Overnight Homemade Pickles

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
4 t salt
3 t pickling spice
2 t fresh garlic, diced
2 cups hot water
2 lbs cucumbers or other vegetable (cauliflower, asparagus, etc.), prepared

Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vinegar, sugar and all seasonings. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow liquid to cool. Place vegetables in a jar and pour liquid on top of it. Place in refrigerator overnight. Pickles will be ready in time for a fresh lunch or dinner treat.

Curried Chicken & Lentils

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
Oil or Ghee for frying
1 1/2 dry lentils
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp garlic
2 cubes chicken bouillon
3 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Sides & Toppings:
Hot cooked rice
Chopped cilantro
Plain Greek yogurt
Lime juice

Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add chicken. Brown chicken on all sides. Add curry powder and garlic. Cook and stir one more minute. Add water, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until lentils are softened.

Serve over hot, cooked rice and top with cilantro, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a splash of lime juice.

Variation: Add a can of low-fat coconut milk and another 1/2 - 1 tsp curry for a saucier dish.

Fresh Greek Salad

Chop and mix together the following ingredients. Use amounts appropriate to the number of people you are serving.

Grape Tomatoes, cut in two
Cucumber, peeled and chopped
Feta Cheese
Kalamata Olives
Fresh Basil, chopped
Red Onion, slivered and chopped
Artichoke hearts, chopped (optional)
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar

Greek Pork or Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs boneless pork or chicken, diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes (or purchase pork stew meat)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 t minced garlic
• 4 tsp dried or fresh oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• bamboo skewers 
• Tzatziki sauce (optional)
• Flatbread (optional)
• Greek salad (optional)

Directions:

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 5 minutes to prevent splintering. Combine olive oil, lemon/lime juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, coriander, salt & pepper in a gallon ziplock bag. Add pork or chicken and allow to marinate for 30-45 minutes. Heat up grill. Thread pork/chicken onto skewers and grill until no longer pink in the center. Serve with Tzatziki sauce, flatbread, and Greek salad.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound ground lean beef (or 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage & 1/2 pound ground beef)
1 small sweet onion (or 1/2 large), diced
1 T garlic, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 large can tomatoes, diced
2 cans tomato sauce
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1 t thyme
1 T brown sugar, packed
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cube beef bouillon (or 1 t salt)

Brown ground beef and add remaining ingredients. Cook until flavors and well blended. Add extra of whichever seasonings you think are needed. You can place in a crock pot on low to keep warm while you cook the noodles or wait for company.

Serve with Caesar salad and garlic bread and Parmesan cheese.

Carrot Soufle

I got this recipe from my sister, Mary. I'm not sure where she got it, but it makes a great side for holiday and company dinners.

Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots, boiled until soft
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flour (You can leave this out or use Gluten-free Red Mill 1-to-1 flour for a gluten-free dish.)

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Cracker-Topped Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

8-10 potatoes, sliced thin
1 t salt
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 stick butter
2 T flour
3-5 cups milk
2-3 cups shredded Tex-Mex cheese
1 1/2 sleeves Saltine crackers, crushed (For gluten-free dish, eliminate this ingredient or replace with gluten-free crackers.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 casserole dish. Spread potatoes in the dish and sprinkle with salt. In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onions. Sprinkle in flour and mix well. Pour in milk and heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle crushed crackers on top and sprinkle a generous handful of cheese on top of that. Cover dish with tin foil, set on top of a cookie sheet (to catch drippings), and place in oven. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until potatoes and at desired softness.

Gourmet Ginger Pork Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground pork
• 1 T canola oil 
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free for GF recipe)
• 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and slivered
• 1 large leek, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Butter, Bibb, or Boston lettuce leaves
  
  Toppings:
• minced cabbage sprinkled with Thai chili sauce or Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (Oriental dipping sauce)
• pickled ginger
• 1 apple, sliced thin, sprinkled with lemon or lime juice
• 2 avocados, sliced thin
• 1-2 large carrots, julienned
• limes, sliced

Directions

Start browning ground pork in canola oil. Add red onion, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, water chestnuts, and leek. When cooked through, add sesame oil.

Serve warm with lettuce leaves. To eat, fill lettuce leaves with pork filling and top with whatever toppings you like. It's nice to have as many of these options as possible, and they all work together well, also.

