Cheesy Peas + Casserole Idea

12 oz. frozen organic baby sweet peas
2 tablespoon GFCF margarine, divided
1/4 cup water
salt
pepper
GFCF Cream of Cheese Soup

Bring peas, water, margarine, salt and pepper to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Drain. Add 1 tablespoon GFCF margarine and stir until melted. Add Cream of Cheese Soup and blend well. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.

~ I think this would be even better with GFCF cheddar crackers (I don't have a recipe for them) crumbled over the top and then baked in a lightly greased baking dish until crackers are lightly browned. And perhaps also doubled, with the addition of Cream of Mushroom soup instead of doubling the Cream of Cheese soup. This recipe is inspired by a very old asparagus and sweet pea casserole. ~

Cream of Cheese Soup

GFCF Cream of Cheese Soup

1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion powder or paste
salt
pepper

Sprinkle cheese shreds into melted margarine. Season with salt and pepper and stir over med-med/low low heat until melted. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

Cream of Celery, Chicken, and Mushroom Soups

GFCF Cream of Celery Soup

1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion powder or paste
salt
pepper

Season celery with salt and pepper and saute in margarine over low heat until tender. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

GFCF Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup cooked chicken, finely chopped
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion powder or paste
salt
pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper and toss in melted margarine over low heat until heated through. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

GFCF Cream of Mushroom Soup

6 baby portobello muchrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
2 teaspoons exra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion powder or paste
salt
pepper

Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute in margarine and extra virgin olive oil over low heat until done. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

Chicken Tetrazinni

*This dish requires a lot of prep but it is so worth it, at the very least for Thanksgiving and Christmas. :) *

2 tablespoons GFCF margarine
1 med. chopped onion
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons GFCF flour mix
1 1/2 cup GFCF milk
6 oz. GFCF spaghetti, cooked
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 1/2 cups Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, divided
GFCF cream of mushroom soup (see recipe below)
GFCF cream of celery soup (see recipe below)
2 oz. chopped pimentos, drained
3 tablespoons Galaxy Vegan Parmesan Topping
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt


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GFCF Cream of Mushroom Soup

6 baby portabella muchrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion powder or paste
salt
pepper

Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute in margarine and extra virgin olive oil over low heat until done. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

GFCF Cream of Celery Soup

1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
1/2 cup GFCF milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon GFCF chicken boullion poweder or paste
salt
pepper

Season celery with salt and pepper and saute in margarine over low heat until tender. Add milk, cornstarch, and boullion. Increase heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic seasoned with salt and pepper in margarine until tender. Add GFCF flour and cook over med-low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and cook over med-med/low heat until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently. Season with garlic salt. Stir in chicken, pasta, and 3/4 cup cheddar shreds. Mix well. Add GFCF cream soups, pimentos, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into lightly greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheddar shreds evenly over top. Bake for 25 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Chicken Cornbread Dressing

*This is a much improved version of the CCBD recipe posted previously.*


Cornbread Base

3/4 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
1 small-med. onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup GFCF milk (add 1/4 cup more if batter is thick, like cookie dough)
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly combine ingredients and pour batter into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees, or until golden brown on top and bottom. Cool completely.

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4-5 slices Udi's Gluten-Free Whole Grain bread (end slices work best), torn into small pieces
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
5-6 cups chilled chicken broth (increasing as needed until ingredients first appear soupy
1 egg, beaten
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a very large bowl, crumble thoroughly cooled cornbread. Add bread pieces, chicken, broth, 1 beaten egg, and an additional 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix just enough to combine ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes at 400 degrees. Serves 10-15.

Tender Juicy Baked Ham

This is my recipe for fall-off the bone, tender, juicy, smoked, baked ham.


6 pound semi-boneless smoked ham, half
Stainless steel covered roaster

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place ham, pink side down, in roaster and cover tightly. Bake for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and bake for 6 hours. Turn oven off, but do not open the door. Leave covered roaster in oven for 1 hour. Remove roaster from oven but do not open it. Let sit for 45 minutes. Slightly open the roaster and allow ham to rest for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Healthy Top GFCF Whipping Cream!!

It's here!

