Mexican Chicken, Chili and Grilled Corn soup

This soup has kick and is very satisfying on a rainy day (like today)   It makes a full pot so you will have plenty left over.  The heat of the peppers combined with the sweetness of the corn is fabulous.  A little bit of sour from the lime and it has everything.
note: we ate this for three days for both lunch and dinner and at the end of those three days my husband turned to me and asked- "Can we make this again within the week?".  it's that good. 

First you have to make your chicken broth
The Broth
Chicken Broth Ingredients:

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large red onions, rough chopped
2 cups carrots, rough chopped
2 cups celery, rough chopped
Course salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 whole organic chicken
1 sprig thyme
1/3 cup Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
1 sprig tarragon
1/3 cup celery leaves
8 whole black peppercorns

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over med. heat.  Add the crushed garlic cloves and sauté for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden. Add the onions, carrots & celery to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 8 minutes. 

2. Cut up your chicken into pieces with a heavy cleaver- making sure to cut the bones to expose some marrow.  Add to pot and fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken, bring to a boil.

3.  Tie the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, tarragon and celery leaves into a bouquet using butchers twine.  Add to the pot.  Add the black peppercorns to pot, bring broth to a boil, turn down to med-low, partially cover and simmer for 3 hours.  (add more water if required 1/2 way through cooking)

4. Skim off any fat, strain the chicken broth through a mesh sieve, then strain again through cheese cloth a couple of times until your broth is nice and clear.  Leave to sit and separate a while so that you can skim off the fat.  (I have a special fat skimming container that I use)

5. Hand pick the the good chicken meat and set it aside for soup recipe.

The Soup!
Mexican Chicken, Chili and Grilled Corn Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) minced
1 hot Anaheim New Mexico chili, reconstituted and chopped
1 red onion, diced
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. paprika
course salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
5 cups chicken broth  (if you don't have enough, top it up with water)
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped coarse and smushed with the side of a knife
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (hand picked from your broth earlier)
1 handful cilantro , chopped
1/2 cup wild rice
2 cobs of corn, grilled
canola oil for grilling
1 cup canned, strained black beans
1 tsp. sucanat (or brown sugar)
handful of cilantro, minced (and some  for garnish)
Fried corn tortillas for topping
Fresh lime to taste
Creme fraiche or sour cream for the dairy lovers

Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over med. heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add chipotles, chilies, red onion, cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt and fresh ground pepper.  Sauté for 8 minutes.  

2. Add the chicken broth, the tomatoes, oregano, hand picked chicken meat and a handful of cilantro.  Partially cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

3. In a separate pot, boil some water, add wild rice and cook according to package, strain.

4. Heat some canola oil, brush some oil on the corn  and grill your corn either in a cast iron pan or on a grill.  You want each side to be grill marked (slightly brown).  Slice off the corn niblets.

5.  In a cast iron pan, heat some oil on medium and add corn tortillas slices, fry until golden, set aside on paper towels.

6.  Add the corn niblets, wild rice and black beans to the soup and stir to combine.  Season with salt, pepper, sucanat and cilantro.

7. Serve soup with crispy tortillas, a squirt of fresh lime, and some creme fraiche or sour cream if you eat dairy.

Chicken Enchiladas & Red Chili Sauce

 Ken has been holding on to this recipe from his fav site (Cooks Illustrated) to try for several years.  We finally made it and wowzers!  it was good.  I made mine completely dairy free and he used dairy.  Either way we loved it and highly recommend this easy Mexican inspired dish

Ingredients:
Sauce & Filling-

1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 med. onion, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, pressed (about a Tbsp)
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sucanat (sugar)
4 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4" strips
2 -8 ounce cans of crushed tomato's
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 -4 ounce can pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
(2 cups sharp cheddar cheese for those of you who eat dairy)*

Tortillas & toppings

10 -6" corn tortilla's
vegetable oil
1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed and shredded
2 limes, quartered
salsa or chopped tomato
(cheese and sour cream if you eat dairy)*
Guacamole-  ( I made mine with 3 avocados, pitted and diced, juice of 1 lime, 1 jalapeno pepper diced, some red pepper flakes, a bit of salt, a bit of olive oil, chopped cilantro and 1/2 small onion chopped)

Directions:

1. Start on the sauce and filling-  Heat oil in med saucepan over med/high heat until shimmering, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown (5 minutes).  Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt & sucanat, cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.  Add chicken, stir to coat for another 30 seconds. Add crushed tomato's & 1/4 cup water, stir to separate chicken pieces.  Bring to a roll, reduce heat to med. low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (8 minutes).

