Last week the web buzzed with Mylie Cyrus’ announcement about eating gluten free. Stories about popular personalities capture the public’s interest. It’s no surprise, really. There’s something mysterious and intriguing about the celebrity lifestyle.

It’s no different with our edible “super-stars”... A new, nutrient-dense gluten free food is exciting and we all want to learn more so we can begin devouring the delicious benefits!

That’s why, this week, I’m shining the nutrition spotlight on a curious character in the gluten free “grains” world... Amaranth!

I receive questions all the time about amaranth. People hear about it but many simply aren't quite sure how to enjoy these tiny "grains" of goodness as part of their gluten free diet.

Today, we’re changing that! I’ve got your answers for:

(1) Why you may want to eat amaranth.
 
(2) How to prepare amaranth and incorporate it into your gluten free diet. 

8 Comments
 
 

Few things capture the taste of spring like a crisp, light salad that's simple to prepare and bursting with flavor! 
 
And this Spring week is a perfect one for my Naturally Gluten Free Apple Fennel Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette... Sweet apple and mild, anise-flavored fennel tossed in a light herb vinaigrette make a tantalizing combination! 

This dish is also a super-flexible time saver... You can make it a day in advance, so it's a perfect "take-along" dish! I even put it to the test for this year's Easter brunch. Saturday evening, I took about 15 minutes to put together this salad and then stored it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, off to Easter brunch I went with no worries of last-minute prep or cleanup! 

My salad was SUCH a big hit with everyone I had to write the recipe down for four people and left with an empty serving bowl! 

Everyone was so busy raving about the salad's flavor, I hardly had a chance to explain the OTHER great thing about my salad... By using fennel, I've made sure it also packs a powerful nutrition punch! 
 
If you haven’t used fennel before in your cooking, this salad is the ideal introduction to this healthy veggie!

Fennel is a relative of carrots and dill. It is brimming with vitamin C, it's full of fiber, and it contains plant nutrients with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.  

Of course, it's understandable if fennel hasn't made its way into your kitchen. That big veggie looks a little intimidating and the bulb is a bit tough. And, truth be told, unless someone shows you, those feathery fronds, long stalks, and that big bulb can be tricky to prepare. That's why I made this short video showing you exactly how to prep fennel and use it! 

Add Comment
 
 

How about a 2-ingredient gluten free recipe so scrumptious you won't be able to resist?! 

What if I told you it's super-simple to make and GOOD FOR YOU, too?

Sounds too good to be true, but I assure you, it's not. 

My Gluten Free Avocado Fries have all this and more!

7 Comments
 
 
Legend has it fairies place pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Leprechauns are said to guard the pots. Capture the leprechaun, and the treasure belongs to you!

Of course, if you don’t have time this St. Patrick’s Day to chase after mischievous leprechauns, you can make your own rainbow and pot of gold. It’s simple, affordable, and even if it’s not the “real thing”, rainbows are magical. That's especially true when they are made of an array of naturally gluten free, nutrient-rich veggies!

No less dazzling is my savory Pot O' Gold Dip!

This blend of roasted butternut squash and seasonings makes a terrific dip for raw or steamed vegetables. Everyone will feel lucky when you serve this eye-catching display, on St. Patrick’s Day, or any day of the year!

2 Comments
 
 
To spring forward into March, I have a new dessert recipe for you... Gluten Free Sweet Potato Brownies. They're filled with nutrition and a (naturally) sweet surprise!

Brownies are, by definition, chocolate, but I couldn’t resist making a chocolate-free version with antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes. They are my favorite wholesome, nutritious addition to gluten free baked goods.

If you haven’t baked with them before, I encourage you to give it a try! 

Sweet potatoes can be used to replace up to half the fat called for in recipes like coffee cakes, traditional brownies, and muffins. They add a valuable nutrient boost, too! In this recipe, they are truly the star of the show!

When adding sweet potatoes to my baked goods, I typically use cooked, mashed sweet potatoes. For my Gluten Free Sweet Potato Brownies, I discovered mashed sweet potatoes yield a very dense brownie. After a little experimenting, I found the key to these tasty brownies is using finely grated sweet potatoes. This gives the brownies just the right texture with fabulous sweet potato flavor!

To enhance the natural sweetness of the potatoes is that sweet surprise I mentioned... Date sugar. Have you tried it!?

4 Comments
 
 
Picture
CLICK IMAGE for Gluten Free Sunbutter Cutout Cookies recipe!

Gluten is Gone... Now, Get over It!
(It's not easy, I know. I had to do it too.)

Celiac disease or Gluten Sensitivity – the diagnostic label is irrelevant. Being told you must never eat gluten again can feel like your world is over, at least when it comes to food.

After all, everyone must eat. Many of us have families to cook for, too! There is no avoiding food.

Hearing you must rid your diet of gluten can be shocking...

How can it be?! One day you and Gluten dine happily at your favorite Italian bistro, noshing on tender fettuccine and crisp-chewy baguettes, the next day, you’re told the relationship is over! Sound familiar? You're not alone!

You’re angry, sad, and confused. You may even be in denial at first. It’s OK if you are. Big changes mean BIG feelings. How you deal with them is what counts.

I know you’re smart and will be just fine, but in the meantime, I’ve got some information from my own experience and research I know you’re going to be able to use right now.

These valuable tips are sure to save you additional grief down the road as you work to master your gluten free diet. 

11 Comments
 
 
Picture
Homemade Ketchup ~ a simple way to reduce your sugar intake!


A gluten free diet makes reading ingredient lists on food labels a necessity.

These days, it’s not only allergens we’re searching for on food labels.  Ingredients like preservatives, sodium, and SUGAR are a focus for many of us.

New research related to sugar and its negative impact on our health surfaces almost daily. Some say “natural” sugars, like honey, agave nectar, and pure maple syrup, are better than granulated refined white sugar. Others claim foods made with honey, pure maple syrup, or palm sugar are “sugar-free”.

Regardless of where you stand on the sugar issue, you probably agree LESS IS BEST when it comes to the sweet stuff. 

This week's recipe can help do just that!

3 Comments
 
 
Picture
Naturally Gluten Free Roasted Veggies are a terrific way to add tasty nutrition to your GF diet!
Roasting vegetables is a simple way to intensify the natural flavors that otherwise go unnoticed in foods like cauliflower.

This simple How-To applies to most veggies... broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, eggplant, etc. Use your imagination and find YOUR favorite roasted veggie dish!


Gluten Free Gigi's Roasted Cauliflower (with Cajun Spice)
1 head cauliflower (substitute any veggie you like here!)
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon Olive oil (or other oil of your choice)
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (salt, pepper, cayenne pepper)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a large baking pan with foil.

Remove outer leaves from cauliflower. Separate cauliflower into florets, wash, drain.

Add oil, juice from lemon, and florets to a large bowl and toss, coating all florets with oil, juice, and seasonings.

Pour contents of bowl onto prepared pan.

Place in oven and roast for 40 minutes. Turn half way through roasting, at 20 minutes.

Remove from oven when done, edges will become dark and slightly crisp.

Serve hot, or cool to room temperature. Roasted cauliflower is even excellent served chilled!

Then, try this...

Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Gluten Free Quinoa Stuffed Peppers ~ a simple, affordable, delish Slow Cooker dish!


Even though I'm not vegan or vegetarian, many people on a gluten free diet are one or the other. That's why this is among the top nutrition questions I receive: "How can I get enough protein if I don’t eat meat (or dairy)?" 

The answer is simple, and gives us another reason to LOVE living gluten free! My answer also provides great information for EVERYONE, not just those who don't eat meat (or animal products). 

Adding healthy variety to our gluten free diet keeps it interesting and tasty! (Find out more about how to add nutritious variety to your gluten free diet in my article on "Taste Groups".) 

Incorporating certain gluten free whole “grains” into our diet is a fantastic way to get healthy protein on our plate, and much, much more! Today’s focus... QUINOA!


What is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), while referred to as a whole grain, really isn’t a grain at all.  It’s a tiny seed from a plant in the Goosefoot family.

Some familiar relatives of quinoa are beets (check out my most recent article on beets), Swiss chard (find my healthy, nutritious gluten free Cannellini Beans with Chard here), spinach (try my simple gluten free vegetarian Spinach Squares), and amaranth.

Like its familiar relatives, quinoa is a great way to add nutrition to our gluten free diet! Check out some of the health benefits of quinoa...

4 Comments
 
 
Quinoa is a terrific high-protein nutrition-packed food to add to your gluten free diet! For the full "how-to" on quinoa's health benefits and how to use it, read my "A Side of Science" article about Quinoa.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

4 medium bell peppers, washed and dried
2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) organic diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 ounce) organic tomato sauce
1 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup water 
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten (or use an appropriate egg alternative - for ideas  CLICK HERE)

First, prepare the peppers:
Cut tops only off peppers to remove stem and expose inside of pepper. 

Gluten Free Gigi Tip!
Don't throw away money!!
After you discard the stem, you can dice the top portion of the peppers. Store it in the fridge in a covered container to use in another dish. From 4 peppers, you may get up to 1/2 cup diced pepper for another use! 

Remove the seeds and white membrane from inside peppers. Seeds and membrane can be discarded. 

Set the peppers aside and get your slow cooker ready by turning it on high. 

Add the 2 cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the Italian herbs and garlic to the slow cooker. Stir. 

Now, prepare the filling...
In a mixing bowl, combine quinoa flakes, onion, mushrooms, water, eggs, 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, salt, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture from the slow cooker. Stir filling ingredients until well-blended.

Divide filling evenly between the 4 peppers, filling nearly to the top. The mixture will puff slightly when it is cooking. 

Carefully place the filled peppers in the tomato sauce in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until filling appears dry on the top and peppers are fork-tender. 

~g~
Join me in the kitchen and try more of my gluten free recipes.  Click here to see all of the recipes I have for you! Living gluten free tastes so good... you'll see!

To receive every new gluten free recipe right in your inbox each week along with my latest “A Side of Science” articles like this one be sure to click here to SIGN UP for my FREE E-LETTER! 


Let's Connect!

Do you have Comments about a specific post or recipe? 
Please share in the “comments” section below!

Do you have Questions? 
Click here to check out my ALL NEW FAQs and you might just find your answer!

If you don't find your answer in my FAQs, email me: mailbox (at) glutenfreegigi (dot) com. 

I’m always happy to hear from you, but need to ask for your understanding and patience when it comes to responding. I receive lots of email these days, which I love, but it can be challenging sometimes to respond to each one. I answer as many of your questions as possible in my How-To videos and posts so everyone can benefit. Keep watching my videos and website for my answer to YOUR question! 

Follow Along...
On Twitter and "Like" me on Facebook! 

You can also check out my boards on Pinterest and find out what I’m posting on Google+! 

These are places I like to go have fun and share what’s going on in the Gluten Free Test Kitchen and in my HOME Kitchen! 

I love following you, too! Make sure you let me know you’re out there!  

~g~

Thanks for taking time to visit! Come back for my weekly recipe and how-to video posts on Tuesdays and useful "A Side of Science" articles on Thursdays. If you don't, I'll miss you!

My mission here at GlutenFreeGigi.com is to share my experience and knowledge to make gluten free living easy and accessible for everyone. I can help you navigate your gluten free life with ease and confidence because I understand how challenging it can be! Click here to learn more about who I am and my gluten free story.

I’m super-excited to have YOU here!

The journey's fantastic when you're sharing it with folks who have things in common... I'm glad you're sharing the gluten free journey with me!! 

P.S. --  Click here to sign up for my free e-Letter so you don't miss a thing! 

xo,

Gluten Free Gigi     

Add Comment