Twice-Baked Alfredo Potatoes (with Vegan Alfredo)

Hello Beautiful People,

It was hard to find something to cook for you lovely people this week.  Not because I'm out of ideas, but because I've had some stomach issues this week and my diet was seriously limited.

When you take out gluten, meat, dairy, and anything that may be difficult to digest, you come up against a big challenge.  However, I believe obstacles can breed creativity if you have the right attitude. 

When my stomach is bothering me a lot, my go-to food is definitely potatoes. A good potato not only give my stomach something easy to process, it's also very comforting.  It's a good, down-home food.

So, with that in mind, I created the Twice-Baked Alfredo Potatoes.

Ingredients
6 Medium sized Russet Potatoes
1 Jar Vegan Alfredo Sauce
1/2 Sweet Onion
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Handful of Baby Portabella Mushrooms
Pinch of Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Step 1: Prep the Potatoes
Preheat the over to 350 degrees 

Thoroughly rinse all potatoes!
 (Eating dirty food won't help your tummy!)

Cover each potato in olive oil

Then (carefully) slice 3 - 4 holes into each potato!
This is important! If you don't do this, you potatoes will explode. Really.

Do NOT cover with foil.  Covering the potatoes with foil will not allow the skin to get crispy.

Step 2: Bake Potatoes

Place the potatoes on a pan and wipe of any excess oil on the pan

Bake the potatoes for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and very soft in the middle.

And while those are baking....

Step 3: Simmer the Sauce

Turn your burner to a medium heat and put your favorite frying pan on it.

Chop up your mushrooms and onion and finely or coarsely as you want.

Then add the veggies, a pinch of lemon pepper, and 3/4 of the Alfredo sauce to the pan.

Let it slowly simmer so that the flavors begin to mix.

(It's making me hungry just thinking about this!)

Step 4: Gut the Taters

When the potatoes are done, cut them in half long-ways
(or "hotdog style" as my first grade teacher called it.)

Then, use a spoon to take the "guts" of the potatoes out of the skins and into a large mixing bowl.

The skins will look like this:

Keep the skins; you will need them later.
 
Step 4: Mix It Up
Add your simmered Alfredo sauce to your large mixing bowl

Use an electric mixer or a whisk to whip the potatoes and sauce

Once you've whipped the ingredients into a creamy bowl of delicious goodness, scoop it back into the potato skins.




Step 5: Bake Again
Set your oven to broil
Bake your potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until they are golden-brown on top

My stomach must be better this week, because it's growling as I look at that picture.

 So, here's my question to you:

What do you eat when you don't feel well?

Please feel free to leave a comment down below, and suggest what you would like to me to make next week.

Also, feel free to ask any questions you may have about eating gluten free! I am all too happy to help and offer my advice.


With gratitude,

Keeka

Gluten Free Texas Tostadas

Earlier this year, my fiance (Honey) and I moved from West Texas to Northern California. Most of the time, I just love NorCal, but this week I got a little homesick. It happens.

I love pretty much everything about California, but miss just a few things from the homestead:

1. Family and friends. This goes without saying, but it's what I miss most.
2. Thunderstorms! There's nothing like a heavy Texas thunder storm. 
3. Tex-mex food! Sure, there is Mexican food in NorCal, but it simply doesn't compare.

So, since I can't move my family out here and I don't have the power to control the weather, I thought maybe a taste of good Tex-mex style food would cure the homesickness.

So, I made some tostadas! For those who don't know, tostadas are basically flattened tacos with crispy shells. And because this is SKAW cook, I made gluten-free and vegan shells and piled on the veggies! Let's get started.

Texas Tostadas - Makes 12 - 15

Shell Ingredients:

3 Cups gluten-free all purpose flour 
1 Cup warm water
6 Heaping tablespoons Coconut Oil (solid)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

Step 1: Mix It Up
Place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir
Then, add warm water, coconut oil and lime
Get your hands dirty and mix with them

Step 2: Refrigerate
Wrap the dough in foil or shrink wrap
Let the dough sit in the refrigerator for 45 minutes
This is a good time to start chopping your veggies

Step 3: Roll 'em Out
Flour your counter and rolling pin
Roll the dough into tortilla-sized pieces

I rolled my as thin as I could get them. However, you should feel free to make yours as thick or thin as you desire.

Cut around the edges to make a circle.  I used the top of my coconut oil jar as a cookie cutter and it made perfect little circles.
 (If you have a tortilla press, use it! I don't have one...yet.)

Step 4: Fry...in a healthy way
Set your burner to a very high heat (8 out of 9)
Make sure your pan is nice and hot before putting any shells in it
Coat The pan in plenty of your favorite cooking oil
(I used coconut oil on some and olive oil on others. They all turned out equally yummy)
Toast each shell for 1 - 2 minutes on one side
Flip and toast for another minute
(You'll know they are done when each side is is golden-brown)

Now it's time for toppings...

Toppings:
1 Can of black beans 
2 Bell Peppers (any color)
1 Onion
2 Ears of corn
1 Bunch of cilantro
3 Small avocados
2 Handfuls of shredded lettuce
Juice of 1 lime

Toppings Step 1: Mash the Beans
Put the black beans in a small sauce pan and heat
Mash with a fork until it has a spreadable consistency

Toppings Step 2: Turn Up the Heat
Place the cilantro, peppers, onion and corn into a pan with the burner on medium-high
Stir occasionally until everything is hot enough for your liking

Toppings Step 3: Pile On the Goodies
Spread black beans on tostada shells
Add avocado slices
Add lettuce
Then add heated veggies

Also, if you dare, add some of Honey's Roasted Pepper Salsa, which I have posted the recipe for.

Ahhhh, a little piece of home.

I hope you try, enjoy and share this recipe!

As always, please let me know what you think! You can leave a comment or email me at skawcook@gmail.com.

With gratitude,

Keeka

Honey's Roasted Pepper Salsa

This mouth-watering recipe was crafted by my darling fiance, Honey.

Don't be fooled by his sweet nickname, this man loves spicy food.  We both recently moved from Texas and one of the things we miss is the deliciously spicy Mexican food! So, when I told him I was making Texas Tostadas, he wanted to make some salsa for you.

I asked him to tone down the spice a little, so he left out the habanero peppers. If you are as crazy as Honey, add some to this recipe for an extra kick!

Honey's Roasted Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:
2 Poblano peppers
3 Jalepeno peppers
3 Serrano peppers
2 Roma tomatoes
1 Hearty handful of cilantro
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons lemon and/or lime juice
1 Pinch crushed red pepper

Step 1: Roast the Peppers
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees
Chop the stems!!! (The are flammable, so don't put the stems in the oven)
Place all the peppers onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan
Bake for approximately 10 mintues

At this point, the aroma of the peppers will start filling your house and your mouth will likely begin to water. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Set the oven to Broil and leave the peppers in for 3 minutes
Then, turn the peppers over (with tongs) and leave in for another 3 minutes

Step 2: Slice Your Veggies
This step is pretty self-explanatory, but make sure you chop the peppers and tomatoes into small enough pieces for your blender.

Step 3: Blend
Place each ingredient into the blender one at a time to ensure proper blending.
We added the peppers first and pulsed the blender until it looked like this:

Then, we added the tomatoes and spices and blended until we got the consistency we enjoy - just a little chunky!


Step 4: Refrigerate and Enjoy
Because the peppers are roasted, this salsa ends up warm. If you like cold salsa (like I do) refrigerate it while you prepare the rest of your dish.

Add this to your favorite spicy dish or use it as a dip - the choice is yours!


As always, please let me know what you think of this recipe! You can leave a comment or email me at skawcook@gmail.com

I hope you try, enjoy and share it!

With gratitude,

Keeka








     

My Cooking Philosophy

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. 

 In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”-Julia Child

When I was a little girl, I loved to dance! I would tell Daddy to put on "bumpy music" (which is what I called music like C+C Music Factory, etc.) and I would dance until I just couldn't move my little legs anymore. I couldn't hear anything but the music and the sound of my own heartbeat. I'm quite certain that I looked like a total dork, but I didn't care. Dancing made me happy.

Naturally, my parents saw my love for dancing and signed me up for dance classes! They always let me pursue my passions. So, I took ballet, tap and jazz dancing lessons, and guess what...

I hated it!

