Turkey & Spaghetti Squash

Mamma mia!  Almost like real spaghetti and meatballs. 






Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of salsa
4 oz of turkey
1/2 bell pepper
1/2 onions
1 carrot
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
savoury
paprika
3 tsp of olive oil

Instructions:
Pierce multiple holes in the squash.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Saute onions until browned in olive oil and garlic. 
Add finely cut carrot, bell peppers and hot water, as the hot water boils off it will cook the carrots.
Add tomato paste, savoury and paprika.
Add diced turkey.
Add salsa and tomato.  I add salsa for an extra kick of flavour, you could easily add some jarred pasta sauce.

When squash is done, remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.
Cut squash in two.
Remove the seeds and softened middle.
Use a fork to tine the edges and remaining squash, it will break apart into spaghetti like strands.
Place squash on plate and top with turkey mixture.

Much Improved Muffins

You can't really tell the difference by looking at them from the Medicore Muffins but there is a world of difference in the taste.

A little bit of canola oil, some bananas, raisins and rice milk gives them actual taste!




Ingredients:
1 package of gluten free muffin mix
2 eggs
1/2 of pure applesauce, i.e., boiled apples with no added sugar
1/4 canola oil
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup of raisins
1 cup of rice milk
1/2 cup of potato starch

Instructions:
Mix the applesauce, canola oil, rice milk & eggs with a blender.
Blend the mashed bananas into the mixture. 
Slowly add flour mixture and stir.
Use a spoon to fold raisins into mixture. 
Spoon into cupcake pan, I made 24 regular and 24 mini sized ones.
Bake at 350 for 17-22 minutes.

Tip: Use bananas that are starting to go bad, they are already soft and it makes them easier to mash.  

Garlic Roast Chicken

My first time cooking an actual whole chicken and it was absolutely delicious.





Ingredients:
Whole chicken
1 1/2 potato for each person
assorted vegetables, I used a frozen Thai mix
2 cloves garlic
paprika
black pepper
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup of diced onions 

Instructions:
Remove skin from chicken.
Crush garlic, mix with olive oil, paprika, black pepper.
Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
Place in covered pan and bake at 350.  You can google how long to bake based upon the weight of your particular chicken.

Bake potatoes in microwave.  In my microwave it take approximately 11 for 3 medium sized potatoes.

60 minutes before the chicken is cooked, add onions to pan.
40 minutes before the chicken is cooked, quarter potatoes and add them to the pan.
30 minutes before the chicken is cooked, prepare frozen vegetables according to the directions on the bag.  
20 minutes before the chicken is cooked, turn potatoes over and remove cover from pan.

Tip: You can leave the skin on but removing it is an easy way to cut calories. 

Apple Raisin Pudding

No picture!  I made this at my parents house and didn't have my camera.

Ingredients:
6 apples, preferably just picked from a grandma's tree:)
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 corn startch
water  (preboil in kettle)
splenda or other sweetener to taste

Instructions:
Peel and slice apples.
Place in saucepan.
Add enough boiled water to cover apples.
Stir frequently.
Boil apples to preferred consistency.   I like them with a little bit of resistance, not mushy.
Add raisins, continue to stir.
Add cornstarch to 1/2 cup of boiling water. 
Mix well, add to apples & raisins.

Tip: I'm sure this tastes excellent with yogurt or even ice cream!  I miss dairy. 

Warm Spinach Salad & Those Tasty Homemade Chips

The mixture of cool spinach and warm vegetables is a wonderful way to add some extra ordinary to an ordinary meal. 





Ingredients:
turkey
spinach
bell pepper
potato
tomato
olive oil
garlic, paprika, tumeric

Instructions:

Potatoes: 
Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake in microwave.
When the potatoes are done, remove from microwave and let stand for 5 minutes.
Slice the potatoes and brush with olive oil.  Broil in the oven, turning when browned.

Salad:
Sauté the onions in olive oil until browned.
Add green peppers and tomato. 
Add the chopped turkey and spices, continue to stir occasionally.
Spoon mixture onto a bed of baby leaf spinach. 

Tip: Don't fully cook the green peppers, just enough to warm them.  It will give the salad a nice crunch. 

Tip: Any vegetables on hand can be used in this recipe.

Failed Experiment

I can not even take a picture of these things, they look so yucky!  I attempted to make rice krispie squares out of actual brown rice.

However, so I don't try and make this again, I am creating this post.

Ingredients:
1 cup pure applesauce
4 cups of brown rice, already cooked
1 package of marshmallows

Instructions:
Melt marshmallows and applesauce on the stove top, stirring constantly.
When liquid, add rice.
Stir well and spoon into a large pan.
Smooth out the mixture and chill.

Tip: Do not try this at home!

Fake Spaghetti & Real Shrimp

Surprisingly, spaghetti squash is actually delicious.  It looks like spaghetti, and is shaped like spaghetti but does not quite taste like spaghetti.  A very good substitute though.




Ingredients:
spaghetti squash
shrimp
onions, watercress, broccoli, spinach, carrot, snap peas
garlic, basil, paprika, oregeno
3 tsp of olive oil

Instructions:
Pierce multiple holes in the squash.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

20 minutes before squash is done
Add shrimp, 2 tsp of oil and 1 diced clove of garlic to heated pan.
Toss until browned.
Add veggies except spinach and onions to shrimp.
And 1 cup of water.
Cook on high, letting the water boil off. 

When squash is done, remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.
Add spinach and spices to pan.
Create a clear space in the middle of the pan, add onions and remaining oil to brown them.
Mix all together, lower heat.

Cut squash in two.
Remove the seeds and softened middle.
Use a fork to tine the edges and remaining squash, it will break apart into spaghetti like strands.
Place squash on plate and top with shrimp mixture.

Tip: Pasta sauce could be added to this meal.

Turkey Stirfry & Homemade Chips

It tasted so good, I thought I was eating something I shouldn't! 






Ingredients:
turkey
veggies : onions, carrot, spinach, broccoli, water cress
potato
olive oil
garlic, paprika, basil

Instructions:

Potatoes: 
Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake in microwave.
When the potatoes are done, remove from microwave and let stand for 5 minutes.
Slice the potatoes and brush with olive oil.  Broil in the oven, turning when browned.

Stir Fry:
Sauté the onions in olive oil until browned.
Add veggies and spices of your choice to the onions, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped turkey to the vegetables, continue to stir occasionally. 


Tip: Any vegetables on hand can be used in this recipe.

Mediocre Muffins

These are gluten free, fat free and sugar free.

Edible, as evidence by the missing 12th muffin, yet not that tasty.






Ingredients:

1 package of gluten free muffin mix
2 eggs
3/4 of pure applesauce, i.e., boiled apples with no added sugar

Instructions:
The instructions are on the box, but I modified the ingredients.
In lieu of 1/2 cup of butter, I used the applesauce.
In lieu of 1 cup of milk, I used water.

Mix the wet ingredients, applesauce & eggs.
Slowly add flour mixture and stir.
Spoon into cupcake pan, I made 12 regular and 18 mini sized ones.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Tip:  These are bland.  Next time, I will add berries or raisins to give it some flavour.

Turkey Soup

Simple and classic, yet delicious and satisfying.



Ingredients:
turkey bones with meat left on it
4 onions diced
1/3 olive oil
1 small turnip diced ( I think mainlanders call these rutabagas?)
8 carrots diced
2 cans of tomato paste
1/3 cup of brown rice
pepper, paprika, oregen, garlic or other spices as preferred

Instructions:
Boil bones, stirring frequently, until they are clean, remove the bones from the pot.
Add the carrot and turnip, continue to boil and stir frequently.
Sauté onion in olive oil and add to soup, reduce heat to medium. 
Add the tomato paste, spices.
When the veggies are almost cooked through, add the rice.

Tip: About 10 minutes after I add the rice, I turn off the stove, cover the pot and let the heat already in the pot and stove finish the cooking.  That way, I get a break from stirring and can start to clean up the kitchen!

The Magical Fruit

Pardonnez my picture!  I'm not a very adept food stylist or photographer.  Perhaps in time, but I wanted to include as many pictures as possible in this blog.




Ingredients:
one package of white navy beans
two cans of tomato paste
1/4 cup of blackstrap molasses
4 onions, diced
1/4 olive oil

Instructions:
Soak beans overnight in cold water or at least 12 hours.
Drain and rinse well with water.  This is the magical part, it reduces the gas in the beans which reduces the gas in the eater ;)

Boil beans on medium high for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sauté the onions in olive oil until browned, set aside.

After 45 minutes, add the onions, tomato paste and molasses.
Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the "bone" is gone from the bean.  I.e., boil them until they are soft.

Tip:  Keep a kettle full of water boiled.  Water evaporates from the beans during boiling which increases the risk of burning the entire potful.  Add boiling water to the pot as needed, but only boiling.

A New Start

Recently, I was diagnosed with several food sensitivities; gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate, peanuts, msg, food dyes, beef, citrus fruits and bean sprouts.  I also have a significant amount of inflammation and yeast in my body so I have to avoid sugar, tea and coffee as well.

As I was being told this and looking at the test result print out, all I could think is WTF am I going to eat?  No oatmeal?  No milk?  No couscous?  No tangerines?  No coffee?  Those five things I ate almost every single day.  This blog is about figuring it all out. 

I have to do a lot of reading and studying to know what is safe for my body.  A lot of time spent in the grocery store reading labels.  A lot of time in the kitchen preparing food ahead of time and making food in bulk.

As there aren't very many (none that I could find) cookbooks that handle the above combination of foods to avoid, I have to make my own.

I'm going to be posting recipes and all other food related things here.