I’ve been a fan of Lundberg Family Farms rice products for years. However, I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never tried their rice cakes! That is until now when they challenged me and a few other bloggers to create unique recipes using their new rice cake flavors, Kettle Corn, Hemp-a-Licious and Sweet Chili, which they sent me along with a few jars of Justin’s Honey Almond Butter. (We’re also participating in a group giveaway of $100 of Lundberg and partner products and a $100 VISA gift card – see below!)

Why a freezer pie?

Since eating a rice cake shouldn’t be boring – especially with all the flavors that Lundberg makes – I thought I’d go a bit out of the box and make a summer time dessert with their Kettle Corn Rice Cakes. I often use leftover rice to make gluten free quiche crusts. Taking that method one step further, I decided to use the rice cakes to create a crust, like crushed graham crackers are used in freezer pies. Freezer pies? Indeed, since warm weather is the perfect time for freezer pies as they’re cool, require no baking, and very little stove top cooking. Plus, making one with the honey almond butter would be delicious! (My son, Nathan, agrees and gave my freezer pie two thumbs up!)

This freezer pie recipe also gave me the chance to use a couple of special kitchen gadgets that I love. First, I used a Beka Cookware Bain Marie to melt the chocolate instead of a double broiler. I love the bain marie since it’s almost impossible to burn anything and you don’t run the risk of getting water in your chocolate. Second, I used my Blendtec Blender’s Twister Jar to make most of this recipe, but you could use a food processor instead.

Finally, I tried to use as many organic ingredients in my freezer pie recipe as possible, since Lundberg Rice Cakes and many of the ingredients in the Justin’s almond butter are organic.

And did I mention that this dessert is totally gluten free?

Chocolate & Almond Freezer Pie

The combination of coconut milk and honey almond butter creates a freezer pie with the consistency of ice cream. However, between the almond butter and dark chocolate, this is NOT a light dessert. Serve each person a small piece along with some blueberries for a delicious summer treat.

Inspired by No Bake Almond Butter Pie from One Happy Table

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients for the Lundberg Rice Cake crust:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground Lundberg Kettle Corn Rice Cakes
• 6 tablespoons organic vegan buttery spread, like Earth’s Best – at room temperature
• 1/3 cup organic sugar, like Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar

For the chocolate coating and drizzle:

• 2 bars (7 ounces) Green & Black's Dark 85% Cocoa Content Organic Chocolate – melted
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Spectrum Naturals Organic All Vegetable Shortening

For the pie filling:

• 1 cup Justin’s Honey Almond Butter
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, like Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk
• 1/3 cup organic sugar, like Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

To make the pie crust

1. Place rice cakes (about half a package) into a food processor and grind them into fine crumbs.
2. Add the vegan buttery spread and sugar and pulse until combined. Firmly and evenly press the mixture into a pie plate.
3. Break the chocolate into small pieces and combine with the shortening and melt. You can do this in a double boiler, in a bain marie, or carefully over low heat in a sauce pan in medium heat-proof bowl, stirring constantly.
4. Dip a pastry spoon into the melted chocolate and give the pie crust a thin coat by using the pastry brush to paint on the chocolate. Work quickly and try not to loosen the rice cake crust.
5. Chill the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To make the pie filling

1. Place the almond butter, coconut milk, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until completely blended. If you have a Blendtec or similar blender, you can also combine the ingredients in the blender using the sauce setting.
2. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and pour the pie filling into the shell. Gently tap the pie plate on the counter to release any air bubbles.
3. Place the pie back into the freezer for 1 hour or until set.
4. Remove pie from freezer. Prepare the chocolate drizzle by remelting the remaining chocolate, if needed.
5. Take a spoon, dip into the melted chocolate, and drizzle chocolate over the pie in a decorative manner.
6. Place the pie back into the freezer for 30 more minutes.
7. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Slice carefully and enjoy!

Two ways to win with Lundberg!

Go to Lundberg’s Facebook page and check out their Rice Cake Double Take contest. To enter their contest, “like”  Lundberg, click on the gallery and read how to enter your funny or yummy picture!

