The good kind of crabs!

This post is a lil different... it's about great food combined with a fun learning experience.

I am a BIG nature person but the cities I live in are not exactly conducive to the great outdoors... It's frustrating, but hey, political communications and social sciences are hard to come by when you are in the middle of a lake, and I love those too...

Either way, I was in desperate need of a trip out of the city and an offer came up!

This tale begins with a visit to some friends who live off of the Chesapeake Bay where I got a refresher course in fishing and then we used the fish I caught to bait crab traps... then I was taught how to steam the crabs that I caught.  It was awesome. 

Thoughts on fishing:

Eeeep. First Catch! 

I used to know how to fish when I was little.  My uncle taught me at the family cabin in Canada, but I found it very upsetting when the fish flopped around in the boat, so I chucked the fish back in the water to save him.  Little did I know... that was probably the biggest fish my uncle had ever caught... To this day, I am still a little surprised that he  didn't throw me in after the fish. 

This is when I started apologizing to the fish... Clearly
a little terrified... Oh well, fear conquered. 

For fishing round 2.... we kayaked for about 40 minutes to a small inlet that was home to a lot of creature including a beautiful Great Heron. I was also home to a lot of sticks... I caught 2 sticks in a row. I know, it is very impressive... But FINALLY after learning to keep the tip of the fishing rod town, I finally had a bite and reeled in my first catch of the day.  It took me a minute to balance holding the rod while trying to conquer a mild fear of grabbing a fish (no judgement zone... I don't palm fish everyday, so it is OK to be a little jumpy).  Once I finally got him, I felt like apologizing to him as I tried to delicately remove the hook from him mouth... but it turns out that it is not an entirely delicate task, even when a fish has sharp fins. 
Long story short.... fishing is like gambling... you keep saying "just one more cast" until you get a fish and then the cycle repeats itself. 


CRABS:
Once we got back from the fishing adventure, we tossed the fish into the crab traps at the end of the dock and waited for a day or so... they had a few crabs in the keeper trap so we fed them too...  

Around lunchtime the next day for lunch... INTO THE POT FOR MY NEW CRAB FRIENDS!  
This was another "experience" for me... we put them directly into the pot and my job was to keep them from wondering off... We went back into the house... did the Old Bay dance, and steamed these blue crabs... 

Because it was early in the season, they were still a little small so overall I ate 5 of them, but honestly... Most satisfying lunch EVER.

Polenta and Squash

Making this one up as I go... and blogging about it between sections.  

- getting ready to go out of town and I want to use up some of the things I have laying around! 

(I was trying to decide whether to go Italian~ish or Spanish~ish... I think I'll go with the latter for the sake of experimentation)

What I have/ What you need:

1 Butternut squash

Frozen Corn

Frozen Okra

Can of black beans

Salsa

Pre-made polenta

Cheddar 

(wish I had fresh cilantro....) 

-spices...? RED PEPPER FLAKES. (there should always be red pepper flakes)... 

Begin by baking the squash!  I usually just cut 'em in half and toss them in the oven at 400 for about 30-40 minutes... I also recommend tossing the butternut squash seeds in the over with some old bay... there aren't usually very many, but it's like the benefit of pumpkin seeds without waiting for halloween!  It is also an excuse to eat more old bay....

Once the squash is done, let it cool enough to scoop some out to cut into pieces.  

Slice up the polenta into circles and spread out onto a lightly oiled pan.  Put a scoop of black beans on the polenta and shred a little bit of cheddar cheese over top of them before sticking the pan under the broiler to let the cheese melt and bubble a little.

Mix together corn and okra and toss in the cooked squash, salsa, and a squirt of sriracha.  Spoon out the mix onto the polenta with cheese and black beans and put the whole dish under the broiler for about a minute.  I added more cheese too...   

Take out... and enjoy!!!!

Oh, chick p(le)as/ GarbanzYO

I couldn't think of a good title for this one... but this is just a friendly reminder that this is a judgement free food blog... Heinous food jokes are more than acceptable as long as they are gluten free! 

Rosted Chickpeas/ Garbanzo beans recipe. 

ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES... I make them almost every week...

What You'll Need:

Olive Oil

Canned Garbanzo Beans

A Nice Rack (OF SPICES)

*Recommended Spices- Old Bay, red pepper flakes, everyday seasoning from Trader Joe's, garlic powder... 

Preheat the oven to 375 and coat a pan in a light dousing of olive oil. 

Strain the garbanzo beans and pour them into the pan and shake them around so that they get a light coating of olive oil.  I usually put two or three cans of garbanzo beans in one pan and I don't recommend doing more than that in one batch... 

Sprinkle a generous amount of spices over the garbonzo beans and aim for an even coating (then just shimmy the pan back and forth. That works too).  I like them with a bit of a kick, so dont be afraid of the red pepper flakes. 

Bake the garbanzos on the bottom rack for about 30 minutes. Stir with a spatula every ten... Once you hit the 30 minute mark... stir them and test a couple every 5 minutes or so until they are cooked to your liking! It usually takes about 45 minutes to get to my desired crunchy level, but hey, YOU DO YOU! 

Oh... Honey.... How I love you

Ok... So just a quick post... short and sweet.

Yummy as a sandwich, grilled cheese, or open face sandwich.

What you need:
Apples
Brie
Honey
Gluten Free Bread

For all you non-celiacs out there, don't hate on gluten free bread.  It is SO much better than you think it will be (at least some brands... I can't be a total liar).  As for the sandwich, just pair together all the fixings the best you can.  I like to broil it for about a minute or two with honey spread on the bread, apples, then brie to top it all off.  Let it get a little bit cheese bubbly then rock on.  Enjoy it!!! You will seriously consider making another one after you eat the first.  It's like the children's book, "If you give a moose a muffin"

Sidenote- selecting good brie... I honestly don't know much about it except for the fact that I love it.  Go to the deli counter at the store and ask what they know about brie, and as long as it is reasonable, splurge a little.  Brie is such an awesome taste because every time you eat it, you are somehow still surprised by the taste.

One of the weirdest things I have ever had...

I did not create this beauty.  But everyone should know it exists.
Burger... With peanut butter, bacon, and swiss cheese


Ok... This is what I saw on the menu at Mugshots Grill and Bar in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  http://mugshotsgrillandbar.com/
(Also... Shout out to ASB Bama... love you guys)

I asked the waitress what the best thing on the menu was, and she said this was popular... with bacon and swiss cheese. So I really wanted to try it.  Naturally it was Bun free... I take two of my own with my at all times, so I don't need them with my burger (gluten free jokes).

They ask if you want crunchy or creamy peanut butter... so crunchy was the only rational choice.

How'd it taste? WOW.  It's weird because it's not that weird and it should taste REALLY weird.  It is a natural taste that is unexpectedly expected.  America= Burgers and America=Peanut Butter so my horrible math concludes that Burger+Peanut Butter= Super America. It made sense.  I made people around my table to try it and they all agreed.

What is really cool is that usually when you eat peanut butter, it's the taste you are looking for and  focusing on. When you are eating a bacon and swiss cheese burger with peanut butter, the peanut butter becomes an accessory flavor rather than the main focus.  My explanation might not make sense... but trust me... the flavor of this burger made the whole world make sense.

Thrill of the chase... Coconuts

This isn't really a recipe.... it is more of a PSA/tribute to coconuts.
I LOVE them... they are such a rewarding fruit.  As mentioned in the title, there is a "thrill of the chase" experience that happens while trying to open them, but it is worth it in the end!




I usually go for the hammer method... but I don't really want to tell you guys my trick with this because figuring it out is half the fun. Not even kidding.  They are not very expensive and give you about 45 minutes of fun. Dream big. Just drain the juice before you start ragging on it with miscellaneous inanimate objects.

Once it is open... please be safe.  People think opining it is the dangerous part, but really, getting the fruit out is the killer.

I don't want to skew your perceptions of caprese

Caprese Skewers.  Great to take to a party/dinner. Also great to eat alone because you dont have to share.

Caprese Skewers! 

What You Need:
Cherry Tomatos
Small Mozzarella Balls
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Skewers

(side note... good balsamic vinegar rocks and is worth the investment... A REALLY good place to look for quality balsamic is at TJ Max... #sharedmysecret).

Simple enough... put cherry tomatos, mozzarella and fresh basil onto a skewer.  Stack the skewers on a plate and trickle on a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar... I like a sprinkle of good black pepper with it.. but that is up to you.

Greek yogurt cookie dough ice cream

Ok... So technically this is pseudo plagiarism... I based this recipe off of a Pinterest recipe.

WHAT YOU WILL NEEEEEED
Greek Yogurt
Peanut Butter (crunchy> creamy)
Vanilla
Agave/Honey
Chocolate Chips

Spoon some peanut butter into a big bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds to get it soft. Mix in greek yogurt, a splash of vanilla, chocolate chips and agave. It is that simple.... You can eat it then.... Or do what I usually do and pack it into smaller containers and put them in the freezer. Take it out about an hour before you want to eat it....It's a great snack to take if you have a long streak of back to back classes or even a snack between rehearsals!!!

Swimming Upstream w/ Fried Rice

OK! I know it sounds weird... But it is an association recipe. Aka salmon tastes good with teriyaki sauce... Which is made with soy sauce... Which goes well with fried rice.

What you need:
Reference the simple salmon recipe on this blog... you need that recipe to make this one!
White or Brown rice
Frozen or fresh veggies of your choice
Gluten Free Soy Sauce
HOT SAUCE

Start by putting a little bit of oil in a decent sized pan... Budget a little extra space. Put the COOKED salmon into the pan and break it apart with a spatula. Add a decent serving of both veggies and cooked rice. I like to use peas because they are sups cheap and I usually have them in the freezer. Pour on soy sauce and start mixing. I like to add about a tablespoon of water then put a lid on top of everything just to help everything come together but this step is not necessary. Either way, keep stirring. Keep an eye on everything and get saucy as you see fit! Noms on noms.

Ode to the EGGS

 Ok... I don't make these... but from Feb. 14 ~ the end of April... they are a staple in my diet... so they should be an important part of yours too.

Some haters gon hate on the fact that they are cadbury but "not real"... and I think this people are closing their minds to a world of beauty and I feel sorry for them.  

Eat. Enjoy. Love.

I am considering baking them into something...

I feel awkward about this empty space so I am just writing nonsense. 

The fondant ones are great too.

Sorry you are still reading this...

Time for me to go get dressed for dinner with friends... DEUCES 

Chocolate Chai Pumpkin Cookies

Sorry I am so bad at blogging... there is hardly time to cook anything worth blogging about... plus, blogging itself takes some time even if you write it as poorly as I do... ces't la vie

What you need:
Oats
Can of pumpkin
Pumpkin Seeds
Gluten Free Flour
Agave or brown sugar
Chai mix (I like baking with the dry Oregon Chai)
Chocolate Chips
Egg
Baby splash of canola oil, melted earth balance, or butter
Vanilla!!!! (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 and get start gettin baked... with cookies!!!!!
Mix in about 3 parts of oats and 1 part gluten free flour to get going.  Throw in agave, pumpkin seeds, the canned pumpkin, a couple scoops of the chai mix, oil (try applesauce even!), an egg or two and chocolate chips. Mix it all together till it's nice and sticky!!! I taste it (because i am a daring soul and talk chances with eating raw eggs... #badass) but try to formulate some method to see if you like the taste and add ingredients accordingly!

Bake for 7-13 minutes.
BAM. That easy.

Brussels Sprouts

SO......
Apparently I've been spelling it wrong my entire life... but they are call Brussels Sprouts, not brussel sprouts... which probably would have made sense if I ever took the time to think of it...  But this recipe is something I learned from my friend Shannon!

