Meals for the week.

So I've been doing this for awhile, making food on Sundays for the rest of the week, because I am way to busy to cook but still want cooked food. Usually I don't make anything epic, because I'm not a rich college student. But apparently people are impressed I take the time to do this so I'll start posting my weekly fixings.

This week I made Quinoa Granola for breakfast (figured I should be eating something more nutritious than rice bread to start my day off,) Pizza (for lunches) and an adoption of the lasagna I made for Valentines Day. I looked through 2 of my cookbooks to get ideas and the granola recipe reminded me of the quinoa flakes I had. I miss granola so much. I can't be crunchy anymore because I can't even EAT granola! (haha get it?!) I made pizza because it was something different to eat for lunch. And the pasta because I use to love pasta but haven't really ever bought the GF kind.

The granola turned out pretty well. I might have cooked it for too long because it's kind of dry and with not much flavor. But that's kind of how quinoa is.... I think the quinoa flakes are just so small and thin that they don't work as well as oats. Sad day. Probably won't buy them again, they're just kind a lame and not a good enough replacement. The pizza I have made tons of times before and somehow almost every time the dough turns out different. Either doesn't rise, really dry or really sticky, too salty. Maybe my measuring is just bad. The pasta is really good and definitly hits the pasta craving.

Quinoa Granola
From Gluten-Free Quick & Easy by Carol Fenster

Dry Ingredients
2 C quinoa flakes
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 C sliced almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt, if want

Liquid Ingredients
1/4 C honey
1/4 C very hot water
1/4 C canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with partchment paper.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Mix all the liquid ingredients in a seperate bowl until honey is dissolved.
5. Combine dry and liquid ingredients.
6. Place on baking sheet in a thin layer.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, mix, 15 more minutes, mix, 15 more more minutes and mix.
8. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes.
8. Store in refidgerator for up to 2 weeks.

Inside Out Manicotti Pasta Bake
From The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger

16 oz bag of Tinkyada Elbow Pasta (by the far the best, don't even try any other)
2 eggs
1 recipe of Tofu Ricotta (See Below; same I made in the lasugua)
2 C fresh spinach
1 27 once jar of marinara sauce

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. In a large bowl mix together eggs and ricotta.
3. In greased cassarole dish (11x14) layer a bit of sauce, noodles, cheese mixture and spinach. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Leave a little bit of sauce to pour on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (I covered the dish with foil for a majority of the baking)

PS- I doesn't stay together when you take it out of the pan because there is nothing that holds it together. You can add vegan cheese I just don't really like that stuff. You could also add beef and it would be super yummy.

Tofu Ricotta
1 package firm tofu, rinsed and drained
1/4 C packed, shredded fresh basil
1/4 C chopped parsley
2 TBS finely chopped red onion
2 TBS fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender.
2. Blend until slightly crumbly.

Pizza

2 C rice flour
3/4 C potato startch
1/4 C tapioca flour
1 tsp xanthum gum
2 tsp yeast
1 C and 2TBS very warm water
4 tsp sugar
dash of salt
2 TBS olive oil
Toppings (I do some combo of tofu, pineapple, onions, green chiles, green peppers)
8 once can of tomato sauce (just enough!)

1. Mix the water and yeast together. Stir and let sit until dissolved.
2. Mix rice flour, potato startch, tapicoa flour, xanthum gum, sugar together in large bowl.
3. Pour olive oil and yeast/water into dry ingredients. Mix.
4. Let sit for 30-45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Spread out pizza on baking sheet as thin/thick as you want.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Take crust out and put sauce, cheese, toppings on it. Bake for another 15 mintues. Enjoy!

A Gluten Free Santa Fe and Albuquerque

Traveling this summer has taken me many of places. Abroad, road tripping the US and to my final destination of Santa Fe, NM. Heading to Santa Fe is exciting because I love the food, culture and feel of the city. Mexican food is mostly GDF except for a few flour tortillas and cheese fillings here and there. I mostly eat mostly Mexican themed meals at home so heading down gives me new ideas to spice up my meals. Googling "Santa Fe Gluten Free" did not return with many hits. I was surprised with this health minded town. But I decided not to worry because I can just eat mexican food anyways. I kept my eyes open around town. When I visited in the spring I went to this great cafe/yoga studio called Body. The cafe has a great atmosphere. I went for Friday dinner and there was a solo guitarist playing in the background. The menu was marked with vegan, vegetarian, macrobiotic and gluten free entries. I had a great gluten free vegan burger. Who know that was possible! Highly recommended! I also want to try the yoga..... The next two places I ran into accidentally. Attending the Santa Fe International Folk Art Festival, I was overwhelmed with the amount of crafts and more or less crap these people trek across the world to sell for hundreds of dollars. But considering how many people were there, maybe I'm missing something.... Already upset because I did not grab an emergency granola bar and a sweatshirt for a potential monsoon, I was not prepared for the crowds. Thumbing through the program while my mom looks around I think to look at the map for the food area. International food was well represented. I thought, oh great they'll never understand my english questions. Meanwhile, walking around I run into this booth with, wait big breath, chocolate! Just what I need. Knowing that some chocolateirs use flour, I politely ask for an ingredient list. They say it's on the items and ask what I can't have. I say gluten, and it turns out the lady I was chatting with also gluten free. She exclaimed that all of their chocolate products (chocolates, brownies, drinks) is wheat free with much gluten free. (I saw alternatives to milk used as well) Needless to say I was thrilled. I bought a GF chile brownie and chocolate pack. The brownie had some kick at the end. But not too much to burn your tongue. I have yet to try the chocolates though. The shop is called Kakawa Chocolate House. Highly recommended as well!

Well finally I'm so hungry and decided to be brave. I push threw the crowds, I start scanning the food booths for something somewhat safe and easy. The second one is Indian. Not being a huge eater of Indian food, but knowing it is mostly gluten and dairy free, I find myself a spot in the extensive line and squint to read the menu. The few entries actually seem pretty good. Rice with chickpeas, kale, carrots and broccoli. A big YUM. And it was. I saw they also have gluten free cookies and such at the restaurant in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Much to be tested out on my next visit. The place is Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe.Lastly, my mom and I spent sometime in Albuquerque. Googling this city I actually turned up with a few hits. Mainly looking for pizza because I hadn't had it in a while. I found an Italian restaurant with pretty much everything with a gluten free option. We arrived at Paisano's early on a weekday night. The first customers, the service was great. And the food was out fast. The pizza was very good (probably rice flour), very puffy, it felt like normal pizza. It was nice because my mom could get regular flour pizza (she said it was fine) and I could get my special food. I tried a new kind of pizza. Green Chiles! They put that on everything here. Never seen that on a menu so I had to try it. Let me say it pretty much put my mouth on fire. So be warned! I have a moderate to low tolerance of heat though. Anyways I imagine the place fills up nicely on the weekends. Recommended of course! Cheers to being GDF and traveling and not eating rice cakes and granola bars the whole time!