Greek Chicken

Okay, I kind of made this up with bits and pieces of other recipes, but I think it is yummy and flavorful!

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
juice from one lemon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp seat salt
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 red pepper cut into ribbons
1 yellow pepper cut into ribbons
1 green pepper cut into ribbons
2 sweet onions cut into thin strips
2 fresh tomatoes diced
Tatziki
Wraps or pitas

Throw the first 8 ingredients into a ziploc bag and shake up well. Allow to marinate for an hour or over night.

Spray an electric fry pan with olive oil spray and set the temp at 350 degrees. When pan is hot, add chicken and stir until all sides of chicken lose their pink color (about 5 minutes)

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to 250 degrees and continue cooking for 10 minutes

Uncover and turn the chicken pieces over. (There will be a lovely caramel colored brown glaze on the chicken.) Continue cooking the other side for 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Spray the pan lightly again and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Throw peppers and onions in pan and saute until the onions are soft and clear.

On a wrap or on a plate put 1/2 cup chicken, 1 cup of sauteed vegetables, diced tomatoes and 1-2 tbsp tatziki. Wrap up and eat or enjoy it from the plate with your fork. (Gluten free)

Butternut Squash Soup

Yes, another soup recipe! The snow is coming down yet again today and it reminded me that I loved the soup I made last night! Kyle and Zach liked it, Chloe thought it was okay, and Ben wouldn't even try it. However, these are MY favorite recipes. So here goes

2 medium butternut squash
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 13-14 oz can of coconut milk
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place in a shallow baking dish that has 1/4 inch of water in it. Bake at 350 degrees until soft. ( one of my squash took only 25 minutes and the other took 50. So, keep checking the squash to see if it is soft. With the one that was taking longer I turned the center part into the water half way through to keep it from drying out)

Allow squash to cool so you don't burn your hands.

Scoop out one of the squashes into a blender and add the chicken broth and puree. Pour that mixture into a pot.

Scoop out the remaining squash into the blender and add the coconut milk and puree. Add this mixture to the pot.

Add the ginger, sea salt and cilantro to the pot, mix well, heat and serve.

Carrot (Sunshine) Soup

So, I started "eating clean" last week. I have enjoyed it largely because I can play with new recipes. This recipe looked good but also familiar. My mom used to make "Solskin Soup" which it turns out is very similar to this recipe.

1/2 cup olive oil or melted coconut butter (I use 1/4 cup of of each)
1 cup chopped onion
1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
6 cups peeled grated carrots
2 cloves of garlic (use a garlic press)
2 boxes low sodium chicken broth ( Rachel Rays is lower in sodium than the popular brand marked "low sodium")
1 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp sea salt (if you don't have sea salt use 1 tsp regular salt)
Juice from two fresh squeezed oranges
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Saute onion in oil until onions are tender.

Add carrots, sweet potatoes, and garlic and saute on low for 15 minutes more.

Add broth and salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer add orange juice and ginger and simmer for one hour.

Blend the soup in a blender until smooth and serve.

My family liked this with a dollup of sour cream in it! Yummy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Gluten Free!!!

Okay, I like zucchini bread too. Here is one I can eat.

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Mix dry ingredients

Beat eggs.

Add sugar and oil and vanilla and mix well

Stir in zucchini

Add dry ingredients and stir until well combined

Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan

Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband and father in law love those soft pumpkin cookies that you get at the grocery store. But, you get like 10 cookies for $4.00!! Too expensive. This recipe imitates them very well and makes about 36-40 cookies. (This also works well with gluten free flour and 1/4-1/2 tsp xanthum gum)

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 cups flour (or 3 and 1/2 cups gf flour and the xanthum gum)
12 oz chocolate chips

Beat together butter, sugar and pumpkin until well combined and fluffy.

Add next 6 dry ingredients and beat until combined.

Beat in eggs and vanilla

Beat in flour

Stir in chocolate chips

Drop rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Lemon Lime Bars

Perhaps because it is so cold, that my heart and tongue are longing for summer. These are my favorite Lemon Bar Cookies. Probably because of the lime! This recipe works well gluten free.

