Easy Gluten Free Stir-fry Recipe

(The following is guest post #2, that I shared with
Erin @ 5DollarDinners back in June 2009. Enjoy!)

In the quest for easy, naturally gluten free dinners, a simple stir fry was one of the first meals we added to our menu in the Ginger Lemon Girl household! It was easy, quick, incredibly tasty, and quite frugal. Erin has a better handle on $5 dinners than I do, but generally our meals are very frugal. My husband and I both work full time, and are working very hard to pay off our home and other debts. In order to pay things off to meet our financial goals in a timely manner we have to carefully budget for groceries and household items.

When I first went gluten free grocery budgeting was incredibly difficult. I bought many specialized "gluten free" convenience foods because I did not realize there was a much easier and more frugal way!

This meal is one very inexpensive meal if you are able to buy chicken on sale. Frozen packages of stir-fry vegetables are also quite cheap and stretch your meal a long way!

This meal makes 4-6 servings for the two of us. It means we have enough extra food for lunches or leftovers, which is wonderfully convenient.

Photo courtesy of Perdue Chicken.com

Quick, Easy, Naturally Gluten Free Stir-fry
Created by Carrie Forbes @ GingerLemonGirl.com
(Free of gluten, soy, dairy/casein)

1 lb. chicken breasts (2.99 on sale)
1 (28 oz.) package of frozen **stirfry vegetables (1.49 on sale with coupon)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (.pennies)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (pennies)
Salt & Pepper, to taste (pennies)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (pennies)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (pennies)
2 cups cooked brown rice (.50)

Total cost for entire meal = around $5.00

Directions:
Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Saute chicken until golden brown for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Heat remaining olive oil and sesame oil in pan. Add frozen vegetables, ginger, and salt & pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium high heat. Vegetables should be bright and crisp. Add chicken back to skillet and heat through. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on just before serving. Serve immediately over 1/2 cup hot, steamed brown rice. Enjoy!


Carrie's Cooking Notes:

** MAKE SURE to purchase stir fry vegetables that do not have any added sauces or spice mixes, as they may not be gluten free.

** You can also use soy sauce if you would like, I do not use it because many soy sauces contain wheat and I also have an allergy to soy! We have thoroughly enjoyed this stir fry without additional sauces! But if you do use soy sauce or another asian sauce, make SURE that is gluten free!

A Simple Gluten Free Lifestyle

Today's post is a guest post I wrote for Erin @ $5 Dollar Dinners earlier this year.
I thought my readers would enjoy the columns I shared with her back in early June about basic gluten free living. I hope for readers who are new to a celiac diease or are just starting a gluten free diet for health reasons, that this post will inspire you with simple, easy tips for a delicious gluten free life!

I started a gluten free diet in August 2007. I decided to go gluten free because I thought it would cure or at least reduce the terrible migraine headaches that I had been living with. I have had migraines as long as I can remember. Between migraines, panic attacks, high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal distress I was not living well. My life was not healthy or fun.

In July of 2007 I discovered Shauna at her blog, Gluten Free Girl. After reading her beautiful thoughts on how she truly began to live after becoming gluten free I was inspired and intrigued. Upon further online research I found that many people either with celiac disease or a wheat/gluten intolerance had symptoms similar to mine: frequent migraines, GI distress, allergy-like symptoms: nasal/sinus congestion, etc... And by that point, I was willing to try ANYTHING to get rid of my migraines and simply feel better in general. I thought going gluten free could possibly help me.

Gluten Free For Life.

It took several months for me to see the full effects of how going gluten free affected my whole body positively. The results were not immediate, but over time I could tell that my migraines were fewer and I felt MUCH better overall. I felt healthy for the first time in my life. Despite being overweight, I felt like for the first time I was eating whole, natural foods that were healing my body. While my migraines did not go away completely until I began therapy for high blood pressure in 2008, I realized how incredibly sensitive I was to certain foods! Namely any foods with gluten, soy, and casein and/or dairy.

I am not diagnosed with celiac disease. But I am very thankful to be on the gluten free diet. Going gluten free taught me to discover how my body reacts to food. Certain foods cause reactions when I eat them and now I am fully aware of foods that make my body healthy and foods that hurt me.

Going gluten free is a process. I am continually learning new things and changing my diet to help my body to become more healthy. In this journey I have discovered many things:


- I love to cook!

- I love learning about food chemistry and how it works in gluten free baking!

- That there are many, many foods out there I had not yet tried or had the joy of eating! I now LOVE trying new things!

- That my body reacts in several ways to all forms of gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and due to cross-contamination, uncertified oats. I get nasal/sinus congestion along with gastrointestinal issues. From 1-3 days later, I will often have a terrible migraine headache.

- That my body severely reacts to any form of soy protein.

- That my body also reacts to certain dairy/casein products.

- That my body treats most simple carbohydrates as a "drug" and I have to avoid simple sugars/carbohydrates, white gluten free starches, etc...

- A vast amount of foods are already beautifully, simply, and naturally gluten free!

I have found that for me following a gluten free diet is easiest when you eat simple, naturally gluten free foods. As much as I enjoy baking, I don't often have the time it takes to do so, nor it is necessarily good for me due to the simple carbohydrates found in many gluten free flours. Meal preparations at our home have to be fast, quick, and healthy due to our work schedules. Our meals are usually based around fresh vegetables, a lean protein (when I'm not following a vegan diet), and a small portion of complex carbohydrates such as whole grain brown rice, sweet potatoes, or black or red beans.



Here are some examples of naturally gluten free meal choices that are frugal and healthy and in our meal rotations:

A few Naturally Gluten Free Breakfast Options:

- eggs, boiled, scrambled, etc...
- breakfast meat such as turkey bacon, sausage, etc...
- fresh fruit
- certified gluten free oatmeal -or- homemade corn grits
- breakfast wraps with scrambled eggs, a few tablespoons of salsa, and green onions wrapped in a warmed corn tortilla
- naturally gluten free cereal such as Rice Chex
- green smoothies made with fresh greens such as kale and spinach, plus fresh fruits added in along with hemp milk


A few Naturally Gluten Free Lunch Options:

- fresh homemade salads with homemade dressing
- sliced vegetables such as avocados, grape tomatoes, celery, green peppers, carrots, etc... with homemade dressing
- fresh apple slices with natural peanut butter -or- almond butter
- lettuce wraps with ham or turkey slices with sliced green peppers, mushrooms, etc...
- boiled eggs
- hummus with celery sticks and carrot sticks

A few Naturally Gluten Free Dinner Options:

- simple grilled or baked chicken with freshly steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes
- homemade caesar salad with grilled salmon -or- boneless pork chops served with steamed carrots
- super easy stir-fry using frozen vegetables and chicken or beef served over steamed brown rice
- easy homemade marinara sauce served over freshly roasted spaghetti squash with green beans
- simple crustless quiche served with a garden salad and roasted red potatoes
- quick ground beef tacos or taco salads using corn tortillas served with black beans and corn


One of the best things about following a naturally gluten free diet is learning the vast array of foods that you CAN eat! Take a simple walk around the perimeter of your favorite grocery store and search out new vegetables you have not tried before, try different grains, try new cuts of meat, learn how to oven-roast vegetables so that they caramelize in the oven. There are SO many wonderful food choices that are available to you!

Being gluten free has been a true joy for me and my family. We have learned how to cook and enjoy real, whole, and nourishing foods! In the next few weeks I will be sharing very simple, naturally gluten free, budget-friendly meals with you! Being gluten free does not mean that you will need to spend a fortune on food, you will simply need to learn what foods to buy that are safe and healthy for your family!

Here's to a healthy gluten free body!

Gluten Free Cookbook Review: Make it Fast, Cook it Slow (and a giveaway!)

I have been slightly obsessed with my Crock Pot lately. And I have a very good reason. THIS cookbook was just published by none other than Stephanie O'Dea, author of the highly popular gluten free cooking blog, A Year of Slow Cooking. I like to pretend that Stephanie and I are really good friends and she lives next door.

What?

You don't pretend things like that when you find a gluten free cookbook author that you absolutely adore?

You will LOVE this gluten free slow cooker recipe book. Stephanie is a completely down-to-earth, un-snobby, un-foodie mom, wife, and home cook. Her writing is easy, friendly, and welcoming. Her first priority is her husband and children and slow cooking meals is simply a delicious bonus.

