AGAVE- LIME SALMON, QUINOA 'STUFFING' & CHEESELESS MAC & CHEESE

Wednesday Dinner

this is one of the most ambitious meals i make. if we're having company to dinner, this is the meal i make to impress. we try to eat salmon every week, but w/ a family our size and the cost of the healthier, wild caught salmon, we practically have to rob a bank to do it that often. but when we do, boy is it worth it - even the kids love salmon in this sauce !

Easy Agave and Lime Salmon Recipe

( adapted from glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com)

We baked this recipe in foil packets.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

You'll need:

4 serving sized pieces of wild caught salmon
1 red onion, sliced
4 scallions, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Make your sauce:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
Fresh lime juice from two large limes
A tiny, secret pinch of cinnamon- don't tell

Tear off eight pieces of foil; two for each piece of salmon.Place one serving of salmon on one piece of foil. Season with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Combine the olive oil, agave, lime juice and touch of cinnamon in a glass measuring cup. Pour the sauce all over the salmon pieces.

Sprinkle the salmon with onions, scallions and garlic. Place the remaining pieces of foil on each serving and fold the edges to create a packet.

Bake in a preheated oven for roughly 20 minutes, till it flakes easily- but is not dried out.

QUINOA STUFFING

(adapted from recipe shared by a friend's sister - ty brooks !!)

3 onions
1 box regular quinoa (available at health food stores)

1 box red quinoa

4 stalks celery

10 Cups safe chicken broth (* or vegetable broth)

1 sm bag dried cranberries (check label for citric/ascorbic acid)

1 sm bag fresh baby carrots (check bag for citric/ascorbic acid)

1tsp parsely

1tsp sage

1st rosemary

1tsp thyme

1 tsp real salt

8 TBLspns olive oil

saute onion in oil until reduced and soft. Pour chicken broth in. chop celery, blend carrots on 'food chop' setting of blender/food processor. add them to broth. simmer w/ lid on until celery is soft. add spices. add both boxes of quinoa and bring to a boil. turn down heat and simmer until quinoa is fluffed and liquid is absorbed, like rice. add cranberries and mix. keep covered until you serve. add a few drops of water before reheating leftovers. should be roughly about 30-45 mins. can be added around and inside turkey during the holidays, just like 'real' stuffing during last 2 hrs of cooking. serve this meal w/ a side of frozen or fresh baby peas, steamed.

BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

this is a side dish i alternate the quinoa with - this is seriously one of the best comfort foods i've found since going on this elimination diet. from: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com. i double the recipe for 7 and we almost never have leftovers.She uses a gluten free crumb topping that doesn't meet my corn-free needs, so i leave that off and i add green onions.

The Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

For the casserole:

10 to 12 oz. dry penne or macaroni pasta, partially pre-cooked* - see below; we like Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne or Spirals but you could use classic macaroni style pasta as well.

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons light olive oil

4 tablespoons sweet rice flour

2 1/2 cups plain hemp, rice or nut milk

1 rounded tablespoon toasted sesame tahini or almond butter

2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1-2 teaspoons golden balsamic or rice vinegar, or lemon juice, to taste

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

A dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder

A dash or two of Simply Organic Minced Onion

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons white wine- Frey Organic wine is vegan and egg-free

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon turmeric for yellow, or paprika for orange color

For the topping:

10-12 grape tomatoes, halved

A sprinkle of dried basil and parsley

*To pre-cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pre-cook the penne just until it is slightly tender but firm to the bite. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it quickly under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the sweet rice flour (I like to use a whisk to do this). Cook and stir the flour for about 10 seconds, then slowly add in the hemp milk, whisking to blend the flour paste (called a roux) and hemp milk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low.

Add the toasted sesame tahini, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, golden balsamic vinegar, sea salt, a dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder and Simply Organic Minced Onion, nutmeg and white wine. Add turmeric or paprika for color, if desired. Mix well with a whisk.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the cooked penne into a 6-cup baking dish. Pour the cheesy uncheese sauce over the penne and gently combine. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the gluten-free bread crumbs and halved grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil. (For the sensory sensitive, omit the tomatoes, crumbs and basil.)

For individual gratin dishes, combine the pasta with the cheese sauce first; then spoon it into the gratin dishes. Top with crumbs and tomatoes and sprinkle with dried basil. i add chopped green onions on top as a finishing touch.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

Serves 4.