Calorie free noodles are real!

Konjac noodles are all the rage right now and I had to see what all the buzz was about.

"Shirataki (白滝^?, often written with the hiragana しらたき) are very low carbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from devil's tongue yam (elephant yam or the konjac yam).^[1] The word "shirataki" means "white waterfall", describing the appearance of these noodles. Largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, they have little flavor of their own.
Shirataki noodles can be found both in dry and soft "wet" forms in Asian markets and some supermarkets. When wet, they are purchased pre-packaged in liquid. They normally have a shelf life of up to one year. Some brands may require rinsing or par-boiling as the water they are packaged in has an odor that may be unpleasant to those not accustomed to it." -wikipedia.com

So let me get this straight...noodles, with zero calories? Count me in coach!

I bought some at the local Chinese market, and went to work. When I opened the water filled package the smell of fish instantly filled the air, but nothing a couple rinses in cold water could not fix. I made a chicken noodle soup with some broccoli from the garden, and it was awesome.

Chicken noodle soups need no recipe, it was just simple ingredients cooked together. I love the noodles, and next on the list is pad thai made with them! They are uniquely chewy and slightly crunchy. They hold their own, even after they sat over night in the soup and were re-heated the next day.

The beets and broccoli grown in the garden... it's all coming to a close but it has been a great experience! Next year is sure to be better than ever, I'm already excited.

Aidan went to a kid friendly Halloween play and loved every second of it, he is a sucker for music and new friends.

Notice anything strange?

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin carving crazy

The pumpkin party was a blast, and the food was on point because we were at a chef's house.

Chef Zog's sliders

I went overboard on my pumpkin. I spent almost 3 hours carving away freehand style- I probably looked nuts but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My first carved pumpkin, proof I still got it. LOL

For dinner the next day I had a sushi samba, and we went all out.

The Soul Roll version 1.0

Contains cornmeal crusted fried chicken, butter garlic corn and collard greens & onions from the garden. Served with a BBQ 5 chili mayo sauce.

Stay tuned for version 2.0 and 3.0, sure to be even better.

Beans, Beans they are good for your Heart

...The more you eat the more you, BOO!

What a weekend! I'm exhausted, but never too exhausted for a Sunday pumpkin carving party finale.

For the bash, I made this (not including the dinosaur...just in case you were wondering)

Flourless Mystery Brownies 

You'll never guess what they are made of when you try them! (no one at the party had a clue)

1 15 oz. can black beans
3 eggs
1/2cup choc chips
1/2cup walnuts
1/3cup melted earth balance
1/4cup grade B maple
1/4cup cane sugar
1/4cup cocopowder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Blend the eggs, beans, melted butter, vanilla, sugar, maple and coco in a food processor until very smooth. Add the walnuts & chips last. The batter will be very runny, do not fear it is wrong. Spray the baking dish & bake @ 350 for 30 min, super bombtastic. I made the chocolate skeleton pieces out of a candy mold (white chocolate & peanutbutter chocolate) on top of cookie dirt & marshmallow fluff.

Soup is super.

BOO!

(scared you...not)

This creature was protecting the tomato plants, stunning. I love spiders, so much so my man got me a tarantula on Valentines day, but I guess that just makes me a creep more than anything.

It has been a busy last couple of weeks, but I have still been cooking my little heart out. Two dear friends of mine were hitched proper, and in honor of my lovely gluten free & dairy free gal I made these for her

Squash and baked tofu fresh rolls with a spicy peanut sauce

The tofu was pressed for an hour, and then marinated in some gluten free tamari. I sprayed a cooking sheet, then sprayed the top of the tofu and sprinkled some black sesame seeds, baked at 375 for 30+ min. until tender and firm. The veggies inside are carrot, acorn squash, cucumber, cilantro, mint and chives.

The peanut sauce contains coconut milk, no sugar added peanut butter, veg stock, red chili paste, tamari, sriracha and arrowroot.

The lovely lady who jumped the broom, I adore her!

Acorn squash soup and harvest apple pie muffins with cheddar cheese

Harvest Apple Pie and Sharp Cheddar Muffins

1 cup ground oat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup flax powder
6oz. nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup apple juice (no sugar added)
2 medium grated gala apples
1/2 cup 2% sharp cheddar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 tsp baking soda

Heat oven to 375, combine all dry ingredients in one bowl, add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Lastly add the cheese, and mix. Spray & Bake for 30 min. or until done, check with a toothpick. Makes 8 large muffins.


Acorn Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

2 cups acorn squash (baked)
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups free range chicken stock or veg stock
salt, pepper, garlic powder
garnish- green onion & crushed candied cashews

Bake acorn squash and set aside. In a sauce pan cook celery, onion and carrot in a little bit of stock. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend til smooth. Add additional stock for a thinner soup, season as desired.

Fried green tomatoes, flounder and homemade aoili. no recipe because I did not like this dish and don't wish to share...but still worth looking at!

I am obsessed with this squash, called sweet potato squash aka delicata squash. Tastes like the perfect combination of sweet potato and corn, you can't go wrong.

A perfect fall day, is there anything more wonderful than the sound of children playing? I think not.

Aidan and Brendan, he is getting so big!

and 1 last thing... get your camp fire on before it is too late

(smores are totally under-rated)

F stands for...

Fall is for FUN!

Fall in Michigan is my favorite time of year, and I insist on spending as much time as humanly possible at the apple orchards & farms.

The eggplants have been kickin' with a vengeance in the garden, and I'm always trying to come with creative ways to use them.

The weather finally turned brisk and instantly I was craving chili, so I made eggplant chili (why not?)

Eggplant & bean chili (vegan + gluten free) with pumpkin cornbread muffins (gluten free+vegan)



I made this chili by throwing a bunch of ingredients in a pot, you really can't go wrong.

3 cans of organic kidney beans

2 cups chopped roma tomatoes

2 chopped & peeled carrots

1 onion

1 eggplant, pealed & chopped

1 1/2 cup chopped yellow & orange bell peppers

2 whole chili peppers (chopped)

8 cups of veg stock

cutting celery (a herb that tastes just like celery)

chili powder

garlic powder

cumin

mustard powder

salt

In a large stock pot I cooked down the onion and peppers, I then added the tomatoes and the veg stock. I rinsed 2 cans of beans, and the third can I only washed half of the beans, so the remaining beans in the can were still with the starchy goo that comes with canned beans (helps to thicken the chili). To that I added the remaining ingredients except the salt & cutting celery. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cook for 3 hours, do not cover!

Pumpkin Corn Muffins

2 packets of maple flavored instant oatmeal (ground into a flour)

1/2 cup corn meal

1 cup of pumpkin

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP flax powder

1 tsp baking soda

This was an experiment, and it worked for some reason. Add all the ingredients, and bake at 375 for 15 min, or until done.

Not-cho Grandma's Muffins

Call me weird, freak, call me what you will. I'm in love with flour free baking, and I can't stop won't stop.

These muffins make for the perfect breakfast, just warm up and add some buttah- and you are good to go with a cup of joe.

On a side note, don't be afraid of the eggs! Eggs are great for you, the more the merrier I say.

Not-cho Grandma's Banana Nut Muffins (gluten free)



Get Some!~

7 eggs

3/4 cup coconut flour

2 ripe, smashed bananas

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup grade B maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

Beat the wet ingredients together. Add the dry, and mix well. Spoon into sprayed muffin tins, and bake at 325 for 25-30 min. Check with a tooth pick, and enjoy.

These muffins are spongy and airy, I'm in love with coconut flour! 

An apple a day

Breakfast, the most unappreciated and under-rated meal of the day. Go big and go hard, breakfast is essential to gettin' your groove on and making the most out of the next 24hours.

Aidan loves his morning oatmeal, so I made it super fly for a change up.

Super Fly Apple oatmeal (vegan + gluten free)

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 small apple of choice, chopped
• 1 TBSP agave
• 1 TBSP flax meal
• 1 TBSP earth balance
• splash of lemon juice
• cinnamon, and whatever spices you like
• walnuts (optional)

Cook chopped apple in a sauce pan with a little water and lemon juice. Add the almond milk and heat on med. Add the remaining ingredients and turn heat up to high, as soon as it boils turn heat down to low.

Just another Sunday at the apple orchard

Eggplant roll-OUT

Quinoa pinenut eggplant rolls

Nothing turns a house into a home like the smell of fresh food cooking on the stove or in the oven.

If they could make a candle that gives you the real deal impression that someone has been baking away the day then that would just be lovely, those scented overpriced jar candles don't cut it.

For 2 of my favorite's wedding anniversary we had an impromptu vegan vs. not vegan theme.

I made this vegan dish in hopes to win over some quinoa virgins.

It started out like all great meals, with tomato sauce cooking away with fresh herbs

For the eggplant, I peeled it. Cut it into thin slices, and salted each side. They sat for 30 min. and then I dried off the water that came out. I then baked them for 15 min. at 350 until they were soft and ready to 'roll'

I sauteed 1 cup of chopped baby sweet peppers, with some onions and fresh cut mint.

In a pot I boiled 2 cups of veg stock and added 1 cup of quinoa.

When the quinoa was done I added it to the pepper mixture with some pine nuts, and additional seasoning



The rolls were then covered with the sauce, and placed in a baking dish.

They were baked at 375 for 30min.

Plated with a little drizzle of olive oil, these bad boys were ready to party.

Snap, crackle, POP

Vegan peanutbutter/chocolate rice treats (gluten free)

 

1cup brown rice syrup
1cup brown sugar
1cup natural,no sugar added peanutbutter
7cups rice or brown rice crisp cereal
3tbls semi-sweet chocolate (non-dairy)
1tbls earthbalance
pinch of salt (optional)

heat brown rice syrup & brown sugar on med heat until sugar dissolves, and lightly boil. Remove from heat, add peanutbutter.
Add cereal, mix. Place in an oil glass baking pan and press down firmly (coat your hands in oil so the mixture won't stick to your hands). Melt chocolate in microwave in 20 sec. increments until melted, use a fork and splatter. Allow to cool at room temp or fridge.

I smell pumpkin!

Fall sweet fall, I adore thee

The first of many pumpkin treats that can't be beat and of course, as always- kid tested & mama approved.

1st day of fall pumpkin cookies- gluten free

2 cups oat flour (can be made yourself by grinding rolled oats)

2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (unsweetened)
1 TBSP veg oil or oil of choice
1 TBS grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup agave
1 tsp baking soda
1TBSP pumpkin pie spice mix
pinch of salt

Add all dry ingredients together, then add wet and mix well. Bake @ 375 for 15min.

These cookies are cake like, soft and fluffy. Awesome for your child or your own mouth.

The cookies on the left have added pecans & white chocolate chips.

Roooooooaaaaaaaar!

Eat Em' Up Tigers, Eat Em' Up!

I'm a Detroit girl at heart.

For almost 9 years I spent just about everyday either working, schooling or living there. Detroit has its quirks, its issues and positives. I moved on to provide what I consider a better life for my little love nugget, but Detroit is in his blood and mine forever.

We went to a Tigers game on Sunday. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was electrified with excitement. Detroit killed it!

This little guy sat in this chair for 4 hours without disturbance...he is the quintessential Tiger's fan.

 

I started the morning with a nutrient packed breakfast, Chia Crumble Topped Baked Pears

I don't have an exact recipe of how I made this dish so here goes nothing...

I cored out several pears and pealed them. I mixed rolled oats, Cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of brown sugar, and raw chia seeds. To that I added Earth Balance Light, a vegan butter-like spread. I topped the pears and baked it for 1 hour 15min @ 375. At first it was uncovered, then after 45 min. I drizzled some agave nectar over the pears and covered it with aluminum foil. They came out so tender and fragrant, a wonderful way to rev up your day and make the house smell warm and inviting.