Herbed Russet Potatoes

12 small red Russet potatoes
4 t butter, melted
4 t minced fresh parsley OR 1 1/2 t dried parsley
4 t minced fresh chives OR 1 1/2 t dried chives

Peel 1/2-inch strip around the center of each potato and drop them into a saucepan of cold water. Cover potatoes with water by 2 inches. Bring to boil and boil until potatoes are firm but easily pierced by a form. (About 20 min.) Drain water and place potatoes into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with herbs and  drizzle melted butter over potatoes. Serve warm. (Optional: you can also sprinkle over other things, like Parmesan cheese, crispy bacon pieces, and mince green onion.)

Fruit Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 quarts of half and half
3 cups of sugar
6 T lemon juice
3-4 cups fruit

Instructions

Blend fruit and about one cup of half and half until smooth. Completely dissolve sugar into the remaining half and half. Mix the lemon juice with the sugar and half and half. Mix the blended fruit with the lemon juice, sugar, and half and half. Freeze the mixture in the freezer or use an ice cream machine. Enjoy!


Nutrition Facts (per one cup serving)
Calories: 652.7
Total Fat: 28.2 g
Cholesterol: 89.5 mg
Sodium: 100.1 mg
Potassium: 440.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 98.7 g
Protein: 8.1 g

Cowboy Caviar

       Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup sugar (see notes)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (11 ounce) can super sweet corn, drained (see notes)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped cilantro (from 1 bunch) 
• Tortilla chips
  
  

  Directions

   Combine all ingredients, except tortilla chips, in a large bowl. Chill for about an hour to let flavors blend. Serve with tortilla chips.
  

Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers

1 cup red quinoa (uncooked)
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup calamata olives, seeded and diced
1 can artichoke hearts, diced
2 T lime juice
1 t basil
1 t garlic
sea salt to taste
8-12 small, round tomatoes (like over-sized golf balls)
1 package sweet, mini-peppers

Cook quinoa according to package directions (boil for 15-20 minutes). Drain. Mix top 8 ingredients. Slice off top of tomatoes and hollow out. Slice a hole in the sides of the peppers and seed. Spray dish with olive oil. Place all tomatoes and peppers in the casserole dish. Top them with extra feta. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Quinoa & Lentils

Serves 15

2 cups (uncooked) quinoa
1 1/2 cups (uncooked) lentils
1/2 red onion, diced
2-3 T garlic, diced
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
ground black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste

Cook quinoa and lentils according to package directions (boil 15-20 minutes). Drain. Meanwhile, saute red onion and garlic in butter. Combine all ingredients and serve.

This makes a great side with marinated or roasted chicken, pork chops, beef roast, or fish. Add a vegetable, too, for a complete meal.

Cardamom Chicken and Chickpeas

4 chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each
2 T cumin powder (or toasted seeds, ground with a mortar & pestle)
8 cardamom pods (opened, pods removed, and seeds ground with a mortar & pestle)
2 T honey
1T fresh ginger, grated
2 t minced garlic
Pinch dried chili flakes (optional/You can also use jalapeno stuffed olives, below, instead of regular ones to add the spiciness)
6 T olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
14 1/2 oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
Handful pitted green olives, sliced
1/2 - 1 cup chopped cilantro
Hot, cooked jasmine rice

1. Combine cumin, cardamom, honey, ginger, garlic, chili (if using), and 4 T of olive oil in a small bowl.
2. Place chicken pieces in a Ziplock bag and add combined seasonings. Mix well and allow to sit for 2 hours (or more) in the refrigerator.
3. Gently fry chicken in remaining oil until golden brown on all sides. Place in a tagine pot (or heavy casserole dish, or you can cook this in your crockpot). Drizzle remaining marinade mix on top.
4. Cover with onion, tomatoes, chickpeas and olives. Pour in the chicken broth.
5. Cover and cook in a 375 degree oven for one hour.
6. Stir in chopped cilantro just prior to serving.
7. Serve over rice.

Tip: If you are using a tagine or casserole dish, place a cookie sheet beneath your dish to catch unintentional drippings.

Cheese Cake Flan

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
6 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Put sugar and 1/4 cup of water in microwave until melted and browned.
Pour this syrup into 8”-9” cake pan.  Let harden.

Mix remaining ingredients in blender.  Pour into pan. 

Bake in a water bath for 50 minutes @ 350º.
Check with toothpick. Turn out upside down onto plate.
Allow flan to cool and be chilled before serving.

As per requested by Sarah M.

Gluten-Free Broccoli Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
1 Stick of butter, divided.
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T diced garlic
2 cups fresh broccoli heads and some stems, diced
1-2 T cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar & Monterrey jack cheese blend)
6 cups cooked jasmine rice


Directions:
Melt 1/2 stick butter in large wok. Saute onions and garlic. Add broccoli. Cook 1 minute. Add cornstarch and mix well. Stir in milk, remaining butter and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese until it makes a thick sauce. Remove from heat and stir in rice until well blended. Pour into greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

TIP: Add 2-3 cups shredded chicken to make this a full meal instead of a side dish.

Gluten-free Milanesa

Milanesa is a thin, delicious, Argentine, breaded beef steak. This, is the gluten-free variety. Click here for the original version.

8 thinly sliced beef steaks (pounded thin)
Lime juice
Salt
2 T milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups gluten-free rice 1-to-1 baking flour (Red Mill brand)
1 tsp chopped parsley (fresh is best)
2 cups almond flour/meal
Grapeseed oil for frying
lime wedges

Sprinkle each steak with lime juice and sprinkle with salt. Place them in a dish together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Coat each steak lightly with a mixture of gluten-free flour, 1 t salt, and pepper. Dip steaks in mixture of eggs and 2 T milk. Dip steaks in mixture of almond meal, parsley, and 1 t salt. Fry each steak in oil until steak borders begin to brown, then flip and cook the other side. Should steaks be too thick, you can score the borders to avoid curling. Serve hot with lime wedges.

Moroccan Chicken

Give yourself a good two hours to prepare this meal. Serves 8-10.


Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken, cubed
2 T vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil
2 large Vidalia (or yellow) onions
1 T sugar
1 t nutmeg
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t red pepper
1/3 cup raisins
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes (or 1 regular tomato), diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 can chickpeas
4 c. chicken broth
Hot, cooked jasmine rice

Directions:
1. Lightly cook chicken in oil, remove from pan, and set aside. Add onions and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add sugar and all seasonings and cook for another 15 minutes on medium heat until onions are caramelized. Return chicken to pan, add raisins, carrot, celery, tomatoes, leek, chickpeas and chicken broth.

3. Transfer to a tagine pot (pictured above) and cook in your oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour. OR, if yo do not have a tagine, simply bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chickpeas are tender.

4. Serve over hot, cooked jasmine rice.

Cilantro Lime Salmon (Whole 30 Compliant)

I've been doing the Whole 30 diet (it's an elimination diet that helps you determine which foods are triggering other health issues). You have to eliminate dairy, sugar, alcohol, legumes (including peanuts, peas and soy), grains (including corn), and a few other things, such as additives. You can have meats, potatoes, eggs, vegetables, fruit, vinegar (except malt vinegar), healthy oils (coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, ghee, etc.), and nuts & seeds. It's been a challenge, but the benefits have been pleasing and interesting. Anyway--I've had to come up with a few dishes that comply with the diet, and some of them are actually pretty tasty. Here's one of my favorites:


Cilantro Lime Salmon
(Serves 4-6)

8 Fresh or frozen salmon fillets (thawed in warm water)
3/4 to 1 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
Salt
Coconut Oil (or avocado oil or grapeseed oil)

Melt oil in pan. Place salmon fillets in the pan and sprinkle with salt. Pour lime juice on top and spread cilantro liberally over fillets. Fry lightly on one side for a few minutes, then flip and fry the other sides, being careful not to overcook. Fillets are done with they can be easily flaked with a fork.

Serve with a side of roasted red potatoes and asparagus.

Tex Mex Soup

PREPARE 4 chicken breasts, boiled with 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, 1 t garlic powder, 2 T parsley, and 5 cubes chicken bullion (or one rotisserie chicken) (Alternatively, you could marinate chicken breasts in similar seasonings and grill or fry in a skillet with some oil.) SHREDDED.

In soup pot, combine:
1 jar chunky salsa (24 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans chili beans (in sauce)
3 T chili powder
8 oz. sour cream
corn
Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Add shredded chicken

Cook through and serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.