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Breakfast
These easy grab-and-go pancake muffins are the perfect breakfast for busy mornings. Prep a big batch at once and enjoy them all week long!
Oatmeal for breakfast is my go-to for meal prep when the thought of eggs isn't eggsactly sitting well with me. One of my favorite things about oatmeal is that it's warm and hearty. It always seems to hit the spot, too. It's versatile and can be combined with so many different toppings - like fruit, nuts, granola, nut butters, and cinnamon. Another bonus: it's easy to cook a lot of oatmeal at once and enjoy it all week long without a lot of extra effort. The recipe below calls for 2-3 servings, so you can simply double the water and oats to make a double batch. To me, oatmeal isn't complete without the addition of raisins, though you can certainly omit them if they aren't your thing. Same goes for the fruit on top. You can use blueberries, sub them for strawberries or whatever your favorite fruit (or other) toppings are, or do without them. I also always add cinnamon - maybe an amount some might think is a little crazy - just before serving for that finishing touch. I also am 100% team #ThickOatmeal, though I know plenty of people enjoy it a little looser than I do. If that's the case, add in a nice splash of your favorite milk while it's still on the stove just before you serve it.
It's pretty crazy just how much Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi has taken over the internet in 2019. Those little pouches of fluffy goodness are so versatile and really are like a blank canvas for any sort of flavors you want to combine them with. Enter: these sweet, decadent Cinnamon Sugar Gnocchi! They are a TREAT! Warm crispy gnocchi, tossed in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. They remind me of a cinnamon sugar donut but "healthier" ... okay maybe that word is a little bit of a stretch, but hey. We all deserve everything in moderation. Are they breakfast? Yes. Are they dessert? Yes. Are they delicious no matter what time of day you eat them? YES. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
Yes, we all know that avocado toast has the reputation of being basic and a food that is totes popular with the millennial generation. I can be pretty basic at times, and I am a millennial, so that explains why I love it so much! On its own, the avocado is a powerhouse little fruit (yes, fruit!). It's packed with lots of nutrients your body needs to keep happy and healthy. I always try to keep a few avocados in our stash, so I can easily incorporate them into my meals - sliced with eggs, smashed on toast, transformed into guac, added to salads or tacos. Above all though, my favorite application for avocado time after time is always smashed on toast. Even better - it can make for a light meal or an easy snack when combined with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. You can dress it up with some tomato slices, or make it into more of a complete meal by adding a drippy egg on top, or serving it alongside scrambled eggs as an alternate to butter on your toast. There are really so many options. Here's one of my favorite avocado tips so you don't constantly slice them open to find them brown all over: Once they begin to feel ripe by gently squeezing the fruit and feeling a tiny amount of give, place them into the fridge and they will last even longer than on your countertop.
Think of Crispy Prosciutto as the best big sister to bacon. When baked just right, it's crispy, salty and seriously heavenly. Don't get me wrong - plain old prosciutto slices on their own or as part of a charcuterie board are what dreams are made of and one of my absolute favorite indulgdences. In the rare event that you bought too much (is this a thing?) or have some leftovers that you won't be able to eat in time for it to be perfectly fresh, it doesn't have to go to waste! I randomly decided to bake up a few slices we had left for breakfast one morning and you could say it was one of the best decisions ever. YUM!
So many of my breakfasts are the most "un-recipe recipes" - meaning, there's nothing special or unique about them, other than I think of different combinations of foods I want to enjoy at the time and put them all on a plate together. Too many mornings, I find myself looking for a unique recipe to whip up, but I have come to realize in my adulthood that all meals don't need to be a huge production. I often get feedback from family and friends that they think the things I make look delicious. While I'm flattered, so many times I think, well, it's so easy to make and it's just something random. These are the recipes that never make it to my blog, but I'm changing my tune and starting to include them here! I hope they inspire you to try different combinations even if they aren't an actual "recipe". This breakfast is simple, albeit delicious. It's colorful, has lots of nutrients and makes me happy knowing this is how I'm kicking off my morning.
