Slow Cooker Marinara from Fresh Tomatoes

If you're wondering what to do with all those tomatoes that are rapidly coming into season, this recipe is for you. I am thrilled at how easy and delicious it is. Very little effort is required and the result is a tantalizing marinara that is unbelievable rich.

The uses for this marinara are plentiful. Serve it over brown rice pasta for a traditional take, or do as I do and serve it over grated zucchini for a take on "raw" pasta. It's also great for topping over chicken, spicy chicken sausage, or fresh white fish. It even makes a great dip for vegetables.

Slow Cooker Marinara from Fresh Tomatoes

18-20 roma tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 medium yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, pepper

Place roma tomatoes in a large slow cooker. Chop onion and mince garlic and add to tomatoes. Drizzle oil, vinegar, and agave over tomatoes. Add seasonings and stir.

Turn on lowest setting and cook for about 4 hours. About halfway through cooking time, mash mixture with a potato masher to break up the tomatoes, then stir before putting the lid back on.

This marinara really cooks down, so if you're feeding a crowd, double the recipe. You can always freeze leftovers.

As a side note, I left my marinara really chunky, the way it gets from mashing with the potato masher. If you like a smoother marinara, by all means take an immersion blender to it or blend in a high powered blender for a bit until it reaches the desired consistency. My husband does not like chunky tomatoes, so if he would have been home for this dinner, I would have pureed it a bit before pouring over zucchini.

Favorite Creamy Dressing (for Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, etc.)

I'm finally getting around to posting my favorite dressing. This is the dressing I use whenever I need a creamy dressing for salad: potato salad, coleslaw, chicken salad, caesar salad, etc. You can play it up very easily too by adding fresh, chopped or dried herbs for a fresh take, or add curry or garlic powder for a more savory dressing. Sometimes I want it a little sweeter, so I just up the agave or honey by another tablespoon (or add a few drops of liquid stevia). It is so versatile!

The secret here is the milk. It is a secret my grandma shared with me about her famous potato salad. She says you need the milk to thin it out and make it really smooth. I agree with her, and have been making it this way (with the milk) ever since. If you don't have regular cow's milk on hand (we are now so thankful to have a supply of fresh raw cow's milk every week!), you can use almond milk in its place.

I hope you like this dressing as much as I (and my family) do.

Favorite Creamy Dressing

1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave or honey
salt, pepper

Whisk all ingredients in the order listed in a small bowl until creamy consistency is reached. Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing. Pour over your salad of choice (see above for ideas).

Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

These mini loaves are so good and baking them makes your house smell amazing. I love anything with cinnamon in it (and in fact use it on a daily basis, multiple times). There is something so grounding, so warming about this spice. It makes for the ultimate comfort food (I even put it in my chili). And it provides the main attraction for these wonderful bread loaves.

My son wanted to bake something special for his Awana teachers, Miss Jill and Miss Bonnie, so I suggested these. He thought it sounded like a great idea. So we'll be wrapping up one of these for each of his teachers and we'll enjoy one for snack time. I've made this recipe several times, the original inspiration coming from the blogsphere somewhere, I really wish I could remember where so I could give proper credit to its source, but alas it was quite some time ago and my recipe revisions are all that remain. I did, in fact, change many things from the original version, but nonetheless it always good to site back. So please forgive me this one time. :)

I bake my mini loaves in the Pampered Chef stoneware with the four mini loaf dividers. I've had this stoneware for years, getting it as a gift from my father in law back when my husband and I were newlyweds (almost 10 years ago now!), and I only started using it in the last few months since we moved. I had always been intimidated about baking in stone (don't ask me why), but now that I've baked in stone several times, I love it. It makes the best baked goods. I highly recommend stoneware for baking. In fact, I aim to add more stoneware pieces to my collection in the years ahead.

Either way you bake this, be it in stoneware or glass, you will be super impressed with this delicious, gluten and sugar free cinnamon bread.


Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup xylitol
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg
1 1/4 cups almond milk or raw cow's milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three mini bread loaf pans with coconut oil (I use the stoneware from Pampered Chef).

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir again to fully incorporate.

Pour batter into prepared bread loaf pans, spreading out the tops evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set about 10 minutes before slicing.

Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

I've been rather uninspired in the cooking department lately. I literally sat outside for 25 minutes today thinking of what to make for dinner, and nothing came to mind.

Nothing.

This is not like me. Maybe it's the season, or the weather, or the fact that I haven't had any inspiring fresh produce the last few days... I'm really not sure. But nonetheless, we had to eat dinner, so I had to think of something...

So I went into my pantry and started foraging for dinner ingredients. My eyes landed on the sweet potatoes, which I love. But I didn't want to just fix them in the same old boring way (even as delicious as this boring way is): roasted wedges. I wanted to turn them into a delicious salad, a warm salad, the perfect kind of salad for spring weather.

Finally, inspiration! This recipe just sort of came to life, and I decided it needed to be documented on this blog, especially considering I may find myself in a un-inspirational mood in the not-so-distant-future.

With it's delicious blend of spicy (thanks, ginger) and sweet (thanks, sweet potatoes and cinnamon), this salad will knock you off your feet. I'm especially fond of how the cooked sweet potatoes lightly "cook" the baby kales to take off their raw edge and make them all yummy and soft.

Hopefully it will please your palate as much as it did mine.

Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Salad:
2 medium sweet potatoes
4 cups baby kales (or spinach, or torn swiss chard)
1 Granny Smith apple

Dressing:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 minced clove garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (ACV)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10 drops liquid stevia
salt, pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Chop sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in medium pot. Cover sweet potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low and gently boil for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place baby kales in a large bowl. Chop Granny Smith apple and add to baby kales.

Mix all dressing ingredients (ginger through salt and pepper) in a small bowl. Slowly stream in the EVOO until emulsified.

When the sweet potatoes are done, drain and immediately place on top of the baby kales and apple. Let rest for a few minutes, until the warm sweet potatoes turn the baby kales bright green and semi-wilted.

Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Brown Rice and Lentil Curry Salad

It must be the fact that I'm lactating, because never in my life have I been craving brown rice and lentils like I am right now. I created this salad a few weeks ago and have made it at least three times already, enjoying it for days on end. It just hits the spot, every time.

(My baby must like me eating it too, because he is just such a good baby.)


I think our bodies have a way of telling us what to eat by our cravings. And this particular craving is so darn healthy that I have no problem indulging (well, it feels like indulging to me) in it at each whim. Thanks to the lentils, it is full of protein, another thing that both pregnant and lactating women need in abundance in this stage of life.

Brown Rice and Lentil Curry Salad


1 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked
1 cup brown or green lentils, uncooked
4 cups water or chicken stock
1 medium or 1/2 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups lightly packed spinach
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup curry vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cube butternut squash into bite size pieces. Place on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, until fork tender.

In two separate medium sized saucepans, heat 2 cups of water or stock in each. Add brown rice to one pan and lentils to the other. Bring both to a bowl, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook the brown rice for approximately 40 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Cook the lentils for approximately 25-30 minutes (ok if not all the liquid is absorbed).

Drain lentils and place in a large bowl. Add cooked brown rice, roasted squash, spinach, and raisins to lentils. Pour vinaigrette over brown rice mixture and stir to combine.

Enjoy right away warm or refrigerate and enjoy cold.

Pumpkin Cornbread

I've been on a blogging break lately. My world has been a bit crazy, as it turns out. In the last month, I've had my third child and moved into a new house (in that order). My dear parents and friends have been so supportive of me and my family during this time, providing us with lots of healthy, gluten free meals. I've been craving a lot of soup lately, and as it turns out, soup is a great meal to make for the new mom, especially one with a gluten sensitivity. (Check out Ali's post on nourishing the new mom for ideas on the perfect foods to feed moms during this phase of life.)

With all of these soups, stews, and chilis we've been eating lately, it's nice to have something "bready" to go along with them, so the other day I found a few minutes between nursing my newborn and chasing my toddler around the house to make this cornbread. The original recipe is one from Ali of the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen; I adapted proportions and made a few ingredient substitutions to fit what I had on hand in my pantry.

Overall, this is an excellent cornbread, getting rave reviews from my husband and four year old (in fact, I was told that it was "scrumptious" at dinner last night). And it is really easy to make, which is what I need right now during this postpartum season of life.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup sweet brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (I used a puree from a roasted pumpkin pie pumpkin, but you could use canned pumpkin if that's all you have)
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with coconut oil.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs through coconut oil until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baby News

My husband and I welcomed with love our new baby, Cole Christian, into the world on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. He was born at home (planned home birth) with the help of two amazing midwifes, Kate Saumweber-Hogan and Melanie Gray. I am so in love with this new little miracle, my third son. I thank God that he is healthy and perfect.

Pumpkin Granola (gluten free)

I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin right now. And anything snackie. I decided to combine these two elements in my latest kitchen creation for a granola full of the flavors of fall. Perfect for breakfast or snacks, this addictive granola will have you giddy at the first bite (at least this is the reaction I got from my kids).

Although oats themselves have quite a bit of protein and fiber, I always like to up the ante of these super important nutritional aspects by adding in some nuts and seeds. I also like the use of maple syrup in here verses agave, as maple syrup combines so well with the pumpkin flavor. Of course, if you don't have any maple syrup on hand, agave would be a suitable substitute. A note about maple syrup: always make sure you buy 100% real maple syrup, and don't be afraid to buy Grade B- it's cheaper and I think it has a better flavor.

And I'm happy to report that Trader Joe's now carries a 2 lb. bag of certified gluten free oats for only $3.98! This saves a bit over the Bob's Red Mill brand of certified gluten free oats, ranging from $5.25 to $6.75 per 2 lb. bag. This is great news for a frugal gal like me.

Pumpkin Granola

Dry ingredients:
4 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds (or a combo of both)
1/2 cup Xylosweet (xylitol) or coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chia and/or flax seeds
pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger)

Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 drops liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Combine wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and, using a large spatula, stir a few times to make sure all dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Pour granola evenly between the two prepared baking sheets and, using the spatula, spread granola out to a single layer on each baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stir granola. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Eat immediately or let cool on wire racks until completely cooled (at least an hour) before storing in an airtight container.

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Dip

New addiction alert!!! Raw caramel apple dip for all of those wonderfully tart and sweet apples in season right now. Funny thing is, the ingredients in this recipe resemble nothing of the typical caramel dip you find in stores, which are full of sugar and nothing else (and often times it's not even real sugar). This recipe, however, is actually good for you. Who knew that you could eat your caramel apple dip and get your protein too? Well, this is proof that you can (thanks to my friend the cashew).

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogger's site, The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. Ali posted it about a year ago, and I've been waiting in anticipation for apple season this year to make it. It is divine, to say the least. Creamy, smooth, sweet... the apple's perfect dipping companion. I changed Ali's recipe up slightly: adding cinnamon, decreasing the amount of maple syrup and adding in a few drops of liquid stevia instead. I also found that I need to use the date soaking water to get this dip to the perfect creamy consistency.

My favorite way to inhale (I mean... enjoy this) is with sliced, raw apples, but it is also delicious as a dip for crackers, pears, or carrots, or as a spread for bread or icing for cinnamon roles. Or maybe you'll just want to eat it plain, right from the spoon!

Just to let you know how good it is, I've already made five batches of this in two weeks. :)


Cinnamon Caramel Apple Dip

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup dates
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 drops liquid stevia
pinch salt

Soak cashews in water for 2-3 hours. Soak dates separately in about 1 cup of water for 2- 3 hours (save date soaking water).

Drain cashews and put in a Vitamix or high powered blender. Remove dates from soaking water and add to cashews, along with remaining ingredients. Turn blender on low speed and slowly increase speed as ingredients come together to form a smooth consistency, adding a few tablespoons of date soaking water at a time to keep mixture flowing smoothly. Once it is flowing, run the Vitamix on high for 10 or so seconds.

Fresh Garden Salsa

Tomatoes are here! My dad has been bringing home tomatoes from my grandma's backyard tomato plants, which have been growing spectacularly. Mine, on the other hand, were complete duds this year.

(Whoa, back up. Did that sound weird to anyone but me? My dad has been bringing home tomatoes... Yes, it's true, I am now living with my parents. I am a grown woman, so let me explain. My husband and I sold our house this week and aren't able to move into the house we are trying to buy for another month, so it's purely transitionary living. Now that's not so bad, huh? Actually, it's kind of fun living with my parents again!)

