Divine Chicken and Rice

Let me introduce you to a chicken and rice recipe that just might make you throw out your old recipe card. This recipe is so delicious it could only be called "Divine".  My recipe closely follows one I found on Simply Recipes . I really think you are going to enjoy the small changes I have made.

Divine Chicken and Rice 
2-2 1/2lbs.
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/3 chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream
1 cup raw medium or long grain white rice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. herbs de provence
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.


2 In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.


3 Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.


4 Add 1/4 cup dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let the wine reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat.
Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, wine, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the herbs de provence and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.
Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Serves 6 (with leftovers)
adapted from Simply Recipes Chicken and Rice Casserole

I must admit I have even eaten this dish cold from the fridge. It's that good! Enjoy!

Gluten Free and You Digest: June 2011

The Gluten Free and You Digest is a post in which I like to wrap up the month's events in a neat little package. Of course there are so many headlines bursting about gluten free awareness I will not get them all. That's where you come in. If you dear reader saw an article recently that you believe is noteworthy I invite you to comment about it in the comment section below this post.

I was diagnosed 3 years ago in June. If you have been diagnosed and really don't know which way to turn for help there are some really great resources. Through the University of Chicago you can not only get information about celiac disease but also by meeting certain criteria you can get a Gluten Free Care Package.

The National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse website is another source that is very user friendly and very informative. I recommended this website to my son's elementary school administration when he was diagnosed.

I am pleased to post that the prestigious Philadelphia Award was given to Alice Bast, Founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness  (NFCA) for her dedication to raising celiac awareness. Gluten Free and You would like to congratulate Ms. Bast on her award and thank her and the staff of the NFCA for their commitment to raising funds for research, education and screening.

Bast will be given the award, along with the $25,000 prize that comes with it, on May 17th, 2011. source: The Gluten Free Bulletin

 The following is the Mission and Vision Statements from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Mission:

To be the leading organization in raising awareness for celiac disease and gluten intolerance that will facilitate research, education and early diagnosis, and improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by this autoimmune disease.

Vision:

We envision a world in which:

• Celiac disease is widely recognized as one of the most common hereditary diseases.
• Better, more accurate, and cost-effective screening methodologies are available and in use.
• A pharmaceutical cure is in place to prevent the onset or mitigate the effects of this autoimmune disorder so that men and women suffering from celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis can lead a normal life

 One last current event to share is that Sarah Jane Smith, one of the the NFCA's Celiac Disease Athletes for Awareness played this past weekend in the LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans in Rochester, NY. According to the  LPGA Season Overview, Sarah has had seven starts and one top ten finish. Congratulations Sarah!

"I changed my diet because Celiac disease runs in my family. Earlier this spring, I stopped eating wheat or gluten. I cut out bread and pasta and it's really helped. I feel better on the course and the new diet has given me more energy. It requires a lot of planning, though. You can't just grab a sandwich when you go out on the course. Now, I eat a lot of gluten-free energy bars, fruits and nuts, and rice cakes with wheat-free peanut butter." ~Sarah Jane Smith source: Gluten Free  NYC 

Voila! A New Feature

Flowers & Herbs

I just added a new feature you may find useful. It's called Linkwithin. This gadget pulls other posts from the archives and features them at the bottom of each post entry. What I have found to be fun is, say you are looking for a dinner option or even a side dish and then voila at the bottom of the post you find a great dessert. You might find an article that I posted a week or a month ago that you missed but find relevant to you that day.  I hope you enjoy and take advantage of this new feature. Feel free to comment here on the blogspot, on facebook or shoot me an email to glutenfreeandyou@gmail.com and tell me what you think of this new feature or the blog itself, after all it's about Gluten Free and You!

P.S. Did you notice the new poll question in the sidebar???

Gluten Free and You Delivers

bazaardesigns.com

I have been asked by Readers of Gluten Free and You to enable delivery of posts via email. I set this feature up a week ago, but wanted to give it a test run. After successfully receiving the most recent posts I am happy to announce that for those that wish to receive posts by email you may do so by entering your email address in the new "Follow by Email" gadget located in the sidebar courtesy of Feedburner by Blogger. As always your privacy is just that, YOURS.  The only email from GFY you will receive are new posts. Nothing will be delivered if I don't post something new.
Another new feature is the print button at the bottom of posts. This "Print Friendly" button is most useful if you would like to print a recipe or send a recipe to a friend. I hope you like and use these new features. All I ask in return is that you give credit where credit is due.  I strive to be an honest blogger and always site my sources. I want folks out there who have worked hard at creating recipes to receive the proper respect. As a blogger it is my duty and my pleasure.  As always thank you for stopping by and come again soon.
P.S. Reaction tabs located at the bottom of posts are a quick way to give feedback without taking time to comment, but comments are most appreciated. Bye for now :)

Quinoa Egg Salad

Dear Reader,
I am entering Quinoa Egg Salad in The Gluten Free Homemaker's  Monthly Challenge for June. Wish me luck on getting picked to have this recipe displayed on Linda's fabulous blog.

Recipe Tip: I made enough for one serving, but this recipe can easily be doubled even tripled.

1/2 cup cooked  and cooled quinoa

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste, enjoy!
 Reprinted from original post dated 5/24/10.

GFY Goes International

According to Blogger Stats the GFY blogspot has been visited by folks in 10 different countries.  A year ago this little blog began as a way to chronicle my families' adventure in gluten free living. I wanted to have a place to keep recipes that I teach my children so that someday they will feel comfortable in the kitchen and hopefully continue to enjoy foods they grew up with.

Since then I have tried to include product reviews and gluten free news in the way of current events. I never dreamed people in 10 countries would visit.  I am honored that people from so many different walks of life would read something on my blog. Spreading gluten free goodness is so much fun. As always thank you for stopping by and come again soon.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

From the editors of Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Country Living, a magazine called 125 Best Blender Recipes is on newsstands now. In this magazine I found a most unexpected smoothie.  My recipe was inspired by one I found in the magazine. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
servings 1


1 ripe banana 
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
3 ice cubes
In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until mixture is smooth.

The magazine offers a tip for a thicker, colder smoothie. Use a banana that's been cut into chucks and frozen for up to a week in a sealed container.