Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I’m thoroughly enjoying my slow reintroduction to cheese and dairy products. This week I decided that goat cheese would pair well with the beets I got from my mom’s garden. I was right. The tang of the goat cheese cut through the earthy sweetness of the beets and the crunch of toasted walnuts gave it that one other component it was missing.

4 large beets
2 oz goat cheese crumbles
3 Tbs toasted walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425*F. Scrub beets clean and trim the tops and bottoms. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil and place beets on it. Drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the largest beets goes into it easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Peel the beets by rubbing the skins off (can be messy so do it over the baking dish or a cutting board you can’t stain pink). Dice the beets into a medium sized bowl. Add balsamic and salt. Stir well to coat the beets. Add goat cheese and toasted walnuts on top the beets before serving.

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Harvest Ratatouille

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

My mom gave me a lot of fresh veggies from her garden the other day, including several baby eggplants. Today I decided to make something using the cornucopia of produce I had in my fridge. I quickly settled on ratatouille. Everything except the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper came from either my mom’s garden or my own. I diced most of the veggies in advance throughout the day when I was feeling well enough to stand and use a knife. This worked really well and cut down on the time it took me to actually cook dinner.

4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 baby eggplants, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 Tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a large saute pan combine oil and onion. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent and slightly caramelized. Add tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, bell pepper, zucchini and thyme. Lower heat to a simmer. Cook until all the vegetables are cooked through. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

My new supplement heavy treatment plan is working and my systemic inflammation has decreased significantly. I’m slowly adding foods I was sensitive to back into my diet without any adverse reactions. I’ve reacted to tomatoes off and on for more than a decade so I was especially happy to be able to eat them. Tomato sauce was a staple in my diet for years and I’ve missed it.

One of my favorite Italian dishes is Eggplant Parmesan so I picked up ingredients to make a healthier version of it at the store last week. After reading labels on half a dozen commercially prepared pasta sauces I found Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Garlic & Onion Pasta Sauce on sale. I liked the simple ingredients without added sugar and it tastes like something I’d make at home if my health was more stable.

I coated my eggplant slices in egg and seasoned flax meal and baked them instead of frying. I’ve tried this method in the past but was unable to get that crispy coating that comes with frying. This time I used a baking rack on top of the cookie sheet and generously sprayed olive oil cooking spray on the eggplant slices. They turned out perfectly crunchy and I didn’t miss all that extra oil in the completed dish.

1 eggplant, peeled & sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup flax meal
1 Tbs dried thyme
1/2 Tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
16 oz pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350*F. In two shallow dishes (I use pasta bowls but pie pans work well), beat eggs in one and combine flax meal, half cup of Parmesan cheese, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper in the other. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil (for easier clean-up) and a baking/cooling rack. Dip each eggplant slice in the egg, turning them over with a fork. Move each slice to the seasoned flax meal and coat each side with the mixture. Gently set the coated slices on the baking rack. Before putting in the oven, generously spray both sides of each slice of eggplant with olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Remove from oven. In a medium sized casserole dish, spoon a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom. Layer eggplant slices and pasta sauce until all the eggplant is used. Top with the last of the pasta sauce and the half cup of Parmesan cheese held in reserve. Bake casserole in the oven for another 30 minutes.

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Cilantro-Lime Polenta

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I have a gorgeous cilantro plant in my garden that’s been calling for me to use the leaves in something fabulous. The other day I planned to make cilantro-lime rice to go with my chicken breasts stewed in tomatillo salsa but I didn’t feel well enough to cook at dinner. Today I decided instead of rice I’d make polenta. It was a good choice. It’s simple yet flavorful and good enough that I could eat a bowl of it for dinner (I didn’t since I need protein with every meal but it was tempting).

3 cups water
1 cup polenta (or grits)
4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
juice of two limes
zest of one lime

In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly stir in the polenta and lower to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often to avoid it sticking or burning on the bottom. Once the polenta is creamy and cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro and green onions.

Posted in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Side Dish, Specialized Diets, Vegan | 3 Comments

Oat & Flax Bread

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

My mom picked up a 3lb bag of flax meal several months ago and I finally got around to experimenting with it. The other day I made this grain free recipe and while it was good, I knew I could make it more to my tastes (and increase the recipe to make a full loaf of bread). The original recipe made a flavorful, nutty bread that had a whole-wheat quality but it wasn’t very good for sandwiches (though it made great toast).

I combined the flax meal with oat flour in equal amounts to decrease the strong flavor of the flax. It turned out even better than I expected and now I have an excellent recipe for sandwich bread. In fact, tonight I had a grilled zucchini and grilled Walla Walla Sweet onion sandwich for dinner. It was fabulous!

