JuicyJerk Chicken

One of the things I had to get used to in my g free life was the prep that goes into daily eating. I make my breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. It can get tedious! I teach 6th grade Family and Consumer Science, so after a long day at work, I want to do minimal prep for dinner. Minimum prep with maxium results of course. I am a big fan of seasonings and rubs that I can throw on meat and cook with little effort. Enter Badia Jerk Seasoning.

So easy  and so good. It is not a spicy Jerk seasoning but aromatic and delish. Adding a lil Jamacian to your meal is as simple as rubbing it on the meat and letting it marinate for an hour or two. The longer it sits the more flavor it will have. I rub the jerk seasoning on chicken breast, put a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan and cook until ready. Go really Jamacian with a side of Bammy. Bammy is a biscuit made out of casava flour. You can find it in most markets that sell Carribean foods. If you can't find it, make my cheesey biscuits to go with your chicken!

 

Sweet Potato and Turnip Gratin

This dish just reminds me of the fall season that is right around the corner. It's warm and cozy and down right  delicious. We all know the benefits of eating sweet potatoes, but they tend to be a little one note in the flavor department. When you pair them with the bitterness of turnips, they really shine! Turnips may look like a pale, harmless root but they are a little dietary fiber powerhouse in their own right, they have over 3 grams in a medium size turnip. Fiber will keep you full longer, making it less likely to snack; which is turn will help you stay slim. Up the fiber factor by adding some spinach to this dish. 

Turnip and Sweet Potato Gratin

Ingredients

2 large turnips, cut into 2 inch cubes

3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2 inch cubes

Salt

Pepper

¼ cup corn starch

2 TBSP of butter

1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (gluten free)

1 cup of shredded cheese ( Mozzarella,  Munester cheeses seem to work best)

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a square baking dish, arrange turnips and sweet potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle the layer with half of the corn starch. Create another layer and sprinkle with corn starch.
 Dot pieces of the butter on the top layer and pour chicken stock into the dish. Cover with foil and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 – 25 minutes.

           Remove pan and sprinkle cheese over the dish. Return to oven and cook until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Allow to sit before serving so sauce can thicken.

Breakfast Dilemmas

I get so frustrated being g-free at breakfast time. Anyone that has to eat on the go can relate. Most g-free breakfast foods, although delicious, take some serious prep or require a sit down meal. Now, I have the best intentions of waking up early to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, go jogging, etc. but in my 30 years this has happened.. never.  So either I am late or I am a miserable beast because I am hungry. What’s a g-free go getter to do? There are g-free options such as granola bars, breakfast bars and bagels that you can take with you but these foods are not exactly budget friendly. Also, most of these foods are carb heavy which means within an hour you’ll be ready to hit the vending machine.  Always try to eat some form or protein in the am. It will keep you fuller longer. I tend to eat a lot of peanut butter but if you’re not a fan, try almond butter or soy nut butter. Here are a couple of my weekday breakfast on the go tricks. Stay fab and full!

Hot Ham and Cheese – put a corn tortilla on a paper towel, put a slice of cheese and a few slices of ham on top. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, fold in half and eat.

Banana Split- take a banana out of its skin and cut it in half length wise. Spread natural peanut butter on one half, sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Put the two halves together and eat. Try this with Nutella to, crazy good!

Rice Cakes – Take 2 whole grain rice cakes and spread with cream cheese and preserves of your choice. My fav is cream cheese with black berry jam.

Apple wraps- You can use either gluten free sandwich wraps or tortillas for this one. Cut up an apple into thin slices. Smear peanut butter and some honey on your wrap. Put apples on top, fold and eat.

Always warm your corn tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds wrapped in paper towels to make them soft.

Use any seasonal fruits or raisins in these wraps, the more fiber the fuller you will be!

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Here's a new twist on an old fav!

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

I medium sized  jar of salsa (mild if you don’t like spice, I used PACE brand but any gluten free brand will do)

1 can of corn ( 6- 8 oz)

1/4 cup of black beans

5 bell peppers ( top cut off, seeds and ribs removed)

1 packet of sazon seasoning

1 cup of chicken stock or prepared bullion

Directions

1.       Put  chicken, salsa, sazon, and stock into a large pot and allow to cook over low heat until the meat is easily fork separated ( about 1 -2 hours).

2.       Heat oven to 400 degrees and place peppers in a baking tray for approximately 15 minutes or until they become easily pliable.

3.       Once chicken is ready, put corn and ¼ cup of black beans  in pot and stir to combine. Allow to cook on low while peppers are in the oven.

