Grilled Asparagus

 

This was a really fresh and delicious side dish to some grilled steaks. Yummmmy! I tossed the cleaned and trimmed asparagus in a garlic-infused olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Luke grilled them to perfection and then I squeezed fresh lime juice over them. SOOO good. 

Namaste GF Pizza

I wasn't super impressed with this crust, there were herbs mixed in and the flavor just didn't do it for me. The texture wasn't great, but not awful either. Pizza is mostly about the cheese and toppings (for me)anyway, but I'd like the crust to be a little better tasting. I am anxious to try another brand soon.  This dough might make great foccacia, though, with the herbs already mixed in...just bake and baste with butter and dip in marinara.....there's a thought!

This mix is really easy, you just add water, eggs and then spread on the pan and bake.

Lemon chicken pasta toss

Jennie gave me this recipe a long time ago, but I had never tried it. There are several prep-steps that take a little time, but this dish is well worth it. Really great flavor, good mix of textures and filling.

Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked gluten-free radiatore pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced (or small diced) carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
1 cup prepared gluten-free Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup hot water
1 lemon, cut in half
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.

Chop onion and slice carrot. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray oil. Cook and stir onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Steam broccoli, red pepper and salt until slightly tender (I used Pampered Chef micro-cooker in the microwave for 2 minutes).

 Add pasta, steamed veggies, chicken, Alfredo sauce and water to the skillet. Squeeze lemon over and cook until heated through. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serve with gluten-free french bread and garlic butter:

Parmesan-crusted chicken and roasted vegetables

 

I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, breaded with gluten-free breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and creole seasoning.  I fried the breaded chicken in a little EVOO.  I cut parsnips, carrots and potatoes, tossed them with olive oil, seasoned them and roasted them on a stoneware pan at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Yummy.

 

Tomato and mozzarella salad

This is a very simple and delicious side. The other night we grilled steak and I just wanted a simple dish to serve with the meat, this one is so yummy.

I sliced fresh mozzarella and baby heirloom tomatoes. I sprinkled salt and pepper over them and then drizzled on the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I chilled it for a bit and then served it cold.

big changes

The last few weeks have been very stressful, anxiety-filled and exhausting. I have been feeling sick for the last few months....just felt "not right". I finally saw a specialist in the GI clinic at the U of M a few weeks ago. He recommended that I have a colonoscopy and endoscopy - based on my symptoms and family history.

I was not thrilled about these procedures, but was ready to find out what the problem was. The biopsies from my endoscopy illustrated that I have Celiac Disease. CD is an intolerance to gluten. My body doesn't process gluten, in fact gluten damages the villi in the small intestine and esophagus, making it harder for my body to absorb the nutrients in food, along with other unpleasant side effects. I have now begun a gluten-free diet. Pictured above is my new breakfast cereal, which tastes like Kix!

I am so happy to know what is wrong, and what I can do about it! I am so relieved to know that this is something I can live with and I can finally start to feel better. The gluten-free diet means big changes, though. Gluten is in so many products. I will really miss certain foods (Punch pizza, BEER, Bruegger's bagels, French bread and pastries, cookies, cupcakes, etc.). I have already found some great products at Trader Joe's and Super Target and I've found some great online resources as well.  I found a GF (gluten-free) bakery in Eagan that I'm anxious to visit, as I'm already craving all the things I shouldn't have!

Going forward, the recipes I post will be GF (or will have GF options). If you want to learn more about gluten, or about Celiac Disease, I urge you to check out this website, as it is very informative!

http://www.celiac.org/

Semi-homemade tortellini with red sauce

I had never tried any of the Buitoni fresh pastas, and decided to give it a try. I purchased the Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni (http://www.buitoni.com/products/#/tortelloni/sweet-italian-sausage-tortelloni) and made a semi-homemade sauce for it.

I sauteed diced green and red pepper and onion in EVOO and added a clove of garlic. I added a can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. of sugar, a pinch of salt and some Italian Seasoning.

Serve atop the cooked tortelloni with fresh Parmesan cheese. Deliciouso!