Black Bean Salsa

Although I like salsa in general, I especially enjoy the time of year where red, ripe tomatoes are plentiful and I can make fresh salsa. There's just something about fresh tomato, pepper and onion with the appropriate seasonings. Salad on a chip.

In the winter, it's harder to find decent tomatoes and to be quite honest, I was getting a little tired of so many tomatoes at the end of the season this year. I wanted to try something different with my husband's salsa recipe. I had tried black bean salsa a couple of times and really enjoyed it, but didn't prefer the corn in the recipe. I decided to add just black beans to our fresh salsa recipe and cut down on the tomatoes. My husband and I were really pleased with how it turned out...less acidic with protein added.

Black Bean Salsa

1 1/2 c. chopped roma tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 - 2  garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, choppped
finely chopped hot pepper of choice, as desired
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 2 limes
2 t. cumin
3/4 t. salt


Combine vegetables and beans. Sprinkle with cilantro and seasonings. Toss gently to combine. Refrigerate for several hours before serving to combine flavors.

We love this combination of flavors and the salsa is more satisfying with the beans in it. Enjoy!

10/6/12  Note:  "Pepper to taste" was not part of our original recipe and was put in by mistake. I removed it from the recipe above. Add it if you wish.

My Favorite Dip

We are always looking for healthy and fun snacks at our house. Dipping veggies and chips/crackers is fun but the dip is not always healthy. And if you are avoiding dairy, making dip becomes more challenging.

That is why we love hummus - no dairy, but creamy and delicious with nutritional value. For us, getting the hummus really smooth really adds to its appeal. If your blender is not getting it creamy enough, try a food processor. I have used sesame seeds in this recipe instead of tahini (sesame seed paste). If you prefer to use tahini, see notes below.

Hummus

1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpea or garbanzo beans
reserve 1/3 c.  liquid from can
2 medium cloves of garlic, halved
3 T. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
3 T. raw sesame seeds
1/4 - 1/2 t. salt

Blend beans, 2 T. of the reserved liquid, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds and 1/4 t. salt in a food processor or blender. Add more liquid as needed to obtain a smooth, creamy dip. Add more salt as preferred.

Notes:

1. I never seem to use a whole jar of tahini because I mainly use it for hummus, so I just put sesame seeds in my recipe. If you want to use the paste, omit the sesame seeds and add 1 1/2 - 2 T. tahini.
2. Check the salt content of your garbanzo beans before adding salt to your recipe. Some cans contain more than others.

Variations:

1. Omit tahini and sesame seeds. Some people, particularly children, don't like the sharp taste of tahini.
2. Add chopped kalamata (Greek) olives or black olives after blending and sprinkle on top. Don't blend them. The resulting color is NOT appetizing.
3. Adjust the lemon and or garlic to increase or decrease their intensity.
4. Blend 2 - 3 T. of sun dried tomatoes with the other ingredients.
5. Add 1/2 - 1 t. of cumin or a dash of cayenne pepper to spice it up.

Hummus goes great with chips, crackers and veggies. Our favorites are rice crackers, carrot sticks and pepper slices.

Enjoy!

Pan Fried Butternut Squash



Butternut squash seed cavity -- a perfect heart!

 I have always loved butternut squash. I grew up on a farm where we had a huge garden. We prepared our squash simply by cutting it into wedges after taking the seeds out and baking it  for an hour in a casserole dish, covered, with a little water in the bottom. I still do that sometimes. 350 degrees seems to work. But I have found that the microwave works also for 15 to 20 minutes and turning it halfway through. You just can't make as much at one time. I like to freeze leftovers.
After it is cooled a little, it's so easy to scrape out of the shell and just smash with a fork. I still like mine with salt and pepper, but the rest of my family likes brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in theirs. We started growing butternut squash last year and tried to think of other ways to use it. I know my mom used to bake with it - pies and bars. It is similar to pumpkin.

We heard that peeling, cubing, and roasting it was good. Since then, we have fried it in a pan and roasted it in the oven at about 425 degrees F. This is my husbands favorite way to eat the squash. It does get kind of soft in the oven. Broiling it may work better. We haven't tried that yet. Our favorite is in a skillet at a high temperature, so it browns without getting too soft too quickly. Check it out. It's simple with olive oil and crushed tyme. Although this recipe is easy to change for how much it makes, it does work better when there is only one layer of squash in the skillet.

Pan Fried Butternut Squash          
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. crushed dried rosemary
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste
6 c. butternut squash, cubed and peeled

Pour 1/2 T. of olive oil in the skillet and turn the stove to high. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour mixture into the pan. Be cautious with the high temperature. Turn squash occasionally when it starts to brown. Flip gently scraping under the squash to avoid tearing the pieces. Cook until browned and softened but firm, about 15 minutes.

My mother always makes it the traditional way for Thanksgiving because that's the way her grandchildren like it, but here is another option for a tasty vegetable for the Thanksgiving table.

Quinoa Chicken Soup With Gluten-Free Dumplings

We're having another cold fall day where a bowl of soup sounds perfect for lunch (or dinner). Soup is definitely a comfort food for me. And since I really enjoy both the taste and nutritional benefit of quinoa, I tried it in my favorite soup. You could use rice instead, but I've gotten so used to it this way, I couldn't imagine eating it the way it was before with the rice. This is a light, yet filling soup. Make it more hearty by adding dumplings or extra meat and quinoa.

Quinoa Chicken Soup With Dumplings                 print recipe

1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped celery
5 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. chopped carrot
2 t. tarragon
1 1/2  - 2 c. cooked quinoa
1 - 1 1/2 c. diced cooked chicken
2 1/2 T. cornstarch
2 1/2 T. water

dumpling batter, if desired


Heat olive oil in large soup pot on medium heat. Saute onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add broth, carrots, tarragon and quinoa. Bring to boil and simmer on low/medium for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix water and cornstarch together until dissolved, prepare chicken, and lastly, make dumpling batter, if desired.

Stir cornstarch liquid into hot broth. Add chicken. Simmer until chicken is heated through and serve, or make dumplings. To make dumplings, see linked recipe or use your own recipe. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into hot soup and simmer on low for 20 minutes, keeping covered. Serve soup, but allow it to cool a little before eating. Serves 6-8.

Notes:  I like to make my broth from scratch. I usually end up with about 5 cups of broth, which is the reason for using 5 cups in the recipe. Adjust the recipe as needed with the amount of broth you have. I use my leftover quinoa, but you should be able to cook quinoa in the broth just like you can rice. I would simmer it at least twice as long.

Enjoy!

Energy Bars

     I'm always looking for ideas for quick healthy snacks especially for after school. If there are diet restrictions, it's even harder to come up with a variety that the kids and my husband will eat.
     A friend of mine mentioned finding an energy bar that her husband really enjoyed, so I checked it out. The recipe has a lot of flexibility to make it to your own tastes and my son really enjoys them (and he's always hungry).
     The recipe for Homemade Cliff Bars was from Enlightened Cooking. Yum! I had never tried Cliff bars, but my family loves a variety of snack bars. It's awesome to be able to make them myself and change up the ingredients to make them the way my family likes them. It is a very flexible recipe with lots of healthy ingredients. Just make sure you keep the ratio of dry to wet ingredients and replace ingredients with similar ones or the bars may be too sticky or dry.
     Jeanette's Healthy Living noted trying the recipe with quinoa flakes instead of quick-cooking oats. I had not tried quinoa flakes yet, but I like the nutrition in that seed. We tried it and it worked great.
     We chose dried cherries, peanut butter and toasted almonds for this recipe. I really like using rice syrup since it is lower in sugars than honey, but honey has its benefits, too.
    

Energy Bars                                                                               print recipe

Adapted from Enlightened Cooking

1 c. quinoa flakes or gluten-free quick-cooking oats
1 c. GF crisp rice cereal
1/4 c. ground flax seed, rice bran or a combination
1/2 c. chopped nuts or seeds or a combination
1/4 c. finely chopped dried fruit (fruit that is sticky works best)
1/2 c. nut butter, your choice
1/3 c. gluten-free rice syrup (no barley malt in it) or honey
1 t. gluten-free vanilla

1/2 t. cinnamon, if desired

     Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt syrup and nut butter in a microwave safe bowl (45 - 60 sec.) or in a small pan on low heat on the stove top. Do not cook. Add vanilla.

     Pour nut butter over dry ingredients and mix really well. Pour into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan and press down firmly. Refrigerate until firm - about 1 hour.
     Cut into bars and wrap into individual servings, if desired. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
     Chocolate chips can be added in place of some of the nuts. The flavor combinations are limited only to your imagination. If you like a particular energy/snack bar, check the ingredients to see what flavors, nuts, fruits, spices, etc. that they use to get ideas.

     We tried melting 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave (30 sec. at a time on 50% power and stirring in between until melted) and adding it to the mixture right at the end. You can still use all of the other ingredients. They turned out great (see above picture). Remember to mix well.

     Have fun experimenting. What flavor combinations do you enjoy most?

Monday's Challenge

     October has arrived. The trees are turning stunning shades of gold, orange and red. Even though fall is in the air, temperatures are expected to reach the 70's this week. I'm looking forward to it.
     One of the things I like to do is take an old recipe I love and change it to my current lifestyle. Removing foods from the diet or making recipes healthier doesn't mean you have to go without.
     Are you missing a food item that you used to really enjoy and can't or shouldn't have now? I challenge you this week to take a favorite recipe and use gluten free flour (don't forget the zanthan gum) or nondairy milk, or try it with less fat and sugar. Sometimes when you change a recipe it even turns out better than the original recipe.
     Have fun experimenting!


Note:  See "What Do You Eat?" for information on working with banana and pumpkin in sweet bread. Zanthan gum is probably not needed. (added 10/4/11)

Tomato Basil Soup

     The tomato season has peaked where I live in the Midwest, although I still have a number of tomatoes in the garden. As I stared at a large box of tomatoes last week wondering what to do with them, I was stumped. I am the main tomato eater in the family and I still had some in the freezer from last year. I don't really like to can. Why we planted so many tomatoes is another story. Then my husband had a great idea. Tomato soup. I hadn't found a gluten-free version in the store yet. So, I researched for ideas and created the following recipe. My son and I ate most of it and he even requested it for his lunch bag for school.

Tomato Basil Soup                 print recipe

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
1 small onion
1/1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 T. ghee or  2 T. dairy-free margarine
3 T. potato flour (not starch) or rice flour
1/2 T. dried basil
4 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. lemon juice

     Combine tomatoes, onion and chicken broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and work tomato mixture through a food mill or mesh strainer to remove seeds and skin. In empty saucepan, melt ghee or margarine, stir in flour and cook 1 minute on low, stirring. Whisk 1/2 c. tomato mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Whisk in the remaining tomato. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Add more sugar or salt to taste if needed.

     I ended up making several batches of soup and freezing it. I hope to get a couple more done before the end of the season. Soup is such a perfect food for the upcoming chilly weather. Warms the heart and soul!

Note: Tried brown sugar instead of white sugar - delicious! (added 9/26)

This recipe can be dairy-free if you use dairy-free margarine. If you are just concerned about casein or lactose and are not familar with ghee see link for ghee. (added 11/3/11)

Crazy For Quinoa

quinoa seeds

One of my favorite new foods I've learned about since being introduced to a gluten-free diet is quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Though grain-like in appearance quinoa is actually a seed from a relative of the spinach plant. This ancient "grain" was valued historically by the Incas for improving the endurance of their warriors and is cultivated in the Andes Mountains.
I love its creamy/crunchy texture and slightly nutty flavor. Most of all, I love the fact that quinoa is a complete protein since I'm not a big meat eater. It not only has all of the essential amino acids but is high in the amino acid lysine, which we need for tissue growth and repair. This superfood contains many other nutrients including iron, fiber and B vitamins.

The bitter coating, saponin, is usually removed before we buy quinoa in this country. Rinsing it well is still recommended before cooking it to remove any residue. Remember to use a fine strainer.



Cooked quinoa

 
It's really easy to cook quinoa. Just bring 2 parts liquid and 1 part quinoa to boiling with a little salt, then simmer 15 minutes covered. The seed will enlarge and the germ will spiral out to form a tail. Remove from heat and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve with seasoning as desired. The seeds can be toasted in a dry pan for 5 minutes before boiling if you desire a roasted flavor.

Make a simple pilaf. Saute 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped veggies of your choice (celery, carrots, onion, pepper, garlic) in1 T. olive oil. Add 2 cups broth and 1 cup quinoa and cook as above.

Quinoa can be expensive but expands a lot with cooking. Look around for a good deal at health food stores and large supermarkets. I found quinoa at a Costco store at a very economical price. I do have to buy a 4 pound bag, but it stores well in a dry, cool place and it's easy to use. It can be substituted for most grains but especially for rice and couscous in many recipes. Make a big batch and store in the refrigerator to use as needed. Have fun trying something new and healthy.

What creative uses for quinoa have you found?

What Do You Eat?

What do you eat? A friend recently asked me that question when I mentioned our gluten and dairy free diet. I smiled a little as I remembered asking that very same question when the diet was first suggested to me. It seemed like an impossible hurdle to jump. What was left to eat?

Now after living the diet for a year, it feels much more feasible, but still challenging at times. Though there are more and more gluten-free and dairy-free foods available, they are limited and can be much more costly.

The gluten-free/dairy-free diet has made us much more aware of the importance of eating whole/natural foods and not just snacking on carbohydrates. I still wanted to serve baked goods that the entire family could eat without always having to purchase them.

A friend of mine found this simple banana bread recipe. This is one of my favorite recipes because the only flour it requires is rice flour. I use brown rice flour instead of white because brown rice flour is higher in protein and fiber and works well in this recipe.

Also, because the banana helps the dough stick together, this recipe doesn't require zanthan gum. Zanthan gum is used in a lot of gluten-free baking recipes. It makes the dough "stick together" like gluten does in wheat bread. Otherwise it would be crumbly and tend to fall apart.

I usually make muffins instead of bread with this recipe. The muffins are great for lunches and to grab for snacking. I feel they are just a little bit fluffier than the bread. Gluten-free dough tends to be heavier and raises better with a smaller amount of dough. My children reminded me that muffins are ALWAYS more fun with toppings. Our favorites are pecan with a little brown sugar and a few chocolate chips.

Notes and Tips:

1. If you use muffin liners, spraying the papers lightly helps the muffin come out.
2. I cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup when I use ripe sweet bananas.
3. Canned pumpkin can be used in place of bananas. Use all of the sugar and add 1 - 1 1/2 t. of pumpkin pie spice.
4. If you are short 1 - 2 T. of pumpkin or banana, you can use milk (non-dairy or dairy) in place of either.

This is an easy recipe for a child to help with. My eight-year-old daughter wants to learn to bake by herself this summer (minus the oven part). I put the dry ingredients together in a plastic baggie and made a mix for her to help the first time (helpful to do ahead of time if you want to save a little time also). She did the rest with a little instruction for the first time last week and did fantastic.

Go have some fun with this easy recipe and don't forget the toppings!