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?

I love soup and could eat it everyday, but especially in the winter.  It provides warmth and comfort and we call can use that no matter what the temperature is outside.  I’m lucky enough to live where the farmers market is open all year long.  This is new to me and I’m having fun seeing what is in season here.  This week I found great mushrooms, bok choy, napa cabbage, and carrots.  For some reason I’ve really been wanting to make a soup with rice noodles.

This is not a soup that swims in a lot of stock but just enough that you can call it a soup.  If you want more stock please add it in until it makes you happy.

So I put this soup together in 10 minutes and was eating it 2 minutes later.  It’s fast and easy.  When making a soup like this I tend to prepare the ingredients as I need them instead of all together first and then build the soup.  Probably because I was hungry when I was making it and I wanted it fast.  Feel free to prepare it either way.

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

Don’t miss out on this old time favorite.  Salad Niçoise definitley has a list of ingredients needed in order to call it such, but you know me.  I do like to play with my food and I’m not very good with rules.  As a matter of fact I’m not sure I’ve made this salad the same way twice nor have I seen two recipes the same.  I totally change up the way an ingredient is prepared or add in some new ones.  The great thing about this salad is everything is a whole food making it a gluten free recipe and keeping with our easy, healthy, gluten free life.

Here are two examples of recent versions.

Now it’s your turn to share what’s in your gluten free Salad Niçoise.

Ok it’s the weekend and you’ve had all week to talk yourself in and out of joining me for a Spring detox.  So what’s it to be?  It’s only two weeks or 14 days or however you want to look at it.  In the greater scheme of the timeline of your life it’s a blip.

However it could be a very important blip.  It could go from being a blip to being a life changing experience.  You might find a few more fruits and vegetables you like to eat.  Maybe you find that eating no grains at all really makes your body happy.  You could make new friends while talking about the detox on The WHOLE Gang Facebook page or reinforce a current relationship by pairing up to do it together.  The possibilities are endless.

So let’s make the commitment together.  Print this detox pledge out and sign it, post it on your frig, bulletin board, Pinterest Board or your dog.  Somewhere you’ll see it everyday.  Please read the disclaimer at bottom.

Now if you’re a sharing person, grab this badge below and post it on your Facebook or website.  Let people know you are working on your health and encourage others to do the same.  One little change is what leads to the next little change and before you know it you turn around and see how many great things you are doing for your health.  Make sure you visit The WHOLE Gang Facebook page for additional tips and encouragement along the way.  We’re in this together!  Click here to grab the badge!

Let’s get to your Weekend Prep for Diane’s Detox.

There are two main things I would recommend you do in preparation for the next two weeks.

1.  Plan out what you want to eat and then make sure you have it in stock.

2.  Clear out, hide, give away what you are going to avoid for the next two weeks.

OK so let’s start with step number 1.  Grab your calendar and see what you have planned for these next two weeks.  Are there events that include food outside your home like business meetings, parent teacher gathering, birthday party at the office or anything that might come up on the spur of the moment like your office mates invite you out to lunch.  If you plan for how you will handle these events, then you will be prepared with your response to their questions or you’ll know what you’re going to eat.

Grab my menu planner and let’s get started creating a delicious menu that will have you eating like royalty.  The WHOLE Gang Weekly Menu 2012

Note anytime you won’t be making your own foods or know exactly what you are eating.  Look at the list for Diane’s Detox and see what you will be working towards.  Are you going for the whole list or maybe this is your very first detox so you’re going to pick a few.  It’s totally up to you.  For instance if you already live gluten free you may want to try eating no grains at all.  Whatever you are going to include in your detox keep that front and center.

Now I like to make a list of all the foods and drinks I will be eating for the next two weeks.  I always like to focus on the postive and what I can control.  A good list already available is the Primal Blueprint Shopping List.  On that page you can find a listing and a link to a pdf of that list.  If you are not familiar with Mark Sission he is the creator of the Primal Blueprint which is his version of a Paleo Diet.  I’m not here today to talk about this diet, but I do like his pdf list of foods.  Something I need to make for myself with foods I like to eat.  I took this list and crossed off anything with dairy as the list is already gluten free.  I underlined any foods I either don’t like yet or have not tried yet.  The rest of the foods left were fair game for my quick menu.  As this goes on I may try some of the new foods or the ones I don’t like yet.

I find it’s so much easier to look at a list of what I can eat and go from them when planning a menu.  I took this list and checked out what was in my refrigerator and freezer.  Was there anything from the list that I could use as a starter for my menu.  Yep, lots of frozen organic meats and wild caught seafood in my freezer so I was set.  I however was low on fruits and vegetables so I need to stock up on those after I create the menu.

So what’s a gal to actually eat on this detox?  Lots of fresh veggies, fruits, some nuts and seeds along with lean proteins.  It’s really easy to keep myself satisfied while doing this as long as I pay attention to what my body is telling me.  Make sure you take the time to listen to your body.  If you feel hungry, wait a little and see if it stays or did it pass.  If it passed you may have been bored, tired or maybe distracted.  If it stays than your body is really hungry and you should feed it.

During the next couple of weeks I’ll share recipes and menu plans that we will be eating around my house.  One thing you can count on is big plates of amazing salads.  Here’s my tip to make this super easy.

Go shopping and grab a bunch of veggies you’ll want in your salads and then do a little prep.  I bought one of the plastic rectangular containers of Organic Power Greens.  It had baby spinach, baby kale and baby chard and is a great salad base.  I’m totally recycling that container and making it into my salad bar.  I’ll prep my ingredients and put them into zip plastic bags and put them all into that container.  Then all I need to do is grab my new container of greens and then my new salad bar with all the fixings.

Here are my leafy greens which I only buy organic:

Here is what is in my salad bar:

I keep the tomatoes on the countertop as you shouldn’t refrigerate those.

