Fried Apples

Our favorite quick sweet treat:)


Cut up an apple or two, we love Granny Smith's for this. Melt some earth balance , about three tablespoons until bubbly and starting to brown, over med/high heat.

Add cut up and skinned apples to pan and cover with lots of pumpkin spice and brown sugar. Brown until soft. Serve with your favorite CF ice cream. Also good with left over flatbread or pizza crust:)

PIZZA

It seemed like every Friday night growing up was Friday Night Pizza Night. We did it to once we got married and had kiddos, making our own pizzas how we liked them. Well it was a hard pill to swallow when we went GFCF, after all you can't get more dairy and gluten than pizza now can you!
I had heard of these tofu cheeses but could never find them, and lets be honest, the cheese snob I am, the LAST thing I wanted was nasty fake cheese, i would *GASP* rather go without it at all. Well I know E misses pizza and I miss having that weekly tradition. I thought I would TRY and see if whole foods had such a substance. I was shocked when I found it, and they had 4 flavors, including mozzerela! So we grabbed it and went on our way. I am very leary of this being any good but I figured if I lead on like it is good, then E will invite it in as great. We get home the first thing he wants is not the big cookie I got him in checkout, but a slice of cheese. It made me want to cry! He has been awesome with his diet shift, no complaints, smiles, eats it all and loves it. But when he was so happy about the cheese and when he bit into it I held my breath... he LOVED it! I have to admit, it was edible! I could so make some capresse salads and such out of it. So has he ran off to play I knew that this was going to rock for him, Friday Night Pizza night was back on. Thank goodness it tastes great melted, yes that is right, it even melted and browned like the real stuff!! It was a wonderful end to a long week:)

And here are the two pizzas I did and recipes! One was just a cheese and onion, the other was a craving that needed satisfying, Dill Pesto Chicken Pizza.


I used an easy GFCF prepackaged pizza crust mix, I could have, and will make my own next time. I might just use the flatbread recipe and make them in my largest skillet and make large personal pan ones.

Once I have the crust layed out and ready to bake, before I top them I drizzle them in olive oil and rub with a smashed garlic clove, followed by a good dusting of italian seasoning. Bake for about seven to ten min, just enough to crisp. THen I top as I like.

The one was normal red sauce, minced onions, and 'cheese'



The Dill Pesto Chicken was a bit more work but still easy and so very good.

1-2 Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces
1 container fresh dill
3 fresh basil leaves
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl lemon juice

Ingredients to make Dill Dip

Take all but the chicken and place in a food proccesor. Chop into a rough paste, but smooth enough to spread. Take about a quarter cup of it and rub all over the chicken. along with a shot of EVOO. If you can let it sit in that a while that is great, if not, no big deal. Heat a pan on medium high heat and when hot add oil and then chicken, quickly cook the meat and remove right before it is done.
After the crust is pre-baked, take out of oven and rub remaining pesto all over the crust. top with the chicken and cheese. (If you have any red onions and or some fresh tomato that would be heavenly as well with this!)
Place pizzas back in oven about 10 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown.

While pizzas finish, take the food proccesor, don't even need to clean it, and make the dill dip. When you pull out the finished pizza, drizzle it in the dill dip.

This so hit my dill craving tonight!

Also I always save a pit of the plain pizza dough and make sweets with them, tonight it was cinnamon and sugar sticks:) Just like old times.

MEATLOAF

I might be a freak but I love my moms meatloaf. She would make extra to have leftovers so my dad could have a meatloaf sandwich the next day for lunch. All I had to do was change the breadcrumbs with rice chex crumbs.

( If you don't do pork you could do all beef, or use ground turkey.)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2/3 cup rice chex crumbs
1-2 eggs
squirt ketchup
dashes worsteshire
dash of cumin
1-2 stalks celery chopped fine

Mix all together and bake at 325 for 45 min or until 160 in the middle.

I like to top mine sometimes with a sweet ketchup sauce.

1/4 ketchup
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp brown sugar

pour it on top the last ten minutes and serve.

