Austin Chicken

Posted on by

0

Took a month away from posting and during that time, went to Austin, Texas for the MotoGP at Circuit Of The Americas. Of course, it wouldn’t really be much of an adventure if we didn’t ride the ” Adventure” the whole way there and back!

We ate lots of good food while we were there and a few places in between, but this dish was inspired by one I had at the Iron Cactus in Austin. It’s a little time consuming in that it has many components, but each one is easy to make. Seasoned and grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, covered with peppers, onions, and a creamy, spicy cheese sauce, topped with fresh chorizo and guacamole.  We just ate it with chips and salsa, but Mexican rice and refried beans would go great with this dish!

photo 1

For the chicken breast marinade:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chili garlic hot sauce

Place chicken breasts in a zip top bag. Combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour over chicken breasts. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least two hours.

For the guacamole:

  • 3 ripe Hass avocados
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced onions
  • 1 tsp cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash red pepper
  • juice of one lime
  • 1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

Remove skin and seeds from avocados. Place in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached ( some like it chunkier than others!). Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place guacamole in an airtight container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper down on the top of the guacamole and seal tightly to keep it from turning to a brown yucky color. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cream cheese sauce:

  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno, or 3 tbsp canned, diced jalapenos
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To finish:

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 pound fresh chorizo (not the dried, Spanish kind!)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Marinaded chicken breasts
  • Prepared guacamole
  • Prepared cream cheese sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend

Preheat a grill over medium heat and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Grill chicken breast for about 8 to 10 minutes per side, until slightly under done, about 150 to 155 degrees. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble chorizo. When cooked through, remove from heat. Wipe skillet and add olive oil. When hot, add peppers and onions to skillet and cook and stir until soft; season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a baking dish and top evenly with peppers and onions, cheese sauce, and shredded cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese has melted and slightly browned. Top with chorizo and guacamole to serve. Savor the flavor!

Chicken Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Posted on by

0

“Pasta?” you say? “I thought you were gluten-free?” you say?

Well yes, I’m still gluten-free! Thankfully, several companies make gluten-free pasta so I don’t have to give up that which I so adore!

Since I now have to read ingredient labels to make sure I’m not unintentionally “glutened”, I’ve noticed more and more all of the un-natural additives that goes into food to preserve it. Italian sausage is no different! So I went from the pork variety to the all-natural chicken and its just as yummy if not more so!

I have to apologize for the photo! I seemed to have misplaced the battery for my good camera and have been using the good old iPhone to take pictures for the blog. Though I really don’t think this dish would photograph well either way!

Just trust me, it’s delicious!

Oh, and I should mention that I used a quality jarred sauce for this, but if you have the time and energy, using homemade would not be frowned upon!

photo 3

  • 1  lb bulk Italian chicken sausage
  • 12 oz gluten-free tri-colored vegetable pasta
  • 24 oz tomato basil sauce
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large or two small zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, add onions, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with a few drizzles of olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast veggies  for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula. While sausage browns, cook pasta to package directions. When sausage is cooked through, stir in tomato sauce. Let heat through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is slightly wilted, then stir in roasted vegetables, and parmesan cheese. Allow to cook 5 more minutes. Add pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with sliced beef steak tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350, for 25 to 30 minutes. Would be great served with a Caesar salad!

**This holds up well in the fridge. For the three of us, I was able to get two dinners out of one pan.

Thai Spiced Tofu Lettuce Cups

Posted on by

0

While wandering in Whole Foods one day, I came across this marinated, ready-to-cook tofu that looked delicious and I really wanted to try it in pad thai, but when I got home, I put it in the fridge, and it became lost in the cheese drawer and almost forgotten until just before it expired!

Wanting to make a quick, light meal, I decided to chop it up, cook it with some mushrooms and put it in some leftover lettuce I needed to use up. I also had some carrots and zucchini floating around in the fridge, as well as a half bottle peanut sauce, and a handful of dry roasted peanuts, and it turned out to be an instant dinner hit!

