Seared Yellowfin Tuna Salad

I am not usually one to brag, but this has been a stellar week in the Kettler Kitchen! I've cooked up Cilantro Burgers, Swordfish Steaks, Sticky Bacon Sandwiches (which requires a further explanation in a future post) and this Seared Tuna Salad. The year 2015 kicked off with a bang and lit a fire under my creative culinary ass. I became inspired to try different recipes and new ingredients.

The Farmers Market is a great source for the inspiration. I am constantly in front of peak-season ingredients sold to me by the best possible source. What better way to learn how to prepare a sunchoke than from the one that grew it. Yes, I have made sunchokes this week too....again, that deserves its own post!

I always keep my eye on Locals Seafood website towards the end of the week to see what they are getting in fresh. More often than not, I pre-order something since the best items tend to go fast. This week, I doubled up....swordfish and tuna! Tuna is probably my favorite fish, and not because it is so elegant and trendy at sushi restaurants, but because it can be prepared several different ways, holds up to cooking (i.e. doesn't fall apart easily), and is rich and light all at the same time.

This salad was initially a throw-together salad, but the Hubby loved it so much that he encouraged me to share with my readers. He has a lot of influence on this blog you know :)

We like our tuna super-rare in the middle, which requires a really hot pan and quick cooking. I usually prepare the dressing and salad first before I even turn on the pan to get hot. That way, I give full attention to cooking the tuna. Sear away!!

Seared Yellowfin Tuna Salad

Yields: 2 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2-4 minutes

Salad Ingredients
4 cups romaine, spinach or mixture of favorite salad lettuce

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup Farmers cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup fresh carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon Grapeseed or Canola oil
2 tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds
2 (6 ounce) Yellowfin tuna steaks

Dressing Ingredients (can also used pre-made dressing)

3 teaspoons Tamari or Soy Sauce

1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste (depending on spice level desired)

1 teaspoon Sesame seed oil

2 tablespoons Grapeseed oil or olive oil

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Sesame seeds

Optional Salad Additions
Red cabbage, shredded
Radicchio, shredded
*Golden beets, roasted (add a nice sweet balance to the salad)
Wasabi peas

Take out the tuna steaks from the refrigerator and let rest on the counter 30 minutes before cooking. In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare the salad next. Chop the lettuce of choice, top with almonds, crumbled cheese, cucumber, avocado and carrot. Add any remaining optional ingredients desired and set aside.

Heat a medium (or large if cooking more than 2 tuna steaks) over medium-high heat. Get the pan hot! Dry the tuna steaks with a paper towel. Add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds to the pan and cook until starts to bubble, about 30 seconds. Add the tuna steaks to the pan and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes depending on thickness. I usually do 1 minute per side because we like super-rare tuna steaks.

After cooking the steaks on both sides, remove the tuna and let rest on a cutting board for 2 minutes before thickly slicing and placing on top of the salads. Drizzle the dressing evening on both salads and serve right away.

*To roast beets, rinse and scrub the outside of the beets to remove dirt. Drizzle whole beets with oil and salt. Roast whole at 400F for about 30-40 minutes (depending on size of beets). Once they have cooled to the touch, wearing gloves, rub the beets to remove the skin. Quarter and serve with the salad. Regular red beets are also fine here.

30/30 - #30 Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops

It's official! I am almost 30! To celebrate, I am doing a 30-day countdown to my 30th birthday, hence the "30/30" theme.

I thought it might be fun to celebrate with all of you since cooking and blogging are a BIG part of my life. Birthday celebrations in my family are more like birth-months, they tend to get extended a bit. We like to plan many events, meals, gifts and get-togethers to celebrate.

In the spirit of my "birth-month", Kettler Cuisine is going to countdown to my birthday by featuring my top 30 recipes. It is a random list, but one that is full of Kettler Cuisine recipes, family favorites, other bloggers, restaurants, and of course, cocktails.

To qualify as a favorite, it has to meet three criteria:

• Made or had it more than once
• Requested by friends and family often
• NEVER gets old

Over the next 30 days I will share these favs and maybe sneak in a few new recipes.

To kick off the big countdown, I am bringing it all the way back to the beginning of Kettler Cuisine with a knockout - Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops!!

This is by far the most requested recipe and most frequent dinner in our household. It was fun to look back through the blog and see how far I have progressed, mostly with photography. Not bad for a self-taught girl! Even though I would love to share the joy of my photography progression, I have updated most of the photos for the Top 30 list.

Check out the original post on Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops for the recipe and my first attempts at blogging!

Enjoy and check back tomorrow for a (hint, hint) spicy bite!

Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus up to 24 hours for brine)

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Find the recipe here!

Roasted Tomato and Okra with Southern Style Grits

I'm heading to Charleston, SC tomorrow - the epicenter of Creole and Southern cuisine!! Some of the best restaurants are found in Charleston, many of which are owned and run by James Beard-Award winning chefs! You might remember my last trip to the historic town.

I have had this recipe hanging around for a while and thought it was all too appropriate to post before my trip. Southern food and Charleston make me think of shrimp and grits! Grits are one of those staple Southern dishes. It's easy to tell if someone is from the South by asking if they like grits. If the answer is "No," or "What the heck is a grit?" then you know they aren't from 'round these parts :)

The Hubby, even though born in the Mid-West, has lived in the South for close to 15 years now, so he is accustomed to grits and the (true) Southern ways. His favorite are pimento cheese grits, which are amazing, especially when you use my Spicy Pimento Cheese. 

For this recipe, I started with the idea of Shrimp and Grits in mind and put my own spin on it....a.k.a. made it healthier! We usually like to serve it with Shrimp, but for those that aren't into seafood, this is pretty great without it too!

Later Ya'll!

Roasted Tomato and Okra with Southern Style Grits

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Southern style grits

4 cups fresh okra, roughly chopped

3 cups cherry tomatoes (yellow or red)

2 tablespoon fresh basil or oregano, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Grapeseed oil
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 cup white wine or beer
cooked shrimp (optional)

Cook the Southern style grits per package instructions for 4 servings.

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, okra, oregano, olive oil and garlic, then stir to coat the vegetables well. 

Line a large baking sheet with foil and spread the vegetables in a single even layer on the sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway.

While the vegetables cook, caramelize the onions. Heat the Grapeseed oil in a small pan over medium heat, then add the red onion and cook, stirring frequently until they start to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add in the white wine and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. As you cook the onions, the sugars will release to brown and caramelize the onions.

To serve, scoop about a cup of grits into a bowl, layer the vegetables on top and garnish with the caramelized onions. Sprinkle with freshly chopped oregano or basil for added flavor. We like to add sautéed shrimp on top!

Lloyd's Grilled Lamb Chops

Warning: Vegetarians look away. This post contains delicious, meat goodness!

I don't eat a ton of read meat, but when I do, I am very selective and picky about it. I look for tender cuts cooked at medium rare or below, don't care what type of meat it is.

We are lucky enough to be surrounded by a lot of wonderful chefs in our life - family, friends, coworkers, great shows like Top Chef. Not only does this mean that we eat well most of the time, we have a growing stack of fantastic recipes from trusted referrals. Several of these recipes have come from family friends over the years, like the (now famous) Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops, Grilled Jalapeño Poppers, or the Ultimate Bloody Mary.

Even though we are usually more inclined to try a recipe if a friend recommends it, we still always have to test it for ourselves before it becomes number one, blog-worthy and number two, added to our repeat pile. Enter Lloyd's Lamb Chops.

Let's start with who the heck is Lloyd?! Lloyd is one of my fathers closest friends that has literally known me for my entire life. He has a boisterous laugh and loves his red wine! He also happens to be a damn good cook. One of his staples is a simple, but delicious lamb chop - caveman style - no utensils needed here.

There is no big secret to this lamb chop recipe beyond just getting good quality meat. A bad cut of lamb can ruin someones palate for life! So in light of that, there are a few easy rules to make this recipe a success:

1. These must be grilled. Stove top just doesn't cut it.
2. Rare or Medium Rare. If you like well done meat, then don't make this recipe.
3. Trim the chops, but not too much. The fat is what gives the flavor.

