Sandy Update!

Tags

New York City

Hey guys! Wow, thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers after Sandy. I am truly overwhelmed with the love and concern from you guys:) Thank you. I continue to think about those devastated on Long Island who still are without power. Luckily I got power back yesterday, on Saturday.

uprooted tree

However, I was able to fly out of the city (the morning LGA opened) and fly home to Cincinnati for the weekend. I will be returning to the city tomorrow. I did this because without power, I had to significantly change my diet, and my parents and I were scared that the drastic change (to raw foods and lots of nuts) would trigger another flare. That, and it was actually cheaper to fly home then get a hotel room for a night!

the front of the brownstone literally blew off

I have never seen Manhattan like this. It was seriously like something out of the movie, 2012. It was so dark, and people were frantic, trying to preserve their battery life on their cell phones and conserve water. North of 39th street, they had power, but in the Village, it was like another world. Everything was boarded up and closed. The only things that were open were the little cigarette shops/delis where the owner literally stood at the door (it was pitch black inside) and he’d say, “whadda ya want,” with his hand on his hips, guarding his store. And then you’d have to pay cash. It was so crazy.

it was like a doll house

Every day, I would walk up to 39th street and go into a Duane Reade and charge my phone. There would be a line 3 people deep at each outlet to charge their phone. With each phone requiring at least an hour of charge time, that would end up being an all-afternoon-ordeal.

But I got word yesterday that power was restored at my building. Thank goodness.

debris everywhere

I apologize for not “recipe-ing” it up while in Cincy. The day after I got home, I had a fever of 103, and I’ve been nursing it ever since. I think my body was running on adrenaline in NYC and now that I’m home, it finally said, enough’s enough.

Did you watch Sandy on the news? What were your thoughts?

Until tomorrow!

Sandy CPB Pavlova! GF, SCD, V Opt’n!

Tags

beets, carrots, desserts, eggs, GF cookies, gluten free, Meringue, New York City, pear, SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, stevia, vegan

Well, I’m hunkered down and cozy as Hurricane Sandy is raging outside. I can literally hear the wind howling through the streets. The trees (yes there are a few trees in NYC) are thrashing around. BUT, I still have power (knock on wood!!) and I’ve actually had a really productive day!

Aaaaand, I even made a stellar recipe!! This recipe does take a lot of time…not active time, but baking time. So…make this on a slow weekend…or when you’re stuck in a hurricane:)

dramatic inside, dramatic outside #sandy

What it is?

Well I’ll give you a hint…it can be dessert OR dinner!!! And it’s made with…vegetables:)

It’s a……..CPB Pavlova!! C for Carrots, P for Pears, and B for Beets!!!

so whimsical!

And if you don’t know what a pavlova is, it is a meringue tart. (Not vegan…sorry!!! But the filling is vegan, and amazing on its own!!) It’s light as air, crispy, chewy, and just heavenly.

the pears finish it off perfectly!

I filled it with a sweet, and tasty filling of CPB! :)

And it’s Gluten Free and Specific Carb Diet Friendly!

what a bite!

Here’s what you need:

2 egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks
3 packets pure stevia powder – about 1 tsp (SCD use 1 tsp honey)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 small beets or 1 medium beet, diced and steamed
1 large carrot, chopped and steamed
1 pear, peeled and chopped (reserve 3 slices for garnish)
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 “droppers-ful” pure liquid stevia (SCD use 2 tsp honey)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a bowl, whip your egg whites until they form stiff peaks. (I did this BY HAND with a whisk! phew! But a hand or stand mixer would work just fine:)) Then, whisk in your cinnamon and sweetener. On a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, create a circular mound of meringue. With the back of a spoon or spatula, form a little crater in the center for you to put your filling in later. Then bake for 2 hours. Then, turn the oven off (without opening the door) and leave them in the oven for 2 more hours!

With about an hour left, steam your beets and carrots. Then, put them into your food processor along with the beets, cashews and sweetener. Process until smooth and creamy. Put in a bowl, set aside, and clean your food processor while you wait for the Pavlova to finish drying/baking.

cloud-like pavlova right out of the oven!

After the 4 hours is complete, dollop about 1/2 of the CPB mixture in the center of your pavlova, and garnish with the slices of pear.

