Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

I have never really done anything festive for Cinco De Mayo and so my dearest friend Kate, whom I have been friends with since we were toddlers, decided that at age 30 it was high time we celebrated this festive holiday properly.

We started off the evening at El Camino Super Cocina in Little Italy where we…

Had our picture taken with a Zonkey! (though I think he was really a pony so that would make him more of a Zoney I suppose). Nonetheless he was super cute and I felt like this definitely qualified as proper Cinco de Mayo festiveness.

Unfortunately, El Camino was way too packed to sit for a proper meal, which was sad because their food is amazing!! Last time I was there their nightly special was baked chile relleno, yes it was baked not fried and not breaded meaning completely gluten free and very much swoon worthy as far as deliciousness goes.

Before heading out we squeezed our way to the bar for a celebratory toast with tequila served in itty bitty boot glasses (so cute!)

Even though we were sad to not be eating at El Camino we were not that sad because instead we got to go to my favorite pizza place in San Diego.

Pizza Fusion

Gluten free crust topped with tri color peppers, mozzarella and the most delicious pepperonis I have ever tasted. I could not have picked a better meal for Cinco de Mayo or any night of the week for that matter.

They also just happened to have a new gluten free cider on the menu.

Fox Barrel Black Currant Cider. Now I am not typically a huge beer or cider gal but this stuff may have just chanced that. The flavor of the currant really comes out in the most perfect subtlety sweet not at all bitter way, I think I have a new favorite beverage to pair with pizza!

We may not have stuck to the typical Cinco de Mayo theme as far as celebrating goes but I must say I think we did it up just right.

365 Delicious Days

When the clock struck midnight on January 1, I like many others clinked my glass of champagne and exchanged x’s and o’s with a handful of my nearest and dearest friends in celebration of the New Year. Like many of our gatherings the occasion was a delicious one, there were fruit, veggies, salami, gluten free crackers and cheese (one amazing cheese in particular was a blueberry stilton that I found at Barons Marketplace that tasted like a cheesy blueberry muffin!)

Kate chopped the veggies, Mark grilled veggie burgers and sausages, and I whipped up a pot of mulled wine and a pitcher of sangria.

Mitch was kind enough to bring all the provisions needed to mix up his now famous cosmopolitans

I am typically not too keen on cosmos but these tasted like candy!

Friends, food and fun, I could not have imagined a better way to end one fabulous year and kick start another.

There was also another joyous occasion to toast at midnight this year because January 1, 2009 was not only the birthday of a new year but also the 1^st birthday of my blog! One year ago today Mari Made was born, her first few posts were not specifically focused on food but of course food managed to make its way into each post and eventually took over as the sole focus of the content. Writing the blog has brought so many wonderful changes to my life. My passion for cooking, traveling, writing, and gluten free baking has turned from a part time hobby to a full time passion and blossoming career. It has also given me an opportunity to befriend and get to know so many creative, intelligent, and fabulous new foodie friends. I cannot put into words how much I have enjoyed where this year has taken me. From cooking up new recipes for the blog and sharing delicious gluten free discoveries to baking for my dear Mari Made customers and sharing baked treats at events, I have loved each and every sweet moment and am looking forward to all the delicious adventures yet to come in 2009.

In celebration of the day I decided to bake a sweet birthday breakfast treat using a fruit that has been the star of many Mari made recipes this year.

Bloggy Birthday Banana Bread

Makes one loaf

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour

¼ cup potato starch

¼ cup tapioca flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon xanath gum

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 whole egg and 1 egg white

1 cup mashed banana

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup oil

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized bowl sift together the flours. Add to this the baking powder, baking soda, xanath gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt then stir until combined.

In a large bowl slightly beat the eggs and then add to this the oil, sugar, and mashed banana.

Mashed banana is an ingredient I often make use of so naturally I have become quite experienced with several different banana mashing methods. Forks and mashers work fabulously as do food processers but there is one method in particular that I have become quite fond of and so I thought I might, on this festive birthday occasion share my favorite banana mashing method.

Using a riper banana makes the mashing process much easier and limits the likelihood that the banana will spring a leak before its adequately mashed. If you manage to mash the banana fully without rupturing it use a knife to cut off the top and then squeeze the banana goo into your measuring cup.

Stir the wet ingredients until fully combined and then add to them the flour mixture and walnuts then stir just until moistened. Pour this into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm with a little bit of earth balance or butter.

Delicious!!

Mari Christmas

Each and every year, without fail, the last two weeks of December fly by like a whirlwind of festivity. Days and nights packed to the brim with family, friends, wrapping paper, dinner parties, tree trimming, and sweet treats. This year was no exception, there were gatherings with family and a darling new baby cousin to be cuddled, visits with dear friends from near and far where delicious food, beverages, and hugs were shared.  There were holiday lights to look at, festive tunes to listen to, and old movies to be watched (some like Rudolph, Christmas Story, and Christmas Vacation for the 100^th time). There was baking to be done, and not just for family and friends this year but for all of my lovely Mari Made customers, and there were holiday meals to be planned. The first meal was a Christmas Eve dinner with Mom and family, which was to be completely gluten free!

