Mexican Quinoa

Something about summer makes me want to eat Mexican food. I was wishing I had some beans today to put on my Mexican Quinoa, but it was so good like this that I didn't even miss them. Even Andy seemed to like it, and he doesn't care for quinoa. You can also mash the avocados up more, but I prefer them in chunks. I think I'll go have a little more for a late night snack on this hot June evening, and maybe watch an episode of Heroes on Comcast with my honey :-)

Mexican Quinoa:

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa well in a bowl of water, strain

Add to pot with:

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tsp Mexican seasoning blend

It usually takes about 15 minutes to cook for me.

Add: 

1/2 tsp celtic salt

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I used a dry cast iron skillet over low/med heat to toast them slightly)

Top with salsa and Avocado.

I cut 2 avocados into small chunks and mixed them with a dressing of:

1 tbs Vegenaise Grapeseed Oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp Herbamare seasoning

Corn Veggie Wraps

Usually I am not a fan of gluten-free corn products, but I was really in the mood to make veggie wraps, and the gluten-free brown rice tortillas I always buy have sadly been no where to be found lately. Either I keep catching them on days when they have run out, or they don't carry them at my new health food stores. Then, yesterday, I saw the same brand, Food for Life, makes organic sprouted whole kernel corn tortillas. "What are these?" I wondered, picking up the package. They don't use corn meal or corn flour, perhaps this raw-like approach to corn might not hurt my stomach, like most of them do. So I tried them last night, and again today, and I can safely say they taste great, and I feel fine. Yay!

I heated them in a dry pre-heated pan, then topped them sparingly with spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, pickles, etc. Use your favorites. To dip the lovely little guys, I mixed up some honey mustard dressing with my hand mixer. 

Honey Dijon Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp Herbamare seasoning

White Pizza

I wanted to show you what I meant about the pretty grasses, so here you go, a picture of the road to our new house! We are officially moved in! Yay! I am so happy to be here, I can't even tell you. For my friends who do not live in Colorado, no those are not clouds on the horizon, those are the mountains :-)

Well, it's been a really long week of packing, moving, and unpacking, which isn't over yet, but I have begun cooking in our new kitchen. Last night we made a white pizza which was heavenly. I used a frozen gluten-free Gillian's pizza dough, and let it defrost on the counter. Then I rolled it out with some extra virgin olive oil. Next time I think I'll put down some unbleached parchment paper first, because it stuck to the sheet a little. I topped it with more extra virgin olive oil, a little ghee, garlic powder, goat cheese (Woolwich), and black olives... yummy!

Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Last night came the inevitable I-packed-everything-and-therefore-can't-cook-and-must-get-take-out, which happens when you move. So after Andy dropped off a car full of stuff, he went to Chipotle to get us a couple of burrito bowls to go. Unfortunately, there really isn't anything there for the kids, mainly because everything is spicy. Andy and I love spicy food though, so we were thrilled, and I heated some hot dogs for the girls, without nitrates & gluten-free of course! 

Chipotle is kind of cool in my book, not just because they have gluten-free, but because they are essentially fast food, but they're healthy, like, "unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal" food. They also treat the animals humanely, which is how it should be if you eat meat, although you can eat vegetarian there too.   

Bell & Evans, Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken

I like a little chicken with my Vegenaise Grapeseed Oil (heeheehee), but I decided to jazz up this convenience food with some spinach and sliced tomatoes with celtic salt from our Door to Door Organics box. It's also really good with some lemon squeezed on top. I had a lemon cut, ready for this photo, and ultimately to shower my tasty lunch, until I forgot about it, took the picture and ate with delight before realizing. Oops.  

About the chicken though... I used to eat this brand, Bell & Evans, like crazy before I knew I was celiac. Then, not long ago, I was browsing the aisles of Whole Foods when I glanced over and saw they are now making a gluten-free version! Oh happy day! I scarfed it off that shelf so fast, took it home, and ate it for dinner. 

Just an FYI, Bell & Evans do not use antibiotics, by-products, preservatives, artificial flavorings, fillers, extenders, or hydrogenated oils. Hooray for companies making gluten-free!

Elana's Almond Flapjacks

I was hoping to make these for family who was in town last weekend, but I forgot to buy almond meal, so I will make them next time they visit. We did have them for breakfast today, however, and they were very nice for a change. I really liked the almond flavor and that little bit of crunch you get from the almond meal. For me they seemed to work best small. Many thanks to Elana for another great Recipe!

I bought my almond meal this time, but I also like to make my own, when I'm not in the process of moving :-)

Here's how:

Almond Meal:

Soak 1 cup of blanched almonds in water over night.

Rinse in a bowl of fresh water in the morning and strain. Repeat until the water is clear.

Add the strained nuts to the blender with 4 to 5 cups of purified water (up to the top line).

Puree.

Pour through a nut milk bag into a jug. See example.

Save the milk in Glass Jugs in the refrigerator (add agave and vanilla liquid stevia to taste).

Line a cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper and spread the almond meal (it's in the nut milk bag) across in a thin layer.

Put it in your oven, as low as it will go, usually 170 degrees.

It takes about 6 hours to dry out.

Or use a dehydrator if you have one.

Store almond meal in the refrigerator.

You may want to puree it in the food processor before using it in a recipe to make it more flour like.

Cabernet Zucchini and Mushroomswith Rice

Today was busy with final meetings for our new house, but I needed to make something for dinner :-) I was in the mood for a baked casserole that my Mom used to make all the time growing up. It's kind of a comfort food for me. The key notes of it being rice, mushrooms, and wine. However, hers had a can of Campbells soup in it. So I decided to try a simpler, healthier version of my own, and it came out nicely.  

Cabernet Zucchini and Mushrooms with Rice:

Add to pan pre-heated on low (I prefer cast iron):

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup ghee (which is casein-free & lactose-free)

2 zucchini, sliced

16 oz of mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Saute for 10 minutes

Then add:

2 tbs Cabernet, I used 3 Girls

Saute another 10 minutes

Add:

1/2 tsp celtic salt

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

For the rice I used: 

1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of gluten-free wild rice

1 cup of vegetable broth

1 cup of purified water

Arico Gluten-Free Cookie Bar

The Denver CSA gluten-free food fair on Saturday was so much fun! It was so great meeting some of you and trying all the different things to eat! We brought home a bag full of breads and bars, and so far my favorite has been these Almond Cranberry Cookie Bars by Arico. I have to admit I have never heard of them or this company before, but I am placing my order for more after I finish this post :-) They remind me of biscotti only softer (and gluten-free of course). Also noteworthy is that they are organic and dairy-free, and since they contain almonds and almond meal, they are high in calcium. Cheers!

Did you go? What was your favorite treat? 

Flourless Brownies

For those of you who like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but seek to avoid peanuts because they carry fungus, this is the brownie for you. Or if you're not a peanut butter fan, make them without Sunbutter, for one of the best brownies ever! Add a little mint and you have mint chocolate brownies! So many delicious ways to make them!

Flourless Brownies (gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free):

Set oven to 325 degrees
Add to Bowl:

1/2 cup sunbutter (for a peanut-like taste)
1/2 cup almond butter

(or 1 cup of almond butter and no sunbutter, if you don't want a peanut butter taste)
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla liquid stevia

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup cocoa powder (no more than 1/4 cup - or they will be dry)

Optional: 1/2 tsp mint extract

Beat with electric mixer.

If the batter appears too dry add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water.
Pour into square greased cake pan. Spread slightly (it will even itself out).
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life. I like them because they're mini.

Bake on the middle rack for 24 minutes.

You can also double the recipe for a large rectangular pan. The bake time is the same.

Notes: We usually eat the whole thing the day it's made, but today I had some leftovers that Andy put in the fridge yesterday - Oh my goodness... They are sooooo good cold! You have to try it!

Strawberry Parfait & Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It was the most magnificent day here near Boulder, Colorado. Sunny and 72, warm in the sun, cool in the shade, with a strong breeze. We took a long bike ride, maybe 3 hours. Zoe has what I call the half bike or third wheel which attaches to Andy's bike, making it look like a two person bike. Ashley rides behind me in the trailer. We stopped on our favorite hill, and sat under the trees to eat, overlooking the town in the distance, and the rocky mountains beyond, still covered in snow and topped by the bright blue sky. It was even more beautiful than these chocolate covered strawberries, and strawberry parfait :-)

Strawberry Parfait:

Layer strawberries (sliced and tossed in xylitol then refrigerated for

an hour)

Vanilla Pudding (recipe in Bananas Foster below)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

Warm on low till just melted (or better yet use a double boiler)

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of coconut oil (or more if you want them really shiny)

10 drops of vanilla liquid stevia

Or try chocolate raspberry liquid stevia for a raspberry version

Dredge strawberries in chocolate and lay on unbleached parchment

to dry

We also coated half in toasted shredded coconut

Refrigerate

Gluten-free, casein-free, & sugar-free

Roasted Roots With Garlic & Rosemary

For such a low budget dish, these roasted roots with garlic and rosemary tasted like they came from a gourmet restaurant. We had them with steamed broccoli and sliced cherry tomatoes. It may sound low key, but it was delish! Next time I am going to reserve some of the dressing for the broccoli, as I ended up mopping the serving dish 

with it!

Roasted Roots with Garlic & Rosemary:

Add to large rectangular baking dish:

about 10 red potatoes, quartered

2 large or 4 small parsnips, 

chopped about the same size as the red potatoes

toss in liquified ghee or coconut oil

Roast at 450 for half an hour

Dressing:

pre-heat small pan over low heat

add:

a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic

remove from heat

add:

a few more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon of celtic salt

Pour over root vegetables

Wonderful at any temperature

Bananas Foster

Here's the thing about eating healthy: You can even have dessert for breakfast! Yesterday I made my Vanilla Pudding (below) and this morning I walked into the kitchen, saw the bananas were ripe, and said to myself, "I'll make my bananas foster for breakfast!" It's a little different from the one they serve in restaurants (there's no sugar, alcohol, casein or lactose), but it's just as delicious - I promise! 

Bananas Foster:

Preheat pan on medium heat for just as long as it takes to:

Cut a banana into half inch pieces (if the pieces are too thin they may fall apart or turn to mush)

Add to the pan a teaspoon of coconut oil and a teaspoon of ghee

(or two teaspoons of either, but ghee gives it that buttery flavor, minus the casein and lactose) 

Fry on each side for a couple of minutes so they get nicely browned

Sprinkle with a pinch of celtic salt, and a few pinches of xylitol

Add to bowl of Vanilla Pudding

Eat slowly with eyes half closed :-)
Gluten-free, casein-free & sugar-free

Vanilla Pudding:

Gluten-free, casein-free & sugar-free

Add to food processor

1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least three hours, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup liquified coconut oil

Process for a few minutes, or until it looks like nut butter

Add -

1/4 cup agave

1 tbs vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup whole coconut milk ( This depends on your desired thickness. The less you put the thicker it will become. )

Process for a couple minutes

Pour into dish and refrigerate for at least 5 hours

(Or freeze in ice cube trays for making smoothies and shakes) 

Jim Carrey - I love you!

I know I said I wasn't going to break off topic with my website, and I'm not. The entire reason I am here today, making this food which is free of gluten, casein, and sugar is because of my children. Thank God for them! They have changed my life in so many positive ways. Like thousands of others recovering from autism through GF/CF diets, chelation and detox, my family and I send a big kiss and a thanks to Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy for the rally yesterday, and all they have done!

Almond & Orange Spinach Salad

Words can not express how much I love my almond & orange spinach salad! Spinach salads are the way to my heart to begin with, but add the almond and orange dressing, the fresh sliced oranges and chopped almonds, plus the caramelized onions.... I am in taste bud heaven :-) This is a dinner I not only thoroughly enjoy but can feel good about eating too. Let us know if you agree!

Almond & Orange Spinach Salad Dressing:

Add to blender:

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup agave

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp gluten-free tamari sauce

1/4 tsp celtic salt

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

While my Mom was in town she wanted to treat us to a special lunch, which is why we had the pleasure of eating at Leaf in Boulder. Leaf is a vegetarian restaurant just behind Aji on Pearl, and although it doesn't have a gluten-free menu like Aji, the staff are well informed on gluten-free. Above is a photo of the beautiful Indian Coconut Curry, but I also have to give mention to the drinks, in particular the soy chai (heaven), and their mint lemonade - ohhhh... I wish I had one right now!

Think Green Chocolate Chip Bar

I am always searching for new gluten-free, dairy-free bars, and a few months ago I came across these, Think Green Chocolate Chip Bars. Truth be told, getting my 5 year old to eat anything she knows is healthy is like pulling teeth. If the health food comes across looking like my frozen fudge or cupcakes, no problem, but if it looks like broccoli or green beans, forget it. These bars not only look and taste like chocolate, but they have over 1 tbs of power greens per bar - yipee! I'm still not giving up on the health food that looks like real food, but at least she isn't deprived in the mean time! And (JOY) they come with us on the go, not that you can't eat green beans in the car :-)

Jasmine Tea with Cashew Milk

One of the things I think we all find most comforting is not actually food, but tea or coffee. I know I drink one or the other (or usually both) at least once a day. My favorite tea has to be jasmine. I love to try different jasmine teas. Some of the loose leaf ones I've tried have been really nice, but yesterday I had Organic Jasmine Green Tea (by Choice Organic Teas) with my Mom who is in town for a visit. I like to add a spoonful of raw honey and a dash of cashew milk to mine. Sigh :-)