That's so Quiche

Carmelized Onion & Pear Ricotta Quiche

'This quiche makes you wanna grab your pesche'-Rich

Put this quiche together for a quick brunch or to make and eat throughout the week. 

Ingredients
1 pear sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced 
1/2 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese, [fresh is best]
1/4 cup pecorino romano 
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp rosemary
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
Pre-Heat oven to 350
1. Beat eggs 
2. Add milk, pecorino & ricotta
3. In a hot saute pan (add EVOO) saute onion, pear & sage until translucent 
4. Combine egg & onion mixture in a pie pan
5. *Optional-GF pie crust [Pilsbury sells one]-Brown in oven first at 350 for 15 minutes
6. Pour all ingredients into to a greased pie pan
7. Add additional sliced pears into a star shape for garnish
8. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until quiche is brown, puffy & cooked through

I've been slackin' mac & cheese!

Things have been pretty hectic & I have not had much time to post any of my delicious creations. Last night, I got home late from work. I was SO tempted to order out but since I had spent a pretty penny on groceries this past week, I forced myself to whip something up. The weather has been getting cooler in NYC & I thought some lightened up mac & cheese would do the trick!

Baked Figgy Mac & Cheese 

nom nom nom

Ingredients:
1 cup sharp cheddar (cubed)
2 slices muenster cheese (or whatever cheese you please!)
2 tbsp flour
1/2 onion chopped 
1/2 cup GF bread crumbs
1 box of GF pasta (elbows or shells)
1 egg-beaten 
2 cups 1% milk
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp mustard 
S&P
Cinnamon or Nutmeg
Paprika
CRP-Crushed Red Pepper [baby]

Optional Additions
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 zucchini-chopped 
1/4 cup dried figs-chopped [salty, sweet :) ]

Directions
1- Boil salted water & cook pasta to al-dente
2- While pasta is cooking, in a small pot on medium heat saute onion, butter, mustard, & flour
3- Once onions are translucent, add the milk, paprika and S&P to taste & stir
4- Slowly add beaten egg while whisking
5- Slowly stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup at a time [the cheese will melt quickly]
6. Combine [zucchini, fig & spinach], al dente pasta, & cheese mixture into casserole dish
7- Mix all ingredients together
8- Top with GF breadcrumbs & CRP
9- Cook in oven at 350 for approx. 35 minutes until bubbly

*recipe generously adapted from Alton Brown's Mac & Cheese Recipe 

Fall-Apart Pork Tenderloin

Growing up in a Jewish household we never really ate pork growing up except for the occasional ham sandwich. But since I began dating my Italian boyfriend a few years ago, he's slowly introduced me to the deliciousness & appeal of all pork products. I am not a huge chicken lover myself-so this has been a welcome ingredient in my kitchen!

This recipe came about after being sick for a couple of days. I knew I needed to make something for dinner but wanted to make it easy on myself. I am shocked at how tender & delicious this pork turned out!

How gorgeous are these colorful carrots from Trader Joes?
No judgment on my ancient crock pot!

Ingredients:
1 3-4 lb. pork loin
1 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp of pepper
1/2 tbsp of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 white potatoes, cubed
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
Sprinkle of cinnamon
3 tbsp of honey

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the crock pot. Pork loin should be submerged or half submerged (floating) in cooking liquid. Place crock pot on low for 6-9 hours or 3-4 hours on high.
Remove pork from the crockpot & shred on a cutting board. Place shredded pork back in crockpot w/ liquid in order to let it soak up all the yummy juices.

Serve over rice or polenta. Or with more veggies

*Leftovers can be used to make tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, or enchiladas?! The possibilities are endless!

Cheesy Enchilada Bake

This chicken enchilada bake is easy to make, layer-layer-layer, is low-fat, gluten free & super-cheesy delicious!

Ingredients:
1 red pepper, 1 green pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tomato, diced 
1 package shredded taco cheese
1 can black or red beans
Bunch of cilantro
1 can of chipotle adobo sauce [or homemade Saucey]
2 chicken breasts, boiled & shredded 
10-12 corn tortillas

Tortilla party

First layer!

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place corn tortillas on rack for 5-6 minutes [flipping sides in between] to crisp them up
3. Cut tortillas in half, ladle sauce at bottom of casserole dish, layer tortillas on top
4. Next layer: beans, peppers, cilantro, onion, chicken
5. Top with a generous amount of shredded cheese
6. Continue layers-2-3 more times
7. Last layer-top with more cheese & remainder of sauce
8. Bake in oven 25-30 minutes covered in aluminum foil
9. Remove foil & bake for an additional 10 minutes.

My sous-chef gives this recipe two-thumbs up

¡buen provecho!

GF Coconut Crusted Cottage Cheese Cake

God knows we all love us some cheesecake. I have been thinking about attempting a gluten free crust and had a large container of cottage cheese begging to be used, so I got to work. 

Ingredients for crust 
1 cup dates
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Small pat of butter

Pie crust out of the Vitamix

Directions
Preheat Oven 350 degrees
Blend dates in a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) until they form a dough-ball shape
Remove dates from blender
Blend oats, coconut & butter
Slowly add dates small pieces at a time until pie crust dough forms 
Roll out dough on counter with a small amount of gluten free flour
Pat out dough into a pie-pan 

Ingredients for cheesecake filling
2 cups 1% cottage cheese
1/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar-hence the brown color)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 tbsp all-purpose flour 
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Optional: 1 tsp coffee grinds 

Directions
Blend cottage cheese, eggs, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar & salt until smooth
Pour into prepared crust
Bake in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until filling is firm
Allow to cool completely 
Enjoy!

Ready for the oven!

Just had a small sliver... WOW that came out better than I expected

mm mmm good Pumpkin Chili

Its pumpkin season. Over the weekend, I bought a few cans of pumpkin & have been excited to get started using them. When we hear the word pumpkin we often think of sweets, lattes, and pies but pumpkin is a great ingredient to be used in savory dishes. 

7 reasons to eat pumpkin year round [source Huffington Post]
1. Pumpkin keep eyesight sharp
2. Pumpkins aid in weight loss
3. Pumpkin seeds are heart healthy & can boost your mind
4. Pumpkins may reduce cancer risk
5. Pumpkins protect your skin
6. Pumpkins can help after a hard workout
7. Pumpkins can boost your immune system

Let's get pumpkin-y, shall we?

Ingredients
1/2 butternut squash, roasted & cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 green pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1 8 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz. of lean chop meat, 90%, 20% [or chopped turkey]
1 can cannellinni beans
1 can unsweetened pumpkin 
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp hot sauce 
Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Sweat pot with olive oil, garlic & onion
2. Add chop meat until browned
3. Add peppers
4. Add butternut squash & spices
5. Add canned tomato & chicken stock & simmer for approx. 45 minutes 
[Option to cook in slow cooker on Auto-4-5 hours]

Aunt Suzy's Favorite Apple Crisp

When you don’t have time to roll out the dough for an apple pie, an easy apple crisp is the next best thing. Another childhood Fall Favorite.

Ingredients:
4-5 firm apples, cored and sliced, peeling optional (I love Honey crisp or Empire)
3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour (I love Bob's Red Mill Brands)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter, unsalted, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup oats (rolled or unrolled-instant or not-it doesn't matter)

Add ons:
Raisins & walnuts option

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt
Add the butter pieces and use your fingers to rub the mixture together until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs
Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the apple filling
Cut the apple halves lengthwise into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices—there should be about 6 cups total
Transfer the apple slices to an un-greased 8-inch-square baking dish and spread them out evenly
Drizzle up to 1/4 cup of water over the apples—using less if if the apples are particularly juicy
Scatter crisp topping evenly on top but do not press down
Bake until crisp topping is brown and apples are bubbly and soft

Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream :)
enjoy!

Easy-Peasy Zucchini Bake

It's been a while since I posted! Work has been crazy busy. Today I am sharing with you a recipe that mom used to make all the time growing up. She would use Bisquick as her flour base. I decided to adapt the recipe using GF Flour instead :)

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
3 cup of green or yellow zucchini, unpeeled 
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup parm. reggiano
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 
4 eggs or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
Handful dried parsley & oregano
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combined all ingredients into a greased 8" square baking pan or a pie dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

 Enjoy as a side dish with any meal, (my little secret, I like to eat it for breakfast :) )

Grandma's Meatballs & Cabbage

     Many years ago my grandma became frustrated with stuffing the meat into the cabbage, only to find it fell apart and made a big mess. She decided to make a deconstructed version and it came out great. She has been making it ever since.
     This year, I am having some family over for the Jewish Holidays, so I decided to take Grandma's recipe for a spin.

The best Grandma !

