gluten-free

Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette

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So I sit here at my keyboard wondering how I can explain to you in words what the 4 o’clock hour is like in our house.  How can I put it eloquently?  What sort of words can I use to give you a visual in your head?  But I’m blank.  You want to know the only thing that comes to my mind?  That old game show, Supermarket Sweep.  No, I have not been using illegal drugs.   Seriously, do you remember that show?  The one where the people go absolutely insane running through the grocery store filling their carts with nonsense because they are running out of time.  They look ridiculous…panicked and yelling running down the aisles grabbing food off the shelves.  That’s EXACTLY how I feel inside during the 4 o’clock hour.  Minus the chance to win $5000.  Huge bummer.

The kids are awake from naps…and getting hungry.  Nick is close to heading home.  I’m getting snacks, cleaning up drool, folding laundry, changing diapers, making dinner, taking photos and writing recipes as I go all while hearing “Mommy, watch this” over.  And over.  And over.  Love it, but I gotta tell you…sometimes I need a break from our typical 4 o clock hour.  Which is when I go right to this recipe.  Easy peasy.  I make the vinaigrette while the kids are napping-which takes approximately 34 seconds-so all there is to do is grill the pork for a whopping ten minutes when Nick gets home.  It’s super fresh tasting and the vinaigrette tastes wonderful on any grilled meat, fish or veggies…or tossed with mixed greens.  But these grilled pork chops are our favorite way to enjoy it.  So give this one a shot on your next hectic afternoon…it beats playing make-believe ’90’s game shows any day.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette

adapted from Gourmet, July 2007

Ingredients

4 Boneless Pork Chops, about 1 inch thick

1/3 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Course Black Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon Salt

1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

3 Garlic Cloves

3 Tablespoons Cilantro Leaves

2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions

Place 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cilantro, dijon and crushed red pepper flakes in a small blender.  Process until combined and garlic is completely blended.  Set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil over the pork chops and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Grill the chops for ten minutes, or until cooked through, flipping once in the middle of cooking.  Serve pork chops with vinaigrette drizzled over the top.  Serves 4

 

Sweet and Smokey Roasted Potatoes

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SONY DSCPraise the Lord, it’s grilling season!  Many nights, as our protein is cooking away outside, these potatoes are in the oven smelling our house up just wonderfully.  They’ve got a crispy texture on the outside with a soft, warm center and the sweet and smokey combination is such a winner.  Sometimes the most simple dishes yield the most sophisticated flavor…and this is one of those.  What’s your favorite go-to grilling side?  Share the wealth, my friends!SONY DSC

Sweet and Smokey Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Pound Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 Pound Baby Red Potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.  Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and chili powder and toss well to coat.  Spread them out into an even layer and roast, in the oven, for 35-45 minutes or until they begin to crisp up, flipping once in the middle of cooking.  Serves 4-6

Maple Walnuts

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My darling friend, Jackie, came over for a visit yesterday.  It was a perfect rainy day date that involved some much needed catching up and a little yoga for Jackie and Georgia (Jax-her cobra pose is looking amazing today 😉 )  She was planning to be here over lunch and being the procrastinator that I am I had nothing planned to serve.  I had all of the fixings for a salad but needed something to add to make it special and not so “thrown together”.  These maple walnuts were just the perfect touch.  They are such an awesome addition to any salad but my favorite way to serve them is with mixed greens, bleu cheese, sliced apple and balsamic vinaigrette.  They literally take less than five minutes to make and turn a pretty simple salad into an exceptional one.  On another note, if you are looking for the perfect homemade hostess gift these are the perfect fit.  They are so versatile; add some cinnamon or cayenne pepper for a different twist.  Top them on a salad, nosh on them alone for a sweet treat…or dare I say it?  On top of vanilla ice cream.  Mouth officially watering.  

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Maple Walnuts

barely adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

2 Cups Walnuts

1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions 

Grease a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray or coconut oil; set aside.  Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add all ingredients and cook, stirring frequently until syrup is caramelized, about three minutes.  Spread on to prepared parchment to cool completely.  Makes 2 cups

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

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If you have ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant or been blessed enough to experience schwarma I’m sure you’ll catch my drift here.  That garlic sauce?  Obsessed.  Like, eat-it-with-a-spoon-obsessed.  It’s tart and bold
and has the perfect bite to it…and quite frankly you could put it on top of anything and it would be delicious.  But over this grilled chicken?  Accompanied by this juicy, simple tomato salad?  My gosh, people, it’s almost unacceptable it tastes so good.

Traditional Lebanese garlic sauce is made with vegetable oil, garlic and lemon….but emulsifying the oil and lemon juice can get a bit tedious and the results are so inconsistent; not to mention that vegetable oil isn’t necessarily the most healthy.  So, in an effort to simplify the process, health it up and make it no-fail each and every time I came up with my own non traditional recipe that truly tastes just as good.  We use this sauce for so many different things.  It’s fabulous with any grilled meat or fish, works beautifully as a dressing for green salads and makes a great dip for veggies, pizza, anything, really.  Now I must warn you…it is spicy.  Not burn-your-mouth spicy but it has a strong bite to it from the garlic.  Feel free to use 2-3 garlic cloves instead of 4 if you are afraid it will be too much bite for you..4 is great for us, even my 2 year old loves it.

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This is such  a simple, quick meal and pairs beautifully with rice or roasted potatoes…perfect for welcoming the spring sunshine.

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Note: four cloves of garlic will give you a pretty big bite in this sauce..i stick with 3 for my family and it’s still very garlicky..but if you’re feeling edgy, use four;)

Ingredients

For the Garlic Sauce

3-4 Cloves Garlic, see note above

1 Cup Whole Fat Greek Yogurt

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoons Mayonaise

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

For the Tomato Salad

1/2 Cup Chopped Cucumber

1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion

3/4 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley or 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

For the Chicken

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning

1 Pound Chicken Breast Filets

Directions

For the Garlic Sauce

Place garlic in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until the garlic is finely chopped, about 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to get the garlic pieces to the bottom and add the yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and process until combined, 30 seconds.  With the motor running, stream in the olive oil slowly and process until completely combined, about 1 minute.

For the Tomato Salad

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the Chicken

Preheat the grill over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with Greek seasoning, drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat evenly.  Grill the filets for 8 minutes or until cooked through, flipping once after 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, top with tomato salad and drizzle with garlic sauce.  Serves 2-3.

Berry Streusel Muffins

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I have a VERY large proclamation to make.  These are THE best gluten free muffins I have ever had.  Ever.  It was a fun saturday experiment for Georgia and I.  Jude was napping and Nick was over at the pond playing boot hockey so we played around in the kitchen for a bit….attempting to concoct a late morning snack.  After lots of measuring and scooping and spilling and getting our hands messy (I say this as if I was partaking in all of these things when, in all actuality it was mostly just G…I was the person in the background whispering to myself “Miss, she’s only two…be patient…its good for her brain…you can clean up later…no, you can’t have a glass of wine at 10:30 AM”) we had the batter ready and popped them in the oven.  We tasted them immediately…all warm, sweet and crumbly with that oh so crunchy topping…we gave ourselves two thumbs up for sure.  And then Nick came home and polished off the entire rest of the pan in approximately 7 minutes.  Catch my drift?  You’ll love them.

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Berry Streusel Muffins

Notes:  If you do not have or prefer to use coconut sugar you can use half brown sugar and half white granulated sugar instead.  I prefer the taste of coconut sugar along with the fact that it is a more nutritious option.  Whole wheat flour can be substituted for the buckwheat flour as well…although it would not be wheat free. Also, it is extremely simple to make oat flour yourself instead of buying it already packaged:  just place old fashioned or rolled oats in a food processor and process until it becomes the texture of a flour…it will look like this…

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Ingredients

For the Streusel Topping

1/4 Cup Gluten Free Oats

1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar

3 Tablespoons Gluten Free Oat Flour

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Butter, melted

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

For the Muffins

1 Cup Gluten Free Oat Flour

3/4 Cup Buckwheat Flour

1/2 Cup Almond Meal

2 Tablespoons Flax Meal (optional)

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar

1 Cup Milk (preferably 2% or whole)

1/3 Cup Honey

2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil, melted

1 1/4 Cup Berries (fresh or frozen-I prefer a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries but any will do)

Directions

For the Streusel Topping

Mix all ingredients together with your hands until a crumble is formed.  Set aside.

