Happy New Year!

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a great time cooking this holiday. Being gluten, dairy, soy, and etc. free makes holiday cooking and eating a challenge but when there's a will there's a way. This year for Christmas I plan to sway from tradition and make Chicken Chimichangas. I used to make them a lot before my diet restrictions but I now plan to make them comply. I shall tell you all about it in a future post. I would love to hear thoughts and ideas. I leave you with my quote of "happy cooking and happy eating"!.....Jan

A helpful link for measurements

Here's a helpful link for converting the measurements of my recipes to metric if needed.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_weights_and_measures                 Happy Holidays!

No Gluten, Dairy, Sugar or Soy..."Cranberry Walnut Cake Muffins"

I thought I would take my "Cranberry Walnut Cake" (recipe found in Jan's Recipe Book  jansrecipebook.com ) and make muffins with it. This cake tends to stick to the cupcake pan so it is best to use liners in the pan and the best are the foil liners not just the paper liners. I still pour a little of the drizzle on top. This is just a variation for convenience as a take-along treat. Actually I just love this cake anyway it's served. It's so sweet and yummy and is one of my favorite desserts. (or snacks...or for breakfast even) The tartness of the cranberry and the sweetness of the vanilla drizzle is the magic combination! .....Happy cooking and happy eating!....Jan

Gluten Free~ Dairy Free~Soy Free and more "Whole Clove Garlic Chicken"

     I like to buy whole chickens when they are on sale and freeze them. Besides using them for my "Almost Grandma's Chicken Noodle soup" I like to use them for my "Whole Clove Garlic Chicken". (recipe's found in Jan's Recipe Book  jansrecipebook.com  ) When I was working on this recipe I was actually looking to make something with vermouth. Not that I drink martinis but when my daughter came home from college a few years back she gave me a large unopened bottle and asked if I could use it. I guess a roommate left it so not to be wasteful she thought I might like to have it. I didn't know what to do with it so I started looking for various uses with food mostly I found it with fish and poultry.It was a dry vermouth and found it to be gluten free. My recipe doesn't call for a lot of vermouth but it certainly adds to the flavour. If you don't have vermouth substitute it with dry white wine.Then there are the 40 cloves of garlic.....that's another story. I will just say this dish tastes great and I usually serve it over rice. I hope you enjoy my recipes and I say as usual "Happy cooking and Happy eating!".......Jan

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS with No Gluten, No Dairy, No Soy and Then Some!

My "Italian Meatballs" are great with my "Sundried Tomato Pasta" both recipes are in my recipe book. ( jansrecipebook.com ) However the meatballs are also great with just spaghetti sauce over rice pasta noodles. I didn't put my "Spaghetti Sauce" recipe in my current book but will give it to my blog viewers.

Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil	6 oz. can tomato paste(I use organic)
5 clove minced garlic	24 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. oregano	½ cup wine (whatever you have leftover)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
¼ tsp. ground rosemary
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions:
Place the extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan with the minced garlic. Bring to a sizzle. Add the tomato paste and stir then the tomato sauce and again stir. Put in all the spices stirring until sauce is smooth. Pour in the wine, stir again then reduce temperature.

Hope everyone enjoys this and I'll say it again "Happy Cooking and Happy Eating!"......Jan

I'm Spicing Up My Waffles For The Season And Still Being Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Etc. Free!

My "Belgian Waffles" (recipe found in Jan's Recipe Book) are great alone or with blueberry sauce but here's a nice seasonal variation to the recipe. Instead of rice milk use coconut milk and add 1/2 tsp molasses to the coconut milk. Then add 1 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. allspice to the rice flour and voila' "Gingerbread Waffles"! Here's to happy cooking and happy eating!

Hey, I'm in the New Pathways Magazine issue 70!

Just In Time For Thanksgiving!

