Thai Beef Rice Noodles {Gluten Free}

February 18, 2014February 18, 2014Leave a comment

Everyone loves a good warm cup of noodles – especially with a little Asian flavor. Well, it snowed again last night, so wanted to make something wholesome and light for dinner.

This gluten free, both dish really fit the bill. Want to impress a date or cook for your family? This little bowl of goodness is set to impress!

You will be licking the bowl wanting seconds after making this soul warming noodle soup.

You will need: 1 quart gluten free beef broth {Pacific is the brand I use}, 2 handfuls of spinach, ½ large onion – chopped, 3 cloves garlic – diced, ½ bag of thick rice noodles, 2 tbsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos {soy sauce – for non-gluten people}, 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp. sesame seeds, ginger – shredded, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, and salt to taste.

First, pour your beef broth into a large bowl on the stove. While you let it boil, chop up your onions and garlic – then sauté them in olive oil. When brown, add them to the soup mixture.

Dump the liquid aminos {soy sauce} into the pot, as well as, the peanut butter and stir this thoroughly. Make sure the peanut butter is melted and you have a very even looking soup.

I used the cheese grader for the ginger. Simply, shred some fresh ginger – maybe a tbsp. full and place that in your soup. Also add in the sesame seeds and oil at this time.

Finally, add the rice noodles and stir. Let the noodles get soft in the pot. You may want to cover the lid for about 10-15 minutes {with the heat on low}.

Lastly, add in your spinach. Fold these into the soup. You don’t want them to get too wilted. Maybe let them sit in the soup – for a few minutes. Taste and add salt if needed!

Serve – and shock your friends with this amazing gluten free noodle bowl! Yum.

Almond Milk with English Breakfast Ice Cubes

February 16, 2014February 16, 2014Leave a comment

I have a recent new obsession – almond breeze. It’s basically almond milk. It’s gluten free, vegan and low-fat. It is so creamy and tasty.

Definitely not a milk lover; however, this little drink has won me over.

I had this drink {pictured} in place of coffee one morning this week, and it was absolutely heavenly. It is so, so easy to make.

All you need to do is: brew a pot of English Breakfast Tea or Earl Grey Tea. Wait for it to cool and pour the mixture into ice cube trays. I made my tea pretty strong because we want the flavor to really pervade the milk.

Use sweet little trays for the tea – so your drink looks fun. I have some Hawaiian flower ice cube trays that I got at the Dollar Store.

Pour your almond milk in a dainty glass and drop in your tea ice cubes. You will love this as a replacement for coffee in the morning.

Try it – it’s simply decadent, gluten free and really low-calorie.

Almond Breeze Fruit Smoothie {Gluten Free}

February 13, 2014February 13, 2014Leave a comment

So, I woke up to a mountain of snow outside my window this morning – snow day! There is nothing like staying home in your pajamas and warm fuzzy socks.

This little delightful smoothie will awaken your senses and give you that energy boost you need for the long, cold day ahead.

This was quick and easy to make. All you need is a blender and a few ingredients.

You need: 1 handful of leafy greens {I used a mix of arugula, baby kale and spinach}, 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 1 cup of frozen fruit {this one had pineapples, strawberries & peaches}, 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 tbsp. flax seed, ½ cup water and ½ cup almond breeze {unsweetened}.

Just place all these ingredients into your blender. You do not need a fancy one for these smoothies. Pulse for about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Also – the use of almond milk is a healthy alternative to dairy milk. It’s lower in calories, packed with vitamin E, does not need to be refrigerated – and is great for raw food diets!

I poured the breakfast drink into a big mason jar. It’s fun to drink these out of thick colorful straws. It really feels beachy this way! Enjoy this sweet drink. Loaded with fiber, protein and naturally gluten free!

Mozzarella Quinoa {Gluten Free}

February 12, 20141 Comment

This is a quick, simple dinner. If you don’t feel like slaving away over the hot stove – this is the meal for you. It’s gluten free and loaded with fiber galore.

Make a big batch and save the leftovers for lunch at work the next day. All you will have to do is pop it in the microwave.

You need: 2 cups gluten free chicken broth, 1 cup uncooked quinoa, 1 garlic clove, ¼ chopped yellow onion, ¼ cup mozzarella.

First, boil the 2 cups of chicken broth. Then add the 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to the boiling batch.

While this is cooking, sauté the chopped onion and garlic clove on the skillet. You will pour a little olive oil into the pan and brown.

After the quinoa is cooked {should take about 15 minutes}, dump in the garlic and onion mixture. I stirred the seed mixture and then added the ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

The cheese will melt into the mixture making to gooey and loaded with flavor. You also might want to mix in salt and pepper {you be the judge on the amount.}

Dish the quinoa into a bowl and top with a pinch of additional cheese. Enjoy this simple, hearty dish!

Crunchy Kale Salad {Gluten Free, Vegan}

February 8, 2014February 8, 20142 Comments

I had this delightful little salad this week for a work lunch. It was super easy to make and quite refreshing to make. It made me feel like I was being good to my body – and that really is what food should be about – nourishing you from the inside out.

Kale is a very leafy green – it has much richer, bolder taste than regular lettuce. It is commonly used in green shakes and the base plant.

Kale has so many health benefits. It has anti-inflammation properties and also fights against cancer cells. Try it. You won’t be sorry!

You will need: 2 cups of kale, 1 handful of sliced almonds, ¼ cup crasins, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 cap full of apple cider vinegar and 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice.

All I did for this salad was place the greens in the food processer to make a really diced salad. I pulsed about 3 times. Just to give it a slightly chopped feel.

Dump the greens in a bowl and pour in your olive oil. Massage the oil into the leaves. Use your hands – this will allow the flavor of the greens to really pop.

I placed full almonds in the food processer and pulsed. But, you can use pre chopped almonds as well. You just want them to be small little pieces, so you can mix them in.

Pour the almonds and crasins in the bowl of greens and stir. Lastly, splash on the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. I let it sit overnight – and took it to work the next day {flavors set more this way!}

But, feel free to eat right away or serve for dinner! Yum, you are doing your body good!

Sweet Potato Broccoli Soup {Gluten Free}

February 5, 2014February 5, 2014Leave a comment

So this picture does not do this justice. It’s fantastic.

The northeast is expecting a winter blizzard to come in full-force. Hopefully, the DC area will miss it. But, we sure are getting a lot of cold rain.

This weather calls for soup. I love hearty soups on cold, gloomy days.

This bowl of soup will warm you up and treat your soul to a nice soothing vacation. The sweet potato is so rich and creamy. You will defiantly not miss the meat in this dish.

You will need: 2 medium sweet potatoes, 2 cups frozen or fresh broccoli, ½ quart chicken broth (or veggie – for full on vegetarian), 1 cup skim milk (or almond, coconut milk), ½ onion, 2 cloves garlic, pinch of crushed red pepper, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Dump your broth into a pan on the stove – and boil. Next cook your potatoes. I just placed both in the microwave for a little more than 5 minutes, sliced them in half and scooped out the orange insides with a spoon. You do not want the skin of the potatoes in your soup.

Put your potato goodness into the boiling pot. Add your milk and whisk all this together. You want to make a smooth soup texture.

In a separate pan, I sautéed the onion and garlic with a little olive oil and then poured these ingredients into the pot to add a little taste.

Next add in your broccoli {or baby trees as I like to call them.} These will take a little while to cook. You might want to let them just simmer in the pot for about 10 minutes.

After your broccoli has heated up, add in the Parmesan cheese and whisk again. You might want to taste your little mixture to see how much salt and pepper you need to add. Then add.

Lastly add a pinch of red pepper – for those who love things just a little spicier.

Enjoy.

Pesto Tomato Pizza {Gluten Free, Meat Free}

February 2, 2014February 2, 2014Leave a comment

Cheese is great – but it may be a little too great. I am trying to wean myself off this creamy goodness for the time being.

So when thinking about dinner recipe options – my choices were limited and semi depressing. Because I love cheese so much.

Haha. But, everything takes discipline. I found this tasty gluten free and vegan pizza recipe that looked amazing. Though I was a little skeptical of the lack of cheese, y’all –to take from Tina Turner – it was ‘simply the best!’ Throw down the microphone good.

Please make this. You will thank yourself for taking the time to do it. Here we go!

You will need: 1 {2 cups} package of gluten free pizza dough mix {I used Bloomfield Farms}. This mixture calls for two cups of water and 1 tbsp. olive oil. If you are trying to go full force vegan – let me suggest this cauliflower crust. I have not made this yet – but it’s next on my list!

To make your own pesto sauce you’ll need: 1/4 cup pine nuts, 2 loosely packed cups fresh basil, 1/2 – 1 clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil (you decide the quantity here).

Additional glaze: 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of garlic powder.

First, dump 2 cups of the pizza mix into a bowl and add your two cups of water and oil. Knead with your hands and make a nice little ball of dough.

I lined a foil sheet with some more of the dry mixture and placed the ball in the center of the foil. Then rolled the ball in it, so it was not as sticky. Then flattened the crust with my hands to make a nice little round piece to place all your toppings on! I tried to make the bread as thin as possible.

Preheat the oven to 425 – to get the oven nice and toasty.

I added a garlic glaze to the top of my pizza to make it nice and garlic tasting. Just drizzled the oil infused with garlic on top of the dough. Pop this in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Now, on to the pesto sauce! Add all your ingredients from above into the food processor. So drop the pine nuts, basil, garlic, spices and oil – and pulse until creamy.

