Citrus Salad

                                                                     Citrus Salad

Ingredients 

1 grapefruit

1 tangelo 

1 navel orange

1 blood orange

2 clementines 

fresh mint, chopped

sea salt

olive-oil 

Peel and slice all fruit. Spread on serving dish, sprinkle with sea-salt, mint and a drizzle of olive-oil. Enjoy this perfect winter citrus salad while dreaming of summer! 

Posole Stew with Chicken

If you haven't noticed, I really miss New Mexican cuisine. There is nothing like it and unfortunately in many restaurants wheat flour is a very common hidden ingredient used to make red chile and green chile sauce. Fortunately, I grew up in a household where I watched enchiladas, tacos, tortillas, posole, and green chile stew being made on a regular basis. It's been very easy for me to adapt my favorite recipes because some of them are naturally gluten free (especially when made at home) and others only need slight tweaking.

Ingredients

12 oz dried white corn posole (click here  or here to buy)

6 red chile pods

1 lb skinless chicken breast, cut up in 1"pieces

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion, diced

1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp salt

Garnish:

Red Chile Sauce, recipe here

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

avocado slices

Directions:

Put posole in glass bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. 

In a large pot, boil posole in salted water for about 2 hours over medium heat. After about 2 hours, add chicken, chile pods, oregano, garlic and onion. Cover and simmer for about 1 more hour until posole is tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. Season with salt. Spoon into bowls and garnish with cilantro,  avocado, lime, and extra red chile. 

This recipe can also be made in a slow-cooker, set on low for 6-7 hours.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Last year on a trip to Italy I had my fair share of risotto. It was warm, beautiful, flavorful and oh so rich. I will have the privilege of going back to Italy this year but decided I couldn't wait for authentic Italian risotto, I needed to make some today! This recipe is straight from Smitten Kitchen (which was adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food).

Ingredients

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed (make sure sausage does not contain any gluten fillers)
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired. Serves 4

New Mexico Green Chile Sauce

Red or Green? That is the token question at almost every restaurant in Santa Fe. Personally, I like "christmas". I like to have my food drenched in red and green chile. This green chile recipe is a smothering sauce. Smother your eggs, smother your burrito, smother your potatoes,  smother your enchiladas. You get the point.

                                                       New Mexico Green Chile Sauce
Ingredients
2 tbs oil (olive or grapeseed oil)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbs cornstarch
1.5 to 2 cups chicken broth
~16oz chopped green chile (roasted)

Directions
Dissolve cornstarch in cold water, and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft, over medium heat. About 8 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch mixture into onions, immediately add 1 cup chicken broth. Sauce should be thickening slightly. Stir and then add remaining chicken broth. Next add the green chile and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

                                                 Tacos topped with NM Green Chile Sauce

**Why do New Mexican's spell chile with an "e" and not and "i"? Read this article from the New York Times

Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts & Chocolate Chips

I love oatmeal cookies and luckily am still able to tolerate GF oats, as many celiacs cannot. These cookies are delicious, crispy on the outside with a little chew on the inside. Just perfect. This recipe makes a big batch! Take them to a party or store them in the freezer for another day.  Makes about 36 cookies. 

Ingredients

1 3/4 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp bourbon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking Mix

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups gluten free oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Slowly add the baking mix and cinnamon and blend on low until well incorporated. 

Stir in oats and then fold in chocolate chips and walnuts until evenly distributed. Drop by the spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookie (until golden brown).  Let cool on cookie sheet  for about 7 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Suki Thai Noodle House in Boulder

A few weeks ago I received a newsletter from Boulder County Celiacs. Featured was Suki Thai,  a restaurant that has almost an entirely gluten free menu (the vegetarian pad thai sauce and kids mac & cheese are not gluten free).  I was thrilled to read about a place in which the risk of cross contamination would be very slim. We headed out to have lunch at Suki Thai. The professor (who loves all things glutenous) and I were both extremely pleased with our meal;  it was simple, delicious and cheap! The food is fresh and cooked to order. Gluten free food is often more expensive and it seems these days there is always an up-charge on gluten free products in restaurants. This restaurant is across the board affordable and very tasty. It is wonderful to have a great dish for $6.50! 

                                                 Fried tofu noodle bowl with fresh veggies, 

                                                   daikon, corn, cilantro and lemongrass

                                             Chicken Pad Thai made with egg, bean sprouts, 

                                                   peanuts, scallions and fresh rice noodles

Fresh Thai iced tea

Finding Solace in the Kitchen with Foods that Heal

Everyday I have to think about eating a meal that is safe. Every time I go out to eat I have to explain my situation. Sometimes I feel silly, other times I feel like a burden but most of all, I hope that one more person will be educated about gluten intolerance and in the long run, life will be a lot easier! I had the pleasure of telling my story to WalkAbout Magazine in the hopes that even more people will learn about celiac disease and the importance of eating gluten free and thriving!

Please check out the story here. 

Tomato Avocado Salsa

This recipe comes from a wonderful woman in Santa Fe. Della kindheartedly shared this recipe with me after I devoured it at a holiday party last year. Thankfully it is now my go-to salsa :)

1 14oz can diced tomatoes 

1 jalapeno, diced

2 scallions (use only the bottom half), diced

1 large handful of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each)

1 avocado, chopped

Directions

Add tomatoes, jalapeno, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper to blender or food processor and chop for about 30 seconds. If not spicy enough, add sprinkles of chile pequin (red pepper flakes). 

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with slices of avocado. Serve with corn tortilla chips.  

Gluten Free Italian Breadsticks

These are a great little snack to stash in your bag when you are out and about, at a restaurant, or just feel like something "bready". I like to dip them in olive oil with a little sea salt.

Ingredients
1 tbs active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1 cup GF flour blend w/xanthan gum (bistro blend all purpose GF flour)
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
1.5 tsp Italian spices (I used a variety of oregano, fennel, rosemary, lemon peel etc) ground
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
extra olive oil to brush on the tops of breadsticks

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Whisk yeast and warm milk together in a small bowl. Set aside for  about 5 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silpat (as shown).

In a mixer, mix the yeast mixture, flour,  cornstarch, cheese, spices, 1 tbs olive oil and vinegar on low speed for about 1 minute. The dough should be well combined. Using the palms of your hands, roll out breadsticks into strips, about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long. If dough is too sticky to roll out, place dough in a pastry bag or heavy duty plastic bag (with corner cut off) and squeeze the dough out of the bag onto the sheet.

Lightly brush the tops of the breadsticks with olive-oil for a crisper top. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack and serve with olive oil for dipping.

Zucchini stuffed with Quinoa and Cannellini Beans

                                      

Ingredients 

1/2 cup red quinoa, rinsed

4 med zucchini

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbs olive oil

Heat oven to 400°F. In a large saucepan, combine quinoa and one cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. about 10-15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut sides up. Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic and 1/4 cup of the cheese, and 2 tbs olive oil. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining oil and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender. Remove the foil and bake about 8 minutes more. 

 (this recipe has been adapted from Real Simple Magazine, Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing)