Roasted Chicken Pieces w/ Veggies

4-5 potatoes, cubed
5-6 large carrots, sliced thin
EV Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

4 chicken legs
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
EV Olive Oil
Lawry's Lemon Pepper
Lawry's Garlic Salt
Salt
Minced (dehydrated) onions

Put cubed potatoes and sliced carrots in a 15 x 10 glass baking dish. Drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper. Toss. Roast uncovered in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place chicken pieces in a bowl and drizzle with EVOO. Toss to coat. Season, skin side down, with lemon pepper and garlic salt.

After 15 minutes, remove dish of potatoes and carrots from oven. Scoop vegetables aside and place chicken pieces, skin side up, onto surface of baking dish. Season chicken with lemon pepper and salt. Spread vegetables around chicken pieces. Bake for an additional 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

Turn the oven off and allow dish to remain in the oven with the door ajar for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, uncovered for 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a smaller covered baking dish and toss with dehydrated onions. Place the chicken pieces, skin side down, on top of the vegetables. Allow to rest, covered, for 5 more minutes. Placing the chicken on top of the vegetables, skin-side down, gives the seasoning on the chicken more opportunity to flavor the vegetables, especially if you plan to remove the skin from the chicken before eating. Also, if you have a fat separator, drizzling the fat-free juices from the baking dish over the chicken and vegetables will also add tremendous delicious flavor to the dish.

~ This is still one of my favorite dishes of all time. I have found that it is much easier to use chicken pieces rather than a whole chicken. Live and learn. And, if I only eat one skinless thigh and one skinless leg, I don't go over my fat gram allowance for one meal. ~

Easier Meatloaf - Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
Lawry's seasoned salt
pepper
1 beaten egg
ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season ground beef with seasoned salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon ketchup and the beaten egg and blend well. Roll into small meatballs and place in stainless steel muffin tins. Gently flatten meatballs. Spoon 1 teaspoon of ketchup on top of each. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove meatballs from muffin tins using tongs and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12. Serves 4.

~ I don't think I will ever prepare traditional meatloaf again. :)

One way to measure the seasoned ground beef to ensure that you have 12 even-sized meatballs is to first divide the mixture in half and then the halves into halves, and then those quarters into thirds, until you have 12 equal portions/meatballs. ~

Easier Roast Chicken and Vegetables

8-12 boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
4 medium potatoes, cut into med. size chunks
6 carrots, cut into med. sized slices
1 small onion, chopped
Safflower oil
Extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potato and carrot pieces with oils and salt and pepper. Place in an 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Submerge chicken tenders in salted water and refrigerate for at least 5 minutes. Then, drain tenders and toss with oils and pepper. Return to refrigerator.

When the vegetables have cooked for 30 minutes, remove baking dish from oven, add onions and toss vegetables to coat with oil. Place chicken tenders on top of the vegetables in a single later and return the dish to the oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Toss chicken and vegetables to coat with oils and seasonings. Serves 4.

~ This is an easier version of roasted whole chicken with vegetables. It is not as good as roasting the whole bird, but it is pretty close. ~

The Best Fried Chicken Ever

Chicken strips
water
salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Mimiccreme, unsweetened
1-2 cups GF flour mix
salt
pepper
garlic salt
safflower oil

Soak chicken pieces in salted water for 5-10 minutes. (You may skip this step but I recommend it.) Drain thoroughly. Add a beaten egg to 1 cup Mimiccreme and stir well. Add in a few chicken strips at a time and let soak while you mix the flour.

Put flour in a shallow dish or pasta plate and add two sprinklings of salt (I didn't measure), one sprinkling of garlic salt (this will not make the chicken garlicky; it will make you say, "Hmmmm. What is that yummy flavor?"), and one sprinkling of pepper. Mix well. Remove chicken from egg and cream mixture and coat chicken in flour on both sides and fry over medium heat until golden brown. Drop those chunks of flour and Mimiccreme that you have on your hands gently into the hot oil too. When they are golden brown and cooled, you won't be disappointed!

By the time I put the last batch of strips into the oil, they were falling apart.


~ This recipe is inspired by a TACA recipe Fried Chicken with Country Cream Gravy and Dr. King's Delicious Fried Chicken Recipe.

I did try to use Mimiccreme to make gravy after all the chicken was done (instead of CF milk or water) and it produced the richest, creamiest gravy ever. Thank you TACA! ~

Rotisserie Chicken In a Slow Cooker

3 1/2 - 4 pound whole chicken (giblets removed)
2 tablespoons GFCF margarine (we use Earth Balance soy-free)
1 lemon
Lawry's Lemon Pepper
Lawry's Garlic Salt

(This is messy. Have plenty of paper towels handy.)

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally, inside and out, with lemon pepper and garlic salt. Coat entire chicken with GFCF margarine. Sprinkle again with lemon pepper and garlic salt. Cut lemon into wedges (remove seeds) and place inside chicken cavity.

Spray slow cooker* with cooking spray. Place a small oven-proof glass (like a single serving casserole dish) lid or saucer in the bottom of the crock. Spray with cooking spray.

