Jenkin's Chicken Sushi Rolls

I love sushi, but being pregnant and gluten-free poses a problem as the imitation crab I would generally go for on California rolls is NOT gluten-free! So I whipped up some chicken, and rolled it in seaweed with avocado and rice. It was kind of like sushi...

Jenkin's Marinade 

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 dash onion powder

Mix and pour over chicken or turkey to marinade. 

My take:

We generally put it on chicken tenderloins, but in this case, it was on chicken breasts. Also, it was baked in the oven because, hello it's winter and cold outside; but it is really top of the line when grilled. 

Juliet kept wanting to be like me and eat the seaweed, but every time she tasted it (which was multiple times), she made her 'bleh!' sound. Haha!

I made pizza too!

Like you, I was craving pizza.  Nicole's cauliflower crust was not appealing because I wanted my pizza crust to act more like pizza crust and not be all mushy.   I am also cheap and don't like having to buy random flours like almond (might be allergic it), garbanzo bean flour, etc. and I didn't want to have to run to the store so I consulted my handy pinterest app on my phone and found this gem:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 recipe of Cauli-Rice (which is the same recipe for faux rice in the WB cookbook)
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella (I used part skimmed)
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 TBS. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Toppings of your choice, tomato, pesto or Alfredo sauce, cheese, precooked meats* & precooked veggies*

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with either a Silpat or parchment paper.

Place the cooked Cauli-Rice into a tea towel and squeeze all the water out of the Cauli-Rice. It is important to get the rice as dry as possible so that there won’t be extra moisture in the crust which will prevent it from crisping up properly.

In a medium bowl combine the dry Cauli-Rice, egg, 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper and mix to combine well. Press the cauliflower mixture into an even thickness on the prepared pan, either into a round or rectangular shaped pizza. I kept the crust pretty thin, about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is firm and golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and turn off the oven and turn on the broiler and move the rack to up close to the broiler. Top the cooked crust with sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. Place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melted

My Take:

So the cauli-rice is just grated cauliflower microwaved.  Not that hard, but it was a little time consuming to grate a head of cauliflower on a box grater.  If you had a food processor with a grating/shredding attachment it would go a lot faster.  I didn't have fennel seed or italian seasoning so I just tossed in some basil, garlic powder, and oregano and called it good.  I was worried about baking it on parchment paper at 450 degrees because on the parchment paper package it says not to exceed 420.  I risked it and it was fine while baking.  This is what the crust looked like when done baking.

 

Looked good enough to eat just like that! While it was in the oven, I made a pizza sauce topping of sauteed onions, garlic, bell peppers, olive oil, can of diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, S&P.  I just saute all of that in a pan until its all soft and flavors meld.  Then when the crust came out of the oven, I poured the saucy mixture on and topped it with parmasen and mozzeralla cheese and popped it under the broiler.  This time I was really afraid the parchment paper would catch fire (it also said on the package to NEVER put it under a broiler.  I like to live on the edge I guess).  I watched it pretty carefully and pulled it out when the cheese was all melted and starting to get golden brown.  The parchment paper turned pretty dark and burned up.  Oh well.  I had no other options.  

The pizza turned out soooo delicious and we could even pick it up and eat it like a normal pizza.  I didn't though because it was so toppings heaving.  I will definitely be making it again.  I asked Taylor how he liked it and he said "I really like it because it isn't made with coconut flour." 

Ham and Lentil Soup

So what do you do when you have a ton of left-over ham, and you've already made ham and eggs and ham fried rice?  You start searching the internet!  As a result I found this keeper on All Recipes.  It's supposed to be made in a slow cooker, but since none of the ingredients take very long to cook I just make it in a pot on the stove.  Then I have soup within an hour instead soup in 11 hours.  Very convenient since I'm not always the best at planning ahead!

Ham and Lentil Soup

1 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion (I use 1/2-3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
32 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water
8 teaspoons tomato sauce

In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and ham.  Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper.  Stir in the chicken broth, water, and tomato sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 11 hours.  Discard the bay leaf before serving. 

