Years ago we used to go to this Mexican restaurant that served fabulous Chicken Taquitos.  After a time, I started getting sick.  It was not from cross contamination, thankfully, but it was from Industrialized chicken.   As a result, we have not had Chicken Taquitos for a long time now.  And, I no longer eat chicken in restaurants unless I know it is organic.
This restaurant used seasoned chicken meat, rolled in a corn tortilla, then it was deep fried, served along side Mexican Rice and Refried Beans.  I was craving those dang Taquitos!  My version is very different.  But so so good! I thought, why not make a creamy Salsa Sauce, similar to my creamy yogurt cheese  in  Rosemary Pinto Bean Humus, or the yogurt cheese mixture in my Vegetarian Lasagna?  This creamy yogurt cheese is such an adaptable filling.  It so worked.  This recipe has a few steps to it, but not difficult at all. I made the chicken and vegetables in the early afternoon, and did the rest closer to dinner time.  We won't be missing Chicken Taquitos anymore.
4 chicken thighs or two large chicken breasts
10 Organic Corn Tortillas
1 small onion, halved, then sliced
1/2 an Anaheim Green Pepper sliced or regular green bell pepper
8-10 garlic cloves, skin on
Dry Rub:
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. Chipotle chili pepper
salt
SALSA CREAM SAUCE:
3/4 cup yogurt cheese (drip at least 24 hours)
5 heaping Tblsp. Salsa
1 rounded tsp. ground Cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese
3 large Tblsp. minced fresh Cilantro
Extra grated cheddar cheese
Olive oil
In a small bowl, add the seasonings, stirring to combine well.
In a medium sized bowl, add the slice onions, green pepper and garlic cloves.  Drizzle with olive oil to coat, then add in one tsp. of the seasoning.  Toss to coat well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle the remaining seasonings onto the chicken pieces, rubbing in well. Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken pieces.
Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, and place in the seasoned onion green pepper mixture.
Bake for one hour, then transfer the vegetables and garlic to a bowl, and place the chicken onto a plate to cool 15 minutes.
This would be tasty on it's own...but better things await!
Shred the chicken discarding the bones.
Squeeze out the garlic and mash with a fork, mixing with the onions and green pepper.  Add to the shredded chicken, tossing to combine well.  Refrigerate until needed.
Salsa Cream Sauce:
In a bowl, combine the yogurt cheese, salsa, cumin, shredded cheddar cheese, and cilantro mixing well to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly oil a roasting pan.
Heat up two or three corn tortillas wrapped up in damp paper towel for about 20 seconds on high in the microwave.  Add a mixture of the chicken to the tortilla and a good serving of Salsa Sauce.
Roll up and place into the roasting pan, seam side down.
Lightly brush the tops with a little olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, then add extra grated cheese on top, and bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  Serve with guacamole and extra Salsa.  Yeahhh for Taquitos!

Do not be fooled by this title.  Seriously, the title was in the hopes of capturing wee little ones taste buds, and fooling them at the same time. If I had asked my kids when they were little: "would you like some golden cherry rice stir fry"?  They would have been all over it...not knowing there was squash in this dish at all. Actually, as a parent, I was pretty lucky, my kids loved all food, they were not in the least bit fussy.  However, I know some parents struggle, so this is a great dish that hides all the wonderful yummy nutrients.
Each year, I try to come up with new Squash dishes, being the squash freak that I am, but honestly, this one is a winner - so dang good and healthy too!  We had this wonderful side dish with seared pork chops - a match made in heaven.  But, truly, this dish stands on it's own.  Delicious, hearty, and flavorful.
I had 1/2 of a large Butternut squash in the fridge, as well as a big batch of steamed rice.....what to do?  I decided to wing it - so glad I did, in fact, we might have this dish again tomorrow.  Aside from the sweet nutty flavor of butternut squash, and the sweet/tart dried cherries - there was a definite added dimension to this dish that was surprising.  I opted to use Dry rubbed Sage and Thyme with this dish...however, Curry seasonings would also be heavenly.
1 cup of mashed, roasted Butternut Squash
salt and pepper
3 Tblsp. Grape Seed Oil
25 dried Sweet/Tart dried Cherries, sliced in half
2 finely sliced green onions
2 minced shallots
6 diced crimini mushrooms
4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp. dry rubbed Sage
1/2 tsp. dry Thyme
3/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup cooked Basmati Rice
1/2 cup chicken stock
Slice the butternut squash in half, skin on, and drizzle with Olive oil to coat.  Roast in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until tender.  Remove to a platter and set aside.  Once cooled, mash with a fork to equal 1 cup.
Here is the minced cherries and veggies for this dish (minus the squash):
Heat up a non stick pan with the grape seed oil on low medium heat.  Add in the mushrooms, sauteing until golden.  Then add in the shallots, sauteing for about 3 more minutes.  Add in the garlic, green onions, cherries, and seasonings, sauteing another 2-3 minutes.
Then add in the mashed squash, and 3/4 cup of chicken stock, stirring to incorporate.  Check for seasonings, and bring to temperature - another 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of cooked rice, with another 1/2 cup of Chicken stock, again check for seasonings.
Bring to a simmer, continue to stir until thickened, about a minute or two.  Serve hot, with any main dish or vegetarian dish.

So, before beginning this post, I just wanted to say a word about Lactose.  It came to my attention from a comment on my blog, that Cottage Cheese does in fact have Lactose in it.  I was so grateful to learn this, as I had mentioned, I never did find any information in this regard.  Having said this, my only logical reason as to why I can have Cottage Cheese, is in the ASSUMPTION, that Cottage Cheese is low in Lactose.  If anyone has any further information or knowledge about the Lactose quantity in Cottage Cheese - please do share!
I have always wanted to make a gluten free cheesecake.  Not being able to eat cream cheese, I knew there must be a way to make it with yogurt cheese, but I also knew that would not be enough.  Then I saw Anna Olsen's recipe - please check here for the original.  Her recipe uses ricotta cheese - another cheese I can not have.  But then I had an idea.  What about pureed, dripped cottage cheese?  Oh yes - it so worked!
Now it has been many, many years since I have had traditional cheesecake. So I had to ask my DH, and the family members:  does this taste like cheese cake?  DH said it was lighter, (I found it heavy, but after 20 years, who am I to judge?) my daughter loved it but said it should be a bit sweeter, my son?  Well he was all over it...he was hoovering...he did not even look up from his plate.   Did he and DH love it?   Oh Yeahhhhh. I liked it, but would definitely add an extra Tblsp. of honey to the cheese mix...it just needed that tad bit of extra sweetness.  Other than that?  All I cared about was how the Gluten free  Graham Cracker Crust was going to turn out.  The crust was divine.  I was so happy with how the crust turned out, I can not tell you... I have so missed pies made with a Graham Cracker Crust!  Can't wait to try more new recipes with Graham Crackers.
For me, this is a special, once in a while dessert.  You will need two days to drip the yogurt and pureed cottage cheese.  Then the day before it is ready, I made this recipe for Gluten Free Graham Crackers.  So a bit of time is needed for this recipe - but it is so worth the time, for a once in a while special dessert!  In the future...the only thing I would do is to increase the honey in the cheese mixture by 1 extra tablespoon..other than that..divine!  Now my family is asking: what about chocolate, peanut butter, coffee added to the mix?  Lord help me......
YOGURT CHEESE:
2 cups whole Organic Plain Yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
2 cups purred 2% Cottage cheese
Line a sieve with two split open coffee filters, placing over a medium sized bowl.  To one bowl add the yogurt, cover with plastic wrap, sealing well, and refrigerate.  To another bowl and sieve, do the same thing for the purred Cottage Cheese.  Let drip for two days.
CRUST:
Make one recipe for Gluten Free Graham Crackers and whiz up in a food processor until fine
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Tblsp. sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 tsp. finely grated Lemon Zest
FILING:
1 recipe for Yogurt/Cottage Cheese
1/4 cup of Honey plus one extra tablespoon of honey
1 large egg
1 tsp. finely grated Lemon Zest
1 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Melt the butter with the sugar.  In a medium bowl, add the Graham Cracker crumbs, lemon zest, and melted butter.  Press into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate.  Bake for 10 minutes, allow to cool while making the filling.
Filling:
Stir the yogurt cheese and dripped cottage cheese together with the honey, egg, vanilla and lemon zest.
Spoon into the cooled pie shell and bake for 40 minutes.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.  Serve with any fresh or frozen fruit.  We had this with fresh Mango, but a berry coulis would be lovely with this dessert too.

Merciful heaven! I have said this before on this blog....you need quality ingredients to cook a great meal.  Bangers and Mash you ask?  Ohhhh yeahhhh.  This meal was to die for.
Years ago (too many to count) we went to a pub with a group of friends.  Everyone placed their orders - burgers, steak, fish and chips, what did I order?  Bangers and mash.  I love sausage...just about any kind, as long as it is quality meat.  Everyone at the table laughed at me, yes they did. Head held high, I was going to damn well enjoy my Bangers and Mash. The meals arrived, everyone started to dig in.  Honestly?  It was horrible, and I knew then and there the sausage was not great quality sausage.
Having delicious, naturally raised meat is a number one priority for me.  Seriously, I think I might walk miles to have good quality, naturally raised meat.  Luckily, and ever so grateful, I do not have to trek the miles nor suffer from blisters... we have a great place just down the street from where we live - an 18 minute walk.  Bless the heavens...for naturally raised pork! 🙂
3 Tblsp. rendered bacon fat
5 large free range gluten free pork sausages
1 small onion, quartered and sliced
5-6 medium sized crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 cup of chicken stock - beef stock would work well too
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Cornstarch and a little extra stock  for a slurry
Heat up a frying pan on medium heat.  Add the rendered bacon fat to the pan, and saute the mushrooms until golden.  Move the mushrooms to the edges of the pan, and add in the sliced onions (if necessary add more rendered bacon fat).
Saute about 20 minutes until the onions are caramelized.  Then season with salt and pepper.
Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan into a bowl and set aside.  If necessary add in more rendered bacon fat....it adds great flavor!
Add the sausages to the pan and brown, these took about 20-25 minutes until nicely golden - do not overcook!  Sorry to be bossy here, but this is a major thing  - never overcook meat of any kind!  Transfer to a plate.
Add the chicken or beef stock to the pan, scraping up any brown bits.  Return the caramelized onions and mushrooms to the pan, including the Bay Leaf, salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer,for 3-5 minutes and meanwhile, mix up a little cornstarch with some more stock to make a slurry.  Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the the pan, whisking to incorporate to make a smooth gravy.  Serve the sausages over mashed potatoes, with a generous helping of gravy.  Dive in, mow down, have seconds, you will not regret it....this is comfort food at it's best!

This was the first time I have ever tasted Broccoli and Leak creamy soup.  No cream here, no milk here, just creamy, full flavor, deliciousness, worth devouring.  Especially if one has just had...ahem... a root canal - minus the Gluten Free Garlic Toast. Tasty and Hearty!  If you want a great Gluten Free French Bread recipe, check here.
Any good homemade stock would work well here, I used a homemade Turkey stock.  Originally, I started out using 5 cups of homemade stock, but in the end, finished this dish using 4, so eyeball the consistency.  You want a thick soup, remembering the cheese will also add to the thickness.
4 strips of bacon, finely cut
2 large leeks - sliced
5 cups of chopped broccoli - stalks and florets
1 large Russet potato, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
Bouquet Garnier : a 3 inch piece of fresh Rosemary, 3 or 4 stalks of fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, 1 large Bay Leaf, 4 or 5 sprigs of fresh Thyme.  Roll up tight in cheese cloth and tie with thread to hold in place.
4-5 cups of good homemade stock
1 cup shredded aged White Cheddar
1 cup shredded aged Orange Cheddar
salt and pepper to taste
Heat up a dutch oven on low medium heat.  Add in the bacon, sauteing until golden crisp and remove to a bowl, then set aside.  Add the leeks to the pan, sauteing about five minutes, until tender.  Then add in the chopped broccoli, potato, and continue to saute another five minutes.
Add in the Bouquet Garnier then top up with the homemade stock.  Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the Bouquet Garnier, and using a slotted spoon, add the vegetables to a food processor, and blend until smooth.  Here, I poured the liquid stock into a glass measuring cup, then added the purred vegetables back to the pot, and then cup by cup added stock to the puree until there was a nice thick creamy texture.
Keep on a low simmer, and add in the grated cheeses, stirring to melt.  Adjust for seasonings, and serve with extra grated cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of bacon bits.

Have you ever been giving thought to a recipe - it formulates in your mind, you can imagine the flavors, the textures....then it goes by the way side for six months?  Mercy!  Why did I wait so long on this one??
The first time I ever had creamed corn was when I was about 17 years old.  It came from a can and I was in love. Pure heaven!  Well, the only creamed corn I can find in my neck of the woods has modified corn starch in it - YUCK!
Normally, I do not stock much in the way of canned goods in my pantry.  Unless it is homemade, the occasional can of Pinto Beans to make a quick Hummus, or good quality Canned Tomatoes - especially for the winter months.  I also will have pre-made  organic chicken stock - for when I do not have homemade on hand.  Oh, and canned tuna or salmon, but that is really about it.  This dish was made with canned sweet corn - fresh would be even better - but, dang....we were so impressed with this dish, canned corn will now be on my pantry shelves.
3 slices of Naturally Smoked Bacon, cut into small bits, and browned
2 Tblsp. butter
1 large minced Shallot
3 Tblsp. Sweet Rice Flour - gives a nice smooth texture to the Roux
1/2 tsp. dried Mustard
good pinch of ground Nutmeg
salt and pepper
2  12 oz. cans of sweet corn, drained
1 3/4 cup chicken stock - just eyeball for consistency,  you might need two cups.
Heat up a frying pan on medium heat.  Add the chopped bacon, stirring until crisp.  Remove to a bowl and set aside. Turn down the pan to low heat.
Add the drained corn to a food processor, and quick pulse about 10 times.  Scrape down the sides, and quick pulse 10 more times.  You don't want a puree, there should still be nice chunks left:
To the pan, add in the butter and chopped shallots.  Saute for about five minutes, until soft.  Add in the 3 Tblsp. of sweet rice flour:
Whisk in the flour, and keep whisking for about 3-4 minutes - it will turn slightly golden in color:
Slowly add in the chicken stock, continuing to whisk.  Don't worry - it might look like it won't come together, but it will.  Just keep whisking, and slowly add in the chicken stock.
Once you have a nice consistency, add in the chopped corn, dried mustard, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
Keep on a simmer, continue to cook for another five minutes, adjust for seasonings, then sprinkle bacon bits on top and serve hot.  Enjoy!

This is my fifth pancake recipe on my blog.  Can you tell I love pancakes?  This recipe was a complete experiment, that I am happy to say turned out fabulous.
I have also been experimenting a little, using Coconut Flour.  I love the hearty, flavor of this flour, however, it can be tricky to work with in terms of the liquid ratio.   Next part to this recipe:  Cottage Cheese.  Not a cottage cheese fan?  Trust me, you will not even know it is there.
Years ago, when I first discovered I was Lactose Intolerant, I assumed I could never eat Cottage Cheese again.  I love cottage cheese served with vegetables or fruit.  It was something I really really missed.  Well, I decided to just go ahead and try it. Just a tablespoon or so for 5 days.  The good news:  no reaction what so ever.  Is this because Cottage Cheese has no Lactose in it?  I do not know.  I have never found any research to suggest that it does or does not contain Lactose.  And in these pancakes?  Deliciously hearty, and fluffy!
I also learned that Coconut is not a nut - it is a seed.  Great for people who have nut allergies.  Truly, I am in love with this new pancake recipe.
3/4 cup 2% Cottage Cheese
3/4 cup milk - I used Soy Milk
2 large eggs
1 Tblsp. Grape seed Oil
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Tblsp. sugar
Add the cottage cheese to a food processor, and begin to blitz up.  Then add in the milk, while keeping it running.  Add the eggs in one at a time, and the grape seed oil.  Process until completely smooth.
In a medium bowl, mix up the dry ingredients, then add the wet to the dry, whisking well to combine.
Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat, with a drizzle of Grape Seed oil.  Ladle a good sized amount of pancake batter to the pan.  Once the batter bubbles up nicely, flip and cook the other side.
The next thing I learned?  Do not try to eat two of these babies....I was stuffed!  Can't wait for breakfast tomorrow!

Well, my mom, and any other Danish person in the world out their would not, absolutely not, call this Frikadeller.  I did not know what else to call this dish.  Normally, Danish Frikadeller is made with ground beef, or a combination of ground beef and pork, or just ground pork.  I could not call this a Chicken burger, or a Chicken Pattie, or a Chicken Meatball....because Frikadeller is so much more than that - way more than that.
I have never cooked with ground chicken before.  I can not buy free range anti-biotic free ground chicken in my neck of the woods, and ground turkey?  Even harder to come by.  I miss ground Turkey - a whole lot!  But buying industrialized ground chicken or turkey will never be an option for me - never.
So, with 6 Free Range, Anti-biotic free, skinless, boneless chicken thighs, I decided to grind the meat up myself.  This was a first for me.  Having said that, next time I would run the food processor another 40-60 seconds, to get an even finer grind, but overall, we were happy with this meal.  It was also surprisingly lean meat - always a good thing no?
CHICKEN SAGE FRIKADELLER:
6  free range, antibiotic free, skinless, boneless chicken thighs- cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 of an onion
handful of Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
1 garlic clove
3 Fresh Sage leaves
Salt and Pepper
1 egg
4 Tblsp. gf flour - I used Sorghum, but brown rice would work well
3 Tblsp. butter
2 medium large Crimini Mushrooms (slice the mushrooms and onions in the food processor - thinly)
1/4 of an onion
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tsp. dry rubbed Sage
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 Bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 rounded Tblsp. cornstarch, and enough stock to make a slurry
To a food processor, with the blade attachment, add the onion, parsley, garlic clove and fresh sage leaves.  Grind until fine - just a few moments.
Using a spatula, transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.  To the food processor, add the cut up chicken thighs. Process for a minute or two until nice and finely ground.  Transfer the meat to the onion herb mixture, adding in the egg, gf flour, salt and pepper, mixing well, then shape into patties.
Heat up a frying pan on medium heat with the butter, and cook the Frikadellar about 8 minutes on one side, and about 6 minutes on the other side, until cooked through and golden.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
To the pan add in the sliced mushrooms and onions, sauteing until the mushrooms are golden.  Pour in the white wine, scraping up any brown bits, then add in the chicken stock, dry sage and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slowly add in the cornstarch slurry, whisking well to thicken.
Pour over the Chicken Frikadellar, and serve along side any side dishes.