Simple & Tasty

 Green Goddess Chickpeas and Quinoa
1 can (15 Oz. Size) Chickpeas, drained
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Uncooked Quinoa
1-1/2 cup Water
1/2 whole Seedless Cucumber,peeled and diced
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 cups Packed Spinach, Finely chopped (you can use kale or arugula too)
1 whole Avocado, peeled, pitted, And diced
 
For the Dressing:
1 Tablespoon Tahini
2 Tablespoons Warm Water
1 whole Lemon, juiced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch Fresh Ground Pepper

Preheat oven to 400o. Drizzle chickpeas with the olive oil and sprinkle with the smoked paprika, salt and cayenne. Toss to coat. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and crispy, stirring once after about 15 minutes. The cooking time will vary a little bit depending on the size of your chickpeas, so make sure to check on them after 30 minutes.
While the chickpeas are roasting, cook the quinoa. Pour the quinoa into a small pot with the water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Remove pot from heat. Let the quinoa rest, still covered, for five minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and turn it out into a larger bowl to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini and warm water until smooth. Add the lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne and olive oil to the tahini and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
When the quinoa has cooled, add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, spinach, avocado and half of the cooked chickpeas to the bowl. Pour the dressing over everything and gently fold all of the ingredients together. Taste and season with a little extra salt if necessary.



This next recipe comes from Thao at In Good Flavor

Slow Cooker Corn Souffle
1 package (8 Oz. Size) Corn Muffin Mix (If GF use glutinos or pamelas mixes)
1 can (15 1/4 Oz. Size) Sweet Corn Cream Style
1 can (15 1/4 Oz. Size) Whole Kernel Corn, Drained
6 Tablespoons Butter, Melted (I used Vegan)
½ cups Light Sour Cream
⅓ cups Chopped Scallion (greens Only)
 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended.
If serving out of the slow cooker, generously spray a 2.5 quart crockpot with cooking spray, then add corn souffle mixture.
If you want to plate the souffle after cooking, line the bottom and sides of a 2.5 quart slow cooker with a large sheet of aluminum foil. Cut out the bottom of an aluminum pie plate slightly smaller than the inner circumference of the slow cooker. Place on top of foil. Generously spray the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the corn souffle mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 3.5 to 4 hours or until the center is no longer wet (a toothpick should come out with wet crumbs attached when inserted in the center of the souffle. You may need to adjust (reduce) cooking time if using a larger slow cooker. Turn off cooker. Allow souffle to rest about 20 minutes with the lid removed.
To serve plated, remove it from the crock using the loose sides of the aluminum foil to lift it out of the cooker. Place on serving dish. Carefully slide off the sheet of aluminum foil.



Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
4 chicken breasts, cut in 3rds depending on size
1 T olive oil or coconut
2 T garlic
1/2 onion minced small
1 T red pepper (granulated or flaked)
1/2 C chicken broth (You gluten free people check the label or make your own)
1 C heavy cream
1 tsp thyme
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
*1/4 C sundried tomatoes chopped
1/4 C fresh basil cut into ribbons
Salt and Pepper to season chicken breasts

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil and place your chicken on a sprayed surface. Cook chicken on broil for 6 minutes, turning the chicken on the other side to brown. The chicken wont be fully cooked, but will finish in the sauce.
Remove chicken and set aside.
in a skillet, combine oil, and onion and saute until softened, add garlic and cook until it's aromatic. Add all other ingredients except basil and parmesan cheese. Add spices and cook at a bubble. Add your basil at the very end with your cheese and serve.

*The best flavored sun-dried tomatoes are found in the produce section in a seal-able container by the avocados and tomatoes. Bella Sun Luci is a great one.

We serve this chicken with gluten free pasta, red potatoes and broccoli rabe.

 

This recipe is taken from Life, Love & Sugar, you can find it here. I adapted it to be gluten free.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
Cookie Cups:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
1 box Betty Crocker Cake mix
      1 tsp strawberry extract
      1/4 cup minced strawberries
 
Cheesecake Filling:
12 oz cream cheese
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkles

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add egg and milk and mix until combined.

Add dry cake cake and mix thoroughly. Dough will be thick.

Wrap dough in clear wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours, or overnight.

Grease a mini muffin tin.

 Make balls of about 1 1/2 tsp in size and press into the bottom of each mini muffin cup. Press the center down just a bit to make a slight indention, where you'll add the cheesecake filling later. You want each cup to only be about 3/4 full, or they will rise out of the cup when baked.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are barely golden.

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes. If the center doesn't still have an indention, use the end of a wooden spoon (or something similar) to press down a bit in the center of each cookie.

Remove cookies to a cooling rack to cool.