Sherryn's Potato Salad

I’m a dill girl. Ok, I’m more like an absolutely-anything-sour-girl. Green apples. Lemons. Limes. Grapefruit. Cranberries. Balsamic vinegar. Mustard. Sour cream. Feta. Kalamata olives. And dill pickles. Don’t give me any of that sweet relish. It’s just not my thing.
One story my parents love to tell about me is one of my first food experiences. They gave me a lemon wedge to suck on when I was about a year old, expecting a funny baby face. But apparently I ate it happily. I love sour foods so much that the enamel on my teeth has been eroded severely, and I now have quite sensitive teeth. Yikes! Doesn’t stop me though…
My husband and I have several jars of pickles in our fridge, just for snacking on (his are hamburger chips, mine are whole pickles). He does it too, but almost every time he catches me sneaking one from the jar, he asks me in a half-joking tone if I’m pregnant. But no, I just like my crunchy dills.
I didn’t really eat a lot of actual relish growing up (too many bad sweet relish experiences, I think), but this recipe is my favorite way to enjoy it.
This is the recipe my husband grew up eating, and looks forward to family get-togethers mostly for this reason. I finally got my mother in law to write down the general recipe for me, and fiddled with it until it got the thumbs up from my man (I’m posting this just as much for myself as for you, my friends and readers, since I have a tendency to forget variations when I’m playing in the kitchen).
My mom also made an amazing potato salad, quite often during the summers, when I was a kid. I have racked my brains to remember it. I think she used celery, and didn’t add pasta, but it had the same general taste. Every time I think about it, I remind myself to ask her for her recipe, but never end up remembering when we’re on the phone.
I’ve made this several times with gluten free pasta, and it works great. Doesn’t keep as long though. Just a couple days, then the pasta will sometimes get stiff. I don’t tolerate potatoes well, so often I’ll just sneak a scoop of this for myself pre-pasta, and make the rest for my gluten-loving husband.
I’ll admit, I’ve tried taking several pictures of this salad, and have yet to make a good capture. But let’s be honest, it’s potato salad. Just the thought of it makes your mouth water, right? Or, is that just me....


Sherryn’s Potato Salad

3-4 c peeled, cooked, diced potatoes (or 2 cans cooked diced)
8 hard boiled eggs, diced (I usually remove half of the yolks to reduce the cholesterol)
2-3 c cooked pasta (elbow, shells, etc. Gluten free pasta can definitely be used)
2 c mayo (I’ve used Best Foods Light with no complaints)
1/3 c yellow mustard
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 small jar dill pickle relish
A few splashes red wine vinegar

Garnish
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
A few shakes paprika

Mix potatoes, eggs and pasta.* Add mayo and mustard; fold together. It should have a nice yellow color, and not be too pale.
Add onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, relish and vinegar. Mix carefully but thoroughly.
Taste to see if it needs more mustard, vinegar or relish.*
Scoop into serving bowl. Top with remaining eggs and extra paprika.
Can be served immediately, but it tastes better when allowed to sit for an hour or so.

*Obviously when I’m making this gluten free style, I’m ok to taste test. But if I’m making it for my hubby, I’ll hold off on the pasta until after I’ve mixed everything else and tasted it. If you choose to make this pasta-free, just add a bit less mayo and mustard. It's pretty good that way as well.

My Favorite Bread Recipes

This is for you Ali.

I know I haven't always been the most organized blogger, so I'm making it easier on everyone. Here you are. All my favorite gluten free bread recipes for you to enjoy. I've tried so many different bread recipes over the last 4 years, and these are my top picks!

GF Goddess Sorghum Bread ...seriously the most delicious gluten free bread :)

My latest, more whole grain variation of the recipe above (which I think I might even like more than the amazing original)

Fat Free French Bread (the recipe calls for this rice flour mix, but I've started using Carol Fenster's Sorghum Flour Mix instead, and it still tastes pretty dang good to me)

Flax Seed Bread from the celiac.com forum (you have to scroll down a bit to find the recipe)

Enjoy!


This post is linked to Amy's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday - get the gluten out special edition!

A fantastic bread recipe!

