Mamma's Cooking

Kale and Basil Pesto

You can never have too many good sauce recipes. Sauces can enhance any meal from pasta to roasted vegetables to grilled meat and fish. Pesto is especially versatile. It can dress a salad, potatoes or even be added to cream cheese for a delicious dip.

I will admit, I am not a huge fan of kale, but I do recognize its health benefits. This recipe blends the kale with basil, mint and lemon to make a fresh pesto to brighten up any meal and it freezes well!

5 from 1 vote

Kale and Basil Pesto

A fresh pesto to brighten up any meal

Ingredients

1 cup fresh basil leaves torn
1 cup fresh kale leaves torn and removed from stem
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon mint chopped
2 ounces pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Parmesan shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil may need more or less to make desired consistency

Instructions

Add all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food
processor.
Slowly add the olive oil while the blender or food processor is on
medium speed, until everything is blended together and the pesto is your desired
consistency. Add slowly because you can always add more, but can’t take away
what was added.
Serve with your favorite gnocchi or pasta.

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Book Review: Aidan the Wonder Kid, by Colleen Brunetti

Navigating the world with celiac disease can be challenging, especially for kids. Being different in any way is difficult and when school activities, birthday parties, sports celebrations or playdates involve food, it can be isolating.

Having a book like Colleen Brunetti’s Aidan the Wonder Kid helps to create understanding and acceptance. It enhances the conversation you can have with your child. A child with food intolerances, allergies or celiac disease can identify with Aidan. He is a strong kid who runs, jumps and plays but has days where he doesn’t feel well and has struggles to figure out what food will help his body. I know my son has had these ups and downs and like Aidan, is cheered greatly when learning that others share his need to eat right for his body. This book can help kids feel less alone. Your children will also love the creative drawings by illustrator Dan Carsten that bring Aidan to life.

Colleen has made it easy to have a larger conversation with your child’s school. As an educator and Certified Health Coach, she has created a Common Core Curriculum to go with the book. This makes it easy for teachers to incorporate the important lessons of Aidan the Wonder Kid into their classroom. Colleen is also available to do author visits to schools and speak to healthcare related audiences.

May is a month where we celebrate Celiac Awareness and Food Allergy Awareness. It is also around this time where many schools have teacher appreciation week. A great way to celebrate both awareness and teachers, is to participate in Colleen’s LOVE Teachers Event where you can buy Aidan the Wonder Kid at a discounted price, one for yourself and one (or more!) for your favorite teachers.

Colleen is not paying me for this review. I truly love this book and what it means to kids who feel isolated due to challenges with food. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Colleen at one of Gluten-Free New England’s amazing Gluten-Free Expos (she and I are both contributors to Gluten-Free New England). Thank you, Colleen, for creating Aidan the Wonder Kid! A great way to start a conversation about celiac disease, food allergies and intolerances. If you would like to see Colleen, she will be at the upcoming Boston Children’s Hospital, Celiac Kids Connection educational event, “Celiac Smarts: Awareness for Kids and Families” on May 11^th at the Waltham, MA Campus of Children’s Hospital. You will be able to order her book and the kids can enjoy story time and a craft with Colleen as part of the days’ activities. For more information about the event, please visit: https://www.celiackidsconnection.org/event/celiac-smarts-awareness-for-kids-and-families/. The Boston Children’s Hospital Celiac Kids Connection (CKC) is a great non-profit organization that brings families with children who have celiac disease together (I’m a little biased because I’m on the Board). Like Aidan, CKC helps kids to not feel alone in their struggle.

Everyone knows someone who has celiac disease, a food allergy or a food intolerance or knows a teacher who could use this resource. Go buy the book, go see Colleen at an event or have her come speak to your school or library! Read Aidan the Wonder Kid!

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2019 Cooking Bucket List

I will admit, yet again, most of my 2018 Cooking Bucket List items were done in December (maybe even one or two during the first week of January). I love coming up with a list of cooking goals each year, as it forces me outside my comfort zone and helps make some great food memories.

I struck two items off my list on Mother’s Day in 2018. I made Poutine for lunch with a Pavlova for dessert. They were both delicious and I will definitely make them again!

