Steak Quesadillas

Steak Quesadillas

3 Tbsp oil
1 1/2lbs chuck roast

1 package fajita season (McCormick is gf)

1/4 cup water

corn tortillas

shredded cheddar jack cheese

sliced onions

sliced bell peppers

lime juice

Slice beef, going against the grain. (Semi-frozen beef is easier to slice) Cut slices into strips. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add beef. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Add season packet and water. Cook and stir until water is gone. Remove from heat. In separate skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add sliced peppers and onions and saute for 2 minutes or until just barely tender. Remove from heat.

On large griddle, heat a small amount of oil. Make quesadillas by layering corn tortilla, steak strips, peppers, onions, and cheese. Sprinkle a little lime juice and add another corn tortilla to top. Let it cook on one side until cheese is melting and tortilla is a little crispy. Flip and cook on other side for a few minutes. Remove and serve immediately, preferably with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

There are many ways you can vary this. Use chicken instead of beef, slow cook the beef in a crock pot with a jar of salsa, omit the veggies, add different veggies, etc. The constants are the corn tortillas and cheese, cooked over a hot griddle to get the tortillas just a little crispy. Yum.

Eggs Florentine

Ingredients

deli ham

eggs

spinach, mushrooms, or tomatoes

dash of salt

dash of pepper

cheddar cheese

Fill greased muffin tins with deli sliced ham (as if they are cups) and place dried spinach, mushrooms, or tomatoes on the bottom of the ham 'cup'. Put your raw egg in next and top with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then top with cheddar cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Below are photos of the prep:

Kinnikinnick Sunflower and Flax Bread Mix

I received this mix as a gift and put off trying it. I shouldn't have. The Kinnikinnick brand consistenly makes awesome gluten free products, which I have started finding in my area health food stores, like Whole Foods and Sprouts. You can also order directly from their website.

This mix can be made into muffins or bread loaves. The finished product has a texture similar to regular whole grain bread. It's a little sweet, but so tasty. I like the fact that you don't have to use the whole package at once. It even has directions for just one bun. The only thing I don't love about the Kinnikinnick brand is the instructions. They are somewhat vague. And the cooking time is not nearly as long as it instructs. Check out their website for directions that are a little more in depth.

All in all, I highly recommend this bread mix, especially for those in dire need of a bread product that actually tastes like real bread.

The top picture is from their website, here.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz) can green chiles, diced

1 1/2 lbs chicken, cubed*

1 (15 oz) can corn

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 (4 oz) can jalapenoes, diced

30 oz chicken broth, or 4 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes

Tortilla chips, salsa, cheese, sour cream, avocados

In large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender. Add chicken and green chiles. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add corn and pinto beans, undrained. Add chicken broth, cumin, and garlic salt. Use jalapenos to taste, as using the whole can will make for a very spicy soup. I like to use about half, but if you're not into spicy you can omit them entirely. Heat soup over medium low, letting flavors blend for about 20-30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with broken tortilla chips, cheese, and salsa. Also try sour cream and avocados, if you have them.

We always multiply this recipe, simply by adding another can of corn and beans and extra chicken broth. It's been one of our staples for 10 years. Can you tell that we like mexican food?

*You can also use cooked shredded chicken instead. Saute the veggies, and then add the rest of the ingredients including the chicken. That's how I did it for the picture.

Limey Bars

Limey Bars

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup rice flour
2 Tbsp melted butter or margerine
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice

Blend pecan pieces in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Mix with powdered sugar, rice flour and melted butter. Pat into the bottom of a 9x9 in pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, mixing until smooth. Add lime juice. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until just set. Cool 30 minutes, and then chill.

This is another crust you can use in place of a graham cracker crust. The nutty flavor is a little different, although very good. I wanted to add coconut to the crust, but couldn't find it. If I had, I would use about 1/3 cup.

*In this picture, the bars are overcooked because I didn't hear the timer all the way upstairs. They would not normally have a browned top.

