Summer Fest

Healthy Lunchbox 2012: Slowcooker Paleo Eggplant Parmesan

August 29, 2012 By SunnyB 6 Comments

You’ve heard me (as well as other bloggers) talk about planned-overs and how they make for great lunches.

Well, sometimes lunch needs to be a prequel.

Sometimes a meal is just too good to wait until dinner…

When cooked overnight in a crock and you have a thermos ready to help keep it warm…

Well, let’s just say that it’s okay to grab some of your favorite dishes before you rush out the door.

This Paleo Eggplant Parmesan is no exception. Cooked overnight, your home will become fragrant and percolate with the aroma of Italian herbs and spices.

Trust me, you’ll want to take some with you…

And besides, you deserve a bit of comfort in your mid-day break.

Take it, love it, and savor it.

I know I did.

While the eggplant cooks nicely in the crock, but if you would like a little more crunch, feel free to lightly fry the eggplant in coconut oil before placing the cubes in the crock to finish cooking. And if you are aiming for a vegan version, simply leave out the sausage. No matter what, this is a delicious dish!

Slowcooker Paleo Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

Coconut Oil (just enough to grease the crock)
2 Medium-sized Eggplant (about 2.5 pounds)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 c Almond Flour
¼ c Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
2lbs Italian Sausage (I buy mine from my favorite grass-fed beef vendor at the farmer’s market)

Sauce

3 ½ lbs Tomatoes
1 large onion
¼ c Olive Oil
2 Tbs Garlic Powder
2 Tbs Dried Basil
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper

Instructions

Using 6-quart crockpot, grease sides and base generously with coconut oil. Set aside.
Cube eggplant and place in large bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil and set aside.
In separate bowl, mix together almond flour, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
Sprinkle almond flour mix over cubed eggplant and lightly toss to evenly coat each cube.
Pour eggplant mixture into crockpot.
Layer Italian sausage over eggplant (you can slice the sausage, but I like to cook mine whole)
Remove tops from tomatoes, slice and place in your food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Slice oven in to quarters and carefully add this to the blended tomato. Add in olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth sauce has formed.
Pour over sausage and eggplant.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve as-is or with a side salad.
Makes 10 servings.

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Please be sure to join the rest of the Foodnetwork Summer Fest group for more ways to enjoy your eggplant these final summer days!

Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Asian Grilled Eggplant With Soy-Sesame Sauce

From My Corner of Saratoga: Ratatouille Fresh From the Garden

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Homemade Baba Ganoush

Made by Michelle: Eggplant Zucchini Muffins

Cooking With Elise: Stuffed Eggplant

Virtually Homemade: Layered Ratatouille la Ratatouille

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Eggplant and Peppers Dip

HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Eggplant

Thursday Night Dinner: Eggplant Flatbread

Healthy Eats: Going Meatless With Eggplant

Devour: Giada’s Rigatoni With Eggplant Puree

Cooking With Books: Sriracha and Honey Eggplant Rice

FN Dish: Eggplant: Champion of the Meat-Free Meal

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Courses, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Dish, Paleo, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Healthy Lunchbox 2012: Peachy Coconut Streusel Muffins

August 15, 2012 By SunnyB 17 Comments

When most people think of muffins, they think high-carb, grain-filled, low-nutritional value item.

The last thing I want to feed my children is anything that meets that type of description.

The great thing about grain-free cooking is that a majority of flours (nut, seed and coconut) are naturally high in fabulous fiber, protein and nutrients. Therefore, most anything I make is going to be nutritionally dense, very filling and will provide my family with enough energy to make it through the next meal.

These muffins are no exception.

Mildly sweet and easy to transport, my children love to find goodies like this in their lunchbox.

While not an everyday food, something as nutritional as this is good enough for the main course, delicious enough for a dessert.

Because the skins turn black when they are baked, you may wish to peel yours before dicing. My children don’t seem to notice the color variation, and keeping the peel means keeping the nutrients… so we ‘suffer’ through the color variance and enjoy every tasty morsel.

Peachy Coconut Streusel Muffins

Ingredients

8 large eggs
¼ c Palm Nectar, Honey or Agave
¼ c Whole Fat Canned Coconut Milk
2 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1 c Coconut Flour (4 oz)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grain-free baking powder (I use Kelly's recipe and sub arrowroot for the potato starch)
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c Fresh Peaches, diced (about 2 peaches)

Streusel

¼ c Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Tbs Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds
1 ½ Tbs Coconut Oil
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350f. Line or grease 12 muffin tins, set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, palm nectar (or sweetener of choice), coconut milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In large bowl, blend together coconut flour, baking soda, grain-free baking powder and salt.
Slowly mix in wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Fold in peaches.
Scoop batter by ¼ c into each tin.
Make streusel by grinding shredded coconut, pumpkin or sunflower seeds and cinnamon in coffee grinder until seeds are almost flour like. Add in coconut oil and mix with a fork until mix resembles large cookie crumbs.
Sprinkle an even amount of streusel onto each muffin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm.
Makes 12 muffins.

