Easy Gluten & Dairy Free Mushroom-Chicken-Rice Casserole

This was very tasty and went together quickly. While it baked in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, so the after supper tidy was minimal. I actually used some "Coconut Dream" that I'd thrown in the freezer, and it worked really well. I think that Almond milk would work nicely too, especially if you toasted some slivered almonds to sprinkle on the top before serving. If it's a little too saucy after 45 minutes in the oven, let it bake a little longer. We were three for supper; if you're serving four big eaters you might want to add an extra 1/4 cup of rice and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Other vegetables to add might be thinly sliced carrots and peas. I'd add carrots with the bulk of the vegetables and peas (fresh or frozen) with the pepper just before it goes in the oven.

Two large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
10 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 of a green, red, yellow or orange pepper (if you like), finely chopped
1/2 cup of raw (uncooked) rice (not instant)
2 cups coconut milk
Bouillon cube/powder to flavour 2 cups liquid
Canola or olive oil

Cut chicken breasts into 1- 2 inch sized pieces. In a large, oven-safe skillet, fry chicken in oil (start with a couple of tablespoons and add a drizzle more as needed to keep the chicken and vegetables from sticking to the pan). Add onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, and vegetables are cooked/clear/browned.

Add coconut milk, rice, pepper and bouillon. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Put the covered skillet in the oven at 350*F, and bake for 30- 45 minutes, until rice is cooked and soft.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 3-4

Barbecued Pork Roast

I tried one of my slow cooker recipes on the barbecue... and it was wonderful! "South Pacific Pork Roast", from the 1976 Better Homes And Gardens Crockery Cooker Cook Book, is my favourite pork roast recipe and I am happy to find that it made the barbecued roast equally tasty. (You can make the marinade, marinate the meat overnight & cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on slow in the slow cooker.) We also tried the new Kraft "Mango Chipotle" salad dressing tonight and together with the barbecued roast? Magnificent! 

a  3 pound pork roast (my preference is a pork loin when it's on sale)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry (apple juice will also work)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/4 tsp dry garlic)
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

Place the pork roast in a heavy plastic (freezer) bag, set in a deep bowl. Thoroughly blend the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the meat in the bag. Close the bag, pressing out as much air as you can, and seal it tightly. Place the roast in the refrigerator and marinate all day, (or do the prep in the evening and let it marinate overnight).

An hour before you want to eat, fire up the barbecue; heat it up on "high" for about 10 minutes. Lower heat on one side of the barbecue to "low", and on the other side to "medium". Using tongs or a meat fork, remove roast from bag and place on the low-heating side of the grill. Discard marinade.  Let it cook slowly for 15-20 minutes; turn the roast over and continue cooking until it's well grilled on the outside, and doesn't look pink when you cut into the middle. (the times I've given are for a pork loin- if you have a thick pork roast, cook it slowly until it's done, turning when the bottom half of the roast looks brown and cooked.)

If meat is cooked before you're finished the rest of your meal prep, turn the "medium" side of the grill to "low", and turn the "low" side right off. Keep the lid closed and hurry with the rest of the meal so the meat doesn't get dried out.

Serves 4-8

Gluten-Free Mushroom Chicken & Rice

This is Company's Coming One Dish Meals' "Rice and Broccoli Chicken" revamped for my friend with Celiac Disease. Use brown rice to add fibre. Use a skinless, cut up frying chicken or chicken thighs or legs for economy.


1 Tablespoon cooking oil
2 chicken breasts sliced in half to make 4 thin pieces
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 onion powder
sprinkle of pepper
1 cup mushrooms, sliced/chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free chicken bouillon (check ingredients)
3/4 cup raw white Basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water


Heat cooking oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Sprinkle with pepper, garlic and onion powders. Brown all sides of the chicken and fry until mostly cooked. Remove to clean plate.

Meanwhile, cook rice with bouillon in water, according to package directions.

Add onion and mushrooms to the pan you fried the chicken in. Cook until onions are clear and mushrooms are cooked and browned. Add broccoli and cook until crisp/tender and darker green. Lower heat. Add cream and any chicken juices that are on the plate. Stir to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Mix cornstarch and water then stir into cream. Cook and stir until sauce begins to boil and thicken. Remove from heat.

Grease a 2 L casserole pot with cooking oil spray or margarine. (check the ingredients list on spray to make sure it doesn't contain wheat- don't use if it "May contain wheat")

Spread rice in bottom of casserole. With a slotted spoon, spread mushrooms and broccoli over rice. Layer chicken pieces on top, then pour remaining sauce over all.

Cover and bake at 350*F for about half an hour.

Curry Beef Wraps

Inspired by our English friend Toni, this ground beef dish is a winner. I have found that 1/2 pound of ground beef per person is a good gauge. Temper the seasonings to your own taste; use these as a guideline.

