Grilled Lamb Chops

This was my first time ever cooking any type of lamb.  This was a chance to use fresh herbs from my garden, but you could use dried herbs as well.  I ended up making 8 large lamb chops which was way too much for us.  However, if you are feeding several people and want some leftovers, it should work.  Otherwise, feel free to just add half of everything.  Also, this recipe is naturally gluten free and such, so no changes required!

 

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloved, minced

2 T. fresh rosemary

1 tsp fresh thyme and 3/4 tsp dried thyme

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tsp coarse sea salt

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

8 large lamb shoulder chops

 

Directions:

Put olive oil and all spices in a blender and blend until all are minced.  Rub onto each lamb chop and marinate the lamb chops in the fridge for one hour.  I put them in a plastic container with a lid and any extra oil mixture.  When you take lamb chops out after an hour, start the grill and allow the lamb chops to sit out for 20 minutes.  Toss them on a really hot grill and cook until the outsides are done- about 2-3 minutes on the first side and 3-3.5 minutes on the second side.  Our lamb chops were really large, so we did it just one or two minutes longer per side.  We served them pretty rare but you can cook them longer if you want.  Just don’t overcook them!

 

Original recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/grilled-lamb-chops-recipe.html

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

We made lamb chops for the first time the other day.  These potatoes paired nicely with them.  They were super simple.

 

Ingredients:

5 c. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced, 1 inch pieces

1 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c. butter or vegan butter (I used SmartBalance)

1 1/2 T. honey

 

Directions:

Peel and dice sweet potatoes.  Cover with water in a pot and boil for 15-30 minutes until they can be easily pierced with a fork.  Sorry, I forgot to time it and it depends on the size of your potato chunks.  If you’re in a hurry, you can dice them smaller and they will need to cook for less time.  Drain the water.  Mash the potatoes by them selves for a minute to break them up.  Add all ingredients.  I fold the butter in to help it melt.  Once butter is soft, whip the potatoes until creamy.

 

Inspired by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mashed-sweet-potatoes-recipe.html

 

Kansas Dirt Cake- vegan and gluten free

Being a Kansas girl myself, I had never heard of this, but I wanted to try it just because of the name.  Ok, so it looked decadent too.  It indeed was decadent.  I love sugar but even I could just eat one piece at a time. If you can do dairy, I bet you could just whip together some cream cheese, a package of cool whip, and a batch of pudding and it would be pretty similar.  It is pretty simple.  Either way, this is a treat!

 

Ingredients:

Pudding:

2 c. unsweetened cashew milk (could use coconut)

1/3 c. sugar (granulated)

3 T. cornstarch

Whipped part:

8 oz. Daiya “cream cheese”

1 c. powdered sugar (you could use less and it would still be very sweet)

SoDelicious CocoWhip (like CoolWhip)- comes in the freezer section

1 package Glutinos, pulverized (you can use Oreos if you’re not gluten free)

 

Directions:

Whisk together the “milk” with the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Cook on the stovetop until bubbly and then cook another 4 minutes until thick.  Let pudding mixture cool for 10 minutes and then place in fridge for 2-3 hours or until set.

Place the “cream cheese” in a bowl and whip for 2-4 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, 1/4 c. at a time.  Add in the cooled and set pudding mixture and whip again until combined.

Gently fold in 1/2 a package of SoDelicious CocoWhip.  If you can’t find this product in the store, you could chill a can of coconut milk for 4 hours and then whip up the creamy part and add a little sugar (unless you think the recipe already has enough sugar).

In a 9×13 pan, spread half of the pulverized Glutinos on the bottom.  Spoon in the whipped creaminess and spread evenly.  Top with the remaining Glutinos.  Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, but I think it tasted better after letting it set overnight.

Adapted from:  http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-dirt-cake/

Lentil Stew

My neighbors came over on a rainy day to play board games.  I tossed this in the crockpot and served it over rice.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture…

 

Ingredients:

7 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)

1 bag of lentils (about 2.5 cups)

2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 c. carrots, chopped

4-6 garlic cloves

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp pepper

 

Directions:

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

 

 

 

Adapted from the recipe on the back of the HEB bag of lentils.

Quick Korean BBQ

I have been looking for new ways to use ground beef.  This recipe was really simple and was quite different than our normal go-to’s of spaghetti, tacos, curry, etc.  The only specialty ingredient it needs is gluten free soy sauce.  I happened to have sesame oil on hand, but you might be able to sub in another oil.  I’m not sure how it would affect the taste though…  We ended up adding in some Asian veggies later and it turned into a nice 1-pot wonder.

Ingredients:

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. gluten free soy sauce

1 T. sesame oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 t. vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

2 green onions, thinly sliced (it’s ok to use more if you have more around)

Cooked rice

 

Directions:

Stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger.  Put vegetable oil in a large frying pan/skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Add garlic and stir for one minute.  Add beef and cook thoroughly, stirring to break it up.  Drain off the fat if you don’t want it and add the sauce mixture and green onions.  Cook for another 2 minutes and serve over rice.

Notes:

I actually made this from frozen, pre-cooked ground beef that I had cooked myself.  I freeze it in containers and then it makes the meal even quicker.  If you are doing likewise, just defrost it and make sure it warms up enough in the pan.

Original recipe: http://damdelicious.net/2013/07/07/korean-beef-bowl/

 

Banana Nut Muffins- Gluten free and vegan

I recently went camping and bought 3 bunches of bananas.  Turns out bananas don’t travel that well, so I had a bunch of overripe, partially smashed bananas that I didn’t want to go to waste.  I have a friend from Africa who loves banana bread.  He rarely asks for anything, but after I gave him one muffin, he asked for another.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. oat flour

1/4 c. millet flour

1/4 c. tapioca starch

1/4 c. potato starch

1/8 c. amaranth flour

1/8 c. teff flour

 

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 overripe bananas

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. butter (I used SmartBalance), melted

2 eggs or 2 flax eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

 

Directions:

Stir together flours, starches, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, mash two of the bananas and cream together with the brown sugar mix with beaters for 2-3 minutes.   Add in the “butter” and “eggs” and vanilla extract and beat again with the mixer.  Gently stir in the flour mixture.  Mash the other two bananas, but leave them with bigger chunks.  Stir into batter along with walnuts.

Pour into 2 muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.  You don’t need to grease the liners.  Fill them halfway and then tap the tin on the counter to squeeze out air pockets.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees.  They should spring back when you touch the top without leaving an indentation or you can stick a toothpick in them to see if it comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen.

 

Note:

If you want to make this with full gluten, replace all of the starches and flours with all-purpose flour and eliminate the xanthan gum.

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Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/banana-nut-muffins-recipe.html

Coconut Flour Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’re like me and have been experimenting with baking, you may find yourself with way too much coconut flour on hand.  So many of the coconut flour recipes call for eggs but this one doesn’t!  At first I was disappointed because these were a little gritty, but then I froze them and found them quite addicting in their mostly frozen state.  Forewarning that these taste a little “healthy”, but if you like that taste, you might love these.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. vegan butter

1/3 c. coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. white rice flour

1/3 c. coconut flour

2 T. potato starch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c. Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1/4 c. chopped pecans

 

Directions:

Cream butter and sugars.  Add milk and vanilla and stir well.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir in chocolate chips and pecans.  Set the dough aside for 20 minutes so it can rest (maybe this is because of the coconut flour?)  Bake cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  May be frozen for longer storage.

 

Adapted from:

http://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2014/05/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Chicken Salad

This is one of my go-to’s for camping, picnics, etc.  It is so simple and versatile.  It’s hard to find a sandwich bread on a store shelf that is gluten, dairy, and egg free and that won’t crumble apart around your sandwich and baking bread takes awhile, so this is my normal solution.  If you are really in a hurry, you can use canned chicken.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken.

~1/4 c. regular or vegan mayonnaise (Vegannaise and EarthBalance have vegan mayos and I think there are more brands out now)

1/4 c. craisins

salt and pepper to taste

dash of onion powder

1-2 tsp celery seed

Optional:  add-ins such as chopped celery, onion, green onion, etc.

 

Directions:

Shred chicken.  Add mayonnaise until it is the moistness you like in your chicken salad. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as onion powder and celery seed if desired. Add in mix-ins such as craisins, celery, etc.  May be eaten with crackers, inside half an avocado, on a sandwich, or just by itself.

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Blueberry Banana Smoothie

I bought a lot of bananas for a campout.  They didn’t travel very well and were desperately in need of being eaten when I arrived home.  I have been brainstorming ways to use them up and this is one of them.  Blueberries and bananas.  What could be better?! (Don’t answer that 🙂

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 very ripe bananas

1/4 c. frozen blueberries (I think a 1/2 cup might be better)

1/2 c. coconut milk from a carton

1/4 c. crushed ice

 

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Drink immediately.

 

Notes:

This was very good, but a little heavy on the banana.  I think the additional blueberries will balance out the banana taste.  We are going to experiment some more and let you know.

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Simple Peanut Butter Banana Frozen No-Bakes

The name is longer than the ingredient list.

One of my friends told me about these.  It is her husband’s dessert that he makes.  She didn’t, however, give me the exact recipe, so this is my experiment.  It is very simple and oh so good!  I think I am going to try it as popsicles sometime and I’ll let you know if they turn out.  This is a good, cheap, and healthy snack for kids too.

 

Ingredients:

1 large, very ripe banana, mashed

2 T. peanut butter

 

Directions:

Mash banana.  Add peanut butter and stir well.  Place onto wax paper and freeze for at least an hour.  I froze mine overnight.

 

Notes:

I tried adding additional ingredients, but it actually made them less tasty.  The only down side is that your fingers get kind of messy as the heat from them melts the “cookie” which is why I want to try them as popsicles.