Recipe: Bacon Broccoli Casserole

This is a different take on the Breakfast Casserole recipe I've shared before, this time with more veggies and less cheese and also no potatoes. My husband said it's his new favorite way to eat broccoli, but I'll note that it's best eaten hot out of the oven rather than after reheating the next day (however, I personally liked the leftovers). So if you'd like to avoid leftovers, cut the recipe in half and use an 8x8-inch baking dish or similar.

Bacon Broccoli Casserole
Serves 8 (570 calories per serving: 8g carbs, 42g protein, 44g fat)

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 5 cups broccoli, chopped and steamed lightly
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp ground mustard spice
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 12 oz cheddar cheese, chopped or shredded

Method

Fry bacon until just crispy (or to taste); drain on paper towels. When a little cooled, chop roughly into bite-sized pieces. (You can be lazy like me and use kitchen shears.) While bacon is cooking, steam the chopped broccoli on the stove or in the microwave until bright green but still crunchy. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, and ground mustard together. At this point you can saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease left in the pan, if desired. To the egg mixture, add the onion, bacon, broccoli, and cheddar cheese. Mix well.

Pour mixture into a lightly-greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted and toothpick comes out clean. Check at 30 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Meatloaf Cupcakes

This is one of our favorite family recipes. I first made it the way the original recipe said, using prepackaged onion soup mix, but I have since changed up the recipe to avoid all the extra salt, MSG, and preservatives that come with the packaged stuff. I also usually make it with almond flour instead of bread crumbs, and arrowroot starch instead of corn starch. But I still use ketchup. You can easily turn this paleo if you take away the milk, and use marinara sauce or tomato sauce (heated with a little honey mixed in) instead of ketchup.

It's always been a chore trying to get my son to eat meatloaf shaped in the traditional loaf. (It's boring, I guess?) Buying silicone cupcake liners a year ago made all the difference. I didn't change the recipe from the loaf to the cupcakes, but since he LOVES the idea of cupcakes and mini-sized food in general, he willingly eats what are basically mini meat cakes. When my son is really hungry, he'll eat three or more of these for dinner, which is a big deal for a kid who seems to live on air half the time. (I don't know how some kids survive when they're so picky about food.)

Even better, dividing the loaf into smaller portions means they cook faster in the oven. What used to take 45-55 minutes (for the loaf) now only takes 25 minutes total. This is a good recipe for a quick dinner. I can steam peas or broccoli in the time it takes the cupcakes to finish baking.

Meatloaf Cupcakes
Makes 12 regular-sized cupcakes (they won't fill the cups to the top)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (or almond meal, which yields softer -- and very tasty -- meatloaf)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried onion (or 2 tbsp sauteed chopped onion)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp corn starch (or arrowroot starch)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup ketchup (or marinara sauce)
• reserve extra ketchup (or marinara) for topping

Method

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mix egg, milk, bread crumbs, dried onion, onion powder, corn starch, salt, and ketchup in medium bowl. Add beef and mix well until consistency is a sticky ball.

Use silicone cupcake liners in a cupcake tin or on a flat baking sheet. (The silicone liners stay upright and keep their shape.) Fill each liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, spread ketchup topping on each cupcake, then bake for another 5 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Breakfast Casserole

This casserole is basically a frittata, only using a different baking pan. I know it says breakfast casserole but we usually have it for dinner during the week. We got it from my husband's sister-in-law a while back. We don't use any vegetables except onions, but some chopped broccoli would probably make this dish even better (and certainly more healthful). We also substitute with bacon (often) or Italian sausage (sometimes) when we don't have breakfast sausage on hand. My husband prefers the bacon, but I like any of the meats. Try it with a different melty cheese, or sub ricotta for the cottage cheese. This recipe is pretty versatile, just like any frittata.

Breakfast Casserole
Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound breakfast sausage (or bacon, or Italian sausage)
• 3 cups shredded potatoes (or 1 bag of Simply Potatoes)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 6 eggs
• dried parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, or whatever seasonings you'd like (to taste -- I usually use 1 Tbsp)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup of vegetables like broccoli or bell peppers (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish mix potatoes and melted butter. Line bottom and sides of dish with potatoes. (If using raw potatoes, I suggest putting the potato-lined baking dish in the oven while it's heating up.)

Fry and crumble sausage until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. (Or fry bacon and chop. If using vegetables, saute them in 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sausage or bacon until al dente.)

