Hearty Cabbage and Beef Casserole Recipe (Gluten Free, Casein Free)

There's just something wonderful about comfort foods this time of year. One of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni. Although cheese is rarely on the menu these days, I still love a good creamy sauce for my pasta.

A week or two ago (during another dairy free "cheesy" sauce experiment) I decided instead of using another casein free "milk" substitute to create a creamy base, I would simply use chicken broth. Wow... it was another one of those "duh" moments when I realized after tasting the thickened chicken broth it was exactly the type of sauce I was looking for. It's a flavor I love and it can replicate "cheesiness" really well in a casserole. Perfect! And so incredibly easy.

I decided to create this casserole because I had a lot of vegetables on hand and we're eating from the pantry this week. It's one of those things about frugality I love. Creativity thrives when you have to use what you already have available!!

This one pot dish is FULL of hearty vegetables, a little ground beef for flavor (& to keep the husband happy), a gorgeous, flavorful, creamy sauce, and a kiss of greek seasoning. With all the vegetables in this meal, you don't even need a side dish!

While it takes a little time to prepare, it's a really easy dish to throw together once all the ingredients are prepped. And the best compliment? It's only about 340 calories per serving and while it doesn't actually have cheese in it... it tastes "cheesy." Upon his second serving, Michael asked me if I was SURE it didn't have cheese. I'll take that as high praise!


Hearty Cabbage and Beef Casserole
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free

8 ounces dry gluten free pasta, cooked according to package directions
3 cups cabbage, sliced and cooked
1/2 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup brown rice flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons greek seasoning
3 egg whites

Optional Topping:
1/4 cup gluten free cornflake crumbles (an awesome substitute for parmesan cheese!), you could also use crushed tortilla chips if desired

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Drain fat, and set aside. In the same pan saute onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Cook until onions are translucent and golden brown about 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large dutch oven heat olive oil. Whisk in brown rice flour. Cook for 2 minutes and slowly pour in chicken broth. Whisk well and cook for 5-10 minutes to create a thickened sauce. Add cooked pasta, cooked cabbage, cooked onion mixture, and 1/2 pound of browned ground beef. Add salt, pepper, and greek seasoning. Stir to coat and add in 3 egg whites. Mix together thoroughly and pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle gluten free corn flake crumbles or crushed tortilla chips evenly over casserole if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Makes 6-8 large servings.


** Just in case anyone else is counting: I have calculated that the total recipe is 2058 calories including 1/4 cup of the gluten free corn flake crumbles. For 6 large servings, it's 343 calories per serving. This is a nicely portioned meal with a healthy calorie count!


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Easy Banana Pudding Recipe (Gluten Free, Casein Free)

To my knowledge, I'm not sure that I ever had banana pudding growing up. My dad will probably read this and call me immediately and remind me of all the times that I had banana pudding, but I honestly don't remember it!

I do know that when I moved to Eastern NC, suddenly banana pudding was everywhere. At every special meal with my husband's family, at Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer picnics, barbecues, and every restaurant around... seriously. Everywhere. Because of this my husband is something of a banana pudding connoisseur.

3 years ago I had to give up banana pudding. It's made with "real" (read that: gluteny name brand "Nabisco") vanilla wafers (don't you dare make it with the cheapie store brand cookies... Michael knows...), real homemade vanilla pudding (although Jello-brand instant will suffice when Michael's mom is short on time), bananas, and topped with cool whip or a beautifully baked egg white meringue topping.

So between the gluten-filled cookies and the milk-based pudding: traditional, eastern NC banana pudding would just be a recipe for disaster for this sensitive gluten free, casein free tummy.

Over the holidays I really wanted to make gluten free, casein free banana pudding. Not just for me, but for Michael.




Since I've never been able to make pudding successfully from scratch, I decided to use 2 packages of Dr. Oetker's Organic Vanilla Pudding mix. This made 4 cups of pudding, enough for a small assembled banana pudding. The dry mix is gluten free and casein free. In place of the milk called for to create the pudding, I used a mixture of half vanilla hemp milk and half lite coconut milk. (This is a cooked filling and it will need to be chilled at least 8 hours before using in the assembled pudding.) I made the vanilla pudding at night, chilled it, and then assembled it with the cookies and bananas the following day.




For the vanilla wafers, I decided to use Mi Del Arrowroot Animal Cookies. Do be aware that while these are gluten free cookies, they are made with soy flour. (One more reason to double check that food label when you are at the store! *sigh*) However, there are several other brands of vanilla gluten free cookies that would work perfectly for banana pudding!

I skipped the traditional topping of cool whip or meringue on this easy pudding. I realized it didn't really need it, and honestly we enjoyed this banana pudding just as much without it. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best thing to do! Enjoy!


Easy Gluten Free, Casein Free Banana Pudding

3-4 slightly ripe bananas, sliced
2 packages gluten free vanilla pudding mix
2 cups vanilla hemp milk (for pudding)
2 cups lite coconut milk
1 (8 oz.) package gluten free, casein free arrowroot cookies -or- other gluten free vanilla cookies of your choice, reserve 1/4-1/2 cup cookies for crumbling on top of casserole.

Cook the vanilla pudding using the vanilla hemp milk and lite coconut milk according to package directions. Chill the pudding overnight or for at least 8 hours.

To assemble the pudding: In a small 1-2 qt. casserole dish layer cookies, then banana slices, and then pudding. Repeat.

Crush 1/4 -1/2 cup of the arrowroot cookies and sprinkle on top of the last layer of pudding. Feel free to add a final layer of cool whip, whipped cream, or you can even bake a simple meringue topping on top of the banana pudding (and chill afterwards).




** If you want to make homemade gluten free casein free vanilla pudding try this recipe from The GF/CF Experience.


**If you are up for making homemade gluten free vanilla wafers, you may want to try this recipe.

2010: The Year of Gluten Free Abundance

Start your new year off with Gluten Free Bagels for breakfast!

I've been pondering what to write to begin Ginger Lemon Girl for the year 2010. Just saying 2010 seems far away... a time in the distant future... a time I'm not quite sure what to do with.

2009 seems like it just came and now the year is over and a new one has begun.

Many things have happened this year. It was a good year for me. Uneventful in some ways, most eventful in others.

Eventfully, I tried several methods of getting healthy... all were very positive experiences that I learned a lot from... but they didn't get me to the level I needed to reach.

Health can be such a tricky goal. While I feel incredibly healthy on the gluten free front... I seldom get a migraine these days, I am continuing to learn how to eat dairy free, and soy free. I'm thankful to continue to learn what foods my body needs to be healthy.

But in other areas: primarily my weight, my cholesterol, and my triglycerides... I still need to learn what will work for my body. I need to be at a healthy weight. I want to be at a healthy weight.

I want to be able to control the level of my cholesterol and triglycerides without the help of medication.

I thought following a vegan diet would do the trick... but unfortunately it did not change my numbers enough to make the difference I need.

So I'll be continuing on my journey to good health, along with following a gluten free, soy free, and casein free diet. We will continue to eat mostly plant based meals with chicken, lean meats, and fish once or twice a week.

As my health lifestyle continues to change, so will Ginger Lemon Girl. Exercise will become a top goal for me in 2010. With the re-arranging priorities will come the re-arranging of time to cook and bake.

I will continue to post recipes as often as I can... I know that recipes are the core of this blog and I don't want to change that... Yet, I also want to be real and honest and share what life brings in this New Year. Thank you for bearing with me as Ginger Lemon Girl changes and adapts to life a little bit healthier!

I sincerely hope you will join me on the journeys to come!

May this new year bring health, joy, and peace to you and your family.