Category: Gluten Free Dinner Ideas

Honey Glazed Pork Chops

Pork chops are an easy and economical main course.  There are so many ways to prepare them!  I have always breaded and baked mine, but in the summer, I want something a little lighter.  This simple recipe is the one to keep handy for your weeknight rotation.  You will love the honey glaze, and the pork chops come out tender and juicy every time.

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Choose chops that are all about the same size, so that they finish cooking at the same time.  Whisk together the olive oil, honey, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a baking dish large enough to hold your pork chops in a single layer.

Add the pork chops and marinate for 30-45 minutes at room temperature, turning every 10 minutes.

I cooked the chops in a large non-stick grill pan, you want them spaced out in the pan, not touching.  Coat the pan with cooking spray and heat over medium low.  Add the pork chops, sprinkle with seasoning, then cover and cook 4 minutes.  Keep the cover on, and don’t move the chops around in the pan.

Turn the pork chops over, drizzle any remaining marinade over the top and sprinkle more seasoning.  Cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops and how you like them done.  According to food safety guidelines, pork should be cooked to a minimum of 145° and for me this is perfect.  Check with a thermometer to be sure.

Now turn them once more to coat both sides in the honey glaze and cook 30 more seconds.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chives.  I served with roasted cauliflower and sweet potato.

Doesn’t that look good?  Now that you know how easy it is, surprise your family with a delicious pork chop dinner this week.  Make it once and it will become an instant favorite!

Notes ♪♫ The secret to tender juicy pork chops is to not overcook them.  Use a skillet with a cover, to keep the moisture in.  For best results, cook on medium low heat, use a timer, and check with a thermometer.  

Originally published 07/05/2019         Updated 08/26/2025

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Tri-Color Gluten Free Pasta

Tri-Color Gluten Free Pasta  

I love making pasta by hand and have been experimenting with coloring the dough.  I have been wanting to do this for a while and had so much fun making this test batch!

Using spinach powder and tomato powder to color the dough was inspired by browsing the tri-color pasta at the supermarket and noticing what they listed for ingredients.  That was how I got started with this recipe. 

Read on to see how easy it was to put this together!  It was a time consuming but fairly easy process using a scale, small food processor or electric chopper and gnocchi board.

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Set up 3 bowls.  Place 1/8 tsp. salt in each bowl.  To one bowl add 1 tbsp. spinach powder, and to another bowl add 1 tbsp. tomato powder.  Add enough flour to each bowl, to equal 100 g. including the vegetable powder and salt.

Next, working with one bowl at a time, add one egg to the bowl of a small food processor and pulse to break it up.  Add the flour from the first bowl with 2 tbsp. of ice water and pulse several times, just enough to bring it together into a rough dough.  Continue with the next 2 bowls, combining the flour mixture with 1 egg, and 2 tbsp. ice water.  As you finish each color dough, press it into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.

Hint: make the white dough first, so that you don’t have to wash the chopper in between batches.

Let the dough balls rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Lightly flour a large cutting board.  Working with one color dough at a time, divide the ball in half and roll each section into a rope.  Be patient, if it doesn’t roll easily dust with a little flour and gently press down with your palms as you roll the dough back and forth.

Use a bench knife to cut the ropes into 1/4″ pieces.  Remember, the pasta will grow when it cooks, so don’t make the pieces too large.

Roll each piece of dough between your palms then use your hand or a bench knife to roll it over a floured gnocchi board to create the ridges.

Place the finished pasta in a single layer on a floured baking sheet.  I lined mine with wax paper.

Be sure to follow food safety guidelines and refrigerate egg pasta within one hour if you are not going to cook it immediately.

You can keep the pasta in the refrigerator if cooking the same day.  Beyond that I recommend freezing it in an airtight container or freezer safe bag.  I placed mine in the freezer right on the baking sheet and when they were firmed up, I transferred them to a Ziploc® bag.

To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  Add the pasta (do not thaw frozen pasta, just throw it into the pot), stir and cover so that the water returns to a boil quickly.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Be sure to set a timer, fresh pasta cooks very quickly, so don’t overcook!  It’s done when it floats to the top.

Drain the cooked pasta and toss with your favorite sauce.  I did mine with crumbled sausage, roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, all drizzled with a good olive oil and grated cheese.  Use simple ingredients to let the color and flavor of the pasta shine.

Making the pasta was a little time consuming, but I did it on a Sunday and froze it to have during the week.  Freezing did not affect the texture at all, and the pasta cooked perfectly to al dente.

Notes ♪♫ I used Better Batter bread flour in this recipe.  If you use a different flour, you may have to play with the amount of water needed to bring the dough together.  When you shop Better Batter, be sure to use my Promo Code MGFC30 for 30% off at checkout! 😉

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Gluten Free Rice-a-Roni

“Sauté and simmer, the flavor can’t be beat” ♪♫♪♫

You don’t even need a recipe, right?  The jingle tells you how to make it!  When was the last time you had “the San Francisco treat”?  For me I think it’s been decades.

If you miss boxed mixes like Rice-a-Roni® on the gluten free diet, step into the kitchen with me, and I’ll show you how I made this gluten free copycat version, all fancied up with a little bit of veggies and slivered almonds.  Only one ingredient swap was needed to make this recipe gluten free.  In place of the vermicelli, I used these thin rice noodles from Thai Kitchen.

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Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Break the rice noodles into small pieces.  I placed mine inside a zip lock bag so they wouldn’t go all over the place.  Heat the butter in a deep skillet with a cover.  Add the rice and noodles and sauté over medium low heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.  Add the carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, sprinkle with seasoning and bring to a simmer.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.  Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with fresh chives and slivered almonds.

Notes ♪♫ This was so easy to make, and it is such a versatile recipe.  If you need a low sodium option, use unsalted or low sodium broth.  For vegetarian, use vegetable broth.  Change up the veggies, use what you like or what you have on hand.  Vary the seasonings for a different flavor profile.  Make it a complete meal by adding a protein.  You get the idea!

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Gluten Free Honey Balsamic Pork Chops with Pasta and Peas

This easy and delicious meal is an old favorite of mine.  I’m not quite sure where the original recipe came from, but I have been making it for 25+ years and converted it to gluten free just by changing the pasta and soy sauce.  It comes to the table in a casual but impressive presentation that will bring on the compliments!

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Way back when, I always used orecchiette pasta when making this dish.  I have struggled for years to find a gluten free substitute- until I had the good fortune to find Gluten Free Orecchiette from Farabella.  They were just what I wanted, but feel free to use your favorite gluten free pasta.

Serves 6 (can be scaled)

Ingredients:

  • 24 oz. thin slice lean boneless pork chops
  • 8 oz. gluten free pasta
  • 1-1/3 cups frozen peas
  • 1 cup sweet onion, diced
  • 3 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tbsp. gluten free soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. arrowroot (or corn starch)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Whisk together the honey, gluten free soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, arrowroot and red pepper flakes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions.

Heat a deep skillet or Sauteuse Pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown 2 minutes per side on medium heat (they will not be cooked through at this point).  Drizzle with 1 tbsp. of the balsamic mixture, remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add the onions to the skillet with an additional tbsp. olive oil.  When the onions are translucent, add 2 tbsp. of the balsamic mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Return the pork chops to the skillet with the peas and drizzle with the remaining balsamic mixture.  Continue to cook for several more minutes, until the pork chops are heated through.

Drain the pasta, add to the skillet and toss to coat.  Remove from heat and serve right in the pan for a casual dinner.

Notes ♪♫ I loved the Gluten Free Orecchiette pasta from Farabella that you see in this dish.  But did you know that this is a fun pasta shape to make from scratch?  Check out my homemade Gluten Free Orecchiette in this post for complete instructions!

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Soup du Jour – Chickpea and Spinach – Cooking from the Pantry

Ah, the benefits of a well-stocked pantry.  It’s been a week of chilly temperatures and nonstop rain here in New England.  So, I decided that a pot of soup would hit the spot, but no way was I running to the store for an ingredient!

Check out the recipe and see what I pulled out of my pantry!  A little this and a little of that, I even combined different types of stock.  My “use it up” recipe turned out to be one of the best soups of the season.  I hope are inspired!

6 servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

For me, going through the pantry includes the freezer.  There I found the last 2 containers of homemade stock that I had made over the winter.  The larger one is chicken stock, and the smaller one is turkey.  Between the two I had about 32 oz. total.  You can, of course buy a 32 oz. carton of stock (I won’t tell)!

From the refrigerator, I had carrots, celery and baby spinach.  From my dry pantry, I had cartons of chicken and beef broth, canned chickpeas (we call them Ceci beans), gluten free pasta and every seasoning under the sun.

To get started, dice the onion, carrots and celery and slice the garlic cloves very thin.  Heat a 5 qt. pot or Dutch oven over medium low with about a tablespoon of olive oil and add all the veggies.  Season with salt and pepper, give it a good stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock (mine was still a bit frozen), broth (I used 8 oz. each chicken and beef broth) and seasonings.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pot.  Continue simmering another 30 minutes.  When finished, add all of the spinach.

Stir well, cover and turn off the heat.  The residual heat will be enough to wilt the spinach.

Cook the pasta separately.  I had a 6 oz. bag of gluten free cavatelli from Farabella.  It was just the right amount for a pot of soup.

There it is- dinner ready and made completely from my pantry.

Notes ♪♫ If you like a thicker soup, you can partially puree the ingredients before adding the spinach.  You can top it with grated cheese or gluten free crackers such as Schar Table Crackers.

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Whole Roast Chicken

Everyone loves a traditional roast chicken dinner.  It’s a great option for a casual get together, or even on a holiday when a turkey is just too large.

Don’t be intimidated by roasting a whole chicken, it’s easy and makes a beautiful presentation.  In this post, I’ll show you how to prepare a bird that is golden brown on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside.  Lemon, garlic and fresh herbs really bring out the flavor.

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Ingredients:

  • 4-6 lb. roasting chicken
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • several sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
  • 1 whole head of garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
  • cooking spray

Preparation:

Wash and dry the lemons and herbs.  Zest both lemons and cut in half (Need a zester?).

Peel the garlic cloves and slowly warm them in the olive oil over lowest possible heat.  A simmer mat is great for this application.  Turn the cloves every 10 minutes until softened.

Mince half of the rosemary and thyme and add to the butter along with the lemon zest.  Mash it together with a fork.

-Preheat the oven to 425º.  Remove the giblets packet from the chicken.

-Rinse the chicken, inside and out and pat dry.  Mist a roasting pan or casserole with cooking spray and set the chicken breast side up.

-Fit as many pieces of lemon as you can into the cavity of the chicken, along with the garlic cloves and remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs.

-Rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, be sure to coat the wings and legs.  Season with salt and pepper.

-Tie the legs together.  Quarter the onion and tuck slices under the chicken, along with any extra pieces of lemon.

Roast uncovered for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165º.  (A 4 lb. chicken will cook in just over an hour but allow a full hour and a half for a 6 lb. bird.)

The skin should be nicely browned.  Be sure to let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes ♪♫ I got a whole chicken (4 lb.) for just $4.00!  From that little chicken I had a great dinner, with leftovers.  The carcass and wings went into the stock pot for a big pot of soup that I shared with a neighbor, so nothing was wasted.  With today’s prices I’d say that’s quite a value!

Originally posted 02/23/2020       Rephotographed 03/11/2025

 

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Spinach and Ricotta Beef Rolls

It’s no secret I’m a little obsessed with bundled meat recipes!  Check out these thin slices of beef, rolled and stuffed with a spinach ricotta filling.  The rolls are then wrapped in prosciutto and baked.  Oh my!  The meat was so tender, this dish would be a wonderful choice for date night or a small dinner party.

You won’t find any strange ingredients in this recipe.  All are naturally gluten free and commonly available.  I am fortunate to live in an Italian neighborhood, where thin sliced top round is sold for making Bracciole.  If you don’t see it in the meat case, ask your butcher.

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. bag baby spinach
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 4 oz. prosciutto, thin sliced
  • 1¼ lb. top round cut into 1/4″ thin slices.
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

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Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet with a lid.  Cut the garlic clove in half and add to the oil.  Cook for 2 minutes over low heat to infuse the oil with garlic flavor.

Add all of the spinach to the skillet.  It looks like a lot, but it will cook down.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes total, stirring after 5 minutes.

What did I tell you? 😉

Drain the spinach, let it cool slightly then stir in the ricotta (discard the garlic).  Season with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Cover your work surface with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Lay out the beef slices and spread the spinach ricotta mixture over each one.

Starting at the short end, roll the slices up into a bundle.

Next, wrap each meat bundle in 1-2 slices of prosciutto.

Cover and refrigerate the meat bundles for 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400º.  Set up a roasting pan with rack and mist with cooking spray.

Secure each bundle with a toothpick.  Place the beef rolls on the rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Brush the tops with honey during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve over pasta or risotto.  Leftovers can be warmed in the microwave and are just as good the next day!

Notes ♪♫ I hope you loved this recipe and plan on giving it a try!  Check out some of my other bundled meat recipes, not only for beef, but chicken and fish too!  Bracciole, Italian Skirt Steak Rolls, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Crab Stuffed Sole.

Originally published 10/26/2021        Updated and rephotographed 4/02/2025

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Spicy Brick Chicken

Here’s a recipe that I haven’t made in many years.  Why I don’t know, because it is truly delicious!  The spicy marinade, along with the cooking technique are what give this chicken its gorgeous color and juicy meat.

The preparation begins with splitting the chicken down the middle (but not all the way through) and opening it up flat.  In culinary terms, this method is referred to as “spatchcocking” the chicken.  Then, after a few hours in the fridge with a spicy marinade, the chicken is cooked skin side down in a heavy skillet, weighed down with a brick to ensure continuous contact with the surface of the pan.  The finished dish is incredible!

Now, if you can purchase a chicken and have it split or “spatchcocked” right at the meat counter that’s great.  But if not, don’t worry!  The technique is quite simple, and you can do it yourself with a good pair of kitchen shears.

I used a stainless-steel braising pan for this recipe.  A cast iron skillet or Dutch oven would be ideal, if you have one and can lift the pan in and out of the oven (add a brick to that and it’s pretty heavy!).  Either way, you need a pan that can go from stovetop to oven.

Note ♪ DO NOT use a nonstick pan!

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Ingredients:

  •     5 lb. whole chicken, spatchcocked
  •     2 tbsp. peppercorns
  •     2 tbsp. coriander seeds
  •     1 tbsp. fennel seeds
  •     1 tsp. paprika
  •     1/4 tsp. cayenne
  •     1 tsp. cumin
  •     1 tsp. turmeric
  •     1 tsp. salt
  •     1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp. divided
  •     1 tbsp. butter
  •     zest and juice of 1 lemon

 Preparation:

If you have shied away from spatchcocking a chicken, or have always had it done by the butcher, don’t worry!  It’s not hard and I did mine right in the sink.  All you need to do is turn the chicken breast side down and use a good pair of kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone.  Remove the backbone and discard.  Turn the chicken over and give it a sharp rap in the center to break the breastbone so that it lays flat.  Yes, that’s it!

Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat dry.  Place it in a rectangular glass baking dish.

To make the marinade, toast the whole peppercorns, coriander seed and fennel seed in a hot skillet for 2 minutes, just until fragrant.  Grind in a coffee grinder.  Transfer to a small bowl with the paprika, cayenne, cumin, turmeric and salt.  Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice and zest.

Now rub the chicken all over with the spice mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Wrap the brick in aluminum foil.

