Spiced Scallops with Avocado and Corn

This is one of my latest favorites! I have always loved scallops and order them in restaurants every chance I get but I have never been brave enough to make them on my own. This summer I decided they were so good I should learn to cook them. I found this recipe in a magazine, altered it a bit and Voila! I made scallops and they actually tasted good. My husband even said, "I feel like this is something we would order in a restaurant". Success! 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium avocado (peeled and diced)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 
• 1 1/4 lbs sea scallops (about 12) 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 chopped scallion
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

1. Toss diced avocado & lime juice in a bowl. Set aside. 
2. Sprinkle scallops with salt, pepper, & cumin. Stir in a bowl until well coated. 
3. Head oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallops, cook for a few minutes, turn, and cook for a couple more minutes. 
4. Transfer scallops to a plate and set aside (I set my toaster oven to "keep warm" and set them in there for the few minutes I cook the corn because I don't want them to get cold.) 
5. Add corn, scallion, & white wine (sometimes I add a dash more of cumin too if I want more flavor) to the skillet (don't clean it out, the juices left from the scallops add flavor to the corn) and cook until corn is tender- just a few minutes. 
6. Spoon the corn mixture on the plate, put scallops on top, spoon on avocado mixture and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. 
7. Enjoy! 

*Last time I made it I was out of limes and cilantro and it wasn't as good as when I had those items. They add a lot of zest, so make sure to include them! 

Just Discovered- Vegan & Gluten Free chocolate cake that is good!

Today my husband wanted to take our kids out for donuts. Since our daughter can't have gluten he stopped at Central Market to try and get her gluten free donuts before going to the donut shop. He wasn't able to find any but he found this cake in the freezer section and figured it'd work, which it did. She loved it!

They brought home the rest of the cake to me and I was amazed at how good it was. It was moist, flavorful and had great texture! A great go to item when you need something in a hurry and don't have time to bake. 

Great Experience at Salty's on Alki

I went to brunch today at Salty's on Alki Beach. I was really nervous to attend a brunch because I figured it'd be a bunch of food I couldn't have and that I'd be over charged for the few items I could have that would probably be cross contaminated anyway. Boy was I wrong! I called the night before just to check in and see what they had to say about accommodating food allergies. The lady who answered the phone was so helpful and told me that they had someone who would walk me through the buffet line and tell me what I could and couldn't eat. 

When I got to Salty's today I was beyond impressed with how many options I had. There was tons of fresh seafood, delicious veggies, fresh fruit, and even a few gluten free desserts! And since all the buffet salads had croutons tossed in them they made me my own personal salad and delivered it to our table. 

I had a fabulous time, felt wonderful afterwards, and will definitely be returning to Salty's! 

Soy Apricot Pork Tenderloin

I found this marinade in a magazine this summer and it has since become a family favorite. Super easy and really tasty. We usually do it in the oven but the other night we cooked it on the rotisserie and it was fabulous. So if you have a rotisserie and have the time, I highly recommend going that route (it took about 1.5 - 2 hours). 

*This picture is of just half of the 2 lb. tenderloin.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Ingredients: 

• 2 lb pork tenderloin
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce (I buy San J, they sell it at Fred Meyer as well as all health food stores)
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Directions:

1. Mix preserves, soy sauce, & oil with a whisk until well mixed. Use as marinade. 
2. Set pork on roasting pan and coat both sides with marinade.
3. Cook for 30 minutes. 
4. Coat pork again with marinade and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes (or until cooked through). 
5. Slice up and enjoy! 

Chocolate Mounds

These chocolate mound cookies were first introduced to me by my friend Aimee's mom. They have become a favorite of mine and are always a hit when I serve them to guests or take them to parties. I made them egg free for the first time today and they are still quite tasty. A little more brittle than the original recipe, but still very good. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6- 1oz squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 2- 1oz squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tbsp butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 2 eggs OR 3 tsp egg replacer mixed with 4 tbsp water mixed until frothy
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 oz chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)

1. Mix cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 
2. In saucepan on low, melt squares of semi-sweet chocolate and squares of unsweetened chocolate with butter.
3. In large bowl mix 2 eggs (or egg replacer) with brown sugar. 
4. Add melted chocolate mixture to egg mixture. 
5. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. 
6. Add chocolate chips and nuts until well mixed. 
7. Drop balls of dough onto cookie sheet and and bake 10-12 minutes

Enjoy! 

New Favorite Toast!

We just discovered this cinnamon raisin bread and it is AMAZING! Lauren asks for it every morning for breakfast. We bought it at Savory Moments in Redmond. I haven't seen it anywhere else but I haven't looked that hard either. If anyone knows of another store that sells it leave me a comment and let me know! 

Mexican Chili

I made this chili last night for a baby shower and it was a hit. My kids especially loved it and are already asking me to make it again! We served it over baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream on the side for those lucky ducks that can indulge in all the dairy! 

I got this recipe from a friend as "Taco Soup". I modified it a bit to make it thicker and now it's "Mexican Chili"! Magic. 

It's another crock pot recipe, seems to be a theme of mine these days. 

*With all canned foods make sure to read the ingredients to make sure they are gluten free. I always buy the organic Fred Meyer brand. They are well priced and have very little ingredients. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground beef (could use ground turkey instead)

1/2 chopped onion

1-2 cloves garlic

1 package taco seasoning (Make sure it is Gluten Free. I use the big McCormick's container from Costco and just put in 3 tbsp)

1 can diced green chilies (I used Ortega)

1 can kidney beans (drained)

1 can pinto beans (drained)

1 can Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes

1 cup corn

1 14 oz can of tomato sauce

1. Brown the ground beef. Add the onions and garlic and saute with the meat until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the meat, onions, garlic and all other ingredients to the crock pot and let simmer for 6 hours on low. 
3. Serve alone, with chips, cheese, sour cream, or over a baked potato! 
4. Enjoy:) 

Simple Gluten & Dairy Free Pumpkin Muffins

 We're in a pumpkin mood around here lately so we've been making all sorts of yummy pumpkin concoctions! These muffins were a hit with Lauren & Ben. 

This is a really basic pumpkin muffin recipe that I found somewhere on line last year. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Makes about 9 muffins. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/4 cups Pamela's Baking Mix (or mix of your choice, Pamela's contains milk) 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey or 1/4 cup sugar or agave nectar. I used honey once and agave nectar once, I preferred the honey. 
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 
• brown sugar for topping

Directions: 

1. Mix all ingredients together and spoon into greased muffin pan (or use paper liners, I found that the muffins stuck to these though) until 2/3 full. 
2. Top muffins with a dusting of brown sugar (I left this off once and they weren't as good). 
3. Bake in preheated oven for 18- 20 minutes. 

I got creative with the pizza tonight

 I needed something quick and easy for dinner tonight but wanted it to be healthy too so I got a little creative. First I smeared the pizza crusts (Kinnikinnick, our fav) with pure pumpkin puree. 

 Then I covered them with a layer of spinach, then lots of tomato sauce.

 I covered one with tomatoes and goat cheese for me, the other with cheddar for the kids.

Overall they were a hit. Ben, my two year old who is usually really picky scarfed down every last bite. Lauren, my 4 four year old who typically loves all veggies and eats raw spinach like it is going out of style did not like the idea of it on her pizza. But neither noticed the pumpkin puree! 

Great New Find at Trader Joe's!

We found these at Trader Joe's last night and the kids are in heaven over them! They are free of the 8 most common allergens which means no eggs, dairy, or gluten so we were thrilled! I can't remember the exact price but I know they were $3 or less. The box we bought last night is already gone...oops.