Hello everyone,

I apologize for being absent for so long, I have just been extremely busy! Since it is the start of the new school year, I think I am going to take this blog in a new direction. Yes, I love trying new recipes and nothing will change that, however, I want this to be a place of conversation. I plan on including new delicious recipes this year, as well as,the names of restaurants that are gluten friendly and my thoughts based on the food. Now I know I am no food critic, so you are welcome to take my opinions with a grain of salt!

Over these past few months I have learned a few tips that might help when it comes to selecting restaurants that are gluten-free friendly. First, start by looking at the type of food the restaurant serves. If it is Italian, Chinese, or American, you might run into a few problems. My advice is that if you are gluten sensitive, don't even bother with an Italian restaurant (or a brewery!!!!) for even if they have gluten-free options you will have to worry about cross contamination. Trust me I learned the hard way!!!!! Second, for Chinese or any Asian cuisine, make sure that the "brown sauce" or any other sauces don't include soy sauce. Soy sauce is not gluten-free due to the way it is fermented. It is possible to buy gluten -free soy sauce in the grocery store however, most restaurants don't have it in stock. Finally, American cuisine while it does have options, it usually just ends up being a salad.

My goal is to make it easier for those who are just starting out on the gluten-free diet, curious about this life-style or have a friend or loved one who has this sensitivity. I know how hard it can be at times, but once you have a basic understanding, life will be simple. For now, I wish you all a great year and there will be more to come!!!! Sleep well and eat well!

Creamy mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese broccoli

Having a hard day? Try some creamy mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese broccoli to help de-stress and enjoy a delicious dish of comfort food. 

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 large golden potato
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs sour cream
**milk, as needed, to make more creamy**
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Peel potato until all skin has been removed, then chop up into small pieces (about 1 inch chunks)
2. Place potatoes into a deep pot. Next, fill up the pot with water until it is slightly covering the potatos. Boil on high for about 10 mins. or until the potato is tender.
3. While the potato cooks, start chopping up the head of broccoli into individual florets and grate the cheese.
4. Once potatoes are close to being done, heat up a saute pan and add olive oil and garlic.  Saute on high for about 20 seconds, then add the broccoli (turn down to med) and continue to cook until tender.
5. After about 10-20 mins. the potatoes will be close to done. Once tender, drain potatoes and mash until smooth. To make them creamy, add butter and sour cream along with salt and pepper for flavor.
6. Right before you serve, put the cheese on the broccoli and let it melt until ready.
7. Finally, plate mashed potatoes, add broccoli on top and enjoy! 




Who ever thought that cheddar cheese broccoli could be so delicious! This recipe is so simple and delicious, anyone can try it. I first thought of this one night when I got home from school and was craving so many different flavors and textures but didn't know what I wanted to eat. I knew Dana would be coming home and wanting something to eat right away, so I thought why not make her favorite mashed potatoes. Personally, I am not a HUGE mashed potato fan like she is, so I wanted something that I would favor as well. I am definitely a green type of girl, for I love most vegetables, including broccoli. However, my ultimate weakness is cheese. I have no idea why I crave it as much as I do, but there is no way I can part with it, no matter how hard I try. So, after my whole thought process, I decided to combine my love for broccoli and cheese along with Dana's love for mashed potatoes. This resulted in one of my favorite hearty dishes. Granted this probably has a million calories and isn't considered on a health track, however, it is satisfying and worth the occasional splurge. Sometimes, the most simple dishes could soon become the favorite in the family. So, if you are a lover of creamy, light, flavor packed mashed potatoes, along with salty, cheddar cheese goodness with a hint of vegetables, then this dish is for you! I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did :) 

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Bring out the child in you by feasting on the best finger food in the world, fresh crispy chicken nuggets. 

**recipe adapted from gluten free cooking About.com

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken tenders (cut up into smaller bite size pieces) 

1/2 cup gluten free flour blend (Bisquick)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

A pinch of of garlic salt

1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, whisked together

1 cup crushed gluten-free rice chex

1/2 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Take the chicken tenders out of the package and cut into smaller pieces. Place the pieces in between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound until lightly flattened. 

2.  Next, set up the three stations in which you will bread the chicken nuggets. First is the gluten free flour in which you will completely cover the chicken piece. Second is the egg wash which is the egg and olive oil mixed together. The third step is coating the chicken in the crushed up rice Chex. 

*** Your fingers will get messy, but that is half the fun!**

3. Place the freshly coated chicken on a baking sheet in prep for the frying processes. 

4. Place 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in the frying pan or enough so it is 1 inch from the bottom. 

5. To test if the oil is ready throw in an extra piece of crushed up Chex to see if it bubbles. If it bubbles then the oil is ready. 

6. Gently slip in the chicken nugget into the oil. But be careful  not to splash it everywhere! It will take roughly 3-4 mins. per side but make sure you watch it. These chicken nuggets burn easily. 

7. Take out the nuggets and enjoy!!!

Who doesn't love chicken nuggets!!! Dana came home from work one night and demanded we made chicken nuggets for dinner. I was more than thrilled with this demand however, I was unsure how it would work considering they had to be gluten-free. Dana found a recipe that appeared to be simple, fast and looked like a lot of fun to make. I will say that if you are willing to get your hands dirty and don't mind getting up and close with your food, this is the perfect recipe. Before the end of this process you hands will be covered in egg and Chex cereal, along with oil residue from the frying process. Regardless of the intense mess, it is a lot of fun and great for building memories. You will never know how much you missed chicken nuggets until you try these. So next time you are pondering what to have for dinner, embrace the inner child in you and make some delicious chicken nuggets. 

Spaghetti Squash with an Italian Twist

Light the candles and get ready for something great. This dish is perfect for those nights where you want something filling, but not all the carbs. 

 Ingredients:


Spaghetti Squash
Olive oil
Vinegar 
5 slices of salami, shredded 
8 small leaves of Basil, shredded
1 teaspoon of goat cheese, crumbled
25 small cherry tomatoes, halved
20 Greek olives
8 artichoke hearts, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Get 1 medium sized spaghetti squash and cut it in half horizontally. Note: This will be VERY difficult, so be careful.... these things are slippery!

Step 2: Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 3: Place the spaghetti squash, cut side down, in a deep casserole dish with an inch of water at the bottom. Once oven is ready, cook the squash for about 50 mins or until tender. You should be able to easily scrape the inside of the squash and create a spaghetti type string.

Step 4: While the squash is cooking, prep all the other ingredients that will be going into the dish such as cutting the salami, basil, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. For this recipe, I decided to use tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil, salami, Greek olives and goat cheese. Once all is prepared, take squash out of the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, scrape the squash and put into a bowl. Gently toss with a little bit of olive oil, and vinegar to taste, along with all the other ingredients. Finally, serve and enjoy!!! 

     I was browsing in the grocery store, trying to come up with something for dinner when I happened to stumble upon a spaghetti squash. Now, every time that I have tried spaghetti squash in the past, I was never a fan, however, I thought I would give it another shot. I made it my personal mission to make a dish that was healthy and delicious, yet one that would incorporate this vegetable. So, knowing that this squash mimics pasta, I decided to do what I normally would have for a simple pasta dish. Naturally, spaghetti squash is a mild vegetable which has the ability to take on the taste of other ingredients within the dish. I was really craving Italian food but not really feeling like pasta, so I decided to use the squash. Overall, this dish turned out great! It is filling and delicious and I promise you won't be missing those carbs. So next time you are craving pasta, consider using spaghetti squash; you might actually surprise yourself. :D Enjoy

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin spice bread is all one needs when having a nice little get together with friends or celebrating the holidays. It's sweet, yet jam packed with flavor, you don't want to miss out.  

**This recipe was adapted by Allrecipes.com **


Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups of gluten- free flour (e.g Bisquick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 can of pumpkin puree 
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and baking soda)
2. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and spices). Once combined add chopped walnuts.
3. Finally, combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
4. Pour into a well sprayed or buttered pan (9*5*3) inch loaf pan. Then bake for 50-60 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean.

I recently was invited to a tea party and struggled to think of what kinds of treats are often found at tea parties. Usually, they consist of finger foods that most likely entails thin crackers with cream cheese and cucumber slices on top, but considering that both my friend and I are gluten-free, those types of foods would be an issue. Personally, I think of soft scones, light pound cake, dainty finger sandwiches and drinking with your pinkies up. So, I finally decided to do a spin on pound cake and make a pumpkin loaf instead. Knowing that pumpkin was my friend's absolute favorite, I thought it would be a good choice. It is packed with flavor but is extremely light and satisfying. I recommend sprinkling a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on top of the loaf, right as it comes out of the oven. This recipe would be the perfect dessert for any fall holiday party or even a nice sweet treat for a simple tea party. Either way, your guests will not be disappointed. Hope you enjoy!! :D

Tangy Mini Lemon Tarts

One bite and you're on your way to taste bud heaven. These mini tarts are just enough to quench any lemon craving.

Ingredients:


Crust:
1 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter, softened
1/3  cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract


Filling:
3 eggs, separated
2 lemons (small)
1 can of condensed milk (unsweetened)
1/8 teaspoon of salt


****The filling and crust recipes have been adapted from website Cooks.com and blog Gluten-free Tuesday. 


Method: preheat oven to 350


Crust directions:
1. Mix together both flours and salt into a bowl until fully combined. 
2. Next, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until a nice paste is formed. 
3. Once the paste has formed add the dry ingredients to the wet slowly. After about 30 seconds a nice crumbly dough should have formed. Then beat on medium speed for another 2 mins. until dough has formed.
4. Lightly spray the mini cupcake pan and press the dough into the tin forming a thin crust in each hole. 
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. 


Filling Directions:
1. First grade the rind of the lemon to get lemon zest, then juice both lemons. Make sure you strain the lemon juice so you don't get any pits in the filling.
2. Beat the egg yolks then add the lemon juice, zest, condensed milk and salt to the mixture. Mix together well until blended.
3. Next beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they are stiff, then gently fold into the previous mixture. 
4. Finally, pour lemon mixture into the mini cupcake tins and and the bake in the oven for about 30 mins.




My sisters and I recently decided to throw a little dinner party for a friend of ours who was visiting from out of town, but struggled to think of a nice, light dessert to serve. We thought of all our options, from chocolate covered strawberries, to ice cream, to cupcakes, until we finally decided on mini tarts. Let's face it, who doesn't love something that's mini? The smaller the better in my opinion.

I've been craving everything lemon lately, so naturally I wanted to make a lemon custard tart. These tarts ended up being pretty time consuming, having to chill the crust for a few hours, but they were totally worth the work! They are tangy, sweet and super satisfying. Although I must warn you, it is almost impossible to eat just one.

I ended up having a lot of the lemon custard filling left over so I decided to pour the extra filling in small ramekin dishes to eat as a plain custard. In fact, I highly recommend doing this because the custard by itself was almost as good as the tart itself.

If you're a lemon lover like I am (can you tell?), then you must try this recipe. You will be pleasantly surprised by the strong lemon flavor, which so perfectly complements the sweet, buttery crust. The only thing that could make this tart better is to top it off with a healthy sized dollop of whipped cream! 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

What’s better than waking up to the smell of freshly baked muffins, fresh from the oven? These lemon poppy seed muffins are sweet, tangy and leave you craving more

Ingredients


1 1/2 cup flour (Gluten Free Bisquick)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (organic optional)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
zest of 1 1/2  small lemons
juice of two lemons
1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350, then prep items
2. Mix dry ingredients ( flour, baking powder, salt)
3. In a different bowl mix wet ingredients (yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon and vanilla extract). Slowly, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined and smooth.
4. Gently fold in the vegetable oil and poppy seeds. ( do not over mix)
5. Pour into muffin tins about 2/3 full in each
6. Bake for about 20 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean. Then let the muffins rest for five mins. and then ENJOY!

Now that I’m done with work for the summer I have much more time to spend doing what I love – cooking! Dana had requested that I bake her something delicious – her only requirement was that it was something lemon. Well, Dana has been talking about muffins for weeks now, so I decided I would make her some Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

The whole idea of lemon muffins came from a dinner party that our friend had hosted earlier in the week. A friend had brought the most delicious looking muffins I had ever seen – mini lemon muffins! (The fact that they were mini made them even better) However, to my misfortune these delicious muffins were not gluten free, which ultimately means they are off limits. With these muffins taunting my mind, Dana and I decided to give it a try.

I had browsed through numerous recipes and they all seemed good, but I was afraid they would lack flavor. That’s why I decided to add extra lemon juice and lemon extract than originally called for in the recipe. Just to make sure there was a lot of the delicious, tart lemon flavor I crave. Unfortunately, I may have added too many poppy seeds as it seemed to over power the lemon more than I would have liked, however, it was still overall very satisfying. So if you are a muffin lover like myself, and love the sweet, tartness of lemons than this recipe is for you. You won’t be disappointed!