Foodie Friday | Gluten Free Shrimp Alfredo

When I restricted my diet to gluten free foods, I thought I would never be able to safely consume pasta again. The gluten free pasta looks like pasta and tastes like pasta, but it's made of corn and rice. I'm thankful for companies who have become more aware of dietary needs. I've been able to get back to my pasta dishes. Check out my Gluten Free Pinterest Board for more GF foodie ideas.


One evening I had been snacking and had waited quite late to start cooking something. This meal was cooked and served within 30 minutes and that includes the prep time. It was a super quick and easy recipe to make. Enjoy! Let me know below what you like to put in your pasta Alfredo dishes.

Gluten Free Shrimp Alfredo

This recipe was made just for me. I was able to get three servings.
Ingredients:

• Barilla GF Pasta (2 cups)
• Orange pepper (1/8 cup)
• Carrots (1/4 cup)
• Frozen Shrimp (20 shrimp)
• Private Selection Alfredo sauce ( I love all things Private Selection) (1 1/2 cups)
• Broccoli (1/2 cup)
• Black Pepper (tsp)
• Salt (tsp)
• Fresh chopped garlic (two cloves)
• Olive oil (6 tbsp)

Directions:

*The first three steps are done simultaneously
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil and add pasta. Let cook for 12 minutes. Add salt.
2. Heat a skillet with olive oil (enough to cover the bottom). Add thawed shrimp, chopped garlic, carrots.
3. Boil broccoli in a little water for 6 minutes and drain water.
4. Stir the pasta occasionally. After ten minutes rinse and drain water. Sit to the side.
5. Brown shrimp on both sides. Add broccoli to skillet with the shrimp.
6. Mix the ingredients in the skillet with the pasta. Add 1 1/2 cups of Alfredo sauce.
7. Let simmer for 5 minutes over low heat covered with lid.

Comment below with what ingredients you like to include in your pasta Alfredo. Also let me know if you have any questions.
#FoodieFriday

Foodie Friday | Chicken Salad

I have been making chicken salad for a while, but I always switch it up a bit to try different taste and it's also based on what ingredients I have at home. I rarely plan out making chicken salad. What usually happens is I have left overs and chicken salad evolves from the leftovers.
Check out my Gluten Free Pinterest Board for more GF foodie ideas.


The chicken salad can serve as a lunch meal or as just a snack. It can be prepared in less than 15 minutes and that includes the prep time. It was a super quick and easy recipe to make. Enjoy! Let me know below what you like to put in your chicken salad dishes.


Gluten Free Chicken Salad

This recipe was made just for me. I was able to get 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• Previously cooked chicken breast (1 cup)
• Craisins (1/8 cup)
• Chopped onions (1/8 cup)
• Chopped Pecans (1/8 cup)
• Black Pepper (tsp)
• Fresh chopped celery (1/8 cup)
• Whipped Cream Cheese (2 tbsp)
• Turmeric (tsp)
• Mayonnaise (3 tbsp)
• Honey (optional drizzle)

Directions:

1. Chop chicken breast
2. Mix in pepper, turmeric, celery, onions, pecans, and Craisins with the chicken.
2. Mix in cream cheese.
3. Mix in mayonnaise.
4. Let sit in the refrigerator and cool.
* I added a little drizzle of honey to the last mixing.


Comment below with what ingredients you like to include in your chicken salad. Also let me know if you have any questions.
#FoodieFriday

Quinoa, Beans, and Chicken | #FoodieFriday

I tend to cook a large amount of quinoa and I add it to different recipes throughout the week. I made this combination spare of the moment. It was just as delicious as the previous times I've mixed in quinoa. There are multiple steps to this recipe but it's still quick and easy. I was done and eating in less than 30 minutes since the quinoa was already cooked.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Cooked Quinoa
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp of each Seasoning (black pepper, salt, turmeric, garlic)
1 tbsp Yellow Peppers
1/4 cup cooked Black beans
1/2 Avocado
1 tbsp shredded cheese
1/4 cup precooked Grilled chicken
Onion
Spinach
Serving size: 2


Step by Step:
Cooking quinoa is very simple. Measure out the amount you want and add quinoa to a pot of water.  1 cup of water to 1/2 cup of quinoa. Once the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. It will be read in 10-15 minutes (water will be absorbed by the quinoa)
1. Add olive oil to a skillet and sautée onions, peppers, and spinach.
2. Add in skillet frozen grilled chicken. Chop into chunks as it cooks.
3. Add in cooked quinoa and add seasonings
4. Place skillet ingredients on a plate. Top with cooked black beans. Cover with shredded cheese and diced avocado.

