This week's healthy menu

Cooper has his appointment with the GI this week, so we will be out of town and eating out a couple of days. This week is going to be very simple as I have so much going on.

Monday: Mom's goulash. It isn't really goulash at all, but that is what we always called it. This was one of my absolute favorites growing up, so I thought I'd make it for my gang. (well, actually just for Curtis and I because Coop can't have it.) It is so easy. Brown up some ground meat, I'll probably use turkey, but use what ever you prefer. Add a can of ranch style beans, a can of corn drained, a can of tomatoes drained and a small can of tomato sauce, Mix together and let it get all bubbly. That's it. I told you it was easy.

Tuesday: I'm having a Valentine's party for my MOMS club friends, so no dinner tonight, just snacks. I'll be making chocolate covered strawberries, hummus with veggies and corn crisps, and probably something else, but I'm not sure what. To make the strawberries dairy free, use Enjoy Life semi sweet morsels and melt in the microwave with a little canola oil. Stir in 30sec intervals until melted. Dip dry strawberries and set on wax paper until the chocolate sets. I may sprinkle a few with slivered almonds and coconut. For the hummus, I mix one can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, a clove of garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper in the food processor. Stream in olive oil until well blended. Sever with carrots, celery, pepper strips and corn crisps. For the crisps, cut corn tortillas into triangles. Place on a oiled cookie sheet and then spay with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt. Toast in a 400* oven. Don't take your eyes off them, or they will burn. I'm going to make some sort of punch too. Probably a cranberry juice blend with san pellegrino and frozen berries floating in it.

Wednesday: Crockpot chicken. Place several pieces of chicken in the crockpot with onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Season to your liking and add water to cover. Let cook all day, until falling apart.

Thursday: Chicken salad. Take the leftover chiken and shread it (or you can mix everything in the food processor). Add mayo and one spoonful of cool whip. Mix all together. Add in celery, grapes, pecans, s&p to taste. Serve wraped in a big piece of Romaine.

Friday: Off to the doctor. We will probably have pei wei for one meal because they have some gluten free options, and I love it!

Saturday: Still out of town. Not sure what we'll be eating.

Sunday: I will probably cook some sort of nice dinner for us for a late Valentine's Day. Either pork tenderloin roasted in the oven or steaks.

This week's healthy menu

The weather last week was crazy, so I wasn't able to follow my menu very well. You can expect to see some of those meals again very soon, but for now, it is another week with NO repeats! (and lots of first time recipes for me)

Monday: Tilapia with Spinach pesto. I found this recipe on line, but am making a few alterations to accommodate our diet. You can find the original recipe here. For the pesto mix some fresh spinach leaves, a clove of garlic, a handful of pecans in the food processor. Stream in olive oil until desired consistency. Oil a baking dish and place a few handfuls of spinach in the bottom of your dish. Place the fish filets over the spinach, then top with the pesto and salt and pepper. Place in a 400* oven and bake for 15-20 mins. Serve over brown rice and with some suateed mushrooms. Make double rice for Tuesday's meal. I'll be using short grain brown, but use whatever your family likes.

Tuesday: Sesame chicken and fried rice. Another online recipe, again with modifications. Here is the original recipe.
For the batter you need:
2 tbs of soy sauce
3 drops of sesame oil
2 tbs of gf baking mix
2 tbs of corn starch
3 tbs of water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp canola oil
For the sauce:
1/2 c water
1/8-1/4c of rice wine vinegar (depending on if you like a sweeter sauce)
1/4c cornstarch
1c sugar
2tbs soy sauce
2tbs sesame oil
1tsp chili sauce (or more if you like it spicy)
1 clove minced garlic

Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces. Mix all the batter ingredients together and let chicken marinate in it for 20 min. Mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you fry the chicken. Fry the bites of battered chicken in a light colored oil (I'll use canola) in batches, keeping them warm in the oven. Right before you finish all the chicken bring the sauce back up to a boil. Then pour the sauce over all the chicken and top with sesame seeds.