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So...my post from yesterday. I was so distraught for not being able to find that bread recipe! As I was lying in bed, at 3 am, it occurred to me that my iPod does indeed have a history button, and if I checked it, I should be able to find the recipe I pulled up last Sunday. So I repeated the thought over and over in my head as I was falling asleep, as I was too tired to get up and check the iPod just then. Sure enough, this morning I found it!! Hooray!

The recipe is from Amy over at Simply Gluten & Sugar Free.
It originates from this recipe by Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess.

I've been making Karina's version for awhile now, and love it. However, last week, I was looking for a heartier, more "whole-wheat-like" gluten free bread. I tried this recipe last Saturday, but it didn't fly. So I moved on. I am so very glad I did! I really love this new bread.

So that I will never forget this recipe again, I am going to post it where it will be easily accessible...as well as for you all to enjoy!

Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread
adapted from Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

2/3 c sorghum flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour
1/2 c millet flour
3/4 c cornstarch
2 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c milk/substitute (almond milk works great)
1/2 c water (you can just use all water as well if desired)
1 tbsp instant yeast
3 tbsp sugar (or can use 1-2 tbsp honey or agave)
1/2 c eggwhites (or 2 eggs, beaten), at room temperature
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2-1 tbsp seeds to top bread (I've used sesame and combination of sesame and flax)

Heat milk/water in a small bowl until it is about 110 degrees F. Mix in the yeast and 1 tbsp sugar (or half of the agave). Cover and let rise for at least 5 minutes.
Mix together the flours, xanthan gum and salt in a stand mixer. Add all the wet ingredients, starting with the yeast. Beat for 1-2 minutes, until everything is mixed well. The consistency will be more like a batter than bread dough.
Pour into a greased loaf pan. Smooth the top using wet fingers or a wet spatula. Top with seeds. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for at least 20 minutes in a warm spot.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 35-45 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap the top.
You can remove the bread from the oven, take it out of the pan, and cool, or if you like the crust to be a little crustier, you can remove it from the pan and place the loaf on a cookie rack. Return to the oven for about 10 more minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too dark.
For best results, let it cool completely before trying to cut.
Makes 1 delicious loaf.

Enjoy!

Notes:
I don't have a bread maker, but you can follow the directions on Amy's site if you have one.
The recipe originally calls for potato starch. I used cornstarch b/c I don't tolerate potatoes.
I used the sugar b/c I was out of agave, and it's worked great both times I've made it.
As with most gluten free breads, this is best when served toasted or warmed. It also holds up pretty well for sandwiches.

doesn't it look amazing??

Help! Looking for GF Goddess Bread Variation

Ok, I have a confession to make. I love to spend hours weekly browsing through other people's blogs to find new recipes. That's not really the confession part, tho...we all do that right? Heh...

Anyway, my new iPod touch....I LOVE it! It makes the whole finding good recipes, then taking them to the kitchen easier, since I don't have to print or copy down recipes. I just pull them up online on my little iPod, and follow along. The problem I have now, is that I don't always keep track of the recipes I try. I'm not saving them to my computer, I don't have a paper copy to file away. Therefore, when I want to make a certain recipe again...I DON'T HAVE IT :(

I've gone back through the blogs I follow for the last month or so, looking for a certain recipe, and can't find it.

My question is, have any of you posted or seen a recent recipe for this amazing Gluten Free Goddess bread recipe (only modified a bit)? I swear I read it. But part of me is thinking maybe I just experimented with different flours. I don't know. All I know is I love this bread, but even more, I loved the variation I made last weekend. And now I don't know what I did...and I don't want to make it wrong.
Your help is appreciated.

Healthy Green Smoothie

Don't judge the picture. I know it doesn't LOOK yummy, but it is :)

I found this recipe over at Winnie's blog, Healthy Green Kitchen.

I love my Vita-mix and am always looking for new ways to use it! This one intrigued me, as it uses two of my favorite green foods: avocados and kale. The combination doesn't sound that amazing, but it is actually pretty good. In the past, I've made fruit smoothies with a few handfuls of spinach, which I totally love (and you REALLY can't taste the spinach, for real!).
So I gave it a go.

I love this recipe! I've tried it with a few variations. I've added a bit of sugar/agave. I've added some pineapple juice. I've added almond milk. I like 'em all.

Just experiment, and see what works for you. This will make 2-3 servings, but it's better fresher, so half the recipe if you wish.

