Everyone I have ever asked says they love bruschetta! That tangy tinge of flavor from the tomatoes, mixed with fresh garlic and aromatic basil is just the kind of combination that makes life magnificent. But if you are avoiding gluten or bread, you might be wondering what alternatives are out there. This recipe uses grilled sliced potato in place of bread. And although it isn’t grilled bread (quite obviously), the finished product is delicious, satisfying, and quite a bit further up the nutrition scale. Give it a try!
Vegan Swiss Chard Enchiladas with Quinoa, Black Beans & Epazote
We have this gigantic Swiss
chard “bush,” seriously taking hold in the food garden. The leaves
kept beckoning me to wrap them up with something. So, here’s an idea for
gluten-free and cornmeal-free Swiss chard enchiladas that came out pretty
yummy! The fresh epazote adds a nice, earthy, Oaxacan nuance, but you can
substitute something like fresh thyme and still get a great fresh herbal
infusion. Epazote is really easy to grow but not so easy to find at the
market. Feel free to play around with non-vegan variations using queso
fresco, organic chicken, and-or ground meat. Enjoy!
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Savory Oatmeal with Fennel, Asparagus & Peas
Ever heard of savory oatmeal? Being that Oats are a grain, do you ever think about why we would restrict them to only being eaten sweet? Savory oatmeal can be extremely versatile and give you a great vehicle for enjoying more vegetables, fiber, and other awesome nutrients in a quick, convenient way. This recipe is just one example. Enjoy savory oatmeal on it’s own or as a compliment to a larger meal with fish, chicken, turkey, or other proteins. But keep in mind that on its own, oatmeal provides a decent amount of protein. So don’t be afraid to experiment, knowing you’re getting a good meal from a bowl of savory oatmeal with veggies. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pasta Alternatives to Try Today!
Guess what? Not all gluten free
pasta is created equal. And, just because something says, “gluten
free” does not mean it’s necessarily any good for you. Pasta can be made
from a variety of foods free of gluten: beans, grains, vegetables, and more,
and each one offers something unique in providing your DV of needed
nutrients. In fact, the most popular go-to gluten free pasta made of quinoa
and-or brown rice is just a fraction more nutritious than the traditional
pastas made with semolina or wheat flour.
What happens with most gluten free diets is that people run to the
first substitute they can find that looks and tastes as close to the real
gluten filled product as possible. Take gluten free bread for example. How
many gluten free breads are really that great tasting? Not many, from my
experience. But, when you forget about the old product altogether, and give
yourself a chance to explore an entirely new context of enjoying pasta and
other gluten free alternatives, that is when a whole new world of superior
nutrition and great flavor comes to life. So, here are some of my favorite
pastas Read More
Black Bean Rotini Salad
I thought I would squeeze in a
4th of July recipe this morning! Here is a gluten free pasta salad that
is packed with summertime garden goodness, contains all the comfort and zesty
flavors of the holiday, but won’t leave your body starving for awesome
nutrition. I named it “L.A. Summer” because it contains all the
stuff that you might find growing in one of L.A.’s back yards or urban farms,
like nopales, cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers, and it has some hints of
Mexico and the Southwest in it’s flavor profile, two prominent cuisines in
the area. Enjoy, and happy Independence Day!
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Roasted Pepper & Avocado Sushi
A couple weeks ago I was riding
my bicycle through Little Tokyo, which almost always leads to a stopover at
the Japanese supermarket. I stocked up on brown sushi rice, grabbed some
fresh produce and ventured into some plant-based sushi making when I got
home. I ended up with a pretty good variety of totally vegan sushi. This one
with red peppers ended up being one of the favorites, partly because of the
way the red pepper resembles traditional sushi fish like ahi tuna. In a recent
article on my nutrition blog, I shared some high alkaline foods
that people in their day to day cooking. Both red pepper and avocado made the
list. So, in a way, you can look at this as a healthy, alkalizing sushi!
Enjoy!