Meatloaf

This is my standard meatloaf recipe, made many times, so it's tried and true! I've been meaning to post it on here for ages (so the picture is from a couple months ago). I put it into the weight watchers recipe builder and it comes out to 6 points per serving. 

Meatloaf
Yeild: 12 servings

2 eggs

1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups gluten free bread crumbs
1 onion
1 small carrot
2 lbs ground beef or ground pork (or a mixture)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbs prepared mustard

Directions:

1. Beat eggs in large bowl, add milk, salt, pepper and crumbs.
2. Add onions, carrots, and beef. Mix well and shape into meatloaf pan.
3. Combine brown sugar, ketchup and mustard, spread over loaf.
4. Bake in oven at 360 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
5. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Meatloaf

Battle of the Bulge

I just returned from a week at an amazing all-inclusive resort in Cancun. I have to say, in terms of wanting to lose weight, there's nothing more motivating than spending a week in your bathing suit surrounded by skinny, beautiful people! Ugh. About halfway through the trip I decided that I'd join weight watchers as soon as I got home.

I've been gluten free for over a year now. When I first went gluten free the thought of dieting at the same time as learning this new way of eating was just too much for me. So I decided to focus on the gluten first. I didn't mean to let a whole year go by before getting serious about battling my bulge. 

My biggest problem is actually is my love for wine. Sweet, beautiful, wonderful wine oh how I love thee. Every night.  So I had to come to grips this week with the fact that if I want to be serious about losing weight, I'm going to have to cut down on the wine consumption. 

I'm on day 3 of weight watchers, I'm doing the online version - and so far so good!  I'll start posting some of the photos and recipes with the points as I go along. Last night I made a big batch of turkey chili! 

Excellence Playa Mujeres

Gluten Free Italian Pasta Bake

Today's dinner was super easy and really good, and it made a ton! The four of us ate it for dinner and there was enough leftovers to pack for all our lunches for tomorrow.

I absolutely love Tinkyada pasta, I've tried a couple other kinds of gluten free pasta and nothing else compares to it. Last weekend I used it to make homemade baked macaroni and cheese and the whole pan was devoured in no time. So tonight I decided to make another macaroni noodle style dish, but more along the lines of a baked ziti or similar Italian pasta bake.

The result was delish and family friendly.

Gluten Free Italian Pasta Bake

Makes 6 large servings

 

Ingredients

• 1 (454g) package Tinkyada brown rice elbows (macaroni)
• 1 pounds ground chicken (or beef, pork or turkey)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jar (640ml) pasta sauce
• 1 can (398ml) Italian stewed tomatoes
• seasonings to taste (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions (less 1 minute). Rinse with cold water and drain well.
2. Cook the ground meat and onion in a large pot over medium high heat until the meat is well browned, stirring often. Drain fat.
3. Add in the pasta sauce, stewed tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
5. Put the mixture into an 9x13 baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I know, I haven't posted in ages. At first I was just going to take the summer off, but before I knew it September came and went and now it's almost mid-October.

I had an interesting experience this summer... I decided that maybe I shouldn't be gluten free, maybe I was supposed to be dairy free instead! (yep, brilliant suggestion of a doctor I saw over the summer). Ummm... let's just say that wasn't the best advice I ever followed. I paid dearly for that little experiment and it took about a month for me to get my body back on track. 

However, one little bit of knowledge gained through that dietary experiment, is that I learned that I'm quite possibly sensitive to soy.  This was something I learned after my mom noticed I had terrible bouts of diarrhea (sorry TMI) after I had Starbucks made with soy milk instead of dairy (a few times).  Glad she was there to point out that connection to me, apparently I'm a little slow! lol.  

So after that I started looking up soy allergies and sensitivities and quickly realized that soy is in EVERYTHING.  So I started out being really diligent about looking for hidden soy in everything, but it's just too difficult, so now I'm compromising by avoiding the majorly obvious soy containing foods and ignoring it in some other foods (like salad dressing and chocolate chips).

And on that note... here's a recipe for Gluten Free (but probably soy containing) Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. These turned out really good and my kids loved them too!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Makes 12 servings

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 mashed ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Fill 12 muffin cups with muffin liners.
3. Cream together oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Add bananas and continue mixing until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and cinnamon to egg mixture. (I use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients)
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking well between each addition (add dry ingredients in about 4-5 increments).
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Fill each muffin cup approximately two thirds full.
8. Bake for 23 minutes.

Refried Bean Tostadas

There's something about corn tortillas that I don't like, at least not while they're uncooked or plain. That's why I can't use them for wraps for sandwiches and stuff like that. But I do like them if they're cooked until crisp or used in tortilla casseroles! And I absolutely LOVE refried beans (just the store-bought, fat-free canned type). So tonight I decided to make something that would use both.

Hubby wasn't home for dinner so I was free to make whatever I wanted, even a meal without meat! Imagine that. He would never consider a meatless meal to be dinner. 

Anyway, I decided to make Refried Bean Tostadas tonight and they turned out very yummy if I do say so myself! I'm sure they would also be awesome with some taco seasoned chicken or ground beef instead of, or in addition to the refried beans (note to self for future hubby-approved carnivorous dinners).  :)

Refried Bean Tostadas

Refried Bean Tostadas

Yield:  2 servings

4 6" corn tortillas

1 cup refried beans
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Toppings:
 - lettuce
 - tomatoes
 - onions
 - olives
 - sour cream
 - guacamole
 - salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the tortillas in a single layer on a cooking sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and top the tortillas with 1/4 cup refried beans and 1/8 cup of shredded cheese.  
4. Bake for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and top with any or all of the optional toppings.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Baked Chicken Breasts

I  bought a package of cream cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto pasta sauce because I was going to make an appetizer dip for a Bunco party I went to last weekend...  but I ended up making something else instead. (I made cute mini antipasto skewers which were toothpicks with salami, cheese and olives on them). I'll have to post a picture.

Anyway, I wanted to use the sun-dried tomato pesto for something else and came up with this scrumptious baked chicken breast recipe!  I served it with rice and a red pepper/celery side dish.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Baked Chicken Breasts

 


Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Baked Chicken Breasts

Yield:  4 servings

4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless (I cut each breast in half to make thinner pieces)

1 pkg (170g) sun-dried tomato pesto (I use Western Family fresh pasta sauce)

2 Tbs parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheese (mozza or cheddar)

Directions:

1. Arrange chicken in a baking dish and spread evenly with half the sun-dried tomato pesto, then flip chicken over and spread the remaining sun-dried tomato pesto on top of the chicken. Cover the baking dish and cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. Remove cover and sprinkle the chicken with the parmesan cheese and shredded mozza or cheddar and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes uncovered.

Broccoli Chicken Divan (using cream soup)

Broccoli Chicken Divan

Broccoli Chicken Divan

Yield:  6 servings

1 lb cooked, cubed chicken breast (about 3 cups)

1.5 lbs steamed, fresh broccoli (about 6 cups)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I found a store brand that has no gluten)

1/5 cup milk

1 tsp mustard

salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded aged cheddar 

1 cup breadcrumbs *see note below

* For these breadcrumbs, I lightly toast 2 slices Udi's GF bread then whirl in my mini chopper along with a few shakes of parmesan cheese and about 1 Tbs butter until it's a fine crumbly mixture.

Directions:

1. Arrange chicken and broccoli in a 9"x13"baking dish and top with cheddar cheese.
2. Whisk together the cream of chicken soup, milk, mustard and salt & pepper.
3. Pour the the soup mixture over top of the broccoli, chicken and cheese and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (make sure crumbs don't get to brown).