Zucchini Lasagna

1 lb ground sausage
4 small zucchini or 2 medium
1 (27oz)jar pasta sauce
4 oz mushrooms
1 (15oz)container ricotta
2 large eggs
1 TBSP dried parsely
1 C. parmesan cheese
1 C. monterey jack cheese
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preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. slice zucchini into long thin(1/8inch thick) strips.
2. brown sausage, add chopped mushrooms and pasta sauce. remove from heat.
3. beat the two eggs, and mix in ricotta cheese and parsley.
4. in 9 x 13 inch baking dish, create layers of sauce, zucchini, monterey jack, ricotta mix, and parmesan.
5. bake for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chili Dog Sauce

1/2 lb ground beef
1 Cup chicken broth
1 cup canned diced tomatoes in sauce
1 tsp dried onions
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
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1. brown ground beef
2. add other ingredients, simmer until desired consistency

Shepherds Pie

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Med Onion, chopped
1/2 C canned diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce
1 C Beef Broth
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 – 16oz bag frozen peas+carrots
mashed potatoes – 4servings
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1. Saute ground beef and onions until beef is browned.
2. drain grease, add tomato, broth, parsley and thyme. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. add peas and carrots, simmer 5 more minutes.
3. transfer to large baking dish. Cover with mashed potatoes.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Enchilada Sauce

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 TBSP Onion Powder
1 tsp garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
3 TBSP Chili Powder
2 Cups chicken broth
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Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Quick Gumbo

Ok, I lied, its not actually gumbo, but for a quick meal, its close enough and tastes pretty good.
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*1 rice cooker cup uncooked rice(aprx. 2/3cup)
*3/4 -1 pound sausage
*3 cloves garlic, chopped
*1 bag (12-16oz) frozen veg mix(celery, onion, bell pepper mix)
*1 can(14oz) diced tomatoes
*2 cup chicken broth
*1 bag(10-16oz) frozen okra
*1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme

Directions
*Prepare rice according to package or rice cooker directions.
*In 4 quart sauce pan cook sausage and garlic.
*Add bag of mixed vegies. and cook over medium-high heat for 7minutes.
*Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, okra and thyme. cook for 15 minutes.
*Serve over rice.

Black Beans

1 medium onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained(or use 2 cups fresh cooked beans)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP cilantro
1/4 tsp cayane
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C. chicken stock
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1. rough chop onion. carmalize onion(coat the onion with a bit of oil, and cook on low heat for 30-45 minutes)
2. add remaining ingredients to pan, turn heat to medium, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Puerco Pibil

This recipe comes from the special features of Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The dish is also found under the name Cochinita Pibil. But I’ll call it Puerco Pibil, as puerco refers to pork, while cochinita is a whole suckling pig. The cut of meat we will use is pork butt( a cut from the shoulder, the other shoulder cut is picnic). You’ll want a spice grinder for this, or be prepared to put a lot of elbow grease into using a mortar and pestle. I use a coffee grinder to grind mine, just don’t use the same one you use for coffee, unless you want everything to taste weird.

I find this recipe super simple to make, it only take a little planning ahead. as you need to start it the night before, and then pop it in the oven 4 hours before you want to eat. which works perfectly for me, since I am usually pretty awful about timing things to get done when I have guests over to eat.
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5 lb pork butt
1/3 C. annato seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 TBSP Whole black pepper
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
8 Allspice berries
1/2 C. orange juice
1 C. lemon juice
1/2 C. white vinegar
1 shot(1.5oz) jose cuervo tequila(it is listed as gluten free on their website)
8 cloves garlic
2 TBSP salt
1-2 Hot peppers with or without seeds(optional)…originally recommended is 2 habanero peppers with seeds removed.
banana leaves(cooler, but really pretty optional)
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1. Grind spices(annato, cumin, pepper, cloves and allspice)
2. in blender place other wet and dry ingredients(minus meat and banana leaves). add ground spices and blend.
3. cut meat into 2 inch chunks. pour marinade over meat and marinade 8-12 hours.
4. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. wrap meat in banana leaves in an 8x13inch baking dish. and to make sure no steam escapes put a little aluminum foil over the top. or just use aluminum foil over the top making sure to cover tightly.
6. bake for 4 hours.

Sweet and Sour Pork

~Pork:
1 lb boneless pork loin
1 egg white
1 Tbsp Cornstarch(the sauce also has 1Tbsp)

~Fruit/Veg:
1 med onion
1 green bell pepper
2 peaches
2 C. pineapple chunks

~Sauce:
1/4 C. Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
3/4 C. pineapple juice or water
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
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1. Cut fat from pork and cut into 1 inch cubes. coat pork with egg white, and use cornstarch to coat.
2. Cut onion into 1/2 inch wedges.
3. Cut pineapple, bell peppers and peaches into 1/2inch to 1inch chunks.
4. Add 2 Tbsp veg oil to the wok over med-high heat. Let oil heat ~30seconds, and add the pork. Stir fry for about 7 minutes.
5. Add onions, stir fry for another 2 minutes.
6. Add Bell Pepper, stir fry for 1 minute.
7. add sauce, pineapple and peaches. cook until sauce boils and thickens.

Split Pea Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb dried split peas
8 C chicken broth
1 C ham, cubed
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
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1. in stock pot saute onions and garlic in olive oil
2. add broth and other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 2 hours.

Tomato Beef

I’ve found I don’t cook with nearly enough beef. unless its ground beef? so I’ve decided to try a little bit this week. yesterday I made steak, today is this. Next couple days are going to be pork though, and if I can come up with something decent, I’ll try posting those recipes as well.
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1 lb boneless beef sirloin
2 C. (6 oz) snow peas (aka. Chinese Peas)
2 medium Tomatoes
1 medium Onion
1 Tbsp Ginger

~Marinade:
2Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Corn Starch

~Sauce:
1 C. Beef Broth
2 Tbsp Brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

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1. mix marinade together. cut beef against the grain into 1/8th inch strips. Cut each strip into about 2 inch lengths. marinate for 20 minutes.
2. mix sauce. cut onion and tomato into 1/2 inch wedges.
3. add 1 Tbsp oil to wok. Stir fry ginger for 30 seconds. Add the meat.
4. stir fry meat for approximately 3 minutes, until it is no longer pink. Set aside.
5. add another Tbsp of oil to the wok. stir fry onions for about 3 minutes.
6. add snow peas and stir fry 3 more minutes.
7. stir in sauce and bring to a boil and allow to thicken.
8. add the meat back in, along with the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to heat all the way through. Serve over rice or noodles.

French Toast

Pirates journal day 34,
Yesterday was the end of a very long week. A week ago, the captain was in one of those moods and demanded I find him food that was blue. I tried eggplant, but that was quickly shot out of the water, but it was the closest thing I could come across. I searched our food storage every day, hoping to find something new.

We docked three times that week, and the crew was getting restless. But the captain still waited, and wouldn’t let anyone eat until he had his blue food. This last trip into town was particularly bad. The men didn’t drink or raid the entire trip, they just checked the stores for anything blue, and left peacefully. It was then that I knew I had to try something drastic. I had one more option. I could cheat.

So last night, I made my famous Blue Eggs and Ham. It worked, and now we may finally eat once again. As a treat to the men for a hard week, this morning I am making them French Toast, and to go with it I’ve got them a nice large bowl of fruit. This was especially a treat to the men, who’ve never tasted things like strawberries and raspberries. I was especially careful to avoid fruits that were blue, or purple however, which I could tell was a relief to the men.

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2 eggs
1/3 C. milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 slices gluten free bread
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1. mix all ingredients minus bread in flat pan or plate.
2. coat slices of bread in mixture.
3. melt a little butter or oil in a pan, and fry the coated bread. serve with syrup.

7thsage Gluten Free Flour Mix #2

much simpler recipe, and I think one that comes out with much better results.

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2 C. White Rice Flour
1 C. Brown Rice Flour
1 C. Tapioca Starch
2 tsp. Xanthan Gum

Crab Cakes

if you get imitation crab, I suggest trans ocean crab classic, chunk style. and only the chunk style, the rest are not gluten free. most imitation crab contains wheat.

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1 1/2 lb crab meat *note above
2 eggs
2 TBSP Mayo
1/2 C gluten free breadcrumbs
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 dash hotsauce
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1. mix all ingredients
2. form into paties
3. fry for 4-5 minutes, then gently flip. and fry for another 4-5 minutes.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Moo Goo Gai Pan, or Sliced chicken and mushrooms is one of my favorites. I’ve tried a few recipes in the past, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve been over complicating a recipe that should be much simpler.

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1 lb chicken
1 TBSP ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh broccoli florets

sauce:
1 C. chicken stock or broth
2 TBSP corn starch
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Fish sauce

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1. add tablespoon of oil to wok. stir fry broccoli and mushrooms for 1 minute. set aside.
2. add another 1-2 tablespoons oil to wok, stir fry garlic and ginger until becomes fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken. stir fry till no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
3. add sauce, bring to a boil and allow to thicken. Add vegetables back in, stir and serve.

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notes: feel free to add a little extra broccoli, or some other vegies such as bamboo shoots(drain and rinse to remove tinny taste), water chestnuts(also drain and rinse), baby corn, carrots, green onions or others. Don’t use frozen vegies unless you have to though. save your frozen vegies for something else that won’t benefit from their freshness. And in the same vain, don’t overcook your vegies, you only need to stir fry most a short time.

Avocado Dip

ok, some of you may say… avocado dip, you mean guacamole right? well, no not exactly. This is similar to it, but its got a bit more stuff in it. If you want pure, authentic guacamole, this isn’t for you probably, this tones down the avocado a bit and makes a pretty good dip though.
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2 avocados
2 roma tomatoes
1 green onion(including the tops)
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 C. fresh cilantro
1/4 C. mayo
1/4 C. sour cream
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP sesame oil
1/2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
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mash avocado, cut green onion into small pieces, chop cilantro up a bit. mix all ingredients. goes well with corn chips.

Fresh Pasta

1 C. Rice Flour
1/2 C. Brown Rice Flour
1/2 C. Tapioca Starch
1/2 tsp salt(possibly a little more, still tweaking)
1 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 eggs (but I think I’m gonna change it to 4 because I used about an eggs worth of water extra)
plus a little water or flour to make sure its not too dry or sticky
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1. mix all dry ingredient
2. mix in eggs
3. knead for 10 minutes
4. roll out flat, and cut into noodles(I used a pasta machine and it worked out great)
5. bring water to a boil, and add noodles. boil for about 12 minutes.

Vegetable Pasta Salad

Pirate Ship Day 001,

This morning we raided an Italian village. The crew came back excited about how amazing the pasta there was that they demanded I make more tonight. Once again I feared for my life. I’ve never cooked on a ship before, and I had no idea what this ship was stocked with.

Image from internet

My first order of business was to find out what was on board. To my delight I found this wonderful bag of vegetable pasta!

So I knew what I had to make. I only hoped that these pirates would enjoy it. That taken care of, I gathered the rest of the ingredients and worked on figuring out the stove. Luckily the ship was in calm water while I figured all this out.

Once I got the food all made, I came upon the shock of my life. Nearly three years ago, my wife was taken away by pirates. But there she was sitting at the table. Not only that, but she was the mother of the captain. Meaning that the captain was our son! Oh how proud I was, my own son was the captain of a pirate ship! How cool was that?!

That changed everything, now I was no longer a prisoner, but a full member of the crew. For those of you who are curious, here is the reunion pasta dinner I made.
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1 – 12oz Mrs Leeper’s Rice Vegetabe Twists(or other gluten free vegetable pasta)
1/3 C olive oil
2 TBSP Rice vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP gluten free soy sauce
2 Roma tomatoes – diced
1 C Jack Cheese – cubed
1 Can black olives
1 lb. chicken – cooked, and cubed into bite size pieces
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1. cook pasta according to directions on package.
2. In bowl mix soy sauce, garlic powder, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil.
3. combine all ingredients in large pot or bowl. Serve.

Mac and Cheese

So today was a pretty frightening day. Why? Because I was attacked by pirates!!! With luck I managed to convince the captain (dread pirate Andrew, 2 years old) to leave his pirate ship alone and face me one on one. The situation was still dire though, as I knew he was a far superior warrior.

The fight was not lost however, I still had a trump card, for my intellect was match to anyone. Or so I had thought at the time. I am not so certain anymore. With my sharp wits, I chose a contest I had hope of winning. A contest of the stomach.

I should have known before I challenged him, but if the contest came down to mac and cheese, I would have no hope of winning. That’s where it all went wrong, for the Dread Pirate Andrew had the choice of weapon… and to my great dismay, chose the very mac and cheese that I feared.

At the end of the contest, his bowl was empty, and I was defeated. I did escape with my life however, which I had thought near impossible. So I can’t count this as a loss. In fact, life as a cook on a pirate ship is not all that bad. I even get a share of the loot without fighting! So if any of you are attacked by pirates, and need something to help you escape, here is the recipe that saved my life.
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3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP Rice Flour
2 C Milk
2 C Cheese
12 – 16 oz pasta
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
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1. cook pasta as directed.
2. in a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat.
3. add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until flour has darkened.
4. add milk, salt and pepper. cook till milk has thickened.
5. add cheese and stir till melted and mixed, about 1 minute.
6. pour melted cheese sauce over cooked pasta.

Au Gratin Potatoes

I made these a couple nights ago. Was pretty happy with especially how he cheese came out. The recipe starts out with a simple roux, though to be honest, I’m not sure how much it helps using the rice flour, but the recipe came out ok. I’ll have to try some variations next time I make it, or something with the same sauce.
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5 medium russet potatoes
1 onion diced
3 TBSP butter(not margarine)
3 TBSP rice flour
2 C milk
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
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1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In medium sauce pan, melt butter over low heat
3. once butter is melted, add rice flour. stir constantly for one minute.
4. slowly stir in milk, add salt and pepper. cook until milk thickens.
5. add cheese and stir till its all melted and mixed in. about 30-45 seconds. turn off heat.
6. slice potatoes and dice onions. pour cheese mixture over potatoes and onions in large baking dish. cover in aluminum foil.
7. bake 1 1/2 hours.

Ranch Beans

I made these last night, came out very good. I used a pressure cooker for it, but I’ll post the normal instructions instead. Ranch Style beans are my favorite so I wanted to give them a shot. They aren’t exact, but they are still pretty good.
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1 lb. dry pinto beans
4 C broth
1 1/2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
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1. In 4-5 cups water soak beans overnight or bring to a boil. once it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and let sit covered for 1 hour.
2.Drain and rinse beans
3. add broth and all ingredients except tomato sauce and salt.
4. bring to boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 5-6 hours. In the last hour add the tomato sauce and salt. check liquid levels occasionally.