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Quick and Easy Meals

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Mon, 08/25/2014 - 01:50
spinach quesadillas
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas, Green Salad
Monday - Bok Choy Stir Fry
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin
Wednesday - Turkey and Squash Pasta
Thursday -Lentil Soup, Sweet Potato Wedges, Broccoli
Friday - GF Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Steamed Cauliflower



This week we're focusing on Quick Meals. This is my specialty because I'm usually tired when I come home from work but I really try to put a healthy meal on the table every night. There are a few Pinterest Pages to check out. I have several of my fast weeknight meal recipes included on this pinterest board.

Gluten-Free Dinners on Pinterest

Also if you haven't discovered Lynn's Kitchen Adventures and her amazing gluten-free pinterest boards, please check it out. She really must spend a lot of time on her boards. My Spinach Quesadillas recipe was posted on her Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas board.

Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas

About This Week's Menu
This week is all about quick and easy. The first day of school for us is tomorrow and so the past week has been busy getting our kindergartener ready and excited for school! I tried to make this week easy with a lot of quick favorites. Now is not the time to tackle new recipes. Luckily I have a lot of quick recipes on hand that I can use for times like these. On Sunday we're having Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas. This is my most pinned and visited page so it much strike a chord with people. Stir fry's are always good for quick and easy. One of my favorite vegetables to use in stir fry is baby bok choy and we're using that in Monday night's meal. Tuesday is Pulled Pork in the slow cooker. Although it is a slow using the Crock Pot is always easy and a great solution for busy work weeks. Wednesday we're having Turkey and Squash Pasta. I think the winning ingredient in this recipe is the fennel so definitely try to get that if you're going to try this recipe. Thursday we're having Lentil Soup which is definitely the fasted bean soup to make. On Friday we're going to use some of the leftover pulled-pork for sandwiches and endive wraps.

Be sure to check out the Gluten-free menu swap this week at Celiac Family.

Tags: 
gluten-free
weeknight

Valentine's Day Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Mon, 02/10/2014 - 03:47

This week's gluten-free menu -
Sunday - Honey Chicken, House Green Salad, Corn
Monday -Love Potion Salad, Gluten-Free French Onion Soup
Tuesday - Gluten-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Broccoli
Wednesday - Almond Encrusted Halibut, Spinach
Thursday - Chicken and Oysters Gumbo
Friday - Filet Mignon, Red Wine, Asparagus, Finger Potatoes, and GF Double Chocolate Brownies

At GlutenFreeWeek it's Valentine's Day all week long and we're going to make things interesting.  According to this article (and various other internet articles) these foods are all aphrodisiacs :  pomegranates, basil leaves, avocados, oysters, almonds, red wine, garlic, asparagus, honey, and chocolate. So this week we're going to try to put as many of those foods as we can into our menus! On Sunday we'll start things off with a sweet and easy Honey Chicken Recipe.  On Monday we'll get things going with a Love Potion Salad.  This has as many aphrodisiac ingredients that will go together into one bowl including pomegranates, basil, and avocados.  On Tuesday we'll have Spaghetti and Meatballs.  What's more romantic than Lady and the Tramp sharing a bowl of spaghetti together?  We'll make sure to put lots of fresh garlic and basil in the sauce!  On Wednesday we'll keep the theme going with Almond Encrusted Halibut. On Thursday we'll have Chicken and Oyster Gumbo.  Not only are oysters supposed to spice things up in the love department, but they are full of nutrition too!  And on Valentine's Day itself, the grand finale, we'll have Filet Mignon, Red Wine, Asparagus, Finger Potatoes, and Chocolate Brownies.  Whew!  It's getting hot in the kitchen!

This week GlutenFreeWeek is participating in Organzing Junkie's Menu Planning Monday and by Heather in the Gluten Free Menu Swap hosted by Celiac Family.

Tags: 
gluten free
gluten-free
valentine's day
holiday
aphrodisiac foods

Stuffed Bell Peppers Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Tue, 07/23/2013 - 21:37

This week's Gluten Free Menu:
Sunday - Stuffed Bell Peppers
Monday - Rotini with Salsa Crude
Tuesday - Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday - Grape and Craisin Chicken Salad and Fruit Salad
Thursday - Steak and Pear Salad
Friday - GF Chicken Sausage and Cauliflower Potato Mash

This week the Sunday meal is Stuffed Bell Peppers.  This meal always takes me a while to prepare but is a great traditional meal that is easily converted to a gluten-free dish. I'm excited to try a Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.  Hopefully I can find ways to make this recipe simpler so that it can be an easier work week meal.  I'm also making Cranberry and Chicken Salad.  I like to make extra for sandwiches to take to work or school for lunch. I'm also serving Steak and Pear Salad, Rotini with Salsa Crude, and a very simple Friday meal with Gluten-Free Chicken Sausage and Cauliflower Potato Mash.

Tags: 
green peppers
gluten-free
gluten free
bell peppers

Nutmeg

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Sun, 12/14/2014 - 15:36

This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Chicken Marsala, Green Salad
Monday - Baked Salmon, Vegetable Medley, Brown Rice
Tuesday - Chicken and Rice Soup, Apples and Cheese
Wednesday - Turkey Burgers, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday - Steak , Finger Potatoes, Green Salad
Friday - Shrimp Cocktail, Fresh Cut Vegetables, GF Bruschetta

About This Week's Menu
I have not been feeling so well, so I'm keeping chicken soup on the menu. I'm planning on cooking that in the Crockpot. I've also added more seafood this week too. To make things easier I bought the frozen cooked and deveined shrimp. It is a dollar or two more expensive, but so much easier especially for the work week.

Nutmeg
I've started looking nutmeg recipes and realized that I do have one that I cook regularly.

Cranberry Sweet Potato Bake

Apparently nutmeg has a variety of health benefits including pain relief, indigestion relief, and bad breath treatment.
I was also reading that nutmeg can be used at night in milk to promote relaxation and sleep.
7 Health Benefits Nutmeg Provides

Tags: 
nutmeg
gluten-free

Cilantro Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Sat, 07/19/2014 - 20:51
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Roasted Chicken, Lime Cilantro Rice , Steamed Zucchini
Monday - Bean Burritos
Tuesday - Chicken Pho
Wednesday - Chef Salad
Thursday - Asian Peanut Pasta
Friday - Fish Tacos




Cilantro - you either love it or hate it. I used to have a co-worker who disliked cilantro so much that he set his icon on instant messaging to a cilantro leaf with a red line through it. Apparently to a certain percentage of the population it tastes like soap. Luckily I fall on the side that really likes it. I think it adds so much freshness to meals and I cook with it a lot.

About This Week's Menu
This week the Lime Cilantro Rice, Bean Burritos, Chicken Pho and Fish Tacos all have cilantro in them. The lime cilantro rice is easy but flavorful. It just takes a couple more steps than regular white rice. Bean Burritos are a great week night meal. Very fast - maybe 15 minutes if you have a solid block of time without being interrupted. Chicken Pho is something I've been working on for a while. I love it in Vietnamese restaurants and keep trying to replicate it. The fish tacos are very popular in my house. I really liked them too and I'm not the biggest fish lover in general.

For more gluten-free cilantro ideas check out The Gluten-Free Menu Swap is hosted by Celiac Family or check out the Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie for other menu planning ideas (not all gluten-free).

Tags: 
cilantro
gluten-free

Almond Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Sun, 05/11/2014 - 13:07
This week's gluten-free menu :

Sunday - Minestrone Soup, Mandarin Orange Salad
Monday - Almond Pesto Chicken, Broccoli
Tuesday - Pork Tenderloin, Apples and Potatoes
Wednesday - Pork Stir Fry
Thursday - Almond Crusted Salmon , Green Salad, Rice
Friday - Lentil Almond Burgers, Chicken and Rice Soup

Almonds and almond meal are very useful to have around in a gluten-free kitchen. They can be used in place of breading to make a crispy crust or on top of a casserole in place of bread crumbs. Almond meal can also be used in baking mixed with other flours for cookies, scones or muffins or even cakes. One added benefit of having almond meal around the house is that can be used in a paste mixed with milk as a face mask to help reduce dark circles under the eyes. I have definitely tried this.

This week I'm going to try a few new recipes and mix in a few old standards. On Sunday we are having Minestrone soup and Mandarin Orange Salad. There are candied almonds in the Mandarin Orange Salad. I've served this salad many times for my family and while entertaining. It's always very popular. On Monday we're having Almond Pesto Chicken. This looks great and hopefully won't be too hard. On Tuesday I'm going to make a Pork Tenderloin and Wednesday we're having Pork Stir Fry with the leftovers. Thursday we're going to try an Almond Crusted Salmon and Friday I'm going to try Lentil Almond Burgers, but am going to pair it with chicken soup to give my family an alternative in case they don't like it.

Check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week hosted by Heather at Celiac Family or for other ideas (not all gluten-free) check out the Monday Menu Plan round-up at OrgJunkie. For a variety of gluten-free recipes check out Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Tags: 
almonds
gluten-free

Spinach Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Sat, 04/19/2014 - 01:23
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Gluten-Free Polish Sausage, Hard-Boiled Eggs and Spinach Salad
Monday - Simple Weeknight Chicken, Cooked Spinach, Rice
Tuesday - Lentil Soup, Corn Muffins
Wednesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Salad
Thursday - Spinach Rice Casserole
Friday - Chicken Nuggets, Spinach and Potato Bites

Spinach makes it on my grocery list almost every week. I use it in salad, as a side and in a lot of entrees. It's one of those ingredients that can be sneaked into a lot of meals. It can stealthily be included in sauces, casseroles, soups, muffins and more.

We are having spinach in some form every night of this week. There's no reason to hold back with this ingredient. On Easter Sunday we are going to use up some hard-boiled eggs and dip them along with the sausage in the sauce that I mentioned last week that was made out of yolks and vinegar. I haven't found that recipe anywhere else on the internet (or maybe I just don't know the proper name of it) so I will try to document that recipe. We'll also have Spinach Salad, which includes, feta cheese, walnuts and strawberries. On Monday we are having Cooked Spinach with our chicken and rice. My favorite way to make cooked spinach is to saute it with a little minced garlic and olive oil. The Lentil Soup recipe for Tuesday night includes spinach. Spinach can also be cut into small pieces and used in meatballs as well as marinara sauce for Wednesday's Spaghetti and Meatballs meal. Thursday night we're having a Spinach Rice Casserole. Friday we're having finger foods : Chicken Nuggets and Spinach Potato Bites.

Other spinach recipes that I make often are :

Spinach Frittatas
Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
Beef Stir Fry

For more ideas check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap hosted this week by Heather at Celiac Family or OrgJunkie's Menu Swap Monday. For mid-week recipe ideas check out Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Glutenfreehomemaker.

Make sure to come back to Glutenfreeweek next week where I'll be hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap with Coconut Week!

Tags: 
spinach
gluten-free
life without gluten

Eggs Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Fri, 04/11/2014 - 14:08
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Broccoli and Cheese Quiche, Apples and Cheese
Monday - Chicken Fried Rice
Tuesday - Chicken, Sausage, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday - Egg Salad, Potato Chips, Carrot and Celery Sticks
Thursday - Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
Friday - Pizza, Green Salad

This week is Eggs Week. Spring is here and eggs represent new life and a new beginnings. Speaking of new beginnings, my family has moved from the very urban west side of Los Angeles to a suburban area outside of Dallas. Here people raise chickens. In fact, my neighbors have several chickens in a chicken coup under their tree house. They are not the only ones either. The father of my son's friend brought over eggs from their chickens when they came over for a play date. This story isn't going anywhere but it is on the subject of eggs. It's been just a bit of culture shock and I still need to talk about it. (On a side note, another neighbor walks his goat every night.)

I am not ready to raise hens yet, but I do cook with plenty of eggs. At our house we celebrate Easter which is this Sunday, so we are always trying to figure out what to do with the eggs come Easter morning. My favorite tradition is to make a sauce with vinegar and mashed yolk and dip Polish sausage and the hard-boiled egg whites into it. My mom's side of the family is Polish and she always knew of a little deli in one part of town that made a special Easter Polish sausage once a year. Hopefully I will be able to find a special, gluten-free, Easter Polish sausage this year in my new town.

This week's menu is starting with a Quiche. For this quiche I am making a brown-rice crust. Monday we are having Chicken Fried Rice. Chicken Fried Rice is such an easy meal and does have egg in it so it fits the theme. Of course I think the recommended amount of eggs per week is 7 so we can't have all egg dishes this week. On Tuesday we're having Chicken Sausage and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. On Wednesday we're having Egg Salad. Thursday night is Quesadilla Night and Friday is Pizza Night. Grandparents will be in town so we will have a big dinner for everyone. Hope you have a great week.

For more ideas check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap hosted by Heather at Celiac Family. Also Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie has a menu plan round up although they are not all gluten-free.
For some mid-week ideas check out Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten Free Homemaker.

Tags: 
eggs
gluten-free

Beets Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Thu, 04/03/2014 - 17:05
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Sirloin Steak, Smoked Beets, Rice Pilaf
Monday - Chicken Pho
Tuesday - Beef Stir Fry
Wednesday - Black Bean Soup, Hummus and Veggie Wrap
Thursday - Baked Potatoes, Broccoli Cole Slaw
Friday - Fish Sticks, Tartar Sauce, Peas and Carrots, GF Mac and Cheese

This week's theme is beets and although I really like the theme as inspiration for the week it doesn't always dictate the week. I like the theme because it always stretches me to try new recipes and flavors and definitely expands who I am as a cook. Beets are not something I always use in cooking, however, they are really good for us so I'm excited to try some new recipes. After doing some research online I found that beets are good at lowering blood pressure and have all sorts of other health benefits.

This week I have only posted one recipe that has beets, but I will be experimenting and I hope that you will too. Sunday we will start the week with Beef Sirloin and Smoked Beets. I am sending you over to Jaimie Oliver for this recipe because I have never made them. Tuesday is Chicken Pho. Wednesday is Black Bean Soup and Hummus and Veggie Wraps. I may try to use some leftover beets to make some sort of beet spread or maybe I'll add the beets in the hummus to make a beet hummus. On Thursday we are having a Baked Potato night where we can use all sorts of leftover meat and vegetables to pile on the potato. Friday is Fish Stick Night. I'm going to make a simple breaded cornmeal based Fish Stick. I'm serving it with steamed peas and carrots, and GF Mac and Cheese. I'm going to just buy the Annie's GF Mac and Cheese instead of making it from scratch this time to give myself a break on Friday. Hope you have a great week!

For more ideas check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap with Heather at Celiac Family. Also check out the Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie or Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten-Free Homemaker .

Tags: 
beets
gluten-free
healthful dinner

Asparagus Week

Submitted by glutenfreeweek on Thu, 03/27/2014 - 14:43
This week's gluten-free menu:

Sunday - Roasted Chicken, Bacon Parmesan Asparagus, Brown Rice
Monday - Grape and Craisin Chicken Salad, Tortilla Crisps, Carrot Sticks
Tuesday - Cobb Salad, GF Crackers
Wednesday - Potato and Asparagus Frittata, Black Bean Soup, Fresh Fruit
Thursday - Gluten-free Hamburger Helper, Broccoli
Friday - Tacos

This week is Asparagus week. It looks like we are in the peak season which is April so we should be able to find some good asparagus at the market right now. There are all sorts of health benefits of eating asparagus. A lot of folate, as well vitamins E, A, and C can be found in asparagus. All good stuff!

The weather is getting warmer and spring is coming so some lighter meals will sounds more appetizing. Last week was cold and rainy and I ended up making Turkey Tetrizini with Broccoli one night instead of the salad. Hopefully this week will be warmer and sunnier. On Sunday we're going to have Roasted Chicken and our first asparagus appearance, Bacon Parmesan Asparagus. On Monday we're going to have Chicken-Craisin Salad. This is like your traditional chicken salad but a little sweeter than the average one. Tuesday is a Cobb Salad night. Cobb Salad hardly feels like a salad because it has so many hearty ingredients. Wednesday is Potato and Asparagus Frittata. I'm also going to serve a GF Black Bean soup with it. I've noticed that the mainstream brands of Black Bean and Lentil soups are sometimes gluten-free, for example Progresso. Although I usually like to make fresh soups a GF soup during the week is welcome. You can also find GF Soup in boxes if you are trying to avoid canned foods. Thursday is GF Hamburger Helper. This version of Hamburger helper sneaks some fresh veggies in it and it tastes yummy. Very kid-friendly. Friday is Taco night! McCormick’s taco seasoning was gluten-free last I checked, but make sure to check for yourself in case they have changed the ingredients. Easy and a lot of fun!

That's it! Hope you have a stress-free gluten-free week.

For more ideas check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap hosted by Heather at Celiac Family this week or Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie. Or you might find what you're looking for by browsing through past menus.
Tags: 
asparagus
gluten-free

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