GF Dijon Meatloaf Muffins

I like meatloaf.  But I don't like ketchup.  (I know, crazy, right?)  So here is a quick and easy version using Dijon mustard instead.  I love Dijon mustard.  :-)  This version is also gluten-free.  I replaced the typical bread crumbs with buckwheat flour.  You could also use a GF oat flour, too.

And I divided the meat into muffin molds for easy individual servings.  BOOM!

Also check out my previous, and fancier, meatloaf recipe: Mustard-Dill Meatloaf Patties with Pomegranate Sauce.  (See?  Mustard.  Not ketchup.  :-D)
 
Gluten-Free Dijon Meatloaf Muffins


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (plus more for topping)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• several generous dashes of (a GF brand of) Worcestershire sauce
• many turns of the black pepper grinder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 6 wells of a muffin tin with olive oil and set aside.
• Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Add the rest of ingredients to the onion/garlic mixture and combine with your fingers.  (Yes, fingers are better than a spoon or spatula!)  Be light, don't smoosh!
• Divide the meat mixture evenly into the 6 greased muffin wells.  Pat down lightly.
• Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Then increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and continue baking for another 5-7 minutes, until the muffins are cooked through and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
• Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.  Run a butter knife around the muffins to remove them from the tin.  Top with more Dijon mustard before serving.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Granola

It's pumpkin season again!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Granola


Ingredients:

• 4 cups gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup gluten-free buckwheat groats (optional)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 cup raw pepitas
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1.5 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the first 9 (dry ingredients).  Set aside.
• Place honey, coconut oil and pumpkin purée into a microwave safe bowl and heat on medium heat until the coconut oil is melted (about 45 seconds).  Whisk until blended.
• Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Spread the granola onto a large baking sheet (I used a half-sheet pan) lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown, stirring the granola every 10-15 minutes to ensure even browning. 
• Remove from oven and stir in the cranberries.  Let cool completely.  The granola will be soft while it's hot, but once it cools completely it will be nice and crunchy.
• Store in an airtight container.

Roasted Green Beans

Everything tastes better roasted, right?  I normally steam my green beans, or sauté them with garlic and olive oil, but since I already had the oven on today for some orange-soy ribs, I figured I'd use it to roast the green beans as well.

I seasoned with coriander and cumin, but you could use whatever flavors you like.  I've done it with a sprinkle of curry powder before, and that was also yum!

Roasted Green Beans


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds green beans, washed, trimmed and blot-dried with a kitchen towel
• 1/2-ish teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2-ish teaspoon salt (I used pink Himalayan)
• 1/4-ish teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4-ish teaspoon ground cumin
• 2-ish tablespoons olive oil
• lemon wedge (optional)

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Make sure your beans are pretty dry.  I find patting them down with a kitchen towel after washing does the trick.  You want to minimize moisture because you want them to roast, not steam.  
• On a large sheet pan, toss the green beans with the spices and olive oil. Spread the beans out into a single layer and roast for about 15 minutes, giving them a quick toss halfway through. You want them to be ever so lightly browned and caramelized.
• Remove from oven and spritz with lemon wedge.  Serve hot.

Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms, Peas and Arugula

I like sweet bell peppers.  A lot.  And I like to roast and stuff them.  A lot.

Many recipes call for stuffing raw peppers and then roasting them until done.  I tend yo prefer to roast the empty peppers first, and then stuff them with a fully cooked filling.  My reasons are twofold: 1) because it eliminates the potential for burning the outsides while risking an undercooked filling inside, and 2) rice and quinoa and other grains in the stuffing will dry out on the top and become hard unless you have some sort of bread crumb or cheese topping.  Well, I'm gluten-free, so I skip the bread crumbs, and as much as I LOVE cheese, sometimes it's just not needed.  (Gasp, did I just say that?)

Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms, Peas and Arugula


Ingredients:

• olive oil in a mister
• 4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
•  2ish cups brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup arugula
• salt & pepper

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.   Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
• Cut the tops off the bell peppers and discard.  Remove seeds and membranes.  Place peppers cut-side down onto the oiled sheet and roast for 15 - 20 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Sweat the onion until soft.  Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  
• Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft.  Add the rice and peas and continue cooking and stirring, until everything is heated through.
• Add the arugula and salt & pepper to taste.  Stir until arugula is wilted.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and divide the stuffing mixture evenly into them.
• Serve hot.

Roasted Crimini with Coriander and Thyme

What?  Mushrooms can be roasted?  They sure can, and they're absolutely delicious this way!

