Rachel’s Recipe Box

This is a recipe that my oldest daughter and I created when we were trying to reach a comprimise between what I wanted to cook and what she wanted to eat! This worked well, it’s a one-pot meal that will be finished within 45 minutes, and can either be eaten alone or with a vegetable or salad on the side. If at all possible, include the kalamata olives, they add flavor and a bit of zing to the meal.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe.

Ingredients:

• splash olive or canola oil to coat bottom of pan

• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1.5 lb chicken, cubed (boneless skinless breasts or thighs work well)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or just add a bit more of each of the above)
• 1 pinch salt
• couple grinds black pepper
• 1 splash wine
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14oz can diced tomatoes
• 14oz can white beans
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (watch ingredients for corn and other allergens)
• 12oz to 1 lb gluten-free noodles (we like the Tinkyada rice noodles)

Method:
Warm oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet or a large pot. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until they become tender.

Add cubes of chicken, and stir. Add seasonings, and stir, cooking until chicken is browned.

Deglaze the pan by adding a splash of wine and stirring the chicken mixture. Add tomatoes, beans, and olives, plus 1 (14oz) can of water, and turn heat to high.

Bring to a boil, and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook as long as the pasta needs to be cooked, then test the pasta for done-ness.

Serve as is, with a salad, or with another vegetable, such as Garlic Pan-fried Squash. Enjoy!

We picked up some kielbasa on sale, but were tired of our usual method of cooking it with sauerkraut. One of our friends, JadenKale, described this dish in a chat, and I knew we had to try it! 2 lbs of kielbasa scarfed down, and kids wishing for more - this is a definite crowd pleaser!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, and delicious recipe. This is a faux-fast-food recipe, with a meal being ready in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• a little olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom of your pan)
• 1 medium diced onion

• 5+ cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs Kielbasa
• 8oz sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned, optional)
• 1 TBS hoisin sauce (see alternative recipe below if GF)
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Hoisin sauce substitute:
(The Hoisin sauce and black bean paste available in our grocery store’s asian section has gluten, in the form of the wheat in soy sauce. This won’t give you the exact same taste, but it will be similar enough to flavor this dish.)

• 2 TBS Soy sauce or Tamari
• (La Choy, Braggs, and San-J are gluten-free)

• 1 TBS black bean paste or oyster sauce, whichever you can find gluten-free
• 1 1/2 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp White or rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Sesame oil

Mix well together. You’ll use about 1 TBS of the sauce for this recipe. Save extra sauce in a ziploc or plastic container for next time.

Method:
Cut the keilbasa into 1/4 inch rounds, and set aside. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.

Warm enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet or pot over medium heat. When it’s come up to temperature, add onions and garlic. If you are using fresh mushrooms, add those to the onions & garlic.

Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and season with just a pinch of salt and a few grinds/shakes of pepper.

When the onion & garlic have started to soften, add kielbasa. Season with another couple grinds of pepper, and stir frequently, browning the kielbasa. When the kielbasa starts to brown, and add drained canned mushrooms, if using.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until meat turns golden brown, the onions are translucent, and the scent is delicious.

Add 1 TBS of balsamic vinegar and 1 TBS of commercial hoisin sauce or the substitute described above. Turn the pan down to low and use the combined sauce to deglaze the pan and coat the meat. Reduce the sauce (let it simmer) until it clings to the meat, and isn’t runny.

Serve with rice (I like the Carolina Jasmine) and a green veggie - steamed broccoli works well. Enjoy! This is best served with a shirt from the recipe’s creator, JadenKale.

As winter turned into spring, we started steaming more vegetables and roasting fewer. Now that spring is turning into summer, we’re avoiding the oven and using the crock pot more and more - it gives us a hot meal without a hot kitchen!

We’re also making more and more one-pot meals, or stove-top casseroles. Delicious, easy, and fewer things to clean up after dinner!

Our Menu:

• Chicken Rattatouille with pasta (we like Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals)

• Steamed green beans and Pelau
• Keilbasa ala JadenKale (recipe to be added later), with a salad on the side
• Taco Friday, with lettuce, guacamole, salsa, and olives as toppings. The creaminess of the guacamole helps us not miss the cheese
• Rotisserie chicken with Cole Slaw, potato chips, and a new 3 bean salad recipe
• Chili and corn chips, olives, and guacamole
• Pot roast, mashed potato, and salad

What are you eating?

