Easy Gluten-Free Ramen

I am all about healthy, easy meals and this is one that I made up the other day and everyone in the family enjoyed it.  I typically cook, organic, non-gmo and gluten free but you can make this with wheat noodles or whatever ingredients you prefer. This should take about 30 minutes to prepare and cook.

Chicken and Vegetable Ramen Noodles

2 Tbl. oil (olive or coconut are my favorites)
4 Tbl. Braggs liquid aminos (you can also use soy sauce)
1 small red onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 Tbl. ginger, minced (I love ginger but not everyone does so make to taste preference)
1 Tbl. Turmeric
3 Tsp. real salt
1 C carrot, diced or julienne
1 C peas (I used organic frozen)
4 C Chicken or Vegetable broth -- I did not have any premade so  I used this one
2 C chicken, cook and cut into bite size pieces (I used an organic rotisserie I bought at the store for this but you could use 2 chicken breasts as well).
2 Ramen "cakes" - cook per instructions - purchase here

Ok now for the fun part!! Let's get cooking....

To start you are going to get 2 medium pots. The first one is going to be for your broth and the second one is going to be for your noodles. Grab pot 1 and put it on the stove, turn to med/high heat. Add oil and the chopped onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and toss. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes until it all starts to get slightly golden brown. Add the turmeric, sea salt and carrot and toss to coat. Add the Braggs and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until carrots are softened but not cooked through. Add the cooked chicken and peas and the broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

While this is cooking grab pot 2 and put enough water to cook the ramen cakes - usually about 3-4 cups. Bring to a boil. Carefully place the ramen "cakes" into the pot and cook to instructions. The ones I used took 4 minutes total. Once cooked through remove from heat and toss into a colander and rinse with cold water.

Now that it's all cooked grab a big soup bowl, add the cooked Ramen noodles and ladle the chicken and vegetable broth on top.  Careful it's hot! Serve and enjoy!!!

side note: If you have any leftover make sure to store the noodles separate from the broth; the noodles will absorb all the liquid if left in.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Switching our household to a Gluten-Free diet has been an amazing transition for my family. When we first started the transition just two years ago there were not nearly as many gluten-free choices in the grocery stores as there are today. I am so thankful for all the amazing gluten-free products out there that make my life so much easier!!

One of our favorite foods to eat is pizza. We LOVE pizza!! So, when I was shopping at Sprouts I was very excited to find this Bob's Redmill GF Pizza Crust.

Let's be honest gluten-free dough is usually not nearly as delicious and savory as "regular" dough. This dough is great because it does not taste like or have the consistency of cardboard as so many gluten-free options do.  Not only is this dough fluffy and delicious but on the back of the packaging there is also a gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe!!!

I took a picture after baking so the bag has flour all over it. 

I decided to give the cinnamon rolls a try; I made some slight changes to their original recipe and am very please with how they turned out. So please in fact that I ate three rolls in one sitting! So good!!!!

Dough

• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter 
• 1/2 cup Sugar  - I used this kind. 
• 2 Eggs 
• 2-1/4 tsp Yeast Packet (from package)
• 1 cup Water (warm)
• 3-1/4 cups GF Pizza Crust Mix
• White Rice Flour as needed for dusting - I used GF All-Purpose

Filling

• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (melted) - I did half butter/half coconut oil. 
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar - I used this kind. 
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

Dough

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2

Add 1 Tbsp of the sugar to the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast packet on top of water and let sit 5 minutes. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to blend in completely.

Step 3

Add the yeast mixture to the butter/egg mixture and blend. Add in the pizza crust mix; blend two minutes. The mixture will be slightly sticky. Heavily dust a 2-foot long sheet of wax paper with flour. Spread batter over the length of the wax paper, about 19 inches. Using warm water, wet your hands and press the batter outward to fill the sheet. Remember to keep your hands wet or you will get covered in batter. Once the batter evenly covers the wax paper you can brush melted butter or coconut oil over the batter from edge to edge.

Filling

Step 1

Combine the cinnamon and sugar and then sprinkle mixture over the batter from edge to edge. Pick up the short end of the wax paper and begin carefully rolling the batter over itself. Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch pieces and gently place the disks into the 8 x 8 inch greased pan. It is okay to crowd them.

Step 2

Let the rolls rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool until the butter/oil stops bubbling then flip out onto a plate. Makes 8-10 cinnamon rolls.

Notes:

** I used Organic products for everything I could and recommend you do the same. 

** I also did the filling a little different. I used room temperature butter mixed with room temperature coconut oil and added the cinnamon and brown sugar to that and made a "rub" and rubbed it onto the spread out batter. I also doubled the recommended filling mixture because I like a lot of cinnamon filling in my rolls. 
** When the rolls came out of the oven I drizzled local, organic honey over the top of them. Enjoy!!! 

Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

I posted a picture of this on Instagram the other day and had several people ask me for the recipe so here it is....

Quinoa Lettuce Wraps


1/2 C Quinoa
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 C Black Beans
1 C Garbanzo Beans 
1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper - chopped
1/2 Med. Yellow Onion - diced
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1 Avocado - chopped
1 bunch of Cilantro - chopped
1-2 Tbl. Mexican Seasoning 
1 Tbl. water
Salsa (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
1 Package Butter Head Lettuce

1. Cook Quinoa according to package and set aside

2. Put oil in skillet and set to med-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until soft (about 5 min.) Add seasoning and water, then toss in garbanzo beans. Cook for additional 3-5 minutes until warm. Turn stove off.

3. In medium size mixing bowl add the cooked quinoa, onion mixture, rinsed black beans, sunflower seeds, and cilantro. Toss until fully mixed together.

4. Pull individual leaves off lettuce and rinse.

5. Serve - fill lettuce wraps to desired amount with quinoa mixture and top with salsa, sour cream, avocado and additional cilantro if desired.


Side Note: I put the leftovers in the fridge and had them the following day as a cold Quinoa salad. It was delicious!!! There are so many variations you can do to this recipe. You could add kidney beans, jalapeno, corn, etc. Have fun with your food. Eat your colors and enjoy!!!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

These are so yummy and delicious!!!

Here's how: (I use organic ingredients when possible)

Muffins
1 1/3 C Flour (I use whole wheat)
1/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 C Vegetable oil
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 C Milk
1 1/2 C Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Topping
1/3 C Flour
1/4 C Oats
1/4 C Butter (softened)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 C Brown Sugar

Mix: flour, sugars, salt and baking powder in medium size bowl
Stir in: oil, eggs and milk
Fold in: blueberries

Mix the topping in separate bowl with hand till it is a crumb type texture. 

Preheat over to 375

You can either insert baking cups in muffin pan or use grease. Fill individual cups till they are almost full; then put the crumb mixture on top.

Cook 20-30 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes and enjoy!!!

Tip of the Week: Smoothie Pops

Smoothie popsicles are wonderful to give your toddler when they are teething or in need of a healthy snack on a hot day. Whenever I make a smoothie I always make a little extra to freeze in my popsicle molds.  Lochlan LOVES them! I never buy popsicles because homemade ones are cheap and healthy!! What gets better than that?

Teething is not fun at all

Easy Recipe: (I use organic ingredients when possible)

Handful of strawberries and blueberries
one banana
handful of peaches
1 C yogurt (I use vanilla)
1 C juice  (I usually use pomegranate, orange or apple)
handful of kale or spinach

add all into a blender and blend. You can add water or ice to alter the consistency to your liking.

Drink, enjoy and freeze some for later!