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.

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.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Nearly every Saturday I get a Bountiful Basket, it really has helped cut down on our grocery bill.  Which is good, since the gluten-free products cost a bit more. :)  Well, this week I got okra in my basket...never have cooked okra, so when I first saw it a was a bit nervous, but then immediately thought...gumbo!!  So, I made a traditional gumbo, served over rice and everything! I just wish my family was more willing to try new things...my husband eat some of the chicken and sausage, my little one enjoyed the sausage and rice, my older one through a massive fit over the whole thing, but no one was willing to try the okra in it...part poopers. :)  I quite enjoyed it, and will be enjoying the leftovers throughout the week this week.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens recipe)

1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup cooking oil
3 cups water
12 oz cooked smoked sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cups sliced okra
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions
1. For roux, in a medium heavy saucepan stir together rice flour and oil until smooth.  Cook and stir constantly over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook and stir constantly about 10-15 minutes more or until a dark reddish brown color is reached; cool.

2. Place water in a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker.  Stir in the roux.  Add the rest of the ingredients, mix.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-3 1/2 hours.  Skim off fat.  Serve gumbo over hot cooked rice.

Chicken Squash Curry and Rice

If you can't guess by the title and by reading previous posts...I used my leftover Curried Butternut Squash Soup and turned it into a curry sauce for my chicken and rice dinner tonight.  I spiced up some chicken breasts and grilled them, then chopped them up.  For the rice, I used basmati and cooked it in Chicken Broth that I had left over from making the soup and put a bay leaf in there also. I threw some soybeans in the mix as well, since I have a ton from my garden right now...so good! Once again, I was the only one willing to try it, but I think I like even better as a sauce than as the soup.  So this recipe is definitely versatile!