**OR**

Throw everything in a pot on the stove, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat and simmer on low until the vegetables and lentils are tender and you are ready to eat!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over the past couple of weeks Joey has mentioned a few times that he misses chocolate chip cookies.  When my Wheat Belly Cookbook arrived this week I knew that was one of the first recipes I wanted to try.  Chocolate chip cookies that weren't super unhealthy seemed too good to be true!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup sour cream or coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
10 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In  large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter or coconut oil, sour cream or coconut milk, vanilla, and stevia.  Stir into the flour mixture just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet.  Using a spoon or glass, press each cookie to 1/2" thickness.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to a rack to cook completely.

My Take: This was my first time baking a treat without using 'normal' sugar, so that was kind of strange.  I used the Sweet Leaf brand of liquid stevia.  I also went with the butter and sour cream option since I wanted to see how close to traditional cookies they would taste.  When the batter was mixed up, Jenna and I tasted it to see how it was, and surprisingly it tasted like cookie dough!  Little different texture due to the almond flour, and not quite as sweet as my glutenous recipes (which I could have adjusted by adding more stevia) but yummy!  If a three year old wants to eat it by the spoonful, what better endorsement do you need?!
I used my cookie dough scoop to load up the baking sheet, and tried flattening the cookies with both a glass and a spoon.  The spoon definitely worked better.  They looked like cookies going into the oven, I just hoped they tasted like them when they came out!  While they were baking they smelled awesome, and they came out golden.  The best part: they tasted delicious!  I did cut the baking time down a few minutes on the next batch and they turned out even better.

I ate a couple warm out of the oven and was surprised at how filling they were.  I froze a bunch of them to last for the next couple of weeks.  15 seconds in the microwave and they are good as new! 

A word of caution however:  although they aren't terrible for you like normal gluteny, sugary cookies, you still won't feel good if you eat upwards of 10 or so of them (big shocker, right).  Moderation in all things, Joey!!  Oh well, some people never learn.

Mongolian Beef

I feel like meat has been a little under represented in the blog and I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about my status as a self-respecting carnivore.  Enter this next recipe.  Pulled from the Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast cookbook, (one of my very favorites from my glutenous days, and still very adaptable) this is one of those meals that Joey and I fight over who gets the leftovers (since there's never enough left for both of us!)

Mongolian Beef

1 lb. of flank steak, trimmed and cut into thin slices
cooking spray (I use a little olive oil)
1/3 cup hoisin sauce (make sure yours is gluten free - I use the Sun Luck brand)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste if you want it more/less spicy)
4 green onions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Coat steak with cooking spray (or olive oil).  Cook steak in pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until browned and liquid has almost evaporated, stirring occasionally.
2.  While steak cooks, combine hoisin sauce and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut onions crosswise into 1-inch pieces.  Add sauce mixture and onions to meat in pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced (do not overcook meat).  Serve immediately.

I like to have the sauce made before I start cooking the meat - I find I am less stressed while cooking if I don't have to worry about grating ginger while I'm supposed to be not overcooking the meat.  I like to serve with sticky rice and Sesame Buttered Broccoli.

Sesame Buttered Broccoli

1 1/2 lbs broccoli, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons soy sauce (make sure it's gluten free!)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Cook/steam/boil your broccoli however you normally do.  Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss with the broccoli to coat, and serve.  Note - I usually cut the recipe in half.

Yummers!!!

Here are two of my favorite gluten-free desserts.

1. MINI EGGS - These are now available in a dangerously sized 36 oz bag. Juliet saw the picture I have added, and exclaimed 'Eggs!!' Maybe I should cut back on our mini egg consumption...

2. Glutino Lemon Wafer Cookies - I first had these at my Aunt Kathryn's house. They are super good and I think that they taste like fruit loops but better. Juliet also recognized the picture of the box. She is really smart...

