Allergy Update and Pizza!

We had C's allergy blood tests repeated and we're about the same, if not a little bit worse right now. He stayed pretty much in the 3 and 4 category, but some of the IgE numbers went up especially for peanuts, eggs, sunflower seeds and cashews. I guess I was expecting them to go down a little bit now that he's a year older, but that just means he hasn't hit the "peak point" yet so we're not on our way to outgrowing them anytime soon. Which is a big bummer.

C has never consumed a food that he's allergic to because we found out about his allergies before he was eating table food, so he's never had a real reaction.  The doctor said that based on his numbers, a reaction could be vomiting, bad hives or swelling of the face/throat. So clearly we will continue to maintain a strict diet without any nuts, eggs, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.

At home, cooking without eggs and nuts has become a way of life for me, so I've learned my way around the kitchen without them and have become pretty used to finding substitutes. The hardest part about these allergies is that I can never leave home without some kind of plan for C's meals and snacks which can get kind of overwhelming at times especially when you're busy and don't have time to prepare food in advance. There are not many quick "go to" foods we can rely on on a busy day.  Whenever we go out of town or overnight somewhere, I plan ahead for every meal and usually bring food along for those meals or check menus at restaurants nearby to see if there's something safe for him. Besides all that though, the hardest thing is that C is a toddler and he's picky. He doesn't always like what we're having for dinner and there are very few quick back up plans he can have. That's why I love this pizza recipe that I found: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/pizza-night. I made a substitution so it will be gluten free (b/c of course C just couldn't stop at eggs, nuts and seeds!) and although I prefer the wheat version, this isn't too bad. It's easy, quick pizza without all the ingredients that are bad for you. and he absolutely loves it so I don't have to worry about him not eating it. Also, I can add whatever topping I have on hand and even sneak in some veggies (like tonight's version with broccoli!) This recipe works great when I know he's not going to like what we're having for dinner, or for nights like tonight when he decided to get pink eye and I didn't get home from the doctor with him until 6 :P

Gluten Free Pizza
3 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill brand)
3 1/2 tsp. xantham gum
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 tsp. salt

Stir together flour, salt and xantham gum in a mixing bowl. Add yogurt and melted butter. Mix well.

Pizza toppings:
1 jar pizza sauce (or make your own)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
favorite toppings: pepperoni, sausage, peppers, broccoli, you name it!

I also usually sprinkle some garlic powder and oregano over the crust to flavor it.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough (this recipe will make 2 separate crusts or 6 mini crusts). Spread pizza sauce on dough, top with shredded cheese and preferred toppings. Cook at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. 

If you have leftover dough and don't want to make another pizza, you can make pop tarts! Just roll out the dough, cut into squares, spoon jelly in the center of half of the squares and top it with the other half and then press down on the edges with a fork. Bake these at 350 for 25 minutes. 

Salmon Bites

Looking for an easy way to get your toddler (or husband) to enjoy some salmon? This is a wonderful spin on a childhood favorite which uses two incredibly healthy foods...salmon and coconut oil. I think we all know by now that salmon is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for your little tot's growing brain. Salmon is also a good source of protein and calcium, two other ingredients that are wonderful for you and your children. And don't even get me started on coconut oil! Along with being a great fat source, coconut oil has anti-fungal properties making it good for your digestion and also good for weight maintenance.  I use coconut oil for everything...in the kitchen, for Caleb's diaper rashes (from a separate bottle of course), to take off my eye makeup, face lotion, etc. Also, if you buy the unrefined coconut oil, the taste is just incredible!

The original recipe comes from weelicious (http://weelicious.com/2010/03/23/salmon-bites/), but I made a few adjustments to make it egg and wheat free. The coconut oil substitutes for the egg and the oat flour for the breadcrumbs. I added the lime zest to make the flavor match the coconut. My husband won't go near a traditional fish stick, but these salmon bites he ate with no problem at all! The avocado dipping sauce is also her recipe and goes a long way if you're still having trouble getting your kids to eat them. What's more fun than a bright green sauce!?

