Gluten Free Bread

 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour (Krusteaz, Pillsbury, KingArthur)

1 tsp. gf baking powder

1 packet rapid rise yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups warm water 100-110 degrees F

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

3 egg whites

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

To make this bread a 9x5x4 pan is essential.  If you don't have a 4 inch tall pan, you'll need to divide into two pans, but then you lose the height of the bread. Who wants tiny gluten free bread? You can get that anywhere.

Before I start, I like to preheat my oven to 150 degrees so my bread has a warm place to rise. Turn oven off once it reaches 150 and its okay if it cools a bit below that. Spray pan with cooking spray that is gluten free. Place eggs in warm water to bring to room temperature. Mix warm water and honey in a large bowl. Add yeast and stir. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together then add to yeast water mixture along with olive oil and vinegar. Mix with a hand mixer until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add egg whites and mix for a minute.

Pour mixture into greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in over to rise 30 minutes. Remove from oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack.

(This recipe came from mamaknowsglutenfree)

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!

Arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. sugar

5-6 oz. baby arugula

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup shredded or shaved parmesan cheese

Mix dressing ingredients. Put arugula and parmesan in a bowl and pour dressing over. Mix well. 

Carrot Salad w/roasted Sunflower Seeds

3-4 whole carrots, grated
2 green onions, chopped
3 TBS currants
2 TBS toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

Grate carrots and chop green onions. Blot excess moisture from carrots with paper towel. Mix dressing ingredients. Combine carrots and green onions. Add dressing mixing well. Stir in currants and sunflower seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Caesar Wedge Salad

3 Romaine Hearts
2 TBS chopped chives (optional)

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 lemon, zest 1/2 tsp., juice 1 TBS 
2 TBS + more for serving Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1-2 TBS water
a small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Slice romaine hearts in half lengthwise. Zest lemon. Finely chop 2 TBS parmesan cheese.Stir in Mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, 1 TBS lemon juice squeeze, mustard and 1 TBS water.  Mix well. If consistency is thick and hard to drizzle add another 1 TBS water. Season with salt and pepper. Serve romaine halves with dressing, parmesan cheese, and chives.

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

Thursday: Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Artichokes, Salad, Garlic Potatoes
Friday: Rotisserie Chicken, Sunflower Salad, French Fries
Saturday: Salmon in Cedar Paper Roasted Potatoes, Tomato Salad, Roasted Asparagus
Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas, chips & salsa, lettuce/tomato
Monday: Roasted Pork, Greek Salad w/chickpeas & avocado, Mashed carrots
Tuesday:Jambalaya, Fruit Salad
Wednesday: Fish Tacos w/pico de gallo, shaved cabbage, guacamole
Thursday:Shrimp and cheesy grits, Salad
Friday: Chalupas w/cranberry salsa

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
1 can (16oz) pumpkin
3 1/2 cups GF flour (I used Pamela's Artisan Blend)
4 eggs
2/3 cups water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt


Mix sugar and oil together. (Coconut oil solidifies around 76 degrees.  If yours is solid, warm it to bring it back to liquid.) Mix in eggs and pumpkin. In separate bowl, combine flour, spices and soda. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mix alternately with water. Pour into 2 well greased 9x5 in loaf pans. Bake 350 1 1/2 hours or until done. Remove from pan to cool. If using 3 smaller loaf pans, check at 1 hour.

Simple GF Stuffing

8 cups cubed GF bread (I cut up bread, put in the the oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes or so to crust it up.)

1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion

1-2 ribs celery, chopped

1 grated carrot

1-2 TBS melted butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

Mix bread and veggies. Mix broth and butter together. Pour and mix over the bread cubes. Stuff in turkey. Any that doesn’t fit, I put in the oven with the turkey for the last 30 minutes then mix it altogether.

Salmon Dip, Updated

I've been making this updated version of salmon dip for some time, but realized I never posted it.  I figured I better so if my kids attempted to make it they wouldn't wonder what happened. Then when they phone me and ask why it didn't turn out the same...well, let's just not go there.

1 8 oz.package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco or Franks Red Hot Sauce
fresh ground black pepper
4-6 oz. smoked salmon

Mix together cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, and seasonings. Break salmon apart and blend into cream cheese mixture.  Adjust seasonings as desired.  Serve with gluten free crackers.

Home Chef

Michael and I recently signed up to receive meals from Home Chef. There are a lot of options out there right now for ordering meals delivered to your home. These are not fully prepared meals, like we did back in 2006, but the ones where you order and the ingredients come with recipes to make a delicious, healthy meal at home. We were intrigued.

As we perused various sites, we found most meals ranged in price between $10-15 per person, per meal. This may sound very reasonable, but to someone like me who cooked for a large family for years, this didn't sound so reasonable. Not to mention, when I cook meals we almost always have leftovers. These meals are designed with portions in mine, so are not intended to have leftovers. That being said, now that I mostly cook for two, having all of the ingredients delivered to my door without the last minute, "I forgot an ingredient" and have to run to the store or scrap the meal for something else, we decided the cost wasn't so unreasonable. The bonus here is, my husband, who does not cook AT ALL, thought he would like to prepare these meals with me and LEARN to cook. Score!

I chose Home Chef for several reasons. One, they delivered to my area. Two-the recipes looked and sounded delicious, including dishes I'd never made and the thought of creating a new dish and trying something new is exciting. Three-the most important factor, the meals listed whether or not they were gluten free. I am only interested in gluten free options, so Home Chef won out.

We ordered our first two meals. I will try to follow the recipes, take a pic, include the original recipe and the photo of what the plated meal should look like, then give my honest opinion of the meal.

Here we go!