Greek Salad

Workouts

I have a new love for Jillian Michaels' workouts.    I have been a fan of her 30 day shred because it is a quick (~25 minute) full body work out with three different levels.  Recently I discovered her iPhone app, Slim Down, which has two full workouts.  Each workout contains five circuits which have 4+ workouts in each circuit.  It took me about 45 minutes to do it one time through.  I did my first one on Monday and it was awesome!  I love being sore the next day and this has left me sore for two days now.  I plan on buying her Making the Cut book which has 30 days worth of these work outs.  I love variety so that would be a great option for me.  If you are bored with your current routine I highly suggest this option.

Around the House


The dog beds have always been an eye sore in our house.  It is so hard to find cute ones that are not really expensive.  I am always scoping out the dog section of Home Goods and finally hit the jack pot on Saturday.  I found TWO affordable beds that matched our bedroom decor!  I was thrilled!  Apparently, our four legged friends are quite fond of them too!

Tucker claimed the big bed immediately

Tini was fine with the smaller one

"Who needs a dog bed?  Tough dogs sleep on hard floors."  Jackson

Jackson is so loyal to Alex that he even lays outside the shower waiting for him

MTV


I have to laugh at Alex because he loves MTV, especially the Rob and Big show.  Does anyone watch MTV anymore?  I might have seen it a few times over the past few years for an episode of the Hills, when I was really bored.  Alex still watches music videos in the morning (yes, they do actually still have something to do with music).  He is definitely a dedicated fan.

Alex's parents had us over for dinner Saturday.  Dakin made some great grilled chicken and veggies with a sweet potato for a side.  I made this Greek salad to go along with all the other fresh veggies.  Plus, I had a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers that needed to be used.  This is a great light salad to add to any summer dish.

Greek Salad
Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

•   4 whole or 8 roma Ripe Tomatoes, Cut Into Six Wedges Each, Then Each Wedge Cut In Half
•   2 whole (large) Cucumber Cut Into Fourths Lengthwise, And Diced Into Large Chunks
•   ½ whole Red Onion, Sliced Very Thin
•   30 whole Pitted Kalamata Olives, Cut In Half Lengthwise
•   6 ounces, weight Crumbled Feta Cheese
•   ¼ cups Olive Oil
•  2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
•   1 teaspoon Sugar (more To Taste)
•   1 clove Garlic, Minced
•   6 whole Kalamata Olives (extra), Chopped Fine
•   ¼ teaspoons Salt
•   Freshly Ground Black Pepper
•   1 whole Lemon, For Squeezing

Directions:

Add tomato wedges, cucumber chunks, onion slices, halved Kalamata olives, and half the feta to a large bowl.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped olives in a bowl. Whisk together until combined. 

Pour dressing over salad ingredients, then add salt and pepper. Toss with tongs or clean hands. Just before serving, top with additional feta and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

Banana Nut Muffins

As many of you know I have a gluten intolerance.  I have done a lot of research about it and came across some interesting information.  Apparently we are seeing this diagnosis popping up more and more because of the amount of processed food we are consuming as a society.

When wheat is processed from its whole form a layer is removed in order to increase its shelf life.  This layer also contains enzymes our bodies need to help break down and digest the gluten.  Over time our bodies begin to show the signs and symptoms of a gluten intolerance when it is no longer able to handle the task of digesting it alone.

Having been gluten free for almost a year now I have felt great.  I found the modifications I needed for most foods I wanted to enjoy.  I feel that is has helped me lean more towards fruits and veggies then I did before.  It made me cut out foods that really didn't provide me with any nutritional value.

A few of my patients at work have told me about a place called Bread Beckers.  You can go there and buy any type of grain in its whole form unprocessed.  You then can mill it yourself and use for cooking, baking, etc.  I received a free copy of their CD describing their beliefs and the benefits of milling your own grains.

I decided to experiment with milling my own wheat.  If I did it myself, then the layer of wheat my body needs to digest the gluten would still be there.

Nervous that it may not work for me, I only bought two smaller buckets.  One soft white wheat which is better for baking and hard white wheat good for making bread.

This is the soft white wheat in its whole form.

I made two batches of muffins this weekend, apple cinnamon and banana nut.  They both taste great and I have not had any GI issues!!!!  

