Recipe | Sausage, Spinach & Tomato Quiche

I never thought that I'd say this, but our favorite cinnamon rolls have been replaced.
The past few weeks, we've been enjoying various gluten free quiche, instead.

Most recipes that I share with you here have gone through a few rounds of modifications, the first batch usually being so so or almost right. This quiche was an exception to that rule. As Nicole said, sometimes you just need to make something that you know will work. While I didn't know that this crust would work, I knew the right ratios for a perfect egg based filling, and a new found love of out flour so on a Saturday that Trevor chose to sleep in, I put my gluten free baking skills to the ultimate test. And what do you know, it worked. It worked beautifully, turning out to be the wheat-less equivalent of paté brisée.

The best parts of this recipe? The crust doesn't need rolled, only pressed in, and the quiche itself can be easily reheated. That means having hot quiche for 5 a.m. breakfasts and only spending Sunday afternoon baking.





Gluten Free Oat Flour Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup plus 3 Tablespoons of Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Might I suggest Bob's Red Mill?)
1/2 Cup of Fresh Ground Oat Flour
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1 Tsp of Sugar
1 Tsp of Xanthum Gum
8 Tbsp of Butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 Tbsp of Ice Water


Directions:

Mix all purpose flour and oat flour with salt, sugar, and xanthum gum.
Add the butter, kneading the dough with your fingers until it resembles corn meal.
Add the ice water, continue kneading until dough is a solid ball with the butter evenly distributed.
You may need to add more water or more oat flour, depending on the texture of your dough.

When the dough has reached the proper consistency, create a ball and wrap it with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to chill in the fridge for at least forty-fix minutes before using.
(Dough can also be made in advanced and either left in the fridge for a few days, or frozen.)

After the dough has chilled, spray a nine-inch glass pie pan with non-strick spray and press the crust evenly across the bottom and sides of the dish.



Sauage, Spinach and Tomato Quiche Filling

Ingredients
1/3 Pound of Sausage
2 Cups of Sliced Leeks (diced sweet or white onion can also be used)
2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, mince
2 Cups of Fresh Spinach
1 Can of Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, rinsed
(I highly recommend these tomatoes - we're obsessed - but fresh or regular canned tomatoes could be used)
5 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cup of Heavy Cream
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1/2 Tsp of Pepper, or to taste 
1 Tsp of Sage
1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella, Provolone or Parmesan


Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Brown sausage in a large skillet.
Add leeks and garlic, sautéing until soft and translucent.
Chop spinach and add to the skillet, mix well.
Add tomatoes and stir until everything is heated.

Beat eggs, cream, salt, pepper and sage in a medium bowl.
Cover the bottom of the pie crust in shredded Italian cheese.
Then, add sausage mixture to the bottom of the quiche.
Cover with egg mixture, and sprinkle with more cheese.
(You may not need all of the sausage mixture or all of the egg filling, use your best judgement)

Bake for ten minutes at 425, then lower the oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until firm.





So tell me, what are your favorite things to put inside a quiche?

Recipe | Citrus Vinaigrette

It seems that every winter, I am met with the same surprise at the realization that citrus fruits are in season. Entering the grocery store to a pile of orange, clementines, and grapefruits - all seemingly bright and cheerful - is a welcome change from snow and gray skies, though.

This week, our co-op basket was filled with citrus fruit, rainbow carrots, eggplant and colorful leaf lettuce. Imagine my delight. While the carrots and other hardy vegetables were quickly roasted or set aside for recipes, I couldn't figure out what to do with the two grapefruits carefully balanced on top of our fruit bowl.

Last week, dinners consisted on spinach salads with carmelized onions, grilled pineapple and a honey lime dressing.  I quickly realized that a citrus vinaigrette would be a great way to use the extra fruit but would also be perfect for the huge leafy bunches of lettuce we needed to eat this week. After doing a quick search for "citrus vinaigrette," I was overwhelmed with inspiration but without a recipe that seemed quite right. Instead, I created my own.

Aside from juicing two oranges and a grapefruit, this is a simple dressing - created using only a pair of tongs, a small sauce pan, and either a glass mason jar or a glass bowl and whisk. And washing a few small dishes will always beat cleaning a blender or processor, in my opinion.

While the recipe is simple, it's the perfect way to make use of winter's produce selections and so I thought I would share. I'm looking forward to serving this dressing over leaf lettuce salads with orange slices and chopped green onions. If you live in a region with seafood, it would also be great with salmon or another fresh fish.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Tsp of Fresh Orange Zest
2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp of Honey
1/4 Cup of Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1/2 Cup of Fresh Orange Juice
1 Tsp of Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tsp Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine fresh grapefruit and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, add honey. Turn the burner to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 3-5 minutes or until 1/2 cup of liquid is remaining. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature.

In a small glass bowl, whisk together juice, orange zest, salt and pepper. Add balsamic and dijon. Whisk until completely combined. Then, slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk the mixture.

Makes enough dressing for 4 - 6 salads depending on preferences.

WIAW | Gluten-Free, Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

I've been anxiously waiting for Wednesday to come so that I could share this recipe with you. While I'd really love to share a batch of these with a cup of hot tea, that seemed a little harder to do. While I first created this recipe as the start to a Christmas morning tradition, I didn't feel that I had gotten it quite right. But now, after a few alterations, I am here to share with you a recipe for hot, fluffy, classic cinnamon rolls... only without the wheat, eggs or dairy.

If you're new to this link-up, What I Ate Wednesday is hosted weekly by Jenn at Peas and Crayons. The idea is to share a days worth of eats. While I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, these cinnamon rolls made up a whole day of eats for us on Saturday. We woke up unusually early and with an immense pile of homework, I couldn't think of anything better to do with the extra time than bake these.

In total, this recipe takes at least an hour and a half. I find it easiest to make the dough early in the morning and then allow it to rise while I take care of some weekend chores, like laundry. When I first made this recipe, I prepared the dough and roll at night, baking it the next morning. Though they were still delicious, the rolls weren't quite as fluffy and light that way.

Before going gluten-free, I had never imagined making cinnamon rolls from scratch. After all, Pillsbury was the standard in our house. That being said, homemade cinnamon rolls are not nearly as difficult or as daunting as they seem to be and I truly enjoy eating baking them.

