Basil Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

This light, easy, and healthy salad is perfect for a hot summer day.  The flavors come together amazingly.  It is a hit with both adults and kids alike! I like to refrigerate it and serve it very cold.  It is dairy and gluten free.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
4-5 Cups seeded watermelon, cubed (or 1/2 a medium sized watermelon)
2 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
6 Green onions, chopped
1/2 Cup fresh basil (or mint), chopped
1/8 Cup olive oil
1/8 Cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the watermelon, cucumbers, onion, and basil.  In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Pour over watermelon mixture (you may not need to use all of it) and toss until coated.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spinach, Feta, Olives, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is super easy, amazingly yummy and surprisingly filling. It is healthy too!  Sweet potatoes are brimming with vitamin c, potassium, and beta-carotene. This dish is a great contrast of sweet, salty, and savory.  We like to make the mixture up ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors develop.  Then you just have to bake up the potatoes and add the mixture on top. This recipe is gluten-free, grain free, and vegetarian.  Charlotte even likes it (well, minus the potato)!

Serves 4


Ingredients:
4 Medium red skinned sweet potatoes, about 8 to 10 oz each and scrubbed clean
4 Ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 Small can (2.25 oz) black olives, chopped
2 Ounces oil packed sun dried tomatoes; thinly sliced
2 Handfuls chopped fresh spinach (or basil if in season)
1 Teaspoon dried or 4 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Place them directly on middle oven rack with a piece of foil on the rack below.  Bake until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced and cooked through, about 45-60 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.  While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the topping (or make this ahead of time and let sit in the refrigerator). Mix together all remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until the sweet potatoes are done.  Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center to expose cooked insides, top with feta mixture and serve.

Mixed Lentil Soup with Kale

This recipe is one that I have been making for years and it never gets old.  I think I have finally perfected it after making some minor tweaks over the years.  It can be made vegetarian or you could add ground sausage or dice up some cooked sausage if you like your soup with meat.  I sometimes substitute chard for the kale depending on what looks better at the market.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup green or french lentils
1/2 Cup yellow lentils
1 Can of diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Bunch of kale or chard of choice, chopped
1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
5 Cups water
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon oil of choice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Optional:  1/2 Pound sweet Italian sausage (I like Applegate chicken sausage)


In a large pot heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. If you are adding cooked meat, I would add it a minute or two after the onion and let it brown up, if the meat is raw, brown beforehand.  Add tomato paste, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine.  Add lentils, 5 cups water, balsamic vinegar, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 25 minutes. Add kale or chard; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.  Enjoy immediately with bread or crackers (GF of course!) if preferred.

Chocolate Almond Crispy Treats

My biggest complaint about being gluten-free is not having something easily accessible to satisfy my sweet tooth.  These Chocolatey almond buttery treats are SUPER easy to make (no baking required) and satisfy my need for a dessert or sweet snack.  This recipe is a modification of a recipe I found on the Oh She Glows blog a few years back and I have been making it often ever since.  They truly take about 15 minutes to make  and you can be sure they will take a lot less time to disappear!

Serves approximately 6-8 (assuming 2 per person)

Ingredients:
2 cups crispy rice cereal (I like Erewhon)
1/2 cup smooth natural almond butter
2 Tablespoon brown sugar or raw cane sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips


Line a large plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the almond butter, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and sugar. Microwave on high for about a minute or until chocolate is melted. Stir well and immediately add the cocoa powder. Stir until combined, then stir in the rice crisp cereal until coated well.

Wet hands thoroughly and shape the mixture into about 1 1/2 inch diameter balls, pressing mixture together firmly into balls so they will hold together. Wet hands after each ball is formed so the mixture will not stick to your hands. Place the balls onto parchment paper and freeze for 5 minutes. You can store them in the freezer or move to the refrigerator after setting.  Let the sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating. 

Green Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This smoothie might be green, but it tastes like pumpkin pie, I promise!  Not only is it super yummy, it is very healthy as well - packed with vitamin K, A, C and iron and with no added sugar!  It will satisfy your pumpkin craving this time of year and will get your day started off right.  It is also Charlotte approved!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients (I put the ingredients in this order in the blender):
1 Cup unsweetened almond milk
2-3 Big handfuls of baby spinach
1 Cup of canned pumpkin
1-2 Tablespoons ground flax or chia seeds
1/2 Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ice cubes
1/2 of a ripe pear or apple
1 Large ripe banana (or 1 1/2 small to medium bananas), quartered

Blend until smooth and enjoy!!  If the smoothie ends up too thick, add a few more ice cubes and blend again.

Split Pea Soup

We should all be eating more split peas! They are full of soluble fiber and provide a good amount of protein, two B vitamins and several important minerals   They also include isoflavones, which are helpful in reducing the risk of breast and prostate cancer.  Being that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I felt that this family favorite was an appropriate recipe to post.  Being high in protein and chock full of veggies, this one pot - vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free soup is all you need to warm your soul on crisp autumn nights!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Medium yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 Cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Cup celery, diced
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
6 Cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 Can diced tomatoes drained, no-sodium added
1 Pound dried yellow split peas, picked through and rinsed
1/3 Cup chopped fresh chives (or parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high adding onion, garlic, and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until onion is soft (6 minutes or so).  Add broth, 2 cups water, carrots, celery, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, and split peas, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until peas are tender and soup has thickened (30-40 min).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let cool until just warm.  Transfer in batches (I do 2-3 batches in the Vitamix) to a blender and puree to your liking.  I like mine on the slightly chunky side so do not blend for very long.  Pour back into pot, reheat if necessary and serve garnished with fresh chives. Enjoy!

Thai steak stir-fry

I love making dishes with ingredients that are in season.  They taste so much better!  This recipe follows my "I won't make it if it takes more than 20 minutes rule" and is great in the summer when green beans, broccoli and basil are all in season.  This recipe was adapted from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart.  I don't usually have fish sauce in the house so I sub out for gluten-free soy sauce (Tamari).  This recipe is great with broccoli in place of the green beans and could also be served with fresh grape tomatoes (halved) thrown in the last minute of cooking.  To make this dinner easier, cook the rice ahead of time.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or another high-heat oil)
3/4 Pound skirt steak
1 Pound green beans (or broccoli or a combo), trimmed
4 Tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fish sauce or Tamari
1 Cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/2-1 Cup baby or grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 Cups cooked brown rice or grain of choice for serving

In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add steak and cook, stirring until browned (about 5 min).  Transfer steak to a plate.  Add green beans (and/or broccoli) , ginger, and garlic to the wok and stir 5 minutes more or until green beans are crisp-tender.  Return beef and juices to pan and add basil and Tamari or fish sauce (and tomatoes if you would like).  Cook one minute more.  Serve over grain of choice for serving.