Category Archives: Gluten Free

CMI-turkey-meat-balls

Turkey Meatballs With Carmelized Onions

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Izzy’s famous turkey meatballs with caramelized onions have been a savior at night instead of picking at something sweet  with loads of carbs. These meatballs have a simple sweetness from the caramelized onions and are very healthy. I love to eat them with salad as it is a very satisfying light and delicious lunch or dinner.

These meatballs are also great snacks especially in the afternoon when you need that  little pick me up and you’re craving something sweet.  I always think a “little go to snack” at your fingertips is key to a great nutritional food day and these turkey meatballs actually satisfy all those needs.

Please enjoy these meatballs as I have enjoyed sharing this recipe with all of you.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup of organic ketchup
1 egg organic
¼ cup chili sauce
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (or other non dairy substitutes)
1 cup hemp seeds
Olive oil to coat bottom of pan
2 baking pans or cookie sheets with at least ¼ inch rim

Organic Ketchup
Sweetened Chili Sauce

Caramelize Onions Ingredients:

1 large onion diced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup Sherry or Marsala wine

Caramelizing onions Instruction:

First begin by  caramelizing 1 large diced onion. Add oil to saute pan and heat well. Then add onions,  sea salt, ? garlic powder and cook over medium heat for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. When well browned, add ¼ cup of Sherry wine and ?simmer for approx. 3 minutes longer to absorb the Sherry flavor.  Cool off onion mixture.

Meanwhile, mix turkey, salt, garlic powder, egg and ketchup together. Add spices, cheese and hemp seeds along with chili sauce and caramelized onions.  Placemixture back in refrigerator for 15 minutes to get it firm enough to roll into meatballs.

Coat bottom of baking pans with oil. Roll meatball approx 1 to 2 inch rounds and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Makes approximately 35 mini meatballs.

I make a batch a week and leave it in my refrigerator and when I feel hungry I grab a few meatballs.  They are a nice boost of protein.  Enjoy your new found shack and your children will love these too!

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Butternut Squash Sauce

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Many of us are making New Year’s resolutions to either eat healthier or loose weight. Here is a great  alternative to keeping your  favorite comfort food on your list of great meals leaving out the extra calories. Plus getting that extra boost of vegetables.

Although this is not a dairy free recipe, since we are using cheese; the milk and butter have been eliminated making this a very low calorie option. I promise your family will not notice the difference in the pasta or the sauce. This recipe was inspired by Clinton Kelly from the Chew, alternatively, I eliminated the yogurt, milk and butter to reduce the calories and the dairy content.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 med butternut squash

1 ½ cup vegetable broth warmed

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 cup shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Dash of nutmeg

1 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce

Dash of black pepper

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

I box of quinoa pasta “Rotelle” or Elbow

Butternut SquashButternut Squash Cut

Cut squash in half. Place in a baking dish cut side down. Fill ¼ inch of water on the bottom. Bake at 375 degrees until soft, approx. 45 to 65 minutes.

Quinoa Elbow Pasta

Begin to prepare pasta 30 minutes after you begin baking the squash to be sure the pasta is hot but not overcooked.

After squash is soft remove any seeds and scoop from the skin. First warm the broth. This will help bring the sauce to blend easier.

Blend all the ingredients including squash in a Vitamix or food processor. Make sure to start mixing slowly since ingredients will be warm. This is your cheese sauce. Blend sauce to a smooth, velvety consistency. Add more vegetable broth if you would like a lighter consistency. Place sauce on stovetop to keep warm until pasta is done.

Quinoa pasta takes approx. 13 to 15 minutes to cook. Drain pasta allow it to retain some water. Place pasta back in pan and add the butternut cheese sauce. I like to add extra shredded cheese for more flavor and texture while I toss the pasta with the sauce.

   The cheese sauce is delicious recipe. The spiciness from the Sriracha and cayenne helps kick up the flavor.

Limoncello Cheesecake

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Limoncello Cheesecake

(Best if made the day before)

Ingredients:

3 – (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup tapioca flour or (cornstarch)
½ cup limoncello liquer
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt (preferably sea salt)

Crust:

1 box lemon cookies or wafer. i.e lemon shortbread
1/2 stick melted margarine
1- 9 inch spring form pan

photo

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Cooking time 75 to 80 minutes

1) Make the lemon crust by blending the lemon cookies in food processor with the melted butter.

2) Place the crumbs in a thin layer on the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Cook until the crust is a slightly browned on top approximately 12 minutes. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes while you make your filling.

     Limoncello Cream Cheese Filling

Place 3 ounce package of the cream cheese,sugar, and the flour in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the mascarpone cheese and ricotta cheese blend for one minute on medium speed. Scrape the bottom well with a spatula. Add the eggs in one at a time.

Add the heavy cream, while scraping bottom to avoid any lumps with the cream cheese mixture. When well blended add limoncello and zest. Incorporate well.

Gently pour the cheese filling on top of the chilled cookie cracker crumb spring form pan.

Place the spring form pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the side of the pan.

Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Until lightly browned on top and firm.

Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven for an hour with door closed. After an hour , remove from oven and cool cake or wire rack or on stove top so air circulates under the cake. This will prevent the top from cracking.

Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Leave in the spring form pan until ready to serve.

Serve with lemon curd or whipped cream to garnish.

Holiday Chocolate Crunch Bar – Healthy Candy

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chocolate crunch bars
Getting Back to Chocolate….
Who says chocolate is not good for you. This chocolate candy with the purest ingredients like Raw Cocoa powder is considered a superfood and is a “healthy way ” to get back to chocolate.”

All ingredients are best left at room temperature ( this allows mixture to come together when stirring and blends well)

2 cups almond butter

3/4 cup of cacao powder
1 cup coconut oil
2 cups brown rice crispies
¼ cups honey
¼ cups maple syrup
1 tbsp. Maldon Salt or ( kosher salt)
1 tbsp. vanilla Madagascar paste

Erewho

http://m.vitacost.com/products/navitas-naturals-organic-cacao-powder-raw-chocolate-16-oz-2

http://www.beanilla.com/vanilla/vanilla-paste

Blend all well with rubber spatula. Put chocolate in any favorite mold or place on a cookie sheet and break into bite size pieces when ready for consumption.

Leave in freezer. Take out when ready to serve.
This chocolate bar is so rich in nutrients and flavor you will not crave more chocolate as you would a store bought candy bar.
You will feel satisfied completely with only 1 to 3 ounces of this rich chocolate bar. It will be hard to go back to eating inferior chocolates .
Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder provides us with antioxidants and important minerals like magnesium and iron. It is gluten free, organic kosher and raw. This is cocoa powder in its purest form.
Pure raw chocolate lowers blood pressure Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. “Magnesium relaxes muscles and the dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular. “

** The Theo bromine naturally found in raw cacao is a mild, non-addictive stimulant that some believe can treat depression.

Of course, this chocolate bar is an expensive endeavor but we are all worth it . It is a great way to wean yourself off store bought chocolate

http://www.secrehttp://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/raw-cacao-benefits.htmlongevity-in-humans.com/raw-cacao-benefits.html

Shrimp with a Red Curry Coconut Cashew Sauce

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Shrimp1

This shrimp dish is quick and takes less than 20 minutes. The shrimp is cooked quickly to keep a sweet moist texture .
It’s better to under cook rather than over cook as to preserve the integrity of the shrimp . Enjoy.

Ingredients to Saute Shrimp:

1 lb. 21/25 shrimp cleaned – tail on
1 tbsp. coconut oil
juice 2 limes
zest of 2 limes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. granulated garlic
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika

Sauce:
1 cup cashews or dry roasted peanuts
½ cup medium shredded coconut
3 tbsp. red curry paste
¼ cup Sriracha sauce
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable broth

Scallion sliced for garnish :

Process all above ingredients in food processor or Vitamix until well blended.

In Sauté pan ( large enough to hold all shrimp ),
Heat over high with coconut oil. Add shrimp. Spread evenly in pan.  Add all the spices.
Cook shrimp on each side for one to two minutes only .
After browned on both sides, add lime juice and zest of lime.  After 2 minutes add the cashew coconut sauce. Let cook for 3 minutes until finished . (If sauce is to thick at this point you can add some water and cook another minute.)

Top with scallion.

Shrimp2