Category: Low Gluten

Slow Cooker Sausage with Sweet Vegetables

Posted on by Lisa P

I found the original recipe in the Wegmans MENU magazine, but made several changes to it to make it not require Wegmans’ prepared ingredients.  It was originally named “Slow-Cooked Italian Sausage Agrodolce” and I figured out after the fact that “agrodolce” must mean sweet vegetables.  Interestingly the recipe doesn’t use “sweet vegetables” but it does use vegetables and a sweet sauce.  It tastes kind of like a German-flavored barbecued sausage.

I know, the flavor sounds weird, but as I sat there eating this concoction I was inspired to state out loud to my husband and guest, “This is damn good.”  So there you have it.

Time:

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 9.5 hours

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs sweet Italian sausage (links)
1 Tbsp EVOO
8 C sliced green cabbage
2 C sliced red onions
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 C golden raisins (optional)
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1-6oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 C red wine vinegar
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp honey

bread and salad to serve with
1 6-7 Qt slow cooker

Directions:

1. Slice cabbage and onions and add to bottom of slow cooker. Chop garlic and add that to slow cooker also.

2. Combine raisins, tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, vinegar, and honey in a bowl.  Pour this into the slow cooker over the vegetables and spread it with the back of a large spoon.

3. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat.  Brown sausage about 5-8 minutes.  Place sausage links in the slow cooker on top of everything else.

4. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours.

5. Serve on plates or in large pasta bowls, along with some crusty bread and a simple salad.

Nutrition:

6 servings
1 serving = 1 sausage and 1/6 of the vegetables and sauce
400 calories per serving

Sweet Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

Sweet Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

Posted on by Lisa P

I experiment a lot with different combinations of ingredients in my smoothies.  The vast majority come out “good”, some come out “meh” and once in a while a combination will come out fantastic.

Of course everyone’s taste is different, and much depends on the quality of your ingredients… but I personally thought this smoothie came out fantastic. The combination of fruits and sweet veggies along with the almond butter makes this yummy smoothie one that can serve as an entire meal.

Ingredients:

2 C (or so) of red seedless grapes, washed
1 apple, cored and chopped into 4 pieces or so
2 dates, pits removed
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into a few pieces
1 stalk celery with leaves, washed and cut into 3-4 pieces
1 large banana
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 small piece of lime without rind (lemon works too)
1/2 C organic gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 C hemp seeds (optional)
2 big tablespoons of almond butter
1 tray of ice
1 sm carton of high protein yogurt (optional)
a little bit of water (if needed) to get it to your preferred consistency

Put everything in your Vita-Mix or Blend-Tec (or other high-powered) blender and use the instructions provided by your manufacturer to bring it up to high speed as quickly as possible. Blend on high for about 45 seconds.

Serves 2

Roasted Turkey Thighs & Potatoes with Broccoli

Roasted Turkey Thighs & Potatoes with Broccoli

Posted on by Lisa P

Serves 2-4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes

This weeknight meal is so effortless, it practically makes itself! If you use very large thighs you will have leftover meat to use in another meal later in the week.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of (2) turkey thighs
  • 1-2 Tbsp steak or other rub-type seasoning blend
  • 2 baking potatoes (white or sweet)
  • 1 bunch of broccoli (or replace with green beans or zucchini or salad or whatever greens you like)
  • olive oil
  • Salt & pepper or other desired seasoning
  • Potato fixings: Butter, chives, sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375F on convection, or 400F on regular.
  2. Scrub the potatoes under running water, and wrap them in squares of tinfoil.  Puncture with a sharp knife in several places. Set aside.
  3. Remove turkey thighs from package and cut away any excess fat or loose bone materials.
  4. Put the thighs skin-side up on a cutting mat or kitchen towel. Sprinkle with the seasoning mix and lightly rub the seasoning into the turkey.
  5. Dribble some olive oil onto a small roasting pan. Place the thighs skin side down in the pan and sprinkle the exposed side with the seasoning. Lightly rub the seasoning in with your fingers.
  6. Place the pan in the oven, along with the potatoes and set a timer for 30 minutes.
  7. After 30 minutes, turn the thighs over (skin side up now) and rotate the potatoes.  Set the timer for another 30 minutes.
  8. Prep your broccoli (or other green vegetable) by trimming off the hard ends and little leaves, and cutting into mouth-sized pieces.  Put into a sauce pan with a quarter inch or so of water in it (or use a steamer), and cover.
  9. When the turkey and potatoes are done remove them from the oven and set aside.
    Put a clean towel over the turkey (not foil).
  10. Cook the broccoli about 6 minutes or until crunchy tender.
  11. Serve all! Put some butter, plain greek yogurt (or sour cream), and salt and pepper on the table for dressing the potatoes.

Photos

Step 5 – Put turkey in pan.
Raw turkey thighs with rub

Step 6 – Put turkey and potatoes in oven.
Turkey and Potatoes in the Oven

Nutrition Info

Oops, not here yet. Coming soon!

Yummy Rummy Pineapple Smoothie Drink

Posted on by Lisa P

I whipped this up during a break from cleaning the garage on a Saturday afternoon. I didn’t use the garnish at the time, but I think it’s a nice touch don’t you?

1/3 fresh pineapple, skinned & including core, cut into large cubes (500 g)
1-1/2 cups ice cubes (300 g)
3/4 cup rum
Agave to taste

Garnish:
Extra pineapple chunks without core (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)

1. Blend pineapple and ice cubes in a Vitamix or heavy duty bar blender. If using Vitamix blend on high for one minute.

2. Add rum and approximately 3 tablespoons agave nectar. Blend on medium for about 15 seconds.

3. Taste for sweetness. Add more agave if needed and reblend for a few seconds. Pour into small drink cups. I prefer plastic highball glasses for use on the deck.

4. Optional. Put two or three pineapple chunks on a toothpick and place on top of each glass. Add a small mint leaf for a nice final touch.

Salud!

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?