Coconut-Crusted Chicken Strips

I found two variations of this recipe in two different magazines, one in Taste of Home and the other in "Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry. Both looked delicious so I wanted to try them. One looked more bland, and the other looked too complicated to try to convert to gluten-free.

So I took the best of both worlds and I think the chicken turned out great!

I served these with the plum dipping sauce and fried rice on the side.

Coconut-Crusted Chicken Strips

2 egg whites

2 t. sesame oil

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup dry GF bread crumbs (toast the bread, then run through the food processor until you get the size you want)

2 T. sesame seeds

1/4 t. each: salt, onion powder, garlic powder

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1 lb. chicken, cut into chunks

Cooking Spray

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup GF Plum Sauce

1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/2 t. prepared mustard

1 t. cornstarch

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg whites and oil. In an 8x8 pan, add together the coconut, bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Toast in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes stirring every 5 so the coconut doesn't burn. You want a nice golden brown coconut.

When toasted add the spices. Dip the chicken in egg mixture then place in a gallon size bag. Pour in the coconut mixture and shake to coat. Pour chicken into the 8x8 pan. Spray the chicken with cooking spray.

Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. or until thickened. Serve with chicken strips.

Plum Sauce

I have seen some recipes that require Plum Sauce. I have searched all over town for a GF plum sauce with no avail... so I found a recipe for a homemade one.

I think it tastes pretty close to the real thing and even though it takes a little more time to make, you will always have a fresh batch of sauce in the amount that you need.

GF Plum Sauce

{This makes 1 cup}

1/2 cup plum preserves

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. apple cider or juice

2 T. GF soy sauce

2 T. ketchup

1 garlic clove, minced

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat to allow flavors to blend.

Grilled Tilapia with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

I never was that daring when it came to fish, which was a huge mistake!

Tilapia is a hidden gem!

It is low in calories and packs a punch of protein so it's perfect for the athlete's diet. I buy a bag of frozen fillets that are individually wrapped so I can pull out what I need. Because the fillets are so thin it defrosts so fast and cooks even faster.

This dinner was so easy to throw together and my husband gave rave reviews!

Grilled Tilapia with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

3 T. lemon juice

3 T. mince fresh basil, divided (I just cut into little strips)

2 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. grated lemon peel

2-4 tilapia fillets

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

For vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, 2 T. basil, olive oil garlic, and lemon peel; set aside 2 T. for sauce. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of fillets with remaining vinaigrette.

If grilling the fish, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill, covered over med. heat, or broil, 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Brush with reserved vinaigrette and sprinkle with remaining basil.

Parmesan Sauce Pork Chops

I did not get a good picture of these tasty easy pork chops.

Just use your imagination....

on the serving plate there is a layer of deliciously cooked in butter pork chops,

then a lovely parmesan cheese sauce over the top.

Sounds delicious right.

Parmesan Sauced Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops (I like the thin cut, they could fast and very evenly)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. butter

1 T. cornstarch

1 cup skim milk

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 T. grated onion

1/4 t. dried thyme

1/4 t. dried nutmeg

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chops in butter over med. heat until meat juices run clear; remove and keep warm.

Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat through.

Pour over the pork chops and serve. I served with a green salad and potatoes.

Fried Rice

I love fried rice.

I've been working on this recipe for a little bit, there are no exact measurements (I know, I hate these type of recipes too, but I promise it's good!) you just have to dump and stir to your liking.

This is also a great way to use up left over white or brown rice.

Fried Rice

Heat up a few teaspoons of canola oil in a pan. Add 1 1/2-2 cups cooked white or brown rice (or a mixture) when oil is hot. Cook for a few minutes. Sprinkle with GF soy sauce.

I like to add frozen mixed veggies (my fav. are the Fantastic Foursome from Trader Joes). You could also use any mixture of frozen corn, peas, or whatever you have in your freezer. (This is another great way to use odd-and-ends frozen veggies).

When the veggies are cooked, about 2-3 minutes, I create a small space in the middle of the pan and add 1 or 2 eggs (depends on how hungry we are and how many people this is going to feed) into the space. Sprinkle with a little salt and soy sauce. Scramble the egg and add into the rice.

I then sprinkle the whole mixture with a little salt to taste, the soy sauce is salty so sometimes this is unnecessary, pepper and a little sugar. The sugar is the secret ingredient.

Like mentioned before, this is all to your liking but that's how I like fried rice.

Serve with any of your favorite Chinese dishes.

Pesto

All I can say is, YUM.

I love, love, love pesto.

One of my favorite places to eat is Noodles and Co. Weird, I know, of a celiac person to make such a claim, but you can get rice noodles in place of any of the dishes they serve.

{Not all the sauces are GF, make sure you ask...I know the pesto and penne rosa are safe, but not the Mac&Cheese.}

Try this pesto, it's so good. I tried to replicate Noodles, and I think it came pretty close. Next time I make it I'm going to use 1/2 of the sauce on a pizza, yum!

Pesto

1/2 cup olive oil (must be olive)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 medium cloves of garlic

2 cups fresh basil leaves

3 T. pine nuts

Place all ingredients in blender, except salt/pepper and cream. Process until smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cream or whole milk 1 t. at a time until it's the consistency that you would like. Serve sauce immediately on GF noodles (I like the curly kind to hold the sauce). Makes 1 cup.

I like to saute mushrooms and roma tomatoes in olive oil to add to the pasta and top with more grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

I found this recipe in my sister-in-law's ward cookbook.

It's more of a sweet salad.

I love the salty-creamy-sweet taste.

I bet you can substitute any type of fruit/jello and it would still turn out delish.

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

2 c. crushed GF pretzels (I like the Glutino brand the best)

3 T. sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 8oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained

8oz Cool Whip

12 oz frozen raspberries

2 small (or 1 large) raspberry jello

Mix first three ingredients and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes and let cool.

Stir together cream cheese and sugar and add the pineapple and Cool Whip. Blend well and pour over cooled pretzel mixture.

Boil 2 cups water to dissolve jello and add the berries. Let thicken and pour over cheese layer. Refrigerate until set.

Company Chicken

This is also known as cheesy chicken.

Not only is this easy it has lots of flavor that isn't too strong so it's perfect for any palate.

I like to serve the chicken over mashed potatoes so the chicken forms a gravy, but the recipe says you can serve over rice or noodles as well.

Company Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts

1 recipe GF Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 t. lemon juice

3/4 cup cheddar cheese (I've tried other flavors, but cheddar is by far the best)

Place chicken in crockpot, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour the other ingredients over the chicken. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken when done, and let cook for 30 more minutes.

Serve on top of mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Southwest Chicken Salad

I almost didn't make this recipe...

Why??

Because I feel like I have a TON of recipes that are like this one.

But this one is by far the best.

So glad I tried it.

Not only is it easy to put together, but it looks very pretty.

We had it as salad the first night, and nachos for lunch the next day.

Yum. The dressing makes it so good.

*The original recipe called for cubed rotisserie chicken. That would be easy, but I usually don't have one on hand. So I do is cook 4-5 chicken breasts {whatever will fit} in my crockpot. When cooked, I shred or cube the chicken and place it in plastic baggies, or tupperware {depending on how "green" I'm feeling} in about 1-2 cup servings and freeze what I don't need right away. It's fabulous.

*The recipe also calls for roasted red pepper. I had never roasted a pepper before, but decided to try it. It made a huge difference. I just washed and cut the pepper in half. Then take out the seeds. Place cut side down on aluminum foil. I then broiled the pepper for about 3-5 minutes. They burn quickly so after about the first 2 minutes I checked on them. You want them to have a roasted look- a little black but not burned to a crisp.

Southwest Chicken Salad

1 cup cubed rotisserie chicken, or 1 cup previously cooked chicken

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 chopped roasted red pepper

1 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:

3 T. lime juice

3 T. canola oil

4 t. honey

2 t. cumin

1 t. salt

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. pepper

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients; pour over chicken mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Serve as a salad, a wrap or nachos.

Yum!

Black Bean Dip

I don't have a picture of this dip, since we usually take it to a gathering, the beach or eat it during a game, it's usually gone before I get the camera...

but it's too good to not post!

I was given this recipe after a neighbor took a heart healthy cooking class.

Not only is it heart healthy, it easy, and really flavorful.

Black Bean Dip

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup salsa (I like the fresh, refrigerated kind, I think the brand is Rojos)

2 T. lime juice

2 T. fresh cilantro

1/4 t. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and food process until the desired consistency. Don't let the color fool you, it's really good!

Serve with your favorite chips.

Chicken Florentine Meatballs

I thought these meatballs were very good, lots of flavor and easy to prepare.

You serve them over spaghetti squash, which I had never had before.

My husband described this meal as "tastes healthy". I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

So if you need something different, or just "healthy, try these meatballs.

I thought they tasted even better the next day.

Chicken Florentine Meatballs

2 eggs, beaten

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup GF bread crumbs (I just toast a piece of GF bread and then run it through the food processor until I get the size I want)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. dried mined onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1 lb. ground chicken

1 med. spaghetti squash

Sauce:

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms

2 t. olive oil

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried basil

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down on a microwave safe plate. Microwave, uncovered on high for 15-18 minutes or until tender.

For sauce, in a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add meatballs and heat through.

When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Serve with meatballs and sauce.

Berry Good Pancakes

These are good!

If you want a filling breakfast, this is it!

I found some organic oat bran that they say is GF...look for it. It's a great way to start your morning!

Berry Good Pancakes

Strawberry Sauce:

2 cups diced fresh strawberries

3 T. maple syrup

1/4 c. orange juice

1 T. cornstarch

Pancakes:

1 1/3 cups GF mix

2/3 cup oat bran

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

2 T. butter, melted

1 egg

1 T. maple syrup

1/2 t. vanilla

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Cooking spray

1 cup vanilla yogurt

To make sauce, mix together strawberries and maple syrup in a medium pot. Whisk together orange juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to strawberries. Cook over med. hieat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Sauce may be served warm or cold.

To make pancakes, preheat electric griddle to 325. Combine flour, oat bran, baking powder and bake soda in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk, mashed bananas, melted butter, egg, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix! Fold in blueberries.

Spray griddle with cooking spray. For each pancake spoon about 1/2 cup batter onto hot griddle and spread to make 4-inch circles. Batter will be thick. Cook until undersides are lightly browned. Flip pancakes and cook until other sides are lightly browned, 2-3 more minutes. Top pancakes with generous dollops of vanilla yogurt and strawberry sauce.

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream Frosting

I found this frosting recipe on Bakerella and recently used it on cupcakes. It will make your gluten free cake/cupcakes taste so much better. The recipe below is for the chocolate variety, both are delish!

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature {this is secret #1, set the butter out about 30 minutes before you start making the frosting. No zapping it in the microwave.}

1 t. vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar

1-3 T. milk, cream, or half and half

Using your hand mixer, blend the butter and vanilla until smooth.

On low speed, add the sugar in SMALL batches, allowing the butter and sugar to blend before adding more. {This is secret #2, I usually just dump the whole bag of sugar in, I have changed my ways, thank you Bakerella}.

If you want your frosting a little creamier, add milk 1 T. at a time beating on high until you get the desired consistency.

Sooo good!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Yes, it's a mouthful, but you will want a mouthful of this delicious frosting.

To me cake is something that you eat on birthdays, blah, blah....

But with this frosting I will be eating a lot, and I mean A LOT more cake. I found the recipe on Bakerella and it is sooooo good.

I made this cake for my daughter's 2nd birthday, which was on Easter. To get the decorating tips, look here. I used the Betty Crocker GF cake mixes, a chocolate and a yellow. It was so easy to put together and guests gobbled it right up. You can find the Betty Crocker mixes at your local grocery store.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

8oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

{now here is one of the secrets, soften at room temperature, no zapping in the microwave. I let them sit out for about 30 minutes.}

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1-3 T. milk or cream {I used whole milk}

With your hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla.

