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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not-so-blackened Tilapia

6-8 Tilapia Filets
2 TBS olive oil
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Blackened Seasoning:
1 TBS garlic powder
1 1/2 TBS onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. crushed parsley
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix seasonings together. Sprinkle liberally on both sides of fish fillets. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Fry fish a couple of minutes each side, turning only once. Fish will flake easily when cooked. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. This is a quick meal, especially if you have the seasoning mixed ahead of time. I served this with Mushrooms & Asparagus, Quick Potatoes, and pineapple chunks and Michael loved it.

Simply Mushrooms & Asparagus

1/2 bunch of asparagus
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 TBS butter
garlic salt

I microwave the asparagus (after breaking off tough ends, and slicing into 1 inch pieces) on auto-cook until slightly tender. Heat butter in skillet. Saute mushrooms for a minute, then add asparagus. Sprinkle with a bit of garlic salt and continue to stir fry until desired doneness. Serve immediately.

Another Chili Dish

2 lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans
1 can tomato sauce

1 12 oz. bottle beer
1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tsp. sugar

Brown ground beef, adding onion powder and garlic salt. When almost cooked, add onion and garlic. Drain off any fat. Add beans, tomato sauce, beer, & remaining spices. Simmer for 30 minutes or throw into crockpot on low until ready to eat. Usually I add tomatoes, green chilies and such for chili, but I had to use what I had on hand. I served this with Lisa's One Hour French Bread.