Ring In The New Year With A Healthy Meal: Veggie Stuffed Squash

The end of 2009. The beginning of 2010. How do I sum up a year that has been so unexpected? I started eating gluten-free, started a blog, decided to go back to school to become an R.D., saw my sister get married, lost my grandfather, was really happy, was really sad, and even dabbled in getting over my stage fright with an acting class. What a strange journey, huh? And to think, this is only the beginning.

One of my coworkers is in her 60s, and she recently commented to a client, "Hey, remember when we were kids and we thought life would get easier as we got older? How little we knew." And how little I know. As this year comes to a close, I've found myself looking back on all of my teachers this year. The clients that I've struggled with, the relationships that have challenged me, the situations that first brought me pain, but later gave me knowledge. I'm a year older. Perhaps a year wiser? More likely just a year more confused. Life is nothing I expected it to be. And I suppose that's the greatest lesson I've learned this year. That any attempt to predict my future will be woefully incorrect. My future is....well...in the future. So perhaps this year, instead of trying to guess what comes next, I'll simply ask myself, what comes today? I don't have a New Year's resolution, so to speak, but I have a goal. To commit to today, and let the future come as it may, without trying to wrangle it into being exactly as I picture it.

So to begin the New Year off right, here's a healthy side dish that I hope you enjoy. My plans for today? Healthy eating, relaxing, and rest. And blogging, of course.


Veggie Stuffed Squash
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Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, cut in half and baked (Amy has a good tutorial on how to do this)
1 celery stalk, diced
2 leaves of chard with the stalks, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chicken (or vegetable) stock
1/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp. honey
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Spray a pan with oil and heat on medium-low. Saute the celery for about 3 minutes.
   
3. Add the chicken stock and chard, and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir and saute about 5 minutes.
   
4. Take off heat. Stir in cranberries, pecans, honey, and brown rice.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Stir it into the rice mixture. Spoon the mix into the two halves of squash. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
   

Serves 4

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix at The Whole Gang.

Happy New Year! May every day in 2010 be a gift!

My Top Ten Favorite: Blog Recipes of 2009

When I started blogging back in April, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no clue that a weekend spent scouring blogs for information on eating gluten-free would inspire me to start my own blog; no idea that I would become happily obsessed with my little blog and spend hours on it when I should be studying; no idea that more than eight months later, I would still be gluten-free, and no idea that I would actually have followers who weren't my relatives! If you go back to my first few blog posts, you'll notice that I also had no idea where I was going with the blog or how to take food photos. Thankfully I've learned a few things since then, like what the macro button is!


Something else I was surprised about was how many new recipes I would try this year, and how many recipes I would actually create. The blogosphere is a great place to find new recipes because everyone is always working to improve upon their recipes and share them with the rest of us. To make them better, healthier, easier...it's one giant cookbook that's continually growing. As this year comes to a close, I thought I would share with you my top ten favorite blog recipes from this year. And since there are still so many recipes I have bookmarked, but have yet to make, I'm also including my top ten blog recipes I'm dying to try in 2010.


Top Ten Favorite Gluten-Free Blog Recipes
(In no particular order because I love them all equally)

1. Kimberly's Snickerdoodles from Gluten Free Is Life
2. Ellen's Cinnamon Rolls from I Am Gluten Free
3. Linda's Pumpkin Pie at The Gluten Free Homemaker
4. and Linda's Pie Crust at The Gluten Free Homemaker
   
5. My own Acorn Squash Stuffing here at the Daily Dietribe
6. Shirley's Crustless Pecan Pie at Gluten Free Easily
7. Selene's Raw Cakes at Veganlicious
8. Katie's Fudge Babies at Chocolate Covered Katie
9. Gena's Banana Soft Serve at Choosing Raw
10. and Gena's Cashew Ricotta with Sundried Tomatoes and Basil from Choosing Raw

I'm seeing a theme here. I think someone needs a little break from the sugar.

Top Ten Gluten-Free Blog Recipes I'm Dying To Try In 2010

1. Karina's Flourless Chocolate Cake at Gluten Free Goddess
2. Shauna's Cinnamon Rolls at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef
3. Lauren's Lavash at Celiac Teen
4. Amy's Chocolate Cannoli Cupcakes with Ricotta Frosting at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
5. Katrina's Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Kale at Gluten Free Gidget
6. Anna's Shortbread from London Foodie in New York
7. Jennifer's Sunny Wholegrain Sushi and Ponzu Sauce at Shmooed Food
8. Brian's Green Bean Casserole at Fire and Salt
9. Carol's Pecan Tassies at Simply Gluten-Free
10. Linda's French Bread Rolls at The Gluten Free Homemaker
    

There it is! I hope my lists gave you some new recipes to try out! Here's to 2010 and another year of healthy fun in the kitchen!

Dairy-Free Potato Soup

Is anyone else having a tough time getting back into the swing of things? I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty exhausted and would love nothing better than to lie in bed with a good book all day. I'm going back to NYC and my real life on Tuesday, but I still have tomorrow left for a lazy day of mindless reading. Luckily for me, I got a bunch of books for Christmas. I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts' In Death series, so my mom got me four of those. And my sister got me the most recent Diana Gabaldon book, An Echo in the Bone. So I think I'll curl up on the couch in my pajamas and relax with a book and a bowl of steaming hot potato soup. Is there anything more comforting than that in the winter?

My potato soup recipe was born out of a desire to replicate a creamy potato soup I used to make in high school. The main ingredients were potatoes, onions, butter, and milk. Not exactly the healthiest soup out there. I won't lie to you and tell you that this recipe makes a creamy soup like you would get with lots of butter and milk (although you could probably puree it to make it creamier), but it does make a wonderfully rich soup that will satisfy your potato soup cravings. I hope you enjoy it!

Dairy-Free Potato Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 medium potatoes, cut into bite size squares
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 cup diced broccoli (about 1/3 head of broccoli)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. wheat-free tamari
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in soup pan. Add onions and saute until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
   
2. Add carrots and garlic. Saute another 3 minutes.
   
3. Add potatoes. Stir in pepper, parsley, tamari, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Turn heat up and bring to boil (It took my soup about 10 minutes to boil).
   
4. Once the soup begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked and begin to break apart, about 40 minutes.
   
5. Take out the bay leaf. Add the broccoli, almond milk, cinnamon and hot sauce. Stir occasionally about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is cooked.

Serves 4
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This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free.