Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Cauliflower mash came into my life in high school, when my stepmom made it as part of the South Beach Diet. And then it left my life, quickly, not to appear again until this past weekend. Perhaps I didn't have the same appreciation for food that I have now (well, not perhaps, that's a fact). I definitely didn't have the same palate, and now I gravitate towards healthier foods. Whatever the reason at the time, I hated it, and it's been a long-running joke in our family ever since.

But then, this past weekend my parents were visiting New York, and we had quite a memorable meal at The East Pole, a new restaurant on the Upper East Side from the guys behind The Fat Radish. The best part of the meal? Shockingly enough, the cauliflower mash.

It was creamy, garlicy, and buttery. Perfectly seasoned, and the kind of dish that melts in your mouth. 

Needless to say, it drastically changed my opinion of cauliflower mash, and I knew I had to make it in my own kitchen. Where did I turn? To the new cookbook by Danielle Walker, the acclaimed blogger behind Against All Grain (a gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free blog).

As always, I tweaked the recipe slightly, and it did not disappoint. While it wasn't quite as buttery as what I had at The East Pole, it was no doubt healthier and certainly still full of flavor. It's a perfect alternative to mashed potatoes or polenta, and was a great addition to my Meatless Monday dinner last night.  

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 head cauliflower, trimmed into florets

1/4 cup almond milk, warmed

1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh scallion, diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to broil. Peel garlic cloves and place in a small dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place on lower oven rack and roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and soft. 

Meanwhile, bring a medium to large pot of water to a boil and add cauliflower. Cook for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain water and place cauliflower in a food processor. 

Add garlic, almond milk, butter, scallion, salt, and pepper to food processor. Process until smooth (consistency should be the same as mashed potatoes).

Basil Chicken Salad

So I must admit that while it's been a few weeks since I've posted a recipe, I've been cooking up a storm. In full disclosure, some recipes have been a success, others have been a failure (or at least need major tweaking). But that's all a part of life in the kitchen, right?

If you live in New York City, you know how dreadfully hot it's been the past few weeks. Just plain awful. It was in the high 90s every day last week, and so far this week it hasn't been quite as hot, but painfully humid and just plain gross. Which doesn't bode well for spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen. But who says you have to be in a hot kitchen? I'm staying far, far away from my stove and oven... At least for now.

Let me bring you up to speed. A few weeks ago I made the life-changing decision to buy a Crock-Pot. Seriously. Life-changing. I'm completely obsessed and don't know how or why I went so long without one. I've been using it constantly, and I'm on a major chicken bender. I mean, it's genius. You plug the thing in, set the timer and the meat just sits and cooks slowly, whether overnight while you're sleeping or during the day while you're at work. Genius. I like to thrown in three or four chicken breasts, a carton of chicken stock, half an onion, some garlic, rosemary, half a lemon, salt and pepper. Delicious.

I've been shredding the chicken and using it in salads for lunch, but decided to take it up a notch when I saw a recipe for basil chicken salad in a recent issue of America's Test Kitchen (which I'm going to subscribe to immediately, and I suggest you do as well). It originally called for one cup of mayonnaise and less basil, but I'm not a huge mayonnaise fan and decided to substitute in Greek yogurt and sour cream. I also wanted to make it my own, as much as I could.  I mean, can you think of a more perfect summer recipe? I love the spin on traditional chicken salad, and lord knows how great (and plentiful) fresh basil is this time of year. Although I will say, the basil in my indoor urban garden is not doing well at all.

As you know, I'm all about easy recipes that take less than 30 minutes. With the exception of cooking the chicken in the Crock-Pot, which takes barely any effort and can be done ahead of time, this took ten minutes. I know, you're welcome. So in the interest of time, I'll stop blabbing on move on to this delicious summer recipe. 

Basil Chicken Salad

Servings: 3-4

Cooking time: 5 hours + 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

3-4 organic chicken breasts

1/2 onion, chopped (white or yellow)

2-3 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 carton organic low-soduim chicken stock

3/4 cup 2% fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup low fat sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 Granny Smith apple, cubed

3 celery sticks, chopped

4 cups organic baby arugula 

Place the chicken breasts, onion, garlic, lemon, rosemary and chicken stock in the Crock-Pot and cook on low for five hours (it will stop cooking after five hours and remain heated, but I wouldn't let it sit for more than four or five hours after it's done). Remove layer of fat from chicken breasts, place in a separate bowl and shred with a fork. Cover and place in the fridge (it usually keeps for up to three days, maybe four). 

Combine yogurt, sour cream, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth (about 15-20 seconds). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine chicken, basil dressing, apple and celery in a bowl and mix. Serve over a bed of arugula and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. 

Enjoy! 

The Cellar's Gluten Free Mac & Cheese

A few weeks ago I had lunch with my colleagues at The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Manhattan (20th St. & Broadway). I really, really love cheese, so I was already looking forward to this meal. But then I also found out they have gluten-free mac & cheese. Double whammy. 

In the three plus years I've been gluten-free, I've never had mac & cheese. It's such a heavy dish and to be honest, just not really something I ever crave. 

But this. This was melt-in-your mouth good. This made up for three plus years of no mac & cheese. And it wasn't just gluten-free good. It was good good. Even my colleagues (most of whom are big food lovers) tasted it and agreed.

So Beecher's, I've got to give credit where credit is due. Your warm, gooey, creamy gluten-free mac & cheese surpassed any and all expectations. So to you I say kudos, and thank you. 

And to any of my readers living in the Manhattan area, do yourself a favor and head on over to The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Heck, invite me along! And if you don't have time to sit down and eat, you can also grab some from the freezer in their upstairs storefront and bring it home.  

Oh, and try some free cheese samples while you're at it. 

Summer Green Salad

The weather in NYC has been beautiful recently, and the last thing I want to do is sit inside at my desk all day. Sometimes I find my mind wandering, thinking about what I want to make for dinner and mentally whipping up a new recipe. With all of these fabulously delicious and fresh summer ingredients available at my fingertips, I really can't go wrong.

But lately I've been stuck on this one particular salad. It's so darn good. And so ridiculously easy to make! It's full of brightly colored vegetables and the chicken sausage and edamame give it some some added protein.

Salads don't always do it for me for dinner, but this one does. And I've been eating it again and again and again, and much to my surprise I'm still not sick of it!

I've been using green beans, edamame, peas, tomato, avocado and chicken sausage, but you really could throw in whatever sort of vegetables you want.

And the best part is, this should be filling enough that you won't need a carb on the side. But if you do, I recommend an incredibly delicious gluten-free roll from Free Bread (my favorite is The Jalla). More on Free Bread to come soon—all of Karen's products are amazing (and not just gluten-free amazing. Amazing amazing). 

Summer Green Salad

Yield: 1 serving
Time: 15 minutes

2 cups fresh green beans
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen edamame
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 link Al Fresco Roasted Garlic & Herb Chicken Sausage (you can use whatever you want, but I like this because it's gluten-free)
1/4 avocado, diced
1-2 cups arugula, spinach or fresh greens of your choice

Bring 5 cups water to a boil in a medium size pot. Throw in the green beans, peas and edamame and cook for 4 minutes. Strain and set to the side to cool.

Sauté chicken sausage in olive oil (or, since I've been trying to stick to a paleo diet the past few weeks, I've been using coconut oil spray) on medium heat for 5-8 minutes, or until browned.

For the dressing:

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Mix together in a small bowl. 

And there you have it! Combine the veggies and sausage in a large bowl, drizzle the dressing on top and salt and pepper to taste. I usually like to add some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy! 

Roasted Tomatoes with Feta

I'm back with a new, delicious and super easy recipe that's sure to be a hit this summer, whether you make it in the oven or on the grill.

If you're like me, you love tomatoes. Especially when they're ripe and juicy. I've been making a big effort for the past year or so to buy organic and/or local produce when I can, and I have to tell you, it makes such a difference in the flavor. In my book, it's worth spending a little extra.

 I often find myself with extra produce (or just food in general) in my fridge, and I hate to waste it. So sometimes I have to improvise. Improvising is fun. Last week I had spinach and feta that I wanted to use, so I got a little creative. Full disclosure I don't love feta, but I had some left over from another recipe involving baked chicken, tomatoes and feta. So I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work, grabbed some red, plump tomatoes, and threw together a healthy and very satisfying dinner.

One of the great things about this recipe is that it's completely vegetarian, and with the spinach and tomatoes it's pretty chalk full of nutrients. I'm trying to make more of a conscious effort to eat vegetarian when I cook during the week. Yes Mark Bittman, you have forever rubbed off on me. If you make enough, you should be satisfied, but you can always throw in some quinoa or millet on the side if you're afraid of going to bed hungry.

