Becky's Pumpkin Dip

This is not my recipe.  This is my FABULOUS friend Becky's recipe.  If you follow that link, you'll see that Becky is multitalented, and she's not only an amazing and talented baker, but she also makes gorgeous floral arrangements (like the ones that she did for my wedding five years ago).  She's a wonderful person, and I love seeing all the pictures of all the happy folks who she's helped with their celebrations.  She shared a recipe years ago for her pumpkin dip, and it is always requested by one of my mother-in-law's brothers whenever I am at a gathering that he will also attend.  It is a snap to prepare, and can be paired with about anything you like.  If you're taking this to a party where there will be non-GF friends, be sure to have two separate bowls (the recipe makes plenty to allow for that) so that you can avoid cross contamination from non-GF items that they might dip.

Becky's Pumpkin Dip
1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin (or fresh puree if you'd prefer)
1 brick (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have this, just use a combo of nutmeg, ginger and allspice)
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. frozen orange juice concentrate (I NEVER have this.  I have omitted it every time, not because I want to be unfaithful to Becky's recipe, but because I'm lazy and I just don't keep OJ concentrate in the house)

1.  Blend the cream cheese and powdered sugar

2.  Gradually add the pumpkin

3.  Mix in the spices and orange juice concentrate

Viola!

This is particularly good with a sweet crisp apple, it is also excellent with graham crackers and ginger snaps.    I recently ate it with hazelnut nut thins, and the saltiness from the cracker was a nice contrast to the spicy sweet of the dip, so if that combo appeals to you, give that a whirl.  Again, with any dip that might have gluten filled goodness going into it, just make sure to have a separate bowl for either yourself, or your other GF friends so that you don't have to worry about cross-contamination.  This makes a lot of dip, so no one will feel deprived by a smaller portion if you divide it equally among two bowls.  I also like to make this the night before and serve slightly chilled.  Enjoy this one!  It'll be a "must have" (like everything Becky makes!)

Panko-Style Baked Chicken Tenders

I love food that is terrible for you.  Boneless wings?  Corn dogs?  Chicken Nuggets?  I love them all.  Chicken nuggets were an especially guilty pleasure.  Not only did I buy them in frozen version for a quick meal at home, but I would also often go through the drive-thru at McDonald's and pick up a 4 or 6 piece chicken nugget with sweet chili sauce and apple slices for a quick meal if I didn't have time to go home.  I've mentioned before that I was totally weird as a kid with meat.  I didn't like to eat an unbreaded cut of meat unless it was a steak.  My Dad used to wonder what the heck was wrong with me, and why would I want to eat gross, breaded rib meat instead of delicious, much better for you chicken breast?  Dad, I still can't tell you what my major hang up with meats were as a kid, but I'm sure you're at least the tiniest bit comforted that I now "know what's good" and like almost all cuts of meat.

But, I still miss chicken nuggets/tenders.  I'm baking these, and the reasoning is twofold:

1.  (we'll pretend like this is paramount) It's a lot healthier to bake the tenders rather than fry them.
2.  (this is the main motivation) Frying is a pain in the butt, and it makes my house smell (and I'm lazy).

You could just as easily fry these tenders and drain them before eating.  If you're going to do that, I'd probably use about 2-3 c. of the oil of your choice (for two people) and heat to about 375, and fry in small batches about 6-8 minutes a piece til golden brown.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.  Serve.

But, if you're baking:

Panko-Style Baked Chicken Tenders
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
2 c. rice chex cereal
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (you can omit if you'd like)
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. Old Bay (also has paprika in it.  I used both, but it's up to you)
4 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2-3 chicken breasts (I had one small and one HUGE one)

1.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2.  Slice chicken breasts into the strips or nuggets of your choosing.  You can pound them to 1/4" thickness if you'd like.  If you want to do that, you can put them between two pieces of saran wrap and pound with a mallet.

3.  In the mixer of your food processor, place rice chex, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rubbed sage, Old Bay, and parmesan cheese.

4.  Pulse the food processor until you have a coarse, crunchy looking "bread crumb" mixture.

5.  In a bowl, combine 2 eggs and 2 tbsp milk

6.  In another shallow bowl or plate, jujh up 1/3 c. flour (I used the Namaste All Purpose blend I've mentioned in earlier posts)

7.  In a third shallow bowl or plate, pour panko-style mixture.

8.  Dredge tenders in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumb mixture, before placing in a single layer on a foil-lined cooking sprayed tray or sheet pan.

