California Citrus Salad

I adapted this recipe to make it whole30 and whole30 AIP compliant. I tried making the dressing as well, but I decided it's easier to just use olive oil and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. This recipe makes enough for 4, which is great because I can have it for dinner and then lunch the next day.

Ingredients: 

1 head of romaine lettuce chopped

4 clementine oranges

1/4 cup dry roasted pecans (omit if AIP)

1 large granny smith apple

4 dates chopped or 1/4 cup raisins

1 avocado

1/4 cup dried cranberries (omit for whole30 or AIP)

2 stems green onions chopped

1 lemon (quartered to squeeze onto salad)

olive oil to drizzle

salt

Directions:

Chop ingredients and place in bowl, except for avocado. Slice avocado and place on top of salad when plating. Drizzle lemon and olive oil onto salad. Salt to taste. 

If you plan to use this as a salad the next day, chop the apples and oranges and store them in a separate container. The citric acid in the oranges prevent the apples from turning brown.

Zucchini Herb Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cup cooked brown rice (i cook mine with chicken broth for additional flavor)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound zucchini, cubed

1 cup sliced green onions

3 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

3 large roma tomatoes, chopped tomatoes

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese,

divided (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet/wok over medium heat, and cook the zucchini, green onions, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Mix in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup cheese. Continue to cook and stir until heated through. 

I found this recipe on Allrecipes and followed the comments section recommendations by made a few tweaks so it would be faster to make. I served it with Costco Rotisserie chicken. Instead of making a casserole, I just served it right out of the pan. Also, I didn't have time to make rice, so I used 1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice and added 2 Trader Joe's liquid chicken bullion packets directly to the wok.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with Hazelnut Crusted Salmon

I picked up fresh hazelnut salmon from Trader Joe's and pan fried it, sprinkled it with a little lemon juice and then served it with the squash.

Adapted from this recipe: 

Ingredients: 



4 small acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 oz herbed goat cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios, chopped
1 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Pinch red-pepper flakes


Directions: 

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush squash with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast cut side down on two baking sheets until tender and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then fluff with a fork. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, basil, goat cheese, pistachios, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes. Divide filling among squash.

Spicy Spinach Risotto

The original recipe called for chicken, but I skipped the chicken and used this as a side dish instead.

Modified from this recipe 

Ingredients

Rice: 

2 cups Arborio rice

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

Seasoning: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more to make it spicier)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

grated Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Place oil in large glass bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Pour rice into bowl and stir, coating rice with oil. Heat rice for 90 seconds. Pour 4 cups of chicken stock into bowl. Microwave rice for 9 minutes (on high). Stir rice. Microwave for 9 more minutes. 

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Mix in the parsley and cooked rice. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Goat Cheese Zucchini Rolls

Ingredients:

2 oz goat cheese w/herbs (chevre w/ herbs)

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced, lengthwise

10-20 small basil leaves

10-20 baby spinach leaves

1 tsp oil

salt & pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix cheese, lemon juice and Italian parsley. Set aside. Slice zucchini lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes on each side. Place teaspoon size amount of cheese at the top of the zucchini, place 1-2 leaves of basil and 1/2 leaves of spinach on the cheese and roll.

video found here

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha)

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp dry ground ginger)

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of sea salt

1 bunch green onions chopped

1 can water chestnuts, drained & diced

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into chunks (or 1 pkg tofu)

Cooking spray

8 Boston lettuce leaves (butter lettuce)

Toppings:

1 cup fresh mint leaves (optional)

1/2 cup bean sprouts (optional)

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)

Chopped cashews or peanuts (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil mixture. Place remaining oil mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken breast halves; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally. I was so hungry when I made this that I just tossed the chicken in the marinade and cooked it immediately. Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade (if any is leftover).

Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; grill 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Add water chestnuts to pan. Stir until warm. Divide chicken evenly among lettuce leaves; top each lettuce leaf with green onions, sprouts, cashews or peanuts, and about 1 teaspoon reserved oil mixture as desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Arroz Verde (Peruvian Cilantro Rice)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 poblano peppers, stems, seeds, and membranes removed, coarsely chopped (sometimes sold under the name pasilla peppers)
• 1 serrano pepper, stems, seeds, and membranes removed, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves (about 1/2 bunch)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance (butter substitute)
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (not converted or instant)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium lime, halved

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place peppers, scallions, parsley, cilantro, and salt in a blender. Add water and process until smooth.
• Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a 4-quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid. When the butter starts to foam, add rice, stirring well to coat each grain. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is fragrant and slightly golden, about 3 minutes.
• Add blended ingredients to the pan and mix well. Simmer for 1 minute, then stir in vegetable broth.
• Return mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is tender, about 14 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and squeeze lime juice over rice. Stir well.

I'm not sure where I came across this recipe. Originally it had chicken broth, butter, and white rice...Since I didn't have any of those items in my kitchen when I made it I had to make a few substitutions. If you make it with white rice, only use 2 cups of broth, not 3.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg Free

Peach-Plum Jam (Frozen)

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh peaches (2 large peaches)

2 cups chopped fresh plums (about 9 plums)

Ball® freezer jam fruit pectin

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Peel and chop fruit. I like my jam more liquefied than chunky, so I pulsed the chopped fruit in my magic bullet. Combine lemon juice and fruit in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then add Pectin, sugar, and cinnamon to the fruit. Stir for 3 minutes. Place jam in jars and allow to set for 30 minutes. Refrigerate or Freeze. Refrigerated jam can be stored for 3 weeks. Frozen jam can be stored for 1 year.

Plum Jam (cooked)

Ingredients:
5 cups of plums, chopped and pitted
2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 packet powdered fruit pectin
1 cup honey (depends on the sweetness of the plums. Increase/decrease as per taste. I used honey instead of sugar to try something new, but you can use sugar)
1/2 cup water


Mix the plums, pectin and lemon juice in a large pot and cook on medium heat. The plums will start liquefying slowly. While slightly mushy, add 1/2 cup water, stir well and cook until it comes to a boil. Remove the foam that forms on the top (mine didn't actually have very much foam, so I just let it be). Add the honey or sugar, mix and cook for another 10-15 minutes until it all starts coming together as one thick syrup consistency.

The Canning Process (if you've never canned before, this is a great place for a tutorial):

Alternatively with soapy water, clean the jam can well, along with the lid. Lightly dry it and then drop them in a big pot of water. Bring them to a boil. Make sure your jars are submerged well.

Lift them carefully and lightly dry them with paper towels. They should be hot so that the bottle does not break when you pour the boiled jam inside. Slowly pour the jam into the jar and leave a 1/2-1/8 inch space between the jam and the top of the jar.

Close the lid tightly and invert the bottle to help the Jam set for about 5 minutes.

Now slowly place the jars, straightup, inside the hot boiling water and leave it for another 5-8 minutes. This is necessary to kill the bacteria in the jam. If you live in higher altitudes, then leave the jars in for about 10min. Keep in mind, too much boiling can make the jam runny.

Remove and refrigerate the jars once completely cooled.

Serve on toast or with toasted Trader Joe's ciabatta bread and Brie cheese. Yum!

Spinach Pasta Salad

I found this recipe on a friend-of-a-friend's blog. I ended up making a few adjustments because I forgot to buy everything.

Salad:

1 small package of fresh spinach

1 – 8 oz package of bowtie pasta – cooked, drained and cooled

2-4 TBLS sesame seeds

½ cup sliced toasted almonds

3 chicken breasts – seasoned heavily with lemon pepper seasoning, grilled and cut into bit sizes. (I used the rotisserie chicken from Albertsons and then seasoned with lemon pepper)

1 cup bean sprouts (I forgot to buy these and the salad was great without them)

Mix all ingredients and toss with the dressing just before serving it.

Dressing:

½ cup oil

½ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame seeds

3 TBLS soy sauce

2 TBLS rice vinegar

½ tsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp grated fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 tsp grated ginger (I used 1/4 tsp ground ginger)

Blend in blender or Magic Bullet. Let dressing warm to room temperature before tossing into salad.

This salad could very easily be made into a vegan or vegetarian dish by not including the chicken!

Blueberry Muffins (from scratch)

Sunday morning I had a craving for blueberry muffins. I had previously purchased a ton of blueberries and didn't know what to do with them, so I froze them. Next time I think I'll double the recipe. The cinnamon topping on this was so delicious. I may even substitute the blueberries for a different type of fruit.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Yield: 9 muffins

Trader Joe's Apple Sausage Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

4 chicken-apple sausage links, broiled and sliced (trader joe's)

1 bag mushroom tortellini (trader joe's)

1 bag wheat rotini Pasta (trader joe's)

1 can sliced black olives

1 jar (small) sun dried tomatoes

1 jar artichoke hearts

1 pack of feta cheese

balsamic vinegar dressing to taste (start with 1 tsp)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Stir in sausage, olives, tomatoes, artichoke hearts. Add Balsamic vinegar, until desired taste. Stir in Feta. Refrigerate until cool (4-6 hours). Can be made 24 in advance.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

I made this tasty soup for our R.S. Christmas program and for Diner's Club. Second time around was even better! The cayenne pepper really does make a difference. It gave it the little kick I like.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cans black beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (16 oz) pumpkin puree

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Salt to taste

Optional Garnishes

Baked pumpkin seeds

Cheese

Sour Cream

Parsley

Crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a large pot heat the oil until shiny, then turn to medium low. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, kosher salt, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, and cayenne and stir often until the onion has softened. About 3 to 4 minutes.

2. In a food processor puree the beans, tomatoes, and 2 cups of broth. Add the puree, pumpkin and remaining broth to the pot.

3. Simmer uncovered until thick, stirring often while scraping the bottom, about 30 minutes or until desired thickness. Salt to taste and garnish as desired.

Adapted from Home Made Simple and Noble Pig. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Sharon's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Mayonnaise (be sure not to use light or fat free)
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
1 8-10oz bag frozen spinach, 1 bag fresh spinach, or 1 bunch fresh spinach washed and chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
In a medium to large frying pan, sauté garlic with butter for a few minutes. Add chopped spinach and sautée for about 5-10 minutes while it reduces in size.
In a separate bowl mix together Parmesan, mayonnaise and chopped artichoke hearts. Add spinach and mix well. Spread into a glass baking pan 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min. Once baked, keep it warm by putting it into a crock pot on warm. Serve with cut up pieces of baguette or tortilla chips.

The best rolls ever - Fast Rising Rolls

My mom makes these on Sundays. They are my favorite:

Dissolve together in small bowl:

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

Mix in large bowl:

6 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered milk

1 Tbsp salt

For a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then pour the following into the well:

2 cups warm water

the yeast mixture

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

Mix until moist (dough will be sticky). Let rise 1 hour. Divide in half. Roll into circle approx. 12 inches wide. Cut into 12 sections. Roll each into crescent shape. Place on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375. Allow to rise 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes.

You can also make fantastic cinnamon rolls with this dough!

Nuts about Berries

Ingredients: 

1 cup romaine lettuce

1 small handful blueberries

1 small handful raspberries

4 strawberries (sliced)

1 small handful blackberries

poppy seed salad dressing (optional)

6 cinnamon sugar almonds crushed

If you visit the street fair in Huntington Beach on Tuesdays, you can pick up a snack pack of cinnamon-sugared almonds for $3.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled*
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions (green onions), chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 3-4. I ate it with corn chips at it was yummy!

* Leave out the butter if you want it to be vegan.

To Answer Lindsey's question: Quinoa is a grain that is similar to rice, except that it is a complete protein (one of the only grains out there that is). I bought it at Trader Joe's.

Banana Bread (Whole Wheat and Sugar Free)

This recipe was adapted from a Zucchini Bread recipe found in Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard. M.D.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups smashed banana (or pumpkin or shredded zucchini)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed (undiluted)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp canola oil (or vegetable)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mist an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl, and stir together using a dry wire whisk. Place remaining ingredients, except walnuts, in a separate bowl, stir together until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix just until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Stir walnuts**, and mix until they are evenly distributed. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake on center rack for 50 to 55 minutes until cake tester comes out clean and let cool completely before slicing or storing. Wrap cooled bread tightly. It will keep at room temperature up to 3 days, refrigerate up to 7 days, freeze up to 30 days.

*for a lighter textured bread, use 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all-purpose flour
**I don't like nuts in my bread, so I leave them out.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 Large unpeeled sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch strips lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil

Seasoning*:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet. Combine oil, cumin coriander, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and toss well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Use tongs to flip potatoes over, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until browned.

I used a Cajun seasoning instead and liked it better.

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 3 chicken tenders
• Cajun spice (to taste)
• Hot sauce (to taste)
• 1 cups romaine lettuce
• 1 tablespoons reduced fat Caesar salad dressing (Newman's Own Lighten Up)
• 1 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle spice and hot sauce on chicken breast, catering to your own taste, and grill chicken on skillet or grill (chicken is done when light pink has disappeared from center).
2. Toss lettuce, dressing, and chicken to evenly distribute throughout salad.
3. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve.

Serves 1. Calories per serving: 277