Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread Mini Muffins!

These gluten free pumpkin cornbread mini muffins are so good! I find gluten free baking to be somewhat challenging, but I found the following combination to work flawlessly. The only tweak I would suggest is using King Arthur gluten free all purpose flour instead of the Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour; King Arthur's flour tastes better in my opinion! 

Here's what you'll need!

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour

1 cup gluten free cornbread mix

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

¼ cup oil

¼ cup milk

½ can pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin spice

First, whisk your milk, eggs, and oil together until eggs are frothy.

 Add in half a can of pumpkin and whisk until smooth.

Add your liquid ingredients to all of your dry ingredients (which you have already mixed together).

Spray each mini muffin...

Place batter in mini muffin pan...

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes cleanly out of the muffin.

Yummmmmmmmmmm yummmm! And oh so easy!

These little bites compliment our chicken enchiladas perfectly!

Gluten Free Chicken Enchiladas!

Click here for a printable version of your shopping list, directions, calorie breakdown, Weight Watchers Points and cost per serving! 

I love this recipe because its great for hearty eaters (it makes 12 servings, so even if you are not serving this to those with a big appetite, and even if you are, you'll still have plenty of leftovers for an additional meal, maybe two!)

This recipe will allow for about a cup of remaining chicken filling, which can then be used for Southwestern Chicken Salad Sandwiches for the lunch the next day!

What you'll need!

3 pounds of chicken breasts
4 - 14 ounce cans of fire roasted tomatoes
2 packages of 12 gluten free corn tortillas (the Mission "Restuarant Style" corn tortillas are gluten free, just look for the gluten free labeling on the back of the package!)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 - 7 ounce cans of chopped green chili
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
3 cloves of chopped garlic
Lime juice from 1 lime
cumin
chili powder
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (1 package)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese (1 package)

Here's a quick breakdown of the nutrition of the enchiladas!

• Calories per Serving - 352.6 calories
• Weight Watchers Points per Serving - 9 points
• Total Fat - 12.6 g
• Total Carbs - 29.9 g
• Dietary Fiber - 4.6 g
• Protein - 29.1 g

And the value of your prepared meal! (check out this link for a complete shopping list!)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/49531724/gluten-free-chicken-enchiladas-simplysonnysideup

• Total Grocery Bill (without purchasing pantry items) - $21.71
• Total Grocery Bill (including purchase of pantry items) - $ 43.25
• Serving Size - 2 enchiladas
• Total Servings - 12 servings
• Cost per Serving (without purchase of pantry items) - $1.81
• Cost per Serving (with purchase of pantry items) - $3.50

Now for the fun stuff!

First, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 3 pounds of chicken breast in a baking dish, cover with tin foil, and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Now, for the enchilada sauce! Over medium-high heat, cook your chopped onion, and 3 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil until your onion has browned!

Next, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, four cans of fire roasted tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cumin, and 1 tablespoon of chili powder.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 20-30 minutes!

By now, your chicken should be done!

Shred or chop each breast as shown below:

Add in your 3 cans of chopped green chili, 1 cup of light sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon of cumin and 1 tablespoon of lime juice:

Prepare your assembly line!

Cover just the bottom of your pan with your enchilada sauce! (Note the gluten free pumpkin cornbread mini muffins just to the left...that will be my next blog posting!)

Heat both side of each corn tortilla over medium high heat (spray a little olive oil on your pan) until slightly browned:

Add just enough chicken filling to be able to fold both sides over:

Place your corn tortilla seam side down into your baking dish:

Repeat for all tortillas:

Pour remaining sauce over your enchiladas!

Cover your enchiladas with your Monterey Jack cheese, and remaining mozzarella cheese:

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and brown!

And the finished product!

Enjoy! :)

Weekend Warrior! Pillow Making Made Easy...

Somewhere in between my run, cleaning, and prepping for some upcoming hockey games...

I began the construction of a set of pillows for my good friend Jill! In looking at the above "To Do List," I realize that seems a little overambitious for a Saturday. Maybe its time management, but I think its more my inability to sit still and relax for more than two minutes. Either way, my Mom's pillow making technique is simple and quick! And if I can do it, you can do it!

While recently visiting New Mexico, my Mom gave me valuable pillow making lessons, for which I put to immediate use with my new sewing machine I received for Christmas! I subsequently went on a borderline obsessive pillow making binge...

So, my good friend Jill visited a few weeks back, and we visited by far the best fabric store I have been to yet, to pick out some fun fabric to brighten up her new apartment. Here were her picks!

Now for the pillow making!

Before...

After!

The Springform Pan...Move Over Cheesecake!

For me, the springform pan typically conjures thoughts of cheesecakes, desserts, maybe even quiche. But recently I have put this bakeware to work with a new partner...eggplant!!

Before....                                                                   After!

 

This dish combines two of my favorite recipes from Food Network celebrities Giada De Laurentiis and Tyler Florence. Its healthy and delicious (and gluten free), and the finished product is impressive! Its a great addition to any occasion's menu!


Here's what you'll need:

2 eggplants

1 onion (diced)

2 garlic gloves- chopped (adjust to your preferences)

1 package of baby bella mushrooms

1 package of sausage (I prefer something with lots of spice and flavor!)

28 oz. can of fire roasted tomato

1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (or 6 cheese Italian blend)

1 cup of gluten free pasta (dry)

fresh basil

*If you are feeling extra healthy you can include:

Frozen spinach (microwaved and drained of excess water)

Broccoli (I like cooking it with a little olive oil until browned)

How to make this beauty!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, slice both of your eggplants into thin slices (the long way)

Place slices on cookie sheet with parchment paper. I prefer using parchment paper, otherwise I am scraping eggplant off of the cookie sheet instead of using it for my recipe! Then, bake until slightly browned (usually ten to fifteen minutes). Cook eggplant in batches. As the eggplant cools, begin to place in a springform pan that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray...

As you cook your eggplant in batches, add your chopped garlic to olive oil over medium high heat to a medium size pot. Once the garlic has browned, add your diced onion, and cook until slightly browned...

Once browned, add your mushrooms...

Then add your tomatoes and basil!

An extra addition...I had some extra spinach in the fridge that I chopped up to add to my tomato sauce as well:

Stir and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low for about fifteen minutes. While this is cooking, slice your sausage into 1/4 inch cubes. I love this sausage, it has tons of flavor and its of course, gluten free!

While your sausage is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil! By now, your springform pan should look something like this:

Once your sausage is cooked, add to a large bowl. At this point I also take the lid off of my tomato mix and turn the heat up to high to cook some of the liquid off. Make sure to stir frequently to avoid burning:

Also, by now your water will be boiling, add your cup of dry, gluten free pasta, and cook until al dente. Once your pasta is done, drain and add to your large bowl. At this time, also take your tomato mix off of the stove and add to the large bowl.

Add in your cheese and combine mixture thoroughly. Add to your eggplant lined springform pan, and fold eggplant over the filling:

Use additional eggplant to cover your filling, and place springform pan on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes in the oven, remove and let cool completely. Once cooled, release tension from springform pan:

Remove form:

Place a plate over your dish, and flip upside down to remove the bottom part of the springform pan:

And here it is! The finished result!!

Enjoy, and happy eating!