Vegan Gluten Free Teff Breakfast Muffins

I baked Ella some oatmeal muffins the other night & had been giving them to her for breakfast with a little wild blueberry jam spread on it. But now that she can't have oatmeal, I went on the hunt for another kind of muffin to give her. We've got activities almost every morning now and I need something that she can feed herself while I make and eat my own breakfast, pack the diaper bag, warm up the car, etc. She's apparently over pancakes and wants nothing to do with them now. She doesn't love toast...unless it has melted goat cheese on it.

I found a recipe for Gluten Free Teff Muffins on nourishingmeals.com and thought it'd be perfect. We got about an inch of snow last night and it was enough to cause a 90-minute delay in our school system which cancelled our Early Learning program this morning. I thought I'd take advantage of being "snowed-in" and bake some muffins. They were very easy to make, both Ella and I can eat them, they are yummy and they're packed with lots of good for us things like fiber, protein, complex carbs and vitamins. But did I mention they taste good too?

There are lots of ways to alter this recipe to mix it up a bit. I just used grated carrot and chopped apple since I can't have raisins and Ella hasn't had tree nuts yet. The original recipe suggests that sunflower and pumpkin seeds can also replace the nuts in this recipe so maybe next time we'll try the pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients
2 cups teff flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup unsweetened apple juice
½ cup applesauce
½ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup EVOO
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 cup grated carrots
1 small tart apple, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the teff flour, tapioca flour, ground flax, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together well.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the apple juice, applesauce, maple syrup, and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together. Then add the grated carrots and diced apples (and nuts & dried fruit, if using). Continue to mix with a large wooden spoon until all of the ingredients are combined. Be sure to not over mix the batter!

Spoon batter into oiled muffin cups and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins on a wire rack

Avocado "mayonnaise" and tuna salad

I've really been struggling with lunch ideas lately. I usually have leftovers from the night before but if we happened to finish everything, I'm left scrounging. And it usually winds up being something like a piece of fruit and a handful of walnuts or something unsubtantial. I started making gluten free vegan flatbread every week and I realized one day while I was making Ella some grilled goat cheese, that DUH!! I can eat that too! So then I was having grilled goat cheese on gluten free vegan flatbread everyday. While she's got no problem eating the same day after day, I start to get bored. Quickly. I couldn't think of anything else I could put on the flatbread -- deli meats are out. Even though there are several brands which are specifically gluten free and casein free, I noticed I was feeling headache-y and sluggish after eating them so there's got to be something in them I shouldn't be eating. PBJ is out for obvious reasons. (Oh how I miss thee, peanut butter!!) I found some tuna fish that didn't contain soy but realized I couldn't mix it with mayonnaise and who really wants to eat a dry tuna fish sandwich? Ugh. But then... then I found this recipe on nourishingmeals.com (have I mentioned how much I love this website?!?) for "mayonnaise" made from avocado. It was simple to whip together & was soo soo yummy!

The original recipe's measurements are more broad (1-3 Tbsp, etc.) but I started with the smallest suggested amounts & it came out perfectly.

Avocado Mayonnaise

1 small avocados
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp water
sea salt, to taste

The original recipe suggests using an immersion blender but I don't have one. Yet. **Hubby, if you're reading this, Valentines Day is coming and I'd LOVE an immersion blender!! Nothing says "I love you" like a finely blended cup of avocado mayonnaise!** So place all ingredients into a bowl or large mug and blend with an immersion blender. Or if you're like me and don't have one, you can also use a blender or food processor.

Then comes the best part... making the tuna salad! The original recipe calls for salmon and I tried that first but I liked it better with tuna. It also called for celery (can't have it), capers (didn't have any on hand) and garlic (mehh just wasn't feelin' it).

canned tuna
avocado mayonnaise
grated carrot
parsley
sea salt, to taste

Throw in a bowl & mix. Slap it on the bread and VOILA... LUNCH!

