I know, I’ve become obsessed with shrimp sliders and shrimp seems to go so well with other S words like sriracha and southwest.  I think this one was my favorite shrimp sliders so far although a few more idease have popped into my head that I’m going to try.

I love getting those bags of frozen raw peeled shrimp that are ready to use.  They’re not big but it doesn’t matter.  The price is usually good and I can keep them in the freezer for when the urge for another shrimp slider hits me.

For this recipe I actually prepared some of the ingredients ahead of time.  Not something I’ve been doing lately but I wanted the corn, onion, celery and pepper to be a little charred before I mixed it with the shrimp.  The result was a great taste and texture.

I did let my shrimp thaw so they were not wet and filled with ice.  Works much better than trying to thaw at the last minute under water.

Also the night I made these I had great intentions on dicing up an avocado for a salad to serve along side but we went out for a long walk and by the time we got back it was late and we were so hungry.  But no reason you can’t create this addition.  I was thinking of a chunky salad with the avocado, some tomatoes, red onion and black beans tossed with lime juice and cilantro.  If you do this let me know what you think.

Also the sauce you see here is my fast and easy Sriracha Mayo.  The ratio is 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce mixed well.  If you like it hot you’ll need to add in more sriracha sauce.  Also as a side note, these are good cold too.  Had a taste the next day so these would be good for just about any occasion.

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.

Spring is a wonderful time of the year, isn’t it?  I love the fresh seasonal ingredients that start to show up in the grocery stores and of course the farmers markets.  I’m always looking to cook those up just as soon as possible and pair them with ingredients that are timeless.  This recipe includes Lindsay Olives, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and cannelloni beans all of which you can pick up today no matter where you live.

When making this dish you have a couple of options for the variety of Lindsay Olive you choose.  I really like their Taste Profile chart which can help you make your choice.  I would think Sicilian or Spanish Whole would be other good options besides the Greek Kalamata Olive.

You can also either keep the egg on top or not.  If you do make sure the yolk is soft and runny.  This will help create a creamy sauce in your pasta.  You can cook the egg in the oven like I did or in a skillet or poached in which you would add it at the end when serving.  I would suggest 1 egg for every two people you are serving.

This gluten free meal can be prepared in the time it takes to cook the pasta plus 10 minutes for the oven or most likely a total of 16 minutes.  Not bad for a filling and tasty lunch or dinner.

This recipe is part of a Kitchen Progressive Party event that will have five courses created by five different bloggers: amuse bouche, bread, salad, appetizer and entree, all posted today and all featuring Lindsay Olives.

Now if you are a blogger you can submit a post featuring a Lindsay Olives recipe that you think would “complete” the menu or Progressive Party (cocktail? soup? dessert? sky’s the limit!). To help, you can go to the EventBrite page and request either product or coupons for Lindsay Olives. Once you’e created your dish (along with post/recipe/photo), submit a link to that post on the Kitchen PLAY .  Your post needs to include links to both Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives. Winner will be drawn from all the eligible entries received. The prize for the winner is $200.   Good luck to all!

“I was compensated by Kitchen PLAY and Lindsay Olives for creating this post and recipe. All opinions are mine.”

The month of celebrations!  They are upon us already.  Chinese New Year was on Sunday, Fat Tuesday is tomorrow, Valentine’s Day is Thursday and Purim is Sunday the 24^th.  Now I passed over President’s Day as I’ve never made a special meal for that but a nice cherry pie comes to mind for President Washington.

Of course there are all of the fun National celebrate holidays this month still to come:

February 13 - National Tortellini Day

Feb 15 - National Gum Drop Day

Strawberry Margarita ©Diane Eblin

Feb 16 - National Almond Day

Feb 18 - Drink Wine Day

Feb 19 - Chocolate Mint Day

Feb 20 - National Cherry Pie Day

Feb 21 - National Sticky Bun Day

Feb 22 - National Margarita Day

Feb 23 - National Banana Bread Day

Feb 24 - National Tortilla Chip Day

Feb 25 - National Chili Day and National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day

Feb 26 - National Pistachio Day

Which one sare you going to celebrate?

Growing up outside of Philadelphia my eyes first went to the Sticky Bun Day.  I found this gluten free recipe that I just might have to try.  The trick is to find the gluten free recipes that keep with your easy, healthy, gluten free life!

I also rarely turn down a good margarita.  I think I’ll make my Strawberry Margarita on the 22nd.

If you are looking for some sweets don’t miss out on Shirley’s Suite of Sweets at gluten free easily or her entire website dedicate to All Gluten Free Desserts All the Time.

If you are looking for dairy free you’ll want to visit Go Dairy Free.  Many of her recipes are also gluten free but read the ingredients and directions.  Those Amazing Chocolate Mousse Cups are calling to me.

If you are celebrating Fat Tuesday with the whole New Orleans vibe you may want to give my Turducken Burgers a try or the Crustless Pecan Pie.

If you are celebrating on the 25th try my Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts and my 3,2,1 Chili.

Whatever day you are celebrating find the recipes that work for you.  You can use the search bar at the top right, the ingredient list on the right sidebar or the whole page dedicated to the Recipe Index.

Do you have a recipe for one of these celebrations?  If so share your link below.

Happy February everyone!

Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts GFDFSF

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?

It’s the holidays and that means lots of parties at friends houses, your own or at the office.  What’s a gluten free girl to do?  Bring these tasty treats and you’ll have something to eat and secure your repeat invitation.

These are really fast to make and they pack a ton of flavor.  You can choose how large or small you make them and what you serve them on or in.  Just make sure you serve it with the secret sauce.  Use your creativity with these little gems.  I’ve served them on round slices of polenta.  You can also use them to make Sriracha Shrimp Jalapeño Poppers or Stuffed Roasted Anaheim or Poblano Peppers.  It depends if you are using them as an appetizer, side dish or main dish.  By using the green herbs and the roasted red peppers they are very festive for the season.  Also this can be used as a subsititute for the Mushroom Party recipe in the 2013 Cookbook Desk Calendar.

You’ll also want to tuck this recipe away for all of those college bowl games and the Super Bowl.  I’m sure you’ll start to find any reason you can to make these.  I’m going to warn you that these are highly addictive.   You can make these on any busy night and don’t even worry about the polenta rounds.  Make them larger like a burger and serve them on a toasted bun, gluten free of course.

To learn more ways to succeed at Gluten Free Holiday Survival, please join me on Wednesday for a free teleseminar.   You can join via phone or computer no matter where you live.  You can find out more here.  Even if you can’t make the call, register so you’ll receive the recording.

Do you have questions about cooking a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal? Maybe you’re having guests over to eat and they have specific dietary needs and you want to make sure they are safe.  Do you have a family favorite recipe that you would like some ideas on how to make it a gluten free recipe?

Let’s meet up on Facebook and talk turkey, gluten free style.  Join me, along with fellow gluten free health coach and blogger Ellen Allard the Gluten Free Diva.  Joining in will also be  Shirley Braden,

Leader of the King George Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Group, from gluten-free easily.

Come with your questions and we’ll work to get you answers.  Join us on Tuesday at 6pm ET or 3pm PT on The WHOLE Gang Facebook Page.

How many of these folks are at your table?

This is a fast gluten free recipe that can be made to taste any way you like.  There really is no end to the possibilities of seasonings you can use.  If you’re looking for something orange to serve for Halloween try the Buffalo Wing Sauce.  Have fun with your food and have a Happy Halloween!

It’s not too soon to start prepping for Thanksgiving if you want to have control over the ingredients in the foods you and your family will be eating and save money. Yes, as you can see I am a bit of a control freak.  I like to save money, pick which ingredients we don’t eat and most of my foods to be organic.  I especially buy organic when it comes to ingredients that fall on the dirty dozen list.  We’ll be eating celery in my stuffing, potatoes will be mashed, spinach, lettuce, sweet bell peppers and cucumbers in a salad, kale in my vegetarian Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni and green beans as a side dish.

Also as soon as I can place my order for an organic turkey I do so.  I remember the first year I made the switch to organic turkey.  It was by far the best tasting turkey I have ever eaten.  It was juicy and tasted like turkey, instead of just bland.

But for now I’ll just work on the foundations of my turkey and stuffing portion of the meal.  I’ll work on some of the other menu items closer to the date.  For instance I’ll make cashew cream cheese on Tuesday of that week so it will be ready for my Cashew Cream Yam Cannelloni.  That will be the centerpiece for my vegetarian Thanksgiving for my oldest son, Andy.

So this week I got to play more with my new Ninja Cooking System, (sent to me for free).  The more I cook with this the more I really love it.  I steam roasted two organic turkey breasts.  They were on sale for a great price so I had to snag them.  I also wanted them to slice up for lunch and dinners for the coming couple of weeks.  It’s so much better than buying lunchmeat.  Again, control over ingredients.  I get organic, gluten free and sugar free lunch meat plus save money at the same time.  These breasts came out so tender and juicy and it didn’t take long to cook them either.  I put vegetable and chicken stock in the bottom of the Ninja and put the breasts on the roasting rack.

What I was not expecting with this was a beautiful delicious turkey gravy base when I was done cooking the turkey.  You could of course buy things like this at the stores like Williams Sonoma for $10.95.  Here is what is their turkey gravy base:  Water, turkey flavor (chicken stock, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, flavors, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, chicken fat, caramel color, soy lecithin), modified food starch, turkey broth, rendered turkey fat, natural flavoring, gdl (an acidifier).  

Can I just say yuck!  So first of all there are many ingredients in here that could contain gluten such as maltodextrin, caramel color, and natural flavoring.  The modified food starch if made from wheat should note this.  Just in case you have never used a turkey gravy base, all you have to do is add in water or milk and you have gravy.

So I made an amazing tasting turkey gravy base for free since it was what was left after steam roasting my turkey.  I also can tell you every ingredient in it and you can even pronounce them.

I then sliced the turkey off the bones and tossed those bones back into the Ninja to make turkey stock.  I ended up with 15 cups of stock.  This will be perfect for making my Gluten Free Stuffing with Pancetta Sage Sausage and the gravy.  This is a huge money saver since I’m using the turkey bones again, some vegetables and water.  The cost for those ingredients was far less than the $20 it would cost to buy that much turkey stock that usually contains sugar, which is off limits for my youngest son.  Besides if I’m eating something with sugar or sweet, I want it to be a dessert.  Again I get to control the ingredients,  save money and keep that easy, healthy, gluten free life!

If you search the internet, check out Pinterest and look on your local Meet Up you will find there are many many Harry Potter fans out there besides me. Most of them are extremely creative. As Halloween approaches and you are getting ready to mix, bake, and cook your treats for the holiday, I did a little research for you. Here are some Harry Potter inspired recipes.

PLEASE check the ingredients listed, even if they say they are gluten or dairy free.  Most of these recipes come from non gluten or dairy free blogs.

First I have to share my Cauldron Cakes.  This is a gluten free recipe and dairy free too!  I will be making some version of these this year too.  I’ll also make more chocolate frogs where I melt the Enjoy Life chocolate chips and use my frog candy mold.  

Bakingdom shares a recipe for  Butterbeer.  This gal has tons of Harry Potter inspired recipes.  Now it’s not a gluten free blog so double check ingredients.  Still thirsty how about some Pumpkin Juice?

If you are into Potion Making you will love Affairs of Living gluten free Harry Potter party.

If you’ve read any of the Harry Potter books or seen the movies you’ll know there are tons of sweet opportunities to be inspired to recreate something from the Sweet Trolly on the Hogwarts Express or Honeydukes Sweet Shop in Hogsmead.

Bryton Taylor has created a gluten free verison of Pumpkin Pasties.  They look delicious!

Traditional Chocolate Truffles from Gluten Free Mommy look decadent.   You can also find Licorice Wands on the train.  They are one of Ron’s favorites

If you are looking for more of a breakfast treat, Delight Gluten Free Magazine shared these gluten free crumpets.

For more Harry Potter inspired recipes and fun foods to make for Halloween or any day, check out the fan site, Muggle Net with recipes from Madame Rosmerta (character from books).   Use all of your gluten free knowledge and adapt those recipes.  If you have questions feel free to ask me and I’ll see if I can help with the conversions.  Let me know what you create!

Send in pictures of your gluten free Harry Potter and gluten free Halloween foods, and I’ll post them here.

I do love meatballs.  I take hiding some good vegetables inside for those who won’t eat them otherwise, as a challenge.  How many different and good vegetables can I hide and still have them taste good and something my son will eat.  You may recall my Meatballs With A Heart as a past example.

This week we found out my son will need to be on a Candida diet.  That means at the beginning no fruits or sugars at all, stay away from grains and increase those vegetables.   There’s more to it than that but that’s the abbreviated version   So basically I’m taking away all of his snacks and favorites and giving him his least favorites.

This was the inspiration for the Magic Meatballs.  These are gluten and dairy free but full of vegetables.  It includes natural antibacterial foods like garlic and detoxing herbs like parsley.

The trick to making meatballs like this is the spices you use to dominate the taste buds.  I opted for a Southwestern blend from Penzeys that is strong and flavorful and contains no sugar.  It contains salt, sweet ancho pepper, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, Tellicherry black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, sweet paprika, chipotle pepper and cilantro.

I will be making many variations on this recipe I’m sure.  These are great for week days, weekends, game days or of course you an always serve these for Halloween too!

I also want to tell you about a new piece of kitchen equipment I was given to try.  It’s called the Ninja Cooking System.  It’s a stovetop cooker, oven, slow cooker and steam roaster/baker in one.  When I heard this I thought that’s too many things in one so none will work well.  I’m so skeptical.  But as I’ve mentioned before I’ve moved into an apartment and something that does many things sounded appealing being in a smaller kitchen.  I’ve also found out that when using my oven it heats the whole apartment which is not great in a warm climate.  So I busted this out of the box this weekend and started cooking like crazy.  I made my Paleo Scrapple without having to use an extra pot.  I steam roasted a turkey breast which tastes amazing and I made these Magic Meatballs.  So I’m sold.  I love it.  I can cook anything in here and it’s super easy to clean.  But don’t take my word for it, read Stephanie O’Dea’s review, from A Year of Slow Cooking.  This recipe was shared on Allergy Friendly Friday.

What do you like to hide in your meatballs?

Say goodbye to summer with a quick gluten free quesadilla .  Grab that basil growing in the garden and those delicious tomatoes before they are gone for the season.  Make a pesto and add it to a tortilla with avocado and chicken and you have a meal!   Oh and did I mention how great these are for game day when you want to watch the game and not be stuck in the kitchen!

This was so delicious I had a hard time not making it every day.  Well I did for a couple days in a row but who could blame me.  I love pesto and the health benefits of basil makes it even sweeter.  This is a great way to use up any cooked protein you have around and can be made start to finish in about 15 minutes.  Now that helps with that easy healthy gluten free life.  You can also keep this vegetarian and vegan by not adding in the chicken. Beans make a nice sub here.

I’m talking of course of the latest meatball craze.  Meatballs are so hot there are meatball only restaurants and cookbooks.  They have recipes for Goat Balls and Bunny Balls.  Don’t think I’m trying either of those.

We’ve been eating a variety of meatballs around here for some time.  I love to make them because there are fast, easy and you can put just about anything into them.  They make great every day food, party food, special occasion food, can be served alone, with a side dish, in a soup or in a sandwich and are easy to make as a gluten free recipe.

I’ve made Meatballs with a Heart, Chicken Meatballs, Simply Dressed Meatballs, North African Meatballs, and the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.  With the price of meats increasing I’m sure I will be making more balls from assorted foods.  What’s the most interesting ones you’ve made or eaten?

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making these. Funny enough I decided to give this a try while I’m not at my kitchen. I don’t have all of the usual tools and equipment or supplies so I got creative.

I found these amazing flowers while at the farmers market. I brought them home and put them on the top shelf of the refrigerator. This not being my typical unit I didn’t know many of my flowers would freeze. What I did salvage was not in the best shape but I was determined to give this a try.

Also with this being my first attempt I wanted to use real cheese as the filling. I’d really like to give cashew cream cheese a try in these now that I have my first ones under my belt.  So this is not dairy free but of course a gluten free recipe.

I only knew a couple of things about attempting this dish after listening to the man who grew these zucchini blossoms talk about them in the farmer’s market.  He made it sound so easy and so delicious.  His main tip is that you need a very thin batter so it doesn’t weigh them down and stuff them with a soft cheese.

I travel with my little Magic Bullet which really comes in handy.  It’s less weight to travel with than my Vitamix and can work on some things if you’re patient.  I used this to make the batter and it worked extremely well.

The most important thing to remember when trying something new is don’t worry about it.  If it fails, well you learned something along the way.  For instance, don’t let the blossoms freeze or they just melt into nothing useable.  Also don’t worry if the cheese sneaks out while cooking.  That just means you need to adjust something like the level of heat.

Let me know if you have ever made stuffed zucchini blossoms and what you stuffed them with.

I’m going to keep playing with this recipe to make a vegan version and a Paleo version.

If you get my newsletter you’ve already seen this cool gadget and gotten these two recipes.  What you’re not receiving the newsletter!  Sign up now so you get the scoop first, plus any offers and discounts will be in that newsletter.  Click Here for more info.

Love this new kitchen gadget! I don’t know why I waited so long to get one. I’ve seen others use it and thought wow that looks cool but really, can’t I just do that with a knife?

I could if I had all day to prepare my meals. If you have endless hours to prepare your meals no need to read on any further.

However if you want to have an easy healthy gluten free life, lots of fun, make great meals and have people who don’t typically eat vegetables start asking for second helpings, well check this out.

For lunch I made a Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

For dinner I made a Zucchini and Squash Pesto Pasta which had no grains in it whatsoever.

Oh the fun I’m going to have with this tool.

So I’ll share the recipes for these two dishes along with the great boulettes de poulet et de porc au pesto.

Are you heading out to watch fireworks for the 4th of July and taking a picnic with you?  Maybe you’re heading out to a party or potluck and you want to take something with you so you know you will get to eat a safe meal.  Here are a few of my favorite easy healthy gluten free recipes to make and take.  Have a great week and enjoy the holiday.

Pesto Chicken Salad

Three Onion Wild Tuna Fish Salad

Seven Minute Egg Salad

Organic Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Idaho Potato Salad

Chili Shrimp and Chicken

Fruit Kebobs

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Blueberry and Blackberry Crumble Pie

Crustless Chocolate Pecan Pie

Quinoa Salad

Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Garlic Hummus

Guaco Tacos

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Recently I had the pleasure to hang out with fellow gluten free food bloggers and what a time we had.  We spent a lot of the time eating of course and then taking pictures of the food.  We were in an amazing setting in the woods that was so peaceful except for our giggling fits.

