Brown and Wild Rice and Sausage Turkey Dressing

2 cups brown rice
1 cup wild rice
1 package sage Jimmy Dean sausage
1 garlic head, minced
1 onion, large, chopped
4 to 6 celery stalks, sliced
10 to 12 mushrooms, rinsed, and sliced
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. sage, chopped
2 tbsp. thyme, chopped
2 tbsp. sage, finely minced
2 tbsp. rosemary, finely minced
2 tbsp.marjoram, finely minced





 

Cook brown and wild rice with chicken broth instead of water. Bring rice to a boil. Cook on high for 30 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Rice should cook for a total of 1 hour. Midway through cooking, lift and turn rice from the bottom to the top; cook on low for another 30 minutes.



In a separate pan, cook sausage and drain. Sauté the garlic and onions with olive oil, until slightly translucent. Add in mushrooms, celery, and water chestnuts and continue to sauté. Add in all fresh herbs and sauté for a few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.



In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Herb and Garlic Roasted Turkey

Roasting turkey with garlic and herbs was handed down to me from my mother.  My mother who was off Puerto Rican decent did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving until she moved to the United States when she was 19 years old.  In Puerto Rico all meats are seasoned with garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper.  In Puerto Rico it is called an adobo.  I slightly change the adobo to incorporate my Puerto Rican roots as well as my American roots to fit in line with the Thanksgiving tradition.  Although my mother did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico, adn she did not really like turkey she would create a sumptutious meal for her family and friends.  I thnak my mother for the wonderful cooking skills that she taught to all of her children.  Now that she is gone, cooking her recipes helps me to feel a little closer to her.  This is my way of imparting my heritage, my roots to my children as well.  This is a tradition that will stay with my and my family forever.

1 organic or free range turkey
poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram), fresh, and finely minced
1 head garlic
2 sticks butter
1 cup olive oil
20 lb. organic or free range turkey

1 cup Butter or butter substitute, room temperature
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic head, minced finely
¼ cup thyme, fresh, leaves pulled from stalk
¼ cup sage, fresh, finely chopped
¼ cup rosemary, finely chopped
1/8 cup, marjoram, finely chopped
1/8 cup savory, finely chopped
2 tbsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. fresh cracked pepper
¼ tablespoon nutmeg

2 onions, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, whole cloves
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
4 parsnips, roughly chopped
several bundles of poultry herbs

To make rub: In a food processor, or blender mix butter and olive oil, add in garlic, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and blend in fresh herbs to combine rub.

Clean out turkey and rinse. Rub the entire turkey inside and out with blended rub. Don’t forget to separate skin from turkey and stuff the rub mix under the skin and the entire surface under the skin.

DO NOT Baste turkey if you would like a nice crispy, browned turkey skin.

Fill the cavity of the turkey and the base around turkey with rough chopped 2 onions,1 head garlic, 4 celery stalks, 2 carrots and 4 parsnips and several bundles of poultry herbs.. Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Roast turkey for about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Add broth to the roasting pan after the veggies have roasted sufficiently about 1 ½ hour into roasting. Cover turkey with foil if it starts to brown in certain areas so that it will not burn.

Recipe ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers part 1

Do you have a ton of Thanksgiving leftovers and not a clue what to do with all of them? Whatever you do, do not throw them out. There are tons of ideas of what new creations that can be made with all of those great Thanksgiving leftovers. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of all the pre-cooked meat and veggies to create wonderful dishes and casseroles that can be placed in the freezer to pull out in a week or two. This is a fantastic way to not only save time, but to save money as well.


Don’t forget to look out for more recipes in this series throughout this week. If you have any great ideas please share. Here are the first two recipes in the Recipe Ideas forThanksgiving Leftovers Series:



Gluten-Free Turkey Soup

turkey carcass plus miscellaneous leftover turkey meat

filtered water

GF pasta ABC’s or animal cut-outs (Mrs. Leepers) ½ cup

½ head garlic, finely minced

1 onion, chopped

celery, sliced

carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces

parsnips, chopped into bite sized pieces

poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram), fresh, and finely minced

Boil turkey carcass and turkey meat for at least one hour with garlic, onion, and poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram). Add in GF pasta, chopped carrots, parsnips and celery. When pasta and veggies are cooked through, the soup is ready to serve.



