Chicken and Dumplings (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

Another thing we always did with leftovers was make a stew and then either serve it with dumplings or put it in a pie crust and make a meat pie with it. And you could easily do it with a rotisserie chicken or turkey breast from the store. And you can adjust the vegetables to your taste, i.e., add some cooked diced turnip, parsnips or some lima beans, etc.

In an 8-quart dutch oven mix:

2 cups diced chicken
1 cup cooked peas
1 cup cooked green beans
1/2 cup cooked diced onion
1/2 cup cooked diced celery
1/2 cup cooked diced carrots
1 cup cooked diced sweet potato

Add stock until the pot is 2/3 full; this should take 3-4 cups and needs to cover the meat and vegetable mixture. Mix up your dumplings in your food processor:

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper

Pulse in:

1/4 cup vegan margarine OR 1/4 cup avocado oil

Once there are pea sized crumbs, add in 3/4 to 1 cup of non-dairy milk depending on if you used the margarine or the oil (I use rice milk but soy would work as well; you want a milk that doesn’t have a strong aftertaste). Pulse until well mixed and the batter is smooth. If your like your dumplings more flavorful, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of an herb mixture OR 1/4 cup fresh parsley to the sifted dry ingredients.

Drop by tablespoons into your boiling stew. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until dumplings look dry on top. Makes about 12 smaller dumplings or 6 large dumplings (the larger ones will take longer to cook so I usually make them smaller for ease of cooking and my husband usually eats 2-3 of them.

Remove the dumplings into a dish and keep warm in the oven while you thicken the stock. Mix 1/4 cup of brown rice flour into 1/2 cup of cold stock until its smooth without any lumps. Add to the boiling stew, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. If its too thin, make another slurry of brown rice flour and cold stock (a tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the desired thickness. Be sure the gravy boils before you add more flour slurry since it will thicken more as it boils. And be sure to stir scraping the bottom of the pot so that the gravy doesn’t burn on the bottom (also reduce the heat; you don’t want to do this on a high heat).

Return the dumplings to the pot and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

Clam Chowder (dairy-free, gluten-free, fat-free)

Growing up in New England, chowder was part of everyone’s diet. Fish chowder, seafood chowder, corn chowder, clam chowder, didn’t make any difference. Several times a month we ate chowder (pronounced chow-dah for those of you not from New England). This recipe can be altered to make any of these very easily, just substitute corn (and chicken for protein) for the clams; or add some crab and/or lobster and shrimp; or put in some white fish, usually cod. Recipe makes enough for 4 appetizer servings or 2 entrée servings.

You’ll need:

1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked (if you prefer, you can use russet potato instead)
1/2 cup cooked peas (I usually add them to the pot with the sweet potatoes)
1/2 medium onion, sautéed until soft
2-3 slices of bacon, cooked and diced (I use uncured turkey bacon but feel free to use whatever bacon your family likes)
1 can of diced or chopped clams (6-8 ounces) OR 1 pound of fresh clams steamed, cleaned and diced (be sure to save 1/4 cup of the steaming liquid to add to the chowder)
2 cups of rice milk (you could use any milk you like but rice is the mildest and in chowder, you don’t want a milk that interferes with the taste of the clams)
1 tablespoon brown rice flour made into a slurry with 1/2 cup of the rice milk
Salt and pepper to taste

After you cook the sweet potatoes and peas, drain and put back into the pot. Add the onion, clams (don’t drain them but add the juice as well as the clams), and the milk to the pot. Bring to a boil and add the slurry of brown rice flour and stir until the chowder starts to thicken. We don’t want it really thick, just enough to get a good “mouth feel” when you eat the chowder. Add the bacon and serve. You can garnish it with diced scallion or chives if you like. My mother always served chowder with oyster crackers but those are also optional. Its so thick and hearty that you really don’t need crackers with this chowder.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free)

A throwback to my earlier life cooking for my best friend and my son, and sometimes for her parents as well, this recipe holds lots of memories. The marinara sauce is a remake of my Aunt Jean’s sauce while the meatballs are an off-shoot of my meatloaf recipe. If you prefer, a jarred sauce works just as well if you have one your family especially likes, and it sure is a lot quicker and easier than making a sauce from scratch.

Marinara Sauce:

1 medium onion diced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1/2 cup grated carrot
64 ounces of pureed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine (or stock if you can’t use wine)
1/2 cup tomato paste
fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley (about 2 tablespoons of each)
monk fruit powder, stevia, or agave nectar if needed for additional sweetness

In a large skillet, saute the onion and bell pepper for a few minutes and then add the diced garlic and the grated carrot. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the red wine and cook off the alcohol. Add the pureed and diced tomatoes and cook over a low heat, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add the fresh herbs along with salt and pepper to taste and the tomato paste. If needed, depending on your taste, add additional sweetener. Simmer over low heat until ready to add the meatballs.

Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, pulsed in a food processor until small dice
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I used an herb mixture such as Mrs. Dash)
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley
1/2 cup sugar-free ketchup (such as Organicsville Agave Ketchup) OR 1/3 cup tomato paste
2 slices of gluten-free bread crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees; grease an 8×10 baking pan with olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until combined but try not to overmix so that the meat mixture stays tender. I use a soup spoon to measure out the meatballs so that they are all about the same size. Mine were approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter and the recipe made 24 meatballs. Bake in the prepared pan for about 45 minutes, in the middle of the oven so that the bottoms of the meatballs don’t burn. Add the meatballs to the sauce.

Prepare your favorite pasta. I use the red lentil and quinoa linguine which takes just about 8 minutes to cook and my husband thinks tastes good even though he doesn’t realize its gluten-free and contains protein. After you drain your pasta, put it back in the cooking pot, add sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve with the meatballs and feel free to sprinkle some grated mozzarella (non-dairy of course) over the top.

Tomato Pie (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

Another very easy to make recipe, tomato pie takes some planning and most of the day but the time is spent waiting for the tomatoes to dry and that takes 4-6 hours. So if you want to try this easy recipe, plan ahead and make sure you have plenty of time available. Not something you can throw together at the last minute. It’s one way for me to use all the overabundance of tomatoes I have this time of year.

You’ll need:

5-8 tomatoes depending on size
one small onion
a gluten-free pie crust, bottom layer only (see my recipe under desserts)
1 to 2 cups of non-dairy mozzarella cheese (depending on how much cheese you like)

Line a large baking tray with 4 or 5 layers of paper towels

Slice:

5-8 tomatoes, depending on the size (you’ll want about 30 slices)
one small onion

Let the tomatoes and onion dry on the paper towels, turning every couple of hours, for 4-6 hours. I also put a couple of layers over the top so that nothing gets into the tomatoes and I can help dry out the slices. Make sure that its a single layer of tomatoes on the tray. If you don’t dry your tomatoes thoroughly, you’ll have tomato juice in your soggy pie.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prebake a 9 inch gluten-free pie crust. Blind baking the bottom crust helps make sure that it doesn’t come out soggy.

When the crust is cool, add about a half cup of cheese and then place the tomato slices into the pie crust trying to cover the entire surface. Add a layer of onions. Continue to add tomatoes and onions until you have three rounds and the crust is mostly filled. Cover the top of the pie with cheese and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

As a variation, you can add some cooked Italian sausage, either slices or ground, into the pie as you’re layering the tomatoes and onions.

Roasted Root Vegetables (vegan)

I can only make this dish when I have company coming because if I make it when its just Earl and I, I eat the whole bowl! These are sooooooo good, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Feel free to add or subtract vegetables you prefer. A very easy recipe to make and I’ve never had anyone complain that they didn’t like it. In fact, my brother doesn’t care for sweet potato but he really love this dish. You can make your life easier by purchasing already diced root vegetables. My local Whole Foods store sells a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips so all I have to dice is the turnip. I’ve also used butternut squash.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Into a large bowl add:

1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large parsnips, peeled and diced
1 large turnip, peeled and diced
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
dried herbs of choice (I use about 1 teaspoon of an herb mix like Mrs. Dash or McCormick)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly. Pour onto a large baking pan making sure that you have only one layer. If you don’t have a non-stick baking pan, be sure to grease it before adding the vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and bottoms are browned. If you like, after 15 minutes, you can take them out of the oven and turn the vegetables over so that the other side will also get brown and crunchy.

Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

My husband never liked anything but Stove Top Stuffing. Last year at Thanksgiving, he told me not to bother to make him any stuffing so I made a small batch of my stuffing and then I didn’t get much of it because he ate almost all of it! So now I make a large dish of this dressing so there’s plenty for leftovers. Crunchy on the bottom and soft and moist inside, you’ll never miss the gluten or the eggs. I use this for a Thanksgiving dressing or to stuff chicken breasts or pork chops.

I don’t cut and dry the bread before making the stuffing — the way I figure it, if you have to dry the bread out so that it will absorb all the flavors of the other things you’re adding, your bread isn’t very good. So I start with my favorite gluten-free bread (I love the DeLand’s Millet and Flax bread or even their millet flatbread), and then don’t add as much chicken or turkey stock (if you want this vegan, don’t use the sausage and use vegetable broth instead of the meat stocks).

Grease a large, flat casserole dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, over medium heat:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound of sausage, I use turkey sausage

Brown and then add:

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced baby bella mushrooms

Cook until the vegetables are soft.

In a medium size bowl, place:

6 cups of diced gluten-free bread
1 tablespoon dry sage
Salt and pepper to taste
the sausage and vegetable mixture

Mix well and pour into the prepared dish. Pour over the dressing, 1 cup stock (you can use up to 1 1/2 cups if needed but it may be mushier) being sure to get most of the bread moist. Cover with aluminum foil, or the cover to the casserole dish if it has one. Cook for 1/2 hour and then remove cover and let cook for another 15 minutes until top is browned.

String Bean Casserole (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

A Thanksgiving classic, this is a side dish I had to give up years ago because of the milk and gluten. Here it is revisited and so delicious with the home-made cream of mushroom soup along with the onion and bread crumb topping. I like to use the mixed string beans — green and yellow. It takes a few more steps than your old fashioned green bean casserole but it tastes just as good.

Steam 1 pound of green beans. While they’re cooking, cut half a large sweet Vidalia onion into slices and then cut the slices in half (or use all of a medium size onion).

To a medium skillet, over medium heat, add:

2 tablespoon olive oil
the onions

Cook until soft and starting to caramelize. Stir in:

1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Grease a 5×8″ casserole dish. Mix the string beans and 2 cups of cream of mushroom soup (see recipe under soups and salads). Add to the casserole dish and top with the onion mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for a half hour and then, if you want it browner, stick it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.

Chili (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

My husband loves chili but it isn’t one of my favorite dishes. I’ve experimented over the years with different chili recipes to please him and here’s the one we decided pleases both of us. I like to eat mine over some soba noodles and garnish it with avocadoes but he’d rather eat his the traditional way. Its a very easy recipe to make the way your family likes chili — swap out the meat, type of peppers, or even the type of beans, or even increase the spices.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves diced
1 pound ground turkey (or if you prefer, hamburger, ground chicken, ground pork, etc.)
1 can diced chili peppers (I used the mild but you can use whatever your family likes)*
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
1/4 cup tomato paste (or 1 small can)
2 cups stock (chicken, turkey, or beef depending on what meat you use)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cinnamon sticks
1 (15 ounce) can pinto, or great northern, or kidney, or black beans, whichever you prefer
Bag of non-dairy grated cheese or for individual servings, slices
1 diced avocado

*I wanted to use poblano chilis but the can I saw had added sugar so I went with my old standby of mild chili peppers. Feel free to use fresh peppers and add the diced peppers with the onions and garlic.

In a large, deep skillet, or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Add spices (cumin, paprika, and chili powder) to release the oils. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute reducing heat to medium. Add the meat and brown. Pour in the stock and add the chili peppers, oregano, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, salt and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 40-60 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard. Stir in the drained beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve topped with cheese and the diced avocado.

Bok Choy with onions and garlic

Easy, quick, and a household favorite. Cook the bok choy to whatever doneness you like, either crunchy or well done. Goes very well with any meat.

For 2 people:

2-3 bunches baby bok choy
1/2 medium onion, diced, I use red but you can use any kind you like
1 clove garlic diced
1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a large fry pan

Heat your fry pan over medium heat, add the oil and the vegetables. I also like to salt and pepper to taste along with some of my dried hear mixture. Stir and let simmer over medium heat for several minutes. If you like it crunchy, its done. If you want it cooked a little more, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve with any meat.

Celery Root and Parsnip Mash

Celery root has a very strong flavor and if you love the taste of celery, that’s a good thing. However, if you’re wanting a mash to compete with mashed potatoes, strong celery taste isn’t the best thing. I love parsnips and thought they would go very well with the celery root and I was right; if you like parsnips, you’ll love this side dish as much as I do. The parsnips really compliment the celery root well, modifying the strong celery taste with the sweetness of the parsnip.

In a large pot (I used my 4 quart pan), add a steamer and water to just cover the bottom of the steamer. This makes 6 servings. Add:

1 peeled and diced medium celery root
3 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 medium onion sliced and halved (I used a red onion and the mash almost looked like red skin potatoes when I was done) OR 1 leek cleaned and sliced OR 2 shallots diced
2 cloves of garlic peeled

Steam until very tender. Drain off the water. I then moved the root and parsnips to a larger pot (you want a fairly deep one because these bounce when you whip them). Using a masher, mash as much as you can by hand.

Add milk (I started with 1/4 cup of hemp milk) and 1/4 cup of avocado oil. I then used my hand mixer to puree but you could also use your food processor or an immersion blender. Add more milk if necessary to get the consistency your family likes. Be sure to add salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: Just like mashed potatoes, feel free to “fancy” this up with some bacon bits, chives, non-dairy sour cream, or additional garlic.