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Photo Fun Day Friday
I have been
busybad and I totally spaced on my Photo Fun Day Friday posts the last couple of weeks, so this is a bigger one than usual. I flew home to Buffalo this past weekend for the first time since we moved to Southern California six months ago! It was my niece Teagan’s 4th birthday and I hadn’t seen her since we left at the end of February. I missed her (and everyone) sooo much! It was a wonderful trip home, I crammed in as much time with friends and family as I could and just enjoyed every single bit of it.
My happy place! The yoga studio here in Long Beach I currently practice at.
A bench at the dog park. Love this.
I cleaned like crazy two weekends ago and it felt great. When I was done I had to snap a few pics, I am in love with this house.
My running partner. She especially loves running on the beach.
I finally found a place for my prayer flags. My parents bought these for me and they are the same ones as my favorite yoga studio in Buffalo, East Meets West. These remind me of home.
Bounty from our garden.
Me forward folding. One of my favorite yoga poses!
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Apple Spice Granola (Gluten-free + Vegan)
How is it already time to be thinking about fall? It just doesn’t seem right. I feel like we were just talking about summer being around the corner. Phew, it has flown by. I try really really hard not to rush the seasons. I personally don’t think we should be talking pumpkin recipes for at least a few weeks. What’s the hurry? Let’s enjoy the summer weather and produce while we still can.
I am going to try my hardest to hold off on pumpkin recipes at least until October. Let’s see if I can do it.
With that being said, we did get some apples in our CSA box this past week, so I was inspired to create something a little bit autumney. This granola is so simple to make and it is wonderful with your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk as cereal, it’s great over yogurt or ice cream or just on it’s own by the handful, as a snack. Read the rest of this entry » -
Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub
As I mentioned in my recent post, I have switched to a brand new skin care regimen with Peacock Apothecary that is all natural, handmade to order, all of their products are free of any chemicals and preservatives and locally sourced when possible, etc. Additionally, as part of my routine I am still using my homemade apple cider ginger toner every time I wash and I added in a homemade exfoliant that I use twice a week, at the recommendation of the girls at Peacock Apothecary.
This recipe is something I can put together very quickly and simply. I make up this small batch and keep it in the shower for the week. I have been loving how my skin feels after this gentle scrub, it is smoother than ever and I feel like my skin is as clean as it ever could be. It is super gentle and the scent is so soothing and calming.
Here is my current skin care routine:
Daily in the morning:
Wash with Coconut Milk cleanser from PA,
Tone with homemade apple cider vinegar toner
Moisturize with citrus serum from PADaily in the evening: Wash, toner, serum (same products as above)
Twice a week I use this scrub in the evening (or morning if that works better with my schedule) and at least once a week, more if needed, I make a probiotic mask.
Also, when using my face cleanser, twice a week, in the evening, on opposite days of when I use this face scrub, I use my Clarisonic Mia.
[print_this]Homemade Honey Lemon Lavender Face Scrub
- Juice from 1/2 organic lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey (I used local raw honey, in its liquid state)
- 1/4 cup sea salt (I used pink Himalayan sea salt)
- 2 teaspoons dried lavender
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl, mix well to combine. To use: Mix the ingredients until well blended and massage on a damp face. Rinse well with warm water and finish with a splash of cold. Though the scrub’s nicest when used fresh, you can keep leftovers for up to a week or so.
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Kalamata Olive & Goat Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes – Gluten-free
If you follow my Facebook page, you probably have seen the excessive amount of tomatoes coming from my garden. It is crazy. I am having to get really creative over here with all of them. It has been quite fun, actually.
These simple to make Kalamata Olive & Goat Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes are super simple to make and they make a great appetizer for an end-of-summer BBQ or picnic. If you don’t love olives, simply leave them out, this will still be super delicious. For a different variation, if you are vegan or avoid all dairy, try stuffing your tomatoes with some mashed avocado with cilantro, or a homemade guacamole. That’s equally as delicious.
I have been experimenting more and more with enjoying small amount of goat milk and sheeps milk cheeses and yogurt, I tend to not notice any issues when I eat it, so I do it very sparingly and in small amounts. I think for many people, this seems to be the case, outside of those with serious intolerances or allergies. At any rate, I have missed cheese a bit, so it has been a nice addition to my life. Do you have issues with dairy? Is it all dairy or just some?
This recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG25 as part of my ongoing Restricted Diet serie.
[print_this]Kalamata Olive & Goat Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- 24 heirloom cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint), washed and dried
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped finely (optional, if you don’t like olives, you can leave them out)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped (fresh basil would be great, too)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Dash of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, sliced thin
Slice the top off of cherry tomato, about 1/4-inch. Gently scoop out the seeds using a small spoon — I find a 1/4 teaspoon works perfectly. Drain off any juice that accumulates in the shells. (If your tomatoes are rolling around, you can slice a tiny sliver off the bottom of each so it will sit without rolling.)
In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese, Kalamata olives, fresh oregano, black pepper and sea salt together. Get it stirred up really well so it is creamy — I found a fork works perfectly. You may want to add just a small splash of water to get it moving.
Gently spoon the mixture into the tomatoes. Arrange on a serving platter, top them with the fresh cut chives and serve immediately.
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Why I am Gluten-Free.
It came to my attention recently that I have never fully shared my story and my journey here on Tasty Yummies about why I eat gluten-free. I also have never shared some of the “before” photos of me prior to fully changing my diet 3 years ago when I adopted a lifestyle of clean-eating and a diet free of processed-foods and other junk. As much as I enjoy seeing the visual changes from other peoples’ journeys , I have put off sharing my own, for fear of embarrassment and I guess, shame. I have lost the weight, I am healthier than ever, but there is something about seeing photos of myself from before, that is still somewhat painful. I wasn’t obese, many people would hardly call me fat. However, I felt terrible and I was crazy unhappy both in how I felt and how I looked. It is still hard for me to look back at myself at that time. I guess I have needed a few years to pass, just so I could deal with it all and be OK enough with my journey to share it; weight-loss photos and all.
(The purpose of this post is NOT to say that I lost weight by going gluten-free! On the contrary, that was hardly the case and initially I was at my heaviest when I went gluten-free. PLEASE read the entire post!!)
At my heaviest – in 2009. I had already been gluten-free for over 4 years at this point, but I just still wasn’t taking care of myself.
This photo, from my surprise 30th birthday party, was what changed it all for me. I saw this photo and I couldn’t believe that was me. I wanted a change.
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Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches – Gluten-free + Dairy-free
I realized earlier this summer that it had been years since I have had an ice cream sandwich. While working an event, I came across a food truck that specialized in just ice cream sandwiches and they actually had a gluten-free and dairy-free option for someone like me. YAY! It was delicious, messy and probably loaded with sugar and lots of other stuff I prefer not to eat. It immediately got the gears turning in my head. I wanted to make a healthy ice cream sandwich myself and I of course just needed to find the time to actually play with some recipe ideas.
I know we have all seen the one or two ingredient banana ice cream that has been making it’s rounds all over the internet for the last two years. If you haven’t tried it yet, you must. Stop what you are doing right now, put those bananas in the freezer and make some yummy healthy ice cream. It is simple to make and sooo surprisingly creamy and delicious. I realized it would make the perfect ice cream sandwich filling since it is creamy, simple to make and literally has nothing more than bananas in it. A great compliment to some grain-free dairy-free cookies!
I am sharing the cookie recipe over on Free People today as part of my ongoing Restricted Diets series with them and so I expanded on the recipe to make this a two-for-one deal; a cookie recipe and a bonus ice cream sandwich recipe! Plus, we had our friends Dan and Debbie over earlier this week to celebrate Dan’s birthday, so I wanted to make something special for him that we could all enjoy. Debbie is experimenting with a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, so I am pretty sure her mind was blown that these were OK for her to eat! They were a hit, I don’t think anyone believed me that the filling was just bananas and the cookies were totally grain-free!! I love recipes like that. Read the rest of this entry »
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Cocoa Dusted Macadamia Nuts – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
A few months back, I was lucky enough to have a very sweet and lovely Tasty Yummies reader, Rina, offer to send me some of the beautiful macadamia nuts she and her family grow here in California. Their company is called CaliMac Nut Company. I obviously said ‘yes!’ Macadamia nuts are something I don’t often splurge on at the store.