Stephanie took on the challenge of slow cooking a meal every day in 2008. She wanted to provide healthier meals for her family by cooking at home. She accomplished this goal by chronicling it on her very popular blog, "A Year of Slow Cooking." Stephanie's clever, honest remarks (the "Verdict") about every recipe she tried is what makes her blog and her book so compelling. There were many amazing recipes... and there were also bombs... and each one was really fun to read! Stephanie was honest about each and every recipe and also shared the reactions of her entire family: which could range from everybody LOVING the dish, to her kids not being willing to even touch a meal because of the aroma!

(But no worries, the cookbook contains absolutely NO bombs!)

Stephanie doesn't pretend to be a master chef. She admittedly says she burns anything in the oven and the slow cooker offered her a way of cooking that allowed her to prepare foods easily, cook foods without burning them, and a way to be more organized in her kitchen.

The recipes in this gluten free cookbook run the gamut of very easy to advanced. Many recipes have a short ingredient list with items that can be found in any local grocery store. Even if you are NOT gluten free, you can buy this book. Stephanie adds gluten free notes because her family eats gluten free, but this book is for any family and any cook!

I've tried 5 recipes so far from Stephanie's book:

• Butternut Squash Soup = My verdict: Amazing... a smooth creamy soup without any butter or cream and it was so easy to make overnight in my crock pot! I've had it for lunches this week!
  

• Bread Pudding = My verdict: My first attempt at "baking"something in the crock pot.. and you better believe I'll be doing it again... like maybe tonight, or tomorrow, and this weekend... but sometime soon because this stuff was GOOD!
  

• Black-Eyed Pea Soup = My Verdict: I made a vegan version of this recipe and it was really delicious! I've always loved cooking beans in the crock pot and this soup is one reason why!

• Chicken Parmesan = My Verdict: Nope, I didn't taste one bite of this since I'm still doing the vegan diet thing, but my husband and my inlaw's LOVED LOVED LOVED this dish. They said it was fantastic and there were absolutely NO leftovers. So obviously it was really good.
  

• Homemade Chicken Broth = My Verdict: I made this last night for my husband. He LOVES homemade chicken soup, and honestly I probably haven't it made it in a few years. This was a simple way to make homemade broth and it felt very domestic! I love learning how to make things myself! Michael ate two bowls for dinner last night and took another huge container for lunch today. I'm assuming that means it was pretty darn delicious. I had Amy's Black Bean soup (the whole vegan diet thing again)... and no leftovers for lunch *sigh*
  

Other recipes from Stephanie O'Dea's "Make it Fast, Cook It Slow" I plan on trying REALLY soon:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• White Bean and Pesto Spread
• Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
• Baked Oatmeal
• Breakfast Risotto
• Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
• Broccoli Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole
  
• Refried Beans
• Enchilada Casserole
• Tamale Pie
• Cabbage Rolls
• Lobster Bisque
• Cioppino
• Cedar Planked Salmon
• "Fried Chicken"
• Sloppy Joes
• Ratatouille
• Rice Krispies Treats
• Chex Party Mix
• Cheesecake
• Blueberry Buckle
• Apple Crisp
• And the list just goes on and on and on... seriously!

My copy of this cookbook already has so many dog-eared pages, food stains, and creases in the binding that I know it will hold a permanent place on my very limited counter space!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. This book is incredibly fun to read and it will encourage you want to cook more things at home!

It also just so happens that I have two copies of this book. Hyperion, the publisher, contacted me several months ago and offered to send me a copy of the book to review. That was fine, but I told them that I had already pre-ordered my copy! As soon as I heard that Stephanie was publishing a book, I pre-ordered! I knew already that I would love this book. Hyperion sent a copy anyway, so now I have this lovely extra copy of an awesome, gluten free, best-slow-cooker-recipe-book ever...

Would you like it?

I promise I won't send my food-stained, dog-eared copy!

Here's how you can enter yourself in the "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" Giveaway:

1. If you haven't already, sign up to receive Ginger Lemon Girl by email:
   

Enter your email address:

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2. AND leave a comment below and tell me your favorite slow cooker recipe!

3. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment below anyway and tell me why you'd love a copy of this book!

You have until October 31, Halloween 2009 to register for this giveaway!

And then it will be time to get slow-cooking!

Carrie's Disclaimer:

Honestly, I really just wanted to write:
This is seriously an awesome cookbook. It's the best gluten free cookbook ever. Hands down.

NO, I wasn't paid by Hyperion.. I didn't even want the free copy...

I WANTED to BUY a copy (which I did) because Stephanie is such a cool person and we food bloggers have to support each other...

Now go and buy a copy of this cookbook RIGHT now, because you need it and everybody in your family needs one for Christmas.

I wonder if Rivel would pay me to endorse their Crock Pots, I could use another one... that I might just be willing to do! ;-P

Gluten Free Vegan Cornbread Recipe

I really love cornbread. We usually eat cornbread in the fall because it's a perfect, lightly sweetened bread to go with homemade soups.

I wondered how easy it would be to make a "veganized" cornbread. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard at all.

(This is my original gluten free sour cream cornbread, which is one of my most popular recipes.)

To create a vegan version, I skipped the sour cream and used hemp milk mixed with lemon juice. I promise, you won't miss the sour cream. I also used coconut oil instead of butter, and Ener-G egg replacer instead of eggs. Worked like a charm!

The texture is just slightly different, and it may not rise quite as high as quick breads made with eggs, but it worked. My revised recipe created a beautiful golden crust, a delicious texture that was both light and airy and slightly dense at the same time. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it... but Michael ate 3 peices... in one setting. Which is unheard of for Michael.

So therefore I'm declaring this egg free, gluten free, vegan cornbread a huge success. And I'll be making a double batch this weekend to go with a big pot of soup that we'll share with Michael's parents.

A perfect, rustic cornbread for this chilly autumn season.

Enjoy!


Delicious Gluten Free Vegan Cornbread
(Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan)
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com

3 Tbsp. coconut oil -or- vegan oil of your choice
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water (or 2 eggs for a non-vegan gluten free bread!)
1 cup hemp milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an oven-safe skillet or 8x8 baking pan with GF baking spray. In a medium-sized bowl mix together flours, cornmeal, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder. In another medium-sized bowl, cream coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add mixed Ener-G egg replacer and hemp milk mixed with lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Pour into greased oven safe skillet or muffin tin (will make around 10 muffins). Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.


Carrie's Notes:

• Use any type of oil or non-dairy milk that you prefer. I use hemp milk exclusively in baking because of the quality of the product and it has a thickness that is similar to 2% milk.
  
• Feel free to experiment with the type of gluten free flours used here. Cornbread is very forgiving.
  
• If you want a more traditional cornbread, replace the brown rice flour called for with an additional 1/3 cup of cornmeal.
  

Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars (Gluten & Soy Free, Vegan)

A very tired, but happy Michael & I at our wedding dinner 5 years ago...

Just in case you are in need of a gluten free vegan recipe fix today... here are some breakfast bars I created last night.

I don't have a picture for you, so you can use your imagination or pretend that they look like this. They actually look very similar to those bars, except our chocolate chips are actually mixed into the cookie batter!

This recipe makes 12 large cookie bars and I thoroughly enjoyed them for breakfast today!


Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Bars
(Gluten Free, Soy Free, Low Sugar, Low Fat, Vegan)
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (or whatever whole grain, gluten free flour you prefer)
• 1/4 cup brown rice protein powder
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup applesauce
• 3/4 - 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
• 3 full-droppers of vanilla creme stevia -or- 1/2 cup sugar (I used stevia)
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
  

Optional Add In's:

• 1 cup allergen free chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spritz a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or grease with coconut oil. Set aside.
   
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl mix wet ingredients together.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together to create a wet batter. The batter should be slightly on the wet side like a stiff muffin batter. Add more liquid by the tablespoon if your batter is too dry.
5. Stir chocolate chips and/or other add in's into batter.
6. Pour batter into the greased 9x13" pan and spread with a spatula.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the bars will "bounce back" when lightly touched with your finger or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Cut into 12 large bars. Cool in pan or on a cooling rack.
9. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

Michael and I are heading to Sevierville, TN next week to celebrate our 5th anniversary!

If you know of any delicious gluten free dining establishments in the Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge area that you can share with me, I'd LOVE to hear from you!
Please let me know in the comments or send me an email @ gingerlemongirl (at) gmail (dot) com.