GF Breaded Eggplant w/Goat Cheese

Tonight's dinner was "on a budget".

Bison was on sale at Sprouts this weekend. It is a leaner meat than beef and it was cheaper than beef or chicken. So, that was an easy choice!

I don't really ever "plan meals". I know what ingredients work well together and I try to buy things that don't spoil quickly that I know how to cook and that are versatile.

For example, eggplant can be grilled, sauteed or fried. It is a food for every mood!

I've been experimenting with the perfect way to do "breading" for fried veggies/chicken that is gluten free. I think I perfected it tonight! You could use this eggplant recipe for GF Eggplant Parmesan, as a side veggie as I did here, or in the place of meat on a veggie sandwich w/mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers and red onion!


GF Breaded Eggplant w/Goat Cheese
Serves 4
Total Prep and Cook Time: 30-40 Min

1 medium eggplant

Breading (Gluten Free)
1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill Baking Mix
1/2 c. Corn Meal
3 Tbsp Freshly Chopped Rosemary
2 Tbsp Freshly Chopped Thyme
1 Tsp Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
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2 eggs
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Oil for cooking (Olive Oil)
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Peel purple skin from eggplant with a vegetable peeler. Slice into 1/4" slices. Any thicker and they will burn before they are cooked through.

Mix herbs and dry ingredients together in a dish large enough to use for dusting your egg plant. Scramble eggs (add milk if you like). Always dust whatever you are frying in the "flour" first. Then to the eggs and back to the flour.

Your oil should sizzle when the eggplant is placed in the pan. Otherwise, it is not hot enough. Your eggplant will soak up the oil instead of fry and it will be soggy. Fry over medium heat for 2 min or so, turn and cook 2 min on other side. Once they are a a golden-brown, remove from heat and set on paper towel to drain some of the oil off.

Add a dollop of your favorite goat cheese to the top and serve warm. The goat cheese really topped it off! :)

Guten Appetit/Bon Appetit!

Walnut-Berry Vinigrette

1C. Roasted Walnut Oil
1/3 C. berry/Fig infused Balsamic vinegar**
1tsp mustard (Dijon)
1 small chopped shallot
salt^
pepper

Whisk all ingredients together.
^Remember that flavours become stronger after they have had time to sit. You will not taste the saltiness until the salt has completely dissolved in your dressing and had time to combine. Therefore, be very wary of adding more than a pinch or two (especially if you are a salt addict)! :)
**If you want to save some cash and still have "infused" vinegar, buy a regular vinegar and some frozen blue berries. Thaw 2-3 tablespoons of the blueberries and puree in a mini-food processor. Add to the vinegar! :) Voila - infused vinegar!

Fresh Berry and Chicken Salad

Serves 2

4 C. Salad Greens
1 Chicken Breast grilled/broiled
4 Strawberries Sliced
1/2 Gala Apple Sliced (thinly)
Approx 10 Grapes
4 Tbsp Chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp Goat Cheese

2 Tbsp Fig Vinigrette**
(I buy my dressing at Whole Foods. It is by Lucini Italia and it is called 'Fig and Walnut Savory Balsamic Vinigrette. It is fantastic and a huge time saver. However, I will post a recipe for one! ) :-) Any Balsamic Vinigrette will do, but this one really compliments all the fruits in this salad.

Tip: The trip to incorporating soft goat cheese that comes in a tube shape is to break of little pieces and "drop" them onto the salad once it has been plated.

Fish Taco Salad

Okay...I know this sounds a little weird, but it was fantastic! I found a really great Gluten Free marinade by Simply Organic. It is simply called "Fish Taco". I picked it up at Whole Foods, but I have also seen it at Sprouts.

FISH TACO SALAD WITH WARMED VEGGIES
Serves 2

2 Mahi Fillets

1/2 of green, red, orange, yellow bell pepper chopped
4 Mushrooms chopped
2 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion
1 Package Fish Taco Seasoning**
4 cups your favorite salad greens
1 small chopped Roma tomato
1 small chopped zucchini
1 small chopped yellow squash
1/2 sliced avocado

Salsa for dressing (my fav for this salad is Herdez)

4 corn tortillas

Prepare Mahi in a skillet according the directions on the marinade package.

Spray small amount of cooking spray in small frying pan over med-low heat. Add squash and zucchini. Heat just until they are softened and warm.

Meanwhile, plate up your salad greens top with all veggies minus you warmed squash. Add squash and fish last. Top with sliced avocado and salsa for dressing. Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Enjoy! :)

Gluten Free Fiber Sources

I don't know about you, but one of my biggest struggles on the GF diet is my fiber intake. Here are some tips to help you include fiber in your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Recommended fiber amounts for women is 21 to 25 grams a day and for men is 30 to 38 grams a day."

Among other things, fiber helps cleanse your colon and intestines. This function of fiber will help reduce risk of colon cancer and other digestive diseases. Also, if you're irregular, your fiber intake is probably too low.

Slices up some figs, add some garbanzo beans and julienned carrot to your salad or add frozen blueberries and raspberries to fat-free vanilla yogurt for a snack!

Here is a list of high fiber foods from the Mayo Clinic Web-site (I've only included GF foods):

Fruits
Total fiber (grams)*
1 c. Raspberries 8grams
Pear, with skin 5.1grams
Apple, with skin 4.4 grams
2 Figs 3.7 grams
1c. Blueberries 3.5grams
1 c. Strawberries 3.3
1 Banana 3.1
Orange 3.1
1 small box Raisins 1.6grams

Grains
3 c. Popcorn, air-popped 3.6grams
1c. cooked Brown rice 3.5 grams


Legumes, nuts & seeds (cooked)
1 c. Split peas 16.3
1 c. Lentils 15.6
1 c.Black beans 15.0
1 c. Lima beans 13.2
1 c. Baked beans 10.4

1/4 c. Sunflower seeds 3.6
22 Almonds 3.3
1 ounce Pistachios 2.9
1 ounce Pecans 2.7

Veggies
1 Artichoke (cooked) 10.3
1 c. Peas (cooked) 8.8
1 c. Broccoli (cooked 5.1
1 c. Turnip greens (cooked) 5.0
1 c. Sweet corn (cooked) 4.6
1 c. Brussels sprouts (cooked) 4.1
1 med. Potato (cooked) 4.0
1 Carrot (raw) 1.7

Tip: Cucumber

I have multiple family members who claim to not like cucumber, yet I put it in all my salads, and they love my salads. What is my trick?

First, I opt for the less bitter English Cucumber. You will find these longer, thinner cucumber usually in plastic next to the other cucumbers.

Remove all the skin with a vegetable peeler. Slice into two shorter pieces to make it easier to work with. Remove ends. Slice in half lengthwise to expose the seeds. Take a small spoon and scrape out all the seeds using the tip of the spoon. The seeds carry a lot of the bitterness that people don't like.

Turn cucumber halves over, with hallow side down, on your cutting board. Slice lengthwise into thin slices and then chop in opposite direction.

You will have approx 1c. uniformly diced cucumber to add to your dishes. Since the seeds are removed they will keep for at least a week in a plastic baggy in your fridge! :-)

Check out all the vitamins and minerals that are in cucumbers:
Vitamin A
Retinol
Alpha Carotene
Beta Carotene
Beta Cryptoxanthin
Lycopene
Lutein+Zeaxanthin
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)
Beta Tocopherol
Gamma Tocopherol
Delta Tocopherol
Vitamin K
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folate
Food Folate
Folic Acid
Dietary Folate Equivalents
Vitamin B12
Pantothenic Acid
Choline
Betaine
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Selenium
Fluoride

Low-Fat/Cal GF Salmon Salad with Roasted Potatoes

I make this at least once a week for lunch! You can prepare the entire thing the night before and steam your veggies in the microwave at work! Prep and cook time is about 25 min combined.

Serves 1 - Multiply recipe for appropriate service
Salmon Fillet (6-8 ounces)
2 c. chopped romaine
2-3 broccoli flowerettes
2-3 small baby-red potatoes
1/8 c. chopped zucchini
1/8c. chopped cucumber
1/8 c. chopped peppers
2 Tbsp. diced red-onion
1 Tbsp Pine Nuts

Prepare Salmon:
The easiest and quickest way to prepare simple salmon is to make a foil envelope and bake in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take salmon and place on piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fold foil in half and close the sides to keep air/steam from escaping. Place on baking sheet in the center of the oven. Depending on the thickness of the fillet, cooking should take only 10-15 minutes. When cooked, you should be able to pull apart the "flakes" easily with a fork.

The key to good fish is not to overcook. Overcooking fish will make it very tough and dry. You want the translucent texture of the fish to be completely gone, but it should still be juicy.

While your salmon is cooking place potatoes in glass microwave safe dish, submerged halfway in water. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook in microwave for 3-5 minutes, until they are tender to a fork.

Steam broccoli stove top or in microwave (same directions as potatoes).

Assemble lettuces, and chopped veggies on large plate. Place cooked salmon and steamed veggies on top and finish with pine nuts and dressing.

A simple dressing is:
3Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbsp honey
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil