Call me crazy...many would agree ;)

I'm going to eliminate gluten, sugar, dairy and alcohol from my diet for a month. Which sounds extreme, but should be fairly easy. Just say "no!"

Why? Well, all four of those things are technically bad for the body, unnatural for our systems to process. So I want to know what would happen if I eliminated them for a month. I'll be able to eat fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, nuts, wild rice, sweet potatoes (they're not quite a vegetable or starch in my mind), quinoa, eggs, oatmeal...I think that's actually about it. In the past I've gone a week or so without one of those things, but never for as long as a month. But it'll only be hard if I look at the negatives. The positives are awesome: I should have more energy, be more focused, sleep better, might even lose weight? Woot! (And for those who think this is a ploy to lose weight or something...it's not. Avocados are fairly high calorie ;) I just want to see what my body does!

So I'll be trying to fill this blog with recipes of fun things to try that fit the guidelines. It starts tomorrow and runs through the month of May. My goal is 35 days of self-discipline. I'm strong, I can do it ;) Cheer me on!

Extreme Bag Lunches

Watch out, it'll be the next great TV series. Because I'm pretty sure "Extreme Couponing" will fail. Don't believe me? Check your TV guide!

I grew up with fantastic parents who make me bag lunches that were envy-inspiring. Even on field trips, when we had to use brown paper bags instead of my usual insulated lunchbox, my dad would decorate the bag with Sharpies, drawing comics or turning it into a puppet or just doodling all over. It made meal time a family event, even though I wasn't with them. *warm fuzzies*

Today is my half-day off, so instead of being responsible and doing laundry and cleaning, I decided to make lunches for some people I care about and wanted to show love. Let's face it, making people smile and feel good is the greatest thing you can do to make yourself feel good. And I do not feel good about myself right now, for more reasons than one. So cooking is my therapy :)


Here is what I put together!

- Black bean, yam and avocado salad

- Shredded Chicken

- Quinoa with Red Peppers

- Blackberries

- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

- Love :)

Black Bean Salad
 I discovered this combination yesterday when I threw a desperate lunch together of yams, avocados and black beans.
Smaller yams bake up a bit easier. Pierce 2 of them with a fork, and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 90 minutes. When they are soft and juicy, pull them out. When cool, remove the skins and cube them.
In a bowl, combine a can of rinsed black beans, the yams, and diced red pepper. Squeeze the juice from one half of a lime over the top. Garnish liberally with avocado, and a slice of lime.


Shredded Chicken
Coat chicken breasts in olive oil, sear in oven-safe pan. Once both sides are golden, transfer to 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, checking them occasionally till done. Let cool a bit in the pan, and then use two forks to shred. This is labor intensive!
Grind up in a mortar and pedestal the following:
-1 tsp cumin
- Some dried poblano pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Sprinkle over the chicken. Add about 1/2 cup chicken broth, and one large tomato that has been thoroughly minced. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the juices start to thicken and the chicken tastes the way you like it. Add more of the spices as you see fit. Salt (judiciously) with Adobe Garlic Salt. When it's done, turn off the heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

Quinoa with Red Peppers

Mince half a red pepper and a large clove of garlic.
Add to sauce pan with 4 TB olive oil. Turn the heat on medium high and bring to a sizzle, when the peppers start to brighten in color, add 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa. Let simmer for about 20 minutes until all water is absorbed. Salt carefully.

Serve the Shredded Chicken over the Quinoa, and garnish with lime and cilantro.

Dessert!! Those delicious cookies I made the other day, and black berries :) Such fun!

This is a wonderfully flavorful, filling and nutrient rich meal. I highly recommend you give it a shot.

Qua? Quinoa!

You heard me. It's pronounced Keen-wa. This silly grain is seriously high on the nutrient list. Check this out: Nutrition Data, Quinoa!
ALL amino acids are accounted for! Woot! Not only that, but it's simple to make, and cheap.

Two parts water to one part quinoa, put in sauce pan, bring to a simmer, simmer for 15 minutes, and you're done. 

So if you're looking for an alternative to rice, pasta or oatmeal, this is your grain, and I intend to be using lots of it in the next few weeks. I made this stupid-easy salad today, using basic fridge stuff. It's not even a recipe.

- 2 cups cooked quinoa (see above!) but add a couple cloves of chopped garlic and pinch of sea salt
- Can kidney beans
- Chopped red pepper
- Chopped celery
- Season with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil.

To be honest, it wasn't perfect. But I wanted to introduce this awesome grain, and include a pretty picture. :)

So here is an informative link: Informative Link

Goodbye Gluten, Hello Cookies!