First, I used some to make the crust on my 4th of July Vegan “Cheesecake” and then I struggled to decide what to do with what remained. I didn’t want to waste them and just use in any ‘ol boring recipe. I wanted them to shine! I originally wanted to make a fun homemade macadamia nut version of “Nutella” with them, but to be honest I worried if it didn’t come out properly, I would be wasting so many beautiful nuts. I wanted to savor each and every one of those beauties. But I loved the idea of combing the cocoa flavor with the slightly sweetened toasted nuts. I decided on a snack that we could take on our pending road trip to San Francisco let month and enjoy easily while in the car and at our booth for the weekend. Enjoying each and every one and celebrating the lovely place and family that they came from with every bite, I love food with a story and I am always so grateful when I can know exactly where it came from and the love that went into growing it.
These beautiful cocoa dusted nuts are full of so much flavor! They have a wonderful roasty crunch, a subtle sweetness from the maple and the cocoa gives a nice punch of rich, earthy flavor. I like that they aren’t overly sweet, so the flavor of the nuts aren’t overpowered and I really enjoy that you get the flavor of the sea salt, which I personally find compliments chocolate more than almost anything. Macadamia nuts are higher in fat than many other nuts, which is why I think this recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy them. A few of these nuts are all you really need, they are rich and satisfying. Close the package up and come back to them again later. No need to consume them all at once. I do feel it is important to note, concerning the fat in macadamia nuts, between 78 to 86 percent of the fat is monounsaturated (the good for you, heart-healthy kind of fat). Monounsaturated fat helps lower cholesterol and decreases your risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, macadamia nuts are one of the only food sources that contain palmitoleic acid (a type of monounsaturated fatty acid that may speed up fat metabolism, thus reducing the body’s ability to store fat). (SOURCE)
Feel free to use raw cacao (which is what I did) instead of traditional cocoa. The health benefits on raw cacao are incredible and so worth it. Did you know that raw cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea. Additionally as we all know, cocoa in any form is great for your cardiovascular health.
You can play with the recipe a bit and add some cayenne pepper and/or cinnamon for a fun and spicy “Mexican Hot Cocoa” twist on the recipe. And, if you can’t get macadamia nuts or you would like to use a different nut, this recipe would also be great with almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or cashews. These would make a wonderful gift wrapped up in a cute handmade package or in a vintage canning jar. Oh gosh, is it bad that I am already thinking about edible holiday gifts?
Thanks again Rina for sharing your delicious macadamia nuts with me. I will certainly be ordering some when the season starts back up again! I cannot wait.
NOTE – as a dog lover who is ALWAYS obsessed with the things that are unsafe for my baby girl, it is very important for me to note that macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs, inducing a temporary yet severe weakness and other possible and very serious side effects. Keep those tasty babies high up and out of Fido’s way, please!!
[print_this]Cocoa Dusted Macadamia Nuts – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
- 2 cups raw organic macadamia nuts
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (if possible, choose organic and/or grade B, for both)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine macadamia nuts, maple syrup and sea salt. Use a rubber spatula to mix together, fully coating the macadamia nuts. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring at least twice during baking to prevent the nuts from burning.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Immediately return macadamia nuts to the bowl, add cocoa powder and toss to coat, making sure the nuts are all evenly coated with the cocoa powder.
Fully cool and store in an air tight container. [/print_this] -
Photo Fun Day Friday
How is it this time again already? Another week that flew by! I need to slow down time. We have had a super fun and busy week. We had friendsm Sean and Ruth, visiting and staying with us, from the UK. It was their first trip to Southern California so we made sure to give them the best time possible. They are both theme park/Disney junkies, so we of course spent an entire day at Disneyland with them, which you never have to twist our arms to do. We had a BBQ and invited some friends over, grilled out and just relaxed. Since they left on Tuesday we’ve been busy getting caught up on work and getting ready for upcoming events and travel. Mark has a trip next week, I have one the week after, then he goes away again just about a week later. Phew. August is going to fly right by. I am hoping to have time to share a decent amount of recipes, but it could be just a bit quieter around here for that reason.
It isn’t a glamorous photo, but I finally ran out of my store-bought toothpaste and got to make a batch of this homemade toothpaste. I didn’t have aloe so I swapped it out for coconut oil. I am loving it so far, my teeth feel so clean and have gotten noticeably whiter, already.
Our brand new California Dreamin’ oversized silkscreen poster is now available from our esty store. Seri approved!
