30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 24 - Diane's Mexican Pizza

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Diane Eblin author of the newly published ebook, The Gluten Free Diner Cookbook , and the blog: "The W.H.O.L.E. Gang."

Day 24 - Diane's Mexican Pizza

There is nothing our family likes more than pizza. Living gluten and dairy free has not slowed us down. It has however made me a lot more creative and we are eating amazing pizzas now, not just cheese and pepperoni.

Now that its summer and the farmer’s markets are full of amazing fresh produce, I am having even more fun with my food. Our family loves to eat many different ethnic cuisines, but I think our two favorites are Mexican and Italian. So I thought, why not combine both. On a recent trip to the farmers market I gathered some jalapeno peppers, red onion and tomatoes. That is how it all started, my Mexican Pizza. I also had tomatillos and mushrooms hanging out in the refrigerator. Why not put them all together?

I really loved how the sweetness of the tomatillos played with the spiciness of the chipotle and jalapenos. It was a party in my mouth and I can’t wait to have it again.

The great thing about this pizza and any pizza is you can literally clean out the refrigerator and prep this pizza in the time it takes for the oven to warm up.

So keep this in mind as you create your pizza, use what ingredients you like and have on hand. That’s the key to fun, fresh new pizza ideas. The fastest pizza I ever made was a Za’atar Pizza and the thickest most stuffed pizza was my Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza.

Diane’s Mexican Pizza
vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, soy free
Makes 8 slices unless you cut them really small, then you get 16.

Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza crust or mix. (I used Chebe all purpose mix.)
1 package of sliced mushrooms (sliced and whole costs the same)
½ red onion diced
4-6 tomatillos sliced, depending on size and pizza size
2-4 jalapenos seeded and sliced
1 large tomato diced
Daiya Cheese- cheddar and mozzarella (gluten, dairy, and soy free)
2 tsp butter (Earth Balance dairy, gluten and soy free)
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Adobo (I use Penzeys which contains-garlic, onion, Tellicherry black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper.)
Cilantro- dried or handful of fresh chopped
Chipotle chili powder
Ancho chili powder
Large crystal sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven
2. While the oven is heating up dice your onion and toss it and the mushrooms into a large skillet with the butter and a little splash of olive oil on medium to medium high.
3. While that is cooking mix your pizza dough, roll it out and put it onto your pan. Prick the surface with a fork so it don’t get one of those large bubbles. Give that skillet a little toss.
4. Slice your tomatillos, chop your tomato and seed and slice your jalapeno. I like to use one large cutting board for it all. It goes much faster that way. Give that skillet one more toss, sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper and turn off.
5. Assemble your pizza!
6. Sprinkle the dough with some olive oil and then use the back of a spoon or your fingers (best kitchen tool) to spread it around. Sprinkle the dough with garlic powder making sure to get it all the way to the edges. Don’t use too much or it will be too over powering. Also sprinkle the dough with the Adobo, but not to the edges.
7. Add your sliced tomatillos and chopped tomatoes around the pizza. Now sprinkle with the cheeses. I don’t like a lot of cheese on my pizza and with Daiya I would not use as much as I would have it were regular dairy cheese. Remember, you can always add more the next time or even after you’ve tasted it just pop it back into the oven.
8. Now distribute the mushroom onion mixture and sliced jalapeno peppers. Sprinkle with the ancho and cilantro. The last thing I add are the chipotle and sea salt all the way to the edges. I really like to have a good seasoning on the edges of my pizza.
9. Bake according to your dough directions and enjoy!

Don’t be afraid to swap out ingredients when making this pizza. The whole idea is to make it fresh, fast and simple. If you want to add meat or seafood to this a little chorizo would be great, chicken or even shrimp would make great toppings. I also love to take leftovers from the grill to use on my pizza.

