Bacon Ranch Salad

Bacon Ranch Salad

Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Eggs, hard boiled and diced

Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Tomatoes, chopped

Salad, bagged

Ranch dressing

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

This is like one of those side salads you get at a BBQ restaurant that is really not a side salad but a meal. It is sooo good, and this coming from a person who doesn't even like ranch dressing all that much. I love that this is an easy gluten free meal when I don't have a ton of time, or energy.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 box spiral noodles, gluten free

1/2 lb bacon

1 1lb chicken, cooked, cooled and shredded

8 mini carrots

1/2 bell pepper

2 tomatoes

4 green onions

1 cup corn

1 packet dry Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Slice the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Fry until crispy and remove to paper towels to cool. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package says (mine said boil 8-12 minutes, I boiled for 7 minutes.)

Slice the carrots, dice the bell pepper, slice the tomato into bite size pieces and thinly slice the green onion.

When the pasta is done cooking, immediately strain and then put the pasta into a bowl of cold water, adding ice (this step is important to keep the pasta from continuing to cook and becoming mush). Let cool.

Make the dressing by mixing the ranch dressing powder with the mayo, milk, and sour cream. Let stand for a few minutes to thicken.

When all ingredients are cooled down, gently toss them all in a large bowl, folding in the dressing and being careful about the pasta. Serve immediately.

I saw a friend making pasta salad the other day and haven't stopped thinking about it, it looked sooo good. I personally have never tried making one before now. Can I tell you that this was delicious? Maybe it's because of the bacon, but I loved it, my husband loved it, my kids loved it (mostly, I mean it does have vegetables).

The ingredients complemented each other nicely, although it was just what I happened to have on hand. I'm sure most veggies would go good in here. The dressing was an experiment, and turned out well, although you could thicken or thin it to your liking.

The most important step would be to make sure your pasta stops cooking immediately, hence the ice water bath. The pasta I used was just a rice spiral and so I was worried about it being obliterated in all the prep, but it held up well. I can't vouch for leftovers though, as we had none.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

*not my picture

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

1/4 cup butter
1 8oz box macaroni, gluten free
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1-2 tablespoons rice flour
1 13-ounce can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and pepper and seasonings and saute for a minute or two. Add the uncooked macaroni and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the water and bouillon cube. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the macaroni is almost done. Add the rice flour and stir well. Stir in the evaporated milk and cheese. Simmer and stir until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

This pasta is very rich and creamy, plus, simple as pie. You could easily add chicken to this for a hearty meal, or you could just serve it as a vegetarian dinner with a salad. I personally, love it as is.

My most favorite gluten free macaroni that I've found is the one pictured above, Ancient Harvest Quinoa Elbows. They retain their shape better than the rice pastas I've tried, plus I can find them at my local grocers, which is really what it's all about. Check often when you are simmering them in the water, you want your pasta to be a little undercooked before you add the milk and cheese.

I would've taken a picture of this recipe, but it's really good hot and we ate it. I blame the children. Trust me on this one, it is yummy, nothing like those boxes of mac n cheese with powdered sauce. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And leftovers will make you happy the next day, although they will not be quite as saucy.

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By the way, for all you readers you are still reading:

You Rock! We will do our best to answer emails timely, post recipes consistently, and be overall better gluten free bloggers. Because you make us happy. Celiac disease is awesome, isn't it?

chicken fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

4 chicken breasts, sliced

1 medium sized onion

2 peppers (any color will do)

McCormick Taco Seasoning (amount to taste)

Corn tortillas, heated to warm

Cook up your onion in a tablespoon of oil until tender and add chicken. Once chicken cooked through add peppers and seasoning and simmer at low-med temperature for about 15 minutes or until peppers are slightly tender. Serve with any desired topping in warm corn tortillas. I like topping mine with cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, and tomatoes with a side of refried beans.

Masitas De Cerdo Fritas

My husband made this recently and I love it. Of course, Frank's hot sauce made it even better.

MASITAS DE CERDO FRITAS

Fried Pork Chunks

2 1/2 lb. fresh pork loin

12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 large onion chopped

1/2 cup sour orange juice (or 1/4 cup orange & 1/4 cup lime juice)

2 cups water

1 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 fresh onion sliced into rings

lime wedges

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

Cut pork into 2 inch chunks. To prepare marinade: mix together garlic, chopped onion, orange juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, oregano, cumin and salt. Pour over pork chunks and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove meat from marinade. Place in pot with two cups of water and 1/2 cup olive oil. Simmer, uncovered until all water boils away -- about 30 to 45 minutes. Brown the pork in the oil until crispy on the outside -- DO NOT overcook! Add onion slices and saute briefly. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve with rice and plantains. You might want to say that it came out dry and that next time, I'm going to slow cook it to make it nice and tender and then brown it in olive oil to make it crispy.

