Recipes Collection

While searching the web for a recipe, I came across a website which should prove a very useful resource for anyone who is preparing a visit to Iceland and wants to shop for food in the local stores (no need to worry about reading menus - they are usually provided in at least English and sometimes more languages). Following the general outline of Icelandic food (in English), there is a handy table of many kinds of food, given in Icelandic, English, French, German and Swedish:

The Shopper´s Guide to Icelandic food

I have been working on a similar list on and off for a couple of years, but I really see no need for my list when there is already one out there.

I love breakfast foods! When I got to a diner Im always torn between ordering breakfast or lunch. I love french onion soup but give me some french toast and a poached egg and Im so happy. It all depends on what everyone else is ordering though. If I am sitting there enjoying my soup and then I get a whiff of bacon and eggs...deep regret. Im just so indecisive when it comes to this!

Last year Steve and I got a few couples together to go apple picking. Everyone met at our place first for breakfast. That was so much fun for me! I experimented with baked french toast and it was a huge hit! So last weekend when my childhood friend stayed over with her Fiance there was a request for a repeat of this dish. I was happy to make it again but the only problem was that I combined a few different recipes and never wrote down what I did. That was before I started this lovely little blog that forces me to write down recipes! I did find some notes scribbled onto one paper but not enough information was there. Now that I made it again I think I left out a step. Oops. I didnt bake the french toast again with the topping which is what I think I was supposed to do. I didnt have the topping in the oven at all. Im pretty sure thats wrong now that I think about it. I also feel like 3 cups of milk is a lot. I will try it next time with a little less because it seemed a little wet in the middle and it was cooking at 425 and got nice and browned on top. I think in the future I will cook it for about an hour at 350.

The taste was great! I dont think it was missing anything at all! I would absolutely make this again and now that I have this written down I will be able to perfect it. Wish me Luck!


Ingredients:

French Toast:

1 loaf Challah Bread, cut into 1 inch slices
3 cups whole milk
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp dark corn syrup or maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts


Directions:

1. In a baking dish layer slices of bread so that they are touching and rip a slice of bread into pieces to fill in any holes. Make two layers.

2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, extracts, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over bread. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. Next morning, preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter and take off the heat. Add corn syrup/maple syrup, brown sugar and nuts. Stir to combine and it will make a paste.

4. Spread mixture over bread that soaked up eggs and milk.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Like I said above, I did this wrong. I baked it before I put the topping on. This is what it looked like puffed up and golden.



Heres the topping!

This is a different take on my mother-in-laws recipe made with rice, an easy preparation, and gets done in around 30 minutes. I usually prepare this for breakfast.

Oats uppu urundai served with tomato chutne

Ingredients

My reaction to past recipes Ive tried is that they tend to be too dry, hence this updated and enhanced version thats superbly delicious...

Servings: (6 to 8)
Prep. 15 Mins.
Bake: 45 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

*Pasta and Peas:
4 cups (10 oz.) dry egg noodles, prepared according to package directions
3/4 cup frozen peas

**Sautéed Vegetables:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, cut in half lengthwise, and chopped
4 crimini mushrooms, cut in half, and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

***Sauce:
1 (4 oz. can) diced fire-roasted green chilies, drained ~ Optional
--(We like using medium, but use mild if you like yours less spicy)
1 cup milk
1 (10.75 oz. can) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 (9 oz. can) albacore tuna in water, drained

****Topping:
1 cup french fried onions, crushed

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9”x13” baking dish by spraying with oil; set aside.

Prepare noodles according to package instructions just until al dente, adding peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking; drain both in colander.

Meanwhile, add olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, crimini mushrooms and saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic, sea salt and ground pepper, to taste; saute 30 seconds longer, and remove skillet from heat.

In a large bowl, mix together chilies, milk, soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, worcestershire, thyme, and old bay seasoning. Gently fold in drained noodles, peas, and tuna. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Crush french fried onions (they now make cheddar flavored ones...those work too), sprinkle evenly over top. Cover, and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes, until heated through and top is golden. ~ Enjoy!

Pipin Hot out of  Oven...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tip: I like to serve this Albacore Tuna Noodle Casserole with Sandras Organic Fall Herb Garden Salad with Lemon-Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:

Sandras Organic Fall Herb Garden Salad  with Lemon-Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

Warm from the oven gluten-free banana nut bread. Just a fad?

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread

As Celiac Awareness Month dawns I thought I might celebrate with a banana bread recipe. This is a banana bread so tasty, tender and fragrant, you won't care it is gluten-free. And you might even tempt the naysayers. And the unbelievers.

