Homemade Gluten Free Granola

You know how you can get gluten free granola at the store and it costs like $20 for a tiny bag of it? Yeah, well, it turns out that it's very easy and cheap to make your own. Just choose from the list of ingredient suggestions below, and mix it up in a ziplock bag. Keep it in the freezer for long-term storage. Traditionally granola seems to be mixed with some kind of sweetener and then baked in the oven, but that is certainly not necessary and just mixing the ingredients together and eating them raw is easier and has a lot less sugar. You can throw in some cinnamon for flavor if you like cinnamon. Eat it with milk like you would eat cereal, or sprinkle it on top of yogurt. Or just eat it plain.

Ingredients suggestions:
GF rolled oats
Toasted quinoa or millet
Puffed quinoa, millet, or rice
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Dried apples
Chopped dates
Broken up banana chips
Dried mango
Dried pineapple
Dried apricots
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Hemp seeds
Sesame seeds
Shredded coconut
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Peanuts
Sliced almonds
Chopped walnuts
Chopped pecans
Chopped cashews
Mini chocolate chips

Black Bean and Corn Taco Cups

You can make these with any kind of taco filling. This is just one particular version that I came up with one day. But feel free to use meat, melt cheese on top, leave out anything you don't like or add things you do like. Just experiment. That's what I do.

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Black beans (cooked or canned - drain and rinse them)
Frozen corn
Chopped fresh mushrooms
Chopped fresh zucchini
Taco seasoning (either a pre-made gluten-free one, or just mix chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper until you think it tastes good)

To prepare the tortillas, soften them either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Press them into lightly greased muffin pans. They'll be kind of cone-shaped, but once you put the filling in and bake them in the oven the bottoms will flatten out and they'll look like cups. It's okay if they crack a bit when you do this. The tops of the tortillas will stick up out of the muffin pans. Cook all of the other ingredients in a little bit of oil or butter until the zucchini and mushrooms are soft. Fill the tortillas with the filling (put in enough so that it goes up as high as the top of the muffin pan). Bake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes, until the tortilla edges are crisp and you can lift them easily out of the muffin pan. Top with salsa, sour cream, avocado, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, or whatever you like. They do fall apart a little bit, so you'll need to eat them with a knife and fork, but it's a nice change from regular every-day tacos (which really do become an every day thing when you're gluten free!).

Two Smoothies

I make these a lot. They're very simple but very good. I can't drink milk these days, so I use Coconut Dream milk (http://www.tastethedream.com/products/category/772.php), but feel free to use whatever dairy or non-dairy milk you prefer. Vary the amount of fruit vs milk depending on whether you like smoothies that or more drinkable or more milkshake-like.

Chocolate Peach Berry Smoothie
A handful of frozen peaches and berries (there's a Safeway brand bag of frozen peaches, strawberries, and blueberries that's really good) - you can use fresh fruit if you have it, but throw in a few ice cubes if you do
Chocolate Coconut Dream milk

Mix in the blender and enjoy!

Banana Smoothie
1-2 bananas
A few ice cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla
Coconut Dream milk unsweetened original

Mix in the blender and enjoy!

Lentil and Tomato Stew

Ingredients:
1 large can of diced or crushed tomatoes (don't drain it)
1/2 cup dry red or green lentils
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups water

Place everything in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Add more water if it starts to get too dry.

Potato Salad

Leave out the bacon if you're making it vegetarian. You can substitute sun-dried tomatoes if you like them.

Ingredients:
About 1/2 pound of potatoes, any kind, cut into small pieces, boiled, drained, and cooled
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped into small pieces (optional)
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 dill pickle, diced
About 1/4-1/3 cup of mayonnaise (Just mix it in until you think it looks good. Amount will vary depending on how creamy you like your potato salad. I like Hellman's light olive oil mayo, which is made with free-range eggs. If you don't like mayo/don't eat eggs, you can substitute sour cream, yogurt, soy yogurt, or vegan mayo.)
A couple of teaspoons of mustard, any kind
Paprika, salt, and pepper to taste
Sliced green onions or chopped chives

