Roasted Fingerling Potato and Tomato Salad with Feta & Green Beans

When I called my mother yesterday, she told me about this amazing side dish with roasted fingerling potatoes and feta that she had made the night before.  I decided I wanted to make it and headed out to The Fresh Market to pick up everything I needed for dinner. 

Before I picked up my daughters from school, I put together a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and coarse ground black pepper.

My favorite fingerling potatoes are the Russian Banana variety.  I purchase them at The Fresh Market or Whole Food. 

After washing them and coating them with olive oil and kosher salt, I roasted them face down on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Roasted potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes to serve with steak. I turned a couple of potatoes over so you could see how nice and crispy they got on the side that was face down. 

I used my favorite olive oil in this recipe -- 365 Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Whole Foods.  I like that it has a really mild flavor that doesn't overpower what I am cooking.  I use white balsamic vinegar because it doesn't change the color of your food. 

My daughters are addicted to feta cheese.  I knew they would like this recipe because it would give them an excuse to ask for more and more feta. 

I purchased my green beans from The Fresh Market.  Looking to make my dinner easy, I bought steam in the bag beans from the produce section.  My mom used grape tomatoes, but I decided to use a bag of San Marzano tomatoes. 

My whole family really loved this recipe. There were no grumbles from my daughters and my husband told me multiple times how much he liked it.

Roasted Fingerling Potato and Tomato Salad with Feta & Green Beans

Ingredients

10 fresh basil leaves -- chopped
3 T extra virgin olive oil + more for roasting the tomatoes
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 T white balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves -- smashed
1 package of fingerling potatoes -- 1 1/2 pounds
kosher salt -- about 4 pinches
1 small container of grape or San Marzano tomatoes
1 package of fresh steam in the bag green beans -- not frozen
Feta cheese crumbles -- to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the basil, 2 T of olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper.  Whisk your dressing and set it aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash and dry your potatoes before cutting them in half length-wise.  In a large bowl, toss them with 1 T of olive oil and 2 pinches of kosher salt.   Place them face down on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 25 minutes until golden brown.  Do not turn them.

While the potatoes are cooking, wash and dry your tomatoes.  Place them in a small bowl and toss them with just enough olive oil to coat them.  Add a pinch of kosher salt and toss them again.  Place them on a small baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.  When your potatoes are cooked, put the tomatoes in the oven to roast for 5 minutes.

While your tomatoes are roasting, cook your green beans according to package directions, using the minimum suggested time for the wattage of your microwave.

Place your potatoes, tomatoes, and green beans in a large serving bowl.  Add the dressing (garlic removed), a pinch of salt, and feta cheese to taste.  Gently stir to combine.  Serve warm.


This recipe was inspired by a Bobby Flay recipe for Grilled Fingerling Potato Salad with Feta, Green Beans, and Olives.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

I have patiently waited 5 years to attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP). My twins were only three years old when we moved to Orlando, and I did not want to take them to this special ticketed event until I thought they could stay up late enough and actually enjoy the festivities.  My girls did such a great job with the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom this summer, I decided this was the year to finally attend MNSSHP for the first time.  

We entertained ourselves taking selfies in the car on the drive to Walt Disney World.  I wore my cat ears and a black dress for MNSSHP.  I forced my girls to wear costumes, so I thought I should join in too.  MNSSHP starts at 7PM and ends at midnight, but you can use your ticket to get into the Magic Kingdom at 4PM.  We paid $62/adult and $57/child to attend the party.  On select nights, you can receive a military, DVC (Disney Vacation Club), or Annual Passholder Discount, but not the Friday night we chose to go. 

We used our MNSSHP ticket to get into the Magic Kingdom around 5:00 and headed straight to Columbia Harbour House for dinner.  This is the first time I have seen the new special diets menu.  I could choose from Amy's Mac & Cheese, Allergy Chicken Tenders, Grilled Salmon, or the Garden Harvest Salad with Chicken. I hope in the future that all Disney restaurants will have menus like this! 

When I go to Columbia Harbour House, I have to get the gluten free chicken tenders.  I have been enjoying this meal at the Magic Kingdom for the last 5 years.  I remember when they used to bake them for me and it took about 20 minutes to prepare.  Now, they are made in a dedicated fryer and only take an extra 5 minutes.  The chicken tenders and fries are also dairy, soy, and egg free.  They are the same price as the adult chicken nuggets we ordered for our daughters.  They had 8 nuggets compared to my 5 chicken tenders, but my gluten free chicken tenders were bigger.  I also ordered an OMG...It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownie.  I was a happy camper eating my delicious gluten free chicken tenders, fries, and brownie! 

