I love fish recipes and most of them I keep rather simple. Fresh fish is wonderful cooked with just a little olive oil, lemon juice, and maybe a little sea salt. My husband loves fish, so I try to make it for dinner at least once a week. This week I jazzed it up a little with cilantro pesto. I added Sundried Tomatoes this time for a change and it made for a completely different flavor. There are several ways you can prepare fish with pesto. You can broil it, roast it, bake it, grill it, or pan-sear it! Roasting is an easy way to prepare fish and is a great way to prepare the fish without a lot of fat. Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen just posted a delicious-looking Roasted Tilapia recipe that was prepared this way.

I am also submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb blogging, hosted by The Well Seasoned Cook.

If you would like to learn more about Weekend Herb Blogging, visit Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Weekend Herb Blogging asks each cook to showcase a vegetable, herb, or flower. My vegetable this week is green beans! Green beans are low in calories and are packed with nutrition. This spring vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. Green beans also are a pretty good source of magnesium, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Here is the gluten-free, casein-free pesto recipe I used on my fish.

SUNDRIED TOMATO CILANTRO PESTO

(based on my earlier Cilantro pesto recipe)

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

1/2 of a jalapeno

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup sliced almonds

salt to taste

Directions: Throw all the ingredients in a mini prep processor minus salt. Process until desired consistency. Taste and add salt- I added about 1/4 tsp.

Note: You can add the pesto to your favorite fish fillet before you cook it or after, depending on preference. You can also cook the fish and add the pesto to the side to be eaten with the fish. Make it your own! Note: If you pan-sear the fish, smear pesto on only one side of the fish and cook that side last.

I paired my fish with green beans and mushrooms seasoned with lime zest, garlic, and shallots. It made for a great dinner!

GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS WITH SHALLOTS AND LIME

Fresh Green Beans (I didn’t measure, but have enough for four people- maybe 1 lb.), cleaned and trimmed to 2 inch pieces

1 pint of whole mushrooms, cut in half

2 Tablespoons shallots, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons of oil (add more if needed)

zest of lime (to taste)

a little sea salt

Directions: Blanch green beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat oil over med-high heat and cook shallots until translucent. Add garlic and stir for about 45 seconds. If the garlic browns, start over. Add the mushrooms. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green beans and cook until crisp tender. Grate some lime zest on the top. The lime flavor goes great with the fish.

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Fish Recipes | 17 Comments »

This recipe is a jazzed up version of the no flour peanut butter cookie. I like this version because it includes creamy, crunchy toffee that goes so well with quinoa and oatmeal. And what is not to like about chunks of bittersweet chocolate? The cool thing about this cookie is that it is a little more forgiving than some gluten free cookie recipes. I have gotten away with chilling this dough for only an hour without any spreading. Another Bonus: No Xanthan Gum.

These are Jude’s favorite cookies, and it is the only way I have been able to get him to eat oatmeal and quinoa. This cookie recipe is also one of my favorites, but I am not eating sugar right now so these are out for the next few months!

JUDE’S FAVORITE COOKIE

1/2 stick of butter or butter substitute, softened

3/4 cup quinoa flakes

3/4 cup certified gluten free rolled oats

1/2 cup pulverized rolled oats or oat flour (I like the texture better this way, but you can use rolled oats here too)

1 1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup gluten free toffee, crushed

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarsely

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mix together the quinoa flakes, rolled oats, and baking soda. In your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add the oat /quinoa mixture and beat until combined. Mix in the toffee chips and chocolate chunks. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours. Roll the dough into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 10-13 minutes on 350 degrees. If your cookies are smaller they will bake in 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbake these cookies.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

These cookies can be frozen.

If you can’t find gluten-free toffee that you can trust, try David Lebovitz’s toffee recipe. Of course, then you won’t be making the cookies!

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Chocolate, Cookie Recipes | 14 Comments »

My favorite ingredient to put in salad is cilantro. Adding cilantro is a great way to add fiber, Vitamin A, and lutein. Cilantro has also been found to help digestion and lower blood sugar, which makes it a great addition to any meal. It is also very cheap and can be frozen for later use. Learn more here.

Cilantro is a great thing to throw in salads if you are just plain bored with eating salad. And lots of gluten-free dieters are, because you have told me! Make eating salad fun again by trying a new vinaigrette recipe or experimenting with new herbs and vegetable combinations.

I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Jugalbandi.

Weekend Herb Blogging was started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and gives bloggers the chance to share recipes made with a vegetable, flower, or herb.

You can find out more about Weekend Herb Blogging here.

Now on to the recipe:

I poached the chicken for the salad because it is a flavorful way to cook chicken without adding fat! Coconut & Lime explains how to poach chicken here.

This recipe is suitable for the South Beach Diet, including Phase One.

MIXED GREENS, CILANTRO AND PURPLE CABBAGE SALAD

2 chicken breasts, poached/boiled and then shredded (if you make more chicken, you will have some for snacks or lunches later in the week) Alternately, for vegetarians (and a faster preparation), you can use pinto or black beans.

