Gluten Free Sun Dried Tomato, Feta Turkey Meatloaf

Giada De Laurentiis was making this unique meat loaf the other day as I was watching Food Network (which I could watch all day). The flavors seemed like they would go well together and I love to make meat loaf with ground turkey, to make it a lighter more healthy meal. I served this with a great broccoli artichoke casserole and mashed potatoes. But try this recipe for a new twist on meat loaf. I made a few tweaks from the original recipe. Obviously replacing the bread crumbs with gluten free bread. Here is the original recipe.

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs ( I used Udi's gluten free bread)
1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach
1/4 cup marinated sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup feta cheese ( you can add more if you love it)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 pound ground turkey

1. Preheat oven 375
2. Grease 9x5 inch loaf pan
3. In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Add the ground turkey and work mixture until blended but do not over mix.
5. Put turkey mixture into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 375, let rest for 5 minutes out of the oven.
7. Slice and serve

Give a person a fish, and you feed them for a day. Teach a person how to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime.

This post is not going to be related to a gluten free lifestyle, but I wanted to do my part to spread the word about this amazing ministry that was presented to me the other day. Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves".

I went to eat lunch with my sister-in-law and she had a really cute shirt on that said 147 million orphans. I was asking her about the 147 million orphan ministry and as we were talking about it at Chick-Fil-A right behind us came one of the founders of the program and her beautiful kids. I felt like this was God's way of opening up my eyes to the conditions in Uganda, and the number of orphans in the world. 147 million orphans raises money for families who want to adopt, it supports feeding programs, and each purchase goes towards feeding a child in the poverty stricken countries like Uganda. They offer shirts, hats, and necklaces. Visit here to find out more 147 Million Orphans


Katie is a young 21 year old girl that decided to go to Uganda, and ended up staying and adopting 14 Ugandan girls. Katie has started a school, and a feeding program feeding 1200 people in Uganda.
After reading Katie's blog, I am moved to tears after seeing how much she has given up, and steped out of her comfort zone to answer Gods calling. She has not only taken in 14 young girls to raise and love, she has taught the women of the village how to make necklaces with beads out of magazine paper. The necklaces are then sold here in America at many locations in Nashville and the money is sent back to the ladies. She is not only feeding these people but teaching them a trade to provide income for their families. You might not be able to adopt a child, or spend time in Uganda but support the cause by purchasing items or donating to support this God centered ministry.

Traveling Gluten Free

Traveling gluten free can be  intimidating. It is always a good idea to pack lots of gluten free snacks in the car, just in case you find yourself in a place with no GF offerings. Apples, trail mix, gluten free rice cakes, peanut butter, and Larabars are always road trip staples. Chick-Fil-A is usually a stop we make on the road that has a few gluten free options like a grilled chicken and fruit salad. Oh and an added bonus their waffle fries are gluten free:) Zoe's Kitchen is a more leisurely stop we took this time and they have many locations offering healthy gluten free items.

While in Florida I have been very successful at eating out without getting glutened. Most restaurants offer a grilled or pan seared fish, and steamed vegetables. Just make sure to talk to a cook in the kitchen to make sure they understand how cross contamination works. I usually compare it to an allergy that way they understand. I was so shocked when one of our favorite restaurants at the beach, handed me a gluten free menu. So if you are in Pensacola you should definitely eat at Hemingways, I had mahi-mahi, spaghetti squash and asparagus. The kitchen staff is very aware of the gluten free diet and the best part is I did not get sick. One night we did a major shopping trip and decided to go to Chili's, who also have a gluten free menu.

So before leaving home, it is smart to see what dining options are in the neighborhood, and call to talk to a few places to see if they can accommodate you if they do not have a gluten free menu.

Breads from Anna

I recently conducted a cooking demonstration on how to make gluten free bread. The generous people at Breads from Anna donated a few bread mixes for me to demonstrate in my Cusinart bread machine. These mixes taste great, and as an added bonus are also nutritious! Breads from Anna uses a nutritious gluten free flour blend that includes chick pea flour, pinto bean flour, navy bean flour, and montina flour. This is a pleasant change compared to many gluten free products that are made of starches and white rice flour. All 50 people in the cooking class were blown away by the flavor of this whole grain bread. Breads from Anna mixes are available on line for purchase and at some health food stores. Click the link above to visit their website to order yours today!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

One of my favorite things to eat is a banana with peanut butter, or let’s face it anything with peanut butter! It is most definitely a problem. I have at least switched to the natural kind.. that makes it healthy right? So when I saw this recipe for gluten free peanut butter banana bread on a blog called Gluten Free With a Purpose, I had to try it. I did make a few substitutions.I used this recipe as a demonstration this past weekend at the Nashville Celiac Support Group because it is quick and easy. Here is the recipe I used:




1 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used Smuckers Natural)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup mashed bananas (3 ripe bananas)
2 eggs



Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf or muffin pans.
Combine the Bob's Red Mill mix with the sugar. Cut in peanut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until just blended. Spread evenly in pan or muffin tins.
Bake muffins 25 minutes or 1 hour for the loaf.

Hello Angel...

I am extremely behind on my blogging.. I have been super busy with cooking demonstrations, interviews, and life! Hang in there with me, I have lots of recipes and information to share but I will eventually get it all done:).

 I finally have time to sit down and write today because the weather is biterly cold at the beach. This post is inspired by the angel food cake that is served at the hospital I work. Most patients love it! It is one of a few options sutible for those with diabetes or heart disease and they are often the ones to complain. Those poor patients would cut their right arm off for chocolate silk pie or hot cobbler. I have had patients cry because they can't eat chocolate pie.. Come on really?? Thats how they got in the shape they are in!
Angel food cake is always a healthy option for those who need to watch their fat content.. But I thought a gluten free angel food cake would be the perfect way to end a light dinner. We topped ours with  fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This is a recipe from Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet. Which I will post soon but until now here is a picture.

Udi's Gluten Free Products

If you have not heard of Udi's gluten free products.. Please check out their website. I was so excited to receive a sample package of their delightful products. I had heard numerous reviews about how Udi's  gluten free products taste like the real thing and the products did not disappoint! I am in charge of a local celiac support group and wanted the chance to share these products with the members. The kind people at Udi's sent me white and whole grain sandwich bread, blueberry muffins, and pizza crusts. I will give a review of the products I have tried. The pizza crusts and white sandwich bread are in the still in the freezer. I am stretching the products out as long as I can because they are not offered locally.. However, you can order on line.

The whole grain bread tastes great right out of the package, if you have tried many gluten free breads they all require toasting. Most gluten free packaged breads taste like sawdust un-toasted. This bread does not need toasting. It is great for sandwiches and morning toast. It is made of a healthy flour blend and comes in at 160 calories for 2 slices.
Here are the ingredients Water, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Canola Oil, Egg Whites, Sugar, Teff Flour, Flax Seed Meal, Yeast, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Calcium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Cultured Dextrose, Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Corn Starch), Enzymes

This is a great bread for lunch boxes, both children and adults would love opening up a lunch box to a "normal" sandwich.. it beats rice cakes, thats for sure!

Blueberry Muffins

You can see from the picture the texture of these muffins are light and fluffy. They are sweet, but not overly sweet, which makes them an ideal breakfast treat! A lot of muffins have so much sugar they will spike your blood sugar and lead you to a "crash" within a few hours of eating. There are 4 muffins to a container, and they are huge muffins!! They are great right out of the package or for a fresh baked flavor you could toast them in the oven for a few minutes.

I will report back when I try the pizza crusts and white sandwich bread but after trying these products I have complete confidence they will not disappoint.. Check out their website.. and order your tasty products today. http://www.udisglutenfree.com/products

Valentines Breakfast

Saturday morning I cooked breakfast for my family for a pre-valentine's day treat! I have been studying the recipes of The Gluten Free Homemaker. She has beautiful recipes and she inspired me to experiment, I have tried to make cinnamon rolls and the recipes I have tried were so complicated and just so "okay" after all the work.  The Gluten Free Homemaker has a great cinnamon roll recipe that I just had to try... and wow not only were they simple to make they were wonderful!! I made them Friday afternoon, baked the rolls for 10 minutes, refrigerated overnight, iced them in the morning, and baked for 10 more minutes. They turned out great!! My family has already voted me in charge of Christmas breakfast this year. Here is the recipe for the cinnamon rolls. Sorghum is really a great flour to work with, it makes soft, non-gritty baked goods. Not to mention I lucked up on a bag for a dollar at the health food store the other day.. can't beat that deal!

Along with the fabulous cinnamon rolls, I made sausage swirls with my biscuit dough I recently posted. Sausage swirls were something we grew up having on Christmas and special occasions.  So I promised I would experiment with the biscuit dough and report back. Well as I imagined, they were a huge success! I rolled out the dough, about a 1/2 inch thickness. Next I put a layer of uncooked Honey Suckle turkey sausage. I used this sausage to spread a think layer on top of the dough, and then rolled them with one of the longer ends, creating a long log. After I had my log made, I sliced them into 18-20 sausage swirls and baked in a preheated oven 350 for 18-20 minutes.

I have pictures of our Valentines breakfast that will be up hopefully soon, I am experiencing a little computer technical difficulties..

Nature's Path New Sunrise Cereals

Nature’s Path Fan of the week!!!

I am a huge fan of Nature’s Path. They really have it figured out when it comes to quality gluten free products. I was privileged to be their fan of the week on Facebook a few months ago. If you have a Facebook account, become their fan and send in a picture of yourself enjoying their products and you might be lucky enough to win!

It is hard to find a gluten free cereal that packs much of a nutritional punch. Many gluten free cereals are made of refined gluten free flour and sugar. Nature’s Path has come to the rescue. Natures Path cereals are made with with whole grain, organic ingredients, and natural sweeteners. Not to mention, they are so tasty! I knew I already loved their Whole O’s, Panda Puffs, Mesa Sunrise, and Crispy Rice cereals. So I was anxious to try the new Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.

The Crunchy Maple Sunrise: This cereal is a combination of corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth. Talk about super grains, this cereal is loaded with nutritious ingridents! Just the right amount of maple and molasses create the perfect amount of sweetness. The texture is wonderful, the cereal contains flakes like that in the Mesa Sunrise, crispy rice, and corn puffs similar to the Gorllia Munch cereal. I usually like to mix my cereals so this just saves me a step.

The Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise:I love vanilla, and this cereal did not disappoint. It reminded me of an adult version of the gluten filled Rice Krispy TREATS cereal. Which to me is a really good thing! It contains the same good combination of whole grains and a sweet vanilla flavor. This partners well with fresh blueberries, bananas, almond slivers, and soy milk.

Neither of the new sunrise cereal’s are available at my local Whole Food’s yet but I have requested them. I will definitely buy these when they are available in my market area.

Delicious Gluten Free Biscuits!

I feel Hardee’s, Cracker Barrel, or KFC knocking on my door! We received an unusual amount of snow today and that lead to day filled of internship applications and lots of cooking!! Gluten free lasagna, brown rice crispy treats, fish tacos with pineapple salsa, and the most delicious gluten free biscuits I have ever made.I know you are thinking these items are not complimentary, but the lasanga is for Sunday night. Fish Tacos were dinner and we baked a few biscuits to try and put the others in the refrigerator uncooked to enjoy for breakfast. Even my non-gluten free mom thought they were better than the gluten filled ones. They actually had flakey layers, and were light in texture, not dense like many other gluten free biscuits I have made. I know if you have been gluten free for long you know the bricks I am talking about, they land in your stomach like cement, these are not that way. Try these you won’t be sorry!

Gluten Free Flakey Biscuits

1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sorghum “sweet rice flour”
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375. Mix potato starch, cornstarch, sorghum, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar. With a pastry cutter, cut in cold butter to flour mixture until the butter is blended into the flour. Add buttermilk to flour and butter mixture, mix til blended. Roll dough out with rolling pin or pat out with hands. Cut with round cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

These are great with apple butter, blackberry jam, honey, eggs, and sausage.

You could also use this dough to make sausage swirls (old childhood favorite). I will experiment and report back on those!