Easy Vegetable Snack Recipe with Author Dina Sleiman

Hello Everyone,

Naomi here, and we're back again with author Dina Sleiman, who's sharing one of her favorite veggie recipes with us. She claims it has her kids fighting over who gets to eat the most.

Easy Veggie Snack Recipe

1. Slather finger-food size cuts of veggies in olive oil. (Try carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, or any other finger vegetable you can imagine.)

2. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roast on cookie sheet at 435 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, until the olive oil caramelizes.

I'm hoping to try this with some celery and carrots later today, and Dina claims this recipe is unbelievably yummy. Plus it sounds easy enough that your little ones could help make it. (My five year old is obsessed with helping in the kitchen right now.)

Thanks for the recipe, Dina! And remember that our giveaway for an ebook copy of Dina's book lasts through midnight on Friday, January 20. If you haven't entered yourself in the give away, stop by our interview with Dina and leave a comment with your name and email.

And without further ado, here's more about Dina's debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion:

Dandelion Dering was born a peasant in the English village of Arun, but her soul yearned for another life, another world. One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion . . . with more. Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William’s predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache. From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings. Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance . . . or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?

A Recipe for Reminiscing ~ Raisin Pecan Pie

Today would be my Grandmother’s 85th birthday. Her name was Emma and she was a spunky little woman. Her favorite car was a red 1956 Ford Thunderbird. My Grandfather affectionately called her “Chicken”. She was passionately conservative, quietly religious and fiercely loving to her family. She passed away in Jan 2005. Life surely changed for me when Grandma passed on, my Mother became my Grandmother’s generation, I became my Mother’s, and my daughter became mine… scary thought.

My grandmother was not the rotund, apron-clad, cookie bearing type (that was my Aunt Arta) but she had her share of “signature” dishes. We could always count on her delicious mustard potato salad during summer picnics (which she preferred to eat warm!), my Grandfather’s favorite “macaroni & tomatoes” or fried hot dog sandwiches.

Most meals at my Grandmother’s house consisted of take out. Her favorite places were Sonic, KFC and Long John Silver’s. She didn’t go out to eat; she always brought it back home to eat it there. Needless to say, the heritage handed down to me from my Grandmother did not include copious stashes of recipes cards, but I do have a few that I cherish.

Below is my Grandfather’s favorite pie, I remember her making this for him for every special occasion. I left in the antiquated instructions (italicized) because that is part of the charm of this ‘antique’ recipe of hers. She gave me this recipe for my bridal shower. It is hand written in her beautiful penmanship and bears her signature. I keep it put up in a special book, so one day I can hand it down to my daughter, perhaps at her bridal shower.

Raisin-Pecan Pie

1 ½ C seeded raisins
1 ½ C boiling water
1 Tbsp flour
½ C sugar
1 C shopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1 T lemon juice
1 double crust pastry (boxed or homemade)

Wash raisins carefully. Cook in boiling water for a few minutes, cover & simmer for 30 mins, leave lid on & let cool for 30 mins. Add flour & sugar, mix well; cook a few minutes to thicken. Cool.

Add lemon juice, vanilla & pecans. Pour into pastry shell, cover with pastry. Bake in hot oven 450 degrees F for 30 min. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F for 10 min.

*Personal hint* a thin strip of foil formed around the edge of pie prevents the outer crust from becoming too done.

{This pie can be made gluten free, substitute rice flour for the flour and use a GF pie crust. Top with a crumb type topping and bake as above.}

Gluten Free Beef Biscuit Bake

by Doula Brandi

For the past decade I have eaten wheat free foods. I have a mild wheat allergy and cannot tolerate the non-sprouted grain. Being wheat free was daunting at first but over time I’ve learned to adjust. Now I can take almost any recipe and adapt it to my own use. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to get it right mind you! But seldom anymore does a whole batch go into the compost pile!

Healthy wheat free recipes usually don’t qualify as ‘easy’, meaning that everything must be made from scratch. So I have looked for casserole and crock-pot recipes over the years to simplify the food prep and reduce my time in the kitchen. One of our family’s favorites is called Spinach Beef Bake. This recipe is a spin-off of an old Taste of Home recipe. I have adapted it with a gluten free crust and a simple yet tasty & healthy filling.

Crust, Gluten Free

¼ cup potato starch flour

½ cup tapioca starch flour

¾ cup brown rice flour

2 tsp guar gum (or xanthan gum) [this gives the GF flours some ‘stick-to-it-ness’ that gluten provides in wheat flours]

2 tsp baking powder. Aluminum free preferred.

½ tsp sea salt

Mix together dry ingredients then add:

2 eggs

½ cup almond, rice or dairy milk

1/3 cup oil

Blend together wet and dry ingredients, pour into a 9 X 13 pan and spread out the batter, pushing it up the sides a bit.

Filling

1# ground beef or turkey, brown over medium heat, remove from heat and drain if needed.

Add seasonings such as: salt, pepper, basil, oregano or seasoned salt to taste.

Add 1 package frozen spinach, mix well.

Shred 4 oz cheese, I use Monterrey, cheddar or Colby Jack into a bowl and add

2 eggs, mix well and add to the meat & spinach mixture.

Pour into the batter lined pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the crust is done and just starting to brown and the eggs are set in the center.

This takes a little bit of prep time, but most of the cooking time is spent in the oven, while I am doing something else. It’s a one dish meal, all that is needed is a tossed salad and dinner is served!

This dish can be made very quick and easy if you are not wheat or gluten free. Simply 2 cans of refrigerated biscuits instead of the scratch biscuits pressing them into your pan, sealing the edges of the biscuits together to form the crust. Continue with the filling and bake as directed above.