Monday, July 23, 2012

Heathier PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients for pouring sauce:
  • 1/4 cup agave
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons Braggs amino acids
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon hot water
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Ingredients for stir-fry sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons Braggs
  • 2 tablespoons Agave
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Ingredients for chicken stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to 1/2″
  • 1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernals
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, minced to the size of corn kernals
  • 1/2 onion, chopped fine
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
  • 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce, nappa cabbage, or butter lettuce

To make the pouring sauce:

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve agavein 1/2 cup warm water, then add Braggs, rice vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
  2. Just before serving, combine 1 teaspoons hot water with dijon mustard and garlic and mix in small bowl. Add to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.

To make the stir-fry sauce:

  1. Prep the stir fry sauce by mixing Braggs,Agave, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.

To make the chicken stir-fry:

  1. Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and saute until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  2. Turn the heat under the wok down to medium-high. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. Stir-fry everything until the mushrooms have cooked through, about 4 minutes, and remove to a serving dish.
  3. Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage leaf wraps and top with pouring sauce.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

4 T oil
dried onions
1/2 yellow pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 celery
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1/4 tsp.  cumin
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 pound ground turkey
1 can chicken broth
2 T braggs amino acids
8 oz tomato sauce with chili powder and agave
salt to taste

1.  Heat 2 T oil, add onions, pepper, garlic, stir 8 min.  Add celery, carrot, zucchini, cumin, thyme, cook 2 min.  Remove veggies and set aside.

2.  Heat 2 T oil, cook turkey, add veggies, chili sauce, chicken broth, Braggs.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 min.  until sauce thickens.

Put sloppy joe meat in your choice of bun, and enjoy

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
2 c. corn starch/Potato starch/Arrowroot starch/flour (last time I used 1/4 c potato, 3/4 c. arrowroot, and 1 c. corn)
1/2 c. sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xantham gum
1 stick of Diary free butter (Earth butter)(last time I used coconut oil, it worked awesome)
1 1/4 c. Almond/Coconut milk (last time I used 3/4 c. coconut milk kefir, and 1/2 c almond)
1 1/4 c. water
1 T cider vinegar
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2.  In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xantham gum.
3.  Grate the butter into the flour using the small holed side of a box grater.  Mix he butter into the flour so that there are no large balls of grated butter.
4.  Add the milk, water, vinegar, and beaten egg to the flour and stir until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined.
5.  Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a greased pan to make 16 biscuits.  Cook at 350  degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Agave Marshmellows

1 c. agave
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 tsp. vanilla
6 T water, cold
1/4 tsp. salt

dissolve gelatin in water and add agave.  Microwave 30 sec.  Beat for 10-15 minutes until thick.  Put flour on cookie sheet, Pour marshmellows on--let cool and cut into squares

July Berry Cream cups (Sugar,Dairy Free)

Strawberry Layer:
1 c. Strawberries
1/3 c. Dates

Cream layer:
1/2 c Almond or Coconut Milk
3/4 c. Cashews, soaked for 2 hours o more
2 T Agave or Honey
1/4 c. Dried Unsweetened Shaved Coconut

Dark Berry Layer:
3/4 c. Blackberries
1/4 c. Blueberries
1/4 c. Dates

Blend each layer separately in a Magic bullet or blender.  Indivually empty each layer into a separate plastic baggie.

Blueberry Toppings:
2 c. Blueberries
6 candles or sparklers
To assemble, cut the corners off of each plastic baggies containing the Strawberry, Cream, and Dark Berry.  As equally as you can, distribute the layer equally between the 6 glasses by squeezing on each bag.  Start with the Strawberry, then Cream and latstly the Dark Berry layer.  Top each cup with a 1/3 c. of Blueberries and store in fridge for 1 hour or more.  Light a candle or sparkler on each cup before serving
makes 6 individual desserts

Roasted Vegetables with Toasty Quinoa

Vegetables:
8 ounces Brussels sprouts (about 2 cups), stems removed, cut in half
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
1 tsp. curry powder (I used 1/2)
2 T Bragg Liquid Aminos (buy from health food store)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 T water

Quinoa:
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c. quinoa
3 cups water, or chicken broth

To make veggies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place brussels sprouts in a medium saucepan.  Add broth and bring to simmer; cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and place in pan.  Place carrots in same sauce-pan with reserved broth and curry powder, adding additional broth if needed to cover.  Bring to a simmer and cook about 7 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to baking dish.
Combine Bragg, oil, garlic and pepper.  Whisk to blend
Place bacon in skillet over medium-high heat and saute for 3 min.  add mushrooms, 2 T sauce(made in previous step) and 2 T water.  Continue cooking until mushrooms soften and bacon starts to brown.  Transfer mixture to baking dish with slotted spoon.  Toss with vegetables and remaining sauce.
Roast in preheated oven until bacon is crispy and vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 20 min.
To make Quinoa:  heat oil in saucepan and stir in quinoa and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 min. or until the grains start to crackle and give off a nutty, popcornlike aroma.  Add water or broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and pan is nearly dry.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. 

Mix veggies and Quinoa together, or serve separately.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Quinoa Taco Salad (GF)

1 c. Quinoa
1 T Olive Oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
Half each red, green and yellow bell peppers chopped, or sliced
1 15 oz can black beans drained
3/4 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
6 to 8 ounces baby spinach
1/3 c. cheese, (parmesan, cheddar or feta)
1 avocado, sliced

Cook quinoa according to instructions ( I like to cook it in chicken broth for 15 min.)
Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat; add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and tender.  Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pappers; saute an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime.  Stir in quinoa.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Chill
Roughly cut baby spinach into strips.  Divide spinach evenly among plates.  Top each plate with a scoop of the quinoa salad.  Top each salad with your choice of cheese and avocado.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Single Serving Deep Dish chocolate chip cookie

1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 drops vanilla
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. flour
1-2 Tbsp. chocolate chips
mix together and put in a small bowl or rammekin and put in microwave for 60 seconds.   Eat with a fork, and enjoy!!

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. coconut oil
5 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. natural peanut butter or almond butter
2 c. regular rolled oats
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, oil, cocoa, and cinnamon.  Boil for 3 min., stirring constantly  Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, rolled oats, and vanilla until well blended.  Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto waxed paper and chill to set, about 30 min.
makes 2 dozen cookies

Strawberry poppy seed salad

Romaine lettuce and spinach
Fresh sliced strawberries
blueberries
candied nuts

dressing:
1/4 c. walnut oil
2 Tblsp  strawberry puree
2 Tblsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tblsp raw honey
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
whisk until smooth

pour dressing over salad and toss.  serve immediately

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Zucchini Pizza Pie (GF)

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 pound turkey burger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. oregano
1 green pepper, cut into strips
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Shred zucchini with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and the eggs.  Press this mixture into a greased pan (10 x 15).  bake at 400 degreese for 10 minutes.
Cook the turkey and onions, sasoned with the salt and garlic salt until the onions are limp and the ground turkey is no longer red.  Drain away all excess fat. 
Stir tomato sauce and oregano into the well-drained ground turkey and spoon mixture over zucchini.
Arrange green peppers (or desired topping) and mushrooms over the top of the pie and sprinke with remaining mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400  degree oven for 30 minutes, or until cheeses are bubbly.   Yummy
P.S.  I use goat cheese to make some for the boys