The Brits arrived at our house on Friday afternoon, since they have been traveling and eating at restaurants like crazy, I made them a delicious veggie-filled frittata for breakfast. Loaded with zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, fresh herbs and onions and I topped it with with a light sprinkle of raw milk parmesan cheese. Check out my similar summer harvest frittata recipe here. -
Grilled Asian Green Beans – Gluten-free + Vegan
This recipe is one of those times I created something on the fly with what I had on hand, haphazardly adding ingredients that made sense to my vision, doing my best to measure and take photos when possible. This particular night I hadn’t made any plans for dinner, it was getting late and I came up with the idea to grill some green beans that we had from our CSA and sugar snap peas I had that also needed to get eaten up. I am pretty sure Mark was a tad apprehensive about having so much green stuff for dinner, but let’s be honest he had no choice really! It was this or cereal. We all know those nights.
I decided to snap photos while I was making this, since some of my most favorite dishes I create are the ones that I don’t stress over, that are inspired by what is fresh from our farmer and what is quick and easy. The sun was literally setting quicker than I could get this served up, so although these may not be the most glamorous or well-styled photos, this dish was far too good not to share with you guys, especially with green beans in season right now.
For the record, Mark absolutely LOVED this green dinner! He couldn’t get over all the flavor and how filling it all was served over a small serving of brown rice. I liked it because for not only the wonderful flavors, but the fact that in less than 30 minutes I went from not knowing what to make us, to this delicious, light and satisfying dinner. Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy August Everyone and Happy Friday, too! I am not quite sure where July went. It was a busy one for us, lots of events, lots of friend hang time and a trip to San Francisco for work! I am hoping August might give us a little more time to relax and enjoy the summer, though looking at my calendar it just doesn’t seem that way 😉 Hope you are having a wonderful Summer so far. It goes way too fast, doesn’t it?
This is my greeting card assembly line getting ready for an event. The team was seriously slacking this day.
Real friends know you like sweet and savory together (oh and non-GMO popcorn). Chocolate drizzled popcorn for dessert? Yes please!
Scenes from the Green Truck, an LA food truck that serves organic, locally sourced foods! The truck actually runs on recycled vegetable oil. All of their packaging and utensils are either recyclable or compostable and they compost everything back to the farms where they source from. How cool is all that?
I got their super yummy CALI KALE BOWL: Organic kale, mushrooms, quinoa, Gilroy garlic, shaved raw beets and carrots tossed with lemon, sea salt and pepper, and sprinkled with sesame seeds
Our booth at the Renegade Craft Fair in LA two weekends ago.
OK, seriously, how amazing is this greeting card? Made by Life is Funny Press.
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Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad (Gluten-Free + Vegan)
I get really excited as different fruits and veggies come into season. Whether in my garden or a neighbors’, at the farmers market or in my weekly CSA box. Tomatoes, especially the beautifully vibrant heirloom varieties, that is my favorite time of the season. If those don’t feel/taste like summer. I don’t know what does.
This vibrant and fun vegan take on the traditional caprese salad celebrates all that is great about summer! Instead of mozzarella, I substitute creamy avocado, which works so well with these flavors. I had some beautiful basil from my garden, some red onions from my friend Dan’s garden plus some beautiful heirloom tomatoes and an avocado from the local farmers market. It doesn’t get much more fresh than that.
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Kale Banana-Berry Smoothie – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
I think I might be a smoothie nerd. I find myself craving smoothies at random times, I find myself dreaming of new smoothie concoctions while strolling through the farmers market or grocery store. Sometimes in a conversation someone will mention a particular type of produce and I find myself wondering if it could work in my smoothie the next morning. I keep a large bag of already peeled bananas in my freezer, so I always have a frozen banana ready and waiting for me to pop into a smoothie. I may have a problem!
One of my favorite ways to create new smoothie flavors is to just look at what I happen to have on hand, whether from my CSA box or leftover from another recipe and I just go to town. This recipe came out of not knowing what to do with a small amount of kale leftover from our CSA box and some blueberries I had bought to make another recipe. I thought they would be perfect together and although the resulting color is definitely an interesting hue, the flavor is nothing short of delicious. Read the rest of this entry »
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15 Gluten-Free Snack Ideas
Looking for some healthy gluten-free snack options? Here is a list of 15 of my favorite go-to quick eats that are all naturally gluten-free!
