Quinoa with sausage & fennel

I am making this amazing recipe for dinner tonight, and wanted to modify it for TJ.    It is called Ziti with Sausage, Onions, and Fennel, and it is a recipe that my husband's family has enjoyed for a long time.


Here's my version for TJ:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1 link of sweet sausage, removed from casing 
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked quinoa


Directions:
Heat oil in skillet.  Add in chopped fennel and cook until soft.  Add sausage, making sure that it cooks fully.  When sausage is cooked, mix with cooked quinoa and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Serve warm.

Spaghetti Time!!

My son can't have regular pasta, corn pasta, rice pasta or soy pasta.  So whenever we make spaghetti for ourselves, we make a special meal for him.

This is such a simple recipe!  Cut a spaghetti squash in half, put it in about an inch of water in the microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 minutes.  WHen it is tender (you may need a little longer depending on the size), scoop out all seeds and shred the strands into a bowl.

We usually melt some safe butter on top of it and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Viola!!!  Spaghetti for the allergic child.... and also a much lower carb version!

Chocolate Quinoa Cucpakes

Yes, I did snatch this from another blog, but I have to tell you that they are OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Even with changes, like using hemp milk and a mixture of baking soda instead of eggs, they are every bit as good as the author promises!!!

http://groovyfoody.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/best-chocolate-cupcakes-ever-made-with-quinoa-a-tasty-and-healthy-new-year/

Zucchini Pie

My mother-in-law's zucchini pie is out of this world, & when TJ saw her making one, he wanted it too. How could I make it "TJ-safe?" I wondered.  Well, here is OUR version.  Enjoy!

1 small zucchini, shredded
2 egg yolks, beaten well
1/2 cup hemp milk (more can be added, depends  how creamy you want it!)
1/4 cup quinoa flakes
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Line the bottom of a loaf pan with the cooked quinoa.  This will be your "crust."
Mix together all other ingredients, and pour on top of crust.  Be sure to get all of the extra milk & yolk into the pan.
Bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

TJ enjoying his zucchini pie (or "Keeny pie" as he calls it.)  And yes, he has no shirt on.  Happy Friday morning!! :)

TJ's Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 cup ground pork rinds (you can use bread crumbs instead, but TJ can't have them.)

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 cups ground beef

salt/pepper to taste

For the gravy:

1 can beef broth

4 mushrooms, sliced

arrowroot

Directions:

Combine all pork rinds, egg yolk, beef and salt & pepper; form into small meatballs. Place in small baking dish.

For the gravy:

Simmer all ingredients together, being sure to add arrowroot to thicken to desired thickness.

Pour gravy over meatballs. Bake at 400 for 1 hour.

Simple Soup!

I must admit that I was quite daring when I made this baby, but TJ is on his 3rd bowl, so that must say something!

Here's what I used:

1 cup chopped turnips

About 1 stalk (is that what you call it?) of fresh thyme and fresh oregano

1 1/2 tbsp ghee

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup chopped escarole

4 cups chicken broth

Sautee turnips in ghee until tender. Add mushrooms; continue cooking until all are tender. Add in thyme & oregano. Cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth. When soup comes to a boil, add in escarole. Cook 5 minutes.

Serve alone or with cooked quinoa.

Note:

Of course you can add much more to this dish- like garlic & onions. We left it out because TJ is allergic to both. I felt that the soup was pretty strongly flavored w/o though. Enjoy!

Cupcakes

Tj-safe cupcakes made using Cherrybrook Kitchen vanilla cake mix, drizzled with Enjoy Life chocolate chips and sprinkled with Let's Do It Sprinklez. (I melted the chips and drizzled them on the cupcakes. The one in the center was my attempt at making it look like frosting.

*Note: the batter was a bit thick, so I added some extra water and a little bit of Silk Vanilla Coconut Milk. The cupcakes were good, a little too moist for my taste though- I cooked them from 20 minutes. Next time I will add all coconut milk (no water to thin) and cook a few minutes longer.

Even with the flaws, TJ loved them (and so did the adults that ate them too!)