Chocolate Mint Cookies

These cookies remind me of Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies!  Yum!  They have a little crunch to them and the subtle mint flavor!  They are a breeze to mix up and are a great go-to cookie when you need something quick!

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free devils food cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar
Andes Mints

Preheat oven to 350º.  Mix ingredients in a bowl with a spoon until combined.  Put about 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes at 350º.  When they come out of the oven place an Andes Mint on each cookie and let it melt for a minute or two.  Then, using a spoon spread the chocolate all over the top of the cookie.  Remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack and let it cool.

Broccoli Salad

This salad is great because it uses fresh broccoli, and it appeals to kids because it also has bacon.  It's quick to put together and it's great to make ahead of time.  In fact you don't want to eat it right after you put it together.  You want to let the dressing merry with the salad.  I've seen similar recipes, but I like this dressing better than others that have more sugar or Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.  

Dressing:
Mix and let stand:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Salad:
2 bunches broccoli, wash and cut off flowerets
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Mix together and let stand and hour or more.

Crockpot Soft Tacos

One of my quick go-to-recipes is Taco's.  I wanted something quick, but that could make ahead and cook in the crockpot for a few hours, so I came up with this recipe.  It's great!  I made it at 4 pm, stuck it in the crockpot, ran to my son's basketball game and it was ready to eat when we got home!

I was going to use refried beans but I didn't have any in my pantry, so I just used kidney beans and mashed them up.  Use whatever you've got!  It's a little bit spicy, but wasn't too spicy for most of my kids (2 year old was the exception.)  If you want to make it really mild, just substitute a can of diced tomatoes for the can of diced tomatoes and green chilis.

I've found that corn tortillas are delicious if they are heated in a pan on the stove.  I'm not a fan of cold or microwaved corn tortillas - yuck!  Anyway, heat up the tortilla's and assemble your taco with your favorite toppings!  We love it topped with our favorite Guacamole recipe!

1 lb hamburger
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes with green chili's
1/4 cup or 1 package taco seasoning  (I prefer McCormick)

Corn tortillas
lettuce
cheese
guacamole
tomatoes
slice olives

Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper.  While cooking the meat, drain and rinse kidney beans and put in crockpot.  Smash kidney beans with a potato masher.  Add the following ingredients to the beans in the crockpot:  cooked hamburger, drained & rinsed black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with green chili's and taco seasoning.  Stir together.  Cook on low for 2 - 3 hours.  Serve with your favorite taco toppings!

Chicken Tikka Masala

I don't know about you, but dinner time at our house is always the busiest!  Talk about craziness!  There's scouts, baseball practice, basketball games, Young Men activities at our church, meetings at the school, not to mention trying to keep the boys on task with homework and chores!  The crockpot has become a tried and true friend!

When I found this recipe from the Table for Two blog I was excited to try it!  It's nice because there's not a lot of prep and it tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen1  It's also great to find an Indian crockpot recipe!

I used chicken tenders and just left them whole.  If you use chicken breasts, cut them into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  It is a little spicy, but not too much.  If you like it mild just add a dash of cayenne pepper or leave it out completely.  This makes a huge batch!

20 - 24 chicken tenders or 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (about 3 lbs)
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 (29 oz) can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)

Place chicken in the crockpot.  In a large bowl mix all ingredients from onion down through the cayenne pepper.  Pour on top of the chicken.  Place the bay leaves on top.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.  I used frozen chicken tenders and cooked it on high for 1 hour and low for 7 hours.  When it's done take out the bay leaves.  Whisk the cream and cornstarch in a small bowl then stir into the chicken mixture.  Let it cook for 20 more minutes to thicken.

Serve over rice.  You can top it with parsley or cilantro.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Every time I walk into the restaurant Cafe Zupas my heart skips a beat wishing I could try the Cauliflower soup.  I settle for the gluten free Tuscan Bean & Vegetable, which is very good, but oh how I wish they were all gluten free.  I've been on the hunt for Cauliflower soup recipe and have tried a few that were not so good, but I've finally found one that is delish!  This recipe is adapted from the Chef in Training blog and you can find the original recipe here.  My family likes a little texture in our soup, so I don't blend it toward the end.  That's why you can see a little celery in the photo.  The directions for both ways are listed below.

You can find my recipe for the breadsticks here.

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup featherlight flour, or another all-purpose GF flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint half and half
1/2 cup milk
3 1/2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan add butter, onion and celery and saute for about 10 minutes, until very soft.  Add flour and stir until flour is heated about a minute.  Slowly add half and half, milk, water and bouillon cubes, stirring constantly.  Add chopped cauliflower and heat to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

Here is where you make a choice; texture or smooth?

     Texture:  If you like a little texture in your soup, whisk the soup to break the cauliflower into  
                    smaller pieces.

     Smooth:  If you like the soup smooth, place soup into a blender and blend.  Then return soup to the
                    saucepan and heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in mustard and cheese until melted and smooth.  Top with shredded cheese for garnish.

Kung Pao Chicken

This recipe is awesome!  It satisfies my cravings for Chinese food!  Some homemade Chinese food recipes seem complicated and time consuming, but this one is not.  I've adapted this recipe from Blog Chef.  You can find the original recipe here.

I'm more of a mild girl than a spicy one.  I was hesitant with the red pepper flakes wondering if it would be too spicy for all of my kids, but it was just about right.  It was spicy, but not crazy spicy.  My kids all loved it.  If you're a super mild person you could add a little less.

This recipe will serve about 6.  Note to self:  When I make this again I'm going to need more chicken to feed my family.  I'll add another 6 tenders, or use chicken breasts.  I'll probably keep everything else the same, but use 1/2 cup peanuts instead.

12 - 13 chicken tenders (cut into 1" pieces)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup GF soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
3 green onions, chopped (use all of it!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Prepare chicken by cutting it into 1 inch pieces, and place in a bowl.   Make sure it is fresh, or completely defrosted.  Add cornstarch to chicken and toss to coat.

Heat sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium heat.  Add chicken and stir-fry 5 - 7 minutes or until no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from pan.

While chicken is cooking, in another small bowl make the sauce by combining rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.  Mix well.  (I like to use La Choy Lite soy sauce.)

Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and powdered ginger to the pan and stir fry for 15 seconds.  Add the sauce and stir together.  Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce.  Stir in roasted peanuts.  Heat thoroughly.  Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over rice.

Copycat P. F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

One of my favorite things at P. F. Changs is their lettuce wraps!  This recipe is quick and easy to make and it tastes just like it!  To save time you can use prepared fresh garlic and ginger.  The brand of Chili Garlic Sauce I use is Lee Kum Kee.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 can of water chestnuts, but if you like a little more crunch you can add the whole can.  Also, if you like it hotter, add more chili garlic sauce.  I've doubled this recipe and it works great!     

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons GF soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 - 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
dash of fresh pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 - 1, 8-ounce can water chestnuts
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
iceberg lettuce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add ground chicken and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often to break up the meat.  When chicken is nearly done, add the minced garlic and the ginger.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

While chicken is cooking, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, and rice vinegar in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 20 seconds and stir until smooth. When the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine.

Add chili garlic sauce according to the level of heat you like.  (I like about 1 teaspoon.). Add green onion, water chestnuts, and peanuts into the skillet.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.  Serve with iceberg lettuce and rice.  

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake is pumpkin goodness!  Yum!  It's like pumpkin pie, but better!  It's adapted from Paul Deens recipe that you can find here.  The crust is especially good and I think I'll use this crust for all my cheesecake recipes.  The brown sugar gives it more of a graham cracker crust flavor!  I put a little salt in the crust because the shortbread cookies are lacking a little I think.

Crust:
1 (7 ounce) pkg Schar Shortbread cookies
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almond flour
3 heaping packed tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8 ounce) pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg  yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons GF flour blend
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place shortbread cookies in a ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin smash the bag of cookies into fine crumbs.  Pour crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan.  Add almond flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the crumbs and mix well.  Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir until combined.  Press down flat into the pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and pumpkin and mix until combined.  Add eggs one and a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat together until well combined.  Pour onto crust and spread out evenly.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Hungarian Goolash

I'm currently the Relief Society Emergency Preparedness specialist in my LDS ward.  One goal I have is to help women come up with meals that they can have on hand in case of emergency.

I've started putting together some meal ideas that I can have on hand for a 3 month supply of food.   This one is perfect for it!  It is a quick meal I can put together with the food in my pantry, plus ground beef.  The recipe calls for 1 lb of hamburger which is what I will usually use, because I have a freezer full of ground beef.  Although, I am in the process of finding some canned beef that is gluten free that I can have in my food storage.  This would be a good recipe to use it with.

This recipe reminds me of the days as a young wife, prior to Celiac disease when I would cook "Hamburger Helper" after a long day at school.  I have to say this is WAY better than my memories of "Hamburger Helper," but the same idea.  Plus, my kids love it!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, minced or 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 cube GF beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons featherlight flour
3 cups dry GF pasta

Cook pasta, according to directions.  In a large skillet, brown hamburger, onions, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add water, bouillon, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, paprika, dry mustard,  and cayenne pepper.  Simmer about 10 minutes.  Mix flour and water.  Stir into beef mixture, and simmer until thickened.  Drain pasta and combine everything!

Swedish Pancakes

My Grandma got this recipe from a Swedish woman.  It was always a family favorite in my home growing up.  I've since adapted it to make it gluten free, and it's delicious!  We eat Swedish Pancakes all year long, but it's also the favored Christmas morning breakfast dish!

2013 update:
I make these crepes all the time, but this morning I learned something new about them.  I was trying to be ultra prepared and measured out the ingredients ahead of time.  I put the xanthan gum with the flour and mixed it up prior to adding it to the egg mixture.  BIG MISTAKE!  Because of the nature of xanthan gum, the more you mix it, the thicker it gets.  With this recipe it makes it way too thick.  So the bottom line is:  Add the xanthan gum after you've added the milks, sugar, salt and flour.  Mix it a little, then add the water.  If it gets too thick, add a little more water until it's a thin consistency.  If it's too thin, mix it a little bit more and it will thicken up.

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
3 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup water


Beat eggs completely.  Keep the mixer going on a slow speed the entire time you're adding ingredients.  (I use a Bosch and keep it on a 1.) Beating constantly add milk, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt.  Add flour.  Then add xanthan gum.  Add 1 cup water.  Turn off mixer and pour the batter into a large pitcher to make it easier to pour each pancake into the pan.  Cook on hot, buttered griddle or in frying pan, spreading thinly over surface to make a large, thin pancake.  You may need to play with the temperature that you cook it on.  I cook it at about medium high.  Serve with butter and maple syrup.

We also love Swedish Pancakes as a dessert with fresh berries and whipped cream or ice cream!  Other toppings we like are nutella, bananas, chocolate syrup, etc.  Be creative!