gluten free Archives - Page 9 of 11

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

May 19, 2013 · by Ari ·

My mind has officially checked out into summer vacation land. Technically, I have 2 more days of classes before it becomes official, but mentally I am….so….there. And let’s face it, I’ve been there for a couple of weeks now.

There is something about summer when you work on the school calendar. I still work hard over the summer, but it all seems like so much FUN. Maybe it’s knowing it’s all only temporary, and eventually you will all go back to “real life”, but I just love it. Despite the hear here in Phoenix, it’s probably my favorite time of year.

It seems like no matter what I have on my meal plan these days, nothing sounds better than grilling up some burgers and eating dinner by the pool. It just makes my heart happy. Not to mention the flavor combinations for burgers are pretty much endless, leaving you with burger after burger recipe. Sorry I’m not sorry.

I do have a pretty sweet side dish coming your way later this week that you can eat along side these burgers during your Memorial Day festivities.

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

Simple and easy spicy chipotle cheeseburgers are a perfect way to kick up your summer grilling!

Ingredients

For the burgers:

1 lb 96% lean ground beef (or lean ground turkey)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
pinch salt

For the creamy chipotle spread:

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Toppings/to put together the burger:

Whole grain buns (whole wheat, brown rice, etc.)
Sliced roma tomato
Lettuce
Extra sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

To make the burgers, combine beef, chopped chipotle pepper and salt in a large bowl. Create 4 evenly sized patties. Gently press each patty down in the center with your thumb to create an indent--this promotes even cooking. Grill to desired doneness, about 4-5 minutes per side.
To make the sauce, blend Greek yogurt and chipotle pepper in a food processor or blender until well combined.
To assemble burgers, spread sauce onto the top side of the bun. Top bottom half with lettuce, burger, cheese and tomato slices (or whatever you'd like--it's your burger!) and finish off with the top half of the bun. Serve immediately. Leftover meat patties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://arismenu.com/spicy-chipotle-cheeseburgers/

3 Ingredient Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

May 12, 2013 · by Ari ·

Of course I would need the most complicated title ever to describe the simplest recipe. In fact, it’s probably more difficult to say the title out loud than it is to make it. It’s that chronic over-sharing thing I do. I just can’t help it.

So after an amazing cold front, it is officially into the triple digits for the next 5 months or so with very little hope at dipping back down into anything resembling a reasonable temperature, which means I need ice cream. Not want, need. Have I ever told you that ice cream is my favorite dessert? I rarely make it because I have the hardest time getting the right texture when I make it at home, but coconut milk is pretty much the best ingredient on earth, and when you combine that with sweet, roasted banana, you are looking at a pretty sure thing.

Between the sweetness and creaminess of those two ingredients, I promise you don’t need anything else. You can always add a little pure maple syrup or brown sugar if you prefer something a little sweeter, but believe me when I say that roasting that banana brings out all of it’s rich sweetness, and totally does the trick. You can also add chocolate chips, cinnamon, extra fruit, pretty much any add-ins you’d like. This recipe is more like your base–your starting point, and a great and simple treat for the long summer months coming our way!

3 Ingredient Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

3 Ingredient Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Simple, easy, vegan roasted banana coconut milk ice cream with only 3 ingredients.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
1 can full fat coconut milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Place banana slice in a rimmed baking dish and drizzle with coconut oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until soft and syrupy, tossing half way through.
Transfer cooked bananas to a blender, scraping your pan well to include the syrup that cooked out from them. Add coconut milk and blend until combined.
Chill mixture until cooled throughout, about 4 hours up to overnight.
Freeze according to ice cream maker's instructions. Store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks.

https://arismenu.com/3-ingredient-roasted-banana-coconut-milk-ice-cream/

“Nutella” Granola {vegan + gluten-free}

May 7, 2013 · by Ari ·

Once upon a time, I discovered the peanut butter & Nutella sandwich. Then, I discovered the Nutella + spoon combination. And sometimes the spoon never even came to join the party. Shameless.