Also on hand will be my jars of:

I won’t use many of these in my salads but with a large variety no two salads will be exactly alike.

I also like to have a can of Pole Caught American Tuna on hand to toss some of that in my salad one day.

So what’s in your salad bar?  I’ll warn you once you give this a try you’ll make a new salad bar every week and you’ll never look back.  You’ll never head to one of those weigh your salad, salad bars and spend a fortune on something that you can make at home.

Oh and for my salads I usually make my mason jar dressing.  Here’s the recipe:

Almost forget the clear out which was number 2!  This is the easiest part unless your house is your food trap.  Grab those chocolate bars, bags of sugar and anything on that list of what you don’t want to eat for these two weeks and bag it up.  Put it in another room, give it to a family member to hide or whatever works for you.  For me out of sight out of mind.  I put it down in the basement in a bag because that’s too much effort to go grab it for a quick thoughtless pop into my mouth without thinking before I realize I ate way too many.  I would have to make an extra effort to go and get it which gives my brain time to make another choice.

So are you ready!  Make a menu, go shopping so you have those ingredients on hand and prep your salad bar.  You’re setting yourself up for success!

Disclaimer

The assistance provided by The W.H.O.L.E. Gang is for informational purposes only. Neither The W.H.O.L.E. Gang nor Diane Eblin is a licensed registered nurse. Any information shared by us is not intended to substitute medical advice from a licensed health care professional. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang makes every attempt to provide accurate information on gluten free foods and lifestyle. However, neither The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, nor Diane Eblin assume any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided or make any warranty that the advice or information offered will result in improvement of your health or well-being.

You agree that you will not under any circumstances disregard any professional medical advice or delay in seeking such advice in reliance on any Content provided on or through the The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and Diane Eblin. Reliance on any such Content is solely at your own risk.  

We highly recommend that you always carefully read labels before using or consuming any food product, supplement or medicine and consult with your own physician or medical advisor on any matter relating to your health and well-being or any medical condition you may have.

The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and Diane Eblin expressly disclaim all liability arising out of the use by you of any information provided. 

Do you have guests with different food allergies or intolerances in your family?  Maybe they just don’t like the same ingredients in their salad?  It’s Thanksgiving and they’re all coming to your house for dinner, so what’s a host to do?

Individual Stacked Salads, of course!

The beauty of these salads is you can make them the day before, cover and store them in the refrigerator and bring the salads out as you sit down to your meal.  How great is that?!?  Salads are always the last thing you’re thinking about and they can sometimes get left off until dinner is almost over and then you jump up and run to get them.  Oh wait, that’s me.  You can also make these salads the same day and let those who want to help in the kitchen keep busy.  You can even have everyone make their own if they are feeling creative.  Simply set out the ingredients, including your dressings, and let them build their own.

Let your creativity out and build your favorite salads in a glass.  Add in what you like, remove what you don’t like or can’t eat.  Mix and match ingredients and you could have a different salad almost everyday, not just holidays.

My salads here are made using the Simply Dressed Salad Dressings from Marzetti.  I had a lot of fun creating these salads and having the dressings all ready to go was great.  These are sweet and tasty dressings that are gluten free and some are dairy free too.  You can read my recent review of their products.

Serve your salads on a plate.  When ready to eat, place the plate on top of the salad, hold tight, and then flip it over.  Slowly and gently pull the glass up and your salad will be completely dressed on your plate.  This is not something I would let your younger  or older guests attempt on their own.  You can even do this yourself and serve them on the plate ready to eat.

Here is the formula to follow for your Individual Stacked Salads.

First you want to prepare all of the ingredients you’ll layer in the glasses.  When you assemble them you’ll want everything at your fingertips.  I LOVE my Spiral Vegetable Slicer  (affiliate link).  It makes any vegetable look appealing even to those who say they don’t like vegetables.    (affiliate link).  It makes any vegetable look appealing even to those who say they don’t like vegetables.  

Grab a short tumbler glass with straight sides. I bought my glasses at Pier One Imports.  Add your dressing first, about 1 – 2 TB.  I used 2 TB, the serving size on the Simply Dressed Salad Dressing labels.

The next layer is something that can sit in the dressing without absorbing it all or making it wilt if you are making these the day before.  Tomatoes, onions, olives, peppers, carrots and such.

Then layer away.  Think about how the layers will look next to each other.  Color and textures are key.

Make sure you lightly press these layers into place so you can keep it compact.  This will also help if you want to have the salad hold this shape when you flip it.  I don’t care either way, stacked on the plate or scattered to fill the plate, it all tastes great.

Oh and here is the best part, there is no wrong way to layer these salads.

You can also use this method with just about any salad recipe you have.  Take the list of ingredients and layer them instead of adding them to a bowl and mixing.  Here are a few salad ideas to choose from to get you started:

Chopped Salad

Pineapple, Bacon and Arugula

Vegan Slow Roasted Tomato and White Bean Salad

Grilled Jicama Bean Salad

Deadly Serious Beet and Spinach Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

Vegan Jicama Salad

A Little Crunch of Cabbage 

Golden Beet, Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Arugula, Pear and Pomegranate Salad

Here are some of the stacked salads that I’ll be serving to my family:

Pictured here:

Simply Dressed Balsamic Salad Dressing with tomatoes, red onions, fennel, red peppers, spinach and beets.

Simply Dressed Ranch Salad Dressing with tomatoes, zucchini, red onions, cucumbers, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, romaine lettuce and carrots.

Simply Dressed Pomegranate Salad Dressing with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, carrots, romaine lettuce and golden beets.

Other ideas:

Simply Dressed Champagne Salad Dressing with tomatoes, red onion, fennel, bacon, and romaine.

Simply Dressed Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Dressing with tomatoes, onions, spinach, almonds, dried cranberries and mushrooms.

Simply Dressed Caesar Salad Dressing with romaine, onions, cheese, kale, and jicama.

