Hello! I'll share with you some of my favorite website, principles and applications to make a variety of meals that don't have gluten, soy, dairy, meat, corn, peanuts, sugar and eggs. That's pretty much how I eat most the time. I feel great :) We have a daughter with gluten sensitivities, it shows up as eczema for her.
Simple. Healthy. Tasty You can find a lot of different recipes on here. I refer to her website multiple times a month. My favorite cookie is Maple Walnut. You can sub the wheat flour for Kamut or any other gluten free flour you like. Do not over bake...even the batter is delicious! Her Chickpea (chicken) Salad Sandwich is always a hit (caution: make a double or triple batch. It makes excellent leftovers!) We love her cheezy sauce too!
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Simple. Healthy. Tasty
Rewind back to January of 2014 — you likely made plans back then for yourself. You perhaps even took up some new year’s resolutions.
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My Vegan Cookbook I love this site for mock meat and mock cheese making especially. Sometime's I'm craving the taste of meat (which is actually just the flavor spices) and I find that here. Everything I have ever tired has been delicious. You might be interested in the Pulled Palm (pork) Sandwiches, they really hit the spot and make your house smell soooo good! His cheesy sauce is awesome as well.
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My Vegan Cookbook
Low fat & fat free vegan recipes. Plant-based & Healthy.
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Principles and Applications
If I want to make something specific for a meal, snack or dessert, then I Google "gluten free vegan __________ (meatloaf, party food, pie)" and that will usually fit the criteria and yield lots of options.
1. Our breakfast around here is usually oatmeal, cream of wheat, fresh fruit or gluten free pancakes. Lunches and snacks have a lot of raw cut fruits and veggies, sometimes sandwiches (loaded veggies with hummus or veganaise. Instead of peanut butter have you tried sunbutter, almondbutter or cashewbutter?) We've tried all the plant milks (flax, almond, coconut, soy) use which one you like the taste of most.
2. Dinners STAR the vegetables, veggies are the "meat" of the meal and can be prepared deliciously. The BIGGEST key for deliciousness (translate: I don't miss the old way of eating because this stuff tastes dang good), then you're going to have to become a "Spice Master." I don't know if your know-how is limited or abundant on how they are paired together, or what you have on hand, but it is vital. I wish someone offered a course in it spice usage...! If you're like me, you'll buy new ones to experiment with.
When I go grocery shopping I have all these things in mind. Here's how I do dinner:
a. Have a variety of "bases" on hand, such as: white rice, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, gluten free pastas, gluten free flour (to make crusts, breads, biscuits, muffins...), red beans, black beans, white beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, brown lentils, red lentils
b. Keep common "add-ins" on hand such as: red onions, yellow onions, white onions, green onions, garlic, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh herbs, etc...
c. Have a variety of the "Star" on hand, such as: head of cauliflower, bag of brussel sprouts, red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow potatoes, a pack of zucchini, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, eggplant, etc (See Moses 2:29)
d. Have "flavors" on hand such as: garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, thyme, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, sage, Italian seasoning, cumin, savory, chili, ginger, dill, rosemary, paprika, celery salt, marjoram (the list goes on).
For that extra savory kick, using 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, Wright's brand liquid Hickory Smoke, or lemon juice takes the food to the next level (of tastes just like the restaurant!!)
Then I decide what I want to make. Is it a soup, casserole, do we want to grill this?
* Soup-easy! Pull out your crockpot between morning and noon time and pick 1-3 "bases" to throw in there. Chop up and and place the "add-ins" you prefer. Pick your "Star Veggie" chopped as you like. Add "flavors" to make it amazing. This is where experimenting is fun!! Add hot water to your crock, place the lid on and turn it up to high, and in 4-6 hours you have a great smelling house and dinner ready to go. Soups are great Sunday meals, when you're coming home from lots of errands, or if you just like a versatile in taste that's an easy meal to prepare.
* Casserole-easy! Get your baking dish out and basically do the same thing that you did with the soup ( only add a little water if you're adding quinoa, gluten free noodles, or rice on the bottom layer to help it cook). If you're not using any foods like that, then the water released as steam from the veggies will cook everything just fine! Place a lid over the dish as cook at 350 for 45 min to an hour and a half (depending on what you have in there).
Instead of making a casserole with one flavor, split them up and cook each item separately. For example: Chopping a head of cauliflower and a yellow onion drizzled with olive oil, shake on generous amounts of garlic powder, cover and cook for 45-min to an hour. Cook some wild rice on the stove, add salt pepper, minced onion and curry powder as a side dish. Chop carrots and boil, adding honey for sweetness after draining off the water.
* Grilling? Marinating veggies is an option! Make up a big batch so you can fill up on good food!
Tips for Beans. We eat a lot of beans because they are cheap (even cheaper in bulk) and filling and yummy. Many people have stomach issues with beans. Here's how we avoid that. If you buy canned beans you will notice they are firm, make sure when you cook them on the stove you are cooking them really well. With dry beans, I don't do the "wash, rinse, pre-soak..and on..." I don't know who came up with that? Anyway, dry beans can be ready in about 4 hours if you put hot water in a crock pot, on high, covered. When beans are thoroughly cooked, we have no problem with them at all (except the kidney beans-haven't been able to figure them out yet ;)
Tips for Squash. Squashes are yummy with a wide variety of flavors. This is another easy fix for preparation (aka life hack). Don't pre-cut your squash (and all the other things they tell you to do with foil and water bowl). I don't have time for all that stuff! Plus, I fear for my appendages attempting to cut the darn things. Simply place the squash(es) on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 400 degrees. The water in the squash will cook it. After 30 minutes, pierce it with a knife to let steam escape (make sure to make a small hole! If not poked, and left in too long, it will explode. True story, lol...) Since no squash is created equal, you will know it is done when you can pierce the knife through the thickest part and when it goes in and out easily, it's ready! Cut it in half (scoop the seeds out if you want) and use it as a "bowl" or take the meat out and mix with whatever else you are serving for dinner.
I hope some of this can be helpful to you. I have found from eating like this for several years, that I don't have to miss out on any of my favorite flavors (even the ones associated with meats. Now plant cheese tasting exactly like cow's cheese? That's the final frontier! haha). I have gained more confidence in the kitchen. I literally went from being a "hamburger helper-hot dog-macaroni and cheese-pizza" person to someone who knows my way around the produce isles and can rival almost anyone on flavor for making veggies taste awesome. (That was not my primary goal, just a by product of it. My real goal was mental related. By changing my diet I healed myself from being probably bi-polar. That's how bad the additives and preservatives companies put in processed foods are!! I stopped eating them and the mental issues went away.) If you have any more questions, just let me know! Good luck!!!
