Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup...Healthy, Hearty, YUMMY

This recipe serves 4

• 4-6 carrots 
  2-4 red and/or yellow bell peppers (2 if large, 4 if small)
  2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used a garlic infused oil from Heavenly Olive Oils and Vinegars)
• Salt
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (good quality, not too high in sodium)
• 1 piece ginger root, an inch long, peeled
• 1/2 cup of fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage and/or rosemary, oregano, parsley
• 1/2 large sweet (yellow) onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots and peppers with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. Broil the carrots and peppers until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; Peppers don't take long at all so CHECK OFTEN.  Carrots should take 15 to 20 minutes.  (remove the peppers once they are done and put carrots back in the oven.)

   

   I started w/ my veggies on a pizza stone but realized the oil might drip off...and I was right.  Be sure and use a shallow pan that has sides to it.  

   

   Peppers are done!

   
   

   

   These carrots took about 20 minutes to look this way...I rotated them every 5 minutes or so.

   
   
2. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil, add the ginger and the herbs and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

   

   Fresh Ginger Root (unpeeled)

   
   

   

   Use a sharp knife and "scrape" off the outer skin

   
   

   

   Stock w/ ginger and herbs...lovin' the smell already!

   
   
3. Put the onion and garlic in a medium stock pot with the remaining olive oil. Brown the onion and celery over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, and then add the carrots and peppers.

   

   onion, celery, garlic

   
   

   

   Tossed in roasted veggies

   
   
4. Remove the ginger and herbs from the stock and add the stock to the pot with the onions/celery and carrots/peppers. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to puree.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the mixture until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish with chopped fresh thyme.

   

   Look at all those GORGEOUS bright colors!!!!

   
   

   

   Roasted Carrot and Pepper soup, you make me very very happy.

   
   
   
   

Fresh (Not CANNED!) Green Bean Casserole

This will be my big splurge.  But I'm entitled to one right?  I was able to cut out a heck-of-alot of fat but lets face it...it still is dripping with real-cream goodness.  So enjoy your small portion size!  :)

ADAPTATION OF PIONEER WOMAN RECIPE.  To view original, click here.

Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 30 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off (or use organic Frozen Green Beans)
• 4 slices Turkey Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces (I LOVE Trader Joes UNCURED turkey bacon.  It contains no nitrates or nitrites and is delicious!)
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter and/or coconut oil.  (I used 2 tbsp of each)
• 4 Tablespoons Whole Grain Flour of your choice.  (if using a gluten free mix be sure and add some xanthan gum to the recipe)
• 2-1/2 cups milk or alternative milk
• 1/2 cup Half-and-half, organic heavy whipping cream, or coconut cream.  (Trader Joe's carries cans of coconut cream...it's wonderful and you can use it in place of anything calling for cream.  It is also awesome to make homemade whipped cream!)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained
• Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (I made my own by putting my gluten free sliced bread through the food processor and then baking at 300 for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and dried out)

**FYI:  once assembled YOU CAN FREEZE THIS.  Thaw the night before in the frig and bake as directed day of.

Preparation Instructions

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.

Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they're cool and set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

Clean Cranberry-Apple Sauce (w// optional rosemary & thyme)

Thickness and Sweetness is PREFERENCE.  Taste as you go and make adjustments.

Ingredients:

3 lbs of fresh cranberries (Bought a 3 lb bag at Costco)
8-12 apples, peeled and chopped (I used around 10...no right or wrong here peeps!)
1-2 cups of organic UNSWEETENED apple juice (also purchased at Costco)
3-4 cups of honey, maple or agave (sweeten to your taste preference)
**OPTIONAL: 1/4-1 tsp of white stevia powder (only use if your final product isn't sweet enough...this is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so use in very small quantities, taste, then adjust to your liking)
1/2 a lemon, freshly squeezed
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
4 sticks of cinnamon
2 pinches of ground cloves
*OPTIONAL:  1/4-1/2 tsp of ground thyme (adds beautiful flavor/dimension...a little goes a long way so be careful not to add too much)
**OPTIONAL:  1 sprig of rosemary

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rinse fresh cranberries and pick out any that are bruised.
2.  Toss into a large deep pan and add the apples.
3.  Pour in enough juice so that the pan is about 1/4 full of liquid.
4.  Turn stovetop on high and bring to boil.
5.  Let boil for about a minute (while stirring constantly) then TURN DOWN TO SIMMER/LOW.
6.  Add about 3 cups of honey, ground cloves, vanilla extract, lemon juice, rosemary/thyme (if using), and cinnamon sticks.  Give a really good stir to combine and TASTE.  Is it sweet enough?  If not, add about 1/2 cup of honey and taste again.  Continue the process...stir, taste, adjust if needed until you feel that the sweetness is to your liking.  I typically like to UNDER-sweeten my sauce and then, day of, if I feel it is still a little too sour I'll just toss in a little squirt of maple or honey before putting it on the table.
7.  Let simmer (stir occassionally) to reduce the liquid and allow it to thicken up a bit.  This could take an hour or 10 minutes...it all depends.  DON'T TURN HEAT UP TOO HIGH OR IT WILL SCALD.  If you are impatient like myself, you can toss in some pectin while its simmering and that will thicken it up a bit as well.  It will also firm up in the frig so don't worry about it too much.  It's supposed to be a SAUCE...how thick/thin you want it is entirely up to you.  Each batch might be a little bit different consistency and that just add's to the excitement, don't you think???
8.  Serve warm or chilled.  FYI:  this FREEZES wonderfully, so if you have leftovers, put in air tight container and save for Christmas!  IF STORING FOR LATER USE, put in air-tight container and go ahead and stick in the rosemary/cinnamon sticks.  Remove before serving.

OPTIONAL NUTRITIONAL BOOST:  Toss in 1/4-1/2 cup of ground flax or hemp seed.

Misty's GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD STUFFING

Take a deep breath.  THIS IS A SERIES OF 5 STEPS.  YOU WANT TO START THIS THE WEEK BEFORE your big feast.  If you finish it early, no worries, just stick in the freezer, thaw out the night before and bake as suggested.  Although this is a FIVE STEP PROCESS, trust me when I say, IT IS EASY.

STEP 1:  MAKE HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK.  Want to know how we do it here at Terrell Ranch?  Stick a whole chicken in the crock pot.  Lightly season it w/ some Herbs De Provence, sea salt, pepper or whatever seasoning you want.  Just DON'T OVERDO IT.  Fill the cavity w/ whatever suits you.  I like to stuff mine w/ 1/2 an onion, 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 an apple, carrot, celery, and any fresh herbs such as rosemary and sage.  Cook your chicken on low for 8-12 hours (no need to add water!) and have it for dinner.  Yummy.  After you've picked off all the meat, PUT ALL THE BONES BACK INTO THE CROCK POT...along w/ the innards and cavity fillings...everything.  I even throw in apple cores, onion skins, etc.  FILL THE CROCK POT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIM W/ WATER AND THEN TURN THE HEAT ON LOW OR WARM OVERNIGHT...24 HOURS IS EVEN BETTER.

Pour stock through strainer into a large bowl and WAH-LAH!  The best homemade broth you've ever had.  And by the way...the $12 whole chicken provided enough meat to feed your entire family (plus leftovers) and also just provided you w/ the most nutritious 2 gallons of stock ever.  Yay for you.  Stick in freezer up to 6 months.

Now...I SUPPOSE you could just use boxed broth...but really?  Why?  This is the easiest thing EVER to do and so much more nutritious AND tasty!

STEP 2:  MAKE YOUR GLUTEN-FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR MIX.  There are so many variations out there, but here is my favorite go-to:  click HERE for recipe.


STEP 3:  MAKE THE CORNBREAD  For recipe, click HERE.

STEP 4:  CUT CORNBREAD INTO SMALL CUBES AND DRY OUT THE CORNBREAD.  **the key to a delicious stuffing is YOUR BREAD MUST BE COMPLETEEY DRIED OUT.  You can do this 1 of 2 ways...let it sit out for a couple of days until it gets stale or speed up the process by placing it into a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so (time depends on how dry the bread is before going into oven).  I did both.  I let my bread sit out for 24 hours and then stuck it in the oven.  I took it out when it felt crunchy.

STEP 5:  MAKE THE STUFFING!

Ingredients

1 recipe gluten-free cornbread cut into 1 inch cubes and dried out (about 5 cups) **

3 tablespoons unsalted butter OR EVOO

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 ribs of celery sliced thin

1 apple (more sour than sweet like green, gala, braeburn, etc) peeled and cut into small bites

½ teaspoon ground thyme (at least double if using fresh)

¼ teaspoon ground, dried sage (at least double if using fresh)

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (at least double if using fresh)

¾ – 1 cup homemade chicken stock

¼ cup water 

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt butter or EVOO over medium low heat. Add onion and celery and apple. Cook for 5 minutes, then add spices or herbs. Cook for another 5 minutes or until celery is tender. Remove from heat and place into a large bowl. Dump cornbread into the bowl. Add ¾ cup chicken stock and ¼ cup water. Gently mix so you don't tear up the bread. This is where you have to use your own judgment – you want the dressing to be wet but not soggy. You want just enough liquid so the bread can absorb it all but not so much that it's swimming in a puddle of broth.

Gently turn dressing into desired dish – I like my dressing thinner so I use a baking dish that lets me spread it out. Season the top with a few turns of the pepper mill. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and crispy.

Gluten Free Cornbread

THIS IS NOT A SWEET CORNBREAD.  I would add way more sweetener if I were having this with say...a bowl of chili.  But this recipe is PERFECT for stuffing.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted (you use all of 1 or mix it like I did)
2 Tbsp of coconut palm sugar or sucanat (for a sweeter bread use up to 2/3 cup)
2 eggs OR 2 tbsp of ground flax mixed w/ 6 tbsp of water.  (allow to sit for 5 minutes)
1 cup of milk or milk alternative
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 cup of organic cornmeal
1 cup of gluten free flour blend
3/4 tsp of xanthan gum
1/2 t salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter/oil in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine milk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

Cleaned Up Trader Joes Sweet Potato Pie

• 1 TJ's Pie Crust, defrosted according to package instructions (NOT clean but feel free to make homemade version.  FOR CLEAN RECIPE, CLICK HERE.
• 2 bags TJ's Roasted & Mashed Sweet Potatoes, defrosted
• 1/2 to 1 cup TJ's Whipping Cream (CLEANED UP:  replace w/ TJ's Canned Coconut Cream)
• 1 stick TJ's Unsalted Butter, melted (CLEANED UP: replace w/ coconut oil)
• 2 large TJ's Eggs (CLEANED UP: replace w/ egg whites or 2 tbsp of ground flax + 6 tbsp water.  Mix and let sit 5 minutes before adding)
• 1 tablespoon TJ's Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon TJ's Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon TJ's Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 to 1 cup TJ's Sugar (CLEANED UP:  replace w/ sucanat)
• Pinch TJ's Salt

Preheat oven 350° F. Unroll pie crust over a 9 inch pie pan, per 

"Using Crust" package instructions. Mix together the sweet potatoes, 

1/2 of the cream, 1/2 of sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 

salt, until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning (add more cream if 

desired or if mixture is too dry). In a separate small bowl, whip eggs 

with a whisk, and then fold into the sweet potato mixture. Pour mixture

 into the pie crust. Place pie in oven and bake for 1 hour or until the center

 is firm and dry (use a tooth pick to test). It may be a little brown around

 the edges. Remove from oven and allow pie to cool on a rack before 

cutting and serving. Serve with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.  

For recipe, click HERE.

PS:  SORRY MY TEXT IS SO MESSED UP.  ??  Just keepin' it real, peeps.

Serves: 8 - 10

Cooking Time: 1 - 2 Hours

EASY COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM

EASY OPTION #1:  (USING COCONUT CREAM)

Ingredients:

1 can of TRADER JOES COCONUT CREAM  (NOT milk, CREAM)
Honey
Vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Turn entire contents of can into large mixing bowl.  (water will have separated but no need to drain.  It will incorporate once you mix).

2.  Start mixing at high speed.
3.  Once it starts to "fluff", drizzle in some honey and vanilla extract.  Taste and continue to whip until you reach desired sweetness.

EASY OPTION #2:  (USING COCONUT MILK)

Go to this link for a step-by-step tutorial w/ pictures.

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLENDS

Have a favorite recipe that you want to try gluten-free?  Try substituting one of the flour blends below.

THE BASIC BLEND:  for many cookie recipes and any time when an all-purpose blend is called for.  **You will need to add xantham gum and salt unless they are already included in the blend.  The amount varies, but typically a recipe will need about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of xanthan gum and around 1/2 tsp of salt.  (might take some experimenting)

2 3/4 cups of rice flour (white or brown)

1 1/4 cups corn or potato starch

1/3 cup of tapioca starch/flour

Place blend in air-tight container and REFRIGERATE.

CAKE & PASTRY BLEND:  produces cakes/cupcakes that rise nicely but have a delicate crumb when cut.  Less protein and gum are necessary to perform this task.  Sourghum flour and cornstarch help promote light, airy texture.  

1 cup sweet white sorghum flour

1 cup white rice flour (brown is fine, too)

3/4 cup cornstarch (or tapioca)

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum)

BREAD FLOUR:  Great for all types of breads

1 1/4 cup of white or brown flour

1 1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour

1/2 cup amaranth flour

3/4 cup cornstarch or tapioca

3 tsp of xanthan gum

1 tsp sea salt