Avocado Pesto

For at least 8 months I have been suffering from terrible stomach pains, cramping, nausea and a whole slew of other symptoms that make me not so happy.  Originally, I thought it was because of wheat, due to a soft pretzel experience I had. Then I had a very similar experience with a cup of Dairy Queen ice cream.  I have started to make my rounds to every type of doctor out there.  In the meantime, I decided to cut out the two things that I have found to give me my worst pain.  So far it has been going well and I feel a lot better (until I slip and eat butter toffee peanuts).  I am not saying this for a pity party; I am just explaining why a lot of my recent entries have been geared the way that they are. 

This recipe is no different!  It is gluten and dairy free.  I got part of this recipe from detoxinista, part from our family recipe for pesto and then I changed it up to add a few more elements that I thought would be good!

What you need:

• 2 c. Basil
• 2 c. Parsley
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/3 c. Pine Nuts
• 1 Avocado 
• 1/4 c. Olive Oil
•  1 tbs. Lemon Juice
• Salt & Pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients.

 

One thing I forgot to do is toast the pine nuts before adding them into the mix.  DUMMY!  Walnuts would also be really yummy in here.

 

Adjust the flavors to what you would like.  I love the freshness of lemon, but I know some people aren't fans, do what makes you happy!  The one positive I will say is that your avocado won't get brown and icky looking the next day if you use it.

A lot of other recipes for pesto call for a lot more olive oil than I used.  I don't like my pesto overly oily, plus I like to cut out fat where I can.

Start by pulsing to get everything going and then turn it on until all the ingredients are incorporated into an almost smooth sauce.  It'll still be a little "gritty".

 

Your sauce is now complete!  Do a taste test and see if you would like to add anything.  During my taste test, I wanted more salt and a bit more pepper.  I made gluten-free pasta to go with my sauce.

I cooked the pasta according to the directions on the bag.  Before I drained the pasta I reserved a coffee cup of the starchy cooking water to add back in later.

Add your sauce to your drained pasta and give it a good stir to combine.

Add some of the starchy cooking water to thin out the pesto.  I added back in about 1/4 cup.

Give it one more good stir and you are ready to serve!

The avocado adds a nice creaminess since there is no cheese.  I am used to pesto that has a TON of cheese in it!  It is my families way is to add more cheese then a recipe actually calls for.  I do have to admit that I miss the cheese.  Mike added parmesan to the top and he said it was really good!  

You could also use this sauce on meats or stir it into roasted veggies.

 

Enjoy!

The Whip

Mike and I have a new tradition that I have become OBSESSED with!  Every Wednesday after Alphie's puppy class, Mike and I sneak off and have a date night.  Depending on how Alphie behaves in class, we either need to drink away our sorrows or have a celebratory drink!  And yes, she goes from one end of the spectrum to the other; there is no middle ground

This past Wednesday, we went to a small pub in Coatesville called The Whip.  It is an English pub in the middle of horse country!  Mike made sure to point out they had "Farm Wanted" and "Horse for Sale" ads hanging from the community board.

I knew that I was going to love this place when I saw Strongbow on the menu!  WAHOO!!

Picking something on the menu was tough!  Since I am not eating wheat and dairy right now, it limited my options, but our server was super helpful in helping me find what would be best.  She went to the kitchen twice to talk to the chef!  I settled on the roasted chicken with fresh veggies and quinoa, it was delish!

Mike, keeping true to form, ordered himself a feast!

He got mushy peas and coleslaw as sides.  I was really excited to try the mushy peas and I'm pleased to announce that I liked them!

Mike's main meal was the fish and chips.  Obviously, I had to try it and it was awesome!  It was the best fish and chips I have ever had.  I had MAJOR meal envy!  The fish was so light and flaky, it just melted in my mouth.  Pure heaven.

Mike was really happy with his whole experience.  He tried a couple different beers and was more than happy with his meal! (isn't he cute)

They only serve beer and cider.  You can bring your own wine, but there is a corking fee (bummer), which is probably the only down side.  We'll definitely go back and hopefully by then, I'll know what is upsetting my belly so I can try some of their other dishes!!

Peas Give Me More Crab Quinoa

I know, it is a corny title...

Quinoa is my new obsession!  It is a highly-digestible, gluten-free grain and it is delicious!  I have spent a lot of time thinking (when I am supposed to do other things) of new recipes to make with quinoa.  Fortunately, I had a lot of time while I waited for the doctor to start a TEE.  Here is the first one I came up with!

What you need:

• 2 c. vegetable broth
• 1 c. quinoa
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• 1 cloves garlic
• salt 
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1 can of crab or fresh lump crab
• 2 tbs. dill

Combine the veggie broth and the quinoa in a medium size sauce pan and bring to a boil. 

DON'T LET IT BOIL OVER!!  It makes a MESS!  Trust me...

Once you have it at a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and a couple dashes of cayenne pepper (depending on your spice preference).

I used my magic bullet to whip everything together, but an immersion blender or food processor would work well, too!  Blend until completely combined.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork.

 

Add the peas, stir to combine and put the cover back on for another 3-5 minutes.

When the peas are warmed through, add in the dill and crab.  Stir to combine.

Finally add the dressing and give it one last good stir!

Plate and enjoy!

You can either have it as a side dish or an entree, hot or cold, inside or outside...

you get the idea!

