Tomato basil fish

Here's what you get when you have a healthy basil plant and a sad tomato with skin starting to wrinkle.

Tomato basil fish. The addition of red bell pepper and garlic really make the flavors in this dish pop.

I don't know what kind of fish this is. I bought it frozen in individual packs and I didn't keep the outer bag that tells you what it is. It's pretty cheap as far as fish goes, and it's white with a mild flavor.

So back to dinner. 

Heat your pan. I put my stovetop dial on "3" and use my nonstick ceramic pan. I love that thing. My brother bought it as a gift and I cherish it. Make sure the fish is thawed if you are using frozen, like me.

Toppings:
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, chopped (or a small handful)
2 T. chopped red bell pepper*
1 T. chopped onion*
1/4 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together, or put chunks in a food processor and pulse a few times.

Throw your fish on the pan. You'll need some kind of lubrication if it's not non-stick- olive oil will do.
Place your tomato basil mixture in the pan just to warm up and let it all cook and get happy until the edges of the fish turn white & are no longer translucent. Turn them over and let the fish cook until the thickest part is white & flakes with a fork. The juices from the toppings will provide moisture so they don't get all dry, and will also provide flavor.

Serve hot with the tomato basil mixture on top. I like broccoli lately, so that's what was on my plate. I beefed it up with some brown rice when I took the leftovers for lunch, since lunch needs more staying power than dinner.

* I am able to use small amounts of bell pepper and onion because I rarely use an entire pepper or onion all at once. I keep the rest already chopped in the freezer and just take out what I need.

Serves 2, or 1 with lunch leftovers.

Bite size tuna melts

1. Make yourself some tuna salad: Can of tuna, drained. Finely chopped celery. Spoonful of relish. Spoonful of mayo. Dash of salt. Mix it up real good. Give your cat a little tuna juice because, OMG you opened a can of TUNA

2. Grab some gluten free crackers. (These are Mary's)

3. Place a slice of sharp cheddar on the cracker.

4. Place a spoonful of tuna on top. Pack it real tight in a measuring spoon so it doesn't fall all over the place.

5. Broil for a few minutes until the cheese gets melty and the tuna warms up and the edges of the crackers get toasty.

6. Place a piece of tomato on top.

That's it.

Greek Yogurt Muesli

Most days, my second breakfast consists of this, bottom to top:

Gluten Free Oats

Greek Yogurt

Cinnamon

Honey

Fresh or frozen fruit

Walnuts

When made on Sundays, the liquids soak into the oats and soften them up by the time I eat it on workdays, making a significantly more substantial snack than just your plain old fruit & yogurt.
Apparently, this parfait-type of dish can be considered a type of Muesli.

Sometimes I make a larger portion and just eat this. Sometimes I make a smaller portion and pair it with a muffin, or in this week's case, cheesy scrambled eggs.

Either way, it's delicious, healthy, and cheap- those individual packs of fruit & greek yogurt can add up.

Stroganoff

Wednesday night: Beef Stroganoff. Enough for 2, plus 1 lunch.

This is the first time I've ever cooked with mushrooms.
I used this recipe here, with a few changes:


1/2 pound of ground beef
8-10 mushrooms, washed, dried & sliced
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. butter
1 c. broth
sprinkle of salt
1t. Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is GF)
2 T. sweet rice flour
1/2 c. greek yogurt

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter, and cook mushrooms & garlic for a few minutes; until the mushrooms are somewhere between completely raw and mushy. Place them in a bowl.

Cook the beef in the skillet until it's browned. Stir in 3/4 c. of the broth, salt, and worchestershire. Heat to boil, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir the remaining 1/4 c. broth into the flour, and stir into the skillet. Add mushrooms. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The sauce will start to thicken. Turn the heat off, and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over your favorite GF noodle.

P.S. I added in chopped spinach, because I have sooo much in the fridge.

fish with garlic wine sauce

For the record, I've been cooking. Nearly every day. I just don't put it in the internet. I've come up with some really great stuff, too!

This is an effort to post more, mostly because I'm frequently thinking, "Man I had a really good meal the other day but I can't remember exactly how I made it."

Tonight I made fish.

For 2 pieces of frozen fish, thawed:

Mix 2/3 c. sweet white wine, 2 t. minced garlic, 1 T. butter, sprinkle of salt & pepper, dash of paprika. Heat in the microwave 30 seconds to melt the butter.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the fish. Pour the sauce over it and let it cook until the fish begins to turn white & flaky on the edges. Flip and cook until you can insert a fork into the thickest part and the fish flakes and looks like cooked fish.

Take the fish out of the pan and put it on a bed of spinach.

Sprinkle a small amount of sweet rice flour (maybe 1/2 T) on the sauce left in the pan and stir until it's thickened. Pour it over the fish. Sprinkle with walnut pieces.

The sauce is great. Garlic mixed with sweet wine and a little bit of butter to smooth it all out. The spinach and nuts were just because I have to use them up, but the combination came together really well.

Clever Leftovers: Spaghetti Sauce

There are leftover people, and there are not. I am leftover people, but even I get tired of the same thing night after night, especially if I make a big batch of something.

Enter Clever Leftovers: the Spaghetti Sauce edition.

Leftover spaghetti sauce can be easily made into a tomato-based soup. Or baked ziti. The soup version gives you an alternative to just another pasta dish.

Place your leftover spaghetti sauce into a pot.
Take 1/2 of the amount of the leftover spaghetti sauce and add in broth. (make SURE it's GF)

Add in:
frozen mixed vegetables
chopped mushroom
canned beans
fresh thyme or rosemary
even if you leftover spaghetti, cut up with kitchen shears

Pretty much whatever floats your boat. These are leftovers; use up what you can. You can even accomplish this in a microwave- you're just creatively reheating.

Serve with GF crackers & hummus, or a nice spinach salad, and you've got yourself a nice lunch that doesn't even remind you of it's previous spaghetti sauce life.

Good To Go Katy Gluten Free

I have been waiting for a gluten free restaurant in Houston. Not just a bakery, or a gluten free menu, but a restaurant. 100% gluten free.

Today, Missy suggested we eat at Good To Go, mentioning that it was gluten free, and I figured they had a gluten free menu. After looking at the menu I was psyched! The entire menu is gluten free! I called to ask how late we could order, and chatted with the lady for a bit. She said the entire kitchen is dedicated gluten free. Woo!

Previously, I had to wait until my travels took me to San Antonio to get great gluten free grub at Little Aussie (and about 10 loaves of bread).

Now, I can get my gluten free jollies any time I want, worry-free!

So, what did I order? A chicken pot pie. It was DELICIOUS. My only critique is that I wish it had more delicious crust.

I also got a loaf of bread, which is hearty. This is no loaf of white bread, my friends. Spongy, not hard, with a wholesome taste. Yum. It did not knock my current favorite off the shelf, but it's still very good.

Oh, I also got two cupcakes from the display case. Honestly, they were nothing special. Did it bum me out? Not at all. I was super full from the delicious food.

I'm super happy that this place exists, and that it caught Missy's eye. I will be going there again.

P.S. It's currently pick up or delivery only, but the lady on the phone mentioned that they're getting tables soon.