Candy Corn Bark

It’s fall!!! Well, not really in Florida, but I can certainly pretend because it’s my favorite season. Fall means beautiful colors, cooler weather, cozy evenings (again, I’m pretending…), Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkin patches, and so many more wonderful things. And, of course, candy corn.

When my friend Beth posted a recipe for Candy Corn Bark, I just had to try it. I had a feeling that the color combination would be lovely and it did not disappoint. Moreover, it turned out to be absolutely delicious! It’s a great treat to keep at home for the whole family to enjoy, but it’s pretty enough to give away to friends, etc. as little gifts. AND it’s super easy to make.

The ingredients:

24 oz vanilla-flavored candy coating, chopped

2 cups broken, thin pretzel sticks (I used gluten free thin pretzels instead)

2 ½ cups candy corn

You will also need cooking spray and waxed paper.

The instructions:

·         Spray a 15x10x1 Inch pan with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper.

·         In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave the candy coating on high for 1 minute 15 seconds. Stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until completely melted and smooth.

·         Stir in pretzel pieces and 2 cups of the candy corn.

·         Spread mixture evenly in the pan.

·         Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of candy corn evenly over the top; press in lightly.

·         Let stand one hour or until completely cooled and set. (After it had cooled, I had to stick it in the fridge because it is so warm in our house that it was still a little melty)

·         Break into irregular 2 to 3 Inch pieces (or whatever shape you want) and store at room temperature (or in the fridge if your house is really warm)

That’s it. Isn’t that amazingly simple? You should really give it a try. My whole family is addicted.

Gluten Free No-Boil Lasagna

I am a huge fan of cooking once, eating two nights in a row. Lasagna is definitely one of my favorites- not exactly simple, but well worth it.

When I first found out I had Celiac Disease, giving up pasta was the hardest part for me. I love pasta in all shapes and sizes and my new diet had me depressed. Naturally, I quickly learned how to replicate most recipes I loved. One thing that gave me a hard time was making lasagna. All noodles I was able to find required pre-boiling, which took a crazy amount of time and never really worked out the way I wanted (picture me trying to separate big lumps of pasta that formed because I was too lazy to cook the noodles separately; it was not pretty…)

And then, one fine day, I stumbled upon a gluten free no-boil lasagna noodle. I was so happy! However, knowing that gluten free noodles don’t act the same as their wheaty counterparts, I had to find a recipe that was relatively simple and delicious. I think I was able to do just that by experimenting.

You do not have to make this recipe gluten free- it works just as well with semolina pasta. I sometimes make it as a meat lasagna and sometimes a veggie one, depending on my mood and what’s available. I will mostly be referencing the meat in this recipe- just replace it with whatever veggies you prefer. I’ve tried making gluten free béchamel sauce, which I will post the recipe for in the near future, but I also like this simpler method of adding creaminess to the dish.

The ingredients:

1 box of no boil lasagna noodles (I used the De Boles brand ones)

1 lb ground beef and/or veggies of your choice (I like zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ an onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 – 2 jars of pasta sauce of your choice, depending on how saucy you like it

½ cup water

1 15oz container of ricotta

2-3 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

Salt & pepper (and any other herbs you like) to taste

The instructions:

·         Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)

·         In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat

·         When hot, add the onion and garlic until they soften

·         Add the meat and brown thoroughly (or add veggies and sauté), adding salt and pepper to taste (in the lasagna I took the pictures of, I used meat and mushrooms- delish!)

·         Drain any excess fat, then add pasta sauce and water; let simmer

·         In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cup of the Italian cheese and parmesan; if the mixture seems too thick to spread, add a little of the sauce and stir it in

·         Take the sauce off the heat; in a 13x9x2 dish, spread ¼ of the sauce

·         Make one noodle layer with the uncooked noodles ( I usually do three next to each other- they expand when they cook)

·         Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture onto the pasta

·         Add ¼ of the sauce

·         Make another noodle layer

·         Spread the remainder of the ricotta mixture

·         Add ¼ of the sauce

·         Make the final pasta layer

·         Add the remaining sauce; be sure to cover all of the pasta so that it cooks evenly

·         Top with 1 – 2 cups of Italian cheese, depending on how cheesy you like it (I like it very cheesy)

·         Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook for 50 minutes

·         Remove the foil; turn on the broiler and cook until cheese is golden brown

I hope you enjoy! Please excuse my terrible attempts at taking nice pictures of the food- I still have lots to learn…

Recipe Tuesday: Pork Tenderloin à la Crème

Sorry for the poor picture quality- both kids were screaming...

I am not a big fan of pork. However, I decided that I could no longer deprive my poor husband of eating pig. I found a delicious recipe that I hope you will enjoy. I have to admit that I loved it and ate two big plates full. It is, as always, Gluten free and relatively simple to make.

Ingredients:

1 whole pork loin, if possible without added ingredients, fresh from the butcher

4 shallots, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4oz bacon, cut into small squares

6-8oz mushrooms, sliced

2 cups cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup dry red wine

Salt

Pepper

·         Cut the tenderloin into medallions. Add salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat oven to 200°F.

·         In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil at medium-high heat until sizzling. Brown the medallions well on both sides. Remove them from the skillet and put them in the preheated oven.

·         Sautee the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and bacon in the skillet until the mushrooms are tender.

·         Add the wine, then the cream. Let it reduce for about 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.

·         Put the tenderloins back into the skillet (also pour in any juices that have accumulated in the oven), reduce the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

This is a German recipe, so the traditional side dishes are Spätzle or potato dumplings (Knödel), which are not widely available in the US. We served the tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans.  I hope you enjoy!

Recipe translated and adapted from http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/212331088862372/Schweinelendchen-la-Cr-me.html

Recipe Tuesday: Shredded Beef BBQ

Here is another super easy recipe. It calls for a chuck roast, which is a very cheap cut of meat. We had leftovers for two days, so this is a very economical recipe. It takes a little time to make, but can mostly be left unattended. As usual, you can adjust the ingredients according to your family's taste. This recipe can be made Gluten free by using all non-Gluten containing ingredients.

Ingredients:

2-4lbs chuck roast
1 white onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 quarts of water
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4-5 dashes of hot sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Salt & pepper to taste

Put the roast in a large pot with the onions, celery, and garlic. Fill it up with the water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for around 4 hours or until the meat can easily be pulled apart with a fork. Remove the liquid, saving about 1 cup of it. Shred the roast and add the liquid back to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients and cook uncovered for an hour or until the desired texture has been reached. Done.

Serve it with mashed potatoes or on buns. Enjoy!

Recipe Tuesday: Oma's Weinbraten (Potroast in Red Wine Sauce)

This is a recipe from my grandmother, passed down for generations. The gravy will have quite a strong taste of red wine, so if you do not like the flavor of wine this might not be a good dish for you. It is very simple, yet delicious. It will take around 3 ½ hours for a 2lb roast, largely unattended. It might take you a few times of making this to get it just the way you like. As with all the other recipes, this is Gluten free if you use ingredients that do not contain Gluten. (That sounds blatantly obvious…)

Ingredients:

2lb beef roast, cut of your choice

1 pork jowl or other fatty, smoked pork

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

¾ stick of butter

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1-2 bottles of dry red wine

3-4 beef bullion cubes

2-3 bay leaves

3 cloves

Around 20 black pepper corns

Salt

1 cup (8oz) sour cream

Flour or corn starch for thickening

·         In a large pot, heat the butter and vegetable oil until they sizzle. Brown the meats on all sides. Take them out and put them to the side.

·         Sautee the onions until they turn a nice dark brown color.

·         Add the meats and fill up the pot with wine and water, almost covering the roast completely. We used 4/5 wine and 1/5 water, but you can use more water if you like.

·         Throw in all the seasonings and the bullion cubes. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

·         Cover and simmer for 2 ½ hours, tasting the stock about half way. Add more salt if necessary.

·         Remove the meat, set it to the side. Pour the stock through a sieve.

·         Bring the stock to a boil and thicken it with flour or corn starch.

·         As soon as the gravy has reached its desired consistency, remove it from the heat. Add the sour cream.

Slice the beef and serve it with gravy. Traditionally, our family used to eat this roast with Knödel, a German potato dumpling. Since these are not widely available in the US (and are mostly not Gluten free), we have been serving it with noodles or mashed potatoes.

I hope you enjoy!

Recipe Tuesday: Crock Pot Beef Stew

I’m sure you’re thinking ‘Another crock pot recipe???’ This one is just too easy and yummy for me not to post it. Especially in these cold and dark winter months, a nice stew can lighten the mood and warm the body. As with the other recipes, the ingredients can be slightly altered to better suit your own taste.

Ingredients:

1lb beef cubes for stew

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes, Italian recipe (Del Monte makes them without Gluten ingredients)

½ a bag (about 14oz) of frozen O’Brien style potatoes

14-15oz of marinara or other seasoned tomato sauce

In a 4 quart slow cooker, combine the ingredients in the order they are listed above. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Done.

Isn’t that fantastically easy? Play with the ingredients to create slightly different flavors. Serve with or without cheese and crackers. Enjoy!!!

Recipe Tuesday: Chicken Pizziola

As I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of working too much to get a nice meal on the table. The less prep time, the better.

Chicken Pizziola is one of my favorites. It is so versatile because you can change the sauce you use, the cheese you use, etc. to make the flavor different every time. Or you can stick to the same recipe each time and never tire of it- that’s up to you.

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts or tenders

1 jar (24 oz) pasta sauce

½ packet of pepperoni or turkey pepperoni

1 cup shredded Italian six cheeses

Grated Parmesan cheese

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. Pour pasta sauce into a baking dish- I usually use a 2.2 qt one. If you have whole chicken breasts, cut them once or twice lengthwise to make tenders. Sprinkle tenders with salt, pepper, and coat with Parmesan cheese. Place tenders into the sauce (they can be right next to each other in the dish) and stick into the preheated oven. Cook uncovered for 35 minutes. Take out of the oven and cover the chicken with pepperoni slices. Sprinkle Italian cheese on top- you can use more or less cheese, depending on what you prefer. Cook another 10 minutes in the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

We usually eat our Chicken Pizziola with rice or pasta and green beans. Hope you enjoy!!!

Recipe Tuesday: Mexican Meat Loaf

I am not a big fan of cooking. But I love eating. And since I have Celiac Disease, it's either cook, pay bazillions of Dollars for frozen meals, or risk getting a hold of some Gluten. I mostly choose to cook. Plus, cooking is so much cheaper!

One of my favorite appliances is my crock pot. The only thing I want is for my recipes to be super simple- throw everything together in the morning and have a ready meal in the evening. This recipe is super easy and delicious! You can play with the ingredients, increasing or decreasing them to meet your family's taste.

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef
2 cups crushes corn or tortilla chips (there are lots of GF versions available in stores)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup salsa
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons taco seasoning (McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix contains no Gluten ingredients)

Mix all the ingredients very well- I usually knead with my hands. Shape the mixture into a loaf and put it in the crock pot. Cook on LOW setting 8 to 10 hours.

If you would like, you can glaze the loaf with a mix of 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon dry mustard. Spread over the meat loaf and cook it on HIGH for an additional 15 minutes.

DONE! It hardly gets any easier. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes or rice and corn. Enjoy!

Recipe taken from Rival Crock Pot Slow Cooker Recipes