gluten-free

Blackened Pork Loin with Nectarine-Avocado Salsa

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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I have tried every fruit salsa to top pork in the book:  pineapple, mango, strawberry, you name it and this nectarine-avocado combination is absolutely positively the best one yet, holy smokes.  Sweet from the nectarine, creamy from the avocado, acidic from the tomato and the garlic gives it an awesome bite; and it all pairs beautifully with the smokey pork.  Nectarines are just simply perfect this time of year…I can’t get enough and this recipe is an awesome, healthful, light way to utilize the juicy fruit.

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Blackened Pork Loin with Nectarine-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

For the Pork:

1 1/2 Pound Boneless Pork Loin

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 Tablespoon Blackened Seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Salsa:

1 Ripe Nectarine, chopped into small pieces

1 Small Tomato, chopped into small pieces

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

2 Teaspoons Lime Juice

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

Pinch of Pepper

1 Acovado, diced small

Directions

For the Pork:

Heat grill over high.  Rub olive oil, blackened seasoning and salt all over pork to coat.  Place on grill, reduce heat to medium and close the lid.  Cook, turning occasionally, until the pork is no longer pink and is cooked thru in the middle, about 18-20 minutes.  Remove from grill and let rest for at least ten minutes before slicing.

For the Salsa:

Combine nectarine, tomato, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Can be prepared and left at room temperature for up to 2 hours.  Mix in avocado just before serving.

Slice pork and spoon salsa over the top to serve.  Serves 3-4.

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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A perfect summer dish.  Any cooked chicken will work in this recipe but I highly recommend blackening the chicken on the grill with this seasoning; it makes for tremendous flavor that runs through the entire salad.  Hearty enough to be man-pleasing, yummy and fun enough to eat to be kid-pleasing and this mamas perfect sort of meal.  Flavor-packed, fresh, loaded with protein, fiber, iron and Vitamins A and E; both your health and tastebuds will give you a pat on the back.

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Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Ingredients

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Teaspoons Blackened Seasoning

1/3 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

1 Large Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar or Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

5 Leafy Romaine Leaves, chopped into bite sized pieces

2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

3/4 Cup Canned Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1/3 Cup Diced Gouda Cheese

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

1 Avocado, diced

Directions

Preheat grill to medium high.  Rub chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season each breast (both sides) with 1 teaspoon blackened seasoning.  Place on the grill and cook 8-10 minutes per side or until juices run clear.  Let rest for ten minutes and chop into bite sized pieces.

In a small bowl whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, garlic, agave or honey and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Place romaine, onions, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, cliantro, avocado and chicken in a large bowl.  Drizzle vinaigrette over the top and toss gently with your hands.  Serve immediately.  Serves 3-4 as a main course

Garlic Fries

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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These are just ridiculous.  And by ridiculous I mean you won’t be able to stop shoveling them in.  There’s a small chance you may find yourself hiding in a closet with the entire bowl of these before they even reach the dinner table and I will not take responsibility, people; I am just the messenger.  It’s all about the method and if you get it right I assure you the results will be the most crispy, flavorful french fry you’ve ever tasted and that bite of garlic; oh you just wait.  If you make these once your family will be asking for them again and again.  They are as much work as opening a bag of frozen fries and making them…minus the preservatives and additives.  Fine by me.

Garlic Fries

Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2011

Ingredients

2 Large Russet Potatoes

2 1/2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 Large Garlic Clove, grated or pressed

Kosher Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 and spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Cut potatoes into 1/3 inch thick slices and then again lengthwise into strips that are about 1/3 inch thick.  Toss potatoes in canola oil and arrange on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.   Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, flipping the fries every 10 minutes.  Turn heat up to 500 and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove fries from oven, place in a bowl, add garlic and a couple pinches of salt and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

Bleu Cheese Burgers

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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These are just simply magnificent.  They really can be made with any cheese but topping them with bleu at the end of grilling makes for the gooiest, most delicious flavored burger ever.  I have made these for company over and over and based on the reviews will never stop.  SO easy to put together and I often make the patties up to 8 hours ahead of time so that I can just throw them on the grill and not have to fuss while entertaining.  Serve these on top of your favorite hamburger rolls or like I do; wrapped in a large romaine lettuce leaf and topped with red onion, tomato and mustard.  I mean, do you see that cheese dripping down the sides?  Wait till you taste them.  I’m salivating.

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Bleu Cheese Burgers

Ingredients

1 Pound Angus Ground Beef, preferably 85% lean

2 Green Onions, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Dijon

1 Egg, lightly beaten

4-6 Ounces Bleu Cheese, crumbled

Directions

Preheat grill over high heat.  In a large bowl add green onions, dijon and egg and stir to combine.  Add beef and mix with your hands until just combined; try not to over mix.  Divide mixture into four portions and shape into burger patties.  Season both sides of the burgers liberally with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes, with the lid closed.  Flip burgers over and cook for another 6 minutes or until desired doneness.  Turn off the grill, top the burgers with bleu cheese and close the lid until the cheese just begins to melt, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and serve.

