Family Recipe: Fried Peanuts

"Adventure is out there!"

My grandpa is one of the sweetest people alive. Doesn’t he remind you of the guy from UP in this picture?

I absolutely adore this pic, which was taken on my visit last weekend to the assisted living where he lives in San Antonio. I spent four days with my grandpa sitting on his balcony drinking wine, eating big wonderful breakfasts, and watching him tease the other residents by pretending he was going to run them over with his scooter. They shook their walkers back at him threateningly, then they laughed together. My gramps is kind of hilarious, and a joy to be around.

(me, grandpa, melanie, and joe (cat) on the balcony drinking wine)

One thing I distinctly remember from my childhood was my grandpa making these awesome fried peanuts. We made them together on the last day of my trip. He said they are a family recipe passed down from my late grandmother’s father. I won’t even try to pretend that they’re healthy, but some things are worth spoiling your diet over <3

Ingredients:

1 container raw peanuts (spanish are best)

2 cups canola oil (or enough to cover peanuts in saucepan)

sea salt

Directions:

Step 1: Bring canola oil to a boil in small saucepan. Add peanuts and boil 5-15 minutes, until they are golden brown (or darker, depending on your preference).

Step 2: With a straining spoon, remove peanuts from the sauce pan and place on paper towels to dry. Immediately shake salt liberally over peanuts.

Step 3: Wait for peanuts to cool (I like to eat them warm), then enjoy!

Succulent Split Pea Soup

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice." - Robert Frost

A lot of people consider soup to be a winter food, or just for when you're sick, but I think soup is a perfect summer food!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, you say. Hot soup? In the summer? Blasphamy! 

But hear me out.

Like many people, I feel summer clothes aren't always...forgiving. Tank tops, shorts, bikinis, Oh my! As a result, I generally eat "better" in the summer. Smaller portions, lighter foods, you get the idea. About mid-September I let my hibernation fat begin to build again, but in May it is all about healthy food choices. Soup is typically a great choice if you are wanting to eat slimmer.

Also, soup is a lighter meal, which makes it more compatible with the outdoor lifestyle than typical "summer foods." For example, have you ever tried to play beach volleyball after a large hamburger and hearty helping of potato salad? I'm cramping up just thinking about it. But eat a bowl of soup for lunch instead and you're ready to run in less than an hour.

So, hopefully these two arguments will make you rethink some of your soup prejudices. Besides, everything is worth trying at least once. (At least that's what I tell myself every time I convince myself to attempt another doomed craft on pinterest).

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Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup baby carrots

2 cups water

1-2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon diced garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 lb ham (shredded or diced)

1 package split peas (drained and rinsed)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Step 1: Add garlic, baby carrots, and grapeseed oil to a medium to large pot. Saute for 5-10 minutes. 

Step 2: To the pot add chicken broth, water, onion powder, ham, and split peas. The water should be covering all contents. If not, add more water. 

Step 3: Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Simmer and cover for 2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes or so, adding water when needed. Peas will eventually liquify, and add water based on how thick you want your soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Italian Broccoli Slaw

"Luckily my kids love broccoli, and although we sometimes enter into UN-like negotiations about how many 'trees' they need to eat before they partake in the ice cream, it is a vegetable that they tend to embrace." - Gwyneth Paltrow

This is an incredibly easy side dish that goes great with any summer BBQ (just don't grill your vinyl siding, like I did...). It is also very healthy and quick to make, so its perfect to make last minute for potlucks. My future mother-in-law taught me this recipe when she visited, and I've made it many times since! It is always a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients: 
1 bag broccoli slaw
3/4-1 cup Italian dressing* (verify it's gluten-free)
1T rice vinegar

Directions:

Step 1: Toss broccoli slaw, italian dressing vinegar, until all pieces are covered. Let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. 

Serves 7-10 sides. 

*use low fat or fat free dressing for an exceptionally healthy dish!

Chicken Mushroom Casserole Comfort Food

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." - Voltaire

This was one of my favorite comfort foods growing up. It was also the first meal I ever made myself! It is very simple, and extremely good. If you want to make it more healthy, throw in some carrots or mixed veggies.

Ingredients: 

3 defrosted chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups rice

1 cup condensed mushroom soup (make sure it's gluten-free)

1 cup water

1 1/2-2 T of Cavenders greek seasoning

1T garlic grapeseed oil

Directions: 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. 

Step 2: In a casserole dish, add rice, mushroom soup, water, greek seasoning, and grapeseed oil. Stir. Place the defrosted chicken breasts on top of the rice mixutre.

Step 3: Bake for 50-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Serves 2-4. 

Blame it on the Books

As much as I love coming up with new gluten-free recipes, lately I've been on a reading kick and neglecting the rest of my life...

I blame these books:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn

Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death, and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years by Michael Collins

Happy reading!

Enough Motivation for Me....

This made me laugh. Perfect motivation for those of us with celiacs.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

"Age is not important unless you're a cheese." - Helen Hayes

Last weekend my sisters and I went down to my grandparents house to visit. While I cleaned, my extremely talented sister Melanie cooked and froze meals. She adapted this recipe to be gluten-free, and I think it's fantastic (and super healthy too!). It is a great "hidden vegetable" recipe--perfect for kids but that adults will love too.

Ingredients:
3 cups of butternut squash (diced)
2 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cup skim milk
2 cloves minced garlic
2T plain greek yogurt
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
16 ounces uncooked gluten-free brown rice spiral pasta
cooking spray
1-2 T dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large saucepan mix chicken broth, milk, and garlic, and bring to a boil. Add squash and cover, cooking on a low boil for 20-25 minutes (or until squash is tender).

Step 2: Put the contents of the saucepan, and greek yogurt, into a food processor or blender and blend until the mixture reaches a thick, liquid consistency. Transfer the liquid into a large bowl and mix in 2 cups cheddar cheese and rice pasta, stirring until all pasta pieces are covered.

Step 3: Spray a 13x9 oven safe dish with cooking spray. Transfer the contents of the large bowl into the oven safe dish. Top the dish off with the last 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the top of the dish with parsley and salt and pepper.

Step 4: Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and browning at the edges. Enjoy!

Serves 8-10.