CLICK

Fried Okra

1 bag frozen cut okra (not whole pods)
1/2 cup (or more, if needed) Bob's Red Mill GF Cornbread Mix
salt
pepper
oil for deep frying

Place frozen okra in a large shallow bowl and allow to partially thaw (just until the pieces are moist) at room temperature. Toss with BRM GF cornbread mix, salt and pepper to coat. Carefully place coated pieces into hot oil and cook until golden brown. Drain. Salt to taste.

~ I would venture to guess that you could moisten fresh cut okra with water before tossing with the CB mix, or even coat fresh cut okra with an egg mixture before coating with the CB mix. ~

Better Battered Cubed Steak

Cubed steaks
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Pepper
GFCF Flour Mix
Oil

Cut cubed steaks into strips in the opposite direction that they were cubed. Season on both sides with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and pepper. Coat with flour mix on all sides. Cook in heated oil until done, turning strips as necessary.

~ Cutting the steaks into strips - against the grain - makes them so much more tender! ~

Flour Mix Update

I am now using Carol Fenster's Sorghum Flour Blend mix exclusively for all recipes that call for flour: Carol's Gluten-Free Flour Blends

I use Sorghum Flour Blend (#3) and I omit the 4th ingredient.

This blend, minus the 4th ingredient, is featured in the Carol Fenster's 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes cookbook that I purchased in September 2009.

Cherry Crumble

1 large can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 pkg. Bob's Red Mill GFCF Vanilla Cake Mix
1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
GFCF non-stick spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 x 8 square baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour cherry pie filling into the dish. In a bowl, combine melted buttery stick with BRM GFCF cake mix. Crumble the buttery cake mix mixture evenly on top of cherries. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely. Serves 6-8

~ This recipe is adapted from a recipe from our dear friend, Molly, in Florida. Could this be any easier? 3 ingredients! OK, 4 counting the non-stick spray. :) Feel free to use the fruit pie filling of your choice - apples, blueberries, etc. ~

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, EVERYBODY! :)

Fabulous Find - EcoFriendly Travel Cup

THIS is my new favorite travel/sippy cup for Miss B. It is also available in dark purple (in the pic - on my computer - it appears to be blue, but it is purple). It's made for runners, but I think it's just about perfect for Miss B. (I put the carabiners in the junk drawer. Ya never know when you might need a carabiner.)

You may have already read that we've gone organic? Well, for us, that also means no more juice boxes. I read recently that some of them have tested positive for lead but the fact that they are lined with aluminum is enough for me. Same thing with broth boxes! So, I went in search of new sippy cups for Miss B since we wouldn't be purchasing the oh-so-convenient juice boxes anymore. (I confess that I am in Juicy Juice Punch withdrawal.)

What I like most about these cups, other than the fact that they are BPA free, 5% of sales of the pink cups go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the fact that they are spill-proof is that the straws are Miss B proof. They are soft! The top portion of the straw is soft and the bottom portion (the portion below the lid) is hard. Twist the top of the cap and the soft portion of the straw folds over and the lid is sealed shut.

Miss B has destroyed so many sippy cup straws. It is unreal. We have so many cups with matching lids, but no tight-fitting straws for them. I don't even want to think about how many of them contained BPA!

Miss B hasn't even tried to chew on these straws. They are kinda short when fully extended, so that may have something to do with it. :) But anyway, I found these cups at Kroger in the seasonal items area. I think they were around $8. The only downside is they are NOT dishwasher safe. I purchased two of them.

Check 'em out if you see them anywhere. If you know someone who is a straw chewer/destroyer, this might be just the thing for them.

You can order these and similar products online Here and Here.

GFCF and...Organic

We are jumping in the deep end ($$$) and purchasing all organic items this month. And that means, among other things, grass-fed organic beef. It is going to be so expensive but after watching Food, Inc. and reading This Story, I am convinced, and I refuse to put any more stuff into Miss B's body. She doesn't need animal antibiotics or growth hormones. She has been through too much already.

This may mean that I have to drastically reduce my portion sizes of meat, or cut out meat altogether from my diet, but that's OK. Miss B is worth it.

We just got back from the Health Food Store with Applegate Farms: ham for sandwiches, bacon, and hotdogs - organic and nitrate-free.

I can hardly wait to see Miss B's beautiful eyes and face tomorrow when she has nothing going into her mouth but 100% certified organic products.

We hope you all have a very nice weekend.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I apologize in advance to all those who are soy-free. The spaghetti pasta I use is made with soy, potatoes, and rice. I tried this dish with corn pasta and rice pasta and I did not like it. The parmesan cheese used in this recipe is also made from soy.


1 12 oz. pkg. Bionaturae GF Spaghetti -- alternate pkg. photo
1 med. onion, finely chopped (I prefer a sweet onion for this recipe)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 slices GFCF bacon, uncooked, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
2 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
garlic salt
1 tablespoon Galaxy Foods Vegan GFCF grated Parmesan cheese (our container is purple)

Beat eggs in a small bowl. Set aside.

Into a large skillet or dutch oven, place chopped onion, garlic, bacon pieces and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cover and saute over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the garlic to brown.

In a medium saucepan cook pasta in salted water, adding 1 tablespoon margarine, for 13 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain but do not rinse. Immediately pour the pasta into the pot of onions, garlic, and bacon. Then, immediately drizzle the beaten eggs over the top of the hot pasta. Cover for 2 minutes. Stir and then cover for another 2 minutes. Remove lid and continue stirring, if necessary, until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top and stir. Season to taste with garlic salt. Serves 4

~ This is another one of those dishes that I was resigned to never having again until I tried it with the soy-potato-rice pasta and a drastically reduced portion of the Vegan brand Parmesan cheese. I think I went wrong all those times before by using the same amount of Vegan Parmesan cheese that I was using with real Parmesan cheese. The Vegan Parmesan cheese seems so much more concentrated to me, but I digress, I am not a big fan of soy cheese. ~

Bread Pudding

6-8 slices Udi's GF Whole Grain Bread, cubed *
2 cups GFCF milk
4 large eggs
1 cup pure cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

*If the bread slices are compact and you prefer bread cubes without crusts, you may want to use more than 6 slices.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 2 to 2 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Place bread cubes in baking dish. In a bowl, mix or whisk remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over bread cubes to cover completely, pressing bread cubes into liquid as necessary. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Place lid on baking dish (do not use aluminum foil) and bake 35-40 minutes. Remove lid and bake 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes (while you prepare the glaze). Pour cinnamon glaze evenly over top, or spoon over individual servings. Serves 8.

Cinnamon Glaze

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons GF cornstarch
2/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon GFCF margarine
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Add margarine and lemon juice. Stir until smooth.

~ If you want to toss 1/2 cup of raisins on top of the bread cubes at the beginning of the recipe, go ahead. We don't like them. Please don't hold it against me. ;) ~

Strawberries, Fruits & Veggies Info.

Environmental Working Group's list of 47 fruits and veggies, ranked by pesticide load:

List


Tips


Non-Organic Strawberries Alert

Summer Squash with Vidalia Onions

* Must be prepared in a large non-stick skillet with a lid. Please do not even attempt this recipe in a regular skillet.

2 - 2 1/2 pounds small yellow (summer) squash
1 med./large Vidalia (or sweet) onion, chopped
3 tablespoons GFCF margarine
salt
pepper

Thoroughly wash squash, trim ends, and slice into rounds just under 1/4 inch thick. Place margarine into the middle of a large non-stick skillet. Place squash rounds and chopped onions into the skillet. Generously season with salt and pepper. Cover.

- My stove dial settings range from low, 1 through 9, and high. 5 is medium. 8 is med./high. 2 is med./low. -

With skillet covered, turn heat to just above medium-low (3 on my stove) and cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid and turn squash and onions over in sections. Cover, reduce heat to med./low (2 on my stove) and cook for 15 more minutes. Stir.

Now comes the part where you cannot leave the skillet unattended...

