Chicken Stirfry with Basil Pesto Recipe, GF

Chicken Stirfry with Basil Pesto - Recipe (GF):

This recipe is for 3 people - unless you want restaurant-size servings. Then it's for 1.5.

2 med. boneless, skinless chicken breasts - natural, no poisonous solution added
1 clove garlic, minced
sweet peppers, seeded and sliced
pea pods, stemmed
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 large zucchini, washed, ends cut off, and sliced on the diagonal. or not.
McCormick 'Perfect Pinch' Mediterranean Seasoning
Newman's Own - Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
Basil pesto
Olive oil

Wash and prepare ingredients

Dice chicken and stirfry chicken and garlic in a bit of olive oil, then put a tad of butter in the pan and turn the heat down a bit and continue stirfrying until the chicken is browned. When done, remove chicken to a plate. Sprinkle about 2 t. or more of Perfect Pinch seasoning on top. (I don't know how much I used. It was some, and it turned out fine.)

 In a little olive oil, in that hot skillet, stirfry the onion and peppers. When they're nearly done, add the peas and continue to stirfry.

When they're nearly done (which means slightly translucent and bright green), add the zucchini slices. Continue to stirfry.

Gorgeous, colorful vegetables and chicken

Mix the chicken back into the skillet, pour about 1/4 c. Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing on top, then mix and heat thoroughly.

When it's ready, spoon a good amount of basil pesto on the top and serve. The basil pesto is that which you made in abundance last summer, froze in a multitude of little containers, and keep forgetting to use.  It is perfect for this recipe and tastes delicious!

If anyone doesn't enjoy this meal, I'd simply stop cooking for them, for they obviously don't have an educated and refined palate and it's not worth wasting good food on them.

You know I'm kidding, right? Well, kind of. But really!

***

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Gluten Free Recipe, Healthful Eating for 2013, Brussels Sprouts, Black Beans, Gluten-free Chicken Sausages

If you'd like to check out all my gluten-free recipes, just type 'gluten' in the search box on my sidebar.

 The final product

I'm not sure what possessed me to buy a large bag of fresh Brussels sprouts, but maybe it was that they looked so pretty and I hadn't had Brussels sprouts in a very long time.

From Livestrong.com:

One cup of Brussels sprouts has just 38 calories. That cup of Brussels sprouts has nearly 8 g of carbs, with more than 3 g from fiber. There's nearly no fat and almost 3 g of protein. In addition to these macronutrients, you get vitamins C, E, B-6, A and K, folate, lutein and choline when you eat Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts also have the essential minerals calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and selenium.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/512313-why-are-brussels-sprouts-nutritious/#ixzz2GvHLf476

Anyway, it all started with my purchase of Brussels sprouts. Then one day, near dinnertime, when I was busy packaging soaps, Kevin started rattling around in the kitchen. The next thing I knew, he had a gorgeous skilletful of vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, sizzling away in olive oil and butter. Don't they look gorgeous? Who doesn't love beautiful food!

 Before the black beans and chicken sausages are added

As he was trying to decide what else might be good in this mix, I suggested the addition of gluten-free chicken sausages (Alfresco brand) and black beans.  The top photo is the final product.

This meal is nutritious, delicious, and gluten free. And are the Brussels sprouts bitter? Not a bit! They are almost sweet, probably because they were stirfried rather than boiled, and they started out fresh, rather than frozen.

SO,  here is the recipe, should you want to add another delicious gluten-free meal to your diet. It is now among my favorite dinners.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CHICKEN SAUSAGES, and BLACK BEANS STIRFRY, RECIPE:

1 large onion, sliced
1 large red sweet pepper, sliced (I use my frozen Carmens all winter)
1/2 jalapeno, diced
Several fresh Brussels sprouts, sliced in half
1 can black beans (drained)*
2-3 gluten-free chicken sausages, sliced or diced
olive oil
butter

Stirfry the onion, peppers, sprouts in a little olive oil and butter. The butter just helps add a little flavor and slightly browns the sprouts.

In a separate skillet, brown the sausages in a little olive oil.

Combine contents of skillet 1 and skillet 2. Stir in black beans. Bring to temperature. Serve.