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup of purple cabbage, chopped or sliced (more or less, depending on preference)

Mixed Greens, enough for two or three bowls

1 garlic clove, minced

1 /2 jalapeno pepper, minced

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup champagne vinegar (or substitute your favorite- higher quality vinegar will obviously make for a better, less-sour dressing)

1/3 cup olive oil

grind fresh pepper over salad

about 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

optional: 1 Tablespoon of low-fat cottage cheese

Directions:

Layer your mixed greens and purple cabbage in two salad bowls. Mix in the cilantro. Add the red peppers and chicken (or beans). Add a Tablespoon of low-fat cottage cheese to the center of the salad, if using. Make the dressing. Mix together the minced garlic, chopped green onion, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt, chili powder and jalapeno. Shake or stir vigorously. You can also use a food processor/blender. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning. Pour over the salad and grind some pepper over the top.

Notes: Make it your own. I always add more spice to my own salad by increasing the chili powder (hubby likes the recipe as written). If you are not on Phase 1 of the South Beach diet you might consider squeezing a little lime juice over the chicken.

For another vinaigrette choice, read Gluten Free Girl‘s book. She has a great recipe for champagne vinaigrette in her book that I just love.

This recipe serves 2 or 3.

Stay tuned, I am posting Jude’s favorite cookie recipe soon! (His Mommy will not be eating cookies)

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Salad Recipes | 10 Comments »

At first, gluten-free snacks seem challenging, but really the list below looks very similar to what you might have eaten as a snack before you went gluten-free. Even though you might think these snack ideas are fairly obvious, generating even the most obvious ideas helps me keep a good supply of healthy and frugal snacks in the house.

1. Water- Make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day to keep those hunger pains away. If you are dehydrated, you might think you are hungry when you are actually thirsty!

2. Sweet Potato Fries- Alexia makes a brand of frozen sweet potato fries that you can buy at SuperTarget or most well-stocked grocery stores. For a homemade version, try Gluten Free Cooking School’s Curried Sweet Potato Fries. I serve sweet potato fries with Annie’s Organic Natural Ketchup or Muir Glen Ketchup- both are gluten-free and contain no corn syrup. You can find both at most grocery stores.

3. Frozen Grapes- Debbie from Words to Eat By convinced me to try them with this post and I have been happily munching on frozen grapes ever since.

4. Marinated Carrots- Buy sliced carrot coins and marinate them overnight with your favorite low-sugar vinaigrette.

5. Edamame- You can buy frozen edamame at Whole Foods. When you get hungry, thaw a portion in hot water and squeeze lemon juice and sea salt over the top. If you want to get a little more fancy, Gluten Free By the Bay has an awesome recipe for sesame edamame salad here.

6. Natural Peanut Butter on Celery- you can also try a cream cheese version for calcium (Tofutti Cream Cheese for casein-free).

7. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds or Roasted Sunflower Seeds- Heidi of 101 Cookbooks has three ways of toasting pumpkin seeds. Here is a recipe for roasted sunflower seeds at Recipezaar.

8. Apple Butter on a Rice Cake- Since Apple Butter doesn’t actually contain butter, it is naturally gluten and casein free. Fat Free Vegan has a recipe for a healthy homemade Pumpkin Apple Butter. Lundberg’s Rice Cakes are gluten-free, but Quaker Rice Cakes are NOT gluten-free because of cross-contamination issues.

9. Orange Slices- I used to love when someone would peel an orange for a snack at work. Citrus is such an energizing fragrance!

10. KIND bars- I buy these for a special treat because they are a little pricey. I LOVED them when I was pregnant and had morning (all-day) sickness. You can buy KIND bars at Whole Foods or here at Amazon.

11. Cold Cereal- Try Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs (you can buy this cereal here at Amazon, Whole Foods, or find it in some local grocery store chains) or Rice Chex at your local grocery store (make sure your cereal says gluten-free on the front of the box).

12. Chocolate Covered Dried Apricots/Bananas- Microwave 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate in 30 sec. intervals stirring until melted (or use double-boiler). When it is throughly melted, dip the apricots (halfway) or bananas (I do the whole slice). Place the fruit on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper; sprinkle with crushed nuts. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set.

13. Dried Fruit with Nuts- Apples and Walnuts, Pineapple and Pistachios, or Apricots and Almonds.

14. Salsa/Pico de Gallo and Chips- You can use Lundberg’s Rice Chips (there are several varieties- my favorite is the Sea Salt flavor) or your favorite gluten-free corn tortilla chip. If it is summertime, I love to make homemade pico de gallo (Chevy’s recipe here). Otherwise, I will buy a premade salsa, like Muir Glen’s Cilantro Garlic Salsa. You can also make nachos with gluten free Barbecue sauce or salsa (see Mrs. G.F.’s nachos)

15. Hard-Boiled Egg- Nothing screams low-carb like a hard-boiled egg, but it can be a satisfying mid-morning snack.

16. Pesto with Almond/Pecan Nut-Thin Crackers- Pesto can be made casein-free very easily with almonds, walnuts, etc (see my Cilantro Pesto recipe). For crackers, try Almond or Pecan Nut Thin Crackers or Mary’s Gone Crackers. If you want to try your hand at making homemade crackers- Ginger Lemon Girl has a recipe for crispy cheddar crackers.

17. Popcorn- Some consider it a junk food, but homemade popcorn in moderation is not that bad! Try adding nutritional yeast, which adds valuable B vitamins. Dairy Free Cooking has a spicy looking recipe that includes nutritional yeast.

18. Apricot Sorbet- The fast, un-gourmet way: Buy 2 (15 oz cans of fruit). Drain one can of fruit. Put the drained fruit and the undrained fruit with syrup in a Ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for 6 hours. Process in food processor until smooth. Freeze for 1 hr. Let stand at room temperature and then serve. Serves 4.

19. Tomatoes with Salt- Kalyn’s Kitchen has a recipe for Rosemary salt. When summer hits, there is nothing more yummy!

20. Waffle Sticks with Natural Peanut/Almond/Cashew Butter - You can make frozen gluten-free waffles and top with peanut butter and raisins, sesame seeds, extra peanuts, or fruit. A better alternative is to make homemade whole grain gluten free waffle sticks and freeze them for a great snack. I use this waffle maker (at Amazon) to make gluten free waffle sticks.

21. Larabars- These are expensive like all health bars, but they are wonderful when you are in a pinch and very hungry! I really like them, but my two year old won’t eat them yet. You can buy them at Whole foods or at Amazon.

22. Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans- Gluten Free Gobsmacked has a recipe for Fried Chickpeas. Chickpeas are packed with protein and they have a high fiber content, which prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after consuming this yummy snack.

23. Corn Tortilla with Pinto Beans/Guacamole- Corn Tortillas are a staple for celiacs and the gluten-intolerant, so they had to make the list! Karina’s Kitchen has a recipe for Joey’s Kicked up Rockin’ Guacamole.

24. Smoothies- Any way you like them! I am Gluten Free has a Blackberry smoothie recipe with both flax seed and agave syrup.

25. Pepperoni- Hormel makes a gluten-free pepperoni and it is my toddler’s favorite snack. Not exactly fat-free, but a few pepperonis make my little boy smile!

26. Lettuce Wrap- Bibb Lettuce with tuna (try Cindalou’s recipe); or wrap hummus in lettuce like Vegan Momma.

27. Cookies, Muffins, or Breads- Bake on the weekends and freeze baked goods to have on-hand during the week. Prepackaged gluten free convenience foods are inferior to homemade because gluten free baked goods can be made healthier and cheaper at home. Gluten free baked goods are hard to keep fresh on a store shelf because they have a shorter shelf life than their gluten counterparts. Check out Gluten Free Food Reviews for Karen’s opinion on some of the gluten-free snacks you can buy in the store or online.

28. Juice Popsicles- Elise at Simply Recipes has a how-to on making juice popsicles. These are great for kids in the summertime.

29. Brown Rice Tortilla Wraps- Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas do the trick as long as I microwave the tortilla until warm. Here is my recipe for Turkey Pesto wraps. If you just don’t like them, try Book of Yum’s brilliant trick of broiling GF tortillas with pesto.

30. Soup- If you make homemade chicken stock (here’s how) every week, you can make soup in a snap. My favorite store-bought gluten free soup is Thai Kitchen’s Garlic Vegetable Instant Soup.

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Snacks | 9 Comments »

Classic angel food cake is naturally casein free and can be a delicious gluten-free cake too. If you remember cardboard, spongey, store-bought angel food cake, this is nothing like that. Homemade angel food cake is moist, tender and definitely worth trying! When strawberries are not in season, try lemon curd, chocolate whipped cream with chocolate shavings, or an almond glaze.

If you are still fearful of making your first gluten-free angel food cake, never fear! I wrote a guest post full of step-by-step photos, How to Bake a Gluten Free Angel Food Cake, for Gluten Free Cooking School.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

1 cup gluten free flour ( I used 1/4 cup millet flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup white rice flour and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour to achieve a fluffy, light texture)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

12 egg whites, room temperature (to maximize volume of egg whites)

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Separate egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and let them come to room temperature. In a separate medium bowl, sift gluten free flour, salt, xanthan gum, and 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. Beat in the other reserved 3/4 cup of sugar about 3 Tablespoons at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold in flour mixture about 1/4 cup at a time. Once the flour mixture is combined, fold in the vanilla. Slowly pour the batter into a tube pan (preferably one where the inside lifts out) and spread the batter evenly. Run a knife through the cake to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 50-55 minutes until top is golden and sides begin to pull away. Cool for 10 minutes. Run the edges of a knife along the pan and pull out the insert to the tube pan. Run a knife along the bottom of the insert and invert onto a cake plate. Serve with topping of choice!

Angel Food Cake is a great make ahead recipe.

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Cake Recipes | 30 Comments »