Gluten Free Mommy

I have made these enchiladas for a couple years now. When I went through my “how many ways can I make enchiladas phase” I tried to find a recipe for pumpkin enchiladas and came across this recipe by Martha Stewart. Funny enough, tonight when I googled “pumpkin enchiladas” I came across several other bloggers who have made this very same recipe and loved it, so it is definitely tried and true. Anyway, this recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken enchiladas, so it has earned its place on my fall menu rotation. Don’t be turned off by the pumpkin sauce because it really does well as the base for this enchilada sauce. And besides, pumpkin is very nutritious. Here is Martha’s recipe with just a few minor adjustments.

PUMPKIN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

8 corn tortillas (the corn flavor goes really well with the pumpkin, I promise)

a few tablespoons of cilantro (I subbed this for the 6 scallions, diced-sometimes I add both)

leftover chicken, shredded (maybe a pound)

optional: roasted green chiles, chopped small

6 oz. of white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Sauce

1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 jalapeno (remove seeds and membranes if you don’t need extra heat)

1 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin (I added this too)

2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or water (I use chicken stock instead of water because I typically boil a chicken for this recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a blender, puree pumpkin, jalapeno, chicken stock, garlic, chile powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Place 1 cup of this sauce in the bottom of an 8 inch glass casserole dish. In a bowl, combine shredded chicken with green chiles, cilantro, and/or scallions and season with salt and pepper. Place some of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and then lay the tortilla seam side down in the casserole dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with cheese. However, if you are casein-free, this recipe is fine without cheese. Martha recommends placing your casserole dish on a baking sheet in the oven to prevent any spills. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Serves 4 alone or possibly 6 with sides

Note: These enchiladas are not spicy/hot to me, as Martha’s recipe title suggests, but then again, maybe I am hardened from years of eating spicy food. I have a different recipe for spicier enchiladas that I will post some time in the future, for those of us who like it hot. If you have any leftovers, it is spicier the next day!

Posted on October 10th, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: GF Living, Casserole, Mexican, Gluten Free, Celiac, Dinner, Easy | 15 Comments »

Some of us loved to eat and cook before going gluten-free and some of us did not. I think if you were a foodie prior to going gluten-free that presents a different set of challenges/emotions than if you were not. If you were a foodie than you are both excited and devastated at the diet challenges ahead. I mean, is a gluten-free brioche still a true brioche? Well, I think it is. But I might have thought I would never eat true brioche again once upon going gluten-free.

If you were already a foodie you tried to find fruits, vegetables, and herbs in peak season and cooked them well. You already tried to find organic grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, or tofu. So as a foodie, you were already armed with knowledge that would help you on your gluten-free journey whether or not you realized it.

Since the typical American diet is loaded with processed foods that include many starches and few fruits and vegetables, the gluten-free diet really is a hard transition if you primarily ate convenience foods prior to going gluten-free. I do not think it is advisable to simply replace the gluten-laden processed food with gluten-free processed food. This will be hard on your pocketbook and your waistline, not to mention depressing. It is important to start learning about fresh foods; and honestly, someone has to learn to cook.

I get emails now and again from the newly gluten-free surviving on Amy’s frozen foods (I have been there believe me), begging me for recipes that are quick and easy. And I think to myself, it is time to get motivated, renew your “friendship” with food and get yourself in the kitchen. After all you it will be harder to heal if your desire is to simply heat something up or go out to eat all the time. I challenge all the newly gluten-free to become “foodies” and get back in the kitchen. It really will make you feel better. A brownie made with rice flour is still a brownie. You may not even be able to eat just one. So, this post is dedicated to the newly gluten-free who might be learning to cook for the first time. Let’s rediscover the grilled cheese sandwich together, shall we? I am adding a little cilantro pesto to mine.

CILANTRO PESTO

1 cup packed cilantro

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil (or to taste)

1/4 cup almonds, pistachios, or pecans

1/2 jalapeno (or serrano chile) or less (depending on taste)

sea salt to taste (1/4 teaspoon maybe?)

[some people add garlic, but I like it without garlic]

Directions:

You can tell by the ingredients listed that this is a taste as you go type of recipe. Depending on the flavors of the cilantro, hotness of your jalapeno, and the type of nuts you use the proportions maybe different. Just throw all the ingredients into a mini-prep Processor and taste as you go.

Makes enough pesto for two generously pestoed grilled cheese sandwiches- I am sorry I didn’t measure! If you need a lot, double the recipe.
And now my husband, gluten-free grilled cheese expert, will tell you how HE made the sandwich.

Hey. Natalie asked me to walk everyone through making a grilled cheese. A little disclaimer: This is the only right way to make a grilled cheese sandwich. If you can’t handle that truth, please skip this section.

And now, on to the grilled cheese:

1. Make sure the stovetop is clean - This is perhaps the most important step in all of grilled-cheese-dom-particularly if you have a smooth electric cooking range that burns and marks easily. Seriously, clean, clean, clean - this is to both fulfill the “ounce of prevention” and counteract the “h311 has no fury” axioms.
2. Gather your ingredients - Lots of butter or margarine, sliced cheese-Cheddar, Colby/Jack, Spicy Jack, whatever you like (even American if you’re into eating plastic), and sliced bread. The goal here is to have everything on-hand and ready-to-use so as to keep full attention on the pan and avoid any mishaps.
3. Nuke the bread - If you’re using gluten-free bread, it’s likly that it’s coming from the freezer all stuck together and cold. Put all of the bread that you think you will use in the microwave for a minute or so on the defrost setting. Now we’re ready to turn on the stove.
4. Melt the butter - Turn on the stove to the middle setting and let the pan get hot. Add a slug of butter (1/16th of a stick) and cover the bottom of the pan with it. Ideally you want enough butter to soak a little way into the bread.
5. Add the bread - Take two slices of bread and add them to the pan. Make sure that they lie flat and get fully covered in butter. Leave them there until they get a nice toasted look on the underside (Yes, it’s okay to peek) Note: Some people like to combine steps 4 and 5. This is a mistake as coverage is never as uniform as an in-pan application; it is an inefficient use of time-particularly when making several sandwiches; and it unnecessarily challenges the integrity of the already-structurally-challenged gluten-free bread.
6. Add more butter - As you get ready to flip the bread over you will notice that your butter has been soaked up into the bread, so reload, add more. I generally push the bread off to one side and melt the butter on the other side, but another technique is to hold one slice up and melt the butter in its place so that step 7 is easier.
7. Flip the first slice - Similar to step 5 but requiring a little more dexterity as the pan is crowded and gravity is working against you. You only want to flip the first slice as the other one will have its second side grilled in step 9.
8. Add the cheese and flip the second slice on top of the cheese - Quickly — good thing you have it all sliced and ready-to-go right there. Normally this would require two steps but I wanted to underscore that they must be performed in such a quick sequence that it would seem instantaneous to the untrained eye. This is crucial to obtaining an even melt and thorough heating. Keep this configuration until the bottom surface is well-toasted.
9. Flip the whole assembly - Grill the other side of the sandwich. When done remove it from the pan and serve hot.

There you have it, a fully cooked, four sides grilled, evenly melted, delicious grilled cheese sandwich.

CILANTRO PESTO GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Posted on October 4th, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: GF Living, Vegetarian, Lunch, Gluten Free, Celiac, Easy | 21 Comments »

This weekend was beautiful in Raleigh. The Fall air finally blew in and it was wonderful to be outside with the boys. We went to the state farmer’s market Saturday and Fall was evident there too. There were already rows and rows of pumpkins waiting to be chosen by little hands. I decided to wait on the carving pumpkins because I really want to take Jude to the pumpkin patch to pick out his pumpkin this year. However, I did buy enormous amounts of collard greens, apples, sweet potatoes, black beans, salsas, and more.

Practicing food photography with my point and shoot camera this week.

The good news is that I have now read the manual to my camera. Progress.

I never really paid much attention to photography before I started the blog, so I have come a long way these last couple months.

Monday: Black Bean Soup with Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Cilantro Pesto

Tuesday: Pork Chops, Collard Greens, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday: Kate’s Spring Rolls

Thursday: Peach Salsa Chicken with Coconut Rice

Friday: Lasagna

When I go to the grocery store I also try and generate some ideas for snacks, breakfast, and lunch so we won’t go hungry the rest of the day either. Hungry toddlers can be picky so I try and have a range of things to offer him if [for example] apples aren’t his thing this week. You never know when they will switch gears on you!

Snack Ideas for Gluten-free Jude: Apples, Sweet Potato Fries, trail mix, bananas, yogurt w/gluten-free granola, raisins, gluten-free cookies, crackers/toast with peanut butter or veggie spread, or a package of natural fruit snacks

Breakfast Ideas: banana bread, Kate’s sweet potato muffins, bananas, eggs, or hot peanut butter quinoa, and [GF]CS Spiced Apple Pancakes

Lunch Ideas: leftovers or sandwiches on gluten-free bread with sweet potato fries and fruit

Baking: I don’t really have anything in mind yet, but I am in the mood to bake a cake! Ok, so I just found this cake to make at Lucullian Delights.

Other gluten free menus of the week: Carrie’s gluten-free menu, Mrs. G.F.’s menu, Katherine’s Autumn Menu Ideas #3 , and Karen’s menu.

Posted on October 1st, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: GF Living, Gluten Free, Celiac, Menu Plan, Dinner | 15 Comments »

I am a traditional Southern woman. I cook my greens in pork fat and serve them with sweet tea. However, if my father-in-law(from California) asks , I did not deep-fry anything today. He likes to tease me. I felt like cooking this afternoon, so I made my dinner early. I am very lucky that I have that luxury; my husband works from home. Jude enjoyed the penne and bacon very much and ate kale and mushrooms only accidentally. He doesn’t know what to think about the texture of greens yet, but he will learn to like them one day.

PESTO PENNE WITH KALE, BACON, AND MUSHROOMS

6-8 slices of gluten-free bacon

1 bunch of kale, thick stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 pint of mushrooms, sliced

3 Tablespoons of basil pesto (you don’t want too much-just want to coat penne noodles)

12 oz. Tinkyada brown rice penne noodles (1 bag if using Organic Tinkyada Penne), cooked and rinsed

2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Cook the bacon. When the bacon is done cooking, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve the bacon drippings in the pan (if there is more than a couple tablespoons, you may want to drain some of the fat) and wilt the kale for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and chicken broth. Cook the kale and mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until both are tender. Add 3 Tablespoons of basil pesto to the cooked Tinkyada noodles- you just want to lightly coat the noodles for a little flavor. With a slotted spoon, add the mushroom and kale mixture to the penne. Crumble bacon and toss it with penne. Note: I did not add any of the cooking water, but you may wish to add a little.

Serves 4

Posted on September 25th, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: Pasta, Gluten Free, Celiac, Egg-free, Dinner, Easy | 12 Comments »