Corn Pasta vs. Rice Pasta.

NO PASTA!!??!?! What was I going to eat when the family ate Italian food? Going through the gluten free section of Jewel was no easy task. There are multiple types of pastas. I tried a few rice pastas but did not like any of them. A friend at work told me to try a corn pasta in a yellow bag. That corn pasta in the yellow bag is called Mrs. Leepers, and it is fantastic! Corn pasta vs. rice pasta? Corn pasta wins every time!

Check out the Mrs. Leepers website for products and recipe ideas! http://mrsleepers.com/index.html

                                                   
                                                         QUICK SPAGHETTI DINNER

Ingredients:

1. Mrs. Leepers Corn Pasta (There are multiple types of pasta. A personal favorite is the rotelli but I used spaghetti tonight)
2. Jar of spaghetti sauce (My favorite is Prego flavored with meat)
3. 1/2 lb of ground beef
4. 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
6. 1/4 of a whole onion
7. 1 garlic clove
8. Mozzarella and/or Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients

You will notice in the picture of my ingredients there is also a non gluten free spaghetti and another jar of spaghetti sauce. This is because we have someone in the house who does not eat gluten free as well as someone who likes  a spicier sauce.



Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Hint: I tend to cook the corn pasta a little longer because I do not think it is soft enough if I only cook it for the amount of time on the directions.

2. While the water is boiling and your pasta is cooking, get started on browning your meat. Cut up the onion and garlic. Mix with the meat while you brown it. The meat should look similar to this when it is browned.

3. Warm the spaghetti sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder in a pot. Add the meat to the sauce once it is brown.

4. Combine sauce with pasta. Sprinkle your favorite cheese on top and you have yourself a quick spaghetti dinner!

Serve it with some gluten free garlic bread. This recipe looks great! I will definitely be trying it the next time I make spaghetti! Pull Aparts


Happy  Cooking!

Finger Lickin' Good Pork Chops

My mom was not the best of cooks while I was growing up. However, one of my FAVORITE recipes she made was her pork chops. She used flour to help brown them and then simmered them in chicken and rice soup...both of which I can no longer eat. The other night we tried a gluten free version of her pork chops and they were delish!

Most of the ingredients you will use

Picture of the instant brown rice we use

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups gluten free flour blend-This depends on how many pork chops you are making-
 (we used Betty Crocker's all purpose flour)
chicken broth
 2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
vegetable oil
pork chops (we used the thinly sliced pork chops)
Instant brown rice

Directions:
1. Make minute rice according to box directions. Prepare serving size according to family size.
2. Clean and trim the meat.
3. In a shallow dish combine eggs and milk.  In a second shallow dish combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and salt and pepper.
4.  Heat vegetable oil in pan. Dredge chops in egg mixture, then flour mixture. Brown chops on each side (approximately 10 minutes or until brown).

This is what the browned chops look like.

5. Drain excess oil from the pan. Add chicken broth (enough to cover chops).
6. Add cooked rice to the broth and chops. Cover and simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours for the thin chops. If you use thicker chops, you will need to cook them longer.

7. Serve with additional rice on the side or your favorite side dish.



Some people ask why use brown rice over white? Check out this site to find out!
 Brown rice instead of white


Happy cooking!

Veggie Pizza No More?

My mom decided to host Easter brunch this year and as always, together, her and I, decided on the menu. The second she suggested it, I felt sad. The amazing parents they are, my mom and dad, searched store after store for a gluten free crescent roll so that I could share in the yummy goodness of a veggie pizza. We could not find one in the stores. I have found some recipes online for GF crescent rolls, but did not have time to make one. Here is what we came up with instead:

My pizza crust was a GF tortilla. I was a little skeptical about what this veggie pizza was going to taste like, but to my surprise, it was pretty good! 

The great thing about a veggie pizza is that you can add whatever you like or leave off whatever you dislike!

 To make your own veggie pizza (GF or not) follow these simple steps:

Ingredients: 

• 1 brick of cream cheese
• 1 mix of dry Italian salad dressing (can be found in most stores right next to the jars of salad dressings)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste
• assortment of veggies (For mine I usually put broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, red pepper, green pepper, and carrots but you can and should put whatever veggies you love!)
• 1 tube of crescent rolls if you are not GF or 1 GF tortilla 

Directions:

1. Unroll the crescent rolls so that they make 1 flat piece. It will look similar to the the picture to the right. Cook this as directed on the package or until it starts to brown. Let this cool completely before topping your pizza

2. Set out the cream cheese on the counter so that it softens a little. While the cream cheese is softening, cut up your veggies to a little bit smaller than bite size pieces. Remember, the pizza will be piled high with veggies and it tastes best when you get a little of everything in 1 bite! To the left is an example of my peppers. 

3. Mix the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and about half of the dry Italian dressing mix together with the cream cheese. I have found it easiest to use a fork and keep mashing and turning the cream cheese. You should taste it and add more Italian dressing mix to your liking. 

4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the COOLED pizza crust or GF tortilla. You want the cream cheese to go to almost the edges of the surface. 

GF veggie pizza

5. Spread your veggies out evenly. I usually start with the carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower as they are the biggest and then add the cucumber and peppers on top. You may want to gently push the veggies down some so that they stick to the cream cheese mixture and do not fall off as you eat it.

6. You are ready to cut, eat, and enjoy. I find it easiest to cut the pizza with a pizza cutter. 

crescent roll veggie pizza

For a list of when vegetables are in season, click the link below.
http://www.cuesa.org/eat-seasonally/charts/vegetables

The New Favorite!

As a picky eater I was nervous when the doctor told me I had Celiac's disease. GLUTEN FREE...how was I going to do that? 

But, since going gluten free, I have become a "trier!" My new favorite food has become spaghetti squash. It's so simple to cook and can be made in many ways. If you don't have time to make an "extravagant" dinner but want something delicious, give this scrumptious veggie a try!

Easy cooking tips: 

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds.

2. Add your favorite seasoning to the top of the squash. My favorite is simply some garlic, salt, and pepper. 

3. Place the squash face down in a glass dish. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of the dish.

4. Cook in the microwave on high. Cook times will vary depending on the size of the squash. I usually cook it for about 15-20 minutes. 

5. The spaghetti squash is done when a fork can easily pierce it. 

6. Use the fork to scoop out the squash, season again as you like, and enjoy!

Happy cooking!