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. 

Spicy BBQ Chicken

(This recipe comes from Mary at Owlhaven.  Just to clarify, this is her recipe, my photo.  Mary makes hers with bone-in chicken. I do mine boneless.  Mary has a wonderful cookbook called, Family Feasts For $75 a Week)
Sriracha Barbecued Chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2-4 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt

In a medium sized saucepan, saute the garlic in butter for a couple minutes.  Add ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha, celery seed, Dijon mustard, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.  At this point, the sauce is ready to use.
(Safety note:  If you think you'd like some of the sauce set aside for dipping at the dinner table, put it in a separate bowl now.  You don't want to serve sauce contaminated by brushes or spoons that have touched raw meat.)
At this point there are two ways that you can barbecue the chicken.

A. ) If you'd like to completely cook the chicken on the grill, do so by cooking it over medium heat for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.  Baste with sauce. Grill 10-15 minutes more over low heat, or until juice runs clear. Continue basting and turning during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

B.)  Barbecue the chicken on a medium-high grill for 10-15 minutes, turning once half way through, until both sides of the chicken have nice grill marks.  Once meat is marked on both sides, baste with sauce and cook 5 minutes more.  At this point the meat will only be partially cooked.  Set the meat into a clean casserole pan, and drizzle the remaining sauce all over the chicken.  Cook chicken in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Either method will produce delicious chicken, but I think that completing the cooking in the oven is easier and less likely to burn.  It also lets lots of sauce stay on the chicken, because basically the meat is cooking in the sauce during that last half hour.

Honey & Spice Chicken

2 tsp. garlic powder or granulated

2 t chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt, coarse grind if you like
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne red pepper
8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 4-5 breasts
1/4 C Honey
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar

Rinse and dry chicken pieces on paper towels.  Using 1 TBS of olive oil, rub into chicken.  Mix spices and spread over chicken.  I mix it in with my hands to coat more evenly.  Pour honey into small bowl.  Warm for 10 seconds in the microwave, then mix with vinegar.

Grill chicken a few minutes each side.  Brush honey mixture for the final minutes of cooking, coating both sides.  The honey can burn quickly or cause flareups, so watch carefully.  Remove from grill and serve.

If desired, drizzle last bit of honey over chicken before serving.

(I found the recipe here.  I have made it several times.  Also delicious as a  salad with  mangoes & avocado. )

Chicken over Maifun Noodles & Peanut Sauce

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Pkg. Maifun Noodles (rice noodles 8 oz.)
2 TBS GF Tamari Sauce
2 TBS Oil
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Peanuts, chopped

Spicy Relish:
2 Small Cucumbers, or 1 English Cucumber, seeded & diced
4-6 Green Onions, chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced (optional)
3 TBS Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 TBS Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper, (more or less,according to how hot you want it)

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2-3/4 cup Chicken Broth
Juice from 1 lime, about 2 TBS
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1-2 inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled & grated
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, chopped
2 TBS Brown Sugar
2 TBS Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 TBS Chili Garlic Sauce (GF)
1 TBS GF Tamari Sauce

1.  Mix Tamari, brown sugar, salt & oil together and add chicken to marinate.  (Refrigerate if not cooking right away.)

2.  Place Maifun or rice noodles in pan of hot water, for at least 10 minutes until ready to use.  Don't worry if they soak longer.

3. Chop Relish ingredients, and mix in bowl with seasonings.  Refrigerate or set aside until ready to serve.

4. Place Peanut Sauce ingredients, except parsley, into a pot. Heat over medium until all ingredients are blended well.  Simmer for another 1-2 minutes.  (I usually don't heat sauce until after I've cooked the chicken.)

 5.  Grill Chicken over medium high heat 3-4 minutes a side until done.  Let set 5 minutes before slicing.

6.  Drain noodles.  I like to place them on a large cutting board and cut across about every 2 inches so noodles are in manageable pieces.  Mix with peanut sauce and add in parsley/cilantro.

7.  On individual plates, place one thin-sliced breast chicken over noodles.  Top with cucumber relish, garnish with chopped peanuts.

Spicy Fruited Chicken Salad

Couldn't figure out what to make for dinner tonight. I saw 2 avocados sitting on the counter and some fresh peaches...thus a salad was born.
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 TBS Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, chopped finely
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 TBS Oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Mix peppers, garlic, dash of salt & pepper, and oil with chicken. Grill 3-4 minute each side, or until no longer pink inside. Cool 2-3 minutes, then chop or slice.


For Salad:
2 avocados, chopped (avocados should be firm, not soft and mushy, but not hard)
1 large ripe peach, chopped (remove skin if desired)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
juice from 1 lime
Salt & Pepper, to taste


Chop vegetables and place in bowl, mixing gently. Squeeze lime juice over all. Fold in chicken & garnish with parsley. Enjoy. I served this with Black Beans and Chips & Salsa.

Spicy Chipotle Chicken

This recipe comes from Des at Life's Ambrosia. I recently found her blog via Tasty Kitchen. Her recipe uses bone-in chicken and marinating. I have found I usually burn anything but boneless chicken, so prefer boneless. It isn't entirely my fault. It is difficult to watch chicken on the outdoor grill when I'm running back indoors to finish up the side dishes. And true to form, when I tried this recipe with chicken legs, they did indeed come out burned.

1 1/2-2 lbs. Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breasts

1 7 oz. can Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce (La Costena brand is gluten free)

Juice from 1 Lime
1/4 cup Honey

2 tsp. White or Rice Wine Vinegar

1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. Salt

Combine chipotle peppers, honey, vinegar, garlic, juice from lime, and salt in a food processor. Process until it becomes a paste. Place chicken in dish and coat chicken with Sauce. Cook over hot grill 3-4 minutes each side. You can reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for serving, but I found it was plenty hot and spicy enough to not need any extra.

Best Burger Ever

Working on the best gluten-free burger ever! And I think you are going to like it.

Mandarin Chicken

I was browsing recipes, and trying to find something with flavor, yet easy to digest for a certain someone coming home from the hospital. A rice dish sounded like a good idea, then rice noodles, then that person didn't come home. I went ahead with the rice and rice noodle idea with a sweet chicken sauce. I've made this twice, of course forgetting by the second time exactly what I did the first. But it worked both times. Except for the first set of photos.

1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs or breasts (you can use less, but my family members are meat-eaters)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 TBS olive oil, if using breasts instead of thighs

Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 TBS cornstarch
1/3 cup gluten free tamari sauce (soy sauce can be used if you don't need gluten free)
1/3-1/2 cup water
1 TBS lemon juice
3-4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Mix sugar and cornstarch together. Add remaining ingredients and heat in a pan large enough to accomodate the chicken. Heat and stir until sauce thickens. Leave it on very low while cooking the chicken.

Brush a bit of olive oil on chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with salt and garlic powder and grill a few minutes each side until no longer pink inside. If you have a hot grill, and thin chicken pieces this is about 3 minutes a side. These are thighs:

If using thick chicken breasts, I like to slice them to half their thickness. A combination of white and dark meat would be nice.

After cooking, let set a few minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Add to sauce and mix well to coat chicken. I served this over rice noodles and broccoli the first time. (I'll add that recipe later.)

If you like vegetables with your chicken, slice up some of your favorite veggies. This time I used the following, as it was all I had:
2 zucchini, julienned
4 mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1 carrot, julienned

Before making the sauce, I sauteed the vegetables in a tad of olive oil, adding in the garlic & ginger and a little extra. While the vegetables are still firm, add in the sauce ingredients, then the chicken. Serve over rice.

Grilled Chicken Salad w/Peanut Sauce

My mother-in-law mentioned a salad she loved, at a favorite restaurant she frequented in Arizona. In an attempt to prepare something similar, without ever having tasted the dish, here is my version:

Mixed Greens with lots of romaine, sliced

1 carrot, peeled & thinly julienned
Grilled Boneless Chicken
Peanut Sauce
Tortilla Strips
Honey-Lime Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used 2 limes)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup honey, warmed slightly for easier mixing
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2-1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Mix ingredients together. Shake vigorously and refrigerate until ready to use. This dressing was created for the Grilled Chicken Salad

Mix together peanut sauce:
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup gluten free soy sauce or tamari
1 -2 TBS fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/3 cup hot water

For seasoned tortilla strips:
10 corn tortillas
1/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp. cayenne red pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder

You can use just about any seasoning desired. I will try some variations next time. Mix oil and spices. Brush on one side of tortillas, and stack into 2 stacks. Cut stacks in half, then in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Spread on non-stick foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool and use as a salad topping.

I brushed the chicken with leftover oil and seasonings from tortilla strips and sprinkled with pepper and garlic salt. Grill 4-5 minutes per side until no longer pink inside. Let set a few minutes before cutting. Slice into thin strips.

To serve, mix salad with lime dressing. Place on individual plates with sliced chicken. Drizzle with peanut sauce and top with tortilla strips. Or just mix it all together. I didn't give amounts of lettuce or chicken, so don't use the full amount of sauce and dressing unless you have enough salad to warrant that much.

Boneless Lemon Pepper Chicken

I like cooking boneless chicken on the grill, especially when I don't have to marinate ahead of time.

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

2 TBS melted butter or olive oil

1-2 tsp. garlic salt*

1-2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning*

Brush both sides of chicken with oil or butter. Sprinkle both sides with seasonings. Cook over hot grill, 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken and no longer pink inside.

*Gluten free, if desired.

London Broil

2 lb flat iron or flank steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine, merlot or cabernet sauvignon
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBS honey or brown sugar
2 TBS olive oil
fresh ground black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients together in glass bowl. I warm in microwave 15 seconds to warm the honey to mix better. Place meat in a gallon size ziploc bag. Pour marinade over and seal. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

Drain marinade. Grill on high heat about 4 minutes a side, or to your likeness. Slice across the grain and serve.

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.