2. Pour the mixture through a med. mesh strainer into a medium size bowl.  Use the backside of a ladle to press the chicken and onion mixture and the liquid sauce will extract.  Set the chili sauce aside.

3.  Transfer the chicken onion mixture to a plate and place in freezer to cool (10 minutes).

4.  Once cool, combine the chicken onion mixture with cilantro, jalapeno, (cheese)* in a med. bowl and set aside.

5.  Preheat oven to 300° F with rack on lower middle position.

6.  Smear a 13x9 inch baking dish with 3/4 cup chili sauce.  Set aside.

7.  Lightly spray tortillas with oil and place on baking sheet, bake for 3 minutes until soft and pliable.  Remove from oven and increase the temp. to 400° F  for the next step.

8.  Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup filling.  Roll each tortilla by hand and place in baking dish, side by side and seam side down. 

9.  Pour remaining chili sauce over the enchiladas.  (and sprinkle with cheese)*

10.  Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes.  uncover and serve with guacamole, lettuce, lime wedges, salsa or tomato (cheese and sour cream)*

*- dairy or soy products for those of you who eat that.

Goan Coconut Curry Chicken & Cauliflower Keema

We bought  a new cookbook. Kris Dhillon's -The New Curry Secret.  Do not attempt these recipes if you are a novice cook or if you are in a hurry.  From scratch, these two dishes will take nearly 4 hours of cooking/prep time.  Is it worth it?  Oh yes.  This is fine dining Indian style.  I highly recommend the dishes.  Highly.

Be sure to read recipes through. Start by making the curry sauce, then the cauliflower (and brown basmati rice) and then cooking the chicken* and then making the Goan chicken dish itself.  This is much easier to do with two chefs. 


The first thing you will need to make is the curry sauce.  This curry sauce can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for a month.  This recipe will make enough for around 4 main curry dishes.

Curry Sauce-
prep & cook time- 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 kg onions, sliced
1 tsp. salt
50g fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
50g garlic, coarsely chopped
1.5 L water
1 225 g can tomatoes
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. paprika

Directions-

1. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, add sliced onions.  Stir on high heat for 1 minute, turn down heat to med/high.  Continue to cook onions, stirring frequently for 10 minutes, until onion is transparent and beginning to brown at edges.

2.  Add salt, stir well, turn down heat to lowest setting, cover pan and continue to cook onions for 20 minutes, stir occasionally. 

3. Add ginger & garlic to onions. Turn heat up to med. and cook for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.

4. Add water, bring to boil on high, turn heat down  and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

5.  Once cool, ladle half of onion mixture into a blender and blend until very smooth.  Pour blended onion mixture into a clean bowl and repeat with second batch.

6. Wash/dry your saucepan, [reserve 4  Tbsp of curry onion sauce at this point for cooking meat.]*° 

7. Place the canned tomato contents in clean blender and blend until smooth.

8.  In your cleaned saucepan, add 1 Tbsp oil and heat on med.  Add the tomato paste, tumeric & paprika & cook for 30 seconds.  Add blended tomatoes, bring to boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes, add the blended onion mixture and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes, using spoon to skim off froth from time to time.