This. Rocked!! Oh my goodness, it was crazy delicious, and super healthy! What’s not to love?! It was a dramatic dish with the deep crimson cream and the “sandy” (from the cinnamon) pavlova. There was a certain aspect of whimsy with the cloud-like appearance of the pavlova and the mountain of red and white.

oh. yum.

And boy was it tasty!! The flavor was so deep and fabulous! The CPB cream had this rich, earthy sweetness that was highlighted perfectly by the sweet and spicy pears.

Finally, the texture of the pavlova was unlike anything I’ve ever had. It was crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. And paired with the thick and decadent cream, it was just marvelous.

look at that texture!

For a gal in a hurricane, I’d say this is pretty swell:) — get it? swell? ;) haha oh man, I’ve been cooped up for too long!

Are you in the path of Sandy? Do you like storms?

Until tomorrow!

Weekend Update & GF Spaghetti Frittata!

Tags

brown rice, eggs, gluten free, mushrooms, New York City, pasta, tomatoes

Hey Guys! Happy Monday to you all!

I thought I’d share a little bit about my exciting weekend! Well, as you may know, the NYC Wine and Food Festival was this weekend. And sure enough…I had to go. :)

Giada and Bobby leaving

There was one talk in particular that really struck my fancy: Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay talking about their roles on The Next Food Network Star. Well…I didn’t have a ticket for this powerhouse duo of a talk…so I arrived to The Times Center an hour early and talked to the guy at Will Call. He promised to let me know if there were any last minute cancellations or no shows. Sure enough, there was…and I ended up Second Row, dead Center.

SECOND ROW!!!!!

So if that wasn’t enough, I knew this was my big chance to talk to them about Gluten Free Happy Tummy. So I made up a packet and was ready to strike when the opportunity presented itself.

And did it ever! After the show, I was able to talk to Mr. Flay about GFHT, and gave him the packet! My life is complete:) haha juuuust kidding, but it truly was exciting.

So anyway, that was my excitement of the year:) haha

Tonight I thought I’d share a fabulous recipe for my Spaghetti Frittata! Sadly, it’s not vegan, but it IS Gluten and Dairy Free and 100% delicious.

When I first served this, I got some skeptical looks….spaghetti and eggs? But once they tried a bite they were hooked!

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover spaghetti. But I made spaghetti and marinara just for this fritatta! (shh! don’t tell!)

First: The spaghetti and marinara.

1/4 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can organic diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano and basil
pinch red pepper flakes

Sautee 1/4 onion and 2 garlic cloves in 2 tsp EVOO with salt, pepper, oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a tiny bit of fresh minced rosemary. Add in one small can on diced tomatoes and let simmer. This is your chunky marinara to serve with the fritatta as well as the sauce for the spaghetti.

After the sauce is prepared, mix your cooked brown rice noodles with it. Set aside.

Next, get your veggies ready for the frittata:

1/2 onion, diced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped
a dozen or so kalamata olives, sliced

Sautee your onion, mushrooms and garlic in 2 tsp EVOO with salt and pepper. Add in: chopped sun-dried tomatoes and chopped spinach with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a splash of water to wilt your spinach.

Take off the heat and stir in: sliced kalamata olives. Set aside.

Assembling your fritatta:

Beat 5 whole farm-fresh, pastured eggs and 3 egg whites with a little salt and pepper.

Spray a square baking dish with olive oil spray. Take out your noodles from the sauce. There should only be a little bit of sauce on the noodles. Try and keep the chunks of tomatoes out of the fritatta (you will serve the marinara on the side). Toss with the eggs and the veggie mixture. Pour this into the prepared baking dish.

Next shred some Old Kentucky Tomme Goat Cheese or use Daiya Cheeze shreds.

Sprinkle the cheese over the spaghetti. Mmmmmm! Are you getting excited yet?!?

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with the chunky marinara on the side and enjoy!

This fritatta was fantastic. The texture was so enjoyable–each bite had a different hidden “gem.”  There were so many different flavors goings on: tangy goat cheese; salty olives; rich, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and the zingy marinara. And the spaghetti was marvelous…there were different textures…some got crunchy and golden, while others were chewy and succulent. I loved the chewy, meaty mushrooms too!

A hearty and delicious meal to say the least!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

 

Stadium Snacks! GF, V, MD!

