Posts Tagged ‘Nut Free’

Rotisserie Chicken in the CrockPot Recipe

June 1st, 2011 Nancy

Yay!  I picked up my first locally raised pastured chicken of the season this weekend.  If you’ve ever watched Food, inc. or read Nourishing Traditions, you know why this is important to me.  If you haven’t checked out these two resources, you should!

Cooking these birds in the CrockPot produces tender, moist, fall off the bone chicken.  This is my favorite recipe for whole chicken.  It also makes the best stock, so save your bones!  You can read how to make chicken stock here.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1-2 Onions, chopped (optional)
  • 6-8 Yellow Potatoes (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Combine spices in a small bowl.

2.  If necessary, remove giblets from inside of chicken.  Rinse inside and outside of chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

3.  Massage chicken with spice mixture.

4.  Place onions and potatoes in the bottom of the CrockPot and lay the chicken on top.  I usually put some onions inside the chicken too.

5.  Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.

The original recipe found at food.com recommends rubbing the spices on the chicken the night before you plan to cook it.  I am never that organized and I think it is awesome without that step.

UPDATE:  Be sure to check out this post on How to Have Crispy Skin in the Crockpot.  I haven’t tried it on this particular recipe but I’m sure it would work.

Here are some of my favorite crockpot whole chicken recipes for the crockpot:

 

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Show and Tell, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whatcha Makin’ Wednesdays, What’s on Your Plate, Real Food Wednesdays, It’s a Keeper Thursdays, Real Food Weekly, Frugal Food Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Savory Sunday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food Trip Friday, Friday Favorites, Fresh Bites Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Foodie Friday, I’m Lovin It Fridays!, Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday, Food on Friday, GCC Recipe Swap, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Potluck, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food Linky, Allergy Friendly Friday, Sugar Free Sunday, Seasonal Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Made By You Monday, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival, Monday Mania, Hunk of Meat Monday, Mingle Monday, Make a Food”e” Friend, Mangia Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, $5 Dinner Challenge, Tip Me Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday, {TITUS 2}SDAYS, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Domestically Divine, Tackle it Tuesday, It’s a Blog Party

Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Crockpot/Slow Cooker, Main Dish Tags: , , , , , , , , 74 Comments »

Chocolate Frosted Rice Krispie Treats (Dairy and Gluten-Free)

May 25th, 2011 Nancy

OK.  I realize these are not “real food” but they are simple, frugal and allergen-free!  Besides, I used Organic Rice Puffs ($1.63 per bag through subscribe and save on Amazon!).  That counts for something, right?

In my eyes, these are a great alternative to cake or cupcakes.  For me, cake is nothing but a vehicle for frosting.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Rice Krispie treats, but frosting Rice Krispie treats turn them into something special.

One of my goals as a Mom, is making sure Bella never feels left out and has alternatives to fun food.  Because these are so quick to throw together, I can make them at the last minute before running out to a birthday party or special event.  This ensures Bella has something special too.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp Soy-Free Earth Balance or your favorite butter alternative
  • 7 Cups Miniature Marshmallows
  • 6 Cups Rice Krispies
  • 1 Can Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Frosting (I used Pillsbury which is dairy and wheat-free but not certified gluten-free and contains soy)

Directions:

1.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

2. In a large saucepan, melt margarine over low heat and add marshmallows.  Stir until completely melted.

3. Remove from heat and add cereal, stirring to coat evenly.

4. Scoop into prepared pan and press into pan with greased fingers.

5.  Frost and enjoy!

You might also like Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce/Dip and Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake.


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Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Sweets and Treats Tags: , , , , , , 29 Comments »

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

May 21st, 2011 Nancy

Here’s another quick and easy way to use leftover Asian Chicken.  For convenience sake, I use frozen veggies but they get mushy.  I have read if you thaw the veggies and run them through a salad spinner before cooking they will be less mushy.  Let me know if you try it.   Fresh veggies would be best if you have the time to prepare them.  This recipe is easily adapted to your preferences.  Mushrooms and sesame seeds would be excellent additions.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Tbsp Palm Shortening or oil of choice
  • 1/4 Onion, chopped
  • 2 packs frozen Asian or stir-fry veggies (make sure they are sauce free)
  • 3 cups Rice, cooked*
  • 3 leftover Asian Chicken Breasts, chopped
  • Reduced Asian Chicken Marinade
  • Ginger
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

1.  Melt palm shortening in pan.  Cook onion until clear.

2.  Add veggies and cook just until tender.

3.  Add chicken and rice and cook until heated through.

4. Season with reduced marinade, ginger, salt and pepper to taste.

*Every couple of weeks I cook up a large pot of rice and divide into 3 cup containers to store in the freezer.

You might also like Asian Chicken Salad, Ginger-Lime Marinade for Chicken, and Honey Mustard Chicken.

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Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Main Dish Tags: , , , , Comments Off on Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

May 19th, 2011 Nancy

Over the weekend, it went from spring to fall here!  The warm sunshine has been replaced by cold rain.  Many of us in this household have had the sniffles.  It was time for soup.  The leftover Asian Chicken in the fridge inspired me to make this soup.  Let me tell you, it was really good!

