Category Archives: Recipes

Asian Inspired Kale Salad

We have all been in a pinch to prepare a shared dish at last minute’s notice. Kale is my ‘wing man’ in the kitchen. My tried and true ingredient that I can always count on to help me out in a bind. I am confident with kale by my side that I will get rave reviews on my dish and show my guests what is possible with this leafy green. This Asian Kale Salad is one of those dishes that the ‘I don’t eat kale’ folks will even try and come back for seconds. This superfood for the masses can… Read More

Kale Salad à la carte

I think we all struggle with enough time to grab a healthy lunch.  Whether you work a 9-5 job, are a stay-at-home mom or work from home like me, it is a constant challenge.  I have gotten in the habit of prepping ahead in the most simplest of ways.  No, I am not one of those people that makes 5 meals for the week on Sunday nights to put in my freezer.  For some reason that seems too complex for me.  If I’m making a salad for dinner, I chop up extra greens and veggies for the next day.  Why… Read More

Gluten Free Granola Your Way

In my quest to show gluten/dairy free love to my family and friends I gifted them with homemade gluten free granola this year.  Doesn’t everyone get a little tired of receiving plates of cookies and candies and everything sweet around the holidays?  If you said no, that’s your sugar high self talking.  I love to cook and bake foods that are allergen friendly to show people how tasty gluten/dairy free eating can be and to demonstrate that you don’t have to buy super-expensive and hard to find ingredients in order to do so. The original granola recipe came from My… Read More

De-constructed Spring Roll Salad & Gluten-Free Travel to China

In the world of gluten free living there are some ethnic food groups that cater to the gluten intolerant…and Southeast Asian cuisine is not one of them.  The Carpenter and I were planning a trip to Shanghai a couple of years ago and I quickly learned that in the gluten free blog world Shanghai is considered the most challenging city to travel to if you have a gluten allergy.  Yikes! When I think of the stereotypical Southeast Asian meal it’s something like rice, steamed veggies and fish.  Truth be told Shanghai cuisine is epitomized by the use of alcohol in… Read More

Queen of Roots – the Sweet Potato

Sweet potato season is upon us here in the great state of NC.  Did you know that NC is the leading producer of sweet potatoes in the US, producing ~40% of the national supply?  To learn everything you could possibly want to know about the NC sweet potato go here.  I truly had no idea myself until we moved here 5 years ago and was astounded by the mere #of roadside stands selling sweet potatoes.  The Carpenter came home this week with I’m guessing to be around 30 pounds of these bright orange, nutrient packed roots.  Yes, the sweet potato… Read More

Warm Beet & Kale Salad w/ Shaved Carrots

I was never a fan of beets…until I met the Carpenter. Mainly due to the fact that my experience with beets was from a can put on a plate to pass around a holiday table. It is the only canned food that I can think of that was saved for the holidays as something ‘special’. I think my parents only made me try them once, probably because they didn’t like beets out of a can either. Now I do realize there are some of you who really loved canned beets, more power to you. My mission with this post is… Read More