Update & YAY for Market Basket!

Hi everyone. Long time, no blogging. Let me catch you up. First, my long absences were due to being sick as a dog for the first 4 1/2 months of my pregnancy. Then, it was more because I started consulting away from my home office 4 days per week, which plum wore me out. A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a significant amount of bleeding. After 3 days in a hospital in Boston with a level 1 NICU (in case baby girl decided to come early), they could not determine the cause of the bleeding. I've been on bed rest ever since. Let's just say I've had some time to think about the blog again...though it won't last for long - we are going to be induced early in order to decrease the changes of any further complications.

In the meantime, if you live in MA or NH, I hope you've heard the news! Our local supermarket chain, Market Basket, has introduced gluten and dairy free mixes that are their own brand! "Generic" brand mixes, if you will, which carry a "generic" brand price tag - only $3.59 a pop! But are they any good?

My husband first discovered them by perusing their weekly ad flier. We immediately picked up both the yellow cake mix (which, in my opinion, is very hard to get right) and the cookie/bar mix (I was also curious to see if they are produced in a dedicated facility, which they are!). Soon after, I mixed up the yellow cake mix into cupcakes and topped them with chocolate frosting. The texture was very nice - not grainy at all. They had a good flavor, too. My non-GF husband agreed! Oh, and they couldn't be easier to make. I apologize for not have a picture of them, but I just wasn't thinking at the time.

Then I got a call asking if I would make up each mix, taste test them, and report my honest thoughts to you all via this blog. Sure thing! So, one of each of the 5 mixes showed up at my door. I lost site of my charge for a short while during the baby scare, but then suddenly I've had lots of help around here since I am not supposed to move around much.

First up, my mom made the quick bread mix. There are 3 yummy sounding recipe options on back - pumpkin, zucchini-carrot, and banana. We went for the banana. OH MAN! Yum-ville! Moist, tasty, sweet but not too sweet and a perfect texture. My non-GF mom and non-GF friend, Emily, both agreed. We put some in the freezer for my GF sister to try and she was in heaven, too. Lots of thumbs way up!

Next came the corn bread mix, which we made up into corn muffins. Easy again and so delicious! I got a tummy ache from eating too many at once. This mix isn't sweetened, so if you want a sweeter bread/muffin, you can add what you'd like. I used honey. There is a recipe for dredging chicken in the mix, which I totally intend to try. Oh, and the mix made as many muffins as it said it would, which I find is pretty unusual.

My plan is to do one more post before baby girl arrives - we are being induced late next week. Stay tuned for reports and pictures on the cookie/bar mix and the waffle/coffee cake mix! I fully believe that now that one mainstream supermarket chain has taken this leap, many more will, too!

Tapioca Apple Pudding

Sorry for my absence over the last week. I've been under the weather, and we had a death in the family. I'm also temporarily working on a new project that takes me away from the office 3 days per week...this likely means that my posts will be fewer over the next couple of months.

This recipe is something I discovered as I continue to search for rotation diet-friendly things to eat. It's warm and comforting and fills the house with a wonderful aroma. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients (makes 2 large servings):

• 1/2 C quick cooking tapioca cooked according to package instructions
• 2 T honey or 4 t agave
• pinch of salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 C milk (whatever kind you can tolerate)
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 2 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

Directions

1. Oil 2 large ramekins and preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix first 6 ingredients together.
3. Arrange sliced apples in each ramekin.
4. Pour tapioca mixture evenly over each.
5. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes. The apples will rise to the top!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays and What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free. Check out these great recipe roundups!

Enjoy!

Corn Bread - Straight Up & As A Stuffing

I'm 9 days into the rotation diet. Up until today, I was managing ok - pretty good actually, with minimal whining. I've been getting creative - making yogurt out of goat milk, making buckwheat pancakes without eggs, enjoying teff chocolate pudding and amaranth banana bread... I've even been out to eat twice without much planning time and managed just fine, to my surprise. ...and my husband has not felt too inconvenienced, which is a bonus.

But today, I don't feel well. Everything I had planned to eat today is making my stomach turn just at the thought. It's one of those things where I don't want to eat, but I'm feeling so weak that I need to have something. So, I resorted to toast - a kind that is off the rotation plan. I'm thinking that I will get right back on the rotation horse as soon as I can. Right now, I just need some plain calories so that I don't faint or puke (sorry!)...