Mix everything except the green onions and chives and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Add the green onions or chives just before serving. Keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Variation: Use chopped cooked cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These are quick to make and you can eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. Amounts of everything are variable - make enough chicken and rice for as many people as you are trying to feed. Leave out anything that you don't like. Peanut-free and vegetarian versions are at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients:
Uncooked rice
Five spice powder
Chicken breasts (can be frozen - you don't need to thaw them first)
San J Gluten Free Peanut Sauce (or another kind, or the homemade version at the end of the recipe)
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded carrots
Sliced green onions
Diced water chestnuts
Lettuce leaves - lots of kinds of lettuce will work, just make sure the leaves are fairly round and at least the size of your hand

Cook the rice according to the directions for the type of rice you're using. Add a bit of five spice powder to the water before you start. While you are cooking the rice, cover the chicken breasts with water, bring to a boil, and cook until they are no longer pink in the middle. I know that might sound a little weird, but just trust me. When the chicken is done, remove it to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Heat a frying pan over medium low heat, and add the shredded chicken to it. Add some peanut sauce, a little bit at a time, and stir it into the chicken. You don't want to add to much or things will get messy when you try to pick up the lettuce wraps. To give you an idea, I probably use about a teaspoon per chicken breast. Just experiment and taste it as you go to figure out the right amount without using too much. To serve, put everything in bowls and assemble the lettuce wraps one at a time by putting small amounts of each thing on them. Roll the sides up over the filling, pick them up, and eat them!

Vegetarian version: There are two options here. The first is to simply replace the chicken with tofu. The second is to add some lentils to the rice as it cooks, and then mix the peanut sauce into the rice/lentil mixture.

Peanut-free version: Instead of using peanut sauce, mix a bit of gluten-free soy sauce, a splash of lime juice, and a bit of powdered ginger into the chicken. And just a note of caution here: If you are cooking for someone with a peanut allergy, I strongly recommend making the entire meal peanut-free rather than making two versions of this. Peanut allergies are serious business. I'm not saying that celiac disease isn't serious, but it's generally safe for us to eat our gluten free bread at the same table as someone eating wheat bread, as long as things have been prepared without cross-contamination. That may not always be the case for someone with a peanut allergy.

Homemade Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
Peanut butter (smooth or chunky, doesn't matter)
Gluten-free soy sauce
Rice vinegar (the unseasoned kind)
Lime juice
Powdered ginger

This is a bit of trial and error - mix things in and taste it and stop when you think it tastes good. Start with some peanut butter. Add enough rice vinegar to thin it out to the point where you can easily stir it. Add small amounts of soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger until you decide it's done.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

This is my own variation of the ubiquitous flourless peanut butter cookie recipe. They are a bit gooey when they first come out of the oven, so let them sit for a few minutes before trying to get them off the cookie sheet.

Ingredients:
1 cup Nutella
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients and drop spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are starting to crisp. It usually takes about 12 minutes for me, but oven temperatures vary. Makes 12 large or 24 small cookies.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Very simple and very good.

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled, and deveined
2 red bell peppers cut into thin strips
1 8 oz package snow peas
1/4 cup white wine
your favorite cooking oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the red peppers and snow peas and cook for a few minutes until they just start to soften. Add the shrimp and white wine and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes more until the shrimp is pink and most of the liquid has evaporated. Makes about 4 servings.

Gluten Free Veggie Burgers

Okay, these are a little bit tricky to make, but once you've done a couple you'll be good at it and they are very worth it. Especially if you like zucchini.

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, finely grated (use the side of the grater with the small holes) - about 3 cups
1 small carrot, finely grated
2 bell peppers, any color, finely diced
1 tbsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika or chili powder)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the rice flour absorb some of the liquid. Heat a small amount of oil (just enough to keep them from sticking) in a 10-12 inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, take about 1/4 cup of the mixture in your hands and squeeze it gently over a new bowl to get some of the liquid out (you don't have to get it all out, just squeeze it a bit). Until you kind of figure out what you're doing, just make 1 at a time. Once you get in the zone you'll be able to fit about 3 at a time in the pan. Flatten the mixture in your hands and put it in the frying pan, the flatten it out a bit with the back of a spoon. You're aiming for about 1/4-1/3 of an inch thickness. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and it slides around the pan easily without falling apart, flip it over. Immediately use your flipper to flatten it again, and cook until the other side is golden brown. If the first couple that you try fall apart, don't worry about it. Put the fallen-apart mess back in the mixing bowl with the rest of it and try again. It will work eventually! You can freeze these if you want to - just stack them with pieces of wax paper or parchment between them. Reheat them in the oven at 350F until heated through.

Flour substitutions - feel free to sub any flour you want to use (even glutenous flours if you're one of my non-GF readers - just don't feed them to your celiac friends!). If you're using coconut, almond, or some other nut flour, try only using 1/2 a cup. Those flours absorb liquid a lot easier. I haven't actually tried coconut or almond flour, so if you try that, feel free to leave a comment and let us know how it worked!

Makes about 20.

Homemade breadcrumbs, croutons, and stuffing

There are commercially available versions of all of this, but it is so much less expensive to make your own. You can do all of these things with regular bread too if you are one of my non-GF readers.

Breadcrumbs
Save dried out bits of bread (or epic bread baking failures) in a paper bag. Once they are dry, you can grate them with a cheese grater or put them in the blender to turn them into crumbs. If you want to expedite the process, just toast some bread until it dries out and do the same thing. Store breadcrumbs in a ziplock bag in the freezer and use whenever you need them.

Croutons
Cut some slice of bread into cubes. Place in a bowl and toss with a bit cooking spray or oil and herbs and spices of your choice (or just leave them plain). Bake in the oven at 350 F until they are dry (about 20 minutes usually), checking often to make sure they don't burn.

Stuffing
Make some plain croutons. You can either use them in your favorite stuffing recipe or in my favorite stuffing recipe, which is the following. Put the croutons in a casserole dish with sautéed diced onions and celery. Add some dried sage and cover with just enough chicken or veggie broth to moisten the croutons. Stuff your turkey with it or bake in a casserole dish. Baking temperature and time is pretty flexible, but if you're just making stuffing and not putting in with other things that are baking, 350 F for 20-30 minutes works well.

Spaghetti Sauce

A very basic pasta sauce that you can eat with whatever gluten free noodles you like, put on spaghetti squash, or use to make stuffed bell peppers.

Ingredients:
2 cans of tomatoes, either crushed or diced, with liquid
1-2 white or yellow onions, chopped
1-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or 1/2-1 dried cup red lentils (both of these are optional)
fresh or dried basil
salt and pepper

Directions:
If using beef, brown it in a frying pan and drain it. If using lentils, boil for 20 minutes or until soft and drain. You can prep the lentils or the beef at the same time you're making the rest of the sauce. Pour the cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the liquid has reduced, about 30 minutes. Add the beef or lentils (if using) once they are cooked. Before serving, add basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Makes a lot, but it freezes well.

Crockpot Beans and Rice with Kale

Ingredients:
1 cup black beans (or whatever kind you have)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 small tin of diced green chilies (optional)
4 pieces of bacon, cut into small pieces (optional - leave out if you're feeding vegetarians!)
4 cups chicken or veggie broth (again, don't use chicken broth for vegetarians)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 large bunch kale, ripped into approximately 1-inch pieces

Put everything in the crockpot except for the kale. Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low and simmer all day until the liquid is absorbed, adding water or more broth if it's looking dry before the beans and rice are cooked. Stir in kale 20-30 minutes before serving and let it until it wilts a bit. Makes kind of a lot, but it freezes well.

Blue Cheese and Pear Salad

It's been kind of hot this week, and that makes me want to eat salad. Leave out any of the ingredients that you don't like.

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce or baby spinach
Crumbled blue cheese
Red grapes, cut in half
A couple of pears, cut into chunks about the same size as the grape halves
Chopped walnuts
Raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette (read the ingredients to make sure, but most are gluten-free)

Mix everything together and enjoy not turning your oven on! You can add pieces of chicken or tofu if you want to make this a bit more substantial.

Chocolate Chickpea Cake

It's Wednesday, kids. Let's make some cake. This is a recipe my mom found somewhere and I've modified it a bit.