Italian Chicken and Potatoes

Sorry for the bad photo, we were eating dinner so fast cos it was so yummy that I forgot to take a photo until the last piece of chicken was being devoured. Simple crock pot recipe! Better photo and recipe ready for tomorrow (Cuban meal!).

Italian Chicken and Potatoes

4 chicken breasts
1 cup Italian dressing (I probably added another cup to entirely cover the chicken)
1 cup grated parm cheese
4-6 peeled potatoes, cut into wedges

Put all ingredients into crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Stir around occasionally. I like to serve it with a salad. Might be good with corn or steamed carrots on the side.

Chicken Peanut Mole with Cilantro Rice

Recipe and photo from Marci in Texas. Thanks Marci!

Chicken Peanut Mole with Cilantro Rice

Mole Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (I just use 1) cut in 1/2" strips
1 c. chopped onion1 t. chopped garlic
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (I use a 10 oz. Rotel can)
1-3 teaspoons chili powder, to taste (I use 2)
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1 T. baking cocoa
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 T. chopped cilantro

Rice Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt (can be ommitted)
1/2 c. Sweet Orange Marmalade (I use the Walmart brand and it is great)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions for Mole:
- Spray skillet and cook chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown. Remove from skillet.- Spray skillet again. Add onion, cook until softened. Add garlic, cook additional minute.- Stir in broth, tomatoes, chili powder, peanut butter, cocoa, and cinnamon. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer.- Place chicken in sauce. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes to combine flavors.(Sauce may be pureed in blender until smooth if desired - I haven't tried it personally.)

Directions for Rice:- Cook rice as directed but add cumin and salt. - Once rice has cooked add marmalade and cilantro; combine ingredients with fork.

We love the combination of the spicy sauce and the sweet rice!

Tortilla Beef Caserole

Thanks, Marci in Texas, for sending the recipe and photos in. The books looks like a wonderful kitchen helper, I will keep my eye out for it.

Tortilla Beef Casserole

1 package (about 17 oz.) refrigerated fully cooked beef pot roast
(or 1 can roast beef – the canned chicken beef at Costco are my best friends!)
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ cups canned or frozen corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

1.Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spry.
2.Drain and discard gravy from pot roast;cut or shred beef into bite-size pieces.
3.Combine beef, salsa, tortillas, corn and beans in large bowl; mix well. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

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Marci tells us: I found this recipe in a new cookbook I bought at Costco, One Dish. This is my second week with the book and I LOVE it! It was only $10 and has tons of easy recipes that are either gluten-free or easily made gluten-free. We had this tortilla casserole tonight and thought it was super delicious and easy to make!

Chicken Rolls

These are Shelly Bennion's photos and her recipe. I love the one of her darling son eating the goods. p.s. my oldest has the exact same shirt!

Chicken Rolls

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat two muffin pans with non-stick spray or butter.
RollsYou can use your favorite GF roll or muffin mix. Choose a recipe or mix that prepares light & airy rolls. We used Kinnikinnick Bread and Bun mix. Prepare the mix as per the directions. Set bowl aside.

Filling

2 (12.5 ounce) cans of cooked chicken breast

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (or neufchatel for less fat)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder*

1/2 tsp. black pepper*

1/2 tsp. onion powder (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh onions)*

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)*

You can substitute the garlic, onion and parsley for flavors and spices of your own*

Topping

1 package GF crackers, crushed (we used Glutino and added Mrs Dash for flavor)

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Drain chicken. Separate breast meat with a fork. Mix in cream cheese until it is evenly spread. Add garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, parsley and mix thoroughly. Mix in pecans.
Place 1/8 cup of muffin dough into each muffin mold (should fill bottom 1/3/ of muffin tin). Roll a small ball of chicken mix in your hand. Place into the dough and push down. Cover with a scoop of muffin dough. Use a frosting knife to spread the dough around the chicken.
Coat the top of the roll with butter and then sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake as per the directions on the roll/muffin mix.

Serve with your choice of sides. Our boys like it with rice and steamed broccoli!

