Stroganoff Brilliance

One of the many foods I have missed are my creamy delicious dinner. My mother made the best Beef Stroganoff. In fact I used to request that for my birthday dinner…in June. My mother refused since it was “off season” so I had to always come up with a second option or wait until it was cold out.

Turkey Stroganoff, I know it may look a bit…interesting but IT’S SO GOOD!

Now I can do whatever I want, but her recipe takes hours and has all kinds of gluten and Dairy… since I’m watching what I eat for both health and Gluten/Dairy issues this is something I skipped until I ran across a food blogger that was new to me…Skinnyms.com. I don’t know about you but I’m always hesitant with new recipe sites since some are…um..well… uh…how to put it delicately?  Ah forget delicate, some have “healthy” recipes that resemble cardboard more than meals. Horrible…but I gave Skinnyms.com a shot and WOW… she wasn’t kidding. This is great. I made a few modifications to her recipe since it had dairy in it and I always have to tinker…but wow.. it’s super super good! Check this out:

Ground Turkey Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lean turkey
• 1 diced onion
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/2 C tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• Seasoning Salt to taste
• 1 cup dairy free sour cream (or she used plain greek yogert)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Put tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt, pepper, onion powder, balsamic and garlic salt into a crockpot and stir up. Turn crockpot on low.

 Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and  cook ground turkey until it loses its pink color, drain off any fat and add to the slow cooker. Spray pan again with your nonstick spray  sauté mushrooms and onions with a sprinkling of Seasoning salt over medium-low heat until tender.

Add mushroom/onion mixture to the slow cooker the remaining. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Combine Greek yogurt with cornstarch, add to Stroganoff and continue cooking 30 minutes. Serve over gluten free pasta, white or brown rice.

Serving size 1 cup of sauce. 6 Points per cup.  Rice or pasta is extra points.

Enjoy! So GOOD!

Related articles

• Mushroom and Chickpea Stroganoff (jessaneenskitchen.wordpress.com)
• 308 Days ’til 40: Fast, Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes (400daystil40.wordpress.com)
• Stroganoff on Spaghetti Squash (Gluten Free) (foodforyourthyroid.wordpress.com)

Advertisements

All Scream for Ice Cream!

I can’t  even begin to imagine my life without my friends. Not only because of all the great times, laughs and support they provide, but in their endless help is invaluable. My diet still embarrasses me often, in my thinking that I am an annoying “problem” but my friends have assured me time and time again that no, it’s not a problem, it’s a delightful challenge.

Last night one even said  something to the effect of “You know it’s awesome when I find something that you haven’t heard of that you can eat it’s like  Oh Yeah” visualize this being said with a nice celebratory arm pump decorated with a huge gorgeous grin! This made me smile.

And why were we talking about this as we munched on corn chips in a tofutti sour cream/salsa mix (aka Secret Sauce), followed by an awesome chicken and rice recipe? Because there was a new discovery for dessert for me! Oh yes, Almond Milk ice cream topped with brandied peaches (home made of course). I was beside myself with joy. Only a few short months ago I was introduced (by the arm pumper) to Coconut Milk Ice cream which is a delight, but another option with different flavors. ROCK ON! Just in time for Summer!

So delicious is seriously SO DELICIOUS!

So what is my point, aside from the fact that ice cream made from Coconut or Almond milk is yummy and that good friends are awesome?  Well, it’s that maybe the only person you’re a true problem child to is yourself? And if anyone else gets annoyed, ignore them… they’re mean 😉  Seriously, who wants their friends to be sick? Those Meanie bah neenie sucka fools.  That’s who…and who needs them! 😉  So thanks ladies, last night was a much needed good reminder for me…

Chicken in the Crock!

It’s a bit chilly and gray here this fine Seattle morning. If I weren’t looking directly at a calendar for work already I would have guessed it may be March or April, but no, it’s not. It’s June… the snowing in the passes kind of June.

I sure hope the weather gets better this summer, but to lighten up my mood I thought since it’ll be a busy work afternoon I’d get something going on the Crockpot. I dug around and combined some recipes from Gina and Skinnytaste, Allrecipes and the Food Network to come up with this nice Gluten and Diary free hopefully yummy dish.  Yes yes, it is a bit risky putting this up but the recipes I combined all had good comments so I’m confident. I’ll post a picture later today… It smells wonderful!

I added some salsa and put it over chopped lettuce. SO GOOD!

Spicy Crockpot Chicken

Main Ingredients:

• 1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 1.5 C black, navy, pinto or kidney beans (drained)
• 1 C corn (frozen or canned- drained)
• 1 can chicken broth (Fat Free)
• 1/2 tsp Tapateo (or hot sauce of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp Chipolte Chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1.5 LBS chicken breast
• Seasoning salt to taste (I love Lowreys but any will do)

Optional:

• Cheese (for the dairy eaters or dairy free cheese of your choice)
• Green onions chopped
• Chopped Cilantro

Serve Over:

• Chopped Iceburg lettuce
• Rice (brown or white)
• Pasta (Gluteny or GF?)

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken, Tapateo and the salt in the crockpot.  Season the chicken with the Seasoning Salt and Tapateo and place it in the crockpot.  Set on low for about 8-10 hours or High for 5-6.  If you like shredded chicken, pull it out and shred it about 1/2 hour before the end of your crockpot cooking or you can serve a full chicken breast over the lettuce, rice or pasta no problem.  Then top it with your favorite or all of the Cilantro, green onions and cheese. Viola – dinner is served!

Have a great day! 🙂

Related articles

• Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos and Spicy Cilantro Salsa (hungrygatorgal.wordpress.com)
• crockpot chicken tacos (plumsintheicebox.typepad.com)
• Crock Pot Chicken Breast (notecook.com)
• A little Mexican in the Crockpot! (thebumpyroadofacurvygal.wordpress.com)

Healthy, Tasty AND Gluten-free!

This is a recent discovery that is absolutely brilliant! Pizza is one of the foods I have missed the most since the majority of pizzas have both Gluten and Lactose! I did get into ordering gluten free pizzas around Seattle and found many left A LOT to be desired… Then a friend introduced me to this… it’s brilliant and low calorie!

!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Crust
1 medium Cauliflower (Riced)
1 egg (beaten)
1 Cup of cheese (of your choice, I use soy mozzarella, but my friend loves goat cheese)
1 tsp Garlic salt
1 tsp Italian seasonings (or just use oregano and basil, fresh basil.
Olive oil

Pizza:
Pizza Sauce to taste
Cheese (your favorite)
Choice of toppings, I do mushrooms, jalapeno and tomato!

Preheat Oven to 450, prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray, butter or olive oil. Set aside.

Rice your Cauliflower (shred in a food processor or grate it with a cheese grater) put in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for about 7-9 minutes until soft. Let it cool. It will make approximately 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of riced Cauliflower.

When cauliflower is cool add 1 cup of Cauliflower, 1 beaten egg and 1C of the cheese of your choice mix together. Add spices and mix again. Take cauliflower mixture and pat out in a mass about 9 inches around. Brush with Olive oil.

Top it with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake in oven at 450 for about 15 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and edges are slightly browned.

Cut into slices and enjoy! YUM!

Related articles

• Cauliflower Pizza Crust…Yes We Can! (cookingintuitive.com)
• Wine’n About Food-Amazing Cauliflower Crust Pizza (q104.radio.com)
• Guilt Free, Gluten Free Pizza (momdecuisine.net)
• Really good low-carb Cauliflower pizza base with salmon 🙂 (theoppositehouse.wordpress.com)
• Grain Free, Gluten Free, Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe (lindawagner.net)
• Mmmmm! Pizza! Pizza! (happyhealthyeating.wordpress.com)
• Sage and Walnut Cauliflower Cheese (foodtoglow.wordpress.com)

Mardi Gras Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side Please

Happy Fat Tuesday!!! I wish I could be down in New Orleans watching the parades and enjoying that amazing food, but alas I am here in Seattle watching the rain.  BUT I decided what I can do is make something fabulous for dinner. SO I altered a recipe for Chicken Cajun Pasta to make it lighter and without gluten and diary..guess what. It’s Awesome! Give this a go if you’re in the mood!

Gluten/Dairy free Cajun Chicken Pasta. YUM!

Cajun Chicken Pasta (Gluten & Dairy Free!)

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked gluten Free linguine ( I chose Quinoa Linguine)
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 3 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into slivers
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced into slivers
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into slivers
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup Lactaid
• 1 tbsp Red Mill flour
• 3 tbsp Tofutti cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

Get all your ingredients sliced and prepared as above. Combine the milk, flour & cream cheese by hand or in a blender.  Then set that aside:

Season raw cubed chicken with the cajun seasoning & garlic salt. Then spay a pan with cooking spray and cook chicken in a pan until fully cooked. Put that on a plate off to the side for later use.

