Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds of thickly sliced ham.
3 tablespoons of butter
6 Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thin Crackers – ground to crumbs
1 ¾ cups beef stock
1 ½ cups cream
1 tablespoon grated horseradish (preferred) or 1 ½ tablespoons hot prepared horseradish (like jalapeños, horseradish can burn – wash hands thoroughly after grating)
1/3 cup of Blue Diamond slivered almonds
½ teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter over medium low heat. Add crumbs, stir to form a roux. Keep heat low and mix constantly to prevent browning. Slowly add stock while stirring. Simmer and stir for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens. Pour in cream then add salt, sugar, and horseradish. Stir. Add slivered almonds and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.

Serve over thick slices of ham.

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients (shrimp and salad):
1 lb OLA! Raw Peeled & Deveined Shrimp
2 garlic cloves (minced)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb mixed greens
1 ripe avocado cut in slices
1 orange, peeled and cut in slices
1 jicama, peeled and cut Julianne style
1 red pepper cut Julianne style

Ingredients (Lime Cilantro Dressing):
2 limes (juice)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch oregano

Instructions:
Shrimp:Whisk together garlic and olive oil in large bowl. Add Shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate 1 hour. Grill Shrimp 3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on low speed until smooth.

Salad: Toss together mixed greens, avocado, orange slices, jicama, red pepper and 1/2 of the lime-cilantro dressing. To serve:Divide salad on 4 plates and place 4 grilled shrimp on top of each salad. Drizzle remaining lime-cilantro dressing over top of shrimp.

Ingredients

½ pound of hamburger
Salt and Pepper
½ cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
Gluten-free Ranch Dressing
2 Roma tomatoes sliced into 12 rounds
12 Blue Diamond Country Ranch Nut-Thin Crackers

Directions
Make twelve (12) small balls with hamburger and press into small patties.

Salt and pepper skillet and fry hamburgers.

Line up crackers. Place tomatoes on crackers and sprinkle on cheese. Place hot sliders on top of cheese and crackers. Place dollop of Ranch on top of patty and finish with more cheese.

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.
Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
Bake for another 15 minutes.

So what are the benefits for spatchcocking a bird? Well, let’s see. It’s cooked in no time, really easy to prepare, lays flat so you don’t need a big oven and you can cook other things in the oven at the same time. Oh, and it’s a lot easier to carve. I’m sold. How about you?

So what do you need to spatchcock and what exactly does that mean? Well, all you really need is a pair of poultry shears or sturdy kitchen shears, a cookie sheet with sides or a jelly roll pan, and a little muscle. Spatchcocking is just a funny sounding term for cooking a whole chicken or turkey by removing the backbone and splaying the bird out flat. That’s it.

Now that I’ve taken the mystery out, don’t let on to your guests that’s all it is. Just use this fancy term and impress your guests.

Ingredients:
Stuffing for under the skin
2 cloves organic garlic diced
8 ounces mushrooms sliced- I used cremini
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp Kala Jeer- if you don’t have this just omit it.
Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Bird and basting:
large organic whole chicken- I had a 6 pound bird
2 TB Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TB Course Celtic Sea Salt
1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions:
First you want to make the stuffing that will be placed between the breast meat and the skin. While this tastes good with the chicken, I wouldn’t use this same stuffing for a turkey. Saute your garlic in a little oil on medium high. You want the garlic to release it’s oils and then remove it from the pan before it browns. You don’t want to burn garlic, it tastes really bad.

Next toss your sliced mushrooms in the pan and saute until brown. Remember not to salt your mushrooms before they brown. It will release the moisture in the mushrooms and then they will steam instead of brown. When you’re happy with the mushrooms mix in the rest of the spices, add the garlic back in and combine. Take off the burner and let cool.

Now lets prepare the bird. First preheat your oven to 4500.

Wash and dry your bird.

Next you want to take your kitchen shears and cut the backbone out of the chicken. Cut straight down both sides of the bone beginning at the tail. If you hit a tough spot try using the tip of the shears.

Now you that you have it cut open make sure it’s dry inside. You can also take out any extra fat and if there are any leftover giblets.

Then you want to turn it over and break the breast bone. To do this you’ll want to make sure you have leverage. For me that was standing on my step stool. Place your hand on one side of the breast, close to the breast bone. Now push down until you hear a crack. This will take a little elbow grease. It will be easier if you utilize that leverage.

Transfer the bird to your rimmed baking sheet. Let your bird rest for 30 minutes. While it’s resting mix together your basting mixture.

For the baking sheet, I used parchment paper but if you want to be able to deglaze the pan for juices to make a sauce or gravy, don’t use parchment or foil.

Time to stuff the bird. Using your fingers first and then a knife if needed, make sure you can have space between the breast meat and the skin. Sometimes it will take a knife to get through that filmy skin. Take the cooled stuffing between your forfinger and middle finger and slide it up under that skin.
Time to oil up the bird. Take the oil, salt and pepper mixture and baste the chicken. You will want to do this again half way through the cooking process. For my turkey I’ll add in paprika for that deep color.

Roast at 450 degrees until the thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees. This should take around 50 minutes for a 6 pound bird. For a 12 pound turkey it will take about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Let the chicken rest 15 minutes and the turkey 20 minutes before you carve.
How to carve this bird.

First you want to cut the legs from the breast. Cut where the thigh connects to the breast.

Cut the drum sticks from the thighs at the joint. Put this on your platter and cover with foil.

Cut the wing from the breast, then slice the breast.

If you decide to cook your turkey this way for Thanksgiving too, take a photo and send it in. We’ll have a spatchcock exhibit.

For more great recipes like this and more visit Diane Eblin’s blogThe W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

This is a fast and easy recipe to make on a night when you really just want to eat and not cook. It’s gluten and dairy free and full of the most amazing flavor. This recipe will make enough for 12 tacos with leftover filling for an omelet the next morning.

Ingredients:
1 pound bay scallops
2 Purple Sweet Potatoes diced (can sub regular potatoes)
8 oz Easy Homemade Fresh Chorizo
½ red onion diced
Handful of fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Corn Tortillas, warmed

*See notes for substitution ideas.

Directions:
First thing you want to prep is your purple sweet potato. Peel and dice it and add it to a microwave safe bowl with water. Cook on high for 6-10 minutes until they have started to soften. The length of time will depend on your microwave. Pre-cooking these potatoes while you are getting everything else ready, will go a long way to getting this dish cooked up fast.

Heat your pan on medium high and then let the coconut oil melt. Add in your diced onions and cook until soft. I like to remove these to a serving bowl while I cook the chorizo so they don’t over cook. Remove the chorizo and add the purple sweet potatoes to the pan. When they have browned remove them to your serving bowl and toss the scallops into the pan. Make sure they are dry before adding them to your pan or they will steam and not brown. Although I find it difficult to brown the smaller bay scallops as compared to the large sea scallops. Warm your tortillas and keep them wrapped or covered on your table.

Once they scallops are cooked add them to your serving bowl along with the cilantro. Mix it all together and taste. You may or may not want to add any salt and pepper. The chorizo is so full of flavor and seasonings that I didn’t need anything else. You may feel differently.
At the table spoon the mixture into your tortilla, fold in half and eat. It doesn’t even need any salsa but if I were going to try some it would definitely be a Creamy Tomatillo or Regular Salsa.

*Notes:
You can substitute a white potato for the purple sweet potato. I found the purple sweet potatoes at the International Market.
You can substitute the large sea scallops for the smaller bay scallops if that is what you have on hand. Just cut them into bite size pieces after you cook them.
If you don’t like or have scallops you can substitute shrimp. Thanks Alta!
If you have chorizo that comes in a casing and it’s fresh, take it out of the casing to cook. If it’s cooked links just dice it so it will be smaller than the potatoes.
You can also use homemade tortillas which would make this dish taste even better.

For more great recipes like this and more visit Diane Eblin’s blogThe W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. whole skinless & boneless chicken breast, cut in 4 pieces
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz. sliced white mushrooms
3 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or 2 tsp. dried, crumbled
1 can (about 15 oz.) diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken lightly on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they release their liquid and soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the parsley and the rosemary. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate any browned bits into the sauce.

Return the chicken to the pan. When the sauce bubbles, reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink in the center at the thickest part, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the Cacciatore among 4 plates.

Serve with White Rice

Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

About Chef James W. Harris II

Chef Harris (of Harrah’s Resorts in Atlantic City) was trained in the culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University. He has qualified as a GREAT Guide as part of NFCA’s Gluten-free Resource Education and Awareness Training program. This qualification enables Chef Harris to assist chefs and restaurants desiring to learn about gluten-free cooking—the right way!

A former Marine, Chef Harris has seen food preparation across the spectrum. Chef Harris has practiced has his culinary arts at Harrah’s in St. Louis and, now, in Atlantic City. Before working with Harrah’s, Chef Harris worked at a number of well-known restaurants, including Outback Steakhouse, Aramark, and Delta Queen Stream Boat Company in New Orleans.

For those who go to Atlantic City and want to be certain that they can dine at a facility that is familiar with gluten-free cooking, Harrah’s Resort is the place to go.

They concentrate on building loyalty and value by being the most service-oriented, technology-driven, geographically diversified company in gaming. Gluten-free dining is part of this high level service.

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 pieces of cooked bacon
• 15 Nut Thin Smokehouse Crackers

Directions:
Mix tomato paste, brown sugar, and oregano together. Using hands, completely coat chicken breasts with mixture. Place in oiled 9 x 12 baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.
Place bacon and crackers in food processor and blend until fine crumbs.
Top with crumbs for the last 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

• 4 ounces Thai Kitchen® Stir-Fry Rice Noodles
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 6 tablespoons Thai Kitchen® Original Pad Thai Sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts
• Fresh cilantro sprigs and lime wedges

1. Bring 4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add rice noodles; let stand 8 to 10 minutes or until noodles are soft but firm. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add egg; scramble until set. Remove from skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add chicken; cook and stir until cooked through. Add rice noodles, Pad Thai sauce and green onions; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until noodles are tender.
3. Stir in bean sprouts and scrambled egg. Place noodle mixture on serving platter. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Makes 2 servings.

Variation: Prepare as directed, substituting 4 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp or cut-up vegetables or cubed tofu for the chicken.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 673 Calories, Fat 29g, Protein 26g, Carbohydrates 77g, Cholesterol 143mg, Sodium 863mg, Fiber 3g