Italian Meatball Soup

Warm and filling, this soup is a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 c. chopped carrot

1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

4 c. water

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

2 c. beef broth or 2 c. water and 4 beef bullion cubes

1 lb hamburger

1 egg

1/3 c. crushed gf crackers or breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic, mashed

salt and pepper

1 tsp. italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. basil

2-3 c. finely chopped spinach leaves

1 c. gf pasta (you can break up spaghetti or use any shape of pasta)

1. Saute onion, carrot, green pepper and 2 chopped garlic cloves in olive oil for 5 minutes.

2. Add water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile combine hamburger, egg, cracker or bread crumbs, mashed garlic and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands (I wear latex gloves). Form meat into 1 inch meatballs and drop in boiling soup.

4. Simmer for 20 minutes once all the meatballs are in.

5. Add seasonings, spinach, and pasta.

6. Simmer until pasta is done.

7. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

Mom's Meatloaf

This is really and truly my mom's meatloaf, converted to be GFCF of course!

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. worchestershire sauce (make sure this is GF)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. rice milk

1 1/2 c. dried GF bread cubes

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 small can tomato sauce

Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and mix well with your hands (I wear latex gloves to mix). Pick up the meat and drop it back into the bowl several times to get the air out. Shape into 1 or 2 loaves and place in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes or in a crock pot for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Remove from pan and place on a serving plate. Slice and top with tomato sauce.

First of the Harvest Breakfast Fritatta

The first of the harvest is bursting upon the vines of my garden......zuchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers will all be on the menu daily for the next several weeks. This recipes is kind of like an omlet, it is great for any meal or any time of the day really. I had it for breakfast this morning with a roll leftover from dinner last night, it was perfect.

2 T. olive oil

1 small zuchini

2 T. chopped onion

3 T. chopped tomato

2 T. crumbled feta cheese

2 eggs, whipped

Janes mixed up seasoning salt and pepper

Heat oil in a heavy 8 inch skillet. I prefer cast iron. Add zuchini and onion stirring over medium heat until veggies are soft. Quickly add tomatoes and cheese, do not stir, then pour eggs over all the veggies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes then remove from heat and let sit until eggs are solid. Serve immediately.

This is a great way to use leftovers and you can substitute any kind of cheese, veggies, and meat that you like.

Reunited and it feels so good...Pizza

GFCF Pesto Pizza with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese

This past month we had a tragedy in our family, we lost a dearly loved member of our family. It is amazing how things work out sometimes, through a terrible loss we were able to be reunited with some family members we had not been in close contact with for years. One of those is my husband's aunt, Joyce.

Joyce, who has celiac's also, mentioned to me she had not had pizza in at least 10 years! 10 years!! Tonight I made some GFCF pizza in honor of Aunt Joyce......reunited and it feels so good!

This pizza crust is much easier than the other one posted on my blog. It goes together rather quickly and tastes great! It is adapted from a recipe posted by Theresa on Silly Yaks.

Crust:

3 eggs

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1/4 c. honey

1 1/4 c. milk (rice, almond, or cows)

1/3 c. corn starch

1/2 c. potato starch

1/2 c. sorghum flour

1 c. white rice flour

1 c. brown rice flour

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. xanthan gum

Sweet rice flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the milk and vinegar and let rest for 5 minutes. In a high speed stand mixer combine the wet ingredients and mix. Add all the dry ingredients and mix on med speed for 3 minutes stopping once to scraped down the sides of the bowl.

Prepare 2 large pizza pans or 1 large cookie sheet by oiling well and sprinkling lightly with cornmeal. The stoneware type of pans work best but a regular cookie sheet will work too. Place dough on the middle of the pan or divided onto 2 pans (this really depends on how thick you like your crust). Spread dough with an icing spatula that has been dipped in water. Re-wet the spatula as often as needed. Spread until dough is desired size. Sprinkle with sweet rice flour and gently press dough into shape (thicker around the edge and thinner in the middle). This part is a bit time consuming but you want the thick edge to hold in all the toppings.

Toppings:

Pesto (make sure it is GFCF)

red onion, minced

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts

green bell pepper, diced

1 small can sliced olives

crumbled feta cheese made from sheeps milk

diced tomato

Spread the pesto from the middle outward leaving the edge of the crust bare. If your pesto is really thick add some olive oil to it. Sprinkle the rest of the toppings around evenly. Place on the lower shelf of your oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are browned.

Enjoy this pizza and call an old friend or loved one you haven't seen but would like to!

I also made a traditional pepperoni pizza for my son, who wouldn't think of eating something called "artichoke".

GFCF Quiche

Gluten Free Casein Free Quiche

I was introduced a few years ago to quiche, my daughter was working at a deli and she would bring home whatever was left for the day. It has become one of my favorite dishes, appropriate for any meal. It can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature and it is a great way to use up leftover veggies!

Basic Quiche

1 gf pie crust, uncooked (here is my favorite)

5 eggs

3/4 c. rice or hemp milk

2 T. sweet rice flour

dash nutmeg

salt and pepper

Today I added chopped spinach, red onion, and some sun dried tomatoes. This part is when you turn up your creativity (or just look in your refrigerator) and use what you have. You want about 1 cup of added ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In prepared crust evenly arrange added ingredients. Whisk together eggs, milk, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper till mixture is smooth. Pour into crust and over ingredients. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Some quiche's I have made in the past are:

ham and swiss

green chili and cheddar with jalepeno

mushroom and asparagus

Bacon and green pepper

GFCF Chili Rellenos Bake

This is a great casserole for brunch. It is quite spicy because of the Rotel tomatoes in the green chili. You can substitute mild Rotel or even 2 fresh tomatoes if you like yours mild.

1 recipe Karen's Green Chili or 1 large can green enchilada sauce, save 1 c. sauce for garnish
8-10 corn tortillas
oil
1 small can olives, drained
4 eggs
2 T. tofutti cream cheese
1 c. hemp or rice milk
3 T. sweet rice flour
dash of cumin
fresh cilantro

Begin by dipping corn tortillas in hot oil and draining. You can omit this step if you are trying to save on calories but it does affect the texture of the casserole. While tortillas cool whip together eggs, cream cheese, milk, sweet rice flour and cumin. Once all tortillas are cooled assemble casserole.

In an 8x8 pan begin by placing 1/2 c. green chili sauce. Spread evenly and top with 3 tortillas torn into strips to cover entire pan. Place more chili sauce on top, a few olives, some torn cilantro and some of the egg mixture. Continue layers until all ingredients are used up, ending with chili sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and top with the reserved chili sauce and some more fresh cilantro.

Refried Beans in a Pressure Cooker

There is no way to get beans that taste this good out of a can. I have made them a few times and they are well worth the effort.

2 c. dried pinto beans, seperated and rinsed (no need to presoak)

4 T. oil

6 c. water

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

2-3 c. chicken broth

Place beans, water, garlic, oil, and onion into a pressure cooker. Following the manufacturer's directions bring to pressure at 15 lbs and cook for 20 minutes. Once pressure is released, mash beans with a potato masher. Add salt, cumin, and oregano. Continue to mash and stir alternately adding chicken broth until beans are desired consistency. Let them sit a few minutes and make sure you still like the consistency, they tend to thicken. If you like your beans smooth you could use a food processor, personally I like the little chunks that are left when you mash them by hand.

Arepas- Venezuelan Corn Cakes

Arepas stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa.

Arepas stuffed with refried beans, shredded chicken, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, onion, and guacamole.

I recently met Fannie, whose son takes a Tae Kwon Do class with mine. She is from Venezuela and shared with me the recipe for Arepas, a staple in her country. They are corn cakes that vary in size and thickness from region to region and country to country. They are easy to make and you can eat them plain or stuff them with anything! I tried a breakfast version with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa. I also made one with refried beans, shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, and guacamole. Next time I make hamburgers I am going to try one on an arepas!

2 c. arepa flour * see note

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. luke warm water

olive oil for cooking

Combine water, salt, and flour and stir into a soft dough. Knead with wet hands for 3-5 minutes or until dough is smooth and uniform. It should be moist but not sticky. Pull off a piece of dough about the size of an egg and shape into a disc about the size of your palm and 1/2 inch thick.

Grease a heated skillet (cast iron or very heavy pan) with a generous amount of olive oil and place arepas on a few at a time. Cook over medium low heat turning until outsides are barely browned and a crust forms. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, turning once. Arepas are done when you tap them and hear a hollow sound. Slit open one side or cut completely in half and stuff with your choice of filling.

*Note:

Arepa flour is a precooked corn flour and should not be confused with masa harina. Arepa flour is sold as masarepa, harina precocida, or masa al intante. It can be found in Latin American groceries or online at http://www.latinmerchant.com/productdetail.asp?ProductID=F0012

PAN brand Arepas Flour- Available in white or yellow corn

Arepas just after coming out of the oven.

Basic Shredded Chicken

This is a basic shredded chicken recipe that it very easy and very forgiving. Use shredded chicken in enchiladas, casseroles, green salads, chicken salad and on tacos.

Place chicken in crockpot, I use 4 large frozen breasts but you can use any amount or fresh or frozen chicken. Add 1/2 to 1 C. chicken broth and sprinkle with the following seasonings.

1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano

Set crock pot to high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Remove chicken with a fork and place on a large plate or cookie sheet. Using 2 forks shred chicken, return to crock pot for later use or use immediately.

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Family Style

GFCF Chicken Pot Pie

Last week I made blackberry pie and made 2 extra crusts. I used Bette Hagman's Vinegar Pastry Crust recipe. I kept them in the refrigerator for the week and let them sit on the counter for a few hours before rolling them out. Because the crust was pre-made this pie went together fast.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 pie crusts
1 large can chicken meat, or 6-8 chicken tenders cooked and chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 potato diced with skin on
2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, diced
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. cornstarch
2 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper
dried parley

Roll out bottom crust and place in a large pie tin. Open and drain chicken, break up meat and spread around the bottom of the pie. Place all the vegetables in a large microwaveable bowl, sprinkle with salt. Add 1/3 c. water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until vegetables are barely tender. Drain vegetables and let them cool while you make the gravy.

For the gravy melt butter in a saucepan. Measure out chicken broth and stir the cornstarch into it. Add the chicken broth mixture all at once to the melted butter, stir continously over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Spread veggies over the chicken and then pour the gravy over the top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Place top crust on pie, crimp edges and bake for 30-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Gluten Free Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

My son Alex loves sweet and sour at restaurants but I could not find a canned sauce that tasted the same. So I began trying recipes and found this one to be very easy and really good! In the restaurant they add red food coloring, I left it out but if you want that pinkish color add a few drops.

Sauce:

1/4 - 1/3 c. rice vinegar or white vinegar

1/4 c. brown or white sugar (brown adds a different flavor)

1 T. ketchup

1 tsp. gluten free soy sauce

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 c. water

Chicken:

6 chicken tenders

1/2 onion, chopped

sesame oil

sesame seed for garnish

Mix vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a small sauce pan. Mix cornstarch and water in a small cup. Put saucepan on low heat and stir till boiling, add cornstarch mixture all at once stirring till boiling and sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir fry in sesame oil in a wok or heavy pan. When chicken is no longer pink add onion and continue to stir fry until chicken is done. Pour sauce over chicken and serve over rice. Garnish with sesame seed and chopped green onion.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

I am so excited about this recipe! I love any kind of Asian food and have missed eating out since going GF. This sauce is exactly what I used to order at Bankok Thai in Park City and the chicken satay is really good.




The recipe came from Howstuffworks.com, who would have guessed?

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce-recipe.htm

I served it with rice and garnished with green onion. Yummy!

Tortilla Soup

This recipe came from the Ro-Tel tomato can. We have been making it for a few years and it is a favorite. It can be made in just 10 minutes and is very satisfying.

2 cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chilis

14.5 oz chicken broth

1 can refried beans

1/2 c. frozen corn

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (or you can use canned)

Combine tomatoes, broth, beans, and corn in a stockpot. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until heated through. Garnish with broken corn chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced olives, and guacamole.

Note: You can also dump all ingredients into the crockpot and cook on low for 2-3 hours. I would not recommend this recipe for young kids, the tomatoes make it very spicy. You could use regular tomatoes or tomatoes with green chiles and no heat.

Rachelle's BBQ Meatballs and Rice

This recipe comes from my neighbor and good friend Rachelle. She brought it to a New Year's Day party and had no idea I was eating Gluten Free. It turns out the recipe was GF and I made it again the very next night!

Rachelle’s Yummy BBQ Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 ½ lb hamburger
1 chopped onion
Salt and Pepper
1 egg

Sauce:
3 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 T. Worcestershire
1 c. catsup
½ c. water
6 T. chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Rice

Thoroughly mix meatball ingredients and set aside. Combine all sauce ingredients in a large fry pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Using a cookie scoop add meatballs to boiling sauce. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Quick and Easy Pasta Primavera

This recipe was converted from my pre-gluten-free days. I make it when my daughter comes home from college, it is her favorite. I like it because everyone eats most of the veggies, and it is very colorful.

