Fun, Fresh Ideas to Manage Work, Home, and a Gluten Free Diet!

Author: GlutenFreeHolly Page 2 of 14

Gluten Free Mom of 3 Kids, 2 dogs, 2 birds, Pediatric Surgeon, Family Chef and Home Improver! Swimmer, Runner & Paddle Boarder

Egg bites – breakfast made Instant pot easy

I finally did it. I bought an instant pot. I had looked at them over the past year… Black Friday, cyber Monday… after Christmas sales. Then suddenly Williams Sonoma has these things on crazy sale and I took the leap. As a vegetarian I wasn’t sure what this machine had to offer me, but now I know… Risotto! Amazingly delicious, smooth creamy risotto. This holiday weight is never coming off with risotto at my fingertips like this!

I couldn’t decide between asparagus or mushroom risotto… so I had both.

Anyway, in an effort to maintain my health while eating massive quantities of risotto (asparagus risotto, mushroom risotto, 3 cheese risotto.. you get the idea), I got up early this morning and ran, swam, ran, swam and returned home dirty and hungry. Not cereal or yogurt and berries hungry but EGG Hungry. So I decided to try a little mini quiche type deal. It was worth it. In the time it took me to shower and change these little amazing bites were ready to go on my plate!

Hello Gorgeous!

Gouda & sun-dried tomato Egg bites

4 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 cup shedded Gouda (mine was chunky more than shredded)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Whisk these together in a bowl

Mix it up baby!

Meanwhile, set instant pot to sauté and add

Splash of olive oil

Handful of fresh spinach chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 jalapeño seeded & chopped

1 mini red pepper chopped

3-4 sundried tomatoes chopped

Dash salt

One pot cooking

Once softened, divide into silicone molds, cover with egg mixture

Add 1 cup of water to instant pot, lower silicone mold into pot on trivet, cover loosely with foil and steam for 7 mins. Allow to cool using “natural” for 7 mins then release pressure. Take out and YUM!!!❤️

My favorite workout- fork to mouth, repeat!
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Is it Fall yet? Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate!

I’m ready! So hot all summer! Usually I say “in Miami”. But it was so hot everywhere! I started craving butternut squash about a week ago and I wanted to make this amazing looking vegan pasta dish with handmade gluten free pasta stuffed with cashew based “cheese” and squash (sounds amazing, right?!) But my meat & gluten loving husband didn’t like the idea…

So! Quinoa with pomegranate and butternut squash! Served with cáprese sandwiches!

Here we go! Turn on your tunes and let’s do this!

1 cup quinoa, prepared (1 cup water, salt- dash, 1 T olive oil, boil & add 1 c quinoa)

1 clove garlic

3T olive oil

3T Apple cider vinegar

2T agave syrup

1 cup chopped butternut squash, chopped into cubes, seasoned with thyme, curry & salt and cooked for 15 mins 400 degrees

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

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It’s Burrito Time (when is it not!) Bean Burritos – gluten free

I’m an emeals fan! Total groupy. I use it weekly to glean ideas for dinner for my adventurous eaters! They love burritos, but I never make them because of the gluten free requirement, but last week I saw this great product and decided to give it a go. The results were amazing!!

What you need for a family of 6 with school lunch leftovers (8 burritos).

Salsa

The wraps (8) warmed on griddle

3/4cup jasmine organic rice

1 1/4 cup quinoa

2 1/4 c water

2 cups “Mexican cheese blend”

Iceberg lettuce shredded

2 avocado sliced

2 cans organic black beans

Cilantro

Jalapeño pepper

Red pepper flakes

Salt

1/4 red onion

Garlic 1 clove

Ok- start boiling the water and mix in salt, olive oil and rice and quinoa together. Boil 30 sec and then simmer for 20 mins

In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, red pepper flakes and then add black beans and pulse lightly so it still has some chunky beans.

Scrape into bowl or saucepan and either microwave 3 mins or heat in stovetop depending on your preference!

Ok! It’s assembly time! Turn on the music!

Line up your wraps.

Pile on rice & quinoa, cheese, lettuce, avocado and bean mix

Tuck sides and roll.

Slice in half and serve with salsa! I used a pineapple salsa (yummmmmy) but any will do!

Enjoy❤️

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Stuffed Zucchini

I’m on a mission to reduce my dairy intake. The struggle is real – 2-5 cappuccinos each day made with whole milk, yogurt, cheese sticks, nightly Breyer’s vanilla ice cream and vegetarian dishes rich with cheese.  I’m cooking for 6 and 3 of them are growing, little athletes and need calories. How can you amp up the calories & protein with a health conscious plant based diet? It’s tough!

I subscribe to “emeals” that I found through amazon and it gives me some great dinner ideas that are easy and fit my family’s dietary needs. Tonight I’m making a modification of their stuffed zucchini. This isn’t vegan, but could easily be so with just a change from the Parmesan to vegan  Parmesan. I served the dish with quinoa mixed with corn and black beans and topped with a dressing prepared with olive oil, agave, lime, apple cider vinegar and crushed red pepper.

Ingredients – 6 large servings

6 zucchini

1 cup chopped mushroom

2 onions

2 T chopped garlic

1 can chopped tomato, drained of extra fluid

2T chipotle sauce

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 cup parmesan, divided

1 cup chopped walnuts

Olive oil

salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 425

Halve zucchini & scoop out to create a zucchini canoe. Cut end off. I used a grapefruit spoon and it was fast work this way.

Saute with oil, onion, garlic and mushroom. Add chipotle and seasoning. Add drained tomatoe and zucchini. Sauté until tender. Drain extra fluid.

Mix in 1/2 of cheese and bread crumbs.

Fill your canoes heaping to the top.

Cover, generously, with walnuts and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

bake on top rack for 40 mins

enjoy❤️

 

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Chick pea, cauliflower Curry! Meatless Monday (and of course gluten free & delicious)

This one is good. Really good. Everyone had 2 servings, except my hubby who thinks his belly “is growing” (and then he had ice cream). I do, however, support calorie prioritization, and not having ice cream makes me sad, so I get it.

This recipe is simple.

This is everything you need. Plus you can sub in and out the veggies you have available. I cook for 6 with plans for school lunches for 3 the next day, so please half the recipe if you are cooking for a more manageable household (also maybe you don’t need wine with dinner? Don’t know… but sometimes this house gets a little crazy) .

Ingredients

Powdered chipotle – dash

Green curry paste – 4 heaping spoonfuls

Olive oil

Curry powder- to taste

Salt and pepper

Cilantro -1/4cup chopped

Tomatoes 1 cup chopped- I used heirloom cherry tomatoes halved/quartered

1 ear corn

2 cans organic chick peas

1 can coconut milk

1 red onion

2t minced garlic

Ginger fresh 1t

2 heads cauliflower

Sundried tomatoes

Rice (I used brown)

Let’s Do This!

Get the rice going… it takes the longest.

In a large saucepan put in oil and curry Paste. Mix on medium heat and once mixed add onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, chipotle & curry

Yum. Smells awesome already.

Add veggies (corn – I slice the corn off the husk right into the pan)and cook until tenderAdd beans, additional spices to taste

Add coconut milk

Simmer until the rice is done!

Add cilantro & tomatoes

Yep. That’s gonna be good!

Serve with rice and lime slices.

Enjoy!❤️

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Warrior Pancakes! Fuel up! Açaí, chia, chocolate chip Pancakes! (And gluten free for me!)

You know it… the daily struggle of trying to feed your kids healthy, energy powered foods that you can read the ingredients. My son loves to eat bars… I can’t even read many of the ingredients. The ones that have decipherable ingredients, like the amazing Redd bars, are fantastic. I like them and he does too, but they get pricey when he eats 4 in one day!

Pancakes are great because you can modify the ingredients to meet your family’s needs. I love to add pumpkin purée- it amps up the vitamin C and makes them light and fluffy. Today, however, I want to ramp up the kcals and antioxidants to fuel my growing little (and not so little) athletes!

Warrior Pancakes (recipe will feed 8, halve it for 4)

2 cups gluten free baking mix (I use Pamela’s) or sub in 2 cups flour of choice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 t baking soda, 2 t baking powder.

1 T chia seeds (you can add more but if you add too much it gets noticeable)

1T açai powder

1/4 cup chocolate chips

2T turbinado sugar

1/2 c oatmeal

Mix dry ingredients

Combine wet ingredients and then add all at once to dry

1 cup milk (or water if you want light)

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2T Apple cider vinegar

2T olive oil

Heat griddle to medium heat and you’ve got it from here!

Enjoy ❤️

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It’s Taco Day!

And I’m celebrating with roasted cauliflower tacos with chipotle ciltantro mayo and a side of rushed rice and beans!


Rushed, you ask? Every darn thing in my house is rushed. It’s like that, right? Hurry here, hurry there, run, run, run. So I love an easy dinner. Oh, and I love tacos!!!!

Cauliflower? Not as much. As a kid, I hated it. But I have come to realize that cauliflower is a chameleon. It absorbs flavors and mixes and meshes in an incredible way. 

What you need

Corn tortillas, warmed

Brown rice

Black beans

Onion

Sweet red peppers

Garlic

Carrot

Cilantro

Salt, pepper, italien seasoning

Olive oil

2 heads of cauliflower

Chili powder

Start rice! It’s the slow poke! 

Break cauliflower into small florets, place on baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, chili powder and salt and bake at 475 for 25 mins.

Heat oil in pot. Add chopped onion, garlic (1T), 1 carrot chopped, 1 red pepper chopped, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Sauté until tender. 

Add 2 cans of black beans. 

Simmer until everything else done.. they are rushed because they will be more flavorful and mushy and hour from now. 

Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil mayo

1T chipotle

1T lime juice

1T chopped cilantro

Mix well

Serve and enjoy!!!

So surprisingly fresh, light and delicious!

My kids ATE CAULIFLOWER and lots of it!!!

❤️

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Meatless Monday- cleaning out the fridge turns into gluten free lasagna extravaganza

Monday. I’m beat. When are the weekend activities going to abate? I open the fridge and it’s a disaster. There are stacks of Tupperware containers of varying ages and stages of decay. My 16 year old son just crams his leftover plates – uncovered… still on the plate- wherever he can fit them in the fridge, and my 12 year old wants lasagna. Lasagna.

I hate throwing away veggies, so after cleaning out the fridge and restoring order, I have some decent ingredients left and I’m using them!

Sauce

1 onion finely chopped

1 T chopped garlic

Sauté.

Add rosemary, oregano, rosemary, salt, red pepper

2 finely chopped zucchini (if your kids are picky, shred it so it’s not identifiable)

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

Sauté mas 

2 T chipotle

1/2 can pumpkin pack

1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes

What’s in your fridge?


If you have veggie haters, shred it so they don’t know what you’re feeding them


Chipotle makes everything better


Cherry tomatoes on their last days


1/2 can leftover from pumpkin pancakes


Yum.


Filling

Ricotta 10oz

4 oz mozzarella

1t nutmeg

2 eggs

Yep- leftover ricotta from quiche last Friday. Same for the mozzarella. I see an Amazon fresh order in my near future because this fridge is empty!

Cheese it up


Noodles

2 cups of gluten free flour mix- I used Pamela’s 

1 egg mixed with water to total 225 ml

These gluten free noodles take less than 5 mins to make and don’t need to pre-bake


Layer

This is looking soooo good!


Bake at 350 for 45 mins

I topped with olives.. had 1/2 a jar of those too

Yep. 30 mins, a clean fridge, a healthy meatless gluten free Monday meal!


Eat

Dinner is served!


The pumpkin adds a smooth richness to he sauce that just blends perfectly with the subtle spice of the chipotle. 

This turned out just right and my fridge is clean too!

Happy Monday❤️

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Protein Packed Easy Quinoa Salad

Some like it hot, some like it cold, but this quinoa salad won’t make it days old. 

I’m always trying to find nutritious, easy to make (read… fast) dishes to feed my athletic, vegetarian kids. Gluten free is a plus so I don’t have to double the food to accommodate those who can’t eat gluten (me). 

How many different ways can you prep beans? Like a thousand… but still, it gets old. 

This dish hits the spot. Yummy, protein packed, easy to store leftovers so I make enough to last a couple days for snacks and lunches.

What you need

Lentils 1 cup dry- boil in 3 cups salted water, simmer 4 mins, soak 2 and then drain and put in bowl

Black beans – 1 can 

Corn – 1 can

Garbanzo beans – 1 can 

2 cups dry quinoa in 2 cups boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 T olive oil, summer for 20 mins.

All the above I use organic, but totally optional.

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

4T agave

1/4 cup olive oil

1t garlic

Ready??

Of course you are!

You saw the agave and broke out the tequila, which actually may be yummy in the dressing… someone should definitely try this. 

Ok.. well while you’re sipping that margarita, let’s get dinner on the table.

Mix all the beans and corn while the quinoa simmers


Mix oil, vinegar,  Agave (hopefully there is some left…),crushed garlic

Add the quinoa and the dressing and THAT’S IT!! Well, I actually mix in a little cilantro…


Enjoy❤️

I served this up with spinach artichoke hand pies… but you will have to wait for that secret recipe ?

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Spinach Ricotta Lasagna Rolls – gluten free & amazing

That’s right! The only thing faster than cooking this was how fast my family ate it!

Pasta is just the most versatile dish. The problem is if you can’t eat wheat… then you are stuck with the limited selection of gluten free pasta products. Store bought gluten free lasagna is just not comparable to the “real deal” and I just don’t like to serve it to my family.  Homemade gluten free pasta is shockingly simple to make…. and fast. Really fast. 

So, here is one of my favorite prep time under 30 min dinners. 

Hate has no home here.

Start with the following

2 eggs

12 oz chopped spinach

1/4 cup pine nuts

8oz ricotta

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

1/4 t nutmeg

1 t Italian seasonings 

Mix together. Add cheese. It’s pasta time!

Parmesan and mozzarella make everything betta

Pasta time!

And just like that… pasta almost perfect

Smear it

Roll it

Admire it

Put it in the pan

Repeat!

Sauce it

Bake it!

  • I followed the basic instructions on the machine. The only difference is that I use gluten free flour and a tsp of  xanthum gum. 
  • Add the quantity of water plus 20%
  • Flatten the pasta rolls as they come out. They crack once dry 
  • Smear each one with mixture and roll
  • Tonight I used store bought pasta sauce. Either yours or the stores? Pour in enough to coat bottom of greased pan. Place in rolls and cover with sauce and top with cheese
  • Bake 350 for 45 mins
  • Go for a run. You’ve got time!

❤ fast, delicious, gluten free. Happy belly, happy family, happy heart. ❤

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