You can also enter my group Rafflecopter giveaway below to win $100 in Lundberg and partner products and a $100 VISA gift card!

Chocolate & Almond Freezer Pie {Win $100 of Lundberg products & a $100 VISA card} #RiceCakeDoubleTake #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

My kids have only two more days of school! So I’m already planning for day trips, summer camp, and family camping trips – what about you? Let’s chat about what you and your family is doing this summer on Monday, May 20th (that’s TOMORROW!) at noon HERE on the Udi’s Gluten Free Community site. (Or in the widget below.)

Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leaders Toni from Boulder Locavore, Sarah from Sarah Stanley Inspired, and I will be discussing summertime fun and food!  We’ll be sharing some great gluten free dishes for all of summer's different outings from camping to potlucks to barbecues!

And we’re also giving away some terrific prizes from Udis’ Gluten Free that will be perfect for your summertime food plans including:

• 3 packs of hot dog buns
• 3 packs of classic hamburger buns
• 3 packs of whole grain hamburger buns
• 3 boxes of snicker doodle cookies
• 3 loaves of white sandwich bread
• 3 boxes of blueberry muffins

Hope to see you at the chat on Monday, May 20th HERE (or below) at noon EST/9 am PST!

Win Udi’s Gluten Free goodies at our Monday, May 20th summertime chat at noon EST #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Luckily my friend and guest blogger, Holly Clegg, has a couple terrific ideas for mom’s special day from Mexican Breakfast Casserole for breakfast in bed to a brown sugar scrub that can easily be made by the kids as a lovely homemade gift for mom.

Find more of Holly’s trim& TERRIFIC® recipes at hollyclegg.com and The Healthy Cooking Blog. Don’t forget to check out Holly’s new cookbook, which should be on the shelves soon - Holly Clegg's trim&TERRIFIC Eating Well to Fight Arthritis: 200 easy recipes and practical tips to help reduce inflammation and ease symptoms (affiliate link).

Breakfast in Bed

One of my favorite ways to show Mom how special she is with a wonderful, stress-free brunch. And don’t worry, no one ever said brunch meant spending an entire morning in the kitchen. Mexican Breakfast Casserole is great because you can make it ahead of time to surprise your family the next morning. Prepare and put together easily the night before and simply bake in the morning so the whole family will wake up to the enticing smell of this fabulous dish. This hearty breakfast recipe is so full of flavor made with tortillas, green chilies, and turkey sausage – use corn tortillas for a gluten free meal. Impress your mom with this easy yet special one-dish meal for breakfast – just serve with juice…and maybe pick a flower from the garden!

Homemade gifts always take a special spot in Mom’s heart and kids of all ages will have fun mixing up this Diva Dermatology recipe from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age (affiliate link). Purchase an inexpensive container, fill, tie with a ribbon and Voila - your homemade skincare gift, Brown Sugar Scrub, is ready!

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

Recipe from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age 

Simple ingredients magically create this make-ahead scrumptious breakfast dish fulfilling everyone’s expectations in my house.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
• 8 ounces ground breakfast turkey sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 5 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 5 (8-inch) 98% fat-free flour or corn tortillas, cut into quarters

Directions:

1. Coat 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread green chilies along bottom of dish.
2. In large nonstick skillet, cook and crumble sausage until starts to brown. Add onion and bell pepper, cooking until sausage is done and vegetables tender. Add garlic and chili powder. Remove from heat. Cool.
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and half-and-half. In another bowl, combine green onion and cheese.
4. Spoon one-third of sausage mixture over chilies in baking dish. Top with one-third tortilla quarters and one-third cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole and refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven 350°F. If using glass baking dish, place in cold oven and bake 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown and knife inserted into custard comes out clean.

