Indian Spiced Chicken Soup

So, I have this chicken that I absolutely love.  The marinade is divine.  The last time I made it, I had the thought that those spices would make for a great soup base...so, I finally have made it, and it does, in fact, make an absolutely amazing soup!

Indian Spiced Chicken Soup
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
3/4 cup onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon  ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
3 medium potatoes, cubed (about 2-3 cups)*
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2  cups chopped kale*
1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's Lite Coconut Milk)
juice of one lime (~2 tablespoon)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
In a large sauce pan heat coconut oil over medium high heat, add onion and cook until transparent.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in seasoning and cook for a minute, then add in the chicken, potatoes, and chicken stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Remove the chicken from the pot, and allow it to cool for a few minutes, before shredding or cubing it. Return the meat to the pot and add the kale, coconut milk, lime juice and salt and pepper and heat through.

*You could substitute any vegetable you want for the potatoes and kale...cauliflower, chickpeas, broccoli, etc., would all be delicious in this soup.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Peruvian Roast Chicken with Red Potatoes

One of my favorite bloggers, Carrie Forbes of Ginger Lemon Girl is releasing her first cookbook: The Everything Gluten-Free Slowcooker Cookbook. I already have mine on pre-order.  I'm all for recipes that I can throw in a crockpot first thing in the morning, so I can have dinner ready when I get home.  And I really love Carrie's recipes, she was one of the very first bloggers that I followed when I changed my diet.

I got the chance to try one of her recipes from her upcoming cookbook and it was pretty darn good.  I made her Peruvian Roast Chicken and Red Potatoes yesterday for dinner.  It had just the right balance of spices and definitely changed up my regular roast chicken enough for me to really enjoy it again.  The chicken is served with a simple mustard-lime sauce and can I just say that the leftover chicken with that sauce makes for a fantastic sandwich the next day! Really, it was quite fantastic.

 

Go check out her blog and her new cookbook! Congrats, Carrie on your first cookbook!

Tiny Spicy Chicken and Homemade Sambal Chili Paste

I love reading recipes, they give me ideas and inspiration...especially when I'm in a rut.  I found this recipe for tiny spicy chicken and knew I had to try it.  It was an easy conversion for our diet...the only problem was I didn't have any sambal chili paste in my house, and I'm trying to be good and only go grocery shopping once a week.  So, what was I to do?  Well, I went looking for a recipe to make it and I happened to have the ingredients or at least equivalents of the ingredients, so I made my own chili paste and we had our tiny spicy chicken.  The chicken wasn't as spicy as it could be, I toned it done so our kids would eat it, so add more chili paste if you want more heat.

Tiny Spicy Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks and sprinkled with garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 egg
canola oil


Combine the garlic salt and cornstarch in a bowl.  In a separate bowl beat the egg.  Heat oil to 350F.  Dip chicken in the egg and then in the cornstarch, and fry until golden brown. Place chicken in a 9x13 pan and cover with sauce (recipe below).  Bake at 375F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce, if you can have soy
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon (or more) Sambal chili paste (homemade recipe below)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cook until sugar dissolves.

Sambal Chili Paste (adapted from here)
1/4 cup sugar
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup dried Thai or Japanese chilies
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth.  Place the mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture has reduced to ~1/2 cup.  It should take about 10 minutes.

Classic Fried Chicken

So, I was having some odd dreams last night...mostly consisting of the typical, I'm back in High School and I can't remember my locker combination or which classes I have, etc.  But then, I had a dream that I was at work and my coworkers went and got KFC and they ate it in front of me!  I was not a happy camper. Honestly, I haven't even thought about KFC in ages, but this dream really had me wanting some fried chicken, so what was I to do? I fried me up some chicken!

Classic Fried Chicken

2-3 lbs meaty chicken pieces (I used drumsticks, because that is what most of my family prefers)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup gf flour blend or brown rice flour
canola oil

Directions
Remove the skins from the chicken (unless of course, you like the skin, I don't, so I skin them).  Combine the milk and the eggs in a large bowl or baking dish and add the chicken.  Allow to sit in the mixture for ~30 minutes.

While the chicken is resting in the milk.  Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside.  Place the flour in a shallow baking dish and set aside. Add canola oil to a deep, heavy Dutch oven to reach 1 1/2 inches.  Heat the oil to 350F.

While the oil is heating, remove the chicken from the milk and dredge with flour. Dip the chicken again in the milk, then liberally season with the spice mixture and follow that with another dredging in the flour.