Roasted Crimini with Coriander and Thyme


Ingredients:

• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned with a damp cloth
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 a lime

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss all ingredients, except for the lime, on a sheet pan.  Go conservative with the s&p since roasting will remove some moisture and concentrate the flavors.  You can add more seasoning after cooking, if desired.
• Spread the mushrooms out in a single layer on the pan and roast in pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, until they are nicely browned and tender.
• Remove from oven, adjust s&p as necessary, spritz with lime juice and serve immediately.

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Shapes, Letters and Numbers on a Cake

Playing catch-up. If you'd like to see my latest cookie creations, please visit my Facebook page: A Random Act of Cookie.  

February - Mini Cookies on a Cake - Shapes, Letters and Numbers
2 dozen mini ginger spice sugar cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Lunar New Year 2014 (4712)

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January - Lunar New Year Cookies for a School Celebration
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies, 2 dozen chocolate sugar cookies


January - Lunar New Year Cookies for a Family Party
3 dozen ginger spice sugar cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Silly Monsters

Playing catch-up. If you'd like to see my latest cookie creations, please visit my Facebook page: A Random Act of Cookie.  

November - Silly Monsters Cookies for a 1st Birthday
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies, 2 dozen chocolate sugar cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Lego Bionicles

Playing catch-up. If you'd like to see my latest cookie creations, please visit my Facebook page: A Random Act of Cookie.  

October - Lego Bionicles Cookies, Kopaka and Lewa
2 dozen vanilla sugar cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Owls and Paint Palettes

Playing catch-up. If you'd like to see my latest cookie creations, please visit my Facebook page: A Random Act of Cookie.  

September - Owl Cookies for a 2nd Birthday
5 dozen vanilla sugar cookies


September - A Colorful 4th Birthday with Paint Palette Cookies
1.5 dozen confetti sugar cookies, 1.5 dozen chocolate cookies

Off Topic - Decorated Cookies - Thank-you Minis, Dr. Seuss

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August - Last-day-of-preschool mini cookies for teachers
5 dozen vanilla sugar cookies, 5 dozen chocolate sugar cookies




August - A Dr. Seuss 1st Birthday, 5" favor-size cookies
3 dozen vanilla sugar cookies

Curried Lentils and Chickpeas

It's Meatless Monday.  I've fallen into a rut lately (just life and stuff) and have been resorting to old favorites like Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portobellos, Frittatas, Lentil and Pasta Soup, and even just scrambled eggs with toast (GF crackers for me) for Monday dinners.  Today I was feeling a bit feisty, so I thought I'd make something new.  Well, new to me.  I was jonesing for something curry, and this totally hit the spot.  And it's easy, too.  Yay!

Curried Lentils and Chickpeas


Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 3/4 cup dried lentils
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 cups water
• salt & pepper to taste
• hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

• Rinse chickpeas and lentils in running water, then soak in separate bowls overnight.
• In a medium pot, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.
• Drain the chickpeas and lentils and add to the pot.  Add the curry and cumin powders.  Stir over medium heat for a minute.
• Add the water and salt & pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the chickpeas and lentils are tender. Adjust salt and pepper as needed, and add hot pepper sauce (optional).  Serve over brown rice (or with whole wheat naan if you're not gluten-free).

Tonight I served this with a side of simple roasted cauliflower.  I'm a happy camper.

Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Tomatoes

A meatless Monday meal.  This actually got two thumbs up from the hubs.

Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Tomatoes


Ingredients:

• 1/4 stick butter
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium-large spaghetti squash, cooked and de-seeded
• 1 large bunch lacinato kale, washed, dried and chopped 
• large handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• pink Himalayan sea salt to taste
• shredded parmesan
• diced avocado
• salted, roasted pepitas

Directions:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir until soft and fragrant, about 45 seconds.  Add in the cooked spaghetti squash strands and toss until coated with garlic butter.  Add the kale and cook for a few minutes until wilted.  Add in the tomatoes and salt to taste.  Stir until the tomatoes are heated through.
• Plate and top with parmesan, avocado and pepitas.  Serve warm.

Today I served it over some leftover brown rice and beans.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp

It's been HOT all week so far.  Highs in the mid-80s.  I'm glad it's not snow, but I'd love it to cool down a little bit.  My ideal is high-60s to low-70s.  I think that's in the forecast for this weekend, so yay!