About Diane

Diane is the author of The Gluten-Free Diner cookbook just released in e-book format. It contains 48 diner inspired recipes complete with photos, index, notes area and a menu on how to combine the recipes into meals. She also authors the blog The W.H.O.L.E. Gang. Her blog and cookbook focus on eating gluten and dairy free but never sacrificing taste. Her motto Good Food No Matter What!™ runs through everything she creates. “I love to cook and I love getting others excited about it too. Let’s get into the kitchen, have fun and create great food with real ingredients.”

Diane also held the very successful event, 30 Days to a Food Revolution which was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. It was very well received and even re-tweeted by Jamie himself. On a weekly basis she organizes a blog carnival called Friday Foodie Fix. Each week there is a different Secret Ingredient. Everyone then shares their recipes that contain that ingredient. Stop by and share yours.

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Stay tuned for Day 25 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. Tomorrow will feature another fabulous recipe from Brooke "Ness" author of Gluten Free... Who? Me?

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Tasty Meals: Day 23 - Shirley's Meatloaf in Minutes

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Shirley Braden, author of the blog, gfe--gluten free easily.

Day 23 - Shirley's Tasty Meatloaf in Mere Minutes.

Meat loaf is a somewhat old-fashioned, comfort food that may not get made often because it’s traditionally baked in the oven for an hour or more. However, if you use a microwave oven, meat loaf can be ready in a fraction of the time. My meat loaf is usually ready in about 12 to 14 minutes.

This method is a timesaver any time of the year, but it’s also a “heat saver” during the summer months. Many comfort food dishes require operating the oven, but I’m not particularly keen on making them when the air conditioner is running and the electric meter is doing its whirling dervish imitation. This meat loaf is quick and tasty and pleases even non-meat loaf lovers.



Shirley's Tasty Meat Loaf (Microwave Version)

1 lb. ground venison, lean ground beef, or ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
¾ cup gluten-free bread crumbs, almond flour, etc. (see notes below)
1/3 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy; may be optional--see notes below)
1/3 cup gluten-free ketchup
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp salt (optional, I’d add if using ground turkey)

Topping:
1/3 cup gluten-free ketchup
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
¼ cup brown sugar (or Demerara or coconut sugar)

Directions:

1. Lightly grease pan.
2. Mix ground meat, egg, bread crumbs, milk, ketchup, and onion. Press into microwave-safe loaf pan, making an indentation in the center.
3. Mix topping ingredients and pour over loaf.
4. Microwave on HIGH setting for 12 minutes.
5. Check doneness at center of loaf at 12-minute point. If not done, continue cooking at 1-minute intervals, checking each time. There should be no pink remaining in the middle, but it may look slightly soft. The middle will continue cooking/setting up for a few minutes after removing from the microwave. Therefore, I like to serve slices from the end first.
6. Serve with equally quick sides like salad and/or steamed veggies.
   

Shirley’s Notes:

• Please do not omit the topping; it comes from a Southern Living recipe and really makes this meat loaf special.
• If you don’t use a lean meat, there may be too much fat, some of which you can drain off. (Be careful not to drain off too much because the meat loaf will need some for moisture, plus it’s not all fat, it’s also liquid from other ingredients.)
• Bread crumbs (or another “filler” ingredient) definitely make for a tastier meat loaf, but they are not really necessary. The egg, ground meat, fat content, and milk (if used) all allow binding and add enough flavor.
• Truthfully, I make this meat loaf slightly different each time. For example, when I use almond flour, I add no milk at all, as the liquid is not really needed. However, I do use milk when I include bread crumbs; the liquid is needed in that case.
• Leftovers make terrific sandwiches; you can even fill corn tortillas with slices or chunks of leftover meat loaf, adding cheese, and more.
  

Enjoy!
Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

About Shirley:
Shirley is the author/owner of the blog, gfe–gluten free easily. She was diagnosed as gluten intolerant in June 2003 after a lifetime of health issues caused by gluten. She’s been gluten free ever since and is now happy and healthy. She leads the King George Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Group, which she formed in 2004. She also serves on the council of a local GIG group and edits its newsletter, and is a founding member of a local health initiative. She’s a relentless advocate for celiac and gluten intolerance education, always speaking at health fairs and other public forums.

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Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 24 of 30 Days Quick & Easy Meals! Dianne from The WHOLE Gang will be sharing one of her newest favorite quick & easy recipes!

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 22 - April's Chicken Ravelli

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by April Marlow, a fellow North Carolinian (yay April!) and author of the blog, Gluten Hates Me.

Day 22 - April's Chicken Ravelli

I am a born and raised Southerner, and most of my recipes over at Gluten Hates Me reflect my roots. But in September, I’m marrying the man of my dreams and his roots are Italian. He has been amazing since my Celiac diagnosis, and is always game for a trying out new recipes. So since he’s such a sweetie, I’ve been trying to expand my cooking into Italian…without expanding my waist line!

Chicken Ravelli was a quick and easy gluten free meal born out of my experimentation with Italian flavors. Enjoy!



April's Chicken Ravelli with a side of Balsamic Roasted Broccoli
Originally posted at Gluten Hates Me

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
One can diced tomatoes with Italian Herbs (I used Del Monte)
¼ cup chopped red onion
One small container feta cheese
½ tbsp. 0live oil
1 bunch fresh broccoli
Lite balsamic viniagrette

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, feta, chopped red onion, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. You’ll want to make the “salsa” ahead of time, so that the flavors have time to meld. You could even make it the day before!

After cleaning your chicken, lightly season with salt and pepper. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add chicken and cook through. Set aside.

Set your oven to broil. Clean your broccoli, and cut in to florets. Toss the florets in a light balsamic vinaigrette and spread on a cookie sheet. Cook the broccoli in the oven until it begins to darken, about 10 minutes.

To plate, spoon the Italian salsa over the chicken and serve with the broccoli on the side! Quick, easy, and delicious!

About Marlow

I'm April (Soon to Be) Ravelli, but in the blog world I'm known by my maiden name: Marlow. In June of 2008, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. After a final meal with an entire baguette, I went gluten free and never looked back! I started glutenhatesme.com at first to cope with the stress of my new lifestyle, but once I discovered the amazing online community of readers and bloggers I was hooked! I live in Durham, NC with my fiancé Parrish and my fur-baby Max. When not experimenting in the kitchen, I can be found working for a local non-profit that is working to eradicate poverty by supporting artisans in developing countries.

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Stay tuned tomorrow, Day 23 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals as Shirley from Gluten Free Easily shares an amazingly simple & delicious gluten free dinner!

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 21 - Heather's Baked Salmon with Fresh Dill

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Heather author of the blog, Celiac Family.


Day 21 - Heather's Baked Salmon with Fresh Dill


I’ve really been enjoying the Quick & Easy recipes that have been posted thus far. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one always looking for quick and easy, yet tasty meals to prepare. Sometimes I do like to spend more time in the kitchen creating special meals, but most often I don't have enough time for that. We all have busy lives, so quick and easy is the way we usually cook.

For this meal, there is very little preparation or cook time, and very few ingredients. Yet, I think the flavor of the salmon and dill is all you need to make this a satisfying meal. It’s a healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free meal that I think is great during the summer.



Baked Salmon with Dill

4 (6 oz.) Salmon fillets (with or without skin)
Olive oil, 1-2 tsp per fillet
Dill, a few fresh sprigs for each fillet

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare the salmon, if necessary. If frozen, thaw it quickly in a cold-water bath. Rinse and pat dry.
3. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil. (If you are using fillets with the skin on: Line the pan with aluminum foil, but don’t bother spraying. Place the salmon on the foil with the skin side down. After cooking, the salmon skin will be stuck to the foil, and the salmon meat will easily lift off from the skin with a spatula.)
4. Drizzle or brush the olive oil over the salmon fillets, and top each fillet with fresh sprigs of dill.
5. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 12-16 min, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
   

Heather's Additional Notes:

• To be consistent and cook the salmon evenly, try to purchase fillets that are about the same size and thickness.

• I served the meal with brown basmati rice and steamed asparagus.

• I steam the asparagus for about the same amount of time while the salmon is baking.

• Check out Carrie’s tip about making brown basmati rice, so you don’t have to wait for it to finish cooking.