Salmon Bites
16 ounces salmon steak, skinless
1/3 cup oat flour (run 1/3 cup oats through a food processor a couple of times to grind it into flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 450. Place oat flour in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and lime zest. Place coconut oil in a separate bowl. Cut up salmon, dip in oil and then coat with the oat flour. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.

Avocado Yogurt Dip
1 ripe avocado, pitted
1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt

Place in the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Serve right away.

Lemon Basil Turkey Burgers

Today is kind of a crazy day, but I wanted to post this recipe before I forget. My husband and I are going to Cincinnati this weekend for a wedding and it will be the first time we leave C overnight to go out of town! He's stayed at his grandparents before, but we were just 10 minutes away at home, so this time will be the first time we'll both be going away without him with us :) Of course this means that I have to have his meals planned out for him and I came up with this turkey burger recipe the other day to bring along to my parent's house for him. He likes it best with a mashed up avocado and I enjoyed it drizzled with yogurt and lime juice. Either way, it's really good! Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture (we were too busy taste testing), so you'll have to trust me on this one :)

Lemon Basil Turkey Burger
1 lb. ground turkey
handful of chopped fresh basil
2 bunches green onion, chopped
1 tsp. granted lemon zest
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Form into either 4 large patties or 6 smaller ones. This will taste the best and juiciest if you either grill them or cook them in a pan with coconut oil for a few minutes on each side until done. Since hot oil in a pan and crazy toddlers don't mix, I just chose to bake them in the oven on 350 for about 25 minutes. That way I got it out of the way and didn't have to tend to it while it was cooking. It turned out a little dry that way, so unless you have a toddler who loves your attention, I'd go with grilling or pan frying it :) If you are going grain-free, these are delicious wrapped in some romaine lettuce with either avocado or yogurt!

Egg Free Corn dog Muffins

Whether or not we'd like to admit it, we all have enjoyed a hot dog on a stick covered with fried dough. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty good! There's been an increasing popularity of real food "corn dog muffins" lately so I decided to give an egg free version a try.  I've been keeping a (short) list of meals C will actually eat, and this one is now #2 on my slowly growing list :P Not the healthiest thing to eat, but definitely more healthy than your normal corn dog!

Egg Free Corn Dog Muffins
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sucanat or rapadura (or regular sugar )
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (I make my own by combining 1 cup whole milk and 1 Tbsp. vinegar, let stand for 5-10 minutes)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 hot dogs, cut into thirds (I use Applegate brand)

Preheat oven to 425 and grease a 12 cup muffin pan. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sucanat, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until a batter is formed. Drop batter into muffin pan by spoonfuls. Insert a hot dog piece into the center of each muffin (lay it on it's side for best results). Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Kid-Friendly Meals: Fish Sticks!

We started a new family tradition where every Monday night will be "kids night" for dinner where we'll have a (healthier) version of kid-friendly meals. This week I decided to kick it off with a meal that is near and dear to my heart and quite far from my husband's...fish sticks. Growing up I really wouldn't eat anything except macaroni and cheese, but occasionally I would eat a fish stick.  However, my husband's experience with fish sticks ruined his taste for fish (I believe he used the phrase "I gagged" and "it tasted like Lake Erie").  So, this week it was my mission to redeem the fish stick in my husband's eyes and show him that fish really is quite good!

I am pleased to report that both C and my husband ate the fish sticks, and although he wouldn't admit it, I think my husband enjoyed them. I wanted to serve these with macaroni and cheese, but C does not like macaroni and cheese! So I served them with baked fries instead, but either would work well.

Fish Sticks
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1 tsp. salt-free seasoning (I used Trader Joe's 21 salute seasoning)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 lbs white fish (like tilapia, halibut or cod), cut into strips

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the flour, oil and panko crumbs in separate bowls. Mix the seasonings in with the panko crumbs.  Coat each fish stick in flour, dip into the oil and then coat with the panko/seasoning blend. Add more flour, oil and panko crumbs if needed. Place the fish sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These will also freeze really well if you want to make them ahead of time and then save them for busy nights :)

Creamy Avocado Mexican Pasta

C has been a seriously picky eater the past couple of weeks.

All he has wanted to eat has been bread, bananas and beets. Yes, I said beets. I cut him off after 3 small beets today and he was not happy. He started crying and reaching for the refrigerator as I put them away. I know beets are good for you, but post-beet diaper duty is not fun so I had to set a limit. Most parents have to limit the amount of cookies and candy their child eats....we have to limit the amount of beets C eats. Not your average toddler!

Finally tonight I found a meal that he would actually eat! A few weeks ago I found a recipe for Creamy Avocado Pasta on pinterest, but it didn't quite seem like a full meal since it was just noodles and avocado sauce. So since we love avocados so much over here, I decided to kick it up a notch and make our own version.  This is a fun and tasty combination of mexican and pasta -- absolutely delicious!

Creamy Avocado Mexican Pasta
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 16 oz. jar chunky salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 can of black beans
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 avocado,
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime juice
1 cup mexican cheese
4 ounces cooked pasta

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and peppers and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add the salsa, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, scoop out the avocado and place into a food processor along with the lime juice and salt. Pulse until avocado is smooth and creamy (you can add a little bit of water if you need to).

Add the avocado cream and cheese to the skillet. Continue to cook on low until cheese is melted and bubbly. Mix with pasta and serve.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Poor little Toots has had a rough couple of weeks. It all started 2 Sundays ago when he spiked the highest fever he's ever had (104.2) and was just really tired and lethargic all afternoon. We took him to the peds ER because of the high fever and they determined that it was probably just a passing virus. Later that week he started to get a cold and the next Sunday he woke up right at midnight with horrible croup cough that kept him awake on and off all night. The next day the doctor gave him a med to help him breathe easier, but the cough/cold has stayed this whole week. So, needless to say he's been pretty miserable! He gave the cough/cold to my husband, but somehow (although I was awake almost the whole night on Sunday with him coughing in my face) I have not gotten sick....yet. I'm still waiting for it.

Of course, everyone who is sick needs some chicken soup! I can't do soup that is mostly broth with a few noodles and chunks of chicken floating around. I need soup that is full and hearty, which is why I love this chicken rice soup. It has a great homemade taste and is loaded with meat, rice and veggies. If you find yourself under the weather this winter season, this soup is for you!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 leeks, chopped and washed

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried basil

8 cups chicken broth

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup cooked wild rice

splash of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Place a large pot over medium heat and add oil. Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, garlic and spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chicken and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until chicken is done, about 1 hour. Remove the chicken, cut up the meat and return back to the pot. Stir in the wild rice, balsamic vinegar and parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Mmmmm....we're feeling better already!

Egg-Free Lasagna Skillet

I need to apologize. I totally forgot to take a picture of this meal I am about to share with you. It slipped my mind, but I still wanted to post the recipe because it is a great quick and easy meal that is safe for egg allergies. Typically lasagna is in the danger zone for those with egg allergies, but there is no need for egg in this skillet recipe. The other thing to watch out for is often times lasagna noodles will either be made with egg or have that fun little label (that I am starting to despise) "made on shared equipment with egg".  With this recipe you can choose any noodle you want, usually whole wheat noodles are safe with no egg. My husband's been out of town for part of the week, so this meal has kept me and the little one going for a couple days with no need to cook a new meal. We've missed him, but not having to cook too much has been nice :)

Egg Free Lasagna Skillet
1 lb. ground beef
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (a garlic-basil marina tastes great)
5 cups cooked noodles
1 cup cottage cheese (we use the regular, not low fat)
8-oz pkg of shredded mozzarella cheese (or cut up chunks of mozz cheese)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. dry minced onion
Italian seasonings to taste

Brown beef and drain. Stir in sauce, garlic powder, dry minced onion and desired seasonings and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and noodles and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Yes, it is that simple!

Egg Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

Here's another easy egg free dinner! It's great for Mom's with little ones because you can quickly put it together in the afternoon while your tot is napping and then heat it up and make the pasta right before you're ready to eat.  A couple notes: If you do have an egg allergy, make sure you buy pasta that is egg free. Also, make sure you don't buy meat that is too lean. I used grass-fed organic ground beef that was 85/15 and it held together really well without egg. If you don't want to use red meat and opt for turkey instead, make sure it is the dark meat turkey. Meat with too little fat on it won't hold together without the egg binding it. There are many significant health benefits to choosing grass-fed beef. Here's a good site that explains what you will be missing out on/gaining in return when you buy grass-fed: http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html.

 Egg Free Meatballs
For the sauce:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup spinach
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef (or dark turkey if you prefer)
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients until mixed together. Roll into balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until no longer pink.

Combine spinach and 15 oz. can sauce in a food processor. Process until spinach is mostly chopped. Place the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and spices and heat for another minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce mixture and simmer for 15 minutes.

Once the meatballs are done cooking, remove them from the oven and place on a plate covered with paper towel to blot off grease. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

If you are making this ahead of time, at this point you can remove the pot from the burner, allow to cool and then place in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. Once it's dinnertime, just reheat the sauce over low heat on the stove and serve over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Egg Free (and Healthier!) Chicken Nuggets

I made a couple of changes to the original egg free chicken nugget recipe and reposted it below.  Before going on a trip a few weeks ago, I looked up ingredients in various fast food restaurants to be prepared in case we had to stop there on the road. Much to my surprise, McDonalds chicken nuggets do not have egg in them. They have plenty of other ingredients, but egg is not one of them.  I'm not so sure if real chicken was on the list either! I got kind of dizzy trying to make out the various chemical names posing as food and gave up. However, for those with allergies, McDonalds is not clear as to whether or not they cross contaminate with foods containing egg so it's still best to stay away.  Egg or no egg, I'd go with these nuggets over McDonald's any day!




Egg Free Chicken Nuggets
1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
4 Tbsp. olive oil (if you can eat eggs, you would use 2 eggs here instead of the oil)
2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Cut chicken tenders into 1-inch chunks.  Combine flour and olive oil in one bowl. In another bowl combine the bread crumbs, salt and all the spices. Dip chicken pieces in the oil/flour mixture and then coat in the bread crumbs. You don't need to submerge the chicken in the oil, just lightly dip it and then rub the oil around with your fingers before coating with the breadcrumbs.  Depending on how much chicken you have, you may need a little bit more oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place nuggets on sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Ingredients don't have to be complicated...so simple and so delicious!

This post is shared in the weekly allergy blog hop! http://www.realfoodallergyfree.com/2013/01/easy-5-second-cheesecake-dip-pumpkin-pudding-best-choc-chip-cookies/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:

Sloppy Joe Cornbread?

Tonight I did something kind of different. I got the idea from another blog, but I modified it a little and made it egg free. The result was two of my husband's favorite meals in one incredibly simple but yummy dish. I basically made some sloppy Joe meat and poured cornbread batter on top, sprinkled some cheese on top and baked it in the oven. It was delicious. We ate over half of an 8x8 dish of it! This is definitely a kid (and adult) pleasing meal.

Sloppy Joe Cornbread


For the sloppy joe:
1 lb. ground beef
1 T. minced onion (I just used dried)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 T. worchestershire sauce
1/2 green pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Drain. Add the ketchup, garlic powder, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper and green pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

For the cornbread: (cornbread recipe from peasandthankyou.com)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

½ t. baking soda

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Mix melted butter and milk together in a glass measuring bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined.

Preheat the oven to 425. Pour sloppy joe mixture in an 8x8 baking dish and top with the cornbread batter. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 19-22 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

Oven Beef Stew

Recently I got my first cast iron Dutch oven and I could not wait to find the perfect recipe to try it out. The snow started last night so I figured a nice hearty beef stew would work. Plus, I am spending my first weekend away from my little guy and I knew Daddy would need some leftovers to dish out over the weekend.  I don't make beef stew that often, but now with my new pot I have a feeling it will become a more frequent visitor to our kitchen table :)

For the rest of the weekend I am leaving them with a batch of spaghetti meat sauce, leftover chicken noodle soup, plenty of snacks and some oatmeal raisin cookies. They'll hardly know I'm gone!

Oven Beef Stew
6 T. all purpose flour, divided
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups beef broth
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 t. dried rosemary
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

In a large resealable plastic bag or a bowl, combine 4 T. flour, salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the beef in batches. Remove and set aside. Add onion to the pan and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining flour and pepper.  Gradually stir in broth. Add the beef, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and worcestershire sauce.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and bake for 1 hour longer. Stir in peas. Cover and let stand 5  minutes before serving.

Toddler Lunch Idea -- Homemade Hot Pockets!

Kids with food allergies can't do most pre-packaged food items including one of my favorites from growing up, Hot Pockets. Here's a version that will be fun for kids because they can choose their fillings and help you assemble them and they're great for either lunch or dinner. You can even make them ahead of time, freeze separately and pull them out and pop them in the microwave as you need them. It's also a great way to use up any leftovers you have in the fridge. And the best part? They're a lot healthier than the real thing!

Homemade Hot Pockets

For the dough:

1 cup water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups whole wheat flour

For the filling:

This is where you can get creative!

We tried: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and green peppers. 

You can also do:

tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, leftover meatballs

leftover chicken, salsa, black beans and mexican cheese

cheddar cheese and broccoli

roasted garlic, spinach and chicken

pesto and chicken

Have fun with it and let your kids think of their own creations!

Topping:

Olive oil

parmesan cheese

garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a glass measuring cup, heat 1 cup water until warm (but not too hot). Drop in 2 t. yeast and let rise for one minute. Add the salt and olive oil and gently stir. In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or a food processor), add the 3 cups flour and water mixture and process until a dough ball forms. Coat a large bowl with olive oil and let the dough ball rise in the bowl for 15 -30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the other fillings by mixing the cheese, sautéing or chopping any veggies you are using, etc. 

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten out with a rolling pin. Add your desired filling and seal the edges together as best you can with your fingers. Flip the pocket over and lay seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Make a couple of holes with a fork, brush tops with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic powder. 

Bake in the oven fro 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Chili

My husband and I aren't big fans of the winter time. Brushing snow off the car, getting dark at 5pm, bundling up, wrestling C to the ground to get him in his snowsuit that he knows will inhibit his every move. However, there is one thing that gives us something to look forward to during the cold winter months...a nice warm bowl of chili.  I never liked chili until I met my husband, and it took some begging and pleading before I started making it on a regular basis and now I am hooked.  We've tried beef chili, turkey chili, white chicken chili and even loaded it with different kinds of beans. (Diaper duty was not fun the day after that meal so we're limiting the beans for now). Although we always like to try a new variety, this one is our absolute favorite.  It's your basic chili, full of flavor, a little bit of beans, and lots of colorful peppers.

Now THIS is something we can get excited about!

Beef Chili

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

2 stalks celery, diced

1 1/2 cups peppers (combo of green, red, yellow or orange)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 T. chili powder

2 t. oregano

1 t. cumin

1 t. basil

1 t. marjoram

1 14 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 T. tomato paste

1 T. lime juice

2 t. worcestershire sauce

1 cube beef bouillon

1 cup beef broth

1/2 t. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream

Cook beef and veggies in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil and marjoram and sauté for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or longer to allow flavors to blend. Spoon chili into bowls and serve with toppings.

Tired of Turkey?

Between the Thanksgiving meal itself, the seconds you went back for later that evening (we all do it) and the leftovers, you might find yourself feeling a little tired of turkey and in need of a "lighter" meal. This is a great healthy soup that is cheap, filling and easy to make.  It makes for a great lunch or pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or a salad for dinner.

