Zupa Toscano CopyCat

This recipe I heard about from a friend. This is one of my favorite soups from Olive Garden. It is another Crock Pot Recipe, which makes it easier to cook.

Ingredients:
1 lb. sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then  in 1/4 in slices
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 C. Kale, chopped
16 oz. Chicken Broth
1 quart water
1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:
Brown The sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Place cooked sausage, chicken broth, water, garlic, potatoes and onion in the slow cooker. Cover and cook in the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours until potatoes are cooked and soft. Turn the slow cooker off and add the kale.
Return the lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and serve.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Chili Soup

This is a recipe my wonderful wife made. She hates to admit that she is actually a really good cook, but she can't deny it with this one, considering I request it on a regular basis.



The other great thing about this recipe it that it is in the crock pot which makes it even easier.

Ingredients:
2 Cans Black Beans
2 Cans Kidney Beans
2 Cans Diced Green Chili
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chili
2 Cans Corn
1/2 Onion Diced
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Chili Powder
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Salt
Black Pepper
Parsley

Directions:
Open up all the canned ingredients. Drain 1 can of each, and then add each can of Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Diced Green Chili, Diced Tomatoes with Green Chili, and Corn into the crock pot. I use a 6 Qt. Crock Pot. Add the Onions, Chicken, and the Garlic. As for the Spices, add each to taste. You will be able to add more at the end and mix it in. I usually add around 2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder, Salt, Black Pepper, and Parsley. I would however recommend adding about 1 Tablespoon of each at the beginning and then mix in more to taste at the end of cooking. The cooking time will be 4 to 5 hours on High. About 3 hours into the cooking, pull out the chicken and dice or shred the chicken then return to the crock pot. At this point, you will be able to taste test the recipe and add more spices as you would like.

This makes a lot of soup, but we usually freeze half of it for another day!

Teriyaki Chicken!

This is a great homemade recipe for Teriyaki Chicken. I have to give a shout out to my friend David Fiso who gave me the original marinade recipe that I converted to Gluten Free. This is a recipe that has to marinate overnight, so plan ahead. Depending on how much marinade you make will determine how much chicken to use. Just last week, I made up about 15 pounds of Teriyaki Chicken for a family event. I used 3 cups of Soy Sauce, 6 cups water, 3 cups brown sugar and the rest of the recipe have sufficient marinade. It was the perfect amount for 15 pounds of chicken.

Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Gluten Free Soy Sauce (I Use La Choy Soy Sauce, naturally gluten free brand)
Brown Sugar
Water
2 Tbsp Honey
Garlic Powder
Ground Ginger
Bushel of Green Onions (Minced)

Directions:
For the marinade, mix 1 part soy sauce, 2 parts water, 1 part brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons Honey. Stir these together until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in Ground Ginger and Garlic Powder to taste. Then mix in minced Green Onions. I usually mince up 6-7 green onions. Place Chicken into a container and pour marinade over chicken. Let the chicken marinade overnight.

Fire up the grill and grill up the chicken until it is fully cooked.

Cook up some rice and eat the chicken over the rice.

This is a really good recipe for a nice day.

Chicken Quesadillas

Looking for another Easy dinner recipe? Check out this recipe.

Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas
1 Jar of Cheese Whiz
1 can of Chopped Green Chilies
1 Pound Shredded Cooked Chicken
Vegetable Oil (For Frying)

Directions:
In a sauce pan, heat cheese whiz until it is smooth. Mix in chopped green chilies and chicken. Once heated through, spoon out mixture into corn tortillas and fry the quesadillas in a fry pan with some vegetable oil. Don't forget to flip the quesadilla over to cook both sides. Once both sides are a nice light brown, remove from fry pan and cut to enjoy.

Looking for a great soup to have these with, check out my Black Bean Soup Recipe.

Black Bean Soup

This is an easy and great recipe for just kicking back and relaxing.

Black Bean Soup:
Ingredients:
3 Cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 Cup Salsa
2 Cups Chicken Broth
Juice from 1 Lime
2 Tbsp. Cilantro

Directions:
Heat Salsa 5 minutes in sauce pan. Stir in beans and chicken broth, and heat for 15 minutes. Continue stirring periodically. Ladle mixture into blender and puree. Return pureed mixture to sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and heat until warm through.
Top With Sour Cream and/or Avocado slices if desired.

This goes really well with Quesadillas.
 Check out my recipe for Chicken Quesadillas.

COOKING JUST GOT REAL!!!!

Today I bought a great cooking tool for the family. It is called a Traeger Grill. My wife and I have been discussing adding this grill to our cooking tool collection. Which got me thinking about what one might need to get started on a Gluten Free Diet when it comes to instruments. So I thought I might put together a list of items for the kitchen to make sure you have.

First things first, I want to recommend a FANTASTIC cookbook to start with. The woman who wrote this cook book lives in Utah and wrote a cookbook that was a life saver for my wife and I. Here website is Irresistibly Gluten Free has some great starter recipes and some even more recipes. I HIGHLY recommend that you take a look at her website and even look at purchasing her cookbook. I plan on continuing to improve upon her start.

For the Kitchen:
At least 2 Aluminum Cookie Sheets
Nice set of pots and pans: Minimum 8 qt. pot for making soups
Kitchen Aid Mixer
Glass Bakeware: 9x13, 8x8
Bread Pans: at least 3 or 4
Cake Pans: Assorted Size
Mixing Bowls


For the bigger cookers:
6 Qt. Crock Pot
Traeger Smoker
Bread machine

Ingredients to keep on hand all the time.
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Xanthan Gum
Vegetable Oil
Brown Sugar
White Sugar
Salt
Butter (and large amounts)
Crisco
Vanilla Extract
Milk
Eggs
Gluten Free Flour
Gluten Free Pasta

Now that is just the basics, but I highly recommend having all those ingredients, all of the items for the kitchen, and if you want even the items for the bigger cookers.

If you are looking for a great place to purchase all of your ingredients, go to Winco. We buy all of our stuff in bulk and keep it on hand. The other great place is Costco. Between those two, I am able to get all the things I need. Hope this Helps!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread!

I know it is a little late in the season for Pumpkin Bread. But non the less, it is still delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

Dry:

2 cup               GF Flour

1.5 tsp             Salt

1 tsp                Cinnamon

1 tsp                Nutmeg

2 tsp                Baking Soda

3 tsp                Xanthum Gum

Wet:

2 cups            Pumpkin

1 cup             Honey (Liquid)

½ cup            Water

4                    Eggs

1 cup             Corn Oil

Directions: (Makes 2 Loaves)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two medium loaf pans. In a bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and xanthum gum. Using a wire whisk give the dry ingredients a good stir. In another bowl combine the pumpkin, honey, corn oil and water. Stir together and add one egg at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin mixture and stir. Pour in the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool on a wire rack.