ALONG COMES MARY

I have really gotten more into blogging & commiting to it thanks to my great friend & fellow Blogger, Jamie Gall, over at http://www.mngirlinla.com/ while with her over the weekend, she recommended I write a post devoted to just what exactly I do like to eat since I am pretty much gluten free (No wheat products) & have not had any poultry or red meat for 12 years. I have gone back to seafood from time to time, though. While the decision to go vegetarian back when I was 13 was completley a personal choice as I love animals & don’t feel eating them is an alright thing to do even if they are raised for human consumption, going gluten free was not for a statement at all; I miss donuts. I miss being able to buy any kind of bagel or bread at the store I want to, but, I get quite ill & can be down for a day or more with a migraine & tummy issues if I eat wheat, yet sometimes, I am fine. I just don’t see the point in taking that chanch, though, so, whenever possible, I am gluten free & have felt alot better. I have been checked once for Celiac, the auto-immune disorder in which your body physically cannot digest gluten, & it was negative yet I just had my 2nd follow up test to check again. We shall see. It is one of the top allergies a Type 1 Diabetic can get, which I do have (That will be another post….life as a T1 Diabetic!).
Luckily, as I covered in another post, its become MUCH easier to live gluten free, even vegetarian. Back in 2000, when I spent the year devoting myself to weaning off meat for good, I ate alot of eggs, veggies, fruit, soups….there weren’t alot of choices for a meat-free person as to where now, it is great to go into market & see tons of frozen dinner options, or into a restaurant & see a little flower symbol indicating a dish is meat-free.

Same goes for gluten free, which is how I even became more aware about it back in 2009, thats when you really began to see more stores having products for it, especially at Whole Foods, which had just opened in Santa Barbara, near where I lived at the time. Eating at home is pretty simple for me, eating out can have its problems here & there, but overall, even that is pretty good (especially eating fish).
I have had some friends unsure if I eat eggs or dairy….its really sweet! But yes, I do. I am not vegan, although I wouldn’t mind doing so. Vegan is a complete lifestyle for most; no eggs, no butter/milk/cheese & even very selective in the products they buy; no honey or milk in lotions they purchase, asking if dish soap is cruelty free & of course, not wearing fur or leather (which I also do not wear). I try here & there to subsitute milk for soy & wouldn’t mind buying soy cheeze, too.
So, in-case you’re interested in a meat-free, gluten free lifestyle, here are some meals I enjoy when dining at home!:)  (*indicates can also be vegan)

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with salsa & pepper jack cheese, GF bagel, Eggs & GF toast, Tofu scramble* (Recipe below), Fruit (which I do ALOT of; bananas, honeydew, pineapple, mango, papaya), Oatmeal*, some meal replacement bars or GF muffins/pancakes/waffles/french toast (*which could be vegan if you sub items)

Lunch: PB&J on GF toast* (I am a kid at heart, hehe!), Any kind of salads*, GF pasta* (I really love Quinoa based pasta, which is pretty easy to come across in markets), Bowl of veggy chili*, Tacos (which could be fish or all veggy), Oatmeal* (again–I actually eat this more at lunch than breakfast), GF pizza, Tofu burger on GF bread or bun*.

Dinner: GF spaghetti* (Or any pasta dish), Fish w/ veggies & mashed potatoes or rice, GF Mac ‘n cheese (Most are REALLY good!), Enchiladas w/ rice & beans*, Asian stir fry*, Tamales, Nachos (I love mexican food), Zucchini with quinoa stuffing* (Recipe below).

I also have a huge sweet tooth….I think GF Desserts should also be a whole seperate post!:) Below are 2 recipes that are really delicious, Enjoy! Try ’em & let me know what you think!

(*The following recipe is from the-gluten-free-chef.com)

Tofu Scramble Wraps

(You may pick out your own favorite breakfast veggies.)

For 1 Serving –

* 2 Eggs
* 1/3 or 1/4 Soft Tofu block
* 4 small Corn Tortillas

Optional –

* Tomato (and Spinach, or other breakfast veggies – NOT POTATOES)
* Cheese
* Helmann’s® Real Mayonnaise (yep, it’s gluten-free)

For a list of Gluten-free Condiments, go here:
http://food-allergies.suite101.com/article.cfm/condiments_for_celiacs_disease

(Some people prefer hot sauce/salsa instead of mayo)

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1. Crack 2 eggs into a small bowl, discard shells, and whip.

2. Take 1/3 or 1/4 block of Soft Tofu and chop it up into tiny crumbly bits.

3. Heat frying pan with olive oil or real butter.

4. Pour in the eggs and tofu.

5. Add veggies, salt/pepper (or other desired natural seasonings)

6. Keep on medium heat (electric, or medium-low gas)

7. Stir until tofu turns light brown (this is easier done with olive oil, sans butter)

8. Once food is ready, turn stove off to prepare corn tortillas.

9. Take 4 small corn tortillas and wrap them in mildly damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds.

Prepare –

With a fork, place portions of food in the shells, wrap or fold, and eat!

Don’t forget a napkin, it can be messy.. and hold the wrap well as the food might want to fall out.

(*Recipe from Realsimple.com…& its really cool because each ingredient below is highlighted enabling you to click on it & a link from Real Simple will pop up explaining how to prepare each food!)

Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut-side up.
3. Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil.
4. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Happy Eating!!! xo