Later that night we had another great dinner, which I didn't take pictures of- But I did capture a cute moment in time (that was of course staged, but whatevsies)

Dinner on Monday was a vegetable packed salad, tossed in a roma tomato vinaigrette and topped with toasted walnuts & pulled chicken

In the salad is fresh corn, 2 types of cabbage (from the garden), carrots, celery, cucumbers (from the garden) and romaine lettuce.

The vinaigrette was made with a fresh roma tomato, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper. I mixed it silly in the vitamix which created a miraculously smooth texture. The acid in the uncooked tomato added to the tang of the dressing.

The chicken was boiled in vegetable stock, pulled then lightly pan fried in olive oil with toasted walnuts, chopped dried onion, fresh green onion, fresh garlic, and a fresh habanero pepper. I took the quartered habanero out before I served it on the salad.

And my favorite time of the day, DESERT TIME!

Coconut flour cookies with peanut butter & chocolate chips (gluten free)

1 stick melted butter or butter substitute

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut flour

splash of vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk chocolate & peanut butter chips mixed

Melt butter and mix with the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the coconut flour and chips. Bake at 350 for 15 min.

These taste amazing hot or cold, and have a melt-in-you-mouth texture. The coconut flour I used is raw, and is naturally a gluten free & high fiber product.

They are also kid tested & mom approved



Diet Shmiet

"The only time to eat diet food is when you are waiting for the steak to cook"- Julia Child

My pregnancy consisted of one thing; eating my way through the day. I ballooned up to a really high weight that my height could not handle. It wasn't hard, in fact eating came quite naturally to me...surprise, surprise.

It took me a while, but miraculously the weight came off. I can attribute it to infrequent exercise, child rearing and a low carb & gluten free diet.

Whenever possible I try to resist my arch nemesis- the dreaded delicious carb, but sometimes it's calling out my name so much I must silence it by shoving it in my mouth as fast as possible and pretend it never happened (nothing to see here folks, move along).

But honestly, I'm not as strict as I sound. I enjoy my life, my food and I feel great 98% of the time. The worst I feel is when I eat large amounts of wheat but I avoid it like the plague. Since going from a vegetarian to vegan to full on carnivore I must say I have more energy than ever. I rarely feel moody, and always wake up ready to take on the day (despite lack of sleep from the child)


Viva la low carb!

Spicy BBQ pulled chicken, fresh corn & corn meal fritter/cakes over tangy slaw (cabbage from the garden)

Corn cakes
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup Atkins baking mix
1/2 cup fresh corn
1/2 cup whole organic milk (or any kind of milk)
1 egg, beaten
green onion
garlic powder
salt
pepper
butter or oil for frying


Mix together ingredients, add more milk if you desire a more runny consistency. Fry up on a pan, cook til brown and enjoy.

You can also add cheese to the batter- because it's really not a complete meal unless if cheese is included.

Way better than cheez-its (just when I thought it wasn't possible)

You scream
I scream
Aidan screams the LOUDEST for cheese crackers!

Well, crackers of any kind really.

Aidan's gluten free cheese crackers

2 cups cheese (cheddar)
3 tblspoons cold butter
1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 tblspoons ice cold water
salt
cumin
cayenne pepper (optional)

In a food processor blend cheese & butter for 2 min. - will turn into tiny grains. Add brown rice flour in several parts. Add water as needed.

roll out dough and bake @350 for 15-20min until brown.

You can place the dough in the fridge so it gets cold and rolls out easier. I used tiny cookie cutters to create the shapes. The crisps spread out slightly, but once you pop one you can't stop won't stop.