Ingredients

Dough
2 Tablespoons of Earth Balance All Natural Spread
1/4 Cup of White Sugar
2/3 Cup of Almond Milk
1 Packet of Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp of Flax Meal + 3 Tbsp of Water)
1/4 Cup of Canola Oil
1 1/2 to 2 Cups of Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Power from Bob's Red Mill
1/4 Tsp of Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons of Xanthum Gum
2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Filling
1/2 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon


Directions

For best results, mix your flax meal and water prior to starting the recipe. Flax eggs work best when allowed to rest in the refrigerator for ten to fifteen minutes.

Warm 2/3 cup of almond milk to 100 - 110 degrees. This temperature is very important and I strongly suggest using a thermometer to ensure that your milk is not overheated, as hot milk will kill the yeast. Dissolve one packet of active drive yeast in the milk and allow it to bubble for ten minutes. While the yeast bubbles, sift together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthum gum and salt.

After the yeast has had time to dissolve properly, combine the almond milk with the sugar, butter, oil and vanilla. After combining thoroughly, add the flax egg and stir until evenly mixed. At this point, begin slowly adding the dry ingredients to the wet. Your dough will be sticky but if it appears too wet, feel free to slowly add additional flour to make it easier to work with.

Because of the yeast, you will need to remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it in a greased dish to allow the dough to rise for approximately one hour. It is best to put the dough in a warm spot and during the Montana winter, I've found the best option to be our fire place mantle. While the dough rises, feel free to get your filling ready by mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon. Traditional recipes call for a lot of softened butter but I find it isn't necessary, especially for frosted rolls.

As I said, I typically walk away from the dough to work on other projects and so I choose not to preheat my oven right away. You will want it to be at 400 degrees prior to baking, though.

When the dough has risen, prepare a work surface with two sheets of parchment paper at least a foot long in each direction. Place the dough between the sheets and roll it to about 1/4" thick. Try to keep the dough straight at the ends, feel free to rework the dough until you get a shape you are comfortable rolling.

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture liberally on the dough, leaving an inch-long strip bare at the far end of the square. You will have leftover mixture and this can be placed in the bottom of your glass baking dish. 

I find it easiest to start the roll with my fingers and then continue using the parchment paper. Try to roll as tightly as possible. When you reach the end, the bare dough will allow you to "seal" your roll. Then, using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. To ensure even sized rolls, I find it easiest to cut in the center and continue cutting each piece in half. Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased glass pie dish and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until rolls are firm on the outside and golden brown on top.

While the rolls bake, I prepare a simple frosting. Though the rolls themselves are vegan, I personally chose to make a classic cream cheese frosting for myself. Trevor enjoys his rolls plain and therefore I can justify the dairy. If you'd like to keep the recipe completely vegan or dairy-free, a simply glaze can be created using almond milk - simply add confectioners sugar and beat with an electric mixer until you reach a frosting consistency.

These have become a quick breakfast favorite in our home since eggs and pancakes are no longer easy options. While I'd like to think that a batch of cinnamon rolls could be made to last through the week, we can't stay away from them and like I said, they are usually gone within the day. If you are too busy to invest time in making cinnamon rolls regularly, feel free to match two batches at once, freezing half.
Is there one food you truly miss eating, or perhaps a whole list? A recipe that you wish could be easily transformed to be gluten-free, vegan, or both? While cinnamon rolls were always on that list for me, I've been on a mission to create allergy-friendly breakfast items for Trevor to take to work. I think doughnuts are next on my baking bucket list.

Recipe | Roasted Sweet Potato Burgers

I just realized that today is Tuesday. Perhaps this shouldn't be such a revelation but lately I can't seem to get my sleep schedule quite right and my mornings have been a bit foggy. Between the hours spent in front of my computer and the pile of books that I need to read for class, by the end of the day, my eyes ache and I want nothing more than to sleep. However, my brain seems to take an hour or two to catch up to my body and by the time I fall asleep, it feels like Trevor is getting up for work. All of that to say: I decided to skip Ten on Tuesday today because this recipe just couldn't wait.

Trevor and I have both agreed that our early nights during the week leave little time for dinner making. After all, we have more important things to do than eat.. things such as watching countless episodes of Twin Peaks or making it to the gym. While Trevor seems to eat a rather balanced lunch made up of fruit, granola, pickles and peanuts (I wish I was kidding, people), I don't seem to eat much of substance during the day. Though Trevor was happy to veto the idea of dinner all together, I got creative and spent Sunday making dinner for the whole week. The best part of these burgers is that they are healthy and filling without being heavy or guilt-inducing. Plus, they make a great excuse for eating extra avocados.

I had remembered reading this recipe for sweet potato burgers early in the fall and went back to it for some inspiration. That being said, my take on the recipe is both gluten-free and vegan. (Though the same cannot be said of the roasted garlic aioli I poured on top of mine. But if anyone has any ideas for egg-free sauces, do share!) The real key to these burgers lies in roasting the potatoes, though. You should know that I will not eat anything that is burnt. Lately I've been questioning my abilities to be an adult (case in point: I am terrified of having to get two fillings tomorrow.. yes, two baby cavities seem to have snuck up on me. The agony.) and I put my finicky refusal to eat charred things on that list. That being said, blackened sweet potatoes are the key to this recipe and achieving a deep smoky flavor. The finished patties must also be fried until nearly black on both sides to ensure that the burgers and hot and cooked all the way through. While they taste delicious, the child in me tends not to look at the crispy blackened parts while I eat. Now that we've got those interesting facts out of the way, let's make burgers.

Ingredients
2 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Cup of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Garlic Gloves, minced
2 Tablespoons of Nut Butter (I used Justin's Maple Almond Butter)
1/3 Cup of Corn Meal
1/3 Cup of Gluten-free Bisquick (any all-purpose flour or rice flour can be substituted)
1 Flax Egg (Combine 1 tbsp flax meal with 3 tbsp of water and let rest in the fridge for 15 minutes or more)
2 Teaspoons  Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
Olive Oil
Sugar
(You will also need extra salt, pepper and paprika for seasoning the sweet potatoes prior to roasting.)

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven heats, dice two large sweet potatoes into 1 inch chunks.