More on Rule #1 - Grill these babies. I have tried them on the grill pan on my stove top and while they are still good, it doesn't bring out the peak flavor of the meat. The Hubby and I also have a slight obsession with charcoal grilling! Since I don't usually do the grilling, I asked the Hubby Grill Master to provide comments:

• Make the grill as hot as possible (make sure grill plate is clean)
• Lightly brush both sides of the chops with high-heat cooking oil (Grapeseed)
• Chops should sizzle when placed on the hot grill
• Cooking time varies for thickness of chops - 2 minutes per side for 1 inch thick and 3 minutes per side for 1.5 inch thick. Keep an eye on them.
• Covering the grill is NOT necessary.
• Flames will jump up from coals as the oil and lamb fat drippings hit the coals. This is a good thing as it adds char and flavor to the outside of the chops. If the flames get out of control, calm with sprayed water.

More on Rule #2 - Rare or Medium Rare. Really, all I have to add here is that overcooked lamb is dry and tough to eat. I don't know about you, but I don't want to eat something like that!

More on Rule #3 - Trim the chops, but not too much. This depends on where the meat is bought. If you get from a trusted butcher, most likely you won't have to do this. We usually buy a rack of lamb that is already "Frenched" or trimmed, which means the butcher has trimmed the fat and meat from between the ribs and most of the bones are scraped clean. We then slice into chops ourselves. Most of the time, there is no trimming needed. However, I have seen some very fatty racks and chops at meat counters that I would probably trim myself. I don't want to bite into all fat, just a little bit.

The final comment I will add is about the portion size. Lamb chops are small. Don't compare them to a pork chop when you are thinking about portion sizes. Lamb chops make a great appetizer for a large crowd because the prep is minimal and the cooking time is short. However, these chops also make a great dinner for 2-4 people.

Lloyd's Grilled Lamb Chops

Yields: 8-10 chops

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1-3 minutes per side

1.5 pound rack of lamb chops, "Frenched"

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground pepper

Trim the rack of lamb of any excess fat. Then slice the rack in between the bones to make chops.

Prepare the grill to high heat (see notes above). 

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Distribute the spice mix over each side of the lamb chops and gently press into the meat with your fingers. Set aside until ready to grill and serve.

Over a high heat grill, cook the lamb chops about 2 minutes per side for 1 inch thick chops or 3 minutes per side for 1.5 inch thick chops.

Gluten Free Feast at Bella Monica

It has been 7 months since I have been able to walk into a restaurant and be able to eat anything on the menu...until this past weekend. Since I was one of the bloggers for the Gluten Free Allergen Free Wellness Expo in Durham, I was invited to join fellow bloggers and organizers for a gluten free dinner with wine pairings at Bella Monica.

First of all, if you haven't been there, go! It is the closest to authentic Italian cuisine that I have found in the Triangle...and I lived in Italy for 2 months! This is a family run restaurant, based on family recipes and everything is delicious! The best part about Bella Monica, is the separate gluten free menu. They have gluten free pizza, pasta, ravioli, even gluten free tiramisu, my fav!!

But this past Friday, Bella Monica's chef really went above and beyond for us bloggers! They made an entirely special gluten free feast for all of us, and even catered to those with nut and dairy allergies.

Gluten free Foccacia bread, their staple first course, is made locally by de'Lure' Bakery. This was amazing and didn't taste at all like gluten free bread. It is crispy on the outside, gooey in the middle and then covered in warm olive oil and fresh herbs!! I think I ate 3 pieces before the first course.

Next up, Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup with Parmesan Crostino. This was delightful and caught most of us by surprise. The roasted garlic was perfectly paired with the eggplant flavor and the crostino was the just the addition needed to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

The group also went crazy over this Tomato Tarte. We were begging the chef to let us know what was on this...tomatoes, red onion, basil, thyme, goat cheese, olives and cream cheese. The crust was buttery, flakey and thin. This was the point of the evening when I knew I was going to roll out of the restaurant! Pictured below is a Peach and Prosciutto Salad with a Brown Butter Vinaigrette.

   

Gluten free Gnocchi Sorrentino!! And a huge vat of it!! Covered in Nana's gravy!! What else can I say except this made many gluten free eaters VERY happy.

   

Then they brought out Shrimp Primavera with zucchini noodles, local shrimp and arugula pesto. Good to know I am not the only one that has discovered zucchini noodles! Next time, I will mix in pesto though, yum!

The pork dish (Porchetta) was also very good, but by this point I was so full, I could barely eat one more bite. The tenderloin was covered in a spice rub, then perfectly cooked along with broccoli rabe and pearl onions. It was served with Fennel al Forno that was so good I wanted to swim in it!

