Squash Casserole and Thanksgiving Menu

It's here again - exactly one week and one day away. Thanksgiving. Are you cooking yet? Are you baking yet? (We've been sick over here in my house, so I'm not. I hope to get to it SOON.)

We have much to be thankful for, even when things don't seem to be going our way, and I'm trying hard to continue counting my blessings each day. Among so many other blessings I'm counting, this year I am thankful that all the scary stuff with my health last year turned out not be cancer or an illness we feared with a poor prognosis. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is no walk in the park, but I'm learning to live around it.

Some of our wall art for Thanksgiving last year - a painting by one of my daughters and leaves the girls made to scatter around the house.

My Thanksgiving menu this year is the same as last, with my goal once again to get as much of it prepared as I am able, and not fret if I don't get every recipe made. (Here is last year's post: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-menu.html)

Thanksgiving Menu:
-Turkey (roasted)
-Gravy (Just whisk together some of the turkey juice with some butter and sweet rice flour or brown rice flour over heat)
-Crockpot cornbread dressing (stuffing)
-Squash casserole (see below)
-Sweet potato casserole
-(Dirty rice, if I have time - another one I grew up with!)
-Broccoli with cheese
-Corn (from my brother-in-law's family farm, sauteed in butter)
-Marinated beets
-Yeast rolls
-Cranberry bread
-Cranberry sauce
-Cranberry jelly
-Fruit salad
-Pecan pie tarts
-Pumpkin pie
-Fresh whipped cream
-(And apple pie if I have time!)

This year I'm adding the recipe for squash casserole to the list (I didn't have the recipe for you last year), and I hope one day I'll have all the recipes on this menu available to you. Maybe one a year??

I'm proud to be able to share the squash casserole with you. It's a recipe from my grandmother and has been in my family for as long as I can remember. I've loved it as long as I can remember, and I love that I've passed my love for it on to my daughters. We always have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it's equally good for other meals during other times, as well. The wonderful thing about this recipe is it's very simple and even the prep is mostly just cooking it on the stove with no stirring. It's also nice because you can freeze squash from your summer garden in advance for the casserole months later. You can also prepare the entire dish a few days in advance.

Squash Casserole
(Printable Recipe)
5-6 medium yellow squash (zucchini also works), sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 medium size white onion, chopped
1/4 cup plus extra seasoned bread crumbs (I just make my own and use Italian seasoning)
Light olive oil or grapeseed oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Pinch of dried oregano

Place sliced squash in large saucepan with small amount of salted water, cover and steam until tender. Drain.

In small amount of light oil in a large pan, cook chopped onion until tender. Add seasonings and squash. Chop squash until broken. Cook until most of the water has evaporated.

*At this point you can freeze it if you want, for use later.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Add 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs and stir until combined.

Place in shallow greased baking dish (I use a glass pie pan).

*At this point you can put plastic wrap on top and refrigerate it for a few days - making this an easy dish to prepare in advance.

Sprinkle more seasoned bread crumbs on top.

Bake at 400 degrees until squash is heated through and breadcrumbs are browned - usually about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, everyone!

Cheese Baked Eggplant with Warm Red Quinoa (and a sunset)

Yesterday was an incredibly busy and hard day with one thing after another. After another. After another. And a disaster caught before it did too much damage. (Thankfully, but still a headache!) I hadn't thought at all about dinner and didn't want it to be another breakfast-for-supper night because that would mean I was eating more acidic than I wanted to for another meal in a row more than I wanted to.

I scanned the pantry and refrigerator and came up with this incredibly easy meal. It was so easy and quick I didn't even jot down ingredients, and don't have much in the way of measurements for you. I didn't even spend time setting up a photo. What I can tell you is that it was good. The whole family liked it. And I felt good about eating it. Easily make it vegan and dairy-free by switching out the mozzarella with vegan cheese.

And after I got it all prepped and cooking, I ran outside a few times to catch yet another gorgeous sunset in our sky. I'm so thankful to live in a place with beautiful sunsets! If you enjoyed yesterday's post sharing my daughter's sunset photos as well as my own, I don't think the volume of sunset photos in this post will disappoint you. Enjoy the beauty, and find some in your day today!

Projected time start to finish: About 1 hour

(Printable recipe)

Eggplant:

2 small to medium eggplant

Kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Approximately 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (use vegan for vegan or dairy-free)

Italian seasoning

Quinoa:

Scant 2 cups uncooked red quinoa, rinsed thoroughly

Water

Pinch of kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Half a lemon

Garlic granules or powder

Wash eggplant and chop off ends. Slice lengthwise in 1/4-inch pieces. Place on two baking sheets and sprinkle salt over top of slices. Let sit about 15-20 minutes to draw out some of the moisture.