Tomato-Lentil Soup

4 ½ cups water

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 leek, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 green pepper, chopped

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 T. fresh minced parsley

½ T. brown sugar

1 T. white vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ t. dried thyme

1 t. oregano

1 cup spinach

salt and pepper

mozzarella cheese for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine the water, carrots, leek, pepper, celery and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add spinach and heat until wilted.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over soup before serving. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Last year, my husband and I started what we hope will be a Thanksgiving family tradition in our household for years to come. We decided to keep a list of what we are thankful for throughout the month of November and then, no matter what our holiday plans are, have our own little Thanksgiving dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving where we'll share everything on the list with each other. Last year I just stuck a sheet of paper on the refrigerator and we added to the list as we were led. This year, being motivated by pinterest, I decided to get a little crafty and made a countdown calendar. We wrote one thing we were thankful for on a piece of paper and stuck it in the slot for that day. 

Here were some of the comments

Can you find C's contribution? For some reason "my wife" and "our son" didn't make it in the picture. But don't worry, they where in there :)

For dinner, I decided to do a little southwest spin on the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had chili-lime rubbed turkey breast with chipotle cranberry sauce, chipotle mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and cornbread. For dessert we had egg and nut free apple-cranberry crisp. 

Everything turned out great and we had a wonderful time looking through our thankful list and comparing it to last year's. I'm really looking forward to when C can write out his own comments :) Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Below are the recipes for the turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes and crisp. The green beans were just sprinkled with lemon juice and salt and the cornbread I have listed in a post called "The First Flavors of Fall". 

Chili-Lime Rubbed Turkey Breast

1 skinless turkey breast (about 2 - 2.5 lbs)

1 t. chili powder

1 T. lime juice

salt

1/2 t. cumin

Place turkey breast in a roasting pan and rub the spices over the top. Drizzle lime juice over turkey. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1.5 - 2 hours or until done. Top with cranberry sauce (except for your toddler's).

Chipotle Cranberry Sauce

1 T. canola oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup port wine (or grape juice)

1/4 t. ginger

1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries

1 t. grated lime rind

1 minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add sugar, water, wine (or juice), ginger and cranberries. Bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until cranberries are popped. Remove from heat and stir in lime rind and chile. 

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes  (the only way I've ever gotten my husband to eat sweet potatoes!)

6 medium sweet potatoes (unpeeled)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 T. finely chopped chipotle chilies, canned in adobo sauce

1 t. adobo sauce

1/2 t. salt

3 green onions

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp. Combine the pulp, butter, chilies, adobo, salt and green onions in a food processor. Reheat to serve. 

Cranberry-Apple Crisp

6-7 large apples, peeled and cut into 6 wedges

1 t. grated lemon zest

2 t. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup honey

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

Spray an oval 14 x 9-inch casserole dish with baking spray. Combine the apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cranberries and cinnamon in a large bowl, and pour the mixture into the prepared dish. 

To make the topping, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, honey, cinnamon, salt and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the topping all over the apple-cranberry mixture and place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Serve hot with ice cream. 

Chicken Parmesan Take 2

I revised my chicken parmesan recipe because C had a reaction the the "flax egg" coating that I tried to substitute for egg in the breading. Apparently it is now nuts, eggs, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds. (and possibly coconut?) The list seems to be expanding. His reaction was just a rash though so nothing big, but we will be staying away from all things flax from now on. Here's the new recipe. It's definitely worth trying!

Chicken Parmesan

4 Chicken breasts

1 cup bread crumbs

3 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar

1/4 t. basil

1/4 t. oregano

1/4 t. garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 cup flour

1 cup tomato sauce

¼ cup parmesan cheese

4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Set up 3 medium-sized bowls on countertop. In first bowl, place 1 cup flour. In second bowl, mix 3 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar. Stir in your spices and salt and pepper. In third bowl, place 1 cup breadcrumbs. Bread your chicken by first coating with flour, then with the olive oil mix and lastly with the breadcrumbs. Brown the chicken for a few minutes on both sides in a pan with 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, place 1 cup tomato sauce and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the sauce. Place the 4 chicken breasts on top of sauce and top each one with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Gyro-Sized Love

I love my husband this much:

Well, more than that. For the past two months, E has been asking me to make homemade gyros. It all started over Labor Day weekend when we were in New Jersey visiting my grandparents. We took them out to a Greek Diner for lunch and I told him that if he wanted to order a gyro (pronounced year-o) at a Greek Diner in front of my Yiayia and Papou, he would need to pronounce it correctly. He was quiet in the car on the way there (perhaps he was practicing?), but when we got there he ordered a gyro with bold confidence and smooth articulation. Perhaps that confidence was a bad thing, because he has not stopped talking about gyros and asking for gyros since he learned how to say the word.  

