What's for Dinner 4/4/13

Hey Foodies, Tonight the recipe for dinner comes from the April 2013, volume 6, number 3 Food Network Magazine pg. 100. Chipotle Chicken Burritos It is a quick and easy recipe that my family really enjoyed (and that's saying something with my kids). Anyway let me share the recipe and what I did to make it Gluten Free and what I changed because of family tastes. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3/4 cup pico de gallo or fresh salsa 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce from the can 1 14-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro Kosher salt 4 burrito-size flour tortillas 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice, warmed 1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 5 ounces) 1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce Guacamole, for serving (optional) 1 Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup pico de gallo, the chopped chipotle, and adobo sauce to taste; cook until the mixture starts to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the beans and 3/4 cup water; bring to a low boil, then stir in the chicken and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt. 2. Heat the tortillas as the label directs. Arrange the rice horizontally in the lower half of each tortilla, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border on all sides. Top evenly with the cheese, chicken mixture, lettuce and the remaining pico de gallo. 3. Fold the bottom edge of each tortilla snugly over the filling, tuck in the sides and roll up tightly. Cut the burritos in half and serve with guacamole. Per serving: Calories 731; Fat 30 g (Saturated 11 g); Cholesterol 117 mg; Sodium 1,501 mg; Carbohydrate 70 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 43 g. Okay now that you have the original recipe let me tell you what I did with it to make it GF. 1. I didn't use rotisserie chicken, we think that it's really greasy. I used chicken tenderloins instead. They cook up quickly and are much less greasy. 2. Because my family likes black beans better than pinto beans and my wife doesn't like chipotle flavor I used two different pans to make two different fillings. 3. I put a tablespoon of olive oil in each pan and cooked up the chicken. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper. In one pan I also put 1 can of mild Rotelle to season the chicken ( my family likes the flavor). In the other pan I put a 1/2 cup of pico. 3. After the chicken was cooked I had my kids shred it. I kept the two pans separate. 4. I followed the recipe in section one at this point. I put the chipotle in with the pinto beans, the black beans I kept chipotle free. 5. I also left out the cilantro (my family doesn't like it). 6. I used flour tortillas for my family (leaving the cheese out of my wives because she's allergic) 7. I used large corn tortillas or myself but they didn't really work. If you don't make them fresh they don't roll very well. I recommend you crush up corn chips and make a salad out of the burrito filling. If you like making homemade corn tortillas go for it. When dinner was over my kids plates were empty. That's all the proof I need to know that dinner was a success. Try it out and let me know how you like it. Happy eating.

Hello Foodies, I am updating the look of my blog and the content. I am going to still bring you recipes, restaurant critiques, bakery critiques, and new and interesting gluten free products. However, I am going to start a daily what's for dinner section. I know that it's a pain to fix dinner and most people hate trying to decide what to make. I'm going to start posting what I am making for dinner, where I got the recipes, what kind of substitutions I made, and the reaction of my family. I am the only Celiac in my immediate family and I only cook gluten free, my families reactions are important (if the non-celiacs like it than I have scored). I am also going to try and bring a healthier side to the blog (I'm trying to lose weight). I am primarily a baker however so I will still focus on desserts. I hope these changes are helpful and that more and more people will start following the blog. Thanks for everything and happy eating.

Hello Foodies, I apologize once again for taking a break from posting. Life has been a little interesting for me of late. I'm excited to be back though and excited to start blogging again. I hope that you will keep reading and posting to my blog. My hope is to help in anyway I can. I plan on posting pictures, setting up tastings, answering questions, and providing cooking help. Thanks again for your support and I hope to see you all soon.

Hey Foodies, How are you all? Today I want to talk about Bisquick. Yes you heard correctly, Bisquick, the famous instant pancake mix. Bisquick has developed their own gluten free formula and I'm here to tell you that it's great. I have made pancakes, waffles, shortcakes, and biscuits. All have been a huge success. If I'm cooking I don't make food that isn't gluten free. My family eats gluten free all the time. I know I have a success on my hands when my kids and my wife like what I make (I don't always have successes. I've made some pretty nasty things). However, the Bisquick items were successful. The nice thing about the Bisquick mix is that the recipes are simple and they are very close to the original Bisquick texture. Light, fluffy pancakes ask yourself how long has it been? Although, like most gluten free products, the 1 lb box costs about the same as the 10 lb box of regular Bisquick it is very well worth the price. You can find gluten free Bisquick at most grocery stores. If you have a choice, I would buy it at Ream's. Ream's tends to have the best prices on gluten free items. They don't have a huge selection but what they do have is cheaper than at any other grocery store. GF Bisquick contains .5g of fat non of which is Trans or Saturated Fat. It does contain 31g of carbs but only 3 of those are due to sugar (my wife who is a sugar free foodie will eat these). There are 340mg of sodium which is the only draw back, so don't over indulge (the items taste so good that you'll want to). I love making pancakes and biscuits for my family. I love it even more when they like how they taste. GF Bisquick is a great item. Try it out and let me know what you think. Thanks Foodies and happy eating.

Hello Foodies, I just got the first vote on my blog! Thanks for voting. The vote was for recipes. I am happy and excited to bring you gluten free recipes that you can use. Let me know what type of recipes you're looking for. In the mean time I'll start posting my favorites. I'm also planning some cooking demos. Let me know if you are interested. I also received a suggestion on my facebook page about posting information about the nutritional value of different gluten free flours. I will start researching and post the information I find. Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Keep them coming. Happy Eating Steve

Hello Foodies, Do you remember eating sugar cookies? Soft moist sugar cookies with creamy frosting? Do you remember? Trying to find a good gluten free sugar cookie is next to impossible. Well friends I have found one for you. New Grains makes an amazing sugar cookie that is almost exactly like the "Grandma's" brand. Think moist sugar cookie with thick pink frosting. These cookies are so good you won't be able to stop with just one. I recently gave one of these cookies to a friend of mine. She told me that when she at it she couldn't put it down. She kept trying to eat only a little at a time to savor the taste, but she couldn't stop herself from eating the whole cookie. She said it was a good as a Loft House cookie. They are amazing I recommend you eat one as soon as you can. As a matter of fact I have one sitting on my counter right now. I think it's time to partake of it's amazingness right now. You can find these bits of heaven at Harmon's, Macy's, Good Earth, and Dan's. Enjoy foodies and happy eating. Steve

Hello Foodies, I just want to give a shout out to Tucanos for their amazing accommodations for the gluten intolerant. The first time I went to Tucanos they had a limited gluten free menu. This last time I went. All the meat on the menu but one was gluten free. I was amazed. I have never been to a restaurant that has made such an effort to accommodate the gf's. They also have an amazing buffet. Every item on the buffet lists what allergens it contains. It makes for an amazing dining experience. Not only that but the food is excellent. The meat is well cooked and seasoned and the buffet dishes are excellent as well. They also have a number of gluten free deserts. I had their creme brule and it was fantastic. It's nice to have a quality restaurant that takes the needs of it's customers so seriously. Thanks Tucanos for making dining a pleasure. Thanks Steve