Pork & Apple Stuffing

Thanksgiving dinner is just not the same without the stuffing. This year, you can make your own home made gluten free version that is just as delicious as the original.

Ingredients:

Croutons:

• 1/2 loaf gluten free bread, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Bell No Salt Turkey Seasoning
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Stuffing:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 apple, granny smith, peeled and diced
• 1 c chicken stock (plus a little extra if needed)
• 1/2 stick butter (promise)
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Bell No Salt Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions for Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place diced bread in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing as you go for more coverage
Mix the spices in another smaller bowl to combine, then sprinkle onto croutons. Try to get even coverage
Spread croutons out on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted
*Note: These can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container for a few days until ready to use

Directions for Stuffing:
Brown ground pork and set aside.
In the same pan, add onions, celery, carrot and apple. Saute until all veggies are translucent and softened.
Melt butter/promise in with the veggies. Stir in seasonings and 1 cup broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.
Place croutons, ground pork, and veggie/broth mixture into a large bowl. Toss lightly to combine. If needed add more chicken stock or water.
This can stuff a turkey up to 15 lbs, or can be cooked separately in its own casserole, just get it into the stove about an hour before the turkey is done so it will all come out at the same time.

Note: If cooking separately, cover with aluminum foil and remove the foil 10 minutes before done to brown the top.

Saucy Stuffed Steak Rolls (Braciole)

This dish sounded so appetizing to me that I had to try it. Traditional Braciole (pronounced bra- jol) is an italian dish of stuffed tenderized beef, browned and then braised in tomato sauce. I decided to try to make a gluten free version with a veggie stuffing. Seems like a long list of ingredients, but it is only really about 3 steps.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bottom or top round steak (you can use chicken breast or boneless pork instead)
• 2 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 package chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/4 c. raisins or currents
• 3 tbsp shredded or grated parmesan
• teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch Splenda or Sugar
• tbsp canola oil
• optional: one package thicker rice noodles (like spaghetti or linguini style), to serve as a pasta in the sauce

Prep:

1. In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, nutmeg and oregano. Set aside.
2. Prep onion, carrot, celery, spinach. Thaw and squeeze out the moisture from spinach. Grate carrot. Dice small 1/2 of onion and celery to go in the filling. Chop the remaining onion and celery larger for the chunky tomato sauce. Set aside.
3. Place meat between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the meat thin. If the piece of meat will be too large once stuffed, you might want to cut into 2 portions at this point, then prep two rolls.

Cook:

1. Heat up dutch oven and add 1 tbsp oil. Saute small diced veggies, spinach and half of each the raisins and grated carrot til tender but veggies are still intact. Add 1/2 the garlic and large pinch of dry seasoning mix, saute 1 minute more. Do not burn garlic. Turn off heat, remove veggies into a bowl.
2. Add all the parmesan to veggies. Mix together.
3. Lay out the pounded meat flat. Put filling onto half of the meat (towards yourself). Do not worry if you have extra filling, it can be added to the sauce later.
4. Slowly roll up the meat tightly, rolling in the ends a little to keep the filling in. Use butcher string to tie up the roll or use toothpicks to hold together. Season the outside of the roll with another large pinch of dry seasoning mix.
5. Heat up pan, add a little more oil if necessary. Brown beef rolls on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
6. Add remaining cut veggies, grated carrot and raisins to pan and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands the whole tomatoes, leaving them chunky. Add all the liquid too. Also add in any remaining seasonings, splenda/sugar and any leftover stuffing mixture at this time.
7. Put beef rolls into the sauce, push them into the sauce so they are covered. Cover the dutch oven and slow simmer for 30 minutes.
8. At this time, prep noodles til al dente.
9. When sauce is done, turn off heat and remove beef rolls. Let sit for 5 minutes, then slice rolls to about one inch thick.
10. Add pasta to sauce and mix to coat. Let sit a couple minutes for sauce to absorb a bit into noodles.
11. Serve pasta topped with sliced beef roll. Add a little sauce and perhaps a little more parmesan cheese.

Cranberry Crusted Pork

Cranberry Crusted Pork

Many cuts of pork are really lean these days and compared to other protiens it is a bargain. This easy recipe smells great while cooking and tastes really good. Your family will praise you for this one!

Ingredients:

Pork chops (thick cut, 1 per person)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch pepper

Directions.

• Preheat oven to 350
• Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup), and top with a cooling rack.
• Use 1/2 the can of cranberry sauce into a bowl, mash it with a fork so it is loose. (reserve the other half to serve with the meal)
• Add garlic, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Blend well
• Dip each chop into the bowl, then place the chop - dipped side down - onto the rack.
• Divide up remaining cranberry sauce to top each pork chop. Spread to cover the chop.
• Place sheet in oven. Let cook for 1 hour
• When it comes out of the oven let rest 5 minutes before serving

Optional:

• add and blend in 2 tablespoons of ground mustard to cranberry mash
• this same mixture can be used on pork loin or chicken breast. adjust cook time for these items

The cranberry mixture will easily cover 3-6 chops, add more cranberry sauce if making more chops..

Crock Pot Harvest Veggie Stew (Ratatouille)

A stop at a local farm stand inspired me this weekend. I walked away with some fresh veggies, not sure of what I was going to do with it all. I could not walk away from the fresh purple basil, it smelled so amazing! So I have decided on a veggie stew. This works well in the crock pot, but comes out equally yummy from the oven in less time.

I have listed ingredients below that I happened to get fresh today, but if there is a particular one you do not like, by all means just skip it. (I know a few people that do not like eggplant. Fortunately they won't have to suffer this particular dinner. :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 small eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• small bunch fresh basil
• 6 oz tomato paste (1 small can)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• chives or scallions (optional)
• 1 tsp Bells No Salt Seasoning (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash and prep veggies. I prefer to slice all the veggies thinly, but you can cut them into chunks if you find that easier. The thing to remember is to try to maintain them about the same size, so they will cook evenly.
2. Use only the leaves of the basil, rip them into half or quarters.
3. Once veggies are prepped, layer into crock pot adding a layer of basil half way through, and then topping with another layer of basil.
4. In a bowl, blend together olive oil, tomato paste, garlic and ground black pepper. This mixture needs to be thick, but pourable, so if you need to loosen it up, add a small amount of water.
5. Pour tomato paste/olive oil mixture over veggies.
6. Set crock pot on low for 5 hours. (for heartier vegetables, such as carrots and turnip, cook on low for 6 hours, or until everything is tender)
7. Ready to serve.

Oven method:
Prep as described above, use an oven safe casserole with a lid. Cook @ 350 for about one and a half hours. (uncover the last 15 minutes for browning)

This makes a large amount, about 4-6 servings. Use more veggies for a greater amount of servings.

Moist Banana Bread

Moist Banana Bread

I wake up earlier than everyone else some weekends and I will use that time to bake something yummy. This recipe is very easy and I have found it to be very moist and flavorful. The 3-4 bananas is what keeps it so moist, so if you have the 4, use them all.

I have made this both with regular flour and with gluten free flour. Delicious both ways, only noticable difference is in how much the bread rises.

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup melted promise sticks (or butter)
• 3/4 cup sugar substitute (splenda, baking variety) or sugar
• 1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)

optional: walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F
Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. 
Mix in the sugar substitute, egg, and vanilla. 
In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and flour.  
Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, half at a time, mix to blend. 
Butter or use cooking spray in loaf pan, pour batter in. 
Bake for 1 hour. 
Let cool. Cut into slices.

Easy Crock Pot Veggie Soup

Was not feeling great this weekend, decided to make something seriously easy that might make me feel better. After sending my poor husband to get a few things at the grocery store, decided to make this. I have made this many times and I change out the ingredients to make it a little different each time, so feel free to omit veggies you do not like, or add whatever you may have on hand.


As you can tell, most ingredients are prepped, minimizing the work. There are suggestions on optional ingredients at the end.

*Note: This can be made in your crock pot or stove top. Equally as easy either way.

Ingredients:

Carrots, 1/2 small bag of petite prepped or 3 carrots sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 bag fresh cole slaw (thinly sliced cabbage-from the prepped salad section of your store)
1 can diced tomatoes (about 14 oz)
1/2 cup rice (regular, not instant)
scallions, sliced
2 tbsp garlic
1 can tomato paste (6-8 oz)
2 large containers chicken stock or water (about 6 cups)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano, or italien seasoning
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Bells no salt seasoning

Directions:
Clean and prep veggies, place in crockpot. Add rice on top.
In a separate bowl, mix broth, tomato paste and seasonings. Wisk to blend. Pour over veggies.
Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours. I would maybe give it a stir half way through.

Options:

Any and all veggies can be changed out. In the past I have used a handful of frozen green beans, corn, peas, minced onion, spinach (already chopped in the frozen form), zucchini or summer squash. I would suggest choosing your favorites and to keep in mind not to overload it so it remains a soup rather than a stew.

Make it Mexican!
Add a handful of frozen corn and some red kidney beans (canned, rinsed). Replace the oregano and Bells with 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix (or your own blend).

Make it Greek!
Use frozen chopped spinach instead of the cabbage, replace oregano and Bells with 1/2 tsp clove and 1 tsp cumin.

Make it Indian!
Instead of oregano and Bells, use curry or garam masala (maybe 2 tsp, depending the intensity you want). Top with a dollop of plain yogurt when serving.

Make it Asian!
Adding 1/4 cup rice vinegar,  2 or 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and a few dashes of hot sauce makes this taste like hot & sour soup. I would taste it to see if you have the right amount of hot sauce and vinegar, to get the intensity you prefer. Some people like it intense, some - not so much.

Easy Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Cooler weather is on the horizon and with my love for soup I thought I would try this out. It is hearty, delicious and is sort of a deconstructed stuffed cabbage. Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (I used 1/2 each turkey and beef)
1 cup uncooked rice (regular, not instant)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 medium onion, minced

Soup:

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil
1 minced onion
1 carrot shredded 

6-8 oz tomato paste (1 can)
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can substitute 2 tbsp Splenda for this)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can diced tomotoes

1 cabbage, sliced thin (or a bag of cole slaw, pre-shredded cabbage)
1 tsp dried oregano or basil (whatever your preference)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins

Directions

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine rice, pepper, cumin and onions. Blend to mix, then add meat, combine, then form into 1-inch balls and set aside while you make the soup.

For the soup:
In a large soup pot, Add oil and onions, saute until translucent. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Then add the carrots, tomato paste, brown sugar, crushed tomatoes and diced tomotoes with its liquid. Stir and add water (2 - 3 cups) for desired consistency. Season with pepper and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the soup and stir to blend in. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes more. Add more water if needed to thin the soup if it has gotten thick. Add the meatballs and simmer for 25-30 minutes minutes, until meat is cooked through and rice is tender. Add the lemon juice and raisins 10 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion: add a dollop of sour cream on top.

Note: This could easily be done in a crock pot, Start by putting all the soup ingredients in and stirring to blend. Add meatballs, and just let it cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Crock Pot Morrocan Chicken

The Ultimate Crock-Pot Crock-Star(tm) 1st Prize Winning Recipe.
Savory with a touch of sweetness, this dish has international flair while using ingredients found at your local grocery store. It is crock pot easy to boot. Set it up in the morning and let it cook all day, then come home to the heavenly smell and a warm dinner ready to serve.  


Ingredients:

4 medium carrots, sliced
1 large onion, halved and sliced
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups white wine or chicken broth
6-8oz tomato paste (1 can)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place carrots and onions in slow cooker first. Add chicken to slow cooker. Top with apricots and raisins. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, spices, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste and wine. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice.

Optional: chopped dates or figs would work well with or instead of the raisins and dried apricot.

Homemade BBQ sauce - have it your way!

New England weather in the summer varies quite a bit, but we are known for our oppressive humidity. It is almost intolerable at times. So my tendency is to make dinners on the grill and sides that are easy to prep.

I thought I would share the base recipe for my BBQ sauce so that you can make your own, according to your needs and tastes.

Base ingredients:

• Ketchup. (buy a version that meets your needs, be they gluten free, low sodium, no sugar, etc)
• Vinegar. Any kind you like, cider vinegar is my favorite
• Minced Garlic
• Minced onion (use a food processor, you want these in very tiny pieces)
• Seasonings. Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Pepper.
• Sweetness. Splenda works well. Molasses, honey or brown sugar if sugar is OK

Make it your own, optional ingredients:

• You like those liquor based sauces?.. add a bit of Jack Daniels, rum, or bourbon
• Those fruity sauces have your mouth watering? add diced mango, peach, orange juice, pineapple or just the juice from a can of unsweetened pineapple chunks
• If you want ~HEAT~ add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or hot sauce

Putting it together:

• Blend all your ingredients together, tasting and adjusting as you go
• If you do not like the taste of raw onion or garlic, put everything into a sauce pot, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes

Using it:

• Great for shrimp, chicken, pork or beef.
• The more sugar you used, the faster it will caramelize, then burn. Pre-heat your grill to get the nice grillmarks, but cook slowly over indirect heat. (turn on only one side of your grill, place food on other side - not over flame)

Curry Soup

Soon I will be posting more summer recipes, but here I am with another soup. As you may have already figured out, I am a soup nut! Also, my latest endeavors include Indian spices, especially curry and garam masala. For the moment, just about every time we go to a restaurant I order something with curry if it is available.

This soup is delectable. It is not HOT, as in spicy hot. I will have a few suggestions below the ingredients if you would prefer it that way.

In this version I used ground beef. Traditional Indian cuisine is vegetarian, so that would not include meat,  This certainly can be made without meat or with chicken. (mmm, curry chicken comes to mind.)


This recipe makes a large pot, about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 containers chicken stock (about 6 cups)
• 1 cup white wine (can be replaced with 1 cup water)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 stick butter (Promise)
• 6 carrots sliced (1/4-1/2 inch slice)
• 1 package, frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (sometimes called coriander)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons each onion powder and garlic powder
• optional: cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper or dashes of hot sauce to taste, for *heat*

Directions:

1. In a 2 qt or larger pan, boil carrots in one container of chicken stock and wine until tender.
2. In a soup pot, brown ground beef, with the black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder until no longer pink. Remove meat and set aside, reserving about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
3. Saute onions, celery and pepper in the reserved fat of the soup pot until tender. Add the 1/2 stick butter when the fat is absorbed and continue cooking.
4. Add the cornstarch and let cook through, about 1 or 2 minutes.
5. At this time, add the curry, stir, then add the remaining stock.
6. Let this come to a boil, it will thicken a little.
7. Add the broccoli or cauliflower, let it come back to a boil.
8. Turn off heat.
9. Add the carrots (with the liquid they were boiled in) into the soup pot.
10. Blend in. Taste.
11. Add more curry if you want at this point. Also, any *heat* you have chosen to add.
12. Once you have the flavor correct add the cooked ground beef and chopped cilantro.

Serve with a few whole cilantro leaves on top, or a small dollop of sour cream.

Note: If you refrigerate leftovers this soup will thicken. Add a little water when reheating for a more soup-like consistency.

Salmon Veggie Chowder

I am such a fan of soups, I am always looking for new combinations to try. This inspiration came from my husband, who's got a shellfish allergy and cannot handle clams. 

It came out delicious - and includes a healthy dose of veggies and omega-3 fats from the salmon. I hope you enjoy it. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon (frozen & thawed is OK here)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 small slices canadian bacon, diced (this is very lean, but bacon or ham diced small will work here) 
• 3 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 shredded summer squash
• 1 shredded zucchini
• 1/2 stick butter (Promise sticks)
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tablespoon oil (unflavored, like canola)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups potato, diced to bite size
• 3 heaping tbsp corn starch
• 16 oz milk or cream (I used fat free coffee creamer, lactose & gluten free) 
• Splash of white wine
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 heaping tablespoons Bell salt-free seasoning (this has many herbs, but you can make your own combination of what you like) 

 

Directions

• In one pan cook diced potatoes in chicken stock. Add 1/2 the pepper and 1/2 the seasoning mix. Cook til tender, do not drain.
• In same pan as potatoes, poach salmon until no longer pink. Remove salmon and set aside. (leave potatoes and broth in pan). Once cooled a little, flake the salmon with a fork.
• In a separate soup pot, add butter (Promise) and oil. Add onions, celery, canadian bacon and shredded veggies, Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add remaining seasoning and stir in. Add cornstarch and continue to saute til well blended and cornstarch disappears and is cooked through.  
• Add a splash of wine, the broth, and potatoes. Scrape the bottom of your pan to get the flavor off the bottom. Bring to a boil. Keep stirring and the mixture will thicken. Turn off heat. Add flaked salmon, milk, parmesan and stir until blended in. 
• Ready to serve!
• Makes a large pot. About 8-10 servings.

Easy Garlic Fish Bake

Quick prep and cook time makes this dish a snap - and a great way to get that healthy serving of fish into your diet. In the picture I have used haddock, which was on sale this week at the local grocery store, but any fish variety you can get in a fillet can be used.

Ingredients:

• fish - calculate about 1/4 to 1/3 lb per person (larger portion for hearty appetites)
• 1/2 stick Promise(or butter) - softened
• zest of 1 lemon, & 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Use wrapper from butter to grease the pan
3. Combine all ingredients except fish into bowl and use fork to blend
4. Place fish in buttered pan
5. Use brush or fork to get compound butter onto fish
6. Place fish in oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of fish you used. The haddock I used took about 15 minutes
7. Depending on the fish variety, you may have some liquid in the bottom of the pan. You can use this to make a sauce if you like.
8. Once cooked through, remove from oven and let rest a moment before serving

Suggested sides:
Asparagus or green beans will cook in about the same amount of time in the oven

Optional:
Add fresh or dry dill to your compound butter

Seafood Pot Pie - with potato crust

Rich with Omega-3s (that is the good fat), gluten free and low sodium, this healthy recipe will make your family happy.

The original recipe for this also contained shrimp and lobster, but we have some shellfish allergies in the family, so I replaced those items with scallops and salmon. (For some reason the shellfish allergy does not kick in with scallops.)

I wrote the recipe the way I made it, but you can certainly use the seafood of your liking. I would choose items that will stay relatively intact in a sauce.

This will make a large family sized casserole.

**tip - use the wrapper from your butter/Promise to butter your casserole
**note - fennil sometimes is called anise at the market.

Ingredients:

• 12 - 16 oz Scallops
• 12 - 16 oz Salmon
• 12 - 16 oz Halibut
• 1 stick butter (Promise)
• fresh fennil fronds (use the main part of the fennil to make salad as a side)
• 1 large or 2 small shallot, minced
• 2 c. chicken stock 
• 2 heaping tbsp corn starch
• 2 carrots, sliced about 1/2 inch
• 1 celery stalk, slice about 1/2 inch
• 1 small package frozon petite peas
• 2-3 potatoes, sliced thinly, then halved (very thin, like on a mandolin)
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp celery seed/coriander

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut fish into bite size chunks, set aside
3. Make sure scallops are dry by dabbing with paper towel
4. On stovetop, heat up a frying pan. Add oil, then 1 tbsp Promise.
5. Sear scallops. Pan needs to be very hot before the scallops go in. Do not crowd them, this will steam them instead of sear. Cook in batches if necessary. Place them in frypan and let them cook, do not move them around. At first they will seem to stick, but they will loosen up once they are seared. Turn them over at this point and cook the other side. These are quick cooking, you will need to remove once cooked through or you risk overcooking them. Set aside when done.
6. In a sauce pot, bring to a simmer chicken stock and one tsp each of dry seasonings. Poach fish in the chicken stock. This also should not take a long time. This will not only cook the fish, but flavor the stock. Remove fish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Retain the stock.
7. In the stock, add carrots and peas. Bring to low boil and let cook until carrots are tender. Turn down heat to a slow simmer.
8. In frypan, melt half remaining butter. Add celery and shallots, cook til translucent.
9. Add cornstarch to frypan, stir and let it cook through. About 5 minutes.
10. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken stock. Bring up heat on the chicken stock, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. At this point, it should begin to thicken. Once thickened, turn off heat.
11. Halve scallops, then add them and the fish into the sauce pot.
12. Stir gently to mix, try not break up fish or scallop. Add fennil fronds.
13. Pour contents of saucepot into your buttered casserole dish.
14. Arrange sliced potatoes on top. In the picture above I left the thin slices whole, but it was a little difficult to cut into. I would cut these slices in half or thirds before placing them on top of the casserole, to make it easier to serve later.
15. Melt remaining butter in microwave. Add remaining dry seasoning and mix in. Brush top of potatoes with butter mixture.
16. Cook in oven. Inside the pot pie is already cooked, so you only need to cook the potatoes. Keep an eye on the casserole, the potatoes are very thin so about 20 - 30 minutes should do it.

Ready to serve. Makes about 8 large servings. Goes well with a salad or corn on the cob as a side.

Avocado Lettuce Wraps

A real taste of summer, this fresh and light salad wrap is great as a side dish for your grilled meats or as the main course when topped off with grilled shrimp or chicken.


Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm, cut into medium chunks, drained
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
1 package grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 avocados, cut in large chunks
Juice of one Lime
3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste (if you can have it, otherwise skip it)
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 head butter lettuce, leaves whole, rinsed and dried
**optional, 1 small pepper, diced (pepper of your choice, depending on the heat you want)

Directions:


In a bowl, combine the veggies and cilantro. In a separate bowl wisk together lime juice, pepper and celery seed, drizzle in olive oil. If you can have the salt, this is when you would add it. Taste and adjust the flavor as necessary. Drizzle dressing over salad and carefully mix, try to keep the avocado intact.