So, tonight I finally gave in and made gyros for dinner. Perhaps it was because I didn't feel like tackling the mess in the family room, so I decided to make a mess in the kitchen. Or I was just getting sick of him asking so I was hoping they would turn out bad and he wouldn't ask again. Or maybe I was just up for the challenge.  Whatever it was, it ended up being a lot easier than I thought. I didn't need some fancy spinning pile of meat in the kitchen or any strange spices. Typically gyros are made with lamb, but I made ours with ground beef because I'm not a huge fan of lamb.  So, here it is.

Homemade Gyros

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 onion, cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 cup greek yogurt

1 T. olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 t. salt

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

pita bread

chopped tomatoes

sliced onions

Combine beef, salt, pepper and oregano in a bowl. Mix with hands until homogenous. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. 

Adjust oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meat mixture in food processor with onion and 1 clove of garlic. Process until smooth. (I could have used a bigger food processor here)

Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form meat into a rectangle on baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches high, 8 inches long and 5 inches wide (or your best guess).  Bake about 30 minutes. Allow loaf to rest for about 15 minutes or refrigerate until you're ready to eat. 

Meanwhile, make sauce. Combine yogurt, cucumber, finely minced garlic, salt and olive oil. Stir until mixed. 

Adjust broiler rack to highest position and preheat broiler. Thinly slice the meat, place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil until edges are brown and crispy (about 5 minutes but keep an eye on it). Warm pita bread in the oven while the broiler is on. 

Now you're read to eat. Spread the yogurt on the pita and top with a few slices of meat, tomatoes, and onions. Fold the pita up and wrap the bottom half with aluminum foil to hold. Enjoy. 

Looks just like the restaurants, doesn't it? 

No Egg Italian Dishes

After some experimenting, I am pleased to report that I was able to come up with egg-free versions of two of our favorite italian dishes -- chicken parmesan and lasagna. Usually eggs are used in chicken parmesan in the breading and lasagna uses them in the cheese mixture. There are a couple of easy ways to get around using eggs though and it tastes just the same. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts

1 cup flour

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

2 T. flaxseed (or 3 T. chickpea flour)

3 T. water

salt and pepper

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 jar tomato sauce

4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Line up 3 small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, put the 1 cup of flour and sprinkle some salt and pepper mixing well with a wire whisk. In the second bowl whisk together the 2 T. flaxseed (or 3 T. chickpea flour) and 3 T. water.  Put the breadcrumbs in the 3rd bowl. Take one chicken breast and coat it with flour, followed by the flaxseed mixture and then the breadcrumbs. Place chicken on a plate and repeat with the 3 other chicken breasts. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 T. oil. Heat chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned. 

Pour 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Place chicken in dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and top with slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour tomato sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Lasagna

1 T. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup chopped peppers (variety)

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground beef

3 T. tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup tomato sauce

1 ½ t. sugar

½ t. crushed red pepper

1 t. oregano

½ cup torn fresh basil (or 3 T. dried basil)

1 t. thyme

1 t. rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

32 oz. cottage cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 t. dried parsley

salt and pepper

9 no boil lasagna noodles

½ cup water

Slice all your veggies.

 In a dutch oven over medium high heat, cook the onion, garlic and celery in 1 T. oil for 3 minutes. Add the beef, carrots and peppers and cook until the beef is browned. Drain. 

Add the ingredients from the tomato paste to the salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer if you have the time). 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. 

Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of the meat mixture on bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish, top with 1/4 cup meat mixture and half of the cheese mixture.

 Repeat the layers twice. Top with 3 noodles, remaining meat mixture, remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup of water to the edges of the pan, cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Place a baking sheet on the rack under the lasagna to catch any dripping sauce. 

Mmmmmm.