Annie's Gluten Free Kitchen

Gluten Free Tomato Soup

2012-02-01T20:59:00.001-08:00

One of the “regular foods” I miss the most in the winter time is canned tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I’ve tried a few recipes for tomato soup and never quite loved it. This is a mix of several recipes I’ve tried and I think it’s awesome. I made this with my 4 year old daughter one afternoon last week and we had so much fun.

Tomato Soup

3 (15 oz) cans tomatoes (you can use whole, diced, whatever…it’s just going in the blender)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2-1 cup chopped onion (I only did 1/2 cup but next time I’ll do more)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup skim milk

Put all ingredients except the milk into large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Pour soup into a blender (I did this in 2 batches) and blend on low for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Return to pot and add milk. Eat with grilled cheese sandwiches. =)

No-Bake Cookies

2012-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

I was craving chocolate and my daughter wanted to make cookies. To satisfy both of us, we decided on these little babies. I did a ridiculous amount of research to figure out why mine are always either too crumbly or too runny. I guess when I'm pregnant I take cookies pretty seriously. Here's what I learned: it's all in the boiling time. If you boil too long they're crumbly, not long enough they're runny. You have to set the timer for 90 seconds as soon as it starts boiling and then when the timer goes off, immediately remove the pan from the heat. This was my first time trying it this way and they were absolutely perfect. Happy chocolate to you.

No-Bake Cookies
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
1/2 c. butter
4 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
3 c. gluten free quick oats
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa in a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for 90 seconds. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Add oats and stir well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper and allow to cool.

Easy Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

2012-01-15T04:20:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite pizza crust. I have finally stopped buying the packaged stuff because I was able to make something on my own that tasted great AND was really, really, easy. It's even the right kind of texture to roll with a rolling pin, which is a huge bonus, in my opinion. I am looking forward to trying calzones with this because I think it would work perfectly. Original recipe found here.

Easy Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

2/3 c. warm water (or milk)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Mix above ingredients and set aside while you prepare the rest. In a seperate bowl, combine the following ingredients and mix really well (I do this in my Kitchenaid):

2/3 c. plus 3 tbsp potato starch
3 tbsp sorghum flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp salt
Rice flour for dusting pan/rolling pin

Add the water/yeast mixture to the mixing bowl and mix well. When the dough is well combined, dust counter or pan with rice flour and roll dough into 12-16 in. circle. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 min. Remove from the oven and top as desired, bake for another 10 min or until toppings are warm/melted.

Chicken Taco Bowls

2012-01-08T15:54:00.001-08:00

This is one of my new favorite recipes, so I thought it was a good one to start off the new year. I’m becoming a bigger fan of my crockpot all the time, mostly because I love being able to just dump a bunch of stuff in there and have dinner ready hours later. Awesome. This is that kind of recipe. It’s super easy, really versatile, and tastes great.

Chicken Taco Bowls

2 large chicken breast halves

1 (16 0z) jar salsa

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and well rinsed

1 c. frozen corn

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)

1/2 c. uncooked jasmine rice

Shredded lettuce (optional)

Put everything except the rice, cheese and cilantro into the crockpot. However you want. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high from 4-5 hours. About 45 min before you want to eat, prepare the rice as directed on the package. I like to add a Tbsp of Lime juice and some garlic salt to mine. Remove lid from crockpot and shred chicken. Mix all ingredients in the pot together and replace lid until ready to eat.

We make ours like this: Place rice on the bottom of your bowl. Then top with lettuce, chicken mixture, cheese and cilantro. You can eat it just like that, or I like to throw a little Ranch dressing on top. I have also used the leftover chicken mixture to make taco salads, nachos, or tacos for lunches.

This is so easy and you can tweak it however you want.

Fudge

2011-12-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm blaming all of this on pregnancy. I woke up yesterday wanting fudge so bad. I decided to make it today because we had lots of family coming to celebrate my little girl's birthday, so I knew I'd have help eating it. I've actually never made fudge before. Mostly because it's something I really love and I didn't want to risk screwing it up. I found a recipe on this blog that I figured I could handle and it turned out amazing. Happy Sugar Rush!

Fudge

4 cups of sugar (shocking, I know)
1 can evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Mix in a big pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil for 8 min. Remove from heat and add:

2 2/1 cups chocolate chips (I did half milk and half semi-sweet)
1 cup butter

Stir until mixture is melted and loses some of it's gloss. Add:

1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup more mini marshmallows

Stir until marshmallows are melted. Pour into butter cookie sheet and cool. This made very thin pieces for me, just thinner than I am used to. Next time I might use a 9x13 pan instead.

Shredded Beef Tacos

2011-12-12T15:31:00.001-08:00

I’ve been slacking lately at keeping up with this blog, and if I’m honest with myself, most other things in my life. I haven’t spent much time baking or trying new recipes for the past few months since I believe it’s never in your best interest to try a new recipe in your first trimester of pregnancy. =) Now I’m feeling much better and I have a few good ones I hope to have posted soon. This taco recipe is one I originally found on Crockpot365. I really love her blog. I only made a few preferential changes to it and we really loved it. I hope you like them!

Shredded Beef Tacos

3-4 pound beef roast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

6 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion, diced

1 Tbsp ginger

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 half jalapeno, diced with seeds removed

Trim the fat off the roast and plop it in your crockpot. Then just dump the rest of the ingredients in however you want. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the meat and stir to mix everything in well. It really is super easy. Serve in corn tortillas with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and sour cream on top. Delicious.

Pad Thai

2011-11-12T18:23:00.001-08:00

We love Thai food. Whenever we go I want to try new things but also can’t resist ordering my favorite, Pad Thai. I think that problem is solved because this recipe tastes as good to me as anything I’ve had at a restaurant. Now I can eat Pad Thai at home and try new things when we go out. Win-win!! The long list of ingredients looked intimidating to me at first (especially the fish sauce…look for that near the soy and thai sauces at your grocery store) but it’s very easy to make. We liked it so much we ate it twice this week, so try it out!

PAD THAI

3/4 pound bean sprouts
6 ounces pad thai rice noodles
4 eggs
salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 cups grated carrots
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (optional)
2/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Bring pot of water to boil and prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Add the bean sprouts to the boiling noodles during the last minute of cooking. Drain noodles/beans and rinse with cold water.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Stir together the lime juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a separate bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium heat. Fry the garlic for about a minute. Add red pepper flakes and carrot and stir fry for one minute, move to one side of the skillet. Add the beaten egg to the opposite side of the skillet and scramble. Once eggs have set, mix them with the peppers and carrots. Add peanut butter and mix in until melted. Add the noodles, sprouts, green onions, peanuts, and sauce. Toss and serve.
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Silly Pancakes

2011-11-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is my 4 yr old daughter's favorite breakfast. She loves to watch them bake into crazy bumps and bubbles. She started calling them "Crazy Pancakes" and it sort of stuck at our house. I have made these gluten-free several times, but this is the recipe that gave me the best results.

Silly Pancakes (German Pancakes)

Put the following ingredients into blender:
6 eggs
1 cup milk (I use vanilla soy and it's delicious)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt

Blend for about 1 minute. Meanwhile, place 3 Tbsp of butter in a 9x13in baking dish and set it in the oven while you preheat to 400 degrees. Keep an eye on it and pull it out once the butter is melted. When batter is well blended, pour into buttered dish and bake for about 20 min. Serve with maple syrup.

Kung Pao Chicken

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I recently had my first experience with Kung Pao Chicken. The restaurant version was great, but this recipe I made at home was even better. I am a big fan of simple recipes. At first glance this seems a bit complex, but really it's simple. The steps are just broken down for my own benefit, so I don't screw-up. Dinner time is easily my hardest time of day as that's when I need to be paying attention to what I'm doing in the kitchen as well as the precious baby girl clinging to my legs. Anyway, try the Kung Pao. It's divine.

Kung Pao Chicken

1 lb chicken (I used 2 frozen boneless skinless breast halves) cut into strips

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp sweet thai chilli sauce (I used 3 tbsp)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp sesame oil

2 green onions, diced. separate green pieces from white

1 medium green bell pepper (I did half green, half red), diced

2 medium carrots thinly sliced

1/2 cup zucchini, diced (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

3 cups prepared jasmine rice

Prepare chicken marinade: Dissolve 1 Tbsp of corn starch in 1 Tbsp of water and then add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of rice vinegar, and 2 tsp of minced garlic. Stir well. Pour over chicken in a container, cover and refridgerate while you prepare the rest.

Prepare the sauce: Dissolve 1 Tbsp of corn starch in 1 Tbsp of water. Then add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Stir to combine and dissolve the brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.

Prepare the veggies: Slice the peppers, carrots, zucchini and green onion.

Prepare rice: add 1.5 cups jasmine rice to 2.5 cups boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Heat 2 T. oil in medium skillet. When it's very hot add white portions of the onions and cook for about 1 minute. Add marinated chicken and stir-fry until cooked through (about 5 min).

Add veggies and peanuts, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook until thickened (about 2-3 min). Serve chicken and veggie mixture over prepared rice.

Crockpot Potato Soup

2011-11-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about this cold weather is busting-out all the soup recipes we love so much. This is one of my favorites. You can kind of play around with different ingredients and quantities so it's really easy.

Crockpot Potato Soup

Mix these ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6 hrs or on high for 4 hrs.
5 cups chicken broth
8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper

Using a measuring cup, scoop about 2 cups of cooked soup from crockpot into blender and puree until smooth. Then pour pureed soup back into crockpot. This makes it really creamy without adding cream/fat. Then add any of these optional ingredients:
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 green onions, sliced

My Favorite Fall Treats

2011-10-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have been eating lots of fun fall treats this month. Most of them are already posted on this site, so I thought I would just give you some links to some of my favorites in case you are looking for some dessert ideas. I'm hoping that next week I'll get my favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe posted. Let me know if you try something you like.

* Pumpkin Bars

* Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

* Awesome Sugar Cookies

* Crockpot Peach Pie

Buttercream Frosting

2011-10-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

I've been searching for a homemade frosting recipe that tasted great but also had a good consistency to use in a decorating bag. Found!!! This stuff is fabulous and pretty versatile. I used it on a cake a few weeks ago and then again on sugar cookies today. Delicious. If you make it just like the recipe says it's quite firm and easy to decorate with, but it thins out easily so it's more spreadable, too.

(I used Wilton's Sky Blue food coloring and bought that edible Tangled graphic on Amazon. It's not perfect, but my 4 year old loved it.)

Wilton's Buttercream Frosting

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use almond extract...amazing)
4 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

Mix all ingredients with a mixer. To thin, add milk 1 tbsp at a time to desired consistency.

Eleanor's Bake Shop

2011-10-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

You guys! Today I discovered that I live less than 5 miles from an amazing, 100% gluten-free bakery and I never knew it. How is that even possible? I almost had a complete melt-down when I found out. I don't want any other Utah readers to be deprived of this fabulous place for another second, so I wanted to tell you all about it. Eleanor's Bake Shop is a family-run store that serves soups, sandwiches, pizza, and treats of all kinds. They gave me a free cake-pop (because I was a 1st timer) and that thing was down-right amazing. Life changing. Seriously. Between my little family of 4 we tried a cinnamon roll, brownie, and frosted sugar cookie. It was all fantastic. I can't wait to get back there and try the lunch food as well as more treats. On their website I found a "Daily Menu" tab that tells you what flavors of each thing they are offering for the day. I love that feature. A friend of mine told me about this place today and said she's bought their Birthday cakes and they were incredible. Delicious as well as nicely decorated. Did I tell you they do wedding cakes? How about that there's a little play area for kids? Isn't this amazing information?! Go try it. Let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-10-10T13:02:00.001-07:00

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I love all things made of pumpkin. When they turn out right. I’ve been looking for the right pumpkin pancake recipe and I think I finally found it! I made them for my family a few days ago and I instantly loved them. Imagine my disappointment when I asked my husband what he thought and his response was, “They’re…different.” Good-different? “It’s just like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast.” Umm, exactly. Some people don’t like dessert for breakfast. I am not those people. Whatever time of day you want to make them, they are fabulous. I got the original recipe at Baking Bites and converted it to gluten-free, so if you’re a gluten-eater, just use the original from their site. Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Pancakes
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4-1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil (I used beans, of course)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix all wet ingredients until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and whisk until well-combined. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high. Pour dallops of batter onto pan. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden and flip to cook the other side until golden. They may turn a little darker than regular pancakes, especially because they are kind of thick and need to cook a little bit longer. Serve with maple syrup.
I stored the leftover in ziplocks in the fridge for a few days. They heated up well in the toaster and they were a great snack straight from the fridge. I hope you love them!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

2011-10-04T20:05:00.001-07:00

October is my very favorite month. I love the whole thing. We celebrated it’s arrival this week with our first new fall recipe and boy, was it a good one! I love pumpkin but I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea of a pumpkin chocolate cake. I’m a definite believer now. I originally found this recipe on Gluten Free Mommy, but I changed it a little to use the ingredients I prefer. I used to always just use store-bought all-purpose gluten-free flours in baked goods, mostly because recipes with lists of several flours was so intimidating to me. It worked okay. This year I’ve made a much more solid effort to branch out and try new things. I strongly suggest doing that if you haven’t already. For one thing, the store-bought all-purpose mixes are so expensive. For another, using other flours sometimes gives you much better texture. For example, I have fallen absolutely in love with sorghum flour. I don’t know all the science behind gf flours, but I can tell you that my cakes, breads, etc are so much better with sorghum flour. I’m so glad I finally tried that. Gluten-free baking isn’t nearly as scary as I always thought. Okay, lecture over, on to baking:

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

2/3 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup butter, softened (I used pureed black beans….worked great)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. In your mixer, beat the butter (or beans) until fluffy. Add the sugars and mix well. Add the vanilla, then eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin and milk. Mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Pour batter into two greased 9 in cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min (mine was done in 30). Remove from oven and cool ten minutes. Invert pans onto cooling rack and wait until completely cool to frost.

Oh, the frosting. It’s fantastic. But if you don’t have everything on hand, I think this one would be great, too.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

4-5 cups powdered sugar (depending on desired consistency)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup butter

2 tsp orange juice

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

Place all ingredients in mixer and beat to combine, but don’t overbeat.

I only frosted half, then froze the other half and the left-over frosting so we can eat again next week. Can’t wait.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-09-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

The original recipe for these muffins came from For the Love of Cooking. I made a couple of slight changes just to make it gluten-free and they turned out amazing! We all loved these so I didn't waste any time sharing the recipe with you.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp xanathan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I used pureed white beans)
1/2 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Prepare a muffin tin with liners and spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the flours, corn starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugars. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla and mashed bananas. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Don't over mix. Add the chocolate chips and stir gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

*I also did a pan of mini muffins which cooked in about 17 minutes.
**These are amazing with a little peanut butter spread on top. =)

Waffle Cookies

2011-08-29T01:06:00.000-07:00

The other night my sister-in-law was talking about waffle cookies and I’ve pretty much been thinking about them ever since. I can’t even remember the last time I had waffle cookies, which is a shame, because they’re amazing and fun all at once. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that I modified a bit to make them gluten free. I don’t remember what the “regular” ones even tasted like anymore, but these are so good! The frosting recipe is my favorite chocolate frosting ever, so it makes everything double-fantastic. Enjoy.

Gluten Free Waffle Cookies
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. butter, melted (I used pureed beans and it worked great)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. gf all purpose flour (I used 1 c. white rice flour and 1 c. tapioca flour)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. chopped walnuts, optional (I have no idea why I didn’t add those)

Preheat waffle iron and mix all ingredients together. Drop dough onto by heaping tablespoons onto the center of the waffle iron. I actually just plopped a huge scoop right in the middle and it turned out great. Close the lid and cook for about 90 seconds. Watch them close so they don’t burn!

My Favorite Chocolate Frosting
8 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 c. skim milk
4 c. sifter powdered sugar
Melt butter in medium sauce pan on low. Whisk in the cocoa and milk. Bring mixture barely to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat in the powdered sugar until thick and smooth. Pour warm frosting over cookies (or a cake, or whatever).

Quick and Easy Black Beans

2011-08-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

My kids are picky eaters, but they will eat just about anything in "bean form." This little fact means that we eat a lot of beans in our house. I'm ashamed to say that I used to just dump a can of black beans in a pan, warm them up, and call them a side dish. Sad. SO sad. I found this easy recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Our Best Bites and I changed very little about it. This is now the only way I do black beans. Thank goodness.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I use the pre-minced, bottled stuffed)
2/3 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice from 1 lime

In a sauce pan, heat the oil on med-high and saute onions until clear. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add beans, broth and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 min or until the beans are as soft as you want. Add the lime juice and serve. They do thicken as they stand, so if you want them thicker just remove them from heat and wait a few minutes before serving.

Lemon Rice with Pine Nuts

2011-08-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe I got from my Ward Cookbook. It's one of our favorite rice dishes. I love to make it with this Tilapia recipe. I was tempted once to make it without the pine nuts...mostly because I'm super cheap. Thankfully my husband wouldn't stand for it so he picked some up on his way home from work. They really do make a big difference. Definitely try this one out!

