Hot Nutella Drink - Gluten Free

Today I ran across a wonderful blog that has some amazing food ideas. One of the posts had a drink made out of Nutella. What could get better?
Ya Salam Cooking: Hot Nutella is made with milk, vanilla and nutella. If you are unfamiliar with nutella it is a chocolate hazelnut spread that tastes so good. One of the best things about this drink is that it is gluten free. Nutella is awaiting their FDA approval, but from many people that have gluten allergies they have tolerated it just fine.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

It's Saint Patrick's Day and what is more popular then wearing green? Corned Beef and Cabbage for sure!
Ingredients:
2 pounds corned beef brisket
5 red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and cut
1 large head cabbage, cut into wedges
Directions on how to cook:
1. Place corned beef in crock pot and cover with water. Cook on low all day
2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 1 hour. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Slice meat across the grain and serve.

Salmon Flat-bread Sandwich

We love almost any sandwich topping stuffed into a pita. However, I have never tried canned salmon and was eager to see if it could be as good out of a can, as it was fresh from the sea.
We took the salmon and mixed it with cauliflower, red onion, celery and tomato. We used about 1/2 cup of mayo to bind it all together and topped with some fresh baby lettuce.

Even the kids loved this simple dinner and I was able to feel good that they got in an extra serving of vegetables and fish.

Spinach Gnocchi

Wilted Spinach Gnocchi

This recipe is vegetarian in concept, but fills even the meat-eaters stomachs in my family. Made in about 1/2 hour from start to finish it is a healthy, easy on your budget meal to put on the table even on a busy night.

1 pkg Gnocchi
Water
1 onion
Olive Oil (3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nut
1 clove garlic
1/4 milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Spinach 1 pkg

Cook Gnocchi according to directions on package. While this is cooking dice onion and saute in 1/2 of the olive oil. When onions are almost done, add garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle nutmeg and nuts on and continue cooking for about 1 minute. When the onions begin to caramelize add cooked Gnocchi that has been drained. Add milk and cook for about 2 minutes stirring to coat. Add about 6 oz of spinach or 1 pkg of fresh bagged spinach. Cover with a lid and let wilt. Stir every minute or so until the spinach is wilted but not soggy. Serve immediately.
This recipe feed about 5 hungry meat eating family members, without meat!

This recipe was cooked by me, using the Trader Joes Cookbook written by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati.
This recipe has not been copied from their cookbook and includes my slight changes to what I had on hand.

Shari's Chocolate Peanut Butter Silk Pie

I would have taken a picture if I had stopped to think after the first bite. If you love peanut butter, and enjoy the texture of a cream pie, this one is for you. I was amazed that a cool creamy pudding texture could taste so much like peanut butter. There was even a perfect nutty after taste. Shari's pie comes with a thick graham cracker crust, drizzled with chocolate and layered with a fluffy whipped cream. The portions are very large and since this pie is incredibly rich, it is the perfect dessert to share. For those of you who get a peanut butter craving once in awhile, this pie will fill that desire perfectly.

Kings Cupboard Cocoa Mix

Give your taste buds a wake up call with this amazingly rich cocoa mix. Kings Cupboard has created this cocoa not for the faint hearted. Mixed with real dark chocolate chunks, your guests will never know you didn't make it from scratch. Mix with milk and you will be living in a creamy chocolate wonder land. These cocoa tins make great gifts for children and adults alike. Pair it with a tin of cookies and watch their faces glow with delight.

New Year Beans

It's been a family tradition to make a huge pot of Red Beans on New Years Eve. This year it was my goal to find out why we eat beans on New Years Eve. In many cultures, eating beans, rather they be black eye peas, navy beans, or red beans, is suppose to bring luck and fortune for the new year. Although when I asked my family why we eat the beans on New Years Eve their answer was, that is what Grandma did every year. This year I got into the spirit and made Grandmas beans for everyone too. I could not find a recipe that matched hers anywhere on the Internet, but its so simple and may be in your family cookbook too.

Peppercorn Red Beans

1 pkg Dry Red Beans (soak overnight in water with baking soda approx 4 tablespoons)

After the beans have soaked overnight
Put them in a crock pot with
6 cups of water
2 ham hocks
2 spice bags filled with peppercorns (about 50 in each) remove before serving
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 clove of garlic

Towards the end of day two, take 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of the liquid soup and mix together into a thick paste. Add it back into the soup to make your soup thicken.

Let cook for two days on high.

Serve on New Years Eve with plenty of Sausage Bread.