*And here's a tip for always having black beans on hand, without having to purchase canned beans:

Buy dried black beans. They're lots cheaper. Soak and cook them according to package directions, then cool them down quickly in cold water, drain, package, and store in the freezer. That way, you'll always have black beans when you need them. I usually cook up about 4 cups of dried black beans at a time, giving me several packages in the freezer. I try to keep track of them, so that if I take out the next-to-last package, I make up another batch.  Planning ahead is so helpful. :-) 

Brussels Sprouts in the garden

***

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake

 

 Apple Cheesecake, just out of the oven

It's that time of year again, when the daylight hours are dwindling, the air is getting that cool, crisp feeling to it, and the garden produce is in.  I dug through my recipes and saw this apple cheesecake that I'd not made since fall of 2010. I couldn't believe it, for it is one of my favorites. And just a reminder - make sure to chill this cheesecake for several hours before cutting. I once ordered cheesecake at a restaurant and the server *warmed* it in the microwave before bringing it to the table. ??!!

Autumn Apple Cheesecake, Recipe:
(Also Gluten Free)

CRUST:
1 c graham cracker crumbs (I would use a gluten-free cookie or cracker)
1/2 c finely chopped pecans
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c butter, melted


FILLING:
3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 c apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith, but only because the original recipe called for them. I think they hold up better than my McIntosh do.)
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c chopped pecans
Caramel sauce

Crust:
Heat oven to 350. Mix crumbs, pecans, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. bake 10 minutes.

Filling:
Beat cream cheese and 3/4 c of the sugar at med speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Blend in vanilla; pour over crust. Toss apples with combined 1/3 c sugar and the cinnamon; spoon mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Loosen cheesecake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Drizzle with caramel sauce.  Oh My Goodness!

Be sure to let me know if you try this recipe. I think you're gonna love it! :-))

***

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Baked Pork Chops with Chili Rub - Recipe

(Another Gluten-free Recipe)

Pork chop with chili rub

Baked sweet potato

Green salad

Now and then I make a pretty good dinner. As I've mentioned before, the trick to making a good dinner is to THINK about it the night before I go to bed and decide what I want to make for dinner, so that I can move meat from the freezer to the refrigerator or put meat in a marinade, etc. I had three pork chops thawing in the refrigerator, so I went online on a search for some irresistible pork chop rub. I'm not sure that it could be classified as irresistible, but it turned out to be the best pork chop I've had in a long time. (To be honest, it was the only pork chop I've had in a long time, and I was very ready for something other than chicken.)

The following is the result of modifications to a recipe I found at at finecooks.com

Pork Chops with Chili Rub - Gluten Free Recipe

4-6 pork chops

Aye, there's the rub:

1 T. chili powder

1 T. paprika

1 T. salt (I couldn't bring myself to use a whole tablespoon, so I used a teaspoon instead)

1 T. brown sugar

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the seasonings. Generously rub the pork chops, both sides, with the rub. (I had only three pork chops and used probably 2/3 of the rub on those three chops.) Place on a heavy jelly roll pan that been sprayed with a non-sticking GF cooking spray.

I also washed and dried a large sweet potato, cut it in half, and placed each half cut-side down on the same jelly roll pan - but I did make an aluminum foil barrier between the pork chops and the sweet potatoes, just in case the sweet potatoes had a mind to leak over onto the pork chop side of the pan. They did not.

Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven on middle rack.

I baked those chops for about 50 minutes, then I tested them with my digital instant-read thermometer. It read 168 degrees. I'd read somewhere that pork should be at 165 for medium and 170 for well done. As it turned out, I would not bake them that long next time. I'd go for 160 degrees and take my chances. They were delicious, but a little more done than I'd hoped. The sweet potatoes were perfect.

And now I'm wondering if I should have had a hotter oven, like maybe 375 for a half hour - in order to result in a more tender, juicier pork chop. Any guesses? Any suggestions? And what would have happened to the sweet potato at that temp? All comments are very much welcomed.

Moving along. The salad: Mixed greens, sliced mushrooms, tomato, kalamata olives, grated parmesean (sp??) cheese.

I think there are enough leftovers for tomorrow night.

I love a meal like this. I know it's good nutrition - enough protein, good carbs, soluble fiber, and I know I won't feel stuffed after eating it. That means there will be room for a little Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts later in the evening. :-)

Ah, my favorite!

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Balsamic Chicken and Zucchini with Angel Hair - Recipe

I was very pleased to see five little zucchinis in my garden, and especially happy that overnight they hadn't grown to the size of fireplace logs. I had great plans for those first zucchinis, and they didn't disappoint me.

NOTE: This is a previously-scheduled blog post. I hope to get back to blogging and caught up on reading all of your blogs in the next week. Some of our family have been with us for the past week, so it's been pretty busy around here.

