Rice Vinegar Asian Salad

Just finished tossing this together for dinner tonight.  Going to serve it with some Tilapia.  It was one of the easiest recipes I've ever made.  It was done in no time and it's healthy and delicious!  I'm not sure if my kids will like it, but I know my husband will!  It would make a great snack!  Crunchy, tangy, a little spicy, and fun to eat with chop sticks!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from Allergy-Proof Recipes for Kids, by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger.

RICE VINEGAR ASIAN SALAD

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 - 16 oz. bag prepared coleslaw cabbage
Cayenne or black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds

1)  In a large bowl, mix together vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, olive oil and honey.

2)  Stir in cabbage mixture, pepper, and scallions until thoroughly coated.  Toss in sunflower seeds and stir.

NOTES:

~I did use rice vinegar, but if you don't have it, this recipe would be delicious with apple cider vinegar too.

~I'm not a big fan of vegetable oil and most canola oil is GMO.  I would recommend something healthier like safflower oil.  I'm wondering if peanut oil would give it a nuttier flavor maybe?

~When it was done, I thought it was too tart, so I added an extra tablespoon of honey!  Play around with it until you are satisfied!  Even with the tablespoon I added, it was still pretty tart.

~I used 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper and I thought it was just the right amount of spice.  For my kids, I might use a little less.

~I toasted the sunflower seeds by placing aluminum foil on a baking sheet, spraying it with non-stick cooking spray and baking them at 375F for 5-6 minutes.  When you can smell them, they are done!  Let them cool before throwing them into the salad.  Also, I used more than a tablespoon, probably more like 1/4 cup.

Beer Cheese Soup

Tried this recipe the other night for dinner!  Oh my, super delicious!!  I served it with gluten-free corn muffins and it was a hit at my house!  I didn't serve it to my kiddos, since the beer is added so near the end, and I don't think they would like the taste anyway, it's pretty strong, so I just made them chicken and cheese quesadillas while my husband and I enjoyed the soup!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from the 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes cookbook, by Carol Fenster.

BEER CHEESE SOUP

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups gluten-free chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 cups grated mild Cheddar cheese
1 - 12 oz. bottle gluten-free beer
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or 1 teaspoon dried, for garnish
Sweet paprika, for garnish

1)  In a heavy soup pot, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2)  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the salt, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and 1 3/4 cups of the broth.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

3)  In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour with the remaining 1/4 cup broth until smooth and then add to the soup pot, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens slightly.  Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the Cheddar until it is thoroughly melted.

4)  Puree the soup in batches in a blender, or with an immersion hand blender if you prefer a smoother texture.

5)  Just before serving, add the beer to the soup and return the soup to the stove, bringing to serving temperature over low heat.  Garnish with the parsley and paprika and serve hot.

NOTES:

~I did not have white pepper, so I just used regular black pepper.  If you have white pepper, use that, but if you don't, don't sweat it!

~I recommend using a chicken broth that does not contain MSG.  The best thing is to make your own if you can!  I have a great recipe for it on my blog!

~I think I would recommend a lighter beer for this recipe.  I used an amber ale and it was pretty strong.  A little too strong, I think.  Next time I will try a pale ale or something a little lighter.

~You could also garnish with a little nutmeg, if you don't have any sweet paprika.  Regular paprika would work well too.  It's more just for looks anyway.

Carol's Sorghum Blend

This is a great gluten-free flour blend from Carol Fenster.  She wrote one of my favorite cookbooks, which uses the flour blend for many of it's recipes!  It's called 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes!  The recipe for the flour blend is in that cookbook, among many other delicious gluten-free recipes!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

CAROL'S SORGHUM BLEND

Makes 4 cups

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch or cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour

1)  Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.  Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place for up to 3 months.

NOTES:

~You may refrigerate or freeze the blend, but bring to room temperature before using.  You may double or triple the recipe.

~I highly recommend using a scale for measuring the flour!  Here are the conversions for the 4 types of flour listed in the recipe.  Just do the math to figure out how much you need.  The conversions are for 1 cup!

Sorghum Flour:  1 cup = 127 grams
Potato Starch:  1 cup = 170 grams
Cornstarch:  1 cup = 128 grams
Tapioca Flour:  1 cup = 125 grams

Chocolate Chip Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle

I tried this recipe the other day and WOW, was I impressed!  I would call these cupcakes, instead of muffins, they are like a decadent dessert!  So moist and fluffy, you would NEVER know they are gluten-free!  My chocolate loving son gobbled them up!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS:  The recipe comes from the 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes, by Carol Fenster.

CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk, warm (about 110F)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Carol's Sorghum Blend (see notes)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups gluten-free semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

Drizzle:

1/2 cup chopped gluten-free white chocolate, melted
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1)  Place a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Generously grease each cup of a standard 12-cup non-stock (gray, not black) muffin pan or line with paper cups.

2)  Make the muffins:  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds.  Add the milk, oil and vanilla and beat on low speed just until blended.

3)  In a small bowl, whisk together the sorghum blend, sugar, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients until the batter is smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the chocolate chips and almonds.  Divide the batter evenly in the muffin pan.

4)  Bake until the muffin tops are firm, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes.  Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool another 5 minutes.

5)  Make the drizzle:  In a small bowl, whisk together the white chocolate and enough milk to make a think smooth frosting.  Drizzle the white chocolate mixture back and forth across the tops of the muffins.  Serve immediately.

NOTES:

~If you use all of the batter, the muffin cups will be very full, not your usual 2/3 full, but don't worry, they may look a little funny in the oven, like they are exploding, but they will turn out great!

~I did not use the almonds, because I wanted to keep them kid-friendly, but I think they would be delicious with the nuts in them!  Walnuts would be great too!

~I used white chocolate chips for the drizzle, which I melted in the microwave, then added the milk.

~When doing the drizzle, I recommend doing it while the muffins are on a rack, with paper towel underneath the rack.  That way, any extra drizzle doesn't pool around the bottom of the muffins, it drips down, through the rack, onto the paper towel, for easy clean up!

~Carol's Sorghum Blend is under the "Gluten-free Flour Blends" tab on my blog!

Southwest Chicken Wraps

We tried this recipe for dinner last night and it was super yummy!  I didn't think my kids would dig it, so I made them chicken & cheese quesadillas instead.  Super easy, super flavorful and of course, gluten-free!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: This recipe comes from the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook, by Lisa Leake.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN WRAPS

Sauce:
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wraps:
Six or seven 8-inch gluten-free tortillas or wraps
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups chopped raw spinach
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado, sliced

1)  To make the Southwest Sauce, thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2)  To assemble the wraps, lay out the tortillas/wraps on a large cutting board or platter next to an assembly line of the filling ingredients, including the sauce.  Evenly distribute the chicken, spinach, cheese, avocado and sauce in a strip down the middle of each wrap.  Fold them up and serve.

NOTES:

~1/4 teaspoon of cayenne makes the sauce pretty spicy, so add less if you don't like it spicy.

~I used Live G-Free wraps from Aldi and they were delicious!

~I grilled my chicken on our gas grill, but you could certainly used baked or even boiled chicken.  Or for a super quick fix, pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store on your way home from work!

~Other fillings might be:  diced tomatoes, black beans, red onions or black olives.  You can get creative with it!

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

I made this recipe last night and my husband and I loved it!  It's total comfort food!  My kids hated it, unfortunately.  Yours might like it though; I know the author of the cook book that it's from says that her daughter loves it.  I think my kids aren't used to casseroles.  They are very funny about textures and one of them isn't real fond of cheese.  I think it could be made a little more kid friendly by using some American cheese in addition to the cheddar.  The broccoli and cheddar flavors are maybe a little on the bitter side for some kids.  The original recipe is not gluten-free, so I made some changes.

Enjoy!

Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from one of my favorite cook books, 100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake.

CHEESY BROCCOLI RICE CASSEROLE

1 cup uncooked brown rice, cooked according to the package directions
3/4 pound broccoli, roughly chopped (4 or 5 cups) and steamed for about 5 minutes
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated sharp-cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil

1)  Preheat the oven to 400F.

2)  Combine the cooked rice and broccoli in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3)  Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the flour begins to brown, but doesn't burn, whisking almost continuously.

4)  Whisk in the milk, watching for lumps.  Sprinkle in the cheese, salt, mustard, and pepper and stir until well combined.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the mixture is the consistency of very thick gravy, less than 5 minutes.

5)  Pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and rice.  Mix thoroughly and spread evenly in an 8x8-inch baking dish.

6)  Sprinkle the casserole with the bread crumbs and then drizzle (or spray) enough olive oil over the top to coat the bread crumbs.

7)  Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are nicely browned.  Serve warm.

NOTES:

~I was short on time, so I didn't use brown rice, I used minute rice instead.  If I had more time, I would definitely use brown rice, since it's much healthier than white, especially minute rice, but in a pinch, minute rice will work.  I used 2 cups of rice/2 cups of water and it made just the right amount.

~I chopped the broccoli pretty small, to make it a little kid friendlier.

~I used a flour blend that I made, but you could use any gluten-free flour.

~I used dry mustard instead of regular mustard.  I didn't measure it, but I'm guessing I used about 1/2 teaspoon.

~I used butter on the top instead of olive oil.  Just cut some small chunks and lay them all around the top.

~I think this would also be delicious, and a little healthier, if you added some cooked chicken to it.  I may try that next time, to make it more of a well balanced meal.

Sea Salt's Tomato and Red Cabbage Soup

I tried this soup for the first time today - it's super yummy! It has a citrus flavor, probably from the tomatoes.  I can see this side by side with a nice grilled cheese sandwich or maybe something fancier than that!  Maybe the first course to a special meal!  It's delicious, and healthy!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: This recipe comes from the book Grain Brain, by David Perlmutter, MD

SEA SALT'S TOMATO AND RED CABBAGE SOUP

1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 - 28 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes
1 red cabbage, chopped
5 fresh basil leaves (plus more for the garnish)
6 cups chicken stock
6 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1)  In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, add half of the olive oil and sweat the onions, celery and garlic until translucent (about 5 minutes).

2)  Add the tomatoes, red cabbage, basil leaves, chicken and vegetable stocks and bring to a boil.

3)  Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook at a low boil for 25-30 minutes.

4)  Add the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and let the soup stand for 10 minutes.

5)  Puree the soup with a hand blender or transfer to a blender to puree.

6)  Garnish with a couple of basil leaves, optional.  Serve.

NOTES:

~I used Borrelli San Marzano Tomatoes

~If you can get organic ingredients, I always recommend it, even if you have to pay a little more!

~I used home made chicken stock that I had in the freezer.  I froze it in two cup bags, to make it easy to use in recipes later.  Home made stock is super simple and you can let it cook in your slow cooker overnight!  Check out the recipe for Overnight Chicken Stock in the Slow Cooker on my blog!

~If you don't make your own stock, make sure to buy one without MSG!  I like Kitchen Basics brand.

~I used my immersion hand blender to puree the soup.  I highly recommend that method if you own an immersion blender!  If not, you can transfer the soup to your counter top blender and do it that way.  I had to blend it for quite a while to get the lumps out.  If you feel little lumps on your tongue when you taste it, just keep blending!  They will go away and it will be smooth!

Bonavita Macaroni & White Cheddar

My take on BONAVITA MACARONI & WHITE CHEDDAR:

It ROCKS!  Enough said!  You've gotta try it!  My son likes it better than Kraft!  They have one similar to Kraft with the orange cheddar cheese, but guess what, it's actually made with real cheese, imagine that!  We haven't tried the orange cheddar one yet, but I am confident it will be delicious, just like the white cheddar.  I love that it's all natural and GMO free!  I feel good about feeding it to my son, unlike the times when I have made Kraft for him.  My opinion, let's start feeding our kids REAL food!

