Greek Style Salmon

This was dinner tonight.  As I mentioned with the previous recipe, we are in the process of going gluten-free.
Another mom I know, who has, "Been there.  Done that."  Lent me a cookbook called Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  This is another recipe from this cookbook.

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 3/4 cups (1 can) diced tomatoes, drained
6 black olives, coarsely chopped
4 green olives, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound salmon fillets

1 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, parsley, capers, garlic, and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2 Cook tomato mixture 5 minutes or until reduced by about one third, stirring occasionally.
3 Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels.  Push sauce to one side of skillet.  Add salmon to skillet; spoon sauce over salmon.  Cover and cook 15 minutes or until salmon begins to flake when tested with fork.

I would in the future, serve this with couscous or something....some years later, I served it with a rice and quinoa mix. I, also, added Feta to the top.

Quinoa & Shrimp Salad

We have been busy going gluten-free at our house.  Which has reduced me to tears multiple times in the last few weeks and causes tension in my back every time I think about setting foot in my kitchen.  So, sad when a favorite hobby turns into a horrible nightmare.
A friend, who has gluten tolerance issues in her own home, lent me a cookbook called: Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  I, greatly, appreciate all the pictures in this cookbook.  As well as finding a second recipe that uses quinoa that my husband approves of.


1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 bag (12 oz) frozen cooked baby shrimp, thawed and well drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp black pepper

1 Place quinoa in strainer.  Rinse well under cold water.  Bring water and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan over hight heat.  Stir in quinoa.  Cover; resuce heat to low.  Simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed.  Cool to room temp.

2 Combine quinoa, shrimp, tomatoes, basil, capers and green onion in large bowl.  Combine oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl.  Pour over salad.  Toss gently to mix well.

Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was discovered on Nick's website.  However, I don't want to loose it since it is the first quinoa recipe I ever made and it was well received by both myself and my husband.  And, it falls into the category of things that my youngest can eat.

Quinoa Salad

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Cups dried quinoa, rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed and blanched (or sub 1 medium butternut or acorn squash, halfed, roasted and cubed)
1 Cup dried cranberries (you can use raisins, cherries, mango, whatever)
1 Cup pumpkin seeds (you can use sunflower seeds)
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
Juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Teaspoon paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper

Cook quinoa per package instructions.  I purchase it bulk.  So, it is a two parts water to one part quinoa ratio.  All quinoa says to rinse thoroughly.  However, I do not own a strainer with small enough wholes.  I tried using a coffee filter, but that was to fine.  So, rinsing does not occur in my world for quinoa.

First, stick your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and poke a few holes in them with a fork. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes until they’re very tender.
By the way this is the same process I used for both the butternut squash and the acorn squash. Just chop them in half, poke some holes in the skin, and bake them for 50-60 minutes.
Let your potatoes cool for a few minutes after they come out of the oven and then peel and slice them into about 1/2 inch strips.  (Nick's instructions.)  Cube the strips.

Then, you mix everything together.
Mix the quinoa, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and seeds.
Mix your dressing up and pour over your quinoa mixture.  Toss to coat.  The dressing should be on the less is more side, not standing in the bottom of the bowl.

Spicy Pork Chop Casserole

I am writing this recipe as written in the cookbook Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes.  However, when I made it, I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 casserole dish.  I, also, had purchased a pork loin at the grocery store on sale in the last week and had sectioned it into 3 pound sections before freezing.  I sliced the  3 pound pork loin into 9 pork chops and put 8 of the 9 on top of the casserole.  The 9th, I pan fried and then put in the oven in a separate container for my husband's dinner.
I used Italian  diced tomatoes.
Additionally, I would like to thank Laura Poe for lending me the cookbook.  As we are new to gluten-free, it has been a blessing to have her encouragement.

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp olive oil
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 3 oz each), cut about 3/4 inch think
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used more and I used fresh ground)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional - I didn't use)

1- Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2- Lightly spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add corn, cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown.  Add potatoes; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.  Add tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir until blended.  Transfer corn mixture to prepared dish.
3- Add oil and pork chops to skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side.  Place browned side up on top of corn mixture in baking dish.  Sprinkle with black pepper.  Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until meat is barely pink in center (160 degrees F).  Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.  Let stand 2-3 minutes before serving. 
Makes 4 servings.

Apple Pecan Pudding

6 peeled and cored apples, dried
2 cups milk (We use goat.)
2 cups pecans
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp cinnamon
5 dried dates
2 cups sun-dried apples
Soak dried apples in milk overnight.
Blend with remaining ingredients and place in small ceramic ovenware bowls.
Cook at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool in refrigerator before serving.

Another recipe complements of Sarah Albright.
The recipes says it will serve 3-6. I found it filled 7 bowls.
I placed the bowls on a cookie sheet to ease in getting them in and out of the oven.
A little Cool Whip would be wonderful on these. However, I haven't progressed that far in my cooking for Bear.
The next time I make these, I will chop the sun-dried apples and add them by stirring them in with a spoon. The food processor did wonderful up till I added the sun-dried apples and then it wasn't happy.

Crockpot Beans & Rice

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 cup brown rice
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes

Put olive oil in crockpot.  Add rice and swirl in oil until coated.
Drain and rinse beans.  Add to crockpot.
Drain tomatoes, but save liquid in measuring cup.  Add tomatoes.
Add water to measuring cup with tomato liquid.  Add mixture of liquid with water to crockpot totalling 2 cups.
Add seasoning, stir well, and cover.
Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.  It is done when the rice is tender.
*Can, also, cook rice on stove and microwave other ingredients.

Above is the recipe as it was shared with me by Sarah Albright.
However, the next time I make this, I am going to use Cajun seasoning in place of the Italian seasoning and add Andoulli sausage during the last 1/2 hour or so of cooking.  Going for a red beans and rice idea.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the brown rice cooked up.  I cooked it for four hours on high.  You don't want to over cook this because at the end of the 4 hours there was condensation on the lid but that was about it for water left in the crock.

Grain-Free Apple Flax Muffins

LINK

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flax seed meal

2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup Stevia

4 eggs

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil (For MSPI, use coconut oil)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 large apple, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:

Mix dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and add to dry mixture along with oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add apple and nuts and stir to combine.

Allow fully incorporated mixture to stand 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease muffin tins. Spoon into tins (the batter will be very thick) and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 18-24 large muffins.  

We store them in the refrigerator, per the suggestion of the author of the blog we got the recipe from.

Hummus

 Spinach Salad
with Layered Greek Dip using hummus & Spiced Pita Chips.

Recipe adapted from HERE.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c. garbanzo beans (I cook mine in the crockpot.)
2/3 c. water
4 T lemon juice
2 T tahini
1 t. salt

Mix in blender until creamy.

 

Peanut Soup

I found this recipe HERE.
1 tablespoon canola oil
½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 medium to large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano chile pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 medium garnet sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup creamy peanut butter
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the ginger, carrots, bell pepper, serrano chile, garlic, and onion.
Sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the sweet potato and stock.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender, add the peanut butter, and purée until smooth.
Return the purée to the saucepan and stir in the tomato sauce.
Cook until warmed through.
Transfer to servings bowls and top with the peanuts.

Black Bean Burgers

I saw these burgers HERE. I really like the flavor and they hold together a lot better than I expected. We put them on THESE buns!

¾ cup panko
olive oil
30 oz black beans (I make mine in the crockpot so I don't have to worry about rising them.)
2 eggs
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Heat skillet to medium-high. Combine panko with 2 t. olive oil and mix. Add to skillet and toast. Stir frequently until golden. Remove from heat and cool.

Put 2 1/2 c. beans in a large bowl and mash until smooth. In a small bowl, whist eggs. 1 T. oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add egg mixture, toasted panko and 1/2 c. beans, pepper, cilantro and shallow to the mashed beans. Stir together.

Make 6 patties about 1 inch thick. (They can be wrapped in plastic wrap to be refrigerated for up to 24 hrs.) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Pizza Sauce WITHOUT TOMATOES!!!

LOOK at that beautiful pizza. Pizza crust made with whole wheat flour and topped almond cheese.

This recipe is from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom.
She has great photos on her site of how to make this. Check out her other comments and suggestions too.

I found this recipe when my husband's aunt came over. I was planning on making pizza for dinner but she can not have tomatoes. This recipe is so good and could fool anyone that it is not make with tomatoes.

onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 T overflowing of balsamic vinegar
8 oz can beets, drained (save liquid)
15 oz pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
1/2 c veggie broth
1 t. salt
lots of pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil
2 T dried oregano
1 1/2 t. cornstarch +2T beet juice


Sautee onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add lemon juce and vinegar.
Simmer 5minutes.
Puree beets in blender. (Save the liquid.)
Add pureed beets, pumpkin, salt, pepper, basil and oregano to pan. Stir.
Whisk in broth.
Simmer 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
Whisk cornstarch with a little beet juice then put in hot pan.
Cook 1 more minute.
Taste to adjust any seasoning.

Crockpot Applesauce

We went to visit relatives this past weekend and my husband's aunt had made applesauce in the crockpot that my littlest loved. I never even thought about making applesauce in the crockpot but it is easy and she loves it.

I found THIS recipe. And I used THESE apple suggestions.

8 apples- cored and peeled.
You must peel them!
(Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Empire, Mcintosh, Rome)

lemon peel
1 t. lemon juice
3 inch cinnamon stick
5 t. brown sugar

Put it all in the crockpot on low for 6 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick and enjoy.

Kiwi Pops

Found HERE. These are so good and simple.

Cut a kiwi into one inch thick pieces and peel.
Put on a stick.
Freeze on wax paper.
Melt 1 cup dark chocolate and 1/2 cup coconut oil in a double broiler.
(MSPI make sure the chocolate is MSPI friendly)
Cool chocolate to room temperature.
Dunk kiwi.
Eat or freeze.

These are best eaten the day made or maybe the day after. I feel they loose flavor after that.
They are really good. Imagine a healthy Dilly Bar.


My toddlers (1- and 2- years old) enjoy these.

Donuts

I do not like donuts and I like THESE.
I don't really think this counts as cooking. They are good hot!

canned biscuits (anything BUT the flakey layer kind).
Melted butter (4T) (coconut oil for MPSI)
Sugar & Cinnamon
1/2 inch vegetable oil

Medium heat for oil.
Cut holes in the dough. I used the vegetable oil lid.
Brown both sides. Tongs work best for flipping.
Cool slightly on paper towel lined plate then lay in shallow dish of melted butter then shallow dish of cinnamon sugar. EAT!

Edamame "Hummus" and Spiced Pita Chips

From HERE
Or try traditional hummus.

2 cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup Silken tofu, drained
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch white pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice

Set 1 Tbsp edamame aside for a garnish.
Place the rest of the edamame in the food processor with the tofu, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Process about 2 minutes. Garnish with edamame and sprinkle of cumin.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
6 whole-wheat pitas cut into 8 wedges

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients and toss (I used a large Ziploc. The recipe called for a bowl.) Spread out, in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through. Cool before serving.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Oh my gosh!!! Aunt Heidi's marshmallows are wonderful.

This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

1 c. powdered sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2T + 2 1/2t) unflavored gelatin
1 c. cold water, divided
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 t. salt
2 large egg whites
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. peppermint
red food coloring

Oil bottom and sides of 13 x 9 metal baking pan and sit with powdered sugar. In mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 c. cold water and let soften. In 3 quart saucepan, cook sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 c. water, salt over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat and boil without stirring until 240F, about 12 minutes. Pour over gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Beat on high speed until white, thick, tripled in volume about 6 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Beat whites, peppermint and vanilla into sugar mixture. Stir in food coloring but only to make lines through not to make pink. Pour into baking pan. Sift 1/4 c. powdered sugar over top. Chill uncovered until firm, at least 3 hours, up to one day.

Invert pan over cutting board. Cut into 1 inch cubes (oiled pizza cutter) sift remaining powdered sugar into baking pan and toass with marshmallows. Store airtight at room temp 1 week.

Blueberry Spice Muffins

Penzeys Spice Catalog 2011

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup t baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 egg slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk (MSPI coconut milk)
1/3 cup melted butter (MSPI coconut oil)
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

Topping:
1 T sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the muffins: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk and then add to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter. Stir just until moistened and then fold in the blueberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until browned and springy or the toothpick that doesn't hit a blueberry comes out clean. Col a few minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack.

Opera-in-the-Park Raspberry Bars

These are so good they should only be made once a year!

Crumb Layers:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks) (MSPI coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda

Filling:
3 1/2 cups raspberries
2 T raspberry enlightenment (I used raspberry jam.)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/3 cup oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degree. In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb layers. Mix until crumbly. Press about 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 by 13 pan and set aside. From the filing, combine the ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool until only slightly warm. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Top with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until the topping is golden and the raspberry filling is bubbling near the center, about 40 minutes.

MSPI

Jessica is a doula and has met a lot of moms dealing with MSPI. One of her students, also named Jessica, kindly went through to label some recipes which are MSPI friendly. I hope this helps you find multiple things to enjoy while dealing with MSPI!

Milk soy protein intolerance (MSPI) is a temporary inability to digest the proteins found in cow’s milk and soy products. MSPI is different from a traditional food allergy.

Looking for more MSPI recipes? Look HERE at MSPI Mama.

Texas Caviar (Stick with me here)

15 oz red kidney beans (1 can or 2 cups cooked)
15 oz garbanzo beans
15 oz white northern beans
15 oz black beans
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb. corn, cooked and chilled, 4-6 ears or roughly 3 cups
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped


Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder, cajun seasoning, or cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt to taste
½ lime (juice of, 1-2 Tbsp.)


Cook all the beans and rinse well. If you are using canned beans, drain them well and rinse them. Combine them in a mixing bowl. Add the onion and cilantro and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add dressing to taste. The salad will absorb a lot of the dressing, so you may not want to add it all at once. Mix well, cover and chill overnight. Taste and add extra dressing if desired.


Serve as a side salad or as a salsa with chips. Enjoy


A serving is 1 cup and has 9 grams of protein.