Mexican Rice

From:
This is my version, created after tweaking a bunch of other recipes...

Ingredients:
1 tomato (or two Romas), cut into quarters
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1 cup long grain rice
2 T olive oil
chicken broth
1 T tomato paste
garlic powder
salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. 

In a food processor or blender, puree the tomato and onion until smooth.  Add enough broth to bring it to just over 2 c. of liquid.  Add tomato paste, garlic powder and salt to taste.  Taste.  Mmm.

In a sieve, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.  Shake as much excess water as you can from it.  In a oven-safe frying pan, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn golden, and all the rice is opaque.

Add in the tomato broth, and bring to a boil.  Cover and place in the oven.  Cook for 15 minutes, remove lid and stir, then replace lid and cook for another 15 minutes.  Enjoy!!

It is absolutely delicious with Cuban Black Beans!

Snack Cake

From:
This is a classic Depression-era cake... but it has made a resurgence due to its extreme allergy-friendliness!

Ingredients:
1 2/3 c. AP flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 tsp. vinegar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions:
In food processor, stand mixer, or just by hand, blend flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat till smooth. Pour into greased and floured 8x8 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if desired. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or till a pick comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack.

Joey's Pirate Chicken

From:
my friend Jenny

Ingredients:

3 lb chicken wings/legs/or pieces

1 cup honey

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tsp. oil

2 cloves of minced garlic

pepper to taste

 

Directions:
Put chicken legs in a freezer bag.  Combine sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.  Freeze.

Defrost, then pour into a 13x9 baking pan.  Roast at 375 degrees for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Turn and baste them to avoid browning. 


This is insanely easy, but incredibly delicious.  It's very sticky, so undress your children before serving it.  It's fabulous with either buttered rice or mashed potatoes.  By using gluten-free ketchup and soy sauce, this is gluten-free.

Creamy Tomato Soup - Without the Cream!

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, diced (leave 1 or 2 unpeeled if you wish!)
4 c. broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
28 oz. petite cut diced tomatoes
1 t. sugar
salt to taste

Directions:
In a large pot, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent.  Add diced potatoes, broth, spices and tomatoes (and their juice), and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Using an immersion blender, blend completely.  Stir in sugar and salt.  Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
1 c. raisins
1 c. apple juice
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground allspice
1 t. salt
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. oil
1/2 c. applesauce
1 t. vanilla
15 oz. can pumpkin
4 eggs

Directions:
Place raisins in a small bowl.  Cover with apple juice.  Let sit for an hour, than drain and pat dry. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan or large bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar and oil.  Add the applesauce, pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir thoroughly, then add eggs, beating after each one. 

Stir raisins into the dry ingredients, using your fingers (if necessary) to make sure that all the raisins are separated.  Gently stir dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until combined, but do not overmix.  Pour into your prepared pan, and bake for 35 minutes (if 13 x 9 pan - will definitely take longer in a bundt).

Glaze if desired with powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon.

Corn Bread

Ingredients:
3/4 cups AP flour
1/2 cup WW flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water or milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Grease 8x8 pan. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients, stir into dry just til moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or til golden and pick comes out clean. Can double for 13x9 pan.

Note: To make 12 muffins, line muffin pan with papers. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Pepper Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:
2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. sage
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 lb. beef tenderloin

Directions:
In small bowl, blend spices. Rub beef with oil, then rub on spices. Place beef on rack; bake at 500 for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake about 30 minutes, or til internal temperature reaches 130 for rare. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Garlic Mayo Sauce.

Steak Lovers Salad

Ingredients:
6 cups greens, cleaned and chopped
2 cups steak, cooked and cut into strips
3 cups green beans, cooked with garlic
4 to 6 green onions, chopped
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
Place greens in a large bowl.
Quickly saute steak in a bit of oil.
Add steak, warm green beans, green onions and mushrooms to the greens. Drizzle a little dressing (Honey Mustard is fabulous) over the top.

Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients:
2 to 3 tbsp. corn oil
1 onion, diced
2 to 3 cups cooked corned beef, diced
2 to 3 cups cooked potatoes, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley flakes
salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet, saute onion. Add remaining, cook til lightly browned and heated through, about 15 minutes.

Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
dressing
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
4 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (or garlic salt)
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
salt and pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salad
2 cups lentils, cooked
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup cooked ham, diced (optional)
green pepper rings

Directions:
Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl. When well mixed, add warm lentils, tomato and ham. Stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with pepper before serving.