Green Bean Casserole

Made by Aunt Leah

Recipe coming soon!

 

Roasted Root Veggies

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

5 skinny yams

5 beets

4 or 5 parsnips

½ cup honey

¼ cup olive oil

5 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 and then peel and slice all the root veggies to ½ inch thickness. Toss the veggies in a large bowl with the oil, honey, thyme, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour the veggies onto one large rimmed baking sheet or two medium ones, whatever it takes to have the veggies in a single layer. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes, or until the veggies are fork tender (halfway thru cook time give the veggies a stir to make sure they are not sticking). Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the veggies crisp up just slightly on top.

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 gloves of garlic, minced

½ cup pecans, chopped

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl toss together the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, pecans, nutmeg, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour the sprouts onto a large baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.

 

Sweet Root Beer Carrots

Serves 8

Ingredients

½ cup water

12 oz bottle of gluten free root beer

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon clove

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 pounds baby carrots

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preparation

In a large saucepan bring the water, root beer, sugar, spices, and salt to a boil. Add the carrots to the pot and let simmer covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer carrots, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until fork tender. Place the carrots and some of the sweet liquid into a serving dish and sprinkle with thyme.

 

Nutty Stuffed Chicken

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, cut in two and flattened

1 bag fresh prewashed spinach

1 cup feta cheese

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2  or 3 eggs

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 375.  In a large dish or wide bowl combine the chopped nuts, salt and pepper and set aside.  Crack the eggs into another wide dish, mix and set aside as well (start with 2 eggs, if you find you are running out of egg during the assembly process you can add the third). Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper until flat, about ¼ inch thick. Once the chicken breasts are all flattened you are ready to assemble the stuffed chicken. Start by laying out one of the chicken pieces and placing about a tablespoon full of feta and 5 or 6 spinach leaves scrunched up in the middle. Wrap the chicken around the stuffing tucking the ends under and then using a pastry brush paint the chicken with the egg wash. Once coated with egg dip the chicken in the nuts and press the chopped nuts into the chicken until coated.   Place the chicken onto a rimmed baking pan and repeat process until all the chicken is stuffed.  Bake chicken for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.

 

Pecan Pie

Makes one delicious 9 inch pie

 

Crust Ingredients

¾ cup brown rice flour

¼ cup Potato Starch

1/8 cup Tapioca Starch

¾ teaspoon xanath gum

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons cold orange juice

Filling Ingredients

2 eggs

2 ½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped

½ cup sweetened flake coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup gluten free semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

First off preheat your oven to 375.

In a food processor or mixer combine flour, xanath gum, salt, and sugar and mix until combined.  Add the butter and pulse or mix until crumbly. Add the eggs and then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the chilled orange juice and pulse or mix until the dough comes together. Add a second tablespoon of orange juice if needed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, form into a disc shape, and pop in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes.

Once chilled, roll dough out between two sheets of wax or parchment paper until wide enough to cover a 9 inch pie pan. Transfer to the pan, crimp edges, prick all over with a fork, and then pop in the oven to pre bake for 5 minutes.

While the crust is baking you can prepare the filling.

In a large bowl beat the eggs and then add to them the vanilla, chopped nuts, and coconut flakes, stir till combined, and then set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat and mix until the butter is melted. Add the sugar mix to the egg, coconut nut mixture and stir just until combined.

Once the pie crust is prebaked sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the bottom of the crust. Pour the pie filling atop that and then pop back in the oven to bake until done, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

The dinner was delicious! Even the non GF diners were pleased.  

My personal favorites were the flavorful root veggies and the sweet chocolaty pie of course!

After a few more hours of catching up with family, exchanging gifts, watching holiday films, and having marshmallow gun fights it was off to bed for sugar plum dreams and a peaceful nights sleep.

The next day after a breakfast of banana oatmeal and taking a family photo in the yard with Mom and the brand new Red Ryder BB Gun Santa brought her 

 

Chris and I headed up to Irvine for Christmas day dinner with Dad. Dad had gotten a ham and made a green bean casserole. While I chopped veggies for a salad and whipped up a batch of mashed sweet and russet potatoes.

I did not write down the specific measurements but here is an approximation of the recipe.

Yummy Mashed Sweetie Potatoes

You can use all sweet potatoes if you like or substitute yams for the russets, we just happened to have these particular potatoes on hand so this is what we used and the combination turned out scrumptious!

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes

3 russet potatoes

¼ cup vanilla soy milk

1 or 2 pats of butter

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain water from the pan and mash with a masher or squish through a potato ricer. Add the soymilk, butter, and cinnamon and mash until smooth. Add more milk or butter if you like and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

We enjoyed our dinner with a delicious cab that I had given Dad for Christmas last year. 

 

The remainder of the evening was spent catching up and chatting about a snowy Christmas adventure to Lake Arrowhead that the three of us would be departing for in less than 24 hours.  

December 26^th we awoke to a sunshiny Southern California day, packed up our things and headed east, past Riverside, up a tall mountain and windy road until the palm trees turned to pine and the green grass to rolling hills of white. 

When we arrived at the cabin and I first stepped out of the car I was welcomed with a rush of brisk 34 degree air and a super slippery walkway of white frozen snow that blanketed the ground.

Once we got settled into the cute cabin Chris and Dad shoveled part of the 3+ feet of snow from our deck so we could have a bit of a view while I immediately went to figure out how to turn on the heater in the cabin.

After exploring the house and warming up a bit we bundled up and headed out into the snow to check out the town where we found...

Ducks

Soda machines

Shopping carts

And a Coach store!

After wandering in the cold for a while we decided to head over to the Lake Arrowhead Resort to thaw out a little and take a peek at some of the old pictures of Hollywood stars and starlets from the past that had visited the lake while shooting films like Heidi, Your Never Too Young, and Parent Trap .We also sat a while at the bar and enjoyed some warm beverages. Chris had an Irish coffee, Dad had a scotch, and I had a Keokie coffee.

After finishing our toasty drinks we headed back to the cabin and got started on dinner for the night. Chris made pollo asado and I made black beans and corn with hot sauce.

 

Dinner was delicious and helped warm us up on the chilly winter night. With each passing hour the temperature continued to drop so we gathered some wood for a fire and decided to make some hot beverages to warm our hands and bellies with. The only thing better on a cold winter night than hot tea or cocoa is hot mulled wine so Chris mixed up a pot of it with a bottle of cab, cup of sugar, 2 cups of water, and whole spices (cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and orange rind). 

We sipped our wine, took in the heat of the fire, and admired the glistening snow outside till our eyelids were too heavy to stay awake any longer.

The next morning we awoke to find it was another brisk day out.

 

Most of the snow had frozen completely over night so the guys went out to shovel us a sledding trail in the front driveway while I prepared breakfast.

 

French Toast with Blueberry Sauce

Vegan and Gluten Free

 

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups vanilla soy milk

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 loaf of gluten free bread, cut into thick slices (about 1 inch thick)

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

Mash up the bananas in a deep rimed dish large enough to hold all the pieces of bread. Add to this the vanilla, soy milk, and cinnamon and mix until combined.

Place the slices of bread into the mixture and let soak for 2 or 3 minutes, flip and let soak for another 2 or 3 minutes.

 

Heat a lightly greased pan over medium heat until hot and then cook the soaked toasts on each side until golden brown on each side. Be careful not to burn the toasts or let them stick too much to the pan.

While the toasts are cooking put the blueberries in a pan with the water and sugar and cook over medium heat until all the berries pop and meld together to form a lumpy sauce.

Top the toasts with the blueberry sauce and enjoy!

The remainder of our day and trip consisted of sledding.

   

And playing old games like Clue while finishing off the mulled wine.  It was an adventurous, delicious, and relaxing weekend that fulfilled my white Christmas craving and left me feeling very appreciative of the sunny southern California winter weather we had waiting for us back home. 

Silk Nog Saves the Day

This morning I awoke to the sound of rain pitter pattering on the roof, at last some proper winter weather here in San Diego! To celebrate the stormy day I decided to make a winter weather breakfast favorite, banana oatmeal. I measured the oats, toasted the walnuts, sliced up a banana, gathered a few spices and went to the fridge to get the vanilla soy milk only to find that gasp! There was none to be found!! Oats without milk would just not be the same! I searched and searched thinking there must be some hidden in the back somewhere but alas there was none. What we did have though was a full carton of delicious silk nog and with that a delicious new oatmeal creation was born.

 

Happy Holiday Oats

Serves one

Ingredients

 1 cup silk nog

½ cup oats

½ teaspoon vanilla

a dash of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove

1 small banana, sliced

 

Topping Ingredients

a sprinkle of brown sugar

1 tablespoon walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

a splash more of silk nog

Preparation

Combine silk nog and oats in a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat until bubbly then lower heat to a light simmer. Add to this the vanilla and spices then stir to combine, let simmer a minute or two and then add the sliced bananas. Let this cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed into the oats.

Once the oats are done pour them into a bowl and top with all of the scrumptious toppings.

Now put on some festive tunes or your favorite holiday film (I highly recommend Elf or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer), sit by the fire and enjoy your delicious bowl of holiday goodness.

Tis the Season

The air is finally cool and crisp enough that wearing a scarf and mittens does not seem out of place (even in San Diego), little lights on strings line the houses around the neighborhood, the stores are all bustling and playing festive tunes, and houses are more often than not filled with the lovely scent of pine and home baked goodies. There are so many things that I love about this time of year, from gatherings with loved ones and friends to the hours spent in the kitchen cooking up delicious holiday goodies, I must admit I am completely smitten with the month of December.  Whether you are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, or none of the above the holidays are a most delicious time of year for everyone. 

So, just incase you are having a hard time getting into the spirit of things and need a little help finding your holiday cheer here are a few of my favorite festive things.

Eggnog Sans Egg

Now I like to consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, old smelly cheese, delish! Banana curry, yes please! Sea urchin, bring it on! But there is one thing that still after 29 years makes my stomach churn,

eggs.

It’s not for a lack of trying, once a year I make an effort to try eggs in a new way to see if I have had a change of heart. Scrambled with cheese, tomato and basil, egg white omelets with cinnamon and vanilla, quiche with spinach and feta all sound like they would be so scrumptious but alas that eggy flavor still shines through.  So of course drinking a beverage that has egg as its namesake is not normally on my list of delicious holiday activities. Leave it to my favorite soymilk producer to come up with a most delicious alternative for all of the vegans and egg loathers such as myself out there.

All the delicious flavor of eggnog without the egg yolks or moo juice! It has been years since I have had real eggnog but as I recall it was rather thick, silk nog however has a consistency more like regular silk which in my opinion is much more palatable. The only thing better than a glass of silk nog, is a glass of silk nog with dark rum and nutmeg enjoyed in front of the Christmas tree.

 

Advent Calendars

As if counting down the days till Christmas was not exciting enough on its own. Add to that anticipation the joy of starting every day of the month with a delicious bit of chocolate, a month can’t get much better than that! Since I was a little girl almost every December I have enjoyed an advent calendar, some made lovingly by hand and others bought in the store. This year I was overjoyed to find my advent calendar at Trader Joes.

Cute pictures spotted with little cardboard cutout windows filled with candy, just as I remembered them only with one extra special difference.

Yet another reason to love Trader Joes!

 

Holiday Parties

Whether with work colleges, family, neighbors, or friends the holidays are a perfect excuse to share food, wine, and stories with all those lovely people in your life that you don’t see nearly enough of.  I love all types of holiday parties, from formal dinner parties with all the fixins to silly theme parties, any excuse to dress up and spend time with the people I care about sounds like a perfectly peachy way to spend an evening to me!

Christmas Lights

Its funny how something as simple as little twinkly lights on a string can bring such joy. As soon as lights appear on the first house on our block my heart skips a beat and I immediately want to run home light a fire and start watching holiday movies or listen to Christmas music and make a hot cup of peppermint cocoa.

Pictures with Santa

For years every holiday season parents have dressed their kids in their Sunday best and headed off to town centers and malls across the country to wait in lines tended to by cute little elves just so their little bundle of joy can have a few minutes on the lap that jolly old man dressed in red and white.  The annual picture with Santa has become a tradition for many families throughout the years.  I myself had a few when I was a little tyke and then many years later as an adult I realized that a cute holiday photo with Santa need not be reserved for the 10 and under crowd.

Cookies

As lover of all things delicious for me nothing says Christmas quite like baking cookies.  Rolled into balls and dipped in powdered sugar, coated with chocolate and bits of peppermint, or cut into festive shapes and sprinkled with colorful sprinkles. Christmas time would not be complete without making a batch or two or three and sharing them with all the cookie lovers in your life.  For all of you gluten free cookie lovers out there here is a scrumptious sugar cookie recipe from me to you!

Sugar Cookies

Makes between 20 and 30 cookies depending on how big or small you make them

 

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup brown rice flour

½ cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup sweet rice flour

1 teaspoon xanath gum

1½  teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Optional Additional Ingredients

Sprinkles and red hots for decorating

A few drops of food coloring (for colored cookies)

1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring (for a slight lemon flavor)

A sprinkle of cinnamon (for a bit of spice)

 

Preparation

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add to that the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

In a medium sized bowl sift together the flours using a sifter, fine meshed sieve, or whisk. Add to that the xanath gum, baking powder and salt and mix to combine.

With the mixer on low speed slowly add the dry ingredients one cup at a time until a smooth dough is formed.

Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Once the dough is adequately chilled and you are ready to bake cookies pre heat your oven to 375 and lightly grease a cookie sheet or cover with a silpat. After the dough has sat a room temperature for a few minutes place it between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it out to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness. 

Use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes, decorate, and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown in color.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack until completely cool before serving. If you can’t resist eating one while they are still hot handle with care because they will be a little fragile until they are cool.

