Appetizer

I would grill all year-long if I could. This year we had so much crazy snow drifts that it was a bit impossible to do. I love my grill dearly…great flavors, you can grill pretty much anything, its outside with the sun and the fresh air, easy clean up, and less fats are used! We grill steaks, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, hot sausages, shrimp, fish, pizza, and veggies…tons of veggies! Last year I bought one of those little grill baskets for I think $3.00 and it works like a charm, especially for mushrooms.

Last week we got the tank refilled and have used it quite a bit since. We are both trying to get in better shape and eat healthier (a follow-up post to my I’m on a mission…post will appear soon, I promise!). So the grill comes in very handy for Read More »

Instead of opening a jar of olive tapenade or a dip from the refrigerated section of the market, consider making your own. If you keep some key ingredients on hand and have a small food processor or blender, you are in business!

The olive tapenade is so easy and so much better when made fresh. The beauty of it is that you can make a small amount if you are just having a few friends or more for a party. It can be used on top of chicken or even in a sandwich. And when you make it yourself, you can control the salt, garlic and rosemary (or even omit one of these).

The white bean spread is a great starter and really healthy. This recipe calls for Read More »

Copyright (c) 2011 Amy Fothergill

I was sitting at the table, reviewing one of my recipes which had not been tested yet for my cookbook. Ranch dressing is one of those items you would assume would be gluten-free until you look at the label. Then you also might see all of the other ingredients that aren’t so appealing.

My kids are big fans of ranch dressing so I thought, why not try it right now?  I normally don’t make everything from scratch but I was curious to see if it was worth it to make my own.

Assuming you have the ingredients in your kitchen (which I usually do), this can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. It’s always better if it sets but if you can’t wait, don’t worry, it’s still great.

When I made it, I called the kids over for a taste test. They grabbed some carrots from the fridge and dug in. My son then announced Read More »

Recipes shouldn’t just be a list of ingredients with obscure directions. A recipe needs to teach the recipient how to recreate the dish the writer has made.

Gnocchi can be intimidating to many people but with a good set of instructions and the consistency of dough, you’ll want to make it all of the time.

Although the base for gnocchi (pronounced nywak-ee) is potato, regular all-purpose flour is usually also added. When eating gluten free, you may feel like you’ll never be able to enjoy these tender dumplings again. But, there is hope. Read More »

I saw an advertisement on TV for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise with this recipe.

Whilst it sounded, let’s say interesting, I was intrigued and had to try it.

The first time I tried this recipe I bought some gluten free rice crumbs but I found them too crunchy with an almost sand type texture.

The next time I cooked this recipe I therefore made my own breadcrumbs by blending a piece of frozen gluten free bread.

It turned out really well, the chicken was very tender and it tasted awesome served with cornmeal mash (cornmeal mixed with milk and cheese) and stir fried vegetables.

Read More »

These meatballs are very similar to the filing of a dumpling or wonton without the wrapper. My family really enjoys them. They are gluten-free and dairy-free and can easily be made paleo. I recently brought these Asian chicken meatballs over sesame noodles to a party. It was a big hit! For a paleo version, serve them over zucchini noodles and check the ingredient list; there are a few adjustments. Read More »

Fall is here and that means pumpkins are starting to appear on your neighbor’s door step and in grocery stores, which is the universal signal to start carving and cooking pumpkin. Why is it most of us tend to cook with pumpkin only around Halloween and Thanksgiving?  Pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A, fiber and it is low in calories, so we should find ways to work it into our diet throughout the year.

Pumpkin is very versatile to cook with, so it can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.  This Examiner did a little research for gluten-free pumpkin recipes and was amazed at all of the drool-worthy recipes we found.  Listed below are just a fraction of the gluten-free pumpkin recipes available online.

What is your favorite way to cook with pumpkin?

Pumpkin – General Recipes

• About.com has an extensive list of gluten-free pumpkin recipes
• Foodista has a list of 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes and a list of 5 Must Try Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipe
• Gluten-free pumpkin recipes from The Gluten-Free Homemaker Read More »

Rachel, The Stay at Home Chef, dishes up this super nutritious gluten-free recipe!

This Healthy Tuna Stuffed Avocado is stuffed with a flavorful southwest mixture of tuna, bell pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro. You can adapt the recipe as you wish. No mayo is necessary. It’s a healthy, satisfying lunch that tastes great!

Photo Source: Janderson99 wikimedia

Corn tortillas are a staple in my diet. But, finding tortillas that are gluten-free can be difficult. In fact, many corn tortillas, even gluten-free varieties, are made in facilities that also produce wheat tortillas.

That’s why I was happy to find this SUPER EASY corn tortilla recipe at Simplyrecipes.com!

The recipe is simple. Two cups of masa harina corn flour and up to two cups of water make 16 to 18 tortillas.

Add water to the corn flour according to the directions on the masa harina bag or until you have a pliable dough. Knead the dough with your fingers. Make a small ball about the size of a golf ball. Place the ball  Read More »