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

From:
Paula Deen


Ingredients:
For the salad:
2 cups cooked corn, fresh or frozen
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion in a large glass bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients in another bowl, pour over the salad, and gently toss to mix.

Lemon Marinade for Chicken

From:
Ramble On

(Photo from Ramble On)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper


Directions:
Combine marinade in a large freezer bag, add the chicken and seal the bag. Mush it around a bit and place the sealed bag into a bowl just in case it leaks. Place the chicken it in the fridge for at least 3 hours, turning the bag over half way through.

Spritz Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (can substitute Earth Balance to make dairy free)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
a few drops food coloring (optional)
¼ tsp. salt
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg and almond extract and mix until light and fluffy. Add food coloring if desired. Mix in salt and flour. Fill cookie press; press onto cool ungreased baking sheets. Add sprinkles if desired. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes or just until set. Cool on wire racks.

Pistachio Chicken

Ingredients:
handful of shelled pistachios (I use salted ones)
fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil

Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely chopped - some small pieces and some "pistachio flour." Pour this onto a plate. Dredge chicken breasts in the pistachios and pan-fry in a little olive oil until cooked through.

I have found it works best to pound your chicken breasts to about 1/4" thick - that way the pistachios and chicken cook at an even rate.

Heavenly Herb Rolls (Breadmaker)

Ingredients:
Ingredient Small Medium Large
Milk 5/8 cup 1 cup 1 1/4 cup
Oil 2 tbsp 3 tbsp 1/4 cup
Sugar 1 tsp 1 1/2 tsp 2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
AP flour 2 cups 3 cups 4 cups
Chopped onion 1/4 cup 1/3 cup 1/2 cup
Dried dill 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
Dried basil 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
Dried oregano 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
Yeast 1 1/2 tsp 2 tsp 2 1/2 tsp

Directions:
Place ingredients in dough pan, select Dough setting and press Start.

When the dough has risen long enough, the machine will beep. Turn off bread machine, remove bread pan and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Grease a large baking sheet. You'll need two for the large recipe.

Gently roll and stretch dough into a rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into (9 / 14 / 18) pieces. Roll each into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet.

Cover and let rise in a warm oven for 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: I made the medium and added 2 tsp of gluten to the recipe... Mmm!

Leftover Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening (I use Earth Balance, a butter substitute)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. cooked oatmeal

Directions:
Sift dry ingredients together. Add shortening and eggs and beat until creamy (about 2 minutes). Stir in oatmeal. Drop from teaspoon onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yield: 4 dozen.

Cooked Oatmeal Scones

taken from Seasonal Ontario Food

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter - (dairy-free Earth Balance turned out just fine)
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup cooked oatmeal
2/3 cup milk - (rice milk was just fine)
1 3/4 cups soft whole wheat flour (or a bit more)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Melt the butter and honey together, and mix them into the cool, cooked oatmeal. (If you are really on top of making these, you can mix the butter and honey into the oatmeal while it is still warm, and set it aside until it is moderately cool.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the milk in with the oatmeal, half at a time.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. You may wish to adjust the salt depending on how much was used in cooking the oatmeal- I am assuming not very much, if any.

Mix the flour into the oatmeal. If the mixture seems too moist, add a little more flour. (This will depend on how moist your cooked oatmeal was. When enough flour has been stirred in, the dough will form a rough ball.)

Roll out to 1" thick and cut in wedges, or scoop it out with an ice cream scoop and flatten it to 1" with dampened hands. Bake on a greased and floured sheet - or parchment paper is easier and neater - at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Ham and Onion Spread

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 1/3 cups ham, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayo
3 tbsp sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute onion in oil until tender. Place in blender. Process all ingredients until coarsely chopped. Use as a spread or serve on crackers.

Basic Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and mashed
fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
dash salt
dash onion powder
dash cayenne pepper

Directions:
Blend well. Can add chopped tomatoes or onion. Also good with a dash of hot sauce.

Spinach Mushroom Dip

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups fresh spinach
salt to taste
lemon pepper to taste
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet, and add mushrooms, onion and spinach. Saute till soft, about 3 minutes. Then cover, and cook 3 more minutes. Drain. Place in blender and puree. Add remaining ingredients. Chill 2 hours.