The poutine I made with frozen french fries and topped with gravy (I like Simply Organic’s gluten-free brown gravy) and cheese curds.

The pavlova, not as successful, because I forgot the whipped cream, but the meringue itself was delicious!

Some items on my list were there for nostalgia. I made GF Ouma biscuit (also known as rusks), ginger beer and biltong (a South African delicacy, similar to beef jerky). They all came out ok, not great, but I will keep testing. The rusks, which are meant to be hard and dipped into a cup of coffee or tea to soften and eat, were very tasty but were only good for a day.

The ginger beer was much too sweet and not carbonated enough, so I will have to tweak the recipe.

The biltong…well, at least I know the process now. The texture was great, but definitely way too salty. The second attempt was too sweet. Hopefully the third time will be the charm. Every mistake made while cooking is a valuable lesson!

The first time I attempted to make mayonnaise, I learned that I need to follow my gut, which I didn’t do. My arms hurt for days after because hand whipping mayonnaise is hard work! I added too much oil and the mayonnaise broke. Next time, I decided to make a blender version, which came out much, much better and cannot even be compared to jarred mayo.

Next, I made a delicious GF Lobster Roll. I was originally going to use the mayo I made for it, but you know what happened to the first batch. I used a roll I made from King Arthur’s Gluten-Free bread mix and tossed fresh lobster meat with some melted herb compound butter, like this one. This was definitely a lunch highlight of 2018.

I have tried to make Crème Brulee a couple of times before and none turned out as successful as this last batch! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I made it while there were no kids at home.

When my first daughter was born, my brother and sister-in-law sent us a big order of Greek food for dinner one night. That was over 10 years ago and I still dream of that Avgolemono soup. It is a creamy, lemony soup. Perfect for entertaining. I tried to recreate it years ago and that went horribly wrong, but this time…absolute perfection. I wish I had made more! Some recipes have chicken and rice, but mainly it is broth, lemon and eggs. I will be making this again!

Lastly, I made GF Chocolate Lava Cake. This was my husband’s request. He always gets to pick one or two of my bucket list items and they are usually dessert. One out of four had a center that oozed when I cut into it. They were delicious though!

Some of these will make it into my rotation, like the Avgolemono Soup and the biltong (once I get it right!). Others, will not. There are too many other recipes to try!

I can’t wait to get started on some new amazing meals for 2019! Here is my new list, all gluten free:

Ramen
Flan
Key Lime Pie
Fried Chicken
Tamales
Khachapuri (a Georgian cheese bread)
Steamed buns
Arepas
Tortillas
Marshmallows

Anything you want to learn how to cook this year? Anyone have any great recipes for my bucket list items? Please pass them on!

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Sans Gluten Artisan Bakery

My son has celiac disease and we realized the places we frequent the most are either owned by someone with celiac or the owner has a family member with celiac. That way we know they “get it.” We know they understand cross-contamination and/or keep a 100 % gluten-free facility. Sans Gluten Artisan Bakery in Johnston, RI is one of those places. You know it is safe and even better, absolutely delicious!

They “get it.” The baker, Leah, is an internal medicine doctor and has celiac herself. Her two daughters have celiac disease and one has a tree nut allergy. The bakery is 100% gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free. Many treats can be made dairy free or vegan. They do not use any preservatives or chemicals, only all- natural ingredients. This place is dream for people with celiac disease and allergies, really a dream for anyone, since the baked goods are that good.

Leah learned to bake by spending hours in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother, who made everything from scratch. Her mother also made wedding cakes, so she had to learn to help decorate and make rosette, after rosette. This was before Leah was diagnosed with celiac disease. When she had children, she really started to experiment with baking gluten-free goodies. She, like many of us, wanted her daughter to feel included and enjoy something delicious with her teammates and friends. There was nothing on the market that was comparable, so she started baking for her family and friends. “Gluten-free baking is problem solving,” says Leah, who was a chemist before going on to become a doctor. She combines her background of family baking, science, autoimmune diseases, triathlon running and clean eating to create delicious baked goods for everyone to enjoy. Her kids give her lots of ideas for treats and are important in the taste testing process. “Kids do not lie,” she says, they always give their honest opinion.

Let’s talk cupcakes: Strawberry with Strawberry Buttercream, “Moc” Hostess cupcake with marshmallow filling, Boston Cream, Chocolate Caramel Delight, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Pina Colada, Mango with Mango buttercream, Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting and the best seller Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae Cupcake (comes in vanilla too!). There are also seasonal or occasional flavors like Orange Creamsicle or Pumpkin Caramel Peak. There is a cupcake for everyone. 30 different flavors in all! My personal favorite that I have tried so far is the White Wine Pear Cupcake with Salted Caramel frosting. The other members of my family vote for the Ice Cream Sundae cupcakes and the Mocha Cupcake with Mocha Buttercream. Any cupcake can be made into a cake. There are so many choices!

The selection of amazing gluten-free cupcakes is reason alone to stop by, but you will be drawn in again and again by all the other amazing treats and Leah’s husband, Tom’s humor as he sells you your goodies. The blondie is scrumptious! I have served it to people who do not have to eat gluten free and they cannot even tell. The éclair is heaven! The cinnamon buns, with both traditional and maple glaze, will leave you speechless. There are 6 or 7 different kinds of cookies, including seasonal sugar cookies; 8 different scones, 4 or 5 muffin flavors and coffee cakes you will never believe are gluten free. Occasionally there are filled donuts and if you want something, just ask Leah! She makes cakes, macaroons and pies, especially handy around the holidays to have a gluten-free dessert that everyone will enjoy. They are starting to make pizza and sandwich bread as well, along with buns and rolls for your dinner table.

Leah and her team, which has grown to 5 total in the two and half years since they opened, tirelessly bake and sell countless delicious treats each week. Their treats can be found at Mare Rooftop in Providence and Cool Beans in Narragansett. Their Gingerbread cookies and brioche buns can be found at Santa’s Village in Jefferson, NH. If you are looking for a fun local, holiday outing, they provide gluten-free sugar cookies to the Blackstone Valley Polar Express Train Ride, which are available on request.

You can always find them at their bakery and storefront at 39 Greenville Ave, Johnston, RI. Take a trip to their store. You won’t regret it! It is just west of Providence, only 35 minutes from my house in Massachusetts and worth the drive! If you mention that you heard about them through this article, Tom promised 10% off of your next order!

Check them out for your Thanksgiving rolls, pies and desserts. That will take the baking stress away and you can focus on your turkey, stuffing and sides! Here are some of my favorite easy Thanksgiving recipes: Easy Acorn Squash, How to Cook your Turkey, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Gluten-Free Stuffing and don’t forget you can Make Your Take Out Turkey Fried Rice with leftovers!

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Grilling Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

Grilled pizza is phenomenal! Once you grill pizza, you will not want to cook it any other way. I’ve been known to even grill a frozen pizza.

Our new favorite gluten-free dough is from Sal’s Pizza. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free and nut free. I’m not getting paid for praising them, it is my own opinion and what I actually feed my family.

Sal’s GF dough is just like non-GF pizza dough, but slightly more finicky. It is better to handle than all the other GF doughs I have tried. It is pliable enough to be rolled out and moved to a sheet pan. As the directions on the packaging state, you just need to put some cornmeal down on the pan, so the dough doesn’t stick. One ball of dough will make two 14 inch pizzas.

I recently discovered an easier way to cook the dough on the grill. Have you ever tried to grill pizza dough, throw it on the grill and it folds up and sticks to the grill surface? I have. Many times. This method has revolutionized my pizza grilling. No more folded dough on the grill!

I start by placing the sheet pan with the dough on it, directly on the grill. Close the grill and cook until bottom of dough is firm and no longer sticky.

Then I take the pans off the grill and spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Using a spatula (and my hands – don’t burn yourself!) flip the dough over onto the grill for a couple of minutes.

Then using a long spatula or a pizza slide, flip it back onto the sheet pan.

Top with sauce, cheeses and your favorite toppings before moving the sheet pan back onto the grill. Close grill and cook until cheese is bubbly and melted.

This is really easy and gives you that great smoky taste of the grill. If you don’t have a favorite GF pizza dough try using the Against the Grain crust directly on the grill (also a family favorite and no, they are not paying me to say so) or your favorite GF frozen pizza. We are Freshcetta fans.

My son, who has celiac disease, LOVES pizza. He has always loved pizza and with grilling the pizza, no one in the family feels like they are missing the gluten. Some of my family’s favorite toppings include: cheeseburger pizza, marinated rainbow carrots (don’t knock it, until you’ve tried it!), meatballs, salami and broccoli, olives, sausage or ham and pineapple or just cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

Easy Grilled Gluten-Free Pizza

Easy method of grilling your favorite gluten-free pizza dough!

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 ball Sal’s gluten-free pizza dough
2 teaspoons cornmeal
½ cup canned tomato sauce
8 ounces mozzarella shredded
8 ounces cheddar shredded
½ teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 leaves fresh basil torn
Toppings optional

Instructions

If dough is frozen, defrost (at least 2 to 3 hours on counter or overnight in fridge).
Take two sheet pans that will fit on your grill side by side (or cook one at a time) and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Cut dough ball in half.
Lightly flour surface and the rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/8th inch thick and place on prepared sheet pan.
Heat grill to high heat.
Prepare all your ingredients and tools near the grill. Have sauce, cheese, seasonings and any toppings you want to use, ready. Also make sure you have oven mitts for handling the hot sheet pans, cooking spray, a spatula and a pizza slide (if you have one).
Place both sheet pans (or one at a time) on the hot grill and close the top. Grill for about 6 minutes, until the dough is firm.
Remove pans from grill and place on temperature safe surface.
Spray tops of dough with cooking spray and using spatula and your hands, if cool enough, flip dough over, directly onto the grill. Close and cook for about 5 minutes.
Using your spatula or a pizza slide, flip dough over, off of grill, back onto sheet pan.
Add sauce on each pizza, cheeses, oregano, salt and pepper. Add any toppings you want.
Place sheet pans back on the grill. Close grill and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.
Take off the grill, top with fresh basil and serve!

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Meat Lovers Chili

When it’s cold outside, there is nothing better than coming inside to a hot bowl of soup, stew or chili. Whether cooking for the big game or a big family gathering, chili is always a hit. This meat lover’s chili is warm, inviting and delicious. You can make it in advance and keep it warm in a crock pot. You can make it the day before and let the flavors develop. You can make it with meat or without. There are so many options.

Meat Lovers Chili

Ingredients

2 pounds of ground meat (half ground sirloin, half ground pork loin)

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon of chili powder

Pinch of cinnamon

½ cup of lentils

1 pound 13 ounce can of red kidney beans

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of chopped baby portabella mushrooms

1 cup of carrots, chopped

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

3 Tablespoons of brown sugar

3 Tablespoons of chili powder

¼ cup of ketchup

1 Tablespoon of soy sauce

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar

splash of chipotle hot sauce (more if you want it spicier), optional

Directions

Sprinkle meat with salt, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon. Heat olive oil in pan and sear meat. Cook through, remove from pan and drain oil. Turn crock pot on high. Add cooked meat, beans and lentils into crock pot. In same pan that meat was cooked, add olive oil, mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, brown sugar and chili powder. Sauté about 5 to 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar and hot sauce, then pour into crock pot. Mix it all together and then close the lid. Cook on high for 4 hours.

This is one of those recipes that is even better the next day. I like to serve chili with guacamole, sour cream, cheddar and fresh cilantro. You can put each of the toppings out and let everyone build their own.

If you prefer vegetarian chili try my Pumpkin Quinoa chili. What is your favorite chili, stew or soup to warm up with? Check out some of my favorite soups.

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Meal Planning: Basic Instant Pot Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

A little meal planning goes a long way. I try to plan our meals for the week the night before I go grocery shopping, so that I can make my list dependent on what I’m going to cook that week.

On weekends, I try to cook extra items to make our meal preparation for busy weeknights easier. I received an Instant Pot for Christmas. It is a great too for meal prepping. Either I make dinner in the instant pot, while I make the meal for other nights on the stove or vice versa, make the meal for later in the week in the Instant Pot while I cook our dinner on the stove.

Here are a couple of easy recipes that will make multiple meals.

Basic Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot

Marinade:

Ingredients

About 3 pounds of chicken breasts

5 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic paste or 1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon onion powder

½ cup of water

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a gallon freezer bag with the chicken breasts and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Take out of marinade. Add into instant pot on steamer shelf with about a cup of water and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Allow natural release for 5 minutes and then manually release the remaining pressure.

