Gluten Free Recipe Archive

Citrus-y Chicken Tacos

2012-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

During my eternal quest for yummy but EASY dinners that my kids will eat, I ran across an interesting recipe for chicken tacos at AllRecipes.com. The original recipe calls for lemonade and Worcestershire sauce; I couldn't quite get my head around Worcestershire sauce with chicken, so I changed it up a bit by substituting more traditional taco flavors (cumin, Old Bay seasoning, and McCormick taco seasoning). I also used lemon juice, white wine, and agave nectar in place of the lemonade.

The citrus flavors make these tacos truly special; my husband asks for them quite often now, and both kids love them too! Note: if you omit the cheese and sour cream, this recipe can be casein free. I posted this first on my other blog: My Experiment in Gluten Free Living.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 T dried onion flakes)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1-2 tsp garlic powder)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut up (can substitute cooked or canned chicken)
2 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1-2 T lime juice
1-2 T agave nectar or honey (adjust amount to taste)
3/4 - 1 C white wine or water
salt, pepper to taste
2 tsp cumin
1 T taco seasoning (McCormick is gluten free)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

Directions:

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through (3 or 4 minutes on med-high). If using previously cooked chicken and dried onion flakes, you should skip this and just add your ingredients to the next step, below.

Add lemon and lime juices, agave or honey, wine or water, cumin, salt, pepper, and the taco and Old Bay seasonings. Feel free to increase or reduce seasonings as you see fit.

Reduce heat to medium and stir frequently until liquid has evaporated. Serve in taco shells with your favorite condiments (shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, guacamole or sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, etc).

P.S. Instead of pre-made taco shells I usually buy regular corn tortillas and saute them very briefly in oil on high heat (a few seconds each side), then I blot the excess oil very well with paper towels and fold into a taco shell shape. We prefer these softer shells to the store-bought variety.

White Bean and Ground Turkey Chili

2012-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

With the advent of cold weather, I've been experimenting with warm comforting foods like chili, and was pleasantly surprised when I tried a recipe for White Bean and Chicken Chili by Giada de Laurentiis. The fennel seed gives such a wonderful flavor to this chili, and when topped with a bit of Parmesan cheese, it's fabulous! It's also a very healthy chili, lower in fat due to the ground turkey and higher in nutrition because of the spinach.

NOTE: If you omit the Parmesan cheese, this recipe is casein free. I posted this first on my other blog: My Experiment in Gluten Free Living.

I modified it slightly to suit our taste and to make it gluten free; here is my version:

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
2 T ground cumin
1 T fennel seeds
1 T dried oregano
1 T chili powder
1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
3 T sweet rice flour, or other gluten free flour (even Pamela's Baking Mix should work)
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 - 5 C low-sodium gluten free chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, chili powder, and Old Bay. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Stir the sweet rice flour into the meat mixture. Add the beans, spinach, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cover with lid tilted to allow steam to escape and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. This is a great meal, especially served with gluten free corn bread on a cold winter's night!

Grain-Free Casein-Free Banana Berry Bundt Cake!

2011-01-15T20:27:00.001-08:00

Well, some of you have seen this recipe before....it's nearly identical to my Banana Blueberry Muffin recipe. But I wanted to do something a little different this time, so I baked the muffin batter in a Bundt cake pan. My family loved the way it turned out: moist and tender, with a texture similar to pound cake, and bursting with berries!

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mashed
1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
3/4 C agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 rounded C blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, or raspberries, or a mixture (if fresh, dry them well after washing)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I use Spectrum).

In a large bowl mash the bananas and beat until smooth; add the eggs, agave, vanilla, and oil and beat with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the banana mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the berries, or you can simply layer the berries in the Bundt pan alternately with the batter if you wish.

Spoon muffin batter into a greased Bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for approximately 40 - 50 minutes, depending on your oven, until deep golden brown on top. You may test the cake the same way you test a pumpkin pie: insert a table knife and if it comes out clean it's done. My cake took 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to wire racks to finish cooling.

Enjoy!!

Triple-Coconut Berry-Pear Crumble (grain free)

2010-10-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

"Triple" because I use coconut flour, coconut nectar, and coconut oil! I've recently discovered coconut nectar, which is made from coconut sap. It's interesting because it is very low in fructose, unlike agave nectar, plus it can actually aid digestion. Coconut nectar is expensive, but I rarely use that much at one time, so it's worth it.

Ingredients

Topping:

1 C almond flour

1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch or two of nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C of coconut nectar (or 1/4 C agave nectar)

1/3 C melted coconut oil (or melted butter)

Filling:

4 medium-large pears, peeled and sliced (OR 2 pears and 2 medium apples, THINLY sliced)

1 1/2 - 2 C fresh or frozen berries (I used fresh blueberries and raspberries)

1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch if not concerned about grains)
2-3 T coconut nectar (or agave)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly oil the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the topping, then add the coconut oil and coconut nectar. Blend well; it should be stiff and somewhat crumbly, of course.

Toss the fruit together with the other ingredients for the filling. Sprinkle a small amount of the crumble topping on the the bottom of the pie plate, then spread the filling in the pan. Use your fingers to crumble the remaining topping over the fruit filling.

Bake at 325 F for 30 - 40 minutes. After approximately 30 minutes test with a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick; if the pear (and/or apple) slices are very tender, and the topping is a deep golden brown, remove from oven. Serve warm as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

This is a VERY nutritious grain free dessert, so I don't mind my kids asking for more! If you use the coconut oil rather than butter, it is casein free too.

Crockpot Indian Butter Chicken, aka Chicken Makhani

2010-09-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Crockpot Lady, Stephanie....the original recipe is here. Stephanie actually got it from a fellow blogger, Kindra, and modified it to suit herself. Kindra's recipe is here.

Crockpot Chicken Makhani

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (can be frozen)
1 med onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 stick butter, cut into chunks
15 cardamom pods (sewn together or tied in cheesecloth)
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T garam masala
approx 1 inch grated fresh ginger root
1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 T lemon or lime juice
1 C plain yogurt
1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

NOTE: If you don't have cardamom pods, you can use 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, maybe a bit more. You can always add salt, more spices, to taste. Always feel free to modify it to suit your own taste buds!

Directions

Use a 5 quart or larger crockpot. You can either sew together the cardamom pods using a needle and thread or you can tie them in a little cheese cloth bundle instead, if you have cheesecloth in the house. Put some sliced onion in the bottom of the crockpot, then place chicken on top. Scatter rest of onion and garlic over chicken. Combine dry spices, grated ginger, tomato paste, lemon or lime juice, and coconut milk in a medium sized bowl and pour the resulting mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the pot. Drop chunks of butter randomly over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 (I doubled the recipe and cooked it on high for 2 and low for 4). The chicken will shred easily when fully cooked.

Stir in the plain yogurt 15 minutes before serving.

Discard cardamom pods. Salt to taste, serve with white or brown basmati rice. Enjoy!!

The Best Baked Beans in the WORLD!

2010-08-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

I cannot take credit for these incredible baked beans; I found this recipe posted on the Pioneer Woman's blog. Actually, Ree didn't come up with this one either....she got it from an online friend named Pam Anderson (no, not THAT Pam Anderson!).

These beans are truly to die for!! You've got to try this recipe!

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans

Serves up to 18

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, diced
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I use my own gf bbq sauce)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

NOTE: Pure distilled vinegar is gluten free, malt vinegar is not. Flavored and seasoned vinegars may contain gluten, most typically in the form of malt, so ingredient lists should be carefully read. If wheat protein is contained in vinegar, the label will say so. The single word “vinegar” on a food label implies cider/apple vinegar and is gluten free. (from diet.com).

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep saute pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Twice-Baked Beef-Stuffed Potatoes

2010-04-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by a post on the Dutch Girl's (Kay's) blog....it's a great way to use leftover chili, or stews, or any sort of meat dish that might work as a filling.

Ingredients:

Potatoes (russets), well scrubbed and baked
butter
cream or milk
salt
pepper
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Pre-cooked meat fillings:

Fillings can be as simple as chili, or beef or chicken stew.
Or season cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, or curry powder and ketchup, as Kay does, or any seasoning that strikes your fancy!
Even meatballs and marinara sauce!
The sky (and your imagination) is the limit!

Directions:

Cut hot baked potatoes in half, and scoop out the insides, leaving a shell approximately 1/4 inch thick. Mash the potato insides with a little butter and milk or cream, and add a handful or two of shredded cheddar cheese (or other type of cheese) to the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste, of course. Fill the potato shells about 2/3 full of heated meat filling of your choice, then top with mashed potato cheese topping. Return to the oven to bake for 15 or 20 minutes, until heated through and the tops begin to brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Stovetop version of Obama's chili

2010-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is based on the Crockpot version of the Obama family's chili that I first copied from Stephanie's blog. Here I have converted it back to something resembling the original recipe used by the Obama family, although I have definitely increased the spice level. It is still not hot by any sort of normal "chili-head" standards. But use your own judgment when adding spices; when in doubt, start with half of what I recommend and add more slowly until you find the right level for you. Or if you think it's too tasteless and wimpy, add MORE! :)

This makes a LOT of chili, because I'm using my 8-quart Dutch oven. If you are serving a normal-sized family and you don't want a lot of leftovers (we LOVE leftovers), you might want to cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients

2 can kidney beans
3 lbs lean ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or a combination)
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
10 medium tomatoes or 8 large, chopped (include seeds and all)
6 chopped cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp turmeric
2 T chili powder
2 1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp salt
5 T red wine vinegar
Cooked white rice, if desired

Directions

Again, you'll need a large Dutch oven, otherwise cut the recipe in half.

I've increased all of the spices from the original recipe, and also increased the amount of ground meat (we like more meat than beans).

First, brown the meat in the Dutch oven on the stove top, and drain well. Add the two cans of red beans, liquid and all; set the heat at medium low and allow to simmer while you chop and add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.

Lastly stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on medium-low for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili seems to have a bit too much liquid, tilt the lid so that some of the steam escapes while cooking, but keep an eye on it.

Serve over white rice, if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Baby Carrots

2010-04-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a veggie dish that my four-year-old just LOVES...he loves most vegetables, but this recipe is one of his favorites. Best of all, it's super simple and FAST!

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter (one stick)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tst nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T agave nectar or 2 T honey
fresh parsley (optional)
4 C baby carrots (the ones in the bag, already peeled/washed are the most convenient)

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium skillet; add brown sugar, agave or honey and spices and blend together thoroughly. Add baby carrots; cover and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Carrots are done when cooked through, so that they can be sliced easily with the stirring spoon for example, but are still firm and hold their shape.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired before serving.

Gluten Free Potato-Cauliflower Gratin

2010-04-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

This is just a variation on Potato Gratin, of course, inspired by the idea from the low-carb community of substituting cauliflower for potatoes. I love both potatoes and cauliflower, with or without cheese, so this is really the best of both worlds, and definitely lower in carbs than if it were made with potatoes alone.

Ingredients:

One head of cauliflower, cut into florets/bit-sized chunks
5 medium-sized russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices or chunks
3 T butter
1 onion, diced
3 T sweet rice flour
1 C heavy cream
1 - 2 C milk
Shredded cheese (Gruyere, cheddar, Gouda, whatever) - approx 3+ Cups
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt
Lawry's seasoned pepper

Directions:

Place the potato and cauliflower pieces into a large pot and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You want the potato and cauliflower chunks to be cooked through but still firm, not mushy. Drain thoroughly and dump the pieces into a large buttered casserole dish or 13" by 9" pan.

While the potato and cauliflower pieces are cooking, prepare the cheese sauce: melt butter in a large skillet and add the diced onion. Saute the onion until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add a bit more butter if needed, then add the sweet rice flour and dry mustard to make a thick paste. Pour in the heavy cream, stirring vigorously over low heat. This will thicken rapidly; add milk, stirring constantly, a little bit at a time, until the sauce is about the consistency of paint, maybe a bit thinner. Remove from heat and add cheese; reserve some cheese for the top. I tend to use a LOT of cheese, but you can adjust the amount to your personal tastes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and cauliflower pieces in the casserole dish; top with extra cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 - 35 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and beginning to brown slightly on top.

Yum!!

