Tex-Mex Soup...Carr Style

Yes...I realize the title is a bit ironic and funny, but I honestly didn't follow a recipe at all.

Tex-Mex Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 box Quinoa Harvest shells
• 1 lb. ground beef (can substitute with ground turkey)
• 1 64-oz. bottle of tomato/vegetable juice
• 1 can of stewed tomatos
• 2 cans of kidney beans
• 1 can of corn
• 1 tbs. garlic powder
• 1 tbs. oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tbs. chili powder
• 1 taco seasoning mix  

Directions:

1. Cook pasta and drain once cooked.
2. Brown ground beef.  Drain fat.  Add taco seasoning mix and 1 cup of water and cook until the water has evaporated.
3. Place pasta in large pot.
4. Pour all of the juice into the pot.
5. Mix in stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, and chili powder.
6. Place ground beef into the pot and mix in.
7. Cook until it's heated all the way through.
   

Hope you enjoy it!!

Jenni

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

Once again, I can't take credit for the entire recipe; however, I did make some tweaks (like I normally do...go figure).  Here's the website for the original recipe for the banana muffins: Cat Can Cook.

Here's the updated version of the gluten-free banana muffins!!!

Banana Muffins


Ingredients:
2 large bananas
1 cup white sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Arrowhead Buckwheat Flour
1/2 cup applesauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg, applesauce, and margarine together. Set aside
3. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. 
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together!
5. Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

The original recipe called for 3 or 4 bananas, but I only had two, which is why I added a 1/2 cup of applesauce.  I, also, was able to make 15 compared to the original 12.

Hope you all enjoy!!  God bless!!

Jenni

Banana Pancakes...

They are gluten-free!!!  I followed the recipe on the Gluten-Free Bisquick box; however, I did tweak it just a bit.  The recipe makes approximately 10 pancakes.

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Gluten-free Bisquick
• 2 cups milk (I used skim milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1 whole banana

Directions:

1. If you have a standing mixer or a hand mixer, blend all of the ingredients together.  If you're mixing it by hand, mash the banana prior to mixing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter and pour onto pre-heated griddle.
3. Cook on one side until they bubble up and flip.  Cook until browned on both sides.
4. Eat and enjoy!

Enjoy!!

Jenni

Country Pumpkin Muffins

I got this recipe for pumpkin muffins from www.allrecipes.com.  Here is the link for the actual recipe in all of it's originality:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/country-pumpkin-muffins/detail.aspx.  Now...of course you know by now, that I've made my own personal adjustments to the recipe, like all other recipes I've posted here.

Before I share the ingredients, I will say that the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups raisins and 1 cup chopped walnuts.  I didn't put them in ours this time, partially, because I don't have them readily available in my kitchen and, partially,  because my husband and I don't regularly eat raisins and nuts in our breads.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (Arrowhead Mills brand)
• 1 1/2 cup Pamela's Products Gluten-Free Bread Mix & Flour Blend
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt.
3. Add to pumpkin mixture; blend well.
4. Fold in raisins and walnuts. 
5. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. 
6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

 I did sprinkle sugar on top prior to baking them.


I hope you enjoy them and happy eating!!!


Jenni

 

Strawberry Muffins

Here is the strawberry muffin recipe I used today!!  I've already had a couple and they're super yummy!


This recipe is from www.cooks.com.

 

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,158168-244197,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

• 1 - 1 1/2 c. berries washed, hulled, dried (can use frozen, thawed) 
• 3 c. flour (gluten-free)
• 1 tsp. Xanthan gum
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 3 eggs 
• 1 c. milk

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, Xanthan gum, and salt.
2. Add brown sugar and stir to blend.
3. Combine butter, eggs, and milk and stir into dry ingredients until just blended.
4. Fold in berries carefully.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 20-24.

As I was making the muffins, I used 1 cup of Arrowhead Mills White Rice Flour and 2 cups of the Gluten Free Pantry All-Purpose Flour.  Also, my advice with the strawberries is to use fresh ones and use more of them to make the muffins more fruit filled.

Also, you can make a strawberry butter to use with the muffins.  I didn't actually make it this time around; however, here's the recipe that was included:

Strawberry Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter (room temperature) 
• 3/4 c. frozen strawberries 
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar

Directions: Blend in blender.

Hope you enjoy!!! Happy eating!!

Jenni

Other Gluten-free Flours I've used...

Here are a couple of other gluten-free flours I have used:

Both of these flours have seemed to work well individually; however, I will say that the white rice flour tends to be gritty.  If you want to "smooth" the texture out some from the white rice flour, then try mixing half of the white rice flour with half of an all-purpose gluten free flour or another gluten free flour.

Happy cooking!

Jenni

Raspberry Muffins

I had been planning on making these a while ago; however, the first set of raspberries I had gotten went bad before I could do them.  So...I decided to try once again.  And...they look so yummy!!

 Also, keep in mind that this recipe isn't originally mine.  I found it at www.cooks.com.

RED RASPBERRY MUFFINS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,148163-247206,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

Topping Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter, softened 
• 1/4 c. flour (gluten-free)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. flour (gluten-free)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. butter, softened 
• 1 c. fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients (butter, flour and brown sugar) together and set aside for the topping.
2. Mix together by spoon the sugar, egg, milk and butter; stir in the flour, Xanthan gum, and baking powder. 
3. Add raspberries. 
4. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full and sprinkle topping mixture on top.  
5. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

Before...

After...

After #2

I will say that when I was baking that I used the Gluten Free Pantry version of all purpose flour for the 1/4 cup flour in the topping and 3/4 cup of flour in the actual muffin mix.  The other 1/2 cup of gluten free flour was actually white rice flour from Arrowhead Mills.  Also, rather than specifically measuring the raspberries, I actually just put the entire 6 oz. container in.  This recipe can make a dozen small muffins or 6 large muffins.

Hope you enjoy them!!  Happy eating!!!

Jenni

Gluten Free Mac-N-Cheese

So, a friend of mine just sent me this recipe she uses to make gluten free macaroni and cheese.  I haven't made it yet, but she says it tastes super yummy.  Thank you for sharing Megan!!!

Gluten Free Mac-n-cheese

Ingredients:

• Use quinoa elbow noodles
• 2 bags shredded cheese (any kind you want to use, she uses sharp)
• Ragu cheese sauce (you can find it in the pasta aisle)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions: 

1. Boil box of noodles and put noodles in baking dish.  Don't let the noodles sit too long or they'll become sticky.  You can add a teaspoon or two of olive oil if you'd like to make sure they don't stick.
2. Pour milk and butter over noodles, make sure they are covered.  Add more milk if need to make sure the noodles are covered.
3. Stir in mustard.
4. Stir in cheese sauce and 1 1/2 bag of cheese.
5. Cover top with cheese.
6. Salt/pepper to taste.
7. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Hope you enjoy it!  Happy eating!!

Jenni

Gluten-Free Pasta for Dinner

On my grocery trip this past Saturday, I decided to peruse the Whole Foods store near us to see what gluten free items they had for us to try.  I compared several different products, and knowing that Andrew misses having pasta, I decided to try the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Shells.

This evening I decided to make the pasta I had bought because, like every other day during the work week, I wanted to make something easy.  I don't have an official name for this and quite frankly it's pretty easy.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of the Ancient Harvest Quinoa shells
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (whatever your favorite)
• pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni to make it a slightly more low fat)
• 1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (give or take a little)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the pasta per the directions on the box.  You may want to cook the full time or a couple of extra minutes depending on your oven.
3. Strain the pasta and pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan.
4. Mix in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (or so), 1/4 package of pepperoni and pasta sauce.
5. Layer more pepperoni and cover with more cheese depending on your taste.
6. Place in the oven until the cheese on top has melted and serve!

Enjoy and happy eating!!!

Jenni

Zucchini Bread

It's amazing how quickly time flies when you get caught up in other things (aka work)!!

A few weeks ago a friend of ours gave us a big zucchini that I honestly had no idea what to use for or even how to cook with it.  I will say that I used part of it in the broccoli chicken casserole that I typically make, but replaced the broccoli with sauteed zucchini.  But...I ended up having extra zucchini left over that I had absolutely no idea of what to use it for or to cook it with.  So, I decided that Andrew needed something different for breakfast and made him a couple of loaves of gluten-free zucchini bread.

For those of you who cook "normally" and don't have to worry about eating gluten-free, here's the website that I used: Mom's Zucchini Bread Recipe.

For those of you who cook gluten-free, here's the amended recipe for you to enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (Bob's Red Mill)

• 2 tsp. Xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

It really is relatively easy to do.  Just follow the directions!

Happy eating!!!

Jenni