Delicious Gluten-free Chicken Stir-fry

This is one of my go-to recipes when I need to feed a lot of people or want to have left-overs to take to work for lunch.  It is very easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of boneless and skinless chicken breasts (diced)
2 egg whites
4Tablespoons water
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 1/2 cups green beans
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce (CHECK LABELS!)
2 Tablespoons gluten-free hoisin sauce (CHECK LABELS!)
Vegetable oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
sesame seeds

1.  Whisk the egg whites,  and 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch together to create a marinade for the diced chicken
2.  Toss the chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more
3.  Cover the bottom of a wok or skillet with oil and add the chicken stirring slowly until cooked through
4.  Transfer the chicken to a plate
5.  Add the garlic and vegetables (Add the vegetable that will take longest to cook first)
6.  In a small bowl whisk together the remaining cornstarch, chicken broth, powdered ginger soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and 2 Tablespoons of water
7.  Add the sauce to skillet and cooking vegetables
8.  Re-add the chicken and cook until all the vegetables are cooked through
9.  Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice

*This dish can be made a number of ways by switching the meat and vegetables.  It is hard to mess up so add what you like best.

Homemade Gluten-free M&M Cookies

I think that this blog is a pretty good picture of how much I love to bake, especially sweets.  We had some guests this week and I wanted to make a treat that wouldn't take much time or leave the oven running for very long.  I haven't made M&M cookies in a long time so that is what I decided to make.  The dough for these cookies is different from regular chocolate chip cookies but it is pretty much the same concept and just as easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 sticks or 1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of soy flour, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flour
2 cups M&Ms

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together using a mixer
3.  Add the egg and vanilla
4.  In a medium bowl whist together the flours, salt, and baking soda
5.  Add the dry mixture to the butter and sugar mixture slowly and stirring thoroughly
6.  Add the M&Ms and stir until well combined
7.  Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden brown
8.  Cool on a wire rack

*Store in a sealed container for up to a week.

Easy Gluten-free Biscuits

Making breads is probably the biggest challenge to cooking gluten-free.  This is the second time I have tried to make biscuits and this recipe worked better than the first.  These biscuits were truly delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and white rice flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cream of tartar
3.  Use a fork to cut in the shortening
4.  Add the milk all at once
5.  Stir until the dough clings together
6.  Spoon small amounts of dough onto a cookie sheet leaving room for the biscuits to expand a little
7.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown

*Serve the biscuits warm
**Store in a plastic bag or container for a few days

Brats and Potatoes on the Grill (A perfect meal in the heat)

It is finally summer in Seattle.  I have waited for months to have nice weather on a kind-of consistent basis.  The only downside to all of this nice weather is the heat and humidity that comes with it.  Unfortunately our little house does not have air conditioning.  The heat makes me want to have it installed just to have for the couple weeks a year we actually need it. 

Since it has been so hot I have been avoiding turning on the stove or the oven.  Tonight, we decided to grill some brats.  I didn't want to turn on any part of the stove or oven so I also made potatoes on the grill and cooked some frozen corn in the microwave. 

When you buy brats make sure to look at the labels carefully.  Just like hot dogs, they can contain gluten.  A good place to start the search for a good gluten-free brat is online.  Most companies post allergy information.  I did not do anything special to the brats, I just put them on the grill to cook until they were nice and brown and hot all the way through.

 For the Potatoes:

Ingredients:

3-4 potatoes (I used red)
salt and pepper
butter
onion (small)

1.  Peel the potatoes and slice
2.  Place the cut potatoes in equal parts on one or two large pieces of tinfoil
3.  Dice the onion
4.  Add the onion and salt and pepper (to taste) to each of the foil packets
5.  Add a couple Tablespoons of butter to each packet
6.  Fold the foil to create a sealed packet
7. Place on the grill for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through (My dad likes to cook them a little longer so they get crispy)
8.  Remove from foil and serve (Spoon the potatoes out of the packet leaving the excess butter behind)

*Depending on taste you can used more or less butter.  I like my potatoes buttery but my husband likes a little less.

**Be creative you can add a variety of spices and flavors to make these potatoes your own.  Sometimes I add a little rosemary or garlic.  It is an easy dish that you can make your own.

Snyder's Gluten-free Pretzels

I love to share information on products that I find, try, and love.  This is one of those products.  I was in my local gluten-free market not too long ago and I spotted these pretzels.  They are made by Snyder's which also makes regular pretzels.  I use to love the regular Snyder's pretzels so I decided to try their gluten-free version.  I don't think they have been on the shelves very long but it is still exciting that such a large company is creating gluten-free alternatives.  They came in a couple of varieties, a large bag or 100 calorie snack size.  I bought the 100 calorie snack size because I sometimes can't eat a whole bag of something before they go stale.  The snack size is perfect because I can put it in my purse and take it with me or just grab a quick snack out of the cabinet. 

These are delicious pretzels that live up to their brand name.  They have a perfect texture and taste.  I recommend these to any pretzel lover.

American as Apple Pie

I am one of those people who believe it is not truly dessert unless it is chocolate.  I would much rather have a chocolaty dessert, and I mean chocolaty, than any other kind.  That being said, my husband and friends do not always share the same perspective.  For the 4th of July I made an apple pie.  What could be more American?  I also thought it was fitting for the month of June because of the start of the Olympics.  Go Team USA!  The apple pie was hit at our party.

Ingredients:

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
6 cups peeled and sliced apples

Crust:

1/2 cup white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, and soy flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
6 Tablespoons cold water.

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
2.  In a large mixing bowl combine, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
3.  Add the peeled and sliced apples and toss to coat the fruit with the mixture
4.  To make the crust use a separate bowl
5.  Whisk together the flours and salt
6.  Using a fork cut in the shortening until the dough consists of tiny pea-sized balls
7.  Add the cold water gradually, continuing to mix the dough
8.  Separate the dough into equal pieces (one for the top crust and one for the bottom)
9.  Roll the dough out (on a floured surface, I used tinfoil for easy transfer) to be thin enough to cover the top of the pie and the pie plate
10.  Place half of the dough in the pie plate, smoothing as needed
11.  Add the apple mixture to the pie plate
12.  Cover with remaining dough
13.  Bake for 30-35 minutes

*You can brush melted butter on the top of the crust if desired.

If You Give a Moose a Blueberry Muffin...

I love blueberries and we have had fresh blueberries in our local store for weeks.  I finally bought some berries and I decided, the half I didn't eat right out of the container, I would use to make muffins.  They turned out very delicious.  This is an easy recipe that you can make during the weekend and enjoy all week for breakfast or for as a snack. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup and 3 Tablespoons of sweet rice flour, white rice flour, soy flour, and tapicoa flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blueberries (about 3/4 cup)
Brown Sugar

1.  Pre-heat the over to 400 degrees
2.  Lightly grease the muffin pan (or use paper cups)
3.  In a bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt
4.  In a medium bowl whisk togethter the egg, milk, and cooking oil
5.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well (the batter should still be a little lumpy)
6.  Add the blueberries and stir until combined
7.  Pour the batter into the muffin cups filling about 2/3 of the way
8.  Sprinkle your desired amout of brown sugar ontop of the batter just before you put the muffins in the oven
9.  Bake the muffins between 15 and 20 minutes or until they are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
10.  Let the muffins cool on a rack for a short time aften they come out of the oven and out of the tin

You can reheat these muffins or grab them on the go during busy mornings.  It is worth the time to make them before the busy work week starts.