Goat Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Pork Chops

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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I’m not sure what I am more sick of:  people complaining about the weather or the actual weather.  Yes it has rained every day for the last five zillion years, people, I know.  I also know we will probably not have a summer.  And that it wouldn’t be as bad if we were guaranteed some warm weather later in the year but chances are we will still get snow in October.  And it’s June and 50 degrees!  And it’s so dreary and depressing!  But guess what, if I hear one more ounce of negativity about it I might lose my cool  (no, I have not already lost it…I’m simply on the verge of losing it).

It seems you can’t go anywhere or talk to anyone these days without hearing the above comments.  Well guess what, I’m done giving the weather the satisfaction of having it bother me.  Guess what, weather…rain some more!  I’d love it!  Then we can go outside and run around and joyfully splash in the midst of all of your wonderfulness!  Which leads me to a visual thought of me grilling these pork chops yesterday.  I waited until the rain started coming down to throw these on on the grill because I was so excited to go out and celebrate more rain.  I put them on the grill and instead of going inside to wait for them to cook I danced around the back yard frolicking and splashing away…it was so wonderful.  None of this is true.  The rain actually waited until the minute I stepped outside to come down, typical.  And once I put them on the grill I was in pure awe of the cat-like reflexes I am capable of.  Pretty sure I was inside before the lid of the grill was even shut.  My motto these days:  this beats snow any day of the week 🙂

I love making these chops for company because you can put them together ahead of time and let them sit in the fridge until you are ready to grill them…and they only take a few minutes on the grill.  The stuffing is as simple as pie to put together and the final product looks and tastes so gourmet…without the gourmet effort.  I have yet to come across someone who has not raved about these and if porks not your cup of tea the stuffing is great with chicken as well.

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One last note:  if you do not feel like frolicking in the rain to grill theses bad boys you can surely bake or pan roast them with great results.

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Goat Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

2 Boneless Pork Loin Center Cut Chops

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves

2 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese

Salt, Pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted down, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, add goat cheese and mix until stuffing is combined.  Place bowl in the freezer to chill while you prepare your pork.

With a sharp knife, slice a large slit through the middle of each chop, slicing horizontally so that it can be opened like a book.  Remove stuffing from freezer and spoon it into the middle of each chop.  Secure each pork chop closed with a couple of toothpicks.  At this point chops can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Preheat grill to medium high (about 500 degrees).  Sprinkle both sides of the chops liberally with salt and pepper.  Place stuffed chops on the grill and cook for 5-8 minutes with the lid closed or until the bottom half is mostly cooked through.  Flip the pork chops over, close the lid and cook an additional 4-6 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Parmesan Green Beans

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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New ways of making veggies are always welcomed in my kitchen and this one is a keeper.  It’s SO fast and effortless and the results are absolutely delicious.  I’ve often roasted broccoli and cauliflower using this method so when I saw this recipe for green beans I knew I had to try it; with a few modifications.  Recipes like this make me feel like it’s possible for anyone to get a healthful, balanced meal on the table no matter what kind of day they’ve had…pair this with grilled shrimp or fish and you have yourself a great dinner in less than 20 minutes.

Parmesan Green Beans

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 Pound Fresh Thin Green Beans

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Place green beans on a baking sheet, sprinkle with pepper, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat well.  Spread the beans out in a single layer and bake for four minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with the parmesan, toss to coat and place back in the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes or until a nice crust has formed on the beans.  Serves 4.

Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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This dish is so very simple to put together and can be made a couple of hours in advance and kept at room temperature.  It’s the perfect side dish to take to a picnic or bbq because it does not need to be refrigerated and is such a nice change of pace from your typical, expected potato salad.  I have made this in the past for many different bouts of company and had such great reviews from all.  The sweetness of the red potatoes pairs so well with the tanginess of the dressing and it makes a great side dish to almost anything; we especially love it along side grilled steak, pork or burgers.  Simple enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for company; my kind of dish.

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Warm Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

2 Pounds New Potatoes

1 3/4 Teaspoons Salt

1 Medium Shallot, finely chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Stone Ground Mustard

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Tarragon

Directions

Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot and cover with water by one inch.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just fork tender.  Drain in a colander.

While potatoes are slightly cooling in a colander whisk shallot, dijon and stone ground mustards, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, olive oil and tarragon in a large bowl until well combined.  Cut the potatoes into fourths and add them to the vinaigrette in the large bowl.  Stir potatoes gently to coat with the vinaigrette.  Serve immediately while salad is still warm or at room temperature.

Eggplant Bake with Tomato Cream Sauce

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In the process of putting this together last night I wasn’t quite sure what the end result would be.  What I did know is that I wanted something that reminded me of my moms zucchini casserole but a little more on the healthful side and I wanted it to be indulgent and light all in one.  All I can say is that I will be making this again and again.  It was incredibly simple with just a few ingredients and had our protein, veggies and healthy fat all in one delicious dish.  Although I have never done so, I would suspect this would be a great dish to put together ahead of time and bake just before you are ready to serve it.

