Skinny Orange Chicken

If you are anything like our house, we love chinese food. There is nothing like a night at home with a little delivery of sweet and spicy orange chicken. Being gluten free and trying to eat clean makes this nearly impossible. I stumbled on this recipe on my blogging adventurers and decided to try it. It only takes about 25 minutes so it's a great week night option! 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup GF chicken stock

3 tablespoons honey

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 orange, juice and zest of

3 tablespoons GF soy sauce

2 teaspoons siracha sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch red chili flakes

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 head of broccoli or one fresh bag

1 cup of cooked rice 

Brown chicken over medium high heat in coconut oil for 8-10 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Remove from pan and set aside. 

While chicken is cooking, mix together all remaining ingredients excepts, sesame seeds, broccoli and rice. Once chicken is done cooking, add mixture to the same pan that the chicken was cooked in. Reduce heat to low and reduce sauce until it coats the back of the spoon. Pour over chicken and garnish with sesame seeds. 

Serve over rice and broccoli. 

This was easy, fast and delicious! You can adjust salt and heat to your liking but we loved it as is! 

Stuffed Peppers

I've noticed while it starts to cool down in the evenings, I start cooking in my oven. Again from my artisinal gluten free cooking book I adjusted this recipe a bit to our liking. We decided to cut it up after served to make it easier to eat, but whatever way you want to eat it, it's delicious! 

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cut the top off 4 bell peppers and remove seeds. Dice up the tops without the stem and set aside for the filling. Rub your peppers with olive oil on a baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. 

While your pepper are baking I sautéed half of an onion, 1 minced clove of garlic and the reserved peppers with olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add 1 pound of ground turkey and cook until browned. Stir in a can of diced tomatoes with the juice, 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice (uncle bens has an already cooked bag that you can microwave if your in a time crunch) GF Worcestershire sauce to liking (I used 2 TBS), 1 tsp dried oregano and basil and salt and pepper to liking. Add a quarter cup of shredded cheddar to the mixture. Set aside.

Remove peppers from the oven and fill with filling. Top each pepper with more shredded cheese and chopped fresh basil. Bake for an additional 20 minutes and serve hot. 

This is filling but doesn't feel heavy. Plus my house smells so good! Enjoy!

Porcini-encrusted scallops

As my lady loves scallops, I'm always looking for new recipes and when I came across this one in my Artisinal gluten free cooking book I had to jazz this plate up! 

Preheat your oven to 350 and soak 1 1/2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and pulse in a food processor. Add salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet, toast in the oven for 10 minutes. They should portray dry breadcrumbs. Return the baked mushrooms to a now clean and dry food processor and pulse again. Transfer these to a plate. 

Heat 1 tablespoon salted butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Firmly press both sides of your 1 pound of sea scallops that have been rinsed and patted dry. Put half of your scallops in the pan and cover cook for 5 minutes flip and repeat on the other side. Cook the remaining half of your scallops and they are ready to serve. I cooked some gluten free pasta and tossed it with fresh spinach, diced sun dried tomatos and lemon and olive oil. Season to taste. 

Although a bit time consuming, pulling out the dreaded food processor...these were earthy and delicious! Give yourself some time! 

Lox Frittata

Oh Giada, you never disappoint! I love a lox bagel so this is the best way to get those amazing flavors without the bagel! 

Preheat your oven for 350. Wisk 8 egg whites with 1/2 cup of half and half until fluffy. Add 6 oz of lox (smoked salmon) zest of one lemon and salt and pepper to your liking. In a oven safe skillet sauté 2 cups of arugula with a clove of chopped garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. Pour in egg mixture and stir to incorporate all ingredients then leave on medium heat for 4 minutes without stirring. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

While this is cooking I made a little sauce to take it to another level. I mixed equal parts cream cheese and sour cream with the juice from the zested lemon and added capers and fresh ground pepper. 

