Strawberry Margaritas
Posted: February 17, 2020 Filed under: Alcoholic Beverages, Beverages, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: alcoholic drinks, cocktails, drinks, lime juice, margaritas, recipes, strawberries, tequila, triple sec 1 Comment
I do not enjoy icky-sweet cocktails. These Strawberry Margaritas are just right with no added sugar or gross margarita mix. You can easily double, triple, quadruple, etc… this recipe.
Strawberry Margaritas
1 1/2 ounces tequila
1 1/2 ounces triple sec
1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
ice
lime slices, to garnish (optional)
Blend the tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, frozen strawberries, and about 1/2 cup of ice (more or less, to taste) in a blender until smooth. Garnish with a lime slice.
Southeast Asian Cabbage Salad
Posted: August 9, 2019 Filed under: Asian Recipes, CSA, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Calorie Recipes, Salad Recipes, Side Dishes, Slaws, Vegetable Recipes | Tags: cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, food, recipes, salad, side dishes, Southeast Asian, vegetables Leave a comment
I love this salad! It’s something I make quite a bit. It’s fresh, crunchy, colorful, virtually fat-free, nutritious, and very flavorful. This salad keeps fairly well in the fridge for up to two days.
Southeast Asian Cabbage Salad
1 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 to 2 carrots, grated
1/2 to 1 cucumber, seeded, peeled, and chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 (or more) fresh chiles (I usually use jalapenos or serranos), seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
chopped roasted peanuts
Combine cabbage, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and chiles in a large bowl. Mix vinegar, sugar, garlic, and fish sauce together in a small bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture and toss well. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts right before serving.
Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs
Posted: April 21, 2019 Filed under: Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free Recipes | Tags: appetizers, bacon, deviled eggs, eggs, food, jalapenos, recipes 1 Comment
These Jalapeño Popper Deviled Eggs are so good. That’s all you need to know. Make them.
Jalapeño Popper Deviled Eggs
6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
3 slices of bacon, cooked
2 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1 – 2 tablespoon(s) mayonnaise
1 teaspoon brown mustard (or Dijon)
2 fresh jalapeños, 1 minced (remove seeds first), 1 sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Gently spoon the yolks out into a bowl and then mash them with a fork. Set the egg whites aside. Add the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, and mustard to the mashed egg yolks and mix well. If you would like a creamier consistency, add the additional tablespoon of mayonnaise. Crumble 2 slices of the bacon and fold into the yolk mixture. Add the minced jalapeño to the mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Break the last piece of bacon into 12 pieces. Garnish each deviled egg with a piece of bacon and a jalapeño slice.
Low Country Boil
Posted: December 28, 2018 Filed under: Gluten-free Recipes, Seafood & Fish Recipes | Tags: Beaufort Boil, butter, corn, food, Frogmore Stew, Georgia, Low Country, Low Country Boil, onions, potatoes, recipes, sausage, seafood, shrimp, South Carolina 3 Comments
Low Country Boil is a classic one-pot meal from the coastal region of South Carolina and Georgia (the Low Country). Also known as Frogmore Stew or Beaufort Boil, Low Country Boil is a simple, yet delicious meal that is a lot of fun to eat. This particular recipe serves about 4, but by increasing the quantity of ingredients, you can feed a crowd. You can even find Low Country Boil calculators online to determine the amount of ingredients you will need to feed a particular amount of people.
This is a basic recipe, but you can do your own thing. I have seen recipes that include crabs, crab legs, clams, green beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc… I added mushrooms to my Low Country Boil, as seen in the picture. Serve with crusty bread and cold beer.
Low Country Boil
1 gallon water
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges
2 pounds baby potatoes
1 sausage rope (about 14 ounces), cut into bite-size slices
4 ears corn, shucked, cleaned and cut into fourths
2 pounds fresh shelled shrimp
melted butter
cocktail sauce
Bring the water, lemon, Old Bay, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves to a boil. Add the onion and potatoes, return to a boil, and cook 10 minutes. Add the sausage and corn, return to a boil, and cook 10 more minutes. Check to see if potatoes are tender. If so, add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. If the potatoes are not tender, cook a few more minutes before adding the shrimp. Drain and serve on a large platter (or on newspaper in the middle of the table) with melted butter and cocktail sauce.