In a bowl, whisk eggs and mix in sausage, (vegetables, if using,) cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, onions, and whatever seasonings you decide on. Pour over the potatoes.

Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Check at 45 minutes. Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Food for Spring

Contents of CSA box from March

I've been slightly obsessed with food lately, constantly bookmarking new recipes to try and making sure that we use the contents of our weekly organic CSA box before they go bad in the fridge or pantry. I'm ashamed to say that I allowed the latter to happen far too many times during the winter months (I always waited too long before using the leafy vegetables and I ended up with too many radishes). But I am trying my best this season, especially since, sadly, it looks like our vegetable garden will not be as fruitful this year.

(Regarding our garden: this year, we used heirloom seeds from a company we'd never tried before and planted in late March, but so far only the corn has sprouted. It's possible that the winds and heat here were too harsh for the seeds. My husband started some of the seeds inside the house which seem to be doing well, so we'll try to transplant the seedlings soon. Crossing my fingers that they take, especially the tomato plants. I absolutely LOVE tomatoes in the summer and want to make more homemade marinara sauce.)

Here are a few of the dishes I enjoyed recently and also managed to photograph.

Parmesan frittata from The Elliot Homestead. I managed to fit it all (8 eggs plus filling!) in my cheap but great little 8-inch Lodge cast-iron skillet. This was the perfect opportunity to use the fresh kale and spring onion from my CSA box. I didn't use fresh rosemary or sun-dried tomatoes; instead I used 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning and 3 Tbsp chopped roasted red peppers. Very delicious. The Parmesan cheese was great. I ate it all in a couple of days for breakfast.

Panko-crusted tilapia topped with my own simple tomato-and-onion relish recipe. The fish came from Trader Joe's frozen section. While it was heating in the oven, I diced a quarter of a large yellow onion and chopped one medium vine-ripened tomato. I sauteed the onion until tender, almost caramelized. Then I added the tomato and salt to taste. I cooked them together until the tomato was warmed (I don't like my tomato falling apart), and then I topped the fish with the mixture. Add some chopped fresh Italian parsley if you have any, and lunch is served.

Tomato salad recipe from Martha Stewart. I didn't have beefsteak tomatoes so I used 4 vine-ripened tomatoes instead (I could easily have used 5 or 6 given the amount of dressing). I also used 1 whole small red onion instead of shallots, since marinated red onion is one of my favorite things. I love the dressing on this. This is one refreshing salad. I ate half in one sitting and ate the rest another time (neither my husband nor my son likes raw tomatoes, their loss). This dish would be great to bring to a potluck.

3 Minute Chocolate Paleo Mug Cake from Delighted Momma. Well, mine would have been totally paleo except I added 1-2 Tbsp of milk before nuking in the microwave to make it more moist. Without the extra liquid the mug cake is a little dry/thick. Maybe you could add water, coconut milk, or almond milk instead. Otherwise, it has a very good flavor. This has nothing to do with my CSA box. I just wanted to share because it's dessert, and dessert should always be shared.

Now I just have to focus on all the beets we've been getting. I think I avoid cooking them because they stain so much. I don't have that excuse for carrots, however, and those are also languishing in my fridge. Sigh. Better get cracking on those recipes. Maybe I'll make beet and carrot desserts.

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Paleo Pepper Steak

I've been making the non-paleo version of this dish for many years now. I got the original recipe from my mother-in-law, who got it from an old cookbook that she's had since she was a young woman. I've since adapted the recipe for my family, but I recently decided to see if I could successfully turn it into a paleo recipe. It worked really well. I couldn't tell the difference, and neither could my husband, who absolutely LOVES the non-paleo version. However, I noticed that the tamari seemed saltier than soy sauce. At the end of cooking the beef, if the sauce seems salty to you, feel free to add more water before deglazing and reducing.

I serve this over rice -- either white or a wild rice medley -- for my husband and son, but of course that's not paleo; you can separately make cauliflower rice beforehand, or use roasted spaghetti squash or shaved zucchini instead. Also, this recipe is very easy to double, and I usually do so because we're happy to eat the leftovers for dinner the next night. It makes my week a little easier that way. :-) The photos below are of a doubled recipe of the dish.

