Chicken Salad

So I've been wanting chicken salad for the last month, and I've been too lazy to make it, but all the pre-made stuff at the store seems to have crispy noodles of some sort in it these days. (!?) So this is what I came up with.

2 cooked chicken breasts (Sunrise brand if you're in Alberta is my favorite free-range chicken company right now)
4 ribs of celery
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds without shells - you could also use sliced almonds. I was planning to use sliced almonds but then I didn't have any.
juice of 1 whole lemon
1 tsp Lowry's seasoning salt (or just salt and pepper, maybe some onion powder and sage too)
3/4 cup Hellman's Balsamic Mayonnaise (it won't seem like a lot, but you've already got lemon juice in there, so don't overdo it - if you mix it in and you want to add more, you can, but start small so you don't have a mayonnaise pile)
You could also add some chopped green onion or chives, but I didn't have any

Mix everything together. Makes about 3 cups. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or so to let the flavors blend.

Red Beans and Corn

Hi. After over a year of nothing (ie I was in clerkship), I am going to start posting recipes again. I've been eating a lot of vegetarian things lately, so I'm going to write some of them up and schedule them to post once a week.

This is a think I kind of made up one night and it ended up being good and I've made it about 6 times now.

Ingredients
1 can of drained red kidney beans (or equivalent amount of rehydrated dried beans)
1 can of drained corn (or equivalent amount of fresh or frozen corn)
1 onion, cut in half and then sliced
As much garlic as you want
About half a pound of chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half
Optional: small amount of chopped celery and/or chopped red pepper
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of white wine
About a cup and a half of vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil or butter
2-3 oz of queso duro, chopped into small pieces (if you can't find queso duro, you can use feta. The flavor will be different, but still good. Just use a smaller amount because it's a bit more overpowering. If you can't eat dairy, you can leave the cheese out or try dairy free cheese - Daiya havarti would be a good choice).

Directions
Heat butter or oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and cook until onions are soft. At this point, add the celery and/or red pepper if using, cover, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the white wine if using. Uncover and add the tomatoes, corn, beans, and veggie broth. Cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. The broth should reduce and the end result should only be a bit liquidy. Stir in the cheese at the very end. Makes about 3-4 main dish size servings. Goes well with rice or potatoes and some steamed vegetables or salad.

Homemade Gluten Free Granola

You know how you can get gluten free granola at the store and it costs like $20 for a tiny bag of it? Yeah, well, it turns out that it's very easy and cheap to make your own. Just choose from the list of ingredient suggestions below, and mix it up in a ziplock bag. Keep it in the freezer for long-term storage. Traditionally granola seems to be mixed with some kind of sweetener and then baked in the oven, but that is certainly not necessary and just mixing the ingredients together and eating them raw is easier and has a lot less sugar. You can throw in some cinnamon for flavor if you like cinnamon. Eat it with milk like you would eat cereal, or sprinkle it on top of yogurt. Or just eat it plain.

Ingredients suggestions:
GF rolled oats
Toasted quinoa or millet
Puffed quinoa, millet, or rice
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Dried apples
Chopped dates
Broken up banana chips
Dried mango
Dried pineapple
Dried apricots
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Hemp seeds
Sesame seeds
Shredded coconut
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Peanuts
Sliced almonds
Chopped walnuts
Chopped pecans
Chopped cashews
Mini chocolate chips

Black Bean and Corn Taco Cups

You can make these with any kind of taco filling. This is just one particular version that I came up with one day. But feel free to use meat, melt cheese on top, leave out anything you don't like or add things you do like. Just experiment. That's what I do.

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Black beans (cooked or canned - drain and rinse them)
Frozen corn
Chopped fresh mushrooms
Chopped fresh zucchini
Taco seasoning (either a pre-made gluten-free one, or just mix chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper until you think it tastes good)

To prepare the tortillas, soften them either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Press them into lightly greased muffin pans. They'll be kind of cone-shaped, but once you put the filling in and bake them in the oven the bottoms will flatten out and they'll look like cups. It's okay if they crack a bit when you do this. The tops of the tortillas will stick up out of the muffin pans. Cook all of the other ingredients in a little bit of oil or butter until the zucchini and mushrooms are soft. Fill the tortillas with the filling (put in enough so that it goes up as high as the top of the muffin pan). Bake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes, until the tortilla edges are crisp and you can lift them easily out of the muffin pan. Top with salsa, sour cream, avocado, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, or whatever you like. They do fall apart a little bit, so you'll need to eat them with a knife and fork, but it's a nice change from regular every-day tacos (which really do become an every day thing when you're gluten free!).

Two Smoothies

I make these a lot. They're very simple but very good. I can't drink milk these days, so I use Coconut Dream milk (http://www.tastethedream.com/products/category/772.php), but feel free to use whatever dairy or non-dairy milk you prefer. Vary the amount of fruit vs milk depending on whether you like smoothies that or more drinkable or more milkshake-like.

Chocolate Peach Berry Smoothie
A handful of frozen peaches and berries (there's a Safeway brand bag of frozen peaches, strawberries, and blueberries that's really good) - you can use fresh fruit if you have it, but throw in a few ice cubes if you do
Chocolate Coconut Dream milk

Mix in the blender and enjoy!

Banana Smoothie
1-2 bananas
A few ice cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla
Coconut Dream milk unsweetened original

Mix in the blender and enjoy!

Lentil and Tomato Stew

Ingredients:
1 large can of diced or crushed tomatoes (don't drain it)
1/2 cup dry red or green lentils
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups water

Place everything in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Add more water if it starts to get too dry.

Potato Salad

Leave out the bacon if you're making it vegetarian. You can substitute sun-dried tomatoes if you like them.

Ingredients:
About 1/2 pound of potatoes, any kind, cut into small pieces, boiled, drained, and cooled
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped into small pieces (optional)
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 dill pickle, diced
About 1/4-1/3 cup of mayonnaise (Just mix it in until you think it looks good. Amount will vary depending on how creamy you like your potato salad. I like Hellman's light olive oil mayo, which is made with free-range eggs. If you don't like mayo/don't eat eggs, you can substitute sour cream, yogurt, soy yogurt, or vegan mayo.)
A couple of teaspoons of mustard, any kind
Paprika, salt, and pepper to taste
Sliced green onions or chopped chives

Mix everything except the green onions and chives and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Add the green onions or chives just before serving. Keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Variation: Use chopped cooked cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These are quick to make and you can eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. Amounts of everything are variable - make enough chicken and rice for as many people as you are trying to feed. Leave out anything that you don't like. Peanut-free and vegetarian versions are at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients:
Uncooked rice
Five spice powder
Chicken breasts (can be frozen - you don't need to thaw them first)
San J Gluten Free Peanut Sauce (or another kind, or the homemade version at the end of the recipe)
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded carrots
Sliced green onions
Diced water chestnuts
Lettuce leaves - lots of kinds of lettuce will work, just make sure the leaves are fairly round and at least the size of your hand

Cook the rice according to the directions for the type of rice you're using. Add a bit of five spice powder to the water before you start. While you are cooking the rice, cover the chicken breasts with water, bring to a boil, and cook until they are no longer pink in the middle. I know that might sound a little weird, but just trust me. When the chicken is done, remove it to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Heat a frying pan over medium low heat, and add the shredded chicken to it. Add some peanut sauce, a little bit at a time, and stir it into the chicken. You don't want to add to much or things will get messy when you try to pick up the lettuce wraps. To give you an idea, I probably use about a teaspoon per chicken breast. Just experiment and taste it as you go to figure out the right amount without using too much. To serve, put everything in bowls and assemble the lettuce wraps one at a time by putting small amounts of each thing on them. Roll the sides up over the filling, pick them up, and eat them!

