vegan veggie burgers

I had actually never even heard of Amaranth until I saw this recipe. Amaranth is a relative of quinoa, so nutritionally it is quite similar.  Amaranth is high in protein, high in fiber, and is very good for digestive health. It is also completely gluten free!

10 Reasons To Use Amaranth in Your Gluten-Free Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups cooked Amaranth (1½ cups water simmered with ½ cup amaranth for 25 mins)
• 3 ounces mushrooms, chopped finely
• 1 cup Spinach, chopped finel
• 1 Carrot (shredded)
• ½ cup Oat Flour
• ¼ cup Ground Flax
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil (to cook)

mediterranean falafel with quinoa

Tonight I made a big avocado, tomato, yellow pepper and falafel salad.  I used Nature’s Earthly Choice mediterranean falafel and quinoa. I’d never made falafel before, and I must say, it was so easy and good.The best part – these are GLUTEN FREE with 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein per serving.

new yorker cartoon

family dinner

On Sunday night, we hosted family dinner at our house. The (almost entirely gluten-free) meal included:

• Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Udi’s Gluten Free Buns
• Lemon infused gluten free pasta salad with fresh herbs & grilled asparagus (we added sun dried tomatoes)
• Mecca Azteca Quinoa Salad
• A simple avocado & tomato green salad
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

lemon infused gluten free pasta salad with fresh herbs & grilled asparagus

I found this recipe via the Gulten-Free Goddess after looking for a delicious gluten-free pasta dish for Spring.

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz. box gluten-free brown rice penne
• 1 1-lb. bunch thin asparagus
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 large lemon
• 1/2 cup Vegenaise (buy at whole foods)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram (or use oregeno)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground

gluten-free cereals (that don’t taste gluten-free!)

Nature’s Path Gluten Free Whole O’s Cereal

This cereal ($5) is USDA organic certified and is made with gluten-free ingredients like buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth, brown rice, flax, and whole grain corn. Whole O’s are high in fiber, low in sugar, and taste delicious. 110 calories per serving.

* I also LOVE Trader Joe’s Organic High Fiber O’s Cereal (similar NON gluten-free version)

General Mills Rice Chex

Most Chex cereals ($4) are gluten-free so you can enjoy Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Cinnamon Chex, and even Chocolate Chex without a spec of gluten.

Barbara’s Honey Rice Puffins

Crispy and sweet, Barbara’s Honey Rice Puffins ($5) are deliciously light and crunchy made with brown rice and the natural sweetness of honey. Buy at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

* I ate Puffins ALL the time in college…for breakfast, lunch AND dinner sometimes.

Kay’s Naturals Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Protein Cereal

This is a great cereal option for those who want something similar to Cheerios.  Kay’s Naturals Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Protein Cereal ($5) is made with a variety of ingredients, including corn flour, rice flour, pea fiber, and evaporated cane juice; it’s also fat free. It even comes in an apple and cinnamon flavor.

Source: FitSugar

chickpea salad wrap

I saw this post on Oh She Glows and can’t wait to make it. This is the ideal lunch for someone wanting a vegetarian ”tuna salad” wrap. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp chopped dill pickle (1 pickle)
• 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp regular mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (or pecans/walnuts)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Trader Joe’s Reduced Carb Whole Wheat tortillas

almond banana breakfast oats

I saw this recipe on Food Gawker – what a great, protein packed breakfast. See the entire recipe at The Vegan Chickpea.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
• Cinnamon
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter

spicy chocolate-dipped pineapple with sea salt

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Whole Trade pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 24 chunks
• 2 (3.5-ounce) bars Whole Foods Market Tanzania Organic Dark Chocolate
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

warm chickpea salad with cumin & garlic

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup Italian parsley, leaves only
• Small handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3/4 pound English cucumber
• Flaky sea salt

cranberry, apple & almond quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, washed well
• 1 tablespoon +1 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple, not peeled (one large apple)
• ~20 almonds, toasted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

gluten free! endive pomegranate salad with maple mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 2 Belgian endive, sliced thin (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds 
• 1/2 lemon, juice from
• 1 apple, chopped
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Dressing

• 1/4 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (not raw)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 3 tablespoons diced shallot
• Himalayan salt and pepper (to taste)

Place endive in bowl, mix in lemon juice. Do this right away as the endive will start to brown quickly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

For Dressing: Place all ingredients except the diced shallot in blender. Blend until emulsified (thickened). Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Rawmazing.com

balsamic grilled vegetables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night, I went to dinner at Madame Chou Chou, a new restaurant in Santa Monica.  It is a cute little French restaurant on Main Street, with a beautifully decorated back patio. As my main course, I ordered the farmers plate – the farmers market assorted vegetable plate. The veggies were so fresh, perfectly seasoned and very filling…I will definetly be making this dish at home.

jicama fries via Sodium Girl

I saw these jicama fries via the food blog Sodium Girl. The author, Jess, has a type of lupus that requires her to eat a very low-sodium diet. 

Directions: Cut jicama into long French fry-like sticks. Then in a medium bowl, mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs like dill, tarragon, parsley, or all of the above. Add the jicama sticks to the bowl and toss with your hands until well coated. Serve on a plate or standing upright in a glass.

grilled eggplant stacks

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices
• 2 tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices
• 1 (15 oz) can of white kidney (cannellini) beans
• 1 tsp salt plus about 2 Tbsp for sweating the eggplants
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil (about four large leaves) plus several sprigs or leaves for garnish
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or about half a clove of fresh garlic)