Breakfast has been a challenge for me since I found out about my body's negative reactions to gluten, dairy and eggs. I am so excited about this quesadilla which is a fantastic option for any meal of the day! I make the filling in a big batch ahead of time and then make the quesadilla when I'm ready to eat it.
Filling:
1/4 of a medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 small/medium sweet potato, cut into small cubes
1/2 package of tofu, cut into small cubes (I like superfirm)***
4 Tbs diced green chiles
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
salt
pepper
1 brown rice tortilla (I use Food For Life)
1/4 cup cheddar Daiya shreds
***If you are avoiding soy or if you don't like tofu, I tried it with lentils instead and it is also delicious!
Instructions:
Drain the green chiles. In a bowl, sprinkle the cumin and coriander over the tofu. Mix thoroughly so that the tofu is evenly coated and then let it sit while you cook the onions and sweet potatoes. Over medium heat, cook the onions and sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes. I have a fantastic non-stick Scanpan so I didn't have to use any oil. If I did, I'd probably use a small amount of coconut oil. Add the tofu and the green chiles to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Add a few shakes of salt and pepper to taste (I also added a few more shakes of cumin and coriander at the end).
Set the filling aside. Wipe out your pan or grab a new one and place the brown rice tortilla in it on medium heat (again, I didn't use any oil but you could spray a little olive oil on the tortilla before you put it in). Sprinkle the Daiya shreds on the tortilla and cook until the cheese starts to melt. Add the filling and cook until the tortilla gets a little brown on the bottom. If I'm taking the filling out of the fridge I heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Fold the tortilla over, put it on a plate, and enjoy! You have a meal that is satisfying, delicious, and packed with complex carbohydrates, healthy protein, fiber and loaded with nutrients from the chiles, onions and sweet potatoes. My son likes to have a side of raw avocado with it which is a great way to add some healthy fats and more nutrients.
If you're interested in buying a Scanpan for yourself, here's an Amazon link. You will pay the same price through this link but I will get a small affiliate fee to help maintain this blog. Thanks for your support!
I'm sure there are a ton of ways to play around with the filling. If you try anything and love it, please share!
This is a very easy recipe that is great for leftovers. I love bulking it up with veggies ~ I used zucchini and yellow squash, but you could really use whatever veggies are in season (or are hanging out in your fridge).
Ingredients:
1 can regular coconut milk
1 can light coconut milk
3 Tbs + 1 tsp Green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
3 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
1 Tbs xylitol
2 Tbs fish sauce
4 basil leaves per serving for garnish (I add this right before I serve it or right
before I reheat it when I'm eating leftovers). I used my kitchen shears to cut
strips but you could just tear them up.
***To make it vegan, just omit the fish sauce
Instructions:
Shake the cans of coconut milk and then pour them into a deep sauce pot or pan. While cooking the liquid on medium heat, stir in the green curry paste. Once the milk is simmering, add in your squash and stir well. Lower the heat to low-medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until your squash is your desired firmness, stirring periodically. Stir in the fish sauce. I removed the pan from the heat and let it sit for about another 5 minutes. The squash was tender but still firm.
You can also use all light coconut milk.
I did that last night and it was fine, but the sauce was quite a bit
thinner than using even just the one can of regular coconut milk. If you
are trying to lose weight or are watching your total fat intake,
though, you may want to stick with only light coconut milk. It still
tastes great!
The photo is with it over brown rice. I ate it the other day over spaghetti squash and it was delicious! I am sure it would also be great over quinoa. I also added some shredded chicken before I reheated it one day and plan to try it with shrimp soon. There are lots of possibilities!
It's a little bit spicy but both of my kids tried it and liked it. They haven't sat down to eat a whole bowl of it, so I'm not quite ready to give it the "kid-approved" stamp yet ;)
Please let me know how you like it and if you change it up at all, please share your results!
I was trying to make a squash lasagna and it did not work out . . . at all . . . BUT, what I ended up with was a thick, creamy, "cheesy" tomato sauce with squash and mushrooms. I've eaten it plain (like a super-indulgent soup). I've eaten it over rice, and I've eaten it over spaghetti squash. I think my favorite was actually over the spaghetti squash because I liked the al dente "bite" of it in contrast to the creamy sauce and the other softer vegetables. Plus, spaghetti squash is super-healthy and weight-management friendly!
Ingredients:
2 small/medium zucchini
2 small/medium yellow squash
1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce (I like the Mezzetta brand because they use quality ingredients with no added sugar)
2 bags of Daiya Mozzarella shreds (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free)
1-2 small cartons of sliced mushrooms
16 oz ground turkey (optional)
Directions:
I browned the turkey with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and some basil (I didn't measure the herbs, probably a teaspoonish of each and a couple turn of the salt grinder). If you want to keep it vegan you can omit the turkey.
I sliced the zucchini and squash with a mandolin. They didn't stay in layers but the more uniform size probably helped things cook evenly.
I rubbed a little olive oil on the large glass casserole dish and then started layering:
a little sauce
zucchini
Daiya shreds
sauce
yellow squash
meat
Daiya shreds
sauce
mushrooms
meat
Daiya shreds
sauce
I covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Cook time may vary depending on your oven. I let it sit for about 30 minutes to cool before I scooped it out into mason jars. It freezes really well. My son LOVES it ~ and big shocker ~ my very-particular-foodie-daughter likes it too!
Please let me know how you like it and share any "tweaks" you come up with!
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I was hesitant to make slow cooker oatmeal in the past because I was the only one in my family who ate oatmeal. My Crockpot is big enough that I figured I wouldn't be able to eat as much as I'd have to make for the recipe to turn out right. As luck would have it, my kids recently decided that they DO like oatmeal and proceeded to eat all of my single-serve packets. So I finally decided to a try a slow cooker oatmeal hoping it would actually get eaten. Boy am I glad I did! I prepped everything Sunday night and turned on the Crockpot before I went to bed. I came home from a Crossfit workout the next morning and was delighted! It smelled wonderful, was cooked perfectly, and the kids LOVED it! I've made it now 4 times, tweaking as I went, and finally found my perfect version.
Ingredients:
4 medium Granny Smith apples peeled and cubed
1 TBS Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread (you can use any butter or butter
alternative)
1 cup Steel Cut Oats (if gluten is an issue look for oats marked gluten-free)
2 Tbs Xylitol (you can use any sweetener you like here, granular or liquid)
2 Tbs Hulled Hemp seeds (totally optional~ I had them and decided on this
last batch to throw them in for the added nutritional value)
2 tsp Cinnamon (or to taste~ I like a lot of Cinnamon!)
1 1/2 cups Dream Blends rice/quinoa drink (unsweetened) (You can use any
dairy or non-dairy drink, but if it's sweetened you might want to ease up on
the other sweetener you use)
1 cup water
Zest of 1/2 an orange
A few twists of a salt grinder
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients and mix well. I cooked it for 6.5 hours on low and then it sat on warm for a couple of hours. The texture was good (I like some "bite" left). Everyone's slow cookers are different though. You may want to think about how your slow cooker has behaved in previous recipes and how firm you like your oatmeal before deciding how long you cook it.
I did not add any liquid when I reheated it in the microwave on subsequent mornings, but if you like your oatmeal less firm, then you might add a few Tbs of "milk" or water.
An added bonus is that my daughter, who would rather sing in the morning than get herself ready for school, has something easy to eat for breakfast. A delicious, healthy breakfast with less mess and time spent in the morning is definitely a clear winner in my book!
I hope you enjoy it! If you change things up and like the results, please share in the comments. It's always nice to have more options!
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I'm always on the lookout for new recipes that I think my kids will like. I recently saw a recipe for a savory waffle and immediately thought what a great side it would make for soups or chili and maybe as a "bread" for sandwiches. I really wanted to be able to eat them too, so I made some substitutions and they turned out GREAT! I made these for the kids last week and I got the typical reaction ~ my son and I loved them, my daughter asked if I'd just make plain waffles next time (she's a purist). I packed one the next day in my son's lunch but he said it was no good ~ dry and chewy. Next time, I'll make the amount I think we will eat at dinner fully cooked, and then cook the others a little less brown so that they can be frozen and then popped in the toaster to reheat.
This recipe is exciting to me because it seems decadent and is something I definitely wouldn't allow myself to eat every day. Even though it feels "forbidden" I'm able to make it without ingredients that would make me sick. Yay for us gluten-free, dairy-free -ers! These are definitely a bit denser than your typical waffle but for me, it just made them feel more hearty and dinnerish.
**Note** I don't normally eat eggs as I do have a reaction to them. This recipe only has one egg though, and I've not found a good egg replacer for a recipe like this that needs the rise in addition to the bind the egg provides. The fact that I might get sick if I eat too many helps me to eat just one or two instead of devouring the entire batch myself!
Ingredients:
Wet:
1 large egg
1 cup "milk" (I used Dream Blends Unsweetened Rice/Quinoa Drink)
1 Tbs oil
Dry:
1 + 1/2 cups Bob's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
1 Tbs sugar (I used Xylitol but any granular sugar should work)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
Add-ins
1/2 cup Daiya Pepperjack Shreds (dairy and soy free!)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup crispy bacon (I use Applegate Farms Sunday Bacon ~uncured)
Directions:
Cook the bacon and then chop or crumble into bits. Preheat your waffle iron. Mix the wet ingredients and then whisk in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the add-ins. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes. Everyone's waffle irons will be a little different so you may or may not need oil on your iron. The amount of batter you need to put in will also vary as well as the cooking time. The general process should be the same for this recipe as for any other waffles you make specific to your waffle iron.
Please let me know how you like them! And if you change it up at all, please share your results :)
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This is my new favorite lunch! The lavash bread is gluten/grain/egg/dairy free. It is also delicious and pliable which is not typical with bread that is gluten/grain/egg/dairy free :) I found this recipe on the Brittany Angell site: Lavash Bread (click the link to get the recipe). I used the spinach since it doesn't have it's own strong flavor but I'm sure the basil would be delicious. I also don't use cheese since I can't have dairy. Finally, I cut a little of the garlic out because even though I LOVE garlic, as a personal trainer, I need to be able to breathe on people without making them gag ;) After I make the Lavash Bread, I make a cauliflower hummus that I found on the site Livin Paleo: Paleo Hummus. I love the spices in this hummus! I haven't figured out the nutrition information to compare it to traditional hummus but I'm thinking you cut at least some calories using the cauliflower rather than garbanzo beans.
I spread the hummus on the lavash bread then add mixed greens (choose your favorites), sliced cucumbers, and sometimes a lean protein like grilled chicken breast or ground turkey if I have some. The lavash bread is made with psyllium husk and coconut flour so it will keep you full for a while. On that note, the bread is delicious but don't let yourself eat a lot at one time. As my mom pointed out to me, psyllium husk is basically Metamucil, so if you're not used to a LOT of fiber, you could be overloading your GI system if you eat more than one or two pieces.
The variations are endless since the bread does not have it's own strong flavor and you could change the spices you use in the hummus. Now it's your turn ~ how would you build your sandwich?
Let me start by saying that I still don't know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. So I'm just going to tell you to get the orange one. Whichever one that happens to be at your local grocery store. Once you've done that, you can start making one of the most delicious and simple dishes I've had in a long time. I frequently eat it for breakfast but I am taking it to my parents' house for Thanksgiving as a side dish. It is very versatile since it has both sweet and savory elements. This is not a traditional dessert-y sweet potato casserole dish. No marshmallows or butter on this baby! There is no added sugar, just the natural flavors of the ingredients, heightened by the yummy goodness that is bacon :)
Ingredients:
3 mediumish sweet potatoes (or yams)
4 mediumish granny smith apples
1ish package of bacon I use Applegate Farms Uncured Sunday Bacon since I try to avoid the nitrates/nitrites. I just found out that Hormel also makes one without preservatives in their Natural Choice line.
Half of a largish sweet yellow onion
Instructions:
Chop the bacon and set aside. Chop the onion and set aside (how finely you chop it is really a matter of personal preference). Peel and then cube the sweet potatoes and apples. Set them aside separately. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat until you've rendered out the fat and the bacon is nice and crispy-brown. Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel covered plate. Pour the bacon fat into a heat-safe bowl.
Pour a couple of tablespoons of that bacon fat you set aside into a new pan. I use a large, high sided pan. If you are using non-stick pans you can always reduce the amount of fat you use to cook the onions. If you are trying to lose weight, this could cut down on the calories and fat in the recipe substantially. I've heard the Scanpan line is really good (and Chef's Catalog has quick shipping). Hint-hint Santa Clause :)
Cook the onion in the bacon fat until it is translucent and soft. Put the onions in a slow cooker or a dutch oven. Put the sweet potatoes in the pan you just cooked the onion in (you might need to add a little more bacon fat) and brown them. You don't need to cook them through, just get a little of the flavor of the bacon and that nice golden color they'll get from hitting the hot pan. You might need to do this in batches to be sure the sweet potatoes are just getting browned and not steaming in the pan. Put all of the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. You can throw the apples into the pan with a little of the bacon fat or not. You have enough of the bacon-y taste with all of the other elements that it doesn't really need that step. And again, it can save a bit of calories and fat if you put the apples straight into the slow cooker. Add the bacon with the rest of the ingredients. Finely grate some orange zest (about half an orange) and mix together until all of the ingredients are evenly combined. The orange zest is an important element so don't skip it! Cook in the slow cooker on low for about an hour. This makes a very large batch but it will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container.
Enjoy! Please comment and let me know how you like it :)
My mom, Wendy, is an amazing cook. This recipe is remarkable not only because it is so tasty and healthy, but also because she actually wrote it down! She is very creative in the kitchen and cooks by instinct so it's not often that a recipe can be duplicated, even by her :)
My mom recently decided to cut some foods out of her diet to see if it would help with some of her health issues. Many of you know that I have cut gluten, eggs, and dairy out of my diet and that it has made a tremendous impact on my health and well-being. I am also on the path to cutting out corn and soy to see if it can alleviate some of my general symptoms further, as well as help stave off the development of my auto-immune disorder. If you are allergic to nuts you can always leave them out, but other than that, this is a very friendly recipe for anyone dealing with food sensitivites/allergies.
Thanks for the recipe Mom!
Salad:
1 cup pineapple chunks (save 1/4 cup of juice)
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts cooked, then chopped in 1/2" chunks
1 cup of cooked red quinoa (you can use any quinoa)
3 cups of brown rice or brown and wild rice mixed
1 cup sliced or matchstick almonds, toasted
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/2 cup caramelized onions, chopped
Mix ingredients together then toss with dressing before serving
Dressing:
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup olive oil
1/2 - 1 minced shallot
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Whisk ingredients together then mix with salad
I am not sure what the nutrition values or Weight Watchers Points Plus values are yet. When I make it myself I will figure them out and post them (unless someone beats me to it, hint, hint) ;)
Enjoy!
I will be posting a series of main dish salads that are healthy, easy, make-ahead meals using seasonal ingredients. Keep checking back for more!
This is a simple, go-to recipe for me. I like it because it is filling and packed with healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and protein. I've eaten it by itself, on a bed of greens, or mixed with quinoa. It all depends on how hungry I am and what else I have in the fridge ;)
Ingredients:
4 cans (5 oz) of tuna (I use pole caught albacore ~ higher in Omega-3s and more environmentally friendly)
1 + 3/4 cup of chopped celery
1 + 1/2 cup of dill relish
1 cup finely chopped green onions
6 Tbs Reduced Fat Veganaise (you can use any mayo or plain yogurt)
Pickle juice to taste (I use a lot!)
Pepper to taste
Makes 5 cups
1 cup = 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus value
Calories = 302
Carbohydrates = 3
Fat = 18
Protein = 32
Sodium = 1490
Sugar = 1
Enjoy!