Vegetarian version: There are two options here. The first is to simply replace the chicken with tofu. The second is to add some lentils to the rice as it cooks, and then mix the peanut sauce into the rice/lentil mixture.

Peanut-free version: Instead of using peanut sauce, mix a bit of gluten-free soy sauce, a splash of lime juice, and a bit of powdered ginger into the chicken. And just a note of caution here: If you are cooking for someone with a peanut allergy, I strongly recommend making the entire meal peanut-free rather than making two versions of this. Peanut allergies are serious business. I'm not saying that celiac disease isn't serious, but it's generally safe for us to eat our gluten free bread at the same table as someone eating wheat bread, as long as things have been prepared without cross-contamination. That may not always be the case for someone with a peanut allergy.

Homemade Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
Peanut butter (smooth or chunky, doesn't matter)
Gluten-free soy sauce
Rice vinegar (the unseasoned kind)
Lime juice
Powdered ginger

This is a bit of trial and error - mix things in and taste it and stop when you think it tastes good. Start with some peanut butter. Add enough rice vinegar to thin it out to the point where you can easily stir it. Add small amounts of soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger until you decide it's done.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

This is my own variation of the ubiquitous flourless peanut butter cookie recipe. They are a bit gooey when they first come out of the oven, so let them sit for a few minutes before trying to get them off the cookie sheet.

Ingredients:
1 cup Nutella
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients and drop spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are starting to crisp. It usually takes about 12 minutes for me, but oven temperatures vary. Makes 12 large or 24 small cookies.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Very simple and very good.

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled, and deveined
2 red bell peppers cut into thin strips
1 8 oz package snow peas
1/4 cup white wine
your favorite cooking oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the red peppers and snow peas and cook for a few minutes until they just start to soften. Add the shrimp and white wine and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes more until the shrimp is pink and most of the liquid has evaporated. Makes about 4 servings.

Spaghetti Sauce

A very basic pasta sauce that you can eat with whatever gluten free noodles you like, put on spaghetti squash, or use to make stuffed bell peppers.

Ingredients:
2 cans of tomatoes, either crushed or diced, with liquid
1-2 white or yellow onions, chopped
1-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or 1/2-1 dried cup red lentils (both of these are optional)
fresh or dried basil
salt and pepper

Directions:
If using beef, brown it in a frying pan and drain it. If using lentils, boil for 20 minutes or until soft and drain. You can prep the lentils or the beef at the same time you're making the rest of the sauce. Pour the cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the liquid has reduced, about 30 minutes. Add the beef or lentils (if using) once they are cooked. Before serving, add basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Makes a lot, but it freezes well.

Crockpot Beans and Rice with Kale

Ingredients:
1 cup black beans (or whatever kind you have)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 small tin of diced green chilies (optional)
4 pieces of bacon, cut into small pieces (optional - leave out if you're feeding vegetarians!)
4 cups chicken or veggie broth (again, don't use chicken broth for vegetarians)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 large bunch kale, ripped into approximately 1-inch pieces

Put everything in the crockpot except for the kale. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low and simmer all day until the liquid is absorbed, adding water or more broth if it's looking dry before the beans and rice are cooked. Stir in kale 20-30 minutes before serving and let it until it wilts a bit. Makes kind of a lot, but it freezes well.

Blue Cheese and Pear Salad

It's been kind of hot this week, and that makes me want to eat salad. Leave out any of the ingredients that you don't like.

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce or baby spinach
Crumbled blue cheese
Red grapes, cut in half
A couple of pears, cut into chunks about the same size as the grape halves
Chopped walnuts
Raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette (read the ingredients to make sure, but most are gluten-free)

Mix everything together and enjoy not turning your oven on! You can add pieces of chicken or tofu if you want to make this a bit more substantial.

Chocolate Chickpea Cake

It's Wednesday, kids. Let's make some cake. This is a recipe my mom found somewhere and I've modified it a bit.

Ingredients

1/2 cups of chocolate (I use dark chocolate, but it's okay to use milk chocolate if you don't like dark chocolate. Obviously, it will not be dairy-free if you use milk chocolate.)
1 19oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar (you can use white sugar, but brown sugar tastes so much better)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Melt the chocolate over low heat in a saucepan (you can also use a microwave, if you have one. I don't.). Find some way to liquefy the chickpeas and eggs. You can use a food processor if you have one, but I do not, so I just put a little bit at a time in my magic bullet and blend it. Mix in the chocolate and other ingredients. Pour into a greased 9 inch cake pan and bake for 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a plate. You can also make this recipe into cupcakes, just decrease the cooking time a bit (more like 20-30 minutes).

Banana Raspberry Pudding

Just a little thing I invented with some fruit that needed to be eaten.

2 bananas
1 cup raspberries
3-4 egg whites

Mix everything in a mixer until it is fluffy and pink (takes about 10 minutes, maybe a bit less). Pour into 4-6 individual ramekins (don't fill them up too much or they will explode). Set the ramekins on a cookie sheet or a cake pan. Bake at 325F for about 10 minutes, until they puff up a bit and the edges turn slightly golden.

Sandwiches in a Bell Pepper

Sandwiches in a Bell Pepper

Okay, this is more of an idea than a recipe, really. I'm going to get some more baking recipes on here soon (some egg-free, dairy-free breads and things, and even naan), but today we're sticking with something simple. This is a good thing to bring for lunch, and it's a bit less messy than a lettuce wrap if you're going for bread alternatives. Simply cut a bell pepper in half (any color, but I like the red ones), and fill with your favorite sandwich fillings. Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, meat, egg salad, tuna salad, hummus, sprouts, onions, pickles, whatever you can think of. Even peanut butter is good (well, I think it is, at least. In my family we like peanut butter and tomato sandwiches - you really should try it!). You can even think outside of the traditional sandwich fillings and use leftover rice and beans or quinoa or stir-fry. Anything you can eat cold you can put in a bell pepper and call a sandwich. It's a good portable lunch. Not that there's anything wrong with bread, and there are good gluten-free breads that you can make or buy, but they're expensive and not always all that healthy and it's nice to have options.

Lentil Soup

This is quick and easy and very basic, but good.

Ingredients:
Red lentils
Chopped onion
Chopped celery
Homemade broth (or store-bought, or even just water)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.

Homemade Broth

This is so easy, and so much cheaper than buying gluten free broth. I keep a large ziplock bag in my freezer full of vegetable scraps and bones from chicken and things like that. When it gets full, I make broth.

Ingredients:
Assorted vegetable and/or meat scraps
Water
A bit of salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Put the vegetable/meat scraps in the biggest saucepan you have and fill with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 5 hours. Add water if the water is disappearing. When it's done, strain out the vegetable/meat scraps, and use in recipes. You can freeze it in ice cube trays or in small ziplock bags so that you can just take small amounts out of the freezer to add to recipes when needed.

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

Another thing I eat for breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 banana, broken into chunks
1/2 cup of any frozen fruit
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of water

Blend everything in a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) and enjoy!

Kale and Mushroom Omelet

This is what I've been eating for breakfast lately.

Ingredients:

Raw kale, ripped into about 1-2 inch pieces

Chopped mushrooms

Diced onion

4 egg whites or two whole eggs, beaten

1 oz cream cheese cut into small cubes

Cook the kale, mushrooms, and onion in a little bit of oil or cooking spray until the kale is wilted and the onions are starting to look clear. Spread the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the frying pan and pour in the eggs. Sprinkle the cream cheese pieces over top. Cook until the eggs are set or nearly set, then fold one half of the omelet over the other. Cook for a couple more minutes, flattening the top with the spatula so that any remaining raw egg squeezes out and cooks. Slide onto a plate and enjoy!