Impromptu Mexi-veggie Stew

I recently got a root canal in one of my front teeth due to a sporting accident when I was teen, long story.  Well, unfortunately, it means I can't eat anything that needs my front teeth to bite, rip or chomp. So soup, a lot of soup.  Today I brought a can of wonderful gluten free soup that I enjoy at home when I can add cheese and spices but in my office directly out of the can and heated in the microwave was less than uplifting.  Instead of moping, I took action and swung by the grocery store and concocted a fun filling easy to chew chunky stew on the spot...and it was delicious!   The photo to the right is really bland looking because I stewed it for extra long to make sure everything was nice and soft.  Chop off 15 minutes and the veg will be brighter and crisper.

I'm calling it Mexi-veggie Stew because I was in the mood for Mexican, although, I will admit, that there are several at least 2 items in the stew that are not very Mexi at all.

Sauteed Veggies, Fried Eggs and a Rice Tower

This last weekend I was a bit under the weather and wanted something hearty but not too heavy.  I originally thought to Tortilla Espanole but that was too much work and I am horrible at flipping it.  I then remembered an amazing dish I would eat while studying abroad in Madrid. It was essentially a tower of rice covered in tomato sauce with a soft boiled egg hiding in the center.  it was easy and delicious. I thought I would recreate it with my own twist.

I made 2 cups of plain white rice in the rice cooker and while that steamed away I sliced up  some kale and spinach, onions, garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, and some mushrooms and sauteed it all in a  cast iron pan with some extra virgin olive oil.  I put in the onions first so they would brown and then added everything else so the spinach would not get too soggy. I liked using the cast iron for this because it get nice and hot and it would also be great for the eggs.  While everything was sauteeing, I tossed in some sage, paprika and basil.

No-Noodle Vega-rific Lasagna

Who doesn't love lasagna?  cheese, tomato, more cheese.  Gluten-free lasagna noodles ain't so great.  So here is a recipe a gluten free version that is better for you than normal lasagna and super versatile.

First off, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and oil up a lasagna pan with some olive oil.  The trick to this lasagna is slicing the veggies super thin.  I used a kitchen mandolin on the thinnest setting.  Select a bunch of different veggies and slice them up thin, grab some ricotta, pasta sauce, cheese and start layering.

Here is the order of layers from bottom to top that I used:

• 2 red potatoes
• layer of ricotta (part skim)
• Swiss chard, leaves only (you can then press down on the leaves to even out the ricotta
• 1 turnip
• 1/2 a yellow onion
• Pasta sauce (I prefer something spicy or something filled with vegetables)
• 1 large yellow potato
• 1 large carrot 

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers w/ Goat Cheese

yeah...I left them under the broiler too long,
but the were still amazing! 

I'm on a veggie kick lately...it happens from time to time. I always forget how filling a meal can be with out meat.  This recipe is one of those great filling (but not weighty) meals that I always forget about.  And it is easy to make and adaptable!

TIME:  1.5 hours

YOU WILL NEED:

• A Large baking dish with a lid that can go from stove top to oven easily.  I used our large Le Creuset French oven. But you can use a pan for the stuffing on the stove top and a different dish for the oven.  I just like having less to clean afterwards!  
• Rice maker or just a pot.  

First cook the 1 cup of quinoa (red or white) in 1 cup of veggie stock and 1/3 cup of water.  While that is cooking in the rice cooker, prepare the stuffing:  

Sautee in the large pot on the stove, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are soft:

Tomato Leek Veggie Medley Stew

I really like soup and I like throwing a bunch of stuff in my large slow cooker and coming back hours later to a delicious meal.    This stew was supposed to be a soup and was supposed to have a lot more stuff in it but my eyes were bigger than my slow cooker when I was at the grocery store.  I had a fridge full of veggies and just started grabbing random veggies I thought would taste good together...I hoped.

Time:  30 minutes prep, 5 hours in the cooker (3 hours if you cut everything smaller)
You will need:

• a slow cooker  You could also do this in a pot on the stove on low or even in the oven around 250 degrees. I used a large slow cooker so you may need to reduce the ingredients for your vessel.  

Turn the slow cooker on high and pour in 2 cups of veggie stock (I like Imagine's veggie stock) and 4 cups of hot water.  Let the liquid pre-heat until it is hot to touch...this will help the stew come together more quickly.  

Welcome to GLUTEN-FREE-FOR-ALL!

After years of cooking many crazy concoctions, I've finally bit the bullet and started this blog.  The title is pretty appropriate...this is GF cooking for everyone!  I cook gluten free because I have to (thanks Celiac Disease!) but these aren't recipes that focus on being gluten free. They are recipes that just happen to be gluten free.

In this blog you will find fun, easy recipes that anyone can make.  There are no super secret skills and I will try to keep the gadgets to a minimum.  I rarely use any super hard to find products...most easy items to find at your store thrown together in weird ways.  I believe in easy clean-up and leftovers.

I don't ever use recipes...I just make it up as I go.  This means two things:
1- I will mess up. I won't post things that are plain horrible but I will highlight times when I use x and wish I used y instead.
2- I'm not the best at "measurements".  I believe cooking is an active art/science.  I just go with the flow.  So I throw a bit of this in and then a bit of that, all based on what feels right at the moment.  I will try to measure or at least guestimate whenever possible...but relax, you should also experiment and take my recipes in your own direction!

I hope this blog will inspire, teach and entertain all of you!

Remember, Gluten Free cooking is for all!