Zuppa di Spinaci

I love soup. I really love this soup. It reminds me of the Italian spinach soup Kevin and I ate at a little place called Bruno's on the Pacific coast in Santa Monica by the pier.

It's and easy, light soup. 

You'll need:

At least 1 pound fresh spinach

 3 eggs

 Salt and pepper to taste

 pinch of nutmeg

 1 2/3 cups grated grated parmesan cheese or cheese substitute

 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth 

To make:

Wash the spinach

Heat broth 

Put nutmeg, salt, pepper, and spinach in broth.

Simmer to a boil.

Whisk parmesan and eggs together

Pour parmesan and egg mixture into pot slowly 

Lower the temperature then cover for a few minutes. 

Turn off the heat and let sit for a few. 

Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy :)

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Before going into oven-Yummo!!

I got this neat recipe while searching the internet for an enchilada recipe. The glutenfreegoddess has a lot of really tasty recipes. I experimented with her recipe and changed it up a bit. Make sure you use 4-5 cups of chicken. The first time I made this I didn't and the sour cream taste was much too strong for my taste.

You'll need:

4-5 cups cooked chicken, hand torn or small bite size pieces

1/2 cup roasted green chilies, chopped

3/4 cup sour cream- for dairy free, try Veganaise

Juice from a large fresh lime or lemon

Cracked or Lemon Pepper, to taste

at least 2-3 cups enchilada sauce

12-15 white or yellow corn tortillas

Light olive oil, as needed

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or vegan cheese

Fresh chopped cilantro

Lightly oil a 13x9" baking dish. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a mixing bowl, toss together the cooked chicken, chopped green chiles, sour cream and lime/ lemon juice; season with cracked or Lemon Pepper. Set aside.

I love these little plates. They're my great-grandmother, Eyla's.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and gently sauté the onion and spices for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and cilantro, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes.

To make the baked enchiladas:

Spread about a spoonful (about 4 oz.) of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Heat each tortilla in a scant amount of hot light olive oil before you stuff it, till coated and softened.

Set the warm tortilla into the prepared baking dish and coat the tortilla. Spoon one tenth of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll it up into place, seam side down. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce all over the tortillas and top with shredded cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling, and the enchiladas are hot.

Serve with rice or a salad.

Cook time: 40 min

Yield: Serves 4-5

So delicious!

Enjoy!!

Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Cauliflower

This recipe works great if you have some leftover cooked chicken breasts and rice. I often cook extra. Just add in some veggies and you've got yourself a casserole!

Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 lb cooked chicken, chopped
1 1/2 -2 cups cooked brown rice 
1 c fresh broccoli, chopped
1 c fresh cauliflower, chopped
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of rice flour or whatever kind you have laying around
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard
1 1/2 cups of milk (any kind will work. I used almond milk)
squeeze of lemon juice 
1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded ( monterey or colby will work too)
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs for topping ( I used corn crumbs)
1/4 slivered almonds for topping

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan

Add the flour, salt, pepper, mustard, mayo, and lemon juice

Cook 2-3 minutes until bubbly and foamy

Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened

Stir in the shredded cheese

Place the brown rice, chicken, and broccoli in a casserole dish

Pour the sauce over the top in the casserole dish

Spread the breadcrumbs and slivered almonds over the top

Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool and enjoy !

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

For Super Bowl this past Sunday, I made some spinach and artichoke dip. It's an easy recipe and requires little preparation. I served it with Tostitos brand corn chips and veggies. Delicious!!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip


You'll need:
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz thawed, chopped spinach
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup real mayo
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped tomato
1 green onion, sliced (red onion is tasty too)

Heat oven to 350* F.
Mix first 5 ingredients and spoon into a 9" pie plate.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Sprinkle with tomato and onion.
Let cool and enjoy!!

Aprons & Super Bowl Excitement

In a previous post I showed a picture of an apron I was working on. I was really excited about the colors and patterns. I finally finished it after putting the sewing machine away for about a year. I thought the best way to show the apron was to have it on so that you could see how it fits. I really like how it turned out considering I didn't have a pattern. 

This upcoming Sunday is Super Bowl XLVI. I don’t really watch the game but I do love the commercials and all the delicious food. I used to eat a variety of food when going to a Super Bowl party. I can’t try one of everything anymore but I can make my own tasty creations. This year I plan to make spinach artichoke dip and maybe some gluten-free cake pops.

I found a great list of some safe gluten-free food items on ceceliasmarketplace.com and I wanted to share it.

Beer

• Anheuser Busch: Redbridge Beer  www.redbridgebeer.com
• Bard’s Tale Beer: Bard’s Gluten Free Beer  www.bardsbeer.com
• Green’s (England): Discoverk, Endeavor, Herald, Pathfinder, Premium Golden Apple,    Premium Pils, Quest  www.merchantduvin.com
• Lakefront Brewery: New Grist Beer  www.lakefrontbrewery.com/gluten_free.html
• New Planet: 3R Raspberry Ale, Tread Lightly Ale  www.newplanetbeer.com
• Ramapo Valley Brewery: Honey Beer  www.rvbrewery.com

CHIPS & PRETZELS

• Doritos: Cool Ranch (Original, Reduced Fat), Salsa Verde. *Made on the same       equipment as products containing gluten. www.doritos.com

• Food Should Taste Good: Tortilla Chips (Blue Corn, Cheddar, Jalapeno, Lime, Multigrain, Olive, Sweet Potato, The Works, White Cheddar, Yellow Corn) *Certified gluten-free www.foodshouldtastegood.com
• Fritos: Corn Chips (Original, Scoops). *Tested to contain < 20 ppm gluten. www.fritos.com
• Herr’s: Potato Chips (Cheddar & Sour Cream, Jalapeno Kettle, Lightly Salted, No Salt, Ripple, Russet Kettle), Tortilla Chips (Bite Size Dippers, Restaurant Style) www.herrs.com
• Riceworks: Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps (Baked Cinnamon, Parmesan, Salsa Fresca, Sea Salt, Sweet Chili, Tangy BBQ) www.riceworks.com
• Ruffles: Original (Reduced Fat, Regular). *Tested to contain < 20 ppm gluten. www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/ruffles.html
• Tostitos: Tortilla Chips (Bite Size Rounds, Crispy Rounds, Restaurant Style (Natural Blue Corn, Natural Yellow Corn, Original), Scoops (Baked, Original)). *Tested to contain < 20 ppm gluten. www.fritolay.com/tostitos/index.html

• Ener-G: Crisp Pretzels, Sesame Pretzel Rings, Wylde Pretzels (Poppy Seed, Regular, Sesame).  Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.ener-g.com
• Glutino: Family Bag (Sticks, Twists), Pretzels (Chocolate Covered, Yogurt Covered), Sesame Ring, Snack Pack, Sticks, Twists, Unsalted Twists.  *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.glutino.com
• Snyder’s Of Hanover: Gluten Free Sticks.  *Certified gluten-free. www.snydersofhanover.com

DIPS

• Cheez Whiz: Cheese Dip Original  www.kraftbrands.com/cheezwhiz

• Cool Whip: Dips (Chocolate, Regular, Strawberry Crème)  www.kraftbrands.com/coolwhip
• Herr’s: Bean, Mild Cheddar  www.herrs.com
• Marzetti: French Onion (Light, Regular), Guacamole, Ranch (Fat Free, Light, Organic, Regular)  www.marzetti.com
• Ortega: Salsa Con Queso  www.ortega.com
• Pace: Salsa (Medium, Mild)  www.pacefoods.com

PIZZA

·                         Amy’s: Rice Crust Pizza (Cheese, Margherita, Non-Dairy Cheese, Roasted Vegetable,      Spinach). www.amys.com

• Conte’s Pasta: Margherita, Mushroom Florentine. *Certified gluten-free. www.contespasta.com
• Glutino: Frozen Pizza (3 Cheese Pizza w/Brown Rice Crust, Barbeque Chicken, Duo Cheese, Pepperoni, Spinach & Feta, Spinach Soy Cheese w/Brown Rice Crust). *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.glutino.com

Pizza Crust/Mix:

• Against The Grain Gourmet: 12” Crust  www.againstthegraingourmet.com
• Bob’s Red Mill: GF Pizza Crust Mix. *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.bobsredmill.com
• Chebe: Pizza Frozen Dough, Pizza Mix.  *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and certified gluten-free. www.chebe.com
• Glutino: Premium Pizza Crust.  *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.glutino.com
• Schar: Pizza Crusts.  *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.schar.com/us
• Udi’s: Pizza Crusts.   *Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. www.udisglutenfree.com 

Have fun eating gluten-free deliciousness and be safe!

Aftermath

So it's been over a year since I last posted. There have been a whirlwind of emotions getting to where I am today. I'm healthier and less exhausted for one. The last biopsy showed the Celiac like they expected. They think the Celiac has also caused my Fibromyalgia too. It's tough dealing with the pain but I have found yoga to be extremely helpful. I'm really glad I started this blog when I found out about the Celiac because the posts describe how I was feeling at the moment. I don't know if I would have been able to convey that now.

I've been gluten free now since 12/01/2010. It's been tough going gluten free but it's been for the best.I've been reading every gluten free blog and website I can find. I'm kind of obsessed with the subject and want to educate people on it and spread the word of great health.

My fiance, Kevin, helped me put together a website to share some recipes. It's currently under construction but will hopefully be up again soon. Until then, I will use this avenue to post my newly found foods :)

It's Getting Better

Today I have been gluten free for 4 months. It's funny because I never thought it would be like this. I used to spend countless hours reading journal articles and researching blogs on Celiac disease. I became obsessed with finding out info as if there was a cure and maybe one day I could eat those fresh muffins from Panera Bread. It's all changed. It's only been four months and it's changed. I don't crave the food I can't have as much and I don't feel like I'm starving 20 hours out of the day. I'm feeling better every day. The exhaustion is still with me. I hear that could take some time. The aches and pains are still here also, but it's ok. Every little bit that feels better is a mile from where I was four months ago.