Paleo Pepper Steak
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 lb top round steak or London broil [grass-fed]
• 2 or 3 medium bell peppers (any color)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) [the brand I used] or coconut aminos
• 3/4 Tbsp arrowroot starch [the brand I used]
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar or palm sugar [the brand I used]
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
• 1/3 cup water

Method

Seed bell peppers and cut in julienne strips. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet using low heat. Add the peppers and cook slowly. (This method will yield very tender, soft peppers. If you prefer crunchy, al dente peppers, then stir fry them over medium-high heat instead, until they're cooked to your taste.)

While the peppers are cooking, combine tamari, arrowroot starch, sugar, black pepper, and ginger (if using) in a medium bowl and mix well. Slice beef into very thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick or less) -- it helps if you slice the beef while it's only partially defrosted so it holds shape better -- and add to the mixture in the bowl. Coat beef thoroughly.

Saute peppers until tender, as desired. Remove from skillet to a serving bowl and set aside.

Increase the burner to high heat and add remaining oil to the skillet. Once the oil starts to shimmer, fry the beef until the redness disappears. Remove the beef to the serving bowl with peppers.

To make the sauce, add 1/3 cup of water to the skillet and stir through until the pan is deglazed. Cook until reduced in half, just a few minutes. Add back the beef and peppers and heat through. Serve over rice substitute (cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, etc.) if desired. Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: DIY Home Cleaners

It's springtime, and if you're like me, you've gotten the itch to do some spring cleaning. So I spent a good chunk of my birthday weekend cleaning the house, but instead of reaching for the Kaboom or Tilex or 409, I learned new recipes for homemade cleaners that actually worked! I was able to clean my tubs, kitchen sink, and stove without taking a whole day or two to do it. I confess that I often put off cleaning those things because I'm really sensitive to the chemical smells from the store-bought sprays and cleaners that we usually use, which means that I need to take numerous breaks while I wait for my eyes and nose to stop watering. Ugh. Two of the recipes below call for ammonia, which does smell pretty bad, but it doesn't bother me as much as the factory-made chemical soups that burn your mucous membranes (what do they put in those things?). You can even buy lemon-scented ammonia from the grocery store, home improvement store, or maybe Target.

Anyway, I'm so excited about how effective the cleaners were that I wanted to share my resources. I'm sure I have Pinterest to thank for starting me off on my journey to finding them online, and I'm glad to let you know that these particular projects worked. (Parenthetically, a friend alerted me to a site called Pinstrosity, which lets you know about projects found via Pinterest that either don't work or that require troubleshooting.) What's great is that you probably have the necessary items in your home already! And if you don't, you can easily get them at the store and they're a lot cheaper ounce for ounce than the ready-made factory stuff.

To clean my porcelain tub, I used the "Tub Scrub" recipe from Martha Stewart. Four ingredients: 1) baking soda, 2) dish soap, 3) antibacterial essential oil, and 4) water. I only needed half the recipe to clean one tub. The tea tree oil I used made it smell wonderful. I used a non-scratch nylon scrub brush with the paste. You don't need to wet down the tub before scrubbing, since the paste has enough liquid already to create the necessary friction. It required some elbow grease, but it was satisfying; I could see the dirt melting away. It worked wonderfully on the metal faucet and drain as well, but make sure to completely rinse off the baking soda or it will leave streaks.

For my porcelain kitchen sink, I used Apartment Therapy's recipes. Three ingredients for a simple scrub: 1) baking soda, 2) ammonia, and 3) water. I didn't use a bucket of water, but it was definitely more liquid than a paste. It worked really well to clear up the dinginess, and the sink was squeaky clean and whiter after just one application with a non-scratch nylon sponge. With a toothbrush, I used the mixture to clean the metal drains and strainer as well as the rubber flaps on the garbage disposal. The metal looked almost new after that! (I think it was because of the ammonia.) There were some small rust stains that needed the salt-and-lemon-juice treatment, as described in the Apartment Therapy link, and after that I was done. The sink is only a year and a half old (I blogged about it when we bought it), but I admit that I don't take care of the porcelain finish as well as I should. Doing this treatment made me want to take better care of the sink in the future, because why not when it's so quick and simple? (If you've got a metal sink, use this Apartment Therapy tutorial instead.)