For the fried rice, ad your leftover rice and your favorite veggies (carrots, peas, onions) to a large skillet with hot light colored oil. You can also scramble an egg in the pan right before adding in the rice and veggies. Serve the chicken over the top. I can't wait to try this meal!

Wednesday: Crockpot Beef Fajitas. These aren't your typical sizzling fajitas, but it is the same flavors and is so easy. I'm going to get what ever lean roast is on sale this week; I think it is a sirloin roast, but you could use what ever cut of beef you want. Add in sliced pepper and onions. Then season with fajita seanoning and some fresh lime juice. Add some water to cover and cook all day long. Serve with refried beens, rice, guacomole, salsa and corn tortillas. This will make a ton, so I will be freezing the leftovers for a rainy day.

Thursday: BBQ chicken thighs. Curtis loves this and he hates dark meat, but this is really tasty and easy. In the crock pot add bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Cover with bbq sauce and water. Let cook for several hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Serve with a green salad and mashed potatoes.

Friday: Hobo dinners. When I told Curtis we were going to have this, the Eagle scout in him was very excited. Chop up potatoes, onions, and carrots into little bite size peices, all the same size. Make beef patties seasoned however you like them. I like some hienz 57 in mine. Take a pice of foil for each patty. Spray with a little cooking spray. Make a bed of veggies then place the patty on top. Season with s&p and seal it up like a little pouch. Place all the pouches on a baking sheet and cook in a 375* oven for 45min-1hr until meat is cooked through and veggies are tender. Serve with some sort of green veggie, maybe green beans.

Saturday: Buffalo Chicken Salad. Grill a couple of chicken breast. Sauce them with Frank's red hot sauce and margerine mixture. Slice and serve over a fresh green salad with celery and carrots. Top with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Sunday: Leftovers. I am so looking forward to these meals and I know I will want to have them a couple of times.

This weeks healthy menu: meal morphing edition

Curtis starts back to school and interning this week, so it's just going to be Coop and me at home all day. Needless to say, I won't have much free time, so meals are going to be simple, and I will be doing my best to make the most out of all ingredients. Also, I wanted to mention, we usually eat our leftovers throughout the week for lunch, but once a week, I clean out the fridge and freeze whatever meals are left. I am sort of making my own "tv dinners" so that Curtis always has lunch to take with him in a pinch.

Monday: BBQ pork ribs. The boneless country style ribs are on sale this week at my grocery store, so that is what I will be using. Place the ribs in the crock pot. Cover with your favorite gf bbq sauce (I believe Kraft is gf) and a little water, just enough to cover the meat. Cover and cook all day on low. The ribs will be so tender they fall apart. Will have it with brown rice and probably peas.

Tuesday: Chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and salad. Chicken breast cube steaks are also on sale this week, so that is what I will use, but you could use chicken cutlets or a chicken breast, butterflied and tenderized, otherwise it won't cook through before the outside is burned. In a bowl, mix one egg, some plain rice milk, and a splash of vinegar together. Then on a large paper plate pour out some flour (I have found that brown rice flour works well for breading, it gets very crispy, and is not at all gummy, but of course if your not GF, you can use all purpose wheat flour) season with salt and pepper. First run the chicken through the flour, then through the egg mixture, and then back through the flour again. In a large skillet, heat a light colored frying oil, such as canola. You can test to see if the oil is ready by sticking the end of a wooden spoon in it. If bubbles form around the spoon, it is good to go. Fry until golden brown and cooked through. I am going to whip up some mashed potatoes with chicken broth instead of milk. We will also have steamed corn on the cob and green salad.

Wednesday: Pulled pork sandwiches. This will be the first morphed meal. Take the left over pork ribs from Monday. Remove as much of the fat as possible. Shred the meat with 2 forks, then coat in bbq sauce and warm in a pan over low heat. Serve on buns with mustard and pickles. I'll have a kinnikinnick bun and Curtis will have a wheat bun. Will have potato chips and pinto beans.

