These burgers pack in the flavor! Tangy sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and caramelized onions combine in a burger your family will rave about. I found the original …
Dinner
Menu Plan Monday – November 18, 2013
Do you realize it is only 1 1/2 weeks until Thanksgiving? Where did the year go? Yikes! But it is okay, we don’t have to panic. I have a handy Thanksgiving guide I’ll be following for our meal and to make the prep easier for me. I, for one, do not like to feel all harried on a holiday. I like to be able to relax and enjoy my family. That is where my guide comes in. It contains the recipes and steps I use for a delicious gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving, with a check list, time table, and a grocery list. I hope it helps make your holiday a relaxing and delicious one!
I’ll be hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week. Woo-hoo! The theme is Thanksgiving Menus. I can’t wait to see what everyone is going to be cooking up for the big day. I love me some sweet potatoes… Mmmm… And pie. Lots and lots of pie (the day after Thanksgiving is known as “Pie for Breakfast Day” in our house.) Anyway, the easiest way to show you what we make for our big gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving is to give you the handy Thanksgiving guide that I put together. It has the recipes we use for our feast. Other Thanksgiving friendly deliciousness are Green Been Casserole (two ways) with Crispy Onions/Faux French’s, Veggie Tortilla Pinwheels (yummy appetizer), Celery Mashed Potatoes, Perfect Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Sweet Potato Puree with Bananas and “Buttered” Pecans, Apple Cranberry Squash, Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup, and Apple Pie. My oldest daughter has been in charge of making the pumpkin pie since she was 7 years old and always bakes Impossible Pumpkin Pie to make our tummies happy. Yum! What are your family’s “Just Gotta Have It” dishes for Thanksgiving?
For some AMAZING desserts for the holiday season check out the Supergrain Dessert E-Book from Attune Foods.
Freezer cooking this week: I’ll be starting my Thanksgiving pre-prep this week by making stuffing bread from my Thanksgiving guide and gluten free pie crust. This Friday I will also be starting my annual bake-a-thon for Thanksgiving and Christmas by baking up a double batch of Ginger Snaps. I’ll be packaging 1/4 of the cookies for Thanksgiving, a 1/4 for Christmas and (after putting a few in the cookie jar) the rest will be stored in the freezer for gift giving. Cookies freeze really well, up to three months if packaged properly, so I like to take care of them ahead of time.
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The week’s breakfast options: Apple Cider Muffins or Carrot Cake Pancakes, fried or scrambled eggs (I like a bit of sautéed kale and garlic in mine), and various fruits.
The week’s lunch options: Nut or seed butter sandwiches (on banana bread or gluten free Amish Friendship Bread), Salmon & Sweet Potato Cakes, hard boiled eggs, various fruit, and veggie sticks.
Printable grocery list for this week’s dinners.
Monday: Silver Dollar Pear Pancakes, Homemade Turkey Sausage with fruit salad
For the freezer: Make two loaves of stuffing bread from Thanksgiving guide. Freeze one for left over turkey sandwiches on the Friday after Thanksgiving and one for stuffing.
Tuesday: Ground Turkey & Veggie Tortilla Casserole (from the freezer) with a romaine salad topped with cherry tomato, roasted peppers and Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Wednesday: Cassoulet, steamed green beans and gluten free biscuits
For the freezer: Make gluten free pie crust. Shape into disks and freeze for when I make pies next week.
Thursday: Orange Marmalade Chicken and a mixed greens salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Friday: Ultimate Beef Stroganoff (from the freezer), a spinach salad topped with pecans, pears and Basic Viniagrette. For dessert, I’ll make a double batch of double batch of Ginger Snaps, some for dessert, the rest to freeze.
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What is everyone else serving up this week?
Kimberlee from The Peaceful Mom is cooking up Easy Chicken Stir-Fry with rice and Tropical Fruit Salad, Crock Pot Chili, Chili Cheese Fries (with leftover chili) with raw veggies and ranch dressing, Ham and Bean Soup, Pan Fried Pork Chops with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes, Black Bean Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice, and BBQ Pork with baked beans and Broccoli Slaw Salad. For breakfast she has a tasty looking Veggie Breakfast Scramble on the menu, and for lunch, Italian Chicken Salad. Yummy!
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Heather from Celiac Family has a whole bunch of awesome Thanksgiving inspiration to share, from the 2010 Thanksgiving Favorites to her Pinterest boards of yummy Thanksgiving worthy dishes. Head to her site for the links. So delicious! I can’t wait to browse. 🙂 For dinner this week she is dishing up Hamburgers with Sweet Potato Fries and Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Chicken with Red Potato and Green Bean Salad, Mexican Chicken Pizza (swoon!), Teriyaki Chicken Tenders with Sautéed Broccolini, and Baked Salmon with a Balsamic Glaze with Yellow Rice and Acorn Squash. Wow!