I love starting my day with a cup of coffee. Sometimes I crave a freshly brewed hot cup-o-Joe, while other times, all I want is a refreshing ice cold glass of coffee. Regardless of how it's served, you'll find me drinking my coffee black, 98.9% of the time. So for me, the coffee itself has to be good. In the past couple of years, I discovered cold brew coffee - a less acidic, smoother version of coffee than what I was used to. I really loved it and could taste the difference. Cold brew is made by steeping course grounds and water together at room temperature for 12-24 hours, then filtering out the grounds; standard iced coffee is brewed hot, then chilled. Cold brew yields a concentrate that you dilute with either water and/or milk before enjoying. Usually a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water is ideal, though you can play with the proportions if you like it stronger or weaker. When I first attempted making my own cold brew, I steeped everything in a large glass bowl, then poured it from the bowl through a sifter with a filter on top in a new bowl to ensure I just yielded the concentrate. You can imagine just how messy and tedious this process was, and how much of the cold brew made it to the counter instead of my new bowl! For one of my recent birthdays, I was gifted a cold brew maker - essentially just a two part contraption (not an actual machine) that allowed you to steep the coffee up top, then release the lever to filter it out after. Life changing! It's so simple to whip up cold brew at home and has been a hit among any coffee lover I've made it for! This recipe will yield just about enough concentrate to enjoy for about 5-7 days, and will keep in the fridge for about a week as long as it's stored in an airtight container.
My latest food love affair is taco ANYTHING. Through my Instagram network, I always find new brands that I love to try. These Siete almond flour tortillas are grain free and such a delicious alternative to a corn tortilla! I definitely eat grains including corn on occasion, but love keeping a healthier option on hand. We pick them up at Whole Foods, keep them in the fridge and they make the perfect tortilla for just about anything, especially tacos and quesadillas! The other morning I woke up craving a taco, but didn't want actual taco meat (because the thought of that so early in the morning was really unappealing). So I whipped up some scrambled eggs, tossed in some scallions, crisped up some bacon, browned up some shredded potatoes and had one of my favorite hot sauces within reach. Mmmm, mmmmm, MMM!! You'll quickly notice that this is the most un-recipe recipe out there. That's the beauty of it though, in my opinion. You can take breakfast tacos to any level that you can wish. Maybe you choose to toss everything into the taco before you dive in (team hubby), or maybe you prefer to keep them separate and take bites as you go (team Alli). There's no wrong way to eat breakfast tacos.
[Editor's Note: This post was adapted from my old blog website where it all started (hosted on Wordpress) and was originally published in March 2015]. Over the years, my boyfriend and I have fallen in love with this breakfast. It's a perfect plate for sharing (or not!) and is healthy, fun to make and tastes delicious. After a peaceful morning of sleeping in late and getting out of bed whenever we feel like it, this breakfast screams perfection on the weekend. With 10 minutes of prep & 25 minutes max on the stove, my sweet potato & shallot hash is always a favorite. Best of all - it's naturally gluten free! Check out the recipe below!
Lunch
Back in college, my then boyfriend (and now my HUBBY!) introduced me to the idea of a spaghetti squash stir fry. This was during a time where he and his roomies were “transitioning to a healthier lifestyle” and making healthier food choices. Even though this was nearly ten years ago, I remember thinking that spaghetti squash was so weird and different. I was skeptical of anything that wasn’t the “norm”, which is ironic since I now follow a gluten free diet and anything normal to me is not always traditional. I was thinking, “Ugh, my boyfriend is so weird now.” All over spaghetti squash in a stir fry. It still makes me laugh to this day thinking about how dumb my thoughts were about! I guess it’s safe to say that this was what inspired my spaghetti squash chicken stir fry. I love stir fry, am a fan of spaghetti squash, soy sauce and anything with sesame seeds, so why not bring back this “vintage” dish? It really is funny how things come full circle.
It’s always so funny to me how so many of my memories center around food. I’m sure there’s science behind the association of the memory with something that engages so many of the five senses. Whether there’s actual truth to this theory or not, I seem to have a much more vivid memory when food is involved. I had regular play dates with one of my early childhood elementary school friends. She lived in a neighborhood only 5 minutes away from us, and we got along great. I always felt like a special friend when I would get to stay for lunch or dinner; it was like being invited for a meal marked the difference between a friend and a best friend back in the day. During one of our play dates, her mom whipped up a tuna melt – toasted bread, tuna salad and a mild, melty cheese. It was a combo I don’t remember experiencing previously, but I sure knew it was delicious. To this day, there’s something so nostalgic about a tuna melt. I might not always be interested in plain tuna salad, but add in some melty cheese and I am sold. PS - I'm not sure if melty counts as a real world according to Webster's, but it sure counts in my book!
Easy meals are my favorite go-to type of meals these days. Between working, fitting in exercise classes, keeping up with things around the house, spending some quality “me” time and of course spending time with my hubby, time seems to really fly by. After a long day, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is spending time in the kitchen. As much as I love it most of the time, I’m not always in the mood to cook up something fancy. That’s why I love having cooked chicken breasts, or even a tender rotisserie chicken on hand. Plain chicken is such an easy blank canvas that can be transformed into endless dishes in a matter of minutes. One night, we had chicken on hand and also an avocado that needed to be used before it turned brown, because let’s face it – one day avocados are perfect and two minutes later they are overripe! Anyone out there know what I’m talking about?! Since chicken salad always seems to hit the spot, I combined the chicken and avocado I had on hand, added a little mayo and some diced jalapeño for a little heat, and this delicious and creamy Avocado Chicken Salad was born. With the avocado, you hardly need the mayo also, so you may even consider leaving it out altogether for a healthier alternative! It tastes perfect when paired with a salty cracker or chip for a contrast in flavor and texture. Yum!
Egg salad always reminds me of college. We had a bagel shop on campus, infamously known to us locals as “NDB”, for Newark Deli and Bagel . It was THE spot to be on a weekend morning or for a quick breakfast before class. There would be a line circling all of the dine-in tables, all the way to the front door, with college kids just waiting for their delicious, warm, perfectly toasty bagel. The wait was always worth it. My go-to order (which pre-dated my known Celiac days) was a whole wheat everything bagel, scooped out, toasted, with egg salad and an extra pickle. Some days I’d switch it up to be egg white, cheese and tomato, but egg salad won a majority of the time. I can still taste it today. So while I cannot probably ever eat there again, being able to make equally delicious egg salad at home hits the spot and really makes me happy. And with each bite, it takes me back to those happy University of Delaware days!
One of my favorite places on earth is Ocean City, New Jersey. I've been visiting there since my childhood, whether it was for a summer vacation, a quick day trip, or just a weekend getaway. The town is charming and very family oriented, with pretty beaches, an amazing boardwalk, and is home to 10 cent skeeball, where I score 100s like nobody's business and even earned the high score on one of the machines!
The only basil pesto recipe you need. So good on pasta, with shrimp, in a sandwich or by the spoonful.
One year in my mid-20s, I asked for a slow cooker for my birthday. That was the year I realized I fully transitioned into adulthood, because I couldn’t believe how excited I was over a kitchen appliance. Thanks Dad and Nancy! We’ve used the slow cooker a number of times now, but definitely not as often as we should since the convenience factor of “set-it-and-forget-it” is so hard to beat. Our past few trips to the grocery store, we had toyed around with the idea of making ribs in the slow cooker, but we never bought them as there was always something in the way – we had plans all day and wouldn’t be home to eat them; I wasn’t in the mood for ribs; we have so much other food in the fridge we need to use up first. We finally committed to a time to make the ribs after all the anticipation. They turned out so tender and fantastic. It always feels like a huge accomplishment when we make something that we typically would only order in a restaurant, and the result is so impressive. Plus, they really are super easy to make in the slow cooker after a few minutes of prep beforehand.
It’s really amazing how each career opportunity opens the doors to a completely new experience. Whether learning about a new industry, experiencing different company cultures or being introduced to a network of people you wouldn’t have otherwise met, there’s so much to learn from each new direction you take in life. During one of my stints at the corporate HQ at a car rental company, I quickly realized that the industry and company culture there wasn’t for me. However, I did work closely with a consultant who was helping our team launch a huge project. He was a super cool guy and we talked a lot about a shared interest: food and wine. He’d share stories about dishes and wines that he and his wife loved, and I’d exchange the same about what Dave and I enjoyed. One of the dishes he raved about that his wife would make was a ravioli lasagna, which something I’ve never heard of! He explained that it was essentially just a lasagna, with the noodles being substituted for little ravioli pockets. GENIUS. Layers of sauce, cheese and cheesy raviolis? I was sold. I immediately knew I had to give it a try and create something similar. What a treat it was! Cheesy, hearty, satisfying and a bit naughty. This dish is the ultimate comfort food! This recipe calls for some meat, but if you prefer to keep it vegetarian or just want to omit it, go for it. It will be just as delicious.
My stepdad has been a vegetarian for as long as I’ve known him, which is many, many years! He’s also introduced me to some new foods that I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise, such as tofu and these veggie tacos. Growing up, taco nights were always more of a production, because my mom would make two different types – one for the meat lovers and a different batch for the vegetarians in the house. The veggie tacos were made with green bell peppers, sliced onions and black beans. A hearty combo that the non-meat eaters really enjoyed. They were enjoyed just like any ole taco – in a warm corn shell or a romaine lettuce boat, topped with all the goodies like shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and salsa! For some reason, I was way too hesitant to try these veggies tacos until later in my adult life, but I recently made them for me and my hubby and they were such a hit! They are a nice twist on the classic taco and while they are delicious for any Taco Tuesday, they are also a great idea for a Meatless Monday!
I’ve always felt that chicken fingers are such an easy option to order at a restaurant when you don’t want to commit to a “real meal” or don’t feel like spending more than $10, but still want something satisfying and a little naughty. Being diagnosed with Celiac, it’s so rare to be able to order chicken fingers out at a restaurant, especially when they are fried. Fried chicken fingers are honestly one of the convenience foods I miss the most! As with anything these days, I was on a mission to make my own chicken fingers that I could enjoy and feel happy about that weren’t from my freezer. When cooking for myself instead of ordering out at a restaurant, I’m extra aware of what I’m putting into my recipes, so I couldn’t bring myself to deep fry them. The shallow pan fry did the trick though! I ended up with crispy and tender chicken fingers which we devoured in minutes. This recipe totally hit the spot!
Growing up, the thought of chicken thighs repulsed me. I was only interested in white meat and enjoyed it nice and well done. One night while I was living in my tiny NYC apartment, I had the desire to “be adventurous” and try my hand at chicken thighs. I went to the store, picked up a pack, seasoned them up and popped them into the oven. I don’t even know where my mind was at the time, but I took them out after about 30 minutes at 375 degrees since I wasn’t used to cooking chicken with the bone in. I cut into one to check if they were done, and the inside by the bone was still pretty raw. Queue the uncontrollable gag and immediate disinterest. I couldn’t even bring myself to put them back in the oven to finish cooking. I was completely turned off. Fast forward about four more years, and I felt ready to conquer – and actually enjoy - chicken thighs. Maybe the Florida heat was making me delirious, but the timing seemed right. I did some research on perfecting a baked chicken thigh, put my new skills into practice, then gave them one final chance. This time around, I LOVED them. Seasoned nicely and cooked beautifully, which part of this success was owed to my responsible adult purchase of a meat thermometer. Fast forward to today and this dish is in our regular dinner rotation. The hubby and I both love the crispy skin, tender meat, and the extra juices that we drizzle on top of white rice. They also make great leftovers for lunch the next day!
Dessert
These no-bake pecan clusters are the perfect cure for my sweet tooth. Simple to make and only require a couple of ingredients!