Finally, I used my own recipe on my gas stove, especially on the removable porcelain-covered cast-iron grates. For years, I have hated cleaning stove grates because nothing ever worked, not vinegar, dish soap, or the Magic Eraser. The recipe I used was just a remix of the two recipes above: 1) 1/2 cup baking soda, 2) 1/4 cup ammonia, 3) 1 teaspoon dish soap, and 4) just enough water to make a paste. I removed the grates and scrubbed them in the sink with the paste using a nylon sponge. It didn't make them super clean but it took a lot of the burned-on grease right off. (The ammonia really melts off the grease, and I wish I'd learned to clean with ammonia long before my thirties. I've heard you can put the grates -- one at a time -- in a ziplock back with a little ammonia and leave for a day, and then you wouldn't need to scrub. I might try that method since I don't need to use all the burners of my stove every meal of every day.) I washed them off thoroughly and left them on the dish rack to dry. While they dried, I worked on the stove with the nylon sponge. Again, this required some elbow grease, but it worked well. I made sure to rinse off the paste completely, using several applications of a very wet sponge and then drying off with a clean microfiber towel.

NOTE: When using the recipes with ammonia, I advise using rubber gloves, especially if you'll be in contact with it for more than a few minutes. That smell can linger a bit. And please, don't mix ammonia with bleach or anything containing bleach as the fumes created are highly toxic. If unsure whether something contains bleach or not, err on the side of not using it with ammonia. Just stick to baking soda, dish soap, and essential oils when working with ammonia. They work!

Happy fume-less Spring cleaning!

[EDIT: So I was wrong about Pinterest being my primary resource ... the Martha Stewart "Tub Scrub" recipe was found via BuzzFeed's great list of (mostly) eco-friendly cleaning tricks. Seriously, this list will make your Spring cleaning more interesting. I can't wait to try cleaning my blinds with an old sock.]

xo, Gladys

Sweet Life

Just some food pr0n to kick off the weekend properly. :-)

Oreo Dream Extreme cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, my kiddo's choice. He's such a ham! He knew I was going to take a pic of the cheesecake, so he posed with the cookie crumb halfway to his mouth like that! Hahahahahahahahaha! I've trained him well.

More cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory: (l-r) Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel, Kahlua Cocoa Coffee, White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. OMG my mouth is watering. My brother and sister-in-law swear by the apple one. I chose the Kahlua Cocoa Coffee, but I think my fave was the Raspberry Truffle.

My kiddo declared that these cute pancakes were the best he'd ever had. I'd have to agree. They're closer to crepes than traditional pancakes since they're made with several eggs and with sour cream (!), with a relatively small amount of flour. Sour Cream Pancakes recipe shared by The Pioneer Woman.

These cupcakes are paleo and they're a winner in this house, passing muster with the kiddo and husband both. Recipes for Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes and Paleo Chocolate Frosting by Elana's Pantry.

My Cupcake Monster was not posing here but simply stuffing his mouth (and nose) with the cupcakes. Yummy.

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Mediterranean Salad

This is the salad that people actually request that I make -- I don't get requests for anything else from anyone (except from my husband and son) -- but it's really simple. There's no need to emulsify the dressing. If you're in a real hurry, you can even just toss everything together then serve (or serve after a a bit of time in the fridge while you do other things).

In honor of the new spring season, I'm sharing the recipe with everyone on the world wide web so you can make it and wow your friends and family during get-togethers. I think it's a great idea to allow the flavors to blend in the fridge for a bit, and an even better idea to marinate the red onion in the dressing while you prepare the rest of the veggies. That way, the acidity mellows out any bitterness in the onion.

I usually get my ingredients from the local Trader Joe's, which carries organic Persian cucumbers and organic Roma tomatoes in one-pound packages. Very convenient. By the way, Persian cucumbers have thicker skin and are smaller and crispier than regular cucumbers. These characteristics make them the perfect candidate for the lovely, tart dressing.

Note: You can easily give this salad an antipasto flavor by adding pepperoncinis, salami, and/or pepperoni slices. Maybe also some grated Parmesan. I've done that before and it tastes delicious. If you're making this for a party that includes a mix of vegetarians and omnivores, you can leave the cured meats on the side for those guests who want it. You can also leave the cheese on the side for any vegan or dairy-intolerants guests.

