We have been busy going gluten-free at our house. Which has reduced me to tears multiple times in the last few weeks and causes tension in my back every time I think about setting foot in my kitchen. So, sad when a favorite hobby turns into a horrible nightmare.
A friend, who has gluten tolerance issues in her own home, lent me a cookbook called: Favorite Brand Name Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes. I, greatly, appreciate all the pictures in this cookbook. As well as finding a second recipe that uses quinoa that my husband approves of.
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 bag (12 oz) frozen cooked baby shrimp, thawed and well drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Place quinoa in strainer. Rinse well under cold water. Bring water and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan over hight heat. Stir in quinoa. Cover; resuce heat to low. Simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Cool to room temp.
2 Combine quinoa, shrimp, tomatoes, basil, capers and green onion in large bowl. Combine oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl. Pour over salad. Toss gently to mix well.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes
This recipe was discovered on Nick's website. However, I don't want to loose it since it is the first quinoa recipe I ever made and it was well received by both myself and my husband. And, it falls into the category of things that my youngest can eat.
Quinoa Salad
Yield: Serves 6-8.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Cups dried quinoa, rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed and blanched (or sub 1 medium butternut or acorn squash, halfed, roasted and cubed)
1 Cup dried cranberries (you can use raisins, cherries, mango, whatever)
1 Cup pumpkin seeds (you can use sunflower seeds)
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
Juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Teaspoon paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper
Cook quinoa per package instructions. I purchase it bulk. So, it is a two parts water to one part quinoa ratio. All quinoa says to rinse thoroughly. However, I do not own a strainer with small enough wholes. I tried using a coffee filter, but that was to fine. So, rinsing does not occur in my world for quinoa.
First, stick your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and poke a few holes in them with a fork. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes until they’re very tender.
By the way this is the same process I used for both the butternut squash and the acorn squash. Just chop them in half, poke some holes in the skin, and bake them for 50-60 minutes.
Let your potatoes cool for a few minutes after they come out of the oven and then peel and slice them into about 1/2 inch strips. (Nick's instructions.) Cube the strips.
Then, you mix everything together.
Mix the quinoa, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and seeds.
Mix your dressing up and pour over your quinoa mixture. Toss to coat. The dressing should be on the less is more side, not standing in the bottom of the bowl.
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed and blanched (or sub 1 medium butternut or acorn squash, halfed, roasted and cubed)
1 Cup dried cranberries (you can use raisins, cherries, mango, whatever)
1 Cup pumpkin seeds (you can use sunflower seeds)
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
Juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Teaspoon paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper
Cook quinoa per package instructions. I purchase it bulk. So, it is a two parts water to one part quinoa ratio. All quinoa says to rinse thoroughly. However, I do not own a strainer with small enough wholes. I tried using a coffee filter, but that was to fine. So, rinsing does not occur in my world for quinoa.
First, stick your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and poke a few holes in them with a fork. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes until they’re very tender.
By the way this is the same process I used for both the butternut squash and the acorn squash. Just chop them in half, poke some holes in the skin, and bake them for 50-60 minutes.
Let your potatoes cool for a few minutes after they come out of the oven and then peel and slice them into about 1/2 inch strips. (Nick's instructions.) Cube the strips.
Then, you mix everything together.
Mix the quinoa, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and seeds.
Mix your dressing up and pour over your quinoa mixture. Toss to coat. The dressing should be on the less is more side, not standing in the bottom of the bowl.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Spicy Pork Chop Casserole
I am writing this recipe as written in the cookbook Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes. However, when I made it, I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 casserole dish. I, also, had purchased a pork loin at the grocery store on sale in the last week and had sectioned it into 3 pound sections before freezing. I sliced the 3 pound pork loin into 9 pork chops and put 8 of the 9 on top of the casserole. The 9th, I pan fried and then put in the oven in a separate container for my husband's dinner.
I used Italian diced tomatoes.
Additionally, I would like to thank Laura Poe for lending me the cookbook. As we are new to gluten-free, it has been a blessing to have her encouragement.
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp olive oil
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 3 oz each), cut about 3/4 inch think
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used more and I used fresh ground)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional - I didn't use)
1- Preheat over to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2- Lightly spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add corn, cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown. Add potatoes; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown. Add tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir until blended. Transfer corn mixture to prepared dish.
3- Add oil and pork chops to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side. Place browned side up on top of corn mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until meat is barely pink in center (160 degrees F). Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Let stand 2-3 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
I used Italian diced tomatoes.
Additionally, I would like to thank Laura Poe for lending me the cookbook. As we are new to gluten-free, it has been a blessing to have her encouragement.
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp olive oil
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 3 oz each), cut about 3/4 inch think
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used more and I used fresh ground)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional - I didn't use)
1- Preheat over to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2- Lightly spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add corn, cook and stir over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown. Add potatoes; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown. Add tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir until blended. Transfer corn mixture to prepared dish.
3- Add oil and pork chops to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side. Place browned side up on top of corn mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until meat is barely pink in center (160 degrees F). Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Let stand 2-3 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Mulligatawny
This recipe is copied and pasted from here. And, then, edited to reflect what I did or would do in the future.
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1/4 cup butter (We used olive oil and about 2 Tbsp.)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons curry powder (I would use this amount next time.)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup white rice
- 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch dried thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, heated (I didn't heat it.)
Directions
I served this with homemade naan. I started the naan 45 minutes before starting the soup.
Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
I, think, next time I would put at least some of it in a blender to give it more of a creamy texture.
When serving, add hot cream.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Salsa for Canning
I am copy and pasting this recipe.
10 lbs tomatoes, chopped
6 medium onions, chopped
3 cups bell peppers (any kind), chopped
12 jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
5 chili peppers, chopped and seeded (this will make it spicy or milder, depending on the peppers you choose)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice
3 cans tomato paste (the bigger cans, not the tiny ones)
Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in a large stock pot. Simmer approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and mix well. Simmer another 20 minutes or so. At this point, I take out about half of the salsa, blend it smooth in the blender and then return it to the pot, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer. Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Cap and process 15 minutes in a water bath canner. Remove jars and let cool.
This recipe makes approximately 15 pints.
I followed directions from here for getting the jars, tomatoes, and finished product ready.
The main tips I used were:
1) Use Roma tomatoes for salsa.
2) Place a few tomatoes at a time in boiling water, for 30-45 seconds. Pull out and submerge in ice water. Skins will slide right off.
3) Run jars through the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle. (Our dishwasher does not have a sanitize cycle. So, I used the pots and pans cycle and put it on heated water and dry.)
4) Bathe the jars in boiling water for 20 minutes. (I aimed to have the jars covered with water, but my pans aren't big enough for the taller jars.)
5) I covered my towels after the bath to keep them from draft overnight. All my jars were sealed in the a.m.
10 lbs tomatoes, chopped
6 medium onions, chopped
3 cups bell peppers (any kind), chopped
12 jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
5 chili peppers, chopped and seeded (this will make it spicy or milder, depending on the peppers you choose)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice
3 cans tomato paste (the bigger cans, not the tiny ones)
Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in a large stock pot. Simmer approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and mix well. Simmer another 20 minutes or so. At this point, I take out about half of the salsa, blend it smooth in the blender and then return it to the pot, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer. Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Cap and process 15 minutes in a water bath canner. Remove jars and let cool.
This recipe makes approximately 15 pints.
I followed directions from here for getting the jars, tomatoes, and finished product ready.
The main tips I used were:
1) Use Roma tomatoes for salsa.
2) Place a few tomatoes at a time in boiling water, for 30-45 seconds. Pull out and submerge in ice water. Skins will slide right off.
3) Run jars through the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle. (Our dishwasher does not have a sanitize cycle. So, I used the pots and pans cycle and put it on heated water and dry.)
4) Bathe the jars in boiling water for 20 minutes. (I aimed to have the jars covered with water, but my pans aren't big enough for the taller jars.)
5) I covered my towels after the bath to keep them from draft overnight. All my jars were sealed in the a.m.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Stuffed Pepper Soup
We have been gone and this morning we were home and the weather was cool. So, we picked all the good stuff out of our garden. I could not bring myself to freeze all of it and, did I mention, the weather is cool. So, the logical conclusion is...SOUP!
So, after looking on-line for a recipe, twice because my youngest takes great humor in closing my tabs or clicking on and opening ads. I came across this recipe and proceeded to follow it very loosely, which for me is NEVER done with a new recipe. But, did get great reviews from my husband. :-)
So, after reading the recipe, I decided to start by browning my hamburger because I do not want all that grease in my finished soup which would be added if I added my raw hamburger to my veggies.
After browning the hamburger, while it was draining, I sweated my veggies. These are the veggies at the beginning of cooking.
Once the veggies were tender, they looked like the picture above, I put the hamburger in.
I, then, added the rice and began adding tomatoes. I'm not really sure how much tomato is in there. I just kept pulverizing and adding till I thought it looked good.
So, here is my version of the recipe...
1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
4 small bell peppers chopped
1 pound hamburger browned
Garlic (Definitely used more than a clove)
1/2 cup white rice (uncooked)
Tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar (I will probably use less next time)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cinnamon
Brown your hamburger and drain.
While your hamburger is draining, put your onion, bell pepper, celery, and fresh chopped garlic in your soup pan. (I used some of the hamburger grease that remained in the pan to sweat my veggies. Or, you can use a little cooking oil.)
Let veggies cook until they are soft.
Put hamburger back in the pan.
Add rice, water, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Put a lid on it and let it cook till the rice is tender, roughly 45 minutes. Watch it and stir it occasionally. If it is looking like there isn't enough liquid, add more tomatoes.
Taste the soup at this point to make sure you like it. You can add more salt, pepper, sugar. When it is to your liking and the rice is cooked and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir and serve. (I served with saltines because I thought it might need a little extra salt but didn't want to risk screwing up the goodness I already had going by adding to much salt.)
So, after reading the recipe, I decided to start by browning my hamburger because I do not want all that grease in my finished soup which would be added if I added my raw hamburger to my veggies.
After browning the hamburger, while it was draining, I sweated my veggies. These are the veggies at the beginning of cooking.
1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
4 small bell peppers chopped
1 pound hamburger browned
Garlic (Definitely used more than a clove)
1/2 cup white rice (uncooked)
Tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar (I will probably use less next time)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cinnamon
Brown your hamburger and drain.
While your hamburger is draining, put your onion, bell pepper, celery, and fresh chopped garlic in your soup pan. (I used some of the hamburger grease that remained in the pan to sweat my veggies. Or, you can use a little cooking oil.)
Let veggies cook until they are soft.
Put hamburger back in the pan.
Add rice, water, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Put a lid on it and let it cook till the rice is tender, roughly 45 minutes. Watch it and stir it occasionally. If it is looking like there isn't enough liquid, add more tomatoes.
Taste the soup at this point to make sure you like it. You can add more salt, pepper, sugar. When it is to your liking and the rice is cooked and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir and serve. (I served with saltines because I thought it might need a little extra salt but didn't want to risk screwing up the goodness I already had going by adding to much salt.)
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Beef Fried Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 3 cups cold cooked rice
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Pour eggs into skillet. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When eggs are completely cooked, remove to a plate; set aside.
- In the same skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir the rice, bean sprouts and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until blended; stir into skillet. Chop egg into small pieces; stir into skillet and heat through. Yield: 4 servings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)