Category: Vegetables

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Recipe: Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders

I don’t know what I did before Pinterest.  Honestly.

Last week, I was surfing around on my favorite time-suck and came across a delightful recipe for sliders…but instead of meat, these were portobello mushroom sliders.  Oooooh.  They looked absolutely fantastic too.  Seasoned, covered in melted cheese, caramelized onion, avocado…and dripping with barbeque sauce.

*mouth waters*

So, when the crimini mushrooms I received in my CSA bin turned out to be freakishly large…I thought to myself, “Hey…I bet I can make those sliders out of these.”

The only thing I lacked would be gluten-free slider-sized buns, which I solved by baking up my own from a bread mix I had in my pantry.  WINNING!

With that taken care of…I set out to make this recipe up for a light dinner after a very busy day out and about.  And the results…were epic.  Delicious.  And I wish I had made more than just two sliders each for myself and my roommate because these were beyond super yummy.  They were mushroom slider epic wonders of culinary proportions.

The original recipe came from the blog How Sweet It Is.  I just adapted it to fit my dietary needs and the ingredients I had on hand.

Recipe: Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders

Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders
Gluten-Free BBQ Mushroom Sliders


Servings: 6
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 baby portobello stuffing mushrooms (I used really large crimini mushrooms)
  • 6 slider buns (I made my own, gluten-free, using Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 2-3 ounces Gouda, sliced into squares (I used Veggie Slices Pepper Jack Flavored)
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, for drizzling and dipping (I used Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce)

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and let caramelize, stirring occasionally.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.

While onions are caramelizing, brush mushrooms with remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with pepper, paprika, onion and chili powder.  Heat a skillet ( or a grill) on medium heat and cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender – about 5 minutes on each side.  With 1-2 minutes remaining, add a slice of cheese on top to melt.

Assemble sliders by placing the mushroom on the bun, then top with onions, avocado, and a hefty drizzle of bbq sauce.

~*~*~

Yeah…it doesn’t get much easier than that.  And the fact of the matter is…these are super-delicious.  Honestly.  I was blown away by how amazing these were.  They were that perfect level of balance in flavor and the mushroom was definitely the star of the dish.  The avocado was a nice addition and when mixed with the caramelized onions, the cheese, and the sauce…it made for one of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had to date.  And…this was definitely my first vegetarian and gluten-free slider dish.

I’d make this again in a heartbeat.  No questions asked.  Packed with flavor and not heavy like regular sliders can be.  That’s the joy of using mushrooms.  Delicious, light, and just filling enough.

Dinner perfection.

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Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix slides in just short of really good gluten-free bread

Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix

Product: Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix – $3.29+

You know…I raved once, almost two years ago, I believe, about Chebe Cheese Bread Mix.  I had made up the little breaded balls of goodness to accompany a pasta dinner I was preparing for a friend who was coming for the weekend.  Much to my delight…Greg (the guest), my roommate, and I all loved the taste, texture, and fluffiness these had.

So, Chebe rose to the top of my gluten-free go-to’s.  Even though I didn’t really purchase anything further of the brand until my local grocery store put their entire gluten-free section on closeout.  Picture me in panic mode as I grabbed a huge shopping cart and began tossing items I had wanted to try, but never got the chance to, into my cart for the reduced price.

One such product was Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix.

The great thing about Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix is how allergen friendly it is.  Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also soy free, corn free, rice free, potato free, yeast free, peanut free, tree nut free, egg free (unless you use it in the mix instead of egg substitute), lactose/casein free, iodine free, and sugar free.  This mix is also non-GMO and certified kosher!

Well, my pantry is quite full of numerous mixes and delicious things to try.  So, this just sort of sat.  But with the expiration date fast approaching…it was time to give them a shot.  And, I was thinking something light and savory for dinner.  So, I hit up Pinterest and found a recipe for BBQ Portobello Sliders.  Now, I didn’t have portobello mushrooms, but had rather large crimini ones in my fridge from my CSA bin.  I had the rest of the ingredients too.  What I lacked was the most obvious part of the slider…the slider buns.

Then…it dawned on me that I had this mix in my pantry…and it was getting close to the time it needed to be used up.  So, out it came and I got to work on making up my own little gluten-free slider buns.

Slider buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
Slider buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix

This was a simple process.  Following the instructions on the box, I simply poured the bread mix into a bowl, added two eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil…mixed that together…then slowly added exactly 1/4 cup of water.  Once that was all incorporated and blended, I kneaded the dough with my hands until it was smooth and all one large lump of bread dough.

And here is where I went off script.  The rest of the recipe created 4 sandwich buns…but I wanted slider buns.  So I made 10 little rolls out of the lump of bread, flattened them down into little round disks like the recipe said, and brushed each one with olive oil.  I then put it in my oven at 375° F for about 25 minutes and allowed them to bake.

When time was up, I removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool on the baking sheet while I prepared the mushrooms, caramelized the onions, and sliced an avocado.

First of all, I was hoping these would crisp into a beautiful golden-brown…but they never quite did.  They looked anemically pale.  It was a bit off-putting, but…that was the last of my problems.  The mix, prior to putting everything together was a very white, very thin powder.  That being said, this Chebe mix is made up simply of tapioca powder, modified tapioca starch, cream of tartar, sea salt, and sodium bicarbonate.  You can add cheese to the mix, but I didn’t…as the sliders were going to have cheese on them.  Still, with the brushing of olive oil…one would think there would still be some golden crust forming.

That was the first disappointment.  The second disappointment was that they really didn’t puff up much.  The flat little disks of dough rose only slightly in the heat of the oven.  So…these made for very flat slider buns.

Finally…the third disappointment was…the taste.  Not that these tasted bad…they just weren’t light and soft like the Cheese Bread that I made from Chebe.  This dough wasn’t too dense, but it was definitely not soft and squishy like a slider bun should be.  It just felt…wrong.  The flavor was fine…but it was the texture that was just all wrong for me this time.  It just didn’t work.

But…I went ahead and sliced the flat rolls in half (as best I could) and filled them up with my mushroom caps, vegan cheese slices, caramelized onions, avocados and a drizzle of barbeque sauce and used them for the purpose I baked them up for.  It wasn’t bad.  I just wish they had been softer and a bit fluffier.

That being said, I have six more rolls in my fridge that I’ll use up tomorrow by making breakfast slider sandwiches.  I am kind of sad about the way this mix turned out, because I have raved about Chebe in the past and was really hoping for that trend to continue.  Sadly…this one failed to win me over.

Maybe, with some convincing, I’ll give another mix a try.  But this one…won’t find it’s way into my pantry again any time soon.

BBQ Mushroom Sliders sandwiched between buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
BBQ Mushroom Sliders sandwiched between buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
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Recipe: Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries

As a vegetarian, I am always looking for new and different ways to eat vegetables.  That’s more than true these days since I began receiving a CSA bin of fresh, organic, local produce from my area.  Finding a new way to prepare a favorite vegetable is always fun and I’ve been enjoying playing with new techniques and recipes.

And…thanks to the magic and wonder of Pinterest…I stumbled across this recipe.  It was originally posted by Dashing Dish…and it truly caught my eye.  Well, I made it tonight and couldn’t have been happier with it.  A little crispy, a little savory, a little salty…and lots of yummy.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries

Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries
Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries


Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fresh whole green beans (or 1 14 ounce bag of frozen whole green beans)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

If using frozen green beans, pop the bag of green beans in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until just de-thawed (or you could leave them out at room temperature for a few hours).  If using fresh green beans, wash and snip off the ends.

Place green beans on prepared baking pan, making sure they are evenly spread out, and none are laying on top of each other, (this will ensure even crispiness!)  Sprinkle seasonings and Parmesan cheese evenly over green beans.

Place green beans in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy!  (To make them extra crispy, broil them for an extra 1-2 minutes before pulling them out of the oven).

Enjoy immediately with low sugar ketchup or dipping sauce of choice.

~*~*~

Taking that whole enjoy with a dipping sauce of choice, I whipped up a simple vegan Sriracha aoili…and it went with these fries perfectly.  Mine didn’t crisp up as much as I hoped, but I was also baking gluten-free/vegan no chicken nuggets in the oven as well, which took some of the heat source away from the green beans.  Regardless…these were amazing and fantastic…and I intend to make them again tomorrow with the other half of the green beans from my CSA bin.  Yeah…they were that good.

Perfect healthy side dish for any meal, honestly.  What better way to serve your veggies?

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Waldon Farms dresses up salads right with Thousand Island dressing

Walden Farms Calorie Free Thousand Island Dressing
Walden Farms Calorie Free Thousand Island Dressing

Product: Walden Farms Calorie Free Thousand Island Dressing – $4.99+

How good can a product be when it has the bold claim that it has no calories, fat, carbs, gluten, or sugars of any kind?  Well…if it’s a product made by Walden Farms…then, as far as I am concerned…it’s going to be good.

Of course, nothing ever compares to the real thing, but as far as these things go, Walden Farms has hit the flavor right on the head.  A while back, I gave their Honey Dijon salad dressing a try…and absolutely loved it.  It was not as creamy as regular dressing, but the flavor is totally there.

And that was how it was with Walden Farms Calorie Free Thousand Island Dressing.  Honestly.  While it doesn’t contain all the bits that you usually see in Thousand Island dressing, it tastes just like the dressing I used to pour all over my salads.  I found that while it wasn’t as thick as regular salad dressing, it didn’t need to be.  What it lacks in body it makes up for in its simple, rich flavor of regular Thousand Island dressing.  It was very impressive.

And the best part is…you don’t need to drown your salad in it.  The two tablespoon serving size is perfect for the salad.  Give it a toss and every bit will get covered with a bit of the dressing.  And that is only a good thing.  I even let my roomie, who is a Thousand Island dressing freak try it out…and she said it was awesome…and that she missed Thousand Island dressing (the brand she used to get had high fructose corn syrup in it…so we had to move her to something else).

Salads can be healthy again…and you can still have an awesome creamy dressing…that is so allergen friendly and quite delicious too.  If you can find Walden Farms products, I encourage you to give it a try.  Honestly…the two dressings I have tried have been super delicious and very good.  And…guilt free.

Better yet, the dressing is made with natural ingredients, flavors and spices.

What’s not to love about that?

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Recipe: Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocados (with a Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream)

I know…this sounds bizarre, even for someone like me…but the fact of the matter was…I had produce that needed to be used up before Friday…and two of the items still staring at me were amazing organic avocados.  Now, I could have done my usual standbys with these…guacamole…or put it into a breakfast scramble of sorts.

But why?  Why when I run across such interesting and different recipes such as this one, which I pilfered from the blogg Bullfrogs & Bulldogs, and adjusted to make it easier and more time efficient for me…the non-stop busy-body!  It’s very nutritious, packing a high protein punch with the quinoa, and the healthy fat of the avocado.  Awesome.

So…if you love avocado, love quinoa, and just plain love delicious things…here is a great recipe for you…done up the way I do it.  And I’ll even include my recipe for Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream.

Yes…I love you guys that much…

Recipe: Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocados

Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocado with a Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream
Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocado with a Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Spiced Quinoa:

  • Avocados (1 small avocado per person)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 can Green Giant Southwest Style Corn
  • 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro + some for garnish
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning (I crated my own using chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and garlic powder)

Vegan Sriracha Sour Cream

  • 1/4 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream

    • 2 teaspoons Sriracha

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa well and place it in a sauce pan and toast for about two minutes until the quinoa starts to smell ‘toasty.’ Add one cup of water or vegetable broth and bring to boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover.  (To get fluffy quinoa, it’s really important to not stir it, just let it be, keeping a close eye on it).

Chop the onion drain the can of Southwest Style Corn.  Combine both ingredients in a bowl and mix well with the taco seasoning.  Cover and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes.  Remove from microwave, uncover, and allow to cool slightly.

Once the quinoa is finished, fluff with a fork and allow it to sit for 15 minutes, until it has cooled slightly.  Add  it to the vegetable mixture.

Make the sour cream by measuring out 1/4 cup of vegan sour cream and adding the Sriracha to it.  Stir it together until well blended.

To assemble the avocados, begin by cutting them in half, removing the skin and the pit.

Scoop about ½ a cup of the quinoa mixture into each avocado, more if you can fit it.

Top it with a little Sriracha Sour Cream and some chopped cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

Creamy, rich, smooth, amazing, delicious, totally yummy and just plain good!  The blend of cool avocado with the slight spice from the quinoa/vegetable mixture as well as the vegan Sriracha sour cream on top is just…perfection.  With a healthy does of belly-flattening fats from the avocado and the blast of protein from the quinoa, this makes for one very healthy dish to have for lunch or dinner…or whenever your little heart desires.

I had more than half of the quinoa/veggie mixture left so I sense a run to the grocery store for more avocados in my very near future.

A great meal…guilt free.  Awesome.

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Recipe: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

I love spicy food.  Love it.  I love that little bit of heat that accompanies each bite…and when done right…doesn’t mask the flavor of the food.  Yum!

Well, this past weekend, my friend Robert shared a recipe on my Facebook wall that he thought I might enjoy.  It was for Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower.  And let me tell you…it looked awesome.  Seriously!  It just so happened that my CSA bin that week had an amazing head of cauliflower in it…and everything else on the list I had in my pantry.  Perfect!

And after the winter weather that came through last night, something warm, spicy, and different just sounded appetizing tonight for dinner.  So, upon returning home from work…I went to work on my head of cauliflower and preparing this simple, yet really delicious dish.  You just need about 25 minutes and dinner is served.

Recipe: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower (with a Vegan Ranch Dip)
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower (with a Vegan Ranch Dip)

Servings: 2-4
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower

For the batter:

  • Dash of hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
  • 1/2 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Pinch salt

For the buffalo sauce:

  • 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
  • 1/4 cup oil, canola oil works best
  • Pinch salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix together the batter ingredients in a small bowl.

Dip the cauliflower in the batter until coated evenly then place on greased baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter hardens.

Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Once the cauliflower are done baking, brush them with the hot sauce mixture and bake again for a few more minutes, until cauliflower is crispy.

Remove from oven. You may want to add a bit more buffalo sauce to taste.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

Oh…this was crazy, stupid good.  I mean…so delicious.  I was highly impressed.  Honestly.  I love cauliflower regardless, but this just took it to the next level.  This is the second cauliflower recipe that Robert has shared with me, and both times I have been super impressed.  I can’t wait to make this again.

Oh, and it’s a super easy recipe too, so that is a bonus.  I whipped up a Vegan Ranch Dip to serve with mine, which consisted of:

  • a few spoonfuls of Trader Joe’s vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
  • 3 tablespoons of almond milk to thin it out

I just mixed it all together in a bowl and viola…instant buffalo cauliflower dip!

Honestly…if you are looking for a fun and exciting way to serve up veggies…this is the recipe to try!

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Sea Veggies…taste like the ocean…and not in a good way

YangBan Sea Salt Sea Veggies
YangBan Sea Salt Sea Veggies

Product: YangBan Sea Salt Sea Veggies – $1.39+

BLECH!  YUCK!  GROSS!  EWWWW!

Does that sum it up enough?  I was actually pretty stoked about these great little seaweed chips that I found on Manager’s Special at my local grocery store.  I think, now that I’ve had them, that I now know why they were there…

Now, don’t get me wrong…I am a vegetarian sushi loving girl…and as such, I am accustomed to the inclusion of seaweed (nori) in my rolls.  I love it when paired with the vegetables and the sushi rice.  But on its own…well…

…it tastes like…the ocean floor.  Or like orca.  I can’t decide which.

This afternoon, I was starving after a quick run on my lunch break at the gym.  So, when my 3:00 p.m. snack time hit, I reached into my desk and emerged with the little package of YangBan Sea Veggies.  I had actually thought to, perhaps, bring a backup plan in case these didn’t hit the mark on flavor, but I decided against it.  It was a healthy little snack…made from seaweed.

And…that’s exactly what it is.  In fact, each little chip is just a section of nori, this one dusted with a light coating of sea salt.  It looked harmless enough.  In fact…I thought…it might even be tasty.

I was wrong.  Not a fan.  At all.  It took a handful of Reeses Pieces and lots of water to get rid of the taste of algae, but…eventually it got there.  My palate cleansed, I went and threw away the rest of the bag and vowed to go home and get rid of the hot chili flavor as well.  In sushi…I love nori.  In snack form…on its own…not so much.

So, if seaweed is your thing…then this might be the snack for you.  It’s super healthy…only 35 calories for the little bag.  But…I didn’t even take in one since I just couldn’t get past one bite.

BLECH!

That being said…never again.

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The Really Great Food Company mixes up really great gluten-free Spinach Cheese Biscuits

The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix
The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix

Product: The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix – $6.19+

You know…when a gluten-free company goes all out and calls itself The Really Great Food Company, well, they better be able to back up that claim.  That being said, I had never heard of said company prior to a little visit to Milwaukee and a stop inside the Gluten-Free Trading Company.  If you are ever in Milwaukee, do stop in.  It’s a completely gluten-free grocery store.  And it is awesome!!

Anyway, on my second visit there in two days, I was stocking up on more goodies for the gluten-free pantry at home and came across a few mixes that were produced by The Really Great Food Company.  Huh.  I was actually intrigued because this was something I couldn’t get where I lived.

After toiling over which product to try, my roommate and I finally decided that the Spinach and Cheese Biscuit mix sounded like it could be an epic win (or an epic fail), so we went with that.  Purchase made.  And a lot of products to go through in my pantry prior to this one meant…it sat…and sat…and sat.  Until last night.

You see…our workout schedule runs so that we go to the gym every other day.  Well, this week it just happens to be a Monday, Wednesday, Friday sort of week.  And after hitting up the gym, we head to our office and I nuke something I brought (homemade or otherwise) for us to feast on because by then we are truly starving.  Since this mix was getting close to expiration, this is what I mixed up and baked up for post-workout brekkies this week.

Now, the box itself says that it only makes 9 biscuits.  Heh.  I managed to get 13 out of it.  And as these are not made in traditional biscuit methods (not drop biscuits or cooked up in a pan), but rather made in muffin tins…they seem more like a roll than a biscuit…but this is just me nitpicking every little detail.

The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix (mixed and prepped with cheese and spinach)
The Really Great Food Company Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Biscuit Mix (mixed and prepped with cheese and spinach)

Making these was super easy.  In a bowl, I beat together 2 eggs, some canola oil, and some unsweetened almond milk.  From there, I the mix itself and beat that in as well.  Then, the spinach,  chopped cheddar cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese all got folded into the mix.  The resulting mixture was then placed into muffin tins and baked in a 375°F oven for about 27 minutes.

Now, if possible, I do try to bake an extra item of the new product I am trying out…just in case it isn’t any good.  Because, after a hard workout, the last thing you want to find out is that your breakfast is nasty.  Not good.  That being said, I put it to the test, as always, with my roommate.  I gave her the 13th biscuit and eagerly awaited her reaction.

“Pretty good.”

Hmmm…pretty good is not what I strive for when I bake something up.  But she wasn’t spitting it out making obscene facial expressions, so…pretty good would have to do.  The rest of the biscuits/rolls were put into containers and prepped for our three gym days this week.

After hitting the gym this morning, we arrived very hungry at the office.  I set to the task of getting our breakfasts ready.  Here was the first snag.  Apparently I needed to spray down the muffin papers I baked them in because I found that the wrappers stuck to the product itself.  Booo.  But, this wouldn’t be the first time I encountered that…so I set to work, carefully peeling and making sure I was getting mostly paper and not mostly biscuit.  Once I accomplished that task, it was a simple reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Good to go.

When I asked my roomie her thoughts on the biscuits, she said, “I like the cheese.”

Again…not very helpful or useful for my blog…so…here’s my rundown…

The Really Great Food Company knows how to make biscuits!  Honestly.  What shocked me most was that, despite being filled with chunks of cheddar cheese and slices of spinach, these biscuits aren’t dense in the slightest.  They are light and airy.  And the Parmesan cheese that was added to the batter melted down into the biscuits as they baked, giving each bite a cheesy flavor.  Get a bite with a chunk of cheddar and it’s like cheese nirvana in your mouth.  Light…fluffy…and delicious.  I couldn’t stop eating mine.  I had two biscuits for breakfast and they were devoured faster than I’ve eaten anything on a gym day.  Every bite just tasted amazing.  From the spinach to the cheese to the light batter itself, this biscuit was gluten-free perfection.

My only regret now is that I can’t find this brand around here.  Thankfully, they do have a Web site and you can order their products online.  And, trust me, I think I may do that…see what else they offer and if it lives up to the standard these biscuits have now set.

Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean heavy, dense breads.  Nope.  The Really Great Food Company proved once and for all that even something as simple as a biscuit/roll can have a light, airy texture and tons of flavor.  I’m really, really hooked.  The hard part now will be saving them specifically for gym days.

It may sound cheesy (heh heh…see what I did there?) but these biscuits truly are a gluten-free culinary work of art.  If you can find the mix…purchase it and bake it.  If you can order it online, I encourage you to do so.  I was beyond impressed.

I was wowed!

The Really Great Food Company Spinach Cheese Biscuits
The Really Great Food Company Spinach Cheese Biscuits
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Recipe: Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese

It’s the night before a race…so you know what that means, right?

Pizza!

Except…not today.  I didn’t have anything in my apartment to work pizza into the equation…so I had to break with my pizza before a race tradition and come up with something I could make with items I did have on hand.  Well, today is the day my CSA bin was delivered and one of the items nestled inside was beautiful rainbow chard.

It was from there…and the fact that I keep polenta on hand in my pantry…that I threw together this recipe for a later than usual dinner.  It was delicious and relatively easy to make.  As I am lactose intolerant, I substituted the ricotta cheese for silken tofu and used Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese.

The rest of the recipe is from Epicurious…but I really enjoyed it with my substitutions.  So delicious.

Recipe: Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese

Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese
Baked Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Cheese


Servings: 8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 1 hour 10 minutes; Cool 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 pound rainbow chard, thick stems and ribs removed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I used Nosoya Silken Tofu)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups coarsely grated low-fat mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces) (I used Daiya mozzarella shreds)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil 2-quart glass baking dish.  Heat oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper, then chard; cover and cook until chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Uncover; stir until any excess liquid in skillet evaporates.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring 3 1/2 cups water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan.  Gradually stir polenta into boiling water.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until polenta is very thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Whisk ricotta and eggs in bowl; whisk in 1 cup hot polenta.  Stir ricotta mixture into polenta in saucepan.

Spread half of polenta mixture in baking dish.  Spread half of chard mixture over.  Sprinkle with half of mozzarella.  Repeat layering with remaining polenta, chard, and cheese.

Bake until puffed and brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Cool 30 minutes.

~*~*~

You would never be able to tell that this recipe was made with tofu instead of ricotta cheese, and with vegan cheese over regular.  The onions, chard, and garlic mixture is delicious.  And the polenta made a delicious, creamy addition once it was cooked up.  I loved this and am so happy that I have another 3 days worth of it.  YUMMY!

Best part…each serving has 259 calories.  That’s it!  Amazing.  Delicious.  And quite satisfying.  I served this with a salad made up from fresh produce, also from my CSA bin.  This recipe does take some time to cook…but the end result is worth it.  I would make this again in a heartbeat.

Now…we’ll see how this does when it comes to my race day performance.

I might be sorry I skipped out on pizza…but this was definitely a huge, tasty, epic dinner win!

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

It was the night before Christmas and my mom and I were settling in to plan a vegetarian and gluten-free entreé option for me (the only vegetarian in the family) and a possible side for everyone else at Christmas dinner.  We had meant to do planning long before then…but we both lead very busy lives and we had a lot of other stuff to do when I flew into town for the holidays.

So, the night before the big day, we found ourselves at Earth Fare in Birmingham, Alabama…picking up the necessities for the recipe we finally decided on.  The original  recipe was from Manifest Vegan, and it involved the use of maitake mushrooms.  But…only my mom and I like mushrooms in the family, so we put our heads together to come up with a replacement.  Our solution: zucchini.

That settled, we hit up the grocery store and purchased all the necessary items, including RP’s Fresh Gluten-Free Fettuccine noodles.  I fell in love with RP’s fresh gluten-free pasta very recently and no other pasta would do for Christmas.  With the ingredients purchased…we were ready to start cooking up a variation of this vegan pasta dish for Christmas.  And we did just that on Christmas morning…and finished up in enough time to pack up everything and head to my sister’s house.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce
Gluten-Free Zucchini Fettuccine in a Vegan Cream Sauce

Servings: 8
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces, brown rice fettuccine style pasta (I used RP’s Gluten Free Fettuccine)
  • 3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 stick cinnamon or 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 10 ounces zucchini, chopped
  • 3 finely diced carrots
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1-1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup (salted) vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
  • Chopped chives for garnish
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Douse pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil and then add sea salt.

In large pan, combine leeks, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, zucchini, and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and sauté until golden on edges.  Add the white wine and cook over medium low heat until much of the liquid has dissolved.  Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth and let cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.  Stir often to prevent scorching.

Whisk in 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour and let cook until thickened, stirring often with a spoon, about 7 minutes.  Combine with pasta and salt to taste, if needed.  Top with fresh chives before serving.

~*~*~

The pasta was quite a popular dish at Christmas dinner.  No one even knew it was vegan and gluten-free…except for the fact that I could eat it.  LOVE that.  And everyone tried it…and loved it.  Let me tell you…the item that really makes this dish pop is that addition of cinnamon.  It was amazing.  I can’t wait to make this again.

Go ahead and try it.  And if you love mushrooms like me…go ahead and keep the maitake mushrooms.  When I make this at home for myself and my roommate…I’ll do it with the mushrooms.  Mmmm…I kind of want this for dinner this week now…