Vegetarian

Bean and Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 Gala apple, diced into small pieces
  • 1 medium-large pear, diced into small pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups of yellow sweet corn
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
  • 1/6 cup cilantro, minced
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lime
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • Salt to taste

Dice the apple and pear. Cut the lime in fourths. Squeeze one fourth of the lime on the cut apple and pear. Combine sweet corn, drained beans, cut apple and pear in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and stir well. Add in scallions, cilantro, and cumin. Mix throughly. Squeeze the remaining three-fourths of the lime over the salad. Stir. Taste the salad and add desired amount of salt. (We added about 1/2 tsp. of salt to taste). Enjoy the refreshing summer salad! Serve cold.

Express Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp. dry ground coriander powder
  • 3 tbsp. cooking oil
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. red chili powder
  • a pinch of turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. clarified butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. garlic ginger paste
  • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 cup cooked basmati rice
  • cilantro, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Pour cooking oil on a skillet on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric and wait for the cumin seeds to start crackling in the oil. When it is crackling, add the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Then, add the garlic ginger paste and continue to mix until the onions are lightly browned. Next, toss in the mixed vegetables and continue to sauté for three more minutes. Finally, add the cooked rice to the skillet and mix well so the spices are evenly spread. Lastly, fold in a teaspoon of clarified butter to add softness and flavor to the rice. Serve warm and sprinkle cilantro over the rice. It tastes great on the side of any meat or seafood. Also great by itself! Enjoy!

Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 8 pieces of Tinkyáda Organic Brown Rice Pasta Lasagne*
  • 10 ounces of frozen chopped spinach, thawed**
  • 1 cup broccoli, chopped
  • 1 cup asparagus, chopped
  • 24 ounces of marinara sauce
  • 8 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese, grated
  • Italian spices
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the lasagna in a large pan of boiling water for approximately 10 minutes, allowing the lasagna to cook. Add spinach, broccoli, and asparagus to another pan; add olive oil, Italian spices, and salt to the veggies. Allow to them cook for approximately 5 minutes. Layer a large rectangular dish with marinara sauce followed by 3 pieces of lasagna. Make sure the lasagna completely covers the surface area of the dish. Then add half of the prepared veggies and spread evenly. Add half of the ricotta and spread evenly. Repeat the layering: add sauce, followed by 2 pieces of lasagna, veggies, and ricotta. For the last round of layering, add a thin layer of sauce, 3 pieces of lasagna, the remainder of sauce, and mozzarella cheese to cover the sauce. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes.

*I have been using Tinkyáda lasagna for many years and have made many delicious lasagnas! However, feel free to use any brand of gluten-free lasagna that is to your liking

**You can also use fresh spinach if you desire

Le Pain Quotidien

“Something beautiful is on the horizon.”

It’s a new age. A new time. A new beginning. You are no longer a foreign entity. In fact, you may be considered a trendsetter of sorts. People recognize, accept, and understand what the phrase “gluten-free” means. Restaurants accommodate people who are “gluten-free”. And more and more people are joining the bandwagon and becoming “gluten-free”. It’s a wonderful new world.

Early this month, my friends and I decided to check out the new place in town. Originally, a Cosi’s stood at the intersection in our town, but right before our eyes came a French eatery- Le Pain Quotidien. Although we weren’t all too sentimental over the loss of the Cosi’s, we couldn’t confirm our feeling towards the change until we tried out the new restaurant. Of course before we went, I scoured the menu online looking for gluten-free options. Now I didn’t find a whole separate gluten-free menu; however, I did discover an array of wonderful gluten-free choices. In the “Tartines” or Belgian open-faced sandwiches, you have the option of gluten-free bread that can be topped with curried chicken salad, smoked salmon,  and paris ham & aged gruyère just to name a few. The menu also has a variety of salads that honestly I am dying to try. The smoked salmon and beet salad will most definitely be my next meal at this restaurant! As for what I ate this time, I had a six-vegetable tart. It consisted of artichoke, vegetables, and tofu on a gluten-free buckwheat crust. It was a lighter, more veggie-ful version of a quiche. Similar shape and size, but a completely different dish when it hits your taste pallet. Additionally, this restaurant marks all its vegan options on the menu!

Although I didn’t indulge in the desserts at this restaurant, they had a few gluten-free options. Both their coconut macaroons and almond meringue are gluten-free. However, the menu online is a sample menu, so the menu based on location can vary. The location I dined at only had the macaroons, for example (and coconut just wasn’t sounding all too appealing to me that day), however I was lucky that they did have the six vegetable tart.

In addition to the dining experience, you can also shop their selections of teas, nut butters, spreads, sauces, marinades, pastries, cookies, cakes, etc. Granted, not everything is gluten-free, there is still a decent selection that I think is worth browsing. If you do have a location nearby, I would highly recommend making the trip. I like to call it the new and cozier Cosi’s!

Cheers,

Anika

Pear and Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 green pear, cut into 1×1 inch pieces
  • 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/3-1/2 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into cubes*
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

Simply prepare the pear, tomatoes and mozzarella by cutting them to the appropriate size and place in a salad bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper, basil and parsley). Mix throughly. Pour this mixture over the pear, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Stir well and serve!

Enjoy!

* The amount of cheese is honestly up to you. I would recommend using either half or one-third of the fresh cheese

Kale Chips

I finally jumped on the bandwagon and decided to try out kale chips! This is my first batch, so some adjustments will need to be made, but anyways here’s the prototype recipe…

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of fresh kale, washed
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the kale leaves and dry them completely. Cut the hard stem of the leaves. Then cut the leaves into small one by one inch pieces. Sprinkle olive oil over the pieces of kale. Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes at 300°F, or until crispy (add an extra minute if need be). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!