Pancake Love

About a year ago Bisquick came out with this awesome gluten free baking mix. I have found a couple of really good pancake recipes, but sometimes you need to whip up a batch quick, especially when Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday. Thank you Bisquick!  Enjoy.

Beef Stroganoff

Gluten free pastas have improved so much, even in the last 3 years since I have started this diet.  There are lots of good options out there.  Also, this ingredient list is fairly intense as far as gfcf products you might not have sitting around the house.  If you have any questions, make sure to leave a comment and I will try to help.  Enjoy.

Beef Stroganoff

11/2 lbs. petite sirloin steak

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 small onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup cooking sherry

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

10-16 oz. Gluten Free Beef Broth (I used Pacific natural foods)

2 Tablespoons sweet rice flour

1/4 cup sour cream substitute ( I used Toffuti sour supreme)

1 lb. gluten free noodles ( I used rotelle pasta)

Cut the steak into small cubes, and season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in the a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the beef until golden brown on all sides.  Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, sherry, and mustard.  Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove the mixture to a bowl.

Add all but 1/4 cup of the beef broth to the skillet over medium heat, scraping up all drippings from the bottom of the pan.  Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Stir the sweet rice flour into the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth until smooth.  Add to the skillet and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens.  At this point you might want to add more beef broth depending on how thick or thin you want your sauce. 

Return the meat mixture to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sour cream substitute.  Heat to serving temperature, do not boil.  Serve over the noodles. 

Coconut Whipped Cream

There is so much excitement when you find the perfect way to enjoy the treats you have always loved on a GFCF diet.  My son has always loved hot chocolate with whipped cream.  From the beginning we have been using chocolate soy milk to make his hot chocolate.  The whipping cream has been sadly missing, until now!  Woo hoo!!  This is so delicious, and I so excited to try this on all kinds of yummy desserts.  The best and probably most important factor for me is that looks and feels like whipped cream, fluffy, creamy, and all.  Of course it does have a slight coconut taste, so I hope you like coconut!

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can of coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar or other sweetener to taste

Open can of coconut milk and leave in refrigerator overnight.  This will help it get nice and thick. Pour out the thick milk, leaving some of the thin stuff in the can.  Then whip it up with your sweetener.  Enjoy.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

I got the idea for this in Our Best Bites Cookbook.  Their blog is on my sidebar, love them!  This is how you make delicious rotisserie chicken at home.  It is waaaaay better, and the meat just falls off the bone, so you don't even have to carve it.  You can season this however you like, this is what I usually have around, so these are the ingredients I have used.  Get creative!  Enjoy.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

1 whole chicken (3-5 lbs.)
Seasoning salt
pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
Italian seasoning mix (basil, oregano, thyme)

Make 3 medium balls of aluminum foil and place in a triangle in  your crock pot.  The chicken will sit on the aluminum balls to help circulate the heat. 

Prepare the garlic and onion. 

Rinse the chicken, clear out the inner cavity, and pat dry.  Place chicken on plate with the breasts up, legs down.  Loosen the skin, and put the garlic cloves under the skin.  Put the onion halves inside the cavity of the chicken.  Rub the seasoning salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning mix onto the chicken.

Place chicken on the foil balls.  Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours until meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 160 degrees.

Butternut Squash Soup

I love this soup, it is very filling and tastes really creamy despite it's healthy ingredients!  This is a recipe I slightly tweaked from a weight watchers cookbook.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 (2-2 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3-5 slices of Canadian bacon, or 2 regular slices of bacon
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper

Place the squash in a steamer basket; set in a large saucepan, over 1 inch of boiling water.  Cover and steam until tender, about 15 minutes.  (I also love to use the ready to cook, all chopped up butternut squash you can get in the Costco refrigerator section.)

In a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil.  Saute the onion and bacon until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the squash and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is very soft, 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the squash mixture to a food processor; puree.  Pour into serving dish and add pepper to taste. 

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles Recipe

Heat oven to 400

Mix Together:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter substitute

1/2 cup shortening

2 large eggs

Mix together and add to sugar mix:

 2 3/4 cups Four mixture of your choice, for example:

• 1 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in small bowl:

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet.  Cool on wire rack.  Try and stop shoving cookies in your mouth.

Ginger Molasses Muffins



Ginger Molasses Muffins

Cream shortening and sugar:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

Add egg and molasses:

2 egg

1 cup molasses

Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture:

3 cups flour mixture of your choice, here's mine:

• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch
• 1/4 potato flour/starch
• 1/4 garbanzo bean flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. xanthum gum

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

Gradually add 1 cup of hot water, beating until smooth.  Fill greased muffin pans or use liners, about 1/2 full.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

Instantly Mashed

Some things in life are so nice to have around.  Instant mashed potatoes are one of those for me.  You just need them sometimes.  I was so glad when Costco switched their instant mashers over to a brand that is gluten free.  Yippee!  I just use my earth balance butter and soy milk and we are good to go.  I even use vanilla soy milk sometimes, and it tastes great, just a little sweeter.  Enjoy.

Cheese and Butter

These are what I use in my GFCF cooking.  Earth Balance butter is the most wonderful gift to this diet.  It comes in sticks and a spread.  Perfect.  Most importantly, it cooks and tastes like butter.  I will just say right now for the record, there is not a great cheese substitute out there. I have tried a lot of them.  But, I was finally introduced to a very good cheese, Daiya cheese.  It comes in Mozzarella and Cheddar.  We finally can make decent pizza for my son and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Daiya cheese melts quite nicely, and tastes sort of close to cheese.  At least the closest I have found.  My son has loved it!