1 1/2 cups flax meal
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1/4 cup water
3 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease the bottom and sides of a large loaf pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flax meal, oat flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl, beat together eggs, olive oil and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour bread dough into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Posted in Breads, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Specialized Diets | 1 Comment

Blackberry Dark Chocolate Cake

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I’ve had very limited energy this past month so most of my cooking as been more out of necessity than for fun. Tonight I was craving chocolate. The other day I bought a container of Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder and I was itching to try it in something. I adapted my Pomegranate Brownie recipe to fit the ingredients I had on hand and slowly pulled all the ingredients together (I can only be up for a few minutes at a time so I took lots of breaks between adding ingredients).

I baked them in my silicone brownie bites baking pan (has 24 one inch square compartments). They turned out beautiful though are fluffier than a traditional brownie so I’m calling it a cake rather than brownies. If I had added oil as the original recipe called for then I probably would have had the right texture. They aren’t traditionally sweet since I didn’t use agave or honey to boost the sweetness of the date sugar but I don’t particularly like super sweet desserts, especially when berries are involved.

I blended my blackberries and pushed them through a sieve to remove the seeds to create the juice/pulp I used in this recipe. I personally don’t like biting into blackberry seeds.

1 cup date sugar
1 cup blackberry juice/pulp (no seeds)
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350*F and oil a 9×9 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine date sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until well combined. Add eggs and blackberry juice. Stir together until blended, using either a spoon or hand mixer on low. Pour into baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Blackberry & Oatmeal Crisp

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I’m not well enough this year to get too creative with my birthday dessert so I went with a perpetual favorite that is as tasty as it is easy to make: blackberry crisp.

Since I was expecting company to join me for dinner, I made use of my new set of Corningware ramekins. The individual 4oz servings made a great small bite of sweetness after a heavy meal of ribeye steaks and grilled veggies.

The blackberries came from my mom’s freezer. I defrosted and then drained them before using the berries. The leftover juice I used in blackberry barbecue sauce. It’d be excellent in cocktails, club soda or iced tea as well.

2 cups blackberries
1 Tbs agave nectar
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 Tbs coconut oil, room temperature
4 tsp date sugar

Preheat oven to 375*F. In a medium bowl, combine blackberries, agave, corn starch and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Gently stir ingredients until well combined. In a smaller bowl, combine oatmeal, coconut oil, date sugar and the last 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix until well combined. Spoon blackberry mixture into ramekins or casserole dish. Cover with oatmeal mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the blackberries are bubbling and the crisp is lightly brown. Serve hot or cold.

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Quinoa Tabouli (sans tomato)

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I love tabouli on a hot day. It’s cool and refreshing and makes a flavorful lunch or side-dish with dinner. Since I can’t eat bulgur wheat or tomatoes I substitute quinoa and cucumbers. I used mint and chives from my garden.

I suggest serving the tabouli in a lettuce leaf to make a wrap or on your favorite flat bread or tortilla with slices of chicken for a complete meal.

1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
2 cups flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chives or green onion, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and diced
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a simmer. Add quinoa and cook on medium low for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and olive oil to the quinoa, stir well and allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. In a large bowl, combine quinoa and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and chill for an hour before serving.

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Soy Free Honey Sesame Sauce

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

This is my version of sauce for sesame chicken. I poured it over baked chicken wings until well coated and then used the leftover sauce on my rice and veggies. It satisfied my craving for sesame chicken without my having to worry about ingredients I can’t tolerate.

I love experimenting with new ingredients and this recipe uses two of my recent finds: buckwheat honey and coconut aminos.

Buckwheat honey is very strong flavored and scented. It pairs better with savory dishes than with sweet since it’s more like molasses than the ubiquitous clover honey. I get mine from a local source but if you can’t find it in your area then molasses or half molasses and half clover honey could be substituted in this recipe.

Coconut aminos is marketed as a soy sauce substitute made from coconut tree sap and sea salt. It’s stronger flavored than soy sauce with a meaty quality I find intriguing. It’s difficult to come by and I had to order it online. If you’re not sensitive to soy then soy sauce can be substituted for coconut aminos in this recipe.

1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs cold water
1 Tbs buckwheat honey
1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp corn starch

In a small saucepot combine coconut aminos, sesame oil and honey. On medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring often. Mix corn starch into the cold water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the saucepot. Reduce to a simmer and stir continuously until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add sesame seeds, stirring until well combined. Pour over cooked chicken, rice or vegetables or use as a dipping sauce.

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Cilantro Lime Pesto

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Vandy Roadifer

I made this the other night to go with broiled cod and loved it. It’d be fantastic on fish tacos or even fish nachos. Last night I had it on boiled shrimp and was just as happy with it. I didn’t measure my ingredients exactly so the amount of oil may need to be adjusted. I usually stream it into the blender or food processor as I’m blending the ingredients until it reaches the consistency I like.

2 bunches of cilantro, stems removed
juice of 3 limes
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor. Puree in bursts, slowly adding oil until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

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