I have officially had my first Pinterest fail.
I thought I would give a beef ragu a try. It is a dish I recall my grandmother making often and I remember enjoying it.
My inspiration came from Ragu Gluten Free with Veal, Beef, Chicken or Turkey. The fact that it was already gluten free made me very happy and thrilled to try this dish.
As it was cooking I tried the sauce and was immediately turned off. It reminded me of vomit. Sorry but it did. I had my husband try it, my son try it and even my oldest daughter try it. Each had a different flavour that they tasted.
I was really tempted to NOT finish and find something else quick to eat. My husband encouraged me to finish out the recipe and see what would happen. Sadly, even after I mixed in the starchy water and then the noodles and everything, it still left me turned off.
My husband ate it, my daughter ate it and my son ate it. My daughter complained the entire time and my son ate off his father's plate claiming it was better than his. After all was said and done and my husband had his second plate, he announced that he added sugar to it. Ummm ok....
Will I make this dish again, not a chance!
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Creamy Mozzarella Chicken Bake
I am an avid chicken lover. I always say that I could survive off of just chicken, rice, fruits and vegetables. My family, not so much. As a result I have to come up with new, interesting and tasteful ways to get them to enjoy chicken as much as I do. Again I took to Pinterest and found a delectable chicken recipe.
The inspiration for tonight's meal comes from Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake.
The only change I made was using mozzarella cheese instead of swiss cheese as I already had it at home. I also made sure that my other ingredients were all gluten free. I served it with potatoes and a garden salad.
After my family ate it, they decided that it needed less salt. They did eat it all and my husband laid claim to the left overs for tomorrows lunch. When asked if they would like it again, they all said yes.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the meal since I was trying to move fast while the baby napped.
The inspiration for tonight's meal comes from Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake.
The only change I made was using mozzarella cheese instead of swiss cheese as I already had it at home. I also made sure that my other ingredients were all gluten free. I served it with potatoes and a garden salad.
After my family ate it, they decided that it needed less salt. They did eat it all and my husband laid claim to the left overs for tomorrows lunch. When asked if they would like it again, they all said yes.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the meal since I was trying to move fast while the baby napped.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
My family and I really enjoy eating a lot of peppers. The colours and flavours are exciting and something my little guy enjoys eating not only cooked but raw as well. I am always looking for different ways to prepare peppers and thought I would give a recipe I found on Pinterest a try.
The original recipe can be found at Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup.
I did not have to change this recipe in any way, other than using a gluten free chicken broth from a tetra pack over making my own homemade broth.
It was good and very filling, have lots of left overs. Everyone ate it and did not complain, they did offer suggestions though.
1. It cannot be called a soup, it is more like a casserole as there was very little broth left over after cooking.
2. Needed sour cream.
3. Less rice next time. I only used 3 cups and found it much.
4. Hot sauce makes everything yummy.
5. If you want it more like a soup add more liquid.
Will I make this again, for sure. It is a stick to the bones warm meal for a terribly cold night. The added bonus that I can freeze this for later use is fantastic and convenient for my busy family. The option of the crock pot or stove top also makes it easier to prepare.
The original recipe can be found at Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup.
I did not have to change this recipe in any way, other than using a gluten free chicken broth from a tetra pack over making my own homemade broth.
It was good and very filling, have lots of left overs. Everyone ate it and did not complain, they did offer suggestions though.
1. It cannot be called a soup, it is more like a casserole as there was very little broth left over after cooking.
2. Needed sour cream.
3. Less rice next time. I only used 3 cups and found it much.
4. Hot sauce makes everything yummy.
5. If you want it more like a soup add more liquid.
Will I make this again, for sure. It is a stick to the bones warm meal for a terribly cold night. The added bonus that I can freeze this for later use is fantastic and convenient for my busy family. The option of the crock pot or stove top also makes it easier to prepare.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Sweet and Sour Pork
Tonight, I made a very delicious Sweet and Sour Pork dish that my entire family loved, even the three year old which is a bonus. There were no left overs and they complained that there were not enough for seconds (guess it was that good).
The recipe I used came from Sweet and Sour Pork. I did have to make some changes to it so that I could safely eat the meal as well. My family never even noticed a difference and I did tell them of the changes I made. I have a nut allergy as well as Celiac Disease and as we progress through my adventures in cooking gluten free and converting recipes you will come to learn about many more allergies.
My recipe for this dish is as follows:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh organic ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 (14 ounce) can of pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
9 tablespoons lower sodium gluten free chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lower sodium gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon gluten free cornstarch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 cups hot cooked brown or white rice
1 green onion, cut diagonally into thin slices
Directions:
1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving a 1/4 cup of juice. Combine the reserved juice, 6 tablespoons of chicken broth, ketchup, sugar, apple cider vinegar and gluten free soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Combine cornstarch with the remaining 3 tablespoons of chicken broth in another small bowl.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium/high heat. Stir-fry pork mixture in hot oil for 5 minutes or until pork is done. Remove pork from pan; keeping warm. Add onion, bell peppers and water chestnuts to pan and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until crisp but tender. Add in ketchup mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture, pineapple chunks and pork mixture with any accumulated juices. Cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.
5. Serve over rice and garnish with green onion slices.
I hope you find this as enjoyable as my family and I did. Sadly I did not take a picture of the dish before it was all gone.
The recipe I used came from Sweet and Sour Pork. I did have to make some changes to it so that I could safely eat the meal as well. My family never even noticed a difference and I did tell them of the changes I made. I have a nut allergy as well as Celiac Disease and as we progress through my adventures in cooking gluten free and converting recipes you will come to learn about many more allergies.
My recipe for this dish is as follows:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh organic ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 (14 ounce) can of pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
9 tablespoons lower sodium gluten free chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lower sodium gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon gluten free cornstarch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 cups hot cooked brown or white rice
1 green onion, cut diagonally into thin slices
Directions:
1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving a 1/4 cup of juice. Combine the reserved juice, 6 tablespoons of chicken broth, ketchup, sugar, apple cider vinegar and gluten free soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Combine cornstarch with the remaining 3 tablespoons of chicken broth in another small bowl.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium/high heat. Stir-fry pork mixture in hot oil for 5 minutes or until pork is done. Remove pork from pan; keeping warm. Add onion, bell peppers and water chestnuts to pan and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until crisp but tender. Add in ketchup mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture, pineapple chunks and pork mixture with any accumulated juices. Cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.
5. Serve over rice and garnish with green onion slices.
I hope you find this as enjoyable as my family and I did. Sadly I did not take a picture of the dish before it was all gone.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Chicken Tacos
My family absolutely enjoys tacos. I personally have to be in the mood for this dish. I try to eat an assortment of meats, which means having two beef items in a row is not something I enjoy doing (especially since I am not a huge beef eater). Instead of using ground beef I used ground chicken.
The following is my recipe for chicken tacos.
Ingredients:
Meat:
500 g of ground chicken
1 packet of gluten free taco seasoning
1 cup of water
Toppings:
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 cup of chopped lettuce
1 cup of grated cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Another toppings you prefer.
Taco Shells or Soft Tortillas or if you are like me lettuce leaves (iceberg is not a good option, you want something tougher).
Directions:
1. Pour 1 tbsp of oil into skillet and brown the ground chicken fully.
2. Add 1 cup of water and 1 packet of gluten free taco seasoning to ground chicken and bring to a boil.
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Let mixture cool and serve.
I allow my family members to make their own tacos.
Again this will be a dish that I will make every so often for my family. With the discovery of a gluten free taco seasoning made by Club House I was happy since I did not have to worry about something making ill in the meal.
The following is my recipe for chicken tacos.
Ingredients:
Meat:
500 g of ground chicken
1 packet of gluten free taco seasoning
1 cup of water
Toppings:
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 cup of chopped lettuce
1 cup of grated cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Another toppings you prefer.
Taco Shells or Soft Tortillas or if you are like me lettuce leaves (iceberg is not a good option, you want something tougher).
Directions:
1. Pour 1 tbsp of oil into skillet and brown the ground chicken fully.
2. Add 1 cup of water and 1 packet of gluten free taco seasoning to ground chicken and bring to a boil.
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Let mixture cool and serve.
I allow my family members to make their own tacos.
Again this will be a dish that I will make every so often for my family. With the discovery of a gluten free taco seasoning made by Club House I was happy since I did not have to worry about something making ill in the meal.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Beef stew was a dish I always made while living at home with my mom. For some odd reason after I left and met my husband, I never made it again. That is until October 19 when I decided to make it again but in the crock pot. I remembered I had pinned a recipe on Pinterest, looked it up and made the ingredients list. I took note of what I needed to change and what could be left the same.
The original recipe can be found at Slow Cooker Beef Stew. I am sure the original is delicious, but I made it better; I can actually eat it without getting sick afterward.
The following is my version of Campbell's Slow Cooker Beef Stew.
Ingredients:
3 cups (750 mL) potato cubes or mini potatoes, halved
2 cups (750 mL) each, sliced carrots and celery
2 small onion, cut into wedges
2 bay leaves or 1 tbsp dried leaves
1 1/2 lb (750 g) stewing beef cut into cubes
1/4 cup (60 mL) potato flour + 1/2 tbsp for drippings
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
1 tetra pack of gluten free low sodium beef broth or homemade broth
1/2 tbsp (7 mL) gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves or dried leaves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions:
1. Combine vegetables in 4 1/2 qt (4.3 L) slow cooker. Add bay leaves
2. Place stewing beef, flour and pepper into a sealable plastic bag and toss to coat beef.
3. Brown beef well on all sides in heated oil over medium-high heat in large non-stick skillet. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.
4. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and garlic to skillet and combine well with pan drippings, add in 1/2 tbsp of potato flour. Pour mixture over beef and vegetables.
5. Cook, covered, on High setting for 4 hours (or low for 7-8 hours) or until beef reaches internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) and is fork-tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Suggested Tip:
Resist the temptation to take the slow cooker lid off to check the stew. Heat and steam will escape, interrupting the way that the meat and vegetables cook and lengthening the time until the stew is ready. (I did not follow this tip, rather I checked the tenderness of the potatoes, carrots and meat at the mid point of cooking).
It was a hit with my family. It was so good they ate it the next day (actually my oldest begged to have it for dinner). I found it tasted better the next day reheated.
Will I make it again? For sure! I will even prep all the vegetables prior and create freezer meals with it; it was that good.
The original recipe can be found at Slow Cooker Beef Stew. I am sure the original is delicious, but I made it better; I can actually eat it without getting sick afterward.
The following is my version of Campbell's Slow Cooker Beef Stew.
Ingredients:
3 cups (750 mL) potato cubes or mini potatoes, halved
2 cups (750 mL) each, sliced carrots and celery
2 small onion, cut into wedges
2 bay leaves or 1 tbsp dried leaves
1 1/2 lb (750 g) stewing beef cut into cubes
1/4 cup (60 mL) potato flour + 1/2 tbsp for drippings
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
1 tetra pack of gluten free low sodium beef broth or homemade broth
1/2 tbsp (7 mL) gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves or dried leaves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions:
1. Combine vegetables in 4 1/2 qt (4.3 L) slow cooker. Add bay leaves
2. Place stewing beef, flour and pepper into a sealable plastic bag and toss to coat beef.
3. Brown beef well on all sides in heated oil over medium-high heat in large non-stick skillet. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.
4. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and garlic to skillet and combine well with pan drippings, add in 1/2 tbsp of potato flour. Pour mixture over beef and vegetables.
5. Cook, covered, on High setting for 4 hours (or low for 7-8 hours) or until beef reaches internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) and is fork-tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Suggested Tip:
Resist the temptation to take the slow cooker lid off to check the stew. Heat and steam will escape, interrupting the way that the meat and vegetables cook and lengthening the time until the stew is ready. (I did not follow this tip, rather I checked the tenderness of the potatoes, carrots and meat at the mid point of cooking).
It was a hit with my family. It was so good they ate it the next day (actually my oldest begged to have it for dinner). I found it tasted better the next day reheated.
Will I make it again? For sure! I will even prep all the vegetables prior and create freezer meals with it; it was that good.
To Pesto or Not to Pesto....
It is my hope to move my family from a lifestyle of processed, easy to obtain foods by just opening a jar or a box into a more healthy fresh make it yourself lifestyle, even if it takes a bit more time to prepare. With that, I grabbed more fresh fruits, vegetables and even herbs and spices.
On October 18, I tried to make a homemade pesto. I received a lovely bunch of cilantro and parsley, in my organic fruits and vegetable box. I took to Google to look for a recipe and came upon one that looked promising.
I found the following
Cilantro Parsley Pesto
On October 18, I tried to make a homemade pesto. I received a lovely bunch of cilantro and parsley, in my organic fruits and vegetable box. I took to Google to look for a recipe and came upon one that looked promising.
I found the following
Cilantro Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1. Pulse herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. With machine running, add oil in a slow, steady stream. Pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.
I obtained this beauty from Martha Stewart's website. Figuring she knew what she was talking about since she makes her living this way.
I was wrong.
It was easy to prepare and did not take to long. But something was missing and a flavour over powered it. Could I pin point what was missing, no. Could I figure out what flavour was over powering, no.
My family ate it, with the exception of the 6 month old and the 3 year old who said it was gross after one tiny bite. When asked what the others thought of it, my husband and 15 year old both said it was missing something.
Will I make this recipe again? Who knows, but the only way it will be made again is with the addition of added elements that I will have to toy with until it is perfect.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Welcome!
First of all, welcome to my blog about my adventures in cooking gluten free.
This is not an easy task, as I live in a home with four other members who are not gluten free (thankfully). I am the lone suffer of Celiac Disease. I am though, not the only family member (on my side of the family) to live with Celiac Disease, my father as well deals on a daily basis with the same struggles I do. While my husband and three children sit back and eat whatever they wish, I must be very careful and diligent in reading every thing before I consume a food item.
It was recently while pregnant with my third child that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to take an even closer look at what I was eating. I thought, by buying my gluten free foods already prepared that I was doing fantastic and providing myself with healthy foods. I was wrong. It was my OB/GYN who pointed out the high sugar content of my processed gluten free foods versus if I made everything myself and only consumed foods that were already naturally gluten free.
I made the necessary dietary changes in the last few months of my pregnancy and sadly with insulin maintained sugar levels. My husband and I both agreed that we would make this a permanent life style change. Needless to say, that never happened. I slipped back into my old habits and the ease of buying overly processed foods that are essentially killing me.
Recently I sat back and watched the food choices the older three members were making, while I diligently made fresh homemade baby food for the youngest. I was appalled and ashamed at what I was seeing. I watched as my son choose a bag of chips over eating an apple. I watched my oldest daughter eat a row of Oreo's over eating some sort of fruit and my husband, well he was the ring leader.
I have given them a week to get rid of as much of the garbage foods as possible before I purge my cupboards of the garbage and start to make my family eat healthier meals. Even if it means retraining their brain to the ways of eating healthy fruits and vegetables and not chips, cookies and pop.
It is my goal to cook gluten free while cooking for the rest of my family who are not gluten free. It is my goal to create delicious meals that my family will enjoy while at the same time, not contaminating my food and making myself terribly ill for the rest of the day and the day after that.
I have already begun the process of converting recipes and trying out foods on my family that I am sure will soon become family favourites.
Please join me on this adventure, as I post what we are eating and how I made it gluten free if necessary. I will post recipes, sources of recipes, my families review of the food item and if I will ever make it again or continue to play with the recipe until it is perfect.
For now, I leave you to explore the blog page and other resources on the web.
✿ Rachel ✿
This is not an easy task, as I live in a home with four other members who are not gluten free (thankfully). I am the lone suffer of Celiac Disease. I am though, not the only family member (on my side of the family) to live with Celiac Disease, my father as well deals on a daily basis with the same struggles I do. While my husband and three children sit back and eat whatever they wish, I must be very careful and diligent in reading every thing before I consume a food item.
It was recently while pregnant with my third child that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to take an even closer look at what I was eating. I thought, by buying my gluten free foods already prepared that I was doing fantastic and providing myself with healthy foods. I was wrong. It was my OB/GYN who pointed out the high sugar content of my processed gluten free foods versus if I made everything myself and only consumed foods that were already naturally gluten free.
I made the necessary dietary changes in the last few months of my pregnancy and sadly with insulin maintained sugar levels. My husband and I both agreed that we would make this a permanent life style change. Needless to say, that never happened. I slipped back into my old habits and the ease of buying overly processed foods that are essentially killing me.
Recently I sat back and watched the food choices the older three members were making, while I diligently made fresh homemade baby food for the youngest. I was appalled and ashamed at what I was seeing. I watched as my son choose a bag of chips over eating an apple. I watched my oldest daughter eat a row of Oreo's over eating some sort of fruit and my husband, well he was the ring leader.
I have given them a week to get rid of as much of the garbage foods as possible before I purge my cupboards of the garbage and start to make my family eat healthier meals. Even if it means retraining their brain to the ways of eating healthy fruits and vegetables and not chips, cookies and pop.
It is my goal to cook gluten free while cooking for the rest of my family who are not gluten free. It is my goal to create delicious meals that my family will enjoy while at the same time, not contaminating my food and making myself terribly ill for the rest of the day and the day after that.
I have already begun the process of converting recipes and trying out foods on my family that I am sure will soon become family favourites.
Please join me on this adventure, as I post what we are eating and how I made it gluten free if necessary. I will post recipes, sources of recipes, my families review of the food item and if I will ever make it again or continue to play with the recipe until it is perfect.
For now, I leave you to explore the blog page and other resources on the web.
✿ Rachel ✿
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