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.

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 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 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:

1. Prepare the shrimp, if needed. If frozen, thaw the shrimp.  Remove the shell and tail, and devein the shrimp.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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:

1. Mix dressing ingredients well and refrigerate.
2. Combine all salad ingredients, except the pine nuts. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and mix well, but gently.
3. Serve on gluten-free bread, rolls, or a bed of lettuce.
4. 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.

The ingredients are layered in a 9 x 13 pan, covered with my own dill dressing, and topped with shredded cheese and bacon bits. It’s perfect for entertaining or taking to parties. It makes 12 large servings and you can make it the night before. I love to make it for dinner and have leftovers for lunch later in the week. You can choose your favorite salad ingredients and even your favorite dressing, but here is what I do:

Seven-Layer Salad

Ingredients:

2 Cups lettuce, chopped (iceberg, Romaine, Cosmopolitan — you choose)
2 Cups baby spinach
2 Cups frozen peas
1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 Cup (8 oz.) diced ham
2 Cups (4-6 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. bacon (8-10 slices), fried crispy and crumbled into bits
Creamy Dill Salad Dressing (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Cover bottom of 9 x 13 pan with chopped lettuce, then add layers of baby spinach, chopped cucumber, peas, and diced ham. This should make the salad almost fill up to the top of the pan.
2. Next, pour and spread the dressing evenly over the salad.
3. Top salad with shredded cheese and bacon bits.
4. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. The salad can be chilled for an hour, or even overnight.

Additional Notes:

• Choose your ingredients carefully. Tomatoes don’t do well overnight: they add too much water to the salad. If you want tomatoes in your salad, I suggest adding them right before serving.
• No need to defrost the peas. They defrost quickly in the refrigerator and help keep the salad cool.
• Other ingredients to consider: Green onions and celery add great flavor. Red cabbage, carrots, and yellow sweet peppers add bursts of color.

Creamy Dill Dressing

Ingredients:

1 Cup mayonnaise
1 Cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP dried dill weed

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
2. Keep chilled.

Additional Notes:

• Feel free to add fresh herbs from your garden instead of dried dill, but you may want to increase the amount for freshly chopped herbs.
• I’ve recently been introduced to delicious Greek yogurt and found that it makes a thicker, creamy dressing — perfect for this recipe. For a thinner dressing use plain yogurt, or consider adding a couple tablespoons of milk.

Notable Links:

• For more gluten-free meal ideas, check out this week’s edition of The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten-Free?”
• As this is one of my husband’s favorite salads, I linked it to The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s collection of Father’s Day Favorites.

Balsamic Vinegar adds such a nice flavor to foods, actually enhancing the natural flavors and balancing out the tastes of sweet and sour. It can be used in salad dressings, sauces, marinades, or on fruit, fish, steaks, and more. And, according to wikipedia traditional balsamic vinegar has excellent digestive properties. Balsamic vinegar is more expensive than your typical red wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar. And the range of prices can vary as much as the cost of wine. I settle for the lower cost balsamic vinegar at $3 per 16 oz. bottle, but have seen some for $14 per 8 oz. bottle. Fortunately, a little bit goes a long way in recipes.

Here are some recipes I’ve made with balsamic vinegar:

Baked Salmon with a Balsamic Glaze

Berry Fruit Salad

Red Potato and Green Bean Salad

Slow-Cooked Balsamic Carrots

Here’s what we’re having for dinner this week:

Monday – Crockpot Chicken
Whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker with garlic and onion. Serving with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Tuesday – Baked Salmon with a Balsamic Glaze
Serving with pearl quinoa and Brussels sprouts.

Wednesday – Hamburger Stroganoff
Hamburger, bacon, and mushrooms cooked with a creamy chicken soup and served atop wide noodles. Serving with asparagus with balsamic vinegar.

Thursday – Seven-layer Salad
This is a one-dish meal with a variety of ingredients (seven, if you want to be precise) — diced ham, bacon, fresh or frozen peas, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green onion — and topped with a creamy dill dressing.

Friday – Fish and Chips
Hoping to try a recipe for gluten-free fish and chips. Serving with Berry Fruit Salad.

Saturday – Cheeseburgers
Grilling burgers and serving with corn-on-cob and potatoes cooked on the grill.

Sunday – Leftovers
Any leftovers still in the refrigerator come out for everyone to choose their own meal.

And here’s what some gluten-free friends are having this week:

Like me, Kimberly at Gluten-Free is Life also has salmon on the menu this week. And her Caprese salad with balsamic gastrique sounds yummy. Looks like she also has plans to try out the new Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix. I’m looking forward to seeing her review of it, since I haven’t tried it yet. Be sure to check out her full week’s menu on her website.

Planning for warmer weather, Elizabeth at Modern Gal is putting salads and other meals chilled or served at room temperature on this week’s menu. I’m especially interested in her Thai chicken salad, but everything on her menu looks great.

Lots of enticing meals on JoAnn’s menu plan: The picture she posted of BBQ Chicken Pizza is making me drool. She’s got fish tacos planned for Friday and breakfast quiche planned for dinner on Sunday. More of her meals, with recipes linked for most, are at My Experiment in Gluten Free Living.

Sorry to hear that Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness is allergic to balsamic vinegar. But never mind that, she always has interesting, flavorful recipes to share, and her menu this week is no exception. She’s making Thai Coconut sauce to go with turkey and a Roasted Tomato and Carmelized Onion Soup. She’s also planning to try my Raspberry Divinity Tarts. I’m anxious to hear how the recipe works for her.

If you’re still looking for more meal ideas, be sure to check out I’m an Organizing Junkie where hundreds of people post links to their weekly menus (not all gluten-free).

Kristine at Glutenfreeda submitted this recipe for Roasted Strawberries With Wine & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce.

As much as I love the traditional potato salad, this is a wonderful alternative. The basil and dressing, made with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard, give it a nice, fresh flavor. The lack of mayonnaise and the addition of green beans make me feel like I’m eating healthier, or at least a little lighter on the calories.  I found this recipe about a year ago on AllRecipes.com and modified it slightly for my own taste. It’s become one of my favorite vegetable salads to accompany grilled or barbecued meats. It makes a great side dish for pulled pork sandwiches.

Red Potato and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. red potatoes
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
1/4 Cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 large red onion, chopped (about 1/2 Cup)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP Dijon mustard (I like to use whole, or coarse-grain mustard.)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dash Worcestershire sauce (Make sure it’s gluten-free. We use French’s brand.)
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot, and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Add the green beans to the pot of cooking potatoes and cook both for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and pour off the water. Let them cool slightly until able to cut potatoes into quarters (or halves, depending on size).
4. Place the potatoes and green beans in a large bowl. Add the fresh basil, red onion, salt and pepper. Stir gently and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Pour over the salad, and toss to coat.

Additional Notes:

• To add a little more flavor, consider adding bacon. Cook 3-4 strips of bacon until crispy, then crumble, and sprinkle over the salad.
• Makes about 8 servings.
• I think this salad is best served warm or at room temperature. And that makes it good for taking on a picnic or to an event where there’s no refrigerator or cooler, which you might need to keep a traditional potato salad cold.

Notable Links:

• For a more traditional potato salad, check out Potato Salad for a Crowd.
• For more recipes with green beans, check out Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

6 lb. pork shoulder roast (bone-in)
1/4 Cup Cajun seasoning (I use Zatarain’s Creole seasoning.)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 large onion, sliced
1 Quart (4 Cups) vegetable broth (Make sure it’s gluten-free. I use Pacific brand.)
2 TBSP Liquid Smoke
24 oz. barbecue sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Slice the onion. Place garlic and onion into a 6-quart Slow Cooker.
2. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning on all sides of the pork, and rub it in to the meat. Place the pork in the slow-cooker, fat side up.
3. Pour vegetable broth and liquid smoke over the pork.
4. Cover the slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5. When cooking is complete, remove the pork from the slow-cooker and place into a large mixing (or serving) bowl. If the bone hasn’t already separated from the meat, remove it. Then shred the pork by holding it with one fork and pulling the meat apart with the second.
6. If desired, mix 16 oz. of your favorite barbecue sauce into the pork.
7. Serve pork as is, or place it on sandwich buns and top with some of the remaining 8 oz. of sauce.

Additional Notes:

• There are other varieties of liquid smoke, but my favorite, and I think the most common, is hickory.
• If you like your sandwich meat a little more moist, you may want to add a cup of the cooked broth to the pulled pork and barbecue sauce. Then, mix it all together.
• The gluten-free buns in the above picture are Chebe frozen sandwich buns.

For more dinner ideas, visit What’s for Dinner? Wednesday at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Mixed salad greens (I used a spring mix and baby spinach.)
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado, chopped (1/2 avocado per person)
Corn and Black Bean Salad (1/4 cup per person)
Slow-Cooked Mexican Chicken, shredded (1/2 cup per person)
Cheddar cheese, shredded (4 oz. per person)
Black olives, sliced
Salsa or Spicy Ranch Dressing

Directions:

1. Place your mixed salad greens on the bottom of your salad bowl. Sprinkle the cilantro on top.
2. Then add the chicken, corn and black bean salad, and avocado.
3. Top with cheese and black olives.
4. To finish it, use salsa or Spicy Ranch dressing.

Additional Notes:

• I was going to add some tortilla chips, but decided it really didn’t need it. It was filling enough (and tasty enough!) without chips.
• You may also want to add diced tomatoes and a little lime juice.