Sunday, February 22, 2009

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Another recipe from Kay, via the Pioneer Woman, Ree:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 chicken fillets (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
2 sun-dried tomatoes, jarred
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp basil
cayenne pepper

Crumbs:

2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Lawry’s garlic salt
1 tbsp Parmesan
1/2 oregano

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 F (225C).

Grab yourself a bowl and measure 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan to the mayonnaise.

Add a good pinch of cayenne to spice things up a little. You can add regular pepper if you don’t care for cayenne.

Add dried, frozen, or fresh herbs—or any other kind of Italian seasoning....same with basil.
Finely mince two sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil in a jar) and add to mayo mixture.

Give everything a good stir and taste to check the seasoning.

Now grab another bowl and measure 2 T breadcrumbs, combine that with 1 T Parmesan, 1 tsp dried oregano, and a generous amount of Lawry’s garlic salt. You can also use a little garlic powder with regular salt, of course.

Place 4 chicken fillets in an oven dish, spoon the mayonnaise mix on top, and cover them with the spiked breadcrumbs. Put the chicken in a pre-heated oven and bake at 425F (225C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until done all the way through.

The cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken; just keep in mind that you don’t want the topping to burn, so either cut the chicken fillets in half or flatten them with a meat hammer if they’re too thick.

Erica's Mom's Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a traditional country French dish; a rustic stew generally made with whatever one has on hand...usually a combination of sausage and poultry and miscellaneous garden vegetables. I found this recipe on Erica's blog; it comes from her step-mother and is truly a classic dish. My family loves it; I hope you enjoy it too!



Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Great Northern white beans (dry)
5 carrots
6 medium onions
4 whole cloves
2 boxes Pacific chicken broth (gluten free!)
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves
1 1/2 t. salt
3 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 lbs roasting chicken cut into 8 pieces (I use chicken thighs and breasts)
2 T. butter (use olive oil or coconut oil instead for casein free)
1/8 t. pepper
1 can (1 lb) peeled tomatoes, undrained
1 lb Polish sausage (whole)
2 T. chopped parsley
1 t. dried thyme leaves
1 t. dried marjoram leaves
1 t. dried sage leaves
1/4 lb bacon

Directions:

In an 8 qt. kettle with cover, combine beans with 4 1/2 cups cold water, let soak 2 hours, no longer. Do not drain beans.

Meanwhile, pare carrots and cut into quarters. Peel onions, stud 1 of the onions with whole cloves. To beans, add chicken broth, bay leaves, 1/4 of the carrots, the onions, onion studded with cloves, celery leaves, 1 tsp. salt, the black peppercorns, garlic, thyme, marjoram and sage. Bring just to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour.

Add remaining carrots: cook, covered, 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cut bacon into pieces. in a large skillet, saute bacon until browned, drain off fat.

Preheat oven to 350. Turn bean mixture into a 8 quart casserole. Add bacon. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in hot butter in large skillet, brown chicken, turning until evenly browned. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Add browned chicken and undrained tomatoes to beans. With a a sharp knife, cut 9 diagonal slashes, 1/8 inch deep, in top of the sausage. Place sausage on top of chicken and vegetables. Cover tightly, bake 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Parmesan Cottage Potatoes

Kay, the lady from the Netherlands who maintains the wonderful blog, Kayotic Kitchen (go check it out!!), is the author of this recipe:



Of course, Kay says to use a green bell pepper, but I used a red bell pepper instead. Don't tell her! :)

Ingredients:

~1 - 1 1/2 pounds Potatoes
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned salt
1 tsp Lawry’s Lemon Pepper
1/4 tsp Lawry’s Garlic Salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan
1/8 tsp cayenne
Pepper
Oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400F

Mix the seasoned salt, lemon pepper, garlic salt, cayenne, pepper and oregano with the Parmesan.

Give the potatoes a good wash and -whatever you do- leave the skin on. They’re gonna be cottage potatoes!

Preboil them until they’re fork tender but still somewhat firm. Don’t salt the water - the Parmesan and Lawry’s will provide plenty of salt.

Coarsely chop the bell pepper and the onion. Drain the potatoes.

Lightly sautee the vegetables in 2 (max 3) tablespoons olive oil. Once the onions are slightly translucent, add the potatoes and give them a twirl so they’re lightly coated with oil. This will also infuse the onion flavor.

Transfer the potatoes to an oven dish. Top them with the Parmesan mix. Royally. Don’t be cheap and skimp on the cottage in cottage potatoes!

Pop them in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Artichoke-Lemon Pesto

I can't remember where I first found this recipe, but it's simple and wonderful. Enjoy!

This pesto goes well with angel hair pasta and grilled scallops, as well as other pastas. It uses 1/2 of a 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts. You can add the rest of the artichokes into the pasta if you want extra flavor.

Serves 4-6 , 6 cups

Ingredients:

* 1 cup canned artichoke heart, quartered
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 C packed fresh basil
* 1/4 C water
* 2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
* 1 1/2 T lemon juice
* 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp grated fresh lemon rind
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 1/8 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in food processor and process until pureed.
2. Toss with your favorite pasta choice for about 30-60 seconds or until heated through.

Sandra's Pork Chops Supreme


6 pork chops (I used boneless)
salt and pepper
paprika
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 packet onion/mushroom soup (I used Lipton's Onion Soup Mix because it's gluten free)
1 cup water
half a can of evaporated milk (6 oz)
1/4 cup cold water
parsley
2 tablespoons gluten free flour (rice flour if superfine, or any other all purpose gf flour)

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt, pepper and paprika. In a large skillet, add a little bit of olive oil and cook the chops slowly until brown. Drain off the excess oil and then add the onion/mushroom soup, the celery and 1 cup of water.

Cook for 30 minutes over low heat until the pork chops and celery are completely cooked through. In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cold water, the flour and the parsley.

Remove the pork chops to a serving dish and keep warm. Add the evaporated milk and the flour mixture to the drippings in the skillet and stir until combined and thickened. Pour over the pork chops and serve immediately.

NOTE: Serve it with mashed potatoes or fries or rice or noodles or whatever you like.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This is another great recipe from the Crockpot Lady, Stephanie. Check out her blog if you haven't already!

Ingredients

4 T butter
6 T gluten-free flour or Pamela's baking mix
1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice, whatever)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
16 ounces frozen vegetables

Plus one batch of drop biscuits: you can use your favorite gluten free biscuit recipe, or make drop biscuits using the recipe on the back of the bag of Pamela's Baking Mix.

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the gf flour to make a roux; stir and cook over medium-low heat for a minute or so. Add the milk and broth while whisking constantly, and cook until thickened; stir in the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

Any Crockpot with a capacity of 4 quarts or more will work. Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the Crockpot. Add the milk-broth mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. An hour before serving, shred chicken with two large forks, and mix up the biscuit dough. Drop the dough in large spoonfuls on top of the hot chicken stew.

Cover and cook on high for another hour. The dumplings are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. They will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides and top.

Serve in bowls, with a dumpling or two per person.

Edit (10/20/09): For a grain free version, use arrowroot to thicken the milk/broth mixture. Try Elana's almond flour drop biscuits for the dumplings (from her cookbook).

Edit (10/25/09): Or you can use my own new recipe for grain-free biscuits!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Gluten Free Low Carb Cheese Muffins

From the book, "Cooking with Coconut Flour" by Bruce Fife, N.D.

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 T butter or coconut oil, melted
3 T coconut milk (I've used heavy cream when I didn't have coconut milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I used more like 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp onion powder (I used a tablespoon of dried onion flakes instead)
1/4 C sifted coconut flour
1 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used a bit more than that)

Directions

Blend together the eggs, butter or oil, coconut milk and seasonings in a medium bowl, then add the coconut flour and mix until there are no lumps. Fold in 3/4 of the grated cheese, and distribute the batter amongst 6 well-greased muffin cups. Top the muffins with the remaining cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

These muffins may even be legal on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, since I know that both coconut flour and coconut milk are legal, and these particular muffins do not use sugar or baking powder.

Boeuf Bourguignon in the Crockpot

I found this recipe on this website. I love beef stew, and this is just a variation on the theme.

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T minced onion flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 T parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp pepper
4 pounds Stew beef; 1" cubes
1/3 cup white rice flour, superfine
1 tsp Salt
8 slices bacon; diced
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves; minced
1 pound mushrooms; quartered

Directions

Thoroughly combine first 7 ingredients; add beef and marinate at least 3 hours at room temperature, or overnight in refrigerator. Drain meat reserving 1 cup of marinade. Place meat in removable Crockpot liner; sprinkle with rice flour and salt and toss to coat meat. Fry bacon; fry onions in bacon fat until slightly brown, add garlic and fry for 30 seconds; remove onions, garlic and bacon with slotted spoon and add to meat in liner. Saute mushrooms in remaining bacon fat (add butter or olive oil if needed...avoid butter if you are casein free). Remove mushrooms with slotted spoon and add to meat-onion mixture. Pour reserved 1 cup of marinade over all. Place liner in base. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 4-5 hours.

Tuna Casserole

Of course, this is just my macaroni and cheese recipe with the meat, vegetable, and type of pasta changed. If I change anything, it might just be the type of cheeses for the sauce. But it's really good...why mess with something that works! :)

Ingredients


2 cans tuna, drained
2 C frozen peas
3 T butter
3-4 T white rice flour (superfine)
2 C heavy cream
2 C chicken broth
2 tsp salt, plus more for water
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 T onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 C grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C grated medium cheddar
1 1/2 C grated monterey jack
1 1/2 C grated Jarlsberg
1 C grated Parmesan
1 pound gluten free pasta (I like to use rotini)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the rice flour. Cook, stirring (best to use a wire whisk), for about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the cream a little at a time to keep mixture smooth, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Continue cooking, and add the chicken broth a little at time while whisking constantly, until the mixture has the thickness and consistency of paint. You don't want it to be too thick, because it will thicken when you add the cheese. Note: you may not need to add all of the broth to reach the right consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, dry mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, all of the Parmesan and MOST of the other cheeses (reserve a little of the grated cheddars and Jarlsberg to sprinkle on top); set the cheese sauce aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (i.e., until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is slightly underdone), about 7-8 minutes for most gluten free pastas, but it varies. Drain the pasta in a colander and return to the empty pot. Add the tuna, peas and cheese sauce to the pasta; mix well but gently.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheddar cheese over the top. Bake until top is starting to turn golden brown in spots, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Crockpot Mole

Mole is a Spanish word pronounced "Mo - lay". :)

Here is Stephanie's Crockpot Mole recipe; I've tried it with beef, and plan to try it with chicken next. I love mole!



Ingredients

2 pounds meat (beef or chicken, can be partially frozen)
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
1 dry California chili pod
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup raisins
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp anise seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (and juice)
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup tequilla (or white wine, or apple juice)
1-2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup water
salt to taste

Directions

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot. In a small pan, brown the raw sesame seeds and almonds on the stove. Set aside to cool.

Put the meat you're going to use into the crockpot. Cover with everything else. I threw the entire dry chili pod into the pot; I didn't soak it in water first. I also just threw in the 2 squares of baking chocolate (after unwrapping!)--no need to melt it first.

Add the toasted nuts and seeds, and cover up. Cook on low for about 8 hours or approximately 5 1/2 hours on high. Shred meat with forks, and serve over rice and with corn tortillas. Salt to taste.

NOTE: I did add about 1/3 C of cornstarch + 3 T sugar dissolved in 1/2 water at the end, just to very slightly sweeten and thicken the sauce.

Julie's Best Gluten Free Bread



I found this recipe on the "Mennonite girls can cook" blogsite; one of the "girls", Julie, cooks gluten free and makes the most wonderful gluten free bread. I've reproduced the recipe here for your convenience, but please go look at Julie's site too.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk (I used rice milk)
3 large eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp. molasses
2 rounded tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup white bean flour
1 cup Kinnikinnik bread/bun mix (or 1 cup brown rice flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg reg. yeast or 1 tbsp.

Directions

In heavy duty mixer beat eggs slightly , then add other wet ingredients.

Sift together dry ingredients and then add to the liquid, beating hard for about a minute . You will see the batter change and become smooth. (Consistancy needs to be right.. batter that is too thick will not rise .. too thin it will rise and then fall. If it looks like a too-thick cake batter then it is probably just about right!)

This recipe makes one regular size loaf. Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper and lightly oil the pan. Gluten-free baking tends to stick more than regular wheat flour.

To rise put the pans in the oven with the oven light on....and cover the pans with a towel. (Note: take the towel off after 1/2 hour or the towel will stick to the bread)



Let rise for about an hour until loaves round over the top of the pan.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees - or until tops are nicely browned - do not underbake.

This bread keeps well, also freezes well and after the first day is good toasted ! If you use the rice milk (or almond milk or hemp milk or whatever) it's casein free.

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilis
4 - 5 cups shredded cheese (mixture of cheddar and jack works well)
1 can of sliced olives
2 cans gluten free green enchilada sauce (Las Palmas is gf)
corn tortillas

Directions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the chopped onion in the olive oil and butter until soft; add the garlic and saute for about 2 more minutes.

In a medium bowl mix the cooked onions and garlic with the chicken, diced chilis, 2/3 of the cheese, 2/3 of the olives, and 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

In a 13" x 9" pan, sprayed with non-stick spray:
Coat the bottom with 3/4 cup enchilada sauce, then lay corn tortillas on the bottom, overlapping. Tear a couple of the tortillas in half so that they have straight edges to go against the sides of the pan.

Put half of the chicken-cheese mixture on the layer of tortillas and spread evenly all the way to the edges. Place another layer of corn tortillas on top, pour half the remaining sauce on the tortillas. Put the remainder of the chicken-cheese mix on top and cover with another layer of corn tortillas. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top, garnish with remaining cheese and sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and cheese is melted on top. Makes 8 servings.

It's great that so many Mexican dishes are naturally gluten free!! :)

Crockpot Indian Coconut Curry with Chicken

If you love Indian food AND you love the convenience of Crockpot cooking, this recipe is for you! I got it from Stephanie's blog, and she got it from Rachel Ray when she appeared on her show last summer. My kids loved it too....which makes it a keeper.


My only deviation from the Stephanie-Rachel Ray recipe was to add 1/3 C cornstarch + 1/4 C sugar dissolved in 2/3 C apple juice at the end, just to add a little sweetness and make the sauce thicker and smoother. After adding the juice mixture, stir gently and let it cook on high for 20 minutes to thicken. Next time I will probably omit the sugar; the apple juice is sweet enough.

Ingredients

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk (NOT the light kind)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4-6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken thighs
(or 4 boneless skinless breasts)
1 T tomato paste
2 T curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin

1 inch peeled and grated ginger root
few dashes of hot sauce (I used Tobasco)
1 yellow onion. chopped
2 or 3 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 of an eggplant, chopped (I didn't peel)
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Directions

Assemble all of your spices, coconut milk, tobasco sauce, and tomato paste. Combine the sauce ingredients in the bottom of your crockpot. Add the chicken, flipping it over a few times to coat. Pour in the garbanzo beans. Wash and chop all of the vegetables, and then add to the Crock-Pot. You don't have to mix all the ingredients thoroughly, the veggies will cook well on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. Stir gently to mix flavors. If you stir too roughly, the sweet potato will fall apart. Serve over rice.

Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Well, the original recipe is from Karina's Kitchen:, and she actually made a Bundt cake. But I like to make it as muffins....and boy are they good!! No one could possibly tell they are gluten free.


Ingredients

3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed into puree
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 1/3 cups golden brown sugar
1 cup buckwheat flour (or superfine brown rice flour)
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons fine grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 heaping cup organic frozen wild blueberries

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat together bananas, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, honey or agave nectar, oil and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat until smooth. Fold in frozen blueberries

If you want muffins, grease muffin pans and fill each cup about 1/2 full. Last time I made this recipe it made 20 muffins. Bake in the center of preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

If you really want a bundt cake, grease the pan, scoop the batter into the pan and smooth evenly. Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the cake is firm but gives slightly to touch.

Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

This is another recipe from Sandra's blog; click on the recipe link and scroll down to Monday, September 15th....she has a lot more pictures of the chili. The only change I made was to double the amount of chicken from 1 pound to 2 pounds.

NOTE: the picture of the chili below is BEFORE adding any dairy products; it can be eaten this way, which is much lower in fat and calories. But the additions of the sour cream and heavy cream do make it a real comfort food! :)


Ingredients

1 T. oil
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, chopped
14-oz can chicken broth
2 15-1/2 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies
1-1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. dried oregano
8-oz container sour cream
1/2 pt. whipping cream
10-oz. pkg. corn chips
8-oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and onion. Saute until chicken is cooked through; set aside. Combine broth, beans, chiles and seasonings in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.

Add chicken mixture; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add sour cream and whipping cream; mix well. Top with corn chips and cheese. Serves 8.

Breakfast Quiche

This is a family recipe (from my sister-in-law, Libby) that's a breakfast favorite! I've modified it to be gluten free.


Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
10 eggs
1/2 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Baking and Pancake Mix
1 lb cottage cheese
1 lb jack cheese, shredded

Popular additions/substitutions for the quiche: 1 lb diced cooked gluten free breakfast sausage or bratwurst, 4 oz can diced green chilis, bell peppers, onions or dried onion flakes, cheddar cheese or mixed cheddar/jack instead of jack cheese...use your imagination! BTW, I think that a whole stick of butter is a bit much, especially with all of the eggs and cheese in there, so I've used 1/2 a stick successfully.

Directions

Melt butter. Whip eggs until fluffy, add Pamela's baking mix, cottage cheese, butter, optional ingredients such as sausage, chilis, etc, and about 2/3 of the cheese. Put in 9" x 13" pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 400 for 15 min, then lower temp to 350 and bake for 20-30 more min (until lightly browned on top). NOTE: be careful to verify that the cottage cheese, sausage, and non-stick spray are all gluten free!

Five-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

This is my favorite way of making macaroni and cheese; it's a great way to slip in extra protein and vegetables without the kids really noticing.


Ingredients

2 C cooked chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 C steamed broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 T butter
3-4 T white rice flour (superfine)
2 C heavy cream
2 C chicken broth
2 tsp salt, plus more for water
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 T onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 C grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C grated medium cheddar
1 1/2 C grated monterey jack
1 1/2 C grated Jarlsberg
1 C grated Parmesan
1 pound gluten free elbow macaroni

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the rice flour. Cook, stirring (best to use a wire whisk), for about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the cream a little at a time to keep mixture smooth, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Continue cooking, and add the chicken broth a little at time while whisking constantly, until the mixture has the thickness and consistency of paint. You don't want it to be too thick, because it will thicken when you add the cheese. Note: you may not need to add all of the broth to reach the right consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, dry mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, all of the Parmesan and MOST of the other cheeses (reserve a little of the grated cheddars and Jarlsberg to sprinkle on top); set the cheese sauce aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until al dente (i.e., until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is slightly underdone), about 7-8 minutes for most gluten free pastas, but it varies. Drain the macaroni in a colander and return to the empty pot. Add the chicken, broccoli and cheese sauce to the macaroni; mix well but gently.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheddar cheese over the top. Bake until top is starting to turn golden brown in spots, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Crockpot version of Obama's Chili

This is my variation on Stephanie's Crockpot version of the Obama family's chili. It's quite mild, which I like, because I can get my toddlers to eat it. It's very tasty as it is but if you want a traditional chili with a real kick you'll have to add a lot more hot stuff!

Here's a picture of the Crockpot loaded up ready to go...look at those colors (before cooking)!:



Ingredients

1 can kidney beans
2 lbs lean ground meat

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped (include seeds and all)
4 chopped cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
2 - 3 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 T red wine vinegar
Cooked white rice, if desired

Directions

You'll need a 5-6 qt Crockpot for the chili.

I increased all of the spices from Stephanie's recipe, because I doubled the amount of ground meat (we like more meat than beans). As I mentioned before, if you like your chili hot and spicy, you'll need to add a lot more spices.

