Chinese Fried Rice

I have always loved fried rice.  This recipe is very YUMMY!

1 to 1 1/2 lbs of chicken
soy sauce
1 c rice, cooked and cooled (3 c cooked)
1 small onion
2 medium carrots
3/4 c frozen peas
3 eggs
1/2 stick butter
1 t garlic powder

Cut chicken into chunks and marinate in soy sauce (enough to coat chicken) for a couple of hours.  Cook eggs and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook chicken.  Add onion, carrots, peas, cooled rice, and eggs.

Melt butter and mix with garlic powder.  Pour over rice mixture until evenly coated.  Add more soy sauce to taste, if desired.

Classic White Bread

I finally found a bread I like!!!  I have one other bread recipe I need to put on here, but this is great for sandwiches.  YAY! I have missed sandwiches. Next time i'll use smaller pans so the bread is more sqare. There are a lot of steps, but I promise it is worth it.

2 c rice flour
1 1/4 c Carol's Sorgham Blend (look at top of categories for this mix)
2 T sugar
1 T xantham gum
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 c nonfat dry milk
2 1/4 t (1 package) dry yeast
1 t unflavored gelatin (optional, but helps bread retain moisture)
1 1/2 c water
2 T margarine or butter
1 t rice vinegar
3 large eggs

Combine all dry ingredients and wisk together in a large bowl and preheat oven to 200 degrees

Melt margarine in water and heat to 120-130 degrees and add water to dry ingredients slowly on low speed.  Then add vinegar and eggs, one at a time.  Then mix on high for 3 minutes. (dough will look like thick cake batter)

Pour dough into one greased bread pan.  Place in preheated oven; turn oven off.  Let the dough rise until doubles; about 45-60 minutes.

Turn oven on (with bread still in it) to 375 degrees.  Bake 25-35 minutes; until toothpick comes out clean.

Place bread on cooling rack for 10 minutes and remove from pans.  When bread has cooled slice and place in bag.  Store in freezer.

Microwave a few seconds and then toast it. (At least that's how I like it.)

3 Bean Chili

This chili is pretty darn good and very easy to make. And it's great for leftovers!

2 pounds ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chopped green pepper
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 16 oz cans diced tomato
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 T chili powder
2 t dried oregano
1 t cumin

I also like to add cayenne pepper to spice it up. I have to do it to my own bowl because it's too much for the kids. (If you want to make a smaller recipe, just use 2 cans kidney beans and cut everything else in half)

Peanut Butter Bars

These definitely hit the sweet spot.  I haven't found a homemade cookie recipe I like yet.  But, these curbed the craving for cookies.  I think next time I'll use crunchy peanut butter.  


Okay, I tried them with chunky peanut butter.  They were amazing.  I am changing the recipe, but I'll keep the old on in parenthesis in case you like it better. I've decided these taste quite a bit like reese's candy bars (with and added crunch).

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups chunky peanut butter (peanut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk chocolate chips (semisweet chocolate chips)

Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and  add sugars, peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.

Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Melt chocolate chips and spread over the top. Cool and serve.

Bacon Potato Soup

This soup is delicious.  My husband said it was good and he doesn't really like very many soups.  I was hoping to have leftovers for dinner tomorrow night, but I should have doubled the recipe. (It only fed 2 adults and 3 small children).  Next time I will be doubling it for sure.

8 slices of bacon
5 smalls potatoes
1 med onion
1 bell pepper, optional (I used red)
3 cups water
3 bouillon cubes
2 c milk (I used 2%)
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt and pepper (or to taste)
1/2 to 2/3 c sour cream, depending on how creamy you want it
1/2 c cheese

Peel potatoes and cube.  Boil with 3 cups of water and the bouillon cubes 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove and place on paper towels.  Saute onion and bell pepper until tender.

When potatoes are soft pour half of water down sink and keep remaining in pan.  Mash potatoes slightly with fork.

Measure out milk and use a small portion to mix in cornstarch and add cornstarch milk and milk to potatoes.  Add bacon, onions, bell pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil over medium heat until thickened.  Add sour cream and cheese.  Allow cheese to melt and enjoy!

Cornbread Pancakes

I like making breakfast for lunch my kids. They love pancakes. I decided to try this recipe I found on glutenfreemommy.com. They are really good.

2 cups stoneground yellow cornmeal
1/2 c rice flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I use homemade 1 T vinegar to 1 cup milk, let sit 5 minutes)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg


In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, rice flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the buttermilk, water, oil and egg with a fork until blended. Add to the cornmeal mixture and mix until lumps are eliminated.