Now you have cooked chicken breasts to be able to add to whatever you like for the week. Roasting some veggies while the chicken is cooking, will lessen your load during the week even more.

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Green pepper, sliced into sticks

1 Yellow pepper, sliced into sticks

1 zucchini, sliced into sticks

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of pepper

¼ teaspoon of thyme

Directions

Toss veggies with olive oil and spices. Spread out on a sheet pan. Roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Here are some meal ideas with the chicken and veggies.

First Meal

This feeds 5-7 people

Greek Inspired Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of cooked chicken, cubed

Roasted tomatoes and zucchini

1 16 ounce box of pasta shells (small shells – I like Wegman’s gluten-free)

4 to 6 ounces of crumbled feta

Juice of ½ a lemon

Pasta water

Directions

Cook pasta according to instructions on package and save some of the pasta water. Pour the pasta in to a serving dish. Add chicken, tomatoes, zucchini and lemon juice and one ladle full of the pasta water. Mix. Add more pasta water if too dry. Stir in the feta and serve. Add fresh basil if you have some.

2^nd meal – for one ( This was my lunch one day)

Baked Sweet Potato with chicken, roasted veggies and feta

Ingredients

1 Baked Sweet Potato

¼ cup of chicken, diced

A couple of roasted peppers

1 to 2 ounces of crumbled feta

Directions

Cut open baked sweet potato. Add chicken, peppers and feta. Enjoy!

Baking the sweet potato in the oven is really my favorite way to cook it, but lack of time usually means that I make it in the microwave.

3^rd meal feeds 4 to 5

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

6 flour tortillas (my gluten free favorite is Joseph’s or Mission GF)

1 to 1 ½ cups of cooked chicken, chopped

Roasted green and yellow peppers

8 to 12 ounces of shredded cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray sheet pan. Place cheese, chicken and peppers on one half of each tortilla. Fold other side over and cook about 6 to 8 minutes on each side.

If there are any chicken and veggies left, toss them into a salad with your favorite dressing.

What are your favorite meal planning recipes? Here are some of my other recipes that have great leftovers to help you out during the week! It is all about making our lives easier: What to do with leftover cod, Turkey Fried Rice and Sweet Potato Two Ways.

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How to Make Rice in a Rice Cooker

About 15 years ago, I somehow lost the ability to cook rice on the stove. I could never get it to come out right. A rice cooker saved me! I bought one at Target, for under $25 and never looked back. It lasted over 10 years then I replaced it with the same one, a newer model of course, from Aroma, that I still use today. It makes perfect rice every time. More recently, I have discovered how easy it is to make rice in the Instant Pot.

Basic Rice Cooker Rice

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup brown rice

2 2/3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced (or teaspoon of garlic paste)

1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Add all the ingredients to the rice cooker, turn it on and let it cook. It will take about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your rice cooker.

You can add different spices to change up the flavor depending on what you are serving with it. I like to use cumin, rosemary, thyme or ginger. After cooking you can add chopped fresh herbs, like cilantro or basil.

When making a larger amount, I now use my Instant Pot to cook rice. I was nervous the first time I made it because it was the main part of the meal that I was serving to guests. There was no need for me to be nervous. It came out perfectly! I made a quick paella with it. Instead of Spanish flavors, I used South African flavors and added my homemade South African farmer’s sausage (boerewors), shrimp and some peas. After some more testing I’ll share this amazing recipe with you all! I adapted Everyday Maven’s instructions to help make the rice come out so well 🙂

Rice is so versatile. It can be cooked in advance and kept warm in the rice cooker or Instant Pot. It can be frozen for future meals. It can be used in so many different cuisines: Chinese, Mexican, American, Italian, Indian, Spanish and more! What is your favorite way to serve rice? Here are some of my favorites: Sheet Pan Shrimp, Marinated Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts or Turkey Fried Rice.

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Marinated Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken can be found on the dinner table in many American homes on any given night. It can be easy to get into a chicken rut, making it the same way each time. It is just as easy to change it up however – marinate it, stuff it, roast it, brine it, fry it or cook it in the Instant Pot.

This recipe was developed because I was craving spinach and artichoke dip and had some chicken breasts to use. I decided to channel some of my stress and pound the chicken breasts flat with a meat mallet (you can also use a rolling pin) and stuff it with a version of my spinach and artichoke dip.

After going through a phase of brining chicken for the last couple of years, I decided to change it up. This marinade made the chicken so flavorful! It was even better the next day! This recipe made enough for 2 dinners for a family of 5 and plus a couple of leftover lunches during the week.

Marinated Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients

3.5 to 4 pounds of chicken breast flattened

Marinade

1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme
3 Tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic

Stuffing

6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons onion, minced
6 ounce jar of artichokes, chopped
3 Tablespoons red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cooking the Chicken and Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 Lemon, juiced
Splash heavy cream
6 ounces chopped tomatoes
8 ounces Canned tomato sauce

Instructions

Mix olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, rosemary, thyme, honey and garlic in a gallon freezer bag.
Add chicken and allow to marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
To make stuffing combine spinach, cream cheese, lemon juice, onion, artichokes, red peppers salt and pepper.
Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.
Place about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of filling in each flattened chicken breast and roll up.
Heat olive oil in large heavy bottomed sauté pan.
Sear the stuffed chicken on each side and then add chicken stock and lemon juice to the pan, cover and cook for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Take out of the oven, remove chicken and finish sauce with tomatoes, tomato sauce and a splash of cream.
Simmer sauce for about 5 minutes and return chicken to pan and serve over potatoes, zoodles or your favorite pasta.

What are your favorite chicken dishes? Here are some of my other favorites: One Pan Roast Chicken with Tomato Sauce, Spatchcocked Herb Roasted Chicken, Honey Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs, Apricot Wings and Chicken Noodle Soup.

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2018 Cooking Bucket List

Before I look forward to new cooking adventures in 2018, it is nice to look back at some of the new dishes I made in 2017. Even with my small hiatus from cooking over the summer, I almost finished my 2017 Cooking Bucket List. I love to cook, so making this list helps me expand my cooking horizons each year and learn a new cooking method or learn that some things are better eaten in a restaurant.

Some things went well and others not so well. I made gluten-free koeksisters, a South African fried dough, dipped in syrup. They were delicious, although a little dense. I’m going to have to work on the recipe a little more. I adapted the recipe to be gluten-free from Cook and Enjoy It from S.J.A de Villiers, a classic South African cookbook.

The egg yolk ravioli with homemade GF pasta was also yummy, though I only made 2 because the pasta was really challenging to work with. I think this is better eaten in a restaurant!

The gluten-free croissants also were just ok. I’ll have to try again.

The Dragon Ball I recreated from my favorite local sushi restaurant (Takara) was amazing! Hint, mine is on the left 🙂 I will definitely make it again at home. Costs about the same.

The Lamb Mango Korma wasn’t exactly made from scratch, but I used curry powder instead of making my own mixture, but it was definitely one of the kids’ favorites that I will make another time and share the recipe with you.

The gluten-free Yorkshire puddings were also a favorite, thanks to Nicole Hunn’s recipe from Gluten-free on a Shoestring.

I also made some fancier dishes. The Cornish Game Hens were so tasty but not something I would make for a regular meal, but save for a special occasion. The Baked Alaska was actually easier than I thought, just very time consuming. The last thing I made was Indian Pudding. It is a cornmeal pudding that is in almost every New England cookbook I own. I combined recipes from Massachusetts: Recipes for All Seasons and NewEngland.com’s Plimoth Plantation’s Slow Cooker Indian Pudding.

I missed one item on the 2017 bucket list, homemade ginger beer, so I’ve added it to my 2018 list.

Pavolva
Poutine
GF Ouma biscuit
Mayonnaise
Ginger Beer
Crème Brulee
Biltong
GF Chocolate Lava Cake
Avgolemono – Greek lemon chicken and rice soup
GF Lobster Rolls

This year’s bucket list is a mixture of some more South African favorites from my youth, desserts and things I’ve attempted to make before but didn’t work out so well. This year I will finish them all!

Are you going to challenge yourself to make something new this year? Any good recipes to share with me for one of my bucket list items? Happy New Year!

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