Carefreeglutenfree - Carefree Gluten Free

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Recipe from the blog Life as a Lofthouse

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 Tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 Tbsp Gluten Free soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

1. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through.

3. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. 

4. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  

"Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring and because it has fresh peaches in it."        - Alice Walker

Peaches and Cream Muffins

1-1/4 c. Gluten Free baking mix* 1/4 c. sugar 1 egg 1/4 c. sour cream 2 Tbsp. peach juice 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. almond extract 1/2 c. peaches, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Mix all ingredients  together, gently folding in the peaches last. 

3. Spoon the mixture into a greased or lined muffin pan, about 2/3 full. 

4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.   

Yield: Half a dozen muffins

*I used Pamela's Product's Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix for this recipe.

{"Spicy Hot Chili Pepper Poster" via RabbitduckWorkshop}

Meatless Chili Mac

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, undrained

1 cup mild salsa

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 oz. Gluten Free elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine the beans, salsa, and spices.  Stir well to combine.  Cook over low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  (You may also opt to cook over medium-low heat on the stove top for 20-30 minutes.) 

2. When ready to serve, cook and drain macaroni according to package directions.  Add the drained noodles to the chili mixture in the slow cooker.  Stir to coat the noodles and combine well.  Top with dairy-free cheese or sour cream.  Serve.

Pasta Salad

12 oz. Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta 1 large tomato 1 large cucumber 1 Tbsp. fresh basil 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1. In a large pot of lightly salted water, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Place in a large bowl. 

2. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Whisk together and pour over the warm pasta.  Stir to combine. 

3. Dice the tomato and cucumber and finely chop the fresh herbs.  Add the tomato, cucumber, herbs, and cheese to the pasta.  Toss until well combined.  Serve at room temperature.

*I used Heartland's Gluten Free Fusilli.

Maple Bundt Cake

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times

3 ½ cups Gluten Free all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups pure maple syrup

⅔ cup canola oil

2 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. maple extract

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in bowl.

3. Whisk maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, maple extract, and 1 1/3 cups water in large separate bowl. Stir in flour mixture until just blended.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Unmold onto rack, and cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

15 oz. package Gluten Free yellow cake mix

1/4 c. lemon instant pudding mix

1 c. milk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs

2 tsp. lemon extract

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. thawed pink lemonade concentrate, divided

1 c. confectioner's sugar

red food coloring (opt.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 12 cup-Bundt pan with cooking spray.  Dust the pan with gluten free all-purpose flour or rice flour.  Shake out the excess and set aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, lemon extract, and 1/4 c. pink lemonade concentrate in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electronic mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just combined.  Increase the mixer speed and beat on medium until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add about 5-6 drops of red food coloring, one drop at a time until the desired color is reached.  Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  

3. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.  Meanwhile, mix 2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate and confectioner's sugar.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pound cake.  Serve.   

{Print via LilyandVal}

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

- Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own