Amy's Lemon Rice with Pine Nuts
2 1/2 C. chicken broth (I used water and boullion cubes)
1 C. jasmine rice
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped (I've used sweet, white, and red. All were good.)
1/4 C. pine nuts
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 min. Remove from heat, set aside. In a medium skillet melt mutter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until clear. Add cooked rice, pine nuts, lemon juice, parsley, salt & pepper.

Honey-Hoisin Chicken

2011-08-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

My husband found this recipe in Parents' magazine. It's a real keeper. It was really quick and easy to throw together, but it also tasted delicious.

Honey-Hoisin Chicken

3 T hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken, cut into thin strips (I used to large breast halves)
3 C. cooked rice (I used Jasmine, my new favorite)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. In a small bowl whisk together the hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice and 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce. Brush remaining mixture onto chicken strips and place them in skillet to cook. Allow to cook for about 3 min each side, or until cooked through. Serve chicken on top of rice. Drizzle with reserved Sauce.

Why I never should have taught my 3 year old why I can’t eat “gluten-free”

2011-08-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

My little girl is very conscious about gluten-free food. When she was pretty little she was always trying to cram gold fish or cookies into my mouth so I had to teach her young that mommy just couldn’t eat them since they weren’t gluten-free. Today it back-fired. =)

We were in the car running errands and she asked for a drink. I passed her my water bottle and when she was done I asked for it back and she said, “Sorry, Mom. It’s not gluten-free.” I believe the translation is: “Sorry, Mom. I have no intention of sharing with you.” Kids…

Green Beans with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

2011-08-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I purchased my first “Bountiful Basket.” I was not disappointed at all. I think I’ll do that about once a month. It’s fun to get “mystery produce” and come up with ways to use it. I can’t wait to tell you about the bread I made with the sweet potatoes we got. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it was amazing and you’ll love me for giving you the recipe. I was excited to get fresh green beans. I love green beans and my baby (okay, so she’s 19 months old now) would eat a whole can at one meal if we let her, but my husband only likes fresh. I’ve never really known what to do with fresh ones, but when they showed up in my basket I decided I better figure it out. I found this recipe on For the Love of Cooking and decided to give it a whirl. The girls weren’t that into it, but the adults overwhelmingly approved.

Green Beans with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh green beans
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp sliced almonds
salt & pepper to taste

Combine oil, syrup, cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt & pepper in small container with a lid. Give it a good shake and let it sit while you prepare the beans. Place beans in a pot of boiling water and boil for about 4 minutes. Drain and drop into a bowl of ice water for about 1 minute. Drain again and place in bowl with almonds and tomatoes. Shake the dressing up again and pour it onto the beans, etc. Toss gently to cover and serve immediately. Delicious.

My New Favorite Pesto

2011-07-29T19:17:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe on The Sister’s Café and decided to try it. It’s only slightly different from the one I used before but it was easily the best pesto I’ve ever had. We have basil growing like weeds in our garden right now so it was fun to put it to use. Our camera battery is dead so my husband took a picture with his phone. Not bad, right?

Pesto

¼ c. walnuts
¼ c. pine nuts
3 T. minced garlic
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Put the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in blender. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. While blender is running, slowly pour the olive oil in and blend until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for 1 minute. Serve immediately or store in the fridge. I didn’t even put oil on the top and it has stayed nice. We’ve eaten it on pizza and then tonight we put it on pasta. It’s amazing!
(Green Bean recipe to follow)

Birthday Cake

2011-07-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my Birthday! I love Birthday’s.....and I love cake. What a combo! My husband bought me a gluten-free chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. It was a splurge, for sure, but worth it. If you live in the area you should really try that place out. (Pardon my grainy-ness)

(My husband calls me “Ferger.” A story for another day…)

The one that put me on the map…

2011-07-12T19:16:00.001-07:00

This is just a silly little blog where I like to keep my favorite gluten-free recipes. Mostly because, though I hate to admit it, I am getting flakier (word?) with age. This way, I can pull up my site and have access to everything I make on a regular basis. Someday I want to print them in a little book to keep in my kitchen, but I’ve got a ways to go for that. Anyway, last month a delightful person who will remain nameless (only because I have no clue who they are) posted about my blog on Facebook. Or something like that. I’m not on Facebook so I don’t know exactly how that went down, but my mom called one day to inform me that I was “famous” because she found a posting that referenced my blog and my Baked Pasta with Summer Veggies. What the crazy? I thought the two of us (my mom and I) were the only ones who even looked at this thing and the next thing I knew I was getting hits from over 400 places! Places I’ve never heard of like Willow Grove, PA or Belchertown, MA. Then places I HAVE heard of like Russia, Chile, and the UK. It’s been really fun for me to see where people are coming from, so please feel free to leave comments and let me know who/where you are. Thank you, mystery person, for telling people about my little blog. Last night I made the squash recipe that was referenced and thought I would post a little picture. I am terrible at food pictures, which is why there are few on this blog. How do you take a decent picture of a casserole-type dish anyway? Well, here it is. The Baked Pasta with Summer Veggies (complete with a plastic lizard in the background). I thought it deserved some recognition for making us new friends in 13 different countries. =) Thanks for coming by!

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite treat. I've made these twice now and they are just amazing! I'm usually hesitant to try anything with filling because it sounds a little too complicated for me, but it really wasn't. The complication has been finding the right amount of xanthan gum. The first time I made these I forgot to use any and they actually turned out pretty decent but were very sunken-in. Once I added the filling you really couldn't tell, so you could try them that way. The second time I used 1 1/2 tsp, which I think was way too much but I actually really liked the end result. The batter was pretty "gummy" and the cupcakes baked up sort of deformed-looking, but the texture was incredible and once they were frosted they looked perfect. It was almost like an angel-food cake or something. It was fantastic. I think the next time (because there WILL be a next time :)) I will try 1tsp or a little less of xanthan gum and see what that does. Maybe by then I'll be decent at taking pictures of food and you can see them. Anyway...these are amazing and super easy! The original recipe came from the Cupcake Blog.

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 c butter, room temperature (I used pureed white northern beans...takes away just about all the fat!)
2 c sugar
4 large eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 c gluten free all-purpose (I used 2 c Blue Chip Featherlite, 1/2 c tapioca & 1/4 c sweet sorghum...that's what I had on hand)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c milk
1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter on hight until soft (again, I used beans and skipped that step). Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs. In a seperate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. Slowly add milk combine well. Add lemon juice and zest. Scoop into cupcake papers that have been sprayed with cooking spray (about 1/2 full). Bake 20-23 min or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling rack. Once cool, add filling and frost. See below:

Raspberry Filling
Smuckers "Simply Fruit" Raspberry Spread

When the cupcakes have cooled, spoon about half a bottle of raspberry spread into a frosting bag with skinny tip. Poke about half way into the center of each cupcake and squirt until top begins to rise (I think it ends up being about 1/2tsp per cupcake)

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter, room temperature
6oz cream cheese (I used fat-free)
1 1/2-2 c powdered sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar to desired consistency (I used slightly more than 2 cups). Add lemon juice/zest. Beat to combine.

Dreams Do Come True…

2011-06-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

I am SO excited about the new Gluten-Free Rice Krispies! As soon as I found them (I got mine at Wal-Mart) we ran home and made Rice Krispy Treats. They were amazing. I have to say, since switching to a gluten-free diet it’s little things like a good old Rice Krispy Treat that I miss the most. =) I’ve tried the crispy brown rice cereals from health food stores and I never liked any of them, but these were so good! Plus, it was really fun to make these with my daughter for the first time. Her favorite color is blue and if you look close you can see her little blue sprinkles. Anyway, if you haven’t tried them out yet, you really should! They look like this:

Spanish Rice

2011-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is the side dish I like to make with my Honey Lime Enchiladas, or just about any other Mexcican recipe. I love this rice and this is a quick, easy recipe.

Red Spanish Rice

2T oil
1/4 medium onion
1 1/2 c rice
3 cloves finely chopped garlic (I use the bottled stuff)
2 1/2 c gf chicken broth (I used 2 1/2 c water and 2 gf boulion cubes)
1 c tomato sauce
1 tsp parsley (dried)

In a sauce pan heat oil on medium heat. Saute onions onions until clear. Add rice and stir-fry until it's a light brown color (5-ish minutes), add garlic. Add tomato sauce and broth (VERY SLOWLY!!). This will sizzle and splatter a bit, so be careful (and wear an apron :)) Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and add parsley. Cover and simmer for 20 min.

