Saturday, March 22, 2014

My Version of Loaded Chicken from Winger's Restaurant; The Joy of Giving and Receiving

Recently, I had a take-out lunch from Winger's with several of my friends. It is always a happy day when I see a variety of gluten-free items on the menu. :)

(Photo Source:  Google Images)

Here is my gluten-free version of Winger's Loaded Chicken.  The flavor of the chicken with the bacon, mushrooms, and cheese is so tasty! I hope you enjoy it.

Bacon and Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons bacon pieces
½ cup shredded cheese
1½ tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Bake chicken and water in a 9 x 13 baking dish for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil.

3. Place chicken on plate and sprinkle with mushrooms, onions, bacon, and cheese. Microwave until cheese melts.

4. Add soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar and stir well.

5. Pour over chicken, or serve sauce on side for dipping.

Serves 4

My friend, Sheila, was one of the friends I was with when we had food from Winger's. I will never forget when Sheila made some delicious gluten-free macaroons and brought them to a cookie exchange party so I could have some cookies to take home. What a difference sharing with others can make in our lives! I feel that one of the reasons Sheila is happy is because she loves to serve and help others. Receiving a gluten-free treat from someone can bring so much joy as well!

As we strive to serve others, we may find out that it will benefit someone who is struggling and is having a particularly stressful time right now. The next time we make a loaf of gluten-free bread, I hope we will remember the following touching story told by Thomas S. Monson:

"Tiffany’s difficulties began last year when she had guests at her home for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas. Her husband had been in medical school and was now in the second year of his medical residency. Because of the long work hours required of him, he was not able to help her as much as they both would have liked, and so most of that which needed to be accomplished during this holiday season, in addition to the care of their four young children, fell to Tiffany. She was becoming overwhelmed, and then she learned that one who was dear to her had been diagnosed with cancer. The stress and worry began to take a heavy toll on her, and she slipped into a period of discouragement and depression. She sought medical help, and yet nothing changed. Her appetite disappeared, and she began to lose weight, which her tiny frame could ill afford. She sought peace through the scriptures and prayed for deliverance from the gloom which was overtaking her. When neither peace nor help seemed to come, she began to feel abandoned by God. Her family and friends prayed for her and tried desperately to help. They delivered her favorite foods in an attempt to keep her physically healthy, but she could take only a few bites and then would be unable to finish.

"On one particularly trying day, a friend attempted in vain to entice her with foods she had always loved. When nothing worked, the friend said, 'There must be something that sounds good to you.'

"Tiffany thought for a moment and said, 'The only thing I can think of that sounds good is homemade bread.'

"But there was none on hand.

"The following afternoon Tiffany’s doorbell rang. Her husband happened to be home and answered it. When he returned, he was carrying a loaf of homemade bread. Tiffany was astonished when he told her it had come from a woman named Sherrie, whom they barely knew. She was a friend of Tiffany’s sister Nicole, who lived in Denver, Colorado. Sherrie had been introduced to Tiffany and her husband briefly several months earlier when Nicole and her family were staying with Tiffany for Thanksgiving. Sherrie, who lived in Omaha, had come to Tiffany’s home to visit with Nicole.

"Now, months later, with the delicious bread in hand, Tiffany called her sister Nicole to thank her for sending Sherrie on an errand of mercy. Instead, she learned Nicole had not instigated the visit and had no knowledge of it.

"The rest of the story unfolded as Nicole checked with her friend Sherrie to find out what had prompted her to deliver that loaf of bread. What she learned was an inspiration to her, to Tiffany, to Sherrie—and it is an inspiration to me.

"On that particular morning of the bread delivery, Sherrie had been prompted to make two loaves of bread instead of the one she had planned to make. She said she felt impressed to take the second loaf with her in her car that day, although she didn't know why. After lunch at a friend’s home, her one-year-old daughter began to cry and needed to be taken home for a nap. Sherrie hesitated when the unmistakable feeling came to her that she needed to deliver that extra loaf of bread to Nicole’s sister Tiffany, who lived 30 minutes away on the other side of town and whom she barely knew. She tried to rationalize away the thought, wanting to get her very tired daughter home and feeling sheepish about delivering a loaf of bread to people who were almost strangers. However, the impression to go to Tiffany’s home was strong, so she heeded the prompting.

"When she arrived, Tiffany’s husband answered the door. Sherrie reminded him that she was Nicole’s friend whom he’d met briefly at Thanksgiving, handed him the loaf of bread, and left.

"And so it happened that the Lord sent a virtual stranger across town to deliver not just the desired homemade bread but also a clear message of love to Tiffany. What happened to her cannot be explained in any other way. She had an urgent need to feel that she wasn't alone—that God was aware of her and had not abandoned her. That bread—the very thing she wanted—was delivered to her by someone she barely knew, someone who had no knowledge of her need but who listened to the prompting of the Spirit and followed that prompting. It became an obvious sign to Tiffany that her Heavenly Father was aware of her needs and loved her enough to send help. He had responded to her cries for relief."  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/we-never-walk-alone?lang=eng

Friday, March 7, 2014

Recipe for Honey Garlic Chicken; Kristie's Example of Endurance

I am excited about the healthy adaptations that are included in my new cookbook (2nd edition).  Here is one of the recipes.  My husband actually invented the sauce, and we love it!

Honey Garlic Chicken

Healthy Adaptation

SERVES 4 

1-2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken
 breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced green or red bell
 peppers
½ cup diced onion
5-6 sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider
 vinegar
1 tablespoon butter or Earth
 Balance® margarine
½ cup honey
gluten-free corn tortillas
tomatoes, diced
avocados, diced
lettuce, shredded
ranch dressing

1.  Prepare cooked rice.

2.  Slice chicken breasts into chunks and cook in oil, along with diced bell pepper and onion.  Add sliced mushrooms and cooked rice.

3.  (Reduce the sauce ingredients by half if you don't want as much sweet flavor for the amount of rice and vegetables).   In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, add garlic, salt, vinegar, butter, and honey.  Microwave until combined and pour-able.

4.  Pour over chicken and fry for several more minutes.  Make a wrap using a warmed corn tortilla topped with cooked chicken, rice, vegetable mixture, tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, and ranch dressing.  (I also added cooked zucchini and yellow squash this time, as you see in the photo.) :)




Lately my blog posts have included some of my heroes, and today's post is no exception.  My friend, Kristie, doesn't have celiac disease, but her husband does, as well as one of her sons.  

She has a wonderful family.  In fact, one of her sons stopped to help me a few months ago when he noticed that I slid on icy roads and ended up without harm--but very stuck--in a snow bank.  They are friendly and helpful people.  

Kristie spoke before a large group of young adults about a year and a half ago and recounted what happened as her son, Tyson, was killed in an accident.  Her husband and another son were injured.  Here is a segment from her talk:


Tyson’s injuries were critical. He was intubated on arrival at the hospital, and rushed for a CT scan. During the CT scan he coded. Our good friend started CPR and was able to get his heart beating again. I was grateful to be able to be by his side.

The CT showed that Tyson had sustained a shattered spleen, multiple liver lacerations, and bone fractures. He was immediately taken into surgery. His spleen was removed and his liver was packed in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It was determined he should be life-flighted.  During the second surgery he coded multiple times and was resuscitated. I was able to be with him when he was brought into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Tyson had the best medical care that was available; including IV’s, blood transfusions, platelets and clotting factors. None of this was able to stop the bleeding. His internal bleeding was so severe that it was impossible for the medical team to replace the blood he was losing.

My husband was not able to accompany me to Salt Lake because his injuries were so significant. It was very difficult for him and for me to be separated. A family member stayed with him during the night and I will be forever grateful that they were there with him when I called to tell him that Tyson had died in the early morning hours; eleven hours and two surgeries after the accident.

I can tell you that this is not what I prayed for...I remember thinking everything would be alright but I didn't know what side of “alright” I was going to be on.

After Tyson died, kindness was again extended to our family...Looking back I am still humbled by the sacrifices family, friends, and others made on our behalf. 


Kristie commented in an email to me, "These past nine years have been filled with tumultuous moments and tender mercies.  Truly blessings come through trials and endurance...I am grateful for so many blessings in my life."  Kristie know how to endure life's difficulties with strength.  Thomas S. Monson said,  

"This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress... The poet expressed much the same thought in these words:


Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees.
The further sky, the greater length.
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.8