Our Favorite Recipes!

Name: Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing
Ingredients: 1 large Sweet Onion; 2 cups Chopped Celery; Celery tops; 20 Baby Carrots (halved or left whole); 9-10 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped; 2 Bay Leaves; Twig of Rosemary; Twig of Thyme; 3 Sage Leaves; 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 Tsp Salt; 8 Cups Water

On the following pages you'll find some of our favorite recipes - for holidays and everyday. Some are recipes that have been passed down for years and others are favorite cookbook recipes. If you don't find the recipe you're looking for, e-mail me!

The Muffin Tin Cookbook: Fun and Easy Meals Your Family Will Love (Plus a Fish Tacos Recipe)

January 1, 2019 By Joi Sigers

A while back, I was sent a wonderful cookbook to review, The Muffin Tin Cookbook: 200 Fast, Delicious Mini-Pies, Pasta Cups, Gourmet Pockets, Veggie Cakes, and More!

Love it, love it, love it.

Cooking is more than just one of my favorite hobbies and pastimes – it’s a passion that I love greatly. Even now, I’m sitting at my desk in my home office – working in a frenzy of keyboard tapping and brainstorming, breaking only for much needed sips of coffee. Yet all I can think about is what I’m going to cook for supper, what my next dessert will be, and wondering when I can try out a new stuffed chicken recipe I saw yesterday.

Cooking, baking, cooking, baking, cooking, baking… a peek inside my brain.

Given the fact that it’s something I love so much, I want others to get the same kind joy from cooking as I do. I think that’s one of the reasons I get so excited about fresh, fun, and creative new cookbooks like The Muffin Tin Cookbook. Not only are new cookbooks a complete joy ride for me in my amusement park of a kitchen, I know that other foodies will get a huge kick out of them as well.

I also like to see cookbooks filled with recipes that people will actually make! Recipes that don’t call for you to visit a foreign country and bring back an extract you can only find there – then stir it into a broth using the feather of a virgin peahen… Please. Every single recipe in The Muffin Tin Cookbook is one you’ll make and make again.

Another thing I like to see in a cookbook is plenty of recipes that are quick and easy. A lot of people have to work outside of the home AND come home and cook supper. People who have a limited amount of time to work with don’t need fussy recipes. They need recipes that can be thrown together quickly, cooked in a flash, and don’t require a lot of cleaning up afterward. The Muffin Tin Cookbook is a dream come true for someone looking for such recipes.

Since the recipes on Get Cooking are gluten-free (as are all of the recipes I personally make and eat – health reasons), I will point out that this is NOT a “gluten-free cookbook.” Many of the recipes call for flour and a host of other foods off limits to those of us why have to eat gluten-free. HOWEVER, as with most cookbooks in my collection and recipes I find in the wild, I simply make the necessary substitutions.

Book Description

Muffin Tins—They’re Not Just for Muffins Anymore

There’s nothing you can’t make in a muffin tin—and we’re not talking merely muffins. All you need is a muffin tin, paper liners, and this ingenious, one-of-a-kind cookbook, and you can whip up delicious dishes that are as easy to prepare and serve as they are good to eat.

From quick-serve appetizers and sides to gourmet entrees and desserts, you’ll find an amazing variety of mouthwatering options for your dining pleasure, including:

Shrimp Cakes with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
Egg Crescent Pockets
Deep-Dish Pizza Cups
Cornmeal-Crusted Mustard Chicken with Sweet Potato Coins
Duchess Potatoes
Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Cups
Mini Ice-Cream Cakes

The best part (besides the tasty goodness): It’s fast, easy, mess-free, and provides built-in portion control. Kids will love to help you make them—like cupcakes, only better for your family!—and leftovers are as easy as popping the muffin-meal into the microwave.It just doesn’t get any better than The Muffin Tin Cookbook . . . your next memorable meal is just a muffin tin away! – From Amazon

Fish Tacos Recipe

3 pieces tilapia, about 3-4 ounces each, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and Pepper
6 taco-size flour tortillas
Light sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped tomato, lettuce, and salsa for serving

Place the tilapia, chili powder, cilantro, oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl and allow to marinate 1/2 an hour, in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare 6 jumbo muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.
Push one taco tortilla down into each cup and press any sections that bubble out against the sides.
Place 1 piece of marinated tilapia in each cup and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until cooked through.
Serve with toppings.

Taco tortillas are smaller tortillas and are just the right size to line jumbo muffin cups. Lemon juice can be substituted for the lime juice.

Muffin Tin Recipes

There’s an entire chapter in The Muffin Tin Cookbook devoted to Breakfast – a time of the day when few of us have unlimited time. Recipes in the Breakfast chapter include:

Egg Crescent Pockets
French Bread French Toast
Grits Casserole
Cheese Danish Cups
Bagel Sausage Sandwiches
And More!

Other chapters include:

Appetizers and Snacks (Asian Dumplings with Dipping Sauce, Spiced Pecan Cups, Hot Pretzel Bites…)
Beef and Pork (Mexican Meatloaf, Sloppy Joe Cupcakes, Taco Mini Pies…)
Chicken and Turkey (Teriyaki Turkey Cups, Chicken Tortilla Pies, Italian Chicken…)
Seafood (Salmon Cakes, Deviled Crab Tarts, Shrimp with Polenta…)
Potatoes, Rice, Pizza, and Pasta (Candied Yams, White Pizzas, Stuffed Gnocchi…)
Vegetables ( French Onion Pie, Edamame in Rice Paper Cups, Cherry Tomato Cups…)
Muffins and Breads (Corn Muffins, Monkey Bread, Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins…)
Desserts (Hot Chocolate Muffins, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Cupcakes..)

Each recipe indicates the size of muffin tin needed. As the author says on page 8, “Keep in mind that you can make your dishes any size you like, but you will need to adjust cooking time up or down accordingly (if you make a bigger cup than the recipe suggests, baking time will be longer; if you make a smaller cup baking time will be shortened).”

Please see The Muffin Tin Cookbook for more information. When giving cookbook reviews, I like to suggest the sort of cook that the cookbook in question is “ideal” for. Although this cookbook is PERFECT for busy cooks, it’s just as fun and enjoyable for those of us who are simply busy cooking! It would make an excellent gift idea for someone who’s new to the world of cooking – maybe even in a bag with a brand-spanking new muffin tin.

Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

November 20, 2018 By Joi Sigers

One of my daughters, Brittany, has been a committed vegetarian since she was 12 years old. It began with eating the top part of tacos while leaving the meat at the bottom untouched and with eating everything on her plate except for the meat. I asked her, very matter of factly, about it one day – not wanting to make a mountain of what may have been a molehill.

Spoiler alert – it was not a molehill.

She adorably told me, “I don’t want to ever eat anything that once had a face.” I told her that it was her decision to make and that I was on her side. If she didn’t want to eat anything that once had a face, no one… and I mean no one… was ever going to make her.

I read up on protein,vegetarianism, health concerns AND benefits, etc. We became black bean burger experts and, truth be told, the whole family surely benefited from the increased veggies in the kitchen. I made certain then and I make certain now that anything I cook for her doesn’t contain any ingredients that… well… once had a face.

One of the biggest areas of concern (for me anyway as a cook) has been replacing chicken broth in the food I make for her. It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR! Store-bought vegetable broth simply cannot compare. That’s why I prefer to make my own vegetable stock to use for her dressing at Thanksgiving. She’s a huge, huge, huge fan of garlic and flavorful herbs, so I can add those in and give her the layers of flavor she loves.

And no faces.

The recipe below really isn’t a recipe as much as it is a technique because it’s so customizable. If you’re using a vegetable broth for soup or stew, you might want to leave out the sage and replace it with thyme or basil. However, for Thanksgiving stuffing, don’t dare leave out the sage.

While I’ve said (in the recipe below) to simmer for 30 minutes, I actually turn the heat down and simmer for longer. Why? I love for the kitchen to smell like Thanksgiving! Naturally, you can’t simmer too long, however, or your broth will cook away. The house will smell like Autumn Heaven, but you’ll be left with a tablespoon of broth.

Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

Ingredients

1 large Sweet Onion
2 cups Chopped Celery
Celery tops
20 Baby Carrots (halved or left whole)
9-10 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
2 Bay Leaves
Twig of Rosemary
Twig of Thyme
3 Sage Leaves
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt
8 Cups Water

Instructions

Clean and chop (coarsely) the vegetables.
Heat EVOO in a soup pot.
Add vegetables and herbs to the EVOO and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add salt and water. Bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes (uncovered).
Strain and throw out (or eat!) the vegetables.
Store your broth in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding (or Use All Purpose Flour for the Traditional Version)

October 22, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

I’ve been tweaking, experimenting, tweaking, planning, and re-tweaking favorite and new recipes for the upcoming holidays. In our family, real joy is found around the dining room table (holidays, special days, any days….), so I put the utmost thought and planning into the food we’ll be gathered around.

Like most families, we have our traditional favorites that make their appearance on their perspective holidays, but I also love to try new dishes and desserts to keep my adored ones on their adorable toes. I’ve been experimenting with corn pudding the past few months because everyone loves corn and, let’s face it, it’s a must-have for Thanksgiving.

