Book of Yum

Just for fun, I thought I’d share a picture of Baby Yum this week so you can see how much she’s grown. Here she is 1 month and 1 week old, and clearly hungry. That’s my girl.

This last week we enjoyed some gluten-free, dairy-free vegetarian southern food. We had 123 Gluten Free Biscuits (With dairy-free variation), vegan gravy, roasted green beans and pecans, and gluten-free macaroni salad made with rice-corn pasta. I highly recommend the latter pasta for macaroni salad, as it stays tender and moist far longer than just plain rice pasta will, which tends to dry out in salads.

This week Asparagus Thin is hosting the gluten-free menu swap with grapes as her star ingredient. You can always find more great menus with Org Junkie. And… here’s my menu!

Monday: Chinese
Soy free Chinese Pea and Jicama Stir Fry
Rice Noodles

Tuesday: Italian
Arugula Gnocchi
Grilled Veggie Antipasti and beans

Thursday: Indian
Tofu in Creamy Coconut Tomato Gravy

Friday: Mexican
Refried black beans
Corn or Tapioca Tortillas
Salad with avocado

This week I thought I’d share one of my favorite bar-b-q baked bean recipes with you that I discovered in my college days, and then lost. A friend gave me an “all-allergen-free” cookbook with tons of recipes- some more inspiring than others. I hadn’t done much with beans at that point besides slow cook them and enjoy them plain, and I found the barbecue baked bean recipe in the book to be absolutely yummy and full of tasty flavors and ingredients. Unfortunately, the recipe for the beans got used so many times it actually fell out of the book- and was lost among my many papers. I had just about given up hope of finding it when a huge paper sorting project right before the birth of my daughter (and I do mean right before- I believe it was the morning my labor had started!) brought that long lost recipe into my hands again. I made it for the DH and my Mother who has been staying with us to help with the baby and they both gave the recipe high marks. If you find many traditional baked bean recipes too sweet and bland, try this recipe- it’s a very tasty way to enjoy beans, an excellent vegetarian protein staple.
*Note: Regretfully, I gave away the cookbook years ago and can’t find or remember the title of it. All I know is that it was all about the allergen-free food… doh.

Gluten free Vegetarian Bar-b-q baked beans Main Course  American

Ingredients 1 cup chopped onions 3/4 cup chopped green peppers 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 6 ounces tomato paste (or 4 tbsp. tomato paste, 1/4 cup marinara sauce) 2 cups water, bean stock, or veggie broth 1/4 cup molasses, honey, or agave nectar or combination 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tbsp low sodium wheat free tamari or extra salt 2 tbsp tahini or ground sesame seeds 2 tbsp dijon mustard generous sprinkle of smoked paprika or chipotle pepper 4 cups cooked beans (preferably home cooked in pressure or slow cooker) I have used black beans, red beans, and pinto beans in this recipe but it will work with any of your favorites. Directions Preheat oven to 300F and spray medium-large baking dish with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray. Heat olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan and saute onions and green peppers. As they start to soften, add your minced garlic cloves. When they have cooked, add your tomato paste, water or other liquid, sweetener, vinegar, tamari, tahini, and mustard, and mix thoroughly. Season with smoked paprika or chipotle. Simmer for at least 10 minutes together in the pan. Add your drained beans to the pan and mix. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for two and half hours. You can stir halfway through to mix in the darkened, thickened sauce on top into the body of the dish. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Adapted from allergy-free cookbook, lost except for this recipe. Modified to suit our palate and ingredients. Please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1445 Added:  August 20, 2009 Last Modified:  August 21, 2009

In the last year or so I’ve come to appreciate sweet potatoes more and more. Not only are they easy to prepare and as versatile as the potato, but they are good for you, with lots of vitamins and antioxidant qualities. I’ve made them many different ways- in a spicy chipotle pepper infused mash, as sweet potato fries, and roasted in the oven. However, recently I got the idea that they would make a tasty vegetarian burger, combined with black beans and spices. This simple burger was the result. They are more delicate than purchased veggie burger, but also more addictive- you can’t eat just one! So, the next time you have a sweet potato calling your name in the pantry, why not make this easy gluten-free veggie burger recipe?

Sweet Potato Black Bean Vegetarian Burger Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1/2 or 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 onion, diced 2 tsp. cumin seeds 1/2 sweet potato, cooked, skin removed 1/2 can black beans 1 tbsp. cilantro chutney 1 tbsp. tomato paste salt smoked paprika or chipotle pepper 1 egg 2 tbsp. Brown rice flour 1/2 or 1 tbsp. olive oil Directions Saute onion in oil in nonstick pan and add cumin seeds. As onion becomes translucent, add black beans and sweet potato and mash together, sauteeing and letting the flavors marry. Add cilantro chutney (or fresh cilantro, ground or diced) and combine thoroughly. Add tomato paste and mix throughout. Season to taste. Remove from heat and add whisked egg, folding in and then sprinkling in brown rice flour, folding it in evenly. Clean pan and heat olive oil on medium. Create “burgers” with a large spoon and gently lower onto heated pan with oil. Press with spoon gently to flatten burger a bit more and pan fry until it is golden brown and firm on the bottom. Carefully turn the burger and fry the other side.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1442 Added:  August 11, 2009 Last Modified:  August 17, 2009