Citrus-y Chicken Tacos

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).  Those who are sensitive to casein should avoid cheese and sour cream, of course.

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.  A lower calorie taco shell may be had by taking a stack of 6 or 8, wrapping them in paper towels and microwaving for 45 seconds to one minute. We prefer these softer shells to the store-bought variety.

White Bean and Ground Turkey Chili

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 (no cheese if you're casein free!). This is a great meal, especially served with gluten free corn bread on a cold winter's night!

Crockpot Indian Butter Chicken, aka Chicken Makhani

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!!

Grain Light Chicken Pot Pie

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! :)

Chicken and Dumplings, Updated

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.

Grain Free Oven "Fried" Chicken

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!

Crockpot Orange Chicken

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!

Crockpot Pesto Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

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!

Crockpot Chicken with Chickpeas and Potatoes

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.

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

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

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.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

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.

Crockpot Country Captain (Chicken and Shrimp)

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:

Best Barbecue Ribs (or Chicken)!

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!)

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

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.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

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

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.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

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).

Crockpot Garlic Chicken

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!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

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.