Tag Archives: Gluten Free

Carrot + Cucumber Peanut Salad

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This little salad dish was born from farmer’s market loot.

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On Sundays, Greg and I have been working at Headhouse Farmer’s Market for the always amazing Three Springs Fruit Farm.

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Each week, we come home with our hands full of bags of market goodies.

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This week, I am determined to base the dishes I make around what I got at market, rather than think of a recipe and have to buy groceries.

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First up is this salad.

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Crisp carrots and cucumbers slathered in some of this light and delicious peanut sauce and topped off with crunchy peanuts and sesame seeds and cool cilantro. This refreshing salad comes together quickly and is seriously awesome.

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I am obsessed with using the vegetable peeler for these veggies. It is not a way that I have been used to enjoying raw veggies, but I think that I will be doing it much more often now. The veggies become almost noodle-like, but retain that great, juicy vegetable crunch.

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The carrots and cucumbers + peanut sauce together are delicious, but it is really the toppings that make this dish. Most recipes I share on here are so customizable, but in this dish, the chopped peanuts, cilantro and sesame seeds are mandatory. You have to use all three if you make this, or it just won’t be the same. Amounts are customizable, but omitting one of those three ingredients will change the dish.

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This summer salad is very good on its own. I would just make it as a side dish for a summer dinner. But I have big ideas for it too. Tomorrow I will share with you one of those ideas, so be sure to check back for a delicious meal featuring this salad.

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I hope that you enjoy this tasty summer dish!

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Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
3 large carrots
For the peanut sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 large garlic clove
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup hot water
Toppings:
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Large handful fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Using a vegetable peeler, slice the carrots and cucumbers into long and thin strips. Add the sliced vegetable to a large bowl.

To make the peanut sauce, place peanut butter, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and hot water into a blender or food processor and blend/process until completely smooth. This made 3/4 cup sauce for me.

Pour 1/2 cup peanut sauce over the sliced veggies and toss very well.

Top with chopped peanuts, cilantro and sesame seeds and toss again.

Enjoy!

White Bean Tapenade

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White bean tapenade crostini sounds complicated and fancy, but believe me, it’s so easy to prepare and is so delicious.

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I don’t really have many words to say (type) about this, so I’m going to share with you mostly photos.

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This recipe is from Bon Appetit. I’ve been wanting to make it for awhile, and getting a baguette at the farmer’s market this weekend gave me the perfect opportunity.

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It really takes no time at all to put this together. I had intended to make this yesterday in the late morning/early afternoon, but somehow didn’t get around to starting it until going on six in the evening. Of course, I was a bit panicked because I had missed the best natural light of the day for photos and at that point, I’d be lucky  to get any good light at all. Luckily,  the few, simple ingredients took no time at all to prepare, giving me plenty of time for photos. 🙂

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This would make a great appetizer for a group of people. Or, enjoy it like Greg and I did, as a dinner side dish for two, with leftovers for the next day.

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The recipe can be found here, on Bon Appetit. It is not only easy and delicious, it’s also very customizable. Some people may not prefer a strong lemon flavor in food (my dad), so don’t add as much lemon zest or juice. Use any type of olive you like, or leave them out completely. Use any array of spices you have. Eat it as a crostini, with the bread, or just plain, without the bread. It really is delicious as is, but can be easily changed to fit your taste.

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I hope you enjoy this simple, summery dish!

Shrimp and Roasted Pineapple Quesadillas with Simple Peanut Sauce

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More quesadillas!

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These ones are quite different from the first. But equally as delicious. I’m in love with both.

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I recently had a strong craving for peanut sauce. I think I have made it once or twice before, but it’s not a regular thing I eat. So when I got a craving for it, I decided to give it a try.

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You know how a lot of Asian-inspired dishes and sauces call for a bunch of ingredients that you never have on hand? That is how it is for me. Well, I decided to try a very simple peanut sauce, using just ingredients that I probably already had or would use the entire thing of in this recipe. I hoped the sauce would still taste delicious without buying all the extra things, and guess what? It did!

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This sauce is amazing. It is simple and uses few ingredients. If you’re looking for a delicious peanut sauce that you can simply whip up any night of the week, this is it!

