Crock pot Vegetable Curry

When people tell me that they hate Indian food, I have to assume that they just haven't tried the right dish, or the right part of Indian Cuisine. This is a great intro dish.

4 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes
8 oz frozen green beans
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 TBL quick cooking tapioca
1 tsp garam marsala (on your grocer's Asian aisle)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 salt
1-14oz. can chicken or vegetable broth
1-140z can of diced tomatoes
1 can coconut milk (not fat free)

• In a 3 1/2 quart to 5 quart slow cooker combine all ingredients except Coconut milk.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 9 hours, or high for 3.5 to 4.5 hours.
• at the last half hour, add coconut milk and let warm through.
• serve over hot cooked rice.

Make ahead options:

• using a quart sized freezer bag mix all spices together.
  

Santa Fe Chicken

I substitute tilapia for the chicken in this dish. It is really good either way.

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
1 TBL olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 ground coriander
3 tsp chopped garlic
1 TBL honey
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips (or whole tilapia fillets)
2 TBL chopped fresh cilantro (you can leave this off if you dislike cilantro)
1/4 cup white wine

• Mix all ingredients together
• pour into a 1 gallon freezer bag
• marinate at least 30 minutes
• bake 350 degrees at 40 minutes.
  

make ahead option: take 1 gallon freezer bag, freeze and label.

to serve:

• thaw and put into a 9x9 baking dish
  
• bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes
  

Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are fantastically addictive. The recipe makes 4 dozen. I have to quickly freeze the remaining cookies to hide them from my family. I think they could eat the whole 4 dozen!

1/2 cup sugar (or you can sub agave nectar)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup rice milk
2 1/2 cups oat flour (made by pulsing old fashioned oats in a blender)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of old fashioned oats
1 cups raisins or chocolate chips if desired. ( i use the enjoy life dairy free chocolate chips)

• with a mixer, mix the shortening and sugars.
• add vanilla and rice milk and mix again
• add oat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and mix well
• stir in the old fashioned oats and chocolate chips or raisins.
• drop dough by the rounded tablespoons on the cookie sheet.
• bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Snack Cake

If you are very gluten sensitive, you may not be able to tolerate the oatmeal in this recipe. So please use your own judgement. However, if you can tolerate it, this makes a wonderful, healthier dessert alternative.

2 cups of oat flour (made by pulsing old fashioned oats in your blender)
1 cup of sugar (or you can sub 2/3 cup of agave nectar)
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup of oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cold water

• In one bowl mix oat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt
• in second bowl mix oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
• pour water and oil mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.
• pour into greased 8x8 pan
• bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes
  

Oatmeal Spice Cake (gluten free for some)

This cake is made with oats. the addition of oats is an amazing way to make a dessert item healthier. You can use regular oats, or if you are sensitive you can get gluten free oats. Some gluten sensitive individuals cannot tolerate oats at all, so please assess your own sensitivity.

4 1/2 cups oat flour (made by pulsing old fashioned oats in the blender until they become flour)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar plus rice milk to total 1 cup
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices
• add vinegar, milk, oil, and vanilla
• mix well
• add to greased 9x13
• bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

Make ahead option:

• measure and combine all dry ingredients into freezer bag, label it and store it.
  

Pan Sauteed Apples, Pears, and coconut

I made this recipe mostly. Its a throw together really, more than a recipe. I cook the fruit just until it is hot, but not mushy at all. Everything still has to have "snap" for me to feel good about the nutritional content. Here is what I usually do....

Take sliced apples and pears
sprinkle them with cinnamon
sautee them in a pan with coconut oil (you can use another oil, I just like the health benefits of coconut)
sprinkle in some coconut flakes
drizzle with honey or agave

Sauteed Kale

This tasted a lot like cut grass, or leaves. We pretended to be brontosaurus and choked some down medicinally, but I don't think anyone will be asking for it. On the plus side, when we put it down the disposal, I think it really gave it a stiff cleaning.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

African Sweet Potatoe with Peanut Butter, Black Eye Peas and Black Bean soup

This was really good. The kids ate it and liked it, I ate it and liked it. At first I was a bit skeptical, the flavor mish mash I wasn't sure of. But it turned out almost creamy despite the fact that it had no cream, or milk. (here is where I launch into my "oh dairy, I hardly knew ye"). Anyways, I got the original recipe over at gluten free goddess. This site is saving my life daily. So far, none of the kids are complaining. The food looks enough like what we usually have, and they are getting a dessert every night.




1 tablespoon light olive oil or peanut oil
1 tablespoon red or green Thai Kitchen curry paste- hot or mild, to taste (start with less if you prefer it mild)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 jalapeño or other hot chile pepper, seeded, diced fine
1 14-oz. can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can white beans, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 quart light broth
1/2 cup 100% natural peanut butter or Sunbutter melted in a half cup of boiled water
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 big juicy lime
2-3 teaspoons organic brown sugar or raw agave nectar, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For garnish:
Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the light olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and cinnamon; stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, yellow pepper and jalapeño. Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.

Add the black-eyed peas, white and black beans, broth, peanut butter, red pepper flakes and cilantro.

Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar or agave. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through and taste for seasoning adjustments.

Serves 4 as a hearty meal.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/02/african-bean-sweet-potato-soup.html#ixzz0ds0cG1hC

Honey Soy Broiled Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions

Directions

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds (if desired).