Rachel’s Recipe Box

This is a recipe that my oldest daughter and I created when we were trying to reach a comprimise between what I wanted to cook and what she wanted to eat! This worked well, it’s a one-pot meal that will be finished within 45 minutes, and can either be eaten alone or with a vegetable or salad on the side. If at all possible, include the kalamata olives, they add flavor and a bit of zing to the meal.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe.

Ingredients:

• splash olive or canola oil to coat bottom of pan

• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1.5 lb chicken, cubed (boneless skinless breasts or thighs work well)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or just add a bit more of each of the above)
• 1 pinch salt
• couple grinds black pepper
• 1 splash wine
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14oz can diced tomatoes
• 14oz can white beans
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (watch ingredients for corn and other allergens)
• 12oz to 1 lb gluten-free noodles (we like the Tinkyada rice noodles)

Method:
Warm oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet or a large pot. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until they become tender.

Add cubes of chicken, and stir. Add seasonings, and stir, cooking until chicken is browned.

Deglaze the pan by adding a splash of wine and stirring the chicken mixture. Add tomatoes, beans, and olives, plus 1 (14oz) can of water, and turn heat to high.

Bring to a boil, and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook as long as the pasta needs to be cooked, then test the pasta for done-ness.

Serve as is, with a salad, or with another vegetable, such as Garlic Pan-fried Squash. Enjoy!

I’ve been missing the creamy taste of Risotto, but haven’t had any arborio rice, nor the desire to stand over a stove stirring for an hour. With chicken and asparagus (or any other vegetable) and some basmati rice you can make a delicious faux-risotto. Asparagus is wonderfully in I added coconut milk to add the creaminess you usually get from the arborio rice. It was delicious! (Remember that coconut milk doesn’t give a coconut flavor if the dish has salt and is savory - sugar enhances the coconut flavor)

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and top 8 allergen free recipe. This is also a faux-fast-food recipe that can be cooked in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive or canola oil

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 shake cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken, I prefer to use thighs
• 1 splash white wine (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup basmati or Jasmine rice (The Carolina Basmati and Jasmine rices work wonderfully)
• 1 lb fesh asparagus
• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup water

Method:
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and spices, and sauté until they begin to get tender.

Chop the chicken into 1/2″ cubes, then add to the onion/garlic mixture. Cook the chicken over medium heat until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.

While the chicken is cooking, break the ends off the asparagus, and then cut it into approximately 1″ pieces.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, then add rice, coconut milk, water, and asparagus.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook for about 20 minutes, following the guidelines on your rice package.

Serve to great applause. An easy, quick, and delicious meal that mixes fresh with fast, and all in one pot!

Our oven broke recently. We can (thankfully) still use the stove, and we also have the microwave and the crock pot. However, I had planned to make some oven-roasted chicken legs, and had no clue what to do with them without an oven. A friend suggested that I toss everything I was going to roast into a pot and let it simmer. I ended up doing just that, and it turned out to be a delicious meal.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and faux fast food {ready in under 45 minutes} recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2+ lb chicken drumsticks

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3+ cloves garlic minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme (or sub the last 3 ingredients with 2 tsp Italian Seasoning)
• Splash wine (optional)
• 1 28oz can diced or petite diced tomatoes, and 1 can of water
• 2 14 oz cans beans
• 3 small-to medium zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

Method:

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and drumsticks. Add seasonings. Use tongs to move the drumsticks around, and continue cooking until the drumsticks start to brown and the onion & garlic has softened.

Splash the wine into the pot to deglaze, using the tongs to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Add tomatoes, water, beans, potato, and zucchini. Stir to incorporate all ingredients

Turn the heat up almost to high, and barely bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning and that veggies & potatoes are tender, then bring to table.

Serve in bowls, 1 drumstick and 2 scoops of broth and vegetables. The meat is easy to just take off the bone with a fork. Delicious, easy, healthy, and on your table in about 45 minutes!

No pictures, sorry - camera’s broken

I read a book a while ago which included a chapter about eating frugally without eating fast food. If you have dietary restrictions, it’s unlikely that you’ve been eating fast food, but it is likely that you’ve been paying a lot of money for your food. Sometimes cooking from basic whole foods and looking at dishes inspired by other cultures will lead you to something inexpensive, tasty, filling, and delicious.

I always make sure we have some meat in the freezer, and if I can’t get to the grocery store, we’ll eat this meal. We eat it more frequently than that because it’s a meal everyone likes, and it’s inexpensive. What a great deal!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and an under $10 recipe.

