Meal Plan Monday - Nov 5, 2012

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As part of my meal plan this week, I have a recipe highlight and a story to share.  My husband grew up on a dairy farm in Maryland and has fond childhood memories of chicken corn soup suppers.  The tradition started when his family would have lots of help from extended family and friends to bring in the corn crop at harvest time.  On that day, the women would prepare a huge pot of chicken corn soup, cooked in iron kettles over an open fire, and everyone would eat till they were warm and full.  Although his family no longer operates the farm, the family has maintained the chicken corn soup supper and we'll be taking part this coming weekend.  The actual soup they make contains lots of milk, cream and gluten-filled dough balls, so I will be making a dairy and gluten-free version to take along.  Who says you can't be part of the party when you have food allergies?  It just takes some creativity and preparation.  So here's a peek at our plan for the week.

MONDAY - Chicken Corn Soup - This recipe can be made as Cream of Potato soup or can be magically transformed into chicken corn soup by adding corn and chicken (hold the bacon).  I'll make extra to bring along on our trip this weekend.

TUESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore - A quick and easy, satisfying dish.

WEDNESDAY - Pizza - My kids have been asking for pizza for weeks now!  Guess I'll put it on the plan.

THURSDAY - Gina Chicken over Rice - I'll be making this with broccoli instead of mushrooms and peppers.

FRIDAY - Crockpot Beef Stroganoff - I bought extra stew meat so I can make a double batch, as I'm hoping to beef up my freezer meals.  (Get it? Beef up.)

SATURDAY - We'll be in Maryland enjoying Chicken Corn Soup

SUNDAY - Skillet Fiesta - I have a batch in the freezer which I'll bring on our trip.

For more meal ideas, check out Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Monday, Menu Plan Monday, Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

Skillet Fiesta {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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What is Skillet Fiesta?  Glad you asked.  Its a wonderfully tasty healthy party on your plate.  How's that for a made-up name for a made-up dinner?  Sometimes good recipes require work and trial and error, but sometimes they just happen while you're making dinner.  That's how this one came to be -and my family is pretty happy about it.  Plan this dish for one of those nights that you don't have a lot of time or energy to prepare dinner but you're really hungry for something substantial.  By the way, if you don't have quinoa on hand, brown rice would be a great alternative.

Skillet Fiesta {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 cup uncooked quinoa (cooked to yield about 4 cups quinoa)
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes or about 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1(14.5 oz) can black beans (or about 2 cups prepared black beans)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to package directions.  (I cook quinoa just like rice:  1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.)  Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook diced onion for a few minutes until tender.  Add to skillet ground beef/turkey.  Brown.  After draining cans, add in tomatoes, black beans, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook until everything is heated through.  Once quinoa is done, add quinoa to skillet and stir to combine.  Serve hot alongside a garden salad.

NOTE:  This recipe works well to stock the freezer.  Just make a double batch and freeze one for another night.

This recipe is being shared at Ultimate Recipe Swap

Meal Plan Monday - October 1, 2012

Pin It Welcome to a new week.  Now that the cooler weather has set in, I find meal planning a bit easier.  In the coming weeks I'm looking forward to double-batching some casseroles and soups to stock the freezer.  Here's what on the plan for my family.

MONDAY - Tacos - For whatever reason my son has been asking for tacos and I've been craving them too!

TUESDAY - Sausage with Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions over Rice

WEDNESDAY - Mrs. Jolly's Chicken Casserole - I love this casserole!  It has sort of a Chicken Divan flavor to it.   It makes a nice size casserole and is great for double-batching for the freezer, which I plan to do.

THURSDAY - Spaghetti and Meat Sauce with a Salad - I've gotten a bit lazy lately and haven't made meatballs for a while, opting instead to just add ground beef to the sauce.  I haven't gotten too many complaints, though I know my son really likes meatballs.  I'll do that soon.

FRIDAY - Oven-Baked Drumsticks, Roast Potatoes and Salad  -  This is another meal my son has been requesting lately.  Glad to oblige.

SATURDAY - Ham Steak and Fried Potatoes  -  This is such a simple dinner but we never have leftovers when I make it 'cause everyone likes it.

SUNDAY - Hamburgers  -  I'm hoping my hubby will grill these for us, but we can make them indoors if the weather doesn't cooperate.

What cooler weather dishes will you be making this week?

For more inspiration, check out Gluten Free Menu Swap and Menu Plan Monday.

Gluten-Free Granola Cereal {dairy and egg-free, too}

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A batch of this gluten-free granola can always be found in my pantry.  Its easy to make, is high in protein, and tastes great!   In the morning, my family often grabs some for a healthy bowl of breakfast cereal topped with cold almond milk.  I would like to thank Stephanie O'Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking for teaching me to make granola in my crockpot.  The original recipe belongs to her and you should definately check it out as she has some different add-ins than I do.  Who would have known that you don't have to burn endless batches of granola in the oven because you had to change a diaper, or take a phone call, or just plain forgot to watch it carefully.  Behold the wonders of the crockpot!

Just so ya know, this is not the clumpy kind of granola that travels well as a take-along snack.  Its more the cereal-in-a-bowl type.  I'm guessing there is something you could adjust in the recipe to make it stick together in clumps, but I don't know what it is.  If you have a tried and true method, please let me know.

Gluten-Free Crockpot Granola {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (or a mixture of both)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar

In your crockpot, toss together the dry ingredients.  Add in the wet ingredients and toss till evenly coated.  Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, keeping the lid vented with a wooden spoon (to prevent burning).  Stir every so often.  Once the granola is finished cooking, spread it out on a cookie sheet or clean counter to cool.  Sometimes I just let it cool in the crockpot.  This doesn't seem to affect the granola, but it does make it stick to the crockpot, making cleanup a bit harder.  Store in an air-tight container or zip-close freezer bag.  It will stay fresh in the pantry for at least a week.  I'm sure I've kept mine much longer that than.

This recipe is being shared at Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Better Mom Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Cast Party Wednesday, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Thriving on Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodtastic Friday

Spiced Zucchini Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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If you are growing zucchinis in your garden this year, you probably have them coming out your ears about now.  Sounds like the perfect time to make zucchini bread.  This recipe makes two delicious gluten-free loaves that smell wonderful in the oven and taste just as good on your plate.  The key is in the spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice - yum!  This recipe makes two loaves because, just like banana bread, this zucchini bread freezes well.  When freezing it, slice a loaf after it cools, then freeze slices in a zip-closed freezer bag.  You can take the slices straight from the freezer to the toaster for a wonderful breakfast.  And please don't let the long ingredient list discourage you - its mostly the spices that make the list look long.


Spiced Zucchini Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

2 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup ground flaxseed or chia seed
1 TBSP tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup shredded zucchini (about 2 large zucchinis)
1 cup walnuts (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, flaxseed, spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar).  In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients (applesauce, oil, water, vanilla and shredded zucchini).  Transfer dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in walnuts. This recipe works with hand mixing or with a stand mixer, but it's a bit too thick for an electric hand mixer (the batter will tend to crawl up the beaters).  Pour batter into two standard size loaf pans (I prefer glass) and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Cool on a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms (hee, hee . . that phrase "soggy bottoms" makes me laugh).

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays, Melt In Your Mouth Monday,  Monday Mania, The Better Mom Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thriving on Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Eat at Home

Summertime Chicken Salad {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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This classic summertime dish is a favorite of mine.  It makes me smile come dinner time when I open the fridge and see it in there, just waiting for me - the preparation already completed earlier in the day.  A cool and refreshing meal at the end of a hot summer day. This also makes a great lunch that can be packed in a cooler bag and taken along to work or school.  And now those with egg allergies can enjoy it too, thanks to the tasty eggless mayo options available.  I use to use Vegenaise but I recently found an option I like much better - Spectrum Eggless-Vegan Light Canola Mayo.  If you enjoy chicken salad, go ahead and cook  enough chicken for several batches.  Shred or dice it all and freeze the extra in batch sizes so the next time you want to make chicken salad, you won't have to turn your oven on (yay!).

Summertime Chicken Salad {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

3 large chicken breasts (yields about 3-4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken)

1 cup grapes, halved

1 cup apples, diced

1 cup mayonaise (for egg-free use Spectrum Eggless-Vegan Light Canola Mayo or Vegenaise)

1 TBSP vinegar

1 TBSP sugar (optional)

1 tsp dill

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1/4 - 1/2 tsp pepper

Step 1 - Bake chicken breasts at 375 for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  Once cooked, shred chicken by using two forks to pull the meat apart.  If you prefer, you can dice the chicken instead of shred it.

Step 2 - Cut the apple and the grapes.

Step 3 - In mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings.  Set aside.

Step 4 - Toss the chicken, apples, grapes and sauce together until well combined.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Oh, and be sure to serve it in your prettiest serving dish.

Serve on its own, wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf, or in a gluten-free tortilla wrap.

NOTE:  This is always best the second day, so its a great make-ahead dish.

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Friendly Wednesday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Better Mom Monday, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Thriving on Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Life as Mom, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Foodie Friday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Food on Fridays

Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I used to make stuffed peppers but I realized that my family really didn't prefer the semi-mushy cooked peppers.  I also realized I didn't like them either!  So I quit making stuffed peppers and started making stuffed pepper filling with sliced crunchy bell peppers on the side.  Its much easier and everyone enjoys the meal much more.  With its short ingredient list, this is a simple and budget-friendly dinner.  And it freezes well, so go ahead and save yourself some future cooking time by making a double-batch and freezing one for another night.

Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice {gluten, dairy and egg-free}
 

¾ cup dry rice cooked in 1½ cups water (yield approx. 2 ¼ cups prepared rice)

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 onion, diced
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP Bragg's Liquid Aminos or other gluten-free soy sauce
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder

Prepare rice according to package directions.  While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef or turkey and onion in a large skillet until thoroughly cooked.  When rice is ready, add cooked rice to the ground beef.  Add Worcestershire, gluten-free soy sauce, pepper and garlic powder.  Stir to combine.  Serve with sliced bell pepper on the side.

NOTE:  Double your recipe and freeze one for another night.

This recipe is being shared at Allergy Friendly Friday.

Mrs. Jolly's Chicken or Turkey Casserole {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Casseroles make great family dinners and this one is no exception.  This dish was served to my husband and I several years ago during a visit to Canada by none other than Mrs. Jolly (hence the name).  I enjoyed the dinner so much that I asked her for the recipe and have since converted it to be dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.  Though I only met Mrs. Jolly once, she has remained a testament to me, and not just because she is a great cook.  She graciously welcomed us into her home, feed us, and made us comfortable.  She was a perfect example of Christian hospitality which seems to be an increasingly lost art, yet an essential piece of what it means to be a Christian.  What did Jesus do while here on earth?  He spent time with people.  He ate with them.  He took care of their physical needs.  He had real relationships with people.  And best of all, he fulfilled their deepest spiritual need.  He still does that today! 

Back to the casserole . . . This is perfect comfort food!  Its one of my favorite casseroles and a perfect use for leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  It's also a perfect casserole to make a double-batch and freeze one.  When starting from scratch (without any leftovers) its kind of annoying to make because you have to cook your rice and your turkey or chicken, so I highly recommend making two at a time. 

Mrs. Jolly's Chicken or Turkey Casserole {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

4 cups cooked rice (1 ½ cups uncooked brown (or white) rice, cooked in 3 cups water to yield approx. 4 cups cooked rice)

2 cups turkey or chicken, cooked and cubed

½ onion, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
½ cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup mayo (for an eggless version, try Spectrum Canola Eggless Mayo or Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Veganaise)
1 cup chicken/turkey broth ( I like Celifibr Chicken Bouillon)
2 TBSP lemon juice
¼ tsp pepper
Crushed potato chips (optional, but very yummy)

Cook 1 ½ cups white or brown rice in 3 cups water according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, dice up about 2 cups of cooked turkey or chicken (approx. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts) as well as the onion and celery.  Mix this into a large casserole dish.  Lightly toast sliced almonds in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often.  This will help the almonds retain some crunch but you can skip the toasting if you're lazy or short on time and it will still turn out great.  Stir the toasted almonds into the chicken mixture.  In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, broth, lemon juice and pepper.  Once rice is cooked, add into casserole dish.  Pour the mayo mixture in and stir to combine everything.  Top with crushed potato chips.  Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Banana Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I love banana bread!  As a child, I remember my dad making it for me.  But his version, as good as it was, was made from a box mix and was more like a dessert bread.  This gluten, dairy and egg-free version is meant to be hearty and healthy - something you'll feel good about eating for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.  If you're looking for a lighter, sweeter bread this may not satisfy, but this one has a higher whole grain content and a  lower sugar content.  The sweetness comes straight from the bananas and we all know the sweetest banana bread bananas are those darkening, mushy ones you'd never just peel and eat. 

My family enjoys this for breakfast - great with some dairy-free butter smeared on top of a nice, thick slice. Sometimes I make two loaves at a time. I slice up the second loaf, wrap it in foil and/or a freezer bag and freeze it. The slices toast up great - straight from freezer to toaster - for a quick and hearty breakfast.

Banana Bread {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 cup sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups banana, mashed (about 3 large bananas)
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup oil
1 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP flaxseed meal mixed with ⅓ cup water
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Step 1:  In mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sorghum flour, potato starch, xanthan gun, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). 

Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (mashed banana, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, flaxseed/water mixture).

Step 3:  Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, combine dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Combine till thoroughly mixed.  If adding walnuts, now’s the time.

Step 4:  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until edges pull away from pan and cake tester comes out clean. 

FREEZER NOTE:  Make an extra loaf, slice it and freeze.  For a quick breakfast, put frozen slices in toaster and voila! – breakfast is ready!

This post is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesday.

Cream of Potato Soup {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

Pin It When we first removed dairy from our diet, I assumed anything that had the word "creamy" in it was off limits.  Not so!  This potato soup is the ultimate in creaminess.  In fact, it may remind you of a warm and wonderful serving of potato soup at Panara Bread served, of course, in a bread bowl.  I haven't worked out the whole bread-bowl thing (sorry 'bout that), but my family is sure enjoying the soup.  My daughter gave it 2 thumbs up and 2 big toes up!  (Since we discourage feet on the table, we'll just settle for an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up!)

Cream of Potato Soup {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1 small onion, diced 4 cups chicken broth 7-8 cups potatoes (about 7-8 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 2 cups non-dairy milk (almond) 4 TBSP sorghum flour (or 2 TBSP cornstarch)

Optional:  1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked in a skillet till crispy Optional:  1 cup corn

Step 1- In stockpot, sauté onions in a little bit of oil.  Once cooked, add chicken broth and cubed potatoes along with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  If you need more liquid to cover the potatoes, just add water.  Bring to a boil and cook till potatoes are fork tender. Step 2 – Meanwhile, measure out dairy-free milk (I use almond milk).  To this add sorghum flour (or cornstarch, if you prefer) and whisk till thoroughly combined.  Pour this into stockpot and stir to combine with potatoes. Reduce heat.  Continue cooking and stirring until the milk/flour comes up to heat and begins to thicken. Step 3 – Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender (or, if you don’t have one, pour a portion of soup into blender or food processor), blend part of the soup, leaving about half the soup un-blended so that you still have those wonderful potato cubes. Step 4 – If using the optional bacon and/or corn, now is the time to add them to the soup. Step 5 – Taste it.  If it needs more salt, some pepper or garlic powder, add it.  Serve and enjoy! FREEZER NOTE:  Make a double batch of this and freeze one for a quick and easy dinner some other day.

ALTERATIONS:  Another version I’ve made and enjoyed is Chicken Corn Soup – just add corn, leave out the bacon and replace it with chicken (precooked and cut into bite-sized pieces, of course). ADDITIONS:  Serve this with gluten-free bread!

Quick and Easy Cream of Tomato Soup {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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I don't know about you, but as an American consumer I have become so accustomed to certain packaged foods, that I have come to believe that they can not be made at home, but must be purchased in a can.  Things like canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce and baked beans are a mystery to me.  If you can't get it in a can, then you can't have it (or so I think) because such things certainly can't be made at home.  Of course I realize that before canned pumpkin ever existed, people made pumpkin pie.  And I do know that cranberry sauce and baked beans can be made from scratch.  But it is my natural inclination to believe "I need a can of (fill in the blank)".

Now lately I've been lamenting the fact that our family can't open a can of Cream of Tomato Soup for lunch.  So you can imagine my delight and surprise when I realized that tomato soup does NOT have to come in a can.  In fact, it can be made at home and it can be quite tasty and quite easy!  Oh, and might I add that this homemade version is way healthier for you than a can of condensed soup. I don't even know what's in a can of condensed soup, but it can't be all that good for you.  But tomatoes are good for you.  They are high in vitamins A, C, E, potassium and folic acid.  They're also high in Lycopene, an important anti-oxidant. I don't want to slight those of you who have to restrict tomatoes from your diet, as my daughter did in the beginning.  Perhaps you will eventually be able to enjoy them once again, as my daughter is now (One can always hope!).

So here I share with you my very fast, very easy and very tasty recipe for gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free Cream of Tomato Soup.  It is adapted from a recipe I found in one of my most used crockpot cookbooks, Fix It and Forget It.  This recipe can, I'm sure, be made in the crockpot but I've just been making it on the stove since it's so quick and easy (hence the name).

Cream of Tomato Soup {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

46 oz bottle of tomato juice (V-8 juice states “gluten-free on label” or generic version)

8 oz can tomato sauce
½ cup broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)  ALTERNATELY:  ½ cup water plus 1 Celifibr boullion cube*
½ tsp dried basil
2 TBSP sugar
¼ cup instant potato flakes* (These serve to thicken the soup so it’s more like that can of condensed tomato soup you remember.)

In a large stockpot, combine all your ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Cook until heated through and slightly thickened.  Serve.  This can also be prepared in the crockpot.  Freezes well so make extra!

*I've recently discovered a gluten and dairy-free bouillon cube called Celifibr.  It tastes great and doesn't have anything in it that you don't want. – Use one cube for this recipe

*Betty Crocker Potato Buds state on the label they are gluten-free.

This recipe is being shared at Life as Mom

Creamy Chicken Pie {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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Recently, I found a yummy sounding recipe on Organized Home for Chicken Vol-Au-Vents.  It sounded so yummy and was recommended for freezer cooking (two things I like), but it had wheat and dairy ingredients.  So I waved my magic allergy-friendly wand and the results received two thumbs up from my family.  To simplify my life, I decided not to pack this creamy chicken into individual dough pockets even though that would be yummy and fun.  But you could easily do that with this recipe.  If you're craving a good old fashioned chicken pot pie, you could change the form a bit and create that from this recipe too.

Creamy Chicken Pie

Filling

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (about 3 cups)
2 TBSP cornstarch (substitute potato starch if you have a corn allergy)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning (or a combination of oregano, basil and thyme)
2 cups non-dairy milk (almond)
2 TBSP sherry

 Single Pie Crust

½ cup millet flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup potato starch or tapioca starch
½ tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
2 TBSP water
           

Step 1 – If you haven’t yet, bake chicken breasts (350 for about 30-40 minutes).