Basic Risotto

2010-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

OK, here's a gluten free (but NOT grain free) recipe that is truly a classic. There are a lot of risotto recipes out there, but here is the basic one that I use. You can modify it to suit yourself with various additions or substitutions....I've listed a few possibilities below to get you started.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil
butter (leave out for casein free)
1 large diced onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
3-4 C chicken broth
1 C white wine
1 1/2 C arborio rice (you must use arborio rice!)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional - leave out for casein free)

a few optional additions/substitutions:
sliced mushrooms
green onions or shallots instead of regular onion
vegetable broth instead of chicken
cooked or uncooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined
use your imagination!

Directions:

Saute the diced onion in the olive oil and butter until soft. Warm the broth in a separate, nearby pan, but don't let it boil. Add the garlic and the rice to the onion and saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes longer, but don't brown the rice! If you're going to use mushrooms or other veggies, add them with the garlic and the rice. Lower the heat to a medium low setting, and pour in the cup of wine, stirring constantly as the rice and vegetables simmer. When the wine is mostly absorbed, add a ladle full of warm broth, and again, stir as the rice simmers until it is nearly absorbed, then repeat. You'll have to experiment a little to find the right heat level for cooking risotto; the entire simmering and stirring process should take about 30 - 40 minutes, if done correctly.

The risotto is done when the rice is tender all the way through (no crunch in the middle); at that point you could add uncooked shrimp and continue cooking for about 3 more minutes until the shrimp is pink and thoroughly cooked (don't over cook shrimp or it will be rubbery). Cooked shrimp may be added at the very end, just before serving (all you want to do is heat the previously cooked shrimp through). Add a handful or two of Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto demands your attention for the entire 30-40 minutes, but is definitely worth it! Good risotto has a delicate, creamy texture that can't be faked, a direct result of the slow cooking process and your stirring efforts.

For casein-free you can leave out the butter and parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Grain Light Chicken Pot Pie

2010-03-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Note: this is from a post on my other blog.

I've been feeling slightly depressed lately, just a little down....maybe the rainy gray days have been getting to me? Anyway, I've been in the mood for something in the way of "comfort food".

Hubby went shopping recently and, among other things, brought home a package of cooked chicken from Costco. This is chicken meat that comes from their roasted chickens, de-boned and ready to use in sandwiches, casseroles, whatever.

Coincidentally, a friend of mine mentioned in email a couple of days ago that she was planning to make her "gluten-free chicken pot pie".....yum!! So I asked for the recipe.

Well, she hasn't sent it to me yet, but I was REALLY hungry for chicken pot pie, so I decided to make up my own recipe. I was motivated by (a) wanting comfort food, and (b) needing to use up the cooked chicken from Costco. This recipe is not entirely grain free, but is definitely "grain light" compared to other versions of chicken pot pie:

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
butter
salt
Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
1 large onion, diced
2 medium russet potatoes, diced
1 1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 C frozen peas and carrots
2 1/2 C diced cooked chicken
2 T sweet rice flour
2 - 3 T cornstarch
1 - 2 C milk (dairy, almond, soy, rice, whatever)
1 - 2 C gluten free chicken broth
Herbes de Provence

1 - 1 1/2 batches of Grain Free Biscuit Dough

Directions:

Put 1-2 T of olive oil in a medium skillet, along with an equal amount of butter, and heat until bubbly. Saute the diced onion in the olive oil/butter mixture over medium heat until soft; add another 2 T butter and allow to melt, and then the sweet rice flour to make a thick paste. Pour in the milk very slowly, while stirring...you will want to add just the right amount to make the consistency resemble condensed soup mix, so it will be very thick. Season to taste with salt and Lawry's Seasoned Pepper and set aside.

Wash and dice the potatoes (you don't have to peel them unless you want to...I didn't). Place in a medium saucepan and add chicken broth just until the potatoes are completely covered. Heat broth until simmering; allow potatoes to simmer until cooked through but still firm. Mix cornstarch into a very small amount of cold broth or water and add to the saucepan. Stir well until thickened; you will want this mixture to be quite thick as it will thin out when the frozen peas and carrots are added.

Add the sliced mushrooms, the peas and carrots, and the chicken, then stir in the onion/milk mixture. Check seasonings; add more salt or pepper, if needed, then add approximately 1 tsp of the Herbes de Provence, adjusting seasonings to your own taste. If you don't have Herbes de Provence handy, you may use 1/4 tsp each dried sage, rosemary, parsley, and thyme.

Pour the mixture into a 7" x 11" Pyrex baking dish; form the grain free biscuit dough into 6 or 8 individual "patties" with your hands and layer over the top of the chicken mixture. NOTE: I used only 1 batch of the biscuit dough but may try 1 1/2 batches the next time. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken mixture is bubbly around the edges and the biscuit topping is firm and turning golden brown.

Hubby had two helpings, while I was satisfied with one (it's very filling!).....and yes, it was DEFINITELY very comforting! :)

Breakfast Quiche, Updated

2010-01-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

This is basically the same recipe I posted earlier, except now I've modified it to be grain free as well as gluten free!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
10 eggs
3 T almond flour

3 T coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
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 flours, baking powder, salt, 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!

Chicken and Dumplings, Updated

2010-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here again is basically the same Chicken and Dumplings recipe (also from Stephanie) that I've already published. The main differences are using ThickenThin/NotStarch, almond milk, and arrowroot, plus I used my Grain-Free Biscuits to make the dumplings and they WORKED! I was really craving some Chicken and Dumplings and was so glad to find out that I can make it grain-free and casein free!

Ingredients

2 T arrowroot
ThickenThin/NotStarch
1 cup almond milk
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: I used the grain-free biscuits recipe.

Directions

In a medium saucepan, mix the milk and broth with the arrowroot powder while whisking constantly, and cook until thickened; stir in the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. If necessary, add the ThickenThin one teaspoon at a time (whisking well!!) until the sauce is thick enough.

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 and replace the lid.

Cover and cook on high for another 45 minutes - 1 hour. The dumplings are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. They will be spongy but firm to the touch.

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

Crockpot Cranberry-Orange Roast

2010-01-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

Another recipe from my other blog, it was inspired by a recipe on Stephanie's website, although I've changed it a bit (note: this is technically not grain free because there's cornstarch in Lipton Onion Soup Mix, and it also contains some soy):

Ingredients:

3-5 lb beef roast (or pork roast or stew chunks)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix (yes, it's gluten free!)
3 T gluten-free soy sauce
2/3 of a bag of fresh cranberries
1/2 - 1 C orange juice
1/4 - 1/2 C agave nectar

Directions:

First make a cranberry sauce using the fresh cranberries, orange juice and agave nectar. Put washed cranberries into a medium saucepan; add orange juice until the level of the juice is about 1/2 inch below the level of the cranberries...you don't want so much juice that it's covering the berries. Add agave nectar; start with 1/4 C and add a bit more if it's not sweet enough (or add a tiny bit of stevia). Place pan on stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. You want it to be higher than a simmer but not a fast boil. Stir often. The cranberries will begin to pop; after most are popped removed from heat.

I have a large (7 qt) Crockpot, and the roast I used was about 4 1/2 lbs, and SOLIDLY frozen. You don't have to use frozen but it works just fine if you do (add a little more time or cook on "High"). Put roast in Crockpot then sprinkle the onion soup mix and soy sauce over. Pour the cranberry-orange-agave sauce over the top. Do not add water. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. If you are cooking on high, you may want to break apart the meat into smaller chunks an hour or so before serving so that the juice penetrates more deeply into the meat.

We ate it over mashed potatoes with a green salad, per Stephanie's suggestion. What a fabulous meal for a cold night!!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free Clementine-Cranberry Baby Cakes

2010-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe (also posted on my other blog) that I created based on the Clementine Cake; I did use agave nectar this time as the sweetener and made them in muffin tins. These little cakes have a wonderful fresh fruit taste and fragrance, but are not overly sweet. They're moist, yet firm...not crumbly as many gluten-free, grain-free baked goods can be.

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 pound of clementines (for me that was 10 tiny clementines)

1 heaping cup fresh or frozen cranberries

6 eggs

1 C minus 2 T agave syrup (1 scant cup agave nectar)

2 C almond flour

1/3 C coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

As the clementines cool, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Total bake time is approximately 18 - 22 minutes depending on your oven and how full the muffin cups are.

Grease approximately 20 - 22 muffin cups (if you plan to fill them about 2/3 full).

Coarsely chop the cranberries by hand or in a food processor. Set aside.

When the clementines are cool, cut each one in half and remove the seeds, if any. Squeeze excess water out of each clementine half by hand. Then process them in a food processor until pureed.

Beat the eggs then add the agave nectar. Mix almond flour, and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add the egg-agave mixture. Mix well, adding the clementine puree after the eggs and agave, and the chopped cranberries last.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans and bake for 18 - 22 minutes, depending on your oven. The top will yield but rebound when done. It's normal for the sides of the baby cakes to be dark golden brown, but the tops should only have a few brown spots.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a rack. These are wonderful right out of the oven, but are even better the next day!

Grain free, dairy free, pliable flatbread!!

2010-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

I first published this recipe and the previous one on my other blog; sorry it took so long to get them over here to the archive!

Another recipe we've become fond of recently is a very tasty grain free flatbread originally posted by Liz (aka "lonewolf") in one of the forums on celiac.com.

Grain-Free Flatbread

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
2 - 4 egg yolks (note: original recipe calls for 2 yolks, but 4 works too)
1 tsp melted butter
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
1/2 C almond flour
dash salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Separate egg whites and yolks....

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

Beat yolks with melted butter, dash of salt, and agave or honey.

Sprinkle the almond flour over the egg whites and fold in gently along with egg yolk mixture.

Spread the batter onto the parchment paper into a 12" by 12" square (if using 2 yolks only) or a 12" by 14" rectangle (if using 4 yolks). Make sure the thickness is uniform over the square (or rectangle). Bake at 350 for 12 minutes; it should be turning golden brown on top when done.

This bread is so versatile! You can simply cut it into squares and use them for regular sandwiches, or into the right-sized rectangles to be wrapped around hot dogs as a bun-replacement. You can even take an entire sheet of bread and cover it with Dijon mustard, ham slices and Swiss cheese, roll it like a jelly roll, microwave it until the cheese starts to melt, slice and serve.

OK....it's not as flexible as wheat-based bread, so it does tend to crack a bit when you're rolling it up, but it's still AMAZING bread when you consider that it's entirely grain free!

Clementine Cake

2010-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

The luscious cake pictured above is my version of a Nigella Lawson recipe, Clementine Cake. Actually this recipe is all over the Internet in various forms, and was brought to the attention of the larger public by Starbucks, who sold a similar cupcake called the "Valencia Orange Cake" for several months. It was advertised as "gluten-free" so people didn't buy it often (unless they HAD to buy gluten free), so Starbucks decided it was unpopular and stopped selling it. :(

The great thing about this cake is that it's ALWAYS been gluten free, because it's traditionally made with almond flour. You can use oranges, clementines (which are a type of mandarin orange) or even a mix of oranges and lemons with extra sugar, but clementines are my preference because the little ones I buy at Trader Joe's have very thin skins. The thinner the skin, the better your chances are of having the cake turn out well, because thick skins contain more pith (the white part) and can make the cake bitter.

We had Clementine Cake for our dessert on Christmas Eve; it received rave reviews! Here is my version; as usual I used both almond and coconut flours:

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free Clementine Cake

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 pound of clementines (for me that was 10 tiny clementines)

6 eggs

1 1/4 C sugar (yes, I used sugar....I do plan to try it with agave syrup)

2 C almond flour

3 T coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Remove any stem remnant from each clementine if necessary; place whole clementines into a pot with cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover pot, cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds, if any. Squeeze excess water out of each clementine half by hand. Then finely chop the clementines in a food processor until they achieve a sauce-like consistency.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Total bake time is about 40 - 50 minutes.

Grease and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs. Mix the sugar, almond flour, and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add the beaten eggs. Mix well, adding the processed clementine "sauce" last.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes; cover the cake with foil at that point to prevent the top from burning. Cook for 10 more minutes or so until a metal skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. It's normal for the outside of the cake to be dark golden brown; it's also normal for it to "puff" up above the pan and then settle back down towards the end of baking.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a rack. This cake is fabulous as soon as it cools, but is even better the next day after the flavors blend and mellow....it's moist, light and delectably citrus-y. Yum!!

Clementine-cranberry scones (icing optional)

2009-11-29T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I first posted on my other blog.

I've managed to create a clementine-cranberry scone that is gluten, grain, soy, and dairy free! Well, OK.....the icing I put on top is not grain free because powdered sugar has cornstarch in it, but you can skip the icing if you desire.

Ingredients:

Scones:
4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
3 T agave syrup
several drops (8 - 10) of liquid stevia to taste
1 T clementine (or orange or tangerine) zest
Freshly squeezed juice from 2 clementines (about 3 T juice)
1 C fresh cranberries
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/3 C almond flour**
1 T flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder

Icing:
3/4 C powdered sugar
orange or clementine juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, and agave syrup until well mixed; add the clementine juice and zest. Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor, then add them to the egg mixture. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well. Add the stevia drop by drop to taste (scones aren't supposed to be very sweet), and mix thoroughly.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes (start checking them at about 16 minutes), until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 scones.

Optional icing: Let scones cool, then make clementine (or orange) icing by stirring a couple of teaspoons of juice at a time into the powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over scones; let sit long enough for icing to harden a bit, then serve.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

P.S. These scones are not the typical shortbread type scones, they're a lot moister.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: Grain Free, Sugar Free

2009-11-26T09:04:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe at a site that publishes low carb recipes! Yum!

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon
4 Tablespoons melted butter
Sugar substitute equal to 4 Tablespoons sugar (try 1/4 tsp liquid stevia)

Filling:
3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sugar substitute equal to 1 1/2 cups sugar (try 3 - 3 1/2 tsp liquid stevia, to taste)
1 can (about 15 oz) pumpkin
1 Tablespoon vanilla
5 eggs, preferably room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F.

Prepare springform pan: put a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the pan -- no need to cut it to size, just snap it into place when you put the tighten the sides. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in heavy-duty foil, to protect from leaks.

1) Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown.

2) Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and beaters. This step will be repeated several times and is important. The mixture will gradually become lighter, and the denser stuff has a tendency to cling to the bowl. You won't be able to incorporate it as well later, so keep scraping.

3) Add spices and sweetener. Beat again, scrape again.

4) Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well, scrape.

5) Add 3 eggs. Beat well (about a minute), scrape.

6) Add the other 2 eggs and cream and beat another minute. Pour mixture into pan over crust.

7) Place pan in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides, about halfway up. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F. and bake for for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often after an hour. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 150 to 155 F, remove from oven.

8) Remove sides from pan. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, or up to 3 hours. Cover and chill, ideally for another 3 to 4 hours.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

2009-11-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 lbs broccoli florets or 3 large heads of broccoli, cut up and steamed until tender
1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup, gluten free (can make with arrowroot for grain free)
milk or cream
4 - 5 C of cheddar cheese, grated
2 jars Kraft Old English Cheese Spread
1 cup diced chives or diced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
garlic powder (1-2 tsp)
dill weed (a few pinches)
rosemary (a few pinches)
thyme (a few pinches)
1 tsp dry mustard

Dump the mushroom soup in a medium sized saucepan, heat and stir while adding most of the grated cheese (reserve a bit for topping), the Kraft spread, the diced veggies and seasonings to taste. Cheese sauce should be thick; add a bit of milk or cream if it seems overly thick, but remember that you'll be adding the steamed broccoli, which has some water content that will thin out the sauce too.

Combine steamed broccoli with the cheese sauce mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a casserole dish, top with cheese and crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly around the edges.

Mushrooms Parmesan

2009-11-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3 T. butter

1 1/2 lbs mushrooms
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 T. butter
2 T arrowroot
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
salt, pepper to taste
grain free crumbs (from a grain-free biscuit)

Directions

Clean and slice the mushrooms (I like the slices fairly thick myself). Melt the first 3 T. butter in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms until wilted. Drain.

Make a roux with the second 3 T. of butter and brown rice flour by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and quickly blending in the arrowroot to form a paste; cook briefly, do not burn it! Add the heavy cream and whisk to ensure no lumps; simmer and stir until it thickens, slowly add the milk and simmer and stir again until thick. If too thick add a bit more milk. Lastly add most of the Parmesan cheese (reserve a bit to put on top) and the nutmeg. The sauce should be quite thick at this point, almost like a thick batter, because the mushrooms will still retain and release some liquid, even though they've been drained, which will thin out the sauce when they are added.

Add the mushrooms to the sauce, stir well, pour into a casserole dish and top with reserved Parmesan, crumbs and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown slightly on top.

Grain-Free Banana Blueberry Muffins

2009-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

Another recipe for grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free muffins!

This recipe makes approximately 20 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mashed
1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
3/4 C agave nectar
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 rounded C blueberries (if fresh, dry them well after washing)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl mash the banana and beat until smooth; add the eggs, agave, and oil and beat with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the banana mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven, until beginning to brown on top. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins: grain, gluten, and dairy free!

2009-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe for scrumptious gluten, grain, dairy (and sugar) free pumpkin muffins I came up with recently. I did post this first on my other blog, but will always archive the recipe here as well.

This recipe makes approximately 21 muffins, if you fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Ingredients:

1/4 C melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 C agave nectar
1 15-oz can pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp (rounded) ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

NOTE: 1 15-oz can of pumpkin is approximately 1 3/4 C of pumpkin puree, at least for Libby's pumpkin!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pans generously with shortening (I've used both Crisco and Spectrum).

In a large bowl combine the eggs, agave, oil, and canned pumpkin with a hand-held mixer until smooth and "emulsified" (meaning there should not be a skim of oil on top, but the oil should be completely incorporated). In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and all the spices. Dump the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture; mix together thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.

Spoon muffin batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 21 - 23 minutes, depending on your oven. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.

NOTE: the muffins will be very fragile just out of the oven, and will feel overly moist, even oily on the bottoms. But as they cool, they firm up and absorb the excess moisture and oil. This is likely due to the absorbent properties of the coconut flour; it allows the muffins to stay moist and delicious for days.

As I mentioned before, I made 21 muffins by filling the muffin cups about 2/3 full. If you fill yours with more batter, you will have larger (fewer) muffins and may have to bake them a bit longer.

Grain Free Oven "Fried" Chicken

2009-11-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Another grain-free recipe we've been enjoying lately....

Ingredients:

2 C almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill because it's a bit chunky - good texture for breading)
1 C Parmesan Cheese, grated
2-3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)
1 T garlic powder
2 tsp Herbes de Provence (or Italian Herb Mix)
4 eggs
3 - 3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T each butter and olive oil for pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and olive oil in baking pan (should be large enough to accomodate all of the chicken in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between pieces if possible), and place the pan on a rack in the center of the oven. You want the pan and oil-butter mixture to be hot when the chicken goes in.

Mix all dry ingredients in a pie pan; beat the eggs in a separate pie pan. Immerse each chicken breast in the beaten eggs, coating well. Next, dredge the chicken in the almond flour mixture, pressing it in with your fingers....make sure each piece is well covered. Remove the hot baking pan from the oven and place the chicken pieces in the olive oil-butter mixture. Try to separate the chicken pieces from each other in the pan if possible.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then turn the chicken and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.

Enjoy!

Casein-Free, Grain-Free Drop Biscuits

2009-10-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from my other blog....

I'm still experimenting with coconut and almond flours, attempting to replace all of the other gluten-free flours that I've become accustomed to using. Here is a very nice drop biscuit recipe I came up with (casein-free cousin to the garlic cheese biscuits) which uses both almond and coconut flours, as well as a bit of flax meal; my husband says they taste very much like Bisquick biscuits, only better.

I like the flavor and the texture of the almond-coconut flour combo.....I will continue to experiment! :)

Ingredients: (updated 11/22/09 and again on 11/26/09)

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/4 C almond flour**
1 1/2 T flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2 T agave syrup (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil (and agave if using) thoroughly. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes (start checking them at about 16 minutes), until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 biscuits.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits - Grain Free!

2009-10-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

I posted this recipe first over on my other blog (My Experiment in Gluten Free Living), but wanted to archive it here, of course.

I have been experimenting with coconut and almond flours lately, and have been trying to see if combining them makes any sense. Here is one recipe that turned out well; my family loved them!

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 T garlic powder
1/3 C coconut flour
2 tsp flax meal
2 tsp almond flour**
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil thoroughly. Combine the salt, garlic powder, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well. Add approximately 3/4 of the grated cheese, reserving a little for the tops of the biscuits.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; top with reserved cheese. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until beginning to develop golden-brown spots on tops. Makes 8 biscuits.

**Note: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

Eggplant Parmesan

2009-10-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Elise:

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced thinly
(you can slice the eggplant either lengthwise or across, into rounds)
2 T. salt
2 jars marinara sauce (or your own homemade sauce)
grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups almond flour
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 lbs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Place the eggplant slices one layer at a time in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours.

Rinse the eggplant thoroughly after draining process to remove salt, and lay the slices out on paper towels to dry. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine almond flour and pepper. Pour beaten eggs into another wide shallow bowl. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat, and pour in a a half inch of grapeseed oil. When oil is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 10x15 inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of marinara sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with one third of the Parmesan and half the basil leaves.

Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan, and what's left of the basil leaves. Add remaining eggplant, and top with a generous amount of marinara sauce and the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free, Grain Free Pizza!

2009-10-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

I've already posted this recipe on my main gluten free blog, My Experiment in Gluten Free Living, but wanted to put it here as well. It's based on a recipe from the Tropical Traditions website:

Grain-free Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk organic mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 large organic eggs
1/4 C flax meal
1/4 C coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 1 piece of parchment paper out for baking sheet.

Mix cheese, eggs, flax, coconut flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula to 1/4 inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 22 minutes in preheated oven.

Remove from oven. Top with sauce, pre-cooked veggies or meats, and cheese. Return to oven for approximately 5 minutes to bake at 350, then put crust with toppings under the broiler on high for a minute (or less) until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve.

Notes on the changes I made: the original recipe served 2-4 (about one medium round pizza). I doubled the recipe to make a rectangular pizza in my 15 x 10 jelly roll pan so we would have plenty of leftovers. The original recipe calls for turning over the pizza crust half way through the baking process; I didn't find that to be necessary. The original recipe said to bake for 30 minutes during the first baking....my crust was too brown by 25 minutes the first time I tried it.

ENJOY!!

Elana's Savory Vegetable Quiche

2009-09-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

I've recently found a gluten free blog that is rather different from most, in that the author uses mostly almond flour for baked goods (although she's now branching out into coconut flour too). I'll bet many of you know that I'm referring to Elana Amsterdam and her wonderful blog, Elana's Pantry.

What intrigues me is that she is grain-free, not just gluten free. I've read many posts on the board at celiac.com stating that one person or another did not experience healing until they gave up all grains (and usually dairy as well!).

Elana's blog has tons of great recipes and lots of other helpful info....after I fell in love with her blog, I went ahead and bought her cookbook; this recipe is from her book (and I hope it inspires all of you to go out and buy the book too!):

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 C blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 T minced scallions
1/4 C grapeseed oil
1 T water

Filling:

2 T grapeseed oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 C broccoli, sliced into small spears
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3)
1 C thinly sliced mushrooms
1/4 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry packed)
3 large eggs, whisked
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and scallions. In a smaller bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the grapeseed oil and water. Stir wet ingredients into dry until thoroughly mixed. Press the dough into a 9 1/2-inch or deep dish pie pan. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.

Quiche: Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for 8 - 10 minutes, until soft. While onion cooks, steam broccoli until bright green. Add broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes to the onion, and saute for 15 - 20 minutes, until broccoli is tender. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, and salt. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, then pour the mixture into the pre-baked crust.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350 degrees until browned around the edges and cooked through. Let the quiche cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

2009-09-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady, keeps coming out with great recipes, even though her year of Crockpotting is officially over! Here is another one:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 C gluten free flour
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 T kosher salt
6 oz (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (little or no pulp is best)
3 T brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 T ketchup

Directions:

Stephanie says to use a 4 quart Crockpot for best results. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off any excess. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. Sear it just enough for the flour to stick.

Place the chicken pieces into the Crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste; add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

Enjoy!