Grillled Salmon

I made Sweet Bourbon Salmon last night, except I didn't have any pineapple juice or fresh chives. I also switched up my menu a bit. I made baked potatoes, lettuce wedge salad, and green beans. I almost made twice baked potatoes, but I ran out of time. So I baked extra potatoes and can now bake them again, lol. I also cooked 3 lbs of salmon steaks so increased the amount of ingredients. Here is the recipe again with the change in juice (which I think is now my new favorite.)


1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (I don't pack it down, just pour it in rather loosely. Packed, it is probably closer to 1/4 cup.)
2 TBS Kentucky bourbon
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried chives
3 lbs skinless salmon filets

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic salt, pepper, & chives in a gallon size freezer ziploc bag. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Add oil. Place the filets in the bag and marinate several hours. (For 3 lbs., I had to divide in 2 bags.)

Grill 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. I use a wire fish basket, making it easy to turn fillets. Try not to overcook, and be very gentle turning only once. Salmon is too expensive to lose big chunks falling between the grill grates.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken

Bone-in Chicken Breasts

Lemon Pepper (Schilling or Tone's)

I've tried other ones and the lemon tastes way too artificial.

Garlic Salt

1 TBS olive oil

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with Lemon Pepper Seasoning & Garlic Salt.

Grill over hot grill about 20 minutes, turning frequently to avoid flaming up and burning the skin.

Tilapia w/mango salsa

4 tilapia fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Place fillets in ziploc bag. Mix together marinade ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate a couple of hours. Drain marinade. Grill fillets over medium hot grill for 2-3 minutes each side. I use a fish basket to keep fish from falling through grates. Serve with mango salsa.

Mango Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled & chopped
2-3 TBS diced onion
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 TBS fresh chopped parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
2-3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chicken Fajitas

2-3 lbs boneless chicken (I often use chicken tenders
1-2 large onions,(juliene) sliced
2 julienned peppers, red, yellow, green...I prefer red,yellow,orange as the green ones have a stronger flavor that my family isn't fond of
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice (can use lime also)
2 tsp garlic salt*
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
Flour Tortillas
Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and refried beans

Place chicken, onions, & peppers in a dish or ziploc bag to marinate. Mix remaining ingredients, except tortillas. Pour over chicken/vegetables. Marinate all day or overnight. Drain marinade and grill chicken over hot grill. Saute onions and peppers in a pan until tender. When chicken is cooked, slice into this strips or bite-size pieces. Serve in warmed tortillas with toppings. I like to grill my chicken and saute my vegetables an hour or two before we eat. I place them in my split crockpot on warm until ready to serve. This eliminates the last minute grilling, slicing, and sauteing. And you can have your kitchen cleaned up before you eat. (Unless of course you are also making salsa, guacamole, etc.)

Sweet Bourbon Salmon

Sweet Bourbon Marinade

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBS Kentucky bourbon
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp thinly sliced chives
4 8oz salmon filets

Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic powder, pepper, & chives in a gallon size freezer ziploc bag. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Add oil.
Be sure all of the skin is removed from the salmon. Place the filets in the bag and marinate several hours.

Grill 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. I use a wire fish basket, making it easy to turn fillets.

Arrange filets on each plate, sprinkle with additional chives.

Boneless Pork Ribs

4 lbs. boneless pork ribs
1/2-1 tsp. garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
K.C. Masterpiece BBQ Sauce
Kraft Honey BBQ Sauce

These can be cooked on the grill, oven, crockpot, or a combination of cooking methods. For baking: Place meat in roasting pan or 9 x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. (This is approximate, as I often start baking mine while still partially frozen and bake up to 2 hours.) Remove meat from pan. Mix 1 part honey BBQ, to 2 parts KC BBQ sauce. Add a 1/2 cup or so of the pan juice and mix with sauce to desired consistency. Pour off any extra liquid. Place ribs back in pan and pour sauce over top. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes.

For crockpot: Place meat in crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. An hour before serving remove meat and add sauce as described above. Place all back in pot and serve when ready.

Grill: Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Grill each side 3 minutes. Brush with the 2 BBQ sauces mixed together and grill until done. If you want the grill flavor, but want it made ahead, after grilling 3 minutes a side, toss in crockpot with the BBQ sauce on low until ready to serve.

(I have tried to make homemade BBQ sauce, but never found a recipe I love. I grew up on Kraft, so probably prefer the taste. Eventually, this is the combination I came to like the best. If anyone has a good homemade recipe, I'd love to hear yours. Of course, it won't be as easy as opening a bottle of premade.)

Honey-glazed Chicken

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/3 cup honey 

1/3 cup soy sauce* 

1-2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/4 tsp. onion powder 

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper 

6-8 boneless breasts (halves) 

 Mix marinade ingredients together. In a large ziploc freezer bag, add chicken and marinade. Marinate for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Cook on grill at a med/high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. This recipe can be made into kabobs by adding red/green bell peppers and onion chunks. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for brushing on during grilling, before mixing with chicken.

(gluten free soy or tamari sauce to ensure GF)