2/3 Cup butter softened
1/2 Cup brown sugar packed
2 1/2 Cups flour, divided (or 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour and 1/2 tsp xanthum gum)
4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel, divided
6 Eggs
2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp finely shredded lime peel

For crust beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add 2 cups of flour (or 2 cup of the gf flour and the xanthum gum) and 2 tsps of the lemon peel and beat until crumbly. Line a 13x9 pan with heavy foil, and press mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While crust is baking, combine eggs, sugar, remaining flour, lemon juice, baking powder and nutmeg and beat on medium for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining lemon and lime peel. Pour over hot crust and bake for 20-30 minutes more. (Until top is golden and it is no longer jiggly)

Cool for one hour on rack and then refrigerate for two hours or until ready to serve. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Ham and Gouda Quesadillas

It is snack season! Right? Bowl games and for me in February I have an Oscar party. This is one of my favorite finger foods and it's easy too!

Tub garlic and herb spreadable cream cheese (You will have leftovers)
8 Tortillas (Flour are best, but you can use a very soft corn tortilla if you are needing a gluten free alternative)
16 Thin slices of cooked ham (To you preference- for this I like Black Forrest)
1 Cup shredded Gouda cheese (Monterey Jack is a cheaper substitute, but the Gouda is worth it!)
1 Jar sun-dried tomato pesto (You will have leftovers)

Spread 4 tortillas with cream cheese.

Top with 2 slices of ham and 1/4 cup of Gouda.

Spread remaining tortillas with about 2 tsp of the pesto each and put the pesto side down on top of the already assembled tortillas

Spray fry pan with non stick spray (olive oil preferably) and heat the pan over medium heat. Add a quesadilla to the pan and spray the top lightly with the non stick spray. Cook quesadilla 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges with a pizza cutter and serve warm.

Corn and Potato Chowder with Bacon

Okay, I know it is another soup, but it is just a perfect time of year for soup. (gluten free)

4 slices of bacon (applewood smoked bacon is preferable for this recipe)
1 1/2 Cups finely chopped onion
4 Cups corn kernals
1 tsp thyme
2 minced garlic cloves
1 Box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 Cup milk (you can use any milk acording to your preference or half and half if you are feeling decadent. I usually use 1% milk)
1 pound of small red potatoes cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in large pot until crisp and then remove bacon and crumble it. Put it aside to add later.

Drain off half the fat in the pot and add onion to the pot and cook until tender

Add corn thyme and garlic to the pan and stir over heat for about a minute

Stir in potatoes, milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until poatoes are tender. (About 10 minutes, but it depends on how small you cube your potatoes)

Transfer 3 1/2 cups of soup to a blender and puree. Then return the puree to the pot and stir.

Add salt pepper and the crumbled bacon.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Bread

This is a yummy bread. I know the sugar content is rather high, but you can reduce each of the sugars to 2/3 cup without a noticeable change in the taste. This also works very well as a gluten free bread by changing the flour you use.

1 Cup quick cooking oats
1 1/4 Cups boiling water
1 3/4 Cup Flour (or Rice flour w/ 1/2 tsp of xanthum gum)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Combine boiling water and oats in a bowl and set aside.

Beat butter until creamy and add sugars until well blended.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Add flour, salt, soda and cinnamon and beat until smooth and then stir in oat mixture.

Put in a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 65-70 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Soup

This is a yummy, easy soup and even people who are not thrilled by the thought of blue cheese seem to love it. My sweetheart likes it because it really is like biting into buffalo wings, because you can taste all the different flavors at once and yet they are distinct.

3Tbsp Butter
1 Cup finely chopped celery
1 Cup finely chopped onion
2 Boxes reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Cups milk (I use 1%)
2 Tbsp Hot pepper sauce (I use Franks)
1 1/2 Cups shredded mozzarella
3/4 Cup parmesan
1-2 Tubs of crumbled blue cheese (tubs are usually 5 oz. I use one tub in the soup and leave the other out to sprinkle on the soup for those like my husband who loves blue cheese)
1/3 Cup flour (I use rice flour to make it gluten free, but regular flour works too)
1 Rotisserie chicken skinned, boned and shredded

In a big pot melt the butter and saute the celery and onions until they are tender.

Add broth, milk and pepper sauce

In a bowl toss together cheeses and flour. Add gradually to soup stirring after each addition until cheese is melted. Stir in the chicken and heat through.

Serve with the extra blue cheese and the bottle of hot sauce on the side. So, people can adjust to their taste.