Broccoli Cheese Soup

My aunt Jeanette used to make this soup every Christmas Eve!  It has become one of our family favorites!  I'd had to say it's my boys favorite soup.  I like this particular recipe because of all the veggies in it, and it's simple to put together!  The original recipe had twice as much butter/flour, but I've found it's not necessary, especially when it's made gluten free.  It makes a huge amount, big enough for a crowd!

4 quarts water
12 chicken bouillon cubes
5 - 6 cups vegetables:
     1 cup onions, diced
     1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
     1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
     2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch cubes
28 ounces frozen broccoli florets
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 cubes)
3/4 cup featherlight flour
1 15 ounce jar Cheese Whiz

Bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil.  Add veggies and simmer until tender.  Add frozen broccoli and continue to simmer.  In a separate pan, melt the butter.  Add the flour to the butter.  Whisk and cook until thickened.  Pour butter/flour mixture into soup, and stir.  Add Cheese Whiz.  Stir and cook until ingredients are combined well.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These meatballs are delicious!  The flavor is amazing; sweet and tangy!  The recipe comes from the Lion House.  Double batches work great.

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup gf oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350º.  Combine all ingredients; mix well.  Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter.  Place in casserole dish.  Cover with sauce (below).  Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes.  Make 6 to 8 servings, 2 large meatballs each.

Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (make sure it's gf)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly.  Heat and pour over meatballs.

Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

This sugar cookie recipe is delicious!  It's from eatingglutenfree.com.  The cookies seem a little hard after they are cooked, but when you frost them, the frosting softens the cookie!  They taste as yummy as "normal" sugar cookies! You could also use this recipe for Fruit Pizza.

1 3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups featherlight flour
1 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, pudding mix, and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Add vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add to creamed mixture.  Chill about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Sprinkle clean counter with featherlight flour.  Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutters and place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-11 minutes.  The edges will start browning, but the tops will still be very light.  Cool.  Frost with cream cheese frosting, and decorate.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
about 1 pound powdered sugar (maybe a little more)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend cream cheese and butter well.  Beat in powdered sugar.  And vanilla and beat.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

These cookies are so easy!  You can't beat the peanut butter and chocolate combination!  They also have no flour in them, imagine that!

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
24 - 30 Hershey kisses

Preheat oven to 350º.  Cream peanut butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat until blended.  Roll into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350º for 10 - 12 minutes, or until tops are slightly cracked.  Remove from oven and immediately press one Hershey kiss into center of each cookie.  Cool 5 minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks.

Note:  Don't use reduced fat or generic brands of peanut butter.

Chicken with Green Curry Sauce

I really love this curry recipe!  It's quick to put together and loaded with flavor.  It has a little bit of a kick to it, which I like!

1 T olive oil

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed

salt & pepper

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

1 (4 oz) can diced green chili's

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon corn starch

Cooked rice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cook chicken in olive oil.  Season with salt & pepper.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, green chilies, curry powder, garam masala, and cumin.  Add mixture to cooked chicken and simmer 5 minutes.  The sauce will be quite runny.  To thicken it up a bit, mix one teaspoon cornstarch with 2 T cold water and add it to the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken.  Stir in cilantro.  Serve chicken and green curry sauce over rice.

Chicken Cabbage Tacos

This is a refreshingly different taco!  The crunch from the cabbage and the combination of flavors is delicious!

10 chicken tenders, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 - 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Corn tortillas
Cabbage, shredded
Cucumber, peeled, Julienne cut
Tomato, diced
Green chili taco sauce, or your favorite hot sauce
Ranch dressing

Saute chicken in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add lime juice, cumin, chili powder.  Cook until chicken is cooked through.  Add cilantro, and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes.

Assemble the tacos with chicken, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, taco sauce and Ranch dressing.  Roll up and serve.

Note:  I really like La Victoria Green Taco Sauce

Tator Tot Casserole

I like this dish because it's quick to put together, and everyone enjoys it - kids and adults alike!

 

1 lb hamburger
3 tablespoons featherlight flour
2 cups water
3 gf beef bouillon cubes
1 quart green beans, drained
Tator Tots, frozen (Ore-Ida is gluten free)
McCormick Season All seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 450º.  Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the featherlight flour.  Cook and stir for about 1 minute, then stir in the water.  Add the beef bouillon cubes, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the bouillon is dissolved and the gravy is thickened.  Add green beans and mix.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Top with frozen Tator Tots.  Season the Tator tots with seasoned salt.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

I like this freezer jam recipe because it has the fresh strawberry taste!  The clear jel thickens the jam, without having to add more sugar.

10 cups strawberries, slightly blended
1 cup Karo syrup
4 cups sugar
2/3 cup clear jel

Wash and remove stems from strawberries.  Place strawberries in the blender and slightly blend.  I like to leave a few small chunks of strawberries.  Measure 10 cups berries into a large bowl.  Add the corn syrup and stir.  In a separate bowl measure the sugar and clear jel and stir.  Gradually pour the sugar mixture into the strawberries, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into pint jars and freeze.  Makes 8 pints.

I haven't been able to find clear jel lately.  I'm now using E-Z Gel that I purchased from Gygi's in Salt Lake City.  It works really well!  

When I use E-Z Gel, I use the following measurements:

5 cups strawberries, blended

1/2 cup Karo Syrup

2 cups sugar

10 tablespoons E-Z Gel

10 cups strawberries, blended

1 cup karo syrup

4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups E-Z Gel

15 cups strawberries, blended

1 1/2 cups Karo Syrup

6 cups sugar

2 cups E-Z Gel

Chicken Nacho's

My husband and I used to make this all the time!  It's one of those "remember when" meals that we attach to early in our marriage, before we had any children!  It's a favorite!  I serve it with guacamole and salsa.  It serves 8 to 10 people.

Chicken:
Saute about 2 1/2 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or 12 chicken tenders cut up, in 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Cook and stir until no longer pink, 3 - 5 minutes.  Stir in McCormick Chicken Taco seasoning packet and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 - 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

On a cookie sheet layer:
     Tortilla chips
     Cheddar Cheese
     Chicken

Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.  Watch it carefully so the cheese isn't too done - only a few minutes.

Top with:
     6 - 7 green onions, sliced
     1 6 ounce can olives, sliced
     3 Roma tomatoes, diced

Serve immediately!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

It's nice to change up pizza every once and a while.  For this recipe, use the Yummy Gluten Free Pizza Crust recipe.  Make sure your BBQ sauce is gluten free.

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Cook chicken until mostly done, then add the BBQ sauce and onions.  Saute until onions are soft.

Spread the crust with another 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.

Top with:
     Chicken mixture
     1/2 - 1 cup sliced mushrooms
     1/2 of a green pepper, sliced
     1/2 of a red pepper, sliced
     1 tomato, diced

Top with 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350º for 12 - 15 minutes.