Hot Water Cornbread
Posted: August 1, 2018 Filed under: Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Quick Bread & Muffin Recipes, Side Dishes, Texas Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: cornbread, food, hot water cornbread, LID, low iodine diet, recipes, side dishes, Southern, vegan, vegetarian 5 Comments
This is another favorite from my childhood. It’s a Southern classic. My Dad used to add in shredded sharp cheddar cheese, minced onion, and minced jalapenos to his hot water cornbread mixture before frying. Experiment with the add-ins. The possibilities are endless. I like my hot water cornbread simple, plain. I’ve been known to dip mine in ketchup, but others like them drizzled with honey are maple syrup. They go great with a nice pot of pinto beans.
Hot Water Cornbread
2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 cups boiling water
oil for frying
Add about an inch of oil to a cast iron skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well. Let the mixture cool slightly. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape into patties by forming a ball with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of the mixture and then flattening it into a 1/2-inch patty with your fingers. Fry the patties in the hot oil in small batches, turning often until golden on both sides. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Shrimp Risotto
Posted: July 13, 2018 Filed under: Gluten-free Recipes, Seafood & Fish Recipes, Side Dishes | Tags: food, recipes, rice, risotto, seafood, shrimp, shrimp risotto 1 Comment
Risotto takes a little time, but is very easy to make (and hard to mess up) and it always seems to impress. You can add a variety of ingredients to a basic risotto recipe to create endless combinations. Shrimp is my favorite, but I also like mushroom, or a combination of fresh vegetables. It’s a great way to incorporate seasonal vegetables into your menu. Asparagus and baby peas in the spring. Corn, tomato, and zucchini in the summer. Wild mushrooms in the fall. Winter squash in winter. It’s all good.
Shrimp Risotto
1 cup arborio rice
1 pound shrimp
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced (or substitute 1 small onion, finely chopped)
½ cup dry white wine (or vegetable broth)
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons heavy cream (half and half will work too)
salt and pepper
Have the vegetable broth simmering in a pot close-by before you begin.
In a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add the arborio rice and sauté with the shallots, stirring often, until the rice starts to get some color, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the white wine (or vegetable broth) slowly, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Once the rice has absorbed the wine (or broth), add 1 cup of the vegetable broth, continuing to stir often. Continue to add the broth (about ½ cup at a time) as the rice absorbs the liquid and the pan becomes dry, until all the broth is absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes (the risotto will become creamy). About 3 to 4 minutes before the risotto is done (about the time you add the last bit of broth), add the shrimp and cook until pink. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Top each serving with additional Parmesan cheese.
Lentil Soup with Ham
Posted: December 28, 2017 Filed under: Beans, Lentils, & other Legumes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Pork Recipes, Soup & Stew Recipes, Uncategorized | Tags: comfort food, dairy-free, food, Gluten-free, ham, lentils, recipes, soup Leave a comment
I cooked a ham for Christmas dinner this year. When I cook ham, I usually buy a very small boneless ham because only two of us will eat it. This year I bought a bigger, semi-boneless ham. It was actually less expensive than a smaller ham, but now I have tons of leftover ham. I’ll freeze some and then get creative with the rest. This should be interesting. : )
Lentil Soup with Ham
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried lentils, picked over and rinsed
8 cups chicken(or vegetable) broth
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup of ham, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the dried lentils and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the diced ham and zucchini and cook until the lentils have reached the desired level of tenderness, 10 to 20 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Southern-Style Green Beans
Posted: December 28, 2017 Filed under: CSA, Gluten-free Recipes, Pork Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable Recipes | Tags: bacon, dairy-free, food, Gluten-free, green beans, recipes, side dishes, Southern, vegetables Leave a comment
I’m 45 years old and until recently have never really cooked green beans with bacon. I don’t generally think vegetables need meat (or extra fat) added to them, but maybe the years of living in the South have rubbed off on me because here I am adding bacon to my green beans and cooking them until they are super tender. They taste great this way and are a nice variation to the way I usually prepare green beans (toss them into some salted boiling water and cook about 10 minutes until they are crisp-tender).
Southern-Style Green Beans
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
2 cups water
1 bouillon cube (vegetable or chicken)
Cooked the chopped bacon in a pot until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Set the bacon aside. Add the green beans, water, and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and then cook for about 1 hour or until the green beans are very tender. Stir in the reserved bacon and serve.
Shrimp Laksa
Posted: October 9, 2017 Filed under: Asian Noodles, Asian Recipes, Asian Soups, Curries, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Seafood & Fish Recipes, Soup & Stew Recipes | Tags: Asian noodles, dairy-free, food, Gluten-free, laksa, recipes, shrimp, soup Leave a comment
Laksa is a spicy noodle soup that is popular in Singapore and Malaysia. There are a gabillion different variations of it. Some have a curry-coconut broth while others have a sour fish broth or tamarind-based broth. Laksa can be made with seafood, chicken, beef, and/or tofu. This particular Laksa recipe is one I came up with after scanning about 20 other Laksa recipes online. It’s not all that authentic, but it is quick, tasty, easy to prepare, and the ingredients can be found in most American grocery stores.
Shrimp Laksa
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced (or about 1 tablespoon of ginger paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon (or to taste) sambal olek (sriracha can be substituted)
4 cups broth (vegetable, chicken, shrimp, etc…)
1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 package rice vermicelli, cooked according to package directions
fish sauce, to taste
fresh cilantro
fresh lime wedges
chopped fresh chiles (optional)
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onion softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and sambal olek (or sriracha). Add the broth and bring to a boil.
As soon as the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat and add the shrimp and coconut milk. Let cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes. Season to taste with the fish sauce, about 1 tablespoon.
Divide the cooked rice noodles in bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges and chiles (optional).
Crockpot Tomatillo Chicken
Posted: August 25, 2017 Filed under: Chicken Recipes, Crockpot Recipes, Enchilada Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Calorie Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Tex Mex/Mexican Recipes | Tags: chicken, crockpot, enchiladas, food, Gluten-free, LID, low iodine diet, recipes, Tex-Mex, tomatillos Leave a comment
I stopped at a Hispanic market Friday night and bought a bag of minature tomatillos (Tomatillo Milpero) and some beautiful serranos. The Tomatillo Milpero were so cute. There was no noticeable taste difference compared to regular tomatillos.
I do like to cook in the crockpot in the summer to avoid heating up the kitchen. I based this recipe on my favorite Salsa Verde recipe. It’s great served with Cilantro Lime Rice and black beans.
I made enchiladas with the leftover chicken and sauce. They were fantastic too. To make the enchiladas: Spread a little of the leftover tomatillos sauce in the both of a baking dish. Shred the chicken and mix it with shredded cheese and a little of the tomatillo sauce. Divide the mixture between 8 warmed corn tortillas and place them in the baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining tomatillo sauce and bake in a 350º oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until bubbly and hot. You can sprinkle some shredded cheese on top the last 5 minutes or so of baking, if you would like.
You can complain about getting two different meals out of one.
Crockpot Tomatillo Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2.5 pounds)
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, cut in half (also remove the stem if still attached)
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 – 4 whole serranos, stems removed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and serranos in the crockpot. Season with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top of the tomatillo mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the chicken breasts.
Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or on high for 3 – 4 hours until the chicken is tender. Before serving, remove the chicken from the crockpot. Using a hand blender, puree the tomatillo mixture in the crockpot. Serve the tomatillo sauce over the chicken breasts.
Recipes for Sustenance 