One of my first outings when I moved back to the city was to Chinatown.  Living in London, the Thai options were limited to food courts in the Mall.  I eagerly headed downtown for a feast for the tummy!  This chicken noodle salad is based on one of the dishes I enjoyed.

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

For the salad

4 cups egg noodles, cooked
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/2 cup snow peas, blanched
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and unsalted

For the dressing

1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
5 teaspoons sesame oi
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper

To make the dressing: Mix all ingredients together.

To make the salad: Place all ingredients except the red peppers in a large bowl.  Toss with 1 cup of the dressing.  Serve in large bowls and garnish with chopped red peppers.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If this recipe brings back memories of Thailand, please share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

For personal reasons, I wasn’t much in the Christmas spirit this year.  I didn’t send out Christmas cards, didn’t really do much Christmas shopping (just for the kids) or even put up lights outside the house.  I just didn’t feel like celebrating though I did keep up a few of our family traditions.

As Christmas drew closer, I started to think of different ways to celebrate the season.  I usually get excited shopping for gifts and it’s usually pretty easy.  I have a good memory so if you tell me in July that you started a new business or that you broke your favorite tea mug, chances are you’ll find a replacement mug under the tree or even business cards to promote yourself.

That’s why, when it came time to select gifts for my sisters-in-law this year, I thought I’d do something a little different and make them food gifts.  They both meet a few times a year to enjoy dinner at Milestones Restaurant and typically have a mixed greens salad with goat cheese, strawberries and honey dijon dressing.  I opted to make them food gifts this year: a jar of honey dijon dressing and toasted pecans (actually, they ended up being walnuts as the grocery store was out of pecans!).

Don’t they look yummy?

Honey Dijon Salad Dressing

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified (or pulse it in a Magic Bullet!).  Can be stored for several weeks in an air tight container in fridge.  Shake well before serving.

Candied Pecans Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup pecans
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter and sugar in frying pan on medium heat. Add pecans and heat until toasted (some of the sugar may not dissolve, that’s okay!). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (carefully! it will fizzle and bubble when you add the liquid). Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread out flat. Cool. Store in air tight container in the pantry for up to two weeks.

I was in the mood for something a little different tonight for dinner so I opened my fridge and stared at the contents and put my Accidental Chef hat on.  I had some leftover chicken and some rice as well as some new gluten-free wraps that I wanted to try so I decided to make wraps.  I turned on the iPod and cranked some tunes and Diana Krall appeared singing “Peel Me A Grape.”  I was wrapping chicken so hopefully this will do as a substitute for her.  This recipe makes a great dinner or lunch (tastes great with cold leftovers too).

Wrap Me A Chicken

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cooked brown or white rice
2 whole gluten-free tortillas (or whole-wheat tortillas)
1 tablespoon fat-free salad dressing (optional)

Spray medium-sized pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Place over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and sauté until slightly browned, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add raw chicken and sauté until browned and no pink remains in center of each piece.  Remove pan from heat.  Place tortillas on plates.  Put half the lettuce on each tortilla, followed by half the chicken, half the dressing, and half the rice.  To assemble wraps, roll tortilla around contents, securing each with a toothpick if necessary.  Makes 2 wraps.  Note: If you don’t have wraps, you can use whole romaine lettuce leaves or large bibb salad leaves as wraps.  Omit the lettuce from inside the wrap if you do.

Kitchen Table Talk…

Have you ever tried to make a grocery store favorite? Feel free to share your creations in the comment area below. Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

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I used to love corn bread as a child.  I remember my mum bringing it home from the Italian bakery regularly and I would always gobble up a bun (or two).  She stopped buying it in my teens (or more likely I stopped eating it) but ever since I’ve gone gluten free, I’ve been looking for a corn bread recipe that matches the tastes of my childhood and I think I’ve finally found the combination.

Gluten Free Corn Bread

1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup creamed corn
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulate sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Pour into a 9″ dark metal, square baking pan.  Bake for 35 minutes or until edges have browned.  Enjoy!

Kitchen Table Talk…

Do you have any foods that instantly remind you of your childhood?  Feel free to share your creations in the comment area below.   Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

My mother-in-law makes some fantastic stuffed peppers and I had a craving for them today but couldn’t find any nice peppers at the grocery store today.  In a flash of inspiration, I grabbed some beautiful large zucchini and used it in place of the peppers.  It was a great light meal and easy to make and fun to take a family favorite and give it my own spin.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup quinoa
2 large zucchini
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium sauce pan, cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Stir occasionally. Allow to cool.

Trim zucchini and halve each lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds and some pulp from zucchini halves, leaving a 1/4″ thick shell. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium-high until hot. Add onion and cook 3 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and red pepper and cook until fragrant. Add beef and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat. Stir in quinoa and half of mint.

On prepared pan, toss tomatoes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon oil. Arrange zucchini halves, cut sides up, around tomatoes. Mound 3/4 cup beef filling in each zucchini half, packing tightly.

Place pan in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until tender. Place zucchini and tomatoes on a platter; sprinkle with remaining mint.

A note from the Accidental Chef: Stuffed peppers traditionally calls for rice instead of quinoa.  You may substitute rice or another grain of your preference.  If you use rice, the recipe is still gluten-free.

Kitchen Table Talk…

Have you ever experimented with a family favorite recipe?  If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

We had a family reunion this past weekend.  Forty hungry members of my family were in attendance.  My aunt told me not to bring anything as they had all the food under control but I just couldn’t resist whipping up a batch of coleslaw.  After all, it’s really so easy to make and easy to feed a large group of people with two or three heads of cabbage.  Coleslaw is one of my favorite summer treats though I’ll admit I’m a late convert to this perennial favorite.  Growing up, I hated the stuff… especially the green slimy one that seemed to appear at every Brownie or Girl Guides outing.  My father-in-law makes a coleslaw salad to die for.  Here’s a raw vegan twist on this traditional treat.

Curried Cabbage Salad

1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 head purple cabbage, chopped
2 whole carrots, grated
1/3 cup shredded flaked coconut (be sure it’s raw, if needed)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (if raw, use Nama Shoyu)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon cumin

In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients, making sure cabbage is evenly coated.  If possible, chill for at least an hour and toss thoroughly again before serving.  This will allow all the flavors to mingle and blend.  Variation: Serve with Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing instead of Soy Curry Dressing or substitute vinaigrette for lemon juice.

Kitchen Table Talk…

What’s one of your favorite summer BBQ or picnic recipes?  Do you have a standby recipe that’s easy to whip up in a pinch?  If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

I attended my cousin’s bridal shower yesterday… well my cousin-to-be’s bridal shower.

It was a large event held in a banquet hall.  Believe it or not, it’s the first bridal shower I’ve ever attended.  Imagine that!  I didn’t know what to expect.  It was a lovely afternoon.

Inspired by the theme, I came home and let my inner Martha Stewart out and planned a bridal shower luncheon menu for a smaller gathering that caters to someone with my gluten sensitivities.  As the guests at traditional bridal showers are women, I focused on a menu that featured light dishes that are light on the waistline.

Each recipe is gluten-free and is a perfect alternative to a bridal luncheon held in a hall (most do not cater to gluten-free brides).  If you’re planning a larger event, be sure to advise the banquet hall of your sensitivities.  Most are more than willing to work with you to ensure you have a healthy day.

Bridal Shower Luncheon Menu

Brie Stuffed with Peach Preserves

An easy and delicious appetizer to serve while guests arrive and cocktails are served.  Serve with rice crackers.

1 wheel Brie
1 10-ounce jar unsweetened peach puree

Slice the wheel of Brie in half sideways with a large knife and spread a thin layer of peach puree on the bottom half.  Replace the top layer of Brie and present on a large round decorative platter with the slices of French bread or crackers spread out in a circle around the cheese.  Clusters of red or green grapes make a nice decorative touch and compliment the cheese as well.

Wild Rice Salad

This salad is a variation of another salad I make often: the Milestones Salad.  I like adding fresh fruit to my salads and it’s always a hit with my family.  You can save time by making the rice the night before and garnishing with the strawberries and dressing right before serving.  This recipe serves eight so you may need to adjust the quantities as necessary.  This salad is a great choice for those with gluten-allergies or sensitivities.

3 cups water
11/2 cups wild rice
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1 pound strawberries, quartered and then sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

In a medium-large saucepan, boil water over a high heat.  Once boiling add wild rice to the water and return to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 50 minutes or until water is absorbed.  If you have a rice steamer, this recipe works really well with steamed rice.  Allow rice to cool and add oil, orange juice, vinegar, scallions and strawberries.  Toss and serve.

Green Bean Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

Wild rice may not be everyone’s cup of tea.  If the shower is held in the summer (which most are!) then consider offering a refreshing green bean salad as an alternative to the traditional lettuce-based salads on most Bridal Shower menus.  This recipe serves eight so you may need to adjust the quantities as necessary.  This salad is a great choice for those with gluten-allergies or sensitivities.

2 pounds green beans, blanched
2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard
2/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup chopped dill

To blanch the beans, place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover and boil until cooked but still crisp.  Drain them in a colander and pour cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly and toss with chopped dill.  Prepare the dressing by blending the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard together.  Toss with green beans and serve.  You may also sprinkle almond slivers or pumpkin seeds on the salad before serving.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Sauce

My mum used to make this for us regularly, in tiny little bit sized pieces (you could serve it as an appetizer). This recipe calls for using the entire chicken breast so it will serve as an entree. This recipe also serves eight and is gluten-free.

8 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
16 large fresh sage leaves
16 thin prosciutto slices
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons gluten-free all purpose baking flour
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
Splash of dry white wine or, white or red wine vinegar
1 cup warm water
Fresh thyme stems for garnish

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap on work surface.  Using mallet, pound chicken to 1/3-inch thickness.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Place 2 sage leaves on each chicken breast half.  Top each chicken breast with 2 prosciutto slices.  Spread 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour on plate.  Dredge chicken in flour by turning chicken in flour to lightly coat both sides.

Melt butter with oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, prosciutto side down; cook 4 minutes.  Turn chicken over and cook just until cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to platter and cover to keep warm; reserve skillet.

Whisk wine with remaining flour in small bowl.  Add broth and lemon juice to same skillet; bring to boil.  Add wine mixture; whisk until sauce thickens slightly, about 30 seconds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

Mangoes seem to be on sale a lot lately.  I saw a few people walking out of the grocery store today with cases of mangoes so I followed suit.  I love mangoes but have never really been able to peel one without making a gooey mess.   I picked up a few avocados today too as I stumbled across a great video tutorial on how to dice a mango and an avocado for Mango Avocado Salad.

How to Dice A Mango

How to Dice an Avocado

How to Make an Avocado & Mango Salsa

Since I had an entire case of mangoes on hand, I decided to make mango chicken kebobs too!

Mango Chicken Kebobs

1 teaspoon lime rind, grated
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 whole cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, in in 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons honey
2 mangoes
1 whole red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

In a small bowl, create marinade by whisking together lime rind, lime juice, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Place chicken chunks in large bowl.   Pour half of marinade over chicken, toss to coat, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Stir honey into remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Dice mango into 3/4 inch cubes as per the video above.

Alternately thread mango, pepper, onion, and chicken pieces onto each of 8 skewers.  Brush with half of the reserved honey marinade.  Don’t use the marinade that the chicken soaked in.  Discard it and use the reserved marinade.

Grill over medium heat, turning and basting with remaining honey marinade until fruit is softened and chicken is browned and cooked through (about 8 minutes).

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here are some more Mexican inspired treats for your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Sausage and Potato Quesadillas

1 pound fresh chorizo or other sausages, casings removed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 6-inch flour tortillas
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 cups Monterey jack, grated

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large nonstick frying pan, cook the sausage over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan. Pour off the fat from the pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over moderate heat. Add the potato, 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika, and the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.

For each tortilla, put half of the sausage, potato, onion, cilantro, and cheese on the tortillas, spreading the ingredients all the way to the edge, and top with another tortilla. Repeat with the remaining sausage, potato, onion, cilantro, and cheese and cover with the remaining four tortillas.

Brush the tops of the quesadillas with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Put the quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Roasted Red and Green Pepper Quesadillas

4 whole poblano peppers
2 large red peppers
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
16 (8-inch) soft-taco-size flour tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
5 ripe avocados
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt

Preheat broiler. In broiling pan lined with foil, arrange poblanos and red peppers in single layer. Broil 15 to 20 minutes or until blackened all over, turning occasionally to evenly blacken. Wrap peppers in foil; let cool.

Toss onion and tomatoes with oil until coated in a baking dish or pan; arrange in single layer. Broil 12 to 15 minutes or until onion is brown and tomatoes begin to burst, stirring once. Remove from broiler and cool in pan. Reset oven control to 200°F. Remove peppers from foil; peel off skin and discard. Remove and discard stems and seeds; finely chop peppers.

Prepare quesadillas: Arrange 8 tortillas in single layer. Divide Monterey Jack, cilantro, and chopped peppers among tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas.

Heat 10-inch skillet on medium until hot. Place one assembled quesadilla in skillet and cook 1 to 3 minutes or until bottom browns. Carefully turn and cook 1 to 3 minutes or until bottom browns. Transfer to clean large cookie sheet and place in oven. Repeat until all quesadillas are cooked.

Prepare guacamole: Cut avocados in half. Remove and discard seeds and peel, then transfer to large serving bowl. Add lime juice, onion and tomatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Using potato masher or fork, mash until just slightly chunky. Makes 5 cups guacamole.

Cut each quesadilla into sixths, and serve with guacamole on the side.

Cubano Quesadillas

Here’s one for the kids…. I make it at the cottage for my nephews often (usually omitting the dill pickle).

8 (6-inch) low-fat flour tortillas
1/4 cup yellow mustard
4 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham
8 slices sandwich-cut dill pickle
4 ounces thinly sliced roast pork from the deli
4 ounces thinly sliced part-skim Swiss cheese

Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium.

Brush 1 side of each tortilla with mustard. Evenly divide ham, pickles, pork, and cheese on 4 tortillas. The kids can help with assembly of the quesadillas. Top with remaining tortillas, pressing firmly.

With large metal spatula, place quesadillas on hot grill grate and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tortillas on both sides are browned and Swiss cheese melts, carefully turning quesadillas over once. Transfer quesadillas to large cutting board; let stand 1 minute. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges to serve.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

I had some down time this weekend and decided to watch some tv.  Caught an episode of Two and a Half Men where Alan is annoyed with his girlfriend for using the x-ray machine on Mexican food.  She replies “Well, I wanted to know what’s inside a chimichanga!”  He asks “If you didn’t know what was in it, why’d you order it?!”  Her reply “‘Cause it’s fun to say ‘chimichanga’!”

Since you probably don’t have easy access to an x-ray machine, thought I’d share a recipe for Chicken Chimichangas, as well as a clip from YouTube showing how to roll a tortilla.

Chimichangas are fried traditionally but I decided to make a healthier version that’s baked, not fried. Enjoy!  We’re only a few days away from Cinco de Mayo.

Chicken Chimichangas

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, drained
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tablespoon McCormick’s Montreal Brand steak seasoning (I know it’s a chicken recipe, but I like the steak seasoning)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon adobo seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
8 whole flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 teaspoon butter
extra virgin olive oil
2 cups Mexican queso blanco

Cook chicken, shred and set aside.  You can either use left over roast chicken or boil a chicken breast and shred once cooked.  I prefer to use left over chicken roast but the boiled method will work in a pinch.

In large skillet, cook onion in butter until transparent.   Add shredded chicken, broth, salsa, chiles and all spices.

Bring mixture to a boil and then simmer at low-to-medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Heat tortillas in microwave to soften them.  Grease baking dish.

Scoop 1/2 cup of mixture into each tortilla and fold.  Place in dish seam side down. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly brown and top of tortilla is hard to touch.

Serve with white queso.

How to Roll A Tortilla

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.