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.
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.
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.
Cinnamon Rolls
Posted: March 6, 2017 Filed under: Breakfast Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: breakfast, cinnamon rolls, dairy-free, food, LID, low iodine diet, recipes, vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment
Day 12 of LID. I won’t lie, I am sick of being on this low iodine diet. It is easier, in a way, this time, but that doesn’t change the fact it is a soul-crusher.
I had some time to bake this morning and I used my Easy White Bread recipe to create these Cinnamon Rolls. I was really, really happy with the results. These are quite possibly the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made. They definitely lifted my spirits.
Cinnamon Rolls
For the dough:
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups flour, plus more for kneading
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
For filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 – 3 tablespoons Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread
For icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
enough water to make a thick, but pourable icing
Put the dough ingredients into a bread machine in the order given. The yeast should be the last ingredient going into the bread machine. Set the machine to the dough setting and press start. Let the machine do the mixing and kneading for you. Once the machine is finished, turn the dough out into an oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. The dough will probably be sticky. Knead the dough a couple of times, adding a little more flour to prevent sticking. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out evenly into a rectangle that is about 9 X 13 inches. Spread the Earth Balance spread evenly over the top of the rolled out dough. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and spread evenly over the Earth Balance spread. Starting at the shorter side, roll up the dough. Pinch the seam to close. Slice into 12 even slices. Spray a 9 X 9-inch square baking pan or a 9″ round cake pan with cooking spray and place the slices in the pan. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little water at a time until you get a thick, but pourable consistency. Drizzle evenly over the cinnamon rolls.
Baked Chicken Taquitos
Posted: February 26, 2017 Filed under: Appetizers & Snacks, Chicken Recipes, Crockpot Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Tex Mex/Mexican Recipes | Tags: chicken, crockpot, dairy-free, food, Gluten-free, LID, low iodine diet, recipes, taquitos Leave a comment
This is a recipe I posted on my other blog last night. I’m on a low iodine diet for 2 1/2 weeks to prepare my body for a tracer dose of radioactive iodine and a nuclear whole body scan to check for possible recurrence of thyroid cancer. I’m looking forward to a clear scan.
The thyroid is gland that absorbs iodine from one’s diet and uses it to make hormones that are used by the rest of the body. Certain types of thyroid cancers mimic healthy thyroid tissue and also absorb iodine. Because of that characteristic, certain thyroid cancers can be treated successfully with radioactive iodine. By eating a low iodine diet, the thyroid and certain thyroid cancers are starved of iodine. When the radioactive iodine is ingested, the thyroid/thyroid cancer tissues gobble up the iodine with radiation attached. In a large, therapeutic dose the thyroid/thyroid cancer tissue is killed. In lower, tracer doses it allows for a scan that shows where the radioactive iodine was taken up. They are able to see if there is a recurrence of thyroid cancer (or regrowth of healthy thyroid tissue).
On the low iodine diet (LID), you can not eat iodized salt, sea salt, dairy, egg yolks, soy (soy oil and soy lecithin are fine), seafood, sea products (seaweed, carrageenan), certain dough conditioners, and red dye #3 or any foods that contain these ingredients. You can only have 5 – 6 ounces of meat per day. This diet is a challenge, but each time I have to do it, it gets easier. Only 12 more days to go.
When I am on LID, I eat these Baked Chicken Taquitos with LID-safe salsa and avocado “cream” (avocado blended with lime juice and kosher salt until smooth).
If you are not on LID, you can add cheese to the chicken mixture. You can also add other ingredients such as roasted chile peppers, kale, spinach, etc…
These taquitos freeze really well, but they have to be reheated in the oven (or toaster oven) to maintain crispiness. They get soft and chewy when reheated in the microwave.
Baked Chicken Taquitos
1 whole chicken
kosher salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup salsa
corn tortillas
cooking spray
Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or on high for 3 -4 hour until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and let cool. Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones (unless you plan to make chicken stock.…in that case, reserve). Shred the chicken. You should have about 6 cups of shredded chicken meat.
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Add the ground cumin, garlic powder, and salsa to the shredded chicken. Season with more kosher salt and black pepper, if needed. Mix to combine.
Place 4 corn tortillas on a large microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds to soften tortillas. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on bottom third of the warmed corn tortilla. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Don’t roll too tight. Place the taquito on a baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used. You will have approximately 18 taquitos. Use two baking sheets if you need to. Spray the taquitos with cooking spray and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, turning after the 10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove the toothpick before serving.
Crockpot Chicken and White Bean Chili
Posted: February 16, 2017 Filed under: Beans, Lentils, & other Legumes, Chicken Recipes, Crockpot Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Soup & Stew Recipes, Tex Mex/Mexican Recipes | Tags: beans, chicken, chili, crockpot, dairy-free, food, Gluten-free, LID, low iodine diet, recipes 1 Comment
This is a nice change from a heavier, spicier beef chili. I like this dish a little more on the soupy side. If you like a thicker chili, add less chicken broth and definitely add the masa harina to help thicken. Serve the Crockpot Chicken and White Bean Chili with cornbread or fresh tortillas.
I think this could easily be made into a crockpot freezer meal. Add all of the ingredients except for the canned beans and masa harina to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze flat. You could make several at one time and have them on hand for easy crockpot meals. The day before cooking, place the frozen bag in the refrigerator to defrost. Place the defrosted contents of the bag in the crockpot with the drained canned white beans and cook 6 – 8 hours on low or 3 – 4 hours on high. Stir in the masa harina/water slurry 30 minutes before serving.
