Swing Eats

This year for Thanksgiving, creamed spinach is on the menu.  Why?  Because everyone requested it.  To be honest, it wasn't top on my mind for a veggie side.  It's a classic for a reason.  So simple to make.  I used fresh spinach from my local farmers market.  I recommend fresh spinach over frozen. Creamed Spinach Ingredients: Butter, 4 tablespoons Garlic, 4-6 cloves, minced or pressed Nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon Spinach, 2 pounds, cut into small squares/dice (washed well) Potato starch, 1-2 teaspoons as needed to thicken Cream, 1/2 cup Salt and Pepper, to taste Directions: Heat the largest skillet you have over medium heat, add in the butter. Add in the garlic and nutmeg with stirring.  Cook out the pungent aroma of the garlic. Add in the spinach in a large handful at a time to the skillet, and allow to wilt with stirring occasionally. (I cut the spinach in batches as I go to make it more manageable. Repeat until all spinach has been added.  This way much of th

Braising is my go-to method for cooking Brussels sprouts.  It's super easy, cooking the Brussels sprouts perfectly by steaming them tender, while searing them with a slight browning.   This recipe sounds fancy, yet so simple but no one needs to know.  The trick is to cook up the bacon first to render out the bacon fat to cook the Brussels sprout in, removing the cooked bacon bits to be added in at the end.  The braised Brussels sprouts are a perfect fall and winter side.  I happened to be making up so polenta, and thought this could be the perfect base for this beautiful tasty side.  "Loose" polenta just means it's not set up and has a "loose" texture.  I added in some broth, cheese, chives and parsley into the polenta.  Personalize it according to what you like and have fun experimenting. Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots and Sherry Over Loose Polenta Ingredients: Bacon, about 4 slices, cut into medium dice Brussels Sprouts, 1 bag or 1

Buckeyes are the confectionary for the state of Ohio.  They resemble the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree.  It's a confection made from a peanut butter fudge mostly dipped in chocolate, leaving a circle on top visible.  To make them festive for the season, I topped them with candy eyes I purchased to a cake and candy store.  I think they look adorable with the eyes - more adorable than spooky.  These are homemade Halloween treats that are easy to make and everyone loves, if they like peanut butter.  In this batch I added in a little bit of the fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice) which created a little bit of warmth and depth, but not necessary. Spooky Halloween Buckeyes Ingredients: Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 1/2 cups Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon Butter, Salted, 1/2 cup softened at room temp. (add in 1/2 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter) Powdered/Confectioners Sugar, 3 cups, or as needed Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 1 package/12 ounces Coconut Oil

Let me first start with the fact that Cincinnati chili is not chili.  It's Greek spaghetti sauce that been embellished in a way that is much more appealing after a few drinks.  Even if you don't drink, the first time you have it - it's so unexpected to the palette that you may not like it.  Then you'll start to crave it. Cincy Chili Ingredients: Lean Ground Beef, 2 pounds Onion, 2, medium dice cut Beef Broth, 1 quart Garlic, 4 cloves, minced Tomato Sauce, 1 x 15 ounce can Chili (Ancho) Powder, 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder, 2 tablespoons Cinnamon, 2 sticks or 1 teaspoon ground Cumin Ground, 1 teaspoon Oregano, 2 teaspoons Cayenne Ground, 1/2 teaspoon Cloves Ground, 1/4 teaspoon Allspice Ground, 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg Ground, 1/4 teaspoon Bay Leaf, 2-3 Salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper Ground, 1/2 teaspoon --------------------------------------------------- White Onion, chopped fine for top

I love whoopie pies. They are individual cake sandwiches with whatever frosting/marshmallow sugary goodness my heart desires for the filling. Since the gooey filling is on the inside, that means less mess on my hands. Most importantly, the only special equipment I need to make perfect whoopie pies are parchment sheets and a scooper for consistent portioning. This makes for professional looking cake/cookies that all cook at the same time. As a Celiac, cake is on top of my most wanted list. It has been since long before forced to going gluten-free. Whoopie pies make cake more accessible and everyday in my mind. And a great way to share an indulgent treat without too much fanfare. This time of year, I want everything pumpkin, with lots of spices. For this cake, I love using  Pamela's Baking Mix , which has all kinds of yumminess that works perfect with pumpkin cake: almond meal, brown rice flour, and powdered buttermilk. Pumpkin has more options with flavor pairing than I could have

