Butternut Squash Soup

We happened to have a butternut squash in the firge and needed a way to use it up. The solution? Butternut Squash Soup.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
2 small onions, diced
2 small apples, peeled and cubed
1 2/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients:

Microwave squash for 2 to 5 minutes on high, to soften skin. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and stringy pulp. Brush olive oil on the inside and roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. If the skin doesn't begin to peel off, you may need to cut it off with a paring knife. Add broth, onions, and apples to slow cooker. Stir in salt, pepper, and spices. Add squash when finished roasting and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Blend with an immersion blender.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Lazy Chicken

This is probably the easiest recipe I've ever seen. It is very simple and only requires two ingredients.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
pasta sauce

Directions:
Put chicken breasts in crock pot and pour sauce on top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Pull chicken apart with a fork and serve over pasta and rice.

Like I said this recipe is so easy. And the best part is that you can use any kind of meat and sauce. This should be my fallback for the crock pot. Maybe I should try a different kind of meat next time.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Lemon Herb Chicken

Again this was a recipe I meant to post last week. And if you haven't already figured this out, all the recipes I made last week were crock pot recipes. This particular recipe is very easy.

Ingredients:

1 4 lb whole chicken
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 head garlic, cloves intact and peeled
2 lemons, sliced
3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions:
skin chicken and discard neck and giblets (the internal organs).Put whole cloves of garlic in cavity. Place in cork pot breast side down and lay rosemary on top. Place chicken in crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from crock. (the meat will fall off the bones) Serve with rice or vegetables. (I had it with a baked potato)

And yes I know I keep forgetting to take pictures of these recipes. I'll have to get better at doing it.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Potato Leek Soup

Okay, so I meant to post this recipe last week, but I was really busy. So here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

3 large leek, diced (you only use the white part)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb brown potatoes
1/2 tsp thyme
black pepper
5 cups chicken broth
2 cloves chopped garlic

Directions:
Chop up vegetables and add broth and spices. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4. Use immersion blender to thicken soup or put small batches into a blender if you don't have one. But the immersion blender is the best thing to make it both creamy and dairy free.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Chipotle Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

I love this recipe. It is a little spicy, so if you don't like spicy foods, you may want to use less chipotle.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 10 oz package mushrooms
1 onion
6 garlic cloves
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 diced red bell pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp chipotle pepper (I only used 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp paprika
black pepper

Directions:
Put chicken in crock pot. Add vegetables, broth, and spices. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until chicken is beginning to shred. Serve over rice.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow
One thing I might want to say about this week is that I'm making all crock pot recipes this week. Tomorrow, I'm making potato leek soup.

From Make it

Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is one of my personal favorites. It's very good, and it's also good for you. The kind in the can is okay, but I prefer the homemade version. This recipe, like many of my other recipes this week, is made in the crock pot.

2 16 oz package dried split peas
1 onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced carrot
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb bacon
1 package Canadian bacon

Directions:
Put peas,vegetables, broth and water into crock pot. Mix in salt and pepper. Add bacon. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the bacon and discard. Use a handheld immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. Add Canadian bacon and allow to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
This recipe is great for leftovers, and you will probably have some. However, you will find that when you take the soup out of the refrigerator the next day, it's going to be very thick and hard to work with. You should heat it up in the microwave and thin it out with chicken broth before eating it. You will find that if you do this each time you have the leftover soup, it will be thinner each time. Another thing to consider is that I know some of you guys might be vegetarians or have family members that are vegetarians. If that is the case, you can leave out the bacon and Canadian bacon.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew made from eggplant, zucchini and other summer vegetables. It is rather delicious. This version is made in the crock pot.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1/2 yellow onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can peeled whole tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes and juices
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 water

Directions:

Chop vegetables in bite sized chunks. Layer in slow cooker and cover with seasonings, tomatoes, oil and water. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. I always serve it over rice, but it's also good on it's own.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

I loved the ratatouille. The eggplant has a texture that's almost meaty. I love the other vegetables too. I had my ratatouille over brown rice, and it nicely complemented the vegetables.

Tortilla Soup

Finally a gluten free tortilla soup. This one can be made in the crock pot, so it's quick and easy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 green onions, chopped
1 28 oz can tomatoes with juices
1 cup chopped fresh vegetables
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth
tortilla chips

Directions:

Add chicken, vegetables, garlic, spices, salt, and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

This soup is so delicious. The tortilla chips is really what makes the soup. I'm so bummed I forgot to take a picture to post on here.

Corn Chowder

So this one of the crock pot recipes I was just talking about. It's perfect on any day. I really like how it is creamy even though there isn't any dairy. The secret is a handheld immersion blender. It chops up all the vegetables and blends all the flavors. And since it's handheld, it's a lot easier to handle. I've found that if you stir the soup with it, you can blend it a lot easier. If you don't have an immersion blender, though, a regular blender will do fine, but you have to cool the soup first.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 small white potatoes, peeled and diced
2 16 ounce bags frozen corn
2 quarts chicken broth
kosher salt
black pepper

Put onion, carrots, bell pepper, and potatoes in the slow cooker. Add frozen corn and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Use immersion blender to reach desired consistency.

Corn Chowder

I loved the creaminess of the chowder. The immersion blender perfectly blends the flavors. This is definitely a keeper.

Busy, Busy Days

It was the second day of school for me, and things get really busy, really fast. I got homework yesterday, and more homework today. Classes are starting to get rolling. I'm taking a foods class and we're still learning about classroom procedures. But everything else is busy, busy, busy. Between homework and extracurricular activities, I have very little time. So I need to be able to make something quick and easy for really busy days. You may think this is impossible because recipes take so long to make. The answer is the crock pot. It's a slow cooker, so the food cooks for hours. But don't be fooled. It's actually quite easy. All you have to do is simply put the ingredients into the crock pot, set the timer, and it will cook for the rest of the day. Once the timer goes off, the crock pot will keep the food warm until it is ready to serve. So it is ideal for days when you are really busy and don't have time to cook. In my house, we have a lot of crock pot meals when we are busy. You too will find it is the perfect way to make sure you have a delicious home-cooked meal, even when you don't have time to cook.

