What's for Dinner? Chunky Chili!

It's my go to meal when I want a lot of something for leftovers - a big vat o' chili. Mom taught me a version of this recipe which is lifted from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Now, you hard-liner chili buffs, this is with beans and tomatoes and tomato soup. When I first had to eat gluten-free, I was so disappointed that I could no longer use Campbell's tomato soup which uses wheat. In this recipe I substituted Amy's - which is gluten free - but much more expensive.

Cooking a vat like this is much more art than science, so go to town with your own variations...

Basic Chunky Chili Recipe

1 lb ground beef
large onion - diced or minced if you don't like the chunky bits
3 medium tomatoes - diced, can use a can if you like
1T crushed garlic - about a clove
1 15oz can kidney beans - I like the dark red ones
1 can Amy's tomato soup - ready to eat not condensed
dash olive oil
1-3T chili powder to taste
salt


Heat up a big pot - preferably heavy - I use cast iron.
Add some olive oil to the bottom.
Have vegetables diced and prepped.
Toss in onions to lightly carmelize - watch em so they don't burn.
Add ground beef - I usually use chuck - it's got some fat for flavor.
Brown ground beef, add tomatoes, garlic and salt the whole mess to taste which will help the tomatoes break down.
Add can of kidney beans - don't bother to drain unless you are fussy.
Add can of Amy's tomato soup - let simmer about 10 minutes
Add 1-3 tablespoons of chili powder - more or less depending on your taste.
Let simmer at least a half hour. The older it gets - to a point! - the better.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!







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MMM Cream Cheese and...

I've used it in cheesecake and spread it on ham to roll up for little appetizers, but I feel like I just discovered cream cheese with this new twist. Was wanting to make a BLT, but my gluten-free bread (store-bought) is so heavy and small - hard to layer a couple tomato slices and the requisite several pieces of bacon on it - so I made this BT spread and saved the lettuce in a green salad. Makes a great light dinner when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.

Bacon-Tomato Cream Cheese Spread

8 oz - 1 block cream cheese, softened
8 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled (I used the microwave stuff - fast and easy)
10 or 12 grape tomatoes - quartered
6 or 8 sundried tomatoes (I get the dried kind - very sweet, tangy and chewy)


Mash all of the above together. Sever as a spread on gluten-free crackers, rice cakes or as an open face sandwich on gluten-free bread. Garnish with cherry tomatoes or a bit of arugula for a nutty spicy flavor.

Raisin Nut Oatmeal bars

I tend to whip up these bar creations, especially when I'm craving something bread-like or sweet. It is a basic recipe:
Cream one stick of butter with one cup of sugar (more if you like it sweet)
Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and mix
Add vanilla - I use Cook's vanilla powder
Add some kind of flour about 1-2 cups
In this recipe I used 3/4 c. almond flour, 1/2 c. buckwheat flour and about a 1/2 c tapioca flour
Don't forget to add leavening - something to make it rise - in this recipe I used 1 teaspoon each GF baking powder and baking soda
Add oatmeal (gluten free of course...), nuts, raisins, chocolate chips any dried fruit or nuts you have on hand - if the batter seems stiff - add some applesauce.
I used a 8-11 inch pan - spread the batter thinner for a crispier cookie, thicker for a cake -like creation...
Bake until brown and set in the middle - test it with a toothpick or poke it with a finger to see if the middle springs back.
I baked these for about 20 minutes at 350F.

Try your own variations with what you have on hand. Don't wait to bake until you've got all the right ingredients - you may be pleasantly surprised by the results!

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

This creation makes just the perfect bite for a breakfast treat or an after dinner sweet. The cake is fairly light and not-too crumbly as many gluten-free baked good can be. The only gluten-free ingredient I use that I had to track down is the gluten-free vanilla flavoring, most vanilla is made with alcohol and you can't be sure that the alcohol isn't made from grain. So I splurged and bought a vanilla powder - it substitutes for a regular vanilla at the same rate. Yummy for gluten free eaters and regular folks!

Heat oven to 350F

Ingredients:
For the streusel mix:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup melted butter


For the cake:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 cup gf sour cream - check the label to make sure it doesn't have modified food starch
1 teaspoon gf vanilla flavor - I used Cook's vanilla powder
1 3/4 cups gf flour
1 teaspoon gf baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt



Here goes:


1. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and beat well. Incorporate sour cream and vanilla flavoring.
2. Add rest of ingrediens - you can sift them together separately, but I'm way too unfussy for that.
3. Beat until smooth.
4. Pour half of batter into pan. I used a glass pie plate - glass heats well and makes a browner crust. You could use a 8x8 or 9x9 pan. 
5. Top batter with half of streusel mix
6. Cover with rest of batter. Top with remaining streusel mix.
7. Pop into oven until set and browned on top - approximately 45 minutes. You can use a toothpick to check center for doneness. When the toothpick comes out clean - you're there.
8. Cool, cut into wedges and eat and be happy.

Enjoy!

Autumn Chicken Stew

The picture doesn't do it justice, but this slow-cooker chicken stew was really delicious. Easy, since it uses cooked chicken and great to switch up according to what leftovers you have in the fridge. Here's how I made it:

1-2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 diced and peeled parsnips
2 large chopped and peeled carrots
2 stalks celery
1 cup apple cider
1 cup drinkable white wine
2 cups chicken broth ( more if you need it)
                                                                                    1 cup frozen peas
                                                                                    1/3 cup cornstarch
                                                                                    1/3 cup powdered milk
                                                                                     Water
                                                                                     Salt and pepper to taste
Toss veg and chicken in slowcooker (except peas) pour in wine, cider and chicken broth, cook on low for 4-6 hours, high for 2-3. Check pot to see if you need more chicken broth. When veg are tender add frozen peas. Mix cornstarch, powdered milk and water together to form a slurry and pour into pot. Allow to cook for another 20-30 min or until peas are thawed. Serves about 6 and makes great leftovers!

Peanut-butter Bars

As a wheat free newbie I'm constantly drooling over the cookies and treats that are brought to work functions. Well I whipped these up and brought them in and did they disappear fast! In fact this is the last one and I ate all the crumbs!

A gluten free-treat. I suppose you could make these as drop cookies, but I'm lazy and do them in a 9 x 9 greased pan.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1 c peanut butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 c. gluten-free baking mix
1 c.gluten-free oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
optional
1/2 c chopped peanuts
1/2 c chopped apricots

Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 9 pan.
Mix butter, peanut butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs beat well.
Add flour and oats. Mix.
Fold in peanuts and apricots (or whatever you choose)
Spread in pan. Batter will be thick.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.


Enjoy!

Raspberry-nectarine pie

They just came out of the oven - two juicy pies, deep garnet and golden with a crumble topping. Frost came last night so the last of the fresh local fruits will be disappearing from the farmers market. I used a mix of fresh raspberries and nectarines for this luscious treat. Here's how I did it
Ingredients: makes 2 pies, freeze one for later
Pie Crust:
1 c. brown rice flour
1 c. gluten-free baking mix
6 T butter
6 T margarine
dash salt
1 t. xanthan gum
1 T sugar
1/3 c. cold water

Mix dry ingredients well. Cut in butter and margarine with a pastry cutter or fork. Add water a bit at a time and knead together until the mixture makes a ball. Chill briefly before rolling or patting out into a greased pie tin. Divide into two balls. I just mushed the crust out with my hands and saved the hassle of getting out the rolling pin and cloth. Makes two bottom crusts.

Filling
1 qt raspberries
3 or 4 good-sized ripe nectarines
1/2 c sugar or to taste
4 T. cornstarch

Put raspberries into a bowl sprinkle with 1/4 c sugar and dust with 2 T. cornstarch, do the same to the cut-up nectarines. Let stand for at least a 1/2 hour to macerate the fruit and develop their juices. Evenly divide the two fruits into each pie crust.

Topping:
1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. sugar
6 T. butter
1/2 c. walnuts

Mix butter in with rest of ingredients until good and crumbly. Divide and sprinkle over pies.

Put pies in a preheated 350F oven and bake until fruit starts to bubble and set - 35-45 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before slicing or it will run all over the place! Enjoy!