I would really try to seek out the marinated tofu for this, but if it isn’t available, drain a package of firm tofu, and marinade it for a few hours in peanut sauce.

photo 4

  • 1  8oz. package Thai-spiced tofu, chopped
  • 3.5 oz. oyster mushrooms, sliced
  • 3.5 oz. shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, finely diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, finely diced
  • 3 green onions, 1/4 inch sliced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp peanut sauce, plus extra for serving ( I use San-J Gluten Free)
  • 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 1 head Bibb or butter lettuce

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tbsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook and stir until slightly browned on all sides. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to skillet and stir in zucchini and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes more.

Return tofu back to skillet and stir in green onions. Add peanut sauce and stir to coat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

To serve, place a few heaping tablespoons into a leaf of lettuce and drizzle with extra peanut sauce, if desired.

Salmon Boxty

Posted on by

0

It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and I’m not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage. I wanted to try something different this year, and traditional Irish Boxty sounded rather plain, so I thought adding salmon would make it a little more like a meal. This is more like Irish boxty and salmon croquettes got married and had little bundles of crisp, moist goodness. On first try, I added way too many mashed potatoes and they turned out like mush, so make sure you watch the salmon to mashed potato ratio!

I served it with dill cream sauce (recipe follows), but a good tartar sauce would be delicious also.photo 3

Dill sauce:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Salmon Boxty:

  • 1 pound fresh salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mashed potatoes
  • 2 cups uncooked, shredded hash browns
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Gillian’s Gluten Free)
  • oil for frying

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place salmon on a baking sheet and top with a good drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then shred salmon with a fork in a large mixing bowl.

While salmon bakes, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the chopped onion and 1 tsp salt. Cook and stir for 15 to 17 minutes, until onions are caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To shredded salmon, add mashed potatoes, hash browns, and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Stir cooled onions into salmon mixture and stir well to combine. Form into about 12 patties. Dredge both sides in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry patties in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Place cooked patties on a paper towel lined plate. Serve with dill sauce or tartar sauce.

Gorgonzola Crusted Steak With Red Onion Faux Demi-Glace

Posted on by

0

This came to me from my friend Dean, who previously worked in catering and restaurants. He started salivating while trying to tell me how to prepare this, and while it wasn’t written down, I made a mental note of the ingredients and it turned out quite well!

I used shoulder tender steaks, but any grill steak would work for this, and I also used a simple marinade of oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder, but feel free to use whichever marinade you like, if any.

I say it’s a “faux” demi-glace because there was no way I had time to roast beef bones and boil them for hours after being at work all day unless we wanted dinner at midnight, so I found the base for the sauce online from the Sun-Sentinal.photo 4

  • 2 pounds, marinaded and grilled beef steaks, (such as shoulder tender, strip steak, sirloin fillet, or tenderloin)  

For the faux demi-glace:

  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • dash balsamic vinegar

For the gorgonzola crust:

  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or crushed buttery crackers
  • 2 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese

In a small stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another stockpot, melt the butter over medium-low heat, and stir in beef stock. Salt and pepper to taste. When heated through, combine the cornstarch with water, and add to beef stock. Add onions to stock mixture, along with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a gentle boil and continue to cook and stir for 30 minutes, until reduced by half.

In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter and breadcrumbs (or cracker crumbs). Add gorgonzola to breadcrumb mixture, and use a fork to break apart any large pieces of cheese.

Place grilled steaks on a baking sheet and press breadcrumb mixture onto the top and sides of steaks. Place under a broiler until topping is nicely browned. Remove steaks from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

To serve, slice steaks into medallions and ladle sauce generously over steaks.

Great with oven roasted asparagus and potatoes!

Turkish Red Lentil Balls

Posted on by

0

Every now and again, my son will save the “Food” section out of the paper if there’s a recipe he finds interesting or looks good. He saved this recipe almost a year ago from The St. Augustine Record, and I was very surprised he would hold on to a recipe like this one, but he may have been referring to the carrot cake that was pictured right next to this one.

At any rate, this looked challenging as I’ve never done anything with red lentils before and am very limited with my lentil experience period. I’ve also wanted to add a vegetable category so this seemed a good one to start with.

The original recipe calls for bulgur wheat and I replaced that with quinoa to keep it gluten free. I also couldn’t find harissa paste or any kind of chili-garlic paste like the recipe suggests as a substitute, so I made up a concoction of roasted red peppers, sriracha, and garlic for the harissa.

photo-3

  • 1  cup cooked red lentils
  • 1/2  cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1  cup water
  • 2  tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle or two
  • 1  medium onion, chopped
  • 1  tbsp ground cumin
  • 2  tbsp finely diced roasted red peppers
  • 1  clove minced garlic
  • 1  tsp sriracha
  • 1  lemon
  • Butter lettuce leaves
  • Parsley

Cook red lentils to package directions.

While lentils are cooking, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until quinoa is soft and most of the water is absorbed. Stir quinoa into the lentils and set aside to cool sightly.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions 5 minutes, until soft. In a small bowl, combine red peppers, garlic, and sriracha, and mash until well combined. Stir cumin and red pepper mixture into onion, then remove to a mixing bowl.  Add lentils and quinoa to onions, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place lettuce leaves (about 25) on a serving plate, and shape a heaping spoonful of mixture into an oblong shape, and place on a single lettuce leaf. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with lemon juice.

Pear And Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops With Gorgonzola Sauce

Posted on by

1

It’s a New Years resolution of mine to learn more pork recipes. As you can see, I only have a couple so far. I’ve been terrified of cooking pork loin chops just because they’re so easy to dry out, and I’m not a huge fan of eating shoe leather.

I’m not too familiar with cooking pork chops, but I know a lot of pork recipes use apples, and I thought about a pear and gorgonzola salad, and tried to figure out how to combine the two. This is what I came up with!

Sorry about not being able to see much of the pork chop in the photo! The sauce was so good, I got a little carried away!photo 3

For the pork chops:

  • 4  boneless pork chops, butterflied
  • 3  tbsp butter
  • 3  slices bacon, diced
  • 2  bartlett pears, diced
  • 1  small onion, diced
  • 1  tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1  tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear pork chops for 3 minutes on both sides, still folded over like they’re not split for stuffing. Set aside and keep warm until ready to stuff.

In the same skillet, cook bacon until browned on the edges, but still slightly raw in the center. Add pears and onions to skillet, and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in balsamic and brown sugar. When sugar is well blended into mixture, remove from heat and cool slightly. Spoon 1/4 of mixture into each chop and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

For the gorgonzola sauce:

  • 3  tbsp butter
  • 3  tbsp flour*
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 4  oz. crumbled gorgonzola

In a sauce pan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook, stirring continuously for one minute, then whisk in milk. Continue to cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in gorgonzola a little at a time until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a stuffed pork chop on a plate and top with heaping spoonfuls of gorgonzola sauce. Goes well with green beans and oven roasted sweet potatoes.

 

* I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

Enchiladas With Red Sauce

Posted on by

0

My first post of the New Year!

Something pretty standard in most homes for dinner, enchiladas! So versatile, you can fill them with your choice of meat, veggies, or just plain cheese, and you can always find store bought enchilada sauce to pour on top, or even salsa works well. I’ve been making enchiladas for years, but have never attempted to make my own, homemade red enchilada sauce. I made them here with ground beef, but you could always change that out for shredded chicken or steak.

I wanted to use corn tortillas, but all I could find was the little ones for tacos and they did not work at all for enchiladas, so I used rice flour tortillas that are gluten free and they turned out surprisingly well!photo 3

For the red sauce:

  • 6 dried New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 1/2 cup reserved liquid from cooking chiles
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and heat until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove chiles to a sauce pan and cover with boiling water. Let stand at least 15 minutes.