4 Step Chicken

This recipe is based off of a similar recipe by Food network chef, Melissa D'Arabian. She has what she calls her 4 step chicken. It's very flexible, you can use different ingredients or even different meat.

Step One- Dredge in Flour.
 Cut the chicken breasts in half  to make them thinner. I used a mixture of rice flour and tapioca flour for this recipe. Season flour with your choice of seasonings. Today, I used thyme and orange zest. Then dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess.Cook in a frying pan until chicken is no longer pink.

Step Two- Add Aromatics
Remove the chicken and add your choice of onion. Today I used yellow onion and orange zest. You could also add bell pepper or anything else you can saute. Cook until aromatic

Step Three- Add liquids
Turn the heat to high and add liquids. I used white wine, orange juice, and chicken broth. Cook until slightly reduced.

Step Four- Finish the Sauce
Add a tablespoon of butter to finish. Serve with rice.

The best chicken ever

The chicken was really good. I could really taste the orange.

Tomorrow's recipe: Corn Chowder

Mom's Chili

This is my mom's chili recipe. It's simmering on the stove top as I am writing this. Like all my other recipes so far, it is a family favorite. This is exactly the way my mom makes it except for a few changes. We usually use ground beef, but we had some ground turkey we had to use up, so I'm using that. I also chose to use sliced mushrooms, which we don't normally use. Other than that, it is the same as my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Ground Beef or Chicken
Celery (chopped)
Onion (chopped)
3 14 oz cans diced and /or stewed tomatoes
3 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or paste)
3 14 oz cans beans (kidney, white, and/or black)
dash pepper
1 tsp salt
2-3 tsp chili powder
pinch chipotle seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Saute beef w/ celery and onion until beef is no longer pink and onion is translucent. You can also saute mushrooms as well.  Add tomatoes, sauce, and spices. Do not drain the tomatoes. The liquid will become part of the chili. You can substitute some of the sauce for tomato paste if you want your chili to be thicker. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. If the chili starts to boil, turn down the heat. Add beans. Do not drain the cans. The liquid will become part of the chili. You can also add canned corn. Heat for 5 minutes and serve.

Note: You can also put this in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Just saute beef onion and celery first.

My chili just finished simmering. Time to add the beans. Just added the beans. For this recipe, I'm using 1 can each of light kidney beans, dark kidney beans, and great northern beans. We usually use cannelloni beans (aka white kidney beans), but we didn't have any today. So I'm using great northern beans instead. Chili is done. Gotta take a picture.

Big Pot o Chili

Mmm is that good!!!

The chili looks so good, I gotta try some for myself. Mmm it is so good. I gotta finish this bowl of chili. I'll be back tomorrow with 4 Step Chicken

Fried Rice

I first encountered fried rice in my Skills for Living class. Unfortunately it contained soy sauce. I made a version that used gluten free soy sauce until I found out I was allergic to soy. This is the modified version that does not contain soy. It has become a family favorite and I hope it does for you.

Ingredients:

1 white onion
4 green onions
1 lb white mushrooms
1 red bell pepper or 1 yellow bell pepper (you can use both)
frozen vegetables
4 cups white rice (or brown rice)
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
chicken broth

Directions:
Start by cooking the rice. A rice cooker is very useful if you have one. (It is a great time saver). If you don't you can use a saucepan and cook the rice for about 20 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Use equal parts water and beef broth. (You may need to adjust the proportions if you are using a saucepan) The beef broth will give the rice the same color as soy sauce. While the rice is cooking, heat oil in a pan. I use grapeseed oil, but you can also use olive oil or canola oil. Chop the onions and bell peppers and slice the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are browned and the onion is translucent. Add your frozen vegetables. I like to use a stir fry mix, but you can use pretty much anything you have in your freezer. I also like to use frozen peas. Cook the frozen vegetables until they are thawed. If you want to add any other fresh vegetables such as broccoli, add them at the same time as the frozen vegetables. You can also add lunch meat if you want, but I prefer a meatless version. I also sometimes add fresh herbs. Parsley and rosemary are great and I sometimes also like thyme in it. When the rice is done fluff it and put it in a bowl. Add the vegetable mixture. You can also add some salt at this point to make up for the sodium that is usually in soy sauce. Or if you want a low sodium version, you can leave out the salt. The mixture might be a little dry, so stir in some chicken broth (or beef broth if you choose).  It should have the consistency of a risotto when you are done. Serve. If you want you can garnish with fresh herbs or with green onions. This recipe is very flexible and you can use pretty much anything you want. It is also great for leftovers and can be eaten either cold or warm. Enjoy.

Introduction

My name is Ellen.  I am 16 years old and I am entering my sophomore year of high school. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when I was six. This means I have to avoid gluten, which is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. I am also allergic to milk, soy, eggs, and fish. Because of all these allergies, I have developed some recipes I want to share. None of these recipes contain gluten, milk, soy, or fish. Occasionally I might use eggs since I'm allowed to have eggs as long as they are in something and not straight eggs. Most of my recipes are actually recipes I have modified so they don't contain ingredients I can't have. Others I came up with myself or are family recipes. I also have some tricks and tips that I have learned over the years. I plan to use this blog to teach people how to cook foods that taste good, but don't have things they are allergic to. This includes recipes as well as tips and tricks. I will also include substitutions you can use to make any recipe allergy friendly. Enjoy