Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Slick Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas, in my opinion, are a guilty pleasure. Basically they are high cholesterol wrapped in a corn tortilla. However, I lightened the load by using Laughing Cow Cheese instead of regular cheese. It is creamy and mixes nicely into the meat. Its only 35-45 calories per wedge versus 100 calories for the same amount of regular fat cheese. I thought that little calorie saving trick made me pretty slick. Try it at home and you can be slick too!


Slick Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts/ cooked and shredded
1 can of enchilada sauce (16 oz)
10 corn tortillas
2 wedges of laughing cow cheese
1 bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese (make sure the ingredients do not contain flour as an anti caking agent!)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat up enchilada sauce in a pan.
Put chicken, laughing cow cheese, half of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper in a bowl and combine ingredients.
Place several tortillas at a time on a paper towel and microwave for about 15 seconds until they are pliable.
Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place the enchiladas seam side down in a baking dish.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake until all of the cheese is melted (about 25 minutes) .

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork



A gluten free summer can be bitter sweet. We look forward to BBQ’s as much as the next guy but who knows what lurks in that barbeque sauce! The majority of store bought barbeque sauces contain so form of gluten so steer clear. Here is a recipe that is not only easy, its economical. Use a pork shoulder roast an inexpensive cut of meat with tons of flavor.


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients

One to two lbs of pork shoulder
1 cup of ketchup
1tsp minced garlic
2 TBSP honey
½ tsp of Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp of paprika
1 TBSP brown sugar





Directions
Cut slits in your roast all over to allow the sauce to get into the meat.
Rub a layer of the sauce over the entire roast.
Dump the rest of the sauce over the top of the roast in a slow cooker.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. Meat  is done when it is easily separated with a fork



Monday, June 4, 2012

Ragu Pasta Bake


One of the many things I was diagnosed with over the course my Celiac journey was lactose intolerance. This was devastating for me, I could survive on cheese alone. Once I received my Celiac diagnosis I was relieved that I could still eat cheese. But, then I realized, what do you eat cheese on? Bread, crackers, macaroni ,all things I could no longer enjoy. I set out to find gluten free options for my favorite comfort foods. This recipe is a great substitute for the lasagna I can no longer enjoy. I am yet to find a gluten free lasagna noodle that can stand up to my meaty ragu. A ragu is an Italian sauce that has meat in it and usually served over a thick pasta.  Traditionally, it is made with pork or beef. I used Butterball Sweet Turkey Sausage which is gluten free and incredibly flavorful! Sneak some veggies in there! I put a whole 10 oz bag of spinach in mine. Peppers and mushrooms are also easy to sneak into this dish.
Ragu Pasta Bake
1 lb of gluten free pasta
1 ½  cup of shredded mozzarella
1lb package of Butterball sweet turkey sausage
2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
10 oz bag of spinach
8 oz package of button mushrooms
1 TBSP of Olive Oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
1.         Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.        Cook your pasta until al dente, basically just a little firmer than you would want it to be.
3.        Heat oil in a deep sauté pan and cut sausage out of the casings (make a slit with a knife and the sausage and peel the casing off). Add garlic, mushrooms and the sausage to the pan and cook until the meat is browned. Break the meat up into smaller pieces with your spoon while it cooks.
4.        Add your favorite tomato sauce, spinach, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
5.        Combine meat sauce and pasta. Put half of the pasta into a baking dish and sprinkle half of the mozzarella on top. Add the other half of the pasta and top with the remainder of the cheese.
6.        Bake until the cheese is melted and edges begin to brown.