Creamy Wild Rice Soup

I pinned this recipe a few weeks ago and I intended to leave it until we had turkey leftovers, but when we had just enough rotisserie chicken leftover, I knew I had to try it out.  It did not disappoint!  I have been experimenting, with great success, using canned coconut milk and a cornstarch based thickener when savory recipes call for heavy cream.  It has been very very successful.

I adapted this easy crockpot recipe from Pinterest, it originally came from Taste of Home.

Ingredients
8-10 cups turkey or chicken stock, divided
8 oz. uncooked wild rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
4 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup of cold water
1 Can of Coconut milk-stirred well! I ended up using about 3/4 of the can
2 cups diced cooked turkey or diced chicken
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or one tablespoon dried parsley flakes)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
    Add eight cups of stock and the uncooked wild rice to a crock pot set to high. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté onion, celery and carrots until onion is transparent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 1 minute and stir consistently making sure not to burn the garlic.  Season with the black pepper and salt, and add the sautéed veggies to the crock pot.
     Stir in the chicken soup base. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 6-8 hours) until the wild rice and veggies are tender.
    In a small saucepan melt the butter and add about 1/2 cup of broth. Whisk in cornstarch and water mixture, and cook for a minute or two. At this point you will have a thick and creamy rue.  Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly. When it is all incorporated and completely smooth, add the white sauce to the crock pot and stir to combine.
     Add the turkey/chicken and the parsley (and perhaps another cup of stock if you prefer a thinner soup), and cook on high for another 15-20 minutes until heated through.  
   I like my wild rice soup thick and creamy so I actually skipped the extra broth, waited about 15 minutes and added another round of cornstarch dissolved in water to the crock.  I then cooked it another 10 minutes and served.  It was delicious!

Vegan Grated “Parmesan”

    In making recipes that called for grated parmesan cheese, my go to brand was always Parma!.  Over the course of the last several months, Parma! has been incredibly difficult to find.  I’ve been omitting parmesan from recipes all together because I could never find it on the shelves.  I was making artichoke dip for a party and for this recipe I knew the parmesan was one of the ingredients that made a big difference in flavor so I called Whole Foods and asked if they carried any other vegan parmesan cheese. (I find asking if an item is “vegan” is a much easier way to get an absolute answer that the product is dairy free.) 
I was quickly routed to this gem:

Image courtesy of galaxyfoods.com

    When I brought it home and cracked the seal, I knew it was going to be good.  It smelled exactly like grated parmesan cheese.  Tasting on my finger was even better.  It had the texture and flavor of dairy-full parmesan cheese.  If any of you have tried Parma! you know that tasting that stuff on your finger just doesn’t taste the same as the regular stuff.  I added it to my appetizer recipe and it gave the parmesan flavor that was called for.  I think this little jar is ready to shake-shake over my spaghetti!

Cucumber Greek Salad

(Image courtesy of Google Images)

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. It's my go to recipe every summer when my garden is going nuts with cucumbers. I haven't take a picture of it yet, but the one above is close to what it looks like. It's so light and refreshing on a hot summer day. I love it. The original recipe came from Eating Well and I adapted it to my tastes from there.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

4 cups peeled and diced cucumbers
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red or green bell pepper
1 can black olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional for the dairy free)
1/4 cup red onion (optional, I usually leave it off)

Directions
Wisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Eat immediately or chill and serve later.

Korean Beef

Another recipe I found from a blog and didn't have to adjust to make it gluten or dairy free! I love that. The meat is great on it's own but also delicious over rice. I would recommend making 1.5 portions of the marinade and set aside the extra half a recipe. Warm it up before serving and then pour it on top of the meat and rice. I also had a friend who pan fried the meat instead of grilling it and said it was great that way too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs steak, cut into thin (about 1/4 inch) strips
1/2 cup pear juice (small bottles are found in the baby food aisle)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

Combine everything but the steak in a large bowl. Add the steak and marinate overnight (8+ hours).

Preheat the grill or pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side being careful not to overcook the meat. Serve immediately!

Salsa

Since pickle canning was so easy Kristie and I decided to tackle salsa. This recipe came from Kristie's Aunt Barbra and we tweaked it a tiny bit. It makes about 28 pints so you can half or double depending on how many tomatoes you have to process. Corn and beans are completely optional - we didn't add them for the first try, which results in a few less pints of salsa. I also added a handful of habanero peppers to my recipe since my house likes spicy food. This recipe is awesome and it was pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

25 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped and cored (some people blanch and peel, we didn't)

2 ¾ cups jalapeno peppers

6 cups peppers, green/red

8 ½ cups onions, chopped

½ cup garlic, minced

2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

6 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

¼ cup salt

1 ½ tablespoons cumin

2-2 cups cider vinegar 

optional

30 oz canned black beans rinsed 

6 cobs of fresh corn, grilled 

habenaro peppers

tomato paste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot, starting with 2 cups of cider vinegar. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until it thickens to a proper consistency. Taste along the way and adjust spices/heat to your liking. Add up to 2 more cups cider vinegar if needed. If it is too runny, add a small can or two of tomato paste

Ladle and divide salsa evenly into jars. Warm up the flat part of the jar cover in pan of simmering water. Once the tops are warm, place them on the jars and screw the lid on tightly. Put the jars in boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove and they will seal themselves.

Keep one jar out to enjoy right away!

Pickles

Canning has always scared me. Something about having to boil the jars and making sure they seal turned me off from it. Until my sister-in-law found this really easy recipe where you bake the jars instead. It seemed simple enough, so I thought I would try it with some extra cucumbers I had in my garden.

Ingredients
Cucumbers - enough to fill 7 quarts
3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar
1/2 cup salt

sprinkle of alum/jar
1 teaspoon dill/jar
garlic cloves
onion

Directions
Heat the water, vinegar, and salt until salt has dissolved.

Sprinkle the alum at the bottom of each jar. Add the dill, garlic, onion, and cucumbers. I did a sprinkle of garlic and onion per jar. Add as much of each to your own taste. Pour the brine mixture into the jars. Seal tightly.

Put all the jars on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees.

Note: I found alum in the spice aisle at the store.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been addicted ever since we made it. It was so easy to make and so so good. You could use this chicken in a sandwich, a wrap, over chips, etc. We ate it in sandwiches, and then again over chips. I didn't have to adapt much from the original recipe. This recipe makes a lot especially just for 2 (My daughter didn't like it but I'm convinced someday she will). I might make a smaller version of it next time.

Ingredients
3 lbs frozen chicken breast
1 bottle of Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 packet of Ranch Mix - The generic Cub brand was the only Ranch Mix that didn't have buttermilk in it. If you can't find a mix without buttermilk just add your own spices. Try this recipe without the dry buttermilk.

Buns - Udis are great!
DF Mozzeralla Cheese (optional)

Directions
Put the frozen chicken in the crockpot. Pour the bottle of hot sauce over it and sprinkle the ranch mix on the chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Once the chicken is cooked, pull it apart. You will know it's ready when the chicken easily falls apart. Cook for another hour so the chicken can absorb more of the hot sauce flavor.

Serve on a bun and top with mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Molten Lava Cake

We made this recipe for cooking club. It originally came from Paula Dean and we modified it. You would never know there's no dairy or gluten. It was perfect, especially served with some whipped Rich Whip and berries. The cake was light, the chocolate was runny and had a rich flavor. Instead of using Earth Balance, we tried Shed's Will Run Soy Butter. I'm not sure if this made the dish. I will have to try it again using Earth Balance.


Ingredients
4 - 1 ounce squares bittersweet chocolate (Bakers brands is DF)
4 - 1 ounce squares semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons DF butter
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur or almond milk (We used milk)

Directions
Preheat over to 425 degrees;

Grease 6 (6 ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in a double broiler. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar. Add the chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur/milk.

Bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny.

Serve in custard cups or run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

I found this recipe on pinterest and have been addicted since my first bite. I didn't have to make many modifications to make it GF/DF. The first time I made them I used a regular muffin pan instead of a mini muffin pan. They turned out just as tasty, but not very pretty. Coming out of the pan, they didn't stay together very well and looked more like quinoa pizza mush. Instead of dipping in the pizza sauce, I poured some over the top and used a fork. I think if you cooked them for longer that might help. Since I only have one mini muffin pan, I would still use the big one for the leftover mixture. The recipe will make about 40 mini bites or 12 big muffins.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded DF mozzarella cheese (optional, we made it without any cheese)
2  teaspoon minced/pressed garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil chopped or 1 tablespoon dried basil
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices (I used the turkey ones)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano

pizza sauce for dipping

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except the pizza sauce. Spoon about 1 heading tablespoon of the mixture into a greased mini muffin tin. Fill the cup to the top and press down gently to compact.

Bake for 20 minutes until the edges and top are golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce.

Crab Cakes

My husband found this recipe on about.com and we served it at our Super Bowl party. I haven't had good luck with crab cakes before, but these ones held together very nicely and tasted delicious. They don't sell fresh lump crab meat up here, so I went with the pasteurized crab meat that is sold in a plastic jar. I was a bit worried about the flavor, which surprisingly tasted close to fresh!

Ingredients

1 lb lump crab meat
1 finely chopped small red pepper
1 finely chopped small sweet yellow onion
2-3 minced large garlic cloves
15 coarsely crushed gluten free crackers (I used Glutino)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup GF flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in saute pan. Add pepper, onion, and garlic; saute for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Do not brown.

Combine crab meat, sauteed vegetables, crushed crackers, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning. Shape into desired sized patties.This recipe can make 6 large cakes, or about 18 bite sized appetizer cakes.

Place GF flour in a shallow dish. Add salt, pepper, and paprika. Dust each cake lightly with flour. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat and pan fry the crab cakes until golden brown on each side.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes

I'm addicted to sweet treats in the morning. It's always nice to have an option to serve for my husband and GF/DF friends. These doughnut holes bring me back to summer days at the state fair. They were light in texture and so delish. I can't wait to make them again.

Ingredients

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon oil

3/8 cup milk and 2 teaspoons vinegar (buttermilk if you aren't DF)

1 3/4 cup GF flour

1 3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

oil for frying

Cinnamon/sugar 

Directions

Beat egg and add sugar, oil, and milk mixture. Mix together. Add the dry ingredients.

Fry in a skillet or deep fryer at 370-380 degrees. Drop a spoonful of batter into the hot oil, about 6 at a time so the oil maintains it's temperature. Fry until brown and cooked all the way through. Once cooked transfer them to a plate covered in paper towels. While they are still warm coat the holes in cinnamon and sugar.

Honey Corn Bread Muffins

A staple sitting along side a bowl of chili or stew, these muffins will not disappoint.  I was not a big fan of corn bread before I started eating gf/df, but something changed and they are quickly becoming one of my favorite bread side dishes. 

I adapted this recipe from Food Network’s, The Neely’s, Honey Corn Bread Muffins.  After reading a handful of reviews and also making the necessary df/gf changes, the following recipe is what I came up with.

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup gf flour blend
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted
1/4 cup honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Potato Crusted Egg Pie

I made this breakfast dish on Christmas morning and it was delicious! The eggs were so light and fluffy, and the potatoes crisped up to make a great crust. Kristie found this recipe for me in her Cooking for Isiah cookbook, but I changed it up quite a bit.

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
2 Yukon Gold potatoes - sliced
1 bell pepper chopped (I used 1/3 red, 1/3 yellow, 1/3 green for variety)
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper
5 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the peppers and onion until soft. Set aside.

In a cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, but keep the grease in the pan. Let the bacon cool on paper towels. Once it's cooled, crumble the bacon.

In a medium bowl toss the potatoes with the paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread the potatoes on the bottom of the cast iron skillet. Some of the potatoes will overlap. Without stirring, cook the potatoes until crispy on the bottom, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, milk, mustard, bacon, peppers, and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the egg whites. Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 mintues before slicing.