Add chiles to a blender or food processor, along with reserved cooking liquid, and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined.

Pour sauce through a strainer and set aside.

For the beef enchiladas:

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground round
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried cilantro
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup cream of mushroom soup, ( I used a GF, ready to eat soup, not condensed)
  • Tortillas,   corn, flour, or gluten free rice flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onions over medium heat. When beef is cooked through, stir in chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cilantro, and cook for 10 minutes. Add salsa and soup, and cook until heated through.

Spoon two heaping tablespoons of meat mixture onto a tortilla, roll up and place in a greased 13x 9 inch casserole. The size tortilla you use will determine how many enchiladas you get. Continue filling tortillas until all beef mixture is used up, or you fill up the pan.

Spread red sauce evenly over enchiladas, and top with cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Pretzel Chicken With Mustard Cheddar Sauce

Posted on by

0

This recipe is one I found in a Rachel Ray cook book and it’s one that’s in our regular menu rotation, but since the whole “no gluten” thing, I didn’t think I’d be eating it ever again. But thanks to all the brands that have produced “gluten free” products, I’m able to eat it once more!

Synder’s Of Hanover makes these wonderfully tasty gluten free pretzels that I crush up to coat the chicken, then pan fry it, and drizzle a mustard cheddar béchamel over top that’s made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. It really tastes just like the gluten-y version without the nasty side effects! photo 1

For the béchamel:

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tbsp mustard

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add milk. Continue to cook, and stir constantly, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in mustard and cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm while preparing the chicken.

For the chicken:

  • 6 chicken breast cutlets
  • 2 cups crushed pretzels
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • vegetable oil for frying

Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the large skillet over medium-high heat.

Place chicken in a zip-top bag with the flour and shake to coat. Dip a piece of chicken in the eggs, then in crushed pretzels, continue with remaining pieces.

Fry chicken in two batches, about 5 minutes per side, and remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Spoon a tablespoon of béchamel on to a plate, place two cutlets on plate, then drizzle with a few heaping tablespoons over chicken. Goes great with a salad and steamed vegetable of  your choice.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Posted on by

1

This should have been posted before Christmas since it’s decorated with Holly leaves, but I made it as a surprise for my dad who loves mint chocolate chip ice cream and I couldn’t run the risk of him seeing the post before Christmas day or it wouldn’t have been a surprise!

I was going to add food coloring to make it green, but for whatever reason and several attempts, green food coloring eluded me! It still tastes just as good with out it!

I made this with gluten free sandwich cookies, but you could use plain ol’ Oreos in their place!

photo 1-1

For the cookie crust:

  • 2 cups crushed sandwich cookies, (use a food processor, or put cookies in a zip top bag and relieve the days frustration with a mallet)
  • 4 tbsp melted butter

For the cheesecake:

  • 3  8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the inside of a 9 inch spring-form pan and cover the outside very well with foil.

Combine cookies and melted butter in a bowl, and spread evenly on just the bottom of the spring-form pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and corn starch on low speed until well combined. Add remaining cream cheese, 1 package at at time until well mixed, scraping down the sides between each package. Blend in vanilla and remaining sugar, 1/3 cup at a time. Beat eggs in one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each one. Add peppermint and chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Do not overmix! Pour mixture over prepared crust.

Place cheesecake in a 4 quart casserole or a dish large enough for the spring-form pan to fit down inside of and fill up with enough hot water to come up one inch on the side of the spring-form pan.

Bake for 45 minutes until cheesecake is set and slightly brown. Do not over cook! Turn oven off, leave oven door cracked, and let sit about 30 minutes. Take cheesecake out of water bath and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours.

Cover with foil, leaving cheesecake in the spring-form pan, and refrigerate over night or freeze up to one month. Remove from pan before serving. Top with colored sugar or decorate with icing and your favorite designs!

*** I find it easier to freeze my cheesecake, at least overnight, and remove it from the spring-form while it’s still frozen, then let it thaw on the counter 4 hours or overnight in the fridge!