Mediterranean Salad
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

DRESSING
• 1/2 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar [I add an extra splash since I like my dressings very tart]
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste


• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 lb (5-6 pieces) Persian cucumbers, sliced in 1/4" rounds
• 1 lb (5-6 pieces) Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 4 oz. Feta cheese [I use the Mediterranean feta from TJ's, extra herbs that way]
• 1 4-oz. can sliced black olives, drained and rinsed

Method

Whisk olive oil, vinegar, spices, and salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Slice onion and allow to marinate in the dressing while cutting the other vegetables. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and cheese, and toss to coat evenly. Optional: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Pickled Radishes

Pickled pink! Takuan radishes

I recently pickled a bunch of radishes that were languishing in my fridge. We get a CSA farm box every week, and we had a run of radishes at the beginning of the year. I'm not fond of raw radishes in salads and whatnot, but I do like them pickled. I found an easy recipe to pickle radishes from one of the food blogs I follow, The Domestic Man. (It's so simple, I won't reproduce it here; just click through.) It's a recipe to make the Japanese dish takuan using daikon radishes, but I only had smaller, pink/purple-centered radishes on hand. It turned out pretty well, and that color is spectacular; I definitely didn't need to add turmeric for coloring at all (I didn't have any in my pantry, anyway). The only thing I would change is to decrease the salt by a quarter or so. I like my radishes more tart and sweet than salty. When I go to Japanese and Korean restaurants, I really enjoy eating the pickled appetizers that they sometimes serve before the main dish. This can be eaten as the side to an entree or as a snack. And it's pretty healthful as well. Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since I stopped regularly baking with wheat flour over a year ago, one of the things I've tried to do is find an alternative paleo, primal, or, at the very least, gluten-free recipe to replace chocolate chip cookies. I often enjoy the treats that I make, including almond butter and coconut flour cookies. However, it wasn't until recently that I found a recipe that passed muster with my son, who can tell immediately whether the cookies I bake are "healthy" or not. (And unfortunately he prefers the non-healthy kind.)

This recipe is very quick to make, with simple measurements and no elbow grease required to "cream" the butter and sugar substitutes (melted coconut oil and honey mix quite easily together). It also has no eggs, so even eating the batter is pretty safe. My son makes this with me and he always asks to lick the spoon.

Some of my changes: I use dairy milk because I usually don't have almond milk at hand, and I also use semi-sweet chocolate chips. My cookies look more like the traditional wheat flour cookies and different from the original, which is likely because I flatten mine into the traditional cookie shape before baking, and because we use different almond meals/flours (mine is the blanched almond meal flour made by Honeyville Farms). I'm sure it would taste just fine without the almond meal being blanched.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Running to the Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour/meal
• 1 Tbsp almond milk (or other nut milk, or dairy milk)
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (use more as desired)

Method

Preheat oven 350F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper if desired. Except for chocolate, mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir in chocolate. Drop batter in 1 flat Tbsp at a time, leaving 1.5 to 2 inches between each cookie. You may roll the dough into a ball first, then flatten into cookie shape with palm once on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom edge starts to darken.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool and solidify for 5-10 minutes, as the cookies will be very soft right after baking. The longer you let them cool, the firmer they will be. I prefer them a little soft and chewy, so a 5- to 10-minute cooling period is just right for me.

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Chocolate Chili

Just wanted to share some photos of recently-made chocolate chili. I've mentioned this chili recipe before on this blog, but it's so good I want to share it again. I won't reprint the recipe here, so just go to The Clothes Make the Girl blog, whose writer Melissa Joulwan is the author of a great cookbook that you should consider getting, Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat. My only note is that I use two full tablespoons of cocoa rather than the 1.5 tablespoons on her blog recipe. I make it with two pounds of ground beef and it is basically gone in two family dinners or less. We eat it over hot dogs or baked potatoes (I know, not very paleo) with a veggie on the side, some sour cream for me, and maybe some dried chives. But I've also eaten it straight up from the pot, no sides or toppings necessary. Seriously, seriously delicious. Seriously.

Ready to eat!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Garlic Shrimp

This is a very simple appetizer dish that doesn't take long to make. The hardest part is peeling the shrimp if you don't use already-peeled frozen shrimp. This recipe is very easy to double or more for large parties. Also, feel free to play around with the quantities ... more or less garlic, more or less sauce. Maybe add a pinch of an herb or two that you like. Oregano? Basil? Thyme? I love how easy and flexible it is. This recipe is an adaptation of my mom's wine garlic shrimp. She uses white wine instead of the tomato sauce and chicken broth combo, which is also extremely delicious.

Garlic Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 10-12 large shrimp, defrosted and peeled
• salt & pepper

Method

In a frying pan or wok, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until it just starts to brown, then add tomato sauce and chicken broth. Heat to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add peeled shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes or until completely pink. Try not to overcook them. They should be completely opaque but still soft. Go ahead and test one, or two. Gotta make sure it tastes good. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep warm, or serve immediately if possible. Serve as an appetizer, or over rice or pasta -- the sauce goes wonderfully with either starch, if that's your thing.

Nota bene: I do like to peel the shrimp myself instead of using already-peeled frozen shrimp. That way I can keep as much of the fat in the head as I like. This extra fat makes this dish extra rich, which means you can share more of it around. :-)

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Beef Taco or Burrito Filling

I found this delicious taco filling recipe from a food blog called The Preppy Paleo. The author adapted it from Cook's Illustrated, and since I found the recipe earlier this month, I've made it five times now -- yes, that means I've made it at least twice a week for the past couple of weeks. It is easy and delicious and has my family's seal of approval. It reminds me of my favorite homemade chili, but it doesn't take nearly as long to cook.

This is how I eat it, using large pieces of lettuce as "boats" with dollops of sour cream on top. The extra crunch complements the flavors of the meat perfectly. So good. My mouth is watering just looking at this photo. My husband eats it with flour and/or corn tortillas, and my son just spoons it into his mouth.

I won't actually reprint the recipe here -- just go to the Preppy Paleo webpage -- but I'll note that:

• If you don't want it really spicy, either lessen the cayenne paper to a pinch or eliminate it altogether. You can always add spice to it on your dinner plate with hot sauce or pepper. Meanwhile, your 4-year-old won't get upset that it's too hot in his mouth. Poor thing. (Milk helped.)
• The sweetener and vinegar are unnecessary, but they do add a very subtle flavor.
• Since the recipe doesn't require draining the fat, you're going to have a very wet filling, so just be aware. I personally LOVE the extra fat and always have since I was a kid. I use grass-fed beef so it has lots of Omega-3 and CLAs. The fat flavored with the cumin, coriander, and chili powder is out of this world. Yum!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Chicken Arroz Caldo

This recipe is what I think of as the Filipino version of chicken soup, but with rice porridge. The ginger and chicken broth make for great cold-virus fighters. The dish tastes great when your nose is stuffed up and all your taste buds feel groggy and grumpy. And when they're not, the dish tastes even more fantastic. There are many recipes out there for this dish, but this is the way my mom makes it, sweet and simple, and of course nothing beats mom's cooking. :-)

Chicken Arroz Caldo

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 pieces bone-in chicken thighs and/or legs (cut thighs in half if using); you can leave the skin on or remove it, but I leave it on
• salt
• water
• 2 cups Calrose or sticky rice, rinsed
• chicken broth (optional)
• lemon juice

Method

In a big pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil (olive, lard, etc.) on medium heat. Saute ginger until the edges start to brown. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, around 4 minutes.

Add chicken pieces and a few pinches of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes until chicken starts to brown. Add about 1 cup of water and allow the chicken to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add rinsed rice and about 4 cups of water and mix everything together. Allow to boil, then lower heat to a bare simmer. Cover with lid. Stir periodically to make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes then check to see if the rice is soft. You want it to be very mushy and porridge-like, not al dente in any way. Add water as needed and cook for another 5-10 minutes after each addition of water. It should be a little soupy (see photo above). You can use half chicken broth and half water to attain the desired consistency for the rice. Add salt to taste.

Serve in a bowl, with a couple squeezes of lemon juice per serving. You can also eat it with a hard-boiled egg and top it with some roasted minced garlic and/or chopped green onion.

Nota bene: If you substitute boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast, I suggest you use chicken broth for all of the liquid. Also, refrigerating the arroz caldo will dry it out, so when reheating, add a few splashes of water (or chicken broth) to reconstitute the soupiness.

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Almond Flour Blueberry Waffles

If you have a waffle maker/iron, this is for you. I changed up the basic waffle recipe that came with my Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker and turned it almost paleo by using coconut oil, coconut milk, and honey, and substituting half of the flour for almond flour* ... and it is delicious and just as addicting as a regular waffle. I'm going by how quickly my bread-and-potatoes husband gulps these down. I've been making waffles at least once a week for the past month or so, because my son asks for them all the time. (You can cook these as pancakes as well, but it's not as easy and quick as having the waffle iron do the work for you.)