WHAT YOU NEED:
Brussels Sprouts
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
SPICES

SPICES: Garlic, Pepper, TJ everyday seasoning

*for garlic... I usually just buy a nice jar of the stuff that is already minced... it is so flavorful and takes SO much less time...

To get started, cut the brussels sprouts in half then cut ONLY the stem of the sprout halves in half (like the picture on the left).  Mix up brussels spouts, and nice splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and all the spices! Let is sit and marinate for about 10-20 minutes. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes and stir them up once or twice.

Top with another grind of spices, mix in with something, or sprinkle on some bacon!

Sweet Potato Fries

Sauce on bottom right is a goat cheese and sriracha blend

One of my favorites. So easy to make.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato

Olive Oil

Spices
--spoonful of cornmeal if you have it...

Recommended Spices: Garlic!!!! Rosemary, red pepper flakes, tj every day spices, thyme, old bay, chili power, pepper, I usually like to put some hot sauce in too... the more the better

Your friends won't be able to resist!!! Right Mary, Corinne, and Shannon?

Cut up sweet potato into equally sized fries.  You can peel it beforehand... but you don't have to!  Mix the raw potato in with a generous splash of olive oil and go HEAVY on the spices.  No regrets.



Mix all the potatoes up so they are covered in olive oil and spices, then put them on a pan and bake for 20-30 minutes in a 450 degree oven.  Stir them once or twice so they can brown up (or caramelize) on different sides.  When they are done, eat em right away.  They are best straight out of the oven!

SHARE WITH FRIENDS!!!!!

Saucy Ideas: goat cheese and sriracha, ketchup and sriracha, honey mustard... 

The sandwich that makes me believe...

Ok.  This sandwich makes the world a better place.  It's the meal I want when I'm crabby, happy, hungry, mungry, tired, giddy, trollish... every time of the day.

Even if you're having the best day of your life... this sandwich has the power to make it even better.

Some people can go to the GW Deli to get this rare beauty, but they don't have gluten free bread, so I suck it up and make it myself.

WHAT YOU NEED:
-Passion for this sandwich
-Gluten free bread (I like the whole foods GF bread with all the seeds)- only losers eat real bread
-Bacon Bits (I buy fully cooked REAL bacon bits.. I know its a splurge the but value of already made      
      REAL bacon is unbeatable... Try the "Wellshire" brand
-AVOCADO
-Egg

Simple as this.  Cut up half an avocado. Mush is up a bit.... smuck it on toast with bacon bits and an egg (I like fried... but you do you).

I like to dip it in steak sauce or hot sauce.  I advise you do the same.

NUGGS

Homemade Chicken Nuggets.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Chicken Breast

Cornflakes

Olive Oil

Spices

Parmesan 

SPICES

RECOMMENDED SPICES:  THYME, sage, garlic powder, pepper, trader joe's everyday seasoning, rosemary, red pepper flakes, fajita seasoning

-like always, get creative... the spices you use can really amp up the chicken nuggets 

WEAPONS OF CHOICE:  cornflake crushing device.  I use my immersion blender (as always) but anything would work... or even buy crushed cornflakes to save time!

Off to the races: 

Cut up the chicken breast (Raw chicken freaks me out.  It's gross and foul looking.  Make faces and pretend you are a surgeon... it makes it more fun).  Cut them into about equal sized/nugget pieces.

Coat the raw chicken breast pieces in olive oil and dip them into the cornflake parm mix. Cover or toss each chicken piece individually and put them on a lightly olive oiled pan.  Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes then flip all the pieces over.  Bake for another 8 minutes and take the nuggets out of the oven. Cut one of the bigger pieces open to make sure it is fully cooked!  Salmonella isn't sexy. 

Mix ketchup and sriracha. Live your dreams.

No need to be a CREPE!!!

Crepes on deck, nutella and spice, we can eat crepes all night baby you can have any toppins you like... yeaahhhhhhh---kudos to those who can understand the song parody.

BUYING GLUTEN FREE FLOUR: Just trust the system and treat finding your flour like dating... Not all of them are good and not all of them are bad... some are dry, some are mushy, and some are like baking soda cardboard mixes, and then you will find THE ONE.  The gluten free flour you can always depend on... the one that will always be there when you are having a rough day.  I am not patient enough to buy guar gum and tapioca flour and all that jazz... so find your flour love and just go with it.  I like "pamela's pancake mix" and the "arrowhead mills" all purpose gluten free flour.

Nutella, Raspberry Jam, Banana 

WHAT YOU NEED FOR CREPES!
Gluten free flour
Eggs
Butter/canola oil
Water/Milk
Salt

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Blender or immersion blender, and a great nonstick pan.  Whisks are great too!!!!

RECOMMENDED TOPPINGS:  NUTELLA (duh), raspberry jam, pumpkin butter, cinnamon sugar, lime and regular sugar, bananas... dream big

Depending on how much you want to make... guestimate accordingly:  This is honestly a little trial and error, but you'll get into the groove of things.

Mix water (or milk depending on your lactose situations) with a pinch of salt, an egg, and a little splash of oil.  Start adding gluten free flour (or maybe even normal flour if you have normal/ boring/ gluten-full intestines).  I usually add a bit of flour then blend... then add and blend again till I get the texture I want.  Try to make the batter thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than a glass of whole milk.  If you start pouring and the crepe comes out too thin, just add a bit more flour.

I know this is vague and perhaps frustrating, but once you've done it once and take a few minutes to try a few different ways, you will learn what works best.

Unattractive but necessary action shot. 

Once you have made the batter, spray your nonstick pan with pam.  Turn the heat up to medium low (4ish on my stove) and let the pan heat up.  Pour the batter to about half the diameter you would want your crepe to be and then stop pouring.  Take the pan and twirl it around a little to make the batter spread out.  Cook on both sides till it looks cooked/starts to brown.


EAT. DECORATE. FLIP THEM IN THE AIR.

This is really fun to do with friends... (Especially Amy, Amy, and Spencer...)  The crepes don't always look fantastic but they are fun to make and fun to eat.  We even got a couple of pans going at once!

RECOMMENDED TOPPINGS:  NUTELLA (duh), raspberry jam, pumpkin butter, cinnamon sugar, lime and regular sugar, bananas... dream big.

The Big O...

Simply Orgasmic Onion Rings.
Baked onion rings.
There is honestly no more appropriate way of explaining them...

What you need:
Onion- vadalia or yellow
Greek yogurt
Cornflakes
Pam/ canola breed of cookin spray
SPICES

Recommended spices: pepper, cumin, old bay, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, trader joes every day spices. Like usual, GO HAM! Onion rings are supposed to be flavorful!

Get baked:
Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Start cutting up and onion to make rings at the width of your choice. If you start crying because of the onion, go with it. Pretend you feel a lot of emotion. there is no shame in crying. Anyways, I usually cut them to be about a centimeter thick. Blend up or crush a generous amount of corn flakes. I usually use an immersion blender type deal... But you you don't have one, find some hidden anger (maybe from the weeping onion experience) and use it as motivation to crush the cornflakes. Then throw all the cornflakes onto a small plate.

Take a couple spoonfuls of greek yogurt and put it into a bowl. Mix in HALF of the spices in the greek yogurt and HALF of them in the dry mix or cornflakes.

This is the messy part. Cover an onion ring with a layer of greek yogurt (this process is less than visually appealing) then cover them with crushed cornflakes. Throw them onto a Pam-ed pan... Keep doing this till you have a full.
Once you have made a bunch and reached pan capacity... Hit them up with another light spray of the canola. Bake them for 20 minutes.

They are pretty crispy and brown after 20 mins, but don't be afraid of burning them a tiny bit. Sounds crazy.. But a little bit of carbon adds to the experience.

Wanna get saucy?
I like to mix up some greek yogurt with some sriracha. Spicy and good. Otherwise catchup and sriracha is another delectable combo. Don't be a loser though, just make something with sriracha.

You have now received the recipe you need to achieve the "Big O"...

PSquared-Portabella Pizza

A kindergartner told me this joke and I feel it is recipe relevant:

A mushroom walked into a bar and the bartender says, "hey, you can't be in here"...

The mushroom responds, "Why? I'm a fungi" 

(read it out loud if you don't get it at first)

In this recipe I used fresh cherry tomatoes, but I think sun dried
would have been a better option... we all make mistakes

WARNING: This is one of those foods where you keep burning your mouth cause you can't wait long enough for it to cool before taking the next bite.

What you need:

Portabella Mushrooms

Pesto

Mozzarella

Cherry or sun dried tomatoes

Arugula 

SPICES

Recommended spices:  red pepper flakes, rosemary, herbs de provence, olive oil, garlic

Get Cookin:

Take the portabella mushrooms and scrape out the gunk and stem with spoon.  Try to be a little delicate around the edges because it helps keep the cheese from disembarking the ship while its in the oven.  

Place them on a pan so the tops of the mushroom are down and fill the scooped out section with pesto, tomatoes, spices and mozzarella.

Throw them a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 mins... chillin on the middle rack. 

After 8-10 mins, throw on some cut up arugula.  Bake this for another 8 minutes or so.  When you think everything is cooked up, throw the oven onto broil and let the shroom go for a minute or two more until you see the cheese bubble.  Bubbly cheese is one of the most satisfying images ever. 

I Butternut Squash Your Dreams!!!!

Squash Soup Recipe:

Lunch time.

What you need:
Water or broth
Chicken Bouillon Cubes/ Packets
Baked squash
Baked Sweet Potato
SPICES
--and greek yogurt for a garnish... trust me on this one.

Weapons of choice:
-beloved immersion blender... or a regular blender will do
-whatever size pot that will hold the amount of soup you are trying to make
-cover for the pot

Spice suggestions: rosemary (of course), everyday seasoning by trader joes, franks hot sauce, chili powder, pepper, cumin, garlic, chives, onion, red pepper flakes, more hot sauce... go wild.

(recipe within a recipe... i am not sure if this is taboo in blog world)
simply baked squash: peel then cut into cubes (size wise: half the size of an ice cube?).  The size doesn't have to be perfect, but just make sure it is somewhat uniform.  Toss the raw squash in a tiny bit of olive oil then bake for about 25-40 mins in a 400 degree oven.  You know it's done when you poke it and it's easily maimed with a fork. Sometimes I bake it with a few spices listed above, but that is up to you. Either way, I usually throw it in other meals, so stash some in the fridge! It keeps well if you want to use it for other things.

Onto the soup.
Put the baked/refrigerated squash in a pot and fill up with water+bouillon cubes or broth so that the liquid covers a little more than just the squash.  Turn the stove on to medium-low heat.  You can add more water/broth later depending on how think you want the soup to be.  Stir in some spices and put the lid on the pot.  Meanwhile... bake a sweet potato in the microwave after puncturing it several times so it doesn't explode and scare you from ever cooking again (I learned this lesson the hard way... now i regretfully have mild anxiety when baking potatoes in the microwave)... it takes about 6 minutes-ish or just press the "potato" button on the microwave if you have it.
Once the potato is done, add it to the pot and cover with the lid for about 5 mins.
*baby food chem lesson: pot lids rock... use them when you are making things like soups or steaming things because they capture the steam and cook things faster while keeping everything from drying out...  lids are your friends)

Once everything in the pot is looking nice, orange and squishy, you are ready to blend!!!! I love my immersion blender for this, but if you have a regular blender, you can use that too!
Bled to the texture you want. taste it. add more spices. be free. live your dreams. ADD HOT SAUCE.

It keeps really well and you can freeze it!  I like to pair it with rosemary, MORE HOT SAUCE, a hefty spoonful of greek yogurt, and sometimes gluten free english muffin!
(sidenote- greek yogurt is a FANTASTIC substitute for sour cream)

Questions? Comments? Qualms?