Thursday: Tacos with corn and black bean dip. I'll probably use ground turkey for my taco meat. I will look and see if I can find a gf taco seasoning mix for the turkey. We will probably have corn tortillas (mission are gf) and hard tacos. Serve it up with your favorite toppings. We'll have lettuce, avocado, cheese for Curtis. The corn and black bean dip is delicious and simple. It is just one can of black beans, drained and rinsed, one can of sweet kernel corn, a little diced red onion, some cilantro, and some Rotel tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together, eat with chips or on the tacos.

Friday: Grilled chicken, rice, and green salad. Grill up several chicken breasts on the George Foreman or the outdoor grill. You will want to make a couple extra for tomorrow's meal. Serve with brown rice and salad.

Saturday: Chicken tortilla soup. This is the second morphed meal. Take the extra grilled chicken and cut up into bite sized pieces. In a large pot mix a box of gf chicken stock (wal mart's great value brand is clearly marked gluten-free on the label), one can of fat free refried beans, and a can of rotel tomatoes. Once that is all well combined add in your chicken and the leftover corn and black bean dip from Thursday. Simmer for 30mins - 1hr. While that is simmering, cut the leftover corn tortillas into strips. Place on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking oil and bake at 400* until crispy. This won't take long at all so watch them close so they do not burn. Top the soup with the tortilla strips, some avocado slices and cheese if you can have it.

Sunday: Roast. Is there really a more perfect Sunday lunch after church. Cut up all you veggies (we will have potatoes, carrots, celery, onions) the night before. Then first thing Sunday morning put the roast and veggies in the crock pot on high. Cover with some water. It should be hot and ready when ever we get home from church. I think I might also make a pear and apple crisp. I'll post the recipe if I do.

This weeks healthy menu

Monday: Breakfast food. I had some left over sausage from Saturday's soup and decided to make breakfast for dinner. We'll be having eggs with sausage and gluten free waffles. I will brown the sausage, then drain it, then scramble some eggs with it. I would add a little shredded cheddar, but I'm no doing dairy, so I'll leave it out this time. I'm just using a gluten free "bisquick" if you will for the waffles. I'll follow the directions subbing for dairy free and eggless for Cooper. Serve with some fruit and syrup.

Tuesday: Tuna fish salad. We will be eating out with Curtis' mom at lunch, so we will have a simple dinner. Prepare the tuna to your liking. I use a little mayo, sweet pickle relish, celery, apples and pecans. Curtis doesn't care for the sweet stuff, so I'll make his without the fruit and nuts. I'll have mine wrapped in some romaine lettuce leafs; Curtis will have toast or crackers.

Wednesday: Turkey tenderloin with vegetables. AWANA starts back, so I needed a easy meal today. Cook turkey tenderloin in crockpot with carrots, celery, potatoes. I would usually put onions and garlic in too, but I want Cooper to have it so I will leave it out. Season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Pour lots of water over it because it will make lots of great stock to freeze. Cook for several hours until cooked through. Thicken some of the stock with corn starch for a gravy or serve with cranberries, or both

Thursday: Vegetable stir fry. Saute lots of different veggies in some olive oil. We will have carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli, bamboo shoots, whatever else looks good at the store. Then I'll make a sweet and sour sauce. I mix apricot fruit spread, a splash of rice wine vinegar, a splash of soy sauce, a little stock (the turkey stock from earlier in the week works) and some red pepper flakes. Let it get all bubbly and thick. Serve over steamed white rice.

Friday: Smothered steak, rice, and peas. Brown chopped sirloin patties in a skillet. Once browned, transfer to a baking dish. Saute sliced mushrooms and onions in the juices left in the pan. Add some beef stock (saved from a roast or a gf canned stock) and some corn starch to thicken into a gravy. Pour over the patties and and place into the oven on 350* for about 25-30 mins. until cooked through. Serve over steamed browned rice or egg noodles if you can have them, and a veggie on the side; we'll have peas.

