Chicken Fajita Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Our Journey Starts Here: Chicken Fajita Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sug...: Last night I made some homemade pico de gallo as I prepped for our lunches this week. This afternoon I stared in to the fridge and thoug...

German Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Our Journey Starts Here: German Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Su...: Being sugar free doesn't mean you can't occasionally indulge on baked goods like this German chocolate cake. The chocolate cake ba...

Never eat cranberry sauce out of a can ever again (gluten free)

                                                            Holiday Cranberry Sauce

I have a friend that told me "if it does't resemble a can it's not cranberry sauce". He was joking but the thing is I think too many people assume that the cranberry, sugar filled gelatinous stuff is what holiday traditions are are all about. They are so WRONG, you all have been missing out on some delicious stuff, and excellent left over turkey sandwich condiment bliss.

Things you're going to need

1) blender, vitamix, or food processor

2) 2 bags of raw cranberries

3) 40 ounces of quality orange juice

4) 1/3 cup brown sugar

 5) teaspoon of orange zest

In a large stew pot (that has a lid) add your 2 bags of cranberries, 40 oz of orange juice and orange zest. Set on medium/high and boil until cranberries are tender and starting to burst.

stir in 1/3 cup brown sugar (you can add additional sugar if you prefer sweeter) and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and set aside with lid off for at least an hour then with a slotted spoon scoop the cranberries into a blender/vitamix/food processor and puree until smooth (add additional juice from pot if mixture is too thick).

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Want to know what to do with the left over juices? Strain with a small hole colander and use for bellini mix with a sparkling wine of your choice =) Also works well with club soda for kid friendly drinks.

Verde Chicken and potato burritos

Breakfast, lunch or dinner I love potatoes and I love burritos so why not combine? I have 4 left over baked potatoes, a half a jar of verde salsa and a half an onion from dinner the previous night so I got crafty and all of us agreed it was a keeper!

Things to grab:

4 *baked potatoes (I used red)

2 chicken breast

half a sweet onion

one cup of verde (green) salsa

salt

pepper

cumin

olive oil

tortillas

Consider toppings:

tomatoes

cheese

sour cream

olives

scrambled eggs

Ready set go!

Heat your olive oil in a skillet pan and toss in your diced half of an onion to soften. Season with salt and pepper. While your onions are cooking down slice your raw chicken breast into bite size pieces (think fajitas), season the chicken with seasalt, pepper and cumin and add to the skillet. As the chicken browns add your half cup of verde salsa. While your chicken simmers cube your baked potatoes and toss in to the skillet for the last 2-4 minutes. 

I like to heat up my tortillas on a cast iron pan or in the microwave.

Serve up on to a tortilla with your choice of toppings or eat as it, it's simple and delicious! 

Low Calorie "Street Tacos" at home

Summer is quickly approaching, and even here in Oregon with the rain and overcast its starting to warm up for outdoor cooking! This week we grilled several chicken breasts and put them in the fridge to use for tacos, salads, sandwiches and etc. so we could have lean cooked meat with out heating up the whole dwelling.

Things you need:
Chicken Breasts (3-4)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa
Fire Roasted Peppers
Tortillas

Seasonings:
Poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, cumin

Grill the chicken breasts after lightly seasoning with poultry seasoning , salt, pepper and  cumin. After about 15-25 minutes of grilling let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then shred or cut into strips.

prepare your toppings! We used lettuce, canned fire roasted peppers, tomatoes and salsa. Additional toppings to consider would be black olives, onions, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos.

Depending on your gluten tolerance, you can use a variety of tortillas for gluten free I like Udi's, but for those of you wheat eaters I prefer these half corn half whole grain tortillas (heat up on a stove or in the microwave).

Assemble to your liking and enjoy! Simple, delicious, and low calorie meal the whole family will enjoy!

Start it and forget it Chili Verde (Dutch oven)

Do you ever go to the grocery store with a specific list and walk away with some bargain because it was a BARGAIN and then have to figure out how to use it? That was me ;) Below is one of 3 packs of boneless pork chops I found for an 80% discount and couldn't pass up! Problem? Umm.. my husband hates pork! haha.. My husband thinks that pork is chewy and doesn't have a great flavor, I was determined to prove him wrong so I made a slow cooked, lick the bowl, delicious and easy chili verde.

Really, who could pass this up for $6?

First and foremost make sure your boneless pork chops are thawed, you can use bone in but it takes more effort to take all the bones out before shredding.

Things you need:
olive oil
2 cans of whole green chiles (Fire roasted)
1 can Green Chili enchilada sauce (mild)
1 jar of salsa verde (mild)
3-4 lbs of Boneless pork chops

Seasoning:
pepper
cumin
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika

Are you ready for some easy slow cooking?

Spread a dash of olive oil into the bottom of your dutch oven and heat on the stove top to medium-high. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Dust the pork chops with the seasoning (DO NOT USE SALT) on both sides.

Sear both sides of each the chops and leave in the bottom of the Dutch and add all the remaining ingredients (whole green chilis, enchilada sauce and salsa verde). Stir in the sauce to pick up all the yummy browning off the bottom of the pan. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven for 4 hours.

4 hours may seem like a long time but I was able to watch a movie, do the dishes, put laundry away, build a snow man and play with the baby. You put dinner in and walk away until it is ready!

........4 hours later........

Remove your dutch oven from the oven to the stove top and lift the lid. The pork chops should so tender that all you have to do is pinch them with some tongs and they will fall apart, making "shredding" so easy

I use my chili verde in burritos, nachos, huevos racheros, and taco salad. It's so tasty!

Not your Grandma's pot pie! (super easy)

I get bored of eating the same thing over and over again don't you? I am not a fan of frozen dinners but have always been intrigued by chicken pot pie. When I was little my grandma made chicken pot pie one summer when we were visiting in Missouri. In true southern fashion it had tons of butter, and a crust made of half a box of bisquick lol. I have never tasted anything so delicious (although I suffered from the butter). I was determined to make a lighter, easier version in my semi-homemade way.

Things you need:
Left over whole chicken (I pick it clean for dinner and lunch then the next day use it in this recipe!)
1 roll of crescent rolls (the safeway brand is dairy free)
3 left over baked red potatoes from the previous night's chicken dinner
2 cups of mixed frozen veggies

Let's get started! Throw your chicken carcass in a medium sized soup pot with just enough water or low sodium chicken broth to barely cover the carcass. Put a lid on it and simmer on medium heat until the remaining chicken meat falls off the bone. (This can take between 30 minutes to an hour or longer depending on how big your chicken was and how much meat was left on the carcass).
*Note* If you don't have left over  baked potatoes then use this time to wrap your washed/salted&peppered red potatoes in the oven now so we can assemble the potpie quickly.

*Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Ok remove the carcass from the liquid (let the stock continue to simmer and reduce) and remove the chicken meat from the bones, if you've simmered long enough it should practically fall off or already be in the stock pot. Throw away the bones and inedible stuff like fatty clumps, gristle or chewy skin.

Add the chicken back to the stock, cube your potatoes and add the potatoes and veggies to the mix. Dump the mixture into a pie dish (if the stock has been reduced properly it will be thick like a hash)
Unroll your crescent rolls and layer over the filling.

I layer the crescent rolls from tip to tail

Keep an eye on your dish, Baking time should be about 13 minutes or until  it is evenly  golden brown across the  top.

Cool for about 3 min and serve! It's delicious and much lighter in calories since there isn't a gravy on the inside or double layer crust!

Dairy Free Rice Pudding

Tonight for dinner we had stir fry using my left over Terriyaki Sauce from last weeks post and I had a couple cups of rice left over. I knew tomorrow morning was going to be hectic and thought, "hmm it would be so easy if breakfast was all ready to go in the morning.." So I decided to wing it and recreate my mom's rice pudding she use to make when I was a kid. I love homemade rice pudding! But of course I can't have dairy and my husband and kiddos can't do cinnamon so this recipe is with a twist and is very delicious!

You have to love it when you wing it and it turns out to be a winner =D

Things you need:

1 cup Original coconut milk

2 eggs

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2- 2 cups cooked rice (brown or white are both good)

1/2 Tsp of nutmeg

Foil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a blender/magic bullet whip the coconut milk, eggs, brown sugar and nutmeg until evenly incorporated.  Scoop the cooked rice into a pie dish and level out (don't pack it down). Pour the egg mixture over the rice.

Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes until the center is firm.

Once the rice pudding is out of the oven remove the foil and allow to cool for about 30 minutes, you can enjoy while still warm or put in the fridge and enjoy cool for breakfast or as an after dinner treat.

This is so delicious, with the nutmeg and sweetness from the coconut milk I don't even miss the cinnamon.

(Gluten free) Teriyaki Chicken and veggies made easy

• Teriyaki Marinade
• ¼ cup soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 -2 tablespoon honey
• Slurry for thickening....
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water

Directions for assembling your marinade:

Mix all but cornstarch and 1/4c water in a sauce pan and begin heating. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan .Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness. If you thicken the sauce too much add a little water to loosen it up.

Things you need for the stir-fry:

3 large chicken breast (thawed or fresh)

One bag of frozen stir-fry veggies or fresh veggies of choice

Wok or large saute pan

3 cups of rice (uncooked)

3 cups of water

Marinate your 3 chicken breasts in  1/2 of the cooled teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to an hour.

1. 

   Cut your chicken breast into 1/4 inch strips (I use meat scissors for ease) and  toss into a  preheated (high) wok or saute pan. It's important the pan is super hot to quickly sear the pieces, otherwise the moisture seeps out and steams the chicken instead of fry it.

   

   Throw in your veggies (thawed or fresh) once the chicken has a nice sear on it.
   
   

   

   Only add the remaining half of the teriyaki sauce after the veggies and chicken are completely cooked, then  tossed until heated through and serve over your rice.
   
   

   
   

   

    You can use the teriyaki sauce the chicken was marinaded in but you have to make sure it's heated to a boil so the raw chicken is completely cooked. Then you end up with extra sauce for next time. Or if you want to play it safe throw out the marinade in the freezer bag and use the half that was untouched =)
   
   
   

   Rice

   
   

   For convenience I use minute rice which is equal parts rice to water and microwave for 5 minutes covered. 

   You can use what ever works best for your dietary habits. I like it with out a starch too, and also yakisoba noodles.

Easiest Salmon dish that even non-seafood eaters will love

I am going to be honest with you...I'm not much of a seafood person. I should be put to shame for being a self proclaimed foodie that does not like seafood! On the other hand, my husband loves salmon. I had to create a salmon dish that I was willing to eat with Karl and that Nadine would eat too. After a couple tries I'm pretty sure this is the easiest and yummiest salmon dish I've ever had.

2 bonesless salmon steaks (about 4 oz each) preferebly fresh not frozen

4 tbs of orange marmalade

4 tbs of orange juice

1 bag of mixed veggies (either the "steam ready" or frozen)

season to taste: salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder

Take a large sheet of foil and line the inside of a cake pan or cookie sheet,

drizzle foil with a light amount of olive oil

place salmon steaks on foil (scale side down) with room to curl up the foil for making a packet

Season salmon steaks, top each steak with 2 tbs of orange marmalade

Pour the bag of veggies over the salmon and season lightly

add 4 tbs of OJ for moisture

roll up the sides of the packet (adding more foil if needed to cover the whole thing), seal tightly

place in the preheated oven 350 deg for 45 minutes

remove from oven and serve over rice or as is =) for super easy and yummy rice I get the the frozen jasmine rice it only takes 3 minutes to microwave!

Each serving has less then 300 calories!

Waffle irons are good for more than just waffles...

I am all about easy ways to make yummy food. Today I made waffles for breakfast and at lunch time my waffle maker was still on the counter. I of course wanted to avoid making additional dishes so I opted to use the waffle iron as a panini press. Our grilled cheese sandwiches turned out crispy and our daughter got a kick out of the pattern.

Butter or olive oil on both sides of the bread, my kids did plain grilled cheese but I opted for goat cheese, fresh basil and sprinkled garlic powder on the outside of the bread as well. (DELISH!)

There you go folks! Easy and quick clean up!

Grilled Chicken with Pico De Gallo and Creamy Goat Cheese Rice

I am always looking for low calorie easy dishes that we can throw on the BBQ and this is one of my absolute favorites! It has a juicy chicken breast with a risoto style easy rice base and zesty Pico De Gallo to add freshness to the dish. Yum!