Honeyville Discount

If you're looking for somewhere to purchase your almond or coconut flour I suggest Honeyville.  Their products are awesome and they ship for a low flat rate.  Right now they are offering a 10% discount off your entire online order (excludes the shipping rate).  Just type in the coupon code "ORGANIC" during checkout.  This sale goes through Friday the 22nd.  Happy shopping!
store.honeyvillegrain.com

It's a Wrap!

So I think it's safe to say I am becoming obsessed with flax.  Who knew flax, an egg and a microwave could be so versatile!  I could eat a mug muffin and this wrap for breakfast and lunch every day and be totally satisfied!!  Thank you Wheat Belly.

Flaxseed Wrap

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder (I use slightly less)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch of fine sea salt or celery salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan

1 tablespoon water

1 large egg

Mix together the ground flaxseeds, baking powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt in a small bowl.  Stir in the 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  Beat in the egg and 1 tablespoon water until blended.

Grease a microwave safe glass or plastic pie pan with coconut oil.  Pour in the batter and spread evenly over the bottom.  Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until cooked.  Let cool about 5 minutes.

To remove, lift up an edge with a spatula.  If it sticks, use a pancake turner to gently loosen from the pan.  Flip the wrap over and top with desired ingredients.

My Take:  Delish!  And super simple to whip up.  I put a little cheese, leftover rotisserie chicken, avocado, and spinach on mine.  I could barely finish it - super filling!  The wraps also fridge well.  I've made them for Joey to take for lunch the next day and they keep really well and taste great.  Excited to try a breakfast variation, breakfast burrito style!  Enjoy!

Coconut Funyuns

Once again I needed to find a recipe for something that I had a lot of... and yesterday I felt the need to make something with a lot of onions (or at least 1).  So I opened up the Wheat Belly cookbook to see what recipes could be made and lo and behold I reached Onion Rings.  Perfect! Sounded sooo delish and I knew Taylor loved onion rings so I hoped for the best.  It says to first dredge the sliced and separated rings in a mixture of coconut flour and paprika.  Then dunk them in melted coconut oil mixed with egg and then dredge in a mixture of coconut flour, ground flax seed, and almond meal (which I excluded because I no have it).  Then they are to baked at 450 for like 12 minutes.  So everything is going great and I'm dunking those rings and they look so cute and onion ring-y. (You've got to watch out for that coconut flour though, little by little, some was tracked into the egg mixture and pretty soon it turned into a thick paste and then I add to remake it and keep one hand for the wet and one for the dry dredging. Can you say hassle?!) I put the first cookie sheet of rings in and forgot to lightly spray them with cooking oil like the recipe says.  Oh well.  They should be just fine right? Umm... kinda right.  I pull the rings out of the oven and they don't look bad.  See:

But I bite into one and it is just like "pwaaahhhhhhhh" with powder.  Like talking once you bite into a graham cracker.  NOT crispy like a good onion ring should be. They don't taste bad though.  Taylor comes over, who is already super skeptical of coconut flour and thinks it turns everything it touches into a "macaroon flavored sponge," takes a bite of one and then immediately spits it all out and berates the poor powdery onion ring and its coconuty coating.  "They are horrible, they are ruined, and they are a disgrace to onion rings everywhere!!! I miss when you used to make food that was edible.  I have been so spoiled by your good cooking before this whole gluten-free thing, I should just go to Bojangles (super greasy southern fast food place) and get some REAL onion rings. etc, etc." is practically what he said.  So, feeling a chip on my shoulder to make them palatable to Mr. I hate everything, I heated up some coconut oil and "fried" that first batch.  This is then how they looked:

They got a little more color on them, were a little crunchier, and had no powdery texture in your mouth. Dunk them in ketchup and they are pretty good (according to me. Taylor was not satisfied.)  I enjoyed them and Taylor ate them begrudgingly because I made sad faces throughout the whole meal because he made me feel bad for my cooking. ("It isn't you that is the problem, it's just the ingredient... and the recipe")

So we eat that first batch and then there is a whole other tray of sad onion rings to do something with.  I didn't want to use more coconut oil because dang that stuff is expensive and I just  bought a jar of it and felt like I had already used soo much so I asked Taylor what he thought if I tried to fry them in vegetable oil.  He gave me the go ahead and so I fried them in it.  BLECKKKKK.  Soooooo NASTY! They had such a greasy feeling and tasted fishy to me.  I spit it out in the sink.  Taylor ate the whole pan, bless his heart, because he knew I tried so dern hard to fix those nasty onion rings after he gave me such a hard time.

