Gluten Free Easy Peasy Pork & Beans

I call them Easy Peasy for a reason.  There are just a few EASY steps. 

I recommend Bush's Baked Beans for this recipe but your favorite brand is fine. (So long as it is gluten free) 

How many are you cooking for?

For just me, I use:
1 - 16 oz can of Bush's Baked Vegetarian Beans
2 Dietz & Watson hot dogs. (They are gluten free)
Note: If I am really hungry I will eat it all, otherwise the will be enough for another small meal

For multiple people, I use:
1 - 28 oz can of Bush's Baked Vegetarian Beans
4 Dietz & Watson hot dogs. (They are gluten free)

Directions are the same for either recipe:
1.  Open the can of beans and drain it as much as possible, otherwise the result will be very watery.
2.  Pour into a medium size bowl.
3.  Cut the hot dogs up into small pieces and mix with the beans.
4.  They can be cooked(heated) on the stove but I use the microwave.  Cook for 3 minutes on high and then stir.
5.  If they need more, put on for another minute, repeat if necessary, stirring into between.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pineapple Marinade and Pork Chops

Pineapple Marinade
Ingredients:
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/3 cup soy sauce alternative 
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves

1 lb pork chops (however you like them sliced)

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together (except pork chops)
Use immediately or store in airtight container for up to 7 days. 
I poured it right on my pork chops and let it sit in the fridge for an hour and then flipped then for another hour.

Cooking for Pork Chop
Preheat Oven to 350*
Cook for 20 minutes
Remove from oven and flip chops
Replace in oven and cook for another 20 minutes or until completely cooked.
(pic of pork chops pre-cooking obviously... Doesn't the marinade look yummy! Can't find my post cooked pic...DOH) Tasted great!

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Apple Fritter (EASY!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup rice milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped apple
• cooling rack
• paper towels

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon. 
2. Stir in milk and egg until just combined. 
3. Fold in apple.

Deep Fryer Instructions 

(this is the one I used the other day)

1. Heat Deep Fry to 350*F
2. Using a fryer safe spoon drop mixture into oil and hold until for approximately 30 seconds and then release from sppon, this allows the mixture to harden and not to fall through and cook to the grate of your deep fryer. That's not fun to clean and can make a mess while you are trying to cook more.
3. Leave fritter in for additional minute then flip to make sure it is brown on both sides. 
4. Leave in for 1 additional minute.
5. Remove from heat and let drain on paper towels draped on a cooling rack. This will absorb excess oil.
6. Enjoy while still warm (it's the best way!) 

Skillet Instructions

1. Pour oil into skillet so that it is approximately 1 1/2 deep. 
2. Heat oil on high. 
3. Oil is ready when a little dough thrown in floats to top. 
4. Carefully add dough to oil in heaping teaspoons. 
5. Cook until brown, about 2 minutes, then flip. 
6. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned. 
7. Transfer briefly to paper towels on cooling rack to absorb excess oil.
8. Like I said, best served warm.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1 Vidalia onion sliced thin (or chopped)
• 2 cups chicken stock - you can use vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Italian Blend seasoning
• 1sp chopped/minced garlic (fridge kind)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place roughly chopped tomatoes into a medium sized pot, add sliced tomatoes to the pot.
2. Cover tomatoes and onions with chicken stock.
3. Place lid over pot, and cook on a medium heat for approximately 25 minutes.
4. When the soup is done cooking blend soup smooth with either an immersion blender or by placing the soup into a blender and process until smooth.
5. Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 
6. Serve immediately. (Leftover may be kept for up to 7 days)

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Gluten Free Lasagna Noodle 
• 1 pkg Daiya Mozzerella style Shreds
• 6 tsps Gluten/Dairy Free Ricotta
• 1 lb Pkg Giametti Ground Italian Sausage
• 1 jar Priano (Aldi's brand) Tomato Basil Sauce

Prep

As I said above I used Daiya Mozzarella and this recipe to make a gluten/dairy free ricotta, which needs a few hours to set before use, so plan ahead.  

I used my Pasta Boat (I love it) to cook the lasagna pasta, but you can cook it however is convenient for you.  I just figured it could micro while I was cooking the meat and didn't have to keep an eye on it. :-)

I broke the meat up and placed it in a large skillet with some garlic garlic and Italian seasoning (my two faves) and covered for about 5 min (or until you hear it really start to sizzle) I then start flipping it around and break it up some more if needed, making sure I brown up all sides. Total cook time is about 15 - 20 min, depending on how high the heat, I use low heat so as now to burn it and to let seasoning flavor and extra fat burn out.

Directions

1.Once pasta and meat are cooked, using a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan, spray with cooking spray. (I use olive oil spray.)

2. Lay a thin layer of pasta sauce.

3. Then place side by side 3 pieces of pasta.

4. Place 6 teaspoon of of ricotta, evenly spaced (basically two on each piece of pasta)

5. Sprinkle liberally (as to your taste) mozzarella.

6. Sprinkle meat liberally.

7. Cover with pasta sauce.

8. Repeat steps 2 - 7 one more time.

9. Place one last layer of 3 pieces of pasta, cover with last of pasta sauce and sprinkle with Mozzarella.

10. Cover with foil, Preheat oven to 350* F and cook for 40 min or until hot.

We enjoyed it!

 

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese Substitute

I want to let you know ahead of time that this works really well in both baked ziti and lasagna, I've used it.  It has the perfect consistency.  What it lacks is the flavor of Ricotta, but I am not complaining as I said both of my dishes turned out delicious!