Green Smoothie
1/2 in. piece of ginger, peeled
1/4 slice of lemon
A splash of water
1-2 apples, cored (I've also used applesauce and it works just as good)
5 stalks of kale, stems removed
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
A pinch of sea salt
1/4-1/2 c almond milk or water
Optional: a bit of sweetener, fresh pineapple

Combine the ginger, lemon and water in the blender. Process for about a minute. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a glass, pressing on the solids.
Rinse blender, and pour the ginger liquid back in. Add remaining ingredients (go slow with the milk), and blend for 1-2 minutes, until completely smooth. Add more liquid as needed. Taste to see if it needs more of anything.
Serve and enjoy!

Don't you feel so healthy?

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!

Grilled Lemon Chicken w/ Peanut Sauce

I ate this salad every day last week! It's so good! I bookmarked it on Elana's blog a few months ago, and have been meaning to try it. So glad I finally did!!
The recipe originates from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. She is amazing! I love watching her work in the kitchen. I followed the recipe for the chicken pretty exact, so I'll just link you over to it.


Ina's Grilled Lemon Chicken
Tangy Peanut Sauce
The only change I made was grilling the chicken in my George Foreman grill, which worked great. The chicken was very tender and flavorful.
For the peanut sauce, I used red wine vinegar instead of the plum vinegar, but other than that, I followed the recipe as posted by Elana.

I also experimented with the sauce, serving it with the chicken over rice. I didn't like that as much. Maybe I used too much sauce, but it wasn't as good. So, I just went back to eating it as a salad, with some toast or crackers on the side.

Enjoy :)

I won! I won! I won!!!!!!

I seriously haven't won anything since I was at the school carnival in 1st grade, and I guessed the right number of jelly beans in a jar. I ate so many, I made myself sick :P

Well, look at what I just won!!


Last month, Linda over at The Gluten Free Homemaker gave away a $50 shopping spree at iherb.com, basically the amazon of health food stores. I got all these great gluten free goodies! Stocked up on my flours, grains, risottos, and brownie mix! I also got a bag of chips, but sadly they were packed at the very bottom of the box, so they were more like crumbs. Still tasty though :) I highly recommend the brownies, too! The mix is from Gluten Free Pantry, and it's the Chocolate Truffle Brownie mix (GF and DF). Sooooo delicious!
I loved how quickly I got my order! It was at my doorstep within a couple of days. Even better, shipping is free on all orders over $40. Plus, the prices were just as good as my local HFS when they're having a sale, so pretty dang good!

Nothing overly delicious tonight, just saying hi

I know I know...I said I was going to be better about blogging. But I've kind of lost my motivation for it lately :(

Still photographing my successes (though I've been eating a lot of leftovers, and thoughtless last-minute dinners recently), contriving witty posts in my head that aren't getting published, etc, etc. Not much to show for it though.

One of my problems is the massive vacation post that I have yet to finish for my friend/fam blog (yes, I know...technically it's been 2 months today since we left on our cruise).

My other, more distracting problem has been THIS o.O

Can ya blame me?

But, life is a work in progress, right? So, here we go. Take 2 (give or take a few). No energy for anything more tonight....worked a 12 hour day :P But I was determined to post anyway!

So, this is what's been happening in my kitchen lately:


Yes, that's my superman, trying to fix the flood in our kitchen. Isn't he cute?


No worries, all is well. The line to our fridge water was leaking behind the oven. One plumber and a new hose later, and we're as good as new.

I plan on sharing some of my latest and greatest treats real soon. As well as finally getting to do some experimenting in the kitchen this weekend!

Stay tuned!

