Peach Raspberry Muffins

Not much to say about these little treats – except they are awesome! The tartness of the peaches and sweet raspberries really come together in this muffin. The coconut and almond flour mix keeps it light and gluten free but the other ingredients help give it a little crunch. Perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch.

1 cup almond flour

½ cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup almond milk
¼ cup honey or stevia
½ cup peaches, finely diced
½ cup raspberries

• Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs, almond milk and honey. Blend on medium speed for about a minute or until batter is well combined.
• Using a spoon, fold in peaches and raspberries. You don’t want to mix them in or they will end up mushy. Folding them in keeps their texture and shape better.
• Bake at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and cooked completely through. Let cool about 10 minutes.
• These are best eaten right after baking. They will keep fairly well for one to two days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Semi-Homemade Savory Cornbread

What goes better with chili than cornbread? I’m not real sure so I couldn’t really post a chili recipe without posting a cornbread recipe to go with it. This cornbread is so easy. It starts with a pre-made gluten free mix which takes away a lot of the work of making the bread base. Add in a few extra special touches and you’ve got a perfect cornbread recipe. The Swiss cheese and leeks really complement each other well. Of course, if you don’t have a diary or gluten allergy, you can always replace with regular cheese and regular cornbread mix.

1 package of GF cornbread mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

2 eggs
1 ½ cup milk (I used almond but soy or dairy would work)
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup grated Swiss cheese (I found a diary-free almond cheese!)
¼ cup leeks, finely chopped
1 tsp ground sage

• In a large mixing bowl, blend together cornbread mix, eggs, milk and olive oil – batter will be thick. Blend for about 45 seconds.
• Slowly fold in cheese, leeks and sage – stir with spoon until just combined.
• Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and knife inserted comes out clean.
• NOTE: The cornbread mix said to use a 9x9 pan, which I did. However, the bread came out really thick and the serving sizes were very large. I prefer a thinner cornbread so I will use a larger pan next time. If you use a different pan size, just adjust your cooking time slightly.
• Spread a little butter on top for some extra flavor!

Turkey Veggie Chili

So today I was going to post a recipe for something grilled. However, it is rainy and cold here and we’ve been a bit under the weather. We opted for chili instead! This chili recipe is very mild. You can easily increase the spices to better fit your taste buds! I know exactly what is going into this chili which makes me feel even better about eating it. This is perfect for a cool day and goes great with this homemade cornbread (surprise – two posts in one day!).

1 lb of ground turkey (lean, organic is best – switch out for ground beef if you must)

2 cans of beans (I used organic, white cannellini beans)
2 medium bell peppers, diced (about 1 cup diced)
½ cup mushrooms, diced
½ cup eggplant, diced
½ cup onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or 3-4 cans, just omit water)
1 cup water
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
Shredded cheese (for topping if desired)

• In a large skillet, brown turkey. Season turkey with sea salt and pepper. Add in garlic, onions and 1 tablespoon olive oil while turkey is cooking.
• In a large stockpot, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Saute bell peppers, mushrooms and eggplant in stockpot. Add in tomatoes to veggie mixture. Add in water to stockpot with tomatoes and veggies.
• Once the turkey is cooked through, add that mixture into stockpot. Next, add in your spices and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Pour into bowls and top with shredded cheese if desired.
• NOTE: Add more or less water, depending on your desired thickness of chili.
•  If you add in some tomato paste (1 tbsp at a time), you can thicken up your chili.

Meal Plan Week of 09/29/13-10/5/13

Good Morning -

I hope you all have a fantastic Saturday. Fall is my favorite time of year for cooking and outdoor activities. I love getting ready for the holidays, etc. However, I hate the allergies, sickness, etc. I quickly got a case of strep throat over the last couple days. I'm thinking that a lot of soups are in my near future and maybe some movies... I heard Iron Man 3 came out. I think I'll watch it! Anyway - hope any illnesses stay away from you and you can enjoy the weekend!

 

29	30	1	2	3	4	5
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
egg white	oatmeal	egg	scrambled	cereal	scrm egg	egg
sandwich	almond milk	toast	eggs	almond milk	apple/milk	toast
fruit	banana	berries	banana	berries	smoothie	banana
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
veggie	avocado	chicken	turkey	chicken	bean	veggie
skewers	orange	cucumber	veggie	salad	salad	mac &
cheese	chicken wrap	radish	wrap	cheese	veggies	cheese
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
stuffed	spagetti	turkey	leftovers	baked chicken	shrimp	asparagus
acorn squash	squash	sw potato	squash	mushrooms	avocado	soup
salad	salad	mashed "tater"	salad	salad	salad	bread
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
yogurt	trailmix	cheese	trailmix	quac dip	PB celery	veggies
almonds	carrots	grapes	peaches	veggies	trailmix	trailmix
red wine pears	ice cream	popcorn	PB celery	fruit pizza	ice cream	GF granola

Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Fresh summer fruit is great but unfortunately it is coming to an end! Now that we have cut out a lot of heavy carbs, gluten and started eating more clean, we fill up on fresh fruit and veggies. Typically we eat them plain but occasionally I like to give fruit a little extra something. This honey lime dressing was so easy to throw together and complimented the fruit wonderfully. It goes really well with the papaya and pineapple. Feel free to enjoy as much of this salad as you want – you shouldn’t have too much guilt about it!

Fruit Salad

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1 red plum, sliced
1 cup fresh papaya, diced
1 cup fresh grapes, halved
Honey Lime Dressing
½ cup water
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 lime, zest and juice

• Mix together fruit in a serving bowl.
•  In a small bowl or carafe bottle, mix together lime juice, lime zest, water, honey and mint. Stir until well blended.
• Drizzle a little dressing over fruit salad and serve.
• Best if served over fresh fruit immediately, but the dressing will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Salsa Verde

Salsa is one of our go to sides/appetizers. It’s so quick and easy to grab a jar of salsa and some chips. Plus we have Mexican food all of the time! I don’t eat a lot of spicy foods so my husband and I split usually have separate salsas anyway. I made this salsa verde and we both like it. It is perfect over some enchiladas if you want a little different flavor. And it is also great with chips. You can easily make this spicier if you’d like.

10-15 large green tomatoes, washed and quartered

4-5 tomatillos
1 large jalapenos
1 large onion
1 large green bell pepper
1 whole garlic clove
½ cup cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt

• Make sure all vegetables are washed thoroughly. Place quartered tomatoes & tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and garlic in a food processor.  
• Add in cilantro and lime zest and juice. Your food processor should be completely full.
• If necessary add a few extra green tomatoes to fill it up.
• Blend until you get your desired consistency. We like ours smooth so we blended for a while. Pour salsa into a large cooking pot and bring to boil.
• Add in vinegar and salt. Cook salsa at boiling for about 10 minutes.
• Pour into clean, prepared canning jars. Seal according to jar instructions.

Shrimp Dip

This appetizer is my husband’s favorite. He requests it for every get together. It is so simple to make and actually tastes better the next day so it is a perfect make ahead dish. His step-mother actually gave me the original recipe, which I have modified quite a bit to fit our dietary needs. It is my go to dish for work parties or holiday get-togethers. Make this the night before, grab a box of crackers (or make your own gluten-free crackers J) and you will be set!

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (or use fat-free or dairy free)

1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise (or more yogurt)
1 small can (5 oz) tiny shrimp
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or soy cheese)

• Mix together cream cheese, sour cream and mayo.
• Add in shrimp, onions, salt, pepper and shredded cheese.
• Mix until well combined. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

PUMPKIN PIE OATMEAL

I haven’t quite figured out what is better on a cool fall or winter day than a big bowl of warm oatmeal. There’s something about a warm breakfast that just starts your day off right. In addition, oatmeal provides several important nutrients that can help keep you full on a busy day. Of course, one way to make oatmeal better is to combine it with pumpkin. This oatmeal mirrors a delicious slice of pumpkin pie. It’s pretty fantastic – go ahead, give it a try! This makes about 2 servings.

