A Breakfast, Brunch, or Supper Dish

I just have to share another recipe from the More-with-Less cookbook. If you haven't figured it out by now, this cookbook is a great investment in any kitchen. I made this Cheese Strata this evening, and it was gobbled up without complaint. It is so simple to make, and I'll bet you already have everything on-hand to throw one together later this week.

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

12 slices bread (I used homemade, gluten-free bread, and it was fantastic!)
butter
2 cups cheese
2 2/3 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay six slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Layer the next six slices of bread next. Then, mix the remaining ingredients well and pour over the bread. Bake 40 minutes, or until puffy and golden.

Adjustments:

• My homemade, gluten-free bread is smaller than a "regular" loaf. I still used 12 slices, but found that a 8x8 pan was large enough.
• I sprinkled 2 cups of the cheese between the bread layers and reserved the remaining 2/3 cup for the top of the strata. I topped the strata with the cheese during the last 10 minutes of baking.
• I also added about 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the milk/egg mixture.
• I served my Cheese Strata with grilled chicken-apple sausage, and then realized we were having a version of breakfast or brunch for supper. This meal is really versatile. We're saving our small amount of leftovers to have for breakfast tomorrow morning!
• Make this dish gluten-free and dairy-free by using GF bread and rice milk instead of regular milk.
• The cookbook gives a variation of adding vegetables along with the cheese between bread layers.

Thank you, More-with-Less, for another wonderfully simple, wonderfully inexpensive meal!

Submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Linda's Favourite Vegetable Stock

This is a versatile stock for a wide variety of dishes, especially homemade soup. Homemade stock is far superior to store-bought, as you can adjust the sodium levels and use the freshest ingredients. Unless I am using chicken stock made from a roasted chicken, this is my main stock for soup. This stock recipe was given to me by an English friend years ago, and it is so easy to make.


Ingredients:


2 leeks, cut into pieces
2 sliced onions
3 celery sticks, chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, if you like that flavor
1 tsp. dried parsley
black pepper to taste
salt to taste, but no more than 1 tsp.
2 litres water
20 grams butter


Melt the butter in your stock pot and add all the vegetables. Cover and sweat the vegetables on low heat for 20 minutes . Add the herbs, pepper and salt and stir in the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Strain and use immediately, or store in a container or in ice cube trays and freeze as soon as cold. Ice cube-size portions are wonderful for when you just need a little stock for a recipe.


Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

A Meal of Limitless Combinations

Sweet potatoes and greens...not a commonplace combination. The ways you can vary this meal are endless. Plus, it's easy, inexpensive, and very healthy!

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes
Other potatoes (Russet, red, Yukon gold, whatever you like)
Onions or shallots, if your family enjoys them
Salt and pepper
Rosemary, dill, Parmesan...whatever you like
Salad greens (different lettuces, spinach, kale, whatever you enjoy in your salad), washed and dried

Preheat oven to 375. Cut all potatoes into bite-size pieces and stir together with enough oil to coat. Add salt and pepper, herbs, cheese, whatever you're going to use Roast until potatoes are brownish for about 45 minutes, turning half-way through cooking. When the potatoes are done, spoon them over your green salad.

For a large family, you may want to do two large pans of potatoes: one sweet, the other pan with the other potatoes. A smaller family can get away with half a pan of each type of potato.

You can also substitute potatoes with pumpkin, zucchini, or other squashes. We also enjoy trying different dressings like Italian, vinaigrette, or even hot sauce. The variations are endless!

This meal is the perfect combination of hot and cold, soft and crunchy, sweet and savory!

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

Instant Oatmeal {Part 2}

Here's another make-your-own oatmeal recipe from our friend Gaeleen. She says this one is great for camping {or just for those days when you want something quick and easy}.

Ingredients:
3 cups quick oats or fresh rolled
salt (not necessary, but you can add it if you like)

Put 1/2 cup oats in blender and blend at high speed until powdery. Reserve in a small bowl, then process another 1/2 cup oats. Into each bag, put 1/4 cup unchopped oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats and 1/4 tsp salt. Seal and store packets in an airtight container.

To serve: Empty packet in bowl and add 3/4 cups boiling water. Stir and let stand 2 minutes.

Flavor options:

Apples & Cinnamon: To each bag add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and
2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Cinnamon Spice: To each bag add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and
1/8 tsp. nutmeg.

Raisins & Brown Sugar: To each bag add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins

Fruit & Cream: Powdered milk or coffee creamer with dried fruit in the bags.

Submitted by Gaeleen

G-free, Grain-Free Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt three times. Set aside.  

Cream margarine or butter, then add sugar and vanilla. Cream again. Beat egg yolks and blend into creamed mixture. Mix well. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth each time. Fold in well beaten egg whites. Spoon into greased or lined muffin pans to 2/3 full. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Streusel:1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. rice, potato or corn flour
1 Tbsp. margarine, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix until crumbly.

Recipe from Eat More Whole Grains by Winnie's Winning Ways

Dairy-free Adaptations:

Replace butter or margarine with Earth's Balance.

Replace milk with rice or almond milk.

Submitted by Gaeleen

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies

Gem says, "You won't believe how these turn out! So good--you won't miss the flour a bit!"

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup peanut butter

Cream egg and sugar, stir in baking soda, fold in peanut butter.

Divide into 36 balls (OK - here is how I do this, form dough into a log, divide into thirds, divide each third in half, pat out each half into rectangle and cut into six pieces.  You get evenly sized cookies which cook evenly and look nice.)

Place on cookie sheet and press down with a fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Submitted by Gem

Beef Stroganoff {G-free & Dairy Free}

First of all, I (Lindsey) would like to apologize for not keeping up with this blog last week. We were having some issues with my six-year-old son and his tummy. We are fairly certain that we have pinpointed the root of his issues: gluten intolerance. That said, I am so excited to be posting more gluten-free recipes because now I have a reason to use them too!


Our friend Carrie writes, "Here is one of our family's favorite recipes. It is one I came up with because we missed having our regular stroganoff so much. I knew there must be a way to make this meal gluten-free and dairy-free, yet be yummy at the same time!"


Gluten-free and Dairy-free Beef Stroganoff


Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger (Carrie uses bison, but feel free to substitute ground beef or turkey.)

salt and pepper to taste

1 package Pasta Joy brown rice noodles (Carrie's family likes the spiral noodles.)

1 container Imagine potato leek soup (This soup is organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, additive-free, preservative-free)

1 or 2 cans mushrooms (or fry up your own fresh mushrooms to add)

First brown and season the meat. Boil noodles according to package directions. It's important to note with rice pasta that after boiling you must rinse in cold water. Take the pasta and put back into the pot. Add in meat, soup, and mushrooms. Stir all together and heat. 

Your meal is now complete! Serve with warm gluten free bread or rolls and enjoy!

Submitted by Carrie

P.S. Because the need for inexpensive, gluten-free foods is growing, even among the readers of this blog, we would greatly appreciate your recipes. Our e-mail address is pennywisewomen@gmail.com. We look forward to your submissions.

Turkey/Chicken Noodle Soup

Need another way to utilize those holiday turkey leftovers? Try this healthy and comforting classic.

Ingredients:

up to 2 lbs. chicken or turkey, cubed and cooked (or less - I only use a few handfuls)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced or a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
several quarts of turkey/chicken stock OR 3 to 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. or so frozen peas
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rosemary
pepper to taste
pasta (I like to use egg noodles)

Fill a 6 quart pot about 3/4 full of water (or turkey/chicken stock). Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the spices and bouillon cubes (if not using stock). Simmer an hour or so. Bring to a boil and add the turkey/chicken and pasta. Cook on a low boil for 20 minutes or until the pasta is done. A few minutes before you turn it off, add the peas.

Variations:

• Substitute potatoes or barley for the pasta to turn this soup into a stew.
• Leave the pasta out altogether or use rice pasta for a gluten-free soup.
• Increase the amount of veggies used to make it less soup-y.
• Beef or sausage would be a great variation. Just use beef broth instead of chicken broth.
• This soup freezes well. Don't add the pasta before freezing, though.

