Glühwein

An old friend of mine introduced me to this drink a few years ago.  It's a German spiced wine served warm. This is a great treat on a cold night.  

Ingredients:

1 bottle of your favorite red wine (if you normally like sweet wine then you can add less honey in the next step)

1/2 cup honey

Juice of one orange plus rind

2 cinnamon sticks

12 cloves

3/4 cup water

Directions:

Boil the water, honey and cinnamon sticks in a large sauce pan

Reduce to a simmer and add orange juice, rind and cloves. I cut off a slice of orange to put in as well. 

Let simmer until reduced by half

Add bottle of wine and heat until steaming but not a simmer yet. 

Remove spices and orange rind and serve warm in mugs. 

Meyer Lemon Chicken

Ingredients: 

1 pound chicken cutlets

2 Meyer lemons

1 shallot diced 

1/4 cup white wine

1 clove garlic minced

1 teaspoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper

Directions:

-preheat oven to 400 degrees

- coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray

- sauté the the shallots and garlic in olive oil for about 4 minutes 

- add the wine and the juice of one lemon to the pan, heat to boil and then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. 

- sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on the chicken and place in pan. 

- pour the lemon and wine sauce over the chicken

- slice the second lemon and place the slices on the chicken

- bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Cut into the thickest part of the chicken, it is done when it's no longer pink. 

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Gluten Free Waffles

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast cutlets

1 cup shelled pistachios

1/3 cup yellow mustard

Gluten free waffles (I like Vans)

For the sauce:

1/4 cup brown mustard

1/4 cup strawberry preserves

1/4 cup honey

Directions:

-preheat oven to 400 degrees

Put the pistachios in a food processor on high until they are broken up in tiny pieces.  

- I usually take out two plates and put the mustard in one and pistachios in another. Then I coat the chicken in mustard, put it straight into the plate with the pistachios to completely coat and then straight into a greased baking sheet. 

- bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the inside of the thickest part of meat is no longer pink

While the chicken is cooking combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. 

Heat waffles according to the package directions. 

Place one half of a chicken cutlet on top of two waffles and drizzle with the mustard sauce. Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Doughnut Holes

Ingredients:

-One package of Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free biscuit mix

-Vegetable oil

-Powdered sugar

Directions:

-Make the biscuits according to the package directions.  

-Once the dough is made, make small balls with a large spoonful of the dough.

-Heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat on the stove. Fill the pot until there is about an inch of vegetable oil in the bottom. 

Tip: an easy way to tell if your oil is hot enough for frying is to place the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil bubbles up around the edges then it is the right temperature and ready for frying. 

-Drop the dough into the oil and let fry on all sides until golden brown. About 6 to 7 minutes. 

-Remove the doughnut holes with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels for about 10 minutes to absorb the excess oil. 

-Roll the doughnuts in powdered sugar and serve!

Mini Oatmeal Cake

After trying the one minute cookie recipe from holisticallyengineered.com I was inspired to make this mini cake. This turned out great and there's so many possibilities to change the flavors. This can be eaten as a delicious dessert or yummy breakfast. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup gluten free oatmeal

Possible add ins

-1 teaspoon each of almond butter and preserves

-Cinnamon and chopped apples

-Raisins

-Chocolate chips

Directions:

-Mix the coconut oil, honey and egg yolk together in a bowl

-Add in almond flour and oatmeal and mix well

-Mix in your favorite "add in". I used almond butter and apricot preserves

-Put mixture into a small ramekin or microwave safe mug

-Microwave for one minute on high

-Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole uncooked roasting chicken (cleaned)

1 zuchini sliced 

1 yellow squash sliced 

1 yellow onion chopped 

3 large carrots chopped 

6 celery stalks chopped

3 cloves of garlic smashed 

A few sprigs of dill

2 32 oz contsiners of gluten free chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place chicken, legs side up in large stock pot. 

Add the remaining ingredients into pot. 

Fill the pot with water until the chicken is completely covered. 

Bring the soup to a boil for two minutes, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. 

Let simmer until chicken is cooked through (about an hour)

Once chicken is cooked, remove from the soup and place on a dish to cool to the touch

Remove the pot from the heat. 

Once cooled, remove as much chicken as you can from the bones and place chicken pieces back in the soup

Enjoy!

Stuffed Yuca Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped yuca, peeled (about one yuca root)
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil, I used one tablespoon of grapeseed and one tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon tony sacheres
• 1/2 pound grass fed ground beef
• 1/2 cup carrots finely diced
• 1/2 cup onion finely diced
• 1/2 cup zuchini finely diced 

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Boil the yuca in a pot of water for approximately 15 minutes or until fork tender (be careful to not overcook)
3. While yuca is cooking, saute carrots, onion and zuchini 
4. Once browned add ground beef and seasonings and cook until no longer pink
5. Remove meat mixture from heat and set aside and drain excess fat
6. Once yuca is fork tender, drain and transfer cooked yucca to a food processor 
7. Pour in 2 tablespoons cooking oil into food processor with yuca and blend on high or until well combined and smooth
8. Remove the yuca dough from food processor
9. Allow to cool in the fridge for about twenty minutes
10. Divide the dough into 12 portions
11. Wet hands with water to prevebt the dough from sticking 
12. Take your small handful, roll it into a ball then flatten it into a “pancake” 3-4 inches in diameter, do not make it too thin
13. Take a spoonful of the meat mixture and place it in the center of your dough (about a tablespoon)
14. Next place another dough pancake on top and seal edges 
15. Repeat until all 6 pancakes are made 
16. Bake for 15 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet
17. Heat frying pan and coat with cooking oil or nonstick cooking spray 
18. Remove baked pancakes from oven and fry on both sides or until browned
19. Enjoy!