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Lori from Gluten Free Week has Fajita Bowls, Chicken and Bok Choi Stir Fry, Chicken and Black Bean Tostada, Salmon and Broccoli and Cranberry Sauce, Red Beans and Rice, Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal on her menu this week. Go tasty!
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Elisabeth from the Girl Who Couldn’t Eat Anything has a wonderful sounding menu of Breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs with veggies), Corn Chowder with coconut bacon, Sweet & Sour Stir Fry (with shrimp instead of chicken), Broccoli & Rice from Happy Herbivore, and Smoothie & popcorn night. Mmmmm!!!!
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Amanda at Gluten Free Detroit Metro has a delicious sounding Thanksgiving planned with Oven Roasted Turkey, Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling (GF Bread & Stock), Garlic & Lemon Green Beans, Candied Yams, Cranberry Relish, am amazing looking Pumpkin Roll and Apple Tarts. For dinner this week she’ll be serving Chicken Chili, Cilantro Lime Shrimp over pasta, Cranberry & Orange Pancakes and Bacon, Meatless Chickpea Taco’s, and Cranberry Beef Roast over Mashed Potatoes.
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This is being shared at Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie.
Blast from the Past – Taco Pizza
Here is a photo I found on my computer of the Taco Pizza from May 2008. We really enjoy serving this with a salad or cut up veggies served with dairy free ranch dressing. You can also use the taco pizza toppings on gluten free French Bread recipe instead of crust to make French bread pizzas for a fun lunch. Yum!
I am linking this up to Amy’s blog Simply Sugar and Gluten Free for Slightly Indulgent Tuesday. Go check out all the deliciousness over there!
Blast from the Past – French Dip in the Slow Cooker
Here is a photo of the yummy French Dip for the Slow Cooker from October 2007. I have two different French dip recipes on the site, but this is the one I make the most often. We really enjoy serving this with a salad and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes made with regular potatoes, sweet potatoes or a mix. The French Bread recipe you can find here.
Apple, Veggie & Sausage Quiche, Gluten Free Dairy Free
Quiche is a dish that can be made with so many different flavor combinations and still be delicious. It is also an easy, economical meal to be used as breakfast, lunch or a dinner. You can bake up a full-sized quiche, like I did here, or bake mini-quiches in muffin tins. I pre-make and freeze the muffin-sized quiches for an easy grab-n-go, high-protein breakfast for my kiddos to snag as they stumble to the bus in the morning.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. I’ll make and take a pic of the muffins sized ones soon, so you can see how they turn out. 🙂
Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple & Veggie Sausage Quiche
Author: adapted by Angela Litzinger at test.angelaskitchen.com from Shelby @ kartme.com
Recipe type: gluten free, dairy free, gfcf, main, breakfast, eggs, sausage
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 large potato or sweet potato or a mix, grated (I like using half of each kind of potato)
- 2 shallots or one medium sweet onions shredded, divided
- 1 egg, separated into white and yolk
- ½ pound sausage of choice (pork, turkey, etc. I like using homemade turkey sausage.)
- 1 large cooking apple, peeled and shredded
- ½ cup roasted bell peppers, diced
- ¾ cup lightly packed finely chopped greens of choice, spinach, kale, chard, etc.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup shredded gluten and dairy free cheese substitute, optional
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened dairy free milk substitute of choice
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine potato, egg white and half of shallots. Press mixture into an oiled pie pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are brown.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage. Add apple and remaining shallots, cooking until apples are tender but not falling apart. Add maple syrup and toss with sausage and apple mixture. Place sausage mixture on potato crust and spread out evenly. Sprinkle cheese substitute, if using over filling. Sprinkle on greens. You can also mix greens in with sausage filling, if you prefer.
- Beat eggs and egg yolk with salt and pepper to taste. Carefully pour eggs over filling. Bake until eggs are set, about 25 minutes.
- Freezing Directions: Allow to cool. Wrap well in freezer safe wrap, label and freeze.
- To serve: Thaw and heat through.
Chicken with Cauliflower and Apples
This is a great fall meal that is easy-peasy to make.
Chicken with Cauliflower and Apples
Author: Angela Litzinger at test.angelaskitchen.com
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- 1½ teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
- 3 cooking apples, cored and cut into eighths
- 10 ounces washed fresh spinach or one bunch, washed with large stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Season chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Put chicken and cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Use 2 pans if necessary. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir vegetables halfway through roasting time.
- Add apple wedges after chicken has roasted for 20 minutes and stir. Roast for about 20 more minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off oven.
- Put spinach on pan, stirring into cauliflower and apples, moving chicken so it is on top of the vegetables. Place pan back into hot, turned off oven for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted. Place chicken on serving plates. Toss veggies and serve along side of chicken.
