Gluten Free-zer Friday – Italian Pot Roast

Head over to MJ’s for Freezer Food Friday and see what is in her freezer!  She has pan seared burgers today (to make gluten free, be sure to use GF beef broth, bread crumbs and mustard).  Then come on back with your gluten free freezer recipe link.  If you have a gluten free freezer recipe to share, let me know in the comments and I will add you to the round up!  Come join in on the fun!

To Join in on Gluten Free-zer Friday:

1. If you would like to participate in Gluten Free-zer Friday, simply email your post link to your gluten free freezer recipe (angelas_kitchenATcomcastDOTnet) or leave a comment below and I will add you to the roundup.

2. Link back to this post on the post with the recipe you have linked.

You can freeze this dinner two ways – either as a “dump” recipe (everything gets dumped in a large freezer bag and mixed around to be cooked on another day) or cook it in the slow cooker, cool and freeze already cooked (just thaw and heat through when you want to serve it).  I have done both.

Do toast the fennel seeds.  It is an extra step, but really brings out the flavor.  I do this be placing the seed in a small pan without oil.  I swirl around the seeds until they begin to toast and release their aroma.  Remove from heat and crush.  Watch carefully and do not walk away as this happens pretty quickly.  You do not want scorched fennel seeds!  Blah!

Italian Pot Roast

3 lb. boneless beef pot roast (trimmed of fat)

1 (a 1 quart) jar of gluten and diary free prepared pasta sauce of choice

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and cut into thin wedges

4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2″ lengths

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon  coarsely ground black pepper

To freeze uncooked:  Place everything into a large zip-top freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible, mix around ingredients, label, and freeze.

To serve:  Thaw.  Pour contents of bag in slow cooker.  Cook on low of 9 to 10 hours.  I do not recommend cooking this on high heat.  Serve over rice, quinoa, gluten free pasta, roasted baked or sweet potatoes, etc. with a salad.

To freeze pre-cooked: Place veggies on bottom of crock with beef on top of veggies.  Mix herbs and spices, garlic and tomato sauce together and pour over beef.  Cook on low of 9 to 10 hours.  I do not recommend cooking this on high heat.  Cool. Slice beef.  Mix beef back into sauce.  Place in a large freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, label, freeze.

To serve:  Thaw.  Heat until warmed through.  Serve over rice, quinoa, gluten free pasta, roasted baked or sweet potatoes, etc. with a salad.

Slow Cooking Thursday – Eggplant Caponata

Head over to Sandra’s for Slow Cooking Thursday turned Cooking Thursday!

This is more of a late summer recipe, but as it freezes very well (I freeze 2 cup batches) I found one lonely package in the freezer.  Mmmm…  This next summer I think I will see how it does in the pressure canner.

Yummy with fish, chicken, as a veggie main dish, on sweet potatoes, grilled polenta, and on olive oil-brushed-and -grilled gluten free French bread.

Eggplant Caponata

8 plum tomatoes (such as Roma), peeled, seeded and chopped

4 small eggplant (12 oz each), cut into 1/2″ pieces

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2″ pieces

2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2″ pieces

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 large sweet onions, peeled, chopped

2 cups tomato puree

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar (I like to use dried cane for the bit of molasses flavor)

2 Tablespoons dried basil

1 1/2 cups chopped green olives

1/4 cup capers, rinsed

Mix all ingredients except olives and capers in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours.

Remove lid, stir and check liquid.  If too moist, turn heat to high and allow to cook with lid off for about 1/2 hour.  Stir in olives and capers.  Can serve warn, room temp or chilled.

Menu Plan Monday – January 24, 2010

Music cupcakes for the May 2009 piano recital by angelaskitchen.com

While looking through my pictures, I realized that some things I took for the blog were never posted.  Okay, a LOT of things.  See, I was thinking about posting more over the past few months, I swear!  :o)  Hopefully the summer pictures will warm us all up!

Above are the music cupcakes made for the piano recital.  There is another layer under there, but I don’t think I got a pic of them.  All gluten and dairy free, half chocolate and half vanilla.  Frosted with “butter cream” and chocolate fudge frostings.  Mmmmm….

Girl Scout Juniors to Caddette bridging 2009.

I knew there would be a sheet cake for the Girl Scout Bridging.  I wanted to make something special for my gluten free girlie to have instead; what says Girl Scouts more than S’more cupcakes?

S'more cupcakes for Girl Scout Bridging by angelaskitchen.com

The cupcake is a graham cracker crust base layer made from crumbs of my homemade gluten free graham crackers, topped chocolate cake.  The cake is topped with marshmallowy frosting (which I toasted slightly for that authentic s’more look), a piece of dairy free dark chocolate and piece of those homemade graham crackers.

I didn’t just make cupcakes this past summer, honest.  But they do photograph well!  I’ll put up more yummy blast-from-the-past pics as I post the next couple of weeks.

Head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  The Gluten Free Menu Swap is being hosted by Gluten Free Goodness this week.  She has picked Winter Seasonal Foods as the theme this week.  I live in Minnesota. This is my garden this morning:

Yeah, not so much in the garden right now except frozen ground, but I do have things put up from the garden and farmer’s market from the summer and fall (frozen, canned and dried -lucky me!) and a lot of the lovely storage veggies are plentiful (and CHEAP!) this time of year.  Onions, squashes, potatoes, turnips, sweet potatoes, and dark hearty greens like chard and kale.  Yummy in the tummy!  I also grow some herbs in little pots during the winter just because I miss gardening, too.  (I don’t really get a lot this way, it’s just a way for me to play in the dirt when my world is frozen.)  This year I was able to get some free lights that I am using as grow lights for my little plant babies.  That encouraged me to start some greens indoors, a cherry tomato and some other things I usually grow outside.  I will see how they do.  It’s been a fun experiment for me and the kiddos so far!

Herbs growing in my tiny Ikea greenhouse. angelaskitchen.com

(L-R) A baby Honeybunch tomato, parsley and basil. angelaskitchen.com

A cute little radicchio. I hope to plant this as a "salad bowl" when it's bigger with some other greens. angelaskitchen.com

Monday: Prep for class/band concert/dance practice

Apple Pork Roast in the slow cooker, mixed veggies

Tuesday: Mom volunteer in school library/piano lessons/teach class

Chicken, White Bean & Kale Soup with gluten free French Bread

Wednesday:  Older girls prep for Girl Scout meeting they are leading/youth group

Chicken Stir-Fry (I’ll raid the fridge and freezer for veggies and see what ends up in there), over rice or quinoa

Thursday: Half day for the big kids/Caddette Girl Scout meeting

My hubby picked up boneless pork chops on sale, so Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Chops, Cauliflower Puree, and a salad

Friday: No school for the little girl/half day for the big kids/8th grade Snow Days dance/dance dress rehearsal

I need a portable lunch for dress rehearsal, so I’m thinking a gluten free wrap sandwich with thinly sliced pork from Monday, roasted peppers and broccoli sprouts (you can grow those on your counter, too!), pea pods & carrot sticks.

Saturday: Dance recital for both girls

(Yes, I know, again with the cupcakes…  but I may have to make a dance cupcake or cookie of some sort.  Hmmm….  let me think….)

Upcoming gluten and dairy free class

I’m busy prepping for my upcoming gluten and dairy free class this weekend.  Lakewinds asked if I could incorporate Power Foods in the class this month as part of their “Super Food” month.  It’s been a fun class to put together.  As an extra bonus (besides the 5 night menu and shopping list) I will also be demonstrating and sampling a gluten and dairy free Dark Chocolate Walnut Ginger Biscotti.

Hope to see you there!

The class is being held at Lakewinds Natural Foods in the Minnetonka location.  Register for class here.

Gluten & Dairy Free Everyday Dinner Solutions featuring Power Foods

Start your year off right by adding power foods to your diet.  Power foods do more than satisfy the taste buds.  Besides having wonderful flavors and textures, these foods boast of added nutritional benefits to keep you in optimum health.  Learn how to incorporate them into your gluten and dairy free diet in this delicious class.

A full week’s dinner menu with step-by-step preparation tips and complete grocery list will be provided to each participant.  Class will be demonstration style with samples.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Gluten Free-zer Friday – Chicken Mango Curry

Wow, I haven’t done this in a while.  Still working on getting back on the bloggy bandwagon.

I will hopefully (cross your fingers and toes) get some Once a Month Mom adaptions up soon.  It’s a bit of work to put together with the rest of my work and just life as I know it.  As it didn’t seem worth the extra effort as not many people seem to need it or use it, I guess just let it go for a bit.  We will see how well I can incorporate it back in, just a bit at a time if it is useful for anyone.  (Just keep blogging, just keep blogging…)  I do, however, need to look at some applications for making the shopping lists an easier thing.  Manually adding things takes FOREVER and doing any kind of math while a six-year-old is trying to sit on your lap with ALL her dollies doesn’t work out so well…    Any great ideas out there?  You know, for the app, not the six-year-old.  ;o)

There is a yahoo group called GlutenFreeCasienFreeOAMC.  It doesn’t have a lot of activity yet, but it would be a great place for us all to share our OAMC gluten and dairy free goodies.  Join in and help us kick up the freezer food recipe exchange!

Head over to MJ’s for Freezer Food Friday and check out what’s in her freezer.  Then come on back with your gluten free freezer recipe link.  If you have a gluten free freezer recipe to share, let me know in the comments and I will add you to the round up!  Come join in on the fun!

To Join in on Gluten Free-zer Friday:

1. If you would like to participate in Gluten Free-zer Friday, simply email your post link to your gluten free freezer recipe (angelas_kitchenATcomcastDOTnet) or leave a comment below and I will add you to the roundup.

2. Link back to this post on the post with the recipe you have linked.

Chicken Mango Curry

1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces (I use a 20 oz pkg)

3 Tablespoons olive or coconut oil, divided

2 medium sweet onions, chopped (1/2″ pieces)

1 green bell pepper, chopped (1/2″ pieces)

1 red bell pepper, chopped (1/2″ peices)

2 to 3 cups green beans, or a mix of green and yellow beans

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2  to 2 1/2 Tablespoons curry powder (be sure GF)

2 mangos, peeled, and diced – divided

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1  1/2 cups chicken stock (be sure GF – I use homemade)

1/3 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup coconut milk (not light)

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Add half of chicken to pan and cook until chicken browns.  It does not have to be cooked through at this point as it will cook more later.  Remove chicken to a clean bowl.  Brown the second portion of the chicken, then add to first portion in bowl.

Add onions to pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are beginning to caramelize.  To the pan add peppers and the last tablespoon of oil.  Cook until peppers begin to soften then add garlic, ginger and curry powder.  Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Add chicken and any juices from the bowl, the green beans, half of the diced mangos, vinegar and stock to pan.  Increase heat, bringing liquid to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through, the veggies are very tender and the liquid has reduced.

Add remaining mango, golden raisins, and coconut milk.  Check seasonings and adjust, if necessary.  Simmer on a low simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more until curry thickness you desire is reached.

To Freeze:  Allow to cool completely.  Package in a labeled gallon freezer bag.  Freeze.

To Serve: Thaw.  Put in pan and heat.  Serve over rice or quinoa with a salad.  You can garnish the curry with chopped cilantro.

Princess Bride cupcakes & Menu Plan Monday – January 18, 2010

Today my lovely older daughter’s birthday.  She is now twelve years old.  No longer can I pretend she is a little girl, not when she is so close to the teen years…  Having my girl growing older means she has more complicated interesting choices  for birthday cake wishes (beyond the ladybug, Clifford and snowman cupcake days of yore).  Cake themes that make her heart sing and dance for cupcake joy.  Maybe it’s an indication I can hold onto her sweet sense of humor and joy and can pretend the teen years are still far, far away.  I do know what ever the next few years bring, they will be just as sweet as she has made these past 12 years.  Will I make Princess Bride cupcakes?  As you wish…

"Princess Bride" cupcakes by angelaskitchen.com

Look for close ups of the cupcake cuteness after the menu plan.

Head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  The Gluten free menu Swap is being hosted this week by The Lilac Kitchen.

Monday: Birthday Girl Day!/set building after school/Boy Scout meeting

Birthday girl choice:  Gluten free fettucini, meatballs and chunky garden tomato sauce, mixed green salad (with lots and lots of “stuff”) and gluten free garlic French bread  followed by Princess Bride cupcakes.

Tuesday:  Mom volunteer in school library/set building after school/piano lessons

Halibut in Green Tea Broth, quinoa and salad

Wednesday:  Dance lesson for little girl/set building after school/youth group

Walnut Crusted Chicken Breasts, salad

Thursday:  Newspaper club after school/Daisy Girl Scout Meeting

Ginger Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry, rice

Friday:  Mom help with 1st grade math games

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers with White Bean and Spinach Ragout

“Princess Bride” cupcakes by angelaskitchen.com

The birthday girl.

Close up of royal icing crown with sugar jewels.

“The chocolate coating makes it go down easier.”

“Plato, Aristotle, Socrates… Morons!”

Detail of Inigo Montoya’s jeweled sword.

“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Westley’s mask.

Buttercup’s crown.

Close up of Buttercup’s crown

“You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

“Iocaine powder. I’d stake my life on it.”

“Anybody want a peanut?”

The six-fingered man.

“Is this a kissing book?”

Menu Plan Monday – January 4, 2010

I have a confession.  I am not one of those moms who are happy the kiddos head back to school after a vacation.  I love, love, LOVE them being home.  I love the sleeping in if we want, making special meals, hanging out time.  But, well, this morning I was a bit relieved to see everyone out the door.   Sorry, kiddos!  Why this time?  Well, we have one sad little over-worked laptop and 4 other people (namely my pre-teen, my teen, my six year-old, and MY HUSBAN

D) in the house who want said computer while everyone is home during the holidays.  Yeah, you know what that means – as the mommy it means that my computer and I have been far, far apart for the past little while.  Well, except when I would threaten to not make dinner until I had my recipe from my computer (requiring wrenching the computer from the hands of the aforementioned family members, the little cuties…)  Any-hoo, no

w that I have complete computer daytime domination (bwah-ha-ha!!!) let’s see if I can keep on keeping on with the blog now, shall we?

Um, yeah, and don’t worry, kids, I still miss you while you are at school learning math n’stuff….

Head over to Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.  The Gluten Free Menu Swap is being hosted by Asparagus Thin this week.  Her theme is “dinner and a movie”.

Monday: Back to school/Girl Scout leader meeting

Pork and veggies (kind of a coconut milk curried-type of thing) over brown rice (presoaked) (made with pork meal starter from my freezer)

Tuesday: Mom volunteer in school library/piano lessons/ski club

Juicy Turkey burgers (make second batch for the freezer), salad and steamed veggie mix

Wednesday: little girl dance/Youth group

Sausage, winter greens and bean casserole (make second for freezer), salad

Thursday: Girl Scout meeting

Chicken, chick pea, winter squash and spinach curry over quinoa

Friday:

Slow cooker Chicken Cacciatore and Spaghetti Squash

This weekend: A Czech/Bohemian take of chicken and potato dumplings (this week I am all about the comfort food because it is COLD here) so that I can use this as my “movie” theme (hee-hee):