Nutritional information:

• Calories 262
• Calories from fat 28%
• Fat 7g
• Saturated Fat 3g
• Cholesterol 129mg
• Sodium 578mg
• Carbohydrate 23g
• Dietary Fiber 2g
• Sugars 5g
• Protein 18g

Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 2 1/2 lean meat

Brown Sugar Scrub

Recipe from Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age 

Your hands or whatever body part you scrub felt so soft afterwards. Olive oil contains vitamin E and antioxidants — good for nails.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix together and place in a decorative jar or container.
2. Use on hand, feet or body. Rinse.

Recipes and photos used with permission of the author.

Mother’s Day: Mexican Breakfast Casserole and a homemade gift of Brown Sugar Scrub is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Join me and several of the other Udi’s Gluten Free Community leaders for a LIVE CHAT celebrating Mother's Day TODAY on Monday, April 29th at 2PM EST! We’ll be chatting about how to stay celebrate Mother’s Day gluten free, whether we’re dining out with our families or being cooked for at home.

We’ll also be giving away some great Udi’s Gluten Free products during the chat!

• bags of Cherry Walnut Granola Clusters
• bags of Blueberry Cashew Granola Clusters
• packs of Udi’s Gluten Free Pizza Crusts
• packs of Mighty Bagels
• boxes of Snickerdoodle cookies
• loaves of Cinnamon Raisin Bread

You follow the chat here or in the widget below. I hope you can join us!

Let’s chat about celebrating Mother’s Day at Udi’s Gluten Free TODAY at 2pm EST #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

April’s Food ‘N Flix movie is Practical Magic (affiliate link), hosted by Glennis at Can't Believe We Ate. (Read her announcement here.) It’s a late-90s romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and a red-haired Nicole Kidman as the Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, raised by two aunts played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. They’re all witches living under a curse. You see, the men they fall in love with are doomed to an early death. The serious and somewhat nerdy Sally and wild woman Gillian must their witchy powers to fight the family curse and a swarm of supernatural forces after the accidental death of Gillian’s bad-boy boyfriend, played by Goran Visnjic of ER fame. Aidan Quinn plays an Arizonan policeman who investigates the sisters and ultimately falls in love with Sally.

This month’s Food ‘N Flix film is a cute as far as romcoms go, and I was super envious of Nicole Kidman’s amazing red hair. (Sandra Bullock is gorgeous, as usual, and both male leads were not hard on the eyes.) I especially liked the ending when the Owens witches go from pariahs to the most popular and beloved family in town.

All the actors and actresses are wonderful – and wonderfully directed by y Griffin Dunne – but the story's a bit silly at times. Still, it’s a fun movie to watch with your family (it’s PG-13 for some violence, intense thematic elements, mild profanity, and sensuality) and if you have Amazon Prime, it’s a free rental.

Bewitched? You can read the full plot on Wikipedia.

Making Midnight Margaritas

In the movie, one night the entire house of witches (except for the little girls, of course) get lit up on magical Midnight Margaritas and dance around to the song, “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson. Inspired by Practical Magic, a friend telling me about beer margaritas, and this video, I decided to brew up my own healthed up and gluten free version of a beer margarita.

First, I replaced the frozen limeade concentrate with Welch’s 100% Juice White Grape Peach concentrate. (Have you ever read the label on a can of limeade? It’s pure high fructose corn syrup and some lime flavorings – blarg!) Instead of a cherry soda, I used Hansen’s Diet Black Cherry. And I used a gluten free sorghum beer homebrewed by my husband. (You can use your favorite gluten free beer or a light beer if you’re not gluten free.)

Call on your inner witch to brew up variations of my Practical Magic Midnight Margarita recipe using different 100% juice concentrates and Diet Hansen's sodas. This would make a wonderful party drink or serve it at a Sunday or Mother’s Day brunch!

