Tofu Chocolate Pudding

You’re gonna have to trust me on this one.  This pudding is really, really good – and really good for you.  Don’t get scared away by the tofu part.  If my midwestern-raised, Miller High Life drinking husband likes this stuff, chances are, you will too.  Even my one year old gobbles it up.  Best part – it only has about 80 calories a serving, and the serving size is half a cup. Oh, and it’s delicious too.  For real.

All you need is three-fourths of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, one package of silken tofu and some milk.

First, stick your chocolate chips and one-third cup of milk into the microwave for about a minute (or until it’s melted).

Next, put one-third cup of milk in your blender with the box of tofu, the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and the melted chocolate.  Just whiz it all together for about 3 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy.  You might have to scrape down the sides once to get all the chocolate in there.

        

Now here’s the hardest part of the whole recipe — don’t eat it.  Put it into a container and stick it in your fridge for 6 or so hours.  Trust me, it’s way better after it cools down and hardens up in the frige for a while.

This stuff is so freaking good, and no one would know it’s made with tofu unless you tell them. It’s packed with protein, super low cal, and it’s vegan and gluten-free as a total bonus.  The real reason to make it, though … because it’s delicious!  Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

These jalapeno popper chicken breasts are ridiculously good.  And simple.  You’re definitely gonna want to try them soon!

First up is making the jalapeno filling – super easy.  You might even have all the ingredients on hand right now.  All you need is a tub or block of cream cheese, a jar of sliced jalapenos, some salt and pepper.

Place your cream cheese in a bowl and zap it in the microwave for one minute to soften it up.

Next, chop up how many ever jalapenos you want to add in.  More = more spicy!  I diced up about 20 little rings of jalapenos from the jar.

Mix the diced jalapenos into the softened cream cheese with 2 teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of black pepper.

The rest is really easy. Just take a bone-in, skin on chicken breast and slather a bunch of the filling under the skin like this.  Yum!

Put all your chicken breasts in a baking dish and into a 375* oven for 40 minutes.  You’re not gonna believe how delicious these are – so so good.  Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Corn

I apologize in advance for this recipe.  It’s crack in a bowl.  And it’s not good for you.  Bad combo, but oh so good. I love this stuff!

My sister-in-law gave us a fun air popcorn popper for Christmas, and I’ve been having fun making all sorts of yummy popcorn variations but this one takes the cake.  First you pop up a bunch of plain popcorn (I used 1.5 cups of kernels for this recipe).  If you don’t have an air popper, just get a plain brown paper bag, put your kernels in it, fold over the top and stick it in the microwave – no need to use that nasty microwave popcorn you get from the store!

While your popcorn is popping, you’ll need to get everything else ready. First turn on your oven to 350* and get out two cookie sheets.  Next, you’ll need to make the caramel sauce.  You’ll need 1 stick of butter, 2 cups of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of light corn syrup, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

Oh, and I almost forgot – 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  I make my own, but I keep it in an old vanilla bottle from the store.

You get all the ingredients into a sauce pan and heat them over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Once the sauce is done, you’ll spread your popcorn on your two cookie sheets and drizzle half the sauce over each cookie sheet.

Next, you use two spatulas to toss the popcorn and the caramel sauce together.  It will clump and be a little tricky, but don’t worry, just do the best you can.

Once you’ve got it pretty well mixed, stick the cookie sheets into the oven for 5 minutes.  When you take them out after 5 minutes, toss the popcorn again and it will be much easier and the caramel will easily spread over all of the popcorn.

Next up – eat it.  Hopefully not all in one sitting, but that’s gonna be hard.  Enjoy!

Mini Gluten-Free Meatloaves

After such success with my mini frittatas, I started thinking of what else I could make in my muffin tins.  Meat loaf.  Who doesn’t love a good meat loaf?! And when they are packed with veggies and in miniature form (aka forced portion control), they are even better.

First, I gathered all the veggies I would need – three carrots, two zucchini, one red onion and three cloves of garlic.

I stuck them all into my Kitchen Aid and really pulverized them.  I know it looks kind of nasty, but oh well!

  

Put them into a big bowl and add in 2 pounds of ground beef, 1 pound of sausage….

Two eggs… these ones are from our hens out back.

About 1/2 cup of ketchup….

And 1/3 cup of gluten-free flour; I love my Cup4Cup.  And 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Next, you mix it all together.  And there’s really only one way to do it – with your hands!

Next, scoop the mixture into your muffin tins – don’t forget to use cooking spray or olive oil or something on the muffin tin before you drop the meat mixture in – and top with a little more ketchup.

And stick in the oven at 350* for 45 minutes.

So freaking good.  These freeze really well, too… which makes them great for quick weeknight meals. Enjoy!