I am still being cautious and not going crazy with my bread consumption.  Besides, I like my more balanced diet of fruits and veggies.

I have yet to experiment with the bread yet because I am intimidated by the process.  I hope to tackle that fear sooner than later.  I know my bread loving picky husband will be on cloud 9 when the first batch of rolls come out of the oven.

I was nervous that this whole process was going to be super time consuming and tedious.  It wasn't.  We didn't even have to purchase a food mill.  We just bought the dry bucket for our VitaMix blender. (They should really start paying me for all the free advertising I am currently giving them!)  The other ingredients are probably already in your pantry.  Super cheap and super healthy way to consume yummy food!

  All ready to go...

All blended and ready for use just like normal flour.

The wheat in its whole form will last for forever.  It doesn't go bad.  However, once it is milled it must be used within a few days.

Banana Nut Muffins

Source:  Bread Beckers Recipe book

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups freshly milled flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2-3 mashed up bananas
• 1/4-1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together.  Add all wet ingredients and stir until mixed.  Spread additional olive oil in muffin tins to prevent it from sticking.  Fill each tin 3/4 of the way.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  (Our oven cooks super fast so 15 was plenty.)

Hoisin Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

 Yummy Hoisin Shrimp

Veggie Fried Rice

Where did the weekend go?  I didn't even have time to sit down and read some of my favorite blogs, let alone write one!

This is a two for one blog with a main dish and side.  The main dish was ridiculously easy so it hardly deserved a posting of its own.

Friday night we went to my in-laws house to have dinner.  Ashley my sister in law was in town for the end of the week.  We had the yummy fish tacos that I made about a month ago.  Susan did a much better job with the beans. We realized the trick was not draining and rising them like usual.

Saturday, I had lunch at Cans with two of my high school small group girls, Abby and Amanda.  They are amazing girls and I just love spending time with them.  Then I was off to Soda Salon to get my hair cut.

Saturday night we had family over because we just couldn't get enough of them on Friday!  We started the night by playing cornhole.  Nothing like a little fun competition.

Dinner was super easy to prep.  I got the shrimp on the skewers and brushed them down with Hoisin sauce.  Alex cut up the veggies for the stir fry. We cooked the rice before cornhole to allow it to cool.  Lastly, I prepped the roasted kale on a baking sheet and stuck it back in the fridge.

I loved the rice because you can modify it to you liking with any veggies you might have leftover from the week.  I might actually make this one more time, later in the week, with the addition of chicken.

If you like condiments then heat some of the hoisin sauce to serve on the side for dipping.

Hoisin Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of peeled and deveined shrimp
• Hoisin sauce (found on the ethnic aisle)
• Wooden skewers

Directions:

Heat broiler.

Place shrimp on wooden skewers.  Place skewers on a broiler proof pan.  Brush with hoisin sauce.  Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side.  

Vegetable Fried Rice

Source: adapted from www.showmethecurry.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice (I am sure any long grain rice would work)
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 egg well beaten
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Soy sauce and thai chili sauce to taste (Yum!)

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions (typically involving rinsing 2-3 times) in vegetable broth.  Allow time to cool.  

In a wok, or large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add carrots and onion.  Cook until onion is transparent.  Move veggies to side of pan and add egg.  Scramble until egg is cooked.  Mix the egg with the veggies.  Continue to cook the veggies until they are soft.  Add rice to pan.  Mix in soy sauce and vinegar.  Continue to cook until rice is heated.  

Serve, adding soy sauce and thai chili sauce to your liking.  

You can add other veggies or even meat to this dish.  Make it your own!

Cesar Salad Dressing

I love cesar salads!  I found this recipe, right after Alex and I got married, in a cook book I got at a shower from Williams-Sonoma.  In the beginning of our marriage I always tried new things and about 50% of the time they came out awful.  I am sure Alex thought this was going to go the same way.  Neither of us had ever made anything with anchovies.  When we made the first batch we were amazed at how delicious it was!  It set the bar high for getting cesar salads at restaurants.  As a matter of fact, I rarely order them out anymore because it just isn't as good.

