Recipe Review: Summer Squash Tian from My Big Fat Grain Free Life

Summer Squash Tian

 Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Sauteed Onion, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan Cheese....Absolute Perfection! Thanks MBFGFL for another winning recipe. 

Click here for the recipe

Note: If you are dairy free substitute more almond flour for the cheese and add a pinch of seasoning salt. Or you could sub my seasoned "bread crumbs" too.

Artisan Romaine

I found this lettuce by accident. I was shopping at Costco last week, and well, you know how it is, you just end up buying a bulk amount of something you aren't even sure what it is. This time my impulse buy turned out to be a gold mine!

This "artisan lettuce" is a tight little bundle of romaine, just perfect for wraps and dips. The company even has a web site with recipes! Check it out here.

I made tacos using the lettuce instead of tortillas, it turned out great. The leaves are just the right size for eating with your hands and they are sturdy enough to stuff full. I highly recommend this lettuce!

 

Sunshine Quiche

For once in my life I have no words to describe this..... quiche with a butternut squash crust. It may sound a little weird to you but give it a chance, it is like eating sunshine.

I found the recipe from a link at Mark's Daily Apple. The link takes you here to a blog called Health, Home and Happiness. How beautiful is that? They use this crust for a jalepeno cheddar quiche that looks divine but I just took the crust and used my own favorite quiche recipe.

Sunshine Quiche

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 T. coconut oil, melted
4 strips bacon, fried crispy then crumbled
3 T. chopped bell pepper
1/4 c. diced sun dried tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced
6 eggs
1/2 c. SCD whipping cream
pinch of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by removing the neck of the squash and peeling it. Using a mandolin, slice the neck into several pieces. My mandolin has a thick and thin blade, I used the thick.
2. Oil a large pie plate using 1 T. of the coconut oil. Arrange squash pieces to fit the best you can. Use 1/2 circles for the edges. (see picture below)
3. Evenly place bacon, tomatoes, onion, and bell peppers over squash.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Pour into pie plate. Gently push any ingredients floating on top under egg. Arrange avocado pieces in a circular pattern in the middle of the quiche.
6. Brush any pieces of squash that are not covered with the remaining coconut oil
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Serve either hot or cold.

Bountiful Baskets

I live in a small town, a really small town. 1 grocery store, 2 stoplights and 3 gas stations. I usually travel to the "big city" every 4-6 weeks to stock up on supplies and visit my favorite Indian restaurant. I didn't always live this way and it was a bit of an adjustment, making lifestyle choices involves choosing something to have and by default something to leave behind. Convenience is the price I pay for my small town life.

So a few months ago my sister, who lives in the big city, told me about Bountiful Baskets. I loved the idea and said I wish I could participate somehow but because I live in such a small place I didn't think I could. I was so surprised when I looked up pick up locations and saw that my little town was listed. It has been a fruit and vegetable smorgasbord ever since.

Bountiful Baskets is a volunteer run food co-op available in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. This is how it works, you go online at the beginning of the week and donate towards a "basket" which is 50% fruit and 50% vegetables. The standard donation is $15.00, organic baskets are $25.00 and there is a first time fee of $3.00. The following Saturday I pick up my basket at the designated location and time. There are opportunities to volunteer and there are seasonal extras you can order too, the "guacamole pack" I ordered in February was fantastic. The price is always the same but the basket includes different items each week. I believe each state is different, but I can order fresh whole wheat bread, cases of oranges or pears, and granola right now. I have been ordering every other week and the produce has stayed fresh. We are loving it!

The following was included in my most recent basket:

1 large head romaine lettuce
6 oranges
2 apples
1 medium watermelon
1 quart strawberries
3 tomatoes
2 mangoes
3 large zucchini
2 green bell peppers
2 bunches asparagus
1 lb green beans
7 bananas

What a deal! $15.00 for all of that!

Check Bountiful Baskets to see if they are available in your area, I bet they are.

Recipe Review: Cucumber Avocado Salad From Shelly's Belly

When I saw this post from Shelly's Belly I couldn't wait to give it a try. I used a mandolin to "matchstick" the cucumber, mashed up the avocado and it was practically done. So simple and easy.

This satisfying salad has become one of my favorites! I have stuck to the original recipe so far but am considering adding some tomato, olives, or even a few dashes of hot pepper sauce. Thank you Shelly for an amazing recipe that is quickly becoming a staple.

Recipe Review: Mashed Roasted Cauliflower

Comfy Belly posted this recipe last week. I immediately added cauliflower to my grocery list so I could make it. I have never had mashed cauliflower but now I am thinking of all the variations I want to try.

I cooked the cauliflower a few extra minutes until it was nice and browned, then processed it in my food processor with SCD whipping cream and some water and garnished with dried thyme. The final dish is creamy and flavorful, the cauliflower takes a back seat to the garlic, cream, and thyme. I think it would also be great with chicken broth and some fresh herbs.

You can "like" Comfy Belly on Facebook and Erica's new posts will show up on your home page. Her blog is one of my favorites, I have never made a recipe that wasn't a keeper from Comfy Belly. Thanks for another great one!

Roasted cauliflower before mashing

One Pan Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

This is a super versatile dish that can be made with whatever meat and/or vegetables you have on hand. The original recipe that was given to me (thanks Rachelle!) was a vinaigrette over green beans. I was trying to get dinner on the table in 10 minutes and decided to throw it all together. It was yummy!

One Pan Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
3 T. water
2 c. diced, cooked chicken
4 c. assorted vegetables, sliced. Suggested veggies; cauliflower, green beans, carrots, zucchini, red onion, bell peppers
sliced toasted almonds, fresh or dried thyme for garnish

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 T. lemon juice
4 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 cloves minced garlic

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add vegetables and water, place a lid on the pan and let vegetables steam until done.
2. While vegetables are cooking whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
3. Add chicken to vegetables and let heat 1-2 minutes, pour vinaigrette over chicken and vegetables. Toss lightly.
4. Serve immediately, garnish with sliced almonds and fresh or dried thyme.

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. beef, boneless steaks or London broil work well
1 tsp. crushed garlic
3 T. olive oil
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
cucumber matchsticks
carrot matchsticks
green onion slices
red onion slices
red bell pepper slices
cilantro

Method:
1. Remove beef from packaging, coat with olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne.
2. Let sit till room temperature, about 1 hour.
3. Grill over high temp, remove when meat has reached desired doneness.
4. Slice into thin pieces and arrange on a serving plate.
5. Arrange all vegetables and garnish on another plate along with lettuce leaves.
6. Serve, letting each person put together their own wraps.
7. You could top with your favorite salad dressing or my family likes Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

Autumn Apple Butternut Squash and Pork Roast

I had this roast at my Great Aunt's house in Mississippi last week. I was craving it for days before I got a chance to make it for lunch today. If it is possible this meal actually tasted like Fall. Thank you Aunt Charlotte for your hospitality and all the great meals you made especially for me!

Autumn Apple Pork Roast

Ingredients:
1 pork roast
1 can apple juice concentrate
salt and pepper or seasonings to taste.

Method:

1. Remove roast from packaging. Cover with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Place in crock pot. Add 3/4 -1 c. apple juice concentrate.
3. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 7-8 hours, roast should measure 170 degrees when done.
4. Remove from crock pot, let rest 10 minutes. Shred into serving sized pieces.
5. Place roast pieces on serving platter and drizzle with juices from the crock pot.
6. Enjoy!

Autumn Apple Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
salt and pepper
1 1/2 c. apple juice (not concentrate)

Method:

1. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Sprinkle each half with salt and pepper.
2. Place cut side down in a glass baking dish. Pour juice into pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 75 minutes. The squash skin should be brown and bubbly.
4. Remove from baking dish and serve as is or mash squash together with some of the juice in the pan and and place back into skins, sprinkle with pecans.

How to Dry and Store Zucchini

I love the quote, "necessity is the mother of invention". In my case this usually involves zip ties and duct tape but not this time.

I have been looking for a way to preserve some of the zucchini from my garden so I can use it during the Winter. The idea of dehydrating came to me the last time I made this casserole. For this recipe I shred the zucchini then squeeze out as much of the water as I can. Why not try drying it to preserve it? I did try some shredded zucchini in my dryer, disaster! Using the thickest setting on my mandolin I sliced up an entire zucchini and placed it in my food dryer. It only took 2 hours to dry into "chips". Easy. I stored them in a glass jar in the cupboard for a week then tried casserole with them tonight. It worked beautifully! The pieces re hydrated from the moisture in the casserole and kept their texture and flavor. I can't wait to eat some of my Fall harvest during the Winter.

Marinated Cucumbers

I adore the fresh foods of summer. This is one of my favorite dishes for family BBQ's and potlucks, it is so easy and quick to prepare and everyone seems to love it.