Practical Magic Midnight Peach and Cherry Beer Margaritas

Makes 4 to 6 margaritas

Ingredients:

• 1 12-ounce can Welch’s 100% Juice White Grape Peach concentrate
• 1 12-ounce can Diet Hansen’s Diet Black Cherry soda
• 12 ounces gluten free beer
• 12 ounces tequila
• 3 concentrate cans of ice

Directions:

1. Pre-chill your margarita glasses.(Chilling makes a big difference, believe me!)
2. Combine all ingredients in a large blender.
3. Place blender lid on firmly and hold it down with your hand. (There’s a lot of liquid in this recipe, and your margarita may threaten to overflow a bit!)
4. Blend the margaritas using the blender’s pulse setting to prevent a spillover.
5. Immediately pour into chilled glasses and serve.

Practical Magic Midnight Peach and Cherry Beer Margaritas #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

If you’re looking for a more healthful way to eat, you’ve probably heard about the Paleo diet. For those of you who haven’t, the basic idea is to eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did before the development of agriculture and diets heavy in grains like rice and wheat. Paleo is a protein heavy diet, but allows for vegetables, nuts and seeds. Many people feel better eating the paleo way and have lost weight or gotten rid of health problems like diabetes due to it. The Paleo diet also works well those who eat gluten free because of having celiacs or food sensitivities, since Paleo recipes don’t contain wheat or other types of glutenous foods.

Eating the Paleo way isn’t very hard to do, especially if you love to grill steaks or fish or enjoy a nice salad or sautéed veggies. However, until I came across The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook by Arsy Vartanian I never thought of using my slow cooker to cook Paleo foods. Arsy, who blogs at Rubies and Radishes, makes it look easy and delicious! Her cookbook features chapters on beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and seafood. The Paleo Slow Cooker also features recipes for appetizers, breakfast, drinks and even Paleo friendly desserts. I’m impressed! Even better, it’s a visually beautiful book with excellent photography, though I wish there was more of it.

Whether you’re a hardcore Paleo dieter or just looking to turn your health and cooking around with simple and healthy recipes, then maybe the  The Paleo Slow Cooker is for you! Not convinced? Try Arsy’s recipe for Pear Ginger Pork Ribs. This is a perfect dish when pears are in season, plus pork is very reasonably priced. I like that Arsy uses coconut oil in this recipe, which should really give this pork dish a lovely flavor. And yes, honey is considered OK on the Paleo diet, especially raw honey (local if you can find it). If you need to avoid honey, try using stevia instead, which is OK on the Paleo diet, has no calories, and is considered a natural sweetener.

Finally, I would double this recipe if you have a big slow cooker. That way you can have leftover pork chops the next day for lunch – gently reheat in the microwave or dice up the pork and put it in a salad or Paleo friendly stir fry!

Pear Ginger Pork Chops

From the The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook by Arsy Vartanian

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 thick cut pork chops
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 ripe d’anjou pears, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup white wine (can substitute water or broth)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• Salt and pepper just before serving

Directions:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
2. Brown the pork chops on both sides (in batches if necessary) for about 5 minutes total and place in the slow cooker.
3. Sauté the pears and ginger in the remaining coconut oil.
4. Add the vinegar and wine, turn to medium low and cook for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
5. Pour mixture over chops in slow cooker.
6. Cook on low for 6 hours.
7. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Recipe and photograph used with permission.

The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook review and Pear Ginger Pork Chops recipe #glutenfree #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Has your family participated in Meatless Monday yet? Maybe you’re reluctant to because someone in your family thinks veggies are yucky. Or maybe you’re just perplexed on how to cook up a vegetarian dish that’s filling and will be liked by all family members. That’s why you have to check out the new cookbook by Suzanne Landry, The Passionate Vegetable. Her health inspired recipes  promise to revitalize your life whether you’re a vegetarian or a meat lover.

You can tell that Suzanne is a health educator, because The Passionate Vegetable is as educational as it is inspirational. The cookbook includes a simple guide to food nutrition, suggestions for healthy vegetarian meals, transition recipes for the meat lover (love this!), and a guide to remaking your pantry to be healthier and vegetarian friendly. The Passionate Vegetable contains over 145 recipes including breakfasts, salads, soups, grains and bean dishes, and entries, as well as a chapter devoted to meat and healthy treats and desserts. It also features fantastic food photography for some but not all her recipes, unfortunately. Recipes I’m looking forward to making include Ratatouille over Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese.

