Gluten-Free Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins (They Actually Taste Good!!!)

Lets be honest, most baked goods need to have lots added to them to make the gluten-free versions taste good. These muffins however, taste great and show no signs of being gluten-free. Leave the chalky, dry tasting muffins behind and enjoy these flavor-packed breakfast muffins, replacing all-purpose flour with soy flour and just adding a bit more milk. So if you are a gluten-lover feel free to make these with the flour and minus the extra milk (the blueberry muffin recipe from earlier this month is very similar).
Serves 12

Ingredients
1/2 cup blueberries (frozen as fine as long as they're thawed)
1/2 cup strawberries, cut into quarters (can use frozen since they are out of season, just thaw)
1 cup SOY flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup milk (I used 1 %)

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar
*combine 1 tbsp cinnamon with 2 tbsp "sugar in the raw" or any sugar)
Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a muffin pan
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
In a larger bowl cream the sugar and butter (I whisked it, this didn't require a mixer if the butter is soft)
Add egg and mix
Add vanilla and lemon juice
Slowly add in some milk then flour and repeat until all is mixed
Fold in the blueberries with a spoon
With a tablespoon, place an even amount of mixture into each muffin holder
I filled each about 2/3 full
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture
Bake for 20-25 minutes
























Copyright © 2012 Rachel Pollard

Pop Over Do Over

For all you pop over lovers out there, I have discovered a great recipe to make your favorite pre-meal treat with a twist. I was inspired by the Popover Cafe (86th and Amsterdam). These are great for a dinner party or just a cold night treat before dinner. They did not really pop-over completely, but did taste awesome! The strawberry butter and popovers are a great combination. Serves 6

Popover Ingredients
1 tbsp butter, melted (and a little more to grease tin)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk

Strawberry Butter Ingredients
1 10oz. bag of frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioner sugar

Preheat the oven to 450F
Butter a muffin tin
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour and salt
In a large bowl, mix together butter, eggs and milk
Pour flour mixture into liquid mixture and fold

Heat the tin for about 5 minutes
Take it out of the oven with mits and fill the cups with 1/6 of the liquid (or 2/3s full)
Bake for 15 minutes
Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 20 minutes (or until brown)

While popover are cooking, mix butter, sugar and strawberries in a blender
Put in the freezer to harden
Makes 2.5 cups, feel free to freeze some

Take "popovers" out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes
Eat right away

Strawberry Butter

Looks funny, but it's great

put extra butter in saran wrap and freeze

Pesto Artichoke Soup

This soup would not win any beauty contests, but as all of our mothers say: It's what's on the inside that counts!!!! This soup is light and refreshing. Artichokes are not in season right now, but frozen ones are. With a few simple ingredients (mostly ones kept around the house) voila! A wonderful soup that is gluten-free, vegetarian and low cal.  Serves 6

Ingredients
1 8oz bag of frozen artichokes, thawed
1 cup veggie broth, or chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pesto*
salt and pepper to taste
*Pesto
2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp olive oil
(blend until paste forms)

In a large pot heat oil on medium
Add onions and cook until golden (about 6 minutes)
Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes
Drop in artichokes and broth
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 7 minutes
Puree carefully
Top with pesto and stir
Allow to cook for a few minutes

Slurp away!

Gluten-Free/Vegetarian/Healthy Mexican Food Huevos Rancheros!!!

Ok, I think everyone will be satisfied by this dish. It's gluten-free, low calorie, filling and meatless. Also, it's a mexican dish, my favorite!!! This recipe is easy, quick, and beautiful. I made this for a family (minus my sister/her family who we missed dearrrrly) brunch as a spin off from a more fatty and gluten-filled recipe. It took no time at all, but got many compliments. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas (small)

2 tbsp butter

1 cup pico de gallo

3/4 cup black beans, cooked (either from a can or pre-soaked)

2 cups egg whites

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese

*guacamole and sour cream as topping if desired

1 muffin tin (12 muffin tin pan)

