Herb Polenta

Polenta. Naturally gluten free and such an easy dish, yet comes off as an intimidating dish. Most people don't even consider making it themselves, as if polenta is only available at a restaurants or in the pre-made tubes at the grocery store. The irony of polenta's intimidating myth is the dish is actually fool-proof. You can make it thick, soft, herby, plain, or cut into squares. There no real right or wrong way to serve polenta and it goes well with everything - fish, meats, veggies, fried eggs, made into croutons, and so much more.
Because basic polenta has very little flavor, I always do some general fresh herbs that won't over power any dish its served with - most often it will be multiple dishes for one batch.

 Served under fried eggs and bruschetta:

 

Ingredients

2 cups polenta or yellow ground cornmeal
6 1/2 cups broth, water, or stock
2 gloves of garlic
1 tbs fresh rosemary
2 tbs fresh parsley
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

3-4 tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper


10x15 rectangle baking sheet with edges (jelly roll pan)



Grease a 10x15 baking sheet, set aside. In a medium size pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 minced garlic cloves. Once garlic is toasted, add the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, slowly whisk in the polenta to avoid clumps. Reduce heat to medium, add the rosemary, salt and pepper, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the polenta is cooked, add the parmesan cheese, parsley, and another tablespoon of olive oil. Immediately pour polenta onto the baking sheet and spread evenly. Let cool for 4 hours. Do not cover with plastic wrap while still hot otherwise the polenta will not set.
Once completely cooled, cut into squares and either grill or fry with oil in a pan on medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve with anything.

       

Breakfast Caserole - Gluten Free

Everything you want for breakfast, all mixed into one dish. Potatoes, eggs, cheese, and breakfast meat. Being gluten-free, breakfast is frequently served for lunch and dinner. This is great to make ahead for guests staying over, to serve for dinner, and for leftover all week. Add some spinach for protein and its a completed meal.

Ingredients 
Makes 6 servings

3 c. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 c. shredded Montery Jack or cheddar cheese 

1/4c sliced green onions (2) or handfull of chives
4 beaten eggs or 1 c refrigerated egg product
1 c milk
Salt & pepper

1 c. diced cooked ham or Canadian-style bacon
OR
1 lb loose country sausage



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 casserole dish. Brown the potatoes, then sausage in a frying pan and arrange evenly on the bottom of the dish, first potatoes, then sausage. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chives, pour over sausage.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces, if on hand, top with bruschetta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Split Pea Soup

After everything you overate on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas day, its hard to believe there's still extra food. The word "leftovers" on December 26 probably brings you right back to that gluttonous feeling.  One way to use your leftover ham without consuming in the same form you did the first time is making Split Pea Soup.  And if you're still in the holiday spirit, serve red wine with your green soup.

 
Ingredients:
1 lb. dried split peas
3 qt. water or stock
1 ham bone

1 onion, diced
2 cups diced ham
3 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 celery stalks, diced
2 bay leaf
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper

Directions:
Heat in a large pot or dutch oven  over medium high heat. Saute 1 diced onion with seasonings - salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper - for 2 minutes.

Add garlic, bay leaf, rinsed split peas, stirring for a minute. Add stock or water with ham bone, bring to boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally - or until peas are completely broken down.

After 1 hour:

Add diced ham and carrots when the soup is completely smooth, cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are just tender. They will continue to cook when the soup is removed from the heat.

To speed this up, after boiling, reduce heat to medium, cook for 45 minutes, remove from heat to cool. Remove bay leaf and use immersion blender to puree pees. Add back to stove and combine carrots, cook until carrots are tender.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

I'm not a meat and potatoes kinda girl. Just potatoes. They go with everything, or you make them go with everything when you can't make bread, pasta, and other glutenous carbs. I stay away from unnatural gluten free good for a couple reasons, one being they're usually loaded with fat, sodium, and sugar to add taste, and another reason is they're too expensive to have on a daily basis.

Roasted potatoes allow me to have my favorite breakfast, eggs over easy. This is a recipe I make a bunch of and re-purpose to eat throughout the week, or even freeze for later.

Ingredients
3 lbs of red skin potatoes
1 large red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry thyme
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Scrub and cut potatoes to bite size pieces, place in large bowl. Slice or dice onions to your personal preference, mince garlic, add to bowl. Add all spices and olive oil, mix well and evenly spread across a medium size baking pan, or jelly roll pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip potatoes, bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Grated parmesan cheese tops it well.

Mustard Encrusted Salmon

A recipe I never get tired of, mustard encrusted salmon. To describe how good it is, my family and I no longer order salmon out because nothing compares to this. It has even made people who didn't like salmon to reconsider the fish. There's multiple levels of flavors and textures in this sauce from the herbs, mustard grains, and nuts, yet none of them over power the taste of the salmon, only compliment.

This is also good on the grill with foil. The nuts unfortunately don't turn out as well, so you may want to leave them out. Still great without the nuts.

 Ingredients

4 wild salmon fillets (6 to 8-ounce)

1/2 c. crushed walnuts or pecans

1 lemon, in wedges

Sauce:

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (finely chopped)

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped)

1 tbsp dry white wine

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp whole-grain mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients until combine with a thicker consistency. 

 


Lay fish skin side down in baking dish, do not grease baking dish unless it is skinless salmon. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets then sprinkle crushed nuts evenly over the salmon and pat down into the sauce.

Bake salmon for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Reposition the salmon dish under the broiler and set broiler on high until nuts are toasted. If the salmon has skin, the skin will stay in the dish and place the fillets on a dish. If no skin, simply remove salmon from dish onto plates, serve with lemon wedges.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Most people crunge when they hear brussels sprouts. This recipe has gotten everyone who's made a face to reconsider brussels sprouts as an edible vegetable. The secret is not over cooking them. Overcooking brussels sprouts causes a sulfur smell to release, which is why most have a negative association with these baby cabbages. Plus, there's bacon in it; bacon makes everything taste better.

Ingredients:
6 slides of bacon.pancetta crumbled
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
2-3 pints of Brussel sprouts, cut in half
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, cook until crispy, about 4 minute and remove onto paper towel lined plate. Meanwhile, cut brussels sprouts in half.

Add olive oil to the skillet, then onion slices and chopped garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes then add brussels sprouts. 

Cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly golden on the outside, then add  chicken stock and balsamic vinegar. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook 7 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Healthy Banana Bread; the excuse to have dessert for breakfast. Bananas naturally sweeten as they ripen, are rich in B6 and a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium. With such a healthy main ingredient, it would be ashame to ruin it with excessive sugar and oil. Instead, contribute to the health with more benefits such as honey, rolled oats, and apple sauce. Adding oats make this heart healthy, filling, and gives an almost chewy texture without adding nuts or chocolate chips, not to say you can’t.

This banana bread may be missing a cup of oil, but it’s not missing the rich, moist taste of it. Gluten free flour is too expensive to waste on a dry brick.

To make regular banana oatmeal bread, substitute equal amounts of gluten free flour with all-purpose flour.

Ingredients:

1  1/4 cup Pamela’s baking flour

1 cup uncooked gluten free rolled oats

3 large/ripe bananas
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs canola

2 Tbs apple sauce
1 large egg, beaten
2 large egg whites, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F.  

Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a large bowl, stir all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with fork then smooth with mixer.

Add oil, apple sauce and whole egg to the small bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well without over mixing.

In a medium sized bowl, beat 2 egg whites until medium stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter in 2-3 additions. 

Pour batter into pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and pass the clean knife test. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Curry Soup with Apples

Now that it's starting to get chilly, there is nothing better than a bowl of warm soup, seasonally appropriate. Pumpkin curry soup with apples is quick and adds some heat to your fall day.

I know I've mentioned I love pumpkin before, but let me reiterate my love. I love pumpkin like Bubba Gump loves shrimp. Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin with pasta, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin pie, and.....pumpkin soup. The only thing I don't like about pumpkin is preparing it. One could look at it as lazy, another could see it as quick. Regardless of the type of pumpkin you add to your soup, you're still getting a healthy dose of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese. Yet another reason why I love pumpkin.

Ingredients:

3 cups broth

2 ½ c cider

1 c. milk

2 ½ c pumpkin puree

1 onion finely diced

2 medium apples

2 cloves of garlic

1 Tbs curry powder

Salt  

Pepper

Directions:

Dice onions and garlic very finely, sauté in olive oil, salt and pepper until tender.

Add broth, cider- bring, pumpkin puree, and curry powder to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Add diced apples; simmer for 5 minutes, add milk and remove from heat.