ORANGE BEEF

The one thing my dad used to love to order in Kirkwood at Wang Fu's was orange beef. It was never on the menu but they would always make it for him. I could never be as good as that but this was not half bad, dad might even like it.

peanut oil for frying
1-2 lb stir fry beef
1 cup cornstarch
peel of one orange, grated
1/2 cup GF soy sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teas fresh grated ginger
juice of one orange
red pepper flakes to taste
1 1/2cup beef stock

Heat oil on high in a wok or deep pan. Place cornstarch and and orange peel in shallow dish and coat meat in mixture. Mix all the other ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. When oil is good and hot throw the meat in and keep it moving for about 7 min. Once browned, pour in the liquid mixture. and reduce to a simmer.

Serve over rice.

You can add a sliced bell pepper, carrot matchsticks, and onions. with the beef when frying. Oh so good!!
I was so mad I didn't get a picture, it was gone before I could get the camera out!

Y

PAELLA

I got this from the Gluten Free Mommy website and LOVE it! WIsh I could take credit for this one.

SIMPLE PAELLA
8 oz. cooked gluten free chicken sausage- I used andouille
a bunch of green onions, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) of gluten-free chicken broth (I used the Pacific foods brand)
1 cup long-grained rice (I used Lundberg’s Jasmine rice)
1/2 cup water
1.5 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron
1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed (optional)
8 oz. peeled cooked shrimp
3/4 to 1 cup frozen peas
DIRECTIONS:
In my paella tonight, I used a gluten-free Andouille chicken sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. I just threw the sausage, chicken broth, rice, water, thyme, gr. saffron, and red pepper in a skillet. I brought the mixture to a boil, covered it, and let is simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the heat to be just right or all the water will evaporate before your rice has a chance to cook. (You can also add the rice just as the water begins to boil, but the above method works fine for me- just be an attentive cook). After the rice has cooked, I add the cooked shrimp, tomatoes, green onions, peas, and any fresh herbs I may have on hand. I cook until heated through- about 2 minutes. I like the bottom of my paella to get a little brown/crusty, but you need to be careful not to burn it at this stage.
Makes about 4 servings

POT STICKER BURGERS with STIR FRIED ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Oh my sweetness! I had a craving for potstickers, and we can't go to the Big Buffet anymore, it is a gluten paradise. So I got a hodge podge of things that are asian out of the fridge and cabinet and this is what came from it. I was SHOCKED at how it was just like a huge potsticker of flavor. This is a great way to hide some veggies!

1 lb ground pork
1 egg
handful of finely crushed rice chex
two capfuls gluten free soy sauce
two capfuls of rice vinegar
2 green onions chopped
1 capful sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
2 minched garlic cloves
half a carrot grated
2 handfuls cabbage, finely chopped
peanut oil to cook in


I mixed everything but the pork together in a large bowl before I add the ground pork and mixed well. Heat the pan to med high heat and prepare the patties. Cook 6 min each side. Done with internal temp is 160. I served it with stir fried peppers.
and onions.

STIR FRY VEGGIES

2 carrots, sliced
1 yellow pepper sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1/4 a red onion, sliced
1 Tbl peanut oil for frying
capful soy sauce
capful rice vinegar

Heat oil in wok over high heat. When oil is hot throw the carrots in first for a few minutes, then add the rest of the veggies, Keep them moving, won't take to long until they are soft.

A great sauce for dipping all this in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinager, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.

MEXICAN MANOCOTTI

Still in the oven but so far so good!

1-1 1/2 lb chicken
3/4 Tbl Garlic powder
3/4 Tbl Onion powder
4 Teas Corriander
4 Teas Cumin
3 Teas chili powder
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 4oz can chopped green chilies
1/4 tofutti cream cheese
1/2 cup tofutti sour cream
Corn tortillas
Old El Paso Red Red Enchiliada Sauce ( CHECK LABEL!! Some have wheat, others don't)
oil for cooking

First I seasoned the chicken with all the dry spices and let it sit for about an hour with a tablespoon of cooking oil. After a hour I preheated the oven to 350. I heated my pan to med high heat and when hot cooked the meat, turning often until cooked. Remove heat from pan, add about a tablespoon of oil and saute red onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the green chilies and saute a few min at most. Remove from heat. Chop the chicken ( I used my food processor.) Add the chopped chicken and chili and onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese and sour cream and mix well. Grease an 8X10 pan and roll the meat in the corn tortilllas. Pour the enchilada sauce over it all and heat in preheated 350 oven for about 20 min, until hot and bubbley.

HOT CHOCOLATE

Well after playing in the aftermath of the 2010 blizzard, the boy deserved some hot chocolate, I know I did! Just threw this together and glad I measured, it was so very good!

1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teas vanilla extract
2 teas pumpkin spice
2 spoonfuls of sugar

Heat the milk in the microwave for about two minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir really well. I would suggest sifting the cocoa powder.

HAM DINNER

I love how easy this is! I got a little ham in the ham section, it was gluten free and pre sliced and boneless, and all you do is heat it for like 30 min! Follow the instructions for the ham, but they are all pretty much the same. While that heats up in the over, I just made some veggies and fried some tater tots. Fast and easy.

DILL CHICKEN WRAPS

We love dill here, summer or winter, can't get enough of it. This is a quick and easy one that is great for last minute dinner guests.

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I found some that were already thin sliced and trimmed, worked perfect)
Two handfuls FRESH parsley leaves
One small bunch of FRESH dill leaves
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Butterfly chicken breasts ( if they are the big whole ones) and set aside. In a food processor combine the dill and parsley and pulse until finely chopped.
In a plastic bag add the herb mixture, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken in a plastic bag, add marinade. GIve the meat a good rub, ( that deserves a good 'that's what she said' I might add!) and let it hang out with some turning now and again for at least an hour, longer the better.

Preheat pan to medium-high. Remove chicken from bag being careful not to remove herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook turning once, until juices run clear, approximately 6 minutes on each side. Remove to a cutting board and cut each breast in half.


Serve with the Dill Dip recipe for some yummy spread in some flatbread with lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

Dill Dip

Oh this was delish, I hope we have enough for our chicken tonight.

1 handfuls of parsley leaves
1 small bunch fresh dill
1/2 lemon ( zest and juice)
1/2 cup tofutti 'sour cream'
1/3 cup mayo
1 teas garlic powder
1/2 teas onion powder

Mix the parsley and dill in the food processor. Add to medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, mix well. Serve with veggies or on top of a backed potato, or in a cucumber and tomato salad.... endless and yummy:)

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

After perfecting this I could never go back to the packet with all the salt and junk in it. Very easy and more real tasting to me. I have been known to triple the cumin for myself, I LOVE cumin, but this is the middle of the road that you can tweak for your own taste. Don't skip the corriander, it is so sweet and gives it a wonderful balance.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
3 teas ground corriander seed
3 Tbl ground cumin
1 Tbl chili powder
2 cloves garlic minced

Brown the beef with the red onion. DRAIN THE FAT!! ( I forget to do said step, it was greasy, just do it, worth the extra minute I swear!) Add the spices and tomato sauce and mix well. Let it simmer on low for about twenty minutes to let the spices marry.

Serve anyway you like it.

FRITO TACO PIE

So I threw this together tonight after having the idea in my head a while. Sometimes you just need junk food!

2 1/2 cups fritos
2 Tbl 'butter'

1 lb ground beef
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
3 teas ground corriander seed
3 Tbl ground cumin
1 Tbl chili powder
2 cloves garlic minced

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion... to top with.

FInely crush the fritos in the food processor or in a bag. Mix them with 2 tablespoon melted butter. Press into a pie plate and back at 375 for about 7 min or so, until crisp.

Brown the beef with the red onion. DRAIN THE FAT!! ( I forget to do said step, it was greasy, just do it, worth the extra minute I swear!) Add the spices and tomato sauce and mix well.

Remove crust from the oven and pour the meat in. Bake for 10 min.

Serve with choice of toppings. VERY good, but not so good for you.