Fall Harvest Salad

Fall Harvest Salad

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So this is another creation from our Winder Farms produce box.  This week we got spaghetti squash (which I've never made before), fingerling potatoes (which my husband mocked until he tried them), lettuce, red onion, and some other things we ate much quicker than when I tried this recipe.  The recipe given again had lots of stuff I don't keep on hand and/or am not a fan of, so I tweaked it to come up with this.

Find the PDF for the recipe HERE

The first thing I started with was the squash.  I had to have the hubby cut this sucker in half, it's NOT easy! (Or maybe I'm just a weakling in my current pregnant not able to run or train state.)  Either way it still took the hubs quite a few minutes and 3 knives before he got it open.  I wasn't quite sure what to do since I've never made spaghetti squash and I was wondering if maybe those strings around the seeds were what I was supposed to cook.  After a few google searches I cleared out the seeds and strings, just like when you take the guts out of a pumpkin.

Then I brushed the meat of the squash with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.  I lined a baking sheet with foil and popped this into a preheated 450* oven.  I set the timer for 30 minutes and got to work chopping.

I washed and cut the fingerling potatoes in half.  I put them in a bowl and tossed with olive oil and garlic salt and pepper.

Then I chopped the red onion, lettuce and chicken (I used some cooked grilled chicken.)

When the squash timer rang, I took it out and then put those potatoes right on the same baking sheet and back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

Once the spaghetti squash is finished use a fork to scrape at it, and it will become stringy like noodles.

Then layer the salad.  I did lettuce, squash, potatoes, chicken, and onions.

I really found that this salad didn't need any dressing.  The squash, seasoned potatoes and onions really gave it plenty of flavor.

I personally did whip up a quick honey mustard vinaigrette, but if you use any dressing, use very sparingly, especially a vinaigrette.

You don't want it to overpower the taste of fall.

(I cooked the whole squash and used a little more than half, if you have a smaller family you can probably get away with only using half.)

**This recipe is gluten free. Verify all your ingredients are gluten free.**

ENJOY!!!

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Thai Lettuce Wraps

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So recently the hubs and I signed up for Winder Farms.  This deliciousness was sitting on my doorstep Monday morning as I was headed out for my run. 

I won't show you all our goodies, but we ordered a produce box as part of our order.

                               

It is more expensive than Bountiful Baskets, but the quality is amazing.  I didn't use most of the produce until almost the end of the week and it was so fresh still!! I'm used to only buying berries the day I use them or they go bad by the time I go to bed!

They also provide a recipe to use your ingredients, which I think is a GREAT idea because so many times I get a new item and have no clue what to do with it.  This time they gave me a recipe for Thai Lettuce Wraps, but their recipe was full of ingredients I didn't have on hand and my grocery budget for the week was gone, so I decided to come up with my own.

I found a recipe on allrecipes.com but it called for skewers and grilling and as a busy mom with a husband currently on nights, that wasn't going to happen.  Plus I was missing some of the ingredients and had others I wanted to use.  So I adjusted until I came up with something I was happy with.

Find the PDF for the recipe HERE

The hubs is on nights right now so getting all 5 kids fed, bathed, and ready for bed on time is quite the challenge alone but having dinner on time makes a world of difference.  So, I wanted to have this recipe on the table by 5pm.  Since I was planning on that I started with all my prep work while helping the kids with their homework.

I started by mixing up the sauce.

SAUCE:

1/3 c. lite soy sauce

1/3 c. water

3 Tbsp. Lemon juice

2 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp. Ground ginger

1 Tbsp. Sugar

I just mixed that all together and set aside.

(If you don't like the raw garlic taste {this sauce isn't cooked}, I suggest either just adding more to the meat mixture and omitting it in the sauce, or you can cook it up real fast before adding it.)

Then I got my veggies ready.  I washed and separated the lettuce, and shredded and thinly sliced my carrots, peppers, and cucumber.

(You can add whatever other veggies you want or have on hand.  Some suggestions are radishes, green onions, rice sticks, etc.)

I took 1 lb of ground beef and browned it most of the way.  Then I added 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic (you can go 1 if you aren't garlic fans) and 1/2 tsp. ground ginger.

I let that finish cooking and then I added 1 c. of cooked rice I had from the other nights dinner.

I let that cool for a minute.  Then I started assembling.  Once the prep work was done this was a super fast dinner.  You could always do almost all the prep before hand and this would be a quick meal.

Take a lettuce leaf and top with the meat mixture and then veggies, if you are rolling, do not overfill them or the lettuce will tear easy.  My husband and I ate them this way, dipping in our own bowls of dipping sauce.

  Beware - These are MESSY! But you'll be licking your fingers with deliciousness.

Little kids and bowls of dipping sauce don't always work well, so we went an alternate way for them.

I simply used their lettuce as a bowl, filled it up and then drizzled with the sauce.  At first I was afraid they wouldn't eat the lettuce this way, but they were using the lettuce to soak up the sauce and finish them off.

**This recipe is gluten free. Verify all your ingredients are gluten free (especially soy sauce!!).**

ENJOY!!!

Honey Crock Pot Chicken

Honey Crock Pot Chicken

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I got this recipe from allrecipes.com but had to tweak a few things to make it work.

I found these yummy looking guys on clearance at my local grocery store and chicken that is .79/lb is definitely for me!  

You can find the PDF to this recipe HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs chicken drumsticks (I had 11 drumsticks in my pkg.)

3/4 c. honey

1/2 c. lite soy sauce

3 Tbsp. ketchup

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained with reserved juice

2 Tbsp. corn starch

1/4 c. water

**If your ingredients are GF than this meal is GF, check your soy sauce and spices to be sure!**

DIRECTIONS:

1. I always start by spraying my crockpot with nonstick spray because it makes clean up faster. Then I dumped in all those chicken drumsticks.

2. In a bowl, mix honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger and reserved pineapple juice. Pour this sauce over the chicken.

3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (make sure chicken is cooked through). Stir in pineapple chunks about 10-15 minutes before done.

*This is where preference comes in. The chicken is done, and delicious, the sauce is good but quite liquidy. If you don't want to wait, or use the crockpot to avoid extra dishes and steps, go ahead and eat now. If you want a thick sauce to pour over the top continue on.*

4. Remove chicken and pineapple and set aside (keeping warm). Pour sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

5. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk into sauce. Turn down heat and let cook until thickened.

6. Serve chicken on rice and top with sauce.

My kids all had seconds and some had thirds. My GF daughter says she loves delicious chicken meals like this that are gluten-free.

ENJOY!

Salsa Chicken & Rice Burritos

Salsa Chicken Rice Burritos

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We love these chicken & rice burritos. These are salsa based burritos, make sure you use a salsa you LOVE!! We use our fav homemade salsa for these. These are burritos, they are not enchiladas, they don't have a sauce topping. They are for dipping in sour cream, salsa, guac, etc.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 c. chopped green onion

1 clove garlic, minced

7 c. shredded cooked chicken meat (I only did about 4 or 5 but kept everything else the same and we loved it)

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 1/2 c. chicken broth, divided

1 (16oz) jar salsa, divided

1 c. uncooked long grain rice

1/2 c. sliced black olives (we omit these)

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided (we use mexi-blend, or whatever's on hand)

12 (10") flour tortillas (Since we had half the amount of chicken we made like 7 or so)

**SUB WITH GLUTEN FREE TORTILLAS OR TORTILLA CHIPS FOR GLUTEN FREE VERSION**

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make chicken mixture: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute green onion and garlic until soft; stir in chicken, chili powder, 1/4 c. broth and 3/4 c. salsa sauce. heat through, then set aside.

2. To make rice: In a large saucepan, bring rice and remaining 2 1/4 c. broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer 20 min. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 c. salsa sauce, cover and simmer for another 5-10 min or until rice is tender.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375*.

4. To assemble burritos: Stir chicken mixture into rice, then add olives and 2 c. cheese. (I just scooped some of each, I didn't mix them together first.) Mix well. Spoon 1 c. filling each tortilla, off center. Fold sides and ends over filling, then roll up. Arrange filled tortillas in two 9x13" (we only needed 1 pan) baking dishes and sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top.

5. Bake at 375* for 10-15 min. or until heated through.

THESE FREEZE GREAT!!! (Just reheat in oven to maintain crispyness!

The FILLING is gluten-free (always check your ingredients first), just fill in a gluten-free tortilla, or serve with tortilla chips!

(This recipe was found on allrecipes.com)

ENJOY!

Chicken & Broccoli Puffs

Chicken & Broccoli Puffs

*****

I got this recipe from a Pampered Chef Cookbook. Technically it's called chicken and broccoli braid, but as you can see, I didn't make a braid. I make this every time I find crescent rolls on sale. **The filling is gluten free, not the crescent rolls**

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. cooked chicken, chopped

1 c. broccoli, chopped (I've used mixed broccoli & cauliflower before too)

1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I always do medium cheese & more of it)

1/2 c. mayo

2 tsp. dill mix (or dried dill weed works too)

1/4 tsp. salt

~FOR GLUTEN FREE STOP HERE~

2 pkg. (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls (keep refrigerated until need them or they get sticky)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Mix chicken, broccoli and bell pepper in bowl. Press garlic over vegetable mixture.

2. Add cheese to vegetable mixture; mix gently.

3. Add mayo, dill, salt; mix well.

4. Scoop onto crescent rolls and roll up. You can make all kinds fancy shape, braids and stuff. I just put the large side facing the middle of my pan and the point hanging off the edge and scoop then fold the crescent inwards. I make 2 circles this way.

5. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with almonds (I skip this cause my family doesn't like it).

6. Bake 25-28 min. or until deep golden brown. Cut and serve.

**I bake this on my stoneware, if you're using a regular cookie sheet I'd watch the time, 5 min. before and after to see what the best time is.**

GLUTEN FREE VERSION: The filling itself is gluten-free, I add the filling on top of some gluten-free bread and toast it, like a hot chicken melt and Hailey loves it. You can also roll these in a gluten-free tortilla

ENJOY!

Jambalaya

Jambalaya

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We don't do Jambalaya very often, but when we do, this is our go-to. This IS Jambalaya, so it's spicy... adjust cayenne and pepper sauce to your tastes

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.5oz) chicken broth

1 can (6oz) tomato paste

2 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

1 lb. smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4" slices

1/2 lbs. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used cooked, cause that's all I could find and it worked great)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In slow cooker, combine tomatoes, broth and paste.

2. Stir in green peppers, onion, celery, garlic and seasoning.

3. Stir in chicken, sausage and shrimp

4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice.

THIS IS GLUTEN FREE! (Unless your spices or broth have gluten in them, all the ingredients I use do not)

ENJOY!

Salsa Chicken

Salsa Chicken

*****

I don't know if you can really even call this a recipe, but I wanted to share it, since it's one of Matthew's favorite and it so easy!

INGREDIENTS:

chicken tenders

salsa

cheddar cheese slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. In a greased pan, I usually use 8x8 but depends on how much chicken you're doing. Usually between 6-8 tenders thawed (I've used frozen too, closer to 30 min for frozen) chicken for my family.

3. Pour salsa over the top. I usually use a whole pint jar of homemade salsa.

4. Put in the preheated oven until chicken is cooked, about 15-20 (for thawed) or 25-30 min (for frozen). depending on the size and amount of your chicken. Test with meat thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked. It will be slightly pink even when cooked because of the salsa, but don't over cook.

5. After cooked, remove from the oven and top with sliced cheese immediately so cheese melts over chicken.

**This is super great on the grill too! Marinate the chicken in salsa for a few hours before grilling then top with cheese before removing from grill to melt cheese!**

This is naturally GLUTEN FREE! :)

ENJOY!

Gluten Free Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Gluten Free Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

*****

My hubby and I ate half of the gluten free version and it was delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz gluten free elbow macaroni

4 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 c. milk

8 oz grated cheddar cheese

pinch of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook macaroni according to directions.

2. In saucepan, melt butter, then whisk in cornstarch to make a "roux."

3. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Slowly whisk milk into roux. Whisk out any lumps, until all combined.

5. Add cheese and whisk until creamy and melted. Season with salt and pepper.

6. When cheese is all melted. Add noodles and mix until well coated.

ENJOY!! ;)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

*****

A basic homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. I quick fix that is almost as quick as the box kind and SO much better for you and so much better tasting!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz elbow macaroni

4 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. flour

2 c. milk

8oz. cheddar cheese, grated

pinch of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook Macaroni according to directions.

2. In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter to form a roux. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat.

3. Slowly whisk milk into roux. Whisk out any lumps.

4. Add grated cheese and season with salt and pepper

5. Once cheese is melted add noodles and stir until combined.

**THIS RECIPE WAS FOUND AT macheesmo.com He's got an amazing cooking blog! That's where I found my recipe for homemade cool ranch doritos too! ;)**

ENJOY! ;)

Chicken Puffs

Chicken Puffs

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This one got another 6 stars out of hubby. You can make your own homemade crescent roll dough, or you can buy the kind in a tube for a quick dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

6 chicken tenders

olive oil

pepper

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz cream cheese (3/4 of 8oz pkg)

6 Tbsp. butter

4 (8oz) cans crescent roll dough

1. In medium pan, saute chicken over medium heat in olive oil until no longer pink. Season with pepper.

2. Remove chicken and chop into small bites.

3. Add onion and garlic to oil in pan and saute, add chicken and cook until onions are tender.

4. In medium bowl, blend hot chicken mixture, cream cheese and butter until creamy.

5. Preheat oven to 325*

6. Unroll croissants, place 1/2 Tbsp. (or less) on each triangle. Roll up.

(You can also use 2 triangles, add 1 Tbsp. mixture and fold up sides into balls.)

7. Arrange on large baking sheet (I used stoneware).

8. Bake in preheated oven 12 min. or until golden brown.

**TO MAKE THIS GLUTEN FREE FOR HAILEY, I SERVED IT ON TOASTED GLUTEN FREE BREAD!**

ENJOY! ;)

Sweet & Sour Pork

Sweet & Sour Pork

*****

This recipe makes a TON of sauce, I doubled the pork, but even then 1 serving of sauce left us with 2 tupperware containers leftover! Hubby's favorite version sweet & sour pork because the pork stays crispy! The best part is the whole thing is GLUTEN FREE naturally!

INGREDIENTS:

PORK:

1 lb. pork butt, cut into 1" cubes (I used pork for stew pre-cut)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white sugar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 egg white

2 green onions, chopped

1 qt veg oil for frying

1/2 c. cornstarch

VEGGIES:

1 Tbsp. veg oil

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces (I added red bell pepper too)

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

white sugar to taste

salt to taste

SAUCE:

1 c. water (less water if you want a thicker sauce)

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. white sugar (less sugar if you don't want it as sweet)

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. ketchup

1/2 tsp. soy sauce

1 (8oz) can pineapple chunks, undrained

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 c. water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place cubed pork in a medium bowl season with 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. soy sauce. Mix in the egg white and green onions. Cover and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in deep fryer to 365*.

3. Drain pork and put in resealable bag, add cornstarch and shake to coat. Fry in heated oil about 10 min, until evenly browned. (The pork might look pinkish under the coating- cut one open to see if cooked through)

4. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in wok over medium heat. Stir in celery, green bell pepper, and onion and cook until tender. Season with salt and sugar. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. In a large saucepan, mix first 6 ingredients of sauce. Bring to a boil, and stir in the celery mixture and pineapple chunks with juice. (If you want your pork soft you can add it to the sauce now, if you want it crispy don't add to sauce!) Return to boil. Mix cornstarch in 1/4 c water and stir until dissolved. Slowly add to sauce stirring while adding. Cook until well blended and slightly thickened. Serve pork over rice(if desired) and sauce over pork :)

ENJOY!

Pasta Pomodoro

Pasta Pomodoro

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Kind of similar to the fresh pasta toss recipe I have on here, but this one has an oil&vinegar type sauce instead of cream, another favorite when fresh tomatoes on hand.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8oz) pkg. angel hair pasta (I used less than this and thin spaghetti cause that's what was on hand)

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I only had red wine vinegar, but add 1/2 tsp. sugar for every 1 tbsp. red wine and it's a great substitute)

1 (10.75 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth

crushed red pepper to taste (a must for hubby)

freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (I used dry)

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook fro 8 min or until al dente; drain.

2. Pour olive oil in large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 min.

3. Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

**TO MAKE THIS GLUTEN FREE-USE GLUTEN FREE PASTA**

Cafe Rio Style Chicken

Cafe Rio Chicken

*****

So, this isn't an exact replica, but it's pretty dang good, especially if you are making a cafe rio style salad or burritos! Super easy (SLOW COOKER) and so versatile! Make sure you make the rice too!

INGREDIENTS:

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (I used regular Italian dressing and about half the bottle and loved it)

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

3 cloves garlic - minced

5 lbs chicken breast (I used about 3 lbs boneless skinless tenders instead)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook all together in the crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

**AS LONG AS YOUR SPICES ARE, THIS CHICKEN IS GLUTEN-FREE** :)

ENJOY!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

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Flavor of this really depends on your cajun seasoning. I have a great recipe for one, I'll add in the future.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. linguine pasta

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tsp. cajun seasoning (I make my own)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

4 fresh mushrooms, sliced (I omit, I hate mushrooms)

1 green onion, chopped

1 c. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

This makes 2 servings, I always at least double it for our fam!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 min or until al dente; drain.

2. Place the chicken and cajun seasoning in a bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender(5-7 min).

3. Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms (YUCK!) and green onion. Saute and stir for 2-3 min. Reduce heat.

4. Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

**FOR GLUTEN FREE - USE GLUTEN FREE NOODLES!!!**

Hot Chicken Sandwiches

HOT CHICKEN SANDWICHES

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Matthew gives these 6 stars, hands down his favorite and SOOO Easy! If you use gluten-free bread/buns, the recipe is gluten free too!

PDF Version HERE

INGREDIENTS:

8 c. cubed cooked chicken, or turkey (I use 3-4 large cans cooked chopped chicken)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 c. chopped celery

2 c. mayonnaise

2 c. shredded cheese (I've used mexi blend or mix of mozzarella & cheddar)

buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients except buns in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on HIGH 2 hours.

3. Serve on buns. (USE MY SOFT SANDWICH BUNS RECIPE- PERFECT!)

PDF Version HERE

ENJOY!!!