Saturday: Vegetable beef stew. Stew meat is on sale this week, so I will be using that, but you can use whatever cut of meat you like, cut up into chunks. Brown chopped carrots, onion, celery, and beef in the bottom of a big pot. Then add cabbage, corn, and potatoes. Add a can of stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Thin with some water or stalk. Season with salt and pepper and whatever else you like.

Sunday: I believe we will be eating at Church after the morning service. I will probably bring some leftovers. We had a week full of food, so there will be plenty of meals to choose from.

This weeks healthy menu

After being on a very strict diet for 8 months, I kind of went nuts after weaning Cooper, eating everything I couldn't have before. I realized quickly that I needed to avoid things, namely gluten and dairy, not only for Cooper, but for my health as well. I had cramps and headaches almost everyday since re-introducing these foods into my diet. I know that I need to avoid these "inflammatory" foods. I am going to do my best to be on a gluten and dairy free diet, and avoiding soy as much as possible. There is an "endo diet" that is very similar to this, and as I said before, I'm going to fight this disease head on, starting with the things that go into my body. So my blogger and fellow reflux momma friend Erica gave me the idea to do a weekly menu. She has great gluten free recipes as well as a wonderful outlook on what it means to be a Christian. You should defiantly check her blog out. I feel like putting a menu into type will hold me to it a little more. Here it goes...

Monday: Chili and Gluten free cornbread. The high is in the 30s today, so I thought chili sounded great. Now, I am not 100% sure about everything that is gluten free. I will be double checking my labels when I go to the store later, but if you are Celiac or can't have gluten, triple check, just to make sure. I know most of the "hidden" culprits now, but also it won't hurt me if I get some gluten. Anyway, just make sure and check for yourself. Here is the recipe for the corn bread. It is delicious. I made dressing for thanksgiving out of it, and it was a hit, even with my very skeptic family members. For the chili, I will be using ground turkey. I get the one that is 93/7 fat ratio. I will brown it with a diced onion and a few cloves of garlic in a little olive oil. You can drain off in excess oil, but there probably won't be much. Then I will add some chili seasoning, about half a packet. This is where you need to check me on the GF. Mix that into the meat mixture, then add a can of tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes (I get the ones with jalapeños and garlic because I like it spicy), a can of Ranch style beans with jalapeños, and a can of drained pinto beans with jalapeños. I don't drain the Ranch style beans because they are in a chili sauce and I like that. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for a deeper, long cooked flavor. I let this simmer for a few hours until we are ready to eat. The longer it simmers the better. You can even cook the meat in a skillet, and then transfer it to the crock pot to cook all day. Serve with corn bread and shredded cheese if you can have it.

Tuesday: Pork chops, green beans, and potatoes. I will get what ever cut of pork is on sale this week. I will season with a little salt and pepper and brown in olive oil in a skillet. Super simple. This is a staple at our house. For the green beans, I will use fresh or frozen whole green beans. I thinly slice button mushrooms and a little bit of pork chop. I sauté the mushrooms and the pork in olive oil. Then I add the green beans. Cover and cook until tender. I'm not sure yet what kind of potatoes we will have, possible baked.

Wednesday: Cube steak with peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Slice one large onion and a couple of bell peppers into thin strips. Put cube steak in the crock pot and cover with the onions, peppers, a few cloves of garlic and a can of stewed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let simmer all day until tender. Serve over steamed rice.

Thursday: Chicken legs, oven fries, and salad. Bake skin on chicken legs on 400* until golden brown and cooked through. This is a great alternative to fried chicken. Here is the recipe for the fries. You can cook them at the same time as the chicken. I will serve a tossed green salad with lots of veggies and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Just mix balsamic vintager, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. The best part about this meal is Cooper can have the chicken and the fries!