Peachy Bombay Chicken
Other freezer cooking resources:
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For me peaches are the ultimate summer fruit. Even their appearance is sun-kissed, busting with sweetness. I try to cram as many as I can into our menu during this time of year before they aren’t available. I bake them up in muffins, stir them into dairy free yogurt, and just eat them out of hand with the juice dripping down my chin. Mmmm…. When I saw this recipe from Natalie, the Gluten Free Mommy, last year it quickly became a dinner staple. This dish is extra wonderful because you can use tomatoes or peaches in the sauce making it adaptable for any season. The version below is my favorite, of course, because it uses peaches. Cook up a batch and enjoy!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Bombay Chicken
Author: adapted by Angela Litzinger from Natalie @ Glutenfreemommy.com
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 2″ pieces
- ¾ cup red onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1½ cups chopped fresh peaches
- ¾ cup chicken broth, gluten free
- ¼ cup white wine or more chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon curry powder, gluten free
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, gluten free
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup canned coconut milk
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
Instructions
- In a pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the onion until translucent, then add garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Return chicken to pan along with any juices on the plate. Add broth, salt, ginger, chili powder, cayenne, curry, peaches, and wine. Stir to combine. When liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat and cover.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes. Cook until chicken is very tender. In a small measuring cup, mix coconut milk and cornstarch. Slowly stir into chicken mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil until sauce is thickened.
- Freezing Directions: Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place into freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, seal and freeze.
- To serve: Thaw. Heat through. Serve over rice, quinoa, or baked sweet potatoes. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, chopped cashews and shredded coconut if desired.
Sesame Chicken with Broccoli or Bok Choy, Gluten Free Dairy Free, Freezer Instructions
When my son was just a toddler we lived near a wonderful restaurant that had the best vegetarian egg rolls and dinners. Our budget was really tight then and it was always a big treat to rent a movie, order from the restaurant and snuggle down as a family to a cozy evening at home. It was such a tradition my son grew to call the restaurant the “rice store.” Honestly, when we first went gluten free I was so relieved to have an answer to my daughter’s health issues, I didn’t morn the loss of most gluten based food. I didn’t, that is, until I realized our staple dinner for family movie night was now off limits.
One of the challenges with eating gluten free is no longer picking up easy take out. Between gluten based soy sauces and the risk of cross-contamination, what are you to do? Natalie of Gluten Free Mommy had the same challenge. She missed her take out, setting out to make the Sesame Chicken that was her favorite. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. For my family I reduced the sugar and added broccoli (and I’ve made it with bok choy also – YUM!) to the dish to make it a one dish meal.
I made a triple batch for our use. One recipe was made for dinner that evening, one for the freezer, and one I divided into individual portions over rice for quick lunches or dinners for one. Making Sesame Chicken ahead of time and freezing it means you will have the speed and convenience of take out without the cross-contamination risks. When we’re craving take-out, all I have to to is heat and eat. Can’t get faster than that!
Printable freezer labels freezer for Sesame Chicken.
Printable recipe card for multiple batches of Sesame Chicken for the freezer.
Sesame Chicken with Broccoli or Bok Choy, Gluten Free Dairy Free, Freezer Instructions
Author: Angela Litzinger at test.angelaskitchen.com adapted from [Gluten Free Mommy](http://glutenfreemommy.com/sesame-chicken/)
Recipe type: gluten free, dairy free, chicken, main dish, stir fry, OAMC, make ahead, freezer cooking
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce, divided
- 2½ tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, divided
- 1 cup gluten free chicken broth
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, tapioca or arrowroot starch
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 pound broccoli floretes or sliced bok choy
- 1½ teaspoons garlic, minced
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes, or to taste
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- To serve: hot cooked rice and thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, ¼ cup gluten free soy sauce, 2½ tablespoons rice vinegar, and chicken broth. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine chicken pieces, 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes. Once the chicken has marinated, add egg whites and cornstarch, stirring until well-blended.
- In your wok or large skillet, heat half of the oil over med-high heat. Add broccoli or bok choy to heated pan and stir fry until crisp tender. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in skillet. Cook chicken in batches until golden on both sides- this will take 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken from wok with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Tent with foil to keep chicken warm. If you have more than a couple tablespoons of oil left in the wok, discard the remaining oil (leave just a few tablespoons in the wok). Reduce the heat to med.
- Cook the garlic and pepper flakes for about a minute. Add set aside soy sauce mixture. Increase heat to med-high and cook sauce for about 15 minutes. Stir two teaspoonfuls of cornstarch into a little water and whisk it into the sauce. Once the sauce is thickened and bubbly, add the chicken, vegetables and sesame seeds. Stir around until everything is well coated with the sauce and heated through. Top with thinly sliced green onions and serve over jasmine rice.
- Freezing Directions: When vegetables and chicken are done cooking, allow to cool. Once the sauce is thickened and bubbly, add chicken, vegetables and sesame seeds. Allow to cool. Place cooled mixture into freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Seal, label and freeze.
- To serve: Thaw and heat through. Top with thinly sliced green onions and serve over jasmine rice with a vegetable or salad.