Moral of the story: Get your rings glutenous or don't get them at all.

P.S. I did enjoy lathering my legs with coconut oil every time I had to get it out of the tablespoon.  It would be all over my fingers, so I would just use it to moisturize as I went.  SO versatile!

Let Them Eat Cake

We had friends over for dinner this past weekend and it provided the perfect opportunity to try out a coconut flour cake recipe from Tropical Traditions that I've had my eye on. 

Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup butter - softened
• 1 2/3 cups sugar (white or brown, I used brown)
• 10 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups coconut flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk or half n' half (I used whole milk)
• Coconut oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 inch or 8 inch layer pans with coconut oil and dust with cocoa powder.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar, and beat together for about 2 minutes. Add eggs in one at a time and beat high speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla while beating the eggs and butter mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk to the butter mixture. Beat batter for about five minutes on high speed. Spoon batter into the two prepared cake pans and smoothen out tops.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Place pans on wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool cakes completely before frosting. Use your favorite frosting to frost the cake.

Cupcakes: Make recipe as directed but spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for about 26-30 minutes. Frost after cupcakes have cooled completely. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Cooling cakes - they barely fit in the 8 inch rounds!

Now I don't know about you, but I'm usually a cake mix kind of girl, ok, I'm always a cake mix kind of girl.  Before going gluten free I always used a mix, even if I enhanced it with things like pudding and extra eggs, so baking an entire cake from scratch was a whole new experience for me!  Miraculously, everything seemed to go as it was supposed to and the cakes looked and smelled awesome coming out of the oven.  It was only when I went to frost them that things took a turn for the worst.

To frost the cake I wanted to use a chocolate cream cheese cake filling recipe that our family has used for years and years.  Delicious and simple.  Over the holidays we substituted real whipping cream for the called for Cool Whip and the results were spectaular, not to mention made with real ingredients!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake Filling

• 3-4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 ounces Cool Whip (use real whipping cream, WAY better!)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (use semi-sweet, otherwise it can be too sweet)

Melt chocolate chips carefully in the microwave.  Do not overheat!!

Add room-temp cream cheese and beat well.

Add vanilla and Cool Whip, beat together

Use as filling between layers of a chocolate cake.  Or if you're like me and use a full two cups of heavy whipping cream prior to whipping it up, use it to frost the whole stinkin' cake!  Just store it in the fridge, duh.

So I whipped up my 2 cups of whipping cream with a little powdered sugar and vanilla, perfect.  I had my cream cheese softened and ready for action.  I went to my cupboard and had exactly one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips left in the bag.  Everything was set for quick and easy cake assembly.  Then I microwaved the chocolate chips.  Now in the recipe when it says "Do not overheat!!"  it means it!  In no time flat I scorched my cup of chocolate chips.  Melted chocolate with grainy black burnt pieces mixed throughout.  Disaster.  But all was not lost - I still had some milk chocolate chips.  I quickly put those in my other 1 cup glass measuring cup and microwaved them on super low power in short time increments.  Was the frosting saved?  No, not even close.  Somehow I ruined those as well.  They didn't even melt, like at all, just turned into a rock hard mass in the middle of the measuring cup.  Uber-disaster.  Note to self, do not heat chocolate in glass, it gets too hot.  And remember that the brand new microwave cooks WAY hotter than the old one!  And this was supposed to be the easy part!  People were coming over, my whipping cream was just sitting on the counter waiting and waiting, and I had nothing but burned chocolate.  Epic fail.  There might have been tears. 

Luckily Joey stepped in and saved the day, running to the store to buy me more semi-sweet chips, which I melted in a stoneware bowl on a low setting.  Somehow the frosting came together perfectly despite my worry that the whipped cream had sat too long and crisis was averted!  It looked good, it tasted good, and I have to admit I was quite pleased with myself.  It is a little drier than cake mix cakes, but I think all homemade cakes are, and quite frankly I wouldn't have guessed it was gluten free and made with coconut flour except for the fact that I made it.  Would definitely make again!

Epilogue: I've been eating large slabs of cake for 4 days now.  It is still delicious, and very filling!  I don't feel guilty - all those eggs make it healthy, right?!



Hors D'oeuvres!

 

For the Super Bowl I wanted to try out some yummy new recipes, perhaps not the healthiest, but definitely delicious, and naturally gluten-free, hooray!

The first is a sesame cream cheese spread, patterned after the appetizer served at The Dodo restuarant in Salt Lake City.  Many thanks to my friend Ashley for figuring this one out!

Sesame Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese

Soy Sauce - make sure you choose a gluten-free one, I use La Choy.

Seasame seeds

Marinate cream cheese in soy sauce for at least an hour.  It's helpful to put it in a little container or bag and rotate it every so often so all the cream cheese gets covered.  Meanwhile, toast some seasame seeds in a pan on the stove (medium heat, stirring frequently, it only takes a few minutes).  Roll the marinated cream cheese in the toasted seasame seed.  Bake in the oven until warm: 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with an assortment of gluten free crackers, apple slices, and pear slices.

This turned out amazing, so close to what I remember at The Dodo.  You can also cut your cream cheese block any size depending on your need.  I did a small test section the day before and then made an entire cream cheese package for game day.  There were no leftovers either time!  My favorite vehicle for this tasty treat is pear slices, but I've found some gluten-free crackers I really like.  The Mary's Gone Crackers brand tastes healthier and more whole grain to me, but I've learned 3 year olds prefer the almond Nut-Thins.

The second treat is something I first tried at my aunt Jenette's (the one who first got us all thinking about gluten-free!) house over the holidays and I've been thinking about it ever since.  Super simple, and a nice change from the bacon-wrapped lil'smokies that are usually a Super Bowl staple for us.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Dates

Whole almonds (plain)

Bacon

toothpicks

Take a paring knife and cut open the dates to remove the pits.  Insert an almond in its place and close the date back up.  Cut the bacon strips in half so they are not quite so long.  Wrap one cut strip around each date and secure with a toothpick.  Bake until the bacon is cooked to your liking.  I baked at 350 degrees until the bacon looked cooked but not yet crispy, totally a preference thing!

These turned out amazing and were a huge hit.  Even the kids liked them.  I ate myself sick of course, but that's what the Super Bowl is for.

It's Pizza!

One of the things I have missed the most since going gluten free has been pizza. I just love a chewy, thick crust covered with cheese and vegetables. A local pizza place here in Kaysville sells a gluten-free pizza and I have tried it a couple of times, but it just isn't right. The crust is soggy and you can't really pick it up. The second day it is even worse. The crust starts to disintegrate into a bad-tasting mush. Nicole tried the cauliflower crust recipe, which tastes great, but you have to eat it with a fork. 

Good news! I tried a pizza crust recipe from The Wheat Belly Cookbook by Dr. William Davis. Ernie and I both loved it. It truly satisfied my pizza craving and you can pick it up! Here is the proof:

Pizza Crust I

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the mozzarella until it becomes granular in size.

In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella, almonds, garbanzo bean flour, flaxseeds, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, oil, and water and mix thoroughly.

Spread a large sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Place the dough on the parchment paper and lay a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flatten with a rolling pin in to a 14" round.

Carefully remove the top layer of parchment paper. Use a spoon or your hands to form a crust edge. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with your favorite sauce and toppings. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melting.

Yum!

Black Bean, Corn, and Turkey Chili and Cilantro Salmon

This week I was searching the web for some recipes including ingredients I had in the fridge from the last time I went to the grocery store, namely ground turkey and a bunch of cilantro.  I found two awesome recipes and am happy to be sharing them with you!

The first is  Black Bean, Corn, and Turkey Chili from allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 tablespoon sugar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper and garlic powder.  Cook until turkey is well browned, stirring frequently to break of meat.

2. Add the broth, salsa, sugar, beans and corn in to the saucepan.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.
3. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Stir the chili occasionally while cooking.

It turned out sooo delicious.  The only thing I did differently was add a little less chili powder because I knew it would be too hot for me with 2 full tablespoons of chili powder.  Even with a little less, it was still a bit spicy, which Taylor enjoyed.  I served it with lots of shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.  We loved it! I made coconut flour cornbread muffins to go with it but they were just alright.  They'e got nothin' on read southern style cornbread.  Taylor said they tasted like a coconut sponge haha

The second delicious recipe I tried this week was Grilled Cilantro Salmon.

It was really easy and took no time at all to make.  The original recipe says to grill it on an outdoor grill but since I don't have one, I baked it the way I always do when I make salmon.

1 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
2 gloves garlic, chopped
2 cups honey
juice from 1 lime (I used lime juice b/c I have no limes)
4 salmon steaks
salt and pepper to taste


1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together cilantro, garlic, honey, and lime juice. Heat until the honey is easily stirred, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

3. Place salmon steaks in a baking dish, and season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade over salmon, cover, and refrigerate 10 minutes.

4. Seal up in individual foil packets and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.Voila! perfectly cooked and juicy salmon. I served it over a bed of rice. It was delish, with not too strong of a cilantro flavor. I actually only used about a cup and a half of honey because other reviewers said the honey taste was overpowering. I will def make this again!

It was a good gluten free cooking week (nevermind the outrageous gluten binge at a Duke Med party where I consumed 3 red velvet cupcakes, 2 chicken bacon ranch wraps, a pistachio biscotti, a coconut macaroon and then had an oreo mint milkshake chaser. It was soooo worth it.) :)

What's for Dinner?

What's for dinner? Check the board!

Ernie's Amazing Progress!

Two very handsome guys--Ernie and our grandson, Miles.

When I went gluten-free last August, Ernie was supportive, but didn't have any intention to join me on the journey. In fact, this is what he looked like when I suggested he give it a try...

But, after watching me lose 35 pounds, and knowing how great I was feeling, he started to wonder if maybe he should try it. Ernie works out at the gym five days a week and is in great shape, but he does love his soda and salty snacks. He has suffered from acid-reflux for years and has always had a certain amount of digestive distress (read between the lines here--g a s.) One Saturday in December, while at the grocery store, I suggested he check his blood pressure. We were shocked to see that it was 150/95! He was a ticking time bomb! That was the final straw. He committed to try going gluten free for three months starting on January 1. He was also going to give up his soda, nuts, and chips.

Well, one month later, here are the results so far:

Ernie has lost 10 pounds and is looking great. He says that it has not been that hard and doesn't really feel like he is on a diet. Even while eating business lunches and at conferences, he has stayed true. This morning Ernie was at Sam's Club and stopped to check his blood pressure. It was 125/84. He was so excited that he drove to another grocery store to double check it to make sure it wasn't a fluke. At Fresh Market, his blood pressure was 120/80! Yeah! Ernie reports that his acid reflux is 90% better and both he and I note that his digestive distress is many times better. It's a miracle! He has two more months to go. We will keep you posted.

So proud of this man!

Yummy Muffins

This recipe was given to me by one of my great Kindergarten moms, Paige Davis. It is quick and so yummy. I keep them in the freezer and grab one for breakfast or lunch. Just microwave for about 35 seconds. Yum!

Banana Almond Muffins

3 cups almond flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 ripe bananas, smashed
3 eggs
1/2 cup honey or agave
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla (or 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring for more almond flavor)

Mix the dry ingredients first, then add the rest. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Is Bread Really Worth It?