I can’t even have Nutella in the house these days. It’s just too tempting. Occasionally, I’ll buy it for a recipe (and then eat my oatmeal out of the empty jar and feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven), but I think it’s about time that I get to eat chocolate hazelnutty goodness for breakfast every single day. Does that not just sound like perfection?

The best part? You don’t even have to buy Nutella for this recipe, but the taste is uncanny. I took one bite after it finished cooking and quickly exclaimed “It tastes like NUTELLA!!!” Just simple granola loaded with hazelnuts with some cocoa powder added to the mix. It is not overpoweringly sweet, and it doesn’t taste like dessert. I think the sweetness is perfect, but if you want a sweeter granola, you can absolutely add some extra brown sugar, or honey, or agave.

I also discovered the secret to the biggest, fattest granola clusters–check those monsters out!! I’m always looking for the big, chunky clusters, and this time I got it right. I did not stir this granola once while it cooked. I just let it do it’s thing, flipped it around half way through, and ya know what? Everything cooked evenly, nothing burned, and I had granola clusters the size of my hand! What??? Now the problem is not eating those clusters every time I step into the pantry. It’s kind of a problem…

“Nutella” Granola

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: Approx 10 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

“Nutella” Granola

Simple and easy chocolate hazelnut granola tastes remarkably like Nutella! The big clusters and bold flavors are totally addicting and will have you constantly reaching back for more.

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if that’s important to you)
2 cups hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
heavy pinch sea salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey or agave
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark)
2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300. In a very large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce, brown sugar, honey/agave, cocoa powder and coconut oil until well combined, whisking constantly. Add the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Evenly divide granola in an even layer between two large baking sheets.
Bake until browned and crispy, about 50 minutes-1 hour, turning half way through.
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. The granola will stay fresh for at least one month. I've never made a batch last any longer than that, but it's still great a month in and probably for longer.

Notes

If you'd like, you may gently stir the granola every 20 minutes while cooking. This will lead to less clusters and a finer granola. I prefer to be able to break the clusters up myself afterwards, but if you like a finer granola, then stirring will help.

https://arismenu.com/nutella-granola-vegan-gluten-free/

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

May 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

Healthy, vegan, gluten-free and full of flavor, these sun-dried tomato & basil white bean burgers taste like pizza in a burger! So delicious even meat eaters will crave them.

You guys, it is suddenly HOT here in Phoenix. Like, over 100* and I’m wondering what the H happened to spring, and I want a do-over kind of hot. Gross.

Somehow I have all these fond memories of last summer feeling all “I love summer! Summer is awesome!” mixed in with “Why did I ever make the CHOICE to run when it is 100* at 5am?!?! *&$#*&!!!”

Oh yeah, it’s because summer means swimming and barbecuing and an excuse to eat burgers every single night while you lounge by the pool with a margarita in hand. Now that sounds like something I remember loving.

Well it’s only the beginning of May, and since the temps began to sore, I have made an embarrassing amount of burgers. Like, you will probably get tired of my 9 billion burger recipes by mid June, but I just can’t stop.

I end up making a lot of meat for dinner because, well, I live with a boy, and most boys love meat. Most boys probably also don’t prefer being called “boys” when they over over 30 years old, but that’s neither here nor there… Anyway, my husband is so lucky because I make him lots of meat, but every now and then I fool him by saying I’m making “burgers” and then I serve him something like this. And he can’t lie about how much he loves it because his plate is clean in about 4 seconds.

I actually made these for 3 of my favorite meat lovin’ boys to rave reviews! It almost tastes like pizza in a burger. The unmistakable sun-dried tomatoes give tons of flavor to the beans, and the basil adds a perfectly light freshness. I actually thought these were going to be a disaster. I kept staring at them thinking “They look soooo dry! What did I do wrong???” But looks can be deceiving because the texture was spot on–slightly crispy on the outside, and perfectly tender and that word that I hate (you know the one) on the inside.

I topped mine with fresh greens, sliced tomatoes, pesto and a little fresh mozzarella cheese. Obviously if you’re vegan, you’ll want to leave off the pesto and cheese, or find a vegan variety. I could have lived without the cheese, but the pesto definitely adds a special something, so I highly recommend finding one within your eating preferences.

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers

Healthy, vegan, gluten-free and full of flavor, these sun-dried tomato & basil white bean burgers taste like pizza in a burger! So delicious even meat eaters will crave them.

Ingredients

2 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (from a bottle packed in olive oil), patted dry
4-5 medium basil leaves
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/3 cup almond meal
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Place about 3/4 of the beans (eyeball it), onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper in your food processor. Blend for 30-45 seconds until combined. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in almond meal and remaining beans.
Heat olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into 6 patties and carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom is browned and set. Very carefully flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until the opposite side is browned and set as well. Serve immediately, or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/sun-dried-tomato-basil-white-bean-burgers-vegan-gluten-free/

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs {gluten-free}

April 29, 2013 · by Ari ·

So, we all know by now that I have a slight obsession with spaghetti squash. The truth is, I probably won’t give it up until I have created every noodle-y dish known to man using this fabulous vegetable. And even then, I will probably go back to the beginning and make them all again, because it just never.gets.old.

I was raised on Italian food. My dad doesn’t cook and he loves pasta, so it was normal for us to go out to fancy Italian dinners multiple nights per week. Sure, there are some healthy options when you go to an Italian restaurant, but let’s be honest–we really want pasta. All of the pasta. And then more pasta.

Well, you guys know I AM ALL ABOUT THE SAUCE. Pasta is a vehicle. A mostly tasteless way to get to some alfredo sauce or spicy marinara. Or pesto. Or…MEATBALLS.

Honestly, when you have huge delicious meatballs, do you even need spaghetti??? Well, I like a side of spaghetti with my meatballs. A nice side of spaghetti squash to hold onto some sauce, give me some texture, and fill out the rest of my bowl because, let’s be honest, I am always looking for the maximum amount of food possible, and veggies are the way to get there. Bonus points for them being better than “real” pasta.

OMG and can we talk about these meatballs???? They are ridiculous. I’d actually never made meatballs before, but I went with a combination of spicy turkey sausage and lean ground turkey. I added some chopped garlic, some onions to keep them juicy, and some oats to help keep them together. Fun fact–did you know you can sub oats for breadcrumbs in recipes like meatballs and meatloaf? I always do, and it always comes out great!

Sometimes using lean turkey can cause dishes to come out dry, but between the turkey sausage and the onions (my friend Kristi gave me the onion tip!), these meatballs were perfectly juicy and tender.

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

The classic comfort of spaghetti and meatballs with a lightened up, gluten-free and grain-free twist. Served with spicy Italian meatballs and spicy marinara sauce.

Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:

1 large spaghetti squash, halved
2 tsp olive oil
pinch each salt and pepper

For the meatballs:

1 lb lean ground turkey (93% or higher)
1 lb spicy turkey sausage
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg. lightly beaten
1/2 cup oats (use gluten-free if that's important to you)
1 tsp Italian seasonings (preferably homemade)
small pinch cayenne pepper

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less depending on desired spiciness)
pinch each salt and pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 400. Scrape the seeds and stringy center from the spaghetti squash. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp olive oil. Use your fingers to rub oil into squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay each half face down in a large baking dish and cook until tender, about an hour.
To make the meatballs, place a wire rack inside a large cookie sheet. Spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, gently combine all your meatball ingredients.. Do not over mix, just combine. Roll into approx 2" balls (or however large or small you like them). Transfer to prepared wire baking sheet. Bake at 400 (you can throw them in at the same time as your squash!) until cooked throughout, about 25 minutes.
To make the sauce sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add crushed tomato and remaining spices. When sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
To plate, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash. The squash when fully cooked will come out easily in spaghetti-like noodles. Top with sauce and add meatballs. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://arismenu.com/spaghetti-meatballs-gluten-free/

Looking for more spaghetti squash recipes?

