I've lost count of how many ways I've made chicken and rice, but here's another one...
Baked Chicken #???
Roll the chicken pieces in gf flour and season generously with:
- salt & pepper
- onion & garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- turmeric
- tarragon
- sweet basil
Drizzle a little olive oil over and bake about 20 min. Flip the pieces over and season again. Bake till done. Serve with Jasmine Rice!
Yellow & Green Squash
1. Slice a large sweet onion, and a several yellow and zuchini squash. Keep in mind that they cook down ALOT.
2. Layer them alternately with salt, pepper and olive oil added to each level. Don't skimp on the salt! Simmer on low until the squash is soft and juicy.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Herbs, Glorious Herbs... Spaghetti & Meatballs
This is one of those recipes that compels me to say, "GROW HERBS!"
Until you have used fresh or freshly dried herbs, you can not imagine the difference. The aroma is truly heavenly and wafts throughout the house. I mean it. The smell of herbs will be in heaven- I'm certain! If you're ever stressed- sit in the midst of an herb garden and breathe deeply. You can literally feel your stress drain away. Herbs I love the most: sweet basil, Thai basil, spicey basil (do you see a theme here?), tarrogon and thyme- most of which are in this recipe. The secret to this recipe is lots of potent herbs. Use them generously.
As a side note... if you decide to grow herbs, drying them is a breeze. Cut and tie them into big bunches at the end of the summer (label the bunches). Hang them upside down and let them dry out until the leaves start to fall, then transfer them to large brown paper bags (each bunch in a separate bag). Once they have completely dried, i.e. are very crunchy- pull the leaves off into the paper bag and throw the branches away. Once all the leaves are off, sink your hands down into the leaves and roll them together between your hands, crushing them as much as possible (you have to do this over and over until you've crushed them all). Put them in glass jars and enjoy immensely throughout the whole winter!! I usually crush them some more when I use them (grab some in my hand and crush/roll them into the food) since I'm never patient enough to get them thoroughly crushed the first time around.
Herbed Home-made Spaghetti and Meatballs
Meatballs: Saute a large, finely chopped onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic.
Mix them with: 2 lb of ground beef, a handful or two of GF breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, and a generous sprinkling of basil, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Shape it into meatballs and brown them in the oven at 400 (keep an eye on them, it doesn't take more than 10-15 min.).
Sauce: Blend 1 large gallon-size bag of tomatoes (I freeze all of my tomatoes in ziplocs; if you don't, just use it as a measurement.) Mix it with a.... you got it- generous supply of herbs!... such as basil, parsley, thyme and tarragon, going heaviest on the tarragon. Salt & pepper, and sprinkle a little bit of sugar in. Simmer the sauce until it is think and yummy, tasting and tweaking as you go. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce and serve with GF pasta.
Until you have used fresh or freshly dried herbs, you can not imagine the difference. The aroma is truly heavenly and wafts throughout the house. I mean it. The smell of herbs will be in heaven- I'm certain! If you're ever stressed- sit in the midst of an herb garden and breathe deeply. You can literally feel your stress drain away. Herbs I love the most: sweet basil, Thai basil, spicey basil (do you see a theme here?), tarrogon and thyme- most of which are in this recipe. The secret to this recipe is lots of potent herbs. Use them generously.
As a side note... if you decide to grow herbs, drying them is a breeze. Cut and tie them into big bunches at the end of the summer (label the bunches). Hang them upside down and let them dry out until the leaves start to fall, then transfer them to large brown paper bags (each bunch in a separate bag). Once they have completely dried, i.e. are very crunchy- pull the leaves off into the paper bag and throw the branches away. Once all the leaves are off, sink your hands down into the leaves and roll them together between your hands, crushing them as much as possible (you have to do this over and over until you've crushed them all). Put them in glass jars and enjoy immensely throughout the whole winter!! I usually crush them some more when I use them (grab some in my hand and crush/roll them into the food) since I'm never patient enough to get them thoroughly crushed the first time around.
Herbed Home-made Spaghetti and Meatballs
Meatballs: Saute a large, finely chopped onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic.
Mix them with: 2 lb of ground beef, a handful or two of GF breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, and a generous sprinkling of basil, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Shape it into meatballs and brown them in the oven at 400 (keep an eye on them, it doesn't take more than 10-15 min.).