I made this last night for a dinner at my friend Diana's house.  She hosted a girls night. I signed up for salad and decided to make old faithful.  She made stuffed peppers and cheese risotto.  I do not like peppers, but I loved the stuffing!  The risotto was awesome too.

Anchovies can be found by the canned tuna at your local grocery store.  They are not fun to handle so I just throw them in a bowl and mash them up without thinking about them too much.

We used to make the homemade croutons, but don't anymore now that I am gluten free.  I will include how to do it though.  If you like croutons I would definitely make these.  They are great and easy.

Serve over romaine lettuce.

My good friend Lauren recently posted a yummy looking recipe for using cesar dressing on tilapia.  You can find it here.

I doubled this recipe for ~8 people.

Cesar Salad Dressing
Source:  Williams-Sonoma Simple American Cooking
Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6-8 good quality anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Ground pepper

Chop the garlic and combine with the 1/2 cup olive oil in a blender.  Puree until smooth.  In a small bowl, using a fork, mash the anchovies until they form a paste.  Add to the oil and garlic in the blender along with the mustard, lemon juice, and yogurt.  Blend at a high speed until a smooth emulsion forms.  Add 2 tbsp. of parmesan cheese and blend again.  Season with a little salt if needed.  The anchovies should provide enough.  Add a little pepper.  

Croutons

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 slices of french or italian bread ~ 1/2 inch thick
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and discard.  Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes.  You should have approximately 2 cups.

In a large frying pan over low heat, warm the 3 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add the bread cubes and fry, stirring and tossing, until crisp and golden on all sides, 4-5 minutes.  Sprinkle the bread cubes with a little salt.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Set aside to cool. 

Cornbread

I finally broke down and bought a gluten free flour.  I have avoided baking since I have been gluten free because most recipes call for so many different flours that I do not have.  I was making veggie chili and craving some cornbread.  I found a recipe that looked pretty simple so I tried it out.  Alex and I thought it tasted better than the regular kind so don't be afraid to make it even if you are not gluten free.

I believe it is a sin in the south not to make your cornbread in a cast iron skillet.  If you have one, dust it off and pull it out, if you do not then it is time to invest in a kitchen tool you can pass on for generations to come!

It is so pretty outside right now that I just have to show you!

Nothing says chili and cornbread better than a cold day.  Hope you enjoy!

Source:  www.glutenfreemommy.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. of sugar (if you are from the south just go ahead and put three, you know cornbread is supposed to be sweet)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt) together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt the one tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 8/9 inch round baking pan in the oven.  This takes about three minutes.  Swirl the butter around the pan coating the bottom and sides.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and 1/4 cup butter.  Add this mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  Pour batter int o the hot skillet or baking pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm.  

Garlic Rice Pilaf

This was another side we had with the scallops and sauteed spinach.  I love garlic!  Being gluten free I also love rice as a carb side dish.  This recipe takes some time to make, but was well worth it and can be reheated for lunch the next day.  You can pop it in the oven and give yourself time to work on your main dish or get some stuff done around the house.  I am all about multi tasking!  

Source:  Annie's Eats Blog

Ingredients:  

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Have ready a covered casserole dish.  In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 30 minutes.  Remove and stir in squeezed lemon.  Cover and finish baking for 15 minutes.  

Sauteed Spinach

After a long day yesterday I just wanted a healthy home cooked meal, and that is exactly what I got.  My husband and I worked together in the kitchen to make this dinner come together.  I love cooking with him!  We had scallops, sauteed spinach, and garlic rice pilaf.  I will blog on the scallops and rice soon!

We always have fresh spinach in the refrigerator for salads.  I never make cooked spinach because Alex doesn't really enjoy the texture.  I was craving this yummy green stuff and not in the form of a salad so I sauteed it.  These are simple ingredients to keep on hand for a healthy side.

The flavor was awesome!  Alex tossed a little too much salt on it when it was finished, but it still made for a great side dish!  It sounds like a large amount of spinach to cook, but it cooks down to a small amount perfect for about 4 people.

Garlic Sauteed Spinach
Source:  Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (we used the normal stuff:))
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (could easily be left out to be dairy free)
• lemon

Directions:

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it is very clean.  Spin it dry in a salad spinner leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

In a very large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it is browned.  Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes.  Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.  Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt.  Serve hot.