“Spaghetti” & Spicy Meat Sauce

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Skinnified “Fettucine” Alfredo

Noodleless Chicken “Pad” Thai

10 Minute Taco Salad

April 24, 2013 · by Ari ·

You know that go-to outfit that you can always count on when you don’t know what to wear? The one that always looks cute, is super comfortable, and always makes you feel like a million bucks? This salad is like that. Except, I wouldn’t wear it. That would be such a waste of so much deliciousness.

It doesn’t require much explanation. What I can tell you is I have made this more often than any other meal. Ever. I never thought to photograph and post it because it seems so simple and straight forward, but it’s easy to forget that it is those easy and straight forward recipes that I didn’t have back in the day, and those exact recipes that helped me finally be able to lose weight and kick my Taco Bell habit for good.

You can add/subtract whatever you want really. You can use a store bought taco seasoning or make your own, and you can include whichever fresh veggies make your heart happy. I always use romain hearts as the base for crunch, and add cucumber and tomatoes. A lot of times I add chopped carrots, and tons of extra cilantro. Some avocado pieces never hurt, either. Really, there’s no wrong way to make this salad.

Okay, there is ONE wrong way–inside a greasy, deep-fried taco shell. I mean, what is even the point of that thing??? Oh, and also, don’t omit the cinnamon. I know it sounds crazy, but it will take the flavor of your taco salad to the next level. It will become your taco salad secret weapon. Like a ninja. Okay, I’m done.

10 Minute Taco Salad

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

10 Minute Taco Salad

Ridiculously easy, healthy and delicious taco salad. My go-to meal that I continue to make over and over again.

Ingredients

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
20 oz ground turkey breast (or 93% lean ground turkey, or 96% lean ground beef)
3 tbsp taco seasoning (preferably homemade, or at least reduced sodium variety)
pinch cinnamon
1/2-3/4 cup water
16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 romain hearts, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large or 2 persian cucumbers, sliced

Optional Toppings:

Reduced fat cheddar cheese
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Sliced avocado
Salsa

Instructions

Heat onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until turkey is fully browned. Add taco seasoning and cinnamon. Slowly add water until the meat has reached your desired level of liquid (some will cook out, so add a little more than you'd think). Increase heat to bring liquid to a light boil, then reduce to simmer.
Meanwhile, heat beans in a small sauce pan over medium heat until fully warmed.
Place chopped romain in large serving bowls. Layer with cooked meat, beans and fresh veggies. Add any desired toppings.

https://arismenu.com/10-minute-taco-salad/

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

April 18, 2013 · by Ari ·

Today I am going to tell you something so embarrassing. Like, I can’t even believe I’m going to tell you, but it’s just so embarrassingly funny that it would be wrong to not give you the opportunity to laugh at me.

Okay, first let me tell you that on Sunday morning I woke up and stretched in bed. All of the sudden my neck snapped, and the pain was immediate. I have barely been able to move my head since. I even called in sick to one of my jobs on Monday and I never call in sick. Anyway, I’ve been glued to the couch after making my way through every episode of How I Met Your Mother that Netflix has to offer, I found myself needing something to watch to ease the pain.

This is where things get ugly. You see, when I’m sick, I love mindless TV. I love that it keeps going and going. I love that I only have to tune in every now and then to understand what’s going on. And I love that I don’t have to use my brain. So this morning when I was deciding what was next while I waited for my stupid neck to heal (I’ve been blogging from the couch laying on my back with my laptop on me knees when I don’t absolutely have to be at work), I may have chosen the most embarrassing TV show ever.

Like, ever. So when Steve came home this afternoon from Landis (he just hangs out at the bike shop for no reason….), I quickly tried to turn off the TV so he wouldn’t see just how low I’d stooped. Then I tried to distract him by pretending to be interested in his trip to the bike shop, but it was no use.

Steve: Are you watching Dawson’s Creek???