Goan Coconut Curry Chicken-
prep & cook time- 25 minutes
Ingredients-

Spice Mix-
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
4 green cardamons
4 cloves
1- 1 inch piece of cinnamon

Remaining Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. tumeric
325 ml curry sauce (that you have made earlier -see above)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
300 ml coconut cream
450 g precooked chicken fillets (recipe to follow this list)*
2 tsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 2 Tbsp warm water


*[Precooked Chicken fillets recipe-]
prep. & cooking time 25 min.
3 large chicken breasts with skin and bone removed
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. tumeric
4 Tbsp reserved curry onion sauce *°
 Remove fat and sinew, rinse and pat dry chicken fillets. Cut each fillet into 8 equal size pieces about 1 inch  wide.  Place the oil, tumeric and curry onion sauce*° into a large saucepan and mix well.  cook on med. heat, stirring continuously, until sauce starts to darken about 4-5 minutes.
 Add chicken and stir until all pieces are coated with sauce, turn heat down, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is tender, stirring frequently.  Remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Goan Coconut Curry Chicken Directions:

1. Grind all the spices for the spice mix with a mortar and pestle (or electric grinder)

2. In a large, heavy frying fan, heat oil on med. & add spice mix.  Fry for 1 minutes until aromatic.

3. Stir in tumeric, curry sauce, salt, chili powder & paprika. Bring to a boil, cook on high for 3 minutes until thickened slightly.  Turn down heat.

4. Add coconut cream & bring slowly to a simmer.  Add the chicken to the sauce & stir well.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in tamarind & serve.


Cauliflower Keema
Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 green chili, finely sliced
350 ml curry sauce
150 g frozen peas
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions for Cauliflower Keema-

1. Break cauliflower into florets, rinse and drain well. process in food processor on slow chop until coarsely minced.

2.  Heat oil in heavy based saucepan, add fennel seeds, tomato, salt & tumeric.  Cook on med. heat for 2 min. stir in green chili.  Cook 1 min., add cauliflower.  Stir for 3-4 min. on med. heat and add curry sauce.

3.  Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost evaporated and cauliflower is tender.

4. Stir in peas, cook for 5 min., stirring often.

5. Serve garnished with cilantro.

We served our meal with brown basmati rice and mango chutney.  Recipe for mango chutney on another day!


If you have any questions, pop me an email!
10 cent

Amazing Chicken Souvlaki

Greek Food! This is the best Tzatziki sauce in the world. I looked around and found dozens of recipes for gluten free Pita bread. All of them involved hours of prep, several types of flour, xantham gum, etc. etc. No Way! I simply wrapped my sandwich in greek grilled organic corn tortilla's. It was so delicious! You can of course, use regular Pita bread for the non GF avoiders in the family. Also, feel free to add Feta to your sandwich if you eat cheese.


Ingredients:

Marinade-
1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
4 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. dried Oregano
1/2 Tsp. fresh ground black pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

6 to 8 wooden grilling skewers, soaked in water.

Directions for Marinade-

1. Mix your Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken cubes in a lidded container. Cover, shake and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. We went for 4 and it was good.

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients-

1/2 cup seeded, shredded cucumber
1 tsp. course salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
mix together a spice mixture of-
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp. salt (to taste)

(set some of this spice mix aside for grilling the tortillas)

Ingredients for assembling Souvlaki sandwiches-

8 small round organic corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups a romaine lettuce sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped jalapeño pepper
kalamata olives for garnish


Directions for Tzatziki Sauce

1. Combine the shredded cucumber with 1 tsp. salt and let sit for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, rice vinegar and olive oil. Season with garlic, spices and fresh dill. Squeeze water out of shredded cucumber and add to sauce. Stir, season to taste again with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions for Souvlaki-

2. Preheat your grill on high.

3. Remove chicken from the marinade and push onto skewers. Discard the remaining marinade.

4. Cook your chicken on a lightly oiled grill about 8 minutes per side (until the internal temp reaches 165°).

5. Brush both sides of organic corn tortilla's with olive oil and season with more dried oregano, garlic salt, onion powder, white pepper/black pepper and salt mixture. Grill both sides until lightly browned.

6. Assemble sandwiches using two grilled tortillas each. Arrange chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, and jalapeño peppers on tortillas. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce, cut into halves for serving and garnish with olives.

Pineapple & Sweet Potato Madras Curried chicken

first make your own madras curry powder- (I made a huge typing error at first and omitted several spices when I wrote down the recipe, which I have now corrected)

Ingredients-


8 tbsp coriander seeds
6 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole cloves
2 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp fennel seed
8 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp ground ginger (powder not fresh)
1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a dry skillet over very low heat, place the coriander, cumin, mustard & fennel seeds. Roast the seeds gently, shaking the pan occasionally, until they begin to pop. Add the cinnamon, peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, ginger & cayenne pepper.

2. Continue to heat & stir gently until the mixture is quite hot but not burnt. Grind in a mortar & pestle to a fine powder. Pour into a clean, dry jar, seal, & let cool before using.

Next- make your delicious curry!

Pineapple & Sweet Potato Madras Curried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp. tumeric
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 large chicken legs, skin on, thighs & drumsticks separated
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 pineapple, peeled, cored & cut into 1 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 cans (400 Ml each) coconut milk
1 cup gluten free chicken broth
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the spices in a small bowl, in a shallow container, coat the chicken with 2 Tbsp of olive oil & 1/2 the spices, & salt & pepper. Marinate, covered, for 2 hours in fridge.

2. Preheat oven to °325F. Warm the remaining olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the legs & thighs in a single layer (batch if required). Brown on both sides, remove & set aside.

3. Saute the pineapple, garlic & 2/3 of the coconut. Stirring frequently until brown (about 4 minutes).

4. Add the pineapple juice, coconut milk, chicken stock, cinnamon stick, remaining spices & sweet potatoes. Stir to combine. Arrange the chicken evenly on top. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat & transfer to oven, uncovered. Cook for 45 minutes, basting the chicken with the liquids a couple of times.

5. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving, adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of curried jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro & coconut flakes.


Curried Jasmine rice-

follow cooking instructions for jasmine rice but add 1 tsp. madras curry powder to water.

Terrific Thai Red Curry

so, here we are using up the rest of the red curry paste we made the other night for the fajitas! And oh yum! this was good. It goes straight into our favorites list!

Red Curry Paste-


Ingredients:

1 shallot, chopped fine
2 tsp. gluten free Thai chili sauce
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 Tbsp organic tomato ketchup
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp. dried shrimp, ground in a mortar and pestle.
1 tsp. sucanat
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/3 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions- combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Thai Red Curry

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup eggplant, cubed into bite size pieces
1 red pepper, cubed
2 hot red chilies for fire
1 stick of lemon grass
3 kafir lime leaves
stick of cinnamon
fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Directions

1. Put the chicken in a casserole dish, add the sauce (red curry paste), the limes leaves, the lemon grass and the hot chilies. Cover and bake in a 350° oven for 40 minutes.

2. Add the veggies and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve with rice and garnish generously with cilantro

Orange & Saffron Chicken Tagine

adapted from a cooks illustrated recipe

You can make this in a dutch oven if you don't have a Tagine

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp. saffron threads
5 tsp. garlic, pressed
1 1/4 tsp. paprika
3 orange zest strips (2 inches long each)- use a vegetable peeler to remove the wide strips of zest.
1 chicken, cut up, (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, thighs)
Salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch coins
2 cups gluten free chicken broth
1/2 cup Moroccan olives
2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (juice from one orange)

Directions:

1. combine the saffron, 4 tsp. of garlic and paprika in a small bowl, set aside.

2. Mince 1 strip of the orange zest and mix with the remaining pressed garlic and set aside.

3. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil in the Tagine (or dutch oven) over med-high heat until just smoking. Brown half the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing heat if necessary (cover with a splatter guard if you are using a Tagine) . Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to a plate again.

4. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat from the Tagine. Add onion, remaining orange zest strips and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened (5-7 minutes). Stir in the garlic spice mixture and cook about 30 seconds, stir in carrots and broth, scraping up any brown bits.

5. Bring the drumsticks and thigh pieces back to the Tagine & simmer. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the breast and wing pieces, cover again and simmer for about 30 minutes (or until all of the chicken is cooked through, -dark meat at 170-175 and the white meat at 160-165 with an instant read thermometer)

6. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and tent loosely with foil.

7. Skim off any fat on top of the Tagine liquids, add the olives & simmer 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic/orange-zest mixture, mint & orange juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

8. Serve with brown rice.

Easy Chicken Curry for 1

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 bay leave
2 cardamom pods
2 black peppercorns
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 medium potato, washed, cut into cubes and parboiled for about 10 minutes.
1 tsp. salt
1 boneless skinless chicken breast. cut into large pieces

1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger chopped very very fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped very very fine
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tomato, chopped until nearly smooth
1 cup gluten free chicken stock (or water)
ground cinnamon for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and add the whole spices. When they crackle, add the onions and fry over medium heat until they are brown. Stir in the parboiled potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt then the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned.

2. Add the ginger, garlic, ground coriander, cumin, chili powder and turmeric. Cook for another 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices begin to release their aromas. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 4 minutes. Then add the stock & bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

3. Adjust seasonings to taste, sprinkle with ground cinnamon, and chopped cilantro.

4. Serve with brown basmati rice and mango chutney.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry & Rice Flour Rotti

This curry is very very delicious. An instant fav. We will make it again and soon I bet. Both it and the rice flour rotti are from this book.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry-

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely sliced
1" piece fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground garam masala
400g boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tomatoes, quartered
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a med. saucepan, add the onions and cook until golden brown. Add the ginger. garlic and ground spices. Mix for 1 minute, then add chicken. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. Pour in 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Turn down heat to lowest, add the coconut milk. Cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook for 5 more minutes. Serve with rice or rotti. Nice with mango chutney.


Akki Rotti

Ingredients:

2 cups rice flour
50g freshly grated coconut (or dried coconut)
2 Tbsp cilantro chopped fine
10 curry leaves chopped fine
2 green chilies, chopped fine
2 1/2 shallots, very finely sliced
10 cashew nuts, roasted and ground
salt, to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center and gradually (slowly) stir in 1 to 2 cups of water until it forms a soft dough. With floured hands, knead the dough to mix and shape into small balls.

2. Roll out balls on a surface dusted with rice flour to make discs as thin as possible. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large frying pan and coat the bottom with oil. Place one disc of dough in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Turn over and brown the other side. Remove from pan and keep warm while cooking the remaining breads. Serve hot.

Meat & Seafood Internal Temperature Cooking Chart- illustrated

I got my illustration on tonight and made you this chart. Use a quality instant read thermometer to check the temperature of your meat and you should be able to cook it perfect!

Mulligatawny Soup

Adapted to be gluten free from another super Cooks Illustrated recipe.

Ingredients:

4 med. cloves garlic- 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
1 piece ginger, peeled & grated so that you have about 1 1/2 Tbsp.
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. butter
2 med. onions, chopped medium coarse
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Bobs Red Mill, all purpose gluten free flour
7 cups gluten free chicken broth (homemade is best)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped coarse
1 rib celery, chopped course
1 banana, very ripe, peeled.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
fresh plain goats yogurt (or cows yogurt)
fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 tsp. of grated ginger & water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Leave this mixture in the blender jar and set aside for the last step. (you will puree the soup right in the blender with the garlic and ginger)

2. Heat butter in a large stockpot over med. heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring often until the onions are soft and beginning to brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the coconut and cook for about a minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 1/2 tsp. ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne & gluten free flour; stir until evenly combined for around a minute. Whisking constantly & vigorously, slowly add the gluten free chicken broth.

3. Add the carrots, celery & whole banana. Increase heat and bring to a boil, add the chicken breasts to the pot. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for around 20 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). Remove the chicken breasts with tongs and set on a cutting board, cool slightly and cut into bite size pieces.

4. Puree the soup in small batches in the blender (with the garlic and ginger mixture still in the blender). Wash & dry the pot. Return all of the pureed soup to the freshly washed pot, salt and pepper to taste. Add the cut chicken pieces and heat the soup on low until warmed through. don't boil.

5. Ladle into bowls, dollop with yogurt and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with saffron rice.

Blackened Chicken with grilled eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tiny tomatoes and jalapenos with balsamic drizzle

Ingredients:

Cajun Blackening Spice-

5 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions for Cajun blackening spice
1. mix all together in an airtight container. (will keep for quite a while)

Ingredients- chicken-

garlic butter- (2 Tbsp Butter mixed with one pressed garlic clove)
2-6 boneless chicken breasts with skin on. (we simply washed and cut up a whole chicken as we were grilling anyhow. That way there are plenty of leftovers for hiking on the weekend)

Directions-

1. Liberally toss or sprinkle the Cajun spice on the chicken breasts.
2. place on hot grill, skin side down. 5-7 minutes (once they are black) and flip breasts over, rub with garlic butter and cook for 5-7 minutes and flip and rub the other side with garlic butter. Grill until an instant read thermometer says the inside of the breast is- 165 F.


Ingredients for Eggplant and vegetables:

1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/2 thick rounds
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 cups tiny tomatoes, skewered onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed, skewered onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers
2 jalapeno peppers, trimmed, cut in half and deseeded
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Directions for veggies-

1. Place the eggplant slices in a shallow bowl and drizzle with a couple Tbsp. olive oil. These will take the longest to grill, up to 20 minutes. place them on the grill and turn when there are nice grill marks, grill other side.

2. Place the zucchini slices in a shallow bowl and drizzle with a Tbsp. olive oil. place them on the grill and turn when there are nice grill marks. These take a little less time than the eggplant.

3. Brush the jalapeno slices, skewered mushrooms and skewered tomatoes with olive oil, place on grill and grill until nice grill lines appear, turn and grill other side.

4. When all the vegetables are done, plate them and drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

KUNGFU STEW

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 onion sliced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
4 chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
2 leeks, split, washed and chopped
250 ml gluten free chicken stock
1/4 cup KUNGFU GIRL white Riesling wine (obviously you can substitute other white wine for this)
1-2 cups cannellini beans, cooked -you can use canned OR- (soak 1 cup dried beans for 12 hours, rinse, and pressure cook in 4 cups water and 1 Tbsp. oil according to your pressure cookers instruction manual for 15 minutes)
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 red chiles, sliced
bunch curly parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the onions until soft but not browned (4 min), add the garlic, chicken and leeks and stir until the chicken is browned. Add the cumin, cayenne and chili peppers and stir.

2. Add the chicken stock and wine and simmer until the leeks are tender and the chicken is cooked (8 minutes, give or take what is needed).

3. Stir in the beans, heat through, salt and pepper to taste, stir in parsley and serve.

drink the rest of the wine with dinner.

kicking sesame rice noodles

this recipe has three parts, first marinate and cook the chicken, next make the dressing and prepare your vegetables, lastly cook your noodles. put it all together and you have a delicious light summer salad.


Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Ingredients for marinade:
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 Tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
1 Tbsp. chinese black vinegar
2 Tsp. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic , pressed
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
Directions for chicken:
Place ingredients in a glass dish and mix, add chicken breasts, cover, refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. remove from marinade and grill on hot barbecue until an instant read thermometer reads 165 when inserted into breast. slice into thin slices.

Ingredients for kicking sesame dressing-
8 cloves of garlic,pressed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
4 Tbsp. Chinese sesame paste (or peanut butter)
5 Tbsp. sesame oil
5 Tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chinese black vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp sucanat
3 Tbsp. water

process in food processor or blender until smooth.



Ingredients for noodle salad:
1/2 pound flat rice noodles, cooked and rinsed under cold water and tossed with a little sesame oil
2 english cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and grated or julienned
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of your cooked chicken breasts, sliced
3 tablespoons green onions, sliced
Spicy sesame dressing to taste

Directions:

1. arrange the noodles in individual bowls
2. toss cucumbers, red peppers and bean sprouts and arrange on top of noodles
3. add some sliced chicken, the green onion and top with kicking sesame dressing to taste.

Chili Citrus Shish Kabobs

Chili - Citrus Chicken:

1 orange, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 small hot chillies chopped fine
1/4 cup tamari gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

Lemon- garlic shrimp:

3 cloves garlic , pressed
2 shallots, minced
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Vegetables For Kabobs:

red and yellow bell peppers
red onion
cherry tomatoes
mushrooms
zuchinni
baby potatoes, boiled until cooked through

Balsamic basting vinaigrette for vegetables:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
soak bamboo skewers in water for one hour before charring

Directions:

1. Using a whisk, stir together all of the chili citrus chicken ingredients (except the chicken) in a bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture and coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Using a whisk, stir together all of the lemon garlic shrimp ingredients (except the shrimp) in a bowl. Add the shrimp to the mixture and coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Cut the vegetables into slightly larger than bite sized pieces.

4. Puree balsamic basting vinaigrette ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds.

5. arrange meat and vegetable pieces onto skewers according to your own wants. (I wanted more shrimp and Ken wanted more chicken). It really works best to skewer each type of meat and veggies separately so that you can control the cooking times. Obviously chicken cooks Waaay faster than shrimp. :)

Grill the kabobs on high on the barbecue for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning 1/4 rotation every 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken reads 165 with your instant read thermometer inserted. (baste vegetables once each side)

serve with brown rice and chutney.

adapted from this recipe

Curried Chicken rolls with Thai Sweet basil

so good. so delicious! It's on my fav list now.
serve as is or add some diced hot red peppers for a little kick if you can stand it.
Adapted from this amazing book

Ingredients:
24 gluten free organic corn tortillas
3 Tbsp. macadamia nut oil
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and cut into thin 1 1/2 inch strips
5 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 turnips, peeled and julienned
2 1/2 Tbsp. Chinese sake

Home-made curry powder ingredients: blend together into a paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 cloves garlic- crushed
1/4 cup of very finely chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 pound boneless , skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1/6 inch slices

Coconut sauce- blend together-
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. sucanat

1 cup fresh sweet basil leaves, coarsely chopped.

Directions:
1. wrap corn tortillas in foil in packets of 6 and warm in the oven at 300°F

2. heat a wok or heavy skillet over med/high heat. add 1 1/2 Tbsp. of oil and heat 30 seconds. Add the leeks and stir fry for 1 minute (until softened). Add the carrots, turnips, and rice sake, and toss lightly, cover, turn heat down to med. and cook for 2 minutes (until vegetables are tender). transfer the vegetables to a bowl ,cover, and set aside.

3. Reheat the wok, add remaining oil, heat 30 seconds, add the home-ground curry powder and cook for 20 seconds, or until very fragrant. Add the chicken, turn up the heat to high, and stir-fry until the meat loses it's pink color and the slices separate. Add the coconut sauce and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Add the leek mixture and chopped basil, toss lightly, and transfer to a platter. To eat, spoon some of the curry mixture onto a tortilla and wrap it up.

Grilled Chicken Satay noodle salad

Even though there might be several parts to this recipe- you can make the Satay sauce, the Satay marinade and the Salad dressing in the morning and then all you need to do is grill the chicken and quickly cook the noodles at dinner time.

Ingredients:
Satay Marinade:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 Tbsp. lemon grass, fresh, minced
5 cloves garlic, pressed
1 pound, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/6 inch strips

Noodle Salad ingredients:
3/4 pound thin stick vermicelli, softened for 15 minutes in hot water and and cooked in boiling water for less than a minute.
3 large carrots grated
2 cups Boston lettuce leaves, sliced
1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. peanut oil for grilling

Salad dressing-
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
juice of 2 small lemons
1 Tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tsp. sucanat
stir everything together in a small bowl.

Directions-
1. In a medium bowl, combine the satay marinade ingredients, add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat your barbecue to high, apply a little peanut oil to the grill and add the chicken slices and cook a minute and a half or so each side until brown.

3. In a large bowl add the cooked noodles, lettuce, carrots and bean sprouts, pour some dressing over and lightly toss to coat. Serve in individual bowls with chicken arranged on top and Satay sauce for dipping (or pouring indiscriminately over the entire dish if it is so your desire.)

