Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken December 15, 2009

I found a recipe for this that involved too many steps for me to remember, so I made it the lazy way. It also works out because this tastes fantastic alongside some pasta with fresh pesto. The way I make this, letting it sit and simmer while we finish the pesto improves the flavor.

All measurements are approximate and come from original recipe– I didn’t measure anything

• Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1.5 per person)
• Olive oil
• Garlic, minced (I put a LOT more than the average person… at least 1 TBS, but really it’s to taste)
• 1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), patted dry. Finely chop half, mince the other half for greater flavor distribution
• 1/2 white onion, minced finely
• 3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (one that pairs with highly seasoned or spicy foods)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil or dollop of un-oiled pesto (optional)
• Parmeggiano Reggiano

Heat oil in a deep skillet and cook minced onions. When they are soft, add chicken and pile with onions. Brown chicken on both sides, but don’t worry about cooking through yet.

Finely mince tomatoes but leave some of the tomatoes rough chopped for appearance/texture.

Add garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to skillet and sauté, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, covered.

Simmer everything, covered, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. If you have other food to prepare, keep chicken buried under sauce and on low- it will stay tender if there is enough liquid.

When ready to wrap up, remove cover and reduce liquid. Remove from heat before adding cream.

Slowly (to prevent scalding) stir cream and basil into sauce in skillet and heat through.

Serve sauce over chicken and sprinkle with grated parmeggiano reggiano.

Simple Balsamic Glazed Chicken December 15, 2009

I like easy meals: something simple to toss together when I’ve come home from work hungry. This chicken recipe is one of those things. Enough chatter, where’s dinner?

Marinade/Sauce

1/2 C Balsamic vinegar

1/4 C soy sauce

1 TBS Maple syrup (or Agave Syrup)

1 TBS minced Garlic

Whisk together sauce and pour over chicken.

Marinate the chicken in the sauce while you prepare your salad or other side dish items (we had risotto). Sear both sides of the chicken in a skillet, then add the rest of the sauce to bubble and simmer into a thick sauce.

I would pair this with baked potatoes or basic roasted winter vegetables (squash, carrots and potatoes, maybe some onions?) that will have enough flavor to stand up to the strong, nutty and acidic flavors of the Balsamic sauce.

Green Bean Casserole (GF) November 30, 2009

I love Thanksgiving foods. My favorite things on the table are the turkey, pumpkin pie and green bean casserole.

I found a way to bring the beans to me without using cream of mushroom soup, as used in most recipes. I even got to put crunchy fried onions on top! My mom found fried red onions at an Asian food market that worked really well with this.

The weather has finally grown cold enough to require a jacket. Yes, just jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket are sufficient to stay warm. On Thanksgiving day, the family ate outside and I wore a knee length skirt and a short sleeved shirt: no sweater or even close-toed shoes. But now, the wind blows outside and huge thunderhead rain clouds loom over my back wall, bringing rain and the air has taken a delightfully chilly turn. I hope it stays this way for a while; I don’t like the hot weather we get so often out here in the southwest.

So, back to my little casserole. I used leftover turkey gravy, but you could start with the meat juices or probably get away with thickening stock with white rice flour (the stuff that’s the consistency of corn starch).

Ingredients:

1/2 C Turkey gravy

1 1/2 C Poultry or Vegetable stock

~2 tsp White rice flour

1/2 C Half & Half

3 C Green Beans

1/2 white onion, minced

TBS minced garlic

pinch of lemon or garlic salt

crunchy fried onions (optional)

 

Heat stock in a wide pan (for greater surface evaporation), dissolve rice flour into stock. Once dissolved, add turkey gravy and mix together. Once your pan is homogeneous, add the minced onion and garlic. Reduce to about half volume, then remove from heat. Add half & half while stirring quickly. Return to heat and reduce at a low simmer. Sauce should be thick and gravy-like when finished.

Spread green beans in a casserole dish. Pour sauce over green beans, spreading minced onion/garlic throughout. Pop it in a preheated oven at 375 for about 20 minutes. Timing is variable on depth of dish and total volume of beans & sauce. When sides begin to brown and sauce is bubbling, add fried onions. I would only add them then  if the casserole will be eaten same day. If you’re making it with the intent of having leftovers- put onions on individual servings so they don’t get soggy in the fridge.

 

 

 

Gobble gobble it up gravy November 30, 2009

I didn’t like gravy very much as a kid. I still don’t crave it, and it’s not my favorite part of eating turkey or mashed potatoes, but this one turned out pretty darn well. And it was easy. Most of the flavoring is done when you season the turkey, and those flavors trickle into the fat at the bottom of the pan. Adjust seasonings to suit your turkey’s flavor.

The only problem is that it reduced down really really far, but if you like thin gravy you would be able to get more out of it. I like my gravy thicker though.

Ingredients

Turkey juices/fat skimmed from pan

Rice flour: 1tsp to 1tbs, depending on how much gravy

Water or stock for dissolving flour

Pinch of Salt (I used lemon salt, but you could use garlic, onion or sea salt too)

Garlic powder to taste

Paprika– sprinkling

Nutmeg– sprinkling

TBS of honey or fructose or sugar

Cream or Half & Half

 

To do:

Slowly dissolve rice flour into stock or water; heat in a wide pan for better evaporation. Once rice flour is dissolved (watch out for lumps!), add turkey juices. Add seasonings and sweetener; stir frequently. Simmer until reduced to desired thickness. Remove from heat and add cream/half ½ stirring quickly to prevent scalding. If the gravy has thinned too far, reduce further to desired thickness.

 

Peanut Butter Rice Treats (cane sugar & egg free) November 23, 2009

Rice krispy treats are one of the best kid foods and I’ve missed them. They are sticky and crunchy and sweet and satisfyingly delicious.

So I set out to make some for myself… without marshmallow cream (eggs) and without cane sugar. I found a vegan recipe and adapted it to be cane sugar free as well. I found crisped rice (looks just like the commercial cereal) at Sprouts, and it was completely unadulterated– no sugar or wheat flour!

I added cocoa powder to my batch and that turned out well, but I think I’ll leave it out next time and add more crispies because the filling became too dense and overwhelming.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (has a fuller flavor than sugar-added PB)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated fructose/or (sugar)
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup /or (light corn syrup)
• 2 tbsp butter/or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3.5 cups rice krispies cereal

Directions

Grease a 9X13 baking dish, non-stick spray works well. In a dutch oven or other large pot, slowly bring the peanut butter, sugar, rice syrup, and butter to a rapid boil while stirring constantly. Add cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. Let boil for a good minute, you should start smelling the peanut butter roasting. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Stir in the rice krispies until they are fully coated. I didn’t measure the rice krispies. I just dumped them in until it looked like they’ve soaked up all the peanut butter goo. Put in a little more than you think is necessary- the rice syrup mix should be a very thin coating as it has a very strong flavor. Dump the mixture into the baking dish and spread to an even layer. Let cool, cut them up, and enjoy. Makes about 12 servings.

 

Original recipe found here

Where have I been? October 10, 2009

In both my internet and real-world presences, I’ve become quite a-social. In the last couple months, I started a new job and moved to a new apartment. Since then, I’ve been trying to get myself together and find time for everything I want to do! I know this isn’t a new story, but… there it is.

My new apartment is cute, albeit tiny. I have two major problems as concern this blog. First, I have a gas stove. I’ve never worked with a gas stove before. I had to have my boyfriend light the range and I still don’t think the oven part works. I am terrified of doing something wrong and blowing up my apartment, my birds, my dog, the BF, and myself. So, my cooking has been limited to toaster-oven and microwaveables.

Speaking of microwaves, is it weird not having one? My practical BF pointed out last night that I use the toaster oven more than the microwave; so why keep it around in a house where extra space is a myth? Doesn’t everyone have one? How would I make… and I couldn’t think of anything that I regularly eat that *needs* the microwave! I reheat my leftovers in the oven because they taste freshly made that way and I can use a saucepan or kettle to heat water.

Anyway, my second big problem is beyond personal ignorance. My sink has been leaking behind the wall since before I moved in. Right now, there is a big hole where my backsplash used to be, parts of the linoleum countertop are ripped off and the plumber isn’t coming until Monday. They’re probably going to tear out the bottom half of my cabinetry because all that water = mold. ugh. I’m glad I’m only a renter, but they better get every spore or I will have serrious problems living here.

So this is why I haven’t been posting. Hopefully once my sink and stove issues are resolved, I will have something tasty to post. I will be making some Pumpkin apple muffins for this month’s Go Ahead Honey, it’s Gluten Free meme. So look forward to that plate of deliciousness!

Ice Cream! for the eddibly impaired June 30, 2009

About 31/2 years ago, I was diagnosed with 11 food sensitivities. The biggies: wheat, corn, sugar, egg and yeast.

When was the last time I had commercial ice cream that tasted divine and didn’t make me ill later?

Last night.

My mom has been very supportive of my food issues, and has made homemade ice cream before. It was great, but it never keeps well. Such is the shelf span of any homemade ice cream I’ve encountered. Plus, my sister can’t have a lot of dairy, so that complicated our recipes further. We made a pretty tasty coconut ice cream several months ago, but it still doesn’t store as well as commercial ice cream.

Now, I have found the store-bought version and it lives only a couple blocks away! You can buy “ice cream” without milk, sugar or eggs (and certified organic and vegan)… at Safeway, Whole Foods, and probably other stores I haven’t discovered yet. If you can handle cane sugar, your options are wider- I have a recomendation for the pomogranate chocolate chip.

This isn’t a cheap dessert, but for someone who wants to have ice cream around and eat it too… literally- it’s worth it for those terrible sweet cravings.

Here’s a link to the chocolate coconut which is my favorite. You can find the full list under the heading “Products.”

GF Lemon-lime coconut cookies June 29, 2009

These cookies live up 100% to the title of this blog. I have been waiting 3 1/2 years for cookies like these. They have a textured outside and a FLUFFY inside, and– AND– they aren’t grainy. All this, and they are egg, wheat and cane sugar free! I nearly collapsed with delight when I bit into the cookie. You don’t want to know what happenened after I tried them with the lemon-lime cream cheese frosting…

What you need:

1 1/2 C all-purpose GF flour

1/4 C Coconut flour

1/4 C shredded coconut

1/2 C sugar or substitute  (I used fructose)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 lrg egg, beaten (or 1/4 C plain yogurt)

1 C plain yogurt

1/4 C milk

6 Tbsp. butter

*

What you do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare a baking pan by spraying with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix them together, quickly, combining ingredients thoroughly but not over mixing.

Roll into small  balls and place on baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned: 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies..

Citrus Frosting

1/2 c heavy cream

1/3 c sugar/substitute

juice and zest from 1 lime

juice and zest from 1 lemon

8oz mascarpone or cream cheese, room temperature

Whip the cream and sugar until fluffy (don’t overwhip!). Add in the juice and zest. Fold in the mascarpone, and mix until combined. Keep chilled. Mine came out more like a glaze and I would probably use less sugar next time, as it was a little too sweet for me- so add it in slowly and taste test to your preference.

Go ahead honey; it’s Gluten Free– and manly! June 17, 2009

I recently discovered the blog-event “Go ahead honey, it’s gluten free!” and decided to submit my own creation.

The theme for June is ‘manly food,’ so I must ask– what makes a food manly? Is it the fat and protein content? Is it the mess-factor? Which foods are ‘masculine’ and which are ‘feminine?’

Yes, I am making too much of this, but what do you exspect from an unemployed feminist sociologist? I have time for these kinds of thoughts. Even if I had a job right now, I would still be wondering about everything. That’s the kind of lady I am.

I decided to go with something I put together for my family’s last holiday meal. It was meaty, spicy and full of dark, roasted flavors. It doesn’t use real measurements, so there’s no need to ask a tablespoon for directions here. Use more of the flavors you like, and skip the ones you don’t. This roast won’t be offended. Use this wet rub for good steaks, prime rib and baby-back ribs.

Smoky Red Meat Rub

Chipotle powder

Cayenne pepper

Lemon salt (Trader Joe’s)

Cinnamon

Rosemary

Paprika

Chili powder

Crushed Garlic (Trader Joe’s)

Mix the dry spices together until you have a balance of smoke, heat and flavor. I go by smell, but if in doubt, start with equal parts of each, then add a little more of the flavors you want most. Be careful with the cayenne; it heats up quickly.

When you have your spices ready, add the crushed garlic and mix thoroughly. You want a paste consistency.

Spread the garlic-spice paste over the meat. Rub it into all the little cracks and don’t be affraid of a thick layer. For best results, let the rub sit overnight. If  you can’t wait a whole day, give it at least an hour in the fridge.

Going Gluten Free June 17, 2009

I have resisted making this blog “Gluten Free” for several reasons.

1. I do not have celiac disease, although I do know a fair amount about it.

2. I do not follow a GF diet per se. I have allergies to most gluten-full products.

3. Sometimes I like to pretend I’m like (almost) everyone else who can eat things like Thin Mint Strawberry tarts.

However, through trolling the internet for things I can eat I have discovered a few things:

Gluten free, all-natural, vegan cooks are my best friends. Why? They don’t use wheat, corn (very often), eggs or cane sugar in their recipes.

Searching Google for “eggless, sugarless, wheatless muffins” is more frustrating than searching “vegan muffins” or “GF muffins” and adapting the recipes from there.

I could never be vegan. I eat dairy or meat almost every day– without them, I would starve. I respect the decision to be vegan, vegetarian, carnivore or omnivore… but my choice has been made by the way my body processes food. So, I will thank and respect the animals who sustain my life, but I haven’t the time, money or taste buds required to give up eating them all together.

Anyway… For people who have allergies or food sensitivities like I do, the search term “Gluten Free” is a gateway to recipes that are already ’safe’ or easily adapted. I recognize the need for more blogs/recipe collections that accommodate various food issues. So… I will add Gluten Free to the tag-line of my blog; I will label recipes as GF and/or vegan friendly, and cane sugar free.

Above all, my main reason for changing this blog to a GF-friendly one is this: Dietary restrictions do NOT have to restrict your ability to enjoy food. I have found food that is deliciously tempting, healthy and won’t give me a stomach ache later. In short, GF food can be Mouthgasmic too.

Welcome to the revamped Mouthgasmic GF blog for a taste full world.