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.

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.

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.

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

12 servings

Ingredients:

2 (10 to 12 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli florets (I use microwave steamable)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked rice (I use a wild rice blend)
¾ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup butter
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Topping: ½ cup panko bread crumbs + 2 T softened butter

Directions:

        1.       Cook rice as directed on package, set aside.

        2.       In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in butter until softened, add garlic and sauté another minute.

        3.       Cook broccoli as directed on package, drain.

        4.       Add broccoli, soups, rice, and cheeses to onion and garlic in skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine over low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.

        5.       Pour mixture into a 9 by 13-inch oven proof dish. To make ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight and bake the following day.

        6.       Before baking, soften 2 T butter and stir in panko crumbs with a fork. Sprinkle over top of casserole.

        7.       Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes until topping is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly.

Dijon Marinated Salmon

Super easy recipe!

Salmon fillets

Marinade your fillets for 15 minutes in enough of the following:

1 Part Olive Oil
1 Part Dijon Mustard (or stone ground mustard)
1 Part Soy Sauce (Use Gluten-free soy sauce for a gluten-free version.)

Pour it all in a skillet and fry/simmer until fillets are cooked through.

Milanesa

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

8 thinly sliced beef steaks (pounded thin)
Lime juice
Salt
2 T milk
2 cups flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp chopped parsley (fresh is best)
2 cups bread crumbs
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 lightly with a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper. Dip steaks in mixture of eggs and 2 T milk. Dip steaks in mixture of bread crumbs, 1 t salt and parsley. 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. 

Pistachio Sausages or Patties

3 lbs ground pork

1/2 c pistachios, shelled (about 1 cup before you shell them)

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 t salt

1 T fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 t crushed red pepper

1 t coarsely ground black pepper

Extra black pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients. For sausages, divide into four portions and roll into sausage shapes using plastic wrap. Otherwise they can be shaped into patties and eaten as the main course or hamburger style. Store mix in refrigerator until just before cooking. Discard plastic wrap. Coat surface with black pepper to taste. Grill over high heat until cooked through and browned, turning frequently.

This recipe comes from the Everybody Grills Cookbook.

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb sausage, any variety, or cubed ham (bacon not recommended) (Use gluten-free meats for a gluten-free dish.)

1/2 c onion, chopped

1 green, red or yellow bell pepper, diced

2 c milk

5 eggs

salt & pepper, to taste

1-2 cups cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

pinch of nutmeg or savory

1-2 T fresh parsley (less if using dried parsley)

6-7 slices of bread, crusts removed, if desired (Use gluten-free bread for a gluten-free dish.)

Brown meat with onion and peppers.  (If using a mild flavored meat, feel free to add some garlic or spices of your own.)  Drain.  Place in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Layer bread slices on top, cutting as necessary to cover completely.  Beat together eggs, milk and spices.  Pour over top of bread.  Cover with tin foil and place in refrigerator overnight.  Then, top with shredded cheese and bake in 370 degree oven for 45 minutes-1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean. (WARNING:  Make sure NOT to place a COLD dish directly into a Hot oven!  This will break your pan and make a horrible mess in your oven!  Either allow dish to get to room temp first, or put it in a cold oven and allow temp to gradually increase.  Disobeying the laws of physics while cooking is never a good idea.)

Variations:  You can add other items to this dish to make it extra special--AND/OR you can also substitute vegies for the meat for a vegetarian variety.  (If doing this; however, you should add more salt, spices and/or vegetable bouillon to keep it flavorful.)  Suggestions:

sauteed mushrooms

sauteed onions

frozen peas

shredded carrot

broccoli

spinach

Use your imagination!

Pulgogi

1/2 c green onion

1/2 c pineapple juice

1/4 c soy sauce (Or gluten-free soy sauce.)

2 T sesame oil

3 T brown sugar

1/2 t garlic

pinch of ground ginger

black pepper to taste

5 lbs beef, sliced into very thin strips, with fat removed

hot, cooked rice

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight.  Fry in a very hot pan (do not cover when cooking.)  Serve with hot, cooked rice.

Chicken Adobo

3 lbs chicken thighs

1/2 c vinegar

1/2 t peppercorn

3 bay leaves

3 t garlic

3 T sugar

3 T soy sauce (or use gluten-free soy sauce.)

1 c water

hot, cooked rice

Boil first.  Cook at medium, partially covered for approx. 2 hours.  If nec, add more sugar or soy sauce for taste and cornstarch or flour for thickening.  Serve with hot, cooked rice.

Crepes

1 1/2 c. flour (Or Red Mill, gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour.)

1 T sugar

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 c milk

2 eggs

1/2 t vanilla

2 T butter, melted

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl.  Stir in remaining ingred.  Beat w/ rotary beater until smooth.  For each crepe, lightly butter 8" skillet; beat over medium heat until butter is bubbly.  Pour scat 1/4 c of the batter into skillet; immediately rotate pan until butter covers bottom.  Cook until light brown; turn and brown on other side.  If desired, while warm, spread applesauce, sweetened strawberries, currant jelly or raspberry jam thinly on crepes; roll up.  Sprinkle with sugar.

Posole

Serves 8-10

2-3 lbs lean pork

2 large cans hominy, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 c onion, chopped

2 t garlic, minced

2 T chili powder

1 t paprika

3 cups chicken broth (Be sure to check label for gluten-free & Whole 30 recipes)

5 cups water

3 T bacon grease

(Only add salt and pepper at the end of cooking after tasting.)

Brown pork in 2 T bacon grease and put in crock pot.  Saute onion and garlic in remaining bacon grease and add to pork.  Add all remaining ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.  Serve with your choice of the following garnishes and sides:

green chili, green onion, cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, salsa, peppers, tortilla chips, flour or corn tortillas, fried bread. (Leave out tortillas & bread sides for Whole 30. Use gluten-free tortillas or chips for gluten-free dish.)

MARMALADE RAISIN GLAZED HAM

1/2 boneless fully cooked lean ham (4 pounds)

1 cup water

2/3 cup orange juice, divided

1/2 cup orange marmalade spreadable fruit

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup raisins

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1.  Line a shallow roasting pan with foil.  Place ham on a rack in a prepared pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 45 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, combine the water, 1/2 cup orange juice, marmalade, raisins and spices in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until raisins are softened and the mixture is reduced to 1-3/4 cups.

3.  Combine the cornstarch and remaining orange juice until smooth.  Gradually stir into glaze.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Brush ham with glaze.  Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, brushing occasionally with glaze.

Easy & Delicious Lasagna

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 lb ground sirloin*
1 T butter or margarine
1/2 c onion, diced
1 clove or 1 t garlic, minced or crushed
1 (28 0z) can crushed tomatoes
1 T oregano
1/2 t basil
1/2 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T brown sugar
2 T red wine
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 pints fat free cottage cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 T parsley
1 egg
2 c or 1 lb mozarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground sirloin and set aside. (If using more fatty kind of ground beef, drain off grease.) In same pan, saute onion and garlic in butter. Return meat to the pan and heat through. Add in tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, brown sugar, red wine, salt & pepper. Cook about 10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and egg. Mix well. Layer according to package directions. Cover and cook for 40 min to 1 hour until hot and bubbly and pasta is completely done. Serve with Favorite Tossed Salad and your choice of salad dressings.

*For a Vegetarian version, simply leave out the ground sirloin.

Pineapple ham

INGREDIENTS
1 (12 pound) ham
1/2 cup whole cloves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup
1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
Place ham in a roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure with a toothpick. Bake uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, basting frequently with the juices, until the internal temperature of the ham is 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Be sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Honey Almond Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts, split down the middle lengthwise to thin
1-2 cups almond meal

1/2-1 c flour (or Red Mill gluten-free, 1-to-1 baking flour)

1/4 t salt

Dash pepper

2 T honey

1/4 c water

1-2 cups oatmeal/gluten-free oatmeal (optional--if you don't have enough almonds or want to add some different texture, add some oatmeal.)

Butter or oil for frying

Heat water and honey together until honey is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Get three bowls. In first, combine flour, salt and pepper. In second, pour in the honey water. In third, combine almond crumbs and oatmeal, if desired. Fry at medium heat in an iron skillet in butter or oil until chicken is done all the way. Drain on paper towels and serve with your choice of sides.

By S. E. Thomas

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken
4 quarts water
2 TB salt
Pepper to taste
1 basil leaf
2 Carrots/cut into bite size
4 Celery stocks/cut in half

Boil chicken whole in the salted/peppered water. Boil until chicken is completely cooked. Remove from heat, and allow chicken to cool enough to handle. Remove all skin and bones from the chicken, and cut into bite size pieces, placing back into the broth. Add basil leaf and any other herbs you desire and vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are cooked, and remove celery. Bring to a boil and begin adding dumplings by Tablespoon. Cook about 10 minutes more, and serve.

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 TB parsley
1/8 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

Mix together dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients and then mix together until smooth. Drop by Tablespoons into the stew.

Turkey, Stuffed or Unstuffed

1 Turkey
Bread Stuffing (if desired)
Butter
Salt and Pepper

If using a frozen turkey, be sure to let it thaw completely the day before you cook it. You can do this by soaking it in a sink filled with hot water several hours, all day or overnight (depending on weight). Check periodically. Do not allow it to sit out too long or it will begin to spoil. Once it is completely thawed, remove giblets and either save them for another use or discard. Pat dry and stuff with Bread Stuffing, if desired. Be sure not to pack it in too tightly, as it expands as it cooks and may distort cooking time. Fold wings behind the turkey and place in a turkey pan. Rub with salt and pepper and slather with butter. (At this point you can cover with tinfoil and save in the refrigerator to be cooked tomorrow or early in the am, if needed.) I like to use a turkey pop-up timer inserted into the thick of the breast, just to be safe. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and roast based on the timetable below. Baste every 30 minutes.

TIP: To add further flavor, insert a halved orange and a halved apple into the turkey cavity before it bakes and use apple juice for basting.

Turkey Roasting Timetable

Stuffed
6-8 lbs ….. 3 – 3½ hours
8-12 lbs ….. 3½ - 4½ hours
12-16 lbs ….. 4-5 hours
16-20 lbs ….. 4½ - 5½ hours
20-24 lbs ….. 5-6½ hours

Unstuffed
6-8 lbs ….. 2¼ – 3¼ hours
8-12 lbs ….. 3 - 4 hours
12-16 lbs ….. 3½ - 4½ hours
16-20 lbs ….. 4 - 5 hours20-24 lbs ….. 4½ -5½ hours