Gluten-free Fish Sticks

Easy!

1. Heat olive, canola, vegetable, or peanut oil in large skillet
2. Season rice flour in a shallow bowl for dredging - using Goya Adobo, of course
3. Dredge cod, swai, basa or any white fish cut into strips or chunks into flour
4. Once oil is nearly smoking, add fish sticks
5. Turn and cook each side for about 2 minutes - for a total of 8 minutes max
6. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to cool

Serve with green veggies and french fries - Costco has great gluten-free frozen waffle fries right now.

Cumin/Sage Chicken Stuffed Zucchini

My mother-in-law just made this up today and it was simply outstanding. I think it's the combination of cumin, sage, and cilantro that really gave it a different twist. I don't have all the details, so this post will be edited later once I ask abuelita a few questions.

1. Make Goya rice (this means saute 2-3 cloves garlic in olive oil, then saute rice; then add water and salt and cook down and add more water and cook a bit more before covering and setting heat to low until rice is soft.)
2. Grind chicken breasts
3. Cook chicken breast with a little sweet italian sausage (casing removed) with cumin, sage, paprika, salt and pepper. Then remove from skillet.
4. To skillet, add olive oil, diced onion, Goya Adobo, and tomatoes and saute
5. Slice a very large zucchini down the middle and scoop out the seeds
6. Mix meat and rice
7. Pour some of the tomato sauce in an oven dish, lay the zucchini down and stuff with rice mixture
8. Pour remaining tomato sauce over stuffed zucchini
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes
10. Remove foil and bake 20 more minutes

Fresh, Unbelievable Tomato Soup

This is seriously easy and amazing...

1. Cut one red pepper in half and seed, then set on aluminum foil and broil
2. Finely chop in food processor...
3. 1 large onion,
4. 3 garlic cloves,
5. 2 med carrots,
6. 2 med celery stalks,
7. And saute on medium with
8. Goya Adobo, and
9. sea salt
10. in olive oil until soft
11. Rough chop a ton of tomatoes and add (with seeds and all) to pot (should be about 4+ lbs). I use a mix of heirloom, cherry, grape, roma, and other tomatoes from the garden
12. Once skin is blackened, remove red pepper from oven (about 10 minutes) and cover with more foil for about 10 minutes.
13. Once cooled, the skin will be easy to peel off the red pepper
14. Then rough chop the pepper and add to the soup
15. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until tomatoes have softened and flavors have incorporated
16. Add more salt/pepper to taste
17. Use a food mill to separate skins and seeds from soup in batches
18. Done!

Rich Squash Soup

1. Saute 1 large onion,
2. 4 garlic cloves,
3. 2 med carrots,
4. 2 med celery stalks,
5. Goya Adobo, and
6. sea salt
7. in olive oil until soft
8. Add tablespoon of tomato paste (optional, but good) and saute two minutes longer
9. Add diced tomatoes (one large can if no time for chopping fresh ones)
10. Add 16 oz pre-soaked red beans
11. Add diced zucchini and or squash
12. Add tyme, a dash of cumin, a dash of sage, and pepper
13. Add water to desired consistancy
14. Bring to boil and simmer for about 30-45 minutes

Garlic Portobello & Roasted Pepper Rice Pasta

1) Boil water and get the penne rice pasta cooking - I like Trader Joe's brand!
2) Broil red peppers, seeded and cut into halves or thirds, skin side up, on top oven rack (about 10 minutes)
3) Cut tops off portobellos and marinade
* marinade ideas (1 cup or so):
a) balsamic vinegar
b) white wine and thyme, marjoram, and oregano
c) marinade from jar of marinated artichokes
4) Chop stems
5) Dice a few cloves of garlic, to taste
6) Saute stems and garlic with some white wine
7) When red peppers are roasted, remove from oven and immediately cover with aluminum foil. After 10 minutes, you can easily peel the skin off then slice into strips
8) Scrape the steps and garlic to the side and place the caps in the middle of the pan. Add some diced tomatoes and some water (or the juice of the can if using canned tomatoes)
9) Simmer until mushroom tops are cooked then remove tops and slice or cube
10) Add the marinade to the pan (if you used balsamic, then only add about half)
11) Add capers (unless you used balsamic) and reduce
12) Mix the drained penne in a large bowl with the sliced red pepper, portobello tops, and sauteed stems
13) Add a little EVOO and chopped parsley if you like
*Serve hot or cold

Savory, Stewed Monkfish

Ingredients:

• Monkfish
• Lemons, sliced thin
• Marsala wine
• Grape tomatoes (or any sliced or diced tomato)
• Onions, sliced
• Sage or Rosemary (fresh or dried/crushed)
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Goya Adobo

1. Spray cooking spray or wipe shortening into a deep casserole dish.
   
2. Add all ingredients in order listed above.
3. Cover and cook in 350 F oven for about 20-30 min, until internal temperature of fish is 150 F

Things to do with leftover rice: Stuffed Red Peppers

This is sweet and savory, and there are a few ways to do it.

1. Cut red peppers in half, lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs.
2. Stuff with your cooked rice.
3. Place in long oven dish 1/3 filled with your choice of beef broth or water + a few splashes of worcestershire sauce.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 min
5. Spoon liquids over all the peppers, and cook another 20 min, covered.
6. Serve.  Add toppings like cilantro, parsley, and/or avocado if desired.

This is good with spanish rice, or chicken rice, rice with ground beef and always best if there are some diced up vegetables in there, like carrots, onion, zucchini, olives, and/or capers. 

Plantain Soup

I found this recipe on the FoodNetwork website by Ingrid Hoffman.  I have experimented with yellow and green plantains, and both turn out fine.  I haven't tried with super-ripe plantains because it would probably be too sweet and have an unpleasant consistency.  If you don't have chicken stock around, then just using water works...but chicken stock will be a little more savory.

I add one or two extra plantains because my family enjoys it thick, almost like a hearty potato soup.  Especially for someone who doesn't get to eat wheat or dairy, making it thicker makes for a more satisfying lunch or dinner entree.

Here's the link to the original recipe.

1. 2 TBSP olive oil, or cook 3-4 strips of bacon in a large pot until crispy, then set aside bacon.
2. In same pot, saute finely chopped 1 medium onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 2 garlic cloves with several shakes of salt and Goya Adobo seasoning.
3. Add about 4 cans of chicken stock, 14.5 oz each, or water or a mix of both.  More for thin soup and less for thick soup.
4. Add 3-4 thinly sliced plantains, green or yellow, but not too ripe.
5. Add two bay leaves and 1/2 to 1 tsp of cumin and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, until plantain is fork tender.
7. When ready, allow to cool then blend, leaving some chunks of plantain.
8. Serve with chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime.

Portobello Quickie

When the midnight craving occur, a portobello mushroom is a lifesaver.  Get it done fast using the toaster-oven, microwave, and saute pan to get components done simultaneously.  I just whipped up this balsamic portobello with spinach and bacon for my wife before heading to bed.  Here's how to do it:

1) Preheat oven or set toaster oven to bake at 375 F

2) Clean the mushroom and marinade it with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar bottom side down

3) Toss the frozen spinach in the microwave for 4 min with a little water

4) Fry a strip of bacon until crisp, med-high

5) Put the mushroom into the oven/toaster-oven

6) Plate the cooked bacon and saute roughly chopped onion in the same pan

7) Add salt and Goya Adobo to the onion and stir frequently

8) Transfer as much of the spinach into the saute pan as you wish to top the mushroom with

9) Add a splash of red wine vinegar, stir frequently

10) Plate the portobello, top with bacon broken into bits, the top with spinach and onion

* Note that omitting onion and Goya seasoning is recommended if you wish to eliminate all gassy foods.