Do you like that I posted them anyways?

Cereal

Peanut Butter Panda Puffs

This is my husband's favorite GF cereal.

Peanut Butter Panda Puffs

This cereal, referenced above, is absolutely good, for a few reasons. First, it tastes just like Peanut Butter Cap n Crunch, only a little less sweet and a little more peanutbuttery. Yumm!

Also, you can find it in most stores, either in the cereal aisle or the health foods section.

And lastly, if you crush it, you can use it to make an awesome recipe I'm sure you're all familiar with, 7-Layer Bars. The crushed cereal can be used instead of the crushed graham crackers, and peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch. While I don't have a picture of this, yet, I will post the recipe, as it is delicious.

7 Layer Bars

1 1/2 cups crushed PB Panda Puffs cereal
1/2 cup butter or margerine, melted
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup peanut butter flavored chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Heat oven to 350. In bowl, combine cereal and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Pour milk evenly over crust. Layer chips, coconut and nuts over top. Press down with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This is a recipe that needs to be doubled if used for a main dish. I think it would be a perfect side dish to the PB Noodles I posted or Pad Thai I will post next week.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (thinly chopped and cooked)

1 T ginger root (I think optional, we never add this)

2 T oil

2 T rice vinegar

2 T terriyaki sauce*

1 T honey

1 & 1/2 C shredded carrot

1/2 C green onion

1/3 C sliced almonds

Lettuce

Directions:Add all ingredients except chicken and lettuce into a bowl and stir until combined. Then put mixture into pan with cooked chicken and simmer for 8 minutes. Serve hot with prepared lettuce leaves. Fill leaves with mix and enjoy.

*To make GF terriyaki sauce out of the GF soy sauce: stir in sugar, honey, and ginger to taste.

Taco Salad

Taco Salad

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

1 packet Taco Seasoning (McCormick is GF)*

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes

Lettuce

Shredded Cheese

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Tortilla Chips

Brown ground beef, and drain off fat. Add taco seasoning, pinto beans, and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors blend.

Serve over lettuce and top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips.

This is a recipe that we make all the time. The filling can be used over chips for nachos or in tortillas for burritos as well. In case you hadn't noticed, we eat a lot of Mexican food. And for good reason, most of it is naturally gluten free. Rice, beans, corn tortillas, meats, salsas. All good stuff.

*Make sure to check the label of your taco seasoning. So far the only gluten free brand I've found is McCormick.

Beef and Noodles, or Rice

This recipe originally came from Kraft.

1/4 cup italian dressing

1/4 cup GF soy sauce

1lb. lean boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups sugar snap peas, halved

1 yellow pepper, cut into strips

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional in my opinion)

12 oz. GF pasta - cooked, drained (or rice)

Mix: dressing and soy sauce

Heat: Skilled to med-high. Add steak strips, garlic, 2 Tbsp. dressing mix: cook 3 minutes and set aside (or until steak is barely pink in the middle).

Add: peas, yellow pepper, and remaining dressing mix into skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes. Return steak to skillet, stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoe and parsley. Serve over hot, cooked GF pasta or rice.

Namaste Brownie Mix

* Possibly my best contribution to this site

* I am not one to do much from scratch

* SO worth the $7 price tag

* flaky top, fudgy throughout

Introducing:

(3 eggs, oil, and water is all you need to add and freeze after baked)

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

cake:

2 cups gluten-free flour mix*

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 sticks margarine or butter

1/2 cup water

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

frosting:

1 stick butter

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, and sugar. In medium saucepan, melt 2 sticks butter and then add cocoa and water. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Pour chocolate mixture into flour mixture. Add milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour batter into greased jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 11 in size. Bake 20 minutes.

Meanwhile for frosting, melt 1 stick butter in medium saucepan. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and milk. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Pour hot frosting over warm cake. Serve warm.

*Ahhhh...gluten free flours. If you don't already know, using a mixture of flours works best. The mixture I used for this recipe is 2 parts rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch flour, and 1/3 part cornstarch. After mixing these together, you then measure and use in place of wheat flour in your recipes. I find this particular flour mixture works well, and the flours are not too difficult to find in my area. I am not a huge fan of online shopping when it comes to food, as I don't like to wait, so if I can find it in a nearby store, then it's a winner in my book.

Potato starch flour is not the same thing as potato flour. You can find it in a health food store like Whole Foods or Sprouts. I found this mixture recipe in Bette Hagman's book, The Gluten-Free Gourmet.

Pizza!

This is another recipe I got from Melanie, one we make multiple times a month. I am posting it the way we cook it, but Mel- please add any tips or variations you use.

Recipe
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup rice flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings (pepperoni, green pepper, and mushrooms are usuals for us)

Directions:
Wisk eggs and milk together. Stir in the corn starch, flour, gum, and salt. Dough should be like cookie dough. Add more rice flour if it's too sticky, I normally add a tablespoon extra.

Spead onto greased 9x13 pan (use a greased spatula or greased roller). Spead sauce evenly over unbaked crust and top with cheese and favorite toppings (be light in the middle so it doesn't get soggy). Bake preheated in 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

The Xanthan Gum required is worth the trip to the health food store, this package of powder is about $9, but has lasted me well over a year!

Sorry for the bad photos on this post- dinner was rushed and the nice camera was not available at the moment!

Italian Roll-up Meatloaf

Picture 1Picture 2
Picture 3

Italian Roll-up Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

2 eggs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2/3 cup spaghetti sauce

1 cup oats*

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic salt

4 oz thinly sliced ham

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

2/3 cup spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 350. Line large cookie sheet with foil, and spray foil with nonstick spray.

In large bowl, mix ground beef, onion, eggs, parmesan cheese, 2/3 cup spaghetti sauce, oats, italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Pat out on foil into large rectangle, about 9 x 13 in size. Lay ham on top, and sprinkle cheese, leaving room around the edges, per picture 1. Lift foil at one end and begin rolling slowly, per picture 2. Once rolling is complete, pat down ends and cover any holes, per picture 3. Cut off some of extra foil. Drizzle remaining 2/3 cup spaghetti sauce over roll and bake 45-55 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting.

This is one of my favorite recipes! It sounds like a ton of work, but really isn't. The rolling part is very forgiving. If the meat mixture sticks to the foil, just pat it back on. If any cheese is showing after the roll, smoosh it down and cover with meat mixture. It will inevitably have melted cheese oozing out and not look very pretty, but that's okay, it still will taste great!

*Once again about the oats, if you cannot tolerate them, try using 1/2 cup potato flakes. I've used them and found no difference in taste.

Easy Cheesy Pie

Easy Cheesy Pie

1 Easiest Pie Crust
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping*
1 (6 oz) container strawberry yogurt*

Mix cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping and yogurt. Pour into pie crust. Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

*I used the strawberry flavored Coolwhip for this picture. While it tastes good, I might prefer the taste of regular Coolwhip. If you go with regular Coolwhip, can also use any yogurt flavor you so desire.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 ¼ lbs ground beef or ground turkey
1 egg
1 envelope onion soup mix
¼ cup barbeque sauce
½ cup oats*
Sauce:
1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
¼ cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons corn starch
½ cup water
1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks

Cooked rice

Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Combine meatball ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well. Form into about 20 meatballs. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until browned throughout.

Meanwhile, whisk together reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar in saucepan. In separate container, combine cornstarch and water, and pour into sauce pan. Heat until thickened. Add pineapple chunks and bell peppers and remove from heat.

Serve meatballs over rice, and ladle sauce on top.

*Oats do not contain gluten, but some people cannot tolerate them due to cross-contamination or otherwise. Out of the 3 celiacs in our family, 2 can eat oats. If you cannot, use potato flakes or grated parmesan cheese instead. It will have a slightly different flavor.

Peanut Butter Noodles

I got this recipe from my friend, Lindsey, but I use gluten-free soy sauce and adjusted some details to my taste. Le Choy is a brand easily available at your grocery store, but I prefer the taste of Tamari. I usually find it at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Amazon.com).

Recipe:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup soy sauce

ginger (few dashes)

garlic powder (few dashes)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

red pepper flakes (start with one dash and add more to your liking)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

noodles, cooked

1/2 cup crushed peanuts, optional

1/4 cup chopped cucumber, optional

Directions:

Add above ingredients into sauce pan and cook on low-med heat until melted. Be careful not to overcook! Toss with cooked rice or brown rice noodles. I have also added cooked, shredded chicken to this and with additional soy sauce find it a nice, filling meal. I love it best served with crushed peanuts and chopped cucumber on top.

This is a tricky recipe for me, I burn things often. I recommend getting the sauce ingredients pulled together and set aside in the pan, but do not begin to heat it until the noodles are almost done.

Easiest Pie Crust

Easiest Pie Crust

1 box Pamela's Pecan shortbread cookies

In blender, crush all 9 cookies. If you get chunks, use your fingers to break up. Pat into pie plate using a spoon or fingers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Fill and use instead of a graham cracker crust.

I buy these at my local grocer, Fry's for those wondering. I used to add 4 Tbsp melted margerine but found it unnecessary, as the cookies stick together pretty well. If you want a firmer crust, add 1 Tablespoon of melted butter at a time until you get the consistency you like. Pamela's gingersnaps and chocolate cookies also make good crusts. Pamela makes some very good products, including brownie mix and pancake mix, that we will be discussing later.

Larabar

I recieved this product free in a race packet, in the key lime pie flavor. I was surprised to see it labeled as gluten-free, and tried it immediately. Mmmmmmmmmm. I mentioned them to my sister, also a celiac, and she said she buys them at Sprouts often. Why didn't she tell me about them? They come in many flavors, but I've only tried the key lime and lemon. I hear the other flavors are just as good. I was pleased to see them sold in bulk at Costco as well. It's a handy snack that tastes supreme. Check them out here. They have an awesome search that lets you find a store near you that sells them.

Parmesan Chicken

This is a version of my mom's recipe, a dish made frequently when I was a child. She would use bone-in chicken, which is very tasty, but I prefer boneless skinless. If you can find gluten-free breadcrumbs, try using them instead of the rice flour. For the marinara sauce, I just use Ragu Traditional and for the pasta I use DeBoce rice spaghetti, which is found at my local grocer in the health food aisle. You could also pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle on mozzerella and bake it for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Mmmmm. My whole family will eat this meal, even the picky one.

Parmesan Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter or margerine
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp rice flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1 jar marinara sauce
rice spaghetti

Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and spray foil with nonstick spray.
In a shallow dish, mix parmesan cheese, flour, and garlic salt. In a different shallow dish, melt butter.
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Dip one piece of chicken in butter, and then coat in cheese mixture. Place on foil and repeat with remaining chicken.
Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken juices are clear.
While chicken is baking, cook spaghetti according to directions and heat the marinara sauce.
Serve chicken with spaghetti and a salad.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Awesome gluten-free chocolate chip peanut butter cookies (got recipe from you, Melanie)!

Recipe:

2 eggs

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips (oops- I used a whole bag and we loved them!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs. Stir in peanut butter and sugar. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Ham Casserole

Ham Steak, cooked and cubed
2 Eggs, beaten
¾ Cup milk
Mashed potatoes (5 potatoes worth)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Cheddar Cheese

Combine all listed ingredients and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Sprinkle extra cheddar cheese during last 5 minutes.

This is a fluffy, filling meal with easy ingredients we usually have on hand. Works well with a salad on the side or a fresh vegetable.

Kame Rice Crunch Crackers

My sister discovered these crackers in the ethnic aisle of my local grocer, among the chinese and asian foods. They say on the package, "No added gluten", and then say that they are manufactured in a plant that uses gluten. This is very common on products, and it's your call as to whether you want to risk it. I have personally never had any problems with them.

I love to eat them with cheddar cheese and apples, and they are awesome with peanut butter. Actually, I think you could put pretty much anything on them that you would a regular cracker. They come in a few flavors, my favorite being sesame. They are very crunchy, but have a tendancy to break if using to scoop up thick dips. The best part is that they are easy to find. Not only that, but they are a great food for lunches, as they pack well.

Enchilada Pie

I found the core of this recipe in a magazine, but tweaked it to fit my family. My husband loves it enough to eat it weekly, although I try not to make it that often. It makes a lot of food, but the leftovers are just as good. Check the labels on your enchilada sauce and tortillas, some contain gluten. If you can't find a canned gf encilada sauce, I use Las Palmas, buy a McCormick brand package. You just need to add water and tomato sauce to it.

Enchilada Pie

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 package ground turkey, about 1 1/4 lbs
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (10 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes
1 can (20 oz) red enchilada sauce, divided in half
1 can (4 oz) green chiles
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 corn tortillas
1 bag shredded cheddar jack cheese
Toppings: sour cream, guacamole, and salsa (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and saute 3-4 minutes. Add turkey; cook, breaking up into chunks, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, tomatoes, half enchilada sauce, and chiles. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes to develop flavors. Remove from heat and add corn and beans.

Heat oven to 350.

Assemble enchiladas: Line bottom of a 9x13 pan with 4 tortillas, torn in large pieces. Top with half of meat mixture, then about one third of the cheese. Top with 4 more tortillas, and the other half of the meat mixture, and another third of cheese. Top with last 4 tortillas and pour the other half of the enchilada sauce over them.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese on it. Bake another 10 minutes until cheese melts.

Cool 5 minutes to let it set and serve with toppings, if desired.

Knorr Chicken Bouillon

This is one product I always have on hand in my kitchen. I've searched many stores to find gluten-free bouillon, as it's an item I use often. I found one, but at a specialty store that I don't frequent. Then I stumbled across this at my local grocer. It was in the wierdest of places, the ethnic aisle amongst the hispanic foods. Sometimes they put it with the other soups, but not all the time. It also comes in powdered form in a jar, which I find handy to season stir-fry with.

It's cheap, easily accessible, and gluten-free, hence an awesome product. Use it to make chicken broth, 1 bouillon cube to 2 cups water.

They have a website www.us.knorr.com that shows the other products made by Unilever Bestfoods. I called their phone number, 1-866-KNORR01, and was told that while they can't guarantee that a product will always be gluten-free, if a product has gluten in it, the package will list it on the label. It will also list any of the other top 7 allergens as well.

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Salad

I got this recipe from Hap.haz.ard today and had to try it. The only words that come to mind are "best meal I have ever made". I hope you will give it a shot, it's worth work that goes into it.

***
3-4 lbs pork roast (can substitute chicken)
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups salsa

Mix above ingredients in a crock pot and let cook for 10 hours on low.

Dressing:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
Cilantro (1-2 bunches to taste)
1/2 cup salsa verde
Jalepeno pepper (use a little at first and determine level of spice you want)
2 medium cloves of garlic

Put all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
** I halfed this recipe and it was still plenty for 4 people.

Trimmings for the Salad:- Tortillas- Black/Pinto beans- Guacamole- salsa- Rice (I use spanish rice with pinto beans)- Cheese- Sour cream- Tortilla strips (or crumbled chips).

To assemble- I heat a tortilla with cheese in a skillet on the stove (I just layed chips). Then move to a bowl or plate. Add rice, pork, lettuce, tortilla strips, sour cream, guacamole, and any other above trimmings listed.