Gluten Free "Not Fried" Green Tomatoes

I love green tomato season! I wanted to make Fried Green Tomatoes and stick them on a club sandwich, but then I really didn't want to fry them. Plus I needed them gluten free. These turned out just delicious!!
I only did one LARGE green tomato, for 5 slices (1 for each sandwich). If you are wanting to make a bigger batch, it is easy to adjust accordingly. Or slice them thick and make an awesome Green Tomato Veggie Burger!





1 Large Green Tomato

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I toasted up an Udi's GF bagel and stuck it in my vitamix for my crumbs)

1 cup plain yogurt(Greek is best, but regular works fine too)
1 egg

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400 and= grease a baking sheet generously with cooking spray or olive oil


Slice your tomato into 4-5 slices discarding the ends
(I didn't get any pictures of the tomato slices, my camera lens is being a pain!! My slices were pretty thick, you can go thinner if you like!)

In one shallow dish place the bread crumbs.











In another dish combine the yogurt and egg, mix well.











In yet another dish combine flour, cornmeal, garlic, salt and pepper











Dip each slice in flour mixture, dusting well
Then dip in yogurt mixture, tapping to remove excess
Finally dip it in bread crumbs pressing gently to make them adhere.

Place them on greased baking sheet and spray each one lightly with cooking spray.







Bake for 7-10 minutes until it is crisping up.
Flip gently and bake another 7-10 minutes until golden brown.

Sprinkle with a touch of salt and serve......or continue on to make sandwiches....

I was going to make a batch of savory waffles ,but it turns out my kids were not going to be home for dinner.....so for just the hubs and I,  I used sourdough, of course you could use any kind of bread you want

Toppings:
Sliced Turkey
Bacon, Cooked Crisp
Greens
Cheese ( I used Havarti)
Lemon-Basil Mayo

Savory Fresh Tomato Pizza Muffins

I have tons of grape tomatoes on my vines so I thought I  would take my zucchini bread recipe, tweak it to savory and try something I could stick in the freezer for lunches.









about 4 cups grape tomatoes(or roughly 4 cups chopped Romas)
1 TB olive oil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum

OR

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda
1 TB dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup water, divided use
2 TB flax meal

2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni(optional of course)


Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil... place on tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and roll around well.
(This is less than the 4 cups called for, I started with less then decided to add more)










Roast for 15-20 minutes until the skins are wrinkly and starting to brown.








Remove from oven and allow to cool.  When they are cool, place them in a blender and pulse for a few seconds to break them up , but leave some chunks.










Lower the oven temp to 350 and grease muffin tins(I made 16 standard size muffins)

In a bowl combine flour/starches with baking soda and seasonings. Set aside.









In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup water with 2 TB flax meal, stir well and allow to gel up.

In a large mixing bowl pour tomatoes and add gelled flax, eggs, olive oil, sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup water.









Beat on  medium speed for 1 minute.










Add dry mixture 1/2 cup at a time. When it is all mixed in, beat on medium for 1 minute.

Gently fold in cheeses and pepperoni.









Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Gently tap the tins on the counter for even tops.









Bake 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.










Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

I lined them up on a baking sheet and froze them for 30 minutes, then transferred to a freezer bag for quick lunch pull outs!

Sweet Monte Cristos

MMMM ....a yummy "French Toast" sandwich. The kids LOVED them!!










Amounts to taste but don't overload or they will be sloppy!


Bread
Peanut Butter
Fruit Jelly/Jam/ Preserves of your choice
Mashed Banana
Cream Cheese


Dip:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 TB sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Spread 1 slice of bread with peanut butter and jelly, top with a spoonful of mashed banana. Spread the other slice with cream cheese.

Place the cream cheese spread side on top and press lightly to spread the banana but not quite to the edges.

Gently whisk the eggs with the milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

Preheat a pan or griddle to 300(medium-ish) and grease







Dip the sandwich in the egg dip allowing to soak for a few seconds, flip and dip the other side.

Place on hot griddle and cook for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. Flip and cook the other side until it is browned as well.

Allow to cool for a few moments before slicing then enjoy.

Gluten Free Pretzel Dogs

We are not huge fans of hot dogs around here, but on occasion I buy so good quality ones for a "treat"(I really like the Open Nature(Safeway) ones that are uncured and nitrate free) I based off of this recipe from Bob's Red Mill and changed it to suit.







This made 12 "mini-dogs" (half hot dogs)

6 hot dogs, cut in half
(a little more time consuming, but it would be a wonderful party appetizer using lil' smokies!!)

1 TB yeast
2/3 cup milk, warm(approx 110 degrees)I used flax milk this time
(If you use a dairy alternative that is UNSWEETENED, add 1 tsp sugar as well)

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp gelatin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar

Optional:
1/2 cup finely shredded cheese


In a large bowl combine yeast and milk(and sugar if needed) allow to sit for 5 minutes until nicely foamy











In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients and whisk well.












Add olive oil and vinegar to the yeast mixture and mix well, then slowly add the dry ingredients, beat for 3 minutes on high. (If using add the cheese in the last 30 seconds of mixing)









Turn dough onto a surface dusted with cornstarch.












Cut dough into 12 equal portions.
Rinse and shake off the hot dogs(you want them damp but not dripping)









Flatten a dough piece into a rectangle slightly larger than the hot dog piece....place the dog in the center and roll up,  folding the sides down and tucking under, rolling it gently , press all seams to seal.











--If you are not putting cheese in the dough(or even if you are LOL)You could do a small amount of cheese(about 1/2 a slice per dog and just wrap it around) in each roll too.









Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough/dogs.


Allow to rise in a warm spot for 15 minutes.

Make a mixture of 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 TB milk(or milk alternative or even water) and brush each dog lightly.








Preheat oven to 400.




Bake dogs for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

In the last 5 minutes you can re-brush with the cornstarch solution then sprinkle with salt. Brush then sprinkle each one, it dries VERY fast!! (salt is optional of course, or other seasonings would be good....dried garlic or onion flakes, poppy seeds ETC)

Banana Dogs with Strawberry Ketchup

No real recipe here. I just thought it turned out cute.





Hot Dog Buns
Bananas
Strawberries
Peanut Butter

Spread peanut butter on hot dog bun, place in banana like a hot dog, top with crushed strawberries and ENJOY!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I threw together a quick chicken salad tonight and it was so tasty I had to put it on here. I hadn't planned to blog it so no process pictures, but its pretty simple...








1lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 stalk celery, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup red grapes, quartered
1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 TB lemon juice
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste


Combine all in a bowl and mix well, chill for an hour then serve on fresh croissants!(or any bread you like of course)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

We love macaroni and cheese. This is just a slight variation from the one in my old Betty Crocker cookbook. Perfect, simple and delicious!









12 oz elbow pasta(about 16 oz fresh if you have the means, Gluten free pasta is great too!)
1/4 cup butter*
1/4 c flour*
1 T Dijon  mustard
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c milk(you can add 1/2 cup more milk if you like it saucier!)
2-3 c cheese(more or less for your preference, any kind, I like a mixture of sharp cheddar and colby jack or occasionally I will do pepper jack and/or chipotle cheddar for a kick!)
*to make GF use 2 TB butter and 3 TB cornstarch

**nutritional boost
ad 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1 cup frozen(defrosted) cauliflower after the milk has thickened, but before the cheese and puree all together with an immersion blender!

Heat oven to 350.

Cook noodles according to package directions













Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and heat until smooth and bubbly. Add in seasonings.

If making GF whisk cornstarch into cold milk, melt butter, then add seasonings to the butter.

Slowly whisk in milk and heat and stir until thickened.(about 15-20 minutes)











Remove from heat and add in shredded cheese and stir until melted












Gently fold noodles and cheese sauce and put into casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and some more shredded cheese, bake 20-25.

You can skip the baking , leave it un-topped and separated it into individual portions and it freezes nicely. Just make sure to stir it well during the reheating process! I heat it in the am and pack it in a thermos for the kids' school lunches!

Here it is made with cut up turkey smokies and the nutritional boost:

Summer Time Pork Wraps

Spin off from last nights Raspberry Watermelon Pork Roast! I think this is an excellent hot weather meal, shredded pork mixed up with the Sauce and chill it well.






Whole Wheat Tortillas
Shredded Raspberry Watermelon Pork
Spinach
Cream Cheese
Tomatoes
Any other toppings you desire


Spread a tortilla with cream cheese, add a generous amount of the pork roast and sauce to taste. Top with your desired toppings and roll it up and enjoy!

Simple Cream of Tomato Soup

Only a few extra minutes and you can have cream of tomato soup without the can.
So delicious paired with a Monte Cristo Sandwich or a good old fashioned grilled cheese!









4 cups tomato juice(fresh is SO good, but a commercial brand is just fine too)**
2 cups milk(whichever fat content you prefer, we like non fat)
2 TB butter*
1/4 cup flour*
1/2 tsp baking soda
seasoning salt
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley
oregano

*omit butter and add 3 TB cornstarch to cold milk before heating  for GF


Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and whisk until crumbly.

SLOWLY add milk and heat to boiling. Boil and stir until thickened.
Add baking soda and mix well









Add seasonings to tomato juice(to your personal preference, I use about 1/2 tsp S.salt, GP and OP and 1 tsp parsley and oregano)











Add tomato juice to white sauce and stir well.
Heat through and serve!











** V8 juice is a GREAT way to mix it up a little too!


Makes 6 Servings Nutrition facts