First, brown the meat on the stove top, and drain well. Stephanie says that if you use very lean meat like ground chicken you can just crumble it in raw.


Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add to the crockpot. Open the can of beans, and pour them in undrained. Add the meat. Stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our chili on high for 3 hours and then on low for 3 more hours.

UPDATE: lately I've been adding 1/4 C cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 C water to the chili at the end of the cooking time. Be sure to stir well if you do this! It thickens the chili just a little but I think it really improves it.

I served it over white rice, as the Obamas apparently do. It was very tasty! Great meal for a cold winter's night.

Easy Fish Tacos

Ingredients

3 tilapia fillets (or other mild white fish - about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
Seasoned pepper (make sure it's gluten free! I use a Key Lime Pepper.)
butter for basting
8 corn tortillas
canola oil
your favorite toppings (grated cheeses, salsa, shredded red cabbage, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, diced green onion, etc)

Directions

Melt butter and use it to baste the fish on both sides. Sprinkle the fish on both sides with the seasoned pepper. Bake the fish in pan sprayed with non-stick spray at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until you can flake it with a fork (or do as we do: we buy frozen tilapia fillets from Costco and microwave them from the frozen state according to package directions). I realize that many people bread fish and deep fry it when they make fish tacos but we prefer it unbreaded.

While the fish is baking, pour oil into a small pan until it's about half an inch deep. Cook the corn tortillas one at a time briefly in hot oil over medium high heat. It will only take a few seconds per side to see bubbles forming in the tortilla if the oil is hot enough; as soon as that happens flip it over with tongs and cook the other side, unless you like your taco shells really crispy, in which case just cook the tortillas a bit longer per side. We like them to be still flexible.

Remove the cooked tortilla to a plate lined with paper towels, blot it with a paper towel to remove excess oil and bend it into a taco shell shape while still hot. Repeat.

Scoop some cooked fish into a taco shell, add cheese or tomato or other toppings as you wish, and enjoy! Makes 8 fish tacos.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf

This is based on a recipe from Sandra's blog, "Full Bellies, Happy Kids"; she has some truly amazing recipes and wonderful step-by-step pictures...you should check it out! The recipes are not gluten free, but I've successfully modified many of them for my gf household.


Ingredients

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
2 lbs ground meat (I like to use 1 1/2 lbs ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
cheese (I used sliced Jarlsberg & a mix of grated sharp and mild cheddars)
more ketchup for the top

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray large loaf pan or 8" x 10" casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together meats, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic powder, onion, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Don't over mix, just mix with your hands until everything is combined well.

Divide meat mixture in half. Press one half into the pan and pat smooth, then place the cheese slices and the shredded cheese on the meat layer

Top with second half of the meat mixture, and press all around the edges to seal the cheese inside. Drizzle ketchup over the top and then bake for about 60 minutes or until meat is done.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is a variation on a recipe I saw on Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals". It's sort of like a layered burrito. I love it because it's fast, it's easy, and the kids will eat it!

Ingredients

1 can of cooked beans (black beans, pinto beans or canned gf refried beans work best)
1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey or chicken)
1 onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 - 2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 - 4 gluten free flour tortillas OR corn tortillas
1 small jar of your favorite gluten free salsa
3 cups shredded cheese (a mixture of cheddar and monterey jack is nice)

Directions

Saute the onions in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until translucent; add the ground meat and cook until browned. Season the meat and onion mixture with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Tear or cut the tortillas into strips approximately the width of lasagna noodles.

On the bottom of a large shallow casserole dish layer half of the beans, half of the meat, one third of the cheese, and one third of the salsa, then cover with tortilla strips. Repeat. On top of the second layer of tortilla strips spread the remaining salsa and top with remaining cheese. Try to cover the tortillas completely with salsa and cheese to ensure that they won't dry out and get hard. Here's what it should look like just before putting it into the oven:



Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly around the edges. Here's what it looks like right after it comes out of the oven, with all the nice melted cheese oozing out everywhere:



My family LOVES this recipe; our three-year-old eats two helpings!