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Category: gluten free

Chunky White Bean Avocado Dip

I make this dip all the time. But I guess I’ve never posted it. It’s a Robin Miller recipe I got several years ago, saw it on her show. It’s super simple and so good. Kind of like guacamole. Justin and I love it. I always make it when we have a Mexican meal. I don’t use a recipe anymore. And I don’t measure anything. I just mash the beans and avocado, stir in salt and lime juice and taste. And adjust as needed. I think my bean/avocado ratio is a bit different…more beans. Sometimes I add the garlic, sometimes I don’t. And I don’t always drain all the liquid from the beans. Depends how much of a rush I’m in 🙂 It’s different every time but always good.

Chunky White Bean-Avocado Dip

2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted and peeled
1/2 cup drained canned white beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt and ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine avocados, white beans and garlic. Mash with a fork until chunky. Fold in cilantro and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad

I squeezed in one more grain this month 🙂 I made a quinoa salad last night. The recipe is from Food Network. I think it’s meant to be a side dish, but I served it as a main dish and our meatless meal for the week. The reviews…I thought it was awesome!!!! I wanted to eat the whole bowl 😛 Justin liked it, but not as a main dish. He said he couldn’t eat a huge quantity at once. I kind of figured that would be the case. So, I had seconds and Justin didn’t finish what was on his plate. That doesn’t happen very often. This was our first taste of quinoa. Very good. And super easy to make. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive. This was a very light and healthy dish. And since I shaved a little paremsan cheese over top it had something from every food group in it! This is a very good base salad. You could add different veggies to it. And feta cheese crumbled on top would probably be good too. The other nice part is that you make it ahead of time (since it’s a cold salad). Always a bonus to be able to prep ahead. I only made a half batch and it made plenty. I’m excited for leftovers 🙂

This post is linked to the Whole Foods for the Holidays progressive dinner – salad course.

Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad
serves 10

1 cup quinoa
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup frozen green beans, defrosted (I cut them into bite size pieces)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (soaked and dehydrated)
1/4 cup green onions, sliced (I left these out since I didn’t have any)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
(crumbled or shaved cheese for topping)

Combine quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed. (I cooked it for 12 min. Then left it covered for 15 min. off the heat.) (To make this easier to digest soak the quinoa over night, then proceed with recipe)

In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, green beans, walnuts, and green onions until well mixed. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Add cheese as desired.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Yesterday’s dinner was meatless and a new grain! And it was so so so good!!! This was my first attempt at making risotto…my first time eating real risotto. Wow! So creamy and yummy. I had to keep myself from eating too much :p Justin really liked it too. He would prefer it as a side dish instead of the main dish, but he didn’t have any complaints 🙂 I’ve always been afraid to make risotto…sounded tricky. But it wasn’t hard at all. It does require constant attention. But other than that it’s pretty easy. And it’s actually fairly quick. Only takes about 20 min. I used a Rachel Ray recipe. Her recipe is almost identical to most of the recipes I looked up. But I chose hers because is uses frozen pureed squash instead of fresh. And I have plenty of squash in the freezer 🙂 I didn’t use wine since I didn’t have any…I just used extra chicken broth. I used organic red onion. I didn’t add the sage. And I only made a half batch. I may have to change some meal plans this week so I can have the leftovers for dinner one night 🙂
Butternut Squash Risotto

One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth (I’m sure veggie broth would work to make it totally vegetarian)
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
One 12-ounce box frozen butternut squash puree, thawed (I used cooked squash from our garden…I didn’t measure it…just added what looked/tasted right)
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
10 leaves fresh sage, slivered
In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low.

In a large skillet (I used a large saucepan), heat the EVOO , 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. When the oil is rippling, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast for 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.3. Add 2 ladlefuls of the warm chicken broth to the rice and stir until the liquid evaporates. Repeat with the remaining broth, cooking the risotto until creamy, about 18 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the squash; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. During the last minute of cooking, stir in the cheese and butter. Top with the sage.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Lentil Soup

I tried a new Betty Crocker recipe today. I needed an easy crockpot meal…always do on Sundays. And I had some organic lentils that I bought a while back I’ve been wanting to try. It was really good! Justin and I both loved it. We got home from Flint late last night so I didn’t have any time for prep. I just threw the chicken breasts in mostly frozen this morning. And I used peas instead of zucchini because I didn’t have time to get the zucchini out of the basement freezer this morning. I added most of the tomatoes at the beginning so they would cook more. Justin doesn’t like raw tomatoes. I didn’t quite do a full batch and there was plenty for our lunch and a couple lunches for Justin this week. I’m hoping to use lentils more often. I love them, they cook quickly and they are a good substitute for meat. Rebecca tried a little of this. She seemed to like the flavor, but she wasn’t very hungry.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Lentil Soup
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 breasts)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) (I used organic red onion)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups) (I used frozen organic peas)
4 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups) (I used 1 large organic carrot)
1 cup dried lentils (8 oz), sorted, rinsed
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz) (I didn’t add these)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (I only used a half can since Justin doesn’t like a ton of tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves (I left this out…forgot 🙂
Shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired (grated fresh parm over each bowl)

Remove fat from chicken. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion, zucchini, carrots, lentils, broth, salt and pepper. Add chicken. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes. Cover; cook on low heat setting about 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with basil. Sprinkle with cheese.

Roasted Beet Salad

I tried an Anne Burrell recipe last night. I saw it on her show a few weeks ago and it looked interesting. And a way to try beets. It was really, really good!!! Justin and I both liked it. And he isn’t even that crazy about beets. The combination of all the flavors was so good. The salty cheese and nuts with the beets and a simple dressing. Yum!!!! And it looks really fancy too. Maybe I’ll have to make it the next time I have guests. I had never cooked a beet before (only ever had them from a can…shudder :P). It’s pretty easy…just put them on a pan and toss them in the oven. They were kind of tough to peel. So I just sliced them with the peel on and then trimmed the peel off of each slice with a knife. It went much faster. And was less messy. I only used regular beets. I didn’t see baby beets at the store. And it took much longer to roast mine than the recipe says. I think they were in the oven for a little over an hour and a half. And I turned the temp up higher part way through. Now I have some leftover beets to snack on and use on my salad for dinner tonight 🙂 I don’t know if I had ever had a pistachio before either. But now I know they are really good!

This post is linked to the Whole Foods for the Holidays progressive dinner – salad course.

Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula, Pistachios and Shaved Pecorino

4 large beets, red, golden, or Chioggia or any combination (I made 3 organic red beets)
8 to 10 baby beets- any color or combo (I skipped these, but it would be a pretty presentation)
2 cups baby arugula (I used mixed organic baby greens…we don’t like arugula)
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons high quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped (soaked and dehydrated)
1/4 cup shaved pecorino, aged pecorino Toscano or pecorino Romano (I used parmesan since I had it on hand)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place all the large beets on a sheet tray and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a fork slides in and out of the beets easily (I roast mine on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It takes about 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees.). Add the baby beets to the tray for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. When the beets have cooled, peel them. Slice the large beets into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cut the baby beets in half.

Place the arugula in a bowl and drizzle in about half of the vinegar and olive oil and season generously with salt. Toss the salad gently to incorporate all of the ingredients. TASTE IT! It should taste very flavorful but not soggy. Arrange the arugula on 4 individual salad plates. Toss all of the beets together in the salad bowl and add the remaining oil, vinegar and salt, and toss. Arrange the dressed beets on the arugula and top with the pistachios and shaved pecorino.

*I whisked the oil, vinegar and salt in the bottom of 2 bowls and then added the greens/beets and tossed.

*I served all the components individually (dressed greens, dressed beats, cheese and nuts) so that we could each make our own salad to our liking…quantities of each ingredient.

Fried Chicken

This chicken recipe is from my mother-in-law. It’s not really fried, bit it tastes like it is.

“Fried” chicken is very easy to make and tastes very good. I’ve been making it since before we got married!

I love that it requires very little hands on time. You just brown the chicken, cover and let it cook for an hour.

My whole family really enjoys this chicken. It can be made with just about any kind of flour. And it pairs well with just about any sides and sauces. Perfect.

Fried Chicken
 
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as many as you need)
~ 1/4 cup flour per chicken breast (I just put some in a bowl…however much looks right)
salt and pepper to taste
~1 Tbsp. olive oil
 
Trim any fat off chicken. Mix salt and pepper into flour. Coat each chicken breast in flour. Heat oil in pan. Place chicken in pan top side down. Cook about 5 min. – until browned. Flip chicken. Cook another 2 min. Reduce heat to very low. Cover and cook for 1 hour. About 5 min. before serving take lid off pan and flip chicken to re-crisp the top side.
 
Serve as is, with dipping sauce (sweet ‘n’ sour, bbq, etc.) or topped with sauce (pesto, etc.).

Hashbrown Egg Bake

Justin has been talking about egg casserole with hashbrowns lately. So I found a simple recipe on All Recipes and tried it last night. He really liked it. I didn’t have any…I don’t care for sausage or hashbrowns that much. It was super simple to make, though. And could be prepped ahead. So it’s going in my recipe file:) I did a half recipe and put it in an 8″ square pan. It would probably be good with some sauted onion mixed in. And I might cut down slightly on the hashbrowns next time. Seemed like there were a lot of potatoes compared to egg and meat. Maybe it’s just me, though. I like an egg casserole to be more “eggy” than this was.

**I made this again (1/2 recipe) and used 6 eggs and a little less hashbrown. Worked very well. But it probably needs and extra 10 min. in the oven.

**Edited 12/5/10 – I am  updating this a bit to match the way we eat now – following NT.

Hashbrown Egg Bake

2 cups hashbrowns
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (or cooked sausage or ham) (be sure they are nitrite/nitrate free)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 cup milk
salt, pepper

Combine hashbrowns, meat, 1/2 cup cheese and seasoning. Put in greased 8″ square pan. Beat eggs and milk. Pour on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 3-5 min. longer.

For a 9×13 dish double the recipe.

Hot Fudge

This is a recipe I got from my mom. I don’t know where she got it, maybe my grandma? It’s the best hot fudge recipe! So good and so easy. I always have some in the fridge. I made this batch to have for the holidays…to put on cheesecake 🙂 Yum!!!

You can make this gluten free. You could leave out the butter to make it dairy free.

Hot Fudge

makes about 2 cups

1 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup organic cocoa
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour OR 1 Tbsp. tapioca flour (to make it gluten free)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp. butter
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Blend sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in sauce pan. Turn on heat and add boiling water. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Store in refrigerator.

*The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup

I got this recipe from Elaine at church. It is really good!! It does take a little bit of work, but it makes a huge batch of soup, so it’s worth it. I managed to use up another squash (only half was necessary for the soup…that’s how big they are!). Two to go yet 🙂 Gotta find more squash recipes. I was trying to make a half batch of soup since it makes so much, but ended up making closer to a full batch since our squash is so big. I did cut down on the beans and tomatoes (I only had 1 can of beans, and Justin isn’t crazy about tomatoes). And I used sweet Italian turkey sausage (removed meat from casing). I didn’t get the best picture. The soup has great color and looks quite fancy 🙂

Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
8-10 servings

1 Tbsp. evoo or lard (I skipped this…the sausage has plenty of fat to cook on its own)
16 oz. Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 red or yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. finely diced garlic
1 large butternut squash (a/b 3 lbs.), peeled, halved, seeds removed (1 lb. = 1 cup mashed)
1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained and rinsed (I used frozen corn)
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans northern beans, drained and rinsed (or dried beans soaked and cooked)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
fresh, chopped parsley for garnish

In stockpot heat oil. Add sausage. Brown and remove from pan, leaving grease to saute onions (I drained the grease). Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towel. In stockpot add onion and saute until translucent. Add peppers and garlic and saute a couple minutes. Meanwhile, cut squash into 1″ dice. Add to pot. Add 1/2 of corn. Cover with water (6-8 cups), depending on how thick you want your soup. Add seasoning. Cook squash until soft, about 20 minutes (I cooked mine for at least 30 minutes).

In batches in food process or blender, puree soup (I used an immersion blender). Return to stockpot. Add tomatoes, remaining corn, beans and sausage. Add cream and adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with parsley.
*If you don’t like sausage (or don’t have any on hand) this would still be great without meat. Or chicken or some kind of seafood would work really well in it too.

Corn Chowder

I’m making corn chowder for dinner tonight. My version is chicken corn chowder. I got the recipe from A Year of Crockpotting. I’ve made it before. It’s so good.

Crockpot Chicken Corn Chowder

8 cups chicken broth
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 (16 oz.) bags frozen corn, 1 cup reserved
1 medium potato, chopped (optional)
1 – 2 cups precooked chicken

Put all of the ingredients (except chicken and 1 cup corn) in crockpot. Cook on low 8-9 hours or high 4-5 hours. Blend (I use a hand blender right in the pot) until chowder consistency. Add 1 cup corn and chicken. Let cook another half hour.