Homemade Cheeseburger Pasta (Gluten Free)

Homemade Cheeseburger Pasta
(serves 2)

1/4 lbs Corn Pasta, Penne
1/2 lbs Ground beef (or turkey, or Shredded zucchini for veggie)
1 Tablespoon olive oil, light in flavor
1 Tablespoon gluten free flour ( I used masa)
Almond milk
2 Tablespoons Parmesan
3/4 cup shredded cheddar

This recipe has cheddar and Parmesan cheese in it so it is not dairy free, however the white sauce is made with almond milk to reduce the amount of dairy.

To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put some water on to boil for your pasta. Then put your ground meat in a pan on medium low and stir as needed until browned.

Next start your white sauce by putting your oil and flour in a small saucepan. Turn on heat to medium and stir continuously while very slowly adding some almond milk. Start by adding 1/4 cup almond milk and stirring until smooth, then add 1 tablespoon at a time there after until smooth but not watery. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken as it heats so a little thin is OK at first. Once hot add the Parmesan and  1/2 the cheddar and stir until smooth, add some more almond milk to thin out if it becomes too thick after adding cheese.

If your water is boiling add your pasta and boil according to package directions.
Next get an 8 x 8" pan and put your fully cooked meat in it.

When your pasta is done add to pan with meat and stir in cheese sauce

Then top with remaining cheddar cheese

And bake until cheese is melted, top with grated Parmesan and serve. 

Dairy Free Moussaka

Dairy Free Moussaka

This is a dish that blends a lot of flavors and tastes wonderful. One of my favorites every summer because I can get the eggplant right from my garden. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then slice up the eggplant and soak in salt water while you prep the other ingredients.

 Then chop up the onions and saute in the olive oil until translucent. 

Mince the garlic and add to the skillet with the onions. Fresh garlic is amazing, after growing it for the first time a few years back it is always in my garden now. 

Oregano is another staple in my garden and this recipe tastes best with fresh oregano which you can get at the store if you don't have any in the garden, but dry will work too. chop up the oregano and set aside.

Next add the ground turkey to the onions and garlic and cook until browned. 

While the turkey is browning start the white sauce on another burner. Mix the oat milk and goat chevre on low to medium heat and stir until thick. Add a little rice flour to thicken if too thin. 

It should be thick enough to spread but not chunky.

As the white sauce thickens add the tomato sauce to the ground turkey along with the oregano and nutmeg and cinnamon. Let Simmer on low for 2 minutes to let flavors blend then remove from burner and set aside.

Lastly saute the eggplant till slightly golden on both sides

Lightly oil a 9x9 baking dish

line the bottom of the pan with some of the slices of eggplant

Cube the remaining eggplant and set aside.

Layer the remaining ingredients into the pan starting with the ground turkey.

Next add tghe cubed eggplant and top off with the white sauce, spread evenly over the eggplant.

Put into the oven preheated at 350 degrees

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown 

Moussaka Recipe
Serves 6

Filling:
1 large eggplant, or 2 chinese eggplant
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 large red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 12oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup white wine

white sauce:
1/2 cup oat milk
6 oz plain chevre
1/4 cup glutinous rice flour

Maple Bacon Oatmeal

Maple-Bacon Oatmeal

I came up with this recipe because I didn't like oatmeal growing up, but I know how healthy and good for me it is. First, I used steel-cut oats instead of rolled oats, which I discovered I loved! The texture is completely different and a little chewy, so even plain they don't have that cardboard flavor I abhorred in rolled oats when I was growing up. The only downside to steel cut is they take longer to cook, but I found a quick cooking steel cut oats made by Bob's Red Mill. Start by cooking oatmeal according to the instructions.

Next, I wanted something to replace the raisins, so I decided to crumble bacon into it....oh yes I did. One strip of bacon per serving, chopped up and stirred in.

Last, but definitely not least, I use a little maple syrup to sweeten it, and it's been a hit with everyone in the house. Put 1/2 tablespoon per serving. 

