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:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
2. Add a few ice cubes, cover and shake the cocktail.
3. Pour the cocktail, straining out the ice, into a martini glass.
4. 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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours, or even overnight.
6. 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 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:

1. 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.)
2. Prepare the salad ingredients by cutting into bite-size pieces.
3. Place the dressing ingredients in a cruet or jar with a lid, and shake it up thoroughly.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

It was a busy weekend for us, and I actually decided last minute what I was making, so I took a short cut and used Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix for the crust. (FYI: The mix can be made egg-free, dairy-free, and peanut-free.) I combined two mixes to make a 16″ pizza crust. Then, I made a simple cream cheese spread to cover the huge sugar cookie crust, and topped it with slices of fresh fruit. It’s a simple and easy dessert, but very satisfying and pretty. You can use whatever fruit you have available. Make a design with the fruit, like I did, or simply pile it all on.

Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza Dessert

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Dough (2 Cherrybrook Kitchen mixes, 1 Cup margarine, 1/2 Cup rice milk, 5 tsp vanilla)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar, sifted
Variety of fruit, sliced (I used 3 kiwis, a pint of strawberries and a handful of blueberries.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Make the sugar cookie crust. Follow the recipe as usual for the sugar cookie dough. (I combined two mixes with 1 Cup melted butter, 1/2 Cup almond milk, and 5 tsp vanilla.)
3. Place the dough on a large sheet of Parchment Paper and top with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Then roll, or press, out the dough to a 16″ round. Remove the plastic wrap and slide the parchment paper with dough onto a Pizza Pan or cookie sheet.
4. Place the large cookie dough into the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until it starts to brown around the edges.
5. Remove the pizza crust from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. The parchment paper will make it easy to slide the crust off the cookie sheet and onto the wire rack.
6. Mix up the cream cheese spread by thoroughly mixing together the cream cheese and powdered sugar.
7. Once the crust is completely cooled, spread the cream cheese/sugar mixture evenly over the top of the crust.
8. Now add the sliced fruit to the pizza. If you are going to make a fun design, I suggest you start in the middle and work your way out to the edges.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Additional Notes:

• We cut our pizza into 16 large servings.
• Each Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix makes about 20 cookies.
• Feel free to use any variety of fruit: berries, peaches, nectarines, mango, cherries, etc. You can also use bananas, but remember they will brown so add them right before you serve it.
• Want more fruit? Cut thick slices, overlap the fruit, or just pile it all on. Get creative and have fun!
• You can also use canned fruit, but be sure to drain any sauce or liquid completely from it, so it doesn’t make the pizza soggy.
• Some of our family members added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to top their pizza slice. I don’t think it needs any topping, but if it sounds good to you, you may also consider topping with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or a simple glaze.
• You don’t have to make this as a round pizza. Use a baking sheet/jelly roll pan for the crust. Then, cut into squares for serving. Or, halve the recipe, press it into a 9×13 pan, and bake it for about 15-20 minutes.
• This is such an easy dessert to make, it would be a great project for the kids to make.

Notable Links:

• Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix
• This Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe from scratch makes about 4 dozen cookies, so you should only need to make one batch.
• Visit Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker for more gluten-free recipes and ideas.

.

Potato Salad for a Crowd

Diane's Spicy Slaw

Not My Mom's Chicken Salad

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Heather's Favorite Egg Salad

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Celiac Family’s menu this week:

Monday – Grilled Chicken
My son’s request for the week is grilled chicken breasts. I’ll serve them with a Red Potato and Green Bean Salad.

Tuesday – Cheeseburgers
My daughter’s usual request is cheeseburgers without the bun and French fries. I’ll make Broccoli Winter Slaw to serve with it.

Wednesday – Seven Layer Salad
My husband requested a Seven Layer Salad, which I usually make with diced ham, shredded cheese, peas, chopped lettuce, spinach, chopped celery, and a creamy dill dressing.

Thursday – Indian Chicken
My husband also requested an Indian dish. So, I’ll try a Jalfrezi Curry cooking sauce my husband found. I usually prefer to cook with the curry pastes over the sauces, but the sauces make dinner very quick and easy. I’ll serve it over jasmine rice.

Friday – Leftovers
Cleaning out the refrigerator to make room for a birthday cake I’ll be making.

Saturday – Pizza
We’ll make a cheese and pepperoni pizza using the cheese bread recipe for the crust. I’ll have the kids help me make a Berry Fruit Salad to serve with it.

Sunday – Baby Back Ribs
We’ll be making Alton Brown’s recipe for Baby Back Ribs and serving with Nancy’s Tropical Black Bean Salad.

Here’s what some other gluten-free friends are planning this week:

Is it the timing or the salad theme? Not sure. But we’ve got some great gluten-free menus linked up this week!

• Welcome Susan from I Love Nectarines! She has a corn and asparagus salad on her menu this week, as well as some granola bars that look good. The Sichuan-style egglplant and gujerati green beans sound good, too!

• Wendy at Celiacs in the House is on a mission to get fit and healthy this summer. With the help of some great friends online, she is changing her diet and physical activity to lose some weight, feel better, and improve her health. This week she’ll be filling up on Chickpea Zucchini Quinoa Salad for lunches. She also plans to make Quinoa Tabbouleh and Jaden Hair’s Summertime Lasagna.  Wendy also has a great recipe for Herb and Rice Salad and a beautiful Summer Turkey Salad you should check out.

• There are lots of salads on the menu at In My Box this week! They include Green Beans Nicoise, salad rolls with a lentil quinoa mixture, and Vinegret (a Russian beet salad). She’ll also be making Karina’s recipe for Basil Citrus Vinaigrette this week. Yum.

• Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness says she’s been big into salads this summer, too. She has plenty of fresh goodies from her garden and the organic produce she picks up at Wegmans to make them. This week she’ll be making Quinoa Broccoli Salad and a Mache salad with tomatoes, avocado and pine nuts.

• Lisa at Extraordinary Life is also joining us this week. She’s serving salad with lasagna this week, and making a slaw to serve with BBQ Chicken Thighs. I see that she is also a fan of Alton Brown’s recipes. She is making his recipes for BBQ Chicken, Pork Loin and Beef Tacos.

• You’ll find lots of salad ideas at Beyond Rice and Tofu this week. Renee has Italian Rice Salad and Mediterranean Salad on her menu this week. She also gives links to some others that sound great: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, Wild Rice Tabouli, and Taco Salad. Renee is hosting the GF Menu Swap next week with cucumbers as the theme ingredient. So be sure to follow us to Beyond Rice and Tofu next week and link up or just read up for more great gluten-free meal ideas.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness manages the headquarters of Gluten-Free Menu Swap. There you will find the rules, the current and upcoming schedule, and links to past roundups. For this week, email the link of your gluten-free menu to me at celiacfamily[at]gmail[dot]com.

Go check it out now, so you can enter her giveaway, too! The giveaway includes Carol Fenster’s new cookbook Gluten-Free Quick & Easy, as well as GingerLemonGirl’s e-book and two 30-minute gluten-free cooking/baking coaching sessions.

And here are a few more quick and easy recipes from Celiac Family:

• Chicken Spaghetti – leftover chicken meal
• Parmesan Chicken Nuggets – a family favorite
• Broiled Parmesan Fish -  great using tilapia or other white fish
• Easy Garlic Shrimp Pasta – rice noodles used to make this fast and gluten free!

Notable Links:

• A list of the first 15 recipes in the 30 Days of Quick and Easy Meals on GingerLemonGirl.com
• Celiac Family’s recipe for Baked Salmon with Dill submitted for the event

For today (Day 21 of the series), I submitted a very easy, but tasty recipe for Baked Salmon with Dill. With just a few ingredients and an oven, you can have it ready to eat in less than 20 minutes.

Looking for quick and easy gluten-free meals? Well, you are in luck because Carrie at GingerLemonGirl.com is hosting a 30-day series of time-saving meals. I’ll be submitting a guest post for the series on Sunday. Until then, check out the exciting 15 recipes that have already been posted:

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals

1. Carrie at GingerLemonGirl.com posted Brown Rice Bowls
2. Carrie at GingerLemonGirl.com posted Greek Squash & Mushroom Saute over brown rice
3. Brooke at Gluten Free…Who? Me? posted Fresh Veggie Stir-Fry & Garbanzo Bean Cake
4. Rebekah at The Happy Tummy posted Salmon Croquettes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce
5. Christie at Honoring Health posted Simple Pan Salmon & Swiss Chard
6. Nicola at G-free mom posted Homemade Turkey Burgers
7. Erica at Erica Miss America posted Pan-Cooked Flounder with Shirataki Noodles
8. Claire at Gluten Free and the City posted Asparagus Salad with Strawberries
9. Erin at Gluten Free Fitness posted “Not really a recipe” Pan-cooked Pork Chops
10. Ellen at I Am Gluten Free posted Classic Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons and Deluxe Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
11. Deanna at The Mommy Bowl posted Chicken and Broccoli Curry
12. Jean at Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes posted Polenta with Sausage, Spinach, and Peppers
13. Kat at Kat’s Food Blog posted Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichokes
14. Ashlie at The Delshad Duo posted Blackened Catfish with Sweet Sauteed Greens
15. Alta at Tasty East at Home posted Egg, Zucchini, Red Pepper and Spinach Wrap

Good thing it’s time for Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger again. If you are unfamiliar with this event, it is a roundup of gluten-free recipes tried by other gluten-free bloggers. I’m always trying new recipes, and I’m happy to share my good results with you. I missed last month’s roundup, but just made it in time for this month’s edition being hosted by Iris at The Daily Dietribe.

This month, I adopted Nancy from The Sensitive Pantry. I first found Nancy’s site several months ago while chatting with her on Twitter. (Follow Nancy on Twitter and Me on Twitter.) Nancy has a beautiful site full of exciting and tempting gluten-free recipes that are well organized and easy to find. As you might guess from her blog title, her recipes are suitable for food sensitivities other than gluten. And each of her recipes is labeled for a variety of sensitivities: Gluten, Egg, Dairy/Casein, and/or Vegan.

When I saw her post a recipe for Tropical Black Bean Salad, I knew I had to give it a try. And I have to tell you that it is my new favorite summertime salad! I’ve made a good mango-pineapple salsa before, but this salad is so much better. The addition of the black beans and crisp apples give it such a nice variety of textures and colors. And, I could really eat this as a meal. It does require a bit of time for peeling and chopping. (I’m still not very fast at that.) But, it is definitely worth the time, and of course no additional cooking time is required. The first time I made the salad, I couldn’t get enough of it. I had two servings of it with dinner. The next morning I ate it for breakfast with a piece of GF toast. I then had more of it for snacks later that day. I think I may be addicted to it. My husband thought it was great, too. He even passed it on to a co-worker who raved about it.

So what about the kids? Well, you wouldn’t think I would have trouble getting them to eat this would you? A fruit salad? My kids love fruit! Perhaps it was the black beans that turned them off, but I had no luck with them. My daughter did finally take a taste, but must have gotten some jalapeño, because she immediately complained about it being too spicy and wouldn’t take another bite. Crazy kids don’t know what they’re missing. It’s sweet, crunchy, juicy, and a little spicy, too. Very refreshing on a hot summer day (which is what it feels like here right now). What more could you ask for?

Well…maybe Nancy’s Strawberry Mint Limeade. Another deliciously refreshing recipe.

Want more summertime recipes? Try some of these:

At The Sensitive Pantry:

• Asian Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
• Pretty Chopped Salad
• Mojito Mint Chip Ice Cream

At Celiac Family:

• Avocado Salsa
• Tropical Mimosas
• Berry Fruit Salad
• Corn and Black Bean Salad