Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband just came home from the grocery store having picked up just one item:  peanut butter.  I instantly knew what he was thinking:  peanut butter cookies please!  There is absolutely no way to turn down a request like this.  I mean, it doesn’t get better than gluten and dairy free chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!

I am fully aware that most gluten free products just aren’t as good as the real thing, but these cookies are the exception.  They are a gift from God.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

-1 16 oz jar of creamy peanut butter

-2 eggs

-1 c white sugar

-1 c brown sugar

-2 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 c mini chocolate chips (dairy free and gluten free if need be)

Step 1.  Add the first 6 ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined.

Step 2.  Next add the chocolate chips and stir.

Step 3.  Place tablespoon balls of cookie dough on an un-greased baking sheet and bake at 350º for 9-12 minutes.  Don’t try to take the cookies off the baking sheet until they are completely cool-they will essentially turn to mush if you try.

Step 4.  Once cooled, try to resist immediately making a second batch.  Enjoy!

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Salmon with Fennel Tomato Pasta

My husband and I love to have this meal for a date night-in–something about it just feels so decadent.  Of course, any big bowl of pasta makes me happy, but this recipe is a favorite, topped with salmon and full of veggies and…anchovies.  Okay, I know some of you may cringe at the thought of popping open a can of anchovies, but I promise they are amazing!!!  They melt right into the sauce and add just the right amount of salty, savory flavor–the perfect thing to stand up to sweet fennel and acidic tomatoes.  Give it a try, and I know you’ll love it as much as we do!

Salmon

-1 lb salmon, cut into 4 pieces

-1/4 c. canola oil

-2 Tbsp lemon juice

-1 tsp salt

-2 cloves minced garlic

Add all of the ingredients into a Ziploc bag, toss around a little so the marinade coats all of the salmon, and place in the fridge for as little as 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Fennel and Tomato Pasta

-1 package of gluten free pasta

-salt to taste

-1 tin of anchovies

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-3 cloves minced garlic

-1/2 bulb of fennel, fronds included

-1/2 can diced tomatoes

-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

-1/2 tsp sugar

-1 lemon, juice and zest

-1/2 c. toasted bread crumbs

Prepare your pasta according to the instructions on the box–just make sure the water tastes like the sea–every chef says this, so obviously I want to as well!  Basically you just want the water to be very salty.  This is the only time the pasta can really get flavored, so don’t skimp! Then set it aside.

For the salmon, heat a pan over medium heat.  Remove the salmon from the marinade and put them straight into the pan.  The canola oil from the marinade replaces any extra oil you would normally add to the pan.  Let the salmon cook for about 6 minutes on both sides, this may vary depending on the thickness of your salmon.  Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the anchovies and the olive oil.  Next add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.  Use your spoon to break up the anchovies as they cook.

Thinly slice the fennel bulb–a mandolin works great here but is not necessary.  Chop the fennel fronds and set them aside for garnish.  Add the sliced fennel to your pan and let it cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Next add a little salt to taste, red pepper flakes, sugar, and tomatoes, juice included.  Allow this mixture to reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.  Drain your pasta and add it to the pan with the juice of the lemon.

For the breadcrumbs, I like to keep the ends of my gluten free bread in the freezer.  Then I just blitz them up and toast them in a pan with a little olive oil.  Once they’re nice and toasty, combine them with the zest of the lemon and a little salt and pepper.

To serve, plate the pasta, top it with the breadcrumb mixture, next the salmon, and finally the fennel fronds.  Enjoy!

Cioppino

Oh January!  The air is crisp and haunted with daunting thoughts of New Year’s resolutions.  I am all for pulling out my yoga mat, and of course we’re always looking to eat a little healthier, but at what cost!  My goal this year is to make healthy food that I’ll actually want to eat!  Flavorful food that you will look forward to cooking and eating is the key to sticking with any diet, and this cioppino really hits the spot.  This warm Italian seafood stew is full of seafood, veggies, and a little wine, so it’s pretty much the best thing you’ll ever eat.  I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best things I’ve ever made.

