Minestrone Soup (in the crockpot)

This soup was absolutely delicious!  It was the perfect warm weather soup with all of your fresh cut veggies and colors, it was perfect!  It was light and refreshing and I will definitely make this again.  It took some time to chop all of the veggies up and it makes a TON of soup, but it was worth it!  And guess what?  It's gluten free!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Frozen Peas  (Defrosted)
3 Small Yellow Summer Squash
1 Cup Snapped Green Beans
2 Medium Zucchini
5 Medium Celery Stalks
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Cup Baby Carrots or 2 Large Carrots
1 Large White Onion
1 Tbsp Extra Light Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1/8 Cup Fresh Oregano
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Parsley
2 Cans Reduced Sodium Kidney Beans
1 Can White Kidney Beans
2 Cans Died Tomatoes (Basil, Garlic, Oregano)
2 Boxes Organic Vegetable Broth
2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar (My secret Ingredient)

-Turn crock pot on high, and cover.
-Cook 5-6 hours.

Gluten free:  use GF veggie broth

Recipe and photo found on: undressedskeleton.tumblr.com

Polynesian Chicken

I really enjoyed this dish!  Not only was it super easy, but the flavor was delightful!  I served my chicken over white jasmine rice and it was very tasty!!


Ingredients4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 2" cubes  (I used chicken thighs)1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, sliced into 1" strips
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, in natural juice
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce (I used regular La Choy soy sauce)1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
DirectionsRecommend using a 4-7 quart slow-cooker.
Pour juice from canned pineapple chunks into a small mixing bowl. Add to juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and honey, whisk to combine. Add cornstarch and stir until combined.
Place chicken in slow-cooker, add pineapple chunks and bell peppers. Pour pineapple mixture over chicken, cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. Serve chicken over a bed of quinoa or brown rice.

Gluten free:  use GF soy sauce, I used La Choy brand.

Recipe and photo found on skinnyms.com

Houdini Bars

These were absolutely fantastic!  Everyone that had one, loved them.  And they are true to their name...they disappear quickly! :)

Ingredients
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix (I used King Arthur's gluten free yellow cake mix)
1 stick butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 package cream cheese, at room temperature (recipe calls for reduced-fat; I used full-fat)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup walnuts (original recipe called for pecans; either way, the nuts are optional)

Directions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Set aside a generously greased 9x13-inch pan.
Place the cake mix, butter, and one egg in a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer until the ingredients are incorporated, about 1 minute. Press the batter into the bottom and partially up the sides of the baking pan (I used my hands) and set the pan aside.
Place the cream cheese in the same mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the vanilla and the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Fold in the coconut; pour mixture over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Scatter the nuts, if you've chosen to use them.
Bake the bars until the edges are well browned and the center is firm to the touch, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving (do not score the bars while still hot!)

Gluten free:  just use a GF yellow cake mix and you are good to go!

Recipe and photo found on: foodvee.com

Lazy Daisy Cake

I grew up eating a cake almost exactly like this one and absolutely loved it.  I couldn't find my family's recipe though, so I was excited when I found this one to give it a try.  Soooo good!  I love this cake.  It's a tiny bit more work than your average cake.  It's from scratch for one.  Two, there are a few different steps you have to take before mixing it all together.  So it takes a bit of time, but not terrible.  And it comes out so yummy!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tblsp. butter
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
Topping:
9 tblsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tblsp. evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut


Instructions
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Heat the butter and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Stir in the vanilla.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick, about 6 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Let cool slightly in the pan, about 10 minutes.
Heat the broiler.

For the topping:
Combine the butter, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and coconut in a medium bowl. Spread the topping evenly over cake. Broil until topping bubbles and just begins to brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve warm.

The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave.


Gluten free:  use your own GF all purpose flour.

Recipe and photo found on:  lanascooking.com

Jambalaya (In Slow Cooker)

Ok, yum!!  Me and my husband gobbled this up!  I've made jambalaya before (using a different recipe) and it was ok...didn't turn out as great as I would have hoped.  But this recipe was excellent!  Incredibly easy too.  I will definitely be making this one again!

Ingredients
1 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, sliced
1/2 pound Member's Mark® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked rice

Directions

In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in shrimp and rice. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 12 servings.

Gluten free:  use GF kielbasa and beef broth, the rest is gluten free!

Recipe and photo found on: tasteofhome.com

Avocado Chicken Salad

Loved this!  It was light and fresh and delicious!  I think next time I might even use 2 avocados instead of just one because I love them so much and would love to have the extra avocado flavor!  And maybe even a whole lime instead of half.  So good!

Ingredients
1 Pkg boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 or 3)  (I used 2 cans of canned chicken)
1 avocado
1/4 of an onion, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tbsp cilantro (or sub basil if you prefer)
some salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Mix all of the above ingredients together and serve on sandwich rolls, croissants (which is what I did), or just regular sandwich bread.  I served the sandwiches with a side of chips and fruit.  Yum!


Gluten free:  This recipe is gluten free, just make sure you serve it on a GF roll or bread!


Recipe and photo found on: relishscd.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Honey Bourbon Crockpot Chicken

This was so yummy!  I will definitely be making this again.  The only thing I left out were the sesame seeds, other than that I followed the recipe exactly.  My sauce didn't thicken as well as I would have liked it to in the crockpot, I don't think it was able to get hot enough.  But it still tasted yummy!


Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
½ cup diced onion
1 cup of honey
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1-2 Tbsp cornstarch
hot rice
sesame seeds, optional


Instructions
Salt and pepper chicken and place in your slow cooker.
Place onion on top of chicken.
In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour mixture over the chicken in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours
Remove chicken from crock pot and slice into strips.
In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Pour into sauce remaining in the crock pot and stir to combine. If sauce is not thick enough repeat with another Tbsp of the cornstarch/water.
Place the chicken back in the sauce and stir around to re-coat the chicken in the sauce.
Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (optional).


Gluten free:  Use a gluten free soy sauce, such as La Choy brand and you are good to go!


Recipe and photo found on: realmomkitchen.com