Before I had to give up wheat and gluten, my go to corn pudding called for a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix (recipe). I’ve been trying since to come up with a recipe to rival that delicious recipe. The one below is as delicious, it’s just different, you know?

I’ll post future corn pudding recipes as well as other side-dish, bread (gluten-free, of course) and desserts here on the food blog in the coming weeks.

After all, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it!

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

Ingredients

2 Cups Corn (canned, drained or frozen, thawed)
4 TBS Gluten-Free Flour (or All Purpose, if not going the gluten-free route)
1 TBS Butter, melted
3 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Eggs, Well Beaten
2 Cups Whole Milk
Paprika (optional)

Instructions

Mix the corn, flour, salt, pepper, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Be sure the clumps of flour dissolve into the mixture.
Combine the well-beaten eggs, melted butter, and milk in a separate bowl. Stir well.
Combine both of these mixtures together and pour into a butter-greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. During the first 30 minutes, stir the mixture a few times - being sure to stir upward from the bottom. You want to be sure to incorporate all of the pudding together so it doesn't over-brown on the bottom. Using a wooden spoon is best.
The pudding is usually ready after cooking for 1 hour, even. To check, use the knife inserted in the middle trick - when it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.
Optional: Dust the top with a little paprika.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

October 14, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night. Talk about a delicious comfort food. Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food. Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking. I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together. I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.” The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be. The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make. You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better. Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all. The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind. I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...” One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below. I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed. In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands. We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese. Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
Italian Salami Panini
Sweet Pepper Relish
Hummus
The Pilgrim
And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!

Adorable Pig Wall Hanging from Kirkland’s – Too Cute!

October 12, 2018 By Joi Sigers

See my buddy above? FrankenPig? I’m totally in love with him and don’t mind you knowing it. My youngest daughter and son-in-law gave me this adorable wall hanging a few weeks ago… a “just because we love you and we’re awesome people” gift. They know how much I’m obsessed with both pigs and this time of year – so they thought of me when they saw it.

At least that’s why I assume they thought of me. Hmmm….

Anyway, I know I have a lot of fellow pig lovers and collectors that visit the food blog, so I wanted to show him to you. They bought it at Kirkland’s here in Owensboro, but your local Kirkland’s may have one too.

I checked Kirkland’s website and couldn’t find him BUT they have a ton of other pig lovelies. Just enter pig in the search box and prepare to say, “So long!” to your money.

Or is that just me?

Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

October 10, 2018 By Joi Sigers

This dip (which makes any game, movie, or History Channel show even better – this isn’t conjecture, I’ve done the studies) combines some of my favorite things in the culinary world: Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapenos.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Serve with tortilla chips and lose yourself in the yumminess.

If there are leftovers, refrigerate them. The next morning, spread on bagels, toast, or English muffins – you will NOT believe how incredible it is. Again. I did the studies. Anything for you.

Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

Ingredients

8 oz Package Cream Cheese
4.5 oz can green chiles (undrained)
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Tortilla Chips (for dipping)

Instructions

Combine the first three ingredients and mix until smooth.
Spread into a small microwave-safe dish and microwave for 3-4 minutes. You want the edges bubbly and the dip uniformly hot.
Serve with tortilla chips!

PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

October 4, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well. With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter.

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

PBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe and picture with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon. I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this!

Gluten-Free Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce and Dried Breadcrumbs

August 21, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Gluten-Free Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

When I had to start eating completely gluten-free (for health reasons), it was hard enough, as an “eater.” Many favorites had to be cast aside, along with favorite restaurants like Fazoli’s, Authentic Asian restaurants, KFC, and (this one especially stung) Taco John’s. I hated the change it created in my life as well as in the lives of my loved ones. However, far worse was the chaos it created in my life as an avid cook, cookbook/recipe collector, and food blogger. ESPECIALLY given the fact that many of my favorite things to bake were homemade bread, buttermilk biscuits, pies, cakes, pastries…. you get the idea.

It left me feeling like I’d been hit by a train and left on the tracks… craving buttermilk biscuits, at that.

It affected my food blog, cooking, dining out…. everything except my cats, it seems. I actually went for a period of time on the food blog where I simply didn’t post recipes. I found myself eating the same things again and again – things I knew were safe. I found myself in a place where I had allowed this health issue to win – it knocked me down and I was too dazed to get back up.

Over the years, I’ve had my ups and downs with it – you simply cannot have a major upheaval in your life and not, at times, ride the proverbial roller-coaster. However, I ultimately decided that this wasn’t going to get the best of me anymore. I began branching out and developing new recipes which just so happened to be gluten-free.