A good day to answer some requests I've had for a gluten free cornbread recipe. In my family, we grew up eating homemade cornbread every Saturday. When four of us discovered we could not tolerate gluten, my mom adapted her recipe for us! This past Saturday, I asked her if she was making a batch and she said "yes!" I ran right over to take a picture (and grab some for my freezer for when it fits into my rotation schedule).

Mom's Saturday Cornbread
Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 C oil
• 1 C milk- whichever you can tolerate
  
• 1/4 honey or sugar, or 2 T agave
  
• 1 C GF flour mix (preferably a kind without bean flour in it)
  
• 1 C yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 T baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9X9 baking sheet.
2. Mix together first 4 ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together last 4 dry ingredients.
4. Add the wet into the dry and combine, but not too much.
5. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until it's slightly golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

This goes great with chili! Or make it into a stuffing...

Ingredients

• about 2/3 of the above cornbread recipe, cubed
• 2 C chopped and peeled apples
• 1 C diced carrots
• ¾ C diced onions
• ½ C diced celery
• ½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1/4 C dried cranberries (optional)
  
• ½ t ground nutmeg
• 2 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• ½ C butter or oil
• 1 C GF chicken stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Spread cornbread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake 10 – 15 min or until dry.
   
3. In a skillet, place the butter or oil along with the carrots, onions, and celery. Cook until beginning to turn translucent.
4. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat.
   
5. In a large bowl, combine the bread, veggies, apples and nuts.
6. Pour mixture into a baking pan and pour chicken stock all over. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Sausage Stew

Couple of things to tell you about first:

1. The Nov 1st edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival is up at Sustaining Health Holistically. Check it out for some great recipes, product reviews, and more!
   
2. A fantastic recipe roundup of pumpkin treats for "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free" is up at Life Gluten Free.
3. Today is Monday, so swing by Simply Sugar & Gluten Free for a collection of Slightly Indulgent recipes. You could also win a great give-a-way - new e-cookbooks!

One week of the rotation diet down! It's not so bad, I've decided. The thing that has bothered me the most is the difficulty with being spontaneous. With practice, I think this will get easier. A big plus is that we are both eating healthier (even though Brian is not doing this with me) - a lot more veggies and vegetarian meals in general, though I'm posting a meal-filled recipe today...

Soups and stews are among the most wonderful aspects of the cool weather season. I love to toss some things together and have them meld into a tasty, warm, comforting meal. We had this for a couple of dinners recently.

Ingredients:

• 1 T oil
• 1/2 pound sausage, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 small hot green chile pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (16 ounce) can chic peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 apple - peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
  

Directions:

1. Heat oil in bottom of soup pot or dutch oven. Add sausage and allow to brown for about 7 min, breaking it up occasionally.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add sweet potatoes and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, chili pepper, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Stir in chic peas, apple, cilantro, salt, and pepper and allow to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free (Soup Theme)?

Teff Chocolate Pudding - wheat, gluten, egg, soy, dairy, corn, refined sugar, peanut, and tree nut free!

It's day 4 of my rotation diet, and I'm not losing my mind! I'm definitely learning a lot, and I'm eating much healthier - lots of veggies! I'm making it into a game, sort-of - like "I know I'm going out to eat Saturday, so how do I 'save up' food groups so that I can eat what I want?" I'm also becoming very aware of foods that I was over-relying on, like onions, peppers, tomatoes, turkey...

Today will be the completion of a full rotation. To start out, foods are rotated on a four day schedule, so tomorrow, I go back to the food groups that I ate on Monday. I can tell that, as I get more comfortable doing this, I will be a bit more "free" with my meal planning - right now, I'm planning my meals mostly based on the rotation that is suggested in the book, but soon I will think about meals I want to have, then assign food groups accordingly. That will work out much better!

I ended up feeling a bit hungry on day Monday afternoon (rotation day 2), and started to panic a bit - I didn't plan for that! I checked day 2 food groups and saw that I could have teff. I've always wanted to experiment with teff, but just hadn't yet. I looked at the back of the Bob's Red Mill Teff package for some inspiration and saw a recipe for Teff Pudding. It contained few ingredients, all of which I could incorporate on rotation day 2, so I went for it! I'm glad I did - it was so yummy and comforting...definitely something I will eat even when I'm not on rotation! The cooked teff has a texture that lends itself to pudding - almost as if it contains gelatin, but it doesn't.

Before the recipe, a word about teff: Teff is packed with nutrition. It is higher in protein than wheat and has a high concentration of a wide variety of nutrients, including calcium, thiamine and iron. A cup of cooked teff contains 387 mg of calcium which is 40% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance. Teff has twice as much iron as both wheat and barley; the iron from teff is easily absorbed by the body. Since the grains are so small, the bulk of the grain is germ and bran. It is very high in fiber and is thought to benefit people with diabetes as it helps control blood sugar levels. Teff is available as a grain or as a flour. You can read more about the nutritional benefits of teff here.

Teff Pudding (serves 2 - 3) - wheat, gluten, egg, soy, dairy, corn, refined sugar, peanut, and tree nut free!

Ingredients:

• 2 C water
• 1/2 C teff grain
• 3 T cocoa powder
• 2 T maple syrup or honey, or 1 T agave
• 2 t vanilla extract
• pinch of salt (my addition, since it brings out the sweetness!)

Directions

1. In a small pot, bring water and teff grain to a boil, then cover and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend cooked teff and remaining ingredients until smooth and light. Add additional water if it's too thick.
3. Pour into serving bowl, chill, and serve.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays.

Honey-Buckwheat Pancakes

Haven't discovered buckwheat yet? I have to say that it was only recently that I have begun to appreciate all buckwheat it has to offer. I loved Nicolette's buckwheat brownies, so I thought I'd see what else it would be good in. Buckwheat pancakes seemed like a natural next move, since I love a good pancake (see coconut flour pancakes and flourless pancakes)! They turned out delicious, if I do say so myself... Buckwheat lends a nuttiness that I think perfectly pairs with honey - it's like they were made for each other.

Ingredients (makes about 5-6 pancakes):

• 1/2 C GF buckwheat flour
• 1 t baking powder (if you cannot tolerate corn, click here for a corn free baking powder recipe)
  
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
  
• 1 T honey
• 1 egg
• 2 T oil
• 1 t vanilla extract
  
• about 1/2 C whichever milk you can tolerate (yogurt would be nice, too)

Directions:

1. Mix together the first 3 ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, egg, oil, and vanilla.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir a little.
4. Start adding in your milk a bit at a time until the desired consistency is met.
5. Cook batter on a preheated pan or griddle that has been greased.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Monday.

Chili with Roasted Peppers

Chili is a cool-weather staple around here. It's one of those great meals that can be adapted many different ways to suit tastes and dietary restrictions. It can also give you a hand cleaning out your pantry! This version is made with roasted hot peppers (not too hot for me - I make extra peppers for my husband to sprinkle on top b/c he likes his mouth to be on fire...). Roasting the peppers takes their flavor to a different depth in such a wonderful way and tempers the heat a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 hot peppers (jalapenos are fine; use more or less depending on your taste)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb. ground meat (I use turkey)
• 1 C juicer pulp (optional - it's a good way to use it up!)
  
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T cumin
• dash red pepper flakes
• 1 T salt
• 2 t pepper
• 1/4 C ground flax seeds (optional)
  
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 can black beans (or whatever you have on hand - I used kidney this time)
• 1 can corn (optional)
• 4 tomatoes, diced or 2 C canned tomatoes

Directions:

1. Place whole hot peppers on a baking sheet covered in foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until they get char spots on them and blister, like in the picture above. Once cool, split a part and remove the stem and seeds (unless you like more heat). Dice and set aside.
2. While the peppers are roasting, place heat olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add ground meat to the pot. Allow it to begin to brown, using your stirring spoon to separate it. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. If you are using juicer pulp, add it in.
   
4. Add chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, ground flax seed, salt and pepper to the meat and mix around.
5. Add the bell peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes.
6. Add the beans, corn, and tomatoes and stir to combine.
7. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Notes:

• I like to top mine with yogurt - whichever kind I've got. My favorite is Greek or coconut.

I Took the Kale Chip Challenge!

On October 13th, Celiac Chicks issued a throw-down - a Kale Chip Throw-down. I have been reading about these things for a while and just letting the idea of them stew. When I saw this challenge, I had to accept, especially because they expressed their initial hesitancy, thinking "how could these be any good?" ...and that's where I've been at!

I followed their recipe and used the oven this time rather than the dehydrator, which I plan to try in the future. I made just one batch at first because why waste perfectly good kale if I didn't like these chips? But...I loved them! They are light and crispy! My first batch was olive oil and salt, which just pairs nicely with the flavor of the kale. For my 2nd batch, I added cumin...YUM! The pictures show before and after - they are a bit like shrinky-dinks! I actually could see these squashing a chip craving.

In other news...Go Dairy Free reported today that one of my favorite cereals, Perky's Nutty Flax (which actually does not contain nuts), is now being branded as Enjoy Life Crunchy Flax. Click here to read about that transition. The flavor, crunch, and low sugar grams better stay the same, is all I can say!

This post is linked to What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free over at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

Product Review: Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toast

Don't forget to check out today's Slightly Indulgent recipes at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! Who couldn't use that?

While checking out our local wine and cheese shop for the first time the other day (for some reason, we always go to one that is further away), I happily noticed a few gluten free products among all of the wonderful-looking gifts and cheese accompaniments. Among them were Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toasts. I hadn't seen them before, so naturally I scooped them up to try with our yummy cheese purchases. I loved them, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I also loved the Edward & Sons website, which has an easy-to-us allergen chart!!! Check out my review on The Examiner.

PS - I purchased these for my own individual use. No compensation of any kind was received in exchange for this review.

Happy Monday!

Home Free Cookies on Fox Boston News

Jill Robbins, founder of Home Free Treats, was featured on Fox News Boston. I'm not generally a fan of Fox myself, but I've got to give them kudos for giving food allergies center stage...and not just for a couple of seconds - it was for several minutes. Check out the clip:

Buckwheat Brownies

In my 2nd interview with Nicolette Dumke, she named a couple of her favorite recipes, one of which is her Buckwheat Brownies. I got to thinking that if an author of multiple wonderful, allergy-friendly cookbooks says that something is her favorite, it must be worth a try. ...and I always love to satisfy a chocolate craving!

These brownies are wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, refined sugar, and corn-free. I substituted a mix of honey and maple syrup for the maple sugar, which resulted in a more cake-like brownie. Brian and I both gobbled them up! They are sooooooo good! Next time, I might try a few adjustments for a more fudge-like texture, but then again, why play with a good thing?

You can find the recipe at the end of my interview with Nicolette. ...and if you are interested in learning more about the nutritional value of buckwheat, click here. Enjoy!

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies - free from the top 8 allergens, corn, refined sugar, and gluten!

If you haven't read my interview with allergy author, Nicolette Dumke, you might want to (click here for part 1 and here for part 2). Nicolette is an incredible person who is brilliantly coping with multiple food allergies, and has graciously chronicled all she has learned in her series of books. She sent me a copy of her latest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... to review. I have been baking my way through it to see how her allergy-friendly versions of yummy deserts match up. Click here to see Traditional Apple Cobbler with Amaranth Topping.

I was attracted to this recipe for Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies because I know that quinoa is considered somewhat of a super food, especially for those of us on the gluten free diet. Quinoa brings many essential nutrients to the party that might otherwise be lacking in the traditional gluten free diet. Also, I wanted to further experiment with the use of apple juice concentrate as a sweetener in baking.

My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised these cookies. They have a wonderful texture, and the use of concentrated apple juice helps to mask the flavor of the quinoa in a way that really works! The chocolate chips bring it all together. I'm not saying that they taste just like regular chocolate chip cookies - they definitely taste healthier, but in a wonderful way. Otherwise, my husband would not have finished them all on me!

Ingredients (recipe is being reprinted with author's permission)

• 3 C quinoa flour
• 1 C tapioca starch
• 1 1/2 t baking soda + 3/8 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (or just use baking powder)
• 2 C apple juice concentrate
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 1/4 C chocolate or carob chips (optional)

Directions

1. Boil the apple juice down to 1 3/8 C in volume and allow it to coll to room temperature or cooler. If you are in a hurry, put it in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa flour, tapioca starch, baking soda + vitamin C (or baking powder). In a separate bowl or cup, stir together the juice and oil. Immediately stir them into the dry ingredients until they are just mixed in. Fold in the chocolate or carob chips. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them to about 1/4 inch thickness with your fingers held together. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly browned. Makes about 5 dozen.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays along with lots of other delicious guilt-free recipes. This week, Amy is giving away Le Creuset mini gratin dishes!

Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup

My husband is an excellent cook...I'm very lucky! Last weekend, he bought two sugar pumpkins because they were on sale. He excitedly told me that he planned to roast them and make soup out of them. The weekend came and went and all he was able to get to was the roasting part...the poor guys works full time, is in grad school, and is doing all the construction on our home, so I wasn't upset that I had all this pumpkin and no idea what to do with it. Time to get creative!

After reading about how to prepare fresh pumpkin, I came up with a game plan: make a pumpkin soup and add flavors that *hopefully* go well with it. The end result was a fabulous, comforting soup that we both couldn't get enough of! Good thing, because I made a double batch and still had left over pumpkin, so I made Amy's Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe...yum! (If you use fresh pumpkin for this, strain it over two nights).

Oh yeah - at the New England Celiac Conference this past Saturday, pumpkin made a short list of "super foods" that the two nutritionists talked about being sure to add to your diet if you are gluten free. Nice! Pumpkins dishes are also the theme for this month's Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free recipe round up which will be hosted by Heather at Life, Gluten Free. Not sure yet if this will be my entry...
Ingredients:

• 4 T butter (or oil)
  
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 C pumpkin (canned would work, too)
• 1 apple, diced
  
• 1 T salt
• 1 T honey (or 2 t agave)
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 T curry powder (make sure it is gluten free!)
  
• 1/2 t ground pepper
• 3 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C milk (any kind that you can tolerate)

Directions

1. Heat the butter or oil in your soup pot or dutch oven.
2. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the pumpkin, apple, salt, honey, nutmeg, and pepper and stir.
   
4. Add the chicken broth 1 C at a time and stir well in between additions.
5. Use an immersion or stick blender to make the soup real creamy and smooth.
6. Add milk and stir to incorporate.

Traditional Apple Cobbler w/ Amaranth Topping

This is the first recipe I tried out of Nicolette Dumke's newest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... In this book, Nicolette presents many different allergy-friendly, kitchen-tested options for each recipe so that you can pick the ingredients that suit your dietary needs.

I was drawn to the amaranth topping for this recipe because it is not a grain, and I tend to feel better when I'm not eating grains. I chose apples for the filling because we have an abundance of amazing, locally-grown apples now - so many, in fact, that I'm going to have to start getting real creative... I was also drawn to the sweetener used in this filling - apple juice concentrate, which I have not experimented with yet.

My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised! We loved how thick and gooey the filling got, and how cake-like and tasty the topping was! The intense sweetness of the filling was perfectly complimented by the topping. Yep, I did take a scoop before taking a picture...sorry! This is a real winner and will probably make a weekly appearance in our house throughout the Fall months.

* This post is liked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Nicolette Dumke's Apple Cobbler with Amaranth Topping
reprinted with the author's permission
Ingredients for the filling:

• 4 to 5 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced to make 3 1/2 to 4 C of slices (or 1 20-ounce can of sliced apples canned in water such as Mussleman's brand, drained)
• 1/2 C apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 5 t arrowroot or tapioca starch or 2 T quick-cooking (minute) tapioca
• 1/2 t cinnamon

For the topping:

• 3/4 C amaranth flour
• 1/4 C arrowroot
• for a corn-free version, use 3/4 t baking soda + 1/8 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (I used baking powder instead)
  
• 3/8 C apple or pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/8 C oil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drain the canned apples if you are using them, or peel, core and slice fresh apples.
   
3. In a saucepan, stir together the apple juice concentrate, starch or tapioca, and cinnamon. If you are using tapioca, allow it to stand in the liquid for at least 5 minutes.
4. Add the apples to the pan and stir.
5. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. You do not need to stir it constantly while it is coming to a boil and can begin preparing the topping during this time.
6. As it begins to steam and nears the boiling point, stir it constantly. When it comes to a boil, boil it for 1 minute.
   
7. Put the fruit into a 2 1/2 - 3 qt casserole dish.
   
8. Prepare the topping: Combine the amaranth, arrowroot, and baking soda/vitamin C powder or baking powder. Stir together the juice and oil in a cup. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until they are just mixed.
   
9. Drop by spoonfuls onto the fruit in the casserole dish.
10. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the topping begins to brown. Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

I don't usually make much from Rachel Ray - not sure why b/c I do like the whole quick-and-easy thing. This recipe is hers and it's one that we revisit about twice a month during the cooler weather. It is incredibly flavorful - better than real stuffed cabbage in my opinion! I whipped it up this AM - the first batch of Fall! Brian will be very happy. It makes a ton, so it's good if you've got a crowd coming, or if you want to graze out of it for days and days, which is what we do. Leftovers freeze very well, too.

As a side note, Lisa from Lisa Cooks Allergen Free met Rachel Ray recently and took the opportunity to ask her to feature allergy-friendly recipes. I think she got Rachel thinking - maybe there will be a whole new set of books and shows dedicated to great-tasting meals free from the top 8 common food allergens!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup (from Rachel Ray w/ just a few changes by me)

Ingredients

• 1 C uncooked rice (optional)
  
• 2 T olive oil
• 1.5 lb. of ground meet (we like a combo of turkey or beef with pork)
• 1 T salt
• 2 t pepper
• 1 T coriander
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 2 t allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 large carrots made into ribbons using a peeler
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 large head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 qt of chicken broth
• 1 -15 oz can of tomato sauce
• Fresh parsley for garnish
  

Directions

1. If using the rice, cook it according to package directions. I like to first heat a bit of olive oil in the pan and add the uncooked rice to it to toast it a bit, then add some salt and cook away!
   
2. In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 T olive oil. When it's hot, add the ground meat to brown it.
   
3. Once the meat has a bit of color, season it with the salt, pepper, bay leaf, coriander, allspice, and smoked paprika.
4. After a couple of minutes, add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage an allow it to wilt a bit.
6. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
   
7. If using the rice, add it to the pot once it's cooked (or you can leave it out of the soup and just put a scoop into a bowl and pour the soup over it).
8. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.
   

Enjoy!

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

Today is Monday, which means that Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is collecting a round up of Slightly Indulgent recipes and ideas. Definitely worth checking out!

We hit the farmer's market on Saturday mornings religiously each weekend it's open from May to October. We come home with an abundance of local, organic foods...eggplant, sweet peppers, potatoes, onions, corn, carrots, cabbage, eggs, pork, chicken, sausage, apples are starting to appear - this list goes on and on. Here is one of our favorite market inspired easy dinners (this is a picture of the leftovers packed up for Brian's lunch!):

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

Ingredients (serves 4)

• about 1 1/4 lb of sausage (we like hot Italian to balance the sweetness of the apple and honey) cut into 1 inch bites
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 C white wine (you can also use stock or water)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T honey (or maple syrup or 2 t agave)
  
• 2 carrots, grated *
  
• 1 large head of cabbage, grated *
  
• 1 large apple cut into bite size pieces
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a deep pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Put sausage in pot and brown on all sides for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add onions to the pot. Cook until they get some color. Both the sausage and onions may stick to the pot at this point but that's ok - all that browned stuff on the bottom is flavor!
3. When the onions are nicely golden browned, add 1/4 C wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom.
4. Add 1 T olive oil, 1 T honey, the carrots and cabbage. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to wilt.
5. Add the apple, salt and pepper. I like to just heat the apple through, but you might want to cook it longer so that it "melts" into the dish.
   
6. Check to make sure your sausage is cooked thoroughly. If it's not and the cooking liquid has been absorbed, add 2 T of water and keep it over the heat until the sausage is done.

* You can purchase the veggies already grated for you, or use a food processor to make it fast and easy.

Enjoy!

Little Bay Baking Co.'s Doughuts

When Helen Sanders, owner of the dedicated gluten free Little Bay Baking Co. in Dover, NH told me that her Waffle & Donut Hole mix is sugar free, in addition to gluten, wheat, soy, casein, and dairy free, I knew I had to try it. The day finally came...I took out my mix, decided to make the donut hole recipe, and got ready for what I thought was going to be quite a production. Frying always is, in my opinion. But I was wrong! The directions were so easy - I made the doughnuts in less than 15 minutes!

I followed the directions on the back of the mix, save one little change for my sugar issue: "Mix together 1 C of the mix, 1 egg, 2 T oil, 3 T sugar (here's my change - I used honey), 1/4 C milk (whichever you can tolerate), and 1/4 t nutmeg (optional - I used cinnamon) until blended. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 3-4 inches of oil pre-heated to 375 degrees. Cook until golden brown..."

The result? They were AMAZING! So delicious! A bit crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. It was so fun to eat a munchkin - after all, it has been over 9 years since I've had one! The temptation is to make them bigger than you really need to - I found that they puffed up a bit once in the frying oil. Next time, I will remember to drop them by smaller spoonfuls! Oh right - keep in mind that I did not roll mine in cinnamon & sugar or powdered sugar as suggested - I bet they would look and taste even better with a yummy coating!

Helen's goal is to make treats that "taste like you remember" and she certainly hit the nail on the head with this one! You can use the store locator to find Little Bay products near you, or order from the website.

Watermelon Gazpacho

I cannot believe that it is September already and the whole summer went by without me making Watermelon Gazpacho! This is a recipe that I cannot take credit for - it is from The Food Network's cutest chef, Tyler Florence. My husband and I are big Food Network fans (we are very excited for Amy from Simply Gluten and Sugar Free to be a part of the Build A Better Burger Contest!). I have my favorite chef eye candy (Tyler) and he has his (Giada - who can blame him?).

I have made Tyler's Gazpacho for company to rave reviews. It is very easy, totally raw if you omit the optional feta cheese, and delicious! It hits all the right notes - slightly spicy, a little sweet, a bit salty, totally refreshing with a slight crunch from all the veggies, but smooth at the same time. I made a double batch today to make up for missing out the whole summer...

Tyler's Watermelon Gazpacho (with just a few changes of my own)

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato, cut into chunks
• 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
  
• 2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (basil, sage, or dill work well)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, jalapeno, and the watermelon.
2. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse.
3. Add the onion, cucumber and dill and season with salt and pepper. Puree until mostly smooth.
4. Pour into chilled bowls and sprinkle with feta, if desired.

It's Wednesday, so if you are in need of some meal ideas, be sure to check out What Can I Eat That is Gluten Free? over at the Gluten Free Homemaker. Even if you are not gluten free, there are some delicious recipes being shared!

Enjoy!

Lentil Salad

In my quest to try to take more of my dietary cues from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I've been using less chic peas, quinoa, millet, and rice (it gives me a headache anyway)...which brought me to discovering the varied uses for lentils. I've been reading up on them to discover that lentils

• are a member of the legume family
• are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.
• provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat.
• have just 230 calories per 1 cup of cooked lentils
• cook quicker than other legumes
• are cheap - I paid $1.39 for a pound
• are versatile and can take the place of rice in many dishes. They are especially yummy when added to soups or as a salad...

Lentil Salad (serves a crowd)

Ingredients

• 1 lb lentils prepared according the the package instructions
• 2 C of chopped veggies (I used sweet onion, red onion, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, and yellow pepper)
• 3/4 - 1 C of your favorite salad dressing (Italian works well) or mix together 1/2 olive oil, 1/4 vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, and pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Combine lentils and veggies.
2. Pour dressing all over and combine.
3. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon (and Tidbits Below)

With today being the first day of September, I start "psyching myself up" for Fall. It's not that I don't like Fall, it's just that I LOVE Summer. I'm feeling a bit robbed this year, as our summer in the northeast was cut short by days and days of rain all throughout June and early July. The kind of rain where people everywhere were talking about building arcs...it got depressing!

Thankfully, we've still got some summer fun left to have with a beautiful Labor Day Weekend in the forecast and the famous Seafood Festival happening the following weekend. But, as a mini-step towards being ok with Fall - embracing it even - we made one of our favorites: Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon. Brian first made this for me when we were dating (he was always so good about being creative in the kitchen around my special dietary needs), and I have requested it many times since!
Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 t olive oil
  
• 3-4 strips of bacon (always read the label for potential hidden allergens)
  
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 C frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle olive oil on the flesh. Place on baking sheet (I like to cover it with foil) with the rind side up. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife easily goes through the flesh. Allow to cool so that you can touch it.
3. In a large skillet, cook the bacon. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
4. Leave some of the bacon fat in the pan and add the onions. Cook until soft.
   
5. Add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. With a fork, scrape out the squash from the rind. Add it to the skillet.
7. Break the bacon into bits and add it back in. Toss everything around (tongs work well).
8. Salt & pepper to taste.

We eat this as a side dish or sometimes as the main event.

Enjoy!

Couple of other tidbits:
1. A recent small study has shown promising signs that some children with a history of severe milk allergy can safely drink milk and consume other dairy products every day under certain conditions. The research was led by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and published in the Aug. 10 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

2. The 2nd edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival will be posted later today by Stephen at Gluten Freeways. Check out the recipes, tips, advice, product reviews, and research.

3. Kids With Food Allergies is reporting a voluntary recall of Chef Pierre® Gourmet Lemon Meringue Pie due to undeclared milk.