Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix

My grandma gave me this bread mix last month and I've been hesitant to try it... mostly due to the fact that every other gluten-free bread mix I've tried was a complete waste of time. They were all nasty. Today I decided that I would just make it. 
I don't have a heavy duty mixer or a bread machine, so I used my own two hands (and a wooden spoon) to mix the dough. I was a little worried when I let it sit for 35 minutes and it never rose. I stuck it in the oven anyway. Well, I guess it didn't need to rise in the pan because (to my relief) it rose plenty in the oven. I pulled it out, cut it, and put a big slab of butter on it, and guess what? I really liked it! I would recommend this mix to anyone. I would just say to not expect the dough to rise much (or at all) before you put it in the oven.  

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Rice

(Beware. This is spicy. If you do not like spicy foods, you will not like this recipe.)

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon of Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Rice
• Juice and Zest from One Lime
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.
2. Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.
3. Add the chicken stock and rice to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.
4. After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.
5. Add the warm rice to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.
6. Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the rice. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down.
7. Just place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Serves: 2-4

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Baking Mixes

One of the first truly delicious gluten-free goodies I ever had came from a Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Mix. It was so good in fact, that I was afraid it wasn't really gluten-free.

Each of these mixes produces a delectable gluten-free treat. I only have ONE complaint. My complaint is that the cookie mix (while delicious) produces cookies that are thin and fragile. I have better success making my own cookies from scratch with Jule's flour. 

I have no complaints with any of the other mixes. My favorite mix happens to be the devil's food cake mix.  The other day I made cupcakes from the yellow cake mix, and I think I made a wise decision not to add frosting, because I gobbled those bad boys up so fast.

I've seen these mixes in practically every grocery store I've been in, so they are pretty accessible. If you'd like to check them out online, here's a link:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free-baking-mixes