Thursday, July 26, 2007

Vasili's




Upon the arrival of my special guests this week, Melanie and her family, she brought me a gift from Santa Cruz. A friend owns a Greek Restaurant there called Vasili's. Stopping on their way from AZ, they ate there for dinner and brought me a yummy food care package!
It brings me to encourage you to visit a local Greek restaurant, if you can't make it Santa Cruz any time soon. Greek food in general is flavorful and you will find many gluten-free menu options. These are some samples:

Maroulosalata: lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, pepperoncini & Greek olives
Chicken, Pork, or Lamb Kebabs
Tzatziki: cucumber, garlic, yogurt & cream cheese dip served with fresh tomatos and cucumbers (upon request to replace the traditional bread)

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Gluten Free Travelin' Grub

What to take on a Roadtrip
Gluten Free Style

Seeing as I have a vacation coming up to visit a certain sister-in-law,and her husband, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share with you some good car food so you don't have to limit yourself to bunless burgers. All you need is a small cooler.

Grapes-Organic, of course! Actually they are, but only because they were on sale. Now I feel like I've joined in on all the cool people who buy organic foods. Seperate these into snack size baggies for a quick and sweet snack.

Apples-Cut these up into slices, put into snack size baggies, and sprinkle a little pineapple or lemon juice on them. Eat with cheese or peanut butter.

String Cheese-I love string cheese. No prep needed, as it comes individually wrapped for your enjoyment.

Crackers-I've blogged about these Kame crackers before. They are perfect with cheese and apples, or peanut butter.
Cheddar Cheese-We love the extra sharp variety, as the mild is to bland to eat plain. Use the cheese slicer you know you have, and slice. Place in snack size plastic baggies.

Larabar-This is a treat. Notice I only bought one. 190 calories for one is almost like eating a candy bar. Only without all the bad stuff.
Chocolate-Okay, bring the bad stuff. But notice I bought DARK chocolate. So I'm getting all those antioxidents. Again, only one.

Diet Dr. Pepper-This is just for me. Come on, it's a 13 hour drive!

Popcorn-I feel like a genius for this one. I'm going to pop a few bags and seperate into small baggies. My kids will be in heaven when they realize we have popcorn. I plan to use it as a bribe when they act up. Did I mention that I'm going to be driving for 13 hours with 4 small children? That brings us back to the chocolate.
Peanut Butter-Mmmmmm. I love this for a snack. I am a Skippy woman, but I hear choosy moms choose Jif. Whichever you decide on, bring it and some spoons.
Yogurt-Okay, Gogurt. It's not exactly healthy, seeing as how high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient. But they are highly convienent and better most road food.
This is what I'll be packing. Hopefully it'll keep us from stopping 8000 times to get a snack. Now we'll only need to stop for potty breaks. Hmmmm, maybe we will be stopping 8000 times. But at least we won't need to buy snacks.

corn on the cob


Corn on the cob is always gluten free!

Boil on stove-top for 10 minutes, adding sugar to the water (but not salt as it toughens the kernels). Place on heated grill until slightly browned. Smother in butter and salt and serve.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake


Gluten Free Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake
2 cans Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
In food processor, add beans, eggs, sugar, and baking powder and process until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add melted chocolate chips and process until incorporated. Grease 2-9 in pans or 1-9x13 pan and pour in batter. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes for the 9 in and 35 minutes for the 9x13, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I admit, I was a little skeptical about this recipe when I first saw it. Our blogging friend Michelle at Gingham World posted it here.
But yesterday I was feeling adventurous and just happened to have garbanzo beans on hand. Can I just tell you, YUM! This cake is moist and chocolatey and without even a hint of bean taste. Plus, no expensive obscure flours to try to find. I made the Coconut Pecan Frosting too, just cause I was feeling like it and it worked out so well.
Note: When you open a can of garbanzo beans, they will smell funky. You're just going to have to trust me on this, it won't taste like that smell. And, if you aren't used to eating beans, and this will be hard, don't eat 5 pieces of this cake in one sitting. Again, trust me.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Italian Tomato Sauce

GF pizza is a staple at our home and when we put off grocery shopping it's usually the meal I can easily pull ingredients together for. Or so I thought. No tomato sauce in the pantry this week!? And this 8 months pregnant mamma isn't making a trip just for sauce. So I made my own, which is not like me. It ended up being the best pizza that has ever come out of my oven!
And tonight we used the rest of it for pasta with mushrooms and zucchini.

Italian Tomato Sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes, diced and hard stem portion removed
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Saute onion and fresh garlic in large stock pot for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes. Taste test and stir occasionally, add addition amounts of spices to taste.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Smoothies


Smoothies

1 cup frozen strawberries, chopped
2 bananas, chopped
1 cup yogurt or vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk (I prefer them thicker and only use 1/2 cup)
Mix all ingredients in blender and blend until desired consistency enjoy.

Waldorf-Like Salad

I got this recipe from the famous Lindsey and loved it so much I made it twice in one week!



this shot is before mixing in the dressing

Waldorf-Like Salad on Mixed Greens



1-2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts
1 apple, small dice
4-5 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (I like uncured bacon...)
1 celery stalk, small dice
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
lemon juice--about 1/2 lemon
sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag mixed greens (I like a mix of arugula, spinach, dandelion and other flavorful greens)



Toss the scallions, apple, crumbled bacon, celery, raisins, and toasted hazelnuts together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lemon juice. Sample the dressing and add the sugar, salt and pepper according to taste.Serve over a plate of the mixed greens, or as is. This recipe makes enough for 2, hefty main dish portions, or 4, as a side dish.

I doubled this recipe for a ladies gathering and it was the perfect amount for a large group pot luck. Also, I made it a second time with chicken instead of bacon. It was still yummy, but I prefer it with bacon.

final product

Monday, July 16, 2007

Gluten Free French Toast


Gluten Free French Toast



GF cinnamon raisin bread
2 eggs, beaten
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
sugar to taste
syrup
butter


Mix eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg in a bowl. Soak bread in bowl. Cook on medium heat in a fry pan until begins to brown. Top with butter and syrup.

This GF bread came from my sister in Washington, she has a great gluten-free bakery called Sunny Valley Wheat Free. She recently discovered they deliver! So check them out: the bread, cookies, eclairs and cream puffs are worth it.

Yogurt with Fruit


Yogurt with Fruit

1 carton gluten free yogurt
fruit: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, pineapples, etc.


Yes, it's that simple. My absolute favorite kind of yogurt is Yoplait Light Thick & Creamy. Only 100 calories but it tastes sooooo good. The Key Lime is delicious, as is the Strawberry. I usually put bananas on top, but blueberries are in season now so it's an extra special treat. I eat this for breakfast, for snacks, even dessert sometimes with a dollop of whipped cream.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Cherry, Cherry...


Cherries

My wonderful mom gave me a box full of incredibly juicy cherries not too long back. I took out my handy pitter and spent an evening covered in sticky sweetness. Excited at the prospect of frozen cherries at my disposal, I filled 3 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bags full. We eat them straight out of the bag. We make smoothies. We try out the sorbet, substituting cherries for strawberries. We are looking for a good cherry jam recipe, as the last one we used was a thumbs-down.
We love cherries, even the ones whose pits seem to remain despite our best efforts.
Do you have any good cherry recipes? Let us know.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Balsamic Chicken Salad


Balsamic Chicken Salad

Roasted chicken, shredded
Red grapes, halved
Toasted pecans or almonds
Balsamic vinegar, just a splash
Lite mayo, just a spoonful
Romaine lettuce leaves

Mix together chicken, grapes, nuts, vinegar, and mayo. Fill lettuce with salad and eat as wraps.

This is an adaptation of two seperate recipes. One involves mandarin oranges and mayo, the other grapes and olive oil. I think that pretty much you could put any of these combinations together and have a fantastic chicken salad. I love the roasted chicken part. PLEASE, be careful about buying store-bought roasted chickens. Many contain barley malt, or wheat, or some form of modified food starch made from gluten. I have been told that the ones at Costco are gluten free. Labels, labels, labels my dear friends, always read the labels.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Lipton Onion Potatoes



1 envelope of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
4 medium size potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop potatoes into large chunks. Put in a bowl and stir with soup mix and oil. Pour into 9x13 baking pan, bake for 35 minutes.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Rotel Cheese Dip



Rotel Cheese Dip

1 lb velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles
Tortilla chips

Place cheese cubes and Rotel in a covered dish. Microwave on High until cheese is melted, stirring every few minutes.

Yes, once again we have an appetizer that involves tortilla chips. I love tortilla chips. We keep lots of bags on hand. You should too. They make a fantastic snack.
This is a classic recipe, one I'm sure many of you have used. You can find it here. Check out the other Rotel recipes.
Is velveeta really that good for you? Probably not. But this dip is. Yum.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

German Potato Salad


Gluten-Free German Potato Salad

9 large potatoes (peeled, boiled, and roughly chopped)
1 can of black olives, sliced
5 dill pickles, chopped into small chunks
7 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 ham steak, cooked and cut into small cubes
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayo
pepper
salt

Mix potatoes, olives, pickles, eggs, ham, and cheese together in a large bowl. Stir and season with pepper and salt. Add two heaping tablespoons spoons of sour cream and stir. Add one spoonful of mayo and stir. Add additional sour cream and mayo to preferred taste. Add more pepper and salt to taste. Mix it again and chill for at least one hour before serving.



This is my mother-in-law's recipe we have slightly adapted.

Shrimp Cocktail


Shrimp with Gluten Free Cocktail Sauce

Cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
Kraft cocktail sauce

Dip and enjoy!

I am on an appetizer kick recently! Love shrimp with cocktail sauce, just make sure the one you use is gluten free, or make your own. My mother-in-law does and it's super simple. Ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, maybe some worchestershire and chili powder. Add each to taste. That's it. If you've added too much of one ingredient, just put in more ketchup. It's very forgiving.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Spanish Rice


Gluten-Free Spanish Rice


1 large white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tlb. olive oil
2 cups rice
4 cups water
5 chicken boullion cubes
1 can of green chiles
1 can of sliced black olives
2 16 ounce cans of stewed tomatoes
1 can of red beans
salt
pepper
garlic powder


Heat skillet with 4 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil. On the stove, boil 4 cups of water, add 5 chicken boullion cubes - once cubes are dissolved, set aside. When oil is hot, put in chopped onion and minced garlic over medium heat (325). Once onions and garlic are slightly brown add 2 cups rice and brown for 5 minutes. Drain red beans and add, drain sliced olives and add, add can of green chiles, add two cans of tomatoes. Stir and make sure rice isn't sticking, cook for two minutes. Add water/chicken boullion, bring to a boil. Lower heat to 300 and cover, stirring periodically to ensure rice isn't sticking/burning. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until liquid is gone.

Fajitas


Gluten-Free Fajitas
2 thin steaks
1 McCormick Fajita Seasoning Packet (confirmed with company it is GF)
1 onion, sliced
1 red or green pepper, sliced
1 tomato
lettuce
sour cream
chives
cheddar cheese
corn tortillas
Cut steak into thin strips and cook in oiled skillet on medium heat. As the outsides begin to brown, add fajita mix with 1/2 cup water. Add onion and red pepper slices, bring to low-medium heat, let simmer for about 15 minutes or until peppers are softened, but not limp.
Warm torillas in a microwave for about 30 seconds just before serving the meal and wrap them in a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Top tortillas with steak mixture, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and chives.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Cowboy Caviar


Gluten Free Cowboy Caviar

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can white corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 jalapeno, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, put beans, peas, corn, cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, and avocados. In a separate container mix together the vinegar, oil, garlic, cumin, and optional jalapeno(the jalapeno will make it pretty spicy, so add at your own risk). Pour over the bean mixture, and very carefully stir. Let stand for at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

I tried this at a New Years party a few years ago and was amazed! This is such a tasty alternative to the standard salsa and guacamole. Plus, it's pretty healthy, chockful of veggies and beans. You could even use it in place of meat for tacos and burritos, or atop a salad. The recipe is found all over the internet, with subtle changes here and there. You can make more dressing, or add more veggies, or do whatever your heart desires. I took this to my family dinner last night, and they loved it. A double batch was gone. I was so sad for no leftovers. I'll just have to make more. Enjoy!