Simply Dressed Greek Feta Salad Dressing with tomatoes, olives, red onions, cucumber, green peppers, parsley and feta cheese.

Disclaimer:  “I was one of six bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company to be a Simply Dressed Ambassador. They compensated me for my time, however, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

And now it’s your turn.  Here is your virtual salad bar.  Let me know what combinations you choose for your Individual Stacked Salads.

Leafy Greens

Vegetables

Protein

Fruit

Crunchy

Herbs and Starch

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I love food magazines.  I get way too many of them but I love the photos and they inspire me to try new things.  Just like reading the many blogs that I do.  I hope you get inspired to cook something new after your visit here.   This week I received the new Saveur.  They bring dishes from all over the world to my fingertips.  This issue has an article, The Art of Soup.  I love soup.  I could eat it every day in a cup, or a bowl or one of my favorites, a soup mug.  I find it an easy way to use up bits and pieces of food I have around and also a great way to eat more vegetables.  You can also get in some great bone broth which is full of key nutrients.

My husband however has told me over and over, he does not like soup.  I should have included that in the I won’t marry you unless line.  All I said was I wouldn’t marry him unless he liked football, more specifically the NFL.    Oh well, I got lucky on everything else and he usually eats whatever I cook so I thought I would slip in some soup.

The first soup that caught my eye was this Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup.  I quickly scanned the recipe which called for butter and flour for the dumplings.  I could change that up rather easily.  The hard part would be getting the cauliflower in a soup past the hubby.  The next would be to make some type of meat that could be added as a topping so I could keep it vegetarian for my oldest son but serve it in an appealing way for hubby.  I didn’t want to cook more than the soup for dinner so it had to make an impact and be filling.

Success!  I crisped up a package of pancetta because everyone in my family, with exception to said son, loves pig.  So now to work on the soup and the dumplings.  I’ve started using Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour mix.  I rarely make anything that needs any type of flour but I thought dumplings would work with this mix.  I also always have Earth Balance dairy and soy free spread here.  It makes a good substitute for butter.

When dinner time came around and a quick glance to the stove top from hubby, I received that look.  You know the one.  You know their thinking … Oh no, what is she feeding me tonight that is probably good for me but I know I won’t like…  Well I served it anyway and to everyone’s surprise it got rave reviews and eaten so fast I barely could snap a photo. So here is the recipe from Saveur with my changes which are marked with an *.  The original recipe comes from chef Andrea Németh  at the restaurant Bagolyvár in Budapest.

Happy Fourth of July.  For those of us in the United States it’s a day to celebrate.  What a great day for a picnic and Organic Chicken Salad that is gluten and dairy free.  It’s also a great night for fireworks.  I hope you have sunshine all day and wonderful sparkles in the sky at night.

I love heading to the farmer’s market to see what I’m going to be eating each week.  This was what I brought home in June.  Fresh peas, purple peppers, cippolini onions, many different types of lettuce and organic chicken.  Put that all together and it spells fast and easy dinner!

I love 3, 2, 1 Chili because you change up what you add as your 3, 2, 1! This recipe is 3 types of beans, 2 types of onions, 1 type of meat.  You can change this up according to what you have on hand and what you like to eat.  You can even make it vegetarian and vegan.  I love to serve the Dairy Free Cheese Crisps with my chili too!

This has become our “You’re sick, get better” soup.  Naturally gluten and dairy free, this soup has the goodness of chicken stock and the kick of pablano and Anaheim peppers.  When my youngest brought home Strep throat and shared it with me, my dear friend Melissa from Gluten Free For Good suggested a chicken and green chile soup.  I thought that sounded great.

The only problem was I was sick on the couch and my husband doesn’t really know how to cook.  He figures why should he with me at home.  But he became my hero and got into the kitchen.  I had no idea what was in a traditional chicken and green chile soup and I still don’t know but I made up a list of ingredients and gave him directions as I hovered under a blanket on the couch.  He was amazing and that evening we had soup.

So I thought I would recreate it and kick this cold out of town.  The only problem is I never asked what type of green chile was being used in Colorado.  From my search on the web I’m still not positive but I’m thinking a Hatch New Mexican pepper or Pasilla.  Around here in Northern VA when you say green chile your choices are Anaheim or Pablano.  I’m still not sure what you get in Colorado.  If you are reading this and you have the answer please share it.  Either way I’ve decided I’m growing green chilies next summer.

While searching for information on how to roast green chilies I came across Denver Green Chili site.  Like I said, people in Colorado love their chilies.  They show a chili roaster which I think is the coolest thing ever.  I think I should add that to my holiday wish list.  Oh the fun I could have with one of those and a chili garden!

If you are one of those folks that hears something is spicy and runs the other way, there are ways around that.  First, you can use only Aneheim peppers as they have a little less heat than the Pablanos.  But they still have heat so start with half of what the recipe calls for and add from there.  Now if you buy a can of green chilies at the grocery store, I’ve never found them to be spicy at all.  I used a total of  1 cup of green chilies but I’m not sure if you would use the same amount from a can.  I myself don’t like those cans of green chilies so before you add it to your entire soup pull a little out of the pot and add these chilies and give it a taste.  That is better than ruining a whole pot of soup.  Please remember to not taste the soup if your chicken is not cooked.

Now besides the chicken and the green chilies, a key ingredient is the chicken stock.  Keep in mind that stock and broth are similar but different in a very key way.   A stock is made with bones often with a little meat on them in water, in this case chicken bones, and a broth is made from meat, fish or vegetables in water.  To make a brown or deeper colored stock, brown the bones or roast the vegetables first.

I hope by now you are ready to get busy making yourself a nice big pot of this soup.   Make extra and then freeze it so you have it on hand when you need it!  It did clear out my sinuses.

Ingredients:

2 tsp organic coconut oil

1 tsp organic extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

1 large clove of elephant garlic or 2-3 cloves regular, diced

3 full chicken breasts (6 individual), cut into bite size cubes

2 roasted pablano peppers, skinned, seeded and diced

1/4 cup roasted Anaheim peppers, skinned, seeded and diced

4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes

1 tsp dried cilantro or 1 small handful fresh chopped fine

1 tsp cumin seeds

6 cups chicken stock

Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large heavy stock pot heated to medium high, add the oils and saute the onions until soft.  If you are using elephant garlic add it in the beginning but is using regular garlic wait until the onions have started to sweat out or start to soften before adding it.

Remove this mixture and add in the chicken.  After that has cook until slightly firm to the touch, add the green chilies, onion and garlic, potatoes, chicken stock and seasonings to the pot.

Let this simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your preferences.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Notes:

If you don’t have a white onion feel free to use whatever type onion you have on hand.

Also if you don’t have cumin seeds you can use ground cumin.

If you want to make this in the crockpot you can put everything but the potatoes.  Cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hours.  For the last hour of cooking add in the potatoes and put on high.  If you leave them in all day long the potatoes can melt into the soup.  This of course will give you a thick stew but I personally don’t like the taste.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you all have a day filled with luck and happiness.

I know I said I would share my crab veggie pizza recipe with you today but I forgot it was a holiday.  Instead I’m cooking with an ingredient often used in many Irish dishes, cabbage.    Traditional dishes like Bacon and Cabbage, Colcannon (creamy potatoes and cabbage), and Cider Braised Chicken and Cabbage to name a few.

Growing up my mom would stuff cabbage with ground beef and rice and simmer it in a tomato sauce.  I was never a fan of  ham and cabbage but I loved this dish.  My mom is a wonderful cook.  This is an old traditional Polish recipe, not Irish,  but I thought I would share this one with you today anyway.

This recipe was shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays.

At the beginning of this year, before things started going crazy,  I was reading one of the really good food blogs I follow, Kalyn’s Kitchen.  She has great recipes and so many of them are naturally gluten free.  Make sure you take time to look around her blog.

She shared a recipe for West African Chicken and Peanut Stew with Chilies, Ginger and Green Onions.    It sounded amazing and easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand.   So I made it that night and immediately contacted Kalyn to tell her how great it was and to ask if I could share it with you.  I had made only a couple of changes so I wanted to make sure I had her permission.  Something anyone should do if you are reprinting a recipe.  Thankfully she said yes and wanted to read what I had changed.

Since that first evening I’ve made this dish a couple of times.  However, I think I need to come up with a new name for it.  Something clever and short that would explain that this is the new leftover dish we race to the refrigerator to get to first.  If you don’t get there first, you’re out of luck.  If you like chicken, peanut butter and jalapenos you are going to love this stew.  But I’ve warned you, so just be prepared to get to those leftovers first.

Whenever I cook my Spatchcock Chicken, I always put two on the cookie sheet so I have extra cooked chicken on hand just for recipes like this.  Whenever you have extra cooked chicken, put it into the freezer and label it so you have it on hand.  Of course you can plan ahead and roast your chicken on Monday and have this stew on Wednesday or Thursday.

Now this recipe was so fast and easy that I forgot to take photos along the way.  Kalyn however took great photos of all the steps so make sure you check it out.  So here is Kalyn’s recipe with my changes.

Ingredients:

1-2 T Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 T fresh ginger root grated

2-4 jalapeno diced, seeds and membrane removed (Kalyn used 2 tsp of pickled jalapenos but you know I like more of the pepper flavor)

3 tsp Ancho Chili powder

1 tsp Aleppo chili powder (Kalyn used 1 tsp chili powder which is a mix of chili peppers)

2 cups chicken stock (Kalyn used 1 cup of stock or broth)

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I like Earth Balance with no sugar)

2 T tomato paste

1 T apple cider vinegar

3 cups shredded or diced roasted chicken

4-5 green onions sliced, white and green parts

Celtic Sea Salt and Tellicherry pepper to taste

Directions:

Grab your large cutting board and prep your ingredients.  I would start with the jalapenos so you can get the oils off your hands.  Remember, when you dice a jalapeno pepper to cut off the stem, cut it in half and then carefully cut out the membrane and seeds.  Then you can dice the pepper.  When you are done run your hands under cold water, smacking them back and forth to get the pepper oil off the hands.  You do not want to touch your nose, eye or something else sensitive.

Dice the red onion,  chop your chicken and grab your ginger root from the freezer.  Well that’s where I keep mine.  I scrape the skin off and put it into the freezer.  It will keep for a long time and you’ll have fresh ginger whenever you need it.  Who uses the whole big piece you buy all at once anyway?

Heat the oil on medium high in a heavy pot.  I used my 3 1/2 quart Cassis LeCreuset french oven.  It worked great and looked even better.  Cook your red onion and jalapenos for just a minute.  Next I like to grate the ginger right into the pot with my zester.  Add in the chicken stock, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and chili powders.  Make sure you mix well so the peanut better is combined into the stew.  Bring this to a slight boil.  Now add in the chicken.  Kalyn suggests you not stir much or the chicken will shred apart.  We like it when that happens so I stir.  Let it simmer 10-15 minutes.

Wash and slice your green onions.  Stir your stew and serve it up.  Top it with a big handful of those onions for each serving.

You can also find this recipe on What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free? and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

I love soup all year round but especially when it’s cold out.  I also like fast soups that taste like a soup that has cooked all day long.  Here it is!  Beef Brisket Vegetable Soup relies on your leftover piece of brisket and the stock it made while cooking.  I’ve shared two of the many ways to season and cook the beef.  For more details on that please read Gluten Free and Dairy Free Comfort Food is Good Anytime and Beef Brisket. Not only will you have soup in under thirty minutes, but it will cost you pennies for the pot!

Keep in mind this is a method recipe.  You can create this same type of soup with a roasted chicken, turkey or pork butt that you’ve cooked in your crockpot and saved the stock it created and the have some leftover protein.

Ingredients:

1 stalk organic celery sliced

3 organic carrots peeled and sliced

1 large shallot diced

4 small to medium Yukon Gold Potatoes rough chop

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup filtered water

3-4 cups beef brisket stock

1 piece beef brisket – size of your fist

Directions:

Prepare your vegetables.  I left the skin on my potatoes but you can peel them if you like that better.  I was going for speed as I was very hungry.

Heat your soup pot between medium high and high.  Add the oil into the hot pot and the celery.  Once that starts to soften add in the onion and carrots.   Let them cook up a little, then add in your water and potatoes plus the seasoning.

Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes start to soften.

Now add in your parsley, thyme, beef brisket stock and the meat.  Before you add in the meat you will want to shred it and take any big chunks of fat off.

Heat this until it starts to boil then turn down to low to keep warm.  Taste for seasonings as you may want to add salt and pepper.  However with this being the stock that was created when cooking your seasoned beef brisket, it should already be packed with flavor.

Serve when ready to eat!

Notes:

You can use a yellow onion if you don’t have shallots.  Just make it around a tablespoon on diced onion.

Add in whatever vegetables you have on hand and enjoy in your soups.  If the soup is just for me I add in some frozen green beans and peas.   I also really like mushrooms in this soup.

You’ll also find this dish on What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

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.

This is my winter version of Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup.  In the winter there are no fresh local tomatoes.  Buying tomatoes at the grocery store means they are coming from far away and I know they will not be as amazing as those fresh picked summer tomatoes.  Oh I how love those summer tomatoes.  But, now that it’s winter I have to rely on canned tomatoes.

This time of year is for me the best time of year for soup.  I’m excited to share this recipe as part of the Gluten Free Light Winter Warmers Progressive Dinner.  I am hoping to gather many more soup and stew recipes.  Check out the whole schedule at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients:

1 large can Fire Roasted Whole Tomatoes

1 large can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

1 large can Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

1 large organic onion diced, Cippolini or Vidallia sweet are recommended

4 large cloves of garlic chopped

5 ounces of fresh basil leaves

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1-2 cups of filtered water

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions:

In a stock pot, saute the onions until soft and starts to brown.  Add in the garlic and combine.  Add in the tomatoes and basil.  Take off the heat and using your immersion blender, blend all until smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender you can spoon the soup into a blender a little at a time then return to stock pot.  Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Topping:

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Place slices of fresh prosciutto on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in oven for 18 minutes until firm and almost crisp.  Take out and let cool before you crumble.  This is a wonderful topping for this tomato soup.  Of course if you would like to keep this a vegetarian/vegan soup omit this topping.

Notes: If you want to use just one type of canned tomatoes use the Fire Roasted Whole Tomatoes.  You are going to get a lot more flavor from whole tomatoes than crushed.  You’ll notice it immediately.

Gluten Free Light Winter Warmers Progressive Dinner Party

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.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Tomatoes seem to be an easy thing to grow.  I’m getting tons from my CSA and even a few from my father-in-law’s garden.  His actually tasted better.  I think next year I’ll give it a try and grow some.  I love the orange ones and I only received a few in my CSA.  But for now, I have lots of red gems waiting to be eaten.  Well I hate to see good food go to waste and I can only eat so many BLGT sandwiches.

I decided to make tomato soup.  Jessie at Glutenfree4goofs Blog recently posted on her One Ton Tomato Soup. (I helped name it)   That got me thinking a soup would be a great way to use them all at once.  I did consider Sun Dried Tomatoes from Linda at Gluten Free Homemaker.   That however meant I’d have to pay attention to the oven over a long period of time.  I tend to forget that I’m cooking if I leave the kitchen and get busy with my other work.  Oh look at that bunny rabbit.   So I thought I’d combine roasted tomatoes and soup.  I love to use roasted tomatoes for chili but didn’t want to can them, so soup it is.

I roasted the tomatoes and then pureed them to make soup.  It was really easy and the soup tastes amazing.  It was so good that even Scott loved it.  The same guy that I have to hide vegetables for him to enjoy them.  His tastes are however growing and we ate this soup with a slice of gluten free bread and a glass of iced tea.  That’s it!

I kept the soup vegetarian and vegan but if you want you can use chicken broth instead of water.  Water however has less calories and costs less so if those things are a consideration for you, it really tastes great with just water.  Use this recipe as a guide and adjust the ingredient amounts according to what you have on hand.

If you are the cheese eating type, fresh grated Parmesan cheese would be a great topping.  If you’re the meat eating type some cooked pancetta crumbled on top would be divine.

Ingredients:

12 organic tomatoes or however many you have on hand

1 large organic onion diced

4 large cloves of garlic chopped

5 ounces of fresh basil leaves

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups of filtered water

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Wash and cut your tomatoes into quarters.  The only thing I removed was the stem.  Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on cookie sheet in single layer.  Roast in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 45 minutes.  You’ll want them to burn a little on the edges but not too much.  Black spots are good.  When they are done let them cool a little while you saute the onions and garlic in olive oil.  I work on the onions first until they are starting to brown a little and then add in the garlic.

Now add in your tray of tomatoes, liquid and all.  Gage by how that looks as to how much water you want to add.  I used 2 full cups of filtered water.  I only cook or drink filtered water.  I don’t want all of those other chemicals messing with the taste of my food.  Now toss in your basil leaves and stir.  I weighed it to see how much I was using.  To eye ball it I would say it was 2-3 large handfuls of basil leaves.  If you don’t have fresh you can use dried basil.  Keep in mind the flavor intensifies when dried so start off with 2 tsp of basil and add from there.

At this point I took the soup off the stove and used my Immersion Blender to puree.  If you don’t have one you can use a blender.  Do it in small batches and make sure you vent the top but cover with a dish cloth.  If you’re using the immersion blender, don’t lift it up when it’s on.  The soup will go everywhere.  No I didn’t do this but if I was baking something, well that’s another story.

If you puree your soup there is no reason to peel and seed the tomatoes.  If you want pure liquid and no texture pour the soup through a strainer.  I like the extra fiber in my meal so I don’t strain mine.

Basil in soup waiting to be pureed

This soup cost me next to nothing to make since I harvested the basil from my garden and were given some of the tomatoes used.   Basil is such an easy plant to grow and it produces more basil than I can use.  I’ll show you over the weekend what to do with your extra basil.

We each had a large bowl of soup and I froze enough for 6 more bowls.  This will be a great meal to pull out this fall after a chilly soccer game.  My only question is what to serve with it that doesn’t include cheese.  What do you serve with your tomato soup that doesn’t include cheese?

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.

With Friday Foodie Fix approaching rather fast, like tomorrow,  I decided tonight I would cook up the Swiss Chard.  As I started pulling it out of the refrigerator I grabbed some pancetta, garlic, leeks and a yellow onion.  I thought the pork and the onions would add great flavor to the soup.   This was a another quick meal that tasted great and gave me lots of leftovers.   Now this can easily be made with not pancetta making it a vegan soup.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of swiss chard rough chopped (approximately 8 large leaves)

2 leeks cut in half and sliced

1 yellow onion diced

2 cloves of garlic diced

1 package of pancetta

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 qt vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Bouquet Garni from Penzeys Spices

1-2 tsp dried jalapeno from Penzeys Spices, can use fresh

Directions:

Dice the pancetta and cook on medium high heat in a soup pot.  I use a porcelain cast iron pot from Le Creuset.  Cook until it starts to crisp, add in the garlic for just a minute, then remove from the pan.  Use the oil left behind to cook the onions.   When they are starting to brown add in the swiss chard and let it wilt down.  Add in the beans, stock, seasonings and bring to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer for 10-20 minutes.

This would be a great soup to serve up with some fresh bread.  I didn’t have any so I paired it with potato chips.  I’m sure you’ll find something wonderful to pair this soup with too.

©Diane Eblin

This soup is called Have on Hand Soup because the ingredients list was created by what I had on hand.  It was so fast and easy to make because I used many  ingredients that were already cooked.  So think of this as a method more than a specific recipe.  Take the method and change the ingredients to be ones you have on hand.  Then you can make Have on Hand soup any day at a moments notice and it will have it’s own unique taste.

This method will also help save you money.  For more Pennywise Platters check out The Nourishing Gourmet.

Spring this recipe!

So here are the basics:

Ingredients:

Stock- enough to cover all ingredients plus a little more

Onions- any type will do, I like mine diced or rough chop

garlic minced or sliced

leafy green vegetable chopped

cooked protein- can be meat or vegetarian

pasta- already cooked works best

other vegetables that are just waiting to be cooked or are part of leftovers

herbs

oil

Directions:

The first thing you want to do is head to the refrigerator and freezer to see what leftovers you have hanging out just waiting to jump into the pool together.  You don’t want to look at these items as the dish they were, but the dish they will become.  Think of it as a challenge but just have fun.  Remember if you don’t like how it tastes, don’t eat it.  But you might just create a new favorite dish.  Keep notes just in case.

Saute onions in oil until translucent.  Toss in garlic to add to the depth of flavor, then add in chopped greens.  Let them cook just a little before adding in you other vegetables.  If the other vegetables are raw, cook them before adding the leafy greens.

Now you’re ready to add in your cooked protein, stock and herbs.  Bring it up to a boil for just a few minutes, then turn it down to simmer.  Add in the pasta last so it will not break apart when the soup is boiling.    If too much of the liquid cooks down, add more.

That’s all there is to it.  You can make this meal in 15 minutes from heating the pan to eating the soup.  Of course if you prefer just dump everything but the pasta into the crockpot, put it on low and eat later.  Add in the pasta a few minutes before serving.

Now here is the ingredients for my Turkey and Pork Noodle Soup with Spinach, Mushrooms and Ostrich.

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of chicken stock

1 organic yellow onion chopped

2 cloves garlic sliced

1 package of frozen chopped spinach (I was out of fresh but this works great in a soup)

1/2-1 cup of leftover Ostrich Steak Strips Stir-fry

7 leftover Mini California Cobb Salad Burgers,  cut into quarters

2 handfuls of cooked quinoa pasta

2 tsp Bouquet Garni from Penzeys (savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dill weed, marjoram, sage, tarragon)

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Follow the directions above and you’ll have soup!

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!

©Diane Eblin

I love when the farmers markets open and the local fresh vegetables start showing up.  Fresh lettuces and tasty little cucumbers.   Of course the herbs and vegetables you grow yourself are organic and as local as it gets.  They’re also priced right.  This salad was created by what was available at the farmers market, my tiny garden and leftovers in my freezer.  This was a fast and easy meal, low cost and so fresh.  The trick to this salad is to load up on the veggies and then shred the meat to make it look like there is more than what is really there.  This way you can cut down on the meat, calories and cost.

Have you made a trip to your local farmers market?  Do you know where they are located?  Well if you’re not sure check out the sidebar of my blog.  Just below the listing of Categories you’ll find a Farmers Market Finder created by Culinate.  Just type in your zip code and you will be taken to a map showing you just where you can buy local.

If you start or continue to buy local you can join the ranks of the Locavores.  What is a locavore?  A locavore is someone who pays attention to where their food is grown and buys their food from local farmers as much as possible.  This doesn’t mean you have to buy all of your food this way to be a locavore.   If you would like to read up more on eating local check out the sites  Eat Local Challenge and Enjoymentland.  If you happen to have an iphone, check out this cool iphone app that will let you know what’s in season where you live,  so you’ll know what to expect when shopping.  Doesn’t it feel good to support the local farmers in  your community and eat fresh foods!  That’s what I call a win win.

Ingredients:

©Diane Eblin

mixed lettuce

arugula

parsley

red onion diced

carrots shredded

cucumbers diced

tomatoes diced

organic bacon

organic turkey shredded

raw sunflower seeds

Champagne Dijon Vinaigrette :

1-2 tsp dijon mustard (I like Annie’s Naturals  gluten free)

1-2 tsp champagne vinegar

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tsp water

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the mustard and vinegar together.  Whisk in the oil until it emulsifies.  Add in the water, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust.

For more gluten free recipes today, check out What’s For Dinner Wednesday.

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.

But I digress.  My cobb salad is a little different than tradition because I don’t use cheese or have any type of cheese dressing (gluten free and dairy free).  In case you are interested in the history of how Robert Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant, started this salad read about it here.

CA Cobb Salad

I topped my salad off with a tomatillo dressing, and salt and pepper.  It would be just as wonderful with olive oil and a slice of lemon.  Now as you look over the list of ingredients you will notice there is a lot of prep work.  I tend to space it out during the week and make extra of the ingredients to save for the salad.  If you do this, the salad can come together rather quickly.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

hard boiled organic egg diced
cooked bacon chopped (organic uncured)
cooked chicken chopped
tomato chopped
red onion diced
avocado chopped
Lettuce- I used romaine, arugula, spinach and frisee

How much of each ingredient you add is up to you.  I like to place my items on the lettuce in rows, displaying each item.  You arrange the salad to your liking.

The dressing was about a cup of the tomatillo salsa, 1 TB mayonnaise, 2 tsp almond milk whisked together.  You could also use the creamy tomatillo salsa just on its own for the dressing.  Traditionally roquefort dressing was used but this doesn’t fit my needs for dairy free and frankly I never liked it but in your kitchen it’s your rules.  Have fun!

Crab cake, shrimp, fries and slaw ©Diane Eblin

I love crab cakes but Sodium Acid Pyroposphates (SAPP) in canned crab does not love me.  This is what you find in canned crab like Phillip’s that is added to prevent the formation of struvite crystals.  Those crystals are harmless, they just look like ground glass and tend to freak people out.  So in order for me to make crab cakes I’m finding it necessary to use crab meat right from the crab.  My local grocery store had frozen Dungeness Crabs on sale so I bought some to keep on hand.  Now living so near Baltimore we’ve been accustom to Blue Crab meat in our crab cakes and we did notice the difference.  If you live elsewhere you most likely have Dungeness Crabs in you crab cakes.  You decide which one you like best.  I’m looking forward to the warmer months when these Blue Crabs come out of their deep sandy burrow where they lie dormant November to May.  Fresh big Jimmies (males) that I can cook up and pick out the fresh meat for my summer crab cakes.

Now if canned crab meat does not bother you it is definitely a faster way to make a crab cake.  I think the jumbo lump meat makes the best crab

Blue Crab

cakes but that costs more than special crab or claw meat.  You can buy one of each and mix together to stretch your dollar.  Everyone has their own twist on crab cakes and for me I usually don’t make them the say way twice.  Crab cakes can be very versatile and take on whatever seasonings and flavors you’re in the mood for.   Here is my March 4th version of a crab cake along with the two sides I made of Old Bay potato wedges and coleslaw.  As you change the flavors of your crab cakes, so will your side dishes change. For more What’s for dinner Wednesday check out The Gluten Free Homemaker.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

8 oz hand picked crab meat
2 TB gluten free mayonnaise
½-1 tsp mustard (cracked or Dijon works best)
1 TB Old Bay seasoning
¼ cup gluten free bread crumbs
½ tsp ground onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp ground Salba (can be omitted)
2 tsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Heat your pan on medium high with the oil.  Mix all ingredients together.  I use a large scoop to create my crab cakes but you can divide this mix into 4 portions and use your hands to create the cakes.
Sauté the crab cakes in pan until brown on both sides.  This recipe makes 4 crab cakes.  You can also create a sauce to accompany the cakes with a little mustard (1 portion) and mayo (3 portions) mixed together.  If you like it sweet add in a little relish, and if you like it hot add in a little cayenne pepper.

Old Bay Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

4-8 potatoes depending on size and how much you want to eat
1 TB olive oil
1 TB Old Bay Seasoning
1 TB Celtic Sea Salt (or your favorite salt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  By the time you’re done prepping the potatoes your oven should be hot.  I like my potatoes with the skin on but if you don’t peel your potatoes.  If you keep the skin on make sure to wash the skin with a vegetable wash or your 3-1 white distilled vinegar to water mix.

Cut up the potatoes in whatever shape you want.  You can make thick wedges, medium wedges, waffles, large stick or whatever shape you dream up. Toss the cut potatoes in the olive oil and seasonings.  Spread out onto a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with foil or stick proof liner in a single layer.  These are also great baked on a stone.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

4-6 handfuls shredded or sliced Cabbage
1 handful shredded or sliced Red cabbage (looks purple to me)
¼- ½  onion shredded
3 carrots shredded
2 TB gluten free mayonnaise
1 tsp cider vinegar
½-1  tsp raw honey
1-2 tsp celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

As you see I don’t really measure the cabbage in this recipe.  I just go by what it looks like.  I don’t like a lot of red cabbage but you adjust the portions to create what you like.  In a bowl large enough for all the ingredients, mix the mayonnaise, honey and vinegar so the mayo is a little thinner than it started out.  You don’t want a real thin consistency of vinaigrette, but thinner than plain mayo, so it will coat all of the vegetables. Slice up the cabbages and toss the onion and carrot into your food processor with the shred disc.   If you don’t have a processor you can do this by hand on a large grater.  Mix all together, toss in the celery seed, salt and pepper.  When this mixture rests the dressing will move to the bottom of the bowl.  Make sure you mix right before serving.  It will also become more watery the longer you keep it.

Pork Noodle Soup ©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:

Leftover stock from Jerk Pork & Chicken
1 cup Stock (I had turkey vegetable)
3 organic carrots chopped
1 organic onion diced
1 stalk of organic celery diced
1 bay leaf
½ thyme
2-3 small sage leaves crumbled
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp virgin organic coconut oil
1 tsp fat from top of stock (discard the rest)
1 boneless pork loin chop diced
2 handfuls of gluten free pasta noodles like Tagliatelle by Glutano

Directions:

Heat your pot on medium high and add in your oils.  Cook up the onion and carrots.  Once they begin to soften add in the celery and pork.  When the pork has cooked add in the stocks and seasonings.  Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot.  Bring to a boil and add in the noodles.  Put the lid on and turn down to simmer.  The noodles cook up in about 6-10 minutes.

This soup is very inexpensive and fast to make.  Plus you clear out your refrigerator while you cook.

Cioppino ©Diane Eblin

Tonight was the easy version of Cioppino.  When I made this dish in November I made a double batch of the soup base.  After we served all of the seafood that night, I froze the remaining stock.  Today I took out the stock and warmed it up on medium high heat. The original recipes for the Cioppino and fish stock will take time but well worth it.

©Diane Eblin

Once the stock had boiled I added in the clams and put the cover on.  Tonight, no muscles in our Cioppino.  Remember you should put whatever fish you get fresh from the fish market and when I went shopping they didn’t have muscles.  After the clams had cooked for 5 minutes I added in shrimp, cod, tiny lobster tails and Dungeness crab.  Put the lid back on and cook for 5 minutes more until the clams open all the way and the lobster shell was red.

I choose to serve it the traditional way with the seafood in the shell.  You can pick out the meat and put the meat in right before you serve or have fun picking the meat out of the shells from your soup bowl.
Top it off with chopped fresh parsley or dried if your grocery didn’t have any this winter.  We had a lot of shells to pick through.

This soup goes great with bread.  Find your favorite gluten free bread and enjoy!

This is not going to be one of those 15 minute meals but it is totally worth the effort.  When I make this meal the I double the recipe for everything but the seafood.  After our first serving and all the fish and such are removed I freeze the stock so my next Cioppino dinner is a lot faster.

As for the seafood that you put in your cioppino, use what you like.  You can have lobster, squid, or anything.  The name is said to have come from the docks when someone would be making a pot of soup and all of the fisherman would chip in.  With an italian accent that might sound like cioppino.  So see what is fresh at your fish market and plan accordingly.  This will insure the best tasting cioppino you can make.

Traditional Cioppino ©Diane Eblin

Ingredients:
6 cups of fish stock
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large organic onion, chopped
3 large shallots, diced
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
½ – 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (remember you can always add more)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 ½ -2 cups dry white wine (something you would drink)
2 bay leaves
2 TB coconut oil
1 TB olive oil
1 large 28 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (Muir Glen is good)
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound of mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 pound wild caught large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ pounds firm fish files such as halibut, salmon, white tuna cut into chunks
1 section for each serving Dungeness Crab (traditionally served in the shell, you choose)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat the oil is a very large pot on medium high.  Add in onion, shallot and fennel- sauté until translucent.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until flavors are combined.  About 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes with juice, wine, fish stock and bay leaves.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook another 30 minutes.  This will allow all the flavors to combine.
Add the clams and mussels to the pot, cover and cook until they begin to open, about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, fish, and crab.  Simmer gently until everything is cooked through and the clams are completely open.  This should take approximately 5 minutes but use your eyes to be the judge.  Remove any unopened clams or muscles and the bay leaves.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.  You can also add more red pepper flakes at this point too.

Ladle the Cioppino into large bowls and sit down to an amazing meal.

Into the crockpot put a large onion quartered. One leek cleaned and cut into sections, a couple peeled carrots and 2 bay leaves.  I also like to include sprigs of fresh thyme.

Place the fish carcass that you have rinsed off on top.  Add in filtered water to cover the fish.  I take mine at least ¾ the way to the top of the crockpot.  I want a lot of stock from this nice fish.  Add 1-2 teaspoons each of course sea salt and black and white peppercorns.  Put the lid on and set the crockpot to low.  I let it cook 10-15 hours.

The really cool thing with cooking this in the crockpot is your house does not smell like fish.
Strain the stock into a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.  Once cool you can separate into containers to freeze.  If you are ready to get cooking don’t worry about cooling it.  But since I like to have my stock cook all day I usually make it the day before I’m going to use it.

I use this for my base stock in my Cioppino.

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.

2 pounds Ground beef or a chuck roast (put meat in first for roast) Can always use ground turkey, ostrich or buffalo.
1 large Onion diced
15 oz can Diced fire roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 TB Cumin
4 TB Chili powder (can use pre-mixed, ancho, Aleppo, Casabela or any combination to add depth)
1-2 tsp Cayenne (gage how spicy you want it at end)
2 tsp Expote
3 TB Cilantro
1 can organic small Red beans rinsed (can use kidney)
1 can organic Black beans rinsed
2 TB Dark Agave
1-4 cups Chicken stock (want to have all meat covered)
Bay leaf
Salt & pepper

1 white onion diced to top chili when serving

Directions:

Put all ingredients into crock pot on low for 10-12 hours.  Periodically stir if using ground meat. If using whole chuck roast you will need to pull meat apart with two forks.  It will fall apart easily.  Let cook another hour.

You can brown the ground meat before putting into crockpot but it’s not necessary.

Always taste before serving and adjust seasonings to your tastes.

If your chili is too thin you can add tomato paste.