One of the meals we shared was a Dairy Free Cheese Fondue.  We dipped gluten free bagette, broccoli and cauliflower florets into the creamy fondue.  We also had a side of Sweet Italian Sausage that we could dip into the cheese on our plate so we could keep the fondue pot vegetarian for our vegetarian guests.

photo credit Gluten-Free Cat

This is not the first time I’ve made this fondue recipe.  My youngest son requested it for his birthday and after I made it the first time I was totally hooked.  I know if you give this a try you will be too.  This recipe is not mine but one from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic “Uncheese” Dishes.  I choose the Chedda Fondue from the selection of fondue recipes.  Yes there are quite a few in there like Pizza, Swiss, Smoky, Classic, Pub, and South-of-the-Border Fondue.

Not only are there fondue recipes but all of your favorite cheese recipes that are all non-dairy.  Each recipe is noted if it is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and more.  If you are living dairy free and miss that cheesy gooeyness, check out this book.

We made a single batch and I don’t think we had any leftovers.  When I made it for my son and two friends we did have some leftovers because he also had a broth fondue and a chocolate fondue to fill them up.  I took the chedda leftovers and mixed it into cooked pasta to make Mac & Cheese. Yum!

If you’re like me and there are certain cookbooks you really like to travel with but you don’t want to carry all your cookbooks, put them on your Kindle or iPad.  You can get The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook for your Kindle and be reading it right now.

For a more visual representation of this amazing fondue check out this short video.

Dairy Free Chedda Fondue Gluten Free Recipe

photo credit Gluten-Free Cat

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups water or plain nondairy milk  (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)

1 cup roasted red peppers (skin and seeds removed), or pimento pieces (I used a jar of organic roasted peppers)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup  raw cashews, or 1/3 cup cashew butter  (I used the raw cashews)

1/3 cup  quick-cooking rolled oats, or 1/4 cup flour (any kind, your choice)  (I used sorghum flour)

1/4 cup kuzu, arrowroot, or cornstarch  ( I used arrowroot)

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoon sesame tahini

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon each paprika and grated nutmeg

Instructions:

Place all the ingredient in a blender and process several minutes until the mixture is completely smooth.  Pour into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir and cook a few minutes longer until thick and smooth.  Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm over a very low flame.

Makes 4 cups (about 7-8 servings)

This opulent fondue is fabulous with button mushrooms, cauliflower chunks, bell pepper squares and cutes of sesame or her-seasoned whole-grain bread (gluten free for me!)

From The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, copyright Jo Stepaniak, reprinted by permission of the author.

Now I want to hear from you!  Let me know if you’ve tried this and what you think.  Also, what would you do with the leftovers, if you have any?

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Have you had a bad day and now you have to cook dinner?  This is the dinner that will help you feel better as you are cooking it!  The secret is all in the chicken.  If you’re also looking for a dairy free and gluten free recipe this is just what you want.

The first ingredient in this recipe is optional, a glass of wine.  This is for the cook and should not be used until the chicken in cooking in the oven.  This recipe also calls for a new ingredient from Daiya cheese.  They have created wedges of cheese that can be cubed or sliced for your recipes.  I found Cheddar, Jack, and Havarti with garlic and jalapeño peppers.

Those who read this blog often will know I’m not a big fan of buying my food in a package so when I do it’s for a specific purpose.  For this recipe I wanted a little cheese but living dairy and soy free as well as gluten free I needed to use something different.  If you keep these products to a minimum and be very purposeful with them, then you will only be using them once in a while and not every day.

When deciding what to stuff into your wonderful chicken that just helped you de-stress, don’t worry if you don’t have the exact ingredients that I have in the recipe.  You can put just about anything in there.  If I would have had peppers those would have gone in there with some spinach and the cheese.  Or how about a little avocado, bacon or salami and tomato with the cheese for a little west coast flavor.  Use your imagination and what you like and have on hand.

For the coating I like to use my favorite almond flour high in nutrients rather than a low nutrient flour.  Doing this can also keep this recipe Paleo and Primal for those who live within those parameters.    Almond flour will also create a nice little crunch.

So grab a glass of wine and pound the stress out of your day while making a great dinner.

Now I’d like to hear from you. How do you de-stress after a bad day?

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and one thing I know about most dads is they like a good meal.  As the person making the meal I like it to be an easy healthy gluten free recipe.  This recipe is sure to please both plus it’s also dairy free.  First it has sausage and potatoes which I know is a favorite of many guys.  For those making the dish you can have the base created, store it in the refrigerator overnight and when it’s time to serve finish up the topping and it’s good to go.

Now you might be asking how is sausage and potatoes healthy.  First let me say anytime you are into your kitchen cooking from whole ingredients where you can have control over what goes into your food, well you’re going to eat a lot more healthy than just opening a box of something.  Now potatoes, especially organic potatoes, provide a good source of Vitamin C, B6 and Potassium without the pesticides.  As for the sausage, we’ll just keep the portions of that to a respectable size of two links for the entire pie which makes 16 slices.  If you like you can always swap out mushrooms for the sausage.  Of course if you eat the entire pie yourself, well then you’re on your own.

Another way to keep the sausage more to your liking with less fat and filler than the best thing to do is make your own.  I have a few recipes on this site but you might want to  use the Sweet Italian Sausage recipe.

When serving this pie I suggest a nice big green leafy salad with a simple Easy Healthy Gluten Free Salad Dressing.

With this recipe, as with any of my recipes I like to give you options so please read all the way through the recipe.  If you create more options I’d love to hear them so please share.

Disclosure:  I was compensated for creating a recipe for the Idaho® Potato Commission.  All opinions shared are my own.

You can also view this recipe on the Idaho® Potato Blog.

This gluten-free and dairy-free dish of Sautéed Endive, Mushroom and Crisp Pancetta with Wine will melt in your mouth and make your body dance with joy (read on to see why).   It will also have your diners asking for more.  Shhh plus I snuck in a bonus recipe for the Almond Chicken I served this with at dinner.

In fact it was so good I only had time to grab my iPhone to get a picture before it was devoured.  This dish was so fast and easy to make and tasted so amazing that I will be making it many more times for sure.   Maybe the next time I make it I’ll steal some off to my photo table to get more shots.

Let me share just a little about the ingredients before I share the recipe.  Endive might be one of those items you passed over in the grocery store because you were not sure what to do with it.  Let me assure you there are many ways to enjoy endive but more importantly I’m going to give you the reasons why you should give them a try.

Endive are of course low in calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol free.  They are loaded with vitamins and minerals our bodies need such as vitamins B and C, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, folate and selenium.  Plus they are a good source of both beta-carotene and potassium.   If you are looking to have more fiber in your diet and you don’t eat whole grains then endive is a great option since it’s high in complex fibers.  It also aids in digestion including helping to remove toxins from your digestive track.    Are you sold yet?

I love to put them into a pan and sauté or keep them raw and fill them with amazing morsels of shrimp and crab or maybe something as simple as egg salad.  They are really very versatile.  Don’t forget if you are a smoothie or juice goddess like me, toss them into your morning smoothie and get all of those health benefits in your drink.

Mushrooms, especially the Shiitake mushrooms used here are also filled with great health benefits.  Mushrooms are a great source of your B vitamins and minerals such as selenium, copper and potassium.  Mushrooms have been shown to help protect against some cancers and are full of antioxidant power.  But here are my two favorite benefits of mushrooms.  They are one of only a few sources of Vitamin D in real food, not added or fortified.  Plus mushrooms, especially shiitake, oyster and split gill mushrooms contain beta-glucans that have been shown to stimulate immunity in our bodies helping us resist allergies and help in the process to metabolize fats and sugars in our bodies.

So now you see why your body will be doing the happy dance with both endive and mushrooms helping your body stay healthy.  Now this recipe does include pancetta which you can add more or less or even take out completely to keep this a vegetarian and vegan recipe.  Serve this recipe for your best dinner party or your Tuesday night family dinner.   Either way, get these great ingredients on to your plate and into your body.

You may be wondering why this recipe is titled a Dairy Free Chocolate Whipped Cream, Mousse or Icing recipe.  Well first it’s gluten and dairy free because I use coconut milk and make sure all of the other ingredients fit the bill.  Next when you make this recipe you can use it for either whipped cream, a mousse especially if you put it into the refrigerator after you make it or use it as icing on a cake, cupcake, brownie, donut, cake pop, cookie or anything else you want to top with icing. Obviously my favorite is my finger!

This is a fast recipe to make but only if you do the set up.  Everything MUST BE COLD.  That means the bowl and beaters used to whip the coconut milk and the coconut milk itself.

If you follow these simple directions then you will have Chocolate Whipped Cream, Mousse or Icing any time you want it.  Yes I said anytime so be careful.  But of course always keep 2 cans of coconut milk in your refrigerator just in case you need to whip up a batch.  And once you get the hang of this I’m sure you’ll be playing around with flavors.  Maybe you want to add in a different flavor like strawberry or even chocolate mint.  Be creative and experiment.  Please let me know what you create.  Take a picture and send it to me and I’ll happily share it with your name on it.

Now if you want the traditional Vanilla Whipped Cream, here is that recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cans of organic coconut milk 13.5 ounces, full fat not light and not in a carton

1 tsp Mexican Vanilla or any pure vanilla

1/4 cup sweetener, agave, coconut nectar or powdered sugar works well

1/4- 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder, make sure it’s gluten free (I used Scharffen Berger)

coconut water from milk can

Directions:

Put your coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 days and your bowl and beater for at least 1 hour.

Open the cans of milk and carefully scoop out the solid coconut milk into your mixing bowl leaving the watery liquid behind in the can.

Start your standing mixer on low speed.

Once the coconut milk as started to spread out, add in the vanilla and sweetener.

Once that is combined turn it on medium high and let it start to whip.

Slow your mixer down again and add in the chocolate.  Once the chocolate is combined turn the mixer up to high.

If the cream is two thick you can always add in a little of the coconut water that was left in the can.  It’s really just a matter of the consistency of your whipped cream.  I’ve never had two batches use exactly the same amount of that water.

Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed throughout this process and of course pick who gets to lick the beater and bowl!

If you put this into a bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour it will have more of an icing or mousse consistency.

I want to wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day.  I think it’s probably the one day where more people will touch their food than just fork it.  On this day more people go to their kitchens and cook a meal for the one they love.

They are either preparing a special meal for themselves and maybe someone else too.  Maybe it includes chocolate and strawberries where you have to pick them up to eat or serve them.  Maybe you’re preparing a nice piece of fish with broiled asparagus or seafood ravioli with a lobster sauce (requested in my house).  Whatever it is, as long as you are starting with real food, single ingredient items, well you’ll be touching your food.  In the case of the strawberries also licking your fingers.

This my friends is a wonderful thing.  Get to know what you are eating.  How does it feel?  What does it smell like?  How is it best prepared?  This will go a long way to better health and a better relationship.  Think about it.  Would you be all excited if your special someone opened a frozen TV dinner and served that to you?  Even a box of takeout says you’re only eating because they deliver.  That does not say I love you.  Not to them or to yourself.

Now I’m sure some folks may take offense about this, but I have no problem telling you what I believe in my heart.  Get into the kitchen and touch your food.  Cook real food.  Food without labels. Not frozen meals unless they are your leftovers made into fast meals.   Try to get as much organic if you can but if you are picking and choosing, always check the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 Lists from EWG.  These are foods that absorb the most toxins from pesticides or the least.  I really don’t think a plate full of pesticides says I love you either.

If you are looking for ideas for a holiday meal, visit my category, Holiday Menu.  If you’re looking to learn some new cooking skills or even how to prepare a specific recipe, check out Rouxbe cooking school videos online (affiliate).  More about this soon but just to let you know they are offering $100 off a year long plan for a full access pass.  If you still need a gift today check it out before midnight tonight.  Also check your local papers for cooking classes near you and go take one.  Grab that special someone and even do it together.

When buying meats look for grass fed beef, no antibiotics or hormones and with fish look for wild caught.  Just be careful of those trick words like Natural, it really doesn’t mean anything.  Look for locally grown or raised and support your neighbors.

Today, and hopefully for the rest of your life, please love yourself and those you feed with healthy foods.  Cook for them, taste how good these wonderful meals you make with fresh ingredients really are.   Touch your food and don’t just say fork it!

My gift to you today is a free lesson on How to Handle a Chef’s Knife.  This is key to getting into the kitchen and cooking.  Just click the video and enjoy!  Much love- Diane

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

This is the easiest pecan pie I have ever made.  After reading Shirley’s Easy Crustless Gluten-Free Peacan Pie I thought I had to give it a try.   I wanted something sweet for my sweetheart but fast and easy for me to make.  I don’t think you have to try and equal the amount of time you spend in the kitchen to how much you love someone.  Just making something scrumptious to eat says I love you.

Thank you Shirley for all the great recipes you create on gluten free easily and showing us how it really can be easy to live gluten free.

There were a few ingredients I either didn’t have or don’t eat from Shirley’s recipe, so I made substitutes and this is what I came up with.  Now some of the changes I made probably made it a little different but everyone who ate the pie loved it.  So, it’s a keeper.  I think the next time I make this I’m going to use either a few small pie tins so I can easily freeze the leftovers or use my muffin pan to make the serving sizes more manageable or I should say controllable.  One can really start digging into this pie with a spoon and the next thing you know you’ve eaten two servings worth, burned your mouth because you didn’t wait for it to cool and you’re running around trying to make it look like you didn’t eat as much.  But I’m sure that will never happen so never mind.

Sometimes when folks serve a Crustless Gluten-Free Pecan and Chocolate Pie they want to top it off with whipped cream.  Go right ahead.  I make a dairy free version from coconut milk.  If you want a little more chocolate you can just add a little cocoa powder right into your whipped cream and use that as your topping for this pie.

Now here is the good part.  Lets say it’s Valentines Day and you’ve made a wonderful dinner.  Before you sit down to eat pop this into the oven.  It will take a little while to cook and then cool but that will give you time for a nice, long, leisurely dinner and maybe a little walk afterwards.  Then you can have this wonderful pie waiting for you.

So what are you going to make for your Valentine?  Check out these gluten-free sites for some great inspiration:

Cook it Allergy Free

Celiacs In The House

Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

The Daily Dietribe

Simply …Gluten-Free

Kalyn’s Kitchen (not a gf site but many of her recipes are or can easily be adapted)

Recipe for Crustless Gluten-Free Pecan and Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup agave (you can leave this out or even sub coconut nectar or honey)

1 cup maple syrup

6 organic eggs whipped

2 TBS non-dairy butter melted (Earth Balance soy free)

2 tsp Mexican vanilla

2 1/2 cups organic pecans

1/4 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life GF,DF,SF)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all the liquid ingredients in a large bowl.  Add in the pecans and pour into a greased deep dish pie plate.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.

As soon as you remove from the oven sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.  Feel free to add in more if you’re really in that chocolate mood.

Wait until the pie has cooled before digging in.  Trust me on this one.

Keep in mind this is not a low calorie dessert so serve accordingly.

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.

I think zucchini is an amazing vegetable.  You can create so many different recipes that you can have something different every week.  I however have a very picky eater.  We have many discussions over the topic of potatoes not counting as a vegetable and raisins not counting as a fruit.  You can see I have a challenge on my hands but I do love a good challenge.  He will however eat my Zucchini Fritters.  I have a couple of secrets for your meat eaters of the family who you want to get a few more vegetables into their bodies.

Shhhh, If you make these a little smaller they make great finger food for a party like the Super Bowl this weekend.  Sneak in a few vegetables amongst the chicken wings.   You can even serve them with a little something to dollop on top like a sour cream either made from dairy or cashews like I used for the Best Ever French Onion Dip or the Pumpkin Dip.

These are also great to make the same time you are making my Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Zucchini.  You can use the extra insides of the zucchini that you’ve removed to stuff them.

So the first secret is a little bacon or pancetta.  I’ll crisp some up in a pan as a topping for the fritters and then cook the fritters using a little of the pancetta oil created.  I realize this is like cheating but he’s eating mostly vegetables since I only cook up 1 or two slices of the meat.

The second secret is if you also have someone who you have a hard time getting to eat vegetables, don’t shred the zucchini like is often done, finely chop it.  I use the food processor.

If you want to keep them completely vegetarian you obviously want to skip the whole pancetta step.  You can use coconut oil and keep the healthy fats.  Either way I don’t use very much oil in the pan as these are not deep fried, just cooked more like a pancake.

Ingredients:

1 organic zucchini whatever leftover zucchini fillings you have from making the stuffed zucchini.  If you have none add in another zucchini

1/3 large onion chopped

1 tsp Majestic Garlic or 1 clove garlic

1 organic egg

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour or your favorite flour

1/8 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Coconut oil or pancetta oil

Directions:

Cut the ends of the zucchini off and discard.

Cut the zucchini into 4 pieces.

Toss them along with the other zucchini, onion and garlic into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

In a separate bowl beat the egg.

Mix in the contents of the food processor into the bowl and add the flour and seasonings.

Using a tablespoon from your drawer, spoon this batter into your heated pan with either the pancetta oil or coconut oil and cook over medium high heat until browned.  Turn it over gently and finish cooking.

Remove from pan, sprinkle with a little salt if you like and serve.   You can also top them with the crisp pancetta if you like.

Hummus is the one thing that 3 out of 4 of people in my home will eat.  It’s vegetarian, a protein, as flavorful as you want and can be changed up in many ways and used with so many meals.  The two favorites at our house is this Garlic Hummus and my Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.  I’m experimenting to see what else I can toss in there to change up the flavor.  I just got a jar of peppadews and I’m thinking of giving that a go.  What about you?  What flavor hummus do you like?  Kalamata Olive, Sun Dried Tomato, Artichoke or Extra Spicy?

Now I’m sure you want to know my secret ingredient.  It’s the one thing that is the difference between a passable hummus and a really good  lick the bowl hummus.  It’s all in the tahini sauce.  I’ve tried 5 or 6 different brands, some organic and some not.  No one will even eat my hummus unless I use the Joyva Sesame Tahini.  It really does make all the difference in the world.  You can find this in most grocery stores but just in case you can’t I’ve shared my affiliate link.

If you want to make this dish for pennies instead of dollars, start with dried chick peas.  You can soak them all day and then toss them into the crockpot on low to cook overnight.  Drain the next morning and put in the refrigerator to cool.  They will be ready to mix up into the most amazing hummus and you will have saved a bundle.  Oh and you won’t have to worry about spending extra for a BPA free can to get BPA free chickpeas.

What you can serve with your hummus is also a long list of possibilities and all of these are gluten free of course.  Red, yellow or orange bell pepper strips, carrots, cucumbers, celery, radish, tomatoes, rice crackers, falafel, gluten free pita, chicken or lamb skewers.

What a great spread you could make with this for your Super Bowl party.  Mix us different flavors and have a large assortment of great things to dip into the hummus.  Keep in mind dipping your finger adds no additional calories, just keep that to your own plate.