After dinner, we headed over to the Haunted Mansion.  It has become a tradition to take a picture of my girls with the Haunted Mansion twins.  Only one of mine was cooperating with the frownie face I asked for.  Many of the cast members at the Haunted Mansion had on special make-up for MNSSHP. 

The only other attraction we rode before MNSSHP was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  I was hoping to ride it in the dark, but we were too busy trick-or-treating and watching the parade and fireworks.

I had to visit one of our favorite photo spots at the Magic Kingdom, the sleigh in front of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. 

After hitting some trick-or-treat locations and the trick-or-treat trails, we stopped in at Gaston's Tavern for some LeFou's Brew, which is gluten free and dairy free. 

Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade was so much fun!  We managed to snag some chairs at the top of the train station on Main Street to watch the parade and fireworks.  The parade starts off with the Headless Horseman, and he is amazing!!!  I was bummed I did not get a good picture of him!  

After the Celebrate the Magic show on Cinderella's Castle, the Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular started.  The fireworks rivaled Disney's 4th of July Concert in the Sky.  The music and the fireworks were amazing! I was shocked at how empty the park was at the point. 

There were long lines at City Hall on Main Street U.S.A. for most of the evening, but right before the fireworks started, I stopped in to ask about gluten free candy.  They provided me with a small bag of chocolate bats and pumpkins from Vermont Chocolates.  I was really impressed by the quality of the chocolate.  My daughters and I thought they were delicious!  

Here's a picture of the candy I received while trick-or-treating around the park.  Some of them appear on gluten free candy lists -- M&M's plain and peanut (I ate the peanut ones during the parade), Snickers, Laffy Taffy, Butterfinger, and Tootsie Rolls.  I was sad to see that the Peeps had a  "may contain wheat" statement on the package. 

So, is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party worth it?  Absolutely!  I have been to the Christmas party twice, and this is by far the better event.  We loved the decorations, trick-or-treating, the parade, and the fireworks.  This is an event that should not be missed if you are in Orlando in September or October. 

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

There is a really good reason why I don't meal plan.  I want to eat what I am in the mood to eat on any given day, and meal planning puts a damper on that.  Plus, now that I am not teaching anymore, I have the flexibility and time to go grocery shopping every day.  Yesterday, I was going to make my quick cook chicken soup with beer bread or cornbread, but my daughters had been begging for pasta all week.  I knew I had to use the 2 chicken breasts I had in my fridge, so I put together this pasta dish, never having made pasta with a white sauce before.  I looked at some recipes online, became frustrated, and decided to wing it.  The result was pretty darn good, if I don't say so myself.  :-)

I cut my chicken breasts into small pieces, and sauteed them with garlic, olive oil, and  a generous amount of kosher salt. 

Homemade Granola

When I need a quick and easy breakfast, I love to eat yogurt with a 1/2 cup of homemade granola.  

It is easy to make, and can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.  

I bake it right on my non-stick USA Pans jellyroll pan. I love all the products I have purchased from USA Pans, which are made in my hometown of Pittsburgh. 

My husband eats it in the morning like cereal, topped with milk and fruit.  He says it is better than any cereal he can buy at the store.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

3 C gluten free oats (I use Trader Joe's Gluten Free Rolled Oats)

1 1/2 C pumpkin seeds/pepitas (raw/unsalted) or 1/2 cup each of pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, and slivered almonds (all raw/unsalted)

1/3 C organic canola oil or another neutral flavor oil like grapeseed oil 

1/2 C maple syrup or honey (I use 1/4 cup of each)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread the granola evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. 

Bake for 28 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown. 

When the granola is finished baking, stir it, and allow it to cool on the pan.  Continue to stir the granola every 3-5 minutes to break it apart as it hardens and cools.  Store it in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Recipe Notes

If you decide to use olive oil, use a very mild olive oil, not extra virgin, or the taste will be too strong.

I also love to eat granola on top of smoothie bowls.  You can view my smoothie bowl recipes here.  

Optional - Dried fruit can be added after the granola cools.  

I purchase all of my certified gluten free nuts, seeds, and dried fruit from nuts.com.

Spinach & Feta Quinoa Burgers

I really can't believe that I am writing a post about quinoa burgers.  This recipe is not something I would normally consider making, but a friend of mine, who is an excellent cook, told me that the teenagers in her house get super excited when she makes quinoa burgers.  Because I have always loved everything Arlene cooks, I asked her for the recipe.  My first attempt, I deviated slightly from her recipe, changing green onion to sweet onion, and cooking the onion and garlic before adding them to the burgers.  I liked them, but didn't love them.  Tonight was attempt number two.  This time, I made my burgers smaller,cooked the spinach, and added an extra egg.  The result was spinach & feta quinoa burger perfection! 

