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!
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!
Simple, affordable, nutritious, and naturally Gluten Free... Artichokes!
For our final February post, capping off this month of loving our gluten free lifestyle, here's a veggie with HEART ... Artichokes!
Full of naturally gluten free nutrition, artichokes are an excellent source of nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and folate. They’re also loaded with antioxidants to keep our cells healthy!
Of course, just by looking at an artichoke, it isn’t obvious how to prepare (or eat) one. Truth is, this barbed member of the thistle family can be downright intimidating at first.
Fortunately, with artichokes, looks are deceiving. They aren’t difficult to prepare, cook, or eat. Once you see how it’s done, you’ll be enjoying fresh artichokes and reaping those tasty health benefits, too!I have a super simple recipe to get you started - Roasted Artichokes with Garlic & Lemon. If you're an artichoke pro, go right to the recipe, but if you've never tackled one before, this is one of those times when my You Tube How-To Cooking videos really come in handy! In my video, "How-To: Preparing an Artichoke", I show you exactly how to do it, start to finish!
You won't believe how easy this is!
 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...
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...
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 dried2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) organic diced tomatoes1 can (14.5 ounce) organic tomato sauce1 cup quinoa flakes1 cup chopped onion1 cup chopped mushrooms1 cup water 2 teaspoons Italian herbs4 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon salt2 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!
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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!
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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.
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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!!
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xo,
Gluten Free Gigi
Isn't it just beet-iful?! Naturally Gluten Free Beet Fluff
It's time we get to the heart of the matter when it comes to naturally gluten free beets.
What better time than during the month of LOVE?! After all, I promised you a month filled with ways to love living gluten free!
Beets wear the color of LOVE year-round, and you have to admit, it's one sexy shade of pink!
If this rosy root isn't at the top of your grocery list, I understand. It's not always love at first sight... or at first bite.
I'm not asking you to rush out and buy a bundle of beets, but I do want you to read on. What you discover might surprise you!
In this month of loving, why not give beets a chance?
Everyone at my house raved about this velvety gluten free soup!
It’s soup weather and Staple Recipe #2, Homemade Stock (click here for the recipe), continues to come in handy at my house. My latest “souper” recipe using homemade stock is Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. It’s naturally gluten free, super-simple to make, and an absolute hit with my entire family, although they accuse me of using it as a trick to get them to eat squash. Moi??
How could I know they would help themselves to the satisfying, healthy (nameless) concoction I left simmering in the slow cooker while I delivered last week’s weight loss webinar? (Never mind the bowls, spoons, ladle, and note I left beside the slow cooker...)
A Simple Recipe for reNEWal!
Last week, we set out to redefine “comforting” when it comes to foods we eat. We broadened the spectrum to include experiences and associations we have with food in addition to taste.
Of course, TASTE is what keeps us coming back for more!
Did you know incorporating different tastes in the foods we eat can...
· Make sticking to our gluten free diet easier?
· Insure we get vital nutrients we need each day?
It’s true!
Enjoying a wide variety of tastes keeps food exciting and keeps us from becoming bored with our gluten free diet. That makes it easier to follow! A variety of tastes also insures we eat different types of foods, which means we consume a wide range of nutrients.
Paying attention to the tastes in our foods can help us stay satisfied and healthy!
So, right now, let me show you the simple steps to using taste to help us put some delicious nutritional variety in our diet!For our first step...
 Low Fat and Naturally Gluten Free, Streusel-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole When Marion, a subscriber from Indiana, emailed asking for a lower fat version of sweet potato casserole to serve at her family's Christmas dinner, I knew I had to share this simple recipe!
Not only is this holiday favorite low in fat, the sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, vitamins, and fiber. All that nutrition AND being naturally gluten free makes this dish a must for your Christmas meal!
With only a few ingredients and super-simple prep, you can have my Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole on the table in no time! Let's get in the kitchen...
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