You are here: Home / Archives for Soup

Zuppa Toscana (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

January 28, 2013 By 4 Comments

I’ve mentioned a number of times how much I love Bountiful Baskets (http://andloveittoo.com/?s=bountiful+baskets); not only have they reduced our produce costs by hundreds of dollars, every month…I have also been introduced to a number of fruits and vegetables previously unknown to me!

Most recently, we received several heads of something called Salad Savoy (http://www.saladsavoy.com/saladsavoy.htm). Having no clue what this vegetable was, I turned down the opportunity to grab a couple of extra heads in favor of doing a bit of discovery first.

I have been kicking myself ever since.

I should have grabbed more while I had the chance!

To my surprise these beautiful green, white and purple leaves are not some simple salad green. This vegetable is described as being somewhere between cauliflower and kale. The flavor is light and delicious, steams well with a squeeze of lemon and a touch of garlic, cooks like kale, freezes well.

While flipping through Bountiful Basket (http://www9.bountifulbaskets.org/?page_id=18) ideas and suggestions, a number of people suggested using Salad Savoy in an Olive Garden-type Zuppa Toscana.

With a sick husband at home and cool winter nights, making a large batch of a nice hearty soup sounded like a perfect idea.

Using a pre-mixed batch of my auto-immune friendly paleo apple sausage (http://andloveittoo.com/autoimmune-friendly-paleo-apple-sausage/) helped make this soup quick, easy and over-the-top delicious.

Enjoy!

007-1

Print
Zuppa Toscana (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Whole30, Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Friendly)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs coconut oil
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs autoimmune-friendly paleo apple sausage
  • 12 oz uncured sugar-free bacon, diced
  • 1 qt chicken broth (I use homemade)
  • 1 qt water
  • 4 c kale or salad savoy, stems removed and cut into large chunks
  • 1 can whole-fat coconut milk

Instructions

  1. In large dutch-oven, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add in cubed sweet potatoes, diced onions and minced garlic cloves. Cook until onions become translucent but not caramelized. Crumble in sausage and diced bacon, continue to cook until bacon and sausage has browned. Add in chicken broth and water, bring to full boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in kale or salad savoy and coconut milk. Serve hot.
  2. Makes 10-12 servings
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://andloveittoo.com/zuppa-toscana-dairy-free-gluten-free/

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Sugar Free Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cream of Mushroom Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Vegan Option)

November 12, 2012 By 18 Comments

With the holidays upon us, there are some staples that one cannot live without this time of the year.

Unfortunately, allergies, food sensitivities and auto-immune syndromes can often lead to feeling like we have to miss out on many of our favorite foods.

Not so, I say!

With the exception of baklava, there are few must-have recipes that I have not been able to replicate in some way shape or form that meets our new and improved way of life.

From sweetened condensed milk to my mother’s Toll House Pie, if a there is a food-memory worth stirring, I am determined to make it happen.

Tonight’s recipe stems from the need to revamp another, larger, traditionally gluten and dairy-filled holiday dish.

As easy as it is delicious, and one of those base items, perfect for everything from crockpot to casserole dishes, yet wonderfully delicious on its own; I have no doubt this is a recipe you will turn to time and time again.

My entry into this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday, may this Cream of Mushroom Soup bring you warmth and satisfaction.

Enjoy!

Print
Cream of Mushroom Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Vegan Option)

Ingredients

  • 8oz fresh mushrooms (sliced or diced, my family prefers diced)
  • ¼ c diced onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 Tbs coconut flour
  • 1 c chicken or vegetable broth (I prefer homemade)
  • 1 c whole-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1 Tbs arrowroot powder
  • 1 Tbs water
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic in coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once softened, add in coconut flour and stir until lightly golden. Mix in broth and coconut milk, bring to a light boil, stirring frequently.
  2. In a small bowl, make a slurry with the arrowroot powder and water. Add slowly to the soup until ideal thickness has been achieved. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve warm.
  4. Makes 2-4 servings.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://andloveittoo.com/cream-of-mushroom-soup-gluten-free-dairy-free-paleo-vegan-option/

Ready to share your magnificent mushroom recipe?

 

It’s easy! Simply link your recipe back to this page, come back and link in with the linky tool below.

