Gluten Free Southern Cornbread

in less than 30 minutes

Delicious, traditional cornbread!

Cornbread is one of those foods I love but don't eat often enough. The key to this southern comfort and soul food is buttermilk. Enjoy!

What You Need (makes 8x8 dish)

1 cup stoneground yellow corn meal (I like "Indian Head" brand)

1 cup gluten free all-purpose baking mix (I used "Maple Grove Farms")

3 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 425. Grease 8 by 8 pan. Add corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt to bowl. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, egg and oil and beat together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just blended, not too thoroughly. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

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Let me know how you decided to incorporate this into your meal!

Porn Potatoes?

Crispy Italian Potatoes

aka Porn Potatoes???

Baked with fresh garlic, parmesan, italian seasoning and olive oil. Healthy alternative to fries.

 So many alternatives for this recipe...Kid friendly, gluten-free, healthier than fries, quick and easy!

The note with "porn, corn, and oven baked potatoes." Let me explain!

As you see above, I'm a list maker. I'm a visual person, have made lists as long as I can remember and they usually resemble something like the one above. The lists give me a mental prep for the next day. And even though I'm pretty sure I would still get my kids fed and their lunches made, I like the reminder...it's reassurance for a tired mama. One less thing I have to think about before my head hits the pillow. 

Now, this particular note has an interesting story behind it. I'll start at the beginning, because the beginning is always a good place to start. I've been watching a lot of "Sex and the City" re-runs. It just happened the Friday before Halloween. I was waiting downstairs for my daughter to be picked up to go to a friend's house and I was too tired to do anything. The channel just happened to be on "E" and there were Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. After one episode turned into 5, I remembered how great this show is and the time in my life it invoked. Given that I write my notes right before I go upstairs to bed (I magnet them to the stove top so they are eye level...everything is up there...drives my husband CRAZY) I'm already half asleep. And on this night, probably because of my recent obsession with S and the C, my mind was altered and instead of writing "pork, corn and oven baked potatoes, I wrote, "porn, corn and oven baked potatoes." The even funnier thing, to me, is that I awoke that night in the wee hours and came down for a snack. I just happened to see my list and chuckled...however, I quickly edited it because my high school son would have had a field day with that Freudian slip..whew.

So, after my long-winded spiel, that's how Crispy Italian Potatoes also became known as Porn Potatoes!

Would you like the recipe, now?

What You Need (enough for 4)

2 regular potatoes, medium size

italian seasoning

minced garlic, fresh

parmesan cheese

olive oil

garlic salt

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 350. Wash, dry and slice potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Add a few dashes of italian seasoning (roughly 2 T); a few dashes of garlic salt (roughly 1/2 t); 1/2 t of minced garlic and roughly 3 T olive oil to a mixing bowl. Stir together until blended. Add potatoes and coat well. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until most are getting golden. Shake vigorously parmesan cheese over potatoes and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. 

Serve with porn (ha, ha ha). No seriously, makes a wonderful side. I served with bbq pork and corn but next time I will serve with a marinara chicken. The potatoes are a nice alternative to pasta.

Let's Connect

1. First, this recipe was inspired by my dear childhood friend Stephanie Parker and her fabulous blog, Plain Chicken. I adapted her recipe for Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes. You can find her recipe here http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/04/easy-oven-roasted-potatoes.html
2. Secondly, I want to know how you liked these and how you made them. Please SHARE with friends and visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
3. You can also follow me on Google+ under "Monica Resa"

Until next time...keep on keepin' on

BreakDin

Peppered Potatoes with Steak, Cheese, & Egg

aka BreakDin

Homestyle potatoes with pepper mix, topped with cheddar, NY Strip and Egg. Protein Packed and Delicious.

This recipe came about as most of mine do...from my experimental, creative mind. The thing is, I had bought a pack of Simply Potatoes' Steakhouse Seasoned Diced Potatoes (green bag) in the refrigerated section of the local store. I will sometimes buy this brand's mashed potatoes when I'm too busy or lazy to make ones from scratch..but I wanted to try something a bit healthier, so I grabbed the diced. I get tired of the same thing over and over.

Soooo easy. Literally took under 20 minutes for a gluten-free, low-carb and protein packed breakfast for dinner. Hence the name, 'BreakDin.' Kids enjoyed it too, sans steak for one and egg for the other.

Serve with toast if you want more of a breakfast flare or with salad for more of a dinner taste. Easy, simple, and yummy!

What You Need

1 bag Simply Potatoes Steakhouse Seasoned Diced Potatoes
1/2 bag frozen mixed peppers with onion (or use fresh)
Thin cut steak (normally, wouldn't use a cut like NY Strip in this kind of dish, but all I had)
Cheddar cheese, sliced
Eggs (scrambled, over-easy, sunny-side up)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

How To Prepare

Saute peppers and onion in olive oil until mostly cooked through. Add potatoes and cook according to instructions on bag. Slice cheese. Sear steak on both sides until done to your liking. Remove steak and cook egg to your liking. Layer so the cheese melts onto the potatoes. (Told you it was easy!)

That's it! The potatoes definitely were enough for four people to have a good size portion, larger than in the photo above.

Let's Connect

Please connect with me on Google + by clicking to 'Follow' the blog or 'Like' my blog's FB page at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Let me know how you liked it or twists you made to the recipe!

Until next time...

Drink Your Pumpkin?

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

packed full of protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin A...

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for Fall Fitness

On FB last week, an acquaintance posted this pic and recipe. It seemed perfect for the blog. Now, I haven't tried it but I trust this gal enough to figure she's got good taste. She's also incredibly fit, even though she's the mom to four kiddos, and so I can guarantee she cares about what she puts in her body. Let's give it a try together!

What You Need

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
1 T ground flax seed
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t minced ginger
3 dates
plain green yogurt (optional)

Tips for Making

The recipe above is what is shown in the photo. Here are a few thoughts I have on the recipe. If you don't have cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger separately; substitute 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice, and if you need to add more to suit your taste, then do. The dates are to add sweetness and the yogurt is for added protein. As with anything, adjust to your taste. If you don't find this sweet enough, use sweetened almond milk, instead of unsweetened; use vanilla yogurt, instead of plain; add more dates; or add a banana or raw honey.

It's time to drink in fall!

Thanks to the Jeffers clan for this recipe. Nicole, besides making nutritious, delicious recipes for us to try, sells Rodan and Fields skincare products. You can visit her at www.njeffers.myrandf.com

Let's Connect

I'm looking forward to creating a board on Pinterest. In the meantime, please "Like" my FB page at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and continue to share the blog. I really appreciate your support!

Until next time...

Sweet Sausage & Butternut Squash Chili*

Oh. My. Goodness.

This is the best chili I.Have.Ever.Made.Seriously. AND it's my recipe...a creation of culinary genius. Okay, I wouldn't go that far, but this recipe is like one of those days where everything falls into place and you're simply gliding. You know when you have an idea, a hunch and it seems perfect in your thoughts...but, oftentimes, between the idea to manifestation that perfectness gets realicized (yes, I just made that up) and well, the result is disappointing. This recipe was NOT one of those moments and that's just one reason I'm so pumped to share it with you. Because it also tastes delish and is very healthy!

When I was growing up, chili consisted of canned tomatoes; chili powder; water; onion; kidney beans and ground beef. We'd eat it with saltines and butter. It was okay, but not my favorite by any means and now I realize why. First, ground beef has never been my favorite meat choice. Second, the spiciness upset my stomach. And finally, the kidney beans were too dry of a bean for my preference.

So, how did this recipe come about? I was grocery shopping on Sunday and realized I had a packet of chili mix at home. It was wet, windy and cold Joaquin weather. Naturally, chili seemed appropriate, even though no one in my family likes beans except for me. I saw butternut squash and every time fall lands, I buy butternut squash. Now, I don't always get around to cooking it, but that's a different story. As I was walking down the meat aisle, I saw organic sweet italian sausage 30% off and figured that could be the meat for my chili. 

This is what you're about to savor:

See the squash, sausage, and other goodies? I know, the photo is upside down. Still working on those skills.

What You Need  (serves 2)

2 links sweet pork sausage

1/2 butternut squash

1/2 small onion

small crown brocolli

1 packet McCormick's chili seasoning mix packet

1 can small red beans

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 t olive oil

water 

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 375 for squash. Add sausage to a saucepan with enough water to boil on high for about 10 minutes per side, or until almost thoroughly cooked. Chop sausage into bite-size slivers or chunks. Place squash, flesh size down, on a cooking sheet with enough water so squash doesn't burn. Cook until you can stick a fork or knife through the thickest part, approximately 45 minutes. Dice onion and broccoli florets. Place sausage chunks, onion, broccoli, seasoning, rinsed beans, tomatoes, oil and water in soup pan. When squash is done baking, cut into bite-size chunks and add to pan.

Cook on medium-high heat for 40 minutes or until broccoli and sausage are thoroughly cooked.

Serve with toppings of plain yogurt, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips or just by itself. Would be wonderful with a side of cornbread.

*Gluten, nut, egg, dairy free. Omit sausage for vegetarian option.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Great as a leftover, too. As always, please comment and let me know how you liked it and how you topped it. Also, visit me on FB at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Please share with friends! A budding blogger needs all the help she can get.

Until next time...

Cornmeal Crusted Flounder Scampi

in 20 minutes

Crusted Flounder Topped with a Tomato and Pepper Scampi

 Listen folks, this is simple, savory scampi. Normally, I would make this topping and add fresh shrimp. But everyone does that. Let's shake it up a bit (plus, I didn't have shrimp but I did have frozen flounder.) This is a dish you can feel good about eating - gluten free; low in carbs and fat; high in protein and essential fatty acids; and preservative free. It's a restaurant quality meal without the high cost, wait for a table, or the need for fancy clothes.

What You Need

2 Flounder or Tilapia Fillets (frozen or fresh)
1/2 small Tomato, diced
1/8 cup Red Pepper, diced
1/2 packet McCormick Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi Seasoning
1 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter
1 t minced Garlic
dash of White Wine
Cooking Oil for Fish
Yellow Corn Meal

How To Prepare

Dice tomato and red pepper. Add oil, butter, half packet of seasoning, garlic, wine and veggies to pan and saute over medium heat until tomato and peppers are soft. In separate pan, add enough cooking oil for fish; approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons. Coat fillets in cornmeal and add to heated pan. Cook on medium high, approximately 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish.

Place fish on plate and top with scampi topping. Add fresh thyme for color or extra taste.

Personally, this was filling enough for me. However, this would be wonderful served over your favorite pasta or rice.

I hope you find the crunchy texture and mild fish taste paired with the aromatic kick of the scampi topping as yum as me.

Let me know if you liked this and how you ate it. Please share with friends and family via www.monicawrites.blogspot.com or wwwmonicawritesblogspotcom on FB. Please like my new FB Business page. I love staying in touch. 

Until next time...

 

Apple Smothers

You like my the fancy name? Well, let me tell you how I pulled this one of of my...AIR! (Mind out of gutters, people) 

It's September 11. It's Friday. I've had a cold for over a week. I have to get my son up at 5:50am to get ready for school. I had been awake since 3am. I went back to sleep from 7:30am to 1pm. Yes, I'm lucky I can do that. Then I realized I needed to eat. Don't always like to eat...too much work (kinda like doing this blog, sometimes) Being the only Gluten-Free eater in the house and a penny pincher, I often eat the same things. Today, was really sick of the thought of the same thing. So.....EUREKA! A thought ran like tumbleweed into the next and into the next and the pantry cooperated and Voila.....I bring to you, Apple Smothers (another way of saying apple with whatever toppings you have) Yes, genius, I know.

Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly and Healthy Go-To Snack
APPLE SMOTHERS

So, what's in this bodacious recipe? There are tons of variations and had my family not eaten my Nestle white chocolate chips they would be on here...ugh. But seriously, whatever you have in your pantry, smother it on an apple and there you go....have it for lunch or breakfast, between meals, pack in your child's lunchbox, or for a healthy dessert. 

This is what I used today:

Yes, that is my left foot. Please just focus on food. Not that great at photos, yet.

Ingredients:

Kind granola bar

Honey nut chex mix

Chopped walnuts, roasted

Jif peanut butter

Raisins

Gala apple

What to do:

Wash apple, whatever kind you prefer. Slice it. Smother, hence the  name, with peanut butter, almond or whatever other nut butter you like. Crumble granola bar and sprinkle on top. Pick out the corn chex mix pieces, smash, and sprinkle on top. Add walnuts, pecans, almonds. Add raisins, coconut, chocolate chips, white chocolate. 

Eat and Enjoy!

Recommended with a cold glass of milk!

Let me know how you enjoy and what variations you create. Enjoy your weekend.