OUTSTANDING DIP

This is a recipe I found on the South beach diet website. This sauce is great for dipping, salad dressing, or instead of mayo. on a turkey sandwich.

CILANTRO MAYONNAISE


In a food processor, place 2 Cups GF mayonnaise ( Kraft or Trader Joes), I large bunch of cilantro with stems trimmed off, 5 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp GF soy sauce, 2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together for about 2-3 minutes.

AND THE WINNER IS .... COMFORT FOOD!!!

OH YEAH! Comfort food is here at last.
This is a recipe I saw on Rachael Ray's show and made GFCF for my family. It was gobbled up fast and whatever was left over made a great addition to my salad the next day.

CHICKEN NUGGETS

Take a bag of frozen Chicken Tenderloins (Trader's Joe's) and thaw. When thawed, chop into bite - size pieces. Place chicken in a bowl with 6 splashes of Louisiana hot sauce (GF) and mix till coated.

In another bowl put 1 1/2 Cups of any GF prepared pancake mix (I used Bob's red mill but trader Joe's has a brand too.).

In a third bowl put 2 Cups GF pancake mix with 1-2 Cups water and mix together. Add another 6 small splashes of hot sauce ( this is not hot when finished, REALLY.) This batter should be on the thin side.

In a big soup pot, pour in one bottle of a light cooking oil, like canola. Turn on the heat to medium. You can test to see if the oil is hot enough by taking a wooden spoon and putting it in the oil ( spoon side up). If bubbles form around the stick, the oil is ready to use.

Next, take the chicken and dip it in the bowl with the dry pancake mix and then drudge through the prepared pancake mix and then drop in oil. You can place about 6 or so pieces of chicken in the oil at one time. When the chicken is golden brown, take out of the oil and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle the chicken with salt as soon as removed from the oil.

Serve with dipping sauce. My kids like ketchup, but my husband and I like the cilantro mayo dip (see above).

MORE SOUP FOR YOU !!!

My husband doesn't like soup. 3 of the 4 kids don't like soup either.

That was yesterday.

Today, we made soup to change their minds. This soup is FANTASTIC, and since it's -13 degrees out (real temp), it just seems like the perfect fit.

The soup is all gone, but from what we remember it was fantastic -- especially with this gluten-free soft bread fresh from the bread maker (how easy is that?!).

Total cost: $2 for the bread ~$7 for the soup.

Total time 30-40', but will go faster next time.

Bread Recipe --

[Make ahead, this takes 10 minutes to assemble, but 3 hours to run]

The recipe calls for you to make it in a bread maker. Here is the website if you have any questions: http://www.recipezaar.com/3-Variations-of-a-Gluten-Free-Bread-Recipe-Bread-Machine-308592

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (or guar gum)
• 2/3 cup powdered milk (or 1/2 non diary substitute)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons egg substitute (optional)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast, granules (or Bread Maker yeast)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted (or margarine)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (or dough enhancer)
• 3 eggs, room temperature

• I mix all the ingredients in a big bowl and whisk together until everything is incorporated. Then I pour in the bread machine pan.
  
• Use the white bread setting at medium crust

In a big soup pan, pour in ~3 Tbsp olive oil (read "some olive oil", doesn't have to be exact!) and turn on heat med-low. Add 1 chopped onion or more, 4 chopped celery stalks (I use the stalks with the leafy tops, they add flavor) and 2-3 chopped garlic pieces (or more).

Saute until tender.

Next, add about 2 quarts chicken stock, making sure it is GF. [It is sold in a carton at many stores; look for "natural chicken stock" and make sure it clearly states it is GF on the back.]

Now, add +/- 2 diced carrots and boil for about 5-8 minutes. Next add your chopped cooked chicken or turkey, about 2 cups. Add 1 box of GF spaghetti broken in half or thirds. I use a corn-quinoa blend pasta [i.e. Ancient Harvest], as the 100% rice based pasta will fall apart in a soup. It is called ancient quinoa harvest and comes in a green box (it can be ordered on amazon). This pasta holds up well. I also use pasta noodles that I get at our favorite restaurant Daluciano's
They are also corn based and hold up great in soups. I will try to find this variety online.

Lastly, add 2 Tbsp. dried parsley and boil until the pasta is soft.

SQUID FOR DINNER???

My husband saw this idea online and made it last week, the kids loved it.

The fries are Ore-ida, if you go to their website and click on FAQ they list the items that are gluten-free. Not all of their fries are GF.

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN ROLL

* Everyone loved the cake!!! I used real cream cheese, but I'm sure the tofutti would taste the same .*
CAKE:
1/4 C powdered sugar ( to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 C rice flour blend ( see other recipes below for ingredients to this.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C 100 % pumpkin ( either from a can or fresh baked. To bake it fresh, take a small pie pumpkin and cut in half, scrap all seeds and pulp out of the pumpkin and place skin side up on a cookie sheet for about 40 minutes. Let cool and scoop all the pumpkin filling out. Place in a food processor and puree).
FILLING:
1 pkg cream cheese ( either real or tofutti)
2 C powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine ( substitute as needed, fleishmanns unsalted margarine is dairy and soy free)
2 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan ( this looks like a cookie sheet but with sides about an inch high). Line the pan with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, xantham gum and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in a large mixer until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
Bake for 13 - 15 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end and cool on a wire rack.

For filling beat cream cheese, 1 C powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in a mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, overnight is best. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and slice before serving.
ENJOY!!!

GLUTEN FREE/DAIRY FREE MEATLOAF

* This recipe make 2 large or 3 medium meatloafs*
1 pound each ground veal, pork and
beef.
1 Cup almond milk ( or whatever milk you use)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp ground mustard ( regular mustard in the tube may be substituted)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
2 Cups GF bread crumbs ( I freeze the ends of my loafs or any leftover french toast, pancakes and then throw these in the food processor for bread crumbs).
3/4 C dried minced onion
1 cup ketchup
1/2 C brown sugar



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients except ketchup and brown sugar. Spread 1/3 of mixture in an 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. (This recipe makes three meat loafs so, I take the remaining meatloaf and place equally in 2 Ziploc bags. I then freeze it for later use. To re-heat, thaw meatloaf in a bowl of warm water till soft and then place in a loaf pan and cook).
Next, mix ketchup and brown sugar in a bowl. Spread on top of meatloaf. Cook uncovered for 60 - 75 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

3 Cups shredded butternut squash uncooked
1 2/3 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup olive oil
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
3 Cups rice flour blend*
2 1/4 tsp. xantham gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 - 1 Cup dairy free chocolate chips
* rice flour blend - 2 Cups white rice flour, 2/3 Cup potato starch, 1/3 Cup tapioca flour. Mix in a bowl, use what you need for this recipe and save the rest in a Ziploc bag.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffins cups in 2 muffin trays.
With a potato peeler, peel the outside of a butternut squash. It is not necessary to remove all of the peel, just peel the best you can. Scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. Chop into pieces and shred in the food processor.
Mix squash, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into muffin tins.
Bake 40 minutes.
My kids love these in their lunch or for after school snacks.
** You may substitute the following for the squash : bananas, pumpkin or zucchini.