Gluten Free Recipes

I feel lentils are way underrated.

• With approximately 26% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp.
• Lentils are very rich in folic acid (folate).  They contain more of this important B vitamin than any other unfortified plant food. In addition to protecting against coronary artery disease by lowering levels of homocysteine in the blood, folate helps prevent birth defects. And folate coupled with vitamin B6 (also plentiful in lentils) may help reduce women’s risk of developing breast cancer.
• Lentils contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.  (Soluble fiber is the kind that protects the heart by lowering cholesterol levels, most people don’t get enough heart healthy fiber in their diet and lentils provide an easy way to add fiber.  The same soluble fiber found in lentils also helps to moderate blood sugar levels and promote digestive health.)  Thanks to this fiber, your body absorbs the energy from lentils slowly, which helps keep blood-sugar levels even.
• Lentils are very high in Vitamin C and the B vitamins, and contain eight of the essential amino acids.
• Lentils contain many trace minerals.
• Lentils are one of the highest sources of antioxidants found in winter growing legumes.
• Although rich in amino acids, the standard building blocks of protein, it does lack two essential amino acids, isoleucine and lysine.  This means that other protein foods with these missing amino must to be added to the diet to form a complete protein.  This can be accomplished by eating lentils with brown rice or another protein rich grain.
• A single serving of lentils provides sixty percent of the daily quota for iron, a mineral that vegetarians often lack sufficient quantities of.  Lentils deliver this impressive amount of blood-fortifying iron especially when paired with a food containing vitamin C, such as citrus fruits or peppers.
• You can enjoy an entire cup of lentils and take in only a little over two hundred calories.
• Lentils are helpful for weight loss since their high protein and fiber content promote a feeling of satiety.

…. eat some lentils.

Lentil Dahl with Bean Sprouts and Watercress

Boulder Soup Works makes an amazing red lentil dahl which is vegan, organic, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

It comes in 3 cup servings for $8.

A bit pricey but well worth every penny!

We flash stir-fried some bean sprouts and water cress with Bragg Amino Acids and Bragg Olive Oil as our salad.

This was a tummy treat.

Yogurt with Berries & Almonds
Serves 1
Can be doubled | Can be halved

Oh my goodness, this week has been crazy, and the weather has been hot! Any meal where I don’t have to use the oven or stove on has been calling my name. Being so busy, I’ve been eating “on the fly”, so this dish has been a frequent choice for breakfast and lunch. It’s quick, and so satisfying, while at the same time very light and refreshing. I can throw it together in a snap, and it’s chock full of natural food nutrition! Think of this as a fresh alternative to yogurt and granola. It’s lighter in fats and calories and (in my humble opinion), much healthier for the body. The added complex carbohydrates from the optional oats provide an extra energy boost, and I love the added texture too!     ~ Susan

Ingredients:

1 cup of your favorite lowfat yogurt, Stonyfield Farms is organic, and widely available
1 cup fresh strawberries – quartered
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sliced raw almonds
optional – 2 tablespoons raw rolled oats – we love Bob’s Red Mill brand

Instructions:

If you want to make a beautiful presentation for guests or just for yourself, start with the yogurt in a wide shallow bowl, surround the edges with the berries in an artfully arranged pattern, and place the sliced almonds in a little pile in the center.

If you’re adding the oats, put them in the middle of the berries, and then top with the sliced almonds.

When I’m in a hurry I just toss it all together in a bowl and dig in!

Super easy slice to prepare...no electric mixer required. Found in an old magazine at work. This slice works equally well using regular wheat flour or ga blended gluten-free flour mix. My photos are showing the gluten-free version- use gf flour and the slice is gluten-free suitable. This recipe uses a standard size tin of condensed milk and passionfruit pulp in syrup, so there is no wastage

Easy Passionfruit Slice / BarsRating: 0Created: Aug 12, 2010 3:58:21 PM

When basil is growing like weeds in your garden or its intoxicating smell overwhelms you at the farmer’s market, what do you do with it?  I make pesto…and lots of it.  Here’s my dairy-free version. 

Pesto is a great way to capture the essence of fresh basil for using in recipes all year long.  What I love about this dairy-free version is that it utilizes Rawmesan, a vegan, gluten-free parmesan substitute made from cashews, nutritional yeast, herbs, spices and Celtic sea salt.  Rawmesan’s consistency is the same as regular parmesan, so you will get that chunky texture that is pesto’s signature.  In addition, this recipes calls for both walnuts and pignolis.  The walnuts provide a depth of flavor that I really enjoy, as well as some omega-3 fatty acids, which are always a welcome addition.  The recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio between the two nuts, but I suggest doing a little trial and error to find the ratio that works best for you.

Dairy-free Pesto

1/8 cup walnuts

1/8 cup pignoli nuts

4 – 5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, de-stemmed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Rawmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, garlic, basil leaves, salt and pepper into a food processor and process for 30-40 seconds.  Then, while the processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil (through the feed tube) until the pesto is completely blended .  Add the Rawmesan and blend until smooth.

