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.

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.

Recipe for Beef Kabobs

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. Beef Sirloin – cut into chunks
1 lb. Potatoes – small, white
2 Sweet Peppers (or several sweet mini-peppers) – core and seeds removed, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion – cut into wedges
1 recipe of my Flank Steak Marinade

You’ll also need skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers over a flame, be sure to soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes before placing on the grill. That will reduce the possibility of burning the sticks.

Directions:

1. Cut the sirloin into 2-inch cubes and place into a large bowl or zip-style plastic bag.
2. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the beef chunks. Stir or massage it in to make sure the marinade has covered all the sirloin pieces. Cover or seal and place in the refrigerator for a couple hours or even overnight.
3. Once the meat has marinated, carefully skewer the chunks onto the skewers.
4. Prepare the potatoes by cooking in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. If you are using large baking potatoes, cut them up into smaller pieces before cooking. The potatoes should be slightly softened by the cooking.
5. Prepare the peppers and onion, and cut into large chunks.
6. Skewer the vegetables by alternating with potato, onion and pepper chunks. Continue until all the food is skewered.
7. Place the skewers on a moderately hot grill. Watch it carefully and turn every 3-4 minutes until it is cooked to your preference. The beef should finish cooking in 8-12 minutes, the vegetables may take a little longer.

Additional Notes:

• Using long barbecue skewers, I was able to get all the food onto two skewers.
• For serving, I removed all of the food from the skewers, and served family-style on a platter.
• Consider doing kabobs for a party. Keep all the prepared ingredients in separate bowls and let the guests skewer their own. Then, just cook them up to order on the grill.
• Ideas for alternative vegetables to grill: large mushrooms, zucchini slices, Brussels sprouts cut in half.
• We love to grill outdoors, but often I just use a grill pan on the stove. You could also use a panini grill or a large George Foreman grill.

Notable Links:

• Time-Saving Chicken Kabobs Recipe at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.
• 30 Days to a Food Revolution at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.
• Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

And, since Book of Yum is hosting another Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger this month, I decided to use those two recipes to share with you. I’m happy to share my good results with you, and introduce a gluten-free blogger you may not have checked out yet. Gluten Free Gobsmacked is a blog that has been around for a while. Like so many other celiacs, the author Kate suffered years of illness and health problems before finally being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. She began the website as a way to share recipes and connect with family and friends. And the rest of us out here in cyber land have gotten to benefit from her knowledge and recipes. I certainly enjoyed them this month.

The Cheese Bread was so much easier to make than I thought it would be. It really was fairly quick to mix up and bake in the oven (maybe 30 minutes total). In my attempt to make it, I followed the recipe as close as I could. For the cheese I used about 2/3 cup shredded cheddar, 2/3 cup shredded provolone, and 2/3 grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses. For the herbs I used finely chopped fresh chives and dried dill. Because I was hoping to use these as hamburger buns, I made them a little larger and flattened them a little more than Kate did in her post. I was able to make nine of them with the recipe, and baked them on a Silicone Baking Mat for about 10  minutes. They smelled fabulous and tasted just as good. My husband ate one of the rolls as they were cooling down on racks. He said he was just going to have a taste, but it was so good had to finish it off. The very airy texture of them worked well as hamburger buns. They don’t rise or expand much during baking, so make them the size and shape you want them before baking. We used two rolls for each hamburger. We also found that they stayed fresh on the counter (in a sealed container) for a couple days. To eat them with dinner later that week, we just popped them into the toaster oven to warm them up. We will definitely make these again!

So, to make our hamburger night even better, I also made Kate’s Jalapeño-Popper Dip. This recipe I didn’t follow as strictly as I should have, but I didn’t have all of the ingredients and had to make some adjustments. I didn’t have the Pasilla Chile Powder, so I used 2 tsp of Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder. I also didn’t have dried green onion, so instead finely chopped up a few fresh green onions. We really enjoyed the fresh onion flavor. It was delicious. It works great as a dip, but I thought it was so good I slathered a thick layer of it on my burger. Not that’s a better burger! I had a lot of the dip leftover, so since then I’ve also used it on steamed vegetables. It was great and would make a great dip to make for a Super Bowl Party, too!

Related Links:

• GF: Pao de chejo (aka “Chebe Bread”) Gluten Free Gobsmacked recipe
• Gluten Free: Jalapeño-Popper Dip Gluten Free Gobsmacked recipe
• Find more gluten-free recipe reviews at this month’s edition of Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger at the Book of Yum

So, what are pupusas? If you read the menu plans that I post weekly, you may have noticed that I occasionally include pupusas for dinner. I first discovered pupusas several years ago while living in the Bay Area in California. They are a flat bread or thick tortilla made from a dough of Masa or a pre-cooked corn meal often used in Latin American cooking. Pupusas orignated in San Salvador, but have gained popularity in the United States. I have purchased pupusas pre-made in grocery stores, but they are not easy to find. I usually purchase the ones that are filled with refried beans and cheese. However, I’ve been wanting to try making them with pork. When Diane, at The Whole Gang, posted her recipe for Pork-filled Pupusas, I knew I had to give them a try. When you order these at a restaurant, they always serve them with a pickled cabbage relish. I had not attempted making the relish or the slaw before because I am not a big fan of cabbage. My husband, however, loves the cabbage dish usually served with pupusas, so I decided to give Diane’s recipe for Spicy Slaw a try, too.