Ingredients:
3 Chicken breast
2 cups minute rice
2 cups Chicken Stock
5 tbs Creamy plain Chevre (I like Fairview Goat Farm's)
Pico De Gallo (I get mine pre-made from the produce section in the grocery store)

Seasonings:
Rosemary
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Cumin

Instructions:
Season the chicken breasts on both sides and either grill on a cast iron pan or out door BBQ. Cook 2 cups of minute rice with 2 cups of chicken stock. Combine cooked rice with Chevre and lightly season with pepper and salt.
Assemble by putting rice on plate top with the chicken breast and garnish with Pico de Gallo.

It doesn't get any easier Alfredo! (gluten free and cow dairy free)

Hello, my name is Danielle and I have an addiction...to pasta ;)

I love fettuccini Alfredo so much I'm willing to eat it, drug myself with allergy medicine and be miserable for almost a week just to have a couple bites at Olive Garden. It's ridiculous and self destructive so I've put an end to the madness and come up with a simple and tasty alternative for those who want to use regular pasta or gluten free!

(Single serving)
1 serving of Rice pasta try DeBoles
1/4-1/2 cup of cooked chicken (I use left over rottiserie chicken you can bake/boil or pan sear a breast of chicken if you don't have left overs)
2 tbs of Chevre (I love Fairview Goat Farm's)
1tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup of frozen broccoli (microwaved to heat)
Salt and pepper to taste!

You're not going to believe me how easy this is until you try it yourself =D

Boil the pasta in salted water, drain and place back on the burner low heat.
Add the margarine, chevre, chicken and broccoli. Stir until evenly incorporated and heated all the way through!
Salt and pepper to taste.
It really is that simple, and delicious! For additional zing add a tbs of bruchetta or pico de gallo.

Creamy Chicken w/ Veggies and Rice (Dairy free and gluten free) AKA The post that keeps getting deleted haha!

Before I start this blog post (for the 3rd time!) I have to say that I must not adapt well to new things. Why might you ask would I bring this up? I have posted this recipe on two other separate occasions and instead of "edited" them to add tags I deleted the whole post! lol TWICE! OK, this time... you all will get to learn the deliciousness and ease of this recipe.

Items to grab:
Gluten free onion soup mix (if you don't need gluten free then try Lipton's Onion Soup Mix)
4 cups of water
4 chicken breast
1 tlbs of crushed garlic
1/2 tbs of onion powder
1 tub of Tofuti Supreme Cream (or 8oz regular sour cream)
2 lbs of Earth Balance dairy free margarine (or regular butter)
1 small bag of frozen veggies
3 cups of uncooked rice (I like to use minute rice)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Simmer the chicken breasts in the water/garlic/onion soup mix until cooked all the way through. Then  pull the breasts from the soup mix and cut into bite size pieces.

Add the frozen veggies and simmer until cooked all the way through.

Add the supreme cream, margarine, and seasonings and bring to a simmer until sauce thickens  to  a gravy like  density. While your sauce is reducing take this time to prepare your minute rice.

Scoop the mix over the rice and enjoy! Makes for great left overs! and you can  re-purpose the chicken mix into a chicken casserole by using gluten free noodles a corn flake crumble and bake until the corn flake crumble is golden and crispy!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Waffles!

Who doesn't love Waffles? 

Do you ever get into a rut for breakfast? For us it's always a banana and cereal or an apple and handful of nuts. Sometimes you just want a nice filling and hot start to the day but that doesn't take too long to make. I have the yummiest gluten free/dairy free waffles that make for a hearty breakfast.

Things you will need:

Waffle Iron

1 package of Bob's Gluten free cornbread mix

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or soy milk

2 medium sized eggs

1/3 cup canola oil

Mix all the ingredients together so it is evenly incorporated, the mixture will be a little on the dense side.  Spoon the batter into the waffle iron on medium/high heat. Don't touch that lid once it's dropped until after the steam has stopped escaping. Our iron has a handy little light that tells you when it's done, this would be great but really it depends on how crispy you prefer your waffles to be. I leave mine in a good minute after the "done" light turns on.

I've had these waffles paired with everything from fried chicken to fruit  and peanut butter! They are delicious and versatile!