Tag: comfort food

Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers

It’s been a while since I’ve made these pumpkin inspired stuffed peppers!  I love jambalaya, and while I do make it now and then, this time I went a step further and used it as a stuffing for these beautiful orange bell peppers.  The orange color really speaks to October, autumn and Halloween!

Carving out the cute little jack-o-lantern faces takes some patience!  Are they Pinterest worthy?  Probably not, but you get the idea!  At any rate they were delicious.  If you like comfort food with a spicy New Orleans kick give this one a try!  What a fun way to spend time in the kitchen!

Yield: 6-8 stuffed peppers, depending on size

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Heat a large pot of salted water for blanching the peppers.

Cook ¾ cups brown rice according to package directions.  I cooked mine in a rice cooker using 1 cup water, one cup chicken broth and ½ tsp. seasoning.

Cut the tops off the peppers, then remove the seeds and ribs.  For a fun fall twist, use a small paring knife to carve out a jack-o-lantern face.  Don’t discard those cutout pieces, chop them up to add to the filling!

Heat a large non-stick skillet and begin browning the sausage.  When cooked through, transfer the sausage to a bowl and leave any remaining fat in the pan to flavor the other ingredients.  Add more olive oil as needed.

Next sprinkle the chicken with seasoning and brown on all sides.  Remove and set aside.

Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink.  I diced most of the shrimp but left a couple whole for garnish.  Remove and set aside.

Finally, add the onions, bell pepper and garlic to the skillet with a little more olive oil.  Cook for 2 minutes then push the veggies to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste.  Let the paste cook for a minute, breaking it up with a spatula before stirring it into the veggies.

To finish the jambalaya, whisk in 1 cup of chicken broth then stir in the meat and rice, tossing well to combine.

Blanch the peppers for 3 minutes in boiling water.  Drain well and arrange in a baking dish that has been misted with cooking spray.

Spoon the jambalaya mixture into the peppers and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.  Top peppers off with a whole shrimp.

Notes ♪♫ I made a few stuffed peppers, and there was plenty of the jambalaya left over.  You could make 6 to 8 stuffed peppers from this recipe.  They freeze well too, just wrap in tin foil and freeze in an airtight freezer safe container.

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Gluten Free American Chop Suey

I grew up eating American Chop Suey and have been making this peasant dish my whole life.  It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized this was not an Italian recipe, and in fact variations of this dish exist all over the country.  From goulash, to slumgullion (huh?), to simply macaroni and beef, this is a meal that goes by different names but is universally loved.

These days I am grateful that delicious, gluten free pasta is readily available so I can still enjoy this comfort food.  It goes from stove top to table all in one pan, for easy cleanup!

In my rendition I add Italian sausage for a spicy kick, and more healthy veggies to round out the plate.  I was thrilled to find gluten free elbow macaroni that is traditionally used in this dish!  If you can’t find elbows, go ahead and substitute shells, or even penne or fusilli.

4 servings

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Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 8 oz. Lean ground beef
  • 8 oz. Italian sausage, hot or sweet
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • ½ cup mushroom, diced
  • ½ small zucchini, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 29 oz. Can tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. Oregano
  • 1 tsp. Basil
  • 1/2 tsp. Marjoram
  • 1 tsp. Brown sugar
  • 6 oz. gluten free elbows
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preparation:

Mist a deep heavy skillet with cooking spray and add 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the ground beef and sausage and begin breaking it up with a spatula.

When the meat is completely browned, season with salt and pepper and add the onions and garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes then add the remainder of the vegetables, sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

It may look like a lot of veggies, but they will cook down and disappear into the sauce (don’t tell the kids! 😉).  Stir the veggies into the meat.  When the veggies have cooked for a few more minutes make a spot in the center in the pan and add the tomato paste.

Let it toast for a minute then stir it into the mixture.

Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, basil, oregano and marjoram.  Stir well, cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Then simmer partially uncovered for 10 more minutes to thicken the sauce.

To finish the dish, cook the pasta to two minutes less than the package directions.  Drain and add to the skillet and finish cooking in the sauce.

Finish with grated cheese and fresh parsley.  Bring it to the table right in the skillet!

Notes: ♪♫ Traditionally a meat and pasta dish with tomato sauce, I packed mine with veggies for more nutrition and fiber.  Once cooked down, the veggies are almost invisible and take on the flavors of the dish.  Let it be your little secret!

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Gluten Free Orange Chicken

Foodie friends, I’ve been craving Chinese food!  Unfortunately for me, many Asian dishes are made with soy sauce, so they are off limits on a gluten free diet.  I have been thinking about a lightened up, gluten free version of this classic dish for a while now and dinner was a hit!  The chicken is not fried, so it’s a bit healthier than the restaurant version.  Gluten free coconut aminos make it safe for me, and lower in sodium as well.  I served it over fried rice.

3-4 servings

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Ingredients:

For the marinade:

  • 12 oz. Boneless chicken breast
  • ½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. Honey
  • ¼ tsp. Powdered ginger
  • 1 tsp. toasted Sesame oil
  • zest of 1 orange

For the sauce:

  • 1 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. Arrowroot starch
  • ¼ cup gluten free low sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup orange juice concentrate
  • 1 tsp. honey

For the garnish:

  • 1 tsp. Sesame seeds, toasted
  • scallion greens, sliced diagonal

Preparation:

Toast the sesame seeds and reserve for garnish.  I like to toast them in a small non-stick saucepan, so that they don’t fly all over the place!  As soon as they start to get a little color transfer them to a bowl.

Cut the chicken into 1” cubes and place in a bowl.  Whisk together the marinade ingredients (orange juice concentrate through orange zest) and pour over the chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.  To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and minced garlic in a small non-stick saucepan.  Cook one minute until garlic is fragrant, then whisk in the remaining ingredients, arrowroot through honey.

Stream in the reserved marinade, whisking constantly to make a smooth sauce.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sauce is thick and bubbling.  Keep warm while you finish the dish.  Important: because the marinade has been in contact with raw meat, it must reach a full boil in order to be safe to eat.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. Olive oil and 1 tsp. Sesame oil.  Cook the chicken, turning to brown all sides.  Don’t crowd the pan, spread the chicken out so pieces don’t touch.  Brown in batches if needed.

Dip the chicken in the sauce, a few pieces at a time.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.

I served it with fried rice.  Doesn’t that look delicious?  Once you taste it, you’ll want to add this Asian inspired dinner to your rotation.  And if you make a double batch, it will be just as good leftover!

Notes ♪♫ Using frozen orange juice concentrate along with orange zest gives the sauce a more intense citrus flavor and helps with thickening.  If using orange juice, you will need to adjust the amount of arrowroot starch in order for the sauce to reach the right consistency.

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