Polenta Lasagna

2009-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with polenta lately, because it's naturally gluten free. I decided to use it to make a version of lasagna (hubby loves lasagna!):

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 18-oz tubes of polenta
2 jars gluten free marinara sauce (or you can use your favorite homemade sauce)
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced,
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb gluten free Italian sausage
1 lb ricotta
1 lb mozzerella, shredded and divided
Parmesan, grated
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Saute the diced onion in a small amount of oil in a large skillet until soft. Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble into skillet; cook for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for a few more minutes, until sausage is browned. Remove from heat, drain off excess grease, and set aside.

Reserve approximately 1 C of mozzerella for topping. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining shredded mozzerella, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and the basil and oregano.

Slice each tube of polenta into approximately 15 slices. Use ~1 C of marinara sauce to cover the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan, then place half the polenta slices evenly spaced on the sauce (I do 3 by 5).

Top the polenta layer with half of the cheese mixture, then half of the sausage-veggie mixture. Cover with marinara sauce, then layer remaining polenta, cheese, and sausage-veggie mixture on top. Pour generous amount of sauce over all, top with reserved mozzerella and more Parmesan.

Bake at 35o degrees for approximately 35 - 45 minutes, until bubbly and cheese topping is beginning to brown a bit.

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

2009-09-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Fall-off-the-bone good....!

Ingredients:

5-7 lbs baby back ribs
gluten free barbecue sauce (I used Homemade BBQ Sauce version 2)

Directions:

Separate the ribs into serving sized pieces (4-5 ribs) and place in the Crockpot, basting with your favorite gluten free barbecue sauce. Cook for 6-7 hours on High.

Remove ribs gently (they fall apart easily at this point) and place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan, and baste generously with more sauce. Place under broiler for a few minutes, just until the sauce starts to "crisp up" a bit; you don't want them burnt....watch them closely!!

NOTE: If you're still working on side dishes for dinner, you can bake the ribs at 250-300 degrees for up to 45 minutes to keep them warm, and turn on the broiler at the last minute, just before you serve dinner.

Homemade Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce, part deux

2009-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

My latest version of the original homemade gluten free barbecue sauce:

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 T butter
2 C gluten-free ketchup (Heinz works)
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C gluten-free worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in the USA, but NOT in Canada)
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T liquid smoke
1 T Old Bay Seasoning (or more, to taste)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 T white vinegar

Directions:

In a sauce pan melt butter. Add onion and saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients and heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Kay's Fish Pie

2009-08-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is a "fishy" version of Shepherd's Pie from Kay, and it's amazing! I've only made it once so far, and I used tilapia instead of cod, but we loved it! Hubby ate some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning! :)

Please visit Kay's site to see her wonderful step-by-step pictures of this recipe.

It was very easy to convert it to be gluten and casein free.

UPDATE (9/1/09): I've made it twice more, the last time with cod, which was wonderful too!

Ingredients:

Mashed potato topping:

1 1/2 lbs potatoes
roughly 2/3 cup of milk (rice milk works if you prefer)
2 T butter (omit butter if casein free)
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Fish/Vegetable Filling:

14 - 16 oz white fish (cod and tilapia both work)
1 1/2 cup milk (again, rice milk or almond milk or whatever will be OK)
2/3 cup vegetable (or fish or chicken) broth
1 1/2 cups green peas
1 small onion
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 large carrot
1 lemon
flat-leaf parsley
cheese (you'll have to omit the cheese or use rice or soy cheese to be casein free)

White Sauce:

4-5 T sweet rice flour
3 oz butter (or organic shortening or coconut oil if casein free)
1/2 tsp salt
white pepper

Directions:

Peel, salt, boil and mash the potatoes. Season them with butter, a pinch of salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, and set aside.

I used frozen tilapia; Kay used frozen cod. NOTE: according to Kay, what really gives a fish pie a major boost is adding some salmon, about 5 oz or so.

Place the fish in a deep pan—Kay always uses her Dutch oven for this—and pour in the milk and broth. You can use vegetable, chicken, or fish broth for it. I used chicken broth because that's what I had on hand.

Peel the medium onion, cut it in half and stick 3 cloves in one half. I know it seems a bit different, but this is how Kay's grandma did it.

Put the clove-studded onion in with the fish, clove side down, and season the liquid with 1/2 tsp salt and one fairly large bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and simmer covered over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. Until the fish starts to flake.

In the mean time peel and coarsely grate 1 large carrot and dice the other half of the onion.

Another frozen item: 1 1/2 cup green peas. Kay says that she absolutely prefers frozen peas over fresh ones. I used frozen peas as well.

Chop a big handful of flat-leaf parsley. About 4 T. chopped.

In the mean time the fish should be done. Move it to a plate. Don't pour the cooking liquid out! You'll need it to make the sauce with. Discard the onion and bay leaf and sieve the liquid.

To make the sauce, melt 3 oz of butter and whisk in 4 to 5 T sweet rice flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two (over low heat), then slowly whisk in the sieved cooking liquid until you’ve reached a sauce consistency you like. You may or may not need all of the cooking liquid.

Season the sauce with salt (1/2 tsp for me), white pepper and simmer for another 3 minutes. Just set it aside while you prepare the vegetables. Tip: you may add a splash of white wine for a more adult type of fish pie! :)

Heat a small amount of oil and saute the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes, until soft. Don’t let them brown, though. Add the green peas and let the veggie mixture heat through for a few more minutes.

Grate and add the zest of half a lemon and squeeze in some lemon juice as well, about 1 or 2 tbsp. Also get the chopped parsley in there.

Transfer the vegetables to the oven dish (I used a round glass baking dish with fairly high sides), add the fish and carefully break it up with a spatula. Be gentle, though, don’t stir that poor fish like a maniac. You want the fish to still be in chunks when you're done. Pour the white sauce in there and mix it in gently.

Top it with the mashed potatoes. Kay says she always uses a fork to draw some stripes on the top of the potato layer. Top the mashed potatoes with a generous amount of cheese. Cheddar and Gouda both work really well for this, but I wouldn’t go for a very sharp (aged) cheese. It just doesn’t really add to the laid back flavors of the fish pie. NOTE: I used a mixture of medium cheddar and gruyere.

Bake the casserole at 350F (175C) for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

Wow....this is REAL comfort food!! My whole family loved it, even my three-year-old son! Good way to get him to eat vegetables....

The Perfect Meatloaf

2009-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

This recipe probably came from a magazine....the title of this post, "The Perfect Meatloaf", was the name of the original recipe (wherever it was that I found it). "Perfect" may be a little bit of an exaggeration but it is a good recipe!

I've had it for many years and have made it many dozens of times. I've made a few changes to the recipe to make it "mine", but if anyone recognizes it and knows where the original came from, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due! :)

Note: I usually omit the ground veal and just use 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck and 1/2 lb ground pork.

Ingredients:

Glaze:
1/2 cup gluten-free ketchup (Heinz is gf)
4 T. brown sugar
4 tsp vinegar (I usually use either cider or white)

Meatloaf:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in USA, but not in Canada!)
1/4 tsp gf hot sauce
1/2 cup milk (can use rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, whatever)
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
2/3 cup gf cracker or bread crumbs (I have used Glutino crackers, crushed, or my own homemade gluten free bread, finely crumbled)
1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Meatloaf: Heat oil in skillet, add onion and saute until almost soft (5 min), then add garlic and saute another minute or so. Set skillet aside to cool.

Mix eggs with salt, pepper, thyme, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Add to meat in large bowl along with cracker or bread crumbs, minced parsley, and onion/garlic mixture. Mix with fork until well blended and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. Add a little more milk if it sticks.

With wet hands pat into approximately 9" by 5" loaf shape, place in foil-line baking pan for easy clean-up. Brush with 1/2 the glaze and bake until top is crisp, about an hour. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining glaze.

NOTE: This recipe is casein free if you use non-dairy milk (such as rice or soy) and if the bread or cracker crumbs are casein free. We frequently use Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix, which is casein free.

Edit (10/20/09): for a grain free version, use grain free bread crumbs. For example, smash up almond or coconut flour biscuits to make the crumbs. You can also substitute 2 T agave nectar for the 4 T brown sugar in the glaze (a little healthier).

Kay's Pasta Gratin (gluten free version)

2009-08-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Kay, and as is usual with her recipes, it's awesome!! It was very easy to modify to be gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage (I used gluten free Italian sausage)
1 pound broccoli
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 pound gluten free shell pasta
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
gluten free breadcrumbs
grated Parmesan

Cheese Sauce:

3 tbsp butter
3-5 tbsp sweet rice flour
3 cups milk
4 oz cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
cayenne
pepper

Directions:

Mince the onion and grate or mince the garlic cloves. Cut the broccoli in small florets. (You could also make this dish with cauliflower btw.)

Heat a tsp of olive oil and cook the onions in a large skillet, over medium heat, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the onions. Cook for an additional minute to get the flavors going.

Remove casings from the Italian sausages and add the sausage to the pan; break it up with a spatula. Cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to lose its rawness.

In the mean time cook the pasta. You can use any type of gluten free shell pasta for this. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package.

If there’s a lot of fat coming out of the sausage, drain it. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Spoon in 4 tbsp chicken (or vegetable broth), pop the lid on and simmer the meat and broccoli over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Time to whip up the sauce. Heat 3 oz butter and add 5 slightly heaping tbsp flour. Cook for a minute to neutralize the rawness of the flour.

Pour in 2 cups of milk and keep a third cup nearby. Bring the sauce to a boil while gently stirring. Bit by bit, add the third cup of milk until you reach a consistency you like. You may or may not use all of that third cup.

Spike the sauce with 2 tsp Dijon mustard and add salt to taste—I’ve added 1 tsp salt, just keep in mind we’ll also be adding cheese! Let the sauce simmer, over very low heat, for a few minutes.

The pasta and meat should be done by now. Drain the pasta and remove the meat from the stove and set aside.

Finish the sauce with pepper, a good pinch of cayenne and the grated cheese. You can use Parmesan, Gouda, Gruyere or even cheddar for this. Any type of cheese you like. Or be adventurous and mix two types of cheese (I have used a mixture of Parmesan and white cheddar).

Now either add the pasta to the meat & broccoli in the skillet, or add the meat and broccoli to the pasta pot, or even transfer things to an oven dish and mix it there. Your call.

After the pasta, meat and broccoli mixture are well blended, dump it all into a 13" by 9" non-stick baking pan and pour the cheese sauce over all. Yum!!

Sprinkle some gluten free breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top of everything.

Put the pasta in a preheated oven and bake at 400F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly hot and golden brown on top.

I've made this recipe twice now, and it is FANTASTIC! My family loves it!

Crockpot Pesto Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

2009-08-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Stephanie, who has SO many wonderful gluten-free Crockpot recipes on her blog! If you're not already familiar with her, you should visit her blog site immediately! :)

I'm making this today!

Ingredients:

for the pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

4 - 6 chicken thighs, or breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes, well scrubbed, skin on

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for the pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now.

In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange chicken pieces. You can use frozen chicken. Layer on slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer.

If you're using fresh chicken, and your sweet potatoes are quite large, you may choose to swap layers, and put the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Newer slow cookers cook from the sides as well as from the bottom, but some people swear the stuff on the bottom cooks faster.

Carefully remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment. The steam that comes out will be quite hot, keep small children away.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

2009-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on RecipeZaar and altered it slightly to be gluten free. I should mention that Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten free in the United States, but (oddly enough) is NOT gluten free in Canada!

You can cook it on the stove in the traditional manner, or use the Crockpot. Instructions for both methods are included.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (tenderized works best)
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or gluten free substitute)
1 container sour cream, divided
white wine (as needed for taste)
Worcestershire sauce (as needed for taste)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
milk (if needed)
sweet rice flour (if needed)
cooked gluten-free egg noodles

Directions (stove top):

Heat butter in large skillet. Add stew meat, cook on medium heat until browned, stirring often. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add onion and saute in the butter until almost soft, a few minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until onion is soft but not browned and mushrooms are slightly wilted.

Put meat back into pan, add cream of mushroom soup, wine, worcestershire sauce, garlic and pepper. Stir constantly until soup thins out. Decrease heat to low, cover and simmer.

This can simmer anywhere from 1 to 4 hrs depending on the texture of the beef; you want it to be tender. Towards the end of the cooking time, you can add sweet rice flour to thicken it or milk to thin it out as needed. When almost done add half of the tub of sour cream.

Serve over cooked egg noodles (or rice or mashed potatoes) with the remainder of the sour cream as a topping.

Directions (Crockpot):

Add meat, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup (or gluten free substitute), wine, worcestershire sauce, garlic and pepper to the Crockpot. Stir well.

Cook for approximately 8 - 10 hours on Low, or 5 - 6 hours on High. You can add sweet rice flour (or cornstarch dissolved in a little milk or water) to thicken it or milk to thin it out as needed. At the end of the cooking time, turn off the Crockpot and allow to cool to the point where the stroganoff is barely simmering, then add half of the tub of sour cream.

Serve over cooked gluten free egg noodles (or rice or mashed potatoes) with the remainder of the sour cream as a topping.

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - gluten free substitute

2009-08-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

This sauce can be used in recipes as a substitute for condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. I found it at this site and modified it to be gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. sweet rice flour
1/2 cup any broth
1/2 cup milk (can use regular, soy, rice, almond, or whatever you have)
mushrooms, chopped and sauteed (I used about 1/2 pound)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan over med-low heat. Whisk in flour a little at a time until smooth, then remove from heat. Add broth and milk a little at a time, stirring to keep mixture smooth. Stir in mushrooms.

Return to heat and bring sauce to a gentle boil; stir constantly until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot Chicken with Chickpeas and Potatoes

2009-06-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken breast, cut in cubes
1 lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
grill seasoning
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp powdered coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 T garam masala (or more to taste)

Directions:

In a large skillet sear chunks of chicken that you've sprinkled with grill seasoning. Drain and pour into Crockpot. Saute onion, garlic, and tomatoes until tomatoes release juice. Add chunks of potato and can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. Season with cumin, powdered coriander, red pepper, garam masala. Dump everything in the slow cooker and mix together; cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are tender and chicken cooked through.

Crockpot Sausage and Potato Dinner

2009-06-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

(Recipe has been slightly edited on 6/21/09)

Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T sweet rice flour
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 C grated cheddar
(NOTE: this is to make a thick cheese sauce to replace the canned cheddar cheese soup in the original recipe - canned cheddar cheese soup is not usually gluten free!)

10 medium potatoes, about 3 pounds, sliced
12 to 16 oz gluten free smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, chicken apple sausage or other similar sausage, sliced
1 large onion, diced

3/4 cup evaporated milk
Paprika

Directions:

Make the cheese sauce first by melting 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. Add more or less chicken broth until you achieve the right consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, dry mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, and cheese; continue to stir until cheese is melted. Set the cheese sauce aside.

Toss sliced potatoes, sausages, and onions together in a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker. In the sauce pan, combine cheese sauce and evaporated milk (NOTE: you can use more or less evaporated milk depending on whether you want it to be thicker or more like a potato-cheese-sausage soup). Gently stir the cheese sauce mixture into the potatoes and sausages. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until potatoes are tender, stirring GENTLY once about halfway through the cooking time.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

2009-06-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce:

2 C chicken broth
2 T butter
2-3 T sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp cumin
A good dash of hot pepper, smoky chipotle or cayenne, to taste
1 C diced fire roasted green chiles - mild or hot, to taste

For the enchiladas:

corn tortillas
olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken, cut in bite-sized chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or Old Bay seasoning
salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 C Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan.

First make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan; add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Mix in the spices and diced green chilis, then add the liquid, whisking constantly. Heat just until the sauce begins to simmer. Continue to simmer until it thickens; feel free to taste and adjust seasonings to your own liking! You can also add more broth if it seems too thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the filling by combining the beef, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Soften the tortillas by briefly frying them in oil in a small skillet (if the oil is hot, you only need a couple of seconds per side!).

Place a tortilla in the pan, on top of the sauce, spoon in the chicken and cheese filling, and roll the tortilla up. Continue until the pan is full and/or the filling is used up, whichever comes first.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Crockpot Garlic Balsamic Chicken

2009-06-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is a modification of a recipe I saw on Cooks.com:

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 T balsamic vinegar
3/4 C chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Put chicken in Crockpot; scatter the mushrooms over the top. Combine the vinegar, broth, and seasonings and pour over all. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low. If you're using frozen chicken it will take a bit longer.

NOTE: Before serving, you may want to thicken the juices with a bit of cornstarch dissolved in white wine or broth, which will give you something nice to pour over gluten free noodles or rice.

Gluten Free Meatball Subs

2009-06-09T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/3 C gluten free bread crumbs
1/3 C grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/3 C chopped parsley
2 T milk
Olive oil

Your favorite marinara sauce
Sliced mozzerella or provolone cheese
Gluten free sandwich rolls

Directions:

Beat eggs until frothy, add bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, parsley, and milk and mix well. Add beef, and mix together gently; don't overwork the meat. Roll into bite-sized meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet; add meatballs in small batches and allow to cook for approximately 3 minutes before moving or turning over. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes. Continue cooking until all sides are golden brown.

Heat the marinara sauce. Slice and warm the sandwich rolls; fill with meatballs. Spoon an appropriate amount of sauce over the meatballs and cover with a slice of cheese. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Italian Bread

2009-06-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Jill's blog (Chef Silly Cooks Again):

Makes 2 loaves- about 20 servings

2 T active dry yeast
2 T sugar, divided
1 C warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/2 C egg whites or egg white liquid
1 ½ C potato starch
½ C corn starch
1 cup Chebe Flour Blend or your favorite GF flour blend (preferably on with Tapioca flour in it; if it has xanthan gum, be sure to omit it from the recipe)
½ teaspoon Guar Gum
½ teaspoon Xanthan gum
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Rice or cider vinegar
Flourless pan spray
Water bottle to mist

Directions:

Dissolve yeast and one teaspoon of sugar in the water, set aside

Spray the bread pan or line with parchment paper

Sift together all of the remaining dry ingredients

Combine egg whites, yeast water, olive oil and sifted dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer on low for about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, add vinegar and mix for another 30 seconds on medium.

Working with a rubber spatula dipped in a glass of water, divide dough in half onto each side of the bread pan. Shape the loaves into identical “logs” about 8-9 inches long. Keep the spatula wet as you do this. Square off the ends of the loaves. Make three shallow slashes in the top of the loaves, at an angle. Spray the top of the bread with the pan spray.

Place on the center rack of the oven. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees F and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the door of the oven slightly, reach in and spray the top of the loaves several times with your water bottle. Close the oven up and set the time for an additional 20 minutes. If you want to repeat the spray 2-3 times, it will make your crust a little crunchier.

After the 20 minutes are up, use an instant read thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 205 degrees. Cool completely before slicing, and wrap tightly once it is cool.

NOTE: If you need sandwich rolls, you can make several smaller loaves instead of 2 large ones; reduce cooking time appropriately.

Creamy Homemade Ricotta

2009-06-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

Also from Food and Wine Magazine:

Ingredients:

2 qts whole cow's milk (preferably organic)
1 C heavy cream (preferably organic)
3 T white vinegar
1/2 tsp white vinegar

Directions:

In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until foamy and steaming and the temperature reaches 185 degrees. Do not allow the milk to boil. Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar and stir gently for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.

NOTE: Instead of cheesecloth, you can use a clean cotton t-shirt, or a plain "flour sack" type of dish towel, or even clean pantyhose. Just make sure that any cloth you use doesn't have any textured surface which might leave shreds of fabric in the cheese.

Gluten Free Baked Penne with Sausage and Ricotta

2009-06-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Found in an old Food and Wine magazine; altered slightly to be gluten free:

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb gluten free Italian sausage, casings removed
One 28-oz can tomato puree
1 1/2 C water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground fennel
salt and pepper
1 lb gluten free penne
3 C homemade ricotta
1/2 lb fresh mozzerella, cubed
1/4 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil; add the garlic and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small chunks, until browned. Add tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaf and set sauce aside.

Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to pot. Stir in the remaining 2 T of olive oil. Add about a cup of the tomato sauce-sausage mixture to the pasta and toss to coat.

Spoon 1/2 of the pasta into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce over the pasta, spoon half of the ricotta in several large dollops over the penne, followed by 1/2 the mozzerella cubes. Top with remaining penne, sauce, ricotta and mozzerella. Sprinkle the Parmagiano-Reggiano over all.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and turning golden on top. Allow to rest 20 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free White Birthday Cake

2009-06-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe at Amanda's Random Ramblings (cute blog!). I used it to make cupcakes for Emma's third birthday:

Ingredients:

1/2 C white rice flour
1/2 C sorghum flour
2/3 C tapioca starch
1/3 C potato starch
1 C white sugar
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C milk (any type, I used rice milk)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans or line muffin pans with paper cupcake liners - this recipe makes 18-24 cupcakes, 2 6-inch round layers, 1 9-inch square cake, or 1 10-inch round cake.

Thoroughly combine the first 8 dry ingredients in a bowl.

Place softened butter in bowl of stand mixer and beat until fluffy. Add flour mix gradually to butter, blending on lowest setting until combined, then changing to setting "2" on the mixer until mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.

In small bowl, lightly whisk eggs and vanilla together. Add eggs to mixer and mix until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add milk and mix for 1 more minute. Batter will be light and fluffy.

Spoon into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick is clean. Time will depend on the shape of your pan, but should be about 20-22 minutes for cupcakes, up to 45 minutes for a loaf pan.

Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Frost when cool. Very good but, like most gluten free baked goods, best when eaten right away. Should be eaten within 24 hours of baking, otherwise it becomes too dry and crumbly.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

2009-06-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Inspired by one of Stephanie's Crockpot recipes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C brown rice
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C milk, divided (any type)
3/4 C gluten-free all purpose flour mix (your choice)
1 onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix (it's gluten free!)

Directions:

Use a 4-quart or larger Crockpot for this recipe.

Combine all of the chicken broth (1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.

When the broth and milk have begun to boil, reduce heat, and slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. When everything is fully incorporated, set the pot aside to cool.

Spray the inside of the Crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the rice to the Crockpot. Chop up the onion, and add it with the mushrooms. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup Mix over the chicken pieces, then pour your broth, flour, and milk mixture over all. (Actually, I was thinking about this....I did it this way when I used to make this recipe in the oven, but for a crockpot, you might want to pour the liquid on first, then sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over.)

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for about 8.

When you take the lid off of the Crockpot, stir the rice. If the rice is fully cooked and you have extra liquid, turn to high and keep the lid off for about 15 minutes. The liquid should absorb quickly. This recipe is casein free if you use rice or soy or almond milk instead of regular cow's milk.

Basic Risotto

2009-05-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from celiac.com:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. minced shallots or 1/4 c. minced onions
olive oil & butter
2 1/2 – 3 cups stock (see note in cooking instructions)
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer & keep the liquid hot.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, sauté onions in 1 tbsp. each butter & oil, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent & slightly golden–about 5–8 minutes.

Add the rice & stir constantly until all the rice is slightly translucent and a white spot appears in the center of the grain–about 3 minutes.

Turn up the heat, pour in the wine & stir until it is absorbed–about 2 minutes. Set the timer for 20 minutes now. The timer is only an approximate measure. The rice should only be cooked until it is tender but still chewy (firm to the bite or "al dente"), but never so long that it is soft in the center.

Add just enough hot stock to cover the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat so it cooks "at a lively pace". Keep gently stirring the sides and bottom of the pot until the rice has incorporated all the broth. This should take about 3–4 minutes. Season w/ salt & pepper.

Continue to add the hot broth, little by little, stirring continuously until at least 2 cups of the broth has been absorbed & the rice is cooked, about 18–20 minutes in all.

NOTE: When this was first posted, a lot of people said that needed more stock. Be careful, especially if you’re using canned or salted stock. All the cookbooks say 2 1/2 to 3 cups stock, so try to adjust the heat until it takes 20 minutes to absorb 3 cups of stock.

Hint: As the risotto nears completion, gradually reduce the amount of liquid you add at each time, so when it is fully cooked, it is only slightly moist–no liquid should be left unabsorbed at the end.

Stir in half of cheese and 1 more tbsp. butter & cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes. Take off the heat & salt to taste.

Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper & the remaining cheese sprinkled on top.

Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp

2009-05-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious recipe that was posted on the celiac.com forum:

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), about 18 minutes. (There will be leftover broth mixture.)

Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, zest, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste. (Thin risotto with some of remaining broth if necessary.)

Crockpot Country Captain (Chicken and Shrimp)

2009-05-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

From Sunset Crockery Cookbook:

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T raisins or currants
1 T curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/3 C slivered almonds
salt
parsley

Directions:

Quarter, core and dice unpeeled apples. Combine apples, vegetables, spices, raisins in Crockpot. Rinse chicken and pat dry; arrange on top of fruit and veggie mixture. Add broth. Cover and cook on Low 6-7 hours.

Remove chicken to warm plate; cover and keep in warm oven (200 degrees). Add rice to cooking liquid in Crockpot; turn heat to high and cook for about 30 - 35 minutes, until rice is almost tender. Add raw shrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque in center (about 10 more minutes). Toast almonds in small pan until golden; set aside. Season rice mixture with salt to taste; mound on a large serving dish and arrange chicken on top, then sprinkle with parsley and almonds. Makes 6 servings.

Directions:

Crockpot Beef Stew

2009-05-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Based on a recipe from the Sunset Crockery Cookbook, altered to be gluten free:

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 C baby carrots
1 lb baby red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 - 3 lbs stew beef or beef round, cubed
1/4 C sweet rice flour
2 tsp thyme
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 C red wine or beef broth
1 pkg frozen peas (about 10 oz)
salt and pepper

Directions:

Place vegetables into Crockpot; coat beef cubes with sweet rice flour, add to Crockpot and sprinkle with thyme. Add tomatoes and wine or broth. Cover and cook 8 - 10 hours on Low. Skim off any fat and stir in frozen peas. Turn heat to High, cook until peas are heated through (15 minutes or so). Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.

Dark Chocolate Gluten-Free Brownies

2009-05-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Such a WONDERFUL, decadent recipe, from Karina's blog:

Ingredients:

5 ounces Belgian dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 C almond meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
1/2 cup extra semi-sweet chocolate chips for the top, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a large measuring cup in the microwave. Stir together to combine. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high till frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture a little at a time - incorporate it slowly- and beat well for a good minute. The chocolate will look smooth and glossy.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond meal, rice flour, salt and baking soda; whisk together. Add the dry flour mix into the chocolate mixture and beat well for a minute. Add the vanilla, beat another half a minute or so.

If you are adding nuts, stir in the nuts by hand and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Shake the pan a little bit to even out the batter.

Layer the semi-sweet chips all over the top of the batter and press them in slightly, if adding.

Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. Don't overcook. (Err on the side of gooey, if you must- that's what I do; I find gluten-free brownies taste better slightly undercooked and soft in the middle than over-cooked and crumbly.)

Cool on a wire rack; chill before cutting.

Best Barbecue Ribs (or Chicken)!

2009-05-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is based on one from RecipeZaar; I've incorporated a number of variations from people who actually tried it and commented:

Ingredients:

3 - 6 lbs pork back ribs (or chicken pieces)
1 (8 ounce) jar honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped
12 oz barbecue sauce (I used homemade BBQ sauce)
1/4 C white sugar (or white or apple cider vinegar if you want it less sweet)

Directions:

This can be made in the oven in a roasting pan or in the Crockpot. I've included directions for both, as well as directions for chicken.

Mix all ingredients except ribs together. Cut ribs apart for easier serving. Place into roasting pan or Crockpot and coat all ribs with the sauce.

Roasting pan directions (ribs):

Line the bottom of the roasting pan with silicon sheet for easier cleanup (very sticky!). Spread ribs out evenly on bottom of pan; coat with sauce and cover lightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 3 hours. Turn and baste occasionally. At the end of cooking time, broil the ribs for a couple of minutes before serving.

Roasting pan directions (chicken):

Line the bottom of the roasting pan with silicon sheet for easier cleanup (very sticky!). Spread chicken pieces out evenly on bottom of pan; coat with sauce and cover lightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour covered, then 1/2 hour uncovered. Turn and baste occasionally.

NOTE: if using boneless chicken, you should reduce cooking time. Bake covered until internal temperature is 160 degrees, then bake uncovered for approximately 15 minutes longer (probably 45 min total).

Crockpot directions (ribs and chicken):

Place ribs in Crockpot, cover and cook on high for 6 - 7 1/2 hours. (Bone-in chicken would probably take about 6 hours; boneless would take about 4-5 hours on high. Check internal temperatures to make certain they are done!)

Homemade Gluten-free Barbecue Sauce

2009-05-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe somewhere on RecipeZaar:

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 T butter
1 1/2 C gluten-free ketchup (Heinz works)
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C gluten-free worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gf in the USA, but NOT in Canada)
2 T lemon juice
1 T liquid smoke

Directions:

In a sauce pan melt butter. Add onion and saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients and heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

2009-05-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different versions of this delicious recipe out there on the Internet; this is mine (based in part on recipes found on RecipeZaar and A Year of Crockpotting):

Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 T sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced thick or quartered

4 T butter
4 T sweet rice flour
1 C milk
1 C chicken broth

8 oz cream cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with herbs and spices. Add chopped vegetables.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the sweet rice flour to make a roux. Add chicken broth slowly while whisking, then add milk. Stir until thickened and smooth. It should be thick, but you may need to add a little more broth; I try to aim for the consistency of canned cream of chicken soup (well, maybe a little runnier than that!). Pour over chicken and vegetables in Crockpot, cook on high 4 - 5 hours until chicken is cooked through and can be shredded with a fork.

Add cream cheese to Crockpot and cook on high for half an hour, until cream cheese is melted. Stir to mix thoroughly and serve over gluten free pasta or rice.

Gluten Free Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

2009-05-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce:

2 T butter
2 T sweet rice flour
2 - 2 1/2 T red chili powder
2 - 3 dashes cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
2 T dried onion flakes
6 ounces tomato paste
2 - 3 cups water and/or chicken stock
salt and pepper

For the enchiladas:

corn tortillas
olive oil
3 cups roast beef or canned cooked beef, cut in bite-sized chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon or chili powder
salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 C Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a or 9 x 13" baking dish.

First make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan; add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Mix in the spices and tomato paste; then add the liquid, whisking constantly. Heat just until the sauce begins to simmer; feel free to taste and adjust seasonings to your own liking! Remove from heat after it thickens.

Make the filling by combining the beef, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Soften the tortillas by briefly frying them in oil in a small skillet (if the oil is hot, you only need a couple of seconds per side!).

Place a tortilla in the pan, on top of the sauce, spoon in the beef and cheese filling, and roll the tortilla up. Continue until the pan is full and/or the filling is used up, whichever comes first.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

2009-05-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Stephanie's blog; my 3-year-old LOVES it! In fact, we all do...it's easy and tasty...has a sort of sweet Asian flavor. I served it over white rice:

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (7-up or whatever)
2/3 cup vinegar (white wine, regular white, or apple cider work fine)
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are GF)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this recipe.

Place the chicken into Crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It may bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be. If you wish, you may add 1/3 C cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 water at the very end to thicken the broth a little.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth.

Chicken Artichoke Enchilada Casserole

2009-05-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful recipe from Karina, the Gluten-Free Goddess:

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

2 cups chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons rice flour
A dash of cumin, to taste
A dash of hot pepper, smoky chipotle or cayenne, to taste
1 C chopped fire roasted green chiles- mild or hot, to taste

For the enchilada casserole:

10 corn tortillas
olive oil
2-2 1/2 cups hand torn cooked chicken pieces
1 10-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1 big juicy lime
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or chili powder
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
4 oz. Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 8 x 11" or 9 x 12" baking dish.

First make the sauce. Heat the broth to almost a simmer. Add the rice flour and whisk smooth. Continue to heat just until the sauce thickens. Add the cumin, hot pepper and green chiles and stir well to combine.

Make the filling by combining the chicken, artichokes, garlic, lime juice, cumin, Old Bay Seasoning, sea salt, and pepper, in a bowl. Toss well to coat. Add about 3/4 of the shredded cheese to the filling and mix well. Set aside the remaining cheese for the topping.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the green chile sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Cutting some of the tortillas in half to make straight edges, layer five corn tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish. Brush with a little olive oil.

Spoon in the chicken filling, and spread it evenly in the pan. Top with five more corn tortillas, cutting some of them to fit against the sides. Brush these with a little olive oil.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over the top, slowly, using a small spatula or knife to make room around the edges of the tortillas, so that the sauce can seep in all around and reach the bottom.

Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling around the edges and heated all the way through.

Garlic fried Jasmine Rice

2009-05-03T19:09:00.001-07:00

Another recipe from Tim Luym, published in the October 2008 Sunset. This is a staple for breakfast in the Phillipines, but it's great for dinner too:

1 1/2 C brown jasmine rice
1 1/2 T plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
1 T minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse rice thoroughly in a fine strainer, then pour into medium saucepan with 1 3/4 C water (you may want to use chicken or beef broth in place of some or all of the water to add additional flavor). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Pour rice into a rimmed baking pan; let cool, then chill, uncovered, until firm and dry, at least 2 hours (you can leave it overnight if you wish).

Heat 1 1/2 T oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add rice and heat, stirring gently, until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. With a wooden spoon, clear a space in the center, and pour in 1 tsp oil. Stir the garlic into the oil. Let garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then stir the garlic and rice together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Adobo Salpicao

2009-05-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in a Sunset magazine (Oct 2008); the author is a Philippino-American chef in San Francisco named Tim Luym:

Ingredients:

1 C thinly sliced shallots (4 - 6 large)
1/4 C each canola oil and olive oil
1 1/2 lbs top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T gluten free soy sauce or Tamari sauce
2 T coconut vinegar or 4 tsp cider vinegar (coconut vinegar may be found in Asian grocery stores)

Directions:

In a large skillet over med heat, saute shallots in oils, stirring often, until deep golden brown (7 - 8 minutes). With a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels to drain. Discard all of the oil except for 2 T.

Increase heat to high. Add diced beef to pan and cook until brown on one side (1 - 2 minutes). Stir in garlic and bay leaf. Turn meat; when second side is brown, stir in pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar. Boil until reduced by half, 1 - 2 minutes. Spoon meat into bowls and top with shallots.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

2009-04-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

Found this recipe on the back of a package of chicken (probably Foster Farms):

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C white wine
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 C heavy cream
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1 C (packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 C fresh basil (rough chopped)

Directions:

Salt and pepper chicken breasts, then saute in olive oil over medium high heat about 8 minutes per side; set aside.

Add white wine to hot pan; reduce it by half, then add mushrooms and saute 4 - 5 minutes. Add cream, garlic, and Parmesan; bring to a simmer. Add spinach and basil and cook on low until spinach is tender. Add chicken and simmer about 5 more minutes until done (chicken should be 165 degrees F internally).

Vietnamese "Meatballs"

2009-04-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was taught this recipe many years ago by a Vietnamese friend; I call them Vietnamese Meatballs because I can't remember the Vietnamese name, LOL!

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup finely grated jicama
1-2 cloves minced garlic
3-4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg
salt & pepper

Wrapper:
1 package Vietnamese rice paper (find in Asian grocery store - NOTE: this recipe assumes that you have the large sheets of rice paper, which are circular and at least 12 inches in diameter)

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup gf soy sauce or tamari sauce
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp sugar (add more to taste)

Large well-washed leaves of romaine lettuce, torn in half with center removed.

Vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients in filling, make small meatballs 1 - 1.5 inches in diameter. Cut the rice paper into fourths, and wet with water front and back (only do a few pieces at a time!). You have to lay the pieces of rice paper out separately on a hard flat surface so that they won't stick to while they soften (a few minutes).

Wrap meatballs in softened rice paper and fry (medium-high heat) in oil until deep golden brown on both sides. Meatballs should be small enough to cook through in a few minutes on each side, to avoid burning rice paper, and oil should be at least 1.5 - 2 inches deep in the pan (a deep fryer would work well, too). Fry only a few pieces at a time, to minimize risk of sticking together. Drain well on paper towels. Serve warm; to eat, wrap each meatball in a narrow strip of romaine lettuce and dip in sauce.

