The Best Meal I Ever Made

There is something about snow days that makes me want to cook! So after the latest storm dumped 15+ inches in our area, I headed to the kitchen.  One of the best things about cooking, as opposed to baking, is the fact that you seldom need a recipe.  Often, I apply this philosophy to my baking adventures, with disastrous consequences.  But on Wednesday I made the EASIEST AND MOST DELICIOUS MEAL I HAVE EVER MADE! 

Sunflower seed butter has become a staple in my kitchen.  It satisfies my peanut butter cravings (it has a surprisingly similar taste) and provides Layla with the fat and protein that is hard to get due to her allergies and pickiness.

Here is my Asian-inspired recipe:

Orange-Soy Drumsticks:

Combine 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of soy sauce (I used a low sodium soy sauce) 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1 tsp of garlic powder.  Place drumsticks in a greased baking pan.  Pour marinade over drumsticks and bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, turn chicken and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Linguine with Sunflower Seed Butter Sauce:

Cook linguine according to package's instructions.   Place shredded carrots in colander and pour pasta over to gently steam.  In a bowl, toss carrots and pasta with 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter and 1/4 cup of soy sauce.  Top with scallions and serve!  This would be delicious with a salad tossed with sesame ginger dressing and mandarin orange slices.



Layla loved this dish and even had seconds!

Happy December!

Happy December everyone! Well, the holiday season is upon us and I don't know about you, but one of my favorite Christmas traditions is baking. However, finding recipes that are allergy-friendly is difficult, so I have been experimenting with some of my favorite recipes and tweaking them until they come out right. 

This recipe for banana bread is one of my favorite go-to recipes, and the addition of zucchini makes it a nice way to get some extra veggies in.  I make it at least twice per month.  It is delicious for breakfast (I have it with peanut butter when Layla's not around), snack, dessert or whenever! It's also dairy and egg free.  It can be made with raisins, cranberries, or even walnuts (if you're not nut-allergic, of course).  This recipe is easy to double and the loaves freeze nicely.  As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe!

Banana Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup oil (I use canola to make it soy-free)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup zucchini, grated
1/4 cup applesauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend sugar and oil in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to sugar and oil alternately with mashed bananas and zucchini and beat.  The mixture will be thick.  For bread that is very moist, add applesauce.  Spoon mixture into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (or until toothpick comes out clean).  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

1 Squash 2 Ways!

I've had a butternut squash sitting in my fridge all week, but was tired of my same ol' recipes.  So I decided to create my own dishes and they turned out pretty good! The first one is sweet, the second savory. Layla couldn't eat the second one because it contained dairy, but she really enjoyed the cinnamon apple squash.

First I baked the squash, uncut in a 400 degree oven for an hour.  You will know when it's done when the skin is easy to pierce with a fork and peels off easily.  Once cool, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Cinnamon Apples and Squash
1/2 baked squash
3 baked apples, with skin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp maple syrup

Mash ingredients together in a bowl (or puree for babies who prefer a smooth texture)

Mashed Squash with Garlic and Asiago Cheese
1/2 baked squash
1/4 cup milk
1 T butter or margarine
1 cup asiago cheese
1/2 tsp crushed garlic (or more, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

Mash ingredients as you would potatoes.  Delicious!

In other news, we had a good week! Layla and I returned to Melick's farm with my mom and sister.  The apples were pretty much all gone, but we picked up some little pumpkins and I bought cranberry orange marmalade to put on my baked brie dish - Yum!

Layla loved seeing the donkeys

I LOVE this picture - it was like they were posing!

Layla and MaryGrace picking out pumpkins

Me and my beautiful mom

Layla and I also checked out a few new parks in our area that we haven't been to.  It's always fun to explore a new place.

Layla loves to swing!

We also made some forts with blankets.  Layla's hair looked so funny.

Eat Your Veggies: Kale Chips

I've never eaten kale before, but I thought I'd give it a try as a Krispy Kale Chip!  These chips are loaded with fiber and vitamins A, K, and C.  They were pretty good, although I would definitely recommend just making what you need, and throwing out any leftovers.  I made too many and tried to save some for the next day, but they didn't taste (or smell) good at all.

Anyway, it's an interesting way to eat your veggies!

Another Fall Favorite - Chili!

Even though the weather has felt more like summer than fall, I decided to make one of my favorite cold-weather dishes. Chili is such a perfect dinner - it's quick to make, easy to store, and very filling!

1lb ground turkey + 1 can kidney beans (drained) + one package of El Paso chili seasoning + 2 cans of tomato sauce

I made my own tortilla chips by brushing wheat tortilla wraps, cut into eighths, with olive oil and baking for 10 minutes.

Add a side of corn and voila! Quick and easy dinner! Layla LOVED it (even without the cheddar cheese and sour cream).

Oatmeal Apple Crisp

The traditional recipe calls for butter, but I found that if you use an equal amount of oil (I used canola), it comes out just as delicious.

WARNING: Contains Wheat

Ingredients:
4-5 large apples, cored and peeled
1/3 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil

Cut apples into bite-sized pieces and place in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add oil and mix until crumbly. Pour mixture over apples. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees (apples will be soft and the crust will be golden brown).

Depending on the kind of apples you use, the sugar is optional. I include it when I use very tart apples, such as Granny Smith. You can also substitute brown sugar.