Unripe Gucamole

image borrowed from Breakfast with Spanky

Do you ever find yourself in the situation where you are about to enjoy an exotic dish of guacamole, which you've been imagining all morning, and salivating over the vision dancing through your head of such a creamy, zesty combination of foods? Where you've got the rest of your meal together, all boring and chickenish, and to excite yourself, you will be feasting on beautiful avocados, juicy tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and lime blended together, marinated in each others flavors....
Well, that was me yesterday. I'd just bought some gluten free multi-grain crackers at Costco, and was so excited to try them out, topped with guacamole. I chopped my tomatoes and cilantro, squeezed the juice from my limes, zested my garlic, and as I began cutting into my avocado, my heart dropped. It was hard as a rock. I had to get out my chainsaw to get through it. I literally had to saw the skin off the flesh. The dread began to well up inside me, my hope of spicing up an otherwise boring meal of chicken and quinoa fading fast. I reached for my iPod, desperate to search the world wide web for any advice, any help for my situation. Sadly, I discovered I had no connection to the outside world. Oh yeah...I remembered my husband has been upstairs all morning, rearranging our office, and had unplugged our internet.
Frustrated, I glanced around the kitchen. I spotted my Vitamix, freshly washed from having made my weekly batch of almond milk. An idea began to form in my mind. Holding my breath in anticipation, I grabbed the blender, threw in the avocado pieces, a couple scoops of salsa, and some lime juice. I began blending. I added a little bit of almond milk to cream it up, then added half of the other ingredients. I blended for about a minute, scraping the sides down, then added the rest of the ingredients, and blended for awhile longer.
I grabbed a cracker, and nervously scooped a bit of the green goop out of the blender. I raised it to my mouth, my hands shaking, and took a bite. I smiled. I began to breathe again. It was good. Not as amazing as freshly mashed guacamole. There were no ripened chunks of avocado. It was mostly pureed, with a little piece of tomato here and there. But it was a great substitute, and still managed to make a mundane meal better. Way better than throwing up my hands and tossing everything into the trash. I considered it a success :)
So, if ever you find yourself in a similar situation....Relax. Keep breathing. Grab your blender, and remember that life will still go on with guacamole!

Bad blogger

I love blogging. However, I have been rather bad at it the last few months. One of the problems (well, sort of problems) is that I've taken on more responsibility at work. Trying to run an office is a lot more time consuming than I thought it would be :P
Another problems is that I have so many great friends here online whose blogs seem so much more interesting than mine...so I get on to blog, and end up reading for an hour, because it's more fun than working!
The most annoying of the problems I run into is that my dear, darling husband is a gamer (ok, fine, we both are o.O hehe). We only have a couple of hours each night in which we get to have fun and unwind from the day, before getting up and doing it all again. My husband is really into this particular game which requires him to be very vocal and have his speakers turned up so as to hear his other, equally audible teammates. So between all the explosions, cursing and bossing each other around....it's not the most ideal blogging circumstances. When I blog, I enjoy peace and quiet, or maybe some tunes if I'm in the mood.
Now I know I'm making excuses here. BUT!!!! I confess all this to you, my dear readers, because I have every intention of changing this. I have doubled my number of followers in the last 6 months (don't laugh, please!!), and the whole reason I started this blog in the first place was to be able to share with people my successes in allergy-friendly cooking.
Sooooooooo, what I'm trying to say is, I AM going to be better about blogging. Call it my belated resolution if you will. I figure by getting it out in the open, I will be more accountable. We shall see...

Stay tuned :)

Kale Chips

I love kale! Seriously, it's so good! But I didn't realize how amazing it was until I tried this recipe. I follow Elana's blog, and she posts recipes w/ kale quite regularly. She mentioned this recipe, and I've been thinking about it for awhile, working up the nerve to try something so weird. Now I think it might be my new favorite way to eat a vegetable.
Go on over to visit the girls over at Celiac Chicks for a prettier picture :) That's where I found this yummy recipe.

Kale Chips
1 head kale
Extra virgin olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse one head of kale, then dry. Rip leaves into bite-sized pieces, removing the thick middle stem from each leaf. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with a little salt. Lay out on a baking sheet (I lined mine with foil for easy cleanup).
Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
Cool, then eat up!

Chocolate Chip Scones and Almond Milk

This is my new favorite snack/dessert! Chocolate chip scones and homemade almond milk.

The scones recipe I got from Elana's new cookbook, "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook." I reduced the amount of chocolate from 1 cup, and the original recipe calls for chopped dark chocolate, but enjoy life chocolate chips worked great!

Chocolate Chip Scones
2 ½ c blanched almond flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1/3 c olive oil
¼ c agave nectar
2 large eggs
¾ c chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Scoop out onto parchment lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (8 per sheet). Bake for about 13 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets for half an hour. Serve. Makes 16 scones.

These are great reheated from the freezer. I like to microwave them until just barely warm, then throw them in the toaster oven for a minute or two to firm up again.
I love the flavor of these scones. To me, there is even a hint of a coconutty flavor...probably from the almonds. I love it!


On to the almond milk....

I've been dairy free (mostly) for 2 1/2 years. I haven't had a drink of milk in that entire time. Usually I'm okay with that. But once in awhile, I get the craving to just chug a glass of ice cold milk. Substitute milk products just never wowed me. I'd drink some chocolate soy milk occasionally, and buy whatever's on sale (usually almond breeze) when I needed something to use in cooking/baking.
This recipe is really simple. I've made it several times in the past few weeks, and I love it. To me, it's not exactly milk, but it's definitely a close substitute. I feel like the texture is the same, and when you take a drink, it feels milk-like in your mouth. The almond aftertaste is what throws it off. It isn't bad, but for those looking for a REAL milk-like substitute, this may not wow them. I was pretty impressed though!
The greatest part is, it's healthy, doesn't have any weird additives, and it's cheaper than buying the stuff at the store. I stock up on my almonds when they're $3-$4 a pound at the HFS. 1 pound equals about 2 cups of almonds....which equals about 2 quarts of almond milk. For $3-$4!! That's about what I pay at the store for ONE quart of almond milk. Plus, I feel like the stuff at the store is a bit thinned out. I like how rich the homemade stuff is.

Anyway, enough trying to sell you on the idea :) Try it out for yourself. Then you'll see what I'm talking about! Visit Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free for more info. She's the one who turned me on to this amazing discovery!

Homemade Almond Milk
1/2 c almonds
Enough water to cover (for soaking)
2 cups water
Optional: salt, vanilla and choice of sweetener (I haven't tried adding anything to my milk. I've enjoyed it the way it is).

Put the almonds in a glass jar or bowl. Cover with water, then cover bowl. Soak overnight (or for a few hrs) at room temperature.
Drain water, rinse almonds well.
Pour 2 cups of water into a blender. Add almonds. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve (I did this in portions. I would pour probably 1/2 c liquid in, then let it drip a bit, then gather the cheesecloth together and gently squeeze until all the liquid's out. I then scooped out the almond grinds and threw them in a ziploc bag. Still haven't figured out what to do with them. Then I rinsed the cheesecloth, and relined the strainer).
Keep refrigerated and covered. Lasts about a week. If you don't drink it sooner!!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Cream Tarte

Hi, I know I haven't been great about posting lately...but I do intend to do better this new year! However, I am on vacation this week, and so, will not have much computer access. I thought I would share these beautiful pictures before I went though.



Anyone know as far as copyright laws go, how much you have to alter a recipe before you can post it? I'm pretty sure everything I've posted to date, I've made major changes to. But this recipe was amazing on it's own! The only things I did different were add more strawberries, and sub one flour for another...I just don't want to get into trouble :D

I'm sure many of you know of Elana from Elana's Pantry. If not, well, she's a great gluten free food blogger, and bakes mainly with almond flour...which I now totally love by the way! I got her cookbook for Christmas, and it rocks! I have been so happy with all the recipes I've made so far! This tarte and the chocolate chip scones are tied for my favorite right now! I bet the tarte would take the cake if I had used fresh, summer-ripened strawberries!
If I can, I will see about posting the recipe when I get back in town. For now, feel free to drool :)

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

This post is soooooo long overdue! These are what I ate on Christmas morning, and I was so excited to share them with all my blogging friends...yet, here we are, weeks later, and I'm just getting to it. :(

Anyway, this recipe is great! Found it on Elana's amazing site (got her cookbook for Christmas by the way, and I LOVE it!!). Tweaked a couple things based on what I had in the house.

Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Original recipe here

Muffin Ingredients
1 c blanched almond flour
2 tbsp sorghum flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c salt
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c agave nectar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients
2 tbsp sugar (approx.)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil

Make muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins w/ cups. Mix together wet ingredients. Add in dry ingredients, and blend well. Scoop 1/4 c mix into each cup (Elana's directions state this, and I added more to each muffin, but they ended up being a little thick, so I recommend this as well).
Make topping: Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Scoop topping onto muffins.
Bake for 8-12 minutes.
Cool, then serve.
(I can't remember how many this made, but I'm assuming if you only put 1/4 c in each tin, you get at least a dozen)

The directions recommend topping the muffins w/ cream cheese frosting, and I'm sure to experience the full cinnamon roll effect, you would need to do this. However, I loved these just the way they were, with a nice hot cup of tea.

Enjoy, and a happy new year to all!

Turkey day inspiration

What's everyone doing for Thanksgiving? I haven't quite figured it out, but I *think* I know what I want to make. We're probably going to be visiting family for the day, so I'll just bring my own meal to keep things safe and simple. This has worked out wonderfully in the past.

I'm thinking about brining my turkey. Never done this before, but Shauna has inspired me. Check out this post on brining turkey.
Otherwise, I might try this recipe for a roasted turkey with hazelnut prosciutto butter from Glutenfreeda.
Although I did really enjoy the crockpot turkey I made last year.

As far as sides go, I have some bread in the freezer to make stuffing. I plan on using this awesome recipe from the girls over at Eating Gluten Free.

Rolls! I am going to give another go at making rolls. Never really found a recipe that I LOVED...but I'll look around on my favorite sites, and see what sounds best.

Other than that, I'm pretty much up in the air. I have thought about making a risotto for a side (I have a great recipe for butternut risotto that I need to share), or something with sweet potatoes.

Desserts...I love desserts! But I've always had this thing about Thanksgiving desserts. I can't decide! Growing up, we always had so many to choose from that we just had a little of everything. Sweet, savory, tart, chocolatey...it was all there! I've discovered as I've done my own Thanksgiving dinners that one dessert just doesn't cut it. I've made really good cakes and pies and puddings and cookies. But on their own, they just leave something to be desired.

So I am looking for a little inspiration in the dessert department. I'm thinking of doing something pumpkinish, and something else...any suggestions?

In the meantime, visit my other blog to see my gratitude post and a really cool picture of wild turkeys that we saw this weekend when we went digging up the canyon!

Cranberry Chicken

Sorry, my husband says this picture looks disgusting. It's the only one I have, so I'm still using it. I've decided that *when* I write a cookbook, I'm definitely going to put pictures in it for each recipe. Once I learn how to better photograph food, that is. All in due time...

I've had this recipe bookmarked for a couple months, but only recently decided to give it a go. Wish I had tried it sooner, cuz I loved it! Except for the part where the carrots weren't cooked enough and I hurt my already-sensitive-newly-braces-covered teeth. I ended up picking them out.
This recipe is great! Seriously! Good, autumn recipe :)

Adapted from "Fix It and Forget It" slow cooker cookbook. I decided I didn't want to wait all day to try this recipe, so I made it work in the oven. The measurements and times are all approximate. Will post the crock pot variation once I try it.

Cranberry Chicken

2 lb chicken pieces (I used a couple of breasts)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 c diced celery
1/4 c diced carrots (original recipe called for onions, I didn't have any though)
1/4 onion powder
1 c whole cranberries (original recipe called for cranberry sauce)
1/2 c bbq sauce (I made my own from a BHG cookbook recipe)

Combine cranberries and bbq sauce. Simmer in a saucepan for at least 15 minutes, until the berries burst. Mash the berries with a potato smasher or fork. Add veggies and seasonings, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until veggies are soft.
Place chicken in a baking dish, and drizzle sauce over it. Cover with tinfoil, and bake at 375 for about half an hour, until chicken is cooked.
This is great served over rice. I loved the extra sauce on the rice. Might make a little more next time.

Embracing Autumn and Pumpkin Soup

Yes, it is that time of year again. I had quite an abundance of tomatoes this season, and have loved them all. Unfortunately I couldn't let them all grow up to be as plump and red as these ones. These are my German Queens, and I am enamored by this heirloom. I gutted a few of the late bloomers, and have dried the seeds to use again next year. If that doesn't pan out, I suppose I can find them again at Lowe's.

This is the most amazing mulligatawny soup! I've been meaning to try a recipe I have marked in one of my books for ages, but never got around to it, as I was hesitant of the combination of flavors. Mulligatawny is a soup most commonly comprised of apples, curry, coconut milk, and chicken. When I saw this dish at Fresh Thyme Soup Co in Beaverton, OR, my new favorite restaurant out there (as they have a great GF menu), I knew I had to try it. Even though it does have coconut milk, which I don't agree with so well. It rocked my world! I had it for lunch at the Cafe w/ some GF cornbread, and again for dinner w/ my own GF bread (see picture). I love it! I'm so excited to try my hand at this recipe, so stay tuned :)

I have been branching out in my cooking lately, and discovered I have quite a fondness for lemongrass. I also have a great fondness for photographing things, which has been magnified by my brand new rockin' camera! I wanted to capture the great purple color of the rings as I was chopping the stalks. I will post our new favorite lemongrass-infused recipe soon as well (just don't pay any attention to my posting track record of late...).

I am finally accepting the fact that summer is gone. I hate to see summer go, as it is my favorite season. However, I always seem to forget how much I enjoy autumn, until it is upon me. This year fall has been rather sporadic, with lots of early snow on the mountains and eerily-Oregon-like rain storms. We've taken a couple trips up the canyons, and I have had my breath stolen by the beauty of this great season. After one such trip, I decided to celebrate the arrival of fall by making this recipe. I dug around for a can of pumpkin, and whipped it up in no time. It was quite good, although next time I will use chicken broth rather than the turkey broth I had in the freezer (it tasted a little too much like turkey gravy, lol).
This recipe comes from the great ladies at Eating Gluten Free, and as usual, is amazing! Very much a fall favorite!
P.S. For the pumpkin-leery readers, seriously, you can hardly taste the pumpkin. This is like a creamy chicken soup. Try it! For real!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Pumpkin Soup

2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbs. oil
½ sweet onion, chopped (I used onion powder, and a dash of garlic powder as well)
4 c. chicken broth (I used turkey stock b/c it's what I had in the freezer, but would recommend chicken in the future)
2 c. pureed pumpkin
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups milk (almond milk worked fine for me)

In a large pot, heat the oil.
Sauté the chicken w/ the onion and garlic powder until chicken is cooked.
Add chicken broth, pumpkin, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat, add milk and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Watch it so it doesn't boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

I thought the soup was great by itself, very creamy, but the recipe calls for swiss cheese as a garnish. It's been so long, I can't even remember what swiss tastes like (just the smell...).

I also added some cooked white rice to the leftovers, and really enjoyed it. There wasn't enough soup for me to compare whether I liked it more w/ or without the rice. Give it a try.

Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

This meal was amazing! The salsa stole the show though! I've never had anything like it. Mango salsas and peach salsas are great, but I was not expecting this. Sweet, sour, tangy, spicy. I loved it! I got the recipe from the back of the salmon package, and doh, I threw it away on the eve of garbage day. I did a search on allrecipes.com, and pieced this recipe together to the best of my memory.

Strawberry Salsa

About 1 lb strawberries, finely chopped
1/4 c finely chopped red onion (I don't eat onions, so I used onion powder)
1/8 c chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced or grated
1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let sit for half an hour, then serve.

Great with salmon (I just grilled mine on my George Foreman grill) and some rice and GF bread, or corn tortilla chips (that's how I ate all the leftovers).

Chicken Salad Over Avocado

This is a really simple meal, a good gluten free alternative to your average sandwich. My aunt made this for us at a family reunion campout this summer. I loved it!
I've tried to recreate it without a real recipe, so these are all just approximations. Sorry, I'm usually a recipe follower, and I hate improvising, but I was hungry, and wanted to have this. Couldn't get a hold of my aunt for the recipe...I still thought it was great :)

Chicken Salad Over Avocado

Cooked chicken meat, chopped/shredded (a breast works great here, as does canned chicken)
Grapes, halved
Celery, chopped
Walnuts, chopped
Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Avocado, peeled, halved, pit removed

Mix all ingredients except avocado. Taste. Add anything that may be lacking. Serve over avocado. Corn tortilla chips work great as a side.
In the picture, I chopped up the avocado and ate it like a salad. But it also works great to use the avocado as a "shell" for the salad. Yum!

Catching Up

Wow! I realized I haven't posted anything since MAY! What a slacker! We've had a pretty busy summer, and I have just neglected the blog. Been making lots of yummy recipes, so I have plenty of ammo. Just no time to post. But I'll bump it up on my priority list. I'm so excited to share my new favorite recipes with everyone! #1 these days - Gluten Free ZUCCHINI Brownies!

Be back soon :)