Menu - Starting out the New Year

The internets are back at our house!
Big changes in the new year. We think Bob is allergic to dairy now as well as gluten. I've mixed feelings as to what, specifically in dairy products it could be. It could be casein, the protein that is shaped similarly to gluten, or lactose, an allergy more likely to strike the already fragile Celiac digestive system. I've written much more elaborately about it here. If he is only allergic to lactose it is a much more manageable allergy. Humans have evolved many ways of changing dairy products into lactose free foods (hardened cheeses, yogurt etc.) which would mean with some careful planning we could still cook with some dairy products. If it turns out he is allergic to casein, it's another whole food group we've got to get rid of.
I've also decided to stop feeding our hard earned moneys into the disgusting meat-packing industry. I haven't decided if this will extend to just halting meat consumption, or limiting it to a few locally raised animals insured a healthy outdoor farm life and a humane death. Honestly, I am practical. Bob's Celiac's disease is far more important than any morally based dietary restrictions I might have. I will consider raising our own meat or insuring our meat is local. I will continue to eat seafood, attempting to eat locally caught fish or responsibly caught fish. However, my stance on the actual meat-packing industry stays firm. It's gross and horrible.
We are going to visit my dad in Colorado in the beginning of February, and do not intend to get Bob checked for a casein/lactose allergy until after we get back. As such, I am enjoying a week of a fair few dairy products before the inevitable fall into the abyss.

Here's our weekly menu for this week-

Menu-

Veggie Pizza- Fresh Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Basil, artichoke hearts- 30 minutes

Tom Kha soup with Veggie Fried Rice -15-30 minutes (make extra rice, bob makes Chicken, we are still using our leftover frozen meats )

Vegetarian Vietnamese Salad 30-45 minutes

Eggplant Lasagna 1 hr

Tempeh with Rice and Spinach- 30 min (pg 675 How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

Alfredo Noodles with Shrimp - 30 minutes

Pan Fried Locally Caught Fish with Coleslaw -30 minutes

Grilled Veggie Pizza (probably a Friday dish)

Baked Potato Bar


Dessert- Ambrosia 1 hr

Menu 9/9/2008

So the internet STILL is out of our reach at our house. The only company that thinks they *might* be able to give us service is very slow in response. It's very frustrating, especially with the amount of research that a GF life (with variety) requires. Blergh.

My dad recently started working at a medical lab, and I went and visited him on our vacation. They drew my blood and did blood tests. I'm a type A+ and my blood is healthy. I even got to look at a slide with my blood cells! It was very cool. While there I talked to the Dr. at the lab who recommeded I read "Eat Right for Your Type" a dietary book based on the idea of how human blood types evolved- from type O (the original blood type) to living in a community and being dependent on grains and crops (type A) to domesticating and herding animals (type B). Type AB is more recent resulting on a mash of types A and B. I'm not very far into the book and I'm wishing we'd blood typed Bob (I'm almost positive he'd type O, as often type O and B have trouble with wheat gluten). I've thought so much about his intolerances that I'd never given real thought of my own! Type A are supposed to stay away from meat (which I don't particularly like any way) and do low stress exercises such as yoga. There are many more strictures, but I've really not read that far into the book. However, so far I'd recommend you pick it up. Surely the anthropological study of the movement and evolution of blood types is enough to interest anybody (or anybody with an anthropology degree- read: me).

So we are back to the grind after weeks of prep for our trip. Our first weeks menu is scant, as we will be celebrating our wedding anniversary next Tuesday and so will probably be going out to eat.

Menu 9/9/2008

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe - 15 min

Breaded Beef Fillets with Side Salad - 20 min

Garlic Shrimp over Alfredo Pasta - 30 min

Veggie Pizza - 30 min

Chicken Kebabs with Rice

Chilled Red Bell Pepper and Habanero Soup with Pear Polenta Muffins - 1 hr (note this recipe uses a lot of tomatoes... hopefully some olds will bring me more!)

Gluten Free Menu Swap

Hello menu swappers! I had to go and seek the internet, as it is STILL not working at our house. Yay rural living! Sorry for any confusion... I'm praying I'll have the internet soon!

We are getting ready for a big camping trip and so are scrimping and saving this next couple of weeks. So this week for us is a world of easy-peasy meals, taken from recipe books. Generally I spend hours preparing an elaborate menu, but without that pesky internet at my fingertips, I've had to revert to books! Books!

Tofu Sushi Salad

Grillers and Cornbread (Store bought chicken wraps and GF cornbread of course!)

Chicken Cesar Salad

Alfredo Noodles and Grilled Veggies and marinade tofu (summer squash, zucchini, red pepper and portabellos)

Finnish Summer Soup

Hamburgers and french fries

Grilled Salmon with Key Lime Butter and Side Salad

Smokin' Nachos

Fellow swappers so far:
Sea from Book of Yum has a lovely plan featuring several ethnic dishes.

