Menu 9/9/2008

So the internet STILL is out of our reach at our house. The only company that thinks they *might* be able to give us service is very slow in response. It's very frustrating, especially with the amount of research that a GF life (with variety) requires. Blergh.

My dad recently started working at a medical lab, and I went and visited him on our vacation. They drew my blood and did blood tests. I'm a type A+ and my blood is healthy. I even got to look at a slide with my blood cells! It was very cool. While there I talked to the Dr. at the lab who recommeded I read "Eat Right for Your Type" a dietary book based on the idea of how human blood types evolved- from type O (the original blood type) to living in a community and being dependent on grains and crops (type A) to domesticating and herding animals (type B). Type AB is more recent resulting on a mash of types A and B. I'm not very far into the book and I'm wishing we'd blood typed Bob (I'm almost positive he'd type O, as often type O and B have trouble with wheat gluten). I've thought so much about his intolerances that I'd never given real thought of my own! Type A are supposed to stay away from meat (which I don't particularly like any way) and do low stress exercises such as yoga. There are many more strictures, but I've really not read that far into the book. However, so far I'd recommend you pick it up. Surely the anthropological study of the movement and evolution of blood types is enough to interest anybody (or anybody with an anthropology degree- read: me).

So we are back to the grind after weeks of prep for our trip. Our first weeks menu is scant, as we will be celebrating our wedding anniversary next Tuesday and so will probably be going out to eat.

Menu 9/9/2008

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe - 15 min

Breaded Beef Fillets with Side Salad - 20 min

Garlic Shrimp over Alfredo Pasta - 30 min

Veggie Pizza - 30 min

Chicken Kebabs with Rice

Chilled Red Bell Pepper and Habanero Soup with Pear Polenta Muffins - 1 hr (note this recipe uses a lot of tomatoes... hopefully some olds will bring me more!)

Gluten Free Menu Swap

Hello menu swappers! I had to go and seek the internet, as it is STILL not working at our house. Yay rural living! Sorry for any confusion... I'm praying I'll have the internet soon!

We are getting ready for a big camping trip and so are scrimping and saving this next couple of weeks. So this week for us is a world of easy-peasy meals, taken from recipe books. Generally I spend hours preparing an elaborate menu, but without that pesky internet at my fingertips, I've had to revert to books! Books!

Tofu Sushi Salad

Grillers and Cornbread (Store bought chicken wraps and GF cornbread of course!)

Chicken Cesar Salad

Alfredo Noodles and Grilled Veggies and marinade tofu (summer squash, zucchini, red pepper and portabellos)

Finnish Summer Soup

Hamburgers and french fries

Grilled Salmon with Key Lime Butter and Side Salad

Smokin' Nachos

Fellow swappers so far:
Sea from Book of Yum has a lovely plan featuring several ethnic dishes.

Lots of delicious tofu dishes over at Asparagus Thin!

Elle at Cooking and UnCooking has breakfast, lunch and dinner planned out. That is super organization for you!

Here's Cheryl's offering from GFgoodness... She's allergic to tofu, I should have picked a better veggie, sorry!

Kimeberly's from livingfree-kimberly delicious menu...

And Ginger from Fresh Ginger finishes up the bunch I have so far.

I'll update with more tomorrow when I'm back at work and near those blessed internets again.

Update:
Some more GF menus to browse!

Technical Difficulties...

You'll have to excuse my lack of posting... we've got terrible satellite internet at our house, with no hope of anything better. Due to heat, rain, clouds and a host of other reasons we've not had the internet at our house for over a week. It. Is. Horrible.

Menu 7/21/2008

Menu 7/21/2008
Cheap and Super Healthy

Chicken Roll-up Sandwiches

Roast Chicken with Grapes and Blue Cheese Salad

Lemony Shrimp Salad

Sushi Salad Bowl

Caesar Salad and Gluten Free Banana Bread

Baked Potato Bar

Finnish Summer Soup and cornbread muffins

I want a week of no stressful cooking! We are saving up for a big trip at the end of August, and so are trimming down our grocery list, and attempting to trim down ourselves. A favorite recipe, chicken roll up sandwiches (make with rice paper wraps) I'll definitely be posting in the future. They are all sorts of handy.

This weeks GF menu swap is being hosted at Asparagus Thin. Go here for many more delicious menu ideas!

Gluten Free Orange Chicken Spring Rolls, Egg Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Sauce

Martha's Crisp Orange-Chicken Spring Rolls, Egg Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Sauce
Makes 6 rolls

Orange Chicken Spring Rolls:
1 small red chili pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger
1 tablespoon cooking wine
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon Gluten free soy sauce
1 large skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 red onion
1/2 green regular green apple
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 dried rice-paper wrappers

Rice:
1 tbsp butter
2 cups cooked rice
4 eggs

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt

First prepare the marinade. Cut chicken breast into thin pieces, I recommend them being thinner than depicted below. In a small bowl put chili pepper, garlic, ginger, cooking wine, orange juice and GF soy sauce. Marinade for 15 minutes.

Start cooking your rice.

15 minutes later pour most of the marinade out and cook chicken.

Meanwhile cut apple, red pepper and red onion into small strips. Drizzle rice vinegar and sesame oil on the veggies and stir to coat. Add into cooked chicken and stir to combine.

Warm up some water (not boiling!) and put in a rice paper wrap. When the wrap is soft pull out and stretch on a dish towel, so it doesn't stick to your work surface. Fill with stuffing as depicted below.
Roll into spring rolls and place in an oiled baking dish. Brush oil (not to much!) on the rolls. It works best if the rolls are not touching, so it is easier to flip them.

Broil for 7-9 minutes until crispy and then flip and broil for another 7-9 minutes. Make sure they don't burn! Meanwhile start frying the rice. Place rice in large wok or deep skillet. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Cover the rice and turn periodically. Salt liberally. It takes 15 minutes or so to properly fry rice.

Meanwhile make the sweet and sour sauce. Combine sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger, red pepper flakes and salt. Wisk together until sugar is blended.


Finish the fried rice. Push rice to one side and break 4 eggs on the other side. Do not mix it in the rice until completely cooked, if you combine it together while it is at all runny it will be gross. I scramble the egg with a chopstick, which breaks the egg up into smaller bits.

Gluten Free Breaded Mozzarella Spring Salad

Gluten Free Breaded Mozzarella Spring Salad
Serves 2
1 8oz ball of Mozzarella Cheese
1 egg
1-2 pieces of GF bread
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bag spring salad greens
1 half red onion

Toast your GF bread slices. We keep our GF bread in the freezer, as it's not exactly an ingredient that we often use. Crumble it up by hand or grind it into small crumbs (they stick better) with a food processor.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Separate an egg. Preferably an egg that is familiar to you (read, homegrown) as you are going to be eating the yolk raw. In a food processor put egg yolk, vinegars and sugar and blend. Supposedly this sort of "cooks" the yolk. Slowly pour in oil until dressing is thickened.

Cut your mozzarella cheese into coins using unflavored dental sauce or a sharp knife. Cut the coins in half.



Dip the mozzarella slices into a bowl with the egg white. Dip into a bowl full of the bread crumbs. I suppose it is best to put the mozzarella cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent it from melting while you fry it, but we are always so hungry, it's near impossible to wait.

In a non-stick oil sprayed pan cook mozzarella for 2/3 minutes on each side or until toasty and brown.

Cut red onion into half circles.

Toss salad greens with dressing. Plate greens and add mozzarella on top. Sooooo delicious, you won't mind the raw egg. A perfect light dinner, and cooked in about 15 minutes.

Adapted from a "Barefoot Contessa" recipe called "Salad with Warm Goat Cheese".

Dessert: Blackberry Fools

I just started receiving "Everyday Foods" this past month and have enjoyed several of the recipes. I didn't alter this one bit, but halved the recipe, which was a perfect size for two people. One recommendation, a larger opening to your serving vessels. I have margarita glasses that would have been a better choice.

Martha's Blackberry Fools- serves 2
1 cups blackberries, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend berries, sugar and lemon juice in the blender. Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove all seeds. Note, I used a splatter screen and it involved real work getting the berry mixture through it... I'd recommend something a bit more porous than that.

Whip cream and vanilla in kitchen aid until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into berry sauce. Put in serving glasses and chill. Top with 2 whole blackberries and some reserved berry sauce as a garnish.

Gluten Free Fried Rice and Sesame Chicken

Gluten Free Fried Rice and Sesame Chicken
Serves 2

2 chicken breasts
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp ginger
1 tablespoon oil
2 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp corn starch
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups rice
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by bringing 2 cups or rice and 4 cups of water to a boil. Simmer until rice is light and fluffy and water is gone. To time meal properly finish boiling rice before beginning the chicken.

Trim chicken breasts of obvious fat and cut them into bite sized pieces. Cook on medium heat until partially cooked.

Mix together sugar, tamari, ginger, oil, garlic and cornstarch. Pour mixture into chicken and slowly simmer until thickened.


Put rice into wok or large non-stick pan with several tbsp of olive oil. Fry rice, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or so. The goal is to add a good fried taste to you rice.

Push rice to one side of wok. Add chopped veggies, onion, green onion and red pepper. Cook until red onions are translucent. Make sure not to burn the rice, meanwhile, but do not mix it with the veggies until they are done cooking. Then mix veggies in and push rice to the side again. Crack 4 eggs into exposed part of the wok. Mix and scramble periodically with a chop stick. When egg is fully cooked stir everything together.

Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds, and plate on top of rice.

Gluten Free Strawberry Waffle Recipe

Gluten Free Strawberry Waffles:
Makes 4 Waffles:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cup Pamela's Bread and Pancake Mix
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup chopped frozen strawberries

Separate egg whites from yolk. Beat whites into somewhat stiff peaks using kitchen aid. We find this really helps the waffles become springy and light.


Mix egg yolks, Pamela's, milk, oil, vanilla, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add whipped egg white and strawberries last, carefully folding in egg whites. Just barely blend the whites in with the batter so you don't lose any airiness.

Cook in waffle maker per your machine's recommended time. You can also add chocolate chips or other fruit in the place of the strawberries.

Gluten Free Cobb Salad Recipe

Adapted From Martha's "Everyday Food"

Gluten Free Cobb Salad Recipe
Makes 2 large dinner salads, for a smaller salad, subtract a head of lettuce and a hard boiled egg.
About 30 minutes

3 slices bacon
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 ounces)
sea salt
pepper
2 small heads Butter Lettuce
2 thick slices Pepper deli turkey
2 plum tomatoes
3 hard boiled eggs
1 ripe avocado

Begin by hard boiling 3 eggs. We cheat and have a special egg cooker device, which is entirely unitasker, I know. Bobby will not part from his unnecessary kitchen gadgets. So, google how to hard boiled eggs if you don't know. I wait for the bell to ding.

Meanwhile cook the bacon in a non-stick skillet at medium high heat.

Mix dressing: combine buttermilk, mayo, red wine vinegar, pepper and blue cheese crumbles into a bowl and set aside.

Wash the lettuce heads, hand tear them into bite sized pieces. Put them on a plate.

Cut up turkey slices into small cubes. Have your deli slice your turkey into thicker slices (about 1/4 of an inch) for perfect turkey cubes.

Assemble various sliced toppings on lettuce. Cut tomatoes into quarters, one tomato per plate. Break bacon into bite sized bits. Cut avocado into small cubes, putting a half of the cut avocado on each plate. Cut eggs into bite sized cubes as well. Put 1 and 1/2 egg on each plate. Pour dressing into small bowl and position in the center. Salt and pepper to taste.

Gluten Free Easy Dinner: Salmon, Rice and Side Salad

Easy-Peezy Dinner.
I don't know about you, but after we get home from work we hardly want to spend hours in the kitchen. This can barely be claimed as a unique recipe, but sometimes its hard to come up with even quick and easy gluten free menu options, so I figure I'll share.

Salmon, Rice and Spring Salad Recipe -15 minutes
skinless fillet of salmon, 1 per person
1 lime
dash of lime pepper spice
dash of garlic salt
dash of cracked rock salt
dash of pepper
1 cup rice
Spring salad mix- 1 bag
3 tbsp red white vinegar
3 tbsp Extra virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Cook rice, bring 1 cup rice with 2 cups water to a boil. Cook until fluffy and water has boiled out. Quite truthfully my rice making skills remain woefully inept. I know there is a perfect rice/water ratio, but I inevitably add more water to my rice as it drys out before the rice is tender enough, so generally cook rice with a bit more attention than I know is good for it.

Sprinkle salmon with lime pepper spice, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Cook on both sides 2-4 minutes on medium heat, until opaque. Squeeze lime juice over plated salmon.

For Salad Dressing: Mix red wine vinegar, olive oil, diced garlic and mustard together and pour over spring greens.

Gluten Free Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Adapted from Katrina at the glutenfreegoddess:
And a variation on another of my recipes Gluten Free Golden Raisin Applesauce Muffins

Recipe makes 6 Muffins (for 2 people) in one muffin tin, generally to be eaten with a salad.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together:
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream (low fat)
1/4 cup applesauce (note: you can use a 1/2 cup of either sour cream or applesauce if you are missing one of these ingredients).
1 cup Pamela's GF Baking and Pancake Mix
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Mix together egg, olive oil, brown sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and applesauce untill smooth. Then add GF flour and strawberries. Stir and pour into sprayed or lined muffin tin, the recipe will make 6 muffins. Pour batter to the top of muffin tin.

Cook for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out dry. Muffins will be very moist.
The GF muffins do not fluff up spectacularly, and do tend to fall apart if treated aggressively... but they are still absolutely excellent.

GF Product Review: Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix:
Great Gluten Free Pancakes and Waffles!
We use this for just about everything. Follow the pancake instructions and lovely, fluffy, tasty pancakes will result.
When making waffles we follow the waffle instructions fairly closely, but I whip the egg whites into soft to somewhat stiff peaks and then carefully fold them in with the other ingredients at the very end. We also add a touch of baking powder to give them a bigger boost. This results in very light and springy waffles. You can add some fruit or chocolate chips for a variety. I'll post a how-to guide (we are proud of our waffle success) the next time we make waffles.
When I adapt a non-GF recipe into a GF recipe I generally use Pamela's mix to substitute half of the required flour and then use a variety of other flours (which vary depending on what I'm making).
From my reading of other GF blogs it seems that other accomplished GF chefs are also using Pamela's all the time. So if you have been recently diagnosed and feeling lost, try Pamela's first.

Pamela's is such a staple in our GF arsenal that I've been contemplating setting up an automatic delivery from Amazon (where it is discounted a bit) every three months or so. We keep all of our GF flours in clear, labeled plastic jars so we know when we need to purchase more.

Menu 7/9/2008

Martha's "Lighter Cobb Salad" -15 min

Fried Rice and GF Sesame Chicken -30 min

Salad with Warmed Mozzarella Cheese -10 min

Crisp Orange-Chicken Spring Rolls ; -30 min, marinade

Mixed Red Leaf Spring Salad with Strawberries ; GF Strawberry Muffins -30 min

Agave and Lime Salmon ; Cornbread -35 min, marinade

Baked Potato Bar -10 min


Desserts:

Blackberry Fools

Broiled Apricots with Ginger whipped Cream
-pg 30 everyday foods

Please note: Most of these recipes I've not tried yet... I'll post my interpretations if we like them!

"Smokin' Nachos": Gluten Free Spicy Chicken Nachos

Gluten Free Spicy Chicken Nachos
Our version of a favorite dish from local restaurant "The Salty Iguana".

Serves 2
2 small chicken breasts
1 tbsp lime pepper
1 tbsp garlic salt
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light mayo
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 cups shredded "mexican" cheese
1 bag sturdy blue taco chips
Pickled Jalapeños
1 cup salsa


Step 1:
2 small chicken breasts
1 tbsp lime pepper
1 tbsp garlic salt
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
Spice chicken with garlic salt and lime pepper. Cook in a covered pan over medium heat in olive oil and water until white, but still juicy.

Step 2:
Shred chicken into "tuna like" flakes with forks. For faster preparation (and avoiding burnt fingers from impatience!), you can lightly pulse in the food processor, but be careful not to liquidate the chicken! I prefer it fork shredded.

In a bowl combine:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light mayo
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup shredded "mexican" cheese

Stir mayo, sour cream and lime juice until smooth. Add garlic and cheese.
Add chicken and mix until coated.


Arrange whole sturdy taco chips (we prefer blue chips) on a baking sheet.


Spoon a fork full of chicken onto each chip. Sprinkle with more cheese, a pickled jalapeño and some cayenne pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted. Enjoy with a dipping sauce made of 1/2 cup salsa and 1/2 cup sour cream mixed until smooth.

Menu 6/30/2008

Grillers and Cornbread

Chicken Cesaer Salad

Alfredo Noodles and Grilled Veggies (summer squash, zucchini, red pepper and portabellos)

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans and strawberry muffins

Hamburgers and french fries

Grilled Salmon with Key Lime Butter and Side Salad

Smokin' Nachos

Gluten Free Salmon, Red Potato and Honey Mustard Spring Salad

Gluten Free Salmon, Red Potato, Honey Mustard Spring Salad
Serves 2

7-8 Medium Red Potatoes
Olive Oil Spray or approx 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper to Taste
2 Salmon fillets
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Honey Mustard
8 oz Spring Greens


Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut red potatoes into half coin shapes. Spray the cookie sheet with olive oil (or brush) and arrange potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes.

Flip potatoes over, put salmon fillets into center of pan, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 12-14 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and you can easily squish a potato with a fork.

Next make the dressing. Wisk the oil, white wine-vinegar, mustards, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add potatoes to salad and toss with salad dressing.

Flake salmon, using two forks, onto center of plated salad. Enjoy!
Adapted from a Martha recipe.

Gluten Free Grilled Alfredo Veggie Pizza

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes right now.

1 package Gluten Free Pizza Crust (Chebe)
2 tbsp oil
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk or milk substitute
2 large or 6 small Portobello Mushrooms, stems removed
1 Zucchini
1 Summer squash
1 Small Jar of GF Alfredo Sauce
4 cups shredded mozzarella
Salt
Olive Oil Cooking Spray

We use Chebe pizza dough (made from some sort of cactus flour) for the pizza crust. Follow the directions on the Chebe package. We make the crust into squares to better fit onto the grill. Cook in the oven at 375 for 8-ish minutes, until almost done but still relatively pliable. The assembled pizzas will be finished over the grill. Remove from oven and cover with a thin layer of Alfredo Sauce.
Preheat grill. Meanwhile, cut Zucchini and Summer Squash in half and peppers into forths, as depicted below. Spray or brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Grill veggies for about 8-10 minutes, turning once. Take off grill and cut mushrooms, squash, peppers and zucchini into thin strips. Cover with cheese (to your taste) and put back on the grill.
Grill on medium heat until cheese has melted. Make sure not the burn the crust underneath. Top with red pepper flakes if you've got them and enjoy!