Eat Your Cruciferous Veggies! Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Summer never fails me. I always crave fresh fruit and veggies all season long, and they happen to always be available. Funny how that works! I also never want to eat anything hot for dinner, which is actually a problem because I only know how to make hot dinners. I'm not saying this salad could replace dinner, but it's a pretty good way to fill up your plate. Also: my favorite kind of recipe as well...naturally gluten free! I'm giving credit where credit is due for this recipe, which comes from Traci's mom, who recited the whole thing to me without blinking an eye. She has made it that many times. It's pretty easy, and it makes a lot, so if you need to take something to a pot luck or family reunion, this is a good one.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

3 stalks of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1/2 to 1/4 red onion, minced
1 pound cooked, crumbled bacon
8 ounces shredded mozzarella

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup Best Foods light mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dressing together until sugar dissolves. Assemble salad ingredients and pour dressing over the top. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to give flavors a chance to meld.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Super Bowl Sliders

I look forward to the (ads on the) Super Bowl every year, but this year we are really excited around here because the Steelers are back! If you love Green Bay, sorry. Don't stop reading. I also get really excited about the Super Bowl food that you get to eat, which is almost like a total junk food binge, but I always see great little recipes and ads in the paper for Super Bowl snacks that I wish I could eat but most of them are full of gluten. Which makes me mad, but only for about 10 seconds. Since I like to cook anyway, I love coming up with great party food for one really fun day out of the year. I posted some other great recipes last year, like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Strawberries with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar, and Hearty Chili. I have a great easy recipe based on one of Rachael Ray's that makes about 16 delicious mini burgers called sliders. Come to think of it, I don't even have a clue as to why they named mini hamburgers sliders. Is it because they are easy to slide down your gullet? That is a great question for someone to Google.

To start, I made some hamburger buns using Grandpa's Kitchen bread mix and I put little handfuls of rolled dough into muffin tins to see if that would help them keep the bun shape while they were rising. It worked, and the buns were pretty good, although I guessed on the baking time (25 minutes) and I think they baked about 5 minutes too long. So check the buns at around 20 minutes and see if they're ready to come out. I'm not so good with the yeast breads and I would really love to perfect the art of baking gluten free yeast dough. Maybe that's my new resolution. I'm dying to try the Cheese Bread Mania gluten free buns to see if it's good with the cheesy flavor.

Then I took 2 1/2 pounds of hamburger and added 1/3 cup of A-1 sauce, and one packet of onion soup mix, which now I have to make by hand with this recipe. It says to use 5 tablespoons of the mix to equal one packet. I mixed it all together in a huge bowl with my hands and then patted it out in a greased 9x13 pan. I baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I checked it at 12 minutes, which the recipe calls for, but the meat was still raw. At 15 minutes it was just a bit pink in the middle. Cook it until you feel comfortable with the meat's doneness.) When you take this out of the oven, be careful, because the fat from the meat will be hot and bubbly and you'll have to carefully pull it out so as not to burn yourself. I used one of those basters to suck the fat out of the pan. Then I cut it with a pizza cutter into squares (so cute) sized to fit onto my buns. I got about 16 patties out of this batch. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make all the patty batter for everyone and they can use little dinner rolls and you can put a little patty on your own gluten free buns just like the rest of the world. For the toppings, I sliced roma tomatoes, because they are small and cute for the mini burgers, tore some romaine lettuce into small chunks, used the small rings of a red onion, and cut pre-sliced cheese into fourths and let people have at it with the ketchup and deli mustard. You could use arugula instead of lettuce if you wanted to. I served them with some homemade fries, which were really simple to make.

Homemade Fries
1.Peel 4 potatoes and slice into steak fries. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
2.Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt to taste. Toss to coat.
3.Roast for 45 minutes-1 hour in a 400 degree oven, or until desired crispness, stirring occasionally.

I loved these fries! If you love fast food fries, they might not be your favorite, but they tasted like delicious homemade fries to me.
Check back tomorrow for another gluten free Super Bowl Recipe!
Happy eating and Go Steelers!

Gluten Free Au Gratin Potatoes: The Easy Recipe

Ah, who doesn't love the humble potato? Not only are they filling and naturally gluten free, they are cheap. You can buy a bag of about a billion of them for around $3.00, and they have such versatility in so many recipes. Last Thanksgiving I posted a recipe for Au Gratin Potatoes that is pretty much the same as this one, only the way I made it is SO MUCH easier I couldn't resist posting this variation. I have made these this way three times in 10 days for a weeknight dinner, which says a lot about not only flavor but ease for me. If it's not easy, I don't make it on a weeknight unless it's a special occasion. Here's the simple version:

Gluten Free Au Gratin/Scalloped Potatoes

4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
2 T minced onion from the pantry
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into a medium casserole dish sprayed with Pam, and spread top potato layer nicely with a spatula or spoon. (Doesn't have to be perfect, just not a total mess.) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

There's a few steps omitted from the other recipe and not as many ingredients to remember. My friend made these using all colby jack cheese and she said they were great. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Happy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Deep, Dark, and Delicious

Some things in life are just fine when they're pale: skin that's been out of the sun's harmful rays, paint on walls or white sheets on a bed. But when it comes to healthy food, deep and dark is better. Eating foods with a lot of color is one way to really up your vitamin intake. Let me clarify, by color I do not mean Fruity Pebbles. I'm talking dark red beets, deep leafy greens like chard and spinach, bright orange butternut squash, dark green broccoli, black beans, purple plums, cheery purple cranberries, and dark chocolate anything. I promise, that chocolate is good for you! It has polyphenols that help with heart health. Just don't eat a whole mega Hershey bar of it! And fruits can come in healthy colors, too. Try pineapple, mangoes, kiwis, oranges, strawberries and figs for some deep dark color.

Colorful foods contain more vitamins and things called flavonoids that keep you healthy and protect from chronic diseases. After recovering from damage done to our bodies by celiac disease, we celiacs need all the help we can get to boost our bodies' repair. Imagine trying to build a house with no bricks or wood. That's how our bodies feel when trying to heal intestinal damage without extra vitamins and nutrients from healthy food. Eating junk food is like building your house with mud. You could live in it, but it wouldn't be very nice.

Next time you buzz through the aisles of the produce department, stop and look at the lettuce you're buying. Is it pale white iceberg lettuce (with little or no nutritional value)? Or is it a darker romaine or leaf lettuce or even spinach or peppery arugula? One simple change can really give your body more efficient fuel. Look for deep dark vegetables and maybe they can make the list of your new foods to try this year. Start out easy with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and spinach, and work your way up to kale and acorn squash. Don't forget to buy some colorful fruit while you're there, too. Try a starfruit, or get a package of berries or some dried apricots. Switch to a dark chocolate baking cocoa (Hershey makes one) and try it in your dessert recipes.

One of my favorite snacks is a bowl of bright green edamame with coarse salt sprinkled over it. In case you haven't tried edamame, it's simply soybeans steamed either in or out of their pod. They sell the shelled ones in the freezer section and they steam up well in the microwave for a quick snack packed with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates. And I love that bright green color.

As always, there is an exception to everything, and my one exception in this case is cauliflower. I love it. It's one of my favorite vegetables, cooked or raw, and it's a great source of Vitamin C. Buying it frozen is a really convenient way to get some into your diet. And if you don't like the taste, now they make them with flavors, like this garlic cauliflower I found today.

There's a great website by the Center for Disease Control called fruitsandveggiesmatter, and if you have more questions about vegetables and fruits and their benefits, check it out. Commit to some color! Eating healthier is just one smart choice away.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Twice Baked Potatoes: A Labor of Love

I used to have these neighbors that would bring the most amazing food to pot luck dinners. Seriously, some of the best home cookin' I've ever eaten has been at pot luck dinners, and these guys did it up right. One time I had a baby and I got lucky enough that these nice neighbors brought me dinner, complete with one of my all time favorite side dishes: Twice Baked Potatoes. I called the next day to thank the wife for making such a lovely meal and she went, "Pfft, Byron does all the cooking!" Needless to say, I was flabbergasted and quickly began recipe stalking Byron. Lucky for me he's from Idaho and not stingy with his recipes. In fact, he reminded me a lot of Brian from Fire and Salt, another guy who flabbergasts me with his gluten free recipes sometimes. These Twice Baked Potatoes are also naturally gluten free, so they were one of the recipes I relied on when I first was clueless on what to eat without wheat.

Now, these are great, but I'm telling you they're a labor of love. They are like deviled eggs, pretty and tasty, but still, it's a hard-boiled egg, right? These are baked potatoes that turn into mashed potatoes and their carcasses become the serving dish, but they're still just potatoes. Delicious and addicting and completely to die for, but still potatoes. So that's why I'm posting about them now, during the holiday season, because so many of us host or attend parties and need to bring some filling, delicious food that also looks "pretty," so here you go.

Gluten Free Twice Baked Potatoes

6 washed Idaho potatoes

4 T butter

2-4 T milk

2 T minced onion (from your spice rack)

1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese

1. Wash potatoes and remove all dirt from skins. Pierce with a fork or simply slice down the center to create steam holes. Bake the potatoes in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, or until fork tender. Remove potatoes but do not turn off the oven.

2. Slice baked potatoes down the center and cut in half. Using a hot pad or a dish towel, hold half of the potato and carefully scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Try not to rip the fragile but crispy skin.

3. When all the potatoes have been scooped out, add butter, milk, onion and 1/2 cup of the cheese to the bowl and whip with a hand mixer until mashed potato consistency.

4. Fill potato skins with mashed potato mixture so they are rounded and full. (You might not use every skin you scooped out.) Top with the rest of the cheese and return to the oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with any meat main dish. Makes about 12 Twice Baked Potatoes.

There's another reason Byron chose to send these over when I was recovering from childbirth: they are excellent heated up the next day. Nothing like a good leftover to make me happy!

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole

I am interrupting this Christmas blog series to post about one of my new favorite recipes you can all make for the almost forgotten Thanksgiving holiday this year: Sweet Potato Casserole. I first tasted this last year at a Christmas party and I phone stalked cute Sally until she gave the recipe to me a couple of weeks ago. When she gave it to me, there was a little note on the bottom of the recipe card: "Given to me by my friend in Alabama...who went on dates in a horse drawn buggy and lived to be 102 years." Now, if that doesn't mean this is a recipe that stands the test of time, I don't know what does. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of flour in the topping mixture, but I substituted tapioca starch/flour to see how it worked. It is delicious and yummy just the same, but you could also use whatever gluten free flour mixture you love. My one disclaimer is that there is a TON of butter and sugar and a little bit of vegetable in this recipe, so don't come crying to me when you realize how many calories are in it. It's for sure one of those once a year kind of recipes.

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cooked yams, mashed (I used three large yams for this and it was just about enough.)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 T melted butter
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
6 T melted butter
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Mix all ingredients together and spread on top of potatoes. Bake 20-25 minutes in a 375 degree oven until golden brown and crusty on top.

Happy eating!

Cauliflower a la Anna

Yesterday I was reading through my latest edition of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart and I came across an interesting sentence. It read, "Eating season has begun, so make those yummy dishes for your family without guilt." Eating Season? I have been alive on this earth for 30-some-odd years and never knew about Eating Season? Well, sign me up. I'm ready for some good filling and good tasting food. On that note, I have not one but two recipes for one of the most underused vegetables in American kitchens today: the humble cauliflower.

My friend Anna is the one who got me thinking about a cauliflower gratin dish a few weeks ago when she shoved some leftovers in my face and told me I would love it. I totally did, but I couldn't remember her simple recipe, which happens to be this:

Cauliflower Anna Style

Melt together 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 4 tbsp melted butter, and add 1 cup of mayonnaisse. Pour over 1 head of steamed cauliflower, cut into florets. Broil for 1-2 minutes until browned and bubbly.

So I turned to my old friend the internet to find a recipe that would be close to it. I knew there was cheese and mayonnaisse in it, and for some reason I thought there would be sour cream in it, so I found this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen for a Cauliflower Gratin adapted from A Pinch of Salt Lake cookbook.

Cauliflower Gratin with Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan

from Kalyn's Kitchen

1 head of cauliflower cut into florets

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 T mayonnaisse

4 T sour cream

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

fresh black pepper to taste

3 T finely grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cauliflower into boiling water and cover, steaming for about 10 minutes, or until it just starts to get tender. Drain into a colander placed in the sink.