I served it for dinner one night last week too and Hubby was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I could see the hesitation on his face as he sat down at the table. He paced around the kitchen for a few minutes first, probably psyching himself up and simultaneously trying to decide if he could grab the fruity pebbles and pour himself a bowl without me noticing. But once he finally bit into it, he ate the whole thing and said "Mmmm" (which I took to mean "WOW! This is the best tuna sandwich I've ever had!!") **Thank you, Hubby, for being so brave**

Steak and Goat Cheese Salad

When I did my menu planning for the week, I did not account for the fact that we'd have torrential downpours and gail force winds all day & I would really really really want comfort food. Ah well. I've already loaded all the other meats for the rest of the week into the freezer. Looks like a nice healthy salad it is. This one came from the Whole Foods app on my iPhone so I can't link it.

The hardest part of this recipe was finding a balsamic vinaigrette that did not contain soy or red wine (grapes). The closest I was able to come was Walden Farms' Sugar Free, Fat Free, Gluten Free, Calorie Free Balsamic Vinaigrette. It wasn't until I got home that I looked it up and discovered that balsamic vinegar is made from grapes and white vinegar (also on the list of ingredients) is made from corn... DOH! While I could very easily forego the salad dressing (blah!) or get creative and make my own, I'm feeling lazy and will justify this by the fact that I've been on this elimination diet for over five months and have cheated exactly once. The small amounts of grape & corn that are in the salad dressing won't kill me and I'll go light on the dressing on my portion. So there.

Obviously, the recipe is for one person so double, etc. for multiple servings.


Steak and Goat Cheese Salad

1 3-oz piece beef sirloin flap steak
2 ½ Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
3 cups roughly chopped romain lettuce
1 carrot, shaved with a vegetable peeler into thin strips
1 oz crumbled goat cheese

Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Brush steak all over with ½ Tbsp vinaigrette. Cook steak, flipping once, to desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Remove to cutting board to rest 5 minutes. Toss together lettuce, carrots and remaining dressing in a large bowl then transfer to a dinner plate. Thinly slice steak against the grain and arrange on top of lettuce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Gluten Free Quinoa Meatloaf

I've modified this recipe to work for us. I took out the egg, changed up the spices a bit & took out the onions, 'cuz Hubby's tummy seems to do better when I leave them out. The original recipe includes ingredients for a yummy sounding sauce but it includes things I can't have so I just 86'd the sauce in the interest of keeping it simple. Hubby puts ketchup on it but Ella and I like it just fine with no sauce.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Quinoa
1 cup water (you can also use vegetable stock, if you prefer)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions
Place quinoa, water (or broth) and vinegar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until water is absorbed (15ish minutes). Set aside and allow cooked quinoa to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, combine ground turkey, apple sauce, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil and cooled quinoa. With hands, mix thoroughly. Place mixture evenly in a glass baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes. (The original recipe says 1 1/2 hrs but I have never seen it take nearly this long -- keep an eye on it & when the top starts to brown, it's ready.)

Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Two nights ago I made this for dinner with a few modifications. There is just something so therapeutic about making risotto; it tends to instantly calm me. I'd had a very crazy day and after watching a playmate of Ella's and chasing two 14-month olds around for seven hours, I was in need of some brainless stirring action. (Not to mention the fact that it'd been about 16 degrees for the last few days so comfort food was high on my priority list.)

Barley Risotto With Asparagus and Parmesan Goat Cheese

5 cups of broth -- I used turkey stock that I made after Thanksgiving but you could use low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups barley
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) 3/4 cup apple juice, 1/4 cup water and a large squeeze of lemon juice
1 pound asparagus, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan goat milk cheddar

Warm the broth in a small saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine apple juice, water & lemon juice and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally and waiting until it is absorbed before adding more.

Add the asparagus with the last 1/2 cup of broth and cook until tender. It should take 30 to 35 minutes for all the broth to be absorbed.

Remove from heat, season with the salt and pepper, and stir in the goat cheese. Spoon into individual bowls.

Day of Culinary Adventure Part 2 - Pork Roast and Harvest Salad

I think Hubby was starting to experience some cabin fever. He suggested we go out to dinner, but eating out still tends to be frustrating and I'd already defrosted a pork roast so I convinced him to stay in, instead.

I wanted to do something a little different than my usual plain boring roast. I poured through dozens of recipes that called for things like pineapple, white wine, cornstarch or barbeque sauce and finally stumbled across this one from startcooking.com. It was simple and sounded really yummy and walked this still very novice cook through prepping & roasting a pork roast step-by-step.

Herb Rubbed Pork Roast

1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 Tbsp of oregano
1 Tbsp of  EVOO
3 pounds of boneless pork

Put the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Measure one Tbsp of EVOO in a small dish.

Add salt, pepper, dried oregano to the oil. Mix this spice rub together and rub it all over the pork roast.

Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and put the roast in the 450 degree preheated oven.

Roast for 10 minutes, then RE-SET THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 250 DEGREES.

Continue cooking for about 50-80 minutes or until the meat registers 150 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Remove the roast from the oven and set on a cutting board. Cover the meat with tin foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing it.

*******
I served this with mashed sweet potatoes and Harvest Salad.

This salad has quickly become one of my favorite things to eat lately. I keep a container of the spiced pumpkin seeds in the cupboard & a little jar of the salad dressing in the fridge for quick lunches or quick sides for dinner.

Harvest Salad With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

mixed greens
maple vinaigrette (recipe follows)
chevre (goat cheese)
dried cranberries
Bartlett pears, chopped in one inch pieces
spiced pumpkin seeds (recipe follows)

Toss mixed greens with maple vinaigrette. Arrange on plates.

Garnish greens with crumbled chevre, dried cherries, pear pieces, and pumpkin seeds.

Maple Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp apple cider
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO
pinch of salt and pepper

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

4 Tbsp organic evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups raw, shelled pumpkin seeds (the green ones)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp butter spread
1 tsp EVOO

In a medium bowl, combine evaporated cane juice, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat until they become slightly fragrant and begin to puff up and pop. Remove seeds from heat, and return skillet to the stove.

Over medium heat, mix sugar and buttery spread and cook until sugar carmelizes. Add pumpkin seeds back into pan and stir until seeds begin to stick together and the caramel gets stringy. I've not had very good luck getting the dairy-free, soy-free buttery spread to cooperate in this manner, so I just use a tsp of EVOO. Stir into the pumpkin seeds then mix in the spice blend. It probably doesn't hold the spice on quite as well as the carmel would but I sprinkle some of the spice blend onto my salad & pretend that it's stuck on the seeds. I promise, it's just as good!

A Day of Culinary Adventure Part 1 - Soup and BREAD!

We were predicted to get hit with two feet of snow overnight and awoke to only 5-6 inches. It was enough to keep us home from a Christmas party in Eastern Massachusetts, where they had gotten closer to a foot so I decided to create that snowed-in feeling "since we had no place to go". I cranked up the Christmas music and got busy in the kitchen as soon as Ella went down for her nap. Within a few minutes, our home smelled amazing! First up, was Soothing Red Lentil Soup from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

If you would like, you could freeze portions of this soup before adding the greens. When you are ready to use it, heat it up in a small pot and add a handful of greens. This will keep the soup fresh-tasting and bright.

3 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more)
1 to 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 cups red lentils
8 cups water
3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups thinly sliced spinach
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt

Heat the EVOO in a large stockpot. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and saute a minute or so more.

Add the red lentils and water and get them cooking then peel and slice the carrots and add them to the pot, cover, and simmer for about an hour total (start time after adding liquid and lentils).

Turn off heat, add greens, lemon, and salt. Stir it all together and let it rest for about five minutes for the greens to soften.

*******
Then, came the most exciting new recipe that I've encountered so far. A gluten free, yeast free, vegan BREAD that actually could hold up for a sandwich (or get dunked in my soup, which was really what I was looking forward to today). This whole grain fleatbread, again from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen was exactly what I'd been looking for. It was very easy to make, baked in about 22 minutes and most importantly, was absolutely DELICIOUS! I was practically squealing with excitement as I sliced into it and confirmed that it would, in fact, hold a sandwich. It was very similar to Cosi's flatbread which I miss terribly. And actually just now, as I googled Cosi's to grab their web address, I realized that I could probably make a flatbread pizza if I really wanted to! **Note to self: must try this!** Anyways, without further adieu...

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flatbread

1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup teff flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Course salt or dried rosemary for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13-inch pan with about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.

In a smaller separate bowl whisk together the warm water, olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together vigorously until thickened and smooth.

Spoon batter into oiled pan. Oil your hands and gently press and move the dough to the edges of the pan (dough will be sticky). Make sure it is evenly spread. Put more oil on your hands if needed. Prick the dough with a fork about a dozen times (this is optional, if you don't do it you will have a few more air bubbles in the bread). Sprinkle on rosemary and/or course salt.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and then cut into squares and serve.
 
*******
I had one very happy belly this afternoon!

Turkey Sweet Potato Pie

I made this for dinner last night & was a little nervous about Hubby's reaction because he's starting to get picky again after a few not-so-good dinners. But it wound up being a big hit and after one bite, he exclaimed "Mmmm Mmmm this is GOOD! Please, DON'T tell me what's in it!" And to my surprise, even Ella really liked it -- I wasn't sure how she'd take to the curry. I adapted it from this recipe on recipezaar.com.

Ingredients
Meat Filling

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp of ground sage
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup goats milk yogurt
1 Tbsp GF All-Purpose flour
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste

Sweet Mashed Potato Topping
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup goats milk yogurt
1 Tbsp soy free, dairy free buttery spread
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Directions
Boil sweet potatoes till tender, drain, add honey, yogurt, buttery spread, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Then mash 'till smooth and set aside.

Saute in oil the onions, garlic, and turkey till just under done. Add curry, salt, pepper, sage, sprinkle GF flour over turkey mix and add in the yogurt. Add the peas and mix it all together.

In a 8x8 casserole pan lay meat mixture then place potatoes over meat covering all to seal. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes just to slightly brown top.

Bread!!

Due to the fact that I cannot eat wheat, rice, oat, rye, corn or yeast, all of the allergen-free breads I've seen in the store are off limits to me. I found a recipe for vegan yeast-free quinoa bread on Living Without Magazine's website. It's kind of a lot of work because it calls for two different flour blends which you have to make seperately and then use in the recipe but I was thinking ahead on this one and made extra of the flour blends and stored them in ziplock bags in the refrigerator for future use.

High-Fiber Flour Blend
This high-fiber blend works for breads, pancakes, snack bars and cookies that contain chocolate, warm spices, raisins or other fruits. It is not suited to delicately flavored recipes, such as sugar cookies, crepes, cream puffs, birthday cakes or cupcakes.

1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour I used sorghum flour
½ cup teff flour (preferably light)
½ cup millet flour or Montina® flour I used millet flour
⅔ cup tapioca starch/flour
⅓ cup cornstarch or potato starch I used potato starch

High-Protein Flour Blend
This nutritious blend works best in baked goods that require elasticity, such as wraps and pie crusts.

1¼ cups bean flour (your choice), chickpea flour or soy flour I used garbonzo bean flour
1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch or potato starch I used potato starch but would use arrowroot next time so as not to use so much potato, since it's used in the other flour blend
1 cup tapioca starch/flour
1 cup white or brown rice flour I used buckwheat flour -- not sure if this is an appropriate substitute protein wise but I thought it worked well


Vegan Yeast-Free Quinoa Bread

Ingredients
2 cups gluten-free high-fiber flour blend (see above)
2 cups gluten-free high-protein flour blend (see above)
1/4 cup golden flax meal
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp baking powder baking powder contains corn starch so I used 1 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 Tbsp cream of tarter instead
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 cup cooked whole-grain quinoa or millet, cooked according to package instructions
1 1/2 cups sparkling cider, apple cider or apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil of choice
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Milk of choice, for topping I used goat's milk
2 Tbsp quinoa flakes, for topping
Oil spray, for topping
Rice flour or cornmeal for dusting I used buckwheat flour

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x4-inch bread pan and sprinkle with cornmeal or flour of choice.
2. Blend together the flour blends, flax meal, salt, baking powder (or substitute), baking soda and xantham gum in a mixing bowl until well combined. Fold in cooked quinoa I forgot this step and wound up folding it in to the mixture after I poured it into the bread pans -- not ideal.
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the cider, applesauce, oil, honey and vinegar.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together on medium speed using the beater/paddle attachment until just combined. Do not over mix. The leavening in this recipe activates quickly. As soon as the ingredients are combined, spoon the batter into the pan and bake immediately.
5. Pour dough into prepared bread pan. Brush the top with milk of choice, sprinkle with quinoa flakes and lightly spray with oil.
6. Loosely cover bread pan with parchment paper or oiled foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the paper and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is brown and internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then lift the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

I was hoping for more of a sandwich friendly bread instead of the quick-bread texture but hey, bread is bread! And at this point, I'll be happy with what I can get.

And since Thanksgiving is right around the corner and stuffing is one of my favorite sides and one I allow myself the pleasure of only once or twice a year, I decided that this year I'm going to make it gluten-free so I can still enjoy my faves. The above recipe makes two loaves and I cut one whole loaf into 1/2 inch cubes and baked them on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes, stirring twice. Then I let them sit out in the air for a few hours to harden up just a tad more. Stuffing experiment to come...

Banana Bread!

Yesterday was Halloween & we dressed our little ladybug up and went trick-or-treating at the grandparents' houses. My mom treated us to some homemade allergen free banana bread that tasted EXACTLY like the banana bread she'd made for us before all this allergy nonsense. It was so moist and delicious -- even Hubby enjoyed it! It's been WEEKS since I've eaten bread and it was so so good, I could not stop eating it and Ella went crazy over it!

"Banana Bread for Ella"
adapted from a recipe in Ella's Great Grandmother's “Joy of Cooking”

Makes one loaf – bake 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until toothpick is clean

Sift together in bowl and set aside: (for best results, sift flour prior to measuring)
2 cups sifted Bob’s Red Mill All purpose baking flour (G.W.D. free)
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
Food processor – cream till light: (for best results, add mixed egg replacer after combining the banana, sugar, oil mixture)
2 ripe bananas
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup canola or olive oil
1 ½ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer, mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water
Add the mashed banana mixture to the dry ingredients alternately with:
3 Tbsp orange juice

Tips:
Oil & flour the bread pan before adding the batter to prevent sticking.
Sift the flour before measuring, really makes a difference in the amount you use!

Thanks again, Mom!!

My new favorite website & last night's dinner

I found this website a few night's ago and it has been the answer to my prayers! After you register (for FREE), you check off your sensitivities/allergies on a lengthy list of common allergens and from that point on, the site will point out possible hidden allergens and will highlight which recipes are completely safe for you. It is so easy to navigate and there are literally hundreds of recipes to choose from. It is safe to say that Cooking Allergy Free is my new obsession.

Last night's dinner was inspired by my new favorite website. We had gluten & egg free crispy tilapia, quinoa pilaf and wilted spinach with a little garlic, salt & EVOO. This marked my first ever attempt at cooking fish at home. See? This new way of eating has been good for me! I've moved out of my chicken 4-5 nights/week comfort zone and have fully embraced this new adventure in the kitchen.

The recipe calls for 1/2 buckwheat flour, 1/2 quinoa flour but our local health food store did not carry the buckwheat flour so I just used all quinoa flour and it still came out very yummy. Technically, you could probably use any type of flours but the only ones I had on hand were tapioca, quinoa and arrowroot so I just stuck to the quinoa. The store manager is ordering some buckwheat flour for me so next time I'll try the mixture of the two.

