Category: Recipes

Gluten-Free Vegan Quinoa Chili?

Published on by teachermama2 Comments

So I volunteered to make a main dish for my daughter’s teachers’ monthly luncheon/treat. One of the teachers requires gluten-free food, and no one had signed up for that spot. I’ve never cooked gluten-free before, but how hard could it be?

Searching for recipes on Pinterest, I found one for “The Best Ever Quinoa Chili (vegan and gluten-free).” Now I happen to know that another one or two of the teachers are vegetarians, so thought this might kill two birds with one stone. Of course, the gluten-free gal is a full on carnivore, but, hey, one dish can only meet so many needs. And I’ve been meaning to try quinoa.

I was caught by surprise while shopping for ingredients. Had to be choosy on brands of diced tomatoes, for instance. Some had garlic powder, I think, and therefore, gluten. And my grocery did not carry a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, so I left it out. Bet I could have found it at the health food store, but no time. A few ingredients were pricey: over $5 for the box of quinoa, though it was enough for a double batch. And over $4 for ground chili chipotle, but I’ll use that for other dishes. And, of course, I had to buy organic beans to make sure they were vegetarian.

As I described this experiment to my sister (the gourmand) over the phone, she started laughing. “What’s so funny about quinoa chili?” I demanded.

“I just hope it tastes good,” she worried. “You don’t want to ruin your reputation.”

Ha! I happen to know from experience that hungry people at work enjoy food that arrives, unbidden and free, regardless of how experimental or vegan it might be.

And. . . it was good! Well, I liked it anyway. I used yellow, orange, and red peppers, and, combined with the quinoa, they gave it a great texture that I enjoyed more than ground beef.  And beef production is bad for the planet, anyway. So there. Try it if you dare.

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Thanks to Sarah at Making Thyme for Health for the recipe: http://makingthymeforhealth.com/2013/09/30/best-ever-quinoa-chili-vegan-and-gluten-free/

Eating in these United States

Published on by teachermama1 Comment

enchilada

Having grown up in the Air Force, I have often observed the “homogenization” of the United States. It seemed to me that regional differences were disappearing, and you could get a Big Mac and fries pretty much anywhere. Sad.

My husband and I moved to Utah in 1996, and I kept my eyes open for foods that were special to that area.  We didn’t find much. And, man, did we miss St. Louis pizza! I know St. Louis pizza has gotten a bad rap in the media lately, and, please believe me, most of us who enjoy that thin-crust specialty also like the occasional deep dish delicacy from Chicago or drippy slice from NYC. It’s just that no one wants to eat predictable franchise pizza every Friday night.

I was disappointed earlier this week when I was unable to find Louisa frozen cannelloni (or ravioli) in the grocery store here in NW Arkansas.  After begging my sister for dinner ideas, she came up with adding a nice marinara and provel cheese to frozen cannelloni for a good “fake it” weeknight dinner. Now I knew it would be a stretch to find the St. Louis brand Louisa here, but not even a substitute! (And we can’t find any decent Italian restaurants, either.)

However, you’ve got to take the bad with the good, and the lovely surprise is that this area is teeming with Mexican specialty food. So I switched Italian night to Mexican night and picked up fresh tortillas, real chipotle peppers, and even that crumbly white cheese, cotija. These things are not easy to find in St. Louis. I decided to try to make a more authentic enchilada, using red sauce and corn tortillas rather than white sauce and flour tortillas, which have far less flavor (and nutritional value!). Ended up using mostly this recipe from Tyler Florence, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-recipe/index.html and it actually smelled like a Taqueria in the kitchen!  The whole family and an extra teenager were pleased. Yum! and Yay for regional differences!

 

 

Fall is the time for soup

Published on by recoveringkristinLeave a comment

Fall is the time for soup! I just love this time of year. It’s perfect for cooking soup. About a year ago my sister gave me a great idea. I was constantly throwing old packages of shriveled grape tomatoes away. She said that she had a friend who found a way to save those crinkled up little suckers. Set your oven to 500 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet, pour out your tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. You can add some chopped garlic and dried basil or oregano as well. Put them in the oven before you go to bed. BE SURE AND TURN THE OVEN OFF. Let them sit in the oven over night. In the morning you will have perfect roasted tomatoes. I use these revived beauties on everything from pasta to soup. I love a recycled vegetable or fruit! So yesterday I decided to invent a soup! I like to call it Roasted Tomato and Black Bean soup. Here is what you will need: 1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce ½ yellow onion chopped 1 pound of lean ground beef 1 bottle of beer (non alcoholic is fine too) 1 package of ranch seasoning 2 cups of oven roasted tomatoes 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained) Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a skillet. Drain any excess fat from the beef and add to crockpot. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Turn crockpot on low. Cover. Let cook for 6 hours. If it needs more liquid, you could always add some beef broth. I served mine over a bed of fresh spinach leaves with fresh Parmesan cheese shavings. You could serve over rice or pasta as well. Tastes just fine by itself too! Add some crusty French bread and enjoy. Yes! Kids like it too. My 8-year-old looked up as she was shoveling it in last night and said, “Mom save this for me to eat tomorrow night for dinner too. Don’t eat it for lunch. Okay?” soup

Stir Fry Crazy

Published on by teachermamaLeave a comment

I love stir fry. One daughter requested my chicken stir fry for dinner last night, and the other said, “Not stir fry again! You make it twice a week!” In my defense, I always make a different one! But this one is easy, colorful, delicious, and THE TWELVE-YEAR-OLD said, “It’s really the mushrooms that make this, Mom.”

“I thought you didn’t like mushrooms?”

“I don’t. Except in here.”

Okaaaaay. Works for me. Anytime I can get someone to eat mushrooms, I consider it a victory. (I don’t trust people who don’t like mushrooms.)

Quick Chicken Stir Fry

Combine 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips; 1 T each cornstarch and soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1/2 t. minced fresh ginger root (I left this out b/c hubby doesn’t like it.) 😦

Combine 3T soy sauce, 1 T corn starch, 3/4 c. water.

Heat 1T veg. oil in wok or large skillet on med-high heat. Add chicken. Stir fry until nice and slightly browned. Remove.

Heat another 1T oil in same pan. Add 1 red bell pepper and an onion, sliced. Add 1/4 lb each sliced mushrooms and snow peas; stir fry 5 min.

Stir in chicken and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Serve over hot cooked rice.