Faijita Chicken Soup

This soup will warm you up on a cold, winter's night. Delicious grilled chicken mixed with onions, peppers, and tomatoes in a flavorful broth will have your family asking for more. I'm not kidding!

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced
5 tomatoes, diced
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
3 grilled chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions
Heat olive oil on medium heat in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add onion, jalepeno, tomatoes, and 1 cup of the water. Lightly puree mixture with a handheld blender, leaving some chunks. Add the rest of the water, beans, salsa, chicken, and spices. Let soup simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir in cheese before serving. Garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream, chopped green onion, and avocado.

Apple Pie with Crumble Topping

In honor of St. Nicholas Day and The Ice Storm of 2013, I am making apple pie with crumble topping. I can't tell you how delicious my kitchen smells. You can't go wrong with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. And don't miss my perfected gluten-free crust recipe. The egg is the key to binding it all together. Also, you must mix the crust in the pie dish as brown rice flour is too fragile to roll out as you would a traditional crust. Yum!

Pie Crust
1 cup brown rice flour
4 T coconut oil or shortening of choice
4 T cold water
1 egg, beaten

In a glass pie dish, cut shortening into rice flour until crumbly. Add water and beaten egg. Mix well. Press crust evenly into bottom and sides of pie dish using moistened finger tips. Set aside.

Pie Filling Ingredients
5 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1-2 t cinnamon
3 T brown rice flour
1/2 cup melted butter or Smart Balance

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix diced apples, sugars, cinnamon, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fill pie crust with apple mixture, mounding apples towards middle.

Crumble Topping
3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup butter or Smart Balance, softened

Mix oats, flour, and butter in a medium bowl. Spoon mixture evenly over the top of the apples.

Baking
Bake pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serves 8.

Apple Spice Cake

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and I would agree. All of my recipes have been developed to provide for the dietary needs of my family. And, today, you are in for a treat! My Apple Spice Cake recipe was created so that I could send my daughter to a birthday party with her own yummy dessert. It is so hard on kids with dietary restrictions to be surrounded by those who can eat whatever they want, especially at parties. This Apple Spice Cake is perfect for autumn and is full of wonderful flavor. Your child won't feel left out at all when she gets her special piece of cake at the party!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
8 oz. applesauce
4 eggs
2 cups gluten-free flour blend
2 t cream of tartar
2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1 medium apple, diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 11 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

Combine sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend in vanilla and applesauce then add eggs. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in diced apple and pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Potato Soup with a Kick!

This nourishing soup is ideal for a cool, wet fall day. It's creamy warmth with a hint of jalapeno will take will the chill off in no time. It's also easy to make and not too spicy for little ones. : )

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove
1 medium jalapeno, seeded
3 cups vegetable broth
5 cups water
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T dried minced onion
1 T dried parsley
dash nutmeg

Directions
Place all in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree using a hand-held or standard blender. Return to stove until ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Nut Tart

I was craving an after-dinner treat and came up with this sweet dessert. It has a light flaky crust and a gooey topping of chocolate, walnuts and coconut. I couldn't wait for it to cool when it came out of the oven so it fell apart as I was eating it. But I didn't care. It was that good!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free flour blend
2 T coconut oil
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions
Mix flour, coconut oil, egg, and sugar until well-blended. Press into ungreased pie dish. Evenly place chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut on top of crust and lightly press into crust. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Cut into wedges. Makes 4-6 servings.

Perfect Spelt Bread

If you haven't tried spelt bread then you are in for a treat! Spelt is an ancient grain and is full of nutrients like manganese, protein, and fiber. It has a delicious flavor that is hard to resist!

A note of caution: If you are just venturing in to the gluten-free world you need to know that spelt is considered a "gluten-grain" by some along with oats, barley, rye, and wheat. However, spelt is tolerated well by many people who avoid wheat so you may want to experiment with it.

Note: This recipe calls for a bread machine.

Ingredients
3/4 cup original coconut milk (carton)
1 T sugar
1 t active dry yeast
1 T canola oil
2 cups spelt flour
1/2 t salt

Directions
1) Proof the yeast. Wait! Don't let this step stop you. Proofing the yeast is essential in bread-making (and a fun science experiment too!) Warm the milk on the stove top or in the microwave. Add sugar and stir it until it is dissolved. Then add the yeast. The yeast will feed on the sugar and small bubbles will appear on the surface of the milk. This shows that the yeast is ready to do its job in making a delicious loaf of bread. Let the yeast mixture sit for 5-6 minutes then pour it into the baking pan of your bread machine.

2) Add the canola oil, flour, and salt in that order. Do not let the salt come in contact with the yeast mixture just yet as it can hinder it's growth.

3) Choose Basic Bread Course, Light Crust on your machine and let the bread machine do its thing. On my machine this takes about 3 hours, 50 minutes.

4) When baking is complete, remove the pan from the machine and the bread from the baking pan (and try not to eat the entire loaf at once!)

Yield: 1 (1 lb.) loaf of delicious bread

This recipe may be doubled to yield a 2 lb. loaf of bread.

Healthy Lemon Muffins

It's that time of year again. School and all of it's associated activities are in full-swing and I'm sure most of you are as busy as I am! So here's a little treat to keep you healthy and happy: Lemon Muffins. They are filled with omega-3 essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber...and they taste great!

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup coarsely ground oat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 T margarine or butter, softened
1 t vanilla
1/2 t grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Spoon muffin batter into muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes. Cool and serve.

Quick Chocolate Glaze

It's somebody's birthday and she wanted an ice cream cake. I used a gluten-free boxed mix for the top and bottom layers (chocolate) and Breyer's Neopolitan ice cream for the middle layer. Once I had the cake assembled I was in a quandry about the frosting. So I threw together this Quick Chocolate Glaze and - voila! - the cake was properly finished. It is sitting in my freezer just begging for a sliver to be cut out for tasting. No one would notice, right? Right? Okay, maybe one little person would notice. Alright, I'll keep my paws off...for now!

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T cocoa powder

Directions
Heat milk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly. When the chocolate is melted, stir in cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-7 minutes.

Pour all glaze on top of cake. (I used a 9-inch round cake.)

Using the back of a spoon, spread glaze evenly over surface of cake, allowing some to drizzle down the sides.

Refrigerate to cool.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

This is my new favorite dessert. My daughter thinks I could sell it - it's that good! It tastes like a decadent treat, full of creamy flavor and bits of chocolate. Cherries are a terrific source of Vitamin C and antioxidants. Plus, they are naturally sweet. This is one you don't want to miss. Don't forget to leave a comment to let me know how you liked it!

Ingredients
1 cup frozen dark red pitted cherries
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1 T mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a high-powered blender, mix frozen cherries and vanilla almond milk until partially smooth. Add chocolate chips and mix for 10-20 seconds more. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving with 215 calories

Coco-Oat Date Cookies

It has been a month since I last posted. Between family vacations and end-of-summer activities, I've been busy! But not too busy to whip up these enjoyable cookies. Each bite has a taste of coconut, dates, oats, and spices. It may be like a furnace outside but it's never to hot to warm your kitchen with freshly-baked cookies.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Smart Balance, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cups gluten free flour blend
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 1/2 cups whole oats
1/3 cup flaked coconut, sweetened
4 dates, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soften Smart Balance, add sugars, and cream until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir in oats, coconut, and dates. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chilled Rhubarb Soup

Let me say it: I love rhubarb. I love it's pink ruby color. I love it's tart sweetness. I love it's delicate cooked texture. I love rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb cake, and rhubarb ice. But the thing that takes me back to my childhood is the cool, sweet and sour deliciousness of the rhubarb soup served right before my chicken dinner at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. I have fond memories of  sitting with my family in the homey hustle and bustle of this southern California landmark. So when I heard that my local Sprout's had a crop of fresh rhubarb in I rushed right over and bought enough to make my rendition of Mrs. Knott's soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

Directions
Clean rhubarb stalks. Trim ends and chop into a medium dice. Place rhubarb and sugar in a large pot and toss to evenly coat rhubarb with sugar. Let stand for 1 hour. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. You may lightly puree the soup at this point if you would like a smoother texture. It also turns the soup to a beautiful pink hue. I always make sure that a few pieces of rhubarb are left for variety. Chill and serve cold.

Creamy Pasta and Chicken

Ingredients
16 oz. brown rice pasta shells (i.e. Tinkyada)
3 thin sliced chicken breasts, organic (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 T potato starch
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. celery salt
1 t. dried parsley
1 cup green peas (thawed if frozen)

Directions
Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, brown chicken in skillet.  Spray skillet with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from skillet and reserve drippings.

Whisk together almond milk, chicken broth, and potato starch. Stir in cheese, if using. (Note: Goat cheese is known to be easier to digest than cheese made from cow's milk.) Add to chicken drippings in skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Remove from heat and add seasonings.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to cooked pasta. Add peas. Toss all with cream sauce until well-coated. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

Summer Fruit Cobbler

Nothing says summer like peaches, cherries, and blueberries. Combined in this wholesome cobbler, their flavors shine through and are a satisfying ending to summer cook-out. Plus, the topping is fabulous with whole grains and the nutty-goodness of pecans. This is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients
Fruit Mixture
12 oz. cherries, pitted*
1 peach, diced large
1 nectarine, diced large
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sugar

*If you are using frozen fruit thaw completely before assembling cobbler.

Topping
1/2 cup Smart Balance, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole grain oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Place fruit in dish and sprinkle with sugar.

Blend softened Smart Balance, brown sugar, oats, flaxseed, and tapioca flour. Sir in pecans. Drop by spoonfuls on top of fruit mixture. The topping will not completely cover the fruit. This allows the fruit to bubble through while baking.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Easy-Peasy Pancakes

These four ingredient pancakes are a breeze to make. Plus, they have no added sugar or fat (except for the oil in which to cook them!) and they are are loaded with calcium, fiber, and potassium.

Ingredients
1 cup whole oats
1 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 banana
Grapeseed oil for cooking

Directions
Blend all four ingredients in blender. Let sit one minute. Meanwhile, heat grapeseed oil in large skillet on low-medium heat. You may test the readiness of the oil by flicking a drop of water into the skillet. If it sizzles then the oil is ready for the pancake batter. Pour batter into skillet to form 3-4 pancakes. Use a spatula to turn pancakes once small holes form on top of the pancakes. Cook for another minute and remove from skillet. Makes one dozen pancakes.

Spicy Sweet Potato Cakes

OMGosh! These are so good! They remind me of the flavor of these amazing sweet potato chips from one of my favorite restaurants. If you like spicy, salty, and sweet you will love eating and serving Spicy Sweet Potato Cakes.

Ingredients
1 T grapeseed oil
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 egg
1/2 t salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder

Directions
Wash, prick, and bake sweet potatoes in microwave or conventional oven until soft. Scoop out flesh and mix with egg and seasonings.

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Make free-form cakes in skillet. Flatten with the back of a spoon. Cook approximately 5 minutes on each side. Makes 6 servings.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Here is an easy and delicious cookie recipe that uses a cookie mix with some healthy additions, like sunflower seed butter instead of butter and whole grain oats. These are a favorite with my kids and husband and they take no time to whip up for a summer treat.

Ingredients
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 cup whole oats

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix sunflower seed butter, coconut milk, egg, and vanilla. Add cookie mix and stir. Add oats and stir until well-blended.

Place by rounded teaspoonful on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen.

Veggie Burgers

Burgers on Memorial Day - what could be better than that? But if you're like me and you are trying to watch your saturated fats, you may want to try these delicious veggie burgers instead of beef. Mine are ready in the fridge for our cook-out tomorrow. Can't wait!

Ingredients
1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked whole grain organic quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh chives, chopped
1 t dried parsley (you may use 1 T fresh, this is just what I had on hand)
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t sea salt
1 egg

Directions
In a high-powered blender, mix all ingredients until relatively smooth. You may need to stop the blender if the mix becomes too thick, stir, and blend again. It is okay to have a few whole garbanzo beans here and there.

Form into four patties. You may separate the patties using wax paper until you ready to cook them.

Choose your cooking method: skillet or grill. If using a skillet, heat approximately 2 T olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook 4 minutes on each side. If using a grill, put aluminum foil on grill rack and place burgers over medium heat. Cook 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with all the usual burger condiments. I like mustard, ketchup, dill pickles, and sliced tomatoes on my burger all wrapped in a large lettuce leaf. Yum!

Cottage Cheese Dip

Smooth and creamy herbed dip is a stand-by at many a holiday picnic. I've developed a recipe that gives all the deliciousness of sour cream dip with significantly less calories and fat. This obviously is a recipe with dairy so I apologize in advance to those of you who cannot use it. And to those of you who can, you're gonna love it!

Ingredients
2 cups organic cottage cheese (16 oz)
1/8 cup of milk of choice (if using almond or coconut make sure it is unsweetened)
1 t dried dill
1 t onion powder
1 t celery salt

Directions
Blend all ingredients in blender. If the dip is too thick, add a little bit more milk and blend until smooth. Serve immediately or chill until serving.

Calorie and fat count for the entire recipe
Calories: 490
Fat: 21 grams

Tuna and Rice Casserole

I know casseroles may have a bad reputation for being old-fashioned and boring but this casserole is anything but. Lemon juice and luscious slices of tomato keep this dish fresh and exciting. It is light summertime fare that will fuel your body and make your family happy.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 (7 oz) can chunk light tuna, water-packed, drained
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
1 T chopped fresh green onion
2 T mayonnaise
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
1 large tomato sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine rice, tuna, lemon juice, green onion, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Place tuna mixture in a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with tomato slices, salt and pepper, and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

Fresh Tomatoes and Kale with Garbanzo Beans

Here is a nice summer dish that utilizes fresh tomatoes and kale from the garden. It can be used to top pasta or rice or may be eaten on it's own. However, you partake of it, know that it is packed with vitamins and minerals that will provide the optimum nutrition for your body. Eat up and feel great!

Ingredients

1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 cups packed fresh kale, chopped

Directions
Place the onion and garlic in a medium pot with the water.  Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the lemon juice and kale.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the kale is tender. Makes 4 servings.