Happy Holidays!! 

xoxo Rachel Marie 

Thanksgiving in a Burger

Every year around this time when the evenings start to cool down and the holiday season begins sneaking up I start to day dream about a number of delicious dishes. Stuffed acorn squash, hearty Italian soups, rich and gooey mac and cheese and everything slow roasted. Another dish in particular that for me is just the epitome of fall and a family favorite are thanksgiving turkey burgers. All the deliciousness of thanksgiving dinner wrapped up in a burger served alongside a scrumptious sweet potato side dish. Quick and easy enough for a casual dinner but also delicious enough to serve at any occasion. Last year we were out of town for thanksgiving in Pismo Beach and my family ordered a premade and gluten laden dinner from Coco’s so I bought all the fixins for my burgers and whipped up my very own gluten free feast.



I originally found a recipe for the burgers a few years ago in a Rachel Ray magazine and have altered and tweaked it each time I make them to the point now where I don’t even use a recipe anymore and just add veggies, spices and herbs till it smells and looks delicious. I like my burgers super flavorful and with a bit of spice but by all means adjust the seasoning to your particular taste.

Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers
Serves 4



Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey, extra lean or lean
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 apple, finely chopped (McIntosh work well in this recipe)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter or earth balance
3 or 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon or so of chili powder (optional if you like it spicy)
A handful of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
olive oil
1 can or jar of cranberry sauce (whichever you like, I prefer whole berry)
8 slices of bread, toasted (When I don’t have fresh bread I use Glutino flax seed bread which has a hearty flavor that works well with these burgers)

Turkey Burger Preparation

After you have chopped all your veggies and gathered your spices grab a large rimed pan and over medium heat melt your butter or earth balance. Once melted add to this your celery, apple, onion, poultry seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook until onions and apples have softened up a bit, about 5 or 6 minutes then transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool.



Once the mixture is no longer hot (room temperature is fine) you are ready to assemble the burgers. Combine the turkey, pre cooked mixture and flat leaf parsley using your hands to combine.



At this point if you like a spicier burger (like me!) you can add more poultry seasoning and or chili powder. Once you have spiced your burgers to your liking you can form them into four burger shaped patties.

Heat your large skillet over medium high heat, lightly greasing the pan with olive oil. Cook the burgers on each side till they start to lightly brown a bit, about 5 or 6 minutes per side. If you notice they are browning too fast then lower your heat to medium and cook until burgers are done and have turned a golden brown color on both sides.

Putting it all together

When burgers are done top them with a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce and sandwich them between two slices of toasted bread.

Ingredients for Baked Sweet Potato Fries

3 or 4 sweet potatoes or yams (the orange ones), peeled and cut into ¼ inch rounds or fry shaped sticks
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
olive oil

Preparation

Grab a large baking sheet and line it with a silpat or parchment paper. In a large bowl combine your sweet potato pieces with a drizzle of olive oil and using your hands toss them to make sure they are all lightly coated. Next lightly dust the potato bits with the cinnamon sugar mixture, tossing again to make sure they are all are coated a bit with the delicious mixture.

Arrange the potato pieces on your lined baking sheet in a single layer then pop them in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed flip the potatoes and then cook for another 15 minutes. Take the potatoes out and poke them with a fork, if they are still hard cook at 5 minute increments until a fork can easily pierce them.

Once the potato pieces are fork soft and slightly golden turn your oven to broil and cook the potatoes until they start to get light brown spots on them (not too many dark brown or black spots unless you like your fries charred!). Flip the potatoes and brown the other side then transfer them to a serving dish.

Time saving tips for preparing this meal

Before you start the burgers preheat your oven to 400 for the fries.

Chop up the sweet potato while you are chopping the other veggies for the burgers.

While the apple, onion, celery mixture is cooling prepare the sweet potato fries and pop them in the oven to start cooking that way by the time you finish cooking the burgers they will be ready.

Toast the bread and put the cranberry sauce in a dish while your turkey burgers are cooking.

Tickling the economy

In effort to squeeze as much fun as possible into my three day weekend I awoke at the early hour of 7:30am, did a bit of yoga and then headed for the coast. As usual I was running early for my 9am breakfast date with my Dad and brother so I stopped in at one of my old favorite sea side lunch spots, The Naked Café in Solana Beach. Since I was last there they have put up some pretty new art on the walls and replaced the rickety old metals chairs and tables with swanky new ones that are much more fitting with their decor. I was going to check the menu to see if there had been any changes or additions there but I got sidetracked in conversation with another woman waiting for her takeout order about our mutual love of vintage dresses. As always the café was super busy but still found a moment to make me my favorite drink, a Yerba Matte Latte. From there I took a walk down to Fletcher Cove to sip my tea and dip my toes in the water and then headed back to the car for a short drive North along the 101 to Swamis Café in Cardiff. I arrived to find my Dad was already there and had grabbed us a table for three on the patio. We sat and chatted for about 30 minutes about our 4th of July festivities and then decided to give Chris a ring to see if he needed a wake up call, which he did and he suggested we order our food since he was still in PB and would not be there for another half hour. Dad ordered a veggie, bacon omelet with toast and I had my usual, the Acai Berry Bowl.

A thick, icy, and sweet acai smoothie poured into a bowl and topped with berries, bananas, shredded coconut, granola, and bee pollen. I am not 100% certain that the granola is gluten free as there are commonly cross contamination issues due to processing of oats but they give you such a small amount of granola and personally I have never felt sick from eating this delicious breakfast treat. If you are exceptionally sensitive you could always ask for the acai bowl sans granola just to be safe (the fruit and smoothie are really the best part anyhow). My smoothie bowl accompanied by a second cup of yerba matte tea and the lovely company of my pop was a most splendid way to start off my Saturday. Eventually Chris joined us and we all sat and chatted for a while sipping warm beverages and enjoying the fresh coastal breeze.

After our leisurely breakfast and a few hugs we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Dad to grandpa’s house to check on Cooper, Chris to scope out the surf, and I headed to Mira Mesa to meet up with my dear friend and favorite shopping companion, Natalie. Since it was 4th of July weekend we decided to support America and do our part to stimulate the economy with an afternoon of shopping. We started off at University Town Center in La Jolla and then headed south (way south) to the last U.S exit which leads to our favorite outlet center, Las Americas. As usual we were not disappointed, half off sales galore (even Coach!) and the crowds were not nearly as bad as they are during the morning after thanksgiving midnight sale (crowded yes, but shopping at 2am, drinking peppermint mochas and listening to Christmas music, so much fun!! Its only July and I am already getting excited for it!). After a full day of shopping we had worked up quite a hunger so we headed north to North Park for an early dinner at the Linkery. I had a glass of the Chucker Bordeaux blend that I was still swooning for from my visit to the Link a few weeks ago. They also had one of my favorite links on the menu, chicken apple so of course I had to order one of those. For my main entrée I decided to try something new and ordered the delicious sounding veggie tamal, typically they are gluten free but I inquired about the ingredients just to be sure and was pleased as the peach vinaigrette on the salad the tamal comes served with to report that it is. Sadly, though a few minutes after I ordered the waitress came to tell me that the tamals were not ready just yet so I would have to wait to try it another day. Being the sweeties that they are the lovely Link staff brought Natalie and I salads on the house to compensate for not having the tamals. As often as I have eaten salads at the Link I have never tried their House Salad because their Market Salads always sound too enticing. I am almost glad that they did not have the tamal because otherwise I might not have ever tried the house salad which is delicious!!

Dark leafy greens, shredded carrots, crisp cucumbers and juicy red slices of beet (my favorite!!). Drizzled with a light vinaigrette dressing it was the perfect starter for a summer dinner. For my main I decided on the Picnic Plate which came with red potato salad, green apple slaw and some slices of rich Winchester Gouda (my favorite local cheese).

Truth be told I am normally not a fan of potato salad or coleslaw, the thought of anything swimming in a creamy mayo sauce makes me cringe. But I have yet to try something at the Link that I did not like so the first time I ordered a picnic plate (many moons ago) I decided to give their picnicy sides a shot and of course they were both delish and on this particular visit I happily found they were just as tasty as my picnic plates past. The chicken apple sausage was scrumptious as well, sweet and cinnamony and delicious when accompanied by a bite of the creamy gouda. There was also a little cup of spicy wasabi mustard on the plate that was particularly delicious paired with the potato salad and made my nose tingle with every bite (my favorite thing about wasabi consumption). Another fabulous visit at the Link, I will have to go back soon and try the tamal. I was also thinking about asking Jay if he thought he might have a need for any gluten free goodies on the menu since they are so keen on working with local producers. Possibly a gluten free dessert or bread option, not sure if there is even a demand for it there or not. One of these days I will work up the guts to ask them about it, perhaps after a glass or two of Chucker I will feel more inclined.

Spirit of the Fourth

Since the year 2000 I have inadvertedly developed a 4th of July tradition, one that either involved getting up exceptionally early or staying up extraordinarily late and always lasted for at the very least 8 ½ hectic hours. Like many holidays for the past seven years I have spent our nations Independence Day managing massive crowds, counting piles of dirty money, sassing (err…I mean helping) angry customers, and generally working my bootie off at the movie theater. Out of habit this year I very much intended to spend the 4th doing the same that I had all those years past but after 2 weeks in a row of working 12 hour days with one day off a week in a hiring frenzy I had a revelation.

I really did not need to work on the 4th of July this year

It would be nearly impossible for me to get any of the hiring work I needed to do done when it was going to be so busy and there was enough management staff to cover the regular need of the theater and most importantly it would be a waste of resources to work myself into exhaustion considering I had another super busy week of hiring fun ahead of me come Monday.

So in celebration of my first 4th of July off in forever I decided to take Saturday and Sunday off as well and have a fun, family, and food filled, completely work free three day weekend. It was unbelievably awesome and reminded me of how much fun free time can be.

Like any good weekend in my book this one started off with a delicious meal. One that was inspired by a recipe found in Bon Appetit and breakfast treat I recently had for the first time in forever during my last trip to Santa Barbara. I tweaked the original recipe to eliminate the gluten, reduce the sugar, lower the fat, and make it vegan since I am not a fan of eggs.

Vegan Citrus French Toast with boozy berry sauce

Ingredients for the berry sauce

¾ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with a splash of water to form a thin paste
5 cups of berries, fresh or frozen and thawed (I used a combination of both: fresh blackberries and raspberries and frozen blueberries)

Ingredients for the toast

2 cups vanilla soy milk
1 cup orange juice
2 mashed bananas, preferably ones that are on their last leg and covered with brown spots
2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A few thick slices of gluten free bread (or thin ones if that’s all you have)

Making the berry good sauce

Add the orange juice, sugar, and rum to a medium sized sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Add the cornstarch and water mix to the pot and stir constantly until the liquid thickens. Add your berries, reduce heat a smidge, and stir to combine. Let the berry mixture bubble a couple of minutes just until the larger berries start to break down slightly. Remove the berry sauce from the heat and set aside while you prepare the toast.

Making the toasts

Preheat your oven on its lowest setting (mine is 175) so you will have a warm place to keep the toasts while you finish cooking all the batches. First off you want to mash your bananas, to do this I typically like to gently squish the banana while its still inside its peel, be careful when doing this that you don’t squish the banana too hard and cause a tear in the peel which would cause all of the banana guts to leak out before it has adequately been mashed. Once you are done with your squishing give the banana a good squeeze and let all of the mushy banana goodness seep out of the banana into a rimed baking dish large enough to hold most of your bread slices. Using a fork or potato masher squish any large bits of banana that the “in peel” mashing method might have missed. To the mashed banana you can now add your soy milk, orange juice, liqueur of choice, and vanilla. Whisk all the ingredients together until combined. To this lovely liquid add your bread slices, turning to fully coat both sides of the bread, and let the bread sit in the mixture until you are ready to cook.

If you happen to be using a thinner slice of bread a quick dip in the liquid will suffice. With the thicker slices though letting them sit a bit gives the bread ample time to soak up all of the delicious batter. Heat a couple large skillets over medium heat and once hot spray with cooking spray of your choice to prevent any sticking. Add the soaked bread to the skillets and cook until browned on both sides, put finished toasts on a pan and keep them warm in the oven until all the bread has been toasted.

To serve

Arrange toasts on plates and top with a generous portion of the berry sauce. If you want things a little sweeter you can sprinkle with powdered sugar or a drizzle of agave nectar.

To complement our toast I also made some Applegate Farms turkey bacon. The toast was scrumptious and the berry sauce turned out perfectly, sweet and slightly lumpy with the faintest hint of rich rum flavor.

After cleaning up the kitchen we got ready for a 4th of July bike ride. We checked the chains for tangles, tires for air, and paused for an ever important pre ride picture in the yard...

and then we were ready to ride and headed off in the 100 degree heat for Web Park.

When we were youngins every year the fam would go to Web Park where they always had a huge festive fair with food, games, vendors, performances and all sorts of 4th of July festivity (my mom said they even had a beer garden!). We arrived at the park to find that the previously bustling event had fizzled out over the past 8 years and was about 1/6 the size that it used to be and consisted mostly of people trying to get you to donate money or sign petitions, republicans with a giant cardboard cutout of Arnold, and a make shift stage with kids singing what sounded like karaoke but might have actually been planned performances. The sight of the sad event sunk our spirits and standing around in the heat was not making us feel any better so after capturing the moment with another precious family photo…

we decided to cheer ourselves up and cool down by heading to the Golden Spoon for some delicious frozen yogurt. I had peanut butter cup and cookies in cream (which actually does not contain any cookies, yay!) and it was delicious. So delicious in fact that I forgot to take a picture (as often happens when I am excited to eat something) but you know what frozen yogurt looks like, a swirly tower of creamy chilly goodness. It did the trick alright, just look at these before and after pictures taken with my brothers spiffy new super sharp camera.

Before frozen yogurt…hot, sweaty, and overheated outdoors at a lackluster fair.

After, cool, calm, and content in an air conditioned shop with a belly full of delicious frozen yogurt.

Happily almost all of the flavors at Golden Spoon are gluten free, the only ones that you need to steer clear of are any of the malt flavors. My personal favorites are the pistachio, peanut butter cup, cake batter, and coconut.

After we finished our yogurt we rode home along the parade route and waved to the people that were sitting along side the road waiting for the parade to start.

