GF Jambalaya

Mmmmm mmmmm! Check out this recipe for GF Jambalaya:

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 pkg. GF polska kielbasa
1 cup raw cubed chicken
2 1/2 cups canned tomato, blended
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup GF chicken broth (I recommend Swanson's Natural Goodness)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 TBSP parsley
1/4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Saute' onions, peppers, and garlic in 2 TBSP oil. Add tomato, chicken broth, rice, and spices. Transfer to large casserole dish, add meats and mix. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes.

Additional Note:

I don't always use both meats... sometimes I just do the kielbasa, and it's great that way, too!

Double Check that Menu!

Todd and I took the boys on a family date night last Friday to dinner and a movie. We decided to go to a certain restaurant, Interurban, because somebody told us they had a GF menu.

Yeah, well... that GF menu was a faxed 5-sheet menu that basically had the restaurant's entire menu on it with the words "Gluten Free Menu" on top. But beware! This "GF Menu" had such items as beer muffins (double whammy- beer is made from wheat and barley malt, and muffins, obviously, made with wheat flour), as well as pasta dishes and other suspect items.

Moral of the story: most restaurants with a Gluten Free menu have done their homework and are educated in preparing foods GF, but every now and then you will come across a place that obviously doesn't have a clue. Use your common sense when checking out those menus and eat at places you feel comfortable with. Bon Appetite!

GF Chicken Tostada Casserole

Time for another yummy recipe- another one of my husband's favorites...

Chicken Tostada Casserole:

1 bag GF Tortilla chips* (Dorito's corn chips are great in this)
1 small Onion, chopped
3 Chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
1 can Cream of Mushroom* (Campbell's is a no-no, but Health Valley Organic Cream of Mushroom is GF)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 small can Green Chilis*, chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
3/4 lb. grated Cheddar Cheese
3-4 tsp Butter

* These items can contain gluten, so please check your labels and make sure you buy a brand that is GF.

Directions:

Combine onion, cream of mushroom, sour cream and garlic salt to make sauce.

In 9 x 13 casserole dish, layer half of the chips, crushed, then half the chicken, half the sauce mix, and half the cheese; Repeat, then dot butter on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

My favorite recipe...ever! Chicken With Walnuts

I thought I'd get this recipe thing off with a bang... here is my favorite recipe ever. It originally came from a magazine about 20 years ago, I have no idea which one, and I have adapted it a little, so here it goes:

Chicken With Walnuts

Sauce:
3 TBSP Gluten Free Soy Sauce (Try Organic Tamari or Great Value)
2 TBSP Dry Cooking Sherry
2 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Sugar

2 TBSP Oil
2 Whole boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup Broken Walnuts (Be sure to use a brand that is GF and not manufactured in a facility that produces something with wheat... Fisher brand is good, Diamond brand is not)
1 tsp Grated gingerroot or ginger from the seasoning aisle
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
4 Green onions, chopped

Cooked white rice

Directions:
Mix together sauce and set aside (Soy Sauce, Sherry, Cornstarch, and Sugar). Preheat wok or large skillet over high heat with the oil. Stirfry walnuts in hot oil about 1 minute or until lightly toasted; remove from skillet. Stirfry gingerroot for 15 seconds then add bell peppers and green onions. Stirfry 3 minutes; remove from skillet. Add chicken to skillet, cook until no longer pink then push away from center of skillet. Stir sauce and add to center of skillet. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Stir in walnuts and veggies until heated through. Serve over rice.

This recipe is also easily doubled if you want to make up a big batch- it's excellent leftover (and I don't like leftovers!). Enjoy and let me know how you like it!

To New Beginnings...

My family's life changed 5 1/2 years ago when my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. At that time, we had one son, almost 2 years old, and another boy on the way. For years Todd suffered from intestinal problems and was finally diagnosed after bloodwork indicated a problem and a scope and biopsy confirmed the disease. It wasn't easy getting to this point, first he went to other doctors who simply diagnosed him with IBS, which is really a blanket "I don't really know what's wrong with you" diagnosis. If you are in the same boat, still looking for answers to your intestinal woes, I recommend specifically asking your health care provider for celiac testing. Celiac is the semi-fancy name for my husband's gluten intolerance. If you're interested in more info on the disease, I recommend the following site: www.celiac.org.

So, I have been learning to help my husband live GF ever since. Starting out a GF diet can be overwhelming, but trust me, you will get to a point where it is simply a way of life. This blog is intended to help other family members and celiac sufferers in a simple way. I'll offer tips and advice as well as recipes from time to time. But please remember that I'm no nutritionist or dietician, just a wife who has learned through experience, so please make sure to do your own research, too.

I hope this blog helps you, and I hope you have laughs along the way, and maybe you'll even share some questions you want answers to. Maybe together we can find the answers. Here's to living the GF life!