Add the chicken to the hot oil.  The oil temperature will drop, when you add the chicken, keep an eye on it.  You want it to stay right around 325F.   Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the coating is golden, turning once.  It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on type of meat.  Also, check the temperature of the meat: breasts should be 170F and thighs and drumsticks should be 180F.

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags, it won't stay as crispy that way. And enjoy!

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

I actually saw this recipe on Our Best Bites...excellent blog, by the way, and had to try it out.  The chicken came out perfect, and made quite tasty leftovers, too.

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken

Salt-based seasoning (such as seasoning salt, etc.  I used Emeril's Chicken Rub)

Directions:
Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it’s not stewing in its own juices.

Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and cook for 7-8 hours.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

The recipe is one of my friend's and it was so easily adaptable for us, I had to try it.

Mandarin Orange Chicken
4 chicken breasts
2-3 tablespoons canola oil
1 11oz can mandarin oranges in juice, drained with juice reserved
1/4 cup GF soy sauce or Coconut Aminos
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Saute chicken breasts in oil over medium-high to high heat until brown. Mix mandarin orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch together, then add in the remaining ingredients, reserving a few Mandarin oranges.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer on low about 30 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.  Place the reserved oranges on top prior to serving the chicken.  Serve over rice or asian noodles.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Allergy Friendly Fridays.

Chicken UnParmesan (and updated Eggplant UnParmesan)

A few months back I made Eggplant UnParmesan and loved it!  Well, I finally got around to getting it back on my menu and this time around I modified it a little and love it even more.  I also made some Chicken UnParmesan up as well (mostly because I'm the only one that will touch eggplant) and it turned out AMAZING...yes, it was that good. Both were even excellent as leftovers 3 days later, really, that turned out that good.  So, here's the new breading mixture:

 

(I forgot to take a picture, so this is actually from my other Eggplant UnParmesan Post)

Chicken/Eggplant UnParmesan

3/4 cup gluten free cornflake crumbs
3/4 cup almond meal
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspooon Italian seasoning
1 egg
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Olive Oil
2-4 chicken breasts
1-2 eggplant (or any combination of chicken and eggplant, I used 2 chicken breasts and one eggplant)

Directions
In a bowl combine cornflake crumbs, almond meal, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  In a separate bowl combine the egg and milk. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Dip chicken and eggplant in the egg wash, then in the crumbs. Cook in olive oil until both sides are golden brown.  Top with spaghetti sauce and enjoy.


This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten-Free Wednesday.

Chili-Lime Chicken

I made marinated grilled (actually broiled, because we really don't have a grill) last night, and both of my little ones loved it...this does not happen very often.  They will try things, but that's usually where it ends, but they both actually devoured the chicken.  I used this recipe from Eat Better America, it has a very strong lime taste, with a hint of heat.  I ate mine on top of my greens with pineapple and salsa, and the left overs today were with my black bean and corn quinoa (I added pineapple in with that, too).  Reallly, this chicken is good on it's own or mixed in with things, this marinade is definitely a keeper!  I have the recipe below, I did use half the amount of lime zest, and like I said the chicken had plenty of lime flavor.

Broiled Chili-Lime Chicken

1	teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4	cup lime juice
2	tablespoons olive or canola oil
2	tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2	teaspoon sugar
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	small jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped
1	clove garlic, finely chopped
2	large boneless skinless chicken breasts

	To make marinade, in a gallon size ziploc, mix all ingredients except chicken.
	Add chicken to marinade; turn to coat. Cover dish or seal bag; refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours (I marinaded mine for about 10 hours).
	Turn broiler to high. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Broil chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

This post is featured on Simple Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, The Whole Gang's Real Food Weekly, and Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

Thai Chicken Patties

Okay, I love ethnic food, especially Asian foods.  So, to me these little patties were delicious, but if you're not a fan of fish sauce, you may not like these (my husband was not a fan), just a warning.  But, for those of us that love the ethnic flavors, these little patties are scrumptious. :)

Thai Chicken Patties
adapted from here

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 egg
1 cup fresh gluten-free bread crumbs

Directions
Combine onion, garlic, ginger, and the jalapeno in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add chicken, cilantro and fish sauce and pulse until well blended but not totally pureed. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the egg and bread crumbs (I always use my hands for this).

Heat broiler to high with rack 4 inches from the heat.  Line 1-2 baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray. Shape the chicken mixture into 20-24 patties, bout 1/2 inch thick and place on the baking sheets.

Broil for about 4 minutes on each side.  Serve with sweet chili sauce.