1 lb Tinkyada brown rice pasta (I used spaghetti here but any shaped pasta can be used).

Assorted vegetables, fresh or frozen

You can also add any kind of meat. Salmon is really good and so is leftover grilled chicken.

I used pea pods, green pepper, yellow squash, tomatoes, green onion, and carrots. This is a great way to use up any leftover veggies! Mix and match to whatever your family likes and what you have available.

2 T. olive oil or margarine
2 c. gluten free chicken broth
2 T. rice flour
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt to taste
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Fill a large stock pot with water, add 2 tsp. salt and put on to boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil begin to clean and cut up veggies. I use a really large cutting board and push them into piles as I go. Once the water is boiling add pasta. As soon as the water begins to boil again add any veggies that take a long time to cook. I only had to add the carrots. Once the pasta is almost done, maybe 3 or 4 minutes from being done, add all the other veggies except tomatoes. Cook till pasta is done and drain in a colander. Rinse and set aside.

Make a rue out of margarine or oil and the rice flour. All at once add chicken broth. Stir till bubbly. Add lemon juice and sea salt. I like to let each person add their own parmesan cheese when serving but you can add it in now if desired. Place pasta and veggies back in stock pot with tomatoes and meat (if desired), pour 1/2 of the sauce over the top, gently toss. Add the remainder of the sauce to your liking. I usually use it all. Serve with fresh ground black pepper and parmesan cheese.

The best pizza so far.....

Gluten-Free & Wheat-FreeTraditional Thick-Crust PizzaRecipe

I have tried 6 or 7 pizza crust recipes, this is the one that we have liked the best so far. It came from http://gluten-free-desserts.com/ Thanks for posting this, it has really been a life saver!

This makes a large amount of dough, I got 2 large and 3 personal size crusts out of one batch. I really like the texture of the dough with the millet and teff flours. It took me awhile to find both of these flours but it was worth the wait! (actually I never found millet flour so I ground some in my coffee grinder). In the pre-gluten days I rarely had white bread and I think the millet and teff give this crust a whole grain taste. I plan to experiment with these flours in muffins and breads. After the first baking I cooled the crusts and put them in the 2 gallon size baggies and froze them. Later I topped and baked them still frozen and they turned out fabulous! I still have a stockpile of pizza dough recipes to try and I will keep you posted if any of them turn out better than this one!

Please post your comments!

Thanks, Karen

Alex's Favorite GF Macaroni and Cheese

We have tried every recipe and option I could find for a GF Macaroni and Cheese. It turned out Alex's favorite was the simplest recipe of all!

Tinkyada brown rice pasta

Velveeta Cheese, cut into cubes

1 serving:

3/4 c. pasta

1.3 ounces velveeta cheese

2 servings:

1 1/2 c. pasta

2.5 ounces velveeta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Return pasta to pan and place on low heat. Add cheese and stir gently until all the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Harvest Chili

Years ago we attended a sledding party with our church and I fell in love with the chili we were served. I have made the same recipe for years, packed with gluten from the canned beans to the barley and the prepackaged seasoning mix. This recipe comes very close to what I was hoping for. I think next time I will try to add some millet and cut back on the meat. Enjoy!





1 lb lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. diced onion
1/4 c. diced green bell pepper
2 c. beef broth
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 T. tomato paste
2 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2- 16 oz cans chili beans or red kidney beans

15 0z can black beans, drained and rinsed

Brown meat in a large stockpot. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. When done drain well. Add all ingredients. Simmer 1 hour. Great garnished with chopped red or green onion, crushed corn chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Carne Asada or Steak Tacos

2 pounds beef ( I used rib steak)
olive oil
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (or leave in the seeds if you like it hot)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes
2 T. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. olive oil

Place meat in a glass casserole. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the steak making sure to cover both sides of the meat. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours.

Pre-heat your grill and brush with olive oil. Remove meat from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness. I like mine medium. Remove from grill and slice as thinly as possible. Serve on corn tortillas garnished with chopped onion, some more fresh cilantro, fresh salsa and guacamole!

This recipe is from http://elise.com/recipes/archives/002046carne_asada.php .