Udi's Millet-Chia Bread and Avocado-Hummus Cheese Panini

Udi's sent me their gluten free Millet-Chia Bread this past summer. I enjoyed this bread throughout the summer on a variety of sandwiches. The bread tastes just like all Udi's bread tastes - As Good As Gluten. The bread is heartier than Udi's White or Whole Grain sandwich bread since it has pieces of chia seeds baked in, but I really like it. I learned through experimentation that this bread complements savory sandwich varieties best - like the Avocado-Hummus Cheese Panini recipe below - and doesn't work so well with Nutella Stuffed French Toast (recipe coming later this week).

Now, onto the Avocado-Hummus Cheese Panini. This panini is fast to make, tastes great, and is a healthy and filling vegetarian lunch or dinner. Basil actually goes really well with avocado - who would known? I never would have thought of pairing basil with avocado, but the yummy outcome is fresh and fragrant.

 

Avocado-Hummus Cheese Panini
Adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

 

 

Ingredients:

·Half of an avocado

·3-5 sprigs of fresh basil, chopped

·Squirt of lime juice

·Salt and pepper to taste

·1 TBS roasted red pepper hummus

·2  slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

·2 slices of Udi’s gluten free sandwich bread

 

Directions:

Mash the avocado with basil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Assemble the sandwich by spreading the avocado mash on one piece of bread, hummus on the other piece of bread, and the cheese on top of the hummus. Place both sides of your sandwich together and cook on a non-stick panini press or George Foreman grill over medium heat for 4-6 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

 

Disclaimer: Udi’s provided the product for me to review. However, my review and opinions written above are my own. 

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

Sandwiches were my friend this past summer. They're quick to prepare on busy summer days and the flavor varieties are endless. This Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich combines my favorite cheese -fresh mozzarella - with basil pesto. I had tons of basil this year in my garden, which was often turned into Skinny Basil Pesto. Even with just two simple filling ingredients, this Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich is super flavorful and fresh.

What are your favorite sandwich varieties?

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Inspired by Pinterest

 

Ingredients:

·2 slices of Udi’s gluten free sandwich bread

·2 tsp basil pesto
·1 slice of fresh mozzarella cheese

·Butter

 

Directions:

Assemble the sandwich by spreading the basil pesto on one piece of bread, top with cheese and the second slice of bread. Butter both sides of the sandwiches and place in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip the sandwiches and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kabobs

While summer is officially over today :(, I'm just now getting around to posting this recipe for Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kabobs. My husband made these for dinner with Grilled Pepper & Onion Brown Rice on the side towards the end of July. If you're missing summer already, one bite of these juicy and sweet kabobs can bring back instant summer memories.


Click here for recipe from SkinnyTaste

Baked Avocados

Baked Avocados come together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner. A creamy avocado is topped with savory garlic and cheese and sweet tomato and basil for a delicious dinner. They taste great with fresh garden tomato and basil, if you made them back in August like I did! Or, live in an area where your garden is still flourishing!

Baked Avocados
Recipe inspired by Mele Cotte

Ingredients:
·1 ripe avocado
·¼ large tomato chopped
·¼ cup gluten free bread crumbs (I used ends from a loaf of Udi’s)
·1 tsp minced garlic
·1 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
·1 TBS basil, chopped
·1 TBS lemon juice
·Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Halve and pit the avocado. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients among the two avocado halves. Place on a small baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Tyson Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets with Honey Lime Mustard

 

As much as I prefer to cook from scratch, I occasionally need a quick lunch or dinner that doesn’t require me to do much cooking. Tyson Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets was just that a few weeks ago for a quick weekend lunch. While the chicken nuggets were cooking, I quickly whipped up homemade Honey Lime Mustard (recipe below) and a veggie to round out this meal.

I was excited when I heard Tyson was coming out with Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Strips. It took me awhile to find them in stores, but I eventually found the nuggets at Target in the Tyson frozen food section. Like most gluten free products, the chicken nuggets are substantially more expensive than the regular, gluten nuggets. I think I paid around $5.50 for a bag.

Despite the price, the good news is that Tyson’s Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets tasted As Good As Gluten. There’s not funky gluten free aftertaste and they taste just like a chicken nugget should – tender and juicy chicken surrounded by a crispy rice/corn breading. My husband ate them with me for lunch and said he couldn’t tell that they were gluten free. I prepared the nuggets in the oven; to avoid turning them, I used this tip from when I make GF Chicken Tenders - place the nuggets on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to bake. This allows the heat to circulate so the nuggets are crisp on both sides.

