Category: gluten free

Spicy Sausage Soup

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Easy, quick, and warm. Wonderful warming flavors of fennel, coriander, and crushed red pepper along with a hearty dose of cabbage will activate the internal detoxifying processes. As the weather starts to really cool down, this soup can help keep things moving on the inside, when all you might want to do is crawl under a blanket.

Spicy Sausage Soup

  • 1 lb Spicy pork sausage
  • 1-2 T butter
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 T chili flakes (less if you’d like)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • 1 medium white onion, small dice
  • 3 c diced fennel bulb
  • 2 c diced carrot
  • 4-6 c chopped green cabbage
  • 1 1/2 -2 quarts veg stock
  • 1/2 c chopped parsley

Feeds 6. Takes about 1 hour cooking time. Gluten Free

Start by chopping and dicing all your veg so they’re ready to go. In a medium/large pot, brown the sausage. Remove cooked sausage from the pot, leaving any rendered fat. To the pork fat, add olive oil and butter. The amount you add will depend on how much fat was released from the sausage and your own desire. To the pot, add the tomato paste, fennel, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook on med/low, allowing the spices to bloom and become arromatic but being careful not to burn the tomato paste. Add the garlic and onion, stirring and allowing onion to soften, again being careful not to burn the garlic or tomato paste. Next, add the fennel, cabbage, and carrot. Stir to coat the veg with the spicy tomato mixture. As the cabbage starts to whilt, add the stock. Allow 10-15 min for the veg to cook down, then add the cooked sausage back to the pot. Taste broth and add salt if needed. Simmer soup until carrots are tender. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.

Mango Lassi Ice Cream

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Refreshing and sexy. Something about mango and cardamom just tastes sultry. Inspired by the Indian beverage, this ice cream is a mix or fresh mango, milk, and Siggi’s drinkable yogurt. The yogurt is not heated in this process, hoping to preserve it’s healthful bacteria. The fresh mango brings natural sweetness, and is a low calorie but highly nutritious fruit.

You will need an ice cream machine and 2 days to allow for ice cream base to cool for at least 8 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

  • 1 cup strained, fresh mango puree (1 large mango)
  • 1 cup whole or 2 % milk
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tsp cane sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cup Siggi’s Plain Drinkable Yogurt

Put freezer bowl of ice cream maker in your freezer. Remove mango skin, and the flesh from the pit. Puree mango flesh in a blender and then pour through a fine strainer. You will need 1 cup of mango puree. In a sauce pan, combine puree, milk, sugar, salt, and cardamom. Wisk to combine and place over medium heat, whisking often. Heat until warm. Whisk together egg yolks then temper with warm mango and milk. Return tempered yolk mixture to the sauce pan and whisk, until tiny bubbles appear. Continue to whisk with temp on medium-low, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat allow to cool, then stir in yogurt. Place mixture in the refrigerator and chill over night. When thuroughly cooled, place in ice cream machine and churn until fozen. Enjoy right away or freeze in an airtight container.

Mango Lassi Ice Cream. Gluten-free
magnesium is high in pumpkin seeds

Magnesium and Roasted Pepitas

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We NEED it but most of us don’t get enough of it. Why is it that most things we NEED, we don’t get enough of; water, sleep, patience, fun, magnesium? It’s likely most people don’t get enough magnesium because it’s found in minimally processed, whole foods, AND stress, caffeine and alcohol can cause excessive loss of magnesium. Women entering menopause can also experience a drop in magnesium as their levels of estrogen drop.

Why is magnesium so important? If you’re like most people you enjoy a good night sleep and a nice dump regularly. Magnesium is like the comfort zone mineral. Helping with some 300 bio-chemical reactions in the body, it helps regulate blood flow, blood sugar, nerve and muscle function, sleep, mood, and bowel. movements. It helps in balancing the states we associate with being comfortable. Without adequate amounts of magnesium, you could be experiencing cramps, headaches, depression, fatigue, brittle bones, reduced heart health, increased risk of stroke and diabetes.

Popping a magnesium supplement probably won’t stop a heart attack in its tracks but incorporating magnesium rich foods regularly, could prevent the worsening or the beginning of some major health disfunctions. While supplements may be necessary, that is something to discuss with a doctor. Too much magnesium from a supplement could be dangerous. Too much magnesium from food is impossible because excess will be passed through urine. My opinion is to always get as much nutrition from food as you can. By eating foods rich in magnesium, you will also be getting other important nutrients along with fiber, fat, protein, and enzymes that also play a crucial role in over all health. You can’t spot clean your health… wink.

roasted pumpkin seeds. Salty, spicy, and sweet.
They look like they’re covered in dirt, but they’re not. That’s the unique spice blend.

Here are some easy, popular food sources of magnesium. In a particular order, from highest amount to lowest, per oz.

Pumpkin seeds/pepitas, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, black beans, edamame, brown rice, plain yogurt

Roasted Pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Pumpkin seeds have 156 mg magnesium per ounce. The recommended daily for adult men and woman is 300-400mg/day. These guys are great for just snacking but also good as a salad crunchie, soup crunchie, mixed in a grain bowl, or on top of hummus. Start eating these and you’ll be sleeping and pooping like a baby in no time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

  • 10 oz pepitas, unroasted and unsalted
  • 1 1/2 T pink Himalayan fine salt
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1-2 tsp agave syrup
  • 1-2 T olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss well to distribute oil, agave, and spices. On a foil lined baking sheet, spread out the prepared seeds. Place in the heated oven for 12-15 minutes, start watching after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, laying out on the tray. Once fully cooled, seeds can be stored in a jar or container.

Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

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Chocolate ice cream with a little kick. That’s hot. Nothing says LOVE like a little spicy chocolate ice cream on Valentine’s Day.

You will need an ice cream maker and you’ll need to plan a day or two ahead. In advance, freeze ice cream maker container. Ice cream base needs to chill over night or 6-8 hours. For a more solid ice cream, you will want sufficient time to freeze ice cream after it is done in the machine.

  • 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • 4 egg yolks

Start by melting the 3/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate, and set aside. In a small sauce pan, combine cream, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and whisk to combine. Put sauce pan over medium low heat. Heat mixture, whisking often. While milk warms, separate eggs, leaving yolks in a medium bowl. When mixture begins to steam and bubbles start to form, pour about 1/2 cup of milk mixture into yolks while whisking. This is “tempering” the egg yolks. Add about 1/3 of the milk, whisking. Return milk and yolk mixture to the pot of remaining milk, and return to stove. Continue heating milk, whisking, over medium low heat until it reaches 170 degrees, or starts to bubble slightly. Add melted to chocolate and whisk to mix. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top of milk. Once milk has cooled, place in a container with a lid and place in refrigerator, to cool completely. Once milk has cooled completely, following ice cream machine directions, pour into ice cream maker. Eat as soft serve right away, or return to the freezer to become harder before serving.

Loaded Vegetarian Taco Dip

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This is probably Taylor’s boyfriend’s favorite snack. Super Bowl anyone? I use the word “dip” reluctantly because it is fully loaded and requires more of a “shovel” than a “dip” of the chip. Buy strong chips to serve with. Don’t be put off by the, seemingly, long list of ingredients or instructions. This recipe comes together easily and is worth the effort.

May take 45 min-1 hour. Gluten Free and Vegetarian (substitutions can be made to make vegan). You will need a serving dish with sides a few inches deep. 

Perfect Super Bowl snack. I bet Taylor Swift would LOVE.
  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 1 T coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 3 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1/2 c chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 c tomatillo salsa
  • 2 T canned, chopped green chilies (optional)
  • 2/3 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 roma tomato diced
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 avacado
  • 2 T light sour cream
  • salt and pepper
  • Tortilla chips

Start by boiling the tempeh to temper it’s bitter flavor. In a small sauce pan combine 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 T coconut aminos, stir and put over med high heat. While you wait for water to boil, open tempeh package, and slice tempeh into 4 pieces. When water boils, add tempeh to the pan and cover loosely, reducing heat to a simmer. Allow tempeh to simmer for 7 min, then drain and set aside to continue draining and cooling. While tempeh boils and cools, prep the ingredients that will be used as toppers (cilantro, cabbage, tomato). In a small bowl, mash flesh of the avacado, then stir in the 2 T sour cream. Season with a little salt, stir and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil and add the onion and garlic. Warm until fragrant but don’t burn. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet, add taco seasoning and another 1 T oil. Stir to combine, then add 1/2 of the drained beans. Stir with a large spoon mashing most of the beans with the back of the spoons. Add the rest of the beans, chilies, and the salsa, stir to combine. With the heat on low, cover, and let the mixture heat through for a few minutes. Taste mixture adding salt and pepper to taste. Add hot sauce if you’d like, as well.

Transfer bean mixture to your serving dish and top with shredded cheese. Cover the dish, allowing cheese to melt. When cheese has melted, lightly spread avacado and sour cream mixture over cheese. Next, sprinkle with red cabbage, tomato and cilantro. Serve with at room temperature with chips. Touchdown.

 

homemade peppermint ice cream

Peppermint Ice Cream

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Did you buy candy canes for Christmas and not eat them too? I bought candy canes for garnish for the last recipe I posted. The box of candy canes moved around my house for a month before I acknowledged that I wasn’t going to eat candy canes, I was just going to keep moving them if I didn’t find another use for them. This recipe is an ice cream base infused with candy canes, giving a minty finish and smooth home made ice cream texture. No clumsy, sticky chunks of candy cane here. I would even top a scoop with espresso, if I had an espresso machine. Guess I can’t have ALL the machines. 

Peppermint Ice Cream. Ice cream machine needed. This amount fits comfortably in one batch in a Cuinsinart ice cream machine.

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 2/3 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 candy canes
  • 4 egg yolks

Start this process a day or two before you need the ice cream. Freeze the freezer container of the ice cream maker the day before. Also, make the base mixture and refrigerate the day before. In a sauce pot combine heavy cream through candy canes. Crack eggs and separate yolks into a medium bowl. Whisk the yolks and set the bowl aside. Heat milk mixture over medium heat, whisking until candy canes and sugar have dissolved. Pour a small amount of milk mixture into the egg yolks to begin tempering the yolks. Slowly add more milk mixture, whisking, until you’ve added 1/3 of the milk to the yolks. Once whisked together, pour yolk and milk mixture back into the pan of remaining milk. Whisk until temperature reaches 170 degrees or mixture coats the back of a spoon. Strain if necessary and pour ice cream base into a bowl or container, and refrigerate covered, over night. Following ice cream maker instructions, pour base mixture into ice cream maker. Serve right when mixing is done for a soft, fluffy consistency, or put ice cream in the freezer to enjoy at your leisure. 

Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Mousse

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This is an easy, festive, dessert that even non vegans will love. The base is tofu but it’s so chocolatey and minty, you’d never guess.

individual dish of vegan peppermint chocolate mousse garnished with crushed candy cane

You will need a blender or food processor to make this recipe. The recipe below makes 4 dainty servings. You could easily double it to make more, but I would make it in two batches to prevent over filling a food processor or not blending evenly.

  • 2 candy canes
  • 1 block of silken tofu
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice (this takes away some of the tofu flavor)
  • 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 T quality cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
  • roughly 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Start by crushing the candy canes and setting aside. These will be used to garnish the final product. Next, drain the liquid from the block of tofu. Place the tofu, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender or food processor. Blend thoroughly, stoping to scrape down sides occasionally, until tofu is uniformly smooth. Next add cocoa-salt and blend more, scraping down sides to ensure even blending. This can be served right away, or placed in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerated until ready to use. Do not garnish with crushed candy canes until ready to serve.

eggnog ice cream

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All the holiday cheer, you hate to drink, frozen into a cool Christmas ice cream.

This recipe does require an ice cream maker, which I recommend getting. The container of the ice cream maker will need to be frozen before starting the base. It will take about 30 minutes to make the ice cream base, but that base mixture needs to be refrigerated over night before pouring into the ice cream maker. Plan on a two day process. Once in the ice cream maker it takes roughly 30-45 minutes but check your maker’s directions. This is an alcohol free recipe. I used Southern Comfort’s brand of eggnog which does not contain alcohol but tastes like there is some flavor in there. You could add booze to your base recipe but it will effect the freezing temp, so be aware of that. If you add to many gluggs, it might not freeze at all.

  • 2 cups eggnog
  • 1 cup of 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 egg yolks

Separate egg yolks into a medium bowl. You do not need the whites so save them for breakfast. Add vanilla to yolks and set aside. In a small sauce pan, combine eggnog through nutmeg. Over medium-low heat warm milk, whisking to dissolve sugar. Be careful not to scorch milk mixture, watch the temperature of the stove and gently raise the temperature until warmed and sugar has dissolved. With whisk in hand, gently pour a small amount of milk into egg yolks, while whisking. Slowly add more milk, whisking, until you have added about 1/3 of the milk into the egg yolks. This is “tempering” the egg yolks. You are slowly warming them to prevent making scrambled eggs. Now pour the warmed yolks back into the pan, whisking. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any remaining yolk into the pan. Whisk the milk and egg mixture on the stove over medium heat. You want to warm the milk to about 160 degrees, and the mixture should coat the back of the spoon. Once this is achieved, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, place the mixture into a container and refrigerate over night. The next day, pour mixture into ice cream maker and mix until ice cream has formed. Eat right away or transfer into a container with a well fitting lid and freeze. Cheers! Happy Holidays!

Butternut Squash and Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

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Another salad to lighten up the holiday table. Cheese can be left out to make this a vegan friendly dish to share and it’s also gluten free. Can be made a day before but not dressed and served at room temperature to optimize oven space; adding dressing and toppings just before serving.

Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprout Salad. Gluten free healthy side dish option for the holidays.
  • 1 # brussel sprouts (cooking spray)
  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 3-4 stalks of celery, sliced
  • 1/3 pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 1/2 T maple syrup
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a sharp knife, remove the ends of the squash. Cut the squash in half where the round end starts to straighten out. Using the knife, carefully remove the outer skin of both halves. Cut the round end in half long ways, and remove seeds. Cut the squash into 1/2″ pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with a little oil and salt then spread onto a foil lined baking sheet. Roast squash for 15-20 minutes, checking and removing from the oven before it gets mushy. While squash is cooking, remove the tough ends of the brussel sprouts and slice thinly, placing in a bowl as you go. In batches, cook sliced brussels in cooking spray over medium heat, in a large non stick pan, just until tender. Set aside when finished. Wipe out the pan and place pumpkin seeds in a dry pan, toasting just until they begin to pop. Remove from pan and set aside. To make the dressing combine cider vinegar through salt in a bowl or blender and mix or blend until well combined. When all components are done. Place squash, brussel sprouts, and celery in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Once that is in it’s serving bowl. Top with pumpkin seeds and crumbled cheese. Salad can be served at room temperature but wait until just before serving to add dressing.

Turkey Stuffed Poblanos

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This is an easy, high protein, gluten-free recipe. Lots of flavor, spice, and a little cheese will keep you satisfied without over doing it.

Turkey Stuffed Poblano peppers. High protein and gluten-free

Feeds 3-4. Takes 30-40 minutes

Recipe

  • 4 medium poblano peppers
  • 1# lean ground turkey
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 packet, low sodium taco seasoning
  • 2 oz low fat cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro + more for garnish
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Roughly 1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven Broiler. Start by charring peppers slightly. Cut peppers in half, remove seeds and try to keep stem end in tact. Place peppers cut-side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, and place under broiler. Broil peppers until they start to blister. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce oven heat to bake at 400 degrees.

Start warming a large skillet on medium. When warm, spray with cooking spray and add onion to skillet. Sauté for a few minutes, then add garlic and diced tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, but don’t allow all the tomato’s juice to cook off completely. Add the turkey and package of seasoning to the skillet, stir to mix and start breaking up turkey. Continue cooking and breaking up turkey periodically, until turkey is cooked through. Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese to the skillet. Stir gently until cream cheese it melted and incorporated. Stir in cilantro and lime zest.

Get the tray of peppers and turn peppers over, cut side up. Using a spoon, scoop turkey mixture into pepper halves. When all of the peppers are filled, top with shredded cheese. Return sheet pan with peppers to oven and bake for roughly 10 minutes. Done!

Turkey stuffed poblanos with a sprinkle of cilantro