In the pan you cooked the chicken, add more cooking spray, then saute the peppers, onions and garlic. Once the onion is transparent add the mushrooms & tomatos.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next add the chicken broth and stir. Cook about 1 minute, then add the milk/cream cheese mixture and stir well. Once all ingredients are combined, add the warm cooked linguine into a serving bowl and top and mix with the chicken and veggies off the stove. Combine so that pasta is fully covered, then add salt, pepper and chopped scallions to taste. Voila! This makes 6 delicious servings at 8 points plus points each.

Delicious! Enjoy and have a fantastic Fat Tuesday!

Related articles

• Mardi Gras! My Gumbo Recipe (foodandwinehedonist.wordpress.com)
• Gluten-Free Mardi Gras Round-Up (tastyeatsathome.com)
• Mardi Gras celebrations culminate on Fat Tuesday (ctv.ca)

Not Shrimpy on Flavor

I adore my time with my girlfriends more than I can say. This weekend we had our bi-yearly get away but because we are in the NW we got snowed in, unable to make it over the penninsula. SO, we made the best of it and stayed at one of our lovely homes…on a houseboat! Every time we do one of these weekends, all 5 of us each make a different meal/course and we all share food, drink wine, play games, laugh, chatter, discuss and did I mention laugh?

Image & Recipe courtesty of Ocean Garden Products

Well lucky me, I have fantastic friends that also work with me on my dietary issues and always make things I can eat as well which is no easy feat. This weekend had three lovely treats involved, but I only have one recipe at this point. I’ll share the others because they were all fabu. We had Banana Bread, Mojito Sorbet and Shrimp Scampi! Yeah, seriously… my friends are AWESOME.

So, if you are up for cooking an incredible yet fairly easy dish, this shrimp is the bomb (and was gobbled up right away!)

Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs of raw peeled, deveined shrimp
1/4 C Olive Oil
2 small garlic cloves minced
2 small red peppers cut into strips
1 C onion thinly sliced
2 small green peppers cut into strips
1/2 C tomato sauce
1/4 C choped parsley
1/8 C capers
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pan then add the garlic, cook until fregrant (about 30 Seconds) Add the shrimp tossing it occaisionally. When the srhip are done (when they turn pink), remove them and put to the side. (Do not overcook!)

Add peppers and onion to skillet, saute them together until the onion is trasclucent and the peppers are tender. Add tomato sauce and parsley and stir them in well.

Return the shrimp to the pan, cover and simmer for two to three minutes, Sprinkle with salt, pepper and capers.

Great served over rice! Makes about 6 servings (although we 5 girls at it all!)

Related articles

• White Shrimp Season Not Too Shrimpy (bayouwoman.wordpress.com)
• Coconut Shrimp with Orange Chili Dipping Sauce (glutenfreeinga.wordpress.com)
• Szechwan Shrimp (beatcancer2010.wordpress.com)

Back on the Plan

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Ah what a crazy few weeks it was! I had one great experience in eating out at a place I had been curious about for ages. A good friend and I checked out lunch at RN74 in downtown Seattle. It was cozy, fun and tasty. I worry about trying to find Gluten and Dairy free foods, especially at French places..but I got an excellent Asian Ginger Salad and added chicken. SO TASTY! I defiantly want to check out dinner here!

RN74 *http://michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/rnwa.php*

Unfortunately after this win,  I gave up on my foods and began to eat whatever I wanted within reason. The Glutendairy Monster kept me good company as did my lovely sugar cravings! Yes, this included a large amount of the on-sale Oreos I brought into my house along with all kinds of Christmas treats.  Lucky for me I didn’t go too overboard with the Gluten and Dairy, but I did eat enough to feel a bit off many of the days I was off work
But today I decided, I’m back on track. Back to being gluten and dairy free as well as trying to get my weight back on the downward trend. SO… I was nervous but dragged myself into Weight Watchers this morning for a weigh in and to my surprise I had lost 1.4 pounds! YAY! Since early November, I have lost a total of 9LBS!

Related articles

• A gluten free post. (chantalemarie.wordpress.com)
• Gluten-Free. Hype or not? (inmamaskitchen.wordpress.com)
• Gluten-free in 2012 (the-stuff-in-between.com)
• Muffin Mondays : Oreo Muffins (sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com)