Drizzle olive oil over potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with an even mixture of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. We use this seasoning mix for everything and keep a bowl of it handy next to our stove. You will also want to sprinkle approximately a teaspoon of white sugar on the potatoes to help them caramelize and blacken in the oven. Spread potatoes evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until tender and blackened on some sides. Make sure to check the potatoes and flip them every 10 to 15 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, drain and rinse a can of cannellini beans. Mash one cup of beans lightly - I prefer to do this with a whisk but a fork or potato masher can also be used. You can also use this time to dice two cloves of garlic.

When the potatoes are finished roasting, dump them into the bowl with your beans. Mash together and then season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and minced garlic. You will then want to add 2 tablespoons of nut butter and your flax egg - these ingredients help keep the burgers together but also add another deep flavor to the already smoky potatoes.

After the mixture is mashed and mixed thoroughly, add corn meal and flour and combine thoroughly. Then, allow the mixture to rest in the fridge for at least fifteen minutes.

While my mixture cooled, I took the time to make roasted garlic aioli (Trevor's mom was kind enough to get us a food processor for Christmas and we've been looking for every opportunity to use it).  I found it was the perfect sauce so if you'd like to make your own, I started with this tutorial and this recipe. Since Trevor isn't a fan of aioli, I cut the recipe in half and substituted sriracha for the cayenne pepper. Needless to say, I don't think we will ever buy store mayonnaise again.

Since I knew that I would be making my burgers slowly over the course of the week, I chose to make them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This recipe makes five reasonable sized burgers. You will want to work fairly quickly in shaping the burgers because the cold mixture stays together better but I really had no issues with the patties falling apart thanks to the nut butter I added. To store the burgers, I simply covered the cookie sheet and patties with plastic wrapped and placed it back in the fridge.

To cook your burger, you will want to use a pan over medium-high heat. I made the burgers two different ways - one plain, as is and the other coated in a mixture of corn meal, salt and pepper. Both versions were delicious so cook to your preference. Fill the pan with a thin layer of olive oil and heat thoroughly before placing your burger in the pan. The burgers should cook for 5-6 minutes on each side. The first time I fried the burger, I flipped it too early in order to keep it from blackening and found that it wasn't quite cooked throughly. That being said, don't be discouraged if your burger looks burnt on either side, it is important to fry each side for five minutes!

I chose to top my burger with avocado, caramelized onions and garlic aioli but the choices are endless. Perhaps some dijon mustard? Or sliced tomatoes? Even bacon would be delicious, though ironic. While I chose to put my burger on gluten-free focaccia bread, any bun will do. I've always enjoyed the burger on top of salad and last night, cooked, mashed and spread on toasted bread like hummus.

What can I say? I can't get enough sweet potatoes and these burgers are no exception.

2012 | In Recipes

I started out this post thinking that I would share all of my favorite parts of 2012, at once. I quickly realized that sharing more than one hundred blog posts in a one post review was overly ambitious. Instead, I decided to break my yearly review into a few posts, each with a topic of its own.

The first? 2012 in recipes. One of my resolutions for this year (which you'll hear about later) is to create more unique recipes to share here, as you see I didn't even manage one per month this year. I've fallen into the habit of snapping iPhone photos of our dinners in an effort to eat while things are still hot, imagine that. This year I want to be more mindful about photographing our eats and sharing recipes.  Trevor has recently cut out milk and eggs and if you ask me, the world could use a few more gluten-free vegan-friendly recipes. 

That being said, here are nine recipes from the past twelve months. You can click on the photos to see the original posts if you happened to miss a few as the year went by. Of all the things I cooked and baked this year, I am perhaps most proud of my crab gratin which nearly won us a trip to California (and is still being featured on the Udi's company website) and those peanut butter oatmeal cookies that were pinned by Chobani! I'm also awfully proud of making homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast, gluten-free vegan cinnamon rolls at that, but I haven't gotten around to that recipe, yet. And while this isn't my recipe, it's easily my favorite recipe of the year and you should make it before the new year. That doesn't give you much time but really, it's worth it.

If you'd like a deeper look at the things we've eaten this year, you can also check out the posts I shared for What I Ate Wednesday in 2012. I'm hoping to jump back on the bandwagon in the new year.

So you tell me, which recipe was your favorite this year? What kind of recipes would you like to see in the new year?

Recipe: Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

On Friday night, Trevor and I planned to snuggled in to bed to watch yet another cheesy-supense-crime-thriller movie on Netflix - my favorite weekend activity. But before the movie started, photos from my flickr account played as a slideshow across the screen. While I was busy changing into long john bottoms and my favorite t-shirt, these cookies showed on the AppleTV. Trevor was quick to ask when I planned to bake cookies again - they're a baked goods staple in our house. With an empty weekend, void of any real plans, I promised to put it on my list.

The original cookies included peanut butter in the list, and so, while delicious, eating them made me sick. And really, who wants to bake a few dozen cookies when they shouldn't even enjoy one? So, I decided to skip the peanuts this time. Either way, I needed chocolate chips and so while Trevor dealt with our two overly-energetic pups, I snuck off to pick up a library book and to wander through the new Christmas aisles at Albertson's. Thankfully I left the store with just chocolate chips and Trevor's new favorite coffee. But lord knows if I could eat wheat, that new hot chocolate brownie mix would've been in my cart. (Someone please tell me you've bought made and enjoyed these? Oh, the temptation!) And holiday kettle corn? Drizzled with dark chocolate and tossed in sea salt? Ugh.

The entire store was filled with end caps of holiday favorites. Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate. Almond bark. Chocolate covered cherries. Coffee in christmas flavors. Snowflake sprinkles. Red and green cupcake wrappers. It took me nearly a half an hour to buy two things, my mind was so distracted by the holiday sparkle.

Unfortunately, it's only November though. And so while I'd love to start the Christmas music and hang our stockings, I think Trevor would prefer I wait at least three more weeks. So, I decided to spend my afternoon making autumn inspired treats, including these Gluten Free Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. (A mouthful, I know.)

To be honest, these didn't turn out to be the same type of cookie as their peanut butter counterparts but that didn't mean they were any less delicious. In fact, I think I enjoyed these more - perhaps because they didn't give me migraines? Imagine that. While the others were rolled and baked into perfect puffy circles, this dough needs to rest in the fridge before being dropped onto the pan - meaning that they are textured and imperfectly shaped.