You know who I'm talking about.

Out there in the cold cruel world, Darling, some folks apparently (still) view our gluten-free lifestyle through a jaded foodie lens, believing, first of all, that gluten-free anything is never going to taste anything but awful, and second, that this whole gluten-free trend (their word not mine) is a fad not worthy of serious consideration and compassion. Apart from the standard (and always brief) lip service that non-afflicted food writers, non-GF bloggers and journalists pay to celiac disease, adhering to the medical treatment that is a gluten-free diet is degraded- for that sexy topical hook- to a "bandwagon". An eating disorder.

A diet by choice.

They dub it a controversy. 

As my twelfth year of living gluten-free marches on, I find myself reflecting not upon the decade plus years living gluten-free, but upon the ten long years prior to shunning gluten- the decade it took me (no thanks to the medical profession) to determine that gluten was the culprit behind my early onset autoimmune cataracts, mysterious low ferritin levels, skin rashes, migraines, fat malabsorption and impressive marathon stints in the loo- I feel the slow, sad burn of anger those of us who are dismissed experience.

Two bloggers referenced the gluten-free diet on a social networking site recently, bragging about their "iron stomachs" and their ability to chow down on everything (this implies that those of us unable to ingest gluten merely have "sensitive" digestion). I was reminded of a previous post I wrote in response to a blogger's remark that gluten-free is "too precious".

Ignorance is bliss, indeed.

Here's the thing. It's not a sensitive vs iron stomach issue. It's not an I-can-eat-anything-so-bring-on-the-butter-and-bacon-and-haggis issue. It's not about macho appetite. Or virtue. Or squeamishness.

It's not philosophical.

It's not emotional.

It's not about preciousness.

Or garnering attention.

Or skinny jeans.

It's about a cruel quirk in genetics.

If you won the luck of the draw in the genetic lottery and escaped- by no effort of your own- inheriting HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, the two genetic haplotypes that predispose you to an autoimmune disease that triggers your body's defense system to attack itself, destroying the nutrient-grabbing lining of your small intestine, be humble. Be thankful. Your body works. You do not have to be vigilant about every crumb that goes into your mouth. In your world gluten does not increase your risk for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A bagel is not dangerous. You can eat what you crave when you are hungry. You can wing it when you travel, feeling carefree and adventurous. You can sample new cuisine on a whim- without asking about the ingredients. Food for you is fun. Romantic. Perhaps, even a passion.

Thank your small intestine.

And while you're at it, thank your pancreas, too.

Because those with Type 1 diabetes (another genetic autoimmune disease, one that destroys the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas) must also be vigilant about their diet. Along with injecting insulin, Type 1 diabetics must also limit (if not shun) certain foods to protect their health, making careful, low glycemic choices day after day.

But maybe that's a fad, too. Maybe their pancreases are just sensitive. Maybe a diabetic child is merely craving attention, just like her celiac cousin. Maybe a mother learning how to cook a meal with low glucose is coddling her child, too. Maybe all autoimmune diseases are just a silly trend. The Fad Du Jour.

I hear celiacs and diabetics are wicked sexy.

Well, that part may be true.


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);

I saw a preview for what is likely to become my new favorite tv show the other day, and as excited as I am for the days of summer (<--see what I did there? if not, itll make sense here in a sec...), Im uber-excited for the fall line-up for this reason ALONE:

I make roasted potatoes a lot.  Ive never really followed a recipe and so I have never thought to put it on the blog, but they are so delicious I thought you would enjoy them!  They are incredibly versatile - you can use russet or red potatoes (gold dont get quite as crispy) and whatever herbs and seasonings you have around.  We currently have a rosemary plant growing in our backyard, so I use that most often these days, but as you can see in the picture, you can add chives, oregano, parsley, whatever floats your boat.  As long as you have olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, theyll be delicious!


I feel like you get a lot more flavor with kosher salt or freshly ground sea salt (I buy mine in a grinder at Costco) than regular old table salt, so try to go with one of those if you can.

Roasted Potatoes

5-6 medium red or russet potatoes, medium diced
2-3 T. olive oil (enough to coat the potatoes well)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh rosemary, minced (or other herbs), plus more for garnish
1 tsp. salt*, or to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place diced potatoes on a large baking sheet and sprinkle olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper over the potatoes.   Toss well to coat evenly, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.

Roast potatoes for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven and toss with a spatula.  Continue roasting an additional 15-20 minutes until browned and crispy on the edges and done in the middle.  Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.  Garnish with additional fresh herbs.