Chicken Pot Pie

The thing I tend to miss the most about going gluten free is the comfort food. There is just something about country cooking that warms you from the inside out. As I mentioned before, I don't deny myself gluten. If we are out and about, without the kids, I find myself craving a good ol' meat and three! But since those opportunities are few and far between, and given that I don't want my kids to miss out on the joy of comfort food, I try my hardest to revamp my tried and true southern comfort recipes. Chicken pot pie is one of my all time favorite comfort dishes. I love a good flakey crust and rich creamy filling. The best part about this recipe is that it is made for leftovers. I usually just toss whatever leftover veggie sides I have in the fridge with any combination of meat, cheese, and my creamy secret (leftover mashed potatoes!!!) and cover it with a quick, no chill, pie crust... This recipe is quick, easy, and extremely affordable!

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free flour (for this recipe I chose a chick pea based flour for the extra fiber and protein)

1 Tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, cubed and cold

2 Tbsp cold water

(Or prepared store bought crust)

1 lb chicken breast (about 2 breast)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

Salt for seasoning

(Or 1 lb cooked shredded chicken)

1 medium onion, diced

4 oz mushrooms, rinsed and roughly chopped

6 oz artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

(Or 2 cups of your veggies of choice)

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 whole milk

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

(Or 2 cups mashed potatoes)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Recipe:

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in 2 Tbsp olive oil, in a large skillet, over medium high heat.

Add chicken breast. Season with salt.

Cook chicken for 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness, until done. Flip chicken half way through.

In a heavy sauce pan, add cubed potatoes, and cover with water. 

Bring to a medium boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, until done.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine gluten free flour, sugar, and salt.

Cut in butter.

Add cold water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until dough forms.

Divide in two.

Place 1/2 between 2 sheets of wax paper.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick round.

Peel one side of the wax paper off. Flip the exposed dough side into a pie dish. Press into pie dish. Press around edges to remove excess dough. Remove  wax paper. Pierce with a fork to vent.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add onions and mushrooms to skillet. Cook until soft.

Add artichokes, thyme, salt, and garlic. Cook until heated through.

Drain potatoes. Add milk, butter, and salt. Mash until smooth. You may need to add more milk depending on the consistency of your potatoes. You want them to be less firm and more runny.

Add Parmesan cheese and beat until combined.

Combine chicken filling and mashed potatoes.

Spoon into browned pie crust.

Place remaining 1/2 of pie dough between 2 sheets of wax paper.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick round.

Peel one side of the wax paper off. Flip the exposed dough side on top of the pie filling. 

Press around edges to remove excess dough. 

Remove  wax paper. Pierce with a fork to vent.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until crust begins to brown.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Caramel Cashew Protein Bars

I will admit, not every recipe I make is for Emily. And while I'm being honest, not everything I eat is gluten free either! But, because I am a stay at home mom, I spend my days at home with my children, and though they have come to accept gluten as a forbidden fruit, I do my best to not eat it around them. Because of that, all of the snacks I make are gluten free. Including these OMG, oh so AMAZING, Caramel Cashew Protein Bars... And I am not lying when I say, I can't even taste the protein powder in these!!! If you are the kind of person that actually enjoys the taste of protein powder, by itself, then this is not the recipe for you!!!

Ingredients:

3 cups lightly salted cashews

1 cup vanilla protein powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup half and half

Recipe:

Whisk coconut oil, brown sugar, and half and half together in a heavy sauce pan. 

If you are a fan of sauces, I have found that coconut oil makes a great butter substitute!

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. 

Within 5-8 minutes the sauce will bubble and begin to thicken. 

Set aside to cool.

While caramel sauce is cooling, toss cashews in a food processor or blender and let it rip.

Depending on the quality of your appliance, this will take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. You want to make cashew butter, so you are looking for a smooth and creamy, almost liquid, texture. 

Be patient, this can be obtained even with the junkiest of appliances, it just takes time!

Add cooled caramel sauce and protein powder to cashew butter and blend until combined. 

You may have to stir in excess protein powder to thoroughly incorporate it into the mixture.

Dump mixture into a lined baking dish. 

I like to line mine with plastic wrap to keep the bars from sticking. 

Smooth mixture out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until firm.

Cut into squares. Store remaining bars in fridge.

Depending on the protein powder you use and the number of square you cut your bars in to, the amount of protein per bar will vary.

ENJOY!

***Whey protein powder is in theory gluten free. Some of the lesser quality brands do mix in filler, sometimes this includes wheat products. Do check the ingredient list, some even come with a "contains wheat" or "may contain wheat" warning. Beyond that, if you are highly sensitive to gluten, it would be advisable to go with a brand that tests it's product for gluten levels. These are a bit more expensive, but may be worth the cost. Many companies offer mass increase or meal replacement protein supplements. These typically contain gluten and are frequently right along side whey protein supplements, making cross contamination highly likely. Know yourself, and know your protein!!!***

Turkey Ranch Meatballs

I LOVE spaghetti and meatballs. I'm pretty sure I could eat them nearly every day. There is just something so warm and comforting about a great pasta dish. If you eat gluten free, then you know how hard it is to fall in love with pasta again. Most pastas just fall apart, and forget about left overs. Then there are the meat balls. For starters, it is so difficult to make a perfectly round meatball out of bread crumbs and beef, that task becomes exponentially more difficult when you are working with turkey and gluten free ingredients. Rest assure, I have the secret. I will be honest, I didn't think of it all on my own. It is more of a composite of recipes with my personal touch, but it totally works, so that's something! I amazed myself with these beautifully plump and juicy meat morsels, and I think I can amaze you, too!

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs ground turkey
2 packets ranch seasoning 
1 cup gluten free quick oats
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cups of your favorite pasta sauce

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix ground turkey and ranch seasoning mix until thoroughly combined. 

Add quick oats and Parmesan cheese to meat mixture.

Stir until combined.

Form into golf ball size balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Transfer meatballs into a large skillet and cover with pasta sauce.

Heat pasta sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve over the top, or along side, your favorite brown rice pasta.

I have found, when you use an alfredo based sauce on brown rice pasta, the pasta stays al dente, even after refrigerating. If you are a fan of leftovers and have eaten leftover gluten free pasta, then you know what kind of a revolution this is!!! 

Enjoy!!!

Homemade Granola

Granola can be pretty expensive, and gluten free granola is that times two. I have never really understood why granola is so expensive. It takes all of 2 minutes to whip up and is pretty inexpensive to make. The main expense of gluten free granola are the gluten free oats. In theory, all oats are gluten free. The problem is actually cross contamination. If you happen to have a gluten allergy, you will want to pay the extra bucks for the gluten free oats. If you are cutting gluten out as a part of a lifestyle choice, or due to a gluten sensitivity, you can usually get away with your regular old fashioned or steel cut oats. After that, the sky is the limit on the versatility of this recipe. You can substitute the nuts and seeds of your choice, add dried fruit and spices, or, by all means, just follow my recipe. It gets even better, you are not limited to just plain crunchy granola. If you let the granola cool for 2 hours after baking, you can cut them into bars. Back off on the baking time a little, and you get a more chewy bar. I'm telling you, this granola is so good, I have to make 2 batches to survive the weekend!

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free old fashioned oats

1 cup salted roasted cashews

1 cup pecan halves

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix oats, nuts, baking soda, and salt together. You will want to use more or less salt to taste, it really depends on the nuts you're using and whether or not the butter is salted. 

Over medium heat, melt butter, brown sugar, and honey. You can just as easily do this in the microwave, just heat in 30 second increments.

Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Smooth granola out evenly onto a parchment lined baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Baking for 15 minutes will produce a chewier granola, while baking for 20 minutes will produce a crunchier granola.

Allow to cool completely before storing in an air tight container or zip top bag. 

Enjoy!!!

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

One of my all time favorite quick dishes is pan fried pork chops. The bread coating gives each bite a crispy crunch while helping the chops retain their juiciness. Top that off with a side of garlic parmesan broccoli and wild rice medley... Oh my YUM! This recipe is so good, that my son, who is not at all a fan of meat, cleans his plate, every time I make it. The leftover chops are great on a sandwich or a crispy bead of lettuce. If you have any leftovers, that is!

Ingredients:

Pan Fried Pork Chops:

6 boneless pork chops

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli:

1 lb broccoli florets, fresh or frozen

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

Recipe:

Pan Fried Pork Chops:

Pound pork chops to 1/4 inch thickness. This reduces cook time significantly. I like to put mine in a plastic freezer bag to keep the raw meat from splattering everywhere.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter in 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Mix bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Coat pork chops in crumb mixture.

Fry in prepared skillet, 5-6 minutes per side, until browned. I work in batches of three to keep from overcrowding the pan.

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli:

Blanch broccoli in boiling water, about 3 minutes for fresh broccoli, 6 minutes for frozen.

In the same skillet the pork chops were fried in, sauté broccoli until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Be sure to scrape up all of the leftover browned bits as you sauté the broccoli.

Season broccoli with salt. Add garlic and Parmesan cheese. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes, until cheese is just melted.

Serve next to pork chops with a side of wild rice medley.

Enjoy!!!

Sweet & Sassy Roasted Chicken

A whole chicken is typically the cheapest meat that you can buy, period. I also believe it is the easiest to cook. I'm not sure where the intimidation factor comes in. If you're like most people I know, you won't touch a whole bird, and wouldn't know where to start on breaking it down either. So, you pay 2 to 3 times the price per pound for those neatly packaged cuts, in the name of easy or quick. Well, maybe I can change your mind with this recipe. It takes less than 5 minutes to prep, and the oven does all of the cooking. You could even toss a few sweet potatoes in the oven to cook at the same time! It is easy enough, I could confidently leave it in the hands of my husband, and return home to a tender, juicy, tasty, fully cooked masterpiece! Don't believe me? Try it for yourself.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 cup of your favorite honey BBQ sauce

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry spices and seasonings together. Rub down both sides of the chicken. Place chicken in a roasting pan breast side up. 

Roast chicken at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and cover with BBQ sauce. Return chicken to the oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees. 

Roast chicken for an additional 30-45 minutes. Internal temp should reach 180 degrees, and the thighs should run clear when pricked.

(Depending on the temperature of your bird going into the oven, it may take longer to cook. If your chicken is partially frozen, expect the total cooking time to be 1.5-2 hours)

Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. The meat should fall right off the bone.

Enjoy!