Here is a tip from an ex-caterer.  You can make a big splash at your party with your serving containers.  For parties I like to put the hummus into scooped out red cabbage, green cabbage, peppers, and tomatoes.  People will think you had an expensive caterer create your spread but you can just smile and said you did it all!

Ingredients:

15 oz garbanzo beans BPA free can or cardboard container

2-3 TB Joyva Sesame Tahini

1 lemon juiced

1 tsp cumin

3 cloves of garlic or 3 tsp majestic garlic original or 1 whole bulb or roasted garlic

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt

1/3- 1/2 cup organic olive oil

Zaatar

Organic Olive Oil for the top

Directions:

Add to your food processor the chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, salt and peppers.

Turn on the processor and pour the oil in from the top.  You’ll want a creamy consistency.

Stop and taste and then adjust your seasonings and add more oil if you want it a little more creamy.

When serving drizzle the top with olive oil or create a crater in the center and add the garlic there.

I like to sprinkle on the Zaatar on top.

If you want to make this into the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus add in 2 whole large roasted red peppers, no seeds.

I love a quick meal, especially one that yields leftovers to keep me stocked in chicken legs for the month.  This is my version of that old classic shake and bake.  All you do is toss the ingredients into a plastic bag, shake it up and then bake.

You can of course use this recipe with any cut of chicken but the drumsticks are a really good value and they are very flavorful.  They also make great party foods because it comes with it’s own handle!  You can serve them for the big game.

You can also change up the spices to change the taste.  You can make it a little more spicy by adding in some smoked paprika instead of the sweet paprika and bump up the cayenne pepper a little.  For another option you can serve it with different dipping sauces.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups of garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup sweet paprika

1/2 tsp red and black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp toasted onion powder

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

large package of organic chicken legs

Directions:

Add all the ingredients into the bag, shake and then place onto a foil or parchment paper lined large cookie sheet.  Place into a 375 degree preheated oven.  Cook for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Serve with your favorite vegetables like Roasted Pee Wee Potatoes with Mushrooms and Green Beans.

This is one of those foods that once you make it, it will become a highly requested regular on your menu.  If you take it or make it for your Super Bowl party it will be all they talk about.   It’s hard to describe but the garlic is not overpowering and it totally lures you in and then makes you keep eating.

The secret ingredient for this pizza is the Majestic Garlic.  I found this at the farmers market in California in October when hanging out with some amazing gals.  I was cooking that night so I made a version of this pizza but instead of chicken we had fresh shrimp.  I cooked them up in a little of the leftover bacon grease.  Just a little adds so much flavor to the shrimp.

This pizza was destined for chicken since that is what I had on hand.  It was already cooked so I just warmed it up with some cooked bacon.  If you are cooking the chicken or shrimp for the pizza and you have a little bacon, pancetta, pepperoni or salami around toss it in together.  Oh and just a dab of the bacon grease if you have that.

As for the Majestic Garlic paste you will want to get your hands on some of this.  As you know garlic has been found to have many healthful properties.  It is said to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity and to help prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cancer.  Oh and rumor has it that it keeps away vampires.

The garlic pastes they sell come in many different flavors.  For this pizza I used the Sun-dried Tomato - Jalapeño.  For the Sausage and Bean Bake I shared in my newsletter, The WHOLE-istic Life, I used the Basil.  There is also Cilantro, Cayenne, Curry, Cucumber – Mint, Dill, Jalapeño and Original.  I’ve had almost every one and I’ve loved them all.  You can view their presentation to learn more about their products.  Once you taste it you’ll know why they are a 6 time winner of America’s Best Food Award.

I must admit when I first tried these and brought them home with me from California I tried for days to recreate the taste.  Well after tons of garlic and no success I called them and begged them to ship me some.  That was when I learned they were just about to start doing just that.  It took a couple of months to set up their system and my first order just arrived.

If you are a fan of hummus they make that also and it is amazing.  I’m thinking they must use some of their original paste in the hummus.  For those interested the products are raw and vegan so if you wanted to build a raw pizza this would be an ideal ingredient.

I hope you will give this recipe a try and please remember if you are not using this garlic paste it will in no way whatsoever taste anything like this recipe.  If you go online and order please tell them I sent you.  I do not receive any money from them and they have not given me any product for free or asked me to endorse them.  I just am in total love with this product.

Majestic Garlic Chicken and Vegetable Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

Pizza crust (I use Udi’s)

2 TB Majestic Garlic Sun Dried Tomato & Jalapeño flavor

1 small organic onion chopped

1 organic bell pepper chopped

1 organic zucchini rough chopped

2 portobello mushrooms sliced (can use your favorite mushroom)

1 organic chicken breast cooked (if uncooked cook it up in a little coconut oil and a dab of bacon grease)

2 slices organic uncured bacon cooked

Directions:

First you’ll want to prep all of your toppings.  I like to cook up the vegetables so they start to soften and caramelize.  I only cook one ingredient at a time so there is room in the pan to brown.  Also I keep my vegetables separate so my vegetarian son can eat too.  Once that is done you can create your pizza.

Spread the garlic paste onto the pizza shell.  Then I topped it with all of the vegetables.

Lastly the  meats if you are having any.  I like to warm up the bacon with the chicken prior to putting it onto the pizza.

Bake at a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes and serve.

If you want to keep it totally vegetarian leave off any meats or seafood.  If you want to keep it vegan you’ll need to find a base that has no eggs or honey in it either which can be done.

This is one dip you will want to make sure you have an abundance of items to dip into it. My favorites are potato chips, cassava chips, celery, carrots, peppers, cucumbers and my fingers.  This is great to also serve as a garnish for chicken or pork and is great as a spread for a wrap.  My favorite however is to eat it watching the Super Bowl game next month.

If you’re a long time subscriber to my newsletter you’ll recognize it from a very old newsletter.  I always like to share some recipes in the newsletter before I share them here.  Just another reason to subscribe. (link to the right)

Today I’m also going to update this recipe to keep it soy free too.  I do this by using Cashew Cream instead of the soy cream cheese and sour cream.  It works perfect and still highly addictive.

Best Ever Gluten and Dairy Free French Onion Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese (Tofutti gfdf)**

4 oz Sour Cream (Tofutti gfdf)**

2-3 large onions sliced thin

1 cup organic chicken stock *

1 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 tsp Butter (Earth Balance Buttery Spread Soy Free)

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut your onions in half and then into thin slices. A V-slicer or mandoline is great for this but if you don’t have those make sure your knife is very sharp.  Heat your pan on medium high. Heat up the oil and butter until it starts to ripple. Add in your onions and toss them around so they all separate and are coated with the oils. I like to use tongs to do this instead of a spoon or spatula. It gives me more control over the onions.

Keep an eye on them and as they start to brown mix them up so every onion has it’s chance to brown on the bottom of your pan. You’ll want them to brown deeply but not burn. Once they start to brown you can turn the heat level down so they continue to brown.

If you are using a non-stick pan instead of stainless it will not work as good, but it can still be done. This whole process can take 15-30 minutes depending on your pan and how many onions you have. Once you are happy with how brown they are, add in the chicken stock and reduce the liquid so it’s almost all gone.

Once this is done remove your onions and let them cool to room temperature.

In your food processor mix the two cheeses and the garlic powder. Scrape this out into a mixing bowl. Once the onions have cooled add them to the processor and chop them. You decide how small you want the onions to be. I don’t like big pieces of onion in my dip but you might.  If using cashew cream cheese instead mix in the chopped onions and garlic powder in a bowl.

Once these are processed add them to the cheese mixture and combine well. Give it a taste test and see if you want to add in any salt and pepper. Be warned, that taste testing can be dangerous to your waistline if you taste the whole bowl.

This makes a good size bowl of dip. Once your party is over, what can you do with the leftovers besides just dipping?

It makes an amazing sauce for your Swedish meatballs and noodles, a topping for a grilled chicken breast and a great addition to your brown gravy.

Notes: 

You can always substitute regular dairy for those who eat it.

* To keep this vegetarian use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.

** To keep this soy free use Cashew Cream Cheese

1. Soak the cashews in water for 3 hours. If you are short on time you can use hot water and soak for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Drain the water and add cashews, lemon juice, salt and water to very fast blender like a VitaMix (affiliate link).
3. Start off slow and increase in speed as the cashews begin to break down. Add in more water if needed. Blend until creamy. This took me 10 minutes going slow until the very end where I put the Vitamix on high.
4. Let this cashew cream set up in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a couple of days.

What could be better on a cold winter morning but hanging out with your family eating a nice warm breakfast that was fast and easy to make?  Maybe if you’re getting presents that day too!  Here is something that can help with the warm fast and easy breakfast.  The rest is up to you.

This is one of those recipes I have a hard time calling a recipe.  To me it’s more like a method.  It is easily made gluten free, dairy free, soy free and even vegetarian all in one muffin tin.  Having said that my math minded son figured out with all of the possibilities I’ve shared here, you could make 392 different versions and I didn’t even give you all the possible choices!

Easy Egg Cups with 392 Possibilities

First decide what you want as the base layer.  You can use thin slices of ham, turkey, prosciutto,cooked slices of bacon,  cooked sausage, cooked chorizo, smoked salmon, small corn tortilla, hash browns, flattened slice of gluten-free bread, spinach, kale, tomatoes, empty baked potato skin or anything else you can come up with to include.

Next you need an egg for each cup.

Then you can add in some cheese if you like even if it’s Daiya dairy, gluten and soy free.  If you eat dairy try parmesan, marscarpone, manchego, cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, or even cream cheese.