Mujadrah (Lentils and Rice with Onions)

2009-04-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Yummy Middle-Eastern recipe based on one I found on allrecipes.com (there are many versions on the Internet, just type "lentils and rice" into Google):

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions, sliced into rings
4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (you can use brown rice, but it takes more time and liquid)
salt and pepper to taste
1 - 2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Suggestions for variations on the basic flavor: substitute chicken stock for some of the water, add ginger and/or cinnamon or curry powder, add other veggies (e.g. canned diced or crushed tomatoes), add raisins plus a bit of sugar for a sweet version.

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and turn down the heat to low, cook them slowly until caramelized, about 20 - 30 minutes (this makes them very sweet). Just before the onions are done, add the minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Place lentils in a medium saucepan with just enough lightly salted water (and/or chicken stock) to cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender. Mix half the onion/garlic mixure into the lentils and rice. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve. For casein free diets, just top with onions!

Salmon Croquettes

2009-04-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe may be found in several different places on the Internet, but I love the version on Mennonite Girls Can Cook:

Ingredients:

14 - 16 oz of canned salmon, drained
1/2 c. gluten free bread crumbs (NOTE: you can use other things, including cooked gluten-free oatmeal or leftover gluten-free stuffing or even mashed potatoes)
2 diced green onions
1 T. fresh dill
2 T. lemon juice
1 egg
2 T. mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste.
1 c. grated cheese (optional)

Directions:

Mix together well and form into patties. Brown in a non-stick saute pan with about one tablespoon olive oil. About 3-4 minutes per side. This recipe is casein free if (a) your breadcrumbs are casein free, and (b) you don't add the cheese.

Edit (10/20/09): For a grain free version, use grain free crumbs; for example, crumble almond or coconut flour biscuits up to make the crumbs.

Crockpot Garlic Chicken

2009-04-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

Yet another great recipe from Stephanie, the Gluten-free Crockpot Lady:

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds chicken pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

Directions:

Place onion slices on the bottom of the stoneware insert of your Crockpot. In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken parts with olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves. Pour into Crockpot, on top of the onion.

NOTE: if you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, add 1 cup of white wine or apple juice.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook chicken-on-the-bone, the more tender it will be. If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crock, burning a bit. If this bothers you, you can rearrange them with tongs an hour before serving.

P.S. I made this recently and started it around 6am; I fully intended to shut it off after 8 hours or so but was unable to. It ended up cooking on Low for more than 12 hours! And it was WONDERFUL! The liquid and the onions and garlic cloves turned a deep golden brown (caramelized) color...the veggies were so soft they basically disintegrated into the liquid. The chicken was incredibly tender, as usual. I thickened the liquid with cornstarch to make a sauce and served the chicken in the sauce over mashed potatoes.....YUM!

Liz's Gluten Free Microwave "Buns"

2009-04-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from the gluten free forum on celiac.com; Liz (aka lonewolf) posted it. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, these rolls are FANTASTIC!

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2 Tbs. brown rice flour or sorghum flour
1 Tbs. almond meal
1 Tbs. golden flax meal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. sugar (or one packet Splenda)
1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
shake of salt

Directions:

Spray a custard dish (or any baking dish that will yield a hamburger bun sized "loaf") with non-stick spray. Crack egg into dish and stir with a fork until it's well mixed. Add all other ingredients and stir well. Cook in microwave on high for 90 seconds. You may have to loosen around the edges with a butter knife. The result is dense but reminds me a little of whole wheat bread. It is fairly low carb, especially made with sorghum flour.

NOTE: best dish to cook in is a 6-inch cereal bowl or soup mug with fairly straight sides. If you mix up about 8 servings worth or more of the mix in a Ziploc bag, you can make this quickly with one egg and 1/4 C of bun mix per bun. Makes a good sandwich roll!

Sandra's "Juicy Lucy" Cheeseburger

2009-04-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is another great idea from Sandra, who saw this burger featured on a TV show and promptly made her own version:

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef (no leaner than 80%)
salt
onion flakes
garlic powder
black pepper
4 slices American cheese (NOT cheddar, it has to be American or you won't have the melty delicious gooey mess - note: I've used Swiss, too, which was really good!)
4 gluten free buns
Your favorite condiments and toppings

Directions:

In a big bowl, combine the beef, salt, garlic, black pepper and onion flakes. (NOTE: instead of the seasonings listed I used 2/3 package of Lipton Onion Soup mix with the ground beef.) Divide into equal 8 portions. Shape each portion into a thin hamburger patty.

Take each slice of cheese and cut into four pieces, stack all four slices in the middle of each of four of the patties. Top with another thin patty and crimp the edges tightly to seal. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. You'll notice that burger will puff up, that's fine.

Turn the burger over and then gently poke the top with a toothpick or wooden skewer, so the steam can escape.

Cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Serve on a gluten free bun with your favorite condiments.

Karina's Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

2009-03-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

From Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess:

Ingredients:

Quickie Green Chile Sauce:

1 cup light vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you're an omnivore)
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water
(you may also use cornstarch as the thickener if you don't have arrowroot)
1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles- hot or mild
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot or cornstarch, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test. Set aside.

Filling:

1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, smashed a bit, but still chunky
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, mild or spicy, as you prefer
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Also necessary:

2-4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, as needed
8 corn tortillas (make sure they are gluten free!)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Choose a baking dish that will hold 8 enchiladas.

In the meantime, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them - one at a time - as you stuff each one.

Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce and with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Crockpot Chile Verde

2009-03-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is a very flavorful dish from Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady. We've eaten the leftovers served over mashed potatoes, in burritos, over rice....it tastes wonderful any way you eat it.

Ingredients:

4 pound chuck roast, or pork shoulder/butt
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced chilis, mild
3 medium tomatoes, diced
10 tomatillos, diced (peel off the outer wrapper, if they have one)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sage
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:

Trim any visible fat from the meat, and place in the Crockpot. Add diced bell pepper and onion. If tomatillos have the leafy-outer skin left on them, take the skin and stem off, and dice finely. Pour in the diced chilis and diced tomatoes. Add spices. Stir a bit to get the spices down the sides of the meat. Add chopped cilantro to the top.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 6, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.

Serve with rice, corn tortillas, refried beans, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. Yum!!

Creamy Salmon Rotini

2009-03-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 lb boneless, skinless cooked salmon, diced
1 C cooked peas
1 C mushrooms, sauteed until just wilted
2 T butter
2 T sweet rice flour (superfine)
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 C grated Jarlsberg or swiss
3/4 C grated Parmesan
1 lb cooked gluten free rotini (or any gf pasta you prefer)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large casserole dish.

Make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the sweet 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. Add more or less chicken broth until you achieve the right consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, most of the Parmesan and all of the Swiss/Jarlsberg; set the sauce aside.

Put the cooked pasta into a large bowl; add the salmon cubes, peas, mushrooms and cheese sauce to the pasta; mix well but gently.

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

Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

2009-03-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 C cooked chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 C steamed broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 C mushrooms, sauteed (optional)
2 T butter
2 T white rice flour (superfine)
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
freshly ground black pepper
2 T onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 C grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 C grated medium cheddar
1/2 C grated monterey jack
1/2 C grated Jarlsberg or swiss
1/2 C grated Parmesan
5 - 6 C cooked brown or white rice

NOTE: use whatever cheese you have or like....I just like this particular combo.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large 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. Add more or less chicken broth until you achieve 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.

Put the cooked rice into a large bowl; add the chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and cheese sauce to the rice; 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.

Oven "Fries"

2009-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Recipe from Sandra (Full Bellies, Happy Kids), who got it originally from Rachel Ray:

Ingredients:

5 russet potatoes, cut into thin wedges
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T steak seasoning, such as montreal steak seasoning or salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to high. Cut potatoes and spread out on a cookie sheet. Toss potatoes to coat with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle on dried herbs and steak seasoning or salt and pepper.

Spread potatoes to the corners of the cookie sheet. Cook potatoes in very hot oven 25 minutes. Turn potatoes once, half way in the cooking process. Serve fries hot from the oven.

Linda's Gluten Free Hamburger Buns

2009-03-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

A recipe for gluten free hamburger buns from Linda; please visit her blog, The Gluten-Free Homemaker:

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 1/3 c. brown rice flour
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch
1 T yeast
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 Tb. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar or honey

Wet:

1 – 1 1/4 c. warm water
4 eggs
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar

Directions:

Mix the wet ingredients together in the bowl of your mixer using 1 cup of the water. Combine the dry ingredients thoroughly in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Add more water if it is too dry. The dough should be very soft and sticky.

Spoon the dough into greased or oiled English muffin rings (or make your own rings out of strips of foil taped in a circle) on a greased cookie sheet (or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper). Let the buns rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Easy Gluten Free Burritos

2009-03-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

You can make these vegetarian with beans only if you wish. If you're an omnivore, make them with meat only, or make combo burritos with both meat and beans:

Ingredients:

gluten-free flour tortillas (Trader Joe's Brown Rice Tortillas are good or you can try this recipe)
3 - 4 C cheese, grated (sharp or mild cheddars, monterey jack, or mozzerella usually work best)
1 - 2 C meat (cooked shredded or thinly sliced chicken, beef, pork or whole cooked shrimp)
cooked beans
4-oz can diced green chilis
1 diced onion
gluten free salsa (NOTE: Pace is NOT gluten free; many fresh salsas are)
sour cream (optional)
guacamole (optional)
diced tomato (optional)
shredded lettuce (optional)

Directions:

Saute the diced onion; add cooked meat and/or beans and saute just long enough to heat the mixture up. Add diced green chilis and/or salsa if you wish and cook about 1 minute longer. You can also experiment by adding small amounts of cumin or other traditional Mexican spices if you feel so inclined. What you add may depend on your choice of meat.

Place a tortilla in a pre-heated skillet on medium high heat. Heat briefly, just until warm and flexible. Place on serving plate, place 1/3 - 1/2 C meat and/or bean mixture on tortilla in a vertical strip and top with grated cheese.

Add other toppings at this point if you wish (salsa, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomato, shredded lettuce, etc.) then fold the bottom of the tortilla up over about half the filling, then fold the top down, fold the left side over, then the right to completely wrap the filling in the tortilla.

Enjoy!

Easy Gluten Free Quesadillas

2009-03-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

gluten-free flour tortillas (Trader Joe's Brown Rice Tortillas are good or you can try this recipe)
3 - 4 C cheese, grated (sharp or mild cheddars, monterey jack, or mozzerella usually work best)
1 - 2 C meat (optional: we've used cooked shredded or thinly sliced chicken, beef, pork or even shrimp)
4-oz can diced green chilis
2 diced green onions

Directions:

Mix the shredded cheese with the green chilis and green onions.

If you'll be using any meat, pre-warm it in the microwave so that it's quite warm to the touch (you don't want it at refrigerator temperature).

Place a tortilla in a pre-heated skillet on medium high heat. You can use a little butter or olive oil in the pan to prevent sticking and give a nice crunch to the tortilla.

Depending on the size of your tortillas, use a good handful of the cheese-veggie mixture (or maybe a bit more) to cover half of the tortilla. Add meat of your choice and sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Fold tortilla in half to cover filling. The cheese should be partially melted and the tortilla should be well-browned (but don't over-do it!) before you try to flip it over. The quesadilla is done when both sides are browned and cheese is melted. We like them served cut in quarters with a dab of sour cream and salsa in the middle.

Crockpot Black Beans

2009-03-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

How to cook dried black beans in the Crockpot (or any type of dried beans, except kidney beans) from Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady:

Ingredients:

1 bag of black beans
Water

Directions:

Pour the bag of beans into a colander and rinse under cold water. Pick over beans to get rid of broken or shriveled beans, then pour rinsed beans into a 3 qt or larger Crockpot. Add enough water to cover the beans plus an additional 2 inches.

Cover the Crockpot. Do not turn on. Let the beans soak for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

In the morning, dump the water, and rinse the beans again. Put the beans back into the Crockpot and cover with enough fresh water to completely cover the beans with an extra 2-3 inches.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

The beans are done when they are bite-tender. Don't worry if the water hasn't all absorbed. You're going to dump it, anyway.

Drain the beans.

When cool, separate the beans into storage containers or freezer bags in increments of 1 2/3 cups of beans per container, which is the amount in the typical can of beans. One pound of dried beans should make the equivalent of 3 cans of beans. The beans will store nicely in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months.

Use as you would canned beans in your favorite recipes.

NOTE: I like to add salt and pepper, a couple of tablespoons of salsa, and some cumin and serve over rice as a side dish to a Mexican meal. Also great in burritos!

Julie's Gluten Free Flour Tortillas

2009-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Julie, please visit Mennonite Girls Can Cook to see other wonderful recipes (including several that are gluten-free):

Ingredients:

2 C tapioca flour

1 cup of gluten-free bread/bun mix - (Julie uses Kinnikinnick - you can also use gluten-free biscuit mix flour)

2 rounded tsp of xanthum gum

1 T shortening

1 T butter

1 1/3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup of sweet rice flour for rolling dough - (if you don't have sweet rice flour you can use tapioca flour)

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients well, cut in the shortening and then add the milk and mix until it forms a ball.

2. Turn ball onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth.

3. Cover completely with plasic wrap and let rest for an hour.

4. Form dough into a long cylinder and cut into 12 equal pieces.

5. Place the pieces on a plate and cover with a damp paper tower. (The dough will dry out too quickly if you don't)

6. Piece by piece roll out on floured surface, using as little of the sweet rice flour as possible. Use a 9" plate to cut into round circles.

7. As you roll out each ball, stack the circles between layers of wax paper.

8. Heat up a flat bottomed frying pan ... medium high....and in a little olive oil or coconut oil (healthy oil) fry each tortilla about 30 seconds on each side.

9. Let them cool... then store them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge until you want to use them.

Gluten Free Chicken with Mushrooms in Sherry-Garlic Butter Sauce

2009-03-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very loosely based on Chicken Marsala but goes off on a tangent to incorporate flavors from a fabulous sherry-garlic butter sauce that comes with a seafood combo dinner in one of my favorite Mexican restaurants:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenders or fillets
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup white rice flour
2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced and sautéed

Directions:

Rinse and dry chicken tenders. Coat chicken with rice flour by putting flour and chicken into a plastic bag and shaking until chicken is coated on all sides. Next dip chicken in beaten egg, then in gluten free breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in olive oil/butter mixture until golden brown. Place in a large baking dish, top chicken pieces with sautéed mushrooms. Pour sherry-garlic butter sauce (recipe below) over the chicken and bake 15 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over your favorite gluten free pasta or rice.

Sherry-garlic butter sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 C sherry or white wine
1 C chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
1/4 C butter
1 T olive oil
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Saute garlic in 1 T of butter plus 1 T olive oil very briefly over medium high heat, then add remaining butter, chicken broth, lemon juice and sherry. Simmer on low heat for five minutes. Add parsley at the very end, just before pouring the sauce over the chicken.

Classic Pot Roast

2009-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Based on a recipe from Elise:

Ingredients:

4-5 lb beef roast (typically tougher cuts like chuck or shoulder)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp basil
Bay leaf
1 large onion, diced
4 or 5 large carrots, peeled and cut in large chunks
(or you can use several baby carrots)
Several large mushrooms cut in thick slices
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 - 3/4 C of red wine

Directions:

In a large dutch oven or other covered pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Sprinkle the seasonings on all sides of the roast and rub in. Brown the roast in the hot oil in pot on all sides, several minutes on each side. Never move the roast around while a side is browning, or it won't brown well. When the roast is thoroughly browned, take it out of the pan temporarily and put garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions.

Add the red wine and bay leaf. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a very gentle simmer if you're cooking it on the stovetop. Or you can cook the pot roast in a 225°F oven, once you have browned it, and brought the liquid to a simmer (make sure to use an oven proof pot such a dutch oven).

Cook for 4 - 4 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Near the end of the cooking, add the carrots; add the mushrooms 10 minutes later and cook about 5 - 10 more minutes.

NOTE: check the amount of liquid remaining after about 3 1/2 hours, before adding the carrots. If the pot roast is too dry, add a bit more wine or even beef broth (perhaps a cup of liquid).

Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving plate; depending on how much liquid is left, add a little bit (couple of tablespoons) of cornstarch mixed with a small amount of water to the liquid in the pot and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Good over the roast and over mashed potatoes!

Salmon and Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar

2009-03-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon, skinless and boneless
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil + more for sauteing
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
white wine or sherry
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, diced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 T butter

Directions:

Pour 1/3 C olive oil and 1/2 C balsamic vinegar into a zip-lock plastic bag and add the salmon. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour...preferably 3 or 4 hours.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat; add a little olive oil to help prevent the butter from burning. Saute the green onions for a few minutes over medium heat, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring often. Remove the vegetables to a bowl; add the salmon to the same saute pan and cook over medium-high heat briefly to brown each side a bit. Add a couple of splashes of sherry or white wine and top with cooked mushroom mixture, cover and cook over low heat for a few minutes. Salmon is done when it flakes with a fork and the center has just turned opaque. Do not overcook!

Serve with the juices from the pan over rice or garlic mashed potatoes.

Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry

2009-03-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Wonderful recipe!! Stephanie, the Crockpot Lady, got this one from Rachel Ray when she appeared on her show:

Ingredients:

1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
1 T brown sugar
1 T soy sauce (La Choy is gluten free, and so is Tamari wheat-free)
1 T Thai red or green chili paste, or more to taste
1 tsp fish sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large eggplant, chopped
1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 sweet potato, diced (large chunks)
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and/or breasts, boneless, skinless

Directions:

Combine the sauce ingredients: coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, and fish sauce in the bottom of your crockpot. Taste. If you think you need more chili paste, add some, carefully. It's hot stuff!

Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, flipping them over a few times so they get nice and saucy.

Wash and cut the vegetables, and add to the crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. This is done when the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables have reached desired tenderness.

Serve over white or brown rice.

Scalloped Potatoes

2009-03-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful, homey, classic side dish (and it's gluten free!) from Elise:

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs (about 4 medium sized) Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)
2 thick slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 1/2 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups to 3 cups of half-and-half (half milk, half cream)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a large casserole dish with 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.

Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/3 of the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer on 1/2 of the sliced onions and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese. Layer on 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the parsley and chives. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.

Repeat by layering on 1/3 of the potato slices, sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Layer on the remaining sliced onions, 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese, the remaining bacon, parsley and chives. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.

Top the casserole with the remaining potato slices. Add the half and half. Dot the potatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for one hour. After an hour, remove from the oven, remove the foil, sprinkle on the remaining Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes. When done, the potatoes should be tender, but not mushy, and the liquid should be mostly absorbed.

Serves 8.

NOTE: For a faster cooking time, you can parboil the sliced potatoes for 8 minutes first, patting them dry, before layering them in the casserole pan. In this case the total oven cooking time is about 35-45 minutes.

Gluten Free Pasta with Shrimp

2009-03-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

This recipe is based on Sandra's Angel Hair Pasta with Crab:

Ingredients:

1/2 package (8 oz) gluten free pasta
2 T butter
olive oil
1/2 C diced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 C dry white wine
1 T lemon juice
1/2 lb cooked shrimp
2 T dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook onion, garlic, tomatoes in butter in olive oil until soft. Add wine, parsley, salt and pepper, simmer 2 more minutes. Add lemon juice and shrimp, then remove pan from burner. Cover and keep warm while cooking pasta.

Cook gluten free pasta according to package directions, drain well, toss with shrimp sauce and serve.

Sandra's Orange Chicken

2009-03-08T18:26:00.001-07:00

Another great recipe from Sandra; the original recipe is not gluten-free, but I've modified it:

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken, cut into bite size pieces
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 C gluten free flour (white rice superfine is what I use)
1/2 C of cornstarch
4 beaten eggs with a little milk
oil

Sauce:
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of gluten free ketchup
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons of gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce

Beat 4 eggs together and add a little milk. Mix cornstarch, flour and garlic powder together. Dip chicken pieces in the flour then in the egg mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place chicken in casserole dish.

Make sauce by combining sugar, ketchup, water, and gluten free soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are blended.

Pour sauce evenly over chicken in casserole dish, bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Homemade Chicken Soup

2009-03-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

When I make soup, I don't work from a recipe, and the ingredients can vary quite a bit. But this is at least approximately the way I make chicken soup, which is a wonderful comforting meal on a chilly evening. I like to make it in two stages: the first day I make the stock, strain it and refrigerate it overnight. The second day I skim the fat off the stock, shred the chicken, and make the soup. I'd like to thank my friend Julee who shared her technique of not adding the pasta or rice until time to serve!

BTW, if you don't want to take 2 days to make soup, you can certainly skip the step of refrigerating the stock overnight, but it's harder to skim off the fat.

Ingredients for day 1:

One chicken, whole or cut up
water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped (with leaves)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Put the chicken into a large pan or stock pot and add enough water just to cover the chicken. Add other ingredients and simmer on low heat for 2 - 3 hours. The key is to cook it slowly. You can do this in the crockpot of course....on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Adjust seasonings if you need to, although you have another chance to do that later.

Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the stock for at least one hour. Remove chicken from stock and strain the stock through cheesecloth or a wire strainer into a large container. Refrigerate chicken and stock separately overnight.

Ingredients for day 2:

The stock and chicken from day 1
3-4 green onions, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4-5 cups gluten free pasta or rice, cooked

Skim any fat off the top of the refrigerated stock, and pour into large pan or stock pot. Note: it may gel overnight, this is OK! Add all of the vegetables except for the frozen peas. Simmer on medium low until the vegetables are tender. While the veggies are cooking, take the chicken off the bone and shred or cut into bite size chunks. Add the peas and mushrooms and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. Adjust your seasonings...add another pinch or two of the herbs or more salt or pepper if needed at this point. At the last moment add the chicken and simmer for a few more minutes...just until the chicken is heated through.

To serve, put cooked pasta or rice in the soup bowls and ladle the hot soup on top. This prevents the pasta from getting gummy by cooking too long in the broth.

Enjoy with crusty gluten free bread or rolls!

Stephanie's Crockpot Honey Lentils

2009-03-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is a very tasty way to use lentils (which are very cost-effective!!) from Stephanie's blog:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lentils
3 cups water
1/2 red onion, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 T soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari Wheat Free are GF)
1/3 cup honey (and maybe another 1 T later to taste)
1 dried bay leaf or 2 fresh

Directions:

Rinse off the lentils and dump them in the crockpot. Add the water. Chop up the onion, and add along with the carrots. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add. Stir in the dried mustard, salt, and ginger. Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir to combine. Float the bay leaf on top.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-5 hours. Taste. If desired, stir in an extra tablespoon of honey.

This works as a vegetarian main dish served over rice, or as side dish.

Julie's Gluten Free Pizza Crust

2009-03-03T09:57:00.001-08:00

A WONDERFUL gluten free pizza crust recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook:

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
3/4 white bean flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tbsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs plus one egg white
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp active dry yeast

Directions:

Add sugar and honey to warm water... sprinkle yeast over top and let sit until foamy.

Beat eggs, oil, vinegar in heavy duty mixing bowl; add proofed yeast.

Mix all dry ingredients together well -- then add to liquid in mixing bowl. Mix until blended , then turn mixer on high and beat for 4 minutes - you will see the consisency of the dough change. The dough will be sticky, but using a spatula turn it out onto a clean surface sprinkled with sweet rice flour (or tapioca starch) Using as little flour as possible knead the dough gently until you can handle it . It will be a very soft dough.

Using your hands form it into a pizza shape, making the edges higher and thicker. You can make individual pizzas or one big one. Place crust(s) on pans and let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes. When pizzas have risen, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, spread with pizza sauce and desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees for another 20 minutes. Note that this crust is casein free as well as gluten free.

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

2009-03-03T09:50:00.001-08:00

Another wonderful (and EASY) recipe from Stephanie's blog:

Ingredients:

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 t Italian Seasoning

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t kosher salt

1 T olive oil

1 beaten egg

sliced mozzarella cheese

favorite jarred marinara sauce (most of Newman's Own are gluten free!)

Directions:

Spread the olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert; whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.

Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot and layer 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese on top. Cover it all with the entire jar of marinara sauce. Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4. If your chicken is still frozen, it will take longer.

Serve with your favorite gluten free pasta.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

2009-02-22T00:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-22T00:34:00.000-08:00

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
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

2009-02-22T00:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on one of Sandra's blogs, it's absolutely fantastic!

Ingredients:

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.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

2009-02-21T20:01:00.000-08:00

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!

Gluten Free Low Carb Cheese Muffins

2009-02-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

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.