Remove lid and turn heat up to just below high (9 on my stove). Gently press squash and onions down to completely cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the liquids begin to evaporate and the squash and onions begin to caramelize, for approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn over squash and onions in sections, press down and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat this 2-3 minute process 2-3 more times, reducing heat to Med./high (8 on my stove), turning squash and onions over in sections each time, until the squash and onions reach the desired level of golden brown goodness - caramelization. When the desired color has been reached, remove the skillet from the heat and partially cover the skillet with the lid. (Do not completely cover the skillet with the lid - the squash and onions will dry out and become tasteless.) After 10 minutes, stir completely, being sure to scrape any bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6-8

~ This is another one of those recipes I tried for years to perfect. I was able to achieve the desired taste almost immediately, but the consistency of the squash and onions was mush. Using this technique, I am able to see portions of the squash rounds and still enjoy the caramelized deliciousness of the squash and onions. I do not recommend using a regular (non-sweet) onion in this recipe as the end result will taste very different. If you don't have a sweet onion, simply prepare the squash according to this recipe, without onions. ~

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread

Oh my goodness! I learned about this bread a few weeks ago from MaconMom on Twitter and recently I found out that our favorite health food store carries it.

What can I say about this bread without sounding silly and ridiculous?

This bread made me cry happy tears. I just had two small ham sandwiches for the first time in months that didn't make me reconsider sandwiches as a meal option. THIS BREAD is so soft and delicious and not spongy.

Once again, our life regains a little more normalcy. First it was Carol Fenster's recipes, and now it is this bread.

I told the clerk at the store that I would see them in a month (I purchase enough food to last a month because they are quite a distance from us) unless the Udi's bread was as good as everyone said. I told him we'd be back for more if it was (I only purchased two loaves). He laughed and said, "OK then, we'll be seeing you soon."

No doubt.

Udi's Gluten Free Products

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread

Where to Find Udi's Products in Your Area

I also purchased a package of Udi's Lemon Streusel Muffins. We will try those tomorrow and I will post a review.

This is the best GFCF sandwich bread I have ever had. God Bless Udi and MaconMom and Yvonne's.

Ham Ball

16 oz. GFCF cream cheese (such as Tofutti)
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
8 oz. sliced GFCF ham, chopped

Mix together well and form into the shape of your choice. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate until set. Serve with your favorite GFCF crackers or breadsticks.

~ The GFCF version of this recipe is inspired by a Paula Deen Cream Cheese contest currently in progress Here. Make sure your sweetheart has some of this dip, too, because it will definitely give you onion breath! :) ~

Non-Southern Green Beans

So, I have to tell you the backstory for this recipe first.

A week and a half ago I went bounding out of bed at 2 a.m. on a quest to get more Melatonin for Miss B, who had not slept in over 48 hours. Instead of moving the baby gate (which was propped in the doorway - not locked into the doorway), I attempted to step over it, which I have done successsfully many, many times.

Really, I have.

Call it sleep deprivation, exhaustion, laziness, whatever you will, but my right foot did not clear the baby gate and I went down, hard, on my left elbow and the base of my left hand. Still today, I cannot use a manual or electric can opener.

Those regular sized cans with pop-top lids, that I was actually able to find, are twice as expensive as regular cans twice their size. But I digress. We simply have to have canned peaches and tomatoes. And I thought - green beans, too. I looked in three grocery stores and found not one single pop-top can of green beans.

Being a Southern Girl I have witnessed many fine cooks preparing fresh green beans, or snap beans as they are often referred to in our part of the world. But I have never attempted to cook them myself. Since green beans are a required food in my life, in the final grocery store I hurried over to the produce dept. where I chose a bag of fresh organic green beans.

So today I was thinking about those green beans, and green beans that I have had in non-Southern restaurants before and I really wanted to have that flavor instead of the green beans I usually prepare with smoked ham. I turned to Google for help and I found several recipes for green beans that did not include bacon or ham. What follows is what I came up with, based on several recipes that just did not give me the desired effect until I took them a little farther. This is my green bean recipe exactly as it happened, necessity being the mother of invention and all...

(And, yes, I do have a small container of bacon grease in my refrigerator at all times.)


1 1/2 pounds fresh organic green (snap) beans
water
salt
pepper
pure cane sugar
Earth Balance organic buttery spread
bacon grease

Remove the ends from the green beans and cut into smaller pieces, or leave whole. Rinse well in a colander. Put the green beans into a pot with enough water to cover them. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to med-med. low. Cook for 7 minutes. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. Into the empty, still hot pot, put 1 tablespoon Earth Balance organic buttery spread, 1 tablespoon bacon grease, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pure cane sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When melted and combined, put green beans back into the pot, stir to coat well, cover, and simmer over med. low to low heat for 10 minutes, stirring 3-4 times to completely coat the beans with the delicious juices every time. (What I noticed at this point was that some of the thinner green beans had begun to shrivel, but the thicker beans had not and were not quite the consistency I wanted, so I let them simmer, covered for 2 more minutes. I have no idea how those restaurants achieve the cosnistency and flavor they do without the beans shriveling, but I wish I did!) Remove from heat and toss the beans again to redistribute the juices. Serve with a slotted spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Do not drain the liquid out of the pot! If you go back for more, stir the beans to coat well with the juices each time.) Serves 4-6.