For the Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 and grease or line 12 muffin cups.  In a medium bowl whisk together oat flour, buckwheat flour, almond meal, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, milk, honey, vanilla and coconut sugar or butter.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well until just combined.  Stir in berries.  Fill the muffin cups up about 2/3 of the way full and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly among the tops of the muffins.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the muffin.  Makes 12 muffins.

Parmesan Crisps

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This post is silly.  Its hardly a recipe….but I think I owe it to you to share such an outstanding trick if you aren’t aware already.  Parmesan crisps.  Have you had them?  Most of the foodie joints out there have had them on their menu at one time or another.  They look so darn fancy..and they taste divine.  Best part about them?  They are easy enough for your children to make.  Or dog.  Or cat.  No joke.

They’re perfect for healthy snacking and put any store bought chip or cracker to shame.  But our favorite way to eat them?  Just lightly broken up on top of a salad.  The absolute perfect crunch and sharpness.  You are very welcome, my dear friends.

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Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients

1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil and preheat oven to 350.  Drop cookie scoop sized mounds (about 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and pat the mound out slightly with your fingers.  Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until crisps are browned and just beginning to harden.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Pomegranate Chicken Chopped Salad

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Let me begin by telling you that I have a problem.  I’m fine to admit it because I know you wont judge me.  Right?  Good, I love how open minded you are.  Pomegranate seeds.  They have begun to take over my life.  So much that I had to text my mom the other day a photo of the bowl of them I was eating and say “if anyone is looking for me I was forced to check myself into a pomegranate seed addiction program”.  My largest concern?  That the baby inside of my big ol belly may be overdosing on the stuff…or that he actually may turn into a pomegranate seed himself.  I wonder if he is kicking and punching and sticking his cute butt into my ribs so frequently because he’s trying to tell me to stop the madness…that he’s in pom seed overload.  And just so you know, there are no pomegranate seed support groups out there…I’ve already looked.

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So, as you might guess, this salad is serious bliss to me.  You know me and chopped salads.  Remember this?  And this?  I love the concept of lots of different tastes and textures in one bite and this salad fits right into that category.  Actually…it may be my favorite thus far.  The simple honey mustard vinaigrette teams up just perfectly with the roasted chicken and all of the chopped goodness in this dish…and it really is so healthful.  Full of antioxidants, healthy fats, greens and protein and literally as delicious as they come…I think you’re going to really enjoy this goodie.

Pomegranate Chicken Chopped Salad

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Mayonaise

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

For the Salad:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + Salt and Pepper

4 Ounces Mixed Greens, very roughly chopped

1 Avocado, diced

1/3 Cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese

2 Hard Boiled Eggs, diced

1/3 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

Directions

For the Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together well until completely incorporated.  Set aside.  Will keep in the fridge for at least 1 week.

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop the chicken in to bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add the greens, avocado, bleu cheese, eggs and pomegranate seeds.  Drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the salad and toss gently.  Serve immediately.  Serves 2-3.

Simple Roasted Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti squash, to me, is one of the coolest veggies there is.  It is so incredibly versatile and and it literally allows us to use it as a substitute for real pasta in so many different variations.  I, personally, prefer it in all of it’s glory…roasted with a hint of butter and garlic.  It gains a slightly sweet, caramelized flavor and is an awesome, filling, healthful side dish to just about any protein.  And can I mention its full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber?  Lucky for us, tis the season for this amazing variety of winter squash.  Yes, I said it.  Winter.  It’s getting close.  I know, I’m deathly afraid, too, folks, but when produce like this is abundant and available I feel like I can conquer anything.  Even shoveling.  And ridiculously freezing blowing winds.  And scraping windshields.  And taking extra time to bundle up babies and toddlers for just a simple trip to the market.  Can somebody please remind me again why we don’t flee this place in the winter?  Oh yeah, because of the seasonal squash 😉

I hope you enjoy this simple, effortless, delicious recipe as much as we do.  What is your favorite way to prepare this veggie?