White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup

This soup is simple, hearty and really delicious.  I’ve seen variations of it online, so I decided to create my own.   Here’s how I did it.

First, I gathered all the ingredients – three cans of white beans, two bunches of kale, an onion, two boxes of chicken broth and two packages of Italian sausage (I used one mild and one hot, but you can do whatever combo you prefer).

You start by sauteing the onion in some olive oil in a big pot.

Next you brown the sausage in the same pot as the onions.  When the sausage is browned, add your chopped kale leaves.  Don’t forget to wash the kale really well and remove the center stalk.  You only want the leafy green part, and you’ll want to chop the leaves up fairly small.

Next, you drain and rinse your beans and add them to the pot.

And pour your chicken broth in on top.   I added in about 2 cups of water as well.

Simmer over high heat for about 30 minutes and it’s ready to enjoy!

Gluten-free Mexican Pasta Bake

I started dabbling in cooking while I was in college, and this was one of the first things I learned to make. It’s stayed in my rotation all these years mostly because it’s a guilty pleasure.  It’s a simple and delicious casserole, and was super easy for me to adapt to be gluten-free. I just use my favorite gluten-free pasta, and I’m all set.  Here’s how I do it.

First, I get two boxes of gluten-free pasta macaroni going in some boiling water. You’ll want to cook the pasta until it is just cooked through (al dente). With this brand of pasta it takes me about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice one onion, two bell peppers and six cloves of garlic.  Get them going in a big skillet with some olive oil until soft – about 5 minutes.

     

You’ll want to add 1.5 pounds of ground beef to the veggies and cook until it’s no longer pink.

The rest of the recipe is super simple.  You’ll just add these ingredients to the cooked pasta and the meat mixture when they are all done.

One can of crushed Italian tomatoes, 2 cups of frozen corn, and 2 cups of cheddar cheese.

   

Don’t forget some seasonings!  2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 2 teaspoons of chilli powder.  You can totally adjust these to your own taste!

Just mix all of it together in a big bowl – I drain my pasta water and use the pot to mix everything in. One less bowl to clean!

Now you just scoop it into some baking dishes and top with some additional cheddar.

Stick it in a 375* oven for 30 minutes and you’re all set!  This makes a ton – perfect for leftovers during the week!

Valentine’s Pie Pops

It’s not too late if you’re still needing to make a few cute Valentine’s treats for tomorrow! These cuties use simple store bought ingredients and are snap to put together. Here’s how I did it.

First, I picked up some pre-made pie crusts and some jam.

Cut circles out of the pie crust using a small glass.

Next, you spread a thin layer of jam in the center of one circle.

And cut out a cute little heart out of the other side.  Too cute, huh?

Then, you put them together with a lollipop stick inserted between them. You can get the sticks at Michael’s or wherever.

And just to put the cuteness over the top, use another lollipop stick to make crimps all the way around.

Now you’re ready for mass production.

Once you’ve got them all put together, place them on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with egg whites.

Stick them in the oven at 350* for about 15 minutes – you’ll want check on them to make sure they don’t burn.  Once they are golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool.

I packaged mine up using a simple clear bag and a super cute label I downloaded for free – Be My Sweetie Pie!  DY-ING – too cute! I can’t wait to spread a little love tomorrow. Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

P.S. This is the first non-gluten free thing I’ve posted on my blog but you could easily make a simple pie dough with the Cup4Cup flour I love so much and make these gluten-free!

Wild Rice Chicken Salad

This recipe uses two of my favorite easy cooking techniques  – the best way to cook brown rice, and the other for the most delicious roasted chicken ever.

First up, the rice.  Now, I’ll be honest – when my Mom first told me about this new way she’d discovered to cook brown rice, I was pretty skeptical. I didn’t try it for a few months; but once I did, boy, was I a believer.  You’ve got to try this.  And don’t wait as long as I did – do it now!  First you measure out your rice – for this recipe I used a combo of wild rice and brown rice but it would work just as well with any kind of rice.  I wouldn’t use white rice in this recipe, but any other kind would do.  I used 3 cups of rice.

Mixed the two kinds together and spread it into a baking dish with 4 2/3 cups boiling water.

I added two pats of butter and a little drizzle of olive oil.  Then, you just cover the whole thing with some aluminum foil.

Next, get your chicken ready. I used the three simple ingredients you need for perfect roasted chicken – olive oil, salt and pepper.  You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (that’s what I used for this recipe) or you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts with this technique.  Either works just as well.  Just drizzle the olive oil over the chicken – don’t scrimp – and add a nice generous shake of salt and pepper over each piece.

Stick both in a 375* oven together – simple!

Take the chicken out after 40 minutes and let it rest for 10 minutes before you chop into cubes.

The rice needs to cook for about 20 – 25 more minutes (60 – 70 minutes total).  When you take it out, it’s the most perfect fluffy rice ever.  The best part? None of it is annoying stuck on the bottom of the pot.

The rest of the salad is easy. Just thaw out 2 cups of frozen peas and put into a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of dried cranberries.

The green parts of two green onions.

You’ll of course also add in all of the rice and the chopped chicken to the bowl.  Next you’ll need to make a simple dressing.  Just take 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of pepper.

My secret ingredient in the dressing – 3 – 4 tablespoons of the juices from the chicken.  Yum!

Mix that all together and you’ve got your dressing.

Just toss all the ingredients together with the dressing, and you’re all set. You can eat it right away when it’s warm, or wait and serve it cold or room temperature – it’s delicious regardless.  Enjoy!

Gluten-free Molasses Cookies

Did you ask for flour for Christmas? I did.  I’d heard about this new gluten-free flour mix called Cup 4 Cup that you could get at Williams-Sonoma.  I knew it was worth checking out since it was created in partnership with the famous Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and endorsed by my favorite gluten-free cook, Shauna.

I am not kidding when I write that this flour changed my life.  I haven’t baked much since I found out I had celiac a few years ago, and now I can.  I can make anything I want with this flour.  Anything.  It might not sound like much, but it is a revelation to me.  So what’s the first thing I made?  Molasses cookies.  Gotta start somewhere, right?

The recipe is simple and I made a few slight modifications since I didn’t have shortening on hand, but otherwise, I followed it as I found it – and these cookies are delicious!

First, I mixed together some canola oil and the brown sugar.

I did have a little help, truth be told.

Next, I added in the flour and the other dry ingredients and the egg. I found mixing with a spoon worked until a point, and then I just had to go for it with my hands.

           

Once it was all mixed together, I let it chill in the fridge for a while until it was ready to be cooked.  I used a mini ice cream scoop to help me make the cookies.

Just take each scoop and roll around in some sugar before sticking on a lined baking sheet.

Ready to go into the oven!

And here they are all ready to be eaten!  They are a cross between a super yummy, soft cookie and gingerbread.  Insanely good, and gluten-free.  Thank you Cup4Cup!

Mini Frittatas

Us busy mamas gotta stick together, and this recipe is one for us!  A while back, I wrote up my typical prep for the week and this recipe is now on rotation in our house. These mini frittatas are prefect for busy mornings.  All of us love them, especially my one year old.   In fact, they are great for parties or brunch too – I made a big batch for a brunch gathering a few weeks ago, and they were gobbled up by the dozen!

You can totally use whatever you have on hand in your fridge.  I try and load them up with lots of veggies so we get some of our veggie servings in at breakfast, but really anything will do.  I typically start with dicing up and cooking some bacon in a big skillet.

While the bacon is cooking, I get 12 eggs into a big bowl – and whisk them together with 1/3 cup of milk.

I add in some cheese with the eggs, about 1/2 cup.

And prep whatever veggies I am going to use. This time I used some leftover green onion, zucchini and yellow bell peppers.  I always use some kind of onion and most of the time some kind bell pepper … and I’ve tried adding in frozen/drained chopped spinach, diced mushrooms, chopped asparagus, and all sorts of other yummy veggies. Whatever you’ve got – throw on in!

Just dice up whatever you’re using.  Once the bacon is done cooking, remove it and let it drain on a plate with some paper towels.  Just throw the veggies into the same skillet and let them cook up in the bacon grease – yum! It takes about 10 minutes on medium heat to really cook the veggies through.

You’ll want to get your oven and muffin tins going while the veggies are cooking.  Set your oven to 350* and get out your mini muffin tins.  If you only have regular muffin tins, those will work too.  No biggie.  Just melt some butter and brush each muffin cup with it – don’t scrimp, you don’t want your frittatas getting stuck in there.

Once the veggies are cooked, remove them from the skillet and let them cool.  Once they are cool, add them and the cooled bacon into the egg, cheese and milk mixture.  Mix it all together really well and scoop into the buttered muffin cups (I used a small measuring cup to make transfering the mixture into the cups easier).  Here they are all ready to go into the oven!

Let them cook at 350* for 30 – 35 minutes, before taking them out and popping them onto a cutting board to cool.

Don’t they look good?  The best part of the whole recipe is that once they are cooled on the cutting board, you can pop them into bags, stick them in the freezer and they are ready to go for quick breakfast meals during the week!  Just pop one (or more) into the microwave for a minute or so and you’re ready to go.  Even my little one loves these things!