I plated the fritatta with the sauce on top and this is now a weekend favorite! 

Chicken Picatta

This is my go to dish, for dinner parties or just when you want the comfort of your favorite meal. 

1. Cook 1 cup of jasmine rice as directed, then add 2 large handfuls of spinach and stir; the residual heat will gently wilt the greens. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of toasted almonds (reserve a handful for garnish). Cover until ready to serve.
2. Add ½ c. Gf flour to a shallow bowl.
3. Butterfly 2 chicken breasts by slicing each breast in half horizontally. Place in between 2 sheets of parchment paper (or plastic wrap). Gently pound with a meat mallet to about ½ inch thick.
4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. And sprinkle dry mustard (my secret ingredient).
5. Dredge the chicken in flour shaking off any excess.
6. In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary.
7. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
8. Add the 1 large shallot, thinly sliced to the pan; if it seems a bit dry, add a splash of olive oil. Saute until soft, but not colored, about 2 minutes.
9. Add 1 clove of chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
10. Add 1/4 cup white wine and bring to a boil (cooking off alcohol), scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half.
11. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. To thicken the sauce, add a splash of stock to 1 teaspoon of gf flour and whisk well to dissolve any lumps. Add the flour mixture to the pan, whisking constantly until the sauce is slightly thickened.
12. Reduce to a simmer and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. The mustard is another ingredient not usually used but it really adds depth to the sauce.
13. Add the juice of half a lemon and sprinkle in 1/4 cup of drained brined capers.
14. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan.
15. Taste the sauce; season with extra lemon juice, salt and pepper if desired.
16. To serve, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and top with the sauce. 
17. Garnish with lemon slices, fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese and toasted slivered almonds. 
18. Serve with rice.

Be prepared to lose your mind, this is soooo good!

Mediterranean Lasagna

This was hands down ridiculously delicious! I did add gf Italian sausage to this because I have meat lovers at home but this would be amaze without! Again from the Artisinal Gluten-Free Cooking book and worth the time, but make it on a day when you have about 3 hours.

To make your bechemel (white cheese sauce) melt 3 tablespoons salted butter over medium high heat with 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon gf flour, 3 cups milk and salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste. Whisk the entire time you're adding ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10mins. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup grated parmasean. Set aside.

You are now going to make 2 different kinds of filling. The first is your spinach filling. Sauté a large bag of spinach at least 6 oz with a tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves minced and salt and pepper. Set aside. (I added 1 pound of browned Italian sausage to my spinach filling.)

Tomatoe pepper mushroom filling. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat, add 1/2 medium onion diced and cook until translucent. Add 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms and cook until softened. Add 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers. I added a little extra sun-dried tomatoes to balance the white sauce. Cook for 2 minutes and set aside. 

Roast 1/4 cup pine nuts in a dry skillet until brown. Remove from heat.

Flash boil gf lasagna noodles but don't cook completely as they will finish in the oven! You now have all the elements to assemble lasagna! 

Preheat oven for 375 and prep a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Spread a thin layer of bechamel, add a layer of noodles and spread a layer of mushroom filling on top of the noodles. Cover with 1/4 of bechamel and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella. Add a second sheet of lasagna, spread with all of your spinach filling, 1/3 of pine nuts and again with 1/4 of bechamel and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Repeat step for mushroom layer. Lastly top with lasagna noodles, remaining bechamel, mozzarella and pine nuts. Bake for 40 mins then cover with foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

This was even better the next day all setup! Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!! Cooking with love!

Teriyaki Shrimp

On my constant hunt for new recipes I came across this recipe on juliasalbum.com and thought we'd try it. Although I don't love teriyaki, this was doctored up in the best way! 

In a large bowl, combine the following: 3/4 cup gf teriyaki sauce, the juice of 1 lime, 5 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon red curry paste and 1 tablespoon siracha. 

