Gluten Free Beef Stew

Jan28

It’s been awhile since I said I would post recipes so, here is another gluten-free recipe which is pretty IBD friendly..or at least for some IBDers.

Being that the temperature has been in the 20’s and I have been freezing my butt off lately, I wanted something that would be satisfying and warm me up. I was getting tired of my usual weekly menu and needed a change. When I was online one day, I saw a recipe for beef stew for a crock pot and I thought, I don’t have a crock pot but I can still make the stew. So, I went out shopping, got the ingredients, and made way to much stew. But is was so worth it because it was soooo good. And the cold will be around for a while so I have meals for another day.

Now, for the recipe, I didn’t measure out anything and it made about 8 servings. This is a dish that exact measurements aren’t needed and you can add whatever you want.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb cubed steak
3 Carrots – peeled and rough chopped
6 Celery Stalks – rough chopped
1 Parsnip – peeled and rough chopped
2 Large Potatoes – peeled and rough chopped
1 Onion – peeled and rough chopped (pearl onions work well also and require no prep)
1/2 Frozen Peas
64 oz Beef Broth
2 cans Diced Tomatoes
Olive oil
Gluten Free Flour or Corn Starch

Take your steak and coat in either the corn starch or flour. I decided to use flour just out of personal preference. Heat oil in a large stock pot and sear off meat. You don’t want to cook the meat all the way through, just brown it. You are sear it to seal in the juices. Also, you can do this in batches if the pot isn’t large enough.

After the meat is browned and removed from pot, add onions and more oil if needed. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. If you are using pearl onions, do not do this step. They will be added at the end.

When the onions are done, add some flour to make a roux. Cook this for a couple of minutes until the roux starts to brown. Add carrots, celery, parsnip, potatoes, beef, and stock. Stir well. Add any seasoning you like. They can be fresh or dried. I added some basil, oregano and salt. Again this is to your preference. Bring the stew to a boil.

When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 1 1/2 hours. When the stew is done, add the canned tomatoes and peas. If you are using pearl onions, add them also. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat. If the stew is still thin and not to your desired thickness, make a cornstarch slurry to add to it to thicken it up. Serve with some nice crusty bread.

Gluten Free Mac & Cheese

Sep22

I wanted to share with you another recipe I have that is gluten-free. I started making this recipe a couple of years ago when I was on Weight Watchers for the 2nd time. This is one of their recipes but I have modified it a little. Originally this wasn’t a gluten-free recipe but as my lifestyle changes, so do my recipes. For any vegans, you can also modify this using a dairy free cheese and soy or almond milk.

Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese – Serves 2

6 oz Uncooked Gluten Free Elbow Macaroni – you can use whatever brand you like
1 cup Fat Free Milk (can be lactose free, soy, almond, or regular)
1/8 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 cup Low Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cook pasta in water according to package. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, salt and onion powder until blended. Bring to a boil on a medium – low heat, whisking frequently. Reduce to a low heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese.

Add sauce to the cooked pasta, toss to coat, and serve.
I sometimes add cooked broccoli to this. You can also add meat to this dish like cubed ham. If you do, I would reduce the amount of pasta to 4 oz then.

Feel free to play with this recipe as there are a lot of things you can do with it. Some people add hot sauce or red pepper flakes. Some will add bread crumbs and bake it. Whatever you do, enjoy it like I always do.

Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan – Gluten Free

Sep4

As promised, here is the recipe for a delicious eggplant dish. First, I want to say that I did not create this recipe. I have changed it a little and the original can be found here http://glutenfreehappytummy.com/2012/08/15/eggplant-non-parmesan-gf-v-scd/. I have found a bunch of good gluten free recipes on her website (sorry, I don’t know the name of the woman who writes this blog). You can follow her recipe and it is really good. I just wanted to tweak it a little to match my taste palate. Also, one note…I wanted to post pictures of the cooking process but I got so wrapped up in making the dish I forgot to take pictures. I do have one of the finished dish that I will post at the end. So, here it is:

Serves 3

1 eggplant peeled, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
1/2 Cup Almond Milk – Unsweetened

2/3 cup Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour (mixed with a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder)

Sauce:

3 tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1 carrot and 1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp dried basil, oregano, and parsley
salt and pepper
fresh basil (garnish)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. After you slice your eggplant, set up your “breading station.” You will need one bowl with your milk, a plate with your flour mixture, and a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil sprayed baking sheet. Dunk your eggplant in the milk, coat it with the flour and place on the baking sheet. Spray all the tops with olive oil, and then bake for 40 minutes until golden brown, flipping half way through.

Meanwhile, on the stove, saute your onion in 1 tsp EVOO, with salt, pepper, dried oregano and basil. Add your carrot and celery, and let it soften, about 6 minutes. Finally, add in your tomatoes and garlic. Let them cook for about 3 minutes. Mash with a potato masher, or put in the food processor to create your desired consistency.

After you have pureed your tomatoes, place back onto the stove and put a small flame under it. Bring to a small boil to reduce out some of the liquid. Taste it and reseason it if you need to.

When the eggplant is done, place 3 slices on a plate, layering them over each other. Spoon some of the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant. Place the basil in the center for garnish and serve.

Now to make this truly a parmesan you need some cheese. I didn’t do it this time, but you can add either shaved parmesan or romano cheese to this. You can also add some of the pearl mozzarella balls to this. Either would make a nice garnish and addition to the meal.

Enjoy.