Trail Mix Bars

These are sort of like rice krispies...except far fewer ingredients. For this recipe I use puffed rice. Puffed rice is not the same as rice krispie cereal, it is larger, softer and the only ingredients should be "puffed whole grain
rice". With just three basic ingredients - puffed rice, honey, and almond butter - you have a basic recipe you can customize to your liking. You can mix in your families favorite dried fruits, nuts, and seeds.

 Ingredients:
1 cup honey
1 cup almond butter
8 cups puffed rice
1 1/2 cups of mix-ins
 for this recipe I used a combination of almonds, dried cherries, and dried cranberries.

 Directions: In a sauce pan melt together the honey and almond butter until warm and combined. In a large mixing bowl pour the mixture over the puffed rice. Mix together so everything is coated. Add fruit and nuts and mix in. Press the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and refrigerate. When the bars are completely cold cut them into squares and enjoy!

ICE cream!

All I wanted was some ice...

  We visit my mom frequently during the week, and my ice coffee addiction means that I am always making ice coffee at her house. I love ice in all of my drinks, and honestly, it has become a mandatory necessity in all my drinks. The thought of plain tepid tap water with no ice makes me cringe.

  The problem with my moms refrigerator is that it is constantly running out of ice.  So the other day when I smushed my glass into the door dispenser and no ice appeared I wasn't surprised. "Oh no" I thought, "Now I am going to have to drink regular warm coffee like everyone else". I was starting to feel desperate, little beads of perspiration where forming on my forehead at the thought of drinking a warm beverage, so I decided to take drastic measures. I opened the freezer door to fish around in the ice maker drawer for what might be the last few stray cubes in the hopes that it would be just enough for my one glass of ice coffee.

  Just last Sunday we had all gotten together for our big family dinner. It's what we do on Sundays. We go to church and then seven of us meet at my mother's house for a big lunch/dinner in the afternoon followed by a gluten-free diary-free dessert. That particular Sunday we were enjoying Golden Garbanzo Goodies. It has become a real favorite in our family - everyone loves it, even my father who is the pickiest of eaters. Someone in the group had the bright idea to top these delicious wonders with ice cream. I mean....isn't everything better with ice cream on top? Of course.

  The men in the family usually devour these garbanzo treats right out of the oven. I remove the dessert from a piping hot oven, carefully set the pan on a trivet on the center island, turn around to close the oven door....and there they go, the pan is empty.  Somehow on this particular day we managed to hold the hungry swarm off just long enough to let the pan cool down, slice them into cute squares, and attempt to top them with ice cream. Sadly our tiny pint of ice cream didn't stretch very far, and there were still a few plates left un-topped. "Surely" my dad said "there is more ice cream, I bought 2 containers!" My brother looked through the freezer, but found nothing (as usual for a teenager). Apparently we were all starving on a desert island because panic ensued. Everyone had to take their turn looking through the freezer, because surely it must be there. No one could find the missing ice cream and we eventually determined that my dad was delusional and never bought "2 containers!" to begin with.

  We stretched the ice cream so that everyone got a little bit, and we happily ate our snack and moved on with our day.

  Fast forward several days to the lack of ice incident. "How long has your ice maker been like this?" I asked my mom. "Oh, a couple days" she responded, thinking nothing of it. As I fished around in the drawer for what I hoped would save my dream of the perfect creamy glass of ice coffee, I found the culprit. 

  I laughed out loud when I removed the whole ice drawer to find what had been clogging up the works.

It was the missing 2nd container of ice cream that we had gotten all worked up about the past weekend. My dad was right, he did in fact buy a second container. My brother was right, I could see why he was unable to find the missing ice cream. And I was correct that this ice maker was definitely not working!

  After laughing for a few minutes. My mother and I thought about how we might get this wedged container out of its predicament. We tried turning the gear...nothing.... tried to push it loose...nothing. "Well" I said, "Let's just get two spoons and eat this thing free!" This didn't seem like a logical possibility considering it was 10am. 

  Eventually the smashed ice cream thawed a bit and we wiggled it free. We had a good laugh about it. Subsequently I did find a few stray ice cubes in the drawer, and I made a delicious tall glass of ice coffee and the day was saved.

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Gluten-Free!!

I have really been enjoying these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Honestly they turn out better than any regular chocolate chip cookie I've made in the past. We keep the dough already formed into balls in the freezer so that we can crank out warm chocolatey goodness at a moments notice. My toddler loves them too.
It's been getting hot around here as the weather turns warmer and my mind turns to all the delicious summer treats I could make this year. Last summer we had a big party when my daughter turned two, and with all the different food allergies and sensitivities in my family the idea of a birthday cake that would keep everyone happy was absolutely daunting. I got so dizzy by the idea of a gluten, dairy, sugar-free cake that I gave up on the idea of cake altogether. Instead we had and ice cream bar, everyone loves ice cream after all, and everyone can choose their own flavor or type. We had coconut milk ice cream, sugar free ice cream, and traditional ice cream too, along with an array of different topping so guests could personalize their creations to their hearts content. Everyone loved it, and no one was asking "where's the cake?"

This year I am considering adding these adorable ice cream treats to our new birthday tradition for those like me who need to eat gluten-free.


Ingredients:
baked gluten free chocolate chip cookies (2 for each sandwich you want to make)
ice cream of your choice
sprinkles for topping

Directions:
Once the cookies are baked, let them cool and put them on a plate in the freezer. Once they are very chilled spoon about 3 Tbsp of ice cream onto the bottom of a cookie and squeeze together with another cookie. Easy! Now, roll the edge in a plate of sprinkles. Then return treats to the freezer to harden completely. Leave them in the freezer until you plan to enjoy them, which will probably only be a few minutes.

Italian Stuffed Chicken

gluten-free

Still trying to think of something to do with your homemade pesto? Here is a delicious and simple chicken recipe that everyone will love.

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts - boneless skinless
1/2 cup homemade pesto
1 6oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 cup diced Fontina or Gouda cheese
salt & pepper

Directions:
Begin by using a knife to cut through the center of the chicken breast and butterfly them open. Next on one side of the butterfly-ed chicken spread 1 Tbsp of pesto. Drain the tomatoes of their oil. Top pesto with a few pieces of  sun-dried tomatoes and a few pieces of the cheese. Repeat for the rest of the chicken. Be careful not to spread your ingredients on the chicken and return the utensils to your jar - this can contaminate leftover pesto, tomatoes, or cheese. Measure out just the ingredients you will use for this recipe and discard any leftovers that may have touched the chicken.
Next roll  up the chicken so that all of the ingredients are tucked inside and place in a baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until completely cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving. This dish is a great dinner option that you can serve with pasta and veggies, it also makes a great topping for a green salad.
Enjoy!

Homemade Basil Pesto

gluten-free

If you are not eating pesto on a regular basis than you are missing out. It is so herb-y and delicious, and it's easy to make your own. If you are thinking about starting a garden this spring be sure to add some basil plants to your cart at the nursery. Then you can make this homemade pesto and enjoy fresh tasting basil goodness all summer long.

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
4 whole garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Place all of the ingredients above in your food processor except for the olive oil and cheese. Pulse until all ingredients are finely minced. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while food processor is running until you reach a sauce like consistency. You may need a little more or less olive oil. Last add in the Parmesan cheese and pulse just a few times to incorporate.

Now...how can you use this pesto?

Pesto is delicious with pasta, with chicken, with salmon, and with risotto. You can dip bread in it (only if it's gluten free of course) and use it at a sandwich or panini spread (again only if you are using gluten-free bread). You can use it to flavor a fresh tomato salad or as a topping to a vegetable soup. The possibilities are numerous. However you decide to use your pesto try to mix it in during the last minutes of cooking or even after the dish is finished cooking. This will keep the pesto bright and fresh.

And...how can you store your homemade pesto?

Pesto is very freezable. I suggest spooning your pesto into an ice cube tray and freezing the mixture into small blocks, then transferring to a freezer bag. Then just thaw what you need for a specific recipe. You can also keep your pesto in the refrigerator. To keep the pesto brown oxidizing, keep in an airtight container with olive oil drizzled on top. If your pesto does oxidize on top it is still fine to use. Fresh homemade pesto will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer for 6 months. If I grow basil in the summer, none of it goes to waste, and all of the basil at the end of the season ends up in a big batch of pesto that gets stored in the freezer.

By making your own, you can adjust the pesto ingredients to your specific tastes. Remember, everything tastes better when it's homemade. Enjoy!

Slowcooker Sesame Chicken

My husband loves sesame chicken. When we go out to a Chinese or Thai food place, I know he is going to order the sesame chicken, and I am going to get sauteed chicken and broccoli with white sauce. The dishes come to the table and I desperately want to try some of his dish, but the deep fried flour coating keeps me at bay. Plus I know many of the brown sauce dishes at oriental restaurants have soy sauce, which is off limits to gluten-free eaters. It has become increasingly difficult to eat out, and more and more I want a delicious restaurant style dish at home that is gluten-free, of course. To be honest this sesame chicken made in the crock pot turned out even better than I expected. Even though this shredded chicken doesn't have the same fried texture, it has all the Asain flavor you would expect. I know you will love it too!

Ingredients
  for the sauce:
1 cup honey
1/2 cup tamari
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 whole diced onion
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup plain tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of garlic powder

6-8 chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish
cooked white or brown rice for serving
4 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions.
In your slow cooker mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Be sure everything is completely mixed. Add the whole chicken breasts and mix to make sure the sauce coats all surfaces. Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is completely cooked through and soft.
When the chicken is completely cooked remove the chicken pieces to a cutting board and shred with two forks. In a small cup mix together 4 Tbsp of cornstarch and a little bit of water. Pour cornstarch into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn on high heat. Let the sauce come to a slow boil to thicken. If your slow cooker doesn't heat the sauce enough to thicken, pour sauce into a saucepan and complete this step with the cornstarch on your stove top. Then once sauce is thickened pour back into your slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and keep the slow cooker on warm until ready to serve.
To serve spoon shredded chicken and sauce over cooked rice and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Enjoy!

Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

gluten and dairy free

A crowd pleasing snack you can mix up with just a few minutes in the food processor. You can add all sorts of different flavors to a basic hummus recipe, and lately I have really enjoyed the combination of roasted red peppers and sun dried tomatoes.

Ingredients:
2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans (chick peas)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon juiced
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup roasted red pepper diced
1/4 cup drained sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to a food processor. Add the garlic and lemon juice. Pulse to break up the beans. Add remaining ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running until the hummus is a thick and creamy texture. Enjoy with dip-able gluten free snacks such as tortilla chips, carrot and celery sticks.