This dessert NEVER disappoints. I promise. Maybe you've heard it referred to as "Christmas Crack" or "Hanukkah Crack" or "Saltine Toffee Candy" or "Chocolate Covered Saltines" - nonetheless, it's delicious whatever the heck you call it! This dessert is perfect year-round, for any occasion. Chocolate Bark been a tradition in our family since before I can even remember (though I don't even know what our official name for it is!) Over the years, I've introduced the "gluten free version" to friends and coworkers, and it's always a hit and devoured down to every last bite. It's chocolatey, salty, sweet, crunchy, and addicting. Bonus points for it being such an easy dessert to whip up, plus it's easy to make in a large batch for any crowd. The best part about this Chocolate Bark is that there are so many gluten free crackers out there that work well. I've used both Glutino and Schar table crackers and both are fantastic! Any type of cracker that's thin and mimics the classic saltine cracker would be great options. The gluten lovers never even notice that this dessert "is gluten free" ... unless of course, they see me snagging bites for myself!
This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dessert recipes, which is also perfect to enjoy all throughout fall! One of my college girlfriends introduced this to me years ago. Since then, I've adapted it and shared it with family and friends, and it's a hit every year during the holidays. It's made with only four ingredients (yes, really!) - cool whip, vanilla pudding mix, canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice. The recipe also couldn't be easier to make and comes together in just a matter of minutes, making it the perfect candidate for a last minute dessert if you find yourself in a pinch. My favorite cookies for dunking are vanilla wafers or ginger cookies, both in the gluten free variety, of course!
Have you ever met someone that doesn’t like a good rice crispy treat? I haven’t! In reality, I don’t go around polling everyone on their love for these little treats, but they seem like a fun dessert that both kids and grown adults enjoy. They’re crispy – just as the name would imply - gooey, sweet, sometimes messy and fun to eat with your hands. The standard rice crispy cereal on the market today would be gluten free, if it weren’t for a little ingredient known as barley malt, which seems to be in there for flavoring just for the heck of it. Le sigh. As with any products in today’s world, there always seems to be a gluten free alternative, which most of the time, is pretty dang delicious if you have patience and try different brands. I set off to find a gluten free counterpart, and I did! So of course, I had to try my hand at the classic childhood favorite. After a lot…. of patience melting the marshmallows down, I successfully created my first batch of my own rice crispy marshmallow treats! From doing some research beforehand, I learned that pressing them into a pan more firmly will yield a denser and more extra chewy (in a not-so-good-way) treat, so I was very conservative when flattening them out and applied the least amount of pressure possible. Nailed it. The day I made them, our snowbird neighbors were in town, so they came over for a bit with their high school kids. I offered up my rice crispy treats or the real taste test. They said they were delicious and each had a couple. “Wow, these are good! And they’re gluten free?” YEAH!! Of course, I did wonder if they were just being polite. But a few months later, their parents were back in town and told us how their kids keep talking about how “they can’t wait to come back and have more rice crispy treats that Alli made”!
It always seems to be that any mention of the word s’mores leads to instant happiness and excitement. Something about the combo of a crunchy, sweet cookie-like-cracker paired with a gooey, oozing marshmallow and melty chocolate goodness is so appealing. S’mores are so fun to make just about any time of year, whether it’s a hot summer night or a chilly evening cozied around a fire pit. It’s not often you’re encouraged to play with your food, but these are an exception! There’s not much of a “recipe” to this, but it’s too fun of a dessert not to include!
Going gluten free has forced me to up my game in the kitchen and become more creative with what I whip up. It's also presented the opportunity for me to partner with various gluten free brands and help get the world out there about their gluten free goodies!
