Shake N Bake...

It's shake n bake time and I found the breadcrumbs to do it with- Aleia's "a world without gluten" does them right! Aleia's products can be found at various locations, click the link to see more, but I was able to purchase at my local Whole Foods. Another great reason why you should try these products is because they are as local as local gets. Aleia's is right out of Connecticut!
Back to the chops- I was turned onto this breaded pork chop phenomenon by a dear friend, and have been trying to find a way to cook pork chops another way ever since I was diagnosed with Celiac- but lets be honest: it's just not the same! It might not be the most elegant fine dining idea- but to heck with elegant, its GOOD, and thats all that matters.PERIOD. Paired with a side of whole kernel corn and mashers... and your all set to go for a cheap meal. As an added bonus, a great gluten free quick side of mashed potatoes can be found in you local grocery isle: Idahoan- for a "homemade taste in 4 minutes". I have to hand it to them they are all really good, and we can eat all but the loaded baked potatoes kind. 4 out of 5 ain't bad!

Look out pork chop number two- I'm diving in!

Stir Fry the GF way...

So a challenge I find many places is that soy sauce is hidden in MANY dishes. Luckily Organic Tamari makes a wheat free soy sauce that does not lack in any flavor- in fact I can't tell the difference and Tommy down at Kazu likes it even better! So I found myself cooking up a lunch today that would make GF's and non GF's alike mouths water...

In a wok:
a small spoon full of bacon fat
2 tbs butter
1 onion quartered and then quartered again
10 asparagus stalks, tips and first cut
1 handful haricot beans halfed
10 grape tomatoes cut in half
2 garlic cloves- Fresh Market in Westport has marinated garlic in cherry peppers- YUM
4 dashs of Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce
and a dash of salt

Once this is cooked, move to a separate plate. In the wok add 1 package of steak tips and cook, toss often, until medium rare, or however you prefer. Once the meat is cooked through, add the vegetables and stock back to the pan, let sit for 2 minutes more, and serve. You can use any meat or fish you like, rice would even complete this meal for a dinner too! Feel free to add more or less vegetables- water chestnuts would add some extra flare- thats for next time! It's simple and easy and most of all delish!

LEFTOVERS... what to do???

I swear every time I open my fridge I have way to much food, but I am sick to my stomach with the amount of leftovers staring back at me, or the little things- how often can I use cream cheese? Today I went to grab for the leftovers and I thought to myself- what am I going to do with all this stuff in here? Why is my fridge always cluttered but I have nothing I want? On the menu I had lined up chicken from Costco ($4.99, you just can't beat it for the price) and broccoli with some cheese on top. All of the sudden the light went off above my head... I will go back to the days of my mom's cooking, or let's be realistic someone's mom's cooking and throw together a casserole. Is there an easier way to eat through a fridge of leftovers or miscellaneous items?  I think not...

I started by cutting up the chicken, and steaming up the broccoli and getting out the leftover rice. Next, I turned to the stove to start my first concoction which would ultimately be my favorite casserole I ever made- and my first!

Here goes:
throw together the following (add, substitute- it's really up to you!)
1/2 a package of creamcheese- I prefer the full fat kind, but you can use light... fat free does not really work for cooking
1 8oz container of sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese- prefer the block and grating it then
1/2 cup English Cheddar Cheese- again, prefer the block and grating it then
a good heaping of Penzy's crushed jalapeños
a good heaping of Penzy's Cheese sprinkle
aka... if you haven't been, put Penzy's spices on your Christmas list!

After heated thoroughly, toss the sauce over the cooked rice, broccoli and chicken. Stir until well mixed. Bake covered in the oven at 350* until bubbly and brown, about a half hour. Uncover, sprinkle a bit more cheese sprinkle, a few more jalapeños and top with shredded cheddar cheese, return to the oven uncovered until it is melted through.

Most of all enjoy. Next time you're looking at a whole lot of nothing in your fridge... I bet with a bit of creativity you can create a whole lot of something in no time! Channel your inner Grandmother :)

An Italian Treat for any pasta lover!

WHOA! delish... need I say more? Meat Lasagna!!! Found this at Balducci's in Westport and it is fantastic.... I did however choose the meat lasagna over the cheese hoping for more flavor, but I am excited to go back and get more! The flavor reminds me of homemade lasagna from when I was little- and I bet the cheese one is fantastic as well! This was pleasently priced around $6 for 2 servings- which that alone makes it worth it! After googling Conte's Gluten Free Lasagna's, I also found that Conte's makes a varitey of pastas (which was dense and with NO trace that this was GF- take it from a pasta lover), pizzas and frozen dinners! They also have a list of retailers on there site as well. What a treat... so if you can find them, grab them! You will not regret this tasty treat! :)

Bagels...

I found it- well the closest thing to it! I finally have a place to join the forces of melted butter and cream cheese again. Ok, so it's been awhile since I have been able to find that one morning treat that I can feel a little bit bad about eating :) to hell with eggs and bacon, or grits... finally I can have a bagel again. Against the Grain has done it again! You can find them in the frozen section of your local whole foods stores, bagels, baguettes, rolls. In fact I like the original roll the best! For best results, take one out of your freezer the night before to defrost. After slicing the next morning toast in the oven, unlike most GF food- you can actually eat this with out even toasting too! So welcome to the joy of a carb loading breakfast again!

Macaroni and Cheese... to top them all!

Thank you Claire for the initial recipe at BubbleFest last year (a way that girls can enjoy the Superbowl too), I almost got out of my non-sleep last night to make this, but decided to wait till dinner tonight! A girls gotta eat! With not to much of a twist, this meal is now GF! Comfort food to top them all... So here goes...

Cook: 1 bag pasta- I only like bionaturae's... you can not tell its gluten free!

In a skillet: cook for 5 mins together

4 tbs butter- and don't shy on the butter!

4 oz thin sliced pancetta (bacon also works) sliced and pan crisped

1 cup thin white onion

add one at a time:

2-3 clove garlic

1tbs chili flakes ( I prefer penzy's jalapeno California crushed, and I double)

add 4 more tbs of butter :)

1/4 cup flour (gluten free for me)

3 1/2 cups milk, stirring till slightly thick coating a spoon

wisk in:

8 oz mascarpone

1cup parmesan

2 1/2cup shredded chedder

Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a baking dish. In a separate dish combine 3/4cup gluten free bread crumbs (for non GF, panko works best!), 4 tbs butter :), 1/2cup parsley (again, I prefer more jalapenos from Penzys) . Toss these three ingredients and top  macaroni and cheese. Bake on 350* until medium golden brown!

MOST OF ALL- enjoy... Tish, this pictures for you! XOXO

Straight From the Farm...

Lately I have been obsessed with farmers markets, who isn't these days? With all the hormones and chemicals in our plants and meats- unless you are growing it or raising it... it ain't that good for you. That being said, my favorite farmers market has to be that of Westports. It is open on Thursdays 10-2 on Imperial Ave. (you have to get there early for the best picks!!!) Vegetables are amazing- of course- but they have EVERYTHING... not just the same thing you see weekly at each and every farmers market. From meats, to lettuce to cheese, these farmers know a good thing when they have it!

Last week one particular farm stuck out in my mind... Not only did they have all types of potatoes and eggplants that were red- I mean!!- they also sold soups. Riverbank Farm out of Roxbury, CT is as local and organic as they come. I treated myself to a container of their Potato and Celeriac Bisque with Parmesan, and I was very happy I did- even if it was $7... I kid you not when I say I am going back tomorrow for the bigger container (sold for $12). When I got to there booth everyone was buying there soups, already some were wiped off the board from being sold out, obviously I did not get there early enough... If everyone was buying it it had to be something great (the whispers about the butternut squash lead me to believe there might not be something better!!!). When I got home from the market, of course I was hungry, so I poured myself half a bowl. That bowl did not have seconds to cool down before the rest of the soup was in it. Creamy, flavorful, fresh- I can't put just words to what I put in my mouth.

If you have not been, this booth is reason enough to go... all the soups are made fresh, so go early, just not too early... I want some too!