Almond Flour Blueberry Waffles

(adapted from the Cuisinart Waffle Maker instruction booklet)
Makes 8-10 waffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup bleached almond flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted on low heat
• 14 oz coconut milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen blueberries (you can substitute fresh blueberries, other berries, chocolate chips, or anything else you'd like)

Method

Place melted coconut oil and dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add coconut milk and eggs and mix until smooth. Lastly, stir in frozen blueberries until evenly combined. Preheat waffle maker.

Pour slightly less than 1/2 cup batter into waffle maker for each waffle, and cook to desired brownness. Use heat-proof spatula to carefully remove baked waffle, and place it on a cooling rack if you want a crisp waffle, or serve immediately. (Butter, maple syrup, more fresh fruit, the works.)

You can freeze any extras, and simply reheat them in a toaster or toaster oven. (Freezing-then-toasting is a good option if you like them nice and crispy.)

* Nota bene: I tried to make these using ALL almond flour, but it did NOT work out at all. There wasn't enough of a binder in the batter so the waffle never cooked in one piece. Instead, the waffle (the only one I tried) stuck to the NON-STICK grid of the waffle maker. :-/ I'm not sure if I should have put in less liquid or added a ripe banana or arrowroot powder ... ? Sadly I don't fully understand the chemistry of foods, and I don't often experiment with food because I hate to waste ingredients if things go wrong. But changing up the basic waffle recipe the way I did above was something I'd successfully done before. Otherwise, I'm not much fun in the kitchen. :-)

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Pistachio, Macadamia, and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was adapted from another Pinterest find. Aren't they lovely? The original recipe from Joy the Baker called for smoked sea salt and did not include macadamia nuts. My family are not big fans of salty cookies, so I didn't add any of the salt. I also reduced the sugar by a third, and the cookies still ended up quite delicious! Next time, however, I might use salted butter instead of unsalted. This was a fun recipe to make with my 4-year-old.

Pistachio, Macadamia, and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

(adapted from Joy the Baker's Dark Chocolate, Pistachio & Smoked Sea Salt Cookies)
Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted or salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped by knife or by food processor
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped by knife or by food processor

Method

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat in for about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, stir flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the mixture all at once to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Dollop or scoop cookie dough by the 2 tablespoonsful onto baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of room between each cookie. (Mine came out to 6-8 cookies per sheet.)

Bake cookies for 18 minutes, or until just golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

(You can store the cookies in a lidded container. Here's a neat trick if you've never heard of it: to keep cookies soft, include a slice of flour-based bread in the container. The bread will get hard while the cookies stay soft!)

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Chipotle Salsa

Here's one way to heat up your upcoming weekend. :-) Some days ago I peeled and seeded many pounds of garden tomatoes before they went bad on my counter. What to do with all those tomatoes? For starters, I made more delicious marinara sauce (recipe here) to top some chicken Parmesan. But there were a lot more tomatoes left. We love salsa and chips in this house, so I adapted The Pioneer Woman's recipe for restaurant style salsa. Since I didn't have the Ro-tel (tomatoes + chilies) that her recipe requires, I used some very spicy and delicious chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ... which then meant that I didn't dare use jalapeño seeds like her recipe says. Here is my version. Keep in mind that this comes out quite spicy, and a little bit sweet.

Chipotle Salsa

(adapted from The Pioneer Woman's restaurant style salsa recipe)

Ingredients

• 45 oz peeled and seeded tomatoes with juice
• 1 can (7 oz) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of 1/2 lime (use whole lime if small)
• 1/2 cup cilantro (more or less, to taste)

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large blender (at least 9-cup size; blend in batches if your blender is smaller). Pulse 10-15 times to get the consistency you like.

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with salted tortilla chips, or use as a condiment for tacos, burritos, fajitas, etc., and even scrambled eggs. Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Garden + Recipe: Marinara Sauce from Scratch

This is probably the last large harvest of the season. Picking tomatoes is back-breaking work! Props to all the tomato (and other vegetable/fruit) pickers out there.

I would say 80% of the tomatoes on this harvest were perfect-skinned, meaning no splits, holes, or any other blemishes. Perhaps all of the caterpillars and other bugs that were eating them before have transformed (into moths or butterflies) or died off.

I used up all of the tomatoes from the last huge harvest to make spaghetti meat sauce (with ground beef and sliced hot dogs, yummy...), so it's time for another batch of marinara sauce. I might then use the sauce to make stuffed bell peppers with meatloaf or burrito meat, and also skillet chicken parmesan. Other possibilities for the tomatoes: chocolate chili, salsa, and/or a simple BLT salad.

For the eggplant, I'm planning to make a Filipino eggplant torta -- I'll post pictures and explain the recipe if I get around to it. (Ahhhh, so hungry now!) In the meantime, here's the marinara recipe that I use.

Marinara Sauce
Makes about 1 quart

(from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen cookbook)

Ingredients

• 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 lbs ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded*
  OR one 35-oz can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid
• Salt
• Crushed hot red pepper
• 10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Method

Heat the oil in a 2- to 3-quart nonreactive saucepan (like stainless steel) over medium heat. Whack the garlic with the flat side of a knife, add it to the oil, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Carefully slide the tomatoes and their liquid into the oil. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a whisk or spoon, until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished. Taste the sauce and season with salt and red pepper if necessary.

GLADYS'S NOTES: I actually purée the sauce in my blender once it's done because my guys don't like chunky tomatoes. :-) Also, don't be scared how much salt you end up putting in; just taste it every so often while it's cooking. One last thing is you can use dried Italian herbs if you don't have fresh basil on hand.

* If you want instructions on how to peel and seed fresh tomatoes, here they are:

Peeling and Seeding Tomatoes

1. Put a big pot of water to boil. In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes by cleaning them, coring them (like strawberries), and slicing a shallow X on the bottoms.
2. Also prepare a big bowl of ice water -- with lots of ice.
3. Once the water is boiling, carefully put the tomatoes in there and boil for 1-2 minutes. Then fish them out with a slotted spoon and drop them the bowl of ice water.
4. After a few minutes in the ice water, the tomatoes should be easy to peel.
5. Once peeled, slice or even tear them in half, and gently squeeze out the seeds over a strainer that is set in a big bowl. This will ensure that you keep the liquid as well.

Once peeled and seeded, the tomatoes are now ready for the marinara recipe. Enjoy!

xo, Gladys

Recipe: Foolproof Backyard Burgers

School's out, summer is here, and it's THE time for casual barbecues. I thought I'd share this recipe for the best homemade hamburgers I've ever had. Note that these burgers beat most restaurant burgers as well, IMO. (And my mother-in-law says it's better than the original burger at Johnny Rockets.) We've made this recipe three times in the last month alone, and each time reaffirmed why we love this recipe so much.

The spiciness of garlic and the tanginess of steak sauce make for a fantastic flavor combination, and the bread-and-milk mixture makes for juicy and tender meat. This recipe is recommended only for medium-well to well-done burgers (any less cooked and they might not have the right texture).

It's easy to double or quadruple this recipe, and we usually do just so we can eat leftovers. They're that good, even reheated. Because I'm not a bread person, I often eat only the burger itself without a bun. My preschooler eschews the bread as well, and he likes to break up his burger into bite-sized pieces so he can eat it like finger food. I dip mine in a mixture of ketchup, mayo, and mustard, and eat a side of lettuce with it for my meal. My husband likes his the traditional way, with meat, cheese, lettuce, ketchup, and mustard sandwiched between two hamburger buns.

Note that these particular patties are third-pounders rather than quarter-pounders. They cook well either size.

Foolproof Backyard Burgers
Serves 4

(adapted from an America's Test Kitchen recipe, shared on a network morning show several years ago)

Ingredients

• 1 pound good-quality ground beef (we use 75/25 grass-fed ground beef but you can definitely go leaner)
• 1 large slice good-quality white sandwich bread, crust removed and discarded; or 1 side of a hamburger bun. Chop or crumble bread into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons steak sauce (we use A1)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Using a large chimney starter, ignite 6 quarts charcoal (about 100 briquettes) and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill; build modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover half of grill. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate for 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Grill is ready when coals are medium-hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
2. Meanwhile, mash bread and milk in large bowl with fork until homogeneous (you should have about 1/4 cup). Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, and steak sauce.
3. Break up beef into small pieces over bread mixture. Using fork or hands, lightly mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into four equal portions. Gently toss one portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball. Gently flatten into 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press center of patty down with fingertips, creating slight depression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of meat.
4. Grill burgers on hot side of grill, uncovered, until well seared on first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip burgers and continue grilling, about 3 minutes for medium-well or 4 minutes for well-done. (Add cheese, if using, about 2 minutes before reaching desired doneness.)

If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments how you like it. And do share your own favorite burger recipes as well! I'm always looking for interesting new recipes. :-)

Enjoy and HAPPY SUMMER!

xo, Gladys