 

It’s nothing like traditional chicken noodle soup.  The tamari, lime and ginger in the broth is amazing.   The cilantro adds something unexpected although I suspect if you’re not a cilantro fan the soup would be good without it.   The ingredient list looks long, but I assure you this is a very simple soup to throw together.  If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, just cook the chopped chicken with the oil and garlic until the chicken is done and follow the rest of the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp Palm Shortening or oil of your choice
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 8 cups of Chicken Stock/Broth (I actually used 7 cups homemade stock and 1 cup water)
  • 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce (Soy-free recipes here and here)
  • 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Sucanat or Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 – 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (I’m a wimp.  I used 1/8 tsp.)
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds Asian Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I’m sure unseasoned chicken would be fine.)
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
  • Angel Hair Pasta, cooked (I used spaghetti!)

 

It might be fun to add:

  • Mushrooms
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Carrots
  • Sugar Snap Peas instead of Frozen Peas

 

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook a couple minutes.
2. Add broth, tamari sauce, lime juice, sucanat, ginger, red pepper and chicken and boil 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add peas and cilantro.  Let stand 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve soup over noodles.  Enjoy!

 

 

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This post is part of Real Food Weekly, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friday, Friday Potluck, Friday Favorites, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Fun with Food Friday, MadeFrom Scratch Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Delectable Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, $5 Dinner Challenge, It’s a Blog Party, Tasty Tuesdays ,Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Domestically Divine, Delicious Dishes, What’s on Your Plate, Made it on Monday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Gluten Free Wednesdays

Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Main Dish, Soup Tags: , , , , , 11 Comments »

Asian Chicken Salad

May 18th, 2011 Nancy
Salad Suggestions:
  • Chopped Romain Lettuce
  • Spring Salad Mix
  • Chopped Cilantro
  • Grilled Asian Chicken
  • Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
  • Sesame Seeds (I used sunflower seeds)
  • Mandarin Oranges
  • Chow Mein Noodles (For your non-allergic friends)
Dressing:
Boil the leftover Asian Chicken Marinade to reduce.  It will be thin.

 

 

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Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Main Dish Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments »

Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe

May 17th, 2011 Nancy

I served this chicken for Mother’s Day dinner.  Most of the men ate the chicken as is while the ladies enjoyed their chicken as the feature of their Asian Chicken Salad.  I reduced the leftover marinade to use as a salad dressing.  This makes enough marinade for about 6 chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup White Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce (Soy-free recipes here and here)
  • 3/4 cup Honey or 1 cup White Sugar (I bet sucanat or brown sugar would be really good!  You would need to heat it to dissolve the sugar.)

 

Directions:

1.  Blend ingredients.
2. Marinade chicken at least 30 minutes.
3.  Grill as usual.
4.  Reduce the marinade to use as salad dressing for your Asain Chicken Salad and/or seasoning for your Asian Stir Fry.

You might also enjoy Grilled Pantry Pork Chops, Ginger-Lime Marinade for Chicken and Honey Mustard Chicken.

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This post is part of Tackle it Tuesday, Domestically Divine, Tasty Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s on the Menu, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesdays, What’s on Your Plate, Made it on Monday, Hunk of Meat Monday, Mingle Monday, Penny Worthy Project, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Mangia Monday

Photo Credit: Candy TX’s

Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Main Dish, Sauces and Seasoning Mixes Tags: , , , , 7 Comments »

Honey Mustard Chicken/Pork Marinade

May 16th, 2011 Nancy

 

I love that this recipe uses ingredients I keep on hand. The meat doesn’t need to marinade very long, making it ideal for last minute company.  I haven’t tried this marinade on pork, but I’m sure it would be awesome!  Make sure you grill extra to top a salad for tomorrow’s lunch! This makes enough marinade for 1 pound of chicken breasts.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

 

Directions:
1. Blend ingredients.
2. Marinade meat for at least 30 minutes.
3. Grill or bake as usual.

 

I have mentioned before that I like to double or triple the recipe and freeze the marinade and chicken in gallon size baggies for later. When the chicken defrosts it marinades!

 

 

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Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Chicken, Main Dish, Pork, Sauces and Seasoning Mixes Tags: , , , , , 8 Comments »

How to make 5 jars of spaghetti sauce in 5 minutes for around $3

May 12th, 2011 Nancy

I love a truly from scratch sauce with fresh tomatoes from my garden.  In fact, I’ll be posting my favorite garden fresh sauce recipe this summer. But this time of year, I am happy to compromise with this sauce.  It tastes way better than any store bought sauce I’ve tried.

Store bought spaghetti sauce contain ingredients like corn syrup and “natural flavors” which we all know can mean just about anything, including MSG.  It can also be difficult for those of us dealing with allergies to find a jar of sauce that does not contain cheese and soy.

I am thrilled to share with you my secret to making 5 jars of spaghetti sauce in 5 minutes for around $3! I buy the large can of tomato sauce at Sam’s (or Costco) for $2.33.  I also buy the spices in bulk at Sam’s or Costco.

The hardest part of this recipe is opening the large can!  A regular electric opener won’t work.  I use a manual can opener.  Once I have the can open, I add the spices directly to the can and mix with a cheap immersion blender (like this one).  That’s it! It’s ready to be added to cooked ground meat or frozen for later.

But, you ask, doesn’t spaghetti sauce need to simmer?  I used to simmer it before adding it to the jars but I find that cooking the sauce with ground meat is enough simmering time to combine the flavors.

Bella enjoys this sauce over Mrs. Leeper’s Rice Shapes For Kids.  I have enjoyed this sauce in spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna.  We are meat sauce people.  If you prefer to go vegetarian, you probably need to add olive oil. Becca wrote this in the comment section:

As a vegetarian, I have to say: Adding olive oil will not give you the good flavor of adding something cooked in the oil.  This is really easy to do with kale, even if it is frozen, because it cooks so fast–give it 3 minutes in olive oil in the bottom of the pot, maybe with a clove of crushed garlic or some bits of onion, and then add the sauce and heat it up.  Kale is crazily nutritious and cheap, too!

Thank you so much Becca!

As a side note, my family of six really needs two pounds of beef in their spaghetti sauce to fill them up.  I buy organic, grass-fed beef from a local farmer which is a little pricier than store bought beef.  I can’t stand to use two pounds of beef in one meal, so I add a can of rinsed black beans to stretch the beef.  At first my kids acted like I was torturing them with beans, but they have gotten used to it.  If you want to try adding beans, don’t blame me if your kids won’t eat their dinner!  🙂

Ingredients:

  • Contadina Tomato Sauce – 105 oz. can  (I buy this from Sam’s for $2.33.)
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 tsp Basil
  • 1 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1.  Open the can of tomato sauce.

2.  Add the seasonings directly to the can.

3.  Blend with an immersion blender or long spoon.

4.  Divide sauce between 5 recycled spaghetti sauce jars or storage baggies.

5.  Store sauce in the freezer.

You may also enjoy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Beef, Main Dish, Sauces and Seasoning Mixes, Tips and Tricks Tags: , , , , , , 83 Comments »

Roasted Asparagus and Artichoke Salad

May 8th, 2011 Nancy

When I saw this salad on Simply Recipes, I knew I had to make it.  I can’t resist artichoke and I love that asparagus is currently in season.  This salad is fresh.  It’s beautiful.  It’s quick and it’s allergen-friendly.

Ingredients

  • 1 large shallot, sliced thin (can sub a few thin slices of red onion or some sliced spring onion)
  • 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 pounds thick asparagus, rinsed, tough ends broken off and discarded (or saved for stock)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 15-ounce jar of good quality marinated artichoke hearts, quartered or cut in half (depending on the size of the artichokes)

Method

1 Soak the sliced shallots in the lemon juice as you get ready to make the rest of the salad.
2a To roast the asparagus, preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the asparagus spears with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and salt them well. Lay in a single layer in a foil-lined roasting pan, and cook for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fork tender.
2b To grill the asparagus, prepare your charcoal or gas grill for high direct heat. Coat the asparagus with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill them until nicely charred and fork tender, between 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the asparagus from the oven or grill and cut into bite-sized pieces.
3 Put the asparagus and all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add as much of the marinating liquid from the jarred artichokes as you like.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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This post is part of Melt in Your Mouth Monday, My Meatless Mondays, Mouthwatering Monday, Monday Mania, Make a Food”e” Friend, Mingle Monday, Mangia Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Made By You Monday, $5 Dinner Challenge, Tuesdays at the Table, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Hearth and Soul Hop, Tasty Tuesdays, Made From Scratch Tuesday,Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, {TITUS 2}SDAYS, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whatcha Makin’ Wednesdays, What’s on the Menu, Real Food Wednesdays, Made it on Monday, What’s on Your Plate, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursdays, Tip Day Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Thrilling Thursday, Food Trip Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday, Friday Food, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sugar Free Sunday, Seasonal Sunday, Allergy Friendly Friday
Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Side Dishes Tags: , , , , , , 66 Comments »

Chia Egg Replacement/Substitute

May 2nd, 2011 Nancy


Remember cha-cha-cha-chia pets?  Chia is back as a super-food!  It’s high in fiber, healthy oils and antioxidants.  The cool thing about chia is that it absorbs more than nine times its weight in water and turns into a gel, making it a great egg substitute.  Don’t have chia seed?  Try this flax seed egg substitute.

Ingredients for 1 egg:
3 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Chia Seed

Ingredients for 4 eggs:
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Chia Seed

Ingredients for 8 eggs:
1 1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Chia Seed

1. Combine water and chia and let sit for 10-15 minutes or until it gels.

2. Use 4 Tablespoons for 1 egg.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

You may also like Which is better: Flaxseed vs Chia Seed?

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This post is part of My Meatless Mondays, Just Another Meatless Monday, Meatless Mondays, Works for Me Wednesday

Posted in Allergy Friendly Recipes, Tips and Tricks Tags: , , , , , , 16 Comments »
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