Cheddar & Cauliflower Soup

Yields 8 Cups, Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:

Kosher Salt
1/2 Head Cauliflower (about 1 pound) Cored and cut into 1 1/2 florets.
2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter
1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced small
1 Medium Clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbs. of your Favorite Gluten Free Flour
1/4 tsp. packed, freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Cayenne
2 Cups lower-salt, Gluten Free, Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
4 Cups Grated Sharp or Extra-Sharp White Cheddar (about 14 oz)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the cauliflower until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Trim the stems from 18 of the cauliflower pieces and cut the crowns into mini florets about 1/2 inch wide; set aside. Reserve the trimmed stems with the remaining larger pieces.

Melt the butter in a 4 quart saucepan over med-low heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 10-12 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until the aroma subsides, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the GF flour, nutmeg and cayenne and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth, cream and 2 Cups Water. Add the thyme and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cheese until melted and simmer for 5 minutes to develop the flavors.

Remove and discard the thyme stems and stir in the larger cauliflower pieces and reserved stems. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the mini cauliflower florets and reheat gently before serving.

*Variation*

To dress up this rustic soup for a special occasion, garnish with a combination of 3 Tbs. toasted chopped walnuts, 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, and 1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest.


Original recipe from FineCooking.com & Modified to be Gluten Free by Charis Creations.

GF Chili

So Spring has almost sprung, but it's still not too late to enjoy one of our winter favorites-- Gluten Free Chili!

One cold winter night I was searching through my pantry wondering WHAT I was going to make for dinner. I am a bit of an experimenter with fancy meals and outrageous recipes, but that night I just wanted something quick and simple to make that would warm us to the bone and rid us of our winter chills. I called up a girlfriend of mine and asked for some suggestions. When she mentioned CHILI, that was all I needed to hear. I hung up the phone at got to work on what would become one of my family's favorite meals. On top of it's great taste, it's affordable and easy to make too!


What You'll Need:

1 1/2 pounds of 95% Fat Free Ground Beef
2 Cans of Red Kidney Beans
2 Cans of Pinto Beans
1 Can of Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can of Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2-3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cayanne Pepper
Salt (if needed)


What To Do:

In a large skillet, lightly brown the ground beef until cooked most of the way through. Drain the beef and return pan to the stove.

Add to beef both cans of kidney beans, pinto beans, stewed tomatoes and tomato paste. (Be sure to drain liquid from the cans of beans before mixing with beef). Stir together. Add in garlic, chili powder and cayanne pepper. Simmer on medium for about 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to seep into mixture. Remove from heat and serve. Add salt if needed.

Enjoy!

Charis Creations' Recipe Conversions

Do you have a favorite recipe that just isn't working out gluten free? Send it to Monique and I via email and we will do our best to convert it for you. Just click on the "Contact Us" tab and send it on over!

Sometimes recipe conversions are a simple adjustment, other times it is a complete overhaul. We will try to turn them around within 30 days. Recipes that are converted may show up in our Gluten Free Cookbook, (All rights reserved).

Also if you have a story on why this recipe is special to you send it along and who knows, we may just feature it on our site!

Thanks! Krista and Monique

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

10 cups Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tbsp Buckwheat Flour

1Tsp Ground Cinnamon

½ Cup Water

2 Cup Gluten Free Oats (make sure the label says "gluten free")

2 Cups Buckwheat Flour

2 Cups Brown Sugar, firmly packed

½ Tsp Baking Powder

½ Tsp Baking Soda

1 Cup Butter, melted

Here is What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Placed sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan

(I love Pampered Chef Stoneware for this!!)

Mix the granulated sugar, 1 tablespon buckwheat flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all. Combine gluten free oats, 2 cups buckwheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes or until apples are soft and tops are browned.