LiveGfree Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwich

I posted raved a few months ago about Aldi's gluten-free line and their Pepperoni Stuffed Sandwiches. The other variety of stuffed sandwiches offered is a vegetarian option - Southwest Veggie. The sandwich is stuffed with rice, black beans, corn, and tomatoes. It tastes As Good As Gluten, reminiscent of Southwest/Mexican flavors. The sandwich/crust is hearty due to 100% whole grain millet flour as the first ingredient.


Have you tried LiveGfree products from Aldi? What's your favorite?

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

Oatmeal Breakfast Cupcakes

 

                                      

These Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes are perfect for breakfast – at home or on-the-go.  A little bit of easy work in the kitchen to prepare these breakfast cupcakes on the weekend will result in a few weeks of breakfast ready for you and your family.

 
There are so many things I love about this breakfast recipe. Not only are they almost effortless to prepare, but the flavor possibilities are endless and they taste delicious. I made Banana-Walnut-Chocolate-Chip-Oatmeal Cupcakes and “frosted” them with peanut butter. I ate for breakfast every day for two weeks with a glass of skim milk, which energized me for the day. It’s rare that I don’t need a mid-morning snack, but these Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes fueled me until lunch time.

 

What’s your favorite healthy breakfast food?

 

Click here for recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie

Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta

 

                        

Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta is easy to prepare, comes together quickly, and tastes incredibly flavorful. I love the base pasta recipe for this dish, Creamy Garlic and Mushroom Pasta Recipe, which I've made into quite a few different flavor varieties over the years.

 

This time, I added chickpeas for more protein. The chickpeas surprisingly pulled together the flavors in this dish together well by adding depth and texture. I also started using cottage cheese instead of Parmesan and adding no cream or milk. I found the dish to be creamy enough without additional cream. One time I didn't have any cheese, only cottage cheese, in the fridge. It worked great and I think it's healthier than regular cheese.

Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta
Inspired by my favorite Creamy Garlic and Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
·2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·1 TBS minced garlic
·5-10 mushrooms, sliced
·3 TBS butter, divided
·¼ tsp salt
·½ tsp pepper
·1½ cups homemade chicken stock
·2 cups water
·½ lb gluten free spaghetti noodles (I use Tinkyada)
·1 cup cooked chickpeas
·1 cup fresh spinach
·½ cup cottage cheese
·Up to ¼ cup skim milk, if needed
·2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add 2 TBS butter, heat until melted. Add salt, pepper, chicken stock, and water. Raise the heat to medium-high and let it come to a boil.

Once boiling, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in 1 TBS of melted butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from heat and mix in the cottage cheese until melted. If pasta needs more liquid, add up to ¼ cup skim milk. Stir in the spinach, mushrooms, chickpeas, and parsley. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

                       

 

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas are the perfect vegetarian dish for meatless Mondays or Lenten Fridays. It's also a great way to enjoy butternut squash before it's out of season, which is sadly too soon.

 

A ton of great flavors simmer together to make the stuffing for the enchiladas, including butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, green chillies, cilantro, and jalapeno.

 

There is one simple change to make this recipe gluten free. Use soft corn tortillas instead of the whole wheat tortillas called for in the recipe linked below.

Click here for recipe from Skinny Taste

 

Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese

                                  

This recipe combines my favorite dip with my childhood (well, and adult) favorite dish. This grown up version of Mac & Cheese tastes like sinful comfort food, but it is packed with veggies. This dish makes eating veggies fun for kids and adults, who are still kids at heart.

Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese

Inspired by Rachael Ray

 

Ingredients:

·Salt
·1 lb gluten free pasta (I used Target's Simply Balanced Fuselli)
·2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
·1 TBS butter
·1 medium onion, finely chopped
·2 tsp minced garlic
·1 1/2 TBS cornstarch
·1/2 cup white wine
·2 cups skim milk
·1/4 tsp nutmeg
·1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
·1 - 6.5 oz jar artichokes, chopped
·Generous salt and Black pepper
·1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone blend)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

Meanwhile, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with olive oil and butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the cornstarch into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to deglaze the pan. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 more minutes. Add cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Ginger Butternut Squash Bisque

                                          

I love butternut squash, and it's one of my favorite fall/winter foods to cook with. It's a diverse squash that I enjoy in both sweet and savory recipes.

This Ginger Butternut Squash Bisque is a sweet and filling vegetarian dish. Don't skip out one the toppings on this dish, as the flavors really come together with the peanut, toasted coconut, and cilantro sprinkled on top. Served on top of a bed of rice completely rounds out this bisque.


What's your favorite way to enjoy butternut squash?


Click here for recipe from Taste of Home

Pumpkin Soup with Lentils

 

Pumpkin Soup with Lentils comes together in 30 minutes. It's a hearty, comforting dish that's healthy, creamy, and uber flavorful.

I think I've finally converted my husband to my "unique" recipes.  A few years ago he would have turned his nose up at the thought of this soup. Today, he tried it and said "that's real good." Proof that determination pays off. :)

 

Pumpkin Soup with Lentils

Slightly adapted from Better Homes & Garden, October 2013 Magazine

Ingredients:
·1 small sweet onion, cut into wedges
·1 yellow sweet pepper, seeded and sliced
·½ cup lentils, rinsed and drained
·1 TBS olive oil
·2 tsp ginger
·1 tsp curry powder
·1 tsp cumin
·1 26oz. box chicken stock (use vegetable stock to make vegetarian)
·1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
·Roasted pumpkin seeds and nutmeg for topping (optional)
 

Directions:

Heat oil in a large 5 qt. Dutch oven. Cook onion, sweet pepper, and lentils over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve warm with roasted pumpkin seeds and ground nutmeg on top.

Curried Carrot Soup

Curried Carrot Soup is sweet and spicy, and a great savory soup for a cold winter day. Serve with your favorite sandwich for a quick meal.

 

Curried Carrot Soup

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
·2 TBS butter

·¾ cup chopped onion

·½ tsp curry powder

·Salt and pepper

·1¾ cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth to make vegetarian)

·1 lb baby carrots

·Juice from 1 clementine

·1 tsp sugar

·For garnish, roasted pumpkin seeds or chopped cilantro (fresh)

Directions:

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, carrots, and 1¼ cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Squeeze in clementine juice.

In a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Add more chicken broth, if necessary, to thin soup to desired consistency. Serve warm topped with desired garnishes.

Hot Corn Dip

Hot Corn Dip is a cheesy and spicy dip that's perfect for football party season. You can easily adjust the level of heat in this dish by putting in more or less chipotle peppers. I made this unique dip a few weeks ago and it was a hit.

What's your favorite dip for football party season?


Click here for recipe from Gina Marie's Kitchen

Butternut Parmesan Quinoa

Butternut Parmesan Quinoa is a sweet and savory dish that comes together with only a few ingredients. It's also easily customizable for your flavor preferences.

Butternut Parmesan Quinoa

Ingredients:
·1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
·1 medium butternut squash, cubed
·2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
·½ tsp each - salt, pepper, nutmeg
·½ cup Parmesan cheese
·¼ cup pecans or walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, parmesan cheese, and pecans. Stir until combined and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

These Vegetarian Enchiladas are hearty, savory, and easy to prepare. They tasted so good my husband and brother were surprised that they were vegetarian and that they liked them enough to have seconds.


Click here for recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Romano and Mushroom Marsala Polenta

 

This hearty meal comes together in 20-30 minutes. It’s a new favorite that I’ve made almost every other week since I first made it a month or so ago. To round this dish out when I serve it as a meal, I’ve stirred in cooked chicken or spinach. The base polenta recipe is creamy and cheesy for this dish would also be great served with your favorite blackened fish or shrimp.

Romano and Mushroom Marsala Polenta
Romano Polenta Ingredients:
·½ cup milk
·2 cups water
·½ cup cornmeal
·Salt and pepper
·½ cup Romano cheese
·2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Mushroom Marsala Ingredients:
·6 oz. mushrooms, destemmed and sliced
·2 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·½ cup Marsala wine
·Salt and pepper
·1 tsp dried Parsley, optional

Directions:
For the Polenta, bring liquids to a boil with salt. Whisk in cornmeal until no lumps remain. Reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add pepper, EVOO, and cheese. Stir until combined.

For the Mushrooms, heat EVOO in a medium skillet. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Add wine to deglaze the pan and remove from heat.

Scoop polenta into a bowl. Top with Marsala mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

 

I’ve been traveling a lot lately for work and cooking dinner is the last thing on my mind. Crunchy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect fix for busy weeknights. Seasoned black beans loaded with flavor are packed between a crunchy corn tortilla shell stuffed with cheese and my favorite taco toppings. The best part of this meal – it tastes great and comes together in less than 15 minutes!

 

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

·1 recipe for Seasoned Black Beans (I made with pre-cooked dry black beans, or you can use canned)

·3 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

·6 corn tortillas

·½ cup shredded Monterey-Jack cheese
·1 tomato, diced

Directions:

Heat ½ TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a skillet. Add corn tortilla. Spoon 1/4 cup or so of Seasoned Black Beans on one half of the tortilla shell. Sprinkle with cheese and tomatoes.

Use a spatula and fold tortilla on half, on top of the side with the beans. Gently press down. Cook for 3 minutes per side until crispy. Repeat as needed to finish making Crunchy Black Bean Tacos.

If you use a large pan, you can do more than one at a time. Serve with your favorite taco toppings (sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc.).

Chipotle Black Bean Macaroni and Cheese

 

This spicy vegetarian dish has incredibly robust flavors and comes together in 30 minutes. If you have a meat lover in your family that likes black beans, they won't miss the meat in this hearty dish.

Chipotle Black Bean Macaroni and Cheese

Slightly modified from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

·2 TBS cornstarch
·8oz. skim milk
·2 eggs
·½ lb. gluten free elbow macaroni shells (I use Tinkyada brown rice gluten free shells)
·1½ cups cooked black beans (you can substitute canned if you’d prefer – just drain and rinse)
·2 TBS chipotle chilies in adobo sauce puree (see note below or read my tip on chipotle chilies in adobo here)
·1 jalapeno chili, finely minced
·1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
·2 tsp dried cilantro
·1 tomato, diced
·4 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, milk, and eggs until well-combined. Set aside.

Return drained pasta to large pot and add cooking water, black beans, chipotle chilies in adobo puree, jalapeno pepper, milk mixture, and cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy and smooth. Be careful not to heat too quickly or stop stirring as the eggs in the milk mixture might cook into scrambled eggs. Stir in cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.

 

Note: For the chipotle chilies in adobo sauce puree, buy a small can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce from the grocery store. It’s usually found in the Hispanic foods section with other Hispanic-inspired sauces and ingredients. When you open the can, you’ll find whole chipotle chilies sitting in adobo sauce. Seed the chipotle chilies (if you desire less heat) and then puree the entire can of adobo sauce and whole chipotle chilies together. Use the amount needed for the recipe, then freeze the rest flattened in a marked plastic bag. Next time a recipe calls for chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, all you’ll need to do is break off a piece from the freezer. I love this tip, as I never need an entire can of chipotle chilies in adobo for one recipe, but cook with the ingredient a few times a month. This tip also works great for tomato paste and pumpkin if a recipe only calls for a few teaspoons or tablespoons.

Pumpkin and Bean Tacos

 

Pumpkin tacos?! Yes. Just trust me on this.

Pumpkin and Bean Tacos are a great way to use leftover pumpkin from holiday baking. They are super-fast to make and taste great! This is one of the most unique combinations of taco ingredients I’ve tried, and I’m impressed with how well I liked it.

What’s the most unique taco you’ve ever had – and liked?


Pumpkin and Bean Tacos
Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
·Canned pumpkin
·Refried Beans (can use canned or Homemade Refried Beans)
·Soft corn tortilla shells
·Shredded cheese
·Green onions, sliced
·Cilantro (freshly chopped or dried)

Directions:
Heat a corn tortilla shell in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1 spoonful of pumpkin and 2 spoonfuls of refried beans on one side of the shell. Top with cheese, green onions, and cilantro. Fold the shell over to form a taco. Heat on both sides until heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Udi's Three Cheese Pizza

 



Udi's Pizza Crusts are my favorite gluten free pizza crust. They are much easier than making homemade pizza dough and taste better than other pizza crusts I've tried. I've been using Udi's crusts for years to make a wide variety of pizzas. I recently found in my grocery store that Udi's sells frozen pizzas, so I bought the Three Cheese Pizza to try.

Udi’s Three Cheese Pizza tasted as I expected it to – a cheese pizza on Udi’s crust. While I could easily make this myself with an Udi's pizza crust and add my own toppings, sometimes it's nice to just unwrap a frozen pizza and through it in the oven.

 

 

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

Mexican Skillet Zucchini

Zucchini recipes in November? Yes, I’m that late in posting this Mexican Skillet Zucchini recipe. If you’re somehow still swimming in zucchini as I was at the end of the summer or need a taste of summer, this recipe is for you. If not, save it on your Pinterest board until warmer weather rolls around.

Jalapeños and cilantro give zucchini a nice kick in this dish. It’s simple to prepare and tastes fresh and flavorful.

Click here for recipe from Skinny Taste 

Carbonara with Squash and Kale

My favorite part of fall is fall foods and the ingredients I love to cook with - pumpkin, squash, cinnamon, apple, etc. Carbonara Squash and Kale is a creamy, flavorful pasta dish packed full of fall flavors. We loved this pasta as it is sweet from the butternut squash and hearty from the kale. My husband and I both agreed the only thing that could make it better is if bacon was also stirred in.

Carbonara Squash and Kale
Ingredients
·2 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·1 tsp minced garlic
·Dash of red pepper
·2½ cups sliced kale
·Salt and pepper
·1 cup roasted butternut squash
·10 oz. gluten free pasta noodles
·2 eggs, beaten
·½ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large part of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente.

Heat EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add kale, season with salt, and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cubed, roasted butternut squash. Cover and set aside.

Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Add pasta to skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in reserved water. Remove skillet from heat, stir in eggs. Return to heat and stir until eggs make a sauce, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, and serve.

Hot Caprese Dip

Hot Caprese Dip combines 3 ingredients - creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and sweet basil - that's perfect with tortilla chips. The flavor of this dip was incredibly fresh, but it was watery and hard to dip. The fresh tomatoes get even juicier when baked, which resulted in a watery dip. The fresh mozzarella I used molded together when melted, making it impossible to dip. No worries, with my love of caprese, I had no problem eating this dip with a spoon.

Click here for recipe from How Sweet Eats

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Nutella French Toast! Warm, chocolatey Nutella sandwiched between two pieces of gluten free French Toast. Do I even need to say more? It's rich and perfectly sutiable for an indulgent weekend breakfast in my books! It tastes great by itself, but could be topped with fresh berries, powdered sugar, or maple syrup to taste even better.


Nutella Stuffed French Toast
Adapted from Heather's Dish

Ingredients:
·4 slices of Udi's gluten free sandwich bread
·2 TBS Nutella
·1 egg
·¼ cup milk

Directions:Whisk together egg and milk in a shallow dish. Set aside. Spread 1 TBS of Nutella between two slices of bread. Dip each side of the sandwich into the egg mixture. Cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat for other sandwich. Serve immediately.

Serves: 2