It wasn't the teacher or the silly little outfits that made me dislike the classes. It was the fact that they were classes. I didn't want to be told how to dance...I just wanted to move my way!

In my mind, cooking and dancing are a lot alike.  They both can be an art or a science. For example, you can call it a plie or you can just bend your knees. You can follow a recipe exactly, or you can add a dash of garlic, just because you like garlic.

So, that's my cooking style. I free form my meals. And I hope you do too.

I hope my posts are used as muses, not textbooks. Make it your own!
 
Dance to the beat of your own drummer and add a dash of spice to your kitchen.

With gratitude,

Keeka

Quinoa Pizza Crust (Vegan)

Hello!

If you haven't heard of quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") you should absolutely check it out! It's a grain that cooks like rice, but boasts more health benefits and a distinctive nutty flavor.

Quinoa is perfect for people who are trying to eat less meat because it is one of the most protein packed foods you can eat! This ancient grain also contains tons of fiber, iron and magnesium.

So, without further ado, let's make a quinoa pizza!

Crust Ingredients:
1 Cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 Cups quinoa flour (can be substituted with rice flour)
1 Egg substitute (flax seed meal and water - more directions later)
3/4 Cup water

Step 1: Cook the Quinoa
(Quinoa cooks the same way as rice.)
Poor one cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water into a pot
Set the heat to medium-high
When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn it down to a simmer
Let simmer about 15 minutes

When cooked, the quinoa will look like this:

 
Step 2: Make You Egg Substitute
(If you prefer, you can just use an egg and skip this step entirely.)

Mix 1 tablespoon of Flax Seed Meal with 3 tablespoons of water.
This will equal one egg in any baking you do!

Step 3: Mix Crust Ingredients
Mix the cooked quinoa, egg substitute/egg, flour and water into a mixing bowl
Mix thoroughly

Step 4: Pre-bake the Crust!
Preheat the oven to 350
Oil the pizza pan/stone/cookie sheet 
(Note: Times for cooking will vary depending on whether you use a pizza stone, a pizza pan or a regular cooking sheet. In this example, I used a pizza stone.)

Roll the dough onto the pizza pan with your hands - I suggest getting your hands wet before doing this. Quinoa dough can be very sticky, but if won't stick to your hands if they are wet.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges

psssst, I added crushed red pepper to the crust before baking. What can I say, I like spice!

Step 5: Add Toppings!
For the sauce, I simply used Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's light, flavorful and keeps it all together.

I topped my pizza with Mozzarella-style almond cheese, black olives, red onion, cilantro, tomato slices and mushrooms! Feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings!

Step 6: Bake it All Together
Put the pizza back in the oven with all the toppings for about 5 minutes...just long enough to melt the cheese and heat the veggies!

Yummmm!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Please comment or email with any suggestions and/or feedback you have!
Email: skawcook@gmail.com
 
Also, if you try this recipe, let me know how it works for you.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day.

With gratitude,

Keeka

Welcome!

Hello Beautiful People,

First, let me welcome you to SKAW Cook! I'm Keeka and I'm glad you're here to share in this journey with me. 

As you have probably worked out for yourself by now, this is a food blog. But don't be fooled, this is no ordinary food blog. Here's why:

1. Every recipe will be gluten free.
I have Celiac disease, which just means I can't have gluten. No worries though, because gluten-free food can be delicious! I eat everything I make for this blog, so my gluten-intolerant brothers and sisters can rest easy knowing that everything here is safe. And my "glutenous" friends may discover how great life can be when you ditch the wheat!

2. Most meals posted will be vegetarian and some will be vegan.
Wait, don't run away, carnivorous friends! You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy good food!
Try it...you might surprise yourself.

3.  If I can make it, you can too!
How many times have you tried a recipe from a food blog, only to feel like a failure? It happens WAY too often! Don't get me wrong, I fully respect these chefs and their magical cooking powers, but I'm no wizard. I will only post recipes that are not only easy, but delicious!

So, can you handle the heat? If so, stay tuned for my first recipe, which will be...

...drumroll....

Quinoa Crust Pizza

With gratitude,

Keeka

p.s. If you're looking for more health-related content, check out my sister's blog. She's doing a 60 day juice fast that is inspiring a lot of people!