Grandma's Stuffing

Grandma, actually refers to Kristie's Grandma. She gave me the recipe and I loved it so much I had to get it on here before I lost it! I served this stuffing at Thanksgiving and no one could tell it was gluten and dairy free. The ingredients and cooking methods aren't exact, as no Grandma ever is, so use it as a guide.

Ingredients

1 batch of Stuffing Bread Mix
1 1/2 cups celery and onion (ratio to your taste)
1 stick + Earth Balance
1 1/2 - 2 cups pork sausage (I used 2)
3 cups + chicken stock or stock made from the turkey neck

Directions

Melt about a tablespoon Earth Balance in a medium saute pan. Add the celery, onions, and a little water to the pan. Saute until the vegetables are al dente. Set aside, including the extra liquid.

Cook the pork sausage until brown. Set aside and save the drippings.

In a large bowl, combine the bread mix, vegetables, sausage, reserved water and drippings.

In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs. Add 1 sick melted Earth Balance and 1/4 cup water. Mix well and pour over the stuffing mixture. Stir to coat. Continue to add additional stock, 1 cup at time until stuffing mix is moist but not sopping.

This recipe can be cooked in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes or done in the crock pot. I did mine in the crock pot on low and it cooked for about 5 hours. It was done well before that but lasted nicely in there and gave me extra oven space. Every hour or so I checked on it and if it looked dried out, I added additional stock.

Kix & [DF] Cheese

This recipe has been in my family for years and has always been one of my favorites. I was really excited when I adapted it to make it dairy free and it still tasted great! I usually make a quadruple batch to use the whole box of Kix and bag of Fritos. This batch I made using onion powder and it turned out really well. I think the other optional ingredients would be good too, depending on your mood.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Earth Balance

1/3 cup Vegan Parma! 

5 cups Kix or 3 cups Kix and 2 cups corn chips
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder, onion salt or salt (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the Kix and/or corn chips in a large bowl.

In a small sauce pan, melt the Earth Balance. Remove from heat and add quickly the Parma, worcestershire, and any of the optional ingredients. Pour over the Kix mixture and stir until all the Kix are coated. Put the coated Kix into a roasting pan. (For a quadruple batch I use 2 roasting pans) Bake until Kix are brown and dried out, stirring every 15 minutes. This last batch took 45 minutes but it will vary depending on the depth of your pan.

Pour onto wax paper and spread out until cooled.

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

We are smack in the middle of the season that makes the ingredients in this 5-star dish shine. This risotto is inherently creamy before the parmesan is even added.  It is a recipe originally from Ina Garten, but I modified it to make it Dairy Free.

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash (about 2 lbs.)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
6 cups chicken stock
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) Earth Balance
2 ounces pancetta, diced (4 slices of crumbled bacon is tasty as well)
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (offered on the side for your non dairy free guests)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heating to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

Off the heat add the roasted squash cubes and mix well.  I served this along side of a bowl of parmesan cheese.  This allowed the non dairy free guests to add a bit of cheese if they wanted, more importantly it kept the dish dairy free so that any leftovers would be safe for me to devour the next day!

Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe from a coworker many years ago and instantly became a favorite. I adapted many of the quantities but there wasn't much to adapt to make it gluten and dairy free. It's a vegetarian soup but would also be good with some shredded chicken added, just add more broth to compensate.

Ingredients

6 corn tortillas; slice into 1/2 inch strips

avocado, cubed
DF sharp cheddar cheese
chopped cliantro
lime wedges, to garnish

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 green pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 can black beans
1 can chopped tomatoes with green chilies (I always buy the hot for some added flavor)
1 cup corn kernels

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the tortilla strips on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes.

In a medium saute pan, heat the oil. Add the onion, celery, green pepper and cumin. Saute over medium high heat until vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 5 minues. Meanwhile, put the broth, black beans, tomatoes, and corn in a stock pot. Add the vegetables once they are cooked. Once the soup is hot it's ready to serve.

Ladle the soup into a bowl. Sprinkle the cheese, cilantro, avocado and tortilla strips on top. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

Apple Bread Pudding

This recipe has been in my family and passed down for many generations. I adapted it to be gluten and diary free. For the bread, I usually make my own loaf of french bread in the bread-maker. Be careful not to add too much bread or it will get too dry. It's served best with your favorite dairy free cream or ice cream.

Ingredients

6 eggs beaten well
2 cups almond milk
2 cups sugar2 tsp vanilla
5-6 large apples
1/4 cup Earth Balance cut into small pieces
6 slices GF white bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

Wisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the apples, bread, and Earth Balance until everything is wet. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish. Bake for 1 hour 15 minuets to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it.

Chicken Chili

I have been waiting for the weather to cool down before I dive into fall recipes but today, with the weather soaring towards 80, I decided to for-go waiting for fall and cook like it was 60 and gloomy outside.  I researched a lot of different chicken chili recipes before I pulled stuff out of my pantry and sat down and wrote out a grocery list.  When it came down to it, I made up the recipe as I went, tasting and changing as I went along. The final product was delicious!

Ingredients

1 lb. of cooked and shredded chicken.  I used chicken thighs because I found a great deal at the grocery store. Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded would work great as well.
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans, drained
1 12 ounce jar of salsa Verde
1 small can of diced chilies
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch, stirred and dissolved in one cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Fritos or tortilla chips for garnish

Directions
This is where it gets complicated.  Take all of the above ingredients, except the cornstarch mixture, and add it to a crockpot and let it simmer for 4 hours, allowing the flavors to blend.  Thirty minutes before serving, add the cornstarch and water.  Finally, garnish with Fritos or tortilla chips.

Southwest Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is one of my go-to favorite fall recipes. I got it out of an Eating Well magazine a long time ago and have adapted it since. The filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Heat it in the microwave for a few minuets right before it's put in the squash.

Ingredients

3 acorn squash
1 lb favorite sausage (turkey, chicken, or pork)
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed
Several dashes of hot red pepper sauce, to taste
1 cup dairy free mozzarella cheese (I use Daiya)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with a cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and hot sauce. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, about 10 to 12 minutes.

When the squash are tender, fill the squash halves with the sausage mixture. Top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted about 8 to 10 minutes.