We've made the move from California to Michigan and in the middle of January no less. Let's just say the weather is very different. Aside from being snowed in a few days, we are loving it! It's been such a fun experience so far. We are hopefully going to close on our house this week and be able to move in soon. Once we're unpacked and settled I plan to do some more recipe testing and more posting here. For now, I leave you with our weekly menu, filled with warm comfort foods. Check out the links below for lots of great meal time inspiration.
SUNDAY:
Spinach Rice Casserole with green salad
MONDAY:
Tostadas
TUESDAY:
Chicken and Rice Soup
WEDNESDAY: Pizza night while Daddy works late; I usually add a few fresh toppings to a frozen pizza for me and the boys
THURSDAY:
Corn Flake Crusted Chicken with Broccoli Mashed Potatoes and salad
FRIDAY:
Pumpkin Chili with
gluten-free Cornbread
SATURDAY:
Chicken Vegetable Stir-Fry
Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com
...click here for the recipe!
Quiche is such a warm and satisfying dish and hearty enough to stand alone as your main entree. We had this delicious quiche as our Christmas Eve dinner this year but it can work anytime of year. We are in the process of preparing to relocate from California to Michigan and packing during the holidays meant this year had to be sweet and simple. My hubby eats gluten free and since we eat dinner together as a family, our dinners are gluten free also. Growing up my Grandma Oma ate gluten free and she loved this thin potato crust. This was my first time making it and it was really easy! My hubby also eats dairy-free so I just added some cheese to half of the quiche. You can add cheese to the filling if you prefer and certainly can have fun playing with swapping out the fillings. I'd like to try a sun dried tomato, spinach and goat cheese combo next. I'm also thinking of trying these in a cupcake pan for a tasty appetizer! Merry Christmas and Enjoy!
Recipe: {serves 4 as main dish, 6 as a side}
Ingredients:
2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup cooked spinach
2-3 ounces Canadian bacon diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1-2 tablespoons diced red onion
4 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup milk or water
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
Directions:
1. Using a Mandolin, thinly slice the peeled potatoes. Or use a knife if you don't have a Mandolin.
2. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon oil in bottom of a glass pie plate. Layer potato slices all over bottom and sides of pie plate, slightly overlapping each slice.
3. Bake potatoes at 425'F for 25 minutes.
4. In a saute pan add 1/2 tablespoon oil and diced Canadian bacon and saute over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until golden and fragrant.
5. Add garlic and onion and stir to saute. Once onions and garlic are tender, add in cooked spinach to warm through. Remove spinach mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. In a large bowl mix together eggs, milk (or water), and cooled spinach mixture (if it's too hot it will scramble your eggs).
7. Remove potatoes from the oven and decrease oven temperature to 375'F. Pour the egg and spinach mixture over the potatoes, smoothing evenly with a spatula.
8. Bake at 375'F for 30-40 minutes or until eggs are set. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with cheese if you like.
*If you are a cheese eating family, go ahead and add a palmful of your favorite cheese to the filling!
For Diabetic Friendly, consider substituting Egg Beaters for the eggs for 1 CHO exchange, 3 Protein exchanges and 1.5 fat exchanges
...click here for the recipe!
It's almost officially Autumn! Yay for warm soups, stews and delicious slow cooked dinners...my favorite. Seeing all the fresh squash in the market inspired me to make some tasty Butternut squash soup. My hubby eats gluten-free and dairy-free so I was inspired to create a creamy textured soup without the cream. An updated version of
this. This soup, with it's roasted fall flavors and a subtle sweetness from the squash, is a hearty and filling choice for dinner tonight. The slow cooker will do most of the work for you. Enjoy!
Recipe: (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
2 butternut squash (or 1 large squash)
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped,
olive oil,
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped,
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
6-7 small red potatoes, quartered
6 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
salt and pepper to taste
*My hubby has also figured out that he has an allergy of sorts to carrots (via ALCAT) so I have left them out when I would have normally added them to create a Mirepoix. I also can't use store-bought stocks anymore (because they contain carrots). You can use homemade stock if you have it on hand or store-bought vegetable stock, just adjust the salt accordingly.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a large glass baking dish and fill with about 1 inch of water. Bake @ 350'F for 20-30 minutes until cooked through (easily pierced with a knife)
2. In a large saute pan over medium heat add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced celery, onions and garlic. Saute over low-medium heat for 10 minutes until fragrant and soft.