Back at home after resting a spell while watching PCU we found that we still had a bit of time to kill before beginning our prep for dinner and I am no good at staying still for too long so we decided to head back out into the heat and go for a hike at the newly reopened Blue Sky Ranch. Most of the huge trees were still standing but the leaves, small branches and dense foliage that previously filled the gaps between the trees had all burned away leaving a canopy of black twisted tree twigs and trunks. In the past the plants that lined the path were so dense that you could not see through them on either side and the only way to view the interior clearing that spanned under the canopy was to take the sub path that took you down under the tall trees.

The fire completely wiped out all the dense vegetation and made it so as you hiked you could now see completely through the branches along the path to the other side. After having spent many years hiking here as a kid and adult it was quite a sight to see it now in this way. The smell of the fire was still pretty noticeable and the heat amplified it even more so. We hiked down to where the path splits between the Lake Poway and Mt.Woodson trails where we rested for a minute and then began the trek back. After all the hot outdoor activity we were all feeling overheated, sweaty, dehydrated, and quite hungry so we headed back home to clean up and begin preparing dinner.

Like most of our holiday celebrations our 4th of July dinner was an array of delicious dishes. There were two racks of slow roasted pork ribs one that was rubbed with brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper and then doused in a bbq sauce that my mom made and another seasoned by me. Even though I am not much of a fan of ribs I tried my hand at making a rub of brown sugar, Cajun seasoning, hot paprika, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. The rub mixture sure smelled yummy and it was fun to massage all the different delicious seasonings into the meat.

We also had hamburgers which mom stamped with the Virgin Mary toast stamp I got her for Christmas.

Grilled asparagus and yellow and white peaches.

My favorite yam fries which we cut into thick slices, par baked in the microwave for a few minutes, sprinkled with brown sugar, cinnamon and a smidge of earth balance, and then grilled outside until they were browned on all sides. And of course what 4th of July feast would be complete without grilled sweet corn on the cob served with butter, hot sauce, lemon, and salt.

Last but not least I made a yummy chicken dish that was inspired again by my most recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine.

Nutty crusted mustard chicken with berry sauce

Wet chicken dip ingredients

1/3 cup honey mustard
¼ cup veganaise (or real mayo if you are into that sorta thing)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Dry chicken dip ingredients

1 cup toasted and chopped hazelnuts
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs, (I used the leftover crusts and stale bread from sandwich week)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

Other ingredients

3 or 4 chicken breasts
non stick cooking spray or light olive oil
Berry sauce leftover from breakfast

Preparing the chicken dips

First preheat your oven to 375.

After you have toasted and chopped the nuts and crumbled your bread combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with the sea salt and pepper, give a good stir, and set aside.

To make the wet dip combine all of the wet dip ingredients and mix until all the different ingredients are well blended and then add to this your chicken breasts, using your hands to coat the chicken with the wet dip completely.

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and spray with cooking spray or add a light coat of olive oil to prevent sticking. While pan is heating dip your first piece of chicken in the dry dip, use your hands to make sure the chicken gets fully coated with the bread nut mixture. When the pan is hot gently add your chicken to it, repeat process until all the chicken breasts are sizzling in the pans. Chicken will cook about 4 or 5 minutes on each side. Be careful when you flip the chicken not to knock off too much of the coating.

Once the chicken is cooked on both sides transfer to a rimed baking pan and cook until cooked throughout, about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your breasts.

Serve the chicken topped with the berry sauce from breakfast, equally delish on this would be the black berry sauce recipe from waffle day.

At dinner I tried a little of everything except for the hamburgers. I even tried a bit of the pork ribs, the flavor from the spicy rub was quite good but the meat was a little too fatty for my taste. The chicken turned out scrumptious! The toasted nuts added a really hearty flavor and the pan fried bread crumbs provided a nice crunch. The mustard, veganaise and mint added just enough tang to tickle the tongue and the sweet berry concoction added a delightful fruity twist that reminded me of thanksgiving turkey with cranberry. The yam fries as always were delish and cooking them on the grill was such fun. The hot grilled peaches were scrumptious too! I think these would have been delish served with some vanilla bean ice cream or drizzled with honey and cream but not this time, we had more than enough food already.

After dinner we sat around and relaxed and soon the sun began to set and we realized if we wanted to watch fireworks we had better get moving. We grabbed the bikes and a couple of helmets (to protect our heads from those crazy 4th of July drivers) and headed out towards my old school Poway High. The ride there was a slow climb up a slight hill the whole way so by the time we arrived at the school I was plum tuckered out. We found a nice patch of grass across the street from the stadium and settled in for the show. The fireworks were great! Sparkly, colorful, and super loud, just how I like them. While everyone else rushed off to their cars after the show to drive home in traffic we enjoyed a quick, traffic free, super speedy, downhill bike ride home.

Back at the house I realized how exhausted I was. All of that delicious food, heat and physical activity had plum tuckered me out and I was ready for bed. Especially since I had to get up bright and early Saturday morning to meet my dad and brother for breakfast at one of my old lunch spots, Swamis Café.