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don't miss dairy

Emily Stokes
I'm a lady who loves cheese, sour cream, & ice cream, but I recently became lactose intolerant. My key focus in recreating dairy recipes is taste, but I try to be as health conscious as possible. Some of my recipes are low lactose rather than dairy free. I'm also a writer, teacher, nanny, dog mom, housewife, native Yinzer, current Californian, and social organizer extraordinaire.

Vegan

Herby Quinoa

Veggies & Sides, , , ,

Did you know that quinoa is a seed? It comes from a type of plant called a goosefoot, or Chenopodium, a species of annual herbaceous flowering plants. It looks like this as a plant:

I made the following quinoa recipe to go with our Turkey Meatballs last night. It’s not my recipe, but I tweaked it a bit to fit my likes and needs. I feel that quinoa by itself is too bland, but I love it mixed with other flavors. This a flavorful side dish to compliment meatballs or steak.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon Smart Balance Buttery Spread Light
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 14.5 oz. can (or 2 cups) vegetable broth
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/4 teaspoon lime juice (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance Buttery Spread in a saucepan over medium heat. Add quinoa and toast, stirring often, for about five minutes. This is what uncooked quinoa looks like:

2. Stir in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Start to caramelize onions (see step 3). Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa has sprouted and liquid is absorbed. It should look like this when it is done:

3. While your quinoa is cooking, in a separate pan, melt 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance Buttery Spread over medium low heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 -10 minutes.

4. In your saucepan of cooked quinoa, toss in caramelized onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and lime juice and mix thoroughly. It’s so delicious!

Easy Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

Entrées, , , , ,
Bucatini pasta with oven roasted grape tomatoes
 (Updated from original post from March 8, 2012.)

I didn’t come up with this simple pasta dish–I heard it on TV one morning and the recipe was so basic I remembered it exactly the next time I bought grape tomatoes. Whenever I eat it I swear there is nothing more perfect in life. I have yet to find a restaurant that makes such a delicious tomato basil pasta dish.

And it’s absurdly easy.

I have my own way of making this dish and love to share it! The freshness and quality of the simple ingredients really make it special.

I try to buy fresh pasta from a local farmer’s market. I also recommend Bucatini/Perciatelli Pasta if you do not have fresh pasta. While I’m at the farmer’s market, I  buy some good looking grape tomatoes, fresh garlic, and basil. You will want a light tasting olive oil as well.

It’s easy to add other ingredients either to the cooking process or to use as a topping to make this sauce your own. I would suggest trying onions, red pepper flakes, spinach, cooked bacon, or a shredded hard, aged cheese. Try adding all if you like! This is a very versatile dish that can be great for lunch or dinner, served as a side or a main course!

Easy Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 lb. pasta of your choice
  2. 1 medium package grape tomatoes
  3. 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  4. 5-10 leaves fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
  5. Extra virgin olive oil
  6. Sea salt
  7. Black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After rinsing your grape tomatoes, set them in a glass casserole dish in a single layer. Add sliced garlic.
  2. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes and garlic well, adding a little extra as sauce that will coat your pasta. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper.* Stir to coat evenly. If using dried basil, sprinkle the on top. Wait until 1 minute of cooking remains to add fresh basil.
  3. Cook for 40 minutes.**
  4. While your tomatoes and garlic are roasting, boil water for your pasta during the last 20-15 minutes, depending on if you are using fresh or boxed pasta. Cook pasta and drain. To serve, spoon the tomato, basil, and olive oil sauce over your hot pasta. Top with more basil or parmesan cheese. Pair with a sweet Moscato and be in heaven.
Notes
  1. *I'm usually good about low-sodium cooking, but you want to add a generous amount of sea salt to this dish. It really brings out the overall flavor of the sauce.
  2. **If you want to make this dish faster, you can certainly cook it for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't think it's perfectly slow roasted this way, but I'm occasionally pressed for time.
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Three Potato Barbecue Chips

Snacks & Dips, , , , ,
Three potato bbq chips.

Try these out for a perfect game day snack! This is the tastiest BBQ seasoning I’ve ever had, and the different types of potatoes make it uniquely yours. Make sure to slice them very thin, and use the leftover seasoning on your barbecue chicken dinner!

Ingredients:

10-15 small purple, red, and gold potatoes, very thinly sliced*
1/2 cup canola oil

Seasoning:

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch of red pepper

*Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups of potato chips.

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water about halfway full. Rinse potatoes under warm water, and then slice them very thin. Place slices in a small colander and let soak in ice water as you are slicing.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. You should use just enough oil to cover the potatoes–anymore is just too much.

3. Take about 20 slices of potatoes out of the ice water and pat dry on paper towels, then add them to the hot oil. Cook for about three minutes on each side or until browned and crispy. Remove chips from oil with a slotted utensil and place on plate of paper towels to absorb excess oil.

4. While chips are still drying, sprinkle seasoning on one side, then flip layer of chips over and sprinkle on the other side. After a few minutes they are ready to go into a serving bowl.

5. Start your second batch and continue frying until finished. Seal in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to keep fresh–if you have any leftovers!