And I'm super lucky that my parents get the whole "healthy eating" thing. In fact, they are bonafide aficionados of a local co-op and shop there weekly. Their counter and refrigerator are always full of fresh produce. They wake up to fresh fruit and veggie smoothies, lunch on simple salads, and enjoy cooking whole foods at every meal. Their kitchen is truly like my own kitchen. Isn't that grand?

So back to the tomatoes. When I saw them laying on the counter this evening, the salsa craving struck. My husband used to be the salsa maker in our house, but he's been just a tad busy lately with work and the move (!!!) of course, so I thought I'd pick up the ball and run with it. I'm glad I documented my salsa making experience tonight because it turned out perfect.

This is such a simple, delicious salsa, you'll wonder why you ever buy store-bought salsa again.


Fresh Garden Salsa

3 medium size tomatoes, quartered (about 3 cups)
1 zucchini flower, quartered
1 small serrano pepper, seeded
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and/or parsley
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 drops liquid stevia
pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in the order listed in a Vitamix or blender. Pulse on low speed until salsa reaches desired consistency.

Eggplant Panzanella (gluten free, dairy free)

It's been a frustrating year of growing vegetables in my backyard. First, the weather has been quite A typical of a normal Minnesota summer. Lots of storms, lots of heat, lots of humidity, and all very early on in the season. Then there were the rabbits. And then there were (and still are) the Japanese Beetles. Oh boy. With that combination of farming nightmares (at least farming in my own little urban garden), I have only three out of my nine crops planted left: eggplant, peppers, and a very small portion of kale. All of my other plants had to be uprooted last week. It was very sad, especially when you think of the time, money, and patience put into the growing process. Thankfully, this is the first year we decided to sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), so despite my lack of backyard produce, we have not been short of fresh and local veggies.

That being said, my eggplant not only survived the harshness of the season, it has flourished. And now I have a ton of it. That, combined with the zucchini and summer squash from my CSA, has pretty much filled up my crisper drawer. Time to put those fresh veggies to good use.

I've never been a "bread" salad kind of girl, especially after giving up gluten. However, I was watching an episode of Kelsey Nixon's Kelsey's Essentials recently during my workout, and she had an inspiring recipe for a fresh panzanella salad that looked divine. And as luck would have it, I just so happened to have a bag of gluten free bread chunks in my freezer just waiting to be used up. So I came up with a version of the panzanella salad, gluten free style. And now that I know how easy and delicious it is to make this (and gluten free no less), it will be a staple in my house this time of year when those veggies come knocking on my crisper door.


Eggplant Panzanella (gluten free, dairy free)

Panzanella:
1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 green pepper
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 medium fresh tomatoes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper

6 cups gluten free bread chunks or crumbs (I get a bag of GF bread chunks in the freezer section of my local coop)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt, pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Chop eggplant, zucchini, squash, and pepper into large bite size chunks and place in a large bowl. Drain juice from can of tomatoes, or if using fresh tomatoes, chop into large chunks and add to bowl. Drizzle veggies with oil and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each). Stir to combine. Spread in a single layer onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Meanwhile, spread bread chunks evenly onto the other prepared baking sheet. Grate garlic cloves over bread and drizzle with oil. Bake for 6-8 minutes, during last part of baking time for the veggies.

Remove both pans from oven. Place bread chunks in a large bowl to stop from browning further. Let veggies cool on pan for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then add to bowl with bread chunks.

For the dressing, add vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of both salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Pour dressing over bread salad. Stir to combine.

This salad can be served immediately, but flavors deepen if allowed to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Asian Slaw Salad

I'm going crazy with CSA produce, now that peak season is here. Last week we had a beautiful head of napa cabbage in our boxes and I thought it would be perfect turned into a sweet and savory Asian slaw.

I whipped this up one night for dinner as a side to go with some grass fed beef round steak from our favorite beef farmer. The slaw turned out so good! It reminds me of the Asian Chicken Salad (sans the chicken) from Applebee's that I remember from my past (gosh, I haven't been to an Applebee's in years, thank God, but I am thankful for the inspiration from their standby menu).

The dressing is so distinct and the toasted sunflower seeds really shine as an added flavor dimension. You could turn this into a meal all by itself by topping it with shredded or chopped cooked chicken (ala Applebee's). And it does really well the next day too, once the dressing has soaked completely into the cabbage and given it even more depth of flavor. If you don't have napa cabbage, you could sub any of your favorite cabbage in its place.

Asian Slaw Salad

Salad:
1 head napa cabbage
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

Dressing:
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave or honey
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos or tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop cabbage into thin strips and place in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine dressing ingredients (mustard through sesame oil) and stir. While continuing to stir, whisk in olive oil in a steady stream until thoroughly combined. Pour dressing over cabbage, add cranberries and sunflower seeds, and toss to coat.

Curried Potato Salad (vegan)

This is a super simple potato salad that is dairy and egg free (no mayo). We had our first batch of red potatoes in our CSA box last week, and I was anxious to turn them into a delicious salad. Since we also got a big bunch of cilantro in our CSA box, I thought I'd pair the two together and add some curry for a creative take to the standard in American summer side dish: potato salad.

I used my curry vinaigrette (AKA "Liquid Gold", which by now I am keeping a jar of it pre-made in the fridge) for a quick, go-to way to dress this salad. And by keeping it free of mayonnaise, you can have more peace of mind to take this to your outdoor BBQ's and pick-nicks by not having to worry about keeping it refrigerated.

You can eat this salad right away after making it, but I think it's even better the next day when the potatoes have had the chance to absorb all the wonderful curry flavor of the dressing.

Curried Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds small-medium size red potatoes
salt, pepper
1 green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup curry vinaigrette

In a medium-large saucepan, place washed potatoes (skins on), and cover with at least 1/2 inch of water. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to gentle boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Drain water, place potatoes in a bowl, and refrigerate for an hour or so to cool.

Remove potatoes from refrigerator and bowl, and chop into medium size chunks. Add back to bowl. Salt and pepper potatoes. Chop green onion and add to potatoes, along with cilantro. Top with curry vinaigrette.

With a large spoon, carefully stir potato salad to incorporate all ingredients and distribute the vinaigrette.

Curry Vinaigrette

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from my friend's CSA newsletter. She made their version of it and served it over mixed greens one night when we were over for dinner, and my husband and I could not stop raving about it. I came home and knew I had to come up with a curry vinaigrette recipe of my own. I am a curry lover, and if you are like me, you will swear by this vinaigrette. It's become my new favorite; I love it so much I've dubbed it "the liquid gold." 

I'm into super simple mixed green salads these days as a product of our extremely hot weather, so that is how I've been using this dressing the most. However, I also think it would be delicious drizzled over some steamed kale or grilled veggies. 

Curry is such healthy a spice to add into your lifestyle. The turmeric is what makes it that beautiful yellow-gold color and it is beneficial for preventing cancer and is healthful in so many other ways!

Curry Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey (preferably raw)
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
salt, pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add dijon mustard through apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. While continuing to whisk, slowly stream in the olive oil until emulsified.

Serve over mixed greens or over any steamed or grilled veggies.

Herb & Olive Quinoa (gluten free, sugar free, dairy free)

Doesn't this dish just look happy? Like a quinoa confetti of sorts. It's such a great dish to serve in the summer because it tastes great at room temperature and does not need to be refrigerated. Not to mention (as I do in all of my posts about quinoa), it has amazing health benefits. The protein and amino acids alone! I love it because it is so full of protein and yet so light on the tummy. I always end up going back for seconds.

This dish is super versatile. Use any kind of olives and herbs you have on hand. For the herbs, I just plucked a variety from my new garden. I really like the purple basil in here because provides a beautiful contrast in color from the green of the other herbs. I purposely made this dairy free, but I think a handful of feta cheese would also be tasty.

Herb & Olive Quinoa

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
pinch salt
1 cup mixed green and kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup loosely packed mixed herbs (I used green and purple basil, cilantro, and mint), chopped
1/2 toasted almond slivers or chopped almonds

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over med-low heat. Chop onion and garlic and add to pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add quinoa and cook and additional minute. Add water, bring quinoa to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed.

Once quinoa has cooked, transfer to a serving bowl and add olives, herbs, and toasted almonds. Toss to coat.

Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Pear Cranberry Coleslaw (gluten free, sugar free, vegan)

I have really been on a coleslaw kick these days. I know it's the weather. Coleslaw screams summer to me, and we've been having warm, sunny days for a few weeks now, which means summer is here (at least we hope). Last weekend I made two separate batches of coleslaw, one with a creamy mayonnaise dressing and one with a vinaigrette dressing, such as with this recipe. I much preferred the vinaigrette version and decided to play with it a little more until I got it just right. I love the addition of the fruit here too. If you're not a pear/cranberry fan, you can definitely sub apple for pear and raisins for cranberries and it would be just as delicious.

I love to serve this raw, colorful, super healthy salad with some grilled, grass fed burgers and homemade lemonade (sweetened only with stevia- that recipe to come...). It's the perfect addition to your backyard BBQ.

Pear Cranberry Coleslaw

Salad:
1 medium head green cabbage
2 medium carrots
1 pear
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon gluten free brown rice syrup, agave, or honey
10 drops liquid stevia
pinch of each: salt, ground ginger, and nutmeg
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Shred cabbage and carrots in food processor fitted with shredding blade. Add to a large bowl. Dice pear and add bowl, along with cranberries.

In a separate, smaller bowl, add apple cider vinegar through spices and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and add olive oil in a slow stream.

Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

Serves a lot. :)

Celery Walnut Salad

This salad is such a hit in my house. My four year old just loves it. He's eating his veggies and mama can't complain. My husband says it reminds him of a D'amico & Sons salad (one of my all time favorite places to eat).

Speaking of D'amico & Sons, if you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and you have kids, you should know that kids eat free on Sundays after 2 pm. The kids meal options are awesome! Not your typical hot-dog/hamburger/french fries/chicken fingers (meaning fat laden/greasy/unhealthy/non-food) kids meals. Instead, they have fresh pasta choices (albeit not gluten free), sandwiches, fruit, and fun salads.The food is all fresh and hand prepared by the restaurant chefs. It's been our special "date" night with our boys the last few weeks. And it really is so kid-friendly. Check it out for sure.

Back to celery salad: I think this recipe is perfect for spring. Loaded with celery, which is in turn, loaded with water, making it a great meal for hydrading your body and skin. Feel free to sub a different nut/dried fruit combo, such as toasted almond slivers and dried cranberries or pistacios and raisins, for a slightly different take. Experiment; you can't go wrong!

Celery Walnut Salad


5 stalks celery
3 scallions
1/3 cup frozen peas, dethawed
3 tablespoons organic plain yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 drops liquid stevia
salt, pepper
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried cherries

Chop celery and scallions into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the peas and stir.

For dressing, combine yogurt through stevia in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add dressing to celery salad.

Next add in walnuts and cherries and stir again.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I just love sweet potatoes. No two ways about it. Lately I have been buying them pound after pound,  keeping them stocked on my counter, and making variations of them three or four times a week. I love them roasted, in soups, adding purees to cakes or muffins or pancakes, and mashed, of course. That's why when I saw Lauren of As Good As Gluten's post for mashed sweet potatoes, I knew I had to try them.


I adopted her for this month's Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger event hosted by Lexie of Lexie's Kitchen. As I was perusing As Good As Gluten's site for recipes to try for this event, I was instantly hooked on the sheer number of easy, kid-friendly recipes. Lots of crockpot dishes and one-pot wonders. This is my kind of simple, convenient comfort food, especially with two small children and especially as the winter here in Minnesota seems to keep dragging on. (Snow again tonight? Another six inches forecasted? And it's March 8? Come on?!)


Lauren's mashed sweet potato recipe is the first of her's I've tried yet (as I just love sweet potatoes, have I mentioned that already?), but surely will not be the last. I'm already dreaming about the chipotle mac n' cheese and steak and shake chili... take a look for yourself and give some a try!

Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

My last trip to the grocery store, I forced myself to step outside of my vegetable comfort zone and put at least two vegetables in my cart that were in season, local, and ones that I don't normally buy. Parsnips made the cut. A fun vegetable and very useful no doubt, just not one that calls to me on a "crave" level yet.