Enjoy!

Overnight Quinoa Breakfast Mix | #FoodieFriday

I recently started eating quinoa. I have found that it can be added to many meals and in different ways. It has a lot of benefits. It's a protein that has fiber, calcium, and iron. For those of us that have difficulty processing grains, quinoa is a good alternative. Quinoa is considered a seed. It can be used in many of the same ways rice is used. An added bonus for me is that it's gluten -free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Frozen peaches (or fruit of your choice)
5 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup Cooked Quinoa
1 tbsp Raisins
1 tbsp Almonds
1 tbsp Honey
 Serving size: 1

Step by Step:
1. Place all ingredients into a container and mix together.
2. Allow the mixture to sit in a sealed container in the refrigerator over night.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream | #FoodieFriday

I get a sweet tooth sometimes and I am always looking for ways to satisfy the sugar craving but with a healthier approach. I can eat this homemade ice cream guilt free.

This recipe is like ice cream but it doesn't contain ice and it doesn't contain the usual things listed on store bought ice cream. All you need is a blender and the ingredients. The main ingredient is a frozen banana. As a way to prep I place my bananas in bags and place in the freezer. Below is the recipe and ingredients for homemade strawberry ice cream also known as strawberry nana ice cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1/4 cups Coconut milk (May need more or less)
5-8 Strawberries (add a fruit of your choice)
Whip cream (for topping)


Step by Step:
1. Rinse strawberries, cut in half, put into blender.
2. Break frozen banana in half and  put into blender.
3. Pour coconut milk into blender.
4. Blend together
5. Place in a bowl and top with whip cream, almonds, chopped strawberries

*Add liquid sparingly so that you keep the ice cream like consistency.
Serving size: 1

No Fail Chicken Muffins (Gluten-Free) #FoodieFriday

I am always looking for a good healthy protein snack. I lucked up when I found this idea while browsing Instagram. Mankofit posted a recipe and I crafted it to my liking. Below is the recipe for how I make this delicious snack. It can be eaten as a breakfast snack, lunch snack, or dinner snack.

If you decide to try it or if you put your own spin to it let me know in the comments. I think that's the beauty of cooking, adding your own flare to the recipe.

You can add, substitute, or change almost any of the ingredients. It's a no fail recipe. It's bound to be good! 



Ingredients:
*optional ingredients
2 lbs Ground chicken (or turkey)
2 large eggs
2 tsp of Salt
2 tsp of Pepper
* 1 Garlic clove
* 1/3 cup of Onion
* 1/2 stalk of Celery
* Grape Tomatoes 
* 4 Mini Red/yellow/orange peppers
* 1/3 cup of Spinach
* 2 tsp of Turmeric
* 3 tbs of Honey mustard

Tools/Utensils:
Food processor
Knife/Fork/spoon
Big bowl
Cupcake parchment cups
Cupcake/muffin pan

Step by Step:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Use a food processor to mix the following: celery, onions, spinach, garlic cloves, peppers
2. Open the ground chicken and put into a big bowl.
3. Add to the bowl the chopped ingredients from the food processor.
4. Mix everything (chicken and veggies) together.
5. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, and honey mustard.
6. Mix in two large eggs.
7. Scoop the mixed ingredients into the muffin pan.
8. Bake chicken muffins for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!

#FoodieFriday

Avocado Popsicles | Foodie Friday

First and foremost, I love avocados. I discovered their smooth goodness about three years ago. I regularly ate lunch with one of my co-workers and she would have an avocado with every meal. At that time, I couldn't understand her excitement in eating the green blob. Just observing her motivated me to give avocados a try. I tried to eat it by itself. I barely ate any. Then I tried again, but this time more successfully. I loved how the avocado tasted on taco salad. I slowly progressed from there to consuming avocado by itself and mixed in with several different dishes.