And don't wait until you've got leftover holiday chicken or turkey to make this soup. Any time chicken goes on sale, stock up. Use it to replenish your supply of homemade broth and cooked chicken. This soup just gets better with age, so make enough to have leftovers for a few days.

This Holiday's Leftover Turkey

If you're having turkey (or chicken) for Christmas dinner this year, chances are good that you'll have lots of leftovers. You know we all get tired of leftover turkey for days and days after Christmas, so why not re-purpose all that meat and bones?


Done correctly, you can have broth and meat for several meals just by treating your leftover turkey with some TLC.

First, remove all the meat you can find from the carcass. All that should remain are skin, bones, and fat. If there's enough, dice up the meat and freeze it in 1-2 cup portions. If not, use what's left to make a turkey noodle soup or turkey pot pie. That meat can be used later for casseroles, salads, and soups.

Then, jam all those bones, fat, and skin into a large stock pot. At this point you can break it up if needed.

Take two or three onions and peel them, then cut into four to eight chunks. Add them to the pot.

Scrub several large carrots (no need to peel) and cut them into two or three pieces each. Add them to the pot with the turkey and the onions.

Next grab four or five stalks of celery and wash them up. Cut into two or three large pieces (leave the leaves on) and add to the pot.

Now, fill the pot with enough water to cover everything if possible.  If your turkey is still sticking out over the top, fill it to within 6 inches of the top.

Add a few tablespoons vinegar to help draw out the calcium and a few tablespoons of salt.  We like sea salt. You can also add a couple of bay leaves, some ground sage and thyme, a little black pepper, and some garlic powder, if you like. 

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and  let it simmer for several hours. If your turkey fits into the pot, cover with a lid while simmering. If not, it will slowly get soft and cook down and after a while you should be able to get the lid on. You may need to add a little water as it simmers to keep everything covered.

I typically start this the morning after Christmas (or Thanksgiving) and let it cook all day. If we want, we can have turkey noodle soup for dinner. 

Pour everything through a large strainer (or colander) into a massive bowl or pot. Pick through the bones to find any remaining meat, and add that meat to what you stored before boiling.  

After the broth is cool, package it in one cup to 1 ½ cup portions in Ziploc bags (or glass pint jars). Most recipes call for “a can of broth” which is about 1 ½ cups; but others say “a cup”, so I package them both ways. Freeze the freezer bags flat, like CDs, and when I need them I pull them out the night before or run it under hot water for a few seconds before adding it to a recipe. 

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

Addendum: I (Lindsey) did this exact process just last week with some chicken breasts.  I had four, uncooked, bone-in-skin-on chicken breasts. I boiled them, adding the onions, celery, carrots and spices. After straining that initial batch of broth and de-boning the chicken, I put the bones and skins back in the pot, added more veggies, spices, and water and did it all over again. From those four chicken breasts, I yielded 7 cups of meat and 15 cups of homemade broth. It really is worth it to take the time to go through this process!

Two Great (& Gluten-free) Soups

Our friend Sonya writes, "Here are two soup recipes that our family has made numerous times--for company and for our own family meals. They have three great benefits. First, they are soups you can put in the crock pot in the morning and let them simmer all day while you do schoolwork and life. Second, they are gluten-free. Third, they are also casein-free (no dairy). And I guess, you could add that they are quite delicious!

"They are from a wonderful blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, where you can access the recipes for free or purchase them printed in a convenient book. I have the book and use it a lot, because all of the recipes in it are gluten-free. Enjoy!"

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetables (your choice; I've used carrots, broccoli, and onion)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup raw brown rice
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
salt
pepper

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The longer this soup simmers, the thicker it gets.


Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
4 cups beef broth (Make sure it's gluten-free)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
salt
pepper
1/2 cup dried rice pasta

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. One hour before serving, stir in pasta and cook on low until it is tender. The rice pasta will swell quite a bit.

Submitted by Sonya