Happy comfort food eating!
Kirsten

Do-Ahead Lasagna Logs

I bought a cook book with my kids in mind.  It's called the Pillsbury Kids Cook Book (Food Fun For Boys And Girls).  It has tons of cute and yummy recipes for kids and it's written like the kids will be making the recipes!  My youngest son, who's 7, was looking through it the other day flagging recipes he wants to try.  He marked this one, so I made it for him tonight (I'm not ready to let my 7 year old hyper active son work with a large pot of boiling water, LOL).  Anyway, it was a hit with the whole family, and I love that you can freeze them individually and reheat them for a quick and easy meal.  I'm sure your family will love it too - and of course - it's gluten-free!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

DO-AHEAD LASAGNA LOGS

14 uncooked gluten-free lasagna noodles
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 - 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 jar gluten-free tomato pasta sauce

1)  Fill a large saucepan about half full with water.  Heat the water over medium-high heat until boiling.  Add the lasagna noodles (whole, do not break them) and cook until done, about 7-8 minutes.  Drain them right away in a colander.

2)  While the noodles are cooking, mix the following ingredients in a small bowl: egg, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.  Mix well and set aside.

3)  Heat the pasta sauce in a medium saucepan until hot.  Optional:  Brown a pound of ground beef, drain fat, then add to the pasta sauce.

4)  Put the cooked noodles on the counter, being careful not to rip them.  Using a knife, spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture on each noodle, leaving about 1/2 inch at one end.  Start rolling at the other end and finish where you left the space.  Repeat until all of the noodles are filled and rolled.  Lay them seam side down.

5)  If eating right away, microwave the logs individually (or two per person) on a plate about 1 minute until the cheese starts to melt.  Add the hot pasta sauce over the top and serve.

NOTES:

~I used DeBoles Gluten Free Rice Lasagna.

~I used Organicville Tomato Basil pasta sauce.

~The original recipe called for low-fat cottage cheese, but I prefer ricotta.  You can use either.  Using ricotta makes it creamier and not so lumpy, which may be more appealing to kids!

~I cooked my noodles in two batches.  It just seemed like too much for my pot.  If you can fit all of them in one pot without overfilling it, go for it!  Just make sure they have room to move!

~Any left over logs, or if you are making them ahead to eat later or at a later date, just wrap them tightly in saran wrap and either freeze or refrigerate them.  Then just heat them individually in the microwave when you are ready to eat them, cover with sauce and you have a super quick and delicious meal!  You could also put a number of them in a baking dish, cover with the sauce and heat them in the oven until bubbly and heated through.  I would say 350 for 25-30 minutes would do it, but I haven't tried it with this recipe, so just test to make sure they are heated through.  We were in a hurry so we used the microwave for the logs and heated the sauce on the stove top.

Cauliflower Soup

This is my husband's favorite soup!  I made it yesterday, just in time for a huge snow storm and the super bowl!  With a touch of hot sauce to spice it up, I guarantee it will become a favorite at your house!  The original recipe wasn't gluten free and called for chicken bouillon, so I changed it up a bit to make it a little healthier and gluten free!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 medium head cauliflower, chopped small
1 medium carrot, shredded or chopped thin
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons gluten free flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

1)  In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.

2)  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until veggies are tender (do not drain).

3)  In another large saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth.

4)  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

5)  Reduce heat.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Add hot pepper sauce if desired.

6)  Stir into the cauliflower mixture.

NOTES:

~I used home made chicken stock, which is so much better and healthier than store bought.  It's simple to make after cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot!  Check out the recipes for the chicken and the overnight chicken stock on my blog!  If you use store bought, make sure to get one without MSG!

~I double the recipe and freeze half.

~I used sorghum flour, but I'm sure most any gluten free flour would be fine.

~I usually throw in a handful of extra cheese and some extra hot sauce, we like it spicy!