Here is the next secret to great frosting-making: Add the powdered sugar in SMALL batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition.

{Ingenious! I usually just dump the whole bag of sugar in and let 'er rip with the mixer! I have now changed my ways!}

Add the milk 1 T. at a time until you get the desired consistency.

If you want it creamier, get the frosting to your desired consistency and then beat on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.

So good! It will turn you into a cake lover.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I made these for my little girl's birthday, which was on Easter.

Not only are they delicious, they turned out so cute!

You start with a GF cake mix, which cuts out a lot of work, and usually guarantees that they will always turn out!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

1 cup white chocolate chips

6 T. butter, cubed

1 pkg. GF white cake mix

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chips and the butter. Microwave at 70% power until melted; stir until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted chips; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 min. Fold in the raspberries.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min. before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Frost with your favorite frosting.

*I used green food coloring and put about 2 cups of coconut into a ziplock bag and dyed the coconut to look like grass. Dump into a bowl. After frosting the cupcakes, I immediately dipped the top of the cupcake into the coconut and place 3 jellybeans on top. Happy Easter!

Whiskey Steak

Do not let the name fool you!

This is the best homemade steak marinade.

And you don't have to use whiskey, the recipe says you can use apple cider. Well, I didn't have whiskey or apple cider, but I did have a can of ginger ale, so I that's what I used and it turned out great!

Whiskey Sirloin Steak

1/3 cup Ginger Ale

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 beef top sirloin steak

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients; add the beef. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill until desired doneness and enjoy!

I served with the Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and corn on the side.

Strawberry Mousse Parfaits

These parfaits turned out so pretty, I got so excited and forgot to take a picture!

Here's a picture of the mousse part, it's so fresh and easy.

It's an impressive dessert you can serve it all summer!

Strawberry Mousse Parfaits

1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen strawberries, thawed, undrained

1/2 T. + 1 t. cornstarch

7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 T. orange juice

1/8 t. red food coloring, if desired

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Place strawberries in a food processor; cover and process until pureed.

In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and strawberries until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl; refrigerate until chilled.

Set aside 1/4 cup strawberry mixture. Add the condensed milk, orange juice and food coloring if desired to the remaining mixture; stir until blended. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 1/4 cup cream mixture into 6 parfait dishes or cocktail glasses. Layer each with 4 t. reserved strawberry mixture and 1/4 cup cream mixture. Refrigerate until serving.

Chicken With Rosemary Butter Sauce

If you are craving the taste of comforting, rich home cookin' this is it!

The chicken cooks quickly and makes a great gravy for the mashed potatoes.

You will feel like you are eating at your grandma's house!

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

2-4 chicken breasts (use one per person), cut into cubes

4 T. butter, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken pieces in 1 T. butter for about 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear and no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

Add broth to the pan; cook over med.-low heat, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir in rosemary and remaining butter until blended. Add chicken.

I like to serve the chicken and sauce recipe over mashed potatoes, using the sauce as the gravy. Enjoy!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

The recipe for these yummy enchiladas were given to by a friend who found it on Taste the Joy. They are easy and so good! I have modified the recipe a little bit to make it GF. You will love the tangy green sauce, the kick of the chili powder and sweet honey taste...yum!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 T. honey

5 T. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

10-12 corn tortilla

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz green enchilada sauce (make sure it's GF, I like the La Victoria Brand)

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Cook the 10-12 tortillas in oil for about 30 seconds on each side. This will make the tortillas bendable and they will not get soggy.

Pour about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking pan. Fill tortillas with marinated chicken and cheese. (You will have left over chicken and cheese). Place filled tortillas in pan, seam side down.

After the tortillas are filled and placed in the dish, mix the leftover marinade and chicken, remaining enchilada sauce and sour cream together. Pour sauce of the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.

Mmmm, delish.