3. Add in poultry seasoning, thyme and salt and stir to combine and lightly toast spices to bring out their flavor. Add celery, onion mix to the slow cooker.
4. Wash and quarter potatoes and add them to the slow cooker. Add 6 cups of water to the slow cooker.
5. Once the squash is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully handle the squash with an oven mitt and scoop out the soft orange flesh with a spoon. Add it to the slow cooker.
6. Cook on LOW heat in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours. Turn off heat and blend soup using an immersion blender or working in batches blend soup in a blend or food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with a bright green salad. We added some tasty sprouted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy bite.
...click here for the recipe!
This is a great way to enjoy crispy tortilla shells at home made from nothing more than simple corn tortillas. Nothing added, no added preservatives to keep them crispy in a box. And guest what? It's super easy. We use these crispy shells whenever we have tostadas, crispy tacos or simply want some warm, fresh chips! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
fresh organic corn tortillas
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F.
2. Place tortillas directly on oven rack, with enough space so that they are not overlapping
3. After about 5-7 minutes, flip them all over
4. When you start to smell a nice toasty corn smell they are done, about 5-7 minutes later. The first few times you make your homemade crispy shells you'll want to stay nearby the oven and watch them until you are comfortable with your oven and figure out the time that works for you. *All ovens are slightly different.
*To make taco shells, simply shape the tortilla into a taco shape and drop in between the oven rack grates.
...click here for the recipe!
Trying to find a use for all those summer vegetables? Stir-fry is a great way to enjoy lots of great veggies! We've been using
Coconut Aminos for awhile now as a soy-free alternative to soy sauce and they are so tasty. I like to bake the chicken as an easy alternative to grilling (I prefer to leave the grilling to my hubby, something to do with starting a small fire the last time I tried to grill 9 years ago). What easy dishes have you enjoyed this summer? Any new dinner ideas as we are welcoming fall and back-to-school?
Recipe: (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 cup rice (uncooked)
2 cups water
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 package/bunch bean sprouts
1 package oyster mushrooms (or your favorite mushrooms)
1/2 red onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
toasted cashews for garnish
olive oil
1/2 cup Coconut Aminos
3 chicken breasts
Directions:
1. Prepare rice per package instructions. (usually 1 cup rice with two cups water)
2. Preheat oven to 350'F. Place chicken breasts in a glass baking dish and pour 1/4 cup coconut aminos over the top. Bake at 350'F for 30-40 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165'F. *Or you can cut down the chicken breasts into smaller pieces or use chicken tenders to shorten cooking time.
3. In a large pot add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions first and saute. After a couple minutes, add in the rest of your vegetables and 1/4 cup coconut aminos and 1/4 water, add garlic powder, saute over medium heat until veggies are cooked through but still bright and vibrant.
4. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from baking dish and thinly slice and mix in with vegetables. Serve stir-fried vegetables and chicken over rice and if desired drizzle with a touch of Coconut Nectar sauce for a sweet finish and add a sprinkle of crunchy cashews.
...click here for the recipe!
Hello there! Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we have been. I have a few new posts in the works for some great summer recipes we've been enjoying.
How to store that leftover chopped onion? Usually, I wrap it in plastic wrap and stash it in the veggie drawer of the fridge but I can always smell that pungent onion smell when I open the fridge. And I've had that dreadful experience of the onion imparting it's flavor onto other items in the fridge. yuck.
The other night as I was chopping onions for our favorite
Tostadas I had the idea to stash the remaining chopped onion in one of our mason jars. We use mason jars for everything including as drinking glasses, love, love, love them!
It's the perfect airtight container. No more stinky onion smell in our fridge and no more squished and banged up onions. The glass jar doesn't absorb any odor at all like some plastic food storage containers may. Go ahead and give it a try. It's a simple tip, one of those Ah-Ha moments for me. And I like that we are using less plastic!
...click here for the recipe!
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Recipes listed as gluten free assume you are using gluten free ingredients when sauces or chicken stock, etc is listed. wholesomedinnertonight.blogspot.com has no control over where you get your ingredients, and which sources/brands of individual ingredients are used in your cooking. Thus we cannot guarantee that the end product you create will be gluten-free.