9.  Bake in 475 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until browned.  I checked mine about 15 minutes into the cooking and flipped them.

10.  Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving with your favorite condiments.

Served with cottage fries and green beans.  Crispy and a little spicy, just how I like them!

Review: Udi's Gluten Free White Bread

There are a few pieces of advice that folks with experience in the gluten free lifestyle often give to those that have less experience and/or are just starting:

1.  Focus on eating a lot of whole foods.
2.  Try not to immediately replace traditional gluten free foods with substitutes.

Number 1 I paid a whole lot of attention to.  I eat WAY more fruits and vegetables now than I used to.  I buy the fruits and veggies that are on sale, and I cook a lot more.  Number 2, I tried my best to stick with.  I cheated with pizza, because there's really just no way for me to live without pizza.  I would be miserable and it would probably have resulted in my saying, "Forget this!" and just going back to being sick.  Past that, I feel like I've done a decent job.  I've made one batch of GF chocolate chip cookies, and used some boxed cookies to make a pie for a party.  I purchased a box of crackers as an "emergency snack" while traveling.  It's not a spotless record, but I'm pretty happy with how I did.

Today was cold.  I walked in the stupid cold rain to Kinko's (yes, I said Kinko's and I don't care what you say, it says FedEx Kinko's on the sign, and it will always be Kinko's. . . just like my Mom will always say "Pick 'n' Pay" for grocery stores).  The bottom of my jeans got wet, my feet were cold, and I got chilled to the bone.  I didn't thaw out for a long time.  That kind of weather just makes me miserable.  I've mentioned before that one of my favorite things in the cold weather is having a soup and sandwich.  I've already featured my recipe for black bean soup here, and it's super simple and quick to whip up, so I put that on.  And gosh darn it, I was going to have a grilled cheese sandwich.  But, for that I needed bread.

So, I went to the Whole Foods.  I love the Whole Foods.  There's always some sort of delectable delight out for sampling, and there are a million cool things to look at and either pick up as a treat, or wish I had money to buy.  Today I got a little bag of mix-it-yourself trail mix after my workout with some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, craisins, raisins, and a few chocolate chips.  It was delightful.  Anyway. . . I also picked up Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread.  I've heard great things about Udi's and Rudi's, and Udi's was cheaper today, so that was my choice.

Gluten free bread is usually (I've never seen it otherwise) stored in the freezer section.  Take out what you need, let it thaw and store the rest in the freezer until you need it again.

I treated it just like any other bread.  Butter it just like you would regular grilled cheese.  You'll probably notice that the texture is a little stiffer than regular bread.  I'm actually totally fine with that because I DESPISE super soft, "sticky" breads.  By that I mean Wonderbread types that stick to your mouth when you chew them.  Ick.  This is not like that at all.  It came out delicious and was exactly what I needed today. I'm really happy with the brand, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Lingonberry and Crushed Red Pepper Glazed Pork Chops

Hi!  It's been a week or so since I've updated.  Life's about to get busy, so once a week would be awesome.  It will also come to pass that I'm not making as many new recipes because I get used to making certain things, and having favorites.  But, I'll try to make sure that I post reviews of products and restaurants, even when I'm not trying a new recipe or attempting to recreate an old favorite.

I'm sure it is already apparent (for those who don't know), how much I enjoy pork chops.  We eat them very frequently in this house because they're relatively inexpensive, and I like doing lots of fun stuff with them.  They're also a great source of lean protein, for those of you who worry about that stuff.  Tonight's meal was actually inspired/requested by my husband.  We recently took a trip down to the Charlotte Ikea to buy a desk/writing table.  I'm very fast approaching my dissertation, and especially now that I can't simply pick up a convenience meal from the EUC connected to the library, doing a ton of work at the library is going to have to be sequestered to day time hours.  I'm sure I'll still have a few long nights there, but I'd like to be able to be at home.  Not only is it good for our budget, but even if I'm working, I know it makes my husband (and me) feel better that I'm home.

So we looked for awhile for a writing table or a desk that was in our budget, and just didn't find anything besides Ikea.  For $40 we got something that we're both happy with and will not be a total pain in the rear to take apart and reassemble when we move.  One of the great things about going to Ikea is eating the food, and shopping in the Swedish food market.  Whenever we eat there, I think it ought to be called, "How many times can Jason fill up his cup with Lingonberry juice?"  He loves it.  So, this time when we went through the food market, he picked up a jar of Lingonberry preserves.  When I asked him today how he wanted the pork chops cooked, he said he thought it would be neat to do something with the preserves.  So, the idea was born.

This combo is sweet and spicy, and I was really proud of my ability to restrain myself with the crushed red pepper.  I usually go a little overboard with it.  I think there's a good amount of complexity in the flavors of this recipe, and I hope you like it as much as we did.  The first bite got immediate happy groans. . . if you speak man and know the exact translation, feel free to let me know.  After an inquisitive look, I got, "SO GOOD."

Lingonberry Crushed Red Pepper Glazed Pork Chops
3-4 boneless pork chops
kosher salt
onion powder
hot paprika
lingonberry preserves
teeny bit (that's an exact measurement equaling around 1/2 tsp.) crushed red pepper


1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2.  Season each side of the pork chops with salt, onion powder, paprika, and spread a generous layer of lingonberry preserves.

3.  Flip each chop and repeat on the other side.

4.  Take a SMALL amount of crushed red pepper and dust each of the chops.  A little goes a long way with this.  There's already hot paprika on these lovelies, so no need to go crazy!

5.  Bake in the oven, uncovered for approximately 40 minutes.

If you'd like, you can spoon more of the melty, delicious glaze onto the pork chops during the cooking if you'd like.  I served this with baked potatoes, and I had peas.  My husband had peas and creamed corn.  I've never been a huge fan of creamed corn, and it doesn't even matter anymore because one of the first ingredients you'll see on a can is "modified food starch".  So, there you go.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!  This is one of those recipes that will likely keep me from making newer stuff when I get super busy.  It's so easy, so tasty, and definitely on my husband's "favorite" list.

Peanut Butter Banana Strawberry "Ice Cream"

My husband makes fun of my love of ice cream.  It's completely irrational.  I could be freezing cold (and I often am) and say, "You know what I want?"  To which he'll answer either "frozen yogurt" or "ice cream".  It could be 15 degrees outside, and I'll still think, "You know what would be awesome?  Eating something that will make my insides cold, and will then make me want to curl up in the fetal position under a blanket with the cat serving as a heating/massage pad."

You know what I hate about ice cream though?  I hate when it's hard.  My sister, who has naturally perfect teeth (without any braces or major dental work), use to take an ice cream cone, and bite off a huge chunk of the ice cream right in front of me.  The sight of that always made it seem like my spine was made of glass and she threw a rock into it, crushing it into a thousand pieces.  I hated it.  This, of course, meant that she did it all the time.  I either patiently licked at the ice cream on the cone until it was soft, or just put it in a bowl and juhjed it up until it was nice and soft and creamy.  Soft serve and froyo has always been my thing because of this.

So, I'm always disconcerted when I ask my husband "You want to go get froyo with me?" (which I do almost nightly) and he says "no".  I have a great habit that's also terrible.  I very rarely buy ice cream/frozen yogurt/sherbet.  I know that I shouldn't eat it often, and I know that if I have it in the house, I will eat it often. So I just pass by the aisle and don't give it a second look, (this is also my strategy for potato chips, because I can eat a bag in one sitting and not think about it until I'm crying about what a terrible person I am an hour later).  This also means that I often don't get to fulfill my craving for delicious frozen dairy treats.

But, there is hope.  I almost always have bananas in the house.  I could eat 2-3 of them a day, and I think they're fantastic.  I will be incredibly sad when the world runs out of bananas in like 20 years.  Plantains just aren't the same.  In any case though, I almost always have bananas in the house.  So, I can almost always fulfill my "ice cream" craving.  Tonight, I remembered that I had an "ice cream" starter banana in the freezer.  I also remembered that I made a giant batch of strawberry puree for bellinis for New Year's that my husband forgot to take with us when we went to a friend's house.  And peanut butter?  Well, is there ever a time when banana and peanut butter shouldn't be combined?

Peanut Butter Banana Strawberry "Ice Cream"

1 banana, cut into coins
2-3 tsp. strawberry puree
1 heaping spoonful smooth peanut butter

1.  A day, a week, a month ahead, cut up one banana into coins and place in a sealed zip top bag in the freezer.

2.  When you're ready for your ice cream, take the banana out of the bag and place the coins in your food processor.

3.  Pulse the banana coins until they resemble soft serve.  This might take a bit.  It'll look grainy and ricey at first, but be patient, it's worth it.