The pumpkin flavor is subtle but makes for a thick, chewy, cookie. Trevor ate three or four, never realizing they were pumpkin. Note though, they are bright orange in the center - it's hard to miss. These also boast some warm autumn spices and a lot of vanilla, flavors that seem to go naturally with pumpkin. The oatmeal softens in the cookie but tends to keep its texture toward the outside, giving the cookie an even better chewy-ness. And the chocolate chips? The perfect touch of sweetness to a cookie that itself is not overly sweet. I used ghiradrelli semi-sweet, you should probably do the same. 

This is a hearty recipe and makes plenty of cookies to share - about three dozen.

Ingredients
1 cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1 1/2 cup of white rice flour
(feel free to substitute 1 1/2 cups of any gluten free flour mixture or even regular flour)
3/4 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of butter (softened)
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cup of certified gluten free rolled oats
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine both flours, both sugars, xanthum gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and extra yolk.
Add the butter and vanilla.
Mix in the pumpkin puree.
Then, dump the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until combined.
Add the rolled oats and chocolate chips.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 - 40 minutes.
Then, after cooled, use a spoon to drop cookies onto a greased pan.
Bake for fifteen minutes or until the cookies are golden on top - careful not to over bake.

These cookies stay nice and soft, even after they've had time to cool - even the day after. While Trevor likes them best with a cup of french roast, I've been enjoying them with some spiced chai. Unfortunately, the other two house members have taken an interest in the cookies, too, so we have to make sure they're kept out of puppy reach.

Gluten Free Apple & Almond Crisp

As the weather cools, we've found ourselves in the kitchen more. It's a mix of things, really - the nights are getting darker earlier, we've been craving fall flavors, and the heat of the oven helps to warm the house against the Montana fall. The long weekend passed by slowly as Trevor fought with a sore back and the start of a flu and on Columbus Day, I found myself itching for something to do. We had woken up early - it was still dark and still cold. So, armed with a few leftover apples and some Udi's Granola, I decided to make apple crisp for breakfast.

Our weekly grocery shopping had been pushed back a day and so every ingredient used for the recipe was already in our home. If you don't have prepackaged granola, feel free to make your own with some old-fashioned or quick cooking oats! While apple crisp is typically made with more tart, baking style, apples, we used what we had and red delicious are Trevor's apples of choice. Though the almonds added an extra crunch, you can omit them or replace them with other nuts - pecans would be especially good!

This recipe will make a smaller batch, a 9x9 glass dish full. This was perfect for breakfast and later, dessert, for both of us. But, if you need a bigger batch, double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan!

Ingredients
4 Red Delicious Apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp of Gluten Free Bisquick (or regular all purpose flour)
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 tbsp White Sugar
1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
2/3 cup of Udi's Gluten Free Au Naturel Granola
1/4 tsp of Baking Powder
1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
6 tbsp of Brown Butter 
1/3 cup of Sliced Almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a 9x9 glass baking dish.
Lay apple slices evenly in the baking dish.
Sprinkle apples with 1 tbsp of white sugar, 1 tbsp of Bisquick, 1 tsp of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.
Then, brown your butter. (This was my first time but I followed this great tutorial from Hot Sweet It Is.)
... how have I not mentioned my obsession with this food blog? 
Combine the butter with the dry ingredients; then sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.
Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are fork tender and the topping is golden.

For Trevor's breakfast, I put the hot apple crisp over cinnamon and vanilla gluten-free pancakes, our favorite. The crisp itself wasn't overly sweet so the addition of a little maple syrup was perfect. I chose to have the more classic preparation - I simply poured some cream over the crisp. Served with a piping hot cup of coffee or cocoa, this was the perfect fall breakfast.

I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about autumn in our little home. It includes plenty of pumpkins, that wreath I told you about and well, we got a puppy.


So tell me, what is your favorite fall breakfast? 

Recipe: Back to School Breakfast

I spent the first fifteen years of my school career at schools which began their fall classes prior to labor day. But here, in Anaconda, school starts tomorrow. Furthermore, this week marks four long (and early) days of work for Trevor and I, both.

This time of year is always recharging for me - especially when the temperature begins to change. I find myself organizing, cleaning and preparing myself for the busy season that fall seems to be. Today, I spent the day cooking ahead for the week, reorganizing pantry shelves and dishes, and with Trevor’s help, cleaning the house from top to bottom. Unfortunately, our list of “to-do’s” still isn’t finished but I’m feeling ready to take on the next few days.

I find that one of the biggest struggles with the busyness of this season (with its piles of school work and necessary packed lunches) is eating healthy. With early mornings and late nights, it’s easy to fall into the habit of eating out, grabbing fast food, or snacking all day - especially for those of you who don’t have to eat gluten free.

Throughout my public school career, I rarely ate breakfast. I didn’t eat eggs until well into my teenage years. Pancakes? Only with chocolate chips. Cereal? Occasionally. I didn’t find a morning meal necessary until late in high school, particularly after adopting an allergy-friendly diet. Being on a gluten free diet means consuming less carbs and for me, that means eating more often.

While cereal is a quick and easy breakfast, I find that it typically makes me not feel well - and within an hour or two, I’m hungry. With access to gluten-free bread and a microwave, my usual breakfast was an egg, sausage and cheese sandwich. Then there was the baked oatmeal. And now? Mini quiche and cornbread muffins - gluten free, healthy, pre-portioned, and easy to reheat in the oven.

Mini Crustless Quiches
This recipes makes 1 dozen servings.

Ingredients
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup of Corn Starch
3 Large Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, minced
1/4 Large Red Onion, minced
4 Slices of Bacon, diced (uncooked)
Baking Spray
Black Pepper
Salt

You will also need foil cupcake liners. 

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium pan, saute diced bacon over medium heat.
While the bacon fries, mince the red onion and pepper - when finished, add to the pan. 
Sautee until the bacon is finished cooking.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, additional yolks and corn starch.
Add in milk and continue whisking.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place foil cupcake liners on a cookie sheet or in a muffin pan.
Spray thoroughly with baking spray.
In the bottom of each liner, sprinkle a generous helping of cheddar cheese.
Then place a spoonful of bacon/pepper/onion mixture in each cup.
Pour egg mixture over the top until the liners are 3/4 or more full.

Bake until the quiches are firm and start to brown on the top. (20 minutes or more)

This is a basic recipe that can be altered with different fillings and cheeses. Try ham or sausage. Add mushrooms or fresh basil. I simply used pantry items that we needed to use up in our fridge. After baking, leave the quiche in the foil liners for easy reheating in the oven. For microwave use, this is not required - feel free to bake straight in a muffin pan. 

