Labor Day Recipes & Giveaway!

As I reminiscence this afternoon about past summers as a kid, I swear I can feel the sticky watermelon juice trickling between my fingers while I waded ankle deep on the steps of my YiaYia’s pool. Oh wait, that is probably because I man-handled a giant slice of it sans napkin at lunch…

Nonetheless, Labor Day is approaching swiftly, signaling the end of another season while the smells of summer are fading with the cooler breezes blowing through in late dewy evenings. Tulsa seems to still be sprouting some scolding temperatures during the day but fall is fighting in and I am egging on his side of the ring. When I hear the first sounds of college football this Saturday all will be right in the world.

That said, I am prepping and preparing for this closing event! Heat or not, I bet you will be firing up your grills with me, and I thought it would be nice to spark some menu ideas for you. If you think I am nice now, just hang on to your knickers because I have a surprise for you! You wouldn’t think that I would let you go into the Labor Day holiday weekend empty handed now did you?

I am giving away two Rudi’s Gluten-Free FREE Loaf Coupons and two Rudi’s sandwich boxes! Two lucky readers will receive one coupon and one sandwich box a piece!

“We know gluten-free school lunches can be a challenge. Our gluten-free breads R loaded with goodness; they R a tasty & easy solution to the lunchtime dilemma. And, unlike many gluten-free breads on the market today, Rudi’s GF breads contain no modified starches or gums, no artificial preservatives, and no artificial chemicals. Send your kids off to school and feel GOOD about what they R eating.” Maggie Garner from Rudi’s Bakery

Are you as excited as I am? I hope so! All you have to do is go onto my blog’s FB and “like” it and you will be considered for the contest. GF Indie ON FB Link Already a GF Indie facebook page follower? Leave a comment about your favorite Labor Day Weekend Tradition on the page and you will be in the running to win!

Below are some recipes from my blog that would be perfect to cook up for guests this weekend:

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Pepita Veggie Burger

Turkey Basil Burgers

Grilled Corn with Basil Butter

Baked Gluten Free Onion Rings

Cherry Lentil Salad

Falling for Fall Fare

Before I begin my newest post I feel as though I must apologize to you dear readers. I have neglected you for quite some time now and I appreciate you letting me know that a new post is wanted! So, with this apology, I begin my post. Enjoy.

Fall is officially here. Beautiful bursts of red and orange are sweeping across the trees, and the air is getting crisper by the day. Football has officially taken over our television sets, and I am consistently craving grilled brats and the smell of my chiminea. I try and spend as much time outside as possible, breathing in the change of the season. And with the change of the colors and weather, a change in my menu is a must. I’m saying goodbye to the bright summer fruits and chilled cucumber soup, and hello to crisp gala apples and warm spinach and feta pie.
While I took a brief hiatus from my blog, I collected a many new delicious recipes. See, my absence alas brings new and fresh ideas to the table. Your dinner table. And hopefully a little absence made your hearts and tummies a little fonder.

I am christening fall foods with a recipe that will warm up your grilling gloves and get you game ready in no time flat. Lemon & Oregano Grilled Chicken with oven roasted, sea salt rosemary potatoes. Two very simple recipes that taste simply delicious. Both are easy to make on a week night as well. And don’t we all need more of THOSE recipes?!

Lemon & Oregano Chicken
•4 free range organic chicken breasts – pounded out
•2 lemons
•Dried Oregano
•Garlic Powder
•Kosher salt

Place chicken in a marinating dish. Zest both lemons over the top, and then squeeze the lemon juice on top. Coat the chicken on both sides with kosher salt, oregano and garlic powder. Don’t be afraid to get liberal with your spices. Grilling can burn off some of the flavor and nobody likes a bland chicken breast!
Grill the chicken until well done. Be careful to grill pretty immediately because the acid in the lemon juice begins to break down the chicken pretty quick. Serve with potatoes below!

Roasted Rosemary & Sea Salt Potatoes
•10 red skin potatoes – quartered
•2 tablespoons dried rosemary or 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
•4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•1 tablespoon sea salt
•1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 teaspoons garlic powder or 3 cloves fresh garlic (finely minced)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Quarter your potatoes and place them in a mixing bowl. Add all your seasoning ingredients. Transfer seasoned potatoes to a nonstick baking dish.
Place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Enjoy with your chicken!

A Pressing Matter

Lunch time can roll around with resounding doldrums at times, especially if you bring it with you or eat at home. I personally prefer to indluge at home, in the comfort of my own kitchen, where I know EXACTLY what I am eating. Going out to lunch weighes heavily on both my wallet and waist, so I try to keep it at a minimum.
That said, what do we usually reach for at home when making lunch? Turkey and cheese, pb&j, maybe the leftovers? Not here. I like to eat just like I would if I were ordering at a deli, but without the added calories and cash. Most of us make dinner the only meal we put effort and attention into to, and leave lunch to the hair netted business cafeteria ladies or the butter smothered special of the day somewhere close to work. So, why then would you trek home for lunch when you have a delicious meal at the cafe on the corner? Because you can make it at home, and better!

Impress with your Panini Press.

If you do not have one of these little wonders, I highly suggest you put that cash you would have spent at lunch away and purchase one soon. The possibilites are endless and enjoyable. I have been experimenting with different combinations over the last couple months and have some favorites for any thirsting palette.

