Month: May 2017

Southwestern Green Chile Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef (I use 93% or 95%)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 3/4 cup Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Blend Cheese
  • 2 4 oz cans Diced Green Chiles
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper

 

Note: This meatloaf can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 6 hours ahead of baking time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 eggs, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Ground Cumin, Salt, and Pepper. Use hands to combine all ingredients thoroughly. Now, place the meat mixture on a clean surface and form into a large rectangle. (I place meat on a piece of wax or parchment paper to make it easier to handle and roll.) I make a rectangle approximately 15″ x 9″, and about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick. Try to make it as uniform as possible and keep the thickness even throughout. Once the meat is shaped into a nice rectangle, evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Mexican Cheese Blend in the center. Leave about a 1″ border all the way around. Top this cheese layer with 1/4 cup of the Cheddar Cheese. Last, cover the cheese with 1 can of the Green Chiles. Now you are ready to roll the loaf up. This is where the wax or parchment paper is handy, but it is not necessary. Gently roll the meat, using the paper if you have it, being careful to keep all of the Cheese and Chiles inside, until a long loaf is formed. Roll up each end to seal the contents inside the loaf. Next, gently shape your loaf and pat down all seams and create a uniform meat loaf, a smaller rectangle. Place loaf into a foil lined baking pan. Cover the entire top of the loaf with the remaining 1/4 cup of Mexican Cheese, then the remaining 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese. Last, finish it off with the other can of Green Chiles, creating a nice even layer. Place the loaf into a 400 degree oven and bake for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread 3/4 cup of Sour Cream over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle the chopped Cilantro onto the Sour Cream Layer. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes. Slice evenly and serve. This is great served with Black Beans and Brown Rice.  Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Apple Cider Pork Roast

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 – 3 pound Boneless Pork Loin Roast
  • 16 oz bag of Baby Carrots
  • 3 lbs Red Potatoes (cut in quarters or halves, depending on size)
  • 1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes depending on desired heat level ( I use 1 full tbsp)
  • 2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 cups Water
  • Fresh Parsley (washed and  clip leaves for use, discard stems)
  • Fresh Thyme , washed
  • Fresh Rosemary, washed
  • 1 Large, Covered Roaster to cook in

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Wash Pork Roast well and remove excess fat. Pierce Roast with a fork on all sides. Place Roast in the center of roasting pan. Evenly distribute potatoes around the roast first, followed by the carrots. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Crushed Red Pepper. Next, stir in the Vinegar until well combined. Lastly, stir in the water. Continue to stir together until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Now, evenly pour this entire mixture over the roast and vegetables in the pan. Generously sprinkle the parsley leaves all over the top of the meat and vegetables in the pan. Last, place the Thyme Sprigs all over the top, followed by the the Rosemary Sprigs. Use plenty for flavor! When finished, cover the roasting pan and let contents sit for 30 minutes to marinate and soak up the flavors. After 30 minutes, place the covered Roaster on the bottom rack of the oven. Cook covered, at 350 degrees for 2 hours. After 2 hours, uncover the roaster and cook for an additional 20 minutes. When finished cooking, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. When ready, slice the meat into even slices. Plate with potatoes and carrots. Be sure to spoon plenty of the liquid from the pan onto the top before serving. This is where all of the amazing flavor is! Enjoy!

Don Lee Farms Veggie Bites

If you want a delicious snack or appetizer, try these Veggie Bites by Don Lee Farms! They are amazing by themselves, but I like to serve them with Marie’s Parmesan Ranch Dressing for dipping. Although they are microwaveable, I prefer to cook them in the oven. Either way, they will not disappoint you. They are Gluten Free, GMO Free, and Vegan!