Gluten-free Cornbread Muffins
This recipes makes 1 dozen muffins.

Ingredients
1 Cup of Corn Meal
1 Cup of Gluten-free Bisquick (or another gluten-free baking flour with xanthum gum or regular wheat flour)
4 Tsp of Baking Powder
1/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Tsp of Salt
2 Eggs
1 Cup of Milk
1/4 Cup of Melted Butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.

Sift bisquick with sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add in the corn meal and stir until evenly distributed.

In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
Add the milk and melted butter, whisk until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients - stirring just until moist.

Once again, you want to use 12 foil cupcake liners and spray them with baking spray.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffins.

Once again, if planning to reheat in the oven, I suggest leaving the muffins in their foil wrappers. For microwave heating, this is not necessary - feel free to bake straight in a muffin pan or using paper liners.

These recipes do not create large serving sizes which makes them great for children headed back to school or when you’re eating an early lunch like me (11? really?). To make for a more substantial and well rounded breakfast, we chose to add a slice or two of bacon and some fresh pineapple but I know you’re creative people.

Overall, this took less than an hour and a half - with plenty of time for cleaning the kitchen and cutting pineapple - and provided us with hot breakfast for the entire week. Even if you’re not headed back to school, this is a great way to eat healthier while working full time. Truth be told, I simply couldn’t take another morning of watching Trevor eat generic-brand fruity pebbles.

What are your favorite make ahead or quick breakfast recipes? 

WIAW: Southwestern Stuffed Zucchini

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I told you that we had eaten chili with every meal since Trevor returned home from New Mexico. This has meant heuvos rancheros, green chili chicken enchiladas, homemade salsa, vegan and gluten-free green chile cornbread, and green chili chicken corn chowder. (I know, I know. I should’ve photographed the southwestern food feast but I was too busy drinking Gruet to cool my overly spicy mouth). While I love all things involving chile, avocados, and corn tortillas, even I have reached my breaking point on the chile... though I suppose you could say that those three things have become summer staples around here.

I even snuck away from the house today to buy a Snickers bar and eat it in peace.

But, back to the point of this story. In Montana, zucchinis are in season and after an evening sitting on the new deck of our good friends’ house, Michelle sent us home with one grown from her dads garden (That sounds familiar, huh?). Today, while out sneaking in a Snickers bar, I figured I should buy something at the store other than Diet Dr. Pepper and candy so I grabbed some sausage and tomatoes thinking that I would finally conquer stuffed zucchini. After all, we had brown rice cous cous, tomato sauce, italian blend cheese, parmesan, oregano, fresh garlic, and white onions at the house already.

Well. That was the plan before Trevor hijacked dinner.

Instead of my cheesy italian style dinner, we ended up with another meal thoroughly soaked in homemade red chili sauce. It was delicious so I’m trying not to complain but even this obsessive eater is ready for a little variety.

But, since it was both delicious and beautiful, I thought I would switch it up for this week’s What I Ate Wednesday and share with you the recipe that we had for dinner tonight (and the recipe for the homemade salsa we used).

Salsa Ingredients:
2 avocados, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 1/2 cups of corn (you can use canned, frozen or off the cob)
1 can of black beans (freshly prepared or canned)
1/3 cup of Hatch green chile (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Lime
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Cilantro
Cumin

Mix the above ingredients and toss in the juice of one lime until everything is evenly coated. Then, you’ll want to add salt, pepper, cilantro and cumin to taste. We love ours with a lot of kick from the cumin but that’s up to you! The longer this salsa sits, the better it tastes - but make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap because of the avocado browning. We’ve used this with our enchiladas, in breakfast burritos, with tortilla chips and finally, in the stuffed zucchini. It’s versatile and chunky with a bit of sweetness and cool flavor from the corn.

Needless to say, the salsa is mostly allergy friendly (feel free to drop the corn) and vegan!

As for that zucchini...

You’ll need:
1 large or 2 small zucchini
2 cups of cooked cous cous, rice or quinoa (like I said, we used a gluten free brown rice cous cous)
1/2 pound of sausage (feel free to substitute chicken, steak or leave it out for a vegetarian dish)
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of salsa
1 cup of red chili sauce (we made ours homemade but feel free to use enchilada sauce if red chili isn’t available)
Shredded cheese
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

To make:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the zucchini down the center and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. (See top photo.)
Coat the zucchini with olive oil and aggressively season it with salt and pepper.
Wrap the zucchini tightly in foil and place in the oven on a baking sheet.

The zucchini should be ready to stuff in approximately forty minutes so while it bakes:

Prepare the cous cous or rice if you haven’t already.
Sautee the sausage, onions, garlic and tomato.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage mixture with the cous cous, salsa and sauce.

When the zucchini is tender, take it out of the oven and fill it with this mixture. Top with shredded cheese of your choice and bake until the cheese is melted and browned on the top. Sprinkle with black pepper, allow to cool and slice into sections to serve. 

How was it?
Despite my frustration at my dinner plans being thrown out in favor of a spicier version, this turned out to be a really great filling summer recipe plus, it’s very healthy! If you use a gluten-free grain, the recipe is wheat free. Without meat or cheese, it’s also vegan (but check your enchilada sauce!) and I’m sure it would be just as delicious! Our friend Michele can no longer eat eggs, wheat or milk and so making allergy friendly recipes has become even more important. As you can see, this recipe is obviously an easy way to please those with and without food restrictions and still remains robust and zesty. Plus, it’s pretty healthy. Overall, we were really happy with the way it turned out and thankful that we have more than half of our prepared zucchini left.. plus a cup or two of filling. We’re thinking stuffed peppers are in order.

So while it might not be much, that’s what we ate this Wednesday.
How about you? Are you a fan of spicy food or southwestern cuisine?

Recipe: Gluten-free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. How’s that for a mouth full?

And trust me, if you had a plate of these cookies, your mouth would be full, for days, because they’re so good, I can’t put them down and I’m allergic to peanut butter! (talk about a bad combination..)

I’m not sure what it is, I suppose the free time that comes with the lack of employment, but I haven’t stopped baking this weekend. First there was oatmeal. Then, cornbread. A failed attempt at gluten-free focaccia. And finally? These cookies. (.. and a peaches and cream baked oatmeal in the oven, as I type)

In fact, between the boredom, the baking and Trevor’s voracious appetite, I’ve been at the grocery store a lot. Yesterday, my favorite cashier mentioned that I might want to join in on their sweepstakes game since my daily trips would warrant a lot of game pieces. Today, I was teased for shopping every day and only leaving with five things in my cart. Apparently it’s not normal to survive on a diet of oatmeal, watermelon and the occasional cup of Chobani. (I finally got bit by that greek yogurt bug. Why did I hold out this long?)

With the stress of installing a new vanity and doing the plumbing ourselves, I thought that Trevor could use a treat, though. My first attempt at a reward was the focaccia but when that plan fell flat (literally), I scrounged up all the pantry items I could find and looking for a recipe that would combine them all into something sweet but free of flour.

Unfortunately for me, Trevor loves peanut butter. When there is gluten-free bread in the pantry, I can’t seem to make a jar last more than four days but with the bread-baking disaster, there was plenty of crunchy peanut butter left for these cookies. (Of course there was no baking soda, so a trip to the store was needed anyway - like I said, Albertson’s sees a lot of me.)

After doing a lot of recipe searching - I’m so particular about cookies - I stumbled upon this one from Averie Cooks. If you haven’t been introduced to this blog yet, I advise you to set aside hours because once you catch a glimpse at her light, airy photography and to-die-for recipes, you’ll never get anything done.

So with some high altitude modifications and some ingredient substitutions, this is how it turned out..

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup stevia (you can use sugar, if you wish)
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups of gluten-free Bisquick
1 cup of gluten-free old fashioned oats
3/8 tsp of baking soda
1 1/4 cup of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips

In her original preparation, Averie chose white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. I was looking to use ingredients already in my pantry (and to minimize the peanut butter content) so I chose to just use milk chocolate chips. You could easily substitute white chocolate, dark chocolate, dried cherries or nut pieces, instead. Also, I chose to use Bisquick but for those of you who aren’t restricted - all purpose flour will do just fine. And finally - if you’re at sea level, round your baking soda off to an even 1/2 tsp.

Directions: 

For high altitudes, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For everyone else, preheat to only 325.

Melt the butter over medium heat on the stove, once it has melted, add in the peanut butter and stir until evenly mixed.

While this mixture is still hot, stir in the brown sugar and stevia.

You will want this mixture to come to room temperature before adding your eggs - I let it rest in the freezer while I measured out the dry ingredients.

After the mixture cools, whisk in the vanilla, one egg and one additional egg yolk. Mix until smooth.

Then, add in the oats, the bisquick, and baking soda. After thoroughly mixed, fold in the chocolate chips.

I found this blend of ingredients to produce the right texture (not too wet or too dry) but you can always follow Averie’s suggestion of adding more flour or more peanut butter, to suit.

To bake, simply roll the dough into balls - you should get about two dozen cookies from the ingredients listed above, but the recipe could easily be doubled. Place the balls of dough evenly spaced out on a cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes if you want a soft, chewy cookie. If you’re a fan of crispier cookies, I suggest leaving them in the oven for about 15, instead. For low altitudes, you may need to adjust these times by two to three minute.

(My very chewy cookies seemed to stay together better when left on the cookie sheet to cool.)

After they’ve had a chance to cool (or maybe before, if you’re inpatient like me), you will want to pour yourself a glass of cold milk and consume as many as possible before your significant other gets home. Okay, that might not be the best advice but really, they’re that good.

When Trevor bit into the first, I watched his face light up with surprise. Then he made a snarky comment like “well, maybe you don’t know how to bake gluten-free bread but you have this cookie thing down.” I was mad for a second before I realized that well, he was right, and then he proceeded to brag how the cookies could definitely win a recipe contest.

I guess you could say my baking served its purpose, he was delighted. Even if the cookies didn’t appease him later, as our bathroom pipes flooded our new floor. Twice.



So tell me, what do you like to add to your cookies? Walnuts? Peanut butter chips?

Recipe: Baked Sweet Cherry Oatmeal

It’s hard to imagine that today marks the second day of August. Of all the seasons, summer seems to come and go the quickest - and with the beautiful weather of Montana that statement is all the more true. With a full course schedule and a possible return to Pennsylvania looming (and the internship I start next week!.. more about that later), I’ve started to feverishly scribble to-do lists and mini-vacation plans into the brown paper journal that never leaves my side. I’m aching for a summer fair and after watching this video, I’m sure you will be too. Nothing signifies the end of summer quite like sticky cotton candy fingers and the bright lights of spinning and twirling carnival rides. (Plus, a little bird told me that the fair is coming to Missoula next week and I’ve already sent approximately 54 text messages to Trevor begging that we go.) But, I digress. 

The point is - there are certain things that will always mean summer to me. And while country fairs and swimming holes are two of those, sweet cherries are another. Summer time is perhaps the only time when these delicious babies make their way into my budget and onto my grocery list. After spending a few hours coupon clipping, loading savings to my shoppers card, and scratching our weekly list into my notebook, Trevor and I headed to Safeway for our weekly argument over what to buy. While he was busy sneaking a party size bag of Peanut M&M’s (42oz. I kid you not.) into our cart, I was wavering on what greens to buy (I’m a spinach girl. He likes spring greens) and that’s when I saw them.

Sweet cherries - $1.99 per pound.

I dug through the bags to find the one with the crispest, brightest cherries and turned to Trevor with puppy eyes. After all, this girl has no job and that means begging for cherries. Thankfully, I’m spoiled and Trevor said of course as he tossed them in the cart. (Though I didn’t get the Dairy Queen I wanted.. )

We had barely gotten the groceries unloaded before I had filled a stainless steel mixing bowl with a pile of cherries. As, Trevor worked on his homemade balsamic dressing.. I ate. and ate. and ate. cherries until my lips and fingers were stained pink. Thankfully, someone in this house had enough sense to push a turkey and cheddar salad beneath my hands before I filled my stomach with fruit. (As for the greens? We got both - we’ve been eating a lot of salad around here.)

While I love cherries for their taste and texture and how perfectly cool and refreshing they can be, I think my real love is because they remind me of my grandmother. I don’t know that we ever had cherries in my house growing up. But every time I’d visit my grandma (which was often), there were cherries to be eaten. I feel the same way about fresh peeled potatoes (and eating them raw) and stale marshmallow peeps - I think that I could eat them until I’m 92 and still think of my grandmother.

Though it had been 92 degrees in the shade on our way to the grocery store, I had made a note-to-self to grab ingredients for baked oatmeal. Oatmeal seems to be my food of choice lately and I’d never had the baked variety - though the diner I worked in as a teenager always sold it. I’d also seen this new fad of overnight oats sweeping through the food blogosphere and thought that I could kill two birds with one stone.

Then, I woke up today with the best of ideas: Baked Sweet Cherry Oatmeal.
And now? After eating it? I still think it was the best of ideas.

If it’s too warm for you to be eating hot oatmeal for breakfast, I have to say that it’s a delicious snack served cold. And, topped with french vanilla ice cream? Then you’ve got dessert. Personally, I’ve eaten it all three ways today and it’s only mid-afternoon.

If you want to make some for yourself (and I know that you do), here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:
3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (if you’re gluten-free, make sure you buy oats that are certified GF)
1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs (or for allergies, 1/2 cup of applesauce)
1 cup almond milk (though you could make this recipe with cow’s milk or soy milk)
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/3 cup sweet cherries (or another type of fruit, if you prefer)
1/2 cup whipping cream (can also be replaced with the milk of your choice)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a container of your choice - I used a glass pie dish but an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish will work, as well.

Remove the pits from your cherries and roughly chop them - saving a few halves for the top.
Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
In a large mixing bowl, while the butter melts, lightly wisk two eggs.
Add melted butter, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl.
(At this point, I recommend tasting the mixture to see if you need more cinnamon or sugar for your tastes - I originally began with 1 cup of brown sugar and added the extra 1/4 cup because I like my oatmeal sweet.)
Add oats, almond milk and cream - mix thoroughly.
Then, fold in your chopped cherries.
Pour the mixture into your dish and neatly place the remaining cherry halves on the top.

After completing these steps, your oatmeal should look like this:

While this may look unappetizing, I wanted to include a “before” photo to comfort you after you mix all the above ingredients together and panic, for a moment, thinking that it is much too wet. It’s not. The oats soak up the moisture as it bakes (I was nervous too, especially since this is my first shot at baking from scratch at a high altitude.)

For low altitudes, I recommend baking for forty-minutes at 350 and checking to see how the oatmeal looks. I found that I baked my oatmeal for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes to get it to the texture that I wanted. Not to worry though, if you leave it in longer - it won’t burn. Simply check it at 45 minutes and then in 10 minute intervals until your oatmeal looks like the one pictured above the recipe. It should be thick and spongey with a glossy texture on the top.

When you take this out of the oven, it can be served right away! Like I said, it’s also great cold.. In fact, I’ve got the entire pie dish sitting next to me as I munch and type, at the same time. The best part of baked oatmeal is that it can be easily cut apart and reheated for breakfast throughout the week - I like mine with a splash of almond milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar. 30 minutes of prep time on a Sunday will yield you a healthy, yummy, sweet breakfast for busy mornings before work, school, the gym - whatever you might be doing. Plus, it also makes a great late night snack to satisfy your sweet tooth!

I’m planning to make this a weekly habit. Next time with fresh peaches and cream, perhaps!
What are your favorite mix-ins for oatmeal? Have you ever tried overnight oats? 

Recipe: Summer Sweet Tea

This is one of those recipes that’s really not a recipe. I often find myself stumbling upon posts like this on other blogs and saying “why did you bother writing that out, doesn’t everyone know how to make that?” Well, after expressing that opinion, I’ve learned that no, not everyone knows how to make simple syrup or perhaps coffee ice cubes. So, in the spirit of all things obvious (but still necessary), I wanted to share with you my way of making sweet tea - which, if you ask me, is the perfect summer drink.

[source]

I’ve always been a fan of iced tea - my family could be the spokes family for the Rutter’s Dairy brand, I used to frequent McDonald’s to only purchase a $1 large sweet tea (since I’m allergic to everything else they offer), and I probably go through half a gallon of my own home brewed tea daily.

As I’m currently living with a limited income and budget, instead of heading to the grocery store for another container of Gold Peak Sweet Tea, I raided the pantry where I knew I had a box of decaffeinated black tea bags. (Another advantage to brewing my own tea at home is that I can avoid the caffeine. You know, doctors orders.) In an attempt to cut out refined sugars, I used Stevia in the Raw to make my tea but you can use regular sugar, or even Splenda - they all measure cup for cup. After some experimenting, this is the method that I find works best for me.

• Bring two cups of water to a rapid boil.
• In the mean time, take six tea bags and remove the paper tags and strings.
• After the water comes to a boil, shut off the heat and allow the water to stop boiling before adding tea bags - if you add bags to the water while it’s boiling, your tea may have a bitterness to it.
• Allow the tea bags to seep for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on your preference. (I like my tea strong.)
• After the time passes, use a fork to remove the tea bags.
• Add 3/4 cup of stevia, sugar or Splenda and mix until dissolved.
• Pour the concentrated tea into your favorite pitcher (I actually recycle an old Gold Peak bottle!) and add five cups of cold water - I find that cold water works better than ice for exact measurements. 
• Then, take a minute to mix your iced tea (or if using a bottle with a lid - just shake it), pour over a glass of ice and enjoy!

The best part of this recipe and the real reason I wanted to share it was to show you just much money you can save my making your own iced tea. This recipe only requires two ingredients - tea bags and sweetener. For my preparation, I purchased a box of 72 cup size Lipton Decaffeinated Tea Bags and a 9.7oz bag of Stevia in the Raw (which is the equivalent in sweetness to 5lb of sugar.) At my local grocery store, which here in Montana is Albertson’s, these two products cost me $4.95 and $7.95, respectively. (This recipe is even more affordable if you use sugar!) With those size packages, I was able to make twelve servings of this recipe. Considering that an equally-sized bottle of Gold Peak Sweet Tea is nearly $4, this recipe has saved me approximately $35! 

If you want to make your iced tea even more summery, feel free to add your own flavors such as mint leaves, honey, fresh chamomile, juice from fresh local berries (concentrated juices are okay, too!) or fresh squeezed citrus fruits like lemons or oranges! You can also make iced tea into the perfect summer party drink by adding a few shots of a light rum (Martha Stewart would suggest Bacardi 151). If using for a special occasion, I definitely recommend a pretty display - perhaps with mason jars as glasses - or you can simply decorate the glasses you already have with citrus slices, fresh sprigs of mint and classic striped paper straws in summer colors.

Not only is this recipe for the perfect summer drink, it’s also a great money saver (which is perfect when you’re trying to host guests) - and most importantly of all, it’s almost as simple as picking up a container of iced tea at the grocery store!

Guacamole: a love story.

It was a Friday night. I had worked the lunch shift at the Blue Heron that day. Trevor had a late night of sales. We both managed to shower and meet up at what was then his house (now mine, strange - right?) on Vander Ave. The house has three floors - the third of which has been cleverly entitled “the third floor man cave” for as long as I’ve known Trevor. And that’s where we were sitting, on mismatched chairs, when the brilliant idea came to us. The only thing we had managed to decide upon at that point was how hungry we were. Doug was about to order pizza or something deep fried and delivered - his dietary staple to this day - but it was a Friday and we were determined to go out. With my food allergies, the options had all been overdone - we had been to Round the Clock far too many times, and any type of fast food or Italian was out of the question. And then, Trevor suggested Mexican food and I knew then, just why I loved him. (I’m kidding of course but damn it, I did love him more for that moment - I was hungry).

What I remember most clearly from the night was that Trevor seemed to take the longest route possible to our restaurant of choice. Though it only takes three turns - one right and two lefts - to make it to the highway, Trevor insisted upon the most backwards of routes. Normally, I have all the patience in the world when Trevor’s driving - this girl loves his big red Tahoe and it’s heated seats - but that night, I was hungry.

And I have to say, nothing could have been a more perfect dinner that night (or any night) than Mexican.

At this point, you’re probably wondering the point of this conversation so far. Yes, you get it - I like Mexican food. I like eating Mexican with my boyfriend. (But there’s more to the story and a transition into a guacamole recipe so it’s worth the read.) As excited as I was to order, I felt my stomach turn when Trevor ordered every dish with extra guacamole. Thankfully we were able to agree that no sour cream would come near our food less it be ruined. But still, I couldn’t get over the thought of mushy yet chunky green.. spread? dip? let’s stick with mush.. poured over our appetizer.

And then I began to fall in love.
(With guacamole, that is - I was already in deep for Trevor at this point.)

It wasn’t love at first bite, though. This was one of those foods that had long been on my list of “what not to eat” and I wasn’t quick to change my mind. A few more visits to El Rodeo.. a few trips picking up Mexican for the guys at work.. and eventually, something happened and I couldn’t get enough.

Here’s the sad part of the story though - my love of guacamole was so insatiable that I resorted to purchasing prepackaged varieties under clever names like “Wholy Guacamole”. I was convinced that since so many restaurants provided bad guacamole, it must be difficult to make and my intimidated self wasn’t about to play with cilantro, avocados and limes, even in the name of love.

Eventually, after enough conjoling and reassurance on the ease of making guacamole from our new chef, and former professional burrito maker, Jason - plus a 10/$10 sale on avocados - I decided to try it for myself. (Plus, I was eating half of my tips each week in processed guacamole. Gross.)

Now, I’ve been told that it’s the "best guacamole” by three chefs and a guy from Mexico. Not bad, right? Well, before leaving for Montana, I was given the instructions that I could only leave if I provided a batch and a recipe to the boys I work with and here I am, happily obliging on the second half of our deal. (I took care of the first half with an employee taco night and damn were those tacos good.)

My recipe is simple - and adapted from a version by Alton Brown. (Like I said, I was new to this whole thing).

To make a nice, large, bowl of guacamole, you will need the following ingredients:
3 Avocados (choosing perfectly ripe avocados is the key to great guacamole, so take your time.)
1 Lime (make sure to choose a soft juicy one)
1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Ground Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Hot Sauce - I prefer a cayenne base but have a feeling that Sriracha would work well, too
1 Red Onion
1 Vine Ripened Tomato
1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Cup of Frozen Corn

It’s also easiest if you have access to a big bowl with a lid, a potato masher and plastic wrap.

First, you will want to prepare your avocados. If you’ve never done this before, and are worried about it, check out this video. This was one of my biggest apprehensions of making guacamole but I promise, it’s simple.

After you have your avocados prepared, toss them in a big bowl and proceed to squeeze the juice of the whole lime over the fruits. If you don’t have a citrus juicer, you can cut the lime in half and place it between the handles of a pair of tongs. Squeeze, then turn the lime 90 degrees and squeeze again.

Though Alton Brown suggest draining out the leftover lime juice, I like to leave it all in my guacamole.

At this point, grind approximately 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or sprinkle kosher salt) over the avocados. Also add 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. If you’d like a spicier or less spicy version, this is the time to make your adjustments.

Then, to combine the ingredients, simply mash with a potato masher. Personally, I like my guacamole chunky but if you prefer a smooth variation, simply mash until no visible chunks are seen.

You can let this mixture sit while you proceed to chop approximately half of a medium sized red onion and one regular sized vine ripened tomato. I find that smaller pieces work better for this recipe so that the flavors can be combined more but once again - it’s flexible. In the end, you’ll want about a cup of onions and a cup of tomatoes. You will also want to measure 1 cup of frozen corn - no need to thaw for this recipe.

You will then need to mince two cloves of fresh garlic and chop your bunch of cilantro. I find that approximately two tablespoons is enough cilantro for me but you can also go with Alton’s more conservative recommendation of one.

Then it’s simple - mix the remaining ingredients into your avocado mixture. For best taste, I let my guacamole sit overnight (after a few obligatory bites when I’m finished, of course). One of the biggest challenges that I have found though is how quickly guacamole will brown. While it’s still perfectly safe and tasty to eat, this can be unappetizing when you are the one who opens the dish. To keep my guacamole as green as possible, I leave at least one avocado pit in the bowl and then press plastic wrap tightly against the surface of the guacamole before snapping on the lid to the bowl.

This recipe will make a large portion of guacamole, perfect for a family or a small get together. But, that’s not to say I’ve ever had a problem consuming the whole bowl.. on my own.. in two days.

I love guacamole on burgers, in the bottom of tacos, on salads, with tortilla chips, as a spread for sandwiches, and even eaten alone by the spoonful. What’s your favorite way to eat guacamole?