This is one of those easy, healthy, gluten free meals you make when you really are hungry and don’t want to spend very long cooking.  The meal took me 10 minutes to make and much longer to eat.  The trick to this meal, is to have the ingredients on hand!  I tend to always have these items around and what I don’t have I pick up after I make my menu for the week.

This meal also does not have to stay vegetarian.  You can add in whatever cooked meats you have handy.  Maybe you cooked a chicken the day before and have leftovers you can use. If you eat dairy feel free to add in just a touch of cheese.   I will say we both loved this dish and it was very filling.

So just thinking out loud here but if you have a bunch of people headed over to watch the Final Four this weekend and you want to fill them up, not spend a ton of time in the kitchen and not spend a fortune, serve this.  Make it even easier and grab some gluten free tortilla chips so they can just scoop and eat.  Or heat up the tortillas and let them create their own with an assortment of toppings.  You could slice up some jalapeno peppers, maybe a little sour cream or cheese (dairy or non), different types of salsa (there’s a ton out there), some cooked chicken, beef or pork for your non-vegetarian friends joining you (keep it separate and everyone is happy), shredded lettuce, black olives, and really the list could just go on and on.

But you get my point, this dish is great for a busy night alone or party time with friends.  Home cooked meal that takes less time than running out for a burrito.

Enjoy the Super Bowl, eat well and let’s hope it’s a good game.  Although I can already tell you who wins, Coach Harbaugh!

My favorite day of the year is almost upon us, the Super Bowl.   I love putting together a spread of fun foods to eat that are gluten free and dairy free and watching the game with friends.  This year I’ll be making some of the recipes in my 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar.  There are some great options that you can make too no matter if you’re hosting or taking a dish to someone else’s party.  If you don’t have a copy of the calendar order it now so you’ll have it in time to cook up the recipes for the big game.  It will help you on the path to living an easy, healthy, gluten free life.

This year there will be a first for the game.  Two brothers are coaching against each other.  Jim Harbaugh for the San Francisco 49ers and John Harbaugh for the Baltimore Ravens.  Can you just imagine their parents and what that would be like?  I’m guessing they’re rooting for both.  Who are you hoping wins the game, Ravens or 49ers?

No matter who wins you’ll want to have some good eats while watching the game and the commercials.  Scroll down and you’ll see each month and some ideas on how to serve them for the big game.  This calendar is a party in a box!

Oh and don’t forget for those who own this cookbook calendar, to go to the last page and grab the Secret Code for the webpage full of photos giving more detailed directions, links to more recipes using the ingredients in these 12, plus a ton more recipes and cooking tips.

January is a must to have at the party, Jicama Tacos or Tostados.  I love guacamole and anytime I can find more creative ways to use it I will.  Here I’ve combined it with purple potatoes and mushrooms or shrimp and bay scallops.

February Little Lasagna Flowers are good since there are in single serve size.  What you use for the flower itself and the filling is totally up to you.  I give you a few suggestions for both.

March would be good if you cut up this Tunisian Frittata and served it on a pizza peel.  You know the wooden paddle you see them pull pizzas from the oven with.  I love that as a serving dish.  Easy to carry over to the coffee table or even to carry around and serve people from.

April is something you may want to keep for the celebration meal the next day when your team wins.  This Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto is a classic but with my twist of Polenta Croutons.

May is something that can be made in a large casserole and your guests can serve themselves this Easy Layered Mexican Casserole.    You could even pair it up with the Jicama Tacos.

June is also a dish you can make in a nice large casserole or lasagna pan.  It also takes just a few minutes to put together and then you pop it into the oven.  With it being winter however I would use canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of fresh for this Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe.

July is the month to use fresh tomatoes for this Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad and since it’s January you’ll want to swap that out for another favorite ingredient if serving it now.  I really like having some type of salad when watching the big game.

August is one of those dishes that looks really hard to make but trust me anyone can do this.  The Summer Vegetable Rosettes you see pictured here was cooked by my husband who is not a cook.  He can make scrambled eggs but doesn’t venture too far from that.  Zucchini is in season during the summer but you can buy it any time of the year.  This recipe uses cashew cream cheese as an option so if you make a batch save some for the many other recipes I’ve shared using that ingredient.

September is one of my favorite fast meals to make, Hash in a Flash.  It uses ingredients you have on hand and is cooked in one pan so clean up is fast.  If you make this serve it in a big bowl and let your guests spoon out as much as they like.

October is a very satisfying and flavorful Smoky Simmering Soup.  It’s one of those great chop and drop recipes right into your slow cooker.  Put it in there in the morning and it will be ready for you at game time.  How easy can it get!

November is another recipe that uses cashew cream cheese.  It’s a wonderful dish for those who want their big game food to be a little fancier.  Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni served with a bechamel sauce is sure to delight.

December Mushroom Party recipes are perfect for the big game food.  Keep the mushrooms smaller so they are finger foods and not something you’ll need a fork and knife to eat.  I give you three options and the recipes for each.  You can keep them vegetarian and make the Yam Packed Mushrooms or not and make the Crabby Mushrooms or Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.

Enjoy the game, your friends and family and the good food you’ll make.  I hope your team wins!

So, what are you going to make and who do you hope wins the game?

Did you hear the latest news? Subscribers to The Gluten Free Insider Newsletter had a sneak peek.  Don’t miss out on the news.  

Announcing:

I am very excited to share with you that I have created the ultimate cookbook. Wait until you hear how it works. This is a 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. That means it is a calendar and a cookbook that sits on your desk in the size of a CD case!

Each month features a color photo and calendar on the front and an easy recipe on the back. Every recipe is gluten and dairy free plus instructions on how to easily make it Vegetarian, Vegan and Paleo. How cool is that?

I don’t know about your family and friends, but mine all have their own dietary needs. My oldest son is a vegetarian but can’t eat soy, my husband eats Paleo, my youngest son thinks the word vegetable is a swear word and for me it’s strictly gluten and dairy free. Having to juggle these needs and not cook 3 or 4 different main dishes for one meal has taught me how to take one recipe and make it work for everyone at the table.

This is what I’ve shared with you in the 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar. Each recipe is coded and noted to make cooking a breeze.  I even had my non-cook husband give some a try and he looked like a master chef! Check out the August photograph, that’s his work. 

Each cookbook calendar comes in a clear case that flips open to sit on your desk or your countertop as you are cooking from the recipe. I know, brilliant right? So much goodness in a CD case the size of your hand.

BONUS: Every calendar comes with a special code to a hidden page on The WHOLE Gang website that will include additional recipes, tips, tricks, tools and how to make each recipe suit multiple dietary needs at the same time.  That means cook once and everyone eats!

This 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar is not only great for you, but it makes a great gift for family, friends, teachers, hostesses, co-workers, employees, clients and that person who has everything. Each calendar comes in it’s own gift/shipping box so you’ll be ready to send them out as gifts. If you are giving them as client gifts there is a space in the back for you to place your business card so they’ll know who to thank!

Pre-Order Special:  I am offering you a special pre-order deal for ordering now. If you order this month you will receive $2 off the list price of $14.95 each. This discount will expire October 31st, 2012.  Even bigger savings the more you order.

Pre-Order Now!

Here’s what some folks are saying:

Hash in a Flash is a great one pot dish the whole family loved, including my 12 year old daughter. – Sara Nicole in Bellflower, California

This Vegan Tunisian Frittata has become a staple in my gluten free kitchen. Prior to making it, I wasn’t convinced that I could make a decent tasting frittata without eggs, but this recipe completely changed my mind. It is beyond delicious and on the first and second day, the leftovers were just as delicious as when it came out of the oven. Try it, you’ll be glad you did! - Ellen Allard, Worchester Massachusetts

We very much enjoyed the Vegan Tunisian Frittata. The recipe is very straight-forward and easy to follow for a quick prep meal. While it would make great leftovers, we’re yet to have any left after a meal–it’s a big hit! I would not hesitate to share this with egg eaters, the tofu is a slick substitute! We now keep a container of the easy harissa on hand so we can make this often.  - Johnna Perry Kansas City, Missouri

12 months of great meals!

• January: Jicama Tacos & Tostados
• February: Little Lasagna Flowers
• March: Tunisian Frittata
• April: Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Prosciutto
• May: Easy Layered Mexican Casserole
• June:  Oven Roasted Pesto Vegetables Deluxe
• July: Can’t Beet California Cobb Salad
• August: Summer Vegetable Rosettes
• September: Hash in a Flash
• October: Smoky Simmering Soup
• November: Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni
• December: Mushroom Party

These little Guaco Tacos are easy to make grain free, gluten free and dairy free and are perfect for anytime.  These are great if you have just made your guacamole or if you have some left over from your big game party!  You will absolutely love these.

I first had a version of these little bundles in LA at José Andrés restaurant The Bazaar (review coming soon).  Of course he had a really creamy version of guacamole in his little bundles and they held together like a little pouch.  He added a little crunch into the bottom with some crumbled Fritos.  I tried that and it was good but the secret to the crunch is really in the “shell” so you can keep it grain free by not using them.

So the secret to the crunch is the “shell”.  It’s thinly sliced jicama.  Yep you read that right.  All you need is a way to slice them.  A mandoline or V slicer works great.  They are as much fun to make as they are to eat.  Just in case you don’t eat all the ones you make, they will still be crunchy the next day.  Jicama is a great vegetable to use for this too because they will not discolor.

Now that I’ve shared this little secret can you just imagine all the fun things that can go into thin slices of jicama.  But for these grab your guacamole recipe and lets get started.

Ingredients:

guacamole

jicama peeled and sliced thin

fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:

After you peel the jicama slice it as thin as you can.

Next I lay out some slices onto a plate and if you want to add in crunched up Fritos do that first.  Then spoon on a teaspoon of guacamole.  You can top each one of these with a sprig of fresh cilantro or just the plate.

Pick it up and shape as a taco or whatever you fancy.

These make a great snack, topping to your favorite Mexican dish or even potato skins.  Let me know how you use them.

This naturally gluten free traditional Mexican meal is one of my favorite go to meals that is quick, easy and inexpensive.  The best part of this meal however is it’s one of those great tasting great mouth feel meals.  I keep mine dairy free too but you can always add in cheese.  It’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and works well with leftovers.

The key to this dish is having the ingredients on hand so you can make it at the drop of a hat.  I’ll make big batches of enchilada sauce and freeze it in portions needed for this recipe.  If I run out I always have Rick Bayless’ sauce on hand too.

Have fun with this recipe.  If you’re thinking you’ve seen this before, well you must be a newsletter subscriber.  I shared this recipe some time back through the newsletter.  Make sure you’re signed up so you can get these recipes and lots of great tips first hand.

Summer time is the perfect time to fire up the grill and barbecue.  I know you’ll love this sauce which is gluten free and vegan (no dairy).  If you have subscribed to The WHOLE-istic Life newsletter than you have already received this recipe a couple of months ago.  One bonus to subscribing.

I thought I would share it now with everyone else.  You can use this on meats or vegetables as it will add flavor to anything.

Best Ever French Onion Dip from February Newsletter

March madness is upon us.  Whether it be with college basketball, Spring Break, kids spring sports starting or digging out of the winters last snow storms, it’s here.  For me that means going back to some tried and true recipes.  It also means more hands off cooking and more minute meals.  So this month’s menu plan you’ll see some past recipes and some new fast and easy ones.

Don’t forget coming up on Sunday March 7th is the Oscars.  Last week we shared some ideas on what to serve while watching the show with our Gluten Free Progressive OSCAR Dinner Party.  Check out all of the great recipes shared.  Other celebrations this month include St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th, first day of Spring on the 20th and Passover begins March 29th.

Also, if you want the recipe for the Best Ever French Onion Dip, it is part of the February Newsletter.  All newsletters will be archived under our News page.  If you signed up for the newsletter after that edition went out, you will need to visit the News to view the February edition.  You will receive March’s newsletter directly.  If you have not signed up yet, what are you waiting for?

Have a great month and as always, share with us your experiences with making any of these recipes.  Love to hear from you!

1- Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Mushroom Stuffing

2- West African Chicken Peanut Stew

3- Pizza Soup

4- Beef Brisket with mashed potatoes and gravy

5- Posole

6- Calzones

7- Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza, Roasted Potato Slices with Smoky Aioli Dip, Southern Fried Oysters, Flourless Sparkling Chocolate Cookies with Whipped Cream

8- Beef Brisket Vegetable Soup

9- Pizzas

10- Shrimp and Cauliflower Couscous

11- Pastelón or Sweet Plantain Lasagna

12- Scallop, Chorizo and Purple Sweet Potato Tacos

13- Garlic Garbanzo Bean, Swiss Chard, Pancetta Soup

14- Pesto Shrimp on Polenta Portobellos

15-Chili

16- Pork Noodle Soup

17- Irish Beef Stew

18- Roasted Balsamic Chicken with Figs and Onions

19- Whole Roasted Fish

20- Roasted Pork Loin

21- Chicken Enchiladas

22- Scallop Pasta with Chorizo

23- Chipotle Burger on a Bun with Tomatillo Salsa

24- Have on Hand Soup

25- Buffalo Shrimp

26- Beef and Noodles

27- Pork and Lentils

28- Winter Fire Roasted Tomato Soup with Prosciutto Topping

29- Chicken Chow Mein with Gluten Free Soy Sauce

30- Fast Pantry Soup

31- Shrimp Tostados

Don’t forget OrgJunkie has more menus.

This is a fast and easy recipe to make on a night when you really just want to eat and not cook.  It’s gluten and dairy free and full of the most amazing flavor.  This recipe will make enough for 12 tacos with leftover filling for an omelet the next morning.

This recipe was also shared with the NFCA and is featured as their Recipe Of The Week. If you have not visited their website yet you might want to see all of the great information they have to share.

Ingredients:

1 pound bay scallops

2 Purple Sweet Potatoes diced (can sub regular potatoes)

8 oz  Easy Homemade Fresh Chorizo

½ red onion diced

Handful of fresh cilantro chopped

1 tsp Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Corn Tortillas, warmed

*See notes for substitution ideas.

Directions:

First thing you want to prep is your purple sweet potato.  Peel and dice it and add it to a microwave safe bowl with water.  Cook on high for 6-10 minutes until they have started to soften.  The length of time will depend on your microwave.  Pre-cooking these potatoes while you are getting everything else ready, will go a long way to getting this dish cooked up fast.

Heat your pan on medium high and then let the coconut oil melt.  Add in your diced onions and cook until soft.  I like to remove these to a serving bowl while I cook the chorizo so they don’t over cook.  Remove the chorizo and add the purple sweet potatoes to the pan.  When they have browned remove them to your serving bowl and toss the scallops into the pan.  Make sure they are dry before adding them to your pan or they will steam and not brown.   Although I find it difficult to brown the smaller bay scallops as compared to the large sea scallops.  Warm your tortillas and keep them wrapped or covered on your table.

Once they scallops are cooked add them to your serving bowl along with the cilantro.  Mix it all together and taste.  You may or may not want to add any salt and pepper.  The chorizo is so full of flavor and seasonings that I didn’t need anything else.  You may feel differently.

At the table spoon the mixture into your tortilla, fold in half and eat.  It doesn’t even need any salsa but if I were going to try some it would definitely be a Creamy Tomatillo or Regular Salsa.

*Notes:

You can substitute a white potato for the purple sweet potato.  I found the purple sweet potatoes at the International Market.

You can substitute the large sea scallops for the smaller bay scallops if that is what you have on hand.  Just cut them into bite size pieces after you cook them.

If you don’t like or have scallops you can substitute shrimp.  Thanks Alta!

If you have chorizo that comes in a casing and it’s fresh, take it out of the casing to cook.  If it’s cooked links just dice it so it will be smaller than the potatoes.

You can also use homemade tortillas which would make this dish taste even better.

This is my version of clear out the frozen seafood I bought at ridiculously low prices before it’s too late to use, and make it spicy soup.  Scary how my brain works.   Whenever I go to the grocery I always head to the seafood department to see what’s on sale.  I like getting those really good deals, and then when I cook up a lot, I don’t feel like I’ve just blown the bank on one meal.

This soup is quick to make and it’s a low calorie, but very filling meal.  I’m serving it as part of our Gluten Free Light Winter Warmers Progressive Dinner Party.  For the complete party schedule slide down to the bottom of this post.  You won’t want to miss anything!

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients here.  It’s really just stock, tomatoes, seafood and seasonings.

Just read a great post on Six Tips for Eating Quality Seafood on a Budget over at Nourishing Gourmet.  Thought you might like to check it out but don’t forget to read on about this recipe.  This recipe is also linked to Kim’s Pennywise Platter Thursday.

This recipe is also submitted to What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free.

Ingredients:

1 box Kitchen Basics, Stock Seafood, 32-Ounce (12 Pack)

1-2 cups boiled shell stock

Fire Roasted diced tomatoes- 15 oz can

2 tsp Tomato paste

2 Jalapeño peppers diced (take out all seeds and white membrane for less heat)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Cippolini onion chopped

1 TBS cilantro

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp Ancho Chili Pepper

1-2  large roasted red pepper diced

4 tsp green chilies diced

1-2 cup wine

seafood- shrimp, crab, lobster or whatever you have on hand

Sea Salt to taste

1 tsp White Pepper

1 tsp Black Pepper

1/2- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 bay leaf

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Start by gathering all of your supplies and mincing, chopping and dicing the vegetables.

If you have seafood in the shell, remove the shells and boil them on a soft boil for 15 minutes.  This will make great stock to add to the soup.  If you have shells, move this step to number one.

In a stockpot on medium high, saute your onions in a little oil until soft and starting to brown.

Next add in the jalapeno, and garlic for just a couple of minutes.  You don’t want to let the garlic brown, just soften.

Add in your tomatoes and seasonings and stir.  Once combined add in the wine.

Now add in the stocks, bay leaf and tomato paste and let simmer for 10 minutes.  You’ll want to taste test it for seasoning levels.  Make adjustments now.

Add in your seafood with the most dense items first.  Let them cook a little and then add in the smallest sizes last.  This way they won’t overcook.

The whole process should take you 30 minutes from start to soup.

Notes:

I used 1 small lobster tail, around a pound of shrimp and 1 King Crab Leg.  If I told you the total price I paid for all of this seafood you wouldn’t believe me.  Just make sure you check your seafood departments for the best deals, wrap it really well and mark it with name and date.

If you don’t have freshly roasted green chilies around, use a small can of diced.

Fire roasted tomatoes taste the best in this recipe but if yours are not fire roasted don’t let that stop you from making this recipe.

Any sweet onion will do if you can’t find cipollini.  They can be pricey.

Monday January 18th Karen from Cook4Seasons made Creamy Potato Leek Soup and Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Gluten Free Croutons by Alison from Sure Foods Living.

Tuesday January 19th - Winter Fire Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Prosciutto Topping from Diane- The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Wednesday January 20th -Mexican Seafood Soup from  Diane- The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and SeaMaiden from Book of Yum with a Vegan Un-Chicken Roasted Vegetable Soup.

Thursday January 21st – Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free servedBlack Bean Chili with Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard and Shirley fromgluten free easily shared Wassail.

Friday January 22nd -Ali from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen served Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup.

When a recipe calls for chorizo you can’t beat using fresh over cooked links.  I do like those links and use them often, but there are times where that just won’t work.  For instance, you wouldn’t want hard pieces of those links mixed in your Turducken Burger.  Sharing that recipe tomorrow.

Scallops de Hacha a la Plancha at Tropisueño

I bet you think it’s really hard to make your own chorizo.  You couldn’t be more wrong.  All you need is pork and a bunch of spices and a little tequilla.  I like to make a big batch, portion it out into 8 ounces, wrap them separately and put them into the freezer.  Then I can use it anytime I’m making something that needs fresh chorizo.  For instance, when duplicating this amazing dish of scallops at Tropisueño, you can see they used fresh chorizo.

I started with Guy Fieri’s recipe but changed it to suit my tastes.  First off I didn’t want to make it into links in casing.  Maybe someday but for now I wanted fast and easy.  Next I like my sausage spicy.  If you don’t want it spicy lower the amount of chipotles and pequin chili or cayenne pepper used.  Also, use sweet paprika instead of smoked.

Remember you can always add more spices so start off with just a little of the hot spices like the chipotle and cayenne.  Cook a tablespoon of the meat and taste it.  If it’s not spicy enough add in just a little more and repeat.  Keep in mind the chipotle is also a nice smoky flavor so I wouldn’t leave that out all together.  Your cumin is smoky and so is the smoked paprika.  They really add a great depth of flavor to the sausage. For my spices I really like Penzeys.  They are gluten free and hold up well.

This recipe was submitted to What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free.

Ingredients:

5 pounds boneless pork butt ground rough, put through grinder once

2-3 chipotles in adobo with sauce

5 cloves organic garlic

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup white tequilla

1 tsp ground cumin

4 TBS Celtic Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

4 TBS ancho chili powder

2-5 tsp pequin chili powder or cayanne pepper

2 TBS granulated toasted onion

2 TBS Smoked Paprika (use sweet paprika for less heat)

2 tsp Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp white pepper

plastic gloves to protect your hands- not necessary but are helpful

Directions:

If you have a meat grinder use the course die and only run the pork through once.  If you don’t have a grinder, ask your butcher to do this for you.

In a food processor add in the chilies in adobo, garlic, tequila and vinegar.  Process until finely chopped and makes a paste.

In a small bowl combine the seasonings.

If you want to use plastic food service gloves, put them on now.  I recommend this if you happen to have a cut. Vinegar and hot spices on a cut can teach your kids new words.   If you’re not using gloves, make sure your hands are clean and your jewelry is off.  Now you might be thinking you’ll just use a big spoon or fork.  Won’t work as well.  You’ll wind up with clumps of spice and clumps of meat with no spice.

In a very large bowl, add 1/3 of the ground pork and 1/3 of the spices and 1/3 of the tequila mixture and combine well with your hands.  Repeat 2 more times until all of the meat and seasonings have been mixed together.

Pull out a tablespoon of the mixture and fry it up in a pan.  Taste it and then adjust your seasonings.  Repeat until you are satisfied with the taste.  Just a reminder it’s easy to add in more spice but once it’s there the only way to get rid of it is add in more pork.

This is where I pull out my scale and separate the meat into 8 ounce portions, wrap and freeze.  Now I’m ready to get cooking tons of recipes.  I like chorizo in Pupusas, soups, with eggs, in casseroles, tacos, enchiladas, pizza, hash, with seafood and … I could go on here for another few paragraphs.   You get the point.

How do you use chorizo?  What about now?  What are your plans for Easy Homemade Fresh Chorizo?

I love bacon and anytime I can cook with it I do.  I know, yell at me now but I only use organic bacon.  Now I’ve made Gluten Free Jalapeno Poppers before, but never without dairy.  Well when I opened Ree Drummond’s new cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks and saw BBQ Jalapeño Poppers, I knew I had to get busy adapting her recipe so I could eat it.

First let me talk about this new cookbook.  It is beautiful.  If you have not checked out her website, The Pioneer Woman, go there first.  Then you’ll want to pick up her cookbook.   In The New York Times Dining section this week they described her book as “a portrait of a real American family kitchen”.  Throughout the book you get a glimpse into life on a cattle ranch, her family and the food from her kitchen.  I was fortunate enough to meet Ree and hear her talk at the BlogHer Food Conference in September.  She is just as down to earth in person as she comes across in her cookbook.  Now the recipes are not gluten free or dairy free so you will need to adapt them, but I think you will enjoy them.  If you have questions about changing up ingredients, just drop me a note.

Her recipe for the poppers is the first recipe in her cookbook.  I can’t wait to get busy on making more.

So, now on to my version of BBQ Jalapeño Poppers.  I’d like to thank Alisa Fleming from One Frugal Foodie and author of Go Dairy Free the book and the website.  She gave me the heads up on Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese.  I was looking for a good non-dairy substitute that was gluten free, non-hydrogenerated and didn’t taste like a foam cushion.  So I bought a container and I have to admit, I didn’t taste it until the poppers where cooked.  I was a little nervous and didn’t want to know if it tasted bad before it was cooked.

Well let me say, the BBQ Jalapeño Poppers tasted amazing.  They are so full of flavor and gluten and dairy free.  I’m in love.  I also made this recipe with pablano peppers for a mild version.  You can eat just one of those for a whole meal!

Now the filling for Ree’s BBQ Jalapeño Poppers was cream cheese, cheddar cheese and green onions.  I added a little more to the cream cheese mix.  You can really add whatever you like to the mix.

I’m also going to take Ree’s dare of putting two of these on my hamburger.  She warns of instant addiction and you know what, I bet she’s right.  I’m going to give that a try today with my leftover BBQ Burgers (ground beef mixed with BBQ sauce).

Update:  This was submitted to What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

On to my version of Gluten and Dairy Free BBQ Jalapeño Poppers!

Ingredients:

10 organic Jalapeño peppers

1 organic Pablano peppers

1 container Cream Cheese- I used Tofutti non-hydrogenerated Better than Cream Cheese

2 organic green onions, sliced

1 tsp crushed cilantro

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp toasted ground onion

1/2 diced organic avocado

12 slices organic bacon, gluten free- half slice for jalapeño peppers and full slice for a pablano pepper

Your favorite BBQ sauce – I used Organicville Organic Original BBQ Sauce with no sugar (find it in my Favorite Food section in the store)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.  No that is not a typo.

Carefully slice your jalapeño peppers in half and remove the seeds and membrane.  You can use a knife or spoon and you may want to even wear gloves to keep the hot oils off your hands.  If you don’t, make sure you get that oil off of your hands before you do anything else.  If you would accidentally touch your nose, eye or anywhere else on your body, it will burn like the dickens.  Run you hands under cold water, smacking them back and forth.  Then you can use some soap just for good measure, again with the cold water.

Mix together the cream cheese, green onions, seasonings, and avocado.

Spoon or using a tiny spatula, add the mix onto each jalapeño and pablano pepper.

Now you want to take your bacon and wrap it around the pepper.

Brush on the BBQ sauce and then secure the bacon onto the pepper with a toothpick.

BBQ Jalapeño Poppers

Cook in the oven for 1 hour.  This temperature and timing is how Ree cooked hers.  I thought at first that can’t be right but you know it worked perfectly.  That hour of cooking gave me time to get the rest of the meal ready.

I won’t lie, this takes time to put together.  But it is so worth it.  My mouth is watering now just writing about them.  I’m going to take the rest and freeze them for the next football game and these will definitely be at my Super Bowl Party.  I also think next time I make these I will make a double batch so I have more leftover for later.  They are that good!

Substitution ideas:

You can use any type of cream cheese and add in any other hard cheese to that mix you like.

If you want different flavors,  change up what you mix into the cheese and the type of BBQ sauce you use.

If you like it hot, leave in some of the membrane on the peppers.  Warning, I did that and when I say hot, I mean hot.

If you want to make these but you want a lower heat or not heat at all, try using a long red sweet pepper, red, orange or yellow bell pepper cut into quarters or the pablano and cubanella peppers that are mild.  You can always check the scoville scale or heat level of peppers.

If you can’t find organic produce, try for local and if that’s not available get what is.

Note:  I like strong flavors and the amount of cumin and cilantro did not stand out as strongly as I would like so I would add just a little more.  You should adjust to the flavors to what you like.

Chili Shrimp and Chicken with Avocado Salsa, Roasted Jalapeno and Pablano Peppers

Are  you looking for a new fun menu for your next picnic or tailgate party?  Then you might want to give this Chili Chicken and Shrimp with Avocado Salsa, Roasted Jalapeno and Pablanos a try.  This meal traveled well, tasted delicious, and was easy to pull together.  All of the ingredients are gluten free, dairy free, soy free and grain free.  I wanted to have something to eat that I could hold in my hand, didn’t have any grains and would taste good cold.  So we made this meal into lettuce wraps but you could also use tortillas, gluten free wraps or even just a plate.   I also added in tropical fruit kabobs.  They were handy.

I packed everything into one cooler bag and then a roll on backpack to take on the DC Metro.  I met up with Scott, who had just delivered the last session in our Next Level Leadership™ group coaching program in Baltimore. We were headed to the U2 concert at FedEx field.  This was his birthday present, delivered a little late. His birthday was in April when the tickets went on sale.

First let me say the concert was amazing.  If you get a chance to go, take it.  If you live in the DC area you know what traffic can be like on the 495 during rush hour and if your lucky enough to have gone to an event at FedEx Field, you also know there is only one road in and out.  Major traffic jam.  They opened the gates at noon for parking and we got there around 4pm.  We had lots of time to tailgate and enjoy our meal.  With this being a celebration I brought along a little bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne. It went great with the meal.

We capped off this meal with Elana Amsterdam’s Homemade Starbucks Orange Cake.  I made this over the summer for Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger- Elana’s Gluten Free Twinkies.  Brad had made the Twinkies and I made the cake.  It was an easy cake to make and it tastes great.  I like to eat some and freeze some.  I was so glad I had this on hand because it went great with this meal.  I also snuck a piece into the concert with me so I could have a gluten free snack during the break between bands.

I hope when you head out for your next picnic or tailgate party, that you will consider making your food instead of picking up some fast food along the way.  This meal can even be made the evening before and still taste great for your event.  It actually might taste even better when the spices have more time to marry with the protein.

Substitution Options

Don’t forget  you can always substitute ingredients for what you have on hand or your taste buds.  For the protein you can use a sturdy white fish and even scallops would taste great.  You can also use pork or beef.  If you don’t have time to roast the peppers you can always use fresh sliced jalapenos and Pablanos or you can use the jar of pickled jalapeno peppers.  You can also change up the type of salsa you use.  Tomato, tomatillo or a jalapeno salsa would also do the trick.  If you use a salsa out of the jar, I would recommend taking along some lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro.  It’s the key to brightening up the flavors of the chicken and shrimp.

To assemble I took a lettuce leaf, added in either the shrimp or chicken, the avocado salsa and then some peppers.  It did get a little messy and I was glad I had added in a couple of plates at the last minute to catch the filling if it fell out.  It must have looked as good as it tasted because the couple in the car next to us asked what we were eating.  They had stopped for fast food and I think were waiting for us to invite them to dinner.  Maybe next time I’ll bring extra just in case.

If you give this dish a try, either for a dinner, lunch, picnic, tailgate party or even breakfast,  I’d love to hear from you what combination you used.

This recipe was submitted to What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free on the Gluten Free Homemaker blog.

Update- These recipes were submitted to Slightly Indulgent Mondays & a giveaway.

Keep reading on for all three of these recipes.

Chili Shrimp and Chicken Ingredients:

1 pound medium (26-30) shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tail off

3/4 – 1 pound of chicken cutlets cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp minced dried garlic

1/2 tsp ground onion powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (this is mild, add more for more heat)

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Spanish oil but not necessary)

Chili Shrimp and Chicken Directions:

Heat your pan on medium high and add in the oil to warm up.  Next add in all of the spices except the salt and pepper.  You want to let it heat up until it foams.

Sizzling Spices

Then you want to add in your protein, either the shrimp or chicken.  Please make sure it is totally dry before you put it into a pan of hot oil.  I cooked the chicken and shrimp separately and heated the spices for each batch.  You don’t need to have two different types of protein, one will work great.  I just wanted a little variety and I knew I was going to be very hungry.

Take the protein out of the pan and place on a plate to cool.  Then you can put it in your to go container.  I find glass works the best for me.

Avocado Salsa Ingredients:

Avocado, Lime, Red Onion and Cilantro

1 Haas avocado, diced

1/4- 1/2 chopped red onion

handful of fresh cilantro chopped

1-2 limes juiced

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Avocado Salsa Directions:

Run your knife all the way around your avocado making one continuous circle to cut it in half.  Twist and pull apart.  To take out the pit carefully take your chef knife and cleave the pit.  If you are not use to doing this, DO NOT hold the avocado in your hand while you do this, place it securely on your cutting board.   I like to use the groove where the handle is on my cutting board.  Once the knife is lodged into the pit, hold the avocado with your non dominant hand and the knife in your dominant hand.  Give the knife a little twist and the pit should release.

I dice my avocado right in the skin and then scoop it out with a spoon.  Make cuts like a tic tac toe board, only more lines.  You can also scoop it out and dice it on the cutting board.  I find it slippery and it moves around a lot.  Slippery and knives are not a good combination.

I like to rough chop the onion and cilantro for this recipe to give it more texture.  Add those ingredients into your bowl or for a picnic right into your to go container.  Squeeze in the lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.  That means you add it, mix it up and taste it.  If it needs more, add it.  Keep in mind you can add more but not take any away so go slow until you get the taste you want.

Roasted Jalapeno and Pablano Peppers Ingredients:

2 large pablano peppers, sliced in half

6-12 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Roasted Jalapeno and Pablano Peppers Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Cut your peppers in half and toss in olive oil.   Place on cookie sheet and cook until blistering.  This takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.  You can always turn the oven up to 450 and it will go a little faster.  I turned it down so I would have time to get a few other things done at the same time.

When the peppers are done, take them out and let them cool enough to be handled.  Take the stems and skin off.  You decide how much of the seeds you want to take out.  The more seeds you leave on, the hotter the heat of the pepper will be.  You can decide to leave just a couple with seeds and get rid of the rest.

Once that is done, chop the peppers and put into your container.

I added in the fruit kabobs so we could have a refreshing treat with our meal.  We ate so much of the wraps that we were full and only ate a few of these fruit kabobs.  Guess what today’s breakfast was.

Good Food No Matter What!™

Posole

Recently I’ve heard Posole mentioned a few times on the TV and then read about it in the newspaper. To me that’s a sign I need to get cooking. Posole is a traditional Christmas Eve soup served in New Mexico.  It’s known as a ceremonial dish for celebrating life’s blessings.  I didn’t want to wait until Christmas and since every day should be celebrated,  I gathered my supplies and got cooking.  Oh and by the way, it’s naturally gluten free and dairy free.

Posole corn is prepared by soaking hard kernels of field corn in powdered lime and water. After several hours, when the corn kernels have swollen, the liquid is allowed to evaporate and the kernels to dry. Posole is different from hominy, another kind of processed corn, which tends to be softer and more bland. Compared to hominy, posole’s flavor is intense and earthy, its consistency more robust.  It’s difficult to find posole corn, so in it’s place I used hominy. Hominy is often used as a substitute in posole stew.

The liquid base for this stew is a combination of stock and pureed peppers.  You can use chicken stock, pork stock or vegetable stock if keeping it vegetarian.  Over the weekend I cooked up a new batch of Scrapple to have on hand for school morning breakfasts.   I reserved some of the extra pork stock and used that in this stew.

Making this stew does take a little work to prepare the peppers, but it’s totally worth it.  It creates a soup that has a deep rich taste with many layers of flavor.  I hope you will give this recipe a try and see for yourself.  This recipe made enough for 6 large bowls of soup so you know where the leftovers ended up.  Right in my freezer for a quick meal on a soccer night!

Note- this can easily be made vegetarian/vegan simply by changing out the stock for a vegetable stock and not adding in the meats.

New Mexican Chilis

Ingredients:

1 Onion diced or sliced

1-3 Garlic cloves chopped

Stock to fill pot

8-15 New Mexican Chili peppers reconstituted, blended and strained

Water to fill pot with peppers

2-4 cups cooked Pork shredded

2-3 Cooked Chicken Breast meat shredded

1 large can Hominy

1-2 tsp Mexican Oregano

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Toppings:  salsa, cabbage, radish, lime, onion, tortillas

Directions:

Cut the tops off the dried peppers and shake out the seeds.  Place them into a pot and cover with water.  You’ll want lots of the liquid that the peppers cooked in leftover to use in the base for the stew.  Turn the peppers on high and bring to a boil.  Turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.  Let them cool off a little before putting them into a blender.  If they are still hot make sure the blender top has an escape for the steam.  It’s better to wait a little and not impatient like me.   While you’re waiting for them to cool, cook up the onions and garlic in your stock pot in a little oil until translucent.  To this you will add in the ingredients to build the stew.

Chili Peppers through Strainer

Back to the peppers.  Puree the peppers in the blender with a some of the liquid they cooked in. Pour the pureed peppers into a strainer and using the back of a spoon or a spatula press it through the strainer.  You can see what is left behind in the strainer and what came through the strainer.

Chili pepper skins you don't want

Pour the thick liquid that came through the strainer into your stock pot.  Add in any remaining liquid from the peppers that you strained into the pot and the chicken or pork stock.  You’ll want enough liquid to support the meats.

Strained Chili Peppers

Add in the meats, oregano, salt, pepper, and hominy.  Bring to a boil and then turn it down to cook on medium low for 30 minutes.

Most people serve this dish with accompanments to sprinkle on the top.  I only had limes, cabbage, salsa and tortillas  but often radishes are included.

Don’t forget to check out What can I eat that’s gluten free.

Update:  This was submitted to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.  To make this a little healthier you can omit the pork.

Eating out every night while on vacation can be expensive and often difficult with my crew.  We each have our own dietary restrictions.  Gluten free and dairy free for 2 of us, gluten free for one and a soy free vegetarian rounds out our clan.  I feel sorry for anyone who waits on us.  So we’ve had a few meals where we’re staying.  We have a kitchenette with a stove, oven, and microwave but no space to prep or barely turn around.  Easy to fix meals are a must.  Here are two we’ve had so far.  A Tuna Chickpea Salad and Pupusas.  Of course the pupusas were the least expensive.

Since I’m not at home with my 100 spices and herbs I like to use ingredients that either have spices in them or big bang for the buck.  In these two dishes I either used balsamic vinegar or a spiced sausage or refried beans.  I even used sliced ham in the pupusas for my youngest.  He loved it.  The only equipment I needed was a knife, frying pan and bowl for the pupusas and a knife and can opener for the salad.  Whenever you have less to work with that just means you need to be more creative.  Having fun on vacation and I’m sad it’s almost over.  I hope you are having a great summer and some creative cooking is going on wherever you are.

Tuna Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

can of American Tuna

1/2 – 1 red bell pepper

handfuls of lettuce

1/2 can of chickpeas

1/2 cucumber

sprinkle of pine nuts or whatever nuts you have

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

I kept this real simple.  Place washed fresh lettuce on the plate with a cut up red pepper and cucumber.  Tomato and onion would have been good on this too.   I’d probably go with a green onion.  Rinse the beans and sprinkle on.  Break apart the tuna and toss on some nuts.  You can add or take away ingredients to fit what you find at the store or farmers market.  I only used a little oil and sprinkled the vinegar on too.   Salt and pepper to taste and you’re ready to eat.

Pupusas

Ingredients:

Masa flour

salt

water

spiced meat or refried beans or even sliced ham

oil

Direction:

Mix the masa with a little salt and then the water according to the bag.  The more you work with this the more you’ll know what the consistency will look and feel like.  I didn’t have a measuring cup so I used just a coffee mug.  Worked great.  Once you have your dough pull out a little more than the size of a golf ball.  Flatten it out, add in the sausage and then cover up or enclose.  Make sure your hands have water on them so the dough won’t stick.  I make mine into a ball again and then flatten them out.  Put them into a hot pan with oil and brown on both sides.  I served it with salsa.

Have you ever eaten Sopes?  Sopes are a cousin to tortillas, but can be more versatile for fillings that have more liquid.  They are thicker than tortillas and have sides so they can hold fillings.  They don’t encase the fillings like a burrito or pupusas.  Usually you cook sopes by frying them on both sides in oil.  I didn’t want to make a mess and had really liked the way Carol Kicinski’s Sopes looked in her Simply Gluten Free blog post on Oven Baked Sopes. So I used the basic recipe I use for tortillas, pupusas and sopes but put them into a muffin pan to bake.

These were a big hit!  So much so that we’re still coming up with things to fill the leftover sopes.  Also the nutritional yeast gives it a nice cheesy taste but with no dairy.  Love it!

Nutritional Yeast mixed with Masa

Cheesy Sopes Ingredients:

3 cups Masa

2 1/4 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

Mix the masa, salt, nutritional yeast, and water.  You want a consistency that stays together but is not wet.  Make these into balls and place one in each cup of the greased muffin pan.  I have this fun little tool that I use to press a depression in the center of each ball.  I found that if I kept this wet it made the work easier.  Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.  After 10 minutes brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.

Chicken filling ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts

8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced

1 large onion sliced

2 small or 1 large zucchini diced

Shallot Pepper

Virgin Coconut Oil

1-2 cups chicken stock

arrowroot slurry

Direction:

Saute the onions until brown, add in the zucchini.  Next add in the mushrooms.  Now I used cooked chicken breasts but you can also use raw and cook it up in the pan.  Sprinkle in the Shallot Pepper once these are all cooked.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Once boils add in the arrowroot slurry.  Take off the heat and stir constantly.  The sauce will thicken fast.  Make sure you bring in all of the stock around the pan and other ingredients so it is combined.  You want a nice gravy or sauce.

To serve I put two of the sopes on the plate and spooned in the chicken mixture with some spilling over the sides.

You can also check out What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free on The Gluten Free Homemaker.

Chili Piquin Tortilla Soup ©Diane Eblin

Some like it spicy, some like it hot and others like it to burn the @#*!! out of their mouth, eyes watering clear out your sinuses red face hot.  I’m in the middle, my son Andy I believe just loves it as hot as it can be. I think it started when we were out to eat and he was around 13.  His dish had a devil toung pepper, which he ate.  No one told him it was in there and to watch out for it in the dish.  I thought we were going to have to take him to the hospital.  I think after that everything else is mild in comparison.

So with inspiration from Andy and Shirley’s Tasty Tortilla Soup at Gluten Free Easily, I made Chili Piquin Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.  If you are not familiar with Chili Piquin they are small, red, fiery hot peppers that are grown and used throughout Mexico and the American Southwest.  They pack 140,000 heat units according to the Penzey jar.  However, while searching for heat units of other peppers they are most often noted as 40,000- 58,000.  Either way, they are hot.  To give you a comparison jalapenos are 2,500 -8,000 heat units and the devil toung that Andy ate is listed as 125,000 – 325,000 heat units.   Check out the Chili Heat Scale to find out how the scale was created and where your favorite peppers stack up.

The Chili Piquin jar says “USE WITH CAUTION.  Add 1 or 2 to Mexican moles and sauces, stewed meats and vegetables, Pazole and other corn recipes, barbecue sauce and hot and sour soup”.  I’ve used only 1 or 2 in the past but I didn’t think it was that hot.  So today, I was feeling more adventurous and added 12.  I also added 1/2 cup of diced jalapenos.  Oh we’re cooking with fire now!

Now if this is too hot for you take it slow and easy.  Add in what you think will work, let it cook to infuse, and then taste it.  Keep in mind the longer the soup sits, the hotter it will get.  You can always add more heat, but it’s really hard to get rid of it once it’s there.  Keep the bag of tortilla chips handy and if you can drink milk a glass.  They say that the casein in milk is what counter acts the heat.  For those of us who can’t eat casein, we’ll just have to endure.

Ingredients:

2 large spring onions, white parts only diced

2 garlic scapes diced

4-8 jalapenos diced

8-12 Chili Piquin peppers

28 ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes

28 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

2-4 cups of vegetable stock

2 cups organic cooked black beans

2 cups organic cooked pinto beans

4 young fresh epazote leaves (can replace with dried)

1 bay leaf

2 handfuls of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 TB Ancho Chili Powder

1 TB ground cumin

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

virgin organic coconut oil

Directions:

Heat your pot or enamel cast iron deep pan on medium high with the oil.  Add in the diced onions and cook until translucent.  Add in the garlic scapes, jalapenos and epazote, combine and cook for just a few minutes.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer.  After 15-20 minutes the flavors will start to combine enough to give you an idea of the level of heat.  After 20-30 minutes the soup will be ready to eat.  Adjust the amounts of the ingredients to suit your taste.

I like to serve my soup with tortillas to top it off.  I really like Xochitl chips.   They are thin and crispy.   You can also top it with fresh avocados and even sour cream if you eat dairy.  That will help cut the heat.  Enjoy!

Apple Pupusas ©Diane Eblin

I had so much fun making the Salvadoran Pupusas the other day that were filled with pork, that I have been thinking about what else to use for filling. We had friends over for dinner and I made my Mini Tomatillo Chicken Burgers and Mini Black Bean Cakes with Creamy Tomatillo Salsa and served Strawberry Margaritas.  I wanted a Mexican type dessert and had really loved the doughy goodness of the pupusas.  So I thought why not fill it with baked apples and cinnamon.

I mixed the dough for this sweet dessert just like the savory meal.  This I would change the next time I make these.  I’ll add a little sweetness.  The apples were cooked in the crockpot all day with a little apple juice, raisins and cinnamon.  I’m not very good at the shape of pupusas or working with the dough just yet.  That will never stop me from trying.  I actually think these are better shaped in the half moon in stead of a circle.

The apples were a little too wet and they kept sliding around while I was trying to shape them and poking through the dough.  I gave up and just cooked the pupusas I had created in the hot frying pan with coconut oil.  When they came out I sprinkled with Penzeys Korintje Cassia Cinnamon and added a little more apples with a scoop of ice cream (Purely Decadent Coconut milk and dairy free).  We tasted them and noted it needed more sweetness.  I made more and then drizzled them with raw honey.  This helped a lot.  We all liked them a lot more and they quickly disappeared.  I’m grateful to have such good friends to let me play with our food.  

So to sum it up, these are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan.  They are low cost and quick to make if you don’t count the time the apples are cooking in the crockpot.  I don’t count that.

Ingredients:

6 diced organic apples, without peels
1 cup organic apple juice
handful organic raisins
1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp arrowroot slurry

Directions:

Add all ingredients to crockpot, set to low and cook 3-6 hours.  This made tons of filling and I’m still using the extras.  Great for breakfast topping too.

The dough is simply 2 cups of masa and 1 1/4 cups water.  Add more of either to adjust the dough.  It should hold together but not be too wet.  Just play with it and adjust as needed.

So what else are we going to use for filling for pupusas?  Let me know your ideas and we’ll play together!

I waited in the long line and bought two with a side of slaw for my husband.  I’m always hesitant to jump into something I don’t know all of the ingredients when I’m out, so he was the taste tester.  I am very sensitive to gluten and even one crumb will do me in for a week.  After my long wait in line, I returned to a very hungry husband and he was thrilled with the pupusas.  He gave me that look.  You know the one with the puppy dog eyes that melts me, and asked if I could make them.  Ok, the look was probably all in my head but he knows I’ll try to make just about anything.

Pupusas ©Diane Eblin

Pupusas were invented in Salvador and were brought to the US when many left their country to live here.  Pupusas are typically filled with cheese, beans, pork or all three.  I’ve also seen where people use shrimp, loroco (tasty green flower blossom), chicken, fish and even pumpkin or squash for vegan and vegetarian options. They are gluten free as the flour is made from corn treated with lime and can be made dairy free if you leave out the cheese.

I’ve been living gluten free since February 2007 and there are some things I miss.  I don’t really bake and don’t buy the processed breads and pastries, most contain rice which I can’t eat.  So I miss having a doughy tasty bundle in my hands like a burger on a brioche bun or a traditional calzone.  These pupusas have filled that gap for me.  They are warm, savory and doughy.  Of course, now I have to experiment with all types of fillings.  I’m going to try diced apples with a little cinnamon this weekend for dessert when we have friends over for dinner.  We’ll either have a tasty treat or strange looks.

I’ve had bags of the MASECA around to make tortillas.  One day while reading the bottom of the bag it listed all the different foods you can make with this corn.  Tortillas, Tamales, Empanadas, Atoles (hot beverage), Gorditas, Sopes and Pupusas.  I thought this was a sign and I should get busy cooking.  Since it is a stuffed tortilla, I basically used the same recipe for tortillas that is on the bag for the dough.  I had made a pork mixture that I used for the filling.

I will also be making some with beans so my vegetarian son can enjoy these.  I definitely need to make some big batches and freeze these to pop out and eat for lunches or when I don’t want to cook.  They are typically served with curtido, a colorful pickled vegetable mixture of cabbage, carrots, and onion, and spicy red sauce.  I made my own version of spicy slaw while the pupusas were cooking and served them with salsa and Tabasco.

If you live near a Shoppers grocery store, they are selling these 4.4 lb bags 2 for $5 or $2.50 each.  With the help of my extremely gifted in math son Brad, we calculated that each batch of 16 pupusas costs $0.38 to make plus the cost of the filling.  I only used a TB of meat in each one I made but I didn’t weigh that out so I can’t give you a total cost per batch of 16.   With the ground pork costing $2.25 per pound it’s not going to be very much.   I’m guessing around $0.10 each.  So you can stuff yourself for less than $2 and that includes the slaw!

Ingredients:

2 cups Instant Corn Masa Flour or Masa Harina like MASECA (DO NOT substitute plain corn flour or corn meal)
1 ¼ cups water (filtered is best for you)

Pork Filling:
½ – 1 pound ground pork
½ cup minced onion
1-2 TB Paprika
1 TB Smoked paprika
1 TB Cumin
1 TB Ancho chili powder
½ cup Vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Virgin organic coconut oil

Directions:

Mix the flour and water together.  You want the dough to be soft.  If feels dry add more water, a little at a time.  Divide the dough into 16 equal ball portions and cover with either plastic wrap or a damp cloth so they retain their moisture.

While that waits sauté the onion until it is soft.  Add in the pork and cook through.  Add in the seasonings and vinegar.  Once this is combined, take it off the heat.  You can put it into a separate bowl to help it cool off a little.

Now it’s time to prepare the pupusas.  Heat your pan to medium high and add in a little oil.  Keep a bowl of water near by.  Keeping your hands wet makes all the difference in the world.  Take a portion of the dough and start to make a little cup with your thumb.  It works best if you keep the dough going in a circular motion.  The dough should end up ¼ thickness.  Put a tablespoon of meat into the center and then close up the dough.  Now here is where mine don’t always turn out looking just right so I’m going to practice more.  Your goal is to have the filling stay in the middle and not break out of the dough and to end up with a round piece of dough like a stuffed tortilla.  So far mine has ended up looking like a half moon.  The shape does not alter the taste so don’t let this deter you.  Once you taste one of these gems you won’t care what shape it takes.

Toss it into the pan and cook up on both sides until brown.  This doesn’t take long, about 3-5 minutes on the first side and 1-3 minutes on the second side.  You really want to make sure to serve the pupusas warm so have a cookie sheet in the oven on 250 degrees that you can toss yours onto.  That is if you don’t eat them as you make them.

Add a side of spicy slaw and red sauce and let your mouth do a little happy dance.

Spicy Slaw ©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:

4 handfuls Green cabbages sliced thin
1-2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 green onions, sliced both green and whites
Handful of shredded carrots
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup apple cider vinegar
I lime juiced
1 tsp Cumin
½ tsp toasted onion powder
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop and drop, then mix together.  It really is that easy. Just taste it and adjust to fit your taste buds.

Serve this with your favorite Pupusas.

Every month Book of Yum hosts Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger.  You’re supposed to make one of the recipes of whomever you adopt and then share a post on your adventure on the first of the month.  This month I adopted Blog Schmog (aka glutenfree4goofs) and my adventures in getting to write this was nothing compared to what Jess went through to make these Rock Day Taquitos.  More on my adventures later, first on to the taquitos.  I’ve always loved taquitos and the fact that these are gluten free and dairy free was a bonus!

I could never do Jess’s story justice so I insist you go to her post and find out what took place with, as she calls them, Thing 1 and Thing 2, the day she was making taquitos.

Needless to say, my recipe went much smoother.  However, I did underestimate how long it would take to roll 50 taquitos.  To make it easier I did use store bought corn tortillas.  I thought about making my own but I didn’t have time for that the evening I made these.  Instead I used organic sprouted corn tortillias.  They work well if you let them thaw slowly.  I find mine in the freezer section of Whole Foods.

Jess left room for interpretation on how I would season the chicken meat for the taquitos.  Some I made very mild for my 15 year old picky eater.  Didn’t matter, he wouldn’t eat them anyway.  The rest I added a little more spice, but hubby said it wasn’t spicy enough however they tasted really good.  Man, I just couldn’t please anyone that night.  I however thought they ALL were delicious.

Chicken Taquitos

Here they are all rolled up and waiting to be placed into the frying pan to be crisped up.  Like Jess promised, they didn’t unroll because they were all snug in the pan.  The only problem I see is trying not to eat them as you pull them out of the pan.   When I served them I added salsa and refried beans on the table to put on our plated and dip the taquitos into.

I now have 2 big bags of frozen taquitos ready to eat at a moment’s notice (minute meal), like Tuesday for Cinco de Mayo!  I’m so glad I made this.  It really was not a lot of work with the meat being cooked in the crockpot at it’s leisure.  I think I’ll make a batch with refried pinto or black beans for my vegetarian son who will be home from college for the summer soon.

So if you are looking for a great food for your celebration on Tuesday, or even a meal that will take just a few minutes to reheat during a busy week, try these.  Make your batch and do leave out the rocks.

Thank you to Book of Yum for hosting Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger.

This recipe was shared on Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Chicken Enchildas ©Diane Eblin

OK, these tasted much better than they looked.  I didn’t have time to make my own tortillas so I grabbed a package from the freezer.  This means they will break apart and not roll up very well even when I preheat them.  If you eat these regularly and keep them in the refrigerator you’ll have better luck when rolling.  Also, heat them up in the microwave a little and they will become more pliable.

I like to serve this with the Creamy Tomatillo Salsa on the side and chips.  Love those tomatillos.  If you are a fan of cheese add that to the filling.

To make this fast you need to either have already made your refried
beans and salsa, (keeps ingredients under your control) or use pre-made
from the store.  If there are foods like beans and salsa that you like
to cook with make them yourself.  Most are very easy and will not take
a lot of time, especially if you have a crockpot.  It cooks while you
do something else.

Ingredients:

corn tortillas
1-2 cups cooked chicken seasoned with ancho chili pepper, cumin, onion powder to taste
1-2 cups Refried beans
Tomatillo salsa

Directions:

Place a little salsa in the bottom of the pan so your tortillas won’t stick.  I find that works better than oil but you could use oil instead.  Assemble the enchiladas by spooning on some of the refried beans and chicken into the corn tortilla.  Roll up the tortillas and place seem side down.  When you have filled the container with enchiladas, spoon the salsa on top.  Cover the container with foil and place in a 375 degree preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes.

The tricky part is getting them in tact out of the pan and onto your plate.  Two big spatulas helps.  Top off with your favorite salsa and dinner is served.

I love to have refried beans on hand.  You never know when a party will break out or the desire for a Mexican meal.  They go together well with so many proteins, vegetables and grains.  Your options are only limited to your imagination.  So imagine how you’ll use them!

Ingredients:

Chipotle Burgers with refried beans ©Diane Eblin

1 bag dried organic pinto beans
9 cups of filtered water for soaking only
4 cups Stock- vegetable or chicken
1 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
Ancho chili pepper (use your favorite chili powder) or a whole Cascabel dried pepper from Penzey’s 11,000 heat units (remove before serving)
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Epazote
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cilantro
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse and sort beans.  Put into a pot and add water so is twice as high as the beans.  Soak overnight or at least 8 hours.   Drain

Add soaked beans and other ingredients to crockpot, cook on low 6-8 hours,  and keep in mind you should learn your crockpot, everyone is different.

When done mash beans.  Remove bay leaf first. There are a few ways you can do this.  You can use a fork or a potato masker to have a chunky end dish.  You can use your blender or food processor for a smoother texture.  I like to use a hand blender right into the pot.  Whatever way you choose please be very careful if you are doing this to hot beans.  They will splatter and burn you.   Always taste before serving.
You can also set some aside and freeze.

Variations:

Tostado ©Diane Eblin

Chipotle Refried Beans- add 1-2 tsp chipotle pepper powder or 1-2 chipotle in adobo peppers chopped (spicy!)

Lime Refried Beans – add the zest of 1 Lime in last hour of cooking

Salsa Refried Beans- add 1 can Diced fire roasted tomatoes and 1 can diced green chilies

Bacon Refried Beans- add 4 slices of bacon to pot so the fat renders.  Add in onions at this point and brown.  You can either dice the bacon and keep in pot or just take out.  Then add all to the crockpot and keep going.

Black Refried Beans- substitute black beans for pinto beans

Jalapeno Refried Beans- add 2-3 diced jalapeno peppers (remove seeds to keep heat down or leave the seeds for a really spicy dish) In a pinch add 2 tsp dried jalapenos from Penzey’s.

Burn your mouth refried beans- use Chili Piquin 140,000 heat units each, add 1 to pot, do not touch peppers.

Dried Bean Guide

1/3 cup dry beans = 1 cup cooked beans
1/2 cup dry beans = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
2/3 cup dry beans = 2 cup cooked beans
1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans
2 cups (1 pound) dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans

Mini Tomatillo Chicken Burgers ©Diane Eblin

These are my favorite “fun dish” I’ve made this month.  They tasted so good.  This meal would be great for company or any day of the week.  I made mine on a Monday night!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken breast
1 pound ground chicken thigh
½ orange pepper, finely diced
¼ -½ red onion, finely diced
¼ -½ white onion, finely diced
½ Anaheim pepper, finely diced
Handful fresh cilantro chopped
3 TB creamy tomatillo salsa
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Virgin coconut oil
Extra virgin olive oil
1 TB tapioca flour

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Spoon mixture into pan preheated medium high.  I used a medium scoop, approximately 2 TB to make them mini burgers.  Cook until brown on the bottom and the sides start to cook.  Turn over, cook until firm to the touch and cooked all the way through.

I served these with mini black bean cakes and topped with tomato salsa and tomatillo salsa.  You can also add some tortilla chips for more crunch and texture.  If you make these take a photo and send it to me.  I’d love to see your creations.  Don’t forget to check out What’s For Dinner Wednesday!

Mini Black Bean Cakes & Tomatillo Chicken Burgers ©Diane Eblin

Quick easy recipe that can be served on a plate, wrapped in lettuce or a tortilla, on a bun or make them teeny tiny mini cakes and serve them on top of a tortilla chip!  You get the idea.  How will you serve up your black bean cakes?

Black Bean Cakes ©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:

1 can organic black beans rinsed or 1 ½ cup cooked beans from dried
¼ -½ red onion diced
¼ -½ white onion diced
½ anaheim pepper diced
1 small red or orange pepper diced
Handful fresh cilantro chopped
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp epazote
1 tsp ground chipotle
1 TB tapioca flour to mix into cakes

Tapioca flour to coat patties.

Virgin coconut oil mixed with extra virgin olive oil

You can substitute cornstarch for Tapioca flour.

Directions:

Mash beans in bowl with fork or in food processor.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Form into mini patties.  Dust with cornstarch.   Cook up in pan on medium high with oil until brown on both sides.  Makes 16 black bean cakes.  I have found through trial and error that these come out the best if I make minis.  You can make larger sized cakes but they can sometimes fall apart if you cook them on too high a heat and don’t let them crisp up.  Mini’s are just more fun!

Serve with guacamole, salsa, tomatillo salsa and sour cream (if eating dairy).  Tastes great paired with Mini Tomatillo Chicken Burgers.

Mini Tomatillo Chicken Burgers ©Diane Eblin

This is very quick and easy and everyone always asks me for the recipe.  It must taste difficult to make because in reality, it’s not.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe Haas Avocados (dark and soft, not mushy)
½ red onion diced
Large handful of fresh cilantro chopped
Celtic Sea Salt & Pepper
2 limes
½ orange
1-3 diced jalapenos (if want spicy) membrane and seeds taken out.   Remember to always smack your hands across each other under running COLD water to get the oils off your hands.  Never use hot water as the oils will enter your skin creating a weapon that could really hurt depending on what you touch.  Adding these will add to the prep time.

Directions:

Slice the avocado in half then use your knife to grab the pit with a quick downward cleave.  Give it a twist and the pit should come out clean.  Use the thumb that is holding the knife to slide the pit off of the knife.

Scoop out the avocado into a bowl.  Add the onion, cilantro, jalapenos and juice the limes and orange on top.  Then mash the mix.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Always taste before serving.

Having the right tools is important too.  Here is my favorite avocado scoop and masher!  I purchased it at Sur la Table. When I went searching for this tool so I could direct you in case you also wanted to purchase one it was almost impossible to find online. So I called my local Sur La Table store in Tyson’s Corner (yeah I know, how lucky am I) and talked with Chris. He was great! He gave me the item number #551705 and the national phone number for Sur La Table 1-800-243-0852. He also said we could call his store 703-749-1125. These tools are inexpensive and wonderful. You can scoop out the avocado and not leave anything behind.

Avocado Scoop

12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed
6 ounces cream cheese, let it set out to soften
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or less, to taste
2 large cage free eggs
2 tablespoons organic milk
8 teaspoons of a mix of the following seasonings:
1 TB paprika (smoked will add a nice flavor)
1 TB Salt
½ TB black pepper
½ TB cayenne pepper
½ TB dried leaf oregano
½ TB dried thyme
½ TB onion powder
1 TB garlic powder

1 cup Gluten Free bread crumbs ( I like Corn Tortilla crumbs)
1/2 cup rice flour (other flours can be substituted like garbanzo bean flour)
You can also add crushed Gluten Free corn flakes to the bread crumbs.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, and milk.. In a shallow dish, combine the Gluten Free bread crumbs and 4 teaspoons of seasonings. In a third dish, combine the flour and 2 teaspoons of seasoning mix. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half. One at a time, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the Gluten Free bread crumbs, pressing to coat. If necessary, repeat the process. Place the coated peppers, cut side up, on a baking sheet covered in foil (easy clean up) and bake until the filling is runny and the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.
Make sure all of your spices and other ingredients are gluten free.

Quinoa Salad ©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:

1 can organic black beans, rinsed or 1 ½ cups cooked beans from dried
Equivalent amount of frozen or fresh corn
1 red pepper chopped
1 pablano pepper chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper chopped (membrane and seeds removed, more you keep the hotter the spice)
½ red onion diced
2 green onions sliced (white and green parts)
1 cup cooked red quinoa
Handful fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp Epazote
1 tsp ground cumin
Celtic Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 large lime
1/3 cup Organic unrefined and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix it all together and you have a wonderful tasting salad packed with protein.

Epazote is very popular for Mexican and South American cooking.  It is used the most in all types of bean dishes from chili to bean salad.  I found mine at Penzys Spices. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for thousands of years dating back to the Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes. Epazote has a distinct taste that cannot be replaced by other herbs. If you do not have access to it, you can leave it out. If you leave it out, use more of the other seasonings to balance out the loss of the epazote. It has been used in moderation to help relieve abdominal discomfort (gassiness) that can come from eating beans.

Chipotle Burger with Tomatillo Salsa ©Diane Eblin

I love the smoky flavor of chipotle and cumin.  It can really change a boring corn soup into something exciting.  Well it can do the same for ground turkey.   In my effort to eat less beef, I’ll be making burgers this month with ground chicken and turkey with a little sausage added in once in a while.  A nice side benefit, turkey costs less than beef. When I was inventorying our freezer, I found a pound of ground turkey breast and turkey legs.  I like to mix the two meats together because the dark meat has a little more flavor.  Also, when making burgers with a lean meat I like to add an egg to help bind it together and vegetables for the liquid in them.  This time I just used onions.

Now I will say this meal tasted better than it looks.  My husband had seconds, and even mentioned later in the evening that he really liked dinner.  I’ll have to tuck that information away for a future evening.  We topped this meal off with Tomatillo Salsa.  I think adding the salsa also helped bring out the chipotle flavor.  Another great part of this meal was it only took me 20 minutes to mix and cook.   It did help that the rice and refried beans were already cooked and all I had to do was pull them out of the refrigerator and reheat.  I reheat in the microwave, but never in plastic or with plastic wrap.  I really don’t like plastic particles in my food and then in my body.  I use glass and either paper towel or wax paper.

These burgers are gluten free and dairy free.  You can always add cheese on top or even into the mix.  I would use a Monterey jack, Colby or cheddar cheese.   Also, I’m not a big fan of the packaged gluten free buns.   Maybe one day I’ll bake some of my own like many of you do.  The Gluten Free Homemaker made some along with focaccia bread that looked really good.  If I want to pick this up and eat it like a sandwich, I usually wrap it in a big lettuce leaf or corn tortilla.  My son had a brilliant idea.  I had made his burgers into minis in an attempt to get him to eat it.  I also used Old Bay seasoning instead of chipotle for his burgers because I know he likes that.  He used to eat potato bread all the time and loved it.  For his burger, he took two large rippled Herr’s potato chips and used them like a bun.  Whatever works for you!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 pound ground dark turkey meat
1 onion diced and sautéed
2-4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1-2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cilantro
1 organic egg, beaten
Organic coconut oil
Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste

Directions:

I like to sauté the onions before mixing it into the raw meat but it can easily be made with raw onions.  If you like your onions soft in your burger either dice the onions small or grate the onion into the meat with a cheese grater.  If you like a little crunch, you can have a bigger diced onion.
Mix the seasonings and onions into the meat.  Divide the mix into 8-12 burgers depending on how big you like your burger.  Put into preheated pan with oil and cook on first side for 5-8 minutes.  I like to wait to turn my turkey burgers until I see the sides of cooked meat moving up to the top.  When you turn it over the second side will take much less time, 2-5 minutes.  With turkey, you want to have the meat cooked but it is very easy to overcook it.  If you do, it will be very dry and you will need lots of salsa.  You can get a feel for how cooked it is inside by pushing down on the burger and see what resistance it gives you.  You don’t want real soft, under cooked, and you don’t want hard, overcooked.

You can find this on Gluten Free Wednesdays.

Huevos Rancheros ©Diane Eblin

The only other ingredient used was 2 scrambled eggs, 1 per tortilla.  Warm your tortilla and heat the refried beans.  I like to layer in the homemade tortilla, the refried beans, eggs then salsa.  This time I used tomatillo salsa.  To change this up you can use black refried beans, tomato salsa, add in bacon, pork, chicken, fish or beef.  The point is to use what you have on hand and make it quick and easy.

For more gluten free dinner options check out Gluten Free Homemaker for What’s For Dinner Wednesdays.

It’s been cold and damp for the past few days so I was very happy that Chili was on my menu.  I’ve had this package of buffalo on my inventory list for some time just waiting to be used.  I had found it hiding at the bottom of my chest freezer when I had finally started doing inventory before creating menus.  Buffalo is a very lean meat and I hope you will give it a try.  I of course made the chili in my crockpot so I could go about my day and it could do all of the work.  I like the chop and drop method of cooking and the nights where I don’t have to stand over the pans, but have a great meal.

Buffalo & Beef Chili with Goat Eye Beans ©Diane Eblin

Oh, and eye of the goat is a type of heirloom bean I found at Whole Foods.  I was curious how they would taste so added them to the chili.  Here

Eye of the Goat Bean

is how Purcell Mountain Farms describe them:  Favorite small bean in Baja California, gray with a dark stripe which gives the name “Goats Eye” and similar in flavor to Flor de Mayo Beans, sweet, with smooth texture.  Sounded perfect for chili to me.

Now that my chili is gluten free and dairy free there are a few things I have taken out but feel free to add them in if you can tolerate them.  I use to add beer and I know there are gluten free beers but I’ve not played with them but you can.  Also, topping chili off with some shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream is a thing of the past.  There of course are alternatives to that too, but I’m personally trying to not eat too many manufactured items.  I have to say that my body absolutely loves that too.  I feel better than I’ve felt in years.  But that’s another whole post, on to chili!

Ingredients:

1 pound organic ground beef
1 pound ground buffalo
1 large organic yellow onion, chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 TB ground Ancho chili
1 TB ground Aleppo chili
2 TB ground Cumin
1 TB Epazote (negates the bean effect, I get my spices from Penzeys)
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 TB cilantro flakes
1 bay leaf
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)  this balances the acidity of the tomatoes
1 28 oz can & 1 15 oz can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes (fresh is always an options instead of cans)
1 cup beef stock
1 cup dried red beans and ½ cup eye of the goat beans, soaked overnight and cooked for 1-2 hours. (never let the water evaporate all the way when cooking)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
1 tsp organic virgin coconut oil
1 tsp virgin olive oil

Directions:

My crockpot has a metal lining so I can brown my onions, garlic and meat in the same pot it cooks in all day.  If you can’t do this brown it up in a separate pan with the oil and place into crockpot.

Add in the seasonings, stock, tomatoes, beans and chocolate.  Mix until combined, put the lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  If you don’t have that much time it’s not a problem but the longer it can marry together the flavors the better it will taste.  I always think chili tastes better the second day.

I like to serve my chili with fresh cilantro on top.  How do you serve your chili?

I shared this on Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

Shrimp Tostados ©Diane Eblin

These little treats are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and even as appetizers.  What could be more versatile?  You can also use whatever protein suits your fancy.  Beef, pork, chicken or even keep it vegetarian with peppers and onions or chipotle mushrooms.  They are also gluten free and casein free.  ¡Buenos Dias!

Ingredients:

Corn tortilla
Refried beans
Chipotle shrimp
Avocado
Chopped cilantro
Chipotle salsa

Directions:

First heat the corn tortillas until crispy, either in oven or on stove.  Spread with refried beans and top with shrimp and avocado.  Dabble on the salsa and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve this up with a side of Creamy Tomatillo Salsa and chips and your favorite gluten free cerveza, margarita or juice depending on the time of day.

Chipotle Shrimp ©Diane Eblin

Shrimp is a wonderful mild pallet in which to paint your favorite combination of seasonings.  It is also a very quick fix protein for your meal.  Pair up these spicy Chipotle Shrimp with Tostados, Pizza, Tacos, Fruit Salsas, rice and refried beans and whatever else you can imagine.  Remember the two secrets to cooking shrimp: they must be dry when placed into the pan and when they are cooked right they form the letter C, if your shrimp make an O they are overcooked.  Good luck and have fun!

I would love to hear from you with your favorite spice combo for shrimp.

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of #26 shrimp; shelled, deveined and tail off
½-1 tsp ground cumin
½ -1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
½-1 tsp cilantro
½ -1 tsp Ancho Chili pepper
¼- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Clean and devein the shrimp and remove tail for easy eating.  You can leave the tail on if you want to make a presentation or if you want a handle to pick them up with.  Make sure you dry your shrimp completely before cooking.

Heat the pan with oil on medium high.  Once the oil starts to ripple add in all the spices except the salt.  These will start to foam quickly so keep the pan moving.  Now add in your dry shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.  How many dishes can you come up with to serve these tasty shrimp?

Tomatillo Salsa ©Diane Eblin

I will warn you up front, this is hard to stop eating.  The flavors dance on your tongue and cause you to keep picking up chip after chip and dipping and eating.  I couldn’t stop myself.  This is a great salsa but an amazing creamy salsa too.  I will find many ways to use these besides dips.  Maybe sauces to chicken, pork or fish just to name a few.  This morning it was great on top of my omelet with pinto beans. How many ways can you find?

Ingredients:

1-2 dozen fresh tomatillos, husked
1 onion quartered
1 pablano pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
1-3 cloves of garlic, skin off
Full handful fresh cilantro
1-2 tsp ground cumin
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Clean and prep the vegetables- peppers, onion, garlic, tomatillos.  Toss in oil and spread out on the baking sheet.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until browned.  Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.  Put all the roasted foods into food processor with cilantro, seasonings and a little oil (1 tsp) and puree.  Add in cumin, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Creamy Tomatillo Salsa

Start with the Tomatillo Salsa recipe and add 1-3 avocados into the processor.  I used half of salsa recipe with 1 large avocado.

©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds of #26 shrimp; shelled, deveined and tail off
½-1 tsp ground cumin
½ -1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
½-1 tsp cilantro
½ -1 tsp Ancho Chili pepper
¼- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Clean and devein the shrimp and remove tail for easy eating.  You can leave the tail on if you want to make a presentation.  Make sure you dry your shrimp completely before cooking.

Heat the pan with oil on medium high.  Once the oil starts to ripple add in all the spices except the salt.  These will start to foam quickly so keep the pan moving.  Now add in your dry shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.

Now these can be eaten just with a little avocado, used in tostados and can be used to build many meals around these tasty shrimp.

Now cooking last night was for some reason a challenge for me with my head cold.  For some reason when my sinuses are stuffed this changes how clearly I can think.  Does this happen to you too or am I still off in my own little world?  When I was cooking this frittata I forgot to take out the sautéed filling before I added in the eggs.  If you don’t do this, these little tasty pieces of onion, corn, green chilies and peppers will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.  Learn from my mistake.

I like spicy foods and from what I read eating them can increase your metabolism and help ward off colds.  If this is true I should have been eating them every day this cold season.  For this frittata I used ground chipotle chili powder.  You can also use chipotle in adobo peppers.  Start with just one pepper and go from there as these peppers are very spicy.  You can also add garlic to this recipe and other vegetables, herbs and spices found in Mexican cooking.

Now for breakfast the next morning, heat up some gluten free tortillas and add in the warmed frittata.  A quick breakfast with your favorite coffee or tea.

What do you put into your frittatas?

Ingredients:

8 organic eggs
½ – 1 cup milk (almond, rice, hemp, coconut, goat, cow)
1 organic onion diced
1 long sweet pepper diced (orange, red or yellow peppers work too)
1 cup roasted corn (I used frozen from Trader Joes)
1 small can green chilies (roasting your own is best)
1 cup organic black beans
1 tsp Epazote (counter acts effect of beans)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cilantro
½ – 1 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper (adjust to your taste)
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tsp virgin coconut oil
1-2 tsp canola oil
Cast Iron Skillet

Directions:

First turn on your oven to 400 degrees so it is pre-heated and ready for your frittata.  As your skillet heats up on the stove on medium high with oil, get out your large cutting board and dice your vegetables.  Start to sauté the onions and peppers.  Once they have started to brown add in the green chilies, corn, black beans and spices.  Once this has warmed through, taste so you can determine if you want to add more chipotle chili pepper.  Now this is the point where you want to remove this filling. Add in a little more oil and make sure it is hot before adding in your egg and milk mixture.  I judge how much milk to add by looking at the color of the whipped eggs.  Too pale is too much milk for me.

Mexican Vegetable Fritatta ©Diane Eblin

After you add in the eggs wait a couple of minutes to make sure a film or cooked crust is forming on the bottom.  Now you can add back the filling you already cooked making sure to distribute it all around without disturbing the bottom of the pan.  If you want to add shredded cheese, do it now.  Keep an eye on your eggs and when you see the sides start to cook and form a crust put it into a pre-heated 400 degree oven.  The cooking time will vary according to your oven and pan size.  I would check it after 10 minutes and go from there.

The eggs will puff up a little and start to brown on the top.  Carefully remove from the oven and remember as you slice it up to serve that you don’t grab that hot handle.  Let your frittata rest for 3-5 minutes before you serve.

I like to serve this will a little salsa, slices of avocado and fresh cilantro.  You can top it with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, or whatever fun tasty treats you want.

©Diane Eblin

Today I spent the day watching the festivities just down the road from Washington, D.C. What a grand day for our country to watch the peaceful transfer of power and to its first African American President.  There is a strong feeling of hope in our country again.  I can’t wait to see what is born out of this hope and the part each of us will play in these next four years.  Where were you today for the inauguration?

This was one of those nights I was really happy to have cooked a large turkey breast and frozen the meat.  You can use your crockpot to roast beef and pork roasts, turkey breasts and whole chickens.  You don’t even have to eat it for your meal right then, just cook and freeze.  It really comes in handy for those days you need a quick fix.

This meal could be made faster if you use store bought tortillas but it won’t taste as good.  If you’ve never had a freshly made tortilla then you really don’t know what a tortilla tastes like.  They are extremely easy to make and very inexpensive.  The hard part is not to eat them all as you make them so you’ll have some for the meal.

Fajitas

Ingredients:

3 large slices of Turkey breast
1-2 peppers sliced (I used pablano tonight but red or green peppers work too)
1 large organic onion sliced
1-2 tsp Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
½ – 1 tsp Cumin
½ -1 tsp Aleppo Pepper
1 tsp Ancho Chili Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat pan on medium high with oil.  Add in onions and cook until translucent.  Then add peppers.  Once these have browned add cooked turkey breast and seasonings.  Keep warm until ready to use.

Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

©Diane Eblin

1 can organic pinto beans rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (I make mine in the crockpot and freeze it in 1 cup containers)
¼ organic onion diced
½ -1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Ancho Chili Pepper
½ -1 tsp Aleppo Pepper
½ tsp Expote
1 tsp Cilantro
1 tsp Virgin Coconut Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat pot on medium high with oil.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add in rinsed beans, stock and seasonings.  Heat beans until they boil and then turn down to simmer with the lid on until most of the stock has been absorbed.   This can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours.  You decide how soon you need them.  You can serve the beans whole or mashed.

Tortillas

Ingredients:

©Diane Eblin

Follow directions on your instant Corn Masa.  I used Masa Brosa, Harina de Maiz.

2 cups of instant corn masa
1 ½ cup cold water
½ tsp salt
Tortilla press and dry fry pan or
Tortilla maker

Directions:

Mix corn masa and water.  You want it to be a consistency that holds together but is not wet.  Roll into balls and you can use a tortilla press in between plastic wrap and cook in dry pan on medium high.  If you have a tortilla maker you can flatten and cook in the same device.  Try not to eat them all as you make them but of course you need to eat the first one to make sure they taste good.

When you serve the meal be creative.  You can fill the tortillas or serve them on the side.  I love mine stuffed with everything and topped off with a little salsa.  If you eat dairy feel free to sprinkle some on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium organic onion cut in half and then slice it down the sides not the ends
• 2 chorizo links cut on a diagonal
• 1 pound large uncooked shrimp (26/30) cleaned, deveined and with the tail on
• 1 cup frozen organic peas
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 TBS virgin coconut oil
• 1 tsp canola or olive oil (whichever you prefer)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté the onions until translucent
Add chorizo to brown
Toss in shrimp and cumin
When the shrimp was half done add the peas and cover until shrimp is cooked.  If the shape of the shrimp is a C it’s done, if the shape is O it is overdone.

Serve this over or beside a nice scoop of your favorite rice and you’ve got a great meal.

1 large diced onion
½ red pepper diced
1 pablano pepper diced
½-1 cup corn
1 can organic pinto beans
1 7oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 TB Cumin
1 tsp Expote
1 TB Cilantro
1 tsp Aleppo chili powder
2 TB Ancho chili powder
1-2 whole casabella peppers Penzey’s
1 clove Garlic or ½ tsp minced Penzey’s
1-2 bay leaves
4-6 cups organic stock (chicken, turkey, whatever meat you use or vegetable- I even use a combo)
1 pound organic ground turkey (omit to make vegetarian/vegan or use whatever ground meat you want)

1 TB agave

Salt & Pepper to taste
Limes
Avocados diced
Tortillas or Fritos!
1 TB Coconut Oil
1 TB Olive Oil

Directions:

Sauté onions in the combo oils until translucent

Add in diced red and pablano peppers

Salt & Pepper

Add in ground meat and brown up

Add:
Garlic
Beans
Corn
Tomatoes
Remaining seasonings
Stock

Bring to a boil and then let simmer for at least 30 min or as long as you need.

Make sure you take out the whole pepper and bay leaves before serving.

When serving add diced avocados and squeeze ¼ of a lime per bowl.

I like to also top my soup with Fritos.

If you have fresh cilantro sprinkle a little chopped on top.  You can also top soup with a little cheese if you eat dairy.

For a deeper flavor you can roast your peppers, peel and then dice and add to soup.

Layer in small round crock or whatever you have to put into the oven.
1/3 Salsa
1 Corn tortilla
½ Beans
½ Turkey or peppers
Sprinkle ½ spice mix
1/3 Salsa
1 Corn tortilla
½ beans
½ turkey or peppers
Sprinkle rest of spice mix
1/3 Salsa
1 Corn tortilla

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or more.  You want to see it bubble when you lift the lid.

Serves 2

Corn startch to coat patties.

Mash beans in bowl with fork.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Form into patties.  Dust with corn starch.

Cook up in pan with oil until brown on both sides.

Serve with guacamole and sour cream (if eating dairy).

1 cup Gluten Free bread crumbs ( I like Corn Tortilla crumbs)
1/2 cup rice flour (other flours can be substituted like garbanzo bean flour)

You can also add crushed Gluten Free corn flakes to the bread crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, and milk.. In a shallow dish, combine the Gluten Free bread crumbs and 4 teaspoons of seasonings. In a third dish, combine the flour and 2 teaspoons of seasoning mix. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half. One at a time, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the Gluten Free bread crumbs, pressing to coat. If necessary, repeat the process. Place the coated peppers, cut side up, on a baking sheet covered in foil (easy clean up) and bake until the filling is runny and the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.

Make sure all of your spices and other ingredients are gluten free.

1 can organic black beans, rinsed
Equivalent amount of frozen or fresh corn
1 red pepper chopped
1 pablano pepper chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper chopped (membrane and seeds removed, more you keep the hotter the spice)
½ red onion diced
2 green onions sliced (white and green parts)
1 cup cooked red quinoa
Handful fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp Epazote
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 large lime
1/3 cup Organic unrefined and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

Mix it all together and you have a wonderful tasting salad packed with protein.

Epazote is very popular for Mexican and South American cooking.  It is used the most in all types of bean dishes from chili to bean salad.  I found mine at Penzys Spices. It has been used in Mexican cuisine for thousands of years dating back to the Aztecs who used it for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes. Epazote has a distinct taste that cannot be replaced by other herbs. If you do not have access to it, you can leave it out. If you leave it out, use more of the other seasonings to balance out the loss of the epazote. It has been used in moderation to help relieve abdominal discomfort (gassiness) that can come from eating beans.