Baked Rosemary Cashews {Gluten Free}

October 2, 2014November 3, 20141 Comment

Let’s talk about a simple, toasty snack – nuts! Not only are they high in Omega 3’s but they are very appetite crushing. This little recipe is simple and the perfect thing to set out for a dinner party or just out in your house during the upcoming holiday season.

The blend of rosemary and 21 Seasoning Salute (Trader Joe’s) is mouthwatering. Believe me. Love, love this blend!

You will need: 1 cup unsalted cashews, 1 tbsp. dried rosemary, 2 tbsp. olive oil or melted coconut oil and 1 tbsp. 21 Seasoning Salute.

First dump all your cashews in a bowl and coat with your olive oil. Make sure they are covered – this is what makes the herbs stick to the nut.

Pour in your spices and stir with a big wooden or plastic spoon. (Did I mention that I absolutely LOVE Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. Please buy this little yummy spice. It can really add to any dish you cook up!)

Spray cooking spray on an oven pan and dump your spice nuts into the pan.

Make sure the oven is set to 400 – you want it pretty hot so your nuts can get nice and toasty. Place the nuts in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the cashews are nice and brown.

Set out and enjoy!

Sunflower Seed Chicken Salad {Gluten Free}

September 14, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

This chicken salad is refreshing and seriously great. It is so easy to make – like really easy. And will last all week in the fridge (so you can have it for lunch many days!) I like to make my lunches before the work week starts. That way, I can just grab it and go in the morning. This little salad is perfect to take to the office for a quick healthy lunch. You may even have all the ingredients at home already (I did!).

You will need: 1 can of chicken (or you can use 2 whole chicken breasts – cooked and chopped), 3 large celery stalks, ¼ yellow onion, salt and pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, 3 tbsp. mayonnaise and arugula leaves.

First off, dice your celery and yellow onions. You can use a food processor for this; but, I like a little larger chunks in my salad – so just use a regular kitchen knife and cut them up in small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl.

Dump in your canned or chopped chicken. And mix it into the veggie mix of onions and celery.

Next add in your mayo (if you are vegan – you can use Vegenaise®). Stir up your mixture, making sure the chicken is coated. Add in your spices – garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. You may even want to add in a little onion powder too. If you like it really flavorful.

Lastly, add in the sunflower seeds. I find that adding some kind of nut or seeds adds that earthy crunch you crave. And sunflower seeds remind me of the fall (which, I am so ready for!)

Stir and set on a bed of arugula. This lettuce, also known as, salad rocket is super good for you. Read more about it here. Rather than a peppery taste – the leaves are somewhat sweet. However, you can always use a different type of lettuce.

I like to sprinkle some vinaigrette on top of the salad for additional flavor. Paul Newman’s lite Italian is wonderful. Enjoy.

Turkey Avocado Parmesan Burgers {Gluten Free}

August 27, 2014November 3, 20141 Comment

This past weekend, my dad came to visit me in Washington, DC. Not only did we venture out to a great, unique Thai restaurant, I also made him a little homemade dinner one night. Yummy burgers! They were gluten free of course. But, so great and moist.

Who does not love fresh avocados and Parmesan? I found a little gem recipe on Pinterest and created a fresh, healthy alternative to a juicy, greasy burger. And, drum roll please – my dad actually liked it!

These sweet little burgers are great. You can make them in no time at all. The ingredients are simple and it takes like 5 minutes to make your patties. Use the grill or a stovetop. I used a stovetop, because; unfortunately don’t have a backyard for a grill. But, we got to enjoy the outdoor balcony while dining.

You will need: 1 pound ground turkey (or chicken), ½ chopped yellow onion, 1 mashed ripe avocado, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, ½ cup fresh grated parmesan, salt and pepper and (this is optional) some gluten free bread crumbs.

I needed the bread crumbs to use as a binding agent, because turkey does not hold together as well as ground beef…etc.

All you need to do is dump the ground turkey (thawed out, if frozen) into a mixing bowl. Chop your onions up in tiny pieces and add them to the meat mixture. Then add chunks of chopped avocado to your mixture as well. Use a fork to mash up the blend.

Sprinkle in the garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix these in again. Use your hands to make little round hamburger patties.

Set the oven stovetop to high and spray a big cooking pan with some cooking spray. Slowly add your patties to the hot pan and cook for about 8 minutes on each side (or until lightly brown). You want to make sure the patty is cooked all the way through.

After your patties are done – add them to a gluten free hamburger bun with all the fixings. And enjoy your little slice of gluten free summer heaven! You can also pair this meal with a great glass of Red Zinfandel and a homemade salad!

Green Tea Jell-O Bites {Gluten Free, Low Fat}

August 5, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

The color will vary depending on what type of green tea you use!

Green tea is fantastic for your health and your body. However, it is not all that fun to drink. I find it has a pretty potent taste. I drink it; but, just really don’t enjoy it all that much.

So, I invented a new way to get your green tea intake – green tea Jell-O bites! Not only do these little gummies taste better than a cup of hot tea – they have a subtle sweetness from the agave nectar (that you will add to your mixture.)

Just pop about 5 bites in your mouth in the morning or night, and there you have it – an instant healthy treat and a daily dose of antioxidants that is gluten free, low fat and disease fighting!

You will need: 1 packet of Knox Gelatin (has 4 sleeves in it), 3 cups of boiling water (tea induced), 1 cup of cool water (tea induced) and 2 heaping tbsp. of agave nectar.

Knox unflavored gelatine – 1 box has 4 packets!

First, boil your 3 cup of water over the stove. Once the pot is boiling, seep in 4 green tea bags. I used pomegranate green tea. It gave it a nice fruity flavor. Let these tea bags set in the boiling pot for about 3 or 4 minutes.

While, the tea is in the boiling pot in the stove, pop a mug the size of 1 cup into the microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Take out and put a tea bag in this hot cup. Let cool. I put about 3 or 4 ice cubes into the cup as well to cool it quickly.

Next, dump your 4 gelatin packets into the hot mixture and stir. Gradually add your cool green tea cup to the hot mixture. Use a big spoon to stir; making sure the gelatin is all dissolved. Add in your 2 tbsp of agave nectar! Stir again.

Pour mixture into a tray. I used a clear one used for casseroles and set in the fridge for about 2 hours or until the gel is thick. Cut into cube with a knife and enjoy!

Cauliflower Mashed Faux Potatoes {Gluten Free, Vegetarian}

July 29, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

Let me fill you in on a little new secret recipe. Well, it is not really a secret. You can find this recipe online countless places.

But, take it from me – it may not sound like an awesome dish; but, it is fabulous. Creamy, delicious and melt in your mouth just awesome.

Move over starchy mashed potatoes with loads of butter, there is a new healthy dish in town. And, it will for sure become one of your all-time favorites. It is gluten free and lick the bowl great.

You will need: 1 head of cauliflower, 2 tbsp. of ghee (clarified butter), 3 cloves of fresh garlic, salt and pepper, ¼ cup half and half creamer (or full fat coconut milk), ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

First, boil a big pot of water. On a chopping block cut your cauliflower into tiny little florets. Place these florets in the water (after it comes to a boil). You will want to boil these pieces for about 10 minutes.

You will also need to cut the cloves of garlic and add to the boiling pot of water with the cauliflower pieces.

Boiling and chopping the cauliflower!

Once the florets are nice and soft, pour the pieces over a strainer and let cool just a little bit. Add the pieces to a food processer. My food processer was really tiny, so needed to do this in three segments.

Add the cauliflower florets (and garlic) to the processor along with the cream, ghee and parmesan. Then mix it up. It will make a nice paste that resembles mashed potatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Once you have made an entire bowl of faux mashed potatoes, place them in a glass/oven safe container. Make sure the oven is set to 350 and warm your cauliflower potatoes for about 20 minutes.

The finished product is fantastic. Please try this and let me know what you think!

Eggplant Fries {Gluten Free, Paleo}

July 24, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

Picture from Freckled Italian Blog

This combination is dynamite. After all, people have refereed to eggplants as one of the world’s healthiest foods. And when you combine a crunch, as well as, the nutrients – amazing!

Plus, eggplant is low in calories — just 20 calories per cup. So this little dish is low fat and will keep that figure in check. And they are also way low in carbohydrates (if you are watching those).

Natural News lists these three things as the best benefits of this purple plant: high in nasunin (cancer preventative), loaded with chlorogenic acid (antiviral) and is rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

You will need: 1 eggplant, olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder.

On a cutting board use a knife to chop up your whole eggplant into fry pieces. Eggplant is soft and easy to chop up. So, this will not be too difficult.

Place the pieces in a bowl and drizzle 2 heaping tbps of olive oil over the fries. Mix up with a large fork to make sure all the pieces are covered.

