Ingredients:
Fresh whole corn tortillas
Gluten free bbq sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Red onion
Rotisserie Chicken
Cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Smooth a generous amount of bbq sauce on each tortilla. Top with grated cheese and diced onion. Toss chopped chicken in 2-4 tbs of bbq sauce.  Add chicken and finely chopped cilantro to each.  Cook for 6-8 mins. Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

That’s right….gluten free and fabulous!

Ingredients:
1 package of Bob’s Red Mill Chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
1 egg
2 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Place butter in mixing bowl and cream until soft. Add egg and water. Blend for 30 seconds. Add cookie mix and blend on low for 2 mins. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 15 mins or until brown. Remove and cool for 3-5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

2012 baby!

Some of the best recipes are the simpliest!

Ingredients:
Buitoni Fettuccine
Unsalted Butter
Garlic
Parmesan Reggiano
Salt and Pepper

Boil cut pasta in a large pot. In a separate large saute pan, saute butter and garlic. Add cooked pasta to butter sauce and sprinkle with parmesan reggiano, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Stewed Tomatoes
Cilantro
Garlic
White Wine
Pancetta

In a large pot, saute olive oil, garlic, and chopped pancetta on medium-high heat.  Add white wine once pancetta is crispy. Add stewed tomatoes and let simmer on medium heat for 5 mins. Add cleaned mussels and cover. Steam for 10 to 15 mins. Serve with rice or toast.

Enjoy!

A.MAZ.ING……is the only way I can describe the 2nd Annual Virginia Food Security Summit! I gained valuable information and great insight on major issues regarding our health, protecting our environment and building the sustainability of locally grown food.  The summit included farmers, producers, chefs, business owners, educators, bloggers, political leaders and corporate representatives. Not only was it an opportunity to network with major stakeholders but a breeding ground for change, movement and collective action to help support how we see food in Virginia.

Here is the list of Panel Speakers who shared their vision and mission:
Spencer Neal, Commodity Marketing Specialist, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Fred Kirschenmann, “Distinguished Fellow” at the Leopold Center
Renard Turner, Owner, Vanguard Ranch Ltd., Louisa County, VA
Ken Meter, President, Crossroads Resource Center

The Innovators in Health, Schools, Food Distribution, Food Entrepreneurship and Business:

Andrea Early, RD, School Nutrition Program Director, Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Dina Sorenson, Designer, VMDO Architects, Charlottesville, VA
Emily Manley, Outreach and Development Director, LOCAL FOOD HUB, Charlottesville, VA
Molly Harris, Founder, LULUS LOCAL FOOD, Richmond, VA
Mark Lilly, Founder, FARM to FAMILY, Richmond, VA
Francis Ngoh, ROCK RUN CREEK FARM, Goldvein, VA
Stephen Kendall, Procurement Manager, DC CENTRAL KITCHEN, Washington, D.C.
Phil Petrilli, Regional Director, Mid Atlantic Region, CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, Washington D.C., VA

AND just a few “golden nuggets” I collected from the event:

• Virginians spend 19 billion dollars annually on Food purchases and Farmers receive only 12 cents of each consumer dollar! (What the….?!?)
• 1 in 4 children in the state of Virginia are considered food insecure
• Check out–”Growing Power” CEO Will Allen Implements his mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.
• The economic impact of VA agriculture is reported to be 55 billion annually, with the industry providing more than 357,000 jobs across the state.
• In 2009, VA had an adult obesity rate of 25.5%
• Enhancing farm profitability and viability through more successful linkages between food producers and consumers including the development of opportunities for VA farmers and processors to access new large-volume markets like schools, universities, hospitals, and other institutions.

I have to say- the number one thing I took away from this great event was a statement made by one of the members of the Virginia Food System Council …

“If each household in Virginia spent $10 dollars a week of their food budget on locally-grown food: $1.65 billion would be generated annually in direct economic impact”.

WOW! I know I got ten bucks with a couple of butternut squash, a handful of parsnips, and a ½ pound of mushrooms written all over it! What about you??

……Just some Food for Thought

Adrie

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes
1 32 oz box of Swanson Organic Chicken Broth
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 oz unsalted butter
2 shallots
3 cloves of garlic
Fresh Thyme
1 whole avocado
3 tbs of sour cream

Avocado Cream:
In a sauce pan, add avocado, sour cream and salt and pepper (add chicken broth for desired consistancy).

Potato Soup:
Peel and chop potatoes into large cubes. In a large pot, boil in water until tender. Drain potatoes and set aside. In the same large pot, saute garlic and shallots. Add finely chopped thyme. Add potatoes and butter to the pot and lower tempeture to med-low. Slowly add heavy cream and mash/combine cream and potatoes (leave a few small chunks for texture). Add chicken broth, lower heat to low and cover for 15 mins.  Add avocado cream and turkey bacon for added crunch and flavor!

Enjoy!

Brie Cheese Log
Manchego Cheese with a drizzle of balsamic
Chianti Red Wince Artisan Salami
Sliced Green Pear
Gluten Free Table Water Crackers
2010 Green FIN Cabernet Sauvignon (best organic wine for the buck)

You find all at your local Trader Joes: http://www.traderjoes.com/