Saturday, August 1, 2026

Portuguese Arroz Doce Sweet Rice


Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts
Portuguese Arroz Doce
Sweet Rice Pudding
Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

2 Cans Coconut Milk
1 Cup Short Grain Rice
1/2 Teaspoon Table Salt
2 Cups Water
Zest of 1 Small Orange
1 Cup Sugar
Ground Cinnamon, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan over medium-high heat warm the coconut milk until little bubbles form around the edges and the milk starts to steam.

In a larger saucepan with a cover, add rice, salt and water and give it a quick stir. Place the pan over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin stirring constantly, cooking the rice until the water evaporates.

Now slowly add the hot coconut milk, ½ cup at a time, to the rice mixture. Keep stirring after each addition; allow the liquid to absorb before adding the next batch of milk. Stir frequently and keep the heat low, so that the rice does not burn at the bottom of the pan. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

When the rice is tender, add the zest and stir in the sugar. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes until the sugar is dissolved. The pudding should be somewhat thick, like oatmeal. Pour onto flat serving platters or individual dishes and garnish with cinnamon in the Portuguese style.  It will continue to thicken as it cools. Can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled, store any remaining in the fridge.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Batter for Fried Foods

Naturally Gluten-Free
BATTER FOR FRIED FOODS
 
INGREDIENTS
 
½ Cup GF Cup4Cup Flour, any brand
½ Cup Liquid, water/milk/GF beer
3 Tbls Corn Starch
¼ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbls Oil
Garlic Powder to taste, optional
 
DIRECTIONS
 
Mix all ingredients together and allow batter to sit for 15 minutes. Dip whatever you want in it, seafood, chicken, vegetables, then fry in hot oil, just enough so that they float. Turn the pieces over so that they cook evenly brown on all side.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Chipotle Strawberry Chicken Wings


Naturally Gluten-Free Appetizers
CHIPOTLE STRAWBERRY CHICKEN WINGS
With Ranch Dressing

INGREDIENTS
2–3 Lbs Chicken Wings
1/2 Cup Onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1/2 Tsp Chipotle Powder
1/8 Tsp Cayenne Powder
3/4 Cup Strawberries, hulled
1 Tsp Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.
Season chicken wings with salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. Melt 1 1/2 tbsp of butter in frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken wings on each side, then place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

While the wings are cooking, in a frying pan over medium heat, sauté onions in 1/2 tbsp butter.  Cook until the onions begin to brown up a bit, and then remove from heat.  Put the onions into a blender along with the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cayenne powder, strawberries, maple syrup, and lime juice, and blend together until smooth.

After removing chicken from oven, move wings to a mixing bowl and toss with strawberry mixture and coat thoroughly with the sauce. Return wings to the cookie sheet and place in oven for another 10 minutes to bake sauce onto chicken.
Serve with Ranch Dressing to dip.

Ranch Dressing

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Mayo
2/3 Cup Coconut Milk
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Fresh Dill
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Fenugreek Leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk all ingredients together until blended, cover and refrigerate to thicken before serving.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Monday, July 20, 2026

Zucchini Brownies

Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts
ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Almond Butter
1 1/2 Cup Zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan, line with parchment paper

It's not necessary to peel the zucchini before shredding it. But peeling it will avoid the occasional green specks in the finished brownies. 

In a large bowl add all ingredients and mix everything together by hand. Mix only until well combined. Tip mixture into the baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy warm or room temp.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Brigadeiros

Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts
Brigadeiros
Makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ Cups Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Tbls Butter, cut into small pieces
¼ Tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Sprinkles, Grated Chocolate, Cocoa Powder, or Shredded Coconut for dusting

DIRECTIONS
8x8-inch baking pan, lightly buttered

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and salt. Whisk often to encourage the butter to melt and the cocoa powder to dissolve. Once the candy comes to a bubble, reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often. The candy is finished when it's the consistency of a thick brownie batter and slides in a soft mass from one side of the pan to the other when the pan is tilted—this can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your stove, but it’s better to keep the heat low and give the candy more time to cook down than to rush it and risk burning it. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the candy into the prepared baking pan and chill in the refrigerator until the candy is somewhat firm with a claylike texture, about 1 hour.

When you’re ready to form the candies, pour your desired coatings onto individual plates. Use your fingers or a small ice cream scoop with a capacity of about 1 teaspoon to portion out bits of candy and roll them into 1-inch balls. Drop each ball into a dish of coating and roll to coat. Set the finished candies on a small baking sheet, or place them into small paper candy cups. Brigadeiros can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Friday, July 10, 2026

Italian Lentil Stew

Naturally Gluten-Free Meals
ITALIAN LENTIL BROCCOLI STEW
Serves 2-3 people

INGREDIENTS
3 Carrots, chopped
1 Onion, Medium, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
4 Tbs Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Lentils, dried
30 Oz Red Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed
6 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 Tsp Oregano, dried
16 Oz Broccoli, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
Place carrots, onion, garlic and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over med heat for 5 mins, or until vegetables start to soften. Stir in lentils, beans, broth and oregano and season with salt & pepper. Cover and bring to low boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 20 mins, or until lentils are soft. Stir in broccoli and simmer for 5 mins more until broccoli is just crisp-tender. If desired, add some water to thin the stew to desired consistency.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Peri Peri Chicken

 Naturally Gluten-Free Meals
Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken W/Potatoes
Serves 6 people

INGREDIENTS
1 Chicken, cut-up
1 ½ Lbs Potatoes, sliced into rounds
Sea Salt to taste

Marinade
2 Dried Ancho Chilies, re-hydrated
2 Tbls Smoked Paprika
6 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Coriander
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbl Sea Salt
½ Tsp Pepper

Cilantro Sauce
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Bunch Cilantro, chopped
½ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Tsp Coriander
Pepper to taste
1 Tbl Lemon Juice
1 Tbl Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F
Large rimmed baking pan

Rehydrate dried chilies by placing them into small pot of boiling water. Turn off the heat and allow the chilies to set for 10-20 minutes.

Place the chilies, paprika, garlic, coriander, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper in a bowl and blend until smooth with a stick blender.  Brush a layer of marinade on the bottom of a large, rimmed, sheet pan. Place the potato rounds on top of the marinade overlapping slightly but not too much, and sprinkle with salt.  Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the potatoes and brush with the marinade. Turn the chicken over, skin side down, brush with the marinade and place in the hot oven. Set the remaining marinade aside to be used later and set a timer for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and brush all of the remaining marinade on the skin side. Return to the oven and bake until cooked through another 15-20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.  To crisp the skin and get it deeply brown, broil for a few final minutes.

Serve the Peri Peri Chicken with this cooling Cilantro Yogurt Sauce. While chicken is roasting, combine yogurt, cilantro, coriander, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper together in a tall bowl, using the stick blender to mix. 

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Nut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Naturally Gluten-Free Cookies
CHOCOLATE NUT BUTTER COOKIE SANDWICHES
Makes 12 cookie sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

Cookies
1 1/4 Cups Nut Butter
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Dark Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted

Nut Butter Filling
3 Tbls Butter
1 Cup Nut Butter
1/2 Cup Confectioners' Sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°
Line a baking tray with parchment paper

Give the nut butter a good stirring with a spoon or a knife. This is to help redistribute the oil. In a large bowl, mix all the cookie ingredients together except for the melted chocolate. Once it's thoroughly combined, mix in the chocolate. At this point, the dough will be very wet and seem a little oily. That's totally normal but refrigeration will take care of that. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or until it's no longer sticky and it's easy to handle.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients until well combined. Allow to chill in the refrigerator.

Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon and place the balls about 1 1/2" apart on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 6-8 minutes or just until the top of the cookies appear baked. If they appear puffy don’t worry, they should deflate while cooling.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking tray. Once the cookies have completely cooled, assemble the cookie sandwiches by placing some of the filling between two cookies. There should be enough filling to make 12 finished sandwiches.  Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Bacon & Sweet Onion Jam

Naturally Gluten-Free Meals
Bacon & Sweet Onion Jam

INGREDIENTS

1 Pkg Bacon, chopped
3 Large Sweet Onions, chopped
½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large, flat bottom, skillet or pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in the skillet. Add the chopped onions and sauté until tender. Be patient, stir occasionally, and wait for the onions to get caramelized. When the onions are browned, and the edges begin to get a bit crispy, remove the pan from the heat.

Using a stick blender, give the mixture a few quick pulses, just enough to smooth out about 50% leaving the remaining onion pieces whole. Return the pan to the heat, add the cooked bacon, vinegar, sugar and salt & pepper to taste. Once everything begins to bubble again, turn off the heat and leave the pan on the burner, stirring occasionally until it reaches room temperature. The jam can be enjoyed warm on burgers & hot-dogs, or mix with sour cream, cream cheese, or soft goat cheese to create a tasty dip. Store the mixture in a glass container in the refrigerator to enjoy when needed.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Hummus Stuffed Roasted Potato Cups

Naturally Gluten-Free Appetizers
HUMMUS STUFFED ROASTED POTATO CUPS
24 Servings

INGREDIENTS
12 small White Potatoes, halved
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
10 ounces (1 container) Sabra Hummus
Alfalfa Sprouts and/or thinly sliced Green Onions for garnish


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scoop out the middle of each potato half using a melon baller or spoon leaving a bit of flesh around the perimeter. Discard or save for another recipe (great in a breakfast hash!)

Combine all the spices in a small bowl. 

Toss the potato halves with the olive oil and most of the spice mixture, reserving a small amount for later. Spread out on a baking sheet. Roast potatoes for about 25 minutes, flipping half way through until edges start to get crispy. 

Spoon hummus into a zip lock bag. Snip the corner of the bag with scissors and pipe the hummus into the middle of each potato half, about 1 tablespoon per potato. Garnish with sprouts or green onion and sprinkle the leftover spice mixture on top of each potato before serving.

NOTE: Always read labels carefully

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