Cioppino

-3 Tbsp olive oil

-5 cloves garlic, chopped

-1 yellow onion, sliced thin

-1 fennel bulb, chopped

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp crushed red pepper

-1 1/2 c white wine

-2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes

-7 c fish stock

-1 lb mussels

-1 lb shrimp, shelled

-1 lb cod (or other firm white fish), cut into 1-2 inch pieces

-Tarragon, chopped fennel fronds, and lemon wedges to garnish

Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, fennel, salt, and red pepper to a large stock pot over medium heat.  Allow these to soften and lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Add the wine and tomatoes, slightly crushing the tomatoes with your spoon.  Let this all simmer away for about 20 minutes.  Next add the fish stock and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.  It can be a little tricky to find fish stock (I actually ended up making mine), but if you can’t find it, just use vegetable stock instead.  Now it’s time for the seafood!  Add the mussels first and cover the pot.  Let this cook for about 5 minutes and then add the shrimp and cod.  These should really just take about 5 minutes more to finish cooking.  Absolutely feel free to use different seafood (clams, scallops, halibut, etc.) depending on what you like and what is fresh in your area.   When you’re picking out your seafood, check out what’s fresh, but don’t forget about the frozen section too for all types of fish and even mussels!  Finally just garnish with fennel fronds and tarragon plus a squeeze of lemon and serve with crusty bread for dipping.  Enjoy!

Step 1.  Chop and caramelize veggies.

Step 2.  Add tomatoes and wine and let simmer.

Step 3.  Add fish stock and simmer.

Step 4.  Add seafood and cook through.

 

Step 5.  Garnish and enjoy!

Blackberry Fizz

I’m lucky enough to have a mother-in-law that makes her own blackberry jam every year.  I hold this jam very close to my heart and love slathering it on buttery toast and, yes, even making the occasional pb&j.  And obviously I’ve been looking for more and more ways to enjoy this perfect present!

That’s where a jam cocktail comes in.  Jam adds the perfect sweetness and acidity to classic cocktails (think orange marmalade in an Old Fashioned or raspberry jam in a Tom Collins) and is easy to pair with your liquor of choice to make an endless amount of tasty combinations.  For me, that choice is always bourbon.

Blackberry Fizz

-Blackberry Jam

-Bourbon

-Sparkling Water

Combine a heaping tablespoon of jam to about 2 ounces of bourbon and stir until the jam is dissolved.  Top off with sparkling water and lots of ice.  It really doesn’t get easier (or more delicious) than that!  Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

All I can think about while it’s this cold outside is comfort food.  We all have our favorites, but recently spaghetti and meatballs has become something I’m constantly craving.  Classics like this are just perfect for this cool weather, but they are usually on the heavier side.  With just a few tweaks (like substituting turkey for red meat, spaghetti squash for pasta, or homemade sauce for store bought), you can make a much healthier meal that’s still just as satisfying.

Turkey Meatballs

-1 lb ground turkey

-1/4 large onion, finely diced

-4 cloves of garlic, finely diced

-1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

-1 egg

-1 Tbsp tomato paste

-1/2 c breadcrumbs, I used gluten free Udi’s Bread for these

-2 Tbsp milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

-1/4 c chopped parsley

-1/2 tsp salt

-pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Shape into golf ball sized balls and place on a lined and greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Tomato Sauce

-1/2 onion, finely diced

-3 tsp olive oil

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-2 Tbsp tomato paste

-2 c. tomato puree

-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

-1/4 tsp sugar

-salt and pepper to taste

-parsley to garnish

Add the onion and olive oil to a sauce pot.

Saute over medium-low heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and simmer for 1 more minute.

Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes so the flavors have time to develop.

Serve the sauce and meatballs over your favorite pasta and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!