Place chicken into slow cooker, breast sides up. Put any remaining seasoned margarine bits into the cavity with the lemon wedges. Cover and cook on high 4 1/2 hours. When cooled, remove chicken from crock and debone. Scrape fruit out of lemon wedges and mix with chicken.

*Before I purchased our new slow cooker, I researched many slow-cooker website FAQs. Proctor Silex crocks, for example, do not contain lead or cadmium.

~ The last time I tried to cook a chicken in a slow cooker, the end result was shredded chicken, which I did not want. I have seen a few recipes for rotisserie chicken in a slow cooker; this is my modified version.

One of my favorite oven-roasted chicken recipes includes potatoes and carrots, so I may try to add those next time. There was about 1 and 1/2 cups of liquid in the crock when I removed the cooked chicken. But I am not yet sure how much of that is fat. ~

Roasted Chicken

I have spent the last two weeks amazed by how delicious roasted chicken recipes are. Where has this dish been all my life?

I cannot possibly do better than Ina Garten, Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, so here are a couple of her awesome roasted chicken recipes that I've tried. Be sure to use organic chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients... ;)

Garlic Roast Chicken

I cooked this recipe today. Be sure to use GFCF margarine instead of butter. I skipped the part where she says to salt the chicken and leave it in the fridge overnight...as well as the tying the legs together part. I separated, peeled, and halved the garlic cloves before putting them into the chicken with the lemon, and when the dish was done, I mashed them into the vegetables. I discarded the cooked lemon. Basically, I de-boned the cooked chicken and tossed it in with the vegetables, which were done without an additional 15 minute cook-time as I cut them a little smaller than she suggests. I cut the large potatoes into 8 pieces, instead of 6, for example. And I cut the carrots (at their thickest) into 1 inch chunks. Be sure not to cut either of them too small though as they will overcook. De-lish!

Engagement Roast Chicken

Be sure to use GFCF margarine and GF flour. Again, I didn't tie the legs together. I separated, peeled, and halved the garlic cloves before putting them into the chicken with the lemon, and when the dish was done, I mashed them into the vegetables. After tasting them, I discarded the bitter cooked lemons. (Yuck!) I used chicken broth instead of wine. Again, I de-boned the cooked chicken and tossed it in with the vegetables. De-lish!

Perfect Roast Chicken

This is the next roasted chicken recipe I plan to try, using GFCF margarine...

Thanks, Ina ! :)

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.


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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!

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! ~

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

Scrumptious Steak (and optional baked potato)

1 one-inch thick boneless ribeye * **
2 tablespoons GFCF margarine *
Lawry's (No MSG!) seasoned salt
GFCF Lemon Pepper
1 baked potato (optional) *

Put 1 tablespoon GFCF margarine into a small (just big enough to fully accomodate the steak) non-stick skillet. Heat to med./med.high. Swirl margarine so that it is completely covering the entire bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle seasoning salt and lemon pepper very generously over one side of the steak. Press down with the back side of the fork (do not prick) to make sure the lemon pepper does not fall off when you transfer the steak to the pan. Place steak seasoned side down into skillet. (Season the other side of the steak with seasoning salt and lemon pepper.) Cook for 4 minutes, 45 seconds (this is the amount of time to cook each side for steak that is pink in the middle, med. rare/med., but not draining pink. If you want med. rare that drains pink, cook for only 4 minutes each side), rotating the steak in the skillet 90 degrees after 2 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, turn the heat down to medium. Turn the steak over, making sure that margarine is completely covering the bottom of the pan first, and cook for 2 minutes. Rotate the steak 90 degrees and continue cooking 2 minutes, 45 seconds. Turn the heat down one number setting during the last 2 minutes, and to low during the last minute. Flip the steak over one more time to drain and cook the juices that have appeared, for about 15 seconds. Remove steak and place on a plate. Do not cut into the steak for at least 5 minutes.

Optional Baked Potato:

Into the cooked steak drippings in the non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon GFCF margarine and stir until melted. Gently place the baked potato into the skillet and mash with a plastic or wooden spatula, incorporating all the steak drippings, seasoning, and margarine into the potato. Salt and pepper to taste.

* For two steaks (and two baked potatoes), use a larger non-stick skillet (big enough to accomodate both, with space in between the steaks for even browning and cooking) and increase the margarine to 2 tablespoons each time it is called-for.

** For steaks that are thinner than one inch, I cook for 3 minutes, 45 seconds to 4 minutes each side.

{This is just a different take on grilled steak with baked potato. The steak is as delicious as grilled, perhaps even better because you don't have to deal with the outdoor grill at all. The idea for the baked potato came from the times I've had a steak and a baked potato on my plate and the steak drippings meandered into the potato. Of course, you can always stick with traditional GFCF margarined baked potato, if you like.}

Grilled Chicken (minus the grill)

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup GFCF Italian dressing
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons honey

Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Zip the bag, mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Pour entire contents into a large non-stick skillet and cook over medium to medium-low heat until marinade becomes thick and caramelized - about 45 minutes, turning chicken strips every 10 minutes for the first 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter. Serves 4-6.

{I have seen this recipe referred to as a "Cracker Barrel" recipe.}