Tags

almonds, Body Ecology Diet, eggs, gluten free, New York City, SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, sweet potato, vegan

Well, as we speak, I’m watching the Cincinnati Reds play San Francisco in what would be a 3 game streak! I’m really not a huge baseball fan, but apparently the Reds are doing really well this season…as in…we’re in first place in the National League!…or something like that. Woo! Way to represent!

cincinnati!!!

I have a Cincinnati Reds baseball hat…like one from Lids…I wore it once in the city. I also saw a bunch of guys wearing them on the street. I innocently asked if they were Reds fans too? They looked at me with a little smirk…”nah…”

I come to find out that the Reds hat is a sign of a gang in NYC……oh good.

Aaaaanywho, so with ballpark eats as my inspiration for tonight’s post, I thought I’d share 2 of my favorites…(or at least previous favorites, before I started the Specific Carb Diet) :P

crunchy chewy outside, pillowy inside….amazing!

GF ONION RINGS and SWEET POTATO FRIES!!

Truly amazing finger foods that you will find yourself making again and again and again! Plus…they’re BAKED so they’re guilt free!!!

First, the Onion Rings!

crispy, crunchy, baked GF onion rings! yes please!

Golden, crispy rings that make you want to shout “Amen!” And they’re gluten free, Maker’s Diet friendly and with a Vegan and BED/SCD option!

Show stoppers…the GF Baked Onion Rings! These were so delectable! They were so CRUNCHY!! Oh my Gosh! They were crispy and amazing! I will tell you though, these were slightly labor intensive.  But SO worth it! Here’s how you do it.

You will need 4 bowls:

1) Bowl of plain unsweetened almond milk

2) Bowl of 1/2 c GF AP flour

3) Bowl of 1 beaten egg

4) Bowl of GF bread crumbs (I made my own out of a GF bun in the food processor.)

Cut your onion into rings. Then dunk away…The rotation of the bowls go 1-2-3-4 :) I started out being clean and using forks, but 5 minutes in, caved and just used my hands. Place the coated rings on 2 olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Spritz the rings with olive oil. Put them in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping once. Eat just one…I dare you!

The Vegan Option for these rings is to omit the eggs and AP flour. Just use the almond milk and GF bread crumbs.

For a Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet Option: omit the almond milk and AP flour and just use egg and ALMOND flour! :)

crunchy to the max!

These onion rings were hands down one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while. They were SO crunchy! There was a slight sweetness from the onion and the almond milk, which was complimented so beautifully with a little organic ketchup:) When you make your own GF bread crumbs, they actually toast when you bake them, making them incredibly crispy-crunchy! Simply irresistible!

Next, the sweet potato fries. These were amazing — crunchy-chewy on the outside, and pillowy on the inside. Sweet and delicious. And Gluten Free, Vegan, and Maker’s Diet friendly!

heathy sweet potato fries!

Here’s what you need:

2 Sweet Potatoes, cut into fries
1 tsp EVOO
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with olive-oil spray. Place cut fries on the sheets. Drizzle with 1 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Toss to coat them evenly, and then spread in an even layer on the sheets. (Don’t overlap or they’ll steam instead of crisp). Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Season with salt when you take them out of the oven. Delish!

colorful and delicious!

What’s not to love about these marvelous sweet potato fries? Chewy, a little crunchy, sweet and salty. They hit all the taste buds! They were a 10!

What’s your favorite stadium snack? Cotton Candy? Peanuts? Beer? :)

Until tomorrow!

Mango Salsa! GF, V, SCD!

Tags

cilantro, cucumber, gluten free, lime, mango, New York City, red peppers, SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, vegan, wild rice

Super fun day today!!

It started off with my audition which was…eeh…just ok. Oh well, chalk it up to good practice:) And then…I had a wonderful morning with my friend who was visiting for the afternoon! We chatted and ate lunch in Central Park! Such a fun spot for people watching:)

Finally, later that afternoon, I went with another friend to go see the John Lennon pop up art exhibit in Soho. It was so cool — I had no idea he did visual arts too!

While I was in Soho, I walked past this amazing shop: The Chobani Yogurt Shop! It’s like   Pinkberry, but with real Chobani greek yogurt! When I was eating dairy, I looooved Chobani yogurt — how cool that there is a real yogurt bar now! And let me tell you, it was hoppin’!! I had to document it:)

Chobani Greek Yogurt Bar!

So this dish that I’m going to share with you tonight is truly one of my family’s favorites. Every time there’s a special occasion, we always whip this out because it is a show-stopper, and everybody RAVES about it! The salsa itself is vegan, but the fish we had it over is obviously not. But this would also be a great salsa over tofu or even over a fresh salad!

And it’s Gluten Free and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Broiled Cod with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Wild Rice. So delicious! We had all the ingredients, so it was a crime NOT to make this delicious dinner!

Here’s what you need for the salsa:

1/4 red onion – minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 mango, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp EVOO
chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Combine all in a bowl and pop in fridge for a half hour.

I then broiled Lobsta Bakes’ wild, ocean-caught cod for about 20 minutes in 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. This fish is our absolute favorite, because it is so moist and flakey! It is tender, with delicate, sweet “meat!”

I made wild rice that was flavored with cilantro and lime. Holy Cow. Zesty!! (Unfortunately, the rice is not SCD friendly). First, wild rice is so fantastic because of its nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Not to mention the drama it brings to the plate with its dark, deep hue. I made it with veg stock, and then after it had evaporated all the liquid, I stirred in the zest of 1/2 a lime, the juice of 1/2 a lime, and a big bunch of chopped cilantro.

This meal was 100% delicious. It really is everyone’s favorite meal. It has so much going for it! It’s sweet, tangy, bright, fresh, and nutty! The mango is succulently sweet and juicy, while the cilantro is bright and fresh. The wild rice is nutty and crunchy, which is highlighted beautifully by the tangy lime juice in the salsa and echoed in the rice! And the textures are just fantastic! There is so much *crunch* from the peppers and cucumbers, and chewy-crunch from the wild rice, while the juicy mango completes the dish! Phenomenal.

Finally, this dish is just so beautiful. There are so many bright and wonderful colors dancing on the plate! The deep red peppers, lime green cilantro, purple onion, yellow mango, and soft green cucumber, all brought together with the deep black wild rice. Just gorgeous!

We just can’t stay away from this scrumptious dish. And best of all — it’s all allergy-free! Woo!

What did you today!?

Until tomorrow!

Silky Broccoli Pasta Sauce! GF, V, MD!

Tags

basil, broccoli, brown rice, gluten free, New York City, pasta, vegan

Hey guys!

So tonight, I’m not going out because I have a big audition in the morning. So I get to stay in and be cozy:) I’ll tell you what…it is crazy out there! My apartment faces the street, so when I have my window open, I can pretty much hear everything that’s going on. You hear some pretty wild things on a Friday night, let me tell ya! haha

so healthy and delicious!

Anywho, tonight, I’m going to share with you one of my faaavorite ways to enjoy broccoli.

No, I’m not talking about the broccoli cupcakes that rocked my world…although those were pretty great too:)

Broccoli “Cupcakes” with Carrot “Frosting!” GF, V, SCD!

No…this is as a silky, luxurious PASTA SAUCE!

gorgeous color and texture!

Broccoli has always been my favorite food…even when I was a kid! (Pizza and Ice Cream just couldn’t beat the “Green Trees”)

This is an absolutely fabulous pasta sauce made simply from Broccoli, Onions and Garlic. It was SO fantastic! Now, to be honest, I had planned on pureeing Cannellini Beans with the broccoli. But after opened the can of beans, I discovered that Cannellini Beans are actually WHITE PINTO BEANS!! And with my new food allergies, I can’t HAVE pinto beans because I’m allergic to them! So I had to forgo the beans – but it turned out just as amazing!

gluten free AND vegan deliciousness!

Here’s what you need:

1 bunch of broccoli (3 big stalks) — 1 inch of stems cut off, cut into florets
1 red onion, diced
5 garlic cloves – rough chop
1/4 + 1 Tbsp white wine
1 1/2 cups veg stock
1/4 cup Pine Nuts – toasted
Small bit of fresh parsley — 1-2 Tbsp
Juice of 1/2 lemon
reserved pasta water
dried oregano and basil
salt and pepper

sinLESSly decadent!

Start out by toasting your pine nuts and steaming your broccoli for about 3 or 4 minutes, until bright green. In a large sauce pan, saute your onion until tender in 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. When tender, stir in garlic for a minute. Then, deglaze with your wine. Let it evaporate, and then add veg stock. Also, (pick out the chopped broccoli stalks from your steamed broccoli) and add them in with the stock. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes. After 6 minutes, add in the rest of the steamed broccoli. If the pan seems dry, add more stock. After 10 minutes, take it off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes — add “1 turn of the pan” of veg stock. Then, carefully transfer the veggies into a food processor, along with the parsley, lemon, and pine nuts with about 1/4-1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth. Re-season with salt and pepper. Toss with cooked brown rice pasta and ENJOY!!

a luxurious bite!

This meal was so delicious. My parents could not believe that there was no cream in this sauce because it was SO velvety and smooth! It is incredible how steamed broccoli blends so magnificently into this creamy, luxurious sauce! The flavor was deliciously deep and fresh – with a definite broccoli tone, which I LOVED!

velvety, smooth and creamy broccoli sauce!

Aside from being scrumptious, this meal was PACKED with nutrition. Broccoli is high in Vitamin C and K, as well as cancer-fighting nutrients. It also contains anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, which is great for your immune system! It is also high in fiber and helps prevent heart disease! But enough about that — it’s just tasty to the core!

silly roxy, pasta’s for humans!

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?!

Until tomorrow!

NYC Update & Hummus Pasta! GF & Vegan!

Tags

basil, chickpeas, gluten free, mushrooms, New York City, pasta, red peppers, vegan, zucchini

Hey Guys! I thought I’d give you all a bit of an update about NYC!

yum-tastic!

Pretty much, same old – just adjusting to the new life, and trying to keep my stress level down for my Ulcerative Colitis. I am very protective of my health – something that I’ve definitely had to learn how to do. I’m making sure to slow down, making time to keep my eating patterns regular, and keep the stress to a minimum. Also – getting enough sleep and not being too much of a party animal:) But in all seriousness, I’m protecting my health and putting it first….important and necessary.

So on the acting front, I got my headshots taken last week by the wonderful Sam Khan, and am just waiting to get the hard copies so I can start submitting them to casting directors. I have a pretty exciting audition coming up next week, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there:)

So many gorgeous colors! Red Green and Purple! — Eat the rainbow everyday!

So tonight, I thought I’d share another favorite recipe of mine. Hummus Pasta!

what a delicious forkful!

It’s Gluten Free and Vegan and completely delicious!

A scrumptious, creamy and decadent pasta sauce that’s light, yet satisfying. How??

With Hummus.

the basil brings it all together!

Yes, the humble chickpea got the starring role in this yummy pasta sauce. Hummus is packed with protein and delicious creamy flavor, without the heavy aftermath of say, an alfredo or cream sauce.

decadent and creamy, yet guilt free!

Here’s what you need:

Hummus:
1 can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp Tahini (sesame seed paste — found at most supermarkets)
salt to taste — probably 1/2 – 3/4 tsp
about 1/4 cup water — to reach desired consistency
dash of paprika
scant 1/4 tsp cumin

Fire up your food processor for this hummus! This first step is totally *optional* — Peel your chickpeas. Chickpeas have an outer shell-membrane that comes off if you pinch the bean. I find that the consistency of the hummus is much smoother and creamy like Sabra Hummus if you take the tedious time to do this. But it is completely optional! OK — Put everything –minus the water– in your food processor and give it a whirl for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds or so. While it is whirling away, slowly drizzle in your water. Add enough to get to your desired consistency. It will be smooth and luxurious!

Let that hang out while you cook your pasta and prepare your veggies.

the velvety hummus sauce beautifully coats the pasta and veggies

Here’s what you need:

1 zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 red pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 big handfuls of spinach, chopped
splash of veg stock
dried basil
fresh basil
reserved pasta water — 1/2 – 3/4 cup

Saute your onion in 1 tsp EVOO with salt, pepper, and dried basil. Let that soften for about 4-5 minutes. Then, add your mushrooms and let them cook down and release their moisture — about 4-5 minutes. Then, add your zucchini and peppers. Allow them to cook for about 6 minutes, until they become slighty tender, but still with a firm bite. Then, add your garlic and stir for a minute. Finally, add your spinach and a splash of veg stock to wilt the spinach. Stir in your cooked pasta and hummus. Thin out the hummus with about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta and toss everything to coat.  Reseason with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with fresh basil. YUM!

mmmm!

This meal was delicious! It had a wonderful, almost Greek flavor with the garlicy hummus. It was so enjoyable with the bright zucchini, sweet peppers, earthy mushrooms and fresh basil! The sauce was creamy and velvety — simply luxurious if you ask me! The zucchini was wonderful in this because it was almost juicy! When you bit into it, there was a fresh, succulent explosion of sweet zucchini that beautifully complimented the thick, creamy, garlic hummus sauce.

gluten free AND vegan!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pasta? Spaghetti? Lasagna? Mac and Cheeze?

Until tomorrow!

Super September!

Tags

Body Ecology Diet, gluten free, grain free, New York City, recipe round up, SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, vegan

It’s hard to believe that September has come and gone!

It’s been a triumphant month: moving back to NYC and reclaiming my life. During my Ulcerative Colitis flare, I learned a lot about myself, and about life. I no longer take anything — especially my health — for granted and I’m soaking up everything life has to offer. Family, Friends and Faith are my cornerstone – and I’m living everyday in the moment, grateful for life.

So I thought I’d round up a dozen of my favorite recipes from this past September.

They are ALL Dairy and Gluten Free. The majority are VEGAN. BED = Body Ecology Diet, SCD = Specific Carb Diet

Roasted Garlic and Spinach “Spaghetti!” GF, V, BED, SCD

Golden Beet Cauliflower Pizza! GF, V Opt’n, SCD

Zucchini Bread Pancakes! GF, V Opt’n, BED, SCD

Zucchini Spaghetti w/ Red Pesto! GF, V, SCD

 

Monkey Muffies! GF, V Opt’n, SCD

Mexican Cauliflower Explosion! GF, V, BED, SCD

“Spaghetti” w/ Creamy Tomato and Cauli Sauce! GF, V, SCD

Red Carpet Brussels Sprouts and Pear Salad! GF, V, SCD

Spicy Veggie Frittata for One! GF, BED, SCD

Sweet Beet Treat! GF, V, SCD

City Lights Salad! GF, V, BED, SCD

Mexican Skillet Cakes! GF, V Opt’n, BED, SCD

What was the highlight of your September?

Let’s make it a great October!!

Until tomorrow!

 

 

GF Oatmeal Raisin Meringues & Headshots!

Tags

desserts, GF cookies, gluten free, New York City, oats, raisins

Hey hey happy tummies! :)

Sorry I missed posting yesterday — I was exhausted after the shoot yesterday, but I think it turned out pretty great! Sam Khan is an amazing photographer, and he really spent a lot of time with me, getting the right look! Here are a couple of proofs from the shoot!

I think everyone should get headshots taken:) It’s so much fun! You get to feel like a princess for a day. Thanks Sam! :D

Ok enough of THAT — :) Onto the food!!

Since it’s almost the weekend, I decided to share one of my all time FAVORITE cookies — Oatmeal Raisin Meringues!!

chewy oats and raisins!

Sadly, these aren’t Vegan — or Specific Carb Diet Friendly — or Body Ecology Diet friendly, but they ARE Dairy and Gluten Free! And they’re “guilt free” too because they’re fat free!

So, all good things:)

Ok, so I made this meringue from my “base” meringue recipe. In French cooking, they have their “5 Mother Sauces,” from which every sauce evolved. So this is my “Mother Meringue” recipe. :)

Here’s what you need:

2 egg whites — from pastured, farm fresh eggs
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Beat egg whites in a stand mixer. When they become foamy, add your cream of tartar. When they form soft peaks, slowly add your sugar. Then beat on high for about 7 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Stop your mixer and sift in your powdered sugar. Then, fold it in — about 35-40 folds. Meet your Mother Meringue.

Now to make them Oatmeal Raisin Meringues! ::my personal fav::

Here’s what you need: (Makes 12 cookies)

1 recipe Mother Meringue
2/3 cup GF rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, (like a cereal bowl), combine your oats, raisins, and cinnamon. Then, drizzle the vanilla on top of the meringue (in the stand mixer bowl). Add the oat mixture to the meringue and fold it in. Spoon 1 Tbsp onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Turn the oven down to 325 and bake for 12 -14 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. You’ll want to eat one of these while they’re fresh out of the oven too:)

GF Oatmeal & Raisin Meringues fresh out of the oven!

Meringues…how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1) You are magnificently gluten-free!
2) You are a wonderful blank canvas to play and experiment with!
3) You are fat-free and a healthy alternative to your cookie cousin!
4) You are light and airy!
5) I can make you and clean up in less than an hour!

OK OK OK — you get the picture:)

GF never tasted so good!

These little cookies are SO good. It makes me really sad that I can’t enjoy them anymore, because they’re not SCD Friendly. BUT, these are the cookies of my dreams! They are light and airy, yet wonderfully chewy from the oats and raisins. The outside is crispy like a meringue, and then your teeth sink into the chewy, oatmeal center — just divine! It’s such a fun twist on a meringue! There’s a wonderful warmth from the cinnamon, and then this intense kiss of sweetness from the raisins.

the last bite…*tear*

Break out the cookie sheets this weekend and make these guilt free goodies!

What’s your favorite type of cookie? This is mine!

Lasagna Roll Ups! GF, Vegan, MD!

Tags

basil, brown rice, gluten free, mushrooms, New York City, pasta, spinach, tomatoes, vegan

Happy Wednesday everyone! And a special L’Shana Tovah to everyone observing Yom Kippur today.

Particularly slow day today — but that’s ok. It’s good to have a day like that every now and then. I’m going to be going to bed super early tonight, becaaaause…….

I’m taking my headshots tomorrow!!!! :D

I’m super super excited. I’m going to be packing lots of snacks. Last time I was there for 9 hours! haha (he took me shopping to get just the right look) :)

But anywho, if you follow me on Facebook, you will know that my profile picture is of this recipe…….LASAGNA ROLL UPS!

These were SO unbelievably delicious.

And they’re gluten free and vegan! To make them vegan, just sub Daiya for the goat milk’s cheese!

Comfort food to the max….lasagna! Thinking about it, I thought…how fun would it be to make little individual roll ups!

These were *good.* A bit labor intensive, but sooo worth it. I made 2 sauces: one was a marinara sauce, and the other was the spinach & mushroom filling.

Marinara:

1/4 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can organic diced tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried oregano and basil
1/4 c white wine
fresh basil

I sautéed the onion and garlic in 1 tsp EVOO with salt and pepper in a small sauce pan. After a few minutes I added the herbs. After about 6 minutes, I stirred in the wine, let it reduce and then add in the tomatoes.  Let that warm through for about 5-7 minutes, and take off the heat.  Stir in the fresh basil.

Next, the spinach/mushroom filling.

1/2 red onion, fine dice
~10 baby bella mushrooms, chopped to a fine dice — almost minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano and basil
1/2 c white wine
3 big handfuls of spinach, chopped finely

I sautéed the onion and garlic in 1 tsp EVOO for about 5 minutes and added in the dried herbs and mushrooms. I let those cook down until the mushrooms released their water. After about 5 more minutes, I stirred in the white wine and the spinach.  Finally, after the spinach wilted, I stirred in about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce.

Now that the 2 sauces were finished, I was ready to roll ;) I cooked 8 brown rice lasagna noodles until al dante. I put a piece of tin foil (sprayed with olive oil spray) on the counter, and then laid out my noodles. Next to my “rolling station,” was a small casserole dish, sprayed with olive oil spray.  I put about 1/3 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.

To roll: I put a heaping Tbsp of the spinach/mushroom filling on the lasagna noodle, and rolled it up! I then placed it seam-side-down in the dish. I rolled out the remaining 8 of them, and then combined the remaining filling with the marinara. I then spooned this new mixture over top all the rolls. To really make it special, I sprinkled a bit of grated raw goat cheese (Old Kentucky Tomme) (or Daiya) over top.  I baked it for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the cheese had melted.

This meal was just yummy.  There’s something about lasagna that is so comforting, and makes you feel all warm inside. The wonderful thing about this lasagna is that it doesn’t weigh you down, and make you feel lethargic like most lasagna do! Since the filling was just veggies, it was light, yet extremely satisfying.  A funny thing happens when you finely chop — almost mince — mushrooms. They take on a flavor and texture that is very similar to ground beef! A perfect filling for our lasagna! When all was said and done, this meal only had 3 tsp EVOO, and a small amount of goat cheese! Wow. Healthy, flavorful, and 100% happy tummy approved:)

What’s your favorite to enjoy Italian food? Spaghetti? Lasagna? Ravioli? Soup?

Until tomorrow!