Category Archives: Recipes

Oscar Mayer Gluten Free Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast & Recipe

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health, Recipes by

oscar-mayer-deli-fresh-cold-cutsFinally. Cold cuts that actually say they are gluten-free, right on the package. Yay! And keep in mind, I have coldcutslimeophobia. YES, that is a REAL thing! And that means if the cold cuts are the least bit slimy or sweaty or what-have-you, they turn my stomach and then go in the trash. So when I tried this Oscar Mayer Delifresh Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but extremely pleased. They’re not filled with gristle or fatty pockets. They have excellent texture and flavor, and they keep in the fridge for a surprisingly long time after you’ve opened them. Much longer than cold cuts you get at the deli counter. Those are usually over the top of my slime-meter within three days.

And the news gets even better. Continue reading →

Easy Gluten-Free Onion Dip Recipe

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GF onion dip ingredients IMG_2481 This simple, quick, and easy gluten-free onion dip recipe is a great way to ensure that you will have something safe to eat at pot luck parties, office events, etc. The only catch is – make sure to throw it together the night before. It really needs to sit overnight so the onion flavor can permeate.

Remember those extra onions we sauteed? Grab those, your favorite plain yogurt, and your Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. That is a gluten-free staple in my house! There’s really no “recipe”here – the quantities all depend upon your personal taste. Want it with more bite? Use more Lea & Perrins. Want it more oniony? You know what I’m getting at.

Mix it in a nice container, let it sit overnight, stir, and boom – you’ve got a great tasting, healthy, and gluten-free onion dip. Serve with your favorite gluten-free dipping chips.

GF onion dip IMG_2484

 

Gluten-Free Guacamole Dip

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Guacamole dip yogurt IMG_20150309Have you seen the price of avocados lately? Ey carumba! But you’ve been invited to a party and you need to bring something gluten-free. You wanted to bring guacamole, but…. the sticker shock is just too much for more than a few servings. Well, don’t worry: here’s a way to stretch your guacamole, whether at home or as a party dish.

Use your favorite gluten-free guacamole recipe, or try mine. If you can, make it the night before your event so that the ingredients have time for their flavors to mingle. Right before the party or event or meal, mix in an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt. Of course you can also use sour cream, but the yogurt is healthier and higher in protein.

Money-saving tip: check the “quick sale” or clearance area of your dairy section. Sometimes you will find items marked down 50% because they are approaching their expiration date. The yogurt cup pictured here was 44 cents – vs. $1.39 for the sale price sour cream. If I’m eating this at home, I only mix together as much as I plan on eating and keep the guacamole protected from the air the rest of the time so it doesn’t brown.

Mix well, then serve with your favorite gluten-free tortilla chips (Juanita’s is my absolute favorite brand!).

Juanitas tortilla chips IMG_20150309

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

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hodgson mill cornbread mix gluten free

Step One – bake the cornbread.

At the holidays, it’s always a bummer when gluten-free folks can’t have stuffing. I’m a big fan of stuffing, so I decided to give it a shot. Of course, you can add whatever you’d like to stuffing – giblets, nuts (I usually add pecans), chopped apple, etc., but since I’m kind of broke right now, I used what I already had in the house, which wasn’t much. I wanted to see how it tasted without herbs and spices, and I only put the parmesan on 1/2 of the dish for the same purpose. This recipe would make a good base for more complex stuffing recipes (or dressings, as some people call them). The Hodgson Mill brand of cornbread was not as dense as the Bob’s Red Mill brand, so this stuffing ending up being very light and fluffy, which I’m not used to. I made the mistake (I know, can you believe it?!) of putting some cranberries in the stuffing. They were just too bitter and overpowering for the light flavor. I won’t do that next time. Go ahead, experiment and enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped small
  • 1/2 medium size onion, chopped & sauteed (I used olive oil)
  • 2 cups g/f cornbread, loosely crumbled (I used Hodgson Mill)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 container g/f chicken broth or stock (I used Costco’s brand)
  • Italian-style shredded cheese for garnish (mozzarella, Parmesan, etc. blend)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients in 9×9 glass baking dish (I’m sure metal is fine, I used Pyrex). Mix well, with hands. Do not flatten or compact. Pour chicken broth just until you can see it come to the top of the mixture. Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Turn oven up to 400. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is browning on top.

The rice and cornbread should have absorbed almost all the chicken broth, making them moist and fluffy. This is hot, hearty comfort food that can be tweaked to your preferred level of moistness. Leftovers can easily be reheated in a bowl – fill bowl with the amount you want, then pour a little leftover chicken broth in. Microwave for about 2 minutes on 70%, stir, then an addition 30 – 60 seconds on high for one bowl. It should absorb the additional chicken broth as it sits.

Gluten free cornbread stuffing

The finished product.

 

Quick and Delicious Gluten-Free Breakfast

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RANCH SCRAMBLE IMG_3872I have a love/hate relationship with eggs. I hate the smell. I love the protein. I won’t eat them if they’re runny. I love that they’re versatile and easy to prepare. I also do not like ranch dressing. Yes, I know, there is actually one human being alive who doesn’t like ranch. Whatev. But I do like the small company Litehouse, and I do like their OPA dressings which are super low in calories and high in protein. And, two negatives make a positive, right?

In this case, yes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbs OPA Ranch Dressing
  • 1 tbs Cream or Milk
  • 2 slices Udi’s White Sandwich bread

Break eggs into a small, non-stick skillet. Add cream and dressing. Stir with plastic fork or whisk until thoroughly mixed. Cook on your preferred setting until your level of doneness is achieved. Meanwhile, toast bread.

Boom – done. One pan, one plate. Easy cleanup. No nasty egg smell in the house. In less than 5 minutes, you have a delicious, different, protein-rich meal for any time of day – not just breakfast.Ā  Eggs and ranch…I’m thinking a quiche might be next… Nah, too much work. You try it and tell me how it goes. šŸ˜‰

Click here for more on Litehouse OPA Ranch dressing.

Real Food, Real Taste and Gluten-Free: Bistro Sensations

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Bistro Sensations Smoked Mozzarella SausagesI love it when something good happens by accident. But when something great happens by chance, well then ā€“ Iā€™m going to tell everyone.

I was in Wal-Mart and saw Bistro Sensations Smoked Mozzarella with Artichoke and Garlic fully cooked chicken sausage in the refrigerated section. I have no idea why I picked up the package. When I turned it over, surely enough, it said gluten-free. That was all I needed to see! I was also pleased that they contained no soy (although they are not labeled as soy-free).

When we got home, we put those sausages on the grill. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best): I give them an 11. Even my gluten-mongering spouse loved them. Great flavor, great textureā€¦I felt like a normal person eating normal food. That doesnā€™t happen too often.

The sausages were not greasy. The seasonings were just right. We had 1-1/2 sausages each with some beans. That left one sausage. I decided to make a crustless quiche with it the next night.

There are no seasonings other than salt in the following recipe because I wanted the flavor from the sausage to be the feature of the dish.

Sausage & Cauliflower Crustless Quiche (Gluten-Free)

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup of cooked cauliflower
  • 1 Bistro Sensations sausage link
  • Salt
  • Dash of milk or half and half
  • 1 cup of Italian shredded cheese
  • Pam for grilling or oil

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease pie pan.
  • Chop up cauliflower and sausage.
  • Spread half of each on the bottom of the pan.
  • Beat eggs.
  • Add milk/cream and salt. Beat some more.
  • Add shredded cheese and stir.
  • Pour 3/4s of the egg mixture into the pie pan.
  • Scatter the other half of the cauliflower and sausage evenly through out the pan.
  • Pour the rest of the egg mixture into the pan, covering the rest of the ingredients.
  • Cook for 30 minutes.

Let sit for about 5 minutes to set, then cut and enjoy. Makes 4 generous slices as a main course.

Enjoy!

This article originally appeared on Celiac-Disease.com on April 17, 2010 at http://celiac-disease.com/real-food-real-taste-and-gluten-free-bistro-sensations/Ā  Unfortunately, it is not clear if Bistro Sensations sausages are still available. I’m sure other brands will work just as well.

EATING RIGHT Gluten Free Cake Mix – Yellow

Posted in Dessert, Food/Cooking, Recipes by
eating right yellow cake mix IMG_6666

Not very “yellow” but that’s okay.

Well, this was interesting. I wanted to make a gluten-free spice cake, but Safeway didn’t have any mixes in that flavor. Their new “healthy” EATING RIGHT label offered only yellow cake mix, so around $3.00 per box, I decided to get that and check online to see what spices to add.

I did some searching and found spice information on The Sister’s Cafe:

1 yellow cake mix box
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves

So, I followed the instructions, added the spices, and commenced to mixing. I went with cloves instead of allspice since the birthday boy has an aversion to the latter. Then, my epiphany: wait a minute, why does it say to “grease or spray a 9×9 cake pan”? Shouldn’t it say PANS – like as in plural?

HA HA not. Even though the picture on the front and back of the box show a two-layer cake, the contents of the box are indeed for only one layer. Oops. That’s probably why it was so inexpensive. Doy.

The birthday recipient always expected a two layer cake: more frosting, you know? (By the way, I always use the Martha Stewart recipe for cream cheese frosting. It works out well.) So, I made two fairly shallow round cakes and baked them for a shorter time.

The day of baking, the cake was surprisingly moist and the consistency was excellent for gluten-free. The spices worked out perfectly, even though they were for TWO cake layers, not just one. But, as the days went by, the flavor faded. It was very strange.

Recommended? Sure. But betware – you will need TWO boxes to make a two layer cake.

G/F Salmon Sandwich

Posted in Food/Cooking, Recipes by

salmon sandwich comp IMG_3860The biggest inconvenience about being gluten-free – to me, anyway – is that “quick and easy” meals are hard to find. Gluten-free snacks are either too spicy for me or really high in sugar. So, this quick and easy lunch makes me very happy.

INGREDIENTS

  • Leftover Salmon or Chicken
  • Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your favorite)
  • Mayonniase
  • Cucumber
  • Smoked Gouda Cheese

Got leftover salmon? Break it up with a fork. Stir in your favorite mayonnaise, or some cream cheese, or even plain yogurt would work. Toast some Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your choice). Udi’s bread is a smaller that most breads, so you can probably use 3 cucumber slices and 3/4 of a slice of cheese to fit nicely. Serve with gluten-free chips or sweet potato fries.

Quick, easy, inexpensive, and above all, classy. Come on, cucumbers on a sandwich? That’s classy!

Enjoy.

Lobster Classic Chunk Style by Trans-Ocean

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IMG_0471 lobster 1Over three years ago, I wrote about Crab Classic Chunk Style by Trans-Ocean. That’s still available, and I’m still buying it. You can usually get a package at Wal-Mart for $2.50 each. And, there are about two servings per 8 ounce package which makes it pretty affordable.

What I recently discovered was that I could get the Lobster version for the same price. Again, like the crab, this product does not claim to be gluten-free. There is no gluten added, however, unlike the flake and leg styles. Those actually say “contains wheat” in the allergens. MAKE CERTAIN you do not buy those styles if you have a gluten or wheat allergy. It’s easy to confuse them as they all look nearly identical.

I prepare the lobster the same way as I do the crab – chop up some celery, add some mayonnaise (I use canola-based mayo), and instead of just stirring, I use a fork and a knife to break it up into smaller chunks. Then I serve it over salad for a healthy, cool, summertime meal. No salad dressing needed. Great for lunch or dinner.

From their website: “Lobster Classic is a premium blend of wild caught, sustainable Alaska Pollock and real lobster meat. The product has a unique, chunky texture and crisp flavor profile that is unlike other surimi seafoods. Use Lobster Classic for delicious lobster salads, hot casseroles and as a dip style appetizer with cocktail sauce. Certified by the American Heart Association, Lobster Classic is low in fat and cholesterol. It is also a source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA, providing 100mg per 3 oz. serving. It’s fully cooked, making it easy to enjoy seafood while helping build a healthy heart at the same time.”

It’s nice to eat something that tastes good that’s good for you. For more information on this product, go to http://www.trans-ocean.com/lc_chunkstyle.html

IMG_0478

Lazy Gluten-Free Chicken Casserole

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lazy gluten free casserole IMG_5012web

Little effort; lots of yumminess.

Sometimes you just want something hearty, you know? Something like chicken pot pie, but way less complicated. Well, have I got the recipe for you. Fast, easy, and with food that’s already cooked. I just threw this together sort of capriciously, and certainly did not expect this to taste so good. I’m going to try to recreate it below – but you can’t really go wrong no matter how you do this. Add vegetables if you want. I think celery and onion might be good additions without overpowering the flavor too much.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded or broken upĀ  (or parts of your choice)
  • 2 cups g/f cornbread, loosely crumbled (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 container g/f chicken broth or stock (I used Costco’s brand)
  • Italian-style shredded cheese for garnish (mozzarella, Parmesan, etc. blend)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first three ingredients in 9×9 glass baking dish (I’m sure metal is fine, I used Pyrex). Mix well, with hands. Do not flatten or compact. Pour chicken broth just until you can see it come to the top of the mixture. Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Turn oven up to 400. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is browning on top. SERVES 4.

The rice and cornbread should have absorbed almost all the chicken broth, making them moist and fluffy. This is hot, hearty comfort food that can be tweaked to your preferred level of moistness. Leftovers can easily be reheated in a bowl – fill bowl with the amount you want, then pour any leftover chicken broth in. Microwave for about 2 minutes on 70%, stir, then an addition 30 – 60 seconds on high for one bowl. It should absorb the additional chicken broth as it sits.

As I said, this recipe was an accident, and was not measured. You may have to experiment a little to get the combination of broth/food that works best for your taste. However – the flavor is just awesome. Enjoy!