Sweet & spicy butternut squash

I based my recipe off of this one, but did things a little differently.

http://theshiksa.com/2013/10/08/maple-cinnamon-roasted-butternut-squash/

Basically, after the labor intensive peeling and dicing a butternut squash, I put the squash in a bowl. I lightly tossed with olive oil. I DOUBLED the seasonings called for and mixed them in the bowl, then put them on the cookie sheet.

It's really not too bad to peel your own butternut squash.  I will post photos next time.  I know there is pre-cut & peeled butternut squash for sale at the store.  Go for it if you are intimidated about doing it yourself.  I am very cheap (uh...I mean frugal)  Here is a good quick YouTube video of how to peel one on your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbecyb7TgDE

 Ingredients

• 8 cups cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded), about 3 lbs of peeled cubes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches cayenne

You will also need

• 2 baking sheets, foil (optional)

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Servings: 6

Thanksgiving Traeger Turkey

This is the bomb-diggity. Oh, sorry, so awesome I flashed back to the 80's. My husband smoked this puppy on our Traeger. This is the most beautiful turkey I have ever seen.

Rubbed down raw with olive oil, onion powder, granulated garlic & Penzy's Northwoods Fire seasoning. We always cook breast down so that all of the yummy juices run into the breast, not away from it.

Almost all of Penzey's seasonings are GF! You can order online at:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysordering.html?id=LYF5VDFX

We are super lucky to have a Penzey's store locally at

11322 SE 82nd Ave
Happy Valley, OR

 

I am visual, so I love going in and looking at all of the spices.  There are SO many! Here is a link to see if you have a store nearby you. 

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysstores.html 

We put the turkey on the Traeger on smoke for 5 hours, then cranked it up to medium for just over 3 1/2 hours for a 20lb bird. Time really depends on your bird and how cold it is outside.  

Pretty much anything off a Traeger is delicious, but my husband out-did himself tonight! 

http://www.traegergrills.com/dealers 

Winner winner chicken dinner!

This was a fairly simple meal and my family loved it. I made rosemary chicken, mashed cauliflower and sautéed spinach. This is a naturally gluten free and low carb meal. 

First, I took boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put them in a gallon zip bag. I added enough olive oil to lightly coat them. Seal bag & mix around to get them all coated. 

Next, I took several sprigs of rosemary from our garden and used my kitchen scissors to snip leaves off into the bag. I used quite a bit of rosemary. Seal bag & rub the rosemary around on the chicken. After that, I took the chicken out & sprinkled both sides with GF lemon pepper seasoning. 

Tonight I used our much loved Traeger (smoker) to cook the chicken. I cooked it on high, about 15 minutes on each side. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. 

You could also grill it or bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts. 

We also had mashed cauliflower. While the chicken was cooking I steamed some organic cauliflower. I used 2 small heads for 4 people. I steamed it till it was very soft. Some people boil their cauliflower before mashing it, however that can make you lose a lot of the valuable nutrients of cauliflower. 

Here is the deal about mashed cauliflower. It's cauliflower, not potatoes. So don't expect them to taste like potatoes. 

There are a lot of recipes out there for mashed cauliflower. For mine, I took the still hot cauliflower and used a hand masher to mash it up. I added salt pepper & granulated garlic to taste. While still hot, I added in about 4oz light cream cheese. I used a hand mixer to blend it. You could also use a food prossesor. 

I am thinking next time I will use garlic, Parmesan cheese & Italian seasoning. Yum!

My super quick and easy vegetable is sautéed spinach. Spinach cooks down a ton. I used two large bags of spinach

I heated up a tablespoon of coconut oil on med/high (7-8)  in a large skillet. I added two heaping tablespoons of jarred minced garlic. Then, add 1/2 of a bag of spinach. Stir often to wilt the spinach. Then that is cooked, continue to add 1/2 bag of spinach at a time, then cook down. I usually add a bit more coconut oil when I start adding the second bag of spinach. When I have cooked down all of the spinach, sprinkle a bit of lemon juice and stir in. All in all, it only takes about 6-7 minutes to cook down the spinach. 

Voila, tasty dinner and not a ton of effort! 

Super easy taco salad! Family pleaser!

This is SOOOO easy and a family favorite.  I used to throw everything together in a giant bowl, but now I just let everyone build their own....even easier for me!

Today I used seasoned lean ground meat (we actually use elk, which is super lean), bag of iceberg salad, low fat shredded cheese, sliced olives, a can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed) and of course my secret dressing.  Are you ready for it? Light sour cream mixed with salsa.  I do about 50/50, but you can use less salsa for a milder dressing.  We also crumble baked cheddar flavored chips over the top (check label for GF!)

On other occasions we have used onions, jalapenos, guac, tomatoes...whatever.  This is also a good, easy way to do a taco night!

As a time saver, once a month or so, I cook up about 4 lbs of ground meat that I season with taco seasoning.  I divide by the pound into zip bags and freeze.  So this time, I stuck it in the fridge to thaw overnight.  No need to heat it, as it is a salad.

The chips we used tonight are the Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles.  Frito Lay's website has these listed as gluten free.

I can not stress the importance of checking your ingredients for gluten.  The taco seasoning we safely use is McCormick.

This took me about 5 minutes to throw together (mostly just open packages) and mix the dressing.  Doing the build your own feeds more people also.  I've easily fed 7-9 people with this amount of food.

Homemade gluten free breadcrumbs

Gluten free bread is expensive, but gluten free breadcrumbs are ridiculously priced. I bought a standard sized container for $9.00 & they worked, but DANG, they were expensive!

As I was getting a new loaf of GF bread out of the freezer, I started to do what I always did, which was throw the heels (ends) of the bread away. Then I realized how simple it was. I put the heels in a ziplock bag & put them in the freezer. I just kept adding to that bag with every new loaf of bread. 

When I needed breadcrumbs for a recipe, I took a few pieces out & defrosted them in the microwave. Then you have 2 options, you can toast the pieces in the toaster, or, since I was doing several, you can put them in the oven under the broiler. I suggest broiling on high, several inches away from the burner. I keep a very close eye, toast them till brown, then flip over & toast the other side. You want the bread dry all the way through. Moist breadcrumbs don't work. 

I don't have a food processor (**hint hint hubby) so I used a blender & it worked fine. I only did 2 pieces of bread at a time. I broke them into chunks. I added granulated garlic & Italian seasoning, but that is optional. 

I used pulse until they were my desired consistency.

Easy breasy & practically free since I was going to throw the heels away anyway. 

By the way hubby, these would look marvelous in our kitchen :-)

Gluten free berry crisp

So nobody is perfect, especially not me. I know it may look like I am a seasoned chef (ok maybe not) but really, I have just started cooking more & experimenting with food since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

Case in point: cherry crisp epic fail

We had fresh cherries so I thought I would make a cherry crisp. I've never made one before, but it don't look too difficult. 

First I set about pitting cherries. I've never done this & did not have a cherry pitter. I looked up online about using a chopstick to push the pit through. I decided to recruit my 14 year old for this task. He thought the chopstick took too long, so he just ripped the cherries open & removed the pit. It did look like a scene out of Dexter in the kitchen 

Anyway, my first mistake was that I did not look up a gluten free recipe. I found a recipe & just substituted GF ingredients. I have not done much baking at all since going gluten free. The problem is GF ingredients do not cook the same as regular flour ingredients. Basically the topping stayed doughy. My husband suggested I put it under the broiler for a few minutes to make it crispier. I left the oven for a minute & this was the result. Burned up cherry crisp. 

We were having company that night & I had bragged I was providing dessert and it may be have been the time of the month when I am a little sensitive, but I am not going to lie--I cried. I was so frustrated. My sweet husband told me it didn't look that bad & would be fine with ice cream. It looked burned, smelled burned and tasted burned. I was not about to force everyone to eat my burned dessert to make me feel better. 

So I put my big girl panties on, looked up a gluten free recipe and went to the store for frozen berries. I was determined to have a crisp! 

This is the recipe I used & this was the perfect end result. Much, much better!

Chef Tracey Bloom's 5 Ingredient Gluten-Free Berry Crisp

15 minutes

45 minutes

1 hour

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

• 2 12-ounce bags frozen mixed berries, such as blueberries, rasberries, and blackberries, unthawed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (King Arthur's works great and is also corn-free)
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (without caramel coloring, a corn derivative)
• 1 stick butter, slightly softened at room temp

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 T flour in large bowl; gently toss to blend well.
3. Transfer berry mixture to 9x9 baking dish.
4. Combine remaining flour, oats, and brown sugar in medium bowl.
5. Cut in butter to oat mixture; rub in with your fingers until topping forms small clumps.
6. Evenly sprinkle topping over berry mixture.
7. Bake until berries bubble and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
8. Let stand 10 minutes.
9. Serve warm or at room temp.

Notes

gluten-free, corn-free, soy-free, peanuts-free, tree nuts-free, egg-free

It was easy & very good. It didn't last long with my family & friends! 

So remember, nobody is perfect & if you fail, try, try again....and it's ok to cry if you need to. 

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala, Indian rice & oven roasted vegetables,tiki masala

Homemade deliciousness. I love meals that are naturally GF! I am no gourmet, and this was the most complicated meal I've made, but it was worth it!. It had a lot of steps and I had to enlist help to get everything done at the same time. I multiplied this recipe by 4 to feed 10 people. (with a few pieces of chicken left over) I get most of my spices from Penzy's.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients for marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Chicken: I used 5 thighs & 4 drumsticks or you can use 4 breasts. You can use skinless or not. Your preference.

Ingredients for sauce:
1 tablespoon butter (or Ghee)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons garam masala spice
1 teaspoons salt
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Place chicken in a gallon zip bag, add sauce & mix sauce around really well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I marinated for 5 hours.

Preheat a grill for high heat. We used a Traeger. Alternatively you could cook in in your oven. Time varies based on method. Cook until juices run clear. One of my "samplers" said the chicken was delicious fresh off the grill.  By "sampler" I mean a sneaky teenager who stole a piece of chicken while I was cooking.

Sauce:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Add cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Mix cornstarch with a bit of cold water & add to sauce. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, turning chicken on occasion to make sure all get covered in sauce. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro. (Optional)

Indian Rice:
1 cup brown Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

*note* cardamom pods are expensive. They last forever, but since you only need a couple, I would suggest asking a friend if they have any.

METHOD
1 Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and run cool water through it to rinse it until the water runs clear. Add rice to water in pan & soak 15 minutes. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and bring to rolling boil. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir often the last few minutes so it doesn't burn to the pan.

3 When the rice is cooked to your liking, carefully remove the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and discard.

4 In a skillet large enough to hold the rice, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and the chile flakes. Cook until the mustard seeds start popping, then add the onion. Sauté until the onion is soft & brown about 7-10 minutes.

5 Add the garlic and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Sprinkle the turmeric over the rice and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.


Oven roasted vegetables:
Preheat oven to 475. You can use any hearty vegetable you want. I used small red potatoes, sweet potatoes & carrots. Next time I am going to throw in some butternut squash, turnips & possibly Brussels sprouts.

Cut to chunky bite size. For 10 people I used 12 small red potatoes, 2 sweet potatoes & 8 carrots. I should have made a little more because they were gone & people were asking for more.

Place cut vegetables in large bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Just enough to coat veggies. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkling of Italian seasoning, a couple of teaspoons salt & pepper. Mix really well in bowl.

Place vegetables on cookie sheet and bake 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

Like I said, there was a lot of steps involved in this meal but it was well worth the effort. I hope you like it!!

Jeny's hearty potato casserole

Ok, really this should be Grandma Ginny's casserole. She gave me the base of the recipe as a side dish of potatoes, cream soup, sour cream & cheese. I adapted it into a main course, and then again GF.

It originally called for Campbell's cream of asparagus & potato soups, but they are loaded with wheat.

Again, I make massive amounts of food, but as you will see in the last photo, 3 teenage boys do a lot of damage! I was hoping this would make dinner for 2 nights. :-/ You can use whatever meat you want, but I always make this after Easter to use up all the leftover ham. I have also used crumbled bacon.

1 cup Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli soup mix
3 cups milk
2 packages frozen shred hash browns thawed (Safeway brand is GF)
1 24oz container sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups broccoli cut small (fresh or frozen)
1 bunch green onions diced (inc green)
1 lb cooked meat of your choice cut small
Garlic to your hearts desire
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil 3 cups of milk & add 1 cup soup mix. Whisk to blend. It only takes a couple of minutes to thicken up. This is not the recipe on the package. I cooked it this way to be the consistency of a couple of cans of cream soups with milk. 

Place your thawed hash browns in a huge bowl. I mean huge! Add soup & toss really well. I use my trusty ikea salad spoons or you could use a couple of pasta spoons. 

Add all other ingredients 1 at a time, mixing after each ingredient. Transfer into an oversized casserole dish & pat it down to pack it all in there. 

Cook at 400° for 40 minutes. My family likes to add Frank's RedHot (I put that **** on everything!)

Major comfort food, very hearty and super easy. I did quickly pack the little bit of leftovers into individual servings to take in my lunches.

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

This is a family favorite.  I always make double what I think I will need.  My family loves to pour BBQ sauce over the leftover pork and make pulled pork sandwiches.

It is a good meal to make when you have a dinner party, because there isn't a lot of effort when meal time comes around, so more time for me to socialize.  I always prep this the night before, so in the morning, I can just turn the crock pot on and go.

 

 I used the recipe on this website (photos are my own)
http://www.handletheheat.com/2013/02/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas.html

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup salsa
Tortillas, cilantro, avocado, limes, shredded cabbage etc. for serving

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno to the slow cooker. Pour the lime juice, orange juice, and salsa into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender.
Shred the meat with two forks and return to slow cooker to combine with the leftover sauce inside.
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the meat evenly over the sheet. Pour some of the sauce over the meat. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the edges of the pork are browned.

I found the best gadget for shredding meat.  They are called Bear Paws.  I won't lie, I kind of feel like Wolverine when I use them.  You can find them on Amazon.

Don't forget to add homemade salsa and guac to your meal.  Here is my post about homemade salsa: Salsa Madness