Gluten Free Kung Pao Beef and Noodle Bowl

April 16, 2019

Learn how to make the most tender beef, just like Chinese restaurants, in this easy recipe for gluten free Kung Pao Beef. The beef is cooked on the stove, stir fry style, then tossed with rice noodles for a delicious meal!

Kung pao beef, rice noodles and red bell peppers in white bowl topped with peanuts and green onions

Have you ever wondered how your favorite Chinese restaurant gets an inexpensive cut of meat to taste so dang tender? The technique is called velveting and it’s actually SO EASY!

Simply marinate strips of meat in a combination of cornstarch, baking soda, soy sauce and mirin for 30 minutes. I used a flank steak to make this Kung Pao Beef, but this technique can also be used on other proteins.

It’s seriously a GAME CHANGER! Kurt immediately said this was the best Asian dish I’ve ever made! And with over 100 Asian recipes on the blog, that’s saying a lot!

Instead of serving the beef over rice, I tossed it with rice noodles. There’s just something about sitting on the couch with a pair of chopsticks and a big bowl of noodles. It’s Chinese comfort food and I can’t get enough of it!

I have a whole menu of go-to noodle dishes that I rotate through each week. Spicy Vegetable Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles and this Kung Pao Beef Noodle Bowl are regular players on the weekly menu!

After making these recipes, you’ll quickly realize how easy it is to make delicious Chinese food at home! Then you’ll be ditching the take out menus for good!

Making your own Chinese recipes is also the best way to eat gluten free Chinese food. My gluten free Chinese recipes are some of the most popular on the blog! Gluten Free Chinese Honey Chicken and Gluten Free General Tso’s Chicken are definitely on the MUST-TRY list!

I made this Kung Pao Beef Noodle Bowl gluten free by using gluten free soy sauce. The remainder of the ingredients in this dish should be naturally gluten free. But always be sure to check the labels on ingredients like mirin and sweet chili sauce just to be sure! If you’re not on a gluten free diet, traditional soy sauce can be used in this recipe.

Once the beef has tenderized for 30 minutes, it only takes 15 minutes to toss this entire recipe together! Faster, easier and BETTER than take out, yes please!

Read the full post here!

Basil Pesto

April 15, 2019

Homemade basil pesto is an easy recipe to make with walnuts, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil & parmesan cheese. It’s perfect for adding to pizza, pasta or grilled chicken dishes!

Overhead shot of basil pesto in a small white bowl with a small gold spoon in the bowl

Basil pesto is so easy to make and one of my favorite homemade sauces. When you make it at home, it has such a fresh flavor, as opposed to what you can buy in a jar at the grocery store.

My first time making pesto was in a home economics class in high school. Did I just totally date myself because home ec is no longer a thing? No surprise here, but home ec was my favorite class.

I learned how to sew, not well, but I tried! And I learned how to cook new things, at a much higher success rate than my sewing!

When pesto was introduced to me in home ec, I’d never eaten pesto before, but I quickly fell in love! Now I make many different versions of pesto.

The fun thing about pesto is that you can easily make it your own based on what greens you have in your fridge or what dish you want to pair it with.

You can also mix up what kind of nuts you use! While pine nuts are the traditional nut used in basil pesto, I used walnuts instead. They’re much less expensive and still work wonderfully in this pesto recipe!

Basil pesto can be added to pizza, tossed with pasta or used as a marinade for chicken or a sauce to top fish. It’s super versatile and so delicious!

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Bruschetta Salmon

April 12, 2019

The most delicious balsamic baked salmon is topped with fresh tomato basil bruschetta in this easy recipe, made in just 29 minutes! This Bruschetta Salmon is healthy, gluten free, low carb and whole30 compliant!

A piece of baked salmon on a white plate topped with tomato basil bruschetta with a copper fork on the side of the plate

OMG, I can’t get enough of this Tomato Basil Bruschetta! What started as a delicious Italian appetizer, served on a toasted baguette, has transformed into an entire category of recipes on the blog. This category includes some of the most popular recipes I’ve ever made!

Tomato Basil Bruschetta is fresh, light and flavorful. It’s a seriously delicious topping for so many dishes. I love to make a big bowl of it over the weekend and use it to top recipes throughout the week!

It’s hard to get Kurt excited about seafood recipes. After I made this baked salmon recipe, he said that he would gladly eat it every week. I’d definitely say that’s a win in my book! Since it only takes 29 minutes to make, this is the perfect healthy weeknight meal!

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Pesto Chicken Avocado Spinach Salad

April 11, 2019

Grilled pesto chicken, fresh avocado & cherry tomatoes top this healthy, easy, gluten free salad recipe. It’s delicious as an entree or side dish and it’s perfect for meal prep!

Sliced pesto chicken, sliced avocado and diced cherry tomatoes on top of spinach salad in bowl

Today’s post is sponsored by my friends at California Avocados!

I love topping a delicious bowl of greens with flavorful grilled chicken. And obviously, I’m not the only one! These Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Zoodle Bowls are the most popular gluten free recipe on the blog.

When it comes to my favorite topping for any salad, bowl or basically any meal, it has to be avocados! Creamy, flavorful California Avocados are a staple in my pantry and a huge part of my diet. I love that you can add them to everything from smoothies to enchiladas.

This Lean & Green Superfood Smoothie is my go-to in the mornings! And I could eat these Creamy Avocado Corn Enchiladas every week!

For this salad, I added a whole sliced California avocado with quartered cherry tomatoes and grilled pesto chicken. I used homemade Basil Pesto for the pesto chicken, but store-bought works also!

This salad is bursting with flavor! It can be served with the chicken hot or cold, as an entree or side dish. You can easily toss the salad together while meal prepping and divide it up for lunches throughout the week.

No boring salads here! This salad will become your new favorite. And the great thing is, it’s quick and easy to make in just 29 minutes!

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BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese

April 10, 2019

BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese is an easy recipe made in 29 minutes. It combines the delicious flavors of BBQ chicken with creamy mac and cheese! This family friendly dish is sure to be a hit with everyone at the dinner table!

BBQ Chicken mac and cheese in large oval casserole dish topped with fresh chopped cilantro

When it comes to creating new recipes for the blog, I love putting creative new twists on classic blog favorites.

The most popular recipe on the blog is Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Penne. I created this recipe in my first 6 months of blogging and it’s been a hit every year since! It’s simple, cheesy, pasta deliciousness. What’s not to love?

If you love BBQ Chicken Pizza (which, come on, who doesn’t?!) you’re going to love this BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese!

The combination of creamy mozzarella cheese with BBQ chicken, equals winner, winner chicken mac and cheese for dinner! If you’re looking for a big bowl of comfort food, you’ve come to the right place!

Read the full post here!