Cream of Mushroom Soup

One of the most convenient cans in the kitchen is "cream of" soup.  It adds so much flavour to so many dishes and casseroles.  You don't really realize how much you use it until you can't ... because it has wheat (and MSG ... but we won't even go there - I could go on forever about the chemical carcinogen "cream of" cans they try to sell us as soup, but I'll save that conversation for another day :) ).  Have you ever tasted the canned "cream of" condensed soups?  Salty ... with the consistency of snot.  Sorry ... that was gross, but ... true.

I did happen upon a gluten-free substitute that was pretty good made by Progresso, but it wasn't condensed and didn't give the same thick and creamy consistency.  So ... out of a yearning for Mr. Dell's Potato Casserole (sub Kettle potato chips for the corn flakes) and the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti made with rice pasta,  I was determined to come up with an easy gluten-free recipe ... and my friends, I have it!

I can't believe how good this soup really is!  We were fighting over who got to lick the spoon!  It was PERFECT, not to mention, it stores really well in the fridge or freezer (bonus!) ... and came together in around 20 minutes (double bonus!).

It could be made with celery too (for cream of celery) ... same ingredients, just sub celery for mushrooms.  You might have to add a little extra broth before you add the flour ... but it should be an easy substitute.

I'll be posting my cream of chicken in a few days.  I hope that, again, you are encouraged by what you see.  Just because you've been diagnosed with a food allergy/intolerance or have decided to eliminate gluten for better health, doesn't mean you have to be deprived of the things you love. You just have to think a little outside the box ... or the can. :)

1 recipe = 4 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup butter
around 6 cups chopped mushrooms - any kind
3/4 cup brown rice flour (you can use wheat flour if you don't have gluten issues)
2 cups warm water
2 cups half and half
1 organic vegetable bouillon cube (I use GoBio)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Roughly chop mushrooms.

On medium heat, melt butter in a large wok or dutch oven.

Add mushrooms and cook down until they start to release all their moisture - around 5 minutes.  It's crazy how much they shrink!

Sprinkle flour all over the top and stir.  It will get REALLY thick.  Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly so the flour gets a little browned and doesn't taste raw.

Mix bouillon cube into the water and slowly stir into the mushroom "paste".  Stir in cream.

Bring just to a boil, stirring regularly.  Remove from heat.

Cool to room temperature and pack in jars to store in the fridge (if you're using in the next couple days) or package in ziploc freezer bags for the freezer.  See how thick it gets!!  Now give it a little taste ... wow!  SO GOOD and SO MUCH better for you! :) YAY!

Cheesy Cauli-Garlic Spaghetti

Years ago, my parents had these wonderful friends, a missionary couple, from Italy. This recipe is straight from their kitchen - as authentic as it gets. I remember the first time she made it for us ... I hate cauliflower and I was so nervous to try it. To my surprise, this has become one of my favourite pasta dishes of all time. It's very simple, but so satisfying!! Bonus :: It's a sneaky way to bulk up pasta with veg ... your kiddos won't even know!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1lb package of spaghetti (since we're a gluten-free house, I used Trader Joes Corn Spaghetti)

Boil around a cup of water and place a steam basket inside a saucepan. Add cauliflower, cover and steam until tender.

Smash with a fork.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil and sauté garlic until tender, but not brown. Smash with fork.

Add cauliflower into the pot the pasta was cooked in. Stir in cheese, oil and garlic. Toss in pasta until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a big salad and call it dinner!

We were so glad Matt's mom was able to join us for the evening since his dad was out of town. Good food, good fun ... great time visiting.

"Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity." - Frank Lloyd-Wright

Simple Granola

To me, good granola starts with good ingredients.  It's simple, crunchy and slightly sweet ... yet hearty enough to fill me up with only a handful.  I love adding it to probiotic yogurt for breakfast on the fly (extra amazing if you have IBS).  It also makes a great afternoon snack when you get the munchies.

This simple granola is my go-to recipe and I love it because the ingredients are so versatile.  You can use any combination of nuts and seeds and interchange the honey with maple syrup for a completely different flavour.

Here's a little info on the ingredients I use the most ...

Chia Seeds - contain omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, antioxidants, and calcium.  They swell in your stomach and keep you full.

 

 

Almonds - protein and fibre powerhouse.

Organic Coconut Oil - fat source that's converted into energy rather than stored. People who have trouble digesting fat find it easier to digest than other oils ... making it perfect if you've had your gallbladder removed like me.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups oats (use wheat-free if you are gluten intolerant)

1/4 cup chia seed or flax seed/meal

1 cup raw almonds, chopped

1 cup honey

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional ... you can even add more if you LOVE cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.  Stir well to coat.

Spread evenly over a slipat or nonstick baking surface (this is very important).  I find using a silpat the easiest way to keep it from sticking to the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Pull out of the oven and stir.  Bake for another 15 minutes.

As soon as the granola comes out of the oven, scrape it off onto a cold non-stick baking sheet - I use my nonstick griddle pan because of it's super-non-stickability. :)  If you don't do this step, when it cools the granola will become part of the pan you baked it on.  It takes about 15 -20 minutes to cool completely.

Here's it is atop my probiotic yogurt this morning.  The nuts get just slightly toasted ... mmmm!!  I really can't say enough how yummy and how filling this granola is.

Store in an airtight container.  Not sure how long it keeps ... it's never around long enough to find out! :)

Gluten-Free Pizza

Since starting our gluten-free challenge, the one thing we've missed the MOST is PIZZA.  We make it all year round, on hot stones ... on the bbq ... on pitas ... on homemade crusts ... but let's face it - those frozen gluten-free pizza crusts (more like discs) are less than appealing.  Even some of the mixes turn out thick, doughy and tasteless - NOT something I would put in our menu rotation ... UNTIL I took matters into my own hands with a Gluten-free Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix and a few metal pizza pans.

First of all, make the mix according to the package directions (adding the yeast, eggs, oil and water ... and let rise - I recommend using a mixer if you have one).  Then, divide the dough into three parts, forming each into a round disc.  Regardless of what they say, you will get three 12-14 inch pizzas - that's the key. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lay out a large piece of wax paper (or a couple silpats would work great too) and sprinkle with rice flour.  Then I place one of the discs in the middle and sprinkle the top with more rice flour.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and roll out until it's evenly thin (between 12-14 in in diametre).  Don't worrry if it's not perfectly round.

Spray pizza pan with cooking spray.  Very carefully peal the top layer of wax paper off.  Place the pizza pan upside down on the dough and flip the wax paper so the dough ends up nicely on the pan ... then carefully remove the other piece of wax paper.  If little pieces get stuck, just peel them off and "glue" them back in place with a little water.  The areas of dough that hang over the pan, I cut off and "glue" into the places that don't reach the edges, so in the end I have a pretty nice circle.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Pull out and cover with a thin layer of sauce.  I love to mix my homemade pasta sauce with a little of my gluten-free Kansas City BBQ sauce - it's the perfect mix of tangy tomato with a zip!  Then I top with cheese and more toppings.  I used a really sharp white cheddar mixed with mozzarella, red onion and sun-dried tomatoes.

Bake for another 10-12 minutes or so until the cheese bubbly and starting to brown, and the edges of the crust start to brown and crisp.

Now ... this is no limp pie.  It's a crispy, thin crust ... and best of all, you can't tell one bit it's gluten-free.  It's anything but soggy or doughy ... and it browns on all sides, which is really what gives it flavour.  This Gluten-free Bob's Red Mill Pizza Dough Mix is the best I've found ... rolling it thin is key.

If you've just started a gluten-free diet, or maybe you're an old pro and just haven't found a good pizza crust worth the effort, I encourage you to try this one - it will definitely bring back that good ol' pizza night in your house again ...

Twice-Baked Broccoli Potatoes

Potatoes are usually considered a starchy side, but they can definitely stand on their own ... each spud = 6 grams of fibre + 6 grams of protein (skin included).  We love baked potatoes for dinner - and so does our budget.  This spin on baked potatoes adds even more fibre and amazing flavour with broccoli and aged white cheddar, twiced-baked to make it extra yummy!

Morgan fought Matt for the seconds ...  These were so good and so filling - I think I'll be making these for dinner more often. :)

INGREDIENTS
5 potatoes (I used white), scrubbed and rinsed
olive oil
sea salt
1/2 cup sour cream (Daisy is our favourite - and gluten-free!)
3/4 cup shredded aged cheddar (Kerrygold Dubliner and Ballyshannon are amazing!)
1 cup broccoli
1/4 cup milk
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
green onion (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Dry off potatoes.  Poke all over with a fork and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt.  Rub salt and oil all over the potato until it's evenly coated.

Place potatoes on the top rack of your oven and a sheet of foil on the bottom rack.  Bake for 45 minutes, until a knife inserted through the middle of the potato comes out without picking the potato up.

In the meantime, chop broccoli and place in steamer bag ... this particular bag is made by Glad - so fast and easy! But if you don't have steamer bags, no problem - any steaming method works just fine.

When potatoes are finished baking, let them cool slightly until they are easy to handle.  Cut each down the middle and scoop out most the flesh, leaving a small border attached to the skin so it looks like a shell.  Mix the flesh with sour cream, milk, broccoli and 1/2 cup cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon mixture into potato shells and top with the remaining cheese.  Place on a cookie sheet or baking stone and sprinkle with green onion.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Haystacks in a Hurry

Need a dinner on the fly?  Haystacks are a good one!  You can prep everything the night before ... even put the rice ingredients in the rice cooker dish and keep in the fridge until ready.  Any number of toppings work ... I love that it can customize to each individuals taste.  We usually have enough leftover for lunches the next day too.  It's hearty, yet fresh and light - definitely one of our favourites!

INGREDIENTS

Rice  adapted from Food.com

1 cup long-grain rice
2 1/4 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube (gluten-free)
4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 ounce can diced green chilies

1 can peaches and cream corn, drained ... or one fresh cob, kernels removed
1 dash pepper
1 dash red pepper flakes 

Topping Suggestions

fresh cilantro

fresh lime

romaine lettuce

black olives (Lindsay are the BEST!)

black beans

kidney beans

multi-coloured peppers

extra sharp cheddar or Monterey jack

taco sauce

pickled jalapeños

Place all ingredients for the rice into the rice cooker and cook according to your machine's directions.  (Mine just has a little lever I push down to cook, then it automatically goes to warm when it's finished.)

If you do a lot of cooking, this tip is probably not new to you ... but since this recipe doesn't use a whole can of tomato paste (as do many other recipes), I thought I'd share. I separate the paste by tablespoons onto plastic wrap, then wrap tightly and twist so each tablespoon is an individual bundle.  I place in a small freezer bag and keep in the freezer until needed.  I can snip with my scissors in between the sections according to how much I need.  It's super convenient ... and a savings!

Here's the rice when it's complete.  Add a healthy scoop to each plate.

Place toppings in  individual bowls so your family can each build their own haystack with ease.

This is one of our favourite sharp cheddars ... it really does make a difference to use a strong, full flavoured cheese.  Kerrygold's Dubliner is also a great choice.

Serve with a few Tostitos and lime wedges ... and call it dinner! (Gluten-free too and/or perfect for a meatless Monday.)