July 31, 2010

Gluten Free Toasted Ham and Swiss

Not so long ago my good friend Melanie surprised me with an amazing loaf of herbed gluten free bread. It was soft and moist, and unlike most GF breads on the market, it didn't even need to be heated to be edible. However, I couldn't help myself from rushing home to make a grilled ham and swiss cheese sandwich.  It was AWESOME!!  It was total gourmet!  I was in heaven.

The bread was from a mix by Gluten Free Pantry "French Bread"  To the box ingredients she added 5 tblsps dried Italian herbs. The loaf was baked in her, new and increasingly well-used bread machine.  I'm not fibbing when I tell you the grilled sandwiches I made from the bread made me forget how much I missed my once easy-access to fresh loaves of bread. Thanks Melanie!!

If you have gluten sensitivity issues, do yourself a favor and buy a good bread maker, some top shelf bread mixes, and get a bakin'  There's no excuse any more to deny ourselves the joys of fresh bread and grilled cheese sandwiches!

July 9, 2010

Gluten Free Beef and Fresh Herb Stew

I can't believe it's been this long since I've posted a new recipe!  You know what they say...  time flies when you're having fun.  I spent the whole month of May in China; traveling around, exploring, teaching, eating great food...  and I couldn't write about any of it because China has banned all social networking sites, including blogs.  However, I did take lots of pictures, and will be doing a "China Flashback" soon!

After I returned I had to hit the ground running in order to get Helping Hands Books back in order, and to start the dissertation process!  Now I finally feel like I'm back into the groove of things... catching up with friends, and catching up with all my side hobbies, like this one:)

The following stew recipe is one of those dishes that just sings out with the feeling of home-style comfort.  You can use pretty much any kind of herbs you have on hand.  I chopped up a smorgasbord of fresh organic herbs given to us by our friends Chip and Jackie Denoyers.  They are part of a farm co-op and had lots to share.  Fresh herbs are like currency to me.  When I get my hands on them, I just can't let them go to waste.  Besides this dish, I used them in omelets and scrambled eggs, pasta, and even to spice up my typical easy-meal soft tortilla wraps.

Feel free to add as much salt and pepper as you'd like to this dish, or even a bit of cayenne pepper.  Unless you like subtle, earthy flavors, because that's what this stew is all about:)

Roland Gluten Free All Natural Chicken Soup Base, 23 Servings Per 4-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)


Ingredients

  • 2 large onions (diced)
  • 1/2 pound minced beef
  • 3 tblsp oil
  • 1 1/2 tblsp ground tumeric
  • 1/2 cup yellow split peas (or Dal)
  • 5 cups water or GF chicken/vegetable stock
  • 3 tblsp parsley or thyme (chopped)
  • 3 tblsp rosemary (chopped)
  • 3 tblsp chives (chopped)
  • 3 tblsp mint (chopped)
  • 3 saffron strands, dissolved in 1 tblsp boiling water
  • 1 tblsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
  1. Dice up one of the onions. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion until golden brown. Add the tumeric, split peas (Dal) and water... bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer - simmer for about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile... dice up the other onion and throw it into a bowl.  Add the minced beef, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix well.  
  3. Once the 20 minute timer goes off, form the beef/onion mixture into 1-inch sized balls and carefully place into the simmering liquid. Once all the little meatballs are in the pot, set the timer for another 10 minutes.
  4. After the timer rings, add the rice, parsley, rosemary, and chives. Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring frequently. 
  5. Melt the butter in a small pan and fry up the chopped garlic.  Stir in the mint and the saffron.  Add the garlic butter mixture to the soup and stir well.  
  6. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with mint if you have any left. 
  7. ENJOY!


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Just So You Know...

The information presented in this blog is intended to educate and entertainment. However, I'm not a medical expert.  I also do not know absolutely everything about Celiac Disease.  What I do know has been learned through trial and error, research, and what has been taught to me by friends who also share my food-related affliction.  Please take the time to do your own research about Celiac Disease and gluten-related issues.  I have a list of links to useful resources along the left-side of this blog. Also, feel free to cross-check my statements. If you find contrary information, please let me know. Thanks so much for visiting Trav's Gone Gluten Free!