Archive for Recipes
Blue POM Cosmo
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The good folks at POM Wonderful sent me a case of Blueberry Pomegranate juice in the mail last month. It’s very good, and very strong on the blueberry flavor. I can’t drink too much of it straight, but that’s OK because even a small bottle of it is full of antioxidants. That makes this a healthy drink, right?
When I first received the juice, I thought of lots of different ways to use it: sorbets, dressings, sauces, etc. And for some reason (fast and easy, perhaps?), the only way I’ve used it so far is in drinks. I’ve added it to lemonade, other juices, iced tea, even champagne. It added a nice flavor to all of them.
Then, I got this crazy idea to use it in a Cosmopolitan drink. I don’t even drink Cosmos. Anyway, I gave my husband some ideas on the ingredients, and he tried mixing a couple versions. I think we came up with a very yummy recipe. It’s really very good, and very blueberry, despite the red color. So, if you’re looking for a fruity, fun drink for happy hour or girl’s night out, give it a try.
Blue POM Cosmo Recipe
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka, chilled
1 oz. Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 oz. POM Blueberry juice
Blueberries for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Add a few ice cubes, cover and shake the cocktail.
- Pour the cocktail, straining out the ice, into a martini glass.
- If desired, garnish with a few blueberries.
Additional Notes:
- As you can see, I used blueberries for garnish. To keep the swizzle stick from falling out of the glass, put some blueberries on the end of the stick in the glass, too. Or, just lay it across the rim of the glass.
Notable Links:
- There are lots of good-looking recipes at POM Wonderful.
- The origins of the Cosmopolitan Cocktail, according to Wikipedia.
- Pomegranate-Blueberry Albacore Skewers recipe is posted at The Gluten-Free Hippie.
- Reindeer Antlers, an pomegranate alcoholic punch is posted at Gluten Free Easily.
- Recipes for Pomegranate Popsicles and Pomegranate Sorbet are at Gluten Free Gidget.
- POM Glazed Chicken Salad can be found at Gluten Free Expedition.
- Pork Chops with Pomegranate-Mushroom Sauce is posted at Gluten Free Works.
- Pomegranate Marinade for lamb and salmon can be found at Gluten Free Portland Oregon.
Wild Rice Salad
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My mom made this salad this summer while I was visiting. It was so unique and delicious I knew I had to share it with you. When I got home, I made a few changes to the recipe, and made it myself. My husband liked it, but the kids weren’t too crazy about it. Actually, they wouldn’t even try it. But let’s face it, this wasn’t meant to be a kid-friendly recipe. Too many strong and wonderful flavors.
It makes a large bowl, so it’s great to take to potlucks, parties, or family gatherings. Or, you can do what I did and just keep it in the refrigerator for quick, but filling lunches.
Wild Rice Salad with Parmesan Dressing
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 Cup dry wild rice (plus 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base, or follow directions on the package)
12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts (Reserve marinade to use in dressing.)
10 oz. bag of frozen peas
1 green pepper, diced
9 green onions, sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Cup toasted pine nuts
Parmesan Dressing:
1-1/3 Cup olive oil (Use artichoke marinade to make up the total amount.)
1/2 Cup cider vinegar
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions:
- Cook rice according to package directions. Darker and longer grain wild rice requires longer cooking. Here’s what I did with a very dark, long grain rice: Rinse and drain the rice, then place in a medium pot with 3 Cups water and 1 Tbsp instant chicken base. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Then remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water.
- While the rice is cooling, prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together. I start with the marinade/oil from the artichokes, which is usually about a cup, and then add an additional 1/3 cup olive oil. Then I whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Now prepare the other salad ingredients. Chop the artichoke hearts into large chunks, or bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onions, and dice the green pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice, artichoke hearts, peas, green onions, and green pepper. Pour in about 1/2 of the dressing and stir gently.
- Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours, or even overnight.
- When ready to serve, stir in the halved grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. At this point, you can add more dressing to the salad, or let each person add some to their own serving.
Additional Notes:
- I didn’t actually measure it out, but I would guess that it makes about 12 servings, depending on serving size.
- For toasting pine nuts: I like to toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-heat heat. Keep the pine nuts in a single layer and stir frequently. When the nuts start to turn golden brown, stir constantly. Watch carefully, because they can burn quickly. Remove from heat when all are toasted.
