Easy Gluten Free Orange Chicken

 

1 bag of GF Perdue Breaded Chicken, tenders or nuggets

1 cup rice

4-6 green onions, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 TBS Vegetable oil or olive oil

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (I prefer Nakano w/roasted garlic)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup gf soy or tamari sauce
1 TBS cornstarch mixed in 1/2 cup cold water
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled & grated
1 tsp. grated orange peel/zest (optional)

Cook rice in 2 cups of water. (Or according to package direction. This is what I use for high altitude.) Slice green onions, separating whites from greens. Grate or zest ginger. Mix vinegar, soy sauce, water and cornstarch and grated ginger and orange zest. Mix well. Place 1/2 bag of chicken in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. When cooked, place on a plate and cook the other half of the chicken. Let chicken rest 5 minutes,  then cut nuggets in half or if using tenders in thirds. 

While chicken cooks, heat oil in pan. Add whites of green onions and garlic. Saute for about 1 minute. Stir sauce to incorporate ingredients, then add to pan with onions. Continue stirring until slightly thickened. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes if desired. Add chicken to sauce and stir until chicken is covered. Warm through for a few minutes then serve over rice. Top with green onions. 

Maple Dijon Chicken

This recipe has been floating around the internet for some time.  I first made it with honey instead of maple syrup.  I like it both ways and honey is usually less expensive.  Give it a try. For those who love rosemary, add it fresh.  Rosemary is one of those herbs that you either love or hate.  I used to hate it, but after 20 years or more, I tried it again in this dish. I have a new fondness for rosemary, especially when I have it growing fresh in my garden!

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup or honey (based on your preference)
1 TBS rice vinegar (I use garlic rice wine vinegar)
 Salt & pepper
2 tsp. Fresh chopped rosemary (optional)

Line a baking dish with foil, preferably nonstick, or use disposable foil pan. (I have cooked this in a glass dish with no foil and the maple syrup burns on the glass and is extremely difficult to clean.) Salt and pepper both sides of chicken and place in dish. Whisk together mustard, syrup, and vinegar. Pour over chicken.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary, if desired. Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or as is. (Serves 4)
Can be cooked in crockpot for 3-4 hours, depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks.

Apricot Chicken Stir-Fry

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken
1 1/2 red bell peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 /2 cup onion, cut in slivers
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut in half
6-8 oz. fresh snow peas
3/4 cup peach or apricot nectar
1/3 cup gf tamari sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS cornstarch
1/4 tsp. red pepper or red pepper flakes
2 TBS butter or oil
Brown Rice Couscous (Regular couscous is NOT gluten free-can use white or brown rice)

Cut up red pepper, mushrooms, & onions. Slice chicken. Mix tamari, vinegar, apricot nectar, & cornstarch. This much can be done ahead so when you are ready to prepare it goes together quickly.

Prepare brown rice couscous or rice according to package directions.

In skillet stir-fry veggies in butter for 2-3 minutes, until crisp tender. Remove from pan. If necessary, add a bit of oil and stir-fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken or push to one side of pan. Add sauce, stirring until thickened. Mix in apricots, vegetables, and chicken together. Add snow peas, mixing until heated through. Serve over rice couscous.

Chili Rellenos Casserole w/Chicken

I was in the mood for chili rellenos, but not in the mood to cook them. I just wanted something easy, without a mess. This fit the bill.

6 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can chicken
can green chilies, sliced (I used 3/4 of a 27 oz. can, use can use as few or as many as to your liking.)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper

Beat eggs and milk together. Grease casserole dish or spray with non stick spray. Layer chicken, chili strips, cheese and onions. Pour egg/milk mixture over. Top with additional green onions.

Bake at 350 degreees until knife inserted comes out clean (45 to 60 minutes.)
Serve with fresh salsa, sour cream, and avocado slices if desired. Or top it off with Green Chili. (Guess I need to post the gluten free Green Chili recipe.)

Spaghetti Squash w/Roasted Red Pepper

1 1/2 lbs. Boneless Chicken
1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers (or you can roast your own)
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1-2 Garlic Clove, minced
4-6 Green Onions, sliced
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
1 TBS Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)
1 TBS Oil, for cooking
Fresh Ground Pepper
Salt to taste
Shaved or grated Parmesan Cheese
Crumbled Bacon (optional)

Pierce skin of squash several times. Place in microwave and cook on high about 5 minutes. Skin should be much easier to pierce. Let it rest until cool enough to handle.

Slice chicken into thin, bite-size pieces. Heat oil in pan. Stir-fry garlic and chicken. Throw in most of the green onion, reserving some for garnish. Drain liquid from peppers and add peppers to pan. Stir to heat all, adding salt and pepper. Push to side of pan.

Add cream cheese, bouillon, on empty side of pan over low heat until creamy and bouillon is incorporated. Can thin with milk, sour cream, etc. if desired. Mix into chicken.

Slice squash in half length-wise. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds and slimy strands. Then take a fork and scrape squash strands into chicken. Top with parsley, chives, parmesan, and bacon. (I had planned to use bacon for mine, but forgot. Good either way.)

I hope I remembered everything in this recipe. I made it 2 days ago and my mind went blank when trying to recall what was in this. I'll let you know if something comes to me.

A Simple Meal

In the summer, I do a lot of salads and fruit for main dishes, as well as sides. In our gluten-filled days, bread was a staple with salad or as a filler with grilled meat & salad. I like summer meals that are easy to put together, without turning on the oven. Not the right time to practice making gluten-free breads. What could be easier than a can of beans?

First I turned on the outdoor grill, where I cooked Lemon Pepper Chicken. In the 5 minutes it took to heat the grill, I shucked some corn and popped it into the pressure cooker for 5 minutes. I then put these beans on the stove:

1 can black beans
1 TBS chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBS chopped fresh-from-the-garden cilantro
pinch of salt& cumin

Saute onions & in a smidge of oil. Add can of beans, salt, and cumin. Put lid on pan and simmer on low.

After cooking the chicken, I put a bowl of cherries and blueberries on the table and we enjoyed a simple meal of Lemon Pepper Chicken, Corn-on-the-cob, Black Beans, & fruit.

I pulled this meal together in less than 20 minutes.

Spring Ham Casserole-Updated

Wanting to use up the leftover Easter ham? This is an easy dish my family enjoys. It varies each time I make it, but here is the basic recipe:

As usually happens, my menu plan this week was altered. I haven't cooked this since going gluten free. But this most certainly is now. Unfortunately as I finished up I realized I did not have any Parmesan cheese. C'est la vie.

2 TBS butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup light cream
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. gf chicken boullion
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 cups diced ham
1 8 oz pkg. gluten free pasta-I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1-2 TBS fresh chopped Parsley to garnish

Saute onion, celery, mushrooms, & red pepper in butter until tender. Add in sour cream and light cream or milk stirring until smooth and warmed. Do not let boil. Toss with ham, pasta, salt, pepper and parsley. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

(Original Recipe)
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped green or red pepper
1 cup light cream (or sour cream)
1 TBS flour
2 tsp. instant chicken boullion
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 cups diced ham
1 8 oz pkg. spaghetti, cooked
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1-2 TBS fresh chopped Parsley to garnish

Melt butter on high in microwave. Add diced celery, onion, mushrooms and green pepper. Cook 2 minutes, or until onion is transparent. .Add cream, bouillion, flour. Then gradually add 1 cup water. Mix, then cook on high 12-14 minutes, or until thick, stirring twice during cooking. Toss in ham, spaghetti and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley.

This can be cooked in a pot on the stove instead of microwaved.

Hummus

I've been wanting to make some homemade hummus for quite some time. I purchased a jar of tahini for this very purpose, but it has sat on the pantry shelf looking rather lonely. In fact, it was nearing its expiration date. My daughter, Sarabeth took it upon herself to make a batch of hummus and it was superb! I found the tahini at our local grocery store next to the peanut butter.

1 can of garbanzo beans (some brands are called chickpeas-same thing)
1 1/2 TBS tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 TBS lemon juice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reserved juice from can of beans

1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional for extra flavor)

1 TBS chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional, but it does add a nice flavor)
1 TBS olive oil (also optional, but nice for dipping)

Drain beans, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor. Mix on low for 3 minutes, or until smooth.

To serve, place in bowl. Using a ladle, make an impression in the middle of the hummus and filling with 1 TBS olive oil. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita bread, crackers, or can be used in a wrap.

I'm working on a gluten free pita bread and will post the recipe soon. But if you aren't gluten free, there are plenty of recipes for pita bread out there.

I can't wait to add some other flavors to this basic recipe, sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers, jalapeno...the variations are endless.

