Gluten-free – Page 2 – Kara Cooks and Eats

Chicken and mushroom soup

Mushrooms and garlic

Dear Kara Cooks and Eats,
I am so sorry for neglecting you for such a long time. I will do my best to make it up to you, starting with this delicious chicken and mushroom soup!

I have been a little obsessed with chicken thighs and baby bella mushrooms recently. I have made this soup twice already. It’s been great for lunches during the week. To make it a bit heartier, you can add some rice when you add the broth…just simmer it until both the chicken and the rice are cooked through.

I am still working on a roasted chicken recipe…the sauce still needs some work as I have been trying to use yogurt (instead of cream) and it keeps curdling.

Chicken thighs with brown and crispy skin

Chicken and mushroom soup
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 bone-in chicken thighs
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 jalapeno pepper (optional)

Directions

Chicken cooking in the broth

1. Heat olive oil in a medium stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs to pot, skin side down and cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 7-8 minutes until browned on other side. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. The chicken does not have to be cooked through.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to pot and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add parsley and thyme and stir until combined. Add chicken broth, jalapeno pepper, and place chicken thighs back into pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Remove cooked chicken from the pot, remove skin, shred, and return to soup. Remove jalapeno pepper. Stir to combine and enjoy!

Chicken with mango and ginger

Mixing the chicken

With the help of Leap Day I am managing to get one single post up for this month! And it’s in real time…this is what I made for dinner tonight. It was pretty yummy, though I have to admit that I forgot to add the ginger. I bet it would be even tastier with the ginger that will now probably hang out in my vegetable drawer until it gets moldy.

Chicken with mango and ginger
Serves: 3
Source: adapted from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2010

Prepping the parchment

Ingredients
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 medium jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (or 1/3 cup fresh, chopped)
1 pound boneless chicken tenders
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Chicken with mango and a side o’ sweet potatoes

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together ginger, jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro. Add chicken and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and allow to marinate for a few minutes (or longer in the refrigerator).

3. Place mango pieces in the center of three square pieces of parchment paper. Top each with chicken mixture. Fold parchment into a twist or envelope shape.

4. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and baking until packets are puffed up and chicken is cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Pesto pasta salad

A quick and easy way to use some greens (I used the beta mix from last week’s CSA share) and other vegetables you might have lying around. I used my zucchini and also added grape tomatoes. By tossing the greens with the hot pasta, the greens wilted nicely. The pesto came from the freezer, leftover from last year.

Pesto pasta salad

Pasta salad, pre-mozzarella

Serves: 4

Ingredients
8 ounces pasta
1 small zucchini, sliced
4 ounces greens
1/3 cup pesto
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 ounces fresh pearline mozzarella
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions
1. In a large pot of water, cook pasta according to package directions. Add sliced zucchini to pasta water for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

2. Drain pasta and toss with greens, pesto, and grape tomatoes. Allow to cool slightly, then add the fresh mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Hard cider pork chops with apples and onions

What did I do to celebrate the end of another semester? I tried out this quick pork chop recipe, which I think is one of the first and only things I’ve really cooked this month. This week I also had time to bake two batches of cookies (M&M and molasses), though it wasn’t the same without my baking partner. This is the first year in more than 10 years that we haven’t gotten together to do our Christmas cookie bake-a-thon. Sad face.

I liked this recipe because it looked quick (great for a weeknight) and it forced me to face my fear of overcooking meat. I also liked it because I bought a 22-ounce bottle of Crispin cider and got to drink the rest while I was cooking (since the recipe only called for 1 cup).

Mise en place

The pork browned nicely, but could have used a little more flavor. I think next time it could be marinated a bit ahead of time (I can’t take credit for that idea) or I would brown (but not cook through) the pork, then finish cooking it in the sauce.

My pork to apple/onion ratio was also a bit off. I only bought two pieces of “butterflied boneless pork loin”, which I cut in half to make four chops (the original recipe called for 8 pork chops or about 2 1/4 pounds). There were a lot of onions and apples leftover, which I saved but couldn’t figure out a good use for them,

Pork prep, on a different cutting board (safety first!)

Hard cider pork chops with apples and onions
Serves:
Adapted from Aggie’s Kitchen via Pinterest

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
4 thin, boneless pork loin chops
1 Granny smith apple, washed and sliced
1/2 large red onion, sliced

Deglazing the pan

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1 cup hard apple cider (or non-hard apple cider)

Directions
1. In a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary. Liberally rub seasoning mix on both sides of pork chops.

