Pollo Verde Tacos, rice, beans, fruit

To prepare, place chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with 1/2 -- 1 jar of a gluten-free Salsa Verde. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. When chicken is done and tender, take it out, and shred it with a fork. Then, put the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and mix in with the juices and salsa.

Serve in warmed corn tortillas (heated on a hot skillet until browned) and top with chopped onion, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Check out my sister's blog for more about this easy and yummy recipe.

Falafel, Hummus, Kasha and GF pitas!

Kasha salad:

3 cups buckwheat groats, soaked for 48 hours and sprouted, dried overnight at 150 degrees in the oven.
Use 1 cup of the sprouted groats, 1 egg, 2 cups homemade chicken stock, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Add kasha to a hot cast iron skillet and cook about 5 minutes until toasted. Let cool and mix with egg. Reheat the pan and pour in the egg/kasha mixture over medium-high heat, flatten, stir and chop up with a wooden spoon until the egg has cooked and the kernels are mostly separated. Bring chicken stock to a boil with butter and seasonings. Add kasha-egg mixture, bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low. Cook about 30 minutes. Remove cover and fluff up with butter if desired.

Falafel:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour over chickpeas (2 cups). Stir in 2 Tbsp of whey or lemon juice and leave in a warm place for 12 hours. pour off excess water and pour in more boiling water. Add remaining 2 Tbsp whey or lemon juice andleve in a warm place another 12 hours. Place 1 cup parsley in food processor and pulse until chopped. Add 1/4 of the chickpeas, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, and 1/4 tsp of each of the remaining ingredients (cumin, coriander, pepper, sea salt, cayenne pepper, baking powder) and pulse until reduced to a coarse paste. The mixture should be fine enough to hold together but not entirely smooth. Repeat process until all ingredients have been used. Mix all batches together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Form patties and saute in olive oil or lard.

Hummus:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hummus-237832 This is the best hummus ever, in my opinion!

GF pitas:

1 pkg yeast, dissolve in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tsp sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. combine 1 1/2 cups rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, 2 tsp xanthan gum, 1 1/4 tsp salt in stand mixer. pour in yeast and egg and mix on medium with paddle attachment. Slowly add 1/2-1 cups warm water until dough is soft and tacky. coat large bowl with oil and place dough in bowl.. coat the dough in oil. Let sit 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. put baking sheet in oven as it preheats. divide dough on floured surface into 12 pieces. Roll into circles 1/4 inch thick. Bake 4 minutes until bread puffs up. Turn over and bake 2 more minutes.

and Presto! Mediterranean dinner is done!

BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Squash

I had to plan for an easy meal this week b/c I'm taking a sewing class on Sunday morning...yipee!

For the chicken, I just put the chicken in the dish, coat it with bbq sauce, and bake it at 425 degrees for 15-20 min.

Sauteed Zucchini
Slice 2 zucchini and 1 red or orange bell pepper. Chop up 4 cloves of garlic. Add 2 or 3T. of olive oil to a skillet and saute the garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the veggies and saute until soft. Served sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Potatoes: nothing fancy, just boil, mash, and season.

Asparagus & Fennel Pasta Salad, chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup, & Strawberries with a Touch of Tart

This combination was suggested by the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special.

Asparagus & Fennel Pasta Salad

Roasted Vegetables

1 fresh fennel bulb cored and thinly sliced
2 cups of thinly sliced onions (sweet)
1 pound of asparagus, stemmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Dressing

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced or pressed garlic
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 ground black pepper

8 ounces of your favorite pasta
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Oil a baking pan. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil.

Roast the fennel, asparagus, and onion in the baking pan uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn veggies every 7 minutes.

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Cook pasta al dente.

Combine tomatoes and roasted veggies in a bowl. Drain pasta and add to bowl. Pour dressing on top. Stir in feta or sprinkle on top.

