Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey

Ground turkey stuffed peppers with roasted corn and goat cheese.

How to stuff a pepper? Let me count the ways. Tonight's recipe is easy on the gluten-free budget- with a ground turkey filling. Spice it up with chipotle or make it Italian style with basil and oregano. It's all good.

This week has been sunny, cloudy, wet and windy here in the desert. All mixed up. Spring is definitely in the air. Flocks of cranes and geese echo their cocktail party conversation off the walls of Black Mesa, flying north. I hear them as I type. They are a noisy gaggle.

We're still lighting fires in the kiva at night. And still craving comfort food. I had three gorgeous bell peppers on hand- yellow, orange and green. I knew what had to be done. I poured myself a glass of red.

It was time to stuff a vegetable.

Continue reading

Gluten-Free Spanish Rice Bake

Like Spanish rice? Try using brown rice and kick up the nutrition.

One of the more popular recipe searches here at Gluten-Free Goddess is brown rice. And why not? It's naturally gluten-free. It's an excellent grain choice for the Mediterranean Diet and the South Beach Diet. It's good source of fiber for both sensitive tummies and hearty omnivore appetites. And it's a complementary protein for earthy vegan tastes.

Continue reading

Ratatouille On Broiled Polenta with Baby Greens

Ratatouille. Yum.

My ratatouille recipe is more postmodern than traditional. But that's why you come here, right? Back in the day when your intrepid GFG was way more geek than goddess (read more high school nostalgia here) ratatouille was one of those popular vegetarian recipes every fledgling Molly Katzen inspired veg-head was stirring up. It was ubiquitous. So when the craze for it hit blogs last year (due to a certain animated movie) I was unmoved to jump on the ratty bandwagon. To me it was so, I don't know. Retro? Old school? Ho-hum?

But wait.

Retro can be fun. And what do I have against eggplant? Um. Nothing. Flash forward to New Mexico, February 2008. Ratatouille simmers in a thick iron skillet. Tasty goodness ensues.

And by the way- the aforementioned film? It's nominated for five Oscars. Stay tuned tonight.

Ratatouille Recipe On Broiled Polenta with Baby Greens

I'll be honest here. My ratatouille changes. (Shocking, I know!) It's never the same recipe twice. This latest incarnation features sliced Baby Bellas instead of zucchini. And olives instead of additional peppers. I served it on a bed of broiled polenta and baby greens drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If you'd like to make more of a traditional ratatouille with squash, see my links below.

Leftover ratatouille can be chilled, then served at room temperature the next day, or reheated. It also makes a snappy appetizer. Process it a bit to make it into a spread. Serve it on triangles of grilled bread (gluten-free, of course).

For my version you'll need:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped (or two mediums)
4 Japanese eggplants, cut into cubes (or 2 globe eggplants)
2 heaping cups Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 large bell pepper, any color, cored, seeded, chopped
1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes (I chose Muir Glen with green chiles for extra heat)
1/2 cup light broth
1/2 cup green or black olives, sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1-2 teaspoons dried basil
1-2 teaspoons dried Italian Herbs (marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

For serving:

Cooked polenta (make your own polenta- see below; or use a pre-made roll of your favorite organic polenta)
A bag of crisp baby greens
Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Optional garnish: crumbles of goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large oven-proof skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the garlic and onion; stir and cook for five minutes. Add the eggplant, mushrooms and pepper; stir and cook for five minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, olives, balsamic vinegar, parsley, herbs, sea salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a high simmer.

Set the skillet in the oven and roast the veggies for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are very tender. Stir half way through.

In the meantime, prepare your polenta.

Note: If using a roll of polenta, slice the roll into 1/2 inch slices and place in a broiler pan. Brush with olive oil and season with sea salt and ground pepper. Place the pan into the oven and set the temperature to broil; broil until sizzling and slightly browned.

To make the polenta:

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Polenta
4 1/2 cups light broth
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

You can also add chopped fresh herbs or grated cheese or non-dairy cheese, such as Daiya Italian style, f desired.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the broth to a high simmer and pour the cornmeal into the simmering broth in an even, steady stream, whisking as you go. Keep stirring. When the polenta has thickened and is pulling away from the sides of the pot a bit, add in herbs or shredded cheese and season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. This takes about 20 minutes, or so. Remove the pot from the heat.

If you make your polenta ahead of time, you have the option of spooning it evenly into a pie plate or cake pan and letting it cool. This makes a firm polenta you can later slice into wedges and broil (see instructions above for preparing the rolled polenta).

To serve:

Arrange baby greens on four plates. Drizzle with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add polenta in the center. Top with the ratatouille.

For those doing cheese, scatter crumbles of goat cheese on top. I didn't add cheese, of course, and to be (again) honest, I didn't miss it one bit.

Serves 4.

More groovy ratatouille goodness:

Dad's Ratatouille at Simply Recipes
Kalyn's Ratatouille Wanna-Be at Kalyn's Kitchen
Alanna's Ratatouille at Kitchen Parade
Book of Yum's Vegan and Gluten-Free Ratatouille

Susan's Roasted Ratatouille at Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

A Burning Question

I was at a health food store with a friend the other day, cruising the aisles when he asked: “Hey Sarah, why do beeswax candles cost so much more than regular candles?” Well, I had to admit that he had me stumped there. I had heard that beeswax candles were better to burn than their paraffin counterparts, but I didn’t know why exactly. Oohhh so exciting - I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of this one! With a little research I found some truly shocking information that was certainly blog-worthy…
Before I explain why beeswax candles are totally awesome, first I will give you the low-down on the evils of the alternative.

…Paraffin origin…
Most candles we buy are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin is a petroleum by-product, the grayish-black sludge that oozes out of the backside of the petroleum refineries. It is the substance left over after producing many of the other common petroleum products such as gas, oils, pavement, etc.
This crud is then bleached with 100% strength bleach creating dioxins, which are toxic, and then is processed into ‘solid’ paraffin using various carcinogenic, solidifying chemicals.
Candle companies purchase paraffin wax and then add various other ‘texturizing’ chemicals, artificial dyes for colour and synthetic fragrances.

…Synthetic Fragrances…
When synthetic fragrances are burned, they produce toxic fluoro-carbons and other polluting by-products. Inhaling these fluoro-carbons damages the receptors in our nasal passages that detect scent, and long-term, diminishes the overall abilities of your olfactory senses by ‘wearing them out’, one of the reasons why many people seem to ‘require’ increasingly stronger smelling candles (or Glade air freshener), etc., to experience any enjoyable aromas at all!

…Your Precious Lungs…
Last, but certainly not least, is the indirect cost of burning a fuel like paraffin in your home, which emits black soot that coats your walls, household furnishings and curtains, not to mention your lungs and skin. It is a proven fact that paraffin, with its associated synthetic scents and other additives, causes headaches, allergic reactions and difficulties with sinuses and lungs. Anyone with respiratory problems should not burn paraffin candles, nor should those that want to prevent them.

Now that you are convinced to never burn a Dollarama candle again, let me introduce you to beeswax, and the incredible properties it has to offer.

…Beautiful Beeswax…
Burning beeswax produces negative ions. Now, without getting too new age-y or scientific on you, I will just say that that negative ions are a positive thing, since they actually attract pollutants, in much the same way that a magnet attracts iron fillings. Negative ions attach to positively charged ions that hold in dust, dander, molds and other air borne contaminants. Once attached, the positive ions are weighted down and this drops both the ions and the contaminants to the ground surface to be swept up or vacuumed away. Bottom line: burning beeswax will actually clean your air.

You can burn beeswax in an unventilated room without fear of pollution. In fact, many people report that burning a candle in the bedroom for 30 minutes or so before falling asleep produces a more restful sleep.

…Overall Cost…
And to answer my friend’s question: while the initial cost may seem higher than paraffin candles, beeswax burns for much longer, and with many more benefits. Beeswax has a much higher melting point than paraffin and so it burns far more slowly. Costing only pennies an hour to burn, beeswax is much more economical than paraffin over time. Held in high esteem, beeswax has been used since ancient times, by Egyptian kings and Greek and Roman empires.

You can purchase beeswax candles at health food stores and some farmer’s markets. Beware of imitations! Look for 100% pure cappings beeswax, which is the wax that comes from the seal around each cell in the honeycomb. Also, make sure the wick is made of a natural fiber and that there aren’t any artificial scents added. Pure beeswax should smell like honey, naturally.
Burn, baby. Burn.

Cappuccino Brownies

Cinnamon, coffee and chocolate make these brownies taste like a cappuccino.

Making a gluten-free brownie without eggs at high altitude is a nightmare. I kid you not. You try it. The damn batter never cooks- it sizzles and oozes and just when you can take it no longer, Dear Reader, you yank the unctuous mud out of the oven out of sheer boredom and disgust (they've been baking for what, three days now?) and you set them on the cooling rack only to watch them harden into what can only be described, I am sorry to tell you, as a slab of cement.

Brown cement.

Not even the coyotes would touch them.

And yes, I've tried the high altitude tricks. And no, I can't use silken tofu or flaxseed gel or mayonnaise (due to suspected food allergies). What I can do is persevere (here is where neurodiverse perseveration comes in handy). This time, it worked. Maybe it was the vegan Spectrum Organic Shortening. Or maybe it was the gluten-free vanilla powder. Who knows? All I know is this attempt (number, what? Fifteen, maybe?) is finally edible.

