Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

I found the original recipe of this on a blog that linked to Betty Crocker's website. I made some ommisions, additions and adjustments and came out with my own white chicken chili that is healthful, flavorful and just perfect for the upcoming winter weather. Best part is that it's a slow cooker meal so put it all in before the day gets started, add the last few ingredients a few hours later then a few more hours later you've got a soul warming, delicious chili. My husband and both my boys just love this recipe.

1 pound dried great northern beans
2 c. frozen corn
1 c. chopped leeks (you can sub onions but we can't have onions in our house)
1 1/4 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried cilantro
1 1/2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I use chicken left over from making broth)
2 c. chicken broth
salt to taste

Soak beans overnight (I soak them in my crockpot). In the morning, drain and rinse then put in the crock pot. Cover with water until water is about 1 inch above the beans. Add in corn, leeks, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cilantro. DO NOT ADD SALT! If you add salt or salt containing ingredients (like the broth) before the beans are fully cooked they will NOT get tender. Cover and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours. I have found that beans cook much better in the crock pot on high but if you must cook them on low you'll need to cook them for 10-12 hours as 8-10 hours on low isn't enough to get them fully tender. Do not worry about adding water during cooking. It may look like it needs it by the end but you will be adding more liquid so please refrain from adding more water unless your beans are really starting to look burnt. When the crock pot beeps at the end of the 4-5 hours, add in broth and chicken plus salt to taste. Stir it all up then cover and cook on high for another 2 hours. When it beeps, it's done so serve and enjoy!

Hamburger Skillet Casserole

At the request of a friend, I'm posting a recipe that originally came out of a gluten free cookbook with many changes to make it an easy, flexible, one dish meal that tastes great even on a reflux, GFCF diet! The seasoning measurements are estimates as I have never measured what I use just sprinkled it in until it smells nice and tastes fabulous :)

1/2 lb ground beef
8 oz gluten free pene pasta (for this I use De Bolles brand)
roughly 2 cups of veggies, fresh or frozen (I've done both ways and use any number of veggies)
3-4 cups of broth, any kind will do and the more you use the stronger the flavor (I've even used chicken broth with beef before and it tasted great still)
water to finish covering pasta
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. ground ginger
salt to taste
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in cold water for thickening

Brown the beef in a large skillet (I actually use my wok). Drain, rinse and return to pan. Add in pasta, seasonings and broth. Add water until the pasta and veggies are completely covered. Boil until pasta is tender and fully cooked. The dish will have thickened and sometimes it's thick enough as is but if you'd like to make the broth more like a gravy then stir in the cornstarch and water mixture to thicken before serving.

Non traditional Red beans and Rice

So without onions, peppers and garlic I wasn't sure how exactly to use red beans for red beans and rice, but I had some on hand and wanted to give it a go. What I mixed up came out really delicious and is something I will definitely be making again!

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
1 1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/2 pound ground turkey, browned
3 bay leaves
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1-2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced (I used one but I'm not a huge celery fan)
water
salt to taste
cooked brown rice, enough to feed your family

Put the soaked beans in a stock pot and cover with water. Add all the ingredients except salt and rice. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for a few hours until the beans are good and tender. Watch the water level. I had to add a little here and there to keep them hydrated. After the beans are completely tender, let boil until the water thickens and add salt to taste. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Black Beans and Rice...made for reflux

So we have made some major diet changes recently on top of GFCF due to my sweet little engineer's reflux which has never gone away (diagnosed at 6 weeks) and never been under control. Due to that, we can't eat garlic, onion, peppers or many more things which means most of my recipes are no go's. I decided to make black beans and rice without the use of onions or garlic (staples in the past) and here's what I came up with. It was a big hit and you can make it vegetarian or with meat (we'll be using it both ways in our house). I didn't measure the spices though so the amounts below are just guesses, adjust as desired.

1 pound dried black beans
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper
1-1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup leeks, chopped and cleaned
salt to taste
cooked brown rice

Soak beans overnight the night before you want to cook them. Drain liquid in the morning. Put beans in the crockpot and cover with water. Add cumin, pepper and paprika. Cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours). Add leeks and salt to taste then cook on high for 1-2 more hours (or 2-4 hours on low). Serve over brown rice. Super simple, super tasty!

