Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Spice Rub

Here I go again... In a hurry?  Seems to be my mode of operation these days as we only have a few weeks before we move back to the United States!  So much to do and so little time but we are plugging away and with recipes like this one dinner is done in a snap.

This spice rub can be used in many different ways and when you make it make it HUGE so you have plenty in your pantry for another day.  My absolute favorite use is sprinkling this all over some organic wild caught salmon!  You can find wild caught salmon in the freezer section of the Commissary.  If you don't have the coconut sugar you can use brown sugar or take out the sugar completely and it will still pop with flavor.

Thai 4 Two

In a hurry and want something really tasty quick and healthy?  This dish is enough for two dinners and two leftover lunches the next day.  Pick up a package of Aromax Thai Red or Green Curry Soup mix from the International section in the German REAL store.  This is a new section that is near the front of the store and it is great!  The packets have just about everything you will need and there is no added MSG, Preservatives or Artificial Colors!  You will also need the following ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant
1 package of cherry tomatoes
1 package of mushrooms
1 bell pepper of choice (optional)

The instructions are in English so no worries there and they are very simple to follow.  Enjoy!

's Baggers Gluten Free Restaurant Review Nuremberg

Nuremberg, Germany

A bittersweet time… Our Germany tour is quickly coming to an end.  What was supposed to be two years turned into three has already flown by.  We have seen so much and our boys have had an experience of a lifetime completely immersed in the German culture at Kindergarten.  Our last road trip was yesterday to Nuremberg.  We were on a mission to finally see one last city and what better place to visit than a city with another gluten free restaurant, 's Baggers.  We spent the afternoon on a quick walking tour of Old Town past all the market vendors and one specifically that caught my eye, A Gluten Free baked goods stand!! Wow, that was a first to see.  

Oxtail Gluten Free Bourguignonne

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• Have you ever heard of Oxtail???  Well I hadn't until I was reading the February 2011 Bon Appetit magazine.  Ever since watching the movie Julie & Juila then watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain where he goes through the process of making Boeuf Bourguignon I have been wanting to try it myself.  And what better way then with a meat that I have never worked with.  But wait, where in the heck would I find this type of meat over here???  So I set the recipe aside for a later date.
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• Then one day I'm walking through the Commissary freezer section and what do I see?  Frozen Oxtail... Power of Suggestion maybe?  Crazy weird.  So of course I had to buy it and wow what an awesome dinner we had!!  My only regret... I should have bought more!  The package was about 2.5 lbs and I only bought one.  5 lbs would have been better for this recipe.  And make sure you have a big pot!!

Reiskorn Gluten Free Restaurant in Stuttgart

Yes, it is true... A gluten free restaurant right in our home town!  Thanks to our friends for the recommendation, my husband and I enjoyed a great dinner date last Friday and tasted as many gluten free dishes that our tummies could handle.  I'm still amazed that in the three years that we have lived here it has taken this long to find a restaurant near by that has a gluten free menu.  My friend found this on Trip Advisor but if you do a search for gluten free restaurants in Europe you will find plenty around Italy, England and a few in Spain, Belgium, and Ireland.  Then look at Germany and all you will see is one in Berlin.  I know there are more out there and there are some great restaurants that you can easily find gluten free meals at, it is just not spelled out on the menu like it is at Reiskorn.  I will post a list of my favorite restaurants soon!

Bison Lemongrass Meatball Salad

Another fine dinner adapted from Bon Appetit's Pork and Lemongrass Meatballs recipe.  I have always wanted to make something with lemongrass but never got around to it and when I was reading this months issue of Bon Appetit I came across a whole slew of lemongrass recipes!  Yippee, it was time.  Lemongrass has a way of making things taste so fresh and what better time of the year to have a nice spring fresh meal.  Unlike a lot of Bon Appetit recipes this one is actually pretty quick and simple and you can prepare it all a day ahead.  I hope you enjoy this as much as my husband and I did!

Sunday Traubenkern-Mehl Paleo Crepes

It doesn't get better than this on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning in Germany!!  Wow, who would have thought we would be having such great weather for the Spring.  A much needed bout of sunshine after a long dark winter.  And what better way then having a berry filled Traubenkern-Mehl (Grapeseed Flour, rich in antioxidants) Paleo crepes and eggs.  This is another version of my first Paleo Crepe blog.  The key is finding a super fine non-grain flour to make these gems.  The grapeseed flour gives the crepe the perfect texture and rich dark color.

Savoy Cabbage Rolls with Seelach, Caper Sundried Tomato Butter

I was going to make a simple roast chicken the other night but when I found out we were having a dinner guest it was a must to rearranged my meals for the week.  I love to have a reason to try something new and different especially when I can get more feedback on the results.  It turns out that Jon, our guest, is not a fan of cabbage nor fish so he rarely eats either.  Oops, I'm glad he didn't tell me that before I started cooking because I probably would have made something different.  But while we were enjoying our meal together he said... "omg, you've got to send this recipe to Stacy (his wife) because this is amazing and I love it. "  Thanks Jon!!  So Stacey here you go... it is always nice to have another fish dish to make that your man loves.  

This recipe was inspired from one of my favorite magazines, bon appetit.  The original recipe is made with Halibut and a lot more butter than I used.  I'm not a huge fan of halibut because I find it too heavy so using a thinner lighter white fish like the Seelach (Polluck Coalfish) was perfect.   So here is my version... Enjoy!

Balance is the Key Life Ingredient!

Do you ever wish you could just slow down? Do you ever get so frustrated with your toddlers that you as the mommy have to take a time out? Do you workout hard but have no time to stretch or recover because you are always going a million miles a minute? Do you have passions in life that you never feel like you will get to enjoy? Are you changing your diet/eating habits weekly because you don't see results right away and are confused with the endless amount of dietary/nutritional guidance? Bottom line, do you just wish there were more hours in the day?

In all of this how is it possible to find and maintain your balance?

Bison Beef Stuffed Peppers

I can't get enough of this recipe and after a week of fish and chicken I was ready for a good red meat dish and this once again hit the spot!  We enjoyed this with a very nice glass of Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon of Napa Valley.  The original recipe is from Balanced Bites, thank you!

Chocolate Cranberry Paleo Bars

As promised my Paleo version of Elana's Pantry's Chocolate Cranberry Power Bars.  These bars were so easy to make.  A quick whip up in the food processor squished into a pyrex and thrown into the freezer for an hour and waaalaaa you have the perfect treat for the end of a perfect Paleo day!!  Just wish I would have had this one during my first challenge.