Not to mention, not half bad delicious.

Continue reading

Easy Sesame Noodles, Solo

Quick and easy noodle soup

Find yourself bored with the usual PB and J on gluten-free bread? Tired of the same ole yogurt? Out of buckwheat waffles? Here is a lickity-split (not to mention, delicious!) hot lunch recipe. It's not even a recipe. More like an idea. Use leftover rice spaghetti and bagged washed baby greens, and you have an almost instant killer soup to slurp.

Budget friendly, simple, delicious.

Continue reading

Eat your Heart Out

Valentine’s day is silly – I should get flowers every day of the year. But I recognize that giving back to my loved ones is also important, so I got into the spirit of Valentine’s the only way I know how to show true love: food. I baked again, and with a vengeance. The recipe for these insanely delicious cookies comes from Caroline Dupont’s book “Enlightened Eating” (same as the muffin recipe). They are healthier than your typical chocolate chip cookies, and even contain fiber and healthy fats! They can be made vegan too. Some of the ingredients may require you to take a trip to the health-food aisle of your grocer, or natural food store, but unless this is the first time you’re reading my blog, you’ve probably noticed that I’m not the biggest supporter of white flour. Get into the alternative whole-grain flours people; they actually have flavour and (gasp!) nutritional value.

And you may not have heard of Sucanat, but it is minimally processed sugar cane that contains the vitamins, minerals and trace elements found in the original sugar cane plant. It has a rich molasses flavour and can be used 1:1 in all recipes that call for sugar. It’s also great for sweetening coffee, tea, warm breakfast cereals, like oats, but the possibilities are endless. It is still sugar, which I would encourage anyone to reduce or eliminate from their diet, but it is better than the dreaded white stuff that is just empty calories.

This may also be a good opportunity to try carob, which has been coined the “healthy alternative to chocolate”. Carob is free from the stimulants caffeine and theobromine found in chocolate. It is also naturally sweet, so carob products generally contain substantially less sugar than their chocolate counterparts. Carob powder can be substituted for cocoa powder in any recipe and carob chips can replace chocolate chips. Carob has less fat and fewer calories than chocolate, but of course, those are the things that make chocolate taste better. Choose what suits you best.

Fudgy Multigrain Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup quick oats
2/3 cup spelt flour or whole grain whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup hemp, barley or soy flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup nut butter (organic natural peanut, cashew, soy or almond butter)
2 Tbsp. soft butter or coconut oil
1 cup Sucanat
1/2 cup milk (soy, almond, or dairy)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional, but SO delicious!!!)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease several large baking sheets
2. In a large bowl, mix oats, flours, baking soda and salt.
3. In a small bowl, mix nut butter and butter until well blended. Stir in sucanat, milk, and vanilla until combined.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Gently fold in chocolate or carob chips and walnuts. For tender cookies, do not over mix the dough!
5. Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until set and tops look dry. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

I somehow managed to mold the warm cookies into cute, little heart shapes, but don’t bother doing this. Considering the time it takes, you can kiss your social life goodbye.
Happy baking.

The Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

My favorite gluten-free mac and cheese is 

also vegan and dairy-free. Seriously.

Some folks do it up fancy for V-day. Lobster. Steak. Chocolate-dipped strawberries. Not us. This morning when I asked my husband what he wanted me to make for our Valentine's Day meal, he didn't hesitate.

Mac and cheese. You? he asked.

Mac and cheese, I answered.

Continue reading

Gluten-Free Pasta and Noodle Recipes

Pasta and Noodle Recipes

A Seductive Pasta with Artichokes, Pecans + Raisins

Artichoke and Jalapeño Noodle Kugel

Best Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Creamy Sauced Pasta with Artichokes and Bacon
Garlic Chicken Lasagna
 
Gluten-Free Noodle Recipe Round-Up
Guilty Pleasures- Noodle Surprise
Jazzed Up Turkey Tetrazzini
Kicked Up Baked Mac n Cheese

Lasagna Vegetariana
Mediterranean Pasta Frittata

Our Favorite Basil Pesto
Pasta and Veggie Toss Revisited
Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Penne Arrabiata

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Roasted Vegetable Noodle Kugel
Roasted Vegetables in a Nest
Rotini with Summer Squash

Sexy Spring Pasta- with roasted asparagus
Spaghetti (with Pesto) and Meatballs! 

Turkey Meatballs with Asian Stir-Fry Noodles
Vegetarian Putanesca
Zucchini Tomato Mozzarella Pie

There is something magical about a weekend winter morning. I find that the early hours of the day are steeped in a particular slowness that doesn’t accompany the other seasons. I can sleep in, go for a long walk in the snow to build up some appetite and then move onto my favorite thing: an artful meal.

Like I mentioned a couple posts ago, our hurried lives don’t often allow us the time to eat “properly”. We tend to see it as another thing to check off the to-do list, instead of a privilege and an opportunity to nurture ourselves both physically and spiritually. And especially when we are cooking for ourselves, we will settle for a fast and pathetic meal of microwave popcorn (admit it, you’ve done it).

Eating is an art, and every meal can be a masterpiece. All it takes is a couple more minutes of dedication and the results are a truly astounding. When I allow myself the time to prepare food well and beautifully, it’s like I’ve just given myself a gift.

Meals that tempt the eyes are more likely to tempt the taste buds. That's why, as a health-conscious cook, it’s important to make nutritious foods look their best. When a meal is appealingly presented, you and your family are more likely to eat and enjoy it - making it easier to stick to a healthful diet.

Creating a beautiful meal doesn’t take a lot of work, just a little know-how. Here are some tips to taking that hum-drum dinner to restaurant worthy fare:

1. Pack as much colour on the plate as you can. There’s nothing inspiring about a plate of all one-colour food, so include a rainbow of vegetables, herbs and spices.
2. Pay attention to form. Experiment with cutting foods into a variety of shapes and sizes. You can cut peppers in elegant strips, festive rings or small triangles. Slice carrots, celery and zucchini on the diagonal for change. You can vary shapes and sizes within a dish as well. For instance, make a fruit salad with melon balls, pineapple chunks, kiwi slices and orange sections.
3. Texture matters. Use long stands of beets, or ribbons of cucumber for added crunch on salad or a swirl of high-quality olive oil for added smoothness in a soup.
4. Add a garnish. Herbs work well, just select one based on the dish’s ingredients. Some of my favorites are cilantro, Italian parsley, fresh basil and mint - these really perk up a meal with their fresh flavours, bright colours and nutritional goodness.

Pictured above is one of my favorite winter breakfasts, rolled oats with a buffet of toppings. I like to stir in wild, frozen blueberries about a minute before serving so they thaw, but don’t overcook. These turn the bland-coloured oats into a deep purple indulgence. Then I arrange sliced apples and chopped nuts on top. The apples are cool and crispy in contrast to the warm, soft oats and the nuts are rich and add crunch. I keep the extra garnishes on the side to add as I go – the whole experience makes me feel special.

Over the next few Saturdays or Sundays, give yourself the chance to create something beautiful with your food to enjoy alone or with friends and family. It may even become a priority…and suddenly life will be full of an unexplained richness that feels like you’ve just won the lottery and tastes like heaven only hopes.

How To Make A Vegan Pesto

Vegan pesto is all about the herbs and nuts. You won't miss the cheese.

Making pesto is not an exact science. It's intuitive. And lucky for us- easy as pie. You can whip up a vegan pesto from any combination of herbs, nuts and oil that your little heart desires. You can use cilantro or basil. Or both. Or try a light and fresh combo of mint , basil and parsley. Choose pecans or walnuts. Or traditional pine nuts. Even hazelnuts.

Dairy-free sauce never packed so much flavor.

Pesto adds a big flavor boost to all kinds of recipes. Stir it into tomato sauce  just before serving. Or plop a dollop into a bowl of Italian soup. Add a spoonful to stew. Schmear some on croutons,  gluten-free toast and grilled cornbread. It's a fabulous base for pizza toppings.

You can also add pesto to roasted potato wedges and grilled vegetables. Stir it into polenta- or spread it on wedges of broiled polenta. It dresses up rice and risotto, pasta, noodles, and even grilled tortillas. It kicks up salad dressings and hummus.

For flexitarians, pesto is a bright, herby accent for grilled salmon, shrimp, and fish.  Not to mention, egg dishes. Pesto and huevos is a match made in ovo-lacto vegetarian heaven.

So even if pesto is considered passé by some, an eighties foodie fad gone by...do we care?

Continue reading

Yes, We Can

H O P E

V O T E

Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies

Cookies? For breakfast? Here's an oatmeal recipe you'll love.

Even before I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies and had to give up my Huevos Diablo and Blue Corn Chip Frittata I used to eat blonde brownies for breakfast. And sometimes, a cookie. Or two. I admit it. And yes, I'm one of those sly individuals who adds semi-sweet chocolate chips to pancakes and says, Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, right? (insert wide-eyed innocent look).

So those who know me well will not be surprised I've been tinkering with my tasty Breakfast Brownie recipe and transforming it into (don't ask don't tell) some fabulous c-o-o-k-i-e-s. And, Yep. With chocolate chips.

It just wouldn't be breakfast around here without chocolate.

Continue reading