Sunday Sauce Extravaganza

A brief history

The Tomato History has origins traced back to the early Aztecs around 700 A.D; therefore it is believed that the tomato is native to the Americas. It was not until around the 16th century that Europeans were introduced to this fruit when the early explorers set sail to discover new lands. Throughout Southern Europe, the tomato was quickly accepted into the kitchen, yet as it moved north, more resistance was apparent. The British, for example, admired the tomato for its beauty, but believe that it was poisonous, as its appearance was similar to that of the wolf peach. "...most Europeans thought that the tomato was poisonous because of the way plates and flatware were made in the 1500's." Rich people in that time used flatware made of pewter, which has a high-lead content. Foods high in acid, like tomatoes, would cause the lead to leech out into the food, resulting in lead poisoning and death. Poor people, who ate off of plates made of wood, did not have that problem, and hence did not have an aversion to tomatoes. This is essentially the reason why tomatoes were only eaten by poor people until the 1800's, especially Italians. What changed in the 1800's? First, and most significantly, was the mass immigration from Europe to America and the traditional blending of cultures. Many Italian-Americans ate tomatoes and brought that food with them. But also, and perhaps equally as important, was the invention of pizza. There is no pizza without tomato sauce, and pizza was invented around Naples in the late 1880's. The story goes that it was created by one restaurateur in Naples to celebrate the visit of Queen Margarite, the first Italian monarch since Napoleon conquered Italy. The restaurateur made the pizza from three ingredients that represented the colors of the new Italian flag: red, white, and green. The red is the tomato sauce, the white was the mozzarella cheese, and the green was the basil topping. It was not regarded as a kitchen vegetable until the times preceding The Civil War Period in the United States. From this point forward, tomatoes have become a staple item in the kitchen throughout the world. Each area of the world has its own tomato history and how it is used in everyday dining. It appears though that tomatoes have had the largest impact on American eating habits, as they are responsible for enjoying over 12 million tons of tomatoes each year. via: http://www.tomato-cages.com/tomato-history.html With all that being said, the tomato production at the crib has been on overload. If not for seeing it with my own eyes I would never of believed how many tomatoes could be grown off what started as two tiny tiny plants. These monsters have taken over, and have been very kind to us this year.

I can pick this many tomatoes about every other day, and they are gorgeous!

I can smell fall, and I love it! Pumpkins, apples, all things cool crisp air-Mi Amor!

As you can tell, the collards are pretty damn fascinating. After the heat wave, they have been much happier (and super tasty)

Every Sunday, and a couple other days of the week I have made tomato sauce. Just when I think I'm sick of the red gravy goodness, after it's been cooking for a couple hours I just can't get enough of it- and luckily either can Aidan.

The squash and eggplant production has been on high alert- won't these plants just die already?!



Eggplant and squash pasta bake with brown rice rotini- gluten free



Eggplant parm made with Italian bi-color eggplant @ Aunt Chele's house for a Sunday Sauce day (my favorite!). Family is by far the most important thing in my life, and being able to cook for the ones I love will always be the thing I enjoy most in my life- saying I love them is a total understatement...nothing compares.



The bolognese sauce



Always smiling


Another day of sauce, with turkey meatballs



He hates it




Many an individual feel the need to add tomato paste or a thickener to make their sauce heartier- I however feel that is pointless. Every time I make sauce I use fresh tomatoes- I chop them into small squares and throw in a pot with browned garlic, onions and olive oil. I cook it down for a couple hours and add some dry red wine. To that I add herbs and spice it up a bit, then I use an immersion blender to get it to the consistency I desire. I never take the time to blanch the tomatoes and peel them, thats just how I roll.

Chevre&Mushroom Tarts

1/2 cup of herb chevre

1 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I used portabella)

3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted or untoasted)

mini phyllo shells(in the freezer section)

dill

salt & pepper

olive oil for cooking

Cook down the mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Add cheese and create a sauce, add the nuts. Season to your liking with herbs. Spoon into shells, and bake at 375 for 20 min until brown.

Another family dinner included this raw garden kale salad

Bbq'd scalloped squash, baby tomatoes, cucumber and massaged kale in a lemon tahini dressing.

The dressing contains soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, tahini, and a really light touch of mustard.

Aunt Chele's heriloom garden tomatoes & squash gratin.

The dehydrator has come in handy lately.I dried parsley, sage, mint and lemon balm for tea.



Roasted butternut squash from the garden on top of hummus, served with a salad tossed in an apple cider mustard vinaigrette.


GET CAKE!


Aidan has been brushing up on his baseball skills which also happens to be one of his favorite words.



Baby likes tilapia with edamame.

Ciao Bambino!