Can I just tell you that for the past 30+ years of my life I have not been a meatball fan. 

Ever. 

For some reason they never appealed to me. They were just these giant balls of meat that never tasted good enough to try again. And anytime I think of meatballs I can't help but think of this scene from the Wedding Singer:

But all that changed one day after I decided to go out on a limb and try these Quinoa Meatballs from WholeFoods.com. With a little adaption they were gluten free friendly... and delicious! I used a cookie scooper to make them into perfect uniform balls and they cooked up in the same amount of time it takes to boil my gluten free spaghetti noodles!

The Quinoa and Veggies make them super healthy and help your little meat lovers get some other nutrients in other than meat. Audrey would eat a dozen of these if I let her! Hope you enjoy them too! 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Contains egg)
Adapted by jalene from Wholefoods.com

Makes 17 meatballs
Ingredients: 

• 1/2 lb hamburger meat (I used 80/20)
• 1/4 + 2 Tbsp cooked Quinoa 
• 1/8 cup grated carrot
• 1/8 cup grated zucchini
• 1 Tbsp gluten free ketchup
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp dried onion flakes (or 1/8 cup finely diced onion)
• 1/2 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1 egg, beaten

4.    Bake for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool for a minute then carefully remove the "oozed" edge for the meatball and then serve! 

Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

You don't need a campfire and a summer night to enjoy this next meal. Here's a dinner we love at our house year round. We lovingly call it a ”Hobo” but for the rest of you, you might know it better as a Tin Foil Dinner.

This recipe is super easy to throw together and you can make it as a giant meal or individually for a special customized delight. You can cook it over a campfire or in the oven. Cleanup is super easy too!

Our favorite way to dish this up: cut up all the veggies and meat and then allow everyone to create their own meal. The leftovers are even delicious for breakfast! In the morning we simply fry them up in a pan with some oil or butter until warm for a unique breakfast. My husband loves to then throw it all into a tortilla and top with hot sauce. ;) 

Chicken Foil Dinner

I've posted another Tin Foil Dinner before as part of the Candida Cleanse Diet friendly recipes. It was a super hit and featured on diycozyhome.com as a top 25 Delicious Camping and Tin Foil Recipes. Wahoo! 

There's a fun fact that not many people know about my husband. He's actually part Hawaiian! So, we've been known to enjoy some great gluten free Hawaiian dishes in our home from time to time. This next one is called Kalua Pork. Traditionally it's done with an entire pig, a pit, and some banana leaves, but since we don't have access to those things we've found an easier way to enjoy this Hawaiian favorite in our home with the use of our little ol' crockpot!

This recipe makes a great versatile meal. Serve it on gluten free rolls and you've got yummy pulled pork sandwiches or serve over sticky rice and you have a great dinner. However you dish it up, it's sure to be a crowd pleaser! You can even cook this and then freeze portions for later meals. We love throwing cabbage into ours as well. It helps stretch the meat a little further, adds some great nutrients, and it's like the Hawaiians do it. It's super ONO too. (That's Hawaiian for absolutely delicious). 

Enjoy! ;)

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Created by jalene & her husband Dr. Nielsen

Ingredients: 

• about 2.5 lbs pork butt
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (We use Wright's, it's Gluten Free!)
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup water
• (optional) 2 cups shredded cabbage

Directions: 

1. Fill the bottom of your crockpot with about a cm of water (about 1/2 - 1 cup water). Add your pork. Sprinkle with the sea salt and liquid smoke. 
2. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the meat 1 hour before completed and return to the crockpot to cook the remaining hour. (If using cabbage, add it after shredding the meat so it can cook for 1 hour.) Serve warm and store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can also be frozen for later meals. 

One of my sweet neighbors just found out they are gluten free so she's been trying out some of my recipes. She loved my dairy free Alfredo Sauce but then I found out she's not even dairy free! Oh my goodness, if you can digest dairy the more power to ya! Here is my DAIRY-infested version of Alfredo that we LOVE LOVE LOVE. It's Gluten Free and AMAZING. My family even thinks it's BETTER than Olive Garden's actually. It's serious that good! Enjoy ;)

(Gluten Free)
Posted originally by food.com

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1-2 tsp of garlic powder (to taste)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Then add the cream cheese and cook until it is softened. 
2. Add the heavy cream and season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes over love heat, stirring constantly. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Serve over hot gluten free noodles. 

Yum! This stir fry is delicious. It's been really hard to find a good recipe. It seems like the sauce can seriously make or break this dish. Let me tell ya, this sauce nails it on this one. It has a pleasant kick and a healthy variety of vegetables. It just feels good eating it! 

Maybe stir fry isn't your thing...but this recipe just might make you change your mind.  I hope you all are daring enough to try new things as we are. I've been known to get a little bored in the kitchen and crave something different and exciting...

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients: 

• 3 Tbsp gluten free chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (Thai Kitchen's is gluten free)
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use less for less of a kick)
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated
• 12 oz chicken, diced
• 1 onion, sliced in squares
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced julienne-style
• 1 zucchini, sliced julienne-style
• 1/3 cup peanuts or cashews (optional)

Directions: 

1. Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, fish sauce, water, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes to create a sauce. Set aside. 
2. Heat the oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. Cook the ginger root and garlic until fragrant (about a minute). 
3. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the zucchini & onions. Cook until veggies are crisp tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
4. Cook the chicken and stir in the sauce and veggies. Heat until thick and bubbly. Add nuts and serve over hot rice. Keep leftovers up to 3 days covered in the fridge. 

I created this recipe out of desperation and accident the other day. I had an incredibly busy day and needed something for dinner but wouldn't be home in time to make it... that's when I turned to my trusty crockpot my friends! 

And seriously 2 ingredients later I'm in business. 

Now, you can do whatever you want with the pulled pork but we decided to turn them into sandwiches! I whipped up some of my quick gluten free rolls and dinner was served!

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 1 pork roast (1.5-2 lbs)
• 10 oz Gluten Free BBQ Sauce (I used Stubb's Signature BBQ sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• Gluten Free buns (I used my Quick Gluten Free Rolls)

Directions: 

1. Add the roast and the BBQ sauce into a slow cooker (crockpot). Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred 30 minutes before the time is up. Serve warm on gluten free rolls with a little extra BBQ sauce (if desired). 

I'm super excited about this next recipe. It's fairly simple to throw together and tastes amazing. It's the best yet Shepard's Pie I've made to date! What makes this one different? It's got a little bit of a twist to it than your average pie plus you don't have to bake it after cooking it on the stove. Hence, the quick(er) part. ;)

Normally, Shepard's Pie contains beef or ground lamb as its base but I wanted to give it a little extra something. It has ground turkey which makes it healthier but also a little bit of sausage to give it some added flavor and kick. The fun part is, after eating this, my husband thought all of the meat was sausage! Perfect, that's what I was going for. 

Overall, it's yummy and I hope you love it too! 

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Rachel Ray

Yields 2 Pies
Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs potatoes (russet or red), peel or wash well & cube (I left the peels on)
• 2 Tbsp sour cream (I used Tofutti's Milk Free Sour Cream to make it dairy free)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp oil 
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 lb gluten free sausage
• (optional) 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter (I used Earthbalance to make it dairy free)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup gluten free chicken broth 
• 2 tsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn (we recommend non-GMO)
• 1 tsp paprika
• (optional) 2 tsp dried parsley

Directions: 

1. Boil the potatoes in water until tender. Drain and set aside. In a bowl combine the sour cream, egg yolk, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the mixture and mash until almost smooth. 
2. While your potatoes are boiling heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes then add the meats, season with salt and pepper, and add the red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for about 3 minutes, while browning and crumbling. Then add the carrots. Cook until the meat is fully browned. 
3. In a saucepan over medium heat (I used the pan my potatoes cooked in) add the butter and cornstarch together. Whisk for 2 minutes then add in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another minute or until gravy thickens. Add the gravy to the meat and vegetables. Stir in the peas and corn. 
4. Preheat your oven to broil on high. Divide evenly the meat & veggie mixture to the 2 pie pans. Divide evenly the potato mixture on top of the meat & veggie mixture and smooth over. Sprinkle each with paprika and dried parsley and place in the oven to broil until the potatoes are evenly browned. 

There's this fantastic Thai Restaurant where we live that serves the best gluten free curries. I'm secretly always trying to recreate their dishes because I crave them basically nightly! This one may not be exactly like their curry but my husband says it's definitely "restaurant worthy"! :Let me explain...we have this rating system anytime I make something: 

• Yuck (aka Keep trying)
  
• Almost there
• Website Worthy
• Restaurant Worthy!

So you know you're getting the best of the best here! 

If you haven't ever branched out and tried Curry you seriously should start with this recipe. It's absolutely one of our favorites. I literally have to make TONS of it so that there's enough for dinner and lunch the next day. (PS-some people have asked me what we typically do for lunch and that's just it- we almost always have leftovers from the night before. If there wasn't any leftovers we usually pull one of my meals out that I have frozen. A lot of the soups and dinners I make can be frozen for a quick meal later!)

Curry is great because it is naturally gluten and dairy free. The base is typically coconut milk which gives it a creamy, delicious taste.  Oh, I LOVE this recipe! I hope you do too! 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Can be nut free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Thai Kitchen

Serves 6-8, you can 1/2 this recipe if needed
Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp oil 
• 2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen's Red Curry Paste (it's gluten free!)
• 2 cans (13.66oz) Coconut Milk
• 1 cup gluten free Chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar or 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (for a kick, use 1/4 tsp for mild)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (we use Thai Kitchen's)
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 lb. chicken cut into chunks
• 1 onion, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into squares
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup peanuts or cashews (optional)
• cooked white rice (optional- to serve the curry on)

I should really call these my husband's favorite enchiladas but creamy & chicken explain them a little better for the rest of you... ;) He requested these for his birthday so you can imagine they must be good. They're even really good dairy free which surprised me! Of course you don't have to make them dairy free if you're not allergic but I thought I would include what I used just in case. 

I know what you're thinking though... "Ugh. Enchiladas are a lot of work..." If this recipe is too "involved" for you... ha ha...try my Enchilada Casserole. It's super easy to throw together and yummy as well! It just uses a red sauce instead.

Enjoy!

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by my husband's sister

Makes 8 Enchiladas
Ingredients: 

• 1 (10.75oz) can gluten free cream of chicken soup (I used my recipe-try it, it's super good!)
• 10oz sour cream (I used Tofutti Milk Free Better Than Sour Cream)
• 1 (4oz) can of diced green chilies
• 1 (10oz) package of cheese, grated (I used Follow Your Heart's Vegan Mozzarella to keep it all white but you could use Cheddar instead) (Medium cheddar tastes awesome!)
• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 
• 1 package (8) Gluten Free Tortillas (I used Rudi's)

Directions: 

1. Warm a large pan over medium heat on the stove top. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out a 9x13 inch pan and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and green chilies. Slightly coat the 9x13 pan with this mixture. Set aside. 
3. Heat each tortilla for 1-2 minutes on the stove until warmed and flexible. 
4. Fill each tortilla with 1 Tbsp of the sauce mixture, 2 Tbsp of the grated cheese, and 1/3 cup of the chicken. Roll up and place into your 9x13 pan. (See picture above.)
5. Pour the remaining sauce and cheese on top. 

6.   Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If you're using Vegan (dairy free) cheese, you may want to uncover the enchiladas and broil the top until they start to turn golden brown. 

Serve hot. Goes great with salad, my Mexican Rice, avocados, salsa, or any other side dish or veggies you prefer. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

My daughter Audrey is hilarious. For her birthday the other day I asked her what she wanted to eat for dinner. Now, granted, I can make just about anything you can imagine gluten and dairy free for her but instead she replies, "Snacks. Snacks and oatmeal. And a pink cake." 

Ha ha. That girl. 

So here's birthday wishes come true Audrey! Ps... We ended up going out to eat at her favorite gluten free burger place (Astro Burger in Draper, Utah) instead of having oatmeal.  If you're ever in the area you should try it! They're SOOOOOOO good. If you're looking for other great restaurants that may be in your area, visit our Gluten Free Restaurant Page. It's extremely helpful when you're looking to eat out!

Oh, and don't worry, she got her snacks and oatmeal too. ;)

Now what good is a new pizza sauce recipe without a great crust to go with it?

This hearty, thin crust is a fun one I invented for my husband who LOVES a thinner, cracker-like crust.   I was experimenting using flaxseed meal instead of eggs and the result is surprisingly wonderful and hearty. (Needless to say, my husband loved it! And so did my in-laws who happened to be stopping in during dinner... So this small, simple picture will have to do until I can make this one again!)

Though I'm not typically a fan of the thin crust pizza it does have it's good points:
You can make more pizzas out of the dough than a thicker crust and you don't have to wait for it to rise before baking. It's a win-win folks. 

Enjoy! 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Can be Nut Free, Vegan)
Created by jalene

Makes 3- 14" thin crust pizzas
Ingredients: 

• 1 cup warm dairy free milk (about 110 degrees)
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 & 1/2 tsp sugar (I used Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar)
• 1 & 1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
• 1/2 cup Potato Starch
• 1/4 cup Flaxseed Meal (ground up flaxseeds)
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp Xanthan Gum
• 1 & 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil (or other healthy high temperature oil)
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in at least a 2 cup bowl and set aside to double in size. 
3. In a mixing bowl add your dry ingredients: brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, flaxseed meal, cornstarch, xanthan gum, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. 
4. Add your yeast mixture to your dry ingredients as well as the water, oil, and vinegar. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds then increase speed to medium and blend for 2 & 1/2 minutes more. 
5. Divide the dough into 3 parts and roll out each crust in between 2 oiled pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8" thick. See the video below for help.
6. Cook the pizza crust (on the parchment paper & without toppings) for 8 minutes on a pizza pan.
7. Pull out of the oven and discard the parchment paper. Top with your favorite toppings (I recommend this pizza sauce) and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the cheese and crust is starting to turn golden brown. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock in the fridge. Can be frozen as well. 

Note: This crust is NOT recommended with my New York Style Pizza Sauce. 

Want to have this great pizza crust on hand for when you need it? Well, this thin crust can be frozen! Simply follow steps 1-6 above and then cool the crusts completely. Place them into a ziplock bag and freeze. Then, when you want a quick crust, pull one out, top, and bake on a pizza pan at 400 degrees until golden brown.  Walla!