The Weekly Menu

Category: Gluten-Free Recipes

Gluten-Free Recipes / Sweets / Urban Patio Gardening

Zinfandel Grape Sauce | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Zinfandel Grape Sauce Once a year I love making a peach cobbler while peaches are in season. And of course we need a scoop of @nadamoo gluten-free and vegan Vanilla…AHHH ice cream. Last year I had two clusters of Zinfandel grapes on the vines and I made it into a Zinfandel grape sauce.  And poured that over the cobbler and ice cream.  It was insanely good.    This year our grapevine went crazy and we have so many clusters of grapes.  These that are ripening and tons of new growth on the ends. So I wanted to make the Zinfandel grape sauce again for the summer peach cobbler as well as freeze the grape juice from this first batch into cubes.  Ideally, one day we’ll...

Gluten-Free Recipes / Side Dish

Salt Lick Potato Salad | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

This is a copy cat of the amazing potato salad at the Salt Lick BBQ. It is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, too! Salt Lick Potato Salad The Salt Lick is a BBQ institution just outside Austin in Driftwood, Texas.   We’ve been going there since my college days at The University of Texas in Austin starting around 1990.   We take friends when they come to visit us and now that we live kinda close enough we’ll go there for dinner on a Wednesday.  And they are always busy. There are so many great places for BBQ in this town, but the Salt Lick feels like home to me.  And let me tell you that the potato salad is one of my absolute favorite BBQ...

Gluten-Free Recipes / Side Dish

Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts | Gluten-Free

Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts These crispy Parmesan Brussels sprouts are one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes in our dinner rotation. It is basically a Parmesan crisp with a delectable little roasted vegetable attached. It adds a nice bit of salt and texture and yum to any meal. I love Brussels sprouts because they are so versatile. Oh man, I absolutely love them raw or tossed in bacon fat like these Bacon Brussels sprouts or roasted and tossed in Balsamic vinegar. I die for the charred Brussels at The Peached Tortilla. So good! But I love these crispy Parmesan Brussels because they are so easy to make and taste so amazing. It really is an awesome side dish. Thank goodness my body tolerates Parmesan...

Dinner / Gluten-Free Recipes / Urban Patio Gardening

Grape Leaf Chimichurri | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

This was a fun experiment in the kitchen that turned out pretty well.  We used grape leaves and oregano from the backyard to make a grape leaf chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri Sauce Chimichurri sauce is a green spicy herb sauce that originated in Argentina.  It is typically made with parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.   Two of our favorite restaurants in town, District Kitchen + Cocktails and Fresa’s Chicken, serve a beef dish covered with chimichurri.  And it is one of my absolute favorites!    Right now I have so much oregano growing on the patio garden that I just had to try to make it at home.   But I also have a crazy grape vine...

red lentil, wild rice, mushroom, carrot and chicken soup

Dinner / Gluten-Free Recipes

Red Lentil and Wild Rice Soup | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Red Lentil and Wild Rice Soup I was so excited about how this red lentil and wild rice soup turned out!   You know we’ve been trying to eat more dietary fiber to improve gut health with prebiotics (foods that feed our gut microbiota).  Especially more lentils. And this soup is packed full of dietary fiber! #feedthegutbugs I just love soups and stews because you get the flavors of comfort food without the excess calories. I think this recipe for red lentil and wild rice soup is my new favorite. And it is hard to beat my love for one of my recent creations – Bison Enchilada Soup. Red Lentils Okay, so I’ve been reading about the different types and flavors of lentils. Red lentils...

Gluten-Free Recipes / Microbiome & Science / Salads

“Healthified” Fried Chicken Salad | Gluten-Free, Goat’s Milk

Fried Chicken Salad with Ranch Dressing I think it might be one of my very favorite things. Fried chicken salad with ranch dressing was one of my go-to orders at Whataburger. I don’t know if they even serve them anymore. But we often make them at home now – just a much healthier gluten-free version. We use goat’s milk yogurt and a ranch spice blend to make the dressing instead of bottled ranch because it is better for gut health. Food Choices For Gut Health Since I’ve been reading about gut health and how important it is to feed our gut microbiota both prebiotics and probiotics, we’ve adapted so many classic favorites into much healthier versions. Prebiotics feed our gut bacteria while probiotics help our...

Food Choices / Gluten-Free Recipes / Side Dish

Mesquite Smoked Asparagus | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Mesquite Smoked Asparagus One of our favorite restaurants, District Kitchen + Cocktails, serves the most delicious seasonal and locally sourced food.  And so much of it can be made gluten-free.   Right now asparagus is plentiful and in season and of course on their menu.   I love asparagus because it is a detoxifier (glutathione), feeds the gut bacteria (inulin) and contains lots of vitamins and minerals.  But I LOVE the asparagus they serve at District.  They always knock it out of the park.   It is grilled and has this lovely woody smoky flavor.   So of course I had to try it at home.   Usually I just blanch asparagus or throw it in the oven with other roasting veggies near the end....

Dinner / Gluten-Free Recipes / Microbiome & Science

Healthified Stuffed Peppers | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Healthifying A Classic Comfort Food – Stuffed Peppers Today’s recipe is a healthier version of a classic comfort food staple – stuffed peppers.   Along with details of the things we change to clean it up.   Where the food comes from and what may be lurking along plays a role.   But first, let’s talk about the gut microbiome and lentils.  Because we are adding lentils to everything now! As you know, I’m obsessed with the gut microbiome and how it is linked to the immune system.  I’m reading The Good Gut by the Drs. Sonnenburg and it is eye-opening to say the least.   They are a husband and wife team at Stanford that have researched gut microbiota for years.   It is...

Dinner / Gluten-Free Recipes

Thai Turkey Burgers | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Thai Turkey Burgers These Thai turkey burgers are a staple on our weekly menus and after many years, we’re still not tired of them!   They are so good and easy to make and add a really a nice flavor profile to otherwise kinda boring white meat lean ground turkey (locally sourced and antibiotic-free).   It only takes a few ingredients and very little time to whip these burgers up with ground turkey, green onions, GF Thai red curry paste and GF coconut aminos.  Plus a little salt and pepper,  That’s it!  If you like a little more heat you could could add a pinch of cayenne pepper or dried Thai chili pepper. We like to eat the burgers with sweet potato fries and spiked...

Gluten-Free Recipes / Salads / Urban Patio Gardening

Asparagus Mango Spring Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons | Gluten-Free

Asparagus and Mango Spring Salad Spring is here! I love this time of year so much. Nothing says spring like asparagus.  And the fruit available this time of year include some of my favorites. We found the most wonderful sweet grapes called Candy Hearts from Melissa’s Produce and organic mangos. So an asparagus and mango spring salad sounded perfect. We’ve been growing our own asparagus and this is the first season we could actually harvest it.  Although we live in an apartment, there is a nice sized back yard so I have potted herbs and plants growing everywhere. We have basil, thyme, oregano, and chives growing. Basil really grows well when planted with tomatoes. When I first started planting things, I used this great book...