Me: I don’t wanna talk about it….

Steve: Babe, I know you’ve been having a hard time (as he struggles to speek through his eruptive laughter)…. Well It would be worse if you were watching it on Hulu or something.

Me: I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!!!

Steve: Really?? REALLY?????

(He then gets out his laptop and attempts to post on facebook about me. I plead with him not to embarrass me on the internet–clearly, I’m fully capable of doing that myself…)

Me: (finally) I thought I should start at the beginning.

And that my friends is how ridiculously embarrassing I am. That pretty much sums up my life.

But you know what? Even when I can’t move, I can still make this ridiculously easy chicken salad. It was the first thing I made in days, and I was so thrilled to actually do something productive. I MADE FOOD!! For, like, the entire week! I don’t suck at life!!

One of my best healthy habits (when I actually do it) is making a bulk healthy meal on Sundays that I use for lunch for the entire week. The thing is–you actually have to make it, and you have to REALLY like it if you’re going to eat it all week long (I usually take myself out to Chipotle one of the days, because, I mean, COME ON!). This is what we call lazy woman’s “food prep”.

This chicken salad is so simple with only a handful of ingredients, and it comes together in minutes giving you an entire week’s worth of lunch in less time than it takes me to make breakfast in the morning. And, umm, I would TOTALLY eat this every day for the next 10 weeks. It is bold and flavorful with the curry seasoning, and has a spicy kick with sweet grapes and crunchy almonds and celery–it is perfection. You can eat it on lettuce, with a fork, on rice cakes, in a sandwich, in a Dr. Seuss book… It doesn’t matter how you eat it because, trust me, you will love it!

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Healthy, bold, flavorful and protein-packed curried chicken salad in minutes with no mayo.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp curry seasoning
pinch garlic salt
pinch cayenne pepper
10-12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded (I use the meat from a whole rotisserie)
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup grapes, halved
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

To make the dressing, whisk together Greek yogurt, mustard and seasonings in a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/curried-chicken-salad/

Portobello Breakfast Cups

April 16, 2013 · by Ari ·

It seems strange to go “back to normal” today. I was originally going to post these yesterday, but it just didn’t seem right. I had too many things rolling around in my brain, and I needed to use this blog for what I originally started it for–to share my thoughts. I love sharing recipes, but I also always want this blog to be a place I approach with honesty and the truth of my thoughts. So if you took the time out of your day to read those thoughts, I also want to say thank you.

Okay, let’s attempt to get back to normal, shall we? You know how I eat the same thing for breakfast every single day? Well, I actually usually eat this for lunch. I love sweet breakfast for breakfast and savory breakfast for lunch. I know, I’m kind of a freak. One day, after eating this for about the 6th consecutive day, I thought I’d take a picture of it.

Except when I eat this, I just chop the mushroom up and throw everything together in a big bowl, but that’s not exactly visually appealing, or at all photogenic. So this time I put everything in nice little mushroom cups for you. Then, after I took this picture, I threw everything into a big bowl.

It’s funny, I rarely use eggs when I bake. I’ll use them if I’m using other dairy products, but that’s not very often, so I usually leave them out to keep them friendly for my vegan friends. But on their own? I love eggs. Especially a runny yolk.

This meal comes together in less than 20 minutes, and it is packed with healthy veggies–perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Portobello Breakfast Cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 2 cups

Portobello Breakfast Cups

A simple, veggie-packed breakfast, lunch or dinner. Grain and gluten-free.

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange, etc.), chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
large handful chopped kale, approx 1 cup loosely packed
1 chicken sausage, sliced
1/4 cup 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you want to use, or no cheese if you wish)
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Chalulah for topping, optional

Instructions

Line a medium-large baking dish with tin foil. Add portobello mushrooms and drizzle lightly with 1 tbsp olive oil. Broil until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add kale and chicken sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
While vegetables finish cooking, fry eggs over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet until bottoms are browned, and eggs are cooked to desired consistency (for me, it's about 5 minutes).
Top cooked portobellos with sauteed vegetables, then cheese. Top with fried egg. Add a few shakes of Chalulah is desired.

https://arismenu.com/portobello-breakfast-cups/

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

April 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Did I ever tell you about the time I gave up red meat? I was actually super strict about it for a couple of years. When I first started losing weight, it was one of those easy swaps that was easy to make, and for the most part, I still stick to lean poultry and fish, but I’m not so sure red meat deserves the bad rep it seems to get.

I had never even eaten skirt steak (to my knowledge), but we went out a couple of weeks ago for my step-dad’s birthday, and I ordered this salad with skirt steak and avocado. It had other things, but I can’t even tell you what they were. For me, it was all about the skirt steak and avocado.

It was so bold and flavorful that I immediately became obsessed with the idea of recreating my own at home. I’d also been dying to try a fruit salsa. A lot of people make them with strawberries, but I hate strawberries almost as much as I hate pineapple. I know, I’m so weird about the fruits I hate.

Anyway, I have a pretty serious blackberry obsession. Specifically blackberry jam on wheat toast with an egg white omelet whenever I go out to breakfast. Something about that perfect combination…I crave it. As soon as I sit down, I check to see if blackberry is in that little stack of jams. I’ve also recently put it in pancakes, muffins, and now….salsa. Weird, right?

If by weird you mean DELICIOUS, then yes. It’s totally weird. This is one of those instances where the flavors just magically work together. You can’t really explain it, it just works.

It was really easy to make. The longest part is marinating the steaks, but you just need to do it. You can totally do it in the morning before work, or even begin the night before, but the steak and the marinade need to become BFFs for at least an hour, preferably more. Give them time to fall deeply in love, which if you saw Les Mis, you will know it can happen unconvincingly after about 90 minutes of far more interesting exposition.

So, moral of the story: marinate your meat. Longer is better. In the end, the star is going to be the blackberry avocado salsa anyway. It’s sweet, citrusy, spicy and creamy from the avocado. It’s pretty much the thing dreams are made of.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 6

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Bold marinated and grilled skirt steaks topped with a sweet and spicy blackberry avocado salsa.

Ingredients

For the steak:

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak, fat trimmed as much as possible
1 cup red wine
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
heavy pinch each of salt and pepper

For the Blackberry Avocado Salsa:

12 oz blackberries, chopped
1 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by making the steak marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together wine, garlic, worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Transfer with steaks to an airtight container. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover your steaks. If not, add extra red wine. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
To make the salsa, gently toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Do not over mix or you will lose the chunks of avocado. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Grill meat until desired doneness. I like mine medium and it took about 4 minutes per side. Serve topped with blackberry avocado salsa.

Notes

You may use any cut of steak (or any meat, or non meat) you like. The salsa would be great with a filet, or sea bass, or even over some cooked quinoa if you want to keep it vegetarian!

https://arismenu.com/grilled-skirt-steak-with-blackberry-avocado-salsa/

Blueberry Almond Meal Cookies {vegan + gluten-free}

April 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

Remember when I wasn’t eating desserts? It lasted a whole two weeks, and I don’t know if it even really counts, because to try to fight against my craziness, I definitely made these. I was also trying not to eat grains, which is my least favorite way of eating. At one point I stayed on the first phase of the South Beach diet for months at a time, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never be the same because of it. Now, the second you say “low carb”, my brain does all sorts of funny things, and totally wigs out.

In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s just the word “diet” in general. Gross. It gives me the heebee geebees. Shivers, panic, nightmares. I love eating healthy foods, and I hate dieting. For me, the two do not go together. At all. But the good thing that came out of all of this was these cookies.

And some pretty amazing dinners. I do actually feel best when I take a meat and veggies approach to dinner, but that’s a whole other story. The rest of the day, I love my carbs, and I especially love my cookies. These babies, however, totally did the trick, and I would make and eat them over and over again, regardless of how I was trying to eat that ~~hour~~ week.

I actually really love baking with almond meal because you get flour and fat in one source. My almond meal baked goods come out so ridiculously soft and tender, and I find them to be much more filling and satisfying. This cookie isn’t just a dessert, it’s perfect for a mid-afternoon snack, or even pre-run (wahhhhh) fuel.

Did you know that if you’re injured, you have to cry and be overly dramatic every time you use the word run? It’s a rule. I mean, maybe you don’t follow it, but you could be missing out on tons of quality self pity. It’s a shame, really. I say, instate the rule.

Instate the rule, then make these cookies, because healthy cookies are totally the cure for self pity.

Blueberry Almond Meal Cookies

yield about 15 cookies

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1/4 cup honey or agave
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Add honey/agave, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Gently, fold in blueberries.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop onto prepared baking pan. Press down on each ball to flatten slightly (they don’t flatten much when you bake them). Bake for 10-12 minutes until just set golden. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

March 27, 2013 · by Ari ·

Sometimes I just really don’t want to make what I planned for dinner. Steve and I have been pretty good about meal planning. It gets me excited to cook dinner, keeps me from eating Chipotle for dinner every night of the week, and it’s a great opportunity to work through my recipe to do list, but sometimes I just really, really don’t want to make what I’m supposed to.

I usually use this as an excuse to go out to dinner. Steve is realllllly good about letting me. It goes something like this:

Me: Uggghhhh, I don’t want to cook. Can we just get sandwiches from Whole Foods? Or Chipotle? Again?

Steve: Sure. Put the dogs outside.

He is so agreeable that one. Sometimes I wish he’d be more of a jerk, and say something like “No B. Get in the kitchen and make my dinner!” Okay, actually I don’t wish he would say that. I wouldn’t mind being held a liiiiiittle more accountable though.

So this particular night, I was supposed to make lettuce wraps. It sounded good when I wrote it on the list. I took chicken out of the freezer to thaw for it, but the night came, and I was tired, and I just didn’t feel like going to the trouble of chopping things. I really wanted to go out instead, but I gave myself a little pep talk, and before I knew what I was actually making, I was butterflying some chicken and throwing things inside.

Excluding salt and pepper (which I don’t count as ingredients, because I think that’s silly), this recipe has a total of 3 ingredients, and an equal amount of steps to prepare it. I know a lot of people struggle with making healthy eating, especially weeknight dinners, easy and accessible.

In fact, my friend Meryl even asked me to create a space for simpler recipes on the blog where they’d be easier to find (I plan to).

I wasn’t sure how this chicken would turn out since, as I said, I didn’t actually plan any of it out. I happened to have some leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from this recipe, and in my house, goat cheese goes makes everything better, so I stuck them inside the chicken and crossed my fingers.

If you want to make your life easier, browning the chicken is not mandatory, but I would highly recommend it. By giving the meat a quick sear to get it browned then transferring to the oven to cook all the way through, you get the best of both worlds–perfectly browned outside with the softest, juiciest, most tender chicken breast you will ever taste underneath.

The biggest complaints people have about chicken breast are that it’s boring and dry. This meal is neither of those things! The chipotle peppers give it a bold, spiciness, while the goat cheese adds a comforting creaminess, and the sear-then-bake method makes for anything but dry chicken!

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

yield 2 servings

2 medium chicken breasts
salt and pepper (a good pinch of each)
2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (I used 4, and it was SPICY. Use less for a more mild taste.)
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled**

**If you’re looking for a dairy free option, try using half an avocado instead!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside. Season both sides of chicken with a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Butterfly each chicken breast and top with peppers and goat cheese. Fold chicken back over on top of fillings.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray (or olive oil if you prefer). Once pan is hot, carefully add chicken and sear until browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip chicken to brown the other side, about an other 5 minutes.
Transfer chicken to prepared baking dish. Use a couple of toothpicks to secure the opening and keep the fillings inside. Bake in preheated oven until cooked throughout and juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes. Drizzle with extra adobo sauce if desired, and serve immediately.

Drink & Dish: Lemon Almond Meal Scones {with video}

March 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So, today is the first day of Passover (it started last night, because we’re weird, and have to start holidays at sundown), and I should be here with a recipe for matzo ball soup, or macaroons, but instead I’m bringing you totally leavened Easter brunch scones. I’m sorry mom and dad.

To be fair, I did eat my fair share of those things last night, and agreed to go over the story of Passover by watching the Rugrats Passover. I much prefer it to the 8 hours Seders we used to have where we never got to eat dinner until, like, 10 p,m. You know me, I get grumpy if you hold out on the food. 😉

Anyway, I’ve been reallllly wanting to make scones, and I’ve had almond meal scones on my recipe ideas list for quite a while now (I keep a running list in the note app on my iPhone–it’s awesome!), and when Nicole and I were deciding what to make for our Easter brunch Drink & Dish, I knew scones were the way to go.

Okay, that’s a lie. I wanted to make bagels from scratch with flavored cream cheese. I was so sure this would be brilliant. Then Nicole reminded me that perhaps trying to cram the entire bagel making process into a 5 minute video was not the best idea. This is why I’m glad I don’t do this alone. Oh, and the drinks. The drinks also make me glad to have the world’s most perfect partner in crime.

PS, did you see that Drink & Dish has its own YouTube channel now? Nicole and I figured rather than both of us sharing it on our channels, it would be easiest if you could get everything in one place, so if you haven’t yet, please take a second and head over to subscribe.

I absolutely LOVED making these scones! In fact, I made them a few times. The first time they came out far too thin and crunchy to be considered a scone. However, my friends loved those crunchy ones! The texture is easy to play with here–they don’t rise very much, so if you want closer to a cookie/biscotti, them leave them thin and let them get nice and browned. However, for scones, I wanted thick and fluffy. Well, the second time was the charm–all I had to do was keep the dough nice and thick, and they baked up perfectly soft, tender and thick. These perfectly tender scones are topped with my favorite part–the sweet, drippy, lemony frosting with tons of vanilla bean specs. They are so pretty!

These scones only require 1 mixing bowl, and they are done start to finish in about 20 minutes. Perfect for a hectic morning brunch! You can make them the night before, or whip them up quickly in the morning. They work for almost all food allergies, and are a nice healthy treat to balance out all of those chocolate eggs.

Don’t forget to watch the video for step-by-step instructions, and some friendly banter. 🙂

Check out Nicole’s delicious sangria recipe!

And for an added bonus, we uploaded one of our sound checks. We always sing when we work together, and have started singing a lot of our sound checks because…ummm I don’t know. We’re weird. But we found this one especially humorous, so we thought we’d share it for your enjoyment.

Lemond Almond Meal Scones

adapted from Elena’s Pantry

yield 8 servings

For the scones:

2 cups almond meal
dash salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn starch
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp honey or agave (or liquid sweetener of your choice)

For the glaze:

Heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 medium lemon)

Directions:

To make the scones, preheat oven to 350. Line a medium baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, salt, baking soda, corn starch, and lemon zest. Add almond milk and liquid sweetened. Mix until combined.
Roll dough into a large ball and press down into a 1-1 1/2″ thick disk. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Do not separate. Bake as if for 9-11 minutes until golden and set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
To make the glaze, place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add vanilla bean paste. Slowly squeeze in lemon juice mixing constantly until you have reached your desired consistency. Again, make sure to only add a small amount of juice at a time–a little bit goes a long way.
Use a pastry brush to evenly brush glaze over cooled scones. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

« Previous Page

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

3 Ingredient Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

“Nutella” Granola {vegan + gluten-free}

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs {gluten-free}

10 Minute Taco Salad

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Portobello Breakfast Cups

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Blueberry Almond Meal Cookies {vegan + gluten-free}

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Drink & Dish: Lemon Almond Meal Scones {with video}

Featured Here

Member Of…

Archives