Preheat the oven to 400F

Butter the pan with up to 1 tbsp butter

Melt the rest of the butter 

Brush over the tortillas on both sides and mold them into the muffin tins

*If they break apart a little it's okay, the eggs will hold them together

Mix together black beans and salsa

Scoop a large spoonful of the mixture into the tortilla bowls

top with 1/4 cup of egg whites

Place in the oven for 8 minutes

Top with cheese and cover with foil so that the tortillas don't burn

Place back in the oven for 8 more minutes

Let cool for a few minutes and take out of muffin tins 

Enjoy! Top with sour cream, guacamole if desired

Potato Smothered Salmon

I haven't done very many fish recipes because in NYC fish is very expensive! So while in Charlottesville, VA I decided to utilize low prices on Wild Salmon :) This recipe is simple and only calls for 5 ingredients! (also, mashed potato recipe below)
Note: I'm a fish snob...after touring a few fish farms, I came to the conclusion that I will only eat WILD fish. If you like farm-raised, please feel free to do so for this recipe. It costs a lot less per lb and is  perfectly fine! 
One tip from my father... Never buy fish on a Sunday. It isn't fresh because fishermen do not sell on Sundays and most markets try to get rid of the past week's fish. Good to know!
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 lb Salmon Fillet, deboned
2 cups mashed potatoes, either made from scratch* or pre-made
2 tbps extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

(simple!!!)

Preheat oven to 400F
On a baking pan, sprinkle half of the olive oil
Place salmon skin-side down on pan
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Top with mashed potatoes
Cook for 10 minutes, or until salmon is cooked to preferred doneness


(I prefer medium, which took my filet 15 minutes, but different filets have different cooking times)

*Home-made mashed potatoes
8 red potatoes, cleaned but not peeled
salt+pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbps butter
Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, mash, mix everything :)

Gluten-Free Friday Mexican Lasagna

No way to get around it, I have a mexican food addiction. Anytime anywhere, I will make any excuse to eat mexican food. One issue is the endless chips. I made a resolution this New Year to eat Mexican food only twice a month....this dish is worth eating for both occasions! This recipe is great for mexican lovers of all kinds. Also known as layered enchiladas, this dish has been thrown around and changed a few times to offer a perfect recipe. Props go to Avery for the original recipe! 

Serves 8

Ingredients

6 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

10 (5- to 6-inch-diameter) corn tortillas

4 cups salsa verde

2 cups shredded roasted chicken, divided

½  cup low-fat sour cream, stirred to loosen

½ can refried beans

6 ounces grated Emmenthal, Muenster, or Mexican Chihuahua cheese (about 1 1/2 cups packed)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

   

Preheat oven to 375°F

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat

Add 1 tortilla to skillet and cook until slightly softened (15 seconds per side)

Turning with tongs because tortillas will be hot!

Transfer tortilla to paper towels to drain

Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding oil to skillet as needed

Meanwhile

Spread 1/2 cup salsa over bottom of 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish

After that, pour one cup salsa in a bowl and combine the remaining salsa with sour cream

Arrange 4 tortillas over salsa, covering bottom of dish completely

Scatter 1 cup chicken over tortillas

Spoon 1 1/2 cups salsa mixture over, spreading evenly

Then add dollops of refried beans

Cover with 4 tortillas, overlapping slightly

Layer with remaining 1 cup chicken

Then 1 cup salsa mixture

Cover with remaining 4 tortillas

Then pour 1 cup salsa (which was set aside earlier

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake covered with foil for 30-35 minutes until cheese is slightly brown

Sprinkle with cilantro

Enjoy

Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing is better in the winter than a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup! Especially after getting a cold while teaching runny-nosed kiddos in school. Yesterday was the first real snow in VA (since the random snow on Halloween) and I'm home for winter break, so I just had to make this soup. Homemade chicken noodle soup is easy and tastes 100x better than the canned version. It's fresh, less salty (something I'm trying to consume less of as a New Years resolution) and takes 20 minutes! This can be made gluten-free by taking out the noodles and adding in 1/4 cup of rice. Serves 8

