a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian

a friend of mine requested that i post what i eat since she was wondering what i was subsisting upon after announcing i was "going gluten-free" about a month ago.  since i was already a vegetarian, i was used to cooking lots and lots of veggies, but going gluten-free took that to a whole new level!

breakfast - almond meal hot cereal with ground flaxseeds (prepared with almond milk) and topped with cherries and peanut butter

lunch - 1/2 avocado topped with goat cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes

snack - carrots "chips" (i.e. carrots sauteed briefly with olive oil and curry) and hummus

dinner - eggplant lasagna (all veggies -- no gluten-free pasta here!) and a glass of red wine : )

after dinner - decaf tea with half and half

so, that's what a day of meals looks like for a gluten-free vegetarian : ) yummy!

foodie: cauliflower crust pizza

the month of gluten-free recipes continues -- this time with a pizza recipe!  pizza was one of the foods that i anticipated missing during my month long gluten-free experiment, since craig and i enjoy homemade pizza frequently.  but, thanks to this recipe for a cauliflower crust, i'm not missing pizza at all that much.

here's what you'll need for pizza for two...

1 cup cooked, mashed, drain cauliflower (approximately 1/2 medium head)
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 egg
salt
olive oil

preheat your oven to 425

1. combine the cauliflower, almond meal, parm, flaxseed, egg and salt.

2. oil your baking sheet or pizza stone well with olive oil.

3. use your hands to press the "dough" into your desired shaped (the crust should be 1/4 inch thick), and drizzle top with more olive oil.

4. bake for 15 min +/- or until edges are browned and center is no longer mushy.

5. remove from oven, and top with desired ingredients -- i used caramelized onions, sauteed red peppers, kale pesto, kalamata olives, red sauce, bleu cheese, ricotta and mozzarella!

6. put back in the oven for another 5 min or so until the cheese is bubbly.  (don't bake for too long otherwise the crust will get mushy again...)

the pizza was truly delicious.  the cheesy, flavorful crust only added to the deliciousness of the toppings.  the only thing is that the crust can be a little "weak" at the center of the pie.  the edges held together well -- sturdy enough to eat with your hands -- but as you reach the center of the pie, you may need a fork and knife.  i read a lot of different recipes, and this seems to be a common occurrence, but if you figure out a way around this issue, let me know!

bon appetit!

foodie: herb-butter pasta

with spring officially here, i love to enjoy simple dishes that highlight the flavors of the season. herb-butter pasta is a meal i remember having often during my childhood - it’s delicious, easy to make, and very satisfying as a side or main course.

credit {here}

you'll need...

• 1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked
• 1/2 cup chopped herbs (thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary, etc.)
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 vegetable bouillon

1. cook pasta according to directions on box.

2. while pasta is cooking, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat and mix in vegetable bouillon until well combined.

3. drain pasta and return to pot. pour butter mixture over top and toss. add chopped herbs and toss again.

4. plate to serving dish and garnish with a sprig of herbs.

though this dish is perfect just as it is, feel free to add other "tastes" of spring - roasted asparagus, new potatoes, or caramelized spring onions.  or to brighten the flavors, add some fresh squeezed lemon and grated parmesan. 

bon appetit!

quinoa with chicken sausage & veggies

last night for dinner, i was in the mood for something simple and fresh.  i had some zucchini and onion, found some quinoa (say keen-wa) in the pantry and took out some sundried tomato chicken sausage to defrost.

here's what you'll need (but feel free to improvise and use what you have handy)
serves 2

1/2 large zucchini
1/2 large onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
5 oz chicken sausage (links)
garden greens
red curry
fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt & pepper

1. saute veggies in a bit of olive oil until golden brown.  season with salt & pepper.

2. bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot.  add a few dashes of red curry.  add quinoa to boiling water, stir and reduce to simmer.  cook for 20 minutes or until water is absorb.

3. set veggies aside.  prep pan for chicken sausage by adding a bit of olive oil.  over medium heat, sear the chicken sausage on both sides to create a nicely browned crust.  add 1/4 cup water  to pan and cover.  allow sausage to continue cooking until cooked through (5+ minutes).

4. while chicken cooks, defrost peas in microwave.

5. once chicken is done, slice it into coins and toss it with veggies (zucchini, onion, peas) and rosemary.

when all is ready, serve quinoa topped with chicken sausage and veggies over a bed of garden greens. 

we topped ours with fresh tomato sauce and a bit of sharp provolone to add some zing!

other combos to consider:
- use a red pepper sausage and top with salsa and sour cream
- use an italian sausage and top with grated parmesan, herbs and olive oil
- try other veggies - peppers, carrots, shallots, broccoli, the sky's the limit!

bon appetit!

the secret to seared tuna

last night on my way home from work, i stopped at this great little fish market.  they always have beautiful fillets of the freshest fish and seafood.  we've fallen in love with their chilean sea bass, tilapia and decadent lump crab.  (see crab cake recipe here)  but, last night, their massive tuna steaks caught my eye...

despite being very comfortable in the kitchen, fish used to scare me.  it seemed difficult to cook, and i would psych myself out of buying it.  but, i've realized, since frequenting the little fish market, that the freshness and quality makes a huge difference.  their fish is sooo much better than what you'll find at the grocery store counter.

the players:

2 sushi grade tuna steaks
soy & teriyaki
grainy mustard
brown sugar
garlic
orange marmalade
vidalia onion
olive oil
(romaine & avocado)

anyway, when i got home, i marinated the tuna steaks in a bit of soy & teriyaki mixed with grainy mustard, brown sugar, garlic and orange marmalade.  not too much, but enough to flavor it.

then i sauteed some vidalia onions in a teaspoon of olive oil...and then flavored them with some soy and teriyaki as well. 

once the onions were done, i pushed them to the sides of the pan to make room for the tuna steaks.  i drizzled in a bit more olive oil and then added the tuna.  i seared the steaks for about 1 minute on each side.  they didn't need much time, because they were "sushi grade" tuna, meaning better eaten super rare.  so, DO NOT overcook high-quality tuna steaks.  it destroys their texture and flavor.  (tuna actually tastes fishier the more you cook it.  strange, but true.)

once done, i served them with shredded romaine and mashed avocado seasoned with minced garlic.  (and with skinny girl margaritas...) omg.  yum.

see, cooking fish isn't that bad after all...  plus, it's delicious & super healthy!  bonus!

{heart} day menu for two: pizza & wine

picture credit {here}



this valentine’s craig and i are staying in. we celebrated with an evening on the town this past saturday.  cocktails at left bank libations.  sushi dinner at our favorite japanese place, ota-ya.  after-dinner drinks at marsha brown’s upstairs bar.  so tonight, we’re keeping it low-key.  but low-key does not have to mean boring or not special…

ever since we started dating, our “date-night-in” default has been pizza & wine.  it’s become such a tradition that craig and i have developed pizza & wine telepathy.  we can just glance in each other’s direction, and we’ll simultaneously blurt out “pizza and wine tonight?”.  we sometimes go for gourmet, homemade pies…sometimes for papa john’s.  either way, it’s the perfect date-night-in menu.  so when it came to our february 14th meal, i couldn’t think of anything more us.  i mean really, what could be better than a homemade (possibly heart-shaped) pizza and a bottle of red, white, rosé or bubbly (whatever your preference) to make it extra special?!

picture credit {here}

dinner – homemade pizza for two

use ¼ of bread dough recipe or buy prepared pizza crust or dough at your grocery store or from your local pizza place

my toppings of choice: caramelized onions, sautéed red peppers, mozzarella, provolone & parmesan, any fresh herbs on hand, good red sauce (but really, top it with anything you love)

the essentials: salt, pepper, olive oil

preheat oven to 425
place dough on oiled (and “cornmealed”, optional) baking sheet or pizza stone and spread to desired thickness/shape
arrange toppings (the more, the better : )
drizzle with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper.
bake for 20 or minutes until golden brown and bubbly
sprinkle with fresh herbs
allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting (or eating!)

dessert – chocolate-covered strawberries
melt chocolate over double-boiler (i.e. a glass or ceramic bowl over a pot ½ full of slow boiling water)
dip fresh strawberries (cover generously : ) you can also dip banana chucks, apples, pineapple, marshmallows, graham crackers, cookies, brownies, rice krispies treats, spoons, fingers
place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
allow to cool in fridge for an hour or so (make no more than 2-3 days in advance)

picture credit {here}

drink – red wine
buy
chill for just 20 min prior to drinking to bring down temp slightly
uncork
drink

and remember, don’t worry if your pizza’s not perfect. ugly pizza tastes just as good : ) happy {heart} day!

