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. 

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 can Green Enchilada Sauce (10 oz) mild, or medium

1 can Pinto Beans, drained

1 can Green Chilies (4 oz.) mild, medium, or hot

4 cups water

1 cup Salsa, mild or medium

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn

1/2 cup white rice

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp chicken better than bouillon

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 lime, juiced or 2 TBS lime juice (optional) 

4 oz. Cream Cheese (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Place everything in the Instant pot, except the lime juice and cream cheese. Stir and place lid on pot. Set timer for 25 minutes and let pressure release on its own. Remove lid and remove chicken. Let set a few minutes before shredding it and adding it back to pot. If desired, add cream cheese to make it a more creamy soup and can add in the lime juice. Add salt and pepper to your preference. 

Serve with chips, cheese, or any toppings of your choice. 

For crockpot, add all ingredients and cook on high 4 hours or low for 6-8.

Italian Sheet Pan Chicken w/brussel sprouts

 

6-8 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs

3 gf hot dog buns, or about 4 cups cubed gf bread

3 cups of brussel sprouts halved if small, quartered of large

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

5 minced garlic cloves

2 cups grape tomatoes, whole

3 TBS olive oil

fresh parsley and fresh basil, optional

In a small bowl, add vinegar, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, minced garlic and about 3/4 cups oil. Mix well. Place chicken in gallon size ziploc bag. Add dressing. Mix marinate into chicken. Halve brussel sprouts, quarter if larger than a ping pong ball. Add brussel sprouts and tomatoes to bag with chicken. Mix well so flavors have a chance to mix.

Set the chicken on a baking sheet. Drain marinade and add veggies to the pan in between the chicken. Roast in oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. 

While chicken cooks, cube bread/hot dog buns. I chopped and added some fresh basil and 3 TBS of oil and mixed them together.

After 20 minutes, add bread cubes to pan and bake another 10 minutes. When chicken looks nicely browned add fresh chopped parsley and serve!

Beef Banh Mi Bowls

1 cup white rice
2 cups water

1 cup rice
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 limes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 english cucumber or 2 persian cucumbers
2 large carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tsp sriracha sauce
1/4 cup gf soy sauce
2 TBS sugar, divided
1 TBS butter
1/2 TBS oil
salt & pepper

Zest limes and quarter. Trim and halve cucumber lengthwise, thinly slice into half-moons. Medium dice onion. Peel and grate carrots. Bring 2 cups water to boil. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 15-20 minutes, turn off heat and let set an additional 5-10 minutes.

Combine cucumber, 1/2 tsp. sugar, a dash of salt and juice of one lime, about 1 TBS. Mix well and set aside to marinate.

Combine Mayonnaise, 1 small garlic clove, a squeeze of lime juice and sriracha to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Add beef, garlic and 1 TBS sugar. Cook until browned and cooked through. Stir in soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.

fluff rice with fork. Add lime zest and 1 TBS butter. Place rice in bowls, add beef, grated carrot, and pickled cucumber. Top with a squeeze of lime juice if desired and drizzle with sriracha mayo.

Trout

1.5 pounds trout 

2 TBS olive oil more, if needed

1 TBS Italian seasoning dried thyme, oregano, parsley, combined

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

4 garlic cloves diced

3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons butter softened

2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Season fish fillets with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Italian herb seasoning and salt (generously). 

Heat 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat, add fish fillets skin side up for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat, until lightly browned. Flip the fillets over to the other side, cook for another 2-4 minutes. Top fish with herbs, remove the skillet from heat, close with the lid, and let the fish sit for 5-10 minutes, covered, in the skillet, until flaky and cooked through completely

After the fish is cooked through, off heat, using spatula, carefully remove fillets to the plate, separating the fish from the skin. Carefully remove or scrape the fish skin off the bottom of the pan, making sure to leave all the cooking oils in the pan. Add diced garlic, lemon juice, and white wine to the same pan with oil. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minute, until garlic softens a bit. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons of butter, off heat, to the sauce, stirring, until the butter melts and forms a creamy mixture. Add fish to the pan, spoon sauce over the fish, top the fish and sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley, and serve.

Monday Menu

Monday: Chili, Cottage Cheese, Chips, Fruit Salad
Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Roasted Green Beans/Veggies, Risotto
Wednesday: Jambalaya
Thursday: Leftovers (This is a new thing. As empty nesters it happens.)
Friday: Honey Dijon Chicken, Roasted Potatoes & Veggies
Saturday: Out!
Sunday: Soup (I haven't figured it out yet.)

Looks like I need to add some recipes this week. I don't see the chili recipe or Tilapia one.

PW's Olive Cheese Bread-GF

1 loaf gluten free french bread (you can make your own if you can't find a GF Bakery)

1 6 oz. can Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives

1 6 oz. can Black Olives
2 green onions, chopped

1 stick Butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

3/4 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Roughly chop both black and green olives. Slice onions. Combine butter and mayonnaise until well blended. Add cheese, olives and green onions. Stir together. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Original Recipe can be found here.

Chicken Fried Rice

1/2-1 lb. chicken, cut up in small pieces
3 cups cooked rice
2-3 eggs
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
2-3 green onions, sliced diagonally
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS olive oil
3 TBS butter
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

I like to have everything chopped and measured out to make it quick and easy to stir fry.  Mix 2 TBS oil and garlic with the chopped chicken. Beat eggs into a bowl. Chop/slice onions, grate carrot, and measure out peas.

In a large skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture. Add 2 TBS butter, onions, carrot and saute 3-4 minutes. Add peas, cooking another minute. At this point you can place all of this in a separate dish, or push the chicken and vegetables to the outside of pan. Cook eggs in the middle of pan, scrambling and adding salt and pepper as desired. Mix with chicken.

Again, push all to one side of pan, add an additional TBS butter, then the rice. Stir fry all together. Add soy sauce and vinegar. Top with green onion and add salt/pepper/soy sauce to taste. I like to serve this with sweet/spicy dipping sauce.

Sweet/Spicy Dipping Sauce
3 TBS rice wine vinegar (garlic flavored is my favorite)
2 TBS GF Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 TBS Sriracha Sauce
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil

Mix together and use for dipping or serve over fried rice.

Jambalaya for Fat Tuesday

The first time I had Jambalaya was at my son and daughter-in-laws home in New Orleans. I fell in love. Trying to duplicate the recipe in Colorado is somewhat of a disappointment. Nobody but nobody can duplicate New Orleans, but this comes close. It is Emerill's recipe for Jambalaya. I have made a few minor adjustments.

1/4 cup olive oil

24 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1/2 lb. chicken, diced
1 TBS Creole seasoning-Bayou Blast
10 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce, I used Louisana Hot sauce, but Tabasco will work
1 1/2 cups rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped parsley or chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

2 chopped green onions (optional)
Salt and pepper 

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken. Mix in the Bayou Blast seasoning till all of the meat is coated. Let set while you get everything ready or put in refrigerator until ready to cook. 

In a large saucepan or pot, heat oil over high heat. Stir-fry onion, pepper and celery about 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces.

Stir in rice and slowly add chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. 

When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. 

This is delicious the next day for lunch with a little cheese melted on top.

Creamy Tomato Soup

I was skeptical when I tried this recipe.  It comes from Pioneer Woman.  I love making soups, but in my mind, soup cooks all day.  This tomato soup does not.  It's quick. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

1 46 oz. Bottle Tomato Juice 
2 cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 Onion, diced 
6 TBS Butter
3 TBS Sugar
1 TBS Chicken Base
1 cup Cooking Sherry (this is where the flavor comes from)
1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream (in a pinch, I've used sour cream with great results, but to blend, add hot tomato slowly to the sour cream before blending into the soup)
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Salt
Pepper

Sauté diced onions in butter until translucent. Add canned tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, pinch of salt, black pepper and stir. Bring to a near boil, then turn off heat. Add in sherry and cream and stir. Add chopped, fresh parsley, about 1 TBS. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  This is great with PW's Olive Cheese Bread, made gluten free of course.

 Also good with cubed cheese.

Cuban Sandwich

Saturday night, Michael and I watched the movie "Chef." One of the stars of the film, IMO, is the Cuban Sandwich.  I had no idea what this was, but after witnessing the creative process of constructing this sandwich, I wanted to try one.

Naturally, it had to be gluten free. Since I don't live in Miami, Florida, I figured it would be futile to find a restaurant that makes gluten free Cubanos.  I found a recipe posted in the Denver Post from the movie. I wanted to make these for lunch, but this recipe required 24 hour marinating of the pork and 2 1/2 hours to cook. I found a very similar one that used a pressure cooker to speed the process. I thought I could recreate it using gluten free french bread.

If you've seen the movie, you'll notice right away, that my sandwich does not live up to the standard of NEVER letting the outside of this grilled sandwich become over toasted, not even a little bit. Mine burned before the inside cheese was good and melted. Today is National Sandwich Day, so I am sharing the recipe anyway.

Loaf of GF french bread

6-8 slices Swiss Cheese

6-8 Ham, thinly sliced
sliced, marinated pork

Dill Pickles sliced length-wise

Butter

Slice bread in half. Butter each half, and warm in skillet over medium high heat. Remove from pan when lightly browned. Spread mustard generously over one side. Place 3 slices onto mustard, pork, pickles, ham, and top with cheese and other half of bread.

To cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush outside of sandwich generously with butter and place in the skillet. Place another heavy skillet on top and press down. I placed some large sweet potatoes inside to weigh it down. Cook until lightly browned (not burned, if cooking too quickly and the cheese is not melting, turn heat down.) Before flipping over, brush the other side of the bread with melted butter. Heat until this side is also lightly browned and cheese is nice and gooey. (Don't forget to press down with heavy skillet.) Remove from pan, slice and serve.

To make marinated pork:

2-3 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder 

1 Onion, sliced

1 cup fresh Orange Juice
1 cup Chicken Broth

1 Lime, juiced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Bay Leaves

1 TBS ground Cumin
1 TBS dried Oregano
1 TBS olive oil

Salt and fresh ground Pepper
 Brown pork in olive oil in pressure cooker pan. Add garlic and onions and saute for a minute or two. Add broth, orange juice, lime juice, bay leaves, cumin, oregano. Salt and pepper meat and place top on pressure cooker. Cook until rocker pressure is reached and turn down heat to medium. Cook 25 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

If you have time to marinate meat overnight and roast it, you might want to try the Chef recipe for Cubanos.

Shrimp & Cheese Grits

We video chatted with our granddaughter. She and her parents are living in California after 3 years in New Orleans. Visiting with Ivydee caused me to miss not only her, but New Orleans and the fun experiences we enjoyed with Lauren and Christopher. Ivydee and I shared more than one bowl of cheesy grits. After our conversation, I decided to make Cheesy Grits and Shrimp. 

2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups shredded cheese (I used part cheddar/jack, part pepper jack)
3 cups water or chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking grits
6 slices bacon, cut up
6-8 green onions, chopped
2 TBS butter
2 TBS parsley, chopped
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
Emeril's Seasoning

Bring chicken broth to a boil; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened-about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, butter, cheese, and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready.

Cook bacon over medium-high until crisp; drain on paper towels. Don't discard bacon grease.

 

Over medium-high heat, saute shrimp and garlic in pan with bacon grease until pink. Add green onions, lemon juice,  and worcestershire sauce and saute a few more minutes. Add bacon.

Spoon grits onto individual plates; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with Emerill's Seasoning as desired. If you like your shrimp spicier, add 1/2-1 tsp Emerill's seasoning to the shrimp before cooking. Enjoy

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.

Salmon BLT

Whenever I'm in Arizona, I visit Liberty Market at least twice within one week.  One of my recent favorite dishes is the Salmon BLT. They have delicious gluten free buns. Now that I am back in Colorado, I am wishing I could go there for this.  Today, I attempted to recreate this delightful dish.  I know it will sound complicated, but truly it wasn't.  You could use a different seasoning, but I have the Emerill's seasoning ready-made. It was the best solution for me. Not sure if Emerill sells this.

4 Salmon Filets (skinless)
4-6 strips of Bacon
Emerill's Cajun Seasoning
Chipotle Aioli
Shredded Lettuce
1 Tomato, sliced
4 GF Buns

Cut bacon in half and fry in a pan.  Drain on paper towels. Season both sides of salmon filets with Cajun Seasoning.  Use a fish pan or basket and cook over hot grill or pan fry. Toast bun. Spread one side with Chipotle Aioli, top with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy!

Grilled salmon on planks

1 1/2-2 lbs salmon filets

1/3 cup gluten free tamari or soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

2 minced garlic cloves

Lemon Pepper (gluten free)

Salt 

Cedar Planks

Soak wooden planks for 2-3 hours in water. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, and oil together.  Place salmon in ziploc bag and pour sauce over.  Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes or so.

Heat grill.  Drain marinade.  Place salmon on planks. Set planks on heated grill and cook approximately 8 minutes or until the salmon is done. 

Mexicali Bowl

       

1 spaghetti squash 

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 small onion chopped, or one bunch sliced green onion 

1 chopped red or orange pepper

1 minced jalapeno pepper

4-6 oz. grated monterey jack cheese or pepper jack

1/2 lime (about 1 TBS lime juice)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

Pierce the skin on the spaghetti squash with a sharp knife like you would before baking a potato.  This will keep the squash from exploding in the microwave.  (If you prefer, you can bake it, but it takes much longer to cook.)  Microwave whole squash for about 10 minutes, rotating it half-way through cooking.  Let cool while you chop and prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper and red bell pepper. Saute a couple of minutes.  Add spices, beans, and corn, remove from heat.  Squeeze lime juice over all and mix.

When cool enough, slice squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds and strings, then scrape out most of the squash and add to the bean mixture.   Fold in cheese.  Fill the empty squash shells with filling.  Top with additional cheese, chives, or cilantro.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to heat thoroughly.

Serve with fresh salsa and chips or avocado slices.

The original recipe came from the Whole Foods site, with a few change ups.

BLT Salad GF-Updated

Before we went gluten free, we used to enjoy BLT salad.  Now that we are able to find decent gf pasta, I decided to try it again.

1 lb. pkg.  Gluten Free Penne Pasta
1 lb. pkg thick cut bacon
3-4 ripe roma tomatoes, chopped, or a cup or so of grape tomatoes whole or sliced in half
3 cups sliced romaine lettuce
1-2 ripe avocado cut into chunks

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Cook pasta & drain and rinse in cool water. Slice bacon, cook, and crumble. Mix bacon, tomato and lettuce, and pasta in a large bowl. Toss dressing mix with pasta. Add avocado and gently mix. Serve immediately.  I served this with PW's Olive Cheese Bread on these GF Hot Dog Buns.

Sweet, Spicy Sausage Pasta w/Dates

1 Pkg. Johnsonville Hot Italian or Sweet Italian Sausage
4 Cups Baby Spinach, 0r thin sliced spinach
1 Onion, slivered
1 Cup Dates, quartered
1 Cup White Wine
1 Can Water Chestnuts
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBS Bertolli Olive Oil
1/2-1 Cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 lb. fettucini noodles (I used Gluten Free pasta in order to create a gluten free dish for my daughter who has Celiac Disease.)
Fresh Parsley for garnish

Cook Sausage in a skillet with a bit of water, allowing it to brown.  When done, remove and keep warm.  Pour off any remaining water, scraping bits of sausage and save.

While pasta is cooking,  heat 2 TBS olive oil over medium heat in the same skillet you cooked the sausage.  Add onions and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.  Add in garlic and continue stirring 1 minute.  Add the dates and cook another minute or two until onions begin to caramelize.  Toss in spinach and cook until slightly wilted.

Pour 1 cup of wine into the onion mix and the leftover juices from the sausage.  Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.  Add sausage back to pan with the water chestnuts.  Heat through, then add in pasta.   Mix and top with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley.

(Johnsonville states that their sausage is made from gluten free ingredients.)

Kung Pao Chicken

(Sure hope I remember how I made this)

1 1/2 lbs. Chicken Breasts cut into small cubes
1 Can Sliced Water  Chestnuts
8 Dried Red Chilies, stems removed, (Remove seeds if desired or substitute with 1-2 tsp. red pepper)
1/2 Red Pepper, julienned (optional)
1/2 Inch Piece Ginger, peeled, grated or chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
4 Green Onions, diagonally sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup peanuts (I use salted, but rinse them before adding to dish)
1 TBS oil

Marinade:
1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup GF Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 TBS Cornstarch dissolved in 1 TBS Water
1 TBS Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Salt

Sauce:
1/4 cup GF Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
2 TBS Rice Wine or Sherry
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1 tsp Sriracha Sauce (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

Over high heat, add oil, chilies, ginger, garlic and green onions. Stir fry a minute or so. Drain chicken from marinade and add to pan. Stir fry until chicken is cooked through.

Add sauce ingredients to pan. Lower heat when mixture boils. Add in water chestnuts, red pepper, and peanuts. Let simmer until sauce is thickened, or can add 1 TBS cornstarch dissolved in 1TBS water.

Serve over rice and garnish with additional green onions, if desired.

Smoked Salmon Tacos w/Chipotle Mayo

I hate when I find unfinished posts such as this. I will look around and see if I wrote the recipe down somewhere. Otherwise, it might be lost forever. Sigh. (Written Oct. 15th, 2011)

My sister-in-law came to visit.  She brought gluten-stuffed cookies for her mom and the most wonderful smoked salmon for the rest of us; complements of her husband and his culinary skills.  I ate salmon plain-it was heavenly, salmon dip, and then decided to make tacos.  I could have eaten these every day....oh wait, I did.