Gluten Free Entree Recipes

Yes, you are reading that correctly…noodles!!!  I am so excited about this recipe!  Not only does it have grain free noodles in it, but it has homemade broth that is full of numerous health benefits!!  Homemade broth is so easy to make, more on that later, but I wish it was available to buy frozen so more people would consume it!  Boxed broth just doesn’t cut it when it comes to all the benefits, but it will work in this recipe if that’s what you choose to use.

Enough about broth for now, this soup has noodles!!!!  Before you get too excited, those of you that still eat pasta, rices and breads, these will be enjoyable, but not as enjoyable as they will be to those of you that gave up gluten and rice pasta long ago!!!  I truly felt like I was eating noodles and the best part is, there’s only a small amount of starch in this recipe.  My mom’s chicken noodle soup was my all time favorite as a kid!  It was my birthday dinner request for years!  I remember going after more noodles than chicken and broth, so really it was her noodles that I loved!  They were thick, dense and delicious…and full of gluten!  This recipe comes pretty darn close and makes me feel like I’m getting the real thing!!

There are a couple of ingredients in this that you may be unfamiliar with.  Arrowroot Flour/Powder is the starch I use to bind and soften the noodles.  It is tasteless and often times used to thicken sauces and gravies (great alternative to cornstarch).  It comes from the rizhome plant and is pure starch, so it contains carbohydrates only.  Don’t let that scare those of you that are trying to go low carb.  There is such a small amount of it in this recipe (about 21 grams total, so a little over 5 grams per serving)!  I use Bob’s Red Mill Brand that can be found in the baking section of a grocery store or online.

The other ingredient is psyllium husk powder (or whole psyllium husks ground into a powder with a blender or spice grinder).  It acts as a thickener and binder as well.  It’s mucilage properties (gels when liquid is added to it) sort of act as the gluten without having to use gluten.  It is a soluble fiber and often found in high amounts of things like Metamucil.  Don’t worry, this will not cause intestinal distress!  There is such a small amount of it in this recipe, you won’t even know it’s there!!!  This is typically found in the supplement section of natural grocery stores or available  to order online.

I make chicken broth about every two weeks and drink a cup of it everyday.  It is so easy to do and like I said, so beneficial for so many things including healing your gut!!  It provides the body with easily absorbed minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals.  In addition to the collagen it provides (Ladies, did you see the word collagen, it improves aging skin!  I hope you are all convinced to make your own broth now!!!), it also contains natural gelatin.

Gelatin was found to be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer. Babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk. The American researcher Francis Pottenger pointed out that as gelatin is a hydrophilic colloid, which means that it attracts and holds liquids, it facilitates digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut.
(source: wapf.org)

I use a crockpot since I let it simmer for over 24 hours, but you can certainly use a large stock pot and leave it cooking overnight.  You want to use about 2lbs of bones for every 4 quarts of water.  Make sure your bones are from grass-fed animals (Us Wellness Meats is great source for tons of different bones and grass-fed meats)!  I use chicken backs most of the time and find them in a freezer at Whole Foods.  Ask the butcher if you can’t find them.  Add the bones and water to your pot and also add at least 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar (organic and unfiltered) or Coconut Vinegar(vinegar provides acid and draws minerals out of the bones) along with about a tsp of sea salt.  Use more vinegar and salt if you are using more than 4 quarts of water.  I also add some garlic cloves, a carrot, celery stalk and some onion for flavor.    Allow the broth to come to a boil and then turn down the temperature to a simmer and let it simmer for at least 8 hours, the longer the better.  Once it’s cooked, turn off the crockpot or remove your pot from heat and allow the broth to cool.  Strain the stock through a fine mesh metal strainer or with a spider and throw away what you skim off.  Place the cooled stock into glass jars for storage in the fridge (for up to a week) or pour into freezer-safe containers (not glass, they will break!) for later use. You can freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost a few at a time!

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth (homemade is best, see recipe in text above)
• 1/2 – 1 onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• sprinkle of parsley for color (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 chicken breasts

Noodles:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup Honeyville almond flour
• 2 tbsp psyllium husk powder (grind whole husks in blender)
• 3 tbsp arrowroot flour
• 2 large eggs*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and salt and pepper.
2. Turn down to a simmer and add the two chicken breasts
3. Depending on the thickness of breasts, cook the chicken completely, about 10-15 minutes
4. Remove the chicken and once it’s cool enough to touch, chop it or shred it and return it to the simmering soup

Noodles:

1. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until dough forms
3. If it seems too sticky add a tiny bit more almond flour.  It its crumbly, read my comment in Quick Notes below
4. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and spray it with coconut oil spray or lightly brush oil onto the paper and place dough on it
5. Take another piece of parchment and do the same to one side and place on top of the dough.  this keeps the dough from sticking
6. Roll out the dough to no less than 1/4 inch thick. If these are to thin, some of noodle will disintegrate. I think a bit over 1/4 inch is best
7. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut noodles into desired width and length, they will grow a bit wider once cooked
8. Place the cut noodles in the simmering broth, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until desired tenderness
9. Remove pot from heat and serve

Quick notes

*I use farm fresh eggs that tend to be a bit smaller. If your dough is crumbly after you’ve completely mixed it, you may need to add another egg or half an egg (whisk and pour just half).

Soups On!!!!

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