Hello Everyone

I have been working non-stop to create a recipe section for my blog. It has been a long process but for now I am done. I am a woman on a journey to improve my health by eating clean, simple, gluten-free and dairy-free food. I am not a recipe creator. I often get inspired by recipes I can not use and I recreate them. Sometimes I develop recipes from scratch. Either way when they are good I will share them on my blog. 

I am happy to post a recipe you have developed and love so feel free to let me know.

Thank you for your patience and know starting next week I will be posting educational article etc again.

Marian's Gluten-Free Turkey Loaf

I created this recipe when we were on a cleanse and could not use bread or eggs. We liked it so much we have continued to use it. I now add different sauces to elevate the flavor and add variety. 

• Serves	Cook Time	Total Time	Prep Time
  6	45 minutes	1 hour	15 minutes

• Ingredients 

  1 lb ground turkey or beef
  ½ medium onion, chopped
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  1 tbsp olive oil
  1 cup spinach, washed and drained
  ½ cup cook squash (if available)
  1/8 cup coconut milk
  ¼ tsp onion flakes
  1 tsp parsley
  ¼ tsp garlic powder
  ¼ tsp oregano
  salt and pepper to taste
   
• Optional:
  gluten-free BBQ sauce such as Robbies
  gluten-free Marina Sauce

• Instructions 

  1. Pre- heat oven 350
  2. In a sauté pan, sauté onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another 4 minutes
  3. Put turkey in a bowl and add coconut milk, sautéed vegetables and all herbs and optional sauces. Add salt and pepper. Mix together until everything is incorporated.
  4. Put mixture in a glass pan and shape like a meatloaf.
  5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Lemon Chicken: Gluten-Free

Quick and easy. This simple recipe is always a welcome sight on the dinner table. It goes great with brown rice or mashed potatoes and any vegetable, 

• Serves	Cook Time	Total Time	Prep Time
  4	15 minutes	20 minutes	5 minutes

• Ingredients 

  4 chicken breasts or tenders.
  1 tbsp olive oil
  juice from 1 lemon
  organic garlic powder to taste                                                                                               black pepper to taste
  salt to taste
  

• Instructions

  1. Put oil in pan and heat
  2. Sprinkle garlic powder and lemon juice on chicken. Place sprinkled side face down in pan.
  3. For tenders turn after 4 minutes, breasts after 7 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle more garlic powder and lemon juice on chicken and cook until done.
  5. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I really enjoy creating soups. My Butternut Squash soup has been revamped many times over the years. This current recipe is delightful light with only a hit of curry spices. It can be made as a vegan soup also.

• Serves	Cook Time	Total Time	Prep Time
  6	30 minutes	55 minutes	25 minutes

• Ingredients 

  1 2 pound butternut squash
  1 tablespoon butter substitute such as coconut oil
  1 medium onion, finely chopped
  1 teaspoon curry powder
  1 large apple, chopped
  16 oz of veggie or chicken broth or water ( if you use water you may need to add salt and pepper )
  1 cup water
  ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  ½ cup coconut milk/ coconut cream

• Instructions 

  1. Peel butternut squash and chop into small pieces. Remove fiber and seeds
  2. In 5 quart saucepan, melt coconut oil. Add onion, curry. Cook until onion is transparent. Add squash chucks, apple water or broth, water, all spices.
  3. Heat mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30-35 minutes or squash is tender. Cooking time depends on the size of the squash chucks
  4. When squash is tender: Use food processor or blender, and blend or process squash and coconut milk/cream. Do ½ a time, if necessary.

• Marian's Personal Notes

  1. Play with the spices. I usually do not measure so it varies a little each time. 
  2. I make chicken bone broth so I use my homemade bone broth in this recipe. It really elevates the taste.

Pesto Genovese

Since my husband can not eat tomato sauce any longer, I had to come up with a dairy-free version of a sauce he would enjoy. I grow my own herbs so basil was the way to start. I have since created a frozen green pea and mint recipe also. 

Recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free (option), soy-free

• Serves	Total Time	Prep Time
  6-8	15 minutes	15 minutes

• Ingredients 

   2 cups basil (remove stems)
  1/2 cup of organic olive oil
  2 tbsp of nuts such as (pine nuts, cashew and or pecans)
  2 cloves of garlic
  salt to taste
  2 tbsp of softened butter alternative
  2 tbsp of goat/sheep cheese Romano (optional)

• Instructions  

  1. .In a blender place the following ingredients in this order:
  2. Basil packed into the bottom of blender, nuts, and garlic.
  3. Turn on blender and pulse while adding olive oil through the opening on the top cover.
  4. If the ingredients get dry you can add a tbsp or water to loosen it up. 
  5. Put the pesto mix in a bowl.
  6.  Add cheese and butter alternative then blend by hand
  7. Set aside
  8. Use either 1 tbsp pasta hot water or 1 tbsp of heated water and add to pesto. Stir
  9. This will yield enough for 1 pound of pasta

• Marian's Personal Touches

  1. I purchase sheep cheese Romano from Trader Joes
  2. I also like to grate a hard goat cheese such as Gouda to replace the Romano. 
  3. For a dairy-free version omit the cheese and use a little more garlic.
  4. You can use butter alternatives such as Earth Balance, coconut butter.
  5. I suggest using a powerful blender such as Vita MIx, Nutri Bullet, or Blendtec. 
  6. I use pesto on many foods such as pasta, rice, salmon and salads.

Marian's Gluten-Free Apple Pie

I have been making apple pie since I first stepped into the kitchen to bake. Over the years, I have tweaked it many time. I now use gluten-free pie crust to accommodate my families GF needs. 

• Serves	Cook Time	Total Time	Prep Time
  6-8	1 hour	1 hr 15 minutes	15 minutes

• Ingredients 

    gluten-free pie crust (see notes)
    8 cups of peeled, and chopped / sliced apples (see notes)
    2 tbsp of Earth Balance or coconut oil/butter
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (Trader Joe's or King Arthur's)
    1/2 - 1 tsp of cinnamon depending on taste
    1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
     salt to taste
  

• Instructions 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, GF flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  3. Add apples.
  4. Place in prepared pie crust.
  5. Dab Earth Balance or butter alternative around the pie and then place the top crust on the pie. Seal the edges of the crust and put 4 slits on the top of the pie.
  6. Use 2 inch strips of aluminum foil to cover the edges of the crust to prevent it from burning. Remove the foil about 40 minutes into the baking process.
  7. Bake pie from 50 minute - 1 hour. Make sure the apples are bubbling hot.
  8. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

• Marian's Personal Touches

  1. You can replace the flour mix with 1/4 cup of white rice flour and 2 tbsp of potato/tapioca starch (not flour)
  
  2. I usually make gluten-free pie crust from scratch. My favorite pie crust recipe has been adapted from Gluten-Free Girl. (http://glutenfreegirl.com/2009/11/gluten-free-pie-crust/) You can also use a GF pie crust mix such as Pamela's or purchase a pre- made frozen one.
  
  
  Photo image: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/2852/ask-chef-mom-apple-pie-basicshoto

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic

This recipe is as simple as it gets and tastes wonderful. It has been passed down through the family. I hope your family enjoys it as much.

• Serves	Cook Time	Total Time	Prep Time
  6	20 minutes	25 minutes	5 minutes

• Ingredients 

        green beans
        2 cloves fresh minced garlic
        cherry tomatoes
        1-2 tbsp olive oil
        salt to taste

• Instructions 

  1. Clean and snap green beans
  2. Place green beans in a vegetable steamer and steam until until al dente.
  3. While the green beans are steaming, cut cherry tomatoes in half. Heat a saute
  4. pan. When the pan is hot pour in olive oil.
  5.  Add garlic to pan and allow it to brown for 2 minutes and then add the cherry tomatoes. Remove from the heat as soon as tomatoes begin to heat .
  6. When green beans are al dente remove from heat and add to pan. Stir quickly and then transfer to bowl.

• Marian's Personal Touches

  I like to place the cook green beans in a bowl of ice water in order to stop the cooking process. It allows the green beans to maintain their lovely color. Remove the green beans from the water soon after placing in them in ice bath.