Light and Fresh Gluten-Free Meal!

Spring has sprung, and that means lighter and fresher meals. Danielle, Dr. Baron’s wife, has created a blog solely dedicated to gluten-free recipes. I have taken three of these recipes to create a light and healthy gluten-free meal from start to finish.

Main Course: Apple Balsamic Chicken

Chicken with Apple Balsamic Cream Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 4

http://www.pink-apron.com/

Ingredients:

-4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper,
-1 teaspoon butter
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1 half sweet onion, thinly sliced
-1 medium cooking apple (I USED BRAEBURN), cored, halved and thinly sliced
-3/4 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
-2 tablespoons apple balsamic (I USED REGULAR BALSAMIC)
-2 tablespoons whipping cream
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I USED CHIVES)

Method:

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add onions and apples to the pan and saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in chicken broth and vinegar, and cook until apples and onions have softened, about 4 minutes . Remove from the heat and stir in whipping cream. Serve sauce with the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Side Dish: Grilled Prosciutto Corn

OH CORN LOVERS!!!! HERE IS A PERFECT SUMMER SIDE DISH! START BY GRILLING SOME FRESH CORN ON THE COB. REMOVE FROM THE COB AND THEN SAUTEE IT WITH BUTTER, 4 SLICES CHOPPED PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED RED ONION, SALT & PEPPER IN A CAST IRON PAN! MMmmm!!!

Side Dish: Raspberry Lime Quinoa

A SAVORY DISH PERFECT FOR A SUMMER NIGHT….THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINOA TOPPED WITH A RASPBERRY LIME VINAIGRETTE, PIGNOLI NUTS & FRESH RASPBERRIES. Cook 1c. quinoa according to package directions. Coat generously with mixture of 1/2c olive oil, juice of 2 limes, and 2-3T raspberry jam. Add slowly (may not need it all) Add salt, pepper, pignolis, dried cranberries and fresh raspberries!

Dessert: Almond Orange Cake

Orange cake….this recipe uses an ENTIRE orange…peel and all!

Ingredients:

1 navel orange

8 ounces slivered almonds

1c. sugar

6T. soft butter

5 eggs

1/2c. King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (If you are not gluten free, regular flour will also have good results)

1tsp. baking powder

1tsp. baking soda

1/4tsp. salt

Preheat oven 350 and butter/flour a 9″ bundt pan.
Boil 1 navel orange in a covered pot and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Cool it completely. Cut orange in half, then quarters, wedges and then chunks.

Put 8 ounces slivered almonds in food processor with 2 T. of the sugar and process till fine. Put in a bowl. Pour some of this in the pan-shake around and dump what does not stick to pan back into the bowl.
Place the whole orange (allll of it) in the food processor with rest of the sugar and puree. Add the almonds and butter and process to mix. Add eggs. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process till just combined. Pour in pan and bake about 1 hour till golden and a toothpick comes out clean!

Optional: Add chocolate chunks to the batter. Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar before serving!

So try this one night for the perfect summer meal!