Have a SOUPER day.

Ode to Rosemary

It is already my third post and I am getting scared of the day when I have nothing food savvy to write about... I guess that means I better SPICE UP my writing (pun totally intended).

So I will write a joyous ode to rosemary. IT IS THE BEST SPICE EVER (aside from red pepper flakes...).

I buy dried rosemary in baby bulk from "penzy's spices" and use it in just about everything I cook. It is great with polenta, pasta, potatoes, risotto, chicken. You name it. I have made gluten free garlic and cheddar biscuits and just a bit of rosemary makes the flavor even more exciting. Over thanksgiving my parents bought this funny live rosemary bush that you could pick right off of and throw it into your food. The fresh stuff is 789,256 times better than the already incredible dried spice.

Long story short... Rosemary is gods gift to the world.
Spice racks have supernatural powers that are capable of changing the world/ your meal. The best place to start is with a jar of dried rosemary!

Simple Salmon

The salmon in the picture is from this recipe!

What you need:
Pan w/ aluminum foil
Salmon breast/steak/slab...
Olive Oil
SPICES...

Serve with rice...pasta...potatoes.. anything

Spice Ideas: everyday seasoning from trader joes, fajita seasoning, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, basil, old bay, poultry seasoning, lemon... go wild

Take a raw salmon fillet/breast/steak of just about any size (if it is big... maybe cut it in half to get two good servings) and put it on a foiled pan... cover it in a light amount of olive oil and season to taste... For this recipe, I usually use a bunch of different spices and cover the top half.

Turn the oven on to broil and make sure you have a rack pretty close to the top of the oven.  Broiling is a more direct heat than baking... so just know that it is a different way of cooking the fish.
Put the fish on the top rack and broil it for 4-6 minutes then flip it over, spice the other side and broil it for another 4-6 minutes.

Check the inside to make sure it is cooked all the way!

Serve with rice...pasta...potatoes.. anything

In this recipe I mixed the salmon it in with a bit of rice/quinoa mix that I got from costco, lemon, parmesan, and frozen broccoli.

TIP:  Buy a big bag of frozen salmon steaks/fillets/whatever from costco... it was about $20 and I got ten of them... I usually make two servings from each slab so it is pretty inexpensive!

Welcome to gluten freedom

Seasons Greetings....

I am celiac (gluten free...not by choice) non-blogger with a blog... but welcome to "Gluten Freedom," my latest play space/adventure time.  A bunch of my friends falsely inflated my confidence in the kitchen by telling me that the like when I cook, and a few have mentioned that I try writing a blog about what I make. So here goes...

A few things you should know...
1. I WILL MAKE EDITING MISTAKES. OFTEN. I DO NOT CARE. I PROBABLY WON'T PROOFREAD. THIS IS NOT A "SPELLING" BLOG OR A "GRAMMAR POLICE" BLOG.  Food not grammar. Sorry not sorry.
2.  Try to understand a little bit of food chemistry... I usually just youtube things but Alton Brown is the best teacher... he has a really good show called "Good Eats" on the food network... but knowing a little about food chemistry goes a REALLY long way
3. Patience... if at first you don't success... try to make yourself eat whatever you cooked and you will probably never make the same mistake again...
4. RECIPES ARE BORING... I have ADHD and usually can't focus long enough to follow them... so just trust yourself and try not to use them... use ideas and principles of them, but not tablespoon for tablespoon measurements.
5. Think flavors. Think spices.  Add what you like. Ignore what you don't.  It is your tongue, your tastebuds, your decision.  But invest in fun spices and try to think original thoughts about flavoring things. For example- Pumpkin tastes nice with cinnamon.  Cinnamon tastes good with chocolate... blend it all together... bam.. cinnamon pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips.
6. GLUTEN FREE DOES NOT HAVE TO TASTE BAD... so this blog ALSO caters to people we boring small intestines/homies without celiacs disease.


Cheesy... but just have fun.  If you aren't, you are over thinking it.