You want to know a little secret? It has made me a better cook. When I jumped off the roller-coaster, I didn’t just rediscover my love of recipes, cooking, and being creative in the kitchen, I found that the love for each had actually somehow grown. What’s more, I find that I’m even more creative now than I was then. There’s something to be said for a hard-headed determination not to remain on the short end of the stick.

One of the things I had more trouble perfecting than I’d have ever imagined is meatloaf. I’d always used Saltine crackers before and made, if I say so myself, the best darn meatloaf you ever tasted. On the other side of my body deciding gluten was poison, I struggled to find the perfect balance of dried gluten-free breadcrumbs, vegetables, and wet ingredients. I expected the struggle to be real with breads, pastries, pasta, and baked goods, but meatloaf??

I finally found the perfect combination and have had a delicious time trying different sauces (tomato, BBQ…) and even vegetables. Like a lot of you, I am obsessed with the idea of using as many vegetables in cooking as possible. When you chop them up, the possibilities are endless – you can sneak them into so many places. Meatloaves are ideal for this veggie sneakery.

One of my favorite gluten-free meatloaf recipes I’ve come up with is below. This particular meatloaf is far less dense than a lot of meatloaves, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Feel free to add whatever combination of vegetables you prefer – just try to keep the amount similar. I love the way the vegetables look as much as I love the extra nutrition but there’s another benefit to them. They seem to provide even more moisture, keeping the meatloaf nice and moist. Love that.

I often give the brands I use, on the food blog, not as advertisement but simply to give you all the information you can possibly use. Feel free, of course, to use your favorite brands – or whatever ones you have on hand. With this particular recipe, I cannot say how it will turn out with different brands than I’ve listed simply because I use the same each time.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce and Dried Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

1.60 LB Ground Chuck
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Sweet Onion + 1/2 of Another Sweet Onion (chopped well)
12 Baby Carrots (chopped well)
1 Celery Stick (chopped well)
1/2 Cup Stubbs Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce
1/4 Cup Hellman's Real Ketchup
1/2 Cup Kroger Brand Gluten-Free Traditional Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1 TBS Brown Sugar
FOR THE TOPPING, COMBINE:
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Stubbs Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Hellman's Real Ketchup
(Don't add the topping until after the meatloaf has baked.)

Instructions

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients (EXCEPT THE TOPPING INGREDIENTS).
Mix well and shape into a loaf. Place into loaf pan or a roasting pan lined with foil. I use a 2 QT baking dish (more about this in a minute).
Bake for 1 hour.
While the meatloaf is baking, make the topping. Because I use a wider dish than many loaf pans, I use a combination of 1/2 BBQ sauce and 1/2 Ketchup. If you're using a loaf pan, you can probably get away with only 1/4 of each. However, if you'll be having leftover sandwiches, you may as well make extra for them!
Remove from oven.
Spread the topping over the top and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. I'm excessive with toppings, so I actually like to add a little more right before heading to the table.

Recipe: Oven-Baked Omelet with Broccoli, Asparagus, and Tons of Cheese….

April 3, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Oven Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

Two of my husband’s favorite foods are omelets and asparagus, so combining the two always makes me feel kind of like my favorite superhero, Hawk Girl. If only I had the uniform… never mind, it’d be too traumatic for the cats.

I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys making traditional, skillet omelets (the “secret” is using an 8-inch non-stick skillet and a spatula that isn’t too big or too floppy OXO makes an ingenious Omelet Flipper). The only drawback is, if you’re feeding more than one person at the time, it’s really tricky to time two omelets to be served at the same time. That’s why I love the occasional Oven Omelet. It’s still delicious and can be packed with even more vegetables and cheese than a skillet omelet (unless you don’t mind it when it splits its seams). It’s also a ridiculously easy and inexpensive meal – who doesn’t need that in their life?

Best of all, no one has to eat a cold omelet.

Oven-Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

6 eggs
1⁄2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (I almost always use Monterrey Jack and Cheddar but it’d be almost impossible to go wrong with your cheese selection)
1⁄2 cup chopped broccoli
1⁄4 cup chopped asparagus
1 tablespoon onion (sweet or green are my go-tos)
salt and pepper

Combine eggs and milk, then whip them with a whisk or fork.
Add in rest of ingredients. Moment of honesty – I generally add more than 1 cup of cheese. Probably more like 1-1/4 cups, but use your own judgment.
Pour into pie dish.
Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

You could also, of course, add bacon, ham, red bell pepper (one of my favorites)… whatever floats your boat.

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