Gluten-Free Turkey Club Sandwiches
sliced turkey breast
1 lb. bacon, cooked
2 tomatoes, washed and sliced
lettuce, washed and separated into leaves
avocadoes, thinly sliced
GF bread, your favorite (Most GF breads are best when toasted, but Udi’s is fantastic either way!)
butter or substitute enough to butter all of your bread slices
mayonaise



Cook up bacon until crisp. Lightly butter the bread slices on each side and grill until golden brown. Lightly coat each slice of bread on one side with mayonnaise and start layering with tukey slices, bacon, tomato, and lettuce. For each sandwich you will need three slices of bread and about 2 to 4 slices of turkey and 2 to 4 small pieces of bacon.

Autumn's Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Bake with Spinach and Broccoli Surprise

In our house we taught all of our children how to cook and bake.  Feeling that some day it would come in handy for them.  Not to mention, that one day a week we wouldn't have to cook a meal.  Our 12 year old daughter, Autumn is the only one left at home, and is ecstatic to begin preparing  her own meals from start to finsh.  She gets to plan what meal she would like to create, and from there she makes the shopping list, and finally she gets to cook the whole meal by herself.  Of course I am always on hand for any questions or assistance, but we really try to foster her self-sufficiency in the kitchen.  While watching a cooking show (Rachel Ray) she had gotten inspired to create this wonderfully nutritious dish we call "Autumn's Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Bake with Spinach and Broccoli Surprise".

After having tasted this recipe by my daughter I would have to say that it is by far my absolute favorite mac and cheese recipe ever.  It is very light and yet chocked full of flavor and vitamins from the vegetables added.  Did I mention, I did not have to cook this incredible dish?!  While it is hard to watch our children grow up, it is ever so nice to see them being able to take care of themselves if they need to.  Awesome job Autumn!!!

Autumn's Mac and Cheese Bake with Spinach and Broccoli Surprise

1 bunch spinach, washed, dried and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb.of your favorite gluten-free pasta (she used Tinkyada's Fusilli)

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. featherlight flour (all purpose flour)

2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed

nutmag, freshly grated to taste

1 cup provolone, grated

1 cup Asiago, grated

1 cup Parmigianno-Reggianp, grated

Par-cook washed and chopped spinach for about 3 minutes.  Place in ice bath to stop further cooking and to lock in the greeness.  Drain well, and squeeze spinach free of liquid.  Do the same to the broccoli par-cook for three minutes, shock in ice bath, and drain.  When both vegetables are completed then place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Add your pasta and cook until al dente.

Take a saucepan and place on the stove at medium heat and add the butter.  When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the warmed milk and whisk to combine.   Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes or until it thickens.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.  When the pasta ia almost ready, add the provolone, and Asiago cheese to the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick you can add a bit of the reserved pasta water to help thin it out.

Heat the broiler or the oven to high.

In a large prepared casserole pan, combine the pasta, spinach, broccoli and sauce.  Top with Parmesan chesse and brown under the broiler or in a hot oven for a couple of minutes.  Remove from the oven and serve. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mac-n-cheese-n-spin-occolini-bake-recipe/index.html

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

1 2/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (2 cinnamon: 1 ground ginger: 1 cloves)

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1 cup plain pumpkin (1/2 of a 1 lb. can) * Fresh pumpkin can be used and

tastes even better.

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1 cup chocolate chips (8 oz.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or Pam muffin tins. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients in another bowl. Pour over dry ingredients and fold just until moist. Scoop batter into muffin tins.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes for regular sized muffins. 15 - 20 minutes for

miniature muffins. Cool on rack. Serve warm with a glass of milk or with a cup of coffee or tea!


Amy’s Gluten-Free Cake Flour

My dear friend and mentor, Amy Radbill, is a teacher for many gluten-free classes at the Davis Food Co-op. She became my inspiration for gluten free baking. Prior to being diagnosed with Celiac I was considered the family baker. I would create all of the baked goods for all of our family gatherings. Once diagnosed it took two years before I was able to taste a piece (mind you an excellent piece!) of cake. With this recipe you cannot taste the difference between regular and gluten-free cakes. In fact in many ways it is even more delicious. The color, flavor and texture are phenomenal. My first class with Amy was “Gluten Free Cakes and Breakfast Breads”. It opened a new world for me and for my family. Life has not been the same.

For 3 cups:


1 cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1 tablespoon potato flour





For 9 cups:

3 cups rice flour

3 cups cornstarch or arrowroot

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca starch

3 tablespoons potato flour

Gluten free "Hollywood Eggs"

I was introduced to "Hollywood Eggs"when I got together with my husband Michael.  This can be a breakfast and often times a dinner in our household.  It is relatively easy to make and they are so snazzy and glamorous that they were named "Hollywood Eggs". 

When I researched this recipe on-line all I found was a small excerpt on the Recipezaar: "When my mother and father saw these eggs made in a movie, sometime in the 30's or early 40's, they adopted it into the family cookbook and named it "Hollywood Eggs".  My favorite part was "the Mop", the circle of sauted bread that I used to dip into the runny egg yolk." 

I have also found recipes for it under the name "Eggs With Hats On Top".  My husband got the recipe in college while visiting the mom of his girl friend.  It is a highly treasured one in our repetoire.  It can be made with gluten-free bread, with butter or Earth Balance, eggs, salt and pepper to taste.  It doesn't get more simple than that, but the kids always enjoyed how snazzy they looked, how glamorous they made them feel, and the name of course was always a shoe in.

Hollywood Eggs

10 min

5 min prep

1 egg per person

1 slice of your favorite gluten-free bread (We use Udi's Whole Grain, or Glutino's Flaxseed Bread)

butter

salt and pepper to taste

The directions say to use a drinking glass turned upside down to cut a hole in the center of your bread slices.  I use my biscuit cutter to make a perfect round becasue we all know how persnikety gluten-free bread can be.  Save the circle you cut out of the center of the bread.  Butter (or Easrth Balance) each side of the bread including the rounds that were cut out.  Spray the griddle or skillet with non-stick spray. Put bread slices on the hot griddle or skillet along with the rounds you cut out of the center of the bread.  Once each side has browned, crack an egg in each of the holes of bread. When the egg sets up firm, then turn and fry on other side until the egg is sufficiently cooked.  Make sure you turn your little rounds of bread over as well.  Season to taste.  My husbnad likes his egg cooked almost to the consistency of a semi-hard boiled egg.  I like my whites completely cooked and my yolk firm but still runny.  To each his own.  Serve the "Hollywood Eggs" with your little rounds of bread to help mop up the yolk if any.  If you place the bread rounds on top of the eggs then you can call them "Eggs with Hats On".

If interested check out the Recipezaar on this link:  http://www.recipezaar.com/Hollywood-Eggs-182164 .

Taco Soup

Taco Soup is the perfect end to a nice cold, rainy day.  But it is not necessary to wait for the opportunity for it to be cold and raining.  Any day is perfect, especailly after a long days work and being pressed for time.  One can't believe how quick it is to prepare this meal.  The best part of this colorful, and tasty soup is that everyone at the table can customize their serving with add-ins of their choice. And it's simple to pull together, especially if you use precooked chicken.

Much like a taco you will need many ingredients with the exception of having to fry taco shells.  This is a great meal to prepare with left over taco meat, or leftover rotisserie chicken. In our case, it is always that we just want to have taco soup.  You can start with home made chicken or vegetable broth, or in a pinch use your favorite gluten-free store bought broth.  I like to use ground chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese, sliced avocadoes, chopped onions, cilantro, sour cream, salsa and gluten-free tortilla chips.  I will often add in a can of organic corn kernels, and a can of softened organic whole pinto beans.  If used in combination corn and bean carbohydrates can be considered a protein.  This adds texture and protein if you decide to make it meatless.

Taco Soup  For the soup:

4 skinless chicken thighs or breast
(about 1 1/2 pounds) or equal amount
of ground meat
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium
chicken broth
1onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 can organic corn kernels, drained
1 can organic pinto beans, drained
coarse sea salt to taste


For garnish:
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or ceddar cheese (5 ounces)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeño chile, diced (with seeds for more heat)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
1 tomato, chopped
1 Lime, cut in wedges sour cream
salsa
 
In a large soup pot, combine the broth, corn, tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.



Just before you are ready to eat, slice the avocado and sprinkle it with lime juice. Place the add-ins in bowls on the table. Diners can fill a bowl with the ingredients of their choice, then ladle on the hot soup.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.