Maple-Bacon Oatmeal recipe (makes 4 servings)

2 cups hot water

1 cup quick cook steel cut oats

4 strips bacon

2 Tablespoons Maple syrup

Cold weather, Hot chili

Homemade Chili

 An in-house favorite!

On a cold day this is a recipe that is quick and easy. There are ingredients that you can add prepared or take the time to go scratch all the way. Having done both, this recipe turns out delicious either way. I will also be pointing out good substitutions to make this recipe vegan. 

Start out with some chopped onions in a preheated pan with a little olive oil. Add some ground turkey, or shredded zucchini for a vegan recipe. I have also split it half turkey/half zucchini and it comes out great with a little extra veggie.

Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and add to mixture in pan. Chop up peppers and set aside, or add just jalapenos to cook out some of the heat for a cooler version. I have also used fresh habaneros from my garden to spice it up. Add chili, cayenne, and some salt/pepper to taste. Then keep mixing until spice is throughout and turkey is fully cooked.

For the refried beans you can add a can, or you can buy some pinto beans (or make some pinto beans) and mash them yourself. I have found the pre-canned to have too much salt for me and have begun mashing myself. To do this I take the pintos canned, rinse them, and put them in a blender with the spaghetti sauce. You may have to add a little water for the right consistency.

Before adding my homemade refried bean mixture, I add the kidney beans to the turkey and brown them a little. This is where you add the jalapenos if you didn't add them earlier to cook out some of the heat. Then add the pinto bean mixture and finally the chopped bell peppers. cover, and let simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend.

The Recipe for Homemade Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 to 3 jalapenos, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can refried beans
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Dinner From The Garden: Gluten-Free Pasta and Corn Sauce

Gluten-Free Pasta and Corn Sauce

I made this with the last harvest from my garden this year. Traditionally, the recipe calls for one red and one green bell pepper, but what I had in my garden was an Ubatuba pepper which is red and a banana pepper which I picked green. Despite warnings of being super hot, I found the Ubatuba to be mild and a perfect substitution for the red bell. Also from the garden I picked fresh basil, which unfortunately is seasonal, and fresh oregano, which I have kept outside for years now without losing it. Finally, the last ingredient from the garden was elephant garlic. 

This was my first year growing it and I have to admit there will not be another year I don't grow garlic. 

Fresh garlic is so amazing. 

Moving on, I purchased an onion, oat milk (made by Pacific), extra virgin olive oil, bacon, corn, and corn pasta. All were easy to find at my local co-op and Trader Joe's. Starting with the the upper left square in the picture above, I chopped all the peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs before setting them aside. 

I cooked the corn and then cut it off the cob and set it aside. I measured out the pasta and put some water on to boil. At this point, if you really wanted, you could measure out the oil and oat milk but I usually eyeball it so you won't see it in the picture. 

Next, as you can see in the upper right of the picture above, I have heated a pan with olive oil and then added the chopped peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs. I stirred for a minute and then added the corn as shown in the bottom left of the picture. 

The last picture shows the oat milk being added and left on low to let the flavors blend. While that is happening, cook the pasta and a strip of bacon. When this is done, pour the sauce over the pasta and crumble bacon over the top. 

This was my favorite dish as a kid. My family had a tradition of choosing your meals for your birthday, and I always chose this for dinner. Of course back then I wasn't glucose and dairy-free, so it was shells with corn sauce and the recipe called for heavy whipping cream. Despite my modifications to create a healthier dish, I can't tell the difference! It's still one of my favorites, and I'm happy to share it with everyone.

For you chefs out there, here's the recipe!

12 oz. pasta of your choice cooked according to package instructions (shells are my favorite; Penne was what I could find on short notice)

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 mild red pepper, chopped

1 mild green pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (or one elephant clove if you can find it)

Salt and pepper to taste

12 oz. fresh corn cooked and cut from cob (about 6 ears)

1 cup oat milk (may add more or less for a thicker or thinner sauce)