If your base layer is more on the neutral side like a tortilla, bread, potato and the like, you probably want to add in some spices.  Think about the flavors you enjoy.  Do you want Italian spices, Mexican, French or maybe even Spanish.  Just keep in mind these are small cups and dried herbs are more intense in flavor than fresh.

Now that you have layered your favorites into the greased muffin tins or ramekins, place into a 375 degree pre-heated oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the whites are cooked.  Mine took 22 minutes.

When they are done use a straight spatula to losen around the edges and place onto a plate to serve immediately.  Garnish your plate with a little fruit and you have a great meal that looks amazing and really all you did was layer a few items into a muffin tin.

Below will be Ham and Cheese or Tortilla Chili Egg Cups but please do not be limited by this.  Use some of the possibilities mentioned above and have fun!

One idea to engage the troops is to place the items out on the counter and let people put what they want into their pre-greased cup or muffin tin.  Put it into the oven while you open presents on Christmas morning and when you’re done breakfast will be served.  Keep in mind this is not just an idea for Christmas morning but for any morning, afternoon or evening.

I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season no mater what you’re celebrating and a Happy New Year!  I’m taking a little time off to spend with my family and I hope you get to do the same.  If you’ve missed any of my newsletters, including the last one with a big announcement, visit my WHOLE-istic Life newsletter page.    If you are looking for some gift giving ideas check out my Favorites page.

 Have a wonderful holiday season, stay safe and please cook good food for the people you love.

I’ve been saving this recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Toffee  just for Home for the Holidays…Gluten-Free Style.  This is sure to be an amazing daily blogging event taking place from Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 23 and is being hosted by Shirley at gluten free easily. There are 25 bloggers sharing their stories and recipes for the holidays.  There is also a ginormous prize bin that will have you picking your chin up off the floor with almost 100 prizes.  There are  books … including cookbooks, resource books; iPhone apps; gluten-free magazine subscriptions; tools to help you know if a product is safe you to eat; and much more.  For all the information see the schedule and prizes at the end of this post and visit the gfe announcement.

These 3 books have been awarded and this giveaway is closed.  However there is a new drawing every day so make sure you check out the schedule so you know where to show up!

Today we will have 3 prizes to enter to win on this blog.  You have until 10 pm EST on Wednesday November 30th to enter to win one of these three prizes:

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook from Elana’s Pantry.

Gluten-Free in 5 Minutes by Robin Ryberg

The Steamy Kitchen by Jaden Hair (not a 100% gf cookbook but many naturally or adaptable recipes)

Winners will be announced weekly on gfe.  Comments on this blog post will close at 10 pm on Wednesday November 30th.

To be entered to win, leave a comment on this blog post.

If you would like a few more entries or chances to win, here are some ways.  Just remember if you do any of these leave a comment here letting me know each one you did.  Don’t leave one comment with a summary.  Each comment here counts as an entry to win today’s prizes and to be entered into the drawing for the grand prizes.  You can:

Sign up for my newsletter

Sign up to receive my recipes by email

Like The WHOLE Gang on Facebook

Share this recipe on Pinterest  Use the Pin it button at top of post.

Sign up for recipes from gluten free easily

Like gfe on Facebook

TWEET this event using buttons at top.

Like this post on Facebook using buttons at top.

Google+ it using buttons at top.

Share it on LinkedIn using buttons at top.

Now remember there are tons of prizes and even multiple copies so if you don’t win here there will be a new giveaway every day until December 23rd.  Oh and here is the best part.  Every daily entry makes you eligible for the final giveaway, so the more blogs you visit and more entries you offer, the more your odds of winning the grand prize, second prize, or third prize will increase.  Winners of the daily giveaways will be announced weekly on gluten free easily, along with the final announcement sharing the final week’s winners as well as the grand prize, second place, and third place winners.

Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize (remember … all of your entries throughout this event are eligible for this final giveaway) 

Grand Prize–A top-of–the-line Vitamix—woohoooo! Specifically, Vitamix is offering its Super Healthy Lifestyle package, which includes a 5200 machine and a 32 oz. dry grains container for grinding your own, gluten-free flours. (affiliate link) Note that on Cyber Monday (11/28), Vitamix will be offering this package at $499 as part of its holiday special; that’s $50 off the normal price. The winner will also receive a copy of the e-book, Eat Fresh and D-Tox Your Life. This e-book is the perfect companion for this amazing Vitamix; read more here.  

Second Prize—A $150 shopping spree at Free From Gluten(freefromgluten.com). Free From Gluten is the largest gluten-free store offering everything from basic products like gluten-free flours and xanthan gum to those niceties like Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (hey, some would say those are essentials!) and special products like baguettes and ice cream cones. Take a moment to check out their site … I’ll wait … (tick, tick, tick, tick) … now wouldn’t it be fun to spend $150 at their site? 

Third Prize—Caveman Cookies giveaway package ($89 value). 

One large bag of each of the current three flavors , Original, Tropical, and Alpine($28.95 value) plus one large bag of the soon-to-be released new flavor, Rainforest ($9.95 value; will be shipped as soon as available; anticipated end of Dec); 1 large variety pack ($32.50 value), and 1 t-shirt ($17.50 value; your size, your color). 

Gluten and Dairy Free Toffee

Oh you’re going to like this one for sure but be warned you’ll be seeking the Toffee Anonymous support group.  Once you start eating this it’s hard to stop.  I made a batch and my family ate it all in just a couple of days.  I then made a batch and shared it with a group of gluten free gals and they ate it all in one day!  This will make great gifts for your family, friends, neighbors and even teachers.

Ever since I was a kid I can remember making food gifts for family, neighbors, teachers and other service workers to thank them.  We also would make extra to have around for guests that visited.  My mother and I would make pressed cookies that we would decorate with colored sugar.  I’d make chocolate chip cookies and she would make her famous brownies or 1,2,3,4 Cake.  We would hand them out and everyone was always happy to get a food gift.  The best gift of all was getting to be in the kitchen with my mom.   There is no greater gift that you can give your children than to bring them into the kitchen and teach them how to cook and bake for themselves and others.

I hope you will enjoy making this toffee as much as you do eating it and sharing it.  Grab some family members to help you in the kitchen and make a list of who you want to share this toffee with for the holidays.

If you are already a toffee fan than you know this recipe follows the basics set out some time ago and I’m not sure who to give the credit to.  Toffee using crackers is an old trick that I’ve put a spin on by using gluten free crackers and keeping it dairy free.

You may have noticed that my recipe has a little button Save Recipe.  This is a cool new system to keep track of the recipes you like in your own personal recipe box.  It will also make a shopping list from the recipes you save.  There are only a few of these on my site but I promise to start working on adding it to past recipes.  No more trying to remember where you saw that recipe you liked.  Enjoy!

If you are interested in the type of crackers I used they were from Natural Nectar and can be purchased at Whole Foods or through my affiliate link to Amazon where they sell them as a 12 pack, great if you are making gifts.

I wish you all the happiest of days during this holiday season.

Home for the Holidays Gluten-Free Style has begun and now it’s your turn to jump in.  Good luck and enjoy all of these amazing bloggers and fantastic prizes.

Here’s a complete listing of all the excellent bloggers participating followed by the list of prizes being given away.

Are  you still looking for something amazing to share with guests on Thanksgiving that is gluten and dairy free?  I was playing in the kitchen today and updated an old recipe of mine.  This pumpkin dip is a combination of pumpkin puree and cashew cream cheese.  Serve it with your favorite Ginger Snap Cookies, gluten and dairy free at my house.  This will keep them company while you are tinkering in the kitchen with the turkey.

Thank you for sharing my gluten and dairy free world.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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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When life gets too crazy or just too overwhelming, I cook.  I love to cook and spending a day in the kitchen really relaxes me.  Of course we then end up with tons of cooked food.  Funny these need to cook days are not scheduled and don’t happen to coincide with lots of people being at my house to eat all of this food.

Yesterday was one of those days.  I worked on creating some new recipes with new products.  I made some of my favorite comfort foods and I also worked on key ingredients needed for our Thanksgiving meal.

When I was at the grocery I picked up some turkey legs and wings, a beautiful chuck roast that was on sale, Sockeye Salmon and Lemon Sole both on sale, a long package of chicken drumsticks also on sale and two large pork butts which I asked the butcher to run through the grinder once.  As you can see I do love the sales.

Our refrigerators are now full of the following dishes and if there are any you would like me to share the recipe for,  I am more than happy to.

So yesterday I woke up early and decided I was going to cook.  I started with roasting the turkey parts at 450 degrees for 25 minutes along with onions and garlic.  When that was done I put the roasting pan on my stove, added in cold filtered water, fresh parsley and thyme sprigs, course Celtic Sea Salt, fresh cracked peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves.  Oh and the secret ingredient is apple cider vinegar with the mother.  I brought it to a boil, turned it down to simmer and covered it with foil.  This cooked from 7 am until 10pm.  It needs to cook for many hours and you can do this in a crockpot too.  I strained the stock, put it into all of those jars I save from salsas, sauces, sauerkraut and pickles.  I labeled it turkey stock and let it cool in the refrigerator.  This morning it went into the freezer and it will come back out for my Thanksgiving stuffing and gravy.  Making stock with bones is extremely good for you.  Read more here on all the benefits.

While the oven was still hot from the turkey, I made my version of shake and bake chicken legs.  These are super easy and very tasty.  They freeze up great and are perfect for the lunch box or meal at home.

