Archive for Lunch
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.
Party Dogs!?
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Pigs in a blanket, or hot dogs wrapped in dough: Whatever you call it, they are sure to please taste buds of all ages. This idea came about as an afterthought. I was trying out Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
My husband and I thought they were delicious. We’ll definitely make them again. I think next time I’ll try some with a slice of cheese in them, too.
I wanted to share this because I thought it would be a great idea for a kid’s (or grown-up’s) gluten-free birthday party. Make the dough in advance, and have the hot dogs wrapped with the dough, covered on a baking sheet and waiting in the refrigerator until the guests show up. Then, pop the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. You could have a whole tray of these cooked and ready to serve while the kids play games, open presents, etc.
I should also mention that the pizza crust turned out very good, too! But somehow, I forgot to take a picture of the pizza we made. It was devoured way too quickly for me to even get a shot of it. 
Notable Links:
- This post is shared on this week’s edition of Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
- Try a recipe for a yeast-free crescent roll at Better Batter.
- Ginger Lemon Girl has a recipe for gluten-free Crescent Rolls and her version of Pigs in a Blanket.
- Kate posted her version of mini-crescent dogs at Gluten Free Gobsmacked.
White Chicken Chili
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When Fall comes around and the weather starts to cool down, I start to think of chili. When you want a good chili to warm you up, but just aren’t in the mood for a red, tomato-based chili, give this one a try. This is my quick and easy recipe for a chicken chili with white beans. I love it!
White, Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cans (15 oz. each) of white northern beans
6 Cups chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cans (4 oz. each) diced green chiles
1 whole chicken cooked, de-boned, and cut into bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)
1 TBSP diced jalapeño for extra heat
Directions:
- In a large pot, combine beans, 4 cups chicken broth, garlic onion, white pepper, salt, oregano, cumin and cloves. Cover and simmer for an hour or more.
- Stir in green chiles, chicken and the remaining 2 cups chicken broth. If desired, add jalapeño for extra heat. Cover and simmer for another hour.
- Serve as-is or over rice. Top with any variety of condiments: black olives, shredded cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, etc.
Additional Notes:
- Feel free to use cooked chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.) instead of a whole chicken.
- Like most chilis, this also works well in a slow cooker.
- Also great to serve with arepas or corn tortillas.
More Links
- For more recipes of gluten-free soups, check out this week’s edition of “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten-Free?” at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
- Check out the The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s Friday Foodie Fix for more recipes with beans.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
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This became a favorite recipe of ours over the summer. It makes a nice, light and refreshing lunch or dinner. It’s quick and easy to prepare and is naturally gluten-free. I modified the recipe slightly from one that my mom and dad make.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients:
30-40 medium-size raw shrimp (1 lb.)
1 TBSP olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
juice from one or two fresh limes (about 3 TBSP)
1/2 Cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 TBSP butter
Directions:
- Prepare the shrimp, if needed. If frozen, thaw the shrimp. Remove the shell and tail, and devein the shrimp.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Carefully place the thawed shrimp into the hot skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. Then remove them from the pan.
- Reduce the heat slightly and put the minced garlic in the skillet. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, or until aromatic, and then add the lime juice. (If the garlic starts to brown too quickly, add the lime juice immediately to reduce the heat.) Cook for another minute and then take the skillet off the heat.
- Add the cilantro and butter to the skillet and stir until it’s melted. Now add the shrimp back into the skillet and toss to coat.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Additional Notes:
- I use a quick-thaw method for thawing the shrimp: Place the shrimp in a colander placed in a bowl of cold water. Put it in the sink and let a constant trickle of cold water stream into the bowl for about 15 minutes.
- I have also used frozen pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe. It turns out good, but needs less time on the skillet. It’s already cooked, so really you just need to heat it through for a couple minutes.
- In the picture above, I’ve served the shrimp on rice, but I also enjoy it on wide flat rice noodles.
For more gluten-free meals, check out this week’s edition of What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free? at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Not My Mom’s Chicken Salad
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In an effort to use up leftover chicken in the refrigerator, I decided to make a chicken salad. I intended to make my mom’s wonderful recipe, but found that I was missing some key ingredients from it. So, I started to modify the recipe to use up the ingredients I had in the kitchen and accommodate the gluten-free diet, too. By the time I was done tweaking, it was nothing like the salad my mom used to make. It turned out just as good, but with a completely different taste. It made a tasty chicken salad sandwich (on gluten-free bread, of course), but was also great just served on green leaf lettuce.
Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
Dressing:
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
Salad:
2 Cups chicken, cooked and chopped
2 TBSP onion, finely chopped
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 Cup sweet pickle relish
1 Cup red seedless grapes, each cut in half
1/2 Cup (about 3 oz.) pine nuts, lightly toasted
Directions:
- Mix dressing ingredients well and refrigerate.
- Combine all salad ingredients, except the pine nuts. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and mix well, but gently.
- Serve on gluten-free bread, rolls, or a bed of lettuce.
- Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
Additional Notes:
- To toast the pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Using a spoon or spatula, push them around in the skillet for about five minutes – just until they’re golden and fragrant. Don’t walk away, they can burn quickly if the heat gets too high.
- This is best after chilling in the refrigerator overnight, so go ahead and mix it all up the day before. However, to keep the pine nuts a little crispier, you may want to wait until just before serving to sprinkle on the pine nuts.
- Makes 4-6 sandwiches or salads.