Roasted Tomatoes with Feta

Serves: 1
Cooking time: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons feta
1 - 2 cups spinach

Pre-heat oven to 400º. Cut the tomatoes in half, put them in a glass baking dish and cover lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with feta and cook for 15 minutes. Place on a bed of spinach, drizzle with balsamic and add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Chicken & Rice Soup

For the past two weeks I was battling a terrible cold that would not go away. No matter what I did. And it was miserable. A cold is such a common ailment but it also can be incredibly debilitating. Plus, I'm a huge baby when I'm sick. 

After week one I realized I probably needed some good old chicken soup. I didn't want to buy a can of soup because although they're cost-effective they also tend to be loaded with sodium. Since I've been on such a soup kick lately I figured why not try my hand at homemade chicken and rice soup.

It was pretty easy to make (not very labor intensive) and turned out wonderfully. It was exactly what I needed. And I could be wrong (or just supersticious), but I think it actually made me feel better. People do say chicken soup is the best cure for the common cold!

I hope you're not sick, but if you are, I encourage you to try this at home. And if you're not, it's a great recipe to add into the winter mix.

Chicken & Rice Soup

Servings: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes 

3 small chicken breasts
1 onion, diced (I used a white onion, but yellow would certainly work too)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound carrots, chopped
1/2 pound celery, chopped
6-7 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
Handful of fresh parsley 
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cook in the broiler for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Remove, let cool for a few minutes, and then shred it as best you can. 

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add about 4 cups of chicken stock, followed by the rice and chicken. The rice will absorb a lot of the stock, so you'll need to periodically add more. You can also add warm water as well. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about one hour. The longer you simmer it the more the flavors meld, so you could probably simmer it for close to an hour and a half if you have time. 

Serve hot and enjoy! 

Arugula Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Pecans

I kept meaning to post this recipe before Thanksgiving, but the days flew by and now here we are almost a week after the fact. I'm mad at myself for not posting this sooner because it would've been the perfect salad for the occasion. Oh well, we're still in prime butternut squash season, so fear not—you have plenty of time to make this. 

Like carrots, butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A. One cup of baked butternut squash has 457% of your daily vitamin A intake. It also has 52% of your daily vitamin C intake, and only 82 calories.

Did I mention it's also delicious?

I love seasonal salads, and this one is no exception. The warm butternut squash goes incredibly well with the goat cheese (which as we all know has a very distinct flavor), and I love how the different textures work together. Of course we can't have a salad without leafy greens, so I choose arugula, but kale would also be a fantastic substitute. Or even spinach.

I roasted a bunch of butternut squash one night and it kept in the fridge for a few days, so I was able to enjoy this salad for more than just one meal. I also had left over roasted chicken, which I threw on there for protein to make this substantial enough to count as a meal. As long as you're not a vegetarian I highly recommend doing this. If you are, quinoa might be the answer for you.

Arugula Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Pecans

Ingredients:

1 cup butternut squash, cubed
2 tablespoons goat cheese
2 tablespoons pecans
2 cups arugula
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown (if you're in a time crunch you can just as easily cook it in the broiler for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally). Let cool for 10 minutes.

Toss in with arugula, goat cheese, and pecans. Add olive oil, vinegar (I used my favorite go-to balsamic glaze), salt and pepper to taste.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Recently I've been on a major soup kick. I can blame it on the cold weather, but frankly it's been nice to make something that's easy to digest and give my body a little bit of a break. As you can probably tell I eat a pretty healthy diet, but I've had a million things going on lately and with a busy work and social calendar comes lots of eating and drinking. 

Since I already tackled Pumpkin Soup, I figured why not try another of my longstanding favorites: carrot ginger soup. 

Tackle it I did. This was delicious, healthy and packed with vitamin A and hints of ginger and cinnamon.

And as is my goal here on Gluten Free For All, it required fairly little effort. Once I chopped up the onions, carrots and ginger, I basically let it simmer for 45 minutes while reading a very intelligent book. Okay, let's face it, I was watching ABC's Scandal, to which I am now addicted.

The result? A week's worth of fabulous smelling (and tasting) soup that I brought to work for lunch every day last week.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Servings: 5
Total cook time: 45 minutes (prep time: 15 minutes, cook time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup butternut squash, cubed
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add carrots, butternut squash and ginger. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes or until carrots and butternut squash are tender. 