I then got busy with the ground pork.  I had tons of it so I made my Pancetta Sage Sausage and froze it in portions for Thanksgiving stuffing.  I may use some of it around Christmas for Chipolatas too.  Then I made my Chorizo and froze that in useable portions.

I also made amazing little meatballs with some of the ground pork and ground turkey and a special ingredient that was given to me.  I’ll be posting this recipe soon.  You’ll want to make these for company.

With the last of the ground pork I made a sauce in the crockpot that I’ll use over pasta.  I sautéed shallots and shiitake mushrooms and then browned the pork.  Tossed in some fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  I added in  some pork stock that I had saved when cooking off a previous pork butt.  Always save the stock these meats make.

I had also purchased fish so I really needed to cook that.  The salmon I broiled with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper.  I served it with green beans with a little butter (Earth Balance soy free) and lemon squeezed on top.  Simple and yum!

It was requested that the lemon sole filets be breaded and fried.  This is what a cast iron skillet was made to do!  So I tossed the fish in a gluten free flour, dipped it into an egg and almond milk wash, and then rolled it in the good almond flour from Honeyville.  Fried it in a mix of coconut oil and olive oil and sprinkled it with a little salt.  So much better than those fish sticks in a box.  Oh and my secret is to sprinkle some garlic powder into the flour and onion powder and sea salt into the almond flour.  Shhh, don’t tell anyone.  Seasoning the first layer onto the protein and then the last layer or I should say the first layer you taste, is key to that saying, it has depth of flavor.

I happen to have more than one crockpot which comes in really handy.  I have different sizes and use them at least once a week.  I made a dish in the crockpot that I had made in the oven at the beach.  It was cannellini beans with sausage and a special garlic paste.  I have to say I liked the oven method the best but for pure comfort foods this dish is wonderful.  I’ll work on sharing this recipe too as it can feed a ton of people with not a lot of money or effort.

Last but not least is my Oven Roasted Beef Stew – one of my favorite comfort foods.  I made a huge pot full in my wonderful Le Creuset round French oven.  I’ll portion this out in my soup mugs and freeze it for those cold days when I really want a bowl of beef stew.  This is another one of those dishes that I think tastes the best cooked in the oven although the crockpot is a good second option.  Again one of the keys is that bone broth that not only tastes great but is really good for you.

When it was all said and done, I had created 8 dishes yesterday.   I then settled down with a nice glass of wine to see who was kicked off The Next Iron Chef.

So, what do you do to relax?

What recipes would you like me to share?

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Potato ricer

With Thanksgiving coming in just three short weeks, I’ve started working on my attack plan.  I do this every year.  Read here my plan from a couple of years ago.  I also have a blank planner tool you can also download and use yourself.  It says Thanksgiving Planner 2009 but you can just cross that off and write in 2011 if it bothers you.

Oh and before I forget if you are looking for my list of gluten and dairy free Thanksgiving recipes, go to my new Recipe page (see menu bar at the top of any page) where you’ll find those and a listing of many more of the over 400 recipes on this blog.  We’re adding more every day.

So what tools do you need around to make your Thanksgiving day easier?  I tossed that question up on Facebook and got some great answers.

Thanksgiving Tools to Make the Job Easier

Kim from Cook It Allergy Free listed a potato ricer, my Roasting Pan, my Baster, and my pretty casserole dishes!

Nooshin from For the Love of Food said a foot massager- for after standing up on my feet cooking all day!

Wendy from Celiacs in the House said  I bought some of those big turkey lifting forks and have used them for roasted chickens all year. They take away the danger and thrills of dropping those birds when lifting with tongs and forks or whatever we have on hand to transfer from pan to platter.

These are all great ideas. Let me add a few of my own.

A great butcher who will Spatchcock my turkey for me and then a big jelly roll pan to lay it flat on and cook it in 70 minutes!

A cooking thermometer that lets me know when that pretty bird is done cooking.

A very sharp knife to carve up the cooked bird which is so easy when you spatchcock it.

My trusty container of Kitchen Basics Turkey Stock to add to the pan drippings for a delicious gravy.

I too must have a potato ricer as it makes the most amazing mashed potatoes.

My double ovens so I can have the pies and stuffing cooking while the turkey roasts.

Tripple crockpot server to keep side dishes warm while I work on some of the others so dinner is not cold in spots.

People (especially those shown here)  to eat all of this food, a fire in the fireplace and the TV on all 3 NFL football games!  Pin It

my two boys and my parents

No matter if you like Halloween or Harry Potter, you’ll love these gluten and dairy free Cauldron Cakes.  They are super easy to make and will be a big hit no matter what your age.  These are so easy I won’t be giving a recipe but directions for assembly.

Cauldron Cakes for Halloween or Harry Potter Parties

Dip the bottoms into melted chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips) and place onto parchment paper to set.  Place 4 chips on the sheet so when you sent them down it will make it look like cauldron feet.  Sometimes those extra chips melt but that just means more chocolate.

Core out the center of the cupcakes with a spoon or one of those cool corers.

Fill the hole with icing and let it spill out the top. (I used Whole Foods)

Make the handles by melting chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips), put it into a plastic baggie and snip the corner to make a piping bag.  Draw the handles onto parchment paper and let them harden.  I like the freezer for the fast set.  Gently push the handles into the cupcake.

Really, that’s all there is to do.  I even took the cupcake centers I pulled out to make cake pops.  I will say that the hardest part is not licking your fingers all the way through.
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

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Gluten-Free comfort food is one of my specialties and I think Mac & Cheese has to be one of my favorite comfort food meals.  Truffled Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate in comfort and taste.  I also eat dairy free so all my recipes that would typically have cheese in them, have been created without it while keeping the traditional focus of a cheesy meal.  I’ve done this with my Mac & Cheese while also keeping it soy free.

When I was making my Curried Macaroni and Cheese, I also made this Truffle Macaroni and Cheese just in case the first one didn’t work out. Well both turned out great so we had a Mac & Cheese Party.  Of course we couldn’t eat it all so let me say they make great leftovers. Just make sure to heat thoroughly. However the Curried Mac & Cheese did not freeze then reheat well over time.

While shopping for the ingredients to make the macaroni and cheese I came across white truffle oil and black truffle oil. I’ve really wanted to experiment with these for some time so I thought, why not add mushrooms to a mac and cheese with a touch of this oil. How would that taste? Well it tastes amazing. The flavor of the truffle oil fills your mouth and navel cavities with an intense but subtitle flavor. Now if you are fascinated with truffles too, you’ll want to read David Lebovitz’s posts on Truffle Hunting and Black Truffle Extravaganza.

As I was wandering the market for mushrooms, they really didn’t have many to choose from that day so I choose cremini and oyster. I was hoping to find some shiitake mushrooms (great for your immune system, cardiovascular system, source of iron, B vitamins and fiber) but the two I used worked great. Now if they only had some truffles, then I would have been in hog heaven.

Making macaroni and cheese is a basic recipe with a bechamel sauce, cheese, macaroni and for me an assortment of flavors to combine to take it from plain mac & cheese to a wonderful meal.

This is one of those old fashion cook all day sauces that is totally worth it and really easy to make.  It’s easily adaptable to ingredients you like or just the ones you have on hand.

If you don’t have pancetta use uncured bacon or make this vegetarian and leave it and the chicken out.  If you don’t have cooked chicken and you want meat, you can add in cooked shredded pork loin or butt, maybe Sweet Italian Sausage, ground beef or cooked shredded beef brisket, shrimp, scallops or even lobster would work.  Come to think of it so would left over turkey from Thanksgiving!  It’s really one of those dishes that is extremely adaptable.

If you want to keep this recipe totally vegetarian or vegan add in mushrooms and some sun dried tomatoes or how about some kalamata olives and roasted sweet red peppers.  What are your favorite vegetables?  Cauliflower, broccoli, or summer squash would be nice additions to a pasta dish.

You should also use whatever pasta you want.  This recipe works with penne, elbows, shells, spaghetti, tagliatelle, fusilli, pagodas or curls.  Yes those are all available in a gluten free version and many from Schar made in Italy.

The key is letting this sauce simmer during the day so you end up with deep rich flavor of past sauces you may remember as a kid.  Well at least that was my childhood.  My mom always cooked from whole ingredients.  How lucky was I getting to grow up with great food and then being taught how to cook them.  Thanks mom!

One more adaptation for this recipe.  I happened to plant a San Marzano tomato plant this year and it has been producing tons of tomatoes.  I’m not a good gardener and once I plant something I rarely do anything else.  I kind of gave it a stake but it basically growing all over the garden.  It took over most of the basil and rosemary but as long as I don’t have to spend lots of time out there and it grows, I really don’t care.  I’m excited that I even got one tomato.  If you don’t have one of these great plants growing at your home and you can’t find any in the grocery store, then you can use canned tomatoes.  You just have to make sure they are San Marzano tomatoes.  That is what makes a really favorable sauce.

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I love Italian Sausage with spaghetti or with peppers and onions on a crusty sub roll, browned up in a hash, in a soup or on a stick.  I just love sausage and it’s really easy to make your own and keep it gluten and dairy free.

Before I started making sausage it sounded like something that should be really complicated.  I had in mind sausage links that you see hanging in the markets.  Well those are dried sausages which do take more work.  But what I make is fresh sausage and it really can be as easy as mixing.

Now you can grind your own pork butt or to make it ever easier, you can also buy ground pork.  Just remember to ask questions about any ground meats you buy to make sure it’s just ground meats.  The easiest way to get the consistency you want is to get the butcher to grind the pork butt for you while you shop.  You can have it ground course or fine, however you like your sausage.

Did I mention it will also save you money to make your own sausage?  A pork butt ground up costs almost $2-8 per pound less than buying sausage.  This can add up.  Also when you buy sausage you really need to pay close attention to the ingredients list.  If it has more than meat and spices then you are paying for things you don’t need or want.

I like to make my own Italian sausage, sweet and hot, breakfast sausage, Chorizo, Chipolatas and my favorite Pancetta Sage Sausage that I use in my stuffing mix for Thanksgiving.

Now don’t get all crazy when you see lots of ingredients because they are just spices.  Grab them all, toss them into a bowl and then you only have a few things to mix together.

Well I shared my Chicken Meatballs Recipe with you last week and I thought just in case you missed this recipe in my newsletter, you might like the side dish I served with them.  So here are my gluten and dairy free Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

If you’re thinking you don’t like Brussels sprouts I challenge you to make these to give them a try.  I know you’re thinking about those over boiled sulfurous smelling vegetables you were told to eat as a kid.  However, if you cook them properly you will have a delicious sweet dish.  Trust me, have I let you down yet?

What’s so good about this recipe?

1. Anything cooked with bacon tastes great so why not?
2. They are loaded with Vitamin A and C plus healthy quantities of fiber, iron, phosphorus and potassium.

Start off with a good choice when bringing home your Brussels sprouts.  Look for firm, green, uniform sized Brussels sprouts with no browning leaves.   The smaller the sprout the sweeter and more tender they will be so if you’re taking the challenge because you think I just might be right, then go for the small ones.  Store loosely wrapped and no longer than 3 days as the longer they are around the more their flavor intensifies.  I love when I find them on a stalk and can pick them off myself.  They are in season from late August through March so go shopping now.  Let me hear how yours turn out.

I’m always looking for ways to get good food into my family, especially my teenager who is the pickiest eater I have ever met.  He’s even more picky than I was at his age and that’s saying something.  For some reason I can usually get him to eat meatballs.  I have learned to get really creative in what I incorporate into meatballs.  Earlier this year I shared my Meatballs with a Heart.

The secret to these Chicken Meatballs, they have chia seeds in them.  Chia seeds are good for many things including controlling your blood sugar.  It slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars.  They are also rich in Omega 3′s and have more than salmon.

I served these Chicken Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper  and Garlic Aioli Sauce (Kalyn’s Kitchen) and my Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Recipe which I shared in my newsletter.  The combination of the chicken meatballs with the sauce was really a party in your mouth.  For Kalyn’s recipe I made my own roasted red peppers because I couldn’t find any organic ones in a jar and sweet bell peppers are one of the dirty dozen. You know the foods that absorb the highest levels of pesticides and if you can pick organic for anything, pick it for those listed on the Dirty Dozen.  Jar peppers work great but I would still recommend organic.

Can you name all of the Dirty Dozen?  I use my iPhone app to help me remember.

I love gnocchi but I have not had any since I started living gluten free.  Everyone told me making gluten-free pasta was easy and after I finally tried making it, I realized they were right.  I’ve also heard that making gluten free gnocchi was easy, but you know I’m a show me kind of gal.  So I picked up 4 large russet potatoes at the market and challenged myself to go for it.  I only needed 3 potatoes but I wanted an extra just in case I opened one up and it was black.

If you can bake potatoes, boil water and roll dough out like a snake then you can make gnocchi.  Oh, and you need to like to play with your food with a fork but not necessary.

I served this with thin pork cutlets that were inspired by Roger Mooking.  He made Panko Schnitzel.  Well Panko is great to use because it’s very light and holds the crisp, but if you are living gluten free it is off limits.  It’s Japanese Bread Crumbs so pass on that.  But I loved how he took the center cut of a boneless pork loin, sliced it and pounded it thin.  You’ll want to do the triple dip (gf flour, egg, gf bread crumbs) and fry them.  This makes your meat go a long way and that means saving money.  Love that.  I’m freezing my leftover to use for sandwiches with peppers, onions and red sauce, a Mexican Stack, and maybe even Eggs Benedict.  There are a ton of ways to use these little gems.

If after eating this you decide that making gluten-free pasta is as easy as I said, take the next step and make your own Lasagna!

Now, let’s get busy making those gnocchi.  It was so easy, that I went so fast I forgot to take very many photos.  You’ll just have to read most of this one.

One more note of importance.  According to Jacqueline Mallorca, author of Gluten-Free Italian: Over 150 Irresistible Recipes without Wheat–from Crostini to Tiramisu, the type of potato used is key to avoiding gummy gnocchi.  Stick with the russets which are floury bakers and stay away from waxy Yukon golds.

Don’t you just love those dishes that you take one bite and your mouth is filled with amazing taste that filters out to all of your senses.  Well that is what we have here.  It’s not one of those pasta dishes where the pasta is swimming in the sauce, instead the sauce just wraps itself around the pasta and shrimp ensuring that every bite is amazing.

This flavor combination is so wonderful I can see changing out the shrimp for broccoli and chicken.  I’ll work on that next week.

This recipe makes 4 servings so why not invite a few people to dine with you.  This makes a great presentation and all you really need is a dark leafy green salad and you are good to go.  Oh and don’t forget the white wine.

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.

OK here is the first announcement.  I will be hosting Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free here in July.  I really enjoyed hosting last October with the Scared Silly theme and the post Gluten-Free at Hogwarts.

This year the theme is It All Ends Here!  This is the tag line for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2.  Part 2 comes out July 15th so I thought it was appropriate to have this as a theme.  Well and there is that whole obsession thing but let’s focus on the food.

Of course when it comes to food this would pertain to anything  you would serve last or at the end of a meal.  Desserts, drinks, or whatever you fancy.

This fun event was started by Naomi Devlin from Straight To Bed, Cakefree and Dried.  Visit her site for this year’s list of who is hosting and what their theme will be.  I love that this event travels around from blog to blog each month.

Join the fun and participate!

• Everyone can participate and submit a recipe! If you don’t have a blog yourself or your blog isn’t gluten free, that’s okay. For this event though, the recipe has to be gluten free.

• If you don’t have a blog, in your e-mail submission be sure to include the complete recipe, commentary, and photo so I can add them to the wrap-up post.

• If you have a blog post your entry there and please be sure to link back to this post. Submit your link and photo via e-mail to the address below.

• Submissions are due to me at diane at thewholegang.org by Tuesday July 26th so that all the recipes can be posted together at the end of the month.  I will of course conjure a wonderful story to wrap your delicious recipes in and post it at the end of the month so please come back to see how I wove them together.

• Please be sure to let me know if you have any questions – you can ask them in the comments section or find me on Facebook!

If you were not a fan of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie from last week because you can’t eat chocolate (what other reason would there be) then you’ll love this gluten and dairy free Deep Dish Coconut Cream Pie.  It’s just as easy and you will definately get more coconut bang for your buck.

This is again another adaptation of Elana Amsterdam’s wonderful recipes.  As many of you know I really don’t like long recipes when it comes to baking and Elana doesn’t have any of those.  I don’t consider myself a baker but I’m starting to now.  Well I have to say that Elana’s Pantry makes such great recipes that even with my shortened baking attention span I can look like a baking rock star.

I also have a secret to share.  Lean in because I’m only going to whisper this once.  Her new Gluten-Free Cupcake Cookbook is on pre-sale for only $9.03.  If I were you I’d jump on that like ants to a picnic.  You never know when they are going to put that price back up to the regular list price.

OK so back to the Coconut Cream Pie.  Make sure when you purchase shredded coconut that you look for the highest quality and make sure it doesn’t have added sugar.  Organic is great.

So first you want to make the crust.  I used the Coconut Pie Crust recipe from Elana’s first cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  It’s really great as it adds in coconut to the crust and uses coconut oil.

I then followed her recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie but I didn’t add in any chocolate.  Instead I just kept it vanilla.  Now it didn’t set up as firm as the chocolate but it still works great and tastes amazing.

I used my deep dish pie plate for this recipe as I wanted to capture every drop of filling and topping.

For the topping I added my Coconut Milk Whipped Cream and sprinkled it with toasted coconut.  This is my husband’s favorite pie and I was very happy to make it for him for his 50th birthday.  I’d offer you a slice but he ate it already.

My family loves gluten and dairy free chocolate peanut butter cream pie.  So much so that when I went away for the weekend recently it was requested I make one before I leave.  Since it’s so easy I was happy to do so. I like it because it’s also vegan and grain free. This recipe makes two pies in an 8 inch pie plate or one pie and pudding cups on the side.

I start with Elana’s Pantry Chocolate Cream Pie recipe.  The crust is made with almond flour so you know it’s full of great nutrients and protein.  I double the crust recipe when making this into two pies.

The peanut butter layer was requested by my son.  He loves chocolate and peanut butter together.   I heated the peanut butter and then mix in powdered sugar.  1 Cup of peanut butter and 2 TB of powdered sugar.  Mix them together and smooth into the bottom of the cooked and cooled pie crusts.

Follow the directions for the chocolate cream filling.  If you do not make two pies you will have leftover filling which is basically wonderful pudding.  Put it into cups to eat later.  Or  you can use a deep dish pie plate and make one big pie.  I might have to do this the next time.  Although with two smaller pies we get to enjoy it longer.

I let the pies set up in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.  This of course is the hardest part, the waiting.

As you see if left in the refrigerator without a cover a skin forms on the top just like with any pudding you would make.  If you don’t like that make sure you cover it.

This pie is also great topped with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream or just eat it plain.  Be forewarned, it is really good and it won’t last long.