Category: Gluten-Free

Middle Eastern Inspired Chicken Kabobs

On By sarafillmerIn Entree, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

We have done a fair amount of hosting this past fall and having quick finger foods people can munch on is one of my favorite things to have on the buffet. I found these kabobs on Pinterest and the recipe came together quickly and tasted delicious. Just make sure you leave enough time for the skewers to marinate. Recipe and photo courtesy of onceuponachef.com.

For the Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to ½ teaspoon for less heat)
  • Zest from one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

For the Skewers:

  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin, alternating with the red onions. (You can use wooden skewers, just be sure to soak them for 30 minutes before using). Be sure not to cram the skewers. (Note: You’ll need between 6-8 skewers.) Place the kabobs on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the marinade all over the meat, coating well. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Make sure to grease your grill with Pam or vegetable oil before putting your skewers on. Grill the chicken kabobs until golden brown and cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally, 13 to 15 minutes. (The yogurt marinade makes these kabobs prone to sticking to the grill grates; if necessary, use a metal BBQ spatula to scrape underneath the kabobs and release them.) Transfer the kabobs to a platter and serve.

Guacamole

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

I’m not typically a huge guacamole fan, but we were hosting friends for dinner and I wanted to have some dip options so after a quick Google search I found this recipe. It was delicious and I ate more of it than I ever do of a guacamole recipe so here it goes onto the website. Recipe and photo courtesy of loveandlemons.com.

  • 3 avocados, ripe
  • 1/4 cup diced onion (red or white is fine)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • Zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin,
  • optional: 1 to 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the tomatoes and mash with a fork until all ingredients are combined, but not completely smooth. Fold in the tomatoes if using. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Flourless Secret Ingredient Chocolate Cake

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

I saw this recipe on my Instagram feed, and since I was craving chocolate figured it was worth the shot. If you are intrigued by what the secret ingredient is I’m about to blow your mind. It’s BLACK BEANS! The recipe comes together super fast in a blender/food processor and doesn’t taste like beans in the slightest. I made our version with vegetable oil, but next time I’m going to try butter. This time I paired it with the one minute frosting from my Depression Cake, which was delicious, but perhaps a tad too rich so I’ll switch to a lighter frosting when I make it again. Recipe and photo courtesy of thepancakeprincess.com.

  • 1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed* or 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 5 tablespoon melted butter or oil of your choice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoon cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line 2 6-inch round cake pans* with parchment paper. In a high speed blender or food processor, puree the beans, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until completely smooth. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda directly to the blender and blend until smooth. Divide batter equally into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top springs back. Let cool for 5 minutes before flipping the cake onto a cooling rack. Make the frosting as the cake cools completely. Frost with the frosting of your choice.

*If you are like me and don’t have two 6″ pans, you can use a 8×8 or 9×9 and it works just as well.

Copycat Superfood Salad

On By sarafillmerIn Gluten-Free, Side ItemLeave a comment

For a while, Chick-fil-A had a salad on the menu called the superfood salad. It had kale and broccolini, dried cherries and mixed nuts. It was such a delicious salad and I was super bummed when they got rid of it. Luckily, I found a copycat recipe in a cookbook by Six Sisters’ Stuff. I leave out the broccolini, but other than that it is a dead ringer. It also keeps for a couple of days in the fridge so it’s nice to munch on through the week.

  • 6 cups chopped kale
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Toppings

  • 1/3 cup candied nut of your choice
  • 1/3 cup granola
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries

In a medium large bowl, combine kale, sunflower seeds, dried cherries, and nuts. In a small bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, maple syrup, sugar, pepper and salt. Pour dressing over salad and toss until leaves are shiny and coated. Refrigerate for 3 hours, or let sit overnight. When serving, top with a few more cherries and nuts. I also like to add chicken or salmon for some protein.

Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Entree, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

I was having a couple of friends over for a little get together and wanted to have some protein to snack on. In the past I have gone to my crockpot smokies recipe, but I had meatballs in the freezer and wanted to try something different. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it sounded too good so I knew I had to try it. I’m glad to say that it was a success and I really liked that the sauce made by the cranberry and chili sauce was nice and thick and didn’t need a cornstarch slurry like my smokies recipe sometimes does. Another bonus is this recipe comes together so quickly and lives in the crockpot til you are ready to serve so it’s great for entertaining.

  • 14-oz can cranberry sauce 
  • 12 oz bottle chili sauce 
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 lb bag of homestyle meatballs, frozen

Pour your meatballs into a medium size crockpot. Combine the sauce ingredients in bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-8.

Crockpot Mexican Shredded Beef

On By sarafillmerIn Entree, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

I have a bunch of chuck roasts in my freezer and was looking for something different than my usual Mississippi Roast to make with them, so it was off to Pinterest! I found this shredded beef recipe and it was a winner for everyone. It would be great in a rice bowl, on nachos, or in tacos. I tweaked the recipe a little bit because I was missing a couple of ingredients but I’ll note those substitutions at the bottom. Recipe and photo courtesy of asouthernsoul.com.

  • 3 pound beef chuck roast
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 ounce can green chilies
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Layer sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chuck roast on top of onions. Sprinkle chopped garlic around the side of the beef. In a small bowl, add green chilies, chopped chipotle, beef broth, vinegar, and lime juice, whisk together then pour over the roast. Sprinkle the top of the roast with cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Place lid on the slow cooker and set the timer to 8 hours for low OR on high for 4 hours. When the roast is done, remove it from the slow cooker and shred using 2 forks. Drain off 3/4 of the liquid from the pot. Add shredded beef back into the pot and gently toss with remaining juice. Serve immediately.

*I didn’t have chipotles or green chiles, so I left out the chipotles and substituted 1/2 a cup of salsa verde for the diced green chiles and it turned out great.

Cheesy Chicken Bake

On By sarafillmerIn Entree, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2020-06-18 at 11.58.40 AMWe have been trying to cut back on the amount of bread and pasta we eat, so when I was looking for a way to use up rotisserie chicken that didn’t use those things I, of course, turned to Pinterest. I found this chicken bake and man was it good. I halved the recipe the first time to make sure we liked it, and it was so good, so flavorful that I didn’t even miss the pasta. Recipe and photo courtesy of afamilyfeast.com.

  • 1 pound bacon
  • 8 ounce package cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup avocado mayonnaise
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 store bought rotisserie chicken, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups red onion, diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces baby spinach
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, reserving 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and set aside. While the bacon is cooking, in a medium sauce pan, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, avocado mayonnaise, heavy cream, hot sauce, mustard, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Crumble bacon and add to the cream mixture. Clean skillet and add two tablespoons of the bacon fat and saute onions over medium high heat for three minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of bacon fat and add the mushrooms and saute for five minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and toss to coat the spinach and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Add the cream mixture and cooked chicken and heat then pour into an 8X12 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle on the two cups of mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Place under the broiler and brown, 1-2 minutes. Let sit ten minutes to set up. There will be a little liquid on the bottom which will eventually absorb into the mixture. We spooned a little over each portion. Serve with a salad or your favorite vegetables.

Blueberry Crumble

On By sarafillmerIn Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten-FreeLeave a comment

downloadI found this recipe on Pinterest when I was looking for recipes that would use up my almond meal. I really liked how simple it was and it came out very similarly to a baked oatmeal so it could be used for breakfast as well.

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 maple syrup or honey
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat your oven to 350. Put your blueberries in a greased 8×8 pan. In a medium size bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and stir until fully combined. Pour your topping over the blueberries and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.

 

One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken and Rice

On By sarafillmerIn 30 minute meal, Entree, Gluten-Free

This meal was so quick and easy and reminded me of what I always get at Chipotle. A great meal for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to prep but still want a healthy, home-cooked meal. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookingclassy.com

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespon canola oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 green onions, chopped (keep lighter and darker portions separate)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
  • 2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and well drained
  • 2 cups minute white rice (don’t use regular rice!)
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes, adding in lighter portions of the green onions and garlic at last 1 minute of cooking. Stir in broth, green onion greens, green chilies, lime zest, lime juice, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, add rice, fully immerse rice in broth, and allow to boil 20 seconds, then remove from heat and immediately cover with a lid. Let rest 5 – 6 minutes. If needed, return pan to medium heat and cook and toss 1 minute to allow rice to absorb excess moisture. Remove from heat, toss in cilantro and let rest uncovered 3 minutes.

Veggie Dip

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Gluten-Free

I hosted my first ever Christmas party this weekend, and when I was looking for recipes to make I knew I wanted a veggie dip of some kind. I loved that this one was simple, and I knew the Parmesan would be delicious. Recipe and photo courtesy of stonegableblog.com.

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. As with most dips, I found the flavor to be even better second day, so if you can, refrigerate overnight.