Changes Afoot!

So much has happened in the last few weeks!  We have 12 new additions to the family - CHICKENS!  You must understand, that for moi to have chickens is quite a feat.  I'm a city girl.  City girls don't have chickens. 

I started warming to the idea of fine feathered friends after buying delicious farm fresh eggs from a local farmer (now a friend).  She also raises the sweetest goats you've ever seen!  Yes, goats can be cute.  Who knew!

So, this farmer friend, known affectionately around here as "the goat lady" (she corrected me with "goat diva") kept telling me how easy it was to raise chickens.  My first thought was "get to know me" but I started warming to the idea.  My hubby (also city folk) went out to her farm, saw her set up and seemed to get bitten by the farming bug...well, chicken bug.

So, 12 girls later with four more on the way this week, we are official.

More changes are also afoot!  I'm moving the blog to Word Press and bought the (dot) com to my BIG FAT grain free life.  We'll have this site still up, but I hope you will check out the new and improved site!

Thanks so much for staying tuned and being so supportive!

Shrimp-Stuffed Portobellos

Lately, I've had this hankerin' for shrimp...and mushrooms.  I'm in the south, can't I talk that way?  It's rather fun.  So, anyhoo, this recipe came to me at the grocery store one day...during the hankerin'.  

I bought the ingredients and went to work.  All I can say is - that evening, we feasted.

I hope you enjoy the feast!  This recipe has been shared on Allergy Free Wednesdays and Gluten Free Fridays.

Mangia!

Ingredients:
For Marinade:
2 tablespoons coarse mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For Mushrooms and Filling:
6 portobello mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 large ripe tomato or 2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup Chardonnay
about 4 handfuls (or is it hands-full?) of spinach
salt and pepper to taste

2 pieces of Yummy Grain Free Bread, toasted
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (if tolerated)

Instructions:
Prepare vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar.  While whisking, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream.  This will allow vinaigrette to emulsify.

Prepare mushrooms:
Carefully remove stems and set aside.  With a small spoon, scrape out the "gills" of the mushroom.  Then wash and pat dry.

Marinate mushrooms in the vinaigrette for about 15 minutes (or more - whatever your time allows).  

Remove mushrooms from marinade and grill or broil on both sides for several minutes.  Set aside.

For filling:
Chop shrimp and set aside.  

Wash mushroom stems and chop.  Heat a saute pan to medium.  Once hot, add olive oil.  Next, add stems, chopped tomato, and spinach.  Saute for a several minutes until tomato is soft and liquid is evaporating.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Next, add Chardonnay.  Continue to saute until liquid is reduced.  Finally, add shrimp and continue to saute until shrimp are pink and fully cooked (don't overcook).  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Pulse the grain free bread in a food processor, or just crumble with hands.  Add the grated Romano cheese and about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss with a fork.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place grilled (or broiled) portobellos on baking sheet.  Stuff mushrooms with shrimp filling.  Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top.

Place stuffed portobellos under broiler and broil until golden brown.  Eat immediately - or while warm.

Aunt Nettie's Chicken Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic (grain free, dairy free)

I mentioned in my previous post on Apricot Chicken Salad, that I don't usually like traditional chicken salad "dripping with mayo".  I spoke of my dear Aunt Nettie's recipe for chicken salad made with roasted red peppers, garlic, parsley and olive oil.  (I'm salivating now...)

After obtaining hearty permission from my cousins on the matter, I am sharing this delicious family recipe with you.  My cousin Luanne's response to my request for permission to post this recipe was...and I quote..."Make the people happy!" 

With that in mind, here's the recipe. And I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that it does it's job - and makes you happy.

Mangia! 

(This post was shared on Allergy Free Wednesdays blog hop.  Check out all of the GREAT allergy free recipes!)

Aunt Nettie's Chicken Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed (guess how much I use?)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (flat leaf if you can get it but curly works too)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Line oven rack with aluminum foil.  Turn oven on to broil.  Place red pepper on foil and roast until the skin turns black.  Using tongs, rotate pepper so it chars on all sides.  

Remove from oven and place in a bowl with foil (or a cover of some kind) on top.  Allow the pepper to sit as the steam loosens the skin.  Once cool enough to handle, peel pepper and pull out the stem and seeds.  If you must, give a light rinse in a bowl of cold water just to get the seeds off.  Dice pepper.

In a large bowl, add chicken, diced pepper, garlic and parsley.  Add olive oil to taste (liberally) and salt and pepper.  Give a stir with a large fork.  Adjust olive oil and seasonings. 

This chicken salad is better the longer it sits.  Enjoy it atop spring greens or on a slice of Yummy Grain Free Bread. 

Baked Sausage with Butternut, Red Peppers and Onion (grain free, dairy free)

After recent musings of favorite recipes from my childhood, I began getting a craving (hankerin') for Italian sausage baked with potatoes and red peppers, which is a dish my mom used to make.  I can smell it baking now... 

I decided to try the recipe tonight using butternut squash in place of the white potato and Italian chicken sausage in place of pork sausage.  

I was pleased with the result (though truthfully, I miss white potatoes) and thought I'd share it with you.  Another plus? This dish is an easy meal with little prep time.

What are some of your favorite childhood meals?

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 medium onions or one large, chopped
3-4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (I used a few handfuls of the mini sweet peppers)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (guess how many I used?)

extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 links of mild Italian sausage (I used chicken, not pork - turkey sausage tends to be too dry) 
fresh chopped basil, optional 
Parmesan, grated (optional - or use Pecorino Romano)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F.  Toss the first five ingredients into 9x13 baking pan (ceramic or glass).  Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste then toss.  Add 1/4 cup water to pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Place sausage links on top.  Then bake another 20-30 minutes or until sausage is fully cooked.  

Top with chopped basil and grated cheese (if tolerated).  

Mangia!