Marinated Cucumbers

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
red onion
white wine or apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Method:
Peel and slice cucumbers and onion. Combine together in a small serving bowl and barely cover with cold water. Add vinegar, I can't give you an exact amount as it varies with the size of cucumbers. I go by taste, you should be able to taste the vinegar in the water, think of pickles here, a bit of tartness. Then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Let marinate in the refrigerator until time to serve, 2-3 hours. Sometimes I lay them out on a serving dish and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and sometimes I serve straight from the marinade.

Recipe Review: Creamed Spinach by Joyful Abode

Sometimes you are blessed. I spent the entire day cleaning and doing some intense shopping. This evening I had a church meeting and got home around 8:00 pm. After unloading the car and checking on all the animals I realized I was HUNGRY! Joyful Abode posted this recipe for Creamed Spinach, and I had all the ingredients, and it was a quick recipe (this is the blessed part). I loved the combination of the cream and nutmeg along with the caramelized onions and spinach. This was an excellent way to cook up a quick dish, I will be making this again...probably tomorrow.

I am going to list my ingredients because the original recipe does not include amounts. I thought mine turned out well, the only change I would make is to let it cool a bit. In the picture it was very hot but as it cooled the sauce really thickened up.

• 3 T. chopped onion
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. pureed garlic
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 2 dashes nutmeg
  
• 2 heaping Tbsp. cream, I used my SCD Whipping Cream, unwhipped.
• 3 c. chopped fresh spinach

Thanks Joyful Abode!

Roasted Veggies or How to Clean Out Your Vegetable Shelf

Are you ready to do a little Spring cleaning? This simple recipe is great for using up all the odds and ends left at the end of the week. I used zucchini, yellow squash, red and green bell pepper, asparagus and carrots. I like the leftovers served cold the next day too.

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:
4 c. assorted vegetables, chopped into 2-3 inch pieces
4 T. olive oil, divided
seasoning salt
pepper
parsley flakes
For an Italian version use garlic and Italian seasoning too.

Method:
1. Begin by dividing the vegetables into those that cook quickly and those that need a bit more time. For the pictured dish I separated out the carrots, potatoes are the only other one I can think of right now that need extra cooking time.
2. Spread these veggies out on a baking sheet and drizzle half the olive oil over them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and turn vegetables. Add the remaining vegetables and olive oil, season again and add parsley flakes.
5. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes. Turn vegetables and bake again 3 minutes or until they are as done as you would like them.

Recipe Review: Ina's Tomato Bacon Collard Pasta

This recipe comes from Ina's new blog, Gluten Free Delightfully Delicious. I really like the combination of flavors and surprisingly enough my family really enjoyed it too, I served theirs over pasta and mine over spaghetti squash (pictured).

The recipe is here and I did make a few changes.

• I used an entire package of bacon, draining all but 2 T. of drippings
• I substituted Spinach for the Collard Greens
• I didn't have Asiago Cheese so I used more Parmesan

This one is a definite keeper, thanks again Ina for another great recipe!

Recipe Review: Crockpot Butternut Squash

Kat over at Kat's Food Blog posted several different ways she likes to cook vegetables. One was particularly interesting to me, butternut squash cooked whole in the crock pot and then de-seeded before serving. This seemed too easy to be very good. I tried it yesterday, just washed the squash then put the entire thing in the crock pot with 1/2 inch of water and let it cook on low for 3 hours. When it was done I moved it to a cutting board, cut off both ends then halved it and removed the pulp, I served it right away with some salt, it was moist and soft, very good!

Here is the post over at Kat's blog, she has several ideas to try, I am going to try cooking acorn squash this way too. I will post the results.

Butternut Hashbrowns

This may sound a bit weird but give it a try before you count it out. Butternut squash actually make a pretty good substitute for potatoes. I have tried fries before with this squash and they are excellent, check out that post here. Sometimes I wonder not if but how my tastes have changed after almost an entire year of no grains or potatoes. In the end it really doesn't matter, I make food I love and I feel great!

Butternut Hashbrowns

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and shredded, about 3 cups
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c.Coconut oil or butter for frying

Method:
1. Combine shredded squash, eggs, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
2. Heat oil or butter in a small frying pan, add mixture 1/4 c. at a time, spreading until even.
3. Fry until edges begin to brown then flip over. Continue cooking until evenly browned on all sides.
4. Continue until all batter is used up, you may have to add more oil or butter to the pan.
5. Serve immediately.

Recipe Review: Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables

I found this recipe here on Comfy Tummy's Blog. It is a great dish for lunch or as a side dish for dinner. I made it for lunch today but I think it would go really well with some Rosemary Roasted Chicken for dinner. I don't have a recipe for Rosemary Roasted Chicken but give me a few days...

I did make a few changes in the recipe. I prepared the eggplant by "salting" it first. Here are the directions on how to do that. I have to add that I am not a big eggplant fan... I have only had it a few times and smothered it in some kind of sauce to add flavor. In this dish the eggplant reminded me of roasted potatoes, it stays firm and really took on the flavor of the spices.

Changes I made:

1. I added zucchini and used black olives.
2. My total cooking time was 30 minutes. I cooked the eggplant for 20 minutes then added tomatoes, zucchini and olives in the final 10 minutes.
3. I also added 2 T. olive oil and some more garlic and salt at this time. The eggplant soaked up the original oil and I like the way it makes the veggies crispy on the outside.

Broccoli Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

A few weeks ago I started serving one vegetarian meal a week. This was a big change in my house! We are carnivores in every sense of the word and a meat free meal is something to get used to. The evening I made these everyone else opted for leftovers. I devoured this one and had the other one for lunch the next day. I thought the meal was very satisfying.

Ingredients:
2 Portobello mushroom caps
1/2 c. cooked chopped broccoli
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (sub Dripped Yogurt if needed)
1/4 c. SCD Whipping Cream or Creme Fraiche
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. SCD Breadcrumbs or Gluten Free Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Method:
1. Clean mushroom caps and place upside down on a baking sheet.
2. Combine broccoli, cheese, whipping cream, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Stuff mushroom caps with broccoli mixture
4. Sprinkle tops with seasoned breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Pizza Buttons

These little gems would make a great appetizer or fun finger food for little ones. My kids are not at all excited about helping out in the kitchen anymore but there was a day when they loved to "help", this is a great one for kids to take part in. Have them tear up the cheese and fill the mushrooms with sauce as well as help eating them!

Pizza Buttons

Ingredients:
12 mushrooms
1/2 c. pizza sauce
2 slices provolone cheese, torn into small pieces
4-6 slices pepperoni, sliced into small pieces
any other toppings you like such as olives, peppers, onions, etc.

Method:
1. Clean mushrooms and remove stems by scooping them out with a spoon so you make an indent in the underside of the mushroom. Place upside down on a baking sheet.
2. Fill each mushroom with 1 heaping tsp. pizza sauce, top with cheese then desired toppings.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Funeral Zucchini

I know this is a strange name for a recipe, let me explain. If you live in Utah or near a group of Latter Day Saints you have surely had "Funeral Potatoes". These are standard fare not only at funerals but church gatherings too. Traditionally they are made with shredded potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, green onions, butter and topped with corn flakes (almost all the ingredients are SCD illegal) and served with baked ham. My mom made these recently for our family Christmas party and I just couldn't get them out of my head, they are the ultimate comfort food especially if you were raised with them.

It took me about a week but I figured it out; zucchini for the potatoes, a little cheddar cheese, green onion, dripped yogurt, SCD whipping cream, a little chicken broth and almond flour bread crumbs for the topping. My daughter laughed and said it wouldn't work.....she ate 3 helpings at dinner tonight and said she liked them better than the potatoes!

Here is my version of the famous "Funeral Potatoes"

Funeral Zucchini

2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. SCD whipping cream, unwhipped
1/2 c. dripped yogurt
1/4 c. strong chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3 medium zucchini
1/2 c. SCD "Breadcrumbs"

Begin at least 5 hours before you want to serve this dish. Wash and trim the zucchini then coarsely shred all of them. Place the shredded zucchini in a dish towel and twist the ends up so the towel tightens around the zucchini. Place in a bowl (towel and all) and let rest 2 hours. Twist the towel up again, by now it should be quite wet, and let sit another hour. Alternatively you could let it sit overnight, the idea is to dry out the zucchini so it has a potato like texture.

Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs and zucchini in a microwavable bowl. Heat 1 minute on high and stir. Heat and stir in 30 second intervals until the cheese starts to melt. Stir in the zucchini and thoroughly mix ingredients. Spread evenly into an 8x8 inch glass pan. Sprinkle "breadcrumbs" (actually seasoned almond flour) over the top. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees 45-60 minutes. The edges should be bubbly and the topping browned. I must say I am pretty impressed by how good this turned out...maybe I will take it to our next church party and see what they think.