Jan’s Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
	Ingredients for the topping:
3 cups cooked sweet potatoes	¾ cup honey
¾ cup agave syrup (or honey)	¼ tsp. molasses
½ cup extra virgin olive oil	1 cup rice flour
2 eggs	1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla	1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Mix the first 5 ingredients with a mixer then turn into a baking dish.  For the topping, first add the molasses to the honey. Then fork together all the rest of the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

                                                 Here is one of my gluten, dairy, soy, etc. free recipes. This is a recipe that I am very proud and fond of! I created it especially for an MS magazine called "New Pathways". It will be running an article about me and my recipe book in their up and coming Nov./Dec. issue. I will be posting more on that later.  Again I say "Happy Cooking and Happy Eating!" and Happy Thanksgiving!....Jan

Mmmm..."Banana Nut Bread"

Just out of the oven and letting it cool....oh the anticipation! I know what's for breakfast tomorrow! Still gluten free, dairy free, and the rest of my frees! Happy cooking and happy eating!   jansrecipebook.com

Another Great Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free Dinner!

Tonight I made Cajun Chicken breasts with Quinoa pasta. I took the same recipe as my "Cajun Shrimp"(recipe found in Jan's Recipe Book) and replaced the shrimp with chicken. It was fantastic! Usually I serve a small salad with this but not tonight. Even without the salad it was plenty and tasty. I welcome any comments about my book or recipes and requests for future blogs. Thanks again!!! Happy cooking and happy eating!......Jan

"Without Gluten, Dairy, Soy or Sugar Here's An Early Holiday Recipe!"

Stuffing & Gravy
Ingredients:
4 cups toasted & cubed rice bread (aprox.9 slices)	1 Tbsp. parsley
¼ cup diced onion	¾  tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil	¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup fresh or gluten free chicken (or turkey) broth	½ cup raisins
1 tsp. rubbed sage	1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ tsp. ground thyme	INGREDIENTS FOR GRAVY:
¼ tsp. ground rosemary	3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. clove	3 Tbs. white rice flour
1/8 tsp. nutmeg	2 cups fresh or gluten free chicken(or turkey)broth
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Place the toasted and cubed rice bread in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil and onion in skillet and lightly simmer until onion is tender. Remove from heat and set aside. Sprinkle all the spices over the rice bread and lightly toss. Add the sautéed onion and again lightly toss. Pour in the cup of broth until bread is slightly moistened. Fold in the raisins and nuts. Turn stuffing into a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake covered for 35 minutes.
You make the gravy like a roux. Put the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice flour until completely touched with oil. Turn on burner and begin to heat. Slowly add the broth stirring constantly. When desired thickness is reached remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is my thank you to all who follow and inspire me! Happy Thanksgiving!

What's Been Cookin' In My Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy and Sugar Free World?

A Lot has been cookin' that's for sure! Here are some of the meals I made this week- "Pancakes", "Shrimp Scampi", "Tuna Casserole" and "Pizza". All of these recipes can be found in Jan's Recipe Book ( jansrecipebook.com ). I also have been gearing up for Thanksgiving. I still had a turkey in the freezer so I cooked one up yesterday so I can work on some new recipe ideas which I will be sharing with my blog followers. I'm perfecting some recipes I already have like stuffing and gravy. I will post them soon. Blessings to all and here's to happy cooking and happy eating!

Just Another Day In The Kitchen!

Just another day of cooking and stocking up my freezer with lunch portions for rest of the month. For lunch today I made "Salmon With Dill". Just a light lunch with rice chips to eat with. For dinner I made "Believe It Or Not Meatloaf" with jasmine rice on the side as well as "Tarragon Carrots" and "Asparagus with Garlic Mustard". I love the aroma the meatloaf presents while baking. It makes you so eager for dinner. My husband was someone who very much disliked meatloaf until I made my version of the classic meal. Now he loves it! Tastefully Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and more. Here's to happy cooking and happy eating!!  jansrecipebook.com

It's Been A Long Day!!

 

 

I worked all day then came home to my other duties and then started to cook. I do that sometimes!. I proceeded to make "Apricot Chicken" with "Turmeric Rice" on the side and also "Chicken Breasts with Pesto Pasta". I then topped it all with "Sweet Yummy Nut Bars". My husband ate one main dish I ate the other and we both had a yummy nut bar. Now I will have lots of leftovers that I single serve divide and freeze for lunches and nut bars to snack on all week. Cleaned up and all was done in a 2 hour span! Awesome! Who ever said that Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Etc, Free was hard? Oh yeah, that was me before I learned how!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Etc. Free......