Why zucchini?  Because zucchini was in abundance and cheap ($1.50/lb) at the farmers market.  Guaranteed fresh and tasty.  This souffle/casserole is easy to make and will compliment any meal.  You can make it ahead, even serve it cold or at room temperature. Zucchini Souffle Ingredients: 4 cups shredded zucchini (I used 4 medium sized zucchini) 2 tablespoons salt 5 large eggs, scrambled 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (black pepper is you don't have it) 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/4 teaspoon thyme or oregano 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup cornstarch Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. Place the shredded zucchini in a colander over a bowl to contain the water from the zucchini.  Toss in the salt and mix in thoroughly. In a medium/large mixing bowl, scramble the eggs. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients from the seasonings to the cheeses, to the cornstarch. Press the zucchini against the walls of the colander to remove excess w

Cauliflower deserved to be dressed up a bit, made into a fritter, with other tasty ingredients that compliment this white variety of a cabbage.  This flavor combo is perfect for cauliflower.  This recipe turned out light and fresh, as much as a fritter can get.  I pan-fried them in a minimal amount of avocado oil in a few batches.  Avocado oil has a high smoke point and is heart-healthy.  For a more time efficient cooking method, it may be easier and quicker to bake them in an oven; try 375F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway in between.  I'll have to try that next time.  They freeze easily and can be garnished to make pretty and extra tasty. Cauliflower Fritters With Cheese, Jalapeño And Cilantro (Gluten-Free) Ingredients: Cauliflower Florets, 500 g (about 3/4 head) Garlic Cloves, 2-3 (blanched and minced) Sweet Onion, 40 g (about 1/4) Jalapeño, 50 g (about 1 large, diced fine with seeds and ribs removed) Cilantro, 20 g (about 1/2 bunch, chopped fine + extra for garnis

Rosettes have been all a flutter in social media for the past year.  It's a great trend; I love them.  I decided to give these apple roses a try.  Super easy.   Here's an example video .  Instead of using apricot preserves, I went with cinnamon sugar.  Unfortunately for those of us who can't do gluten, puff pastry is not an option.  As there's no gluten-free puff pastry on the market.  I hope to change that one day!  If you can find a roll-out, ready to bake gluten-free dough - use it!  Otherwise, here's a simple recipe to whip up. Apple Roses (gluten-free) Ingredients: Apples, 2-3 of your choice Lemon, 1,juiced Sweet Rice Flour, 125 g Almond Flour, 50 g Oat Flour, 50 g Salt, pinch Baking Powder, 5 g / 1 teaspoon Butter, 50 g melted Egg, 1 large scrambled Cinnamon sugar for dusting Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Prep the apples:  In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix the lemon juice with the water.  Cut the apples in half and core ou

Peanut butter & jelly makes me feel like a kid.  Why not make PB&J sandwich cookies?  They’re easy to make, transport, and eat.  The simplicity of these peanut butter cookies are what make them so irresistible.  This recipe I made extra peanut-buttery by adding in processed roasted peanuts rather than any type of flour.  I also minimized the sugar in the recipe, just to add the necessary sweetness for the cookie. PB&J Sandwich Cookies Ingredients: ½ cup Roasted Peanuts (75 g) 1/4 cup Sugar, white granulated (55 g) 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar (55 g) 1 whole large Egg 1 white only large Egg 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (265 g) (1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted roasted peanuts) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- about ½ cup Sugar, white granulated for dusting and pressing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Onigirazu.  O-ni-gi-ra-zu. It's fun to say, right?  What is it? It's a Japanese rice sandwich. Perfect for any picnic, or as a portable snack.  And even better - it's gluten-free and everyone will love them.  No need for a fancy sushi mold or bamboo mat, just hand-folding this assembly will make a beautiful onigirazu.  However, do use a short grain/sushi/sweet rice variety as it's sticky and will hold it all together.  It can be white, brown, or a mix.  Another trick it to have all your ingredients tailored (cut) and mis-en-place (ready to go, in order).  See the picture in the upper left hand corner. This is so easy, fun, and quick to make.  Let your creativity go wild!  Maybe all veggies with some tofu or tempeh?  Or a tunafish sandwich style?  Or a bagel style with smoked salmon, cream cheese, green onions?  Or more of a traditional American sandwich style?  Go for it. The two "sandwich" varieties I went with: California Roll Style With: nori /