I really felt I was taking a risk by not technically making a cream sauce and just mixing cream and parmesan together to pour over the top of the layers but man, it was a risk well worth taking; it made the process so fast and simple, too.

Here are what the layers look like

eggplant on the bottom

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Next goes the ground beef, if using, and the marinara sauce

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And last, the parmesan cream mixture and mozzarella

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Eggplant Bake with Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 Pound Ground Beef, browned and drained, optional

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 3/4 Cup Marinara

3 Ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into cubes

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.  Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until both sides are nicely browned.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.

While eggplant is roasting mix cream and parmesan together in a small bowl; stir well to combine.

Turn the oven down to 375 and grease a 9×13 baking dish.  Place the eggplant in a layer to cover the bottom of the dish…if the eggplant overlaps a bit that is just fine.  Next layer the ground beef, if using and then the marinara.  Last pour the parmesan cream mixture over the top and dot the top with mozzarella cubes.  Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, until bubbling and the top begins to brown, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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I love bar food.  Like, seriously love bar food.  Buffalo wings, fries, potato skins, nachos, all of it.  While I don’t indulge in it much, I am always trying to find new ways to get those fixes at home.  Sweet potato fries have become quite popular over the last couple of years and they are one of my favorites.  Quite honestly, put me in a restaurant that owns a deep fryer and give me a choice between a regular fry and a sweet potato fry and I’m team sweet potato all day long.  There is something about the crispy outside and the sweet soft inside…and when they top them with salt right out of the fryer?  Don’t even get me started.

Well, this is my home version.  I will say in all honesty they are not as crispy and indulgent as the deep fried version but folks, they’re wonderful.  And they will give you the exact same satisfaction with much less guilt.  They make a wonderful, easy side dish for so many meals and they are great solo or dipped in just about anything.  If you’d like to treat you tastebuds to one of my very favorite combos pair these bad boys with the spicy mayo dip from this recipe.  Knock-your-socks-off-delic.

It’s almost embarrassing to share this recipe with you because there is nothing to it.  Literally. An oven, a pan, sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt.  So now you have no excuse 🙂

A quick nourishment note about sweet potatoes:  It is nearly impossible to find a more nutrient rich food; full of antioxidants, fiber, folate, potassium, protein, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, the list could go on and on.  One of natures best medicines.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Sprinkling of Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 with the racks in the middle.  Line two baking sheets with foil and grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch strips, heres an example

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Place potatoes in a plastic storage bag, add olive oil to the bag, seal and toss the potato strips around until they are well coated with the oil (if they are not completely coated in oil add a little more).  Arrange the potatoes amongst the two prepared baking sheets and be careful not to overcrowd them as they will steam instead of crisping up.  Heres what one of my pans looked like

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Place baking sheets in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown.  Remove from oven, flip the fries over one by one and place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until desired crispness.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Serves four.

Vanilla Spice Cookies

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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I know, I know, this is not a “mom blog”.  But this little cookie date was too much wonderfulness not to share with all of you.  Below meet Hadley, my beyond dear friends adorable little lady.  We had a plan to head to the park but the weather was pure gloom so we made a cookie date out of it instead.   I think all were happy about the decision…including the mothers who have ingested 98.7% of the results.  I was going for a take on an animal cracker but calling these a cracker would be selling them far too short.  They are so simple tasting but so addictive; the hint of vanilla and spice are perfect and that tiny bit of salt hits you right at the end.  The plan was to make these into number shapes but we were working with two toddlers.  Who both liked stars.  Clearly the stars won, but any shape cookie cutters would do.  Such a fun treat.

The method is as simple as it gets.  Measuring the ingredients is the most difficult part

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And cutting out the shapes is the perfect job for the kiddos.  Look at that teamwork

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Tasting their blood, sweat and tears

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Taste test approved.  They were so good high fives were given

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Vanilla Spice Cookies

adapted from this recipe

note:  I chose to use gluten free flour in this recipe  but any all purpose flour would do.  Also, butter can be substituted for the coconut oil, so you would be using 1/4 cup total butter.  If you are using coconut oil you can zap it in the microwave for a couple seconds to melt it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free Flour (xanthan gum included)

1/2 Cup Oats

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Melted Coconut Oil

4 Tablespoons Chilled Butter, cut into cubes

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Large Egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Add flour, oats, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar to the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.  Add butter and pulse until it is broken up into little pieces, about 10 pulses.  Add coconut oil, butter, vanilla and egg and pulse until a dough ball has formed.  Remove dough from processor, pat into a firm ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from wrap, place on a floured surface and roll out until dough is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out shapes, place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are just golden.  Makes 45-55 cookies.

Hadley thanking Georgia for the fun morning.  And baby Will wondering how he got screwed out of the cookie deal

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Two words.  Heart Melting.  xo