I have been very happy with the positive responses I have received from some of the people using my recipe book. I am thankful that people are enjoying my recipes and feeling good too. I just want to say "Thank You!" to everyone who likes it and has found it beneficial to them. I have been working on some new recipes and I hope to post some of them here for my blog viewers. Here's to happy cooking and happy eating!.....Jan

"Grilled Lemon and Oregano Chicken Skewers"

This is always a family favorite and definitely a husband favorite. The day was beautiful so outside to the grill it was. Served with a small salad and a glass of wine. (Oh, and don't let me forget the good company and nice atmosphere!) Cheers!

"Shrimp with Yellow Squash"

This is an easy quick recipe. The recipe calls for shallots but I was out so I used Vidalia onion in its stead and it was good. (This recipe is found in Jan's Recipe Book.)  http://www.jansrecipebook.com/   

"Blueberry Pancakes"

Whats for breakfast? I eat many different things for breakfast but pancakes are still one of my favorites. Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, etc. free but not taste free!     jansrecipebook.com

Gluten free, dairy free, and everything else that needs to be free! "Pumpkin Soup"

I feel fall in the air and that makes me happy. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. My "Pumpkin Soup" (recipe in Jan's Recipe Book), is rich and creamy with apple and carrots just enough to enhance its flavor. I haven't made it in awhile and so I am glad I did. (if just to remind myself of how much I liked it).

jansrecipebook.com: GLUTEN FREE - DAIRY FREE - SOY FREE (with other di...

jansrecipebook.com: GLUTEN FREE - DAIRY FREE - SOY FREE (with other di...: If you are new to this type of eating then you will be surprised at how tasty and healthy these recipes are and how easy they are to prepar...

GLUTEN FREE - DAIRY FREE - SOY FREE (with other diet restrictions) for Everyone.

 If you are new to this type of eating then you will be surprised at how tasty and healthy these recipes are and how easy they are to prepare. You can enjoy eating healthier meals using these great tasting recipes even if you don't have special diet needs.  http://www.jansrecipebook.com/

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, etc.Free "Chicken Strips With Honey Mustard "

(This recipe can be found in Jan's Recipe Book at   http://www.jansrecipebook.com/  ).This is a family favorite which is why I love to make it. It's easy and doesn't take too much time once you get into the hang of it (as often as I do which is a couple times a month). What I have been doing is experimenting with various brands of white rice flour and what I have found so far is that the brands I've used for this recipe have been just fine. That makes me confident that this recipe will be just fine with whatever brand white rice flour people may use. Good luck in having leftovers because like I said it's a family favorite! Happy cooking!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy free, etc. Free "Banana Nut Bread"

I really love this bread! It can be breakfast, a snack, or dessert and it freezes nicely (sliced that is) to reheat anytime. I had an easy quick dinner earlier. I sauteed shallots, mushrooms, and spinach adding fork whipped eggs, flipping like an omelet when cooked and folding it all in a rice flour tortilla. I guess one could call it a breakfast burrito which I have no problem eating for dinner. Later I found myself with a sweet tooth and remembered I had some frozen slices of my "Banana Nut Bread" (recipe in Jan's Recipe Book) in the freezer. It's amazing how good it is after being frozen. It's as good as the day I made it! So, my sweet tooth has been satisfied!

"Grandma's Mockery Chocolate Cake"

Why do I call it that? Well, my husband loves his grandma's chocolate cake. In fact our wedding cake (the cake part) was made with his grandma's recipe that's how much he loves it. It's an old type buttermilk recipe, so, when I started my diet I knew I would have to create a worthy cake without gluten, refined sugar, dairy etc.. I will admit there were a lot of flops at first (some were so bad I didn't even let him taste them) but I kept trying until finally I created a close replacement. I've gotten the thumbs up from him and let me tell you that says a lot! I just made this cake and again he commented on how good it is. Now you all know the reason for it's name.......I'm about to take a piece to his mother. :)

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, with all my other frees and yes there's Pizza!

Who says you have to have cheese on pizza? Actually because of the cheese factor I thought I was never going to have pizza again when I started this diet. Wrong!! I love my pizza and it's crispy thin crust. So that is what I had tonight for dinner and I feel very satisfied I might add.

"Crab Cake Lettuce Wraps!" Tasty and Light For Lunch Or Dinner

I made my Crab Cake Lettuce Wraps for dinner the other night. (recipe in Jan's Recipe Book) They were really great but had to slightly alter the recipe because I was short on the crab meat. Of course I was halfway there making it thinking in my mind I had enough crab before I even started but lo and behold I was short. What to do, what to do! I thought about what I could do to create enough substance to form the cake anyway so I added 1 and 1/2 slices of crumbled rice bread to fill the void and followed the recipe as if it were the needed crab meat. They were excellent and who would've known. No one. This is a tip if you ever find yourself short on the crab meat. I served the cakes on a large lettuce leaf and slid my dill dip across the top then sprinkled it with sliced radishes. Then I wrapped the cake with the lettuce. The combination of flavors is what makes this "Tasty". Still gluten, dairy, soy, and etc. free!

Gluten free flour brands make a difference!

I make pancakes and waffles a lot. (because I love them!) Will freeze some so I can take them to work and have them for lunch sometimes. What I have found is the brand of white rice flour does make a difference. My daughter (sweet as she is) purchased various white rice flours from a large Asian market while she was in L.A. on vacation (it's nice when your kids think about you when they are away). I've been using these various brands and they are ok in some things (thickening or breading like my Chicken Strips) but actually some are awful . My best pancakes and waffles are with the Bob's Redmill brand white rice flour. I follow my recipe exact and they are perfect every time.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Refined Sugar Free Ice Cream.....

It's hard to believe that this ice cream can be so free of all these things especially dairy! I love this ice cream so much that I freely share this recipe with everyone.

Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. Hershey’s pure unsweetened cocoa
1  13.5 oz. can coconut milk frozen in ice cube trays
2 Tbs. agave syrup
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup rice milk
Instructions:
Put everything in blender except ½ cup of the rice milk. Pulse blend adding the remainder of the rice milk as needed. When all is blended spoon into freezer container and place back in freezer. Serve 4 hours later after it completely hardens.

"To Grandmothers House We Go!"

My mother in law (who I love dearly by the way) was taken ill recently. I told her to pick out a couple dishes that she might like from my recipe book and I would make them for her. That way all she would have to do is reheat them to eat them. She picked out 1 main dish and a bread. My daughter was in town over night (that's why the "grandma" theme). So together we made the food. The first dish was my "Tuna Casserole". The second thing we made or should I say my daughter made was my "Pumpkin Spice Bread". It took a total of 1 and 1/2 hours. We then went right over to her house to deliver it. She was very happy! These recipes can be found in Jan's Recipe Book.    jansrecipebook.com

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Etc. Free...... Soup On A Rainy Day!

You can never get enough comfort on a rainy day. "Almost Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup" (recipe found in Jan's Recipe Book) is a great inside snuggler. This soup is fantastic and for those of you who think soup is not a meal I beg to argue that thought. This soup is quite hardy with noodles, chunks of chicken and an array of vegetables seasoned to perfection. I top it with some crushed rice chips for an added crunch but they are not necessary for its flavor.This soup also freezes well. I like to keep a few servings in the freezer ready to heat up when needed. Lightning, thunder, a sudden down pour and a bowl of this soup. (ahhh....life is good!)

And It's Gluten Free too?

Digging around in the fridge....mm....what to make for dinner. Want something easy....then went digging in the freezer and voila! Found items I froze awhile back (cranberries, diced onion, sliced turkey breast, bell pepper, sliced zucchini) and knew...."Layered Turkey and Cranberry Enchiladas"! (recipe found in Jan's Recipe Book... jansrecipebook.com ) It's an enchilada baked casserole dish so easy too! Dinner was exceptional!.....later, I was digging around in the fridge....mm....what's for dessert.   Just kidding....found a piece of walnut cake in the freezer when I was digging earlier..... :)                         

In the local paper!

