Pumpkin Seeds

It's a tradition at my house to save the seeds of the Halloween pumpkins we carve at Halloween and then bake them for a tasty treat. I have tried several different recipes for pumpkin seeds, and so far this one is my favorite.

Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
4 c. water
4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. butter
3 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce*
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Preheat oven to 350°.
Rinse seeds until no pumpkin is left on them.
Boil the water and salt in a large pot. Simmer seeds for 10 minutes. Drain water. Add olive oil, butter, and soy sauce.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Spread seeds out on the cookie sheet so they are not on top of each other. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool before eating.

Betsy's Pumpkin Seed Recipe: Clean most of the goop off the seeds, but don't rinse them. Place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and bake.

Betsy's Amazing Chili

It's starting to get colder, which means that soups are reemerging as a major part of my menu. Chili is one of those meals that my family ate all the time while I was growing up. My mom "Just Liked It." She didn't know she had celiac at the time, but this was one of the foods she unconsciously gravitated toward because it is gluten free. We always used pinto beans in chili, but this summer I discovered that I REALLY like black beans. For this chili recipe, I cooked 4 cups of dried black beans. I used half of the cooked beans in the chili and put the rest in the fridge for other meals. (Of course, I'm feeding 6 people. If you are only feeding 1 or 2, you probably don't want to cook that many beans at one time.) - Betsy

Betsy's Amazing Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 sweet onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
4 c. cooked Black Beans* (see our Sides Recipes)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1-1 ½ tsp. cumin

Sauté beef with onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Drain fat.

Combine beef with all other ingredients in a large pot. Heat on medium-high heat until warm (10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally. (Or combine cooked beef with other ingredients in a crock pot and heat well.)

Serve with rice and cheese.

*I always include the liquid surrounding the beans, too.

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
3 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl whip the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars and dry pudding mix. Mix until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. (If you want fluffy cookies, use a whisk attachment and beat for 3-4 minutes. If you want them flat, use a flat beater and mix just until the eggs are blended. ) Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. Add the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in the chips.

Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are browned around the edges.

Low Fat General Tsao's Chicken

I was looking online for new chicken recipes and stumbled across this one. I didn't exactly have all the ingredients that the recipe called for, so I used what I had, threw in some extra's and hoped for the best! As I was watching it simmer, I have to admit there was a little bit of anxiety going on, but the results were amazing. I doubled the recipe, and the kids ate ALL of it!!!! My husband was disappointed because he was hoping for leftovers for lunch.

If you want to make this more like the real recipe, batter the chicken with the chicken nugget recipe, and fry it before simmering it in the sauce.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can green chili's-, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup GF soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir fry chicken thighs until cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from pan Drain water and using the same pan saute the green onion, garlic, chiles, and green pepper. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. GF mix
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1 c. finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat Oven to 350°. Grease one 8x4x2 loaf pan.

Combine flour mix, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon peel. Mix well. Add dry mix to zucchini mix. Stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely

Waffle Cones

My children wanted waffle cones, I was feeling a bit adventurous, and so . . we have multicolored waffle bowls. You really need a waffle cone maker in order for these to work. If you don't have one, you can pick one up at Walmart or Target. I say it's worth it, because you can make dozens of cones for just pennies, instead of having to buy 12 pre-made GF cones for $5.00. Hope you enjoy!

Waffle Cones/Bowls


3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbs. vanilla
1 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder


Beat eggs, gradually adding sugar. Add cooled butter and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour mix, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Blend into egg mixture until smooth. Dough will be sticky. Drop by the heaping spoonful onto a hot waffle-cone baker.

Bake as directed, usually for about 20 seconds. Remove from baker and either roll around a waffle cone shaper or drape over an upside-down bowl or cup. The cones will harden quickly as they cool.

Butterscotch Crinkles

Butterscotch Crinkles

My daughter's kindergarten teacher made these for us one day, and my kids loved them!!! Not very healthy, and a bit expensive once you buy the gluten free cornflakes, but quite addicting once you taste them. So, if you make them and happen to put on ten or so pounds, it's totally not my fault. Blame it on kindergarten.

1/2 c peanut butter
1 bag of gluten free butterscotch chips
6 c of gluten free cornflakes (I bought mine at Macey's grocery store in the GF section)

You can half all of this too and make a smaller batch.....I would if you plan on NOT sharing....hehehehe:)

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Pull out and stir then put in for another 30 seconds.  Continue stirring, melting, then checking until melted all the way through. Then add cornflakes....mix....then put on wax paper to dry. You might need to heat a little longer depending on your microwave. Make sure you don't cook over stove too....it won't cook right! Have fun eating!