Thanksgiving Dinner

I Know its a few days late but still a good feast for any holiday. I'm showing you my Thanksgiving dinner this year and how you can still have a feast and stay gluten free, dairy free, soy free etc. tastefully so! Turkey is lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and slow cooked at 325* basting a few times until done. The gravy is from the turkey juices in the pan. (cooked down the bones and kept the broth for a later recipe of turkey soup) Made the "Seasoned Stuffing", "Tarragon Carrots" and "Jan's Sweet Potatoes" before the turkey so all would be ready at the same time. Made the gravy when turkey was done and cooling slightly before carving. How you time your feast is totally up to you. Here are the recipes and even though I've had my health issues that temporarily kept me from posting I have a lot to be thankful for. I am still cooking and will keep sharing with you when I can. So with that said... here's to happy cooking and happy eating! ...tastefully gluten free...and then some! ~ Jan

Tarragon Carrots
Ingredients:
1 small bag of baby carrots or 2 cups cut into chunks
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh or dried tarragon
Instructions:
Steam carrots and then simmer in a pot with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Comment: Replace tarragon with mint for another taste option.

Ingredients for Stuffing:
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.

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.

Mango Salsa

Here's another recipe from Jan's kitchen...great for a bring-along item to the next potluck, barbecue or outing. Mango salsa! So delicious! you can have it with anything you would put salsa on or just a great dip for your tortilla chips. I love love love this salsa! Feel free to heat it up to the temperature you'd prefer with a hotter chili....here's the recipe. :)
Still tastefully gluten free, Jan

Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
2 peeled and diced ripened mangoes
2 small tomatoes diced
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup sweet onion diced
2 Tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh)
15 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 whole roasted green chili
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency. A 4 quick flash blend for a chunky result.

Today is my boyfriends birthday and his favorite cake is angel food cake. I have created one that is gluten free, dairy free and soy free but I do use sugar. However the sugar I use is raw sugar which I grind to a very fine powder.
This cake is a very light airy cake which I like to smother in smashed fresh fruit like strawberries or blue berries. I'm glad he likes my Angel Food Cake and since its gluten, soy, dairy free I can enjoy a piece with him. .....and for all of you viewers here is my recipe. I hope you all enjoy it.....Tastefully gluten free, Jan

Angel Food Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups egg whites (about 11)
Sugars divided as follows: ¾ cup raw sugar finely ground ½ cup raw sugar finely ground
¼ cup corn starch
¼ cup white rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Place egg whites in a tall sided large bowl for 30 minutes at room temperature
In one bowl sift together (preferably 3 times sifted) the ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch and flours set aside
Now add the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla to the egg whites and beat on a medium speed until there are soft peaks
Gradually add the ½ cup of sugar two tablespoons at a time until you achieve stiff peaks
Gradually (about ½ cup at a time) fold in the flour mixture
Gently spoon into ungreased tube pan
With a knife gently cut thru to remove air pockets
Bake on the lowest oven rack for 45 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned and top looks dry
Immediately invert pan and cool completely (about 1 hour)
Run a knife down edge and center to remove from pan
Serve plain or dressed with fresh fruit toppings

Tip: if you don’t have the feet on your tube pan to let it cool upside down just put the cone center upside down on a wine bottle make sure the bottle isn’t empty to keep it from toppling over

Jan's Quinoa

Jan’s Quinoa
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley(fresh)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbs diced shallots
2 Tbs thinly sliced sundried tomatoes
9 Kalamata olives
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp sea salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Put quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Stir once cover then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Put extra virgin olive oil in the skillet with the garlic and shallots and simmer until shallots are clear. Then add the salt, sundried tomatoes ,squeezed lemon and wine and let simmer for an additional 3 minutes then take off heat
Put the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Pour the shallot mixture on top as well as the chopped Italian parsley and Kalamata olives. Toss all together then serve.

This is a great side dish for just about any meal with meat or fish or even by itself as I have had it.

What’s really great about this recipe is the many variations you can make by just being a little creative. You can add as many of your favorite vegetables cooked or raw as you would like such as carrots, cucumbers or radishes for an example. Quinoa is a great source of protein too. I hope you enjoy this tasty dish. Here's to happy cooking and happy eating gluten free and then some!~ Jan

Hi everyone and happy spring! I've shown you these cookies before but now I'm including the recipe! :) It just goes to show that gluten free, dairy free, soy free, etc free is not taste free! Mmmm yummy "Almond Cookies" Keep checking up on me, more recipes are coming! Have a beautiful and tastefully gluten free day!........ Jan

Almond Cookies
Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut oil
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla
½ tsp pure almond extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1+ 1/3 plus 2 Tbs brown rice flour
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
Roughly 18 whole roasted almonds
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Sift dry ingredients together and set aside
In a large bowl blend Coconut oil, vanilla, almond extract and maple syrup until frothy add dry ingredients with a fork until all is moist. Form one inch balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets Lightly make a fork print across the tops of the balls then push in one almond lightly Bake 14 to 20 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned Let cool on a cooling rack

"Jan's No Soy Soy Sauce"

Hi everyone! Yes, I've missed you too! Great news....I have new recipes for  everyone! We will start out with one of my new favorites "Jan's No Soy Soy Sauce". When I went gluten free I also went soy free which was sad because I had to give up all my Asian soy loves....no more soy sauce or teriyaki or tamari! I was having fun with all the other new things I was eating so I just resigned to not eating Asian. Well, the good news is I have many of my Asian loves back thanks to my latest creation. "Jan's No Soy Soy Sauce" is a fantastic replacement for soy sauce and I use it in every way I used to use regular soy sauce. With that said here's a picture of Shrimp Stir Fry that I made using my No Soy Soy Sauce. Stir fry is pretty easy First I prepare some gluten free Asian rice noodles according to package directions. I rinse them and set them aside. Then I take sesame oil and stir fry whatever veggies I want or have. Sometimes making stir fry is a great way to clean out the fridge. :) I used scallions, carrots, bell pepper, shallots and fresh ginger. I slice and dice then let it fry in the sesame oil til andante then I added some washed and cleaned shrimp with tails still on and threw them in the skillet til opaque. adding the noodles I then added my soy sauce...about a cup. I let that start to sizzle when I threw in a couple lightly beaten eggs. I let that cook a few minutes til eggs cooked up then threw in some raw cashews tossed it up and voila"....awesome goodness.I even threw on some toasted sesame seeds that I happened to have...:) Hope you love this sauce as much as I do Until next time here's to happy cooking and happy eating! ~ Jan

"Jan’s No Soy Soy Sauce"
Ingredients:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls. chicken bouillon/base
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbls.  unsulphered molasses
¼ cup water
Instructions:
Put all ingredients into a sauce pan Boil on medium heat until it cooks down some 10 to 15 minutes Let cool then jar Use on all your favorite foods instead of soy keep refrigerated

Well....I'm back in the saddle of cooking again! Here are some new recipes I made and served for dinner tonight. My boyfriend was delighted with my new creations. You know the recipes in my book are awesome and I cook out of my book all the time making variations to those recipes to help keep it interesting but I'm really ready for the new...My fatigue has put me in a groove of whats easy (doing what I already know). I will start the day with great anticipation and ideas of what I want to make or create but my momentum fizzles before it can happen. I truly apologize for that but happily I have something new today to share. "Pear Vinaigrette" salad dressing, "Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon" served with chicken stock , parsley and salt seasoned jasmine rice and then "Crispy Butternut Squash Wedges"...I hope you all enjoy these recipes....with that said , here's to cooking and eating!....tastefully gluten free and then some, Jan

Pear Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 ripe pear peeled and cored	½ tsp black pepper
½ cup white wine	¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup rice vinegar (can use white wine vinegar)	½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic minced	2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Place all ingredients in a blender…blend away! Mmmmm yumminess!

Crispy Butternut Squash Wedges
Ingredients:
1 small to medium size butternut squash	½ tsp sea salt (optional)
1 cup roasted almonds (salted if you prefer not to salt later)	½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup coconut milk
Instructions:
Peal the squash then cut off ends and the in half with a knife.  Remove the seeds. Lay flat side down to cut ½ inch slices. Blend the almonds in a blender and place in a bowl with the flour. In another bowl put the coconut milk.  In a skillet heat the oil on low to medium heat.  Dip the squash wedges in the milk then dredge in the almond mixture before lying them in the hot skillet. Cook one side at a time slowly as to cook the raw squash. (about 20 to 25 minutes on each side) They will be brown and crispy and soft to a fork when done.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon
Ingredients:
One large salmon filet (enough to cut 4 to 6 sections)	3 tsp Dijon mustard
4 minced garlic cloves	1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp white wine	Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400* Mix the garlic, wine, honey, vinegar and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes stirring frequently then turn down heat. Simmer for a few more minutes ‘til it thickens some. Foil line a baking pan and spray lightly with some olive oil then place the filet skin down onto foil. I will usually cut a large filet in half to accommodate the pan. Take a cooking brush and brush on the glaze generously. Bake uncovered for about 14 minutes. Then brush again before serving and sprinkle top with the oregano, salt and pepper.