Balsamic Chicken and Zucchini with Angel Hair - Recipe

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large onion, sliced
1-2 red bell peppers (I used Carmens)
3-5 small, young zucchinis
Fresh mushrooms, or canned and drained
1 can black olives
1 small can green chili peppers
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Grated Parmesan cheese

Angel hair (Cook according to package directions while you're preparing the recipe below.) When done, drain angel hair and stir in a teaspoon or so of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the chicken in a couple tablespoons of peanut or corn oil (it browns better than when I use olive oil). Remove chicken to a large plate.

In same large skillet, saute onions and peppers in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. You're ready to add the zucchini chunks when the onions and peppers have cooked down just a little.

Add 1 can drained mushrooms or fresh sliced mushrooms.
Add 1 can black olives, drained (You may need two. It depends on how many olives you're going to snitch before this project is done.)
Add 1 can green chilis.

Add about 3 T. (or more) Balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Stir in sauteed chicken.

Turn burner to low and cook until zucchini is just tender with a bit of crunch remaining.

Serve chicken/zucchini recipe over bed of angel hair pasta. This can be made gluten-free by simply using Tinkyada (gluten-free) pasta.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

There's no such thing as too many olives!

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Pepper Steak With Rice

This is one dinner that makes my husband feel that he's had a real meal. :-) It's delicious, filling, and I always make enough to ensure that we have leftovers for the next day.

I start with 1 1/2 pounds of beef sirloin steak, cut in slender slices about an inch long. Sprinkle the steak with about 1 T. of paprika and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Let that sit while sauteing the vegetables.

2 red bell peppers (I used Carmens from our garden) sliced, 3 ribs of celery sliced, and a medium onion chopt. In a large skillet, over medium high heat, saute veggies in olive oil. I like to use two silicone pancake turners for this job. THEN, remove the veggies to a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in the skillet and saute the beef with paprika and garlic. The sirloin can still be a tad pinkish when you add the veggies back into the skillet with the beef. Now, stir in the sauce:

Sauce:
1/2 c. beef broth (I use Kitchen Basics)
1/4 c. burgandy
1 1/2 T. corn starch
1 t. honey

Heat over low til sauce is thick and glistening.

Just before serving, stir in 4-6 diced Roma tomatoes. (I've found that I can substitute my home canned tomatoes after draining the water from the jar of tomatoes.) Heat thoroughly.

Use sea salt, pepper, and cayenne for seasoning. Soy sauce is optional. I don't add it to the recipe, but set the bottle on the table. My husband likes it, but it gives me a headache.

Spoon meat and veggie mix over hot Basmati rice. Serve your happy family. Resist the temptation to eat all of it - so that you can have leftovers tomorrow. :-)

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Tuscan Chicken Stew - Gluten Free

If you saw yesterday's blog post about our Italian Dinner, you know that I promised to post this recipe for Tuscan Chicken Stew. I really liked it, and will definitely make this recipe again.

Because we had such a great pepper crop this year (Carmen Italian sweet pepper), I used fresh peppers, rather than using store-bought roasted peppers from a jar. So, I washed and seeded six Carmen peppers, cut each into four large hunks, placed them in a large Ziploc baggie and poured in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I shook the bag to thoroughly coat the peppers with olive oil, then spread them out onto a heavy cookie sheet and roasted them for 45 minutes in a 325 degree oven. If you use fresh peppers, like I did, just check them with a fork to make sure they're tender before taking them from the oven.

Now, on to the Gluten-Free recipe:

1 1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed

1 1/2 t. salt

3/4 t. black pepper

3 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes. (I used 5 large chicken breast halves)

1/8 c. olive oil

3-4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 c. chicken broth (I use only Kitchen Basics, because it's gluten-free)

4 -  15 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 -  7 oz. jars of roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into largish hunks

OR 6 large fresh Carmen or Red Bell peppers (roasted as above)

10 cups of washed baby spinach (I used 1 1/2  bags of baby spinach)

1 can medium, pitted black olives, drained (Sorry, I couldn't resist. The colors were beautiful, but they just needed that little accent of black.)

Mix, then saute in olive oil:  chicken, rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic until chicken is done.

Add chicken broth, beans, and peppers. Simmer.

Just before serving, stir in the olives and spinach.  Stir until spinach is wilted. Serve immediately.

Serves approximately 10 people.

Don't miss next Tuesday's post when I will share Heidi's grandma's recipe for that great Italian Plum Pie!

P.S. Be sure to scroll down and see the post I published early this morning! I don't usually do two in one day, but this was a set of pics re. the college tour that I wanted to publish. :-)

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