Basic White Sauce for whatever...

This is the one Mom uses that is just inside the cover of her favorite Better Homes & Gardens red gingham notebook cookbook.  It is a good start for cream tuna fish and peas on toast or for chicken and broccoli crepes.

Thin sauce: (1 cup)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 cup milk

Medium sauce: (1 cup)  (this is what mom usually uses)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 cup milk

In a saucepan melt butter.  Stir in flour, salt, and dash of pepper.  Add milk all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Jambalaya, Spicy Swamp Soup Recipe

So I get a text from my daughter. Dad, what can I make with celery and carrots and green bell pepper? 

To a toddler, just add peanut butter and raisins to the celery, or just add ranch dressing for dip to both. 

To an adult daughter, knowing that there are probably other odds and ends in the kitchen, make some Jambalaya.  Ok, she could just make some chicken noodle soup or some kind of gravy base stew or some slaw type salad, but Jambalaya sounded like the best answer last night. So, here's a basic guide of a recipe for Jambalaya. 

There aren't really many rules.  Just mix things from the "swamp" or fridge and freezer,  leftover meats and vegetables, add some spice and tomato liquid, cook up some rice. (I like brown rice for this the best but others like white rice)

Try and remember the last good Jambalaya you had and what made it so good, then take this recipe and adapt it to what you liked the most about the one you loved.  Maybe it was the spicy heat, or tons of shrimp, or the unique road kill meat inside. Anyway, here's a beginning guide......

Chilaquiles Recipe

La Fe Tortillaria makes great Chilaquiles, but I really fell in love with them in La Jolla at a taco shop across the road from where I worked years ago.  The ones from La Fe make a great quick breakfast meal where I know they will make them for me.  The ones in La Jolla didn't even have any meat and were the cheapest thing on the menu but a huge portion and sooooooooo good.  Some friends from Mexico laugh at me when I say these are one of my favorite things and lots of taco dives kind of laugh at me when I ask if they make them because they are what people just make at home usually from leftovers.  This recipe post  is more of a summary of what can go in Chilaquiles that I have enjoyed from many different people and places.

Soy Free Barbeque BBQ Sauce Recipe

BBQ sauce is always a challenge on a soy free diet.  We are of the thicker tomato based sweet BBQ liking persuasion.  The thinner, heavy vinegar based kind weve eaten in the south is not what you will find made in our kitchen.

Sorry, if that is what you are looking for.  

Two exact same looking bottles of sauce on the shelf at the same store can at times have different ingredients.  When calling the manufacturers, they often don't even know and will even say no soy over the phone when it is listed on the bottle. So... if you aren't sure from past trial and error and supplier that BBQ is safe then you have to approximate and make your own. 

I make it differently each time but about the same.  This chicken scratch is from one of the times I wrote down what I used after making it.

The basics to a soy free sweet BBQ Sauce are basically manipulating the amounts of some kind of vinegar, brown and white sugar, molasses, tomato paste or sauce, and other spices and fruit juice or vegetable additions.  Some people add liquid smoke but we've been a little wary of this ingredient because a lot of the bottles of it appear a little too mystery ingredientesque to feel safe allergen wise.  I've called a company or two and been told its just liquid smoke with no other ingredients. I'd rather be safe than sorry with this and depending on the meat we use it on, there is usually enough "smoke" flavor for us from the grill.

Nick's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

A recipe in words of a kindergartner after helping dad make chicken noodle soup.  Yes opening a can is so much easier but then you have that weird artificial aftertaste and also the ever present allergen soy.  The canned chicken we have used is only available at Sam's Club around here but may have soy in the future. If soy is an issue, please always check for the words "broth" and "enhancer" and "flavoring" along with the many other hidden allergen words for soy.

Italian Chicken Pasta Thingy Recipe

 Another chicken scratch note recipe done after making something with what was in the cupboard.  Its approximate to what is a frequent last minute can't think of anything to make so boil some pasta and quickly throw things together thingy.  Add, delete, change as you want.  This is just for ideas, although looking at it, it is probably fine as written too.

Chinese Chicken Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

Ok, so here's one of the chicken scratch notes for one of the soy free chicken stuff with noodles things we would make.  It was from one of the nights Emily liked it so I had written down about what I had done.  Sorry its as messy as it is but its been a good source of how to approximate something Chinese we would make frequently.  Cook and substitute at your own risk.

Grilled Chicken Green Salad Recipe

Just a basic Grilled Chicken with other stuff in a salad.  Add and delete as you want.

Chili's knockoff Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

OK, this is one of my wife's favorite soups on the soup and salad menu so a couple of years ago we went through trial and error of many recipes and adjustments to come up with this recipe that the family likes.  Soy free can be an issue with changing ingredients in the items listed so if soy free is your goal, then check all labels as always, and adapt as needed.  Velveeta surprised me as an ingredient that works the best.  We tried all real cheeses and it just didn't work the same so this is one instance of using an ingredient I never would otherwise.

April, 2015 Update: We just tried the Chicken Enchilada Soup at Claim Jumper last week and was it so awful, neither of us could stomach or handle more than two bites each. It was gritty and tasted like half cooded dry black beans with hard old carrots that were probably some sort of dried out corn or stale corn tortillas thrown in a food processor with enough spices to color it a dark brown.  The fried tortilla strips and few strands of chicken let me know it was indeed what I had ordered instead of a strange chili. The waiter looked at the unfinished soup and looked at us like he knew what was up. I quietly asked and he said with a knowing expression, "Yea, it's supposed to taste like that." He was a great guy and offered another bowl of a different soup to go but I didn't take him up on the offer.  I was full from lots of salad from their salad bar with lots of their hot sweet bacon dressing.  Lesson learned.

Fajita Marinade, Carne Asada

Our friend, Zulema has given us some great suggestions on different Mexican foods and this marinade is one of them.  We were talking once and I told her how I really wanted to make carne asada but couldn't because of the soy allergy problems in the family.  She shared this with me and we love it.  Add as much of any of the ingredients that you want to your taste and heat tolerance level.  Mayonaise is key to making it really work on the grill and you can either make your own or buy soy-free mayonaise pretty easily.

Remember to always check the Cholula or other sauce you add for soy allergens.  Cholula has been ok for our soy allergy family member BUT I'm not absolutely sure that it is soy free even after speaking with the company on the phone.  Please check for yourself.

Citrus Dressing and Winger's Sauce

So I don't forget the Citrus Dressing we use for Apple Pear Pecan salad or Winger's Sauce for Wingers Chicken that we don't have in Califorinia, here they are.  Not a pretty printout but since Grandma wanted the Cilantro lime dressing posted, I didn't want to forget these.

Cilantro Lime Vinegrette, Cafe Rio reminiscent

Ok Grandma, here is the dressing from Sunday's dinner.  It is similar to the cafe rio vinegrette but not really the same.  It is great with salad and meat.

Empanadas and Fillings

Yes, I make empanadas and because of soy allergy problems, I make them in big batches for the freezer.  They are amazingly helpful for lunches and times we go anywhere that we need to have something in case there isn't anything soy-free when we are out.  I used to have to reserve most of them for my daughter with the allergy or they would dissapear too quickly to replace.  Recently a new restaurant called the "Gauchito Grill" has opened near San Marcos Civic Center and has amazing empanadas and Milanesas so I can enjoy them for myself without the work.  $2.00 per empanada for myself and wife is fine to have the variety without the work.  It is a little too much to pay to put 60+ of them in my freezer though so I will continue making them at home.  We tried making peanut butter and jelly versions and its just not worth it. 

The recipe makes about 32 of them if you roll the dough out thick like my wife likes them or about 64 of them if you roll them out thin.  I like them both ways but usually make somewhere between 32 and 60 of them.  I will make a double batch occasionally but usually wind up giving up near the end and turn the last of the dough into pizza blanks or pitas to dip in tzatziki sauce for a greek meal later.

Below is a copy of the menu from the Gauchitos Grill to give ideas on other fillings and also to drool over if you are too far away to visit it.

Chicken Scallopini Recipe

Johnny Carino's and Costco both helped Cameron pay for a mission and college.  They also brought along the craving for their Chicken Scallopini and Italian Nachos.  

With their restaurants now closed in our area, he decided to fill the craving with some recipe searching and experimenting.  This recipe that he said I could post for him sounds good and he says it is. 

I still miss the Italian Nachos he would occasionally bring home from work that are some kind of fried wonton skin or noodle, but at least I have the memory.  Thanks Cameron.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Maple Syrup Recipe

This recipe brings up the reason for Mrs. Butterworths Syrup in our house.  Any ideas why???

Ok... Here's the answer. 

Uncle Jason, of course.  I'll have to comment more on that when I post the waffle/pancake recipe.

Hey Cameron,

Is this the recipe you used to cook all the time?  I think this is what you also used for a final or test in Culinary Arts in High School.  I googled the recipe and didn't find an exact match so it may have been one you taylored.  Lots of chicken breasts stuffed with things and covered in maple glazes but didn't see same recipe.  Anyway, if my memory is correct, this was good and you probably still make it.

Soy-Free Chinese Chicken Recipe

We lived in Beijing, China years ago and love Chinese food.  But... how can we eat Soy-Free Chinese Chicken? 

A lot of experimenting and imagination and putting things together to make it work the best we could.  This is the basic template of a recipe I use and tweak it depending on what we have on hand.

The kid's and my favorite Chinese food is found at Ranch 99 in San Diego.  There is an awesome walk-in counter with hanging cooked ducks, heads and all, that is at the back entrance to the store.  There is always a line of Chinese people waiting when its near a meal time.  Do the walk up counter and it's cheaper than sitting down and being served.  I don't know the current price but for less than $5.00 you get a HUGE meal in a Styrofoam clamshell with noodles or rice and 1 to 3 choices of Chinese dishes.  I think it used to be $3.00 or so and the meal comes with soup and is plenty for one hungry guy or a couple normal eaters.

Chicken Meatballs Recipe

When we want meatballs, and chicken is all we have, this is what we use.  I wish I could just buy meatballs at the store, but have you ever read the ingredients in those things?  Soy is not the only filler, flavoring, and meat substitute used.  No wonder some of them have the texture and taste of sponges.  Still, the ease of using them and just smothering them in barbecue sauce sure would be tempting if we didn't have allergy issues. 

If I'm going to the trouble of making meatballs though, I definitely make enough to freeze for a couple more meals.  They freeze very well in gallon plastic zipper bags.

Fried Chicken Recipe

This recipe changes as my bread available changes.  Costco stopped selling the good Ciabatta bread they used to.  I hope its only temporary.  I use their Rosemary bread now or have to track down Ciabatta somewhere else or just use what I have.  Sourdough bread was even fairly good once.  Whole grain bread does not work for this.

Greek Chicken Meal Recipes when Moussaka isn't available

Moussaka is my favorite but when I don't have eggplant, this meal really is a close tie.  I love this Greek meal as it is made up of the things I love most at greek restaurants tweeked to the taste of our family.  The Menu includes:
Avgolemono Lemon Soup, Greek Salad, Greek Chicken, Honey Rice, Pita Bread, and Tzatziki Sauce.
Start with  Lemon Soup if you like it.  I've had some that are kind of curdled eggy and sort of slimy but this recipe is just about right.  Sometimes we have it and sometimes we don't.

Greek Salad for our family is flexible with the ingredients but very hard to have without cucumber and if its just cucumber, that's fine.  I love the Greek Olives although the rest of the family doesn't so I add them to my salad afterwards.  The dressing is too strong and salty for some, so have it on the side to toss individual portions if you're unsure.

This recipe for Greek Chicken and Rice is so easy and I like to make double to make sure to have leftovers.  Everyone in the family also loves the Honey Rice that goes with it.

Pita Bread ( I make it from scratch but storebought works fine) is impossible for our family to have without Tzatziki Sauce similar to it being difficult to not have a good Balsamic vinegar and olive oil for Italian bread to dip in. The sauce recipe is adapted to the taste of our family and the supplies that we easily have on hand.  It tastes better as it sits and we put it on all kinds of things for the next few days until it is gone.

Leftover Chicken and salad and tzaziki sauce are wonderful the next day with feta cheese for Greek Pizza.