Ingredients
1 lb. turkey or chopped meat, 80/20
1/2 cup GF Breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 head cabbage, chopped
2-3 large white onions-sliced
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Garlic, fresh chopped or 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
Parsley
1/8 cup milk
S&P to taste

Directions
1. Make the meatballs using chopped meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, S&P & parsley
2. Line a large pot or your slow cooker with onion
3. Continue to layer with cabbage, meatballs and so on
4. Top onion, cabbage and meatball layers with crushed tomatoes
5. Add 1/2 the sugar & lemon juice, set rest aside for later-will season to taste
6. S&P to taste
7. Cook on medium heat on stove for about 1-2 hours or in slow cooker 6-8 hours
8. Taste it while it cooks, it should be mildly sweet, if needed add remaining sugar & lemon juice

Check me out on InstaGram-CourtyCooksGlutenFree for more recipes !

PB&J Bars

These are not necessarily 'healthy' but they are gluten free friendly & sometimes a girl has to indulge right?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups GF Flour 
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tbsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raspberry jelly
1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8x8 baking pan or pyrex with aluminum foil and coat foil with non-stick spray, like Pam
2. Whisk flour, baking powder & salt together in a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar & softened butter with an electric mixer on low speed
4. Add egg & vanilla, continue mixing until blended
5. Slowly incorporate flour mixture beating on low to blend ingredients together

6. Press 1/2 the dough into the bottom of the pan 
7. Put remaining half into the freezer for 10 minutes
8. Spread the raspberry jelly evenly over the dough 

9. Remove dough from freezer and break into small pieces and scatter evenly over jelly
10. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the dough
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
12. Remove from pan and let it cool before cutting into squares

Enjoy! 

Cauliflower Rice Stir fry

This my method for making 'rice' from cauliflower. Even if you don't like cauliflower, you must try this. The flavor is very mild and mimic the consistency and texture of rice!

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced very thin
1 tbsp of ginger, chopped thin
3 tbsp of Chinese 5 Spice-if on hand
1/4 cup of soy sauce (Tamari if Gluten Free)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed 
Fresh Cilantro
S&P to Taste

Prep!

Directions
1. Prep vegetables. Put into bowl, add Soy Sauce (Tamari) & 1 tbsp of 5 spice and marinate in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the cauliflower rice 
2. Clean cauliflower under water & remove stems
3. Cut into small florets & pulse 1/2 cup at a time in blender or Cuisinart

Sauteeing the cauliflower rice

4. Sautee cauliflower with Olive Oil, garlic, salt, pepper, & ginger for 10 minutes on high
5. Add vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, peas, carrot, pepper) chicken, and remainder of soy sauce, 5 spice, and cilantro
6. Sautee all until vegetables are soft & serve!

Note: 1 head of cauliflower makes about 6 servings! Lots of extra for leftovers-yay! 

Viola!

Lasagne Rustica

This lasagne recipe is super easy & delicious! 

Ingredients: 
1 Butternut Squash, peeled & cubed
2 large sausage links, crumbled (hot or sweet)- I use Gianelli's brand
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can white beans, drained
1 jar or can of tomato sauce (I used Giada's Arrabiata)
Fresh Basil
S&P to taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (CRP)
1 tomato, chopped 
1 box, gluten free lasagne (Jovial brand)

Prep Work! Of course using my Sil-Eco mat

Assembling the Lasagne!

Directions

1. Roast butternut squash in the oven on a sheet pan until soft, about 45 minutes at 350 degrees
2. Cut sausage & cook in pan until browned 
3. Drain fat & add onions and beans, cook until onions are transluscent
4. Boil lasagne sheets for 4 minutes or until al-dente
5. Remove butternut squash from the oven & mix together all ingredients (sausage, onion, beans, tomatoes, & squash
6. Add basil, CRP and S&P to taste
7. Begin to assemble your lasagne
   -begin by spreading 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan
   - arrange 3 lasagne noodles over the sauce
  -continue by spooning the sausage/squash/bean mixture over the noodles
 -continue layering-your last layer should be lasagne noodles
-spoon the remainder of the sauce on top

Bake at 350, covered with aluminum foil for about 1 hour 
Continue baking for 10 minutes, uncovered until brown & yummy

Top with shredded mozzarella & pecorino romano & serve!

I forgot to take a picture of the finished result! But it should look something like this :)

BONUS RECIPE!

Leftover Salad

Ingredients:

Roasted butternut squash 

Dried cranberries

Goat Cheese

Carrots, chopped

Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil 

S&P to taste

Cauliflower Power Pizza Crust

This Grain-Free, Guilt-Free & Low-Carb Pizza Crust is to die for!   

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup GF breadcrumbs
Fresh herbs or Italian herb seasoning
S&P to taste

Supplies: Cheese Cloth, parchment paper or Sil-eco liner, pizza stone or baking pan

Directions

1. You'll 1 head of cauliflower (the bigger the head, the bigger the pizza). Depending on how many people you are feeding, you may want to make 2 pizzas at a time. Even though your cauliflower may seem big, they are comprised mostly of water and will shrink down to a much smaller amount than appears.

2. Clean cauliflower, take off outer leaves and separate into small florets

3. In a sturdy blender (I have a Vitamix) pulse the florets-a small amount at a time- until they appear to be the texture & look of rice 

4. Place all of the riced cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6-7 minutes.

5. Let the cauliflower completely cool & then place all of the cauliflower into a cheese cloth-Easy to find at most grocery stores-This is important in order to squeeze out all of the excess water 

(Tip: If you do not have a cheese cloth you can use a strainer and squeeze the cauliflower with a paper towel on top in order to get rid of some of the excess water)

6. What will be left is a nice, round ball of cauliflower. Add 1 egg, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, S&P to taste, Italian blend herb seasoning or fresh herbs, & 1/4 cup (Gluten Free) Breadcrumbs.

7. Line a pizza stone or baking pan with parchment paper. I used my trusty Sileco liner again and roll out 'dough' or flatten with your hands until a thin pizza crust forms.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown.

Topped my crust with a little black pepper & Crushed Red (my fave)

9. Top with whatever your little heart desires and bake for another 15 minutes. 

*I topped my pizza with homemade gluten free meatballs, fresh garlic & onion, fresh basil, mozzarella & ricotta cheeses.  

WHAT!

Nutritional Info (crust only, no toppings)

Amount Per Serving = 1 slice:
Calories: 63
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 150 mg
Total Carbs: 6 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5.5 g
WW Points+: 2

Egg White Coconut Macaroons

Ok- so I don't really love to bake, but I do love sweets. It is super hard to find gluten free/healthy versions of desserts, even in NYC, where I live. Often times, the bakeries will have one or two GF offerings and they are usually chocolate-I am not a chocolate person. 

Anyway-check out my easy GF/DF macaroons below-perfect for Rosh Hashanah coming up-the holiday for sweet foods! 

Coconut Macaroons

Aren't these Anthro measuring
cups just gorgeous?

Ingredients:
3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
6 egg whites (use real egg whites here-not liquid egg whites)
1/2 cup oats (steel cut or instant)
1/2 cup organic honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tbsp of salt (kosher or sea salt works just fine here)








Directions

*Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1- Use a hand mixer to mix egg whites & sea salt (6-8 minutes until stiff peaks form)
2- Incorporate honey & vanilla, continuing to beat with hand mixer
3- Add coconut 1 cup at a time, folding into egg white, salt, honey & vanilla mixture
4- Use a small spoon to form tablespoon size cookies onto a parchment or silicone lined sheet pan
5- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until macaroons are golden brown 

 Note: If your mixtures seems to liquidy, use your judgement to add 1/4 cup of (GF) flour at a time to thicken up your batter

I LOVE my Sile-Co Non-Stick baking liners

Back to School Edition {Parte Dos} Tortilla Egg McMuffins

Who doesn't love the Egg McMuffin? Salty, Sweet & Satisfying. 
Unfortunately, it has 300 calories, 13g of fat, 750mg of sodium {WHAT?} & is most definitely not Gluten free. 
I've been toying around with different variations of an Egg McMuffin for years & today I whipped one up that I'd love to share with you!

Note: This recipe it great for breakfast, lunch or even dinner!


Tortilla Egg McMuffin

I buy this Corn Tortillas  at my local supermarket {made in Brooklyn!} for $2.29 for around 50! They last weeks in the fridge & are great for tacos, quesadillas, & of course, tortilla mcmuffins 

Ingredients:
2 Corn Tortillas
1 organic medium sized egg -Umami-      
1 slice of Provolone Cheese -Salty-
1-2 slices of Honey Turkey -Sweet-
 2 slices of tomato
Handful of mixed greens/arugula
S&P to taste
Hot Sauce to taste

Directions

1-If you have a gas stove, I cook these tortillas RIGHT on the burner on LOW for 2-3 minutes on each side. If not, you can pan cook them or pop them in the oven for around 10 minutes
2- Melt the cheese on one side of the tortilla
3- Fry or poach the egg until the yolk is hard
4- Assemble your McMuffin & Viola! 

This reheats well too-30 seconds in the micro! 

Variations: Use a gluten free English Muffin as your bread, use any kind of cheese, and lastly, substitute ham or Canadian Bacon instead of turkey!