Pork Chops

These, served with mashed potatoes and gravy, constitutes one of my husband's all time favorite meals. Pork chops are super easy, generally inexpensive, and best of all- naturally allergy friendly.

Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Pork chops

Oil

Rosemary leaves

Salt

Pepper

Beef or Chicken broth (I use Wolfgang Puck stock found at Fred Meyers)

Use a heavy pan - cast iron, anodized aluminum, or a good stainless steel pan is best. Non-stick pans will suffice, but they won't give you as good of a crusty caramelized exterior. Heat the pan on the stovetop on medium high. Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Add the oil. Don't add oil to a cold pan. Add the thawed chops gently. Leave the chops alone for 3 to 5 minutes. Right before you flip the chops, take some rosemary leaves and rub them between your palms over the pan. this will bruise the spices and make the oils come out. The goal is to rub them and allow them to fall onto the meat and oil.

Once the edges of the chops start to come up slightly from the pan, it's time to flip the chops. DO NOT use a fork, only use tongs or a metal spatula. If you try to flip too early, the pork could be stuck to the pan and tear, making the pan very hard to clean and ruining the caramelization.

Cook the chops on the new side until the edges come up from the pan, like before. Add some more rosemary and flip them. When they are done, take them out of the pan and set aside on a warm plate.

Add some water, wine, or broth to the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the pan. This will deglaze the pan. The liquid will boil shortly and begin to evaporate off, making gravy. 

Amazing, Delectable, Mouth-Wateringly Delicious GF Pecan Pancakes with Tropical Syrup

I like this recipe. A lot. I might actually fantasize about eating it every morning for the rest of my life. With every bite, I was shocked and amazed at how good it was. I must say though, under normal circumstances the contributing peices of this amazing breakfast/dessert should not be separated. Part of my awestruck wonder at how much I loved what I was chewing came from taste testing the syrup on it's own (a little yuck!), and then with plain pancakes, and then with pecan pancakes and syrup without the powdered sugar. I can't really explain it.  I just know that when combined, something magical happens. 
AND did I mention it was both easy and super low fat?

Amazing, Delectable, Mouth-Wateringly Delicious GF Pecan Pancakes with Tropical Syrup
For Pancakes follow my newest gluten free pancake recipe, with the optional addition of chopped pecans.

For Tropical Syrup

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
juice from 1 orange (I don't have a orange squeezer, so this was just the juice I could squeeze be hand. I did not strain the juice)
juice from 1 lemon (Poured in 1-2 Tbs prepared juice each for both lemon and lime).
juice from 1 lime
1/2- 1 tsp cinnamon
Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine in a saucepan, boil 5 minutes. The end result will be thin, but that's good.
Dust your freshly made pecan pancakes with an ample amount of powdered sugar (corn- free if necessary), pour on the syrup and take a bite of sweet tropical heaven :)

In case you are wondering I am technically allergic to oranges, but thankfully it's one I can cheat on occasionally :) 

New and Improved GF Vegan Pancake Recipe

We have pancakes a lot. They are such an easy and quick to make source of grains, and my 2 year old LOVES them. I also love their versatility, low cost, and how easily they travel! All around, the perfect gluten-free breakfast/ snack food. 

I've been a tad frustrated lately with my previously posted pancake recipe, it doesn't seem to want to cook through in a reasonable amount of time! This recipe confirmed my long-time suspicion that applesauce would be the key to a lovely, fluffy, cakey-golden pancake :) Those who are not fond of apples, no worries- the taste is undetectable. 

New and Improved GF Vegan Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups sorghum flour

2/3 cups tapioca starch
1 Tbs. baking power

2 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups water

1 Tbs vanilla

optional: 1 tsp cinnamon (when made with cinnamon, the inside of the pancakes turns a deep reddish hue. I think it's fun :), mini chocolate chips or pecans(sprinkle into wet batter on griddle)

Oil

Thoroughly mix together dry ingredients. Add applesauce, water, and vanilla. You are going for a thin, easily pourable batter. Anything too thick won't cook through. I like to mix my batter in a pitcher for easy pouring.

Oil griddle or skillet and do so between each batch, or they won't brown well and they don't seem to get as fluffy. Heat to 250- 300 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-low). Pour pancakes as large as you like, but small- medium seem to com out best. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, or nuts if you like. Pancakes should produce thin, glassy bubbles as they cook. When these all burst, and the edges look a bit dry, flip your pancake. They are done when both sides are golden brown and center is fluffy. 

These pancakes are incredibly low-fat, which is nice, but I feel they are missing something when served with pure maple syrup. I like to add a *small* amount of butter or margarine to my syrup for a fuller flavor. 

Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Shredding Produce

Unless otherwise specified, when shredding produce use the coarser "shredders". If you go too fine, most fruits and veggies get pulpy.

Also, when adding shredded fruit or veggies to a mix you will be baking (meatballs, zucchini bread etc...) press between paper towels several times to absorb excess juice, then fluff with a fork before adding to mixture.

Tip of the Passing Spare Moment- Bread Crumbs

When making gluten free bread crumbs, the simplest way is in a food processor, or something similar. I save all the bread heels, the crusts I cut off for my son, or bread that has become too dry to eat in a bag that is NOT air tight. This allows it to dry out further.

Break the crusts into quarter size pieces, and give it a whirl until your bread becomes crumbs!

      

My "Cheater" Meal- Spaghetti

Everyone needs a break now and then, and I've always felt that despite the ease with which it is made, spaghetti with meat sauce retains a measure of cozy elegance that is difficult to beat. I can no longer enjoy tomato sauce, but I don't mind going with my back-up plan on occasion so my family can.

This particular night we made it extra easy- using paper plates for quick clean up!!! 

Super Simple Spaghetti

Ingredients:
2 8oz boxes rice spaghetti
1 1b ground turkey or beef
1 jar Prego Natural (I prefer the garden vegetable)
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs water

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet brown meat, drain. Add jar of sauce, sugar and water, and warm until heated through.
Serve meat sauce over cooked pasta.

Viola! Allergy friendly dinner in under 15 minutes.   

Apple-Meatballs

I know what your thinking. "Apple meatballs? Is she insane?".
Answer: not in this particular case.
AND I have proof. After mentioning on Fbook my meatball success, I received this message from one of my dear, sweet middle school girlies:
"Hmmm....sounds gross....might have to convince me different ;)"
Let me tell you people, I did. The next time I saw this little sweetling I just happened to have a tupperware container holding a meatball in my purse. The result? Five 7th grade girls competing over the remains of my giant apple-meatball, and one request that I bring more next week :)
These were actually the result of poor planning on my part. My recipe called for shredded zuchinni, but I had none. Figuring apples were similar in texture, I switched up the spices and give this a whirl. Feel free to check out the original recipe at http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/04/turkey-meatballs-with-asian-noodles.html#ixzz1AnFlrQuU

Apple-Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1lb ground beef
1 1/4 cups gluten-free bread crumbs (Ener-G loafs crumb easily)
1/4 cup flour (I used sorghum)
2-3 medium apples (I used gala), shredded
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
½- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
½- 1tsp lime juice
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons honey
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shred apples and press out moisture with my tip of the passing spare moment.

In a large mixing bowl, break apart and blend the ground meats with the gluten-free bread crumbs and flour, using a sturdy wooden spoon. Add in the grated apple and ginger, and spices. Mix just until blended, try not to over mix- this will toughen the meatball. Add in the fresh lime juice, molasses, and honey. Mix lightly, I used my hands at this point.

Form 24 meatballs using your fingers to round spoonfuls of the mixture. They should be roughly the size of a golf ball. Place the apple-meatballs on the lined baking sheets as you roll them.

Bake the meatballs on two center(ish) racks of a pre-heated oven for about 20 to 30 minutes until no longer pink inside. Prepare sauce as they cook. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Serve with rice, veggies and Sweet and Spicy Asian-y Sauce.

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Sweet and Spicy Asian-y Sauce

Ingredients:
Light olive oil
hot pepper flakes, to taste
4 tsp fresh grated ginger- or to taste
6 tablespoons molasses
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs Sesame oil
3 Tbs mirin
3 Tbs cooking sherry
3 Tbs brown sugar
lots of salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tsp lime juice

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Add hot pepper flakes and grated ginger and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, simmer 5 minutes and taste. Adjust flavor according to your taste.