While eggplant is sitting, rinse red quinoa thoroughly a few times in cold water. In a medium to large saucepan, add quinoa and about 2 1/2 cups water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until almost all the water is absorbed. Turn off heat.

While quinoa is cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse eggplant and firmly pat dry with paper towels or clean lint-free dish towels to remove excess moisture. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush each side of eggplant with olive oil and place on parchment paper. Bake (top rack for gas oven) for about 15-20 minutes.

While eggplant is baking, toss shredded cheese together with a few dashes of Italian seasoning. Don't overdo it - you want just enough to give a light taste but not overwhelm.

Remove eggplant from oven and turn each slice to the other side. Sprinkle seasoned cheese over each slice and return to oven for about 10-15 minutes.

While eggplant is cooking, return to quinoa and toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Add a dash or two of garlic granules or powder to taste (start with a small amount). There should already be enough salt in it, but add more if you need to.

Serve eggplant together with quinoa.

Enjoy!

Here are some more of the sunset photos from last night, in order of the sunset progression. When I first saw the sun setting last night, I thought it was a beautiful sky but it didn't really indicate that it was going to be a spectacular sky later. Sometimes you can tell, sometimes you can't. I was in awe more and more each time I looked out the window and stepped outside. It was just the kind of beautiful ending I needed to such a crazy day. Thankful!

It was one of those sunsets that just filled the sky, even from the side there were beautiful aqua and pink colors.

Why I'm sharing this: http://mamameglutenfree.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-in-eye-of-beholder.html

Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Greens

I made this salad the other night 30 minutes after the last shred of natural daylight I could have used. The photos do not do this salad justice. It's very good. Next time, I'm adding sliced almonds. It's ridiculously easy to prepare this, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I created this recipe with inspiration from the "Roasted beets and edamame and arugula" recipe in the February 2012 issue of Whole Living magazine.

Roasting the beets: 1 hour; Projected prep time: 10 minutes
(Printable Recipe)

3-4 medium golden beets, whole, scrubbed and peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Approx. 1 1/2 cups torn fresh green chard
Approx. 2 1/2 cups fresh spinach (torn if the leaves are large)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sliced raw almonds, for garnish, if desired
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a parchment paper pocket large enough to hold the whole beets. Prepare an aluminum foil pocket large enough to hold the parchment paper and beets.

Scrub and peel beets, then place them whole in the parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on top. Seal well by folding edges. Seal in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet.

Roast in oven for about an hour or until beets are tender. Let cool a few minutes, then slice.

While beets are cooling, prepare bowl of green chard, spinach and basil. Toss well.

Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil together in a small bowl.

Place sliced beets in bowl with greens and pour vinegar oil all over. Toss well, then season with salt and pepper, toss again. If desired, garnish with sliced almonds. Serve soon, or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Hummus and "pita" bread

When things start getting warmer outside, I start making more hummus. I don't know why I crave it more in warmer weather, but I do. I love to eat it as a snack (or a meal!) with just pita bread. I love it with veggies. I love making sandwiches with it. Pita bread, hummus, a slice of provolone. A very good sandwich. Add some fresh spinach and a tomato. Oh my.

Perhaps I enjoy eating it more because it's a cooler food. Although it tastes great with warm pita bread, it tastes wonderful with foods at cool temperatures. Perhaps it's because hummus is a food you can sit down and enjoy for a while while you're watching the spring unfold around you. Like watching Western Tanagers catch insects right outside your window ...

I don't know why I like it so much, I just know that I do. I used to love eating hummus and pita bread at Serop's Cafe in Baton Rouge. I don't live in Baton Rouge anymore, but it was a favorite place to eat when I visited. I haven't tried it since I've been gluten-free, so if any of you have had good gluten-free experiences there, please let me know! Serop's makes the best hummus, in my opinion. I've tried to recreate it, and haven't quite gotten it. But this recipe I've come up with is good.

And pita bread? My oh my, I love good pita bread. It's not easy to find gluten-free, is it? Shortly after going gluten-free, I contacted Udi's and asked if they'd consider making some pita bread. I got a response that if I'd bake the pizza crust a few minutes, it worked pretty well for pita bread. They were right. It's not pita pocket bread, but it's a good replacement pita bread for the time being. Instructions below.

