gluten-free

5 Easy Tips for Juicy Roast Chicken

A juicy, crispy roast chicken with vegetables is one recipe every home cook can—and should—easily master.

Roast Chicken Recipe

Why would a little old bird seem so intimidating to me? Maybe because the little clucker has inspired more failed recipe attempts for me than any other recipe I’ve tried to master.

Am I alone here?

Roast chicken is supposed to be easy. It’s not like you need new technology or fancy schmancy ingredients. It’s one of the basics and cooks have been roasting birds for, like, forever.

So what was my problem?

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10 Good-for-You Grains You Should Be Cooking With Right Now

It’s time to move beyond quinoa with10 ancient grains you should be cooking with now, plus 30 recipe links to cook from.

Kamut. Freekeh. Teff. These aren’t foreign countries, they’re ancient grains, and just like blue jeans with torn knees and backyard chicken coops, they’re making a comeback.

A rise in allergies and a hard look at our overall health has resulted in more people reaching for whole grain alternatives. Unless you’re gluten-free, you may not have experimented with ancient grains beyond barley, couscous, or quinoa. But if you have, we’re impressed!

In the past few years, we’ve developed a serious obsession with quinoa, (which admittedly, we’re still bonkers for) and while it still shines bright in the limelight, there’s a wealth of unique, under-the-radar grains out there that have been waiting for thousands of years for us to rediscover.

Read on, to decipher which grain is which, what they’re good for, and how to cook (and bake) with these incredible, ancient whole grains.

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Pizza Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms to Feed a Child and Nourish a Mind

There are so many reasons to eat well in this world. For the fortunate—those that have a paycheck to spend and nutritious food nearby to invest that paycheck in—there are many opportunities to do so.

But for some life doesn’t work that way. There isn’t a paycheck. Sometimes there isn’t even a store. And others to provide for you? That could very possibly be out of the question too.

For adults in this situation it can become a circular battle that just keeps spinning out of control. For an adult who isn’t sure of where their next meal is coming from, at least they can be hopeful that there is a way out and work toward that goal.

But what about the children? Children who don’t have access to food? Kids who are forever hungry. Starving even. Those little faces who have no control over where or if they’ll be eating today, tomorrow or next week? Can you imagine how scared they must feel? How overwhelming it must be to simply. not. know.

Today I’m asking that you join me in making a change in the lives of those that go hungry. I’m challenging you to join me in donating just $10 to The Lunchbox Fund to provide lunch for 100 school children for one year. A lunch that could possibly be there only meal of the day.

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Crushing On Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks and Flourless Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

If you’re a blogger, chances are your blog has received a comment—or many comments—on your blog posts by Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks. If you’re a baker, you’ve probably discovered one of her many sweet treats in online searches or through many of her super popular Pinterest-favorited recipes.

Prolific, dedicated and one of the hardest working bloggers who makes her blog her business, Averie of Averie Cooks creates recipes that put the sweet in “sweet tooth” like this Flourless Chewy Cinnamon Sugar Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that she’s letting me share at the end of this post, baked from her new cookbook Peanut Butter Comfort.

When her blogging began in 2009, Averie originally authored the blog Love Veggies and Yoga, aligning her lifestyle as a vegetarian and avid yoga enthusiast. There she shared yoga poses that went far beyond the Downward Dog, (Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend anyone?) and stretches most humans envision only at a sidewalk pretzel cart. Or maybe that’s just me.

As a vegetarian, she also featured healthy foods she herself ate everyday, green foods and whole grains which gained her a happy and devout following and recipes that still reside in her archives today.

But she soon faced a dilemma, or more candidly, she became bored with her recipe creations and their wholesomeness. That’s when she started including desserts and baking recipes on her blog, and soon rediscovered the passion that motivated her to start blogging in the first place.

Since changing her blog name to Averie Cooks, there has been no looking back.

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Thai Basil Chicken and 5 Savory Basil-Enhanced Pasta Recipes

I plant basil in my garden every year. Which traditionally has translated to a bumper crop. But this year, meh. It was pretty much a bust.

My sweet basil bit the dust early, the purple basil was pretty much anemic all summer and my pineapple basil? Let’s just say next time I’ll stick to enjoying the fruit in my pina coladas.

But one basil did survive and even almost thrived. My beloved, licorice enhanced Thai basil. What’s the diff? Oh honey. Oh so much and that much more.

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Chile Verde Huevos Rancheros and 5 Egg-celent Mexican Breakfast Recipes

When I’m checking out the menu at most any breakfast spot, the waffles, french toasts and loaded omelets aren’t the items that catch my eye. For some reason, in my head, those are dishes that I make only at home, they aren’t going-out-to-eatin’-fare.

No, for me I’m always on the search for the perfect Mexican breakfast. Nothing tastes better to me than a strong cappuccino and something spicy to get my morning going.

photo > foodiecrush

And one of my favorite recipes—with a twist—is Chile Verde Huevos Rancheros.

It’s a super simple recipe thanks to a little bit of our home cooking added to already-made chile verde we pick up from our local Mexican drive-through joint (no, I do not mean Taco Bell, I’m talking the local greasy-tortilla chip variety.)

Once we’re home, either in the microwave or on the stove, we heat up the pork chile verde, and then a can of refried beans, warm up some tortillas and fry a few over-easy or sunny-side eggs. My favorite garnishes are sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes and green onion, queso fresco—a Mexican cheese that’s similar in texture to Indian paneer or a mild feta—and Mexican creme. It’s a super fast meal that looks—and tastes—like you’ve been slaving the morning away.

For more great variations of spicy breakfasts, check out the tasty foodie blogger recipes below. Provecho interj!

photo > Lemon Basil

Using up the harvest of fresh bounty from Allison’s CSA veggie box, Lemon Basil‘s Baked Huevos Rancheros with Squash, Peppers, and Soyrizo is a quick and simple vegetarian recipe featuring jarred enchilada sauce, a ramekin and a quick bake in the oven for a spicy breakfast treat.

photo > Food People Want

With a little crunch from the toasted tortilla chips—Mike highly recommends taking the time to make your own—chunks of spicy chorizo sausage, mexican tomato sauce and eggs, Food People Want‘s Red Chile & Chorizo Chilaquiles is the perfect breakfast after a late night. So long as you make the sauce the night before.

photo > Kalyn’s Kitchen

Another egg-ey baked spicey breakfast, Kalyn simmers tomatoes with black beans and green chiles to create a spicy tomato sauce in Kalyn’s Kitchen‘s tasty Mexican Baked Eggs with Black Beans , a dish that’s low in fat, and as always, follow her low-carb guidelines.

photo > Simply Gluten-Free

Simply Gluten Free‘s twist on tortilla-fueled-Mexican-breakfasts features a great alternative: toasted gluten-free pizza crust.What a great idea! Carol’s Mexican Egg Pizza is a gluten-free, dairy free option that still delivers the crunch and cheesey-ness.

photo > Pennies On a Platter

Riffing on all-in-one-skillet recipes typically found in breakfast restaurants, Pennies On a Platter‘s recipe for Mexican Egg Skillet brings the spice home. Nikki’s version is one of those easy preparations that home cooks don’t always take advantage of—but should.

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