Tina’s Famous Peanut Butter Pie

  

This Recipe makes 2 pies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese
  • 1 1/4 cup+ 3 tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp Confectioner’s Sugar
  • 12 oz container Whipped Topping
  • 2 – 6 oz  GF Graham Cracker Crusts (I use Mi-Del brand. You can also make your own crust with GF Graham Cracker Crumbs)

In a large bowl, cream together the Cream Cheese, 1 1/4 cups of Peanut Butter, 3/4 cup of Milk, and 1 Cup of Confectioners Sugar. Cream them together until smooth. Once smooth, gently fold in the Whipped topping until well bended. Place 1/2 of mixture into each Graham Crust. In a small bowl, Combine 3 tbsp of Peanut Butter with 3 tbs of Confectioner’s Sugar. Work ingredients together until soft, well blended crumbles are formed. Sprinkle crumbles of mixture onto the tops of the pies. Cover the pies and place in the freezer until ready to serve. Take pies out about 15 minutes before serving to soften. If pies are sealed well, they can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Great dessert to make ahead and keep on hand!

Balsamic Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

  

 

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 3 tbsp Stone Ground Mustard
  • 4 tbsp Honey
  • 3 cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tbsp+ Salt
  •  1 tbsp+pepper
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
  • 3 lbs Red Potatoes (cut in quarters)
  • 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

In a large bowl, Whisk together the Vinegar, Mustard, Honey, Garlic, Brown sugar, Parsley, Salt, and Pepper. Add 3/4 of the mixture to the Chicken Breasts and toss to coat completely. Place coated chicken in a covered dish or ziploc bag. Put into the refrigerator and let marinate for 1 hour. Set aside the remaining 1/4 of the marinade. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and cut all potatoes into equal quarters. Pat potatoes dry and place them in a large bowl. Add Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper to taste to the potatoes. Toss well to coat. Add the leaves of 3 Rosemary Sprigs to the potatoes and toss again until well coated. Once the chicken has marinated, remove from the refrigerator. Now you will need a large roasting  pan to cook it in. Place the Chicken Breasts in the Roasting Pan and pour the marinade in with them. Space them out so that there is room to place potatoes around them. Now, toss the potatoes one last time to coat well and then place them in the pan, filling in the spaces surrounding the chicken breasts. Pour the reserved 1/4 of the marinade over the tops of all of the Chicken Breasts and Potatoes in the pan. Top with 6-8 fresh Rosemary Sprigs. Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender. All ovens are different, so be careful not to overcook the chicken. If the potatoes are not tender when the chicken is done, remove the chicken and keep warm in a covered dish until the potatoes are ready. (As long as the potatoes are cut into small enough quarters, this should not be necessary.)  Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve. Spoon pan juice over the top once plated. Enjoy!

 

Good Morning!

May 8, 2017

Good Morning and Happy Monday Everyone! It is a beautiful sunny Florida morning here.  I am going to start adding recipes and get this site rolling! Please be patient with me though. Although I cook everyday, I am one of those people that rarely ever follows a recipe completely. Even if I get a recipe out of a cookbook or a magazine, I do not ever actually follow it. I always have to adjust it to suit my personal taste and to make it my own. I love to get creative. I do not write down exact measurements and quantities. I usually just wing it and work on auto pilot. What this means is that my recipes are not usually readily available. I can always tell you what I put in them but I can’t always tell you how much.  It will take time for me to go through and write them down.  I will do my best to post as often as I can, and to keep the recipes coming. I hope that you enjoy them! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram ….Glutenfreeflavorfulcooking.

Hi Everyone! Thanks for joining me!

Hi Everyone! Thanks for joining me! My name is Tina. I am not a Chef. I have no professional cooking training or background. I am simply a Wife and a Mother, who absolutely loves to cook. I spend many hours in my kitchen.

My two daughters, and myself, were diagnosed with Celiac disease a little over 5 years ago. At that time, I emptied my kitchen of all Gluten and my house officially became Gluten Free. My family is very sensitive to cross contamination, so even the slightest crumb can wreak havoc on our bodies. It was a very intimidating process at first. There was a huge learning curve, and I am still learning everyday as we go along. Fortunately, it has gotten easier with time. There is so much more recognition and awareness now in general. As a result, there are so many more products available, labeling is getting easier to read, and gluten containing ingredients are often more readily identified. This makes Gluten Free meal prep a lot less intimidating.

As I mentioned, I love to cook. I am used to doing a lot of entertaining and cooking for family and friends. I am also used to being the “go to” mom when a bunch of hungry teenagers need to eat. (When you have teenagers requesting that you make specific dishes for them, you know that you are doing something right!) So, in addition to cooking regular sized family meals, I often cook to feed a crowd. People always love my cooking, which is a huge compliment, and if I didn’t tell them, they wouldn’t even know that it was Gluten Free. However, there is always that one person who instantly refuses to taste something, or assumes it is not good, the minute that they hear the words “Gluten Free”. You would be surprised at how many adults, not just kids wrinkle their nose the minute you say “Gluten Free.” It gets an even worse reaction than saying “diet”, or “low fat”,  or “sugar free”. LOL Imagine their surprise when they taste something and realize that Gluten Free doesn’t mean flavorless! The reality is that a lot of foods are naturally gluten free. Gluten does not actually have a flavor. Gluten is more of a texture thing. That is why the only time that I really feel like you notice a difference, or can identify a dish as gluten free when eating, is if it is a bread item or baked goods. The texture is just not as firm and as elastic as items that contain Gluten. However, with the right recipes, even your baked goods will get rave reviews.

I constantly get asked to share my recipes. Over the years, I have had numerous people ask me to help them learn to cook gluten free, and to adjust recipes for them. Many people that find out that they have to go gluten free, panic.( I certainly did at first!) They immediately assume that they will no longer be able to enjoy tasty meals and treats. They think that they will no longer be able to eat like everyone else. The truth is, that is not correct! The fact is, they cannot eat Gluten like everyone else, but that is the end of their limitations. They can enjoy most of the same, delicious foods with minor adjustments. That is how I ended up here. I wanted to have a place to show people, who are intimidated by going Gluten Free, that it will be okay. I wanted to let them see that they will still be able to enjoy plenty of good cooking. I wanted to have an opportunity to help others by letting them see that anybody can cook gluten free with very little effort.  I wanted to share and receive advice and recommendations about Gluten Free brands and products. I also wanted a place to be able to share my recipes with friends and family who are always requesting them. This site will allow me to do all of these things in one place. I want to share my cooking with those who are interested.

Everything that I cook is Gluten Free. However, there is always the possibility of all other allergens in any and all of my recipes. My family is only avoiding Gluten and Gluten containing ingredients, no other ingredients, so that is the only thing that I avoid when cooking. So, please read all ingredients if you have other food allergies or intolerances. I hope that this site will help everyone that wants to enjoy delicious food everyday. Everything that I post on here has been prepared in my kitchen, by me,  and approved by my family and or friends. I am not a fancy cook, just a real life, everyday cook. Some of my recipes are all from scratch while others are not. A lot of recipes can be made either way, depending on the amount of time that you have or want to put into them. Although some of my recipes are healthy, others are not, they are just tasty. This is not intended to be a healthy eating site, although it is a plus when that happens. It is just a Gluten Free site for everyday, non professional cooks.

Our schedule gets crazy sometimes, but I still usually cook a full dinner every night. I use my crockpot to help with the busiest times. My goal is to have a variety of recipes and meals that can be prepped with very little time, and some that can be prepped on days when you have more time to be in the kitchen. I want to give options to all kinds of scenarios for all people. No matter how much time you are able to spend in the kitchen, or how well you know your way around the kitchen, you should always be able to get a delicious Gluten Free meal on the table for your loved ones. Many of my recipes are very easy, so you do not have to be a “good”or experienced cook to be able to make them. You just have to be determined. Remember, I am not a Chef! My cooking is not fancy, it is just real life, everyday cooking for the average family. If I can do it, you can do it too! Gluten Free doesn’t have to be flavorless and intimidating! Please enjoy as I share some Gluten Free, Flavorful recipes, and good luck in your kitchen!       Tina