I started working on the meal by making the Spicy Slaw first. I figured it would be good to let the vegetables marinate in the refrigerator while I worked on the pupusas. This was a fabulous recipe, and so easy to make. I love that Diane’s directions for making this was so simple: “Chop and drop, then mix together.  It really is that easy. Just taste it and adjust to fit your taste buds.” With the exception of the toasted onion powder, which I didn’t have, I followed the recipe as written. No adjustments were needed. Because I only used one mild jalapeño, it wasn’t very spicy. Honestly, it really didn’t need the heat. It was full of fresh, strong, wonderful flavors. It complimented the pupusas perfectly, but would also be great to eat anytime by itself. I will be buying and eating more cabbage in the future.

Next, I worked on the Pork Filling for the pupusas. I wanted to make it before I made up the pupusa dough, so the pork would have time to cool down. I made the pork filling as written in Diane’s recipe. Pupusas are not usually very spicy, and this was no exception. But again, Diane created a recipe that was full of good flavors. I love the addition of the smoked paprika and the Ancho chili powder in the recipe. It worked very well in the pupusas.

Making the pupusas. So here’s where my pupusas may have differed from Diane’s. I didn’t use Maseca Masa for the flour to make the pupusa. I used P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal/flour (aka harina PAN). I didn’t have any Maseca, but the P.A.N. package I did have said you could make pupusas with it, so…. I followed the directions on the package: “Pour 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt and slowly add 2 cups of PAN, knead until smooth and form.” It worked out very well, and to tell you the truth, I don’t know how it differs from masa. It was very easy to work with, though as Diane says in her post, it’s best to keep your hands wet so the dough doesn’t get sticky. Stay close to the sink or keep a bowl of water close by. I took a ball of dough and then made an indention in the middle and started to make a cup-shaped round to put the pork in. Then, I folded in the sides to cover the pork, and flattened with my hands making a pancake shape. Then, I put them in a lightly oiled pan on the stove where they cooked over medium heat. Fortunately, my husband was helping with the cooking. So, while I made the pupusas, he tended to the actual cooking in the pan. As Diane suggested in her post, we put the cooked pupusas in the oven to keep them warm while the others cooked.

Eating the pupusas. These were really good eats. Very similar to what we were used to buying in California. They were good as-is, but we did add some queso blanco (Columbian white cheese) to some of them, too. It made a wonderful meal. It’s always nice to have something different to eat in your meal plans to keep it exciting. We made 10 pupusas with the recipe, and 2 or 3 was enough to fill up one person. The kids tried them and thought they were OK, but wouldn’t eat a whole pupusa. (I think we’ll eventually get them to love these as much as we do.)

Leftovers. These also make really good leftovers and are quick to heat up. I had a lot of pork leftover, as well as some slaw. Instead of making more pupusas, I decided to wrap it up in rice papers. (For tips on using rice papers as wraps, check out my posts on sandwich bread alternatives or gluten-free egg rolls.) It made a really nice lunch. We will definitely make these again.

Our thanks to Diane, for sharing her recipes for these and other delicious foods. And, thanks to Sea at The Book of Yum for encouraging us to try recipes from other bloggers!

Monday – White Chicken Chili
Time for a break from the turkey. I’m planning to make chili with chicken, white beans, and some southwestern spices. I’ll serve it with rice and top with shredded cheese and black olives.

Tuesday – Turkey Spaghetti
If we still have some turkey left, I’ll be using it to make a spaghetti dish like Chicken Spaghetti.

Wednesday – Cheeseburgers
Cooking cheeseburgers and serving with french fries and green beans.

Thursday – Parmesan Tilapia
This white fish recipe is very quick and easy. The fish is topped with a Parmesan sauce, which also tastes great on vegetables. Serving with broccoli and leftover rice from Monday.

Friday – Chicken Tacos
I’ll cook some shredded Mexican chicken for tacos and serve with chopped lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and black olives. I might even make up a quick batch of guacamole.

Saturday – Leftover Buffet
Anything left in the refrigerator comes out, so everyone can choose their own meal.

Sunday – Out
We have a gift card to use at Maggiano’s. I’ve heard they are very accommodating to the gluten-free diet, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Need more menu ideas?

• Manda at Asparagus Thin is hosting the Gluten-Free Menu Swap this week with the theme ingredient of cranberries. I don’t cook with cranberries a lot, but I got my chance last week. I tried a cranberry sauce with pomegranate juice and arils. The flavor was great, but the arils were too crunchy for me, so I removed them before serving with turkey on Thanksgiving. I also made an apple crisp and threw in some cranberries to liven it up a little. It was very good. The cranberries added a lot of juice to the dish, and added just enough tanginess to compliment the sweetness of the honeycrisp apples.
• 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.

Betty Crocker Giveaway!
I’ve got a box of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Dessert Mixes to give away. Check out my review of the mixes, and add your own thoughts.

• For an appetizer, we’ll be making a family favorite: Pepper Jelly poured over Cream Cheese, and served with gluten-free crackers. (I’ve got Mary’s Gone Crackers and Blue Diamond Nut-Thins on hand.)
• One roasted 20-pound turkey. Big enough for everyone to take home some leftovers. — I hope. (Check out my post on Gluten-Free Turkeys, if you haven’t already.)
• If I have time, I’m hoping to make Cranberry Pomegranate sauce with a recipe I found at Coconut & Lime.
• My husband is making his always-requested Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
• My mother-in-law is bringing the traditional green Jell-O marshmallow stuff and a roasted vegetable platter of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and more.
• For dessert, I’m planning to make Apple Crisp, Apple Cranberry Crisp, and my grandmother’s recipe for Pumpkin Pie (with a gluten-free crust, of course).
• I’ve decided not to make my yummy Broccoli Mushroom Bake casserole for Thanksgiving this time. Partly because I just made it a couple weeks ago for a dinner party, but also because I know there will be more dishes brought by other family members coming, too. I like to give everyone the option to bring their favorites. That eases the cooking burden on me, and also lets everyone contribute to the feast.

Still need ideas for Thanksgiving dinner?

• Be sure to check out Gluten Free Goodness for the Gluten-Free Menu Swap this week. Cheryl has plenty of her own Thanksgiving recipes to share, but there are sure to be even more gluten-free Thanksgiving ideas from other gluten-free bloggers, too.
• The Holiday Food Fest hosted at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free has plenty of fall and holiday dishes to check out. (Many are gluten-free, but not all.) Check out the roundups of Fall Desserts and Fall Dishes that have been posted.
• Diane at The Whole Gang has the details about the virtual Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner Party from last week. Several gluten-free bloggers posted some great recipes for the event.

So, that’s Thanksgiving. Here’s what we’ll be eating the rest of the week.

Monday – Pork Cutlets
The last time I made these, I sealed the leftovers and put them in the freezer. Seems like the perfect week to pull them out for a quick meal with sweet potatoes and corn. I’ll use the extra time to get started on the pie crusts, and get the cleaning done for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday – Leftovers
Another easy dinner with leftovers from last week. We’ve got to clear out the refrigerator for all the dishes to come for Thanksgiving! A quick meal so I can make the cranberry sauce and finish making the desserts.

Wednesday – Chicken Tenders
Assuming the leftovers were cleared out on Tuesday, I’ll pull Bell & Evans frozen chicken tenders out of the freezer. We’ll serve them with french fries and green beans. Another quick and easy meal so we have time to make the mashed potatoes and soak the turkey in the brine.

Thursday – Thanksgiving Feast!

Friday – Leftovers!
I’m expecting to have plenty of leftovers to have a second evening of good Thanksgiving food.

Saturday – White Chicken Chili
Time for a break from the turkey. I’m planning to make chili with chicken, white beans, and some southwestern spices.

Sunday – Turkey Spaghetti
If we haven’t eaten all the turkey yet, I’ll be using it to make a spaghetti dish like Chicken Spaghetti.

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.

You may want to try a fresh turkey with no additives, but I went with a frozen bird this year. I don’t remember the reasoning, but after doing a little research last year, I took Alton Brown’s advice for a frozen turkey. We used his recipe for Good Eats Roast Turkey last time. It was really good, so we’ll probably use it again.

So what frozen turkeys can you buy? You can find a great list of companies that provide gluten-free turkeys at Harris Whole Health. I bought a Shady Brook Farms turkey this year. I decided on the inexpensive (47¢ a lb., on special) option, since I was buying a 20 lb. turkey. When I told my mom I had bought a 20-pound turkey, she was concerned that my roasting pan wouldn’t be big enough. So, I got it out to try it. Well Mom, remember that nice Calphalon Roasting Pan with Rack you bought me a couple years ago? It works great. Thanks!

Butterball turkeys are also gluten-free. Tiffany at Triumph Dining posted a great article about gluten-free turkeys. She confirmed with Butterball that their turkeys are still gluten-free, and found out that their gravy packets are now gluten-free, too! Read her complete post and other Thanksgiving posts at the Triumph Dining Blog.

Want more turkey? Check out these gluten-free recipes and tips at other websites:

Gluten-Free Turkey for Thanksgiving at Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef
Special Turkey Breast at Gluten Free Easily
CrockPot Whole Turkey and CrockPot Turkey Breast at A Year of Slow Cooking
Mom’s Roast Turkey at Simply Recipes
Friday Foodie Fix – Turkey at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Thanksgiving gluten-free and food allergy tips at Sure Foods Living