Preheat the oven to 400º.  Heat your stainless-steel pan or Dutch oven on the stovetop and add the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter.  Place the chicken in the pan skin side down and cover immediately with the brick.  Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes to develop a crust.

Transfer to the oven and continue cooking for 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the chicken.  Use a thermometer to check for doneness, 160-165º

Carefully remove the brick, turn the chicken, skin side up onto a serving platter and bring it to the table for a gorgeous presentation!

Look at the color!  Beautifully browned and the meat is so moist!  The marinade is so aromatic, and I know you are going to love the flavor.

Notes ♪♫ Now you know why I keep a brick in my kitchen cupboard!  Yes, it is an unusual accessory to have in the kitchen but now that I’ve shown you how I used it in this recipe you may want to pick one up on your next trip to the hardware store or home improvement center!

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Gluten Free Shrimp Fra Diavolo 🔥

Fra Diavolo is a spicy tomato sauce traditionally paired with pasta and seafood.  It’s a simple sauce made with a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes.  You can adjust the heat to your liking, I usually plan on 1/2 tsp. per serving.  Do you like it spicy? 🔥🔥🔥

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2 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 16-20 per pound count)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed and coarse chopped
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or as much as you like)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 4 oz. gluten free pasta (I used Jovial capellini)
  • fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil and boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta.  Partially cook the shrimp, about 1 minute per side.

Remove the shrimp to a bowl and add another tbsp. olive oil to the skillet.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring several times.

Add the fire roasted tomatoes with juice, 1/2 tsp. oregano and salt to taste.

Cook the pasta to 2 minutes less than package directions.  With 4 minutes to go on the pasta, add the shrimp to the sauce.

Drain the pasta, add it right into the sauce and toss with 1 more tbsp. olive oil and more red pepper flakes if you dare! ♨️

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh Italian parsley.

I absolutely love the spice in this dish!  If you prefer something milder though, you can try my Shrimp Scampi recipe, the sauce is very similar but with a fraction of the heat.

Notes ♪♫ Shrimp size labels are not officially regulated and can differ from one brand to another.  What one producer considers large or extra-large may be extra jumbo or colossal to another.  That’s why it’s important to go by the count per pound.  My shrimp was labeled 16-20, which means there should be 16 to 20 shrimp per pound.  I used 16 shrimp (a generous 8 per serving) for this recipe.

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Gluten Free Escarole Bean Soup

Escarole and Beans are a classic Italian combo, and this easy to prepare soup is just bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of Italian sausage.

I was nursing a sore shoulder while I made this, so instead of my usual hand dice I used an electric chopper.  It turned out to be quite the time saver, and the coarse mince gave the soup a lot of body.  To speed things up even more, I took a shortcut and used canned beans.

This was one delicious soup!  I made a big pot and shared with a neighbor, and it got rave reviews!  Rumor has it that this soup will cure the common cold, but far be it from me to make medical claims! 😉

6-8 servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

I used a 5-quart Dutch oven, large enough for a generous pot of soup.  Begin by prepping the veggies.  Mince the garlic, then give the carrots, celery and onion a few pulses in an electric chopper.

Cut the sausage links into 4 pieces and brown them in the pot.

Remove the sausage, transfer to the electric chopper and pulse a few times to break it up.  Leave any oil from the sausage in the pan and add 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds.  Don’t walk away, the garlic can burn very quickly!

Next add all of the veggies to the pan.  Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes longer then add back the sausage.

Stir in the beef broth, chicken broth, sage and thyme.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Drain and rinse 2 cans of navy beans.  Rinse the escarole leaves thoroughly and tear them into 2-3″ pieces.

Stir the beans and escarole into the soup.  Don’t worry, it will cook down!

Cover and simmer on low for another 20 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.  Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with gluten free crackers and/or grated cheese.

Notes ♪♫ Watch ingredient labels on beans and broth.  I used Goya navy beans, and Swanson beef and chicken broth.  All were labeled gluten free.  If you are limiting sodium, choose unsalted beans and broth, the sausage will have enough salt to flavor the soup.

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