​Home late tonight... 
let's play, "What's in the fridge?" 
The rules: 

-can't take over 30 minutes from start to finish
-must primarily use items in the fridge that need to be "finished off"
-must be easy
-must taste delicious

Wa-Lah! Pasta ala Fridge Leftovers!



-Gluten Free pasta (admittedly not a leftover, but just like good underwear, a girl needs building blocks)
-Some uncooked ground chicken not used in the tacos the other night - about a quarter pound
-Sauteed with leftover homemade turkey stock about 3/4 cup
-Add left over homemade pizza sauce - about 1 cup (make sure it has balsamic vinegar in it :)
-Some cream... there was about 3/4 of a small carton left - to get all the dregs out and add flavor, swish it around with almost a full carton more of leftover white wine
-Keep bubbling this brew and add a tomato (there was one left in the produce drawer)
-Some left over grilled zucchini, chop it up 
-Lots of fresh garlic
-A generous amount of salt
-Drain your pasta and pour into the sauce

Put into bowls and top with some cheese if you have it, red pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper...
Delissimo!!

Okay, so this is one of my FAVORITE salads. The recipe is courtesy of my sister Cecily. I am grateful to her for allowing me to share it. You can choose to skip the homemade dressing if you like and use a good quality organic balsamic vinegarette, but I highly recommend making your own.

Quinoa is loaded with protein, is gluten free and is very easy to work with. I highly recommend adding the optional feta... SO yummy!! 

Herbed Quinoa Salad
via Cecily Underwood
Serves 4-6
1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed and drained *
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt1/2-2/3 cup finely chopped parsley (I use a food processor)
1/2-2/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/3-1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1 cup seeded and finely chopped tomatoes
2/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup chopped yellow or purple bell pepper
1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
1/3 cup seeded and peeled cucumber, I like to use lemon cumber (optional)
3/4-1cup cup Basil Vinaigrette (see below)
Feta cheese (optional)**

*Rinse quinoa VERY WELL. Run under water in strainer for several minutes, and make
sure water runs clear before putting into pot to cook. Although quinoa is very healthy, it
contains a natural outer coating which can be upsetting to the stomach. I often use
about half or two-thirds regular quinoa, and about one half to one-third RED quinoa.
They have the same basic flavor, but it makes the salad prettier.*

In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to
low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff
with a for and place in a large bowl and let it cool COMPLETELY (I usually make the
quinoa a day ahead of time & refrigerate). Another trick is to add just a small splash of
olive oil at boiling time - it helps the quinoa to fluff easier when cooled.

Add the parsley, cilantro, mint, tomatoes, scallions, pepper, carrots, and cucumber.
Pour the dressing over and mix well. Cover and chill about an hour before serving.

**You can also add optional feta cheese or pine nuts/pistachioʼs too.
***The herb portions can vary according to how much you like that particular flavor. My
cooking generally tends to be spice & herb heavy.

Basil Vinaigrette
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Large bunch of basil leaves 
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
5-7 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
In a blender combine all ingredients. Process for at least 1 minute. 
Store in a tightlycovered container in the refrigerator if not using right away.

**note from Cecily: I often use a combination of Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (from Trader
Joes) with either the cider vinegar or lemon juice. 
Go with your own personal preferences.



Photos by Sheamus Vaughan-Warde

 Butterscotch Squares as we call them, have been around as a staple in our family for as long as I can remember. We have had them over the years as an easy weeknight dessert, for picnics, gatherings, parties and more. One of the easiest dessert bars to whip up, you can add chocolate chips melted on top, toasted nuts, cranberries, or just plain... they are absolutely delicious! 


This gluten free version is adapted from the original recipe of my Mom's . 
Enjoy!  :)

I will try and add an actual photo of Butterscotch Squares soon... it gives me a good excuse to make them soon too!  The above photo is from a fundraising bake sale that I did for my friend. :)
Oven *350
1/2 c softened Butter
2c Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 3/4 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix 
(You can substitute your favorite gluten free mix, but I like the Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix best)
1/3 c Coconut Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Super easy, I do it in a large bowl, by hand. No need to get out a mixer...
Just stir softened butter and sugar, then mix in egg. Add all the rest of the ingredients until incorporated.

Put into a greased and gf floured pan and bake at 350*
Here's the thing though...
If you use a regular 9x13 inch pan, bake for only 22 minutes!
If you use a deeper and thicker pan like I sometimes use (8 1/2" x 3") then bake for approx. 42-45 minutes. 
This version will be thicker and gooey-er but the original pan size is chewy and gorgeous too!
Let them sit and cool a while before cutting. 

If you want to top with chocolate than as soon as they come out of the oven pour about 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips over the top and let them melt... spread with a spatula or the back of a spoon when they are all melty. You can leave them like that or top with toasted nuts, dried fruit... whatever your imagination and your tummy likes!
Also, if you want these to be non-gluten free and use regular flour, just omit the Pamela's and the coconut flour and use 2 cups of all purpose flour - wah-lah!!