Spicy Corn Chowder with Chicken - SRC

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  (And Happy Birthday to my younger sis, Anna!)

So this isn't exactly an Irish recipe - but it does have potatoes in it, so that has to count for something.

And, I got the recipe from the blog of a lovely lady from England......which is neighbors with Ireland, so that has to count for something too. (little bit of a stretch there, I admit it)

For this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment, I had the pleasure of visiting Sarah's Kitchen.  Although Sarah is originally from England, she has been living in the States for 12 years and has been an American citizen for four.  She loves crafts and couponing, as well as cooking and baking.

She has a wide variety of recipes on her blog - one that I found particularly alluring was the Processor Danish Pastries.  I actually made them over the weekend with some variations on the fillings and absolutely loved them - but I failed miserably at getting the dough to stay pinched closed and the pastries were....shall we say....messy looking.  Certainly not photogenic.  But totally mouth-watering and irresistible.  I can't wait to try again with that dough.  It was so easy and flaky, buttery perfection.

But that was okay, because I had already made another recipe from her blog that I loved as well.  This chowder is so flavorful with the variety of peppers, but overly spicy.  Although my son thought I was crazy for pureeing part of the mixture, it really helps to thicken it up and make it more chowder-like and not as much of a brothy soup.   It's hearty, satisfying, and just perfect for a chilly evening.   I loved the little chunks of browned chicken breast in there, as well as the crispy bacon on top, but you could certainly make this vegetarian with equally good results, I'm sure.

Spicy Corn Chowder with Chicken

4 slices of bacon 
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 cups corn (frozen or fresh)
4 small/medium potatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp. dried thyme)
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups cooked and diced or shredded chicken (I just seasoned a couple of chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sauteed in a bit of oil in a frying pan until cooked through)


Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a large dutch oven until crispy; set aside.  If you used turkey bacon like I did, you might need to add a little oil to the pan - if you use regular bacon, drain grease, reserving 1 Tbsp.
To the reserved fat, add the onion, jalapeno, poblano pepper, red pepper, and corn. Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add in the potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree.  Add back to the soup pot and add in the milk, heavy cream, and cooked chicken. Let simmer for a few minutes.  Top each bowl with some crumbled bacon.

Adapted slightly from Sarah's Kitchen

An InLinkz Link-up

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

How's everybody liking the return of Daylight Savings Time?

Me??  I'm loving it.

It makes me so happy to have sunlight later in the day....and it makes me nearly giddy to have a few uninterrupted minutes in the morning with my husband (and once he leaves, to myself) without my darling littlest ones pulling on my pant legs asking for vitamins or bananas or cereal or my ipod.....because they're still asleep.  :)

I currently have a bunch of quickly ripening bananas in my fruit bowl and I'm gonna make a batch of these to welcome the kiddos up from their slumber today.

When I first saw this recipe, I was seriously skeptical.
The notion that you could make legitimate muffins, that actually look and taste and feel like muffins, without any flour whatsoever just perplexed me.  It just wasn't possible.  Was it??

Curiosity got the best of me and I made a batch recently.
I could not have been more pleasantly surprised.

They're tender, moist, and even have a crumb just like regular muffins.  We kinda went crazy for them.  Even my boy who has gotten rather weary of me making "banana" muffins.  Could have been the chocolate, but whatever.

What's also awesome is how fast they go together.  Throw a few ingredients in a blender, whir it around until it's smooth and creamy, stir in a little chocolate, and bake.  Couldn't be easier.

And while we are certainly not a gluten-free family, it's pretty awesome to have some recipes that are.


Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Mini-Muffins
Yield: ~ 40 mini-muffins

2 medium bananas, peeled (don't need to be over-ripe)
2 large eggs
1 cup peanut butter
4 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate - optional

Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare mini-muffin tins by lining with paper liners or spraying generously with floured cooking spray.

Place bananas and eggs into a blender and puree until smooth.  Add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and puree again until thoroughly combined.  Add chocolate and stir by hand.

Fill mini-muffin tins 3/4 full.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs.  Be sure to watch closely, as all ovens are different!
Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes - until they're cool enough to handle.
Muffins are best fresh - but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months.

Note: If you used the muffin liners, some of the batter will stick to them.  If you wait until the muffins are completely cool, it will be easier to remove them.  You may still be nibbling some of the muffin off of them. :)

Source: adapted slightly from Averie Cooks

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I can't think of a kind of salad I enjoy more than spinach with strawberries.  

Add in some candied almonds and it's practically dessert.  

Seriously.

And y'all know how I like dessert. 

Ahem.

So when we had some spinach and strawberries on hand last week, I had to make a salad.  My dear friend Christen makes an awesome spinach salad with bacon and strawberries - I wanted to make it but didn't have raspberry vinegar for the dressing, or any spare bacon lying around (what was the matter with me...we should always have bacon!) so I had to search for something else. 

When I saw this strawberry vinaigrette, I knew I had to try it.  

It's simple, goes together quickly, and only has 2 Tablespoons of oil in the whole batch - so it must be low fat....right????

And it adds simply marvelous strawberry flavor to the spinach salad.  I just loved it.  

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
(dressing from The Gracious Pantry)

Dressing:
(makes 1 1/3 cups)

1/2 pound fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp. honey (or more to taste if your berries aren't very sweet)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (use organic, raw vinegar if possible)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust honey to taste.

Salad:
1/4 cup sliced/slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
8-10 cups fresh spinach
Sliced strawberries

In a small skillet over medium heat, stir almonds and sugar until sugar is dissolved and almonds are toasted. Be careful not to scorch them, stirring often and reducing the heat if necessary.  The sugar takes several minutes to melt.  Pour onto a plate and crumble into pieces once cool.

In a large bowl, toss spinach, sliced strawberries, and candied almonds. Pour dressing over to taste.

Gluten-Free Banana Coconut Flour Muffins

As I mentioned before, I've not ventured into the land of "gluten-free" very often.
Particularly in baking.

Enter my mom.
She recently confessed that some time ago, she heard/read about the benefits of coconut flour and proceeded to order a 25 lb (!!!) bag of it.  Organic and all.  And it had been sitting unopened in her laundry room ever since.  She didn't really know what to do with it.

I graciously told her that I would be more than happy to take some of it off of her hands and play around with it.  After all, I do a lot more baking than she does these days, with a family of 7 and all.  She's just cooking for herself and Dad most of the time.  She was delighted to share her abundance with me and gave me at least 12 lbs of it a couple of days ago.

As I was deliberating what to make for breakfast this morning, I remembered the bananas languishing on the counter top and decided banana coconut muffins would be just the ticket.

I looked through a few recipes before deciding on one from Tropical Traditions, which is my favorite company from which to purchase coconut oil.

Having never baked with or even tasted coconut flour, I wasn't sure what to expect.

I read that coconut flour is high in fiber and protein, is of course gluten-free, and can be added to standard wheat recipes in small amounts to add extra protein.  Some recipes of muffins and quick breads can be accomplished with 100% coconut flour.  Since coconut flour contains natural sugar from the coconut meat, baked goods need less sugar added. The coconut flavor is fairly mild.

You need much less flour than in regular recipes - but that is countered by needing a lot of eggs, since it's a very dry and thickening flour. So these muffins end up with lots of protein from all those eggs and the flour -  and that's not a bad thing.  

I thought they were delicious.  The texture and flavor is a bit different from traditional wheat muffins, but I enjoyed them a lot.  The kids commented that they seemed not as sweet as our normal muffins, probably because I didn't sprinkle chocolate chips on top (don't know where they get the idea they need chocolate for breakfast.  I mean, really.)  I found them to be just sweet enough.  Grant thought they were really good, too.  

I will definitely make them again - variety is great - plus I still have 12 lbs of coconut flour to use!

Banana Coconut Flour Muffins
adapted slightly from Tropical Traditions
Yield: 16 regular muffins

1 cup coconut flour (organic is best)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 eggs
4 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (OR 2 Tbsp. melted butter + 2 Tbsp. oil)
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350°.
Sift the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a small bowl.  Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs together.  Add oil, milk, honey, sugar, and vanilla.  Whisk together to blend.
Stir in coconut flour mixture and bananas until well blended.  Batter will be thick.  Divide batter among greased or paper-lined muffin tins.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Teriyaki Chicken (Gluten Free/Dairy Free)

I am extremely thankful that we don't have any food allergies or sensitivities in my family (other than me with avocados...so weird....and unfortunate).  

However, I know there are so many families that have to deal with various issues with food and it can get so complicated.  I recently had the pleasure of making a meal for a friend from church who had just given birth to her 5th boy...and was told by the meal coordinator that they needed a dinner that was wheat-free and dairy free.

Wow.  That ruled out nearly every recipe I normally make.  I am a big believer in the value of butter....and cheese....and I love pasta, biscuits, breads.....oh, you know.  And the desserts.  Eliminating dairy and wheat leaves the options pretty sparse, unless you go to a specialty store to buy some unusual ingredients like xanthum gum or sorghum flour.  Sure can't find those at Walmart.

Anyways, I ended up making BBQ meatballs (with water instead of milk), Confetti Rice and Bean Salad, roasted green beans, and a fruit salad with strawberries, grapes, and blueberries.

Brainstorming what to make for them helped me realize that it's a really good idea to have a running list of gluten and/or dairy-free recipes from which to choose, should the need arise.

This meal definitely makes the list for me.
 
It's a really simple dinner, just requires some time chopping and cutting veggies and meat and a little time stir-frying it all.  But it comes together beautifully and was a hit with everyone in my family, including Grant's parents.  It's flavorful and slightly sweet - and the best part - all of the ingredients are nearly always in my kitchen.  So it's an easy go-to meal when plans go awry and I need a back-up, stat.

What are some of your gluten or dairy free favorite recipes?

Teriyaki Chicken (Gluten and Dairy Free)
from Angela's Kitchen

1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
oil for cooking (I use expeller pressed coconut oil)
4 carrots, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce (reduced sodium)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch or arrowroot
salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked rice, for serving

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, then saute it until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.  In the hot skillet (add a little more oil if necessary) stir fry the carrots and onions for several minutes. Once they're crisp/tender, add the broccoli and garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer.
Add the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables.  In a medium bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Add 2/3 of the mixture to the skillet.  Bring to a boil.  To the remaining liquid, add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add to the boiling mixture in the skillet and stir constantly until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice.

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad

I never fail to get a slight sense of panic when I'm in need of a side dish for company or a pot-luck.
A side dish that isn't dessert. (I always have endless ideas for dessert. Bet you'd never guess that about me.)
A side dish that isn't just steamed or sauteed vegetables.

This "salad" is a great option that will nicely accompany different meats or kinds of meals.  It's super easy to throw together and doesn't have any fancy ingredients that I don't normally have on hand.
Okay, I did actually purchase red wine vinegar for this recipe - don't use that one much - but it was cheap and I don't mind having it around.
And I never have cilantro on hand because my dear husband is convinced it's of the devil.
Pshhhh.

Anyhow, I thought it was really good served chilled, but the rest of my family actually preferred it warm.  Bonus - if you top it with a little cheese, you have a great dip for tortilla chips.

I love dishes that are versatile and can be served warm or cool.  Options are always nice.

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad (adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Note: I used brown rice - but you could use wild rice or white rice with equally good results.  Just cook according to the package directions.  

Salad:
3 cups cooked rice, cooled to room temperature (see note)
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed (or the same amount fresh corn kernels)
4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded, cored, and diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (I omitted)

Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss.  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.  Toss to coat.  Chill the salad for at least 2  hours before serving to let the flavors blend.

Linked to Finding Joy in my Kitchen