The Gluten-Free Homemaker

(another variation of the recipe)

I looked at the clock. It was 5:30 p.m., and I knew I didn’t have time to fix the dinner I had planned. I hadn’t even thawed the meat.  Tomorrow is shopping day, so I didn’t have any fresh meat in the refrigerator. I did bake a loaf of gluten-free sorghum bread earlier in the day, but I needed something to go with it. I put on my creative thinking cap, pulled some odds and ends vegetables out of the frig and came up with this:

That’s right. Veggies on eggs. Here are a few comments that came from the family:

• Oh, that will make a nice picture.
• I never would have thought of serving asparagus with eggs, but it’s good.
• Scrambled eggs go well with anything.
• This is good.

The Recipe:
I chopped up and sautéed in butter: asparagus, orange pepper, leeks, and green onions. I set the veggies aside and scrambled the eggs in the same skillet. I made two eggs per person and added seasoned salt. I then spread the eggs out on a platter and topped them with the veggies. I served it with the fresh bread which everyone loves.

There was one more comment that came from the table as I finished off a few stray veggies, “Mom just took a leek.” Sigh. Smile. Life with four guys. You gotta laugh.

Although it’s not time for What’s for Dinner Wednesday, I wanted to tell you about tonight’s dinner. I also wanted to participate in the. If you haven’t visited Erin’s blog, she has lots of great inexpensive dinner ideas. She also has a child who eats gluten free.

For more great recipes, visit  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, $5 Dinner Challenge, and Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Labels: egg, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

BJ’s wholesale club has recently had good prices on ground beef. The other evening I found myself wondering what to do with some of it. Salisbury steaks came to mind, which is unusual because I don’t remember ever making them before. I searched for recipes and found quite a variety. I combined ideas I liked, but mostly went with something simple.

The family enjoyed it and liked having something a little different. I used mushroom flavoring in the cream soup and put sliced mushroom on top where my husband could easily remove them.

Gluten-Free Salisbury Steak

Ingredients

• 1 recipe cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tsp. soy sauce (make sure it is gluten-free)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 c. dry gluten-free bread crumbs (or try instant potato flakes)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• several dashes of pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• cooking oil
• about 6 medium size mushrooms

Instructions

Combine the soup and soy sauce. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the soup. Mix in the ground beef. Form six oval patties and brown them in a little bit of hot cooking oil. Add 1/2 c. water to the remaining soup using a whisk to remove lumps. Pour it over the patties. Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a small skillet. Add them to the top of the patties.

Labels: beef, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

Chicken divan has always been a favorite of mine. You can find many different recipes that vary in difficulty, but this is an easy one. It’s not as easy as it was when I could just open a can of cream of chicken soup, but it is still easy.
I have memorized the cream soup recipe and can have it made pretty quickly. I’m a fairly impatient person so I dislike recipes that tell you to use low heat. I hate standing over the stove stirring and stirring something while it takes forever to heat up. My solution is to use medium-high heat and watch it carefully. That’s what I do with the cream soup recipe.
I added some bacon pieces when I made this the other night simply because I had it on hand and thought it would be interesting. Bacon is not traditionally a part of chicken divan. It didn’t add as much flavor as I thought it would, so I’m going to leave it out of the recipe, but I do like the color it added.
As a side dish I made 1 c. rice and 1/2 c. red quinoa cooked together in water that had a little chicken bouillon.

Chicken Divan

Ingredients

• About 2 c. leftover cooked chicken pieces
• About 4 c. steamed broccoli
• 1 recipe cream of chicken soup
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. milk
• About 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Place the chicken and broccoli in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Add salt and pepper to the cream of chicken soup. Thin the soup with milk. (I don’t actually remember how much I used, but just thin it so it can be poured over the entire dish.) Pour or spoon the soup evenly over the chicken and broccoli. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. Everything is cooked so it just needs to get hot.

Labels: chicken, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

I go through phases with some foods. Canned salmon is one of them. I hadn’t used it in a long time, but recently picked some up at the store. Tonight I decided to put it to use and made salmon cakes (recipe below).

I also tried out a new food item for us – Alexia sweet potato julienne fries (frozen). The ingredient list looked safe including modified potato starch and rice flour. My two older kids were not home for dinner so I didn’t get their reaction, but the three of us who ate them thought they were good. In fact, my husband usually does not eat sweet potatoes so I didn’t tell him what they were. He guessed sweet potatoes or carrots by the color and willingly gave them a try. They were a hit, and now I have a way to serve him sweet potatoes!

Gluten-Free Salmon Cakes

• 1 can salmon, bones removed
• 1 Tb. lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tb. gluten-free bread crumbs
• pepper to taste
• coconut or other cooking oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl then form into patties (I made five). Fry in hot oil until brown on both sides and hot through.

These were a big hit with the kids. One of boys who was not home for dinner had one for lunch the next day and said, "What was that thing I ate? Do you have more?"