Tip for making bigger batches: Use less salt and olive oil than what the doubled/tripled recipe calls for.

Storage tip:  For long-term storage, pour the pesto into ice cube tray wells and freeze.  Remove as needed and thaw.  The wells act as good portion sizes so you can take out only what is needed.

Serving suggestions:

• drizzled over fresh summer tomatoes
• drizzled over an omelette
• as the sauce for bruschetta
• as a dipping sauce for grilled shrimp
• as a pizza sauce (in lieu of red tomato sauce)

Some of my blogger buddies and I have been offered review copies of a wonderfully edifying new book "Pomodoro!A History of the Tomato in Italy" by David Gentilcore (NY: Columbia University Press, 2010) and we are going to blog up our thoughts about the book and cook up something wonderful featuring our favorite love apples in an upcoming roundup.


If you would like to join us with this bookish food project feel free to do so by Monday, September 13th. All you need to do is buy or borrow this new book from your local library, blog a short book review and show us a recipe featuring the glories of the tomato. Let me know that you are planning to join in the power of Pomodoro! by leaving a comment below.

My garden tomatoes are just beginning to ripen up and we've enjoyed our first heavenly tomato sandwiches, tomato omelettes and tomato-cucumber salads. Wonderful! Last year was a tomato harvest bust since we had such a spate of cold, rainy weather in our neck of the woods. The tomato plants were all blighted (and Crispy, but not in a good way) before the few watery green tomatoes we did get could ripen, so this year's harvest is being especially savored. I'll be back with a new tomato recipe to tempt you all with soon.....

This is an adaptation of the dressing in Sharon123's recipe #222767. I love the flavors of the dressing, but I wanted it lighter and lower in fat. This dressing is awesome on a taco salad.

Cumin Lime Mayo DressingRating: 0Created: Aug 11, 2010 3:14:37 PM

Very easy to make. I got this one from Mark Bittman.

Black Bean BurgerRating: 0Created: Aug 11, 2010 3:01:01 PM

Egyptian Bean and Veggie soup. Serve with warm pita and some parsley or mint garnish.

Foul Nabed -- Egyptian Bean and Vegetable SoupRating: 0Created: Aug 11, 2010 2:05:27 PM

 

Flat leaf parsley combines with garlic, almonds, olive oil and Parmesan cheese to make this version of pesto.

Flat Leaf Parsley Pesto

The full-bodied flavor of flat leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley or single leaf parsley, combines with garlic, almonds, olive oil and Parmesan cheese to make this version of pesto.  It’s a good way to prepare a bumper crop of parsley so that you can keep it a little longer than a fresh-picked bunch would last in the refrigerator.  Or maybe freeze it for a little later. 

My hubby likes a little of this on hot vegetables, like summer squash or zucchini or new potatoes, and it’s good on pasta, too.  It’s also good when spread on flatbread or breadsticks, of course. 

Parsley was always abundant in my mom’s garden in Texas.  She had such lush patches of it that the parsley threatened to take over everything around it!  Now that I live in Ohio, I’m not able to grow it like that, but I don’t think it’s the climate – I blame it on the heavy shade over most of my yard, although it could just be my lack of gardening skills.  I appreciate every little stalk of it that I can grow, and I buy it at the supermarket when I need more.

Parsley (courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

This month’s challenge by Linda at The Gluten-Free Homemaker is to create a pesto.  You’ll find this and many other ideas over there.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Almonds, roasted

1 clove Garlic

2 cups Flat Leaf Parsley, packed

4 tablespoons Olive Oil, or more

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

Combine the almonds and garlic in food processor; chop till fine.  Add the parsley; process while drizzling the oil in, adding enough oil to make a fine paste.  Add the cheese; process just till smooth.  Salt to taste.

Recipe from Bette Hagman's "The Gluten Free Gourmet" *** I substituted Bette Hagman's original recipe's chicken boullion cubes and water with with 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, to make it gluten free (boullion cubes ARE NOT necessarily gluten free). Use in place of 1 can cream of chicken soup.

Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup- Adapted from Bette Hagman's CRating: 0Created: Aug 11, 2010 12:45:22 PM

Last Sunday at the farmer’s market, there was a huge kick off celebration of apple season; specifically the Gravenstein apple and efforts on behalf  of the slow food movement to create awareness of the dramatic decline in the production o f this beloved apple.

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/sebastopol_gravenstein_apple/

Gravensteins are famous here in my hometown.  I remember as a child, everywhere I looked and played, there were apple orchards all over Sonoma County.

I could smell the cannery all the way out to my home each season as applesauce was being made.  It was both a comforting and familiar smell.  Sometimes pretty stinky too as Sonoma County folks I’m sure can attest to!

In fact, one year I remember an old childhood friend of mine, Nick Terrel and I after school one day snuck into a neighbors Gravenstein apple orchard, took a ton of apples, placed them across the road like a barricade and would hide in the bushes and watch t he cars drive by, try to slam on the breaks and not run over the apples.

We LOVED this game, and had great fun doing it every day until the neighbors caught us and called our parents.  That put an immediate end to our apple adventures!

Now, as a certified holistic nutritionist and natural chef, my passion is to show women, like you, that what you choose to put into your body directly impacts your energy, mood, immune and digestive health.

And most importantly, illness of any kind is a direct result of not honoring your body’s warning signals.  So pay attention and take empowered action when your body is asking for help.  Support your digestive health.  Superior health begins in the gut.

And one ingredient that is really good at supporting superior digestive health is APPLES.

POWERFUL HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLES

• Contain soluble fiber- pectin, a fiber that keeps the bowels functioning properly and lowers cholesterol.

• Protects against environmental pollutants. Pectin grabs heavy metal toxins like lead and mercury, and flushes them out of the body.

• Contain malic and tartaric acids, which aid digestion and are especially helpful in dealing with rich, fatty foods.

• Apples are also very high in calcium, and contain 50% more vitamin C than oranges. Vitamin C helps to boost the body’s own immune defenses.

• Apples heal intestinal infections, inflammation of the colon, diarrhea, arthritis, herpes, and viruses.

So, EAT UP and enjoy your local supply of apples with this nourishing and healing recipe:  Kids LOVE this, by the way.

Nourishing and Comforting Chunky Ginger-Apple Compote:

• 1/2 cup spring water http://www.findaspring.com/
• 1/3 cup unsulfured raisins
• 2 inch ginger piece, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 ½  teaspoons cinnamon
• 8 medium Gravenstein apples, about 3 1/2 pounds
• 1 Tablespoon kudzu root, dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water (optional) http://health.learninginfo.org/herbs/kudzu-root.htm
• 1/8 teaspoon pure stevia powder

Add water to barely cover bottom of 3-4 quart crock pot, set on low setting.

Add raisins, ginger, and spices.

Wash and core apples.  Halve, cut into ½  inch thick wedges, and add to pot.

Let apples stew in crock pot 4-6 hours until soft.

Uncover and stir gently.  If watery, remove some of the liquid, mix liquid with kudzu to thicken and pour back into crockpot, mixing gently.

Simmer and stir to thicken.  To sweeten further, add tiny pinch stevia powder.

Serve warm or close to room temperature.

I serve this over warm quinoa cerea (ancient harvest)l, chia seed pudding, or in my famous gluten free- dairy free chickpea crepes.

I’ve kept you waiting far too long for this post. I apologize for that – because  these

Looking for a few last-minute summer recipes to serve to your family and friends before BBQ season comes to a close? Well, I’ve got one for you. I enlisted the help of my friend Amanda – who’s a great cook and also happens to be a classically trained pastry chef - for a simple, healthy recipe to share with Pasta’s Kitchen readers. Check out this delicious white bean recipe that goes well with meat, fish, pork or poultry. It’s also great all by itself.

The secret to speed with this summertime recipe is using canned beans - and now with organic & low-sodium versions in most markets, you don't even have to feel guilty about it. Sounds like good eatin' to me!

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – chopped
• 1-2 cans of cannellini beans
• ½ package of grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 2 cups of chicken broth ( prefer  organic since it tastes the best)
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, wilt spinach then remove immediately to the side. Add oil to pan and sauté garlic and shallots. When soft add around ½ cup of broth. Then add tomatoes and cover pan for 5-7 minutes. Let the tomatoes get soft and start to shrivel. Then take fork or potato masher and crush the tomatoes. Add beans (the desired amount up to you). Add broth (again desired amount up to you if you prefer more that’s fine) and let it simmer. Add spinach and salt and pepper to taste.

You may want to add a little basil or thyme or even rosemary, depending on what else you’ll be serving with the meal. Buon appetito!

 

I found the most cutest bundles of baby asparagus the other day, and just had to purchase them.   The next choice was what to do with something so special.  Something simple in flavour and combination.  A quick panfry with a few other ingredients so as not to hide the tenderness of the stalks was needed.  Red capsicum, shaved haloumi strips, squeeze of lemon, fresh cracked pepper and a handful of mint leaves all tossed in for a tasty snack to highlight those cute little stalks.

 

Baby Asparagus, Mint and Haloumi

Serves 1 – 2

1 bundle of baby asparagus, whole with ends trimmed

1/2 red capsicum, cut in strips

6 shaved strips of haloumi (vegetable peeler lengthwise)

1/2 lemon, juiced

fresh cracked black pepper

handful of fresh mint leaves, torn

In a non-stick pan, pan-fry asparagus for a few minutes.  Add in capsicum strips.  Pan-fry, tossing for a few minutes more.  Add haloumi strips.  When haloumi has browned, add lemon juice, black pepper and let cook for a minute longer.  Remove from heat and toss in mint leaves.

Serve as a side dish for two or a tasty snack for one.

Goodness shared from Donna