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ImageSimple Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Notes:  the seeds from this squash are AWESOME roasted.  just rinse and clean them well and pat them dry.  Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 275 for 15 minutes.  Num.

Ingredients

1 (3-4 Pound) Spaghetti Squash

1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Clove Garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

2 Tablespoons Butter, at room temperature.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil.  With a sharp knife, slice the stem off the squash and cut it in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard (or save for roasting separately-see note above).  Drizzle the olive oil over the cut sides of the squash and rub it in with your hands to cover the flesh.  Rub garlic clove all over the cut sides, discard the clove and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on prepared baking sheet, cut sides down, and roast for 30-40 minutes or until very tender.  Remove from oven and scrape out the flesh with a fork.  Place squash in a bowl and stir in butter until it melts through the hot squash strands.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4+.

One Pot Italian Pasta

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So have you heard about this craze thats all over the internet?  The “Italian Wonderpot” some like to call it.  I have been hearing about this ridiculous sounding recipe from my mom for at least a month.  “Honey, you have to try it”.  “Make it for Nick, he will love it”.  Her and my dad both totally enjoyed it and she clearly wanted to share the wealth with me.  But I struggled with the whole idea.  How in the world could something like this taste good and keep a good texture?  And there is no way this will cook and be flavorful in such a short amount of time.  Wasn’t buying it, folks.  Not one bit.

Yesterday came and after a week long plan for “pasta Sunday” I had no real plan at all.  And with EXTREMELY lazy bones, I thought it might be a good day for this so called Wonderpot.  As I headed into the kitchen at 5 o’clock Nick came in.  “What do you need me to do?”.  And then it occurred to me.  Nick is always wanting to help out in the kitchen on pasta Sundays but most of the time my controlling self prefers to do it alone so I tell him I don’t need any help.  But today.  OOOOhhhhhh today was different.  I was not one bit excited about this dish and was pretty darn tired to top it all off.  “Actually, this would be a perfect meal for you to make.  Its super easy and takes no time at all” I told him.  He was signed up before I even finished my sentence; washing his hands and getting the cutting board out-bless his heart.  So we decided this was going to turn into Nicks deal..photos and all.  I bellied up to his workspace and watched (of course I did give a few suggestions..but ONLY when I was asked, I swear!!).

The bottom line is that we were shocked with the results.  Totally, utterly shocked at how something so ridiculously simple could result in such deliciousness.  Nickyboy was proud, to say the least.  And he should have been…he made some really great changes to the recipe that guided us and it turned out just perfect.  The chicken stock adds just the right flavor, the spices are spot on and the parmesan and tiny bit of cream cut the acid of the tomatoes beautifully.  You will love this, I swear.  And now, I present to you….One Pot Italian Pasta…recipe and photos courtesy of some random cute guy that was in my kitchen 😉

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One Pot Italian Pasta

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

4 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

14 Ounces Brown Rice or Quinoa Fettuccine

1 (28 ounce) Can Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion, finely chopped

7 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Dried Italian Seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Pound Cooked Ground Italian Sausage

4 Cups Packed Fresh Spinach

1 Cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions

Break pasta in half and add it to a large pot along with chicken stock, olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Give the ingredients a stir, place over high heat and cover.  Bring the pot to a full boil, remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.  Boil over medium heat for 7 minutes,  gently stirring occasionally to ensure the noodles are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Stir in spinach, sausage, parmesan and cream and bring back to a simmer.  Remove from heat and serve topped with red pepper flakes and additional parmesan, if desired.  Serves 4+

Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

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If you are a mashed potato fan this recipe will be right up your alley.  I learned of this method from Rachel Ray about 10 years ago and I continue to make it over and over.  It’s so simple and easy to switch up and you’re guaranteed an awesome, healthful, extremely quick side dish that your entire family will devour.

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Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 Large Head Cauliflower, broken into florets

3/4  Cup Chicken Stock

1/4-1/2 Cup Milk, preferably whole

1 Cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Chives or Green Onion, optional

Directions

In a large pot bring cauliflower and chicken stock to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.  Remove the lid, add milk (starting with 1/4 cup) and cheese and mash with a potato masher.  If you would like a thinner consistency add more milk, season with salt and pepper and top with chives or green onion.  Serves 4.