Simple Marinara

When I say simple I mean SIMPLE!

1 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
3 TBSP EV Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
3 TBSP Fresh Basil chopped
Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sautee until it starts to turn golden. Next add the tomatoes and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Stir in basil until it wilts and color becomes vibant. Remove from heat, taste and add salt as needed. Serve immediately

Vegetarian Red and Black Bean Chili with Roasted Red Peppers

I make this on the stove top because I don't yet own a crock pot. Crazy? I know... I need to get on that. You can however add all of the ingredients to a crock pot in the morning and let it cook on high for 3 hours and then turn down for the rest of the day. I should also note that I do not "pre-soak" my beans, I just rinse and start cooking... this is another sign that I am infact a lazy cook.

Vegetarian Red and Black Bean Chili with Roasted Red Peppers

One pound driedblack beans, rinsed
One pounds dried small red beans, rinsed
1 quart veggie stock (if you are meat eating family and want a "meatier" flavor you can use beef stock)
2 quarts Water
1 28oz can of tomato purree OR petite diced tomatoes (again this is a matter of personal taste)
1/4 cup flour of your choice (you could easily use wheat, I use oat or rice so that it is gluten free)
1 medium onion, diced
1 fresh green pepper, diced
1 jar of roasted red peppers, diced(I buy them at the Dollar Tree, I *think* it's a 12 ounce jar)
3 TBSP mince garlic (fresh or jarred is fine)
3 TBSP Chili Powder
Salt to taste

In large soup pot (mine is a 5 quart) add beans, stock, and water. Bring this up to a rolling boil. Boil for 15 minutes, reduce temperature and simmer for approximately an hour and a half. (If the liquid level gets below the top of the beans, add more liquid at that point.)

Pour about 1/4 half of the tomatoes in the pot. Then mix the flour into the tomatoes that are still in the can, until you have no more lumps of flour. (Mixing it in the can prevents lumps in the chili.) Add the tomato and flour mixture to the pot and stir until combined. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and chili powder and stir well. Bring back up to simmering.

Simmer for at least 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Taste before serving and add any necessary salt.  Makes between 3 and 3.5 quarts so there is plenty for dinner AND freezing for another night or nights.

This is a really flavorful chili but not to spicy for kids, my 7.5 month old even loves it!

Garlic and Herb Polenta

I use a rice cooker for this, but as an alternative you can also cook it low and slow on the stove top, stirring constantly. I'm just a lazy cook (I can admit that) so I use the rice cooker whenever possible.

Garlic and Herb Polenta

2 Cups Coarse Yellow Cornmeal
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 TBSP Minced Garlic
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
2 TBSP EV Olive Oil

Mix cornmeal, water, and chicken broth until all lumps are broken up. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Start rice cooker.

When the timer goes off on the rice cooker, stir the mixture breaking all the lumps, until is an even consistency. Turn the heat back on for 10 minutes. While the polenta is finishing cooking grease a 12 ct muffin tin.

Spoon the polenta (which will still be pretty soft) into the muffin tins. It should make 12 very full "muffins". Let this sit for 30 minutes before unmolding. You can serve these hot topped with pasta sauce or you can finish cooling them and refridgerate to rehead throughout the week as needed.

One of my favorite ways to serve these is either with a light marinara and roasted zuchini on the side, for a more summery dish. My other favorite is to make a tomato sauce with red wine, italian sausage, mushrooms, zuchini chunks, and bell pepers and serve that over them. 

Light Fluffy Gluten Free Bread

I didn't even know if it was possible. I have had crumbly, dry, too dense gluten free breads when I bought them at the store. I was almost certain that a good hearty sandwich bread was something my love was going to have to give up when we found out wheat was causing so many of his troubles. I decided to try my baking skill in a field.
The bread turned out light and fluffy and not the tiniest bit crumbly! I was so excited I decided to post the recipe right away instead of waiting for tomorrow.

Gluten Free Oat Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 F (176.6 C) Get out a 2 pound non-stick loaf pan.

3 cups warm water (105 degrees or slightly lower)
2 tablespoons raw sugar
2 tablespoons yeast

In a small mixing bowl mix the water, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes (until it is nice and foamy.)

In the meantime mix the following (dry) ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You can sift it all if you have a sifter but I just wisked the mixture until it there were no lumps left.

2.5 cups Bob's Redmill Gluten Free flour
2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 packet of Knox geletain
2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum

Pour the yeast mixture into the dry mix and turn gently until combined. Don't over mix at this point, it will be lumpy and dry. Now add the following indredients on top of this dough.

4 eggs (make sure they are room temp so they don't kill your yeast)
1/4 olive oil
1 tablespoon molasas
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinager
Turn the thick batter into your loaf pan (no need to greese your non-stick pan) and smooth the top for a prettier finished project. Bake for about 1 hour 25 minutes, it should sound hollow when tapped. When the loaf is browned and sounds hollow pull out loaf and cool for 20 minutes. The loaf will fall into itself a bit, it's normal.
Next turn the partially cooled loaf out of the pan and rub the top of the crust (with will be very crusty) with butter and wrapped the loaf in plasitic wrap or foil to hold in the remaining steam. Leave wrapped for 10 minutes. I know it sounds like a lot of work at the last minute but this will give your bread a wonderful chewy crust that is ideal for sandwich bread. Let the bread cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a zipper bag and with all of the air pushed out. Do not refridgerate... it makes the bread get a bit gummy.

Enjoy! Please post in baking tips you have as this is my first attempt at gluten free bread.

This bread is also high in fiber and protein so it's extra healthy!

Mexicali makes wheat free easy!

The last few days I have not felt the least bit like cooking. I've had other things on my mind. So, where did this leave me? Looking for something relatively balanced, yummy, wheat free and still indulgent enough to fill that desire for comfort food. I needed something easy that would fill that empty space in my soul without filling out my hips too much. 

Saturday I was staring into the fridge there was left over steak, a bag of corn tortilla, left over pico de gallo, a block of Montery jack cheese, and the end of the fat free sour cream. So a quesadilla was on the menu. By adjusting the proportions right you can keep it on the lighter side.

You will need :
2 corn tortillas
small amount of shredded or THINLY sliced cheese (I used Montery Jack)
Pico de Gallo (mine was homemade but you can use the stuff you find refridgerated at the store)

Left over roasted or grilled meat (I used steak but chicken or pork are great too)

Put one tortilla on a microwave safe plate, then layer a small amount of cheese, moderate amount of meat and then a generous amount of pico de gallo. It should look like this.  -->

Add a little more cheese (it's your glue) and then the other tortilla. Microwave for anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. It takes about a minute and a half in my microwave. (You can also toast it in the oven or in a pan on the stove top for a crispier finish but I was going for minimum work and clean up.)

I added a dallop of fat free sour cream and some tapatio for extra flavor. And that was lunch and it was delicious!

Last night I faced the same problem. I wanted comfort food. It was late and I was hungry and tired. I wanted a bacon cheeseburger and heap of fries. There are several problems like that. First problem is the thousands of calories involved. Then there is the fact that I couldn't have shared this meal with the love of my life because that bacon cheeseburger has a big wheat bun. I also need to stick mostly to the food that we have on hand to be cost effective. So, we had nachos.

I can see how you would question the idea that nachos would be an better for you than a burger and fries. However, if you go light on the cheese and use vegetarian refried beans (no lard there) and add lots of salsa and pico de gallo and one more time make the switch to fat free (or at least low fat) sour cream you can make it as fabulous as this wonderful thing.

For the beans I warmed them seperately and mixed them 50/50 with a jarred salsa to make them more of a bean sauce to drizzle over the top of our crispy nachos. They were light, fresh and easy. It made for a perfect late dinner.

All for the love of food...

Here's the deal. I love to cook. I love to bake. Most of all I love to eat food that makes me feel good. I also love to be able to zip my pants (which are feeling a bit snug lately.) So, I'm going to explore all things food. My boyfriend is eating wheat free, so I will try gluten free recipes. I am trying to slim down and for that I'll try lighter variations on my favorites. I will also try tweaking recipes I love to make but can rarely afford so that the can be everyday fare in my household. I also (gulp) plan to try things I would NEVER dream of trying on my own, that my friends and family members insist are wonderful even if completely unexpected and odd. I don't promise to like the peanut butter and pickle burger that used to be served in town, but I do promise to try it (a few bites at least.)

My household is full of food lovers and cooks. We have a comercial stove with six gas burners, a grill, and double ovens. We even have one knife who is so dearly loved that "she" has been named the wife. Yes, we have a knife who is the "wife" of one of our resident chefs. We take our food very seriously. I think it should be fun and informative too. So, grab your fork and come along for the ride!