Put 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, deveined, shelled and cleaned in a large ziplock along with marinade. Shrimp should only marinade for 10-15mins. While these sit in the fridge, boil a package of rice noodles and chill in cold water after they cook. I immediately transferred some chopped asparagus to the hot pan after I poured out the noodles and reserved a small bit of water in the bottom of the pan. I let these cook for 5 minutes until they are bright green! Remove the pot from the heat and put a new pan down with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Add shrimp to the hot pan and brown on each side for 1 minute. Now add marinade to pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve shrimp in a bowl over noodles and asparagus. 

This was even better warmed up the next day! Loved! 

Scallops Provençal

Thank you Ina Garten for this delish dish! I was planning my weekly menu while watching food network and was quickly distracted by this beauty! I made a couple small changes to make it gluten free and it was sooo yummy!

Clean and dry 1 pound of scallops from the fish counter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and toss in gluten free flour, remove excess. Heat a large pan with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil (so butter doesn't burn) on high and add scallops. Turn heat to medium and don't move scallops for 1 minute 30 seconds and flip over and cook for an additional 1 minute 30 seconds again not moving. Now add 3 tablespoons butter, 1 thinly sliced large shallot, 1 chopped garlic clove and 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley. Cook for 2 minutes then add 1/3 cup dry white wine and crank up heat to high for an additional minute. Serve hot with lemon and over jasmine rice mixed with chopped fresh herbs (dill, flat leaf parsley and green onions).

Food Network did us proud!

Rice Krispie Treat Easter Eggs

So the thing about these is how have I not made these before?! Two favorite things are Rice Krispie treats and frosting!!!! And they were so easy to make! They look way more fancy than they are!

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 40+ Marshmallows and I say heavy on the plus ;) add 6 cups of cereal and spoon immediately in a large bowl to cool. For the chocolate I added 1 square of semi sweet bakers chocolate to the marshmallow mix to melt with it and used the Cocoa Rice Krispie cereal. When cooled enough to handle, butter your hands and start forming egg shapes and place in a lined muffin tin. 

You can make your frosting or buy it gluten free :) if you buy it, put it in the microwave for 15 seconds. I had a bowl of pink and a bowl of chocolate. Dip one end of egg shaped treat and let excess drizzle off before placing it right side up back in muffin tin. I then sprinkled with sprinkles (that's fun to say) and let them set 10 minutes and boom, ready to devour! Although I made them regular and punk for myself, the chocolate was a surprising favorite! 

Hope you love, please share if you do!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Although we have a split decision in my house over the love of cilantro, since I am the lover of cilantro
I try to throw it in the mix every now and again! So this dish got just a so-so review from my wife but I LOVED! Tastes fresh and light and even though we aren't quite to summer, this gets me in the mood! 

This is a dish you'll need to prep for either the night before, morning of at least a couple of hours before. You'll need to heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat with 1/2 a medium onion diced with 2 TBS garlic and sauté until soft. Add 1 cup orange juice (I used fresh) and the juice of 1 lime. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce reduces to intensify flavor. Transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Now add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro 1 tsp salt and pepper each. Blend again until smooth. This is your marinade, but I reserved 1/2 cup to serve on top after cooked. I made mine the night before and poured over 6 boneless skinless chicken breast, covered and refrigerated until you're ready to cook. Heat you grill to medium high or grill pan on stovetop. Grill until cooked through. 

I did a quick sauté of asparagus in the grill pan after chicken was cooked, just until bright green and cooked some jasmine rice. Heat the marinade reserved from the night before and serve over the chicken. Enjoy!

Asian Shrimp Noodle Bowl

I love any excuse to add siracha to a dish so this recipe caught my eye when I saw chili paste in the ingredients! Lol this is a blend of Asian flavors and a quick to the table meal, enjoy! 

Boil rice noodles, drain water, rinse in cold water and set aside (they cook super fast).

The recipe calls for chicken but we eat so much of it I decided to use fresh jumbo shrimp (so big they taste like lobster when you bite into them!) sauté with olive oil, garlic and s&p to taste. Set aside add snow peas to pan and sauté until they turn bright green then add them to shrimp you have put aside. 

The sauce is where the magic happens!

1/2 cup water, 3 TBS Tamari light soy sauce, 2 TBS honey, 2 tsp GF siracha or your favorite chili paste, 1 tsp red curry paste. Whisk all together and bring ingredients to a light boil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and peas back to skillet. In a seperate bowl mix 1 TBS cornstarch with 1/4 cold water, add this to skillet to thicken sauce. 

You can mix in noodles at this point or serve over the noodles (I put a helping of noodles in each bowl and poured shrimp over top). 

Thank you again artisinal gluten free cooking book! Delish! 

Egg quinoa bake

Hands down one of my best Pinterest finds thanks to whole foods market! This recipe is easy to make but takes a while to cook. 6 healthy servings so make ahead on Sunday for a weeks worth of breakfast!

Preheat oven for 350 and prep an 8x8 dish with butter or Pam.

Whisk 8 eggs with 1 1/4 c milk and add 1 TBS fresh chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each. You can add any other seasoning you'd like at this point as well.

I like to pour my 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa directly in prepped dish first then pour egg mixture over the top. The quinoa will settle at the bottom and form a crust and some will float into egg mixture and fluff up even more! Top the eggs with 2 cups torn fresh spinach. Some will mix into eggs and some will slightly crisp up! Cover with foil and bake for 45 mins. Uncover and top with 1 cup of cheese of your choice. Put back in the oven uncovered and bake another 10 minutes. I cut mine in half one way and in thirds the other for six servings. We like to top our with tapatio hot sauce, a staple at our house! 18 grams of protein will start your day off right! Let me know what you think, enjoy!

Maple Glazed Salmon

Sweetly salty dream! My mouth is watering just thinking about this! This is from my new food bible by Kelli and Peter Bronski "Artisinal Gluten Free Cooking" the revised and expanded second edition. Thanks to my cousin for the best gift ever! Please leave comments if you try any of these recipes or just have feedback for me, blogging is a new journey for me as well as gluten free cooking! Thank you and enjoy!

Marinade 4 6oz salmon fillets with skin, covered for 30 mins. With the following: 1/4 cup grade a maple syrup (yes it's worth it) 2 TBS Tamari gf low sodium soy sauce (my favorite brand) 1 minced garlic clove 1 tsp ground fresh ginger (I buy the jar of fresh ginger in the produce section) salt and pepper to taste.

Heat grill medium high and grill skin side down for 7-10 mins (don't move once it's down) I prefer 7 mins so it a little pink. You can also bake the fish at 400 degree for 20mins in the oven if you'd rather.

I scrambled 2 eggs added 1 cup cooked rice with 1 TBS gf soy sauce and fresh chopped scallions for a side along with sautéed baby bok choy, yummy! 

Night out on the town in Phoenix!

After hours of researching GF restaurants in the area, I chose this cozy little hipster joint called Nook. And although I had a sleepy wife, we had some amazing food!

We shared grilled shrimp with chimichurri and chipotle aioli. I had salmon which lacked flavor but Chelsea had a steak with risotto that I'm still dreaming about! EL OH VEE EEE! 

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

I got this recipe from Pinterest and it was TDF! We wil definetly have this again! I dropped a whole plate of it on the floor and everyone offered to still ear that portion, after I lost my mind I must say lol

http://inspiredreamer.com/loaded-baked-potato-chicken-casserole/

Grilled sandi and soup night!

Gf creamy roasted red pepper soup is my new fave in the organic section of the grocery store!!!! Doctored up with a little grated parm, hot sauce and fresh cracked pepper. And obvi couldn't serve this without a grilled cheese! I used my favorite gf bread by canyon bakerhouse, mustard/mayo mix, ham and Swiss. So right on a cold night! 