Last night I made a hot soup (Lentil and White Bean Soup with Arugula) for dinner and we were all sweating bullets.  DUH.  So tonight we're having cold soup.

I don't think dill is typical of gazpacho, is it?  All the gazpacho I've had to date have typically been with parsley or basil.  Or herbless.  But I love love love how dill complements seafood, so that's what I used here.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp


Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 persian cucumbers, chopped and divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound grilled mahi mahi, cubed
• 1/2 pound grilled shrimp

 Garnish:

• diced avocado
• roasted and salted pepitas 
• chopped fresh dill 
• extra virgin olive oil
• Tabasco sauce

Directions:

• In a blender, pulse the crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, half the cucumbers, garlic, onion, dill, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper until almost smooth.  Or chunky.  Or however you like it.  I added about 1 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt, but how much you add will depend on how sweet/tart your tomatoes are, what type of salt you use, and your taste preference.
• Add in the other half of the chopped cucumbers and buzz for another split-second (the newly-added cukes should still be slightly chunky).
• Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate to chill for at least a couple of hours.
• When ready to serve, ladle cold soup into 4 bowls and add in some warm grilled mahi mahi and shrimp.  I like the warmth of the fish and shrimp in contrast with the cold soup, but you can certainly use cold fish and shrimp.  Top with diced avocado, pepitas, fresh dill and a drizzle of olive oil.  Add a dash of Tabasco if you're feeling frisky.

I like to use persian cucumbers because they're firmer than regular or hothouse cukes, and this gives the soup a little more texture.

I chose to add pepitas because I'm gluten-free.  Otherwise you could certainly add croutons.  :-)

Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers with Pineapple Pico de Gallo

I originally was going to make salmon skewers spaced with pineapple slices, but at the last minute I decided to make a sort of pico de gallo topping instead.  A yummy sweet and tangy accompaniment to the fresh salmon skewers.

I used my Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes recipe for the fish.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers with Pineapple Pico de Gallo


Pineapple Pico de Gallo Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh sweet pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup sweet red and orange peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup shallots, diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• juice of 1/2 lime (more as needed, depending on how sweet the pineapple is)
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

 Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh wild salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cubed
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Soak some wooden skewers in water for a few minutes.  This will help prevent them from burning on the grill.
• Place cubed salmon fillets in a mixing bowl.  Add rest of the ingredients and toss.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Skewer the salmon onto the soaked skewers. Place onto a hot grill and cook on high for a few minutes on each side until done.  Plate the skewers, top with some pineapple pico de gallo and serve immediately.

I like to serve the skewers on a bed of brown rice and beans.  Tonight I paired it all with a massaged kale salad.  Yum!

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa and Fish

One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes of all time includes steamed white fish with glass noodles and black fungus (tastes better than it sounds, really) wrapped with lettuce and mint in rice paper.  So refreshing on a hot day.  I thought I'd mix it up a little, and here's what I came up with.

I used a nice sea bass fillet today, but you could use any firm fish (halibut, yellowtail, mahi mahi, etc.).  I also baked the fish today, but it's great grilled as well.

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa and Fish


Ingredients:

• 1 pound sea bass fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1.5 cups water
• lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed 
• avocado slices
• lemon wedges

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Rub fish with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 17 - 20 minutes until done and flaky.
• While fish is baking, melt coconut oil in a small pot and stir in onion, garlic, mushrooms and sweet pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until veggies are fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes.  Add the quinoa, water and salt to taste (I added approx. 1/2 teaspoon).  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
• Lay the lettuce leaves out on a plate.  Fill each leaf with some of the quinoa mixture, then top with some fish and avocado.  Spritz with lemon.  Enjoy!

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I've seen a number of these recipes on the Internet.  Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls are so easy and so yummy.  Bonus: it's a one-pot meal.  I chopped the onion and cabbage this afternoon, then went to work out.  Came home, threw it all together and had a satisfying, hot dinner in 30 minutes.  Here's my version.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 pounds extra lean ground sirloin
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 large (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 to 2 cups water
• a few dashes of worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and stir until translucent.  Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Stir in ground beef and cook, stirring often, until nicely browned.
• Add the cabbage, diced tomatoes and lemon juice to the pot.  Add 1 cup water if you like it a little thicker.  My daughter likes to eat it like soup, so I add another cup of water to make it extra saucy.  Add the worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  
• Bring to a boil, then put a lid on the pot and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes until cabbage is tender.  (Don't overcook or the cabbage becomes mushy!)

We like to serve it over brown rice.