Ingredients:

• splash cooking oil (canola or olive)

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb pork, cubed (substitute chicken, ham, or whatever is on sale)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala spice mix (I highly recommend having this on hand, it’s well worth the original expense!)
• 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
• splash wine (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
• 1/4 cup red lentils (optional, but it adds to the flavor and color)
• 5-6 cups water or broth
• about 2oz frozen spinach (I buy the 1lb bags of frozen spinach, and use 2 handfuls)

Method:
Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until they begin to soften.

Add meat and spices, and continue to sauté until meat has browned.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine (or not if you don’t have any/don’t cook with alcohol).

Mix in rice, lentils, and broth, and bring to a boil.

Add the spinach, then turn heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir 2-3 times during the cooking time.

Check rice & lentils for done-ness, and cook for a longer period of time and/or add more liquid as needed.

Serve and enjoy with a salad or a yummy roasted vegetable!

I love casseroles. I love mixing all the ingredients into a pan, and then popping it in the oven, only to have it emerge 45 minutes later fully cooked. There’s really nothing better! So when I had some apple sausages, a few apples, and some pork loin, this was what I came up with. It’s easy, yummy, has a bit of a kick, and has all the wonderful nutrients of quinoa!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and top 8 allergen free recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well (rinse it in a sieve so it won’t be bitter)
• 1 package (12 oz) apple sausages
• 1 medium apple, cored and sliced
• 1 lb pork, cut into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups broth, water, or stock
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 pinches kosher or sea salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine all ingredients in a deep casserole dish. Stir well.

Cover tightly, and bake for 25 minutes.

Stir again, then recover and cook for about 20 minutes more. I slid in some broccoli to roast next to the casserole for the final 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, test quinoa for done-ness, then serve with roasted broccoli or a salad. A wonderfully warming meal for a cold winter day!

I miss going to Mexican restaurants and eating gooey cheese enchiladas. While beef and bean enchiladas aren’t quite the same thing, having delicious enchiladas at home is wonderful. It’s great to know your food is safe because you made it at home, when you’ve always got some risks eating out. The trick is finding a gluten-free enchilada sauce, as most use wheat as a thickener. You could make your own, but using a can is easier if you can find it! Our grocery stores sell “La Victoria” brand, which has a good taste and is gluten-free and dairy-free.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, and top 8 allergen free recipe.

These are really easy, and should get you from chopping to table in under 45 minutes, and should cost less than $10 for the meal, too. Just pop in a roasted vegetable next to the enchiladas in the oven, and you’re good to go!

Ingredients:

• Splash cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/3 lb ground beef (approximately)
• 2 14oz cans black beans, or 1 28oz can, drained
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch kosher or sea salt
• 2 cans or 3 cups homemade enchilada sauce (double check ingredients!)
• 15 or so corn tortillas

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly oil a 9×13 pan.

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and begin to sauté.

When the onion & garlic start to soften, add the ground beef. Stir, browning the beef. Add spices so that the flavors will meld while cooking.

While the beef is browning, warm the tortillas. Wrap the stack of tortillas in a slightly damp tea towel or paper towel, then microwave for 30 seconds. Flip the stack over, and repeat. Check to see if they are warm and softened. You may need to microwave them a little longer because microwaves vary.

Drain the fat from the beef mixture, then add the drained beans and stir until well combined.

Pour a little enchilada sauce into the 9×13 pan, enough to lightly cover the bottom. Hold a tortilla across your palm, and spoon in a couple tablespoons worth of the beef/bean mixture. Roll the sides over (they fold over just like your fingers and thumb do when making a fist), and place in the pan seam-side-down. Repeat until you are out of filling, tortillas, or space in the pan!

Pour enchilada sauce generously over the enchiladas - you want them to end up deliciously moist. Cover with foil and pop in the oven for 25 minutes. If you slide in a quick roasted vegetable next to it, dinner will all be ready at once!

Serve as is or with guacamole, olives, or chips & salsa. Yum! A great tex-mex dinner without the hassle!

In our ongoing search for wonderful one-skillet meals, we decided to try a more Tex-Mex flavor rather than our usual Cajun red beans and rice variations. This got a big thumbs up from all of the taste-testers here, as well as some very intrigued onlookers as our taste-testers were eating their leftovers for lunch.This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 TBS cooking oil (canola or olive) 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken, diced (approximately). We like chicken thighs, but it works with chicken breasts, too.
• 1 1/2 cups rice (basmati cooks quickly, but you can use any type)
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 28oz can black beans, or 2 14oz cans black beans
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 pinches kosher or sea salt
• a couple grinds of pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups water

Method:Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until they begin to soften.Add chicken and spices to the onion and garlic, and cook stirring frequently until chicken is browned.Mix rice, beans, tomatoes, and water into the skillet. Mix well, and keep stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Let simmer for 20 minutes, test rice for doneness, and serve with a side of steamed vegetables or a salad. Yum!

This recipe is based on a similar oven-baked casserole. The original is wonderful. But if you are short on time, it is lovely to have a delicious, warm dinner ready in about 30 minutes!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and top 8 allergen free recipe.

Ingredients:

• Splash canola or other cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced/pressed
• 1 1/3 lb raw Italian sausages, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup basmati or jasmine rice
• 1 can corn (omit if you cannot tolerate corn)
• 2 15oz can(s) black beans (drained)
• 2 cups water
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or petite diced)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 2 pinches kosher or sea salt

Method
In a large soup pot, warm enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until they become tender.

Add sausage slices, and continue to cook, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until they become browned.

Pour rice into the pot, stirring so the rice absorbs some of the flavors from the sausages and onion/garlic.

Add all other ingredients, stirring. Turn heat up to a boil, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

When it boils, turn heat down to low, and cover. Set timer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally while it is cooking.

Serve on plates or in bowls with some steamed veggies or a salad.

Each week I make up a menu, and then a grocery list from it, and then cook from it, crossing things off as they are made. This works out great, unless I manage to lose the menu after shopping. I couldn’t remember what I had planned to cook, but the potatoes and sausage were calling to me, and this is what we ended up with. Very yummy, and reasonably easy. It took a little more than 30 minutes, but still qualifies as quick eats to me. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of it, though - that’ll have to wait until next time!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, and top 8 allergen free recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs uncooked sausage
• 4 medium size white potatoes
• 5 oz frozen chopped spinach (1/3 of a 16 oz bag - the blocks are impossible to work with, splurge on the bags!)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• splash cooking oil
• 1 batch dairy-free White Sauce
• a few shakes Tony Chacheres Cajun seasoning

Method:
Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium-large skillet, heat oil to medium heat. Add onions. Cut sausage into about 1/2″ thick rounds, and add to the onions. Stir, and continue cooking until sausage is browned on all sides.

While the sausage and onions are cooking, make the White Sauce.

Poke the potatoes a couple times with a fork, and then put them in the microwave for 4 minutes. This will give them a head start on cooking so that they need less time in the oven to cook through.

Cut the potatoes into chunks, and add to a 9×13 pan. Add sausages and onion. Mix together gently, and add in the frozen spinach. Pour white sauce over everything, and gently mix until everything is coated in sauce and the food is well distributed in the pan.

Sprinkle a little Tony Chacheres Cajun seasoning over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and put some veggies in to roast at the same time.

Yum! There weren’t many leftovers here for my husband’s lunch!

My family loves my tomato-based curry, and I vastly prefer coconut milk-based curries. I tried to mix a few ingredients they love in the tomato curry, but using coconut milk. It seemed to work - everyone ate it happily! Any meal where people finish without an argument is one that is worth repeating a few times!

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and South Beach phase 2 safe recipe. The recipe can served vegetarian and vegan, or with meat.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBS Patak’s curry paste
• 1 head cauliflower, or 1 16oz bag frozen cauliflower
• 1 cup water
• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 2 handfuls red or brown lentils
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 14oz can chickpeas, drained
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1-2 lbs pork cutlets, pork loin, or just pork, cubed (optional)
• Cooked rice or cooked lentils on the side

Method

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions soften.

Add the pork (if using) and brown, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.

Stir in the curry paste. Add lentils, coconut milk, and water.

Turn the heat up, and add vegetables. Break the cauliflower into florets directly into the pot, or pour bag of frozen cauliflower into pot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. If needed, add more liquid - the vegetables and meat should be somewhat submerged.

When the sauce begins to boil, cover loosely. Lower the heat slightly, and cook at a low boil for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.

After 20 minutes, the sauce should be somewhat thickened, the pork tender, and the cauliflower will have broken into small pieces.

Serve this with lentils or brown rice beneath to absorb the sauce. Delicious!