Foodie Friday

Here’s to the weekend! It’s times like this, when the weather gets chilly, that comfort food recipes are essential! This tasty slow cooker special is gluten, dairy and soy free, has a slightly spicy kick and is the perfect comforting dish!

Slow Cooker Chioppino:
28oz crushed chunky tomatoes
28oz tomato purée
12oz white wine
8oz stock (seafood or vegetarian)
3 jalepenos chopped
2 green bell peppers chopped
1 sweet onion sliced
1 bunch chopped parsley
2-3 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne

1lb. Cod cubed
1lb. Shrimp shelled and deveined
1lb. Clams

Add all the top ingredients into a slow cooker and set to low for about 8hrs. Turn to high and add seafood – continue to cook for 1 hr. Serve with sourdough bread (or in my case Udi’s bread) and some fresh parsley!

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine and in the company of loved ones!

Happy Friday!

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Foodie Friday!

Though its rainy and temperatures are dropping again, its still the weekend, so WOOOOHOOOOO!!! Happy Friday!

Since diving season started my weeknights are getting later and later. I am not getting home until about 10pm some nights, so I have to opt for something easy to make, easy to eat and easy to digest! When it comes to awesome food, simple is best! This spicy zucchini and quinoa stir fry has both intense flavor and incredible nutritional value! I can’t decide which I do faster, make or eat, this insanely delicious dish!

ALSO, it’s gluten, dairy, soy and meat free; though I am eating wayyy later in the night then I would like, I am not giving my body anything difficult to digest.

Spicy Zucchini and Quinoa Stir Fry:

• 1/2 sweet onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1/3 cup homemade veggie stock
• 2 zucchini squash
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat tbsp of EVOO over med. heat while mincing onion and garlic and chopping the zucchini squash. Cook down onions and add garlic once the onions become translucent…stir frequently to prevent burning. Add the red pepper flakes to the onions and garlic – let cook together for about a minute before adding little bit of the stock.  Add zucchini and allow to cook for a few minutes until tender…add remaining stock, cooked quinoa, cayenne, salt and pepper. Allow mixture to cook together until well incorporated and heated through before diving in!

While I feel like my description is lengthy, it takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish; which is perfect for someone like me who is looking for homemade, nutritious, flavorful food with minimal effort!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Enjoy!

Happy Accident: ‘Chocolate’ Pudding and Quinoa

Happy Hump Day! As requested, today I am sharing the soy, dairy and gluten free ‘chocolate’ pudding I have been eating for breakfast this week.

As the title suggests, this was a complete accident, but a happy one at that. I was attempting to make a brownie but needed to make it gluten, dairy, soy free and wanted to use the super ripe avocado sitting on my counter because I hate wasting food! Since I am terrible at following recipes – I’ve always followed the beat of my own drum – I  just started combining ingredients until I came up with something that mildly resembled brownie batter.

When I pulled it out of the oven, I realized the consistency really hadn’t changed…at all! It was still super creamy just without the avocado-y taste it had before baking. I contemplated my options and decided I would mix it with a little quinoa nd have it as a sort of chocolate pudding; which, thus far has been a delightful morning treat!

‘Chocolate’ Pudding with Quinoa:

• 1 can rinsed and drained black beans
• 3 eggs whites
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp honey
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Combine all the ingredients except the quinoa in a blender and mix until all are well incorporated. Bake in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes, allow to cool and then mix in quinoa.

I feel silly even sharing because this is so NOT what I intended to make, nor is it how you would normally make a pudding, BUT oh well!

Here’s to happy accidents…enjoy!

Ode’ to leftovers: Thanksgiving weekend round up!

Happy Tuesday!

Its back to reality after a long weekend of family togetherness and food comas! Like most folks, I spent my holiday weekend cooking, driving to various family gatherings, drinking, and eating…ALOT!

While I am a big slacker and didn’t take enough pictures, I made tofurky, mushroom gravy, roasted veggie lasagna and two unsuccessful batches of apple cider caramels (I think my candy thermometer is broken) for the various weekend affairs!

As is fairly typical, there are a ton of leftovers! Normally this weeks lunches and dinners would look something like this……but I am trying to go gluten, dairy and soy free this month! Phil is happily hoarding all the leftovers at his office and in his words: “it may look like dog food but it tastes awesome!”

If you missed it, I said I am going gluten, dairy and soy free for the next couple weeks to see how my body reacts. I figured this few week gap between eating fests would be as good a time as any to try getting back to a simpler way of eating.

Thus far my days have looked something like this:

• ‘chocolate’ pudding with quinoa for breakfast (made with black beans, avocado, applesauce, egg whites, cocoa powder, honey and almond meal).
• water with chia seeds / decaf green tea with lemon
• apple with peanut butter and flax for lunch
• grapefruit and carrot sticks for snack
• water with lemon / herbal tea
• veggie stir fry with quinoa for dinner (coconut oil, sweet onions, garlic, zucchini and squash)
• herbal tea before bed

I know I will need to get more creative if I am going to make it 3 weeks and not feel like I am depriving myself (suggestions are welcome). I am looking forward to experimenting as well as seeing what its like for those with food sensitivities!

I hope everyone enjoys their leftovers this week!

Stay tuned for more on my ‘free December’…this should be interesting!