While the crust is still in the oven, I sautéed some garlic and onions with a little bit of dried basil. And chopped up some fresh grape tomatoes for the topping!

Once the crust is nice and toasty, I pulled it out of the oven and spread my yummy pesto sauce on top. Then arranged the tomatoes and slowly spread my garlic onion mixture on a well.

Let this cook for about 7 minutes – and you have a beautiful cheese and meat free pizza!

It is so fantastic, let me tell you!

Blackberry Almond Quinoa {Gluten Free}

February 1, 2014February 1, 20145 Comments

A few days ago, I purchased some delicious looking blackberries at the grocery store. Honestly, any type of berries makes my mouth water – but blackberries especially.

In addition to raw turnips, I used to pick them out in the garden of my grandparents’ Texas home. And, boy – did they taste sweet after being out in the sun. Yum.

This no fuss breakfast {or snack} will leave your tummy full and happy. Not to mention, the cinnamon will give your metabolism a kick start to the day.

You will need: 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, 2 tbsp. cinnamon, 1 little grocery store container of blackberries, ½ cup almonds and 1/4 cup agave nectar.

First, cook the quinoa. Bring 2 cups of water to boil on the stove and add in 1 cup of quinoa.

Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes. You want all the water to be mostly gone and absorbed into the yummy, healthy seeds. The quinoa should look almost clear to the naked eye.

Let the quinoa cool in a bowl off the stove {for about 5 minutes.} Dump the cinnamon into the quinoa mixture – stir. I diced my almonds on my own {because I only had whole almonds.} Place about ½ cup of almonds into a food processor and pulse. But, not too long – because it will turn into butter.

Pour the almond crunch into the bowl and stir. Then drizzle about ¼ cup of agave nectar to create a beautiful sweet taste.

Lastly, add in the berries and gently mix them into the bowl. Now enjoy and serve. This makes enough for a few days. So, breakfast is taken care of for half the work week. Good deal!

Pepperoni Pizza Salad {Gluten Free}

January 30, 2014January 30, 2014Leave a comment

This little salad will make your mouth water. If you are trying to stay off breads and pastas – or live the gluten free lifestyle this is the perfect salad for you.

It is like an Italian pizza explosion in your mouth. And, it’s so simple to make.

You will get that pepperoni, cheese and spicy combo with this little green delight– and can also indulge on those black yummy olives. {I could literally eat a whole can as a snack!}

You will need: 1 head of romaine lettuce, 10 pepperoncini peppers, handful of black canned olives, 7 sliced radishes, 5 mini marinated mozzarella balls, low-fat turkey pepperoni slices – and your favorite salad dressing.

First chop up your lettuce. I like finely chopped salad. So spend some time making sure my pieces are little. Fill your big bowl up with this hearty goodness.

Throw the pepperoncinis on top of the lettuce. It’s ok if some of the juice drips into the salad – this creates such great flavor. Lay the rest of the ingredients on top of the lettuce.You don’t have to use radishes. I just found that they provided a real good crunch to this meal.

I used a low-fat ranch dressing for the salad and mixed it in. However, light olive oil and vinegar would probably taste nice. You will want something that pairs well with the Italian flavorings.

Hopefully, this is a fun new salad idea for you, if you are trying to spice up those mundane healthy meals. You get the taste of pizza without all the calories and gluten. Yum.

Honey Cinnamon French Toast {Gluten Free}

January 26, 2014January 26, 2014Leave a comment

One of the many things that I loved when I was a kid was the gooey sugary taste of French Toast.

My mom would buy the little sticks and pour hot syrup over them in the morning. There honestly was nothing better than that.

In fact, my mouth still waters thinking of sinking my teeth into this savory breakfast.

However, now that I am gluten free, French Toast is harder to come by. You can smell it in a little café – yet cannot indulge and this is quite sad. But not to worry – it is so simple to make gluten free French Toast.

Just make your kitchen into your little bistro. So, if you are missing that delicious taste of the golden toast pieces, follow this recipe.

You will need: 1 cage free egg, 2 pieces of gluten free toast {I use Udi’s bread}, 2 tbsp. of cinnamon, honey, sugar free syrup.

Crack your egg open and dump the inside into a bowl. Whisk up the egg and dip one piece on toast in the bowl. Make sure both sides are covered with the egg mixture.

Sprinkle cinnamon all over the piece of toast and drizzle just a little bit of honey over both sides. This adds a little bit more sweetness. Yum.

Place a pan on the oven – and make sure it’s warm before you set your egg covered piece of toast on it. Cook both sides of the piece of toast. Make sure it’s pretty toasty before you take it off. You want the egg to be soaked into the bread and the toast to look slightly brown.

Do this same process for your other pieces of bread. Place the toast on a plate and drizzle sugar-free syrup on top and enjoy!

You can too have French Toast with a gluten free twist!