While cauliflower cooks, whisk together mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, and pepper. Stir in cheddar.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the well-drained cauliflower into the dish and spread out evenly. With a rubber scraper, pour the cheese mixture over the top. It won't cover the cauliflower completely, it's more like a topping. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Both recipes happened to be fabulous. The only problem is that even in this form, my family wouldn't eat the cauliflower. I ended up eating almost the whole thing by myself. I don't even want to think about how many calories are in a whole version of one of these. Not to mention the number so much cauliflower did on my stomach. But that is a post for another day. The good thing is, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is another great veggie side dish you can make and WOW people with. It's beautiful, easy, and healthy. (We'll just focus on the cauliflower healthy, not the mayo healthy, okay? Okay.) I think the next thing I'll spring on my family is Mo's Cauliflower Pizza Crust. They'd love that, wouldn't they?

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Green Beans Amandine...So Fancy

I happen to come from a family of two. Well, not anymore. Now I have a dad and siblings whom I all love very much and consider to be my family. But growing up, I was the only child of a single parent. Which really, if you think about in a positive way, had a ton of benefits. My mom says I got good at being bossy because I would just tell her what I wanted to do, and since there was no one else to compete with, I always got my way. My own room, no one stole my clothes, all the one-on-one parent time you could ask for, and always first pick of what to have for dinner. Hmm, I'm seeing some clues to my personality here. I may have to slow down on the past realizations for a minute. I don't know if I can handle any more self-awareness. Anyway, everytime my mom made green beans, whether they were fresh, frozen, or from a can, I asked for them to be Green Beans Amandine, which is a fancy way of saying add lemon juice, butter, and almonds to the beans. And they pretty much rule.

I love vegetables, and I am a fan of frozen or fresh whenever possible. I will admit that every dinner I cook for my family we have some kind of vegetable with it. Some are fancy and some aren't that nutritious, but they are vegetables nonetheless! My favorite green beans, even my favorite over fresh ones, are the petite whole green beans you can buy a giant bag of at Costco. They are truly de-lish. Anyway, I cook them in the microwave, and when they come out I put a couple of tablespoons of butter on them, 1 tablespoon of fresh or bottled lemon juice, and a handful of slivered almonds. Voila! Instantly impressive veggie side dish. Enjoy these with your next dinner with the in-laws. It's so easy, and it's guaranteed to impress.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Zucchini Parmesan: Use Up the Extras!

This year I planted not one but two zucchini plants in my back yard. I know, I know. I'm crazy because how will I ever use up all that zucchini I'll get out of it? Everyone knows it's the bane of summer when your neighbors come over with a huge zucchini for you, all smiles, and what do you do with it? Look at it on the counter until you throw it away, that's what. Well, I actually planted an extra plant this year because last summer I finally became a fan of zucchini when it wasn't baked into a bread or a soup or a muffin. I actually ate it by itself. Wow. My dad almost fainted dead away when he heard the world's biggest proponent for zucchini extermination was actually eating ones she grew in her back yard. As the World Turns, I know.

I have a few tips for you about zucchini. First of all, pick them when they are small. Usually you'd want to pick them when they are about 8 or 9 inches long. They are tender and tasty then. The reason no one likes zucchini is probably because they are eating ones that are two feet long and as big around as a softball. Those zucchini are tough and fibrous, not good for eating plain. When you get a big one like that, slice off the slimmest end and grate it up to use in muffins or breads. You can even put it in one cup portions in a ziploc and freeze it to use in the winter. Just drain it well after you thaw it. Secondly, zucchini will take on whatever flavor you put on it, just like mushrooms. So if you love Indian cuisine, try some curry powder on your zucchini. Love the spicy foods? Try sauteeing it with some cayenne or red pepper flakes. Me? I love the Italian flavors, so I always do Zucchini Parmesan, which isn't anything like Chicken Parmigiana, okay? It's just the name I made up for this side dish.

Gluten Free Zucchini Parmesan

1 8-inch zucchini, sliced into rounds

1/2 stick of butter

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

dried minced onion

1 minced garlic clove

2-4 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large frypan, melt the butter and add the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with the pinches of salt and pepper and arrange the slices in a single layer in the pan. Let brown for a few minutes so the zucchini starts to get tender, and flip over when slices are lightly browned on one side. Let brown on the other side, Add minced onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute, then grate Parmesan cheese right over the top. Let cheese melt for 1 minute, then serve.

