Tag Archives: gluten-free

Grilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage Packets

26 Jul

This week, I had picked a head of cabbage for my FarmBox.  I had thought about making Stuffed Cabbage Leaves or Bierocks, but decided that I wanted to try to make something different.  I was initially thinking of doing it all in a skillet, but then my uncle asked if I had tried grilled cabbage, and I started looking at recipes related to that.  I came across a recipe for Grilled Cabbage and Potato Packets, and decided to expand on it some, incorporating parts of the skillet recipe I had found.  Of course, as it came time closer to dinner, a storm rolled in, but it stopped soon enough to give me time to fire up the grill for this.  It was a bit of prep work, but I was glad for the food processor from my parents from Christmas.  I used it to shred the cabbage and carrots, and to slice the potato rounds.

Grilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage PacketsGrilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage Packets

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup onion, diced
5-6 small red potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Reduce heat to low, and add beef broth and garlic powder.  Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes to cook off the liquid.

Meanwhile, cut 8 pieces of aluminum about 16 inches long.  Each packet will use 2 pieces of foil to ensure the packet does not break while cooking, and you will have 4 packets total.

Start by layering 2 pieces of foil.  Put 1 cup of cabbage, 1/4 cup of onion, 1/4 cup of carrots, 1/4 of the potato rounds, and 1/4 of the browned ground beef on top of the foil.  Drizzle olive oil over all, about 1-2 tablespoons.  If desired, season with salt and pepper.

All food layered in packetGather up sides of aluminum foil, and close tightly.  I brought up the sides on the left and right of the picture above, then folded them together.  Next, I folded up the ends.  Repeat for the 3 remaining packets.  Place the packets on the grill over medium heat.

Packets on the grill

 

Cook for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the packets over and cook for another 15 minutes.  Carefully remove a packet from the grill and open (remember, it will be very hot and steamy when you open it), and check the softness of the potatoes and other vegetables.  If soft, remove all from the grill.  If not, continue to cook until potatoes and vegetables are soft.  Carefully open each packet and serve.

Grilled packet

 

If desired, serve each sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.  My daughter and I both had some with and without grated Parmesan, and it was good both ways, but with the cheese it had just an extra bit of flavor.

 

 

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Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

17 Jul

I really like twice-baked potatoes, but they can be just a bit time-consuming to make.  I think next time, I might put the potatoes in the slow cooker to cook all day, then stuff and oven bake them at night.  For these, I used ranch dressing and broccoli, but there are other variations that could be done as well.  For example, sour cream or cream cheese instead of ranch, spinach in place of broccoli, cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan.  Or, add in some meat like bacon, cooked chicken or cooked ham.  You could make this just as your one-course for dinner having a meat and a vegetable mixed in.

 

Broccoli Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

 

Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

What you need:

4 large or 6 medium russet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Thoroughly wash potatoes and pierce all over with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Once potatoes have cooled, cut tops from potatoes, and scoop out the insides carefully to keep the skins like little bowls.  Mash the insides in a medium size mixing bowl.  Brush the skins with olive oil and return to the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onion and broccoli; cook until soft.  Remove from heat and stir in with the mashed potatoes.  Mix in ranch dressing and grated Parmesan cheese.

Spoon the potato mixture into each of the potato skins.  It is fine  for it to come out of the top of the skin.  If desired, sprinkle with more grated Parmesan on top of each potato.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

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Summer Squash, Sausage, and Egg Bake

26 Jun

This time of year, summer squash, like zucchini and yellow squash, seem to be in abundance.  One of my all time favorite dishes to make is Italian Zucchini Crescent Pie, either with just zucchini or a mix of zucchini and yellow squash.  However, my husband isn’t real fond of the crust.  So, I had experimented with a mashed potato crust, but still got mixed reviews from the family.  So, I decided to make it crust-less, using this recipe for inspiration.  I decided to use different cheese and not any additional seasoning since I added sausage.  We loved it!  Plus, I’m already working on other variations, no sausage, possibly ground beef, use oregano and basil to season, try out different cheeses.  It’s very versatile to be able to use what you have on hand!  I will hopefully update on my future combinations, but for now, here is the one I made last night.

Summer Squash, Sausage and Egg Bake

 

Summer Squash, Sausage, and Egg Bake

What you need:

1 pound sausage (I used Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage)
1 small onion
1 medium size yellow squash, cut into thin slices
1 medium size zucchini, cut into thin slices
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large skillet, brown sausage.  Do not drain fat.  Add onions, yellow squash, and zucchini, and cook until soft and translucent.  Stir in cream cheese until well blended.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together eggs, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the squash/sausage mixture into the dish.  Mix in the egg and cheese mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until sides are bubbling and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Slow Cooker Spicy 9 Bean and Pork Soup

4 Jun

Last fall, on my trip to Willcox, one of the stops was the Bonita Bean Company.  I have been using the pinto beans I purchased to make Refried Beans, but I also had gotten a 9 bean mix I still needed to use.

9 Bean mix from Bonita BeanIt is a 20 ounce bag containing pinto, cranberry, light red kidney, yellow, black, small red, pink, navy, and Great Northern.  I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer to use, along with some green chile and onion, and decided that all would make a good soup.  And, with beans taking so long to cook, I decided the slow cooker was the way to go to make this.  My older daughter and I thought it turned out really well, in fact, we both had a second helping!  Even though I have it labeled as spicy, it’s a  low level of heat, but still a little on the spicy side.  If you don’t have a bean mix, you can make a mix of your own, a great way to use up small amounts of different kinds of beans!

Slow Cooker Spicy 9 Bean and Pork Soup

Slow Cooker 9 Bean and Pork Soup

What you need:

3 cups of a dry bean mix
1 1/2 pounds pork roast or tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green chiles
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make it:

Put beans in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.  Add pork next, then the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 5-7 hours, or until beans are tender.

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Lentil Salad

24 May

I had tried a lentil salad from a local vendor, and decided I wanted to try and make my own.  I usually use lentils in soups, so I was excited to try a salad.  Like pasta salad, Lentil Salad could be done a ton of different ways.  I’m already thinking about what combinations to try next, like maybe tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.  Plus, lentils are very good for you too.  Always great when something tastes good and is good for you!

Lentil Salad

 

Lentil Salad

What you need:

1 cup lentils (I used Palouse Brand Spanish Pardina Lentils)
1/2 cup seeded and chopped  mini sweet peppers or bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber, cut in small chunks
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bunch green onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian blend seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

How to make it:

Rinse lentils and drain.  Place lentils in a medium sauce pan with 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Drain.  Run cold water over lentils and drain.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Place cooled lentils in a large bowl.  Add peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, green onion, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.   Mix together.

Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, Italian blend seasoning, salt, and pepper to make the vinaigrette.

Pour the vinaigrette over the lentils and vegetables.  Mix in well to fully coat.  Cover and refrigerate before serving.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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