More fun recipe experimenting

Check out the recipes coming out of my kitchen as of late:

Red Enchilada Sauce

Red Mole Sauce

Chili

Gluten Free Casserole with Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese

Enjoy some more recipes that have been tested in my kitchen

Still trying more Indian recipes, so give these recipes a whirl....and I have a naan recipe that rivals traditional naan!  And the chicken bowl can be easily adjusted for the Leaky gut diet!

Butter Chicken

Paleo Garlic Naan

Caribbean Chicken Bowls with Grilled Plantains

More recipe experimenting

With a few people in my life who are on the mend, I am seizing the opportunity to try some new recipes that are either already "Carrie-friendly" or can be easily adapted.  I have a few successes to share from this week's experimenting.  All were super easy and can be made during a busy work week with no problem.  Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs

Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup with Parsley/Sage Walnut Pesto

Chicken Tikka Masala

Want to try some new recipes and just need a little inspiration? Recently had to go gluten free and you don't know where to start?  I have been there...and I want to help people like us have delicious food to enjoy.   Check out my collection of Gluten free, potentially Paleo/Whole 30/Leaky Gut diet friendly, recipes: Carried Away Crafts: Recipes

Trying some new stuff

New recipes to enjoy.....definitely give them a shot

Coconut lime chicken

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Sweet Potato Zucchini Casserole

Digging through some old favorites

More fun recipes to try from my glorious past.  Definitely give them a try!


Springtime Pasta with English Peas, Pine Nuts, Parsley, and Lemon

Creamy Chicken with Artichokes

Sambal Chicken Skewers

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken and Artichokes in a Tomato Cream Sauce over Penne

Ricotta Cheese Soufflé with Thyme

Basic Vegetable Quiche

Check out this recipe that is filling and filled with protein

Tried this Epicurious recipe for Red Wine-Braised Chicken with Chorizo and Chickpeas last night and it was a hit.  The best part is a small serving will fill you up easily, so no need for starchy sides with this dish.  This recipe will be a repeat in our house.  Definitely give it a try!!!!

More recipes to try.....give them a whirl!

Some more recipes that we have tried and liked.  As it gets closer to swimsuit season, I am inclined to  eat more salad, so there are a couple salad recipes to enjoy.  Definitely check out the new and improved Chinese takeout recipe and yummy lamb chops for something a little different.

Cheers!

Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Salad

Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Salad

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Grilled Lamb Chops with Chimichurri

More midweek-friendly meals

During the cold weather, like many of us out there, I crave comfort food.  I have been experimenting with my Mom's Meatloaf recipe.....not a super fancy food, but it was a staple for many of our family meals growing up.  I love her recipe but have struggled to adapt it to my new food lifestyle.  The hardest part was finding gluten free versions of Brown Gravy packets and bread crumbs that adds enough flavor but doesn't make the loaf exceptionally dry.  I have gone through several trials, but I think I have settled on the right balance of moisture and flavor that takes me back to helping prep dinner in the kitchen with Mom.  Give it a try!

Mom's Meatloaf - Gluten Free Version

I was also able to try a new dish that is perfect when you are scrambling to make something quick during the week that tastes good.  And, I found all the stuff I needed to make this in my kitchen already...so not a lot of pre-work required.  Definitely a keeper!  Thanks to getinmybelly.com for the recipe inspiration!

Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken

More recipe experimenting this week...tribute to delicious pig!

Two more recipes for your bag of tricks....the pork chops is great for a quick meal that only takes about 30 minutes to prepare....perfect for mid week.  The soup is fabulous for prepping ahead and will not only hold for several days but improves as it sits longer.  Two great options to try.  Enjoy!

Cider Dijon Pork Chops

Ham and Split Pea Soup

Always, you can check my list of yummy recipes for ideas to change up your cooking routine:
Gluten Free / Paleo / Leaky Gut Recipes

Quick Recipes for mid week

The goal of any working adult trying to stay healthy and on a regiment is to find quick and easy recipes that won't break the bank and won't take hours to make, but still taste good.  This week, I found two of those recipes -and- they're gluten free.....BONUS!  Give them a try!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Basil

Avoiding Soy isn't Soy Difficult

Soy is one of the trickier ingredients that I need to avoid.  When I was going to Japan a year and a half ago, I asking my doctor if soy and rice are safe for me (at the time, rice was out as well) and he said yes to rice but still no soy.  I remember thinking "ok...I will survive.  I can always have a bowl of rice."  But, after researching a little more, I started to get frustrated as they use soy sauce on absolutely everything there, they season their rice with wheat for flavor....OMG.  What did I get myself into by going to Japan for three weeks?  What saved me?  Coconut Aminos in my backpack.

I had never heard of coconut aminos before or anyone having to avoid soy in their diets either.  Look around, soy is in everything.  So I found this product coconut aminos by Coconut Secret.  I can't say it tastes exactly like soy sauce, but it is a nice substitute.  This company has a few products that work well for those of us with challenging food issues.

Last night I was experimenting with an oldie but goodie recipe that we used a lot at the restaurant.  It is a delicious sweet orange soy sauce that works well on chicken, pork or beef....so we used it a lot there.  Since the sauce is made with a 1:1 ratio of soy to orange juice and a lot of brown sugar, it is a little challenging to make a soy-less, no processed sugar version taste just like it, but never the less, I took on the challenge of recreating a Carrie-friendly version.

Right now, the Cara Cara oranges are in season and are super juicy and sweet.  I bought two of those and squeezed out the beautiful pink juice into a sauce pan.  I matched the volume with the Coconut Aminos Garlic Sauce.  I used the garlic version just to supplement with additional flavor.  I added a couple dashes of salt and I sliced some fresh ginger to the pot.  Finally, I added about 1 tablespoon of agave nectar and turned on the stove to reduce the sauce.  Throughout the reduction I added a bit more OJ and some more Coconut aminos.  Finally, the sauce thickened and started to bubble nicely, so I removed from the stove.  What I ended up with was a nice sweet soy-like syrupy sauce that I could drizzle on my meat and veggies!  Whoop Whoop!  Not the same, but still delicious.  Arguably the sauce may have been better than the original since there was more flavors in the mix with the ginger and garlic.  We paired my new sauce concoction with pork tenderloin cooked sous vide and a mix of veggies sautéed in peanut oil.  It was amazing!  I cannot wait to eat the leftovers.

I am very pleased to be able to mimic the recipes that I loved from the past.  It helps bring peace to my emotional ties to food as well as challenges me to think outside of the box with my cooking.  It is my cheap therapy!  If you would like to try this Orange Soy-less Stir Fry, check it out!