Background Info 1: Mi Madre is going gluten free, and frankly, it seems like most of us should. Gluten is linked to more than one digestive disorder, not to mention sluggishness, headaches, and other "chronic" issues that can be resolved simply through avoiding it. This can be difficult and expensive, because anything containing wheat, barley or rye or made with wheat, barley or rye, is off limits. No Oreos or bread, certain sauces are off limits, pasta is often a no-no, goodbye crackers and munchies, and don't even think about dining out unless you've check ahead of time! Gluten is also found in body products like lotions and oils! So it's work to make the dietary/lifestyle change. But the rewards are worth it, as many have discovered. 

Cooking for my family, being an important part of showing love, now means making sure I'm cooking gluten free as well. I have no problems with this. Although it has given me problems. Some gluten-free flours are nasty. I tried making Chicken Pot Pie with a garbanzo bean flour (Bob's Red Mill), that tasted so strongly of the beans I couldn't eat it. And I'll eat most anything. It was vile. BUT! I have discovered Pamela's Baking Mix! Delicious and easy to use.

Background Info 2: Dropping off Kiefer at a friends house resulted in a happy encounter with freshly baked cookies. She had made the recipe for White Chocolate Oatmeal Crasins cookies on the back of the bag. So good. So tonight after work, I decided to make some myself. But, since I'm planning on surprising my mum with lunch on Friday, I knew I had to use Pamela's Baking Mix.

My spin on the recipe:

(This is a half-batch, because my waistline knows better than to unleash a full batch of cookies into my home. They will consume you.)

Oven to 375 degrees F!

3/4 cup oats

3/4 cup Pamela's Baking Mix

1/3 cup Crasins

- Measure into a bowl, and set aside.

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup softened unsalted butter

-Beat in mixer until fluffy

One egg

-Add egg and beat some more

Stir in the oat mixture. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Use wet fingers to shape the cookies into nice round pats. Flatten them a bit, because the high oat content means that they don't change shape very much, and you don't want a cookie that's unevenly baked. At least not these cookies ;)

Bake 375 for about 15 minutes, possibly more. Check them for golden brown tops! Remove from oven (turn off oven) and using a spatula, transfer to cooling rack. I let mine cool for about 15 minutes on the counter, and then transferred them to the freezer.

While cookies are getting chilly, melt 1/2 white chocolate chips over a double boiler. Add about 3 TB water, some cinnamon, and some vanilla. If the chocolate seems really dry, add a bit more water and/or a drizzle of vegetable oil. Sounds weird, but it worked for me. When all is melted into a delicious sticky mixture, pull those cookies from the freezer and dunk each one in the chocolate, coating the top. Allow to cool/dry on the cooling rack. 

Enjoy. They are so good, I could hardly keep my hubby from snitching them all!

Portabello Burgers!

These burgers are anything but portable. (Ba-dum-ksh!) Seriously, bad puns aside, these delicious mounds of yum make a mess that you're only too happy to lick off the plate and your fingers. I made these weeks ago when a dear friend came for a visit! We picked up freshly baked rolls from the grocery store, sought out the juiciest mushroom caps we could find, and whipped up this amazingly filling lunch!
These burgers are made in several parts, and then it all comes together in the end. So bear with me, and it'll all make sense! You'll need:
-Portabello Caps
-Rolls
-Tomatoes
-Spinach
-Avacado
-Feta Cheese
-Garlic
-Yellow Onion
-Red Pepper
-Olive Oil


FIRST: To make the feta cheese spread: Put cheese, couple handfuls of spinach, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a good swoosh or two of olive oil into a food processor. Blend. Keep adding spinach and olive oil until the green stuff inside has reached a color and texture and taste to your liking. If you feel motivated, throw in some cracked black pepper, basil, and maybe even a splash of balsamic vinegar. Taste liberally and have fun; you can't mess it up. 


SECOND: To make the peppers and onions: Slice the peppers and onions into long strips and thin half-moons respectively. Over medium-high heat, warm up some olive oil, and then throw in the peppers. About the time they start looking transparent, add the peppers. Sauté the peppers and onions until the onions are caramelized and brown, and the peppers are soft. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to hold them until you're ready to eat. 


THIRD: To cook the shrooms: Make sure most of the dirt is brushed off and place portabellos on baking sheet so they make little domes. Then imagine yourself as an itty-bitty ant climbing those massive domes, and how crazy that would be. Next, drizzle the domes with olive oil and try not to imagine how awful it would be to be that little ant getting clobbered by a torrent of olive oil. Put them under the broiler until the domes begin to sizzle and brown. Then pull them out and flip them over, belly up, and drizzle with a teensy bit more olive oil. Broil them until the mushrooms become soft, and bubbly (the juices kinda well up and get happy). Pull 'em out and let them sit on the stove top while you....


LAST STEP: Broil the buns! That's just fun to say. Halve the rolls, and toast them under the broiler. Don't turn away for a second. 


Assembly (bottom to top):
 Bun, Cheese Spread, Mushroom, Slice of tomato, Onions and Peppers, Slices of Avocado, Cheese Spread, Bun.
TO die for. (This blog is not responsible for any deaths, please enjoy responsibly.)