Transfer mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Add in cream, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Baked Sweet Potato with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Melted Cheese

I've really been slacking lately, haven't I? Things have been a little crazy. I'm switching jobs and have been trying to wrap everything up at my old job, since my last day is this Friday. It's nerve-racking. I've been at the same company for four years (since I graduated college), and my new job is going to be a huge change. But I'm really, really excited and can't wait to start. You'll have to forgive me if my posts are sparse in the coming weeks as I try to settle in.

Anyway, the other night I was looking for something new and different to eat for dinner, and a friend of mine sent me a link to a recipe for Sweet Potato Pizza  from the blog Kale with Love. I was immediately sold. It looked incredible.

But, as usual, I decided to tweak the recipe and make it my own. I'm not a huge fan of marinara sauce unless it's on pasta (gluten-free pasta, obviously), so I decided to skip that ingredient, which made it less of a pizza but still equally as tasty.

Baked Sweet Potato with Eggplant, Zucchini, and Melted Cheese

Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1/2 eggplant
1/2 zucchini
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used white cheddar)

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 450º. 

Place sweet potato on pan and cook in the oven for an hour.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini and sauté  in olive oil for 5-8 minutes. The eggplant will probably need to cook a little longer, closer to 10 minutes. 

When the sweet potato is done cooking, take it out of the oven, slice it in half, and place the eggplant and zucchini on top. Sprinkle the cheese on top as well. Place in the broiler and cook for 4 minutes, or until the cheese is crispy and golden.

Serve immediately.

This was my entire dinner and I have to tell you, I was completely stuffed. Delish!

Oh, and if you're in a time crunch you could probably just cook the sweet potato in the microwave for about 10 minutes, and then place it in the broiler with the vegetables and cheese.

Kale Salad with Carrots, Raisins, and Creamy Curry Dressing

Kale. How I love kale. Don't you? It's just so darn good for you. According to this article it's the new beef. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef, and more calcium than milk. One cup of steamed kale has 354.1% of your daily vitamin A, 88.8% of your daily vitamin C, and 10.4% of your daily fiber. It's full of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and anti-cancer nutrients. Studies on five different types of cancer (breast, bladder, colon, ovarian, and prostate) show preventative benefits from kale intake. I'm hyper-aware of foods that have anti-cancer nutrients, particularly anti-colon cancer nutrients, because my mom died of colon cancer when she was in her late 40s and it's obviously a major concern for me. That's why I love kale. It's a super food. If you're interested, you can read more about the nutritional benefits here.

But let's talk about this salad. I borrowed the recipe from Choosing Raw, and it's good. Really, really good. As you've probably started to notice, I incorporate kale into a lot of recipes. It's one of the main ingredients in my Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup, and a side dish in my Gluten-Free Zucchini Quiche with Sautéed Kale and my Kale, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage. It's a chameleon, if you will, and goes well in or with a huge variety of recipes. 

This creamy curry dressing really takes the cake. The flavor is so perfect with the crunchy kale. And it's so healthy! And of course it's super easy to make and eat throughout the week, whether for lunch or dinner. If you're feeling like you need some greens, definitely try this at home.

Kale Salad with Carrots, Raisins, and Creamy Curry Dressing

Serves 2-4 (depending on portion size)

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 cup raw cashews or walnuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 pitted dates
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons curry powder

Salad:

1 head kale, de-stemmed, cut into bite sized pieces, washed, and thoroughly dried
2 large carrots, grated
1/3 cup raisins

Instructions:

Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender till smooth.

Massage the kale with about 1/3 cup dressing, making sure that everything is well coated and softened. Add the carrot and raisins, and remix the salad, adding more dressing if you like.

If you want this to be a heartier salad, you could add sliced apple or lentils.

Cucumber Avocado Soup

I know that fall is here and the weather is really starting to cool down (it was 55º F when I woke up this morning!), but I'd like to think there's still room in my diet for chilled soup. At least for the next few weeks. I made this soup a week or two ago and have been meaning to post it, but kept forgetting. 

This recipe is adapted from a seven day Detox created by Gwenyth Paltrow, which she posted on Goop. I've never done a full detox, and I've only ever done a one day juice cleanse from Liquiteria in NYC (I've also heard Cooler Cleanse and BluePrintCleanse are equally as good), but I do think it's important to detox your body every so often. I always make a conscious effort to eat healthy and be very aware of what I'm putting into my body (especially since I have to follow a strict gluten-free diet), but I certainly have my slip-ups. As you probably know by now, I have a major sweet tooth. Ahem, Haribo Gold-Bears. If those weren't gluten-free, I honestly don't know how I'd survive. But not all gummy bears are, so if you're eating them be sure to check the ingredients. 

I digress. Many of you probably already know that you have to watch your avocado intake (to a certain extent). If you look at the nutrition facts you'll see that the average avocado has 29 grams of fat and 322 calories. But the good news is that the fat in avocados is considered a "good" fat and has numerous health benefits. It's anti-inflammatory (good for people with arthritis), it helps our digestive tract, and has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. An avocado also has 13 grams of fiber (54% of the recommended daily intake) and 4 grams of protein. You can read more about the benefits of avocados here. 

That said, this soup is incredibly creamy and filling, and I highly recommend it for lunch.

Cucumber Avocado Soup

Serves 1
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 avocado
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until totally creamy and smooth. Chill for 30 minutes and then serve.

Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Today is the perfect day for soup. At least, if you're in New York City. It's dark and rainy and windy. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and read a book or watch a movie (or, let's be honest, finish the season finale of Keeping Up with the Kardashians).

Soup is such a cozy food, don't you think? There's something so comforting about it. Maybe it goes back to my childhood, when my parents would feed me chicken noodle soup whenever I was sick. Perhaps there's a bit of nostalgia there.

Regardless, I love soup, and I'm having a blast venturing into the field of soup-making. This summer I made Yellow Tomato and Mango Gazpacho, on Sunday I made Cucumber Avocado Soup (recipe coming later this week), and last night I made the most delicious Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup. It was inspired by a friend's lentil soup recipe, but I threw in some additional ingredients and made it my own. It was incredibly flavorful and satisfying, and I can't wait to experiment with other soups this fall and winter. If you have any requests, feel free to post them in the comments section below. In the meantime, stay dry!

Lentil, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Serves 5
Total cooking time: 45 minutes (prep time: 15 minutes; cook time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup lentils
1 can cannellini beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 head kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 tablespoon freshman rosemary
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in extra virgin olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, cannellini beans, tomatoes, kale, chicken broth, oregano, rosemary, and vinegar. Simmer on medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until carrots and lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a food processor and blend to the consistency of your choice. This really brings out all of the flavors and creates and creamy consistency, which I prefer to a non-blended consistency. 

Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Roasted Vegetables with Rosemary

Roasted vegetables are a staple of my diet, particularly in cooler weather. They're so easy to make and so satisfying to eat. The great thing about roasted vegetables is that you can work with whatever is in season. As long as you have olive oil, salt and pepper, and an oven, you're good to go.

After last weekend all I wanted to eat was a big plate of vegetables. I went to Whole Foods and slowly made my way through the produce section, picking the best looking vegetables from local farmers. By the time I made it to the checkout counter, my grocery basket was full of carrots, zucchini, red onions, sweet potatoes, and heirloom cherry tomatoes. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture before I chopped everything up and threw it in the oven. But can you blame a girl? I was starving.

I decided to make enough so that I could bring the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week, which worked out perfectly. I'm a huge fan of incorporating leftovers into lunch. It makes life a lot easier.

This recipe, although the ingredients may vary depending on what's available at Whole Foods or the farmers market, will be my go-to this fall and winter. Whether as a main course, a side dish, or in a salad, roasted vegetables are so flavorful and full of nutrients. You really can't go wrong.

I tossed in some quinoa at the last minute to add some protein and additional texture. I'm a huge fan of roasted chicken, but didn't have enough time or energy to make it this time around. Keep your eyes out for a roasted chicken recipe in the coming weeks.

Roasted Vegetables with Rosemary

Ingredients:

2 large carrots
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 large red onion
1 large zucchini
1 1/2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Chop all of the vegetables,  except for the tomatoes, transfer to a large pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss in the rosemary and make sure all of the vegetables are lightly covered with olive oil. 

Transfer the tomatoes into a small pan and drizzle with olive oil. They need to be cooked separately because they release a lot of water, and you don't want that mixing in with the other vegetables.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until tender and golden. Drain the water from the tomatoes and mix together in one pan. Serve hot. 

Yellow Tomato and Mango Gazpacho

I made my first soup! I don't know why I've been intimidated by the thought of it for so long, because I've had numerous people tell me how easy it can be to make.

I love soup. Hot soup, cold soup. If I ever buy lunch at work, which is pretty rare, you can bet I'm buying soup. Even during the summer. Fresh & Co., which has five locations in Manhattan, serves delicious soups, a number of which are gluten-free. My favorites are their split pea and kale, lentil, and quinoa soups. Oh, and I should also give a quick plug to The Splendid Spoon, a subscription-based soupery based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Friends of mine own it and best of all, they deliver! Their soups are incredibly good and I believe all of their ingredients are local.

So why, until last night, had I never made soup? Oh right. I was intimidated. Well, I told myself before I started this blog was that I wasn't going to let myself be intimidated in the kitchen anymore. One of my goals is to get out of my comfort zone and try recipes that intimidate me. Not all of the time, of course, because as I've mentioned, I want to post quick and easy recipes as much as possible, but the only way I'm going to become a better cook is by pushing myself.

I recently subscribed to the DailyBuzz Healthy Living's "Today's Top 9" daily email, which aggregates their top nine favorite recipes from around the blogosphere. There's usually a theme, be it an ingredient, cuisine, etc., and yesterday's theme was mango. When I saw this recipe for Golden Tomato + Mango Gazpacho from The Smart Kitchen I knew it was going to be dinner, and my first attempt at making soup!

Much to my dismay summer is quickly coming to an end. I want to make the most of the local seasonal ingredients available as often as possible. So after work I walked down to the Union Square Greenmarket and bought as many of the ingredients as I could: yellow tomatoes, yellow peppers, and a sweet onion. The cucumber is straight from my dad's garden right outside of Washington, DC, where I was over the weekend.

Yellow Tomato and Mango Gazpacho

Makes about 3 and 1/2 cups (about 5 servings)

3 cups yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped (roughly 2 large tomatoes)
1 cup yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped (roughly 1 large pepper)
1 cup cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped (roughly 1/2 large cucumber)
1 cup mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Mint or cilantro for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pour into a bowl and it's ready to eat! I added chopped mint, fresh from my new mint plant, but cilantro would probably taste just as good.

This was incredibly easy to make (chopping time included, it probably took 20 minutes at the most) and the perfect summer soup. I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that it was so good I had not one but three bowls last night.

And, as a total side note, I have to tell you that as I write this I'm sitting here listening to Regina Spektor's new album, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats, and it's fantastic. Listen to "Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)." The perfect song to start the day!

Quinoa with Pesto and Arugula

I know what you're thinking. Another quinoa recipe?  But this is why I love quinoa so much! You can use it in almost any dish.

I'm quickly working my way through the pesto I made last week. I had it on gluten-free bread for lunch, on rice pasta for dinner, and so on. When I was deciding what to make for dinner the other night, I figured why not toss it on some quinoa and see how it tastes? Quinoa is a good substitute for pasta, and honestly, a bowl of quinoa is probably better for you than a bowl of pasta, since it's full of protein.

Let me back up. I had a bit of an indulgent weekend... A delicious dinner Friday night at Osteria Morini in SoHo for my boyfriend's birthday (the grilled artichokes sans bread crumbs, octopus, and grilled pork chop were all incredible), Saturday afternoon at the Yankees game and a bacon cheeseburger (no bun) at Royale in Alphabet City, Sunday brunch at El Almacen in Williamsburg, not to mention lots of wine and cider... I ate and drank a ton. Oh, and of course I made these Sunday. So by Monday night I was craving a healthy, balanced meal.

I picked up a tomato from the Union Square Greenmarket on my walk home from work, some organic arugula at our local market, basil from the plant in our apartment, and I was set. All I needed to do was cook the quinoa. If that's not an easy meal...

Quinoa with Pesto and Arugula

1/2 - 1 cup cooked quinoa (I prefer to cook my quinoa in stock rather than water; it gives it more flavor)
1 tablespoon pesto
1/2 organic tomato, diced
A few fresh basil leaves
1 - 2 cups organic arugula
The juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

Cook the quinoa. Once it's off the stove, mix in the pesto, tomato, and basil.

Place the arugula on a plate and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over it (I also added a little balsamic for an extra flavor kick). Pour the quinoa mixture over the arugula. Enjoy!

This was so tasty that I had it for lunch the next day, and I'm sure I'll be adding it into my regular rotation (at least until summer is over).