- Do pine nuts leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Leave them out, or try toasted almond slivers or sunflower seeds instead.
Notable Links:
- Don’t have any wild rice? Try The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Brown Rice Salad recipe. You’ll also find it listed along with other gluten-free recipes at this week’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
- For more healthy recipes, visit Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, where Amy is celebrating the one year anniversary of this wonderful weekly event.
Greek Pasta Salad with Chicken
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Here’s another dish I created to use up some leftover chicken. This time it was roasted or rotisserie chicken. No leftovers at your house? You can always cook a couple chicken breasts to add to the salad. Or, make it without the chicken at all.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
Salad:
12 oz. Gluten-Free Fusilli Pasta
1-1/2 Cups (about 9 oz.) Cooked Chicken, cut up in bite-size pieces
1-1/2 Cups (about 9 oz.) Greek Olives, pitted and cut in half
2 small Cucumbers, cut into chunks
2 medium Tomatoes, cut into wedges
6 to 8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, added to taste
Dressing:
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of one Lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp dried Oregano
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. (Schar Pasta
directs to put the pasta into 4 quarts boiling water and boil for 8-10 minutes. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.)
- Prepare the salad ingredients by cutting into bite-size pieces.
- Place the dressing ingredients in a cruet or jar with a lid, and shake it up thoroughly.
- Place the pasta and salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour about half the dressing over it, and toss to cover evenly. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours, or serve at room temperature.
- Serve up the pasta salad and season to taste with extra dressing, salt and pepper.
Additional Notes:
- Quartered, marinated artichoke hearts also make a nice addition to the salad.
- For the olives, I usually buy a mix of Greek olives which includes Kalamata.
Notable Links:
- I’ve linked this post to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
- You’ll also find it linked at Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Mexican Pizza
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I’ve recently learned that pizza is a great way to use up leftover ingredients. I’ve been wanting to try Gluten Free Gobsmacked’s “Chebe” bread recipe for a pizza crust for a while. I use the recipe frequently for rolls and hamburger buns, but never tried it for pizza. Well, I finally did it! I baked the first pizza a little too long — pre-baked it for 15 minutes. It was crunchy. I added pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, sliced black olives and sliced mushrooms. Although the crust was a little too crunchy, it was still tasty. My son ate two big slices, which is a lot for him.
The second pizza, I pre-baked for only 10 minutes. The crust turned out much better. I decided to use up some leftovers to make a Mexican Pizza. Instead of a traditional tomato pizza sauce, I used salsa. Then I topped it with leftover shredded chicken, black olives and a mixture of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. The best part about the pizza was the fresh tomato and avocado slices. We placed them on top of the pizza after we removed the pizza from the oven. It was really nice to have the added fresh, raw vegetables on it. Perfect for a summertime pizza.
Mexican Pizza Recipe
Ingredients:
Pizza Crust – Use your favorite or try a Cheese Bread Recipe.
1/2 Cup Salsa – Use your favorite recipe or jarred gluten-free salsa.
1 – 2 Cups Shredded Mexican Chicken
2 Cups shredded cheese (Try cheddar, Monterey Jack, and/or mozzarella.)
1/4 Cup sliced black olives
1 Avocado, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
Directions:
- Pizza Crust – For the Cheese Bread recipe: Combine the ingredients in a food processor
(or mixer), then turn out onto a large piece of parchment paper
. Top with plastic wrap and roll or press into a 10-12″ round crust. Remove the plastic wrap and slide the crust (and parchment paper) onto a pre-heated pizza stone
. For best results, I pre-baked the crust for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and add your chosen ingredients. Start with spreading the salsa (or pizza sauce) on the crust. Then add the chicken, cheese, olives, jalapeños etc. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly while you slice the tomato and avocado. Then, top the pizza with the avocado and tomato slices.
- Slice
, serve and enjoy!
Notable Links:
- Recipe for “Chebe” bread or Pao de Chejo from Gluten Free Gobsmacked
- Try The W.H.O.L.E. Gang‘s Quick and Easy Mexican Pizza recipe at GingerLemonGirl.com.
- For more Slightly Indulgent recipes, visit the roundup at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
- You’ll find more gluten-free recipes and ideas at The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays.








