At the local Albertsons, I found a pack of pork steak on close-out. I hate pork. Unless it’s cured.. bacon, ham, sausage. Otherwise, no pork for me. I think I’d almost rather starve. But for the boys here, it was perfect.

I pulled that and a few chicken tenderloins out of the frig and roasted them in the oven with some herbs and spice. Mmm. While these baked, I boiled up a few eggs. We all love hard boiled eggs on salad. mmmm.

The salad started with a base of romaine lettuce followed by broccoli, sugar snap peas, sliced eggs, cheese slices, raisins, pineapple chunks, and finally, the sliced meat. Chicken on mine, pork for the guys.

Delicious. Healthy. Gluten-free!

I really love asparagus. When cooked properly it is crisp and tender and oh, so delicious. I love the flavor and texture so much, I can eat it plain without any seasonings. But there is nothing like fresh asparagus drizzled with some olive oil and light grinding of fresh ground salt and pepper. Superb.

I had a nice filet of salmon set out for dinner so after a quick trip to the local grocery store to pick up a bunch of asparagus, it was home to whip up this quick meal.

First up was making the Hollandaise sauce. This is a great gluten-free sauce that can be made quickly and easily. There are 3 ingredients: egg yolks, butter, lemon juice. I had made some chocolate chip meringue kisses the night before, so I just happened to have 3 egg yolks in the frig, ready to go.

Hollandaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
3 Tbl lemon juice
1/2 cup butter

Mix the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a small sauce pan along with 1/2 of the butter. Stir constantly over low heat until butter is melted. Add remaining butter and stirring constantly, cook until butter is melted and sauce has thickened. Set aside and give a quick stir before serving. This can be served hot or at room temp. You can also add spices as desired for a unique sauce. I added a nice herb blend to give it that little something extra.

After cutting off the tough bottoms of the asparagus and after washing them off, I set them into a frying pan with 1/2 inch of water and set it on medium to cook. Meanwhile, I had my salmon ready to cook. This was pan fried in a few tablespoons of olive oil after being basted with some fresh lemon and a spice blend. Salmon is best when the center is still somewhat red.

Once the salmon was done, I plated it with the asparagus and then drizzled the Hollandaise Sauce over the top. Divine!

Gourmet meal prepared in under 15 minutes. Oh and my husband and I consumed 1 pound of asparagus just between the two of us. Yummers!

Excuse my photos. My camera settings have been fiddled with and the photos turned out quite horrid. I had to size them down to get something that was even remotely usable.

This morning it was just my husband and I here so I decided that a cheese omelette with herbs was just the thing. Cooking omelettes is very peaceful. I enjoy standing over the stove and watching my creation quickly come to life. Omelettes are easy to make and with very little prep time, one can enjoy a gourmet meal anytime of the day. Yes, I’m prone to making the occasional late-night omelette when we’re burning the midnight oil!

The first step in preparing a delicious omelette is the preparation of the butter. Cut 1 Tbl butter and place in a frying pan set to medium heat. Once the butter has melted, you can pour your eggs into the pan.

Depending on the size of the pan, you’ll want to use 2-4 eggs, beaten until well mixed. I have a 9″ pan so I use 3 eggs. There should be enough to cover the bottom – but not real thick. To my eggs I added a dash of salt, pepper, and some herb mixture.

When you pour the eggs in, they’ll immediately begin to bubble. Gently jostle the pan so they move around a bit and then use your flipper to move the outside towards the inside, tilting the pan so the raw egg covers the pan agin. You don’t want these to burn or cook through – not unless you’re fond of rubber omelettes.

Once the eggs are mostly set, toss on your fillings. This morning I used a super extra sharp cheddar. Once the cheese is melted you can remove the pan from the burner and tilt it over the plate. Use a flipper or spatula to gently encourage the omelette to slide from the pan onto the plate, filling side first. Once half the omelette is off the pan, turn it over completely so the remainder of the omelette folds over what is already on your plate.

Voila! Delicious omelette. With the cheese and herbs I feel like I should be sitting at an outdoor cafe in France. Not that I’ve ever been there – but it reminds me of what I think French care dining should be. Fluffy eggs with herbs and cheese. The perfect morning repast for the celiac diner.

Our favorite pizza is ham and pineapple but being pizza-lovers, pretty much any toppings will do. I wanted to create a crust that would make a decent size pizza as well as a nice chewy crust. I’m not a fan of crisp crusts – I like mine to have a nice bite and chew. I think that this really helps in making the pizza appealing. I’d like my gluten-free pizza to be as close to the “real thing” as possible!

For the breakfast pizza, I stuck to traditional toppings: pizza sauce, cheese, eggs, bacon. You could also add things like mushroom, tomatoes, potatoes, and other standard omelette fillings. My frig is a bit bare at the moment so I didn’t have a lot of choice in toppings..

Breakfast Pizza

pizza crust of your choice (mine will be available this upcoming week at glutenada.com)
6 slices bacon, diced and fried until crispy
7 eggs, scrambled
cheese
pizza sauce

Prepare crust according to directions.

Spread with pizza sauce. You could also use gravy or alfredo sauce.

Sprinkle cheese evenly and top with eggs and bacon.

On top of this I added bouquet garni spice blend from Summit Spice & Tea Company. I like to use this blend in omelettes and other egg dishes. It imparts a heady aroma and flavor that makes fora nice combination with cheese and other fillings.

Bake according to directions and let sit for 10 minutes to cool. This step is important. The pizza will remain hot but will not fall apart and the toppings will stay on the crust rather than sliding off as a fresh-from-the-oven pizza is prone to.

Enjoy!

We purchased 20 pounds or so of ground buffalo last summer so I pulled one of those from the freezer along with eggs, cheese, and potatoes from the frig. Fry up the meat and layer it with the eggs, cheese and potatoes and you get a gluten-free hearty breakfast casserole. Perfect for a cold winter day or feeding a large group of people.

Minimal work. Minimal cleanup. 100% delicious!

Gluten-Free Hearty Breakfast Casserole

1 pound ground beef/turkey/buffalo/pork/sausage.. your choice of meats
9 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 large potatoes, cooked til fork tender (boil, bake, or microwave)
2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, monterey jack, your choice)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Brown meat in large oven-safe frying pan. Once finished, move meat to bowl and set pan aside. Do not wash.

Slice potatoes into rounds. Beat eggs and milk until well-blended. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and mix until incorporated.

Layer frying pan with potato rounds, meat, cheese. Sprinkle with remaining salt & pepper. Pour egg/milk mixture over the top and jiggle pan so contents settle.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Let stand 5 minutes and serve with sour cream (if desired). Yum!

Serves 4-6, depending on appetites.

ready to bake

fresh from the oven

My family loves Chinese food. But being a celiac, I can’t just up and go into any Chinese restaurant. I’d be afraid to even BREATH the air in there. Zoikes!

So, I’ve devised a few recipes that get me past my chinese cravings – this is one of them. With or without the chicken, this is a full meal and one we eat every 2 weeks or so. It’s a huge hit to everyone who is here to eat it and makes an excellent comfort food!

Easy Gluten-Free Fried Rice
serves 4-6, generously

5 cups cooked, cooled rice
10 slices bacon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 bag frozen peas and carrots, about 1.5 cups
GF Soy Sauce
1 lb Chicken Breast, if desired

Fry the bacon in your wok or skillet until crispy and crumble. Leave the grease and bacon in the pan and add your eggs, sitrring to prevent scorching and cook until nearly set. Dump in the rice and stir well to coat with bacon/grease/egg mixture.

I usually add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of soy sauce, depending on how much rice is in there. Stir to coat and add peas and carrots. Cotinue cooking until veggies are cooked through and then serve. Delish!

If you want a more meaty dish, cut the chicken breast into thin slices and toss in with the cooked bacon before adding the eggs. Stir until cooked through and then add the eggs and follow the rest of the recipe.

Enjoy this tasty treat!