Vegan Chili

The secret to a flavorful Vegan chili is heating the oil, herbs, and spices together before adding and sautéing the chopped onion!  When onion is cooked and translucent, add crumbled tofu and mix thoroughly with a fork.  (If adding beans gently fold into tofu mixture at this point.)  Continue cooking for several minutes, until flavors combine, adding a little water if necessary.  Then add the tomatoes and continue simmering until thoroughly heated and ready to serve!  (We usually add a Tablespoon of maple syrup to combat the acid in the tomato.)  From start to finish this recipe takes 30 minutes or less!


Ingredients:

About 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (more may be added after adding onion &/or tofu)
3 teaspoons Organic Chili Powder (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Organic Garlic Powder (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cocoa Powder (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Onion, chopped
1 Package Firm Tofu, drained and crumbled
1  28oz Can Diced or Crushed Tomatoes (add a little water if necessary to reach desired consistency)
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

Chicken and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients: 

1-2 lbs cooked, Boneless Chicken Breasts or Tenders, chopped 

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Organic Garlic Powder (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1-3 teaspoons Organic Chili Powder (more or less to taste)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (adding more as needed)

1 Onion, chopped

1 small can Organic Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 28oz can Diced or Crushed Organic Tomatoes (+ water as needed to reach desired consistency)

Approximately 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup 

Cook and lightly brown chicken for approximately 30-40 minutes.  Roughly chop and set aside.

Heat oil and sauté chopped onion until translucent.  Add black beans and lightly sauté with the onion until flavors blend, adding more oil as needed.  Add the herbs, spices, and chicken and continue cooking until well combined.  Add tomatoes, maple syrup, and a little water as needed to reach desired consistency.  (We add the maple syrup to combat the acidic nature of the tomatoes.)  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Simmer until thoroughly heated.  Serve and enjoy!  

Blueberry Crisp (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Perfect for dessert or breakfast!

I quickly adapted ingredients according to what was on hand, because it was the night before a shopping trip!  Any gluten-free rolled oats will work, but I happened to have instant maple/brown sugar gf oatmeal packets in the cupboard.  Also, if dairy isn't a problem, butter may be substituted for the df margarine.  A sugar substitute such as birch sugar, agave, or maple syrup may be used in place of the brown sugar.

Ingredients

1 Cup brown rice flour (white rice flour or sweet rice flour may be used)
2 Cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup Vegan/df margarine
12 oz frozen blueberries, partially thawed (fresh may be used)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a small baking pan (approximately 8"x 8" or 9"x 9").
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, cinnamon, and sugar.  Cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly.  Evenly arrange the blueberries in the baking pan (if desired, you may lightly sprinkle berries with natural cane sugar), then cover the berries with flour/oat/sugar mixture.

Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes, as oven temperatures vary.

Cool slightly. Enjoy!

Chicken and Egg Salad GF/DF

                                                             

This recipe is a delicious plate of sunshine on a cloudy day!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup pre-cooked chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into small pieces and shredded with a fork
2 Hardboiled eggs
Dried parsley flakes, lemon pepper, salt-free veggie seasoning blend, and celery salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon wedge

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground Turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk dressing ingredients together until creamy.

Add dressing to chicken and egg mixture.  Stir together until thoroughly mixed.  Enjoy!

 

Make-Ahead Meals

Make-ahead meals are a great way to ensure everyone stays on track throughout the week.  Cooking poultry, meat, or tofu ahead of time, then storing in the refrigerator in air-tight containers for several days, allows for a quick, yet healthy meal for busy schedules!

The chicken, pictured above, is an easy fix, either a day or so before you need it, or prepared in a spare hour in the morning. 

I cooked a package of chicken breasts covered in water in a large skillet, with a salt-free veggie seasoning (to taste), for a total of an hour.  For extra flavor, I also added several sliced carrots and an onion sliced into quarters.  Salt and pepper to taste.  You can get creative with this according to your personal taste, adding garlic, garlic powder, celery, basil, or whatever seasoning you prefer.  I made sure there was a bit of water in the skillet throughout the majority of cooking time, then let it slowly cook out, until the onion was caramelized and the carrots were tender.  Served over rice, quinoa, or a salad, this is a delicious make-ahead dish!

The other day I cooked chicken tenders, then everyone chose a different way to customize them.  I added quartered artichoke hearts and parmesan cheese for myself, which was gluten-free.  There was just plain with a veggie for one and another over a salad with cheese and hardboiled eggs.  And delicious sautéed tofu over a salad for another, to meet her Vegan needs.  It's up to your imagination!

Gluten-Free Quick Fixes

So it's day one, of 40 days gluten-free for me and Vegan for my daughter!  But there wasn't time throughout the day for extensive cooking, so breakfast for me consisted of Greek Yogurt and an applesauce cup.  (Thankfully coffee is gf!) We have protein bars on hand for days like today when everyone is on the go.  (Again, finding a protein bar that meets everyone's needs can be a challenge, so we each have a different type.)  Pre-packaged gf/Vegan mac and cheese is also convenient, as well as gluten-free chicken nuggets.  When I got home it was a handful of sugar-snap peas for me and a quick bite of leftover cauliflower pizza.  (Watch for that recipe in an upcoming post!).  There was also fruit on hand for my daughter to snack on when she got in!

Later, we teamed up to make Chickpea Patties for dinner.  Super easy, and both Vegan and gluten-free!

We drained 2 cans of Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), put them in a food processor and added garlic powder, salt, lemon pepper, parsley, and salt-free veggie seasoning blend to taste.  We also added 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and several Tablespoons of olive oil.  You may need a little more oil in order for everything to process easily.  Last we diced half an onion and added it before starting the food processor.

We combined everything until it made a paste.  I preheated a skillet with a little olive oil and used an ice cream scoop to portion several patties in the pan.  Lightly browned on both sides, they were ready to serve!



                                                    Chickpea paste

Another easy do-ahead is simply slicing favorite veggies at the beginning of the week and portioning them in plastic storage bags or individual containers, then store in the refrigerator.  My family is much more likely to grab this healthy snack if it's already prepared and ready to eat.  Rice cakes or gluten-free crackers paired with nut butter or nut-free butter or hummus is a fast protein source and goes well with a handful of veggies!

And my favorite fast meal is salad!  Create a base of greens and various veggies, then add whatever you like best!  This could be a grilled Portobello mushroom, hardboiled eggs, avocado, beans, lean steak sliced into strips, grilled chicken breast, leftover turkey, fish, or Chickpea patties!

                                            
                                                                                                                   JBW

The Puzzle of Multiple Food Restrictions

Real Food
The easiest way to transition into the gluten-free world is to eat real food! Vegetables, legumes, and fruit are naturally gluten-free, as are basic cuts of meat, poultry, and fish. Eggs are gluten-free and a great source of protein. And dairy products such as milk, butter, and non-processed cheese are also gluten-free.

Gluten-Free with Multiple Food Restrictions
It's similar to solving a puzzle when you or other members of your household have multiple food allergies or restrictions.  Trying to shop while avoiding certain types of food challenges us to read every label carefully!  Some products clearly mark when they are gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, or Vegan, etc.

Reading Labels is Key
This week my goal while shopping was to find food that is gluten-free, as well as Vegan (contains no type of animal product), without solely relying on soy as the main protein source.  I also didn't want to spend the entire grocery budget on pre-packaged items.  This proved challenging!

I personally don't do well with soy, corn, or peanuts, so I try to avoid these ingredients as much as possible.  That becomes tricky when I'm buying pre-made gf baking mixes, because they often contain corn flour and corn starch.  I look for mixes that contain tapioca or potato flours/starches if possible.  Finding a pre-made gf bread also became a challenge, because several brands contained eggs (not Vegan) and/or corn flour/starch.  To stay with the Vegan plan for my daughter, I chose the one with corn, since she will eat more of it than I will.  This is when making baked goods ourselves becomes the most practical and usually more cost effective way to go.  You can purchase various gluten-free flours in bulk and create your own blend to suit your needs.  My mom makes a wonderful gf chocolate cake with her own blend of flour!

Keeping it Real!
Again, eating real food and preparing meals from scratch is the best way to ensure your diet is free of culprit ingredients.  There are easy ways to do this and tricks to making actual meal prep time manageable in our fast-paced lives!



So far our favorite pre-packaged choices that meet the criteria of being Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, and Vegan!

 

      

                                                                                                                JBW

Gluten-Free Planning

Meal Plans
Even a rough idea of what types of meals you plan to make, will help ensure you have basic ingredients on hand.  Approximately how many days are you planning ahead?  When I'm feeling especially organized, I try to make a list or jot down on a calendar ideas for a 2-week time frame.  That's when I'll go shopping for a major re-stock of fresh items and replenish whatever is running low in the cupboards and freezer.  I'll probably grab several items as needed between that 2-week time frame as well.  But if I plan well, I'll save myself money and the hassle of constantly running to the store.

The Pantry
Staple food items to have on hand when living gluten-free include: rice flour (good for not only gf baking, but as breading for chicken, meat, and sautéed veggies), pre-made gf baking mixes (we'll talk later about creating your own gf flour blends), xanthan gum (holds gf baked goods together and is also good to add to homemade dressings), Baking Powder, Extra Virgin/Cold Pressed Olive Oil, eggs/egg replacer, lean meats, poultry, fish, canned beans (good source of protein), nut butters/nut-free butters, fresh, frozen, and canned veggies, fresh, frozen, and canned fruit, sea salt, pepper, and herbs and seasonings (there are gf seasoning blends, ALWAYS read labels!)

The Shopping Trip
If gluten-free is new to you, I would encourage you to allow for extra time during your initial shopping trips to familiarize yourself with the stores you plan to shop at and the gluten-free selections they offer.  You may frequently shop at certain stores, but find yourself walking up and down the aisles in search of specific gf items, as if you've never shopped there before!  And so many more stores have gf items now, you may be surprised at the hidden gems you'll discover!

                                                                                                             JBW

40 Days Gluten-Free!

Fatigue and health issues have once again prompted me to adopt a gluten-free diet. Since I have a sensitivity to gluten, not an actual allergy, I've avoided the commitment to being gluten-free.  With the Lenten season approaching, it seems now is a good time to rededicate myself to this decision.  I remind myself the health benefits will be worth it!  My mind knows this is true.  It's the actual application of the concept that battles against my will!  Therefore, I must plan ahead.  Having gluten-free choices on hand will prevent me from making poor food choices when I get in late from work and activities.  In this way I will make a conscious effort to think before I eat!

To make this more interesting, several family members have also decided to make dietary changes during Lent, including no junk food!  We will also incorporate Vegan choices and hopefully overlap as much as possible.  Stay tuned for updates!  I'll be sharing recipes and ideas to help us stay on track and hopefully inspire you to venture out on your own food journey!

                                                                                                             JBW