Seared Scallops

Tried an Alton Brown simple recipe for seared scallops.  The only change I made was to use Earth Balance soy-free, dairy-free, vegan buttery spread instead of butter.  I had mine with asparagus, and it made for a very tasty dinner.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/seared-scallops-recipe.html

Veggie Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

Tonight we have company for dinner, and I'm on my second day of 30 days of a modified Whole30 eating plan.  I decided against doing the Whole30 plan because of my liver disease - that plan is just too high protein and low carbohydrate and would likely cause my body to produce excess ammonia and send my liver enzymes up much too high.  So I am allowing gluten-free grains in my plan.  I'm planning a vegetarian quiche and salad for dinner.  I got the idea from the Nourishing Home blog http://thenourishinghome.com/2015/06/veggie-quiche-with-hash-brown-crust/ and her posts about Whole30 meal plans.  Since I am also nightshade-free (unlike the plan), I modified her recipe quite a lot.

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded (2 cups)

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

8 oz sliced mushrooms

2 cups spinach, chopped

2 cup mixture of broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and peeled, sliced carrots (or other veggies)

8 large eggs

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp basil

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and shred sweet potato, using a box grater.  Rinse shredded potatoes, drain, and press between paper towels to remove moisture.  Grease a 9" deep pie pan, or larger if you don't want it to overflow - I used a large Pyrex-like pie pan, with coconut oil.  Mix the sweet potatoes with 1/4 cup onions, salt & pepper, and 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil.  Press potato/onion mixture into bottom of pie pan and up the sides.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

While the crust is baking, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil to large skillet.  Sauté the remaining 1/4 cup onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Add spinach and continue sautéing until wilted, about 2 minutes.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, basil, salt & pepper.  Drain the vegetables.  Place the vegetables on top of the baked potato crust in the pie pan.  Pour the eggs over all.  Bake in oven 40-60 minutes, until quiche is set and lightly browned.  Let rest and cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Strawberries

.I found a photo and list of ingredients for a Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Strawberries Salad.  No proportions were given.  It was from Gaby@wholefoodblog.  The recipe below is what I made for dinner tonight.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed and sliced in half lengthwise

14 large fresh strawberries, tops removed and sliced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2 Tbsp black Chia seeds

10 cups lettuce, or mixture of arugula and Spring mix

DRESSING

6  Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix halved Brussels sprouts with 2 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place in single layer on cookie sheet.  Roast in oven 25-30 minutes, turning over several times.  Set aside to cool while preparing rest of salad and dressing.

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Toss with all the salad ingredients, except avocado slices.  Dish up salad in salad bowls and garnish with avocado slices.