Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

January 25, 2014January 22, 20142 Comments

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1.5 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup of cooked and shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken to make it real easy)

Toppings:

1 lime
1 avocado
1 jalapeño
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Tortilla Strips or Chips

Directions:

Blend the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and chipotle peppers together in a blender or food processor. Add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and stir in the remaining chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add in the chicken breast and continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowl and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, avocado chunks, jalapeño slices, tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

Recipe adapted from No Biggie.

How to Make Cake Pops

September 6, 20131 Comment

These delicious cake pops are much easier to make than they look. I promise you no one will have just one. I figured about 4 cake pops equal 1 cupcake, so don’t feel so bad when you go for seconds, or thirds….right!?!

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

July 13, 2013July 12, 20132 Comments

My mom has this recipe book that is older than I am. The cover is burnt off, the pages are torn and spilled on but it contains some of the best tasting recipes. I have been craving the Zucchini bread that she always made when I was younger, so I got the recipe and altered it for my gluten free lifestyle (plus I cut out some of the sugar and oil as well).

Ingredients:

1.5 cup sugar
2 cups (about 3 medium sized) shredded zucchini
3 cups gluten free flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Using a food processor, shred the zucchini.
Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer and then evenly distribute into loaf pan. Bake 1 hour.

Mom’s recipe book!

Spinach & Artichoke Wonton Cups

March 30, 2013March 30, 2013Leave a comment

I love this recipe because it takes the messiness out of eating a dip since you have the spinach and artichoke filling in individual cups. I haven’t found gluten free wontons yet, so if you want to make this gluten free, forget the wonton cups and just serve the filling with tortilla chips. If you do this I suggest making it a bit more creamier by adding additional greek yogurt. Plus, it’s a much lighter version of a traditional spinach & artichoke dip.

Ingredients:

1 Package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 Can of artichokes in water, drained and chopped
1/4 cup Vegan Mayo
1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 lemon, zest only
1/2 Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Wonton Wrappers (these are not gluten free)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a muffin pan, place a wonton into each tin and press down to form the cup shape (they don’t have to be perfect). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the wonton tips are a light brown. You can make these wonton cups a few days in advance, just store in a zip lock bag.
Make sure the chopped spinach and artichokes are drained well. Use a paper towel to press out any excess water.
Mix all filling ingredients together in large bowl.
Fill wonton cups with mixture. Don’t fill the cups more than 30 minutes in advance otherwise the wontons will get soggy.

Adapted from this original recipe.

Black Bean & Feta Quinoa Patties

February 23, 2013February 19, 20131 Comment

The recipe originally called for spinach, but let’s be honest I forgot to buy spinach and ended up substituting with black beans. Perfect recipe for those Meatless Mondays. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Gluten Free Quinoa Patties:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup of black beans
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups of cooked quinoa (I made 1 cup of uncooked and had leftovers)
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs

Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce:

1/2 cup plain Non-Fat Geek Yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used half of a lemon)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Next time I make this I might consider adding cucumbers to the sauce to make it more like a tzatziki

Directions:

Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce:

Whisk together the yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, and dill in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Quinoa Patties:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl.
Add the eggs, quinoa, black beans, feta, dill, lemon zest, and black pepper and mix well. Mix in the bread crumbs and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb some of the moisture.
Add a little olive to a grill pan and heat to medium-high tempature.
Form quinoa patties about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Grill the patties until they’re cooked through and browned on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with lemon-dill yogurt sauce.

Recipe adapted from this version: http://paninihappy.com/spinach-feta-quinoa-cakes-plus-5-quick-dinners-on-the-panini-press/

Mimosa Jello Shots

January 11, 2013January 15, 2013Leave a comment

I made the Mimosa Jello Shots for the New Year’s Eve party I hosted and was surprised how much of a hit these were. I saw this recipe on Pinterest but decided to put my own twist on it and use Orange flavored gelatin. I will admit I did not get those perfectly cut squares that they show in their photo, instead I suggest using the clear plastic shots glasses for serving.

Ingredients:

1 package of Orange Gelatin (Jello)
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of chilled champagne (I used Cava – Spanish Sparkling Wine)

Directions:

Combine gelatin and boiling water in a bowl. Stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let it sit and come to room temperature.
Slowly pour in the chilled champagne.
Pour into clear shot glasses until they are about 3/4 filled and set in refrigerator to chill, about 4 hours.
Sprinkle with shimmer sugar right before serving. Note, that the sugar dissolves quickly once on the jello.

Enjoying reliving the college days in a more grown up style.

Originally posted here: http://www.perpetuallyengaged.com/2011/12/champagne-jello-shots.html

Kale Chips

December 4, 2012January 10, 2013Leave a comment

Kale Chips are my new favorite snack. They are easy to make, gluten free and healthy. I like to use the packaged Kale from Trader Joes, it is already washed and cut up! Otherwise, I pick up about 4 bunches at the farmer’s market. This snack doesn’t last more than a day in my house.

Ingredients:

Kale (4 bunches)
1 garlic clove chopped
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread out kale onto cookie sheet.
Drizzle with Olive Oil.
Sprinkle chopped garlic across kale.
Season with sea salt.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on the kale as it can burn easily. It’s ready when the edges start to brown.

Benefits of Kale*: