One-Pot Chicken Parm

Photo by John Kernick Used with permission.

With Autumn just around the corner, my mind has been on one-pot meals. On my list to make this Fall is Silvana Nardone’s One-Pot Chicken-Parm Rice dish. This recipe comes from her new cookbook: Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed. You can get it starting September 2!

Please note that the recipes to Silvana’s gluten free all-purpose flour blend and her dairy-free Parmesan (two ingredients used in the recipe) are located below the chicken parm recipe. Keep scrolling for more delicious goodness 😀

One-Pot Chicken Parm Rice

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 48 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded skin
Salt and black pepper
1/3 My Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
1 cup long-grain white rice, well rinsed in cold water
1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup homemade or store-bought chicken broth or water
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (about 1 cup)
6 large fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup Dairy-Free Grated Parmesan or store-bought
1 cup shredded store-bought dairy-free mozzarella for topping

Instructions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in the flour. Working with 2 pieces at a time, add the chicken to the Dutch oven and cook, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

2. Add the rice to the Dutch oven and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil. Top with the chicken, tomato sauce, basil, Parmesan and mozzarella. Cover, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the chicken and rice are cooked. 30-40 minutes. Serve hot.

Silvana’s Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour

Makes: about 10 cups
Prep Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cups (870 g) white rice flour
3 cups (375 g) tapioca flour,
preferably Shiloh Farms
1 1/2 cups (246 g) potato starch
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons xanthan gum

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Transfer to an airtight storage container. (The flour keeps in a cool, dry place or refrigerated for up to 6 months.)

Dairy-Free Grated Parmesan

Makes: About 1 cup
Prep Time: 1 minute

Ingredients:

3/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Using a food processor, pulse together the macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast and salt. Refrigerate. (The Parmesan will keep in a resealable container for up to 1 week.)

Priority Bicycles

I have been looking for an affordable bike for riding around town. So, when I found Priority Bicycles through Make Magazine, I knew I found my bike. Not only is the structure aesthetically pleasing, there’s no need for maintenance!

Priority Bicycles focuses on creating bikes for the recreational rider. The three gear bikes are lightweight, have a comfy seat and use a belt that requires no grease. The bikes also have an advanced foot brake system. There are two frame styles: a diamond and a step-through. I invested in a step-through model 🙂

When I found out that Priority Bicycles was inviting backers to test out the bikes, I decided to stop by. I came by on Tuesday and was greeted by Lauren. Lauren thanked me for coming and told me about her passion for cycling. She then introduced me to Dave, the owner of Priority Bicycles.

Lauren and Dave showed me their workshop. I got to see their prototypes and tested one of their diamond models. During my ride, I used the bike’s three gear system and its brakes. I was able to shift gears seamlessly and the pedal back brake system worked great. I can’t wait to ride a Priority Bicycle around my neighborhood 🙂

Priority Bicycles’ Kickstarter campaign is active until August 14 and the workshop is open for visits. Check out Priority Bicycles’ website for more details.

A picture Lauren took of me riding a Priority Bicycle 🙂

Pumpkin Chai Banana Loaf

Due to the success of my Gluten Free Ratio Rally Sweet Potato Breakfast Loaf, I decided to upload another quick bread recipe that I’ve made. This recipe is based on a standard muffin/quick bread recipe except it is made with a twist–tea! Yes, tea :).

I’ve had the lovely opportunity to discover David’s Tea 🙂 David’s Tea has a lovely array of herbal, green, puerh, maté, black, and oolong teas. I am developing an impressive collection 🙂

I used David’s Tea Pumpkin Chai to help flavor my loaf 🙂

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil, plus more for the bread pan.

2 cups all-purpose gf flour blend
¼ cup sugar, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 banana
1 egg or 1/2 ripe banana for egg sub.
1 cup milk (or non-dairy sub.), plus more if needed
1tsp vanilla
David’s Tea Pumpkin Chai tea

Steps:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease the loaf pan.

Put on a kettle for a hot cup of tea. When the water is ready brew your tea to your desired strength. You want the chai tea to be strong because it will flavor your loaf :). Combine this with the melted butter and sugar. Place this in a pot and simmer it down to a syrup.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Once the syrup is made, mix it in a bowl with the vanilla, egg and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it.

Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to combine the ingredients. You want to fold the ingredients rather than beat them together. The batter should be lumpy, thick and moist.

Spoon the batter into the bread pan. Bake your loaf for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove your loaf from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before taking it out of the pan. Serve warm.

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Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

It’s officially fall! Fall means pumpkins, apples, warm sweaters, generous cups of hot drinks, and tasty breakfast cereals 🙂

In my refrigerator, I had some leftover quinoa that was begging to be used for breakfast. So, I took it out and combined it with some fruit, nuts, spices and seeds. The result–an amazing, filling breakfast option.

Here’s the recipe:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 tsp cinnamon or spice blend of your choice (I chose pumpkin spice)
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Lightly oil a baking pan and spread your mixture over the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy 🙂

A Small Business called Little Bird

Hello All,

I know I normally post about food but I wanted to share about a small business :).

Little Bird is a online business started by a grad student. It is a collection of handcrafted items. The collection includes scarves, stationary and earrings. Little Bird could use your help to grow :). Check out Little Bird on Facebook @
https://www.facebook.com/littlebirdpage

And make a purchase on their Square account:
https://squareup.com/market/little-bird-14

Trail Mix

I just spotted this link for trail mixes on Brit & Co. I’m thinking about making some of these 🙂 Here’s the link:
http://www.brit.co/#post/trail-mixes

Homemade Sunflower Butter

What tastes better than peanut butter? Sunflower butter tastes better! And it’s so easy to make.

Check out the recipe below 🙂

You will need:

3 cups raw, unsalted hulled sunflower seeds

1-2 tablespoons sunflower oil

A pinch of sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Spread your sunflower seeds onto a large baking sheet. Be sure to have them a thin layer.

Place them in the oven for a total of 10-15 minutes.

After the first 5 minutes, rotate the seeds every 3 minutes until seeds are golden brown.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes.

Add the roasted seeds to the bowl of your food processor or high powered blender. Blend/pulse, for a total of 10-12 minutes.

While the machine is running, add oil (1 tablespoon at first) and a pinch of salt.
If you feel that your butter needs a bit more liquifying action, add additional oil. The full breakdown process will take 10-12 minutes. Turn off your machine once in awhile to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Store your butter in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Homemade Almond Milk

I have discovered the joy of homemade almond milk. It is simple to make and tastes delicious.

To make it you need:

1 cup raw almonds (these should be soaked overnight)
2 cups cold water
A cheesecloth
A container

After the almonds have been soaked, rinse them and place them in a blender with two cups cold water. Blend until the water looks creamy.

Place your cheesecloth over your container and let your almond milk drain through. Feel free to squeeze the cheese cloth to get out the excess moisture. You can dry out the almond meal and use it in baked goods.

Once your almond milk is in a container feel free to add whatever sweetener you may wish to add.

For some vegan shake ideas check out this page: http://www.brit.co/#post/dairy-free-shakes

I tried the mint chocolate chip recipe and it was amazing 🙂

Lentil Burgers

I like lentils but sometimes I get in a lentil rut. I tend to make variations on lentil soup. But this time I decided to try something different: lentil burgers!

For the burgers you can use:

1½ cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water
4 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ red onion, diced
2 slices gf wholegrain bread, roughly diced or
1 ½ cups freshly made gf breadcrumbs
Spice blend of your choice (I chose Trader Joe’s Smoke Seasoning)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly whisked or flax eggs
1-2 tablespoons gf flour

Place the lentils in a large saucepan with the stock and smashed garlic. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer them for uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside to cool.

Combine the spices, red onion, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils and stir to mix. You are welcome to put the beans in a food processor for a smoother texture.

Add the whisked eggs to the burger mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined, adding enough flour to bring the mixture together.

Form the mixture into large patties with your hands.

Prepare a large frying pan. Cook the patties on the prepared pan for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side, or until both sides are golden and cooked through.

Once they are finished, feel free to add whatever toppings you prefer. The burgers are great with guacamole 🙂

Chickpea Patties

Chick peas are an iron rich source of fiber and protein. They also make wonderful patties as well.

For this project I decided to experiment with an existing falafel recipe. And with some adjustments, I created a fantastic alternative.

Here is the recipe:

1 3/4 cups dried chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion quartered
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime
1 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
Olive oil

Feel free to adjust the seasonings for flavor.

The chickpeas should be soaked in water for 24 hours before you start your project. Check on them to make sure they are submerged.

Once the 24 hours are up, drain your beans and place them in a food processor. All of the ingredients, except for the oil,
should be processed with the beans. I found that I needed to add a small amount of water to mixture in order to have it blend smoothly. But the mixture shouldn’t be too moist. You want to be able to shape it with your hands.

Once your mixture is prepared, fill a pan (I chose a skillet) with a little less than a half inch of oil. Heat your pan to medium heat. Once heated, cook your patties until they are golden brown on either side. Once they are browned, remove them from the heat and enjoy.