4.      Stuff the chicken mixture inside the peppers and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

5.       Top with sour cream, or cheese.

Excellent Egyptian Rice

In my early adulthood, I spent almost every weekend in NYC with friends. What ends your night out better than some greasy food? My friends would eat pizza, gyros and other things I couldn't eat,  I was constantly on the quest for something delish at 3am. In NYC, there are food carts on virtually every corner day and night. These carts often carry foods from around the world, many of which use no wheat. This quickly became my favorite part of my nights out (sorry friends!). I found a new cart of street meat one night. It was Egyptian food, it was different and they didn't use wheat so I was down to try it. It was AMAZING! I found myself questioning the cart owner on the rice recipe, wrote it on my hand and made it the next day. Here it is!

Egyptian Cinnamon Rice

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rice, Brown rice or Jasmine works best

2 TBSP of Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ tsp of cinnamon   

½ tsp of cumin

¼ tsp chili powder

½ salt

Directions

1.     Heat olive oil in a sauce pan until hot and add onion and garlic, cook until browned.

2.     Add cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder into pot and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

3.     Remove pot from heat and add rice and salt, stirring until combined.

Food for Thought

·        Swapping plain white rice with brown, jasmine or basmati is a great way to up the nutritional content of your rice dish.

·        Cinnamon has been cited as helpful to people who are trying to keep their blood sugar stable.

Polenta Pizzas and Sausage and Peppers

                                                                     

If you haven't tried polenta, it's a MUST try. It is a cornmeal mixture that is so versatile to cook with. And its inexpensive which makes it a pantry staple. Sausages are one of those things that can be scarey for us gluten free peeps. They are usually a mixture of who knows what wrapped in a skin made of it's anyone's guess. You can enjoy sausages and be gfree, just the right kinds. You can buy pre packaged ones that clearly state they are gluten free or you can buy fresh from the meat department at your local grocery store. Just ask for the store made sausages and ask for the ingredients. Not only are these freshly made but they are usually few ingredients and almost never contain those mystery ingredients that scare us! This is a meal that is very kid friendly also! Kids generally love pizza so the polenta version is a no brainer. I used purple basil because, well, its purple and that's awesome! Your kid will probably find it awesome too. Also, the brightly colored peppers tend to be a draw for kids. And this I can not say enough, if you want your child to eat something, have them cook it with you. Kids are much for likely to eat something they made themselves!

                                                      

Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

1 lb of g free chicken sausages

4 peppers (various colors) sliced

½  medium yellow onion sliced

TBSP of fresh parsley

Pinch of salt

Directions

Place sausages in a deep skillet and brown on all sides.

Put sliced peppers and onions in the skillet with the sausages and pour in ½ cup of water.

Cover and allow to cook for 7 – 10 minutes over medium heat.

Add parsley and continue to cook uncovered to allow liquid to cook down.

Once liquid turns thicken (sauce like) it ready! 

                                                                                

                                                                                

Polenta Pizzas

Ingredients

1 package of log polenta sliced into ¼ inch pieces

Fresh basil leaves (about 12)

1 cup tomato sauce

½ cup shredded mozzarella

Garlic powder to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray baking sheet with olive oil and lay polenta slices in a single layer. Spray the tops of the slices with olive oil.

Bake 10 – 15 minutes until polenta becomes firmer and golden in color.

Place a basil leaf on each slice and a cover with a thin layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake for another 3-5 minutes until cheese is fully melted. Sprinkle with garlic powder to taste.

                     

Easy Mac and Cheesy

I am not a fan of gluten free boxed mac and cheese. Maybe I am just spoiled from my childhood memories of creamy boxed mac and cheeses. Looking back, what I was consuming was probably just chemicals and dyes but it was good and that what counts right? Ok, now I'm starting to sound like childhood me!Anyway, I can really get down with some good mac and cheese. Here is my recipe, feel free to get down with it as well.

Easy Mac And Cheesy 

Ingredients

1 bag (12 oz)  of prepared gluten free macaroni of your choice

1 1/2 cup of fat free milk 

2 cups of shredded low fat cheddar cheese 

1 tablespoon of butter

2 TBSP of cornstarch 

Directions :

1. Prepare pasta of your choice as directed. Strain all water and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from continuing to cook.
2. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter over low heat.
3. Add milk and stir. Allow milk to heat through but not boil. (about 4- 5 minutes)
4. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until all the cheese is melted.
5. To thicken sauce, combine 2 TBSP of cornstarch with cold water and stir until the cornstarch is melted. Slowly add the cornstarch to the sauce whisking it in little by little and stopping when you reach your desired consistency.
6. Stir in pasta and salt and pepper to taste.