Ingredients
2 breasts of chicken (from a rotisserie chicken), cut into small pieces
6 cups organic/gluten-free chicken broth
1 cup egg noodles, cooked
*or 1/4 cup rice, not cooked
1 zucchini, sliced into even sized pieces
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
1 red potato, chopped evenly
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig sage
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat broth and sprigs
*If using rice, add in with the broth in the beginning, it needs to cook for about 30 minutes
Add in vegetables
Boil for 5 minutes then add chicken
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
Meanwhile heat noodles and cook for half of the time recommended
Drain the noodles, then add them to the pot
Simmer for 5 more minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Remove sprigs

Sluuuurp away!

Chicken Parmesan over Pasta

Chicken Parmesan is a staple dinner whenever guys are involved in the eating. This recipe is easy and quick. The Rao's tomato sauce used can be found all over NYC and in Harris Teeter, Safeway and a few other grocery stores down south. I used to make my own sauce, but this sauce is amazing and doesn't have any weird additives. Most recipes call for pounding chicken breasts, but I find that by using thinner cut chicken, this step can be left out. Using quick boiling pasta also helps reduce cook time. Serves 4

Ingredients

1 jar Rao's basil tomato sauce

1 box, quick boil pasta (Al Dente brand is my favorite)

1/2 pound fajita cut chicken breasts (or 8 chicken cutlets) 

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup for topping

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F 

In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp oil on medium heat

Meanwhile, mix together breadcrumbs and cheese

Clean off chicken, but don't pat dry

Put chicken into the mixture and make sure both sides are covered

Put one layer of chicken in the pan

Allow to brown on each side (about 2 minutes per side)

Add oil if needed between cutlets

Pour half of the tomato sauce into a large glass baking dish

Place chicken on tomato sauce

When all chicken has been cooked, cover with more sauce and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese

Bake for 10 minutes

*Don't worry tooooo much about checking to make sure the chicken is fully cooked because you will be placing the whole dish in the oven to further cook

*When taking chicken out and flipping over, use kitchen tongs so that you don't get oil splatter on your hands

Meanwhile boil the pasta and prepare any sides

When pasta and chicken has cooked, combine and enjoy!

Copyright © 2012 Rachel Pollard

Blueberry Breakfast Muffins

When left with a lot of blueberries before going out of town, I decided to make muffins! The recipe is fast, easy and does not require a lot of ingredients. Muffins are a great way to use left over fruit. This recipe can be used with a combination of berries as well.   Makes 9 large muffins or 18 small muffins

Ingredients
1 cup blueberries (frozen as fine as long as they're thawed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup milk (I used 1 %)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar
*combine 1 tbsp cinnamon with 2 tbsp "sugar in the raw" or any sugar)
Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a muffin pan
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
In a larger bowl cream the sugar and butter (I whisked it, this didn't require a mixer if the butter is soft)

Add egg and mix
Add vanilla and lemon juice
Slowly add in some milk then flour and repeat until all is mixed
Fold in the blueberries with a spoon
With a tablespoon, place an even amount of mixture into each muffin holder
I filled each about 2/3 full
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture
Bake for 20-25 minutes

Rosemary White Beans

This recipe can be made as is, or as a soup! It's a hearty and filling dish packed with a lot of different flavors.
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 8oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, pealed and chopped
1 leek, chopped (green parts only)
*you need to run water over the leek after cutting because leeks tend to have a lot of dirt around them
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig rosemary, picked and diced
1/2 clove garlic, diced
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to taste
In a large pot heat oil, on medium
Add carrots, garlic and leeks
Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add broth, beans, garlic, rosemary and salt+pepper
Simmer for 15 minutes
Add cheese and stir
Serve
*Should be creamy
THIS CAN BE MADE INTO A SOUP
by pureeing the mixture after completing the recipe and allowing it to cool a little bit first!