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Grilled Marinated Artichokes
Whole artichokes are admittedly something I discovered late in life, I don’t think I had my first fresh whole artichoke until last year sometime. It actually makes me sad every time I think of it, all the missed years of goodness. I had canned or jarred artichokes hearts on salads or in dips, but whole artichokes aren’t a super common vegetable in Western New York and I always prefer to eat as local as possible. After living here in Southern California a few months and trying fresh whole artichokes several different ways, I quickly learned my favorite way to enjoy them is grilled.
Preparing artichokes for the first time is very daunting. I actually attempted to make them a couple of years ago and didn’t look up any instructions and I had NO clue what I was doing. I didn’t know which parts were edible and which parts were not. However, once you figure out how to prepare an artichoke, and do it yourself a time or two, it really is a breeze. Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
I missed out on posting my Photo Fun Day Friday last week. It is a busy month. We have a ton of events and lots planned. I love that about the summer. It’s non-stop! This weekend we will be set up at the Renegade Craft Fair in LA. You should come by and check it out if you are in the area. It is FREE and there are over 250 amazing vendors selling their handmade goods, there are free workshops for the kids, lots of food trucks, etc. Stop by the Hero booth and see us if you make it out.
The first couple of figs from our tree!! Most of them aren’t ready yet, but I cannot wait!
Warm lemon water every morning. Love this mug!
Last week, I hit my first 4 mile run!! I was sooo proud of myself. I am really loving running now and I am so happy to see some major changes in my body already, as a result. Running 2 to 3 times a week and sticking with my 4 mile runs each time, until it gets super easy for me!
I received my FREE wildflower seeds from Burt’s Bees and I am so excited to plant them. Whatever I can do to help save our bee friends! -
Grain-Free Blueberry Almond Breakfast Cookies – Gluten-free + Vegan
After sharing just some of the many gluten-free breakfast options in my post last week, I thought it would be appropriate to create a simple breakfast recipe for this week. I know beyond those that are gluten-free, many people now follow a completely grain-free diet, as well. These cookies and many other gluten-free baked goods can be easily made with almond flour and you would never know they are grain-free. If you haven’t yet experimented with almond flour, you must. These blueberry breakfast cookies are moist and full of flavor and I love the tasty bright bursts when you bite into the blueberries, plus the flavor from the almonds — they compliment each other so well. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love cookies for breakfast?
This recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25
Grain-Free Blueberry Almond Breakfast Cookies - Gluten-free + Vegan
gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleoPrint Pin RateServings: 18 -24 cookiesIngredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil, ghee or butter would be great if you aren’t vegan
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, honey will make these not vegan
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- ½ cup almond slivers
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine almond flour, salt , cinnamon and baking soda in a food processor. Process until fully combined. Pulse in shortening, honey and vanilla until dough forms.
- Remove blade from processor and gently fold in the almonds and blueberries by hand, being careful not to smash the berries.
- Scoop dough one level tablespoon at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press the dough down gently. Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet (don’t try to take them off before this, they will fall apart). Store in the refrigerator.
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How-to Make Homemade Essential Oil Insect Repellent Spray
I am not sure why, but I seem to be one of those people that always gets bit up by bugs, even when no one else is. I can be in a group of 5 or 6 other people and I will seemingly be the only one. I must taste really good. It must be all that healthy, real food! After getting bit up pretty good, the first few weeks of summer, I was determined to do some research and make my own homemade essential oil insect repellent spray.
There are many essential oils, known for being excellent natural insect repellents.Here are just some of them: Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Lemon Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Peppermint, Basil, Rose Geranium, Cinnamon Oil, Thyme, Lemon, Orange, Pine
Many of these different essential oils work especially well for specific pests, according to the research I have done, here are some of the more well known pests and essential oils that work as repellents for them:
Mosquitos – citronella, lemon eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, catnip, basil, clove, thyme, lemongrass, geranium, lavender
Fleas – cedarwood, citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, lemongrass, lavender, orange, pine,
Ticks – rose geranium, juniper, rosewood, thyme, grapefruit, oreganoSome studies have also shown, additional effective ingredients include: Neem Oil, Soybean Oil, Vodka, Garlic and Vanilla Extract
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Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Bites – Gluten-free + Vegan
Zucchini!!! We have lots of it and I have been doing my best to get creative with it. I’ve made a raw zucchini appetizer, I baked chocolate zuccini muffins, I have made more zucchini “pasta” than I would like to admit and the rest have been getting grilled. These simple to make bites are naturally gluten-free and vegan and work well as a bite-sized appetizer or a delicious side dish.