My Favorite Enchiladas

2011-06-19T08:15:00.001-07:00

I originally found this recipe on Sister’s Café. I love that blog. This is one of my favorite meals. It’s really simple, it makes 2 pans so I can freeze one for later, and it’s delicious.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5lb chicken (I use 2 large chicken breast halves), cooked and shredded (I do mine in the crockpot)
Sauce:
1/3 c honey
1/4 c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans gluten-free green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c equal parts shredded mozerella and shredded cheddar mixed together
Corn tortillas

Combine sauce ingredients and pour over chicken. Allow to sit for about 30 min. Pour small amount of sauce into 2 (9x13) pans to cover bottoms. I like to wrap 5-6 tortillas at a time in a wet paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds so they roll easier. Fill tortillas with about 2T chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese (I usually do at least a tablespoon or so in each tortilla). Roll and line them up in the pans. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 25 min, then turn broiler on and cook until tops looks brown and crispy.

I made bread!

2011-05-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

I am really excited that I have just made my first ever, successful, made-from-scratch gluten-free bread. I didn't get a picture before we ate half of it, but I'm going to post about it anyway so I don't forget how I did it. First I would like to say, that I have always been against recipes that call for 7 different flours and 19 total ingredients. It's just not my thing. However, after years and years of paying way too much for gluten-free bread (and usually just going without) I decided I needed to bite the bullet and do it. I needed to find a good "from scratch" recipe to help save money, and hopefully it would taste good. Now that it's been tried I'm planning to make several batches of the dry ingredients in ziplocks so that all I have to do is grab the bag and add the wet stuff (because I've always been a lover of "mixes"). I found this recipe on glutenfreemommy.com and tweeked it just a little. Also, I did mine in the bread machine so if you don't have one, read her post on how to bake it in the oven. Okay, here we go...

Delicious Gluten-Free Bread

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl:
1 C. brown rice flour
1/2 C. gf oat flour (can sub with quinoa flour)
3/4 c. millet flour
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/3 c. corn starch
1/3 c. sweet sorghum flour
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1 tbsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. brown sugar

Mix wet ingredients sparately (my machine calls to put wet in first, then dry on top)
3 eggs
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 1/4 c. hot water

Put wet ingredients into machine, pour dry on top. Make a small well in dry ingredients and add 1 packet dry active yeast. Use gluten-free setting on bread machine, this takes about 1 hr 20 min. It raised great and tastes fabulous!

My New Favorite Banana Bread

2011-04-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

People. I tried the most bizarre thing ever, and it was a total success, so I wanted to share. A few nights ago a friend at work showed me this blog. This woman reveals an amazing secret (at least it was news to me...). Oil can be substituted in baked goods with BEANS!! Yes, beans. Stay with me, now. Here's what I did: I made this recipe and instead of 1/2 c. oil, I used 1/2 cup white beans pureed with water. She shows you how to do it on her blog. I opened a can of beans, drained them, filled them back up with water and them tossed it in the magic bullet. You just switch it out, cup for cup. You would never guess. It tasted fabulous, and I felt so much less guilt eating half of it in one day. =) Imagine the decrease in fat, and all that extra protien and fiber!

Yogurt Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (or go crazy and use pureed beans/water)
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c. walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan (or use 3 small loaf pans). In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes (about 40 minutes for smaller loaf pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

Rolled Ham & Cheese Omelet

2011-04-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

This is what we ate for Sunday dinner last night. =) It was so easy and we all loved it! The nice thing about this recipe is that while I am a plain, “ham’n’cheese” type person, you could really add whatever veggies or meat you wanted as a filling.

Rolled Ham & Cheese Omelet
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Blue Chip Feather Lite)
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
2-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Line the bottom and sides of a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add flour and salt; mix until combined. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Add cream cheese mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are puffed and set (the gluten-free version didn’t “puff” nearly as pretty as the regular, but it was set). Remove from the oven. Immediately spread cheese and ham, reserving about 1/4 c. of cheese.
Roll up from a short side, peeling parchment paper away while rolling. Once I got mine started, I actually just pulled upward on the parchment and the omelet rolled itself. Super easy. Sprinkle top of roll with the remaining cheese; bake 3-4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Slice into 12 rings and serve.

Broiled Tilapia

2011-04-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I found a few weeks ago on Sister's Cafe. It was pure heaven. Try it out.

Broiled Tilapia

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 T mayonnaise
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celery salt
2 lbs tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler. Grease broiling pan or line with foil. Combine parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Add basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Place fillets on prepared pan. Broil a few inches form the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip fillets over and broil for a few more minutes. Remove from oven and cover with Parmesan cheese mixture. Broil for 2 more minutes or until topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook. Serve immediately.

The best thing happened to me today...

2011-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

I went to the Sweet Tooth Fairy and had one of their new gluten-free cupcakes. Oh my word. It was so dang good! They just started making gluten-free cupcakes, brownies, and cookies this month and they all look amazing. Their French Macarons are also gluten-free and they are just to die for. I'm a huge Sweet Tooth Fairy fan. I love a good, "cute," treat every now and then so I love this place! Go try it!

Bake Sale Brownies (Aka: BEST BROWNIES EVER!)

2011-03-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight my cute sister-in-law made the most fabulous gluten-free brownies. She actually used the America's Test Kitchen Bake Sale Brownies recipe, but just switched the flour for gluten-free. They were so amazing! Definitely worth a try.

Bake Sale Brownies
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 and move an oven rack to the middle position. Grease an 8in square pan (or line w/ foil). Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring often, for about 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour until well mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and about 22-27 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tikka Masala

2011-03-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

Phil & I only recently discovered how much we like Indian food. It really is fabulous. I’ve been looking for a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala (my favorite Indian dish) for a while now, but usually they’re quite complicated or consist of 17 ingredients I don’t even own. This one was meant for me. The only thing I had to go buy is cayenne pepper. It was really easy to make and it turned out amazing. Phil said it tasted “real,” which I think meant that next time we go out for Indian Food I’ll try something else, because this is just as good as what I could buy there. Just a warning, I made this last night and my kitchen still smells like it today. Well worth it, I might add.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I used lime)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (I used ground)
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or chunks
Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Grill or cook chicken in frying pan. Discard marinade.
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Add the seasonings. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
And maybe open a window. =)

Coconut Curry Noodles

2011-03-21T13:54:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café and we loved it! It was really easy and tasted fantastic. Here is the recipe as adapted by Mel:

Cocnut Curry Noodles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans light or regular coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cups sweet Thai chili sauce
2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 (13.5 ounce) package rice noodles (about ¼-inch wide)
1 yellow onion, sliced into thin half moons
2 red peppers, cored and sliced thinly
1 cup broccoli slaw or thinly sliced matchstick carrots
1 teaspoon salt to taste

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a pan and add the curry paste and ginger. Let this simmer, stirring constantly, for about one minute.
Add the chicken and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Add the coconut milk, sweet Thai chili sauce, cilantro, and chicken broth. Bring this to a simmer.

Add the red pepper, carrots and rice noodles and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom, for about 5-8 minutes. The noodles will thicken and plump up as they absorb the liquid. The mixture will be slightly soupy when the noodles are finished cooking.
Take the pot off the heat and let the noodles sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

2011-02-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe while gluten-free-blog-stalking the other night and knew it was meant to be. I changed very little about it. I've been c raving some kind of blueberry-baked-deliciousness and this looked like the cure. I made it for our Valentine's Day breakfast and I was amazed by how good it was. It has almost an angel food texture and it's just pure awesome. It was delicious hot and it was just as good right out of the fridge the next day. This is really worth trying. I'm excited to try other recipes from the Gluten Free Mommy.

Gluten-Free Mommy's
BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE

4 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter or butter substitute, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups gluten free flour, reserve 1/2 cup to mix with blueberries.
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup milk
10-12 oz. fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (except sugar). Reserve 1/2 cup of your flour mix to mix with your blueberries. In a separate medium bowl, beat 4 egg whites until stiff. In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually. Add vanilla. Add egg yolks and beat until well blended. Add 2 1/2 cups of flour mix and 1 cup milk alternately until throughly combined. Fold in egg whites. Mix the 1/2 cup reserved flour with blueberries. Fold in blueberry mixture. Pour into greased cake pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 a toothpick comes out clean.

Amy's Finnish Soup

2011-02-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy brought this soup in to work a week or two ago and between the amazing color of it and the report that her family all loved it, I decided it was something I needed to try. It absolutely did not disappoint! This soup was so good. Katie ate as much as she could fit in her little belly. We loved it.

Finnish Soup

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

3-4 potatoes peeled chopped

1 large purple onion, chopped

4-5 carrots peeled, chopped

*I also added one yam, peeled and chopped. Amy said it was also good with butternut squash.

Put in a large stock pot with about 8 cups of chicken broth (enough to cover veggies) and salt and pepper.

Cover with lid and cook until veggies are really soft, about 30 min. Puree soup in blender a little at a time. Return to pot and put in 1-8 oz. block of low-fat cream cheese. Heat until melted and smooth!

Fudgy Brownies

2011-01-17T12:56:00.001-08:00

Last night we were craving sugar. Phil specifically wanted brownies. I’m a big fan of mixes, but I didn’t have a gluten-free one so I decided to try making some from scratch. It was a risky move when we were so desperate for something delicious, but it turned out rather amazing! This is a recipe that I HIGHLY recommend trying out. It sounds way more time consuming than it really is.

Fudgy Brownies
1/4 c. almonds, ground fine in food processor (I used the incredible Magic Bullet)
1/4 c. gf oats, also ground fine
1/3 c. rice flour
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. walnut or pecan pieces (I left these out, but I bet that would be delicious!)

Preheat oven to 325 and generously grease 8x8 pan. Combine ground almonds, oats, and rice flour, set aside. Place the chocolate, butter, and salt in a sauce pan and melt on stove-top over low heat. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 min. Add the sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until moistened. Stir in nuts if you’re using them. Scrape batter into pan and bake about 25 min or until a tooth pick comes out moist but clean.
These are delicious warm (we ate them with vanilla ice cream) but were equally amazing when they were completely cooled the next morning (yes, morning. Don’t judge me).

Cocnut Curry Chicken

2010-12-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Phil and I went out for Indian food for the first time (Thank you, Trina) and we loved it. We decided we needed to try more foods we don't eat very often. Who knows what else we're missing? This week I decided to experiment with curry. I was scared, but it went well. We really liked this dish. Katie even ate it. Actually, at first she refused to eat it. Then we bribed her with a movie or something to try one bite of chicken. After that she said, "Mom! I can eat all my chicken!" And she did. You can find the original recipe here. I changed a few ingredients (mostly because I couldn't find green curry paste and I could never put a whole onion in any recipe. Ever.) and it worked out great. I hope you like it, too!

Coconut Curry Chicken

2 chicken breast halves, sliced in small pieces

crushed garlic

olive oil

4 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped on a diagonal

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 can coconut milk

2-3 tsp red curry paste

3 Tb sugar

corn starch to thicken

Stir fry chicken in garlic and olive oil, set aside. Stir fry veggies and onion in garlic and olive oil until the onions are cooked through. Combine chicken with veggies in large skillet. Pour coconut milk over and stir in curry paste, sugar, and corn starch (I did about 2tsp). We ate this over jasmine rice like the original recipe suggests and it was so so good. This serves about 4.

Gingerbread Waffles

2010-12-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything new, but I promise this is worth the wait. I didn't take any pictures because, well, I'm not good and photographing food. But you can go here to see the original recipe (not gf version) complete with irresistable picture. I made these this week as a holliday breakfast treat and they were fabulous. It's kind of a lot of sugar but hey, it's Christmas time. Try these out. They'll change your life. =)

Gingerbread Waffles

1/2 c. butter melted

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. molasses

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

2 c. gf all purpose flour (I used Blue Chip Featherlite mix)

1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. ginger

1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients in a mixer and cook on waffle iron. Mine were very soft and flexible when I pulled them off. Softer than a normal waffle.

Serve them with this delicious little sugar-potion:

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter

1/2 c. corn syrup

1 c. buttermilk (I used regular milk + tsp cider vinegar)

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

Place in a big pot, it will boil huge. Boil just until it turns a darker brown color. Mine took about 5 minutes.

Or, eat them plain. Or cold. Or however you want. They're so good!

Pumpkin Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-10-06T12:59:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the food. I love pumpkin so I’m always up for trying a new recipe. I got the pumpkin bar recipe from Betty Crocker and the frosting from here. These turned out great and I think this frosting would taste good on just about anything you make with pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bars
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs
1.   Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottom and sides of cookie sheet shortening or cooking spray.
2.   In large bowl, beat all bar ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread in pan.
3.   Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 2 hours.
4.   Spread frosting over bars. Store in refrigerator.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

I hate to say it, but I totally rocked dinner tonight.

2010-09-28T19:41:00.001-07:00

I have an all-new obsession. I can’t get enough gluten-free Bisquick. It’s just amazing. It makes the best waffles and pancakes ever. Then I tried the “Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie” everyone’s always telling me about. Delish. Tonight I made the recipe on the box for Chicken Fingers and it was the bomb. We absolutely loved them. I was looking in recipe books for something to use up my zucchini and yellow squash and found a recipe for “Garden Frittata.” I like recipes that are naturally gluten-free and don’t require any modification, and that’s what this is. This was an unlikely combo, but made a great dinner! Here are the recipes:

GF Bisquick Chicken Tenders

3/4 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1.   Heat oven to 450°F. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
2.   Stir Bisquick mix, cheese, paprika and salt in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken strips into eggs, then coat with Bisquick mixture; repeat dipping in eggs and Bisquick mixture. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Drizzle butter over chicken.
3.   Bake 12 to14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, until no longer pink in center.
**We dipped these in ranch, honey & ketchup.

Garden Frittata (recipe from Taste of Home)

1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 medium tomato, sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 T. fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine squash, zucchini and onion in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender, drain. Put veggies into a greased 9 inch pie plate. Top with mozzarella, tomato slices. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, basil salt and pepper and pour over veggies. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake uncovered for about 45 min at 375 degrees. Let stand about 10 minutes.

Baked Pasta with Summer Veggies

2010-09-15T19:21:00.001-07:00

This recipe is a slight variation of one my Corsen gave me a few weeks ago and I’ve been waiting for my red peppers to ripen so I could make it. It turned out really amazing. Phil even loved it, and he’s not a huge fan of meals that don’t involve meat. So there ya go.

Baked Pasta with Summer Veggies

4 cloves chopped garlic
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 zucchinis, sliced (I used one zucchini, one yellow squash)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. spiral or penne pasta (Used Tinkyada spirals and the texture was awesome)
1 C. cottage cheese
2 carrot, sliced
1 C. Parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
3/4 C. crushed Rice Chex cereal

Preheat oven to 425
1) cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions
2) Toss garlic, peppers and squash in large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. place veggies on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
3) mix cottage cheese, 1/2 of parmesan and nutmeg in large bowl. Gently fold in cooked pasta, veggies, tomatoes, cubed mozzarella and seasonings. Pour into greased baking pan.
4) Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and crushed cereal. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Mexican Casserole

2010-08-13T13:57:00.001-07:00

So, I stole this recipe from my friend Janeen. She brought this to our family after I had my baby in December and we couldn’t get enough of it. I finally have the recipe and made it myself this week. It’s a real keeper.

Mexican Casserole
1lb of ground beef
1 med onion diced (I didn’t have an onion and it was still good)
brown and drain grease
Add:
1 can corn
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 package gf taco seaoning
1 15 oz can of black beans
2 cups grated cheese
1 can tomatoes & green chilies (like the Rotel ones)
8 Corn tortillas
Cover bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with a small amount of tomato sauce and a layer of tortillas. Spread half of beef mixture and sprinkle half of cheese, cover with a layer of tortillas. Repeat and top with extra cheese. Bake for 30 min @ 375 degrees. Serve with chips.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-13T13:47:00.001-07:00

I tried these today and I’m in love. They’re amazing. I modified this recipe from one on Gluten-Free Goddess. Try it. You won’t be sorry.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 3/4 c. all purpose gluten-free flour (I used Blue Chip Feather Lite, my new favorite in almost everything)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
*Whisk these in a bowl and set aside. Then cream together:
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
2 eggs
*Add dry ingredients to cream mixture, mix well. Then add:
3 c. gluten-free oats
1 c. milk chocolate chips
*Scoop tablespoon-sized balls onto well greased cookie sheet and bake 11-13 min. This made about 3 1/2 dozen cookies so there’s plenty to freeze for later!

My New Favorite Lunch Idea

2010-08-13T13:39:00.001-07:00

A while back I ran into our hospital dietician, who told me one of her patients brought this for her to try and it was really good. I was nervous, but eventually I tried it and I love it!

Tuna Rice Wraps
Tuna Salad (however you like it…I mix mine w/ mayo, shredded cheddar, salt & pepper)
Crunchy lettuce leaves
Rice paper (I looked for this for weeks…finally found it in the Asian section at Whole Foods. It came in a big package for about $2)
*Soak rice paper in warm water as package directs, lay flat on a plate. Spread tuna in the middle of rice paper and top with lettuce. Wrap like a spring roll by tucking 3 edges to the center and rolling the final one to seal it. It’s delicious. Maybe next time I’ll take a picture in case this doesn’t explain it very well, but they should end up long and skinny.

