Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

This recipe is a great food storage recipe.  You can store all the ingredients you need in your food storage.

The recipe uses the Meals in a Bag strategy.  I got the original recipe from the book, "Gluten Free Food Storage, It's in the Bag," which I would recommend!  I adapted this recipe a little.  All of the ingredients you need for the meal is in the bag, with the recipe with it!  When I make this recipe I like to use about 7 frozen chicken tenders that I thaw and cook in the saucepan first, (with some salt & pepper of course) instead of the canned chicken.  If I'm in a huge rush, or I'm having one of my kids make it, then I'll use the canned chicken breast.

8 cups water
16 oz GF pasta
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (13 oz) can chicken meat, including broth, or 1 pint home-canned chicken breast

Resealable bag:
1 teaspoon salt for pasta

Resealable bag:
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to boil.  Add pasta and salt to boiling water and stir gently.  Return to boil and cook 14-15 minutes or according to desired pasta tenderness.  Remove from heat and drain.  In a medium sauce pan, combine remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Gently toss pasta with tomato sauce until pasta is thoroughly coated. 

Cafe Rio Grilled Chicken Salad

We LOVE Cafe Rio and Costa Vida!  I've experimented with and adjusted some knock-off recipes, and I think you're going to love it!  Enjoy!

These are the ingredients for the salad.  Just start with the warmed corn tortillas on the bottom and build your salad from there!

Corn tortillas  - Heated with a little shredded Colby Jack cheese melted on it.
Black Beans
Lime Rice
Grilled Chicken
Green Leaf Lettuce
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Tortilla Strips
Tomatillo Dressing
Cotija Cheese
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Grilled Chicken
5 lbs chicken breast, boneless skinless
8 oz bottle Zesty Italian dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together.  Marinate for a few hours.  When you're getting ready to cook them, sprinkle with some salt and pepper.  Grill or bake.  I like to use chicken tenders, because I like the size and easiness of it.  I bake them at 400º for about 20 minutes.  Slice the chicken into thin strips.  Keep warm.


Black Beans
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.  Add beans, tomato juice, and salt.  Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Just before serving stir in the cilantro.


Cilantro Lime Rice
2 cups uncooked rice
2 teaspoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 2 teaspoons lime juice, water and bouillon cubes.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  In a small bowl combine the last 3 ingredients; 2 tablespoons lime juice, sugar and cilantro.  Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


Pico de Gallo
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients together in a medium bowl.


Guacamole
This has become our favorite guacamole!

3 avocados
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 large ripe garden tomato or 2 smaller tomatoes, diced
juice of 1 lime
salt
pepper

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients until mixed.  (If you like it spicy you can add 1 jalapeno finely chopped and 4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce)


Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tomatillos, cored
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed

Blend ingredients together in a blender.  Add additional mayonnaise if dressing is too thin.  Keep refrigerated.  If it's not spicy enough, add more jalapeno.


Tortilla Strips
6 - 8 corn tortillas
oil for frying
salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter.  Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy.  When nice and crispy, removed from oil and place on a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt after each batch.  These can be made ahead of time and stored in a Ziploc baggie when cooled.
•  You can also bake these in a 400º oven for about 8 minutes!

Mini Cheesecakes

This is an quick and yummy way to make individual cheesecakes.  You can use whatever kind of gluten free cookies you would like for the crust.  I like to use Glutino's Vanilla Creme cookies.  You can also make your own pecan/pretzel crust.  Top the cheesecake with your favorite pie filling, or fresh berries. They look fancy, and yet you can whip them up in a flash!  This recipe makes 24 cheesecakes.

Gluten free cookies
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Fresh Berries
Strawberry/Raspberry sauce or pie filling (make sure it's gluten free)

Preheat oven to 325º.  Place cupcake liners into cupcake pan.  Pull apart the vanilla creme cookies, and scrape off the creme center of the cookies.  Using just half of the cookie (without the cream), place it into each of the cupcake liners.  (Each cookie makes a crust for 2 cheesecakes.)

Mix the cream cheese and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla and beat it until combined.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Using a spoon, drop batter onto each cookie, about 1/2 full.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool.  Top with fresh berries and raspberry or blueberry pie filling.  You can also blend some fresh strawberries/raspberries and mix them with a little powdered sugar for the topping.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note:  The cheesecake picture above has a homemade nut/pretzel crust in it.  I just blend up pecans and gluten free pretzels.  I add a little sugar.  Then I melt some butter and mix it in until it's moist.  It's my favorite type of cheesecake crust!

Beefy Vegetable Noodle Soup

This hearty soup is colorful and delicious!  It's a one pot meal that is quick to put together.  I love that it uses leftover roast beef and gravy!  My kids aren't huge into soups, but they all loved this one!  It is also perfect to grind up into baby food because it full of veggies, meat and noodles.  My baby loves it as much as anyone!  It is adapted from Valerie Phillips "Beef Vegetable and Noodle Soup" in her Soup's On! cookbook.  (Which is a great find!  It has a lot of soup recipes that are naturally gluten free, or easily adaptable.)

2 cups leftover roast beef, diced
1/2 cup leftover gravy (GF of course!)
1 (16 ounce) pkg frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups frozen diced O'Brien-style hash browns
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried onion
6 beef bouillon cubes (Western Family is gluten free)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups water
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups GF brown rice spiral pasta

Put everything except the salt, pepper and pasta into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Take out bay leaf prior to serving.

Spinach Apple Salad

This is a quick 3 ingredient salad I put together in a rush.  My kids don't love salad and this one they actually ate, so I thought I'd post it.  It's hardly blog-worthy, but as I've said before, my recipe blog is as much for me as anything.  I like to keep a record of recipes we like and will make again.

The Red Wine Vinegar Salad dressing is delicious on many different salads.  My sister likes it on wraps as well!

Spinach
Apples, diced
Pecans
Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing

Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing

1 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Blend well.

Rice Krispie Treats

This quick and easy treat is a true crowd pleaser!!  It takes just minutes to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  I'm so glad the Kellogg's brand starting making Gluten Free Rice Krispies because they taste so much better than the other brands, and they are affordable as well!

1 (16 oz) bag of large marshmallows
1 cube butter
10 cups Rice Krispies

Melt the marshmallows and butter either in a large bowl in the microwave or in a large pan on the stove.  Pour in Rice Krispies and stir until combined.  Pour into a butter cookie sheet and spread out and flatten.  Cool.  Cut into squares and serve.

Minestrone Soup

This Minestrone Soup recipe is definitely a keeper!  My sister Cheyenne gave it to me and told me it was a MUST try!  Wow!  I was completely surprised by the delicious flavor!  It has it all; veggies, pasta, beans, cheese, and delicious spices!  How can you go wrong?  It's hearty and good for you too!

2 slices of bacon, chopped (or 1 oz Pancetta, chopped)
1 1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
3/4 cup celery, minced
1/2 small head green cabbage, chopped in 1 inch pieces
1-2 small zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 quarts whole tomatoes
1 quart water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 (15 - 19 oz) can Cannelloni, Great Northern or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2" x 3" piece of Parmesan Reggiano, cut into smaller pieces
2 cups dried GF pasta (macaroni or shells)

Prepare veggies before you begin and set aside.  Drain and rinse white beans.  Mash half of the beans and leave the other half whole.  Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large soup pot until bacon has released its fat, 2 - 3 minutes.  Add onion and saute until almost tender.  (If bacon doesn't produce enough grease to keep the onions from sticking, add a little olive oil.)  Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add carrots, celery, cabbage, zucchini, rosemary, parsley and basil to the pan.  Cook and stir until veggies begin to wilt, about 5 - 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon, salt, beans, Parmesan cheese, and pasta.  Cook until pasta is tender, about 16 - 20 minutes.  Stir every few minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or keep warm in a crockpot until ready to serve.

•  If adding fresh spices use the following:
        1 4-inch sprig rosemary, chopped
        1/4 cup packed parsley, chopped
        1/2 cup packed basil, chopped

•  I use whole tomatoes I have canned myself.  If using store bought canned tomatoes, I would use stewed tomatoes.

Monster Cookies

These cookies are packed full of deliciousness!  They are a kid pleaser for sure, and adults love them too!  A big thanks to Stacey for sharing them with me!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (creamy or chunky) or cashew, almond or Sunbutter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups GF oats
1 cup M & M's
1/2 cup coconut

Mix in order with a large spoon.  Scoop in 1/4 cup size balls on cookie sheet then flatten a little.  Bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Don't overcook!  You want to keep them chewy.

Alfredo Sauce

 

This recipe is great because it's quick and easy!  My kids love it!  You can stir fry some shrimp or chicken and add on top, or you can just serve the sauce with the pasta!

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons featherlight flour
4 cups milk
1/2 package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
dash of pepper

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add salt and garlic.  Give it a quick stir until garlic is fragrant and then whisk in flour.  (If you cook garlic too much it will turn brown, which won't look pleasant in the white Alfredo sauce.)  Stir until heated through and gradually stir in the milk.  Cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.  Stir in cream cheese and cook until melted.  Add in Parmesan cheese until melted.  Add a dash of pepper and stir.  Serve over gluten free noodles.


Shrimp

This shrimp is crazy easy to make and it tastes so good because of the seasoning!  I buy it at Costco.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning
12 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined with tail removed

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan.  Add 1 tablespoon garlic seasoning.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.

Meatball Curry

The first time I had this my sister made it for me.  I was a little skeptical; meatballs + curry?  I can't tell you what a pleasant surprise it was!  Wow!  I was impressed!  I love the delicious flavors of this meatball curry!  The spices combine so well together to make a flavorful dish.  It's easy to put together and my kids gobble it up!  Prepare all of your ingredients first before you begin cooking so you're ready to add them while cooking.

The original recipe is from Aarti Sequeira on Food Network.  You can find that here.  I make smaller meatballs than she recommends so there are more meatballs for my kids.  I also cut down on the cayenne pepper so it's not too hot.  I omit the water so the sauce is a little thicker as well.

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
1 green Serrano chile or Anaheim chile, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt

Curry:

3 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds
1 cup onions, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch piece) ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 (14-ounce can) coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice (about half a lime)

For the meatballs:  

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, chile, ginger, cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt together using your hands until just combined.  Make 32 balls.  Divide the mixture in half and place on 2 paper plates.  Make 16 balls with each portion. 

For the curry:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the coconut oil until nearly smoking. Add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid so you don't get popping seeds all over you.

When the spluttering subsides, add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook until golden brown. Then add the ground coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir, and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, and salt and bring to boil. Turn down to a simmer and add the meatballs. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

To finish, add the cilantro and lime juice. Shake the pan gently to mix them in, and then taste for seasoning. Serve over rice or over spaghetti!