Last weekend we had dinner plans with Meg and Todd from Beard & Bonnet, who live just around the corner from us and I offered to make something with my homegrown zucchini. Besides being insanely excited to have another food blogger nearby, one who I happen to have a ton in common with, I was also super excited to eat at another gluten-free household where I could be certain everything was 100% safe to eat! Really made for an extra special night.
Meg was making her delicious homemade falafel, so I came up with these Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Bites. They have so much flavor and they are easy to make, I pre-stuffed the zucchini and popped them in the oven when we got to their house. We ate a few before dinner as appetizers and served the rest as a side dish with our meal. If your zucchini is small enough, these bites are the perfect size for picking up with your fingers and popping into your mouth.
What is your favorite way to eat zucchini?
This recipe originally appeared on The Balanced Platter.
[print_this]Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Bites – Gluten-free + Vegan
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or 2 to 4 as a side dish- 2 medium-sized zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra, if need be
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, in oil, roughly chopped + some of the oil they are packed in
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper or a silpat.
Slice off the tops and bottoms of your zucchinis, and then cut them into 1 to 1 1/2-inch long segments. Stand each segment up on one of the cut sides, and use a melon baller (or spoon) to remove the center flesh. Be careful not to scoop all the way through the bottom and create a hole (if you do make a small one, it’ll be fine). Arrange the hollowed-out zucchini pieces onto your prepared baking sheet so that they’re ready to go. Set aside.
Heat up the olive oil in a small sauce pan, add in the onion and garlic, sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the quinoa. Stir it around and let the quinoa get coated in a little oil and let it toast up for a minute. Add in your liquid (broth or water), thyme and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, take the temperature down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, chop your mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. After the quinoa is cooked, add it to a medium sized bowl. In the same pan you cooked the quinoa in, add a little more olive oil if need be and quickly sauté the mushrooms, just a couple of minutes until they are soft.
Add the mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and the fresh basil to the quinoa. Stir everything together add salt and pepper, to taste. I like to add some of the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes to the stuffing, maybe 1 tablespoon or two. You could also just use a little more olive oil.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared zucchini pieces, letting it mound up as much as you’d like. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the stuffing is lightly browned and the zucchini is slightly tender (you don’t want them to get overcooked or they will be too mushy and be hard to eat).[/print_this]
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15 Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas
As part of my ongoing Restricted Diet Series with Free People, I created a simple list of some of my favorite gluten-free breakfast ideas.
Breakfast seems to be one of the toughest meals for those new to a gluten-free diet. So many people new to the lifestyle contact me to ask my thoughts on the various options, what is available and what is easy. I find breakfast to be quite easy on the contrary, I feel like once you realize all the naturally gluten-free options plus what you can easily recreate yourself, the possibilities are endless!
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Zucchini Bites with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese – Gluten-free
I’ve been trying to be super creative over here with zucchini. I planted ours from heirloom Italian seeds in our garden and they did wonderfully, they grew far better and far faster than anything else out there. We have a lot of zucchini. I have been bringing them to all of our friends.
So, I have stuffed them (look for that recipe next week), I have made muffins with them, I have made more zucchini “pasta” than I would like to admit and the rest have been getting grilled. Good thing zucchini is my absolute favorite vegetable of all time. Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Happy Friday!! Hope all of my American readers had a happy, fun and safe 4th of July!! Did you do anything fun yesterday??
We’ve had a great week!! So excited that summer is in full swing and trying to enjoy every moment of it.
I froze some watermelon balls (used a melon baller to scoop out fresh watermelon then put it on a parchment paper lined sheet until they were frozen and they have been delicious in sparkling water.
Seri can always find even the smallest patch of sunlight shining in.
The view from my yoga mat at Wanderlust Yoga in the City. Yoga amongst hundreds of strangers under the hot sun on the Santa Monica Pier. It was perfection.
I am getting really creative with the zucchini around here, since I have so much of it. Look for this recipe later this week.