Vegetarian Crockpot Taco Soup

My family is trying to cut back on our grocery budget so my husband has agreed quite willingly (surprises me every day I tell ya) to cut back on meat. This recipe is one that made him think he can cut meat down to just 2-3 times per week. I made it a little on the mild side as I don't do spicy and my boys are little and won't do spicy either so my beloved added tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper to his bowl to add some heat. You are welcome to make it hotter or keep it mild. Whatever your tastebuds desire :)

1 1/2 c. dried pinto beans--soaked, drained, cooked, drained again
1 1/2 c. dried kidney beans--soaked, drained, cooked, drained again (I did the soaking and draining and such of both types of beans at the same time in the same pot)
2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, juices included (don't drain)
1 can Rotel, juices included
3-4 cups water depending on how much broth you want
2 t. chili powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt (more to taste when done if needed)
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

I soak and cook the beans (I did mine in the same pot together) before hand. Add all ingredients to the crockpot. If you want you can use 2 taco seasoning packets instead of the individual spices but I use half the amount of each spice for my own taco seasoning so I doubled it to equal 2 packets. Cover and set on low for 9 hours (or high for 4.5 hours). It is amazing and full of flavor! You can cut back on the beans and add some meat if you like as well. If you can eat dairy, go ahead and top with some cheese. You could also add tortilla chips to the bowl when serving for a nice garnish and tasty addition. It's flexible and delicious. Enjoy :)

Yellow Rice

I've tried to make a yellow rice similar to the Vigo brand mix I used to buy in the store (until I looked at the ingredient list). It's never worked out and my beloved husband adores that stuff. Well, tonight I got it right! Praise the Lord! Here's the fruit of my labor.

2 T olive oil
1 small to medium onion
1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 red, 1/2 green)
3 cloves garlic
2 c. brown rice
1 1/2 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
5 c. broth (or water and bouillon)--but use the amount needed based on your brand of rice
1 chicken breast
salt to taste

Heat up the oil in a pot. Chop the onion, garlic and peppers (I use my food processor for this step) and add to oil. Saute until onions are translucent. Add in the brown rice and toast the rice about 5 minutes. Add in turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper coating the rice. Add broth (or water and bouillon which is how I make it) and bring to simmer. Cover and cook until broth is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, boil a chicken breast. When cooked through, remove from water and shred with two forks. After rice is done, mix in shredded chicken and salt to taste. Serve and enjoy! You can also use beef or beans with this too or use it in taco's or enchiladas or burritos. It's very verstaile.

Chicken and Vegetable Skillet

I started making this dish off a recipe but the final product was pretty different from what was on paper and really delicious! So here's the recipe how I made it and how my family loved.

1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2-4 cups broccoli florets (I used 2 fresh broccoli heads cut into florets)
3 carrots, peeled
1/2 large onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 1/2-2 cups water
1 teaspoon bouillon (I used Better than Bouillon brand so adjust based on your brands directions adding enough to make the above water into broth)
1-2 teaspoon seasoning blend (I used McCormick's perfect pinch Carribean Jerk but whatever you have or like will do)
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
2 cups uncooked brown rice

Begin by cooking the brown rice according to the instructions on the package. I added bouillon to the water as well for added flavor but you don't have to. While the rice is cooking, heat the ghee (or olive oil) in a skillet. Add in the cut up chicken. While the chicken is cooking I cut up my broccoli. If yours is already cut up just add it once the chicken is browned. Add in the water and bouillon once you add the broccoli. While that is cooking on low to medium heat (medium to medium high for non stick cookware), add the carrots, onion and bell pepper to a food processor and "chop" to desired texture. I like mine a little more finely cut so the kids don't complain as much or pick it out but it can be as coarsely chopped as you'd like. Add that to the skillet and stir. Let simmer covered until veggies are crisp tender. Add the cornstarch and water mixture and let boil until thickened. Serve veggies over your now cooked brown rice for a delicious and healthy meal :) It's nice and colorful too!

Black Bean Soup

I've been trying different black bean soup recipes lately and none have been all that great. I decided to try another one a few days ago and well, the final product was not a whole lot like the original. I did use some of the spices in different measure but added a lot of my own flavors to it and you know what, my family loved it. My kids ate it up, I thought it was great and my meat adoring husband thought it was wonderful. It's a definite keeper of a soup for a cheap meal on a cold day.

1 pound dried black beans
1/2 large onion
5 cloves garlic
4-5 carrots, peeled
3 potatoes, diced (I do not peel mine but if you want to it would be fine)
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce (if you like the texture of tomatoes you can use chopped tomatoes instead)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (I used hickory flavor but any will do)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
7-8 cups water
2 tbsp chicken flavored bouillon (I used better than bouillon brand)

Soak the beans overnight. Drain. Add beans to a stock pot and add the water. I put my onion, garlic and carrots in a food processor to chop but you can do it by hand. Either way, add the veggies and potato as well as all the spices (except for the salt and bouillon) and liquid smoke. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until beans are tender and soup begins to thicken (about 2-3 hours). Remove bay leaf and discard. Add salt to taste and the bouillon, serve and enjoy!

Just a side note...the reason you add the salt and bouillon at the very end is very simple but something a friend of mine just enlightened me about. Salt causes the beans to NOT become tender so you must add it at the very end. The bouillon is very salty which is why it also must be added at the very end. Anything salty will inhibit your beans from becoming a nice tender texture.

"Creamy" Potato Soup

I LOVE LOVE LOVE potato soup and have tried numerous recipes to hit the spot but once going gfcf I thought my potato soup days were over and it made me quite sad. Daddy Fox is quite the soup lover and it's starting to get chilly here (yes even in Florida we get a chill) so I began to hunt once more for a delicious potato soup recipe that was somehow creamy yet totally dairy free. I ended up taking one recipe and building off of it to make my own perfectly delicious potato soup and it's oh so good! I never thought I'd eat such warming, comforting, most importantly creamy potato soup again.

8 cups water
1 heaping tablespoon better than bouillon chicken base (I use organic, it's way better)
3 pounds potatoes diced (you can peel them but I don't)
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

In a stock pot, place about 3/4's of your diced potatoes and cover with the 8 cups of water. Turn the burner on med-high heat to begin warming while you prepare the remaining veggies. I like to place the whole garlic cloves, the entire onion (quartered) and the carrots (peeling and cut into 3-4 pieces each) into a food processor and chop them all together at once then add to the pot but you can chop them individually and add them that way too. When the water gets warm (but before it's boiling), stir in the bouillon. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is mostly pureed. Add the remaining potatoes and simmer until potatoes are soft. Serve and enjoy on a crisp, cold evening! (Well any evening will do but the colder the better).

***Tip for peeling garlic: A friend of mine told me this tip about peeling garlic and I will probably never go back to garlic powder again. Take a knife and lay it flat on the clove of garlic (not so that it will cut the clove, lay it on the flat side of the blade). Smash the blade onto the clove with your hand. The clove will crack and the peel will slide right off!***

Bean Quesadilla's

So I had many requests for this recipe after posting about it on facebook. Sorry it's taken so long to get around to posting about it but here it is. It is not finished and I will probably come back and edit this recipe a few more times since I've only made this once and it really was just something I pulled out of my head, but here's what I have right now.

I HIGHLY recommend getting a tortilla press if you ever want gfcf flour tortilla's. I've not tried the store bought ones but I have tried corn tortilla's (which can be bought at any store gfcf) and my family hates them. That started my search for a good homemade tortilla. I take no credit for the recipe found here. I made the rice flour version with brown rice flour. The only change is I used sorghum flour instead of chickpea because I do not like the taste of bean flours in my food. I prefer to get my beans in other ways :). Follow her recipe for the tortilla's you will need for the quesadilla's.

For the filling:
1 can fat free refried beans (check labels as not all are gfcf but I don't remember which brand I used...maybe Old El Paso?)
1 cup of prepared dried beans
1 cup of prepared brown rice
1/2 to 1 cup frozen corn kernels, heated
1/2 large onion, chopped

Taco Seasoning:
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

I like to cook the onion with the rice while it's cooking as I don't care for raw onion but you don't have to make it that way. When preparing the rice, add in the taco seasoning mix for flavor. (Side note: the taco seasoning mix can be added to browned meat with 1/2 cup water and simmered down to make excellent taco meat filling that tastes just like taco seasoning packets at the store but without all the chemicals and preservatives) Combine in a large bowl the rice, corn, black beans and refried beans. Mix well enough so the refried beans can act like the glue that cheese would be if making traditional quesadilla's. Fill tortilla's with some bean mixture and heat on skillet at medium heat until heated through and the tortilla is slightly crispy on both sides. Serve with whatever condiments your family likes such as salsa and guacamole. My little monkey ate these up so fast and loved having the extra filling for lunch the next day. My carnivorous husband could have sworn there was meat in these too which there isn't and I love that I can make him a hearty veggie meal he LOVES!

Veggie Pasta

Well, that's what we call it for lack of a better term but it is DELISH! In fact, my 2 1/2 year old and my 15 month old are eating it now :)

1 pound gf pasta (we use tinkyada brand whatever style floats our boat)
olive oil
1 medium lemon
carrots, peeled and sliced
squash, sliced
broccoli florets (we only do fresh, can't stand frozen)
spices

Cook pasta according to package directions. In another pan, coat bottom with oil and add in carrots, squash and broccoli (how much is up to you). Cook until veggies are crisp tender. Drain pasta when it's finished cooking. In a big mixing bowl, combine pasta and veggies. Coat with oil as desired. Season as desired (I normally use one of McCormick's seasoning blends, my current favorite is the Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb salt free variety). Cut the lemon in half and add the freshly squeezed juice. Mix it all up and enjoy!

I know it's kind of vague but that's the beauty of it. You can make it taste however you want! It's fast, easy and best of all healthy! My son just asked for seconds :)