Diet Specific
Recipes for those looking for Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Low-Carb options, as well as recipes that are generally considered Healthy Choices.
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Roast Chicken in a Clay Baker
Roast Chicken in a Clay Baker. That was my mission. A couple of weeks ago, while perusing the isles of my local thrift store, I scored this amazing Romertopf Clay Baker. I knew at that moment my first dish baked in this vessel would be Roast Chicken. As I’ve commented on in the past we cook a whole chicken almost every week. We change up our recipes and cooking methods and it’s always delicious.
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Lemony Thyme Orzotto {Featuring Roasted Cushaw Squash}
Let me introduce you to the Cushaw Squash, pictured on the right. Thanks to the generosity of our wonderful new co-worker Cindy, several of us came home with one of these big beauties. What we were told is the cushaw is a wonderful alternative to pumpkin and is often used in pies. Never passing on free home grown produce, I picked the biggest one from the bushel that I could carry. And then I found it a place in one of my pantry baskets to sit tight until a recipe inspiration came to me. And so it sat….making friends and small talk with it’s cousin spaghetti, flirting a little with butternut while bragging about her superior sweetness, all…
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Basic Tomato Sauce
There are a few prepackaged pantry staples I can’t live without. Canned tomatoes would definitely be one of them (at least until I learn how to can fresh tomatoes next summer). And once I learned how to make a Basic Tomato Sauce from scratch, dried pasta became another pantry staple we always have on hand. This sauce is intended to be ‘basic’ and is a wonderful base to build upon.
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Maple Brown Sugar Baked Acorn Squash
I’ve been visiting the local farmers’ market most weeks since it opened back in June. It has made quite an evolution over these very short 8+ weeks. What a treat to find these babies nestled in a basket at this week’s market. Could it be fall is just around the corner? I will be sad to see the summer produce go, but my fall recipe folder is exploding with ideas!!
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Triple Olive Tapenade {with Roasted Red Pepper}
Leftover olives…what to do? what to do? A quick search found this fabulous tapenade recipe by Former Chef. The recipe calls for kalamata, green, and Californa ripe olives but you can use any combination you have on hand. The ripe olives add a nice balance to the punchy kalamatas. You’ll also want to add roasted red pepper. These can be bought in a jar but roasting them at home is super easy.
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Blueberry & Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemony Basil Vinaigrette {Share the Love}
Today I had the pleasure of cooking for my work family. I believe if you’re going to call a mandatory meeting during the lunch hour, at minimum provide them a lunch made with love. And so we did. We had an Antipasto tray, Mexican Chicken Soup, Tomato Bread Salad, Caprese Salad, Melon Carpaccio, and Blueberry & Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemony Basil Vinaigrette. We had planned to have fresh baked cookies for dessert. Leftover lunch turned into 3 o’clock break snacks and cookies were declared ‘tomorrow’s’ treat.
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Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup {Tom Yum Goong}
International food flavors have grown in popularity over the past several years. As the foodie movement sweeps through cities and small towns alike, eaters are looking for ‘different’ dining options. College Cafeterias are becoming International Eateries as young foodies seek out fresh flavorful options. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Asian Markets are as popular as ever with home cooks like me, offering expansive and diverse ingredients.
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Homemade Granola Bars {Share the Love}
Homemade Granola Bars.
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Cilantro Mint Pesto
For the Cilantro Mint Pesto, combine cilantro, mint, oregano, almonds, honey, and vinegar in a small food processor. Fine chop ingredients and with processor running drizzle in olive oil. Then season with salt & pepper.
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North African Lamb Kebabs {with Cilantro Mint Pesto}
North African Lamb Kebabs sounded so intriguing to me. Traditionally we think of kebobs made up of ‘hunks’ of meat and/or vegetables. These kebobs are made with ground lamb that’s blended with heavenly herbs and spices. I came across a recipe in one of my cooking magazines and the ingredients list was right up our alley (and mostly on hand): cumin, coriander, paprika, fresh cilantro, mint, oregano, ginger, garlic…..can’t you just smell it.