Lots of delicious tofu dishes over at Asparagus Thin!

Elle at Cooking and UnCooking has breakfast, lunch and dinner planned out. That is super organization for you!

Here's Cheryl's offering from GFgoodness... She's allergic to tofu, I should have picked a better veggie, sorry!

Kimeberly's from livingfree-kimberly delicious menu...

And Ginger from Fresh Ginger finishes up the bunch I have so far.

I'll update with more tomorrow when I'm back at work and near those blessed internets again.

Update:
Some more GF menus to browse!

Technical Difficulties...

You'll have to excuse my lack of posting... we've got terrible satellite internet at our house, with no hope of anything better. Due to heat, rain, clouds and a host of other reasons we've not had the internet at our house for over a week. It. Is. Horrible.

Menu 7/21/2008

Menu 7/21/2008
Cheap and Super Healthy

Chicken Roll-up Sandwiches

Roast Chicken with Grapes and Blue Cheese Salad

Lemony Shrimp Salad

Sushi Salad Bowl

Caesar Salad and Gluten Free Banana Bread

Baked Potato Bar

Finnish Summer Soup and cornbread muffins

I want a week of no stressful cooking! We are saving up for a big trip at the end of August, and so are trimming down our grocery list, and attempting to trim down ourselves. A favorite recipe, chicken roll up sandwiches (make with rice paper wraps) I'll definitely be posting in the future. They are all sorts of handy.

This weeks GF menu swap is being hosted at Asparagus Thin. Go here for many more delicious menu ideas!

Gluten Free Orange Chicken Spring Rolls, Egg Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Sauce

Martha's Crisp Orange-Chicken Spring Rolls, Egg Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Sauce
Makes 6 rolls

Orange Chicken Spring Rolls:
1 small red chili pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger
1 tablespoon cooking wine
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon Gluten free soy sauce
1 large skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 red onion
1/2 green regular green apple
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 dried rice-paper wrappers

Rice:
1 tbsp butter
2 cups cooked rice
4 eggs

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt

First prepare the marinade. Cut chicken breast into thin pieces, I recommend them being thinner than depicted below. In a small bowl put chili pepper, garlic, ginger, cooking wine, orange juice and GF soy sauce. Marinade for 15 minutes.

Start cooking your rice.

15 minutes later pour most of the marinade out and cook chicken.

Meanwhile cut apple, red pepper and red onion into small strips. Drizzle rice vinegar and sesame oil on the veggies and stir to coat. Add into cooked chicken and stir to combine.

Warm up some water (not boiling!) and put in a rice paper wrap. When the wrap is soft pull out and stretch on a dish towel, so it doesn't stick to your work surface. Fill with stuffing as depicted below.
Roll into spring rolls and place in an oiled baking dish. Brush oil (not to much!) on the rolls. It works best if the rolls are not touching, so it is easier to flip them.

Broil for 7-9 minutes until crispy and then flip and broil for another 7-9 minutes. Make sure they don't burn! Meanwhile start frying the rice. Place rice in large wok or deep skillet. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Cover the rice and turn periodically. Salt liberally. It takes 15 minutes or so to properly fry rice.

Meanwhile make the sweet and sour sauce. Combine sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger, red pepper flakes and salt. Wisk together until sugar is blended.


Finish the fried rice. Push rice to one side and break 4 eggs on the other side. Do not mix it in the rice until completely cooked, if you combine it together while it is at all runny it will be gross. I scramble the egg with a chopstick, which breaks the egg up into smaller bits.

Gluten Free Breaded Mozzarella Spring Salad

Gluten Free Breaded Mozzarella Spring Salad
Serves 2
1 8oz ball of Mozzarella Cheese
1 egg
1-2 pieces of GF bread
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bag spring salad greens
1 half red onion

Toast your GF bread slices. We keep our GF bread in the freezer, as it's not exactly an ingredient that we often use. Crumble it up by hand or grind it into small crumbs (they stick better) with a food processor.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Separate an egg. Preferably an egg that is familiar to you (read, homegrown) as you are going to be eating the yolk raw. In a food processor put egg yolk, vinegars and sugar and blend. Supposedly this sort of "cooks" the yolk. Slowly pour in oil until dressing is thickened.

Cut your mozzarella cheese into coins using unflavored dental sauce or a sharp knife. Cut the coins in half.



Dip the mozzarella slices into a bowl with the egg white. Dip into a bowl full of the bread crumbs. I suppose it is best to put the mozzarella cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent it from melting while you fry it, but we are always so hungry, it's near impossible to wait.

In a non-stick oil sprayed pan cook mozzarella for 2/3 minutes on each side or until toasty and brown.

Cut red onion into half circles.

Toss salad greens with dressing. Plate greens and add mozzarella on top. Sooooo delicious, you won't mind the raw egg. A perfect light dinner, and cooked in about 15 minutes.

Adapted from a "Barefoot Contessa" recipe called "Salad with Warm Goat Cheese".