Cucumber Yogurt Soup

5 cucumbers, peeled
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 Tbsp. fresh mint
1 Tbsp. fresh dill
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Coarsely chop 4 cucumbers. Combine with yogurt through black pepper. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Seed and dice the remaining cucumber and add to the soup.

Strawberries with a Touch of Tart

Hull strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Set aside at room temperature for at least 1/2 an hour before serving.

Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

You can prepare the patties in advance up to the point of dredging them in cornmeal; cover and refrigerate. Purchase precut, fresh pineapple in the produce section to save time.

Rice:
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

Patties:
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
Cooking spray
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.

To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

From: Cooking Light

Pioneer woman's Cajun Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and Green Beans

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cajun-meatloaf/ Prep Time: 40 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 whole Bell Peppers (2 If They're Large)
• 2 whole Medium Onions
• 1 bunch Celery (5-6 Ribs)
• 8 cloves (to 10 Cloves) Of Garlic
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Optional: A Few Shakes Of Hot Sauce
• 2 cups Ketchup
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup (to 2 Cups) Breadcrumbs
• 2 pounds Of Lean Ground Beef (92% Lean)
• 1 pound Ground Pork
• 3 whole Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Honey

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop all of the fresh vegetables (peppers, onions, celery) into a small dice and mince the garlic. Over medium-high heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Once butter begins to start browning, add the diced vegetables and garlic. Add about 1 tablespoon salt. After these have cooked for a few minutes add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. If you like it hot, add a couple shakes of your favorite hot sauce. Next add about ½ cup of ketchup. Continue cooking and stirring for a few more minutes. Remove from heat.

After allowing the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes, add about ½ cup of milk. Stir until combined. Next add at least 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Continue adding breadcrumbs and stirring until mixture is a nice, thick paste. In a large mixing bowl place the ground beef and pork. Whisk 3 eggs and add to the meat. After allowing the pasty vegetable mixture to cool down a bit, begin incorporating it into the meat. Keep working all of the Cajun-Vegetable mix into the meat until all is blended well.

Spray a sheet pan with some non-stick cooking spray. Next, using your hands, form your meat mixture into a loaf on the sheet pan. Make the loaf around 6-8 inches wide and about 1 ½ inches thick. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together ¾ cup of ketchup with about 2 tablespoons honey. Slather this sauce over the whole meatloaf.

Place in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

I doubled this recipe and had enough meatloaf for 5 armies! I also substitued GF bread crumbs of course, but other than that I just followed the recipe! The Mashed potatoes I sliced up with my amazing slicer/shredder attachment, boiled them and added butter and cream when whipping them up. I thought it was yummy!

Jen

Teriyaki lettuce wraps with bean noodles and peanut sauce

I sent along romaine lettuce for the wraps, along with some red lettuce leaves from my garden. I'm pretty pumped because this is the first thing we've ever been able to eat from all of my gardening attempts!

Meat:

Cook ground meat (I used turkey), add in teriyaki sauce (I used the NewFlower Market brand because it was gluten free), chopped green onions and shredded carrots. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until vegetables get soft.

Noodles: I used bean noodles which are super easy... I drop them down into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes until they are soft!

Peanut Sauce:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Peanut-Sauce-10602?recipename=Spicy%20Peanut%20Sauce&saved_to_box=y

Oh, but instead of water I substituted coconut milk in the sauce because I thought it would make it more interesting!

Spring Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto, salad

This is one of our favorite pasta dishes, and it's easy too, of course!

2 T olive oil
2 oz. sliced prosciutto
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 C chicken broth
16 oz. GF pasta, cooked
1/3 C frozen peas
3 C baby spinach
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 oz. Feta cheese
1/4 C fresh basil, torn

In a large skillet, over med heat, heat the oil. Tear prosciutto into large pieces and cook until crispy, about 2 min. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Add the garlic and shallot to the pan and cook until softened, about 2 min. Add the broth, cooked pasta, peas, spinach, salt and pepper and cook until pasta is heated and almost all the chicken broth is absorbed, about 5 min. Remove from heat, add the feta, basil, and crispy prosciutto, and toss.