This one gets thumbs up from the entire family! The first time my boys ate it, they yelled enthusiastically, "Can we have this EVERY night?!"
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, or whatever you prefer
1/2 stick earth balance butter (melted or add it to the pan after the other ingredients are added)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp garlic
salt to taste
Cut up raw chicken and set aside. Heat sauce pan with oil. Mix ingredients together and put in heated sauce pan with chicken. Cook and stir often until chicken is thoroughly cooked. This is perfect paired with rice or quinoa and veggies!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Creamy Pumpkin Soup (Dairy & Gluten Free)
In Australia, we met a former chef from Greece. I was only 11 years old, but to this day, I remember the delightful Pumpkin Soup he made for us when he invited us over. It became our favorite & we requested it every time we came to visit! I can still remember the cozy feeling I had when I slurped it down and listened to his fascinating accent as entertained us with some tall tales. Before we left Australia, my mom made sure to ask him for the recipe. He laughed & told her how easy it was and that he didn't really follow a recipe! It is hard to believe because it is so good, but it really is easy!
Now, the soup isn't really made from pumpkins...in fact, it is really just squash and potatoes, but I think he called it that because Aussies call squash pumpkins or something like that. I hope I have that right! The name has a certain ring to it, so we just continue to call it that even though it has nothing at all to do with pumpkins (although I have tried it with pumpkins for the squash, and it is lovely too.) Here is my best attempt at describing exactly how I make it.
One squash (1 1/4 lbs or so)
3 - 4 medium potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened milk substitute of your choice (we prefer Rice or Coconut milk)
1 tsp. onion powder (optional)
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp. thyme or other herb of choice
salt
pepper
Cook squash and scrape flesh from peel after cooking. You should have around 1 1/2 cups. Peel potatoes then boil in water (put just enough in pan to cover them.) In a blender or food processor, puree potatoes with the water they were boiled in) until smooth. Set aside in a large heavy saucepan. Puree squash with chicken broth until smooth. If more liquid is needed, add water so that the vegetables can puree properly. Pour into saucepan with pureed potatoes. Add milk and spices (I like this soup with LOTS of pepper). Cook on medium and stir until heated all the way through, but DO NOT BOIL.
The soup is fantastic plain, but it is also awesome with meat added. Ham or bacon (precooked) is delicious in it. This recipe makes enough to be the main course for dinner! Pairs perfectly with some rolls or homemade bread (see my delicious bread recipe) toasted & buttered with his Earth Balance butter. Enjoy!!!
Other versions of this soup:
- substitute squash with:
broccoli
cauliflower
- add in while cooking (before blending):
a whole onion
1/4 a cup of celery and leaves
a clove of garlic
a handful of spinach
Now, the soup isn't really made from pumpkins...in fact, it is really just squash and potatoes, but I think he called it that because Aussies call squash pumpkins or something like that. I hope I have that right! The name has a certain ring to it, so we just continue to call it that even though it has nothing at all to do with pumpkins (although I have tried it with pumpkins for the squash, and it is lovely too.) Here is my best attempt at describing exactly how I make it.
One squash (1 1/4 lbs or so)
3 - 4 medium potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened milk substitute of your choice (we prefer Rice or Coconut milk)
1 tsp. onion powder (optional)
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp. thyme or other herb of choice
salt
pepper
Cook squash and scrape flesh from peel after cooking. You should have around 1 1/2 cups. Peel potatoes then boil in water (put just enough in pan to cover them.) In a blender or food processor, puree potatoes with the water they were boiled in) until smooth. Set aside in a large heavy saucepan. Puree squash with chicken broth until smooth. If more liquid is needed, add water so that the vegetables can puree properly. Pour into saucepan with pureed potatoes. Add milk and spices (I like this soup with LOTS of pepper). Cook on medium and stir until heated all the way through, but DO NOT BOIL.
The soup is fantastic plain, but it is also awesome with meat added. Ham or bacon (precooked) is delicious in it. This recipe makes enough to be the main course for dinner! Pairs perfectly with some rolls or homemade bread (see my delicious bread recipe) toasted & buttered with his Earth Balance butter. Enjoy!!!
Other versions of this soup:
- substitute squash with:
broccoli
cauliflower
- add in while cooking (before blending):
a whole onion
1/4 a cup of celery and leaves
a clove of garlic
a handful of spinach
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup sugar (I use brown sugar or 1/2 c sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1 egg
1 tsp gluten free vanilla
sugar to coat cookies
Mix ingredients. Shape dough into tsp size balls and coat in sugar. Press cookie onto cookie sheet and use a fork or spoon to press it into desirable shape. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
1 cup sugar (I use brown sugar or 1/2 c sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1 egg
1 tsp gluten free vanilla
sugar to coat cookies
Mix ingredients. Shape dough into tsp size balls and coat in sugar. Press cookie onto cookie sheet and use a fork or spoon to press it into desirable shape. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
I just did a happy dance!
I have tried all sorts of mixes for cookies, as well as baking cookies gluten free from scratch. Usually, Silas will eat them, but I take one bite & have to fight to swallow. I am not sure if the problem is the texture or the taste (perhaps of the xanthan gum), but cookies have been the one thing Silas has really done without since he started his gluten free diet. Well, that is about to change! I have to rave about the cookies we made last night! The Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cookie Mix is fabulous! I was so pumped about how the cookies turned out that I did a happy dance (with my husband as witness!)
The mix made moist, chewy cookies that don't crumble & fall apart like I have come to expect in gluten free baking. I think all the Betty Crocker mixes are fabulous, so if you are looking for a quick & easy way to cook gluten free, THIS IS IT! You don't have to buy the xanthan gum or all the separate flours if you use a mix. Buying all the flours (you have to use at least 2 or 3 per recipe, sometimes up to 7 or 8!) can get very costly too and is a pain because then you have to store what you don't use. I am not a "mix" type of gal, but I find the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Mixes to be very simple and close if not identical to ingredients I would use at home. I don't see lots of weird words in the ingredients that I cannot pronounce, which I DO find in regular mixes.
Here is a link to the wonderful Betty Crocker Mixes. http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free-baking-mixes
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Toffee
Mmmm, I look forward to the Holidays just so I can make toffee! What better excuse to make one of my favorite treats than all the potlucks and get-togethers! I am going to try this one dairy free this year, and I am confident it will turn out nicely. This recipe is from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser and a favorite holiday tradition.
Ingredients:
1 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup stick margarine or butter (I will use earth balance butter)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I have been using Guittard, although there is a note on it that says, "Processed on equipment previously used to process milk chocolate." If you are extremely sensitive to dairy, try the brand Enjoy Life, although Silas has not found this chocolate bothers him and he is hyper sensitive to dairy.)
1. Grease bottom and sides of square pan, 9x9x2 inches, with margarine (earth balance butter.)
2. Spread pecans in pan. Heat brown sugar and margarine to boiling in 1 1/2 quart saucepan oer medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately spread evenly over pecans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
3. Cover pan with cookie sheet. Let stand about 1 min or until chocolate chips soften. Spread softened chocolate over candy. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares while hot. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hrs or until firm.
I usually double the recipe. Take care to boil it long enough. If it still acts sugary, give it another minute or two. I have tried to triple the recipe before and it didn't work out probably because it needed more time to boil. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup stick margarine or butter (I will use earth balance butter)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I have been using Guittard, although there is a note on it that says, "Processed on equipment previously used to process milk chocolate." If you are extremely sensitive to dairy, try the brand Enjoy Life, although Silas has not found this chocolate bothers him and he is hyper sensitive to dairy.)
1. Grease bottom and sides of square pan, 9x9x2 inches, with margarine (earth balance butter.)
2. Spread pecans in pan. Heat brown sugar and margarine to boiling in 1 1/2 quart saucepan oer medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately spread evenly over pecans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
3. Cover pan with cookie sheet. Let stand about 1 min or until chocolate chips soften. Spread softened chocolate over candy. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares while hot. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hrs or until firm.
I usually double the recipe. Take care to boil it long enough. If it still acts sugary, give it another minute or two. I have tried to triple the recipe before and it didn't work out probably because it needed more time to boil. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Gluten Free Avacado Pasta
This recipe is adapted from a recipe a friend gave me. She got it from ivillage.com, but I couldn't find it to add the link.
Ingredients:
1 lb gluten free pasta (brown rice pasta ROCKS!)
1 package of bacon or 1 cup cubed cooked ham
3 avocados
olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
garlic to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare meat. If using bacon, chop into small pieces.
Smash avocados and add cooked meat.
Drain pasta & add bacon or ham/avocado mixture. Drizzle pasta with olive oil. Add lime juice. Add garlic. Mix together & serve. Should serve about 4 people.
Ingredients:
1 lb gluten free pasta (brown rice pasta ROCKS!)
1 package of bacon or 1 cup cubed cooked ham
3 avocados
olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
garlic to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare meat. If using bacon, chop into small pieces.
Smash avocados and add cooked meat.
Drain pasta & add bacon or ham/avocado mixture. Drizzle pasta with olive oil. Add lime juice. Add garlic. Mix together & serve. Should serve about 4 people.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Gluten & Dairy Free Caramel Corn
This is a delicious treat and kids LOVE it! My mom passed down the recipe to me and I modified it to make it dairy and gluten free.
1 pan (or one bag) of popped popcorn
1 cube butter (I use Earth Balance Butter)
1 cup marshmallows (make sure they are gluten free, made with modified CORN STARCH. If the food starch doesn't specify "corn", then it usually contains gluten)
1 cup brown sugar
1 large clean paper bag
Mix butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan until just melted. Put the popcorn into a large clean paper bag. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn slowly, mixing often. The caramel dries quickly, so keep that in mind! My mom recommends that the caramel recipe actually be doubled, but that is if you want it extra gooey! Enjoy!
1 pan (or one bag) of popped popcorn
1 cube butter (I use Earth Balance Butter)
1 cup marshmallows (make sure they are gluten free, made with modified CORN STARCH. If the food starch doesn't specify "corn", then it usually contains gluten)
1 cup brown sugar
1 large clean paper bag
Mix butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan until just melted. Put the popcorn into a large clean paper bag. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn slowly, mixing often. The caramel dries quickly, so keep that in mind! My mom recommends that the caramel recipe actually be doubled, but that is if you want it extra gooey! Enjoy!
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