a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

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foodie: spaghetti squash with spring asparagus

i've been having a cooking love-affair with spaghetti squash.  even before going gluten-free, my husband and i would often enjoy this versatile veggie as the base for our meals.  well, this past week i created a new dish that made use of some of the delicious asparagus that has been available lately.

this is what you'll need for 4 servings...

1 spaghetti squash
1/2-1 bushel of asparagus, cleaned with woody ends off
1 onion, chopped
1 ear corn, cut off the cob
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 oz goat cheese
1-2 oz bleu cheese
olive oil
lemon wedges
salt & pepper

1. pierce the skin of the squash, and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 45min - 1hr, or until it's fork tender.  also, roast your asparagus (after drizzling it with olive oil and sprinkling it with salt) for about 20 min.

2. as squash and asparagus cook, saute the onions in some olive oil until they're lightly browned, and then toss in corn at the last minute.

3. allow the squash to cool, and then cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then scrap out the stringy flesh into a large bowl.  cut asparagus into 1-2 inch long pieces and add them in.  also mix in the cooked veggies, dill, yogurt, crumbled cheese, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. mix everything together, and then serve with wedges of fresh lemon to further brighten the flavor!

if you still haven't tried spaghetti squash, it's time to hop on the bandwagon.  this yummy veggie makes for the perfect foundation for a spring meal : )

bon appetit!

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foodie: banana nut bread (gluten-free)

since beginning my gluten-free experiment 6 weeks ago, i haven't had any bread in the house...not even gluten-free varieties.  but with weekend visitors on their way, i decided i'd try my hand at making a gluten-free breakfast bread for our morning meal.

here's what you'll need...

2 cups plantain flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 banana (over-ripe and mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used more walnuts and pecans)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350

reseaching recipes for inspiration....

1. combine flour, chopped nuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. in a large bowl mix together the eggs, banana, vanilla, yogurt, coconut oil and syrup until well combined.  slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together.

3. pour batter into well-oiled 9 inch pie plate.

4. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the bread.

5. bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

to top our bread, i made a spread with equal parts butter and greek yogurt, and then i flavored it with maple syrup and cinnamon to taste : )  makes 8-12 servings, depending on how big of a slice you want.

FYI - the bread had good flavor, but was a little dry (it definitely was better with the butter/yogurt spread i mentioned above).  next time i make it, i would probably add 2 bananas or extra yogurt to moisten it up a bit!

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foodie: grilled potato packets

because of the outrageous heat waves we've been having here in the northeast, i was reluctant to cook indoors the other night.  (our tiny cottage heats up fast if the oven goes on...)  so, instead, we fired up the grill and had a vegetable feast!  one thing that i was particularly excited about was the potato packets i made, so i thought i'd share the recipe : )

here's what you'll need for 4 packets...

1.5 lbs baby new potatoes, halved
1/4 cup good mustard (i used grainy horseradish mustard)
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic gloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
plain greek yogurt or sour cream
salt & pepper
4 1ft by 1ft foil squares coated with non-stick spray

1. in a bowl, whisk together the mustard, wine, oil and garlic.  add in the potatoes and cilantro and toss.  season with salt & pepper.

2. evenly distribute mixture between the 4 foil squares, and fold into secure packets.

3. cook over medium-heat on the grill, preferably on the upper rack, for 25 min or until fork tender.

everyone gets their own packet, and once they dump the contents onto their plates, they can top it with plain greek yogurt or sour cream...or pesto...or tapenade...

we enjoyed our potato packets with grilled spring asparagus, crisp romaine salad and grilled portabella caps topped with tangy bleu cheese : )

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