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My contribution to this week’s FoodNetwork Summer Fest and the Healthy Lunchbox Series, I hope these Peachy Coconut Streusel Muffins bring as many smiles to your home as they do mine.

xoxo

Be certain to visit all of the perfectly peachy recipes entered in to this week’s Summer Fest!

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Peach Blackberry Arugula Salad

Cooking With Elise: Streusel Topped Peach Muffins With Peach Butter

Heather Christo Cooks: Peach Coconut Pancakes

Ingredients, Inc: Easy Peach Pie

From My Corner of Saratoga: Grilled Peaches With Caramel-Ginger Sauce and Pound Cake

Dishin & Dishes: Peach Lacquered Chicken Salad

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Easy Peach Limeade

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Fresh Peach and Coconut Cake

Daily*Dishin: Caramelized Grilled Peaches

Delicious Lean: Smokey Peach Chipotle Grilled Chicken

Thursday Night Dinner: Peach Shortbread

Sweet Life Bake: Jicama Tortilla Salad With Peach Dressing

I Am Baker: Cilantro Peach Salsa

Zaika Zabardast: Donut Peach Quesadilla

Daydreamer Desserts: White Peach Margaritas

Cooking Channel: 4 Savory Uses for Peaches

Healthy Eats: What to do With Overripe Peaches

FN Dish: Peaches Move to the Big Kids’ Table

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegetarian Tagged With: Corn Free, Dairy Free, Dessert, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Dish, Paleo, Side Dish, Soy Free, Summer Fest

Roasted Red Pepper Paleo Hummus

August 8, 2012 By SunnyB 20 Comments

I must admit that, when giving up legumes, hummus was not high on my list of things I would miss.

Don’t get me wrong…I love a good hummus. It’s just not one of those things that was on our regular shopping list. In fact, previously, I might purchase hummus once a year and I might make it once or twice a year on top of that.

So you can imagine that creating a paleo-friendly hummus was not high on my priority list…and it wasn’t. That is until Shirley shared her Brazilian Un-Cheese Rolls/Biscuits where red pepper hummus is a key ingredient.

Couple this with the opportunity to adopt Shirley in last month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, perfecting a red pepper hummus suddenly hit the top of my to-do list.

To my surprise there are a number of paleo hummus recipes available online, but I still couldn’t find one that was just-right for what I needed.

I did find though, that I prefer cauliflower based hummus recipes over nut and squash based recipes.

Isn’t cauliflower amazing? From potatoes to hummus, this vegetable makes a delicious replacement for so many less nutrient-dense foods. I love it!

My contribution to this week’s FoodNetwork Summer Fest, this recipe is so delicious that once I finalized it, I had to kick my kids out of the kitchen and force them to stop scooping vegetables through this to ensure I had enough to make Shirley’s Biscuits with!

Use this as a dip, a spread or as part of Shirley’s delicious recipe, I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

xoxo

Roasted Red Pepper Paleo Hummus

Ingredients

1 large Red Bell Pepper
1 head Cauliflower, cut into flourets
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Smoked/Regular Paprika (I prefer smoked)
½ tsp Smoked/Regular Cayenne (I prefer smoked)
¼ tsp Salt
3 cloves Garlic
½ c Tahini
¼ c Lemon Juice

Instructions

Broil red pepper in the oven or over open flame until skin is charred and flesh is beginning to become tender, turning often to ensure even roasting. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Lower/preheat oven to 500f.
In large bowl, mix together cauliflower, olive oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt.
Spread seasoned cauliflower evenly over parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Once roasting is complete, peel skin from pepper and place this, the roasted cauliflower, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in blender or food processor. Blend/process on medium/medium-high speed and tamper as needed until ideal texture is achieved.
Remove from blender and serve as-is, with vegetables or in your favorite hummus based recipe.
Makes approximately 2 cups

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For more pepper persuasion, be sure to visit all of this week’s FoodNetwork Summer Fest bloggers.

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Stuffed Peppers With Quinoa Grilled Vegetables and Pesto Sauce

Cooking With Elise: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

What’s Gaby Cooking: Oven-Roasted Peppers With Herbed Breadcrumbs

Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Flank Steak With Gazpacho Sauce

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Pepper Tacos With Pintos and Avocado Crema

Delicious Lean: Peppery Kung Pao

Daily*Dishin: Shrimp and Chorizo With Red Pepper Chermoula Sauce

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Dip With Baked Corn Tortillas

Thursday Night Dinner: Black Bean and Sweet Pepper Salad

Cooking Channel: 5 Stuffed Pepper Favorites

HGTV Gardens: Garden to Table: Peppers

Sweet Life Bake: Rajas de Poblano con Elote y Crema

Dishin & Dishes: Bacon, Onion and Green Chile “Jam”

Healthy Eats: Peppers for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

FN Dish: Meat and Peppers

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Side Dish, Snack, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Roasted Garlic, Basil and Tomato Paleo Tart

August 1, 2012 By SunnyB 20 Comments

This week on FoodNetwork Summer Fest, food and garden bloggers are joining up to share their favorite tomato recipes.