Mason jar infused oil

My dad's secret recipe but I want to share the idea because you can make it however you like! 

I buy the jug of olive oil

Garlic, shallots, green onion, peppers, cilantro, parsley, and sometimes capers or olives. Any combination of herbs and vegetables of you liking will work. Bulk up and get to chopping. After I've mixed it all up I spoon the mixture to 3/4 the way full in each mason jar. Then pour your olive oil in and fill. Seal the lid on the jar and your oil should sit on the counter for at least 1 week. Better after 2 weeks. You can strain the veggies out and use to top bread like bruschetta or add it to your eggs in the morning, so many possibilities! I keep the mixture as is and sometimes just spoon out the flavor infused oil to use for cooking which by the way makes everything taste AMAZE! As if you've cooked all the ingredients in your recipe. As long as it stays in sealed jar this recipe should keep for months. Not only will you be addicted to keeping this gf oil on hand you'll want to make it for others, so please share the goodness! 

Meatball mania!

Ridics delish! I layered gf orzo with fresh mozzarella and shredded parmasean, fresh basil and your favorite gf spaghetti sauce with gf chicken meatballs! Baked in a Pyrex bread pan in 400 degree oven until it bubbled! Amaze!

Mahi mahi with roasted cauliflower

Clean eating kind of night.

Grill mahi

Preheat oven for 450 

Toss califlower with olive oil, garlic, s/p and Parmesan cheese . Roast for 10 min

I mixed to cup of cooked brown rice, spinach, green onions, slivered almonds and lemon juice with the roasted cauliflower and served hot with the mahi mahi.

So good and you could modify with veggies of your choice!

Home made gluten free copy cat chick-fil-a nuggets

Omg I died for these, HAVE to try!!!! Pulled it from www.thedomesticman.com and although time consuming in batches, I had nuggets for days to add to salads etc for packed lunches! See link below for recipe and how to!

http://thedomesticman.com/2012/12/27/gluten-grain-and-garbage-free-chick-fil-a-nuggets/#more-3589

Let them eat cake!

I tried a different spin on better than sex cake (my wife's fave). Although she still prefers the original chocolate, I LOVED this version! 

Gf yellow cake mix

Cook as directed, poke holes while warm, pour caramel sauce of your choice (I make my own, super easy...just google) sprinkle with sea salt and frost with a mixture of cream cheese frosting, sour cream and whip cream. I finished it off with some crushed Heath bar :)

Home made bolognese

Mmmmmm! Worth every minute, but make this on a day you have to spend in the kitchen and salt carefully, all the ingredients are salty! Thanks to my friend Ali Post for the great recipe!

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Celery Stalk chopped

1 Carrot peeled and chopped

1 Yellow Onion chopped

½ pound ground beef…I used the leanest cut they have only b/c the rest of the meats make up the fat content

½ pound Italian sausage

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

2 oz pancetta, chopped

2 Tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 1/3 Cup of water

¼ Cup Tomato Sauce

1 Cup Dry Red Wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 Cup Beef Stock

1 Cup Milk

Salt and pepper

 

1 pound gf egg noodles

Grated parmesan for serving

 

In a large pot or dutch oven melt butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the celery, carrot and onion and sauté until softened about 15 min, (I salt and pepper to taste.)  Add beef, sausage, prosciutto and pancetta and sauté stirring often breaking meat apart cook about 10 min (also I add salt and pepper here too).  Stir in tomato paste/water, tomato sauce and wine and cook until wine is almost all absorbed into the meat, about 10-15 min.  Add the milk and beef stock, salt and pepper again and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour and a half stirring about every 30 min.  I uncovered at this point and let it simmer an additional hour before serving so it would thicken and the liquid would reduce and I did have to turn up the heat on my stove to about medium low for this part of it and I did stir it every 10-15 min.  Serve over pasta topped with parmesan.

Delish!

Colt and grey with friends

Colt and grey is a small fab restaurant in Denver, I've been dying to try and worth every bite!!!! Beautiful, tasty and quality! Service a little slow but super accommodating! We ordered small plates, entrees, specialty drinks and dessert. I rolled home! Lol

 Fois gras, sweet breads and bone marrow = amaze! My duck breast was ridiculously delish, the lamb was sooo good and roast chicken served with the best risotto I've ever had!!! A sharp cocktail was a sour sweet treat, the pallet cleansers were perfect and now for dessert! An olive oil pistachio cake with blue cheese ice cream, had to try and was soooo good! But the toffee bread pudding I'll be dreaming of!!!! 

Naughty stroganoff

Thank you Ali Post for this fabulously bad recipe! And by bad, I mean, mad it tastes so good, because it can't be good for you! Lol

1 lb stew beef

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic

2 T Flour gf

Paprika to taste

2 Cups Beef Stock gf

1 can Beef Consomme gf

1 T Dijon mustard

8 oz mushrooms

1/4 Cup Sour Cream 

Chopped Parsley

Gf Egg noodles 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Season your stew meat and heat olive oil on med high-high heat in a dutch oven, sear stew meat 1-2 min per side, removing to a plate once browned.  Using the same dutch oven heat more olive oil/butter over medium low and add your onions and some salt and pepper to taste, cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add garlic, flour and paprika and stir for another minute or two. 

Add back in your meat and your stock/consomme. Add Tablespoon of Dijon. Bring to a simmer, put lid on it and put in the oven for about 2 hours.

When it's almost done sauté your mushrooms in olive oil or butter and salt and pepper. Add mushroom mixture and sour cream to stroganoff and stir to combine, adjust seasonings and toss in some chopped parsley for color if you like and serve over noodles.  

 Love!!!

Crock pot butter chicken

Thank you Pinterest! 

Go to: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easy-healthier-crockpot-butter-chicken/

This was TDF! Spicy and earthy! Love Indian food and it was so awesome to come home to it after a long day at work!!!! Must try!

Gluten free cookies in a mini muffin pan = mookies!

Mookies seem to be a nightly request now! Lol I bake them in the muffin pan to keep the cookie from flattening out and getting crunchy. Cooking them this way keeps them soft and chewy!

Follow directions on the gf Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie box and fill a lines mini muffin pan with small handfuls of dough balled up, should fill the size of muffin. Bake on 325 for 13mins! 

Mmmmm mmmmmm mmmmm! Needn't say more!!!!

Scallops with lemon orzo

Omg I die for this recipe!!!! 

1/2 cup chopped onion sauté 3 minutes with lightly oiled pan, add 1 cup orzo, 1 cup gf low sodium chicken stock, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1 tsp dry thyme. Bring to a boil and cover reduce heat simmer for 20mins or until liquid is absorbed and orzo is cooked to your liking. Finish with fresh chopped chives and the juice of 1 lemon.

Sear scallops in a medium high heat pan with 2tbsp olive oil. Salt and pepper scallops, patted dry before searing. Cook on 3mins each side. Serve hot with orzo.

This is ridiculous good! I mean, melts your heart good! 

Korean beef bowl

Thanks to Pinterest for this go to easy meal!

Brown 1 lb ground beef

Add 3tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup gf soy sauce

1 tbsp siracha or crushed red pepper

Serve over jasmine rice and top with green onions. 

Sweet spicy fast and filling, LOVE!

Pepperoncini roast sandwiches

Dad's over for dinner so we need a hearty dish! And it's another cold night so this calls for a comfort!

Break out the slow cooker and fill with a beef chuck roast and a bottle of banana peppers. Salt, pepper, garlic and beef stock and cook on low all day! Meat should fall apart with fork! Prep your favorite gf bun (bakerhouse is mine) with cheese of your choice and I make a spicy mayo spread from mayo, BBQ sauce and hot sauce all gf of course! Stick prepped buns under the broiler and top with a healthy portion of beef and peppers! 

