Tag Archives: gluten-free

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

2 May

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

 

This is something I have made for a long time.  But, my challenge tonight was to make it gluten-free for my friend’s kids that I was watching tonight.  Normally, I make the Bisquick biscuit recipe on the box and drop it in, but tonight I used a biscuit recipe using flour so I could substitute in the gluten-free all-purpose flour that I have.  With the Bisquick, the dumplings end up pretty fluffy and it’s almost more like a chicken pot pie.  This time, it turned out more like dumplings, and was pretty good!  So, now this can be made with regular flour or gluten-free flour with good results.

 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

What you need:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 bag (12 oz) mixed vegetables (I used a mix of carrots, corn, green beans, and peas)
1 cup diced onion
8 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes (make sure to use gluten-free, if needed)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum or 2 cups all-purpose wheat flour, depending on your need
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk

How to make it:

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add chicken, vegetables, onion, water, chicken bouillon, and poultry seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken, shred, and return to crock pot. If cooked on low, turn to high for 15 minutes.

Mix together flour, baking powder, oil, and milk.  Drop dough by spoonfuls into the slow cooker.  Cook on high 30 minutes more or until dumplings have cooked.

Note: For the dumplings, you can also use regular or gluten-free Bisquick to make biscuit dough according to the box, then drop by spoonfuls into the slow cooler. If you don’t need gluten-free, you can use a can of refrigerated biscuit dough. Cut each biscuit into fourths and roll into balls, then drop then into the slow cooler.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Adventures in Coconut Macaroons

1 May

I say adventures because for me it has been an adventure making these coconut macaroons!  I had gotten 2 coconuts from Bountiful Baskets, which were a lot of work to prep.  First, I poked a hole in each coconut in one of the eyes to get out the coconut water.  Once each was drained, I then tapped around it with the back of a heavy knife (not the sharp side).  Then, I used a knife to pull the meat away from the shell.  There are a few different methods to do all this, and this article, 8 Ways to Open a Coconut, explains it well with lots of pictures.

Once I got the meat of the coconut, I left the husk  on (lighter brown part) ran each one through my food processor.  I considered hand grating it, but decided the food processor would be fine.  I got it fairly fine like this:

Coconut through the food processor

Then, it sat in the refrigerator a few days until I could get to it again!  When I had time, I got out one container (each coconut yielded approximately 3 cups of grated coconut) and started on a coconut macaroon recipe that was straightforward and easy.  And, the first pan turned out like this:

Mushy coconut macaroonsGooey, stuck to the parchment paper, overly sweet coconut macaroons.  Boo!  It was too runny, probably because of the moisture content of the fresh coconut.  The other half of that batter I put in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, I put it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirred constantly, for about 15 minutes.  That yielded macaroons that looked like this:

Fixed Coconut MacaroonsMuch better structure, but still too sweet, too much sugar. I still had 3 cups of coconut, so it was time for one last attempt.  This time, I started by toasting the coconut in a large skillet on the stove since I didn’t want to heat up my house too  much using the oven.

Toasting coconut on the stoveThen, I made sure to beat the egg whites well, halved the sugar, and this time got a much better result:

Finally, good Coconut Macaroons!

So, here is my final combination of ingredients and methods:

Coconut Macaroons

What you need:

3 cups fresh coconut, or 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (make sure it is gluten-free, if needed)

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Toast coconut in a large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, or until coconut becomes slightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract until frothy.   Stir in coconut until just moistened.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop mixture into small balls onto parchment paper.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tags: , ,

Sausage, Spinach, and Rice

7 Jan

Sausage, Spinach, and Rice

One of my favorite dishes I make at Thanksgiving is Wild Rice & Sausage Casserole.  And, while it’s great, it’s a little time-consuming considering it has to go in the oven.  So, I decided to try a little variation, use Italian sausage in place of breakfast sausage, add spinach, and do it in the skillet.  Turns out, this makes a nice, quick standalone meal!  The Italian sausage has enough spices that you don’t really need to add any more seasoning.  My kids both gobbled it down!

Sausage, Spinach, and Rice

What you need:

1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild, casings removed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 pound fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, wild, brown, or white, your choice
Grated Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Break up and brown sausage in a large skillet.  Add onions, and continue to cook until onions are soft and translucent.  Add spinach, and cook until wilted.  Stir in rice and cook over medium heat for a few minutes.  Serve into bowls and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese onto each serving.

Tags: , , , ,

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

21 Oct

 

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a 40 pound case of Zaycon Foods boneless, skinless chicken breasts like the case I got in March.  A friend of mine came over with her case, and we worked on processing the cases together.  She cut the butterfly breasts into 2 pieces, while I cooked dinner (bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with cream cheese and chives, with sweet potato chips as a side), grilled about half of each case, and got the FoodSaver bags ready.  5 hours later and we had 80 pounds of chicken processed!  As she was cutting the breasts and removing extra fat, there were small chicken pieces that we set aside, my guess it was about 4 pounds worth.  We decided it would be best for some kind of stew, so I decided on chicken and rice.  I had onion, carrots, and corn in the freezer, so after a long night of prepping chicken, it was easy to throw this all in the slow cooker and let it cook overnight.  It turned out perfect!

 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

What you need:

4 pounds fresh chicken, diced
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups onion, diced
2 cups kernels of corn
8 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes (gluten-free)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice

How to make it:

Add all ingredients, except rice, to the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.  After it is done cooking, stir in the cooked rice.  Serve hot.

Tags: , , , , ,

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

16 Sep

It has been a LONG time since I have had rhubarb and I’ve certainly never baked with it.  However, when it came up on the Web Store at Sunizona Family Farms, I knew I needed to get it.  Just raw, this rhubarb was so good and tart.  But, I wanted to make my ever favorite crisp with it, and since I had gotten strawberries from Bountiful Baskets, I knew they would be a good match.  Now, I did put a bit of sugar in this, so if you want to keep more of the tart flavor of the rhubarb, just decrease the amount of sugar.  I had this warm over some vanilla frozen yogurt and was in heaven last night eating it.  I wish rhubarb was more available here in AZ to have this more often!

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

What you need:

4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 lb chopped strawberries
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on the tart/sweetness you desire
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup oats or quinoa flakes
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a 8×8 baking dish, mix together rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, and sugar.  In a bowl, crumble together butter, oats, and brown sugar.  Spread oat mixture evenly over the top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned.  Let sit for 5 minutes; serve warm.

Tags: , , , ,

Potato Leek Soup

10 Sep

I have eaten Potato Leek Soup before, but it was a store bought soup mix.  I have never actually cooked with leeks, so I was excited to see them in my Bountiful Baskets this week while most people were turning up their noses at them.  Plus, we also got gold potatoes, so Potato Leek Soup had to be made!  My husband was really excited too, and he really enjoyed the soup.  It also worked out that Saturday was an overcast, rainy, cooler day, great soup weather.  And, it was coupled perfectly with the baguettes I had gotten from my Sunizona Family Farms FarmBox.  Can you tell how excited I am about how well this meal came together?!?!

Potato Leek Soup
Based on recipes here and here

What you need:

1/2 cup butter
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped (There is a great video here on how to clean and chop the leeks, thank you Kelly H. for the link!)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (make sure to use gluten-free broth if you need this gluten-free)
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, preferably Yukon gold, diced
2 cups half and half or whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Melt butter in a large stock pot and add chopped leeks, plus salt and pepper to taste.  Cook leeks in the butter until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Do not let leeks brown, brown will give them a burnt taste.

Next, wisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, leaving no lumps.  Pour into the stock pot.  Then, add the diced potatoes and half and half.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Stir in the parsley and more salt and pepper, if desired.  If you want a smoother soup, remove about half of soup to a blender and puree, then return to the pot.  You can also use an immersion blender or hand potato masher to slightly mash some of the potatoes in the soup.  Serve hot.

Variations:

Potato Leek Soup with Sausage:  While soup is cooking, crumble and brown 1 pound of Italian sausage.  Drain excess fat.  Stir into finished soup.

Potato Leek Soup with Ham: After soup has finished cooking, add in 2 cups of fully cooked ham (such as Zaycon Foods ham)

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Stuffed Acorn Squash

13 Jun

 

I feel like this is more of a fall dish than a summer dish, but when I got acorn squash from Bountiful Baskets this week, I knew this was what I wanted to make.  I first tried this in 2010, in my first few months of participating in Bountiful Baskets.  I can’t remember where I got the idea to stuff them, but I wanted something that would be a meal all in one.  I combined a few ideas from recipes online for this, and I really am pleased with the final product.  This time around, it’s also given me a chance to use some of my fresh herbs from the pack I got a couple of weeks back.  My kids like the stuffing, but weren’t fans of the squash tonight.  Oh well, more for me and my husband!

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

What you need:

3-4 acorn squash
1 cup wild rice blend
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
4 fully cooked turkey sausage patties
1/2 cup onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Put wild rice blend, chicken broth, sage, and thyme in a pan and cover with a tight lid.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 50 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Meanwhile, cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds. Also, cut a small part off the outside so squash will sit flat. Spray a baking sheet and place squash so the cut insides face down and bake for 30 minutes.

Prepare sausage patties according to package directions. After heated through, chop up and set aside (this can be omitted if making vegetarian)

Using the same pan from the sausage, saute onion in butter until translucent. Add in chopped apple, cooking until tender. Remove from heat. Mix in sausage and rice.

Flip the acorn squash over and fill with the wild rice mixture. Place back in oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Spinach, Feta, and Pesto Pizza

5 Mar

This cauliflower pizza crust is really growing on me.  I was skeptical as first, but the second time around, it turned out great again.  I did notice that with 1 large pizza, the center stays a little soft, but I think that might be solved by making individual size pizzas.  Even with it a little soft, no complaints in this house, and everyone just used a fork to eat it.  Even my kids gobbled this up, and I love getting an extra veggie in them for the day hidden in the crust.  This time, instead of tomato sauce, I made Spinach Basil Pesto for the sauce. Then, I put chopped red onion, sliced black olives, torn fresh spinach leaves, a 4 oz container of crumbled feta cheese, and a 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.  I had forgotten how much I love feta cheese on pizza.  This was a delicious meal!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Alternative Pizza Crusts

19 Feb

We don’t have any dietary restrictions in my household, but I have some friends who eat gluten-free or low-carb.  These 2 pizzas are both gluten-free and low carb (I think, correct me if I’m wrong, please!).  My friend, Jen, is the one who had posted about the cauliflower pizza crust, and once I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it.  I love cauliflower, and it’s been cheap at the store lately.  The eggplant pizzas I found on allrecipes.com, I just modified it slightly. You do have to like the taste of eggplant to enjoy this one, but it’s a wonderful way to cook the eggplant.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Recipe from Jen D.

What you need:

1 large head cauliflower
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
3 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
Olive oil (optional)
Pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings (I used diced mushrooms)

How to make it:

Take the head of cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together cauliflower, egg, and mozzarella.  Add oregano and garlic salt, stir.  Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using the spoon or your hands, pat out into a 12″ round.  Optional: Brush or spray olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  It should look like this:

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese.  Return to the oven and cook for 5 more minutes, or until cheese has melted:

 

 

Eggplant Pizzas
Based on recipe here

What you need:

2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you could use almond flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1/4 cup olive oil
Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings (I used mushrooms)

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Mix the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano in a separate bowl.  Dip each eggplant slice in the egg, then in the cheese mixture one at a time, making sure to coat both sides.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Place the eggplant slices in the skillet to cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Drain the eggplant slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on a baking sheet. Spoon enough pizza sauce to cover each eggplant slice. Top each eggplant with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until the mozzarella cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Tags: , , , , ,

Chicken Enchilada Soup

20 Jan

If you have had Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, this tastes pretty similar to that.  There is one ingredient that is not real common, masa harina, which is corn flour used to make tortillas.  You need to make sure you get the right thing, corn meal is not the same and will make the texture off.  Made that mistake before.  I found the masa harina in the baking aisle with the rest of the flour at my grocery store.  If not, you may also check the organic/natural section because it may be there with the different types of flours.  Anyway, this is a thick, filling soup that is very tasty!  To serve, I crushed some tortilla chips, you could also add some sour cream and/or pico de gallo.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or, I just use chicken from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to save on time)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups water, divided
1 cup enchilada sauce, or 1 cup salsa, or 1 cup diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or shredded Mexican blend cheese)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
*Note: If you use 1 cup diced tomatoes, you may wish to increase the chili powder  to 1 tablespoon.

In large pot over medium heat, cook chicken in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove, shred, and set aside.  (This step is skipped if you already have cooked chicken)

Cook onion and garlic together in remaining oil until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth.

In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. This step is important, if you just put the masa harina right in the pot, it won’t blend in as well, making it gritty.  Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, cheese, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, until thickened.

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 413 other followers

%d bloggers like this: