Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Bruschetta Goat Cheese Sliders

With Super Bowl Sunday coming right around the corner I am always looking for great recipes to serve at my super bowl party and this is a old one but a great one.  I thought to my self what do I have in my freezer that I could make that had the burger feel. However, because I live in the land of La La, I try to watch what I eat. So when I am making burgers, I always try to do sliders. This way I get to eat the guilty pleasure of a burger and it is not supper big. So if I eat one slider with fries or chips I am full.


Tip Of The Day: Before going to the Market Check the sale advertisements
mine comes out On Tuesday Night at Midnight online for my local Ralph's or Vons Markets. I See what is on sale and stock up on my Meat Poultry and Fish and I freeze it. This way when you have that inspiration or are reading a recipe on my website you already have the ingredients available.

Bruschetta Goat Cheese Sliders

Makes 8-10 Sliders


Ingredients:
1 pound Ground Sirloin
½ chopped Red Onion about 1cup finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon pepper


Filling:

8-10 ½ teaspoons of  Bruschetta spread make sure it's gluten free
8-10 ½ teaspoons of Goat Cheese

1 Bag of Gluten Free Dinner Rolls Sliced Horizontally

Equipment:

Grill, Frying Pan or Grill Pan
Large Bowl for Mixing
Platter or Plate one for patties Cooked one for Raw patties






Mix first 6 Ingredients together in bowl. Next form16-20 thin patties, so you can meld together after placing filling on top. Next sprinkles Bruschetta and goat cheese on top of thin patty.






Then place other patty on top and squish together so you do not see the filling. Next place on grill for 3-5 min a side until desired wellness. When Cooked place on Gluten Free Roll and serve with chips

Monday, January 28, 2013

Quirky Quiche


I love a good quiche on a cold day with some breakfast potatoes fresh salad or fruit. This is great to serve on a cold day or even for brunch. Some times I even serve as a quick and easy dinner after a long day at work.










Quirky Quiche Ingredients:


Mrs Mix It's Gluten Free Pie or Tart Crust 

6 eggs

1/2 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup make sure it's gluten free.

½ Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2cup Parmesan Cheese
½ cup frozen cooked and drained chopped Spinach or Broccoli
½ cup sliced canned Mushrooms or Tomatoes
6 slices of Bacon or Ham


Make Pie Shells and set aside.
Place blown eggs in large mixing bowl add Cream of Mushroom Soup and Mix with mixer for about 2 min on high.

 

Place meat in bottom of pie shell and drained and cooked vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

Next add Cheeses and pour egg mixture on top of all ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake on lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Bon Appetite!

Enjoy,
 Sheila Fretz


Friday, January 18, 2013

Gluten Free Spiced Vanilla French Toast with Fresh Strawberries)

I went to the cupboard, To give my poor child a breakfast: When finally there, The cupboard was not yet bare, only 7 items were there, And so the poor girl had to wait to see what her Mom could make, out of these 7 magical Ingredients.

I woke up this past Sunday Morning with the following Ingredients in my Cupboard/Refrigerator: Strawberries, Powder Sugar, Loaf of stale Gluten Free Bread, 1 egg ,Vanilla, Cream and only a 1/4 cup of milk and some spices. Plus I scrounged up some brown and serve sausage in my freezer which I happened to purchase at the 99 cents store.

So What Did I make ?
Cinnamon spiced Vanilla French Toast with Fresh Strawberries
Ingredients:
Gluten free bread of choice
1 egg
1 pint of Strawberries sliced ( For Garnish)
Powder Sugar (For Garnish)
1/2  cup Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon All Spice
 1 teaspoon Butter for Grill

Equipment:
1 Large Bowl
1 Whisk
A frying Pan or a grill

                                            

Heat grill and place butter on.



Take one egg crack in Large Bowl and whisk until well blended add Coffee Mate and Milk plus Cinnamon and Allspice. Whisk together until well Blended






Next Slice Bread on the diagonal this way the slices are a lot larger and I feel it looks a lot prettier too.







Take Bread and float and flip in egg mixture then fry or grill on greased pan cook on low until golden then flip. Repeat on both sides.







TIP OF THE DAY: Make sure Eggs are completely cooked through! The reason I say this is salmonella poisoning. I really want to stress that you need to make sure that your eggs are completely cooked!!! I like to put my french toast inside the oven after I cook it for 20 minutes at 250 degrees. This way my bacon or sausage is hot when I serve and my fruit is freshly cut.

 
 

When finished place on plate with French Toast and Strawberries on top I served with Sausage but you could also do Bacon if that’s what’s in the Cupboard/Refrigerator
 
Bon Appetite, Enjoy !!
 
Sheila Fretz

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Mr. Mix It's Famous Mashed Potatoes

I am so fortunate I have a fabulous husband who loves to design, build and fix things, on top of all of that he loves to help me in the kitchen. So after a hard days work we try to split up the dinner.  This way it gets done a lot quicker and we can eat faster. We have been married now almost 14 years and only 9 if you count the way the State of California does. But that's a whole different story, which I will share  with you another day. So here is the second half to Baked Salmon Balsamic Glaze you will see Mr. Fix It's Mashed Potatoes under the Salmon  in the center of the wreath.

Mr. Fix it’s Famous Mashed Potatoes Ingredients:
3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes Cut in cubes for quicker cooking
1/4 pound of butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
 
Equipment:
Potato Masher
1 Large Pan

Peel and Chop potatoes for mashed potatoes boil potatoes around 20 min until soft to the piercing.







When soft for mashing drain and add butter, milk, and Sour Cream then Mash until creamy .










Enjoy & Bon Appetite

Sheila Fretz



Monday, January 14, 2013

Gluten Free Salmon Baked in a envelope with a Balsamic Glaze

Baked Salmon with Balsamic Glaze Served on a wreath of Greens

Serves 8

So I originally posted this in the begining of Cooking Underwriter's existence. I want to say it's the second or 3rd recipe I ever posted. This is one of my go to recipes especially if I am trying to impress some one the presentation alone will knock your socks off. I always serve on a wreath of spinach or field greens with the vegetable as a garnish. This time we made carrots because it was easy, however, I have served it with fresh uncooked vegetables too. Like sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes or even marinated artichoke hearts it all depends on my mood. However, I always serve it with Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes.

Baked Salmon Ingredients:
1 Whole salmon split and boned with head and fin removed
3 lemons thinly sliced
3 tablespoons dry dill weed or fresh ( If using fresh reduce to 1 1/2 tablespoons
6 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling on both sides of fish.
Salt & Pepper to taste.
 
Balsamic Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup 10 year aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup Brown sugar

Wreath
Any Vegetables That will show color ( Carrots, Cherry tomatoes, Cucumbers, etc...)
Organic Baby Spinach

Equipment:
Aluminum foil or Parchment paper 2 sheets length of fish plus a couple of inches on each side
1 Large Baking sheet
1 small frying Pan
1 rubber spatula

Line a large baking sheet with Aluminum foil or Parchment paper, Drizzle olive oil on both sides and place skin side down on the baking sheet. Next sprinkle with dill weed, salt and pepper, then slice lemons thinly and arrange on top of the salmon to cover completely.





Next the other piece of aluminum foil or Parchment Paper and place directly on top of salmon. Starting clock wise role up sides of the foil or parchment paper forming a pillow. Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook for 45minutes closed up.






 Next take your knife and rip open the pillow down the center and cook for an additional 10 minutes.


 
 
Next Clean vegetables and greens. Set aside until dry.
 

To start your balsamic glaze. Take the Balsamic Vinegar and the Brown sugar and place in small frying pan cook on super low almost no flame stirring occasionally. When the vinegar pulls away from pan with a rubber spatula you know it is complete.
 





Next Take greens form a wreath and place vegetables all around plate looking like a ornaments arranged around plate. I used cooked carrots this last time. Take Mashed potatoes and place in center of the wreath to one side next cut a piece of salmon lean up against potatoes and     drizzle all over greens and salmon. Serve immediately.

                                                                   

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Gluten Free Chicken Ceasar Pasta Salad

So a couple of years ago when I started Cooking Underwriter I made some great recipes that were not gluten free. However, I feel that now that I live a gluten free lifestyle with my family, it is time to recreate these recipes to be gluten free. So when I am creating a new recipe, the first thing I try to do is to get inspired. I do this in various ways i.e.... watch The Food Network, The Cooking Channel, and I visit my local restaurants in the area; plus I have a full library of cookbooks and Magazines too. This recipe was inspired by a dish that Mr. Fix It ordered at Raz’s Little Italy , West Hills, California. Mr. Fix It, my hubby, ordered Chicken Alfredo and when I saw the colors of his dish it immediately put a vision into my head.  So when the heat turns up in the kitchen I either get up really early and make dinner or I cook and concoct the night before. This would be a great recipe for party or to serve as a main dish.


 Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Ingredients:
1 Yellow Bell Pepper Julienne cut
½ Orange Bell Pepper Julienne cut
1 ½ Cups Broccoli in small pieces blanched
2 green onions chopped
2 cups chicken shredded
6 cups gluten free pasta cooked about 1 box
1 Jar of Ken's Caesar dressing
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
(Save 1/4 cup for garnish)
Equipment
1 Extra Large bowl
1 Large Bowl
1 (2 Cup) Measuring Cup

Tip of the day: Your fridge/freezer work better when full, so spend the week stocking up on fresh groceries and your evenings at home.

Cook Pasta to package directions.








Take Bell Peppers(both Orange and Yellow) and Julianne cut, Broccoli, green onions and toss in bowl. Next add Shredded Chicken.







 Cooked Pasta, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and toss all together with Salad dressing. Place in beautiful bowl then serve.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cheese.

Bon Appetite!

Enjoy,

Sheila Fretz