I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quinoa.  I boil 2 cups of water in a small pot, add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa, stirring it and bringing it back to a boil before reducing it to low heat.  I then cover the pot and cook it for about 12-14 minutes.  When the water is absorbed, I remove it from the heat, fluff it, and let it sit for about 15 minutes with the lid on. 

I used my new favorite bread crumbs in this recipe -- The Fresh Market Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

Make sure there is a good amount of olive oil on the bottom of your pan so your quinoa burgers don't stick. 

I couldn't wait to try them at this point! 

 

Tonight, I served my quinoa burgers with an avocado and papaya salad -- 1 papaya, 3 avocados, the juice of one lime, 2 T extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of kosher salt.  Stir gently to combine.  

Ingredients

1 C of uncooked quinoa

1 tsp olive oil + more for frying the burgers

1 C of sweet onion -- chopped

2 cloves of garlic -- minced

2 C of fresh baby spinach -- chopped

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Herbamare seasoning

4 large eggs -- beaten

1 C gluten free breadcrumbs

1/3 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/3 C feta crumbles

Directions

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer and cook it according to package directions.  Put it in a large bowl to cool.  

Cook the onion in 1 tsp of olive oil in a stainless steel frying pan on medium heat.  When the onion has begun to soften and brown, take the pan off the heat and add the garlic and spinach.  Stir until the spinach begins to wilt, then add your vegetable mixture to the quinoa bowl.  Allow the quinoa mixture to cool to room temperature before adding the salt, pepper, Herbamare, eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan/Romano, and feta.  Stir well to combine, then form 8 patties.  

Clean your frying pan, add enough oil to coat the bottom, and turn your burner to medium heat.  When your pan has heated up, add 4 quinoa burgers, cooking them for about 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.  Add more oil to your pan and cook the remaining 4 burgers.

Recipe Notes

If you are not sure what Herbamare is, check out my post on Gluten Free Szechuan Wings. You can purchase this seasoning at Whole Foods. 

Thank you Arlene for a great recipe, and inspiring me to try new things!  

Linked to: Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Gluten Free Szechuan Wings

If you like spicy food and chicken wings, you will love this recipe.  I first tried this dish at our school's International Student Dinner.  I liked it so much, I asked my friend Arlene for the recipe. Thankfully, she said I could share it with you.  I added a little honey to the recipe because I like my wings to be spicy and sweet.  

I purchased this bottle of San-J Gluten Free Szechuan Hot & Spicy Marinade at Whole Foods.  The bottle suggests shaking it before using. 

When I bought wings in bulk at Costco, I had no clue what I was getting myself into.  All you could see through the packaging was what I think of when I picture chicken wings.  I detest touching raw chicken and now I was confronted with the challenge of cutting up these funky chicken wings with all of their pieces parts! I gave up after trying to cut them with a knife.  Later on, I had the idea to use my kitchen shears, which worked beautifully.  Phew!

In the end, I had nicely separated wings and drumettes, and I learned something new.  This dish was a little too spicy for my daughters, but my husband and I loved our dinner!  

Szechuan Wings

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds of chicken wings

1/2 C gluten free Szechuan sauce

1 lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons of honey

3 cloves of garlic -- minced

Herbamare seasoning, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper -- to taste

Directions

Combine the Szechuan Sauce, juice of one lemon, honey, and garlic in a large glass baking dish.  Add the wings and sprinkle with herbamare, salt, and pepper.  Turn the wings around in the marinade before putting them in the refrigerator.  Marinate the wings for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 4 hours, turning them about half way through.  

Remove the wings from the refrigerator and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the wings for 25 minutes, then turn them over to cook for another 20 minutes.  Switch your oven to broil, brown the top of the wings, turn them, then brown the other side.  Watch the wings closely to make sure they don't burn. They will only need to be under the broiler for about 3 minutes on each side.  

I had no clue what Herbamare was until I went shopping to make this recipe.  I found it in the herb and spice section at Whole Foods.  Herbamare is an Asian blend of sea salt, eggplant, leek, zucchini, carrots, lemon, onions, chives, parsley, curry, chili, garlic, fennel, bay leaves, and kelp!  The container I purchased says it is gluten and MSG free, non GMO, and organic.  

Gluten Free Baked Pasta

For dinner last night, I made baked rigatoni.  This dish was inspired by my mom's baked orecchiette.  My daughters love orecchiette, or as they like to call it, hat pasta, but I have not found a gluten free version of this noodle. 

My favorite gluten free pasta is BiAglut.  In my opinion, this pasta is as close as it gets to wheat-filled pasta.  It is made in Italy, but the company is owned by Heinz.  I was first introduced to it by the owner of the Gluten Free Zone during a trip back home to Pittsburgh.  I have asked him what his favorite pasta is twice in the last year, and both times, he told me BiAglut.  It is not available for purchase anywhere in Orlando, so I buy it in bulk from amazon or vitacost.com.  BiAglut Rigatoni is gluten, milk, and egg free.  It contains cornstarch, potato flour, lupin flour, lupin proteins, and mono and diglycerides (emulsifier).  It is not recommended for individuals with peanut allergies because they might react to the lupin flour and lupin proteins. 

Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries

One of my favorite fall side dishes is Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries.  My husband and I decided to have this for our main course tonight after eating a large lunch at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  

When I was at Publix this week, I saw these adorable Sweet Dumpling Squash.  They are shaped exactly like acorn squash, and taste-wise, I can't tell the difference.  

The hardest part of this recipe is trying to cut the squash in half to get them ready for roasting. 

The inspiration for this dish comes from a recipe for Acorn Squash with Apples from a Penzys Spices catalog.  

This recipe gave me the chance to use my certified gluten free cranberries from Nuts.com.  I buy all of my dried fruits, nuts, and seeds from them now so I don't have to worry about cross-contamination.  

Eating squash filled with apples, cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg made this feel like a fall day, even though our temperatures are still in the high 80s.  

I stuff as much apple mixture in and on top of my squash as I can.  

I usually serve my acorn squash with pork chops or pork tenderloin.  It would also be an excellent side dish for a roasted or rotisserie chicken, or with turkey on Thanksgiving.

Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries

Ingredients

2 medium or 3 small acorn or sweet dumpling squash
1/2 C (one stick) butter - divided in half and melted in 2 separate bowls
1/4 C light or dark brown sugar
2 tart apples - peeled, cored, and chopped (we use Granny Smith)
1/4 C + 1T dried cranberries
2 tsp minced orange peel  or 2 T of fresh orange zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.    Cut your squash in half, remove the seeds, and place them face down on your pan.  Bake them for 40 minutes.

Combine 1/4 C of melted butter with the brown sugar, stirring well.  In a separate bowl, combine the other 1/4 C of melted butter with the apples, cranberries, orange peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

When your squash are finished baking, turn them over, prick the flesh all over with a fork, then brush on the butter/brown sugar mixture, pouring any extra into the squash halves.  Fill each squash with the apple mixture before baking for an additional 30 minutes.

Individual Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cakes

Several times over the past year, I have made an Eat Live Paleo recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cake.  I made some changes to the recipe to sweeten it up so it didn't need a side of ice cream, and wrote a blog post about it back in August.  I am always looking to improve the recipes I make, and I had some inspiration for this one while I was out walking this morning. 

I thought the cake might cook better in small portions, and I am always looking for an excuse to use my Polish pottery muffin pans.  Plus, portion control is always a good thing.  :-)

I recently purchased Guittard Semisweet and Milk Chocolate Chips at The Fresh Market to use in this recipe. They are made in a peanut and gluten free facility. 

I weighed the chocolate in my double boiler before putting it on the stove. 

The amount of batter was perfect for making 12 individual chocolate cakes. 

You will know they are done when they are puffed up and firm to the touch.  My daughters beg me to make these cakes on a regular basis.  They love to take them to school for a lunch treat.  

Individual Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cakes

Ingredients

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

5 ounces milk chocolate

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter -- room temperature

1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

4 large eggs

1 T cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.

In a mixer, cream the butter before adding the bananas, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.  Slowly add the melted chocolate and continue to beat the mixture until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Add the batter to your muffin pan and bake for about 22 minutes, until set.  Allow the cakes to cool before removing them.  

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  These cakes are best served at room temperature or right out of the fridge. 

This recipe makes 12 cakes.  

Recipe Notes

Sometimes I put the wire whisk on my KitchenAid stand mixer for the final mix to better incorporate the ingredients.

I use Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon from Penzys Spices.  It's described as extremely strong, flavorful and sweet.  

We like these cakes served cold, right out of the refrigerator.

Optional -- Use salted butter and decrease salt to 1/4 teaspoon.  I had to do this once when I was out of unsalted butter.  

Calories -- Each cake has about 235 calories with the ingredients I use.  

Linked to: Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday