Showing posts with label Gluten Free (soups and sides). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gluten Free (soups and sides). Show all posts

Curried Lentil Soup (vegan, gluten free)

Curried Lentil Soup (Spicy!)

This is a spicy soup that will awaken your senses. The pot brewing on the stove will fill the kitchen with the aroma of cumin, with notes of oregano and garlic. Tumeric adds a cheery colour while the lentils, and vegetables mingle in a rich broth. Winter? What winter?

[How hot do you like it? Follow the lowered amounts of the seasoning for a "medium" heat. If you find it too spicy, adding a couple of chopped potatoes to the pot can take the heat down.]

1/2 pound carrots
1 large onion
3 stalks celery
handful of mushrooms

1-2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp- 1/4 cup cumin
2 tbsp tumeric
1-2 tbsp dry oregano leaf. If powder is what you have on hand, use half that.
1 tbsp crushed red pepper (Optional. This is where much of the heat comes from.)
1 tbsp salt or lite salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups red or brown lentils

Finely chop the carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Add these to a soup pot with the seasonings and oil. Cook the mixture on medium heat, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes, until the carrots are softened. This is your soup base. Add about four cups water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the lentils and another four cups of water. Simmer for at least two hours.

[Crock Pot Directions: Cook the chopped veggies, seasonings and oil together in a sautee pan for ten minutes, then pour it into your crock pot. Add the lentils and eight cups of water. Cook on "medium" for 8-12 hours, and come home to a wonderful supper.]

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Creamy Curried Chickpeas (gluten free, vegan)

Creamy Curried Garbanzos (gluten free, vegan)

We are always looking for a new way to prepare chick peas (garbanzos). They are loaded with iron, protein and fiber, and if you buy the dried beans to cook yourself, are cheap and low in sodium.  We are into quick meals, too!

Creamy Curried Chickpeas can be prepared as a tasty filling for tacos or with abundant sauce to pour over rice or quinoa. The sweet and mildly spicy sauce got a thumbs-up from G-man and the Cadet. One of these days we'll triple all the of spices to crank up the heat!

For four generous servings or eight side portions:


1 large red onion, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp chili powder (mild or hot is up to you)
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 cups cooked chick peas (or two cans, drained)
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 cup canned coconut milk (or the whole can if you plan on making the dish saucy enough to pour over rice or quinoa)

On low heat, gently simmer the onion in the olive oil, Add the spices and salt and stir together until the onions are translucent. Add the chick peas and simmer for another five minutes. Add the coconut milk and until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Serve right away with soft tortillas, rice, or quinoa.


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Sweet Sesame Dressing (gluten free, vegan, low sodium)

Sweet Sesame Salad
Spring might finally be here. How about a fresh, crisp salad? When cutting back on sodium, salad dressing can be your undoing because a serving of of store-bought can contain 300mg of sodium or more. This version contains under 15mg, even if you drown your greens in it. You will not miss the salt because homemade Sweet Sesame Dressing is rich and flavourful. Mix it up in minutes for a restaurant-style salad at home.

To dress four to six entree-sized salads, mix together, stirring well after each addition:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp sesame seeds (raw or toasted)

Drizzle over your salad and toss. Our plates contained baby romaine, sugar snap peas, raw shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, and mushrooms with a sprinkling of raw sesame seeds for garnish. (Store any unused dressing in the fridge for a couple of days.)



I shared this post with weekly link-ups, where bloggers share natural recipes and homestead tips:  Wildcrafting Wednesday,  Simple Lives Thursday, the Homestead Barn Hop,  Fight Back! Friday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.


www.stealthymom.com

Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)


Cheesy Lentils and Greens (gluten free)


"Super Really Good," said five year old G-man, when I asked how to describe Cheesy Lentils and Greens. While that endorsement makes me smile, I'll have to tell you myself that it is like a grown up mac'n'cheese. Minus the mac, with lentils and added bites of kale. Is it a side or an entree? Yes.


1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 small mushrooms, finely diced
1 bunch kale, ribs removed
1 cup grated cheddar

In a lidded saucepan (an Ultimate Pan if you have one) gently heat the lentils, water, milk, and salt to a low boil. Turn the heat down, put the lid on and simmer until the lentils are al dente, between twenty minutes to half an hour.

Meanwhile, finely chop the kale and mushrooms. Add them to the lentil mixture, and continue to simmer until the kale is softened.

Stir in the cheddar, then serve.


G-BOMBS Stew (gluten free, vegan)

G-BOMBS Stew

Ever hear of the G-BOMBS diet? Dr Joel Fuhrman recommends eating certain micronutrient-rich "superfoods" every day. Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds. For the last couple of weeks, ever since seeing his show during a public television fundraiser, we have been trying to include these foods in our usual "Five a Day" fruits and vegetable goals. How could it hurt?

For fun, I put them all together. This stew could be called "G-BOMBS Plus" because it includes servings of carrots, celery, and cabbage, too, all enveloped in a rich sweet and sour broth. Garbanzos and a sprinkle of raw kale just before serving give it a bit of crunch.

For four generous servings or eight appetizers:

2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cabbage, chopped
1 cup kale, stem removed, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, frozen or canned and rinsed
2 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp coriander
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sesame seeds
salt (1 tsp, adjust to taste just before serving
6 cups water

1/2 cup kale, stem removed, chopped

Stir the carrots, celery, onions, and olive oil together in a soup pot. Gently sauté until the carrots are softened, about ten minutes. Layer the cabbage, kale, and mushrooms on top. If the garbanzos are frozen, just dump them out of their container and let them thaw as the other ingredients cook. If you use canned, rinse them well and place them on top. Put the lid on the pot and allow all of the ingredients to cook for another ten minutes. Stir in the parsley, coriander, raspberries, lemon juice, sesame seeds and six cups of water. Stir in half of the salt. Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the other half-teaspoon of salt to taste.

Prior to serving, garnish each bowl with a small handful of the chopped, raw kale and a couple of raw berries.

Meatball Soup (gluten free)

Meatball Soup
Inspired by a traditional Italian soup, a bowl of Meatball Soup can be a meal in itself. Big bites of vegetables and beans and tiny little meatballs in a rich vegetable broth are simple yet satisfying, warming you up on a chilly day.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped yellow carrots
8 cups water
1 tbsp parsley
1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 pound local ground pork or turkey*
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Warm Winter Salad (gluten free, vegan)





A colourful pick-me-up for mid-winter. This warm salad combines sweet purple cabbage and nutty garbanzos over a bed of mixed greens. Cheery and sweet, this salad can give you a boost:

Purple cabbage is chock full of vitamin C, which we need so badly this time of year, and cooking it minimally retains as much as possible while still sweetening up the dish. Cabbage is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, while the anthocyanins (which make it purple) may fight certain cancer cells. More points for cabbage come from fibre, potassium, and vitamins A and K.

Garbanzo beans also contain dietary fibre and protein, potassium and thiamin (B1.) What is interesting about garbanzos is that a serving contains as much iron, if not more, than a serving of lean beef. Tossing the the cabbage and garbanzos in olive oil provides another anti-inflammatory agent, and the mesclun mix adds a host of trace minerals and vitamins.

For two meals, or four sides:

1/4 head purple cabbage
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped green onion or leek
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, precooked or canned and drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt or lite salt
1/4-1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp parsley
mesclun salad mix

Chop the cabbage and toss it with the olive oil and green onion in a pan. Gently heat until the cabbage is softened, then add the beans, lemon juice, salt, coriander and parsley. Toss with tongs or a spatula until the ingredients are hot. Turn off the heat.

Place mesclun mix on serving dishes, and top with the cabbage and beans mixture. Serve.




I shared this recipe with the Hearth and Soul HopAllergy Free WednesdaysHealthy 2Day Wednesdays, Gluten Free WednesdayReal Food Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Simple Lives Thursday,  Gluten Free Friday,  Fight Back Friday and Fat Tuesday.

www.stealthymom.com

Sweet Potato Gems (gluten free, vegan, no added sugar)

Sweet Potato Gems

This sweet potato casserole is hued in festive oranges and reds. In a break from tradition, no marshmallows distract from the delicate and sweet spiciness. So simple, yet so pretty and flavourful, Sweet Potato Gems would make a cheery addition to any meal.

3 cups grated sweet potatoes (one large)
1 cup grated beets (one large or four small. Beets vary greatly.)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt of your choice

Preheat the oven to 375F Grease a lidded casserole dish with coconut oil or a light spray of olive oil.

Layer the grated sweet potatoes and beets. (Do not mix them.) Start with a bottom layer, two inches thick, of sweet potatoes. Top with a thin layer of beets, then the rest of the sweet potatoes and rest of the beets.

Stir the spices and salt into the water, and pour evenly over the sweet potato and beet layers.

Bake for about an hour with the lid on. 


Chicken and Summer Corn Soup (gluten free, crock pot)

Chicken and Summer Corn Soup


G-man asked to make chicken soup. Specifically, he wanted make soup with chicken, sweet corn, tomatoes and beans. That kid is onto something... Every bite tastes like summer. Tomatoes and kidney beans add a touch of cheerful color and the sweet corn kernels have a slight crunch. Our son may only be four years old, but he sure has great ideas in the kitchen!

4 chicken (Free range makes better soup. Trust me.)
1 large, ripe tomato
6 ears corn, kernels sliced off
2 cups cooked/ 1 can drained red kidney beans
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
salt to taste

Place the chicken thighs into the crock pot and cover with water. Cook on "high" for 2-3 hours, until chicken is cooked. (All night on "low" would work if you are prepping the soup before leaving for work.) Take the chicken from the pot,  Bone is and skin it, placing the bones in the freezer for future bone broth. Chop up the chicken and put it back in the pot.

Ad the chopped tomato, beans, corn, and all seasonings except the salt. Allow the soup to cook for at least another two hours on "high" or all day on "low."

Before serving, salt the soup, a little at a time. Half a teaspoon for the whole pot was enough for us.


I shared this recipe with these natural food recipe link-ups: Traditional Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday,  the Hearth and Soul Hop and Empty Your Archives.

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Summer Veggies and Lentil Soup (gluten free, vegan)

Summer Veggies and Lentil Soup

Our garden is growing! Despite a couple weeks of highs at or near a hundred Fahrenheit, there are some edibles a few feet from our front door. Some things are doing better than others, so preparing a meal with our small harvest was like a bizarre episode of Chopped. My "basket" contained small beets and a zucchini. In my "pantry" there were organic Yukon Gold potatoes, lentils, and seasonings. The oven and range were strictly off limits due to the heat wave... Thank goodness for crock pots!

Beets are interesting because they are like two vegetables in one. The tops are delicious as greens and are rich in Vitamin A. The roots have a sweet and slightly peppery flavour and when cooked have a texture like a potato. Except for trimming the root ends, I chopped up the beets- tops and all- and added them to the pot.


Our Local Farmers' Market is Open!

Buttery Baby Potatoes

Our local Farmer's Market is open for the season! I was amazed at the bounty of early vegetables offered yesterday. We got our garden in late- okay, way late-  but a couple of the vendors must have been digging through frost! Zucchinis, beets, cabbages... G-man picked out these baby potatoes and green onions to be a perfect companion to last night's grassfed burgers.

Baby potatoes are so sweet and fresh tasting that they need no "recipe." For these, I just washed them and put them in a pyrex dish. I stirred in a couple of chopped green onions, added a tablespoon of butter on top and popped the dish into the microwave. After four minutes I gave them a stir, then put them in for another three minutes. Done.



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Green Bean Fries on the Grill (gluten free, vegan)

Green Bean Fries on the Grill

Fresh green beans add a splash of vibrant colour to your cook-out plate. With a good, solid cast iron pan you can bake Green Bean Fries just like in the oven.

green beans
olive oil
salt, sea salt or "lite" salt

Wash, dry, and trim the end off the green beans. Toss in olive oil and lightly sprinkle with your choice of salt.

When the grill is hot, close the lid to evenly heat the interior. Spread the green beans evenly in the bottom of the  seasoned, cast iron pan. Place the pan on the grill and close the lid again. Bake for about ten minutes, open the lid on the grill, and turn the beans over. Bake for another couple of minutes until evenly browned. Remove the pan from the grill.

[If we serve these to G-man and the Cadet as a snack ahead of a meal, they gobble them up. As delicious as they are, they do not compete well against corn bread, potatoes, burgers, or other grill fare. Kids, eh?]



I shared this recipe with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and the Ultimate Recipe Swap.


www.stealthymom.com

Fiesta Hummus (gluten free, vegan)

Fiesta Hummus
It all started with the limes. Fresh, ripe, organic limes were hiding in our fridge, waiting for a purpose. We did not have any tequila... Somewhere along a long train of thought, the limes picked up garbanzos, olive oil, tahini, and chili peppers. Garlic, paprika, and coriander joined the party. It was Fiesta Hummus!

2 cups cooked garbanzos (chick peas)
1/2 cup tahini
2 limes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt (omit if you used canned garbanzos)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves peeled, fresh garlic
1 tsp paprika
4oz can green chilies (or two cans, to taste)

Blend the ingredients together. Serve with warm tortillas or grilled pitas.



I shared this post with Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.


www.stealthymom.com

Grilled Mini Peppers (gluten free)

Grilled Mini Peppers

Have you ever seen mini bell peppers? They about the size of jalapenos, but are sweet and mild. As soon as I saw them, I thought, "stuff them with cream cheese and throw them on the barbecue!" A recipe on the side of the bag suggested doing just that, but to bake them instead. Baking would be okay, but the smokey sweetness of a grilled pepper is a rare treat. Even G-man, who currently says he does not like peppers, snuck a few bites.

1 lb  bag mini bell peppers
8 oz cream cheese

Wash dry, and count the peppers. Cut a sit in each pepper lengthwise. Cut the cream cheese in as many cubes as there are peppers. (That is the fun part. I accidentally had a few cubes left over and had to eat them. Ooops.)

Place the peppers onto a hot grill and close the lid. In about ten minutes, they will be soft will grill-marks on one side. Done!

Variation: We bought a jar of hot pepper jelly from a roadside seller. I have no idea what is in it but adding a half a spoonful to the cooked peppers gave some heat to the grown-up's plates.



www.stealthymom.com

White Borscht (gluten free, vegan)

White Borscht

Did I miss the memo and forget to put beets in the borscht? No. G-man asked to make soup with potatoes.  The beets available at our local store looked really puny, and the beets in our garden are mere cotyledons peeking through the soil. The last time we tried to get him to eat beets was unsuccessful and I am not going to try again until he harvests what he and the Cadet planted. G-man helped make the soup today, and it had all of the elements of a hearty borscht with extra potatoes and beans to stand in for beets. Both boys loved it, so let's call it a win.

Black Bean and Chicken Tamale Soup (gluten free)

Black Bean and Chicken Tamale Soup
Black beans, tomatoes, and "tamale" noodles liven up home made chicken soup with Southwest style.  Just how lively, is up to you. Ours was pretty mild, spice-wise, and our kids loved it. The gluten free egg noodles were made with masa harina, the same corn flour used in tamales. This is a two-step crock pot soup that you can prepare ahead of time.

All-Purpose Tomato Sauce


All-Purpose Tomato Sauce

Last summer, I came across a great buy on tomatoes at the farmer's market. Some became pizza sauce, some became pasta sauce, and some were simply peeled, popped into ziplocks and frozen. We gobbled up all of little eight-ounce containers of pizza sauce rather quickly, since we eat pizza at least every week. The pasta sauce was also eaten up. We came to the last of the tomatoes in the freezer, about six quarts' worth, so I decided to make an all-purpose, plain tomato sauce with it. That way it could be seasoned up for pasta, pizza, or even homemade BBQ sauce.

To prepare 10-12 pounds (5-6 quarts) of fresh or frozen tomatoes...

Blend them up whole. The post originally had instructions to peel the tomatoes. Skip it and just blend them up whole. Just be sure to wash them and cut off any bad parts first.

Simmer in your crock pot until reduced.  There is no need to add water; just put the lid on, turn on the crock pot and walk away. For a ten-pound batch, all day (or night) on high is just right.

(If your tomatoes did not all fit in, blend up and add more as the sauce reduces.)

Blend the Sauce Again.  Even though the tomatoes were blended, the sauce will get lumpy as it cooks. Allow the sauce to cool, then blend it again, batch by batch.

[Season. I left this batch plain to be seasoned as needed. If you intend to use the sauce for pasta, you can add sauteed onions, peppers, carrots, or mushrooms at this point. You can also add oregano, marjoram, basil, garlic... Remember that the sauce will reduce so if you plan to add salt wait until you have the final volume.]

Portion and freeze. If you are using plastic containers, cool the sauce down first. Don't ask me what I know about melting plastic containers with hot sauce because I will admit to nothing. I find eight-ounce portions to be just right. If you are making enchiladas or lasagna, you can take out and thaw as many as you need.

Thaw as needed. For spaghetti, saute carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and fresh garlic in olive oil. You can add ground grassfed beef or a bit of romano or parmesan cheese, too. Season with oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, and garlic as you wish, then add the plain tomato sauce and simmer as long as you have time for. Salt as needed.
For pizza, pour the sauce over the prepared crust and sprinkle seasonings right over top before adding other toppings. Oregano and basil, garlic, onion powder... Sometimes we blend up plain tomato sauce with spinach to make Monster Pizza.

I shared this post with these natural food link-ups:  Meatless Mondays, Real Food 101, Make Your Own Monday!  Monday ManiaFat Tuesday,  Real Food Wednesday, and Simple Lives Thursday.

Blue Cheese Dressing (gluten free)

Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue Cheese Dressing is ridiculously easy to make. There are dozens of variations out there, but we like to keep it simple:

1 cup plain yogurt (It is hard to find truly plain yogurt in the store, so we make our own.)
1/4 to 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, depending how strong or subtle you wish your dressing to be
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Mix the ingredients together, taking care to break up most of the blue cheese crumbles. Enjoy.



For more natural food recipes, check out these recipe shares: Monday Mania, Make Your Own! Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesday, and Healthy 2Day.

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (gluten free)

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (gluten free)

This is a one-dish wonder: broccoli, cauliflower, grated potatoes, milk and cheese are layered into a casserole dish. After baking, you get a baked broccoli with a rich cheese sauce. The flavours of the potatoes and cauliflower blend in.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup (crock pot hybrid)

Chicken and Vegetable Soup with a Whole Wheat and Flaxseed Biscuit

Time to clean out the fridge.... how about some chicken soup?

Sometimes you have vegetables in the fridge that are ready for stock, but not compost. While their addition to a soup would contribute nutrients and depth of flavour, you might not want the texture in the final bowl. Wilted greens, washed carrot peels, beet tops, celery ends, stuff like that.

This is what I call a crock pot hybrid: a recipe where you can use your crock pot, but not in the true sense of chucking stuff in and coming back in eight hours. You chuck stuff in, come back in four hours to tamper with it, chuck more stuff in, and serve in another two to three hours. Essentially, you are making a stock, then a soup.

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