My experimentation also included testing which gluten free bread held up best in the press. Frozen white or brown rice breads, tapioca breads, Udi's few options, and a couple other brands I have recently come across at Whole Foods. Although I love the taste of the frozen brown rice, fruit juice sweetened bread for toast, Udi's whole grain or sandwich bread held up best under the press pressure.

Here are some of my favorite panini possibilities that I came up with recently! Just pile high on the bread and press away. You can brush EVOO or butter on the outsides of the bread to get that panini grill tattoo that is sure to impress your significant other.

Sicily Panini
Mozzarella
Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Proscuitto
Roasted Red Peppers
Salt and pepper
**I put fresh rosemary sprigs on outside of bread and pressed them in!

Loaded Grilled Cheese
Cheddar
Gouda
Havarti
Dill Weed (pressed into outside of bread)
Ham
Sliced Tomatoes
Dijon Mustard

Pesto Chicken Panini
Pesto (spread evenly on both slices)
Chopped Chicken
Mozzarella
Carmelized Onion

Twisted Turkey Panini
Smoked Turkey
Brie
Thinly Sliced Green Apple
Arugula

Tuna Teaser
Canned tuna, drained
Chopped Artichokes
Black Olive Pesto
EVOO
Squeeze of a Lemon

Savory Salmon Panini
Smoked Salmon, flaked
Dijon Mustard
Cream Cheese
Thinly Sliced Red Onion
Chopped Capers
Baby Spinach

Tom the Turkey Panini
(my basic deli delicasy)
Honey Roasted Turkey
Sliced Tomato
Provolone
Spinach
Yellow Mustard
Salt and pepper

I have many more, so please ask if you want some more lunch time panini ideas, and PLEASE SHARE YOURS!

Grilled for a Grilling Recipe

RIP to my husband’s grill… ashes to ashes, charcoal dust to charcoal dust. Let’s take a moment of silence.

OKAY, now raise a glass to the new grill taking up residence on our side patio! Out with old, in with the new. I think grilling out is one of my favorite activities. It's bonding, fun do with both friends and family, and is such a simple way to get a healthy meal on the table that everyone will eat.Even my picky son was delighted with this dish. Okay, okay so I don’t really do the grilling. My hubby thinks letting me around propane and an open flame would be a disaster but I design the menu and prep so I deserve some credit right? I am master at griddle grilling so I will keep that under my belt and let him deal with the more flammable fun.

My friends and family asked if we do much grilling at home, and what simple recipes do I have to share. The fourth must have given us a dose of grill fever. I made it a challenge to put together an easy 6 ingredient grilling recipe that was simple, but tasted complex in its flavors. Well, I think I have one that is as easy as it gets. I didn’t do extensive seasoning, it doesn’t involve a lot of ingredients or puttering around the grocery store franticly looking for a store bought gluten free marinade, and was on the table in 30 minutes. Excuse me for sounding like Rachel Ray there.

Marinated Grilled Chicken & Grilled Corn with Basil Butter

Ingredients

•2 large skin on chicken breasts (bone in or out is your preference)
•Daddy Hinkle’s Liquid Marinade (yes, it is gluten free!!)
•2 husks of white corn
•¼ cup yogurt butter
•¼ cup or so fresh basil
•Kosher salt

Directions

Marinated and Grilled Chicken

Poke holes on both sides of the chicken with a fork. This allows the marinade to soak into the chicken. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides. Place chicken breasts in a freezer bag or dish, and liberally pour Daddy Hinkle’s onto the chicken. Let marinade for at least 4 hours. The longer you marinade, the better the flavor. This part can be done in the morning, and just sit and soak while you're at work.

Pre-heat the grill on med-high to high and lay the chicken breast on the grill. A hotter temperature will cook faster and sear in the juice if grilled correctly.
Grill for approx. 4-5 minutes on one side, checking frequently to make sure the chicken is not burning. The chicken is ready to turn when the bottom side has clear sear marks and the top still is pink. Flip and grill the chicken for another 4-5 minutes on the other side, depending how large the chicken cut. Firmly touch the chicken at the thickest point to see if done. If overcooked, the chicken will feel hard without any give. If undercooked it will feel a little squishy. If cooked right it should have a little spring back.
If you are unsure if the chicken is cooked enough you can make a small cut into the thickest part of the chicken. If the center is still translucent then it needs more cook time. You could also use a meat thermometer and make sure the chicken reads 165 F.

**The chicken will continue cooking after it is taken off the grill. This is when most people overcook, because they remove the chicken too late from the grill. Once it has cooked completely through it will start drying very fast.

Grilled Corn with Basil Butter

Peel back the corn husks, but do not completely remove, and clean the threads off the kernels. Tuck the corn back up into its husk.

Grill the corn in its husk for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and take out of the husks. Shave the kernels off into a bowl. Add Basil Butter (recipe follows).

Basil Butter

Chop your basil leaves. In a food processor, or with a hand blender, combine the basil and butter. Pulse until smooth, adding a little EVOO if needed. I used a hand mixer so it helped for the mixture not to stick to the blades. I know this technically adds one more ingredient but I am sure you can let it slide.