Gluten Free & God Seeking

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Who Says You Can't Eat Turkey in February? Try Out Jeremy's Spatchcocked Turkey

    Who says you can't have turkey in February?  For several years I've been buying two turkeys at Thanksgiving so I can have one on New Year's, but this year I was out of town.  So I kept it until my son came to visit and we could celebrate three February birthdays. 

So my son told me he had a great new way of cooking turkey, and would I let him try it.  He assured me that this would be the moistest turkey I had ever eaten. I was like really? 

 For years I've been cooking my turkey in a roasting bag and I've not complained. So I was a bit skeptical, but I watched him  and took notes just in case it came out incredible.  He told me this was like a spatchcocked chicken just without the lemons. 

Anyway, after the turkey bakes for one hour, he took it out and sealed it with two layers of aluminum foil. It sat on a trivet for an hour and then he sliced it. When he handed me a piece and I popped it into my mouth, I was so surprised!   It was totally moist--much more than anything I had cooked in a bag before. 

So we did the whole nine yards for that meal--mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans with toasted almonds, cranberries, and even  a pumpkin pie.  So about 17 people feasted on that turkey, and everyone was raving about it.  My son-in-law Jer whose Italian and Greek recipes I've posted on this site (and you can some in the list below this recipe) said that it was the best turkey he had ever eaten! 


1.  Prepare spices:
(1)  Peel 10 cloves of garlic.
(2)  Mix together  spices: 1/2 cup each of thyme, sage, rosemary and any other herbs you'd like to try to make a rub of, and 2 T of salt, 2 tsp. of black pepper. 2.  Prepare turkey:  Get out a roasting pan


(1) Take out your turkey and let it sit out for 30 minutes.
(2)  Cut off the legs, wings, thighs, and each breast, but do not remove the skin.
(3)  Rinse and sit in a bowl.


(4)  Squiggle olive oil over the bottom of the roasting pan.
(5)  Scatter garlic cloves around the pan.
(6)  Rub olive oil under the skin and on the top of each piece of turkey and place it in the pan as close as you can to each other.  Some parts may overlap like a chicken wing or leg.
(7)  Rub spices underneath the skin.
(8)  Scatter any remaining spices over the top.

3.  Bake at 400 for 1 hour without a cover.  Check meat temperature and if it's not ready, roast another 15 or 30 minutes.



4.  Take turkey out of oven and put on a hot pad and seal the turkey tightly with aluminum so it can continue cooking. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

5.  Carve and put on a platter. 


 List of  chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my friend Rose)
The Real Deal GF Teriyaki Chicken  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (From a collection of my recipes)

Italian & Greek:
Make Your Own Gyros With Jer D.'s Chicken Souvlaki   (Marinade for chicken from my son-in-law)
Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore With Peppers & Mushrooms  (Modified from my mother-in-law)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken (Another Jer D. recipe)
Delicious Chicken Florentine Lasagna  (From my church cookbook)

Mexican:
Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter-in-law's  family reunion cookbook)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)
Jer D.'s Mexican Lime Chicken  (From my son-in-law)

American Favorites:
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken   (From my sister-in-law)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken  (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken (From my  church Come & Dine cookbook)
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce  ( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Summery Lemon Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Pulled Chicken Sliders  (Modified recipe from my daughter)
Jer D.'s Special Rub for Roast Chicken  (From my son-in-law)

BBQ:
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Amazing BBQ Chicken    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Blackberry BBQ Chicken - A Tasty Sauce You'll Have to Try! (Off a package of blackberries)
Ray's BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)

Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Jeremy's Original BBQ Rub For Thighs  (My son's very own concoction)

Chicken Casseroles
Chicken Divan  - (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
Chicken Pot Pie - (A combination of 3 different recipes!)
Our Family's Fall Favorite - Chicken & Zucchini Casserole with Gluten Free Biscuit Topping - -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Savory Chicken Mornay - (A classic chicken broccoli casserole from my Come & Dine cookbook)

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Looking at the Major Truths in the Minor Prophets - Did You Know Christ's Death & Resurrection were Prophesied in the Minor Prophets?

        As I was reading through all the Life-Studies of the minor prophets, I realized that embedded  in these books  were many major truths presented in the New Testament.  Even CHRIST'S INCARNATION is hidden there because in Micah 5:2 it says that Christ’s goings forth are from eternity. I read in chapter 23 of the Life-Study of Micah that this means that even in eternity Christ was preparing to come forth as a man so that He could die on our behalf.  Also in this verse we learn that the LOCATION OF CHRIST'S BIRTH would be Bethlehem.

First blossoms of spring!
       In the  book of Jonah we see that Jonah’s spending THREE DAYS IN THE BELLY of that great fish was a picture of the Lord being in the heart of the earth for three days before His resurrection.  And we know this because the Lord compared Himself to Jonah in Matthew 12:40. 

      In the Life-Study of Jonah Witness Lee also points out that Jonah's PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES in Ninevah is similar to the Lord's preaching the gospel to both the Jews and Gentiles (Matt. 12:17-21).


     Then hidden in the book of Joel are some verses about the POURING OUT OF THE SPIRIT. In the Life-Study of Joel I learned that after the Lord’s resurrection, He came to His disciples in John 20:22 and breathed  the Holy Spirit into them. And in Acts 2:1-4 we see that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was also poured out upon the disciples for their preaching the gospel.  All of this was foretold in Joel 2:28-29, 32 hundreds of years before it even happened. 

     Then I learned by reading the chapters in the Life-Study of Haggai that this prophet's main burden was to turn the Israelites from being so wrapped up in their own houses to CARE FOR GOD'S HOUSE which was lying waste.  Haggai inspired the people to give so the temple could be repaired. All of this is a picture of how we need to give ourselves to built together so that God can have a testimony through His church.

      Even many events that will occur in the future are foretold in the books of the minor prophets.  I read in the Life-Study of Obadiah that this prophet spoke about THE DAY OF JEHOVAH when God will come to judge the nations after the great tribulation (Obadiah  1:15-16). 
This is the first bloom in my front flower bed.

     Then back in the Book of Joel in chapter 3:2, 12, 14 I saw that this judgment will take place in the valley of Jehosphaphat.  Can you imagine even the outcome of this final battle is actually foretold in Joel 3:9-13, 16-21?    
 
     In the Gospels the Lord spoke many times about the Kingdom of God, and that we should pray that God's kingdom would come to this earth.  This hidden truth is proclaimed in Joel 3:16a, 17, and 21b  where Joel states that CHRIST WILL REIGN IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM DURING THE MILENNIAL KINGDOM.

     Now isn't the Bible a wonderful book?
 


Tuesday, February 4, 2020

A Winter Time Fav - Classic Date Nut Bread

Dates are so good.   I grew up in California, and loved it when my parents bought Hadley dates. My brother was born in Palm Springs, and last April on our way to Arizona, we all stopped in at Hadley's. They are definitely a  great place to stop and grab some yummy snacks for the trek across the desert. 

In the past I've made scones with dates and hermit cookies which contain finely chopped dates, but today I'm showcasing classic date nut bread. This recipe comes from a fundraiser cookbook from the first school I taught at.

So this morning one of my daughters came over, and while the snow was falling, we read out of the book we're going through and enjoyed some date bread and tea.  Ahh, now that's one of my favorite ways to spend a winter morning!



Classic Date Nut Bread

1.  Prepare dates - In a small mixing bowl put and let sit while mixing the dry ingredients:
 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of chopped dates.

2.  Prepare dry ingredients - In a large mixing bowl put:

(1)  2 cups of your favorite gluten free flour mix- I usually use 2/3 cup of white rice flour, 2/3 cup of sorghum flour, and 2/3 cup of tapioca flour.
(2)  Stir in 1 tsp. of baking soda and 1/2 tsp. of salt.
(3)  Then add 1 cup of sugar (I usually use 3/4 cup) and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.

3.  Beat 1 egg

4.  Melt 3 T of butter in a small pan. (I used olive oil yesterday, and it came out great!)

5.  Combine ingredients:
(1)  Add the date mixture to the flour mixture
(2)  Then stir in the beaten egg and the melted butter.
(3)  Mix until combined.


6.  Grease a loaf pan or you can use 3 mini loaf pans.  Bake at 300-325 for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Breads & Coffee Cakes: Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread  (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From a former neighbor)
Here's a Zucchini Bread with a Hawaiian Twist! Gluten Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Dot's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread   (From my father's friend)