Ingredients

1/2 cups of chocolate (I use dark chocolate, but it's okay to use milk chocolate if you don't like dark chocolate. Obviously, it will not be dairy-free if you use milk chocolate.)
1 19oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar (you can use white sugar, but brown sugar tastes so much better)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Melt the chocolate over low heat in a saucepan (you can also use a microwave, if you have one. I don't.). Find some way to liquefy the chickpeas and eggs. You can use a food processor if you have one, but I do not, so I just put a little bit at a time in my magic bullet and blend it. Mix in the chocolate and other ingredients. Pour into a greased 9 inch cake pan and bake for 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a plate. You can also make this recipe into cupcakes, just decrease the cooking time a bit (more like 20-30 minutes).

Banana Raspberry Pudding

Just a little thing I invented with some fruit that needed to be eaten.

2 bananas
1 cup raspberries
3-4 egg whites

Mix everything in a mixer until it is fluffy and pink (takes about 10 minutes, maybe a bit less). Pour into 4-6 individual ramekins (don't fill them up too much or they will explode). Set the ramekins on a cookie sheet or a cake pan. Bake at 325F for about 10 minutes, until they puff up a bit and the edges turn slightly golden.

My Frequently Asked Questions

I try to keep this blog mainly about recipes and food, but since May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, I thought I would do a couple of non-recipe posts. Today I'm going to tell you the answers to the questions I get asked fairly regularly when people first notice that I don't eat the same things everyone else is eating. I'm answering the questions the same way I do in conversation, so don't look at this as any kind of nutritional or medical advice (and don't look at anything on this blog as nutritional or medical advice, actually, because I am not qualified to give either and will never be qualified to give either to people on the internet), but this is just more of a "how I deal with social situations" kind of post. So these aren't super science-y answers, just what I would say in a social situation. (If you want some science, I recommend reading "Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green.) Have any more questions for me? Leave them in the comments!

1. Why don't you eat (wheat/bread/flour/gluten/those donuts that I brought/etc)?
I have a medical condition called celiac disease that makes me unable to eat wheat, barley, and rye and things made from them. I get very sick if I eat them. It's kind of like an allergy but it's a little different.

2. What do you eat? (My favorite version of this was followed up by, "That must be awful! I would die if I couldn't eat bread!" Actually, don't feel bad for me - I feel bad for you that your life is so awful that eating bread is the only pleasure you have left!)
Anything that's not wheat, barley, or rye! I can eat rice and quinoa and other grains. Mostly I eat fruits and vegetables and meat and cheese and eggs, things like that. I cook most of my own food and it's not at all hard to cook things I can eat. It's sometimes hard to go to a restaurant, but it's getting easier all the time as people become more aware of celiac disease.

3. What happens to you when you eat (wheat/bread/flour/gluten/those donuts that I brought)?
I can get very sick. Bad intestinal stuff happens. Most people are grossed out by even that much and change the subject after that, but some people are actually just legitimately curious and like to talk about that sort of thing, so if they are I'm more than happy to give details.

4. Have you tried eating fermented wheat products/ezekiel bread? My friend/relative has gluten problems, but they can eat those things because all the gluten ferments out of them!
That's good that it works with your friend, but I'm guessing your friend probably has some other kind of gluten intolerance rather than actually celiac disease, which is what I have. I unfortunately cannot eat that stuff (okay, I don't actually think it's unfortunate, but I'm trying to be nice because they're trying to be helpful).

5. Doesn't all grain have some kind of gluten in it? Why do you eat corn and rice? (Variation: Why are you eating carbs? I thought you were on a low carb diet.)
It's true that all grains have storage proteins that are generically called "gluten", but experiments have shown that it's the specific glutens in wheat, barley, rye (and maybe oats for some people) that affect people with celiac disease. And it's not carbs that are the problem, it's gluten. Interestingly, when I was a vegetarian, people would freak out when I was eating peanut butter or legumes because they thought being a vegetarian meant you couldn't eat any protein. (I was a vegetarian for 6 years or so, mainly because I thought meat and eggs and dairy were what was making me so sick, and it did make me feel a bit better because most of what I ate just coincidentally didn't have gluten in it - at least until I got to college and all there was to eat was iceberg lettuce and pasta and I got so anemic that I tried to donate blood and the lady checking my iron got this horrified look on her face and told me I should go see a doctor. So I eventually stopped being a vegetarian.)

6. Why can't you eat just a little bit? Surely a little bit won't hurt you! Can't you just cheat? (Or can't you just pick the croutons off the salad/eat the pie filling and not the crust?)
It will. Really, no one wishes more than me that I could just pick the croutons off the salad like a normal person or take a day off and eat a croissant, but it has the potential to make me really sick. And it's the kind of really sick that takes a long to get back to normal afterwards.

7. Do you worry about cross-contamination?
Yes and no. There are certain brands and restaurants that I really trust even though they have to have cross-contamination disclaimers (and I'm not going to name names right now, because that's a decision people have to make for themselves and I don't want anyone thinking a place is absolutely safe because I mentioned it on here). But I won't eat things that have crumbs all over them or pick the filling out of the pie or anything like that. I have a certain level of risk that I have decided I'm comfortable with. I could decide that I'm not eating anything unless it came out of my own kitchen, but I choose to go out and take risks sometimes. I'm careful, but it's always a risk. Will I get sick from eating out? I have (ended up in the ER once, although there's a chance that it was food poisoning and not gluten), and probably will again. But it doesn't happen often, and it would probably happen even if I was more paranoid than I am. I talk to waiters and if I feel like a place is unsafe to eat at, I don't eat anything.

8. I think I might have celiac disease! What should I do?
You should see your doctor and get tested. Don't just stop eating gluten and see if you feel better. The problem with that is that a lot of people feel better when they stop eating gluten. Not because a gluten free diet is inherently healthier for everyone, but a lot of the junk food you were eating before is off-limits and the gluten free versions are expensive and taste like cardboard, at least at first (you do eventually forget what the real stuff tastes like and things like gluten free doorstops bagels become a fun novelty). But a lot of people stop eating gluten, and then instead of Lucky Charms for breakfast, they're having fruit and yogurt. Instead of grabbing a 2-week old sandwich out of a vending machine for lunch, they bring a salad from home. You get the idea. So of course a lot of people feel better. But you don't know if you've actually solved the problem or not. There was a woman in a Facebook group I was on who thought she might have celiac disease and just stopped eating gluten, and she felt sort of better but not really, and started to get sicker and sicker and eventually found out that what she actually had was a hiatus hernia - after about 18 months of wondering whether or not the gluten free diet had solved her problem. It's a lot faster and easier to just get tested. It's a simple blood test, and if that's positive, you have an endoscopy to confirm it (basically they stick a camera down into your small intestine and take some biopsies to confirm that you have celiac disease).

9. Is getting an endoscopy as horrifying as I think it sounds?
Not even a little bit. You are sedated and you don't remember much, but your friend who drove you home afterwards will have a great story to tell about how stoned you were.

Sandwiches in a Bell Pepper

Sandwiches in a Bell Pepper

Okay, this is more of an idea than a recipe, really. I'm going to get some more baking recipes on here soon (some egg-free, dairy-free breads and things, and even naan), but today we're sticking with something simple. This is a good thing to bring for lunch, and it's a bit less messy than a lettuce wrap if you're going for bread alternatives. Simply cut a bell pepper in half (any color, but I like the red ones), and fill with your favorite sandwich fillings. Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, meat, egg salad, tuna salad, hummus, sprouts, onions, pickles, whatever you can think of. Even peanut butter is good (well, I think it is, at least. In my family we like peanut butter and tomato sandwiches - you really should try it!). You can even think outside of the traditional sandwich fillings and use leftover rice and beans or quinoa or stir-fry. Anything you can eat cold you can put in a bell pepper and call a sandwich. It's a good portable lunch. Not that there's anything wrong with bread, and there are good gluten-free breads that you can make or buy, but they're expensive and not always all that healthy and it's nice to have options.

Lentil Soup

This is quick and easy and very basic, but good.

Ingredients:
Red lentils
Chopped onion
Chopped celery
Homemade broth (or store-bought, or even just water)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.

Homemade Broth

This is so easy, and so much cheaper than buying gluten free broth. I keep a large ziplock bag in my freezer full of vegetable scraps and bones from chicken and things like that. When it gets full, I make broth.

Ingredients:
Assorted vegetable and/or meat scraps
Water
A bit of salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Put the vegetable/meat scraps in the biggest saucepan you have and fill with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 5 hours. Add water if the water is disappearing. When it's done, strain out the vegetable/meat scraps, and use in recipes. You can freeze it in ice cube trays or in small ziplock bags so that you can just take small amounts out of the freezer to add to recipes when needed.

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

Another thing I eat for breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 banana, broken into chunks
1/2 cup of any frozen fruit
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of water

Blend everything in a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) and enjoy!

Kale and Mushroom Omelet

This is what I've been eating for breakfast lately.

Ingredients:

Raw kale, ripped into about 1-2 inch pieces

Chopped mushrooms

Diced onion

4 egg whites or two whole eggs, beaten

1 oz cream cheese cut into small cubes

Cook the kale, mushrooms, and onion in a little bit of oil or cooking spray until the kale is wilted and the onions are starting to look clear. Spread the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the frying pan and pour in the eggs. Sprinkle the cream cheese pieces over top. Cook until the eggs are set or nearly set, then fold one half of the omelet over the other. Cook for a couple more minutes, flattening the top with the spatula so that any remaining raw egg squeezes out and cooks. Slide onto a plate and enjoy!

Chicken or Turkey Tacos

I make these a lot, and it's an easy thing to just make a big batch of and keep in your fridge.

Ingredients:
For the chicken/turkey filling:
Chicken or turkey, about 2 pounds chopped (can use leftovers)
Chopped onion (I usually use 1-2 whole onions)
Chopped celery (I use about a pound)
1 bottle of Old El Paso taco sauce (or any taco sauce/salsa of your choice)
Water

Other ingredients (you don't need all of these things, they're just options):
Corn tortillas (hard or soft, I prefer soft) - If you're allergic to corn, those big brown rice tortillas work too
Grated cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Chopped avocado or guacamole
Chopped tomato
Shredded lettuce
Sliced green onion

Directions:
In a large sauce pan, combine the ingredients for the filling. Put some water in the empty taco sauce jar, put the lid on, and shake it up to get all the stuff that stuck to the sides, and then pour that in too. Cook for about an hour, until the celery and onion are soft, the meat is cooked, and the water has been absorbed. Add water if it's looking dry before it's done.
To prepare soft corn tortillas: get a large frying pan (ungreased) and turn the heat to medium. Heat tortillas until they are warm but still pliable, then take them out and gently fold them in half. Fill with chicken or turkey mixture and toppings of your choice.

Bread!

Alright, I keep saying that I'm going to post my bread recipe and then life gets in the way. But here it is! And unfortunately I'm not even sure that I know equivalent volume measurements for the dry ingredients anymore, but I will give my best guesses, but seriously consider trying to bake this by weight if you want the best results. This was inspired by/modified from a few recipes in the book "You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free!: 500 Delicious, Foolproof Recipes for Healthy Living" by Roben Ryberg. I like to mix the dry ingredients in ziplock bags ahead of time and have a bunch in my pantry so that when I decide I want bread it only takes about 5 minutes to mix it up and then ~30 minutes in the oven.


Ingredients:
Dry:
75 grams brown rice flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp ground flax seed (this is approximate - just for flavor and fiber - you can leave it out, or add more/less)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum


3 egg whites
1 tbsp oil (I usually use grapeseed, sometimes olive, if you're into coconut oil you can use that, but you have to melt it first)
1/2 cup water (you can also use milk or non-dairy milk)
1 tbsp vinegar (I usually use white wine vinegar, but plain white vinegar, rice vinegar, and apple cider vinegar are all good choices)


Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, but not starting to form peaks. Add the other wet ingredients and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it thickens. You can use a mixer or do it all by hand. Either way works. The texture will seem really weird, but trust me, it will work. Place in a greased loaf pan or into a greased jumbo muffin pan to make buns. Smooth out the top a bit with wet hands. Bake for about 30 minutes, but check it after 2o minutes. It should be lightly browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan and it should slide out of the pan easily. Makes 1 small loaf of bread or 6 buns. 1/6 of the recipe has 2 Weight Watchers points if you're into that sort of thing.


Variations (note that adding things like raisins and cheese makes it stick to the sides of the pan a bit more, so slide a butter knife around the edges before trying to get it out):
-I like to add basil, garlic powder, and onion powder for herb bread.
-Add the above herbs plus 3 oz grated cheese for cheese and herb bread.
-Add just grated cheese and make in muffin pans for cheese buns.
-Add cinnamon and raisins for raisin bread.
The possibilities are endless...