The Homemade Honey Lime Mustard was a great complement to the Chicken Nuggets. It’s sweet and tangy, and literally is whisked together in a matter of minutes. The measurements in the recipe are estimates, as I put spoonfuls of the ingredients in a bowl, tasted, and revised until I got the flavor where I wanted it.

Honey Lime Mustard
Ingredients:
·2 TBS mayonnaise
·2 tsp honey
·1 TBS spicy brown mustard
·Splash of lime juice

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors accordingly.


Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. It's a product I bought, loved, and wanted to share with you!

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with a Savory Sauce

I love spring rolls, but they can be frustrating to make. I haven't found a way to easily work with rice paper wrappers or a trick to rolling them tight. If you have any tips - PLEASE send them my way. :)

These Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls are incredibly fresh. Rich avocado is paired with juicy cucumber, crisp carrots, and fragment fresh basil. I grew the cucumber and basil in my garden this year, and never would have thought to combine their flavors until this dish. The dipping sauce is savory featuring tart vinegar and lime juice, salty soy sauce, spicy Sirarcha and brown mustard, and sweet brown sugar. When this dish is all pulled together it tastes like a fresh, handheld salad. Yum!

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with a Savory Sauce
Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Savory Sauce Ingredients:

·Juice from 1/2 lime

·1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

·½ TBS rice vinegar

·¼ tsp spicy brown mustard

·¼ tsp Sirarcha

·½ tsp brown sugar

·Dash of gluten free soy sauce

Summer Roll Ingredients: 

·1 Hass avocado

·10 rice paper rounds

·6 large fresh basil leaves

·5 baby carrots, thinly sliced

·¼ cucumber, cut into thin strips

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the savory sauce ingredients. When sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Halve, pit, and peel the avocado. Slice into ½-inch wide strips. 

Place warm water in a shallow bowl. Lay a large clean plate next to the bowl and a clean kitchen tea towel. Dip 1 rice paper round into the water for a few seconds to soften, then lay flat on the plate. Quickly dip a second round into the water and lay it directly on top of the first one. Quickly pat dry using the towel.

Place a basil leaf, some avocado, carrots, and cucumber on top of the stacked rice papers - starting about one third from the edge facing you. Be careful not to overstuff the rolls, as I did. :) Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper up over the filling and then roll once to form a tight cylinder. Set aside, seam down. Repeat with remaining rice paper and filling ingredients to make 5 rolls.

Cut each roll in half crosswise and serve with savory sauce immediately.

Udi's Gluten Free Tortillas

 

When Udi's sent me an awesome package of their gluten free foods to sample in June, I was excited to learn that Udi's had gluten-free four tortillas. I love corn tortillas, but definitely miss flour tortillas. I was super excited to try Udi's tortillas and had high expectations for them since all of the other products I've tried from Udi's taste As Good As Gluten.

Unfortunately, Udi's tortillas didn't meet my expectations. They crumbled as I tried to turn my Santa Fe Chicken into a burrito and as I tried to make a peanut butter-banana roll-up snack. You can see in the (bad) picture above that I'm holing my Santa Fe Chicken burrito together with toothpicks (I ended up eating it with a knife and fork). The good news is that the flavor tasted just like a flour tortilla should taste. Like other Udi's products, there was no funky gluten free aftertaste.

Someone please tell me that this is an anomaly. Someone please tell me that I somehow messed up the tortillas by freezing them and then thawing them in the fridge before I used them. I love and trust Udi's products so much, that I will be trying these again before I give up on them.


Disclaimer: Udi’s provided the product for me to review. However, my review and opinions written above are my own.

Cabin in the Woods Burger

 

This rustic burger is comfort food at its finest – not diet friendly, but it will definitely please your taste buds! A classic burger is topped with breakfast favorites of maple bacon and a fried egg to make this mouth-watering Cabin in the Woods Burger. I served with Udi's GF Whole Grain Hamburger Buns.

Click here for recipe from Rachael Ray

BBQ Hot Dog & Potato Packets

 

My husband loves hot dogs, so when I came across this recipe in a magazine I knew we had to try. It’s a unique way to enjoy hot dogs on the grill. This sweet and savory dish comes together fairly easily, and it's a great dish for late summer/early fall weather. We served with Grilled Asparagus.

BBQ Hot Dog & Potato Packets

Inspired by Midwest Living magazine recipe

Ingredients:

·8 small red potatoes, quartered
·4 hot dogs
·1 small onion, chopped
·¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
·½ cup gluten free BBQ sauce

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a knife, but still firm and not cooked completely. Drain.

Divide potato wedges evenly among 4 pieces of foil. Top with remaining ingredients. Fold foil around mixture, sealing tightly to make a packet. Grill over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and potatoes are fork tender.

Serves 4.

Caprese Chicken Skillet

 

 

I cannot get enough of Caprese during the summer. If you've noticed a theme of my recipes lately, which I've been trying to spread out as best as I can, I'm obsessed with all things Caprese. I absolutely love the flavors of fresh mozzarella, garden-ripe tomatoes, and sweet garden grown basil.

This Caprese Chicken Skillet recipe is super flavorful. Tender, seasoned chicken is topped with juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet basil, and creamy melted mozzarella cheese. Yum, yum, yum!


Click here for recipe from Key Ingredient

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tilapia with Red Potatoes and Asparagus

 

We love grilling season, but fish rarely gets grilled in our home as we haven’t found a way to prepare it that my husband and I both enjoy. Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tilapia was one of the grilled fish recipes we experimented with this summer. It was good, but my husband and I found the combination of bacon and tilapia to be unique and somewhat odd. If you love the combination of fish and bacon, you’d likely enjoy this meal. The star of this dinner was the grilled asparagus. My husband prepares it a few times a week on the grill. The asparagus is crispy when seasoned lightly and lightly charred on the grill.

 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy grilled fish? I’d love to try new recipes while it’s still grilling season.

 

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tilapia with Red Potatoes

Inspired by a Hy-Vee magazine recipe

 

Ingredients:

·6 small red potatoes, halved

·¼ tsp ground thyme
·2 tilapia filets

·4 slices of bacon

·1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

·½ tsp onion powder
·¼ tsp black pepper
·Dash of paprika

 

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a knife, but still firm and not cooked completely. Drain.

 

Spray a grilling basket with non-stick cooking spray. Heat grill to medium high. Season tilapia with thyme. Wrap each tilapia fillet with 2 slices of bacon, covering as much fish as possible. In a small bowl, combine the EVOO and rest of the seasonings. Add potatoes and toss gently to coat. Arrange fish and potatoes in a grill basket. Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until bacon is brown and crisp. Flip basket over and grill an additional 8-10 minutes or until bacon is crisp and potatoes are fork tender.

 

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients:

·1 bunch of fresh asparagus

·2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

·Salt and pepper

 

Directions:

Combine asparagus, EVOO, and seasoning in a plastic baggie. Shake to coat asparagus thoroughly. Place on a grill heated to medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, rotating the asparagus to assure it’s evenly cooked.

Peach-Blackberry Praline Upside-Down Cake

 

 

If you also came home with a 1/2 peck of ripe peaches from the local farmer's market this weekend, this Peach-Blackberry Praline Upside-Down Cake is for you! If not, you don't want to miss this cake and should find fresh peaches pronto.

This Peach-Blackberry Praline Upside-Down Cake is seriously phenomenal. A moist, spongy cinnamon-vanilla cake is topped with plump and juicy peaches and blackberries - all coated in a syrupy brown sugar pecan praline. AMAZING!!

 

But, don't take my word for it. Here are some comments from my family who absolutely loved this cake. "Oh wow, that is good!" "Mmmm!" "Very good." "It doesn't even have a hint of gluten-free." Yes, there is no aftertaste and it's As Good As Gluten. (With all of the sugar, butter, and eggs and my flour blend, I didn't expect it to taste anything less than amazing).

A few pieces of advice when making this decadent cake: 1) Bake it now. 2) Share the love. Your family and friends will adore you for it.

My family enjoyed this cake as is, but decided it would be extra special if taken topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Just a suggestion. :)

 

Peach-Blackberry Praline Upside-Down Cake
Modified from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

·4 eggs, separated

·1/4 cup butter, cubed

·2/3 cup packed brown sugar

·1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 tsp for cake

·1/4 tsp fresh ginger, grated

·3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced

·1/4 cup fresh blackberries

·1/2 cup pecans, chopped

·1/2 cup brown rice flour

·1/2 cup oat flour

·1 tsp baking powder

·1/4 tsp salt

·1 cup brown sugar

·1/4 cup skim milk

·2 TBS Greek yogurt

·1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Place egg whites in a large bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375˚.

In a 16-20 inch cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet), melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Remove from heat. Arrange peaches and blackberries on top. Sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thickened. Gradually add sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in milk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture.

With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until stuff. Fold into cake batter. Pour batter into skillet.

Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes; invert onto a plate. Serve warm.