I’ve been missing the creamy taste of Risotto, but haven’t had any arborio rice, nor the desire to stand over a stove stirring for an hour. With chicken and asparagus (or any other vegetable) and some basmati rice you can make a delicious faux-risotto. Asparagus is wonderfully in I added coconut milk to add the creaminess you usually get from the arborio rice. It was delicious! (Remember that coconut milk doesn’t give a coconut flavor if the dish has salt and is savory - sugar enhances the coconut flavor)

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and top 8 allergen free recipe. This is also a faux-fast-food recipe that can be cooked in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive or canola oil

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 shake cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken, I prefer to use thighs
• 1 splash white wine (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup basmati or Jasmine rice (The Carolina Basmati and Jasmine rices work wonderfully)
• 1 lb fesh asparagus
• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup water

Method:
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and spices, and sauté until they begin to get tender.

Chop the chicken into 1/2″ cubes, then add to the onion/garlic mixture. Cook the chicken over medium heat until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.

While the chicken is cooking, break the ends off the asparagus, and then cut it into approximately 1″ pieces.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, then add rice, coconut milk, water, and asparagus.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook for about 20 minutes, following the guidelines on your rice package.

Serve to great applause. An easy, quick, and delicious meal that mixes fresh with fast, and all in one pot!

Everyone has influences on their cooking. One of my biggest influences is my Nana, who taught me how to make ravioli and many other things. Don’t forget to write down notes and recipes from your biggest influences, as you never know what the next day will bring.

I have come to stay with my grandmother and her husband to help them as she starts recovering from her stroke. Her prognosis looks good, but every difference between “before” and “after” is difficult. They need love, meals, some help here and there (especially with the stairs) and someone under 80 driving to run a few errands.

Being here feels very right. My heart is full, and I look forward to filling their fridge and freezer in return.

Internet connectivity is spotty, as is email, but I’ll be back on Monday with book reviews, reviews of some new Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free products, recipes, a review of a Solar Science lab, and more random musings. Go hug your grandmothers, and jot down their recipes. My oldest daughter is carrying on the tradition of good food in the family by making my grandmother’s cole slaw recipe for dinner with her grandmother.

Our oven broke recently. We can (thankfully) still use the stove, and we also have the microwave and the crock pot. However, I had planned to make some oven-roasted chicken legs, and had no clue what to do with them without an oven. A friend suggested that I toss everything I was going to roast into a pot and let it simmer. I ended up doing just that, and it turned out to be a delicious meal.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and faux fast food {ready in under 45 minutes} recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2+ lb chicken drumsticks

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3+ cloves garlic minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme (or sub the last 3 ingredients with 2 tsp Italian Seasoning)
• Splash wine (optional)
• 1 28oz can diced or petite diced tomatoes, and 1 can of water
• 2 14 oz cans beans
• 3 small-to medium zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

Method:

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and drumsticks. Add seasonings. Use tongs to move the drumsticks around, and continue cooking until the drumsticks start to brown and the onion & garlic has softened.

Splash the wine into the pot to deglaze, using the tongs to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Add tomatoes, water, beans, potato, and zucchini. Stir to incorporate all ingredients

Turn the heat up almost to high, and barely bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning and that veggies & potatoes are tender, then bring to table.

Serve in bowls, 1 drumstick and 2 scoops of broth and vegetables. The meat is easy to just take off the bone with a fork. Delicious, easy, healthy, and on your table in about 45 minutes!

No pictures, sorry - camera’s broken

Kitchen Sink Soup

Have you ever started to make a recipe, only to find out that you are inexplicably out of half of the ingredients? Of course, we make do, but sometimes the “making do” recipes are wretched, and sometimes they taste better than the original. Here’s our “everything but the kitchen sink” soup that can help you clear out your crisper and pantry, and please your family all at once! It will also please you, because it’s as quick as it is fabulous.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe. This can easily be a vegan and vegetarian recipe if you omit the meat. This is also a yummy recipe that will be ready in less than 45 minutes!

Ingredients:

• Splash olive or canola oil

• 1 onion, diced
• 3+ cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 lbs ground or chopped meat (if using meat)
• Seasonings to taste - Italian seasoning, cumin & chili powder, or cajun seasoning
• 2 pinches kosher salt, couple grinds fresh pepper
• splash wine (alcohol will carry flavors, but this can easily be omitted)
• • 3 yellow squash or zucchini, cut into half-moons AND/OR

  • 2 carrots, cut into half-moons AND/OR
  • 1 box frozen/bag fresh spinach AND/OR
  • 1 cup frozen peas AND/OR
  • 1-2 cups sliced okra (frozen or fresh) AND/OR
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms AND/OR
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes (or not)
• 1 can beans of choice (or not)
• 1/2 lb noodles or 1/2 cup rice or 1/2 cup lentils
• (approximately) 2 quarts stock or water (amount will vary depending on ingredients chosen)

Method
In a soup pot, warm the oil to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Stir, and when they start to soften, add the meat. (if using meat)

Add the spices to the onion, & garlic mixture. As the meat (if using) starts to brown, add any fresh vegetables you have chosen. Stir until meat has browned and vegetables have softened. Deglaze the pan with the splash of wine, if using.

Add canned tomatoes, beans, and stock/water. Add 1 quart stock/water, then add 1 cup at a time until it looks soupy. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.

Add rice/noodles/lentils and any frozen veggies. Simmer 15-20 minutes (depending on directions on your dried good), test and alter seasonings, and serve. Yum!

This week is Food Allergy Awareness week, and this month is Celiac Disease Awareness month. To honor both of these, we are participating on the bi-weekly Food Allergy carnival and talking about summer camp despite food restrictions

Our family has Celiac Disease, an intolerance to dairy, and LG has a severe berry allergy. We bring our own food to birthday parties, parks, and playdates, but I never wanted the dietary restrictions to restrict the girls’ access to activities. Occasionally an event is so food-centered that we can’t participate, but as food restrictions become more well-known, we can go to more and more events without risking a reaction.
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Happy Ides of March, everyone! In honor of Julius Caesar, let us eat well, and with an Italian-inspired meal! I remember making chicken with artichoke hearts in several different dishes in college, before I became a vegetarian. However, in the past 15 years a lot has changed and I don’t have all of my recipes from that time in my life!

This recipe was inspired by the memory of those meals eaten with friends in one of the townhouses on the Skidmore College campus. It was delicious then, and it is delicious in its current incarnation as well! Still easy, quick, and relatively inexpensive as well.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb whole grain pasta (we prefer the Tinkyada Brown Rice penne pasta)

• splash cooking oil (olive or canola)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3+ cloves garlic, minced
• 1+ pounds boneless-skinless chicken, cubed (we prefer thighs)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• dash cayenne pepper
• 2 pinches kosher or sea salt
• a few grinds of black pepper
• splash red or white wine (optional)
• 1 28oz can diced or petite-diced tomatoes
• 2 roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 14oz can artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 14oz can chick peas, drained

Method:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Double check cooking times - every pasta appears to have a different cooking time requirement!

The chicken part should take about 10 minutes if everything is chopped in advance, so you can start the chicken when the pasta has 10 minutes left to cook.

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until they begin to soften.

Add chicken and spices to the onion/garlic mixture. Adding the spices at this stage will warm them in the oil and intensify the flavors. Brown the chicken.

When the chicken has browned, add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan (optional).

Add the can of diced tomatoes, red peppers, chick peas, and quartered artichoke hearts. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally.

When pasta is finished cooking, drain, then toss with the chicken & artichoke mixture. Serve, and watch it disappear!

Just make sure you put away the knife after you’re done using it…

First, an apology - we’ve had some site-wide downtime and snafus when we needed to switch web hosts this weekend. We are sorry for any inconvenience, and will be posting extra recipes this week to make up for it.

The Food Allergy Carnival was posted Friday. Over at A Gaggle of Girls, we contributed a piece about planning in advance for the holiday.

Meanwhile, there’s about a month before Passover. Are you stocking up? Remember that many foods that are “kfp” or Kosher for Passover are also safe for a wide variety of allergens. During Passover, most Jews avoid wheat, soy, and corn, in addition to leavening, though some food has matzoh. You want to look for Kosher for Passover labeling (get your corn-free Coke!) and the words “non-gebrokts”, which means there is no matzoh.

We’ll be posting a review soon of Susie Fishbein’s fabulous cookbook Passover by Design, which includes 160 recipes, of which 130 are non-gebrokts, and many of the remaining 30 can be easily adapted to be gluten-free, if not safe for Passover. As a bonus, most of the recipes are also dairy-free, and there’s even a gluten-free, soy-free, passover-safe teriyaki sauce! That’s worth the price of the book in and of itself!