The tangy vinegar base from peppers and spicy creamy mayo makes your mouth water!!!! Yum yum yum tum!

Cold snowy day calls for a chicken enchilada casserole.

Sometimes you just crave a spicy plate of cheesy goodness, so this blustery day was perfect for it!

Preheat oven for 350.

Prep your fave green chili (I love Mark Schlereth's stinkin good green chili) with half cup sour cream and add hot sauce for more heat if you'd like. 

Shred chicken, beef or pork or omit, with can of black beans, cream cheese and hot sauce. 

Spread a thin layer of chili on bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish then spoon a healthy portion of filling and a sprinkle of sharp cheddar into your favorite corn tortilla. Fold edges over and lay seam side down into dish. Repeat until your pan is filled. Spread the remainder of chili over the top and sprinkle with a bit more cheese. 

Bake for 20mins and broil for the last few. Top with green onions and serve.

Happy warm belly! :) 

Late night sweet tooth, calls for an impromptu gf chocolate chip pancake!

My wife has a mean late night sweet tooth! As I realized I was out of chocolate chip cookies (ugh!) I reached for my gf buiskwik mix, made a half recipe and added some mini chocolate chips. Poured it all in my frying pan for one big cake! Slathered smart balance butter and the most delish maple syrup my dad brought me from Montreal! There's nothing like breakfast for dinner!

Greek chicken quinoa

This is one of my favorite go to meals I make regularly that is super quick! 

I buy a red bird rotisserie chicken and slice the breast. 

Cook 1 cup of quinoa and toss with a 1/2 cup of feta olive mix from olive bar at grocery store, spinach, toasted pine nuts, and Drew's gf natural Greek dressing. 

The cubes of feta slightly melt and the salty olives infuse the beads of quinoa, this is one of my wife's favorite meal and it feels light but filling! Enjoy! 

Asian glazed trout with sautéed spinach and roasted acorn squash

Yum yum yum!

Played around with some favorite flavors today in a new way and this might have made it on a winter regular schedule! My wife loved!!!! Planned on salmon but there was a fresh deboned trout fillet that was beautiful and called my name, big pay off!!!

Preheat oven for 450

Half acorn squash and line cookie sheet with foil.

Spray with oil and lay face down, bake for 45 mins.

When squash is done, flip over and sprinkle salt, brown sugar, chopped nuts (whatever you like?) I used peanuts and I quartered a tablespoon of butter and put a piece in the center of the 4 halves.

Heat under broiler for 1 minute and let cool while you cook the rest.

Prepped trout with salt and pepper only and grilled for 3 minutes, skin on.

Fresh off grill I squeezed fresh lemon juice.

Glaze was made on stovetop with gluten free soy sauce, gf siracha, brown sugar, gf apple cider vinegar fresh grated ginger and a garlic...all to taste.

Spoon glaze over fish and reserve a bit in the pan to sauté with fresh spinach for 30 seconds.

Add spinach to center of acorn squash and split center with a knife to open the squash a bit so it's easier to handle on the plate. Sprinkle fish with fresh green onion and serve. 

Something about the tender fish with spicy glaze served with the sweet squash with a crunch from the peanuts put a homie comfort food spin on a light Asian flavor! Happy belly tonight! 

New year = new recipes

I spent a portion of my christmas vacation with dreams of what 2014 would be like so I found myself googling gluten free blogs for ideas on how to make my wife's life a little better! When 2 of her favorite things are bread and pasta, I've has my work cut out for me. I have wasted money on trying ready made gluten free products but have figured out my way for most things, but I'm such a foodie and I'm ready to take this up a notch! So today my journey begins! Thank you roostblog.com and cookieandcake.com for the inspiration today! cookieandkate.com roostblog.com