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Let’s talk about the shrimp and pineapple. Greg and I once made shrimp and pineapple kabobs on the grill. They are the perfect combination for peanut sauce. Juicy, plump shrimp + sweet, tangy pineapple + slightly salty peanut sauce = the best ever. And, roasting pineapple takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.

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Now let’s talk about the cheese issue. Or, in this case, the non-cheese issue. Nope, I did not put cheese in these quesadillas. That is definitely not a usual situation, but if these are done right, it works so well. I promise!

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Greg is the biggest cheese lover ever, so I made him one with cheese. After he tried one with and one without, he agreed that this quesadilla does not need it. There is already so much amazing flavor going on, cheese is not needed!

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So, the only problem with having no cheese in a quesadilla is the sticking together part. They key is the texture of the peanut sauce and being sure to cook the quesadilla long enough.

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Let me explain. If you make these, this is important, or your quesadillas may not stick together! So, the first time I made the sauce, I used 1/2 cup of water to thin it out. The sauce was delicious and a nice texture, but not for these quesadillas. Using 1/2 cup of water made the sauce way too thin for these. It would be a great texture for making peanut noodles or a peanut dipping sauce, but not for these. These quesadillas require a thicker sauce. 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of water was the right amount. I started with 1/3 of a cup and needed just a bit more. Now, I will say this. Depending on the thickness/texture of your peanut butter, you may not need that extra 2 tablespoons of water. Or you may need more. My peanut butter was fairly thick but yours may be thinner or thicker. Start with 1/3 cup of water and go from there. I tried to show you the texture of the sauce in the picture right below.

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The other important detail to making these “eatable” is to cook the quesadilla until just crispy. You don’t want it to be crispy to the point of being a hard taco shell but you want it to bend and stick in place once it’s folded over. You want it to be slightly crispy, to hold everything together.

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I made these one night for dinner. The next day, I made them again so I could confirm the recipe and photograph it. When I made them the second time, I only had intentions to take one bite, so that I could get some photographs with a bite taken out of the quesadilla. I had already had lunch. These are so good, that once I took that bite, I thought, there is no way I’m not eating the rest of this. Help! 🙂

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Ingredients
*This is what I used to make two quesadillas. These are easily doubled, tripled, etc.
2 tortillas (I used rice tortillas (gluten free))
Olive oil
6 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large garlic cloves, divided, one in the peanut sauce and the other for the shrimp
1 lime, divided, one half in the peanut sauce the other with the pineapple
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 400*. In a bowl, mix together pineapple, a drizzle of olive oil and the juice from 1/2 of the lime. Transfer the pineapple to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine the peanut butter, 1 clove of garlic, the juice from the other half of the lime, soy sauce, brown sugar and hot water. Blend on high speed until the sauce is completely smooth.

Once the pineapple and sauce are done, begin the shrimp. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a minced garlic clove and cook for a minute or two, to flavor the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Let cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes and then flip. Add a couple of spoonfuls of peanut sauce to the pan. Let the shrimp cook completely through. Once the shrimp is done, transfer it to a plate and cut it into small chunks.

To assemble the quesadillas, start with a cast iron or regular skillet. I made mine in my cast iron and it worked perfectly. Place the skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add the tortilla to the pan. Add about 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce to one half of the tortilla. Place half of the shrimp and half of the pineapple on the peanut sauce. Let this cook until the tortilla begins to get crispy. Top the shrimp and pineapple with additional peanut sauce, if desired.

Once the tortilla is slightly crispy and the peanut sauce on the bottom has slightly thickened, fold the tortilla over. Using a spatula, press down on the folded over tortilla to mesh everything together.

Cut in half and enjoy!

Notes:
-The amount for the peanut sauce made one cup of sauce. I had leftover sauce after making the quesadillas. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days. I tossed some leftover sauce with sauteed veggies and soba noodles and it was excellent!

Coffee Banana Date Smoothie

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My new favorite thing!

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(^^ No, that date is not my new favorite thing.) It’s the smoothie that the date goes in.

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I had so many titles to choose from for this post.

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First, I didn’t know if I should call it a shake or a smoothie. It is creamy in texture, almost like a shake. But, I thought, it’s too healthy to be called a shake. Let’s go with smoothie.