For each pound of ground beef use:

1 medium clove of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon citrus & pepper seasoning
1/2 can condensed tomato soup

sliced or diced tomato, cucumber, green, red and/or yellow peppers
shredded lettuce
grated cheese
Plain yogurt, ranch dressing or sour cream if desired
2 whole wheat tortillas per person

Scramble fry ground beef in large skillet. Add garlic, onion and spices and cook until meat is browned through. Drain off fat, then add tomato soup. Simmer until meat filling is thick, liquids having been reduced/ boiled away.

Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and cheese. Putting each topping in its own dish is a nice way for everyone to add what they like to their wrap.

15 minutes before serving, wrap tortillas in foil and warm in 350*F oven.

Pass the meat filling and toppings. Roll up the wraps to enjoy.

Monday Night Spagetti Sauce

This was a "make- it- up- as- we- go- along" recipe. I'll try to remember what went in it, because it was a really nice tomato sauce. We had it over Penne and whole wheat spagettini. Quick, easy and very tasty.


1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (680 ml) tomato sauce
1 can (156 ml) tomato paste
1 tomato paste can of water
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
generous 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sweet basil
2 sachets Oxo beef bouillon (or 1 1/2- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder, or 1 beef bouillon cube)

In medium sized saucepan, scramble fry ground beef. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is clear and beef is browned through. Drain.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently on low heat until pasta is cooked.

Serve with a tossed green salad and a crisp baguette for a lovely, quick dinner.

"Middle Eastern" Sandwiches

I found this recipe in a Better Homes & Gardens Slow Cooker book from the 1970's. After I'd taken out the red wine and twigged a few spices my family really liked it. Served in Pitas, these "sandwiches" are great for lunch time, supper time, company time- any time really! Makes a fun change for Sunday Dinner- and if you do the vegetable prep the day (or evening) before, you'll have a fabulous, delicious meal on the table in no time flat!


4 pounds boneless beef cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
1 x 6-oz (156 ml) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cold water*(see Note)
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pita bread pockets*
1 large tomato, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

In skillet brown meat, in oil, in batches. Use a little more oil if needed for additional batches. Transfer drained meat to slow cooker. Add onion and garlic to skillet; cook until tender. Add to meat. Add first amount of water to skillet with bouillon powder. Stir to scrape bottom of pan and dissolve bouillon powder. Add to slow cooker. Stir in tomato paste and spices. Mix well.

Cover; cook on low setting for 4 hours.

To serve, turn slow cooker to high heat setting. Blend 1/4 cup water with cornstarch; stir into meat mixture. Cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring occasionally.

Fill pitas as you would to make a taco- with meat filling, vegetables, cheese and yogurt as desired.

Makes 10 to 16 sandwiches, (depending on the size of the Pitas)

*NOTE: if you use whole wheat pitas, I guarantee your white bread loving family won't notice, so give them the extra fibre.

I serve the meat filling, vegetables and cheese in serving bowls with spoons, and we pass the fillings around, each person making their own sandwich.

To cut down on the starch a bit, plan an extra hour into the cooking time, and remove the cover for the last hour before serving. Turn the heat to high and let it simmer and steam; this should allow for some natural evaporation of liquid, causing the sauce to thicken without so much cornstarch being needed. If, after an hour, the sauce is still too runny, try 1 Tablespoon water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch at a time to thicken it up.

Coconut Beef Curry

"This slow-cooker stew is perfect for family meals yet fancy enough for entertaining. Red curry paste is popular in Indian and Thai dishes and can be found in the Asian food section of the supermarket. If you can't find it, use curry powder instead. Serve with hot cooked couscous or basmati rice." So saith the intro to this amazing beef dish that I found in a Beef marketing pamphlet in the meat section at my grocery store. Try it. It's a little bit different, and just slightly exotic.

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable/ canola oil
2 lb (1 kg) beef simmering steak (e.g. Cross Rib, Blade or Top Blade- although any beef roast or steak will do, including stewing beef)
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) paprika
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red curry paste (or 1 Tbsp/ 15 ml curry powder)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (you could leave the peel on to add a bit of fibre)
1 lb (500 g) baby carrots, peeled (or regular carrots peeled and cut into chunks)
1 can (14 oz/ 398 ml) coconut milk (not sweet coconut cream)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried apricots, sliced
toasted silvered almonds or chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large nonstick skillet. In batches, cook beef strips for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Add onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, curry paste and cinnamon; saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

2. Transfer mixture to 14- 24 cup (3.5 -6 L) slow cooker; stir in potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, tomato paste, salt and 1/2 cup (125 ml) water.


3. Cook, covered, on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours or until bubbling and vegetables are tender. Stir in apricots; cook for 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds or cilantro if desired.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Barb Wirsta is a good friend and Home & School parent, and she submitted this recipe, which can be found in "Our Family Recipes", the Princess Margaret Home & School Association cookbook. She calls it "An easy fix for supper tonight!"