Here's the link to the article in the local paper!   http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1190&ArticleID=43145

"Italian Meatballs with Sun Dried Tomato Pasta"

This dish is one of my all time favorites! If I had a "signature" dish this would be it! It's a family favorite as well. I've made it many times and used different brands for some of the ingredients and it still never fails to please. I do exactly as my recipe instructs (from Jan's Recipe Book) and tonight was no exception to that and as usual it was fabulous! A nice glass of cabernet sauvignon with dinner perfected the moment. Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and all my other "No's" who would have known it could taste so good! Happy cooking!

Yes, I'll use my oven in the summer!

Tonight's feast was oh so scrumptious! "Whole Clove Garlic Chicken" baked to perfection.The chicken is so tender it just falls off the bone! So I spent a little more time in the preparation of this dish but then once its in the oven I relax and wait. I prepared some asparagus to serve along side and some pesto pasta using fresh basil. Its one of those meals that leaves you feeling completely content and satisfied.

Quick and easy always works for me!

I was going to do the grill again but I just didn't feel like lighting it. Hubby was out doing photography so I needed quick and easy and he can eat later. I can't give him a hard time about fixing dinner because he has been cooking! (Which proves anyone can follow my recipes if he can!) Last night we had "Ground Turkey Tacos" always a favorite and he makes them right from my recipe book. For tonight's quick and easy dinner, I made "Cajun Shrimp" over quinoa pasta with a small side salad tossed with "Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing". It was of course delish! I saved some for him....nicely!

A Little Tart! A Little Sweet! A Lot of Yum!!!!

I know there are people who would argue this but not every great dessert has to have chocolate! "Cranberry Walnut Cake" (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, etc.sweetened with agave syrup)  jansrecipebook.com

It's summer so light up the grill!

I wanted to have something to go with a chilled pasta salad and fresh ears of corn for dinner. I had some fresh chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) so I decided to put them on the grill. I love that charbroiled flavor! One of the recipes from my recipe book, "Grilled Lemon and Oregano Chicken Skewers", has a fantastic marinade and that's what I used on the breasts. I cooked and rinsed the pasta (preferably brown rice pasta shells) then tossed it with about 1 cup of my "White Wine Vinaigrette"(also in my recipe book). I then chilled the pasta salad until ready to serve then topped it with sliced almonds, dehydrated cranberries, and some crushed rice chips. The corn on the cob I boiled until done (5 to 6 minutes). Instead of using butter on the corn I use extra virgin olive oil which I keep in a spray bottle. After marinating the breasts (about 20 minutes) I grilled them on low for 45 minutes or until they are cooked thoroughly in the center. It was a great summer meal!

Not just a snack!

Last week I made some of my "Yummy Nut Bars" (recipe can be found in my recipe book) so I could have food for snacks or on the run. They are really great! I like to keep them in the refrigerator. I think they would last several weeks in the refrigerator. I'm not really sure because my family loves them and so there are none left in the refrigerator long enough to find out. When I make them I hide a few in the freezer (for me). This morning I was wanting a cool breakfast so I made a bowl of fresh cut fruit and crumbled a "Yummy Nut Bar" over it. Wow! It was really great! Sometimes I forget how restricted my diet is when it tastes so good!

Cooling down for lunch on a blazin' hot summer day!

Today's lunch?... "Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dip" from my recipe book. They are so crispy good it's hard to believe they are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and the rest of my "No's". I usually will have a salad or some kind of veggie with them but it's just too hot out today. (it could reach 110* out today) So instead of a veggie I had cold slices of cantaloupe and honey dew melon. They went well with the crispy chicken strips. My recipe actually calls for chicken breasts cut into strips but chicken tenders work just as well since that's what I had............ I actually get a weekend to chillax so I may get into my creative mode for a new recipe......I'll ponder that thought.