Alternatives

With Thanksgiving upon us, there is so much prep and ideas swirling in our heads. I like to change things us and add a new dish each year. Here is a great new gluten free alternative that is tasty and homey and all things great!


Quinoa Stuffing
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 medium celery stalks, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 medium green apples, with peel (about 2 cups)
4 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup pine nuts

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Add celery and apple; cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
Add broth, quinoa, salt, cumin, and pepper. Bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Add cranberries. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add cilantro and pine nuts; fluff with fork and serve.


Here is a quick, easy and healthy little bite
Simply pear slices topped with cream cheese, cranberries, and pistachios.










Fluffy Browned Butter Potatoes

3 pounds of (yukon gold or russet) potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup of milk (whole will taste best, but 2% tastes great too!)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Peel and chop potatoes, then add to a large pot. Fill with cold water – stopping just as the water reaches about an inch about the potatoes. Heat over high heat and let come to a boil, then cook for 25-30 minutes, or until fork tender.
When potatoes have about 5 minutes left, add butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Whisking continuously, cook until little brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan, then remove immediately from heat.
Drain potatoes, then add back to the pot, turning the heat to low. Mash with a potato masher to break up the chunks, then add in butter, milk and salt. Mash some more, or use a hand mixer to whip potatoes until creamy. At this point, taste and see if you desire any more flavoring (salt, pepper, additional brown butter, etc).
Garnish with fresh sage and serve.

Skinny Dip

This is a great skinny dip. The 7 layer dip revisited. All the separate components of this dip are great to have on hand for other applications. You can have 2/3 cup of this dip for about 14carbs 145cal.

Skinny Dip  serves 8
First you need to saute 1 small onion with 2 garlic cloves until softened, set aside.  
You need 2-3 limes to make 2tbsp of juice. 1 bunch of cilantro chopped. You'll need 2-3 tomatoes (or a salsa of your choice) and 1/4 cup total of shredded cheddar cheese to top the dip.


Black Bean
1/2 onion and garlic blend 
1 can black beans
1 tbsp minced chopotle pepper in adobo (I buy the small can and freeze the rest)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend

Corn Salsa
1 shallot minced
1/2 tbsp lime juice
2 cups corn kernels
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup scallions
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
salt and black pepper 
Mix all together and set aside 

Avocado Cream
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 onion and garlic blend
1/2 tbsp lime juice 
Puree all ingredients in food processor and set aside

Taco Cream
1 package taco seasoning (I used a gluten free McCormick blend)
2 cups low-fat Greek yogurt
Blend together

Layer in this order:
black bean
corn salsa
avocado cream
taco cream
cheese
Serve up with tortilla chips, cucumber slices, plantain chips or crackers. 

Greek Dip

recipe:howsweeteats

Seven Layer Greek Dip 
serves 8
1 1/2 cups hummus of your choice
1 15-ounce can of kalamata or black olives, drained and chopped
1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
*1 batch of creamy feta (or 4 ounces of plain feta, crumbled)
1 1/3 cups greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh dill
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Begin by prepping the ingredients for the creamy feta if needed and set aside.
In a bowl, combine yogurt, dill, garlic, 3 tablespoons of cucumber, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and mix. Grab a large bowl or plate and begin layering ingredients: the yogurt tzatziki, the chopped olives, the hummus, the chopped artichoke hearts, the creamy feta, and the tomatoes and cucumber. You can layer it however you’d like and use other ingredients to make it your own. I did sprinkle my cucumber and tomato with some salt and pepper for flavor, but the rest of the dip was full of flavorful because of the feta. Serve with pita chips or use in wraps and sandwiches.

*Creamy Feta 

2 bricks of feta cheese, 8 ounces each

1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon

1 bulb garlic roasted in tinfoil with a drizzle of olive oil for 30min, then squeezed

the juice of half a lemon

the zest of half a lemon

salt and pepper

Prepare your garlic bulb by roasting in tinfoil at 350o. 
Crumble feta in a bowl making small pea sized shaped. Add all other ingredients and mix together well. Serving it hot is great too. Just place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. If you want a little spice add a roasted jalapeno or a couple shakes of granular red pepper. 

Something Different

Cherry Peach Crostini
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup peaches, chopped small
1/2 cup dried or fresh cherries, chopped small
2 tbsp. honey
2 fresh sage leaves minced
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 bacon slices cooked and chopped
salt and pepper


Toasted baguette slices 
Mix goat cheese and cream cheese together and keep cool. Cut peaches and cherries small and add to a bowl. Add cut up bacon pieces. Mix together honey, sage, balsamic and olive oil and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper and taste to adjust. Mix together with fruit. If you want a little brighter flavor, add a little lemon or use a white balsamic instead of traditional.

Yum!

The Sweet Onion

Vidalia Onion Relish
3 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
3 stalks of celery, minced
1 Tbsp minced hot pepper of your choosing ( I opted for a sweet banana pepper)
5 pound bag of Vidalia onions, peeled and minced
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground celery seed

Heat oil in a large pot, add celery and peppers over medium heat, sautéing until tender, about five minutes. Add onions and remaining ingredients, stirring until well mixed. Turn heat up to cook off excess moisture released by onions until thickened, stirring regularly for 25-30 minutes. Pack into sterilized quart jars and refrigerate once cooled.

I would double this recipe if I were you. 


Here is a great way to use this onion relish. 
 
8 0z Cream Cheese softened
1 1/2 cup vidalia onion relish 
1 Jar of Fresh bacon or you can be like me and cheat and get hormel chopped bacon in a bag haha.
1/4 Cup of Diced Green Scallions

É o jeitinho brasileiro "it's the Brazilian way"

Brazilian food is not hard to make at home. 

When you first go gluten free, everyone says "oh you've gotta try Brazilian cheese bread" I literally laugh every single time I encounter someone new who asks if I've had them before. They are delicious of course, but the store bought can tend to be very salty so I was on the search for a really great homemade version. I was able to find this at PaedeQueijo at Feastingfreds.wordpress. This recipe turned out to be amazing. 

This recipe does not do well with vegan butter or a dairy alternative. Almond milk especially can tend to deflate baked goods. 

Gluten Free Brazilian Cheese Bread
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
2 cups tapioca flour
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, 
2/3 grated finely, 
1/3 grated cheddar coarsely

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle position.
In a medium pot bring milk, water, oil, butter and salt to a low boil. Once you achieve a boil remove from the heat and stir in your tapioca flour as fast as possible (it helps to have once person stirring while the other adds the flour). Your dough will thicken up considerably at this point and become rather sticky.
Let the dough cool for 10-15 minutes, then knead in your eggs, followed by your cheese. When the all the ingredients are fully incorporated, form your dough into balls the size of golf or ping pong balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You may want to oil your hands to make it easier to form the dough into balls.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown all over and dark brown in places. Avoid under baking as this will yield a gooey under-baked interior.


 
Brazilian Lemonade
4 limes
6 tablespoons cream of coconut
6 cups cold water + some ice
1 cup of splenda or you can use 1/4 cup sweet & condensed milk

Pitcher it up, serve it cold with an umbrella and you're ready for summer. 

*cream of coconut is found in the cocktail area

helps me a lot. I get to browse recipes and adapt them to fit my personality or tastes. I appreciate their cataloging service.

Brazilian Black Bean Stew (Feijoada)

2 cups dried black beans

4 applewood-smoked bacon slices(make sure it's nitrate free and gluten free)

1 (1-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3 bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed (about 2 pounds)

3 cups finely chopped onion (about 2 medium)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (gluten free granules are a great choice)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (9-ounce) smoked ham hock

1 tablespoon white vinegar

8 orange wedges

Place black beans in a small saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; cook beans for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pork to drippings in skillet; saute 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Sprinkle ribs evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add ribs to skillet; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in slow cooker. Add drained beans, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion, and next 3 ingredients (through ham hock) to slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until beans and meat are tender.

Remove ribs from slow cooker; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred meat with 2 forks. Discard bones. Discard ham hock. Return beef to slow cooker. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Serve with orange wedges.
 

Dips & Spreads

                                                                                    Taco Dip

8 oz softened low fat cream cheese
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced finely
1 lime squeezed

In a large bowl, microwave softened cream cheese for 15-20 seconds or until very easy to stir. Mix in sour cream and taco seasoning and lime. Stir thoroughly, then add in remaining ingredients. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste and serve with crackers, tortilla chips or anything else you'd like.




Carrot & Olive Spread

Recipe Here

2 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 pimento-stuffed green olives, fine chopped
4 - 5 leaves of spinach
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, fine chopped
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
Salt, as per taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

To make Savory Carrot Sandwich Spread Recipe, first wash, peel carrots and grate it in a bowl. 
Wash spinach in water to get rid of any dirt particles. Finely chop spinach leaves and transfer to the same bowl as carrot. Similarly fine chop olives, pecans and garlic clove and add to the bowl of chopped vegetables.
Now add cream cheese, salt, pepper, basil, chia seeds to the vegetables. Stir with the spoon, add olive oil to get the smooth spreading consistency. Adjust seasoning as per your taste. Savory Carrot Spinach Spread is ready.
The Savory Carrot Spinach Spread is ready to be served as a spread on sandwiches, wraps or even as a dip for parties. The sandwiches made from Savory Carrot Spinach Spread also make great school lunch box additions for kids.



Cumin Dip recipe from weekend herb blogger
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil plus a little more to serve
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 medium or 2 large zucchini, sliced and quartered
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
dried chili flakes to taste (around 1/2 – 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 – 4 tablespoons lemon juice
handful of mint leaves, chopped 

Toast cumin in a warm pan until aromatic. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, zucchini, garlic and chili flakes and a small amount of water to help steam the zucchini. Add a lid and cook until tender. Once the mixture is soft, add it to a Cuisinart with your can of garbanzo beans and add salt, lemon and pulse until it reaches the texture desired. Chill in a container, drizzle with olive oil and chopped mint.  




This is a great update to that sticky weird velveeta dip.

Cheesy Pepper Jack Dip
16 oz. block of pepper jack cheese
1/2 an onion
1 small tomato
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2 lime juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 oz. evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
10 oz. creamed spinach

Cube cheese and place in oven safe baking dish. Add diced onion, tomato and spinach to dish. Chop cilantro and add remaining ingredients to the dish. Bake at 350o until melted and creamy.