Easter Recipe Round-up

Easter is this Sunday. Time to round up all my favorite Easter recipes for you in one place! 

Gluten-Free Easter Brunch Recipe Round-up

Appetizers:

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Bruschetta (gluten free)

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Olive and Artichoke dip

Deviled Eggs

Cucumber cups

Gluten free stuffed mushrooms

Glazed Sea Scallops

The Perfect Mojito

Lemon Garlic Cheese Spread

Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip

Side Dishes:

Wedge Salad

Potato Gratin

Cucumber Salad

Roasted Mushrooms

Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Spicy Cauliflower

Mashed Potatoes

Gluten-Free Gravy

Latkes

Perfect Asparagus

Easy Hollandaise

Main Dishes:

Poached Eggs over Cauliflower Quinoa Cakes

Loaded Breakfast Skillet

Eggs Benedict

Bacon Egg Toast Cups Gluten Free 

Spinach Frittata

Jalepeno, Onion, and Ham Frittata

Traditional Roasted Turkey

Honeybaked Ham

Over the top Eggs Benedict

Desserts:

Homemade Whipped Cream

Gluten Free Banana Cream Dessert 

Gluten Free Pound Cake 

Strawberry Parfaits 

Sugar Cookies Gluten Free 

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Amazing Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Gluten Free Caramel Tortes

Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Chocolate Strawberry Almond Tarts

Wedge Salad

When it comes to iceberg salad, you either love it or you hate it. My kids and husband love it. When we eat out, it is something that is ordered more often than not. So I have learned to make it just the way they like it. I am always shocked at how much they charge for a corner of an iceberg lettuce head. So simple to do on my own and for a fraction of the cost. Here are instructions on how to make a wedge salad at home that is just as good if not better than the gourmet restaurants out there. All ingredients with the exception of the lettuce are optional. Add what you like. Here is how I make 4 Wedge Salads.

Wedge Salads

1 iceberg lettuce head cut into 4 pieces

Any of the following veggies chopped into small pieces:

Sugar snap pea pods

carrots

celery

tomatoes

green onion

Cucumber

etc...

Bleu Cheese Dressing click Here for recipe

Top each wedge with the dressing and top with chopped veggies. Serve. Tada! Here is your $8 wedge salad for about $1. 

Bleu Cheese Dressing

Having Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, I am sure you struggle with finding dressings you can trust not having cross contamination, or hidden gluten. A long time ago I just moved to homemade dressing. It tastes much better and eliminates the worry of accidental gluten exposure. One of my families favorites is Bleu Cheese Dressing. Making it fresh makes it over the top amazing, and it is really easy to do. Enjoy! 

Bleu Cheese Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
1/4 cup smoked blue cheese, crumbled

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Greek yogurt, and garlic until smooth. Stir in onion powder, fresh parsley, chives, and the blue cheese crumbles. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Weekly Gluten-Free Recipe Round-up

Here is your weekly Gluten-Free Recipe Round-up for this week!

Parmesan Dill Sea Bass

Crock-pot Beef Roast

Spicy Oven-Roasted Fries

Loaded Breakfast Skillet

Cauliflower, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad

Persian Rice

Loaded Breakfast Skillet

I don't make a big breakfast every day. But two to three times per week, I like to get up and make a feast. One family favorite is skillet breakfasts. You see them at various breakfast cafes all the time. I brought home the tradition and everyone seems to love them. I have mini 6" cast iron skillets which makes it very convenient to serve. You can whip up a loaded breakfast skillet in under 15 minutes. Any or all of the ingredients are optional. If you don't like bacon, then skip it, or switch to sausage. The possibilities are endless and it is easy to make everyone happy with their personalized skillet breakfast. 

Gluten-Free Loaded Breakfast Skillet

2 eggs

2 strips of bacon

6 oven roasted french fries

1/4 cup onion

1/2 cup mushrooms

1 jalapeno diced

2 TBSP butter

Now I had some Spicy Oven Roasted French Fries left over. You can see the recipe HERE. But you can use cooked hashbrowns instead if you wish. I cut up my Spicy Oven Roasted French Fries and heated them up in the skillet. 

Set aside. Then cook your bacon and set aside.

Next melt 2 TBSP butter in the skillet and add your onion, mushrooms and jalapeno. Cook them until they begin to brown. 

Stir in your potatoes you set aside. 

Top with Bacon. 

Fry your eggs, or scramble them or poach, cook however you like. Then add to the top and serve. 

Persian Rice

If your home is like most gluten-free homes, then rice is probably a staple. It is in ours. I am always looking for new ways to make rice so that we don't get bored with it. I stumbled upon Persian rice and was intrigued. So I made it. I am really glad I did. The browned, crusty layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan is considered the most treasured part of this Middle Eastern classic. It is simple to make and very tasty. 

Persian Rice

adapted from Jean Touitou

2 cups basmati rice

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Pinch of saffron threads

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (I used greek)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place rice in a medium saucepan; add 2 tsp. salt and cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain rice, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.

Place saffron and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid in a small bowl; let saffron soften for 5 minutes. 

Place yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in remaining 1 tsp. salt and saffron water. Add rice and stir to coat.

Melt butter in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat bottom and sides of pan. Add rice mixture and stir to coat.

 Cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes (do not stir). Reduce heat to low; cook, adding more reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if rice has not finished cooking when water evaporates, until a golden brown crust forms on bottom of rice, 20–25 minutes.

Remove lid and serve. 

Cauliflower, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad

I have been desperate lately to have a lot of healthy food ready in the fridge for my appetite. I guess we all go through phases in life, and my phase right now is that I am always hungry. It can be trouble if there isn't something ready for me to grab. My standard go to is Quinoa. It fills me up, is low in calories, and packed with protein. I keep this salad in the fridge and scoop up some when my tummy starts complaining. It is best served warm. So it is a warm salad. If you are looking for healthy options, then this one is a new staple. I got two heads of cheddar cauliflower delivered to me this week from Naturally to your door. 

They are a lot smaller than the standard cauliflower so I used both, even though the recipe is only for one cauliflower head. 

I just wanted to explain to you why my cauliflower looks different than yours. It doesn't taste like cheese, it tastes just like regular cauliflower, but it is orange so it has the name cheddar cauliflower. You can use regular white cauliflower and it will turn out the same. 

Cauliflower, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad

adapted from Bon Appétit | March 2013

1/2 cup Quinoa

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon greek yogurt

1 tsp vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, divided

Place Quinoa in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 2". Season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain; run under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, vinegar,greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and 3 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower; cook, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10-12 minutes.Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl; add beans, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 tablespoon tarragon, reserved Quinoa , and half of reserved dressing. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Divide salad among bowls; drizzle remaining dressing over. Garnish with lemon zest, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tablespoon tarragon.

Serve warm.