Taco Salad

Nothing earth shattering here, but it's an easy gluten free meal that most everyone enjoys.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 package McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix (it's gluten free)
Tortilla chips
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, shredded
Canned pinto beans, rinsed
Sour cream
Salsa
Avocados, diced


Directions:

1. Prepare ground beef according to seasoning mix package instructions.
2. Allow each person to build their salad by layering the above ingredients according to their liking.

Baked Pasta Dish

I LOVE this recipe. It came from one of my sister's friends while she was in culinary school. It is super easy and super delicious. You don't cook the pasta ahead of time and mix everything in the pan you bake it in. What could be better than only one dirty pan?

This was my first time making this dish since going gluten free. I made a full recipe for my family and company with regular pasta, and half a recipe for myself with gluten free pasta in an 8x8 pan. I'll probably end up freezing some of my leftovers to enjoy another day. I was thrilled with the way my gluten free pan turned out. This was also my first time trying Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne. I was impressed...it had the same texture and flavor as regular pasta (or at least how I remember it). I will definitely be using it again.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. package uncooked penne pasta (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne for the gluten free version)

1 26 oz. jar pasta sauce

3 cups water (pasta sauce jar)

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Mix pasta, sauce, water and seasonings in a 9 x 13 pan. Cover with foil. 
3. Bake for 30 minutes. 
4. Stir and then top with cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. May add cooked sausage or other meat before topping with cheese.

Allison's additional notes:

1. I have varied this recipe in the past by adding spinach or chopped zucchini.
2. I use fresh basil and oregano from my garden instead of dried, but dried works just as well.

Pork Barbacoa

This recipe came from my sister, Sarah. It's fabulous. I used corn tortillas for myself, but everyone else used flour. I didn't make the dressing...it's delicious with it, but I chose the lazy route.

Pork Barbacoa

Place the following on a warm tortilla: pork barbacoa, lime-cilantro rice, black beans, mozzarella cheese, and creamy tomatillo dressing. Wrap and eat as a burrito, or leave open and serve with a fork.

Pork Barbacoa

2 ½ - 3 ½ lbs pork loin roast

½ cup worcestershire sauce(Lea & Perrins is gluten free)

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry chile powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tb dried minced onion

1 can of red enchilada sauce (Las Palmas is gluten free)

½ cup dark brown sugar

Cook all of the ingredients except enchilada sauce and dark brown sugar in a crock pot approximately 5 hours on high. When done shred the pork. Then combine red enchilada sauce and dark brown sugar, and pour on top and mix with pork.

Lime Cilantro Rice

Cook the following ingredients according to the rice directions (substituting the water with broth):

1 cup white rice

2 cups gluten free chicken broth

½ Tb garlic powder

1 Tb minced dry onion

Pinch of salt

When rice is done add:

¼ - ½ cup fresh cilantro

½ can green enchilada sauce (La Victoria's is gluten free!)

1 Tb lime juice

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Place the following in a blender:

3 fresh tomatillos, cut into quarters

juice of ½ a lime

½ cup of buttermilk (dry buttermilk mix is okay)

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 pkg. dry Ranch buttermilk dressing mix (make sure it's gluten free)

1 cup fresh cilantro (about one bunch)

6 stalks (½ bunch) green onions, w/ ends

2 cloves crushed garlic

4 tsp. sugar

5 (cross section slices) jalapeño pepper (about 1 pepper)

Pinch salt

Combine well in blender and refrigerate one hour.

Muddy Buddies

The best quick chocolate/peanut butter fix.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 peanut butter

8 cups Rice or Corn Chex

1 ½ to 2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter for 1 ½ minutes or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute. 
2. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until well coated. 
3. Pour powdered sugar on top and stir until well coated (or shake together in a Ziploc bag). Store in airtight container.

Thai Shrimp Bisque

Another family favorite needing no adaptation. Leave out the fish sauce if you don't like things too fishy.

Ingredients:

3 cups hot cooked rice

1 pound frozen shrimp (cooked, peeled, deveined)

2 plum tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 inch piece peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 Tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

3 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 Tbsp tomato paste

½ to 1 tsp Thai red curry paste (1 tsp makes it pretty spicy)

1 can (14oz) gluten free chicken broth

1 can (14oz) lite coconut milk

2 Tbsp snipped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare rice and keep warm.
2. Cut tomatoes in half and remove seeds. Dice fine and set aside. Slice green onions and set aside. Finely chop ginger and add to green onions. Press garlic and add to onions. 
3. Mix together cornstarch, fish sauce, tomato paste and curry. Add a little chicken broth to make a slurry. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add green onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. 
5. Stir in cornstarch mixture, chicken broth and coconut milk. Reduce heat and bring to a boil. Sauce should start to thicken. 
6. When thickened add tomatoes and shrimp and simmer until shrimp is warmed (if using cooked frozen) or cooked pink (if using raw).
7. Remove from heat serve over rice in bowls. Garnish with snipped cilantro.

Black Bean Soup

This is a family favorite that needed no adaptation. It's super easy, requiring very little prep. I use a little less salsa (so it isn't too spicy for the kids) and served it alongside corn tortilla quesadillas.

Ingredients:

1 cup tomato salsa

2 (15 ½ ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups chicken broth (gluten-free)

1 teaspoon lime juice (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Let the soup cool slightly, then ladle half of it into a food processor or blender and puree it. Return the pureed soup to the pot. 
4. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro and heat the mixture through. Serve the soup warm, topped with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Ginger Marinated Chicken

We loved this chicken marinade, found on livingwithout.com (they send me a new recipe every week via e-mail).

Ingredients:

Zest from 1 lemon
1 lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup; use same lemon as above)
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce (I used San-J)
½ teaspoon thyme, dried
½ teaspoon oregano, dried
2-4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4-5 fresh ginger slices, rough chopped, approximately 2 tablespoons
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
8–12 pieces chicken (bone in or boneless)

Directions:

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl with the zest. Add soy sauce, thyme, oregano, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, pepper and olive oil and blend with a whisk.
2. Add chicken pieces, turning them in the marinade several times to coat. Marinate chicken at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat grill to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken until thoroughly cooked. Or, cook in a skillet over medium heat, about 6 minutes per side.