My First Thanksgiving Turkey!

"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old fashion way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land." - Jon Stewart

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I sure did. This year was my first time hosting Thanksgiving AND my first year cooking a turkey! I solicited my friends on facebook for advice, and the turkey ended up being delicious and very easy. We had zero leftovers. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
1 turkey (I used a 15 pound turkey to feed 10 guests)
1 cup white wine
1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Step 1: After the neck and giblets have been removed, pour white wine and chicken broth on turkey so the turkey has been initially marinated. Rub butter over and under the skin. Stick any extra butter under the skin, next to the breast of the chicken. Rub the skin with salt.

Step 2:  Bake turkey in large roasting pan at 375 for approximately 13 minutes per pound of meat (unstuffed). Baste turkey every 45 minutes with juices from the pan.  You can use the extra juice for gravy when the turkey has been fully cooked!     

Serves 8-12 people.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Oatmeal Bake

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

This is the perfect dish to make if you have guests over for breakfast this holiday season. Its fast, easy, tasty, and filling. I brought it to a work meeting last week and didn't end up with any leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 package of dried cherries (about 1 cup)
1 cup milk chocolate chips 
2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup diced walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons melted butter
Zero calorie butter spray

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Coat the bottom of a 8x11 pan (or comparable) with zero calorie butter spray.

Step 2: In a large bowl mix oats, chocolate, cherries, walnuts, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour the dry mixture into the 8x11 pan.

Step 3: In your now empty bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the mixture over the dry oat mixture and make sure that all pieces are covered. 

Step 4: Bake oatmeal for 40-45 minutes. If you want the oatmeal solid, let cool for 1 hour after baking, then reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Otherwise serve fresh out of the oven!

Serves 8-10.

     

Is it National Bacon Day yet?

"I’ll have the smiley face breakfast special. Uhh, but could you add a bacon nose? Plus bacon hair, bacon mustache, five o’clock shadow made of bacon bits and a bacon body." - Homer Simpson

I have literally been eating a BLT for lunch or dinner almost every day for the last week. Why? I've found the perfect combination of gluten-free bread for them and also--bacon. Did I mention bacon? Baaaaccccoooonnnn.

So this is kind of a lame excuse for a recipe post, but it needed to happen because I can't stop eating these.

Also, sorry for no pics of the bacon. I meant to take a pic...but then I ate it :(

Ingredients:
2 slices of Udi's Gluten-Free White Bread (this is by far the best GF sandwich bread I've tried!)
1 leaf butterleaf lettuce
2 thin slices tomato
3 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon
1/2 tablespoon lite mayo

Directions:

Step 1:  Lightly toast  2 pieces of Udi's Gluten-Free White Bread. Spread light mayo evenly across one side.  Add lettuce and tomato.

Step 2: Cook bacon in pan on medium-low heat for approximately 8 minutes per side. The bacon should be slightly crispy, but still soft.  Cut bacon slices in half and lay across bread so it is completely covered with bacon.

Step 3: Eat sandwiches every day for a month, because they are completely addicting. BACON!

Serves 1.

Orion says, "Put the bacon in my belly."

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

That's the way the cookie crumbles...

Confession: Until this batch, I'd yet to have a gluten-free cookie that I loved. So many gluten-free cookies are dry, bitter, and fall apart the instant you bite into them.  So how did I come up with a recipe that finally worked? I changed my thinking--I morphed cookie and cake recipes to make the ultimate soft sugar cookie!

I brought these cookies to a volunteer meeting, and upon announcing they were gluten-free, I was meant with huge groans. Apparently I'm not the only one with a gluten-free cookie prejudice. But after the first kid took one, and proclaimed it was amazing, everyone dug in--and every cookie was eaten with gusto!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons xanthum gum
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. 

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients (sugar, egg, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthum gum).  

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix egg, vanilla, and softened butter. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir in a little at a time. Stir until all ingredients are completely mixed.  Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Step 4: With a ice cream scooper or spoon, put a 1-2 tablespoon sized dollop of dough on a baking sheet covered with tin foil. Space cookies 2 inches apart.       

Step 5: Place cookies in oven and cook for 15 minutes. When cookies have cooled, top with your icing of choice.

Apple Crisp Cravings

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." - Bernard M. Baruch

Apple crisp was one of those things I was worried I would have to 'give up' due to going gluten-free, but this recipe is just as good as the gluten version, if I do say so myself! I posted a picture of it to my facebook and was quickly asked to post the recipe, so here it is by popular demand.

 

Ingredients:

4 apples, sliced and peeled
butter spray (or any non-stick spray)
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
3/4 cup certified gluten-free oats 
1 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 8x8 oven safe dish with butter spray or non-stick spray. Layer sliced and peeled apples loosely in the pan.

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar, gluten-free flour, oats, xanthum gum, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Unless you are using a mixer, I highly recommend slowly adding the ingredients to the softened butter for ease of stirring.

Step 3: Crumble the flour mixture on top of the apples until everything is covered.  Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until topping is crispy and brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Serves 6-8. 
  

Brinner Sausage and Egg Scrambler

“You got Brinner?, DAAAAAMN Turkle Dawg.”— Scrubs

Nothing makes my fiance happier than a good brinner. He calls this meal "the best brinner on earth," so even though I think its insanely simple and somewhat generic, I had to post it.  And I will admit, its pretty darn good!

Ingredients:
6 red potatoes
1 large yellow onion
4 precooked sausages (any brand you choose, just make sure they're gluten-free!)
3 eggs
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon margarine

Directions:

Step 1: Chop red potatoes into bite sized pieces. In a large skillet, melt butter and add potatoes. Cover and cook on medium for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.          

Step 2: Chop onion and add to skillet. Chop sausage into bite sized pieces and add to skillet. Cook an additional 10 minutes. 

Step 3: Push the skillet ingredients off to one side of the pan. Add eggs to the empty side, and scramble until cooked (about 3 minutes). Mix together.

Step 4: Sprinkle onion powder and seasoned salt on scrambler. Toss until pieces are seasoned. 

Serves 3-4.    

 

Gluten, You're so Silly!

I've been housebound due to a running injury for the last week, so I've been eating a lot of food brought home by my loving fiance. Upside is --no cooking! Downside is--no cooking :(  I have been spending a lot of time planning recipes for when I am recovered, and during that time I found this little gem on pinterest. I think many of you with Celiacs will relate!