Gluten Free & Egg Free Crispy Tilapia

Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets
salt, pepper, paprika (you may season with any other spice as well)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 Tbsp luke warm water
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I didn't use)
1/2 cup quinoa flour (I used a whole cup but totally didn't need that much & wound up throwing a lot of it away)
3 Tbsp EVOO

Directions
1. Thoroughly mix water and ground flaxseed and set aside to thicken for a few minutes. (This is your egg substitute.)
2. Combine the flours on a large flat dish.
3. Rinse fish and towel dry.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat.
5. Baste both sides of the fillets in the flaxseed mixture. Don't worry if it doesn't spread well, just get the fillets slimy. Then generously cover both sides of the fillets in the flour mixture.
6. Season the fillets with salt, pepper, paprika and whatever other spices you want to throw on.
7. Place the fillets in heated pan and cook on both sides 3-5 minutes. Be cautious when flipping over as the fillets are very tender and may break. (Times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.)

I would post the recipe for the quinoa pilaf, but I didn't love it and Hubby announced that he was "not a fan of whatever that was" so I obviously need to play around with that one a bit. For him, I think it was more of a texture issue over flavor. He's a pretty picky eater so I was expecting some hesitation on his part. I know we're all still adjusting to the changes and I'm confident that one day soon, he'll eat quinoa (knowingly) with a smile on his face. Even if he has to fake it.

Butternut Squash Soup

I love soup. Year round. I love soup. But this time of year, there's just something in the air that makes an ordinary soup that much yummier.

After I was diagnosed with all my food sensitivities, I was pretty depressed about the fact that there was so much that I could not eat and I was beginning to starve. My dear friend and neighbor, did the most amazing thing ever. She dug through her cookbooks and recipes that she's collected and she sat down with my long list of my can-not-eats and put together a binder of things that I can eat, complete with substitution suggestions penciled into the margins. This is one of my favorites from that binder. This weekend, I made some for my vegetarian sister-in-law who was recently in an accident and suffered a broken jaw (and ribs and collar bone). I hope she likes it as much as I do!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
nonstick vegetable oil spray (I just use water)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger (nutmeg is nice too, if you don't have ginger on hand)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter (I use dairy free, soy free margarine)
3 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth works well too, but I'm sensitive to celery & tomatoes so I stick with the chicken broth)
1-2 cups water, as needed (I've made this several times & have yet to actually need additional water)
Salt & pepper to taste
Sour cream to garnish (obviously, I leave this off)

Directions
Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan with a little bit of water (or spray it with nonstick vegetable oil spray.) Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender (I cheat & stick it in the microwave for 15ish minutes --keep checking, it may need longer). Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin. (You can do it while it's still hot too, but you will burn yourself.) While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the ginger in the butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the saucepan. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish with low-fat sour cream (if you can do dairy, of course).

Potatoes Sauteed With Shrimp

Last night I made potatoes sauteed with shrimp from Recipezaar. It was super easy and very tasty! Even though Ella tested negative for shrimp allergy, I just wasn't convinced her 5 tiny teeth could handle it (not to mention her tiny tastebuds being overpowered by garlic & red pepper) so I gave her some potatoes w/out the seasoning & some steamed veggies leftover from the night before. Mike & I thoroughly enjoyed this meal & will be putting it into the menu planning rotation for sure & maybe next time I'll pull out a shrimp for Ella to try!

Ingredients
8 small red potatoes, large dice (I used russet potatoes 'cuz that's all we had on hand)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb small shrimp, deveined & peeled
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used 1/4 tsp because we're not big spicy people. It added just the right amount of flavor without being overwhelming.)

Directions
Fry potatoes in 3 T olive oil until browned and tender. Remove and keep warm.
Add remaining oil to skillet, add shrimp.
Cook for 2 minutes; add remaining ingredients and saute for 3 minutes.
Return potatoes and mix well.