Oatmeal Pancakes Gluten-free

You'll never feel deprived by this GF recipe! Just don't tell anyone and they'll never know it. Start this recipe the night before you plan to serve.

Combine these in a large bowl:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, add these to the mixture:
2 beaten eggs
2 TBS melted butter

Add in the dry ingredients all at once:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

This is a very thick batter. If you need to thin it down, just add more liquid. Cook on a hot, buttered griddle until pancakes are golden on each side. They are incredible served with fresh fruit!

I love to use this recipe if we ever have sour milk. Sometimes I will even sour the 2 cups of milk with 2 TB vinegar to make this recipe.

Creamy Chicken Curry In A Hurry

Jenny brought this simple recipe into our lives years ago. It has always been a favorite for everyone.  Family Fun magazine was the original publisher, but I don't know what changes have been made since then. It's simple, easy, and delicious. I usually double the recipe with the intent of freezing the leftovers, but there are rarely leftovers when I serve a group.

1 1/2 TB oil (I prefer coconut oil)
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 can (12-14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 TB tomato paste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes (chicken thighs work wonderfully)
3 cups packed, fresh, baby spinach

In a large skillet, saute the onion and salt in oil until the onion is translucent. Add the curry powder and continue to cook and stir for 1 minute more to encourage the fragrant spices.

Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the chicken, stir well, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Add the spinach and cook until wilted (about 3 minutes). Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Variations:
I love to replace the spinach with chard from our garden when it is in season.
I have used whole canned tomatoes and blended them for the sauce.
Fresh tomatoes can also replace the canned variety during their season. Peel and dice them.
Our favorite rice with this dish is jasmine rice, but many varieties work well.
This is a nice way to use leftover cooked vegetables, too: peas, carrots, potato chunks, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, corn, cabbage, green beans. Just add them after everything else is cooked to warm through.
I will open a can of tomato paste and then freeze the leftover paste in prepared portions for future curries.

Coconut Rice Pudding

This recipe is to satisfy the requests of my family. It is an "about" recipe, one that I put together with leftover rice after a great meal. It uses "about" so much of this or that, nothing is exact. Don't be afraid to try it; the ingredients are so delicious that it would be difficult to have a complete failure.

4 cups cooked jasmine rice
2 cups coconut milk
dash of celtic sea salt
2 TB agave syrup
2 large eggs
4 TB virgin coconut oil

Heat the rice, milk, agave, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the mixture is hot and begins to thicken, use the pudding to temper 2 large, beaten eggs. (You must temper the eggs to prevent scrambled eggs in your pudding.) Add the egg mixture back into the hot pudding on the stove, stirring constantly to incorporate. Remove from the heat and stir in 4 TB virgin coconut oil.

My favorite way to serve this dish is with fresh fruit: raspberries, bananas, pineapple, mango, peaches...but it is good enough to stand on its own. I have even been known to eat it for breakfast!

This recipe has also been very successful substituting butter for the coconut oil, sugar for the agave, milk for the coconut milk, or adding vanilla extract. It lends well to "about" if you have a little more or less of something.

Dilled Rice Salad

Perfect side dish for a hot summer day! This recipe originates from a pamphlet published by the USA Rice Council.

2 TB white wine vinegar
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 medium-sized red pepper, chopped
1/2 pound snow peas, julienned

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, oil, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl; whisk to combine well. Add rice, red pepper and peas; toss. Serve chilled.

We used brown rice for a terrific nutty flavor. I would suggest a bit more dressing to rice mixture, also. Sugar snap peas substituted for snow peas very well.

Some of our later variations included left-over cooked pinto beans, tomatoes and celery. They've all been great.