I don’t know about the other Summer Fest bloggers, but for me this was no easy task. You see, tomatoes are a staple in our home.

Quartered tomatoes are the perfect side with our morning breakfast.

Marinara sauce is one of the greatest inventions ever.

Ever.

Tomato based chili is on our menu at least once a month.

Have you ever had tuna, mayonnaise, fresh dill and tomato chunks together?

Because you should. It’s not only easy, it’s super delicious.

Then there are green tomatoes, which are a southern staple. We love to coat them in an almond flour mix and ‘fry’ them in the oven.

In fact, when we were given the challenge to bring forth our favorite tomato recipes, I was certain that is what I would share. But that would require green tomatoes and unfortunately my garden hasn’t been producing tomatoes (it’s too hot and they are rebelling), my tomato vendor hasn’t had them nor did any of the local grocery stores…

So instead, today I am pleased to share this Roasted Garlic, Basil and Tomato Paleo Tart with you.

You see, my husband and I just finished his first and my second Whole30, a clean-eating plan created by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig from Whole9Life. If you have been to my page before, you have heard me talk about this program… if not, you can learn more about it through any number of my Whole30 related posts.

Even with the drastic changes this plan called for (at least in regard to my husband’s eating habits), we have found renewed energy and a commitment to stay as close to this way of eating as possible while allowing for the occasional treat.

This recipe is made with Whole30 approved ingredients, but because it is officially a ‘paleocized’ recipe I’m not certain Dallas would approve of this for the Whole30 plan itself.

That being said, served with a side of grass fed beef meatballs, this made for a perfect day 31 meal.

My children’s only complaint?

That there wasn’t more to go around.

No worries.

Don’t let the long list of instructions frighten you, this dish is actually very simple and goes together easily.

Roasted Garlic, Basil and Tomato Paleo Tart

Ingredients

Crust

2c Blanched Almond Flour
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning or Dried Basil
½ tsp Sea Salt
2 Tbs Coconut Oil
1 Tbs Ground Flax Seed (I self-grind)
3-4 Tbs Hot Water

Filling

2 heads of Fresh Garlic, roasted (directions below)
3-4 tsp Olive Oil
1 oz fresh Basil, stems removed + some for garnish
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
2 Tbs Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400f.
Peel the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut ¼ to ½ inch off the top of the cloves, ensuring each individual clove of garlic is exposed.
Using a muffin tin, place each head into its own section and drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil over each. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cloves are golden and feel soft when pressed. Allow to cool.
Using food processor, make the crust by mixing almond flour, Italian seasoning or dried basil, sea salt, coconut oil and ground flax seed. Slowly add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to form a ball.
Remove dough from processor and knead slightly, just enough to bring the mix together.
Press dough into tart pan, ensuring even coverage across the bottom of the pan and about ¼ to ½ inch on the sides.
Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden.
Prepare basil by washing, removing stems and drying completely. Prepare tomatoes by thinly slicing.
Once tart crust has been baked, prepare garlic by squeezing cloves out of their skin. Mash garlic with a fork and spread this evenly over the entire crust.
Layer basil leaves evenly over the roated garlic and top with layered tomoato slices.
Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over the entire tart and drizzle with remaining olive oil to ensure even coverage.
Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and tart crust is a deeper golden hue.
Top with fresh basil, slice and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

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I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we have and look forward to seeing the other tantalizing tomato treats this week from all of the Summer Fest bloggers!

Cooking With Elise: Fresh Tomato Sauce
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Tomato Gazpacho Salsa
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Tomato Cobbler Anyone?
Virtually Homemade: Spaghetti With Tomatoes, Prosciutto and Fresh Corn
What’s Gaby Cooking: Chicken Kebabs With Romesco Sauce
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Salmon Spaghetti With Plum Tomatoes and Avocado
Feed Me Phoebe: Roasted Fresh Tomato Puttanesca Sauce
Chez Us: Easy Tomato Tart
Made By Michelle: Tomato and Pesto Pizza
Ingredients, Inc.: Lighter Fried Green Tomatoes
Delicious Lean: Creamy Light Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Daily*Dishin: Spicy Tomato-Tomatillo Chicken Tenders
From My Corner of Saratoga: Tomato Jam
Dishin & Dishes: Tomato Zucchini Frittata
Healthy Eats: The Fresh-for-Once Tomato
Sweet Life Bake: Pico de Gallo
Zaika Zabardast: Grilled Tofu and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sandwich
Thursday Night Dinner: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Cooking Channel: How to Prepare Summer Tomatoes
FN Dish: Tomatoes Go Beyond Salads

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Main Dish, Paleo, Side Dish, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Growing Up Isn’t So Bad, Peter Pan Squash Spiced Oven Fries

July 25, 2012 By SunnyB 25 Comments

Today on FoodNetwork Summer Fest, food and garden bloggers are joining up to highlight the vibrant staple: Summer Squash.