Crockpot Chicken and White Bean Chili
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, stems and seeds removed and finely chopped
1 4 ounce can roasted chopped green chiles, drained (or the equivalent of chiles you roasted yourself)
2 15.5 ounce cans white beans (Great Northern, Cannellini, Navy), drained
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons Masa Harina mixed with enough water to make a slurry
Possible toppings:
fresh cilantro, chopped
cheese, shredded (Monterrey jack, pepper jack are great options)
avocado, sliced
lime wedges
serranos, sliced
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, paprika, Mexican oregano, cayenne, and salt over the chicken. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, jalapenos, roasted chiles, white beans, corn, and chicken broth. Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or on high 3 -4 hours.
30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken breasts and shred with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot. Stir in the masa harina/water slurry and continue to cook 30 minutes until the chili is thickened.
Serve and let each person customize their toppings.
Chicken with Balsamic Blueberry Sauce
Posted: June 26, 2016 Filed under: Chicken Recipes, CSA, Fruit Recipes, Low Calorie Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID) | Tags: blueberries, chicken, food, fruit, recipes 1 Comment
One of the blueberry bushes in my yard is heavy with blueberries right now. Being a fan of savory fruit sauces, I used some of the fresh berries to make this dish for dinner tonight. It was really, really good. Served alongside some roasted fingerling potatoes, this was a meal worthy of a special occasion.
This recipe makes enough sauce for four generous servings. If you are cooking 2 chicken breasts, only use half of the sauce and save the remainder for another time. I think it would be excellent on salmon.
Chicken with Balsamic Blueberry Sauce
2 – 4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion (or favorite sweet onion)
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen should be a fine too)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (you may want to add an additional tablespoon of honey if your blueberries are not very sweet – taste the sauce and adjust as necessary)
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Place the seared breasts in a baking dish and place in the oven.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet the chicken was seared in (no need to clean it out). When the butter is melted, add the finely chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until softened and starting to caramelize. Add the blueberries and cook for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and honey. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.
Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken breasts and return them to the oven until cooked through, about 10 more minutes.
Serves 2 – 4.
Crockpot Pineapple Pulled Pork
Posted: June 10, 2016 Filed under: Crockpot Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten-free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Pork Recipes, Spice Mixes | Tags: crockpot, food, Gluten-free, pineapple, pork, recipes 5 Comments
It’s hard to believe I never used a crockpot until a few years ago. I was totally missing out. There are some things that are just so much easier to cook in the crockpot, meat being the first thing that comes to mind. It’s my go-to method when I need shredded chicken, beef, or pork.
I have been experimenting with different ways of preparing pork roast in the crockpot. This one turned out well. The pineapple juice made the meat even more tender and the sweetness complimented the flavor of the pork (I think pork need a little sweeness).
I pulled the pork and made sandwiches with it on Rosemary Focaccia and topped with Pickled Collards for crunch and acid and a drizzle of BBQ sauce. So good. It would have been better if I hadn’t totally mucked up the focaccia (I ran out of flour and subbed whole spelt flour….turned out very dense), but even good cooks mess up sometimes. It’s OK. Learn and move on.
Crockpot Pineapple Pulled Pork
1 4 – 5 pound Boston butt pork roast
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple with juices
Favorite dry rub (or use recipe below), about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat
Rub the pork roast with the dry rub. Layer the sliced onions on the bottom of the crockpot. Place the seasoned pork roast on top of the onions. Dump the pineapple and juices over the pork roast. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 5 hours. The meat should be very, very tender.
Remove the cooked pork from the crockpot, leaving much of the pineapple and onion. Remove any fat. Shred the pork with two forks.
Dry Rub
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients. This makes a perfect amount for a 4 – 5 pound roast.
Stewed Yellow Squash and Tomatoes
Posted: May 9, 2016 Filed under: CSA, Dairy-Free Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Side Dishes, Texas Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: food, LID, low iodine diet, recipes, side dishes, squash, vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment
This dish just screams, “summer!!” And it’s perfect for those summer months when you are overrun with squash.
You can make this with zucchini instead of yellow squash or with a combination of both. You can also use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, but you may need to add a little bit of water to the skillet with them.
Stewed Yellow Squash and Tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-size chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the squash is just tender (but not mushy), about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook one minute longer. Next, add the diced tomatoes and their juices. Lower the heat slightly and continue to cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has cooked out and the squash has reached the desired tenderness, approximately 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
Collard Greens Slaw (2 Ways)
Posted: May 3, 2016 Filed under: CSA, Low Calorie Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID), Salad Recipes, Side Dishes, Slaws, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: collard greens, CSA, food, recipes, slaw, vegan, vegetarian 1 Comment
Last week when I posted the Pickled Collard Greens recipe on my Facebook page, a friend of mine commented that she liked Collard Greens Slaw. I thought the idea of making slaw with collards was interesting, but didn’t get any details from her.
Today, I decided to try making slaw with collards. I had a couple of bunches of collard greens from my CSA in the fridge that I need to use. For the sake of experimentation, I made two different dressings, my basic coleslaw dressing and the dressing that I used on my Broccoli Salad. I mixed up a bowl of collards, red cabbage, carrot, and green onions. The combination of the green, purple, and orange colors is so beautiful! I divided the mixed veggies and dressed 1/2 with one dressing and half with the other dressing. Honestly, both resulting slaws were good. My husband preferred the vinegar-based slaw and I slightly favored the mayo-based slaw. I thought the slaws were best eaten the day they were made.
Collard Greens Slaw (2 Ways)
1/2 bunch collard greens, washed, dried, center rib removed, thinly sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, shredded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
dressing of your choice, recipes below
Combine the collards, red cabbage, carrot, and green onions in a large bowl. Add the dressing, tossing well to coat the veggies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Mayonnaise-Based Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
Vinegar-Based Dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
Recipes for Sustenance 