Gluten Free Green Soup with pork

This is a variation of the traditional caldo verde made gluten free by avoiding the sausage. Although I believe that there is now gluten free sausage available. I was cooking this & my husband raved how good it was so I figured, I better put it down in writing.

Cook in crockpot all day or overnight

• 3-4 country style pork ribs just covered with water

Once the ribs are cooked and nicely browned with a nice brown broth, you're ready to start the soup. I generally cook soups in a cast iron dutch pan, but I imagine any soup pot will do.

Saute till soft & starting to brown

• 4 large onions sliced

Add & saute

• about 5-6 small mild peppers, 1 small hot pepper or 1/2 a regular bell pepper (optional)
• 1 stalk of rhubarb sliced* (optional)
• sliced radishes** (optional)
• 4-6 garlic cloves

Then add and cook about 10-20 minutes till potatoes are soft

• cooked meat & broth
• 4 diced potatoes (traditionally they're grated)
• 1 can white navy beans (about 15.5 oz can
• about 1 teaspoon salt
• about 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• some chopped parsley (optional)

While all this is cooking, prepare

• about 1 pound of greens. Traditionally kale is used but I really like swiss chard. Mustard greens and spinach work too. I usually just buy the best looking greens.

When preparing greens it important to wash them well. Easiest way is to fill the sink with water to let the dirt settle off them. Then cut out the rib, roll them up and cut into very skinny strips. Put them in a bowl of water to make sure all the grit is off. There is nothing worse than gritty greens. Then drain.

Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and add the greens. They will wilt. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Can add a little brown sugar if you like.

Notes:
*I have a lot of rhubarb right now & it tastes pretty good cooked in soup.
**Cooked radishes are good too.

Chicken tamales, Cuban flavored, naturally gluten free

These are very nicely seasoned tamales. I thought about putting green olives in but then decided against it. The reason why I decided to make these is that my husband brought home these most awful tamales in a jar, so to wipe their taste of my mind I quick threw together these tamales. This is a 2 part recipe containing the masa (dough) and the meat portion. In the past I've used uncooked ground pork which is very good, but I changed it to cooked ragged chicken because I had some in our freezer and my sister doesn't like to eat too much pork.

Meat portion

1. Cook in crockpot about 4-8 hours until the meat shreds easily:

• about 1 lb. (3) chicken breasts
• in some water about 1/2 - 1 inch to keep meat moist

2. Saute the seasoning until not raw, chop and add ingredients one by one. Then set aside:

• 2-4 Tbs achiote (annato seed) colored oil
• small onion
• 1/2 green or red pepper
• 3-6 garlic cloves
• 4 oz can minced mild canned green chilies, drained
• 1 Tbs dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbs cider vinegar to deglaze pan
• Shredded (Ragged) Chicken
• water that chicken was cooked in, (about 1/4-1/2 cup)

Masa (Dough)

1. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour mixture)

• 3 cups masa harina, finely ground corn flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp salt

2. Beat till creamy with electric mixer in large bowl

• 1 cup gluten free margarine

3. Alternate adding 3 Tbs at a time, dry ingredients and water while beating until light and fluffy after each addition until dough is very smooth and of spreading consistency.

• 1.75 cups + 3 Tbs lukewarm water

4. Start a big pot of water boiling

5. Make the tameles. Can use banana leaves or cornhusks but I used foil this time about 4-6" wide. (In the past I've saved corn husks from cooking corn but right now it's the wrong time of year to buy good corn.)

• oil foil well
• spread out about 1 heaping Tbs. masa (dough) leaving enough room to fold foild at least 3 times
• lay out about heaping tsp of meat mixture in a line down the middle
• fold over and make long skinny packets
• cook about 45 minutes, drain, then eat.

Makes about 30 tamales