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I wanted to call it amazingly-simple-four-ingredient smoothie. Because really? Four ingredients made this cup of deliciousness? They did! Coffee, bananas, dates and frozen almond milk.

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And really, should I have just added almond milk to the title? That’s the only ingredient I used and didn’t add to the title. It just didn’t sound right.

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Also, I wanted to add the word vegan. Because I made a vegan smoothie sort of milkshake-y thing. If I were vegan (or on days that I feel like being one) this would be the perfect drink for a creamy milkshake/sweet tooth craving.

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Now, I don’t want to scare you away, but do you know how much I love coffee ice cream? Ice cream that tastes like coffee? That most people won’t go near? Yes, I love it. If you love it too, you will love this smoothie. There is a subtle flavor in this smoothie that reminds me of the ice cream. But! If you don’t love it, I think you will love this too. You probably wouldn’t even think of it if I hadn’t mentioned it. 🙂 Every ingredient pulls equal weight in this. All the flavors are noticeable, and just enough of each.

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This would be so good in the morning as a way to have morning coffee and breakfast all in one delicious and healthy smoothie. Or great as an afternoon snack (using decaf coffee, because if you know me, you know that I can’t drink caffeine past 10 or 11 a.m.).

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So, what do you think? Is this something you would try? Don’t be scared of the color. It’s delicious, sweet, healthy, refreshing, an energy-booster and vegan! I hope that you try and enjoy!

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Ingredients
2 bananas, frozen
4 frozen almond milk cubes (almond milk poured into an ice cube tray and frozen)
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
2 medjool dates, pitted

I started by add the bananas and frozen almond milk cubes to the blender. I blended them up, adding a little bit of the coffee, until it was very smooth. I then added the rest of the coffee and dates, and blended longer, until smooth again.

Enjoy!

Notes:
-Your blender may be strong enough to add all of the ingredients at once. I added them separately because mine is not high-powered enough to handle all at once.
-I froze my bananas a day in advance. I took 2 very ripe bananas, broke them into thirds and put them in a zip bag into the freezer.
-I also froze my almond milk a day in advance. Just pour almond milk into an ice cube tray and into the freezer.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Raise your hand if you love hummus!

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I do, I do!

I have three cousins under the age of four. At family gatherings we (the adults) always say “Raise your hand if you want ice cream!” when it is time to eat. Of course then, all of the kids just want to eat ice cream instead of real food. I’ve learned two things from this:

1. The adults want the ice cream just as bad as the kids (especially me).
2. Make sure that if you say “Raise your hand if you want ice cream!”, there is actually ice cream to be had. If not, disaster may ensue.

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Okay, what I’ve really learned is that maybe “Raise your hand if you want ice cream!” should be avoided before a meal. Maybe wait until after. Maybe before the meal say something like “Raise your hand if you want hummus and veggies!”

Now that just wouldn’t be as much fun, would it.

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So, about the hummus! This is good. Simple. It can be made quickly. Some beans, oil, a pepper and spices. Served with veggies and crackers, this makes the perfect lunch or snack.

Sorry for the lack of photos today! The process is just so simple, there weren’t many photos to take. Throw everything into a food processor, press on, and done! So simple, but truly delicious!

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Ingredients:
1 large roasted red pepper
2 15-oz. cans of chickpeas
1 15-oz. can white beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste

To roast the red pepper, preheat oven to 400*. Once the oven is preheated, place the red pepper on a baking sheet. Place a small amount of olive oil in your hands and rub it all over the red pepper. Once it is covered in oil, place the baking sheet in the oven. Roast the pepper for  about 20 minutes, and then flip it and roast another 20 minutes. The skin should be charred when it is done roasting.

Remove it from the oven and completely cover it in aluminum foil. Let it sit under the foil for about 20 minutes. When you remove the foil, the pepper should be very soft and smaller in size. Peel the skin off (it should come off easily) and remove any seeds from the center of the pepper.

Place all beans and the pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to begin to break down the beans. Turn the processor on and begin to stream in the oil. As you stream the oil in, everything will begin to blend well and get very smooth. Add the seasoning and then blend until completely smooth.

Serve with veggies, crackers, pita or on sandwiches!

Enjoy!