Sweet Pork (or Chicken) with Refried Beans

Okay, this is an old standby recipe, and I can't believe I haven't put it on here yet.  It's basically a easy copycat recipe for Cafe Rio's or Costa Vida's Sweet Pork.  And its incredibly easy.  It works with about any meat...I usually use pork, but if I happen to not have any in the house (like this time), I use chicken thighs or breasts, or a beef roast. I thought I would attempt to make homemade refried beans and corn tortillas to go with it and it worked out pretty well. I didn't have dried beans in the house, and this was a spur of the moment thing, so these are more of a shortcut refried beans, because I used canned black beans. With the corn tortillas, I simply followed the directions on my Masa flour...I know I can improve this recipe, they were tasty, but kind of fell apart, like corn tortillas tend to do.

This post is linked here for Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays on Simply Sugar and Gluten-free.

Sweet Pork (or Chicken or Beef)
3-4lb pork shoulder roast, or country style ribs (or equivalent amount of chicken or beef)
1 jar salsa (I actually usually use Pace Picante Sauce)
1 cup brown sugar

Place meat in a slow cooker. Mix together salsa and brown sugar and pour over meat.  Cook on low 8-10 hours (unless you have chicken then do 6-8 hours).  Shred and serve over rice or with corn tortillas.

Shortcut Refried Black Beans
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup onion (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Place drained beans into a saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 2-3 hours. Drain beans, reserving the liquid.

In a heavy skillet heat oil.  Stir in onions, cook until transparent, add in garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in beans and seasonings.  Mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Stir in enough of the cooking liquid to make a pastelike mixture. 

Chicken Mango Curry

Anyone who knows me knows I love curries.  They are aromatic and spicy, and just plain delicious.  I found this recipe here, it is so easy and didn't require any adaptations.  I did, however, have changes, based on what I had in the house, so I didn't add red peppers and I used regular coconut milk not reduced-fat.  I'm putting the recipe below, but all credit goes to Reader's Digest.  It was incredibly delicious, and once again I totally forgot to take a picture, so you'll just have to imagine how good it looks. :)

Mango Chicken Curry

1/2 cup finely chopped onion'
1-2 T canola oil
1-2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts,  cut into 1 inch pieces
1 T curry powder
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it hotter)
1 large mango, peeled and chopped
3/4 C coconut milk (such as Thai Kitchen)
2 T tomato paste

Directions
In a large skillet, saute onion in oil for 2-4 minutes, add chicken curry, ginger, garlic, salt, and cayenne.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.

Stir in mango, coconut milk, and tomato paste; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over basmati rice.

Super Bowl Eats

Okay, I'm not into watching football, but I am more than happy to watch the Superbowl for two reasons: (1) food and (2) the commercials. :)  Here is the spread I made this year for the game: 

(1) Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps.  This is Paula Deen's recipe, and it is really, really good.  And it made a ton, so I get to enjoy these tomorrow, too! I've listed the recipe below, too, but all credit goes to her!

(2) Lloyd's babyback ribs in the orginal barbeque sauce.  They are soy and gluten-free!  I know they must of just changed their recipe, because they weren't safe just a few months back when I checked. Here's the label to prove it (not a good picture, sorry):

(3) Asparagus and Ham Roll-ups with a cucumber dill yogurt dip.  YUM!  I'm the only one that ate these, but I'm also the only one that likes asparagus.  I got the recipe from here, but also have it below with my changes.

 (4) Ham and Pretzel Rollups...this was my older son's creation.  When he saw the asparagus roll-up, he asked if he could have those but with pretzels instead.  He and his little brother ate dozens of these roll-ups.  I think we have a new lunch idea!

(5) Last but definitely not least: Chili topped potato skins, these are super easy to make and they turn the potato bar into finger food..LOVE IT.  I used Hormel Chili, which is gluten-free, but NOT soy-free.  My little one had no desire to eat these, so it wasn't a problem. Of course, you could make your own chili, too.  I was just being lazy. :)

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps by Paula Deen
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (I used 2 large breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon (I didn't quite use all of the bacon)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Cover a large cookie sheet with foil and spray a rack (I used a cooling rack) with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wraps on rack in broiler pan. Bake 375 for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp.


Asparagus and Ham Roll-ups
~1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1 tablespoon water
~3/4 pound thin slices fully cooked ham

DILL SAUCE:
1 cup (8 ounces) So Delicious Coconut plain yogurt
1/2 cup diced seeded and peeled cucumber
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Place asparagus and water in a microwave-safe 1dish. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Immediately place asparagus in ice water; drain and pat dry.

Wrap each asparagus spear with a slice of ham, my asparagus was quite slender, so I actually put ~5 spears in each bundle.  Just before serving, combine sauce ingredients. Serve with roll-ups. Yield: 8 servings.


Chili Topped Potato Skins (adapted from Cooking For Isaiah)

4 russet potatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt
chili
cheese (unless dairy-free)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.  Using a fork, poke the potatoes in a few place, then rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake about an hour, or until done.  Let cool slightly, then halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out some of the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch .  Rub flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and bake again for about 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.  Top with warm chili and cheese and return to oven to melt the cheese (about 2-3 minutes). 

Chicken Salad

I made an incredibly easy roasted chicken for Sunday dinner, it's one of my favorite recipes, but there is always leftovers.  And I'm usually the only one that eats leftovers...unless it's cleverly disguised.  So, I used my recipes to make this...and this is my favorite chicken salad recipe, the dill and red wine vinegar, mixed with sweet pickles and mustard give this an entirely new taste to your typical chicken salad. You can eat it with a gf roll, as a wrap using corn torillas or crepes, over lettuce, or straight up. :) And it also works great as a potato salad, too!  Just sub in 4 cups cooked, diced potatoes for the chicken...it is soooo good!

Chicken Salad


4 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded.
2 cups celery, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
1/4 cup sweet pickles, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sauce:
1 3/4 cup canola oil mayonnaise
3/4 tablespoon dried onion
1 1/2 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dill weed

Directions
Mix top ingredients together.  Mix sauce in a separate bowl and pour over chicken mixture.  Mix well, and chill before serving.  I make mine the night before and let the flavors meld together, it's one of those things that is definitely better the next day!  And, like I said, it makes a fantastic potato salad, too, just sub in potatoes for the chicken.

This recipe is featured on The Gluten-Free Homemaker's Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Ham and Chicken Pasta

I had leftover ham from Sunday dinner last week that really needed to be used up, and also some chicken. I found this recipe in one of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks and decided it would be easy enough to modify.  This can be modified anyway you like.  Add in spinach or broccoli, use chicken or ham or sausage...it's a great sauce and not hard to make.

Ham and Chicken Pasta

8 ounces dried gluten-free pasta shells
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups So Delicious coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1 teaspoon salt or as needed


Directions:
Cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse.  In large saucepan heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook about 3-5 mins or till onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, thyme, and pepper. Add milk and the chicken stock. Cook and stir til thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in pasta, ham, and chicken (and cooked veggies if you have them) and heat through.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

My kids actually call this soup "Kung Fu Panda Soup" or "Noodle Soup"...but, hey, we'll call it anything they want, if they eat it! :)  This soup is easy, and can be made simpler by using cooked leftover chicken or turkey, chicken broth, and dried gf noodles.  I adapted my recipe from here and the noodle recipe from here. Okay, so why in the world am I making noodles?  I wanted to experiment, and they turned out pretty good.  But another main reason, I wanted to use up some egg yolks.  If you haven't noticed, I use a lot of egg whites, but not so many egg yolks...so I have been on a quest to use my egg yolks, so I'm not wasteful.  And by the way, did you know you can freeze your yolks and whites? Like I said, I'm usually after the whites, when I'm separating eggs, so I haven't had to freeze those yet, but for yolks just place them in a ziploc bag, add a small pinch of salt and squeeze out of the air...voila, ready for the freezer.  And if you've forgotten how many yolks are in one bag, one tablespoon = one yolk. :)

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 lb meaty chicken pieces (I used drumsticks)
6 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 recipe of fresh egg noodles or 1 1/2 cups dried gf noodles
1 teaspoon dried parsley


1. Place chicken in a slowcooker, cover with water, then add onion, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and bay leaf.  Cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is done.

2. Remove chicken from broth.  When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.  Discard bones and skin.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside.  Discard bay leaf.  Skim fat from broth. (I actually use a fat-separating pitcher, because I suck at skimming fat).

3. The broth can be kept in the slow cooker (put on high heat) or moved to a large saucepan, which ever you choose. Bring the broth to boiling.  Stir in carrot and celery.  Simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.  Add in the noodles and cook ~2-5 minutes for fresh noodles or dried ones until tender, but firm.  Stir in chicken and parsley and heat through.


Homemade Gluten-free Egg Noodles
3 1/2 cups plus more for dusting  Silvana's All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.  In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and the whole eggs.  Add water and oil.  Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix well.  It should be a stiff dough, not crumbly or wet; adjust flour or water if needed.

2. Sprinkle countertop with flour and knead the dough a couple of times to make sure it won't crumble. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into at least four equal portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a paper thin rectangle (it will be as thin as you can get it, hopefully about 1/16"). Dust the surface of the dough with flour and loosely roll the dough into a spiral.  Cut into 1/4" strips, shake strips to separte, then cut into 2-3" lengths.  Or instead of rolling up dough, you could leave it in the rectangle and use a pizza cutter to cut into noodles.

4.  At this point the noodles can be added into the soup or they you can dry them for a couple of hours, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 8 months.

Indian Food Extravaganza

I love Indian food! The spices and flavors warm you to your soul...it really is comfort food for me.  The problem is trying to convince my family of that, they are a little bit pickier with different flavors.  So, I was off to find at least something with those flavors that at least my husband would eat. So, last night we had a feast, I ate most of it, but at least my husband ate the chicken and rice...that's a start. ;) Oh, and the naan bread, as well, so he got 3 out of 5, I guess that's passing. :)

I am in no way fantastic at cooking Indian food, so this is not authentic...I'm just an American girl trying to replicate flavors that I've had at the Indian restaurants in town...that's my warning. :) 

Clockwise from top left: Saag Aloo on top of basmati rice, Naan, Pakoras, and Indian-spiced Chicken Kebabs

For the Saag Aloo recipe, I started with this recipe, then changed it based on what I had in the house and my personal taste.

Saag Aloo
1 10oz package frozen spinach
2 cups cubed potatoes, cooked and drained.
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely diced (I didn't have enough onion in my house, so I used 1/4 cup dried onions rehydrated in a 1/4 cup water...and it worked amazingly well!)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons So Delicious coconut milk or other non-dairy milk

Cook spinach according to package directions, then puree until smooth in a blender or food processor.  Heat oil over medium heat; add garlic and onion.  Cook until soft.  Stir in turmeric and cook for a couple more minutes.  Add in the spinach and potatoes and stir well.  Add salt, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and milk. Heat on low for a few minutes, then serve.


With the Naan, I started with this recipe, converted it and made some cooking adjustments.

Gluten-free Naan
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour or this one
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil

gf flour for dusting
oil for brushing

Mix together warm water, yeast, and sugar, and let sit 5-10 minutes, or until nice and foamy.  In a separate bowl mix together the flour and salt, pour yeast mixture and oil in with the flour and mix well.  Separate dough into six small balls (or less if you want larger pieces of Naan).  Roll out to about 1/8-1/4" thick on parchment paper, cover and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.  Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of oven and preheat oven to 500F. Take 1-2 pieces at a time and oil the tops and place in oven (while still on parchment paper), after 2-3 minutes, flip over, removing the parchment paper, and allow to cook for another 2 minutes.

If you would like garlic naan, simply add 1-2 cloves of mince garlic to the dough.


Pakoras are like a vegetable fritter using gram (garbanzo bean) flour. The best thing about them?  They are naturally gluten-free...no conversion needed!  (This is why I love ethnic food!)  I found this recipe, but once again modified it to work better for me.

Pakoras
Vegetable of choice (I used diced potatoes, diced sweet potatoes, and onions cut into strips, but you could use about any vegetable)
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1- 1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
canola oil for deep-frying

Mix together all of the dry ingredients (except cilantro leaves).  Pour in water, adding just enough to make a very thick batter (I used 1 cup).  Add the cilantro and mix well.  Add in a few of your vegetables coating well, remove from batter with spoon and drop into oil heated to 350-375F. I like to have clumps of 3-4 potato cubes, or 3-4 onions together to give it more substance.  Cook until golden brown, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.


The chicken kebabs I found as I was reading through Indian cookbooks on Amazon...I really love being able to look inside books before I buy them, because then I find the good cookbooks, like this one.  I did change the cooking method, but I give her all the credit for the recipe...it's excellent!  Oh, and of course, I modified it for our diet. :)

Indian Spiced Chicken Kebabs
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
skewers (I used my metal ones, if you use bamboo make sure to soak them for at least 30min)

Marinade:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (~ 2 cloves)
juice of one lime (~ 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon So Delicious Plain Coconut Yogurt

Mix together all of marinade ingredients.  Add chicken cubes and toss to cover, place in a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to one day.

Preheat broiler to high, and also the broiler pan.  Allow chicken to come to room temp (I took my chicken out while I was making my naan bread, by the time I was ready to cook it, it was ready, too).