Back home inside my crisper drawer they sat for two days as I pondered how I was going to prepare them. I pulled them out on roast chicken night, deciding they would pair perfectly in a mash medley with some creamy, gold yukon potatoes sitting on my counter. This meal is for hubby, I told myself, I know I'm going to win some brownie points tonight with this meat and potato classic... (not that I need to win brownie points. I'm so lucky to have a husband who happens to love my healthy, adventurous cooking).

I love how the parsnips add a subtle hint of sweetness to this dish that makes it absolutely divine. And pack the mash with a nutritious punch, full of potassium, iron, calcium, fiber, vitamins B, Vitamin K, vitamin C, and manganese, and zinc!


Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

5-6 yukon gold potatoes
3 parsnips
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons butter
salt, pepper

Wash and cut potatoes into large chunks and place in a medium size saucepan. Peel and chop parsnips into large chunks and add to potato pan. Cover with water. Heat to a rapid boil, then reduce heat to a low rolling boil and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat and drain the water.

To the potato/parsnip pan, add milk or cream, and butter. Mash with a potato masher until you reach desired mash consistency. Add more milk if you like your mash thinner. Salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Radishes

I am just too frugal of a gal to let good food go to waste (on the other hand I have no problem letting food that isn't real food, say fast food or anything packaged or anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup or MSG in it go to waste, just for the record). So when we needed to clean out our produce drawer to make room for some late fall Farmer's Market goodies to go in, I had some radishes that were calling to me.

Now, I'm not really a radish lover myself. My husband is actually the one who bought them, claiming that he loves them raw, but funny, he only ate a couple out of the bunch?... which left me (frugal wife) to use them in something... If it was summer, I would just chop them up and add them, raw and all, to a salad or coleslaw. But it isn't summer. And I'm just not into eating raw vegetables when it isn't summer (can you even believe I once ate only raw roods for a whopping six months! Whew... glad I'm out of that phase!).

So, what's a frugal, can't-throw-good-food-away person to do with these radishes, I ask myself...

The answer comes in mere moments... roast them, ding bat! Of course, why had I not thought of that sooner? I guess because I've never made roasted radishes before, nor had I ever eaten roasted radishes. I knew nothing of what they would taste like roasted. So I had to try it!

The result? Yes, just like you guessed: sweet (literally sweet, not as in, "S-w-e-e-t, they are like, so good!" sweet). The bitterness is still there, but only a fraction of what it is raw, and the sweetness factor... bursts in your mouth. Those yummy, sweet, radish juices start flowing when the heat is on and I am forever humbled by this amazing vegetable.

Roasted Radishes

1 bunch red radishes
1 medium sized daikon radish
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash radishes and cut into bit size pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread radishes out on sheet in a single layer. Drizzles coconut oil over the radishes, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat.

Roast radishes for 25-30 minutes, stirring half way through.

Warm Cabbage and Kale Salad

I came up with this recipe based off a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers- Heidi of 101cookbooks.com. Her version uses red cabbage (and her pictures are so much prettier than mine, I must say), but I only had green cabbage, so a suitable swap was made. I've really been in the mood for cooked cabbage lately, but instead of roasting it (which is my hands-down favorite way to eat this amazing cruciferous, cancer-fighting veggie), I decided to stove top it and throw in some yummy goodies along the way (kale, raisins, goat cheese- delish!).

The thing I love about this recipe is that you can make so many substitutions and/or additions, customizing it perfectly to your own palate. (Think feta for the goat cheese, craisins or figs for the raisins, broccoli for the kale, etc.) I'm all about recipes that I can alter in some way, adding a bit of Kelly-flare to the mix, truly making it my own.

Let me know if you change this recipe up, how it turns out and what you did! (Or alternatively, if you make it just the way I did, also let me know what you thought of it!) And most of all, enjoy your four servings of veggies in this one amazing dish.


Warm Cabbage and Kale Salad


2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 red onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 head green cabbage
3 kale leaves
salt, pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup raisins
2 oz. goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Chop onion and garlic and add to hot pan. Cook 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent, stirring frequently.

Chop cabbage and kale into bit size pieces and add to pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue cooking another 3-5 minutes until cabbage is slightly wilted and kale is bright green.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Add lid to the pan and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until goat cheese is melted and raisins are plump. Give one final stir to the pan to evenly distribute the goat cheese.

Enjoy warm out of the pan or cold out of the fridge for the next day's lunch.