I knew it was coming, and forced myself to make room for it. How could I turn down a Strawberry Shortcake made just for our group! It was perfect, spongy and cakey, sucking up all the sweet berry juices and whipped cream in the middle. Ah, I was in gluten free heaven!

I thought I had tasted it all after this feast, but then I went got to the Expo the following day. That is for another post though...

Shrimp and Fennel Salad

We love it when an unexpected meal comes together! Ryan and I were packing up for the beach, which meant cleaning out the fridge for dinner. We had some frozen shrimp in the freezer and just enough ingredients for two salads. Ryan insisted that I add this salad to the blog because it was so good!!

I realize that most people don’t just have some of these ingredients laying around in their fridge, but go get them!

While I was putting the salads together, I was working on one of the new cocktails for a future June Cocktail Month post (spoiler alert – Cilantro Pineapple Julep). The drink and salad paired perfectly together and put us in the perfect mood to finish packing up for the beach.

Here is a tip for using frozen shrimp. A lot of times I will purchase shrimp in bulk and freeze for later use because I can’t always find fresh, local (or wild caught) shrimp on demand. The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to submerge it into cold water in a very large bowl. Change out the water every 10-15 minutes and the shrimp should thaw in about 30 minutes. I do this right when I come home and prep other ingredients while it thaws and voila! The shrimp is thawed and ready to go.

(Side note: if you have a cat, put the bowl of water/shrimp in the microwave to thaw so you can step away without the cat feasting on the raw shrimp. Obviously don't start the microwave!)

You have to try this salad because the flavors itself will take you to a delightful, tropical place!

Shrimp and Fennel Salad

Yields: 2 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes (to thaw shrimp)

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

10-12 shrimp, deveined and tails left on (thaw out if frozen)

2 tablespoons Kettler Cuisine blackening rub

6-8 cups salad greens (we used romaine and spinach)

1 avocado, sliced

½ cup fresh pineapple, diced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

Brie cheese, sliced (can also use feta, goat cheese or other triple crème cheese)

If using frozen shrimp, thaw this out using the method above.

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the sliced fennel, olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the prepared shrimp with the blackening rub and add the oil to the pan. Sear the shrimp on each side for about 2 minutes and remove from the pan immediately. The shrimp should be just cooked through and slightly bouncy to the touch.

Prepare the remaining ingredients and assemble the salad, then top with your favorite dressing.

There are a ton of ways you could dress the salad, but since Ryan loves his Ranch, I don't make up dressings all of the time. For this salad I just topped with a blood orange infused olive oil that I got for Christmas this year. The citrus flavor complimented the spice of the shrimp and the bitterness and sweetness of the fennel. If you don't have this on hand, you could whisk fresh orange juice with olive oil to get the same flavor or top with your favorite simple vinaigrette.

The wonderful thing about salads is that you can top any way you want! Have fun with it and enjoy!!

Grilling the Perfect Burgers

If there is one thing we know how to do in our family, it is grill! We don't mess around! 

We actually have two grills in our backyard, a charcoal and a very nice gas grill. The one that gets used the most is our little Weber, the first grill we ever bought together. That grill has gone through about 4 weather covers, but stays trusty every time we light up the coals. 

Ryan and I prefer the charcoal flavor, for most foods. We grill meats, vegetables, breads, fish, even fruits! And since grilling season is among us, we thought we would share our method to grilling burgers. Nothing is more American than a grilled beef burger (or portabello cap for those veg-heads out there). 

The first, and most important ingredient is the beef. Please do yourself a favor and get good quality meat. We prefer the grass-fed, organically grown beef. However there is an argument about the fat percentage. Ryan loves the 80/20, which will produce a better flavor, but also a larger pants size. I prefer something closer to the 90/10, which is a nice compromise for flavor and fat. We usually come somewhere in between, but it mostly depends on where we get the meat and what is available. 

The second ingredient is a raw egg, again, organic here. Much like a meatball or meatloaf, it helps bind the meat together so you don't have broken patties falling through the grill grates! 

Third, flavor enhancers. We start with the staples: Worsheshire, minced onion, salt and pepper. Then occasionally we get crazy: roasted jalapeno, cheese or sun-dried tomatoes.

And finally, the toppings. Most importantly, cheese! We go for bold, full flavor and melty, creamy awesomeness, not over-processed, sliced American cheese. We also like to mix cheeses, as seen in these photos.

So go light up the grill and invite your neighbors over! 

