Oh my goodness- I love these new morsels! They are crispy and soooo crouton-like, it’s crazy!

Tofu Croutons

• 14 ounces extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of your favorite dried herbs and spices( I used garlic powder and poultry seasoning)

- Preheat the oven to 400F. Using  a paper towel or a kitchen towel, press the water out of the tofu block( make sure not to press too hard so the block doesn’t break apart).

- Cut the block into small dice sized pieces. Put the cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle the small blocks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and herbs. Toss gently to coat.

- Bake at 400F for about 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

I had my croutons with roasted butternut squash over baby kale for lunch  today at the hospital. This lunch brightened my day   These pictures do not do them justice!!

I’m off to watch Glee(MJ episode) & work on my abstract presentation!

Saturday morning I made my new favorite: two coddled eggs on toast covered in melted cabot and topped in baby spinach.

I’m going to have this at least once a week!

Sunday nights have become fish night at our house! Tonight, we had salmon tacos with avocado kale salad again!

I added peach salsa on top- it was perfect!

We cook our salmon with Bone Suckin’ Sauce seasoning rub- it’s gluten free & o’ so good!

A perfect way to end a great weekend!!

I can’t believe I actually accomplished making these butter-laden treats! Nanaimo bars are a Canadian treat that we enjoy every summer while we are in camp. They are normally gluten filled so of course I had to make them gluten free for our Boston IC party!

Nanaimo Bars(adapted from allrecipes)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups gluten free graham crackers
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons gf custard powder 
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 8×8 square baking dish

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine 1/2 cup butter, white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.Set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Beat in the egg, quickly so that it will not cook in the mixture. Remove from heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8×8 inch pan.
2. For the middle layer, cream together 1/2 cup butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy[I used my mixer to get the right consistency- it takes awhile]. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth[this takes about 4 minutes']. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Chill to set[at least 25 minutes].
3. While the second layer is chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate and 2 teaspoons butter together in the microwave or over low heat. Spread over the chilled bars. Let the chocolate set before cutting into squares.

It was so nice to Emily & Dave in town for the party!

We all had a wonderful night thinking about our favorite place on earth!

The table was set… the candles were lit… it was time for dinner …

Evelyn called us all to the table!

She was ready for gluten free pasta with all the fixings!

Look at this vegetable filled pasta dish- spectacular! Thank you Sarah!

I brought a spinach salad with diced avocado and candied pecans- it was ok in comparison to the pasta!

A wonderful evening ending in a game of Balderdash!

Last night I worked the Celiac Center  Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance: Patient Education Night. 

My main job was to find some delicious gluten free snacks to share with newly diagnosed Celiac’s – thankfully KIND, Peeled, and Food Should Taste Good were willing to donate!

Who doesn’t love these delicious chips  & they certified GF through the GFCO, and a great example to show people!

 Peeled snacks also donated…. the apricots were pretty good!

  KIND bars were the final snack on the line! They were a bit hit! I love the almond & coconut & blueberry pecan!

By the end of the night- all the snacks were gone( or off to clinic to share with others) and everyone’s questions were answered!

I’m in my third week of my clinical rotation and my brain definitely hurts at the end of each day.

To help fuel my body at the hospital, I bring lots of fruits and vegetables, protein, whole grains, and LIQUIDs (both the caffeinated and non variety). I can only imagine what would happen if I didn’t pack these important items into my lunch bag!

For lunch, this week I have been bringing baked tofu with either an amino acid spray or mmm sauce. I get about 2 cups of vegetables from the salad bar (the vegetable only section- so I know it’s free of gluten!) and then place everything in the microwave for 2 minutes. DONE!

A couple of friends have been talking about a kale salad  in the Whole Foods  winter magazine.  I had to try it and put my spin on the recipe This salad is a great way to get a healthy portion of leafy greens and healthy fats into your day which I loved instantly!

Kale Avocado Salad

1 bunch kale, stemmed and broken into salad like bits(about 6 cups)
ripe avocado pitted and mushed
1/2  cup red onion, minced
lemon, juiced

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the avocado and lemon juice into the kale pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if needed. Enjoy alone or with a your meal!

For dinner this evening, we had salmon tacos with kale salad  and 50% light cabot on gf corn tortillas.

Two of tacos was a perfect dinner filled with healthy protein, fat and slow-digesting carbohydrates! This could be a new staple at our house!

And it all started with this kale salad…

I’m off to watch last week’s Downton Abbey episode- I love this show!

It’s January and time for another Recipe ReDux! This month we were challenged with ‘ fresh starts’- healthy breakfast makeovers.

The recipe below is my pride & joy. I make it for holidays, friends and family call for it regularly, and it even made an appearance in our wedding gift bags!

Maple Nut Granola

• 4 cups of Bobs gf oats *
• 1/2 cup of pecans
• 1/2 cup of almonds
• 1/3 cup of canola oil
• 1/8 cup of maple syrup
• 1/8 cup of agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. of salt.

Preheat the oven t0 350F. Mix the oats and nuts together and toast in oven for 10 minutes. During that time mix the oil, syrup and nectar together. Take the oats/nuts out of the oven and mix with the oil mixture while hot. Bring the oven temperature down to 300F. Spray a baking sheet with oil or cover in parchement. Place the warm oat mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 22-24 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.  Makes 2 quarts.

* purchasing certified gluten free oats is important if you need to be on a gluten free diet (either celiac disease or gluten intolerance). It is also recommended that a person should have a tTg under 20 prior to consuming oats, if a Celiac disease diagnose is already present.

Please enjoy during your  sun or snow covered morning with love from Meg’s Food Reality 

I can’t wait to see what the other ReDuxers make this month!

I love this dish! I know my obsession with squash can get a little ANNOYING but I just can’t get enough!

This meal encompasses all things good: veggies, cheese, gf breadcrumbs, and chicken sausage

After our delicious meal- Brita pulled out this bowel (I have bowels on the brain from the hospital- ugh!) bowl that she painted for us! What a peach or perhaps I should say melon!

After dinner, I pulled out these delicious brownies from the fridge!

Thank you gluten free goddess for this recipe-they loved them!

I’m off to watch Glee & read about fluid restrictions- life is good!

For those of you who question products that are gluten free there is a great website for you to subscribe to:  Gluten Free Watchdog!

Tricia Thompson is a internationally known Celiac RD(registered dietitian) who founded this website to help educate consumers!

She writes on watchdog:

“ Contamination of naturally gluten-free grains and flours with wheat, barley, and rye is a concern to many people who must eat gluten free. In a study conducted by Tricia Thompson, Anne Lee, and Thomas Grace, 32% of the naturally gluten-free grains and flours tested contained gluten in amounts greater than 20 parts per million. Gluten contamination can occur in the fields where food is grown, in the trucks and railcars where food is transported, and in the processing and manufacturing plants where food is made ready for the consumer. It is our hope that independently testing labeled gluten-free products and making results publicly available will allow you to feel more confident in the products you buy”

The website tests 4 products monthly and also includes Product Alerts! At this point, they are asking people to subscribe for $4.99/month to help off-set the costs of testing products.

Some new data from watchdog:

• Food for Life gluten free tortillas- tested NOT GLUTEN FREE!

ARGH- I have an entire bag in the freezer! I’m taking them back to Whole Foods!

• General Mills gf yellow cake mix – tested gluten free!

• Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flour- tested gluten free!

Spread the word about the website- it’s a good one to bookmark and subscribe to!