Just say no to CANNED Gravy

Just say NO

to canned gravy

here’s how.

get some stock going (chicken or beef depending on what you roasted) I use kitchen basics unsalted

you want it super hot but not boiling

In a fresh pot:

Take several TBS of light flavored olive oil(does just as good as butter )

but if you have drippings(the oil and browned bits in the pan you roasted your turkey or beef in)

you can use those instead

into the pot it goes

brown up 2 TBS flour

add 1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp lawry’s seasoned pepper

(love this I add it to many casseroles and soups)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

cook this till the flour mixture is browned…watch carefully it can start to burn quick if the heat is too high

once the oil mixture is browned slowly add in the stock a little at a time using a whisk

add the hot liquid slooooooowly

adding just enough till you get to the desired consistency

add salt to taste

then….taste and make sure it’s right

strain if needed though if you whisk carefully there should not be lumps

——————————————

prefer a darker color?  add a few tsp of instant espresso powder or

a chunk of safe beef or “non beef” bouillon

again I prefer unsalted products so I can add salt to our tastes not super salted like so many pre-made products

————————————

now who doesn’t love a great homemade gravy

enjoy

Decisions Decisions….

Decisions Decisions

Lately decisions have centered on food

whats for supper

whats for lunch

whats for breakfast

whats for brunch.

With school around the corner

we need to start thinking about what they’ll be taking for lunch

they make their own….as I got sick of their complaining early last year.

but still they want to know what they can take

well…

I broke the bad news.

they can make a sandwich or take left overs

no more cold chicken patties, or baggies of pepperoni

so he’s been sampling left overs cold(he is very fussy )

a meat and potatoes kind of kid

but really

we are in a rut

the same 4 or 5 dishes seem to rotate weekly

and

I AM So Bored

but

the clincher is

I try to cook so food is safe for the whole family

(remember two have food allergies, between them they are allergic to Eggs, Dairy, Peanuts, and tree nuts)

I’ve been cooking this way for 11 years now.

I need new ideas.

so

Comment with your ideas

keeping in mind the allergies

OH

and the middle child…is a deconstructionist he hates his foods to touch!

my boring menu thanks you.

Carpal tunnel and garlic chicken…

Seriously that’s the best title I could come up with

over the last month I have had 2 separate surgeries one on one hand one on the other  for carpal tunnel

both done laproscopic  (2 weeks apart)  and are healing nicely…

but still quite sore at times despite outward appearances looking pretty good.

So I’ve not been blogging at all the last month too tired ….too sore for typing….and too busy some days to turn the computer on….

its amazing how many dishes and how much laundry can pile up with mom being out of commission just a few days!

             

(ok the above piles are not mine…but you get the idea)

so I needed to find something to make that would not take a bunch of dishes

and

would leave us with leftovers for hopefully as long as possible

so I dove into Pinterest 

(if you haven’t seen Pinterest  you must as long as you don’t mind getting lost in lots of cool ideas you’ll probably never have time to make!)

and this is what I came up with

slow cooker Brown sugar and Garlic chicken from Providence Design

EGG FREE

DAIRY FREE

and also free of most other allergens as well( as long as you use a wheat free soy sauce alternative)

now to be fair I followed their recipe pretty close except

I did it in a roasting pan in the oven

I used 9 boneless skinless chicken breasts

and I did not use hot pepper flakes(we’re not that into spicy)

other than that followed to a T and everyone…even the fussy eaters LOVED IT!

it is definitely going to be a make again.!

and here is how mine turned out:

the shredded chicken(after baking for several hours at 300 degrees)

the sauce after  cooking with a little cornstarch(the specks are the minced garlic…I cheated and used the canned stuff from the grocery store)

final product, the sauced shredded chicken mixed together

we served on hard rolls

but

I believe it would go equally well with a side of rice or pasta.

on the side we had baked beans

(bushes bourbon and brown sugar variety)

and

watermelon

(it was ruby red and juicy and full of sugary goodness)

its a good thing they liked the meal….it’s what they’ll be eating the rest of the week!

Walking Tacos….straight to the tummy

My child recently had a birthday party and much like last year

requested

walking tacos!

This recipe is simple

easy and can be allergen free!

(even the one who hates veggies had several servings of the meat!)

2 # ground round or ground sirloin

I make my own taco seasoning:

• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp cumin

of course you can adjust the cayenne and chili powder to what you like

it’s always easier to add HEAT than to take away.

then set out bags of Fritos

open the bag of Fritos

add

a few spoonful’s of meat mixture

a sprinkling of chopped onion

a small spoon full  of sour cream

a sprinkle of shredded cheese

and a drizzle of taco sauce

grab a plastic fork and enjoy!

{feel free to add other toppings too like sliced black olives, or jalapenos, shredded lettuce….}

basically this is what you end up with(found this pic via google images)

to make it allergen friendly you can skip the sour cream or use plain soy yogurt(if you can find it) or soy sour cream and skip the cheese or use something like daiya

everyone at the party loved it from the youngest to the great grandmas!

Tandoori Chicken….allergen friendly

A while back I saw this in the grocery store, and as I was often curious about the flavor I bought it.

and we tried the recipe on the tin.   YUM!  a bit spicy but also a depth that cannot adequately be put into words.

The recipe on the box is good

I use  about half the powder the recipe calls for

To make it allergen friendly I use soy sour cream instead of dairy yogurt(If I was able to get plain non dairy yogurt I would use that)

and instead of melted butter I use olive oil

it also calls for lemon juice

The recipe from the box:

1 pound chicken(make slices across the top of the pieces)

2 tbsp tandoori powder

2 tbsp plain yogurt

 1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp oil

salt and pepper to taste

mix  the last 5 together and pour over chicken(I do this in a plastic freezer bag)

let marinate a few hours

grill or broil till done!

(not my image  below but that’s about how it looks when done!)

YUM

Strawberry Rhubarb Torte(no real strawberries harmed in the making of this dessert!)

this recipe is a winner.

I’ve made it many times with  few changes to the original(I use olive oil in place of butter/shortening, and soy sour cream in place of eggs 1/4 cup per egg called for)

super easy, super fast…super yummy…as long as you use red jello flavor is not as important

I cut the rhubarb using a food processor(cutting blade on)I’ve also used a mandolin cutter in the past.

I half the topping as we think its too sweet to have the amount on it calls for.

I had to sample it….but then the kids got home:

This recipe can be made with fresh or frozen rhubarb if you’ve never had rhubarb give it a try.(don’t eat the leaves!)tart yet yummy

sooooo Good!

Recipes from the Dr’s office….

So I was waiting ….in the waiting room(and waiting…and waiting…..)

and found this recipe in a “parents” magazine and snapped a photo with the ipod camera

and will be making it today

Asian Noodle Slurp-up

now I bought boneless/skinless chicken thighs to use…the recipe calls for chicken drumsticks,..but as pull the chicken off the bones for the recipe I don’t think it really matters.

it’s essentially a chicken broth with

snow peas, napa cabbage and brown rice noodles , and of course the shredded chicken meat

the broth is created with ginger, and chicken broth

garnished with green onions,

the noodles, soy sauce and and salt/pepper are added to taste at the end.

Ingredients

•  3 green onions
•  2 pounds  chicken drumsticks, skin removed
•  4 cups  low-sodium chicken broth
•  1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
•  1/2 small head Napa cabbage
•  8 ounces  brown rice pad Thai noodles
•  8 ounces  fresh snow peas, bias sliced into thirds
•  2 tablespoons  reduced-sodium soy sauce
•  Salt and black pepper

and if you don’t add the soy sauce you have a

wheat free

egg free

nut free

tree-nut free

dairy free

shell fish free

my kids don’t really care for soup but given the amount of pasta in this dish

I think they may actually eat it!

From Parents Magazine:

Mexican Bean Dip Pie

Mexican Bean Dip Pie

So simple

So yummy

(although the one who is allergic to dairy can’t eat it…but he says he’s glad cause he thinks it looks gross )

@-@  thats me rolling my eyes!

layer in a pie dish

1 can fat free refried beans(we use old el paso)

1 cup guacamole(use your favorite brand)

1 cup salsa(I used Newmans Ownmild, but if you’re into spicy feel free to substitute)

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 4 oz can sliced olives

and if you have it

put sour cream in a baggie

snip off the corner and drizzle it over the whole thing(I forgot to buy it today but I guarantee its good!)

then

open up your favorite bag of tortilla chips or if you have time (yeah right)

make your own.

and

ENJOY!

 

sorry piggie

was going to make bacon at Easter

forgot

so its in the oven now(apple variety)

OH and when I say I made bacon

this is the best and easiest way:

get a large sheet pan(jelly roll pan)

top it with tinfoil

lay the bacon on the pan(go ahead lay it side to side touching even and fill up the pan)

pop it into a cold oven

turn oven to 450

bake for 20 minutes

turn oven down to375 and bake till desired doneness

then yum…

eat your bacon

oh

and if you’re smart

you’ll eat yours before the kids get up!

What does a busy mom do at 6 am???

Fire up the Grill!

A coffee in hand and coals turning red

I’d rather be hitting the snooze from the bed

but turkey burgers and brats need to fry

and its hard to cook burgers when ones on the fly

running between lessons and school

getting it done is not the exception

but the rule!

I prefer #Klement’s brats as there is no MSG in them

and today I did turkey burgers but usually we do hamburgers of good quality otherwise the shrink to slider size.

so meat should last us till I can cook again.

these will be served with baked beans

I love the #bushs brand baked beans

I like to mix two of their varieties

I always use the

onion

and then add either a can of sweet mesquite, brown sugar bourbon, southern pit, or steakhouse recipe

(my personal favorite being the brown sugar bourbon)

 and coleslaw(vinegar style not creamy)

I use equal amounts of vinegar and sugar

a few dashes of onion powder

a tsp of celery seed

a dash of salt

a dash of pepper

and a half amount of vegetable oil.

then…sit back and enjoy!(taste best after marinating a few hours)

the best thing is there is no rushing around when all get home

the food is done and ready

all they have to do is EAT!