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.

Labels: main dish recipes, seafood, what's for dinner

This is a very easy gluten-free dinner, and my kids rave about the chicken. I usually have a bag of frozen chicken breasts in my freezer. They are nice to use when I need a simple meal.

Favorite Chicken Breasts

• Olive oil
• Italian salad dressing
• Powdered Ranch dressing mix (gluten-free)

Put a little Italian salad dressing and a little olive oil in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Place the frozen chicken breasts in the dish and add a little of the salad dressing and olive oil on top. Sprinkle the chicken pieces liberally with powdered ranch dressing mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 1 hour or until done.  If using chicken that is not frozen, your baking time will be much less.

Note:  You can buy powdered Ranch dressing mix in packets. I have a container I get at BJ’s Wholesale which is more economical.  Remember to check the ingredients of your salad dressings to make sure they are gluten-free.

I let the chicken sit for 5 minutes or so, then I cut the breasts in thin strips with my electric knife. The kids, as big as they are, really like having the meat sliced for them. As I said, they just love this chicken. It is moist and flavorful.

For the rest of the dinner, I served steamed asparagus with a little butter and salt, and quinoa cooked in chicken broth with a little garlic and onion.  What special, yummy, or easy dinner did you have this week?

Labels: chicken, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

Here is my casserole creation for the week. I intended to go to the grocery store today, but it has been pouring down rain so I decided to wait until tomorrow. Since I hadn’t gotten any meat out of the freezer, I had to give some thought to my protein options. I decided on eggs and cheese because I had plenty, and we love them. I combined the eggs with pasta and my own sauce. The sauce amounts given are just an estimate; I didn’t measure the ingredients.

Gluten-Free Egg and Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 12 oz. penne, cooked (I used Tinkyada brown rice penne)
• 8 large eggs, hard boiled and chopped (good sized chunks)
• 1/2 c. grated cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Sauce

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1/3 c. ranch salad dressing
• 1 tsp. dill weed
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the pasta, eggs, and cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Add to the other ingredients and toss to coat. Spoon into a medium sized casserole dish (2 1/2 – 3 quart). Sprinkle some additional cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This was very good. As I said, we love eggs, and this casserole was just another great way to eat them!

So what did you have for dinner?

Visit The W.H.O.L.E. Gang for more egg recipes.

Labels: egg, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

When I wrote my first "What's for Dinner?" post I thought I would write at least one per week, but I haven't done it. My reasoning behind the "What's for Dinner?" idea is that it helps people new to the gluten-free diet to have an idea of what other people eat. As I mentioned here, I don't menu plan. However, I thought I would show you this week's menu since it's half over and I have a good idea of what we'll have the rest of the week. I also have a recipe for you!

Sunday: Roast beef, brown rice (out of potatoes), gravy (made with corn starch), fresh steamed broccoli

Monday: Nacho Casserole (recipe below), salad

Tuesday: Baked chicken breasts with olive oil and dry Italian and Ranch dressing mixes sprinkled on top, quinoa, fresh steamed green beans

Wednesday: Sausage, pancakes, and fresh fruit

Thursday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, zucchini and onions sauteed in butter with dill weed

Friday: Gluten-free pizza (see recipe index), salad

Saturday: Leftover chicken used in a soup or casserole, not sure what else

Gluten-Free Nacho Casserole


Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning (McCormick is GF)
1 can refried beans (or other beans of choice)
1 c. salsa
1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexi blend)
Tortilla chips

Instructions
Cook and drain the beef. Add the taco seasoning mix and prepare according to the package instructions. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spread the refried bean over the bottom. Add the beef spreading it evenly to the edges. Pour the salsa on top. You can use more than 1 cup if desired. Put some lightly crushed tortilla chips over top. You don't want crumbs, just not really big chips. Put on a thick layer. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Note: This is not a thick casserole. We ate it all and could have eaten more, but didn't really need more.

Labels: beef, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

In an earlier post I explained why I don't menu plan, but I do think it's helpful to people when menu plans are posted. Many people new to the gluten-free diet can benefit from knowing what a "veteran" eats for dinner. In an effort to help those people, I would like to start posting some dinners I prepare. If you want to share your gluten-free dinner with us, please leave a comment telling us about it or leave a link to a post at your blog. Here's what we had tonight.

I cooked some boneless chicken breasts in my pressure cooker then cubed it. I added it to a jar of Classico Alfredo sauce and heated it. I cooked Tinkyada brand spaghetti and served the chicken and alfredo sauce over it.

One of our favorite vegetable dishes is zucchini and onions. I don't have a recipe, but it's real simple. Melt some butter in a skillet, add onion slices and cook partially. Add zucchini slices and dry dill weed. Cook until zucchini reaches desired tenderness. I like my onions well cooked, but the zucchini a little crunchy.

Labels: main dish recipes, what's for dinner