2 New Recipes to Share

2010-07-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. I have slacked so bad on this poor little blog. I have also slacked bad in the kitchen, which is part of the problem. We tried 2 new recipes this week from GF blogs I love that were both amazing, so I thought I'd bring them to your attention. Maybe I'll come up with something good on my own again one of these days.

First, you absolutely have to try The Gluten Free Goddess'
Mediterranean Chicken Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Peppers. It's delicous and so much easier than it sounds. It's a really pretty dish (my husband even said so) and it tasted fantastic.

Next, try this Shredded Pork recipe from Crockpot365. We used this as taco filling in corn tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. It was amazing. The next night we used it for nachos and that was really good too.

Note To Self: Bread-Making Edition

2010-05-31T13:18:00.001-07:00

I recently read this article from the “Gluten-Free Goddess” which has totally changed the way I make bread. About 4 years ago my husband found me this bread machine for Christmas (it’s the exact one she’s talking about. Wasn’t that a thoughtful gift?). I have spent all this time trying to find a way to make awesome bread in it. The recipe in the manual is good, but it calls for something like a million ingredients. I’m not into recipes that call for 17 flours, plus dry milk, egg replacer, blah blah blah. I like things simple (which makes gluten-free baking especially challenging). I am in love with Pamela’s Bread Mix. It’s delicious. The package says specifically not to use your gluten-free setting, but to use the “basic white” setting. This has always given me a loaf with great flavor, but it’s super dense and about 3 inches tall. This got old. It was only really usable for toast (WAY good toast, though). When I read the article from the Goddess, it was hard for me to figure out how she rigged hers up, but for me what worked was using the “Super Rapid” setting. It works fabulous and only takes an hour and 20 minutes! It makes the cutest, chubbiest, loaf of bread and it’s perfect for sandwiches or whatever else you want to make with it. I also tried removing the paddle this time after the mix cycle and it was a total success. No more huge whole through the middle of the loaf. Anyway, just thought I’d share my progress a) so I don’t forget how I did it and b) in case someone else is having a similar problem. Have a good week!

Easy, Easy, Easy.

2010-05-08T15:06:00.001-07:00

As-in, “magic-wand-easy.”

My husband had his tonsils taken out this week. It’s not been fun. I’ve been trying to find things to make that he can eat (you know…soft, squishy stuff), but it hasn’t been pleasant. I tried a new-ish thing that was so easy. I thought since it involved mashed potatoes we’d have a winner. He couldn’t eat it, but my daughter and I really liked it so I thought I’d share it with you. It’s just a different kind of Shepherd’s Pie than I had ever had before and it was dang good. Here’s the recipe (renamed by myself):

NEW-ISH SHEPHERD’S PIE

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

1 can green beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used the Health Valley GF stuff)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups mashed potatoes

Directions:

Brown the ground beef on the stove-top and drain grease. Add soup and green beans and heat through. Pour meat mixture into casserole dish and cover with cheese. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min or until spuds are lightly browned.

Browned Butter Frosting

2010-04-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I recieved the most delightful package in the mail. It was from my mom, and it contained half a dozen banana cupcakes. Yum. She sent me the recipe along with a new recipe for frosting and because I love sweets so dang much, I tried it immediately. It was the most amazing twist on regular vanilla frosting. Looking for something new and delicious to eat? Try it! You can find the recipe for the cupcakes and the frosting right here.

Bean Enchiladas

2010-03-02T21:00:00.001-08:00

We’ve been trying to eat more “meatless” entrees lately and this one was really pretty good. Super easy, too.

Bean Enchiladas
12-6 inch corn tortillas (I wrapped them in a wet paper towel and microwaved them for 30 seconds so they rolled easier)
2 c. refried beans
1 c. cottage cheese (stay with me, I promise it’s good)
2-3 T. salsa
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 (15oz) can red enchilada sauce

Mix together beans, cottage cheese, salsa, and cheese. Dip corn tortillas in enchilada sauce so both sides are covered. Place about 1/2 c. of bean mixture on each tortilla. Roll them carefully and line them up in a 9x13 in pan. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with extra cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min or until heated through.

Girl vs. Food

2010-03-01T14:32:00.001-08:00

All day my daughter has been trying to sneak a cupcake. She gets as far as stealing the whole container off the counter, but hasn’t figured out how to hide it after that. I told her if she finished ALL of her lunch (peanut butter triangles and a banana) she could have one. It was so on. Just like always, she pulled apart her triangles and licked all the pb and jam off, stuck them back together and finished them in record time. The banana disappeared incredibly fast as well. When it was time to pay-up, I sliced a cupcake in half and gave her just the top (she usually just licks the frosting off). She loved it and told me it was “delicious!” Let this be a lessen to all you non-believers that not all gluten-free food is disgusting. =)

*Cupcakes made from Gluten-Free Pantry’s “Decadent Chocolate Cake” mix and they really are AMAZING!

Pork Lo Mein

2010-02-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

I am typically intimidated by anything that sounds as fancy as “Pork Lo Mein.” I’m just not a very adventurous cook, but I decided to try this out and it was to die for! So incredibly easy and so good you’ll think you’re having take-out. Try it and let me know what you think.

Pork Lo Mein

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch slices (I think chicken or beef would probably work too)

1/4 c soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3tsp of the bottled stuff)

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 c. fresh snow peas

equivalent of one sweet bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used half of an orange one and 1/4 each of a red and yellow one)

3 c. cooked spaghetti (I used Tinkyada. I think texture-wise this one is fantastic for recipes like this)

1/3 c. chicken broth

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes. Add the pork, shake it up nice and refrigerate it for about 20 min. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Pour entire contents of bag into the skillet and stir-fry for about 5-6 min or until meat is cooked through. Add peas and peppers and stir-fry for one minute. Stir in the spaghetti and broth and heat it through. Remove from heat and stir in the oil.

This will be the most delicious thing you eat all week. I promise.

Sausage & Lentil Soup

2010-01-23T11:59:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it’s been a while. Our 2nd baby girl was born in December, and in the months leading up to that event I wasn’t super into trying new foods. My husband found a recipe similar to this on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and we modified it just a smidge. It turned out fabulous!

SAUSAGE & LENTIL SOUP

1 (16 oz) package dry lentils (rinsed)

1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cans beef broth (or water/bouillon to make 4 cups)

2 cups water

2-3 large carrots, chopped

1 pound kielbasa sausage (I cut the whole thing in half lengthwise and then cut it into 1/2-1 inch chunks)

2 stalks celery, chopped

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours. We ate it with biscuits (Pillsbury for gluten-eaters, and the recipe on the back of the “Pamela’s pancake & baking mix” for non-gluten-eaters) and it was delicious!

Chicken Basil Pasta

2009-09-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

I recently found a recipe website that I love! It’s called Eat Better America. We’ve made a few successful recipes from this site that I’ll try to post soon, but the one we made tonight….oh, it was delicious. I had to post it right now. I modified the recipe just a little bit, so here’s my version:
Chicken Basil Pasta

1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 C. cubed cooked chicken
3 T fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Tobasco Sauce
8 oz pasta (I used Tinkyada spaghetti noodles)

Prepare pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add all other ingredients and cook until tomatoes are soft (about 5 min). Serve over pasta. Sprinkle a little parmesan on top if you want.
When I made this, I was looking at it wondering why it wasn’t more “saucy.” If you’re as concerned as I was about the lack-of-sauce, just have a little faith and try it out. It doesn’t need sauce. It’s perfect just the way it is.

Chicken-Bacon Roll Ups

2009-08-18T19:54:00.001-07:00

Last week my husband made this delish dish, so I thought I’d pass it along. I was nervous about the sauce, but it really was great! I’m way sad I didn’t take a picture of this one. My husband always makes pretty food.
Chicken-Bacon Roll Ups
Here’s what you need:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (pounded flat) 6 slices cooked bacon 3 slices muenster cheese (cheddar or provolone would work too)
Mix together for Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup apricot jam
Here’s what you do: once you’ve pounded your chicken flat, lay a slice of cheese and 2 bacon strips on there. Now roll them up and stick toothpicks in them to hold them together. Put them in a 9x13 baking dish and pour sauce over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min, until chicken is cooked.
We ate it with baked potatoes and we thought it would probably also be good over rice. We also thought if you weren’t into the sauce it would be good with regular bbq sauce, but try it first. See what you think…it’s good stuff!

Something New...

2009-08-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Finally I did it. I tried something new again, and it NOT disapoint! I made this recipe for Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes from Crockpot 365 and it was absolute heaven! Because we simply couldn't last one meal without some kind of carb, I served the chicken over Tinkyada Spiral pasta, which I covered in a little butter and a lot of parmesan cheese (I felt justified since this version of pesto didn't call for any). It was delicious! I highly recommend this one.

For Dinner This Week...

2009-05-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share one of my current favorite dinners. It's so easy. Tinkyada is by far my favorite brand of gluten-free pasta. It's great because it can hold-up to a little over-cooking and the texture really is just like "real" pasta. This Classico Pesto is delicious. I bought it for about $2.50 at WalMart. At Super Target I saw a Classico Sundried Tomato Pesto that I'll be testing out ASAP.

All I did was cook the pasta according to the directions and then stir in the Pesto, right from the can. I didn't add any meat, I don't think it needs it. If you want meat I think chicken would be yummy. I also have a recipe for homemade pesto if you want to try that.

Here's What's For Dinner Tonight

2009-05-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Another new recipe...this one earned my husband's approval. =)

TOFU MEATLESS TACOS

1/2 c water

1/4 c lentils, rinsed and drained

1/4 c chopped onion

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (or enchilada sauce)

1/2 package taco seasoning (5 tsp)

8 oz firm tofu, drained and finely chopped

In saucepan combine water, lentils, and onion. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 min or till lentils are tender & liquid is absorbed.

Stir in tomato or enchilada sauce and taco seasoning into lentils. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in tofu; heat through. Serve on warmed tortillas or taco shells. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, and salsa.

Spinach Lasagna

2009-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law made this for us this weekend and it was delicious! We'll be making it again soon.

SPINACH LASAGNA

1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
3 C. Mozerella cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 box Oven-ready lasagna noodles (I use Tinkyada)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups mozerella cheese, 1/2 c parmesan cheese and eggs. Layer sauce, cottage cheese mixture, spinach and noodles in 9x13 pan. Repeat layers and top with 3 noodles, sauce, and 1 cup mozerella cheese. Bake 45 min. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Awesome Sugar Cookies

2009-04-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I've posted. That's mostly because it's been forever since I've tried anything new. I guess I've been a little lazy. Today I snapped out of it. We needed sugar in a BAD way. I found a new recipe for sugar cookies on the Sunflower Market website that I changed just a little and I loved the way they turned out! Try it...

Sugar Cookies
1 c. shortening (I like the "butter flavored" for baking)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. Gluten-Free Flour Blend (I used Bob's Red Mill "All Purpose.")
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sour cream (I have used vanilla yogurt instead with equally great results)

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture with sour cream; mix until smooth. Cover bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes. Bake for 8-10 min at 350 degrees. Frost when cooled. I like this frosting.

***I meant to put a picture right here of the most precious little girl with frosting all over her hands and face. If it weren't for the frosting all over my own hands, I probably could have accomplished that. Oh well.

Sunflower Market

2009-03-02T13:03:00.001-08:00

Today we went shopping at the Sunflower Market, which is new to our area. You really ought to see if there's one by you! It's a famer's market store, so lots of local and gluten-free stuff. I buy my quinoa there in bulk. I also like their prices on some mixes and canned things. They have great produce for awesome prices (not everything, look for what's on sale). It surprised me, however, that I found whole milk for my baby for $1.69 a gallon!!! I was planning on stopping at a "regular store" on my way home, assuming that it would be really over priced. That'll teach me!

Go check it ou!

Against the Grain

2009-03-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places to shop is called "Against the Grain." I like this store because EVERYTHING in it is gluten-free. I discovered today that they have a website and you can buy things online if you're not from Utah. They have the most delicious things! You can buy the most incredible sugar cookies in the world, with frosting that will change your life! The cookies and cakes (whole cakes or by-the-slice) have both passed the "Phil-thinks-they-taste-real-test." A little pricey, of course, but so worth it! They sell most of the same mixes, pastas, frozen stuff that all the other stores sell. They also sell lots of "normal" pantry items (dressings, sauces, soups, candy, etc) that maybe you didn't know you could eat. That's where I learned the fabulous information that I can eat that cheesy brocolli Progresso soup. Divine.

They have food storage kits. Seriously. And they're really cool!

If you're interested go to the link. I know you can pick up fresh baked goods at least one day a week and maybe you'll really like it. Also, they make special order pies and other Thanksgiving delights.

Anyway...Just thought you'd like to know.

Broadening our Horizons...

2009-02-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

The Little Tiny and I are in need of some new lunch ideas. She is currently obsessed with peaches, wants nothing else. I am completely bored with sandwiches. In hopes of inspiring her to like more fruits again, I made us a delicious smoothie for lunch. It consisted of:

1/2 c vanilla yogurt, 1/2 c orange juice, 1/2 c frozen mixed berries, 1/2 frozen banana, and 2T milled Flax.

It was great. I gave her some in her own cup and she was in heaven. Then, in a split second she had some how dumped it all down the front of her. My first thought was, why do I do things like that and create more work for myself? Well, because it makes her so happy, and that's what Oxy Clean is for. =) I spent the next half hour chasing her around trying to get her dressed again.

Does anyone have any lunch time ideas to share? Anything at all that doesn't involve putting something between two pieces of bread? Let me know...

Salsa Chicken

2009-02-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

My least favorite part of the day is deciding what to make for dinner. This inspired me to start making a monthly menu, that way it's already decided for me. It works great. Every month I ask my husband what he wants to eat. There are a few that always come up, one of which is Salsa Chicken. I got this recipe from my mom.

Salsa Chicken

3 chicken breast halves (about 1 per person), cut in small pieces

1 1/4 c. Salsa (I like mild, but if you like things really spicy, go medium or hot)

1 1/4 c. apricot jam (I can usually only find Apricot/Pineapple and that's great too)

Rice or Quinoa cooked per package

Cook chicken on stove top or in electric skillet in 1-2T extra virgin olive oil. When chicken is cooked through, add salsa and jam. Cook until sauce is bubbling. Serve chicken and sauce over rice or quinoa (we like the quinoa but rice is good, too). You can add as much chicken and sauce as you want, so this is a really easy/versatile recipe.

Serve with steamed brocolli.

Small side note: as I was finishing typing this post, I could feel my daugher putting stickers on my back (she loves stickers all of a sudden). When I finished I looked and saw she has actually covered me with stamps!!! Where do you suppose she was sending me? I hope somewhere warm. And where on earth did she find 37 cent stamps?!

Here's what's for dinner tonight...

2009-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

The smell of that roast in the crockpot is making us all crazy with anticipation! We are HUGE Cafe Rio fans in this family, so when we found a recipe that is almost as good as their sweet pork, it quickly became one of our favorites. It doesn't taste exactly the same, but it's really really good!

The day we make this we eat it on tostadas. We start with a corn tortilla then layer on the black beans, sweet pork, shredded lettuce, cheese and ranch dressing. It's amazing! Then day two we usually eat it for lunch on Nachos with just the meat and cheese on chips. Delicious again. Then on day three we typically eat the meat in tacos, sometimes enchiladas. These combos can go on for days. We usually vacuum seal some to eat later in the month as well. Try this out! I think you'll like it!

PORK BARBACOA
2 or 3 lb. pork loin roast (or 5-6 chicken breats)
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1/2 to 1 c. water (I added 1/2 c. and it seemed to work fine.)

Cook in crock pot for6 hours onlow or 4 hours on high. Shred and then add:

1 (15 oz.) can of red enchilada sauce
3/4 c. dark brown sugar

Not Yo Mama's Meatloaf

2009-02-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

I was never a big fan of meat loaf, until one fine day when my mom made this little number. My mind was forever changed. This is what we had for dinner tonight and Phil is anxiously awaiting eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. =) Here’s the recipe:

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Combine:
1 lb. ground beef
½ c. gf oats
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c. grated cheese

Shape into a loaf and put in loaf pan.

Combine sauce ingredients:
1 ½ Tbsp prepared mustard
½ c. brown sugar
2/3 c ketchup

Pour sauce over meat loaf. Bake (uncovered) for 1 hour at 350.

We eat this with baked potatoes.

Introducing: Placos

2009-02-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

"Placos" are what we like to call our variation of Tacos. I'm not really sure why. But they're good. This isn't anything spectacular, but we like them this way so I'll pass it along.

We cook our corn tortillas on the stove in a little extra virgin olive oil. Then fill them with this delicious mix:

Cook 1 lb ground beef on stovetop
Add 1 can black beans, cook through and strain beans and meat.
Add 1 med potato, shredded and cook approx 5 min.

Top with regular taco stuff, but definitely avocado and fresh lime juice.
We eat this almost weekly. =)

More Meal Ideas...