Perfect Burgers

Makes: 6 patties
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7-10 minutes (depending on desired temperature)

2 lbs. ground organic, grass-fed beef
1 egg
1 T garlic, minced
2 T red onion, minced
2 T Worsheshire
Salt to taste
Grapeseed oil for brushing patties

Preheat the grill to high heat. We like to preheat the coals in a large mound and then spread out a little once they are ready. We always leave the edge of the grill with low heat in case a patty cooks faster than another.

Try to let the beef sit out for about 20-30 minutes before handling. Combine the beef, egg, garlic, onion and Worsheshire in large bowl and mix until combined (I use my hands). Form the beef into 6 even sized balls and press down in the middle to form a patty. I like to form a little divot in the center, this helps them cook more evenly.

Season the patties with salt on both sides and let sit until the grill is ready. Lightly brush the patties with grapeseed oil, on both sides and grab a timer, spatula and your cheese slices!

Once the coals are ready, spread them out and make sure to brush the grill grate. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 2 minutes without touching (DO NOT FLATTEN THE BURGERS WITH A SPATULA - absolute no no). Turn the burgers a quarter turn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for 2 minutes, then quarter turn and cook for 1 minute. Place the cheese slices on top and cover the grill for another minute. Remove the burgers and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Throw the buns on the grill for about 30 seconds to warm before serving.

Sriracha Shrimp with Zoodles

Ok, get ready folks, for a blow-your-mind awesome dish. Apparently I have a thing with making vegetable noodles lately (spaghetti squash noodles). I have to give credit to my mom on this one though, she came across a recipe that spiraled zucchini to resemble spaghetti noodles. We rolled with this and started coming up with different ways to incorporate the now-called "zoodles."

Gluten Free Can Be Done

When is the warm weather going to get here!! I love fall and winter produce, but I am ready for green and a change of ingredients. Since I am so impatient, I am going to start posting some recipes so when the produce starts popping up, we will be ready to cook!

Dishes like this one make gluten free very doable. I was so worried that when I made the decision to cut out gluten from my diet that I was going to have to either cook two meals, or eat carrots and celery for dinner while I drool over Ryan's pasta with clam sauce! 

Despite my fears, my brave husband came to the rescue and agreed to try anything I would be willing to make (within reason of course). And BAM!! A new compromise was born in the Kettler Kitchen...coming up with new gluten free recipes that Ryan will enjoy. 

The only tricky step is making the zucchini noodles, or "zoodles." However, there are several tools (across all price ranges) that make this much easier:

• mandolin slicer with a julienne setting
• vegetable spiral
• julienne peeler

Besides being quick, healthy and gluten free, the leftovers can easily be turned into tacos! Who doesn't love shrimp tacos?!?! The recipe could actually start out as spicy shrimp and zucchini tacos using corn tortillas, and no one would even pay attention to the gluten free status.

Sriracha Shrimp with Zoodles (with Taco Option)

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Adapted from Kitchen Confidante: Spicy Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles recipe

6 medium zucchini or yellow squash
1 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
1 T olive oil
1 shallot, finely sliced
2 T sriracha sauce
1 T tomato paste
1 tsp brown sugar
2 T butter
salt and pepper
fresh basil, thinly sliced
Turn them into tacos:
corn tortillas
avocado, sliced

Prep all ingredients before starting as this recipe goes quickly!

Julienne the zucchini into very thin strands like noodles. It is easiest to do this with a mandolin or spiraling tool. If not, a $10 julienne slicer does the trick also. Try to avoid using the seeded center of the zucchinis as they don’t hold up as well. Lay the “zoodles” out on paper towels and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Boil a large pot of water and add in a pinch of salt. Blanche the zucchini noodles for 1 minute, reserve 1 cup of the water and drain water and noodles quickly. 

In a small bowl, mix the Sriracha, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper together. 

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Saute the shallots until just translucent and stir in the Sriracha mixture. Add in the prepared shrimp and saute for a few minutes until barely pink (careful as the Sriracha mixture will pop in the hot pan). Stir in the butter and ⅓ cup reserved water and stir until the butter has just melted and creates a sauce. Place the shrimp on top of the zucchini noodles on each plate and top with the pan sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Turn them into tacos!

