Category: Whole Grain

Farro con Pollo

Posted on by Lisa P

Serves: 4 people
Hands-on time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min

This recipe was adapted from a Bobby Flay Fit recipe called “Quinoa con Pollo with Peas and Green Olives.”  It took me a ridiculously long time to make (ok, I admit it, it was 2 hours, ugh) but was absolutely delicious.  It was worth spending the time figuring out how to get it down to a 40-minute recipe.  If you have the chicken already pre-made from a previous night’s meal you can shave another 10 minutes off of the hands-on time.

Given that it’s winter, I opted for the meatier toothiness of farro instead of the more delicately textured quinoa. That turned out to be a great adaptation because the meal is very flavorful and the farro holds its own better than I think the quinoa would have. Continue reading “Farro con Pollo” →

Vegan “Dirty” Brown Rice

Posted on by gch_admin

This is a wonderful rice dish as a vegan main course or a side dish to a piece of fish or chicken. You can spice it up with any of your favorite vegetables and or hot peppers.  For a protein-rich version add a drained and rinsed can of black or red beans along with the vegetables. (See note in directions.)

Ingredients

1 cup of fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup of fresh cauliflower, chopped
1 cup of sliced carrots
2 cups of long grain brown rice
5 1/2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb or herb blend (optional)
1 can of drained beans or chickpeas (optional for protein if desired)

Directions

  1. Combine 2 cups of long grain brown rice and 5 1/2 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring just to a boil. Add carrots and seasonings, stir and bring to a boil. (Add 1-2 tbsp of butter or oil if desired.)
  2. Reduce heat and cover tightly.
  3. Simmer 30 minutes, then lift cover and quickly add the cauliflower and broccoli. Don’t stir.
    Re-cover immediately. [To make this a complete meal with protein, you can add a can of drained beans or chickpeas right here as well.  Add them first, stir the pot, then add the cauliflower and broccoli on top.]
  4. Simmer 15-20 minutes longer, or until rice is tender and all the water is absorbed.
  5. Fluff lightly with a fork and serve.

Nutrition Info

Nutritional Value of Brown Rice (1 cup cooked)

216 Calories
1.8 g Total Fat
0 g Cholesterol
10 mg of Sodium
84 mg of Potassium
45 g Total Carbohydrates
5 g Protein

Nutritional Values of Vegetables (1 cup raw)

73.6 Calories
.8 g Total Fat
0 mg Cholesterol
89 mg Sodium
2607 mg Potassium
15 gr Carbohydrates
5.26 g Protein

Gluten Free Quesadilla (10-Minute Lunch)

Gluten Free Quesadilla (10-Minute Lunch)

This gluten-free quesadilla is made with corn tortillas that contain no flour. If you aren’t gluten-sensitive, feel free to buy the corn tortillas that have flour in them if you like them better.  The GF tortillas I buy from Trader Joe’s have only corn and lime, and as such they are somewhat prone to fall apart with too much handling.

Cutting this into four wedges makes it easier to eat without falling apart.

The photo shows the quesadillas on a paper plate served with a small side of leftover roasted potatoes.

Print Recipe
 Gluten Free Quesadilla Lunch Yum
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Add to Shopping List
This recipe is in your Shopping List
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 seconds
Servings
person
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 seconds
Servings
person
Ingredients
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Add to Shopping List
This recipe is in your Shopping List
Instructions
  1. Put 2 tortillas side by side
  2. Using the back of a fork, mash the avocado onto one tortilla. Put some slivers of cheese on the other.
  3. Put the slices of lunch meat on top of the cheese. Put the one with the cheese and meat on it on a paper towel and heat in the microwave for 10 seconds.
  4. Arrange the leafy greens on top of the meat. Place the other tortilla on top, with the mashed avocado side down.
  5. Cut into four wedges with a knife or pizza cutter.
  6. Put a couple spoonfuls of salsa in a small glass dish, cover with a small piece of paper towel and heat in the microwave for just a few seconds.
  7. Dip the quesadilla wedge into the salsa and enjoy. Yum!
Share this Recipe

Quick Low Calorie Breakfast Burrito

Posted on by Lisa P

We have this wonderful Mexican takeout place near our house that has breakfast burritos that are to die for. Unfortunately they pack a punch when it comes to calories. If you prefer the same taste without the guilt, here’s a low calorie breakfast burrito I came up with that I think you’ll really like. Continue reading “Quick Low Calorie Breakfast Burrito” →

10 Minute Farro Salad

10 Minute Farro Salad

Posted on by gch_admin

The 10 minutes is a bit misleading. It refers to the type of farro I used: Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro. The actual recipe takes about 30 minutes. It’s best if you let it sit for about an hour after you’ve made it just to let the flavors blend. You could chill it or leave it out at room temperature.

Ingredients:

1 bag Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro
1-1/2 C frozen corn
2 large carrots
1 beet
1 large sweet onion
2 stalks of celery with leaves
1 green pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup EVOO
6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt & fresh ground pepper
1 tsp Herbs de Provence (or other favorite herb blend)
Optional: crumbled feta, avocados, or sliced olives for garnish

Instructions:

Trader Joe's 10-Minute Farro

Add the bag of farro and 2 cups of water to a pan and turn to high. When it boils turned down to simmer and cover. After 10 minutes remove from heat, add the corn on top, re-cover and let sit for five more minutes.

While farro is cooking, coarsely chop celery, carrot, onion, beet, jalapeno. Add celery and beet pieces to a large bowl. Set the rest aside.

When farro is done, drain and add to the bowl with the beets and celery.

In the same pan in which you cooked the farro, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and turn heat to medium. Sauté the pile of chopped vegetables for about five minutes, then add them to the bowl along with the rest of the oil and vinegar. Season with salt pepper and seasonings and mix well.

Farro Salad

Chill in the fridge for about an hour or so and, if desired, top with crumbled feta and olives just prior to serving. Serve with grilled chicken sausages and a side salad. Or omit the sausage and add a can of drained black beans or chickpeas for a wonderful vegetarian meal.

Farro Salad with Avocados and Sausage

Low Gluten Multi-Grain Bread – version 1

Posted on by Lisa P
Low Gluten Bread
Fresh out of the bread maker

I made this bread for Easter dinner. I should not experiment on a holiday I know, but Trader Joe’s was closed and I wanted a nice bread that wasn’t white and processed, and ideally gluten-free. Gluten-free bread takes too long because it’s not bread machine friendly, so I concocted this mash-up of 1/2 regular whole wheat and 1/2 gluten-free bread recipe for the bread machine. It’s not perfect, but it was good enough for Easter dinner.

1-1/2 C water, warmed in microwave
2 T oil
2 T honey
1 egg
1 t salt
1/8 C ground flax
2/3 C almond flour
1 C brown rice flour
1 C masa de harina
2/3 C Whole wheat flour
2/3 C white bread flour
1/2 C potato starch
1/4 C fat free milk powder
1 t xanthan gum
1 T yeast

Put in bread machine in this order, or in the order recommended by your particular machine. It’s a 2lb loaf however it comes out small and dense so a smaller machine could probably do it. Just make sure to put it on Dark crust so it will get a longer cooking time than a 1-1/2 lb loaf.

Eating notes:
– Tasty but not very sweet.
– Dense but makes good thin slices that toast well
– It freezes also freezes well.

Things to try next time…
– try 3 T ea oil and honey
– more flax meal
– lighter starch?
– replace almond flour with something else… spelt?