To serve, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.

**This dish can be made into a main course by topping lettuce cups with grilled shrimp or chicken (dice the chicken into small chunks)

Beef Stew

This takes some time to make, but really delivers some warm hearty satisfaction on a cold winters day.

Ingredients:

1 lb top or bottom round beef, about 1 inch thick, diced into bite size pieces
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
2 potatoes
1 onion
1 c. red wine, merlot works very well for this
beef stock (to cover.. 1 to 1 1/2 c.)
1 small can tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil (canola or veg)
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, celery seed
optional: small whole button mushrooms, diced turnip, halved brussel sprouts, snap peas, zucchini, summer squash, etc. Mix & match whatever veggies you prefer.



Preparation:

Tip: Use a pot that can be used stove top and is oven proof. Use a wooden spoon to stir and deglaze the pan.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut up all veggies into bite size pieces, keeping onions and celery separate, and set aside.
• In a baggie, combine corn starch and dry seasonings. Shake to blend the ingredients.
• Coat beef chunks by placing in baggie with corn starch mixture and shaking. You will have to do this in batches to coat well, and depending on how well it coats, you may have to add a little more cornstarch. Reserve remaining corn starch mixture.
• In a large pot, heat oil enough so that when you add coated beef it will sizzle. Add the beef and brown. Do not cook through. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
• Add onions and celery to pan and saute until translucent. Add garlic and remaining cornstarch (from baggie) and allow to cook out for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
• Add wine. At this time you want to use your spoon to gently scrape any goodies off the bottom. Your mixture will start to thicken as the mixture starts to warm through again.
• Add tomato paste, beef broth and mix so everything is blended.
• Add remaining veggies, stir into broth.
• Top with beef.
• Cover and place in oven.
• Cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Makes about 6 servings.

Chick Pea Diced Salad

This is a healthy, delicious side to any meal. I make this to go along with any grilled main course such as chicken or steak, or as my pot luck contribution to any get-together.

Mix & Match your favorite ingredients to make it your own.

Ingredients:
(all these you can mix & match to your tastes)

1 can chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can sliced black olives, drained and rinsed
1 package fresh mozzarella pearls, or a larger one, diced into bite size pieces
1 bunch grape tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cucumber, peel and remove seeds, dice
1/2 carrot, shredded
handful cilantro, basil, or parsley, chopped

these items work as well:
water chestnuts, drained and cut into bite size pieces
lightly grilled asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
hearts of palm, drained, in bite size pieces (this is a personal favorite!)

dressing:
use 1/4 c. your favorite prepared dressing (watch for gluten/sodium content)

or make your own vinaigrette:

wisk together your favorite seasonings with olive oil, your desired vinegar, or juice-
for example:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp orange or lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and celery seed to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and toss. Add dressing in small amounts until you have desired coverage.


This makes a large bowl, enough for leftovers or for pot luck item at barbeque's.
Note: leftovers can be ladled over green salad for another meal.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This dish is yummy and simple to make. It is gluten free, lactose free and low sodium.

Ingredients:

• tsp Garlic Powder
• tsp Onion Powder
• tsp Ground Pepper
• 1 stick Promise Margarine (or butter)
• 1 cup Chicken Stock (I use no salt added Kitchen Basics)
• 1 cup plain coffee creamer (lactose and fat free)**
• 2 large cans crushed tomatoes (watch the sodium content here.... somewhere near 100mg per serving is good)
• 1 tbsp Splenda (or sugar)
• bunch fresh basil, roll up leaves into one and sliced thinly

**if lactose is not an issue for you, you can replace the coffee creamer with heavy cream, light cream or milk

Directions:
In a soup pot, warm the dry seasonings (bloom them) til you start to smell them.
Add Promise stick and melt.
Once melted, stir in chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and Splenda.
Bring to low boil, turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in creamer, stir gently and return to simmer.
Remove from heat and stir in all basil, reserving a little for garnish.
Serve, topping with reserved basil.

Soda Can Chicken

This can be made in your oven or on the grill. Both taste awesome. Traditionally made with a beer can, I have used diet orange or cola cans instead so there is no gluten, and it tastes just as delicious. The main purpose of the can is to steam the inside of the chicken, making for a moist bird. Extra fat melts off during the cooking, making it very healthy for you as well. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
Whole Chicken, on the small side - it works better with the can (1 chicken serves 4 people)
Canola Oil
One can soda (or beer) for each chicken
Your favorite dry seasonings, my favorite for this recipe is Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb
Whole onion, ends trimmed and quartered

If going into the oven, put aluminum foil on the bottom of your pan for ease of cleanup. Put a little water in there as well so the grease from the chicken does not burn up.

Directions:
Pour out 1/2 the can of soda, (you can drink this).. and place the chicken on top of the can (as pictured above)

Premix your seasonings into a small bowl and have ready for the next step.
Massage your chicken with oil to completely cover. This will help the seasonings stick. Put them on next so that the outside of the chicken is covered. Put onion into the top cavity. Top the chicken with an aluminum foil *hat*.

Oven:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, place chicken in oven and let cook for 1hour and 15 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil *hat* the last 10 minutes so the skin browns. Test the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the thigh. Temp should be at 165 degrees. If it needs more time, put back in oven.

Grill:
Warm up grill to 400 degrees. If you have a grill with multiple areas for flame, have the flame on one side and  put chicken the other. Close lid. After 10 minutes turn down flame a bit so you can maintain 350 degrees. This pretty much cooks itself, just watch for flare ups. After 1 hour remove aluminum *hat*, cook for 15 minutes longer. Take temperature, looking for the 165 degree mark. Cook further if needed, until you hit that temp.

Serving:
Let the chicken rest and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from can. Makes a pretty presentation on a platter as is, but I usually take kitchen shears and quarter it, with the help of some thongs holding the chicken in place for me.

Chicken Cacciatore

Delicious and simple to make, this has lots of flavor without alot of sodium and is gluten free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Boneless chicken thighs or breasts, enough for 4 ppl
1/2 c. wine (whatever you like)
3 tablespoons corn starch
onion powder
garlic powder
pepper
minced garlic (to taste... I use about two cloves)
1 large can tomatoes, either stewed or crushed (no added sodium), if using stewed, crush them
sliced mushrooms
one red pepper
one green pepper
one large onion
additional veggies, whatever you have in the fridge will work. I used summer squash in the dish pictured above, but you could use zucchini, celery, eggplant, thinly sliced carrots, squash.....

Optional:
Serve over white rice or pasta(this will have gluten unless you buy one that is marked gluten free)

Directions:
Chop onion, peppers, and any other veggies and set aside.
In a ziploc bag, combine the dry spices with the cornstarch and mix
Put chicken in bag and shake to coat

Warm up your pan and add oil. when the pan is hot, place chicken (skin side down) and cook until it has browned. Turn over and brown the other side. Take chicken out and set aside.

Add veggies and saute until translucent or even browned a little. Add mushrooms and stir for a minute. Add garlic to veggies and stir for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. (Lots of flavor there!) Add your canned tomatoes and stir the pot. Place chicken back to the pan (pushing the pieces into the sauce).

Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Note: the sauce can probably accomodate more chicken pieces if you have a slightly larger family.

Serve over pasta(gluten free if you need it) or rice.
Mmmmm!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

**Can be made gluten free, watch labels on your ingredients
*** if you have guests that have gluten allergies, make a separate dish for them that crackers and other glutens will not be dipped. Make sure people can tell it is gluten free by placing a card or paper napkin nearby with the words GLUTEN FREE.***

We have 20-30 people over for Christmas eve. Fans of this dish request it every year.
 

• 1 small bottle Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing (depending on your taste)
• 1 container low fat sour cream
• 1 package low fat cream cheese (brought to room temperature)
• about 2 cups shredded chicken breast (a large can of chicken works well, but is high in sodium)
• 1/4 c. buffalo wing/hot sauce (or to taste)
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• pepper to taste

optional: chopped red bell pepper, chopped fresh cilantro

Warm oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a casserole with non-stick spray and set aside.

Mix dressing, sour cream, and cream cheese together until well blended. Toss hot sauce and chicken together, add to the cream cheese mixture and stir in. Add 1/2 the shredded cheese, any optional ingredients and the pepper to the mixture and blend. Taste it to see if you like the amount of heat and if needed, add more hot sauce/pepper at this point and blend in. Turn into a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Place in oven for 10-15 minutes... until the the cheese on top has melted and started to brown.

Serve with cut veggies such as celery, pepper rings, carrot sticks, tortilla chips or crackers, keeping in mind food restrictions if any.