My experience with gluten-free bread has ranged from "not awful" to "it tastes like poison--ack, ack, ack." Mostly, I have just avoided bread and eaten a variety of vegetables, fruits, and meats, but every once in a while you really want to have a grilled cheese sandwich with fresh tomato soup or french toast for a special breakfast. I have bought several different brands of bread and have found Udi's to be the least bad. The major problem comes when you read the label and see that it is made of all kinds of rice, starch and tapioca--not all that healthy.

This recipe is one that I got out of The Wheat Belly Cookbook by Dr. William Davis. (His original book, Wheat Belly, is a must read if you want to start a gluten-free lifestyle--you will never want to eat wheat again!)

Basic Bread

1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tablespoon xylitol or 4 drops liquid stevia or to desired sweetness

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan.

In a food processor, combine the almond flour, garbanzo bean flour, flaxseeds, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Pulse until well blended. Add the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, and xylitol or stevia and pulse just until blended.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour into the flour mixture and pulse until the egg whites are evenly distributed, but do not run the machine at a constant speed. Spread into the pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack.

My Take: I didn't use the cinnamon, but I want to try it again with the cinnamon and some raisins, just cause I love cinnamon raisin toast. I didn't have any buttermilk and didn't want to buy a quart just for one tablespoon, so I used regular milk. I did use the xylitol. The texture of the bread is a little moist and spongy, because, let's face it--gluten is amazing and makes bread taste and feel great, but this was not awful. We tried it as toast with homemade raspberry jam and it was even better. The next morning, we tried french toast and it was very good. I sliced the entire loaf and put it in the freezer with the four other half loaves of store-bought, gluten-free bread that I never eat. The good news is that I didn't feel guilty eating it, because I knew it had good things in it and it is there waiting for me whenever I need it.

I didn't fall, I was pushed!!

I have been a model gluten-free citizen since 2013 began. I have been strong and resilient and gave away all of my goldfish and animal crackers. I have impressed myself.

So why did I find myself holding a half eaten donut yesterday? I was pushed off the wagon!!!

Okay, I am being dramatic. On Wednesday, one of my teacher friends forgot that I had gone gluten-free, and went out of her way to be awesome and brought me a double chocolate donut. YUM! But I was strong and told her I couldn't eat it. She yelled at me to eat it, and I yelled back 'no, you eat it' but she wouldn't cause she is off sweets!! So no one ate the donut, but I really appreciated the gesture. I just felt bad for the donut, being so unwanted...

That night, Travis confessed that he had (gasp!!) eaten not one, not two, but three slices of pizza for lunch! Okay, okay, 4 slices of pizza!!! He blamed peer pressure. I flashed back to my poor, lonely, gluteny donut left all alone on a desk, and was not at all pleased with his resolve. 

Flash-forward to Friday morning. I am at an all day teacher conference and they have donuts for breakfast. Here was my chance to get back at him? prove a point? I'm still not sure, but I did have some donut. And it was utterly unsatisfying. I couldn't make myself finish it. Poor donut, I wasted that one too. Later in the day, I took maybe 3 bites of my lunch wrap, and again, I couldn't make myself eat more. It just didn't hold any appeal. Luckily, my wonderful, occasionally peer-pressured, husband had packed me a gluten-free lunch. And I am back on the wagon!

Can you boil water?

(This was a post I started when I forgot that life keeps moving, whether you blog it or not. Please pretend is is still Sunday, January 27th as you read!)

Today's meals include a long list of gluten-free mishaps. Let's get started.

Breakfast
Plan - Gluten-free waffles (thank you Bisquik) with applesauce and cinnamon for all three of us.
Reality - Gluten-free waffles with applesauce, cinnamon, and copious amounts of whipped cream for me, gluten-free waffles with chocolate chips, peanut butter, and syrup for husband and baby.

Gluten-free? Yes. Healthy? Not so much.