Warm the corn tortillas slightly in the microwave and place zucchini noodles on the tortillas, avocado slices, 2-3 shrimp and drizzle with pan sauce. Top with favorite cheese or plain Greek yogurt.

Healing Vegetable Soup

There is nothing worse than being sick, except maybe when your spouse is also sick. Ryan and I spent the better half of the nasty, rainy, cold weekend fighting coughs and colds. We certainly took it easy most of the weekend, but did muster the strength to whip up some home remedies to fight our illnesses.

Warm water with lemon and honey is my go-to for coughs and colds for several reasons. First, you need tons of liquids when you are sick to flush out all the crap in your system. Secondly, you need vitamin C to boost your immune system and fight the illness. The honey is just a nice addition to the warm water :)

Anti-inflammatory remedies are also very important for illness, especially for people with autoimmune diseases like Crohn's. I find the best way to accomplish this is with a Healing Vegetable Soup.

I like to add two essential anti-inflammatory ingredients to my soups when I am sick. Both of these should actually be incorporated into a daily diet - turmeric and cayenne.

Turmeric and Cayenne

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family and usually presents itself in a bright orange-yellow powder form. It is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes and often used for medicinal purposes due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which has been linked to fighting off colds and breaking down mucus congestion. I started taking turmeric/curcumin supplements about a month ago as another anti-inflammatory vitamin to help prevent my flare-ups. So far, so good!

Cayenne, a hot red chili pepper, is another wonder-spice that I always include in my daily diet. I actually have this in the morning with warm water and fresh lemon for a daily liver cleanse. Cayenne is also an anti-inflammatory spice that has many, many other health benefits. Check out this list of 17 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper. This also adds a bit of spice to the soup, which helps break up congestion.

Hopefully, you don't get a cold or cough, but if you do, there are many things you can do besides revert to DayQuil (which for me, never really works).

Ryan and I certainly are on the mend AND enjoying some delicious soup leftovers!!

Healing Vegetable Soup

Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 T butter

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp turmeric

½ dried Italian herbs

¼ tsp dried tarragon

salt and pepper

6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable for vegetarian version)

1 bay leaf

Parmesan rind

2 parsnips, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1 cup frozen peas (or snap peas, chopped)

Brown rice, cooked

Plain Greek yogurt for garnish

Fresh chives for garnish

Put on the brown rice to cook if not prepared already. 

Start by chopping all of the vegetables and aromatics. Warm a large soup pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Saute the shallots, garlic, carrots and celery for about 5-7 minutes or until starting to soften. Stir in the cayenne, turmeric, herbs, tarragon, salt and pepper and cook another 2 minutes until very fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf and Parmesan rind, then bring to a slight boil. Stir in parsnips and peas and cook for 15 minutes or until parsnips are cooked through and soft.

Serve with a small scoop of brown rice, yogurt and chives.

Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs

More than half my family is now eating gluten free. Yes, we are a family full of autoimmune diseases and GI disorders! Mom has been gluten free for over a year and doing well, then my brother started a gluten free diet about a month ago. In just that short amount of time, he has seen a drastic change with his health, for the better. 

Going Gluten Free

I made a conscious effort at the beginning of the year to cut out gluten, and can now say I have done this entirely. Yes, this sucks! I miss pizza and beer and biscuits, even Ezekial bread. But gluten has been scientifically linked to inflammation in the body. Considering Crohn's causes inflammation in the gut, I thought this would be an appropriate diet to try.  

Eating gluten free is actually not that difficult. I have already (inadvertantly) posted many recipes that fall into this category. Check out my new Gluten Free Recipe page in the navigation bar. I will be sure to add in more tips and tricks as I go along with this blog, but don't worry, I will still be posting the good stuff (i.e. recipes full of gluten)!!!

For my first "official" gluten free recipe, I thought I would post a fun and easy one...spaghetti squash with meatballs. A great substitute for the Italian comfort food, but with a lot more health benefits. I usually roast a few spaghetti squashes at a time, so I can have leftovers as an easy veggie side dish.

Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes


1 3-4lb spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
Favorite sauce (store bought or homemade)
Favorite meatballs (store bought or homemade)

Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the seeds from both halves of the squash by using a metal spoon and scraping them out. I usually discard the seeds because I never have time to do anything with them.

Place the halves cut-side down on the baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until very tender. Turn the halves over to release steam and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Using a fork, scrape the flesh out of the skin into noodles and serve right away or keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.