Sprinkle on your salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Then mix the spices in with a large fork. You want to make sure your seasoning covers the fries.

Set the oven to 400. Line a pizza tray or flat tray with foil and dump out your eggplant fries on the pan. Let them cook in the oven for about 25 minutes or until lightly brown.

Enjoy your nutritious fries!

Thai Squash Noodle Soup {Gluten Free}

July 14, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

Expanded my spice pallet this weekend with some tasty gluten free Thai inspired soup! Let me tell you, this little meal was delicious and completely vegetarian. Not to mention it was very easy and quick to make.

You will need: ½ quart of gluten free chicken broth, 1 cup water, ½ cup almond milk, 1 package of cooked and shelled edamame, 1 squash, curry powder, ½ onion, garlic powder, 6 chopped asparagus spears and turmeric.

First, pour your chicken broth into a large pot on the oven and start boiling the liquid. Add in 1 cup of water and let sit until the boiling process starts.

Next, in a frying pan, dump in your ½ onion, that has been diced, into the pan with a little olive oil. Sautee these until lightly brown and dump into your soup mixture.

Add chopped asparagus and bag of edamame to the soup mixture.

For the squash noodles, I used one of these vegetable slicers. They are super inexpensive and you can get them at Target. Believe me, invest in this! (Thank you Mom for the wonderful gift!) Squash makes perfect guilt-free noodles for soups!

Dump your squash noodles into the soup. Add in the spices – 1 tbsp. of curry powder, 1 tbsp. of turmeric and ½ tbsp. of garlic powder. Last but not least, add in your almond milk (or coconut). Just don’t use cow or soy milk.

Also as a little info: turmeric is a wonder spice! It is said to help in prevention of: Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer. It reduces inflammation and blood pressure, as well, as protects your bones!

Let this yummy soup cook for about 20 minutes on low. You just want all the spices to gel together. This will ensure a tasty bowl of soup.

Enjoy. This is gluten free and paleo (if you take out the edamame.)

Watermelon Cooler {Gluten Free}

July 9, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

This drink looks absolutely fantastic! It’s a WATERMELON drink – for the summer! Perfect thing to cool off those HOT days.

Bring the drink to the pool and sip on it in the hot sun. Watermelon is refreshing and detoxing.

Not only is watermelon low calorie, they are one fruit that is great to eat when on a diet especially if you are looking for a way to cleanse your body flushing potentially harmful toxins from your body.

This drink is only 90 calories per serving – awesome! And has a coconut taste to it (even better!)

Now, wouldn’t you so much rather drink this than a coke? {soda – excuse me, every soft drink is ‘coke’ to a Texan!}

You will need: 3 cups cubed chilled watermelon, 1 cup coconut water, squeeze of fresh lime and a sprig of mint,

Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Yes, this is all you do – truly a no sweat drink. For an alcoholic version try one part coconut rum.

However, I think you will find that the skinny version is absolutely wonderful.

Fresh Caprese Salad {Gluten Free}

July 1, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

This gluten free girl sometimes really misses Italian food. I see angel hair Alfredo pasta and my mouth waters. The rich flavors just pervade my senses, and I miss consuming such creamy meals.

However, skipping the wheat laden bread is a better alternative than an upset stomach. So, I find ways to satisfy my Italian cravings. And the best way to do that is – eat a lovely bowl of Caprese Salad.

I can remember my first plate of this yummy salad, which is interesting. This was even before I knew about my gluten allergy. As you can tell, I am not lying about liking this dish.

There we were, my sweet family of four, eating on a mountaintop bistro in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And, little did I know, I would fall in love that day with – Caprese Salad.

These beauties were too pretty not to share!

Now that I am older, I make this as a quick dinner or treat for myself. It is heavenly.

So, if you are gluten free and missing out on your garlic and olive oil flavors, this is the dish for you!

You will need: 3 medium tomatoes, 1 ball of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, olive oil and salt and pepper.

All you need to do is – get out a cutting board and chop up your pretty tomatoes. You can chop huge chunks or little chunks. The choice is really up to you.

Next, chop up your fresh basil leaves and ball of mozzarella. Mix up these pieces with the tomatoes in a larger bowl.

Sprinkle in some olive oil. The amount of drizzle is up to you. Then add some salt and pepper to taste.

You are done! This can be a little dinner or maybe a side salad with your main course. It is completely gluten free and very delicious. Munch on gluten free ladies!

You might also like this delish ‘Caprese Gluten Free Bread’ recipe too!