Turkey Pumpkin Chili - Naturally Gluten-Free

This recipe is adapted from several other recipes, using dried beans, which I prefer using over canned beans. Dried beans expand when cooked. It is best to get started on this recipe in the morning if using dried beans to make sure they are tender in time to assemble and cook the whole dish by dinner time.

2-3 cups dried kidney beans
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes
16 oz. pumpkin purée

1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
1 1/2 cup water 
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
2-3 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
dash of black pepper

1.      Place dried kidney beans in the crock pot in the morning and cook on high for 3 hours. Rinse and drain around noon, then return them to the crock pot and add the remaining ingredients.

3.      Cook on high for 3-4 hour more. Serve with Frito's corn chips and grated cheddar cheese.

Gluten-Free 15 Bean Sausage Soup

Gluten-Free 15 Bean Sausage Soup

I discovered these beans several years ago, and have added my favorite gluten-free sausage and my own spices to create this yummy dish. Our family loves it with my gluten-free corn bread (see earlier post). This healthy recipe is great when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal.  Soak the beans in the crock-pot the night before, throw a few more items in the next morning and cook on low all day, and have it waiting for you ready to eat at dinner time.

Ingredients:

1 bag Hurst’s Hambeen 15 Bean Soup package (in the dry bean section at Walmart)

1 package Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Gluten-Free Pork Sausage

Cajun seasoning (I use McCormick)

1 onion

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

frozen peas (optional)

Open package of dry beans and discard flavor packet. Soak beans the night before in a crock pot – cover with twice as much water as beans.  In the morning chop up onion and add to bean mixture. Add the sausage, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix ingredients. Put crock pot on low for 8 hours.  The soup is ready when beans are tender. Add frozen peas (optional). Serve with Gluten-Free Cornbread.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
 

I adapted my favorite sugar-cookie recipe to create this twist on this yummy holiday treat:

mix:         1 cup sugar

                 3/4 cup shortening

add:         2 eggs

                 1 tsp. vanilla

                 1 tsp. orange food coloring

add:         1 cup brown rice flour

                 1 cup amaranth flour

                 ½ cup tapioca flour

                 1 ½ tsp. baking powder

                 ¾ tsp. salt
                 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
                 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Roll out dough on counter top without flour or grease to about 1/4 inch thick. If you have difficulty, then roll dough between two pieces of wax paper. Cut into shapes pumpkin shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 ° F for 10-12 minutes on lightly greased cookie sheet. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool. Remove carefully, as they are prone to break. Cover with Chocolate Fudge Icing and Fall-colored sprinkles.

Chocolate Fudge Icing

Melt in microwave: 1 stick butter

Add: 1 tsp. vanilla,

½ tsp. cocoa

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

2-5 Tbsp. milk (add one Tablespoon at a time and mix with wire whisk until it is smooth and silky in

appearance, slightly runny)

My Favorite Gluten-Free Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sorghum four
1 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 cup gluten free corn meal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Mix all ingredients and pour into 8x9 greased pan, bake at 400° F for 20-25 minutes. Serve with butter.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

For this recipe I used Prairie Gluten Free Organic Amaranth flour and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats. Although you can sometimes find these ingredients in some specialty stores, I order both of these in bulk  through Amazon, which is a lot cheaper, and offers free shipping. Some people may wonder why I don't just use regular oats. It is common knowledge in gluten-free circles that most oats and corn sold in stores are potentially contaminated with wheat and are considered a risk unless the label specifically states "gluten-free".

Ingredients:

4 cups tart sliced and peeled apples
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup amaranth or brown rice flour
1/2 cup gluten free oats
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened (not melted)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375° F. Arrange apples in greased square 8x8x2 pan. Mix remaining ingredients, cutting the softened butter into dry ingredients with a pasty cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Serve with ice cream.

Gluten Free Alfredo Pasta - 2 versions!

I have long been a fan of Alfredo sauce on pasta. Sad was the day for me when pasta was no longer in my culinary repertoire - or so I thought! I have found an abundance of gluten-free pastas available at various groceries, including Wal-Mart. One pasta I have recently acquired a taste for is Orzo pasta. These two variations of Alfredo Pasta are delicious, quick and easy to make. 

Sausage Alfredo


Ingredients:

1 package Jimmy Dean All Natural Sausage
2 jars Priana Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce (ALDI's; yes! It is gluten free!)
1 tsp. McCormick's Cajun seasoning
Fresh or frozen broccoli, thawed and cut up into small pieces
Orzo or other pasta



Directions:Saute Jimmy Dean Natural sausage until brown. Add broccoli, and saute more until heated through. Add Alfredo sauce. Serve on cooked Orzo or other pasta.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo

Ingredients:

3 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
2 jars Priana Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce
1 cup Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
1 package fresh mushrooms, chopped up






Directions: Saute cubed chicken until no pink is noted. Add fresh mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add spinach and Alfredo sauce. Serve on cooked Orzo or other pasta.

 

Oopsies

A recipe from the Facebook group "Weightloss With Us"

Oopsies 6–8 depending on size.

3 eggs
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cream cheese
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder or cream of tarter (can be excluded)

Separate the eggs, with the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another.
Whip the egg whites together with the salt until very stiff. You should be able to turn the bowl over without the egg whites moving.

Mix the egg yolks and the cream cheese well. If you choose, 1tsp of cream of tarter or baking powder (this makes the Oopsie more bread-like).

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mix – try to keep the air in the egg whites.

Put 6 large or 8 smaller oopsies on a baking tray.
Bake in the middle of the oven at 150° C (300° F) for about 25 minutes – until they turn golden.

You can eat Oopsies as bread or use them as a bun for a hotdog or hamburger. You can also put different kinds of seeds on them before baking them, for instance poppy, sesame or sunflower seeds.

Chicken with Tomato and Basil Sauce - Gluten Free

This was incredibly delicious. All the family loved it.

Ingredients:

8 chicken breasts, thawed
2 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dry basil)
1 1/2 cup water
2 Herb Ox Chicken Flavored Bouillion cubes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Cooked rice

Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat and brown chicken breasts on both sides till cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and saute until ctender. Add tomatoes and basil and cook for a few more minutes. Mix cornstarch in 1 1/2 cups water and pour into sauce, stirring until thickened. Add whipping cream and stir till mixed.

Place chicken breasts and cooked rice on serving plates. Pour sauce over chicken breasts and rice.

The "Troublesome Twenty" Ingredients That May Have Hidden Gluten

I found this list of ingredients to watch for that may have hidden sources of gluten. I found this on the following website: http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11764-hidden-gluten.html

The Troublesome Twenty

• Artificial color

• Baking powder

• Caramel color/flavoring

• Citric acid (can be fermented from wheat, corn, molasses or beets)

• Coloring

• Dextrins

• Diglycerides

• Emulsifiers

• Enzymes

• Fat replacers

• Flavorings

• Food starch

• Glucose syrup

• Glycerides

• Maltodextrin

• Modified food starch

• Natural juices

• Stabilizers

• Starch

• Wheat starch

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

This recipe has no flour, no white sugar

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter

 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey

 1 teaspoon baking powder**
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons

** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Pork & Green Bean Stir-Fry

6 lbs. pork, cut into strips
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Sesame oil
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. frozen green beans
1 cup chopped bell peppers
rice, cooked

Cut up pork into thin slices and stir fry until cooked through.  Combine sugar, soy sauce, Sesame oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic. Stir fry green beans and bell peppers beans are no longer cold and vegetables are slightly browned. Add pork, and stir fry together for 1 minute. Add liquid, stirring to coat and until thickened. serve on cooked r
ice.