I really enjoyed this dish!  It is light and fresh; perfect for a summertime dish!  I ate it warm the first day and then cold the next day for lunch.  Honestly, I can't tell you which one I enjoyed more! 

Enjoy!

xo

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

My sister-in-law Abby introduced me to a new blog a few months back and I fell in love with it!  This is the first time I have tried to make anything from detoxinista and I'll tell ya right now, it won't be the last.  It is a health blog that puts focus on being healthy while enjoying all the goodies of life!  On my day off, I got attacked by the sweet tooth monster and I had to put him at ease, so I turned to her flourless peanut butter cookies for a less-quilt option. 

What you need:

•  1 c. peanut butter
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Mix together the peanut butter, honey, egg, salt and baking soda.

Mix until well combined.  At first, it'll look like a hot mess, but in no time, it'll come together!

Then mix in the oh so yummy chocolate chips!

I used a tablespoon and scooped the batter into 12 very generous blobs onto a Silpat lined cookie sheet (you can use parchment too).  I tried to keep them somewhat structured. 

Put the cookie sheet into your pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes and wait for the glorious smell that will fill your kitchen (and torture your pooch)!

When the cookies are lightly brown, pull out of the oven and let rest on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.  I left them there until they cooled almost completely.

Well...almost completely...I couldn't wait, they smelled so good...

These cookies are soft and chewy.  They are the perfect snack for satifying both your sweet and salty cravings.  The best part is that they are natural, you don't have to feel guilty eating them.  Also, they are Mike approved!

WOW-ZA, it has been a long time!

WOW!  It has been a really long time and a lot has happened since I last wrote a post!  You may remember that I got engaged, but what you do not know is that Mike and I bought a house, got a puppy and GOT MARRIED!

Let's start from the top, our house!  We moved off the Main Line, which was a big adjustment!  We no longer have restaurants within two minutes, Wawa isn't walking distance anymore and the city is A LOT farther away!  One lucky thing is that we are still close to the train line to get into the city, but it is now a little under an hour.  What we gained is a beautiful single family home in an adorable sidewalk-lined neighborhood.  We are also minutes from my Mom and Mike's Dad and step-mom.

Move in day

With our house comes an all new kitchen, that I am obsessed with!  The only bummer about our new kitchen is the stove...it is electric...
It was the only disappointment of the house.

After living in our new home for two months, one of my biggest wishes came true...we got a puppy!!  Originally, we were going to wait longer, but I couldn't wait.  We started to research puppies and we did have a few stipulations.  It had to be hypoallergenic because my beloved father-in-law is allergic to dogs and since Mike has never had a dog before, he requested a smaller dog.  So, we narrowed it all the way down to a miniature Labradoodle!  I won't keep you waiting any more...this is our furry baby, ALPHIE!

Alphie and I the day she came home

 

 

She has grown up so fast!  We are currently taking her to puppy classes and working with her to stop her undesirable habits.

I was going to get into the wedding, but it is going to be LONG, so I'm going to be mean and make you wait (but not almost a year like before)!

Thank you for reading!  I hope to get my blog back on track now that life has settled down and also to get Kenny Bear off my back, he is stick of the french toast post!

xo

Colie

Fluffer Nutter French Toast

I am typically a savory type of gal for breakfast.  I enjoy omelets, breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict...you get the point.  For some reason I got the idea to make fluffer-nutter french toast and I couldn't get it out of my mind!  I offered to make it for Mike, but he declined last Thursday and said he just wanted eggs.  So, this Thursday was my day off and I took full advantage of trying to make this treat for myself.  I am SO glad I did!  It is so delicious!  Yummmm....melty peanut butter...

What You Need:

• Bread
• Peanut Butter
• Fluff
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbs Milk
• Cinnamon (Optional)
• Syrup (Optional)

Start by beating the egg, milk and vanilla together.  This will be enough for two sandwiches, adjust for more if needed.

Beat the snot out of it until everything is mixed together.  A good trick is to stab the egg yolk a few times before you start whisking.

Once everything is blended, set a side and move onto making the sandwich.

You can use whatever type of bread you would like, we had wheat, so I used wheat!  Start by spreading peanut butter onto both pieces of bread.  This will prevent the fluff from soaking into the bread. 

I am a peanut butter fanatic, so I used a good amount.

Then, glob on the fluff.  I used a good amount of fluff, too.  Make it how you like your fluffer-nutter sandwiches.  Apparently, I like a lot of everything!

Spray a frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

While the pan heats up, dip your sandwich into the egg mixture. 

Flip and dip the other side too.  Make sure to get every inch covered in the egg goo!  I wiped off any large globs.

Place your masterpiece into the heated pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until browned. 

Before I flipped it, I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the uncooked egg side.

I wanted the taste to still be like french toast and I think the cinnamon is what does that!

Flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

The top is nice and golden and the fluff is getting all melty and peaking through the cracks...YUM!

When browned on both sides, take out of the frying pan and plate it up!

The peanut butter and the fluff just ooz out!

I added some maple syrup.  I know it seems like a lot of sweet, but I am a sweet-a-holic!  I didn't add butter, but I know a lot of people do when the eat french toast.  Do whatever you like!

Now...DIG IN!

You can see how it all swirled together!  It was toasty, warm, sweet and a perfect way to start my day off!

Enjoy!