The recipe is adapted from Quickies: Ten Quick Ways with Everyday Foods,one of my favourite cookbooks.

Spanish Dinner

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups corn
• 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives
• 1 cup instant rice
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. In large saucepan, cook onion in oil, over medium high heat, for 5 minutes.
2. Add ground beef and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned.
3. Add corn, tomatoes, olives, rice and seasonings.
4. Cover tightly. Simmer, stirring often for 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

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The recipe is adapted from Low-Fat Express: Great Taste in 30 Minutes, by Jean Paré, and is part of the Company’s Coming series. The recipe is simple to make, and tastes delicious. The spinach pasta adds a bit of extra colour and eye appeal.

If you don’t have spinach pasta in the cupboard, you could substitute another type of gluten free pasta, and the result will taste just as good.

Pasta With Tomato Cream Cheese Sauce

• 6 oz gluten free Spinach Pasta
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 cup low fat cream cheese, cut up
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• dash of ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Drain pasta and return to the same pot. Cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomato, broth, garlic and basil in medium saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil, and pour over pasta.
5. Add cheese, parsley and pepper.
6. Toss and serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings.

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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Technorati Tags: cream cheese, spinach pasta, tomatoes

In some areas, cottage roll is called cottage ham, but it should be a tasty and economical dinner, wherever you are. The chef saved the stock and will use it when he makes baked beans in a day or two.

Cottage Roll With Vegetables

• 1 (3 lb) cottage roll (cottage ham)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
• 1 cup chopped cabbage (optional)
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 shallots

Tip: You can add as many vegetables as will fit, and use any size cottage roll that will fit you pan.

1. Place cottage roll in roasting pan or slow cooker.
2. Surround it with chopped vegetables.
3. Sprinkle with pepper and cover roast with water.
4. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours or in slow cooker on high for 6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

After cooking, the cottage roll should fall apart like a pot roast.

Serve with mustard (Dijon is the chef’s favourite). The leftover stock can be thicken up as a gravy or makes a great base for beans or pea soup .

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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

This recipe is adapted from Quickies: Ten Quick Ways with Everyday Foods.

Pronto Parmesan Pasta

• 1 shredded zucchini (or grated carrot)
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 3 cups cooked gluten free macaroni
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• pinch of nutmeg

1. Sauté zucchini in butter for 2 minutes
2. Add macaroni, Parmesan and nutmeg.
3. Stir until hot.

Great as a side dish. Serves 3.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Technorati Tags: macaroni, zucchini

The cookbook was published with the Canadian Heart Foundation, so you can benefit from the recipes which are heart-healthy. They’re also easy to follow, and very tasty. The cookbook was published in 1988, so we’ve been using it for about 20 years, and several of our family favourites have come from it.

Herbed New Potatoes

• 1 lb tiny new potatoes
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tbsp chopped dill
• 1/2 tbsp chopped chives
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a saucepan, boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes.
3. Add basil, dill, chives, lemon juice, oil and pepper to taste.
4. Mix lightly and serve.

Makes 4 servings.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

This recipe is quick and easy — the hardest part is cooking the macaroni! I’ve had good luck with Glutino Brown Rice pasta, and you could use fusilli or penne instead of the macaroni.

Lemon Vegetable Pasta Salad

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• grated peel of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill or basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• 4 cups cooked gluten free macaroni
• 1 large tomato, juiced and seeded, diced
• 1 chopped zucchini

1. In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
2. Stir in macaroni, tomato and zucchini.

Serves 4.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Occasionally the chef goes out, and I have to make my own supper. Oh, the suffering! Usually I end up having a tossed salad with a can of tuna, or whatever is left over from the night before. Sometime though, I want a bit more, but don’t want to make a big mess. Cooking in foil pouches is a great solution!

Here’s a recipe that I’ve tried a few times, with excellent results. You can use fish or cooked ham instead of chicken, and whatever vegetables and liquid you prefer. For more than one person this works well too — each person can make a pouch with their own favourites, so everyone’s happy!

Even children enjoy this, when they get to create their own meal. Adults will have to open the pouches though, to prevent steam burns.

Chicken And Vegetable Pouches

1. For each serving, make a pouch, using heavy duty foil, or a double thickness of regular foil.
2. Into the pouch, add:
   1/3 cup instant rice,
   4 oz chicken breast,
   1/2 cup sliced vegetables (e.g. carrots, zucchini and mushrooms), and
   1/3 cup chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle with a pinch each of basil and oregano, or a dash of Italian dressing.
4. Double fold the pouch, to seal the contents.
5. Place all the pouches on a baking sheet, and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes.

Open the pouches carefully, because the ingredients will be steaming hot!

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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Technorati Tags: Chicken, foil pouches, Rice, Vegetables

It’s adapted from The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes by Margaret Howard, in which I’ve found many excellent meal ideas.

If you’ve got a meat or poultry main dish planned for tonight, this would make a very tasty side dish.

Baked Summer Vegetable Layers

• 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 grated carrot
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. In greased 8″ shallow baking dish, arrange half the potatoes in an even layer.
3. Spread onions, zucchini and carrot on top.
4. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tbsp basil (optional), salt and pepper.
5. Add remaining potatoes, and top with tomato slices.
6. Sprinkle with remaining basil (optional).
7. Add 1/4 cup water.
8. Cover and bake in preheated over for 20 minutes.
9. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.
10. Bake for 20 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender.

Serves 4.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Technorati Tags: carrot, Potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare, with ingredients that the chef likes. It’s from a recipe booklet by Betty Crocker in September 1996 — Casseroles & One-Dish Meals.

It has that familiar Sloppy Joe taste, but it’s not as messy to eat, and more nutritious than regular Sloppy Joe in a hamburger bun. If you don’t have Sloppy Joe mix, you could use plain tomato sauce, and a few herbs and spices instead.

Use a food processor or mandolin to slice the potatoes so they’re really thin, and all the same thickness. Otherwise some of them might be a bit crunchy.

Sloppy Joe Skillet Dinner

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1-1/2 cups whole kernel corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 can (15-1/2 oz) Sloppy Joe sauce (gluten free)

1. Crumble the beef into a 10″ skillet.
2. Sprinkle corn over the beef.
3. Layer onion and potatoes on corn.
4. Pour Sloppy Joe sauce over top.
5. Cover and cook over low heat, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink in centre and potatoes are tender.

Makes 4 servings.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Technorati Tags: ground beef, Potatoes, Sloppy Joe

Instead of chicken breasts, you could use thighs if you prefer dark meat. If you don’t have white wine, apple juice would be a good substitute.

The recipe is from The 250 Best 4-Ingredient Recipes by Margaret Howard, which is packed with quick and easy meal ideas.

Cranberry Chicken Breasts With Mushrooms

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Rinse chicken and wipe with paper towel.
2. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Sauté chicken on medium-high for 5 minutes on each side or until browned.
5. Remove chicken and set aside.
6. Add mushrooms to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are browned.
7. Return chicken to skillet, and add wine and cranberries.
8. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside.
9. Serve with pan juices. If pan juices are too thin, stir a small amount of cornstarch into cold water, then stir into the hot liquid. Cook and stir until mixture thickens.

Serves 4.
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You can find more information on the gluten free cooking section of my Excel tips and tutorials website.

Technorati Tags: cranberries, mushrooms