You can do this recipe with or without the garlic. I happen to really love garlic, but if you don't, you can leave it out and it will still taste divine. The best thing about zucchini, really? Naturally gluten free, baby.

Happy eating!

Sweet Potato Fries? No Worries...

It's Monday morning, and I always feel uninspired on Monday mornings, until I start looking at my food pictures from the week before and then the ideas start cooking. Lots of times when I go to the grocery store, that's when the ideas start cooking, too, and I'll have to make myself a list of all the fun things I want to try so I don't forget them during the week. (That has happened WAY too many times, if you're wondering.) One thing that's been on my list for a while now are Sweet Potato Fries. It seems like everywhere I've eaten lately has Sweet Potato Fries on the menu. Okay, maybe only two places, but still, they're getting more popular.

The problem with ordering Sweet Potato Fries at a restaurant is that you are never sure about cross contamination, and at some places I'm sure about the cross contamination because my server told me that they used the same oil to make the fries as they used to fry the battered onion rings. So sad. And baking is so much better for you anyway, so I thought I'd give it a try. Cheers to Giada de Laurentiis for inspiring me to make these. She makes everything look so easy. Her version is much more Italian, mine is much more housewifey.

I took three sweet potatoes, cut the ends off, cut them into steak fries, and scattered them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for quick clean up. Then I drizzled them with about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tsp kosher salt.

I roasted the pan in the oven for 45 minutes at 425 degrees, until they were nice and browned and the potatoes were soft inside. Then I made a quick dipping sauce with 1/3 cup light mayonnaise, 1 tsp Tamari sauce (wheat free soy sauce from San-J), 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt and served it alongside my salmon. By the way, my salmon will be the first edition of my "Fish on Fridays" series for the next four weeks. You may know by now that I never cook fish and I want to try to break that habit and learn how to incorporate this into my menus. I hope it turns out delicious, or as delicious as a novice fish cooker can make it.

That's it! They basically cook themselves and Sweet Potato Fries are a great way to change up your summer menus. Plus, doesn't it seem like they talk about sweet potatoes being better for you on the Biggest Loser or something? Maybe I made that up, but they sure SEEM healthier.

Also, my Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins will be a featured blog post over at Foodista tomorrow, so check it out!

Happy eating!

Lipton's Gluten Free Onion Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my favorite ways to come up with new recipes: read the box. I know, so complicated you could die, but worth every second it takes to look on the side of the box you are using. I was pleased to discover that Lipton Onion Soup Mix is gluten free, and I've used it in several crock pot recipes to add extra flavor and punch to my slow cooker dishes. But the other day I grabbed a box at the store and happened to notice a recipe on the back for, you guessed it, Onion Roasted Potatoes. It was so easy and the results were delicious, so that makes the cut for a Margo-approved recipe. I made these alongside Shannon's Gluten Free Barbeque Ribs the other night and it was definitely a great easy dinner. Here's how to make them:
Lipton's Gluten Free Onion Roasted Potatoes

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle with contents of the packet. Smoosh the potatoes around to coat them. Roast for 35 minutes, stirring once so they don't stick to the pan.

Mmm. Just reading about them makes my mouth water. What is your favorite Onion Soup Mix recipe?

Happy eating!

Thanksgiving Success... and Failure

Every year at Thanksgiving I look at the Brussels Sprouts in the produce department and think, "One day I will make those because they are traditional Thanksgiving fare." And almost every year I have thought, "Not knowing how to make them and have them taste great is a big roadblock for you." This year I just ponied up the two or three dollars and bought some because I was feeling extra confident in my cooking skills this year. I didn't know what I was going to do to them, but I knew I could pull it off. And I must say, these were my favorite veggie side dish that I made this year. I ate all the leftovers and forced everyone in my family to eat a bite of them. And a whopping three out of seven people liked them! So, if you love Brussels Sprouts or cabbage, and you've never tried them, this is so easy you will wonder why you never ate them before. And they have to be better for you than a Snickers bar, right? These are a great side dish for any holiday meal, and they look so cool on a platter that you have to try them at least once this season. And they are also one of those dishes that are naturally gluten free, so you don't have to feel freakish about any of the ingredients.

Halved Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts

1 pkg fresh Brussels Sprouts, washed and halved

1/4 cup chopped pine nuts

3 T butter

1 lemon

Melt the butter in a large nonstick frypan. Add the Brussels Sprouts and stir to coat in the butter. Saute for about 7-8 minutes in butter, letting them brown. Add the pine nuts and stir to coat. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves over the sprouts and nuts. Transfer to a serving dish and serve up warm. Delish!

On a depressing side note, my green bean casserole was a complete disaster. Complete and total. Here is a sad picture of the really yucky dish:

I topped it with sliced onions fried in olive oil that were a little too done. (Can you say black?) I baked it and thought for sure it would be the best thing ever. Not so much. Oh, well, at least no one can say I didn't try. I am going to try to perfect this dish eventually, though. It always sounds so good to me at the holidays and I'm determined to make a gluten free version that tastes fantastic. Did you make a fabulous version of a gluten-filled dish this Thanksgiving? Leave a comment, we'd all love to hear about it.

Happy eating!

Potatoes Au Gratin--A Thanksgiving Twist

Everyone loves those mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving Dinner. However, some years you just have to mix it up and go with the unexpected dish. This year, I'm having Thanksgiving just with my immediate family and we'll be cooking up a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. (No one here likes dark meat and it would take mountains of gluten free bread to make enough turkey sandwiches to use up the leftovers.) The other day on Food Network I saw the new "Tyler's Ultimate" and he did this turkey breast with cornbread stuffing rolled into it and it only took 25 minutes to cook. 25 minutes! Anyway, when you do a little bit less traditional cut of meat I think it's fine to take a less traditional side dish along for the ride. So, with that in mind, here's a great gluten free recipe for Potatoes Au Gratin that I know you'll enjoy any day of the year.

Potatoes Au Gratin

5 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

4 T butter

2 T cornstarch

1 cup whole milk or heavy cream

dash salt and pepper

dried minced onions or sliced scallion onions

1 clove of minced garlic

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer the potatoes in a baking dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the cornstarch all at once. Whisk until thick. Add the milk, salt and pepper, garlic and onion and bring to a boil, until thick. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and pour over the sliced potatoes. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes.

The gruyere cheese is really the star of this dish. It's a little tangy and it melts really well, so you have ooey gooey delicious potatoes that the cheese doesn't fall off of. Enjoy these with any holiday meal!

Happy eating!

Roasted Cauliflower

If you've ever been confronted with a leftover half head of cauliflower from the crudites you made four days ago, here's a great recipe to use it up and get a great side dish out of it. I secretly fed this to my thirteen year old and she grudgingly admitted it "wasn't that bad."

Roasted Cauliflower

1 to 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 tsp lemon juice

Arrange the florets on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower. Grate parmesan right over the cauliflower. Place in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender and browned.

Love this one. It has such a great, unexpected flavor, and it's got to be better for you than loaded baked potatoes, right?

Happy eating!

Funeral Potatoes

Remember the good old days when you could just grab a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup and whip up dinner on the spot? Remember how sad you were when you found out you couldn't eat it anymore? Get ready to be amazed. I am now going to teach everyone how to use...instant soup. I know, it's not so gourmet. However, you will be thanking me when you find out how I am going to save your casseroles tonight with my culinary expertise. So here we go:

Gluten-Free Funeral Potatoes

1 24 ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns

8 ounces sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar or colby jack

2 T minced onion (I use the dried kind)

4 packets Lipton Cup-a-Soup Cream of Chicken Flavor

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups Corn Chex cereal (use the ones with the gluten-free label, just to be safe)

4 T melted butter

Take shredded potatoes out of the freezer and let thaw on the counter for a few minutes while you mix your other ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together sour cream, cheese, and onion. In a smaller mixing bowl, add contents of soup packets with water. Whisk together until well blended. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes, until thick. Add to sour cream mixture. Fold in thawed frozen potatoes. Spread into a greased 9x12 pan. For crunchy topping, place Chex cereal in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin, or for you technical types you could use a food processor. Toss with melted butter to coat. Spread on top of potato mixture. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

I like to use the frozen potatoes because I feel they hold up a little better than regular cooked, grated potatoes, which seem to turn mushy with this recipe. And, they are about 50 times easier to use! This soup has a lot of flavor to it. You won't need to add any extra salt. And it also has little parsley flakes in it which makes the potatoes look so yummy. Sometimes I leave the cereal topping off and serve it as a potato au gratin dish. Happy eating!