Ingredients
2 Cups Rice Milk 
(I am going to try almond milk next time just to see the difference in taste.)
½ Tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch Of Salt
2 Tbsp Now Real Foods Agar Powder

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, mix together all of the ingredients above.
• Very slowly bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and cool approximately 10 minutes. 
• Once cool, place mixed in container, seal and place in fridge to set. (Should take several hours)
• Blend with a hand (immersion) blender you have desired thickness.  (Food processor or regular blender should work as well)

• 

Jacksonville Carrots (Gluten/Dairy Free - variation)

This recipe normally calls for garlic powder, frozen apple juice and hazelnuts.  As I had none today... and can't have BUTTER

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of crinkle cut carrots, or thinly sliced carrots
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce (replacing tbsp frozen apple juice concentrate)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp ground parsley
1/2 tsp minced garlic (replacing 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c smart balance spread. (replacing butter)
1/4 tsp cumin (replacing 1/4 c chopped hazelnuts today)

Steam carrots until soft. 
You can grate them into fine strips if you want or just your finely sliced carrots as I did.  
In large bowl, mix carrots, honey, applesauce, and parsley. (I think they would be better with the apple juice concentrate but I didn't have any on hand)
Once mixed, season with garlic, nutmeg, cumin, salt and pepper. (the cumin gave it a nice flavor but I think I missed the nutty flavor hazelnut would have given it but again I didn't have any on hand)

Heat butter in medium skillet
Fry the carrot mixture in the hot butter until heated thoroughly.

In my opinion, the cumin was good, but stick with the apple juice not my applesauce substitution.  It wasn't back, but I think the juice is actually better.  I am going to try the juice with the cumin for myself next time and I will left you know

Grilled (Pan Cooked) Branzino & Marinade Recipe

First Gluten Dairy Free recipe I tried. (It's Fish)

I've cooked fish before but I've never worrried about how I've cooked it.  I've used whatever I wanted to season with, butter, flour, etc...  things of the past in my case as long as I am on this diet...

I purchased a Branzino fish from FreshDirect, something I never cooked before.  A Branzino is a silver-skinned fish found in European sea and saltwater lakes.  It goes by many names, including European sea bass, spigola, loup de mer, róbalo, and lubina. It ranges in size from one-and-a-half to three pounds, has a firm, white, delicate-flavored flesh and few small bones. It's a prized fish in Italian, Spanish, and Greek cuisines and is often prepared grilled, roasted, poached, steamed, or braised whole. I winged it in honesty, and it turned out really well if I do say so myself.  Check it out!

Marinade for Branzino (also known as the sea dace)
(I'd never made it before I just improvised LOL and it turned out great)
Ingredients:
1/2 c olive oil
1/6 cup lemon juice
dash of pepper
1 tbsp Provencal seasoning (it's a FreshDirect seasoning mix with Sea Salt, Ground black pepper, garlic, thyme, lavender, rosemary, shallots and other spices)

Using large mixing cup, mix ingredients together with a whisk.
I used a lg mixing cup because there is no such think as a 1/6 c 
so if you add 1/2 c olive oil then add lemon juice to 2/3 line that is 1/6 c. Got it?
Place fish in large dish (I use larger corning-ware dish) 
Pour mixture over fish.
Marinade for 2 hours, flipping fish over after 1 hour for even flavor.

Grilled (Pan Cooked) Branzino
Ingredients:
2 tbsp smart balance spread (gluten/dairy free)
1 lb Branzino head/tail off and butterflied

Place spread in large fry pan/skillet
Let melt thoroughly.
Remove Branzino from marinade and place on skillet skin side up.
Throw out remaining marinade.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to brown.
Flip fish over, cook for about 2-3 minutes until skin starts to brown around edges.
Flip again (it may start to fall apart when you try to do this it is how you know it is almost done)
Cook until it seems to be falling off skin.
Remove from heat and p[lace on plates.

I removed the skin once I removed it from heat, as I wasn't sure if I should eat it and I knew History Boy would not. Apparently it depends on your taste, some eat it and some don't.  I looked it up after the fact.  It's where the rich Omega-3 stuff is. You decide.

Easy Peasy Gluten Free Pasta & Meatballs

This is sooooo easy. It's no even really a recipe.


1/2 box your choice of pasta (I used Ronzoni Gluten Free Penne Rigati)  
1 pkg your preferred meatballs (I used Aidell's chicken meatballs with caramelized onions)
1 jar Pasta sauce (I used Priano - the Aldi's brand - Tomato Basil Sauce)

Instructions for making this dish: 
Boil a pot of water, with a dash of salt and a tbsp of olive oil.  
Once water was boiling, heat meatballs (they come precooked) in the microwave for 5 minutes.  
While meatballs are heating, place pasta in boiling water and lower heat. 
Cook Pasta to taste.  
Once pasta is done, remove from heat and rinse in colander. 
Replace pasta back in pot. Place meatballs AND entire jar of sauce into pot. 
Heat entire dish for up to five minutes, just enough to heat up the pasta sauce.  
Once heated, EAT and ENJOY!

Welcome to my New Blog!!

This blog is not going to be a super regular blog like my other one.  *wink* I am going to put recipes here that I use or have used with my AF (anti-inflammatory) diet and I will post links to here for you the recipes from my other blog for all you gluten free dairy free peeps.  ENJOY!!