Aunt Kim's Blue Cheese Burgers

Ground hamburger, at least 1/4 pound per burger
Crumbled blue cheese (more than you would think)
Onion, sliced thin (again, more than you would think, as they cook way down)
Olive oil, for cooking onions
Pat of butter and pinch of sugar, for caramelizing

1) Begin onions cooking in a very large skillet, totally full, in olive oil. Stir frequently as it cooks.

2) Meanwhile, add blue cheese crumbles to hamburger and mix well. (You want a lot of cheese in there, so that it's speckled heavily throughout. Even if you don't like blue cheese, trust me!)

3) Stir your onions.

4) Shape hamburger/cheese mix into thick patties, one per person.

5) Stir your onions.

6) Grill the burgers as you normally would, but not too overly well-done.

7) Stir your onions. At some point, when they are soft and slightly browned (but not cooked down into mushy "worms," as OG calls them), add a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of sugar. Stir it in, to help aid in the caramelization. Again, not much. It isn't supposed to sweeten them, just aid in the formation of that great almost crispy-brown that comes from caramelization of sugar on something.

8) Serve the caramelized onions over top of the burger, which does not take a bun.

Any kind of side dish will do. We love fresh corn on the cob or some kind of potato and a nice salad.

NOTE: During our family's Elimination Diet, we were allowed goat cheese but not blue cheese. I replaced the crumbled goat cheese for the blue cheese and prepared these exactly the same way. It is a different flavor, milder, but still quite yummy. My family agreed that they like them both ways.

Roasted Spring Mix

The original recipe appears here, but here's what I did with the ingredients I had on hand. Everyone called it a keeper, and it was so easy!!

1 box/bag mixed baby or spring greens
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
SPG
Crumbled feta
Shredded Parmesan
Sliced Campari tomatoes
High-quality balsamic vinegar
Walnuts

I hand tossed the greens (enough to totally fill my large Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan)  with a splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar and a light sprinkling of SPG.  I spread them in the bar pan, topped with sliced tomatoes, then topped with crumbled feta and shredded parmesan cheese. I finished with a light drizzle of high-quality balsamic vinegar all over it and a few hand-broken walnuts, then roasted it in the oven for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Delicious!  See the original recipe for different suggestions for variety. Yum!

Ron's Mom’s Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 8 oz package Cream Cheese
1 Pint Sour Cream
5 Large Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ Box Graham Cracker Crumbles (Approx)

1) Heat Oven to 450 degrees. Butter Cheesecake pan (Spring Form) and line with Graham Cracker crumbles.

2) Beat egg whites stiffly. Set aside

3) Mix cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Add sugar. Keep beating until well mixed.  Add egg yokes, one at a time. Keep beating. When all eggs are added change to highest speed for 3 minutes

4) Add vanilla and lemon juice. Fold in egg whites.

5) Pour into spring pan. Place on lower rack of over. Bake 20-25 minutes until well browned.

6) Turn off oven and leave in oven for 1.5 hours.

Ron's Mom’s Ketchup

6 oz. tomato paste
½ cup corn syrup
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Let cool. Enjoy!

Easy White Chili

Easy White Chili

Rating: 4.6 Stars

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Description:

A very tasty, somewhat spicy, variation of chili that uses chicken. I like to serve it with sweet corn bread.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cooked, boneless chicken breast half, chopped

3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chile peppers, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

5 (14.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add the chicken, chicken broth, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and add the beans. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated thoroughly. Pour into individual bowls and top with the cheese.

View this recipe and others:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-White-Chili/Detail.aspx

GAPS Flat Bread

3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup kefir

Spread thin on parchment paper and bake at 350° for about 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Leigh Ellen's Gluten-Free Crusty Boule

Shauna and Danny of the Gluten-Free Girl Web site generously shared their wealth of knowledge with us to develop this fabulous crusty loaf. The dough is incredibly versatile; we bake it as a classic boule or in a loaf pan for sandwiches.  It also makes a wonderful pizza crust with your favorite toppings or great crackers if it is rolled thin.

Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves.  The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
3 cups tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt (increase or decrease to taste)
2 tablespoons xanthan gum
2 2/3 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil
2 tablespoons honey

1.  Mixing and storing the dough:  Whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2.  Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them with the dry ingredients, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), until all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated.  You might have to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you're not using a machine.

3.  Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises, approximately 2 hours.

4.  The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise.  Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.  The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.

5.  On baking day, use wet hands to take out a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of the refrigerated dough.  Quickly shape it into a ball; this dough isn't stretched because there is no gluten in it--just gently press it into the shape.  You might need to wet your hands a little to prevent the dough from sticking and to create a smooth surface, but don't use so much water as to make the dough soggy.

6.  Allow the dough to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on a pizza peel prepared with cornmeal or lined with parchment for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).  Alternatively, you can rest the loaf on a silicone mat or a greased cookie sheet.

7.  Thirty minutes before making time, preheat oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.  Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won't interfere with the rising bread.

8.  Just before baking, slash the loaf with 1/4-inch-deep parallel cuts, using a serrated bread knife.

9.  Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone (or place the silicone mat or cookie sheet on the stone if you used one).  Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 35 minutes, until lightly browned and firm.  If you used parchment paper, a silicone mat, or a cookie sheet under the loaf, carefully remove it two-thirds of the way through baking and bake the loaf directly on the stone or an oven rack.  Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.

10.  Allow to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.

Violette's Lasagna (Crock Pot Lasagna)

This recipe originally appeared in the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook as Violette's Lasagna, compliments of Violette Harris Denney in Carrollton, GA. Though we don't know her personally, that's still what we sometimes call it!  I have modified it slightly as indicated below.

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
28-oz. jar prepared spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu.)
1/3 C. water
4-oz. can mushrooms (I hate them so I don't use them!)
15-oz. ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese instead.)
2 C. shredded mozzarella
1 egg (opt.)
1/2 C. grated Parmesan (opt.)

I've added all kinds of "extras" to this recipe, thinking they'd be yummy, but it really is just delicious as it is.  No need to add sautéed onions or peppers or garlic or anything but what's listed to the red sauce.  I do usually add a beaten egg and grated Parmesan cheese to the cottage cheese mixture with the Italian seasoning.

1. Break noodles. Place half in bottom of greased slow cooker.

2. Brown ground beef in saucepan. Drain. Stir in Italian seasoning. (Again, I add that to the cottage cheese mixture instead.)

3. Stir meat into red sauce with water.

4. Layer half of red sauce, half of cottage cheese mixture, half of cheese over noodles.  Repeat layers.

5. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  This will burn on the sides if you leave it too long--or even with this timing if you use a newer Crock Pot with the higher temperature calibration.  

Basic White Sauce (good alternative to cream soups in recipes)

Prepare as directed, according to desired thickness (thin / medium / medium-thick / thick).

Melt in heavy saucepan:
Butter (1 T. / 2 T. / 3 T. / 4 T.)

Blend in, cooking and stirring until bubbly:
Flour (1 T. / 2 T. / 3 T. / 4 T.)
Salt (1/4 tsp. for all)

Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in:
Milk, stock, or combination (1 C. for all)

Cook just until smooth and thickened.  Makes slightly over 1 cup.  Medium-thick compares to undiluted condensed soups and make approximately the same amount contained in one 10-oz. can.

OPTIONS
Cheese sauce: Add 1/2 C. grated nippy cheese and 1/4 tsp. dry mustard.
Tomato sauce: Use tomato juice as liquid; add dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
Mushroom sauce: Saute 1/4 C. chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour.
Celery sauce: Saute 1/2 C. chopped celery and 1 T. finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour.
Chicken sauce: Use chicken broth or bouillon as half the liquid.  Add 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage and diced cooked chicken if available.

Vary flavor with the following:
curry powder
garlic, onion, or celery salt
grated nutmeg
lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
chili powder
chopped or blended vegetables
chopped parsley
chopped chives
chopped hard-cooked eggs

Marissa's Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup

4 cups veggie broth

1 can pure pumpkin

1 can back beans (drained and rinsed, opt.)

1 can sweet corn

3/4 cup salsa

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

*we add one approximately one cup cooked quinoa to make this soup more hearty and to amp up the protein. 

Sauté garlic in a bit of olive oil or water for 1 minute. Add broth and spices and let simmer. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 - 15 minutes. Add cooked quinoa last. Feel free to garnish with cheese or sour cream.