Good to Go

I don't know about you, but I am always on the lookout for handy, nutritious, on-the-go snacks. One of the things I learned when I went gluten free was that this type of quick bite nearly always includes bread of some sort. Those of you who can eat sandwiches, pizza, bagels, wraps, and burritos don't realize how easy things are for you. If I'd forgotten to plan well, I used to find myself crazy with hunger and desperate for an appropriate snack on days when I was out of the house all day. Then I discovered a certain nut and dried fruit bar that had it all. These bars are nutritious, tasty, convenient, widely available and they come in a variety of flavors. They don't have any scary ingredients and they will keep forever in backpack or in the glovebox. The only problem? At $1.25-1.75 apiece, they can add up, especially when I am feeding kids.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to try making my own. I think I was convinced my DIY version wouldn't measure up. As it turns out I hit a home run on my first try. After doing a little research I learned that others had had good luck making their own custom bars. It's a simple enough formula: if you put equal parts nuts, dates, and dried fruits in the food processor and let it run until your ingredients change from crumbs to paste to a big sticky ball you're good to go. You can press the mixture into a baking pan, chill, and cut bars to any size you like or, if you have some type of mold you can try that. I used a silicone mini loaf mold and my perfectly sized bars popped right out after spending the night in the 'fridge.

For these bars I used 1.5 cups of nuts (almonds and hazelnuts) which I roasted in the oven to bring out the nutty flavor but this step isn't strictly necessary. I tossed the roasted nuts in the food processor with 1.5 cups of pitted dates and 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup unsulfured dried apricots. I also added a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened shredded dried coconut and a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds. I purchased my ingredients in bulk and ended up with 10 good sized bars at approximately .60 cents apiece so a considerable savings over the original. The bars travel pretty well wrapped in waxed paper secured with a rubber band. I know I shouldn't have been surprised but these homemade bars, like so many things, taste fresher and just a bit more delicious than their store bought counterparts and I'm looking forward to experimenting with other flavor combinations.

Delightful

I am a lifelong fan of macaroni and cheese, by which I do mean the real stuff, with cream and butter and shocking amounts of shredded cheese of all kinds. I am particularly fond of macaroni and cheese with a kick so smoky hot paprika and chopped pickled jalapeños often make their way into my beautiful old Pyrex casserole dishes.

Unfortunately, as I get older and my body adjusts to no longer being in a raging hyperthyroid state due to Graves' Disease I am no longer able to eat endless amounts of creamy, cheesy deliciousness. Suddenly those recipes calling for pounds of different cheeses just aren't looking so good or sitting so well. In recent months I've been drawn to versions of my favorite meal that, while still comforting and substantial, are likelier to be a bit lighter and contain more vegetables to offset the richness and up the nutrition. And of course these days I use gluten free pasta. My favorite is a corn-quinoa blend made by Ancient Harvest which is an improvement over wheat-based pasta in terms of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

I'll be sharing a few of my new favorites with you in upcoming posts but I'm starting with this recipe for Pasta with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce which I found on the Saveur website. The only changes I made were to use gluten free pasta (and next time I would use larger tubes rather than the tiny shells I had on hand) and to substitute half and half for heavy cream. As you can see from the ingredients, this hardly qualifies as spa cuisine, but it does sit more easily in my system than a flour thickened, super cheesy macaroni and the addition of the cauliflower, tomatoes, and chilies bring a good dose of vitamins to the dish. Plus this stuff is great! While the kids weren't sold on it, the adults in the house couldn't get enough. Add a fresh salad and you've got yourself a nice, easy meal full of flavor. I haven't tried it yet but I am guessing this dish would freeze and reheat well and, as the authors recommend baking the pasta in smaller dishes, you could certainly tuck a couple away, well wrapped, in your freezer for a dinner emergency or a friend who could use a meal.

What about you? Are you a mac and cheese lover? Do you have a favorite variation? Do tell!