More Recipes

I promised Jonathan I would try to post what we eat for dinner several nights a week, which will help give ideas to those who ask us what on earth they could make for us that is safe for Amaris. He discussed earlier what she ate...we were entertained that she could not get enough of the brussels sprouts. It may, however, be how they were cooked, as we found them wonderfully tasty as well.
So...here are a few favorites. Not to be picky, but really, we have to be-if you are cooking something that Amaris-or anyone with allergies is going to eat for that matter-take special care to ensure that all of your baking pans, utensils, etc are totally clean. We keep separate pans for things that will contain allergens, which is obviously unrealistic for those who don't have someone with allergies living in the house, but it's a serious issue.

Roasted Brussels sprouts, Amaris approved:

Fresh Brussels sprouts (I'm sure you could use frozen, but you must thaw them completely first)
Olive oil (several tablespoons at least)
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Super simple....put the brussels sprouts in a bowl, coat in olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt to (mostly) coat, mix a bit more. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Turn them over every now and then so they're evenly roasted.

"Mexican" Night

Menu: veggie fajitas, black beans, guacamole

Black Beans

1 Can black beans
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
a few tablespoons of sweet onion, chopped
fresh or dried cilantro....to taste, basically. i probably use a 1/2 t dried
Adobo seasoning (maybe a teaspoon or so? again, to taste)
chili powder-small bit of this only

Heat the garlic and onion in the olive oil until onions are soft, not quite brown. Slightly drain the black beans and add to the garlic and onion. add spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes at least. I like to let these sit on low while the rest of the meal cooks, so the beans are really soft and the flavors meld together well. Sometimes I'll crush the beans a little bit, not completely-like refried, but enough to thicken the consistency. These are great plain or thrown into fajitas.

Veggie Fajitas

olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
Mixed pepper strips
Onions-sliced into strips
Corn
Zucchini-sliced
Spinach-chopped

Really, you can use whatever vegetables you prefer. I mix it up all the time. The above are some that we always enjoy. Heat the garlic in olive oil. Add peppers, onions and zucchini. Give these a head start to soften before you add the mushrooms, corn and spinach. You can let this cook to your liking-some people like their vegetables super soft, some like them more crisp. No rocket science or secrets really. We serve these in tortillas along with guacamole, sometimes beans, and salsa.

Guacamole

I wish I had this measured out exactly, but sadly, I don't. You will have to experiment and fix it to your taste. When made with 2 avocados, there are no leftovers between Jonathan, Amaris and myself. Granted, we love this stuff, so it might go farther for you. At any rate, it's a flexible recipe, and I would suggest doubling it for 5 or more people, unless you're just using it as a dip option for chips.

2 avocados
1/2 medium tomato diced
2 decent sized cloves of garlic
fresh or dried cilantro (fresh is best)-my guess on this is about a 1/2 teaspoon
cumin (again, a guess...maybe a teaspoon?)
Adobo, to taste
lemon juice (maybe a table spoon?)
dash of chili powder

Cut the avocados in half. Use the knife to peel out the pits-save these, because if you do have leftovers, put the pits back into the guacamole to store it because they act like a natural preservative. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the fruit and put into a bowl. Mash the avocados (best done with a metal mashing utensil as opposed to a fork). If you've chosen perfectly ripe avocados the consistency should be creamy, but it's not a bad thing if it's a bit chunky, either. Add all of the other ingredients and mix very thoroughly. From here, it's just "taste testing" and adding spices to your likeness. Sometimes I'll add some sea salt, or substitute lime juice for the lemon, etc.

Fudgy Brownie Cake

Had to add another dessert-made this one tonight and it's fantastic.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C flour
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 C sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 C safflower oil
2 T white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 t vanilla
2 C water

Preheat over to 350. Grease and flour an 8-inch pan. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Mix gently, enough to get rid of the large lumps, but not vigorously. Pour into pan and bake for 3o minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.