Satay sauce-
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. tamari gluten free soy sauce
3 Tbsp. finely minced ginger
3 Tbsp. sucanat
1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. store in a covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

"Hot chili" Sticky chicken and Apricot slaw

Such a nice spring day we finally decided to grill some food outdoors. We use a gas grill.
Hot Chili sticky Chicken Ingredients:
1 chicken, washed, patted dry and cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Finishing sauce:
3 Tbsp. honey
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 Tbsp. hot chili paste
combine these ingredients in a small bowl and set aside


Directions for chicken:

1. pat a little peanut oil onto the chicken pieces and generously sprinkle salt and pepper on each piece.
2. place on grill and turn frequently
3. when the chicken is cooked (an instant read thermometer inserted into the breast should read 165), brush on finishing sauce on each piece and turn once to warm the sauce through.
4. remove from heat and serve hot

Apricot Slaw Ingredients:
1/2 small head green cabbage, sliced Julianne
1/2 small head red cabbage, sliced Julianne
1/4 red onion sliced thin
1 granny smith apple, skin on, sliced into matchsticks
1 stalk celery, sliced very thin
1/4 cup mayonnaise (organic made with stable non-GMO oils, the mayo I use is made with extra virgin coconut and olive oils)
1 lemon (juice of)
1/2 Tbsp. sucanat
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped fine
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. dried currants

Directions for Apricot Slaw:
1. combine the cabbage, red onion, apple, and celery in a large bowl.
2. combine mayo, lemon juice, sugar, chives and salt and pepper in a separate bowl and mix together. pour over cabbage mixture and mix well. add the apricots and currants and mix once more. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. (will serve 4 easy)


sweet potato fries

Crispy Chicken Teriyaki served with vegetable stir fry

This method gives the chicken a really wonderful crispy skin while keeping the meat very moist.

Ingredients for Chicken Teriyaki
3 or 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
salt
ground black pepper
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 tsp. finely diced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove (pressed)
1 Tbsp. mirin
1/4 tsp. cornstarch

Directions for chicken Teriyaki:

1. trim excess skin and fat from chicken thigh, leaving enough skin to cover meat. use a sharp knife to separate the meat completely from the bone and discard bone. cut three slashes into the skin diagonally being careful not to cut into the meat. tuck the meat under the skin and arrange thighs on broiling pan. squish them a bit to get even thickness.

2. season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

3. position the broiling pan under the broiler (we use our toaster oven/broiler for this purpose).

4. broil until skin is crisp and golden brown and the thickest parts of the thighs read around 175ish (maybe a little less) with an instant read thermometer. About 20 minutes.

5. while the chicken is cooking, combine the wheat free soy sauce, sucanat, ginger and garlic in a small sauce pan. stir together the mirin and cornstarch in a small bowl until all the lumps are gone. Stir mirin mixture into the saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over med/high heat, stirring occasionally. reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to about 1/3 cup and has a syrupy consistency.

6. let chicken rest on cutting board for 2 minutes. cut the meat crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips. serve on a bed of brown jasmine rice and stir fry vegetables. drizzle teriyaki sauce (to taste) over chicken and stir fry before serving.

Vegetable Stir Fry Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. macadamia nut or other organic high heat oil
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic (pressed)
2 Tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
1 carrot sliced into strips
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cups mixed shitake and white mushrooms (trimmed and sliced)
1-2 cups broccoli florets
1 small red pepper diced
1 small green pepper diced
1 jalapeno pepper- chopped small
1 cup sugar snap peas washed and trimmed
1 cup radicchio outside leaves removed, washed and sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
1 tsp. cornstarch stirred into 1/2 cup water

Directions for vegetable stir fry:

1. heat oil in a wok on high heat
add chopped onion, garlic, minced ginger and sliced carrot. stir occasionally for a few minutes.
2. add mushrooms, soy sauce broccoli and peppers.
3. cook until broccoli is cooked and softened, pour in cornstarch mixture and stir entire wok contents around. reduce for a minute or so
4. add Radicchio, bean sprouts and snap peas. stir and serve over bed of rice; with Teriyaki chicken.

Radically Basic Roast Chicken

Ingredients-
1 roasting chicken (free range, organic chicken preferably)
salt
pepper

Directions:
preheat oven to 400°F

1. rinse chicken, pat dry (very dry)
2. truss legs and wings with butchers twine
3. salt and pepper chicken (liberally)
4. place chicken on V-Rack in a roasting pan and bake for around 45 minutes to one hour. Use an instant read thermometer to test. When the breast meat is 165 °F the chicken is done.

serve with anything you like.

Tonight we had brown rice, steamed asparagus and steamed carrots with our Chicken.