~ These would probably be very good with thinly sliced sweet onions added during the last 10 minutes of the cooking process, though I have not tested this theory. ~

Tangy Potatoes

2 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes, skin on
4 tablesppons GFCF mayonaise (trust me)
salt
pepper
green (spring) onions, chopped

Bake or microwave potatoes in glass baking dish until done. Place potatoes in a wide bowl such as a pasta bowl. Mash with a fork to open the cooked potatoes. Drop dollops of GFCF mayonaise over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Blend well. Garnish with green onions. Serves 2.

~ Now I know the thought of mayo in potatoes may not seem appetizing to some of you, but trust me; these potatoes have a sour cream-y, lemon-y flavor and the green onions advance them to an even more delicious level.

I was a little girl when I first saw my Aunt put mayo and milk on potatoes while making mashed potatoes and I thought "gross!". Until I tried them. I think she must have used mayo because Grandma didn't have any butter in the fridge. What a geat substitution this turned out to be. :) ~

Better Than Boullion Organic Bases

Better Than Boullion Organic Chicken Base and Organic Beef Base are so good, so full-bodied, so cooked-all-day-long delicious, I may never go back to GFCF boullion packets again!

Better Than Boullion Try them. :)

I have seen both the chicken and beef base jars at Publix and Kroger, as well as our favorite health food store.

Here is their Frequenty Asked Questions page.

Better Vegetable Beef Soup

1 small smoked ham hock (or smoked turkey)
28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons GFCF ketchup
3 cups water (or GFCF chicken broth/vegetable broth) **
2-3 tablespoons Better Than Boullion organic beef base (2 - if diluting with broth)
16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, diced (if mixed vegs pkg. does not contain them)
*1 tablespoon pure cane sugar (optional)

Place ham (or turkey) in the center of a large pot or dutch oven. Blend beef base with a small amount of veg. or chicken broth. Add to pot, along with remainder of ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover. Gradually reduce heat to low. Simmer for one hour. Ladle soup into bowl and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

*I seasoned the ingredients with salt and pepper before I remembered that the beef base is salted. I added sugar in an effort to remedy that, but you may find that it is necessary even if you don't add extra salt to the ingredients.

~ This is soooo much better than the original vegetable beef soup recipe that I posted when I first started this blog. I am almost tempted to remove the first one. Miss B likes this recipe a lot better too, judging by the two pasta bowls-full she just eagerly consumed. (She really misses Campbell's ABC soup. Poor thing!) ~

** EDIT: Someone emailed me to ask why I included chicken/vegetable broth instead of just entirely the boullion base(s) diluted with water in this recipe. Good question! I had some boxed chicken broth in my pantry, left over from before I discovered the boullion bases, and some broth from green beans and potatoes that I made over the weekend in the refrigerator, so I just typed the ingredients that I actally used. But yes, feel free to use only the bases diluted with water instead of broths, if you like. I'm sure that was really confusing! Thanks reader. :) It has been a very long time since I used water as a liquid ingredient for soup. I have always used chicken broth or leftover veg. broth, even with boullion cubes/packets. I guess that comes from watching so much Rachael Ray, "adding layers of flavor." :)

Healthy Top™ Whipping Cream update

Mimicreme Updates

...In addition, Spring will also see the much anticipated release-- HOORAY!-- of our Healthy Top Whipping Cream. (Phew, that was hard-- way hard!!)

Healthy Top will be the first truly Non-Dairy, Non-Soy Whipping Cream made without fractionated (or partially hydrogenated) oils and it will not contain any hidden caseinates...


Ooooh, I can hardly wait for this! :)

July 1, 2010 UPDATE (It's here!): CLICK HERE!

Oven Roasted Carrots

2 pounds carrots, scraped and trimmed (not pre-packaged baby carrots*)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

*Baby carrots are actually processed Imperator carrots. Imperators are bred to grow faster and ripen quickly. They have only 70% of the beta carotene found in non-processed carrots.

Choose carrots that are close to uniform in size from top to bottom, or, cut carrots in half and then cut larger portions lengthwise, as necessary, until all pieces are approximately the same thickness.

In a glass baking dish or stainless steel baking pan, toss carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange carrots in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. I prefer 50 minutes cooking time. (If the ends start to brown (caramelize), you probably won't be sorry. :) ) They will shrivel, and also shrink in size quite a bit. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6

~ This recipe was life-changing for me. Seriously! I never knew carrots could be so good. The finished product is to me pretty much lke McDonald's french fries were - irresistible, can't-stop-eating-untl-they-are-gone, crave them daily, etc. If I weren't afraid of turning orange (which can happen, you know) I would have them every single day of my life. So, if you try them and your life changes because of them, don't say I didn't warn you. ;) ~

Oven Roasted Vegetables

1 pound yellow squash, sliced
1 pound zucchini squash, sliced
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
GFCF lemon pepper

Place vegetables in a large glass baking dish or stainless steel baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. Toss to coat well. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then stir to completely coat with drippings. Use a slotted spoon (to drain excess oil) to serve. (I usually put a few clean dish towels under one side of the dish/pan so that it is at an incline, to aid in the draining process.) Serves 6-8

~ I find myself going back to these basic roasted vegetables so very often. If I don't have any squash, sometimes I just roast potatoes. If I don't have zucchini squash or potatoes, sometimes I will just roast yellow squash and onions - though my favorite method for preparing squash and onions is in a non-stick frying pan, with GFCF margarine. (More on that later.) Sometimes it just seems easier to put veggies in the oven and let the magic happen there. ~

Favorite Thing ~ Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread

Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread is absolutely divine. It has the buttery flavor Fleischmann's unsalted margarine does not have and it is not as concentrated as Ghee. And, unlike Ghee and Fleischmann's, Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread is delicious when spread on your favorite foods - like muffins, or GFCF bread, or biscuits, or waffles.

Delicious Rice

2 cups GFCF chicken broth
1 packet (or cube) GFCF chicken boullion
2 tablespoons Ghee (or 2 tablespoons GFCF margarine*)
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup extra long grain rice

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil. Add rice. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low/simmer for 21 minutes. Remove from heat and remove lid. Let stand (do not stir) for 5 minutes.

* Fleischmann's Unsalted Sticks or Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread

Banana Walnut Muffins

1 large egg, beaten well
1/3 cup GFCF milk
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon GFCF vanilla
1 small, very ripe banana, mashed well

1 1/8 cup GFCF flour mix
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix first 6 ingredients well with a fork. Combine next 4 ingredients, mix well, and add to banana mixture. Mix well with a fork, add walnuts, and combine. Spoon evenly into paper lined muffin tins (1/3 cup batter per muffin) and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

~ These are especially delicious when spread with Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread while warm. ~

Dr. King's Delicious Fried Chicken

1 cut up fryer (or boneless skinless chicken breasts)
3 tablespoons salt
4 cups water
1-2 eggs, beaten
GF flour blend (enough for coating each piece)
pepper

Soak chicken pieces in enough salted water to completely cover them for 5 minutes. Drain well. Pour in beaten eggs and stir to coat each piece. Remove each piece, one at a time, and coat with lightly salted and peppered flour mixture on all sides. Fry until done.

~ This is the most delcious fried chicken I have ever eaten. For those of you who may think Dr. King uses a "brine" to soak the chicken in just for flavor - well you don't know Dr. King. :) He tells me that the salty brine also kills any bacteria that may have deposited itself into/onto the chicken during/after packaging. ~


And so with this recipe for this delicious southern delicacy, I say hello beautiful cyberspace! I've missed ya ever since the motherboard eater (AKA my old computer) bit the dust during the last weekend of November 2009. It has been so hard being without a computer, as I've become so accustomed to having one. I was so worried this blog would be deleted due to inactivity! Thanks to our beloved LI, NY friends, we are back, baby!! I hope your holidays were just lovely! See ya again real soon...

xo