Pork Potato Skillet

 This yummy meal reminds us for some reason of camping and making tin-foil dinners. 

We LOVE camping so this is a good thing!! 

Pork Potato Skillet

4-5 medium sized potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces

4 carrots, chopped into bite size pieces

3 Tbsp. olive oil 

3 cups pork chops, cubed 

2 c. frozen corn

1 tsp. dried chives (optional)

1 tsp. dried basil

garlic, to taste

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste 

1/2 c. of water

Heat oil in large skillet.  Add potatoes and carrots and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir well and cover, turning down the heat so it simmers.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until pork is cooked through. 

If you don't have carrots, just add another potato or two. 

Mexican Rice-Gluten and Dairy Free

 This is an old family recipe, one I grew up with and have always loved. It is simple to make and it is always a huge hit with kids.  

I love it even more now, since the only change I had to make with our new way of eating was to leave out the cheese.  

Awesome! 

We were low on veggie toppings this day. No olives even!

Mexican Rice - Gluten and Dairy Free 

1 lb. of ground beef

2 cloves of garlic (or use powdered)

3 small cans of tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. of oregano 

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice

Frito chips 

lettuce

tomato

olives

green onions

avocados 

Cook rice.  While it is cooking, brown the meat and add garlic.  Add tomato sauce, spices and sugar.  Add cooked rice to sauce. Simmer. Serve over Frito chips.  Top with lettuce, tomato, olives, green onions, avocados, etc. 

Yum! 

Easy Shepard's Pie - Gluten and Dairy Free

 Shepard's Pie is a favorite of mine. It is easily adapted to be gluten and dairy free and I can shove as many veggies into it as I want! 

My kind of recipe! 

Easy Shepard's Pie- Gluten and Dairy Free

1 lb. or so of ground beef

3-4 carrots

2-3 celery 

mushrooms

corn

green beans

1 c. of chicken broth 

1/4 c. cold water with 2 tbsp of corn starch (arrowroot powder works great too)

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

4 -5 potatoes or sweet potatoes 

Cook potatoes or sweet potatoes in microwave or oven, and set aside. 

Brown the meat in a skillet. Chop up carrots and celery very small, or shred both in food processor.  Cook in skillet until softened. Add other veggies, mushrooms, corn, green beans, or any other veggies you desire. Season with salt and pepper.  

Add broth and bring to slight boil.  Mix cold water and corn starch until smooth and then add to meat and veggies.  Bring back to slight boil.  

Place hamburger mixture in casserole dish.  Smash or chop cooked potatoes up and lay on top of meat and veggies. 

It's delicious with sweet potatoes! 

Fast and Easy Gluten Free Dairy Free Secret Pumpkin Pancakes

These pancakes are awesome because they are gluten, and dairy free (grain free too!) AND they are super fast and easy. 

Plus, the kids love them.  Hits all the important points, right? 

As another added bonus, they are really good for you! 

Since my son was diagnosed as anaphylactic to pumpkin, we have started using "secret pumpkin".

Gluten Free Dairy Free Secret Pumpkin Pancakes

12 eggs 

2 cups of sweet potato puree (or 1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin , if tolerated)
4 Tbs. chia seeds*

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla 

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until evenly combined.  Cook on heated, greased skillet.  As all gluten free pancakes, these do better when kept a little smaller.

(*You can make these without chia seeds and they are still great.  The chia seeds just add volume to the pancakes and make them seem more "bready".  Plus they add awesome nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats! Win win!) 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Meatloaf

My dearest mother taught me that you eat with your eyes, and therefore all meals should have lots of color in them. 

For that reason alone I have a love/hate relationship with this meal. 

It tastes SO GOOD! But it is so darn UGLY! 

In the end the taste wins out. Plus it is immensely easy prep for such a nice meal. Just remember to start early. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Meatloaf

1 1b. or so of ground beef

1 egg 

3/4 c. quinoa flakes (use oats if you can tolerate them, we can not) 

chopped onion, to taste 

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

garlic, to taste 

Combine all ingredients in bowl until well incorporated.  Put into a loaf pan. Cook for 1 hour at 350*. 

At the same time and in the same oven cook some potatoes and a butternut squash. 

Baked Potatoes

Scrub and poke potatoes all over and place directly on oven rack. 

Butternut Squash

Wash and slice in half.  Clean out strings and seeds. Place face down on a cookie sheet. When done cooking scoop out of shell.  Eat with brown sugar (as my hubby does) or with salt (as I do). 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Yeast Free Breadsticks

These breadsticks are insanely easy and fast. 

My teenager said they are better than Olive Garden's! 

These things pretty much qualify them as being the best. food. in. the. world. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Yeast Free Breadsticks

1/3 cup of light (in taste, not fat) olive oil

1 1/4 c. Gluten Free flour (I use Pamela's Bread Mix)

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. salt

2/3 c. milk of choice (I use coconut milk)

Put olive oil in 9 x 13 pan and set aside. Measure all ingredients into a bowl and stir just until dough ball forms.  Coat with more flour and knead about 10 times on floured board. Roll out till about 1/2" flat and cut it into 1" wide strips.  Add strips to 9 x 13 pan, coating both sides in the oil.  Arrange strips close together and cook for 15 mins at 450*. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Hawaiian Haystacks - Instant Pot too!

EDIT: Instant Pot version below - using frozen chicken! Also you can cook rice in the instant pot at the same time! 

My kids adore this recipe. 

I have nothing else to say. 

Just . . . make it. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Hawaiian Haystacks

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped 

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 c. chicken broth 

2 c. milk of choice (I use coconut or rice)

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt

1/4 -1/2 tsp. pepper 

1/4 c. arrowroot powder(This is used as a thickener. You could sub corn starch.)
1/2 c. cold water

Cook chicken breasts in oil. (Alternately you could boil them, then chop up and add. I have also successfully used canned chicken which makes it super fast!) Add broth and milk, whisking together.  Add spices. Put arrowroot powder in a small bowl and slowly whisk in cold water until it is smooth and lump free.  Add to the sauce and stir until incorporated. Add spices.  Simmer while whisking until sauce thickens.

Instant Pot Hawaiian Haystacks - Gluten and Dairy Free

*Add frozen chicken, broth, rice milk, and spices to instant pot.
(**If you want to cook your rice in the IP also, see below for directions.) 
*Cook on High Pressure (manual) for 15 minutes, then Quick Release pressure.
*When pressure has all released, remove chicken and shred.
*Before returning to pot, turn on "sauté" function.
*In small bowl whisk arrowroot powder and cold water till smooth.
*Add to broth/milk mixture and whisk.
*Return chicken to pot.

If you want to cook your rice in the Instant Pot at the same time:
* After adding chicken, broth, milk and spices to the Instant Pot, place your trivet on top of the frozen chicken.
*Place an oven safe bowl on top of trivet.
*Add 3 cups of rice and 4 1/2 cups of water to bowl.
*Continue with IP directions above.  
PEASE NOTE:  This will cook your rice perfectly for this meal, but you will get some broth in the rice, so it will be slightly flavored.  (In case you wanted rice leftover for another meal and didn't want it flavored with broth.)

Serve over rice, topped with:
*diced tomatoes
*bell peppers
*pineapple (don't skip the pineapple!)
*corn
*olives
*green onions
*chopped up spinach (or other greens)
*diced raw mushrooms
*mandarin oranges
*finely chopped carrots
*any other veggies you can find! 

*For added nutrition, cook your rice in broth, in place of the water. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Cookies

Have I mentioned that cookies are my favorite ever?!

I love, love, love this recipe and so do all the kids.

 They are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Pretty much cookie perfection. 

Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Cookies

3 c. of gluten free flour (I use Pamela's Bread Mix)

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 heaping cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini

1/2 c. light (in flavor, not calories) olive oil

2 eggs

Combine everything in a bowl until well incorporated. It will seem very dry at first, but the zucchini will moisten it right up in a minute or two. 

Grease cookie sheets.  Bake at 350* for 20-25 mins, depending on how crunchy you want the edges.  We love them a little crunchy here!