Yummy Year

2008 was such a delicious year!  Each passing month brought scrumptious new gluten free discoveries, new adventures in the kitchen, and new ways to fill my days with deliciousness. At first when I parted ways with the day job I was worried that I might have too much time on my hands. But busy people always find ways to keep busy and in no time flat I was busy as a bee again.

Of course December was full of baking for Mari Made! I finally had time to bake all those cookies, cakes, pies, candies, tarts, and sweet holiday treats I had been wanting to.  December also brought with it a delicious new endeavor in the form of a new part time job. 

The last thing on my mind in December was finding a new job but of course that’s when one managed to find me anyways! I have always believed that everything happens for a reason so when a friend asked me to come in to her work to interview for an accounting job, even though I would rather spend a day at the dentist than 8 hours doing desk work, I decided to go in and check it out.  Obviously, the accounting job was just not for me but it turned out that there was another position available that I was perfectly suited for...

For the past month and a half I have been working at Specialty Produce as a food photographer! Twenty lovely hours a week where I get to play with food, make it look pretty, and then snap and edit pictures of it. I also get to work on other fun design tasks and help out with event planning, blogging and social media. Which next to playing in the kitchen and taking pictures of food are some of my very favorite things to do! I love exploring the warehouse and freezers and learning about all the different fruits, veggies, spices, oils, and cheeses we carry.  I also love the area I work in (between Old Town and Little Italy) and I have been having such fun getting to know all of my wonderful new coworkers!

The new job has also made its way into my kitchen in the form of fresh produce. Every meal I eat now has some sort of fruit or veggie component to it.  One of my favorite things to make as of late has been a colorful mix up of fruits and veggies all bundled up in one of my favorite gluten free starches, corn tortillas.   

Very Veggie Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

Use any combination of veggies you like! Sometimes I like these with just bell peppers and zucchini and other times I go all out and add a little of everything. These are also scrumptious stuffed with spinach, topped with fresh slices of avocado, or sprinkled with a dash of hot sauce like Tapatio.

Ingredients

For the Mango Salsa

Mango, peeled and cut into small squares

1 or ½ teaspoon jalapeño, chopped (add more or less, seeds or no seed depending on how spicy you like it)

About 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of ½ a lime

For the Quesadillas

Onion, chopped into small bits

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

Bell Peppers, cut into 1 inch squares

Zucchini, cut into ½ inch thick slices

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half and de gutted if you like

Mushrooms, sliced

Assorted Mexican seasonings (oregano, chili pepper, cumin)

Salt and pepper

Corn Tortillas

Veggie slices pepper jack cheese

Olive Oil

Preparation

To get started wash and chop up all your veggies.

 

To make the salsa combine the mango, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl and set aside.

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and warm over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add the onions and let simmer until the onions are softened and start to brown up and caramelize a bit, about 5 minutes. Next add to this the garlic, stir around and let sizzle until the garlic and onions are all mingled together.

 Now you can add the peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. Let these cook, stirring occasionally until they are slightly browned. Lastly add the tomatoes, cilantro, and dry spices, stir until combined and then remove from the heat and set aside.

Now its time to assemble the quesadillas. Put a couple tortillas in a large skillet and warm over medium high heat, top one of the tortillas with the cheese and veggies 

Then top with another tortilla. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the quesadilla with olive oil, then flip over. Let it cook a few minutes until the tortilla is browned, spread a bit of olive oil over the other tortilla and then flip and let cook another few minutes or until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese melty.

 

Enjoy with the mango salsa on the side or stuffed in the quesadilla. Top with avocado, hot sauce or any other delicious addition you might like. 

So yummy! Fresh peppers are so flavorful and fun to work with. There are so many tasty things you can do with them, and not just for dinner but lunch and breakfast too!  

Comfort Food

Everyone has their own personal go to foods that they like to eat when they are sick. For me its normally fresh squeezed orange juice, slow cooked homemade chicken gluten free noodle soup (or Pho with extra rooster sauce from a local Vietnamese restaurant), and of course hot tea and honey (sometimes when feeling particularly ill with a spot of whisky). This past weekend I was sick, and sadly far too sick to sit in a restaurant and eat Pho with a bunch of healthy people and way to exhausted to even think about preparing a pot of homemade soup. I wanted something quick and comforting, something that would fill my belly, please my palate and lull me into a long afternoon nap. First thing that came to mind was toast, that would be quick and most definitely easy, but sadly I had no bread. Then my thoughts turned to one of my favorite go to comfort foods, oatmeal but at the moment even that seemed like it would take far too long to prepare. Then my eyes fixated upon an almost past its prime banana sitting on the counter, aside from being cooked up into a delicious bowl of oaty goodness one of my most favorite ways to enjoy a banana is a delicious something I like to call…

Peanut Butter Banana Quesadilla
Serves one

Ingredients

1 Brown rice tortilla (preferably from Trader Joes, theirs are the best!)
1 or 2 tablespoons peanut butter
a swirl of honey
1 small banana, sliced

Preparation

Warm the brown rice tortilla in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once warmed on both sides smother one side of the tortilla with the peanut butter. Add to this a swirl of honey and top one half with the banana slices. Wait a few moments then fold the tortilla over and let it cook on both sides until browned to your preferred taste.

Serve with a glass of chocolate milk (soy, rice, almond, hemp or moocow).

I also had some watermelon with my quesadilla because getting adequate hydration is important when you are feeling under the weather and watermelon is a most delicious way to increase your water intake.

As always the quesadilla was delish and the perfect balance of nourishment and quick comfort food that did indeed lull me into a most restful 2 ½ hour nap.

Quesadilla week continues

Lunch was so delicious the other day that I decided in honor of my most recent scrumptious creation (and in order to use all of the brown rice tortillas before they went stale) that this week would be quesadilla week. On Tuesday I made a repeat of Monday’s delicious original the chicken mango sausage quesadilla with mango and fruity water on the side.



Wednesday I decided to try something new and toped a tortilla with a smeared wedge of Laughing Cow light swiss cheese, a sprinkle of finely ground pistachios, a couple pieces of roasted red pepper, a slice of herbed turkey breast and a few leaves of fresh chopped basil (pre pepper and turkey picture).



This quesadilla was so delicious that I had it again for lunch on Thursday!

After having meat for lunch 4 days in a row on Friday I was ready for a veggie meal (plus it was 103 degrees out and I was no where near in the mood for a heavy meaty meal). I must admit I think today’s quesadilla was the best one yet!

Super yummy veggie quesadilla

Ingredients

1 brown rice tortilla
a couple pieces of roasted red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
a handful of field greens or spinach
½ avocado, mashed
salsa (see recipe below)

Salsa ingredients

½ vine ripe tomato, gutted and chopped into bite sized pieces
¼ teaspoon jalapeño, chopped (seeds and all)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 or 2 squeezes of lime juice
a few cilantro leaves, chopped
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a small dish, adding salt and pepper to your desired taste and set aside.

Top a brown rice tortilla with the cheese and roasted red pepper and heat in a pan, fold over when the cheese starts to melt and let cook until the tortilla is as browned as you like your quesadilla. Remove from the pan, carefully open up the quesadilla and stuff it with the salsa, avocado and leafy greens.



Sooo yummy!!

I also had a tropical fruit salad made with mango, grapes, unsweetened coconut and agave nectar.

I think this would be been delish with pineapple, papaya or banana in the salad but mangos and grapes were all I had.

Quesadilla week was all I dreamed it would be and more! Aside from a pleased palate my hair and skin are soft and shiny from all the healthy fats I have been getting from the avocado, the lycopene in the tomatoes has kept my cells happy and protected from free radicals, and the garlic has been busy shielding me from summer time bug bites.

As delicious as the quesadillas have been I think next week I might have to switch gears and fulfill a familiar lunch time craving that has resurfaced yet again. Keep your eyes peeled and get your tummies ready for next week is going to be all about the delicious, nutritious gluten free sandwich.

missin my kitchen

I know I tend to say this about most meals but I really must say today’s lunch was sooo delicious! It was the first lunch I have prepared since I got back from my fun filled mini break in Santa Barbara. I think I missed playing in the kitchen more than I realized because even after spending all of last night cooking dinner, baking scones and prepping sauces and marinades for the week ahead’s meals I still had enough creative cooking energy in me this afternoon to whip up this incredibly scrumptious lunchtime treat.

Super stuffed quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 brown rice tortilla or 2 corn tortillas (Trader Joes sells brown rice tortilla now! yay!!)
• 1 precooked chicken mango sausage (from Trader Joes), cut into bite sized slices
• cheese (I used 1 slice pepper jack veggie slices and a small sprinkle of cotija)
• ½ avocado
• ½ vine ripened tomato, gutted and diced
• ¼ teaspoon jalapeño, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 squeeze lime juice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine the chopped tomato, jalapeño, garlic and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste.

Mush up the avocado in another bowl and season with salt and lime juice.

Cook your sausage slices in a pan on medium high heat until browned on both sides, set aside.

Heat your tortilla(s) in a big pan, top with cheese and sausage pieces, fold tortilla over and let brown on both sides. Remove the tortilla(s) from the pan and stuff with your spicy tomato mixture and avocado.



Soooo delicious!!

Inspired by a restaurant we ate at in Santa Barbara I yummiefied my water too by adding strawberries and orange slices to it.

As if that was not enough yummyness for one meal there was more! The mangos I bought last night to have with my lunches this week were not ready just yet so I had to search the kitchen for another fruit option to have with my lunch. I found apples, plums, and raspberries in the fridge but none of those seemed fitting for the spicy meal I was preparing. What was it I wanted? I sat down at the kitchen table to think about it and finish writing down some notes on a recipe I had been working on earlier and there it was right in front of me, sitting atop a pile of cookbooks and magazines a beautiful, perfectly ripe, yellow banana. I immediately knew what I wanted to make with it and without delay I grabbed the banana and got to work.

Pan fried banana with vanilla caramel frozen yogurt

Ingredients

1 banana, sliced
¼ teaspoon earth balance
1 tablespoon water
1 or 2 sprinkles of cinnamon
1 scoop of Stonyfield organic low fat creme caramel frozen yogurt



Heat the earth balance in a small pan over medium high heat. Add your banana slices to the pan and cook for 1 minute, then add a tablespoon of water to loosen the bananas from the pan and plump them up a bit. Cook a little longer until the bananas start to brown on one side then flip and cook until the bananas are browned on the other side.

Serve hot bananas atop a scoop of ice cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.



I have a hard time finding the words to describe how unbelievably scrumptious this was but I will try… it was close your eyes and savor each bite while you comment to yourself out loud about how so very yummy it is since you are dining alone delicious! The hot bananas were slightly crunchy on the outside and hot and fluffy on the inside and the combination of the bananas with the sweet, cold, caramely ice cream was just heavenly!

I think this whole meal would be absolutely perfect for a summer dinner, maybe add grilled bell peppers or corn to serve on the side, a couple glasses of sangria and a few friends to share it all with.