After browsing Pinterest months ago, I discovered that avocado could be prepared as a dessert. Specifically it could be made into a popsicle. I had tasted avocado hundreds of times at this point and I couldn't imagine how this vegetable could be used in a dessert or how it could be considered sweet. I stalked posts to find a recipe for the avocado popsicle. I finally found one and I tweaked it to meet my taste buds.

As we welcome in Spring and it's cool breeze, prepare the avocado popsicle for you and your family as a cool treat in the middle of the day or to end your day.

Let me know in the comment section if you plan to try this recipe.

This recipe makes 4 popsicles

Ingredients:
2 Ripe avocado
1/3 cup of Brown sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 Lime
1/2 cup of Water

Tools:
Popsicle containers, bowl, spoon, food processor, measuring cups, knife


Step by Step
1. Boil 1/2 cup of water and mix in the 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
2. Cut the avocados and scoop out the meat into the food processor.
3. Squeeze lime over the avocado.
4. Pour the brown sugar mixture into the food processor.
5. Blend all ingredients together until a smooth consistency.
6. Pour the mixture into the popsicle containers.
7. Keep in the freezer for at least 8 hours.

Run warm water over the outside of the container and it will loosen so you can grab the popsicle.
Enjoy!

#FoodieFriday

Check out the video below for a visual of how to prepare this easy sweet dessert.

Banana Pancakes topped with Fried Apples (Gluten-Free)

I spend my Saturday mornings perfecting two things: the pancake or the omelet. I find myself creating different renditions of both. Each entree exciting a new burst of flavors in my mouth. I'm a foodie! I find joy in cooking a good healthy meal. I find joy in sharing with my readers what I did. It's in hopes that it will quench your taste buds and bring you joy as well.

Let's get started...

Ingredients:

• 1 granny smith apple
• 1/2  of a ripe banana
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 large egg
• olive oil
• butter 

Fried Apples
1. Cut the skin off the granny smith apple and cut it into rectangle pieces.
2. Turn the stove to medium heat and add butter.
3. Add the apples and coat with the butter that has been melting.
4. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of cinnamon and lower the heat to low.
5. Stir occasionally for 10-15 minutes until you see that the apples are soft.

 

Banana Pancakes
1. In a bowl smash the ripe banana. Add in the teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 tablespoon of honey. mix it all together.
2. Add a large egg to the ingredients and continue mixing.
3. In another skillet, add four cap fulls of olive oil and turn to medium-high heat.

*Tip* The skillet needs to be hot when you add the pancake batter, but lower it so that the pancake will cook evenly and not burn.

4. Pour pancake batter into the skillet. Reduce heat to low-medium.

*Tip* When the pancake is ready to flip it should be able to slide around if you tilt the skillet.

5. Flip the pancake and increase heat to medium. After 1 minute reduce heat back to low- medium.

If this recipe was helpful, please let me know in the comments. Enjoy!

Flour-less Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Within the past year I cut out eating refined white flour. Initially I was saddened because that meant that I could no longer enjoy all of the delicious bread and sweets that I was use to eating. Turns out that I can still enjoy great desserts, but I just need to make a few modifications. It's healthier anyway, so I'm convinced that this way is much better than the products I was consuming before. 

So needless to say, I love when I find a tasty recipe that quenches my sweet tooth and does not interrupt my flour-free diet. I also love sharing with others great recipes, because it may be the tip that's needed at just the right time. 

Below is a step by step guide to how I make Flour-less Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm sure you're wondering, 'how can you make a cookie without flour?' Well it's possible and I'll show you how to do it!

The ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Natural Peanut Butter
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 3 tablespoons of Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• *Optional Flaxseed Oil

Supplies:

• Measuring cups
• Large bowl
• Non-stick Cooking Spray
• parchment paper
• baking pan/sheet

6-Steps to a Great Snack

1. Mix in a large bowl the peanut butter, flaxseed oil, honey, and vanilla extract.

2. After mixing ingredients well, add the two large eggs and continue to mix all of the ingredients together.

3. Add in the mini chocolate chips.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Scoop out the mixture onto parchment paper. Scoop out based on the size of the cookie you would like to make.

* Make sure to spray the parchment paper with non stick cooking spray

6. Place the cookies in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes. 

Check out the video below to watch me make these cookies.

 If you plan to try this recipe or have tried this recipe, please let me know in the comments. Also please share so that others can experience this sweet delicious treat! 

#foodiefriday