Thanks, Shelly! These look awesome!

gluten-free meatballs

gluten-free meatballs

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

1/2 to 1 cup corn meal

2 eggs

about 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

In a large bowl beat the eggs and add uncooked ground beef into bowl. Mix well with hands. Add corn meal to desired consistency, I like it to stick well together. Add seasoning and mix well with hands again.

Roll them into 1 inch balls and place in fry pan lightly greased. I found it best to cook them as if they are triangles, flipping them from one of three sides over and over once browned using tongs. Serve with gf spaghetti and I enjoyed it this week with my homemade tomato sauce. Yummy!

Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

Recipe from my friend, Ronna.

Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
1 bottle (16 oz) [gf] barbecue sauce
4-6 cups rice, cooked
Steamed broccoli
Ranch dressing

Place meat in 3 1/2-5 quart slow cooker. Combine pineapple and barbecue sauce and pour over meat. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Layer in bowls: rice, chicken, broccoli, and a little ranch dressing. Makes 4-6 servings.

*I used pork and it still turned out awesome !!!

Fillback's Fried Rice

Recipe from Deborah in Arizona.

Fillback's Fried Rice

4-6 cups rinsed white rice

cooked ham, chicken, or pork, diced

5-6 eggs, beaten

3 carrots, julienne

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 cup [gluten-free] soy sauce

salt & pepper

1-2 bunches green onions, chopped

Place rice in large pan and cover with water plus 1". Boil until almost dry or approximately 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Scramble eggs in large wok. Add meat and carrots and cook 3 minutes. Add cooled rice, spices, and soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Lift rice from bottom, do not stir. Add green onions and hear for 10 minutes.

*may add peas as desired

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I finally mastered the green chili enchilada recipe using a can of gluten-free cream of chicken soup (it was runny the last time I tried). I followed the recipe we posted before. This time I boiled the can of soup first and slowly whisked in rice flour one teaspoon at a time until desired thickness. It was so good our little family ate the entire thing. My toddler had three helpings. Yummy.

I will repost the adjustment to the recipe that worked for me.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

1 can of gf cream of chicken soup

3-4 teaspoons of rice flour

8 oz sour cream

1 small onion, diced

1 (16 oz) jar green salsa, I use Herdez Salsa Verde

1 (4 oz) can green chiles

2 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 dozen corn tortillas

In a saucepan boil the soup and gradually add the rice flour with a whisk until desired thickness (will thicken upon cooling). Set aside to cool. Pour into a large bowl and add sour cream, salsa, and green chiles, onion, and stir. In a 9x13 pan, spread a small amount of sauce. Layer 4 tortillas, chicken, sauce mixture, and cheese. Repeat layers two more times. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Chicken Topped

This is a meal I tried to recreate from one a friend brought our family. Simply layer the following items, bottom to top in a caserole dish:

frozen corn
chicken (seasoned with salt, paprika, pepper)
sliced avocado
sliced tomato
cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, cover and bake another 30 minutes.
Serve with rice and/or salad.

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Chicken Curry

Southern Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Recipe, post, and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

Maybe you've been eyeing that Vietnamese cookbook on the shelf. Maybe you have some of the ingredients on hand, but not all of them. Maybe you have a craving for broccoli.

I tweaked a curry recipe from Cafe Vietnam, by Annabel Jackson. My "edits" are in italics below.

2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into chunks

Nah, too much starch. Let's do broccoli instead.

vegetable oil for frying

8 shallots, minced

Don't have 'em, so skip 'em.

4 stalks fresh lemon grass, minced

Oops, only have two. Oh well.

Pound and tie instead of mincing -- I like to remove my lemon grass after cooking.

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 fresh hot red chilies, minced

Omit, since we're feeding Jasper [age 4] as well.

2 tablespoons mild Indian curry powder

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/4 coconut milk

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

fresh Thai basil leaves (optional)

1. Shallow-fry the potato pieces in hot oil until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Hah, don't have to do this step now.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute the shallots with the lemon grass, garlic, and chilies until soft. Awkward with the whole lemon grass, so add that at next stage. I did add some fresh ginger at this stage, though, just for fun. Add the currypowder and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it is opaque.

3. Add the potatoes, salt, coconut milk, and chicken stock. I added broccoli at this point, but I should have waited even longer and added it after 15 minutes or so. I also threw in some chopped red bell pepper the last five minutes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Garnish with Thai basil leaves, if using.

Ahh, exactly what I wanted.

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Pork Chops

Herb-stuffed Pork Chops

Recipe, post, and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

I sliced boneless pork loin chops lengthwise in half and filled them with fresh herbs. Then I smeared a mixture of olive oil, toasted sesame seeds, salt and pepper on either side before grilling. I threw the herbs in whole, stems and all, so we discarded the herbs before eating. I loved the taste of the herb-infused pork, but in retrospect it does seem a pity to interrupt a thick, juicy, toothsome chop like that. So I'm not sure I'd do it again without first mincing the herbs and mixing with blue cheese or something fatty like that.

Baby artichoke hearts featured as the side dish in this photo.

Beef Briskit

Beef Brisket
adapted from thepioneerwomancooks.com

4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups soy sauce, gluten free of course
2 lemons
5 cloves garlic
1 large brisket, mine was 12 lbs

Juice the lemons, it should be about 1/2 cup. Mince the garlic. Combine broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, and garlic.
In large roaster, place brisket fatty side up. Pour marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 300. Place pan in the oven and cook for 7-8 hours, or until fork tender.
Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, remove fat layer. Slice against the grain. Place slices and extra pieces into a 9x13 pan. Using a turkey baster, suck up the juices from the pan and drizzle over the top of the meat. Serve warm.

Man this was delicious. Of course everything Pioneer Woman makes is. I didn't have the liquid smoke that she called for, but it was good without. I also don't have a fabulous picture because I forgot my camera when I took this over to my mom's house for dinner. But look at Pioneer Woman's picture and imagine a photo that's not nearly as beautiful.
You could serve this with barbecue sauce, or just the au jus. You could chop it all up and put it on rolls. Just be aware that it makes a LOT. Which is good when you visit my mom's.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

1 (8oz) box gluten free spaghetti

1 Tbsp margarine

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Cook the spaghetti as directed, and drain. Return to saucepan and add margarine, stirring until it melts. Add the egg and Parmesan cheese, stirring well.

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey with the onion, pepper, and garlic, cooking until the meat is browned. Drain the fat and add the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Heat on low.

Spray a 2 qt casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Press the spaghetti mixture on bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Spread the ricotta over the spaghetti. Add the meat mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I've been wanting to make this forever, and was very happy with how it turned out (although the picture doesn't do it justice, we ate late that night). The sauce wasn't too runny but still had a ton of flavor, and the ricotta made me feel like I was eating lasagna, which I love. I guess you could use cottage cheese, but why? The tricky part is forming the spaghetti mixture into a crust. Don't feel like you can't break noodles, they aren't supposed to be long. And it doesn't have to look pretty, it just needs to do the job of holding the filling. Mmmmmm, this one's good. I give credit to my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, from which I adapted this recipe.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Salad & Dressing

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

Spinach Salad with Pork, Avocado and Oranges

1 bag baby spinach

1 (not overly) ripe avocado, sliced and cut into chunks

2-3 oranges, peeled, segmented

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced--white and green parts

1/2 sliced, toasted almonds

sliced olives

shredded pork (you can also use chicken)**

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing (recipe below)

Toss all the ingredients together and serve with the dressing. Serves 2-4.

**To prepare the pork:

I like to use my crock-pot for slow cooking pork roasts. This was a very lean pork loin roast. I seasoned it well with salt and pepper and seared it in a very hot cast iron skillet. I cooked the roast on high for a few hours to get it going and then turned it to low for about4 or 5 more hours. Because it didn't have a ton of fat, I also added a bit of water.I let the pork cool a bit and then shredded it with two forks. This makes more than enough for the salad. You will have some leftover. Use in tacos or add some BBQ sauce.

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Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1 cup low fat buttermilk

2-3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa

1 small bunch of cilantro (to taste....)

juice 1/2 a lime

freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Puree in a food processor or blender

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Pad Thai

Pineapple Pad Thai

Recipe, post and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

1 package rice noodles

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed

1 fresh pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings, cut into 1" cubes

1 pound pork loin or tofu cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts

1 bunch mint, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

2. Drain the noodles. Set a wok over high heat for 1 minute, then add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger; saute for 30 seconds. Add the pork and saute until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. [Skip this step if you're using tofu.]

3. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in three-quarters of the tamarind sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Add more sauce if needed. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then push them to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs in the remaining space. Add the protein whatever, broccoli, pineapple, and half the peanuts. Toss to mix. Divide among plates and garnish with the remaining peanuts, the mint, and lime wedges.