Sauce: Blend 1 large gallon-size bag of tomatoes (I freeze all of my tomatoes in ziplocs; if you don't, just use it as a measurement.) Mix it with a.... you got it- generous supply of herbs!... such as basil, parsley, thyme and tarragon, going heaviest on the tarragon. Salt & pepper, and sprinkle a little bit of sugar in. Simmer the sauce until it is think and yummy, tasting and tweaking as you go. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce and serve with GF pasta.
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Wonderful Combination of Maple and Cranberries
This is an easy breakfast that I love:
Maple-Cranberry Cereal
Cook brown rice cereal according to package instructions (I grind my own brown rice, but you can buy it too). Mix in a spoonful of virgin coconut oil for a plethora of health benefits, then sprinkle with walnuts and cranberries. Drizzle with maple syrup- and a little rice milk if you like. This is yummy, and I don't even like hot cereal!
Maple-Cranberry Cereal
Cook brown rice cereal according to package instructions (I grind my own brown rice, but you can buy it too). Mix in a spoonful of virgin coconut oil for a plethora of health benefits, then sprinkle with walnuts and cranberries. Drizzle with maple syrup- and a little rice milk if you like. This is yummy, and I don't even like hot cereal!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Chicken at Nathanael's
Numerous allergic reactions and infections later, I think I'm beginning to make my way back. Wow- this may be a mild winter for most people but not me. It's been a tough one. Thankfully, things are looking up now and I actually created a new recipe recently- in collaboration with my son Nathanael. It may sound a little funky but it was really good. I'm making it again tonight!
Spicey Banana Chicken
Saute red onions and carrots in olive oil. Add diced chicken breast and continue cooking, seasoning with McCormick's Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt (I love this stuff) and Chipotle powder. When the chicken is cooked thoroughly add a few handfuls of lettuce mix and wilt it into the chicken mixture. Serve over rice and top with diced banana. Enjoy!
Spicey Banana Chicken
Saute red onions and carrots in olive oil. Add diced chicken breast and continue cooking, seasoning with McCormick's Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt (I love this stuff) and Chipotle powder. When the chicken is cooked thoroughly add a few handfuls of lettuce mix and wilt it into the chicken mixture. Serve over rice and top with diced banana. Enjoy!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Salsa Supper
If you can't eat wheat, corn, or dairy, it rules out nearly every southwestern-style dish. Initially, I had nothing comparable when everyone else was eating their tacos and burittos. I eventually came up with what I call "The Salsa Supper" and it's surprisingly satisfying given that so many things are missing.
The gist of it is: layer all kinds of things on rice (pretty much the gist of my entire cuisine). I learned to make salsa from my sister Twyla and below are a few really good combinations. Remember, great cooking is the art of sprinkling & tasting, sprinkling and tasting. Relax and be bold! A variety of salsas, gualcamole, seasoned chicken, black beans and rice tortilla chips, layered on top of Jasmine rice is really good- even without the coveted cheese!
Salsa Supper Chicken #1
Saute diced onion and garlic in olive oil. When transparent, add diced chicken breasts. Season with fresh ground salt and pepper, cilantro and basil (or whatever herbs you like), and cook till tender.
Salsa Supper Chicken #2 (courtesy of Twyla)
Cook chicken breasts in a crockpot, seasoned with cumin, ground oregano, salt & pepper. Shred.
Black Beans #1
Mash the black beans a little and fry in some olive oil. Season to taste.
Black Beans #2
(We also eat this as a meal itself with ground beef browned into the onions & garlic, served over rice, and with guacamole on top. It is one of our very favorite meals!)
Saute 1 large, diced, red onion and 3-4 cloves minced garlic in olive oil. Blend/grate about 6 plum tomatoes and mix into the onions, along with 2 cans drained & rinsed black beans (or 1 lb made from scratch). Season with generous amounts of balsamic vinegar, raw sugar (or regular), chili powder, salt & pepper. Everytime I make this I have to add more of everything after the first time or two. It really takes quite a bit of the seasoning to get that "this is great" flavor.
Guacamole
1-2 avacados mashed & sprinkled with lime juice (lemon works ok too). Mix in: finely chopped red onion, 2 cloves minced garlic. Season with: fresh ground salt & pepper, smoked paprika, and cilantro or spicey basil.
Red Salsa (from Twyla)
Mix together according to taste:
blended tomatoes
minced garlic,
diced & seeded chili pepper
salt, cumin, & ground oregano
cilantro
Opt.: sliced green onions
Salsa Verde (also from Twyla)
Mix together according to taste:
blended tomatillos
mashed avacado
salt, garlic & cilantro
Pico de Gallo
Mix together according to taste:
Several diced tomatoes (nicer-dicer works great for this- cut the tomatoes in half, cut-side up)
diced red onion & garlic
1/4-1/2 seeded and finely diced jalapeno
fresh cilantro
salt, pepper (& I like a tad of sugar)
Rice Tortilla Chips
Rice tortillas (health food store) brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Place on baking sheets and broil on both sides till lightly browned (they will burn SUDDENLY, so watch out!!). Break them into pieces.
Other things to layer on top:
fresh or sauted onions
sliced green onions
fresh cilantro
diced tomatoes
avacodo slices
The gist of it is: layer all kinds of things on rice (pretty much the gist of my entire cuisine). I learned to make salsa from my sister Twyla and below are a few really good combinations. Remember, great cooking is the art of sprinkling & tasting, sprinkling and tasting. Relax and be bold! A variety of salsas, gualcamole, seasoned chicken, black beans and rice tortilla chips, layered on top of Jasmine rice is really good- even without the coveted cheese!
Salsa Supper Chicken #1
Saute diced onion and garlic in olive oil. When transparent, add diced chicken breasts. Season with fresh ground salt and pepper, cilantro and basil (or whatever herbs you like), and cook till tender.
Salsa Supper Chicken #2 (courtesy of Twyla)
Cook chicken breasts in a crockpot, seasoned with cumin, ground oregano, salt & pepper. Shred.
Black Beans #1
Mash the black beans a little and fry in some olive oil. Season to taste.
Black Beans #2
(We also eat this as a meal itself with ground beef browned into the onions & garlic, served over rice, and with guacamole on top. It is one of our very favorite meals!)
Saute 1 large, diced, red onion and 3-4 cloves minced garlic in olive oil. Blend/grate about 6 plum tomatoes and mix into the onions, along with 2 cans drained & rinsed black beans (or 1 lb made from scratch). Season with generous amounts of balsamic vinegar, raw sugar (or regular), chili powder, salt & pepper. Everytime I make this I have to add more of everything after the first time or two. It really takes quite a bit of the seasoning to get that "this is great" flavor.
Guacamole
1-2 avacados mashed & sprinkled with lime juice (lemon works ok too). Mix in: finely chopped red onion, 2 cloves minced garlic. Season with: fresh ground salt & pepper, smoked paprika, and cilantro or spicey basil.
Red Salsa (from Twyla)
Mix together according to taste:
blended tomatoes
minced garlic,
diced & seeded chili pepper
salt, cumin, & ground oregano
cilantro
Opt.: sliced green onions
Salsa Verde (also from Twyla)
Mix together according to taste:
blended tomatillos
mashed avacado
salt, garlic & cilantro
Pico de Gallo
Mix together according to taste:
Several diced tomatoes (nicer-dicer works great for this- cut the tomatoes in half, cut-side up)
diced red onion & garlic
1/4-1/2 seeded and finely diced jalapeno
fresh cilantro
salt, pepper (& I like a tad of sugar)
Rice Tortilla Chips
Rice tortillas (health food store) brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Place on baking sheets and broil on both sides till lightly browned (they will burn SUDDENLY, so watch out!!). Break them into pieces.
Other things to layer on top:
fresh or sauted onions
sliced green onions
fresh cilantro
diced tomatoes
avacodo slices
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Red Pots
I've recently discovered the wonder of enamel-covered cast iron pans. Wow- these things are great! Somehow they meld the flavors together in an amazing way. I kept wanting to buy one but couldn't quite bring myself to spend so much on a pan. Then I found a great clearance deal for a small one. After using it a few times and loving it, as well as sitting through a demo of pans that cost an unthinkable amount of money- I decided the cost wasn't so bad after all! I went out and bought a larger one and have not regretted it. I love these pans.
Chicken & Veggies in Red Pots
This is a recent creation. I couldn't think of a name, so I decided to honor the new pans!
In an oven dish, layer:
- onion slices
- carrot pieces
- yellow/zuchinni squash slices
Sprinkle the veggies with:
- salt, pepper, thai basil & tarragon
Layer chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with:
- smoked paprika & McCormick's Mediterrnean Spiced Sea Salt
Put a lid on and bake till tender. Remover the lid a brown a bit before serving over rice. The combination of these seasonings is amazing!
Chicken with Peppers
Rebekah found this recipe. It's very yummy.
De-seed & cut into strips, an orange, yellow & red pepper.
Saute 2 medium, sliced red onions in olive oil.
Remove the onions, then brown chicken pieces (3 lb ?) in the oil.
Return the onions to the pan with the chicken and add:
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic (or pressed)
- 1 small piece dried chili, crumbled (vary according to your tastes)
- 1/2 c. white wine
Cook until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the peppers and stir well to coat. Salt & Pepper it all.
Add 2 chopped tomatoes.
Cover & simmer 25-30 minutes till chicken is tender.
Sprinkle with parsley & serve!
Chicken & Veggies in Red Pots
This is a recent creation. I couldn't think of a name, so I decided to honor the new pans!
In an oven dish, layer:
- onion slices
- carrot pieces
- yellow/zuchinni squash slices
Sprinkle the veggies with:
- salt, pepper, thai basil & tarragon
Layer chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with:
- smoked paprika & McCormick's Mediterrnean Spiced Sea Salt
Put a lid on and bake till tender. Remover the lid a brown a bit before serving over rice. The combination of these seasonings is amazing!
Chicken with Peppers
Rebekah found this recipe. It's very yummy.
De-seed & cut into strips, an orange, yellow & red pepper.
Saute 2 medium, sliced red onions in olive oil.
Remove the onions, then brown chicken pieces (3 lb ?) in the oil.
Return the onions to the pan with the chicken and add:
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic (or pressed)
- 1 small piece dried chili, crumbled (vary according to your tastes)
- 1/2 c. white wine
Cook until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the peppers and stir well to coat. Salt & Pepper it all.
Add 2 chopped tomatoes.
Cover & simmer 25-30 minutes till chicken is tender.
Sprinkle with parsley & serve!
Friday, April 8, 2011
A Couple Seafood Dishes
I've entered my busy season. Every year there is an overlap in which I must teach my current classes and prep for next year's classes all at the same time, which results in an absurd amount of books being read. I keep waiting for enough time to add several recipes, but have finally realized such a thing is not going to happen any time soon. So I'm going to start adding one or two recipes in little snatches of time. Today I have a couple seafood dishes.
Early on in our food journey, Rebekah and I became really hungry for tuna casserole. Since I couldn't have tuna, mushroom soup, noodles, breadcrumbs or butter, this left us with peas. Not exactly what we were after. So the hunt began. Realizing that the actual state of tuna is not in the shape of a short, squat can, packed in soybean products, we went in search of the real thing. We discovered fresh tuna steaks. They were amazing. We then played with a sauce, culminating in the use of homemade mayo (Iceream & Other Basics... post), and ended up with a tuna casserole better than anything we'd ever had before. Afterwards, when reveling in the wonder of it, I told Rebekah, "Eating this, I can almost pretend like I'm normal," to which she immediately quipped, "Can you pretend like it only took 10 minutes too?" Ah, well, at least it tasted amazing.
Tuna Casserole
1. Sear two tuna steaks over med-high heat (I use a cast iron skillet). Salt & pepper, and cook till barely done (still pink inside). FYI: Sushi-quality steaks from a meat counter are infinitely better than the cheaper kind in a package on the grocery shelf. Break them into small pieces
2. Cook a package of gluten-free penne pasta (I like Tinkyada best) and run hot water over a package of frozen peas till they're thawed. (Freshlike is the only brand I've found without salt on them)
3. Make a batch of homemade mayo (Icecream & other basics... post) and thin it with a little rice milk if you want it less mayonais-ee. Either way, make sure you mix in enough to make it creamy.
4. Mix everything together and crumble several handfuls of natural, sea-salt potato chips on top.
5. Bake in a 350-degree oven briefly till hot and chips are toasted.
Beware! After eating this, you will never be able to go back to canned tuna. We eventually found a natural brand that I could have and substituted it. This was a shockingly disappointing experience, and we were never again tempted to shortcut the searing of fresh tuna.
Seafood Pasta
1. Roast a red pepper (cut in half & scoop out, broil till skin is blackened; cover with a towel & let steam.)
1. Season 1 large salmon fillet with olive oil, lemon basil, sea salt & fresh ground pepper (or sub with drizzled fresh lemon juice & sweet basil). Sear over high heat, leaving the inside rare. Break into bite-size pieces.
2. Steam any other seafood you would like: crab, scallops, shrimp, etc.
3. Saute 2-3 sliced carrots, 2-3 green onions, and 3-4 handfuls of spinach, with sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Add the diced, roasted red pepper.
5. Stir everything into a batch of gf pasta (I like Tinkyada penne, or chinese rice noodles).
Fried Fish
Not too gourmet, but amazingly good when your diet is so limited. Buy whatever kind of fish you like (catfish, blue gills, etc.) and bread it in plenty of gf flour mix. Salt & pepper it generously then fry in plenty of oil. The trick to frying fish is to use a non-stick pan (I know they're poison- I don't use them often), and turn the fish several times letting them get really crispy and golden brown. Mmmm.... we really love these. They're great with oven-crispy potatoes and cole slaw...
Oven-Crispy Postatoes
Wash some smaller potatoes and cut them in half long-ways. Coat them in olive oil and sprinkle both sides with coarse salt. Bake in a hot oven (375-400?) till browned and crispy.
Cole Slaw
Mix a package of pre-cut slaw veggies with some home made mayo. Salt & pepper it, sprinkle with a little sugar to taste, and throw in some raisons.
Early on in our food journey, Rebekah and I became really hungry for tuna casserole. Since I couldn't have tuna, mushroom soup, noodles, breadcrumbs or butter, this left us with peas. Not exactly what we were after. So the hunt began. Realizing that the actual state of tuna is not in the shape of a short, squat can, packed in soybean products, we went in search of the real thing. We discovered fresh tuna steaks. They were amazing. We then played with a sauce, culminating in the use of homemade mayo (Iceream & Other Basics... post), and ended up with a tuna casserole better than anything we'd ever had before. Afterwards, when reveling in the wonder of it, I told Rebekah, "Eating this, I can almost pretend like I'm normal," to which she immediately quipped, "Can you pretend like it only took 10 minutes too?" Ah, well, at least it tasted amazing.
Tuna Casserole
1. Sear two tuna steaks over med-high heat (I use a cast iron skillet). Salt & pepper, and cook till barely done (still pink inside). FYI: Sushi-quality steaks from a meat counter are infinitely better than the cheaper kind in a package on the grocery shelf. Break them into small pieces
2. Cook a package of gluten-free penne pasta (I like Tinkyada best) and run hot water over a package of frozen peas till they're thawed. (Freshlike is the only brand I've found without salt on them)
3. Make a batch of homemade mayo (Icecream & other basics... post) and thin it with a little rice milk if you want it less mayonais-ee. Either way, make sure you mix in enough to make it creamy.
4. Mix everything together and crumble several handfuls of natural, sea-salt potato chips on top.
5. Bake in a 350-degree oven briefly till hot and chips are toasted.
Beware! After eating this, you will never be able to go back to canned tuna. We eventually found a natural brand that I could have and substituted it. This was a shockingly disappointing experience, and we were never again tempted to shortcut the searing of fresh tuna.
Seafood Pasta
1. Roast a red pepper (cut in half & scoop out, broil till skin is blackened; cover with a towel & let steam.)
1. Season 1 large salmon fillet with olive oil, lemon basil, sea salt & fresh ground pepper (or sub with drizzled fresh lemon juice & sweet basil). Sear over high heat, leaving the inside rare. Break into bite-size pieces.
2. Steam any other seafood you would like: crab, scallops, shrimp, etc.
3. Saute 2-3 sliced carrots, 2-3 green onions, and 3-4 handfuls of spinach, with sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Add the diced, roasted red pepper.
5. Stir everything into a batch of gf pasta (I like Tinkyada penne, or chinese rice noodles).
Fried Fish
Not too gourmet, but amazingly good when your diet is so limited. Buy whatever kind of fish you like (catfish, blue gills, etc.) and bread it in plenty of gf flour mix. Salt & pepper it generously then fry in plenty of oil. The trick to frying fish is to use a non-stick pan (I know they're poison- I don't use them often), and turn the fish several times letting them get really crispy and golden brown. Mmmm.... we really love these. They're great with oven-crispy potatoes and cole slaw...
Oven-Crispy Postatoes
Wash some smaller potatoes and cut them in half long-ways. Coat them in olive oil and sprinkle both sides with coarse salt. Bake in a hot oven (375-400?) till browned and crispy.
Cole Slaw
Mix a package of pre-cut slaw veggies with some home made mayo. Salt & pepper it, sprinkle with a little sugar to taste, and throw in some raisons.
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