Gluten Free Goodness

Mid winter is a challenging time for me as a gardener and someone who loves to be outside. Even my kale left the land of the living, and usually it overwinters nicely. Since I do try to eat locally grow and seasonal foods, winter throws a bit of a monkey wrench into things. So the question is, how do you all do it?

This Saturday, I took a trip to the Farmer’s market and got a box of goldrush apples…my favorite, and even better that they store so well. I have frozen garlic, raspberries and oven roasted tomatoes from my summer garden harvest, and there’s even one Serrano pepper on our plant in our sunroom. My rosemary plant is alive and well, and of course there are a few jams around, too. I’d love to have more!

For the menu, I’m glad to be back to planning because I know it helps! And I do need new hosts (hint, hint) although Heather is on for next week with chocolate. yum.

Monday:
Chicken with rosemary and olives and roasted cauliflower with rosemary and garlic

Tuesday:
crockpot BBQ chicken with carrots and onions

Weds:
turkey cutlets and caramelized cabbage

Thurs:
lentil dal and papads

Friday:
leftovers

Saturday:
hummus and peppers…one of my very favorites

Baked goods:
the Jan DB treat, which is one of my very favorite most foods ever…stay tuned!
cornbread (maybe)
pumpkin bread (maybe)

And what about everyone else?

Kim at Gluten Free is Life is totally on the ball and helped me get this post up on time. First, check out her new digs! http://www.glutenfreeislife.com/ She’s got sweet potato fries on the menu, which always catches my attention, and squash is her seasonal food of choice.

Angela at Angela’s Kitchen has the cutest little herbs growing, which is such a great reminder that I should be doing that, too! I love her white bean and greens soup, it sound delicious.

Heather of Celiac Family has been trying recipes around the web, like cinnamon rolls and some of the GF gobsmacked recipes, too. I may have to make the ribs for DH for V day…

Yadi of Gluten free diaries joins us for the first time so please give her a warm welcome! she’s got a recipe for rosemary orange chicken and many new ones coming soon so check out her blog

Ah, I thought one of my resolutions would be to blog more.  So far, not so much.  But I do have a newsletter on eating simple and healthy GF foods, classes in Alexandria, VA, winter recipes and more!

I didn’t end up menu planning last week and the result was not very much cooking and disorganization.  So it’s nice to see how helpful it is for me to get a plan down, even if it tends to move and shift.  And I’m very lucky, my DH was good about either making himself dinner or pitching in/not complaining when dinners weren’t so inspired. It should be a busy week and I’m teaching a GF class next weekend and yet, it’ll all happen somehow.

Our hostess this week is the lovely Kimberly from Gluten free is Life and her theme is pizza. I’ve made a yeast and grain free pizza from a garbanzo crust with a pesto topping and so I will try something again along those lines but likely won’t have time to make it until Sunday. I’m glad for the reminder, though, because we really enjoyed it! And I look forward to seeing everyone else’s pizza themes.

Monday:

Rockfish and kale for lunch,
dinner: visiting relatives so who knows. But they’re good about feeding me GF food, so yahoo.

Tues:
Curried coconut lentils–a new favorite

Weds:
Chicken in tomato sauce with broccoli

Thursday:
Turkey and celery in chestnut sauce

Friday:
leftovers

baked goods:
bread, for a friends’ birthday, with spiced apricot butter
Gingered apple crisp

Given the week it is, I thought I holiday theme would be appropriate. And whatever you do (or don’t) celebrate, I hope everyone has a wonderful and peaceful holiday season.  And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!  I need new hosts, and that means you!

I had a busy week of making holiday treats:

Choc chestnut fudge
pralines (vegan and regular)
Choc covered orange slices
Hazelnut crispy balls
Spiced nuts(I just omitted the pretzels)
Heath (and hazelnut) meringues
rugelach
truffles

If you need inspiration, I have this list of 50+ naturally GF treats, which work beautifully for people who don’t want to fuss with specialty ingredients, or need to give relatives a gentle nudge.

and quite honestly, I’m needing a break from making sweets for a few days. I assume I’ll need to make more things for the holiday, but right now, I’m good.

So what’s your favorite GF treat?

Monday:
Mahi Mahi with pesto and baked carrots

Tuesday:
Chicken with rosemary, onions and Kalamata olives with broccoli

Weds:
Lemony Mint Quinoa with asparagus (I know, I try to eat seasonally, but hey)

Thursday-Saturday:
we will be traveling, so I will be taking along the quinoa, some of Amy’s soups, tuna/lettuce/crackers, turkey and celery in chestnut sauce. I will also be trucking along the ingredients for an apple crisp.

And you all?

Kimberley of Gluten Free is Life has an ambitious meal planned, and I love the sound of her Gingerbread cake. She’s going to her dad’s house, and there will be many GF things there for her! She’s got a lot of mixes to keep things easy for Christmas morning.

Rebecca of GFCF Cookbook joins us for the first time. Her big “pot o’chili” sounds perfect for this weather. Do check out her post on “GF” bread in NC that isn’t really GF–what a horrible story.

Heather of Celiac Family says she has an easy week planned (I say it still looks ambitious!) including chili and a Christmas buffet. She’s got ideas for GF holiday gift giving, too, so check it out!

As the holiday season gets busier, it’s more important for me to hang on and plan so that we’re actually eating meals.  Please do check out my holiday GF newsletter, which includes a list of 50+ naturally GF desserts.

It was a busy week of baking, as usual around this time of year.  Best of all there is Chocolate Chestnut Fudge which is one of my all time favorites because it is super easy and super yummy and a way to recreate that amazing chocolat-y goodness minus the HFCS, sugar and marshmallows.  Try it.  Seriously.

But I tend to overdo things, so for gifts there will be:

• hazelnut krispie balls
• pralines (dairy free and regular)
• Chestnut fudge
• Choc covered orange peel
• Rugelach
• chocolate covered pomegranate seeds
• Fruit and nut balls but made sugar free
• Heath and hazelnut meringues

This way, there will be boxes that are dairy free and ones that are sugar free  and all, of course, will be gluten free.

Our kind hostess this week is Heather of Celiac Family, who always delights with her recipes and great info.  She chose cinnamon, which I put in many things.  It gives depth to chocolate, which is why it appears in the fudge, but it also helps stabilize blood sugar in addition to just being yummy.  And somehow I think I’m going to need my blood sugar stabilized this week. 😎

Monday:Turkey and celery in chestnut sauce

Tuesday: Quinoa Italiana with the few tomatoes left in my sunroom

Weds: Salmon and roasted thyme peppers

Thursday: Chicken in a coconut curry sauce with broccoli

Friday leftovers!

It’s gotten cold here rather suddenly, and given the fact that it’s been so lovely until now, I can’t really complain. But the dudes always have the right idea. Whenever the going gets tough, snuggle up.

I had a fun week of baking last week, including carob balls and dairy free pralines per my sister’s request (I will post soon!). And looking towards this week, I’m eagerly anticipating soup and finally, a time to unwind a bit.

Our hostess for the menu swap is Esther from Lilac Kitchen, and she’s chosen suet. Now, this may be a common ingredient across the pond but it’s new to me, so I look forward to seeing how it’s used!

Monday:
Chicken and broccoli in fresh mint sauce

Tuesday:
Turkey soup!

Weds:
Pesto-ed mahi with steamed kale and kalamatas

Thursday:
Lentil dal with roasted cauliflower

Friday:
leftovers!

Baked goods:
cheesecake, I think
pumpkin bread (maybe)

From my garden:
aside from herbs, that’s all for the season. Most of the raspberries froze on the vine, regretfully.

I hope everyone had a lovely, yummy Thanksgiving. As I type, turkey stock is in progress and it’s one of my favorite (and easiest!) parts of the holiday. Onward to a new week! Our new kitchen is complete, so I have been back to baking, which has been fun. As you can see above, I started out with this flourless chocolate cake.

Our menu ingredient is cranberries, and our host is Manda of Asparagus thin. She’s just come back from her honeymoon, so many congrats! I love cranberries, and my favorite way is to have them raw, or in a crisp. They’re super healthy and I love them in a salad.

Monday:
Roasted Salmon and rosemary peppers

Tues:
Leftover turkey (still some around!)

Weds:
Chicken in a parsley garlic sauce with broccoli

Thurs:
Buffalo in a coconut curry sauce with cauliflower

Friday:
Lentil dal

Baked goods:
carob chestnut balls (I lost the recipe in our move, but I will do my best to re-create them!)

granola bars

From the garden:
tomatoes (yes, still!)
raspberries

Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I thought it was a great opportunity for people to post about their favorites, and if you want to add your favorite recipes to the comments, that would be great!

I had a fun week of non-baking yummies, including chestnut balls and hazelnut butter cups. I wrote down the recipe for carob balls, but alas, I can’t find it with all of the remodeling mess and chaos. Bummer–and I will keep looking (or use it as an excuse to make them again and experiment)

I love fall foods–apples, cranberries, chestnuts=yum!!! Some of my favorites are
apple crisp (just this recipe with apples instead of peaches) or this one< br />
Cranberry fruit relish
Butternut squash bisque
Sweet potato pie
Hot mulled cider

Monday:
Grilled salmon and herby peppers

Tues:
Turkey in a coconut garam masala sauce with roasted cauliflower

Weds:
Uh…dunno. leftovers?

Thursday:
Turkey, celery in chestnut sauce, cranberry fruit relish and apple crisp

Friday:
Turkey stock! I love stock.

Baked goods:
apple crisp

Y tu?

Kim of Gluten Free For life is hosting Thanksgiving, and boy is she going all out. Everything from the turkey to pecan pie. I haven’t made brown rice ‘couscous’ but I’ve meant to so I hope she posts more!

Heather at Celiac Family joins us with a great T day plan, too. She’s taking it easy early in the week, but pulling out all stops for my favorite part–dessert! She’s got a nice list of recipes, from appetizers onward.

Deb at Green V neck is feeling overwhelmed/burnt out (I hear her!) but I love the idea of Indian Cabbage. She’s off to relatives to celebrate, AND there’s someone else GF, which is quite the bonus!