Breaded Pork Cutlets and Oven Roasted Root Veggies

The last few weeks have been a major adjustment for me. When I found out I had Celiac Disease I was so relieved to know what was causing me to feel sick, but overwhelmed by the huge lifestyle change I needed to undergo. I admit I haven't been cooking much, or baking at all. Things I love to do. At first it was much easier just to buy pre-packaged foods that were labelled gluten-free than to try to make entire meals myself. I miss cooking and baking, and I miss healthy foods that taste good! I needed to get back into the kitchen. I have been cleaning out my pantry of all gluten containing foods, and replacing everything with items I can eat! I now have all the main staples for cooking and baking and have started to get back in the kitchen. I've missed it!

Ingredients:
Thinly sliced pork cutlets, 1 to 2 pounds
1 cup Glutino GF bread crumbs (or any other breading)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. season salt (I use Tastefully Simple)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. garlic seasoning (I use TS Garlic Garlic)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cup assortment of root veggies (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc)
2 Tbsp. EVOO, divided

Directions:
In a shallow dish, lightly beat one egg. In another shallow dish mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. season salt and 1 tsp. garlic seasoning.

Drag the pork cutlets through the egg wash and through the breadcrumb mix. Lay into a heated skillet with 1 Tbsp. EVOO. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Let them get brown and crispy before turning.

Wash, peel and cut the root veggies to desired size. Toss with 1 Tbsp. EVOO and 1 Tbsp. of garlic seasoning and 1 Tbsp. of season salt. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven for 35 minutes (may be longer or shorter time depending on the size of the veggies). Potatoes should be soft and cooked through, carrots and parsnips will appear dry and withered.

Lemon chicken pasta toss

Jennie gave me this recipe a long time ago, but I had never tried it. There are several prep-steps that take a little time, but this dish is well worth it. Really great flavor, good mix of textures and filling.

Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked gluten-free radiatore pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced (or small diced) carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
1 cup prepared gluten-free Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup hot water
1 lemon, cut in half
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.

Chop onion and slice carrot. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray oil. Cook and stir onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Steam broccoli, red pepper and salt until slightly tender (I used Pampered Chef micro-cooker in the microwave for 2 minutes).

 Add pasta, steamed veggies, chicken, Alfredo sauce and water to the skillet. Squeeze lemon over and cook until heated through. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serve with gluten-free french bread and garlic butter:

Parmesan-crusted chicken and roasted vegetables

 

I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, breaded with gluten-free breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and creole seasoning.  I fried the breaded chicken in a little EVOO.  I cut parsnips, carrots and potatoes, tossed them with olive oil, seasoned them and roasted them on a stoneware pan at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Yummy.

 

Semi-homemade tortellini with red sauce

I had never tried any of the Buitoni fresh pastas, and decided to give it a try. I purchased the Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni (http://www.buitoni.com/products/#/tortelloni/sweet-italian-sausage-tortelloni) and made a semi-homemade sauce for it.

I sauteed diced green and red pepper and onion in EVOO and added a clove of garlic. I added a can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. of sugar, a pinch of salt and some Italian Seasoning.

Serve atop the cooked tortelloni with fresh Parmesan cheese. Deliciouso!

Meatball sammies

This recipe originally came from Rachael Ray, but we modified it a little bit.  My mom and I made them this past weekend.....We didn't toast the bread, which was an error on our part....I would recommend toasting it, as the un-toasted bread got soggy really fast. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix (we just used beef, would also be good with sausage)
• 2/3 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (we used Parmesan)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• A splash whole milk
• 1/2 tablespoon rubbed or ground sage
• Fresh nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for generous drizzling
• 8 deli slices mild or sharp provolone cheese
• 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• A few leaves fresh basil, torn
• A pinch dried oregano or marjoram
• 4 gluten-free rolls or 1/4 large gf loaf, split and warmed or toasted 

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture, breadcrumbs, parsley, Pecorino Romano, egg, garlic, onion, milk and sage; season with nutmeg, salt and lots of pepper. Form the mixture into 4 patties (thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking).

Drizzle the burgers all over with a liberal amount of EVOO. Place in the hot skillet and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes. Top each burger with 2 slices of provolone and tent with foil to melt.

While the burgers are working, in a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes. Stir in the basil and oregano; season with salt and pepper.

Place the burgers on the roll bottom, then top with the sauce and roll tops.

spaghetti with pepper and Parmesan

This was really simple and delicious.  I boiled thin spaghetti noodles (or use gluten-free spaghetti) until al dente and then drained them, reserving about 1/3 cup of pasta water.  Return the noodles to the stockpot, with the reserved water and a few tablespoons of butter.  Crack fresh pepper onto noodles and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan (or any other hard cheese) over the noodles and toss this all together.  Add a little salt and serve.  So simple and so yummy.