Gluten Free (GF)/ Dairy Free (DF) Chicken and Dumplings

As a child, one of my favorite meals was chicken and dumplings.  Of course, my mom made the dumplings with Bisquick which I loved!  After I had found I couldn't eat gluten, I didn't make dumplings for several years until one day I decided I would try out a gluten free version.  I will always miss Bisquick dumplings, but you can still have great dumplings without wheat or dairy.

Chicken and Dumplings

2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut up as desired)
1/2 a small onion
2 to 3 garlic cloves
Olive Oil
4 to 5 cups of Chicken Broth (read the labels to ensure it is GF)
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Carrots

Dumplings
1 cup of GF flour (I use Gluten Free Pantry's Beth's All Purpose Flour as my regular flour substitute)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of DF butter (My favorite is Earth Balance, but you can also use Smart Balance Light)
1/2 cup or so of soy, almond, or coconut milk

Directions:

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil, then add the chicken and saute it for a couple of minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.  Bring it to a boil then allow it simmer while you make the dumplings.  To make the dumplings, mix all the dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter and finally finish by adding the milk and stirring until it is all mixed together.  Then drop the lumps of the dumplings dough into the pot and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!!

Cajun Sausage and Chicken Stew

When cooking, I take a recipe I found somewhere and modify it to fit our tastes and my diet restrictions.  Therefore, I will create my own name for it and will post the recipe as I cooked it.  This is one I tried tonight:
  
Cajun Sausage and Chicken Stew

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Link of Andouille Sausage
1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 small onion chopped
3 to 4 cloves of garlics
Salt and Pepper to taste (maybe a little garlic and onion powder if desired)
1 28 ounce can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes (I recommend Muir)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 to 2 Zucchinis

Cook the sausage and chicken in the olive oil until the chicken cooked through (at least for 12 minutes), then remove the them from the pot.
Next, saute the onion and garlic until softened.
Then add in everthing else (including the chicken and sausage), bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Of course, give a taste test before serving to ensure it is seasoned the way you like it. :)

We found it quite tasty!

Welcome

Hi, friends!  I have thought of making this blog for quite some time and have finally decided it is time to start.  After years of experimenting in the world of cooking without gluten (and now also without dairy), I thought I would share my cooking adventures with all of you. 

I was originally diagnosed in 2003 with Celiac Disease which is an autoimmune disorder that is an intolerance gluten (wheat, barley or rye), basically, your body attacks the gluten.  My symptoms went away for a time and then slowly started to return with some additional problems.  Thanks to Dr. Gerard Mullin at Johns Hopkins, it was determined that I do not have Celiac Disease but rather just an intolerance or allergy to wheat and dairy.  Once we ascertained the truth, my digestive track has been great, expect when I decide to stray from diet and indulge in too much of the forbidden substances.

So join me on my cooking journey!