½ cup steel cut GF oats

1 cup water
½ tsp sea salt
2 tsp coconut oil
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
½ cup almond milk

• Bring oats and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add in sea salt and coconut oil. Boil oats for about 10 minutes or until most of water is absorbed.
• Add in pumpkin, spices, and syrup. Mix well and cook for an addition 3-5 minutes.
• Slowly add in almond milk as desired.
• You can replace the water with milk for a creamier oatmeal.
• I like to cook the oats with water and then thin the oats out when I’m ready to eat with the almond milk. I like more milk in mine than my husband so I usually divide out the oatmeal into separate bowls and we modify how we like it.

Brie Peach Stackers

These little treats are awesome. They are a perfect blend of salty and sweet. It makes a perfect side dish to a grilled meat and a small salad. The basil really compliments the balsamic dressing and tomato. The salty brie really brings out the tartness and flavor of the sweet peach. Throwing it all on the grill gives it a little extra flavor as well. They can get a little messy and hard to eat but so worth it!

1 peach, sliced into about ¼ inch slices (peeled and pit removed)

1 tomato, sliced into about ¼ inch slices
6 basil leaves
6 thin slices of brie cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

• On a grill (or inside on a skillet), cook one side of peach slices for about 2 minutes – just enough to get it a little soft but it will still hold it’s shape.
• Flip peach slices over and top with brie, basil and tomato.
• Close grill lid or cover skillet and cook for abouter 3-5 minutes or until brie is starting to melt.
• Put peach stacks onto a serving plate and drizzle over about ½-1 tsp of balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.

Homemade Veggie Pasta Sauce

Here’s another recipe that came about from our abundance of tomatoes that ripened late. This is also the last week of canning recipes (for now). This pasta sauce is full of chunky vegetables and herbs that make it perfect for any dish. We enjoy it on spaghetti squash, pizza, with turkey meatballs, whatever you’d like! It makes a very versatile sauce!

6 cups ripe tomatoes (I had about 20 medium sized ones)

1 cup eggplant, diced
1 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Cut stems off of the tomatoes and quarter them. In a large stockpot, bring tomato quarters, vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to boil.
• Once tomatoes are cooked until very soft, blend with an immersion blender until desired consistency. 
• Add in diced eggplant, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic and fresh herbs. Continue boiling until other vegetables are cooked (about 15 minutes).
•  Ladle pasta sauce into prepared jars and finish canning however you’d like.
• This can actually be eaten immediately, but it does taste a little better if it has set for a couple weeks.
• You can also puree your tomatoes before cooking by using a food processor. This would cut out the need for an immersion blender.
• If you don't like your pasta sauce chunky, you can also blend up your other vegetables to your desired consistency.
• We've done this both ways. My son loves spaghetti but doesn't like to "see" the vegetables in the sauce. So I have blended up the vegetables with the tomatoes so he's still getting the extra nutrients but doesn't know what all is in there.

Meal Plan Week of 09/22/13-09/28/13

Good Morning -

Just wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to my wonderful husband. For his gift, we got him some cooking tools. He loves his smoker and also his Infrared cooker. We picked up some fresh meat the store so he can cook up and I'll be making some Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Brownies (will post recipe later!). Other than that, I'm hoping it is a slow week! I hope you all have a blessed weekend and a great week!

22	23	24	25	26	27	28
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
eggs	cereal	egg	egg	cereal	egg	cinnamon
potato hash	berries	scramble	toast	banana	scramble	rolls
fruit	egg	PB banana	berries	eggs	veggies	fruit
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
picnic	lettuce	beet	chicken	tuna	leftover	fried
kabobs	wrap	salad	lettuce	salad	chicken	tomato
fruit	pretzels	crackers	wrap	crackers	salad	sandwich
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
grilled chicken	tilapia	chicken	leftover	baked	KIDS	fish
asparagus	green beans	enchiladas	chicken	mushoom	CHOICE	acorn
salad	cole slaw	salad	enchiladas	chicken	(pizza)	squash
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
yogurt	trailmix	cheese	trailmix	quac dip	PB celery	veggies
almonds	carrots	grapes	peaches	veggies	trailmix	trailmix
grilled pineapple	brownie	banana pie	PB celery	fruit pizza	ice cream	fruit salad