Friday: Salmon Croquettes, beans, and chips. Here is the recipe for the salmon. I will be adding an egg to this recipe though, since I can have that now. It helps it bind. Serve with your favorite beans and chips. We will have the Lay's natural potato chips.

Saturday: Pasta Fagioli. It is suppose to be cold again this weekend, so soup it is. I will make a huge pot and freeze the leftovers. Here is the recipe:
1 lb of ground meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef will all do)
1/2 lb of ground sausage (jimmy dean's breakfast sausage is gf, thanks Erica;) )
V8 veggie juice
shredded carrots
onion
celery
garlic
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
I can stewed tomatoes (I like the Italian style)
rice pasta (I like tinkyada fusilli)
Sauté the chopped celery, onion, carrots and garlic in a little olive oil until they begin to soften. Then add the ground meat and sausage. Brown and the drain. Drain the beans and add to the mix. Then add the tomatoes and the V8. There are no measurements here, just until it is to your desired thickness. Season with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of pepper sauce. Let simmer all afternoon, the longer the better. Boil the pasta and add to each bowl so it doesn't get mushy.

Sunday: We usually eat out after church or with family. If not we will have leftovers from the week. If we do eat out, it will likely be Mexican food, and I will have fajita meat and corn chips, beans and rice.

Flax egg replacer

This seems to work much better than the powdered egg replacer in most recipes. Plus, it has great health benefits.

1 tbsp ground flax
3 tbsp of hot water

Wisk together and use in place of one egg.

Feather light Gluten Free baking mix

I found this on several sites, so I am not sure who to give the credit to, but it is my favorite baking flour I have found so far. It is not gritty like some gf flours are.

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup corn starch
1 tbsp potato flour

Mix all together and store in an airtight container. Use in place of all purpose flour in baking recipes. Make sure to add about a tsp of xanthum gum per cup of flour to gf recipes.

Allergy Freindly Fresh Apple Cake

Last week was Curtis's birthday, and I wanted to make a cake we could all enjoy. I got out my all time favorite church cookbook and started searching for recipes that I thought I could modify. This fresh apple cake was one marked in my Great Grandma Garner's cookbook as one of her favorites, so I figured it had to be good. With some heavy modifications to meet our dietary needs, it was a success. This will likely be Cooper's birthday cake. Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

1 cup light colored oil (I use canola)
2 flax egg replacer
2 cups sugar (go for the organic, not that nasty refined stuff)
1 tsp vanilla (make sure it is gluten free if you are sensitive)
1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
3 cups featherlight gf baking mix (or your other favorite gluten free mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp EnerG egg replacer (not prepared, just the powder)
1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups chopped fresh apples

Beat together the flax egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and applesauce. Sift together dry ingredients, making sure everything is evenly distributed, then slowly mix into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the chopped apples.

Now, you have some options. The original recipe was cooked in a greased and floured bundt pan for 325 degrees for 65-70 minutes. For time and convenience sake, I made mine into cupcakes and used the muffin liners. I believe they cooked about 30-35 min on 325. Just until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It also has a glaze, but I didn't think it needed it for the cupcakes. They were kind of like a muffin with out it. I think if I would have made it in a bundt, I would have used the glaze. Here's that recipe:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
Mix together and pour over cake.
Enjoy!

Allergy-free Apricot glazed Salmon

This is a very quick meal. It is really good and has lots of healthy oils.

Salmon fillet
100% fruit apricot spread
Canola oil

In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of fruit spread. Microwave for about 15 seconds until the spread is melted. Then add a teaspoon of oil to the spread to make a glaze. Brush on salmon, then season with course sea salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-15 minuets until the fish is flaky and golden on top. I served it over leftover wild rice and lentils. I also sautéed some squash for a side. So quick, I think the whole meal took about 20 minuets.

Allergy-free Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

I made this soup last Sunday for a soup cook-off at church. I knew there wouldn't be anything I could eat unless I made something. It Just put together the things I new I could have and it turned out great. Sorry I don't have exact measurements.

1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup cooked lentils
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
3 carrots
Chicken breast w/ bone in and skin on

In a slow cooker add the chicken, seasoned w/ salt and pepper and poultry seasoning, and plenty of water. Cook until tender. Cooking the chicken in a crock will give you a home made broth that is free of seasonings and preservatives that could be a problem. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and then shred the chicken. I cooked four breast, but only used 2 for this soup and saved the other 2. Using a separator, remove any excess grease or chicken fat from the broth. At this point, you can finish the soup quickly over the stove or add everything to the pot and let cook for a couple more hours. Pour the broth into a large pot, bring to a boil. Cut the carrots and squash into bite size pieces and add to the broth. Once tender add the chicken, rice, and lentils. Let it all simmer together and then serve. Leftovers of this are great. The flavors just get better as it sits.

Allergy-free chicken nuggets

Here's a recipe for chicken nuggets. They are free of the top eight most common food allergies. Simple and yummy.

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Rice Chex
Canola oil (or any light colored oil)

Cut up chicken into 1in bite sized pieces. This is great for quick cooking and as well as good for the kiddos. Then in a large ziploc bag, add rice chex and a drizzle of oil. Shake it up so the oil coats everything and then crush chex into crumbs with a rolling pin. Let the little ones help out with this part. Add the chicken bites to the bag and toss to coat. Since there is no egg, make sure the chicken is a little wet to help the crumbs stick. Then put the chicken onto a well oiled, foil lined baking sheet. The spray oils contain soy lectin, so we do not use them. If you want to use the spray, I would also suggest spraying the top of the chicken as well. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minuets, until golden brown and cooked thru. I broiled them for the last few minuets to make them extra crisp, but be sure to keep a close eye on them.

This was a total experiment that turned out pretty well. You can also store the leftovers in freezer bags and freeze them for a quick supper in a pinch. When you are on a restricted diet it is important to keep fast foods on hand so you don't binge on unhealthy food or go without eating because you don't have the time to fix something.
I served oven fries and sweet carrots with the nuggets. The fries were super simple and really tasty. Cut potato into long "fry" pieces. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake on a foil lined pan in 375 oven for 30-40 minuets, turning once. And the carrots were steamed and then glazed with a little honey and canola oil, salt and herbs. Yum-O

Allergy -Free Salmon Croquettes

This is a quick and easy recipe that is a new household favorite. Curtis really enjoys these. They are a really healthy alternative to fish sticks. Here's the recipe. I am not a chef, so if it is a little rough or there is something that doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can clarify.

1 can of salmon(14.75oz)
1 baking potato
1/4 cup of gluten-free baking mix (feel free to substitute bisquick if your family can have that)
Canola oil (any other light colored oil will do)

Bake the potato until nice and soft, I pop it in the microwave for 8-10min, turning once. While potato is cooking, remove skin and bones from the salmon. (This step is totally optional, the skin and bones are completely edible) Mix the flesh of the potato and the salmon together in a bowl. Mix in a drizzle of oil, maybe a teaspoon or so to help everything combine. Then add in 1/4 cup of baking mix. At this point you may want to add a little water to help everything bind together. You know the texture is good when you can form the salmon mixture into a ball. Next form the mixture into patties or sticks, whichever you think will be the easiest to get your kiddos to eat. Now you have a choice; you can either lightly pan fry or you can bake them, I actually do both. If you fry them, heat a small amount of oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat, Add the salmon to the pan once the oil starts to ripple and you get a sizzle. Cook until golden brown flipping once. The salmon is fully cooked, so you are just frying them to heat them thru and crisp them up. To bake, pre-heat the oven to 375. Place salmon on a greased baking sheet. Cook until golden brown flipping once. I cook them in pan until they start to get brown, then transfer them to the oven to finish heating thru. That way I can work on the rest of the meal while the salmon finishes in the oven. Serve alone or with ketchup for dipping if you can have it.
Enjoy!