Thread chicken onto skewers and place on preheated broiler pan.  Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Yesterday, there was a church activity that I was helping with.  At that activity there was dinner...and there was going to be at least 5 people there that were gluten intolerant, and 2 of us who were also dairy intolerant.  So, I wanted to make an awesome soup, and I did. :)  To go along with it I brought Rosemary Almond Crackers, which were probably the biggest hit, and my walnut bread, which I made in mini muffin pans.  The gluten-free gals last night did not miss out on anything, instead we indulged. :)

I totally forgot to take pictures of the soup, but it was beautiful. :)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

serves 12+

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely diced (~18 baby carrots)
1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced (~4 stalks)
1 1/2 cups onion, finely diced (~1 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 quarts chicken broth (I used Imagine organic, just to make sure it's soy-free as well)
2 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 3/4" cubes (~4 breast halves, you really could add more chicken, I just didn't have that much chicken in the house)
1 cup wild rice (you now the long black rice, not a blend of different rices)
1 cup rice blend (now here's where your rice blend comes in...)
2 bay leaves
2-3 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup soy-free margarine
1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add carrots, celery, and onion.  Cook 5-6 minutes, or until softened.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, chicken, rice, and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

Remove bay leaves, add parsley.  Melt margarine in a separate saucepan, mix in flour to make a roux.  Add the roux to the soup and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: the longer it cooks the thicker it gets, because the rice will continue to asborb the broth.

Oven Fried Chicken

So, from my previous post you will know that now all of my recipes are going to be gluten, dairy, and soy free.  This recipe is sooo good, really it's almost addictive, and kid friendly, especially if you use drumsticks like I did.  My older son loves the built in handles...he downed 2 of these, and they were not small drumsticks (I only had 2, so he really liked them).  I adapted it from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe:

Oven Fried Chicken

1 egg
3 T rice milk
1 1/4 C cornflake crumbs (I use the Southern Homestyle Gluten-Free Corn Flake Crumbs, they are so good and work great for when you don't feel like making your own crumbs)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 T olive oil
2-3 lbs meaty pieces (I used nice meaty drumsticks)

Directions
1. In a small bowl combine egg and milk.  For coating, combine crumbs, thyme, paprika, sal, and peper; stir in olive oil.  Skin chicken.  Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.

2. In a greased baking pan arrange chicken, bone sides down, so the pieces arent touching.  Sprinkle peices with any remaining crumbs.

3.  Bake, uncovered, at 375F for 45-55 minutes.  Do not turn pieces while baking.

Note: this also makes for great chicken tenders or nuggets.  I used my left over crumbs for nuggets to freeze to take to daycare, they were very yummy. If you do use the left over crumbs for chicken nuggets, use them immediately, since the crumbs could harber harmful bacteria from the raw chicken and egg if stored for any amount of time.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Indian Food

So, I was craving Indian food. I love it and I love that I can still eat it. So many ethnic cuisines are naturally gluten free, so it's good that I love ethnic foods...if only my family felt the same way....

I attempted a few Indian dishes, the first was a success so I have the recipe below, the others need more work, so I'm not even going to mention them...

I got this recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's blog, "A year of slowcooking" I love her blog, because it's all gluten-free, there is still plenty I would have to convert or just forget about making because of the dairy, but still, tons of usable recipes...but anyway, this one is for Chicken Korma, I modified it slightly, but all in all it's about the same as she has.  Here's a copy of it:

Chicken Korma (Gluten/Dairy Free)

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 C (about one medium) onion, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes and juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon gorund cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup Coconut milk
1 T corn starch  (mixed in with 1 T cold water)
cooked basmati rice

Directions

Put chicken into the bottom of the crockpot.  Add potato and onion.  Pour in tomatoes, and add garlic and all the spices.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in coconut milk.  If it still seems too runny, add in the corn starch mixture. Serve over rice.

White Chili

It's raining...fall is definitely here, so I need some soup or chili or something.  I found this white chili recipe and figured today would be a perfect day to try it out.  It was wonderful, it's not quite as thick as a chili, so its more like a green chili chicken soup, but still, absolutely fantastic.  The recipe is also below, just in case the link ever stops working, or you are like me and just don't feel like clicking on the link. ;)

White Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used just under 1/4 teaspoon myself)
3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used chicken stock for a deeper flavor)
4 cups diced cooked skinless turkey, or chicken
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Add turkey (or chicken) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Yields 6 servings.  The soup freezes well, also.