Gluten-Free Stuffing

One of the best parts of the Holidays is ....
big family feasts.
And one traditional part of the feasts can be...
stuffing.
My husband's mom makes amazing stuffing.
Everyone loves it.
I love it too...
but there's a problem.
I'm supposed to be gluten-free
(or close to it).

Who wants to be a downer and omit a crucial part
of a big turkey dinner?
Not me.
So I had to improvise.

First, I took 1 loaf of DeLand brand gluten-free millet bread
and I cut the slices down into little "croutons".
I spread all the croutons out on a cookie sheet
and baked them at 300* for 20 minutes.
They became crunchy like regular croutons.

I sauteed mushrooms and diced celery and onions in some butter
with some chopped fresh parsley, rosemary and oregano.

I put my "croutons" in a bowl and carefully poured one cup of
chicken stock over them, mixing them with a fork until they were
mostly soft.
Then I stirred in my sautéed mix.
I blended it thoroughly, adding some salt and black pepper.
(probably about 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper).

Last but not least, I beat an egg in a bowl and poured that over my stuffing.
I mixed it in.
Then I put the stuffing in the oven.
350 for 40 minutes.

It was hot and delicious and once served with some turkey,
some thick and tasty (gluten free) gravy and some green bean casserole...
I would have totally forgotten that it wasn't the standard kind
had it not been for the proud memory of making it.
If I served it to my husband, he would have known it wasn't his mom's recipe...

but He never would have known it was gluten free ;)

Crock Chocolate

It's cold outside!.....

....Ok, so I live in North Florida and
maybe it's only a little cold outside.
But a little is all you need
for an excuse to have hot chocolate!

Now, are you tired of those darn swiss miss packets?
Yeah they're great on the go
and cheap too...
but let's say you really want to impress someone.
Like... your husband's family.
I have a much creamier-smoother-sweeter-more-amped-up recipe for you!
My friend Attie takes credit for this... she taught me.
I'm just sharing the wealth.

Get your crockpot out.
That's the first step.
Next you fill it with:
-1/2 gallon of milk
-14 oz. condensed milk
-1-2 cups of heavy cream
-1 bag of chocolate chips

Turn the crockpot on...first on high,
then after an hour, turn it to low.
Let it cook for another hour
(2 hours total)
stirring occasionally.
When the chocolate is all broken down
and evenly distributed throughout the milk,
pour a bag of marshmallows on top.
Voila!
You have a treat that will melt their hearts.


Tip: If you are amongst people who love to spike everything,
just add some peppermint schnapps or
some chocolate wine (Chocovine, cocoa di vine, chocolate shop...)

Creamy Clean-out-the-fridge Soup

Creamy Clean-out-the-fridge Soup

Does it sound funky?
It’s really delicious.
And it can be made with an assortment
Of different ingredients.

It has five basic standard components:
1)      6 cups of Stock
2)      2 tablespoons of Butter
3)      2 tablespoons of Flour
4)      2-4 cups of Vegetables
5)      Herbs

Meat might also seem like a standard,
But it is only an optional 6th ingredient.
If you’re a vegetarian, it’s not necessary.

Now for the fun:
Each component is actually a category!
Here are some suggestions for each:

Stock
•       Beef
•       Chicken
•       Vegetable

Butter
•       Actual butter
•       Olive oil butter substitute
•       Country crock

Flour
•       Standard white flour
•       Gluten free oat flour
•       Gluten free rice flour
•       Whole wheat flour

Vegetables
One or more of the following:
•       Carrots
•       Peas
•       Green Beans
•       Potatoes
•       Mushrooms
•       Onions
•       Bell Peppers
•       Scallions
•       Celery
•       Spinach
•       Corn
•       Asparagus
•       Canned diced tomatoes
•       Okra

Meats
•       Boiled, rotisserie, fried or bbq Chicken
•       Turkey
•       Roast or shredded Beef
•       Pulled Pork or pork chops
•       Italian, andouille, breakfast or chorizo Sausage
•       Shrimp

Herbs
•       Fresh or dried Basil
•       Fresh or dried Parsley
•       Fresh or powdered Garlic
•       Powdered Onion
•       Fresh or dried Oregano
•       Fresh or dried Thyme
•       Black Pepper
•       White Pepper
•       Cajun Seasoning (to make it spicy)


Here’s how to make it

1)      Get a large stock pot and put the butter in, turning the pot on medium-high.
2)      When the pot is hot, add all the fresh vegetables that weren’t
         previously stewed or canned. Allow them to cook, stirring and mixing
         so they cook evenly, for about five minutes.
3)      Add the flour and mix the vegetables to coat them
4)      Add the stock and any cooked vegetables
5)      If the meat is raw, cook it separately first. If it is cooked, chop
         it into small shreds, cubes or slices and add to the soup mix
6)      Add between 1 tsp-1tbsp of basil, oregano, parsley, onion, garlic
         and/or thyme, more or less depending on how plain or flavorful you
         want the soup and if the meats already had seasonings.
         Add between ½ tsp-2tsp of Cajun seasoning (or other spicy seasonings)
         depending on how spicy you want the soup.
         Only add ½ tsp of pepper.
7)      Bring soup to a boil, then turn down to medium low. Cover and allow
         to simmer for 30 minutes.
8)      Serve over a carb such as rice, quinoa or pasta. (optional)

If the soup contains fresh meats or no meat, then leaving it overnight
in the refrigerator will allow the flavor to blossom.

For food safety reasons:
If the meats added to the soup were already 3 or more days old, it is
important to consume the soup within 1-2 days. If you add any kind of
pre-cooked seafood, it will be important to consume it in one meal
(leftovers could spoil quickly).

Never use meat that is more than a week old, seafood that is more than
two days old, meat that has freezer burn or meat-based stock that has
been opened and has sat in the refrigerator for more than two weeks.

How to Roast a Spaghetti Squash

Tired of regular spaghetti? Gluten free but don't like gluten free pasta?
Roasting a squash is easy and it can be done in under an hour from start to finish.

 A spaghetti squash can come from the grocery store and it will usually weigh between 2 and 6 pounds. 

Step 1: cut it in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds like you would a cantaloupe

 Step 2: Place the gutted halves on a cookie sheet lined with foil and use a spoon or a glazing brush to spread olive oil across the inside surface of the squash. Top with some salt and pepper or some Italian seasoning.

 Step 3: lay the squash face-down and bake it at 450* for 30 minutes (40 if it's a bigger squash). You'll know it's done when you flip the pieces over and the inside strand-like membranes are soft and peel away from the skin

 Step 4: Use the same spoon to scoop out the spaghetti-like strands from the skin (or use a new spoon if you want to wash more dishes later) and put them on a plate. Top with marinara sauce for a healthier spaghetti dinner, or serve with lemon juice, green onions and parmesan for a more unique dish. You can eat salad or grilled vegetables as a side.

Eggplant Parmesan from Scratch

Step 1:  Peel an eggplant and cut off the top.

 Step 2: Slice it into 1/4 inch slices

 Step 3: Salt the slices on both sides thoroughly, and leave them in a strainer over a bowl. Liquid will drip out of them.

 Step 4: After 3 hours, rinse the slices thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

 Step 5: Coat the slices in a mixture of flour and Italian seasoning

 Step 6: Drop into a frying pan that has 1" of vegetable oil heated to medium high heat.

 Step 7: Each slice needs to cook for about a minute and then be flipped and cooked for another minute or two. They should turn lightly golden brown. When they are done, arrange in a pan of precooked spaghetti with marinara.

 Step 8: Cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

 Step 9: Cover the pan in foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes so the cheese melts and it is all heated through.

