Gluten-Free

Bacon Pimento Cheese Dip

Pimento cheese is a staple in the Southern United States, but in the last few years, it has been  gaining popularity outside the South.  Here is an easy recipe where you can make your own pimento cheese spread with a bacony twist. Served with Ritz crackers, this is the perfect dip to be served as a appetizer for any given party.Enjoy!

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
8 slices hickory smoked bacon
1 cup gluten-free mayonnaise
4 ounces cream cheese
One 4 -ounce jar diced pimentos, drained
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2-3 scallions, diced
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook bacon in a large deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towel; allow to cool and crumble.

In medium bowl, stir together bacon, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimentos, jalapeño peppers, scallions and shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Evenly spread the mixture in an ovenproof 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Crab and Avocado Salad

Avocados filled with crab salad

Photo Credit: Layla Pujol, Laylita’s Recipes ,www. laylitas.com, 2015

With Summer approaching, no one wants to stand in a hot kitchen over a stove. With that being said, here is a salad that requires a sharp knife, a large bowl , serving plates and a fork. Not only is this salad healthy for you and gluten-free, but it is refreshing as well. You can use any type of fresh crab meat. I prefer Dungeness crab meat, and you can easily substitute the crab for cooked peeled shrimp as well.

The basic ingredients for this classic dish from Ecuador is  prepared by filling ripe avocados with a a crab salad, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, radishes, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Layla Pujol of  Laylita’s Recipes, 2015

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound of cooked crab meat
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
½ cucumber, finely diced
4 radishes, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4-5 ripe but firm avocados
½ lime

To garnish:
Iceberg Lettuce or salad greens
Fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced scallions
Sliced radishes

Directions:
To prepare the crab salad:
Mix the cooked crab meat with diced onions, diced bell peppers, diced cucumbers, diced radish, lime juice, olive oil, chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper. The salad can be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated until just ready to assemble the avocados.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds and peel the avocados. Sprinkle each avocado half with a little lime juice to prevent the avocados from browning too quickly.

Fill the center of the avocados halves with the crab salad. Serve the crab stuffed avocados over lettuce leaves and garnished with scallions and radishes.

Shaved Asparagus Salad With Limoncello Vinaigrette

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I love spring time produce and there is nothing more perfect than long green stalks of asparagus for a really quick meal.

What is trending in the food world right now is shaved vegetables eaten raw, like carrots, Brussel sprouts, and asparagus. And the best thing about shaved vegetables, you can eat them raw, making them the perfect ingredient for light salads that can be served for lunch and/or dinner.

In this recipe, a Limoncello vinaigrette is called for as a dressing for the salad. However, you can just use freshly squeezed lemon juice tossed with the shave asparagus for a truly paleo gluten-free salad.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
One pound large asparagus spears, washed, trimmed and peeled

For the Vinaigrette:
1⁄4 cup limoncello
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste

Blood orange zest, for garnish
Lemon zest, for garnish

Directions:
Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to shave spears into long, thin shavings. Transfer to a medium bowl. The the tips will snap off as spears get thinner, so add them to the bowl as well.

Whisk the limoncello, lemon juice, zest and mustard in a small bowl.Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt.

Drizzle vinaigrette over shaved asparagus and toss to coat. Divide asparagus salad among plates. Sprinkle orange an lemon zest over the salad and serve immediately.