Penne with Cashew Cream Pesto and Smoked Salmon

In Category: ‘food’

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May 7, 2012 Penne with Cashew Cream Pesto and Smoked Salmon

When a dish makes my 7 year old exclaim that it “needs to be on the blog, mom!”, then I know it’s passed the test. Tonight’s dinner literally took me 10 minutes to create, and yet it got rave reviews that many of my 2+ hour creations never scored. I struggled with my last mouthful of pasta tonight because I was debating whether or not I should save it and photograph it to accompany this post (yep – one measly forkful…what a waste of a inner debate, right? But this is the pickle I find myself in when I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a meal to the point of forgetting to photograph it). So instead I pulled out the main ingredients so you could see just how simple this dish is to throw together.

I also thought I’d do away with the whole “recipe” idea and just tell you about my process of creating this meal. Friends who have observed me in the kitchen know I rarely use exact measurements (only in baking – and even then I do a lot of eyeballing and adjusting) – so I figured it was high time that I stop trying to force measurements on the rest of you. If you are upset by this, I am very sorry, but I will have to blame my mom just a bit – she taught me the art of a handful of this and a pinch of that, and it’s really the best way I know how to create what my family will love.

Okay – so here’s the process:

Start the water boiling for your Jovial G-free Penne.

Get your mini-prep or food processor out. Gather a few handfuls of fresh basil, about a cup of green peas (frozen are fine), about two handfuls of raw cashews, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and a bottle of olive oil. Grind up the cashews first until they start to get a little creamy. Add the basil and pulse until combined, drizzling olive oil in to keep the blade running through the mixture smoothly. (Your water should be boiling by now, so add the package of pasta and cook for 9 minutes.) Add the peas and the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste, along with a heavy dose of olive oil. Process until well combined, adding more olive oil and spices as needed. Stop the processor often and stick your finger in to taste the creamy pesto from time to time – and be careful not to add too much salt – less is better, because you’ll be adding smoked salmon later. The cream should be slightly sweet from the peas, and the cashews might just fool your family into thinking there’s actually parmesan cheese in there, but there’s no such thing! (Thanks, mom, for opening my eyes to the wonderful combination of cashews and “creamy” pasta sauces… genius!)

While the penne is still boiling away, chop up some smoked salmon (I like mine in tiny bits). Prepare a quick side salad with some red leaf butter lettuce, half a pear (diced), some pecans, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamico.

Drain the cooked penne. Mix in the pesto, straight from the processor (no need to pre-heat) and the smoked salmon.

Enjoy!

Posted In: casein free, dinner, food, gluten free, kid favorites, soy free, spring favorites. Comments Off

March 31, 2012 kid raves

Party Rave: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cakes (without the peanuts!)

This is the cupcake (and allergen free) version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. I could have lived off of those highly addictive candies when I was younger. I love the combination of salty nut butter and dark, rich chocolate. Though I can still eat peanut butter, we do have a peanut allergy in the house, so I substitute sunflower seed butter for our cookies, frostings, and sandwiches. It’s the closest nut butter we’ve found to peanut, and tastes almost identical in this frosting recipe.

Restaurant Rave: The Counter

We have grown tired of ordering our hamburgers (or turkey or veggie burgers) sans buns. For starters, a lettuce wrapped patty just doesn’t hold in all the tasty sauces like a bun does. And I probably don’t even have to tell you how unappealing (and messy) the bunless burgers are for the kiddos. So we had been searching for restaurants that would cater to our gfree bun needs – calling a few each week and making special requests, to no avail. When we finally stumbled upon The Counter (Walnut Creek), we were ecstatic. How ecstatic? I may or may not have ordered the 2/3 pound turkey burger and practically swallowed it whole. The stomach upset that followed was definitely not because of the ingredients – but more appropriately linked to my inhalation of such massive quantities of delicious food. What’s not to love about build your own burgers – at least five protein choices, six or more bun/no bun choices, a few dozen topping options – organic ingredients, and dedicated gluten free fryers for sweet potato and regular fries? At The Counter, they’re serving up something for the whole family, in a casual and friendly atmosphere. We will return regularly.

Snack time Rave: Orange Creamsicles

Super easy snack time: 1/2 C of orange juice, 1 TBSP raw honey, and 1 8oz individual serving of your child’s favorite coconut milk yogurt (we like the new Greek Style SoDelicious Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Milk in various flavors – 8g fiber, 4.5g fat, 2g protein). Stir it all together, pour into paper cups, and stick a popsicle stick in them. Freeze them to solid and then enjoy!

Kid-created Recipe Rave: Corn Pups

For some reason, when I was pregnant with my youngest son I developed an insatiable craving for corn dogs and donuts. My then three year old spent 5 months of bingeing on these two delicacies with me (because I couldn’t eat alone, and he was always with me – guilty by association). When baby boy was born and I came to my senses and stopped eating corn dogs and donuts, my toddler was confused and saddened at their elimination from our menu rotation. I have since been on the hunt for a slightly healthier, GFCF version of these “comfort” foods.

Last week my mom pulled out my Ebelskiver pan and decided to try dropping corn bread batter in the shallow wells. Eldest son helped smoosh Aidell’s Chicken & Apple mini sausages into the middle of the batter balls. The result was these three-bite mini corndogs – or Corn Pups, as my family calls them. They used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free cornbread mix with ground flax meal as a substitute for the eggs, and rice milk as the liquid. The Ebelskiver pan makes them the perfect size for tiny hands and tummies, and a great lunch, snack, or party item.

Posted In: food, gluten free, kid favorites, snacks. Comments Off

December 22, 2011 gift giving

Gift giving really is my very favorite thing about this season of Christmas. I love baking special goodies and delivering them to neighbors doors. I love glass jars and ribbons and pretty papers to wrap all sorts of homemade treats. I’ve experimented with quite a few new gift recipes this year, and thought I’d share this one with you. I didn’t want to share too much, because then my gifts wouldn’t be secrets anymore – but this one is just too fun to not share. It turns a chicken dinner into something exotic. It gives a pleasing little zing to a salad. And it looks lovely just sitting on the counter. I first considered it as a gift when I saw it posted on notwithoutsalt. I did a little digging in my favorite cookbooks and settled on Thomas Keller’s ad hoc at home version. So here they are:

Preserved Whole Lemons

(adapted from ad hoc at home, Thomas Keller)

1 1/2 C kosher salt

6 lemons, scrubbed

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

Juice of 2 lemons, or as needed

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Pour 1/2 inch of salt into a 1-pint canning jar.

Cut each lemon lengthwise into quarters, stopping about 3/8″ from the stem end so that the lemon wedges stay attached. Spread the lemons open. Salt the inside of each lemon generously, then push the wedges together to “close” the lemon and place lemons in the jar, pressing them down slightly. As you press the lemons into the jar, add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the jar, between the layers of lemons. Cover each lemon with a little salt as you go. When you’ve pressed all the lemons into place, cover with any remaining salt.

The lemons will have released some juice. Add enough additional juice to cover the lemons, pressing down slightly on them to compress them. Top with the olive oil and cover the jar.

Put the jar in a pantry or other cool, dark spot and let stand for at least 1 month, or for up to 6 months. Refrigerate the jar after opening and use the lemons within 1 month.

The peel of these lemons can be used instead of plain lemon rind in many dishes. Preserved lemons are often used in Moroccan dishes and are great in marinades. You can also try them mixed with salt as a rub on lamb or chicken, or in a compound butter that melts over hot meat, fish or vegetables.

Posted In: food, gluten free, holiday, nut free, soy free, winter favorites. Comments Off

December 22, 2011 leif’s pasta

After a full day of working with kids in both the classroom and on the soccer field, my sweet husband is usually pretty exhausted by the time he rolls in the door. He eats on the go throughout the day (as do I), so I love the opportunity to make us a warm, hearty meal that we can sit and savor – even if it’s just for 15 minutes – before he has to get out of his chair again and do tickly-wrestles, boxing matches, and whatever else our crazy little boys want to do before their heads hit the pillow. Hearty, savory, and healthy meals do not have to be elaborate… and this simple one-bowl dinner is proof!

This is Leif’s current favorite pasta – made super simple by a bag of frozen langostino (you can find them at Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s, or for those of you who are local, Draeger’s).

Start by cooking up a pot of Jovial pasta (or your favorite GF noodle). While it’s cooking, saute 5 cloves of pressed garlic in olive oil. Add the langostino tails, a splash of white wine, and a little chicken or vegetable broth (just enough to give the langostino some liquid to simmer in), and about 1/2 cup of frozen peas. Let simmer until the langostino are completely heated through, adding a little broth if necessary. Drain the pasta, toss it with a little olive oil and sea salt, mix in a small can of chopped black olives, the garlic/langostino/pea mixture, and crushed red peppers to taste. Serve immediately.

Posted In: dinner, food, gluten free, winter favorites. Comments Off

December 2, 2011 for snacking

I have heard some moms say that they have to put snacks up high in their kitchen cupboards to keep them from little hands. I have seen some friends kitchens where there is an easily accessible drawer or cupboard stocked with kid snacks for consumption at any time of the day. And I have heard about a thousand other “snack rules” floating around out there. What I do know is that every body is different, and every family’s nutritional needs are different, and so I can be certain that there is not one “right” way to do snacks.

In our house, we graze. Three meals a day doesn’t cut it for any of the four of us. Our three main meals are generally smaller than a “typical American” meal, because we know that we’re going to graze again in about 2 hours. Grazing could be very dangerous if we had a freezer full of ice cream, cupboards laden with candies and breads and cookies, and a fridge stocked with meats and cheeses. Grazing on high fat, low fiber snacks is sure to lead to disaster. Instead, we try to focus on snacks in one of two categories: Veggie based or Fruit based. We have a printed list on the inside of our pantry door that lists “Grain/Casein/ Soy/Legume Free Snack Ideas“. It’s something I created for Leif to reference when he was first adjusting to his new way of eating a couple years ago. By posting it next to snack storage, he and the boys were never able to say, “I can’t think of anything to eat”. The other key to successful snacking was to be sure that we always had at least half of the ingredients on the list in stock. Most of the items are fresh and need a tiny bit of preparation time – requiring more effort than just grabbing a bag of something processed and pre-packaged. This turns our grazing is a conscious effort to nourish our bodies, not just something to do when we’re bored or emotional.

Perhaps you could use a little snack inspiration? I thought I’d share our list with you here. And please feel free to comment with your snack ideas, too – we’d love to add your favorites to our list!

VEGGIE BASED SNACKS

*Celery with cashew butter & raisins

*Plate of raw veggies with salsa (carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower)

*Sunflower seed crackers with artichoke tapenade

*Sunflower seed crackers with eggplant remoulade

*Sunflower seed crackers with canned chicken or tuna, mixed with artichoke tapenade or just olive, salt & pepper

*Baked potato topped with olive oil, balsamic, s&p, and fresh greens or steamed or sauteed spinach.

*Turkey & avocado wrapped in butter lettuce leaves (substitute or add sliced apple)

*Raw, jicama spears with nut butter

*Tomato & avocado drizzled with balsamic and olive oil (add red onion & any sliced citrus for variety – grapefruit, orange, etc.)

*1/2 a sweet potato with 1 chicken apple sausage link

*Baked potato with salsa or vegan pesto

*Canned chicken or fish mixed with avocado over greens

*Greens with smoked salmon, blue or raspberries, and sunflower seeds

*Kale chips

*Oven roasted brussels sprouts or cauliflower florets – seasoned with olive oil, s&p

FRUIT BASED SNACKS

*Homemade trail mix (combination of nuts and seeds of your choice, with dried blueberries, apricots, or cherries, and large flaked coconut – and perhaps a sprinkling of dairy free/soy free chocolate chips or chunks)

*Grapefruit & walnuts

*Raspberries or blueberries with coconut and walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds

*Coconut milk yogurt with trail mix or just seeds or fresh fruits

*Sliced strawberries with sunflower seeds and shredded coconut

*Sliced banana or apple with sunflower seed butter

*Oven baked pear or apple, with cinnamon, vanilla extract, a touch of orange juice and a sprinkling of brown sugar

*Apple sauce with chunks of roasted winter squash and a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

*Tall glass of cold nut or rice milk, mixed with chai tea concentrate (I like 1 part hazelnut or almond milk to 1 part tea concentrate)

Posted In: casein free, food, gluten free, kid favorites, snacks. Comments Off

December 1, 2011 pie x3

Clockwise from top right: Pumpkin pies from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook; Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book; Allergy-Free Desserts; and puddings with the left overs from the Allergy-Free Desserts recipe.

I still have pumpkins on my counter.

And in my garage.

They are everywhere.

Are you wondering what to do with all your lovely pumpkins? Don’t throw them out just because December is here and you need to move the fall orange out to make way for winter’s blue and silver or green and red… Pumpkins are winter squash. They are usually harvested in fall, but they have a storage life of one to six months, provided you keep them nice and cool and out of direct sunlight (that’s why most of mine like to stay in the garage).

Pumpkin flesh and seeds are super nutritious. They are heavy on carotenes, providing a great defense against many cancers. They are also great sources of vitamins C, B1, B6, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, potassium, and dietary fiber. They are versatile vegetables, as you’ve probably noticed by my recent posts – I love to use them in pastas, salads, rice dishes, purees, smoothies, breads and other baked goodies. The most popular use of pumpkin, however, may just be in the form of pie. I can easily say it trumps the turkey for me every Thanksgiving.

I started working out my *perfect* crust/filling combination in early November – giving myself plenty of time to mess with the recipes before our Thanksgiving day feast. There are so many pumpkin pie recipes, some of which are a bit more complex than others – but let’s face it – all pumpkin pie is, is a sweetened pumpkin puree in a crust. It is not a difficult pie to make. Or at least it shouldn’t be. I wanted to share a pie recipe with you that would be both simple and delicious, and one that really features pumpkin – not a bunch of distracting additives. Initially tried three different versions from three different gluten-free cookbooks.

We took the pies to a family dinner that night and everyone voted and gave their feedback on each pie. All three were so very different. I took the suggestions and combined the filling of one with the crust of another and we ended up with a real crowd pleaser. The recipe below features the unbaked filling of Elizabeth Gordon’s Allergy-Free Desserts version, and the Standard Pie Crust featured in Jennifer Katzinger’s Flying Apron version.

Standard Pie Crust

from Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book, Jennifer Katzinger

1 1/2 C brown rice flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 C plus 3 Tbsp palm oil (or coconut oil will work, too)

3 Tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup

1-2 Tbsp cold water (put it in the freezer while you’re gathering the other ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the rice flour & salt in a large owl. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the palm oil until softened, about 1 minute. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture slowly until incorporated. Add agave syrup and water and mix until a soft dough has formed, about 5 minutes. If dough is dry, add additional water 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough is smooth.

Dust your work surface (12×18″ cutting board or piece of cardboard covered in parchment paper) and hands liberally with brown rice flour. Dough will be very wet. Place dough on surface and sprinkle the top with more brown rice flour. Roll dough into an 11-inch disc. Place 9″ pie plate on top of the rolled out dough. With one hand under the work surface and the other on the pie plate, flip them so that the cutting board is on top. Set pie plate on counter, removing the cutting board, and gently press the pie dough into the pie plate.

Bake the pie crust for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

To prepare the filling:

(adapted from Elizabeth Gordon’s Pumpkin Pie recipe)

30 oz pureed pumpkin (make your own, or use two 15 oz cans of pure solid-pack pumpkin – we tried it both ways)

1 C oil, in liquid form – either coconut oil, palm fruit, or canola

2/3 C packed dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinammon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Place all filling ingredients into the pitcher of a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and then blend for another minute. Pour filling into cooled pie crust and chill for 3 hours or overnight so it sets well before serving. Keep pie refrigerated until just before serving. Store pie, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

Posted In: casein free, desserts, fall favorites, food, gluten free, holiday, holidays, kid favorites, soy free, vegetables, vegetarian, winter favorites. Comments Off

November 13, 2011 weekend waffles

For the first six years of our marriage, we enjoyed swedish pancakes – or crepes – every week for at least one meal. Sometimes they would play double duty and make appearances at breakfast and dinner on the very same day, just with a new smorgasbord of toppings. In year seven of marriage, we mourned the loss of the carton of eggs and butter and believed we would never eat swedish pancakes/crepes again. One month of missing our tasty tradition was all it took to get me flipping through recipes again to find a suitable weekend comfort food replacement. I was overjoyed to find this recipe for a great pancake/waffle mix in one of Carol Fenster’s cookbooks. These are some amazing waffles! My family loves them so much, I make to-go bags of the dry ingredients to take on vacation. We even took them to work to share with our staff. We have been so excited about them, that we invite people over for breakfast and brunch and dinner to share our joy. Yes – even for dinner. We love breakfast for dinner – and our guests haven’t complained, so we think it’s okay with them, too. And let me tell you, this makes a really fantastic dinner in the fall and winter, because you can use any late harvest fruits as a tasty compote accompaniment.

Are you convinced yet that you have to try these?

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Here’s the recipe for you to play with on your own: (from Gluten-Free Quick & Easy, by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.)

Start with Carol’s Flour Blend: 1.5 C sorghum flour, 1.5 C potato starch, 1 C tapioca flour. Whisk together until thoroughly mixed and store in an air-tight container.

Carol’s Pancake & Waffle Mix

2 C Carol’s Flour Blend

2 C cornstarch or potato starch

1/2 C cane sugar

6 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

Sift ingredients together. Store in an air-tight container up to 3 months.

Waffles

1 C Carol’s Pancake & Waffle Mix

2 Tbsp unsalted butter or buttery spread (I use Earth Balance - soy free) melted

1 large egg (I use 1 Tbsp ground flax meal, mixed with 3 Tbsp water)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 to 3/4 C milk (I use coconut, hazelnut, rice, or whatever other non-dairy milk we have on hand) (amount of milk depends on your preference in waffle batter – I like mine a little on the runny side, so I use closer to 1 C of milk. This recipe produces a pretty thick batter if you go with the recommended 1/3 C)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Put the dry mix in a mixing bowl. Whisk in all the wet ingredients except for the lemon until the batter is very smooth. Keep adding milk until the batter reaches your desired consistency. Then stir in the lemon juice and let it rest while the waffle iron is heating. Lightly coat the waffle iron with cooking spray of your choice and then cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s directions.

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If you come to my house to enjoy these waffles, they will most likely taste nothing like the ones you make for yourself with the recipe above. You may remember me mentioning that I never cook the same thing twice. While I do stick to the basic ratios with my baked goods, I do love seasonal add-ins (kind of like how people add-in treats at ice cream or froyo shops). The waffles pictured in this post have diced pear and extra vanilla in the batter. The flours are gf oat and brown rice, with a portion of cornstarch, instead of Carol’s mix. To top them off, I tossed some pears into my skillet along with a little maple syrup, some brown sugar, a splash of brandy, a touch of cinnamon & nutmeg, a handful of raisins, and two fistfuls of pecans. I let this mixture heat through just to the point of starting to caramelize. And for the first photo, I had to add a dollop of sour cream. That’s what my mom would do. It looks lovely, right? But for everyone else who is steering clear of dairy, just forget about that sour cream. It’s completely heavenly without it.

Posted In: breakfast, fall favorites, food, gluten free, kid favorites, soy free.

Tags: pear waffles, weekend waffles

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November 12, 2011 taco tuesday – pumpkin & chanterelles

Around here, there is something to look forward to on each day of the week. Though Monday boasts band practice and Friday promises family movie night, that special “something” usually has to do with food on the other five days of the week. Tuesday is the day for tacos – and that excites all four of us. If the rest of the day is crummy, at least we know we’ll be enjoying a little fiesta come 5 o’clock.

Last week, when we were up to our ears in pumpkins, we tried them out on taco night. We ended up with two variations of tacos, realizing the pumpkin taco “meat” might not fly with the boys. A little disguising of ingredients never hurts.

The adult version:

Pumpkin & chanterelle mushrooms browned in olive oil in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet with cumin, oregano, just a touch of dried sage, garlic, kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper. Mound the softened vegetables in warmed gf corn tortillas. Don’t forget the Cholula! Serve with sides of brown rice and black beans.

The kid version:

Add some of the browned pumpkin (lightly seasoned with the ingredients above) to the pot of black beans and, using a potato masher, smash the pumpkin and beans together. Layer a spoonful of the bean mash and a spoonful of brown rice in the middle of a warmed gf corn tortilla and roll it up tightly to form burrito rolls. For some reason the food goes down a heck of a lot easier when my kids can’t inspect it first. A burrito roll up keeps them from turning their noses up to new ingredients on the first go around. Once they are hooked, then I tell them what they’ve just enjoyed. It saves us from unnecessary dinner table drama.

Posted In: casein free, dinner, fall favorites, food, gluten free, legumes, soy free, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian.

Tags: pumpkin and chantrelle tacos, taco tuesday, vegan tacos

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November 8, 2011 meatloaf monday

Do you have a weekly meal plan?

My mom encouraged me to try this a few years ago… but at that time I had no desire to be “stuck” to a particular genre of food on any given night of the week, so I brushed off the idea as very old fashioned and extremely unadventurous.

For the record: my ideas about weekly meal plans have changed. I am sorry for ever thinking such things about a meal plan. I am now a weekly meal plan convert (at least for this season of life). Here are my reasons for conversion:

1) I know what my shopping list will look like every week (which means I can get in and out of the store in under half an hour!), and how much I can expect to spend.

2) The boys helped create the daily specials. Having them buy into the meal planning process is important to me – it means they’re excited about what they get to prepare and eat every night.

3) There’s enough room for creativity within each of our daily specials – for example, there are hundreds of ways to prepare tacos (Tuesday night’s feature).

4) It helps me avoid rash last minute purchases at my favorite gourmet stores. (Although this can be very fun, it’s devastating to a budget.)

Here’s our plan:

Meatloaf Monday

Taco Tuesday

One-Pot-Wednesday (usually a legume dish)

Veggie Thursday (usually a rice or pasta dish)

Fun Friday (a kid’s choice night – usually homemade pizzas or breakfast for dinner)

Soup-day Saturday

Weekend Waffles (usually Sunday for a big midday meal)

…and Sunday is usually family dinner night at Grandma’s or with other friends or family

What’s your weekly plan?

And if you have any creative takes on meatloaf – I could use a few new ideas for next Monday!

Posted In: dinner, fall favorites, food, gluten free, kid favorites, soy free, vegetables. Comments Off

November 6, 2011 soup-day saturday

We have a lot of pumpkins around here right now. And lots of acorn and kabocha and butternut squash. And lots of peppers – mostly anaheim and jalapenos. The farm my mom tends didn’t produce a whole lot during the summer months, but this fall harvest has filled her garage and cellar with a great bounty. So you might just happen to see lots of recipes in the next few days using the previously mentioned ingredients. Fair warning.

A couple nights ago we enjoyed a roasted pumpkin soup with toasted seeds and jalapeno cornbread muffins (they were spicy – my eyes were watering just chopping those little peppers… so I made half the batch of muffins sans peppers for the kids).

What’s your favorite soup dinner combination?