Granola

I've been needing to make granola for a while now...Chex nearly every morning is starting to get old. I finally made a batch today.

Ingredients:
4-5 c gluten free oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c honey
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/4-1/2 c slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat evenly.
2. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes, taking out to stir every 10 minutes.
3. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Allison's Notes:
I like to add craisins once the granola has cooled.

Apple Crisp

This dessert has always been one of my favorites. I only had to substitute gluten free flour and oats to make it GF. This was my first time trying gluten free oats (and I realized my first time eating oats in 5 months...weird). It turned out wonderfully!

Ingredients:

6-10 apples, depending on size and preference (I use Granny Smith)

Topping:
1 c gluten free flour (I used Shar's GF Baking Master Mix, but you could also try an all-purpose gluten free flour)
1 c gluten free oats (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1 t cinnamon.

Directions:

1. Core, peel, and slice apples, then place slices in a 9 x 13 inch pan
2. Mix topping ingredients (I cut them together with a pastry blender). Sprinkle topping over apples. 
3. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

This is one of our family favorites from Family Fun.

Marinade:

1/4 c ketchup

1/4 c hoisin sauce (I haven't found a GF hoisin sauce yet, so I used San-J's teriyaki marinade as a substitute)

2 T GF soy sauce

2 T rice vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 tsp dark sesame oil

Chicken:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 oz each)

Sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet

Scallion tops, cute into 2-inch long strips (optional)

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken (at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight) in a gallon-size ziplock bag.

2. Remove meat 20 minutes before grilling. Grill thighs for about 5 minutes per side, transfer to a cutting board, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

3. Slice each piece at a diagonal, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over rice, garnished with scallion strips. Serves 6-8.

Sarah's Notes: You can use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer, but thighs stay much more moist during grilling.

Crock-Pot Chicken Taco Meat

Another crock-pot chicken taco recipe:

Ingredients:

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts
1 c Italian dressing
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Put chicken in crock pot. Mix other ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Shred chicken. Serve in corn tortillas with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.

Sarah's Notes: I love corn tortillas if they are heated in oil for 5-10 seconds (Then placed between paper towels to absorb the extra oil). They are soft and yummy, and in my opinion, this is the only way to do corn tortillas. Heating them up in the microwave doesn't do it for me.

Applesauce Pork Chops

An old favorite that's easily adapted to be gluten free.

Ingredients:
1/3 c cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4-5 pork chops (it seems like I usually make more pork chops with the same amount of sauce)
2 T butter
1 c chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c apple juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Cut pork chops in half and flatten to about 1' thickness (I always buy thin-cut chops, so I eliminate this step.) Melt butter in a large skillet. Dip pork into cornstarch mixture; add to skillet and brown on both sides. Place in an ungreased baking dish. In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over pork. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until juices run clear and meat thermometer is over 160.

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This is my Grandma's recipe. I think the homeade dressing is what really makes it.

Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach, torn
1/2 c Swiss cheese, diced in small pieces
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/3 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/2 c mushrooms, sliced thinly


Poppy Seed Dressing:

1/2 c sugar
1/3 c oil
1 1/2 T poppy seeds
1 t salt
1/2 c white or balsamic vinegar
1 t garlic powder
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Toss salad ingredients together.
2. Mix dressing ingredients in a jar. Put dressing on salad to taste (may not need all) just before serving to prevent wilting.

Allison's Additional notes:

1. I love keeping a jar of the dressing in the fridge for other salads. I've varied the dressing recipe on occasion by cutting the sugar in half, as well as adding a couple of tablespoons of pesto sauce.

Ham and Bean Soup

Soups seem to be fairly easy to adapt to be gluten free (or in this case, no adaptation was needed). This recipe came from Melissa, a good friend of mine.

Ingredients:

3 (15oz) cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham (about 12oz)
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic, & herbs; undrained
2 (14oz) cans gluten free chicken broth
8 cups torn fresh kale or spinach leaves
Freshly shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.  In a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker combine beans, ham, carrots, celery, onion, and pepper. Stir in undrained tomatoes and chicken broth.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in kale or spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese. 

Allison's Additional Notes: 

1. This makes a lot of soup. Since my kids aren't crazy about it, the last time I made it I halved the recipe. 
2. I actually skip the crock pot (mine isn't quite big enough) and let it simmer in a pot on the stove for an hour or so.