You'll notice I don't use tahini as a main ingredient in this recipe. You can certainly add it if you desire, and I'll add the optional amount below. I started making this without tahini because my oldest daughter was allergic to sesame for a while - at least that's what we believe. She broke out in hives a few times after eating hummus and we narrowed it down to the tahini, especially since there are some sesame allergies in the family. A few years later, she tested negative for a sesame allergy so we cautiously gave her a little. No reaction. She eats sesame now with no problems, including occasional tahini. We keep an eye on it, though. Because I have some friends who also have sesame allergies, I'm used to making it without the tahini. Every once in a while I'll add it, though. It's just as good either way!

Projected prep time: 5 minutes
1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained with liquid saved
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1 large clove of garlic, pressed
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Few dashes of cumin, to taste
(Optional: A few tbsp. of tahini)
You'll need some of the chickpea liquid, start with a couple of spoonfuls

Place all ingredients into food processor.

Blend until getting smooth. Adjust with more chickpea liquid and seasonings/lemon juice as necessary.

Blend again until smooth.

That's it. So simple. Refrigerate until ready to eat, unless you're eating it immediately.

Now for the "pita" bread ...
Bake time: 5 minutes
Udi's pizza crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place whole crust on baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes (top rack if gas oven). Remove and cut into wedges.

Handy tip: If you love pita chips, this stuff makes great ones. Cut into smaller pieces and bake longer. Yum!

Enjoy!

Sunday Sandwich and Oven Fries

I made this sandwich with our favorite oven fries a couple of Sundays ago after church, hence the name.  The sandwiches were so good, however, we'll be happy to eat them any day of the week! We really, really ... really liked them.

I was reading through Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman Cooks and got the idea for these sandwiches from her "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich" recipe. It reminded me of a sandwich I sometimes ordered at a restaurant we can no longer eat at since we are GF. We've tried eating there a couple of times since, but they didn't put their best effort into making sure our needs were met. I basically read over the one by Ree Drummond and then as I often do, did my own thing with prep, ingredients etc. and made it gluten-free. If you haven't checked out her website yet, or seen her cookbook, you are missing out.

Projected prep time: 30-45 minutes ; Projected cook time (including fries) approx. 1 hour

Sandwiches

Note: This easily made four sandwiches

1 medium to large white onion, sliced into strips

1 green or red bell pepper, cut into strips (or use both colors, which is what I wanted to do but didn't see any red ones that impressed me in the store)

1 top round steak (didn't pay attention to the pounds)

Butter (or oil of preference)

Sea salt or kosher salt

Black pepper

Tony Chachere's

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (U.S. only - Canada is not GF)

Watkins Meat Magic (can omit if you don't have)

Gluten-free buns (O'Dough's is what I used)

Oven Fries

10 small white potatoes (less if larger ones) or more fingerling potatoes

Grapeseed oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Paprika

Start with your oven fries first, they take longer. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread some grapeseed oil around on it.

Scrub the potatoes ...

and then slice in half and quarter them.

Then cut the quarters in half, and ignore the angle of this photo that for some reason Google turned around and I don't have time to fix, again.

Put them in a large bowl.

Then drizzle enough grapeseed oil over them to thoroughly coat each one. Toss. Sprinkle kosher salt and a little black pepper over them, then a generous amount of paprika.

Toss well to coat each one equally, then pour onto sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle a tad more kosher salt.

Bake at 425 to 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, then remove sheet to turn fries over and then bake again for 20-25 minutes longer until done.

Serve with your favorite condiments.

***

While your fries are in the oven, start on your sandwiches.

Melt one or two tablespoons of butter (or use oil of preference) in a large pan and sautee onion and bell pepper strips.

When they are starting to get soft, add a little salt and some Tony Chachere's and continue to cook.

While they are cooking, tenderize your top round steak on both sides.

Then cut into strips and place in a bowl. Add about two teaspoons of Watkins Meat Magic, if you have it, and several generous dashes of Lea & Perrins, some sprinkles of kosher salt and a little black pepper. Let it sit in this for several minutes while the onions and bell pepper finish cooking (you can add more butter to them if you need to).

When onions and bell peppers are soft and starting to brown, remove from the pan and set aside, then add the meat and a little more butter (or oil of your preference).

When meat is cooked through ...

add the onions and bell peppers back to the pan. Mix it all together over the heat and let the flavors blend together for a couple of minutes. Season with more Tony's and/or salt to taste if needed.

Now you're ready for sandwiches. Get your thawed sandwich buns or rolls ready (I like to toast the inside of mine) ...

and your oven fries should be about ready now as well.

Enjoy!