Two Easy Recipes for Salsa: Fresh Strawberry Salsa and Mango Avocado Pepper Salsa

May 2, 2011

Fresh Strawberry Salsa Served on top of Simply Baked Salmon and Sauteed Spinach With the weather finally turning warming and the farmer's market opening right around the corner, I can't wait for the casual dinners that the coming months will bring. One of my favorite summer snacks is fresh salsa. Although I love tomato salsas, fruit salsas are a nice sweet and tangy alternative. One of my all time favorite salsas is Fresh Mango Avocado Pepper Salsa. I first time made this salsa … [Continue Reading...]

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 28, 2011

Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soy Free Vegan Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies Today, I am celebrating the new look of my blog with a special treat. A year ago, I did not even know what a blog was. I just had lots of ideas floating around in my head with no place to organize all my thoughts. With the persistent urging of my husband, and a chance meeting with a friend last July 4th at our annual town fireworks, I went home that night and started this blog. My friend had started his own blog not … [Continue Reading...]

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Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup

April 25, 2011

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup is rich and flavorful without any cream. I was at Whole Foods the other day picking up some fresh ingredients to make a few more pureed soups for a friend. As I passed the freshly prepared food section, I checked out the soups of the day. Two soups that caught my eye were the Carrot Fennel Soup and the Cauliflower Chestnut Soup.  I'd never tried these combinations in soup before although I've made a few Creamless Cream of Carrot Soups and … [Continue Reading...]

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Carrot Coconut Pineapple Muffins

April 21, 2011

Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Carrot Coconut Pineapple MuffinsNow that we have a gluten allergy in our house, I've been trying to get my arms around gluten-free baking. It's been challenging as there are so many gluten-free flours out there, and I'm not always sure which ones to use. However, my goal in baking gluten-free is to ensure that I pack in as much nutrition as possible. Many store-bought gluten-free muffins are made with white rice flour and starches; also, they often contain eggs or dairy … [Continue Reading...]

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A Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Birthday Celebration

April 19, 2011

Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Strawberry Shortcake with Dairy Free Strawberry Ice CreamLast week we celebrated my hubby's birthday. It was a bittersweet birthday as it's the first birthday he's had without his dad. My 8-year old commented on how sad it was that Ye Ye (referring to his paternal grandfather in Mandarin Chinese) had passed away just a few weeks before daddy's birthday. With that said, I knew I needed to come up with something special for this birthday celebration, breaking tradition with … [Continue Reading...]

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Warm Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Dip/Spread Recipe

April 15, 2011

Warm Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Spread on Whole Grain Toast with Roasted Red Pepper and Scallions I've been dreaming of making an garlic and artichoke dip like the one that I bought a while back from a specialty store. Imported from Italy, this little jar cost a bundle, but I was desperate to find a dairy/egg free dip or spread that my son with allergies could eat as a snack or on sandwiches. Silky smooth, this garlic and artichoke dip was so unusual, unlike anything I'd ever tasted … [Continue Reading...]

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Gluten Free Chinese Dumpling Recipe

April 11, 2011

Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings with Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce One of my kid's favorite foods are Chinese dumplings. Growing up, my mom would roll out her own dumpling dough using a hand crank pasta machine; we would form an assembly line of cutting the dough into circles using an empty juice can, and then hand wrap all the dumplings. We would make a hundred dumplings at a time. My husband's grandmother also would make homemade dumplings, but she made the dumpling dough the old fashioned … [Continue Reading...]

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Easy Honey Miso Glazed Salmon and Soba Noodle Soup

April 8, 2011

Easy Honey Miso Glazed Salmon and Soba Noodle SoupToday was a strange day for me. After several weeks with a house full of family members and all the hustle and bustle, I was at home alone today for the first time in eight years. Eight years ago, I decided to leave my job in the corporate world to stay home with my youngest son when he was born, and shortly thereafter, my mother and father-in-law moved in with our family. The past eight years have flown by and I feel like I've been in a … [Continue Reading...]

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Comfort Food From My Childhood – Chinese Noodle Soup with Egg and Vegetables {Da Lu Mein}

April 5, 2011

Chinese Noodles with Egg and Vegetables ("Da Lu Mein") One of the simplest and fondest memories of a quick meal from my childhood was my dad's Da Lu Mein, or Chinese Noodle Soup with Egg and Vegetables. So simple, yet so comforting. I haven't made this noodle soup in a while, but it's been a rough couple of weeks, and I was craving a bowl of this thick, luscious Chinese noodle soup, pure comfort in a bowl. At its most basic, my dad would open up a can of Chinese mixed vegetables … [Continue Reading...]

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A Tribute To My Father-In-Law

April 1, 2011

My dear, sweet father-in-law, Paul. I am dedicating this post to my 93-year old father-in-law, Paul, who just passed away this week. Paul immigrated to the United States in 1951, where he received his Master's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan and his PhD from Columbia University. He was a devoted husband, and was married to my mother-in-law for 50 years before her passing 4 years ago. Not only was he an extremely intelligent man, but one of the dearest, most loving … [Continue Reading...]

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The Low Residue Diet/Low Fiber Diet

March 28, 2011

Pureed Beet Carrot Soup - a healthy soup while on a Low Fiber/Low Residue diet. A healthy diet typically includes foods high in fiber. Fiber is usually recommended  as part of a healthy diet because it helps to normalize bowel movements, lower blood cholesterol levels and control blood sugar levels. However, in certain circumstances, a Low Residue or Low Fiber Diet may be recommended.  A Low Residue or Low Fiber Diet is typically only recommended for a short period of time (as … [Continue Reading...]

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