so, are you red, white, rosé or bubbly?

and congratulations to karina cifuentes!!! the winner of the raymer’s gourmet chocolate giveaway! <3

bachelorette amazingness

han, me & cate

saturday night was erin's (my cousin) bachelorette party.  fun times.  fun times.  needless to say we had lots and lots of fun drinks, good laughs and delicious food : )

erin (bride-to-be)

we started our evening at the melting pot.  fondue goodness.  i mean, seriously...who does not love melted, oohey-gooey cheese?!  and then dessert.  oh, dessert!  soooo good.  "flaming turtle" = melted chocolate, caramel and pecans and also "s'mores" = melted chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker crumbles.  and you get to dip cheesecake (yay!), brownies, pound cake, marshmallows, rice crispie treats, strawberries and bananas.  yum! 

brownies and cheesecake and pound cake...oh my!!!

han, me, cate

after melting pot we meandered over to yakitori boy where we had a private room for our evening of karaoke.  (ps i love karaoke : )  we sang some top 40 and also some oldies but goodies.  awesomeness.

lychee martinis

cate, erin, han, chrissy, me

after singing our hearts out we hopped into some cabs and headed over to our 3rd and final stop.  a super cool bar (totally decorated for halloween) where we could dance and drink to our hearts' content!  we had a great time : )  can't wait til it's my turn to be the bachelorette...won't be long now...

have you checked out my vintage purse giveaway?! 

squash, acorn squash

when i was grocery shopping today, i came across a squash display.  spaghetti squash.  butternut squash.  and (ahha) acorn squash.  feeling inspired and "fallish", i was compelled to purchase said acorn squash and craft a hearty meal.  stuffed acorn squash it is...

stuffed acorn squash for two

1 acorn squash
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 frozen veggies (i chose corn & peas)
1/4 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup red sauce
5 tsp maple syrup (i know that's a weird way to write it, but you'll see why...)
cinnamon
curry
salt
garlic, chopped

preheat oven to 375.  cut acorn squash in 1/2 and scrap out seeds and place cut-side up on a baking sheet.  i didn't have butter (oh well) so i did a light spray of butter-flavored cooking spray, a drizzle of syrup (1 tsp on each half) and a sprinkle of sea salt and ground cinnamon.  on to the filling...


i then sauteed the onion, (defrosted) veggies, garlic (about 1 tsp) and turkey.  i seasoned the filling with another dash of cinnamon & curry, salt, 1 tsp of maple syrup and the red sauce.  then i spooned the mixture equally into the two halves (there was a little extra for craig to enjoy) and covered both halves loosely with foil.

then i put the squash in a preheated 375 degree oven and baked it for 30-40 minutes, until flesh was getting tender (check w/ knife).  i then removed the foil, drizzled each 1/2 with 1 more teaspoon of syrup and baked for another 15-20 minutes.

the best way to enjoy it is to scoop out all the tender squash and mix/mash/mush with the fillings and dispose of the skin.  (it may not be pretty, but it tastes so good!)
yummy!

couch picnicker (the new couch potato)

every once in a while, you need a super relaxing evening at home.  you know the kind i'm talking about.  simple meal.  favorite show.  pjs on.  well, that's exactly what craig and i needed the other night.  so we turned to our time tested formula - the couch picnic. 

craig - the couch picnicker

our couch conveniently converts futon-style into a lovely full size bed.  so, when we're feeling especially lazy, we lay it down and enjoy our dinner picnic-style.  it's really a wonderful arrangement.  we sit, cross-legged with the food spread out before us and chat, chow down and enjoy some quality tv as we take a mini-vaca from reality.

the other night we enjoyed simple salads - 1/4 head ice berg lettuce still in its wedge form, fresh tomato, avocado with an avocado/balsamic vinaigrette.  yum.  to flesh it out a bit (and make it fun) i also put out a small spread of interactive options.  homemade bread (yes the leftovers from the party) with my mom's basil pesto and erin's cauliflower curry as toppings.

wedge salad

this set-up totally classes up traditional couch potato behavior.  there are no plastic trays of previously frozen food.  no open pizza boxes with a massacre inside.  our couch picnic included actual plates, real (fabric) napkins and utensils (gasp!).

the next time you're in need of low-key night at home, couch picnic it up.  let me know if you like it.  (but i have a feeling you will...)

homemade bread & spreads