Because this blog is a gluten-free and dairy-free blog, I do ask that your recipes also be gluten-free and dairy-free.  Please also keep in mind that I want to try your creations in my own home and do my best to make each and every item you share…that being said, as the main cook in the home, the more Paleo-Friendly your recipe is, the more likely I will be able to taste it.

What do I mean by Paleo-Friendly? Well, it must be free of grains (including corn and quinoa), dairy (already a given), legumes (beans and peanuts), and free of refined sugars.

Many naturally gluten-free and dairy-free recipes fit nicely into the paleo lifestyle. Gluten-free vegan foods are welcome, as are gluten-free non-vegan foods.  As long as it is free of gluten and dairy, it is welcome here!

That being said, if there is something (like sugar or peanuts) that can easily be substituted without changing the nature of your recipe…and if you are okay with me throwing my own minor tweaks in when I give your recipe a try, please share! I promise to keep my changes minimal as I aim to taste YOUR recipe, not create my own.

So are you ready to have the next ICM featured recipe??

Link it up and have a wonderful week! xoxo



Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Holidays, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Healthy Lunchbox 2012: Brian, The East Bay Celiac

August 31, 2012 By 2 Comments

Today, I am happy to introduce this wonderful Healthy Lunchbox post from my lone male participant. 

You may be familiar with Brian, The East Bay Celiac from his site where he blogs about living and eating in the East Bay Area of San Francisco (one of my favorite places in the whole-wide-world!). 

Or you may be familiar with Brian through this interview he did with me for BeBesty back in May, which is also celiac awareness month.

Either way, no doubt you know that Brian is great!

When I mentioned to Brian that he was the only man to have signed up for this event, he explained that he is the cook of the family and that he is used to packing lunches..so writing this post was right up his alley. 

I love that Brian has been proactive in everything from his diagnosis to making foods that are safe for him to eat.

Thank you for joining us, Brian! xo

_____________________________________________________________

I love sandwiches. You name pretty much any kind of sandwich, and Iʼve probably had it
for lunch. Well, before I had to go gluten-free. That really killed my lunch sandwich
intake quota. But, it has opened my taste buds up to a lot of other lunch options. One of
which Iʼm happy to share below.
Iʼve recently gotten over a cold, and my normal lunches didnʼt really fit with a “get better
soon” diet. My go-to meal for lunch and dinner on a “get better soon” diet is soup.

When my wife and I first started dating, she made me her familyʼs version of West Lake Soup
once. It replaced chicken noodle soup in our household fairly soon thereafter.
One of the best things about this soup is that it goes well with just about anything -
breads, crackers, or by itself, itʼs a great meal to warm up the body just about anytime.
We typically serve the soup over rice, either freshly made or leftover. Because leftover
rice never turns out well by itself. However, placed in the bottom of a quart-sized bowl,
with 3-4 heaping ladles of soup, heated in the microwave for 4 minutes, and it is
perfection in a bowl.
As this is a lunchbox post, the soup can easily be taken to work or school in a thermos,
or microwaveable glass container. (Keep in mind that your little ones wonʼt be able to
heat up the lunch at school.)


Gluten-Free West Lake Soup
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs ground pork
2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
2 Tbsp garlic salt (or garlic powder)
100oz gluten-free chicken broth
1 pkg of tofu
3 sprigs of green onion
Bunch of cilantro
1 cup frozen peas
2 egg whites

Cooked rice
Steps
1.) Mix the ground pork, soy sauce, and garlic salt or powder, and set aside.
2.) Over medium-high heat, pour the chicken broth into a large pot.
3.) Cube the tofu, and finely chop the green onions and cilantro.
4.) Break up the ground pork into small chunks and place into chicken broth.
# NOTE: This can be down either with hands, or with a masher in the broth.
5.) Cook the pork until all of it turns white and floats to the top of the broth.
6.) Place the tofu, green onion, cilantro, and frozen peas into the soup mixture.
7.) Once the peas have cooked, stir the soup and drizzle the egg whites into the broth.
This will create wispy strips of cooked egg.
8.) Place rice in bottom of bowl (1 cup for a 1qt-sized bowl), ladle soup over rice and
serve.

Filed Under: Healthy Lunchbox, Other Tagged With: , , , ,

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Creamy Crockpot Fish Chowder (Paleo, Whole30)

May 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you have probably heard me talk about being on the Whole30™ program.

What is the Whole30?  The creators of the Whole30, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig form Whole9life.com sum it up nicely here:

(The Whole30™ is) Whole9’s original program designed to change your life in 30 days.  Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive track, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits and relationships with food…

In summary, the Whole30™ is a program that brings the paleo lifestyle to a maximum.  But even if you are a vegan, there are ways to benefit the Whole30™ program and the concepts that will help you along the way.

As of today, May 23, 2012 I am on day 16 of the Whole30™ program and loving it.  My only cheat? Weighing myself 11 days into the program.  It was for a work contest and while I had been trying for more than a month to drop a few pounds, I found the most success after diving into this program.  11 days in, 9 pounds down.  I haven’t weighed myself since, but that doesn’t matter as much as how well I feel, how much more sleep I am getting and how focused I am on eating and feeding my family the best foods possible.

This is really good stuff!

Click here to learn more and purchase your own copy of the Whole30 Success Guide.

Now…how does this affect you?

It changes my recipes just a bit.

As you know, I have been focused on a paleo-friendly lifestyle for some time…but this program doesn’t allow for any type of sugar, refined or not, not even stevia for the whole 30 days.

As anyone who has made a transition to a gluten-free or dairy-free lifestyle knows, when you start reading labels, you realize the number of foods that are now off limit seems astronomical.

I thought we were doing well in our efforts to limit sugar intake and then I started really, really reading our labels.

My favorite herbal tea? Has stevia. Stevia isn’t bad, except in the fact that it alters the way we taste our food…and since this is effectively a 30 cleanse, a reset of the body and mind, it is important to eliminate stevia as well…

So I found a different herbal tea.

I knew things like mayonnaise and most sausages had some sugar in them…but I honestly had no idea that even the best bacon on the market has sugar.

Really?  I don’t want sugar with my hickory smoked bacon, I just want good quality bacon!

Luckily, Dallas and Melissa have helped with that as well.  This Whole9 approved bacon from Wellness Meats is not only delicious, it is the perfect complement to the dish I am sharing with you tonight.

Because I plan on sticking to the Whole30 program for much longer than 30 days, you can expect many more Whole30 friendly recipes from me.  While I may have the occasional treat after the initial 30 days is complete, those treats will be fewer and much more far between than they were and undoubtedly I will be far more aware of what I put into my body, thus I hope to help you be more aware of what you put into yours as well.

Being dedicated to the Whole30 does call for some changes…those changes have helped me stay focused on preparing the healthiest meals I can on the limited time our busy schedule allows.  And you know what?   My crockpot has become my new best friend.

Don’t get me wrong, I have used my crockpot fairly regularly for many years…it just seems I am using it every day now.

Knowing that I have a meal ready when I get home is enough to keep us away from the hotdogs, take-out Mexican, etc…

This Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Creamy Crockpot Fish Chowder is inspired by the crockpot lady herself, Stephanie O’dea, uses tricks from my favorite clam chowder recipe from my restaurant days many moons ago, and is sans shell-fish to make it safe for everyone in my family.

The result?

A home that smelled of fish, but worth every bite.

This soup is so delicious, my 10 year old asked if I could make it again for her birthday…in October. :)

Yes, it is that good.

I like to top mine with Tabasco sauce (a trick I learned from my restaurant customers way-back-when), but it is delicious with or without the added spice.

This recipe makes enough to feed my family of 7 and have some left-over for lunch the next day…feel free to cut it in half, but I imagine this would freeze well for a ‘normal’ sized family and make for deliciously healthy grab-n-go dinners for many days to come.

Enjoy!

Print
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Creamy Crockpot Fish Chowder (Paleo, Whole30)

Ingredients

  • 3lb White Fish (I used frozen wild-caught tilapia, but any white fish should do)
  • 2-32 oz jars of Chicken Broth (I used homemade)
  • 20 Baby Turnips (I snagged these at our local FM, 5 or 6 large turnips should do as well)
  • 2 Medium Yellow Squash
  • 1 Whole White Onion
  • 2 c Baby Carrots
  • 2 Hearts of Celery
  • 2 Tbs Minced Garlic
  • ½ Tbs Crushed Red Pepper
  • 8 Slices of Sugar-Free Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2-cans Whole-Fat Coconut Milk (I use Thai Kitchen)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cube fish, add fish and chicken broth to 6-quart crockpot. Chop all vegetables in food processor. Add vegetables, garlic , red pepper and crumbled bacon to crockpot. Stir, cover and set to low for 10 hours.
  2. Once soup has cooked for 10 hours, use immersion blender to partially puree soup; I like to leave a few large chunks so it remains more chowder versus bisque.
  3. Add in coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve hot as-is or kick it up a notch with Tabasco sauce.
  5. Serves 12
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://andloveittoo.com/dairy-free-gluten-free-creamy-crockpot-fish-chowder-paleo-whole30/

 

Don’t forget to join in on this month’s Ingredient Challenge Monday for your chance to be featured in next month’s Challenge-Ingredient Announcement!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Smoked ‘Cheddar’ Bacon Soup

January 26, 2012 By 5 Comments

This month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free event is focused on foods that bring healing to your mind, body and soul.  Hosted by Maggie over at She Let Them Eat Cake , this is a great opportunity to start the New Year off with some amazingly delicious and wonderfully healing recipes.

 

As mentioned in my Cranberry-Orange Wassail post from last week I have been battling a head-cold and thus, have been loading up on yummy healing foods to help me move past this as quickly as possible.

 

After a long week loaded with church events, school events and personal events, my body finally gave in Sunday morning.  My loving husband and wonderful children left me be and I managed to rest for a whopping 48 hours thereafter.

 

When I finally mustard the will to get out of bed, I knew I wanted something warm and soothing…oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind was not my easy egg drop soup, which is generally my go-to get-better-quick solution, no…I wanted cheddar bacon soup.

 

Cheddar bacon?  Yummy, but not something someone on a dairy-free diet normally desires.

 

So, my creative mind began to flow.

 

How can I accomplish this in a way that is safe for my family, positively delicious, really cheesy yet nutritious enough to push me past this bug that weighed me down so firmly?

 

Then I remembered, I had a stash of roasted squash in my freezer.  That would do the trick!

 

After much tinkering, I was glad to come up with a solution that killed my craving and helped me return to work and my family happy and healthy as ever (if you don’t count the sniffles that just won’t go away)…

 

To match the needs of this month’s event…this soup is loaded with healing ingredients:

 

Squash: Winter squash is known for carotene properties and offer a protective effect against many cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  This recipe would work well is pumpkin, acorn, Hubbard or butternut squash, though I used roasted pumpkin in mine.

 

Chicken broth: chicken broth is the go-to secret weapon for moms world-wide.  Having been used as a remedy for the common cold for centuries, scientific evidence now shows that chicken broth helps to clear a stuffy nose by inhibiting inflammation of the cells in the nasal passages.  Now that’s good stuff.

 

Onions contain powerful anti-oxidants and are also natural anti-histamines and anti-inflammatory.

 

Palm oil has been shown to protect against many common health problems and to boost immunity.

 

As far as the bacon…well….the protein in bacon can help you feel full longer and apparently bacon is a good source of choline which can help prevent against heart problems.  While the fat level in bacon keeps me from eating it every day, undoubtedly the high-quality stuff isn’t all that bad for you and well…it tastes good!

 

While there is not an ounce of cheese to be found, this recipe undoubtedly leads to one of the creamiest versions of cheddar bacon soup I have ever enjoyed.  All in all, this soup is loaded with wonderful nutrients meant to help heal your body and warm your soul.

 

May this be just one of many recipes to bring health and happiness to you and your family all year long.

 

Enjoy!

 

Print
Smoked ‘Cheddar’ Bacon Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon until crisp. I prefer to bake mine at 425f on parchment-lined cookie sheets. This has always proved to be the best way to achieve even results. Drain oil and allow to cool.
  2. In medium stock pot, warm palm shortening until melted. Add in onion and garlic, cooking until lightly caramelized. Stir in squash and cook until warm. Add in broth, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer over medium heat, cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  3. Puree soup by using hand blender or adding in small batches to your Vitamix. or other blender. Return to pot. Crumble bacon into bits. Stir in ½ bacon and canned coconut milk, allow to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
  4. Serve warm, using the remaining bacon and added chives for garnish.
  5. Makes 8-10 servings.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://andloveittoo.com/smoked-cheddar-bacon-soup/

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Holidays, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Harlequin Soup – Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Style

December 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

Today, December 20, 2011, Food Network Fall Fest draws to a close…

 

Last week, we were thrilled to invite you pull up a chair and join us as we shared our favorite holiday cookie recipes.

 

This week, we invite you to join us as we celebrate one last seasonal vegetable…

Broccoli.

 

Now, if you are anything like me, you are thinking “what the heck is so great about broccoli?”

 

I mean, I love the stuff…I love to eat it raw, I love to eat it steamed, I love to mix it in my casseroles, soups and throw it in with my main dish.

 

But really, what are you going to do to get creative with broccoli?

 

;) Fortunately, Fall Fest isn’t just any event…it is a Food Network event where creativity abounds.

 

So as I sat, stuck in a rut thinking “I could share my dairy-free cream of broccoli recipe,” which is good, but not this is the last week of the Food Network Fall Fest kind of good…a friend reminded me of a dish we enjoyed in a restaurant several years ago (long before I had to worry about things like gluten or dairy)…

Harlequin Soup they called it.

Harlequin meaning: in varied colors.

Using two small pitchers, this soup was poured into our bowl right at the table…one side a deep orange, the other a brilliant green.

Separately, they offered different, pleasing flavors…one side creamy with just the slightest twang of salt, the other sweet and zesty, laced with hints of licorice and spice.  Alone each soup was good; together…

Together, they brought forth a new level to savor.

I can understand why one would not wish to make this into one, simple, single soup…not only is the presentation of the two contrasting colors fantastic, but once the colors meld together, well….let’s just say the colors, when mixed, leaves a lot left to be desired.

 

Inspired by Food Network’s own Michael Chiarello, this Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free version of Harlequin Soup is everything I remember it to be…

 

Remember when preparing this dish…serve at the table, pouring both soups simultaneously from separate pitchers.

Also, be certain to have all of your ingredients pre-measured and ready to go…when working two different recipes at the same time, being prepared is essential to guard against mishaps.

Like the beauty that happens when families come together this time of year, this soup is more than a seasonal best…it represents all the joy the holidays bring.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

Print
Harlequin Soup – Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Style

Ingredients

    Harlequin Soup

  • 1 Recipe Green Broccoli Soup
  • 1 Recipe Spiced Squash Soup
  • Fresh chives, finely sliced for garnish

    • Green Broccoli Soup

  • 3 Tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbs Minced Garlic
  • 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
  • 2 Stalks Celery, diced
  • 2 tsp Thyme
  • 32 oz Gluten-Free Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • 2 lbs clean and trimmed Broccoli
  • 2 c Packed Spinach
  • Zest of 3 Lemons
  • 1 c Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

    • Spiced Squash Soup

  • For this recipe, you can use any winter squash you wish though pumpkin, Hubbard and butternut work particularly well. To roast, simply cut in half, remove seeds and bake at 350 until completely tender. Because many recipes do not use the entire pulp of the squash, I do not like to season mine ahead of time…any seasoning can be added to the primary recipe and the remainder of the squash can be saved for use in any number of pie, chili or side-dish recipes.

  • Ingredients

  • 2 Tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 1 Celery Stalk, diced
  • 1 Medium-Large Carrot, diced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 32 oz Gluten-Free Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • ¼ c Palm Sugar
  • ¼ c Balsamic Vinegar
  • ¼ oz Fennel Seed (approx 1 ½ Tbs)
  • 1 Tbs Sage
  • 1 Tbs Ground Cumin
  • ½ - 1 Tbs Red Pepper Flakes (I like the entire Tbs)
  • 1 Tbs Chili Powder
  • 1 Tbs Cinnamon
  • 2 c Roasted Squash
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • ½ c Full-Fat Coconut Milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen)

Instructions

    Green Broccoli Soup:

  1. In large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic and cook until it begins to turn brown. Add the onion and celery, lower heat to medium and continue to cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add thyme and stir. Add broccoli, stock and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, cooking uncovered until broccoli is very tender. Remove from heat.
  2. Use hand blender to puree soup, adding in spinach one cup at a time. Add in lemon zest and continue to puree until soup is completely smooth.
  3. Just before serving, return soup to low heat and stir in the coconut milk. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Simmer on lowest setting until ready to serve.

    4. Spiced Squash Soup:

  4. In large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick. Sauté until vegetables are soft, but not caramelized. Add in chicken stock, palm sugar, balsamic vinegar, fennel seed, sage, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder and cinnamon. Bring to boil. Add in squash and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
  5. Remove soup from heat. Using hand blender, puree until smooth. When ready to serve, return soup to a light simmer, add in coconut milk and serve right away.

    6. Harlequin Soup:

  6. Pour both soups into separate pitchers. Simultaneously, pour both soups into each bowl, forming an almost yin-yang design.
  7. Garnish with cloves and serve hot.
  8. Serves 6
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://andloveittoo.com/harlequin-soup-gluten-freedairy-free-style/

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Holidays, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ingredient-Challenge Recipe: Gazpacho

July 25, 2011 By 1 Comment

Gazpacho is a soup best served cold. In this nation-wide heat wave, this soup is a welcome change from the norm.

When Shea and I agreed to use bell peppers as this week’s challenge ingredient, there were a number of recipes that came to mind. And while I hope to share my favorite grain-free stuffed bell peppers or roasted red pepper recipe down the road, it simply has been too hot to even contemplate turning my oven on for any period of time.

Filled with vibrant garden vegetables, rich with nutrients and flavor, this soup is delicious as an appetizer, side or even as a refreshing main-course.

This recipe makes a lot of soup, as many as 10 generous servings. Feel free to cut the recipe in half, store in air-tight containers for a future meal, or even freeze for an easy dish that you can enjoy any time of the year.

May you find many reasons to relax, refresh and rejuvenate all summer long. Enjoy!

Gazpacho

4 lbs Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, diced

3 Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow or Orange), diced

1 Medium Onion, diced

2 Medium-Large Cucumbers, peel removed, seeded then diced

4 Large Garlic Cloves, minced

1/3 c Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs Italian Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crushed Red Pepper, optional

1-Medium Yellow Bell Pepper, diced, for garnish

After preparing and dicing each ingredient, mix all but the salt and pepper in large serving bowl. Processing approximately 1/3 mix at a time, blend ingredients together on highest setting until completely smooth. Pour each batch into large serving bowl, combining thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste, add crushed red pepper if desired. Chill at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. Thin soup with ice-cold water, if needed. Serve and garnish with yellow pepper, if desired.

Makes 10 servings.

Now that you see how I chose to use our feature ingredient, be sure to visit Shea over at Dixie Chik Cooks for more great ways to use your bell peppers.

Don’t forget to link your favorite bell pepper recipe, below. Link will be open until August 7, and our next Ingredient-Challenge Monday is set for August 8. Check back on August 5 for our next challenge-ingredient announcement!

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Irish Beef Stew

March 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

So many great things happened this week.

I planted my garden, taught my kids the basics of transplanting plants, held a brief phone conference with the college where I will be teaching children’s cooking and adult gourmet classes this summer, and began diligently working towards something that will bring my blog to the next level.  :) Truly an exciting week.

Two of my favorite days of the year also happen to fall in this week…St Patty’s Day and the first day of spring. 

Spring is my favorite time of the year.  Trees bud, flowers bloom.  The weather is perfect, mild temperatures and warm rain.  I. Love. It. 

Being ¼ Irish, St Patrick ’s Day is very much a reason to celebrate my heritage.  While I haven’t found a place to ceili dance, listen to Irish folk singers or watch artists weave their favorite Celtic knots into whatever medium they choose here in my new hometown…I still found reason to celebrate. 

Tonight, on this first night of spring, I would love to share with you the recipe that rounded out our St Patrick’s Day celebration.  This Irish stew is traditionally made with lamb, although beef is far easier to find and in my mind just as delicious in this dish.

The luck of the Irish is truly with me as this stew happens to fit perfectly into this month’s theme for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free! The carrots, celery and parsnips featured in this stew are very much in season where I live in Texas.  A wonderfully hearty dish, this is a family favorite throughout the season.  Be sure to visit Linda from The Gluten-Free Homemaker for more sensational seasonal soups. 

You might note that this stew is different from any others you have had, as the potatoes are not included in the pot, rather they are mashed into a creamy concoction and served along with the rich, hearty stew in the same bowl.  This is what sets this beautiful stew apart from all others, and the very reason why you will quickly learn to love this dish as well as I do.

Whether you use this stew to make your future St Patty’s Day celebrations complete, or simply as a way to warm your belly when the chill has gotten to be too much, may you find many reasons to enjoy this thick, rich dish often.

Irish Beef Stew

Stew:

1 lb Stew Meat

2 Tbs Arrowroot Powder

 ½ tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp Sage

½ Tbs Rosemary

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Minced Garlic

2 Spring Onions, Sliced. Greens reserved for garnish. 

2 Large Carrots, sliced

2 Large Parsnips, sliced

2 Stalks Celery, sliced

2- 32 oz Beef Stock

3 Bay Leaves

In large bowl, mix together arrowroot powder, pepper, sage, and rosemary. Add stew meat and coat with arrowroot mix. Set aside.

In large stock pot, sauté olive oil, onion and garlic.  Add coated stew meat and cook until brown.  Add sliced vegetables, stir and sweat for approximately 5-10 minutes.  Add in enough stock to cover meat and vegetables, add bay leaves.  Allow to simmer over medium heat for 2-4 hours or until meat is very tender.  Thicken stew by adding arrowroot powder mixed with water, 1 tsp at a time.  Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Mashed Potatoes

8 med Red Skin Golden Potatoes

1-32 oz Beef Stock

2 Tbs Minced Garlic

1 can Coconut Milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash and dice potatoes, leaving skins on, place in dutch oven.  Cover potatoes with beef stock and cook over medium heat until spoon tender.  Remove potatoes from heat and drain stock.  Add minced garlic and 1/8 c coconut milk.  Using potato masher or hand blender, mash potatoes, adding coconut milk 1/8 c at a time until smooth (1/4 c was plenty for me).  Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Serve in shallow bowl, first by dishing heaping scoops of creamy mashed potatoes then carefully spooning stew into dish. Garnish with sliced onion greens.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6 people.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan Option Noted)

January 25, 2011 By 4 Comments

This time of the year I find myself turning to soup for various reasons. 

Soup warms from the inside out.  Soup makes me feel better when the sniffles are too much.  Soup is very filling for relatively few calories.  Soup is quick. Soup is a great way to get my children (and husband) to eat vegetables they might not normally try.  Soup just tastes good. 

The unfortunate reality about being gluten free is that many soups on the market contain some form of gluten.  In fact, when my MIL came home with several cans of supposedly ‘safe’ soup that she wanted to work for lunch (my MIL does not have Celiac, but is gluten intolerant), I immediately pointed out that this brand, one of the more popular brands on the market mind you, has wheat in every type of soup they make…

She is trying.  She didn’t come home with any noodle soups (as much as she might love to), but the cans of tomato soup, vegetable beef and even broccoli cheddar were all clearly labeled with wheat ingredients. The vegetable also had another hidden source of gluten-barley.  Because gluten has not been identified as one of the major allergens required to be clearly listed on U.S. nutrition labels, barley is one of the more tricky ingredients used…keep our eyes out for words like “malt” or “malt extract”, these are derivatives of barley and thereby contain gluten as well.

Gluten is a tricky thing…unless you are 100% dedicated to being gluten free, it doesn’t matter what you have done to eliminate it…get a hold of just a little bit, you might as well be eating it straight out. 

Don’t let that discourage you from trying, don’t let that stop you from doing all you can…just know that you must be diligent in your efforts.

I am here to make your life as easy as possible in this regard, there are many others out there trying to help as well.  Stick with it, stay with it, you can do this.  I know you can.

…And since we are talking soup tonight, make sure your broth does not contain “yeast extract.”  I learned early on (the hard way) that yeast extract is another danger word for gluten…One of my previously favorite broths used to be labeled “gluten free*”.

 Notice that little asterisk?

Among the hubble and bubble of the big print, I didn’t notice it at first.  It took getting sick for me to investigate further…

Sure enough, there in tiny tiny print on the bottom of the container was my answer… *except the small amount present in yeast extract.

WHAT?!?

EXCEPT?

Why the heck would you mark your product gluten free if you know darn well that yeast extract contains or has the potential to contain gluten?!?!?

Fortunately, for them, this company has since changed their packaging…and I have learned my lesson. 

Read your labels.  Find the loophole.  Don’t take anything for granted…including packages that say “Gluten Free*”

Sigh.

Read your labels.

On to the soup!

About one week ago, I was craving a nice warm bowl of Hungarian Goulash.  While I did not have some of the key ingredients on hand to make traditional Goulash, what I did have was enough of what I needed to make a Vegetable Beef Soup filled with so many hearty winter vegetables, warmed with tomatoes and marinara sauce made from a summer crop preserved at their peak; that my craving for Goulash was satisfied while my family had a hearty meal even my pickiest eater could love. 

You may note that I use equal parts lean ground turkey and lean ground beef.  This is typical for any meal I make with ground meat.  I find this is an excellent way to get the health benefits from both meat (the lean protein of the turkey and the rich iron of the beef) while keeping the cost as low as possible.  Feel free to use just either/or, even omitting the meat all together and replacing the beef stock with vegetable broth for a hearty vegan option. 

This recipe renders a large stockpot filled to the brim.  Easily frozen or even cut in half, play with this recipe as you wish.  May this soup fill your belly with the warmth and comfort you long for throughout the coldest part of the year. 

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Med Onions

5 Med Carrots

1 Large Stalk Celery

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1 Jar Gluten Free/Dairy Free Marinara Sauce (About 3 Cups)

1 Large Jar Petite Diced Tomatoes (About 20 oz)

3 c Beef Broth

2 Tbs Minced Garlic

3 Bay Leaves

2 Tbs Paprika

2 Tbs Cumin

2 Diced Med Bell Peppers (Green, Yellow or Red)

2 Diced Med Red Potatoes

1 Head Cauliflower, Florets Only, Thick Stalks Discarded  

8 c Water

4 Tbs Emeril’s Original Essence

Dice onions and slice carrots and celery, sauté with garlic in large stock pan with olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add turkey and beef, cook thoroughly.  Drain fat and mix in remaining ingredients.  Simmer over medium heat for approximately 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.  Remove bay leaves and serve.

Makes 16 generous servings.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy New Year, Top 5 Recipe’s of 2010 and Ingredient Challenge Monday! (Whew that’s a post!)

December 31, 2010 By 6 Comments

It’s hard to believe that today is the very last day of 2010.  So many blessings have come my way this year. 

I married the love of my life this year.  Our blended family has fused so beautifully that even my oldest daughter says “mommy, it feels as if you have always been my mommy,” to which I smile and say “that is because, sweetie, I was always supposed to be your mommy.” And so it is. 

I finished my MBA this year…simultaneously (in the very month I completed my final graduate class), I also started a program at our local University that would allow me to obtain my teaching certification. 

Yes, there is a vast difference between Corporate America (where most MBA’s hope to find their success) and the classroom; but I never went into my graduate program thinking I would be CEO of some major corporation.  I am a small business fan. 

More importantly though, I am a family gal.  Teaching allows me to do two things Corporate America never left time for…it allows me to be an active participant in my children’s lives by granting me the same schedule they have, it also allows me the flexibility and freedom to do exactly what I am doing today, to work and build success through my own small business. 

So, I started my own business.  While it is certainly early in the growth stage, this blog, this vehicle for sharing thoughts, ideas, life experience and recipes, is very much a business to be taken seriously.  I am excited at what has come from this blog already…new friendships, new ideas, better health for both my family and yours.

So many blessings, so many more just beginning.

I don’t know that I have been around long enough to do a top 10, but I would like to finish this year by at least doing a top 5 of my favorite recipes from this year…

Thank you for being a part of my journey, part of such a wonderful year!

Top 5 And Love It Too! 2010 Recipes (in alphabetical order):

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup, Share Our Holiday Table

Celebrating Celiac Awareness Day & Strawberry Covered “Sour Cream” Pound Cake

Cheeze Ravioli 

Pecan Pie

Vegan Salted Cayenne Dark Chocolate Almond Fudge    

Monday will begin a new year of recipes, a new year for memories to be made.  My first recipe of the year will be part of the Ingredient Challenge Monday.  To start you off on the right track for the New Year, we (the bloggers involved in Ingredient Challenge Monday) have decided to bring you four different ways to use kale.

 

Not just for soups and salad, kale is a great ingredient that can add nutrition, texture and flavor to many dishes.  Dubbed one of “the world’s healthiest foods”, you can read more information on why this beautiful green must be a part of your 2011 New Year’s Resolution here. 

Check back with any one of these blogs to see what we have for you on Monday.

And Love it Too!

Dixie Chik Cooks

Marci Gilbert

Nutritionella

Until then, have a safe and happy New Year!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts