Pizza Dip: Mom's Version

Pizza Dip: Mom's Version

8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 glob mayonnaise (about 1/3 cup maybe)
   salt -- to taste
   black pepper -- to taste
   garlic salt or powder -- to taste
   onion powder -- to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese -- shredded, or more to taste
   pepperoni -- chopped, to taste

JILL'S VERSION INCLUDES:
    Ragu or other spaghetti sauce

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and cheese.  Put in a pie plate.  JILL'S VERSION: Jill likes a very thin layer of Ragu or other spaghetti sauce on it.  Top with chopped up pepperoni.

Bake in the oven until warm and browning on edges (that is Jill’s favorite part) or bake in microwave until warm throughout.

GLUTEN FREE AND SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
Make sure cream cheese, mayonnaise, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and spaghetti sauce are gluten and soy free.

Source: Mom

MOM'S NOTES:  A glass dish works for the oven or microwave, but is nice to just pop back in the microwave when it is cold or leftover.

White Pizza Dip

We have several versions of Pizza Dip rolling around in our family.  This is Wendy's version that Kurt loves.

White Pizza Dip

8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup pepperoni -- chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Combine all of the ingredients in a shallow 1 qt. casserole dish.  Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or heat in the microwave until bubbly.  Serve with French bread or tortilla chips.

GLUTEN FREE AND SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
Make sure your sour cream, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and Italian seasoning are gluten and soy free.

Source: Wendy

Recipe Roundup: Jen's Recipe Box

The following recipes were recently posted on Jen's Recipe Box:

Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup Copycat from Rumbi's Island Grill
Labels: Chicken, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Freezer Recipes, Gluten Free, Recipe Clones, Soups Sandwiches and Sauces, Soy Free

Jen's Gluten Free Gravy and Cream Soup Substitute
Labels: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Storage Recipe, Gluten Free, Soups Sandwiches and Sauces, Soy Free, Substitutes

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken (Chicken and Rice)
Labels: Chicken, Crock Pot, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Recipe Roundup: Jen's Recipe Box

The following recipes were recently posted on Jen's Recipe Box:

Taco Seasoning Mix (Karla's)
Labels: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Marinades Seasonings and Rubs, Soy Free, Substitutes

Sweet & Spicy "Dump" Chicken
Labels: Chicken, Crock Pot, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Freezer Recipes, Gluten Free, Grilled and Barbecued, Soy Free

Recipe Review: Gluten Free Whole Grain Sandwich Wraps
Labels: Bread, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food Storage Recipe, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Recipe Review: Chicken Gyros
Labels: Chicken, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Healthy and Light, Soups Sandwiches and Sauces, Soy Free

Gay's Chow Mein

This is Mom's chow mein she makes for our Chinese Food Dinners.  It's fairly basic, but I love this chow mein, probably because of it's simplicity.

Gay's Chow Mein

chicken breasts, no skin, no bone, R-T-C
chicken broth
celery -- sliced
onions -- chopped
bean sprouts
mushrooms -- sliced
sugar snap peas
water
cornstarch
salt -- to taste
black pepper -- to taste
soy sauce -- to taste

I cook chicken in water or chicken broth, and then take out the chicken, shred it and put it back in the broth.  I put in sliced celery, chopped onions, bean sprouts, mushrooms (optional, of course), peas in the pod, etc.  When it is boiling, I stir in some mixture of 1 part water to 1 part cornstarch, to thicken it, and then add salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste.  We serve it over rice or noodles.

GLUTEN FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use gluten free chicken broth and soy sauce.

SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use soy free chicken broth.  Use a soy sauce substitute.

Source: Mom

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Mix in pot and bring to boil.   Add the mixture of 2 Tblsp water and 2 Tblsp cornstarch, and stir constantly until sauce boils for 1 minute and turns clear-ish.

GLUTEN FREE DIRECTIONS:
Use gluten free soy sauce and ketchup.

SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
Use soy free ketchup and a soy sauce substitute.

Cuisine: Chinese/Asian
Source: Mom

Mike & Mary's Sushi Sauces

Dynamite Spicy Sushi Sauce
Mary says that she actually uses a lot less rooster sauce than the recipe calls for.