Lunch
Plan - Exploding Chicken Taquitos (click here)

1 can chunk white chicken breast in water, drained and flaked
1/2 cup salsa
8 small (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
1/3 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
Optional dips: additional salsa, fat-free sour cream

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and salsa, and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Dampen two paper towels, and place tortillas between them. Microwave for about 1 minute, until tortillas are warm and pliable. Set aside.
• Remove chicken mixture from the fridge, and drain any excess liquid. Add cheese and taco seasoning, and mix to combine. This is your filling. Set aside.
• Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Place one tortilla flat on a clean dry surface (keep the rest between the paper towels), and spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto the tortilla. Spread it evenly across the entire surface, and roll tortilla up tightly, so that you have a cigar-shaped tube. Secure with toothpicks, if needed, and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
• Bake in the oven until crispy, 14 - 16 minutes. (Don't worry if they crack and "explode" a little!)
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks, if using. If you like, serve with additional salsa and sour cream for dipping. Enjoy!

Reality - I have made these several times before and they are always delicious. I have heard that some taco seasoning mixes are not gluten-free, but we have a giant container of McCormicks, and it is safe. So at 'oh my goodness, we have to be out the door soon or we will be late for church and we will die if I don't make lunch 5 minutes ago!' o'clock, I pulled out this quick recipe and got to work. If wasn't until I finished the filling and was ready to roll them up that I looked for my corn tortillas. We always have corn tortillas. Unfortunately, on this morning, we only had 2. Crap. 2 tiny corn tortillas cannot handle 8 tortillas worth of filling.

Instead of rolling them up, I spread the filling into a 9x9 dish and popped it into the oven to melt the cheese. Voila! Chicken dip. We ate the dip on blue corn tortilla chips and it was so yummy. Crisis averted.

Dinner

Plan - A delicious new pot roast recipe that I found on a reliable website, and raspberry jello with blueberries

Reality - The pot roast, though tender and decently tasty, was not something I will repeat. Onion soup mix roast is good enough for me (is onion soup mix gluten-free? We were out, I don't know...)! And now the jello. I love jello. I was going to put some whipped cream on my jello and call it dessert. I thought about it all the way home from church, and as I ate my pot roast and veggies. And then it was time. JELLO TIME!! I opened the fridge, I grabbed the pan, and IT WAS LIQUID!! It had not set up at all!!! Travis blamed the blueberries (he hates them) but after a quick google search to make sure, they were not the culprit. I was utterly disappointed and confused. I have made jello dozens of times. I even pulled off jello jigglers for the first time in my life just weeks ago. It wasn't until hours later that Travis dug the box out of the trash and asked me 'Did you boil the water?' .....no.....

In my speed lunch and church and get us out the door moments of that morning, I had cut corners and used hot water from the tap, skipping the apparently crucial step of microwave boiling, to mix up my jello. Stupid. stupid. stupid. That was my last pack of jello too... 

Dessert

Plan and reality - I was so despondent over my lack of jello that I spooned nutella onto some big marshmallows and called it a night. 

Gluten-free lives another day, but I should really double- and triple- check ingredients and recipes more often.

One month down, how many more to go?

February 1st.  One month since I (really) started eating 99.9% gluten free.  (I ate some Pringles at a faculty meeting a couple weeks back and apparently they contain wheat ingredients.  I though it was just made out of potatoes!) I think this is my longest lasting New Year's resolution yet!  Its been fun to try being gluten free, but after reading Wheat Belly and all the amazing success stories and extreme health benefits, I was a little disappointed when I didn't lose 5 pounds in the first week and get rid of my acid reflux.  In fact, I have gained like 3 pounds, had my face break out, acquired a mysterious rash on my back, broke out in itchy hives on my arms and legs, my acid reflux has been crazy and I feel sad.  Sad and donut-less.  Sad when I think of all the memories wheat and I have made over the years and how we have none this year so far.  I think my body is allergic to being gluten free! I really do not know how my longer I can keep this up.  Rice crackers just aren't doing it for me anymore.  Everyday when I pass out Cheez-Its, Goldfish, and buttery Ritz crackers to my 2nd graders for snack, it's all I can do to not lock myself in the snack closet and suck down every last cheesy morsel!  Unless I start seeing results soon, I am hopping back to the pitas and bagels of my former happily wheat-filled life.