Cook as you would regular pancakes. I made honey butter to spread on them. My kids LOVED them.

AWESOME Pecan Pie

YUM, YUM, YUM!!! This is a great pie. And it's very simple to make.

3 eggs, beaten
1 c dark Karo syrup
1 t vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 t salt
1 9" uncooked pie shell
1 1/4 cup pecan chunks

Spread pecans on bottom of crust.  Mix first 6 ingredients and pour over pecans.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35-45 more minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Or you can slightly twist pie and if edges are firm and center jiggles slightly it is also done.

Basic Pastry Crust

This pie crust is more like a regular pie crust than the rice one, but it has a lot more ingredients and takes more time.  It is really good though.  It also makes enough for a double pie crust or you can freeze half for later.

1 c Carol's Sorghum Blend (look on the list of categories, the mixture is on there)
3/4 c tapioca
1/2 c sweet rice flour
3 T sugar
1 t xantham gum
1 t guar gum
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c shortening
1/2 milk
1 t vinegar or lemon juice

Mix all dry ingredients well.  Add shortening with a pastry blender.  Then add milk and lemon juice until ball form and knead until smooth.   (Or use a food processor to mix flours and then add shortening until crumbly.  Then at milk and vinegar until ball forms.  Remove and knead until blended.)

Make two 1 inch disc.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate 1 hr.

Remove from fridge and massage the disc to warm slightly.  Place between two peices of floured plastic wrap. Roll out.  Remove top plastic wrap and invert over the pie pan.  Remove plastic and press into place.  Decorate edge.

Bake 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

If using Double-crust place a rick in the bottom position and another in the middle position of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake 15 minutes.  Move to middle position and bake 25 to 35 minutes more or until the top crust is nicely browned.  Cool on wire rack.

General Tso's Chicken (Spicy)

If you like spicy food, this one is delicious!  Bo LOVED it.

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of chicken cut into chunks
egg
corn starch
1 bag broccoli 


Sauce:
11/2 t chicken bullion
4 T sugar
6 T soy sauce
2 T vinegar
2 t garlic powder
1 t ginger
2-4 t red pepper flakes (I did 4 this time.  It was too hot for me but Bo liked it.  Next time, 3)

Warm a about 6 tablespoons of oil in frying pan.  Dip chicken in egg and then into cornstarch.  Place in pan and brown chicken on both sides. Steam broccoli and make sauce while browning chicken.  Add sauce when chicken is browned and simmer until chicken is done. Serve over rice.  

Carol's Sorghum blend

This is a flour replacement for regular recipes.  I definitely like it better than Bob's Red Mill multipurpose flour.  But, I am still getting used to the new flours and the textures they make. So, this is the only other I've used.

I got it from the book 1000 Gluten Free Recipes by Carol Fenster.  I haven't used a lot of the recipes, but the pie crust I made today from it was really good.

1 1/2 c Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 c potato starch/cornstarch
1 c tapioca flour

Blend well with a wire wish.  Store in a cool, dark, place in a tightly sealed container.  (I store all of my flours in the freezer, you just have to bring them to room temp before using.)

Sweet Pork Tacos

These are delicious!  One of my new favorites and it's simple.  Great for parties!

What you need:
2 lbs or pork (roast or boneless ribs)
1/3 c of brown sugar
1 small can of green enchilada sauce
2 cans black beans
1 cup of rice, cooked
2 avacados (guacamole is also awesome!)
2 tomoatoes (homemade salsa is good too I was going for an easy dinner)
sour cream

Place pork in crock pot on low and add brown sugar an hour later.  Cook about 5 more hours and shred (or cook until it is easy to shred). Add enchilada sauce and cook until heated through again (about 30 mins).

Place beans in a food processor or blender to mush them and heat them in microwave.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Or just buy black refried beans.)

Dice tomatoes and avacados

Serve with hot corn tortillas.

South of the Border Meatloaf

I tried my best to get a picture that makes meatloaf look tasty, but I don't know if that's possible.  I love meatloaf.  It is yummy and very easy to make.  This one is made with tortilla chips.

1 to 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
1 egg
2/3 c finely crushed tortilla chips
1 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper (I didn't have a green bell pepper and used small can of green chilies instead.)
1/2 c Ketchup
1 1/4 c cheese

Mix all ingredients except beef and 1/2 cup cheese . (I like to mix mine in the bread pan; it makes one less bowl for washing.)  Then mix in beef.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Add cheese and bake about 15 -20 minutes more.