• You can use dried dill instead of fresh, if necessary. Just sprinkle about ½ tsp of dill on each fillet.

• For additional flavor, drizzle a lemon-butter-dill sauce on top of the cooked fillets. For four 6 oz. fillets, I melt 2 TBSP of butter (or non-dairy alternative) with about 3 TBSP lemon juice and 2 TBSP of fresh dill finely chopped. Tastes great on rice and vegetables, too.

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About Heather
Heather is a wife, mom, and gluten free food blogger. She began blogging about gluten free resources after her son was diagnosed with celiac disease. Her husband also carries the celiac gene and after eating gluten free they realized the whole family felt better on a wheat free/gluten free diet. You can read Heather's articles & recipes at her wonderful blog, The Celiac Family.


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Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 22 of 30 Days Quick & Easy Meals! April from Gluten Hates Me will be sharing one of her favorite chicken recipes!

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 20 - Carrie's Turkey Kielbasa with Sauerkraut

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

I can't believe we are 20 days into this wonderful series on super fast & delicious gluten free meals!

Thank you so much for joining me & all the other amazing gluten free food bloggers who have participated the last 20 days! Please stay tuned throughout the last ten days of this 30 Day challenge! Along with more incredibly yummy recipes & tips from fellow bloggers, there will also be a fun giveaway once the 30 days is over!

Day 20 - Carrie's Turkey Kielbasa & Homemade Sauerkraut.

During summers when I was growing up, my sister & I often had the chance to spend a few weeks with "Nan," our grandmother. One of the first recipes I featured on this blog was Nan's Skillet Dinner, another family favorite and definitely a 20 minute meal. Nan also taught my dad how to make his basic & easy pancakes, a super easy gluten free weeknight meal!

Nan knows all about simple & easy meals and today's recipe is a meal she often made for my sister & I.

This meal is SO easy, and literally takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. I love using sauerkraut because it's a very healthy way to incorporate cabbage into your diet. Sauerkraut can be an acquired taste, but after this meal, it's even on my husband's list of favorite dinners!

You can buy prepared sauerkraut at any grocery store. It's available in jars, canned, and even fresh in bags either in the produce section or the fresh meat section.

At home though, we make our own. Making homemade sauerkraut takes a little bit of time initially, but it's SO easy. It takes as little as 3 days to "cure" and then it's ready to eat and of course be used instantly for dinner! For instructions on how to make your own sauerkraut, visit Meghan's blog for a great tutorial video.



Another thing I love about this meal is that is contains so few ingredients. And really, like most of the recipes that have been shared the past 20 days, this is only a cooking technique. Use ingredients that you have on hand. Don't have a green pepper? Add a red pepper or tomatoes. Add shredded carrots for more color and yumminess! Don't have sauerkraut? Shred some fresh red or purple cabbage and use that instead.

Real cooking, especially EASY cooking is simply learning to creatively use the ingredients you have available!



Carrie's Turkey Kielbasa with Homemade Sauerkraut
Free of gluten, casein, and soy
Makes 4 servings

1 (14 oz.) package turkey kielbasa, sliced into 1/4" thick pieces
1 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 - 3 cups prepared sauerkraut
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice -or- jasmine rice (1/2 cup per serving)

Directions:
In a non-stick -or- seasoned cast iron skillet saute green peppers in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green. Add cut kielbasa pieces and saute on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add sauerkraut and freshly ground pepper. Saute with kielbasa for an additional 10-12 minutes until heated through. Serve with cooked rice & fresh fruit or a salad.

* I put the rice on the stove (cooked according to package directions) right before I start sauteeing the green peppers. The rice will be fully cooked & super fluffy by the time the kielbasa & sauerkraut has been heated through.

For more information about me & this blog, please check out my "About Carrie" page!

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Stay tuned for Day 21 in 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. Tomorrow will feature a beautiful recipe from Heather, author of TheCeliacFamily. Also check out Healther's post with a listing of all the Gluten Free Q&E recipes so far!!