Sunday, August 3, 2014

Weekly Meal Plan: Gluten Free

Gluten Free Meal Plan Photo

Raise your hand if you are living a gluten-free lifestyle. Ok, now raise your hand if you or someone you know is living a gluten-free lifestyle.

Ah-ha! Just as I thought – nearly every hand out there is raised right now! Let's make cooking for the loved ones in our life – even our gluten-free loved ones – a bit easier with a week's worth of gluten-free meals, shall we? 

Monday:

Let's kick the week off with some Gluten-Free Meatballs, shall we? These are a perfect Monday option – they are comforting (because we all know how Mondays can be) and can even be made ahead of time if need-be. Serve them with your favorite gluten-free pasta (or perhaps even some zucchini noodles) and this healthy and light Strawberry Spinach Salad for a perfect weeknight meal. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground veal
  • 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – overmixing makes tough meatballs!

To bake:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Roll meat mixture into about 24 1-inch meatballs.
  3. Place meatballs on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping meatballs halfway through, or until cooked through and lightly browned.
  5. Serve with you favorite pasta and sauce.

To pan fry:

  1. Roll meat mixture into about 24 1-inch meatballs.
  2. Pour about 1/3 inch of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
  3. Add 5-6 meatballs to the pan at a time; cook for 1-2 minutes on the first side, until browned, then flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the other side is browned.
  4. Remove from the pan and repeat in batches until all of the meatballs are cooked.
  5. Simmer in your favorite pasta sauce for 15-20 minutes to finish cooking and serve with your favorite pasta.

Notes

  • I used ground beef and veal in my meatballs, but you could use pork in place of veal, or use all ground beef. Simply make sure that you have 1 1/2 pounds of ground meat total for the recipe.

Ingredients

For the Dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves, or jam
For the Salad:
  • 6 ounces baby spinach
  • 2 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 1/4 cup almonds, sliced and toasted
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, water and preserves. Set aside.
  2. Put the spinach in a big bowl. Top with the strawberries.
  3. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad. Use as much or as little as you would like.
  4. Top with feta cheese and toasted almonds.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tuesday:

Do you have practices or rehearsals or other activities to get to on Tuesday night? Don't worry about a busy schedule – this evening's Homemade Wendy's Chili can be made in the slow cooker for a meal that everyone can enjoy whenever they make it home. Keep things light and balanced with Sweet and Sour Slaw; the tangy slaw will also help balance the rich chili.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce, 2 8 ounce cans
  • 15 ounces red kidney beans, 1 can
  • 15 ounces pinto beans, 1 can
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 can mild ro-tel
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings:
  • cheese
  • sour cream
  • chives

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients into a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces green cabbage, shredded
  • 3 ounces red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 cup sauerkraut
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest, approximately 1 lime's worth of zest
  • fresh lime juice, from one lime
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 cup organic blue agave sweetener
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl or serving dish.
  2. If using packaged, pre-shredded coleslaw mix, be sure to discard any bad pieces or core pieces that are undesirable.
  3. Gently toss with clean hands.
  4. Season to taste.

 

Notes

  • This recipe is a wonderful topping to a BBQ tofu bowl, pulled pork sandwich or as a side dish to ribs.
  • Everything is raw, so this is very perishable and will get more pungent the longer it's in the fridge.
  • I use Bubbie's Sauerkraut.
  • Source: Heavily adapted from Cooking Light 2007

Wednesday: 

Keep the kids happy while still providing them with a home-cooked meal with Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets, made to mimic those from your favorite fast-food chicken joint. Serve your homemade nuggets alongside Jicama Fries – a healthier alternative to french fries – and Cucumber Tomato Salad for a balanced meal the whole family will love. 

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, large and cut into chunks
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup dill pickle juice
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • vegetable oil, or peanut oil for frying

Directions

  1. In a Ziploc bag, combine the milk, pickle juice, and egg.
  2. Place the chicken inside the bag, seal, and let this marinade at least 4 hours or overnight. Be sure to place it inside another bowl or pan in case it leaks.
  3. Once you are ready to cook the chicken, combine the flour, salt, paprika, and ground pepper in another Ziploc Bag.
  4. Take the chicken out of the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip off it and then place it inside the bag with the flour mixture.
  5. Seal and shake the bag so that all the chicken is well coated with the mixture.
  6. In a medium sized saucepan, pour the oil so that it is about 2-4 inches high. Place a candy thermometer in the pan to measure the heat. Let this heat until it has reached 350°F.
  7. Shake the excess off each piece of chicken and carefully drop in the oil when it is hot enough, letting it fry for about 8 minutes or until crispy.
  8. Repeat for all chicken nuggets, you may have to add additional oil depending on the amount you use.
  9. Once they have been fried, place them on a paper towel lined plate to allow the extra oil to drip off.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces jicama, peeled and cut into medium sized fries (1 pound)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine spices. Gently toss the jicama fries with the oil and lime juice, then sprinkle with the spice blend.
  3. Spread fries evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fries are golden.
  4. Serve immediately – they taste best hot out of the oven. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber, medium
  • 1 large whole tomato
  • 2 tablespoons onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and minced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black salt
  • 3-4 mint leaves, minced
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Peel and dice the cucumber into ½ inch pieces.
  2. Cut the tomato in quarters to deseed then dice into ½ inch pieces.
  3. Combine the cut tomatoes with the cucumber, onions, and jalapenos.
  4. Gently mix in the cumin, salt, and lemon juice.
  5. Sprinkle with mint and cilantro leaves. 

Notes

  • Black salt has a strong sulfurous taste so you may want to try it out in a smaller amount at first or substitute with regular salt.
  • There are no real amounts in this recipe. All ingredients can be adjusted to taste.
  • Be careful with fresh jalapeno. Some have more heat than others.


Thursday:

Who says Thursday can't be pizza night? Serve up a Gluten-Free Pizza, complete with everyone's favorite toppings, and end the meal with Gluten-Free Coconut Lemon Bars for a special treat – you have nearly made it to the weekend, after all. 

Ingredients

dough:
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons potato starch
  • 5 tablespoons arrowroot starch, or tapioca flour
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or honey
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
topping:
  • 1/3 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Mix together the dry ingredients (except the yeast) in the bowl of a stand mixer until thoroughly combined.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, yeast and 1/2 cup of the dry mixture. Let this sit uncovered for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly.
  3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and beat on medium high speed with a stand mixer or electric hand blender for 4 minutes. It will be very thick and sticky.
  4. Cover the bowl and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  6. On a 12" round pizza pan or a baking sheet, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the center.
  7. Scrape the pizza dough onto the center of the pan.
  8. Using wet fingers, press the dough into a 12" to 14" circle. Let the pizza dough rest for about 15 minutes before baking.
  9. Bake the pizza crust for 10 minutes or until it appears to be set. It shouldn't have started browning.
  10. Remove the pizza from the oven and add the marinara sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and any other additional toppings.
  11. Continue baking the dough for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn a light golden brown.
  12. Remove the pizza from the oven and serve.
 

Ingredients

crust:
  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
  • 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
  • 2 sticks butter, room temperature and cut into 1" pieces, plus more for greasing baking dish
filling:
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose gluten free flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, xantham gum, salt, powdered sugar, coconut flakes and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  3. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice and remaining 6 tablespoons of flour.
  5. Once the crust is done baking, remove from oven and immediately pour filling mixture over crust.
  6. Continue baking 25 minutes more until filling is set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar and cut into 16 squares.

Friday:

On Friday night, take some time to slow down and enjoy dinner as a family. Whether cooking for two or a crowd, Baked Rosemary Chicken is a perfect entrée: simply double or triple the recipe to accommodate more people! Since you already have the oven going, make some Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower on the side. Still craving something sweet? Go ahead, make a batch of Hazelnut Mocha Meringue Cookies – they are lighter than air and will make the perfect treat with a weekend cup of coffee. 

Ingredients

  • 4 large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, dried
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Place the chicken thighs in a dish.  Drizzle over the olive oil, rosemary, lemon slices, salt and pepper.  Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  This can be done up to 4 hours in advance.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a small 8î x 8î baking dish ready.  Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium high heat.  When hot, drain each chicken breast of excess oil, and place in chicken thigh in the pan, skin side down.  It's fine to sear the lemon slices with the chicken. 
  3. Once the chicken is golden brown (4-5 minutes), flip it and sear it on the other side.  Once both sides are brown, move the chicken thighs to the baking dish. 
  4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Test the temperature in the deepest part of the thigh with a food thermometer - it should be 165°F.  If it isn't, return it to the oven for 3 minutes intervals, and re-test.
  5. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  

 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 4 cups cauliflower florets
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and cauliflower florets. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and cauliflower and toss to coat the vegetables.
  3. Place seasoned florets on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly tender and lightly browned.
  4. Toss the vegetable mixture with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts, whole and toasted
  • 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 egg whites, room temperature (large)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Place the oven racks in the upper and lower third positions. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor (mini if possible), combine the hazelnuts, chocolate, and espresso powder. Pulse until finely ground. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed, until the whites are no longer clear. (Ensure your mixing bowl is perfectly clean and dry, or the whites will not whip properly.) Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip, adding the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time as you go. Continue whipping until the whites are firm and hold stiff peaks. They should be very shiny. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  4. With a large rubber spatula, gently and quickly fold in the powdered sugar mixture, until most streaks are gone, trying to deflate the egg whites as little as possible. Lightly fold in the chocolate-hazelnut mixture, just until combined.
  5. With a small ice cream scoop, drop the meringues by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F and continue baking for 1 additional hour. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, then let the meringues stand at room temperature on the baking sheets. Carefully pull off the meringues off of the baking sheet and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.


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