Dinner is served

2. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Place the pork chops into the pan. Cook on one side for 4 minutes until chops are golden brown and they release from the pan easily. Cook the other side for additional 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pork chops from pan and set aside.

3. Place sliced onions and apples into skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the hard cider and deglaze the pan while tossing the apples and onions. Add the rest of the hard apple cider and simmer for 5 minutes uncovered or until liquid reduces a bit. Add pork chops back into the skillet and cover. Turn off heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes.

4. Using tongs, take out pork chops and place in dish. Pour apple and onion mixture over pork chops and serve.

Company eggs (eggs and Swiss chard)

Fresh out of the oven

I came across this recipe on Twitter and thought it would be a great use for my two weeks of Swiss chard. I halved the recipe since two weeks of chard = 1 bunch. It is a good thing I wasn’t actually having company because there were only enough greens for one egg! I like a runny yolk and 15 minutes in the oven was too long…it cooked the yolk all the way through. It was still very tasty, but how can you go wrong with cream and cheese?

Company eggs for one

The cream and the greens kind of reminded me of creamed spinach, which made me want to add a bit of nutmeg to the recipe (just 1/4 teaspoon). I substituted light cream for the heavy cream. The complete recipe is below, but I am skeptical that 2 bunches of Swiss chard would be enough for 12 eggs. If you give it a try, let me know how it comes out!

Company eggs
Serves: 6
Source: Epicurious

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 bunches Swiss chard, coarsely chopped (ribs and stems removed)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
12 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened.

2. Add chard to skillet and cook 8-10 minutes until tender, tossing frequently. Add cream and nutmeg and simmer until thickened and almost evaporated, 8-10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread chard mixture evenly in a 13″x9″x2″ baking dish. Using the back of a spoon, make 12 small, evenly spaced divots in the chard mixture. Crack 1 egg into each divot. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake, rotating dish once, until egg whites are almost set and yolks are still runny, 15-18 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted sweet potato chana masala

Last Sunday I was out with a friend watching the Patriots play the Browns, and I “helped” her make a grocery list. She was planning to make this recipe and I decided to borrow that idea! While I got a great meal idea, we did leave the bar with about 2 minutes left in the game…and missed that crazy onside kick that led to the “W”.

I tripled the amount of sweet potatoes and decided to roast them instead of cooking them in the microwave. I also added some oil to facilitate the roasting and used 2% yogurt instead of the full fat stuff. The original recipe calls for “1 pint of crushed tomatoes”, which I didn’t realize and I used petite diced tomatoes instead…which seemed to work with the addition of a little water, which is noted in my version of the recipe below.

I was told that this recipe tastes even better the second day. Since I didn’t start cooking this until after dinner one night, I have no idea how it tasted on the first day. I can attest to its yumminess on day 2, especially with a side of garlic naan from Trader Joe’s.

Medium-sized?

Roasted sweet potato chana masala
Source: adapted from Food52
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups)
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp butter or grapeseed oil
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 tsp garam masala

The finished product

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (adjust to taste)
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss diced sweet potato with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake about 15 minutes, tossing once about halfway through.

Dinner with a side of garlic naan

2. Heat the butter in a large stockpot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft.

3. Add the coriander, cumin, cardamom, garam masala, and ginger and toast in the butter and onions for 1-2 minutes. Add the serrano chile and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Stir in the yogurt and cilantro and cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes, or until hot.

Broccoli cranberry salad

Day after Thanksgiving holiday table

Believe it or not, this was the only “cooking” I did over the holiday weekend. For Thanksgiving I had a yummy turkey dinner at the Bird Key Yacht Club in Sarasota, which required no prep and no clean-up!

The only shopping I really did on Black Friday was at the grocery store – to pick up the ingredients for this salad. I found this recipe on Facebook, one of my amazing and fantastic friends “shared” it, I just can’t remember exactly to whom to give the credit. I took a screen shot of the recipe from my phone so that I wouldn’t forget it.

The finished product

Broccoli cranberry salad
Source: someone shared it on Facebook!
Serves: 6

Ingredients
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
3/4 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

Pork chops and applesauce!

2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cheese, bacon, and cranberries.
2. To make dressing, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Add to broccoli mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
3. Just before serving, mix in sunflower seeds and enjoy!

Vegetarian black bean chili

Mise en place

It seems that every recipe for vegetarian chili insists on using zucchini. While I have made peace with the zucchini, it is not likely that I will go out of my way to buy them or cook with them. So here’s my version of the recipe, sans zucchini. The original recipe called for zucchini and carrots, but I like to buy a “Coastal blend” of frozen veggies from Whole Foods that has corn, carrots, broccoli, and edamame.

For toppings, I added cheese, diced avocados, sliced black olives, and grape tomatoes. Two lucky coworkers got a free lunch the day after I made this, and they gave it two thumbs up!

Toppings

Vegetarian black bean chili
Source: adapted from Everyday Food, October 2007
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Yummy!

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn or corn blend

1 jalapeño, diced (optional)

Toppings, such as tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado

Directions

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and 1 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes more.

3. Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite toppings.

Chicken tomatillo stew

I got both tomatillos and cilantro in my CSA last week, and they were just asking to be put together in something yummy. And I decided I wanted to use my slow cooker. I recall donating many of the tomatillos I’ve gotten in previous years, so I didn’t have a “go to” recipe.

After some searching on Pinterest and the internet, I found an interesting recipe from Food and Wine recipe for a Slow Cooker Mexican Pork and Tomatillo Stew, which became the inspiration for what I actually made. I really liked what I made, but it did not come out very stew-like. As written, this recipe would be great with rice or tortillas…or a can of diced tomatoes might make it a little stew-ier.

Chopping the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño ahead of time makes this pretty quick, since you are just dumping everything into the slow cooker. The only can of hominy I could find in Whole Foods was industrial-sized, so I opted for frozen corn. And actually, I used a bag of mixed corn, edamame, carrots, and broccoli…but mostly corn. I’m also not convinced that the browning of the chicken step is really needed. It’s a nice way to give it some color and flavor, but could easily be skipped if you don’t have the time or don’t want to deal with the stove and another pan.

Mise en place

Chicken tomatillo stew
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound tomatillos – husked, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
Toppings as desired, like sour cream and shredded cheese

Directions

Ready to eat

1. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread frozen corn in a layer on the bottom of the pot.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until browned. Transfer chicken to slow cooker (it does not need to be fully cooked).

3. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Pour the broth into the slow cooker.

4. Layer the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño on top. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low for another 5ish hours, until the chicken is cooked and the tomatillos have broken down and formed a sauce.

5. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred, and stir it back into the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. Stir in cilantro and top individual servings with sour cream and shredded cheese as desired.

Roasted shrimp and broccoli

Before I get started, I just have to take a moment to say YAY to my 150th post! It has been fun cooking and eating with you all! Also, feel free to chat with me on Twitter (@kbecker57) and Instagram (kbecker57).

This is another recipe via Pinterest (thanks Claire Blay-relli) which turned out pretty yummy, and got a seal of approval from my parents who were visiting last weekend.

I like to keep frozen (raw) shrimp in stock, but I did have to buy the broccoli (can’t believe I had to buy vegetables with all my CSA goods). The day before I planned to make this, I pulled the shrimp out of the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator, in its bag, in a colander, in a bowl. When I was ready to start cooking, I tried to pat the shrimp dry before tossing with the olive oil and lemon zest (step 3 below).

The original recipe suggested cooking the broccoli alone for 10 minutes, then cooking the shrimp with the broccoli for 10 minutes. I think the shrimp got a little overcooked, so I’d check on them around 8 minutes or so.

I was planning to use ground coriander and cumin, but I discovered that I had whole coriander seeds and whole cumin seeds in my spice rack. I had no idea! These spices gave it a really nice and interesting flavor. I would definitely make this again.

Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

Broccoli ready for the oven

Source: adapted from the Amateur Gourmet (via Pinterest)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh broccoli florets

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground)

1 tsp whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp chili powder

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 Tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Ready to eat!

2. On a large cookie sheet, toss together broccoli, 2 Tbsp olive oil, coriander, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and chili powder. Spread into a single layer and pop into the oven for 10 minutes.

3. While the broccoli is cooking, toss shrimp with 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. When the broccoli’s been in the oven 12 minutes, add the shrimp to the broccoli and toss (carefully).

4. Roast another 8 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the broccoli is “tender and golden around the edges.”