spot, that'll reduce your woody ends), toss in olive oil (1-2 TBS), vermuth (1 TBS), salt, and pepper (to taste) and roast for 5-7 minutes at 450.

The rice was from the pre-cooked, minute rice cups. I forgot to get the other rice on the stove in time, so, it was a good thing I had the cups in the pantry. They have a bit of an odd taste but they are good in a pinch.

August 19 - Roasted Eggplant with Spinach and Quinoa and Fresh Tomatoes
Meh. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was just, meh. The eggplant would have been better peeled (but then you miss out on a lot of the nutritional value). The garlic needed to be sauteed before the spinach went into the pot. And, I'll be honest I'm still 50/50 on quinoa. Some days it is my favorite thing in the whole world and some days I really don't get it. Not a ringing endorsement. I think I could have found something better to do with my eggplant. Next time.

The tomatoes were super good. I sliced and topped with a little salt and balsamic vinegar. Had I had basil, I would have finished it with that. We are in the time of year where I am just eating as many real garden tomatoes as I can before they go away and we are left wondering why we try to approximate with anything else. 

August 20 - Opening Days BBQ at Willamette University
18 years after I went through my first day as a Bearcat I worked at Willamette helping welcome the class of 2019 (who else feels old?!). Bon Appetit (the food service at WU) always puts on a beautiful spread for this meal and this was no exception. Thanks to all the wonderful chefs, servers, and staff who fed us all. Anyone else impressed that we fed all the incoming students, their families, and the volunteers and staff on site in less than an hour?!

August 21 - Pesto Pasta Toss with Meatballs and Sliced Bell Peppers
I made this one up as I went along. It turned out well. I cooked some GF penne pasta and then tossed it, after draining,` in the pesto I had made the week before (about a 1/2 cup to 1 lb of pasta). Then, I baked some Aidells pre-cooked chicken meatballs (make sure you check pre-made meatballs for gluten!) and served with a side of sliced red bell peppers. After two long work days, it was a decent attempt at a balanced meal. The toddler decided he liked pesto at this meal, too, so there was an unexpected win!

August 22 - Out at Cafe Yumm
My son calls this the "special lunch" place and we go here often. Easy, nutritious, and yummy. I get the Original Yumm bowl, vegan, substitute cabbage and carrots. I've been here with loads of friends and family, though, and everything everyone else has ever gotten looks amazing. They even have wine and beer! 

August 23 - Taco Salad
We were supposed to go to Corvallis to visit some dear friends. But, one of them was sick. And, like I've learned from Daniel Tiger: When your sick, rest is best. I had already made Coconut Lemon Bars to bring and bought a bottle of wine. So, we opened the wine and had some at nap time, at the lemon bars for snack, and then decided to make an actual dinner with what we had on hand.

For the salad: I heated a can of rinsed and drained black beans with 1/2 cup of salsa, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and some pre-cooked white rice. I served that a top a bead of chopped romaine lettuce, chopped avocado, and shredded carrots. We had a handful of tortilla chips on the side and more cheese and salsa as needed.

For the bars: They turned out ok but I think there are better GF lemon bar recipes out there. For some reason the lemon filling portion soaked through the crust (I might not have let the crust cool long enough) and so it was more like a lemon flavored oatmeal bar. The topping was tasty and they are a good treat, I just wanted the crust to be more shortbread like than it was.


Ok...wish me luck on publishing this time.

And, until next time: be well and eat well!

August 5 - 13

It has been a tasty week (+ 2 days) in our house. Hope you can enjoy some of these yummy recipes.

August 5 - Honey Sriracha Chicken with Steamed Broccoli
This was a second-time dish for us because the first time I made it we devoured it and my husband said we needed to add it to our repeat list. If you like sweet and heat, this one is for you. I think you could easily adapt it to be a crockpot dish, too. We aren't lovers of dark meat so I used chicken breasts and it turned out fine. If you're making it GF be sure to use tamari instead of soy sauce. I also like to use rice vinegar instead of plain white vinegar, it is a little sweeter and more delicate. Served this on top of a bed of steamed broccoli and called it good.

August 6 - GF Freschetta Pizza with Caesar Salad
Some nights are just pizza nights. We have converted to frozen pizzas now that I'm GF as I have experienced that as a safer bet than any prepared in a fresh kitchen where wheat flour is being used to toss all the dough. Freschetta is a decent one. I made a caesar salad from a kit ('cause I'm classy like that) and left out the croutons.

August 7 - Jalapeno Popper Meatballs with Kale Salad
Holy Moses were these good. My husband couldn't get over them, or, for that matter, that I served bacon wrapped meatballs for dinner. If you've known me a while, you know I'm a recovering vegan. He's been with me for nearly 16 years, so he's seen all sorts of cuisine and food aversions. I think he is still in a bit of shock about how much animal protein we eat. Thanks, gluten. To balance out all the animal protein and fat I served this with my old-standby kale and brussel sprout salad (sans crouton) that I get from Fred Meyer.

For the meatballs: I halved everything for our family of 3 and it was still plenty. You could keep the filling doubled and just put more in per ball, that would be easy and tasty. I also think you could add more jalepeno in general. And, if you aren't in a "bacon wrapping" kind of mood, you could certainly incorporate some pre (or at least par) cooked bacon into the meatball mix. We did struggle a bit getting the bacon crispy enough for our liking. While the broiler worked fairly well I actually found that they were best the next day when I reheated (and therefore crisped the bacon) stove-top.

August 8 - Southwest Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
We went to two different summer BBQ's this weekend. Such. Fun. To the first one I brought this tasty salad that was a big hit. It was very easy to make and was a surprisingly yummy conglomeration of a potato salad and a Texas caviar. Since I had just done it for dinner on the 7th I roasted another jalepeno, chopped it, and tossed it in with this. It was yummy. I also added about a half of a raw jalepeno, chopped to this as well as doubled the green onion and cilantro because it needed brightening overall (especially with the sweet potatoes). The only other things we would be careful about next time is cooking time on the sweet potatoes. They got just a touch mushy by the time we incorporated them into the rest of the dish. Less time on the grill would have probably been good. But, we had just come from "Big Truck Day" and we were all a little taxed.

I ate this with a grilled salmon burger and fresh fruit salad and it was DELISH. Who needs gluten with a meal like this?

August 9 - Fatty-Nutty-Cheesy-Beans
The second of the two weekend BBQ's was equally as delightful. We brought wine, of course, and a made-up dish that I'm now calling FNC Beans. I toasted pinenuts, crisped some bacon, steamed some green beans (and now remember, when I say steam, I mean until they are bright green and still crisp-tender) and tossed them all together with olive oil and lemon juice. I topped with shaved (with a vegetable peeler) parmesean. Nom. Nom. Nom. Our hosts made salmon, chicken, salad, brussel sprouts and dessert. Really, it was a summer feast. Good company, good view, and good food. What's not to like?

August 10 - Garlic Herb Roasted Shrimp with Roasted Veggies and Garlic Toast
So. Freaking. Easy. I should almost be against a rule or something.  I do nothing different for the shrimp except half the recipe when making it for just the three of us. I use a similar combination of flavors for the veggies, too. I chop a summer squash, zucchini, and red onion. Saute the onion with garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the summer squash and zucchini with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning mix (basil and oregano will due if you don't have a mix). The garlic toast was GF hot dog buns that were getting stale in the freezer. I sliced them lengthwise, topped with butter and olive oil (yay for omega 3 fatty acids!) and garlic powder and just toasted along side the shrimp until golden brown.

August 11 - Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice and Tossed Green Salad 
This dish is also an old stand-by. I use chicken breasts and add some olive oil and broth to the mix to keep it from getting to dry or burned. Mostly I use large Spanish olives but I ran out this time and used small ones (had to de-pimento each of them...ugh!) and I think I liked them better. They just sort of fell apart in the sauce and added more flavor than anything else.

I make the basmati rice stove top (I find the rice cooker makes it too sticky) and my secret ingredient is to use chicken broth/stock instead of water. That adds enough fat to keep the rice fluffy and gives it a great balance of flavor. It also adds some good fat and a touch of protein in the event that all my toddler eats is rice. I almost never top with chopped parsley, mostly because it is usually too late, or I'm too tired, or I've forgotten it completely. It goes just fine without.

For the salad I put what I like, which is easy this time of year and with the abundance from all the friendly gardeners (and gardens) in our life: cucumber, tomato, carrot, pepper, green onion, and mixed greens.

August 12 -Out at Joe's Burgers
We went out after a fun afternoon doing some "back to school" shopping for our little guy. He's all equipped now with a back pack, lunch pail, shorts, shirts, underwear, and jammies. All of the above are either pink or have something to do with trucks or music. Love that kid. He starts preschool two mornings a week in September. How'd that happen?!

August 13 - Kale and Quinoa Chicken Burgers (from Costco) with Sweet Potato Fries and Green Salad
It was a leftover and freezer meal kind of night. The burgers I found in the refrigerated section of Costco and they are very flavorful and easy to use. I didn't even bother with a GF bun or any toppings. We used the good old Alexia sweet potato fries and left over green salad from August 11. Tasty. Healthy. Easy. Good.

Until next week, eat well and be well!

July 30 - August 4

How is it AUGUST?!

A few notes from last Wednesday's meal: 
The coconut shrimp was yummy but I had real fits keeping the breading on the shrimp while it was cooking. I've seen loads of recipes out there for coconut shrimp and I'll try a different on next time. I'm thinking one that gets baked as opposed to pan fried would improve the experience.

It would be easy to miss the recipe for spicy peach dipping sauce on the site I've linked. Here's what I did and it worked well.

Chop 3 peaches and place in small sauce pan with juice of one lime, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sweet Thai chili sauce. Simmer on medium-low until the peaches break down. Mash with a potato masher for smoother texture. I also added some fresh basil at the very end to brighten it. You could  add cilantro instead if you were so inclined. 

The cabbage steaks were RAD! Everything about them was yummy. Cooking them did make the house smell a bit like baked cabbage (imagine that!?) but it was rectified by the yum-factor. My husband really liked this one. I will try it again with savoy cabbage. I used green and it worked well but am curious how a different type would hold up. I wouldn't suggest using Napa, it would wilt before it was done caramelizing.

July 30 - Salmon in Lemon Caper Butter Sauce with Sauteed Veggies and Corn Muffins
Lemon Caper Butter sauce is also known as piccata.  This was a keeper. Super easy, super yummy. I like how the tang of the lemon and capers balance the richness of the salmon.

For the veggies: I chopped a 1/4 purple onion, one summer squash, and one zucchini. I saute the onion with garlic in olive oil (known in my family as the Holy Trinity) and then add the squash and zucchini once the onion is translucent. I add salt and pepper to taste (and sometimes some red pepper flakes or fresh basil, if I'm feeling spicy...or herby?!...). I saute until the squash/zucchini are soft but not mushy.

The corn muffins were a bit non sequitur for this meal, but there were left over from last week and starting to get stale so we toasted them in the oven and served with butter/margarine. Fitting with the meal or not, corn muffins are always delish.

July 31 - Out at Deschutes Brew Pub in Bend
When in Bend, I feel like one really must do something with the word Deschutes in it. I covered my bases and ate here and kayaked on the river. Phew. The Brew Pub has a whole gluten free menu and even a GF beer on tap (I didn't partake, but it was cool to know I could have!). I had the Turkey Torta, the turkey was a little dry but the roll on which my sandwich came was so good that I was worried someone in the kitchen had served the wrong one, but I experienced no negative side effects so I think it was just that good. Huzzah!

August 1 - Out at Spork (lunch) and Noi (dinner) in Bend
Spork was AWESOME! A slew of easily discernible GF options that were all delicious.  I had the Chilaquiles with added chicken. I overate at this meal because it was so yummy. I also ate my entire week's quota for dairy in that meal, but it was SO worth it. If you are in central Oregon and want a really refreshing, unique, well-prepared lunch, go here.

At Noi I got the Cashew Nut Chicken. It was a little heavy on under-cooked purple onion but otherwise tasty. I appreciated their menu for identifying which items were available as gluten-free and noting that we needed to request the GF option. Thanks, Noi!

August 2 - Out at Mother's Juice Bar (breakfast) in Bend Baked Eggs in Avocado with Smoothies
At Mother's I got the Baden-Baden on a GF roll and it was To. Die. For. My BFF (with whom I was on this road trip) got the same thing but as listed on the English muffin and we both just raved and raved and raved about how tasty it was. Seriously, it was a little silly how good it was.  The really fun part about this place is that it was our 3rd attempt at a breakfast spot on our way out of town and not even the place I had intended to go. Apparently there are multiple "Mother's" in Bend. Now I know. What a happy mistake it was.

For dinner: these babies were AWESOME! I've seen them all over Pinterest and always wanted to try them. They were super easy and equally as yummy. I carved out a bit of the flesh from the avocado to make room for more egg. I reserved that for the smoothies (to which I added fresh fruit, almond milk, and kale). I would slice a small piece off the back of the avocado next time to keep them from tipping over in the transport to/from the oven. Also, I separated my eggs - dumped the yoke straight into the avocado and then I combined all my whites into a bowl and added them to the avocados until they were full. I  scrambled the remaining whites for the toddler's dinner, you could also reserve them to make meringues for dessert. Oooo...meringues.

I'd like to take this moment to recommend an app that someone looking to eat GF might want to get: it is called "Find Me Gluten Free" and it was what lead me to all these tasty places above. The app is easy to use and will search based on a number filters (location, type of meal, distance, etc.). If you don't want to take your chances or troll the internet looking for menus, this app is a MUST. 

August 3 - Kale Frittata with Fresh Fruit
I've made this before and it received the same rave reviews then as it did this week. Instead of pepperoni I used the pre-cooked bacon (about 3-4 slices) and it works swimmingly. I also totally muffed this one up and forgot to pre-cook the eggs stove top before moving to the broiler. To rectify this (as the top was browned but the center was still jiggly) I cooked it stove top after it came out of the broiler. I ended up having to par-scramble them which made the whole thing less pretty but luckily no less delicious. I had leftovers for breakfast the next day and they reheated well. You could pour this whole mixture into a crust if you wanted a quiche. You could substitute spinach if you don't care for kale. A shout out, though, to baby kale. If you don't know about it or haven't tried it, it is worth it. I chop it before adding it and it is much less rough and much more sweet/tender than its fully developed counterpart. Think the veal of cruciferous vegetables. ;)

August 4 - Halibut A L'Orange with Steamed Green Beans and Wild Rice
...again...with the photo orientation...sorry! This one is simple enough I know you'll be able to tilt your head and figure it out. 

Finding a recipe written in my mom's handwriting is like getting a little hug that you didn't know you needed but you really did. This one is an old standard at our house but we haven't made it in a long time. Not sure why. MAN was it tasty. Even the toddler ate some (admittedly by force, but still, he did eat it). You could make the sauce and use it for chicken, or any white fish, really. It is a good one. I steamed fresh from the (not my) garden green beans and cooked a wild rice blend stove top and served them all together. Healthy. Tasty. Yay!

Until next week, be well and eat well!