Approximately 1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 or 2 cans, (or 1 - 2 cups frozen vegetables)
1 cup macaroni or other dry pasta
2 cans cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup
2 soup cans of milk or water
salt and pepper to taste

In a deep pan, brown ground beef. Drain excess fat. Add frozen or canned (drained) vegetables, dry pasta, cans of soup and milk or water. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Cover, reduce temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir often. When pasta has softened, remove cover and let cook a bit more until the mixture is the consistency that you desire. Remember to stir so as not to let it stick to your pan. Serve with a simple tossed salad.

VARIATIONS: Choose different types of soups, pastas and/or vegetables. I've even tried it with cream of tomato soup and canned tomatoes (drained) and long-grain rice. You can even drop some Cheez Whiz or grated cheese on top before serving. If you decide to use fresh veggies... mix them in after the pasta has softened.

Pizza Bun Mix

An excellent mixture to have on hand in the freezer. Turns day old buns into a real treat.

1 large onion, finely chopped
2- 340 g. (12 oz) cans luncheon meat such as Klik or Prem, grated separately
1- 300 g package cheddar cheese, grated (about 3  1/2 cups)
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. garlic
1- 10 oz can condensed tomato soup

Grate one can of luncheon meat into a large skillet or frying pan, and fry it together with the onion, until meat is crisp and onion is clear. Drain well.

Add second can of grated luncheon meat, cheddar cheese, spices and tomato soup. Simmer and stir together to melt cheese.

Refrigerate up to a week, or store in the freezer. Freeze in 1 cup containers, and thaw in the fridge- or microwave until the mixture is spreadable.

To make pizza buns: Spread halved buns with Pizza Bun Mix, and place (Mix side up!) on a baking sheet. Bake at 350* F, until buns are toasted and Pizza Bun Mix is bubbly; 5-10 minutes. For less crisp Pizza Buns, place prepared buns on baking sheet under the broiler for 3 - 5 minutes, until tops are bubbly and edges of buns are crisp.

Fish Cakes

I found this recipe in a Kraft "What's Cooking" magazine. Everyone liked it, so I've made it several times. Fairly quick, very tasty. The patties can be shaped ahead of time, and cooked just before supper.

Mix together: 1 package Stove Top Stuffing, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 cans salmon (large bones and skin removed), 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup chopped green onion.

Cover, and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Shape into 12 patties, and fry in greased pan (sprayed with vegetable spray) at medium heat. Cook 3 minutes per side, turning carefully.

You can form the patties into fun shapes for kids- fish or triangles or squares... just to be different!

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

Make Sweet and Sour Sauce, and add cooked chopped chicken breast or boneless pork. Leftover roast pork is very nice when it's done up in a sweet & sour sauce. Very nice served with rice.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

...detailed instructions for the uninformed... or my children who have left home!


SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS: Season your uncooked, ground beef with a package of onion soup mix (a pound - a pound & a half per package soup mix), OR with 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt, and a liberal sprinkling of pepper. Shape seasoned ground beef into balls. Cook meatballs in skillet (frying pan) until they're brown. (If you don't want to bake them for an hour, make sure the meatballs are cooked right through- until there's no pinkness in the middle of them. Cut the biggest one in half to make sure it's cooked in the middle) Remove meatballs to a casserole dish. Drain fat from skillet. Use the skillet to make the Sweet and Sour Sauce. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the casserole dish. Bake meatballs in sauce at 350*F for an hour, (while you make the rice and wash the pan!). You can also make the meatballs and sauce ahead- the night before or in the morning, and leave it in the fridge. Just microwave it at suppertime til meatballs are hot and sauce is bubbly. I've also made sweet and sour meatballs, and instead of putting them in a casserole pot I've left them in the slow cooker on Low heat all day.

Aunt Helen's Sweet And Sour Sauce

For Hillary. When I asked my Mother-in-law for her so-good sweet & sour sauce recipe she said it was her Aunt-in-law's, and agreed that it was a most excellent one. The bonus? It's easy and versatile too. I've used it for S & S pork, chicken and meatballs. Try it. You'll like it.

1/2 cup each white sugar, packed brown sugar and white vinegar.
1 Tablespoon each cornstarch and soya sauce
3/4 cup water

Blend the sugars and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in vinegar, soya sauce and water. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer together til sauce thickens and turns clear.*

Add leftover meat (chicken, pork or beef) and serve with rice, or as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

*If you're planning Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pork or Meatballs in the Slow Cooker, mix the sugars, vinegar, soy sauce and water together well, and pour over browned meat in Slow Cooker. Leave it, on Low setting, for 8- 10 hours. Meatballs should be pre-browned and well drained, to eliminate most of the grease. Lean chicken or pork can be placed uncooked in the Slow Cooker and covered with sauce. 15- 20 minutes before serving (while the rice is cooking) mix cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water together, and stir into sauce in Slow Cooker. Stir often, until thickened.