Grilled Chorizo and Summer Squash

Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops

I just tried this recipe tonight, and I am in Heaven!!! This is just so easy, and makes your house smell so yummy it will drive you crazy! I got this from the Paramount Ward Cookbook from Christina Herrmann. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops

1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin chops (about 6)
4 medium golden delicious apples, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Lightly spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker. Cover with apples. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.

Potato Poppers

I have been waiting to try this new recipe for a long time. I finally got the opportunity last night at my friend's baby shower. They are a mini version of twice baked potatoes. They are delicious!!! The only pain is scooping out the potato from each little half. I think it was worth it. Enjoy. Sky Blue Potatoes (from Real Simple Magazine)

24 new red potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp, about 30 minutes; let cool.

2. Scoop out the center of each potato half and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, parsley and onion. Fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with more crumbled bacon and parsley.

Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado

I have been craving salad lately, really yummy salad. This salad has a great homemade dressing and tastes great with tortilla chips and black beans. I made a few changes, so this picture is not quite accurate. Obviously, I switched out the beans, and I don't like raw onions in my salad. I have a little corn and onion saute I have perfected, so I used that in this recipe. Enjoy. Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit size pieces
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or pinto)
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (or 1 onion, diced)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro torn into small pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
tortilla chips

1. In a large bowl combine the lettuce, beans, corn avocados, ion, and cilantro.

2. OPTIONAL - I took the corn and diced onion and sauteed them over some olive oil for a few minutes to soften the onion. You can also add some minced garlic for even more flavor. Then add to the salad mix.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle over the salad and toss. Serve with the tortilla chips.

Coconut Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans

First of all, sorry about the bad picture. I just wanted you to have some idea of what this looks like. This actually is a picture of a picture. This picture has mango which I changed to pineapple, and I added brown rice which was delicious with the sauce. Also, I changed 4 ingredients in the recipe, so now I can claim this as my own and change the name to pineapple. This recipe has a unique twist with the mint flavor. I really loved it! Very fresh tasting, but rich as well. Enjoy.

Coconut Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans

2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, but into strips

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup coconut milk

1 can pineapple chunks (or fresh is great!)

Salt and pepper

2 cans of black beans, rinsed (I only used one can for my family)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2-3 Tablespoons of chopped mint

1-2 cups of cooked rice

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning one, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bit; cook through and transfer to a plate.

2. Add the coconut milk to the skillet, increase the heat and boil to reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in pineapple and chicken and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, simmer the black beans over low heat. Stir in the lime juice and about 2 Tablespoons of mint.

4. Serve Chicken and Beans with rice and top with remaining mint if desired.

Eggnog

I love the stuff! What can I say? Creamy and delicious! I know there are a lot of haters out there, and frankly I just don't understand it. But, I don't understand how anybody could eat olives or black licorice. So, each to his own. I found this recipe last year and it was pretty good. The good news, no eggs involved. So, give it a try and see what you think.

Mock Eggnog

2 quarts cold milk
1 package (3.4 0z) instant French vanilla or vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and salt.

2. In another bowl beat cream until thickened about 3 min. Stir into pudding mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

Yummy, this soup is delicious and perfect for Fall. I got this from Real Simple Magazine. Enjoy.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 apple (Granny Smith or Empire)
Salt and Black Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet, and roast until tender, about an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and add to the saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in the saucepan using a handheld immersion blender, or working in batches, a standard blender.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Now that the kids are back in school I feel the need to be back on a schedule again, and that includes making dinner each night. I have been having some trouble getting back into this routine after basically abandoning cooking this summer. If you are having the same problem here is the easiest recipe on the planet. Seriously.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Put your chicken pieces in the crock pot. Pour any jar of salsa over chicken. Cook in crock pot.

That's it. Fabulous! The best part is you can choose really yummy salsas to put on this and change it up. Serve over some rice and it is the perfect meal. Enjoy.

Bring on the Ribs!

These are so delicious, and could not be easier. You do need a cooler day since your oven will be on so long. The best part is that country style ribs are usually the cheapest. Enjoy!

Country-Style Ribs Baked in Barbecue Sauce

After 4 hours of cooking, these ribs become fall-apart tender and deeply infused with the flavor of barbecue sauce. During the final hour, the ribs are cooked uncovered to thicken the sauce and give them a shiny glaze.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300.

Arrange in 13 x 9 baking dish:

4 lbs. country-style ribs

Whisk together in bowl:

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup orange juice

Pour the sauce over the ribs and turn them to coat completely with the sauce. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours. Uncover, increase the oven temperature to 350 and bake the ribs for 1 hour more, turning them once after 30 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the sauce and serve the ribs with the sauce.

Chicken with Tomato Saute

Have you been wondering what to do with all of those cherry or grape tomatoes from your garden? Well, here is the perfect recipe for you. This is a one pot meal from Real Simple magazine. It was really delicious. Enjoy.

1 1/2 lbs. small chicken cutlets. (8-12)

Kosher salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup dry white wine (I used cooking wine, I won't get into that debate!)

4 scallions (green onions)

2 Tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped (I used 2 teaspoons dried tarragon)

Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to plates.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to burst, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the scallions and tarragon and add chicken back into the pan. Serve.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

I always seem to get on a salad kick when summer goes into full gear. This is one of my favorites, although it requires a little work. I love a great homemade dressing and a little bit of crunch. Throw in a some chicken and you have a fabulous meal. Enjoy.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

1 pkg baby leaf spinach
basket of fresh strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup candied pecans*
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Mix dressing in blender:

3/4 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/3 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

*Candied pecans
In nonstick pan, heat 1/3 cup sugar and the 3/4 cup pecans over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar begins to melt. Stir constantly until pecans are coated. Watch carefully so they don't burn! Remove from heat. Spread out on wax paper to cool.