Soup and Swine...

'Sup Peeps?

How have you all been? Sorry for my inconsistent posts. A lot has been happening in this Gluten Free household. My little sister contracted Swine Flu. Thank God, she is recovering quite nicely. And, I have been working pretty much non-stop. My body has been craving extra sleep for about 5 days now, and I have been listening. I was also craving a cup of coffee when I woke up. I know, I know... I gave up coffee for Green Tea. Well, I wanted coffee this morning. You've got to live a little!

Yesterday, I started my morning with a small bowl of Gluten Free Corn Flakes and Almond Milk.

A strength workout, focusing on my core strength, followed.
Lunch was a simple, but stupendous affair consisting of Cold Shrimpies with BBQ dipping sauce (I didn't really end up using much, if any.) Steamed Broccoli and Carrots, a few Diced Tomato Slices, and Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

GF Guy and I LOVE Sweet Potato Fries. Can you believe I had never eaten a sweet potato before going gluten free?! Crazy, right? I also ate a delectable organic peach.

Anyway, I worked the closing shift at the health store. Then, I rushed home to prepare dinner. GF Guy began the veggie chopping and bagel defrosting for me. He's the best!
Before I get to the recipe, I want to do a product review for the BEST Gluten Free Bagels on the planet. Seriously, I am not exaggerating.
Joan's GF Great Bakes

A while back, the wonderful Ken, of Joan's GF Great Bakes, sent me a few products to try. I loved their English Muffins (see review here) and Chocolate Chip Cookies (see review here). But, nothing could have prepared me for the gloriousness of Joan's Bagels. Why, oh why, did I leave them sitting in my freezer for so long? Joan's Bagels are shipped frozen and uncooked. However, they are extremely simple to prepare. You simply defrost and bake for 22 minutes at 425 degrees. Voila, Bagel perfection!

Pros: Texture, Springy-ness, Taste, Convenience, Ease of Preparation
Cons: I have to mail order mine
The Verdict: on a scale of 1 to 5 YUMS; 5 YUMS That's right... 5 YUMS! I have never given a product a full 5 YUMS before.
Joan's GF Great Bakes Bagels are by far the best gluten free bread product I have ever tried. GF Guy even declared them better than "real" bagels! He practically inhaled his. If that isn't a testimony to the brilliance of these bagels, then I don't know what is! The bagels come in a variety of flavors- Plain, Everything, Egg Onion Poppy, Sesame, Poppy, and Cinnamon Raisin. You can also order any flavor of bagel Dairy Free! Thank you so much, Ken, for giving me the chance to try Joan's GF Great Bakes products. All you gluten free readers out there, order yourself some Joan's products. Trust me, they will change your life!

Now, on to dinner. I was craving soup and a bagel (obviously). So, I converted an old favorite Rachel Ray recipe to suit my gluten free needs. Here is my version of Ms. Ray's Chicken In a Pot, No Pie. This is a great, quick, week night soup recipe. The picture may not look like much, but trust me on this one. This is a thick hearty soup. I just like mine extra with a lot of broth for dipping purposes! :-)

Chicken In a Pot, No Pie... Please (my version is more polite!)


Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Dairy Free Butter Substitute
- 2 Idaho Potatoes, skin left on and diced
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 2 ribs Celery with leafy green tops, finely chopped
- 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 Bay Leaf, fresh or dried
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Sorghum Flour
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 5 cups Chicken Stock (I use low sodium)
- 1.5 pounds organic, free range Chicken Tenders, chopped
- 1 small bunch Pencil Asparagus, cut off woody ends and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 5 sprigs, Fresh Tarragon (key ingredient!)

Heat a medium soup pot over med-high heat.
Add oil and butter substitute. Melt together and add potatoes, onions, celery, and carrots, adding them to the pot as you chop them.
Add bay leaf and season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, cook 5-6 minutes. Add sorghum flour and cook another minute, then whisk in the white wine and cook a minute more.
Add stock. Put a lid on the pot and raise heat to bring it to a quick boil.
Slide in the chicken and cook 5 minutes.
Stir in the asparagus and cook 3 minutes more.
Turn off the heat and add the frozen peas and fresh tarragon.
Stir to combine and adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Dessert was a bowl of Roasted Banana Coconut Ice Cream

and a crumbled Soft Baked Brownie Cookie from Enjoy Life.

Nummy!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!