Summer salads

With the weather getting warmer, I’m on the lookout for recipes that require a minimum of cooking and are more on the light side. This recipe from The Passionate Vegetable for California Fiesta Quinoa Salad fits the bill, since you can make it ahead of time in the morning when it’s cooler. Quinoa makes a terrific main dish since it’s an excellent source of vegetarian protein and it’s gluten free. Suzanne suggests adding leftover quinoa salad to scrambled eggs – just before the eggs set hard, add 1/4 cup and give it a stir. She likes this egg and quinoa salad dish for breakfast, but you could make it for lunch or dinner, too!

California Fiesta Quinoa Salad

Recipe from The Passionate Vegetable by Suzanne Landry from Health Inspired Publishing

Serves 6

Salad ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1/4  teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4  cup tomato, chopped (1 medium tomato)
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped (1 stalk)
• 1/2  cup cucumber, seeded and chopped (1 medium cucumber)
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped (4 scallions)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, cleaned and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, blanched
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and diced (Kalamata are the best!)

Dressing ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1   teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 2   tablespoon red wine vinegar or 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Boil 2 cups water and add salt. Thoroughly rinse quinoa in strainer. Place in boiling water, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes or until grain is fluffed and water is absorbed.  Remove from pot into a large bowl and allow to cool before adding vegetables.
• Slice tomatoes into 1/2-inch slabs and remove most of the seeds.  Then cut tomatoes into sticks and crosswise into ½-inch cubes.  This will give you evenly sized tomato pieces that won’t get mushy if the salad isn’t eaten right away.
• Cut celery by slicing down the rib in the center of the stalk. If the stalk is large you might want to cut it in thirds. Then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Slice cucumber lengthwise into 4 strips and then remove center seeds. Chop these strips into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove root ends of scallions and cross chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss cooled quinoa with all remaining vegetables, beans, and olives.
• Mix vinegar, oil, hot pepper flakes, and salt together.  Toss lightly with salad.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving.  This will last 5 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe and picture used with permission.

Meatless Monday: The Passionate Vegetable cookbook review and a recipe for California Fiesta Quinoa Salad #meatlessmonday #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As I explained in last month’s Secret Recipe Club post for Spaghetti with Spicy Cauliflower Sauce, making pasta is a bit of an ordeal at my house since I only have two proper burners on my stovetop. So when I saw Robin from Robin Restored’s post on Crockpot Spaghetti, I thought, “This is the recipe I have to make for this month’s Secret Recipe Club challenge!”

Robin explains that Crockpot Spaghetti is her mom’s go-to recipe for family parties and people complain if she doesn’t make it. Robin’s version is sure to please, but I wanted to health it up a bit and make it gluten free. So here’s how I changed it:

• I used the leanest ground beef I could find instead of ground chuck. Buy the leanest you can find at your local store. If you read labels, you’ll notice that it has less fat than ground turkey. Feel free to use ground venison or buffalo, too. If you can find and afford organic or “natural” (grass fed with no antibiotics used) beef or buffalo, go for it!
• I used fresh ingredients like onions and garlic instead of powders and fresh mushrooms instead of canned.
• Instead of pepperoni slices, I decided to try it with chicken Italian sausage from Trader Joe’s. Their sausage is precooked, so I was able to cut it into chunks before placing it in the slow cooker. If the sausage you use isn’t precooked and you’re worried about it falling apart during cooking, place it whole into the crock. Then slice it up before serving.
• I used V8 instead of plain tomato juice since we had a bottle in the pantry. Any veggie and tomato juice blend will do!
• I also added some additional veggies – two yellow squashes. You could also use zucchini, eggplant or cauliflower. Slow cooking practically dissolved the squash and mushrooms, so their presence remained hidden from picky people in my family who claim not to like vegetables. (That’s my daughter, Lucie, who only eats carrots and cauliflower these days.)
• Finally, since I'm a Community Leader at Udi's Gluten Free, I'm always interested in making gluten free recipes, especially for the slow cooker. So I used brown rice penne pasta, and my family never noticed! Feel free to use whole wheat pasta instead if you don’t eat gluten free.

All in all, good reviews from the family and super easy and quick to make. The leftovers heat up well in the microwave without the pasta getting too mushy.

Healthy Slow Cooker Pasta

Serves 8 with lots of leftovers

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 1/2 fresh oregano, minced)
• 1 (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 4 ounces mushrooms (cut large mushrooms into halves or quarters)
• 3 1/2 cups V8 juice
• 1 package Italian flavored chicken sausage, sliced into bite sized chunks
• 2 yellow squash, cut into a large dice
• 1 (16 ounce) package brown rice penne pasta

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, place ground beef, onion and garlic into a large skillet. Cook until meat has browned. Drain well.
2. Place browned meat into a large (6 to 8 quart) slow cooker. 
3. Add all remaining ingredients, except pasta. Stir well.
4. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3 1/2 hours.
5. Add pasta and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta is done.
6. Turn off slow cooker. Serve and enjoy!

More from the Secret Recipe Club!

Want to join the Secret Recipe Club? You can sign up here.

Healthy Gluten Free Slow Cooker Pasta #SRC is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

So many wonderful cookbooks have been crossing my desk lately that I decided to dedicate a week to (mostly) cookbook reviews. So sit back and enjoy! Since it’s Meatless Monday, we start the week with a vegetarian cookbook by Mary McCartney, the daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney.

Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking

I was excited to receive a review copy of the Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking because I’ve been a fan of Mary’s father’s music since I was a kid, and loved her mother’s photography for almost as long. Paul and Linda were the first people I ever knew in the public spotlight who were vegetarians, too. Indeed, Linda was the author of several very popular and still well thought of vegetarian cookbooks like Linda's Kitchen: Simple and Inspiring Recipes for Meat-Less Meals. So with an upbringing like that, I had high expectations for Mary’s cookbook, especially since she was doing both the recipe development as well as the photography.

Food features lovely vegetarian recipes that even non-vegetarians will like such as Corn Fritters, Super Quinoa Salad, Lip-Smacking Minestrone, and several desserts. These are straight forward, simple meals that are perfect for novice cooks or those who are new to vegetarian cooking. She doesn’t use crazy, hard to find ingredients – quinoa is as exotic as she gets. All in all Mary’s recipes in Food are very accessible to anyone who’d like to include more vegetarians meals in their culinary routine.

The only downside to Food is Mary’s food photography since I feel her food shots are too close up, overly blurry, and sometimes not very appetizing. I find that Mary’s a better photographer of people, spaces and gardens than food, and love her pictures of the signs at a farmer’s market and scenes from her home. That’s where her photographic talent and artistic personality come through in this book.

Can’t decide if Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking is right for you? Check out Mary’s recipe for Cheese and Eggplant Oven Bake, something you can easily make most weeknights. Even better, it’s gluten free if you use gluten free soy or tamari sauce.

Cheese and Eggplant Oven Bake

From Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking by Mary McCartney

This dish is wonderful just as it is, but sometimes I like to vary the recipe for a change. A pinch of chili flakes added to the tomato sauce provides a great kick, and 3 ounces of vegetarian ground meat substitute cooked into the tomato sauce adds substantial “bite” to the meal. Feel free to play around with it, too. This is good served with sautéed leeks and a leafy salad or steamed green beans.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs, plus a pinch set aside for the olive oil mixture
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 medium eggplants, sliced crosswise into discs 1⁄3 inch thick
• 3 ounces soft goat cheese or chopped mozzarella
• 4 ounces goat Cheddar or sharp Cheddar, grated
• handful fresh basil leaves (if available), roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. First make the tomato sauce. In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onion until softened and slightly golden brown, about 8 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, mixed herbs, a small pinch of sea salt, and some black pepper. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the soy sauce, and the pinch of mixed herbs. Lightly brush both sides of each eggplant slice with the olive oil mixture. Sauté the slices in batches in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, cooking for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
4. Spread a third of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a medium baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices over the sauce and then spoon 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce over each eggplant disc. Scatter crumbled pieces of the soft goat cheese over the disc, followed by a layer of eggplant. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant slices and, finally, scatter the basil leaves and grated Cheddar over the top.
5. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly brown on top.

A short interview with Mary McCartney

Q.  When did you first start cooking?

A. I was involved in the experience of cooking from a very early age. The kitchen was the center of the universe and Mum got us involved, helping cook and tasting…lots of tasting.

Q. Who influenced you most in the kitchen?

A. My main cooking influence was my mother, Linda. She described herself as a peasant cook and had the ability to transform whatever she found in the pantry into delicious meals.

Q.  How did she influence your own perspective on cooking then?

A. Her love of food was infectious, but never precious. She never seemed to write anything down, a trick I inherited, but which made the creation of this book particularly testing!

Q. How would you define your style of cooking?

A. I favor uncomplicated cooking, I enjoy meals that are bright, tasty and satisfying and not too time consuming to make.

Q. What’s your recipe of choice?

A. When we were young, Mum let us choose our favorite meal on our birthday. I often chose her cream of tomato soup and fluffy quiche with a large mixed salad.

Q. If you chose just one thing you loved most about cooking, what would that be?

A. I love cooking for friends and family, getting everyone around the table together to enjoy the banter around informal meals, and for me, the satisfaction of wiped-clean plates is worth the effort.

Recipe and photographs used with permission.

Cookbook Week: Mary McCartney’s Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As a part of my work with the Udi’s Gluten Free Community, I try to serve as your go to source about Udi’s Gluten Free new products. One new offering that got me really excited was their new gluten free plain tortillas. One of the foods I really missed when I first started eating gluten free were tortillas. (Since I was eating corn free for a while, I couldn’t eat those either!) I’m sure many of you – especially those with gluten free kids – feel the same way since tortillas are something many of us eat regularly. I couldn’t image having any sort of Mexican style dishes from quesadillas to taco night without them!

About Udi’s Gluten Free Plain Tortillas

Udi’s Gluten Free’s tortillas come in two sizes – small and large. Also, you may have to search in the refrigerator or freezer section of your store to find them, as they need to be refrigerated. I learned the hard way and had them out on the counter for a week when they started getting moldy.

As far as taste and texture goes, I like them a little better than the brown rice tortillas I usually purchase. They’re less chewy, especially if I cook them in the microwave for 10 seconds before making a wrap with them. Unfortunately, the tortillas are a bit fragile and tear easily, but this is true of other gluten free tortillas I’ve tried. So make sure to store them perfectly flat in the refrigerator. If you don’t, they’ll tear in the package.

The reason I gave you that warning because I didn’t store them flat, and had a package of broken tortillas that were useless for making breakfast egg wraps or hummus and arugula rollups. So I decided to make lemonade with lemons, or in this case, nachos with torn Udi’s Gluten Free tortillas!

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Nachos

This is a great way to use up leftovers from taco night or an easy party dish to make for your gluten free guests.

Ingredients;

• cooking spray
• 3 large or 5 small Udi’s Gluten Free Plain Tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces (or enough to line your oven safe dish)
• your favorite healthy nacho toppings – low fat Mexican style grated cheese, chunks of queso fresco, salsa, olives, leftover fajita beef, chicken or pepper stir fry, diced onions and tomatoes, no fat refried beans, etc. Get creative!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray an oven save dish with cooking spray. (I used a glass pie plate.)
3. Line dish with torn pieces of Udi’s Gluten Free Plain Tortillas.
4. Place dish on highest rack of the oven and cook for 10 minutes until the tortilla pieces start to get a little bit brown and crispy.
5. Remove dish from oven. Cover tortilla with your favorite nacho toppings.
6. Place dish back in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are heated through.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Quick and Easy Nachos with Udi’s Gluten Free Plain Tortillas! #glutenfree #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!