Teriyaki Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c bread crumbs

1/2 t ground ginger

1 t sesame oil

2 T olive oil

1/2 c teriyaki sauce

1/2 c water

cornstarch

1. Combine ingredients from turkey to sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.
2. Form into about 20 meatballs.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides (can do in batches if needed). They will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Pour water and teriyaki sauce over meatballs. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. Add a cornstarch slurry if you desire a thicker sauce.
6. Serve over rice.

Lettuce Wraps

1 head iceberg lettuce, cored

1.5 - 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey

1 T cornstarch

2 stalks celery

1 c baby carrots

1 can water chestnuts

Chopped peanuts

Sauce:

2 T teriyaki sauce (or oyster sauce if not gf)

1 T soy sauce

1 t sweet chili sauce

1 t chili oil

Ahead of time, clean lettuce, separate leaves and place in refrigerator to chill and crisp. Chop celery, carrots and water chestnuts finely, or chop in a food processor. Stir cornstarch in into ground chicken or turkey, then cook in a hot skillet or wok until no longer pink, breaking into chunks as you cook. Remove from heat to a bowl. Mix sauce ingredients, then add to skillet or wok with the vegetables. Cook for about 2 minutes, then return chicken to the skillet and mix well. Remove from heat. Add chopped peanuts to the mixture. To eat, spoon mixture onto lettuce leaves and wrap.

Pumpkin Cookies

This is my gf adaptation of a regular gluten recipe. If you want to make the original, non-gf version, use 2 1/2 cups flour and omit xanthan gum.

Ingredients:

1 c brown sugar

1 c shortening

1 c canned pumpkin

1 egg

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla

1 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t nutmeg

1 t cloves

2 1/2 c gluten free flour (I used about 1/2 c sorghum flour, 3/4 c white rice flour, 1 c tapioca flour, and 1/4 c potato flour)

3/4 t xanthan gum 

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 cube butter

2 c powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

Directions:

Cream together brown sugar, shortening, pumpkin and egg. It will look kind of chunky. Add in baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cloves. Mix in flour and xanthan gum. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Frost when cool.

Snickerdoodles

Found here: http://www.faithfullyglutenfree.com/2008/12/gluten-free-snickerdoodles.html

INGREDIENTS

Cookies:

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup potato starch (not flour)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add potato starch, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and water. Mix well to eliminate any lumps in the dough. Dough will be sticky. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into small balls, using a slightly-rounded teaspoon of dough for each cookie. Roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Browning is not a good indicator for these cookies.

Pumpkin Bread

I found this recipe here. Although it is mostly rice based, it doesn't have a really ricey flavor or texture. My whole family enjoyed it (especially me).

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
3. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined and a smooth batter forms.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Remove pans from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pans and place directly on wire rack. Allow bread to cool before slicing. Store bread wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 3 to 5 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Lime Coconut Chicken

Make this. You won't be sorry. Original recipe found here.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1/2 C coconut milk
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tb oil
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb sugar
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 Serrano chili, minced (I removed the seeds)
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
fresh lime wedges

Instructions:
1. If using breasts, slice the breast into 2 pieces by slicing it down the length of the breast. If using tenders, do not cut down any smaller.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients except for the fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Mix the marinade together with the chicken and allow it to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high. Once the grill is hot, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.
4. Serve the chicken over rice (I used jasmine rice), pour over some of the cooked marinade and add a squeeze of lime and cilantro on top.

Black Bean Enchiladas

A yummy recipe from my friend, Janee:

1/2 c. minced onion
1 clove garlic
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
1 can mild enchilada sauce (red or green)
12 corn tortillas
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese

Saute first two ingredients, then stir in beans.  Add spices and remove from heat.  Heat tortillas to make them easier to work with.  Spread beans and cheese onto tortillas; roll and put seam side down in shallow pan.  Pour sauce over all and top with remaining cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Easy Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe by Our Best Bites, inspired by Santa’s Sweet Shoppe

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large or extra large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt

optional: heaping 1/2 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
(I recommend dark or semi-sweet)
optional: sugar for rolling

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Mix for about a minute.  Shape into balls, and if desired roll in sugar.  Flatten with a criss cross pattern with a fork, or simply flatten with the bottom of a glass.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, don’t overbake, and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Makes 20 cookies.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Kacy made these cookies for Justin's mom and passed on the recipe. They were delicious! Justin ate a ton of them, which is saying something since he isn't a big treat person. 

Ingredients:

4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond flour, or additional 1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

1. In a blender, process 1 cup oats (or 1 1/2 cups oats if omitting almond flour) into a fine powder. Whisk together ground oats, cornstarch, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add oat mixture, beating until combined. Fold in coconut, raisins, cranberries, and remaining 3 cups oats. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes.

3. In batches, drop balls of dough onto greased aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies


My notes:

I substituted chocolate chips for dried fruit, which was great since I've never been huge on oatmeal raisin cookies. Make sure to refrigerate the dough; Kacy said they were pretty crumbly when she didn't. Also, we tried baking them on the aluminum foil, on a ungreased cookie sheet, and a non-stick cookie sheet. They seemed to do best on the non-stick cookie sheet. We found they stay together the best if you let them cool down (almost completely) on the baking sheet.

Tomato Basil Chicken

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 chicken breasts
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp extra olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
parmesan cheese for garnish

cooked pasta

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to skillet. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook 4-5 minutes per side.

Add tomatoes, basil, butter, and garlic. Stir. When your chicken is done, turn down to low.

Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Serve chicken over pasta, topped with tomato basil sauce and parmesan cheese.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Original recipe found here. 3/4 of my family liked this :)

Ingredients:
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
a few cups fresh spinach (or swiss chard), chopped
6 eggs, beaten
1 to 2 cups cheese
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
a few strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until wilted.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture, bacon, and stir to blend. Pour into prepared pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3/4 t salt 2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 c peanut butter
2 c gf oats
1 c chocolate chips 

Mix well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen good sized cookies. The peanut flavor is pretty subtle, and the texture is chewy and not crumbly.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

Justin and I have enjoyed these pancakes a few times, found here. I know neither of you are big on pancakes, but I thought I'd still share. I would say they have a banana taste. The recipe calls for ground chia seeds, which I don't have and didn't want to buy. From my brief research, it seems that these are sort of a binding agent (could be wrong.) I substituted 1/2 Tbsp xanthan gum. I obviously don't know the difference since I've never used the chia seeds, but they turned out well. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium banana (overripe is good, but not necessary)
2 cups certified gluten-free oats
1 Tbsp ground chia seeds
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Place the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, banana, oats, chia seeds, and honey into the jar of a blender. Cover and blend at high speed for two minutes (if you skimp on the blender time, your mixture may not be thick enough). Add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and blend again just until mixed.

Pour approximately 1/2 cup batter onto lightly greased frying pan heated to a medium-high heat, making pancakes that are about 4 to 5 inches.

This recipe makes about 10 5-inch pancakes.

Tuscan Tomato Soup

I've made this a few times, served with grilled cheese sandwiches. The original recipe is found here.

Tuscan Tomato Soup
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, Small dice
- 3 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
- 2 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1.5 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 to 1 Cup Basil Pesto
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a medium large soup pot. Add onions and cook over moderately low heat until completely translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm to a simmer. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to allow for interchange of flavors.

Add whipping cream. Add pesto.

Blend to desired consistency in a food processor or blender. (Barbara reserves a little bit of the soup un-blended so there are some chunks.) Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This delicious recipe comes from The Baking Beauties, which has a lot of other recipes I'm anxious to try. I made these without the zest (I just had lemon juice in the fridge) and without the glaze, since I knew I'd be freezing them. I'd like to try them with oil instead of butter sometime, and actually use lemon zest. They were great! You'll have to hide them from the rest of your family!

Ingredients:

Muffins:
2/3 c. granulated sugar
zest of one large lemon (or two small ones)
1 c. sorghum flour
1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
juice of one large (or two small) lemons plus enough milk to make 1 cup
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Glaze:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Grease a 12-cavity muffin tin, or line with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Christie's step: Melt butter and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, use your hands to rub together the 2/3 c. granulated sugar and the lemon zest, until the sugar is damp and the mixture smells like lemon. Add the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice + milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. (They don't expand too much, so don't worry that the cups are full.) Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and they spring back when gently touched.
5. While the muffins are baking, you can prepare the lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the 1/2 c. granulated sugar and the 1/4 c. lemon juice. Stir until it comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds before removing from heat. Set aside until the muffins are done.
6. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to sit for five minutes before removing from the muffin tin to a wire cooling rack. While the muffins are still warm, either brush the tops with the glaze, or dip the tops in the glaze. Allow to cool completely before storing in a air-tight container.

Pasta with Cilantro-Peanut Pesto

This recipe came from ourbestbites.com, which actually has a lot of naturally gluten free recipes. This is very quick and easy. I'd like to try adding some vegetables/chicken to it at some point, but it is very good as is.

Ingredients:

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (these can make it pretty hot, so go light if you don't want it too spicy)

1 1/2  tsp. brown sugar

zest and juice of one lime (about 2 tsp. zest and 2 Tbsp. juice)

1/4 c. roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired)

2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce (I did 2...I don't think I would do any more than that)

3/4 pound (12 oz.) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to box instructions ( I used a whole pound, and I felt like there was plenty of pesto to go around)

Directions:

In a food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and peanuts (basically everything except soy sauce). Pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.

In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta. Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately. 

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

I found this recipe on realsimple.com. It is simple, although it does have a lot of fiber, which I know isn't the best for some of you. Savannah loves this dish!

Ingredients:
1 c. long-grain white rice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp. cumin
2  15.5 oz cans black beans, rinsed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 radishes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I have never included these.)
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the beans, oregano, and 1 c. water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar. Smash some of the bean with the back of a fork to thicken. Serve over rice. Top with the radishes and cilantro.

**I also like to add some lime juice with the vinegar at the end for a little extra flavor.

Hearty Sausage Soup

This recipe was given to me by Justin's aunt. It is quick and easy to make, and we both really enjoyed it!

Hearty Sausage Soup

1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large red potato, diced
2 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 cans chicken stock (14 oz.)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes (14 oz.)
1 can white beans (14 oz.)

Saute onions and garlic with sausage until browned. Add carrots, potatoes, and seasoning and cook 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Romano cheese.

**Christie's Notes: I added another carrot and two more potatoes when I made it. We sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top. When we had the leftovers, the spices were really strong, so I might tone down the Italian seasoning next time.

Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups gf Rice Krispies
• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup additional mix-in ingredients, optional (i.e. shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, sesame or sunflower seeds, etc.)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or sucanat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before mixing in the chocolate chips.
5. Press into a greased 9×13 pan and let cool before cutting into bars.

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 c peanut butter
• 2 c oats
• 1 c chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies