Book of Yum

When Diane of the Whole Gang invited me to participate in her 30 days to Easy Gluten-free Living, I said yes immediately. I had recently been impressed by the latest cool gluten-free convenience product- the gluten-free frozen burrito. I had visions of a Bobby Flay style showdown. After all, what is easier than popping a burrito in the microwave for an easy and super-fast gluten-free meal? GlutenFreeda has an awesome line of gluten-free burritos in a thin and relatively traditional tortilla made with corn and rice, as well as a new Pizza Wrap. Three of their burritos/pizza wraps are vegetarian. Amy’s kitchen has jumped on the bandwagon with two quite respectable gluten-free burritos with a thicker bean flour-based tortilla, and one is even dairy-free AND soy-free. These are all good emergency staples, perfect for making the gluten-free diet easy in a pinch, but as much as I love them, I decided rather than focusing on gluten-free convenience food you can buy, I’d share one of my favorite easy tricks for making a non-corn tortilla with Chebe mix. I also wanted to make my own soy-free, dairy-free AND rice-free vegetarian take on a breakfast burrito. *Neither Amy’s Kitchen nor Glutenfreeda have a gluten-free, vegetarian burrito that is rice-free.* Somehow I got the idea to use chickpeas instead of soy or egg in a “scramble”, and I was glad that I did. This dish is satisfying, tasty, and easy to make for your family. Chebe is easy to work with, but if you don’t feel like pressing or rolling out tortillas, just use the filling for tacos made with gluten-free corn tortillas. I like La Tortilla Factory’s Organic Sonoma Corn tortillas. They are slightly larger than normal, although not quite as big as a traditional flour tortilla, and have great flavor. This filling shows that it is easy to be gluten-free, vegetarian, and even easy to avoid the top eight allergens and still eat great real food. Hope you enjoy!

Diane from The Whole Gang organized an incredible month of easy gluten-free living. Here is the schedule for the entire month of May.

Shared with Sugar Free Sunday

Vegetarian soy-free Chickpea Breakfast Burrito Filling Main Course  Potatoes  American

Ingredients 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion generous handful or two of grated carrot 2 medium yellow potatoes, cooked and cubed 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mashed with a potato masher generous handful or two of fresh arugula, cleaned and chopped 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast pepper herbes de Provence herbamare or your favorite salt 1 tbsp. liquid mustard (I like Annie’s) 3 tbsp. tahini, qhisked with water to make a smooth sauce 1 tsp. coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari if soy is not an issue) Directions Heat olive oil in saute pan on medium and add it your diced onion. After it turns translucent, add your grated carrot and cook a minute or two. Move onion and carrot to the edge of the pan and add your cubed, cooked potato to the center of the pan and brown, turning once. Add dry seasonings (herbs, nutritional yeast, pepper, herbamare or salt.) When potatoes are nicely brown, fold in your mashed chickpeas. Taste and add additional dry seasonings to taste. Drizzle your liquid mustard over the potatoes and chickpeas and fold in evenly. Drizzle in your tahini sauce. Combine thoroughly and let brown. Then add your chopped arugula and sprinkle with coconut aminos, folding into the potato-chickpea mixture. When the arugula has wilted, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Use as filling for a gluten-free, soy-free vegan breakfast burrito or on its own as a hearty main dish. Notes Would be good served with hot sauce or srirachi sauce to taste.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1552 Added:  May 21, 2011 Last Modified:  May 21, 2011

Gluten-free Dairy-free Chebe Burrito Tortilla Recipe Bread  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 package All Purpose Chebe Mix 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 eggs 4 tbsp. dairy-free or regular milk Directions Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. I usually knead the dough with my hands for a few minutes until I have a smooth, round ball of dough. Separate into four balls of dough for large tortillas or six to eight balls if you are using a tortilla press for smaller tortillas. Place a ball of dough between two layers of parchment paper (NOT Wax paper- it sticks) and roll it into a thin tortilla. Heat a pan (nonstick, cast iron etc.) on medium and brown your tortilla on each side until lightly browned. Place warm tortilla on a plate and continue to make the rest. If you are using them for burritos, fill each tortilla while still soft and warm and fold around your ingredients. It will cool and stay in the shape you folded it into. Don’t let the tortillas cool and harden without filling them if you plan to use them for burritos.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Inspired by Chebe package with my own tricks and tips. Recipe ID:  1553 Added:  May 21, 2011 Last Modified:  May 21, 2011

I have to admit, I have never had green beer. Back when I was a college student, they hadn’t come out with all the wonderful gluten-free beers that are out today. Root beer was my brown bottled beverage of choice, and I never got my ID checked to buy it, which somehow takes all the fun out of it. And, even more of a shame is the fact that despite all my travels, I’ve never been to Ireland. I hear my family has some Irish ancestry, though. And, given my pale skin, hazel green eyes, and intolerance to gluten, I can believe it. This might be why I love the idea of St. Patrick’s Day, and love the idea of having a dinner menu that celebrates a culture halfway around the globe from us. You know me, I’ll take any excuse to explore an international cuisine!

Previously I’ve made a delicious vegan pot pie and dill bread to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I love these recipes, but this year I wanted to do a little something different, so I started searching online. Once I came across an Irish dish called Colcannon made from potatoes, cabbage, or kale my mission was clear. I needed to make this lovely dish in celebration of my deep love for that most healthful of emerald-green veggies, kale. But I also needed to make it a bit rich and naughty so my green-leafy veggie reluctant husband would enjoy it too. Thus I used copious amounts of butter and salt, and even dipped into Baby Yum’s organic whole milk, to create something rich enough to qualify as celebration fare. If you are feeling a bit more health conscious than I am, or have a more greens-enthused family, feel free to cut down on the butter (or use a vegan substitute such as margarine or coconut oil) and use the salt more sparingly. Keep in mind that the seasonings on the green flavor the plain potato as well, and go forth and experiment. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do, and as much as I suspect my potato-obsessed Baby Yum will tonight for dinner.

I’m cooking at my in-law’s house in Boulder, Colorado this week. It always feels like a holiday cooking at someone else’s house- as long as they have the gluten contained. (My in-laws are very careful about keeping gluten away from us, bless them!)

I don’t think I cook with cabbage near enough. It is surprisingly tasty in Japanese okonomiyaki, savory cabbage pancakes/ pizza, and equally good with an Indian spiced-treatment of caramelized onions and golden cabbage. I’ve even had it in a delightful raw sesame oil salad- so yummy and good for you! You can’t even see the cabbage in the end product. Good for cabbage-haters!


Looking for more gluten-free vegetarian recipes for St. Patrick’s Day?
*Colcannon Puffs at Fat Free Vegan
*Gluten-free Irish Coffee Cupcakes at Simply Gluten-free
*Elana’s Gluten-free St. Patricks Day Recipes, including one for Irish Soda Bread (yummy) and Peppermint Patties
*Vegan Spinach Pie Recipe from the Book of Yum
*Karina’s Delicious Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread Recipe
*Vegan Colcannon Casserole at Manifest Vegan
*Dairy-free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with a surprise from Gluten Free Easily

Vegetarian Colcannon with kale cabbage and leeks Recipe Side Dish  Potatoes  Vegetables  European

Ingredients 8 small potatoes, washed with eyes removed 3 tbsp. butter (or Earth Balance margaarine for vegan) 3 leeks, green tops removed, with white part sliced in half horizontally, soaked in water and then drained and chopped into 1/4 inch crescents 1/4 small cabbage, quartered and then thinly sliced handful of de-veined kale, cut into bite size slices copious amounts of salt and pepper Generous glug of the highest fat milk in your house (hey, this is holiday food)- unsweetened plain non-dairy soy, almond or rice milk for vegan Sunny Paris or other shallot-or-onion + dill herbal blend (optional) Directions Quarter potatoes and boil in a pot for 30 minutes or until soft enough to mash Heat one tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium and add about 2 leeks worth of chopped crescent shapes, sauteeing until softened. Add your kale and an additional 1/2 tbsp. of butter. Sautee for a minute or so. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then add a dash of water, covering the pan and lowering the heat. Let cook on low for 10-20 minutes, covered, or until kale is buttery soft and leeks are nicely caramelized. Remove to a bowl. Melt another tbsp. of butter in the pan on medium heat and add your remaining leek crescents. Sautee for a minute or two and then add your thinly sliced cabbage. Cook your cabbage for about five minutes, and then add your remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter, generous amounts of salt and pepper to your taste, lower heat and cover until you have nice caramelized leeks and very soft, buttery cabbage with light browning. You may wish to turn the cabbage once during this. While the cabbage mixture is cooking on the stove-top, mash your potatoes with a masher and add your glug of rich milk. Fold the leek-kale mixture into the potatoes gently. When the cabbage-leek mixture is done, you can add it to the potatoes as well. Don’t over-stir; you want the potatoes to have a slightly lumpy, rustic presentation. Sprinkle with a dill-onion type herbal blend and serve. Serve in a pretty piece of pottery as a side dish for a St. Patrick’s Day themed feast! Notes in

Rating:  8 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1546 Added:  March 17, 2011 Last Modified:  March 17, 2011