Quicker Shredded Beef Tacos

3-4 lbs. beef stew meat

1 tsp. onion powder*

1 tsp. garlic salt*

1 tsp. instant beef bouillon*

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2-3 cups of water

2-3 cups shredded lettuce

1 chopped tomato

chopped onion

chopped avocado

salsa*

sour cream

shredded cheese*

1 pkg. taco shells*

Toss stew meat in pressure cooker. Mine is usually frozen. Add 2-3 cups of water. (Because my pressure cooker is nearly 30 years old, I think it leaks a lot. So I need 3 full cups of water to keep from running out. Add onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, boullion & water. When rocker begins rocking, cook 20-30 minutes. (Longer if your meat is frozen.)

While meat is cooking, chop, shred, and slice your other ingredients. Heat taco shells and serve with toppings. Of course you can always make ground beef tacos, but my family would be very unhappy. If you buy the stew meat in 3-4 lb. packages, it is every bit as inexpensive as ground beef, but so much better. And sometimes cheaper too.

*For Gluten Free, check labels on these products to ensure they are truly gluten free.

Saucy Chicken & Noodles

4 boneless chicken breasts,
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, or any kind sliced
4 sliced green onions
2 TBS butter or olive oil
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 TBS sherry or red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 TBS fresh parsley
1 pkg. kluski noodles (any kind will work, but these are the best)

Cook noodles while preparing the rest of the dish. In large pan, brown chicken in a bit of olive oil with garlic salt and pepper. Remove from pan. Add butter and saute mushrooms and green onions until tender.
Remove and set aside with chicken. Add cream cheese to pan over medium-low heat until melted.

Add sherry or wine and broth or 1/2 cup water mixed with pan juices from chicken.

Add chicken back to pan & cooked pasta.

Top with fresh parsley. Serve with toasted bagel slices & a fresh salad.

Grilled Pork Chops

2-2 1/2 lbs boneless pork chops
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 TBS olive oil or vegetable oil
fresh ground black pepper

Mix garlic salt, soy sauce, oil & pepper in dish or ziploc bag. Marinate pork in mixture for 2-3 hours. Drain and grill over hot coals for 3-4 minutes per side.

Easy Green Beans

1 lb. small string (green) beans
2 TBS butter
1/2 onion cut in slivers
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt
pepper
1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in glass bowl. Cover
Microwave for 2-3 minutes on high or until beans are tender.

One Pot Dish

I don't usually make one dish meals. Well, that isn't true, I make them, but I obsessively add side dishes to complement whatever it is. This I've made twice recently, when not feeling well. And truly, we did not have any side dishes, hence the name.

This recipe originated from a shopping trip to Sam's club on a day when I was hungry. I couldn't pass by the samples without tasting every one of them. When I'm hungry, everything tastes good and I buy one of each. I arrived home with a package of smoked sausage. (I think they were Keilbasa.) Can't remember the last time I bought these. So here is what I made.

I peeled and cut into cubes

4 potatoes &

chopped 1 cup of onion

I cooked these in 1/4 cup olive oil for about 15 minutes over medium/high heat. (Stirring frequently.)

I chopped and added:

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

And seasoned with:

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

fresh ground pepper

I covered the pot after stirring, as I couldn't tell if the potatoes were getting tender enough. After a few minutes I added:

approximately 1 lb. of sliced, smoked sausage

I cooked about 15 minutes more, uncovered until everything looked sufficiently browned and tender.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 cube butter

Mix altogether (use a mixer if you have a decent one.) Roll into balls and flatten on a cookie sheet with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so. You can also leave them shaped into a ball, push your thumb into it and fill the hole with jelly when it is finished baking. Add a chocolate kiss to the center of the ball for something different or throw M&M's or chocolate chips into the dough.

Chicken Pasta w/spinach & Sundried Tomatoes

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 jar sundried tomatoes, in oil, sliced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt or garlic salt.
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 lb. penne pasta

Pour 2-3 TBS oil from sundried tomatoes into pan. Saute chicken and mushrooms with half the salt, until almost cooked, add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add spinach, sundried tomatoes and rest of salt. Continue stir-frying until spinach is wilted. Serve with Parmesan Cheese.

Dump Cake

So easy!



1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter

Spray a 9 x 13" pan with non-stick spray. Dump in cherry pie filling, then pineapple. Add dry cake mix. Top with coconut then pecans. On the top, grate the stick of butter over all. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream.