Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll
This dessert is so amazing that it really needs no introduction. Of course I will give it one anyways! As all of my followers know, I try very hard to keep most things on my blog not only gluten-free but also dairy free. I myself am not allowed to have dairy or soy (along with gluten), but sometimes I do make things with dairy in them when we have a dinner party. Last weekend my husband decided to have a last-minute football party at our house and guess who got stuck cooking?? Me!! While I slaved away in the kitchen all day, my husband had his feet up on the couch relaxing and watching football. Any other wife out there feel my pain?? So, I decided that if I was going to be stuck in the kitchen all day making food than I wanted to make an easy dessert but delicious dessert and boy did I find one! This is by far my favorite dessert ever! Ever! It was so good that it was well worth the stomach upset I had from the dairy. This is a fabulous dessert to make for dinner guests. Everyone will be so impressed by not only the taste but also by the look of it. I am going to definitely be making this one again, and again!!
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthum gum
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped (read directions carefully, these do not go in until the very end)
- powdered sugar for dusting towel
Filling Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- Beat eggs in mixer on high for several minutes. Add Sugar and beat until light in color. Add the pumpkin and lemon juice. Mix until all is blended. (I just stirred it myself because I didn’t feel like dirtying the mixer and it was perfect)
- In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the pumpkin mix. Mix just until blended.
- Pour mixture into a greased jelly roll pan or deep cookie sheet. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan evenly. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
- Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. (I always check a few minutes before to see how my oven is baking)
- Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Carefully turn the cake with the walnut side down onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Roll the cake and towel lengthwise carefully (fold towel into first roll/fold). Leave it to cool.
- Onto the filling: Combine filling ingredients and mix until smooth. Unroll the cake and spread the filling over the surface.
- Use the towel to help roll the cake back up, but do not roll the towel with the cake as before (roll towel on the outside only this time).
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
- When ready to serve, unwrap and slice. (So much fun)
Little Debbie’s Tip: Please do not let the sound of the directions fool you, this is so easy! I had a lot of fun making this and you will too. I encourage you to get your kids involved in this recipe as they will love rolling it and unrolling it! If you have any questions please leave a comment below and I reply shortly.
Apple French Toast Casserole (Gluten-Free)
I’m back!! Yahh! Sorry to all my little debbie’s kitchen followers for taking such a long hiatus. The holidays really took up all my time but now I am back, and back with an awesome recipe at that! This is the best version of any puffed pancake that I have ever had and guess what folks, it’s gluten-free. I found this recipe on a non-gluten free website and changed it to be gluten-free as well as dairy free. I made this for Christmas brunch for my family and it was a huge hit! Once I took a bite I thought I was eating heaven on earth for breakfast, it was divine. Besides tasting amazing, this recipe is super easy to make. I can’t wait to hear what you think after you’ve made this for yourself! Please leave a comment down below!
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk (I used rice milk)
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 stick of butter ( I used a dairy free, soy free butter)
- 2 green apples sliced thinly (I peeled my apples)
- 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Batter will be slightly lumpy
- Melt butter in a 9 x 13 pan in the oven as soon as butter is melted remove from oven
- Add apple slices to baking dish. Return to oven until butter sizzles. (Do not let it brown)
- Remove dish from oven and immediately pour batter over apples
- Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes or until puffed and brown
- Serve with Maple Syrup, powdered sugar, or your favorite pancake topping! I actually love mine plain, it’s that good!
Little Debbie’s Tip: If you don’t need to be gluten-free you can use regular All Purpose Flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour which I think is the best.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Today’s recipe is one of my new favorite chicken recipes. I used a whole chicken, but this spice rub would work great on whatever you’ve got in the house–it might be really fun to do party drumsticks or wings, too. This dish is not only super delicious, but it is also one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. If you are a beginner in the kitchen, this is a great recipe to boost your cooking confidence. This is also a great dish to throw in the slow cooker in the morning before you go to work, and it will be all done by the time you get home. How amazing is that? I love coming home to the wonderful smell of food that I had very little to do with cooking. Let’s face it, life is just so busy sometimes that it is very easy to just go get some convenience food that is already cooked for you. The problem with that is that you have no idea what’s in that food or how it was processed. Do you really want to feed your kids food that you have no idea what’s really in it or what’s going into their bodies? As parents you have to remember that you are setting your kids up now for the rest of their lives as far as habits are concerned. Cooking can be so much easier than you think, and that’s one of the things I love about slow cookers. Make it fun and involve your kids too. They will love it and at the same time feel so much confidence!
Ingredients:
- 4-5 pound whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 limes juiced
Directions: Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place it into the slow cooker. I prefer to cook my chickens upside down, to keep the breast meat as juicy as possible. Make sure all the giblets, neck, etc. are out! In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and dry spices. Rub this spice and sugar mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Pour on the lime juice. Cover, and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4. Check doneness with a meat thermometer, or cut in to make sure the meat is no longer pink. Usually the bird falls completely apart–which is great. Moist, juicy, wondefully-flavored meat. I served this dish with dirty rice which was just the perfect combination!
Little Debbie’s Tip: This was so simple that I couldn’t think of any tips! That’s a first!! Sorry guys but I’m speechless when it comes to this easy recipe.
Dirty Rice
The name of this delicious and healthy dish cracks me up. I saw this recipe on Elanas Pantry and the name immediately caught my attention. I had never in my life heard of a dish called dirty rice so I did some research. “Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark (“dirty”) color and a mild but distinctive flavor.” I turned my Dirty Rice into a vegetarian Paleo side dish, by leaving out the giblets, which while quite nutritious are not my favorite thing. My rice gets its dirty color from an abundance of antioxidant rich spices. For those avoiding starchy high carb foods such as white rice, cauliflower rice is a wonderful alternative that is highly nutritious. By now you should have all realized my love affair with cauliflower. I eat the cauliflower mashed potatoes that are on my blog at least once per week every week. I have never served them to people and gotten a bad response. I have converted countless mashed potato lovers and I was definitely one of them. I made this the other night for a family and they did not belive that I really used cauliflower and not rice. So why use cauliflower? First, cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. That is a good thing because cruciferous veggies help with the detoxification of the body. Cauliflower is also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Finally, cauliflower is full of vitamin C, vitamin K, Omega 3′s and good fiber. Besides all the amazing benefits this dish has to offer, it is so so good. I served this with a Caribbean Jerk Chicken that I made in the slow cooker (of course). I highly recommend this combination as they went just perfectly together.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup green pepper, diced
- 1 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 3 cups of cauliflower, riced in the food processor
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups chicken stick or vegetable stock
Directions: Using the food processor steel blade, pulse the cauliflower until it is in small pieces.Don’t get carried away with the pulsing or you’ll be on your way to cauliflower puree. I’ve made this a few times now and find I prefer a rough chop, with a few pieces that are slightly larger. Once the cauliflower is riced, set it aside for later. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, peppers and scallions; saute until soft. Stir in riced cauliflower, adding thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chili and cumin. Add in the chicken stock (or vegetable stock). Allow to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or so or until liquid is cooked down.
Little Debbie’s Tip: Be warned, this dish is more work than most of my dishes on here. It is so worth it though. I would advise buying the vegetables pre-cut to save on time.
Credit: Elana’s Pantry (I also used the picture from her blog because my picture didn’t look half as good as her’s did!)
Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
I have to admit it, I am not a buffalo fan. I have never been a fan of buffalo chicken and would never have made this if Jim didn’t beg me for it. Turns out I liked it too! Just goes to show you that it’s good to try new things and venture out because you just never know. This lasagna has a very different taste to it, and a good one at that. I have made this lasagna many times now and for many different people, and I have always gotten rave reviews on it. With football season rapidly approaching, this is the perfect Sunday football meal. For all you women out there looking for the key to your man’s heart, look no further! This dish makes a lot of lasagna so it is also the perfect meal to feed to company. If you are dairy free like me, I highly recommend using Daiya cheese to replace the cheese listed below and just omit the blue cheese.
Ingredients:
- 4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, chopped
- 1 (26-ounce) jar pasta sauce
- 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 8 to 10 uncooked traditional gluten-free lasagna noodles (I use brown rice noodles)
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 3 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup water
Directions: Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, pasta sauce, and buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your slow cooker. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of bell pepper, and top with some shredded cheese. Repeat the layers until you run out of the ingredients. Add the blue cheese crumbles. Put the water into your empty sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. When the cooking time is complete, unplug the slow cooker and take off the lid. Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before cutting.
Little Debbie’s Tip: It is very important that you let the lasagna sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting or else you will end up with a big sloppy mess of a lasagna. I usually let my lasagna sit for 30 minutes before cutting which is always just right!
Takeout Fake-Out Fried Rice
Oh how I miss Chinese takeout. Before my gluten-free days I used to go to this amazing takeout Chinese restaurant called Ho Ho Choy. One of my favorite dished was there vegetarian fried rice. I wanted to make a healthy version of the fried rice that I used to love so much. I never in a million years thought this would have come out so good. I paired this with Mango Chicken Lettuce Wraps which was just perfect! This is going on my list of favorites and will definitely be a regular in our house! So for all you non gluten-free people, why would you make this when you could just go buy fried rice at your local chinese restaurant? First of all this is much healthier than the crap your going to get at a Chinese restaurant and even better than that, you know exactly what’s in food when you make it yourself. No mystery ingredients included!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups leftover rice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen vegetables (I used an asian mix which was perfect)
- 1 large egg, whisked
Directions: Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put all the ingredients into the stoneware and stir well. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low 3-4 hours.
Little Debbie’s Tip:I think the best rice to use is white basmati rice. I cooked 1 cup of white basmati rice in a 4 quart slow cooker on high for 2 hours which I than used for the fried rice. I also made it with brown rice which was also really great but I prefered the white basmati. If you are dairy free just substitute the butter with either a non-dairy butter or olive oil.
Credit: Stephanie O’dea (Cook it Fast, Make it Slow)
Desserts, Desserts and More Desserts
For all of those that know me well you know that desserts have always held a very special place in me heart. I didn’t get the nickname “Little Debbie” for nothing! Finding a great tasting packaged gluten-free dessert is like winning the lottery. Impossible! I have tried countless gluten-free desserts and I am always incredibly disappointed. I still remember what a “real” dessert tastes like so there is no fooling this gluten-free gal! Last weekend my family and I took a trip to Fort Lauderdale. While making a pit stop at Whole Foods I came across a brand of gluten-free and vegan desserts called Tia’s. Once again I was enticed by the pretty packaging and decided to give it a try (with very low expectations). My life is forever changed! For the first time since going gluten-free, I enjoyed a dessert that I didn’t have to make myself. I bought every type of dessert they offered and 4 of us chowed down on all of them (see picture above)! My personal favorite were the oatmeal raisin cookies and the banana pudding. Even if you are not gluten-free or vegan, you will love these desserts. The great thing is that Tia’s desserts are healthy and made with only pure ingredients that you can understand. Instead of using wheat in their products, they use almond and coconut flour. They are 150 calories each so they’re not too bad if you’re on a diet, either. They are very sweet which was interesting to me since they contain no sugar. The agave nectar really worked well to sweeten these cookies. Since everything is made with quality ingredients and are healthier than traditional desserts these are ideal for kids with a sweet tooth. You can purchase Tia’s Bakery products at your favorite natural grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market and if your neighborhood store doesn’t offer them then you can email Tia’s Bakery and they will make sure you get it!
Little Debbie’s Tip: Run, don’t walk to your nearest Whole Foods. I guarantee you and your family will not be disappointed!
Apricot Chicken
I’m back!!! I thought cooking for other people would give me more time to blog, but that has just not been the case. I couldn’t believe how many emails I got asking when new recipes were coming. I am so sorry that I kept you all waiting! I am going to definitely post a new recipe at least once per week from here on out.
Now onto food! Oh how I love this chicken dish. The taste is so flavorful. Boring chicken dishes are dead in my house and should be in yours too. I always hated chicken because every time I had it was dry and so un-flavorful. I love how chicken cooks in the slow cooker. It just falls apart and is so tender. This is a fabulous recipe and I highly recommend making this for when you have people over for dinner. They will be very impressed! I always make this with Risotto in the slow cooker. They go perfectly together!
Ingredients:
- 11 oz jar apricot preserves
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Directions: Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. In a small bowl mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Pretty darn easy right? Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high 4-6 hours.
Little Debbie’s Tip: If you are gluten-free like me you need to be very careful about which apricot preserve to use. I read every single container that my grocery offered and decided to go with Smuckers brand which was great!
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
I remember when I was growing up and my Dad always used to get a “green drink” from the health food store. I always thought he was so crazy to drink such a gross looking drinking. When I was young I never understood the value of a vegetable or a fruit. I just thought that if something tasted bad or looked weird than you didn’t eat it, no matter how good it was for you. Boy have things changed! It’s funny how when you are a kid you see your parents doing things and you say, ” I will never do that” or ” I will never be like them”. Well here I am over 20 years later doing the same thing my Dad used to do! How did I get here?
For those who follow my blog closely you know that I like many others have Celiac disease. Sounds way more awful than it is by the way. I suffered for years not knowing what was wrong with me. It got to the point where I knew the women in the emergency room since I was there almost every week. Stomach pain, throwing up blood, constant headaches. I could write a book on all the awful symptoms I had, but who would want to read that! Unfortintly out of the 30 different doctors I went to, not one of them ever thought to test me for a food allergy. Ever! For someone like me who has Celiac disease, putting gluten in my body, even a tiny amount is poisonous. I spent years and years putting poison in my body without even knowing what I was doing. By the time I was finally diagnosed, I had already done so much damage to my body. At the time of diagnosis I had multiple ulcers and a hital hernia the size of a baseball. It was so hard for me to believe that at 28 years old, I was that sick. It has been over a year now since I have been diagnosed and up until just a few weeks ago I was still on 3 different stomach medications.
This all changed for me 3 weeks ago when I saw the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Jim and I found it on Netflix and decided to give it a try. With a name like that, how could you not be curious about it? Watching this movie was one of the best things I have ever done. It woke me up big time. Jim and I both had to re-evaluate what we have been putting in our bodies. I assumed that since I wasn’t eating gluten, that I was eating healthy. Um, no! We both realized that neither of us eat enough fruits or vegetables, not even close to enough. Both Jim and I decided to try the juice cleanse and see what happens. 3 weeks later I am off all of my medications! Pretty unreal. I did 10 full days of the juice cleanse and since than have juiced my breakfast and lunch, and then I eat a salad for dinner. I never in a million years that I would ever crave a “green drink”, but I do now! I can’t say enough good things about how much better I feel now. I highly recommend that everyone watches this movie. It changed my life and I really hope it changes yours too!
Asian Salad Dressing
Since finishing our juice cleanse, Jim and I have been eating salads for dinner just about every night. We still have a juice for breakfast and lunch, but for dinner we eat a nice big yummy salad. Before I started the juice cleanse I had a very serious obsession with Ranch dressing. It was really a love/hate relationship that I had with Ranch. I loved the way it tasted but I hated the way it made me feel. The Ranch that I loved so much was full of dairy and soy which I am also allergic to. The one big thing I wanted to change about my diet was eating so much Ranch. I can proudly say that I have been Ranch free for almost 1 month now! I really have no craving for it all. I have started experimenting with making my own dressings. If you look on a dressing bottle at the store you are likely to find 20 different ingredients,most of which you have probably never heard of. This dressing is the best one I have made so far. It is simply AMAZING! This dressing makes salads taste so good that Jim has been asking for seconds. If you are a not a salad lover, than I highly suggest that you try this dressing on a salad. It might just change your mind! It’s easy to make, super healthy and you know exactly what’s in it! What could be better?
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (the light colored kind)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice, freshly squeezed (not that crap in a bottle)
Directions: In a medium mason jar or bowl (whatever you have at home), combine all ingredients. Shake well until combined. Enjoy!
Little Debbie’s Tip: You can find tasted sesame oil and ume plum vinegar at any health food store. They are well worth the price as they will last for a long time!
Credit: Elana’s Pantry