Side Dishes
Food Network has always been one of my favorite TV channels to watch. There are so many great personalities on there and it’s really fueled both my love and inspiration for cooking. One show I used to watch regularly, which I’m honestly not sure is even still on air, is Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee . Have you seen it? She’s this quirky, goofy woman who whips up creations in the kitchen that are semi-homemade, meaning not everything is made from scratch. Some items are already made whether they are frozen or bought from the store, but she adds her own flare to them and the end result is still a unique and creative recipe. In all reality, the average person (myself included!) doesn’t have time to make everything from scratch all the time, so finding shortcuts is the key to keeping sane in the kitchen some days! That’s why I love this recipe. I really am unskilled in the baking arena, so when it comes to breads or other baked goods, I need all the help I can get. I use premade dinner rolls from a local bakery or the frozen aisle in the grocery story, but then elevate them by adding butter, garlic, parsley and shredded cheese. Semi-homemade deliciousness.
My hubby really loves gardening. Since we live in a townhouse, we don't have a large plot of land. We have an end unit though which is nice for extra sunlight, but also because we get some extra space between our house and our neighbor. Since moving in, we have lemon trees, a passion fruit vine, a mulberry bush and lots of fresh basil! Many of the plants are a work in progress and are in the infancy stages, but the basil seems to flourish really well out there. Typically, we make a batch of basil pesto each time he harvests it, but we're always looking for additional ways to incorporate it into recipes. What better than a classic combo of tomato, basil and mozzarella? So many fresh flavors all working together. This board is a perfect side dish to a meal or is a fun appetizer for your next party. Yum!
There’s a cute little Italian market in our town that our good friends introduced us to. They’re Italian, so we definitely trust their opinion it comes to these types of things. They know good food, good wine, good coffee… the list goes on! They know their Italian markets, too. Every once in a while, we’ll find ourselves meandering through the market and usually walk out with at least a pound of fresh mozzarella and the most deliciously perfect prosciutto di Parma you can imagine. When we get home, of course there’s no other option than to indulge. Sometimes it’s a tomato, basil, mozzarella day and other times it’s time to eat the slices of prosciutto plain because it’s just that good. But this time, we put all the goods together. And it was magical. A light bite from the room temperature mozzarella, saltiness and heaven from the prosciutto, fresh basil and a garlicky baguette, all countered by a slightly tangy, slightly sweet balsamic. I could eat this every day.
For the longest time, I really only used my food processor for one recipe, and one recipe only: homemade basil pesto. I’m not sure why I equated my very expensive, high-quality Cuisinart processor which I was so proud to purchase for my first grown up kitchen, with such limited capabilities for so long. After some self-reflection, I came to realize it was probably because other recipes that would require this appliance were brand new to my repertoire, which in my mind, meant that they were too complicated and probably would have been a failure. Younger me was such a fool. I finally got the courage to “try something crazy” and decided on hummus. Found a simple recipe, gave it a whirl and I couldn’t believe that in a matter of minutes I whipped up such a successful dip! With each iteration, I add my own flare and tend to change it up ever so slightly each time. I love hummus with veggies – sliced cucumbers, peppers and baby carrots are my go to – but I also really enjoy it dipped with gluten free pita or pretzels!
Tomato bruschetta was one of the first dishes I “mastered” in my early cooking days. It just bursts with flavor yet is made from the simplest ingredient list - juicy tomatoes, fragrant basil, finely minced red onion, good olive oil, tangy balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper. It can be enjoyed on top of a homemade crunchy garlicky crostini (I am drooling already…), spooned on top of grilled chicken, or paired with spring mix and fresh mozzarella for an elegant salad. If you don’t want to be bothered with making a crostini, no problem! Boxed gluten free bagel chips - Glutino , I’m looking at you - work great, also!
I’m all about making healthy choices, so most times, my salads are crouton-less. Every once in awhile though, the extra crunch of a crouton is super appealing. Croutons are one of those GF products I rarely buy from the store, so I don’t have a good brand to be on the lookout for.
DISCLAIMER: If you think that you or someone you know may be exhibiting signs of Celiac or other medical conditions, seek the help of a medical professional. All research and recommendations are solely a representation of my own research, lifestyle choices and opinions. Exercise your own judgement when trying different products/restaurants shown or for suggestions made on this site and in my blog.