Teriyaki Sauce

GLUTEN FREE DIRECTIONS:
To make both of these sauces gluten free, use a gluten free soy sauce.

SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
To make both of these sauces soy free, use soy free mayonnaise and a soy sauce subsitute such as this one.

Sriracha hot sauce (rooster sauce) should already be gluten and soy free, but always make sure to check the ingredients first.

Another Note About Gluten Free Oreos

I received this email from Becky this morning:

I made GF Oreos last night. I used the original recipe that the GF girl adapted hers from (Kitchen Lab Homemade Oreo Cookies) because I didn't have sweet rice or teff flour on hand... I just had rice, tapioca and potato starch, so I went to the original source and used my GF flour mix (Bette Hagman's GF Mix) cup for cup and made them. They turned out SO good and LJ and Saxon love them... so that's a good thing, and I usually have everything on hand that I used last night. As for the filling... I still couldn't bring myself to use shortening, it always leaves a weird feeling in my mouth. I bought some Coconut Oil, it's not too expensive and I thought it would be nice to have on hand, but I didn't end up trying it. I followed their recipe for the filling but instead of using the shortening I used a 7 oz tub of Marshmallow Creme (I also doubled the recipe for the filling because I made a batch of GF and non-GF)... I think they turned out really great with that, they have a good consistency and taste, with no oily after taste. So I just thought I'd share that little experiment with you!!! From what I saw it doesn't look like the Marshmallow Creme had any soy in it. So anyways, I was pleased.

Oh I should also note that at first I thought the mix was WAY too dry, but the GF version said to just keep mixing so I did and eventually it did come together in a clump.

Gluten Free Oreo Cookies

Adapted from Top Secret Recipes

1 package gluten free chocolate fudge cake mix -- 18.25 ounce
3 tablespoons shortening -- melted (I usually use regular safflower oil)
1/2 cup gluten free flour mix -- measured then sifted
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
Wendy's Buttercream Frosting Recipe or filling recipe on Top Secret Recipes

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl. Add the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface roll out a portion of the dough to just under one 16th of an inch thick. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter.  Alternately, I like to roll the dough in balls and flatten. Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of non-stick spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Remove wafers from the oven and cool completely.

As the cookies bake, make the filling with Wendy's Buttercream Frosting recipe (I think I made a half batch of frosting, but I'm not sure) or Top Secret Recipes filling.  If you are going to fill the cookies instead of frost them, you may want to make the Wendy's frosting thicker than the recipe calls for.

When the cookies have cooled, roll a small portion (heaping 1/4 teaspoon) of the filling into a ball (just over 1/4-inch in diameter), and press it between two of the cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies.  Alternately, you can just frost the cookies if you would like.

TO MAKE CANDY CANE OREOS: When making the filling (frosting), omit the vanilla and add peppermint extract to taste.

To make these SOY FREE and DAIRY FREE make sure your cake mix, shortening, flour, and filling (frosting) is soy and dairy free.  To make these EGG FREE use an egg replacement.

JEN'S NOTES: I used Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Dreams Chocolate Cake Mix and Pamela's Baking and Pancake gluten free flour mix.  The cake mix wasn't quite 18.5 oz so I added a couple tablespoons cocoa powder and flour mix.

Becky's Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. beef (I like the petite sirloin steak cut up into 1 1/2 inch strips)
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 recipe of Cream of Mushroom Soup or 2 cans of condensed soup
3 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (make sure it's gluten free, Great Value currently is)
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups light sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in pan (deep enough to add the rest of the ingredients to) add onions and garlic and cook until just soft, add cream of mushroom soup, ketcup, worcestershire sauce and fresh mushrooms, cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, add sour cream then serve over cooked rice or noodles. Makes about nine cups.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cups milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
4 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 small can of mushroom pieces

Whisk cold milk and cornstarch together in cold saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until thickened, stir frequently, add 2 cups boiling water and 4 bouillon cubes, whisk and cook until cubes are completely dissolved. Add mushrooms and blend with a stick blender until the desired consistency. Add to your favorite recipe.

Makes the equivalent of two cans of condensed soup.

*Cornstarch doesn't do well when it cooks for a long time, so if you are cooking something for a while, do the milk and cornstarch separately and add right before serving.*

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
Use gluten and soy free bouillon.

Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cups milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
(optional, small cut up pieces of cooked or canned chicken)

Whisk cold milk and cornstarch together in cold saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until thickened, stir frequently, add 2 cups boiling water and 4 bouillon cubes, whisk and cook until cubes are completely dissolved. Add to your favorite recipe.

Makes the equivalent of 2 cans condensed soup. If it's too thin, reduce water by 1/2 cup.

*Note, I've found that when cooking with cornstarch it doesn't do well to cook all day long, so when I made Hawaiian Haystacks in my crockpot, I cooked the chicken with the water and chicken bouillon and then before I served it I used a saucepan to bring the cornstarch and milk to a simmer until it was thick, then stirred it in before serving.*

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:
Use gluten and soy free bouillon.

Buttercream Frosting (Wendy's)

You can find Wendy's delicious recipe for Buttercream Frosting recipe here.

To make this frosting soy free, make sure to use soy-free shortening and butter. Also, a lot of times soy (and gluten) will hide in "natural flavoring" so make sure the butter doesn't contain natural flavoring.

Chimichangas (Mexican Meat Mix)

These chimichangas are a lot of work, but definitely worth it.

Chimichangas (Mexican Meat Mix) - Original

Source: Make-a-Mix Cookbook by Karine Eliason, Nevada, Harward, and Madeline Westover

5 pounds roast beef or cobination of beef and pork roasts
3 tablespoons shortening or oil
1-4 oz can chopped green chiles
2-7 oz cans green chili salsa
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 medium onions -- chopped
4 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
juices from roasts
flour tortillas
cheddar cheese -- shredded

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place roasts in a large roasting pan or Dutch Oven. Do not add salt or water. Cover with a tight lid and roast about 12 hours, until well done. Or cook roasts with a cup of water in a pressure cooker 35 to 40 minutes. Or cook in a crock pot several hours.

Drain meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones. Shred meat and set aside.

Melt shortening or oil in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Saute 1 minute. Add green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin. Cook 1 minute over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat. Cook 5 minutes until thick.

Sprinkle cheese into tortilla and fill tortilla with meat mix. Fold up both sides of tortilla, then roll up and secure with a toothpick (tortilla should be completely sealed). Fry in vegetable oil until golden and crispy. Serve with more cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and anything else that sounds good!

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Freeze flat in labelled freezer bags.

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS: Make sure your meat, shortening or oil, chiles, and salsa are gluten free and soy free (shortening is usually made mostly of soybean oil). Make sure your tortillas are gluten free and soy free. JEN: I would probably use corn tortillas and make taquitos. Just roll up and bake at 425 degrees F until crispy.

DAIRY FREE DIRECTIONS: Omit cheese.

NOTES : The idea of the original recipe in the cookbook is to allow the thickened meat mix to cool, then freeze the meat for use as needed (use within 6 months). However, our family always eats every last bit and there is never any leftovers.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Servings: 6

6 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds) (I think mom makes 1 to 1.5 potatoes per person)
4 ounces sour cream
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine -- divided
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) -- to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt -- to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper -- to taste
1/4 cup milk (1/4 to 1/2 cup) -- to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes. Cook, covered in boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash with potato masher or beat with an electric mixer at low speed.

Add sour cream, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of butter, onion, salt, and pepper. Gradually beat in enough of the milk tomake smooth and fluffy.

Spray crock pot with Pam. Put potatoes in crock pot. Dot with remaining butter. Place in fridge up to 1 to 2 days. When ready, heat in crock pot on low for 4 to 6 hours.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Prepare as instructed above except instead of placing potatoes in a crock pot, place them in a labelled freezer bag and freeze flat.  TO SERVE place frozen potatoes in slow cooker and cook until warm, stirring as needed.

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS: Make sure to use gluten and soy free sour cream, cream cheese, and butter.

Source: Jamie

JEN'S NOTES: 11/24/10 I used 1-24 oz bag Steam N' Mash potatoes (red potatoes with skins) and they were delicious. The flavor might have been a little strong for somebody like Scott, so if I was going to serve it to him I might use 1 1/2 bags Steam N' Mash potatoes to equal 2 pounds, but I loved it and wouldn't change anything if it was just for me. I also used 1/2 cup whole milk.