Oddly enough, the title “Summer Squash” has less to do with the time a squash is grown or harvested and more to do with the sustainability of a squash.

You see, summer squash like zucchini, yellow squash, bulan and ball squash as pictured here all have thin, edible skins and will only maintain their edibility for a few weeks after they are picked. Wherein winter squash like pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti squash and Hubbard squash have thick rinds and are able to keep for months at a time; hence, they are perfect for winter storage.

Of course, as it is with all vegetables, the sooner they are eaten after they are picked, the better the nutrient retention will be.

Still, when preparing food storage or planning meals, it is good to know how long you will be able to keep vegetables like these.

Today though, I would like to talk to you about my friend Peter Pan.
No, not the boy who refused to grow up…

Rather Peter Pan the squash. Peter Pan squashes are light-green scalloped squashes that are typically harvested when they are a mere 2 ½ to 3 inches across. Among the smaller of the summer squashes, it is said that their name comes from their refusal to ‘grow up’ like it’s sister squash, Patty Pan, which is golden in color and generally twice as large as Peter Pan squash is at harvest.

I told my kids that between the funny shape and light-green color, they look like something Peter Pan would wear and that must be how they got their name.

Meh. You decide.

Oddly enough, I had never eaten a Peter Pan squash before one of my dear Farmer’s Market vendors introduced me to them this year!

Goodness knows how I love to play with my veggies so I asked her what she does with them.

“Fries,” she said, “these make the perfect oven fries.” Then she continued “but I love to cover mine in an egg and flour batter so I don’t know what you’ll do with them.”

To which I smiled and said “oh, I’ll figure something out.”

That is what I do after all, isn’t it?

But you know, she is right. These precious little squash bake up to be some of the tastiest oven fries I have ever enjoyed.

The perfect mixture of grown-up savory yet maintain childlike undertones with just a hint of cinnamon and cocoa, great for children of all ages I hope you enjoy these Peter Pan Oven Fries as much as we do.

Peter Pan Squash, Spiced Oven Fries

Ingredients

3 lbs Peter Pan Squash (about four squash)
1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Smoked Cayenne (I get mine from a local FM vendor, regular cayenne would work well, too)
3 Tbs Olive Oil (not evoo)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425f.
Clean squash but leave skins intact. Slice squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut squash into fry-sized pieces and place in large mixing bowl.
In small bowl, mix together smoked paprika, cinnamon, cocoa powder, sea salt and cayenne. Set aside.
Drizzle cut squash evenly with olive oil, sprinkle spice mixture evenly on top and mix the squash with your hands to ensure even coverage. I recommend using gloves for this step if you have sensitive skin, that cayenne can sting!
Spread spiced covered squash over parchment lined cookie sheets, ensuring they are in one thing layer—anything more will leave them soggy and nobody wants soggy fries.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 6-8 servings

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Be certain to stop by all of today’s FoodNetwork Summer Fest featured recipes for more fantastic ideas on how to use your summer squash today! xo

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Quick and Easy Sesame Summer Squash Stir-Fry

Cooking With Elise: Orange Summer Squash Bread

Feed Me Phoebe: Summer Squash and Cornmeal Cakes With Tarragon

Chez Us: Zucchini Pancakes With Minty Dill Crème Fraiche

Made By Michelle: Pattypan Squash and Tomato Frittata

Cooking Channel: Our Top 5 Favorite Squash Recipes

Daily*Dishin: Summer Squash Confetti Salad

Delicious Lean: Summer Squash Ribbons With Feta and Pine Nuts

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Summer Squash Chips

Ingredients, Inc.: Summer Squash and Kale Sauté

Thursday Night Dinner: Summer Squash Medley

Sweet Life Bake: Zucchini Fried With Tequila-Spiked Avocado Dip

Dixie Chik Cooks: Fried Summer Squash Parmesan Sliders

Healthy Eats: Summer Squash Any Way You Slice It

FN Dish: Cheesy Summer Squash

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Farmer's Market, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Side Dish, Snack, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Plum Pickin’ Pineapple Jam

July 18, 2012 By SunnyB 12 Comments

This time of the year our pantry and refrigerator is overloaded with all kinds of delicious produce.

Most recently, with the help of Bountiful Baskets we have received an overabundance of fruits like cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums and pineapples.

So much so that even my large family cannot keep up.

What’s a girl to do? Well preserve them of course!

Freeze them, dehydrate them, jam them, can them, whatever you do, do your best to maintain the natural goodness of these fruits.

This recipe combines the sweetness of pineapple with the tartness of fresh-picked plums. No added sugar, artificial flavor or preservatives, this is a jam you can be proud to serve your family.

The best part? It’s only two ingredients and can be whipped up in minutes, poured into your crockpot and prepared overnight while you are sleeping.

It is that easy.

I suppose it’s not really fair to call this a jam. The texture better resembles a fruit butter, but the process is very jam-like and the flavor reminds me of my great-grandmother’s plum jelly. If you desire a more jam-like preserve, simply create a slurry of arrowroot and water (1 tbs of each should do the trick), remove the reduced pineapple and plum preserves from the crock, cook them over medium heat and add just enough of the slurry to create the jam-like texture you desire.

Because this recipe only makes four half-pints, I prefer to simply keep this in the refrigerator. If you choose to keep yours in the pantry, I recommend a hot-water canning bath. Step-by-step directions can be found here.

Whatever you choose to do with your preserves, I hope they invoke memories of summertime and stories on grandmas lap, just as they do for me.

Enjoy!

Plum Pickin’ Pineapple Jam

Ingredients

3 lbs Ripe Plums
1 lb Pineapple

Instructions

Prepare plums by washing, slicing and removing pits. Leave skins intact. Place plums and pineapple into high-speed blender, ½ batch at a time.
Blend until smooth and pour into 6-quart crockpot.
Set crockpot to cook on high for 6 hours, do not use your lid! It is important to allow the mixture to reduce by at least half (mine usually reduces to about 1/3 once complete), so please leave the lid off to ensure for the best reduction.
Once reduced to the appropriate thickness, fill four half-pint jars and refrigerate or process as directed.
Serve on your favorite gluten-free/paleo bread.

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Be certain to visit the other FoodNetwork SummerFest bloggers to see what other fun dishes you can make with your plums this season!

Ingredients, Inc.: Pork, Plums and Rosemary Kabobs

Virtually Homemade: Grilled Plum Pizza With Goat Cheese

Cooking Channel: Best Plum Dessert Recipes

BGSK: Grandma Esther’s Plum and Walnut Cake

Delicious Lean: Plum Delicious Pork Chops

Daily*Dishin: Roasted Chicken With Plum Chili Salsa

Healthy Eats: 6 Ways to Cook With Plums

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Time for Plum Cobbler?

Thursday Night Dinner: Plum BBQ Chicken

From My Corner of Saratoga: Plum Upside Down Cake

Cooking With Elise: Vanilla Plum Tart

Sweet Life Bake: Plum Pineapple Margarita

FN Dish: Perfect Plum Recipes

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Breakfast, Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Side Dish, Small Batch Canning, Snack, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Fermented Spicy Garlic-Dill Cukes and Zukes

July 11, 2012 By SunnyB 7 Comments

Between the digestive issues my daughter has faced since she was a baby and my own celiac diagnosis, I have been somewhat obsessed with healing our guts for quite some time.

For many years, I thought yogurt and liquid acidophilus were our only options. It has not been until recently that I have learned the magic of fermented foods.

More specifically, fermented vegetables like cucumbers and cabbage—better known as pickles and sauerkraut. So when I was invited to join in on this year’s FoodNetwork Summerfest, I was excited to see cucumbers as the first ingredient on the produce-packed list!

If you have never made fermented vegetables, now is a great time to start! Not only are they really easy, making your own fermented vegetables is extremely affordable and delicious!

How does fermenting work?

According to Exploratarium.edu, proper fermentation helps to keep away “bad” spoilage-causing microorganisms and allows the “good” bacteria, lactic acid, to flourish.

Of all the ‘friendly flora’ in our guts, lactobacilli, are among the most important and the most fragile. Stress, poor diets and antibiotics will kill off lactobacilli, but eating foods rich in good bacteria will help them replenish. Given that our digestive system is the heart of our immune system, it is very important to take care of your gut. Very important.

Of all the vegetables you can ferment, cabbage and cucumbers produce the most lactic acid bacteria and should be included in anything you choose to ferment.

Slicing your vegetables will help accelerate the fermentation process and ensures a snackable treat once the fermentation process is through!

It is important to use purified water. Chlorine is present in most tap water and will kill off the beneficial bacteria before it has a chance to take over. If you do not have a filter, either use bottled water or boil your water for 10 minutes and allow it to cool.

Additionally, too much salt will kill the fermentation process as well! Use 100% salt. Non-iodized salts like pickling salt, pure sea salt or Himalayan salt are your best options. Make certain the only ingredient on the label is “salt.”

The best salt-to-water ratio for any fermented vegetable recipe is 1.5-2 tablespoons to 1 liter of water.

Before you begin, be sure to sterilize everything! Your jar, your lid and most especially, your rock. This can be done using the sterilization setting in the dishwasher or by boiling all of the equipment for 15-20 minutes prior to use.

As always, organic vegetables are best. Everything used in this recipe is in-season and should be readily available at your favorite store and most especially, at your local farmer’s market.

I hope this recipe for fermented cukes and zukes finds you well!

Happy summer!

Fermented Spicy Garlic-Dill Cukes and Zukes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

1-Steralized Half Gallon Glass Jar with a Screw-on Lid (I use an old pickled okra jar)
1-Steralized Rock, small enough to fit in the lid of the jar, big enough to keep your vegetables below the brine

Ingredients

3 heads of fresh dill
2 large cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño, seeded for mild, whole for spicy
1 lb cucumbers, sliced
½ lb baby zucchini, sliced
1.5-3 Tbs Pure Salt (Non-iodized Pickling, Sea Salt or Himalayan)
Purified Water

Instructions

Place dill, garlic and jalapeño in the base of sterilized jar. Layer sliced cucumbers and zucchini’s as desired, I like to slice and layer vegetable by vegetable as I go.
Stop adding vegetables once you have filled the jar to 1.5 inches below the surface.
Place rock on top of vegetables, ensuring you have centered it well enough to keep vegetables below the surface during fermentation process.
Mix together 1 litre of room-temperature water with 1 Tbs salt, stir until dissolved. Follow this process until vegetables are covered in brine, stopping when there is ½ inch head space between the brine and the top of the jar.
Screw on lid and place jar in bowl to help capture overflow during the fermentation process.
Set jar away from windows in a cool room, with temperatures below 72 degrees for 2-2 ½ weeks. Because gasses will form and pressure will build while the fermentation process, it is important to unscrew and release pressure from your jar on a daily basis until the vegetables are ready for refrigeration. Make certain you set a calendar reminder, put the jar in a place you will not forget to do this, get in the habit of doing this first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, after you get home from work, whatever you need to do to remember to unscrew the lid. Too much pressure can mean danger, worst case scenario it means an exploding jar and ruined vegetables (or worse). Nobody wants that.
Keeping the lid on helps prevent harmful bacteria from forming. If a white scum forms on the top, skim it off. The liquid will cloud over time, this is a normal part of the good bacteria growth.
Once fermentation is complete and you are satisfied with the flavor, fermented vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

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I hope you enjoy these fermented vegetables as much as we do! Be sure to visit the rest of the FoodNetwork Summer Fest bloggers for more idea on how to enjoy your cucumbers this season!

The Sensitive Epicure: Chinese Style Cucumbers

What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber, Herb and Pita Salad

Ingredients, Inc.: Easiest Cucumber Salad

Virtually Homemade: Cucumber Strawberry Cooler

From My Corner of Saratoga: Marinated Cucumber Salad

The Cultural Dish: Pasta With Roasted Shrimp and Cucumbers

Daily*Dishin: Southern Benedictine – Creamy Cucumber Spread

Delicious Lean: Cucumber Jicama Salad

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumber and Avocado Open-Face Sandwiches

FN Dish: No-Cook Cucumber Recipes

Cooking With Elise: Wedge Salad With Cucumber-Ranch Dressing

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Farmer's Market, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Raw, Side Dish, Small Batch Canning, Snack, Soy Free, Sugar-Free, Summer Fest, Vegan, Whole30

Healthy Lunchbox–Garlic Tomato Basil & Pesto Bruchetta (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

August 31, 2011 By SunnyB 18 Comments

When preparing school lunches for children with allergies or food sensitivities, most moms (myself included) stay focused on keeping the food we send with our children as “normal” looking as possible.

There are times though, where sending our kids with something ‘outside of the box’ is just what they need.

I shared my recipe for Vegan Pesto with Kale several months ago. This pesto remains one of my all-time favorite dishes. The perfect complement to gluten-free pasta, a beautiful dip for fresh vegetables, a delicious mix-in for your quinoa, or even use as a coating for your own chicken or tofu dish; this beautiful, rich and creamy pesto sauce is a recipe you undoubtedly will enjoy time and
time again.

This week, Food Network Summer Fest has offered a new challenge to their bloggers…the fantabulous tomato!

Alright. Now you are asking what on earth does pesto or school lunches have to do with tomatoes?

Well…before I go there; let’s talk about food memories for a moment.

Tell me about your favorite meal.

How did it become your favorite meal?

What memories do you have associated with that meal? Are they happy? Inspiring?

Close your eyes and think about it for a moment. When your mouth begins to water, come back to me and let’s talk.

Now that you have had a moment…how real is that memory for you? Is it true that your favorite meal is your favorite, not just because it tastes really really good, but also because you have some happy memory associated it with?

My creations are often linked with specific food memories. I like to create foods that evoke happiness, usually happiness associated with someone who once brought joy into my life by sitting down to a meal with me.

Food memories.

By re-creating this food, I hope in turn to evoke happy memories for all those with whom I share, and thereby create new happy food memories for those near and far.

The dish I share with you tonight is by no means unique in that regard.

True, it may not be something you personally have had before…but the food memories associated with this dish are strong for me.

My Aunt Teena, the same aunt mentioned in my Organic Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe, is at the heart and soul of this recipe. (Food memories)

Several years ago, my Aunt Teena came to me with a jar of pesto sauce and a jar of tomato basil sauce, told me to combine them and make some bruchetta for the family reunion dinner we were having that night.

I remember thinking she was nuts.

I mean, seriously…pesto is great on its own. Tomato and basil with a little olive oil is all you need for a good bruchetta, right? Why would I combine the two?

But, I did it.

Aunt Teena may have had some different ideas, but she was a darn good cook. And you know what? I loved her creation.

Somehow, the marriage of the thick, hearty tomato basil sauce with the smooth, creamy pesto was exactly what we needed.

For whatever reason, my memory of particular family reunion meal was brought forth the moment I saw tomatoes on the Food Network Summer Fest list.

I knew I had to re-create my aunt’s dish…

But what about school lunches?

Here is where thinking outside of the box comes in handy.

Do you know how tired students get of the same ole same ole? There comes a point where many kids simply stop eating their lunch all-together. Seriously.

When your child is the one who walks in with something completely different but amazingly delicious on a regular basis, other children take notice. When your gluten-free, dairy-free creations are better than what everyone else is having, well…imagine the boost in confidence your child will experience.

This is one of those lunches that will turn the tides for a child with special dietary requirements.

This is one of those lunches that even the most junk-food loving student will look at and want to take part in.

This is a meal worth sending our kids to school with.

No, your child will not be eating what everyone is eating when you send this dish…but you know what?

Maybe that is just what they need.

May you find as much enjoyment in this beautiful creation as we have.

Enjoy!

Garlic Tomato Basil & Pesto Bruchetta (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

1 batch Vegan Basil Pesto with Kale

2 ½ lbs Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, diced

2 oz Basil, chopped

1 ½ TBS Minced Garlic

Crispy, Toasted Gluten-Free Bread (like Elana’s Paleo Bread, or UDI’s Whole-Grain Gluten Free Bread)

Prepare pesto according to recipe directions, refrigerate until ready to use. Prepare all other ingredients. In large mixing bowl, combine tomato, basil and garlic. Let sit for approximately 20 minutes.
Drain any juice from the tomato mix and gently fold in prepared pesto.

Serve over crisp, toasted gluten-free bread.

Makes 10 generous servings.

To use in your healthy lunchbox, simply pack up a couple of slices of crisp toast in one container (I like to slice mine into quarters for easy, bite sized chunks), and the sauce in another. Send your student with a spoon and let them create their own bruchetta at school.

Wait!

Don’t just stop there!

This sauce is also great over pasta (which is easily packed up for school lunches)

Or even try it with chicken and a side of your favorite gluten-free crackers!

Get creative with this sauce, your children will thank you!

Need more ideas? Simply click on the Healthy Lunchbox tag over there >>>> and visit each and every beautiful guest-post I have been honored to feature so far.
More tips and fantastic bloggers are coming your way!

Thank you for stopping by.

Happy school days to you. xo

Be sure to visit the other Food Network Summer Fest Tomato Recipes! So many delightful ways to enjoy this beautiful fruit.

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Chicken with Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce
Haute Apple Pie: Heirloom Tomato & Three Cheese Tart
What’s Gaby Cooking: Zebra Tomato and Burrata Crostini
Zaika Zabardast: Balsamic Roasted Tomato-Basil Ice
And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox – Garlic Tomato Basil Pesto Bruchetta
Chez Us: Roasted Tomato Sauce
Daily*Dishin: Refreshing and Rustic – Tuscan Bread Salad
Glory Foods: Fresh Tomato Salsa
Dishin and Dishes: Tomato Tart Tatin
The Purple Cook: Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad
I Am Mommy: Tomato Crudite
Cooking With My Kid: Gluten-Free White Bean Chive Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes
FN Dish: Easy Tomato Appetizers
Add a Pinch: Simple Caprese Salad Skewers
Sweet Life Bake: Salsa Cruda
Virtually Homemade: Farfalle with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Bacon and Shaved Romano
Dixie Chik Cooks: Tomato, Basil and Olive Bruschetta
The Sensitive Epicure: Yemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers with Potatoes
Mooshu Jenne: Sun Burst Tomato Pasta
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Book Club, Tomatoes and a Recipe for Chicken Provençal?
Cooking With Elise: Tomato Parmesan Biscuits
From My Corner of Saratoga: Cooking from the Garden – Bruschetta Pizza
Fritos and Foie Gras: Tomato Terrine
Creative Culinary: Fresh and Savory Tomato Pie
Big Apple Nosh: Caprese Salad/Tomato Carnage
Spices and Aroma: Quick and Easy Paneer Curry
Zaika Zabardast: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Breakfast Rolls

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Courses, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Tagged With: Casein Free, Cheeze, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Dish, Raw, Side Dish, Snack, Soy Free, Summer Fest, Vegan

Cherry Pecan Chicken Salad

August 3, 2011 By SunnyB 14 Comments

This week, Food Network Summer Fest has challenged participating bloggers to work with the wonderfully sweet, perfectly in season: cherry.

I am blessed to be able to share two recipes this week…the first can be found on my other website: Ingredient Challenge Monday (trust me, you WANT to check this one out).

Because it is so hot, I have given my oven some time off and am doing everything I can to enjoy healthy homemade meals that do not require me to heat up the house in the process.

To keep from having to turn on the oven to cook the chicken, I did a little cheat (I am allowed that every now and then, right?)…I picked up an allergy-free rotisserie chicken from the local big-box store.

Remove the skin and chunk the chicken; a pre-baked rotisserie is the ideal solution for a quick meal without ever breaking a sweat.

If you are not comfortable with this idea, feel free to bake up your own chicken ahead of time, let it cook and chunk it as directed.

This isn’t your ordinary chicken salad…from flavor to nutritional value; this recipe is one worth making over and over again.

Cherry Pecan Chicken Salad

4c Chunked, Cooked Chicken

2c Cherries, halved with seeds and stems removed

1 c Crushed Pecans

½ c Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing

½ c Honey

2 Ripe Avocados, diced

In large serving bowl, mix together chicken, cherries and crushed pecans. Set aside. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, honey and avocados. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss until salad is coated evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with sliced cucumbers, over your favorite lettuce, with crackers or simply leave as-is.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy!

Please be sure to stop by and visit all of the charming cherry recipes available from this week’s Summer Fest:

What’s Gaby Cooking: Cherry Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Cherry Cornmeal Cake

Cooking With Elise: Roasted Cherries with Lavender and Almond Panna Cotta

Daydreamer Desserts: Cherry Crumble Cake

Ingredient Challenge Monday: Black Forest Ice Cream Done Two Ways

Spices and Aroma: Dilkush with Cherries

FN Dish: The Ultimate Cherry Pie

Daily*Dishin: Simple French Cherry Clafouti

Glory Foods: Collard Greens and Cherry Reduction

Chez Us: Gluten-Free Cherry Clafoutis

Food for 7 Stages of Life: South Indian Hot and Sour Soup

Virtually Homemade: Dark Chocolate Cherry Kuchen

In Jennie’s Kitchen: Cherry Conserves

The Sensitive Epicure: Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Clafouti

Cooking Channel: Very Cherry Sangria

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cherry Balsamic Vinegar

Zaika Zabardast: Balsamic Cherry and Peach Crisp

Mooshu Jenne: Rainier Cherry Panna Cotta

Food2: A Very Cherry Recipe Round-Up

Virtually Vegan Mamma: Fresh Cherry and Almond Scones

CIA Dropout: Italian Cherry Cake

Sweet Life Bake: Honey-Tequila Pickled Cherries

Cooking With Books: Cherry Cooler

Recipe Girl: Cherry Limeade Pound Cake

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes Tagged With: Casein Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Network, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Main Dish, Side Dish, Soy Free, Summer Fest

Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad

July 20, 2011 By SunnyB 22 Comments

I love cucumbers,which is good since (as mentioned before) , my garden is overflowing with them this year.

When Food Network presented cucumbers as the next ingredient for their Summer Fest, I was elated to have another opportunity to share one of my family’s favorite ways to eat this delectable vegetable with you.

This Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad is a pleasant side dish or snack, and is the perfect complement to any summer picnic. Extremely refreshing, this salad is truly one of our favorite dishes and has provided the perfect pick-me-up for these hot summer days. May you find as much enjoyment in this salad as we have.

Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad

2 Med-Large Cucumbers, cubed

4 c Watermelon (1 small or ½ medium), cubed

Juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbs Palm Sugar

1 Tbs Crushed Mint

1 c Raw Cashews

In large serving bowl, mix together cucumbers and watermelon. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, palm sugar and crushed mint, until palm sugar is completely incorporated. Pour lemon-mint dressing over cucumbers and watermelon, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Immediately prior to serving, toss in raw cashews. Serve cold.

Makes approximately 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!

Be sure to visit all of the other Summer Fest recipes. With so many ways to enjoy this magical vegetable, how can you resist?

Pinch My Salt: Chilled Cucumber, Kefir and Avocado Soup

What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet

In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini

Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint

Grecian Kitchen: Summer Cucumber Salad

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup

Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade

FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes