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!

Gluten Free Pancakes and Pure Maple Syrup

Well folks, it just doesn't get any better than this!  Gluten free pancakes (Trader Joe's Brand) and maple syrup harvested by my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Paul from trees on their own land, boiled down in their own sugar shack, and bottled for my tasting pleasure.  Awesome!

Trader Joe's has the least expensive GF Pancake Mix (around $3), but Pamela's and Bob's Red Mill also offer great GF Pancake Mixes.  Although I've heard that "Caramel Color" is made from corn in the USA, I don't trust anything unless it specifically states No Gluten, No Wheat, No Barely, etc.  Every single non-maple syrup on the market contains Caramel Coloring; for that reason, I'll only use pure maple syrup despite the steep cost.

My boss just found out he has to eat GF.  Since switching up his diet, he's already feeling better.  Knowing him, and knowing that he's a beer lover, I don't think it's hit him yet how much of what he used to enjoy will be eliminated from his list of options.  I went through some serious "beer mourning" when I realized that I'd never again be able to sip on a tall, cold pint of Guinness Extra Stout.  It still makes me sad thinking about it now.  Granted, Green's makes some pretty amazing GF beers, but I be fibbing if I said they were as good as the average gluten filled micro-brew on the market.

Gluten free living is all about getting back to the basics and appreciating simple foods more than one has ever had to.  It means savoring every last bite of well-made GF baked goods, slowing down the pace when enjoying a bottle of GF beer, and appreciating the simple pleasure of hot, steamy GF pancakes with Pure Maple Syrup drizzled on top.

  

Gluten Free Cheesy Shrimp & Grits

After seeing a shrimp and grits dish whipped up on one of my favorite Food Network shows, I just had to see what the fuss was all about.  The recipe is easy, relatively quick to put together, and sooooo good! Feel free to double the amount of shrimp I used. The more shrimp the merrier!  I decided to mix everything up together, but you can opt to top the cheesy grits with the shrimp mixture and eat it that way. Either way I'm sure you won't be disappointed:)  You can use any GF corn grits you want, but I used Bob's Red Mill GF Grits.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water (+ more to keep grits moist)
• 1 cup grits (aka polenta)
• 3 tblsp butter
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 6 slices bacon - pork or turkey (chopped)
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 2 tblsp parsley (chopped)
• 1 cup scallions (thinly sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add some salt and pepper and the grits. Cook for 20-25 minutes.  If grits start to look dry, keep adding splashes of water to keep it moist and creamy. 
2. Meanwhile...  Rinse shrimp and pat dry. 
3. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well and chop up. 
4. In the bacon grease, cook the shrimp on medium heat until pink.  Add the lemon juice, chopped bacon, chopped parsley, scallions and garlic.  Saute for another 3 minutes.
5. Remove grits from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese.  YUM!
6. Either mix up everything together, or spoon grits into bowls and top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately and chow down!
7. Enjoy!