Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Turkey and Aged Cheddar

Today, I was at the grocery store, and I overheard a girl having a mini-meltdown in front of the beer. She was upset and overwhelmed, because it was her first trip to the grocery store after being diagnosed with Celiac disease. I laughed to myself for a moment, remembering my first post-diagnosis grocery trip (and the meltdown that ensued), then I introduced myself to her and offered to help her out.

I wound up giving her some beer recommendations and showed her the random corners of the store where there are gluten-free products, and exchanged phone numbers with her in case she needs any more advice, tips, or someone to commiserate with.

(I also made a shameless plug for my blog!)

I always like helping people out, because I know how much that help meant to me when I was first starting my gluten-free diet. I decided to celebrate my good deed with a big bowl of cheesy, creamy cauliflower soup!


1 bag frozen cauliflower
1 1/2 cup diced turkey breast
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 cup aged white cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken or turkey broth (gluten-free of course!)
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine cauliflower, onions, carrots, turkey and butter, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened. Add salt and pepper and garlic.

Meanwhile, combine milk and cornstarch in a separate bowl, stirring until thickened. Add to pot with turkey and vegetables, stirring to blend. Add broth, stirring, until warmed.

Add cheese and parsley, stirring until cheese is melted. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, until soup thickens.

I served mine topped with some Greek yogurt, and some additional cheddar cheese!

Open Faced Turkey Sandwiches with Red Pepper Hummus and Sun Dried Tomatoes

One of the things to deal with in the aftermath of Thanksgiving is the massive amount of leftovers. I get tired of eating of eating the same things, so I always try to be as creative as I can when it comes to using up food.

Over the last three days I have been eating nothing but rich, heavy foods, and I wanted a break, and to have something relatively light for dinner. My husband and I threw some ideas around, and somehow, we came up with this wonderful combination!

I used crisp gluten-free crackers, because I had them on hand, but this would also be good on gluten-free bread!

4 slices of gluten-free bread
4 tbsp red pepper hummus
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, or 4 tbsp sun dried tomato spread
1 cup turkey, shredded
tomato slices
4 slices Munster cheese

(ingredients should be divided into fourths, to make all the sandwiches)

Spread hummus onto bread, and top with cheese slice. Add sun dried tomatoes, or sun dried tomato spread. Layer on tomato slices, and top with turkey.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The best part of my Thanksgiving has always been homemade mashed potatoes. I usually make the boxed kind, but those just don't cut it for Thanksgiving dinner. This was my first time making mashed potatoes from scratch, and I was surprised by how easy they were. I mashed them manually, and my arm got a little tired, but it was worth it in the end!

(I made 5 pounds, but I have reduced the recipe to a more manageable serving size)

2 lbs potatoes, diced
1 bulb garlic
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400 degrees

Peel back the outer layers of garlic, leaving only the layers on the individual bulbs intact. Slice the tops off each clove. Place in muffin tin, and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30-35 min, until garlic is soft, and browned.

Meanwhile boil potatoes in a large pot. (Make sure potatoes are completely submerged). Boil for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat, and drain water. Using either a potato masher, or electric hand mixer, beat, or smash potatoes until they are smooth. Peel garlic, and add to potatoes, and continue to smash, until garlic starts to break apart. There should still be some big chunks of garlic.

Add remaining ingredients, and stir until blended. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2012!

This year, I hosted my first Thanksgiving. My In-laws came into town, and my husband and I prepared dinner for them. I was nervous, it was a huge undertaking, given my tiny New York sized kitchen, but everything came together pretty well. I had a few small hiccups, including the loss of one of my beloved crockpots, but in the end everything turned out the way it was supposed to!

For dinner I made:
Apple Sage Brined Turkey (from a kit)
Gluten-free garlic and herb stuffing
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Creamy corn and bacon casserole
Mustard and Parmesan coated brussel sprouts
Roasted Balsamic green beans with mushrooms
Cranberry sauce with dried cherries
Gluten-free pumpkin pie

The turkey was tender and juicy, the potatoes were smooth and creamy, and the pie was the perfect finishing touch!

I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday!

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Cornish Game Hen

This year, I am hosting my first Thanksgiving. Not only is it the first on that I am hosting, it is the first one that I will have that will be 100% gluten free. It will also have to be heart-healthy, due to the health issues of another guest who will be attending. As a result of these constraints, most of the traditional dishes that I know how to make have gone out the window.

I have been testing dishes out for weeks, trying to come up with the best possible options. It has been fun, and I have had some success and some failures.

This recipe was a test run for a turkey. I wanted to test the flavors, and although it tasted great, it was not the right way to prepare my Thanksgiving turkey. It's okay though, I have another idea in mind.


2 Cornish Game Hens
1/2 stick butter
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 lemon, halved and quartered
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare hen, but removing the innards (packaged, and stored in the cavity) and rinsing. Pat dry. Combine butter and lemon zest in a small saucepan, warming over low heat, until butter is melted. Brush into hen. Stuff lemon and garlic into cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for 25 min, then lower heat to 375, cooking for another 30 minutes, basting every 10.

When hen is done the internal temperature should be about 170 degrees, temperature taken from the thigh area. Juices should be clear, and meat should not be pink in color.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Baked Taquitos

I firmly believe that there is nothing better than buffalo chicken. It is so versatile, and acts as a wonderful base for many different types of preparations.

Before I found out about my Celiac Disease, I used to make buffalo chicken egg rolls. My husband loves them, and they are so easy to prepare, especially if you buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. They were just another dish that I had to adapt, so I swapped egg roll wrappers for corn tortillas, and rotisserie chicken for ground chicken. (Actually, in this case, turkey, because I had a pack to use up).


1 package ground chicken
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (to start, add more if you like it spicy. I used a whole 5 oz bottle, and then some)
Gluten-free corn tortillas
Oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a pan over medium heat, cook chicken and broccoli until meat it browned, approx 8-12 min. Drain excess liquid. Add mushrooms and green onions, cooking until mushrooms are tender, approx 2-3 min. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, and monterey jack cheese and buffalo sauce.

Add meat mixture to corn tortilla, rolling tightly. Brush, or spray with oil.

Bake in oven for 14 - 16 minutes, until crispy. Serve with ranch or gluten-free blue cheese dressing for dipping!

Garlic Bread with Tomato Salad and Prosciutto

Every since I have gone gluten-free I find myself impressed by how wonderful my support system is. Most of the people in my life have gone out of their way to try to understand what Celiac Disease is, and what I need to do to stay healthy. I have found that people have gone out of their way to find gluten-free food options, and some have even incorporated certain gluten-free foods into their daily diet! I am so lucky to have these people in my life!

This doesn't really have anything to do with the recipe, but I got to spend the weekend with family, and I always walk away feeling very blessed to have them!

But enough of that, now onto the food!

1 gluten-free thin crust pizza crust
Thinly sliced prosciutto. (I used 6 slices for a 9 inch crust)
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
3 tbsp garlic herb butter (based off of a 9 inch crust) If you don't have pre-made, you can blend 3 tbsp butter, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 2 tsp Italian blend herbs
Drizzle Balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Preheat oven according to pizza crust package instructions.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Brush over pizza crust, and bake according to package instructions. Once done, remove from oven, and cut according to your preference. (I cut mine into fourths).

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and mozzarella, and salt.

Top crust with tomato and mozzarella, and prosciutto. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. Enjoy it!