Step 2- Make your pie crust.  Whisk together dry ingredients (millet, sorghum, potato starch, xanthan gum, and salt).  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives.  Add in water and work the dough, first with pastry cutter, then with hands, till everything is combined and sticks together, forming a ball.  Roll out your crust so that it covers the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch baking dish.  Line bottom of baking dish with crust allowing a little crust to come up the sides of the dish just a bit.  Pre-bake crust at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Step 3 – Meanwhile, prepare white sauce.  In a small saucepan, whisk together cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Add non-dairy milk.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Let boil for one minute, then remove from heat.  Stir in sherry, then set aside.  Should be thickened, but not too thick.  White sauce recipe is originally from http://organizedhome.com/recipes/freezer-cooking/white-sauce.

 
Step 4 – Cut up cooked chicken into very small cubes.  Add chicken into white sauce and stir to combine.  Pour creamy chicken over crust.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Optional:  If you’d like to turn this into a pot pie, just add some veggies such as peas, corn and carrots into the creamy chicken prior to baking.  You can make a second crust to place on top of the creamy chicken if you’d like.

NOTE:  Double your recipe and freeze one for another night.

Butternut and Ham Soup with Dinner Rolls {Gluten, Dairy and Egg-Free}

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Butternut and Ham Soup with GF Dinner Rolls

I had never cooked with a butternut squash until this week, but when one showed up in our CSA farm haul it triggered a memory of a warm and wonderful soup a friend had shared with me last fall.  The soup had been so warm and so wonderful that I had requested the recipe from her and was able to pull it out this week and give it a try.  It turned out warm and wonderful - and it made enough for dinner, a batch for the freezer and a comforting bowl hidden away in the fridge for my lunch the next day (bonus!).  This recipe created by my friend Gina Shatney (yes, the same friend of the famed Gina Chicken), originally called for cream to be added, but the soup is just as wonderful without the dairy.

As for the rolls, I can't take credit for that recipe either.  That one comes from my absolute favorite gluten-free cooking blog, Gluten Free Goddess.  Her dinner roll recipe is, I'm sure just perfect the way it is, but for simplicity's sake (and because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand) I made a few changes and they turned out great.  Feel free to follow the original Gluten Free Dinner Roll recipe found on her site, or my simplified version.  I followed her recipe except I replaced the flours with 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, 1 1/2 cups potato starch, and 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP millet flour.  The only other change I made was to omit the Ener-G Egg Replacer and use 1/4 cup applesauce in its place.

And now for the soup (thanks, Gina!) . . .

Butternut and Ham Soup {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

1-2 cups ham, chopped into bits
2 T olive oil
1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded, chopped in 1 inch cubes.... Roast
the seeds to eat while you cook!)
1-2 cups potatoes, peeled & chopped in 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced thick
1 onion, chopped
1 bag frozen corn, thawed
salt, pepper, thyme, rubbed sage
8 cups vegetable and/or chicken broth

Heat oil & add squash, celery, carrots, onion.  Stir & cook until the onion is soft.  Add ham and potatoes.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, thyme, and rubbed sage (I like lots of thyme & sage).  Add broth and simmer until potatoes and squash are soft.  Use an immersion blender (or remove several cups of soup to a blender) to puree PART of the soup - just enough to thicken it up a bit and turn the broth a nice orange color.  Blend up to half if you want a thicker, chowdery soup.  Add the corn.  Heat soup up gently; don't boil.  Freeze leftovers for dinner another night, or enjoy the extra for lunches.

This recipe is being shared at Potluck Party Friday

Gina Chicken over Rice

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Many years back, my hubby and I were eating dinner at the home of some new friends.  They served kabobs with the most amazing chicken I've ever eaten.  Of course I had to ask for the recipe and now it is one of my family's favorite ways to enjoy chicken.  I make it often (probably too often)!  It can, of course, be made as shish kabobs, but most of the time I just throw everything in a skillet and serve it over rice (quicker and easier, ya know).  The recipe is really called Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs and can be found at allrecipes.com.  But since my friend Gina Shatney introduced it to me, my family refers to it as "Gina Chicken".

Here's my save time/save money tip.  I wait till boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale.
 (Yesterday, I picked up 4 family-size packages of chicken at $1.79/pound.)  Then I prep several batches for the freezer.  I double, triple or quadruple the marinade recipe and cube an appropriate amount of chicken.  I divide the marinade and chicken into zip-closed freezer bags.  I'll use one for that evening's dinner and freeze the others.  The next time I want to serve Gina Chicken, I just grab a bag from the freezer and let it defrost and marinate in the fridge all day.  When evening rolls around, I just cut up some veggies and toss them and the marinated chicken cubes into the skillet.  Cook some rice while the chicken and veggies cook and you'll have a wonderfully simply and yummy dinner.

Gina Chicken

For the marinade:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce (Caution: Most soy sauce has wheat in it!  I rely on Bragg's Liquid Aminos Natural Soy Sauce Alternative
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Whisk all ingredients together. 

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I use about 2 good sized breasts for my family of 5)
8oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped

Cut chicken into bite-size cubes.  In the fridge, let the chicken soak in the marinade all day (or overnight - the longer the better!).  If making a batch for the freezer, put the chicken and marinade in a freezer bag and place it right into the freezer.  On the day you want to serve it, remove from freezer in the morning and let the chicken marinate in the fridge as it thaws.

To prepare:
Heat a TBSP oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion for a few minutes.  Add in the mushrooms.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the chicken pieces from the marinade, adding chicken to skillet.  Discard remaining marinade.  When chicken is cooked through, toss in bell pepper and let it cook just a minute or two longer, keeping the pepper crisp.  Serve over rice.

Meatballs {Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free}

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Meatballs have been a long-standing favorite in my family, but I always thought they were too time consuming to make from scratch.  I had become accustomed to buying the ready-made meatballs in the freezer section at the grocery store.  Can't do that anymore.  Besides, I'm pretty sure there are lots of things in those store-bought beauties that NO ONE should be eating. 


So I've discovered that making homemade meatballs is easy!  Why haven't I done this before? And to add to the ease, I always make a double batch - one for tonight and one for the freezer.  When I'm ready to eat the freezer batch, I just heat them, straight from the freezer, in my saucepan full of spaghetti sauce.  Or, when my daughter couldn't tolerate tomatoes, I heated the frozen meatballs in a broth-based gravy.


Meatballs can of course be served over rice, put in a hoagie roll, or eaten by themselves.  But for classic spaghetti and meatballs, you'll need pasta.  Our family favorites for gluten-free pasta are Ancient Harvest Gluten-Free Quinoa noodles and Schar gluten-free noodles.  We are lucky that our grocery store carries Schar noodles so we usually buy those.  If you can't find these locally, you can order them from Vitacost for a reasonable price.  (Vitacost is one of my favorite places to buy gluten-free items as well as vitamins.  Their prices are great and they have unlimited $5 shipping.  BTW, I have no connection with Vitacost - I just like it!).  Just a  note of caution:  Ancient Harvest does sell a quinoa pasta that has duram wheat in it and the box looks very similar to the gluten-free version so be careful!  I made that mistake.


This recipe can also be used to make meatloaf.  Same ingredients, just different presentation.  So anyway, here's the recipe:


Meatballs or Meatloaf {Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free}

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

½ cup ketchup

1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

1 tsp garlic powder

2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (or a mixture of basil and oregano)

2 TBSP ground flaxseed meal mixed with ¼ cup water (this is the egg replacement)

Step 1- Mix all ingredients together in large bowl using your hands to mix.

Step 2 (meatloaf)- If making meatloaf, put the mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 60 minutes.

Step 2 (meatballs) – If making meatballs, shape meat mixture into golfball size meatballs.  Place balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.  (The parchment paper/silicone mat makes cleanup a lot easier, but its not necessary for the outcome).  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. 

NOTE:  This makes a double batch of meatballs – one for tonight and one for the freezer.  To prepare frozen meatballs, just cook the frozen meatballs in spaghetti sauce in a saucepan while cooking noodles separately. 

Gluten-Free Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Pin It Breadcrumbs can be a very useful ingredient.  I use them when I make meatballs, meatloaf, Chicken Italiano, chicken fingers and oven-fried chicken drumsticks to name a few.  In case you can't purchase gluten-free breadcrumbs at your local store, here's a quick and easy way to make them at home.

Buy the cheapest gluten-free loaf of bread you can find.  Let's face it - most store bought gluten-free bread is quite crumbly anyway. I usually do at least 2 bread loaves at a time because, frankly, who wants to make breadcrumbs when you really want to make meatballs?  Breadcrumbs last a long time in the freezer so it makes sense to make a bunch and have them ready when a recipe calls for them.

If you have a food processor, this goes really fast.  Just toss in a few slices at a time and process to a fine crumb.

Once you've turned all your bread slices into crumbs, spread them on a cookie sheet.  You may need to use more than one cookie sheet because you don't want to pile them too thickly.  Sprinkle garlic powder and Italian seasoning on your crumbs.  Toss to mix.  Sprinkle more seasonings depending on how seasoned you want your breadcrumbs.

Pop them in the oven for a few minutes, or until they start to brown.  You can do this fast by broiling them, but watch them carefully so they don't burn (that, of course, has never happend to me).

Let the crumbs cool.  What you don't use right away, store in a zip close freezer bag in the freezer.

Buckwheat Pancakes or Waffles {gluten, dairy and egg-free}

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After our daughter's food sensitivities were diagnosed, one of the first items we tried to recreate were pancakes.  Our family has a Saturday morning pancakes for breakfast tradition.  Without a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free pancake recipe, we'd have to change our weekend ritual and we REALLY didn't want to do that.  So we began with a promising looking box of gluten-free pancake mix and tried substituting egg replacer and soy milk into the recipe on the box.  What we made could hardly be called pancakes!  These things were awful!  They were so gummy that when the plate was turned upside down, these so-called pancakes stuck fast!  They didn't even think about falling off the inverted plate.  We did try eating them and we did try to appear happy but there was no fooling anyone.  So the 'glue cakes', as we affectionately call them, had to be scraped into the trash.  This was the first, but certainly not the last, gluten, dairy and egg-free baked good that went the way of all things foul.

So on to the successful pancake recipe that was birthed following this sad ordeal.  My hubby actually came up with this one. It's simple.  It's nutritious.  And it has been happily consumed in our home by family and visiting friends for the last couple years.  We hope you'll find it as pleasing as we do.


Most Saturday's, my hubby makes these wonderful buckwheat pancakes for us.  Often, we make two batches - one for the morning's pancakes and one for waffles for the freezer.  Making a batch of waffles while you make pancakes saves a great deal of time.  The waffles go into a zipper freezer bag, separated by freezer paper.  Later in the week, we pull out a few waffles, pop them in the toaster and voila - a hearty breakfast at the ready. 



Buckwheat Pancakes or Waffles {free of gluten, dairy and eggs}

2 cups buckwheat flour *see note about buckwheat flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup applesauce

4 Tablespoons oil

2 Tablespoons honey

2 cups dairy-free milk (almond, soy, rice or other non-dairy milk)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add in applesauce, oil, honey and milk.  Mix it all together using a whisk or wooden spoon.  If the batter is a bit too thick, add in a little more milk to thin it.  Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat.  Spoon batter onto heated griddle - make these as small or big as you like.  Cook these as you would any pancake, watching for bubbling to let you know it's time to flip.  These are great with any add-ins you like such as blueberries, dairy-free chocolate chips, cut-up strawberries, etc.  I also recommend this wonderful raspberry syrup topping found at Tessa the Domestic Diva.


*A note on buckwheat flour:  The finished product will vary depending on the brand of buckwheat flour you use.  I recommend Hodgson Mill or Arrowhead Mills (though these aren't certified gluten-free).  Our pancakes were flat and dense when we made them with Bob's Red Mill buckwheat flour so I don't recommend it, at least for this recipe.

TIP:  To keep your pancakes warm and non-soggy, transfer cooked pancakes to a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet in a warm low-heat oven.  That way everyone can sit down to breakfast together and enjoy fresh hot pancakes.