2009-01-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

For breakfast today I had my favorite cereal, Rice Chex, which only recently became gluten-free. What a blessing that was! My favorite way to eat this stuff is over yogurt with fresh fruit on top. Delish!

My husband and daughter are sick today. I wanted a lunch that would be tummy-friendly and this was perfect!! I love this tomato soup! It's ready to serve so you just pour it out and warm it up. I've seen it at most health food stores, but this one I bought at Harmon's. I also had a grilled cheese sandwich with my Whole Foods GF Sandwich bread and it was great!

My dinner suggestion is actually from last night. We LOVE spaghetti squash!! It's a great alternative to pasta. Most people probably know how to make this, but I had no idea. For those like me, here's the directions:

Spaghetti Squash Dinner

1- Spaghetti Squash (serves 2 adults and one cute baby)
1- bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce. I'm cheap so i like Hunt's Zesty & Spicy
1/2 - 1 lb cooked ground beef or italian sausage

Cut squash in half length wise and clean out the seeds. Lightly brush edges and inside with extra virgin olive oil (I don't have a brush I use my fingers). Place squash cut side down on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 1 hour. When you pull it out use a fork to pull the squash away from the edges so the inside looks like a bowl of noodles. Leave it inside the shell (I don't know what the outside is really called) and pour you meat and sauce over the "noodles." Stir it up and eat it right out of the shell. Try it, I bet you'll like it.

Chewey Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Can you tell that I like junk food? It's hard to find good gluten-free treats, so any that I have I will put on here. Today I made these cookies and I love them! I think they're even better than "normal" cookies. If you try them, let me know what you think!

Chewey Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. chocolate chips

mix ingredients in the order they are listed. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350. Allow to cool 10 min before removing from cookie sheet.

HOLY DELICIOUS!!!!

2009-01-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight our Namaste Blondies were gone, and I couldn't stand the idea of not having dessert. I got on the CrockPot 365 blog for some inspiration and found a Peach Pie recipe. It was amazing! It took me less than 5 minutes to throw together. I put it in the crockpot at about 5 and we ate it at about 9:30.

Here's my version of the recipe:

1-29oz can peaches, with juice
1 1/4 c. gf baking mix (I used Pamelas. Not baking gluten-free? Use Bisquick!)
1/2 c. brown sugar
2T melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Pour peaches in the bottom of your crockpot. In a separate bowl, combine all other ingredients. Mixture will be really crumbly. Pour over peaches and press down slightly with your hand. Cook on high for 4 hours. Top with vanilla ice cream.

This was so easy and we LOVED IT!

TUESDAY'S PIZZA

2009-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

I hate to brag, but this one is delicious! This is Pesto/Tomato/Spinach Pizza, with homemade Pesto sauce. So easy, and SO good!

Ingredients:

GF Pizza crust, prepared per package instructions

3 Roma Tomatoes, diced

enough baby spinach leaves to cover pizza

1-1 1/2 cups mozerella cheese

1 recipe homemade Pesto

3 c. Fresh Basil (I buy mine at Whole Foods)

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced (I use 2.5 tsp of the bottled/refridgerated stuff)

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

Blend ingredients in blender or food processor (this takes a little TLC in my blender)

Spread sauce evenly on crust. Top with spinach leaves, however many you want. Top those with all the tomatoes, then cover with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

About crust. I've never made a crust from scratch, perhaps one day, but not today. It took me some trial/error to find crust mixes that I like. I like the Gluten-Free Pantry French Bread & Pizza Crust mix, but it's really really soft. Blue Chip (I buy this at Macey's) has a pizza crust mix that has the texture of actual pizza crust. The best part? It has enough for 3 pizzas! Since this discovery we go through at least one package per month. This is another product Phil says tastes "real", so there you go.

Here's one last look, in case you weren't already convinced.

Slacked on the menu today but....

2009-01-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

I had to work today and I had a pretty busy day anyway so I sort of slacked on photographing my fantastic meals. However, my neice and nephew came to play for a while today. He has celiac and I thought I'd tell you what he brought for lunch because it was stuff I like.

These crackers are great, I think they have a little better texture than rice crackers. I think you can get them at just about any grocery store. There are several flavors, I really like the ranch ones.

Yes, you can eat this brand of taquitos! These are also sold just about everywhere. The chicken and beef are both gluten-free. I haven't found any other brand of frozen taquitos that is gluten-free, but I like these ones so I don't really care. Let me know if you find anything delicious to share!

DAY 1

2009-01-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here is my first daily menu post. You should know that I'm not a master photographer, and I have no clue about food presentation. Consider yourself warned. =)

Breakfast!!!

This is a pretty typical breakfast for me. Yoplait Yogurt is all gluten-free (that could always change so check labels). This muffin is one of my new favorite recipes! It's Quinoa Banana and it's amazing. I may have eaten more than one....but this is about what I eat, not how much, right? ;)

Here's the recipe:

Banana Quinoa Muffins

2 mashed bananas

2 Tbs Canola Oil

1 egg

1/2 C fat free milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

2/3 C Rice flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose, you can use plain rice)

1/2 C quinoa

1/3 C sugar

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

dash nutmeg

1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine bananas with wet ingredients, mix well. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine mixtures but don't stir too much! Grease muffin tin, fill 12 muffin cups. You can fill them almost all the way as these don't rise much. Bake for about 16 minutes. You won't be sorry.

Lunch

I had leftover Bear Creek Potato Soup. Did you know you can eat that? The brocolli and chilli ones, too! I love them because they're so filling and they're not terribly high in calories. I always add extra brocolli, this one has cauliflauer and carrots, too. The other half of the banana went to the little sugar bear. Actually, so did most of this half, too.

The bread is Whole Foods' brand rice bread. This is the first time I bought it and I'll for sure buy it again! It's in the frozen section. It's about the same price as other brands out there but it's a bigger loaf, therefore actually cheaper. It tastes pretty good. I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of gluten-free bread anyway, but this is a good one. I always toast GF bread. Then it's as if it's supposed to be the texture/density that it is. =)

FYI, I also like Kinnikinnick's Rice Bread. I've found it at Harmon's and other health food stores like Good Earth. It tastes a lot like the Whole Foods bread.

DINNER

This is one of our favorite recipes! It's called Mandarin Chicken, it's from my mom's ward cookbook and it's divine! I love recipes that are simple and don't call for any "weird" ingredients (weird=something I don't keep in my pantry..._). It's served over quinoa, and the orange mushy stuff is acorn squash with butter and brown sugar.

Mandarin Chicken Recipe

3 Chicken Breasts (you can leave them whole but I cut mine into smaller pieces)

Sauce:

3/4 c. sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp ketchup

1/2 c vinegar

1/4 c chicken broth

Pour sauce into 9x13 pan. Roll chicken in beaten egg and then cover with corn starch. Fry on stovetop in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Place chicken ontop of sauce in pan and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Serve over rice or quionoa with brocolli.

About quinoa....it's delicious. It's a whole grain, high in protein and fiber. It has a really great texture and taste. It's a nice alternative to rice, which gets a little old. Phil was just enlightening me about how it comes from South America and something about the Spanish overcoming the aztecs....anyway, you can read about it here, but definitely try it if you haven't already.

DESSERT

Unfortunately, I completely devoured this before taking a picture. These treats are our all-time favorite dessert ever in our whole lives! You can buy this on Amazon, or at Whole Foods, Good Earth, or Harmon's. I add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup cinnamon chips (I use the Hershey brand...they're only around during the holidays so you have to stock up!).

A sample of my weekly menus...

2009-01-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

My husband suggested that I blog about the things I eat in a day so people would know that on a gluten-free diet you don't just have to eat soy-powder-waffles (are those even real?). What a great idea! While it probably won't be all that impressive, hopefully it will give you some ideas. Tomorrow the menu tracking starts...

Welcome!

2009-01-14T13:25:00.001-08:00

So here it is! My all-time favorite gluten-free recipe, for the sake of starting things off right. This is one I got from my mother-in-law's neighbor and it's a great cookie recipe. My husband even says they tast "real." That's how you know. Here it is:

1 2/3 C. GF all purpose Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1/4 c. butter (non hydrogenated canola shortening if you need it dairy free)

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 c. chocolate chips (can use dairy free)

1/4 c. nuts (optional, but fantastic!)

Preheat oen to 350, grease cookie sheets

Stir together all dry ingredients except sugars, set aside

Beat butter (soft, but not melted) with sugars, vanilla and egg. Mix thoroughly until light and fluffy. This is key.

Slowly add in dry ingredients. Drop cookies on sheets and bake approx 10 min.

They're amazing. Now go try 'em out.

Do you have a recipe to share? Leave me a comment and you can get yourself published right here on my blog. =)