 Step 10: Serve it up with salad and feed it to your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, children, grandma, parents, best friend, classmates, teacher, coworkers, neighbor or a group of test "guinea pigs" that you try your recipes on. If they like eggplant, they will love it. I guarantee it.

Man-o-war jelly

Ever wonder about the jellyfish jelly Spongebob loves to put on his krabby patty?

He catches jellyfish in his little net in the jellyfish field, 

and then "milks" their tentacles for jelly,

like they're cows.

He eats it on toast or on his burger.

And he raves about it.

You'd think maybe it would be sweet,

but it is coming from something that zaps everyone in bikini bottom.

So I take that to mean it would be spicy. Like…really spicy.

I decided to take a shot at man-o-war jelly, me-style.

First, I got about 10 kinds of pepper including two types of habanero, ghost peppers, 

trinidad scorpions, datil peppers and more.

It was turned into a fiery puree. 

After straining out the pulp, boiling the juice, adding sugar and pectin and letting it chill for 24 hours,

it was ready to spread on toast…. almost.

Just a little taste seems to scorch my tongue.

So it had to be cut with something a little sweeter.

So I put some store-bought apricot jelly and strawberry jellies in two little containers,

and some of my own homemade mint jelly in a third container.

Each one contained maybe 2-3 tablespoons.

In each one, I blended about a teaspoon of the super hot pepper jam.

It creates something that starts out juicy and sweet, but heats up and "zaps" you later.

It's perfect on a melba toast or cracker with some cream cheese- a sassy horsd'eurve.  

or on good old bread with nutella- an adventurous sandwich.

Crockpot Meals in the Freezer

My husband would happily eat leftovers or cook spaghetti for himself every day

But part of being a wife is that I get to serve him dinner.

The problem is while he works from home and I have a regular 9-5 job.

And after work, I sometimes have errands to do. Like the fact that

I opted for an acupuncturist holistic doctor instead of a regular one

But that means I have to drive 30 miles to Jacksonville after work once a week

to deal with my allergies and such.

He will cook a balanced meal and serve it on days like that,

But let’s face it. One of my best gifts is being able to cook really, really good food.

Why deprive him of that?

Thanks to slow cookers, I don’t have to.

And thanks to a blog post that someone shared on Facebook,

I found some brilliant new recipes to prep ahead of time.

I’d like to take full credit for this one, but it’s been “grandfathered” down.

Variations of the recipes below were listed in Kojo Designs blog

And the busy housewife/mom who wrote it

Had taken them from about 4 other blogs

And adapted them to fit her family’s tastes.

That’s kind of how this whole social network thing works, though isn’t it?

Even some of the ideas on my friend’s Redeeming the Day blog were adapted

From other things she’s heard.

You share something someone else did and someone re-shares it off of your wall

And so on and so forth and each time it gets adapted or added on to

And the circle of life continues…

So without further adieu, here are our four big bags of frozen goodness:

Coconut Chicken Curry

IN THE BAG

-Six chicken tenderloins

-1 skinned, chopped butternut squash

-2 medium onions, chopped

-8 minced garlic cloves or 2 tablespoons of garlic powder

-1 oz fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon of ginger powder

-2 T curry powder

-1 t ground coriander

-1 t ground cumin

-coarse salt

TO COOK- Add the contents of the bag and a can of coconut milk to a slow cooker and cook on low all day. 25 minutes before serving, remove and chop up the tenderloins, then return them to the cooker. Add another can of coconut milk and a bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- spoon over rice and garnish with black sesame seeds

BBQ Chicken

IN THE BAG

-2 chopped sweet potatoes

- 2 cups red and green bell pepper

-1 cup chopped carrots

-2 cups chopped onion

-3 cups sliced zucchini

-2 T flour*

-5-6 chicken tenderloins

-2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon powdered garlic

-1 t salt

TO COOK- Dump bag plus one bottle BBQ sauce into crock pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

TO SERVE- spoon onto a plate with a side of sweet potato fries

Orange Chicken

IN THE BAG

-2 cups chopped carrots

-2 cups chopped bell peppers

-6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins,

-3 cloves garlic, or 1.5 tsp powdered garlic

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 t pepper

-8 oz. orange juice concentrate (orange pineapple will work as well)

TO COOK- Cook on low in crock pot, 4 to 6 hours

TO SERVE- Garnish with mandarin oranges and green onions (two, chopped).

Serve on rice. Stir fried veggies make a great side.

Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken

IN THE BAG

-2 cups chopped onions

-2 cups chopped carrots

-2 cups chopped zucchini

-1 chopped red pepper

-1/2 t grated lime peel

-2 T lime juice

-2 T tamari or soy sauce,

-2 T flour*

-4 garlic cloves or 1 tbsp garlic powder

-6 chicken tenderloins.

TO COOK- Dump contents of bag in slow cooker.

Whisk ¾ cup of chicken broth with 1 tbsp of peanut butter, pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. For the last five minutes, add in 1 can of coconut milk and 1 bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- To make it spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of sriracha before serving. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve over rice.

And here’s what they look like.

I prepped all of this food on Sunday

With intentions to make one of the four this week.

So three went in the freezer (not a lot of space in there)

And one stayed in the fridge and went into the crock pot

This morning. Mr. Works-from-home-hubby can do the honors

Of adding the last ingredients this afternoon.

Since I like to encourage him to participate in everything,

Instead of just doing things without his say one way or the other,

I let him select the bag he wanted to try first.

Coconut Curry Chicken it is.

Easy Pesto Sauce

Pasta for dinner again?

There are other options besides the obvious marinara sauce.

This one can literally be made in under a minute:

60 Second Basil Pesto

I had some fresh basil that I harvested from my garden.

(See my blog "Thinking Outside The Garden Box")

I also have one of the Ninja-Bullet style blenders with the little canisters

that have fitted blade bases. 

I poured olive oil on the basil. I had about 1/2 cup of basil and about 1/4 cup of olive oil.

I also added some almond slices, about a teaspoon of garlic powder and about a tablespoon of grated parmesan.  

It blended into a nice green sauce that you can pour onto spaghetti with cubed grilled chicken and top with a little shredded mozzarella.  Serve with a side of mixed greens.

Cooking Basics 101

Always remember these... They are the keys to becoming
the kind of cook everyone wants for their parties, dinners and romances.

Seasoning/Sauce Components

Italian- Basil, Marjoram, Garlic, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, parsley

Mexican- Chili, Red pepper, Cayenne, Garlic, Onion, cilantro

Jamaican Jerk- Garlic, Allspice, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Onion, Thyme, Paprika, Cumin, brown sugar, Turmeric

Indian- Curry, Graham Masala, Cumin

Irish (Corned beef)- Powdered Mustard, Bay Leaves, Nutmeg, Pepper, Coriander

Oriental- Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar


Vegetables-

Corned Beef- Cabbage, carrots, potatoes

Italian- Brocolli, bell peppers, summer squash, zucchini, onion, mushrooms

Asian- Cabbage shreds, Onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, Water chestnuts

German sausage- Sauerkraut

Mexican- Chives, Tomatoes, Onions, lettuce shreds, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado

Chicken Soup- Carrots, peas, corn, celery

Beef stew- Carrots, peas, celery, potatoes

Chili- Tomatoes, corn, onion, bell peppers, red bean, pinto beans, black beans, *carrots, jalapenos


How To:

Make ground beef less oily? - Wash it in a strainer just like pasta before you season

Make chicken and asian dishes a little creamier and more tender? - cook it in butter or margarine

Make slow-cooked meats more succulent?- add wine to the broth

Make my oriental less salty? - less soy sauce, more sesame oil and rice vinegar

Make my plain boiled chicken or beef taste better? - Bullion and sugar in the water




More coming soon!