Cilantro Lime Chicken w/ Rice and Tortilla strips!

I made this yummy dinner last Sunday. It is sort of a compilation of recipes...i combined a rice bowl recipe with Cafe Rio and this is how it turned out! SO YUMMY! My kids-every single one- raved about it and wanted more! (And if you know Brynn...she usually eats a couple of bites and then announces she's done! Not with this one!) I was so proud of my "presentation" that I even took a picture! :) Warning: You will needs lots of cilantro (3 bunches) and limes (4)! Once I started typing the recipe, it seemed complicated, but trust me, it wasn't. There are just several steps involved! Hint: Make the tomatillo dressing and marinate the chicken the day before. Chop all cilantro at once..about 3 cups!

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 6-8 and the marinade was enough)

-Cilantro lime marinade

-3/4 c vegetable oil

-Juice and zest of two limes

-1 T minced garlic

-2 t sugar

-1/2 t salt

-1/4 t black pepper

-1/2 c finely chopped cilantro

Marinate chicken for several hours or overnight in marinade.

-1 c mango salsa (optional-only Jeff used it!)

-1/2 c shredded pepper jack cheese

-Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

-1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix (NOT buttermilk)

-1 c mayonnaise

-1 c buttermilk (I make my own with 1 T vinegar and 1 c milk)

-2 tomatillos, husk removed and diced

-1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

-1 clove garlic

-juice of 1 lime

-1 jalapeno (if you like it spicy, leave the seeds in, otherwise remove the seeds)

-Mix all ingredients together in a blender until very smooth and creamy. Refrigerate.

-Extra cilantro and limes to garnish

-1-2 cans Black Beans (depending on your family size) Rinse and drain. Heat after adding 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 t cumin, 2 T olive oil and some salt to spice it up!

-Cilantro Lime Rice

Combine in Rice cooker:

-rice (make whatever amount you usually make)

-1-2 T butter

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

-chicken broth according to your rice cooker's directions

When finished cooking, combine next three ingredients, pour over rice and fluff!

-1 T lime juice

-2 tsp sugar

-1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

-Corn tortilla strips

Make these by cutting corn tortillas into strips and then frying them in oil. Just drain them for a few minutes on paper towels when you are done!

Start the rice in the cooker first. Grill the chicken and let rest. Fry the tortilla strips. Layer the rice on a serving dish, and then lay the chicken out on top of the rice. Sprinkle the hot chicken with the pepper jack cheese. Pile the tortilla strips up high on top of the chicken. (The dressing, black beans, and mango salsa I served on the side.)

The kids wanted to know how to serve it because it was piled so high, but it worked out! It was totally "family style" and everyone loved it!

Smothered Steak

1 1/2 pounds round steak
3 onions, sliced thin (I only use one and I slice it really thick so my kids can pick them out)
1 cup. sliced mushrooms ( I omit, kids don't like)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. paprika
1/2 c. beef broth
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Place once sliced onion in bottom of crock pot. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together. Cut steak into serving size pieces and dredge in flour mixture. Place half of the steak pieces on top of the onions in the crock pot. Add another sliced onion and the mushrooms. Top with remaining meat and third sliced onion. Mix beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over all. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours. I doubled the recipe for my family of 6. I also put the leftover broth in the crockpot about 5 hours after I started. We serve it over mashed potatoes.

I got this recipe out of the cookbook "Dinner is Ready" by Deanna Buxton and changed regular flour to rice flour. Couldn't tell a difference.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. shortening
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 T. milk
3 T. sour cream
1 c. rice flour
1/2 c. tapioca starch
1/2 c. potato starch
1 t. unflavoured gelatin
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until creamy. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, milk and sour cream. Mix until combined.

In a separate large mixing bowl, comgine rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, unflavoured gelatin, baking powder, salt & xantham gum. Whisk to combine.

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir until combined.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Divide the dough in half and chill the unused portion of the dough until needed.

Roll half the dough at a time, between 2 sheets of waxed paper, parchment paper or plastic wrap to 1/4 " to 1/2" thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on prepared cookie sheets. (If the dough becomes sticky, return to the fridge to chill again).

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. May need to adjust accordingly.

This recipe we found on The Baking Beauties, but we added more butter and the sour cream to give it a more true sugar cookie consistency.

Crescent Rolls

1/2 stick butter (1/4 c.), room temp.
3/4 c. small curd cottage cheese

1 c. GF flour mix ( I used rice/potato starch/tapioca blend)
1 t. xantham gum
1/8 t. salt
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. baking soda
1 Tbs. sugar

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter and cottage cheese. Add dry ingredients. Mix until a ball of dough forms.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap), roll the dough into a 14 in. circle. Cut into 8 triangles (really easy with a pizza cutter).

Roll each triangle from wide end to tip, turning ends to form a crescent shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake 20-30 minutes. Brush with butter right out of the oven.

This recipe came from DelightfullyGlutenFree.blogspot.com

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke Pizza (a la Papa Murphys)

Papa Murphy's pizza was advertising their Chicken, Bacon & Artichoke Pizza a few weeks ago and Jeff said that it looked sooo good. I make Jeff pizza all the time with Bette Hagman's Yeast-Rising Thick Crust Pizza recipe...it's his favorite! But it's always either pepperoni or BBQ Chicken pizza. So...I went to Papa Murphy's to see about the ingredients. All the toppings for the C, B &A pizza were gluten free...even the white sauce! (They showed me the actual bottle they used and I was able to read the ingredients myself!) Anyway...they sold them to me for $1 per ingredient and packaged each ingredient in a container and sent me on my way! They say they do it all the time! I made the pizza on the GF crust and it was delicious! Jeff was so excited to have something new and exciting!

p.s. This would also be good on the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts.
p.s.s. If you haven't noticed, I use Bette Hagman's book, "The Gluten-Free Gourmet" a lot. The GF Mix I use is in this book, along with tons of other useful info!

GF Dixie Fry (Tempura)

Ok-Jeff really wanted fried shrimp over the holidays. We always have them at our family fondue night and he usually has to pass on them. This year, I decided to try and make him some, too. I just looked at the ingredients on the Dixie Fry box and then made up my own GF recipe! It's pretty close to the real thing and Jeff loved it!

2 C GF Mix (Bette Hagman) or
Featherlight Flour mix*
1 t salt
1 t paprika
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/2 t garlic powder
milk (to consistency)

Combine all ingredients and add milk until proper consistency-similar to pancake batter. Mix until smooth and no lumps. Coat shrimp and fry in hot oil. If using the Featherlight Flour mix, still add 2 T cornstarch. Using the Featherlight makes it lighter and fluffier.

*Featherlight Flour Mix
2/3 c rice flour
2/3 c tapioca starch
2/3 c cornstarch
2 tsp potato flour

This recipe is from memory-after the fact! You may have to adjust it a little...but it's a good starting point, and for the breading-deprived...they will love it!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c sugar
1 c peanut butter
1 t vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, beaten

Mix first 4 ingredients and fold in the beaten egg white. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 13 minutes. Let sit on cookie sheet to cool.

These are so quick and easy. Try dipping them in melted chocolate...yummy!

Courtesy: Nicki Rose

Yummy Brownies!

Again, I got this recipe from Nicki Rose, a friend whose son has celiac disease. These brownies are moist and delicious - good enough to serve to a non-GF crowd!

Combine in saucepan, boil and remove from heat:
2 sticks butter
1 c water
1/2 c cocoa

In a bowl:
2 c sugar
1 c cornstarch
1 c potato starch (or potato flour)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t xanthan gum

Add dry ingredients to boiled mixture and combine; then add:
2 eggs
1/2 c sour cream

Spread on cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for 22 minutes.

Frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
4 t cocoa
3 1/2 c powdered sugar
5 1/2 T milk
1 T vanilla

Completely cool brownies and frost, or if you want it soaked in, frost when warm! So Good!

GF Party Mix

This is one of those recipes that I always have the ingredients on hand for. It whips up quick and satisfies a sweet tooth!

Combine and boil 2 minutes:
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 c sugar
1 c karo syrup

Toss together in large mixing bowl:
4 c Rice Chex (GF)
4 c GF Corn Flakes (I like Barbara's)
1 c coconut
1 c slivered almonds

Pour hot syrup over dry ingredients and toss. Cool and enjoy!

(Recipe from Nicki Rose)

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These delicious cookies were found on Hey That Tastes Good! and Jeff loves them! They are delicious and festive-the perfect Christmas cookie!

1/2 c vegetable oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted (or 4 T cocoa mixed w/ 12 T melted margarine)
2 c sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c rice flour mix *see note
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/4 t salt
1 tsp baking powder
confectioner's sugar

Directions:
1. Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between. Add
vanilla.
2. Sift dry ingredients together. Stir into chocolate mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into balls and roll in confectioner's sugar
to coat.
4. Place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake about 10-14 minutes.

*Rice flour mix: 2 c rice flour, 2/3 c potato starch, 1/3 c tapioca starch

White Bread

For those of you who live in the big city, buying bread is very easy. For people who live in a small town and don't have healthfood stores just down the street, this is the best bread I've made yet.

Dry Ingredients (Mix in a bowl):
2 c. white rice flour
1 c. tapioca flour
1/2 c. corn starch
2/3 c. powdered dry milk
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbs. xanthan gum
4 1/2 t. dry yeast (or 2 packets)
1 1/2 t. salt

Liquid (Mix separately in another bowl):
4 eggs beaten lightly
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/4 c. corn oil
1 t. rice vinegar

Add liquid to mixed dry ingredients. Mix well for 60 seconds. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until tripled in size, in warm humid area. Then bake 50 min. in nonstick bread tin at 350 degrees. I cover it with aluminum foil for the first 40 minutes or so. Remove from oven when very light brown. Note: removing the light will keep bread spongy and less crumbly. Let cool for 10 min. then remove from tin and cool for 30 min. longer. Ready to eat.

This recipes comes to us from Rick Barrera.

Puddin' Good Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c margarine
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding (GF)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c BH (Bette Hagman) Featherlight flour mix: (2/3 c. rice flour, 2/3 c. tapioca starch, 2/3 c. cornstarch, 2 tsp. potato flour)
1/4 c potato starch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream margarine, sugars, and dry pudding mix. Add eggs one at a time; beat in vanilla. Combine flours, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by tablespoon-fuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-14 minutes or lightly browned and set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: 4 dozen
Courtesy of: Lori Bakes (for kids)

Chicken Nuggets

8 Boneless, Skinless chicken breast halves, cut into nugget-size pieces
1 cup plain yogurt or nondairy yogurt or enough olive oil to coat
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups gluten-free cornflake crumbs
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion powder
1 t. ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a sheet pan.
2. Coat chicken pieces with yogurt or olive oil.
3. Place cornmeal, cornflakes and spices in a Ziploc bag. Seal and shake to thoroughly combine
ingredients.
4. Place coated chicken in cornmeal mixture. Seal the bag and shake to completely cover all the
pieces with crumbs.
5. Place breaded chicken pieces on prepared sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven until
cooked through, about 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
6. Serve warm with a gluten-free dipping sauce.

Each nugget contains 39 calories, 1 g. total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 72 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 5 g. protein.

This recipe by Sara Pluta was published in the Winter 2002 issue of Living Without.