Category Archives: Gluten free

Mom’s Decadent Peanut Butter Pie Mini Mason Jars

 

My mom makes a version of this recipe for my birthday every year. We used to go to a restaurant in Pa called Rachel’s which this pie tastes just like.  My birthday is coming up and I no longer live close to home so I decided to make it for myself this year. I did not end up making the crust she generally makes a oatmeal no bake crust.  You can shave some chocolate on the top or place some roasted chopped peanuts for an added texture & topping.  I prefer to place it in portion controlled contains so I do not eat the whole thing. Also this way you can share to many or have a dinner party and everyone will love the fact you made them their own personal dessert. My boyfriend and I started doing mason jars desserts during covid to avoid multiple people touching or breathing around desserts.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream

1 Teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

8 ounce of cream cheese (room temperature) 

1 cup of your favorite smooth peanut butter

1 cup of confectionary sugar

—Optional for topping, roasted chopped peanuts, or broken peanut brittle pieces on the top

1. Whip up the first 3 ingredients (heavy cream, extract, granulated sugar) into a mixing bowl with whipping attachment. Whip until peaks form. 

2. In a separate bowl mix together the soft cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectionary sugar until all items are married together (looks similar to frosting consistency). 

3. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth. 

4. Placed the batter in a large sealable ziplock bag, cut a small piece off one the the tips and fill approximately 112g of the filling into each 4 oz mason jar to yield 12 jars, Or divide the batter however you’d like. For best results seal with mason jar lid and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you indulge. 

 

You can make this vegan by using full fat cold coconut milk (canned) & vegan cream cheese. If there is a peanut butter allergy in the family, you can use any smooth nut butter.

To make low carb substitutions would be swerve sweetener granulated sugar (or equivalent ands swerve confectionary sugar replacement equal parts. 

Vacation Shrimp Boil

My family loves to vacation together in Topsail North Carolina. We have been going there since the late nineties. Just recently we started preparing a low-country boil. The tradition started a few years ago with purchasing a pot that a local restaurant would prep for you to take back to the beach house to prepare. This year we bought all the ingredients and made our own (we even brought with us our own 12 qt stock pots. We like to make this the night we all get in to the island since it is minimal prep and time to cook. Plus super easy clean up. Bonus lots of leftovers.42081594-77A1-4D2F-91D4-30A4C5FC50FF_1_201_a

 

Serves 8-10 (with enough leftovers for a low country shrimp boil salad or frittata the next day)

Ingredients:

1 cup of old bay seasoning, plus more for sauce
3 pounds of small red skin potatoes (cleaned but keep the skin on)
2 pounds of Kielbasa (cut into thick coin slices)
6 Corn on the cobs (cut in half)
3 pounds of shrimp ( in shell)
Ketchup
Horseradish (prepared in jar)

Directions:

1. Add water & old bay to a large pot (or two) and allow to come to a boil.
2. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add kielbasa and cook for 12 minutes.
4. Add corn on the cob and boil for 2 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until pink.
6. Strain into a cooler or place on newspaper or we used 2 half sheet pans with rack inserts which worked well too.
7. Service with homemade cocktail sauce (mix together horseradish, ketchup, and additional old bay to taste.

Zesty Tajin Hummus

Yields 14 servings (1/4 cup)

Tools needed for the job:

Vitamix

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 oz) of chickpeas,  drained and reserve one 1/4 cup of liquid

7 ounces of roasted red peppers and yellow or combination (packed in water NOT oil) drained

7 cloves of garlic (I love love garlic)

3 tablespoons of tahini ( essentially Sesame seed butter)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon reduced sodium tajin 

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon of whole coriander seeds

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in the vitamix and place the device on liquid setting. Once mode complete, place contents into sealable container.  Allow the contents to marry overnight.

Keep stored in refrigerator. 

My favorite combinations with hummus are #1 Pizza! Other favorites are snap peas, carrots, wasa crackers, whole grain corn and quinoa cakes,  & added to kale salad! 

Thanksgiving Cranberry Turkey Salad

My work graciously gave us vouchers for either turkeys or hams this year at Christmas. Since we are in the process of moving, I waited until the very last minute to pick up my turkey breast at the Piggly Wiggly. We only had until the last day of February to purchase them which really worked out in our favor since we did not have our own refrigerator until mid January. 

My husband and I waited until Saturday to roast the turkey breast in the slow cooker while we house shopped. The turkey pretty much took that long to thaw out in the refrigerator. It sure was nice to have dinner done when we returned home from an exhausting day of decision making. What location to buy the house? Which neighborhood ? What house? 

What I love most about roasting poultry is there are unless outcomes with the end result. First of course sliced and served with a heeping amount of garlic mashed potatoes than served in pot pies, soups, salads, pastas,  Ect. 

Yields: 5 Servings 

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of roasted sunflower seeds

4 Tablespoons of dried cranberries 

2 teaspoons malt vinegar 

2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard

4 Tablespoons of light miracle whip

4 Tablespoons plain fat free Greek yogurt

2 cups of cooled roasted turkey breast, chopped 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a sealable container (should hold at least 3 cups). 

2. Fold in the turkey to the salad dressing blend. Lastly salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Enjoy with some whole grain crackers or whole wheat bread with spinach! 

Spicy Stuffed Pepper Soup


We had so many green peppers in the garden this year! I was stuffing them like crazy! At work we have stuff Pepper Soup on the menu all the time. I thought I’d give it a try in the slowcooker. I have made Stuffed Pepper Soup before with vegetarian soy crumbles and you can most definitely do that with this recipe. 

This is a perfect fall dish for the crisp weather this time of year and a good way to use those heirloom green peppers from the garden. 

This recipe yields: 12 serving

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy sausage

1 pound extras lean ground beef (93/7)

32 ounce canned no added salt tomato sauce

1 (10 ounce can) rotel (undrained)

1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 quart of low sodium spicy v8

1 quart of water   

2 cups of diced green peppers

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 small jalapeño, diced

2 cups of uncooked brown rice 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon penzeys beef base

Directions: 

1. In a large nonstick pan brown the beef and sausage over medium heat. Make sure no pink meat remains. Drain the meat to remove excess fat. 

2. While the meat cooks prep and pour all other ingredients into a 6 quart slowcooker. Once meat is done dump the meat into the slow cooker and stir. Set the soup on low for 8 hours. Stir occasionally. 

Enjoy! Goes well with cornbread! 

Actifry Pesto Chicken & Potatoes


If you don’t know it by now, we love the Actifry at our house. We use this wonderful cooking gadget at the very least weekly. It is such a time saver. It can cook just about anything main dishes,sides, desserts, and snacks.

I appreciate using this device during weeknights for a quick easy dinner. Bonus easy clean up with essentialy a one pot meal. At the end of the meal, just throw everything in the dishwasher and call it an evening. 

We have so much Pesto, I have been adding it to everything. This recipe came to made on my way home from work. 

Prep time: 5 minutes  

Cooking time: 40-43 minutes

Servings: 2 large meals or 4 small

Ingredients:

2 ounces of prepared Pesto, divided

2 chicken breast, cubed into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 medium potatoes (about 3 cups, cubed 1 inch pieces) (washed clean & not peeled)

Tools for the Job:

  • Actifry

Directions:

1. In either a ziplock bag or sealable container marinate the chicken breast ovennight with 1 ounce of Pesto.

2. When ready to prepare the dish,place the prepared potatoes with oil & remaining 1 ounce of Pesto in the actifry. Close the lid. Place the timer on 20 minutes. 

3. Add the chicken in the Actifry with the potatoes and place the timer on for another 20-23 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Bold Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

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We had my husband’s colleagues over for a picnic yesterday. I had intentions of making my vibrant blackeyed pea salad; however, I cooked the beans too long in the pressure cooker. It was my first time cooking the black eyed peas in the pressure cooker.  Apparently they don’t take as long to cook as black beans. Well, I learned my lesson for the day. There seems to always be a lesson to be learned. Anyway, there is a positive to this food story,  the unintended outcome was this spicy black-eyed pea hummus. I was able to showcase some crispy fresh garden vegetables from my grandfather’s garden and also my favorite local markets as well.

Hummus goes well with so many foods, I like to add it on top of a pizza instead of marinara sauce. I also add it to my vegetarian BLTs, and I love it on my soft tortilla shells. My frequent go to with hummus is with fresh vegetables. I suggesting skipping the ranch and giving this creamy dip a try.  My favorite pairs are cherry heirloom tomatoes, kohlrabi, red bell peppers, and snap peas.

This recipe makes 30 ounces of hummus (plenty to share; even for us non-sharers )

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Water

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

3 1/4 cup cooked black eye peas, (if canned make sure to buy low sodium and rinse well)

4 Tablespoons fresh chives

4-5  large of cloves of garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons of ground cumin, plus more for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon of fajita seasoning

Tools: Vitamix Blender  (I have the Professional Series 750)

2 (2 cup capacity sealalbe containers to store the goods)

Directions:

  1. In the order of the ingredient list, place all the ingredient items in the vitamix or blender. Place the lid on the attachment to secure.
  2. Select variable number one and gradually increase to number seven.
  3. Allow for all the ingredients to marry in the vessel for at least 1 minute. Use the vitamix wand to press the ingredients to the blades if necessary.
  4. Portion out the hummus in two separate containers. Sprinkle with fresh chives.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Baked Barbecue Zucchini Chips

We have so much Zucchini in the garden! We could not even fit two more in the refrigerator.  I have been wanting to try baked zucchini chips for a while now so no better time than now. 

This recipe is very easy especially if you have a mandolin. These chips take a little extra time and patience; however, they are worth the wait.  I ate the entire first batch… oops and then had to make another. 

Ingredients: 

One small-medium zucchini

Add half a teaspoon a barbecue 3001 seasoning 

Canola Oil Cooking Spray

2 Half sheet pans with parchment paper

Pre-directions preheat the oven to 230 degrees and line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

Directions

1. Using a mandolin safely cut up one zucchini. 

2. Blot the cut zucchini slices with paper towels to remove the excess moisture.

3. Line the zucchini slices on parchment paper lined pan. 

4. Spray the zucchini with cooking spray & sprinkle with the BBQ powder. The trick to even distribution is using a powder sugar metal shaker (all purpose shaker). 

5. Place the pans in the oven. Bake for an hour at 230 degrees. Rotate out the pans and bake for another hour, at same temperature, or until golden in color. 

Enjoy !

Mini Mediterranean Kalamata Olive & Spinach Frittatas

These mini frittatas are just what you need to get you going in the morning. These tiny protein powerhouses are full of vegetables and flavor. Today was day two for the Vintage Grand Prix Car festivities and I sent these along with my husband to fuel up the drivers for the event. They bite size egg muffins are the perfect size for dinning on the run and freeze well if you want to enjoy them longer than a week. 
This recipe yields 10 mini frittatas

 

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

1/4 cup of red onion, chopped

3/4 cup of red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup kalatata olives, pitted and chopped

2 cups of fresh spinach

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup skim milk

3 whole eggs

3/4 cup egg whites or 6 egg whites

1/4 cup of fat free or reduced fat feta

1/4 teaspoon cracked fresh pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cooking spray line vessels in a standard muffin tin. I used stoneware for this recipe which generally requires longer baking time.

2. Heat sauté pan to medium heat, cooking spray the pan, once the pan is ready, add onions,& peppers. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add spinach, oregano and olives. 

3. In a large separate bowl whisk together the pepper, skim milk, eggs, egg whites, and feta. Set aside. 

4. Once the spinach has wilted take the cooked vegetables and add them to the egg mixture. Whisk all the ingredients together. 

5. Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup and add the batter to the prepared muffin tins 1/4 cup at a time. Place the muffin tin in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Using the stoneware pan this recipe did take 25 minutes. Remove the frittatas from oven when internal temperature reads 160 degrees. Allow the frittatas to cool slightly before removing from the pan and enjoy alone or on a toasted English muffin. 

Enjoy!

Tri-Color Quinoa


I love quinoa! This Tri-Color Quinoa goes well with just about any dish. I make it in bulk on the weekends and serve it up with most of my lunches or dinners during the week. Add it to beans, salads, place onto of portobello mushrooms, stuff peppers with. Really you can use it just about anywhere you typically use rice. I prefer it over rice because of it’s nutty flavor and fluffy texture. Quinoa provides more protein than traditional grain products. A 1/2 of cup uncooked quinoa provides 8 grams of protein.

Ingredients:

1 cup of dry (rinsed through a strainer) Quinoa (I like the tri-colored but you pick your favorite)

2 cups of water

1 tsp of Penzey’s Vegetarian Soup Base

1 tsp of Pasta Sprinkle (or Italian seasoning)

1 tsp Roasted Garlic Powder

Directions:

  1. Place a 2 quart pan on a burner with vegetable base, garlic powder, water & quinoa on high. Allow the quinoa to come to a boil.
  2. Once the quinoa is boiling, decrease the temperature to simmer and place lid over pan.
  3. Allow the quinoa to simmer for 15 minutes with lid on. After 15 minutes have elasped check to see if the grain is fluffy and no water remains.