4.  When you've got a smooth thing going on, add the strawberry puree and peanut butter.

You can adapt this recipe in a million different ways.  Add chocolate.  Add marshmallow cream.  Add nutella.  Add other fruits.  Add sweetened condensed milk for some dulce de leche action.  Add pork chops (Elvis would probably come back from the dead for that combo).  Whatever floats your boat.  This is another "blank canvas" type recipe that's just waiting for you to do delicious things to it.  So, go do 'em!

Breaded Baked Pork Chops

Yes fellow GFers, I said breaded.  Plenty of people who have been at this longer than I have make successful substitute recipes. I haven't really tried one yet.  The boxed/bagged substitute products I've tried so far have been pretty good, with the only exception being my first major fail with homemade pizza crust.  When I wrote that post, I said that I would try that flour in other recipes, and tonight was the night.

Pork chops are a go-to main dish for me.  I almost always have at least 3 on hand (my husband gets two, I eat one).  They're a blank canvas, ready and waiting for whatever delicious things you want to do with them.  Although my love of mustard and pork chops together is no secret, tonight wasn't about mustard.  It was all about breading.

I have briefly mentioned my history with bread.  My Dad worked at a bread factory for most of my young life, and I had fresh bread in my house every day.  We couldn't eat it fast enough in our house.  I am also a huge fan of just about anything breaded and fried.  Boneless chicken wings?  Oh my God, yes.  These are definitely on the "replicate this and make the heck out of it until you get it right" list.  I don't think I'll be able to live my life without them.  Another item on the list?  Breaded pork chops.

It should come as a surprise to no one that I was a weird kid.  But, unfortunately for me, I was also an extremely picky eater.   My parents were great though and made me sit at the table and eat the food they put in front of me.  But, it was never a fight when then pork chops were breaded.  There were many, many meals that consisted of shake and bake pork chops or chicken because saying "Damnit Morgan, just eat it," apparently gets frustrating after more than 5 years.  Although my taste buds have definitely matured, and I can eat meat in many different forms and preparations, I still love a spicy, slightly salty, breaded pork chop or chicken breast.

My very patient husband has been dutifully eating all the stuff I've put in front of him for the last month.  This was my first attempt at substituting gluten free ingredients in a traditionally wheat flour meal.  I was nervous that it wouldn't be up to snuff.  And my husband doesn't lie about things to make me feel better.  If my food sucks, he says it sucks (but in a nice way).  He knows I want to be a good cook, and he knows I'll never get better if he blows sunshine up my butt about crappy food I made.  It's also just not in his nature to lie about that kind of stuff.  So I knew I'd get an honest review from him.

And, it got a "delicious" out of him.  I also thought it was right on the money.  No, it's not shake and bake, but that wasn't the intention.  If I'd wanted something like shake and bake I would have used something with gluten free bread crumbs or the like.  This was just a traditional breaded and baked pork chop.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did tonight!  Sorry about not having pictures.  We didn't eat until near 8:00 and I was starving.  There was no pulling out the camera to document the recipe process tonight!

Gluten Free Breaded and Baked Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
2 tbsp. all purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Namaste)
2 tbsp. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. paprika (I used hot paprika rather than mild)
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. (approx.) milk

1.  Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, rubbed sage, paprika, brown sugar and onion powder in a bowl or ziptop plastic bag.

2.  In a shallow bowl, pour milk.  Dip each side of each pork chop in the milk and then coat each pork chop in the flour mixture (I used a zip top bag and shook it up).

3.  Place the floured pork chops in a shallow baking dish that has been oiled, sprayed with non-stick spray or buttered, and bake, uncovered in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

I served this one with green beans (you'll notice this is a common side dish, as it's my favorite vegetable), and baked potatoes topped with cheesy broccoli.  I was extremely satisfied with the results of this one, and will definitely make it exactly the same way again.  I was a little wary of using this flour blend again because of the less than appetizing results of my first experiment with homemade gluten free pizza crust, but gluten free flours (even all purpose blends) can be good for different things.  This one (Namaste) worked out very well as a breading flour and I was really pleased with the taste.

One of my biggest concerns with this lifestyle is making sure that my dietary restriction doesn't make my husband miserable.  I HAVE to make food that I can eat without getting sick, but I WANT to make food that he will love to eat as well, because that's always been something that's important to me.

Allies

While many people that I know have been really supportive of my new lifestyle, I was surprised to learn that there are a few people who believe that I caused my own gluten intolerance.

I lost about 70 pounds between October 2010 and the present.  Although I was experiencing issues with gluten intolerance at the time, I was not seeing any dramatic weight loss (which some people experience as a symptom).  After seeing pictures of myself at my best friend's wedding early in that month, I made the decision to finally get healthy.  I wanted to feel good again and be able to do all the things I loved, like hiking and backpacking, without difficulty.  I really scrutinized my portion sizes, and I worked out intensely.  The weight started dropping.  Despite having gained a lot of weight in the first place, I am generally very health conscious.  I have never smoked, done any illegal drugs, or even dyed my hair.  I'm also going to pat myself on the back and say that I think I'm kind of smart.  I know that the only permanent solution to weight gain is to take it off the way you put it on.  Burn more calories than you take in.  As a general rule, that's all you have to do.

Some folks believe that my rapid weight loss must have been due to the use of some kind of drug or medication (apparently either legal OR illegal).  In their minds, this drug or medication did some kind of damage to my digestive system, and that is their reasoning as to why I now have an intolerance to gluten.  If you have people in your lives who also either refuse to believe you have a gluten intolerance, or feel the need to manufacture their own possibly insulting cause(s) for your change in lifestyle, you most certainly have my permission (although you don't need it) to limit your exposure to them.  That's my plan.

Being gluten free can be difficult at times.  Due to my own poor planning this weekend, I was left for 8 or 9 hours without food that I could safely eat.  I was extremely lucky to have a very supportive spouse and sister with me, who were more than happy to leave an event early so that I could get some food.  Everyone needs these types of allies in their lives.  I'm not suggesting that what everyone needs in life are "yes" men who only tell you what you want to hear.  But, gluten intolerance/allergy/Celiac is not an opinion, or something that you can be talked out of.  It is something you do because you have to in order to be well.  And people that won't support you in pursuing your health and well-being don't deserve your time or energy.

I am extremely thankful for all the wonderful people that I have in my life who understand that this is new, and sometimes difficult.  I truly appreciate all the patience and care that you've had for me.  I hope that I can be as good to you as you all are to me.  Thank you!



*NOTE* Those who know me personally know that one of the reasons I really need to be appreciative and thank others right now is because of a very recent loss in my life.  A dear family member passed very suddenly and I think everyone close to him was reminded of how important it is to let others know how much you care about them as often as possible.  This is a very small way, but it's still important to say.

Black Bean Soup

I miss soup.  One of the easiest things for me to make when I'm busy and when I'm tired is to open a can of soup, and either toast or grill up a cheese sandwich.  Since it's wintertime right now, I think it's one of the things that I miss the most.  A lot of soup brands that you can buy on the shelves use "modified food starch" in their soups.  This means that they may use wheat starch.  Usually, they just don't know what kind is in there because they use whatever is least expensive at the time, whether it's corn, wheat, or whatever.  Because it can't be properly identified, it's usually not safe for people with gluten intolerance or Celiac.  Sometimes, you read a label, and you get lucky because the label says "modified food starch (corn)" and you feel okay about buying it.  But, those little gems are few and far between.  But, I like to make soups anyway.  They're generally pretty easy, and can be done in a slow cooker while you're at work/school any how.

Here's one that was adapted from simplygluten-free.com

Black Bean Soup

2 (15 oz.) cans of black beans rinsed and drained
2 c. gluten free chicken stock or broth (you can use vegetable as well, and I always use reduced sodium)
1/2c. - 3/4c. prepared salsa (depends on how hot you like it)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
salt
pepper
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
juice of one lime

Topping
sour cream
lime juice
fresh cilantro

1.  Place 1 can of rinsed/drained black beans, 2 c. stock or broth, and 1/2-3/4c. salsa in a blender and mix until smooth.

2.  Place mixture in saucepan over medium heat, add second can of beans, and stir.

3.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper (take it easy on this one unless you like a TON of heat), and lime juice.

4.  Serve in bowls with sour cream, lime juice, and fresh chopped cilantro.

This one is awesome, and fast.  It serves about 4, so you can always double it and have leftovers.